DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Xena, or any of the characters associated with her. The belong to Universal. So don’t sue me.
SUMMARY: Xena has been wounded and more shook up than she cares to remember. As a result, she’s taken residence at Diana’s palace. Diana—in order to keep the “Warrior Princess" alive—has agreed to take Xena’s palace with Gabrielle, again, if Xena agrees to screen the many suitors trying to gain her hand.
Author’s Notes:
This is another fic to get me back into the swing of things. Before I tackle the big stuff, this helps the juices to start flowing.
Anyway…
I got the idea for this as an answer to a challenge. I forget where, but the only rules where that Ares was one of the suitors, (of course!) and that I added the fact that it was a challenge in the author’s notes. So I just did.
Now, for a preface to the story… Xena has been traveling with Gabrielle, as usual. She ran into a few problems on the way to the next town, leaving her wounded and more shook up than she cares to remember. As a result, she’s taken residence at Diana’s palace. Diana—in order to keep the “Warrior Princess" alive—has agreed to take Xena’s palace with Gabrielle, again, if Xena agrees to screen the many suitors trying to gain her hand.
Which brings us to the story at hand.
The Suitor
By Serenity Sea
She missed the fight. Every single morning. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she missed Gabrielle less. But yes, it was the ritual of puzzling some uneducated bandits every morning that she missed the most.
Which drew our leading lady to stand vigil at her window and stare at the sunrise. It wasn’t just the fight she missed. She missed the man who went with it.
***
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“See now, the fish is cleaned and we can cook it." Gabrielle paused. “Just don’t try cleaning it with Xena’s—I mean your—chakram. She—you—got really mad when I did that once."
Diana looked at Gabrielle. “Um… What exactly is a chakram again?"
Gabrielle sighed. “Oh boy. We have to teach you all over again, don’t we?"
***
There was a knock on the door, and Xena crossed the room to welcome the visitor. “This had better be good. It’s still pretty early." Before she could open the door, she heard the tell-tone sound of a god’s arrival. Without turning, she said, “Ares, if you’ve come to gloat, don’t."
A feminine giggle was her answer. Xena turned around to face…
“Well someone’s a little sore, huh?" Aphrodite re-arranged a few curls on the top of her head. “And here I was, just willing to lend you, like, a helping hand. And do I get any thanks? Nooo. I just get, “Ares, if you’ve come to"—"
“—Aphrodite, I get it. I know what I said." Xena cut her off, cinching the belt on the robes that covered her shift tighter. “Now, how would you know I need help?"
The Goddess of Love smiled. “Of course you need help, honey. You’ve forgotten how to do it. The feminine thing, I mean. Like, who else could help you with that, anyway?"
Xena regarded her for a minute. “And not a word of this is breathed to Ares? He doesn’t know about Diana, and he’d be pissed if he knew that I didn’t have my chakram. Diana almost chopped her head off last time she threw it."
“Not a word to Ares. He probably thinks that he’s talking to you right now."
“Talking to me?"
“Yep. He just popped in on Diana and Gabs. Seems to be quite the charmer, actually. He has such a cute little butt, it’s no wonder."
Xena groaned. There were other things she wanted to think about than Ares’ well-defined butt. Although, at the moment, none of those things seemed to hold the same amount of interest as that piece of his anatomy.
***
The blonde looked at her companion. “Diana, I don’t get it. We’ve done this before. You know how to use a sword. It’s not like I’m asking you to do that fancy wrist trick she does, either. We’re just trying to fight, like Xena normally does. Last time, this was no sweat."
Diana shrugged. “I’m sorry, Gabrielle, I dunno what’s wrong with me. I just can’t seem to get the hang of it, that’s all. Let’s try again." She raised her sword and prepared to strike.
Gabrielle took a fighting stance and raised the stick she was training with. “Ready?" Diana nodded. “Ok. Pull back… and lunge forward… NOW!"
But before Diana could strike the stick, another sword clashed hers, and she tumbled to the ground from the sheer strength of its wielder. “Oops. I wasn’t supposed to do that, was I?" She looked at Gabrielle for confirmation. The bard shook her head. Gingerly, she rose, and laid eyes on the most mischievous looking man she’d ever seen.
Ares was staring quizzically at the fallen Warrior Princess. “What’s with you, Xena? Getting a little ‘rusty’? You didn’t even sense me."
“She was just thinking about other things, that’s all." Gabrielle saved Diana from further embarrassment. “Isn’t that right, Xena?"
“Yes, Gabrielle. I had other things on my mind." She turned to Ares. “As should you—it’s none of your business if I’m ‘rusty’ or not. Why would you even care?" Diana said, flawlessly pulling off Xena’s sarcasm, albeit a little naively.
Ares nodded. “It’s true—we’re not the best of friends. But since I caught you off guard—waaay off guard—it’ll give me something to gloat about for the next few days." He smirked. “This is rich. I gotta tell ‘Dite." And he vanished in a glimmer of blue.
Diana swung to face Gabrielle. “I just made a big mistake, didn’t I?"
Gabrielle smiled lopsidedly and nodded. “Probably. We’ll see."
***
Xena sensed it even before Aphrodite did. It was as if the entire air around them changed. Without thinking, she automatically stiffened.
“Ares… I know—" She began to speak, and then realized who she was.
Aphrodite quickly jumped in, with a posh-Xena voice. “—You’re in here. Show yourself."
The God of War appeared, lounging idly on a divan behind Xena. Without warning, he reached an arm around her and yanked her down on top of him, so that she was sitting neatly in his lap. She raised an arm to ward him off and give him a piece of her mind, but Aphrodite shook her head tersely.
“And who’s this little lovely, sis?" Ares asked of the woman whose face he could not see. It was as if he was daring her to face him.
Xena slowly turned her head and looked into his eyes. “The name is Diana," She answered calmly, and prayed to any god that wasn’t Ares that he couldn’t sense what he was doing to her traitorous body. They were about as close as close got, so close that he could see flecks of gold in her ice blue eyes.
Almost as if he was spooked, he set her beside him on the divan, lifting her as if she weighed no more than a feather. Then he turned on his sister.
“Are you trying to torment me? This woman looks exactly like her. Jeez, ‘Dite, why don’t you just create a clone?!"
By now, Xena had gotten up off the divan and was giving the Gods some room. She moved over to the closet and sifted through some clothing, desperately wishing that her armor, above anything else, was in among the frou frou and lace.
***Ares’ POV***
“Are you trying to torment me? This woman looks exactly like her. Jeez, ‘Dite, why don’t you just create a clone?!" I ask my sister harshly.
…what I wouldn’t give for my armor right now… I hear her think. And I’m thinking, this is Xena. Not that woman with Gabrielle. That’s Diana. Not this woman I just pulled onto my lap. This is my chosen. Did she honestly think I wouldn’t notice?
***End Ares’ POV***
Ares snuck a look at Xena when she was engrossed in her dress search and winked at his sister.
“Dite, it’s been real, except for how boring this girly stuff is. I gotta go start a war or something. Later, Diana." He mocked, challenging her to contradict him.
Of course, she couldn’t, but muttered something like, “You would have to go start a war. Only you, Ares. Only you."
But he was gone, watching her progress from Mount Olympus.
***
“I would, beautiful, because that’s my job—something you have yet to realize. In some ways, you are still very much a child, my fair Xena." He paused to hear her remark to Aphrodite how close he’d come to the truth. “Very well. If you want, I’ll play your little game. But by my rules—and no one else’s. And I strongly suggest you get a handle on that chakram—and fast."
With that, the dark God of War resumed his brooding. He had to prepare. Becoming one of “Diana’s" suitors was going to take work… or something like that.
***
“How close did he just come, Aphrodite? Too close." Xena told her goddess companion. Suddenly, as if a deep chill entered the room, she shuddered violently. “I have got to get my chakram back. And fast." She said, unconsciously echoing her former mentor’s words exactly.
Aphrodite, who knew that Ares knew that Xena was Diana and visa versa, hastened to make her departure. “Look, warrior babe. I’ll do some checking on the elusive killing thing. But I make no promises." She looked at Xena comfortingly. “You really should wear the blue-it brings out your eyes."
And then she was gone, leaving Xena to remember the days when Ares used to tell her what to where and when to wear it. And when to take it off, she thought dryly, as she began to dress in the azure-ish silk dress.
***
END AUTHOR’S NOTES: Well. There’s chapter one. The ending was kind of gay, I know, but I wanted to get it out before the next century, so I just finished it—which is what I’m trying not to do with the sequel to “War-Bitten Apple".
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. serenity_sea@yahoo.com