As he transported himself through the aether, Ares' face scrunched up at the sweet flowery smell of an intense perfume that was simply a killer for the lungs- his own included, even though he was a god. For the love of all the nine muses, he couldn't find one damned reason for which his sister would always feel the need to use one full bottle of that absolutely repugnant substance at once!

As he exited the vortex, the weird sensation that his stomach was contracting (along with every other organ in his abdominal cavity) while wave after wave of nausea kept burning mercilessly his throat, stubbornly refused to leave him.

It was no wonder that - for once- he actually preferred to walk back to the room where he had left Xena, and the first thing he did the instant he opened the door, was to use his powers in order to magically clear the air from any trace of that revolving sweetness still lingering there, of course.

He could now focus on finding his Princess and it didn't take more than a second to spot her. She was standing in front of the massive walnut wardrobe that was dominating the western wall and judging by the dark red aura surrounding her body, she was not happy …Not happy at all…

'' ….You've just missed Aphrodite …'' she flatly remarked the moment she sensed his presence, without bothering to turn around and search for his gaze.

''Oh trust me, I know. One could feel the stench of that pinkish substance she has embalmed herself in, from here to Chin. I swear, I'm definitely considering asking her to hand in its chemical composition. It would prove extremely useful on the battlefield. Lethal , I'm sure. The classic bloodshed and the scattered human remains of any decent war wouldn't even be needed anymore. ''

''Come on, it's not that bad!'' the Warrior Princess contradicted, shaking her head disapprovingly at the absolutely ludicrous scene he had just described- un unfair exaggeration to say the least.

''You're right. Bad would be an understatement- absolutely repellent might be a bit closer to the truth. But anyway….How's my number one girl? How are you feeling?''he inquired once he finally got next to her, raising his hand in the attempt to caress her cheek, but was met by a steely gaze that forced him to reconsider his gesture.

''Immortal.'' she sternly replied, breaking his gaze and focusing on analyzing the multitude of dresses and nightgowns that were resting on the hangers in front of her.

''You will get used to it in time…'' he responded, not completely able to effectively prevent the discontent he was feeling about her lack of gratitude and proper appreciation regarding his generosity. She should have felt overwhelmed by his gesture, flattered even….or at least relieved that she was still alive! Instead, she was grumpy and offended…Needless to say, that irritated him tremendously.

''So uh….is this the place where you bring all your girlfriends?'' she asked, trying to sound rather indifferent than curious.

'' What ?'' .

He had no clue what she was talking about , but once her fingers started caressing the light blue silky fabric of one of the dresses, it clicked.

''All these dresses... I assume they must have belonged to someone, right ?" she reasoned, and despite her drastically imposed self control the God could easily detect the tiny tremor in her voice. She was afraid of the answer.

''They're not mine if that's what you're asking'' he laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a featherlike kiss on her right shoulder.

''I wasn't asking anything . It just a logical supposition- based on facts. ''

''And just what would those facts be? A few dozen dresses hanging in a closet? Maybe they are my sister's …''

''Oh please! Dark green, turquoise, crimson and black ?! Dite would rather walk around naked than wear any of these colours !" she hastily answered, arching an eyebrow at what she immediately interpreted to be a way of going around the subject. She was on to something….

''Fair enough ….'' he chuckled , biting his lip instead of actually voicing the line he had in mind….Way too sarcastic for her tender heart at this point in time. ''But you were partly right though…..I can't really deny that . They do belong to my girlfriend.'' he whispered, and for a moment he could literally sense her body stiffen and her hands turn colder as her breath got stuck somewhere in the back of her throat. ''They're yours, silly ….''he added, turning her around in his arms and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

''Mine?!'' she incredulously inquired, her crystal blue moons widening in surprise.

''You're pretty much the only girlfriend I have ….'' he jovially replied ( overly amused by this whole girlfriend concept -the last time he had referred to a woman as his girlfriend must have been during his teenage years- countless mortal lifetimes ago)- carefully observing the rewarding way in which the sheer ice in her eyes started to gradually melt into a warm, liquid sea of delight.

She was still angry with him but still, she couldn't help a laugh.

''All these dresses? For me?! Where would I even wear them, Ares?! On the battlefield?! I swear, you're taking this Warrior Princess thing way too seriously …''

''Oh don't you worry about that! There will be plenty of occasions for you to show them off .'' he assured her, happy to notice that her mood had improved. ''By the way, you will find that there is a similar room in each and every one of my temples, containing an identical wardrobe full of clothes for you to wear. ''

''In every temple ? You have hundreds of temples! ''

''So ? You are my Chosen. My temples are your second home. Whenever you walk in any of them I want you to feel comfortable- and that implies having your own things ….dresses, jewelry, hair pins, make up…whatever it is that you women usually like to wear ….'' he said with a warm smile and an innocent expression on his face -as if women and their regular habits were some kind of impossible to solve mystery for him….

Xena couldn't help laughing at the thought.

''I don't even think they fit! '' she chuckled, facing the wardrobe again and taking one of the gowns out to prove a point .

''Are you kidding me ?''the War God exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief. ''Of course they fit!" he firmly contradicted. ''This one would look perfect on you!''

''What are you talking about? It's obviously too tight around the waist!'' the Warrior Princess insisted, obviously convinced that she was right .

''Oh really ? Why don't you try it on, then ?'' he suggested and without actually waiting for an answer, the God gently rolled the thin straps of her nightgown off her shoulders. Xena only had the chance to blink once before it struck her that the soft fabric had already fallen in a heap at her feet .

A moment later and a playful snap of his fingers, the handsome Olympian made it vanish in a trail of smoke and for the second time in her life, young Xena felt actually exposed- those flimsy, mesh and lace panties she was wearing being close to invisible given their see-through fabric. Consequently, the whole situation of standing there close to naked in front of him, had her petrified.

As if instantly detecting her embarrassment, Ares' eyes never left hers. One could have blamed her flushed cheeks for his swift reaction or maybe the discreet excitement sparkling in her eyes and mixing with the visceral fear that had darkened the perfect azure of her irides. Whatever it was, it captured his attention in ways he couldn't possibly explain, keeping his intense gaze glued to hers instead of her luscious curves.

''May I ?'' he courteously inquired, extending his hand for the dress, and moments later, a mesmerized Xena was watching him patiently unfasten the silken straps of the corset, a subtle smile playing on those luscious lips when he offered her his hand for stability as he invited her to step into the gown.

She briefly considered telling him to turn around while she put her dress on , but what was the point, really ? They had already made love, he had already kissed every blessed inch of her body, he pretty much knew her inside out ….In conclusion, she quickly dismissed that idea as ridiculous and stupid , but that certainly didn't help much with that tsunami of emotions that began washing over her the moment his fingers ran up her waistline as he pulled the dress up, and up the sides of her breasts as he adjusted the corset. She held her breath for a few seconds, not because she chose to, but more like in the expectation of something….Something she would have loved to happen but that she still labeled as being incredibly reckless for her own agenda and for their working relationship.

Inch by inch, as the corset tightened around her slim waist, Xena could feel his breath on her spine , warmer and warmer, until, as the silken strap was finally tied into a delicate bow at the base of her back, it seemed to her that suddenly, it turned hot .

''Well whaddya know ?! It's a perfect fit! Who would have said?!" he laughed, taking her hand in his and spinning her around a few times, just for effect. A full length mirror appeared out of nowhere right in front of her, giving her the chance to admire her statuesque silhouette.

The dress itself was breathtaking …- a pleated, teal maxi gown that sparkled discreetly in the sunlight, and that gave Xena the allure of an empress.

''It's beautiful!'' she murmured, gently running the tips of her fingers down the extremely delicate fabric.

''You sure are ….'' the God seductively uttered, and once again, the Warrior Princess' stomach was in knots and her heart rate went through the roof.

''How did you know ?'' she barely breathed out, a bit taken aback by his sudden calmness.

''Know what ?''

'' The size of the dress…''- a puerile question just like her reaction, when, taking one step forward, in the attempt to cut the distance between them , she took a step back, in the direction of the door.

Given her loud gasp, she hadn't expected his fingers to tangle into her hair as he pulled her back and pushed her full force against the wardrobe. His body brutally pressed against hers, tensing while he began feeding his hungry mouth one intoxicating kiss after another with a sinful lust that shook her inner world to the core, making every hair on her body stand on end.

''How could I not ?'' he whispered against her half parted lips, as the hem of her dress started to go up, and soon his firm hands were demandingly exploring her thighs, anxiously asking for more, tempting her with the unspoken promise of an unforgettable afternoon.