“Great to have you back,” Ares stated as he embraced his warrior, again stroking her hair. This time Xena showed no resistance. She let herself fully be taken in by the god of war. “My warrior princess.” She put her arms around him as well. In his arms she felt secure and warm. They stayed this way for several minutes. Each falling deeper into the other’s embrace.
With a little reluctance they pulled away from each other. “Now what?” Xena asked.
“I’m not sure.” Ares appeared to be still a little taken back by her submission to him. Then he smiled. “Give me your hand.”
“Why?”
“I’m taking you with me…to my home…and yours.” Uncertainty filled the last words of his sentence. He didn’t want her to pull away now. He silently awaited for any response from Xena.
“I’d like that,” was all she said, smiling. Ares sighed. “What about Argo?”
“Oh we’ll bring him…of course. He can stay in the stables of my castle.” Xena walked over to her horse, untied the rope, and led the animal over to Ares.
“Are we ready?” Xena inquired.
“If you are.”
“I guess.” He reached his hand out and took hers, massaging it as he did. He also put a hand on Argo. In a ray of light, all three were gone.
For Xena it was the strangest feeling…to disappear. Her whole body tingled from the sensation. She wondered if Ares felt it too.
They reappeared in a small room. Xena didn’t recognize the place. She didn’t even know where she was. For all she knew they could be on Mt. Olympus.
“I’ll be right back, Xena. I’m going to put Argo in a stable.” Xena nodded as he left.
She was alone. Looking around, she noticed the throne. Compared to the temple she had been taken to earlier, it was relatively small. The entire room was lit by candlelight. There didn’t appear to be anyone around. No servants, no maids…nothing. Xena was beginning to suspect that she might indeed be on Mt. Olympus.
“OK. Argo has food and is resting in a stable right outside,” Ares stated as he appeared in the archway, which led to an adjacent room.
“Good…. Thanks.”
He nodded. “Allow me to show you to your room."
“Lead the way. I do have one question though before we continue on. Where are we?”
“Oh I’m sorry. I should have told you. We’re in Thrace. This is one of my favorite temples…that’s why I brought you here, and I often come here when I want to relax. Any other questions?”
“Nope. But if I think of any, I’ll let you know.”
“I know you will. Follow me.” He gently took her hand, guiding her down a long hallway to a door at its end. “I had this room made especially for you,” he stated opening the brass door. “I never doubted that one day you’d come back to me.” A small gasp escaped Xena’s lips as she over looked the room. It was definitely beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful room she had ever seen. Though most people would actually expect the opposite from the god of war, the room was actually very bright. No windows, just candles, but the room seemed to give off a feeling of warmth from its elegant tapestries that hung from the wall and from the large luxurious bed which lay in the corner of the room. It appeared to be made of silk and had a fleece overthrow.
“So…do you like it?” Ares asked her almost timidly.
“Like it?” She sighed. “It’s beautiful.” Xena looked around the room with awe. “Why don’t your other temples look like this?”
“Do you honestly think this kind of environment would be a good place for war counseling?”
Xena smiled. “That depends on who you’re trying to council.”
“Ha ha. Besides…I didn’t make my temples. Villagers did. But this room…like you…was my creation. And just like you…it turned out to be beautiful.”
She chuckled softly. “Boy was that a pick up line if I’ve ever heard one. How long have you been working on that one?”
“You don’t give me nearly as much credit.” He shrugged. “Bout’ 15 minutes.” They both laughed and turned to face each other. Taking a few steps toward the god, Xena gently reached out to touch his face. Bringing his hand up to hers, he pressed it firmly against his cheek. She felt his warmth as it went through her hand, her own body reacting to the touch. Her adrenaline went up and her hormones began acting in overdrive. Then he gently took her hand and brought it up to his lips, as they made contact in a tender kiss. Feeling a little braver, he placed his hands around her waist, pulling her close, and pressing her body into his. He had been waiting for this for so long, and wanted to be as close to her as he possibly could. Slowly, he brought his head down to hers and their lips met in a kiss. Gently at first, but increasing in passion with each passing moment. Until finally they broke away to stare into each other’s eyes.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am now that you’ve come back to me,” Ares stated in almost a whisper, letting his eyes roam over her body in undisguised lust.
“You already have. I see it in your eyes.”
“It’s what you would have always seen…if you had taken the time to look.” There was a brief silence until Ares spoke. “What do you say, we get cleaned up a little? It’ll help us relax.”
Xena smiled. “I’d like that.”
He led Xena to another room with a hot tub. The room was filled with the sweet scent of lavender and lilac. “Now I see why this temple is your favorite. It’s gorgeous,” Xena stated.
“Like I said, that’s why I brought you here.” Slowly he walked behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. In a flash, his clothes and Xena’s armor disappeared. She was left in her white shift, his hands still on her shoulders. Gently, he let then slide off her shoulders, pulling down her straps as he did so. Xena felt herself shiver under his touch as the last piece of clothing fell to the ground. She turned to face him.
Looking into each other, they became transfixed until Ares gestured to the tub. They stepped in and sat on different sides so they would be able to just look at each other. The water was warm and even was lightly layered with rose petals drifting over top.
“Ares, I want to take this time to thank you.”
“Really? For what?”
“For what you’ve done and are doing for me.” She smiled. “I mean if you hadn’t came to me then I would still be in that cave. My memories were just too much. I thought I could run away from them.” Her smile turned into a frown as she stared into the water. She could see Gabrielle’s face in the water. “I was wrong. It is impossible to run from them….”
“Impossible to run. Xena, you need to confront them. That is the reason I came to you. To help you do it. Keeping all those memories and all the pain to yourself like you were doing would eventually destroy you. I know…I’ve seen it happen.” He glanced at her and then refocused his gaze back on the water. “I couldn’t let that happen. Not to you.”
“Why,” Xena asked, looking at him. “Not that I'm not grateful, but why do you care so much?”
“Because…seeing you be destroyed slowly by your misplaced guilt would destroy me…. I felt your pain when she died. I know you really cared about her. She was a good friend. I felt your desperation as you rode along that beach. And I felt your guilt as you sat alone in that cave. I would do anything to ease you of that pain…and I will. I promise you that.”
“I’m sorry, Ares, but there is no possible way you could have known what I was feeling at that moment. It is impossible to imagine.”
“But I didn’t just imagine it.”
“Then how did you feel it?! You’ve never lost anyone.” Xena’s voice grew angry. “Think about it. Put yourself in my position. Imagine that you had a friend. This person was your life. Your reason for living and your courage to keep going. And all your life revolved around this person. Now kill that person. What are you left with?”
“I did loose someone I cared about,” he whispered as if he didn’t want her to hear. Everything became still and quiet, and Xena felt her anger quickly diminishing.
“What?” She sounded shocked.
“I did…I lost someone I truly cared about. Someone I loved…loved with all my heart…. She was my life and my reason. I used to get up in the morning…just to see her. Although my pain was different than yours…perhaps even greater. You see, she didn’t die. She left me. Now every time I see her, I feel what we had…and the pain returns. Your pain will decrease as your life goes on, but for me, she serves as a constant reminder. I can never forget.” Xena looked at the god, eyes full of sympathy. He took a deep breath. “Xena, you have no idea what kind of pain I felt…. You literally killed me when you left.” The warrior’s head jerked up. She was the one he was taking about? Xena had no idea he had ever actually loved her.
“I didn’t know you cared that much.”
“That’s because what I feel…there aren’t words strong enough to express. You do need to understand though, before you I never experienced what it felt like to love someone. And if you hadn’t come along, I might’ve gone centuries or never felt it. But you came along, and when I finally was able to come to an understanding with what I was feeling…and realize it was love…you left.”
Xena’s eyes shown with a slight glimmer or tears as she looked at him. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“That’s in the past, Xena. I just want you here. With me now.”
“Well it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” Xena stated, smiling causing Ares to smile too. “Besides, I kinda like it here.”
“I thought you would…. You have expensive taste.”
“Ha! You should talk.” They both laughed as the room somehow became lighter through happiness.
Ares stood up and walked around to Xena’s back. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders, brushing away her long hair. Xena exhaled deeply as he began to massage her sore muscles. He seemed to know exactly where she hurt, because his fingers were targeted there immediately. Xena felt herself relaxing under the circular motion of his fingers. Once he felt her shoulders loosen he stopped and they finished their baths.
Ares stepped out first. He extended his arm out to Xena. She took it and he guided her out of the tub. Once out, he handed her a towel and she began to dry herself. Ares watched the process with interest. To him (not to mention others) she was quite magnificent. She finished, handing the towel back to the god.
He took her hand and led her back to her room. The castle was empty, so neither concerned themselves with modesty (not that either was). He shut the door and tuned back to the woman before him. He then gently took her hands in his.
“Xena, I need you to understand something. I know why you left me, but it wasn’t what you thought. You thought I didn’t care about you, but that is about as far from the truth as you can get. You’re my princess. I have never not cared about you. I pulled away because….”
“Because?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Afraid, why?”
“I didn’t want to become too attached to anyone. I was afraid you’d leave me and I’d be crushed. Well obviously I was wrong. You left me because of my fear…causing it to become a reality. I just want to apologize for hurting you. That was never my intent. I love you.”
“I want to apologize for something as well.”
“What?”
“After I left you, I closed myself off from any kind of relationship. I didn’t want to ever feel that kind of pain again. But all these years you’ve been trying to get me back, trying to get me to fight for you…you were right. If I had just listened to you then Gabrielle would still be alive today.”
“No, that’s the guilt talking. It is not your fault she died.”
“Yes it is! If not mine then who’s fault is it? Blame has to be placed somewhere.”
“No! Things had to play out the way that they did. Maybe that was just meant to be, and you can’t change destiny. That was probably her fate.”
“No, it wasn’t!”
“You don’t know that! Besides…she’s happier now. She’s in the Elysian Fields. I know it. Xena, Gabrielle wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. You know that. So please…be a little easier on yourself.” With his finger he tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. Her blue eyes glistened from the obvious wetness of tears that now were flowing freely. Slowly he lowered his head to hers and their lips met in a tender, comforting kiss.
Suddenly Xena pushed away. “Ares, before we go any further, I need to tell you something now before another word is spoken.”
“What?”
“I love you.”
Passions released, they let themselves melt into the other person. Ares gently pushed Xena onto the bed, covering her body with his own. Their kisses started out light and gentle, but grew more passionate and aggressive. Yes, this it what they both wanted. In this one night they were able to come to terms with a love they almost lost, but rekindled before it was too late.
Falling deeper into each other’s ecstasy, they let go of their emotions, emotions which had been stored away for far too long. Nothing was held back. And for the first time in ten years the warrior princess opened her legs for the god of war.
