She was so utterly bored. She pulled out her favorite dagger, one of the daggers that had drained Julius Caesar's lifeblood away. She still had fond memories of setting that killing up. Rome had been putty in her hands after that murder. She traced the edges of it, testing its sharpness, and then she threw it right into the chest of one of the passing servants. The servants all froze in motion.

"I don't like whistling," Xena announced. "In the future, if I want a canary, I'll ask for one."

The servants went back to their business, but they were a little more mechanical in their motions.

She needed a diversion. She went to her bedroom, knowing he would be waiting for her. He had the uncanny ability of knowing when she wanted him.

As soon as she was through the door, he grabbed the hand that had thrown the dagger and kissed it with ferocity. "I love when you're fresh from the kill."

She was rather wooden as he removed her empress robes and sent her hair crashing down in black waves, but she closed her eyes as she enjoyed his strategically placed kisses. Then she turned around and pushed him to the bed. She followed him there, moving like a lioness stalking her prey. She was ready to give him exactly what he had come for and she knew exactly how to keep him coming back for more. She never minded giving tribute to the god who had helped make her victory possible and it always proved a pleasurable diversion.

sss

Xena rose from the bed with the black silken sheet wrapped around her and went over to the mirror. Ares followed and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"I'm getting older," she said as she touched the crow's feet next to her eyes.

"Are you?" Ares asked as he placed a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I hadn't noticed."

"Don't play coy. It doesn't become you. You see the lines as well as I do. It's only a matter of time before I start finding gray hairs."

"You could still become my queen. You've more than earned that right and I would hand deliver the ambrosia right to your luscious lips," he offered as he inhaled the delicious scent of her hair.

"The last thing I want is to become a goddess. I just want to know what happens to me when I'm no longer as youthful and desirable as I used to be? Will you find another protégée to rule in my place?"

Ares laughed. "Only fools think desirability is connected to youth. You will never stop being desirable to me. To answer your question, no. There is only one you, Xena. When you're gone, I plan on letting the lands break up until your next reincarnation, my sweet."

Without even making eye contact with Ares, she said, "I'm sure you have temple duties to look after with temples over every part of the known world and I have an empire to run."

Ares didn't look happy but he said, "Until tonight then."