" Xena….good to have you back. I was a few minutes away from losing my mind! My friend here hasn't shut up about you since you left the room. You must have done a pretty good job last night…." the King started, the instant he laid eyes on her.

" You have no idea…." the Warrior Princess retorted through clenched teeth, without looking particularly thrilled about his statement. In all appearances, Nabbuco was a slooooow learner.

" I wish I did though…Anyway, just in case you had even the slightest doubt about this, let me just tell you that you have him completely wrapped around your little finger…" he stubbornly specified, giving the War God a forced smile once he met his scandalized gaze. " …eating out of the palm of your hand…" he muttered the conclusion, making sure that she got the point.

" Hey! Can't a God trust anyone these days?! You weren't supposed to tell her that! It was a secret! Now she has the upper hand !" Ares decided to humor his buddy, acting as if it was all a joke…

" Damn! Why didn't you say so?!" the King quickly replied, trying to appear at least as equally panicked as his friend was- while the Warrior Princess kept looking at the duo as if they had a screw loose.

" You are definitely crazy…both of you….Still, there's no need to freak out, Ares… " she stated, directing her attention towards the War God. "….he didn't tell me anything knew…I own you, and that's a fact. You know it, I know it…"she stressed, arching sharp eyebrow at him, leaving both men speechless for a few seconds.

"Damn! You're really screwed Bro!" Nabucco exclaimed, trying hard not to laugh at Ares' suddenly constipated expression …

"What!? Did I hear you well?!" the Olympian finally fought to defend his masculine pride- or what was left of it- his publicly wounded ego screaming for retribution.

"Hang on a minute Bro'... " the King felt the need to intervene "...as thrilled as I am about the perspective of seeing her humiliate you even more, I really have to ask …." he said, shifting his gaze to Xena " ...Just out of curiosity...where is my wife? I sure hope she didn't need medical care..." he questioned, gurgling out the last words, silently wondering if there was any truth in them...He knew Amytis better than anyone- or so he thought- and he was well aware that she could effortlessly make even the most calm person in the world lose her temper.

" She went to check on the preparations for the festival…."

"Oh shit! By the cock of Anu! " he shouted, slapping his forehead with an almost impressive force- that only left Xena wishing she had been the one to do it -" That reminds me that I haven't talked to my generals yet…. Security matters…" he explained, getting up from the table and heading towards the door.

"That's right….Run you blabbing traitor….! " Ares cynically accused, seeing right through his little act.

" We both know I'm doing you a favor Bro….By the way, I still think you should fuck her on the table….It would be damn hot! Chicks dig that, take my word for it, I know what I'm talking about!" he advised, and before actually getting a response, he was gone.

" So….think you own me, huh?!" Ares inquired after a short pause, gently caressing his Princess' leg, and he immediately noticed how stiff her body had become at the contact- Now that was something he didn't like...

" I don't just think it, I know it…." she casually replied, making an effort to hide the sadness that had taken over her soul after those unusual hours spent with the Queen.

" Well, you seem very sure of yourself, so there must be a grain of truth in that…." he answered on the same light, jocular tone, pretending that he had missed that subtle note of irritation in her voice that rushed to confirm what he had already suspected- something was bothering her….He naturally assumed though that Nabucco's stupid remarks were the reason for her indisposition. " So uh….how was your walk?" he asked, figuring that a change of topic was in order.

She shrugged.

"Very…educative, I guess "

His reaction was the anticipated one, of course...It took Xena but a split second to notice how his smile swiftly transformed into a frown- one that only deepened as his brain began translating the meaning of that line to him. It had been a very suggestive choice of words indeed, and then there was that shade of...something, still present in her eyes...

" Amytis is a very…gifted woman…" she explained, completely ignoring just how uncomfortable his touch was making her, struggling to focus solely on pouring herself a glass of wine. Seconds later, she divided her attention between the long, seemingly endless sips that followed and her absent play with a lock of hair.

The War God parted his lips to speak, but no words came out- obviously not really convinced that the kind of reply his Princess was actually expecting from him was the same one he had in mind. In the end, was he supposed to agree or disagree with such type of statement? Yeah, the Queen was certainly gifted and then some, but was it wise to admit that out loud?

" Ok…if you say so." he finally said, taking a mental note at just how tight her fingers had clutched around that cup…She was definitely nervous….or angry….or…..upset…".Anyway, I'm glad you're back…." he continued, sounding utterly sincere about it, and he really was- it was a hard thing to miss really, especially given how lively and alert his beautiful amber eyes had gotten ever since Nabucco had signaled her presence, and that obsessive attention with which he had been following her each and every move...there was a very discreet- barely expressed, but unquestionably there - feeling of joy on his face, that one had to be blind not to notice...

"Missed me?" she inquired, on a rather cold, dispassionate tone that was bound to get to him..

" As a matter a fact yes…." he replied, rising from his chair, taking the cup from her hand and placing it back on the table. " I always miss you when you're not around…." he added, in a low, husky tone that left no room for doubts." I've been meaning to show you something….." he then added with a wide, naughty grin . " It's a surprise…"

"I don't like surprises…." she spat harshly, finding it hard to even look him in the eyes after what Amytis had maliciously revealed to her….The image of him offering that accursed bitch roses- black roses- was killing her. It was like a knife to the heart and it killed her even more to have no other choice but to finally admit it to herself that she was truly and irrevocably tormented by the perspective of him being still in love with her…..

"You'll like this one, I promise…." he softly breathed out before capturing her lips in a sweet, delicate kiss that only clouded her mind even more…

"What is it?" she inquired, pushing him slightly away when they broke apart, wanting to put some distance between them, but his arm- now wrapped securely around her waist prevented her from acting on those thoughts.

"Well…it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it? You'll have to see it for yourself…." he answered, gently caressing her face, taking a long, pensive look in those hypnotizing blue moons that had him completely bewitched…..His first instinct had been correct- she was indeed troubled by something, he could clearly see it now…

" Where are we going?" she just had to ask when she noticed that he was about to transport them somewhere- but without actually seeming interested in the answer though.

" You'll see soon enough….."

XXX

Seconds later, as Xena felt solid ground under her feet again and thus opened her eyes, she found herself standing on the edge of a pit, so deep that its bottom could not be seen.

The War God's arms were still wrapped protectively around her- just like they always were when they travelled through the aether- but this time, there was something more about that embrace….It felt almost odd...almost desperate... He was holding her to his chest as if he were afraid that by letting her go, she would somehow use the opportunity to vanish from sight…forever out of his reach. It was ridiculous and she knew it, but that had been her first interpretation of his gesture.

" What is this?" she asked, without moving an inch, her gaze fixed on that dangerously close abyss- stretching almost right up to her feet.

" Your surprise is down there….." he murmured, kissing the top of her head, and she just couldn't shake the sensation that there was a catch attached to that line….

" What?! "

" Well….it's been cautiously hidden from mortal eyes…..It has been that way for millennia….."

" And how exactly do you expect me to see it?" she snorted, shaking her head at what she still couldn't fully understand.

" Well….the answer is obvious don't you think….?"

" No." she plainly answered, thinking that he had to be still joking….

" We'll jump.." he clarified, a bemused chuckle escaping his lips.

" Jump?!" she exclaimed, throwing him a puzzled glance over the shoulder. "Are you crazy?! I'm not going to jump down there!"

" Why not? Is the mighty Warrior Princess scared by a big black hole, by any chance?!" he challenged, pressing all the right buttons to make her change her mind.

" No….I'm just not….suicidal…yet….." she pointed out, instinctively trying to take one step away from the pit, but Ares's firm hold once again prevented her from doing that.

"Well, I'm not asking you to commit suicide…Plus, you'll be jumping in there with me…"

" Oh...that's comforting! Why didn't you say so ?! I mean, what in the name of Hades could go wrong? You're a god, I'm a goddess…..Oh wait….I almost forgot….I'm only mortal….."she barked, completely opposed to the idea.

"Not for long…." he whispered into her ear, and there was something in his voice that sent shivers down her spine…-something dark but enticing, something oozing power and lust- that unique mixture that she was mentally addicted to and that her brain simply refused to believe it true. " Call it a leap of faith if you will…." he added, and as tempted as Xena was about screaming that yes, her previous interaction with Amytis, that absolutely frustrating conversation, suddenly began replaying in her mind, cruelly playing tricks on her…..Over and over again she could hear it, driving her crazy….

" Are you asking me to trust you….enough as to put my life in your hands?"

" Well…if you really feel the need to be poetic about it, yes, I guess that's what I'm asking…."

She took her sweet time in answering, but she finally did, much to Ares' delight. He just couldn't get enough of her when she ended up doing the exact opposite of what he would have liked her to do...It was utterly unnerving at times- no point in denying it- but that was the whole beauty of their relationship...He was damn tired of people always saying yes to him, of acting as if they were all string puppets! And this woman... she was...she was something else entirely...Nothing ever seemed to please her, she was almost impossible to figure out and it took him forever to get her at least close to where he wanted...she was perfect...

" Ok...so let me tell you how were' re gonna do this" she smugly began, her mind already set up on a big, fat NO. " You'll need to answer some questions first …and then, I will decide if to throw you in that hole right away or not…How's that?"

"In which of the two scenarios is you jumping down there with me, included….?"

" Neither one. "

" Where's the fun in that?"

" It's fun for me…."

" Don't be mean, Princess! " he pouted, looking for the right words to say. " I'll tell you what….I'll answer whatever questions you have in store for me and then, if my performance pleases you enough, you'll close those heart melting blue eyes of yours for a few seconds, and I'll give you the time of your life….."

"Why do men always say that?" she unwillingly burst into laughter, hearing the ridiculously common ending of his proposal.

"Ladies find it sexy." he laughed back, kissing her forehead when she turned around in his arms.

"Actually it sounds horribly….cliché " she argued, rolling her eyes at him.

" Just fire way….What kind of thoughts have been plaguing my Princess' overly active brain lately? " he added seriously, searching her eyes for the answer that he knew he was not going to get.

" I was supposed to ask the questions, remember?"

" I'm all ears…..Well, maybe not all ears, but go ahead, darling, you have my full, undivided attention…."

" Good. It was about time."