Chapter 128: Eleven, Twelve, Spend the Rest of the Night All by Ourselves

On the way over to the table, Ares remembered he needed to check with Rhea about the banquet and make sure everything was finalised. Or well he was going to before Enyo handed him two separate lists with all the preferred meals of both the Legion and Umbra Wolves on them. Super woman over here had gone around and collected everything while he was dancing with Bellona to make Ares' life easier. It would save him a good deal of time so he was grateful for the assist. Now all he had to go do was part with his family properly. He could have just slipped out of the venue and it wouldn't have been too big a deal but seeing as this was the first time he'd met these people Ares figured it would be for the best to be polite... To everyone other than Mako anyway. Ares wasn't going to go out of his way to talk to the twerp again lest he was looking to be delayed for another hour or two. The day Mako figured out Ares cheated at speculate was the day Ares' ear would be talked off. Despite being a revenant Ares genuinely feared it would never grow back either, that was just how incessant Mako's gibberish was.

Enyo went off to go talk to Bellona because of course she did. Ares could see Bellona furiously shaking her head before kicking Enyo's rear. Ares was no expert lip reader but he was fairly sure he understood the word 'no' when it came out of Bellona's mouth. It seemed to be quite an elongated 'no' at that too. Ares left the Legions to their own antics as he walked over to Calla who was carrying Appa around everywhere she went. "I see you're getting on well with my daughter. Not that I don't understand the desire to hug such an adorable shade."

Calla's tail swayed back and forth rhythmically and Ares could tell that particular motion indicated contentment in his mother. She gave Appa and lick and smiled. "Appa looks cute, talks cute, and tastes cute too! Like a big marshmallow! Soft as one too. Ares, are you sure you didn't just adopt a big marshmallow? Either way, good choice!"

"I see the resemblance... Sorry about not spending too much time with you today, and sorry for being busy with the Legions tomorrow. I'm looking forward to talking more with you, and spending time with the rest of the family too, but I can't just drop the prior arrangements. Especially not today."

"Oh no problemo! I understand! Totally! Enyo is gorgeous today and I don't know how any man with functioning eyes could ignore a woman like that. Go have fun and maybe consider giving me another grandchild? The more the merrier! Put a bunch of 'em in the sisters yeah!? Not that this child isn't the cutest little sweetie I've ever seen!"

Appa giggled as Calla tickled it while Ares wiped some sweat off his brow. More children? Not right now anyway. Creating offspring while he was in the middle of saving the world was a bit of an ask. He could just dump his children on his wives, or relatives if they were too busy, but that was shameless behaviour and Ares actually wanted to raise his children personally so that was a no go. Calla's desire for more grandchildren would have to be put on hold unless one of his siblings put some work in on their ends. Still, although Ares was against actually procreating in the here and now that didn't mean adoption wasn't in the cards. He wouldn't be against it as Appa had already proven to be a good idea a thousand times over. Ares wouldn't go searching for children or anything but he was more willing to go along with that instead of directly reproducing. The main reason being that they would likely be older and thus more accepting of his lack of presence. It was something that could be explained to them then and there rather than having them grow up without Ares as a father figure and wondering why their dad was constantly out to get milk. An older kid would be more tolerant... Maybe? It depended on the person and how familiar they were with Ares. This was getting very far ahead of the present though. The chances of Ares adopting another kid any time soon were basically non-existent so he put it to the back of his mind. "I must say, I'm somewhat envious. Cuddling Appa while you sleep is a joy in and of itself. You have a soft and warm night ahead. Anyhow, we can talk a bit more tomorrow if time permits but I suppose the next time I'll see you properly will be the day after. I'm sure I don't need to tell you of all people this but take care."

"It's the thought that counts! Good luck in the tournament sweetie. I'll root for you unless you go up against the others, in which case I'll root for everyone equally! No favourites, other than Appa, allowed I'm afraid."

"That's more than enough support, thank you. Goodbye for now then."

Ares headed over to the Umbra table next. "It was nice meeting you all. I'm sure I'll be seeing you all around here and there, and there's always the banquet the day after tomorrow to get more familiar with each other. Good luck in the tournament and no hard feelings if we get matched up against each other. I won't go easy on you and I wouldn't expect you to go easy on me either."

"Naturally." Skyzo nodded.

"Trying our hardest is a sign of mutual respect, that's basic courtesy." Scar agreed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just get me something that belongs to Phobos tomorrow yeah?" Venus was still in her own little world and didn't really care about the tournament.

"Careful now brother, I bite!" Verv was currently sane... Probably. Threatening to bite but not actually lunging at Ares to do so on sight was a good indicator he had his wits about him. Verv's 'sanity' could only ever be considered relative to his insanity as judging him by normal standards was a doomed ordeal from the start.

"Hmph. Don't come crying to me after I throw all my treasures at you, dumb dog Ares." Fate puffed up her chest during her grand reveal that she would also be competing. She deflated immediately when Ares paid her no mind and just ruffled her head with a chuckle. She had seen this coming so she wasn't particularly devastated that he didn't seem to care. Plus her main goal tonight had been achieved and information had been gathered about the other competitors. Ares might have spent the night enjoying himself but Fate was doing some serious scouting! Everyone who was going to be an obstacle going forward was here and fully observable so wasting this opportunity and flirting with a partner like Ares had done was a waste of time as far as Fate was concerned. Then again, this was just Ares' non-chalant attitude on full display. He was pretty convinced his destruction magic could solve any and all unexpected problems on the spot and, although it irked Fate, he was right too. She'd kept tabs on Ares different arts and she had to admit the right to be cocky and overconfident was something he'd more than earned. She was a little jealous of how much power he had and how little she had in comparison. She was an expert at utilising her treasures, yes, but relying on them made her feel weak sometimes. Part of her hard work was so that she, and her siblings, could stand a chance against Ares if their paths ever crossed during the tournament.

Ares waved as he left the table and headed over to the last stop to check up on his brother. Allie and Trixie were still going at it like cats and dogs and that was clearly a conversation that was going to go long into the night so Ares left well enough alone. In a way he really pitied his poor brother... Aejaz was pretending to smile while patting Lacy who was on his lap and actually smiling, albeit wryly, at the catty argument taking place on the other side of the table. Even Esme and Li Li were listening in on it and this conversation was slowly becoming the centre of attention in the venue. Anyone that passed by made an effort to stop and eavesdrop for a while to get a good dose of drama. As for how Aejaz still hadn't figured out what this was about... Ares had never pegged Aejaz as being the oblivious type and yet here he was, blissfully unaware. Aejaz was quick to fall in love and not slow to express himself either so this had probably never been an issue for him. Having a woman come onto him first was something he just wasn't familiar with and had never seen before... Apart from all the times Trixie must have been 'buddy buddy' with him during their youth but he still chalked that up as a matter of friendship more than anything else. Maybe it was better for him to be naive? Whatever preference he would have had for the situation would have upset one lady or the other so letting them duke it out themselves was the safest method for him to not get involved in any way. "It's like a tug of war... And Aejaz is the rope. Equally as dense too."

Lacy blushed as she laughed at Ares' comment and Aejaz simply tilted his head like a monkey watching a magic trick. "Oi! Can someone please tell me what this is about? Sitting here and being the only one left out when I was looking forward to this night is criminal behaviour! My date has abandoned me to have verbal spar!"

"Yeah don't worry about it too much. I'm sure you'll be having plenty of fun later tonight when Allie asserts dominance and marks her property. You might even get to see a really aggressive side of Allie today so brace yourself. Well that's for you to deal with, I've got my own work cut out for me. The competition starts tomorrow, however, so make sure to at least get some sleep in. It should be fine with Enyo and I there regardless but it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll be on my way now so see you back at home tomorrow."

And that was that. Everyone had been bid goodbye and it was time for stage two of the night to begin now that stage one had been wrapped up. Ares headed towards the double doors and gave one final wave to the Legion table as he passed by and met up with Enyo. He gave a pitying smile to Bellona who looked worn out having to fend off Enyo's advances. The temptation to come along must have been great but she resisted her snake tongued sister to the very end. Ares gave kudos to Bellona for her incredible willpower before leading Enyo out and into the stairway. They went down the stairs and exited the building, taking a detour to a grassy area off to the side that overlooked the rest of the sect. It was by no means the highest point in the sect but the inner and outer courts were both visible clearly from this location. Even the city beyond the sect's walls formed a sort of miniature skyline off into the horizon. As much as Ares wanted to sit on the grass with Enyo and enjoy the fresh air, taking a seat only to have to awkwardly shift into a kneeling position was not on his to do list. Also he didn't want to dirty his suit. He'd made it this far into the night without ruining it so to flop at the last hurdle like this would be depressing.

Ares hadn't planned on using this area specifically, he didn't know the core area well enough to pick and choose, but it looked convenient enough for his plans so he decided on the spot to use it. He looked around to make sure there wasn't any kind of reason that would prevent him from making use of this secluded area but found nothing. Before the big moment, though, he did find a tree, and that gave him an idea. "Hey Enyo. Close your eyes for a second."

Enyo did as was asked and thought Ares was going to get on one knee by the time she opened them. When the process took a second longer than she expected she realised Ares was probably just doing something stupid again. Patience was a virtue but it was also a necessity when dealing with Ares sometimes.

"Alright, you can open them." 

The first thing Enyo saw was Ares dangling backward off a tree branch with a silly smile on his face. He waved upside down and said the same thing he usually did in this situation, "Yo!" He got a small reaction out of Enyo who snorted at him and shook her head.

"Old habits die hard? It's been a while since I've seen this, I almost kind of missed it. It's a good thing you did this because there was something I've been wanting to tell you. So come down and let's talk."

This time Ares did as was requested of him by flipping down and around. He landed with a bit of swagger in his step as he came over to Enyo. "I have a feeling I know what this is about. So you were saving it for today then?"

"Yes. I don't recall if I've ever said this in an proper setting or expressed myself clearly on the matter so I should set the record straight. Back when you first dangled off a tree like that it eventually led to us arguing in broad daylight over the most petty of topics. You got mad because I told you that you definitely were not worthy of my respect. A lot has changed since then, obviously, but I want to retract that statement. As a person in general I'm not sure if you deserve respect but, regardless, you've earned mine. No one other than me can choose who I respect and I realise now that I was foolish for my previous, baseless list. There still aren't many people I respect even to this day but you, Ares, are undoubtedly number one on it. I know it might sound biased but it really isn't an opinion I hold just because I love you. I know I have a serious rose-tinted glasses problem with you, and I have no intention of ever fixing it, but that's not why I feel respect for you.

After learning about everything involving the Gods and Xhilihx I've truly come to understand that you are a man with great conviction. If I were in your shoes I don't think I'd be able to just go about my day like usual the way you do. Of course, even before that I respected you for a number of other reasons but that was the day I realised just how impressive you really could be. You shoulder important tasks like no one else I've ever met and, although my beliefs about justice may not align with yours, the determination and conviction you have when carrying out your duty is something I admire deeply. And as a cultivator... You're exemplary. That's not even up for debate. You're unreasonably strong and know how to best use your talents so I won't spend time here going over that side of you. That only really leaves one other side of you to mention, my husband and the father of our child. The feelings I have for you go beyond mere 'respect' in that regard and I could gush for hours. Still, there's something more important that I want to hear from you right now so I won't. That being said, there is one more thing I want to say, and I fully expect you to say no in response just as you should. You might be tempted to say yes but don't waste whatever it is you've come up with today just to say it, that's not what I want nor is it the point I'm trying to make. I'm only going to ask you this to show to you just how much I respect you because you are the only person I would ever ask this of. Ares, will you marry me?"

Ares sighed a deep sigh and scratched his neck with one hand while wiping away a single, solitary tear with his other. "Casually telling me not to say yes to a question like that... Are you evil? I mean I get it, why you're telling me not to, but now I want to. If you really wanted to be the one to propose that was fine too you know? You should have told me... Now I don't wanna say no... Tell you what, can I get back to you with my response later?"

"What, are you going to say yes after I do? I'm ok with that, actually. Let's do it that way then. Go on, it's your turn. It feels like I've been waiting forever for this and now I'm both excited and impatient."

"You and me both. Still, we're here now so need to rush, and there is one more thing I want to tell you first... That being said, there's very little I have to say to you that I haven't already said at some point in our relationship so I'll keep this on the brief side of things. Enyo, I love you. I know that's a simple way of expressing myself at this stage but it bares repeating every now and then. I know you don't need to be reminded but I still feel an urge to say it. The fact that I even get to say it to you at all is a miracle considering who we were when we first met. We were each carrying our own problems and so unfamiliar with love... Or maybe our problems were caused by a lack of understanding on that topic to begin with. If, in spite of Major, you felt loved by the rest of your family then maybe we wouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. Maybe if I had my parents from the start this life we're living currently would be unthinkable and you and I would be at each other's throats fighting a proxy war. I know we've had rough patches in our life prior to meeting each other but, in a way, I'm also kinda glad that's the case. Glad because it meant I got to really discover whatever love actually is with a person like you. Sure I loved Appa before that but that was still in its infancy. Familial love due to a sense of obligation, even if I actually wanted to feel that way, wasn't the same feeling I had when I fell in love with you back in that hotel. To feel love and, later on when we kissed for the first time, to feel loved... I owe all of that to you and there is not a single other person I would have rather experienced it all with. That's why, Enyo..." Ares got down on knee while tapping the floor with his hands. A bunch of small Beads rose up into the sky just beyond the perimeter of the sect and, though barely visible, the shape they formed after exploding was very clear even from here. Due to their positioning there probably wasn't a single person in the entirety of Red Sun that couldn't see the words lighting up the night sky. Of course some would see it backwards thanks to their perspective but that didn't really matter because the one person Ares wanted to actually see it properly, could. The small sentence the explosions formed, consisting of four meticulously shaped words, was identical to the words that left Ares mouth next.

"... Will you marry me?" In his hands appeared a small box that he'd been keeping in the Primordial Blade for a while now. He opened it and a small red glimmer was the first thing that jumped out at Enyo. It was an oddly beautiful shade of red that drew Enyo in but she wasn't quite sure what it was. The engagement ring was self-explanatory in comparison as it was yellow gold with a few small diamonds embedded in it on one side. The ring was thin but didn't form a complete circle. Near where the diamonds were located the ring curved inwards on one side and outwards on the other, forming a small gap where a piece of glass resided in the middle, filling said gap. Inside that glass was whatever deep red object Enyo had been staring at in confusion for a while now.

Enyo shook her head and came to her senses. She could ask what that thing was in a minute, right now she had to give a response. "Yes. Of course the answer is yes, Ares. I will happily marry you."

Ares stood up with a smile and hugged Enyo who reciprocated the gesture. A few seconds later he moved back and sheepishly gave Enyo the ring by putting it on her outstretched finger. "So, uh, about the ring... You've probably noticed that red thing and you can tell it's not a jewel... Kinda? See there's this old acquaintance of mine in town who works as a jeweller and she has an incredible unique art that can turn ordinary objects into gems. The structure of the object becomes more sturdy and shiny, and it can therefore be used as an accessory. I'll be honest, in hindsight, I don't know if I went too far with this or not so please tell me if you think it's weird, I'll understand and get it replaced immediately... As for what it was I had turned into a gem... That's a piece of my heart. I cut it out and engraved it with a rune. If you touch the glass it ought to be warm and you can feel my heartbeat in real time wherever you are, no matter the distance, thanks to some nothingness magic... I can also feel your hand when you touch it. Again, if that's weird, and having my heart on you creeps you out, I would totally get it... I just thought it was symbolic and didn't really give it any deeper consideration about how strange it would be from an outside perspective... Sorry... I just..."

Enyo shut Ares' rambling mouth up by kissing him passionately. She had already put the ring on and kept stroking the glass with her thumb. She could feel his heartbeat quicken as her lips assailed his and that made her unreasonably happy. Maybe the gift was weird. Maybe it was too much. But Enyo was so deeply in love with Ares that a ring like this was actually perfect. She owned his heart and could be with him no matter the distance. His presence would always be there to reassure her and that was precious in a way that Enyo couldn't describe. Plus, Enyo knew Ares had been cutting his heart out and experimenting with it for a while now... He'd joked a couple times about how much it hurt but yet he kept doing it all for this? To prove, without a shadow of a doubt, to everyone how important Enyo was? Forget getting it replaced, this was now Enyo's most cherished item. More so than her shield or her armour or anything else she'd ever owned. This was a keepsake she would fight to the death over if need be. She parted her lips from his and smiled radiantly.

A smile this pure was fairly rare from Enyo, and Ares himself had only seen it a couple of times but it was always brilliant enough to make his heart go ballistic with love. He sighed in relief but it was a shaky sigh. He'd clearly been fretting over this for a while now so to receive Enyo's gorgeous smile, the most positive reception he could think of, was all he needed to calm himself and feel reassured he'd done the right thing. Enyo was still giddy and staring at the ring, sniffling a few times as she draped her palm over it and closed her eyes. Seeing Enyo like this brought immeasurable joy to Ares who wanted nothing more than for Enyo to be a happy woman... But that wasn't the only thing he felt. Ares couldn't resist kissing her again, this time using his tongue and being more aggressive. The sight of his engagement ring on her finger... Ares was being driven wild by his lust and he was getting more and more excited the longer he kissed her. Ares restrained himself and stopped to pick Enyo up before Shifting back to the house. He kicked the door to their room open and gently placed Enyo on the bed before turning around and shutting the door, locking it too for good measure. Magic was used to set up a barrier that would prevent any noise from escaping and now the night's main event was finally starting. Ares saw the sight of his glamorously dressed wife laying on her back, panting as her chest heaved and her face became flushed. He saw her wet eyes and and the thumb that was still caressing the ring... Ares didn't know if he was being teased or not but there was one thing he knew for certain. This woman was not prepared for the animalistic fire burning within him. Ares was going to ravish her thoroughly until he'd etched his existence into her soul, and then he would ravish her more for no other reason than to watch her squirm. Enyo had made a serious mistake tonight. She had fully awoken the sleeping beast within Ares and now she was going to have to bare the full brunt of him and his desires.