Fallen Out Of Grace

3.

Servants await Saphrina as she wakes again in Ares bed with different garnishes surrounding her.

"What is all of this?" Saphrina says, pushing her thick hair back looking up to the servants holding up clothing and other things for her.

Being sworn to not speak unless Ares was there to answer for them, they just helped her bathe, dress and eat.

Not being used to this treatment, Saphrina looks at herself in the porcelain mirror standing tall in Ares' room with statue-like tremings to hold it up.

"I hope it fits, I really wasn't sure if you would like it let alone wear it."

Ares says sneaking in to admire her as much as she was admiring herself.

Saphrina looks at him while feeling the material of the dress being in love with the texture and how it draped over her skin like it was made just for her.

"You're going to ask something of me that I can not give you...something sacred until holy matrimony."

Understanding what she's hinting at and wanting to show that's not why he's doing all of this, Ares has her sit with him on his bed as he says, "I don't want such a thing until you're ready–when I look at you I want to cherish you not devour. I don't know how that's possible if that's all I've known what to do but for some reason you're a rose to me, a painting I could look at and have no one else touch or admire it as much as I do," Slowly touching her face he looks into her glistening golden eyes being swept up by feelings foreign to even Saphrina.

"I would not be accepted by your people and I'm already an outcast in mine...how can you even think to feel those things for me?"

Ares cups her face shrugging, "It does not fret me as I'm smitten with you in all ways you could not fathom."

Saphrina has never been the one to be afraid but she is terrified to love such a revengeful man, one that has no mercy or concept of moving slow when everything he does is rapid and fast pace.

But with a leap of faith she has left in her, she nods slowly letting Ares swiftly whisk her away to a life she never expected.

9 months later

Saphrina rubs her stomach as she is pregnant with her first child looking up at Ares as he's washing her legs with a woven cloth.

"What do you think it's going to be?" Saphrina says in the tub filled with all sorts of flower petals and bath salts.

Ares looks at Saphrina placing the cloth down, bending down lower to rub her stomach as well.

"A boy but if a girl, I'll still be pleased."

Saphrina smiles and Ares takes this moment to reach into his trousers to retrieve an Amber diamond ring that matches the color of Saphrina eyes to ask for her hand in marriage.

"Saphrina Everhart, will you make me the happiest man on Mount Olympus and be my forever love?"

Saphrina, covered in bath suds, claps her hands to her mouth happily, then leans closer to him, accepting while crying with joy, "Yes, yes I'll marry you," Placing a kiss on his lips and bringing him into the tub, both laugh and enjoyed each other's company.

****

Dressed and seated at the dining table, both Saphrina and Ares eat dinner while smiling at each other like love birds would do while in so much love until Saphrina's water broke.

"Ares?" Saphrina says as she looks down.

Looking down too he sees what she's scared about and has his people get them a physician and midwife to help deliver their baby.

Already having contractions mildly, Saphrina breathes in and out heavily as they have her push.

"Go ahead and take a few more breaths in," The physician says as they have Saprhina's legs up and spread to see the baby's head.

Doing as they say, Ares is alongside Saphrina watching her give birth to their first child together.

Few more pushes and a baby is in the midwife's arms being cleaned and checked by the servants there as the physician is cleaning and helping Saphrina.

"It's a girl," The midwife says while handing the baby over to Saphrina and Ares.

Saphrina looks at her baby girl and smiles so deeply, kissing her small forehead and kissing Ares as he kisses the baby's head as well.

"Nysa, I want to name her Nysa which is fitting since she's going to be strong and ambitious like her mom and dad."

Ares agrees, "My little Nysa."

Seeing Saphrina tired, Ares has the midwife tend to Nysa as he tends to Saphrina.

"My love, would you like water?" Ares says kissing Saphrinas hand.

"No but did you see our baby girl? She's a gift from the heavens."

Ares, a little bothered by that saying, just nods grinning to appease his love Saphrina knowing the bad blood the heavens caused Saphrina the day they kicked her out the way they had.

Drifting off, Saphrina holds Ares hand sleeping soundly while he tucked her in and went to see baby Nysa.

Picking her up from the cradle she was in, Ares smiles adoringly at his daughter with pure happiness pouring out.

"Hi...I'm your father," Ares says, not knowing what to really say.

Baby Nysa makes noises in response as he rocks her in his arms steadily and slow.

"Your mom fell asleep in there, you gave her one hell of a battle," Ares says chuckling while kissing baby Nysa's head.

"Your mother and you are the best decisions I've ever made, I just hope–"

Interrupted by Aphrodite storming in with a child in her arms, Ares puts Nysa back in her cradle.

"What the hell do you think you're doing barging into my home like that?"

Aphrodite hands him a child, the same as Nysa, folding her arms spitefully.

"You think you can get rid of me and your son? You are so wrong Ares, so desperately wrong."

Ares tries to catch on to her saying son as he looks to her bewildered, "Son? Are you saying this baby is our child? And not your husbands? My brother?"

Aphrodite looks at him with all the strength she had and says, "He is your son and his name is Fisher."