The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess™©® and all others associated with the television series of the same name are owned by Renaissance Pictures and Studios USA. This is a work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

Sexual Content: Oh yeah. It’s in there <G>. We’ve got graphic heterosexual as well as lesbian couplings. Okay, it’s probably okay to say ‘sex’ in the sexual disclaimer. We won’t be nearly so modest later. So cover up your eyes, kiddies and grannies. Actually, if you’re under 18, move on. But grannies are welcome to pull up a chair and enjoy. This story is intended for an adult audience only.

Violence: Yes, this is a Conqueror story so there is violence. Some of it is graphic. Callisto is also not very nice to a little boy in this story. She doesn’t hurt him physically, but she says some pretty mean things to him.

Videotape: We just slipped this one in to see if you were paying attention. But hey, don’t we wish<G>?

Language: Lots of foul language in this one folks. Be warned.

Drugs/Alcohol: And we’re not talking about all the beer TN and Advocate consumed while writing this tale. Heck, we’re not even talking about all the beer TN and Advocate drank while reading each other’s work on this story. To be clear, there is alcohol consumption in the story.

Acknowledgements: To Zoinks, who gave TN the original idea – a big thank you. To our beta readers, Barbara Davies and Chris – your assistance was invaluable! And, of course, we had a blast working together. But we won’t bore you with our mutual admiration.

Comments/Feedback to: TN and Advocate

By T.Novan & Advocate

With Zoinks

Gabrielle and Autolycus emerged from the tower, readjusting their cloaks as they stepped into the night’s breeze. They took a deep breath of the clean air, glad to be out of the dank, dismal tower. Streaks of white lightning colored the sky, and gusting winds tossed the treetops and scattered wet leaves across the yard. The air was heavy with rain, but it still only fell in a drizzle.

Palaemon snapped to attention at the first sight of Gabrielle. "Your Majesty?"

"Put a guard on this door," she ordered over her shoulder, walking past the men. "No one is to go in there for any reason."

"Yes, Your Majesty." He motioned to the two guards who had been waiting with him outside the watchtower door to stay put. Then he rushed to catch up with the Queen and the thief who were already starting to make their way across the large, sloping courtyard.

"Where in Tartarus is Malaius?" Gabrielle growled, tucking a blowing strand of damp, disheveled hair behind her ear as she walked. Palaemon had sent for him hours ago, and she knew that if she was going to keep this whole nasty situation from turning into more of a nightmare than it already was… she would need the worrisome, pesky advisor’s help.

Palaemon shook his head, falling in on Gabrielle’s right and matching his longer strides to her shorter, quicker ones. "I don’t know, Your Majesty. But with your permission I’ll go fetch him myself."

"Please do. I need to speak with him. But right now, me and Autolycus are going to pay Callisto a little visit."

Palaemon’s stride slowed at the mention of the General’s name.

"What is it?" Gabrielle stopped and looked up into the Captain’s face, a bolt of lightning illuminating his round features, thick neck, and guilty eyes.

"Nothing," he lied quickly, regretting his ‘personal’ association with the demented blonde General. "But, Your Majesty, perhaps you’d like me to accompany you? Callisto can be… dangerous."

Gabrielle smiled wryly. "Ya’ think?"

The soldier could see there would be no changing the Queen’s mind and he found himself strangely comforted that at least the thief would be accompanying her. "As you wish, Your Majesty." Palaemon broke off from them; skirting between the short hedges that lined the cobblestone walkway, he headed in the direction of the advisor’s quarters.

"Umm...Your Majesty…" Autolycus started as he practically had to run to catch up with Gabrielle, who was cutting across the lawn to shorten her trip to Callisto’s apartment.

"Gods, Autolycus, call me Gabrielle so you don’t sprain your tongue on the title."

Autolycus shrugged, not having any problem with dropping the formalities. He really was never a formal kind of a guy to begin with.

"Gabrielle, I’m not exactly one of the General’s favorite people…"

"You mean there’s someone she actually likes?" Now that’s a scary thought. "Well, don’t worry, Autolycus, I’m sure she hates me more than she hates you… so let’s both go just to torture her. She may have had something to do with what happened to Xena, and it’s time to put your criminal mind to work."

"You say that like it’s a bad thing." He feigned insult.

Ducking inside the Palace’s west wing, Gabrielle turned down her hood and shook the water from her cloak. She turned to the thief and grabbed the edges of his cloak, giving it a good shake. "I need your help to solve this. I’ll see to it you’re given a complete pardon." Gabrielle’s hands dropped to his and she gently fingered the moist bandages. "I know I can’t fix what I had done to you, Autolycus, but I really didn’t want to see you executed either. I hoped that this was the lesser of two evils for you. I actually owe you a great deal."

The thief’s brows came together in question. "You? Owe me?"

She gave Autolycus a fond smile and nodded. "I can see you don’t remember me, but I certainly remember you. About five winters ago, you came through my village. You stopped at the tavern and inn where I was working. My son was very ill. I had done everything for him I could, but he wasn’t getting any better. I begged the healer, who had come in for a drink, to go back and see Jarrod or at least give me some medicinal herbs. But he refused when I couldn’t pay his fee."

Autolycus scowled. This wasn’t going to be one of those embarrassing stories where he did something... ridiculously unthieflike, was it? He hated those.

"I burst into tears and ran from the room," she admitted, only slightly embarrassed. "I didn’t even finish serving you your meal. Later that evening, when my son was finally sleeping a bit more comfortably and the tavern had closed, I was clearing the tables I’d ignored to sit with Jarrod..."

Her smile broadened as Autolycus suddenly found something extremely interesting on the toe of his boot. She could tell he remembered what he had done. "You… ah… you left behind enough money at your table so that I could pay the healer’s fee. In fact, your ‘tip’ was the exact amount the healer had demanded. And four times the price of your meal. You saved my son’s life, Autolycus."

"Awww... Gabrielle," he started to deny the good deed, but the young woman would have none of it.

"I tried to do the same for you." She shook her head. "I couldn’t let you get off completely, because of the nature of the charges, and I knew Xena would never go for it. Besides, it was the best plan I could come up with in less than thirty seconds. I figured you would learn how to adapt, and in time you could go back to being The King of Thieves."

"Hard to do, imprisoned in the palace."

"Why do you think I made you my groomsman? Xena won’t deny me anything, and after a spring or two I was going to try and get you pardoned. I assumed that, by then, you would be healed and capable of taking care of yourself. Until then, I was prepared to do it."

The thief bowed his head when her saw hers drop. "Thank you, Gabrielle."

Her gaze lifted and she unexpectedly stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek. "No, thank you. It seems our paths always cross when my family is in crisis, Autolycus. There must be a reason for that. I can never repay you for what you did for Jarrod. My very life wouldn’t be enough. But I need your help again. I’ll see to it you’re rewarded and pardoned." That’s yours whether you agree to help me now or not.

"Will you let me break into the palace vault to collect my reward?" He gave his Queen his most roguish grin and wiggled his brows.

"Sure. We’ll call it a security test." Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief and took him by the arm. "C’mon, let’s go see what my favorite prisoner is up to."

Palaemon beat on the door for a full minute. Even a busybody like Malaius should be asleep in his room at this hour. Something was very wrong. Palaemon rounded up two guards and ordered them to break in the door.

He stood back while the guards took the door down using a sturdy ram. With an impatient hand, he knocked away the splintered remains and stepped inside.

The sight before him knocked the breath from his chest. "Oh my Gods."

He rushed to the man, grabbing him around the skinny legs and lifting, trying to take some weight off his crookedly bent neck and the noose tied tightly around it. "Cut him down!" The body in his arms felt damp and, by the stench, Palaemon knew he had wet himself. He had seen many men hanged under Callisto’s orders and knew that soiling oneself was a common occurrence as the body stopped fighting its fate and its muscles went slack.

A slash of a sharp blade, and the weight in Palaemon’s arms increased and Malaius’ limp form fell atop his. There was no doubt that the advisor had already passed over to the other side. Palaemon said a quick prayer... wondering if Malaius would now be nervously following on Hades’ heels with a quill in hand, barking out orders to his underlings.

"Everyone out!" he commanded, gently lying the body down on a long wooden table covered with maps and documents. "Keep a guard on this door. No one but myself or the Queen gets in. He reached up, grabbed both guards by their chest armor, and pulled their faces close to his. "Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone, and get something to cover the doorway."

"Yes, Captain," they chorused.

Palaemon scrubbed his face with his hands as the guards left the room. Gods, at this rate he was going to have to wake up some more soldiers to act as guards. It had already been a long and exhausting night and it didn’t look as if it was going to get any better.

"Let me in." Gabrielle gave the guards a tired smile as she stood outside Callisto’s apartment. "Please."

The younger of the two spoke up first. "You Majesty, Our Lord…"

"Our Lord isn’t here," Gabrielle cut him off. "Now let me in."

"But… But…" he stammered.

The thief threw a casual arm around the lad’s shoulders. "Look, genius. That is Our Queen." He motioned to Gabrielle with a flick of his gaze and lowered his voice as though he was telling the pudgy sentry a secret. "She is not someone you want to make angry." Without warning, he thrust a bandage-covered hand in the guard’s face, watching as the young man’s animated gray eyes went round as saucers. "She did that to me for sneezing in her general direction yesterday. Can’t imagine what she’ll want to lop off you for refusing to open the door."

The blood drained from the young man’s face as he continued to stare at the bandaged hand. Deciding against Autolycus’ fate, he began fumbling for the keys, finally managing to unlock the door.

Autolycus gave the boy a pat on the chest with his other maimed hand. He grinned when already wide eyes bugged out further. "She always does things in pairs, you know. You don’t have a pair of anything you’d like cut off, do you?"

The guard shook his head wildly, his hands dropping down to cover his groin.

"Good man," Autolycus praised. "Rubies are valuable, but nothing is worth more than the family jewels."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, wondering how the man managed to keep his ribald sense of humor. As they stepped through the door, she whispered, "You are evil! He’s barely old enough to be up so late... and now he’s going to be terrified of me."

"Aww, that’s okay. You have a reputation to build up if you’re gonna be married to the Conqueror. Not everyone is allowed to know you’re a pussy cat."

"Meow."

"Indeed."

They entered the apartment, which was well appointed but appeared to be empty. Gabrielle’s anger began to escalate as she moved around the room. "Oh, that bitch had better be in her room, sleeping!" she roared, tearing into what she assumed was Callisto’s bedchamber. "Or not asleep, for all I care, but she had better be in her room!" Marching over to the large bed, Gabrielle tore off the covers... even though the bed was completely empty.

"Even Callisto isn’t that skinny," Autolycus mused.

"SON OF A BACCHAE!"

The Queen stormed back to the front door. She yanked it open with so much force it slammed against the wall and Autolycus had to stop it from flying back and hitting her. He grimaced when it made solid contact with his hand.

"Where is she?!" the blonde woman demanded of the guards, this time focusing on the older one.

"Your Majesty?"

"Callisto! Where is Callisto?!"

"She should be inside, Your Majesty. She hasn’t gone anywhere."

The Queen got very close to the guard and grabbed him in a very sensitive spot, causing the young guard at his side to run into Autolycus in an attempt to escape the Queen’s wrath. He knew what was about to happen!

"Then explain to me," Gabrielle ground out, her face an angry scarlet, "how that crazy bitch got out of that room?"

"I…I…I…" the guard blabbered helplessly, trying to ignore the increasing pressure and pain between his legs. A sweat broke out across his forehead.

The chubby guard being restrained by Autolycus groaned right along with his companion.

Autolycus winced. Now that’s gotta hurt.

"You are an idiot!" Gabrielle shoved the guard away, fearing she was about to do him irreparable harm. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her shaking body and her raging heart. "She has escaped. If not right out from under your noses..." Gabrielle paused and looked at Autolycus, realization dawning. "Then by magic." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Autolycus looked confused.

"Ares," the Queen murmured by way of clarification.

"As in God of War? Big guy? Black outfit? Long sword?" Three sets of eyes fixed on Autolycus, who made a face. "Boy, that last part just didn’t come out right."

Gabrielle patted his chest in understanding, her mind awhirl with possibilities. "Start a search of the grounds just in case she’s still here," she ordered the guards, who were anxious to redeem themselves and escape the scary little Queen’s presence. "But send one guard back here and do the search quietly. Don’t wake the entire palace."

The guard who could still walk without assistance gave his buddy a hand, and they stumbled off to begin searching.

"Oh, and sorry about the grabbing thing," Gabrielle called after them. She rubbed her eyes, then her throbbing temples. "You ever have one of those days, Autolycus?"

He gave her a bored look and lifted both hands.

"Good point. Forget I asked." She sighed, trying to figure out what to do next. She desperately wanted to go back and check on Xena, but now wasn’t the time to leave anything undone. She couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Before Gabrielle could gather her scattered thoughts, she heard rapid footsteps pounding up the stairs at the end of the hall. This can’t be good.

Palaemon huffed to a stop in front of her. Bending at the waist, he put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "Your Majesty," he began...

Gabrielle pulled her eyes away from the advisor’s stiffening body. "What else could possibly go wrong tonight?" She glanced at Autolycus who had his mouth open, ready to speak. "Don’t. Just don’t."

Palaemon carefully examined the room. "All the windows are secured, Your Majesty. The only thing that I’ve found is this." He offered her a note he had found on the table near the body.

Gabrielle took the note, reading it carefully. "It’s a suicide note."

"That’s a no brainer. The man is lying here with a noose around his neck," the thief piped up.

The Queen quirked a brow. "Don’t tell me no one ever put a noose around your neck. I find that hard to believe."

"Well, you know how it is," he murmured offhandedly, giving a small shrug. Autolycus picked up the blanket that Palaemon had retrieved from Malaius’ bed and draped it over the body. "So why do you think he did it?"

Green eyes turned back to the note. "He said that he had been offered a position in another court if he would assist in the betrayal of Our Lord Conqueror. Apparently he accepted, but the burden of what he had done became to much to bear and he decided this was the only way out."

"Which court?"

"Doesn’t say." She chewed her bottom lip. "You know this doesn’t make sense."

Autolycus straightened, yawning loudly. "Makes sense to me. I’d much rather croak myself than let tall, dark and dangerous get her hands…" He stopped and corrected himself, grinning all the while. "I mean, I’d rather do it myself than have Our Lord do it for me."

Gabrielle nodded slowly. "Okay, I’ll buy that. But if your guilt was so overwhelming that you felt it necessary to kill yourself, wouldn’t you spill the beans on the person who made you the offer?"

"Guilt?" Autolycus drew out the word, taking his time to consider what was obviously a foreign concept to his mind.

Gabrielle lifted her hands in the air then let them fall to her sides. She turned to Palaemon. "Why make the ultimate sacrifice and not leave the evidence that would take your conspirators to Tartarus with you?"

"Is this even related to the Conqueror’s fall? Did he push Our Lord down the steps?" Palaemon found it highly unlikely that the wiry advisor would ever confront the Conqueror personally. Too much could go wrong. He didn’t seem the sort who would get his hands dirty with physical violence. "What exactly does ‘betrayal’ mean? Trying to kill her, selling government secrets, embezzlement? What?" The Captain rubbed his jaw, tossing out question after question as he paced the length of the room.

Gabrielle grunted with frustration. "I don’t know and I’m too tired to consider it further tonight. Keep a guard on this room. I’m going to see Xena. I’ll be back in a bit."

The men nodded and moved out of the room behind their Queen. Autolycus was headed for a nice soft pallet. Gabrielle had freed him from the dungeon and given him a small room of his own located just off the stables. It was warm and smelled like horses and hay, and Autolycus liked it much, much better than his former quarters.

The Captain turned towards Jarrod’s room to triple check that the guard Gabrielle had ordered placed outside his door earlier was awake and alert. Only then would he retire for the evening himself. Where are you, Callisto? he asked himself as he quickened his pace.

Gabrielle dismissed the guards in Xena’s room, telling them to wait in the outer chamber. She managed to pull a small cot next to Xena’s bed. Sitting down on the edge, she noticed her lover shivering. "You’re cold?" Gentle fingers grazed a sallow cheek. "It is a little chilly in here, isn’t it? Okay… blankets…" Gabrielle rooted around in the room’s cabinets until she found a couple of warm, but well-worn blankets. Tomorrow she’d bring over the quilt from their bed and some clean, woolen foot-coverings so Xena’s toes wouldn’t get cold. She knew how her spouse hated that.

Settling down on the cot once again, she set the smaller of the two blankets next to her, and placed the other blanket over Xena, tucking the corners under the mattress and smoothing the surface under Xena’s chin. Tears sprang to her eyes and she let them spill over, too tired to fight them any longer. She was glad the older woman was still unconscious and being spared most of what she was sure would be unbearable pain. But still… she would have given anything for those blue eyes to flutter open. The fact that Xena hadn’t regained consciousness, even for a moment, scared her more than she wanted to think about.

She placed a gentle kiss on the discolored jaw, wiping off the tears that splashed onto her wife’s face. Then she stretched out onto her side, rolling over in her cot so that she could watch the rise and fall of Xena’s chest. "I’m gonna lie here for while. My entire body hurts. I know. I know. I shouldn’t complain." She was silent for a moment before asking, "Who did this to you, Xena?" A burning anger welled up within her, draining her of what little energy she had left.

Fighting to keep impossibly heavy eyelids from closing for too long, Gabrielle watched Xena breathe. Her forehead creased with worry. The movements were gradually becoming more and more labored. The watery, gurgling sounds shot a bolt of panic right through her and she laid her head against Xena’s chest, not putting any real weight on it. Gabrielle could hear what sounded like congestion, though she doubted pneumonia would set in so quickly. It must be blood, she surmised darkly.

Before her father had died, he developed what her mother called ‘a death rattle’. It wasn’t long after that that Hades took him. This is her death rattle! "You need to fight," Gabrielle whispered desperately. "I mean it Xena, don’t you dare leave me!"

As gently as she could, she took Xena’s broken hand in hers, idly stroking uncharacteristically cool fingertips, which poked out from behind the splint and bandages. More tears blurred Gabrielle’s vision, and she closed her eyes to clear them, pressing a cool palm against her puffy, swollen lids.

"Damn!" She sat up with a start. I didn’t mean to do that! The blanket she’d placed on the cot next to her was snugly around her waist and she realized that the healer must have done it when he’d come in to check on his patient. Stretching, she ran a hand through her hair, using the opportunity to carefully examine Xena in the light of day.

The tears came again. Not only wasn’t Xena getting better, she looked even worse. Her skin, which appeared pale last night, had turned an ashen-blue hue that made her look more dead than alive. And her entire body shook with the effort it took to pull in one shallow breath. Gods, she dying.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and whispered, "Good morning. How did you sleep?" She kept her tone light, dropping several soft kisses on Xena’s closed eyelids and eyebrow, her cheeks and chin.

There was, of course, no reply.

"I love you, Xena. You need to hold on."

A soft tapping on the door brought Gabrielle to her feet. It was the healer. He looked tired, his thin lips drawn in a grim line, the fringe of silver hair that wreathed his mostly-bald head messy and in need of washing. He flicked a glance at Xena, who looked about the same as she did an hour ago when he’d come to check on her. There was nothing more he could do, and he suspected the Lord Conqueror wouldn’t survive the morning. "My Queen," he began hesitantly, wishing he were somewhere else.

"I know." Her eyes followed his, before closing briefly. "You can save your words of solace. Just send for Jarrod, please."

The healer nodded.

"Wait," she called him back. "Does… Does she have any other family?" It seemed odd to be asking a stranger something so basic and personal. But Xena was always extremely closed-mouthed about her kin, simply saying that except for her and Jarrod – there was no one alive who considered the Conqueror part of their family.

"I believe her mother still lives, Your Majesty. But I… I’m not even certain of that."

Xena coughed weakly then sucked in a ragged, gasping breath.

Gabrielle peered at her helplessly, needing to do something. Anything. She fidgeted with the blankets, fluffing them up at Xena’s chest in an attempt to lighten even their negligible weight and assist lover’s breathing.

The healer was still standing in the doorway, looking like a nervous dog that now had to answer to another master, silently awaiting his next command.

"Send for Jarrod," she repeated. "I’ll find out about Xena’s kin later."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll see to that myself." The man bowed and shut the door quietly behind him, grateful that he had been given a task he could easily accomplish.

Gabrielle was about to get up and find a cloth so that she could wash Xena’s face and arms, when she saw pale lips twitch in an effort to say something. She leaned in close, listening with all her might and holding her breath. "What? What is it, love?" Say something. Say you’re going to be all right!

"Gab…" A pause. "Jar…rod…" The word escaped at the end of a raspy, wheezing breath. Gabrielle studied Xena’s face closely, her eyes tracing every fine line, the dark eyebrows and the fine, downy-soft hair covering her cheeks. She was still unconscious, perhaps dreaming. Gabrielle hoped so.

She answered, "I’m here," doubting that Xena could hear her but unable to remain silent. The young woman cupped Xena’s cheek and kissed her on the side of the mouth, speaking softly. "And Jarrod’s on his way, Xena. I should have told you before. He’s just fine. Everything is okay. I... I explained things to him. But I know he’ll want to talk with you as soon as you wake…"

Gabrielle’s stopped, her heart seizing in her chest. An unexpected sob burst forth, grabbing hold of her, choking off her words. "Gods," she whispered miserably, slumping back onto the small cot. She adjusted herself so that she was as close to Xena as humanly possible and still not on the bed with her. She couldn’t bear the thought of causing her more pain.

The young woman felt as if she couldn’t breathe herself. An enormous weight sat on her chest, stifling her every breath, rendering each heartbeat laborious and painful. She began crying again, even as she berated herself. I cannot fall apart. I just can’t. Not yet.

Jarrod sat alone in the dining chamber. He looked up at the servant who placed his meal in front of him. "Where is everyone?"

The servant remained tight-lipped, patently ignoring the boy as he poured him a tall class of rich milk and set it on the table with care.

Jarrod knew something was wrong. He hadn’t seen his mama all morning. They always ate together with Xena. Every morning. What had he done last night?! How had things gotten so out of control? He was so angry he couldn’t think straight. All he knew was that he had to get away from her, no matter what. And now, now he had ruined everything.

The boy dug his spoon into his bowl, swirling it through the thick porridge as he considered Xena and tried to reconcile the woman she was to him with the Conqueror people whispered about. That was the woman who allowed his mother to be whipped like a dirty mule who had disobeyed his master. He concentrated hard, seeing events replayed in his mind.

Riding on her shoulders and feeling 10 feet tall.

Watching her and Mama on top of Cinnamon. And noticing how many times they made each other laugh, despite his mama’s obvious fear and Xena’s natural impatience.

Fishing in their pond.

Falling asleep against her shoulder. More than once.

Sneaking him into the kitchen one night, far after his bedtime, because she’d heard a rumor that the cook was preparing a palace specialty. Then discussing foreign policy and the best way to raise an army over almond cookies and milk.

Showing him the little trick that allowed her to unsheathe her blade faster than he’d ever seen another, and then promising she'd help him convince his mama that he was old enough to begin lessons with his own sword.

Then his mind flashed to his mother’s bruised face and the nights at the inn when he’d caught her crying, though she pretended not to be. She doesn’t do that anymore, he admitted to himself.

He pushed his bowl away, tapping his toes nervously against the floor. What about those whip marks across his Mama’s back? He couldn’t just pretend that he hadn’t seen them. He wasn’t a baby that could be tricked! Even if Callisto had done the whipping, Xena could have stopped it. She’s the Conqueror! She’s the boss of the whole world!

His brow creased. Mama said she didn’t want Xena to stop the lashing. That Xena would have, but really couldn’t, because of the ‘situation’, whatever that means. Xena had been tending the wounds last night, trying to help his mama, he suddenly realized, his mind carefully replaying the scene that had sent him fleeing from the palace.

Gods, he had said awful things! And at that moment he meant every one of them. But he knew now that he was wrong.

Jarrod truly didn’t understand what had happened between Xena, his mama, and Callisto, at least not all of it. But his mama had never lied to him. He scrunched up his freckled face unhappily, contemplating just how much trouble he was in.

"Your Highness?"

Jarrod turned to see Xena’s personal healer and his tutor, Nyssa, standing behind him.

"Jarrod," Nyssa greeted softly.

She was seven or eight seasons younger than his mother and had reddish-brown hair the color of cedar. She was slim and somewhere between his mothers in height. Her skin was milky white and smooth, and she always smelled of flowers. Jarrod looked up into her eyes and got lost in their mesmerizing beauty.

"Jarrod?" she repeated, noticing the boy seemed to drift away for a moment.

"Uhh… Yes," he replied, slightly tongue-tied, his face flushing.

She knelt next to his seat and the table, taking his smaller hand in hers. "The Queen sent the healer for you. You need to go to the palace infirmary right away." Nyssa had met up with the healer in the hall on the way to the dining room. He was looking for Jarrod.

"Why?" the boy asked worriedly.

Two sets of eyes turned to the healer, who had refused to tell Nyssa what had happened. She only knew that is was of grave importance that he find the boy immediately.

"I… I…" the man faltered, unsure of how much the Queen would want him to divulge. "Her Majesty will explain everything to you herself, Your Highness," he finally said uncomfortably. "We should go now."

Jarrod gulped down his milk and jumped out of his chair, wiping his mouth with the sleeve. He quickly ran past the healer, who was already marching across the dining room.

"His lessons for the day?" Nyssa called out, just as they reached the door.

"I don’t know about that," the man answered irritably, straightening his tunic with one hand. "I’ll send word later." With a little push, he propelled Jarrod out the door in front of him.

Gabrielle stood at the open window, allowing the fresh morning air to seep into the small room. She had a few moments to think about what she had to do next before Jarrod arrived. But she found her decision remarkable simple. Even knowing what it would likely cost her, it was a price that she was more than willing to pay.

She turned back to the Conqueror and smiled weakly, taking in her battered state for the hundredth time since yesterday. But no tears came. She was all cried out. Now it was time to act. Gabrielle moved to the head of the bed and raked her fingers through thick dark hair.

"There’s only one thing left to try, Xena," she said softly. "I don’t like it one bit. And you’re going to hate it." Gabrielle licked her lips before she let the next words leave them. "But I have to try." There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. Even this.

There was a light knocking on the door, then it opened and the healer tentatively poked his head in. "Your Majesty, I have His Highness with me."

"I’ll be right out." Don’t you dare bring him in here until I can tell him what’s happened!

Gabrielle bent over and gently cupped the bruised cheeks in her hands. "I love you, Xena." She straightened, but let her fingers linger on Xena’s face just for a moment. "Please hang on."

Gabrielle collapsed under the weight of her son, falling to the floor and holding him as he cried.

"You’re okay!" He tightened his arm around her in a painful hug. "I thought that maybe... maybe..."

"Of course, I’m okay. Didn’t the healer...?" That cowardly bastard! Gabrielle pinned the older man with enraged eyes.

The contrite healer looked away, prudently deciding to busy himself with the guards who had reentered Xena’s room as soon as Gabrielle walked out.

Green eyes peered over Gabrielle’s shoulder, trying to see into the room behind her. "Mama? Mama, where’s Xena?"

Gabrielle felt queasy. I need to eat something before I pass out and I’m no use to them at all. "Jarrod, there’s been an accident. Xena’s been hurt."

"Bad?" A guilty look settled on the boy’s face.

"Yeah, it’s pretty bad."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

Gabrielle glanced around the room, fighting the tears she had sworn were all cried out, gasping for the air her brain needed to form the words. Finally, watery eyes landed on her son. "I don’t know. It’s really bad."

"Mama?"

She waited.

"She’s in there, right?" Jarrod glanced over her shoulder again.

A nod.

"Good." He put his arms around her neck. "Because I need to tell her I’m sorry and that I love her. Don’t worry. She’ll be okay. You’ll see."

Gabrielle smiled weakly, wanting to believe him with all her heart. "I think she’d like it if you went in and sat with her. Talked to her a little." Her tone went very serious. "I have to go and take care of something very important, Jarrod. Can you watch her while I’m gone? She… she shouldn’t be alone. I’ll send Palaemon or your tutor to join you."

Unaccountably, the boy blushed.

Gabrielle was confused for a moment before she grinned knowingly and ruffled his hair. She’d forgotten about his crush. Perhaps Palaemon would be a better choice today. "I need to go. But before you go inside, well… um… you need to understand that she’s been badly hurt and doesn’t look very good, okay? Are you ready for that, Jarrod?"

He visibly squared his shoulders. "Yes, Ma’am. I’m ready."

Using keys she’d taken from Malaius’ room, she unlocked the door to the war room and stormed inside. "Ares, show yourself!" she demanded, slamming the door behind her.

Gabrielle waited. When no answer came, she walked over to a pedestal where a large ceramic bust of the handsome God was perched. She placed her index finger squarely in the center of his forehead and gave a firm push, sending it toppling to the floor with a loud crash.

The next thing her gaze landed on was a 2 x 2 foot oil painting. It was of Ares on a large black stallion, charging down a steep hill. His black cloak and hair flew out behind him, an entire army at his heels as he led them into battle. Gabrielle yanked the painting from the wall and punched her fist right through it, aiming for his head. Using her knee, she cracked the frame in two. And then she repeated the process until the frame was reduced to kindling-sized pieces of wood, which she flung into the hearth.

"I can break things all day long, you bastard!" She kicked a black porcelain vase across the floor, flashing a satisfied smile when it slammed against the wall and shattered into a million tiny pieces. "Show yourself!"

"Damn," he chuckled, suddenly appearing behind her. She whirled around and he snatched up a silver urn from the table next to him before she could destroy it. He really liked that one. "You’ve got a little fire in there, don’t you?" He pointed to her belly. Ahh…at last we meet, Gabrielle.

"I’ve got a whole inferno at the moment, you son of a..."

Large palms shot upward in a forestalling gesture. "Whoa. I get the idea." Ares jerked his thumb towards the picture of him that was now in tatters. "Now was that nice?" He looked at her with insincere, puppy dog eyes and sniffed as though he was on the verge of tears. He tsked her mockingly. "You don’t even know me."

Prick! "Did you have anything to do with Xena getting hurt?" she demanded, ignoring his sarcasm. She marched up to him, her boots pounding on the floor, until they were nose-to-nose. Green eyes fixed solidly on murky brown.

"Hurt Xena? I would never hurt Xena." Then he winced, catching himself in a teensy weensy lie. "Oh, you mean that little busted lip?" Damn that lyre-lovin’ fool, Morpheus! Gabrielle was supposed to be asleep for that. "We have a complicated... relationship. She..."

"Busted lip?" the blonde interrupted, looking at him as though he was stupid. Or crazy. Or both. "Half the bones in her body are broken! She is lying in the healer’s chambers dying! She’s your Chosen, for Gods’ sake. This can’t be news!" What kind of loser God are you?!

His face remained aloof, but his blood began to boil. This must have happened last night while he was busy playing with that glorious battle in northwestern Greece, an area so remote that Xena didn’t want to spend the resources required to patrol it. The Conqueror pretty much left its few inhabitants to their own devices, and it was one of his favorite playgrounds for testing out potential warriors. "Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s not nice to call people losers," he smirked, suppressing his mounting anger and feigning only marginal interest in Xena’s wellbeing as he fiddled with the urn, buffing off the dust with his wrist gauntlet.

"It’s not nice to read minds either," Gabrielle shot back irritably. Read minds... Her eyes went unfocused as she thought. The cloak! Someone would have had to read my mind to know I was looking for it. Xena had mentioned she thought that Ares might be involved. Gabrielle hadn’t really believed her. But now... "It was you, wasn’t it? Why?" Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Figured that out, did ya?" Now he was impressed. He knew Xena would puzzle it out eventually, but he didn’t think the blonde had it in her. Ares placed the urn he was holding back on its stand. "It was no big deal." He shrugged. At least to me.

"You just wanted to see if Xena would punish me?" She cocked an eyebrow. "And more importantly... would I stay with her if she did?"

His silence spoke for itself, and he could see that Gabrielle knew that she was right. This one is too damn smart for her own good. Oh, Xena, very nice choice. I should have known it wasn’t just that hot little body you were after. But he couldn’t keep his gaze from roaming over the item in question. Smart and sexy. My Chosen is a lucky woman.

"Your plan didn’t work," Gabrielle said flatly.

He shrugged, conceding nothing.

"But that doesn’t matter now." She waved a dismissive hand and gave him a hard, reproachful look. "I want you to help Xena. Help your Chosen!"

His dark eyes flashed and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "I’ve had just about enough of your demands, blondie." He leaned in, taking in the scent of her and wondering why Xena found it so intoxicating. His interest was piqued. "You know that favors from the Gods aren’t free. What price are you willing to pay for my help?"

She closed her eyes against his dark energy, feeling the pull toward him deep in the pit of her stomach. "Anything." Her eyes blinked open. Everything.

His nostrils flared at the implication. Are you really, Gabrielle? "Your heart? Your soul? Your body?"

"I can’t give you what I don’t have, Ares. My heart and soul are Xena’s."

"So you’re offering me your body?" he concluded smugly, releasing her shoulders and turning his back to her. "Not interested. You’re going to have to do better than that."

Gabrielle clenched her fists and silently stamped her foot in frustration. "It’s all I have, Ares!" She ground her teeth together. This isn’t working!

Her conclusion as to why was simple. She wanted something from him and that gave him all the power. It was time to take some of that power and make it her own. Smoothly changing tactics, her voice dropped an octave. "My body is good enough for your Chosen. In fact, she enjoys it immensely." Gabrielle could see his ears pick up at her sultry tone

"Oh yeah…" he groaned, smiling appreciatively at the instant picture that formed in his mind. "You two give new meaning to the word hot." It was out before he could stop it and he grimaced.

"Excuse me?" She stomped around in front of him. "And you would know this how?"

He looked everywhere but her. "Well, umm I … umm…"

Gabrielle knew this was her chance. He was curious about her and Xena… together. Maybe even curious about her… the peasant who captured the Conqueror’s heart. He may be a God, but he thinks like a man.

She took a step closer, not stopping until she could feel his body heat against the cloth of her tunic and trousers. Small hands found their way to his broad chest, and she slipped them between the folds of his leather vest, running them along the hot skin. "You were watching us?" She innocently looked up at him from behind long, pale lashes.

"No!" He chanced a glance down into eyes that were vivid in their color and intensity. So green. "I… um… I occasionally listen in on what Xena is up to." Ares tried his best to appear nonchalant. "Lately she’s been…" He cocked his head to the side, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "…occupied."

She didn’t have time for subtlety. But she doubted he’d mind. "Lately, Ares, Xena's been taking me to bed every chance she gets and fucking me senseless."

He swallowed hard, nodding slightly. He loved the raw words falling from such sweet looking lips. "Yeah, I know."

"You know what else?" she purred, her fingers drifting through the dark hair on his chest.

"What?"

"She begs me, Ares. Your Chosen begs me to allow her to touch me. And for my touch in return."

"I know," he repeated, remembering the exact sound of Xena crying out in ecstasy. His mind was assaulted with Gabrielle’s pants and groans and Xena’s velvet voice.

Gabrielle began untying the laces of his vest, exposing more of his muscular chest. Her voice was soft but wholly unapologetic and crystal clear. "I give myself to her without reservation... completely. I worship her body."

His eyes darkened at her words, and it took considerable effort to hold them open as soft lips grazed his throat and a hot, wet tongue worked its way up his jugular. He groaned, placing his hand on her hips and pulling her closer.

"Then, after she takes me in so many different ways it makes my head spin, she begs me to take her and do the same." She ran a newly filed nail across his nipple and down his stomach, slowly circling his navel.

He sucked in a deep breath, holding it as her hand wandered just a bit lower. He felt himself responding to her warm breath on his body, her touch, her voice.

"And I do," Gabrielle whispered hotly against his thick neck. "I take Xena and..." Her hand finally slid all the way between his legs, coming to rest over the growing bulge in his pants. "...lick, and kiss, and..." she paused, feeling the bulge harden. She squeezed gently but firmly, "...suck her all over." C’mon Ares, I know you want me… want what’s hers. Take me. Make the deal!

The God moaned softly, his eyes rolling back in pleasure. He tried to focus on anything other than the intense throbbing ache between his legs. But it was impossible. This was a mere mortal, a common peasant woman to boot. She didn’t have Callisto’s blood lust, and she certainly didn’t have Xena’s wonderful dark fire. Yet there was a raw, sensual determination that seemed to seep from her very pores. He knew she was seducing him. And it aroused him to the core.

Gabrielle had a pull all her own.

"So tell me, God of War..." she moved against him, sliding her other hand under the soft leather of his snug fitting pants, allowing her fingers to drift idly over a muscled buttock. "Are you willing to deal if I’m willing to pay the price?"

Ares drew in a deep breath. "I can have you here and now?"

She nodded, trying not to think about what she was doing.

"I simply agree to help my Chosen and you’ll sleep with me?"

"No." She licked her lips before capturing his in a devouring kiss, plunging her tongue deep into his mouth. The hand covering his erection drifted up and began sliding into his pants. "We won’t sleep at all."

He growled, his hips shifting towards her of their own accord. Ares lifted his hand to her full breast, cupping it, enjoying its weight in his palm. The dark God wanted more… so he took it. In the blink of an eye, her tunic was gone and he was caressing creamy, warm skin that felt like cool silk against his hot fingertips. Her nipple hardened in his hand, straining against his callused palm.

Gabrielle gasped despite herself, and he suddenly had to have her… to be inside her... to feel her fire from within and taste it for himself.

Ares threaded one hand into her fair hair and jerked her head backwards so that he could look directly into her eyes. "She’ll never forgive you, Gabrielle."

His words pierced her heart, hitting her like a physical blow. Her throat closed for several painful seconds but all the while she stared unflinchingly into his eyes, a truth passing between them. "I know," she whispered.

Gabrielle knelt by Xena’s side, dropping a tender kiss on her cheek. She pushed back dark bangs in an almost maternal fashion as she checked for fever. Xena was no longer struggling to breathe. Instead, she was taking tiny, shallow breaths. Her body jerked with each one and they were spaced out by what seemed like endless seconds. Just when Gabrielle would begin to panic, believing Xena wouldn’t draw in another one, she would suck in a tiny bit of air, and the gut-wrenching process would repeat itself. Thank the Gods, I’m in time. She won’t last much longer. "I’m back, sweetheart. And everything is going to be okay."

She had sent Jarrod and Palaemon down to the courtyard for some fresh air and now sat alone with the Conqueror. Waiting. Gabrielle looked up when Ares suddenly materialized at the foot of the bed. "Well?" she prodded impatiently. "What took you so long?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The God gestured at her while giving Xena the once over. His jaw set in anger. "That was some ‘fall’." Ares drew out the last word disgustedly, making it clear he didn’t think that Xena had been the victim of her own clumsiness. He knelt down on the side of the bed, opposite Gabrielle. Raising one hand, he gently brushed the side of Xena’s face with the back of his knuckles.

Gabrielle bit her lip, fighting the urge to knock his hand away.

He appeared to think for a moment as the blonde waited in tense silence. "Okay, here’s the deal," Ares said finally. "We both know that Xena didn’t take a header off the stairs on her own. She’s many things, but a klutz isn’t one of them.

Gabrielle agreed guardedly. What are you up to, Ares?

"So someone needs to find out who tried to kill wifiepoo. And one of those someones is you. The other is Xena."

"And she can’t do that if she’s dead," Gabrielle prodded, her gaze drawn to Xena’s still chest. "Hurry!"

"Right," he continued undeterred. "So I’m going to do a little body switch so she can be free to find out who’s threatening her realm. She gets this…" He gestured to his own body arrogantly. "And I’ll lie here and take a three day nap."

"You lying bastard!" Gabrielle sprang to her feet. "Our deal…"

He waggled his finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah… You only asked me to help her. I’m going to do that. While I’m in her body she won’t die. And while she’s in mine, she’ll have the opportunity to save her own life. Sadly, she won’t have use of my powers… those are attached to my spirit not my body. But the rest is hers to fully enjoy." He gave Gabrielle a rakish grin. "Play nice with it."

"By the Gods!" Gabrielle shouted angrily. "I can’t believe you! You knew what I meant!"

"Be that as it may…" He scratched his jaw speculatively. "If I simply healed her… well, let’s just say, I think she’ll be more motivated to find out who’s behind this if she knows that I won’t heal her unless she’s successful. If she can’t figure it out, then she doesn’t deserve to be my Chosen…" Ares puffed up proudly. "Or benefit from Godly powers."

Gabrielle glared at him. "Are you testing her or me?"

He arched a cocky eyebrow, impressed yet again. "Both," he admitted with a small grin. Oh yeah. Smart and sexy. I could get verrrrrry used to her. "My Chosen’s mate cannot be a liability or it will eventually get Xena killed. This is your chance to help her, Gabrielle. Show me that you’re worthy of a life by the Destroyer of Nations' side. Catch whoever is threatening the Realm, and therefore me… and I’ll heal Xena." Ares looked down at Xena, his eyes widening slighting. "Gotta go," he muttered quickly.

Before Gabrielle could respond, there was a blinding flash of light that left her disoriented and slightly dizzy. When the room stopped spinning, she focused on Xena, who appeared to asleep but breathing much easier. Ares was lying on the floor – out cold.

Reluctantly, she moved from Xena’s body and down to Ares’ side. "Xena?" She gave a
light slap to his cheek. "Xena, are you in there?"

The God of War groaned and his eyes fluttered open.

Gabrielle laid her palms on both sides of his face, turning it back and forth as she examined it closely as though he was a horse at market. "Xena?"

"Uh huh." Xena nodded slowly, holding her throbbing head in his hands.

Gabrielle’s jaw sagged and she fell back slightly. "Oh boy."

*****

"You’ve got to be kidding!" Xena boomed, getting her first good look at her reflection. Then she turned to the bed where her own body lay. "He’s in there?"

"I think so," Gabrielle said, her head still spinning.

Xena leaned over her own face and growled, "Don’t you touch anything!" Then she turned her attention to her Queen. "What is going on?!"

Gabrielle just shook her head, unable to speak as a flood of emotion overwhelmed her. Tears pricked her eyes, sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the room’s window.

"Hey," Xena’s said in a concerned voice, immediately stopping her tirade. She gently grabbed Gabrielle’s forearms, running her thumbs lightly over the smooth fabric of her tunic. Her hands circled Gabrielle. "What’s wrong?"

Gabrielle launched herself at Xena, wrapping her in a crushing embrace. "You were dying… and… and… and…"

Xena ran a soothing hand down red-gold locks, returning her wife’s embrace. "S’okay," she cooed softly, too confused to offer much more.

Gabrielle soaked in the warmth of Xena’s hug, cherishing its familiar security and love even though the body offering it wasn’t her spouse’s. Several dozen heartbeats later and Gabrielle pulled away, sheepishly wiping her eyes. "I’m sorry," she sniffed. "That’s only about the millionth time I’ve done that since last night."

Xena tugged Gabrielle over to a chair that stood in the corner of the room, settling her on her lap. "You’re not too heavy," she cut off the familiar protest that was poised on Gabrielle’s lips. Xena patted Ares’ ample thighs as proof. "Now talk."

Gabrielle leaned back, getting comfortable on Ares’ knees. Gods, where to begin? With a little nod she decided on, of all places, the beginning. "Xena, do you remember going into the old watchtower last night?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember falling?"

The Conqueror scowled. As if she could forget what that felt like. She had thought nothing would be worse than being crucified. She was so wrong. "Yes. But I didn’t fall."

"You were pushed," Gabrielle supplied, never so unhappy to be right about something in her life.

"Exactly." Twin eyebrows rose. "How did you know?"

Gabrielle blinked, staring at Ares’ lips as Xena talked. The speech pattern, facial expressions, and questions were definitely Xena’s. But they were coming out of Ares’ mouth, said in his deeper, masculine tone of voice. Disconcerted, she shook her head and continued, "Well, I put the pieces together as best I could, and it led me to the conclusion that you’d been ‘helped’ on your way back down the tower. But I have no idea who did it. Did you see anything?"

"Nothing." Xena turned her head from side to side, stretching her neck. Hmm... maybe I’ll get mine cut. This feels nice. She ran her fingers through her hair, checking its length.

"Don’t even think about it, Lord Conqueror," Gabrielle said, giving the lock that grazed Xena’s collar a sharp tug.

"Anyway, I turned to leave and felt someone push me in the back, then I was falling ass over heels." She decided to spare Gabrielle a blow by blow description of her excruciating trip down the stairs. Xena shivered involuntarily. "The next thing I remember, except for hearing a few random words from you and Jarrod…" She squeezed Gabrielle’s hand gratefully and got a warm smile in reply. "… is waking up on the floor in this." She gestured at her new body with her hand. "How did I get here?"

Gabrielle stared at the wall with unseeing eyes. Later, Xena. I’ll explain it all to you later. Once I know you’re safe for good. She prayed Xena would accept her abbreviated explanation of events. "Ares agreed to swap bodies with you so we could figure out who tried to kill you. We’ve got three days… From right now, I guess. If we can do it, Ares will heal you. If we can’t…" she trailed off, unwilling to say the words.

"He lets me die?"

Gabrielle nodded miserably. "That would seem to be his plan at the moment." Slimy welching bastard.

"Why would he do this, Gabrielle? I’m not exactly his favorite mortal these days." Xena could still remember the white-hot rage in his eyes from their last meeting.

The young woman chewed her lip guiltily, choosing her words carefully and trying not to panic. "You’re his Chosen," she said as if that were enough.

"And?" Xena snorted, unable to count all the times some tragedy had befallen her while and Ares was nowhere to be found. Something wasn’t right.

"And we don’t have time to worry about Ares’ motives!" Gabrielle pushed herself off Xena’s lap, clearly upset. "We only have three days." When she stood, a wave of dizziness assailed her. "Whoa…"

Xena shot to her feet and wrapped her hand around Gabrielle’s elbow, guiding her back to the chair. "What’s wrong?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "It’s nothing. I just haven’t eaten… and I’ve been under just a little stress," she teased faintly.

Xena studied her lover carefully, knowing there was more to Gabrielle’s story, but willing to let it go for the moment. "I’m sorry I worried you." She smiled reassuringly and pulled her into another hug. "It’s okay. We’ll figure this out." She gently lifted Gabrielle’s face to meet her eyes. "I will never willingly leave you, Gabrielle. Hades is going to have to take me kicking and screaming."

Xena quickly leaned in for a kiss, which quickly became turned passionate, the high running emotions from the last day spilling over into their actions. When it was over Xena blinked then glanced down. Well, this was something new.

Gabrielle giggled.

Shifting a little, Xena asked, "What’s so funny?"

"Your mustache tickles." Gabrielle could see her lover was squirming uncomfortably. It was Ares’ flesh and blood, but when she looked deeply into those dark eyes, it was Xena she saw looking back at her. Some of the unyielding tension and sorrow that had been weighing on her heart melted away. "What’s wrong with you?"

"I umm…well, I un…" Xena made a vague gesture.

The Queen looked down and bit back a smirk. "Oh my." Pale brows lifted. "Bet that feels different."

"Not as much as you might think," Xena shot back, only mildly embarrassed at her current, and very noticeable, state of arousal.

Gabrielle kissed her cheek sympathetically. "Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that right now, so get rid of it. You need to be able to walk."

"Get rid of it?" Xena said incredulously. "How in Tartarus am I suppose to get rid of it?"

Gabrielle leaned in and whispered, "Callisto."

"Oh yeah." Xena’s head bobbed. "That did it. Let’s go."

The guards weren’t surprised to see their Queen returning to Malaius’ room. They were, however, shocked to see a tall, raven-haired, leather-clad man, who was immediately recognizable because of the many statues that were scattered around the palace, strolling alongside her. It was Ares himself. Not only did the Lord Conqueror have the power to converse with the Gods, but their Queen could call them to her side.

The guards immediately snapped to attention as the duo approached, they gazes riveted straight ahead, chests out, chins held high. Gabrielle started into the room, only to hesitate when Xena stopped right in front of one of the guards and leveled her best icy stare. "Boo!" she yelled.

The guard wet himself.

"Carry on," Xena said calmly, managing to hold in the laughter until she was safely in the room with Gabrielle.

"That was just mean."

"There’s just something about this body that makes me feel... I dunno... wicked." Xena's gaze darted around the room.

"I’m sure there is." Gabrielle’s smile bordered on an outright leer as she regarded the Conqueror. Ares’ body somehow looked different with her in it. Those were some thighs, and, oh, that ass, all muscled and everything. We so do not have time for me to stand around and ogle her…him…oh boy. She felt a pang of guilt over the day’s events, but no regret. How could she regret what she’d done? Xena was alive and that was all that mattered. Gabrielle would survive it... Although she was having a hard time convincing her heart.

Xena headed to Malaius’ body, which was still laid out on his table. The noose that had been round his neck rested on top of his chest. She examined it briefly. It was the type of rope commonly used by her army for erecting tents... or for a million other mundane purposes. It was available in at least a dozen markets in the capital.

The Conqueror pulled back the thin sheet that covered Malaius’ body, inspecting his pasty, stiff form with an attention to detail. She caught the faint whiff of urine and was grateful that his room was very cool, the fireplace clearly having been cold for quite some time. She wished briefly that Ares’ wore something under his vest. Guess Gods don’t get chilly.

Gabrielle was waiting anxiously. "Well, what do you think?" she finally asked.

Xena shrugged one shoulder. "Yup, he’s dead." Never thought I’d see the fidgety man so calm. Still, the toad could write a mean proclamation. She replaced the sheet.

"So that’s how you keep your powerful hold on the land, is it? Your amazing ability to state the obvious?" the blonde snapped, passing her spouse the suicide note with an irritated hand.

Xena quirked a brow as she snatched the parchment from Gabrielle. "No need to be grouchy, Gabrielle. Things aren’t exactly working out for me at the moment either."

"I’m sorry, Xena." Gods, what’s wrong with me? Gabrielle rubbed her eyes tiredly and began eating an apple from a bowl of fruit on the table next to the advisor.

Dark brows came together as Xena read the note. She looked at Malaius and then back to the note, the creases in her forehead deepening. "This is a fake." Xena tossed the bogus note down alongside the corpse. "This isn’t Malaius’ handwriting."

"You’re sure?" Gabrielle peered around Xena’s shoulder, taking an apple seed from her mouth and tossing it on the ground.

"He’s been writing my policies for more winters than I can count. I know his handwriting. And this isn’t it."

"So he was murdered." Gabrielle began to pace the room. She tapped her jaw with the piece of ripe fruit, thinking out loud. "This is part of a cover up. The person who tried to kill you murdered Malaius so she could pin it on him."

"Apparently." Xena did a double take at Gabrielle’s wording. "She?"

"Could Callisto have hefted Malaius’ body herself or would she need help? He doesn’t look very heavy." Gabrielle stopped her pacing and tilted her head toward the rafters. The rope that held up the advisor was still hanging there, swaying gently in the breeze whenever someone walked by.

"Looks can be deceiving. She’s strong, for such a skinny bacchae. But you’re forgetting she’s under arrest."

Gabrielle’s eyes widened. "Oh Gods, Xena. Did I forget to mention that she’s escaped?"

"Yes!"

Gabrielle flashed her mate a small, apologetic smile. "She’s escaped."

"Hades! I’m not even going to ask how that happened!"

"The guards at her door swore she never left her apartment."

Their eyes locked and in unison they said, "Ares."

Gabrielle nodded, wishing she’d thought to ask him about that earlier. "My thoughts exactly."

"Too bad we can’t question him about it now." Xena frowned. "I guess it would be a silly question to ask who else around here wants me dead, wouldn’t it?"

The blonde let out an unhappy breath and patted Xena on the arm. "I think so, honey."

"Still, it’s a shame to lose a man as loyal as Malaius." The Conqueror made a mental note to give the advisor a soldier’s funeral pyre and see if he had any family to whom she could offer an honorarium. It was the least she could do. Her mind shifted gears. "Where are the satraps?"

"Right now they’re waiting for me in the meeting room you assigned them."

"Ah... good. You go down there and see them. I’ll be along shortly and make a very Godlike entrance." Xena crossed her arms over her chest and smiled, perfectly mimicking the God’s smug demeanor.

"Umm, Xena. You might not want to let this God thing go to your head. Ares has his powers…"

"Yes, love, but I know how to cheat, remember? It’s a magic act, Gabrielle. It only requires a little distraction to be effective, and you’re my distraction."

"I can do that. I can be a distraction."

"Tell me something I don’t know." She smiled at her spouse and cupped Gabrielle’s cheeks. "Tell them I’m badly hurt. You know it wasn’t an accident and you’re going to get to the bottom of it. And say if you can’t get to the bottom of it you’ll have them all executed as potential security threats to the Realm.

Gabrielle’s eyes widened. "Can I do that?"

"You’re the Queen, Gabrielle. You’ll rule in my stead or take over completely if I don’t fully recover.

"But you will," the blonde added quickly, her nervousness popping through.

"I will," Xena reassured.

"And when the satraps jump up to cut my throat…?"

Xena spread her arms wide. "Enter the God of War!"

"Don’t be late. I’m not nearly as much fun without my head."

Xena scratched her cheek, feeling a growth of whiskers under her fingers. She allowed her hand to roam over the face she was currently attached to. "This is very weird. I want my body back, Gabrielle."

"We’ll get it, sweetheart." She took Xena’s hand in her own. "You’re not going to get out of that joining trip you promised me."

"Fishing?"

"Fishing."

Gabrielle met Autolycus in the hallway. "Not a word." She warned him. "I don’t have time to deal with you too."

He held up a hand that was now encased in a specially crafted black glove. Gabrielle looked him over and realized that Morgaine had outdone herself in preparing him to look like a royal advisor. "I take it you have another plan, Your Majesty?"

"I do." They turned the corner of the hallway and shuffled down a short flight of stone steps.

"Does it involve him?"

"Yes."

The thief nodded and sighed.

Gabrielle could feel the embers of anger igniting in her belly. "Autolycus, Xena is dying. She will be dead in a few marks. I don’t have time to argue with you or try to explain myself. I need to take control of the Realm and I need to do it in such a way that Ares will help me."

"Of course, My Queen."

Gabrielle stopped dead in her tracks and turned to the thief. Her voice was pleading. "Autolycus."

"It’s all right, Gabrielle."

She nodded and they began walking again. "Or we could let Brutus take over. You know what they do to thieves in Rome?"

Autolycus covered his ears and shook his head. "I’m sure I have no desire to know."

"Not unless you enjoy ‘hanging around’."

The guards came to attention; the senior of the pair reached out to forestall his Queen, hoping to have a moment for a quiet word. The man who spoke was middle-aged, his uniform worn but clean and obviously well cared for. He had a sturdy build and mild green eyes that conveyed honesty.

Gabrielle had seen Xena confer with him many times. She assumed he was one of Xena’s most trusted palace guards.

"Your Majesty, the court guests are being rather condescending this morning. One of them spat at me," he admitted somewhat embarrassedly.

"Someone needs to talk to Boadicea about that vulgar little habit." Gabrielle vowed on the spot never to visit Britannia. "This is news?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I know, but shall we say that it’s worse than normal this morning. I fear they are going to do something..." he paused, allowing his hand to travel to the hilt of his sword, "stupid."

"I believe at least one of them already has."

"It’s true then?" he asked cautiously.

Gabrielle nodded, not sure exactly what rumors had raced through the barracks since yesterday. "She’s been hurt, yes."

"Gods help her then."

That earned the soldier a genuine smile. "Thank you. I pray that they will." That he will.

"Be careful, Your Majesty. The people are very fond of you. If something were to happen to you, it could spark a conflict."

Gabrielle nodded. "Thank you..." she waited for him to supply his name.

"Gilles, My Queen." His eyes twinkled faintly. "I believe you know my mother."

Gabrielle grinned again. Of course! "Morgaine." I knew he looked familiar.

Gilles nodded and stepped back, taking his place alongside the door.

Gabrielle drew a deep, calming breath. She turned to Autolycus who was looking over the door. And more pointedly, its lock. "You’re not casing my home, are you Autolycus." Her voice held a hint of both warning and amusement.

"Of course not," he said, only mildly offended.

"Ready?"

"As ready as any eight-fingered thief can be under these circumstances."

The guards pulled the doors open, and the Queen and Autolycus entered the room. Gabrielle looked directly towards the table, where the satraps were gathered, enjoying a morning meal.

Here goes nothing. "Well," Gabrielle stated firmly, stepping forward to the head of the table, Autolycus flanking her left. "I’m glad to see you all still seem to have your appetites. Murder seems to have put me right off mine."

"She’s dead?" Brutus looked up.

Her eyes flickered to his and then moved around the table. No one looked terribly surprised. Then again, this was the Conqueror’s court, and murder was not entirely uncommon. They all already know about Xena.

"Please, let’s not play games with each other today. I simply don’t have time for it. Xena lives, but Malaius, Our Lord’s top advisor, has been murdered." She hoped they couldn’t hear her stomach, which was growling in response the smell of ham steaks, warm flat bread, fresh olives and fruit.

"Really?" Boadicea questioned without looking up from her meal. She stabbed a thick piece of meat onto her fork. "I heard the jittery man committed suicide."

Her words were greeted by chuckles from several satraps who had visited the palace enough times to become familiar with the wiry advisor.

"You shouldn’t listen to rumors," Gabrielle chastised coolly. "It’s been verified that the note he left was a fake. Someone tried to thrust the blame for the cowardly attempt on Xena’s life onto poor Malaius."

Gabrielle slowly circled the table, drawing every pair of eyes to her own.

"How is Our Lord Conqueror this morning?" Lao Ma asked quietly. The Asian woman seemed to be the only one who showed anything that could remotely be called concern. Though Gabrielle couldn’t tell whether the concern was personal or political.

"Dying. The healer believes she will not survive the day."

Several satraps shared uneasy glances.

"And so what becomes of the Realm?" Cleopatra inquired, sparing a smile at Antony, who sipped his tea while appraising Gabrielle from head to toe.

"What becomes of our lands?" Melosa added her voice to the choir.

A bright flash of light temporally blinded everyone in the room and a cloud of dark smoke added to the confusion. Ares stepped from the cloud, his thumbs hooked on his belt loops. He swaggered up to the Queen, who was doing her best not to smile. "That," Xena boomed in a deep baritone, "is a decision for the Queen of the Realm to make. Upon Xena’s passing, she, a natural born Greek, will take her place as my Chosen and ruler of the Realm."

Antony and Brutus foolishly reached for their blades, but Ares had his drawn before either of them could come close to clearing their scabbards. "I’d rather not have to kill you before Gabrielle has the answers to her questions." His dark eyes turned deadly cold. "But I will."

"We’re suspects in the attempt on the Conqueror’s life?" Brutus swung around to look at Gabrielle.

The Queen was about to answer when Ares casually took a seat at the table, resting his booted feet on it with a loud thump and snapping his fingers for a slave to bring him something to drink. Gabrielle blinked, unsure for just a split second whether she was staring at her wife or Ares.

Xena smiled crookedly at her bride and Gabrielle immediately expelled a relieved breath.

Taking a sip of his wine, Ares began speaking to the satraps. "Of course you’re suspects. Weren’t you the ones who had decided to form an alliance against the Conqueror? And wasn’t it Cleopatra who suggested that everything needed to be handled in a ‘surreptitious’ manner?" Ares leaned forward, stabbing a fruit with a small dagger that seemed to magically appear in his hand. He brought the peach to his mouth, taking a large bite and glowering at the Egyptian Queen. "Well?"

Gabrielle’s eyes flashed as she stalked over to Cleopatra’s side. Leaning over, she hissed, "Treason is punishable by death without trial, you back-stabbing Bacchae." She grasped Cleopatra’s chin with a firm hand, forcing eye contact. "Seems to me that being pushed from behind down a long, dark flight of stone steps by an unknown assailant, your body tumbling, crashing into every surface, being crushed so badly that it bleeds from within until there’s nothing that can be done to stop it... would be considered a surreptitious act." She jerked Cleopatra’s chin roughly, her temper flaring. "Wouldn’t you agree?"

"I know nothing of this, Your Majesty." Cleopatra defended, looking a little ill at the description she had been given of Xena’s ‘accident’. She jerked her chin away. In Egypt Gabrielle would forfeit her life for touching her in such a way.

"Would you like to see her?" the blonde persisted, hoping to goad Cleopatra into some sort of admission or get her to point the finger at someone else. "I know you have shared intimacies with our Lord Conqueror, and would remember what her beautiful body looked like." Gabrielle wasn’t at all sure of the statement when it spilled out of her mouth, but one look into Cleopatra’s eyes told her she was right. "Would you like to see it now? Bruised and battered nearly beyond recognition, so weak she can’t open her eyes, so damaged she can barely draw in a breathe."

Cleopatra flinched, bringing a napkin to her lips.

Gabrielle turned to Lao Ma, pushing away a chair that stood between them. "What? No offer of a magic elixir or ointment to save Xena’s life? No eastern spells to mend her wounded body and tame her raging spirit? Or would you see her dead as well?"

Lao Mao looked away.

Antony moved slowly toward Ares, assessing him carefully and paying little attention to the Queen’s rant now that she appeared to be finished with his lover. He detested female histrionics. "Queen Cleopatra is a natural born Greek as well," he needlessly informed Ares, quirking a challenging brow.

Xena crossed her legs at the ankles. "True, but she’s not married to Xena, now is she?"

"No, but she is a Queen, not some…"

The ‘God’ jumped to her feet. Grabbing the Roman by the throat with one hand, she slammed him against the nearest wall with a mighty thud. Her face twisted with rage and she lifted him nearly two feet off the ground, his armor scraping against the stone, her biceps bulging under the strain. "Say it!" she roared, her face inches from his. "Give me a reason to send you to your Gods!"

"Lord Ares…" Antony choked, pulling at the strong hand cutting off his air.

"Lord Ares," Gabrielle said softly, appearing at Xena’s side. "If you kill him now, I won’t get the pleasure of watching him suffer when I order him slowly cut into small pieces."

The Roman’s eyes grew widened, rolling sideways to look at the Queen. Xena’s grip lessened. "You wouldn’t?" Antony gurgled.

"Oh yes, she would," Autolycus offered, displaying his hands for the umpteenth time. "And she likes me. I figure she’ll start with your feet for this and work her way up. And her butcher’s good. He uses a hot, dull knife, so you don’t bleed to death, but you feel every excruciating moment of it."

"Lord Ares, please allow me to deal with this." Gabrielle placed a hand on a well-muscled arm, stroking the skin tenderly. "Guards!" The blonde made and held eye contact with Mark Antony. She waved a bored hand at the Roman General. "Take him to the dungeon."

Gilles and two other guards rushed forward; relieving Antony of his weapons they led the struggling, cursing man away. The remaining satraps looked at each other in stunned silence, all holding their tongue lest they meet the same fate.

Gabrielle drew a deep breath and cleared her throat. "You have three marks to tell me who tried to kill Our Lord Conqueror. If no one comes forward, I’ll send up some body part of Antony’s as a reminder that my patience is limited." She leaned over towards the Egyptian. Oh Xena. We’re going have a talk about this one. "Any requests?"

"And I thought Xena was a bitch," Boadicea mumbled, though not unhappily. Antony was a bastard and she privately hoped the Queen would start with his heart.

The blonde woman turned quickly. "Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. If you force me, I’ll execute each and every one of you just to make sure I get the right one. Then I won’t have to worry about it."

She moved around to the head of the table and laid her palms on its cool wooden surface. "Consider yourself under house arrest by order of the Realm. For those of you with troops waiting outside the gates," she paused and looked pointed at Boadicea and Melosa, "you will compose a note informing them that you are currently indisposed and will not be returning to them for at least three days. And that they are to continue to camp, peaceably, outside the gates until you send further word."

Wordlessly, Autolycus retrieved a stack of parchment, several quills, and a bottle of black ink that were sitting on a table against the wall for the satraps' use. He tossed them on the center of the table, moving quickly to right the inkbottle that had tipped over.

Melosa quietly grabbed a small piece of parchment and began composing a short note.

Boadicea crossed her arms in front of her, refusing to move.

Gabrielle’s temper snapped. Bumping around a watching ‘Ares’, she unsheathed his sword from his belt and, before Boadicea could blink, pressed the blade firmly against the satrap's breast.

Xena forced herself not to react to her sword being wrenched away. Gods, Gabrielle, some warning next time please!

Gabrielle sneered, then spat directly into the tall redhead’s face, the razor sharp blade against the Briton’s chest preventing her from retaliating. Boadicea glared at the Queen with hate-filled eyes and a tiny bit of grudging admiration.

"That’s not very nice, is it?"

Silence.

"IS IT!?" Gabrielle demanded, pressing forward with the heavy sword until a small red stain blossomed on the front of Boadicea’s shirt.

"No," the large woman ground out between clenched teeth, slowly reaching forward and dragging a napkin from the table. She wiped her cheek. "It’s not."

"Then see that you don’t do it again." Gabrielle leaned forward slightly, and in a stage whisper said slowly, as though speaking to a half-wit, "Show disrespect for Our Lord Conqueror by spitting on one of her guards again, and die." She cocked her head to the side. "Understand?"

Boadicea hesitated for only a second, feeling a drop of hot blood snake its way from her breast down her belly. "Understood, Your Majesty."

"By the Gods, that was magnificent, Gabrielle!" Xena enthused loudly. She was far too full of pent-up energy to sit, so she prowled around their bedchamber anxiously. Xena threw another log on the crackling fire. Immediately bored, she tossed in two more. After a moment of restless motion, she stopped in front of Gabrielle and dropped to her knees. Spreading her arms wide open, she exclaimed, "Will you marry me?!"

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at her wife’s antics. Gods, she’s got as much energy as Jarrod. "Been there. Done that. Although your proposal time is getting a lot shorter," she teased back half-heartedly.

She pushed her plate away with slightly trembling hands, realizing with a sickening clarity that she was so immersed in her role, had Boadicea challenged her back in the conference room, she would have run her through with Ares’ sword. I’ve got to get a hold of myself. I’m losing it.

Xena took note of the plate of food that had barely been touched, despite the fact that it contained several of the Queen’s favorites. "Do I need to hand feed you?" she asked softly, truly meaning it. "I will if you want me to."

Gabrielle shook her head and offered a very, very tired smile. "I’m just…"

"Exhausted." Xena stood up and scooped Gabrielle out of the chair with ease. "You, my darling Queen, are going to bed."

Gabrielle wanted to protest, but she just couldn’t seem to find the energy to put up much of a fight. "We don’t have time for this." Oh, that was convincing. She snuggled close to her partner, laying her head on the smooth leather vest and closing her eyes as Xena padded for bed.

"Oh, yes we do. We can’t go three days without food and rest, Gabrielle." Xena gently placed her partner on the bed. She undid Gabrielle’s belt and carefully slid it from around her waist, then removed her boots. "Just a short nap, if nothing else, for a mark or two."

"How do you do this everyday, Xe?" she mumbled. "Too tiring. Too hard."

"I know. Just rest now."

The fair-haired woman tried to nod, but the softness of their bed and pillows combined with the warm, familiar, soft scent of her lover that clung to their quilt sucked her into Morpheus’ realm. She was asleep even before Xena could finish with her second boot.

Xena looked into the exhausted face of her spouse, pulling a blanket over her, then giving her a tender kiss on the lips. "Pleasant dreams, my Queen. You’ve done very well."

The Conqueror sat on the floor next to the bed, watching Gabrielle sleep and, for several long moments, giving serious consideration to crawling under the covers just to be closer to her companion. But Gabrielle needed sleep more than she needed snuggle-time right now. Brown eyes swept over Gabrielle’s face, focusing in on soft, parted lips. Later, Xena told herself with a heartfelt sigh. With a frown, Xena shifted her legs, becoming more aware of her new body’s reaction to being this close to Gabrielle. Outraged eyes focused on her groin. "What is it with you?" she growled. Men!

Xena stood, albeit slightly uncomfortably. She gave herself moment before she bothered to try and walk. Closing the door the their bedchamber, she scratched her face again, deciding she really didn’t like the feel of all these whiskers. Besides, hadn’t Gabrielle said they tickled? She poured a bowl of water and found some scented soap to lather her face with. Then she found a very sharp dagger and a reflective surface that gave her a pretty good view of his face. As she put the blade to his skin she smirked, "First time I’ve had you in a spot to cut your throat and I can’t do it. Sometimes life just isn’t fair."

A short time later, Xena had learned two very important lessons about shaving: parchment would stop the bleeding, and cologne stung like Tartarus when applied to a freshly groomed face. This, in turn, made for a grumpy person. From this point forward, all her men would be required to shave right before a significant battle. They’d smell good and they’d be pissed.

She stared at his reflection, wondering what she could do to him next. His full beard had been shaved into a neat goatee, leaving his cheeks bare and smooth. She had a moment of pity for the God, and herself, when she thought of how prickly Gabrielle would find his naked upper lip after a few hours, so she decided to leave the mustache. But using a pair of scissors she trimmed it short as well.

Xena had always disliked those long lamb-chop sideburns some men were so fond of. So Ares now sported only a new modest pair. He had a haircut that got shorter and shorter the more she tried to even it out. And, with a shrug, she finally gave up on that completely; she simply snipped away until it wasn’t more than a couple of inches long in any one spot. Hmm... Maybe a nice tattoo?

A knocking at her door interrupted her musings. Laying down her knife, she called out, "Come in." Xena waved her visitor in as though it was the most natural thing in the world to do. For her it was.

For the captain it was something entirely different. "Lord Ares…" he stammered, nearly tripping over his own feet as he entered.

Xena fought hard not to roll her eyes at the Captain’s awe. "Palaemon."

"Yo.. You know my name, Lord Ares?"

I can’t believe I’m going to say this. "Well, I am a God!"

"Of course, Lord Ares. My apologies. I’ve come to give the Queen a report of what I found during my investigation of the tower."

"The Queen is resting. However, you can report to me."

"In that case, Lord Ares," he removed a small pouch from his belt, "will you give her this and tell her that I found it in the old watchtower?"

Xena took the pouch. "I will. Where will you be?"

"I think I’ll go sit with Our Lord Conqueror for a bit, before Jarrod’s lessons end for the day."

"Good man, Palaemon. I’m sure the Lord Conqueror would be very honored to know that she has such loyal troops."

The beefy soldier’s voice went serious. "The honor is mine, Lord Ares."

Xena nodded. "I’ll make sure to let the Queen know where you are."

"Thank you, Lord Ares." Palaemon bowed respectfully, then withdrew.

Xena closed the door then opened the bag, dumping the contents into her hand. Her eyes widened. "Oh no." Her hand made a fist around the small object.

Nyssa could tell Jarrod’s attention were not on his lessons. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

He looked at her, then dropped his eyes bashfully, shaking his head. But the tears that dropped onto the table told another story.

"I know it’s hard," she offered quietly, her eyes conveying her sympathy. She poured him a glass of fresh, tart, apple juice and handed him a damp cloth for his face. "I know this is a lot for a young man to handle all at once."

"I didn’t mean it," Jarrod blurted out, wiping his face.

"Mean what?" She settled back into the chair next to him and took his hands in hers.

"All the mean things I said to Xena. I told her I hated her. That I didn’t love her anymore." He sniffed and took a drink of his juice. "But I do love her. I was wrong, and now I may not get to tell her I’m sorry."

The young tutor studied him closely. She considered his words, but found herself at a loss as to how to comfort the boy. Nyssa was saved from the attempt when the door opened and Ares stepped into the room.

"I need to speak with the boy. Alone," the God commanded gently.

"Yes, Lord Ares, right away," Nyssa all but fled from the room.

Jarrod got up from his chair and backed away from the tall God until he hit the wall. Then he slid down it and cringed, making himself as small as possible. Ares was here to get him! To punish him for hurting his Chosen! He covered his head with his arms, peeking out between his trembling, slender elbows at the God, who still seemed distracted by the hasty retreat of his tutor.

When Xena turned to face Jarrod, it took a moment for her to remember who the lad was seeing. Her heart hurt for the boy, and whatever maternal cells remained in her body all called for her to go to him and give him a hug. But she didn’t. Knowing that Ares wouldn’t. Nothing like seeing your bright, freckled-face son cowering before you like you were some demon to make you feel like Centaur crap. "It’s all right, Jarrod. I’m not here to hurt you."

"I’m sorry!" he insisted from his spot on the floor. "I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean to hurt Xena."

Xena settled down on her knees, a few feet in front of the boy, afraid if she got any closer she’d frighten him further. "How did you hurt Xena, Jarrod?"

Jarrod shook his head wildly, not wanting to answer. You already know, or else you wouldn’t have come to punish me.

Jarrod was panting so hard she feared he would get sick. Tears welled in Xena’s eyes and she willed them away. "I’m not here to hurt you. I swear. I just came to find out what happened. Whatever it is... I’m certain that it was an accident and that Xena would forgive you."

"No! It wasn’t an accident!"

"Oh Gods," Xena mumbled, growing more and more upset herself. Had her own son tried to kill her? She would have sworn the gentle boy didn’t have it in him. But if he had, it was because he thought Gabrielle needed protection, and Xena would never fault him for that. "You’d better tell me everything then, Jarrod. So we can start to work things out."

"The things I said were hateful. I... I wanted... I was so mad I wanted to hurt her."

"And," Xena prodded.

Jarrod sniffed again. "And I ran out of the room and hid, and when people called for me I didn’t answer."

"That’s all?" Please let that be all.

Jarrod nodded miserably, his crying beginning to taper off now that he’d admitted what he’d done and it appeared that Ares really wasn’t here to do something horrible to him.

Inside, Xena breathed a sigh of relief, wanting so badly to believe the boy. Outside, the God of War maintained a carefully masked demeanor. Xena reached for the pouch Palaemon had given her and dumped it upside down in her palm. A small, shiny medallion tumbled out "Jarrod, do you know what this is?"

His hand went to his neck. "Xena gave it to me. I musta lost it last night."

"You did, lad. It was found near where Xena got hurt." Xena handed the boy the medallion. "Now I’m gonna ask you a hard question, Jarrod. And don’t bother trying to lie to me because I’ll know. Did you push Xena’s down the steps? Even accidentally?"

He uncurled himself, turning shocked, panicky eyes on the God. He dug his heels into the floor trying to move sideways and away from Ares. "No, Sir! I swear! I’d never hurt Xena that way. I swear!"

"Easy. Easy. I believe you." Xena couldn’t help herself. She reached out for the frightened boy and pulled him to her, wrapping him in long, muscled arms. "I believe you."

The Conqueror returned to their apartment to find that Gabrielle had awoken, cleaned the rest of her dinner plate, and apparently decided to take a bath. She could hear her spouse in the bathing chamber, splashing around in their tub and humming.

Xena smiled. What a difference a little rest and food can make. She removed her sword rig then the gauntlets, vest, boots, and woolen foot coverings, leaving her clad only in her leather trousers. She gave her current body a quick glance. "Me and Gabrielle in the bath with this body could be a lot of fun. Less chance of my drowning."

She chuckled to herself and moved into the bathing chamber, which was illuminated by a half a dozen large candles and smelled of honey-scented soap. Xena took a long hard look at Gabrielle, whose back was to her and hadn’t heard her come in.

Gabrielle’s hair was pulled up off her shoulders in a loose knot, though a few strands had managed to escape and were clinging wetly to her slender neck. Both arms were lifted high in the air, one washing the other with a soft sponge, the soapy water trailing down the lightly muscled flesh. A gentle cloud of steam surrounded her, rendering her complexion a light rosy color.

The Conqueror’s mouth went dry at the luscious sight, her body responding strongly to her beautiful mate’s. Xena groaned and Gabrielle turned at the sound, looking up from her bath.

"Xena." The word turned breathless when Gabrielle took a good look at what was slowly, confidently walking towards her. Knowing that her own wife currently inhabited that body made her want Xena in ways that weren’t possible before. Dear Gods, just take me now. Green eyes narrowed as she considered the thought and a heat rose to her cheeks.

Xena watched Gabrielle’s gaze shift into one of total lust, knowing it was one that she, herself, mirrored. "Should I be worried that you’re looking at me that way?" the Conqueror asked semi-seriously, not sure how much of that look was for her and how much for the body she was now occupying.

The Queen sloshed forward through the warm water, stopping at the tub’s rim. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Xena." She grasped the edge of the tub with wet hands and pushed herself up, standing, allowing Xena to get a good look at her through the moist air. Water cascaded down her body in rivulets, and she slowly licked her lips, inviting her lover closer. A slow burn ignited in her center at the desperately aroused look on Xena’s face.

Xena wrapped her arms around Gabrielle and ducked her head for a heated, bruising kiss. There was no prelude to the clashing of hungry tongues and the roaming of anxious, seeking hands. They simply began to devour each other. Soft breasts slid up then pressed against Xena chest, hard nipples raking across sensitive skin. Xena groaned at the sensation and pulled Gabrielle closer, deepening the kiss. She ran her hands up her Queen’s slick bare back. And stopped cold. Abruptly, Xena pulled away, leaving Gabrielle stunned and completely aroused.

The blonde felt herself being turned around. "Xena, what in-"

"Your back?" Xena ran her hands over the glistening, flawless skin, examining it in with round eyes. "It’s completely healed," she said incredulously. "How?"

Xena gaze flicked to Gabrielle in question, and the younger woman felt her stomach drop. The blood drained from Gabrielle’s face and for a moment she didn’t know what to say. "Umm… well…" Oh Gods. Oh, Gods, Xena, please understand. "Ares…"

Xena’s face and voice went cold at the sound of the God’s name, and she stepped away, leaving Gabrielle standing naked and feeling suddenly exposed. "What does he have to do with this?"

Gabrielle’s heart sank further. A swallow. "Xena, he healed my back."

Dark brows grew together in growing confusion. "Why would her do that? Last I heard he was furious at me for joining with you. And now he’s healing you?"

Gabrielle closed her eyes as a knot formed in her stomach. She couldn’t avoid telling her now. She licked her lips then slowly opened her eyes, staring unflinchingly at her lover. "You were dying. I did what I had to do to save your life, Xena."

Xena’s jaw sagged slightly, disbelief coloring her face even as the realization of Gabrielle’s words slammed home. "No," she said softly. "No. No!" She shook her head as she said the words. "I am not hearing this. I’m not!"

Gabrielle’s pulse began to pound. "I... I struck a deal with him. There was nothing left for me to..."

"NO! DON’T YOU TELL ME THAT!" Xena bent at the waist as if in pain. Closing her eyes, she covered her ears with her hands, pressing them tightly against her head.

"Xena." Gabrielle reached out, only to have her hand knocked away. Her heart twisted in her chest and she sucked in a pained breath. "Xena, please, let me explain," she begged, tears forming in her eyes.

"What deal?" The look on Gabrielle’s face was answer enough, but morbidly, as if to draw out her own anguish, she wanted to hear Gabrielle say the words. "What kind of deal did you make with the God of War?!" Her hands shot out and grasped Gabrielle’s upper arms.

Unable to look her in the eye, Gabrielle dropped her gaze, feeling chilled and sick and angry at all once. I can’t lose her. I can’t. Ares' words mocked her. ‘She’ll never forgive you, Gabrielle.’

"Answer me!" Xena roared, unknowingly tightening her grasp.

Flashing green eyes jerked upward. "Stop it! You’re hurting me!"

Xena yanked her hands back as though she’d been burned, taking several long steps backwards. Gabrielle scrambled out of the tub, following her step-for-step, water dripping from her legs as she crossed the cold, stone floor. She refused to allow Xena to move further out of reach, afraid if she did, she’d never get her back. "He was going to let you die! I offered him the only thing I had. I had no choice!"

Xena stopped retreating. "NO!" Her eyes sparked with rage and she could feel the blood pumping wildly in her veins. The urge to strike out was nearly unstoppable and her hands shaped into solid, twin fists that she rooted to her sides. She began to perspire under the strain. "You should have let me die. I would rather Hades take me than have you give yourself to him!"

"Don’t you tell me that!" the younger woman raged back, repeating her lover’s words. "Don’t you dare stand here and say that I was supposed to idly stand by while you died before my eyes. My pride is not worth your life!" Gabrielle tore her robe from a chair that stood next to her. Slipping into it, she quickly tied the belt, her jerky movements causing her hair to tumble free from its loose knot. Her pale skin was flushed red from the hot bath water, adrenaline, and an unreasoning fear that coursed through her. "I couldn’t, Xena." Hot tears spilled over her cheeks. "That’s too much to ask!"

"What?" Xena sneered. "It’s too much to expect my Queen not to whore…"

SMACK!

Xena’s words were halted by a vicious slap to her face. The noise echoed in the bathing chamber, its shocking sound only intruded upon by the panting breaths of both women. The Conqueror’s hand moved to the reddening spot instinctively, feeling the heat from the blow to her bruised skin.

"By the Gods," Gabrielle muttered, more to herself than Xena. A fresh wave of tears streaked her cheeks and throat, disappearing behind the damp silk robe that clung to her. "I… I didn’t mean to…" She stared at her trembling hand, which stung from the force of the slap, as though it had acted without her consent.

Inexplicably, the blow seemed to pull Xena from the heat of the moment, focusing her mind on something other than her own sense of anger, betrayal, and mostly guilt. This was, she decided, ultimately her fault. Had she not been so careless in the Old Watchtower, none of this would have happened. Some of the anger behind the dark eyes melted, only to be replaced with a look of raw pain and anguish that made Gabrielle feel ill. The shorter woman wrapped her arms around her stomach, hugging herself.

Xena reached for her partner, this time consciously gentling her hands and her voice.

Gabrielle leaned into the touch, part of her fearing Xena would strike her back, another part welcoming it.

The Conqueror’s jaw worked for a moment before any sound managed to escape. "But don’t you see, Gabrielle? I … I didn’t, I don’t… want that for you. I wanted to take you away from a life where you had to sell yourself to survive. Not bring you to it!"

"I know," Gabrielle whispered miserably, turning away from her partner’s face and the burgeoning mark on Xena’s cheek. She blinked rapidly, trying in vain to clear her vision. "But I needed to help you. I just couldn’t…" she tried to explain, glancing up, meeting eyes as teary as her own. "I just couldn’t do nothing. I love you, Xena."

Xena nodded reluctantly, admitting to herself that she’d have done no less had their positions been reversed, but hating it just the same. She drew in a deep breath, exhaling it very slowly. "So Ares welched after you slept with him?" You bastard! I’ll kill you for that.

"No. Not exactly." Gabrielle ran a hand through her damp hair. "It was going to happen, Xe. The deal had been struck. Your life for my body. But before ... well, before things could get very far, Autolycus and Morgaine showed up and interrupted us."

"So you never...?"

Gabrielle shook her head vigorously and sniffed. "No."

Xena smiled weakly. "You might have mentioned that before, Gabrielle."

"You didn’t give me a chance."

"I know," Xena signed. "But then why did he do this ridiculous body switch if you hadn’t fulfilled your part of the deal? I don’t understand."

Gabrielle rubbed her eyes frustratedly, fearing Xena would take this news even worse than that which she’d already told her. She almost lied. A big part of her wanted to. But this close to Xena, even seeing the pain and sorrow written across the unfamiliar features, she found herself unable to do anything but tell her the truth, knowing it would hurt her again, but powerless to stop it.

Xena stiffened, sensing Gabrielle’s hesitation.

"He did the body switch instead of healing you outright because he caught me in some sort of semantics loophole." She chewed her lip for a moment before plunging forward. "He’s only agreeing to help you at all because I swore to fulfill my part of the deal later. I still owe him, Xena."

"Like Hades you do!" the Conqueror roared.

"Xena, I promised. Gods! Why can’t you see that, in the long run, my deal with Ares doesn’t matter? You alive is what matters! If I renege, you die!"

Xena whirled around, looking for something to hit, or break, or someone to fight. When nothing was immediately handy, she stomped toward the bathing chamber door, yelling in outrage. Then she focused inwards, directing her anger toward Ares, and applying her intellect to the problem. "He will never touch you again," she said after so long that Gabrielle feared she had stopped talking to her altogether. "Not like that."

"But Xena…"

"You need to trust me, Gabrielle."

"I trust you," came the immediate answer. Relief flooded through her and she let out a quaking breath. Xena had a plan. She could feel it. They would get through this together.

"Do you remember what you told me at the reception for the satraps?"

Gabrielle looked at Xena blankly, her mind unable to wrap itself around the apparent non-sequitur.

"You said that you don’t share," Xena reminded her fervently, marching back to the younger woman and cupping her chin. She ran her thumb along her Gabrielle’s jaw line. "I will never share you. And I love you, too."

Gabrielle felt her heart clench, her relief at hearing those words so great that, for a moment, she felt light-headed.

Xena’s voice dropped to a low growl and her eyes darkened, pupils dilating in residual anger, arousal, and fear. She pulled Gabrielle to her, drawing in a deep breath of her honey-scented skin and feeling the smaller woman’s sharp intake of air. The cool silk of the robe brushed against her chest and she spoke the words directly from her heart. "I love you, Gabrielle. Not him. You – Are – Mine!"

Gabrielle nodded. Their lips were a hairsbreadth apart, and she should feel Xena’s heart pounding wildly beneath her breast and her warm breath caressing her lips. She needed to taste those lips, show Xena how much she loved her and permanently wash away any lingering doubts. She had to make her understand that no matter what had happened, or what may come to pass in the future, she was hers. Gabrielle surged forward, crushing her mouth against Xena’s and kissing her deeply. "I am yours," she vowed seriously, finally breaking away after several incredibly intense moments. She ran her hands up thick, muscled arms, laying them to rest on broad, slightly heaving shoulders.

Xena wrapped Gabrielle in a tight embrace, towering over her she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Gabrielle’s. Looking down, she searched dark green eyes for the truth she knew she’d find there. Her voice was low and husky and shot straight through her lover. "Do you like this body, Gabrielle? Do you want me?"

"Yes, I like that body. But I love yours." Her nostrils flared. "And Gods, yes, I want you." It was an honest admission and one made without thought or hesitation. Ares was an attractive man, who had an undeniably beautiful body. But Xena was a stunning woman, whose allure struck a chord so basic to Gabrielle’s being, stirred something so deep and primal within her, that she couldn’t even begin to explain it. It simply was. And the fact that she was crazy in love with the woman didn’t hurt either. There was never a contest between Xena and Ares. Her partner knew that. She could see it in eyes the wrong color, and in the small, slightly crooked grin working its way across Ares’ face.

Xena smiled tentatively, allowing the bad feelings and fear to bleed away. "This body is all I happen to have at the moment."

"Then we’ll have to make do, won’t we?"

Xena stared at her spouse for a long moment, then swept her into her arms, storming toward the bedchamber. "You’re mine," she repeated, passing in and out of the mid-day shadows on her way to their bed. Gabrielle didn’t rebel or fight against her. Instead, she felt her arms slide around her neck, hot kisses working their way up the side of her throat, stopping at her ear.

"No one else’s. I promise." The Queen took Xena’s earlobe into her mouth and sucked it hungrily, giving it a couple of tiny bites in the process. "I love you."

Hot breath tickled the Conqueror’s ear and Xena’s squeezed Gabrielle to her chest, burying her nose in sweet-smelling, red-gold hair as she took her last few steps. Her partner returned the heartfelt hug that promised everything would be okay.

Xena carefully laid her bundle on the bed. Standing over her, she reached down and opened the damp robe, brushing aside the dark blue cloth with her fingertips. "You are truly beautiful."

Gabrielle grinned. "Xena, I really don’t want to talk anymore." She looked up at her with a sweet, youthful face that conveyed anything but innocence and cocked her head. "Do you?"

A heat flooded Xena’s groin, intensifying what was already a dull ache that throbbed with every beat of her heart. "No," she answered seriously. "I don’t." The Conqueror’s body tingled with anticipation and the simple knowledge that Gabrielle wanted this as much as she did.

Gabrielle sat up a little and ran her hands around a firm, well-defined stomach. Stopping at the small of Xena’s back, she gently guided her closer. "I want to make love with you, Xena. And don’t try to tell me you can’t." She chuckled affectionately and pointed. "You really do think with that thing, don’t you?"

Xena shook her head. "I swear it has a mind of its own." Then she watched transfixed as Gabrielle reached out and tugged down her trousers, exposing heated flesh to cool air.

"Too many clothes." Her hands trailed down Xena’s legs, taking her pants with them. Once they were kicked away, and Xena stood naked and breathing heavily before her, she took her by the hand and gave a sharp yank, pulling Xena down on top of her and right between her legs. The Conqueror held herself off the body of her Queen on strong, but shaking arms. She ducked her head and kissed Gabrielle’s collarbone, them moved up and captured waiting lips.

Xena groaned with unbridled desire, and Gabrielle’s felt her own wetness increase. Her lips moved to a warm, recently shaven cheek and she gently brushed her lips against it. "Nice," she murmured into the smooth skin, using her fingers to gently scratch against the short whiskers nearby.

Xena let out a long sigh. Gabrielle. "I’m kinda light headed." She licked dry lips finally admitting, "Gods this is different."

"I knew it had to be."

Her arms began to weaken, and she began lowering her weight onto her partner. "Oh yeah…" Her head dropped with the sudden contact of her aroused flesh against the baby-soft skin of Gabrielle’s inner thighs. When her lover moved her hips forward, she felt her heart begin to pound as though it were coming out of her chest, and heard Gabrielle’s hiss. Suddenly, she couldn’t breath and she gasped for air.

Gabrielle slid her hips away. Arching up, she whispered, "Easy, love. Easy."

Xena could feel the smile against her ear and an incredible heat radiating from the woman below her.

"We don’t want to waste this, now do we?" A small kiss and lick.

"No way," the Conqueror growled.

Gabrielle slowly moved back, bringing Xena with her, and rolling her onto her back. She ran one hand down the strong body beneath, passing over a broad chest, hard stomach, navel, and coarse, dark hairs, until they found each other and became one again. The Queen groaned at the satisfying fullness, and a wicked smile played on her lips. Settling herself, she reached over and pried Xena’s white-knuckled grip from the covers, lifting the Conqueror’s arms above her head, and dragging her own hands back down long arms.

Their mouths were barely touching and Xena’s tongue snaked out, tasting soft lips and warm saliva. Gabrielle’s tongue swirled around hers as their breath mingled, and the younger woman initiated an excruciatingly slow, torturous rhythm with her hips. She was immediately awarded with a very deep, carnal groan from her spouse.

Gabrielle could feel Xena shift her position slightly, bending her legs at the knee and sliding powerful thighs alongside Gabrielle’s, giving the Conqueror the ability to join Gabrielle’s rhythm with a slow, sensual thrusting action of her own. Large hands moved to languidly moving hips, increasing their tempo. "Mmm... so good," the blonde grunted, as their sweat-slicked bodies slid together.

Xena’s eyes rolled back at the exquisite sensation of moving in and out of her wife, throbbing inside her, being surrounded by her physically and emotionally, and merging with her as though they were one. She soaked in Gabrielle’s breathy moans of pleasure, feeling her contracting around her, grasping her from within. "Gods…" She couldn’t control what was happening and her body arched hard into the Queen, legs trembling, muscles tightening. Xena squeezed her eyes tightly shut, moaning loudly, hearing Gabrielle’s whimpers when her lover plunged down hard to meet her final upward thrust. Xena stiffened for a second before drowning in the hot flood of her release.

They pushed into each other one last time, Gabrielle’s center contracting as she groaned in pleasure, swept away by her body's response to her lover’s and the feeling of Xena pulsing inside her. She dug her nails into the strong shoulders and arched, tilting her head backwards. "Xena… yes…" she ground out haltingly, riding the waves of pleasure coursing through her body.

Gabrielle limply fell forward, panting as she melted in Xena.

The warrior took a deep shuddering breath, wrapping Gabrielle up securely in her arms "I love you."

"I love you too, Xe," the Queen mumbled dreamily, still floating along and unwilling to shorten her journey. When she finally had the energy to move, Gabrielle peppered her spouse's jaw and neck with soft, tiny kisses.

They moved slowly, bodies tingling still with passion spent, until Gabrielle was at Xena’s side with her head resting on a broad shoulder. "I thought it would last longer," Xena wondered aloud. But she took it in her stride, totally blaming Ares’ body for its lack of discipline.

Gabrielle giggled. "By the Gods, Xena, do you hear me complaining?" She didn’t wait for an answer. Sighing happily, she snuggled closer. Green eyes blinked as Gabrielle took the time to really examine her partner’s current head. "Xena?"

"Mmm?"

"Why does it look like a dog chewed on Ares’ head?" She gave a little tug to the messy, short, and highly uneven hair.

"Because he’s a bonehead?"

"Oh Gods," Gabrielle groaned and chuckled at the same time. "I’m so not ready for a Conqueror with a sense of humor."

The body below hers shook with silent laughter. "I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again."

"Good," she teased. "See that it doesn’t."

They were both teetering on the edge of a contented sleep when there was a pounding on the apartment door. Xena cursed loudly, pulling Gabrielle from her delightful fog. "I am going to kill whoever is out there."

Gabrielle scowled, not wanting to let go of Xena. "Not if I do it first."

Continued - Part 6

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