''I must say, I would have never thought I'd live to see this day! My cold hearted, sex addict brother, this obsessed with someone...'' his sister's amused voice could be suddenly heard behind him right before her slender arms circled lovingly his waist.

''I am not obsessed. Cold hearted? .Maybe ... But a sex addict?! ...How did you even reach that conclusion?!.'' he laughed, affectionately caressing her hands.

'' Oh, don't get me started now! Still, you must realize how unhealthy this is, don't you ?!''

''What are you talking about …?" he retorted impassively, appearing completely unimpressed by the Love Goddess' subtle irony.

''Well, you have been watching her for five hours straight now, Stud…What does that tell you ?"

''That I want her to be safe, maybe, given the importance of tomorrow's event?"

''Pfff! Come on! Not even daddy's lightning bolt could pierce through that thick energy shield! So….''

''So…?!"

''So, she's obviously not going anywhere, you know…No need to stare at her like a freaking psychopath!''

He stubbornly refused to play her little game though, despite the fact that he had at least a million nasty comebacks devilishly tickling the tip of his tongue.

''And yet, you could whisk her back to your place - she's sound asleep, she wouldn't feel a thing.'' the goddess continued.'' Your arms are the best shield in the world. Plus, her presence would definitely spice up your morning! …She would really appreciate it, I can assure you.'' Dite suggested with the naughtiest of smiles, but the War God swiftly changed the subject as if he hadn't even heard her.

''Have you two managed to pick out a dress?''

Disappointed with his response, Aphrodite let out an exhausted sigh. Regardless of the methods she used, she could never get her stubborn brother to openly talk about his feelings ….It was as if chatting to a wall.

''Well….I did show her about a hundred of them….she couldn't care less about my efforts ….'' the goddess complained with utmost indignation.

''How so ?! Didn't she like any of them?''

''Nope. Actually, she fell asleep on the couch while I was busting my perfectly round ass to find something -ANYTHING- to get at least a reaction from her …Can you believe that?!"

''The nerve! ''he jokingly retorted, making sure to at least partly express his sister's indignation.

''Could you stop trying to turn her into a feminine version of yourself?! It's rather disturbing… Plus, it would be much more interesting if you allowed her to have her own personality Ares!"

'' To allow her ? Oh please! You don't know the first thing about her! She's a handful, take my word for it! " he stated, his lips twitching with amusement at his sister's absolutely ridiculous hypothesis.

''Well, anyway, she can't go to the ball in one of those awful leather rags you make her wear every day!"' a brassy line that her brother was definitely not going to ignore.

''For the last time, I'm not making her do anything!'' he snapped, instantly checking on his protegee. She was still sound asleep.

''Shhhhh! You'll wake her up dummy!''

''Well stop yapping then!" he hissed, glaring daggers at her.

''I swear you can be such a brainless primate sometimes! Fine, I'm not talking to you anymore ! Not now, not ever ! And I mean it, Stud!'' she half yelled, turning her back at him but without considering the option of actually leaving the place.

The War God rolled his eyes, took a deep breath and mustered whatever was left intact of his patience in the attempt to put an end to that useless conversation. It was starting to give him a headache.

''Listen….Don't worry about the dress, ok? I do have a few ideas on what she could….''

''Oh no you don't Ares!'' the blonde goddess instantly intervened, looking as if she were on the verge of having a panic attack, struck with revulsion at the possibility. '' Your taste in fashion is EWWW! I don't even want to think about it! Just leave this to the expert ok ?! Trust me, she's in good hands! I'll just find a way to pique her interest…somehow ! ''

There was a short pause that allowed her to fully appreciate the effect of her words…

''Still…you do get to choose the colour! '' she mentioned while still analyzing her brother's displeased grimace.

''You don't say!''

''So what will it be ? …..Gold? Blue…..Green ….White ?...White would make a marvelous contrast, by the way… " she explained, while already envisioning the legendary outcome. ''Anything but black, please…''

''Actually, burgundy would look stunning on her….''

''Hm…..'' Aphrodite mused, squinting her eyes .''Not bad…..'' she concluded. ''Classic or modern cut ?''

''A little bit of both, I guess…..''

A wave of his hand and the image of the perfect dress appeared before her….A modest vee bustline compensated through an interesting roughed detail in the front, a leg split, bare back and spaghetti straps, a brush train…..It was gorgeous and it definitely surpassed Love's expectations!

''Do you really want Apollo to kill himself?!'' she couldn't help herself, instantly picturing the scene in which the Sun God would lay eyes on his brother's girl.

'' I won't be the one to stop him, I give you that ! So…what do you think?''

''I think you're hooked….'' she rushed to answer, giggling softly at his reaction. ''No point in denying it, Bro'….It's pretty obvious…I'm so happy for you!'' she squealed the last part, with a boundless joy that could only be compared to winning the Corinthian jackpot.

''Cut it out, Dite! You're just imagining things….She's my Chosen. I want her to look good….''

''I'm sure you do….I mean….how could you not ? She's everything you've ever wanted ….'' she replied, and those words…those words hit him like a tone of bricks. His ditsy sister was right….She was indeed everything he had ever dreamed of in a woman….

XXX

Impressively high and made of pure gold, the gates of Olympus were indeed something else- not overly adorned but majestic enough to let right about anyone stare in wonder at their surreal beauty – an impact that was always the same on mortals and gods alike ….

For the War God though everything paled in comparison with the remarkable woman he had by his side. From the moment he went to pick her up from Dite's temple he just couldn't take his eyes off her. She was literally a walking and breathing temptation. His sister had nailed it …he was hooked. Whether he was charmed, hypnotized, mind controlled or any other similar scenario, he didn't care though . He would have wiped entire nations from existence, laid the world at her feet if she had asked him to. He would have walked through fire, offered her the moons and the stars, by Tartraus, he would have confronted Zeus himself if that meant he could bring a spark of joy in her eyes. He would have never denied her anything ….and the only thing he wanted and expected in return was her undivided loyalty – and secretly, her heart.

'' You do know that you're the most beautiful woman to have ever walked this earth, right ?''

His velvety voice was all the reassurance he hoped she ever wanted or needed.

She just laughed nervously at his obvious exaggeration.

''I strongly doubt that, but let's have it your way …''

''Are you sure you want to have it my way ?'' he teased, his eyes suddenly boring into hers, and for a few seconds, Xena felt as if her whole body was tingly, then a hallucinating sensation that they were one washed over her and then…a fire….a fire that would consume anything in its path and that was burning and pulsating in all the right places…

When she finally managed to snap out of it, her cheeks were flushed and her breath was ragged.

''How do you do that ?!"

''How do I do what ?'' he lowly inquired, a playfully innocent expression painted on his face.

''Anyway…''she muttered, shaking her head lightly in the vain attempt to regain her composure, offering him a small smile to mirror his . ''Let's get this over with, shall we? …''

''Just name the place and the time …'' he kept joking, aware of just how much she needed to relax. Her body had been as tense as a bow string from the moment they arrived there.

''Ares!'' she exclaimed, feigning revolt, and sounding incredibly similar to Aphrodite.

She didn't get the chance to continue her idea though because one second later, her entire body was trembling again, this time under the intensity of his kiss- and as she allowed that blessed warmth to engulf her senses, everything around her started to fade away, everything except him and those sinful lips of his that were expertly pushing her mind deeper and deeper into that comfortable abyss of emptiness he had created for her.

''You are the most beautiful woman to have ever walked this earth….''he once again murmured when he finally allowed her to breathe.

For some reason, as farfetched as it might have sounded, this time she did believe him. There was something in the way he said it and in the way he looked into her eyes – as if he was looking straight into her soul that gave a completely different value to his words and that made her blush and break eye contact immediately.

With the most gentle of touches, the War God tilted her chin up, making sure he had her undivided attention.

''You should never feel ashamed of yourself or of your feelings …And you should definitely learn how to take a compliment'' he whispered into her ear. ''You are an absolutely stunning young lady …You can't possibly hide that. And pretty soon every man and woman in that room will notice too…''

Suddenly, her heart started racing again.

''Don't worry. You've got this. And you have me to hold your hand every step of the way …''

One discreet gesture was all it took, and the golden gates before them opened wide, revealing a reality that surpassed in beauty even the wildest dreams of the most imaginative mortal.

The moment they walked through them though, all heads turned in their direction and instantaneously even the music stopped. A deadly silence took over the room.