By Lessa
Please note that though the events seem to occur after both "War Wounds" and "Armageddon Now", the Hercules universe is constantly full of timeline problems itself. What's one more? Besides... in fanfiction, you can do anything (EG)
This story contains scenes of an adult nature, including nonconsenual sex between a man and a woman. If you are under 18 or if this is illegal where you live, please go somewhere else.
Hercules, Iolaus, Iphicles, Ares and Strife all belong to Universal Studios and Pacific Renaissance. No copyright infringement is intended. The author is just having fun.
"Thea!"
Althea turned toward the sound. Who was calling her and why did they sound panicked?
"Thea! I need your help! Quick!"
She squinted and made out a figure with yellow curling hair. Hmm, that looked like Iolaus, but he'd just left with Hercules less than an hour ago. She signaled to her partner, Deandra, and raced toward the man-that-looks-like-Iolaus. They met just outside the woods that constituted the northern border of the southern tribe of Amazons. "Iolaus, what in Zeus' name is wrong?"
"Hurry!" Iolaus grabbed her hand and drug her back the way he had just come. Thea didn't bother trying to pull away and concentrated on keeping up with him. Whatever had happened, it was bad news.
A half hour later they stopped. Iolaus spun around, clearly agitated. "Herc? Where'd you go? Herc?" He spotted a fresh trail and headed toward the stream in the distance. Thea followed, now concerned.
She realized the cause for Iolaus' flight and panic as she saw the gaping wound in Hercules' thigh. It was bleeding profusely and looked deep and raw. "Iolaus? What in hades happened? That looks awful." As she commented, she brought out some herbs from her carry-sack. She'd have to bathe it, stitch it, then dress it.
"I don't know. All I heard was Hercules scream behind me. When I reached him, I found him unconscious with this wound. I tried to track whatever had done this, but had to get help quickly. You're the first Amazon I saw, so I hoped you'd have your usual healing supplies and could help. I need to get whatever did this and make it pay." Iolaus looked like an emotional wreck. It was never easy when friends of yours were injured and you felt helpless.
"I'm not sure what did this. We don't have many wild beasts near our camp, well none of the four-legged kind anyway." Thea started to clean the wound then saw bits of Hercules' leather pants mixed in with the blood. "Before you head out, I'm going to need some help getting these off." She'd started to tug them down when Iolaus helped by lifting Hercules' hips and legs. She took a breath as the full extent of the wound became visible. She tried to not be distracted by the demi-god's body, she'd never seen him naked, well, not from the waist down anyway. "Iolaus, this was one nasty creature. You'd better watch out for yourself."
"You'll take care of him?" Iolaus was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, clearly reluctant to leave her with his friend.
"You need to ask? I'll tend him and try to get this closed and medicated." Thea motioned Iolaus to leave. For this part, she didn't need help. Bathing and dressing a wound was second nature, even one as gory as this. The longest part of the healing would be stitching it then keeping Hercules quiet long enough to let the wound close by itself.
Iolaus returned just before dark, frustrated and hungry. "I couldn't find one trail from where Hercules was attacked. It's like that thing vanished into thin air. I want to know what could do that to him and in the few minutes I was scouting ahead. Did you recognize the bite pattern?"
Thea motioned for him to sit down and fed him some fish stew from the fire she'd started. Hercules was still out cold, and that worried her. She'd done what she could, but what if it wasn't enough? "I'm sorry, but I've got no clue what did that to him. Where were you two heading? Is it far? I doubt you can carry him by yourself and he needs a real healer. I've done all I can for him."
Iolaus had his mouth full, so he didn't answer right away. "Damn, I need to find that thing, but Herc's more important. We were going to Corinth, to see his mother, Jason, and Iphicles. I can build something to drag him along behind me, but it would be better if I had help on this trip. I can't stand it when he's like this."
"I'll come back then. I need to go back and tell my sisters what's happened. They can set up a watch and try and find what did this to him. Expect me in two hours. That should give me enough time." Thea gathered her belongings and stood up. "I wish I knew more to do for Hercules."
"We'll be fine, but hurry. I'd like to work on my idea and get it done before we sleep." Iolaus finished the stew and leaned over to check on his friend.
Thea went back to the Amazon camp to tell the others what had happened. She declined numerous offers to help thinking that finding the beast was more important. She and Iolaus could manage to get Hercules to Corinth. With luck they'd be there in three days journey, even dragging Hercules on a wagon or whatever Iolaus had in mind. Before leaving she re-supplied herself with more herbs that would hopefully draw out any poison and make the wound heal quicker. She also wanted to bring along at least one change of clothes. Feeling grungy wasn't one of her favorite things to do.
She made it back to Iolaus and the unconscious Hercules in time to bed down for the night. Iolaus had fashioned a contraption that would let them pull Hercules behind them. If they were lucky they'd find a traveler with a cart who'd let them place Hercules in it for at least part of the trip to Corinth. If not, this would work well enough.
Thea had placed Hercules near the fire; he'd felt so cold. Iolaus lay close to Hercules so he'd be aware of any movement from him during the night. Thea put her blanket down on the other side of the fire to give herself a bit more privacy, knowing she'd have little of it during this journey.
She'd been asleep for a few hours when she felt someone undressing her. She started to grab her knife when her hands were imprisoned above her head. Her next instinct was to scream for help, but a second hand covered her mouth and left her not even able to whimper. His body trapped her under him. She tried to see who the unwelcome visitor was, but the light only showed glints off metal bits in his clothing.
The next feeling she had was one of pain as the man thrust himself within her body. She tried to scream in earnest, but the hand over her mouth prevented that. She smelled the leather he was wearing and heard him grunting with each press of his body inside hers. She couldn't believe this was happening, especially with Iolaus and Hercules on the other side of the fire. She turned her head to stare at them and saw them both sleeping. If only they'd wake up. Gods, this hurt! She'd never had sex when she wasn't a willing participant; she hadn't realized what would happen when she wasn't prepared for the act.
Just as she began to think it would never be over the man let out a loud groan and collapsed on top of her. He kept a hard grip on her hands and her mouth, keeping her prisoner. "It's about time I took what you've been giving so freely. Unc's had all this fun to himself for too long." He sighed. "Oh, that was nice. I was surprised you didn't jump on those two the first opportunity you got; you've jumped on Uncle Ares often enough. You Amazons, always so uppity around me. Well, I showed you, didn't I? I might even come back and show you again."
Strife, for it could only be him, let out a strange high-pitched giggle. "I set that pet of Granny's onto Hercules. I see it did good work; really tore him up good. Unc will be happy with that. Oh, and you can complain to him if you like. I've been with him for the past week." Strife bent down and sucked at her breasts. "Um, I meant to do that earlier, but I got a little, er, carried away. Thanks for the fun, babe. We'll have to do this again, and soon." He moved his hand from her mouth only to replace it with his own, thrusting his tongue in her mouth in a parody of what his body had just done to hers a few moments earlier. He disappeared just before she started to gag.
Thea pushed herself up and raced to the stream. She bent next to it and emptied her stomach, then washed her mouth out with fresh, clean water. She stared at her body, and hated herself for being an Amazon and a woman. Just because she'd had training with Ares, and had enjoyed his company in myriad ways did not mean she was a slut. She'd not even looked twice at either Iolaus or Hercules, except when Hercules was naked and she was tending him. She wanted more from sex than just a body. And now? Gods, what had he done to her? She still hurt.
Iolaus found her next to the stream the next morning. She was staring out at the sunrise, still naked, her body rocking back and forth in denial of what had been done to her. Iolaus was immediately concerned, but didn't say anything to her or touch her in any way. He took a close look at her and noticed the hand marks on her mouth and dark bruises on her wrists. He glanced at her bedding and noticed stains on it, stains that he guessed came from blood and semen.
He'd only had to deal with rape victims once before, and that was after warriors had gone through a village, looting and raping whatever women they'd found. Those women had been catatonic for days. Thea didn't have days to recover. They had to get help for Hercules and quickly. He wished he could do this a better way, but they needed to move now. He didn't have time to alert Thea's sisters, and he didn't have time to coax her into doing what needed to be done. Would she hate him later for what he had to do?
Iolaus moved in her line of vision. Thea glanced up at him. He read the pain in her eyes; they were empty and defeated. He had no idea how someone had come into the camp and raped her under his nose, but he'd find the bastard and take him apart... after Hercules had been taken care of and after he'd found someone with experience dealing with Thea's problem.
He spoke to her quietly and slowly. Gods, he needed time, and that wasn't anything he had to spare. "Thea, I know you're in pain, but we need to get Hercules to Corinth as quickly as possible. Can you help me?" He hoped she hadn't shut everything out like those other women had. Time was not on their side. Without knowing more about what had caused Hercules' injury he couldn't judge the seriousness of it.
Thea nodded and pushed herself up. Iolaus reached to help her, but withdrew his arm after she violently shied away from it. He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender and watched as she rose up. Her cramped body protested the movements. He winced as he saw the dried streaks of blood that ran down her legs. "Do you want to get cleaned up first?" Thea looked at him and stared. Iolaus stepped backward. This was like dealing with a wild animal, not his favorite thing to do. "Forget I said anything. We'll leave when you're ready."
Thea pulled on clean clothes from her carry-sack, but ignored both her blanket and the garments she'd worn the night before. She'd rather be cold and naked than to even see those again.
Iolaus moved as if to grab them, but stopped as he noticed her frigid stare. "Okay, you don't want them. But at least let me burn them, that way an animal won't get your scent and follow us all the way to Corinth." After she nodded he tossed them onto the fire. They gathered Hercules and dragged him gently onto the padded carry-pull that Iolaus had made. Iolaus made sure the burning fire would burn out and not cause a large fire in the woods. If he'd had his choice, he would've taken the bundle of soiled clothes with them and disposed of them later.
Thea took one handle, Iolaus took the other and together they pulled Hercules' dead weight on to Corinth. It took them the entire three days to journey the distance.
Iolaus was careful to not touch Thea in any way, and did his best to not comment on her dishevelment. She hadn't bathed, brushed her hair, or changed clothes since he found her next to the water. She'd slept on the ground, if she slept at all, in between him and Hercules. He had to listen to her scream in terror and thrash around from nightmares several times each night. He tried to comfort her the first time it happened, but she cried and shook so violently, he was afraid she'd shatter. The next two nights he just ignored her and prayed to the gods that she'd be able to get some help when they got to Corinth. She looked like one of Hades' subjects, but he couldn't say he blamed her for not caring what happened to her appearance. His greatest worry wasn't what she looked like, but the fact that she hadn't spoken a word to him since he found her three days previously.
Once they reached the outskirts of Corinth Iolaus directed a guard to get Iphicles, a competent healer, and some more men to carry Hercules into the city proper. Luckily for them the guard recognized Hercules and complied with Iolaus' commands quickly. Iolaus didn't know how much damage they'd caused by dragging his body the entire way.
A healer came first, Iphicles' personal physician. He examined what he could see of Hercules and his injury. Once the guards came, Iolaus directed them to lift Hercules and the healer accompanied the guards back to the castle. Iolaus and Thea followed, weary from the journey. Iphicles raced up to them just before they entered the castle demanding answers they didn't have. He made the mistake of offering them guest quarters and baths brought up to their rooms while they waited. It was common hospitality, but Thea wanted none of it. She gave him a cold stare and walked off, following Hercules into the healer's room and sitting at his side. At Iphicles' curious look Iolaus told him, in a low voice, "That's Thea, one of our Amazon friends. She was raped the first night of the journey, after she'd done what she could for Hercules. She hasn't said a word to me since then. If I were you I'd watch what I said to her and around her."
Iphicles grimaced in sympathy. Right after the war veterans had begun to return to Corinth. During one of the first waves of the soldiers coming back to civilization there had been an outbreak of rapes. They'd found the perpetrator and had imprisoned him, but that hadn't made the victims feel any better. He'd visited each of them and found one who was remote like Thea, two had looked at him as if he'd had two heads when he'd mentioned it, and the last had attacked him. If she was going to stay, he'd have to get his mother to visit and get her opinion. He wasn't much use around anyone since Rena died. His wife would have known exactly what to do, she had been sympathetic to anyone's problems. Now, he had to consult his mother and Jason over many difficult problems. He wondered how Jason liked being a special advisor to the King.
The two men joined Thea as they watched the healer take off the herbal packets she'd placed on Hercules' wound. It wasn't noticeably better, in fact was weeping blood from time to time, which caused the healer to ask how long it'd been since the accident occurred. Iolaus grew grim as he told the man it happened over three days ago. The wound looked fresh, and Hercules still hadn't awoken. The healer blanched. "I heard of something like this long ago, when I was being trained at Asclepius' temple. This might be a hydra bite, those can paralyze a person with their poison, and I don't know how to treat it. I'm afraid he'll die eventually."
"A hydra?" Iolaus was incensed. "I thought we killed all those monstrosities! How could he get a bite from a hydra?" Iolaus left the room fuming, the healer was busy mixing some kind of potion, so Iphicles was the only one who heard Thea whisper "Strife, you bastard. Why hurt Hercules to get me? I'm nobody, but Hercules?" He stopped her retreat from the room by deliberately placing his body in front of hers. She wouldn't be leaving his care anytime soon, not after what she'd done to help his brother, and certainly not after what he'd just heard her say.
"Thea, you don't know me. I'm Iphicles, Hercules' brother, King of Corinth." Thea dismissed the statement by rolling her eyes. "I know you probably don't care, but I'm grateful you helped Iolaus bring him here. I don't know what we can do or if we can even heal him. You made an effort so I thank you from the bottom of my heart." He watched her face carefully for any sign of emotion. Being observant was a necessary skill in ruling a kingdom.
Thea tried to get by him, and Iphicles moved in front of her again. "Let me escort you to your room. You'll be my guest for the time being." Thea shrugged and let him lead the way. It wasn't worth the effort to fight with him. Iphicles was determined to get his own way. She'd let him take her to the room, then come back down and guard Hercules. There were ways around a determined man, and she knew most of them. Similar men had tried to invade the Amazon camps with no avail.
She came back downstairs at dinner-time dressed in a long flowing robe and in a foul mood. Iolaus' eyes bugged out when he saw her; Iphicles just grinned. "How'd you get her to do that?" Iolaus' tone was admiring. Iphicles laughed in response.
"I left her with two maids who were told to ignore anything she said or did. They had instructions to bathe her, to dress her, to take her old clothes and boil them, and, oh yes, to make sure she didn't come to dinner naked." Iolaus laughed for the first time since he'd heard Hercules scream days before. Knowing Thea she might've done that very thing.
She came up to Iphicles and slapped him. Iphicles held out his arm to prevent his guards from dragging her away. "It's okay. I deserved that." He smiled at her, gods, she had a nice backhand. Maybe he'd have to try and bribe some of the Amazons to guard Corinth. He tenderly grasped her arms and forced her to sit between him and Iolaus. That way he'd make sure she ate something, and she'd be near at least one person who was familiar with her. She didn't know him, but that would change soon enough. He'd break her out of that shell with any means necessary.
The three of them kept a close watch on Hercules. The healer soon gave up. Hercules wasn't any better nor was he worse. After the second day in Corinth Iolaus left at a dead run to consult Asclepius at one of his temples. Iphicles still refused to give Thea back her Amazon clothes and hoped she'd get frustrated enough to talk to him. He couldn't help unless he knew more. From her earlier whispered statement he knew Strife was to blame for either Hercules' injury, Thea's condition, or both. Iphicles hated the gods, they'd caused him no end of grief. Their malevolence was what kept him on a constant guard. Hera had attacked him before because of his relation to Hercules; she'd done the same to Alcmene and Jason as well.
Thea tried to stay out of his way; Iphicles kept 'happening' to run into her and talk. He met her in the garden, in the healing room, in the village, anywhere he could manage to 'accidentally' find her. She still didn't say anything to him, but he wanted to let her know that life went on, no matter what had happened to her in the past. She didn't have to talk to listen to him. He told her about Rena, about his unexpected rise to kingship, about his plans for the kingdom, and about anything else that came to mind.
Iolaus came back defeated. No one knew any cure for the hydra's poison. The next step was to petition Asclepius to heal Hercules himself. The whim of the gods wasn't something they could rely on, but they had nothing left to try. All they could do in the meantime was to take care of his body as best they could. Hercules' muscles were noticeably atrophying and his body wasn't getting enough nourishment to sustain it. Given enough time he'd wither away. Thea cried when she was told, but when first Iphicles and then Iolaus tried to comfort her she left the room.
She went back upstairs. This was all her fault. There had to be some way to fix it. Strife would ignore her or he might decide to respond, then rape her again. Zeus wouldn't come on demand, and neither would any other god or goddess. Thea decided she had to demand Ares' help. He'd been known to appear to her before, it was highly possible he'd do so again. And he was responsible for his nephew and his 'pranks'.
"Ares! Get your godly butt down here!" She called his name until he appeared. He was in a rotten mood, that was easy to tell, but she was incensed by now, and in no mood to be denied. He'd heal Hercules one way or another, and she'd tell him what Strife had done. She wasn't known for being vindictive, but this was different. She wanted Strife to pay for what he did. Of course she'd love to geld him, but Ares wouldn't ever agree to that.
"What in Hades' name do you want? I've got business to attend to." Ares put his hands on his hips and fixed his fiery gaze on her. He didn't have time to go see every mortal that thought they needed the help of the god of war.
"Strife poisoned Hercules." Thea was going to be blunt.
"As if I care about what happens to that bastard. Is that all?" Ares turned as if to leave. She wasted his time for this? Hercules was a pain in the butt. Poison was a good way to kill the brat, maybe he'd... no, Thea said he had already been poisoned.
"He sent a hydra to bite Hercules, then waited until I went to sleep. He came back and raped me. It's his fault that Hercules is lying downstairs." Thea yelled at the top of her lungs. Ares would listen to her even if she had to yell Corinth down. She deserved that much, and if it would save Hercules, she was willing to do whatever was necessary.
"A hydra? Surely you're joking. The only hydra left is a favorite pet of Hera's, she doesn't let it out of her sight. I hate that thing. And why would Strife touch you? He knows better than to go near the Amazons." Why she was telling him lies he didn't know, but he hated liars with a passion. Now deceit and manipulation, those were nice tools, ones he used often.
Iphicles and Iolaus raced into her room after they heard the shouting. They stopped dead at the scene in front of them. Ares was on one side of the room, glowering, and Thea was red-faced and screaming on the other side.
"What is this? An audience? Well, get ready for a show." Ares turned his back to them and stormed over in front of Thea. He grasped her face in his hands. "Tell me again what happened." He dared her to lie to his face. Few had the audacity to do that.
Thea stammered. He was too close to her. "Strife sent a hydra to bite Hercules. He took advantage of me and raped me while Hercules was unconscious and Iolaus slept." It was hard to concentrate with those hands on her. She started to shudder with revulsion, but the familiar scent of him stopped her body from following her thoughts. If only he'd never noticed her, if only she hadn't gone to him to get a few months of training from the 'best in the world'.
"That's impossible. Strife's been with me for weeks now." Ares spoke to her as if she were a child. He stared into her eyes. He saw a hint of desire, a lot of fear, and he saw that she believed what she was telling him. This would not do at all.
"I should know what happened to me, Ares. I tell you I was raped, and by your nephew, Strife. I don't care how possible or impossible it is; it happened." She would not stand to be patronized, not about this. She reached up and pushed his hands away from her face. She did not need this.
"Fine, whatever you say. Strife!" Ares screamed his nephew's name. "Strife! Get down here!" Iolaus covered his ears. A god yelling wasn't a pleasant thing to hear.
Iphicles went over to stand behind Thea; she looked like she was about to fall down. This was a far cry from what he knew of the Amazons. When Strife appeared she sagged and Iphicles heard a soft whimper. He gripped her shoulders for support and whispered "hang on there" into her ears.
Iolaus guarded the door against any intrusions and watched the tableau in front of him. Ares wasn't his favorite person, not after all he'd done to try and kill Hercules, but, from the sound of it Ares wasn't behind this little adventure.
"Yeah, Unc? What's up?" Strife ignored the occupants of the room. He noticed the Amazon bitch standing in a corner and guessed she'd told Ares about what he'd done to her and to his bastard uncle Hercules
Ares pointed at Thea. "Do you know her?" He watched Strife's face carefully. The little runt was a horrible liar.
Strife glanced at her. "Yeah, that's Thea, one of your Amazon babes. She's hot for your bod. What about her?" He'd play it cool, Ares wouldn't believe the word of a mortal over a god. He was home free.
"She says you raped her. What do you have to say about that?" Ares' voice had deepened. Strife's eyes were darting from side to side. He knew that look. Strife was predictable at least.
"Unc, I'm shocked. I was with you the entire time." Strife looked innocent, but Thea knew better than to believe that expression. She kept quiet and let Ares handle it... for now.
"You were with me what entire time." Ares looked suspicious. He wouldn't put it past Strife to overstep his bounds. Discord's child was not his first choice for a helper, but he was often better than his mother.
"The entire time the half-breed was poisoned and the bitch was raped." Strife giggled. "Don't you remember, Unc? We were playing with the mortals in Phrygia. How could I be responsible?"
Ares grew grim. Strife knew better than to call his favorites names. They had been working in Phrygia, and he'd not noticed Strife leaving in the weeks they'd been there, but that didn't mean he couldn't have slipped away. His attitude alone was about to condemn him, but Ares hadn't said anything about Hercules being poisoned, nor about when the alleged rape had happened. Strife was guilty, he was ninety percent sure of that.
Iphicles grew concerned as Thea shuddered beneath his hands. She couldn't stand to listen to this travesty. "You bastard! How dare you lie in front me about that?" She turned to Ares. "Can you swear on your godhood that he was with you every minute of the past two weeks?"
Ares looked at her thoughtfully. He'd not seen her so emotional before, well not outside of a heated battle or during sex anyway. "Strife? Can you swear on your life that you never attacked her?" She was putting him on the spot, swearing on his godhood wasn't the easiest thing to do. It required a ceremony and his blood. He wasn't willing to do that, especially not when he believed what she said was fact. Strife had gone too far this time.
"What? I was with you. I couldn't have done it." Strife was surprised at the question.
"You didn't answer me, Strife. Can you swear you've never touched her?" Ares' eyes had narrowed. He was guilty, and he'd pay dearly for this.
"Unc? Come on now. What would I want with one of your cast-offs?" Strife was starting to shift from foot to foot. He didn't like the look in Ares' eyes. This wasn't boding well for him.
That did it. From his words and actions he'd condemned himself. "Thea, my dear, I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm convinced he violated you. He's a rotten liar. It's your call. What do you want me to do with him? That is after I beat the stuffing out of that brown-nosing, obnoxious, annoying wanker?" Ares moved over in front of Thea and kissed her hand.
"I want Hercules cured." Thea asked for the thing most important to her. She couldn't do anything about her rape, other than to get over it emotionally. Ares couldn't erase her memory of it, nor heal the mark from her soul, but she could ask for healing for another.
"No." Ares was emphatic. She was asking for too much. Hercules being poisoned was the only good thing Strife had done. That kind of initiative wasn't above him.
"I want Hercules cured. I don't care how you do it. Strife poisoned him to take advantage of me away from my sisters. If not for me Hercules would be well and whole right now." She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Strife would pay for what he did, one way or another. She didn't care how Ares did it, but Hercules would be well by the time the gods left her sight.
"Fine. Strife caused it, he can cure it." Ares moved away and started to fade out of sight. When Strife came back to Olympus he'd toss him from one side to the other. He'd learn to leave Ares' mortals alone.
"What? The only way I can do that is to pass the poison to another." Strife wasn't happy with the judgment. He'd talked to Hera about the hydra several times before Granny had let him take her pet down to attack Hercules. She'd approved the plan, though she hadn't been told about what else he'd had in mind.
"Exactly. You take the poison, transfer it from Hercules' body to yours. You've certainly earned it. When you get back home we'll have to chat about you injuring one of my Amazons." Ares turned toward Thea. "If he doesn't do it, call me, and I'll do it to him. And if I have to do it, Strife, you'll not like where I intend to put the poison." Ares twinked out of existence.
Strife was reluctantly escorted down to Hercules' sickroom by Iolaus and several palace guards. Iphicles stayed to help Thea. She had tears streaming down her face, and he was afraid to leave her alone. He sent a servant for his mother and hoped she'd hurry. Thea had taken the first step to recovery by confronting and meting out punishment for her attacker.
Iphicles helped her lie down on the bed. Thea stared at his face and said, "You look a lot like Ares. That's so weird." She turned over and hugged the pillows to her. Iphicles covered her up and sat down next to her. He didn't see the resemblance, but he'd had new subjects cower in fear until they heard his name wasn't Ares.
Alcmene arrived and Iphicles left her with Thea. He wanted to be able to tell Thea that Strife had done as he was ordered and that Hercules was whole again. He also didn't want his mother to see Hercules as he was at the moment.
Iolaus let Strife prowl around Hercules' body, planning how to best remove the poison. Five minutes after Iphicles arrived Hercules' wound was healed. Strife had placed his hands over Hercules' leg and a glow surrounded both of them. When Strife was done his leg had a nice nasty weeping wound in exactly the same place Hercules' injury had been. "Ow!" Strife screamed in agony as the poison worked it's way into his system. Iolaus and Iphicles weren't sympathetic to his pain, not after what he'd done to both Hercules and Thea, but they winced as they heard the scream trail it's way up to Olympus. Knowing Ares, Strife would have a warm greeting... in private.
Iphicles went back upstairs to relieve his mother. He knew she'd want to watch Hercules wake up from his ordeal. The good news was that his brother would have to stay put for a few days and recover. Iolaus would probably drive him to drink waiting to go out and becoming stir-crazy. Hercules wasn't the best of patients, so he'd leave his mother and the healer to tend to that problem. Thea he hoped would stay for a while longer. Now that she was talking again, maybe he'd be able to get to know a bit more about her and the rest of the Amazons. It would be nice to have Amazon guards in his company, he admired women who let themselves be strong.
He found Thea crying and his mother trying to comfort her. "Mother, Hercules is awake. I'll take over here." Alcmene looked grateful, she looked down at the girl on the bed and hesitated a moment, but she nodded and went downstairs to see her other son.
Iphicles gathered Thea in his arms, laid her head on his shoulder, and made soothing noises into her ear. It was so strange to see a strong woman, an Amazon no less, break down. He knew that if she'd gone back to her sisters after leaving Hercules here that she would have put the rape at the back of her mind and not have confronted it. He was almost glad to see her cry, it meant she would heal quicker. He always had had a soft spot for those in need; Thea certainly fit that description at the moment.
"Thea, you do know that not all men are animals, don't you? Strife wanted to cause you pain, the next man you're with won't." He was still trying to be reassuring.
"Yes, I know what Strife wanted, but I didn't want to give it to him. He took that choice away from me. I'll never forgive him for that." Thea didn't want to be reasonable right now. Iphicles had been so kind to her, he and Iolaus both. If Strife had been her first experience she'd never have sex again, but during her training with Ares, he'd seduced his way into her bed and they'd both enjoyed it. She knew that sex was enjoyable, but at the moment, she wasn't sure of anything. "What if the next man I choose does the same thing? There's no guarantee that it won't happen again."
"No, but there's no guarantee for anything in life. If there were Rena would still be alive, Hercules would never have been injured, and Strife wouldn't have raped you in the forest. But life isn't predictable. We have to adapt to the changes." She was at least talking to him now, that was certainly an improvement.
"Would you treat a woman that way?" Her voice was hesitant. She didn't want him to think her impudent or intrusive, not after his consideration.
Iphicles moved his head back a bit and stared down at her. "I'd never take anything from a woman she wasn't fully willing to give." Why was she asking him that?
Thea blinked back the tears that threatened again. She looked into his eyes then lowered her gaze to the bedsheets. "Would you be willing to show me?" She said the words quickly, so as not to lose her nerve, and in a low voice. She couldn't believe she had the audacity to ask him that, but from his actions he'd be a gentle lover, and she couldn't be sure that any other man she wanted would be the same. Strife had taken more from her than she realized. He'd taken her self-respect along with her body. She didn't know if she could give herself without feeling the shame Strife inflicted upon her. Iphicles would be safe, he'd shown her that by his previous actions.
"Show you what? Let us be clear about what you're asking." This was certainly the last thing he'd expect from her. This Amazon was full of surprises. It wouldn't be a chore to make love to her, she was pretty enough and he liked her spirit. Since Rena's death he hadn't been celibate, but his emotions hadn't been involved in any of his liaisons. He was afraid that with Thea they would be and he didn't know if he could handle caring about his partner.
Thea took a deep breath before saying, "Would you make love with me?" She still wouldn't look in his eyes. She was worried that he'd be offended at her forwardness, or that he'd have pity in his eyes. She couldn't stand to see either at the moment. She'd never felt this unsure of herself, even when she'd gone to train briefly with Ares. The god of war had been totally intimidating and she'd hardly dared to speak to him the first few days he trained her.
Iphicles caught his breath in surprise. This was the last thing he'd thought Thea would ask. For the sake of her self-esteem he couldn't deny her. It wouldn't be a chore to love her, to make her feel good about herself and her body. But it was a responsibility he didn't want. He had to erase Strife's possession of her from her mind; he wasn't sure he could do that.
"Thea." He stopped speaking as she laid a hand upon his mouth.
"Please don't tell me no. I don't think I could bear it." Zeus, did she sound pitiful or what?
Iphicles inhaled deeply then lowered his mouth to hers and gently, tenderly caressed her lips with his. He drew back and looked at her. She didn't need to know of his hesitation, that he almost turned her down; it would just wound her emotions. "Why would I say no to such an offer? Are you sure about this?"
Thea raised her arms and ran her hands through his curly shoulder-length hair. "I'm sure. Would you kiss me again?"
Iphicles grinned and obliged her. No one would disturb them, he'd left a guard outside the door just in case. His instinct had been to protect her from prying eyes. He hadn't known he'd be protecting the both of them.
Thea melted. His lips were so soft and warm upon hers. They coaxed hers to respond. This was nothing like what Strife had done to her. Her fear was erased in that one slow kiss. Iphicles would be kind to her, and she'd make sure he enjoyed himself as well. She had a few ideas about how to accomplish that. She lost herself in the kiss and only vaguely felt the breath of a breeze upon her now naked body. She looked at Iphicles, startled that he'd been able to do that, and so quickly, without her noticing. She must be slipping.
Iphicles was gazing at what he'd uncovered. Thea was a prize most certainly. Her body was muscled in places Rena's hadn't been, but Rena hadn't been an Amazon. His hand followed the curves of Thea's body. He was entranced by the look of her, by the feel of her soft skin. He tore his eyes away from her breasts, her tightly beaded nipples, and focused back on her face. "Thea, you are beautiful." He said it not only to reassure her, but because he felt it was true. She had a lovely spirit and that enhanced his enjoyment of her body. He was beginning to anticipate love-making in a way that he hadn't been able to do since Rena had died.
Thea blushed. She wasn't used to compliments, much less from a king. A king, Zeus, what had she done? She'd forgotten his position in Corinth when she'd asked him to love her. "My lord, I'm so sorry." Hopefully he'd accept her apology and forget what she'd asked.
"Thea? Why so formal? What's wrong?" Iphicles was confused. She'd never referred to him by title in the time she'd been here. This didn't bode well for her peace of mind, nor for his peace of body.
"You're the king." Thea stammered.
"And? That's nothing new. I've been king of Corinth for the past two years." Iphicles leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her eyes, then her nose, then he luxuriated in the feel of her mouth. As he did so he felt Thea relax again. Whatever her problem was, he'd solved it. He made an effort to leave her mouth and kissed his way down her body. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, the slopes of her breasts and lightly kissed the tips of her nipples. He didn't want to scare her away. He continued down her body to her feet then worked his way back up.
Thea was surprised. She'd never had a lover that wanted to kiss her entire body before. And the feelings it gave her startled her. She wanted more. Her legs shifted and she squirmed a bit, trying to get comfortable. Her body was tingling everywhere Iphicles had kissed, and in one place he hadn't. She had never been known for patience, and she wanted to feel his body, his entire body surrounding her and inside her. What Strife had taken from her, she wanted to give to Iphicles. Strife had been a nightmare, Iphicles was a sweet dream.
Iphicles was smirking as he made his way up her body. The look on her face told him of her pleasure. He wondered if she'd ever had a lover who'd taken the time to learn her whole body and what it liked. Not that it mattered; there was no time like the present. He let his hand sift through the fine curls at the apex of her thighs, then press lightly against her belly. She moaned softly, so he let himself play with her curls and her moist femininity. He lightly blew against her hot body and laughed lightly as she twitched in response. Her eyes were closed and her body was still relaxed.
He bent down and gently kissed the places he'd skipped before. Thea gasped and tried to close her legs to defend herself against his determined invasion of her private parts. Iphicles leaned up and kissed her mouth, calming her down again while his hands began caressing her in a slow rhythm. He took his time going back down her body again, stopping for a lingering kiss at each breast. This time she didn't try to stop him from kissing her where she was most vulnerable. He slowly licked and sucked and kissed until he felt her body start to tighten and convulse. He quickly moved back up her body and captured the moans and the gasps in his mouth as she reached her peak without him.
Once her body was quiescent, he lifted himself off the bed and took off his clothes. Now for part two. He'd shown her what she was capable of, and now it was time to show her what they could do together.
Thea opened her eyes and was gratified to see that Iphicles hadn't left her. In fact, from what she saw, he was in no condition to leave her anytime soon. He was beautiful, perfect as a picture, but she knew by now he was only flesh and blood. Her gaze encompassed every part of him. His wife had been a lucky woman. Tender, caring, gorgeous, considerate, well-built, surely Iphicles had to have some faults, but she hadn't seen any yet.
She opened her arms and Iphicles returned to the bed, kissing her arms, shoulders, and neck before kissing her senseless again. This time she detected a sense of urgency that had been lacking in their previous kisses. He was still gentle, but she felt his body shudder as he let his weight settle on her. She felt the hardness of his member pulse against her abdomen. She shifted to cradle it, and heard Iphicles groan in her ear. This wouldn't do at all, he was aching and making no move to satisfy himself in her body.
Thea lightly pushed Iphicles onto his back and followed him. He was startled, but then smiled that heart-wrenching smile of his as he noticed that she was admiring him. Thea bent down and began to imitate what he'd done to her. She kissed every inch of that magnificent chest before easing her way down his legs to his feet. Iphicles tried to speak but she gave him a heat-filled look that told him without words that she wanted to give him what he'd given her.
She worked her way back up his body until she reached his groin. His manhood was erect and it was pulsing. She'd never taken the time to know a man's body before, so she was entranced by the look of it. She reached out a hand to grasp his phallus and at his groan, released it. Zeus knew she didn't want to hurt him, especially after the joy he'd shown her. Iphicles took her hand in his and showed her how to caress him. She took his guidance further as she leaned down and kissed her way up and down the shaft. She didn't have enough courage to go further and kiss him the way he'd kissed her, but from the look on Iphicles' face, that didn't matter to him.
Thea positioned herself above Iphicles, and pushed her way onto his manhood. Iphicles strained as he fought the desire to thrust himself fully into her. She took her time descending, and stopped when her hips met his. Iphicles bit his lip and groaned. This was torture, and Thea was an evil, cruel woman. She bent up and kissed him deeply. Since she wasn't making any effort to move and since he was sure he was going to die from the sweet pain he felt, he reversed their positions. Iphicles pushed her knees up and lifted her legs around his waist.
Thea whimpered as she felt his body move deeper into hers. Iphicles began to thrust in and out; with each movement one of them made a soft noise, or two. They desperately started to kiss again as first hers and then his body convulsed and reached the peak.
Iphicles rolled over and cradled Thea's body against his. He drew a bedsheet over them and prepared to drift off for a nap. Thea curled up against him and used his muscular chest for a pillow. She hadn't been so tired and felt so peaceful in weeks. Iphicles was good for what ailed her. She wondered if he'd be amiable to a treaty between Corinth and the Amazon nation. If the rest of the men in Corinth were like this her sisters would want to know about it.