Free Cupid by Julius Lester Page B

paintings of beautiful women and men in poses of love. The floor was a mosaic of a serpent, made of sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, which extended the length of the hallway. The ceiling was covered with gold leaf.
    "Please," came the invisible voice of Cinxia, "explore your new home. Anything that is not to your liking will be taken care of immediately."
    Slowly and timidly, Psyche went through the palace, peering into every room. Each had walls of gold shining so brightly, it was as if each had its own sun. Etched into the golden walls were more drawings of people in poses of love. At the center of each room was a long table, and each table was piled almost ceiling high with jeweled bracelets, necklaces, and rings, and gowns of silk stitched with golden threads.
    Even though she was a princess and had been around wealth all of her life, such riches as she saw in the palace's ten rooms were beyond her imagination and comprehension. How had one man amassed a wealth greater than numbers by which to count it?
    At the end of the corridor was the largest room of all. Here the walls were covered with cloth made of golden threads. At one end of the room was a table with a marble
top. On it lay a mirror set inside a gold frame with a golden handle. Next to the mirror were jars of lotions and small bowls of colored powders for makeup. At the other end of the room was a large bed with sheets so soft, Psyche thought they had to have been made from clouds. Laid across the bed were silken gowns shimmering with subtle hues of red, green, brown, and yellow. At the foot of the bed was a large chest overflowing with bracelets, necklaces, rings, and tiaras studded with every kind of jewel the earth had to offer.
    "All the treasures you see, my lady, are gifts from your husband," Cinxia said.
    "When do I get to meet my-my husband?" Psyche wanted to know. "Do you know him? What is he like?"
    "It is not for me to say anything about him. Just know that this is where he will come to you tonight. Why don't you rest? When you awake, your servants will have your bath ready. After you dress, you will come to the Great Hall for your wedding banquet."
    Psyche lay down on the bed, which was as soft as the moment when two people realize they love each other. Almost immediately, she was asleep.

The Wedding Feast
    It was evening when Psyche awoke.
    "Your bath awaits you, my lady," came Cinxia's now familiar voice.
    Across the hallway was a room with walls covered in marble and a floor made of wood from the tall cedars of Lebanon. At the center was a large rectangular pool filled with hot water from which vapors rose.
    Invisible hands undressed Psyche, then escorted her into the pool. She lay back and closed her eyes. The water warmed not only her body but, as if it had hands, it smoothed away her lingering fears and anxieties. She could not believe that harm could come to her in a place of such beauty.
    When she came out of the pool, the invisible ones were waiting with a large towel to dry her. They anointed her body with oil, then dressed her in a gown of white silk.
    Psyche could not remember ever feeling so cared for. Was this what it was like to feel loved? Whoever her husband was, it seemed he wanted nothing of her except her pleasure.
    The invisible hands guided her toward the Great Hall where a long table stood. Psyche sat down and immediately a goblet of wine shimmering with the reds of sunset appeared before her eyes and settled gently on the table next to her right hand. Smiling, she sipped. Although her father had the finest wine cellar in the kingdom, no wine in it came close to the complex flavors of this one.
    Dishes of fruit, greens, soups, and meats floated through the air and silently alit on the table. As she started to eat, a melody of exquisite sweetness came from an invisible lyre. It was joined by a chorus of voices. Still, Psyche saw no one.
    When she finished eating, the dishes vanished as mysteriously as they had arrived. The