Frustrated? Angry? Annoyed? Xena couldn't really tell at that precise moment which feeling was the most predominant but judging by the constant throbbing in her temples it must have been anger though ….The nerve in those airheaded bimbos to question her as if she actually owed them answers-not to mention their manner of speaking in regard to Ares ! She could have easily mopped the floor with them then and there…

And yet, it was the fact that deep inside she knew just how right they were that had done the most significant amount of damage. She must have heard thousands of stories about the War's God inexistent set of moral values back at Cyrene's tavern. Word travels fast you know, and mortals, well… mortals loved any type of gossip that involved the Olympians. The idea itself that the all mighty divinities weren't any better than most of the commoners and that it was only their blasted immortality and their superhuman powers that separated them from the Gods they worshiped either out of devotion , need or fear, that gave their life a new special kind of meaning…..

''You seem upset. Did the girls say anything inappropriate, My Lady ? '' Alcibiades inquired, casting a worried glance at the visibly tense Warrior Princess.

''Don't worry about it. And stop calling me My Lady . You're not one of my soldiers. Just call me Xena …''

''With all due respect, Lord Ares wouldn't like that …''

''Who cares what Ares likes? You are Dionysus' Chosen aren't you?''

''Well…I care. He is the second most powerful God in Olympus- although a major change in terms of dominion is right around the corner if you ask me. It's just a matter of time so….He will most likely be my future King…..I wouldn't want to cross him, you know ….?"

''He wouldn't mind if you called me by my name anyway…''

''You do have a wicked sense of humor don't you ?'' was all he managed to answer before Ennius' voice captured her attention.

''Lady Xena…..We were all praying here to Mother Gaia herself to help you escape those crazed harpies in one piece. It appears our prayers have been answered !'' the young man ceremoniously announced, bowing his head respectfully as she stopped in front of him.

''And you are …'' Xena inquired although she was well aware of his identity – the girls had made sure to share it.

''Ennius at your service….'' he proudly introduced himself, kissing her hand courteously.

''Hey, hey hey ! You can look but you can't touch,Enni boy- if you don't want to spend eternity all stitched up, that is !'' a tall man wearing a black robe, visibly old compared to the others, warned him- the Chosen of Hades, God of the Underworld.

''Come on Atticus! Ares is not a savage! I've had a couple of drinks with him and I'm pretty sure he'd share his toy provided he had some decent entertainment to keep him busy!''

''Mind your language Ennius, or I'll rip out your tongue!''

''A Chosen can't really harm another Chosen. Rule no 4 of the Olympian Laws section 5. Read it yet? '' he asked nonchalantly, winking at her .''I guess you haven't. You should! It's quite insightful, I give you that.'' he suggested, extending his hand towards her necklace, as if wanting to have a better look at it, but was met with an absolutely painful knee to the groin followed by an elbow kick to the back of his neck- a brutal strike that caused him to collapse on the soft grass, face down.

''I am the Chosen of War. I don't give a shit about the Olympian rules. And if you ever disrespect me again, I will fulfill my promise. You will spend the rest of eternity in blessed silence. ''she threatened , passing him by.

''Much like Lysander over there. ''Atticus pointed towards e very serene-looking man sitting on a rock and contemplating the sky . ''Apollo's Chosen. ''

Given Xena's confused expression, he explained.

''His patron God cut his tongue out within his first week at the temple. ''

''Why ?!''came the instantly consternated response.

''He said Lysander talked too much and that his continuous gibberish distracted him to the point that he couldn't hear the muses whispering at his ear….And well…Apollo lives for his art…..''

''Still…how could he do that ?!''

''….He's an Olympian. And that's his Chosen. He can do whatever he wants with him. ''a voice came from a middle-aged man behind her. He was well built, well dressed- probably the most elegant out of the four men present at the event, with a peacock feather decorating his belt.

''No he can't. Harming your own Chosen is like harming yourself ….''Xena firmly contradicted him.

They all started laughing at her statement.

''She's just a kid, Linus. Let her enjoy her innocence a while longer!'' Hippias, Hephaestus' Chosen intervened, pouring himself some more wine .

''Knowing Ares as we do, she's not a kid anymore, are you, My Lady ?'' Ennius mentioned as soon as he was on his feet again. '' And looking at her, she's been fucked in every single position you can think of…'' he appreciated , staring obnoxiously at the Warrior Princess' breasts.

Just as she was about to unleash her anger on him, her eyes blazing with a fervent desire to tear his flesh from his bones, Alcibiades and Atticus both formed a human shield between her and her soon to be victim.

''My Lady…..''

''…Please pardon his offense. He's just drunk and stupid. ''

''Plus, harming him will get you in a lot of trouble'' Alci murmured against her ear, in the attempt of calming her down. ''Trust me, this is not the place nor the time….''

''As I can see there's only 11 of us….Who's missing ?'' she finally asked, swallowing her wrath, aware that a physical attack was indeed out of the question.

''Zeus has never had a Chosen .'' Linus casually replied.

''He doesn't want to be bound by a mortal ….''Atticus added in a low, neutral voice.

''Why is that ?'' Xena was curious to find out.

'' The moment they pick a Chosen, that special someone receives a certain power over their patron God...and I guess that can be quite risky from their perspective …'' Atticus patiently explained.

''What kind of power?''

''It's different for everyone .'' Ennius continued, carefully rearranging the pleats of his tunic. ''But they sure try to keep that information hidden from you as long as possible . Knowledge is leverage, Xena . And leverage is power. Out of all people, you should know that…''

''It sure is…'' she mused, arching an eyebrow at this extremely useful information.'' Have you all discovered the power you hold ?''

''We've been in the game for quite some time and….'' Alcibiades began but stopped the instant his attention got distracted by the commotion that was taking place at the opposite side of the garden where the Gods were partying. Aphrodite was making her grand entrance, accompanied by a dozen dancers. She was being carried by four perfectly chiseled men on a golden palanquin and seeing her, Xena's heart burst with joy. She desperately needed to see a friendly face and she had so many questions to ask ….

''…She is so beautiful! '' Alci couldn't help himself, staring in awe at the fabulous-looking goddess as she jumped down the palanquin and started running towards Ares in the arms of whom she soon found refuge.

''Though competition, huh ?''Ennius broke the silence that followed, his eyes piercing Xena's.

This time, the Warrior Princess just laughed in his face.

''Hardly ! '' she bit back, clenching her fists in an effort not to lose it when the Goddess of Love herself popped up out of nowhere, hugging her, jumping up and down , being her normal bubbly self- to the ultimate delight of the men standing right beside them .

''Oh Xe! I'm so thrilled to be back!You look smashing! I have like a quadrillion things to tell ya'! ''

''Me too….''

''Perfect! Let's arrange something later tonight, shall we?''

''Sure….''Xena hesitantly answered, not really knowing whether or not she had other plans for that night….

''Heya boys! Are you having fun ? Do you want me to send my dancers over? They would definitely lift your spirits!'' she offered, a naughty smile flickering across her perfect face.

A heartfelt, general yes could be heard within the very following second .

"Perfect! They would be happy to entertain you. Who knows….maybe at least one of you will find love tonight….'' she squealed, winking at them as she vanished in a shower of rose petals.

''I know I will !''Ennius made sure to brag, loud enough for Xena to hear him, blowing her a kiss as she looked his way.

Completely ignoring his crappy attitude, the Warrior Princess preferred to approach Lysander instead-the mute Chosen.

XXX

About three hours into the party as Gods and Chosen ones finally started to mingle, two very interesting conversations were taking place in two separate areas of the vast garden, away from prying eyes.

The participants in the first conversation were protected by an invisibility shield. Only their low, stern voices could be heard, and the different tonalities they used offered a bit of colour to their otherwise black and white dialogue.

''So…how did she do ?''

''Let me just tell you that your Warrior Princess is as smart as a whip- very observant- and when you least expect it she stings worse than a swarm of wasps….She's dangerous.''

''She'd better be. She's my Chosen….What did the others think about her? What's the overall impression? Anyone I should be worrying about?''

''Well, as you accurately predicted, Illyria hates her with a passion, Semele and Ino don't really like her, Dione hasn't made up her mind yet and Melissa is totally in love with her.''

''Melissa….as in Sis' Chosen?''

''The one and only….''

''Hmmmm…We happen to share some common memories….''

''…which she happened to mention….She appeared to be very ecstatic about them as well…''

''Oh….''

''Don't panic though, everything's fine. Xena didn't make a big deal about it. Plus, Melisa made sure to clarify that whatever it was you two shared, it happened before your Warrior Princess came into the picture. ''

'' That's problematic and unsettling …''

"As for the guys….Ennius was unusually vocal to the point where he almost insulted her..''

''She took care of that aspect I presume .''

''Like a pro …''

''Good. What else ?''

''Atticus and Hippias are her biggest fans. Linus has been keeping a close eye on her the entire evening ….''

''Mom's Chosen….''

''Yes….But what was really surprising is that she spent almost an hour chatting with none other than…..''

''Than….?''

''Lysander….''

''The mute Chosen?''

''Yes siree. Your Princess knows sign language.''

''She does? How ? When…?!''

''No clue…..Anyway….in short, I'd keep my eyes wide open for Ennius if I were you. My guess is that his attitude has something to do with you stealing that beautiful nymph from right under his very nose….''

''Eleea…..That woman could burn like a torch in bed….She was hotter than the Sun itself!''

''Can't blame the guy for wanting to fry you back somehow ….''

''I wanna see him try….''

'' So…that's about it . As agreed, my debt is now paid, Ares. I owe you nothing. ''

''Agreed. ''

''Say it!.''

''Your debt is now paid. You owe me nothing, Alcibiades. ''

''Perfect! Now why don't we go back to the party then before our absence is noticed? ''