Amytis had never been the reckless type-everyone knew it. The king knew it, her subjects knew it and more than anyone, her enemies knew it. They were all well aware of both her abilities and her astuteness. Despite the nasty rumors and the reputation she had acquired- sex was not the only thing she was good at. Her mind was as sharp as a steel trap and her attention to details was just as legendry as her ridiculously high libido.

She had been around for more than three hundred years anyway, so human nature in its every shade was something she was more than familiar with. The simple fact that she was still in one piece and ruling as the Queen of Babylon was mind blowing- definitely more than one could expect from a woman in a time when the appropriate magic blade, a deadly arrow, a poisoned drink or simply a powerful enough incantation was enough to send pretty much any living soul in the land of the dead in the blink of an eye.

That's precisely why, her reaction as ''Ares '' left the room was staggering and very much unlike her. Under normal circumstances, she would have carefully analysed and reviewed in her mind every single line of that conversation, obsessing over filtering every single word, looking for logical associations and for the hidden meaning in each and every gesture her unexpected guest had displayed- and Fates knew there had been a number of red flags during those few minutes in which she literally felt like the very air around her started to dissolve at the sight of him ….so deliciously perfect , so tempting and ….just right for her!

His arrival had definitely triggered a series of earthquakes at the very core of the Queen's heart, and, though she was now comfortably seated on the edge of her enormous –orgy sized –bed , she could still feel her legs shaking and her hands trembling slightly. The brittle laughter that could be heard just seconds later as she glanced at her own reflection in the mirror across the room, only underlined even more her almost tangible vulnerability. There it was again, that fascinating sparkle in her emerald green eyes, that flicker of passion that had vanished the moment he decided to disappear from her life as well. It had been torture to live without him all this time….His absence strangely made the days longer and the nights a continuous nightmare .

Ever since that "damned harlot"- as she liked to call his Chosen- had stormed into his life , nothing was the same any more. The flames burning between them were gradually turning their tumultuous affair into ashes, along with everything she had invested in their unique relationship – time, hope, reputation and most of all, feelings.

As much as she hated to admit it, under their always soaking wet bed sheets, besides the bite marks , the rough fucking and the impossible to control attraction she felt for him, there was also love . Somehow, without her realizing it, at a certain point during their on and off encounters, it hit her that the engulfing emptiness that ate at her soul whenever he plainly ignored her, was love – love and a broken heart, more often than she cared to remember….

''Damn her to Arallu! May the Waters of Death wash upon her! ''the curse suddenly left her lips- with such force that it nearly left her breathless.

The tiny pieces the mirror had broken into were now shining on the floor like ice- the same ice that had protectively covered the walls of her heart, in a lame attempt to help her cope with this new reality she was forced to face at each and every sunrise.

It was her fault! It was because of Xena that Ares had turned his back on her and on everything they had built together- their existence, the palace, those breathtaking gardens- everything had been a gift, by the way, contrary to what all the rest of the world had been told- from him, and not from the lazy ass King, whose only purpose in life was to drink and fuck whatever he could get his hands on, without discrimination.

It was – as he had put it back then – a humble sign of gratitude for their boundless generosity. Saving his life at the risk of losing their own - the instant word got out that they had actually helped one of the eternal enemies of the Mesopotamian Gods, a treason that was obviously punishable by death- had been an amazing act of courage. No wonder the Olympian had also made them immortal- kindly offering them an endless life to enjoy all the pleasures surrounding them. She had made sure of course, that he was also part of that gift, the silken bow that had tied up the present and from the very first night they shared, they seemed to be a perfect match, two identical pyres that could never be extinguished- or so she thought.

Her opinion did change bitterly that accursed day he mentioned her for the first time …..She could still remember their conversation- word for word - and she could still feel the air charged with sexual tension as he took a few steps back, putting some space between them …

"You seem a bit distant tonight, lover. Is there anything bothering you ?" the Queen inquired, kneeling at the Gods's feet , a cheeky smile caressing her lips while her hands began a slow, teasing journey up, towards his groin.

She was going to make sure that night would be yet another memorable one for both of them, and the fact that she had been impossibly aroused all throughout the day, only made every little delay, no matter how insignificant, even more exciting.

In return, Ares just gave a small smile , and, as if struggling to put something out of his mind, he just made his clothes vanish , revealing an impressive, raging erection, that he just knew was about to be his ticket out of any form of uncalled for interrogatory.

''Here's your answer.'' he sternly replied, anxiously waiting for her to use her magic and to suddenly teleport him into a different dimension- one of pure ecstasy and maddening bliss, but , at the first strokes of her warm tongue, despite the electrifying tingles he was already experiencing, he just knew how wrong this was ….

Looking down at her stunningly shaped ass, it hit him that at that precise moment, his cock should have been thumping in anticipation, eager to enjoy that sweet ride that was to unmistakably end with a huge cum load in her mouth- that dirty, sexy mouth that he would then kiss hungrily while spreading her legs wide open on the bed, ready to hammer insatiably inside her until her piercing screams would fill the whole goddamn palace, letting anyone know that he was fucking the Queen. …

…And yet, that did not happen. Not that night …Instead, as more of his engorged member disappeared between her lips, the brutal satisfaction that was supposed to become imprinted on his features, was replaced by a barely recognizable feeling of….. discomfort and…sadness?!

Unwarely, he frowned, and, as Amytis- probably sensing his superficial involvement in their little play- stopped teasing and began deepthroating him, adamant about forcing him to disconnect from whatever was holding him back, he just gulped nosily, deeply disturbed by the whole scenario.

The War God absent in bed – now that was a novelty, even for her.

When he finally used his hands- not to grab her by the hair and to vehemently change the pace as he would have normally done, but to push her slightly away , enough for him to get up and put some distance between them, she was in shock, feeling as if her entire world had crumbled at her feet ….

Something was not right…..And although she refused to believe it, she knew that there was only one thing that could elicit this type of reaction out of a man …..

''Who is she ?'' she bluntly asked, barely controlling that childish tremor in her voice .

No point in beating around to bush, given the circumstances.

''My Chosen .'' he whispered lowly , as if he himself had trouble believing it .

For a minute or so, there was silence. Complete, utter, cruel silence that was crashing into her like waves with such unspeakable force that made her lose her balance and for the first time in three hundred years, she felt the need to sit down in his presence, and just take a deep breath, silently hoping that the room would stop spinning already….

''Your Chosen ?!'' she asked in disbelief, with a broken voice that barely resembled her own, strangled and weak, and nothing like the one she used to posses when she had his undivided attention.

This time he didn't answer , preferring to let the information sink in. He could distinctly feel her pain- not that he cared much about it, but he was way too focused on this new outstanding accomplishment in his life.

''Since when do you have a Chosen ?!'' she continued, and he almost missed her question when, before his very eyes , a very different image appeared, the one of two cerulean moons that had pierced him like daggers not long ago.

''Since this morning.'' he clarified just as she was getting ready to repeat that line.

''Who is she ?" the Queen demanded to know, the harshness of her tone instantly drawing a frown on the Gods's forehead.

''That's none of your business, actually .'' he cuttingly specified, turning around to look her in the eyes, his glare alone reminding the Queen that she was supposed to know her place.

This time, she sounded almost desperate , and her balled up fists didn't help her cause any.

''Is she an Amazon ?''

''Relax Amytis, will you?!'' he snapped, finally deciding to put an end to that whirl of thoughts fogging her mind .''She's only a baby. The only thing she can suck at this age is a freaking nipple while looking for milk !'' he added, rolling his eyes at her.

She might have been the perfect fuck but she was getting a bit too clingy for his taste lately…..

''How can she be your Chosen then, if she's only a baby ?! A baby is ….a baby after all …''

The intensity of his previous response had taken her by surprise. This just couldn't be happening she said to herself, her jaw tensing at the endless number of scenarios that had begun taking over her mind, none of which in her favour.

''Yeah , well , tell that to the Fates …'' he mumbled, making his leathers materialize back on that smoking hot body of his .

''Well , doesn't she have to agree with this….status ….?''the Queen stammered, unable to find the right word on the spot.

''Oh, she will , when time comes''

''What if she refuses?'' she just had to ask, keeping her fingers crossed .''What if she dies ?'' she spitefully added in her mind. She lacked the nerve to spit it out, just like that, well aware of just how brutal the God's reaction was going to be.

''Trust me, she wont't.''he simply retorted, sounding quite sure of himself, that smug smile plastered on his face, only managing to irk her even more, quickly throwing her off balance.''Would you ?'' he sensually whispered in her ear, his lips now barely touching her cheek , and then, as he took a small step back, the corner of her mouth, making her heart thud loudly in her chest.''Would you deny me….anything ?''

His voice brushed soft as a summer breeze across her lips, and the mere awareness of his nearness, sent ripples of pleasure up and down her spine. By now, his hands were holding her waist – a firm yet gentle grip ,pressing just enough as to build the anticipation. Next thing she knew, his tongue was sliding lightly across her bottom lip, driving her crazy.

But just as she moved an inch forward, eager to finally get that kiss she was lusting for, he withdrew, giving her a bemused once over .

''See? This is precisely what I was talking about .'' he emphasized, dematerializing from the room .

Let's just say that during that evening, Amytis added about a hundred new words to her own personal dictionary-all of them synonyms for hate – not for her lover, oh no, not by a long shot…but for the new intruder that had stormed into the world just to screw up with her sanity and with her absolutely perfect life….

*** HI THERE ! IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER ,MAYBE YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT THE VERY BEGINNINGS OF ARES AND HIS CHOSEN . IN ONE OF MY FICTIONS -TRUTH AND DARE- CHAPTER 4- THERE'S AN ANSWER TO EVERYTHING, IS ALL ABOUT THAT. AS YOU WELL KNOW, MY FICTIONS ARE SOMEHOW LINKED TO EACH OTHER ( DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THNIK . WERE YOU EXPECTING THIS ?) ***