Disclaimer: I don't own Xena or any other characters associated with Xena Warrior Princess 'cause if I did her and Ares would be married and she would be a goddess… or this would have happened….
Sequel to Seems to Be Fate
Other notes: Ares POV (~*~), Xena POV (*), flashbacks, flash forwards
Army of Me
Chapter 1:
Xena Gets an Ally
It had been six months since I found Xena sitting alone in the ashes of her town. And this meant I only had another year or so with her.
I took her back to the temple and cleaned her up. She stopped crying about an hour in and just stared off into the nothingness. Her eyes no longer looked at me softly, but an icy sheen had fallen over them and she looked lost.
She came to me in the night.
"Ares, remember you said you would give me whatever I want?"
"Yes" I wanted to say more but was at a loss for words.
"I want command of your army."
"It is yours my pet, but what for?"
"I want to destroy Caesar"
"I understand"
We made love for the first time that night.
"NO! Fuck! Are you guys idiots?"
My "best" men. And they were fucking idiots.
"Like this!" I flipped over the dummy, kicking it in the back of the head. Landing I flipped around and thrust my sword into its straw body. "Now try again"
The six men tried again. And all failed accept one.
"You" I pointed to the only man who had figured my move out.
He stepped forward, head bowed.
"What's your name?"
He raised his head, eyes narrowed and a small smirk on his face.
"Pompey ma'am"
"Well. Pompey, you shall be my second in command. You may return to the ranks now."
"Thank you ma'am" he bowed and stepped back in line with the over five. They glared at him but he paid no mind. I was going to have fun with this one.
"He knows what the fuck he is doing. Please for your own good learn how to do this. I really don't want to kill you. Dismissed. Oh, and Pompey please stay."
The other men gave him another look but walked off. He stepped up next to me, his arms behind his back.
"At ease, you are my right hand now. But I need to make sure you are loyal to me and me alone"
"I doubt there will be a problem ma'am."
"You can call me Xena. Well then let me clear all doubts" And I pulled him in for a kiss.
"Make sure…" I bit his lip "None of this will ever get out!" his hands came up over my hips and waist and we stumbled to my tent only a few meters away
"Whatever you say, Xena"
"Shit!"
"Something wrong bro?"
Aphrodite sat on my throne watching as I paced across the floor.
"She's with him again!"
"With who?"
"That idiot Pompey! Her second in command! This is the third time after practice they went to her tent to fuck!"
"And I take it you don't like that…. Why though?"
"Because I love her! And he is just a mortal! And…."
She cut me off.
"And you are so much more, right? Well sweet cheeks, want me to have a little girl-to-girl chat with her?"
"What? No. My sister and the Warrior Princess chatting about love? Yeah right" I rolled my eyes and stopped pacing.
"Warrior Princess?"
"Yeah, I coined it. Back off its mine" Dite looked at me like I had lost all reason and fluffed her hair.
"Look stud muffin, I am sure she loves you too and all but she doesn't know how to express it okay?"
"So… she doesn't know how to express her love to me and therefore she fucks as many guys as possible? Well hey if that's love then I guess I'll…."
She stood up and grabbed my arm.
"You know that's not what I mean. Listen Ares, if you truly love her and I mean truly then talk to her. Or fight her. Whatever gets you two turned on. Tell her you hate when she sleeps around and try to get her to be an exclusive only girl, 'Kay?" she winked and patted my arm disappearing in a shower of pink roses.
"Talk to her? Yeah right"
I could see that play before my eyes:
"Uh, Xena sweetie, you think maybe you could not sleep around so much? And be only my girl?"
"Go fuck yourself. Me do anything you say? Not in this life time"
And then just to rub it in she would fuck Pompey or some other of her select few.
She called them her "Army of Me."
She planned to make them her. Just like her…
Shit! I wanted her!
I began to pace again, my anger swelling up.
I was sick and tired of her fucking everyone! So taking my ditzy sister's advice and probably planning my own death and went down into Xena's tent.
And she was fucking Pompey… again.
She pulled away from him, her lips swollen, red and her hair was everywhere. She was so beautiful.
"Yes?" she cocked an eyebrow and gave me that look.
The look of 'What the fuck do you think you are doing look'
"Uh, could we talk?" She sat up slightly and Pompey licked his lips looking over her body. "Uh, alone?" I asked. I was bowing down before this pathetic mortal and he knew it. And I hated him for it. Hated her for being with him when she could have me.
Xena sighed and gave Pompey an intense kiss, pulling on his lower lip. He groaned and she pulled away and practically shoved him out of her bed.
He smirked and pulled his clothes on slowly.
"Yes, move slower and you'll be ashes"
He laughed. Laughed! And finished pulling on his armor, leaving us alone.
I looked over her. The sheet had slipped as she stretched and arched her back. The tent reeked of sex and sweat and I wanted to take her right there.
"Yes, m'lord?" her arrogance might have surpassed mine with that. The bitterness that she said m'lord with was… scary.
"Xena" I sat down next to her "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I put bluntly.
She looked at me like I was one of her regular soldiers and I dare question her.
"Wrong with me? Who began to ignore me as soon as I took command? Who said nothing to me when I began to the train the 'Army of Me'? You mother fucker!" She raised her hand to slap me but I grabbed her wrist. So tiny, so fragile, so mortal.
And then it hit me. She was mortal. I was a god. I needed to protect her. I needed to make her a goddess. My goddess.
I pulled her wrist and her whole body followed. She was right next to me. Our bodies brushing.
"Xena… I, I'm sorry" and I pulled her into a kiss.
He was sorry?
Like his words did anything for me.
Fuck him.
I could feel the heat and power beneath his vest.
In the end it was all I wanted.
Power.
To be a goddess. Then nothing would stand in my way. Not Caesar, not Ares, not even Zeus. I could take the world. It would be mine.
He'd be easy enough to play. He's already fallen in love.
Ha!
A god in love; with me. The God of War no less. I was too good. Too seductive. He wanted me. Craved me. Desired me.
Goddess of Desire. I liked the sound of that. Love and war together at last.
You know what they say Ares. 'It's all fair…'
"Ares, I know I've been a bit of a bitch lately. It's just…" I pretended to choke up a bit, letting my eyes water, hiding behind my hair. "It's just, I am in such a confusing place in my life. My entire village is dead, Caesar still lives and you are all I have. I just want to feel something again. I am sorry I pushed you away."
I wrapped my arms around him tightly and nuzzled my face into his chest.
"Ares, I want to be with you forever." And I kissed him. Sealing my fate. As Goddess of Desire.
"Hmm, hmmm, hmm"
"You're in a happy mood"
I was strolling through the halls of Olympus humming a tune. I turned to see Dite standing against a pillar looking at her nails.
"Mmmhmm!"
She smirked and chuckled.
"Made up with Xena last night?"
"Better than that. I don't exactly know what happened but we… connected somehow. At a level full of power and completion. Something so sweet and I'd never felt it before. And now im off to ask Daddy dearest if he approves of our marriage!"
"Well that's nice… wait marriage? Ares you know as well as I that marriage to a mortal, is life altering, for the entire world!"
"Yep!"
"And what makes you think Zeus will just sit by and let it happen? Or even the rest of the gods? I think you need to dwell on this more"
"Nope my mind is made! Xena will be my bride, we will be bound by the Fates and she will become a goddess!"
"Goddess of what exactly? What if Zeus gives her something like peace, or justice? Then where will your warrior queen be?"
Damn, she had a point. And as a goddess, she'd have other things to do. She could no longer rule my army. I guess I would have to wait for the Roman Campaign to finish before I could propose to her. Would she say yes?
My mood was falling fast and my sister noticed. She bit her lower lip and came over to hug me. I couldn't offer a decent hug back. I shrugged her off and went back to my hall.
I collapsed back into my thrown and turned on a portal showing some of my wars.
Xena's army wasn't fighting at the moment so I allowed myself to get distracted and ignore her camp for a bit.
As soon as Ares left, I called Pompey back into my tent and we went for another round.
"Don't you think, ah, that Ares will be pissed?"
"Fuck him, he gave me this army and this power and right now all I want is Caesar dead"
"Sorry to break it to you, but I only want to be fucking you, my dear"
I smirked at Pompey's attempt to be funny and pulled him closer to me, our bodies trying to melt into each other we were so close.
"Shut up smart ass" I lightly hit the back of his head and then pulled it closer to my own as I kiss him deeply shoving my tongue into his mouth and pulled at his lips with me teeth.
He pulled away for a second whispering into my ear "As you wish"
By the time I woke up it was nearly sunset and I was covered in a thin layer of sweat and sex.
I pulled myself away from my right hand man and slide into my armor, pulling it lightly closed. I went out the back of my tent and flipped onto my horse and we rode off to the river that was a few minutes to the west.
"Eeek!" I shrieked for my own amusement as I slide into the icy cold water. I smiled to myself and continued to bathe, dipping all the way under the water to clean my hair.
I ran my fingers through my hair and felt the small bump of the scar that the asshole gave to me that day…
"You what? No! Of course it's not okay! Are you an incompetent fool? No, no, no. Fuck off!"
A young man scurried out of the room as I came in carrying Caesar's lunch on a tray. I came in softy and set the tray down on a small table set out for him.
He was pacing by the window and sighed loudly, turning towards me. His dark hair and eyes bore into me and in his gold armor against the sun I couldn't help but think about how… dreamy he looked. I blushed and bowed my head ready to head out again but he stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.
"Xena, wait" he sounded so exasperated and he ran his hand over his head. I stopped and looked up into his eyes. They were so soft then, looking at me with, compassion maybe, but defiantly not malice and anger. He pulled my closer and softly kissed me. I closed my eyes and when he pulled away I touched my lips.
"I am so sorry" he pulled my completely into his arms and we fell back onto a couch, and that was the night I became a woman.
I woke up the next day alone I remember, but the couch was still warm from him.
"Maybe, maybe it will all change" I thought to myself.
I pulled on my clothes and noticed the sun.
"Crap! I need to get to work!" I rushed out of the room pulling my hair up in to a pony tail.
I rushed through my duties that day hoping that I would get to see Caesar again.
When I saw that I once again got to take Caesar his lunch, I smiled instead of cringed.
I picked up the tray and made sure I knew where it was going, in his command room again.
I smiled and blushed as I headed down the long hallways.
I tapped on the door lightly and came into the room my head bowed down.
Caesar was talking to five men, his arms waving over a map as he pointed to several locations.
I placed the tray down and took a step back.
He glanced at me and finally spoke in my direction "Stay."
I nodded and stood over to the side my arms behind my back and my eyes cast down.
He finished and the men left taking the maps with him.
He sat down and ate his meal and I took a chance. I stepped forward silently till I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
He froze. He dropped him fork and stood up, making my arms fall away from him.
"How dare you touch me!" he backhanded me and I flew a good 2 meters before my head slammed against an end table.-
I shivered at the memory and pulled myself out of the water grabbing a nearby towel to dry myself off.
I slid back into my armor and leaped onto my horse and headed back to camp.
I couldn't wait till it was Caesars blood I felt on my hands as I slide my sword through his stomach. That's the memory that would take place in my mind.
AN:
A big edited change I think. This is MUCH better though. I have such a better layout in my head! Ending is a bit in the distance. Though forming in my head, it won't end happy. Happy endings are too cliché. Just a warning for now. ^-^
Hope you like the much better (in my opinion) first installment of "Army of Me".
Title is based on Bjork's song, "Army of Me" listen to it, some lyrics might become lines as I like to do.
Going to start on chapter two, RIGHT NOW!
Cheers,
Dess