In spite of the clear orders she was given and definitely despite their highly elaborated plan, the instant Aphordite vanished into the aether, she hesitated for a few seconds, not really certain what her next destination was supposed to be….Was it wiser to discreetly ignore her friend's request and keep an eye on her for a while longer- just to make sure that everything was falling into place- to keep her brother busy and thus away from the battlefield or to focus instead on her own plan and set in motion its next cunningly perfected stage…..

'''So many options and so little time….'' she mused, materializing in her palm a small, dark red bottle of perfume and cheerfully spraying a generous quantity of the irresistible mixture on her chest. ''This should do the trick '' she added, glancing proudly at the absolutely gorgeous crystal bottle –Untamed Desire, her latest creation …..

XXX

In the meantime, a very interesting, and long- overdue conversation was taking place behind closed doors, at one of Athena's temples. As much as he hated having anything to do with that conniving bitch, the War God had to admit that he was beyond intrigued with the puzzling information Aphrodite had just given him…He genuinely thought he knew Athena well enough as to anticipate any similar move from her behalf…But this….? An alliance with Zeus was low, even for her- something that at least in his opinion had always seemed farfetched-an out of this world scenario to be more precise-for his cocky sister simply abhorred the concept of being bossed around- and working with the King himself (behind his back of course), meant precisely that- obeying his every order and command, no questions asked…

Needless to say, something smelled fishy about the whole situation, he just couldn't put his finger on it- That obviously meant that it was worth investigating the tangled mess ….

"My, my, Sis! I've always been accused of having poor taste in the home decor department, but odes in your honor hanging on the walls ?! That's a tad too much, don't you think ?! '' he remarked, the resonant sarcasm in his voice already making the Godess of Wisdom wish she had killed him back when she had the chance.

''Sure beats those ridiculous statues of yourself, if you ask me. ''she attacked without a second though. She hated him with a passion and he knew it, so what in Tartarus was he doing there, anyway ?

''My priestesses might just disagree with you on that. They do polish them every day...and appear to be enjoying it too'' he chuckled, feeling particularly proud of himself.

''Oh yeah ? What else do they polish ?! ''she snorted, throwing him a steely, disaproving gaze.

''I can definitely show you if you want me to...'' he joked, efortlessly lifting her from the golden throne where she was seated- much to her shock – and making himself comfortable instead while placing her in his lap.

''Are you out of your freaking mind ?!"'she growled, eyes sparkling with an almost tangible mixture of anger and disdain.

''Well, there was only one throne so, given that I'm our guest and all…''

''You are NOT my guest! And as you well know you are certainly not welcomed here, Ares !''

''That kinda hurts my feelings, you know….? Diplomacy was supposed to be your strong suite , Sis…''

''Cut the crap, already! Why are you even here ?! ''

She was in no mood for his stupid games, that was for sure. She did have more than enough on her mind for one day…

''You mean besides paying a visit to my incredibly smart sister ?'' he answered- grinning like a Cheshire cat and making sure he maintained the same jocular tone as before, partly amused by the goddess' slightly exaggerated outburst and partly by the ridiculousness of the situation. Not in million years had he ever considered dropping by for a courtesy call, not if his life depended on it. He couldn't help laughing at his own twisted irony of course.

Athena didn't reply right away, but instead briefly envisioned toasting him on the spot. The effect would have been temporary, that's true, but it would have provided a great deal of satisfaction-a feast for the eyes…

''Anyway ….'' the War God cautiously continued ''…before you actually start acting on those absolutely malevolent intentions I can already sense taking shape in this pretty little head of yours'' he said, gently caressing her forehead ''… let me rephrase that. …''

''Finally, a wise decision….I am almost amazed….''she snorted, giving him a sideways glance that could be easily translated into a curse word she regularly used whenever he was around.

'' Glad I can still surprise you, Sis. So…to make a long story short, letting aside the fact that you haven't offered me a glass of wine or something- quite a rude, heartless gesture if you ask me- '' he just had to mention while making a silver goblet materialize in his hand-''I'm here because of some perplexing information I received ealier today….''

'' Does it have anything to do with your drinking problem ? Did that rehab center in Corinth close its gates? ''she replied, trying to contain herself, but couldn't help escaping a stifled laugh.

''I do not have a drinking problem .'' he immediately contradicted, actually struggling to sound serious for once.

''Oh please! If Dyonisus were to ever quit his job, you could replace him full time the very following second.….Not even Zeus himself would oppose that idea….''she muttered, her gaze softening a fraction. ''You should really get help, brother…''

''Speaking about dear old Dad'' Ares swiftly changed the subject, rolling his eyes at her statement ''…a little birdie rushed to tell me that the two of you have been plotting behind my back….''

''Well technically speaking, that's how plots usually happen –behind someone's back. '' she made sure to point out, amusement glistening in her eyes.

'' Yeah but with Zeus, Sis? I gotta say …I must have overestimated you-thinking that you would actually have the guts to face me alone when time comes….''

''What are you talking about ? I could squash your petty armies on any given day, with minimum losses too. I'm just not interested yet….''

''Oh really ? What's up with that unholy matrimony between Corinth, Tessaly, Megara and Athens, then? Those kings hate each other's guts. Why would they ever consider an alliance of any kind ?''

''Oh I don't know Ares….Maybe because of those nasty rumors regarding a very likely Persian invasion next spring – something you should have obviously been aware of if you hadn't been too busy licking the nectar out of your precious Chosen's cunt all day long….'' she hurled the slashing retort at him, finally leaving his lap, and in her turn, nervously making a goblet of wine appear in her hand.

Right before the War God got the chance to make a stingy remark about it though- the words were literally burning the tip of his tongue- she continued her little speech.

''I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again Ares: you playing war whenever you feel like it, your mindless actions and your obsession with power will get us all killed in the end! You lack discipline and you definitely lack a purpose and that has to end at a certain point. Greece is OUR responsibility. I sure hope you'll get that through that thick skull of yours before it's too late! ''

''Oh I do have a purpose, trust me …''

''I meant besides banging the life out of that harlot, brother!''

''Don't push it, Athena!''

''Or what ?! Are you going to kick my ass in my own temple? I'd sure like to see you try, you moron!''

Throwing her the nastiest stare he was capable of, the War God simply gritted his teeth and vanished from the place before he did something he just knew he was going to regret the very following moment. Attacking another God in his own temple was an unpardonable offence the consequences of which he was not willing to pay…..Indeed, sometimes it is wiser to pick your battles….

XXX

As soon as he stepped out of the vortex for a quick stop at the Halls of War, eager to get his hands on a certain weapon that he just knew he would need on his immediate quest, he stopped dead in his tracks as a very unfamiliar but incredibly alluring perfume invaded his nostrils….

He looked around in confusion, briefly wondering whether his priestesses were the ones responsible for this new, intriguing scent ( they sometimes liked to use incense sticks to change a bit the gloomy atmosphere of the place, at least when he was not around ) but there was no clue what so ever in that direction, so , leaving this utter mystery unsolved for the time being- he had no time for distractions- he headed straight towards his chambers to get what he needed.

As he pushed aside the massive mahogany doors , a thousand plans and scenario were spinning restlessly inside his head. What he was about to do was a radical gesture he wasn't at all pleased with, but one that he had delayed for way too long now, and he knew it…

The moment his gaze lifted from the ground though, ready to scan the area for that accursed object, he was stunned to discover none other than the Goddess of Love, lying carelessly on his bead, wearing the sexiest, lace body string he had seen in the last thousand years...Burgundy- his favourite colour besides midnight black...

Despite himself, his brain needed a few seconds to cope with the absolutely divine image before him.

''Sis…What are you doing here ? I thought I told you to….'' he began, only to discover that he had no clue what the end of that sentence was supposed to be in the first place.

He frowned a bit at the realization, deeply troubled by the impression that there was something he had entrusted her with and that there was an urgent matter he needed to attend to in the meantime….There was this ….something he had to fix…..-he just couldn't tell what it was, and the only detail he was able to focus on, was that ethereal, enslaving perfume that gradually emptied his mind to the point that, when Dite made a subtle sign for him to have a seat on the fluffy bed by her side, he did just that- no complaints, no protests of any kind.

''What took you so long ?'' she asked, only to replace her childish pout with a bright smile once she placed an innocent kiss on his lips. ''I was bored!''

Next thing he knew, her soft fingers were slowly pushing his leather vest aside, exposing his chest.