Unholy Matrimony XXV: The Gift

Ares stood on the east-facing portico of his sprawling Olympic mansion. It was daylight in the realm of the Gods but Greece spreading out below the heavenly mountain was still black with night. The only light came from various fires that dotted the landscape. Ares enjoyed the stillness of the moment. The day ahead, he knew, would be monumental. For the first time in decades, Xena the Warrior Princess would ride at the head of his army, leading her troops deep into the Peloponnesus toward near certain conflict. Ares had dreamed of this day for years, and then he'd let that dream go. It felt almost unreal that it was going to happen. A splinter of doubt ripped through his head. What if she backed out? What if this had all been a ploy to make him look the fool again? This time it would not simply be in front of the Olympians but Ares knew the other pantheons had taken an interest in his renewed alliance with Xena. In fact, Ares feared he would have to justify their working relationship at the Pan-Mediterranean Conference which was slated for later that afternoon. Ares knew that they would doubt Xena's motives. Many of them believed her firmly allied to the monotheistic Elijans because of Eve. But Ares knew Xena better. She'd always believed in the freedom of religious conscious. She didn't like the exclusive doctrine being preached by the Elijans anymore than the pantheons did. She'd always fought for people's right to worship as they saw fit or not worship at all.

Xena had never been much for worship herself. Even when she and Ares had been as thick as thieves, and she considered him her god, Xena had carried herself as his equal. They'd been building an empire together. Ares smiled because somehow things had gotten back on track. He took a deep breath and patted his right pant pocket. He wasn't sure why he hadn't given her the trinket yet, maybe he feared she'd reject it. He knew if she did reject it, he'd take it personally. But today was the day. And, he promised himself if she refused it that he'd be fine. As long as she rode at the head of his army, nothing else mattered.

"My Lord Ares," one of the minor godlings that ferried messages across Olympus alighted onto the portico next to Ares. His winged feet had barely kissed the marble floor when he started speaking. "The rest of the Pan-Mediterranean delegation is breakfasting in the Main Hall. They would like to know if you intend to join them?"

"I'll see them this afternoon on Crete. I have military matters to attend. Send my apologies and you may choose any vintage from my cellar to stress how regretful I am to be absent." Ares hated that he had to carry out these banal niceties but he supposed it came with the territory of being Lord of the Gods.

Once the godling had flitted away. Ares extended his hand toward the Peloponnesian peninsula. He crooked his fingers and twisted the space in front of him, a black portal filled the space. Xena's tent was dark, he could barely make out her form sleeping beneath the thick bear fur. He couldn't it help that it thrilled him to see that she slept alone. No Blondie. And she hadn't taken a fancy to any of her warriors. Ares quickly closed the image, he wasn't spying on her for the sake of doing so, he just wanted to know if he had time to check in with Darkon before she was ready to ride. Ares wasn't about to miss being there for her riding out of Elis carrying his banner.

With a thought, Ares split through space and settled into the aether inside Darkon's tent. He found it empty, but he could hear the commander calling out orders to his soldiers. Ares waited. After a few minutes, Darkon walked through the tent flaps. "My Lord."

"I'm guessing, you couldn't come to a peaceful resolution with the Ephesians regarding the removal of the Elijans."

"No, Lord Ares. We will attempt to breach the wall today. I've sent for the catapults but it will be days before they arrive. They weren't really expecting a siege so we are hoping their stores are low and they will capitulate and turn the Elijans out before the catapults even get here."

"I want the Magistrate's head on display at the city gates. I want the world to know what happens to those who harbor the Elijans."

"Yes, my Lord." Darkon sneered. "And the Elijans?"

"Let them know they die in my name. And that their lives are recompense for the Twilight." Ares thought of his sister Artemis. They'd never gotten along famously, she'd preferred the company of trees and woodland creatures to her own family. But the Elijan's encroachment into her temple was a symbol, a reminder of the Twilight. And Ares, had every intention of using it to his advantage. If he could defeat them soundly, in one decisive, battle, that victory would reverberate throughout the region and remind folks which gods they owed their allegiance. Ares walked toward the exit of Darkon's tent but before he reached the opening he disappeared from mortal view.

Ares rematerialized on the Tegean Road just outside of Xena's camp. His sudden appearance startled the two night watchmen. "At ease men." By now most of Xena's soldiers had seen the god come and go from camp. The looks of awe and their deferential posture told Ares that these men knew full well who he was.

Ares strode past the men and into camp. He hadn't been prepared for the sight of one of Xena's soldiers stripped naked and locked in the stocks. Ares walked toward the man, slowly. He was half-conscious and moaning intelligibly. Ares took in the scene. Xena had kept him alive. If he'd murdered someone, she would've executed him on the spot. Ares smelled the unmistakable odor of seared human flesh. He moved around to the man's backside and saw Xena's handiwork. She'd brutally sodomized the man. That meant only one thing. He was a rapist. Xena had always been known for her severe justice in the old days. She'd never suffered rapists in her midst. She'd been as protective of women and children as any warlord could be. But sometimes, things happened. Ares hoped it wasn't a bad omen that Xena had been forced to punish one of her men so severely on the eve of her inaugural march as his Warrior Queen. Ares closed his eyes. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't his queen, she was his general. He needed to start thinking of it in those terms. Ares considered putting the bastard out of his misery but to do so would undermine Xena's authority and that was not something Ares had ever done and he would not start now. Ares leaned down and whispered to the man, "I hope that nut was worth it." The man whimpered something but Ares was already headed to Xena's tent and paid him no further attention.

When Ares reached the big tent, he paused outside the entrance. He felt inside his pocket. Ares took a deep breath for courage and slowly parted the flaps. The tent was still dark, near pitch. He formed a ball of blue light in his had the size of a shooting marble, just enough to light his way as he walked toward her bed.

"Parlor tricks?" Xena asked without opening her eyes.

Gods she was amazing. How long had she known he was there? Had she felt him across the yard when he entered camp or only sense he'd come into the tent? He tried to think of a witty reply but nothing came to him. "I didn't want to wake you."

"What? Did you just come to watch me sleep? That must be fascinating." Xena finally opened her eyes. The smile in them sent his stomach fluttering. How did this woman do this to him? He was the King of the Gods, the God of War and yet a playful look from her sleepy eyes could make him feel like a twelve year old virgin boy standing before Aphrodite.

"I wanted to see you before you started the day."

Xena pushed up from the bedding and her eyes turned serious. In her slumber, she'd forgotten that she was still upset with him. "I'm glad you're here. I want to talk to you too. We need to finish the conversation we started before you ran out of here like a spineless weasel."

Ares should have known the discussion about the baby wasn't over. Or maybe it was Eve she was upset about. But he'd been telling Xena the truth, Eve had tied his hands. That fight was one he couldn't back down from. All he could do was to insure Eve's personal safety, for Xena's sake. Ares felt his heart fall. This wasn't the energy with which he wanted to present his gift to Xena. He needed her to be open to him, not closed off. He was afraid if they picked up either of those threads again, Eve or the baby, that Xena would definitely reject his gift. "Okay, I promise, we will talk about whatever you want, but I need to say something first."

Xena could see the pleading in his eyes. She wasn't about to let him off the hook for putting a protection spell on her. And she was going to make damn sure he removed it before she rode for Tegea, but there was something so earnest and needing in his eyes that Xena decided she'd let it go for now. Xena reached both her hands up toward him, indicating that he should pull her from the ground. When they stood face to face, she nodded, "Go ahead, say your peace."

Ares swallowed and his mouth moved but no words came out. He let go of her hands. Xena noticed the slight chill in the air for the first time once her hands were empty of his. She rubbed her palms together for warmth. Her mind drifted to Dand. he must've had a miserably cold night in his undressed state. Served him right. Xena willed her attention back to the god before her. Ares still hadn't spoke, but he reached his hand into the front pocket of his black leathers.

Ares looked at her squarely when he finally spoke, his voice low and even, his words measured. "Xena, I know you're not one for jewelry. But I made this as a symbol of our alliance. It would honor me beyond counting if you'd wear it today." Ares held the necklace up for her to see.

Xena's eyes widened as she took in the sleek platinum colored chain and the gold ram's head. The pendant was etched with spiraling horns and intricate fleece detailing. But the thing that that really marvelled Xena the most were the two ice blue sapphire eyes that sparkled at her. "Ares," Xena breathed. "It's beautiful."

Ares nodded. She'd seen the look on his face only once before. It was right after he'd saved Eve and Gabrielle on Olympus. When he'd given up his godhood for her. It was a look that told her he wanted nothing more in the world than he wanted her approval. "The chain is Hephaestian metal, the pendant is gold and the stones-"

"Etruscan, Old Italia, just like the chakram."

"Yes, the light and dark charkrams. Same metals, same stones as this necklace. Will you wear it?" Ares moved the necklace toward her. "If not, please at least keep it, I made it for you. I could never let another wear it."

"You made it?"

"Yes, at my forge at the Halls of War."

Xena closed her eyes and pictured him there, shirt off in the sweltering forge. The Halls of War had been as much home to her as any place had been, at least any place since she'd left Amphipolis all those years ago. She had a sudden longing to go there with him. To just lock themselves away there from the rest of the world, from Olympus, and just love each other for all eternity. But that wasn't them. They didn't hide from the world. They made world. Molded it into their image. Bent it to their wills. Xena turned. Ares' breath caught. He was afraid she was going to walk off. Deny him. Deny them. But Xena lifted her black hair. "I'll wear it, Ares." With love, she thought, but kept that part to herself.

Ares' heart smiled as he clasped the necklace around her neck and she leaned into him and turned her face toward him. Xena ran her hand up into his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. She turned her body to his and deepened the kiss. She could feel the pendant resting in the soft spot of her throat between her collar bones. Xena thought the positioning of the ram's head was perfect because when Ares moved through her he felt like air. In fact, if she was honest, he was oxygen, the breath that made her soul burn. Xena allowed herself to get lost in the moment. She knew in the months to come that opportunities for intimacy would be few. And deep down, she knew eventually, once he and Gunnr started their family, that his attention would be needed elsewhere. Remembering his wife, Xena broke the kiss and pushed him gently away.

Ares looked at her confused. Had he done something? He looked directly into her eyes. The need was still there, the desire. But there was a sadness he didn't know how to take away. He watched as her fingers moved up to the pendant. She rolled the smooth gold between her thumb and forefinger. "Thank you, it's perfect." Xena walked across the room and grabbed her waterskin. She took a long draught then looked back to Ares. "My turn."

Ares grabbed a chair and sat down preparing himself for an argument about either Eve or Kara's baby.

Xena came and stood before him. "I want you to remove the protection spell you placed on me."

"Wait? What?" Ares asked, genuinely confused.

"Ares, you know my position on it. It isn't fair to my men, my opponents, it's not fair to me."

"Yeah, I know that, Xena. That's why I've never put one on you. I told you. I placed one on Eve. To make her see reason. Well, and mostly cause you'd find a way to kill me if I let one of my men kill her."

"Don't lie me. Don't you think I can feel it?"

Ares raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm not lying to you, Xena. What do you mean you can feel it?"

"For days now, I've felt you lurking around. I thought you were spying on me at first. But I couldn't get a bead on where you were. It's like you are everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It's hard to explain because I can usually sense you more specifically than that. Like I can feel you before you show yourself. This morning, I could feel you standing outside the tent a few seconds before you walked in. And when you've shown up the last couple of days, I can feel the real you and then that vague feeling is overshadowed by your presence."

"How long has this been happening?"

"I don't know exactly, but it gets stronger every day. I even feel you my in my dreams. At first I thought that's what you were doing. Manipulating my dreams."

"That didn't work out the way I planned the first time." Ares remembered some nasty comments she'd thrown at him that day. "It isn't Morpheus is it? He's still miffed at you for denying him Gabrielle. Frankly, I don't know what he sees in her."

"Can it, Ares. And, it's not Morpheus. I feel it in my waking hours. When Amphitrite paid me a visit, I thought she might have something to do with it, but I couldn't suss out a motive for her to mess with me like this."

"Amphitrite sought you out?"

"She wanted to offer me safe passage should I develop a navy at some point."

"Well, that's good to know. We'll keep her on our good side. She say anything else?"

"Nothing of importance." Xena wasn't about to admit that they'd talked about Xena and Ares' future.

"This feeling that you're having. Is it distinctively me or isn't just the feeling of being watched? I mean, Xena, there are a lot of gods that wish you ill will and not just the Olympians. If you think you life is in immediate danger, you need to let me know."

"Ares, I'm a warrior, my life is constantly in immediate danger."

"I mean from the godly realm."

"I can handle gods," Xena gave him a sly smile. "I've got you wrapped around my finger, don't I?"

Ares smiled in spite of himself. "Well, everyone isn't as enamored with you as I am."

"You really didn't put a protection spell on me?"

Ares took her hands and looked up into her eyes to stress the honesty of his answer. "Xena, I would never disrespect you that way."

"Then I don't know. Maybe I'm losing my touch. Maybe it is another god, but it feel so familiar. So much like you."

"Xena, you're not . . . you're not. . . Xena hold still." Ares let go of her right hand and moved his palm flat over her belly. His breath hitched. When he looked up at her, tears brimmed over the bottom lids of his eyes. "Xena, we're having a baby."