Chapter 27:Destiny

Ares POV

I got out from that damn inn without looking back. Thoughts about leaving that place for real-along with that mortal, pitiful life I had been living for more than 7 months – plagued ceaselessly my mind. The idea haunted me even in my dreams…-

And still, something kept me there, something much more powerful than my selfish desires, something more powerful than the love I had for Xena …my son was almost with us and then there was Eve...I really considered her mine. And apart from that...I'm no chicken….I like to face my problems instead of turning my back and run away.

Xena…..I was so angry at her….How could she fail to see that I had indeed changed? That I was no longer the same? That I was not the "soulless Bastard" from the past? Was it that hard for her to see and admit my progress?! Everyone else did, except for her, of course! Was she that blind?

As these thoughts crosses my mind, I sketched a smile…I could almost laugh at myself…I sounded so lame….If only someone could have heard me….I was so disappointed though…..And I don't even know why, I mean I always knew that that antique do-good thing was nonsense…..The irony was that I was now the living proof of that busted myth.

For a few weeks I had actually believed that we were going to work everything out in the end, that she had started to trust me, just to end it all with an worthless "I can't do this" crap line….

Was she really serious? But then when was she not?

I wanted so much to forget her but I couldn't. For years, I had tried various techniques in that direction, but no….it was always the same….No priestess, no other warrior, no other woman could ever take her place…. Her beauty had no match and her skills were impossible to beat. I often hated my self for loving her, but she was stuck to my heart, like an inerasable tattoo, like a curse I had to live with….

I never could have guessed that my former identity, that of the God of War could come between us at some point, but it did, raising a sky high wall between us.

Caught up in my thoughts as I was, it was no wonder that once again, I didn't hear

my sister approaching, thus startling me…again…

"You rang?"

"Dite, you need to stop this. I almost had a heart attack."

"Well…you called me."

"I did not…"

"Yes you did. I heard you…You were thinking about Love and I am that."

"As I said…I did not. I just…"

"What are you doing here..? You are far from Cyrene's tavern."

"Don't ever remind me of that place again! I hate it!" I replied furiously.

"What happened?"

I didn't answer, I just started walking away.

"Ar, wait! Where are you going?"

I said nothing.

"Is it Xena?" she continued, hitting a nerve. "Ooo…of course she is…You two looked more than ok the last time I saw you…."

"Well, not any more!" I yelled,irritated by the mere sound of her name.

"Ar...calm down..Where are you going?"

"Nowhere…Just walking it of….…Don't you have anything better to do..?" I hinted, but it was as clear as daylight that she wasn't going to drop the subject any time soon.

"Better than solving your love problems? Noooo…." I looked at her incredulously.

"What do you want?"

"Look…Xena really cares about you..."

"Liar..! I tried everything with her Dite, I really did, and nothing seems to work. Now why's that may I ask? That's easy! She doesn't love me! She may be attracted to me but that's obviously where everything stops!"

"She wants you just as much as you want her, trust me on this. A girl needs reassuring, that's all, you should have known by now…"

"Reassuring..? You make me laugh. Xena is nothing like other girls!"

"Well, she is something else, but let's face it! She's still a woman, so trust me, I'm right!"

"Stop talking about her...why don't you tell me how things are up on Olympus instead?"

"Nothing for you to worry about Stud Muffin….same old, same old….Nobody has mentioned another word on what happened on that beach seven months ago….They just know that you are with Xena, that's all…"

"Good...and Hephaistos ? Did you two..?"

Her face changed instantly and I knew that I shouldn't have asked. She hated her husband for having entered Athena's game for power.

"I would love to chat some more but I need to go now…you know...I'm a very busy Goddess, the world needs me..." She quickly excused herself, avoiding a clear answer.

"Mhhmmm…if you say so. Take care!"

"You too..."

She then embraced me and whispered slowly in my ear before she left:

"Please talk to her...I know that one way or the other you two will be together...It's destiny!"

….And then she was gone.

Destiny! I couldn't disagree more…. But for once in my life, I wished so hard for Aphrodite to be right…..