The dungeons were cold and shadowy, with illumination faintly coming from the torches at each intersection. Hera had never been down here since the great rebellion against their father. It was the ugliest side to Olympus and no mortal could have thought such space existed deep below the glittering palace. No gold nor silver shimmered at the walls, only sharp rocks and sand which smelled of silica.

As Hera breathed, a white fume escaped between her lips. Her footsteps were careful and she tightened the black cloak that hooded her head and veiled her tall, lean body. Its hem scraped against the cold rough floor. Finally she stood affront the only occupied prison cell and raised the torch in her hand.

Inside it, the snake-like figure twitched. Hera felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, taking in the scent of venom. The creature's golden slit eyes stared at hers with such interest it almost choked the air around her.

"The mother Queen of Olympus," Euryale's voice melted, "What a pleasant surprise."

Hera had no words.

"I've heard of what happened. My condolences," Euryale went on in feigned concern. Hera braved herself by then and pulled the hood that covered her head, revealing her face thwarted both with grief and fear. She moved closer to wrap her dainty fingers around the cold steel that was her only protection against the serpent.

"I know why you're here," the mother Queen spoke meekly.

Euryale tipped her head to the side, half smilingly. "You do?"

"I was told about you… that you…" at this Hera broke into soft sobs, her knees weakening to kneel as her hands clutched onto the steel bars. In her head such words rolled on – a serpent's kiss, your salvation

As she cleared her throat, she donned a brave face towards Euryale. "Kill me."

The gorgon was not all pleased, "Is this a trap?"

"It is your destiny, Snake," Hera firmed, "You have come to free me."

"If I was destined to kill gods, none of you would have lived this long,"

"Not any god," Hera answered, "Just this one in front of you. It is your destiny to save me through death. You are… my salvation."

Euryale's silence was a shift of her surprise. And then she was on her feet, "Salvation from what?"

At this Hera's shoulders heaved as she let out a few more tears, "A traitorous sin…"

She stood on her feet, braving the Serpent's scalding stare, and touched the edge of the steel bars with magic that quickly melted a space enough for Euryale to fit.

"I am ready to confess," Hera swallowed, "This is knowledge that will protect you, and more. I shall wait for you in Zeus' chambers, the only place I wish to die." At this Euryale followed in her eyes the goddess' disappearance among the maze of the dungeons.

The hallway thudded with Ares' heavy fists trying to break the giant emerald-studded doors. Behind him, his Queen wife was shouting Hera's name. The King growled as he swung his tight fist higher and with greater force, broke open the entrance. The gems flew in all directions, crumbling like dust on their feet. Thus Athena drew her spear pushing through the broken gates and as she readied fling the tip of her weapon, the bewildering sight had made her stop.

It was all too late.

Athena saw the dust that dissipated with the soft breeze like silk. A horrible chill coursed through her spine, watching the last flesh of Hera's frail body turn to ash and as if there had been no trace of her existence, the mother Queen was gone with the wind.

Athena's senses had returned as a scream of horror came from Artemis. She looked behind to see them, their blood-drained faces and trembling hands. Silence was only Ares' crown. At last they saw the thin figure of Euryale rise from the shadows as she let go of the last garment that had covered Hera's body.

Hera who has now joined her husband.

In a flick of second, Athena lurched forward to continue the attack. As the spear quickly left her strong grip then a much stronger power opposed hers. Ares' sword clashed against her weapon in mid-air, leading the spear past Euryale and breaking the closest pillar.

Her face turned white and sweat glistened against her brow. How could he…

She turned to him with frozen anger, ready to strike Ares and his treachery. A wild hypothesis crossed her mind, that he had plotted this with Euryale all along. They had betrayed his mother and father and are leading them to Olympus' demise.

"YOU…!" Athena bared her gritted teeth and teary eyes as Ares' red gems only spurred her on. He was as hard as he looked, glaring like a beast – "Do not touch her."

In the muddle of confusion and rage, Athena could not decipher what to do or say. Slowly her strength ebbed from her body. Zeus has died, and his wife had just turn crisp to dust. And their only son had no trace of intent to seek revenge, much to her disgust, and kept his mother's attacker alive.

Like a child lost in a game, Athena dismissed her wrath and walked out of everyone's sight, much to everyone's surprise.

She had taken half the day to herself, curled into a ball on her giant bed, weeping in ire and frustration and curses to her late father. A million whys had exploded in her mind and yet no answer had befallen her. She used to do things alone, with no one courageous enough to fight her. She had won so many battles, slew numerous monsters and men and she was at the mercy of a damn king – a horrible one at such.

The door to her chamber opened, and the queen closed her eyes not minding to wipe her tear-stricken face. Artemis' warm hand glazed her cold arm.

"As much as I would not want to ask how you are, I still want to know." Artemis soothed.

"I'll kill him."

The Huntress sighed. "You might want to delay. The King is gathering a Spartan army towards the bay of Crete."

At this Athena was swift to lift herself, fazed by the quick escalation of events. "What? Why?"

"This… Euryale," Artemis sighed, "She spoke of the weapon hidden by the sea, protected by an immense number of inhumans."

"He believed this?" Athena spat.

Artemis did not want to affirm but had to. "The King is planning an ambush. He… he commanded his generals to ride."

Blood rose on Athena's head, "Here we grieve the loss of his parents and yet he believes a murderer." Remembering her loss of control over the brute King, Athena laid back on her bed, leaving Artemis astonished.

"Athena…" the Huntress worried, "Are you not about to do something of this?"

"Let him do what he wants," the Queen spoke bitterly, "Let him sack the edge of the world for all I care."

"We are talking of 4000 mortal soldiers, or even more, about to be brought to slaughter. Be it that Euryale speaks the truth, this is not their war. It is unjust."

Athena knew of this, letting another tear slip from her eye. Ares is gathering a great number of sacrifice to fight his war. They will combat swords and spears against 8-feet freakish creatures with metal claws and fangs that could crush their skulls with one effortless bite. Of monsters and men, the gods have proven futile. She remained in silence still cradling the ache on her chest. Unable to wait for a response, Artemis sighed and left the queen in utter dismay.

Athena entered the Kingschamber without any proposition of greeting. In the shade and silence she easily found her husband's silhouette drawn against a red horizon, brooding by the window overlooking the rest of the palace. The sky almost resembled blood. The only sound she could perceive was the scraping of metal against metal carefully sharpening edges, slow and sure and with every scratch it sent her cringing.

She saw him almost nude, with a robe pooled around his hips and privates and the rest of him exposed. As he sat by the window with a leg up the sill, he was cradling his sword and whetting it slowly with the edge of a dagger. The Queen but looked on, temporarily smitten – he was beautiful. He was gorgeous, and manly, and could have ridden as King so gallant if not for the rotten beast he actually was within.

Athena knew he knew of her presence but decided not to meet the disappointed gaze he was so accustomed of. She was about to open her lips but –

"You need not come."

His voice was sourly as he finished sharpening the blades.

Athena exhaled, "And the others?"

"I have thousands in the army," Ares stood, inspecting the blade in hand, "I do not need insurgent gods. War is on our doorstep and I am riding out to greet it."

"With what, Ares? With humans? Do you even know what you'll be up against?" She clenched her fists, "They are mortals. This is not their battle. We are to protect them and not to offer them as snack."

"They are mortals who need our provisions. We feed them. We give them sun and rain, and fields to plow. Let them be worthy of living for us as we are to them."

"You're sick…" Athena seethed.

"Haven't I been since?" Ares mockingly grinned before quickly changing to a repulsed expression as he drew nearer to his Queen and raised the edge of his blade between her silver eyes. He felt the same abhorrence towards the way she condescendingly equaled him, partly straining the carnal want to break her, yet mostly wanting to strike her flesh and bones there and then.

The edge of the blade lowered to the nape of her neck where he could hear her heartbeats. It spurned him to feel how calm she was yet, despite him pushing a little of the edge on her soft flesh and drawing a bit of blood. He wanted to pursue on, to see how deep she could handle, to summon the rage within her or inspire fear.

"You can wait up for me," he growled, "To ready the parade on account of me coming home with a belt of heads while you and your handmaids sit back as I redeem Olympus with blood."

Ares withdrew his sword from Athena's flesh and headed to a basin carved in a pillar. "You captured the serpent wanting to 'heed her words' and now you cower. I thought you believed her."

"I did. Until she killed your mother."

Ares wet his lips. "She could do it over and over and I wouldn't care. I wouldn't have mourned her."

Athena felt a cold chill under her skin. She knew it wasn't a joke. The stark apathy from the King settled bitterly in her stomach as she touched her lightly bleeding flesh. In quick blinks the wound can heal, but his words will remain in her. She almost choked as the King washed his face. Together with the soft sound of trickling water, she remained calm.

"I hope one day you find love in a child you own, children you truly own. You look into their eyes and see none of the contempt you held for your father and mother. I hope they remember you a hero, shaded by the dark past you have.

I hope they love you, and you'll love them as much as life… before it is taken from you."

Ares could hear himself softly sighing as he pinched the remaining water off his black beard, watching the Queen's shadow disappear as she left him in his usual loneliness.

In the night, the terrain of halls and gardens were quiet as he strode in full armor except for the helm he held. There remained no trace of merriment, no fiddles and music, nothing of the usual vivacity Olympus once had that typically made him nauseous and send him locking his doors.

Ares slowed by, at the unfamiliar edifice that caught his eye – layers of gold and emerald blossoms, surrounded by soft lights like stars, resembling the visage of a peacock. He could not deny the gust of melancholy that roused him from nowhere and without commandeering his feet he proceeded to move towards it. Images of his mother began to spool across his memories. She was good; she was loving to him as a babe. Only when he had started to be the god he was born to be then their distance grew apart. He stared at the structure that served as Hera's memorabilia.

In a slow movement he took by hand a single blossom of blood red rose that bloomed close to him, plucked, and proceeded to lay it carefully by the tomb. He looked on at the contrast of petals as scarlet as his eyes against the gold and green.

Urging himself, he left pushing the helm down to his neck and leaving the rose like a drop of blood.

A/N: It's been months, I know. Again I'm sorry. I've had through so much... I've just delivered my second baby last week and on maternity leave so finally had time trying to finish this chapter. I've received your PMs and I'll be doing my best so keep in touch.

Anyway here's Ares just being Ares. x

Leave me your thoughts.