And that’s when the trouble started?
That’s the understatement of the year. I did as my sisters told me, and found my husband wasn’t a monster but the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He had wings, and such a tender face, when I leant in to look closer I must have spilled some oil on him because he woke, startled. We had a bit of an argument. He said if I trusted my sisters more than him I should go back to them. I said it was unfair of him to expect me to go on like this, but of course he didn’t listen. I was kicked out, before I could even apologise!.
But you didn’t give up?
No. I really loved him, you must believe that. Even if he had been a monster, I don’t think I could have killed him. I was heart broken, so I set out to find him again. I went to Demeter for help, because she knows all about wandering the earth in search of a loved one. She said that I had angered Aphrodite, and would have to make it up to her. As it turns out, my lover was no less than Aphrodite’s son Eros! Talk about a mother in law...
What did Aphrodite do to you?
She blamed me for everything! She said Eros was in agony over the wound I’d given him (it was only a drop of oil, I swear) and that I was a terrible wife. She made me clean up her pantry - and what a mess I tell you! I didn’t know where to start. Not sure what I’d have done if those helpful ants hadn’t turned up. That wasn’t enough for her though, no, now I had to go and get some wool from the bloodthirsty golden rams. Who keeps man eating sheep, I ask you? I can see why they value that golden fleece so much. Anyway, the river god helped me out there, being beautiful does come in handy sometimes.
We hear she gave you one more task?
Yes. Apparently all that wasn’t enough, I had to go to Hades and back to prove myself. How do you get to Hades? You die. Can’t say the idea appealed to me, but by that point I realised Aphrodite wanted me dead anyway. Better to take matters into my own hands. I was just getting ready to fling myself from a nice high tower when a voice spoke to me and told me another way. Long story short, I made it past the usual safeguards and managed to get the precious box from Persephone that Aphrodite wanted so badly.
But you couldn’t resist a look inside?
My mother always said my curiosity would be the death of me. You’d have thought I’d have learned from the hot oil incident, but no. It was such a pretty box and Aphrodite had told me it contained the essence of her beauty. Well, I wasn’t looking too hot myself after wandering through Hades so I thought just a little wouldn’t hurt. Pandora save me! The nasty old Queen had filled it with sleep not beauty. Some sort of practical joke I suppose. Well, it was lights out for me!
{ As it turns out, my lover was no less than Aphrodite’s son Eros! Talk about a mother in law... }