True Love in Death

When gods are after you, its only a matter of time before you fall victim to them. But with true love on your side, nothing else matters.

Janiaus was born to Baucus and Philemon long before they were ever touched by the gods. She led a relatively normal life, that is until her eighteenth year, when she was met with the most supernatural force she had ever met in her lifetime. She fell in love with the son of the world’s greatest hero, Hercules. This son, called Demetrius, would greet her with the greatest love the world would ever know. Nothing could separate them, not even the gods. They were soon married and live on a beautiful mountaintop, at the request of Janiaus.

It was said that, as a gift on Janiaus’s first birthday, Aphrodite met this child and gave her some of her own beauty. However, Aphrodite mistakenly gave her too much, which made Janiaus more beautiful than Aphrodite.

            As the jealous goddess she is, Aphrodite was angered by the accusations. Clearly, as the goddess of love and beauty she was the most beautiful of all. She was more angered by Janiaus’s great love, even more so than Janiaus’s beauty. Demetrius was one of the world’s most handsome youths. He was also kind, caring, but most of all he was a loving husband. He loved his wife more than anything else on the planet. Nothing truly mattered to him, unless he had his wife. He was truly blinded by love. Aphrodite wanted this for herself. Surely as the goddess of love, she deserved the world’s greatest love more than anyone. So, as Demetrius was bathing in the river Alpheus, she appeared to him, in her goddess form. She was breathtakingly gorgeous, but Demetrius looked unimpressed. To him, she was nothing compared to Janiaus. Aphrodite was not deterred.

            “You shall come with me,” she declared, her voice the sound of a gentle clanging of wind chimes. “You shall come to Mt. Olympus with me and be made a god. You shall be my husband.”

            Demetrius smiled with pity upon the goddess. “I’m sorry, fair goddess, for I hate to refuse one such as you, but I have found my only love here, upon this earth. I shall not leave Janiaus.”

            There was Demetrius’s fatal mistake. At the sound of another woman’s name, Aphrodite left, a malicious plan already forming. She went to the god of dreams, Morpheus, and bargained with him to help her. Like most gods and men, he was unable to refuse her and readily agreed to help. The god went to Janiaus in a dream, in the form of Demetrius. Janiaus looked into a mirror and saw the light in her crystal blue eyes go out. They became a dark, unappealing gray. Her skin dulled and grayed. Her hair began to fall out in patches and what was left became a dull gray. “Demetrius” looked on disgusted. He declared he could not love her. He had only loved her for her looks after all. Morpheus created a beautiful woman in the dream and she and “Demetrius” left her there, crying in a heap on the floor.

            Janiaus woke up, angry and scared. Could that be true? Is that the only reason Demetrius loved her? She had to know the truth. She knew she couldn’t go on wondering and, if she asked Demetrius, he would surely deny it. Janiaus desperately called upon the gods to help her. Aphrodite did not wait a moment; she appeared to her instantly. Startled and mystified by her beauty, Janiaus kneeled before the goddess and praised her for heeding her call.

            “Come, child. I am too busy for pleasantries. What is it that you want?”

            “Take away my beauty and youthful looks.”

            Aphrodite had hoped that she would ask this, but hearing it aloud startled her. “Why would you want something like that?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

            “My husband. I must know if he loves me or my looks.”

            Aphrodite could not suppress a smile. She had attempted to prove that she was the better beauty than Psyche and she had failed. Now she would attest that she was better than any other by verifying that she was better than Janiaus. This was her chance and she would not let it pass. “I shall make you deal, my darling. You are a brave woman for doing this, so I will be kind. You shall get your wish of losing your youth, but I must lessen the length of your life.”

            Taken aback, Janiaus shouted back, “Why?”

            “If you are not grateful, I shall just be on my way.”

            “No, wait! Please!” Janiaus fell flat in front of the goddess. “I’m sorry! I did not mean to question you! I’ll take the deal, but please tell me how long I have.”

            “You are young. You were to live, like most people, for another century, but I will lessen that. You may live until you are one hundred. Only ten years less,” she lied.

            Without waiting for an answer, Aphrodite placed her hands on Janiaus’s face and she became the image she’d seen in the mirror. Aphrodite left the old woman lying on the floor, too weak and tired to stand. She waited many hours in the same place until Demetrius came home.

            “Madam!” he cried, running to help her stand. “How did you come here? Are you alright?”

            “Demetrius. I am Janiaus,” she declared, her voice weakened with age.  She held up her wedding band in proof and he did not question her. “Do you still love me?” she asked, her voice a soft whisper.

            Demetrius held her close. “Always. Always will I love you.”

            “Truly?”

            “For all time.”

            Janiaus smiled and called once again upon Aphrodite. She asked her to return her youth and beauty but Aphrodite refused.

            “That was never a part of the deal,” Aphrodite confirmed, a smug smile growing on her lips. “Besides you only have moments to live anyway.”

            Janiaus was taken aback, but managed to shriek out, “I have until I am one hundred. You promised me that,” before her voice hitched and she fell back into Demetrius’s arms.

            Aphrodite’s smile grew even more so as she replied, “I promised to take away your youth and that is what I have done. You are one hundred.”

            Demetrius picked up Janiaus into his arms and held her close. She managed to squeak out his name one last time, but she was gone before he could answer.  

            Aphrodite was unaffected by the now deceased woman lying in Demetrius’s hold. If it was even possible, her smile seemed to grow bigger still. “There,” she declared, reaching a hand out to Demetrius. “Your reason for staying is gone. Now you will leave with me.”

            Demetrius did not hear a word she said. He had placed Janiaus softly on the floor and then kissed her goodbye. He then swiftly turned and walked out the door.

            “Stop this foolishness, Demetrius. It is time for us to leave for Olympus,” she cried, following him. “Can’t you see I love you?”

            In bitter resentment, he let out a short, loud laugh. “Love? As a goddess of love, I should think that you would know more about what love is.” He stepped forward, reaching the mountain’s edge. “Perhaps you are more like Athena, forever loveless of anything but a challenge and a battle. You are no goddess of love, but a second rate goddess of war and pain. You know nothing of love. Love is eternal. Love is always there, no matter where someone is, what someone is, or,” he glared at her as he said, nearly spitting on her, “how someone looks. No one can stop true love.” With that, he jumped, careening down the mountainside.

            Aphrodite was broken, but instead of mourning Demetrius’s death, she vowed revenge on the humans, the race of the man who had broken her heart. In the end, he still chose Janiaus over her. In her animosity, she gave the curse set upon Janiaus to all people. Very few people were spared enough that they could live over one hundred and even if they were, their youth was still taken from them. They grayed, aged, and were always bound for death. However, if there is love like Janiaus and Demetrius’s, perhaps age and death will truly have no effect on humans at all.

Reviews

[PyroKitty24]

Wonderful! I was interested throughout the whole thing and couldn't wait to see what happened next! Great write~

[Sasha]

Wow this is a truly beautiful story of love. Great Job!