And a deadly silence it was, for all heads turned their way once they were at the top of the wide, sweeping staircase that led to that absolutely fabulous, alabaster dancing floor.

All of a sudden, Hermes' deep, sonorous voice could be heard as loud as thunder- almost as powerful and commanding as his King's was-, its echoes bouncing throughout the impressively large room, trying to get everyone's attention-an unnecessary attempt given that Xena's hyperphysical presence had pretty much done the trick.

'' All mighty Zeus, Gods and Goddesses of Olympus, please allow me to introduce to you, Ares God of War and his Chosen, Xena of Amphipolis!''

Although she didn't utter one word as they started to slowly descend the stairs, the War God could tell just how uncomfortable that whole situation made her feel by the slight pressure she had added to his forearm the instance the realization that there was no turning back suddenly washed over her, in alternating waves of impatience and anxiety.

They were actually doing this- they were officializing their bond, this time in the presence of a strange, unfriendly crowd that was on the one hand flabbergasted at Ares 'unexpected choice- a random village girl from the sheep country that appeared to have nothing in common with the legendary warriors that had previously served the overly selective God of War ( without ever achieving the performance of earning the title of Chosen ) while on the other they couldn't help marvel at that unique combination of beauty and raw power that had been perfectly balanced in the vulnerable mortal body walking graciously their way .

In his turn, Ares flinched. He could clearly sense now through their bond the radical change in his protegee's aura and it only made him even edgier than he usually was when it came to this type of events.

The mere idea of having to play pretend that he didn't want more than half of the losers glaring at them dead and buried at the bottom of the Aegean, was giving him the chills. These obsolete family reunions were just too much for him- ridiculously civilized given that in their day to day life all his siblings schemed, plotted , built alliances against each other and yet, there they were, making small talk, ready to mingle and to have the time of their lives- all that while literally drinking themselves under the table and falling asleep wherever one could imagine (not to mention the endless gossip sessions about each other at every given opportunity…). In short, he just couldn't stand the thought.

''Ares…..?''

''Yes, Sweetheart …''

Swwetheart….he had never called her sweetheart before, the idea flashed through her mind , trying hard to stop a silly smile from stretching the corners of her mouth. She was ecstatic!

''Am I supposed to kneel in front of Zeus? To drop a curtsey or anything similar?'' she asked instead, in such a serious tone that it almost made the God laugh. She was something else!

''Yes- every mortal is- but you won't. You will only bow your head slightly. You need to show him respect not submission .You are not his slave, you are the Chosen of War .''

''He is the King of the Gods though…''

''Just do as I tell you.'' he abruptly ended the conversation in a rather harsh and cold voice as they reached the bottom of the stairs, subtly letting her know that it was not the right time to contradict him.

Xena took in a deep breath .She needed oxygen- and more than that, she needed an oversized glass of wine to calm down her nerves

Briefly glancing to her left and right, the entrancing Warrior Princess quickly realized that her patron God had been right - indeed, all eyes were on her, scanning her from head to toe. Except for the Love Goddess' utterly thrilled gaze she could only read curiosity, jealousy, hate and contempt on the faces of the women attending the event. As for the men…that was a totally different ball game, obviously.

For some reason, she was surprised to discover that she did not feel intimidated by that discouraging realization though, not in the slightest, but she did feel intrigued. No one in that accursed place knew her, and yet, the vast majority appeared to either hate her with a passion or feel –to some weird extent that she couldn't possibly comprehend-threatened by her presence. The all mighty Olympians afraid of a mere mortal….no….it couldn't be, she silently told herself. She must have interpreted it wrong….

''Not at all…..'' Ares' deep voice pierced though the almost nonexistent barriers of her mind, offering her a small smile once she searched for his gaze.

She just smiled back the moment he took her hand to his lips and placed a feathery kiss on her silky skin.

'' Did you see that ?!''the outraged line of a petite, dark haired goddess could be heard from her right. Xena only got a glimpse of her, but the Goddess' spiteful glare was impossible to miss.

''I told you …..''the War God's teasing remark made once again its way into her restless mind.

''Ex flame ?''she inquired, wetting her lips while trying to appear as cool about it as possible.

His answer was short, unexpected and annoyingly vague.

''Long story. ''

She just arched an eyebrow as a string of uncontrollable thoughts immediately started to unravel inside her pretty little head.

''Don't worry about it…'' the War God added, sensing her distress. ''She was just a meaningless affair …''

Just as the Warrior Princess was about to let him know her opinion on the subject, Zeus's solemn voice put an end to her intention.

''Ares! So kind of you to finally grace us with your presence!''- a stingy observation, one might add, a clear indicator of the fact that as always, his son was late.

''Magnanimous, even!" Ares muttered under his breath, clearing his throat. ''Do excuse our delay, father! It was definitely not intended to offend anyone.''

''It never is…'' the Olympian King continued, causing mocking chuckles here and there throughout the room.

Truth be told, the War God couldn't care less about such formalities and he usually avoided family meetings at all costs. Not once had Zeus sent either Aphrodite, Athena or Hermes to locate him, with clear instructions to literally drag him to various councils if that's what it took, threatening to send his sorry ass to Tartarus for the rest of his useless days if he dared disobey his orders. It was pointless though. He simply refused to learn his lesson.

''So this is the young lady the entire Greece has been rattling about for quite some time now …'' Zeus said, taking a good look at the raven beauty standing before him, who, just as Ares had instructed bowed her head gently for a fraction of a second, making him wish he could just pulverize them both on the spot. Two ignorant, uncivilized creatures that stubbornly refused to show him the proper respect. And yet, it was neither the place nor the time for such reckless gestures, not now when his son had become stronger than he had ever been in eons of existence …almost as strong as he was…..A direct confrontation could have ended with the War God sitting on his father's throne, and with his Chosen crowning him King of Olympus …Zeus obviously knew that and as much as he hated to admit it, for the first time since he had defeated Chronos-his own father – he was afraid…Afraid that he would end up sharing the old man's fate and that everything he had worked so hard for would be gone in less than a blink with Ares in power. Now that was something he couldn't allow.

''Yes she is.''

''You have been given a tremendous honor, Xena. I hope you are well aware of that. Just like you should be aware of your duties and responsibilities. But I trust my son has told you everything you need to know …''

''He did …''she answered just as monosyllabically as her patron God had done it earlier, silently scolding herself for having actually forgotten to ask him more on that particular subject. She was supposed to do it before the ball, but somehow, between the Love Goddess' constant chatter , the dress , the hair and the make up, she ended up forgetting all about it. .

''They even sound alike! Aren't they cute, dear husband?'' Hera inquired cheerfully, staring in wonder at the absolutely intriguing couple before her.

The mortal woman was nervous, the Goddess concluded – she could easily tell it by just how tense her body was and by the mechanic, consciously controlled breaths of air she took from time to time.

Her son on the other hand….her son was a completely different story, the awareness of which shocked her to the very core of her being. Her son was vulnerable. He was in love. And though except for Aphrodite there was no one in the room capable to notice such insignificant details, she could unmistakably see it in the gentle manner in which he was holding her hand, in that shooting rhythmicity in which he would caress her forearm every time he felt her pulse rising, and in that newly formed habit of checking on her more often than necessary, scanning her visage for any hidden sign of discomfort …..Not in a million years would she have expected to witness such a rare event, but knowing that he was happy offered her a tremendous joy.

Suddenly she was smitten with his young Chosen. If she was the reason behind that discreet but very much present smile fluttering on his lips, than, as a mother, she was also happy. What more could she ask for, really?

If Xena had thought the room was silent when they walked in, let's just say that was nothing compared to the glorious moment when the King Of the Gods rose from his throne and headed their way .It was as if everyone had stopped breathing and she couldn't help wondering if that was a common occurrence or their presence was the leading cause of such ridiculous reaction.

''Gods and Goddesses of Olympus, tonight we are celebrating an event of an utmost importance! As you have been told, Ares, God of War, my rebellious son, has finally come to his senses and selected a Chosen! After eons of refusing to submit to a rule as old as time, this skilled mortal has magically determined him to accept the natural order of things and thus continue a tradition established by our ancestors and for that I thank her! ''he thundered, respectfully returning the bow the Warrior Princess had only half offered him along with a formal smile. ''Their union is sacred! It has been blessed by the Fates themselves and from this day on it will be equally acknowledged by the Greek Pantheon-gods ,demi gods ,creatures of the earth, water and air, mortal or immortal. On this rare occasion, I feel the need to remind you all that from the moment she uttered her vows to her patron God, this mortal woman, Xena, has become untouchable. Harming a hair on her head is out of the question since it would consequently bring harm to Ares himself –an Olympian God and my son. The punishment for any offense directed against her is death. I do hope I made myself clear . ''

The heavy, grave like silence was finally interrupted by murmurs, exclamations and loud chatter. In all appearances, Olympus had trouble agreeing with the dictatorial vision of their King despite the fact that those were common privileges that had been previously offered to any other Chosen during the same ceremony.

''Silence !'' he commanded ,smashing a lightning bolt in the middle of the room, creating an almost deafening sound wave and causing the floor to vibrate beneath their feet as if they were in the middle of a massive earthquake. ''Now, within the terms of the law, the Chosen of War will be granted immortality so that she can serve her patron God until the end of time .''

In spite of the fact that she could physically feel the general revolt in the room, Xena was somewhat relieved that this time the Olympians had decided to keep their thoughts to themselves …She was stressed enough as it was ….

''Step forward child! '' Zeus firmly requested , and that was the only time up to that moment when Ares actually let go of her hand. ''Xena of Amphipolis, Chosen of War do you accept the gift of immortality offered to you as a result of your newly formed bond with your patron God ?''