Chapter 14:Enjoy the dinner

Ares POV

"Here…again?" Xena questioned, and I could tell there was a lot of fury in her voice the moment she opened her eyes and saw that we were back in my fortress in Macedonia.

"Why did she send us back here? I thought you said that without your powers this place can offer no …"

She looked confused. I decided to clear things up before she blew the situation out of proportion.

"We're not here for the protection that it could offer…We just need a place to stay, a place where no one would suspect we would be….."

The cold stare that she gave me could very well freeze all the lava rivers in Tartarus.

I clicked my tongue, careful about reading her reaction.

Of course I had selected that location on purpose, hoping that being a mortal and all, she could see me in slightly different light…Plus…getting some alone time together could be a great advantage if used wisely…

"Are you hungry?" I asked trying to change the subject and thus ease a little the tension between us….

"Yeah.."She answered a couple of seconds later..

I tried not too appear too excited at the thought that we would finally share a meal together…That hadn't happened in a loooong time….

As always, she made sure to burst my bubble, and fast…

"I will eat my dinner in my room, alone..,thank you.." she added, smiling at me but in less than a blink she was turning her back and heading towards the door.

..My hands become fists in an instant….No matter how hard I tried she never seemed to appreciate my efforts…

One hour later, one of the priestesses was informing me that dinner was ready.

"My Lord, would you like dinner to be served in the main hall as usually? "

"No..actually Xena wants to eat in her room tonight. "

"All right my Lord. I will ask Myra to …"

"No, no. That won't be necessary. I will take it to her personally. "

The priestess stared at me in surprise….She must have thought that I had gone crazy or something given the fact that it was so unlike me to do such a thing…..

"Is there a problem? " I inquired in a grave, almost menacing voice.

"No, my Lord, no. Of course not…. "

Wasting no more time with unproductive chatter, I simply took the tray from her hands and headed for my Princess' chamber.
"One more thing. " I commanded before I took my leave. "Don't let anyone disturb us tonight. And when I say anyone, I mean anyone, got it?"

"Yes My Lord…." she murmured behind me.

Once I got in front of her room, I stood still for a few moments, wondering if my attitude wasn't a bit too pathetic…I cast the thought aside and simply entered the room, without knocking,…..that was my place anyway, I could do whatever I liked…

Given that it was night outside already, the candles were lit inside her bedchamber.

I spotted her instantly, at the other side of the room, and my jaw literally dropped to the floor when I noticed the fact that she wasn't wearing her battle dress anymore. She had changed into a black silken nightgown and her hair was wet….She had probably taken a bath…

She was definitely surprised to see me there. She was surely expecting one of the priestesses to come. .

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a bit irritated by my presence.

"I…uh…"

I blinked a few times trying to peel my eyes of her but it was kinda impossible. "I brought you dinner...You said you wanted to eat here, so…"

I placed the server on the table next to where she was standing…

"You….changed…." I remarked, and she just arched an eyebrow at me.

"…It looks good on you…." I added, unable to restrain the words from leaving my mouth…Actually she wasn't looking good at all, she was looking spectacular….I just kept my actual opinion to my self. She just rolled her eyes at my compliment, anyway….

"So…..take a seat.." I invited courteously , pulling out a chair for her.

"I thought I said I wanted to eat alone….? she stressed."Didn't you hear that?"

"As you well know, I only hear what I wanna hear …So come on, humor me….I missed having dinner with you."

She finally sat down, frowning a bit at a thought that it was impossible for me to hear. .

"And you want me to eat all this?"

"Well… my boy needs to grow strong…"

Her teasing smile quickly vanished.

"Don't worry, I'll help you…I'm starving too.."

Time passed without warning while we enjoyed our dinner, no words spoken, perfect silence except for the muffled sound of the chewed up food. A few brief glances were thrown across the table, but nothing more..

"I'm done." she finally announced getting up from the table , barely looking at me when she left.

I wanted to protest but a harsh enough stare flashing from her blue eyes was enough to make me keep my mouth shut.

I kept eating but my eyes never left her. She stopped in front of a full size mirror, took a hairbrush in her right hand , and began straightening up those long, dark tresses….By now, her hair had dried and it had become as smooth as silk….

I was almost done eating when I felt me legs moving on their own from the table. Before I knew it I was behind her, gripping her wrist gently, and taking her hairbrush away from her….

Our eyes meet in the mirror while I began brushing her smooth like satin black strands.

"I used to do this a lot back then remember?"

She tensed but didn't answered.

"Why did you do it Ares?"

Her voice was thick with emotion.

"Was it because of him?" she added pointing towards her belly.

"You saved me to save him?"

I was somehow afraid that would be all she would read in my gesture. …That I only wanted my son to live and of course I did wanted that but at that moment when I saw her floating on the surface of the water, she was the only one I could think of…I wanted to save her…But would she ever believe me?

"It's that what you really think Xena?"

"That's the only reason I could come up with.."

I took a good look at her. She sure sounded like she meant it…..

I let out a deep sigh…Didn't she know what she meant to me? All of the sudden I couldn't find my words, I was that upset!

"We were together for more than five years…"

" So uh…you saved me for old times' sake?"

I couldn't believe her…I wanted so much to slap her across the face, to make her see the things my way..Was she really that blind?

I didn't add any more words, I just left the room in the blink of an eye, thinking that maybe that dinner had been meant for her alone after all…...