Games…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Greek Mythology, well no one does really…except maybe the Greeks…I'm rambling now, but you get the point.

Summary: Not all marriages are sunshine and narcissus; some are filled with dark games and seduction attempts.

Author's Note: This is only my second Greek Myth fic, so if you don't like it, please go easy on me. Since this is an interpretation of events, like all Greek works, there will be some differences between the events of the fic and what is believed to have happened. Some say that Amphitrite was not Poseidon's wife until very late in Greek Mythology and that most of his affairs and relationships with consorts had happened and were over before then so that assumption is what this particular fic will be based upon.

Onto the story! Read, enjoy, review!

Games…

"I don't care what you thought, my orders were very specific!"

Amphitrite could hear Poseidon's booming voice long before she reached the throne room and gauged that maybe now was not a good time to be around him. Unfortunately, since she was queen, she couldn't shy away from her duties just because her husband was in a bad mood. Keeping her subjects in mind, Amphitrite quietly stepped into the throne room, not drawing unnecessary attention to herself but not exactly shying away from it either.

One by one, servants quieted their chatter and turned to look at her until everyone was staring in her direction save for her husband and the person to whom he was speaking.

"I do apologize for the confusion, my lord." The man stated, cowering before his master and Amphitrite instantly recognized the voice as belonging to one of the river masters, a man who had sired many a freshwater nymph. "The situation will be handled accordingly-"

"It better be." Poseidon interrupted and Amphitrite had to use all of her willpower to keep from rolling her eyes, he had a habit of cutting people off when they were speaking.

The man seemed to not care, though, as he quickly bowed and turned to leave the room, visibly startled when he came face to face with the ocean queen. Amphitrite inclined her head, a warm smile on her face, as the man bowed once again before leaving the room. Poseidon, finally noticing his wife's presence, smiled and held a hand out to her. Amphitrite's smile faded as she crossed the distance between them, coolly placing her hand in his.

Poseidon brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, not caring that his servants watched their every move. Amphitrite dipped her head a little like protocol required and began to pull her hand back but her husband held on firmly, his gaze roving over her form as he held her in place.

Sea green eyes moved over dark hair - elegantly tied back with small fish nets and decorated with seaweed threaded randomly through the long tendrils - to eyes as blue and pure as the water flowing in the fountain in the main hall, eyes that were framed by crab claws resting at her temples. Amphitrite shifted nervously as her husbands' eyes moved down her lightweight, modest gown - white like the foam that accented the oceans precious waves as they broke on the shore - to her bare legs and finally to her equally bare feet.

"You look stunning this morn, my queen." He informed in a husky tone as his eyes found hers again.

"Your flattery has achieved its goal, I am flushed with embarrassment my liege." She replied, voice void of any and all feeling.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow at her comment before searching her face for signs that the statement rang true.

"No crimson stains your cheeks…" He trailed, an unknown emotion clouding his words.

"I am flushed on the inside, I assure you." She provided without missing a beat.

A smirk spread over her husband's face at her words and she instantly realized her mistake but vowed not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her rattled; she would not let him get to her no matter how hard he tried.

Her thoughts and silent declaration were interrupted as she was suddenly jerked forward and she almost flushed at finding herself standing, quite provocatively, in between her husband's legs. Amphitrite was so busy thanking Zeus for bestowing natural grace upon her, perhaps the only thing that saved her from landing in Poseidon's lap - a position that truly would have made her flush - that she almost missed her husband's quiet whisper.

"Give me just a little more time, my queen, and I will have you flushing on the outside as well."

Amphitrite bowed her head, as though embarrassed, before finally making her way to her throne.

The day passed quickly enough for Poseidon but for his lovely wife, it dragged on as she sat on her throne watching her husband rule.

Be quiet and look pretty, that's me. That's my job. She thought to herself as she made her way to their bedchambers and she couldn't help but wonder if she wouldn't have been better off if she'd just found some lesser god to marry or better yet, some simple fisherman who would love her despite his inability to support her.

Her rational side tried to assure her that it wasn't as bad as all that, that she did do something worthwhile but on days such as this, on days where she just sat and did nothing all day...it just made her feel unnecessary.

Poseidon noticed his wife's silence and vowed to change her melancholy mood.

It was true that he loved his wife dearly; he wouldn't have gone through such lengths to get her if he didn't. She was beautiful and kind and the only woman he'd ever met who didn't fall at his feet with the slightest smile. Amphitrite made him want to come home at night; she was the only woman who could tame him and everyone on Olympus knew it.

Everyone but her.

Sure, he'd had many consorts before he married but he'd never once strayed from his wife, not that he could convince her of that. She was the most stubborn, strong-willed woman he'd ever met, even more so than his hellfire of a niece, the one that Hades had married. At least Persephone learned to trust and, eventually, love his brother; Amphitrite was a different matter altogether.

No matter how many times he professed his love or proved that other women no longer held pleasure for him, Amphitrite was still resistant, still wary of letting him be close to her. In the end, Poseidon learned to accept her behavior towards him for what it was and made it his personal mission to woo and seduce his wife, a task that proved to be far more difficult than it sounded.

Every night he entered their chambers, intent on making her come to him willingly; sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. No matter what the case, whether they made love or not, Amphitrite would resume her indifferent and sometimes hostile behavior the next morn and the game would start all over again. It was a never ending cycle but, for some reason, Poseidon liked it and even preferred it to the other marriages he'd seen.

Hera and Zeus had two settings, intense affection and battle, something the god of the sea never really understood and didn't think he could be content with and Hades and Persephone were always right up under each other in a sickly sweet manner. Hades never left his domain unless Persephone was away and the only reason he did so then was so that he could attend parties at which his wife and her mother were sure to make an appearance. Since Olympus was the only place where to two could be together during Spring and Summer, every time anyone ever saw them together they were attached at the hip or exchanging loving glances from across the room; it was enough to make even Aphrodite sick.

Yes, his arrangement with Amphitrite was much more agreeable, more passionate and thrilling in nature.

"Your silence worries me, something weighs your mind." Poseidon observed as he closed the door to their bed room.

Amphitrite, who had been standing on the balcony gazing out at the walls and ceiling of the underground grotto that surrounded the palace, turned and walked back in the room at his words.

"Nothing for you to be concerned with," she began icily, a hard glare on her beautiful face.

Poseidon made no move to speak, just stood watching as she removed the claws from her temples and placed them on the vanity in front of her before setting to work at releasing the nets from her hair. She was a lovely sight and the god of the sea had to restrain himself from just reaching out and touching her for, lovely as his wife was, she was only touched when she wished to be.

"I am your husband, what worries you concerns me." He informed, taking a step in her direction.

Amphitrite, who was busy un-plaiting her hair and removing the seaweed, took no notice as he continued his trek towards her and was only aware of his change in position when he gently brushed her hands aside and took over their previous task. Too tired to shoo him away, to argue, she allowed him to continue while she began removing her jewelry.

"Well it doesn't have to. You could ignore me like Zeus does Hera and it would bother me none."

Poseidon's hands halted in their work and his body stiffened, jaw clenching in anger.

"I am not my brother," he gritted out, resisting the urge to turn her around and demand her full attention.

It was rare that she let him be this close to her; he was rarely allowed this intimacy - unless they were in bed - and she dare think about another man? This was his time and he wanted all of her; her body, her mind, her soul, her attention, it was all his.

At his tone, she raised her head to meet his eyes in the looking glass above the vanity and was surprised to see barely concealed rage there. His obvious anger made her look away, he'd never been so angry with her that he couldn't control his expression - well maybe that one time with Ares at the wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne but that hadn't been her fault and he'd been more angry with Ares than her anyway - and his anger made her shrink away from his gentle touch, something he instantly realized and regretted.

"I never said you were," she whispered as she finished removing her jewelry and began to pick up where his hands had left off in her hair, taking no notice of his obvious disappointment.

Understanding his mistake, and somehow knowing he would most likely not be allowed to touch her again that night with her full consent, he moved away, sitting on the edge of their bed. He unconsciously gripped the bed post as he watched her bring her hair around to her front for better access, leaving her entire back open to him.

How had he not taken notice of this gown before?

It was daring and teasing and terribly coy when donned by the right woman. Very modest in the front was this gown, sleeveless and draping, showing not one bit of cleavage, but the back was a different story. It left every inch of tanned skin open to his gaze, forcing him to longingly watch the way the muscles of her back moved as she ran her hands through her hair, the motion of her shoulder blades.

Poseidon silently cursed the long hair he loved so much for hiding this sight from him all day, never letting him know how seductively the creature in front of him was dressed but after a moment, he decided it was for the best. If he had seen this image earlier he never would have gotten any work done, instead he would have taken her right there in the throne room whether she had wanted him to or not.

"Will you tell me what worries you?" He asked, clearing his throat and leaning back on the bed, trying to clear his mind of the tempting picture his wife made.

Amphitrite sighed and paused in what she was doing before continuing on and answering him reluctantly. "I...I feel unnecessary..." she trailed, a frown on her face as she pulled the last strand of seaweed from her hair and turned to face him.

Poseidon shot up from his relaxed position at her confession and was surprised to find her standing in front of him.

"What do you mean you feel unnecessary?" He questioned as he reached out, grabbing her hand to bring her closer and Amphitrite went to him, allowing her husband to pull her into his lap.

"I didn't expect you to understand-" She began, only to be cut off by the ocean god who was currently acting as her chair.

"Then explain it to me, love. Make me understand." He encouraged earnestly, wrapping his arms around her waist in an attempt at comfort.

As if they had a mind of their own, her slender hands tangled themselves into his long white hair, pulling his head to her bosom and holding him there. Being close to him in this moment made Amphitrite want to be like this with him all the time, though it was impossible; she couldn't bring herself to be loving toward this man, this god, who didn't even respect her enough to stay faithful. Maybe that was what made her push him away and retreat from his arms hastily; Thetis had always told her that she thought entirely too much...

"Forget it, it's stupid." She assured, standing from his lap and walking to the wardrobe. "It wouldn't be of any interest to you anyway..."

Poseidon's eyes narrowed and he could feel himself getting hot with anger as he followed closely behind her. It felt like he had just been getting somewhere with her, he had been in her arms with her holding him close and then out of nowhere she just pulled away.

"I'm interested, trust me."

Amphitrite rolled her eyes before ignoring him and digging through numerous gowns for her night dress.

After a few minutes of waiting for her to explain, Poseidon's anger turned to jealousy and he grabbed her arm, roughly turning her around. "Who is he?"

"Who is who?" She asked, sighing in an exasperated manner.

"The man taking you away from me, the one making you feel unneeded around here." He demanded, the grip on her arm tightening considerably. "Is it Ares? I'll kill him, I don't care how immortal he is."

Amphitrite was silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. "It is not Ares."

Poseidon's expression seemed to darken - had she just admitted she was having an affair? "Who then?"

"No one, there is no one. I'm not seeing anyone, I'm not sleeping with anyone, I'm not even eating lunch with anyone." She tried to be reassuring but it was hard when she couldn't stop giggles from escaping her lips every time she tried to speak; she sounded like some sort of giddy maiden in the presence of a god for the first time but the situation was just so ironic, so funny she couldn't help it.

Just as she suspected, her husband was not convinced, it was evident by the look on his face and the way he tugged her to him despite her assurances. Tired of the whole subject, Amphitrite tried to think of a way to quell her husband's anger and after a moment, it came to her.

Kindness.

She was never as kind to him as she ought to be, for despite his supposed infidelities, he was wonderful as far as masters and husbands went.

Reaching up with a confidence she didn't truly feel, she placed her hand on Poseidon's cheek and spoke in a gentle, honest tone. "I have shared my bed and body with no one but you, husband."

Poseidon searched her face, looking for something, and reacted to what he found with mixed feelings for he saw her sincerity but he did not see the love he'd been hoping to find. A new sort of rage filled him as he forcefully captured her lips with his own and, when she didn't resist, he walked her backwards until she bumped into the wardrobe behind her.

As the kiss continued, Amphitrite found herself in turmoil. She shouldn't be doing this so why was she allowing him to have his way with her? She had refused to put herself in this position so why was she being so weak?

Breaking the kiss and leaning back against the wardrobe, she told him as much.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she began breathlessly. "We can't."

Her husband sent her a look bordering between amusement and irritation. "And pray tell why not? We are married, after all." He reminded, the thought of releasing her never crossing his mind.

Amphitrite cocked her head to the side and thought hard for a comeback - she couldn't really argue, he did have a point...

"We have an early day tomorrow," she protested weakly, breath quickening as Poseidon dipped his head and began placing hot, open mouthed kisses on her jaw - kisses that traveled the length of her neck and ran across her collarbone.

A deep rumbling chuckle escaped her husband, one that vibrated against her skin and sent chills down her spine. "We rule this beautiful world of ours, love and only we determine how early our day is. We could spend tomorrow in its entirety in bed and no one would question it."

The ocean queen shivered at his tone and the promise it held as his lips resumed their sensual tour of her body. Her resolve was weakening and she knew it, it was especially apparent when her hands - once again, acting on their own - cupped his head to bring him closer, silently begging him not to stop even as her voice tried to protest.

"Poseidon, we really mustn't." She tried again, sighing with relief when his body stiffened, fully expecting him to pull away.

Her heart flipped when, instead of releasing her, he gripped her hips and pulled her up against him letting her feel every hard plane of his body, how exactly she affected him. "Say it again." He begged, shocking her to her very core.

In all their years of marriage she'd never heard him sound so vulnerable, she'd never heard him beg anything of her.

"Say it," he repeated as he continued to break apart her wall of indifference with seductive lips.

Amphitrite paused, not knowing exactly what it was he wanted her to do and finding it difficult to figure out when he kept kissing her like that. They hadn't been intimate in a long time and Amphitrite, much to her dismay, found that she missed him and he wasn't making it any easier to hide that fact.

"Say it." Sometime during the course of her thoughts he had become more demanding in his request and this time when he voiced his wants, he lifted her up leaving her with no choice but to cling tightly to his form.

"Poseidon!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her legs around him, bringing herself closer in hopes that he wouldn't let her fall.

A growl ripped from his throat as he swung them around and walked toward the bed. "Again," he groaned, burying his face in her neck.

So that's what he wants...

"My lord, we really shouldn't-" She began, trying once again to halt his plans for their night together.

"No." He growled fiercely, holding her tighter against him. "My name...I want it..." The sea god's voice was broken now and he was obviously finding it difficult to string words together.

"But-" She tried, moaning as he bit down on the skin of her neck.

"I am losing my patience Amphitrite..." He warned in a low tone as he moved back, eyes holding hers. "I have never taken you against your will but if you insist on postponing what has already been set into movement I will be forced to take action and it will be your own fault for being so damned irresistible. Give into me, love, I will make it worth your while." He promised, eyes dark with a carnal, animalistic lust.

Amphitrite stilled in his arms for a long moment before relaxing in his hold and running her hands down his back. "Do with me as you wish," she whispered, moving her lips to his ear. "Poseidon..."

And that was all he needed to hear before recapturing her lips with his own.

Okay, this took FOREVER to finish. I don't write lemons so I had to find a way for this to end without that and it literally took months of leaving this and coming back to it to end. *sigh* But so is the way of life.

I hope everyone enjoyed this and please, please remember to review.

-Lark