The Amazons´ Boy

DISCLAIMERS: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Ephiny etc. are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this story.

All other characters and the story itself belong to the author and may not be used without permission. The lyrics to the song "Indian Strings" by Suede and "Leave" by R.E.M. are used without permission and again, no copyright infringement is intended.

VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: There are vague references to sexual violence in this story, but nothing graphic.

LOVE/SEX WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story depicts love/sexual relationships between consenting adults of the same sex. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of issue may wish to read something other than this story.

AUTHOR´S NOTES: This story can be said to take place at the end of the fourth season, but have practically nothing to do with any events of that season and therefore stands on its own. I´ve shamelessly messed up Greek history and geography with my own imagination to use for my own personal benefit, but since the show does that constantly, I guess it´s all right. I want to thank, MyWarrior, for all the time and patience she´s invested in this project. Her encouragement and comments have been invaluable. This is my first attempt at fan fiction and I hope you´ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Comments/feedback are more than welcome at dayze11@hotmail.com.

This one´s for Susan, who´s always in my heart.

Although the Captain was clearly uncomfortable, she returned Gabrielle´s gaze without wavering.

If Gabrielle was surprised she didn´t show it, but instead turned to look at Erinya.

The weapons master looked down at the table for a moment, before looking back up at her Queen.

"What!" The outrage in Zelei´s voice was clear. "Erinya, how can you say that after all what´s happened. I would expect this from Kelife," she gave the healer a sharp glance, "but not from you. Have you forgotten Leda already?"

"No, Zelei. I haven´t forgotten Leda and I never will," the weapons master´s voice was quiet but firm, "but killing those three soldiers won´t bring her back, nothing will. Besides, the only crime these men have committed is that they fought in a war. We don´t prosecute our soldiers for that, do we?"

"It´s hardly the same," Zelei´s voice was practically dripping with venom. "They attacked us and killed off half the village. They deserve to die! We need them to die to recover from this!"

Erinya just shook her head, "Perhaps, but people die in war and we attacked them first."

"True, but how would we´ve reacted if they´d taken prisoners and later executed them for nothing more than fighting on the other side."

"But that´s what war´s all about!" Zelei exasperated. "The victor makes the rules! It´s that simple! In the end it doesn´t matter who´s right or wrong. It´s who won that´s important."

"Okay, that´s enough you two!" Gabrielle cut through, giving both her subjects a stern look. "You´re not helping."

Zelei gave Erinya one last hostile glance before looking at her Queen, a vicious smile on her face.

"I guess it´s up to you then, my...Queen. You decide whether they live or die."

"I´m well aware of that, Zelei." Gabrielle´s voice was cold. "And I´d appreciate it if you didn´t use that tone with me, or I might have to find somebody else to lead the regular army."

Gabrielle continued to stare at her Captain until Zelei looked away, then she turned her attention back to the three other people in the room.

"If you´d all leave me alone, I have to think this over. Come back after an hour and I´ll inform you of my decision."

"I´m sorry if my decision disappointed you, but I had to do what I thought was right."

Gabrielle gave the Amazon a tired smile, "I wouldn´t expect anything less from you, Callias."

The Captain nodded to herself, relief evident on her face. She started to leave, but paused again.

"If...if you need anything or anybody to talk to... Well, I just want you to know that I´m here that is...if you need or want...to talk or anything."

"Thank you, Callias." Gabrielle gave her a warm smile. "I might just hold you to that."

The Captain smiled briefly then hurried out of the hut, leaving Gabrielle alone. Gabrielle rose from her chair and walked over to the window. She drew the curtains back and looked outside. It was late afternoon and already the village was painted in shades of orange and red.

To her dismay she noticed that Zelei and Erinya had continued their argument outside and that several Amazons contributed eagerly to the debate. A small crowd was beginning to gather in front of the hut, all waiting to hear their Queen´s decision.

She stayed in the same position and didn´t move till she heard a knock on the door.

The four council members stepped inside, all looking expectantly at their Queen.

They nodded and moved aside to let Gabrielle out. The moment the Queen stepped outside all voices silenced and all eyes turned to her. It was almost dark now and several fires were lit. The air was heavy with tension and suspense, and Gabrielle swallowed involuntarily. She felt a presence at her side and turned to look at Callias who´d come to stand beside her. The Captain´s face was expressionless, but Gabrielle was none the less grateful for her silent support. She turned back to face her people.

"I, as the ruling Queen of the Amazon Nation and with the authority bestowed on me, have decided to sentence the three captive soldiers to death. The execution is to take place immediately."

A roar of voices filled the square and several Amazons were hugging each other, tears running down their cheeks. Gabrielle´s face was blank as she turned to Callias.

"Captain, see to that it´s done and do it in private. I don´t want a public execution."

Zelei snorted, but a glance from the Queen silenced her instantly. Callias saluted and turned to the Royal Guards standing at the hut.

The three soldiers left in direction of the prison and silence fell once again. Hushed voices whispered and glances darted from the Queen to the prison and back again. Suddenly Callias emerged from the darkness, but without her soldiers. She walked over to her Queen and kneeled down.

Cheering and shouting obscured any reply Gabrielle might have had and she only nodded in acknowledgement. A soldier in the regular army suddenly stepped forward and kneeled down and then, one by one, every Amazon in the village kneeled down before their Queen. Gabrielle took in the display before her, a strange smile on her face. Then she slowly walked through the lines of kneeling Amazons, gently touching each of them on the shoulder, before continuing towards the Royal hut and without looking back, disappeared inside.

Lykeas closed the door behind him and stepped over to Xena who was standing at the window looking out at the city. The sun had set hours ago and only a few flickering lights from the houses below were visible. They stood side by side for a while, enjoying the cool air and the gentle breeze that made the flames in the fireplace join into a slow, alluring dance with the shadows on the walls. Then Lykeas walked away from the window and sat down on the bed. He began to roll his head back and forth to loosen up his muscles and Xena turned her head slightly to look at him.

With a quiet sigh she moved over to Lykeas who scrambled to the middle of the bed, before lying down on his stomach. Xena straddled his hips and began kneading the stiff muscles.

Xena smiled to herself and continued her task. Her mind began to wander and she couldn´t help but wonder how many times she´d done this before.

"So what do you think?" Lykeas interrupted her thoughts and she paused for a moment.

Their talk with the King had been interesting to say the least. Much to Lykeas´ surprise, Xena hadn´t had any scruples about telling the King everything that had happened and consequently why they were here. Polyidos had listened in silence, only interrupting a few times to ask for a clarification of one thing or another. He had paid particular attention when Xena mentioned the brown uniforms the soldiers had been wearing.

She moved away from Lykeas and went over to the fireplace to stir up the fire. Lykeas reluctantly resumed his former position, sitting on the bed. Xena remained standing at the fireplace unconsciously still holding the poker, staring straight into the flames. Then abruptly she turned to look directly at him.

"But I´m willing to take the consequences," She continued, as if she hadn´t heard him. "I have to."

"I see," Lykeas replied, but in truth he didn´t have a clue about what she was referring to.

"Well, I think..." He paused, having no idea what to say. "I think, I should get some sleep. It´s gonna be an early start tomorrow."

Xena stopped her pacing, "Yeah, you´re right. I should do that as well.," but she knew she wouldn´t be able to fall asleep.

Lykeas got up from the bed and opened the door, then on a second thought, he looked back into the room. Xena was standing at the window again, staring out at the darkness.

"You know I´m awful, when it comes to stuff like...like that." He swallowed. "But if you ever... Well, I´m willing...willing to try, and at least...I can always listen."

Three people stood in the castle´s courtyard which was bathed in the grey light of dawn. The King stifled a yawn and smiled apologetically at the two warriors.

The King pulled out a scroll from a pocket in his white robe. "Here´s the message I want you to bring to Simmias." He paused for a minute and looked at them in a thoughtful manner, before continuing. "King Simmias is one of the nicest men I´ve ever met, but when it comes to politics..."

"Simmias is greatly loved by his subjects, but it´s no secret among them that in reality he has little involvement in the affairs of the kingdom. Therefore, I´ll advise you to speak to his wife, Queen Phillinna, about these matters. For years she´s been the rightful ruler of the kingdom in anything but name, but under no circumstances treat Simmias with disrespect. He´s not stupid, he just doesn´t... Well, it´s hard for him to remain focused for a longer period of time."

She accepted the scroll the King handed her and placed it safely in Argo´s saddlebag. She hesitated for a moment before pulling out two scrolls of her own.

"I´d be grateful if you would see to that these two scrolls are delivered to the Amazons. Will that be possible?"

The King was interrupted by the sound of hooves on the cobble and Charmides´ voice, protesting loudly. They turned to see Alexias coming towards them, dressed in armour and leathers, leading a horse behind him. Charmides was wringing his hands and kept dancing around in small circles, while still managing to keep up with the Prince.

"But, Your Highness, you haven´t thought this through. It could be dangerous, what would His Majesty think if... Ah, Your Majesty! I´m so relieved to see you. His Highness is determined to accompany the warriors and won´t listen to reason."

The King frowned and left Lykeas and Xena. He led his son out of hearing range and an animated debate began. Xena gave Lykeas an amused smile, but his attention was on the scrolls in her hands.

"This one informs them of all what we´ve learned so far and what our future plans are."

"And that one?" Lykeas pointed at the slightly smaller scroll in the warrior´s other hand.

When she didn´t answer, he reached out and took it out of her hand. Xena´s eyes narrowed for a second, but then her face was a mask again. Lykeas ignored her expression and opened the scroll. He read the short text and then without a word, rolled it together again and fastened the string around it. He handed it back to her and their eyes met. The blue eyes didn´t show any emotion, while the black ones had a speculating and searching look to them.

"Alexias has set his heart on going with you to see Simmias. I am not happy with his decision, but he´s old enough to decide for himself, so I won´t stand in his way. Of course, it all depends on whether you´re willing to let him accompany you." He gave them a faint smile, "Don´t feel obligated to agree. Whatever you decide, it won´t change my opinion about you or lessen the gratefulness I feel."

Lykeas released a quiet sigh and looked at Xena, who only shrugged, obviously letting the decision up to him. He turned to look at Alexias, who was regarding him with both anticipation and badly hidden eagerness.

"I know." There was a defiant edge to the Prince´s voice, but Lykeas paid it no attention.

Alexias nodded, but when noticing the warrior´s expression, hurried to give a more oral confirmation. "Yes, yes I have."

"The finest," the King interrupted proudly and put an arm around his son´s shoulder.

The King gave his son a warm hug and Alexias endured it for a moment, before easing himself out of the embrace. He mounted his own horse and looked down at the King.

"I will." The Prince turned to look at Charmides, who was fighting tears. "Don´t worry, my friend. I´ll be back before you now it."

It was three days after the execution and the Queen still hadn´t left her hut. She´d had her meals brought, but most had been sent back without being touched. Kelife had paid her a visit, but the Queen had assured her that she was all right and just needed to be alone. The Amazons had respected her wish, but as the third day turned into night, Callias decided she wasn´t going to play along anymore. She knocked on the Queen´s door and without waiting for an answer steeped inside. Gabrielle was sitting on the bed surrounded by scrolls and looked up from the scroll she was writing in.

"What is it, I said... Oh, Callias, it´s you. Look, I´m sorry, but I don´t feel like having company tonight."

"Feel guilty. You did what you had to do and there´s absolutely nobody in this village, or the entire Nation for that matter, who think you made the wrong decision. They saw a strong and just Queen in a difficult situation, but you handled it with the firmness needed without betraying your heart, and they all respect you and love you that much more for it. You´re not afraid of showing doubt or weakness, but you´re not afraid of showing strength and resolution either when it´s required, and three days ago, it was."

"Then why is it I can´t sleep at night." Gabrielle´s voice was barely a whisper.

Callias pushed a scroll aside and sat down on the bed. She reached out and took the quill from the Queen´s shaking hand.

The Queen smiled at hearing her name from the Captain´s lips for the first time.

"I´ve been a warrior all my life, and I can´t say that I understand all the things you must be feeling right now, but I do know that sometimes in life we´re faced with problems that forces us to react in a certain manner. We may not like it or approve it, but it´s not gonna prevent these things from happening from time to time, and as with all things beyond our control, we´ll have to compromise and adjust. The life you lived ten years ago is not the life you live today, and the person you were ten years ago is not the person you are today. The world around us changes and because we live in that world, we change with it."

Gabrielle smiled at the Amazon, "For a warrior, you certainly have a way with words." She sighed, "I appreciate what you´re trying to say, Callias. I really do, and I guess that some part of me agrees, but the thing is..."

"I made a promise to myself once never to take a life or to fight again. I may not have fought, but I´ve taken lives. Three defenceless men died because of me."

The Captain reached out and took the Queen´s hand. "You were a different person when you made that promise and in a different situation. It´s impossible to go through life without altering or revising your beliefs and priorities. Your priority this time was the Amazons and you acted accordingly. You began the healing of the emotional scars we all carry. You saw what we needed and gave it to us and if the time comes, we´ll do the same for you and that´s how it should be, because you´re our Queen and we´re your people."

"But what am I worth if I can´t stay true to myself?" Tears were slowly running down Gabrielle´s cheeks.

And with that, the Amazon pulled her Queen into a tight embrace. Gabrielle rested her head against the soldier´s shoulder and cried quietly. Callias moved her hand in small soothing circles on the Queen´s back, while whispering soft words of comfort. Most of her words didn´t make much sense or were impossible to make out, but it all worked to calm the woman in her arms and soon the sobs subsided.

Gabrielle moved away and regarded the blond Amazon with a small smile. "Thank you, I needed that."

Callias smiled in return, "It´s all part of a Captain´s duty. Whether it´s fighting off soldiers or offering a shoulder to cry on, I´m here to assist."

"I was hoping you were here as my friend and not as my Captain." Her words were playful, but her expression serious.

"Oh, I..." The Amazon hesitated, then grinned. "Let´s say I´m here as your friend and Captain."

"Works with me, "Gabrielle grinned in return, "but let´s not have anymore of those my Queens or Your Majestys, I never pull rank among friends."

"Almost never." The Queen interrupted, giving Callias a poor attempt of a menacing glare.

The Captain smiled, "Let´s compromise. I´ll continue to address you with your rightful title in public, but in private I´ll call you whatever you want me to. Is that a deal?"

"Deal." Gabrielle shook the soldier´s hand, "But you won´t have to call me anything but Gabrielle, although..." She adopted a sober expression, "I probably could get used to a couple of "as you wish, woman who outshines the beauty of Aphrodite," and "yes, you the most skilful of bards," or what about, "if you say so, my Queen of light and wisdom," wouldn´t that be appropriate?"

"Let´s not get carried away, shall we?" The Captain smirked, "I begin to think, you´ve been inside this hut for too long."

Gabrielle just smiled and for a while they sat in silence. Then Callias gestured to one of the scrolls on the bed.

The Queen´s eyes lit up, "I´d love too. I haven´t been able to tell my tales for quite a while now."

The Captain thought for a moment, " I´m sure they´re all excellent, so why don´t you just tell me one of your favourites."

"Okay," Gabrielle looked at the scrolls before her. She reached out for one, but stopped herself. "I don´t need the scrolls to remember this story."

She gathered the scrolls and carefully put them on the floor beside the bed, before returning to her position at the headboard. She took a deep breath and her eyes took on a distant and faraway expression.

"It was winter and the weather was freezing. We´d been travelling for almost a week, when suddenly a group of..." She faltered.

Callias who´d closed her eyes when Gabrielle began to speak, opened them again to look at her questioningly.

The Queen gave her a quick smile that didn´t quite reach the green eyes, "I think, I´ll tell a different story instead."

"I sing the song of Narcissus, the river god´s son and Echo, the nymph who loved him..."

Slowly, a thought penetrated the heavy layers of sleep and made it´s way into Gabrielle´s mind.

The Captain was lying on her stomach, facing away, but with one arm over Gabrielle´s waist. Gabrielle´s face was practically touching the Amazon´s shoulder and her arm had taken a disturbingly possessive hold around the Captain´s lower back.

She eased herself away from the still sleeping woman and got to her feet. She had told several stories the night before and every time she´d wanted to stop, Callias had encouraged her to continue and the bard in her had willingly obliged, in spite of her exhaustion. Eventually they must have fallen asleep. She tried to stifle a yawn without success.

She studied the Captain for a moment and smiled to herself. The passionate and persuasive speech the Amazon had given her last night had done wonders. She knew she would never be comfortable with the role she had played in the three men´s death, but her feeling of guilt and frustration had, if not disappeared, subsided to a small ache she could learn to live with.

She sighed and wondered if it would be considered improper if she climbed back into bed beside the Captain and slept for a few more hours.

Her musings were abruptly interrupted by a loud knocking on the door and for the second night in a row, an Amazon entered the Queen´s hut without waiting for permission.

"Your Majesty, I won´t accept this any longer, I-." Zelei stopped in her tracks and a mocking smile showed on her face. "I see it´s true what they say about, "out of sight, out of mind." That didn´t take you long, did it?"

Callias who´d been woken up by the noise, leapt off the bed and approached the brown-haired Amazon dangerously.

"Getting ambitious are we, Callias? Trying to sleep your way to the top, eh? Too bad it won´t do you any good as she won´t be Queen for much longer."

Gabrielle reached out and held back the fuming Captain. "What do you mean, Zelei?" Her voice was demanding and cold. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, you!" The Amazon spat out. "I´m going to do something that should have been done for a long time ago."

Zelei pulled out a dagger and threw it at the floor where it embedded itself only inches away from Gabrielle´s foot.

"I hereby challenge you for the right of Queen. Meet me at the practice field in two hours and if you don´t, I´ll see that as a surrendering of your authority as will the Amazon Nation."

Zelei´s eyes narrowed, "And if you do show up, it´ll be a fight to the death. Don´t expect anything else, I´ve no scruples when it comes to killing."

Gabrielle´s green eyes locked onto the Amazon´s brown. "I´ll be there, Zelei and now get the Tartarus out of here before I let Callias throw you out with your head first."

The Captain took a step forward, but Zelei raised her hands in contempt. "Don´t worry, I´ll leave now, after all, I wouldn´t want to spoil your last moments together, and I mean last."

She walked out and closed the door behind her. Then they heard her shout from outside, "Two hours, Gabrielle, I hope you enjoy!"

Gabrielle slumped down on the bed, an overwhelming sense of tiredness settling heavily in her body.

She gave the worried soldier a faint smile, "At least she had the courtesy to let me sleep a few hours before barging in here."

"It´s Gabrielle in private, remember? And you don´t have to say anything." She patted the bed and Callias sat down beside her. "We both know that I can´t decline the challenge, I won´t decline. Zelei as Queen would be just as bad as..." She stopped herself, not wanting to relive that particular memory.

"But, Gabrielle, she will try to kill you. I know Zelei and she´s not kidding. She will kill you!"

"Only if she defeats me." The Queen smiled weakly, "As the challenged, I´ve the right to choose weapons and I´ve seen her fight with a staff, I´m better than she is."

Gabrielle nodded, "I know, the Queen can only appoint a new Champion if her present one dies or freely renounces the privilege."

"No, Callias, we both know Zelei won´t agree to that and even if she did... I have to do this on my own."

"Gabrielle," the Captain looked at her with solemn blue eyes, "I swear, if...if she kills you, I´ll challenge her the moment you´ve drawn your last breath."

Gabrielle looked into the soldier´s eyes, "Promise me you´ll challenge her for the Nation, not for me. I don´t want your death on my conscience too."

She gave him a sheepish grin, "I think so. Gods, I can´t remember the last time, I fell asleep in the saddle."

He dug his heels into Rarjan and the horse galloped forward to catch up with Alexias who was riding further down the road. Xena took out a water skin and poured some of the water over her head, she didn´t want to risk falling asleep again.

In spite of the practice field being surrounded by people it was eerily quiet, not even whispering was heard and all eyes were on the path leading to the village. Suddenly, like one being, the crowd parted to make room for their Queen as she approached the field, casually holding a staff in her right hand. Small smiles of encouragement followed her on the way, but nobody spoke and the silence seemed even thicker than before. Gabrielle´s eyes met Callias´ for just a second and she gave the Captain a reassuring smile. The Captain tried to return it, but failed miserably. Zelei was waiting impatiently on the field, a malicious smirk on her face. She had been informed of the Queen´s choice of weapon and was holding her own staff in a tight grip. It wasn´t her preferred weapon, nor was it the best weapon for a quick kill, but she had no doubt she´d find a way to end this soon. The Queen seemed to inspire that in her. Gabrielle walked out on the field, but stopped a few yards away from Zelei and turned to face her people.

"Amazons, today I was challenged for the right of Queen by Zelei and I´ve accepted the challenge. I don´t have to tell you about the rules of this ritual or the consequences if I lose."

"No matter what happens today, I want you all to know how proud I am of having been able to call myself your Queen. Your courage, strength and love have made me a stronger and better person and for that I´ll be eternally grateful. You accepted a stranger, a simple village girl as your Queen and offered your support, help and guidance whenever I was faced with problems or challenges...including getting into this." She gestured at her Amazon attire.

Her last remark, earned her several warm smiles and Gabrielle smiled in return. She wanted to say something more, but couldn´t find the words, so instead she looked at Erinya who nodded and walked out on the field.

"This is a fight for the right of Queen. It will continue till one of the participants have either surrendered, is incapable of fighting or have been killed. The chosen weapon is the staff and no other weapons may be used, nor may any other person interfere or assist in the fight, and the result cannot be disputed. The victor will be acknowledged as Queen of the Amazons."

Slowly the two combatants began circling each other. Gabrielle trusted her skills with the staff, but she was worried about Zelei´s greater strength and endurance. She wasn´t sure whether the Amazon wanted to end the fight as fast as possible or have a little fun playing with her. A powerful blow forced her to take a few steps back.

Zelei pressed her advantage and delivered a hit to Gabrielle´s knee. She managed to bring her staff down and block, but the force of the blow made her own staff slam against her leg and she cried out in pain. Zelei moved a few feet back and regarded her coldly.

The Captain´s eyes narrowed and she charged again, this time going after the Queen´s head. Gabrielle ducked and thrust the tip of her staff into Zelei´s stomach. The Amazon groaned and staggered, but didn´t halt her attack. She aimed at Gabrielle´s head again, but as the bard brought her staff up, she changed direction and hit her hard in the chest.

She didn´t have time to speculate as Zelei ducked under her staff and went for the kill. The bard barely succeeded in getting out of the way, and both felt and heard the staff as it passed only inches from her throat.

Already the staff was getting heavy and Gabrielle´s skin was glistening with sweat, and she knew she had to stop being on the receiving end. The continuous blocking of the Amazon´s blows were tiring her too fast, and preventing her from finding her own rhythm. At the next blow, instead of blocking, she moved swiftly to the left and for a second, the Amazon´s entire right side was unprotected. Again she delivered at direct hit to Zelei´s stomach and this time all the air was knocked out of the Amazon. Gabrielle followed up with a blow to the Captain´s left hand and Zelei momentarily had to let go of the staff. However, within seconds she had recovered and the brown eyes darkened dangerously. She ran forward and, before the bard managed to react, used her superior weight to bring them both to the ground. The Amazon´s body landed heavily on Gabrielle and she heard her right wrist crack as it was caught between her back and the ground. Tears of pain came to her eyes and then she felt Zelei´s hands close around her throat.

"You should have given up when you had the chance, Gabrielle." The Captain hissed, "There´ll be no mercy now."

She wrestled her left arm, which had been trapped between their bodies, free and with all her strength plunged her fingers into Zelei´s right eye. The Amazon screamed and immediately let go off her throat to cover her eye with her hands. Gabrielle pushed the Captain´s writhing body away and got to her feet. She swayed for a moment as the world began to spin, but managed to keep her balance. Zelei was rolling around on the ground, still covering her eye with her hands. Without a second thought, Gabrielle grabbed the staff in her left hand and stepped over to the Amazon. She planted her foot solidly on the Captain´s windpipe and Zelei´s body went still.

Gabrielle unconsciously ceased some of the pressure and a smile began to form on Zelei´s lips.

She swung her staff and delivered a direct hit against the Amazon´s temple, knocking her unconscious. The last of her strength left her body and Gabrielle fell down on her knees. Far, far away, she heard the cheering cries of her subjects. She dimly saw Kelife rush to Zelei´s side and barely acknowledged Erinya declaring the fight to be over with her as the victor. The only sensation she managed to focus on was the strong arms of Callias, as the Captain lifted her up and carried her back to the village.

Xena smiled to herself as she reached out and took the last piece of meat, she wasn´t used to be the one who ate the most.

They had camped away from the road, taking cover behind a particularly nasty hawthorn thicket, and Lykeas had complained for twenty minutes about the thorns, which seemed to have been extra bend on getting themselves stuck into exactly his body. Needless to say, Xena had found the entire thing hilarious that is, till her hair was caught on a branch. However, the entire episode had helped to break the ice and Alexias was visible more at ease with the warriors, and had begun to actually talk to them.

Xena looked up from the meat at the Prince, "Yeah, I´ll take the first couple of hours and Lykeas will take the rest."

"Don´t worry, Alexias. You´ll get your share of watches. Just not tonight, okay?"

The Prince relented and moved closer to the fire. To be honest he was tired, and he knew that Xena must have been able to see it on his face. They had been travelling fast all day, hardly taking time to rest and he wasn´t used to that. It was only a couple of months ago, he´d managed to talk his father out of having Charmides accompany him whenever he went hunting or riding. Alexias prided himself of his skills as both rider and swordsman, and he´d also had the opportunity to prove himself on a few occasions, but he knew his experiences didn´t even come close to what the two warriors across him had been subjected to. Like everybody in Greece, he´d heard the stories of the Warrior Princess and he was dying to ask her about it, but somehow he knew it would be a bad idea. He also had to admit to himself that he was fascinated by the dark man, who´d rescued his life. It was obvious Lykeas and Xena were old friends and he couldn´t help but wonder about the nature of the relationship they shared or had shared in the past. Had Lykeas been one of her men? A soldier in her army? A lover...? Had they been friends even then, and if, how had he reacted when she began to change and ultimately left? These were questions he would like to ask as well, but again he sensed he´d overstep invisible boundaries. Besides they didn´t really know each other that well yet, but perhaps some day he would find the courage to ask and perhaps, just perhaps, they would answer.

He raised his gaze from the fire and noticed that they were both looking at him with slightly amused expressions. He could feel himself blush and he thanked the Gods for the darkness. They would never see him as anything but a boy if he kept blushing every other minute. Both Lykeas and Xena noticed the blush, but neither mentioned it, Xena finding it rather cute while Lykeas wasn´t sure he wanted to know the reason.

"You´re better known in these parts than we are. When do you think we´ll reach King Simmias´ kingdom?"

Alexias took a sip of water before looking at Lykeas, "Well, if we keep up the pace, I´d think we should get there in two, maybe two and a half days."

"Yes, well sort of. There´s a small piece of land between the two kingdoms that officially has no owner, but it´s only a mile or so."

"And unofficially?" Lykeas absently traced a long scratch on his left arm with his finger.

Alexias smiled, "The area is known for it´s exquisite yellow roses and since King Simmias loves roses..."

The Prince´s smile vanished, "No, we´ve never had any quarrels with Simmias, but..."

"King Kassander has on more than one occasion violated both ours and Simmias´ borders. Of course he has a perfect excuse every time and always retreats willingly."

The young man shrugged, "But both father and I think Kassander´s only waiting for an opportunity to attack. These provocations are meant to test us and see how far we´re prepared to let him go. I suppose he wants it to look like we made the first move so if a war starts, he´ll appear to be the one´s been wronged and consequently justified to invade."

"So you´ve never been engaged in an actual conflict with Kassander?" Lykeas asked, inwardly deciding that King Kassander was a man he could relate to.

Alexias was silent for a long time and Xena exchanged a quick glance with Lykeas, then the Prince spoke again, his voice loaded with emotion, but which exactly was impossible to distinguish.

Xena looked at the young man in surprise and Lykeas did a fairly good imitation of a raised eyebrow. However, before they managed to ask any questions Alexias continued, this time his voice was unmistakably harsh.

"Of course, nobody´s willing to say it out loud, but I know...I know he had them killed."

He paused, but then spoke again, almost stumbling over the words, "Three years ago my brothers were out hunting close to the border between Simmias´ and Kassander´s kingdoms. Simmias has no children and he has always allowed us to use his hunting grounds whenever we wanted to, as long as we didn´t step on his flowers."

A pale smile followed the last remark, then faded. "When Polyidos and Natolemos didn´t return when they were supposed to, Simmias sent out a search party... My brothers had been beaten to death and then hung up in a tree. Kassander later claimed that a warlord had crossed his territories and must have been the one responsible, but we never heard or saw anything of any warlord."

She fiddled with her chakram for a few seconds, before getting up, "I´ll go check the perimeter."

"Why would Kassander have your brothers killed?" Lykeas´ voice portrayed genuine curiosity.

The Prince looked into the fire, "I...I don´t know. That´s why nobody believes me, they don´t see a motive."

Lykeas held his gaze for a while then leaned back down on the bedroll, an intrigued smile playing on his lips.

Kelife wrapped a fresh bandage around Gabrielle´s wrist, "Don´t strain it too much or try not to use it at all, and it should be fine in a week or two."

"It takes more than that to stop Gabr... I mean, Her Majesty speaking." Callias smirked and promptly received a slap on her thigh.

Gabrielle smiled innocently before turning her attention back to Kelife, "I haven´t had any problems with my throat, Zelei didn´t manage to do any real damage."

"That´s only because you stopped her before she got the chance," The Captain muttered under her breath, but Gabrielle heard her anyway.

"Exactly, Callias. I stopped her." She smiled at the soldier. "Don´t forget that."

The healer waited patiently for the moment to pass before clearing her throat, "Okay, Callias lay down." She gestured to the pallet beside her.

"No," Kelife replied, patting the pallet, "but I need to check your stitches. I want to make sure you didn´t tear any while carrying the Queen the other day. And speaking of that, didn´t I tell you not to do anything strenuous till after I had removed the stitches?"

"Well, " Callias reluctantly lay down on the pallet, a small grin on her face, "if I´d known Her Majesty would be that heavy, I might have thought twice about it."

"Hah, hah. I glad you both find that so amusing," Gabrielle said, giving the two smiling faces a stern look. "If you´re not careful, I may issue a law where I´m to be carried around all the time, and guess who´ll get the honour?"

The healer only smiled and lifted up Callias´ tunic to look at her wound. Gabrielle noticed a faint blush on the Captain´s cheeks and casually looked away to study the wall of the hut instead. The wall was covered by small bundles of herbs and dried flowers. The herbs drying to be used later for medicine and the flowers used to freshen the air, and drive out the smell of death that still seemed to linger in the healer´s hut. Gabrielle shuddered at the memory of the last time she´d been there. It had been the second day after the battle and she had just arrived after a few hours of sleep to resume her work, when Kelife had stopped her at the door. There had been no use for her help, none of the wounded had survived the night. Gabrielle shook her head, the image of the dead Amazons in the hut was something she´d never forget. She wondered how Kelife dealt with it.

Gabrielle wasn´t quite sure how she should perceive Kelife´s remark and decided to change the subject.

"Yes," the healer absently replied while washing her hands in a bowl, "what about her?"

"Oh," Kelife sighed, "she´s fine. She´s a pain in the arse and never listens to my advise, but else she´s doing just fine."

"I´m shocked, Kelife," Callias grinned, "I thought you loved all your patients."

"Well, believe me when I say that some of them are more loveable than others... Okay, get out of here so I can get back to my herbs."

She ushered her patients outside, but then just before they were about to leave, put a hand on Gabrielle´s shoulder.

"My Queen, there´s a possibility that Zelei will never regain her sight on the right eye."

"I said she´s fine and she is, but I don´t think her eyesight will return." The healer gave the Queen´s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I´m telling you this because I´ve already informed Zelei, and I didn´t want you to be unprepared if she...well, we all know what she can be like."

Gabrielle swallowed and looked down for a moment, before raising her head and looking the healer straight in the eye, "I had no choice, Kelife. I know, what you as a healer must think, but if I had to do it all over again, I would."

"Oh no, my Queen, you misunderstand me. I´m not blaming you or anything. Actually, strictly between you and me," she leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, "I think she´s had it coming for years."

"Oh," she finally managed to say, but by then Kelife had already gone back inside, the thin straw wall only slightly muffling her melodic laughter.

"Close your mouth, Gabrielle," Callias grinned and began to lead her Queen away, "you´ll attract flies."

They stopped and turned to see Areia approach them, two scrolls under her arm. She bowed for the Queen and gave her Captain a small nod before handing over the scrolls.

"A man reached our border today. He said he was sent out by King Polyidos four days ago to deliver these scrolls to the Queen of the Amazons."

"I take it he´s on his way back, my Queen. Apparently, he wasn´t expected to bring back a reply."

"Polyidos," Callias thought out loud, "isn´t his kingdom somewhere North from here?"

"Yes," Gabrielle replied, looking intensely at the scrolls in her hands. "Xena said they´d have to pass it to get through to Ister."

The Amazon saluted and headed back towards the forest. Callias regarded the Queen questioningly, who still hadn´t made any attempt to open the scrolls.

She unrolled the largest scroll and quickly read the text, before giving it to Callias.

"It seems that everything´s going according to plan," the Captain said after a few minutes and returned the scroll. "It´s nice of them to keep us informed, I didn´t think they´d do that."

Callias looked thoughtfully at the smaller scroll and bit her lip, "Well, I´d better get going. I got some things to do."

The Captain nodded and swiftly walked away. The Queen lingered for a moment before slowly making her way back to the Royal hut. Inside she sat down on the bed and for a while just looked at the scroll in her hand. Then, without conscious thought, she took a deep breath and unrolled the parchment.

Night had fallen and the first stars appeared, before the Queen moved from the bed and walked outside.

In the last minute the horse managed to stop just before it would have run down a man walking on the road. They had just rounded a corner and out of nowhere an elderly man had appeared, walking in the middle of the road, oblivious to everything around him. Lykeas had some difficulties in getting Rarjan to stand still, the sudden halt having frightened the horse, and Rarjan danced nervously before slowly calming down.

"What in Tartarus do you think you´re doing? You could have gotten yourself killed or worse, injured my horse." Xena´s voice was harsh and it was clear she did´t really gave a damn if the man had been hurt, but that Argo´s faith was an entirely different matter.

The man was dressed in a perfectly white tunic and sandals. He looked up at her with blue-grey eyes that shone almost as much as his bald head in the afternoon sun. He gave her a warm and friendly smile and pointed at a white flower lying on the dusty road.

"I lost her, the wind took her right out of my hand." He bent down and tenderly picked up the flower, "I´m so glad I found you again," he whispered affectionately, before putting it into a small pouch hanging from his belt.

"Look, sir, I´m sure-." But before Xena could finish her sentence, Alexias has jumped down from his horse and enveloped the man into a warm embrace.

"Ah, Alexias, my dear boy. It´s nice to see you too. What have you been up to lately? It´s been so long since you last came for a visit."

The Prince moved away from the embrace, but kept his hands on the man´s upper arms. "I know, sir. I´ve been busy with my studies and training," he noticed the puzzled looks from the two warriors, still on their horses. "But where are my manners, My Lord, may I introduce you to two of the finest warriors I´ve ever met, Xena and Lykeas and this," he gestured towards the little man, "this is His Majesty King Simmias IV."

The King gave them a dazzling smile, "It´s so very nice to meet you. You´re friends of Alexias?"

Before the warriors could respond, the Prince cut in, "They saved my life, sir. If it hadn´t been for them I´d have been dead."

The smiling expression on the King´s face disappeared and was replaced by one of sorrow. He put his own hands on Alexias´ and looked intensely at the young man, "I´m so glad you didn´t die, I don´t think I could´ve taken it, if you´d be gone too."

His sorrowful look vanished as quickly as it had appeared and he gave the two warriors another brilliant smile. "Let´s get going, I´m late already and Phil will be worried."

He began walking down the road humming for himself, occasionally stopping to pick up a flower or study a colourful stone. Lykeas looked at Alexias as the Prince returned to the saddle.

The young man nodded, "Yes, got a problem with that?" His voice was slightly defensive.

Lykeas looked down the road a huge grin on his face, "Nope, can´t say that I have."

He urged Rarjan forward and quickly caught up with the King. Alexias glanced at Xena, but the warrior was lost in thought as she stared at the retreating back of Simmias. Then she turned to look at the Prince.

They joined the men ahead of them and began the slow journey to Simmias castle, constantly being delayed by an enthusiastic King searching for flowers in the ditch along the road or running off somewhere, chasing butterflies. Soon Xena was at the end of her tether and her mood wasn´t improved by the fact that Lykeas found the entire thing highly amusing, and even, much to Simmias´ delight, pointed out several flowers that the King might find interesting. Finally she shot him a look that if possible would have killed him right on the spot. Lykeas only gave her a pleasant smile in return and else ignored her for the rest of the trip. It was late evening before they reached the castle, and they were met in the courtyard by a servant, who gently but firmly, took the King by the arm and led him away. Another servant showed them to their quarters and announced that Queen Phillinna had asked the two warriors to join her in the garden later for tea, and until then, dinner would be brought to their rooms. After the meal, Alexias excused himself and went out in search of an old friend, and Xena and Lykeas found themselves alone in the room.

A warm spicy, intoxicating scent lingered in the air and Xena paused for a moment, trying to pin down what it was. It was roses, no doubt about it. The sweet scent had reached her nostrils even before she´d entered the garden, but there was something else as well. Something...comforting. She frowned, not sure where that had come from, but it was true. The scent was full of the last warm rays of the evening sun, it whispered of days long gone and spoke of joys yet to come.

The warrior shook her head, deciding she´d been out in the sun too long. She followed the path between the green hedges towering over her, feeling like she was entering another world. The path circled and turned constantly and when once she looked back, the castle had disappeared from her view. The gravel under her feet and the voice of a single bird singing was all she heard, and for just a second, she felt very alone. Then she rounded another corner and the path opened up and came to a halt in a round circle of grass. She noticed other paths ending and leading away from the circle as well, and wondered briefly where they led, before focusing on the woman, sitting on a white bench in the centre of the circle. The woman was dressed in a simple white dress with elegantly woven patterns around sleeves and neck. Her long blond hair hung loosely down her back, making a golden contrast to her pale skin. She looked up from the book she was reading, and dark green eyes found blue. A slow smile spread on her face and she gestured for the warrior to come nearer. Xena, suddenly feeling very self-consciousness, tentatively stepped closer. The green grass was soft under her feet and she didn´t make a sound as she closed the distance and sat down on the edge of the bench. The smile hadn´t left the woman´s face as she reached out touch the warrior´s arm.

The simple touch on her arm, sent a wave of electricity through Xena´s body, and it was a while before she could answer.

"We have things to discuss." To her surprise her voice sounded hoarse, and she cleared her throat, before continuing. "We have a message from King Polyidos."

The woman leaned back and gracefully crossed her legs, and Xena noticed for the first time that the Queen wasn´t wearing any sandals, the pale skin seeming even whiter against the grass.

"I know." She spoke softly and looked at the warrior patiently. Xena mentally slapped her head and gave the scroll to the Queen. Phillinna read it in silence, her face showing no emotion, except a small nibbling on her lower lip, which Xena found almost too endearing. When finished, she folded the scroll again and put it down on the grass.

Xena found she couldn´t hold the Queen´s gaze and let her eyes roam the hedges surrounding them, efficiently shielding them from prying eyes and ears. The sun had partly disappeared behind the high walls of green and the circle of grass was bathed in a glowing red light.

"No, but the garden´s been designed the way that the castle isn´t visible from here." The Queen smiled, "Sometimes it´s nice to get away without really being away."

The warrior kept staring at the various paths leading away, keenly aware of the Queen´s eyes on her.

Xena turned to look at the woman, her brow furrowed. "Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but I think it´s a tad irresponsible of you to let your husband run around alone outside the castle," she hesitated slightly.

"His Majesty seems to be a...a kind and caring man, and I wouldn´t want any harm to come to him."

Almost imperceptibly Phillinna´s features mellowed and her eyes took on a faraway look.

"You´re right, my husband is a kind and caring man, and I wouldn´t want anything bad for him to happen either, but..." She smiled and green eyes focused on the warrior, "I want him to be happy also and nothing makes him happier than searching the countryside for flowers."

Xena nodded, "I understand that, Your Majesty, but you shouldn´t let him leave unescorted."

"Ah, but he isn´t or usually he isn´t." She gave the warrior another smile, "Simmias sneaked out before dawn this morning, and we´d been searching for him all day when you brought him back."

A question burned on Xena´s tongue, but she wasn´t sure if she should phrase it. The Queen raised an eyebrow and silently asked a question of her own.

The warrior smiled a bit sheepishly, "I was wondering how... I mean, what does the people of this kingdom think about King Simmias and his...little hobby?"

"Xena," a warm shiver ran down the warrior´s back when she heard her name spoken from the pink lips, "my husband has been King for almost forty-five years and in all that time, people have never spoken one bad word against him. They know he loves them and that he cares about their sorrows and joys, so at the end of the day, it doesn´t matter whether he talks to his roses or not."

Xena thought she could see the trace of sad smile on the Queen´s face, but then it was gone.

The warrior studied the woman beside her. She didn´t seemed to be much older than her late thirties, and after Xena´s impression of the King that would make her almost thirty years younger than her husband.

A if guessing her thoughts Phillinna said, "I´m his second wife, his first wife, my sister, died ten years ago."

"Yes, my sister." This time a sad smile was clearly visible on the pale features. "Esther was a frail woman, but Simmias loved her very much. When she became ill and the healers said nothing could be done, she made me promise to look after him. She was afraid he´d fall apart without her."

"Yes, but marry him?" Xena couldn´t help but think that that was quite a request Phillinna´s sister had made. "Did you love him?" The blunt question was out before the warrior could stop herself.

Xena found there were several things she could think of asking for, but remained silent. She looked at the Queen, but noticed the green eyes had gone pass her and was looking at something behind her. Embraced by, and almost hidden in the fast expanding shadows was Lykeas.

Lykeas stepped forward then hesitated for a moment before sitting down on the grass in front of them.

The Queen let her eyes rest on one, then another warrior, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Then her posture changed and she suddenly seemed both taller and more authoritative.

"That depends on what you can tell us?" Lykeas cut in before Xena had the chance to speak.

The blond woman´s countenance softened and she smiled at him. "Why don´t you ask and I´ll do my best to answer. Then afterwards we can discuss any further plans."

"Okay," Lykeas replied, throwing a quick glance at Xena before looking back at the Queen. "The men in brown uniforms, have you seen them?"

"Yes, not personally though, but I´ve heard several rumours of large bands of men crossing the kingdom, all dressed in brown uniforms."

"Have you had any trouble with them," Xena inquired, deciding it was time for her join in.

"No, they have always avoided the populated areas. It seemed like they were only intend on crossing the territory."

"They headed North?" Both warriors asked at the same time, and the Queen gave them an amused smile, before turning serious again.

"Yes, they all headed toward the border between our and King Kassander´s kingdom."

This time, Xena was faster than Lykeas, "Have you heard anything about this from Kassander?"

"No," the Queen´s face was very serious now, "and that worries me. Kassander´s not the kind of man, who´d allow a warlord in his kingdom not even if they only meant to cross it."

"My impression exactly." Xena looked at Lykeas and he nodded his agreement, but before he could speak, a servant appeared from one of the paths, carrying a tray with three steaming cups. He bowed for the Queen and left the tray on the bench between the women, before disappearing down another path than the one he´d come from.

"Ah, tea." Phillinna took a small sip from her cup and closed her eyes. "Delicious."

The warriors did the same, and even Lykeas, who wasn´t too fond of tea, had to admit that the sweet, almost fruity taste was quite becoming. They drank their tea in a comfortable silence, both warriors noticing, but not responding to the sometimes curious, sometimes pondering looks from the blond woman. After a while, Phillinna put her cup back down on the tray, and relaxed back against the bench.

"I think we should take a little look around Kassander´s kingdom, probably check out the castle as well."

"What?" Xena drawled, looking at him, "What do you mean, you and Alexias will leave? What makes you think I´m gonna stay here?"

The dark man looked into her eyes, "Xena, you can´t travel through Kassander´s kingdom without being detected and subsequently hunted down. Our best chance to learn if the King´s up to something or not, is for us to come and go as quiet as possible, and we both know that he still has a price on your head." He held out a hand to stop her from arguing, "You would be noticed, Kassander´s neither a forgiving nor forgetting man."

He got to his feet and gave a small nod to the Queen, "I´ll inform Alexias of our plans."

"That way," she smiled and indicated a path, "it´ll take you directly to the wing where the guest chambers are."

The warrior in question growled something unintelligible in return, and Lykeas left, a small grin on his face. The Queen hid an amused smile and straightened out a fold in her dress. She let her hand rest on the smooth fabric for a moment before looking back at the warrior.

Xena tensed before leaning back, an almost defensive expression on her face that wasn´t lost on the Queen.

Phillinna gave the warrior a faint smile as if to reassure her that she didn´t bite.

"I always thought...well, after what I´ve heard, I though you travelled with a bard and not another warrior. I mean, with all those stories about your deeds, I was certain that a bard had to be following you around."

The blue eyes studied the Queen for a long time, and for the first time in her life, the Queen suddenly felt the need to shift in her seat and look away, but she valiantly returned the gaze without blinking. Then the warrior ended the contact, and to Phillinna it felt like an almost physical connection between them had been broken.

She rose from the bench and without hesitation disappeared down one of the paths.

"Uh huh," the weapons master grinned in spite of her sore ribs, "I´d say so too."

Gabrielle reached down with her left hand and pulled the Amazon to her feet, Erinya looking at her with admiration in the eyes.

"I knew you were good with the staff, my Queen. You proved that when you fought Zelei, but I didn´t know you´re also capable of fighting practically only using one hand."

The blond woman looked at her wrist still wrapped in a bandage and then at the weapons master, "I have many skills. Besides," she grinned, "Kelife would kill me if I strained it."

They left the practice field and returned to the village, stopping in front of the Amazon´s hut.

"Are you going to have your ribs checked?" Gabrielle asked, when she noticed Erinya wince slightly.

"Exactly," The Amazon replied. "Personally, I think Kelife would prefer if she could all the warriors in this village to lie down on their backs and stay there."

An unbidden image came to Gabrielle´s mind and she couldn´t help but grin. Erinya looked at her blankly, then realization hit, "I didn´t mean it quite the way it sounded," she blushed.

"I know," The Queen smiled and started to walk away, "I´ll see you tomorrow morning."

The weapons master disappeared inside her hut and Gabrielle continued her walk through the quiet village. It was dark already and most of the Amazons had retired for the night, but the air was still warm and Gabrielle didn´t feel like sleeping.

The Captain was standing only a few feet away, a dark leather patch over her right eye, the left staring at her intensely. The Amazon stepped closer and Gabrielle instinctively tightened her grip around the staff. To her great surprise, Zelei kneeled down.

"For doubting you. You proved beyond doubt that you´re the rightful ruler of the Nation."

She rose and looked into the green eyes. The sceptical look on Gabrielle´s face didn´t disappear, but nonetheless she reached out and briefly shook the Captain´s hand.

"I´m glad you feel that way. I´m just sorry it had to come to this," she looked at the leather patch.

"Oh that," the Amazon nonchalantly replied, "I consider that a small memento of a great fight. A badge of honour you could say... Something I´ll never forget."

Two green eyes focused on one pale brown, then Gabrielle nodded, "Goodnight, Captain."

"I know," Gabrielle turned and smiled at the sight of Callias leaning against a hut, looking decidedly sleepy. "But I have to give her a chance, she deserves that and who knows, she may surprise us."

"That´s what I´m afraid of." Callias stepped closer and came to stand beside the Queen. "Just be careful, okay?"

The Captain stifled a yawn and Gabrielle smiled again, "Aren´t we getting enough sleep, Captain?"

"Nah," the Amazon smirked, "the Queen keeps me awake all night." She suddenly blushed and looked around, "I mean, with talking...when you tell your stories, I don´t mean-."

"I know what you mean, Callias. I know." Gabrielle laughed at the sight of the embarrassed soldier. "Don´t worry, if anybody heard you, I´m sure they are all green with envy by now."

The Captain smiled, "You´re probably right, every Amazon in this village would envy me."

Callias opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Her eyes searched the Queen´s face, confusion evident on her own. Gabrielle returned the gaze without wavering, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. She wasn´t sure what she wanted to happen or not to happen, she was only aware of the small sting of disappointment she felt when the Captain turned to walk away.

Gabrielle´s mouth was suddenly dry and she had to moisten her tongue before continuing, "Please turn around."

The Captain stood motionless for what felt like an eternity, then she resolutely turned around, the blue eyes surprisingly calm. Gabrielle searched the Amazon´s face and found what she was looking for. She stepped a bit closer.

Under other circumstances, Gabrielle would have been horrified by her frankness, but right now she didn´t care. She knew Callias would never make the first move and she also knew that for some reason, she desperately didn´t want to be alone tonight. The soldier swallowed and looked away, "I think you know the answer to that."

As response, Gabrielle reached out and Callias hesitantly took her hand. Without a word she led the Captain to her hut and they disappeared inside.

They were on small road cutting through a thick, dense forest, the trees so close it would be practically impossible to leave the road and take cover. It made Lykeas rather uncomfortable and edgy, but the road was the most direct route to Kassander´s castle, and it was also the route the foreign warriors had taken, so they didn´t really have a choice. They had left Simmias kingdom a couple of hours ago and had been travelling in Kassander´s ever since. As Lykeas had expected, guards had been posted at the border, but they hadn´t had any difficulties in avoiding them. Clearly they weren´t expecting any trouble and were more busy playing dice and talking than looking out for strangers.

Lykeas looked ahead, the road seemed to go on forever and when he looked back, it was the same.

Alexias studied the dark warrior lost in thought in front of him. It had been an experience, to say the least, to travel with him. In the almost twelve hours they had been on the road, Lykeas had hardly said more then ten words. All attempts by Alexias to start a conversation had either been ignored or cut short by the warrior. Not that Lykeas´ behavior had been gruff or hostile, he´d just been...distant. Xena had been pretty much the same on their way to Simmias, and the Prince could clearly picture the roaring silence there must have been around any campfire that Xena and Lykeas had shared. The thought brought a smile to his lips and he decided to make it a challenge to himself to see, whether he could get Lykeas to have an actually conversation with him before they returned to Simmias. The dark warrior turned and noticed the smile on the young man´s face. He frowned, but didn´t say anything. Instead he got back in the saddle and waited for Alexias to do the same.

"It´ll be dark soon. We´ll keep moving until we find a place to make camp. If you see somewhere suitable say so."

"Yes, sir!" In spite of the annoyance the Prince felt about being ordered around, he couldn´t help but grin at Lykeas´ surprised expression.

The warrior looked at Alexias for a long time, then the first smile of the day showed on his face.

Almost two hours passed before the forest became less dense and they could, although with difficulty, leave the road to dive in between the trees, leading two less than enthusiastic horses behind them. They were all covered by scratches and spruce needles by the time they found an acceptable place to camp.

The clearing they had found was less than small, and already the horses took up so much space that there wouldn´t been room for a fire and for them to sleep, at least not a the same time.

"Gotta take what we can get," Lykeas replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

They removed the saddles from their horses and laid out the bedrolls. The Prince noticed they would be sleeping very close together that night, and somehow that made him feel both warm and cold inside. Lykeas sat down and rummaged through a saddlebag. With a sigh, he pulled out the dry meat he had brought with him from King Simmias, and handed some to Alexias who had come to sit down in front of him, their knees almost touching. They ate in silence since the Prince didn´t know what, if anything, to say and Lykeas seemed to be quite content with not saying anything at all.

"Want something to drink?" The warrior suddenly asked, almost startling the young man.

Lykeas shrugged and took a sip from the water skin himself, before lying down on the bedroll. Alexias hesitated, then did the same. They weren´t exactly touching, but the Prince was sure he felt heat radiating from the man beside him.

Lykeas shifted to lie on his stomach, facing away from Alexias, "Yeah, they´ll be fine. They´ll go hungry tonight, but we´ll make it up to them tomorrow."

He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh and it was clear to the young man that the warrior was about to fall asleep.

Lykeas managed to remain still with closed eyes for almost two minutes, before he gave up.

He turned his head to look at the Prince, who was indeed staring at him, a faint blush colouring his cheeks.

Alexias nodded and looked up at the sky instead, hands under his head. Lykeas made himself comfortable again and closed his eyes. He was tired and wanted to sleep. Although the journey that day hadn´t been particularly exhausting, the lack of cover had made it impossible for him to relax and he´d been constantly on edge, never letting his senses rest.

"What is it? Is there something you want to ask? Are you worried about being here?"

"Oh..." Lykeas´ eyes darted away from the Prince´s face. "Well don´t. Not when I´m trying to sleep."

The Queen smiled at the warrior´s remark, "Simmias is nothing if not dedicated to his hobby."

They were walking down a narrow path, surrounded by red roses on both sides. The air was heavy with the sweet smelling flowers, and if it hadn´t been for the light breeze, the scent would have been uncomfortable. The Queen was barefoot again and Xena had noticed that Phillinna hardly ever wore shoes or sandals. When she had asked why, the Queen had replied it kept her grounded to feel the earth under her feet.

Simmias suddenly burst out from the bushes and was gesturing wildly for them to come nearer. When he was certain they had seen him, he disappeared back into the green and red ocean. Without the slightest hint of surprise Phillinna dived in between the bushes after her husband. Xena looked sceptically at the roses and especially the thorns for a moment, then she sighed and followed the Queen.

To her surprise it only took her a few steps to walk trough the bushes and she found herself at the edge of a wide lawn. A few yards in the King and Queen was looking at something on the ground.

In spite of herself Xena walked out on the grass towards the eagerly gesturing Simmias, and the patiently listening Phillinna.

The Queen looked up when she heard the warrior approach, and gave Xena an inscrutable smile.

"Is that so?" She leaned down and tried to show a bit of enthusiasm for the King´s discovery. Not that any more enthusiasm was needed, Simmias had more than enough of that for all of them.

The King beamed, but then his expression changed, "Oh, I have to see to the white roses. I didn´t get to see them yesterday."

He turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him and disappeared in between the bushes again. Phillinna looked after her husband with an affectionate smile, but Xena thought she could detect something else in the Queen´s eyes as well. They resumed walking, this time toward the centre of the lawn where a small lake could be seen. Without any ceremony Phillinna sat down on the bank, close enough to the water for her feet to touch. Xena sat down beside her and after a moments hesitation pulled off her boots and lowered her feet down into the water.

Xena turned to look at the blond woman, who´d lifted her face towards the sun, eyes closed.

"Oh," Xena looked surprised, "I don´t know. I usually don´t think that far ahead, I prefer to live one day at a time."

The Queen sighed and leaned back to lie down on the grass, "Sometimes I´d wish, I wasn´t queen."

"Don´t get me wrong," Phillinna squinted up at the woman beside her, "I love being able to do something for people, I love making this kingdom a better place to be, but sometimes... I don´t know, it´s like something´s missing."

"Passion," the Queen looked directly at the warrior, "passion is what´s missing in my life."

Xena looked into the green eyes for a long time, then she gave Phillinna a small smile, "I hope you find it one day."

An ambiguous smile briefly showed on the blond woman´s face, then she looked away, "So do I, warrior. So do I."

Xena closed her eyes and relaxed against the grass. The feel of the sun on her skin and the warm water around her feet made her drift off, and it wasn´t long before she was asleep, her dreams invaded by another blond woman with gentle green eyes.

Kelife nodded, "Yes, we still need eighty people to reach the same number as before the attack, but I´ve heard that Amazons from all over the nation have offered to come and live here."

"That´s true," Gabrielle gestured towards the scrolls on the table. "The moment they receive an affirmative reply, they should be on their way."

The Queen smiled at Kelife, "I couldn´t agree more. Okay, back to business. Callias, how many soldiers do you need for the Royal Guard?"

The Captain looked up from the piece of parchment she had been studying, "I need at least twenty-five warriors, preferably more, to fill out the vacant posts."

"I need all the warriors I can get, my Queen. The regular army has been reduced to almost a third of its original size."

The council members fell silent for a moment, all remembering the lives who had been lost in the battle. Then the Queen cleared her throat, "Erinya, how is it going with the training? How soon will your pupils be ready."

The weapons master bit her lip, "Three of them are almost ready to assume duty, but as for the rest I´m afraid it´ll be at least two more months before they´re qualified as warriors."

"Okay," Gabrielle gathered the scrolls on the table. "Erinya, continue your training as usual, but if possible try to speed it up a bit. Callias, you´ll get the first pick when the new warriors arrive, and the rest will be under your command, Zelei."

The council members rose and left the hut, except Kelife who walked around the table to stand beside the Queen.

Gabrielle sighed, but willingly held out her hand, "It´s fine, Kelife. You really don´t have to worry about it anymore."

"I know," the healer replied, ignoring the Queen´s exasperated tone, "that´s why I´m going to remove the bandage."

Kelife unwrapped the wrist and nodded to herself, "Nice work, if I should say so myself." She gave Gabrielle a small pat on the back, "Try to stay out of trouble from now on, my Queen."

"I´ll do my best," Gabrielle grinned and the healer turned in the door, a pensive look in the grey eyes.

Gabrielle collected the scrolls and carried them to the hut used for storing documents, then she made her way towards the memorial grounds. She walked pass several small vases with flowers, before stopping in front of a newly planted olive tree. She kneeled down and with her hands removed the weed around the tiny sprout, then sat back on her heels, her eyes moist with unshed tears.

She remained sitting for a long time, staring at the sprout as if it would supply her with the answers she needed. Only when her legs began to hurt, did she rise and, with one final look at the vases around her, leave the memorial grounds. She washed her hands in the bowl outside, and began to walk towards her hut, acknowledging the greetings of her subjects with nods and smiles. Outside the hut, she paused and let her eyes run over the village, a sense of peace engulfing her body.

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a quiet sigh, it had been a long day. She kicked off her boots and was about to unlace her top, when she felt warm hands on her hips.

The guard shook his head again, trying to rid himself of the sleepiness threatening to claim his body. He was tempted to just close his eyes and lean against the tree beside him, but he knew that not even a couple hours of sleep was worth the punishment he would receive if he was caught sleeping on duty. He sent an angry stare at the dark sky above him. Why did he always end up with the graveyard shift? Besides, in his opinion it was a waste of time keeping watch with all the soldiers stationed in and around the castle. A man would have to be both stupid and tired of life to try and get near the castle walls. He had to hand it to the Persians, although they were acting both superior and contemptuous toward him and his fellow Greeks, they most certainly knew how to secure an area and fight a battle. They had emerged from every conflict as the victor, except of course, the soldier snickered to himself, they hadn´t been able to defeat the harlots down South. It had been an unforeseen defeat and Kassander had been furious, but in spite of the plans that had needed changing and the heavy drills all the soldiers had been subjected to as punishment, there hadn´t been a single Greek in Kassander´s army who wasn´t secretly pleased with the Persians débâcle. After all, it was Persians. They could be tolerated as long as they served the means of the King, but the moment the conquest had been completed, they would be expandable. A small voice in the guard´s head pointed out that it might not be so easy to get rid of the Persians when everything was over, but he pushed it away. King Kassander would make sure things went according to plan. He had no love for the King, but he trusted him to be able to control the foreign soldiers. Kassander was not a man who liked to share, whether it was gold, women or land, he considered it his rightful property and may the Gods have mercy on any man who thought differently. The guard yawned again and tried to occupy himself with counting the tents scattered all over the plain in front of the King´s castle. He had counted ninety-seven before his chin fell down to his chest, and his body slumped against the tree.

Dark eyes watched the soldier slowly slide down the trunk of the tree, to end up sitting on the ground, the spear, having fallen out of his hand, lying a few feet away. Then the eyes left the reclining guard and searched the plain in front of him.

A dark figure emerged from the shadows of the forest and came to a halt before the sleeping guard. A cold, calculating stare ran over the soldier´s body.

Gabrielle lifted her head to look into the Captain´s blue eyes, "I´m sorry, Callias. I didn´t mean to wake you."

The Amazon reached out and traced a tear with her finger, "You have been crying."

When she didn´t get a reply, she hesitantly began to move away from the Queen, but Gabrielle tightened her grip around the other woman, "Please stay."

Although insecure, the Captain complied and carefully wrapped her arms around the young Queen again.

Gabrielle lifted her head from the Amazon´s shoulder, "No, no, Callias. It´s me, I´m...it´s just..."

"She´s not coming back, I knew it all along. She´s not coming back." The tears were flowing again.

Callias swallowed and tried to ignore the ache in her heart, "You don´t know that."

"Then why should she renounce her championship?" The green eyes were both pleading and apprehensive, waiting for an answer.

The Captain closed her eyes for a second, feeling every sob from the Queen cut deep into her soul. She didn´t know what to say. She was afraid that if she said something it would be wrong, but she was also afraid what would happen if she didn´t. She could feel Gabrielle snuggle closer and she instinctively tightened her hold around the slender body. They lay together in silence for a long time, both relishing the closeness. The room was bathed in darkness and the only sound was the quiet, rhythmical breathing of the two women. The crying had subsided and Callias suddenly felt a tentatively hand caressing her stomach. Her entire body tensed, but she didn´t move away. The hand travelled higher, but just before it reached its destination, another hand came down and gently pulled it away.

Gabrielle raised her head and tried to see the Amazon´s face, but the Captain was looking away.

Callias gently, but firmly eased herself away from the Queen and out of the bed. Gabrielle sat up and watched the Amazon as she searched for her clothes in the darkness. She finally managed to find her tunic and dressed, before turning around to face the Queen. She could barely make out the graceful figure of the woman sitting on the bed, the green eyes studying her intensely.

"No." The figure rose from the bed and stepped down on the floor. "No, you don´t."

"Gabrielle," Callias began, unconsciously taking a step back, "you´re hurting and confused. I don´t-."

"Yes, I´m hurting, Callias." The young woman stepped closer, "But I´m not confused." She stopped in front of the Captain, their bodies almost touching. Gabrielle reached down and took the Amazon´s hand, placing it over her own heart.

The Captain felt the furiuosly pounding heart just beneath the smooth, warm skin. She began to speak, but was silenced with a finger on her lips.

"Yes, Gods, I want you so much." The voice was raw with passion and Gabrielle felt every word rekindle the fire in her loins. She let a single finger trace the Captain´s lips a few times, before reaching down to pull the tunic over Callias´ head. She slid her arm´s around the Amazon´s neck and drew her down for a kiss. Just before their lips met, the Captain hesitated.

Gabrille leaned closer and whispered into Callias´ mouth, "I could never hate you, Callias. Never."

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