Chapter 8
As the small woman mounted the stairs leading to the isolated temple, she noticed that all seemed unnaturally quiet and deserted. 'Good,' she thought. All the better for her purpose.
She entered the temple and knelt in front of the altar. She felt a glimmer of a presence, but went on with what she intended to do. She said, "Lord Ares, I humbly ask that you hear me and answer my prayer."
Gabrielle heard a sound like thunder and looked up to see the most handsome man she had ever known appear directly in front of her. Quietly, he asked, "What do you need, Gabrielle?" with a small shine of hope in his beautiful eyes.
Gabrielle swallowed the gigantic lump in her throat, and said, "All I need... is you." His eyes shining with unshed tears, Ares put his arms around Gabrielle, holding her so gently that one would think that she was made of the finest crystal. Still holding her, Ares softly touched his lips to hers. "Don't you know," he whispered, "that I've spent my life looking for you? You're my missing piece. Did you really think that I could ever let you go?"
Gabrielle looked up at Ares. "But I thought that you would never..."
He put his finger on her lips to silence her, moving his hand to cup her soft cheek. "You have my heart, Gabrielle. I thought that I didn't have one, but you ... You found it for me when you made me smile. Will you marry me and be my princess?"
"Yes," said Gabrielle. "My Olympian prince," she added with a grin.
Ares laughed. "Prince Ares? I like it! Now then, my princess, let's go tell our families."
"Are you sure your family will like me?" asked Gabrielle anxiously.
"Of course they will, sweetie... If they don't... I'll blast 'em," he said, with a twinkle in his eye. Then he held his princess close and they disappeared into the mist... to begin their new life together.
-The End-