Summary: This is a melancholy, brooding piece that offers a unique insight into the mind of a lonely God of War, many years after the death of the Warrior Princess.
Valentine's Enemy: A Vignette
Everybody knows the story of Valentines Day, of the Bishop of
Interamna, Valentine, who defied the then Emporer Cladius II, marrying
lovers, when Cladius had outlawed the practice. But that was not the
whole story. Most say Cladius II was insane with the desire to conquer
and demanded more soldiers; banishing marriage to this end, as to keep
his army without families to destract them from war.
But there was no madness in Cladius II, only a God wispering in his ear.
Mars, Roman God of War had never much cared for marriage. His own
parents, known now as Jupiter and Juno, were married, and his father
continually cheated, his mother resigning herself to cursing the women
and their offspring that resulted from Jupiter's infidelity.
The Godess Venus, his current lover was good for a roll in the hay, but
her incessant talk of Love only sought to remind him of what he did not
have, and had not had for over two centuries. Personally, he despised
her, always had, but their association was quite politically profitable
on Olympus, so he played the game well, pretending to care a damn about
their relationship, and pleasing her enough to stay in her bed and her
good graces. Besides, she knew he didn't love her. She was the Godess
of Love, and so she needed a handsome consort for her image in the
increasingly patriarchial Roman world. He provided that for her. He was
using her; she was using him. And part of him hated it, hated her, the
Godess of Love for abandoning him, letting his only true love wither
and die, like all mortals did. Venus, then Aprodite, had known his
suffering, his pride forcing him to do nothing, and yet she would not
intervene either.
As always, the only calm he found was the knowledge that now his love
resided in the Elysian Fields, happy, nolonger burdened by what she
considered her evil past. She rested with heros, his Destroyer of
Nations. He wasn't allowed in the Elysian Fields, Hades made sure of
that, and even if he was to go there, defy his uncle and his father, he
knew she wouldn't be the same. She was now a shade, and therefore dumb
as a post, for with the resting of the soul, came the dispersement of
all cares, all knowledge, even ones own name. But even if she wouldn't
remember, he'd never forget it.
"Xena!" he wispered in awe. Even her name was enough to conjure up memories, bittersweet though they were.
He often wondered, had he ever loved her before he lost her that first
time to his meddlesome half brother of his, Hercules. Before she had
met him, she was just a great warlord, the best of her generation. She
was a beautiful woman, but the world and Olympus was filled with
beautiful women. Before she had turned good, she had meant very little
to him. But it took loosing her to realize what she had meant, and then
his pride had kicked in, a defense against his feelings. He had plagued
her, tried to have her executed, turned insane, and persecuted her for
the rest of her days on Earth. And still, she never had returned to
him. But she had saved his Godhood twice and helped in defeating Dahok
and Callisto, the two greatest threats to face the Olympian Gods since
the day of the Titans. She had been remarkable! And again, at the age
of 54, she had left him, this time for good.
And that bitch Venus had been there at that battle, when that damned
blade had run her threw, killing the only love he, the God of War would
ever know. And Venus had done nothing to save her, just stood by, not
wanting to dirty her hands on mortal blood! She had let his Xena die,
and when he had asked her about it, once Hermes had delivered the
message from Hades, all she said was 'You never asked to save her."
They say he'd attacked the Bitch at that point. Mars couldn't remember.
He was numb for four decades, four decades in which Greece had been
replaced by Rome as the strongest power, and his name had been changed
by the mortals. In truth Mars never had existed; Ares had died that day
with Xena. Now he was just a shell. He loved war now because of the way
it broke lovers apart, but his true appreciation of the beauty behind
it was lost with his given name.
He wispered into the mind of the current Emporer Cladius II, promising
him great power if he did away with marriage, rationalized it to the
weak willed mortal! Venus would pay! She, loosing her power base of
marriage, no one would worship her without fear for their lives. She
would wither, though she would never die, and she would be miserable!
As miserable as he was now!
He even came out that February day in 270AD, to watch the monk stoned,
clubbed, and decapitated. This man was of another one God religion, and
beside that, he sought to give to others what the true Gods were denied
themselves. He was also most favored by the weakening Venus. As then
bishop's head was seperated from his body, Mars thought of Xena again
and wept bitter tears.
The End
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. aeverett[at]angelfire.com
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