Maybe she'd go riding with Gabrielle tomorrow. The queen pondered. After she spent some time drilling with her men in the morning. Then maybe she'd take a squad of them, and they'd go out and tour the kingdom, just to remind everyone all over again who the boss was.
A royal tour. Xena liked the idea more and more as she considered it. Make the bastards fawn and scrape and serve her and her men rather than have them sitting fat and happy here in her castle, being fed with her stock, and by her servants.
Yeah.
Maybe she'd find Bregos and his scum lurking out there. Xena's blue eyes twinkled happily. She could hunt them down, and rid the kingdom of that plague while she reestablished her control over the nobles and bolstered her armed forces as she gathered up recruits impressed by the show.
Yeah.
Good strategy. Xena exhaled contentedly. Kick some ass, squash a few nobles, get some presents... all in all, a great way to spend a few fortnights before the really cold weather set in. Winter was always a trial for her? being stuck inside most of the time, and having to listen to the plotting whispers that spread in the short day's cloistered boredom.
Gabrielle's thigh slid over hers, triggering a sensual jolt that made her nostrils flare. Xena suspected this winter wouldn't be nearly as boring as the previous ones.
At least for her.
Her thoughts wandered off for a moment, pleasantly preoccupied by the compact, warm body nestled against her, then she pulled them back on track as she considered again what role she wanted Gabrielle to play in her kingdom.
Since Gabrielle's role in Xena's life was already settled. The queen laid her hand flat on her slave's back possessively. This is mine. True in the sense that all her slaves were hers, of course, but also true in the sense that this slave was more to her than any other ever had been.
Xena thought about that for a minute. Then she tilted her head back and looked right up at the bed's canopy, the one odd frivolity she'd allowed in her quarters.
To catch spiders, of course. She hated them falling on her from the ceiling.
Gabrielle was her slave. She had no choice in her life anymore. But what if she did have one? Xena blinked. Would she choose to stay here with Xena, or leave to live her own life, free of the tension and dangers of her court?
Should I give her that choice?
Xena felt the sudden fragility of the happiness she'd discovered so recently. For something she'd never had before, it had become more important to her than she'd expected it to and now that she had it, she had no intention of losing it.
Gabrielle was very young. Young enough not to understand that you shouldn't always do things based on what other people thought, or for some stupid moralistic reason. She might choose freedom just because she thought that's what slaves were supposed to do.
Xena swallowed. She couldn't risk that. So no, she would not give Gabrielle that choice. She would keep her safe, and keep her close and not let anything happen to her. Then they would both be happy. The queen felt her guts relax, and the peace of the night once again intruded on her.
Besides, Gabrielle was happy here. Xena knew it. Happier than she'd been at home, right? Wasn't this plush bed, in a sturdy castle, a better place than some little pallet inside a sheep barn? Wasn't it? Here she was well cared for, had plenty to eat, didn't have to milk lambs in the winter...
Xena had no idea if lambs really needed milking, but it seemed like something Gabrielle might have done. She was convinced the slave had a much better life here, with her. Here she could be somebody.
Here she could live without worrying about starving.
Here she had someone to love her. Xena exhaled softly. Even if that someone was a bloodstained battle ax masquerading as a silken gowned queen. You'll stay with me forever, won't you, Gabrielle? She asked the girl silently. I'll take care of you. Not like I did with Lyceus. I thought he was tough enough to take care of himself, and look what happened to him. That won't happen to you, I promise.
Xena closed her eyes, her decision made. She felt comfortable with it and determined that they would remain together, and happy for a long, long time.
Gabrielle murmured in her sleep and smiled. Xena smiled into the darkness in response. Even if she had to suffer the indignity of being a pillow once in a while.
It wasn't so bad, really.
**
Gabrielle grabbed an apple from the tray in the outer chamber before she trotted out the door and towards the kitchen stairs. Xena was bathing, and she thought she'd take the opportunity to surprise her queen with a tray of breakfast before she had to open her private court.
She was dressed in her black and gold tunic, and she was in very high spirits. Xena had kissed and hugged her when they'd woken up, and told her she loved her. The warm, genuine affection had sent Gabrielle's heart soaring and she'd then been treated to a rough and tumble wrestling that left them both laughing in the middle of the bed.
It had been such fun. Gabrielle reckoned that Xena didn't really have much fun in her life, because she reacted to it with the most amazing grin. It had also been just a little bit scary, because she'd realized somewhere in all that tussling that the queen was a huge deal stronger than she was and she'd wondered just for a moment if Xena would hurt her, not meaning to.
But no, the queen had cradled her gently, winning their wrestling by trapping Gabrielle against the sheets and kissing her half senseless.
Boy, had that felt good. Gabrielle crunched her apple happily as she ambled down the steps. It was crisp and sweet and the flavor seemed unusually wonderful to her. She pondered that, as she reached the bottom of the steps and worked the latch on the door, pushing it open and entering the kitchen.
Unsurprisingly, her arrival was noticed. Gabrielle saw the quick glances, equally quickly averted that came her way, and the air of faint unease that rose as the servants in the kitchen recognized her. With a sigh, she straightened her shoulders and walked over to the cook's station, ignoring the whispers in the background. "Morning."
"Morning, m'lady." The cook replied, keeping her eyes slightly below Gabrielle's chin. Not an easy posture, given the woman was a head taller than her, but somehow she managed. "Does the queen desire to break her fast?"
"Yes, but don't worry about it. I'll get what she needs." Gabrielle replied. "Do you have any goat's cheese?"
The cook glanced furtively at her, then she nodded and turned towards the pantry. "Aye, that I do. Be just a moment."
Gabrielle finished her apple, tucking the core into the refuse barrel before she brushed her hands off and started exploring possibilities for breakfast. Backs were turned as the servants went back to their work, which was more than okay by her. "Let's see..."
There were baskets of fruit nearby, and she gravitated there first, selecting some of the fall apples and pears. She set them aside and retrieved a few muffins, thick with grains and rich with the sweet scent of honey. A padded crock of eggs, round and precious stood nearby and she selected several, adding them to her tray.
"Them isn't cooked, m'lady." One of the older men, another cook, told her gruffly.
"I know." Gabrielle gave him a smile. "I'll take care of that upstairs."
The man cocked his head at her interestedly. "You cook?"
"Yes."
"She is one of many talents."
Gabrielle turned at the familiar voice, pausing in surprise as she saw Toris standing next to her. He was dressed in relatively good garments, his hair trimmed neatly and his face scrubbed conspicuously well. "Hello." She said, a bit wary given their last discussion. "I haven't seen you around for a while."
Toris nodded his head in acknowledgment. "I was given to Duke Lastay's staff." He said, briefly.
Ah. That explained the clothes. Gabrielle relaxed a bit, and smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that. I like the Duke." She turned as the cook approached, bearing a square of cheese wrapped tightly in cloth. "Thanks." She took the cheese from her, then turned back to Toris.
"The Duke speaks well of you, too, Gabrielle." Toris commented. "It seems that you've captured the queen's attention and more, and that has made things better off for all of us."
"Well, I do my best." Gabrielle picked up her tray. Toris stepped neatly back out of her way, and half bowed, indicating the path to the steps with a flourish. He definitely looked better and she found it in her heart to be glad for him. "Thanks."
She walked towards the door and he fell into step next to her, holding the stairway door open as she started up.
"Gabrielle." Toris spoke again, this time in a lower voice. "If I come upstairs later, can we speak?"
She paused and regarded him. "Sure." She replied. "If I'm not doing something for Her Majesty."
He patted her arm, and turned away, heading for the supply table with a brisk step. Gabrielle watched him for a moment, then she turned and started upward, pondering the exchange.
What, she wondered, was Toris up to now?
And more importantly, why did he want to talk to her about it?
With a sigh, she shook her head and focused her thoughts on the task at hand. Toris' explanations would come soon enough and she had eggs to consider first.
She hoped she remembered how to cook them.
**
Gabrielle tucked her boots under her as she crouched against the wall of the practice yard, her eyes wide as she watched the sparring going on in front of her.
Two dozen of Xena's guards were faced off against each other, to her eyes whacking at random at anything that moved. She knew that wasn't really true, but it was hard to make sense of what was going on in all that chaos.
The men grunted, and yelled, and it all seemed very brutal, reminding her suddenly of the cattle slaughter down the road from Potadeia that went on ever winter.
There just wasn't enough food to keep all of them, her father had explained brusquely. So the old, the ones past bearing age or the ones that were a little sickly, they were taken to a corral downwind of the village and hacked to death. Their bodies were used as food, and their skins for many things even their hooves were boiled down for something.
It was how it was, Gabrielle knew. The animals died so she could live and as a farmer's daughter, she knew better than to be too sentimental about that. But still, she wondered sometimes if the other cattle thought about it, when they saw their fellows being lead off, or missed them.
Anyway. Gabrielle turned her attention back to the grunting men. A motion caught her eye and she spotted the far door opening, allowing Xena to emerge into the practice field.
Oo. All of a sudden, the men in the area picked up the pace and really went at it. Gabrielle watched the queen as she sauntered through the melee, her body clad in her well worn practice tunic, it's snug fabric outlining her body and sending a warm tickling through Gabrielle's guts.
Boy, she looked good. Even in that old thing, because it exposed a lot of her skin, and she had her hair pulled back into a knot and she just looked... Gabrielle was aware she was mentally babbling. She sighed, and put her chin down on her wrists.
Xena's eyes met hers briefly, and she felt her insides heat up again. The queen winked at her, then extended her arm and twirled her sword in a neat figure eight, so fast Gabrielle could barely see the blade moving. She could, on the other hand, really see the queen's muscles moving and she decided Xena's long, lithe frame was a heck of a lot sexier than the guys she was moving past.
Of course, she was probably a little biased. Gabrielle admitted. But really, just watching Xena move was like watching a dance, she was so well balanced and graceful.
"All right." The queen took center stage. "Who's my first victim?"
And she had such charming manners, too. Gabrielle had to muffle a laugh, at the looks of knowing chagrin on the soldiers faces. They gathered in a loose circle around Xena, their adoration of her obvious and the queen sensed it, a smile appearing on her face as she stood waiting.
"Well?" Xena drawled.
"It's been a while, Mistress." Brendan appeared from the far door, his sword wrapped in it's leather sheath in his gnarled hands. "Give the boys a chance to catch they breaths."
Xena flicked her blade out and slapped him on the rear as he past with the flat. "Too long." She acknowledged. "I'm getting tired of playing with myself… so let's get it on, boys." She took a step, then ducked her body and whirled in a circle, whipping the sword into a tight spiral as she spun before them. "Catch me!"
Gabrielle was entranced. She watched in awe as Xena took on the dozen of them, her body moving with such grace and speed it seemed to blur. The men came after her, but their blades were deflected in a series of flickering motions that left only the whisper of steel in the wind.
"Yeahhhaaa!" Xena let out a yell, her powerful voice punching through the air. "C'mon, you slackers!"
The soldiers redoubled their efforts, but they could barely get a blade in edgewise as Xena stalked the interior of the circle, engaging three or four of them at a time while ducking the attack of three or four others.
Brendan walked over to where Gabrielle was crouched, and dropped down next to her. "She's something, eh?"
Gabrielle could not tear her eyes from that whirling figure. She could almost feel Xena's heart beating, and she could see the deep shine of passion in her eyes as she moved past. "Wow."
"Aye." Brendan agreed softly. "I've seen swordsmasters the world over, I have. But none have ever touched her." He pointed. "See that?"
If it was attached to Xena, Gabrielle considered it seen. She didn't really pay that much attention to anyone else around the queen. "What?"
"See that move? She changes direction in less than a thought. Y'never know where she's coming from."
And wasn't that true? Gabrielle nodded slowly. "It's... beautiful." She whispered, almost able to push aside the true reason behind the beauty the brutal deadliness that rendered that clean, silver blade rust red and gory driven by Xena's inimitable will.
It was a paradox.
Xena leaped into the air, incredibly, tumbling into a somersault as she continued to meet the men's swords and then landing neatly on her feet only to drop to one knee meet the conjoined clash of three blades coming right at her head.
She laughed, and surged upward, throwing the men back.
Gabrielle caught a glimpse of some motion behind the men, and she looked across the yard, spotting the colorful silks of several nobles who were gathered on the far side, watching. She nudged Brendan in the ribs, and pointed a finger at them.
"Aye." The old soldier said. "Time for em to see again what she is. Been too long locked up in that tower, she was."
Gabrielle thought of that lonely figure she'd seen in the early dawn, covered in sweat from a battle waged between the queen, and her own shadows. She wondered why Xena hadn't come down here, to these men who so obviously worshipped her, who shared her love of this deadly art.
Why had she closed herself off, from even this contact? And why now was she coming back out into the light?
Gabrielle looked up, and found herself looking right into Xena's eyes, as the queen peeked over at her to see if she was watching. She grinned at her, and got a grin in return, and then Xena went back into the fray.
"Hasn't lost a step." Brendan sighed. "Wish that I could say so." He pushed himself to his feet with a groan, and headed towards the fray with a shake of his head.
**
Xena finished playing with her men, deciding next to do a little set of complex sword drills just to show off. She liked showing off. It helped, of course, that she really had something to show off with? banging yourself in the head or tripping would just be embarrassing.
Xena never hit herself in the head, or tripped in public if she could help it so she felt comfortable in her circle of admirers as she went through some of the advanced moves she'd invented out of need and a bit of boredom stuck in her tower late at night.
If you had no one to spar against, you had to come up with some other way to keep your skills sharp, didn't you? Besides, she was having fun watching Gabrielle's face as the slave watched her show off, glad the girl was getting to see the other side of her martial prowess, the one that didn't involve dead people and huge quantities of blood on the floor.
It was a skill, a skill she'd worked very hard to acquire, and one she was very proud of.
Xena danced backwards to a post, which had strips of cloth hanging from it. She detached one and tossed it up in the air, then she whipped her sword up and traced an impossibly small pattern right through the fabric, tightening her wrists and concentrating as hard as she could.
Her blade was only a blur. Then she dropped her arms, releasing one hand off her sword hilt as she twirled the long weapon with the other and caught the fabric as it floated down near to her knees.
She held it up.
It looked like a lace snowflake. Xena waited. After a stunned pause, the circle of men let out wild cheers and hoots. The queen strutted over to the wall and dropped the bit of cloth on Gabrielle's head, where it draped neatly, one corner drifting down over her nose and the holes allowing her green eyes to peek out. "There."
"Wow." Gabrielle blew out, puffing the fabric up a bit. "That was awesome."
"I know." Xena turned and waved her sword at the men. "C'mon, get moving. You damn well need the practice if you can't keep up with one old ex warlord." She watched them sternly until they took up arms again, waiting for the clash of swords to float over the yard before she turned and slid down the wall to crouch next to Gabrielle with her hands clasped on the hilt of her sword.
Gabrielle moved the fabric aside so she had a clear view of her queen. Xena's skin was flushed and covered in sweat, her dark hair was plastered down over her forehead, and still, she looked totally gorgeous to the slave's admittedly biased eyes. "Hey, Xena?"
"Yeeeesss?" The queen drawled, giving her a little grin.
"Can you teach me to do that?"
Xena's dark brows creased. "Do what?" She glanced at her sword hilt. "This?"
Gabrielle nodded. "It was like magic."
The queen stared at her sword for a moment, then looked back at the slave. "No." Her voice took on a gentler tone at the frown on Gabrielle's face. "You don't want to learn this, Gabrielle."
"Yes, I do." Gabrielle objected.
"No." Xena lifted a hand off her hilts and put it on Gabrielle's shoulder. "Listen." She paused. "You pick up one of these, and you become a target."
Gabrielle rubbed her scalp, then looked at the queen. "I already am a target." She replied, softly. "I want to learn how to fight, like they do." She indicated the men.
Xena leaned her sword against her chin. She pondered for a while, her eyes following the moves of the soldiers fighting in front of them. "Gabrielle." She finally turned to the slave. "I'll protect you."
"I know you will." Gabrielle marshaled her arguments. "But I want to know how to protect you."
The queen's dark eyebrows both lifted sharply.
"Well, you never know." The slave's lips twitched into a rueful grin. "Please teach me."
Xena frowned, finding the suggestion intensely unappealing. However, she had to admit that Gabrielle did have a bit of a point, since Xena couldn't be around her *all* the time.
Could she? Hmm. The queen mused. "Not this." Xena folded her hand around the sword hilt. "You're too small, for one thing, and... if you take this up, you need to be able to use it." Her eyes bored through the slave's. "Can you do that, Gabrielle? Stick this up to your elbow in some guy's fat gut and let blood run out down your arm?"
Gabrielle winced.
"Uh huh." Xena snorted. "I'll see if I can think of something else you could try."
Gabrielle sat down cross legged. "Like that?" She pointed at one of the soldiers, who had taken up a spear and was charging a fellow with it.
"I was thinking more along the lines of a stick."
"A stick?"
Xena nodded.
"That doesn't sound very dangerous."
The queen's lips curved up. "Wait and see." She polished her sword blade on the side of her tunic and sheathed it with a soft chuckle. "Wait and see."
**
"Bring dinner to my chambers tonight." Xena pointed her sword playfully at Stanislaus as she passed him in the hallway. "Household packed yet?"
"Packed, Majesty?" The senschal hurried over, with a puzzled look. "Are we going somewhere?"
"I told you before, Stanislaus." Xena frowned at him. "We're going on a royal tour. Before the snow sets in, I'm gonna visit every damn stronghold in the land."
"Told me, M..." Stanislaus took his time to frown in turn. "Your pardon, Mistress. I must have missed that."
"Clean your ears out." The queen advised. "I want a full troop and everything we'll need to travel ready by tomorrow. Move it."
The older man nodded, after a moment's hesitation. "As you wish, Majesty." He murmured. "Will you be heading to the north, or the southway first? There is much to do..." He now appeared worried. "Supplies to order... goodness..."
I did tell him, didn't I? Xena had to question herself suddenly. Oh well. Not like he was going to catch her admitting to being wrong. "Well, get on it." She growled. "Take lots of carts. I'll be bringing back lots of presents."
The seneschal scurried away, heading for the far door out of the tower and almost running through it. Xena let her sword rest on her shoulder and gazed after him, then she shrugged and headed for the steps.
A good day. She decided, as she took the stone stairs two at a time. She'd worked out with the men until far after mid- noon and then she'd visited the stables and wreaked havoc there for a while as she inspected the conditions of her favorite animals.
Why had they been neglected? The stablemen knew without question how much she cared for the beasts. Xena shook her head as she got to the top of the steps and entered the rotunda. Then she stopped. Had she been so absorbed with her solitary pursuits that the men had just gotten used to not having to have things just right? Slowly, she continued walking, letting her eyes run over the tall hanging tapestries as she reached the huge doors to her chambers. She stopped and let her hand rest on the door latch before she worked it. Yeah, maybe she had.
She pushed the door open and entered the inner corridor, closing the door behind her and looking around with fresh eyes.
The space was clean, yes, and spare. Gabrielle had, after all, had charge in here for several days before they'd become involved with each other. But the hall suddenly appeared drab and uninteresting to Xena, and she wondered why she'd always kept herself to these few, small spaces in the castle.
With a slight frown, she opened the outer chamber door and walked inside. She stopped just past the entry and gave the room the same once over, seeing the same bland plain-ness that she'd simply looked past before.The furniture was expensive and well made, the walls well kept, and the carpet immaculate save the odd tiny spatter of blood worked too far into warp and woof to get out.
"You know what?' Xena addressed the room. "This place is damned boring."
With a snort, she dropped her sword on the table and loosened the straps on her practice gear, scratching her collarbone as the itch of dried sweat made itself known. She fully intended on taking a bath and cleaning up, then having a little dinner before she engaged young Gabrielle in a night of rapacious sensual delight.
With a slight yawn, Xena pushed open the door to her bedroom with one shoulder and gazed at the bed and it's surrounds. "Yeah." She shook her head. "Boring. Gotta do something about this place."
Move, maybe, to one of the big suites in the main hall that the nobles all coveted. "Who should I kick out, hm?" She asked herself as she stretched out her shoulders, pausing as the ache of her recent injury arrested the motion. "Damn. Forgot about that." She eased her practice tunic down and turned her back on the mirror, peeking back to examine the spot.
The wound had closed, and now a thin, dark line was all that was left of it, with a pattern of bruises around it that were fading in and around her shoulderblade. Experimentally, she flexed her arm, and felt the tender ache as she pulled against the skin.
The ache annoyed her. However, she acknowledged that it could be a lot worse, and the wound was at least healing now. She'd worked hard all morning, and she supposed she could expect a little soreness as a result. Shrugging the tunic back on she turned and faced the mirror, noting with a wry grin the smudges of mud that dusted her cheekbones, giving her an even more rapscallion look than usual. She reached up and removed one smudge, then ran her fingers through sweat stiffened hair and studied the angular profile thus revealed. The men had enjoyed her presence, she decided. Not because they liked getting their asses kicked.... Well, some of them did, but anyway. Xena laughed silently. They were glad she was there because her presence indicated how important they were they were her men, she was their queen, and the fact that she spent time with them marked them as special.
Which they were, she nodded at her reflection.Somehow, she'd let that slip over the last few years, and that, more than anything, was what had given Bregos his advantage when he'd gathered men to him.
Bregos had understood her mystique, and had decided to replicate it. Without her being in the faces of the men he brought in, they gravitated to him as a source of power the same way Xena's men stuck to her.
Bregos.
Where was the little bastard? Xena suspected he'd been taken out of the kingdom to the outlands, to survive if he could and be nursed back into as much health as someone in his condition could hope for.
Which wasn't much, Xena knew.
"I should have killed him." The queen told her image.
"How come you didn't?"
Xena whirled, her instincts flaring before her eyes confirmed what her ears had already told her. She relaxed as Gabrielle entered the room, carrying something in a container. "What?"
"You were talking about Bregos, right?" The slave asked. "You didn't kill him... but everyone expected you to. I heard them behind me."
Xena took a step back, disconcerted at having Gabrielle practically sneak up behind her without the queen realizing. "How long were you out there?" She asked abruptly.
Gabrielle set her burden down and turned, her head cocking slightly to one side. "Out where?"
"The other room."
"I wasn't." The slave replied, in a puzzled tone. "I just came in the big door, walked across the outside room and came inside here, and I heard you talking."
"I d.." Xena stopped, and shook her head. "Never mind. What do you have there?" She pointed at the container.
"Petals." Gabrielle uncovered the dish. It was filled with colorful, very fragrant flower that released a lightly delicious scent into the air. "I thought you'd like them in your bath."
Xena plucked a petal and sniffed it. "Are you insinuating that I stink?"
"Um.. no.."
"Ah... I think you are."
"No, really." Gabrielle stepped closer and put her face against Xena's mud spattered tunic. She inhaled and looked up, her pale lashes fluttering slightly. "No stink."
Xena balanced the petal on the girl's head, and gave her a mollified smile. "All right then, bring the damn things in there and let's see if they work."She untied the straps on her clothing as she walked towards the bathing room.
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