I, Conqueror

Disclaimers: Xena, Gabrielle, and the rest of the known names belong to Pac Ren and everyone else who lays claim to them. I’m not doing this to make money.

Subtext: I believe that Xena and Gabrielle are lovers. There is erotica here.

Genre: As suggested by the title, this is a Xena the Conqueror piece. It is, however, a different Xena the Conqueror piece than most out there. What I have attempted to do is to write a Conqueror story as if it were written for X:WP instead of HTLJ. In addition, there’s a bit of Remember Nothing in here, only this time, it’s Gabrielle who has the memories while Xena does not. Confusing? Read on. J

Violence: Well, it’s the Conqueror. Are you gonna tell her not to fight?

Dedication: As always, I’d like to thank Mike for being such a great and supportive friend and beta reader. I love you, man! Thanks also go to Candace for once again beta reading fifty characters at a time, Elizabeth, and the rest of the Atlanta Xena crew. You guys ROCK! And a big thank you to list readers who put up with this being on their list every day.

Final P.S. With the completion of this story, I will begin writing Desert Storm once again, and then, when final rewrites to Redemption are completed, I will be starting on that sequel as well. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there. I hope you won’t be disappointed.

Last important bit: This story is completed. I am posting in sections to allow those who like it that way to have what they desire, but it is completed and will be going out a section a day until it is all up.

Kahn, Supreme Commander of the Army of Chin, strutted his diminutive body past the door guard, and before the other man could even think to draw his weapon, wrenched open the door and strode into the Conqueror’s throne room, a look of supreme haughtiness stamped clearly across his face.

And found himself within the den of a very hungry, very angry lion.

"I demand to speak with you, woman," was all he managed to get out before the woman in question appeared, like a wraith, before him and he felt the strength abruptly leave his legs as two sets of fingers jabbed at the arteries in his neck.

"You demand nothing, little man," the Conqueror snarled, towering over the kneeling, paralyzed general. "You are nothing."

"What have you done?" Kahn gasped, struggling to move and terrified when he wasn’t able to.

"You mean Lao Ma didn’t teach you this handy little trick?" Xena asked, smirking. "She must not trust you as much as you think she does."

"She . . .trusts me . . .with her life!"

"Then she’s grown foolish in her advancing years." Reaching down, the Conqueror easily pulled the small man up by gripping the front of his garish tunic, not stopping until their eyes were on a level. "Get this through whatever it is you call a brain, Kahn. I command here. I tell you when to breathe. I tell you when to fight. I tell you when to relieve yourself. If you have a problem with any of that, I suggest you tell me now. Your army is more than large enough to house at least one competent soldier who would gladly take your place. Am I making myself clear, Kahn?"

A trickle of blood flowed from the general’s nostril and he fought against the black roses of suffocation as he feebly nodded his head. "I . . .understand . . .Excellency."

"Let’s just hope you do." Dropping him to the floor, the Conqueror dropped into a squat and released the pinch, knocking him unconscious as he struggled to breathe freely once again.

"Bring him back to his men and let them know that this is the only warning they’ll get."

Two guards stepped up and grabbed the unconscious general under his arms. "Yes, Majesty."

Within seconds, he was gone and Xena was left alone, her anger unabated.

Until she heard the slightest of scufflings and, spinning, flung her breast dagger and nailed her silent watcher to the stone wall by her shoulder armor. "I was wondering when you were going to come out of hiding, Callisto."

"Hello, Xena." Callisto smiled sweetly. "I wasn’t hiding. Just . . .places to go, people to do, that sort of thing."

Walking over to the trapped woman, the Conqueror removed her dagger and slipped it back into the valley of her breasts. Her smile was danger incarnate. "I’m planning on a tour of your rooms shortly, Callisto. If the Ixion stone isn’t back where it belongs by the time I arrive, the only place you’ll be going is to Tartarus."

The blonde tried her most innocent look. "Ixion stone? I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, love."

Reaching out, Xena clamped her hand around Callisto’s windpipe and slammed her back against the wall. "A lie is a very poor way to explain your actions, Callisto. You cost me a general and almost ended the life of a very promising healer. Your clumsy attempt to betray me to Caesar under the guise of an attack on my camp makes me question your abilities as a strategist."

"I . . . ."

"Close your mouth before I shut it permanently."

Callisto’s jaw snapped shut with a resounding clack of teeth on teeth.

A warning tingle skittered up the Conqueror’s spine. "Ares! Show yourself! You’re stinking up my castle."

A sparkle of light, and Ares materialized into the center of the room. "You really need some lessons on how to summon gods, my dear." Casually opening his hand, he tossed a fireball in Xena’s direction.

The Conqueror spun, using her silent captive as a shield.

Callisto screamed as the fireball grazed her unprotected midsection, and Xena dropped the blonde into a heap at her feet. "Oh look. You broke your little toy. How sad."

The war god loaded up again, but Xena stopped him with an upraised hand. "Game over, Ares. I think it’s time we let Callisto in on our little secret, hmm?"

As Ares took a step back, his eyes wide, Callisto shook off the effects of the fireball and lurched to her feet, her teeth bared. "Little secret?!?"

The Conqueror grinned. "Never trust a god, Callisto. Or didn’t they teach you that in Warlording for Psychos 101."

Screaming, Callisto launched herself at Xena, who pushed her away and began to advance on a thoroughly befuddled Ares. Her smile deepened into one of wanton seduction and, as she reached the god, she molded her body to his, slipping her hand into the V of his leather jerkin and stroking his chest languidly. "You’re such a bad boy, Ares. Leading poor Callisto on like that."

Ares couldn’t utter anything but a groan.

Callisto, seeing Ares’ unmistakable response to Xena, screamed again and ran toward the pair. Ares slowly raised his arm, but the Conqueror batted it away. "Please, Ares. Let me."

When Callisto reached them, Xena flung her away again, sending the blonde to the floor for the second time. She grinned. "Tell me, Callisto. Did you really think that Ares would choose you over me?"

Callisto jumped back to her feet, but didn’t advance. Instead, she settled for shooting lethal stares at the entwined pair. "Ares . . . ."

"I . . . ." Words weren’t coming easily to the god of war.

The Conqueror laid a finger over Ares’ full lips. "Shhhh. Don’t make her feel worse than she already does." Removing her finger, she turned back to the seething blonde. "Every little plan you hatched, Callisto, was told to me the second Ares left your room. You were never going to win this war. You weren’t even in the game."

Callisto screamed her rage.

Xena smiled. "You were played for a fool, and you came through admirably."

The Conqueror stepped away from Ares, who was finally able to regain control of his tongue. "She’s lying, Callisto."

"Oh please, Ares. Don’t make it worse for her. It’s obvious she’s lost what little sense she has left."

"Don’t listen to her, Callisto. It’s a trap."

"Believe him if you want to, Callisto. But remember what I said about trusting a god. Especially this god."

Her feet frozen to the floor, Callisto looked from one dark ruler to the other, her face a mask of indecision. Who was telling the truth? For the first time in memory, she couldn’t be sure.

"Come on, Callisto. Even you’re not that gullible. How do you think I knew to be on the grounds at the exact time your little plot to have Dagnine murder the Amazon began to unravel, hmmm? I’m hardly an Oracle. Ares never wanted her to die, you know. He knows how much you hate her and he was laughing as your attempts to get rid of her failed, time after time. Laughing, Callisto. At you."

The blonde snapped, confirming Xena’s suspicions, and launched herself at the war god, managing to grab hold of his waist and tackle him to the ground before he could think to protect himself. They rolled almost the entire length of the room, Callisto’s insane rage giving her a sort of inhuman strength as she pummeled Ares with her fists and gouged at him with her sharp teeth.

Caught off guard by the murdering harpy who had so recently been his ally, Ares did the only thing he could think of.

He disappeared.

Callisto’s murderous scream could be heard throughout the castle.

Shaking her head, Xena silently congratulated herself on her insight and slipped from the room, leaving Callisto, for the moment, to the demons of her rage.

*******

Almost a full hour had passed before Callisto’s mind returned to her body and she found herself sitting in a corner of Xena’s empty throne room, arms clasped around bent knees, rocking. She wanted to hurt something. To hurt it badly before she slowly took its life with her bare hands, squeezing and tearing and . . . .

She sighed.

The two people she most wanted to hurt were far beyond her reach. Ares, the coward, would most likely stay hidden until he could come up with yet another way to woo her into acting like an absolute fool.

And as for Xena, the woman always managed to best her, no matter what the reality.

Her head snapped up as her eyes lit with an internal glee. "Reality. That’s it!" A slow, dark smile spread its way over her face. She came to her feet slowly, leaning against the wall for a brief moment. "Oh no, pretty Xena, I haven’t lost the war yet. In fact, I haven’t even begun to fight!"

Laughing delightedly, Callisto pushed herself away from her corner and strode past the Conqueror’s throne, yanking the door open and blowing past the guards as if they weren’t there.

Her long, purposeful strides made short work of the hallway, and before she knew it, she was standing outside Xena’s private rooms, her hand on the door handle. "Never bet against the blonde, Xena," she whispered as she pulled open the door.

Hearing the door open, Niamey stepped from her place at Gabrielle’s bedside and walked into the Conqueror’s receiving room, stopping only when she saw Callisto smiling at her from the threshold.

"Hello, Niamey," Callisto gushed. "Wonderful day for a bloodbath, isn’t it?"

"Her Majesty isn’t here, Callisto."

"Oh, I know that. Don’t mind me, dear. I’m only here to pick up something that belongs to me." Turning her head slightly, she found the black pillow upon which the Conqueror’s Scepter rested. She grinned. "Ahhh, there you are, my pretty little gem. Mommy’s been looking all over for you."

Walking over, she picked up the scepter, then turned and cracked it across the head of Niamey, who was trying to prevent her from retrieving it.

The taller woman crumpled to the ground in a silent heap.

"Xena is going to be so angry with you for getting blood on her carpet, dear. You simply must remember to clean it up when you wake up. If you wake up."

Hearing the commotion, Ling Li stepped out from the bathing chamber in time to see her lover collapse to the ground, blood streaming from the gash in her head. Screaming, she lunged toward the grinning blonde, slipping beneath Callisto’s swing and pushing her away from Niamey.

Callisto laughed. "Oh, so the little mouse has teeth after all, does she?" Laying the scepter carefully down on the floor, Callisto then straightened and drew her knife from the sheath at her hip. "C’mere, little mouse. Let Auntie Callisto see how brave you’ve gotten."

Gritting her teeth, Ling Li ran at Callisto but, at the last possible second, stooped down and grabbed the scepter, then darted back out of the taller woman’s reach.

"Oh, very good, little mouse. Very good indeed." She held her empty hand out, beckoning. "Now, be a dear girl and give me back my jewel, won’t you? If you do, maybe I’ll allow you to continue breathing. Sound fair?"

"Just leave, Callisto. You’ve done enough damage as it is."

"I would if I could, dear. But, you see, I need that scepter you’re holding in order to do that. So why don’t you just give it to me and we’ll both have what we want, hmm?"

From her place on the floor, Niamey groaned in pain, causing Ling Li to look down, and giving Callisto the opening she needed. Running forward, she grabbed Ling Li’s arm, wrenched the scepter away, and thrust her knife deep into the smaller woman’s belly. Pushing her backward, Callisto withdrew her knife, slipping it back into its sheath as she watch the tiny woman crumple onto her partner, knocking the taller woman unconscious once again.

"That’s gonna leave a stain," she smirked. Then grinned, full out. "Good bye for now, my darlings. Thanks for the entertainment."

As she spun and headed for the door, Callisto stopped as she heard a low moan, which became a weak cough, then progressed to a hoarse-voiced plea. "Niamey?"

Her eyes widened, then sparkled. "Oh my. Who’s voice do I hear coming from the Conqueror’s bed? A certain little bard brat, perhaps?"

Turning on her heel, she stalked through the antechamber and entered the Conqueror’s bedroom, a delighted grin spreading her lips. "It is the annoying little brat. What luck!" Stepping over to the huge bed, Callisto flopped down and bounced several times. "And here I was, worried that we wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye."

Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Callisto."

"What I want, my dear, is for you to keep your meddling little nose out of my affairs. But, since I know that is never going to happen, then . . . ." Her eyes twinkled. "I just want to gloat a little."

Reaching up, she twisted the stone from the scepter’s head, dropping the golden staff and holding the jewel so that the torchlight could catch its many facets. "Beautiful, isn’t it?"

Gabrielle gritted her teeth, but didn’t respond.

"I assume you know what this is."

"The Cronus Stone."

"Oh, you are a bright one, Gabrielle. If you know what it is, then you must know what it can do."

"I do."

Callisto stared deep into the stone. "My plan was perfect, until you showed up. I’m guessing that the Fates or some such other meddling do-gooders sent you here to ‘put things right’, as it were." She took Gabrielle’s silence for assent. "They should have realized that you were out of your league here, my dear. Your Xena doesn’t exist in this reality, as you’ve seen already. No. Your Xena is right where she belongs. Dead."

"It seems like your Xena isn’t exactly what you expected her to be either, Callisto."

Grimacing, the blonde warrior pressed the stone directly into Gabrielle’s wound, bearing her teeth as the other woman hissed out her pain. "Don’t interrupt me while I’m talking, dear."

Callisto removed the stone and Gabrielle struggled to get her breathing back under control.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, my plans were playing out to absolute perfection before you came and stuck your pointy little nose where it didn’t belong. And even though this Xena would as soon kill you as look at you, which is, of course, exactly as it should be, you managed, in your own bumbling little way, to put a few unexpected difficulties in my path to power." She smiled again, bringing the stone to her lips and kissing it. "But I still have this. And with it, I can go back in time once again and fix it so that you never show up uninvited again, in any reality." Pulling the gem away from her lips, she smiled down at the bard. "Absolutely delicious, don’t you think?"

"I think you’re crazy."

"Old news, dear." Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on Gabrielle’s lips. "Goodbye, my sweet. Parting is such sweet sorrow." She grinned, and jumped from the bed, landing easily on her feet. She held the stone up once again. "Now, let’s see. Where do I want to go today?"

As she contemplated her options, Callisto missed the slight shuffle step that came from behind her.

"You murdered Ling Li!"

Reaching out with the last of her remaining strength, Niamey grabbed Callisto from behind and pushed her forward, collapsing on top of the shorter woman and bearing her down to the ground.

The stone flew from Callisto’s hand and landed on the bed. Gabrielle snatched it up, hiding it beneath her bedcovers as Callisto struggled with the heavy, dead weight of Niamey who had her pinned partially beneath the bed.

Finally, after a great deal of effort, Callisto rolled out from under Niamey’s body and jumped back to her feet, glaring down at Gabrielle. "I know you have the stone, you little bitch. Give it back to me before I tear your heart out and eat it as you watch."

"Uncooked heart is bad for the digestion, Callisto."

The blonde spun, her knife already out of its sheath. "Xena!"

"In the flesh." With a predator’s grin, the Conqueror began to stalk her second in command, ignoring Callisto’s desperate attempts to keep her away. "I assume you have a reason for murdering my attendants?"

"I just want the stone, Xena."

"And by ‘stone’, you mean the Cronus stone?"

"Yes!"

Xena smiled. "And you told me it was a myth."

"Oh, it’s no myth."

"So you lied."

"Of course I lied, you fool! That stone, with all of its wondrous powers, has been sitting beneath your nose all these years! I gave it to you, and now I want it back!"

"Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it’s rude to demand a gift be returned to you?"

"She never got the chance, Xena. You murdered her!"

That brought Xena up short. "I what?"

Using Xena’s momentary distraction, Callisto jumped to the other side of the bed, grabbing Gabrielle’s covers and yanking them down. "Oh my," she breathed, taking in the bard’s naked body. "Maybe I do understand what Xena sees in you after all."

Ignoring the leering commentary, Gabrielle had enough presence of mind to pull her hand from beneath what little covering remained. "Xena! Catch!"

The gem spun through the air and Xena held up a casual hand, catching the stone and holding it up to the light, her head cocked in curious examination.

Growling, Callisto grabbed Gabrielle’s injured shoulder and dragged her from the bed, wrapping an arm around the bard’s neck and aiming her knife at her belly. "Give me the stone, Xena, or your little friend dies."

The Conqueror shrugged. "Kill her then. I have other healers."

Callisto nearly groaned aloud, realizing that her favorite trump card against Xena had no value in this reality she’d created.

Gabrielle, too, swallowed hard against the pressure around her neck, wondering how much of Xena’s casual comment was truth, and how much was strategy. She took in as deep a breath as she was able, realizing that the time was now. "Xena, what Callisto said is true. The Cronus Stone’s powers are not a myth."

"That’s enough, brat," Callisto hissed, yanking her arm tight around Gabrielle’s neck and cutting off her words. "The Conqueror doesn’t need to hear any of your stories right now."

Her face a mask of concentration and pain, Gabrielle thrust her right arm down, knocking the knife from her captor’s hand. Then she reached up, and with all her strength, managed to loosen Callisto’s hold around her neck. "It can take you anywhere you want to go, Xena. All you have to do is say . . . ‘Alcmene’."

"Don’t!" Callisto yelled, forgetting about her search for the knife and instead holding up her free hand. "It’s a trap! She’s trying to trick you!"

Xena looked from one woman to the other, gauging their intent. The Amazon’s eyes were full of earnest pleading, while Callisto’s were filled with horror. A tingling at the base of her spine heralded Ares’ arrival into the drama, and, a split second later, he materialized in all his dark glory, both hands upraised.

"Callisto’s telling you the truth, Xena. Use that stone, and you lose everything you’ve gained."

"You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Ares."

"I’m not lying. Your little friend here was sent by the Fates. Her mission was to force you to give up your throne. Do what she asks you, and you lose everything. Your throne, your castle, your war against Caesar." He took a step closer. "You’re one step away from having it all, Xena. Don’t give it up."

"And what’s your interest in all this, Ares? Weren’t you the one working with Callisto to guarantee I’d lose everything?"

"Well . . . ." He shrugged, looking like a chagrinned little boy with his hand in the baklava. "Tell you what. You give me the stone, and I’ll kill Callisto for you."

"Ares!"

"I’ll even set it up so that Caesar sends half his army to Gaul. I can do that, you know. We talk on occasion. He’ll do anything I ask him to."

"Not interested, Ares."

"Please, Xena. Don’t do this. Think of everything you stand to lose."

Xena couldn’t deny that Ares’ words were persuasive. Even without his help, she knew her destiny was to rule the world. The stone was an interesting puzzle, but if his words, as well as Callisto’s, had even a modicum of truth to them . . . .

Ares could sense Xena weakening. He smiled. "That’s right, Xena. Think of it. You, ruling the world. Caesar’s head at the end of your sword. Everything you’ve ever wanted, right there for the taking."

"Back off, Ares," she snarled, making as if to shatter the stone.

The war god stepped back a pace, raising his hands again. He turned his head and nodded at Callisto, gesturing for her to walk forward, bringing Gabrielle with her. "The stone for the Amazon, Xena. She is your betrayer. Not Callisto. Not me."

Relaxing slightly, Xena allowed Callisto to move close, then held her hand out in a gesture of offering.

Callisto grinned, propelling the bard into Xena’s arms while simultaneously reaching for the stone.

Xena snatched the stone back. "Thank you, Callisto. Now I have everything I need."

Callisto screamed, but was kicked into Ares, who caught her and fell back against the wall.

The Conqueror lowered her head, her lips grazing Gabrielle’s ear. "If this is a trick, we both die."

Then, because her gut was telling her this was the right thing to do, she took in a deep breath and said, "Alcmene."

Around the Conqueror, the world wavered, and then went completely black.