"THE HELL WAS THAT PUNK?!" An angry Rhea stomped across the garden towards Ares who could do naught but smile wryly and accept his fate.


    "Uhh... A secret?"


    "Secret my ass! I want a proper answer damnit!"


    "I mean if you''re gonna beat it out of me and I have no choice then fine but it really is the kinda thing that''s best known by as few people as possible..."


    "How many other people know about it?"


    "Two."


    "... So you actually are being tight lipped with it then... Aw man now I''m curious. Can I please know? I mean what kinda trouble could I cause just knowing about it?"


    "Please recall what happened eighteen years ago when you blabbered a secret out loud before asking such a blatantly silly question!" Of all the people for Rhea to try and play this card on Ares was perhaps the worst possible candidate. It was her actions that put him in his position in the first place!


    Ack


    Rhea recoiled at the accusation that pierced her argument and skewered it for all to see. She was downtrodden but that quickly changed when Enyo sighed on the side and extended her mother an olive branch. "Ares, I think it''s fine if mum and Bellona know about this at least. Fate''s a twerp and Sadie gets a little too loose lipped when drunk for my liking, though, so they can kick rocks. Fate stuck her tongue out at Enyo and pranced her way inside the house and Sadie was about to refute Enyo when Rhea glared at her. Thus the matter was settled and the mother daughter trio huddled in the corner of the garden. Rhea created a dome of magic to prevent anyone from looking in and Ares whipped out the Blade. Before he could even start explaining Rhea could tell this thing was extraordinary. It just oozed an otherworldly power, one that she recognised as the aura that scared her out of her wits. Rather than give a long-winded explanation, Ares simply allowed them to touch it and see its history. In the mean time, while Bellona and Rhea were engrossed in the birth and downfall of a universe, Ares sent a mental connection to Enyo.


    [We should also tell Bellona about that. I don''t think its right to hide the full story from someone who''s going to be close to us in the future. I can make an exception for Aejaz, Appa, and so on, but I think not telling the wives, present and future, would seriously complicate the relationship in the long run. Obviously I''m not saying I should dump it on them the second we meet, and I have to be really careful with who I tell this to, but keeping that secret would likely ruin my relationship with at least one of the wives, I bet.]


    Enyo closed her eyes and thought for a moment. [You''re right. It''s a difficult decision, and things could go horribly wrong, but its a necessary step. If the truth turns anyone away then that''s just how it has to be. This isn''t something you can just not tell someone who falls in love with you about... I''m not worried about Bellona. She won''t care about this as much as I do. It''s everyone that comes after. I guess it''ll come down to trust in the end. We can worry about this whenever the third wife becomes relevant, for now we tell Bellona... Actually you shouldn''t be involved, I think. She might wonder why you''re telling her specifically but if I myself frame it as a thing she needs to know before becoming your wife then that would make more sense. Honestly this whole play pretend thing is annoying. I wish this stupid girl would just be honest so we can move on, but whatever.]


    [Ok, it''s settled then. After this I''ll go in and put up a disintegration barrier around Bellona''s room. You can put up a sound barrier and talk aloud but, just in case, I would recommend you talk with a mental connection.]


    [Alright.]


    As Enyo and Ares finished up their conversation, Bellona and Rhea returned from the Primordial Blade infomercial. Rhea was salivating as she eyed up the sword and Bellona was looking between Ares and Enyo while dumbly pointing at the weapon. Rhea eventually gave up with a strong sigh and a crestfallen face as it fully dawned on her that the sword was completely inaccessible to her. Even just needing to use the destruction pillar made it outright impossible to wield this thing, let alone the fact that it was her son-in-law''s personal treasure. Unless she was willing to kill her daughter''s husband, and her friend Calla''s son, then it was unobtainable for that reason too. Hell, Ares was a revenant so even that last point was debatable. Revenants had already figured out that some treasures, depending on how they were bound to the person, could be kept even after death. Items that merged with a revenant''s soul, for instance, would just never disappear. The Blade was likely similar in that regard. Of course Rhea would never kill Ares anyway but she did wish she could at least swing this thing one day. As for Bellona, she had a burning question that she needed the answer to she turned to Ares. "Please, for the love of all that is fucking holy, PLEASE, tell me that ISN''T where you store your damn kitchen!"


    "It is! It''s even got a neat ability that lets me speed up time somewhat so I can cook things quicker in there!" Ares returned his answer with a thumbs up and a bright smile and Bellona tackled the idiot milliseconds after he finished responding. She rolled on top of him and started choking him out.


    "Outrageous! Moron! I don''t even wanna know how many stupid things you''ve done with this treasure!"


    Ares thought it would be funny to struggle out of Bellona''s chokehold and mutter another example of his haphazard use of the Blade just to irk her some more. "Those skewers we had yesterday were cooked by one of the suns in that universe!"


    "BASTARD!" The roughhousing continued and the two rolled around playfully on the grass. Rhea couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of this as it was nice reassurance that they really got along with each other. She''d been somewhat worried that Bellona only cared about Ares for his magic but that didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Bellona!" Ares cried. "I''m not the pillow! Don''t put your hand there!" Ares'' joke caused Bellona to roll off him and put some distance between them the second he said it.


    "I did not!"


    "Did too!" Bellona, in fact, did not. That didn''t stop Ares from bickering with her, however. "Enyo, your sister is a perv!"


    Enyo just snorted. If anyone here was a perv, it was her. Bellona wasn''t going to steal that title from her no matter how hard she tried!... Not that she probably wanted it anyway. The fact that Enyo did, and was proud of it, was the real headscratcher. "Yes, well, there''s something us two perverts need to discuss in private. Come on sis''." Enyo dragged Bellona away and Ares went after them to put up the disintegration layer around the room. Once that was done Ares left Appa in the care of Rhea and went into the kitchen to start prepping some dinner. Rhea followed him in, though, as curiosity had gotten the better of her and she wanted to asked Ares a question.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, what kind of life have you lived? Where did you come back to life in this domain? Was it here in Red Sun?"


    Ares decided on what today''s dinner was going to be, Lancashire hotpot, and started bringing the ingredients out of the Primordial Blade as he answered Rhea. "Yeah, I was born here in Red Sun. I was ''taken in'' by a nearby clan that made me a slave. It wasn''t too bad, I mostly just cleaned up after everyone. Had to run away from a few of the nastier individuals though but most of them were idiots so that wasn''t particularly challenging. I spent about twelve years there before managing to get out, at which point I lived on the streets with Aejaz, my ''brother'', for six years. During that time I took up wet work with a guy that runs a part of this town called Hans. Afterwards I came here and attracted the attention of a very justice oriented individual and we happened to wind up on a mission together. We didn''t get along at first, not even remotely, but I liked her so I persevered and eventually managed to either drive her insane or make her feel sorry for me. I don''t know which one it was but it worked out somehow; and that''s about it really. Even despite being a fundamental champion I really haven''t lived an interesting life by any real metric. I guess having plans to explore this domain after the tournament will maybe spice things up a bit bur for now there''s not much going on."


    Rhea didn''t quite know how to respond to this because, even though Ares really didn''t seem to care, he''d technically been made a slave due to Rhea''s mistake. She felt guilty and deep down she was seriously worried Calla was going to go mental when she heard it. "The clan that enslaved you... Are they still around?"


    "Kind of. They''ve been losing members left and right for various reasons. Their reputation is abysmal so that drove a fair few away, plus I''ve killed more than just a handful myself. Most, if not all, of them are shady people so hits get put out for them on the regular. Their patriarch has a decent cultivation and ties to the mayor so he''s relatively safe but everyone else has to be cautious walking the streets. After I raise my cultivation a bit I''ll deal with the ones that are still remaining, however many or however few there are. The two people in the clan I had the biggest gripes with have already taken a permanent vacation to the underworld so I''m not really in any rush. The only person who might pose a threat to me currently is the patriarch but he rarely comes out and the chances of me running into him are low. The clan''s days are numbered so I''m a little concerned about what kind of drastic measures they may take but I have my own drastic measures in place if push comes to shove."


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Ah, if Calla finds out about this she is not going to be a happy camper. She''ll storm out of the party and go throttle them all then and there... She won''t listen to me, so I''m sorry to put this on you..."


    "That''s fine. I just wont mention it on the day because it''s an important day for Enyo and I and unnecessarily complicating it is pointless. Based on what you''ve told me about the kind of person Calla is, she''ll almost definitely ask for a rundown on my life... I guess I''ll just have to be upfront with her and tell her I''ll explain some other time."


    "Important day, huh..."


    "Mhm, I''m going to propose. It''s not a secret or anything, Enyo already knows."


    "Well, I give you my support and my permission. I would never have let someone who couldn''t make Enyo happy have her but you''ve already done that and then some. I almost couldn''t believe my eyes when I first saw how different she was... Even now it still hasn''t really hit home yet. From the bottom of my heart I am grateful and I hope you live a good life together as a married couple. Do you have any plans for the wedding? This should be obvious but I want to be there."


    "Naturally you will. Still, probably not for a while. There''s a lot going on right now and, although I have the means to earn a boatload of stardust, I can''t afford it currently. At least I can''t afford the kind of wedding I think Enyo deserves. Given our positions within our clans I''m sure stardust wouldn''t be an issue if I just brownnosed a little but I really want to pay for it myself. Maybe it''s just misplaced pride but, what can I say, that''s just how I want to go about it... I''m hesitant to ask this... But should I invite Major when the day comes around?"


    "Absolutely not. It''s selfish of me to make this decision on my own, I know, but I don''t want that evil man around my children anymore. I''ve been doing everything I can to separate them from him for good. To be honest, I don''t think Enyo would want him there as she is now anyway. All the better, I say. My disappointment in Major is immeasurable. He was a different man a long time ago but something changed within him and now he''s just irredeemable. Every time I learn about what he''s been up to it makes me sick. Not to mention there are some unsavoury rumours going around that he''s really crossed some kind of line recently. I don''t know the specifics but I wouldn''t be surprised if it were true. the man has become crazed and obsessed with his burning hatred for revenants but I don''t know why. Even in all the years I knew him he never explained it. That''s beside the point, though, the answer is a ''hell no''. He shouldn''t be invited and he shouldn''t even know about it. I wouldn''t put it past him to try and ruin the event so he''s best kept as far away from it as possible. To tell you the truth, I''ve been trying to distance myself from the Legion clan as a whole for a while now. There are some good people there, really, but most of them back home are stuck, attached to a damaging ideology that ruins them. Have you ever met Trew? At heart he''s not a bad kid, it''s just he''s so blinded by irrelevant bullshit that he became a piece of garbage. That''s the kind of person the Legion clan creates and I''m sick of it."


    "Ah, uh, not to be immodest or anything, but I''ve also fixed Trew..."


    "... Really? The hell? I''m tempted to drag you back home and force you to give sermons on the daily... Where even is Trew anyway?"


    "He showed up for the regionals but I had also run into him before that. His obsession with Enyo was getting on my nerves so I set him straight. He mellowed out and seemed to hit it off with some other girl and that was pretty much the last I saw of him. I would imagine he went back to his sect and kept training. I think he also mentioned briefly that he might show up for the international if he could make it to support Red Sun as a spectator."


    "The idea of Trew supporting anyone is pretty out there... Whatever, at least he''s over Enyo. Even if he hadn''t been so insufferable I never would have permitted a relationship between him and Enyo anyway. He just wasn''t anything special. As a cultivator or as a person. I know my daughters well and I know what kind of person they need in their lives to be fulfilled. It may sound arrogant but its true. Trew could never be that for Enyo in the way you are. Enyo needed someone free willed, someone who embodied the exact opposite ideals of the clan to help drag her out of that lifestyle. She would truly be miserable otherwise. But that''s Enyo, there''s also Bellona. I didn''t get to ask you earlier ''cos that stupid girl was around but be straight with me... Do you actually love her or are you just going along with it out of sympathy and expectations? I won''t be annoyed if that''s the case. I understand that she needs you more than you need her, and I still think this relationship is for the best for Bellona even if you don''t harbour any romantic feelings for her, I just want to know is all."


    Ares sighed deeply as he thought about how best to construct his answer to express himself clearly... Not that he was ever going to be able to accomplish such a thing. He had too many thoughts to simply respond with a yes or no and he was about to start babbling. "Do I love Bellona?... No? It''s harsh, and unfortunate, but true. I''m still not fully used to the idea of having more than one romantic relationship so I''m a little thrown off by everything. It''s complicated though. Love is a strong word. Just because I don''t ''love'' Bellona, that doesn''t mean I simply ''like'' her either. It''s somewhere in the middle... Affection, maybe? I guess what I''m trying to say is that love is in the cards, I''m just not there yet. Bellona is a wonderful woman and I''ve been trying to pay attention to her charms more lately so that my feelings for her can deepen in a natural way and it''s helping. I don''t know how long it will take for my opinion to change fully and reside firmly in the ''love'' category but it will happen; that much I can tell already. I will love her and not out of sense of duty or obligation but simply because she is the kind of woman I could absolutely picture myself falling in love with. If Enyo didn''t exist I almost definitely would have fallen for Bellona instead. So it''s not an issue with her or even really me, it''s just that enough time hasn''t passed yet. It doesn''t help that I have to avoid treating her the way I would if I didn''t have to prance around the topic; that really slows things down. Enyo''s been incredible throughout it all, mind you. She''s been acting as a middle-woman and trying to push things along. She''s part of the reason I''m as close to loving Bellona as I am. So my answer''s a bit all over the place and I''m sorry for that but, if I were to summarise it... I have the capacity to love Bellona. Part of me really wants to, I just literally can''t right now. I can''t because I still have to tend to Enyo first, that''s non-negotiable, and I can''t because Bellona herself is reluctant. Maybe I already do love Bellona and I just don''t realise it because I''m repressing the feeling until I can actually do something with the feeling other than sit on it. It''s a cop out to say ''I don''t know'' but I have so many conflicting thoughts about the matter that it jumbles and becomes an incoherent mess every time I try and decipher my feelings about her. Still, the one thing I know for sure is that she will be my wife and I will make every conceivable effort to make sure she feels loved. Bellona has it rough. Knowing that she can never be the favourite will not be easy no matter how she tries to pretend otherwise. It must sting, and I''m aware I''m responsible for that, which is why my only goal for her is to make her forget about it and just be happy alongside me. Love in this situation is more than just about being first or second, it''s about the feeling in the moment. I want to have those moments with her so she can understand that herself but, until I''m allowed to be romantic with her, its never going to happen. Recently I took Enyo up into the clouds at night and stared at the stars above with her. That is a moment neither of us will ever forget. It might sound rude but, in that moment, Bellona didn''t exist. It was just us and the warmth of each other''s lips. Bellona can have moments like that too. Moments in which it''s just us and Enyo doesn''t have to be relevant. I will not be thinking of Enyo when I kiss Bellona. If she really wants to be number one, deep in her heart, the only way is to admit it, come clean with me, and be open to progressing our relationship. During our day to day I can never put her above Enyo. I just can''t. But when we''re alone, when we''re out on a date, when we kiss, and when we make love she will have her wish and my undivided attention. In a way it''s ironic. She wants to love me so much she''s making it impossible for me to love her. The body pillow, joke aside, was an attempt at conveying that. She can show me all the subtle affection she wants but I can do nothing but act like an inanimate object for now. The more honest she is, the more she gets in return. I want to say all of this directly to her face but if she reacted negatively I would feel awful for jumping the gun. This has been a long, messy rant. It was all over the place with not a string of coherent thought to tie it together and barely any clarity to speak of. I know that, and I''m sorry to put the burden on you, but I hope you gleaned my intentions from it. I can''t put it into words in any other way. That''s my answer."


    "Mm, I think I get it. Or rather I had a feeling I knew it all from the start. Maybe that''s why I couldn''t help but get involved, that''s just the kind of person I am, after all..." Rhea walked out of the kitchen and returned a few seconds later carrying Bellona who had probably been eavesdropping around the corner. As if to confirm that suspicion, Enyo peeked her around the wall and gave a thumbs up before running away with Rhea in tow like the pranksters they were.


    Ares had been warned that Rhea was the type to act as a catalyst and propel relationships forward so this wasn''t too surprising. In fact he had a hunch that this was what she was plotting from the start so he went along with it because he agreed with her approach. He''d done the same thing for Li Li and Dirk and the only reason he wasn''t more straightforward with Bellona was because he was asked not to be. He could tell Bellona was nervous thanks to the bright red cheeks and her fidgety mannerisms. She had trouble looking him in the eye and kept returning her gaze back to the safety of the tiles on the kitchen floor every time she tried. Ares walked up to her and put her chin in his hand, raising it gently until she was looking toward him. "I have something I want to say to you but I can''t until you say that same thing to me first."


    Gulp


    Bellona meekly uttered "... No," before squirming and trying to look away again.


    "Say it."


    "... No."


    "Your stronger than me. You could have escaped and left by now if you actually wanted to. Say it."


    "No."


    Ares swept aside her hair and rested his palm on her cheek while moving closer. "Bellona, look me in the eyes and say it."


    "... I love you," Bellona muttered weakly.


    "No." Ares shook his head. "Look me in the eyes when you say it, and say it properly."


    Bellona''s face reddened even more and Ares could feel the heat emanating off her cheek as he reassured her by brushing across her face with his thumb. She looked into his eyes and her breathing quickened as her heart beat madly. "... I love you."


    Ares brought his lips to hers and passionately kissed Bellona. She yelped in surprise but quickly sank into his embrace, resting her palms against his sturdy chest and leaning up and further into him. Sparks flew in Bellona''s brain as she enjoyed the taste and sensation of his soft lips pressed against hers. She let out a small moan when Ares put his palm on the back of her head and became more aggressive in his conquest of her small mouth. She submissively let him take the lead while taking comfort in wrapping her arms around his neck. After each of the two were satisfied, Ares''s lips departed from hers as he looked deep into her amber eyes and finally said what was on his mind now that it was no longer so caught up with playing pretend. "I love you too, Bellona."