Now Goes Under the Sun
By Fewthistle

Disclaimer : The characters of Xena and company belong to Mr. Tapert and friends. No copyright infringement was intended, and as my bank account can attest, no profit was made. The characters of Athena and fellow gods belong to all of us, a legacy of Greco-Roman culture. Although I have adhered somewhat to the portrayal of them in the Xenaverse, I have taken the liberty of returning to them, Athena in particular, some of the better qualities with which they have traditionally been attributed.

Spoilers: This story takes place after the events of "Motherhood", the fifth season finale of Xena: Warrior Princess ...though it must be noted that I took the liberty of rewriting the ending of that particular episode and therefore my universe diverges into a somewhat parallel universe and timeline. This story is a sequel to Redemption , so it is suggested that perhaps you might want to read that one first before diving in here. Clearly, it should be noted that, contrary to the events in the series, Athena survived the Twilight of the Gods and is alive and well in my version of this reality. Spoilers also for parts of "Old Ares Had a Farm", a sixth season episode.

It is rated R for suggestions/portrayals of same-sex relationships. If this is not your cup of tea or you don't quite reach the clown's hand for this ride, please enjoy yourself somewhere else.

Author's Note: The title of this story comes from a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, one of America's most brilliant and under sung poets, entitled, "To a Friend Estranged from Me" . The full text of the poem may be found by clicking on the poem title. I urge you to take a moment to read the poem and discover the beauty of Millay's words and gain a little insight into the story.

Dedicated to Loretta for aiding and abetting my obsession with a certain wise Goddess.

Chapter One

She sat silently on the remains of a fallen marble pillar, the stone cold and damp beneath her. All around her, the advancing armies of twilight slipped stealthily, as the thickening fog and the shadows of approaching night wound their way through the ruins of the temple, encroaching ever closer, till she could feel the icy whisper of their breath on her neck. Rubbing her arms against the sudden chill, she acknowledged the vagrant thought that slid across her mind, the one that noted sagely that she shouldn't have ventured out this late without her cloak.

Pushing the thought aside, she watched as the night sky slowly donned its evening gown, a dress of deepest sapphire, laced all about with diamonds, woven into intricate patterns that shimmered and sparkled as the darkness gracefully danced its way across the vault of heaven. Down below, the glimmering lights of the city seemed to dance in time to the same slow waltz. Swaying and bowing, they twirled lightly to the tune played by the autumn breeze as it caught the flames of lamps and candles in its arms, spinning them smoothly in the fragrant night air.

The lights from the palace were no wallflowers, the torches on the high towers keeping time with the dance. In their flickering light she could make out the guards, their armor glowing dully, as they paced the perimeter of the castle parapet. Still so odd to think that now those were her guards, her torches, and her palace, rising strong and stalwart on the opposite hill. Hers alone. It had been two months since her father had died, leaving her an ailing kingdom, devastated by the recent droughts and vulnerable to attack by less than friendly neighbors.

Queen Arianna of Chalcidice. The name still rang discordantly in her ears with the harsh clang of an old cowbell. She had always known that one-day she would succeed her father to the throne. She had never imagined that the kingdom she would inherit would be as fragile and vulnerable as a newborn babe. Her father had ruled this kingdom for forty-eight years, beloved by his people. Yet, for the last ten or twelve years, times had grown harder, droughts ravaging the crops, warlords ravaging the towns.

The aging king had found it more and more difficult to make certain that all of his people were fed, and even harder to fend off the advances of ruthless scavengers, swooping down on helpless villages and leaving devastation in their wake. Adding to his already weighty burden had been the constant and growing presence of part of the Macedonian army all along the border between the two kingdoms.

He had thought to appease the Macedonians by offering the hand of his daughter in marriage to the Macedonian prince, but in the end the old king had changed his mind, refusing to make a sacrifice of his own child, even if it was only on the alter of marriage. Arianna had said a prayer of thanks to whatever god would listen when she learned of her father's decision. Though she would have acceded to his wishes in order to save his throne and her people, Arianna had been sickened by thought of marrying a man she did not love. In fact, she had realized long ago that marrying any man was, for her, unthinkable.

She had kept on her father's advisors, mostly out of loyalty. These men had been counseling the king long years before she was born. It was not in her to put them out to pasture after so many years of faithful service. Besides, she had yet to find anyone else to take their place. Instead, she found herself coming here to ponder all the troubles that besieged her land, here to this hill that rose above the city, where once a temple to Athena had sat in solemn splendor. All that remained were ruins, marble columns covered in moss and lichen, toppled statues of the goddess shattered and strewn about the shaded knoll.

Twenty-six years ago the mighty Goddess of Wisdom had come to this kingdom with her army, intent on murdering the child The Fates had decreed would bring about the fall of Olympus. Athena had lost the battle at Amphipolis, failing then to kill Xena's infant daughter Eve. However for twenty-five years people had believed that Athena had eventually succeeded in slaying not only Eve but Xena and Gabrielle as well. Only in the last year had the truth come out, as the Olympian gods began anew their campaign to end the lives of Xena and her child. They had failed miserably, most of them falling one by one to Xena's sword.

The knowledge that Athena had survived the debacle still left a bitter taste in Arianna's mouth. Of all of the gods, she was the most culpable, and as such, should have received the ultimate punishment. Arianna had been taught from childhood the stories of the siege on Amphipolis and of Athena's betrayal of the citizens of the town. After the siege was over, hundreds of people from all over the kingdom had gathered here, at the largest temple to the goddess. Heedless of the consequences, they had razed it to the ground, carrying the huge marble slab of the altar to Amphipolis to be carved into a marker for the fallen.

Since that time few people came near the hill, avoiding it out of hatred or fear. Because of its isolation and solitude it had quickly become the favored spot of the then young princess, affording her the privacy she found so lacking in her life in the palace, where prying eyes and ears were all around. Only here could she simply be Arianna.

The Macedonian army that sat along the border had grown, and now waited as silent and menacing as a viper ready to strike at its prey's first movement. While the Macedonian ambassador assured her and her advisors that the army posed no threat to her kingdom, Arianna knew that it was only a matter of time before the troops moved across the border. Smiling bitterly to herself, Arianna remembered the short conversation she had had with the Ambassador.

"My good Queen Arianna, let me assure you, we mean you no harm. In fact, my king has only your best interests at heart. After all, your kingdom has great potential for growth under the right stewardship, and holds a certain strategic position that will be of interest to some of the less scrupulous rulers in Greece. As an old and dear friend of your late father, my king merely wishes to offer you the protection of his army...and possibly of his name," the Ambassador declared, his manner so obsequious that Arianna felt a shudder of revulsion slide down her spine.

"In other words, Ambassador, if I promise to marry your king then he won't invade my kingdom, but will instead, simply merge the two into one greater kingdom, one with prime land and access to the sea?" Arianna replied smoothly, successfully keeping the thread of anger out of her voice.

"That is one possibility my dear Queen," the Ambassador replied, a smarmy smile creeping across his face.

"Just to be sure I understand, the other possibility would be that if I don't marry your king, then his army will cross the border and lay waste to my kingdom? Would that be an adequate assessment of the situation?" Arianna stood with her back to the Ambassador, looking out over the palace courtyard, determined that he would not see the fury that flashed from her green eyes.

"I would have to say that it would be fairly good representation of the second possibility, yes," he stated smugly, pleased that his mission here was going so well. His king would be most impressed when he was presented with both new lands and a new bride. Arianna was indeed a prize worthy of his king. The young Queen was beautiful, her hair a cap of burnished gold that fell about her face, framing a visage worthy of the master sculptures, and adorned with eyes of emerald fire.

"So, in either scenario, I lose my kingdom and my people fall under the rule of your king, a man known for his utter ruthlessness and disregard for his subjects, is that correct? And, though I am of course just guessing here, in both scenarios I become the wife of this same king, regardless of my wishes. Is that also correct, Ambassador?" Arianna said lightly, the hint of menace in her tone lost on the Macedonian.

"It is good to know that the reports of your Majesty's acuity and grasp of difficult political situations has not been exaggerated."

"How long?"

"How long for what my dear Queen?"

"How long before I must give you my decision? After all, I am still in mourning for my father and will be for the next four months. Surely your king would not have me dishonor my father and my family by not paying the proper amount of respect?" Four months to get her army and her people prepared for what could be a long and bloody war, she thought, her mind already making a list of supplies and goods they would need to survive.

"Of course not. You may have your time to mourn. Just remember that at the end of that time we expect your answer. Be wise Arianna. There are worse things than marrying a king."

 Funny , she thought wryly, as she continued to gaze out over the valley, that I can't think of anything worse .

The noises of the settling night surrounded her, wrapping her safely in the black cloak of darkness. She could hear the insects hum and buzz, and far off the song of a nightingale, sweet and dulcet, its tune weaving around her heart and soul with garlands of melody.

The heavy rush of air against the twilight sky brought her head around, as she watched a great owl fold its massive wings and perch lightly on one of the pillars that had supported the altar stone. Its round, enigmatic eyes met hers, blinking almost kindly, or so she imagined. This owl had been her nightly companion here for many seasons, always perching on that same pillar and gazing at her somewhat inquisitively, as if to ask why she haunted these ruins and what prey she sought out here.

The first time she had seen the bird, many years ago, she had tried to frighten it away, knowing that the owl was sacred to Athena. It had been unimpressed with her show of theatrics and had remained perched on the pillar, imperturbable and unmoving. Finally, realizing what a sight she must have made to anyone looking up at the hillside, rushing around, her arms flailing, yelling at the top of her lungs, she grudgingly sat back down.

Arianna decided that if the bird was gracious enough to share its favored spot with her, then the least a princess of the realm could do was show it the same courtesy. Besides, it was nice to have silent and undemanding company. As time had passed, Arianna had found herself confiding in the bird, sharing her fears and concerns with the mystical creature, whose only response was to blink its huge, fathomless eyes at her in quiescent understanding.

Snap!

The sound of the cracking wood resounded through the small knoll, bringing Arianna to her feet, a small dagger held expertly in one hand. She may have left the palace without her cloak, but the young Queen never went anywhere without the lethal blade her mother had left her.

"Show yourself!" She said firmly, her eyes quickly scanning the ruins, trying in vain to pierce the inky gloom of the shadows.

A figure emerged from the dusky silhouette of a great oak tree, still too obscured by the shadows for Arianna to make out clearly. The figure moved out of the line of trees onto the thick grass that covered the hill. As it did so, the silvery white beams of the rising moon shone down, bright as noonday, illuminating and giving form to the shadowy outline.

A woman stood, her hands held out from her sides in a gesture of peace, her body concealed in a heavy cloak of ivory, and her face hidden in the murky depths of a hood. She moved slowly over the dew-laden ground, her feet seeming to barely touch the damp tendrils of grass, the train of the cloak tenderly brushing along the luxuriant carpet of green.

"I mean you no harm," the woman said softly, a rich, silvery voice emerging from the darkness of the thick hood.

"Who are you?" Arianna asked, her green eyes narrowing, trying without success to make out the figure more clearly in the nebulous light of the moon.

"A traveler. I visited this land many years ago and remembered this hill and the view out over the valley. I didn't intend to intrude, but I couldn't resist watching from this lovely knoll and seeing Phaeton's chariot return home once again. I apologize if I startled you," the voice answered, the figure unmoving as if to assure her of its sincerity.

How easy it would be for the Macedonians to send someone to kill her. Any number of people in the kingdom could have told them of her nightly visits here, alone, to this spot. And who better to choose for an assassin than a woman, someone she would not fear. Arianna knew she should leave, or at least demand that the woman go.

Yet, there was something familiar, something in the silvery tones of her voice, in the hands, still held out in a peaceful gesture that resonated inside of the young queen. Besides, would an assassin have been so inept as to betray herself so easily? Slowly Arianna returned the dagger to its sheath.

"How long have you been here?" She asked the stranger mildly, purposefully turning her back to walk back to her seat upon the cold marble of the pillar.

"In Chalcidice or here among the ruins?" The woman responded, a hint of amusement in her voice, "Or would those be one in the same?"

Arianna's head swung around sharply, an expression of outrage and injury marring the lines of her lovely face.

"You dare to insult this kingdom? Bold for a lowly traveler aren't you?" Arianna flung at her, the anger she felt coloring her tone.

Her affront was met with a low, melodic chuckle that seemed to echo faintly through the ruins of the temple, circling to trace a path down Arianna's spine, causing an involuntary shiver.

"The first lesson one should learn about ruling, most esteemed Highness, is to never let the other side know what you're thinking and even less of what you're feeling. Smile and let them wonder and never, ever show your anger. It is your enemy's most deadly and surefire weapon," the woman said softly, moving across the damp ground to seat herself not far from Arianna on the pillar.

"So, you know who I am and yet you still chose to disparage my kingdom? No one can fault you for bravery, I suppose. But if and when I require advice about ruling, I will no doubt find much more suitable counsel," Arianna replied somewhat haughtily.

The laugh came again, this time holding genuine amusement.

"Ah, but of course, your Highness. Tell me, do you pay him in gold or does he prefer mice and rabbits?"

"Pardon me?" Arianna answered somewhat hesitantly, trying to maintain the haughty tone but failing a tad in her confusion.

"The owl," the woman replied, gesturing towards the bird with her still hooded countenance, "Do you pay him in gold for his wise, though decidedly solemn, counsel, or does he favor small rodents?"

Arianna found herself completely nonplussed, opening her mouth to speak and yet finding that no words passed her lips.

"How did you....?" She managed finally to ask.

Seeing Arianna's discomfort, the next words that came from the woman were spoken quite gently.

"This isn't my first visit here and, well, you do have a tendency to speak rather loudly, especially when you're pacing back and forth. It did occur to me that perhaps you could use someone to talk to, someone a bit more articulate than our brooding friend there. And since I have a bit of experience in advising beleaguered rulers, it seemed only right that I should offer you my services."

Quickly regaining her composure, Arianna attempted a laugh of her own, but the sound came out as brittle as one of the fallen leaves that littered the ground at their feet.

"Indeed. What would you require for payment? My throne, my kingdom, or perhaps simply my life? Why shouldn't I believe that the Macedonians sent you here to spy on me, to gain my trust and then to use your knowledge to defeat me? After all, you did say 'the other side' just a moment ago didn't you? Don't let 'the other side' see your anger? Why in the name of my father should I trust you?"

"Because I could have killed you a thousand times if that had been my mission, and yet I didn't. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the Macedonians hold you in such high esteem that they would rather trick you and gain your confidence than murder you. You are merely a minor roadblock, one which can and will be removed when the time is deemed right," the woman responded, a coldness seeping into her voice that sent an answering chill straight through to Arianna's soul.

"And how will I know that time has arrived?" Arianna asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"The instant you feel the icy blade at your throat, or the arrow furtively piercing your heart," the answer came from the depths of the ivory hood.

"Why should you care what happens to me or to my kingdom?" Arianna practically hurled the words at her, rising from her seat in agitation. The woman's words had shattered through her calm exterior, bringing into sharp and slightly terrifying relief the truth of the situation in which she found herself.

The woman sat silently for a long time, not moving, appearing hardly to breathe under the thick ivory cloak. Even without seeing her face, Arianna could tell that the woman was weighing the situation, debating whether or not to answer the question that still hung in the air between them.

At last, she spoke, her voice softer than it had been, so that Arianna found herself leaning towards her to hear the murmured words.

"Tell me Queen Arianna, do you believe in redemption? In attempting to regain a state of grace?"

The mellifluent voice held subtle traces of sadness and regret and Arianna found her anger and frustration seeping away as she contemplated the figure before her, slight and almost ephemeral in the ivory cloak, stark white against the embracing darkness of the knoll. Yet, despite the fragility of her frame, there was a sense of power, of inestimable strength that seemed to hover in the air around her.

 "Yes, I do. I believe it is something we all must seek after at some point in our lives. Is that why you are here? Seeking redemption?"

"In a manner of speaking. I am in search of something I lost, a sense of self and a peace that I forfeited. Perhaps we can help each other Arianna. I can help you save your kingdom and you can help me find that state of grace I seem to have forsaken."

Arianna regarded her for an expansive moment, all of the reasons she shouldn't trust this stranger racing through her consciousness with the speed of summer lightning. Without understanding how, she knew that the fate of her kingdom and her people rested firmly on this decision, one, which she recognized with absolute certainty, would impact her life as none other. The story written by a young Greek philosopher came to her mind with blinding clarity, the story that told of the origins of people.

The philosopher had told of the legend of how people were born long ago as different creatures, ones with three arms, three legs, yet with but one mind, one heart, one soul, complete and sacrosanct. The legend said that the gods, jealous of man's happiness, had torn the creatures in half, leaving them bereft and forever searching for the other half that made them whole, the other part of their mind and heart, the flawless completion of their souls.

Arianna had always secretly believed in the story, knowing that there was a portion of her own mind and soul and heart that was missing. Odd, that of all the concerns, all the doubts, all the very real fears that should be occupying her thoughts at this moment, that story should be the one notion that filled her mind.

"If we are to be partners in this endeavor, perhaps you should tell me your name," Arianna said softly.

She stood, hands clasped in front of her, unaware that the light from the full moon shone all about her like a halo. The terrestrial globe turned her hair to a cap of liquid silver and unbeknownst to her, caused the figure inside the ivory cloak to catch her breath at the sight of such astonishing beauty.

 "You may call me Thea," the woman answered after a moment, her voice distracted as she continued to gaze at the vision before her.

Arianna suspected that perhaps that wasn't the woman's real name, or at least not all of it, but she didn't press her, accepting what this intriguing creature offered. She couldn't quite understand her own response to this woman, a complete stranger to her, one whose face she had yet to glimpse, and yet something intangible and beyond reason told her to trust.

"So, Thea, you say that you have a good deal of experience advising kings? You'll forgive me if I ask how you came by this less than typical talent?" Arianna requested lightly, seating herself again on the fallen pillar, although this time considerably closer to her new companion. Yet, even the closer proximity failed to allow her a better look inside the darkness of the hood that sheltered Thea's face.

Thea didn't respond immediately, and when she spoke, her voice again held that tinge of sadness that Arianna had noticed earlier.

"My father once ruled a very distant kingdom, plagued by all the woes and concerns that you now find yourself facing. In fact, often it seemed that every affliction and adversity that could trouble man stood on the doorstep of his subjects at one time or another. And always, they turned to him and to our family to relieve their suffering, to solve their problems, to bring them peace and happiness. As his eldest child, he often turned to me for counsel. I offered him the best advice I had to give. I offer it to you now."

"What made you leave your father's side when it appears he needs your help and counsel?" Arianna asked, turning sideways on the pillar to face her companion. Her question was sincere, as she herself could not imagine having left her own father to bear the weight of his crown alone.

"My father is dead." Thea answered almost tonelessly.

"I am sorry for your loss. So, someone else now rules your family's kingdom? Your brother perhaps?" Arianna prompted gently, curious to hear more of this woman's story.

"No. After my father died I succeeded him. None of my brothers challenged my right to rule," came the reply, as a trace of something steely and a trifle arrogant crept into Thea's voice.

"So, you still rule this kingdom? And yet, you're here. Why would you abandon your throne and your people? Surely they need you?" Arianna asked incredulously, unable to envision simply walking away from her responsibilities.

"My kingdom no longer exists, at least not as it once did. As for my people, well, they take care of themselves now with different ideas and beliefs. I think that some of them still long for the old days, but they are a minority. Most have embraced new ways, new rulers. They have no more need of me, except upon occasion when the world feels too much for them. Then they call on me for help, but they have made their choices and they must live with the consequences. We all have to live with the repercussions of our actions, even those of us who occupy a throne."

The sadness was present in her silvery voice once again, accompanied this time by a slender thread of bitterness, interwoven with a corresponding sliver of regret. Arianna had an overwhelming need to see Thea's face, to look into her eyes as she uttered these words that spoke of recrimination and also of a longing to accept both the responsibility and the loss. She reached out her hand toward the hood of the ivory cloak, her intent quite clear, only to be brought up short by a slender hand that grasped her wrist in an iron grip.

"If I wished for you to see me I would have removed the hood myself." Thea told her, that steely tone creeping into her voice.

"Why won't you let me see your face? Do I know you?" Arianna questioned, a puzzled frown creasing her forehead.

"I can assure you, we have at no time met, your Highness. As for my reasons, let's just say that mine is a countenance that you would never wish to behold."

Smiling sensitively, Arianna was quick to reassure.

"I promise, it is of no matter to me what you look like. Truly, judging others based on physical beauty is a most shallow and unenlightened way of thinking."

"And yet, for this alone the mighty towers of Illium burned. Please, I ask that you respect my wishes. Don't request to see my face. If we are to be friends and confidants we must show each other the respect that those stations deserve. Agreed?" Thea spoke softly.

"Agreed." Arianna responded with a smile, reaching out to carefully grasp the delicate hand that rested on Thea's thigh. At the touch of those slim fingers in her own, Arianna felt a current of fire ignite her nerves, travelling swiftly from her hand to every part of her body and causing her breath to catch in her throat as the sensations threatened to overwhelm her.

Unable to see Thea's face, Arianna could only judge by the sharp intake of breath and the tightening of those fingers around her own, that the contact had produced similar results in the other woman as well. Closing her eyes against the flood of emotions that clamored inside her heart and mind, Arianna felt her hand being raised and then felt the barest, feather-light brush of soft lips against the skin, before her hand was suddenly released.

A sense of being bereft, a hollow, barren sensation rushed over Arianna as her fingers slid easily from Thea's grasp. A slight sound of protest escaped her lips, as the connection between them was broken. She opened her eyes to be met again by emptiness as she gazed into the concealing shadows of Thea's hood. Only her promise to respect the other woman's wishes stopped her hand from swiftly flinging back the hated piece of fabric and revealing the face inside.

When the voice came again, it held none of the emotion of the past several minutes, its cool tones measured and sure.

"You would appear to have a slight problem, your Highness."

Uncertain to what Thea was referring, Arianna felt her face grown warm and said a silent word of thanks for the camouflage of darkness that hid the sudden rush of color to her cheeks.

"Considering the sheer proliferation of problems with which I am met every day, I think you will have to be a bit more specific," Arianna responded, intentionally keeping her tone light, a slight smile of wearied amusement touching her mouth.

"Certainly. I was referring to the hundred thousand Macedonian troops lounging along your border. Is that specific enough?" Thea answered archly. Arianna was certain that if she could see the other woman's face, that Thea's eyebrow would be raised in mocking question.

Grateful that the remark had nothing to do with the disquieting incident which had just occurred, Arianna turned her attention to the situation at hand, noting wryly to herself that her new counselor had a gift for understatement.

Chapter Two

"Indeed, the Macedonians do seem to present a problem, don't they?" Arianna mused rhetorically.

"One could put it that way, I suppose," Thea replied, her voice amused and yet Arianna sensed a note of approval in her tone, as if she were proud of Arianna's poise in facing such a terrible crisis.

"Well, counselor, I would appear to be open to suggestions concerning this matter. I spoke with their Ambassador. They have given me four months to conclude my period of mourning, at which time I peacefully surrender my throne and my person to the Macedonian king, or have both taken by force. I was given to understand that any other options would be disregarded, at least by their side," Arianna stated, trying to keep the note of frustration and bitterness from her voice.

"Hmmm. Not exactly what one would consider inclusive choices are they?"

"No. So, I now have four months to ready my people and my army to withstand an onslaught by one of the greatest armies in all of Greece. Four years wouldn't be enough time to prepare for that."

"I would advise strongly against readying your army, your Highness," Thea pronounced, her voice thoughtful.

"Surely you aren't suggesting that I simply surrender to them?!" Arianna exclaimed, her expression incredulous.

"Of course not. But the moment that you begin to prepare for war, the Macedonians will consider that your decision has been made and they will strike. Your kingdom will fall as easily as your wheat does before the farmer's scythe. No, the only way to prevail is through a little diplomacy."

"If you're proposing that I negotiate with them, let me assure you, they aren't interested. After all, why barter over something you can simply take?" Arianna said bitterly, rising from the pillar to pace slowly across the soft earth of the hill, the leaves beneath her feet crackling like wet wood caught in the fire's flame.

"That wasn't what I was suggesting. I had something else in mind. One of the primary rules in the fine art of diplomatic dealings is to find something you have that another person wants and vice versa. We want an army. Now all we have to do is discover something that Chalcidice has that might be of interest to someone who has an army. Simple."

Arianna stared in stunned disbelief at her companion. She thought desperately to herself that perhaps she had been hasty in putting her trust in this woman.

"After all, just because she makes my pulse race and my nerve endings feel as they had been set afire, doesn't mean that she is equipped to handle situations as staggering and vital as this one. She did lose her own throne. If I am not careful, she may lose me mine."

"I see. Well, I will take your ideas under advisement," the young Queen assured her, the fake smile that graced her lips not quite reaching those green eyes.

"I would further suggest that you wipe that condescending look off your face before I take it personally, your Majesty," Thea drawled, an edge of ice appearing in her voice.

Arianna drew herself up to her full height, her face now an expressionless mask.

"Condescension was never my intent."

"Yes, it was but we'll let it go for now. Tell me Arianna, what do your father's advisors suggest?"

Arianna paused before answering, trying to decide if she should tell Thea the truth, her honest nature warring with the need to look less ill advised. Her nature won out in the end, her extreme dislike of deception and lying pushing her to tell the other woman what she wished to know.

"They think that the wisest course would be for me to accept the king's offer of marriage with all good grace and thus avoid any loss of life or property. Their reasoning being that if we are to live under Macedonian rule, we should do so without incurring the wrath of our conquerors," she answered, her eyes gazing firmly in Thea's direction.

"Not that it matters where I look, since I can't see her face," Arianna grumbled to herself.

"Am I to assume that you find this less than inspired advice?" Thea asked, her tone making it clear that she already knew the answer.

"You assume correctly," Arianna replied stiffly.

"Then may I also assume that we can now return to our discussion of how to resolve this, situation?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, what does Chalcidice have that no other kingdom can supply?"

"We produce wheat and olive oil and wine. Nothing of great value to anyone but a drunken baker," Arianna tossed out bitterly.

"Your thinking is limited, my Queen. Consider again, what does Chalcidice have that might be worth the price of an army?" Thea urged, her slender hands clasped before her.

"I don't know," Arianna said in frustration, "Obviously, you already have an answer, so tell me, what does my poor and beleaguered country have that would fund an army's ransom?"

"A view."

Shaking her head, a baffled laugh coming harshly from her lips, Arianna turned in bewilderment to her companion.

"A view? You think a view would measure up to the price of a well-equipped army?" she implored, her eyes mystified at Thea's words.

"This one will. You see, my Queen, you have a view of the sea. Leagues upon leagues of views of the sea. Views from safe and perfectly located natural harbors, harbors at Stagira, and at Torone, beautiful, easily accessed harbors at Scione and Olynthus."

Thea paused a moment for emphasis before continuing, her voice holding a decidedly satisfied tone, "Harbors that the king of Thrace, whose own coastline is barely large enough to accommodate a fleet of rowboats, would give, well, an army, for the privilege of utilizing. Throw in the fact that the Thracians and the Macedonians have never been, shall we say, the friendliest of neighbors and it would seem we have found a solution to your little problem, your Highness."

As the final words left Thea's lips all the pieces clicked together in Arianna's head and she realized that her companion, her mysterious and somewhat smug companion, had indeed found a possible way out of the deadly labyrinth in which she had been trapped.

A slow smile slid across Arianna's lovely face as the full weight of the discovery settled in her mind.

"If I could see your face, I would kiss you right now," she told Thea, covering the short distance between them, and kneeling suddenly before the ivory clad figure, "But since I have promised to respect your wishes, I will have to settle for this."

Arianna deliberately took Thea's hand in her own and raised it to her lips, mirroring Thea's earlier gesture. As she felt the smooth, cool skin of that delicate hand against her lips, Arianna felt for a brief instant as if the world shifted almost imperceptibly beneath her. As she released Thea's hand she was surprised to find that same slender appendage gently caress her cheek, satin fingers brushing lightly against her flushed skin.

Then, before Arianna could react, her companion stood and moved away from her, her feet carrying her close to where the great owl still sat silent and pensive on his perch.

Turning to her, Thea said softly, "You have much to plan and even more to accomplish, your Highness. Diplomacy takes patience and time, the latter of which you hold in short supply. I suggest that you do not apprise your father's advisors of your new plans, not until we can be certain that they will come to fruition. In the meantime, tomorrow night we can begin to devise a method to assure our success. It is late now however. You should go and try to sleep."

"You're right, about all of those things. I am tired, as, I am sure, are you. You must come and stay at the palace. I insist."

"Thank you, but no. I have made other arrangements. But I will meet you here tomorrow after sundown. Until then, your Highness, sleep well," Thea answered, a tone of finality in her lovely voice.

Arianna briefly considered pressing Thea to accompany her to the palace, but something in Thea's tone brought her up short. Besides, she had a great deal to think about tonight, not the least of which was the enigmatic woman standing motionless before her.

Inclining her head, Arianna said softly, " Very well, I will see you here tomorrow night. I know my words will sound inadequate and ineffectual, but I do thank you for your help. I may never be able to make you understand what your counsel and your offer of friendship mean to me, but I promise you, I will try. Goodnight, Thea."

"Goodnight, your Highness."

Arianna turned and began to make her way down the hill towards the palace. As she reached the sloping incline of the knoll, she heard Thea's voice call to her.

"Oh, and Arianna? Tomorrow night, remember your cloak."

As she watched the young Queen disappear into the night, the sound of her laugh carrying on the light breeze, Thea turned to the owl and gently admonished the somber bird.

"Go and make certain she arrives safely at the palace. Then take up your usual post in the tree outside her chambers."

The bronze and silver bird rose majestically into the evening sky, its immense wings carrying it fleetly on its mission, as Thea vanished in a burst of rose colored light.

The ivory cloaked figure materialized in a great marble palace that overlooked the hills surrounding Athens. The palace was hidden from human eyes by a soft and rolling mist, concealed by its own ivory cloak. Walking slowly through the empty rooms, the sound of her footsteps against the cold marble only served to emphasis the utter solitude of the castle. Nothing stirred, no voices clamored to be heard, no laughter rang out in joyful peals. Once it had been so, once scholars had debated, once priestesses to the most powerful of goddesses had graced these halls, all honored to be invited to the abode of one so worthy of worship.

There were still many mortals who would have given much for that honor, many who still worshipped daily in the great temple on the Acropolis. Many who venerated a Goddess of Wisdom who no longer sought out the greatest thinkers, who no longer reveled in a spirited debate. Many who made petitions for victory to a Goddess of Warfare who no longer found pleasure in the power and skill of a tournament of arms, the excitement of two well-matched competitors using brains and brawn to defeat each other. A goddess, who nightly walked the desolate rooms of her palace, lost in thought, as if searching for something discarded in one of the empty chambers.

Athena let the cloak slip from her shoulders, tossing it absently across the back of a heavy chair, where it lay, stark against the deep blue cushions. She had forsaken her normal shielding and helmet, clad now in a simple white garment such as favored by the Roman legions under the bulk of their own armor. Somehow the weight and significance of her customary garb seemed unbearable, reminding her too much of things she would rather not dwell on these days.

Walking out onto the balcony of her bedroom, Athena stood, her enchanting face tilted towards the night sky overhead, where Orion chased the fleeing Pleiades in their eternal flight across the fields of heaven. Like the nymph, Echo's unceasing rejoinder, the conversation with Arianna played itself over and over in her mind. Nine months ago, not long after the nearly fatal battle with Xena, Athena had revisited Chalcidice, thinking that after twenty six years, it was time to exorcise some ghosts. She had wandered the now deserted streets of Amphipolis, staring with a feeling of dread and distaste at the remains of the Hellmouth into which Xena had flung Lucifer, the fallen angel who now ruled in the Realm of the Dead.

So much had changed, all of the certainties of her life had been stripped of their truths and Athena felt the world in which she found herself unsettling and discordant, the gleaming gold that had encased the spinning globe pared away to leave only the harsh, dull metal below. So many new beliefs, so many new gods, all clamoring to win the hearts and minds of a people frantic in their need to find a solid piece of driftwood to save them from the pitiless maw of the sea.

It had been on that visit back to Chalcidice that Athena had seen Arianna again after many years. The then princess had been sitting in much the same way she had tonight, gazing out over the valley below and carrying on a rather animated, albeit one-sided, conversation with an owl, an owl which Athena had years ago sent to watch over the young princess.

Even as a young girl, Arianna had shown a fire and a brilliance of mind that the Goddess of Wisdom was determined should be protected and nurtured. Athena acknowledged to herself that perhaps it had been an unconscious means of making amends after the debacle at Amphipolis, a way of assuring that the people of Chalcidice would be well cared for under their future queen. Whatever the reason, the bird had stayed in attendance, long after Athena had forgotten its mission, caught up in more dire events.

Standing that night, invisible to mortal eyes, in the shadowed knoll, the scattered remains of her temple lying all about her, Athena had gazed in wonderment at the grown woman seated on the fallen pillar. Arianna had evolved from a gangly and awkward adolescent into a poised and truly beautiful woman. Her blonde hair was cut to her chin, so that it fell around her face in a straight curtain of silvery gold. The face it framed easily could have rivaled Helen's in the sheer perfection of lines and curves, molded by a master's hand and garnished with eyes of emerald ice, so clear and fathomless were their depths.

Athena had found herself rooted to the spot, unable to tear her own eyes away from the woman before her. Arianna had told the solemn owl all of her worries, all her fears for the future, all of her concerns over her father's declining health. At times her voice had been harsh with anger as she talked of the Macedonian army that daily gathered strength along the border, and yet, had held immeasurable tenderness as she spoke of her father.

Finally, Arianna had laughed, her voice a trifle self-mocking as she turned to the owl and said, "An army at my doorstep, a dying father and a throne that may be taken from me before I can even be crowned, and here I sit, in the ruined temple of a goddess who betrayed us, talking to a bird who can't answer back. Can insanity be far behind?"

Her words had brought Athena up short. She had known for many years of the enmity that was felt for her in Chalcidice. She had wreaked no vengeance, meted out no punishment as a mob destroyed her temple, knowing in some part of her that in afflicting the people further she would serve only to cement their hatred for her. Yet, hearing Arianna so casually say that she had betrayed them, struck an already fragile nerve. Try as she might to explain, to make these people understand that what she had done in hunting down Xena's child was done in defense of her own family, Athena knew that, in part, they were right.

The goddess who had created civilizations, who had inspired philosophers, who had taught to men the arts of shipbuilding and given them a plow to till the earth, the goddess that even a cynical Warrior Princess had respected, should not have been the one holding a sword over a helpless village, much less over the helpless body of an infant. So, she had simply watched as stone by stone of her temple fell before the shovels and axes of the citizens of Chalcidice.

Knowing the dislike that Arianna felt for her, hearing the contempt in the princess' voice as she spoke of her should have been enough to cause Athena to leave the ruins. Yet, she couldn't seem to force herself to go. Something about Arianna held her with the strength of Hephaestus' chains, pulling her back to that same spot, night after night, to listen, along with the owl, to the honeyed voice of the princess.

The night two months ago when Arianna had come to the knoll and, falling to her knees in the soft dirt, sobbed at her father's death, Athena couldn't bear to leave her without comfort. So she had altered her appearance, and in the guise of an old woman, knelt down beside the new queen and held her as she cried, not only for her father's loss, but also for her own precarious future.

That night, as the 'old woman' had placed her lips softly against Arianna's forehead, and promised the queen that all would be well in the end, it was a still powerful goddess who swore to keep that vow. Athena had realized that the only way that Arianna would allow her to help her was if she had no idea who Athena was. She balked at lying to the young queen. Deception had never been her way. Even in the darkest of times, Athena had always tried to behave as honorably as the circumstances had allowed.

Thus, Thea was born. Athena went over the conversation again in her head, assuring herself that nothing that she had said to Arianna tonight had been untrue. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, it was of vital importance that in the end, Arianna know that she had never lied to her. Athena also knew it was equally essential that Arianna be responsible for her own salvation and that of her kingdom. It would have been so very simple for Athena to simply wipe out the Macedonian army, to rid the countryside of mercenaries, to end the yearlong drought. However, Athena knew that if she was to gain Arianna's respect that she must allow the queen to fight her own battles.

"Respect," Athena scoffed to the star filled sky, "As if all I crave from her is respect."

A shift in the texture of the air behind her caused Athena to smile resignedly to herself, just as a familiar voice carried to her on the evening breeze.

"So, Sis, finally made your move, huh? I was thinking that Blondie was going to be walking with a cane before you got up the nerve."

"Funny, I don't remember asking your opinion. In fact, I don't remember asking you to just drop by either. And her name is Arianna, not Blondie," Athena drawled, turning slowly to face her younger sister.

"You know you never have to ask. After all, that's what sisters are for. You know, all that what's mine is yours kinda crap. Besides, when it comes to matters of the heart, you know I'm your girl," Aphrodite smirked back.

Sighing deeply, Athena closed her eyes for a moment, trying to drive the images from her mind of exactly what her sister's help involved, but it was too late. Aphrodite was already off and running, a litany of do's and don'ts spilling from her tongue like water cascading down a narrow canyon. She threw herself down on Athena's bed, her voice never missing a beat as she continued to instruct her sister in the fine art of winning a woman's heart.

Recognizing the utter futility of trying to interrupt or even get a word in edgewise, Athena merely settled down on the chaise lounge and mentally began a list of essential items that the Thracian army would need to successfully defeat the Macedonians. She nodded her head at what she hoped were the appropriate times. All the while she sent out a silent plea to the universe that the lateness of the hour and the softness of the bed would soon overcome her sister and Aphrodite would slip off to sleep, leaving her to consider a certain beautiful queen in peace.

Chapter Three

Athena awoke to the annoying sensation of being watched. Without having to open her eyes, she could picture her sister perched on the edge of the chair opposite the chaise lounge on which she was sleeping, her tousled blonde head tilted to the side a bit, nose crinkled, lips pursed as she studied her sleeping sibling. Aphrodite had finally succumbed to the late hour and the comfort of Athena's bed and fallen asleep mid-sentence, leaving her very relieved sister to continue making her plans to save Arianna, Chalcidice and maybe, just maybe, herself in the bargain.

"What exactly are you doing?" Athena growled, her pale grey eyes still firmly shut.

"Well, I woke up, and for a minute I couldn't figure out how in the world I ended up with that really hideous dark blue canopy on my bed, but then I realized that I was actually in your bed, so I felt a little better. But I couldn't stand looking up at it, so I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't and by the way, do you know you mumble in your sleep?

"So anyway, I got up and you were still asleep and I thought I would be nice and not wake you up yet, and then I got to thinking. I mean, I very seldom get the chance to stare at you without you glaring back at me the way you do. Which, I might add, does nada in the old inspiring sisterly confidences department. Anyhoo, I was just thinking, you know if we redid your makeup, went for some delicate pink shades on the cheeks and eyes, maybe even a light, kinda sparkly amethyst, it would really soften up your face and..."

"Aphrodite?" Athena interrupted the never-ending monologue

"What?" Aphrodite asked, her expression growing suspicious at her sister's somewhat mild tone of voice. She had found over the years that it was far safer when Athena was yelling, than when her voice got that faux nice tone to it that it now held.

"We both know it isn't possible for me to actually kill you, but how do you feel about spending eternity in thirty or forty small pieces?" Athena responded, still not bothering to open her eyes, though on close observation the barest inkling of a smile could be seen at the corners of her mouth.

There was a moment of silence while Aphrodite processed the question before, with an audible 'huff', she threw herself back against the cushions of the chair.

"Fine. Fine. If you're gonna be like that, I can leave you know. I mean, it isn't as if I don't have better things to do. There's a whole world of losers out there just praying for me to come along and fix their lousy love lives. But, being the kind of sister who puts her family first, I came here to offer you my support and, I might add, my years and years and years of experience about love and the latest phat new makeup techniques. But, if you don't want my advice, I'll just leave. It's fine, really. Doesn't hurt my feelings in the least. I'll just be going now," Aphrodite assured her sister, her voice sounding wounded and somewhat indignant, as if she were barely holding back the tears.

"Have a good day," Athena said sweetly, turning on the lounge in search of a more comfortable position.

"You know, I am your guest. If you were any kind of hostess you wouldn't just let me leave without breakfast."

"All right, let's just agree that I am not any kind of hostess. And while we're at it, let's also agree that you don't, in reality, qualify as a guest. Guests are people that are actually invited to one's home, not people who simply show up unannounced and then make themselves comfortable in your bed, so that you end up sleeping on what can only be termed 'a board on legs'," Athena answered, pushing herself up into a semi-sitting position and glaring rather malevolently at her sister.

"You could have shared the bed with me. I mean, I probably would have slept really badly what with that mumbling thing you do, but I wouldn't have minded too much. Besides, " Aphrodite said, making a rather childish face at Athena, "You're a goddess and there are about twenty other rooms in this place. Why didn't you just make another bed?"

"You're a goddess too. Why don't you just make yourself some breakfast and then make yourself disappear, not necessarily in that order?" Athena replied, smirking.

"Sometimes I really hate you," Aphrodite muttered petulantly, arms crossed and mouth pulled up in an expression of distaste.

"Does that mean you're actually going to leave now?"

Before Aphrodite could respond, another voice echoed through the marble halls.

"Athena? Athena?!! Where are you, girl?"

Both sisters stared at each other in dread, Athena rolling her eyes and emitting a somewhat pitiful sound of frustration and resignation.

"Aunt Hestia," they said in unison, their expressions clearly reflecting their shared emotion at having to talk to their overbearing and, some would say, dotty aunt.

"Well, I'm outta here, Sis. Give Aunt Hestia my best, will ya?" Aphrodite said, rising swiftly from her seat and making preparations to melt into the vapor.

"Oh, no you don't!" Athena said firmly, smoothly getting up from the chaise and slipping a steely grip around her sister's wrist, "If I have to talk to Aunt Hestia, then so do you. Family first, remember?" Athena hissed to her, echoing Aphrodite's earlier phrase.

"Well, here you are. Didn't you hear me yelling for you? And why, in the name of Olympus do you have this huge palace and no furniture except in this one room? Oh, hello Aphrodite," Hestia finished, seeming to focus on the inhabitants of the room for the first time, "Where in the world did you get that outfit, 'House of Whores'?"

Forcing down the chuckle that arose at Hestia's comment on her sister's wardrobe, Athena smiled as sincerely as she could at her aunt and silently muttered to herself that after such an auspicious beginning, there was no where for her day to go but up.

"Aunt Hestia. To what do I owe the, um, pleasure of this completely unannounced visit?"

"Vandals," Hestia pronounced firmly, ignoring the implications of Athena's words, "Horrible, mercenary, dirty vandals. They've been besmirching and violating my temples, and they have stolen the loveliest of my priestesses and done unspeakable things to them."

"Well, that's certainly not anything you ever need to worry is gonna happen to you ," Aphrodite retorted, still stinging from the comment on her favorite pink gauze gown. Her sarcastic tone was belied by the sweet smile she had plastered on her face.

"What Aphrodite means is that I am sure we can find a way to stop these incidents from occurring in the future, " Athena covered, "Why don't you sit down and we can discuss the situation?"

Rolling her eyes again at her sister's remark, Athena gestured for her aunt to seat herself. Hestia made a beeline for the chaise lounge that Athena had so recently vacated, plopping herself down and flicking imaginary dust from the cushion. Athena seated herself calmly in the chair opposite, leaving Aphrodite the choice of sharing the chaise with Hestia, standing, or sitting on Athena's lap. She decided to compromise, pushing her sister over a bit as she perched somewhat precariously on the arm of Athena's chair.

"So, Aunt Hestia, which temples seem to be experiencing these difficulties?" Athena asked matter-of-factly.

"All of the temples in Chalcidice. The region seems to have been overrun by mercenaries. And Arianna, their new queen, has done nothing to stop it. Of course, she has just taken the throne, poor dear, after losing her father, and there is the matter of the Macedonian army preparing to invade. Still, one must have priorities and these attacks on my temples must be stopped at once, " Hestia declared sternly.

At the mention of Chalcidice, Aphrodite nudged her sister's arm. Athena ignored her, though the sound of Arianna's name did cause her heart to jump a beat. Thoughts of the young queen and the way the moonlight turned her hair to strands of silver sent her mind wandering a bit. Forcing her feelings aside, she focused on what her aunt was telling her.

".....And by the way, Athena, I am glad to see that you have forsaken that tacky armor and stopped exposing your bosom to the world, though I must say, that skirt you have on is rather short, don't you think?"

"How did we get from vandals to my wardrobe?" Athena whispered to her sister, turning her head to meet Aphrodite's amused blue eyes.

"Vandals to temples to priestesses to virgins to you exposing your breasts," Aphrodite explained somewhat gleefully, glad that her sister was now bearing her share of Hestia's less than kind remarks.

"Ah, well, as long as there was a logical progression," Athena replied wearily, wishing for the hundredth time that she was still asleep, "Wait a minute, how did we get from virgins to me?"

"Do you really want to go there with me?" Aphrodite asked, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Never mind," Athena answered with a sigh, turning back to Hestia, who had not stopped talking, paying no heed to the fact that neither of her nieces were listening.

"Aunt Hestia? Aunt Hestia," Athena attempted, the sound of her voice not even beginning to break through the barrier of Hestia's consciousness as she continued on, her tirade having shifted from her niece's attire to the downfall of morality in general.

"HESTIA!" Athena yelled finally, her grip on her growing frustration slipping for a moment.

This did bring Hestia up short, her voice faltering and then falling silent. For her part, Aphrodite couldn't quite manage to stifle the snort of amusement that burst forth at her sister's obvious annoyance. As long as Athena wasn't screaming her name, the Goddess of Love found her sister's ability to intimidate even Zeus' overbearing sibling with nothing more than a raised voice to be highly entertaining. Well, a raised voice and the little flash of gold that lit her pale grey eyes, just hinting at the immense power Athena held.

"You needn't shout my dear," Hestia said in a wounded tone, shifting in her seat and making a great show of straightening her long pewter colored gown.

Taking a deep breath, Athena closed her eyes, wishing that at times like these, there were someone for a goddess to pray to for salvation and rescue.

"Aunt Hestia, " she began again, her voice and demeanor once again calm and collected, " I assure you, I will take care of your problem. Your virgins," she promised, reaching over to place her hand on Aphrodite's knee and squeezing, hard, "need have no further fear for their virtue."

"Ow!" Aphrodite exclaimed, pulling away from her sister's hand and moving quickly out of grabbing distance, her expression sullen.

"Wonderful! I knew I could count on you Athena. I knew you above all others would recognize the extreme value and great sacrifice of my virgin priestesses," Hestia proclaimed, nodding her head approvingly.

"Yeah, Sis, you should know all about virgins," Aphrodite laughed, not even attempting to conceal that grin that spread across her face.

Rising from her chair, Athena moved across to the chaise lounge, leaning forward suddenly, so that Hestia was forced backwards against the cushions, her niece's face mere inches from her own.

"Just so we're very clear on this, "Athena said dangerously, her voice deadly quiet, "I am not, nor have been for several millenium, a virgin goddess. If one more person, god or mortal, makes another virgin remark, I will make them wish they were never born. Am I making myself understood?" She finished, glancing over at her sister, who had fallen silent herself.

"Gotcha. No more virgins," Aphrodite assured her, aware that her sister's patience had run its course. She knew that this was merely the veritable straw on the camel's back, and that all of Athena's concerns about Arianna, and all of the changes that taken place in the last year had come to rest on this one, somewhat insignificant point.

"Why, yes my dear, of course. I had no idea that you weren't.... Well, that you had....," Hestia stammered, sitting up carefully as her niece abruptly stood and walked towards the balcony.

"I'm not and I have, " Athena stated bluntly, "Was that all that you needed?"

"Well, yes. I...," Hestia began, her voice drowned out by another voice, this one yelling loudly through the empty halls.

"Mom! Yo, Mom! Oh, Goddess Babe of a Mother, where are you?!?"

"Cupie baby! I'm in here!" Aphrodite yelled back.

Athena closed her eyes again, trying to breath deeply, her hands coming up to rub her temples. She walked over to her chair and sat down rather unceremoniously as her nephew Cupid made his appearance.

"Looking good there Mom. But then, when dont'cha? And hello, Great Aunt Hestia. Looking lovely yourself," Cupid said, his handsome face lit by a smile.

"What is there, some huge 'Welcome' sign outside that I missed?" Athena muttered, almost to herself, leaning her head into her hand and sighing again deeply.

"How's my favorite Auntie today?" Cupid asked, coming over to Athena's chair.

Glaring up at him, Athena said, "Now there's a dubious honor. I'm your only Aunt."

"That doesn't mean you're still not my favorite," her nephew responded cheerfully.

Athena simply sighed again, turning over in her mind all the sins of which she was guilty and still not coming up with anything that merited this sort of punishment. Her sister and aunt and nephew fell into conversation, the gist of which, Athena gathered, had to do with Cupid and Psyche's little demon spawn, Bliss. Never had Athena known a child less aptly named. She had tried to avoid seeing the little monster as much as possible, especially after the incident with Bliss and his father's arrows, which had wreaked havoc on the world for a whole day before the child was recaptured.

"Well, I haven't seen the little tike for aeons it seems, " Hestia said a trifle disapprovingly.

As she watched Cupid and Aphrodite stare frantically at one another, desperately looking for an out, Athena knew her chance had come.

"Cupid, why don't you take your mother and Aunt Hestia home for a nice leisurely lunch and afternoon with the baby? In fact, I bet that after you've all shared a lovely meal, Aunt Hestia would be happy to stay with your mother and baby-sit the little darling, wouldn't you Aunt Hestia?" Athena suggested innocently, a sweet and decidedly gleeful smile on her face.

"Why, what a marvelous idea Athena! I would so enjoy spending time with three generations of love, as it were," Hestia beamed, clearly taken with the plan, "Come along my dears, we have so much to talk about," she said, ushering Aphrodite and her son towards the door.

With a frenetic look on her beautiful face, Aphrodite made a last ditch attempt to save herself from an entire afternoon with her domineering aunt.

"You two go," she said to Cupid and Hestia, "I really should stay here and keep Athena company. She's been feeling pretty bummed lately and I would hate to abandon her."

"Actually, Sis, I'm feeling just fine. I think it must have been all that fresh air yesterday. You know, I think I'll try a little hunting today," Athena replied, her smile triumphant at having not only rid herself of her guests, but having picked the one thing that no one would believe the dainty Goddess of Love would do, "Care to join me?"

It was Aphrodite's turn to sigh this time as she turned resignedly and joined her aunt and son as they prepared to depart.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Sis?" Athena laughed as her family vanished into the clear morning light.

Arianna stood on the balcony that stretched along the length of her chambers, her mind keeping a running catalogue of all of the arrangements that would need to be made in order to ensure that the Thracians would come to their aid. The treaties alone would have to be extremely precise, so that by allowing the Thracians access to the Chalcidician coast and harbors, she did not harm her own people's livelihoods.

She had lain awake most of the night, as the conversation with Thea replayed itself over and over in head. Some small part of her questioned the serendipity of the encounter and of the advice that the mysterious woman had offered. After all, it seemed too good to be true and Arianna was no fool. The stories carried back from Troy had served as grisly reminders of the treachery that could be utilized against a foe. If Thea was indeed the Macedonian's answer to the wooden horse, then she swore that she would be prepared.

The young queen had already decided that she would share only so much of her information with Thea, keeping back certain vital details in case her worst fears proved true and the silver voiced stranger was in truth a spy. Arianna prayed with all her heart that Thea was actually what she professed to be, a friend and an ally. Just one evening with the woman had awoken places in Arianna's heart and mind that she had long ago abandoned as dead or non-existent.

"And you haven't even seen her face ," She thought scornfully, " What are you going to be like when you can gaze into her eyes?"

Shaking her head to clear a mind that had begun to wander down less than efficient paths, paths littered with thoughts of what color those eyes would be, and if those lips that had grazed the back of her hand would feel as soft under her own, Arianna turned and paced back into the palace. She still had duties to attend to, people with whom to meet before it would be time to return to the hill at twilight.

Squaring her shoulders, the queen walked into the Throne room, nodding to her advisors and those gathered to see her, before she settled herself somewhat uneasily on the heavy throne. Motioning to her chancellor to bring forth the first petitioner, Arianna listened attentively as the High Priestess of Hestia's temples told of the increasing number of raids by mercenaries who had vandalized their temples and carried off several of the attendant virgins.

"Please your Majesty, these raids must be stopped. I am aware that your Highness does not hold the Olympian gods in high regard, but surely you hold the sanctity of worship and the safety of persons as sacrosanct?"

"Of course I do, Priestess. I will dispatch a troop of guards to find and deal with these vandals. I will also post additional guards at each of Hestia's temples, to ensure the safety of your attendants. We will take care of this problem, I promise you," Arianna replied, unknowingly echoing Athena's earlier words to her aunt.

"You have my thanks and that of my goddess, your Highness."

"Yours will be sufficient, " Arianna answered, silently counting down the hours till night descended.

As the evening stars blazed into being one by one, like lanterns being lit along the streets of the village below, Arianna again sat on the cold marble of the fallen pillar and waited for Thea to arrive. The owl had shown itself mere minutes after her own arrival, gliding noiselessly into the knoll and taking up its own customary position, its brooding eyes blinking at her solemnly.

As the minutes passed, Arianna began to fear that her previous night's companion would not be keeping their appointment. She turned at every sound, peering unsuccessfully into the gathering gloom, attempting to make out the cloaked figure amid the shadows. Finally the glen was completely enveloped in darkness, the only light the declining moon, that still spilled its beams down through the breaks in the trees overhead.

"Did you think I wouldn't come?" The silvery voice seemed to sound from everywhere at once and nowhere at all, as Arianna turned her head sharply back and forth, searching for its source.

Finally, pivoting around, she saw the gleam of the ivory cloak, as Thea stood quietly next to the owl's perch, her hand mere inches from the deadly talons of the bird as they gripped the pillar below. The wild creature seemed as entranced by Thea as she was, swiveling its great head to stare at her with eyes that appeared to hold the same expression of intrigue and unfocused longing as Arianna's green eyes held.

"I wasn't sure. You must admit that last night did have a bit of a surreal quality to it. I was beginning to think I had imagined you, dreamt you even, but then I realized that if it had been my dream, I would have been able to see your face," Arianna said with a smile.

"Does it matter more to you what I look like, what the world perceives me to be or who I truly am, what manner of heart and mind I possess?" Thea asked her, a thread of uncertainty evident in her voice.

"I would hope you already know the answer to that question. If you don't, then you have much to learn about me. You could have the face of a Gorgon or the reputation of Medea. It would be of no more importance to me than the color of your eyes or whether you could shoot an arrow true, so long as I knew the contents of your heart were untouched by hatred or rancor. As long as I could be certain that you strive to be honorable, that your goal is to create, not destroy and that you would sooner die than betray the ones you love. Knowing those things, nothing else really matters."

"I shoot well," Thea responded after a pause, the smile clear in her tone.

"And your eyes? What color are they?" Arianna smiled back, grateful to be pulled back from the emotion of the moment by Thea's teasing tone.

Arianna could sense Thea's hesitation, as she deliberated on whether to answer the young queen's query.

When she finally spoke, Arianna felt as if a small offering had been made, one that held the promise of future trust.

"I've been told that they are the color of the sky just as the dawn comes, before the rays of the sun turn it to pink and purple and indigo."

"I know that time of day. As the darkness rolls away and the first rays of the sun appear over the horizon, the sky is a shimmering silvery grey. Is that what color they are?" Arianna said quietly, a soft smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, or so I've been told. As for the rest, I guess you're just going to have to discover those things on your own. My guarantees are about as meaningful as a barker's assurance of good fortune at the carnival games."

"Well, then, it's a good thing that I always win the games, now isn't it?" Arianna grinned rather roguishly, "Are you planning on sitting down tonight, or do you find the bird's company more appealing than mine?"

Chuckling lightly, Thea moved to seat herself on the pillar, quite close to the young queen. As she sat down, Arianna could smell the same sweet, intoxicating scent she had noticed last night. Breathing in deeply, she turned to Thea and smiled, boldly reaching out and grasping the slender hand that protruded from the sleeve of the ivory cloak.

"So, tell me, wise counselor, how does one go about convincing a king to loan out his army in exchange for some lovely oceanfront property and some fish?"

"Simple. Just convince him he can't live without those particular fish," Thea answered sagely, though Arianna could hear the smile that even now graced her lips.

Chapter Four

The next month passed so swiftly that there were moments when Arianna wanted to reach out and grasp Time's cloak, urging it to slow on its tumultuous journey, so that she could savor the minutes and hours she spent with Thea. Every night found her amid the temple ruins, even as the nights grew colder. She had found Thea to be a worthy match for her in every way, the depths of her knowledge and the quickness of her mind astonishing the young queen. Standing again on her balcony, she marveled at how all the things that had plagued her, now seemed to be less important, shadowy phantasms that had faded in the clear light of Thea's logic.

Their plans had been set in motion. An emissary had been sent, secretly, to Thrace, offering the King strategic and exclusive use of Chalcidice's myriad of harbors, giving the Thracians the ability to outmaneuver and outflank their enemies. As part of the bargain, the Thracians would also have secondary fishing rights to the immense bounty of sea life that flourished off the Chalcidician coast, and along the shallow shoals. In return, the mighty Thracian army would flank the Macedonians and soundly defeat them, as Arianna's own army held the border.

The cunning king of Thrace had been quick to seize the opportunity to soundly and decisively defeat his long time enemy and gain a new and potentially valuable ally in the process. Arianna's father had been quite isolationist in his dealings, merely trying to maintain an uneasy peace with both of his more powerful neighbors, rather than take sides and form an alliance. The Thracian king discovered that his 'wait and see' policy towards Chalcidice had paid off. Unlike the Macedonians, he had felt no great pressure to threaten his weaker neighbor, deciding instead to sit back and watch to see what developed. Sometimes patience was indeed a virtue.

Patience, however, was something that Arianna found herself lacking more and more as the nights passed. Her growing feelings for Thea were stronger each day, and yet she felt as if she had run headlong into an impassable roadblock. Despite nightly assurances, heartfelt promises, she had been unable to convince Thea that her appearance was immaterial. Thea still insisted they meet only at night and still remained garbed in the ivory cloak, her face hidden from view.

Arianna tried to honor her wishes, and yet she longed to throw the hood back and gaze into the countenance of this woman who had stolen her heart. For the lovely, young queen had fallen deeply in love with her mysterious advisor, despite her own admonishments to herself in the harsh light of day.

Arianna had never met anyone who could talk to her of poetry and philosophy, of history and battle tactics, who could tell her the names of all the constellations in the night sky above them, or how to increase the daily yield of her fleet of fishing boats. She had never known anyone whose wit and charm made her laugh with childlike abandon, or told her stories of brave warriors that made tears run down her face like the rain that flowed down the length of the long green leaves of the trees overhead.

They talked of everything, hours flying by, until the horizon would begin to glow with a silver light and Thea would gently raise Arianna's hands to her lips and bid her farewell until the twilight came again. Arianna would remain on the hill after Thea had left, watching the sky as the darkness relinquished its hold to the coming day, just to see that color, that shimmering silvery grey, and imagine for a moment that she was looking into Thea's eyes.

She had considered following Thea, just to know where she went during the day, to know that she was safe, but she knew that she could never break the trust that lay between them. She also knew that once this business was done with the Thracians, that she would place her case before Thea and plead for her to discard the cloak and the need for concealment. Until then, she would simply have to enjoy the time they shared.

She knew that her ministers had noticed that their queen was absent nightly from the palace. She had caught some of the palace guards shadowing her, sent by the Chancellor to make certain of her safety. She had dismissed them and made quite clear to the Chancellor and her other ministers that she was more that capable of taking care of herself. Still, Arianna knew that the rumors had already been repeated in every corner of the palace, the rumors that the young queen had a secret lover whom she met nightly for passionate trysts in the ruins of Athena's temple.

"How wonderful it would be if the rumors were true," she thought wistfully, "I adore our talks. I could and have listened to the sound of her voice for hours, but I do have other ideas of interesting things to do with her lips, and none of them involve conversation."

"Can I ask you a question?" Aphrodite said to her sister. They were sitting on the large rocks at the edge of the beach that lay below Aphrodite's palace on the Cypriot coast.

"I always worry when you actually ask me if you can ask a question. Call it paranoia, but I never seem to like those questions," Athena replied, glancing over at Aphrodite suspiciously.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you aren't gonna like this one either, but I gotta ask. You're my sister and I worry about you," she answered, her blonde curls being teased by the cool breeze that blew in off the ocean.

"Ok," Athena sighed, "What is it?"

"Why are you putting yourself through this? I mean, this thing with Arianna? You know she hates you, I mean, she loves you, but she hates Athena, and well, you are Athena. I know that she thinks you're this other chick, Thea, but sooner or later, Sis, she gonna want to see your face and then what? Even the biggest doofus in the world could see that you are so majorly in love with her that you can't see straight. I just don't want you to get your heart broken, you know?" Aphrodite said, reaching over to cover her sister's hand with her own.

Athena didn't respond, jolted at having all of her own fears articulated by Aphrodite, albeit not in exactly the words she would have chosen, but still, the meaning was clear. Her sister was right and Athena knew it, knew that the chances of this not ending in heartache were nil. And yet, she couldn't stop herself. Everyday she promised herself that this would be the last night, that she would tell Arianna goodbye. And every night she silently whispered, "Just one more night" , knowing that she was only prolonging the agony for her and for Arianna.

"Athena?" Aphrodite prompted, sliding her hand up to slip her arm through her sister's.

"You're right. All of it. She does hate me, hates everything I am. But she loves Thea, and the part of me that is Thea, the part that isn't the all-powerful Goddess of Wisdom, can't seem to let go. I have this annoying, wretched little voice inside of me that keeps trying to convince me that if she knew me, not the legends, not the tales of horror she grew up with, but the real me, that it wouldn't matter to her that I was that goddess. And for some reason, Sis, some reason I can't even explain to myself, I listen."

Aphrodite had not seen such sadness in her sister's eyes since the aftermath of that final battle with Xena that left most of their family dead. With all that had changed and all that Athena had battled within herself, Aphrodite knew that her sister's priorities had undergone a dramatic shift. Suddenly the thought of dealing with this strange new world alone seemed a bit daunting, even to a god. The Goddess of Love had felt this herself, recognizing that even having Athena and Cupid did little to stem the loneliness.

"So, what are you gonna do?"

"It would be easier if I could just walk away, just not show up one night and she would never know what became of me. Easier for me that is. I can't bear the thought that she would always wonder if it was her, if there was something she had said or done wrong that made me leave. I couldn't live with myself doing that to her. So, tonight I will simply tell her goodbye," Athena answered, her gaze mournful as it traced the line of the horizon.

"What if she won't let you go?" Aphrodite pressed, upset at having to twist the knife already deeply imbedded in her sister's heart, but knowing that she had to prepare Athena for what might happen.

"I doubt that she will forcibly keep me there," Athena stated sadly.

"You're so totally out of your league here, Sis. While you and Ares wasted time getting all nerdy about the weapons of war, I became the expert on the weapons of love . Let me tell ya, Babycakes, you've never seen brutal or backhanded or desperate or totally cold-blooded till you've seen somebody fighting for someone they love. Shouting, pleading, blackmailing, people will do whatever, whenever, if they think for one skinny second that it will get them the person they want. I've seen women abandon their kids, sons whack their fathers, friends roll around in the dirt, biting each other and yanking out handfuls of hair, all over love. The tears are the worst though. You may be able to take killer pain, but have someone you love stand and cry and beg you not to leave them and I promise, you'd rather take an arrow to the groin," her sister proclaimed matter-of-factly.

 "This was, in some way, supposed to make me feel better ?" Athena asked her shakily, the dull ache that had been growing in her chest getting stronger at the thought of having to walk away from Arianna's tearstained face.

"No. Just to let you know what you're in for, Sis. You know I wouldn't say these things to try and make it worse. I hate that this is gonna hurt you so much, "Aphrodite replied, reaching over to snag her sister's chin in her hand and turn Athena's head till she could look into those grey eyes, now clouded with emotion, " I know that for the Goddess of Love, I'm really bad about saying these things, but....well, you're my sister, and I love you."

"I don't want you to be hurt or sad. You're supposed to be the strong one, who takes care of everything so I can concentrate on the really important things like love and fashion and makeup," she finished, trying to raise a smile from Athena.

Athena's response surprised her however, as she felt her sister's arms slip around her and pull her close. Her own arms came up to encircle Athena's slender frame, on hand sliding up to the back of her sister's neck and holding her tightly. Aphrodite could feel the warmth of Athena's breath on her throat and marveled at the seemingly slight, almost delicate, being she held. The most powerful of the gods, save Zeus himself, Athena could level a village with a few well-placed thunderbolts, and defeat Ares in battle , even in his warlike heyday. Yet, she felt so fragile that Aphrodite couldn't help but think that an unkind motion might cause her to shatter.

She felt Athena draw in a deep breath and gently pull away from her embrace. Her sister's normally clear grey eyes were closed, her full lips compressed in pain. After a moment, Athena opened her eyes and met Aphrodite's concerned look.

"Well, being the Goddess of Wisdom, at least I have a somewhat more legitimate excuse for not saying it, but for whatever it's worth, I love you too. You're a good sister, Aphrodite, far better than I deserve, but I'm trying."

To Be Continued