Chapter 2

Reappearing in my Macedonian temple, I lounged in my throne, waiting for my revenge to start. You shouldn't be punishing her in this way. You should bring her here and fight it out in private as you usually do. A small voice said in my head. At least give her a chance to explain why she did the unthinkable and betrayed you and broke your marriage vows.

As I looked around room made of black marble and hematite, I couldn't help reminiscing of happier times spent in our home, training, romantic dinners, battle planning, the many romantic couplings we had had throughout the Halls. What had changed…..? if she was unhappy with anything, why didn't she tell me?

Watching Darphus destroying more villages I realized there was no pleasure in it. What about sending Graegus for even more destruction? It has been awhile since he's gotten the chance to enjoy himself…. With a wave of my hand I sent a scroll to Darphus, telling him to send any troublesome peasants to an abandoned temple I had near Elysia, and with a second wave of my hand sent Graegus to the formerly unoccupied temple.

I knew it wouldn't take long for Jercules and my wife to make their way to Elysia, especially given the fact that by now I'm certain they had heard that Darphus was once again among the living, all I had to do now was wait.

Watching Xe's face as she realized that I had given a small amount of support to the bastard who had ordered her beaten by her former soldiers, I saw utter hatred and was that a hint of despair at the possibility that she had been replaced? Doesn't feel so good does it, Princess? Don't worry though, you can defeat him, you will just have to use that cunning mind of yours to figure out how. Then we will have a long overdue discussion about what will happen since you betrayed me and broke our vows

Once they had defeated Darphus and Graegus, who between the two of us, I never really liked, too ugly, and uncontrollable in my opinion, my wife and mongrel half brother finally parted ways.

Ares….

Well this should be an interesting conversation…. Within seconds I appeared behind her in the temple. Looking around, I couldn't help growling at how rundown the temple looked. Dust covered everything, the once beautiful purple curtains were well on their ways to being completely destroyed by mold, the once smooth marble walls and hematite floors were full of cracks and uneven patches and everything was covered in dust at least three inches thick. Why do I keep this temple….? Perhaps after I am done here, I will get rid of it.

"You have a lot of nerve calling me after your actions the other day, Xena Amphipolitano." I spat out, using the name of a resident of Amphipolis rather than the one bestowed upon her as the wife of heir to the Olympian king. "Don't think I don't know about you screwing my mongrel of a little half-brother! Do the vows that we made in front of the Fates on our wedding day ten years ago really mean that little to you? Did one argument really make that much of an impact on our relationship that you had to run to him of all people! Have I not given you everything I had, not placed the world at the tips of your figners? Was it something I did?" by the time I was finished I could barely get the words past the lump in my throat that signified the absolute anguish I was barely holding back.

"Ares…" she started before I abruptly cut her off

"Right now, you don't have the privilege of saying my name. if you are going to address me personally, you will refer to me as My Lord or Sir, am I understood?!" I said, for the first time in our relationship of god and chosen using the power granted a god to order his chosen to do something.

"I'm sorry, My Lord." She said, her eyes spitting fire at me. "I know you saw that, and I honestly can say nothing to justify my deeds. I can only say that I regretted it as soon as it happened, and I believe it was done out of a pitying love on his part, and I was so eager to feel anything other than pain that I allowed it to happen. I never had the intention of breaking our vows, especially with him of all people! And I intend to limit any interactions I may have with him in the future. I also ask that you allow me to atone for the wrong I have committed against you. I also ask that you relieve me of my duties as the general of your personal army. I feel I am no longer the right person to be leading it, especially given recent events." She said, no longer able to meet my eyes, as a lone tear slid its way down her porcelain cheek. "I will also accept whatever punishment My Lord deems appropriate for my recent egregious deeds that has made him doubt my dedication to the vows I took ten years ago." She spoke in a broken whisper.

Seeing that lone tear and the fact that she no longer met my eyes, told me more than anything else, just what the recent events had done to my Princess, and wife of War and Prince of Olympus. Yes, that is where the nickname The Warrior Princess came from, it flows so much better than Princess of War. Oh, my Warrior Princess, what did those bastard followers of Darphus do to you…? I couldn't help thinking. I hated seeing her in any type of pain, and I could sense through our bond that she was truly in an incredible amount of pain.

"I refuse to relieve you of the title of Supreme General of my personal armies, I will however allow you to take a leave of absence for an indeterminate amount of time, while we work to fix this. Come, let us see to treating those wounds you sustained during your trip through The Gauntlet. We shall discuss your punishment once those wounds have been dealt with. Don't bother denying your exhaustion and pain to me, you know I can sense both of them through our bond" I told her, sensing her about to protest her exhaustion and pain, as I took her hand as we went through the ether to our chambers in the Halls of War.