Chapter 8

Ares and Athena made love again as per Athena's request. She's been deprived of this kind of pleasure half of her life, getting greedy for this day is acceptable. Ares on the other hand feels like he's the luckiest God in Olympus, having the Goddess of Wisdom in his arms, and able to kiss and touch and love her, he could not ask for more.

"Oh Ares." He loves it, when she whispers his name like that. "More please, I want to feel more." Ares obliged, who is he to deny his lady? They made love many times until they are both exhausted to get out of the bed. Athena then lazily put her head on Ares chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"So this is how it feels like." Athena said.

"How it feels, Princess?"

She looked at him and smile. He returned the gesture.

"I feel..relaxed and..at peace."

"Don't worry, Athena. I will always make sure that you feel like this every time we make love."

Ares closes his eyes, sleepiness starting to consume his body. He let his wife play on his hair, its more relaxing that way.

"Sleep now, love." she whispered and kissed his lips.

Zeus is worried. His favorite daugther didnt attend his dinner invitation. This is the first time, he thought. Every time he invites her, she always accept it even if she needs to do other things. That's what made Athena special to him. All of his sons and daugthers decline his invitation most of the time, but Athena, she always make time for him.

He cannot summon Hermes to look for her, the messenger is on a one week break to celebrate his marriage with Artemis. He cannot call for Apollo as he is busy with his duties and with his pregnant wife as well. How about Aphrodite? No, they don't get along so well. Hera then enter the dining hall with her red dress and gold necklace. She kissed him and sat on her chair.

"Come on Zeus, let's eat."

"She's not yet here." He answered.

"Who? Athena?"

"Yes. Its the first time she declined my invitation. Do you think there's something wrong?"

"Oh, give her a break love. Let's eat. Just invite her to join us tomorrow morning." Zeus then join her wife. Maybe tomorrow, if in case Athena declined again, he will visit her temple instead.

Athena is not yet sleepy so she just stared at her husband while he is sleeping. Ares is a handsome god, all the Gods and Goddesses in Mount Olympus can agree to that but for her he is not just the handsome face god, he is kind too. They all saw him as the war freak, the loser, the most hated son of Zeus, what they don't know is that he is a good protector. She knows the consequences of what they did but she trust him. She knows that he will do everything to save and protect their newfound love. She then closes her eyes and surrender to sleep. In her dreams she saw Ares holding a child, the little child's eyes are grey like hers but the hair is the same as Ares. She started to walk towards them, her family, but Zeus lightning bolt separate the land, her husband and child struck by the lightning, killed by the wrath of his father and she can only stare at them, tears flowing freely on her eyes.

"No!"

Athena then opened her eyes, Ares is trying to wake her up, worry present on his face.

"Athena, you're crying. What happened?" She hugged him and sobbed.

"I have a bad dream. We have a child but father...father killed both of you because of his anger. Ares I don't want to go back to Olympus."

He sighed and wiped her tears away. He touched her face and kissed her forehead.

"I will not let him do that, love. No one is going to hurt you. I promise."

They decided to stay for a while. Athena is still scared of going back to Olympus. In all honesty, Ares is scared as well, their father can kill them both but he needs to show that he is strong and confident for Athena. To past time they are talking about everything they can think off. Ares really admire her wisdom and gentleness. He learned that Athena is always sneaking out in the mortal world to observe how they live. That she enjoys drinking wine so much that Artemis once said she is like him when it comes to drinking. She also told him that the first time she felt sad is when she found about Artemis and Hermes relationship. She was so jealous that time that she thought about revealing their secret relationship but Artemis is so dear to her so she let them be.

"And then you told me I can marry so I can be free. It was a hard decision you know. I'm torn between what I want and what I need to do. But in the end..I still choose what I want. I still choose you." His heart is full of love right now. The Gods might call him lovesick, but he doesnt care. He have Athena now, she chose him, and for that he will thank all the Gods that made this union possible.

"I love you." He said. There's no reason to deny that he is in love with her.

"I love you even before I asked you to marry me. You might think that I'm just telling this because you choose me or because you're my wife now, but no, I've been hopelessly in love with you Athena for so long..so thank you..for choosing me."

"Make love to me, Ares" She softly said. Athena undress herself in front of her husband. His hungry eyes devouring her body and soul. He then pulled her closer and kissed her with so much passion, pouring his overflowing love for the Goddess. Tonight they will forget about Olympus and their duties. Tonight, they will just let love consumed them.

The Olympus is in mess. Athena is missing and Zeus is furious as hell. His favorite daughter is missing for almost a week. She's not in her temple nor in anyone's temple. She's not in Olympus for Tartarus sake.

"Zeus, Athena is already in the right age. She can go wherever she want to go. Let her be." Hera said. She's irritated that her husband is going crazy just because their daugther is missing. Maybe she's just in the mortal realm, she always do that.

"Let her be? What if someone..rape her? She's a maiden Goddess, Hera."

"Calm down, will you?! Athena is not a goddess of war and wisdom for nothing. She can defend herself." She answered. Her husband is overreacting.

"Wait...where is your favorite son?"

"Who?"

"Oh come on, the war freak."

"Don't call Ares like that, he's your son too."

"My less favorite."

Hera rolled her eyes. When will her dear husband treat Ares like how he treats Athena? She thought.

"I don't know, I let him do whatever he wants to do because I don't treat him like a puppy."

"He is missing too." Zeus said. "No way, they are both missing!" He then called the servants to fetch the Olympians and other Gods for an emergency council meeting.