"Hercules, I'm glad you're here," said Peleus, "Obviously you got my message. Please, come inside. Your friend too." Hercules and Iolaus followed the older man into the house. "Thank you," said Hercules,"By the way this is Iolaus." Peleus looked at Iolaus. "Well," he said,"Any friend of Hercules is a friend of mine." "Thank you," Iolaus said.
"Peleus," said Hercules,"What's all this about?" "It's my daughter, Hercules," said Peleus. "Rhianna?" said Hercules,"Is she alright? What happened to her?" "I'm afraid she's run off," Peleus told him. "Run off?" said Herc,"Where to?" "It's sort of a long story really," Peleus began,"But I know that she's been spending a lot of time at the temple of Ares."
"Temple of Ares?" Herc and Iolaus said in unison. "Why would she want to go and do a thing like that?" Iolaus wondered. "I haven't the faintest idea," Peleus said,"though I wish I did. Hercules, is there anything you can do?" Hercules looked at Peleus. He could see how desperate the man was to have his daughter back. "i'm not going to make any promises," Herc said,"But I will talk to her. Maybe I can convince her to come home."
"Oh, thank you, Hercules," said Peleus,"You don't know what this means to me. I've already lost both of my sons to that blood thirsty god. I couldn't bare it if I lost my daughter as well." "Well, don't thank me yet," Herc said,"I haven't done anything."
Hercules and Iolaus left the house and headed off toward the temple of Ares. "So, Herc," said Iolaus,"Do you really think you can talk this girl into going back to her father?" "I don't know, iolaus," Herc said,"I've known Rhianna since she was a child and I know that once she sets her mind on something there's usually nothing anyone can do to change it." "Well, that's reassuring," said Iolaus.
Hercules and Iolaus could see the temple up ahead now. Cautiously they approached the massive stone structure. Outside they saw small groups of priestesses engaged in mock combat on the practice field. And there on the sidelines, overseeing all of it, stood the god of war himself.
"I never realized Ares had so many priestesses," Iolaus said,"How are we going to find Rhianna in all of this?" Hercules didn't respond right away. He was too busy scanning the faces of the priestesses for one he recognized. "There she is," Herc said. Iolaus looked in the direction Herc pointed.
There, standing beside Ares, was a young woman of surpassing beauty. She had long light brown hair and bright blue eyes set in a face as fair as any he had ever seen. "She's beautiful," said Iolaus. "She certainly is," Hercules agreed, "Come on."
The two of them approached the war god and the lovely young priestess. Ares saw them. "Hercules," he said,"What are you doing here?" Hercules looked at his half-brother. "I've come for Rhianna," he said simply. "Have you now?" said Ares. Hercules said nothing. "Rhianna stays here," Ares said. "Don't you think that's up to her to decide?" Herc said.
"Of course," said Ares his eyes never leaving Herc's face,"Rhianna, Hercules wants you to go with him." "I'm not going anywhere with him," she said as she turned and walked away. "Looks like she's staying," said Ares. "We'll just see about that," said Hercules. He went after Rhianna.
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Hercules found Rhianna in the temple gardens. She was standing by the waterfall gazing into the crystal blue water. "Rhianna," said Hercules. "Go away, Hercules," she said. "Rhianna, I just want to talk to you," he said. Rhianna turned to face him. "My father sent you, didn't he?" she said. "Yes, as a matter of fact he did," Hercules said. "I'm not going back there, Hercules," Rhianna said,"And you can't make me."
"You're right, I can't," said Hercules,"But at least tell me why you left." Rhianna sat down on a large rock near the water's edge. Hercules sat beside her. "I left because my father was trying to marry me off to some farm boy from our village," Rhianna said,"I'm not ready to get married. And even if I were I wouldn't marry someone my father chose for me. I want to get married because I'm in love. Not because my father feels it's nessesary."
"And that's why you decided to run away from home?" Hercules said. "That's only part of it," Rhianna said,"Father just doesn't understand that I'm not a little girl anymore. He's always treating me as if I'm a child. He doesn't realize that I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
"Let me get this straight," said Hercules,"Because your father still thinks of you as his little girl you decided to run off and become a priestess of Ares?" "That isn't why I became a priestess, Hercules," she said. "Then why, Rhianna?" he asked,"Why would you choose to follow a blood-thirsty god like Ares?" "Hercules, Ares isn't like that," Rhianna said. She stood up and walked over to a nearby tree.
Hercules laughed. "You don't know him very well," he said. "And you do?" said Rhianna. "Well, he is my brother," Herc replied. "Look, I know you and Ares aren't exactly the best of friends," Rhianna began. "That's an understatement," Herc interrupted. "But you don't know his other side," she continued ignoring Herc's remark,"He can be really sweet when he wants to. And he's so caring. I love him, Hercules, and I know that he loves me too."
"Wait a minute," Hercules said,"Are we talking about the same Ares?" Rhianna gave him a dirty look as she leaned back against the tree. "Rhianna, can't you see what Ares is doing to you?" Hercules said walking over to her,"He's got you convinced that he cares about you when all he really cares about is himself." "That's not true!" Rhianna said,"He does love me! He told me so himself." "He lied to you, Rhianna,"Herc said,"Ares doesn't love anyone. If you believe him you're only fooling yourself." "I don't have to listen to this," she said walking away from him again.
"Rhianna!" Hercules called but she pretended not to hear. Hercules went after her. He followed her down a winding path which led deeper into the gardens. But Rhianna, having spent much of her time here lately, knew the gardens much better than he did and she quickly lost him. "Rhianna!" Herc called to her again. But weather she heard him or not he didn't know.
He turned around and headed back the way he came. Ahead of him on the main path Hercules found Iolaus flirtting with one of the other priestesses. "Iolaus!" Herc called. Iolaus turned around and seeing Hercules walked over to him. "Hey, Herc," said Iolaus,"Did you find Rhianna?" "Yeah," said Hercules. "You don't sound too happy about it," Iolaus said. Hercules looked at his friend. "I'm not, Iolaus," he said.
"What happened?" Iolaus wondered. "Well, I tried to talk to her," Herc began,"But she wouldn't listen." "Did you really expect her to?" said Iolaus. "No, I guess not," Herc said,"But I also didn't expect her to be so blind that she can't see what Ares is doing to her. He's got her convinced that he loves her." "Love? Ares?" said Iolaus,"He doesn't know the meaning of the word."
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Meanwhile:
Rhianna stood alone in a secluded part of the gardens thinking about what Hercules had said to her. "There you, Rhianna," said a familiar voice. Rhianna turned around to see Ares standing there. "Ares," she said. She put her arms around him and the war god slipped his strong arms around her slender waist pulling her closer in a passionate kiss.
"Ares, I'm so glad you're here," she said,"Hercules wants to take be back to my father." "I know," said Ares,"But you won't go, will you." It was not a question. It was a statement. Rhianna looked up into his beautiful deep brown eyes. "No, of course not," she said,"I want to stay here with you."
Ares smiled at her. "Then stay, Rhianna," he said," and don't worry about Hercules. I'll take care of him." Rhianna took a step back. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" she asked. "Hurt my half-brother?" Ares said,"I wouldn't dream of it." Rhianna raised an eyebrow at him. "Come on, Ares," she said, "I know you better than that." Ares smiled again. "I told you I'll take care of it," he said. And in a flash of blue-white light Ares was gone.
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