A moment later, Amatheus called to him breathlessly, "Forgive my slowness, Hercules - I know you must be quite anxious for your friend!"

Hercules was instantly ashamed that his concern had gotten away from him in this situation, and that he had let his manners wane. He stopped and waited for the old man to catch up before replying most apologetically, "Please forgive my impatience, Amatheus - yes, you are correct, I am very worried for my friend. Iolaus has his heart staked on helping Sorrow free herself from Ares' manipulations, but we've had an incredible amount of bad luck nearly every step of the way, and I can never tell when more is likely to show up."

"Worry not for your friend, Hercules; he is her destiny, regardless of the desires of Ares," Amatheus advised with a sly twist to his lips. "Iolaus won the goddess' heart long ago, and nothing can change that. In fact, if my skills as an oracle hold true, I sense that they have already become husband and wife in their hearts and bodies - "

"In their bodies?" Hercules blinked at the old man in confusion. "You mean - ?"

Amatheus grinned and chuckled, "It was only a matter of time and opportunity, you know."

"Time and opportunity!?" Hercules echoed the priest's words again in disbelief. "Is that why we had to come here to Aphrodite's temple instead of just calling her to us?"

"Oh, no, that part is entirely true, but so is the latter," the oracle interjected with earnest, reaching up a steadying hand to the demigod's shoulder as he spoke. "Worry not, Hercules - all things will be revealed to you in time. For now, you must trust the Fates to carry out things to their best resolution, and continue to believe that I foresee only good resulting from the bonding of Sorrow and Iolaus."

"But, Iolaus wanted to ask permission first - ," Hercules started to protest his friend's virtue, refusing to believe Iolaus would go back on such an important issue, but Amatheus' laughter suddenly interrupted him.

"He was given permission the day she was born, Hercules!" the oracle announced in great humor. "Her mother and father expect her to unite with Iolaus, which makes it all the more important that we continue to seek Poseidon - only he may put a stop to Ares' plans for once and for all."

"So, Iolaus isn't going to be in trouble with Poseidon?" Hercules had to ask, for his own sake if not for Iolaus. It certainly would not do for his family to find out that he had not protected Sorrow's innocence as a cousin should.

"No, he shall not find trouble with Poseidon," Amatheus affirmed. "Nor shall you."

"Good," Hercules replied in relief and gestured up toward the stone monument. "Then, there's nothing left to do but get up to that temple. Shall we?"

The walk from there seemed to go much more quickly, and in good time they finally entered the Temple of Aphrodite. It was not one of her larger temples, but it was just as lavishly decorated with gifts of silks and satins, gold and silver statues, trinkets, and more. Hercules averted his eyes from the descriptive paintings on the walls, seeking out the real pink-clad form of his voluptuous sister instead, and Amatheus fell to praying and meditating before the golden altar of Aphrodite.

"Aphrodite, I know that you know that I'm here!" Hercules called out after a few moments of impatient silence. "We need your help!"

"Hey Bro!" her voice hailed him from nowhere before she appeared in her usual burst of pastel sparkles. "Good job of getting Sorrow to Poseidon's Temple - I was shooting for Iolkos, but the hidden temple works just as well!"

"Aphrodite . . . ," Hercules' voice rumbled low in his chest, drawing out the final vowel of her name endlessly.

"What!?" Aphrodite looked at him in feigned innocence and shock.

"I thought you were going to be straight with me this time?"

Aphrodite smiled sheepishly and shrugged, but spoke most apologetically, "Okay, so I still left out a few eensy-weensy details - but can you blame me? I mean, look at all the trouble I've gone to in order to select just the right person for Sorrow and get her together with him. Why should I forget all my plans just because Ares all of a sudden decides he actually likes the gal his mother picked out for him? What's up with that!?"

"Aphrodite, surely I don't have to tell you what is at stake here - ," Hercules started to lecture, but Aphrodite quickly interrupted him.

"Whoa, Herc - it's you who doesn't know what is at stake here," the airy goddess insisted. "Did you not just hear me say what kind of trouble I've gone to in order to get Sorrow together with Iolaus? Why would I go to such lengths only to slack off when it was most important?"

"Excellent question," he quipped. "Just what do you have to gain from their joining?"

Aphrodite sputtered, "It - it's complicated. Just rest assured that I want this to be!"

"Then, help yourself while you're helping us," Hercules asserted himself again. "Go and find Poseidon, and tell him what's going on!"

The former look of indignance on the goddess' face quickly melted into a facade of anxiety, and she wrung her hands in despair, "I'd love to, Hercules, but I can't interfere - "

"And why not?"

"It's hard to explain, Big Brother," Aphrodite continued to hedge. "Just trust me - your oracle there is your best chance at getting ‘Seidy here."

Hercules looked to the old man, who was still praying earnestly at the altar. Amatheus seemed to be totally oblivious to the conversation the demigod was having with his goddess sister, and so it seemed almost impossible that the high priest should be able to affect a difference now.

"By the way," Aphrodite's voice filtered through his thoughts, "he was right, you know."

"Who?"

"Amatheus - he was right about Sorrow and Iolaus," she grinned triumphantly and swept the air with the index and middle fingers of her right hand . "Score two for the Goddess of Love!"

Hercules stared at his sister in disbelief, "Aphrodite, how can you gloat when your work is in danger of being ruined at any moment?"

"Herc, you don't get it," she continued emphatically. "It really doesn't matter what happens from this point on - the boy got the girl!"

"And, what if the god takes the girl away, Aphrodite?" he almost growled in anger, seeing that his sister had apparently achieved her own goals already and was perhaps no longer willing to stick her neck out for the couple. "You know damn well that it would break both their hearts, and I can't stand by and watch that happen!"

"Come on, Hercules, you know I can't do that, either," Aphrodite soothed, seeing his anger boiling up. "Besides, Ares has the most over-inflated sense of pride I've ever seen . . . once he finds out that Sorrow has given herself to Iolaus in every way possible, surely he'll forget her and seek other pastures. I mean, he's not a complete dolt . . . I don't think!"

Hercules shook his head unhappily, "I wish I could be as sure of this as you seem to be."

"Oh, c'mon, Bro," Aphrodite pouted charmingly. "Take that frown and turn it around! All those two need from this moment on is each other, and I'm personally seeing to it that they remain together. Now, go back to the hideout and do whatever is necessary to get ‘Seidy's attention. Oh, and make sure that Amatheus unites those two - may as well keep them honest, ya know?"

The demigod sighed in deep frustration, feeling like he'd been sent on a wild goose chase when all along he had been needed back at the cave. He could not convince himself that Aphrodite did not have some ulterior purpose to getting Iolaus together with the Goddess of Lamentation, but he was beginning to recognize that his sister was relieved on some level, and the information Amatheus had divulged about the couple moments before they entered the temple seemed to be the deciding factor for her sudden air of relief. He could only imagine one or two scenarios that could possibly result from the two giving in to their passions.

"Hold that thought!" Aphrodite suddenly ordered, holding up a silencing finger to him as she fixed him with a serious eye. "Just get back to the hideout and get those two married, and I promise that the Fates will take care of the rest!"

Hercules eyed his sister closely, pleased to be seeing her in a rare moment of complete earnestness, and he nodded, "All right, Aphrodite - I'll go see to it that they're properly married."

"Good boy!" Aphrodite exclaimed in unexpected triumph and clapped her hands together ecstatically. A second later, she was gone in another shower of ethereal sparkles, and he turned to speak to Amatheus, but the oracle was already on his feet and shuffling toward the door, apparently already aware of what they were supposed to do.

"Let's go, Hercules!" the old man waved at him hurriedly. "We've got work to do!"

Sleep did not hold Sorrow in its spell for very long, and she awoke a short while after Iolaus had ceased worrying and finally drifted off to his own slumber. Lifting her head slightly, she gazed lovingly upon his sleeping face, noting how at peace he now seemed to be. While she was at it, she simply could not help but also admire his rugged good looks, crowned so temptingly with a crop of golden curls, not to mention the tanned magnificence of his upper body.

~ Iolaus is truly a work of art ~ , Sorrow smiled to herself, thinking with great joy how he had been created to love her, and she to love him.

Laying her head down upon his chest again, she breathed in his essence deeply and found it to be most intoxicating and arousing, and her heart raced as she began to relive their consummation in her mind, remembering every kiss, every gentle caress in vivid detail. Iolaus had been a perfect gentleman in every way, attending to her every need and desire as they went along, and whispering to her in such soothing tones as he made love to her. He had been incredibly respectful of her innocence, as well, and had so generously let her set the pace of their lovemaking from the start. However, Sorrow somehow got the idea that Iolaus would rather prolong the experience, anyway, in an attempt to make the moment last, so the whole encounter had been extremely rewarding for both, and she could not wait to make love with Iolaus again.

Sorrow smiled even more broadly as she began to contemplate their future together, thinking of what her life would be like as Iolaus' consort. Besides being his constant companion and even more frequent lover, she could also see herself doing those tasks that she had seen human wives do - cooking, cleaning, sewing, helping in the fields, raising children. She fully understood that the very nature of their relationship bode ill for the simple domestic life she craved, but Sorrow swore she would find a way to balance her role as the Goddess of Lamentation with her new title of wife, and together she and Iolaus would continue to seek out happiness and good fortune on their own terms.

While continuing to think of the glorious future that could hold so much possibility for them, her fingers began to glide idly across the hardened strength of Iolaus' chest, wandering aimlessly over the peaks and valleys of his well-defined muscles. She was only peripherally aware of what her hand was doing and its possible consequences, and after some time, the constant roaming of her hand began to slowly work its way into Iolaus' sleep. However, on some inner level, he recognized her touch and did not react to it in surprise, although he did struggle to awaken, moaning softly as he drowsily pulled her more closely into his arms.

Sorrow relished the feel of his strong arms about her, pulling her bare body to his, and she heartily returned his affection with the tiniest, feather-light kisses down the middle of his chest and abdomen. The farther down she roamed, the more intense his moans became until he finally awakened himself. His eyes slowly fluttered open to a gloriously erotic consciousness, experiencing the most intense sexual aching he'd ever felt before in his body, and he was elated to know he was feeling it at her behest.

"Sorrow," he managed to ask groggily, "what are you doing to me?"

Sorrow looked up at him and smiled wickedly, her ocean green eyes reflecting the mischief she was pondering for him, and she breathed sensuously across his skin, "I'm claiming you as mine."

"Oh," Iolaus' eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Is that what they're calling it these days?"

Sorrow didn't reply, but giggled softly as she moved to straddle him and propped herself up with both hands planted firmly on either side of him. She dove again for his tawny mid-section, now running her tongue lightly across the hyper-sensitive muscles and golden flocks of manly hair. After only moments of this delicious torment, Iolaus involuntarily closed his eyes to the intense onslaught of sensations and his lips parted to admit breath as he panted for air.

"Wh-where would an innocent goddess like you learn such . . . such tricks?" he gasped uneasily, feeling himself growing far beyond impassioned.

Sorrow winked, "I do have a cousin named Aphrodite, you know - a young goddess can learn an awful lot just reading the walls of her temple!"

Iolaus chuckled at her remark absently, his mind hopelessly caught between what she was saying and what she was doing to him. Her hands roamed his torso relentlessly, the feeling of her fingers upon his bare skin purely intoxicating and extremely torturous, and when her tongue went back to work, he was almost sure he could not survive the power of their passion. Their first time together, not an hour before, had been as innocent as Sorrow herself had been. But now, he could see that she had obviously felt far more desire for him than her virginal status had initially hinted at, and was now wanting to put into practice all the things she had heard or read about love and passion.

At some point during his impassioned contemplation, Sorrow's entire upper body disappeared beneath the covers of her seashell bed. A moment later, Iolaus' strong chest arched upward in an overload of sensations as she surprised him even further than he'd ever expected. He threw his head back in ecstasy as he felt her inexperienced ministrations upon his flesh, now completely unable to think of anything any longer. However, after some time of this, Iolaus vaguely realized that he could not let her keep going on if he wanted to return her lustful ardor in kind, so he reached down and gently pulled her back up to meet him eye to eye, dissolving their mouths together in a deep and soulful kiss that sent strong waves of heat and sexual desire surging through their veins.

She allowed him to reach down and pull her legs up so that she was straddling him again, then let him lift her ever so gently so she might be joined with him anew. Sorrow allowed him to carefully position her over his prone body, and without hesitation, she took him inside of her. Iolaus gasped through their ensuing kiss and embrace, now unable to do anything but lie still beneath her and let Sorrow do with him as she pleased. And she did, taking every spare opportunity to lean over and kiss him enticingly, or run her tongue sensuously down his neck and across his bare collarbone. Her soft hands caressed and kneaded the muscles of his strong chest, and her mouth took advantage of him whenever possible.

After some time, Sorrow cried out in ecstasy, and Iolaus began to thrust upward and into her with a frenzy, eventually grabbing hold of her and rolling them both over until he was able to focus his energies more fully. Sorrow instinctively hooked her legs over his hips for leverage, and Iolaus resumed his efforts with a vigor he'd never experienced before. It almost seemed as though he'd never made love to a woman before, the way it was all affecting him - the smell of the ocean upon her entwining with his manly musk; the joy and ecstasy of hearing her cry out his name over and over; the feel of being so deeply buried within her. However beautiful and innocent their first time had been, for Iolaus it would never compare with what he was experiencing with Sorrow now.

Iolaus' efforts only seemed to gain momentum as he made love to Sorrow, and after what seemed a glorious eternity, she finally threw back her head into the pillows and wailed softly, "Iolaus!" The abandoned timbre of her voice launched him into his own eruption of ecstasy, but he wisely silenced himself by sinking his teeth gently into the nape of her neck, sending her into new spasms of fulfilled desire along with him.

After an eternity of glorious pleasure, Iolaus collapsed upon her in sweet exhaustion while Sorrow breathed words of adoration softly into his ear. He, in turn, held her tightly to him while he panted for air, feeling for the first time just how natural it was for them to be together in this way. Sorrow had recognized it that morning in her temple, but not until that very moment did he understand how much their love was meant to be. Sure, he'd told himself over and over that destiny had already claimed them, but doubt was always in the shadows, waiting to pounce and sabotage his resolve. Even when he'd taken her innocence earlier, he had felt like the worst of thieves in very many ways, but now, as he lay completely exhausted from her efforts, Iolaus could see finally and inexorably that they were really and truly meant to be together.

Now, with their bodies still closely entwined, Iolaus felt more complete than ever before, and all his excuses to leave her suddenly became useless. There was no age difference in their hearts, and there was no real difference in their stations in life. It was really so simple, and ultimately came down to the fact that she was his wife, and he was her husband, and they needed no High Priest of Poseidon to tell them that.

"I love you, Sorrow," Iolaus whispered with great tenderness and earnestness, hoping she could feel the complete abandon he felt when it came to her. But, he had no need to tell her, for she felt exactly the same.

"And I love you, Iolaus," Sorrow whispered in return, and they christened their mutual adoration with a loving kiss.

"Have I done well, Lord Ares?"

"Oh, you've done very, very well, Testacles - far beyond my wildest imaginings, in fact!"

"Thank you, Lord Ares!" Testacles nodded in extreme gratuity, missing the second edge to the War God's double-sided compliment. Testacles was far too proud of himself at that moment to even contemplate such a thing, for he was escorting Ares himself to the labyrinthed passage of the temple.

Meridius led the way, feeling his own sense of pride at having pleased both his masters well. However, both warriors' triumphs were almost deleted by a frown that suddenly spread across Ares' face and creased his mighty brow.

"What is it, Lord Ares?" Testacles begged tentatively, ready to blame whatever had caused Ares' displeasure on Meridius.

"Oh, nothing important," Ares replied, for his frown had come at the realization that Sorrow would not come with him easily. He did not want to, and could not, cause an ugly scene in his uncle's own temple. However, the only way he could think of handling the situation was something that would surely bring Hercules' wrath upon him, but his own desires overruled any fears he had, and so he moved forward. "Let's go."

Testacles and Meridius looked to each other in great confusion and shrugged their shoulders before following the God of War through the labyrinth, which Ares navigated without a moment's hesitation. Ares had never been to the cave before, but his godly instincts led him directly into the multi-doored hallway and straight to the portal of darkness. The two warriors followed him with great trepidation and were never so happy as they were to step out of the inky blackness into the torchlit cavern that housed Poseidon's secret temple. When they emerged, Ares was already looking about furtively, but finding no sign of the young goddess.

Meridius began to protest, "I swear, Lord Ares, I saw them come in here, and only Hercules and the priest left - !"

Any further protest was silenced by Ares' lifted hand as he assured in hushed tones, "Oh, she's here, all right - I can sense the presence of my brother's ‘little buddy' lurking around here somewhere. I think I may know how to draw them out . . . ,"

"How, Lord Ares?" Testacles queried, ready to render any aid that should be needed.

"Just watch and listen," Ares grinned ferally, then called out in a voice that was definitely not his own. "Sorrow! Iolaus! We're back!"

Sorrow and Iolaus were in the slow process of lovingly redressing each other after they had realized that time had gotten away from them, and so they were not at all surprised to hear Hercules' voice calling to them from the temple cavern.

"The priest is back!" Iolaus grinned happily, squeezing Sorrow's hands gently in his own. "Ready to become my wife?"

Sorrow leaned to him and kissed him softly, saying, "I'm ready to be pronounced your wife, if that is what you mean, my husband . . ."

Iolaus quickly kissed her in return, then stood up from the bed and pulled Sorrow to her feet, now asking, "So, what are we waiting for?"

Sorrow proclaimed, "Not a thing!", and they took hold of each other's hands as they stepped toward the rock-camouflaged exit and moved easily through it.

Sorrow emerged just ahead of Iolaus, and he was surprised to feel her hand being jerked out of his own as she emerged on the other side of the stone wall. Half a second later, he stepped out and was immediately seized by the two waiting warriors, with Testacles pressing the deadly edge of his sword against Iolaus' jugular vein. However, Iolaus barely had time to consider what was happening to himself before his eyes fell upon Sorrow and her particular predicament.

Sorrow struggled vainly within Ares' grip, feeling his massive hands grasping her tightly about the middle. Being of her own kind, and obviously stronger, Sorrow was powerless in his hold, and Ares was rather enjoying her fruitless efforts to twist herself out of his grip.

"Let me go, Ares!" she demanded in extreme anguish, pushing at him without success. "I don't want you!"

"Nobody asked what you wanted, Missy," Ares sneered luridly, his lip curling with the growing excitement he felt.

"Please don't do this, Ares - ," Iolaus started to beg, but Testacles' sword blade dug mercilessly into his soft flesh just enough to bite into the thin layer of skin covering his vein, effectively silencing him. He wanted to fight them all, but he was sorely outnumbered, and he could do Sorrow no good if he were dead.

"And why shouldn't I?" Ares queried lightly, although his eyes glared angrily toward his brother's friend. "A legitimate offer was made, and turning me down simply was not an option!"

Sorrow suddenly spat contemptuously, "Can't handle rejection, Ares? Best get used to it if you're intending on forcing this!"

Ares grinned down at her lasciviously, "Oooh, I do love a good fight before consummating a relationship - how did you guess?"

Sorrow fell silent in disgust as she realized what was happening and quickly doubled her efforts to escape his grasp, but he only laughed and held onto her more tightly, enjoying the looks of outrage that were so evident upon Iolaus' face. However, he only noted it for a moment before calling to his minions, "Leave a good, reasonably informative message for my brother, will you, boys? I've got some laundry to hang up here!"

Testacles did not understand what Ares meant by the last statement, but quickly agreed to his part in the first section of it, saying most reverently, "As you wish, Lord Ares!"

"Good boys!" Ares complimented as he quickly willed himself and Sorrow to the Halls of War, both disappearing in a shower of sparkles and a burst of light.

The second they disappeared, Iolaus cried out pitiously, only to end his protest with a guttural "Oof!" as Meridius' fist tried to bury itself within Iolaus' solar plexus.

Testacles pulled away his sword as Iolaus collapsed upon Meridius' fist, but added a quick but solid blow to the previously injured spot on the back of the hunter's head, sending him crashing to the sandy floor in an unconscious heap.

The last word Iolaus uttered before passing out was, "Sorrow!"