Chapter 65

Ah…. Olympus…. Such an unwelcoming place it had always been for him even though it was his home, supposedly. Up till now, he had made himself his own home away from the suffocating walls surrounding this place, where those other obnoxious beings that he shared blood with couldn't annoy him and rather recently, the perception of home itself was subtly shifting in his mind of where it was exactly.

Still- he guessed- it did have its merits every once in a while but even then they were very few things that would make him want to dwell within these halls any longer then he actually had to. Not that the family actually wanted him around anyway, except when they needed him to do the dirty work.- which did happen with a particularly annoying frequency…

With a reluctant huff of breath, he really didn't have time for this, Ares casually materialized propped up against a pillar in the room where that senile old man seemed to be dwelling at the moment. He didn't notice him right away though and Ares took a second to assess what it was exactly that he was walking into, his alert auburn eyes scanning the room for a brief moment before settling on the King of the Gods once again.

From what Ares could tell, he looked annoyed… good, it wasn't in his job description to please him. Though no matter what the War God did, it was always a constant disappoint to his father, no matter how hard he tried to get just a fleeting approval from him. As the decades turned into centuries, he eventually gave up on ever attempting to actually get his approval in any way. They all had the same perception of him even though that lack of a doting father had been the one to bestow him with such a title in the first place. You couldn't blame him for actually liking his job and then to resent him for it was something that he had never understood.

Pushing the thought of how much of a pariah he really was among this group of deadbeats, Ares turned his focus to the reason for this summoning. It wasn't every day that Zeus went out of his way to acquire an audience with him. Those were about as frequent as you would find a snowball in Tartarus and considering how exceptionally rare those actually were you could understand his hesitation for this visit.

Given the last time he had leant his services to that ungrateful old bastard, things didn't exactly end so well for him, nearly costing him something that was of high significance to him and he really didn't have any time to spare this go around. His schedule was completely full of more pressing matters and there was one with piercing blue eyes and midnight raven tresses of major importance to him that he wasn't willing to spend a single moment of unneeded absence away from.

"To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?" he finally asked, capturing Zeus' attention with his question.

"Ares…" the King of the God's muttered out displeased, "… took you long enough. Any longer and I might have just tossed you down with the Titans."

"Wouldn't want you to waste a thunder bolt, now would we?" he bitterly told him, fighting against his urge to just leave, that would have really left the old man agape.

Ares smiled inwardly at the thought, it still wasn't completely off the table just yet and he could just imagine the look on his face when he did it. It wasn't like this conversation was thought-provoking in anyway, quite the opposite actually. At least then things would get really interesting and he was very tempted to see just what would happen but the sight of those beautiful sapphire eyes flashing through his head for a second made him change his mind from acting on those suicidal impulses.

Nothing was that tempting, not if it affected her in anyway and the possibility of leaving her unprotected due to the fact that he just couldn't control himself for just an instant was not sitting well with the War God. There was still the matter of Athena that they had to deal with and if that sleazy bitch somehow got him out of the way, then his Princess would be a sitting duck. Even though he was more than confident that the Warrior Princess could really ruffle her irritating feathers enough to beat her in a fair fight, she was still mortal and Athena was a sore loser and it was a chance that he just wasn't willing to take.

"You obviously want something, what is it?" he asked, appearing a little more agitated then he should have been but the thought of that sneaky harpy even touching Xena had really managed to make him edgy.

"There's a girl…" Zeus started to say but was soon cut off, causing an unamused scowl to form on his face.

"A girl? I don't see what this has to do with me…" Ares interrupted, really not caring what the point was to all this, "… Just bedazzle her like you do with all your other mortal whores. It really can't be tha…"

Then another thought came to the War God just then of why Zeus would even be asking his advice with such matters and he was now completely entertained by the thought that started to run through his head.

"Whooaaaaa…." he excitedly stated, more than eager to have a little fun with dear old dad, "…. Now… and you can correct me if I'm wrong here… but I'm not sure I can actually help you in that department. If you're having some sort of issue, well, there are certainly other ways to go about pleasuring a woman…" he smugly stated, completely amused with the look that was now on Zeus' face.

"Though I do believe Mom will have a few choice words to say about this. Does she know about your new delicate condition?" he asked, his eyes drifting for a moment to the problem area before just smirking devilishly at his father.

"You insolent child!" the King of the God's thundered, "Must you always treat everything so idiotically?" he asked though he really didn't care for his sons answer.

"What?! I was just trying to lend my moral support to your uh… little problem, but clearly I can see my advice is unwanted. I suppose it is for the best though, it's not like I actually know what you're going through there."

At exactly the same time as the words left his mouth, a completely hot and sizzling memory of himself fucking Xena absolutely senseless just a few hours ago filled his head. The echo of her uncontrollable, highly illicit moans were filling his thoughts as they poured out of her throat while he plunged himself within her with a tenacity that left her quenchless pussy seizing around his aching cock as he filled her with as much as her body could take of him.

That was a consuming memory, one that made him bite his lower lip lustfully with just how erotic the whole scene was as he relived it with pretty much the same enthusiasm once again. The way she had spasmed around his throbbing shaft, her ecstasy filling every inch of her body as he brought her to her end and then the War God pinning her against the bed in an animalistic frenzy as her climax washed over gorgeous face. After that beautiful sight, he had shifted his hips just a bit to change the depth of his penetrations and started to take her with an urgent need. The unique pleasure was hastily building that already intense passion that had just gripped her tightly and was rapidly sending his darling Princess right on her way into the next explosive orgasm that kept those guttural moans breaking free from her mouth as he claimed her over and over again.

Yup… he certainly didn't have any problems in that department and his mate was left extremely satisfied each and every time they came together. Now that was something that he was just dying to see every time their eyes connected after they made love, mirrored in those gorgeous blue eyes shining radiantly with sated pleasure while her trembling form clung to him for stability. The thought made him smile inwardly, her bliss was something that he found that he liked tremendously.

After a few more seconds, and a disturbingly close energy ball colliding into the pillar next to him, Ares pushed back the erotic memory, though it didn't go willingly, preferring to send flashes of their passionate encounter racing through his head and linger within his mind for a couple of seconds more.

"No need to be all dramatic about it…" he casually stated, looking at the charred hole that was just inches away from his chest before directing his focus back to Zeus, "… I'm sure you'll manage."

Deciding to just ignore his disappointing child, the King of the God's moved on to why he had summoned him here to begin with.

"The girl…" he began, sending his son a harsh glare when it seemed that his words sparked a small interest from the War God, "… has resided in your company for…"

"Oh, so you want tips on how to pleasure her?" Ares interrupted yet again, finding this whole situation quite amusing to say the least, "Sorry, I don't kiss and tell but just out of curiosity… what's her name?"

It was a rhetorical question really, it wasn't like the War God could actually remember every woman that he had fucked over the years, let alone their names. He really just wanted to annoy Zeus some more and watching how frustrated the old man was now becoming was the greatest thing he had seen all day, actually, maybe the second greatest. Though now that he thought about it, there were a few other things that had topped the list and this was like a good sixth or seventh.

"Her name is Xena."

The War God's whole body stiffened instantly the second he heard the sounds forming her name and his once entertained mood had completely turned sour from it immediately. His eyes promptly turned to where it had come from and there was that little bitch standing with this smug look on her face. His blood immediately started raging wildly throughout his body with anger as the mere sight of her alone made him want to tear her head from her body and cause her excruciating pain for what she was trying to do.

"Athena…" he murmured under his breath, watching her closely as she slowly made her way towards Zeus.

"You have something that belongs to me, I want it back." she stated, she was finally going to get what she wanted and she was going to force Ares to hand her over, the sight was going to be wonderful.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." he calmly stated, trying to keep his cool even though all he wanted to do was stab her in the heart with the Hinds blood dagger for having even dared to speak his Chosen's name.

"No need to play coy, I know you have her. That forest practically reeked of your presence and hers."

"She is mine!" Ares growled out threateningly, taking a small step in the Goddess' direction, eager to knock that arrogant smirk right off of her face. He was going to enjoy making her suffer!

"That's where you're wrong brother, she is my warrior and you cunningly took her from me."

"If you think for one moment I'm going to let you anywhere near my Chosen then you are sadly mistaken, I will kill you!" he snarled, ready to make good on that promise and he was just hoping she would give him a reason.

"Don't tell me you are back on that foolish subject again?" Zeus stated, not believing his son once again with this foolish Chosen business.

"You had no right taking a warrior that was under the protection of another. Give the girl back to Athena and move on to your next whore. I'm sure you'll manage." he echoed back the War God's words to him, only succeeding in pissing Ares off further with what he had chosen to call his Princess.

"Xena is my Chosen, she belongs to me and anyone who thinks about causing harm to her in anyway, I won't even think twice about chopping them into little bits!" Ares raged on, not backing down for a second and certainly not going to just give his Princess up without a fight and he was just itching for a fight at this point.

"Just give me a reason, Athena, please give me a reason to slice that pretty little throat of yours open." he hissed out sadistically, making a strikingly similar dagger that looked like the Hinds blood one materialize in his hand, "Daddy dearest, won't be able to save you if you touch her!"

"Where did you get that?" Zeus asked, curious to know how he had come into possession of such a powerful weapon against a God.

"That's my business!" he growled, casting the old man a menacing glare before tightening his hold around the hilt.

If they wanted blood, then he would give them blood and Ares was entirely ready to go to war if he had to. There was no way that he was going to allow any other God to lay a hand on his precious Xena, not as long as he drew breath and he was going to enjoy destroying them all if they tried. Little did any of the other Olympians know, without question, how serious he was about it and he wasn't going to let go of what he knew was exclusively his.

The King of the God's could see the way that Ares was unusually hostile, especially in defense of some mortal woman. The question was just what depths was the War God willing to take to protect his mortal whore, whether she was his Chosen or not. But if she was, then that changed things significantly.

"You expect us to believe that you made Xena your Chosen?" the Goddess asked suspiciously, not believing what he said for a single second and certainly growing irritated with his stalling.

"Is my word not good enough for you?"

"No it's not and just because you manipulated her to your benefit means nothing."

"Then how about the word of… hmm, let's see… oh, I know, the Fates themselves?" he smugly challenged, daring them to doubt something that came from those three hags, "They are the ones that have to seal the bond between a God and their Chosen after all."

Zeus and Athena shared a questioning look, just how far was he willing to go for this girl? Within the matter of minutes, before anyone could even articulate their next move, the three Fates appeared on their own within the halls of Olympus.

"Atropos… Lachesis… Clotho… welcome…" Zeus greeted, a bit surprised to see them, "What brings you here?"

"That is not…"

"… the answer…"

"… that you seek…"

The three responded simultaneously after the other, letting their eyes wander over their King and his daughter before they shifted their gazes over to the War God who was standing on the other side of the room full of rage and then back over to the pair.

"What is it that we seek then?" Athena asked, seeing this as her chance to dispose of Ares' ridiculous little ploy that he was trying to spin.

"You wish to know of…"

"…the mortal woman, Xena and Ares, God of War…"

"… bond that they share…."

"They don't share a bond! Those are just Ares' sick games that he likes to play." the Goddess of Wisdom stated a little aggressively, forgetting her place when addressing the Fates.

They did not let her little outburst affect them nonetheless, after all, they couldn't expect one to understand what they did not know. The only reason they were here now was because they had seen the many different futures of what was in store for the War God and his Chosen. They were forever tethered to each other whether Ares took that step with her or not because they shared a deeper bond, one that was not so easily broken and they had sensed the power that was behind what the two of them shared the moment the War God and the Warrior Princess had appeared in their temple.

They knew before then that their two destinies were always meant to entwine but they did not realize the magnitude of such a union with them finding each other. It wasn't until they were both standing before them that the thousands of different possible futures flashed through their minds. Despite how all of them went, there was one thing clear throughout each and every one of them. There was a strong deep love that was rooted within both of them that would forever keep them coming back to one another regardless of any hurt or pain that they would cause each other.

It was also that same love that made each of them dangerous because both would undoubtedly go to great lengths to protect the other at any cost. However, it was not likely that the War God would be separated from the Warrior Princess, there were very few scenarios where that had actually happened, but she could be taken away from him. She was meant to be by his side always and the two of them would eventually usher in a new line of Olympians.

To threaten her, or to attempt to remove her from the War God would only lead to death and destruction. Something that anyone who was foolish enough to do so would soon learn how much of a mistake they had made because they would not survive once Ares got his hands on them- an unfortunate situation that a few souls were currently, unwisely leading themselves down a path to in order to fulfill their own petty desires.

"That is where…"

"… you are mistaken…"

"… daughter of Zeus…"

They couldn't reveal the future, well, only when they wanted to have a little fun, but that was a scenario that no one on Olympus was prepared for and they would seek to stop them from taking their rightful place as the new King and Queen of the Gods. Zeus would pursue to destroy the mortal woman that had managed to capture the War God's heart and by him doing so, he would condemn himself to a horrible fate and though Ares might not have realized it just yet, he would indubitably kill his own father to protect his heart's desire.

"She is bound…"

"… to him as he…"

"… is bound to her…"

"… both as God…"

"… and Chosen…"

"… and as…"

"This is preposterous!" the Goddess of Wisdom shouted, completely upset with the way that conniving bastard had actually found a way to skirt around this.

Athena just couldn't believe it, not only did those two scheme and make a fool of her, now she couldn't touch her, at least not directly anyway.

The trio only shared a small glance towards each other with the Goddess' outburst and without another word, they left without evening bothering to finish what they were going to say. Things had a nasty little habit of coming out anyway and as the bond between the War God and the Warrior Princess grew deeper, it was only a matter of time.

"As you heard, Xena is mine…" Ares growled out protectively, "… And Sis…I won't hesitate!"

He glanced towards Zeus with his last words, letting him know that he meant what he said and if his precious daughter attempted to even get within an inch of his Princess, then there was nothing that was going to stop him. The threat wasn't just for her either, anyone who endeavored to try and use his darling Xena as a means to try and get to him, then he would destroy them all. He didn't care who they were. After one last long menacing glare directed towards the Goddess of Wisdom, Ares left those wretched halls completely fuming and needing to let off some much needed steam.