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scifi_rewatchThis is only the second time we’ve seen Ares on “Xena,” but oh boy, isn’t he a card? I love how he toys with Kirilus—that dude seems like everything a bloodthirsty, Ares-worshipping warlord should be, but Ares wants more. He wants that spark that Xena provides. She’s more than just a thug—she has passion. And at one time, it was for world denomination. The relationship between Xena and Ares is a favorite in fandom, no doubt because of Lucy and Kevin’s great chemistry. And I say this as a subtexter! :P
Enjoyable episode over all. Nice to see that Xena isn’t completely “cured” of dark impulses, especially where familial relationships are concerned. They did a good job setting up that long-lost reunion, given their time constraints. Don’t expect this to be the last time we hear about this particular family member, either! *whistles* :P
The goon warlord named Kirilus is locking up female prisoners from a recent raid, of course taking the time to make a lewd comment. Inside his tent, Ares appears in a cape! After commending the warlord for turning a bunch of thieves into a workable army, he tells him “it’s time for you to move on. I’ve found your replacement.” A-whaa? Kirilus goes like, what have I done that’s displeasing to you? and Ares launches into his “fire in the eyes”/ “born for greatness” spiel. Kirilus tries to laugh off the choice being Xena, but he’d best watch his back!
Xena and Gabrielle are in fact on the scene, high in a tree, assessing how best to help the slave girls. They’re still trying to figure out how to down 20 guards when a man in a tattered hood rushes in, fighting the enemy! Xena flips in to help. The goons are downed but the man is hurt. Gabrielle climbs down the tree to help. The white-haired man grumbles about having been a warrior longer than Xena was alive, but she still feels the need to chastise him for his foolish rescue attempt. As Gabrielle calls Xena by her name, however, the man changes moods quickly. He says he’s her father! :-O
Gabs is elated, Xena is skeptical and the man introduces himself as Atrius. Xena states her father only cared about himself, not slave girls. Atrius is incredulous, but Xena re-focuses on the ladies. She fights the goons guarding the slave pen while Gabs gets the girls out after struggling a bit with unlocking the door. But as the girls clamor towards freedom, one runs away from the pack! Gabs runs after her, leaving Xena to run after them. In the woods, Gabby and the runaway girl are in trouble from a goon, but Atrius comes to the rescue! Xena makes it in time to watch, but she’s still wary.
She tells Gabs and Atrius the plan is to take the girls home to their village, Locia, and then they’ll fight Kirilus. She tries to get rid of Atrius with a formal thank you for helping them out, but explodes in frustration as he continues to push the point that he’s her father. He says he wants to help, but she wants him gone.
Kirilus is plotting with his men how to cut Xena off when Ares returns to mock him for his loss. The general insists everything is under his control, but Ares is still keen that Xena will be his replacement. After the god leaves him, Kirilus meets with a trigger-happy goon named Tarkus with orders to kill Xena. Uh-oh.
As they rest for the night, Gabrielle tries to bond with the girl who tried to run; her name is Rhea. Rhea is ashamed to go back home; she volunteered to become a slave when Kirilus came to Locia. Gabrielle insists that it’s not her fault. Later, Gabs approaches Xena as she watches the women freshen up in a stream. She gently breaches the subject about Xena’s father; the warrior princess says he left when she was little, never to be seen again, “and that’s fine by me.” But she does have one, good memory—she was very young, and she’d stand close while her father rode his horse so that he could swoop her up as he passed. Lucy’s nostalgic face is flawless. “I thought he was the greatest man in the world.”
…the greatest man in the world might be here now, calling to Xena as goons pursue him. They say he stole their horse! As the goons aim bows and arrows at him, Xena’s chakram foils their plans, and then she flips from Argo to fight them off. Xena, again, is chastising, and Atrius plays the bemused-father trick. So Xena wants to check on his story about the stable-owner owing him? “Just like your mother. Why won’t you trust me?” :P But he follows this with remembering how he used to lift her onto his horse, a la Xena’s story to Gab! :-O The Warrior Princess’s composure is falling. (Oh, and by the way, he was telling the truth about the horse. :P But all Xena concedes to Gabrielle is that she knows he’s not a liar in that regard.)
As the party nears Locia Xena hangs with Atrius near the front, leaving Gabs to tag along with Rhea at the rear. Rhea still plans to veer off, but if Gabs finds her younger sister Areliesa, tell her not to feel bad. The goons were apparently going after Areleisa (who is engaged to be married) when Rhea stepped in to save her. She’s the “Xenaverse” Katniss Everdeen! Gabrielle tries to assure Rhea that the villagers can’t blame her for what she did. Rhea is still skeptical but Gabs is insistent: “Kirlilus’s men wanted to ruin your life. Now if you don’t go home, they’ve won.” …Gabs should go into a therapy career!
At the front, Atrius is humming a tune that Xena recognizes. The warrior princess is a bit unarmed so he tells her why he left: “I thought I was missing out on something. I convinced myself that true happiness lay somewhere just over that next hill. The problem is, the hills never ended.” Atrius calls his wife, Cyrene, “stubborn,” and Xena counteracts with “strong,” but not in a defensive way. She smiles a little! They admit that they miss those days, but Xena isn’t ready to confide in him now. Anyway, they’re interrupted by arrows with colorful feathers flying! Xena tells the girls to take cover and they run. Tarkus is shooting from an oral blowgun, which Xena blows into from the other end, destroying it. She tells him to tell Kirilus that she’s not so easy to kill. She walks away, but Gabs is watching from nearby cover. Atrius approaches Tarkus..and although the man is surrendering, Atrius kills him! :-O Gabs is stunned.
Gabs, of course, being a blabbermouth, immediately goes to tell Xena. :P At least she does it to Atrius’s face. But Atrius is defensive—Tarkus had a dagger, and he can prove it! Gabs is uncertain; she didn’t see that before. Xena assures her that they all make mistakes. Atrius stays back to talk to the babbling bard, assuring her he’ll be moving on soon. But a remorseful Gabs isn’t so sure he should go, being Xeen’s father and all. But oh no—Atrius says. Xena/Gabby are a team. “As long as the two of you are together—as you should be—there’s just no place for me.” Hint hint. :P Atrius leaves her alone with her thoughts, and Rhea approaches. Gabs wants to know, again, why Rhea did what she did. “She deserved to be with her husband,” Rhea answers. “I had to leave—so she could be happy.” Oh, show. A bit heavy-handed, really. :P
Later she approaches Xena with the idea that she can take the girls to Locia herself, leaving the warrior princess to bond with daddy. Xena senses there might be more to what Gabs is saying, but the bard denies it. She says goodbye…like maybe she’s planning on not coming back…
So Gabs leads the girls home, but we see a lot of shots of them through the trees, like they’re being watched. Uh oh… I see Kirilus and co…
Xena confronts Atrius with the difficult truth—if he’s going to be around again, he deserves to know that she’s done some terrible things in her past. Atrius brushes it off—“what’s past is past.” Let’s focus on the future…and remember that no matter what happened, she’s a great woman today. Xena appareas comforted; Lucy’s face is incredible.
But no time to bask in the glory! Goons are chasing them, but they come across Argo alone! Suddenly Xena and Atrius are swinging from the trees, knocking the goons from their saddles. Father and daughter fight them, and then Xena puts the pinch on one. He lets them know that Kirilus and army are headed to Locia to ambush them. Of course, Xena is heading there cos of Gabby. Atrius insists on tagging along, particularly because he has things to repent involving hurting the Locia folks. Oh dear. They decide to go together.
The Locia people are attempting to organize a militia to fight off Kirilus. Gabs could help with that! But she’s more focused, at present, on Rhea’s problems. Areleisa and her fiancé are nothing but grateful for her sacrifice and thrilled that she’s back. Aaaw. Tender family moments when Rhea’s shame is filled with the knowledge that they owe her their happiness. Meanwhile, she has Gabs to thank for getting her to come back, but Gabs says “just know you did the right thing.”
Ares appears in Kirilus’s mirror as the general prepares for battle. He’s pretty pleased with himself—“you can watch my army dispose of Xena.” But Ares is still not impressed. Xena rides freely through his men. “And you should hear the things she says about you.” “I’ll cut out her tongue!” Kirilus snarls. Gotta find her first, Ares chuckles. Kirilus seems primed to do just that.
Xena and Atrius have made it into Locia, where the villagers recognize Daddy. He razed their village! They seize him, upsetting Xena. She and Daddy are here to help! But the villagers are hellbent on revenge—and Atrius tricked them into believing they were allies once before. Atrius, for his part, implores his daughter to let him go willingly to make amends. “They won’t listen to you, Xena. They’re too angry.” So Xena strikes a deal to stop the army in exchange for Daddy’s life.
“Xenaverse” war music plays as she rides to Kirilus’s camp. They smack talk for a bit, ending with Xena promising she’ll take his army. They fight; Kirilius is downed, but once Xena’s back is turned he lets loose a secret dagger! Xena catches it, and then beats the former general more brutally this time. The army is hers! They cry out her name as she leads them away.
Ares approaches Kirilus on the ground. Kirilus admits defeat, but Ares says no; “you succeeded far beyond my wildest expectations.” Xena has taken back an army, and it never would have happened if Kirilus didn’t “play [his] part to perfection.” So you used me?? An angry Kirilus asks. “I was nothing but a tool to get her back?” Ares assures him that he’s grateful. Kirilus spits that he’ll never get her back, but Ares disagrees: “this time, I hold all the cards.” Hmmm. What could that mean?
Things already seem to be going his way in Locia. As Xena and her new army approach, they see her father strung out between stakes. The warrior princess’s motives abruptly change to “TAKE THE VILLAGE!” Oh no…Xena the conqueror is back! So they ride in, sending people screaming as they attack. Gabrielle is watching Xena in utter disbelief, but then she, along with other women, are taken hostage again. Xena rides up to Atrius to cut him down and carries him, stone-faced, to the villagers. Who did this?! One of the villagers say it’s his fault for attempting to run. Atrius, meanwhile, isn’t doing so well. He speaks weakly: “I’m dying. They did this to me. All I wanted—was to be with you.” Xena’s wrath is renewed. “Kill them all!” Gabrielle desperately escapes to confront her friend. Xena flickers uncertainly for a moment, but “they killed my father. Now they’ll die, too. Get out of my way.” Gabs has grabbed a pitchfork and bars the way: “Look at me! I’m standing up to a murderous warlord like I saw you do…but this time, the warlord is you!” Xena shoves her aside, but then Gabs knocks her out from behind. Takes guts…but when Xena stands, she seems dazed and confused.
Not-dead Atrius tries to reach her again: “Where’s your anger, Xena? Look at what they’ve done to me. Don’t you want to strike them down? Of course you do! Come, join me! We’ll kill them all!” His voice is getting stronger and more angry, and Xena’s not falling for it anymore. When Atrius tells her to use Kirilus’s army to fight for him, she gets the full picture. “Ares,” she calls him out. And Atrius morphs into the god of war! As everyone gasps at this revelation, Ares reveals his master plan: “I thought about it for a long time. What could I do to win you back? Money? Power? What was your weakness? Then it came to me—Daddy!” Kevin’s execution is glorious. He continues on about how Xena was doing everything he wanted, so long as “Atrius” was around. That charade is over, but her army is still here! “It feels good, doesn’t it? Leading an army into battle for the glory of Ares.” Xena blows him off—she’s not coming back to him. “I know what’s in your heart,” Ares counters. “There’s a reason I play the part of Atrius so well.” “You’re not my father,” Xena scoffs. “What is a father, Xena? A man who guides you, who teaches you how to live your life.” Deep stuff. For added emphasis, Ares morphs back into Atrius. But Xena fights him—rather crazy since he’s the god of war, and for the first time we get to see her beaten down. Ares is growing out of patience, too. “Join me—or die.” Xena tells him to go ahead and kill her, while Gabs protests from the sidelines. But it seems good, ol’ Ares was bluffing: he ends with his usual “you could’ve had it all” and disappearing with “until next time.”
Later, Xena and Gabrielle prepare to leave Locia. And not for the first time, Xena tells her that “our friendship binds us closer than blood ever could.” Aaaw. Never get tired of hearing it, especially when Xena has to contend with her not-sorta-father coming back. She also commends Gabs for her pitchfork-swinging ways. :P Hee.
The disclaimer is No fathers, spiritual or biological, were harmed during the production of this motion picture. Only the daughters, it looks like. :-/
So yeah, nice episode! I enjoyed the Rhea plotline, too; was a touching look at debt, sacrifice and the strength of familial ties. And like Xena, Rhea had to bare her sins in front of loved ones. It had to be a trying day for our warrior princess, gaining and losing a long-lost father in one fell swoop. Though it certainly shed a light on the…paternal..nature of her relationship with Ares. Here is a “man” (so to speak) who has guided her as an adult, not just a child. Right now they seem stuck in a holding pattern of him trying to win her back/her resisting, but perhaps there will soon be something new up Ares’s sleeve! He certainly has the mischievous personality for it. :P
___
Enjoyable episode over all. Nice to see that Xena isn’t completely “cured” of dark impulses, especially where familial relationships are concerned. They did a good job setting up that long-lost reunion, given their time constraints. Don’t expect this to be the last time we hear about this particular family member, either! *whistles* :P
The goon warlord named Kirilus is locking up female prisoners from a recent raid, of course taking the time to make a lewd comment. Inside his tent, Ares appears in a cape! After commending the warlord for turning a bunch of thieves into a workable army, he tells him “it’s time for you to move on. I’ve found your replacement.” A-whaa? Kirilus goes like, what have I done that’s displeasing to you? and Ares launches into his “fire in the eyes”/ “born for greatness” spiel. Kirilus tries to laugh off the choice being Xena, but he’d best watch his back!
Xena and Gabrielle are in fact on the scene, high in a tree, assessing how best to help the slave girls. They’re still trying to figure out how to down 20 guards when a man in a tattered hood rushes in, fighting the enemy! Xena flips in to help. The goons are downed but the man is hurt. Gabrielle climbs down the tree to help. The white-haired man grumbles about having been a warrior longer than Xena was alive, but she still feels the need to chastise him for his foolish rescue attempt. As Gabrielle calls Xena by her name, however, the man changes moods quickly. He says he’s her father! :-O
Gabs is elated, Xena is skeptical and the man introduces himself as Atrius. Xena states her father only cared about himself, not slave girls. Atrius is incredulous, but Xena re-focuses on the ladies. She fights the goons guarding the slave pen while Gabs gets the girls out after struggling a bit with unlocking the door. But as the girls clamor towards freedom, one runs away from the pack! Gabs runs after her, leaving Xena to run after them. In the woods, Gabby and the runaway girl are in trouble from a goon, but Atrius comes to the rescue! Xena makes it in time to watch, but she’s still wary.
She tells Gabs and Atrius the plan is to take the girls home to their village, Locia, and then they’ll fight Kirilus. She tries to get rid of Atrius with a formal thank you for helping them out, but explodes in frustration as he continues to push the point that he’s her father. He says he wants to help, but she wants him gone.
Kirilus is plotting with his men how to cut Xena off when Ares returns to mock him for his loss. The general insists everything is under his control, but Ares is still keen that Xena will be his replacement. After the god leaves him, Kirilus meets with a trigger-happy goon named Tarkus with orders to kill Xena. Uh-oh.
As they rest for the night, Gabrielle tries to bond with the girl who tried to run; her name is Rhea. Rhea is ashamed to go back home; she volunteered to become a slave when Kirilus came to Locia. Gabrielle insists that it’s not her fault. Later, Gabs approaches Xena as she watches the women freshen up in a stream. She gently breaches the subject about Xena’s father; the warrior princess says he left when she was little, never to be seen again, “and that’s fine by me.” But she does have one, good memory—she was very young, and she’d stand close while her father rode his horse so that he could swoop her up as he passed. Lucy’s nostalgic face is flawless. “I thought he was the greatest man in the world.”
…the greatest man in the world might be here now, calling to Xena as goons pursue him. They say he stole their horse! As the goons aim bows and arrows at him, Xena’s chakram foils their plans, and then she flips from Argo to fight them off. Xena, again, is chastising, and Atrius plays the bemused-father trick. So Xena wants to check on his story about the stable-owner owing him? “Just like your mother. Why won’t you trust me?” :P But he follows this with remembering how he used to lift her onto his horse, a la Xena’s story to Gab! :-O The Warrior Princess’s composure is falling. (Oh, and by the way, he was telling the truth about the horse. :P But all Xena concedes to Gabrielle is that she knows he’s not a liar in that regard.)
As the party nears Locia Xena hangs with Atrius near the front, leaving Gabs to tag along with Rhea at the rear. Rhea still plans to veer off, but if Gabs finds her younger sister Areliesa, tell her not to feel bad. The goons were apparently going after Areleisa (who is engaged to be married) when Rhea stepped in to save her. She’s the “Xenaverse” Katniss Everdeen! Gabrielle tries to assure Rhea that the villagers can’t blame her for what she did. Rhea is still skeptical but Gabs is insistent: “Kirlilus’s men wanted to ruin your life. Now if you don’t go home, they’ve won.” …Gabs should go into a therapy career!
At the front, Atrius is humming a tune that Xena recognizes. The warrior princess is a bit unarmed so he tells her why he left: “I thought I was missing out on something. I convinced myself that true happiness lay somewhere just over that next hill. The problem is, the hills never ended.” Atrius calls his wife, Cyrene, “stubborn,” and Xena counteracts with “strong,” but not in a defensive way. She smiles a little! They admit that they miss those days, but Xena isn’t ready to confide in him now. Anyway, they’re interrupted by arrows with colorful feathers flying! Xena tells the girls to take cover and they run. Tarkus is shooting from an oral blowgun, which Xena blows into from the other end, destroying it. She tells him to tell Kirilus that she’s not so easy to kill. She walks away, but Gabs is watching from nearby cover. Atrius approaches Tarkus..and although the man is surrendering, Atrius kills him! :-O Gabs is stunned.
Gabs, of course, being a blabbermouth, immediately goes to tell Xena. :P At least she does it to Atrius’s face. But Atrius is defensive—Tarkus had a dagger, and he can prove it! Gabs is uncertain; she didn’t see that before. Xena assures her that they all make mistakes. Atrius stays back to talk to the babbling bard, assuring her he’ll be moving on soon. But a remorseful Gabs isn’t so sure he should go, being Xeen’s father and all. But oh no—Atrius says. Xena/Gabby are a team. “As long as the two of you are together—as you should be—there’s just no place for me.” Hint hint. :P Atrius leaves her alone with her thoughts, and Rhea approaches. Gabs wants to know, again, why Rhea did what she did. “She deserved to be with her husband,” Rhea answers. “I had to leave—so she could be happy.” Oh, show. A bit heavy-handed, really. :P
Later she approaches Xena with the idea that she can take the girls to Locia herself, leaving the warrior princess to bond with daddy. Xena senses there might be more to what Gabs is saying, but the bard denies it. She says goodbye…like maybe she’s planning on not coming back…
So Gabs leads the girls home, but we see a lot of shots of them through the trees, like they’re being watched. Uh oh… I see Kirilus and co…
Xena confronts Atrius with the difficult truth—if he’s going to be around again, he deserves to know that she’s done some terrible things in her past. Atrius brushes it off—“what’s past is past.” Let’s focus on the future…and remember that no matter what happened, she’s a great woman today. Xena appareas comforted; Lucy’s face is incredible.
But no time to bask in the glory! Goons are chasing them, but they come across Argo alone! Suddenly Xena and Atrius are swinging from the trees, knocking the goons from their saddles. Father and daughter fight them, and then Xena puts the pinch on one. He lets them know that Kirilus and army are headed to Locia to ambush them. Of course, Xena is heading there cos of Gabby. Atrius insists on tagging along, particularly because he has things to repent involving hurting the Locia folks. Oh dear. They decide to go together.
The Locia people are attempting to organize a militia to fight off Kirilus. Gabs could help with that! But she’s more focused, at present, on Rhea’s problems. Areleisa and her fiancé are nothing but grateful for her sacrifice and thrilled that she’s back. Aaaw. Tender family moments when Rhea’s shame is filled with the knowledge that they owe her their happiness. Meanwhile, she has Gabs to thank for getting her to come back, but Gabs says “just know you did the right thing.”
Ares appears in Kirilus’s mirror as the general prepares for battle. He’s pretty pleased with himself—“you can watch my army dispose of Xena.” But Ares is still not impressed. Xena rides freely through his men. “And you should hear the things she says about you.” “I’ll cut out her tongue!” Kirilus snarls. Gotta find her first, Ares chuckles. Kirilus seems primed to do just that.
Xena and Atrius have made it into Locia, where the villagers recognize Daddy. He razed their village! They seize him, upsetting Xena. She and Daddy are here to help! But the villagers are hellbent on revenge—and Atrius tricked them into believing they were allies once before. Atrius, for his part, implores his daughter to let him go willingly to make amends. “They won’t listen to you, Xena. They’re too angry.” So Xena strikes a deal to stop the army in exchange for Daddy’s life.
“Xenaverse” war music plays as she rides to Kirilus’s camp. They smack talk for a bit, ending with Xena promising she’ll take his army. They fight; Kirilius is downed, but once Xena’s back is turned he lets loose a secret dagger! Xena catches it, and then beats the former general more brutally this time. The army is hers! They cry out her name as she leads them away.
Ares approaches Kirilus on the ground. Kirilus admits defeat, but Ares says no; “you succeeded far beyond my wildest expectations.” Xena has taken back an army, and it never would have happened if Kirilus didn’t “play [his] part to perfection.” So you used me?? An angry Kirilus asks. “I was nothing but a tool to get her back?” Ares assures him that he’s grateful. Kirilus spits that he’ll never get her back, but Ares disagrees: “this time, I hold all the cards.” Hmmm. What could that mean?
Things already seem to be going his way in Locia. As Xena and her new army approach, they see her father strung out between stakes. The warrior princess’s motives abruptly change to “TAKE THE VILLAGE!” Oh no…Xena the conqueror is back! So they ride in, sending people screaming as they attack. Gabrielle is watching Xena in utter disbelief, but then she, along with other women, are taken hostage again. Xena rides up to Atrius to cut him down and carries him, stone-faced, to the villagers. Who did this?! One of the villagers say it’s his fault for attempting to run. Atrius, meanwhile, isn’t doing so well. He speaks weakly: “I’m dying. They did this to me. All I wanted—was to be with you.” Xena’s wrath is renewed. “Kill them all!” Gabrielle desperately escapes to confront her friend. Xena flickers uncertainly for a moment, but “they killed my father. Now they’ll die, too. Get out of my way.” Gabs has grabbed a pitchfork and bars the way: “Look at me! I’m standing up to a murderous warlord like I saw you do…but this time, the warlord is you!” Xena shoves her aside, but then Gabs knocks her out from behind. Takes guts…but when Xena stands, she seems dazed and confused.
Not-dead Atrius tries to reach her again: “Where’s your anger, Xena? Look at what they’ve done to me. Don’t you want to strike them down? Of course you do! Come, join me! We’ll kill them all!” His voice is getting stronger and more angry, and Xena’s not falling for it anymore. When Atrius tells her to use Kirilus’s army to fight for him, she gets the full picture. “Ares,” she calls him out. And Atrius morphs into the god of war! As everyone gasps at this revelation, Ares reveals his master plan: “I thought about it for a long time. What could I do to win you back? Money? Power? What was your weakness? Then it came to me—Daddy!” Kevin’s execution is glorious. He continues on about how Xena was doing everything he wanted, so long as “Atrius” was around. That charade is over, but her army is still here! “It feels good, doesn’t it? Leading an army into battle for the glory of Ares.” Xena blows him off—she’s not coming back to him. “I know what’s in your heart,” Ares counters. “There’s a reason I play the part of Atrius so well.” “You’re not my father,” Xena scoffs. “What is a father, Xena? A man who guides you, who teaches you how to live your life.” Deep stuff. For added emphasis, Ares morphs back into Atrius. But Xena fights him—rather crazy since he’s the god of war, and for the first time we get to see her beaten down. Ares is growing out of patience, too. “Join me—or die.” Xena tells him to go ahead and kill her, while Gabs protests from the sidelines. But it seems good, ol’ Ares was bluffing: he ends with his usual “you could’ve had it all” and disappearing with “until next time.”
Later, Xena and Gabrielle prepare to leave Locia. And not for the first time, Xena tells her that “our friendship binds us closer than blood ever could.” Aaaw. Never get tired of hearing it, especially when Xena has to contend with her not-sorta-father coming back. She also commends Gabs for her pitchfork-swinging ways. :P Hee.
The disclaimer is No fathers, spiritual or biological, were harmed during the production of this motion picture. Only the daughters, it looks like. :-/
So yeah, nice episode! I enjoyed the Rhea plotline, too; was a touching look at debt, sacrifice and the strength of familial ties. And like Xena, Rhea had to bare her sins in front of loved ones. It had to be a trying day for our warrior princess, gaining and losing a long-lost father in one fell swoop. Though it certainly shed a light on the…paternal..nature of her relationship with Ares. Here is a “man” (so to speak) who has guided her as an adult, not just a child. Right now they seem stuck in a holding pattern of him trying to win her back/her resisting, but perhaps there will soon be something new up Ares’s sleeve! He certainly has the mischievous personality for it. :P
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