~*~~~*~

Ares threw his helmet across the room with a loud growl. It clanged obnoxiously against the large door, which was slowly opening. The woman who entered glanced down at the helmet rolling around her feet and sighed before turning her gaze to Ares.

The word beautiful was created solely for this woman. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in perfect waves down her back, amazingly long even while tied up and adorned with a golden laurel leaf and pink rose crown. Her face and body looked as if it were drawn from every man's lustful fantasy. Under heavy eyelashes were sensual eyes the color of rose-gold. She was surrounded in the glow of her warm pink aura that only accentuated her features even further. Her luscious lips pouted as she placed a slender hand on her hip, not far above where the slit in her dress began exposing her thigh. Ares frowned even further as he looked up and down at the off-the-shoulder, low-cut gown with a sneer.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "I'll not be changing, Ares, so don't even ask." She swept her long ponytail over her shoulder and sat on one of the chaise lounges in Ares' bedroom, crossing her bare leg over the other with a knowing smirk.

Ares cleared his throat and glanced away from her. He couldn't let her beauty distract from the anger that he felt. "I have more important things to worry about than the promiscuity of your wardrobe." He rubbed the stubble along his tense jawline as he lost himself in his thoughts.

Suddenly, he felt her hand sliding down his arm, not missing the chance to feel his muscles as she "comforted" him. "Is it your vessel again?" she asked softly, close to his ear. "He is always fighting you. I'm starting to wonder if your connection was made by mistake."

Ares groaned, then shook his head. "No. My vessel is perfect for me. But that is the problem; We share the same commanding qualities. Not excluding excessive stubbornness." He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed black hair. "No, the problem is that he is now engaged. To be married."

Aphrodite curled a lock of his hair around her finger nonchalantly. "Mm. Yes, mine as well."

Ares' jaw locked as his eyes blazed with fury. "But not to Athena." He spat out the name like it was poisonous.

That sudden news made Aphrodite pause and blink at him for a few moments. Then, she had to stifle her laughter. Athena might have been her friend but everyone knew that Ares and Athena were immortal enemies. The half-siblings were always fighting and they'd done terrible things to each other. However, both were necessary in the realm of gods, as they represented the two sides of the coin that is war. But also, it was hilarious that Athena would have a vessel that is married. That was an unexpected first.

After she suppressed her amusement, Aphrodite let her hand fall into her lap and sighed softly. "You know that we cannot control the lives of our vessels. I am sure Athena is just as angry as you about this arrangement. But it seems to me that you two are meant to work together in these lifetimes." Ares just scoffed at the appalling idea. Aphrodite continued, "Anyway, for as rare as vessels are, there sure are a lot in one place this time. There must be some big changes ahead for the human realm, don't you think?"

Ares nodded and absentmindedly swept his gaze over his extravagant palace bedroom, his thoughts traveling to the battles he and his vessel had already fought. And already won. As far as Ares was concerned, he'd made Arellan a legend in the human realm, despite the man's young age. They'd been fully connected since Arellan was a teen fighting in his first war. Ares felt like he had fulfilled his godly duties for the country of Otha. Entertaining the idea that the worst had yet to come in the human realm suddenly seemed… exhausting.

Even so, he'd rather fight in another three wars before being forced to work with Athena. Ares may be brutal and merciless but Athena was even worse in his eyes. She hid her rage inside of cunning, cruel tactics and strategies. But for some reason, everyone adored her nonetheless. They would rather pray to her for wisdom in upcoming battles than accept the darker, harsher reality of war. They don't want to think about the lives lost or the bloody savagery that goes on during the battle and they certainly don't want to pray to a god that reminds them of those horrors. So of course, Athena was praised and Ares was essentially ignored by all. Which was fine for Ares, except for the fact that Athena used such underhanded methods in order to win and then had the nerve to boast about it. And every time Ares confronted her about her behavior, Athena would find some way to punish him for it. Hence, their innate hatred for each other.

Aphrodite stood up abruptly, shaking Ares from his angry daze. "I didn't come here to watch you think about another woman all night Ares," she stated and folded her arms with a pout.

Ares' expression softened as he gazed at the goddess. He reached out for her hand and pulled her into his lap. "Alright, alright. I'll let it go tonight, for your sake." He placed a small kiss on her jawline as her pout cracked into a smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ares didn't want to waste the nights he had with Aphrodite complaining about the wretched Goddess of Wisdom.

~*~~~*~

Ari set her teacup down on the emptied breakfast tray and stood up to scan the titles of the books on the shelves. An entire shelf was dedicated to the history of Otha and a few titles Ari recognized from her previous studies growing up. Several other books caught her eye that were written by people with royal names, possibly Arell's ancestors. She was more interested in those, since the books she used to read were just an overview of general events in Otha. She pulled out a book written by Prince Elias of Otha and began flipping through.

Arell was finishing up his bowl of porridge when the door flew open and a woman threw herself onto the lounge next to him, causing him to choke on his last spoonful of food. He looked up pointedly at a very apologetic Ronan. Ari took in the dramatic scene with an eyebrow raised in surprise.

Ronan bowed his head several times and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, Your Highness. She was… persistent."

The woman had a similar body type to Tatiana, thin and petite. Her hair was a silvery, platinum blonde that was curled meticulously and placed over one shoulder. Her skin was very pale and her nose and chin were pointed. She pouted and clung to Arell's arm. "Prince Arellan, you'll be taking me to the ball tonight, right?! It was my turn last month but you said you were too busy preparing for an important negotiation journey. I just wanted to remind you that I didn't get the chance!" She blinked her large eyes at Arell.

Ari closed the book promptly with both eyebrows raised now, her attention successfully diverted to the clingy noblewoman.

Arell cleared his throat and gently took the woman's hands off of his arm. "Thank you for the reminder, Lady Nina, but I am no longer required to accompany the court women to royal events. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you for tonight." His voice sounded overly polite.

The woman named Nina stood up and huffed. "I've been waiting for a month! Who will you be taking then? Hm?!" Nina finally tore her gaze from Arell to land on Ari. She narrowed her big eyes and folded her thin arms. As she examined Ari from head to toe, she made a small snorting noise that was somewhat unbecoming of a noble lady in the presence of royalty. "Don't tell me you're taking her."

From behind Ronan, Vida began to unsheathe her sword and charge into the room. Ronan immediately put his arm up in the doorway to block her entry, shaking his head while Vida gritted her teeth in anger.

Arell stood up and was about to answer Nina when Ari held her hand up to stop him. She then turned towards Nina, gently tapping the cover of the book in her hand with a fingernail. "Lady Nina, was it?" The woman nodded in response, her face contorted in a sneer. Ari smiled at her, making sure to keep her face looking as innocent and sweet as possible. "I wasn't aware that it was appropriate in Otha for mere nobility to speak to royalty in such a manner. That must mean that I may be free to speak my mind as I wish as well, correct?"

Nina's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she didn't answer Ari's question, so Arell answered for her. "Yes, Princess Arinja. It's only fair that you are allowed to behave in the same way," he said with a smirk.

Ari nodded solemnly as she slowly stepped in close to Nina so that only she could hear her whisper, "I'm sorry that you had to wait so long to be told no. But I'm not a great fan of sharing what's mine, so do not ever come into this office again." Ari pulled back and flashed a lovely smile at her. "I'll see you at the ball tonight, Lady Nina."