ajpotts@vais.net
See For Better or Worse (Part 1) for the complete disclaimer statement and other notes from the author.
"I should take a bath? I should take a BATH?!?" Gabrielle repeated
in irritated amazement as the Warrior Princess guided the bard to sit
in a chair.
"Gabrielle, you should. So should I," Xena relayed nonchalantly as
she knelt down and took the bard's boots off.
"Must you ANNOUNCE that to the entire kingdom??" Gabrielle
blurted as she raised her arms as the warrior took the bard's tunic
off. Xena grinned and checked the bandage. Gabrielle muffled a
moan.
"Did it hurt you this bad during the ride?" Xena asked
with concern, carefully touching the skin around the bandage yet
evoking another grimace.
"Nah," Gabrielle responded with a shrug. "YeeeOW! Stop poking me!!"
She blurted, swatting the Warrior Princess' hand away.
"I can't believe you! You should have said something," Xena scolded
her as she went to her saddle bag for salve and an herbal remedy to
ease the bard's pain.
"It's nothing...really," Gabrielle responded casually with a shrug
and stood to take her skirt off. When she bent over, the jolt of
pain in her back caused her to moan and start to tumble over.
"Gabrielle!" Xena caught her.
"OK, ok...it's something," Gabrielle gasped. "But it only REALLY
started to bother me this morning," she admitted.
"Gabrielle, why didn't you tell me? Your wound may not be healing
right..." Xena relayed with concern, helping her sit back in the
chair.
"It looked ok when you looked at it yesterday, right?" Gabrielle
asked as Xena checked her for a fever.
"Yes and thankfully it looks ok now," Xena admitted. "But I don't
want you to take any more risks, Gabrielle. You should stay in bed
until you heal."
"But..." Gabrielle relayed with annoyance.
"No buts, you need to stay in bed. Please don't fight me
on this Gabrielle. You know I'm right." Xena responded, eyeing her
and making the bard sigh.
"Fine, but what about that bath I so desperately need?" Gabrielle
blurted.
"I'll give you a sponge bath," Xena responded as she retrieved a
sponge and bowl. "Besides, your wound will heal faster if you
keep it dry..."
"Really?" Gabrielle asked with interest, making Xena sigh and nod.
Gabrielle's eyebrow raised considering she really wouldn't mind that.
"What about dinner?" The bard asked. "I'm famished," the bard
admitted.
"I'll bring you dinner," Xena relayed as she came back to the bed
with the bath supplies and a robe for her bard.
"Really?" Gabrielle asked with a grin as the Warrior Princess knelt
down beside her bard. Xena looked up and nodded, then began her
task. The long, slow strokes of the sponge over down her arm made
the bard almost forget her next question.
"Can I write in bed?" Gabrielle asked with a raised eyebrow.
Xena nodded, continuing to diligently wash her grinning bard.
Gabrielle gasped when felt the gentle sponge grazed over her
sensitive flesh. Xena nonchalantly cleared her throat as she tried
to ignore the two erect results of her touch.
"Hmmmm...I think I'm going to like this," Gabrielle responded in a
sultry voice, making Xena look up find intense desire in those green
eyes. With Xena momentarily distracted into inaction, the bard
reached out and invitingly caressed her warrior's face.
Drumming all the strength she could, Xena grabbed the bard's hand.
"Gabrielle, there are many things you can still do in bed... but this
is not one of them," Xena sighed, placing the bard's hand to the
bard's lap.
"How do you know?" Gabrielle challenged with a sly grin.
"Not until your..." Xena was interrupted when the bard kissed her
forehead. "...better," Xena blurted with a crack in her voice.
Gabrielle smiled and traced her fingers down her warrior's cheek to
her lips. "You know Xena, it's amazing how much better I'm feeling
already..."
With a frustrated sigh, Xena once again grabbed the bard's
distracting hand. "Gabrielle, stop it NOW or I'm going to get your
mother to give you ALL your baths," Xena threatened.
The warrior had no more trouble bathing the bard.
Waiting for the warrior to come back with dinner, Gabrielle had a few
ideas she wanted to capture on parchment. She got out of bed to get
her writing supplies. Looking around the room, she quickly
discovered she couldn't find her bag, which she remembered leaving on
the table. Perhaps it was in the other room, she questioned her
memory, scratching her head.
"Gabrielle!" Xena barked upon her return, causing the bard to nearly
jump.
"What!?!"
"What are you doing out of bed?" Xena placed the tray of food down
on the table.
"Looking for my writing supplies...I could have sworn I placed my
bag right here," Gabrielle responded, absently touching the table
top.
"You agreed to rest," Xena reminded her cooly.
"You said I could WRITE. I was JUST looking for my ..." Gabrielle
responded with annoyance.
"I'll find your bag," Xena interrupted. "Just get back to
bed...please Gabrielle."
"Since you are SO intent on waiting on me hand and foot, I guess I
should let you..." Gabrielle muttered as she returned to the bed.
"I'll check the other room," Xena sighed, leaving in search of the
bard's bag.
The bard sighed as she laid in bed. A gust from the open window
escaped from the drapes and sent a shiver through her. "Ughh," she
moaned as she pulled the blanket up. Another gust sent a second
shiver through her. "Gggods..." she blurted with annoyance. She
flung the covers off her and got out of bed with a slight groan to
shut the window.
Hearing the door open, Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Uh oh," she
blurted. "I was ONLY..." The defensive bard turned towards the
door.
"Mother!" the bard blurted in surprise.
"What a chill in this room!" Her mother complained, moving past her
daughter to the window. "I can't believe SHE didn't make sure this
was shut...you could easily catch cold," her mother complained as she
shut the window.
"Mother," Gabrielle blurted with annoyance, heading back to bed as
her mother straightened the curtains.
"There...much better," her mother relayed with a nod and turned
towards her daughter with a content smile. Gabrielle grimaced as she
climbed in her bed.
"Are you alright dear?" She asked with concern as she helped pull
the covers up over her injured daughter. Gabrielle sighed at yet
another overprotective person.
"Yes...thanks to Xena," Gabrielle noted.
"Thanks to Xena!?!" Her mother blurted in amazement as she sat on
the edge of the bed. "How can you THANK her for THIS?" She asked
incredulously, motioning towards her daughter's wounds.
"You are talking to me NOW because of her," Gabrielle bluntly
informed her.
"It's because of HER you lead this dangerous life," her mother
snapped.
"You're wrong mother," Gabrielle countered forcefully. "It's because
of her I'm alive today," Gabrielle revealed.
"How many serious injuries like this have you gotten since you left
Poteidaia?" Her mother challenged.
"You don't want to know," Gabrielle blurted truthfully, adding to
her mother's conviction.
"Gabrielle," her mother sighed and took her daughter's hand,
determined to reason with her stubborn daughter. "Don't you SEE how
dangerous it is being with her...she's a warlord for Zeus' sake."
"EX-warlord, mother...she has done more good in the past three years
than most people do in a lifetime," Gabrielle responded with an
obvious admiration.
"She has done more harm in her life than good," her mother argued,
disturbed by her daughter's blind allegiance. Gabrielle exhaled
heavily, determined not to lose her temper.
"She knows that, and it tears her up inside. But she is doing
everything in her power to change that," Gabrielle informed her
unimpressed mother.
"She has tortured...and KILLED so many Gabrielle, HOW can you
possibly," her mother paused awkwardly. "...TRAVEL with... a woman
like that?"
"Why don't you just say 'love'?" Gabrielle asked with annoyance.
"Because that's what it is, mother...it's LOVE."
"For Gods' sake Gabrielle...why?" Her mother asked, making the bard
tense at that question.
"Why..." Gabrielle repeated that seemingly innocent word as she
stared at the foot of her bed. Gabrielle started to smile warmly
as she thought about her warrior. Looking up at her mother, her
smile faded. "Unlike you, I KNOW her. Better than myself
sometimes," Gabrielle responded, unflinchingly meeting her mother's
gaze.
"When she looks at me with those blue eyes, I see her love for me,
and I have no doubt of where I belong...I belong with her," Gabrielle
spoke with conviction as she smiled warmly at her mother, who
stiffened at the words she didn't want to hear.
"Her love for me is so deep, and so true, I sometimes fear sleep. I
couldn't bear it if I woke to find this all just a dream," Gabrielle
admitted to her mother, who had no doubt of her daughter's love for
this warrior.
"She could have let her past destroy her future. But she didn't,"
Gabrielle spoke with great admiration. "Within her is this
incredible strength...a strength which she needs to battle that past
every day and move forward with her life. Most people would tire
quickly of that constant battle...but then Xena is not like most
people," Gabrielle grinned knowingly. Her mother sighed and
considered she would have to agree on that point.
"She helps people," Gabrielle smiled broadly. "All KINDS of people,
from peasants to Kings, from mortals to Gods. She helps, not because
of money or glory, but because it is the right thing to do,"
Gabrielle spoke with conviction. Her mother sighed again.
"You asked me why I love her...I wish it was enough for you to know
that I do. I wish you could just be happy that I am happy,"
Gabrielle relayed sadly. When her mother continued to sit quietly,
the bard sighed and shook her head with disappointment.
"I really want to be happy for you dear," her mother finally relayed
and got up from the bed and kissed her daughter's forehead.
As the older woman left the room, she passed the Warrior Princess,
who entered with the bard's bag. They exchanged quiet glances, for
there was nothing to say. After the older woman left, Xena walked
over to her bard, who looked up at her concerned warrior.
"I think I'm wearing her down," Gabrielle relayed with a convinced
nod and grin, confusing the warrior.
"Gabrielle...she didn't sound," Xena relayed, realizing she had just
admitted eves dropping. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been..." Xena
apologized with embarrassment.
"That's ok," the bard grinned. "Saves me the trouble of having to
repeat everything," she relayed warmly. "You got my bag!" Gabrielle
blurted enthusiastically as she grabbed her bag and inspected it.
"Where was it?"
"In the other room on the table," Xena relayed with a sigh.
"Gabrielle...don't you want to talk about...."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Gabrielle asked the surprised
warrior.
"Shouldn't we?" Xena questioned, wanting to provide the emotional
support her bard needed. However, her bard was not making that easy.
"Xena...I would love for my parents to accept you as the person I
love. And I'm not going to give up hope because I'm convinced that
once they get to know you, they'll love you like I do," Gabrielle
relayed confidently with a loving smile.
The Warrior Princess smirked and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"You KNOW what I mean," Gabrielle blurted with annoyance. Xena
grinned.
"Where was I?" Gabrielle asked, rolling her eyes.
"You were saying to know me is to...," Xena spoke dryly.
"Yeah, well, until they do...I'm not going to let them interfere with
my happiness. And for your information Xena, I am VERY happy,"
Gabrielle smiled warmly.
"Me too," Xena responded and leaned in, kissing her happy bard
tenderly on the lips. When the Warrior Princess pulled back, the
bard sighed with frustration.
"Did I mention I was very VERY happy?" Gabrielle offered with a
familiar twinkle in her eyes.
"Gabrielle...."
For the third night, Xena entered the kitchen to retrieve the bard's
dinner. She found Gabrielle's father stirring some soup with
Meleager next to him, ready to add salt when the older man requested
it. The three exchanged glances and nods as they quietly went about
their business in the kitchen.
Xena's curiosity got to her. "I don't suppose you have a poem yet,"
she asked Meleager, looking up from the tray she was preparing.
Meleager grinned. "I'm all set," he responded cheerfully,
surprising the Warrior Princess.
"I could take a look at it if..," she offered nonchalantly, though
amazed he had actually finished the poem.
"No...uh.. no need, but thanks," Meleager interrupted her offer.
"All I need now is an egg and a flower."
"Orchid," Xena and Gabrielle's father corrected him. Xena
noticed the older man grin as he returned his attention to his soup.
Bursting into kitchen, Sarah almost skidded when she abruptly
stopped, finding her father, Meleager and Xena staring curiously at
her.
"Oh, hi," she attempted a casual greeting as she glanced over her
shoulder.
"You know mother's looking for you," her father relayed and sipped
a spoonful of soup. He nodded to Meleager, who smiled at Sarah and
almost missed his cue to add salt.
"Really?" She relayed innocently, plastering on a smile. Her father
nodded and stirred. Meleager just kept to himself and his salt,
having found that the safest response.
"So Xena, how is Gabrielle?" Sarah asked.
"Difficult," Xena blurted as she stared down at the tray with two
pieces of nutbread. She sighed and added a third piece, hoping THAT
would help satisfy the incredibly famished bard's appetite. She
somehow knew it wouldn't. Gabrielle's father grinned as he sipped
another spoonful of soup.
In the distance, the voice of Sarah's mother could be heard, calling
for Sarah.
"That's great...you know...I JUST remembered something I need to
do, excuse me," Sarah relayed unconvincingly and dashed out of the
kitchen.
Xena's eyebrows raised as she looked at Gabrielle's father, who
seemed more preoccupied with the soup than his oddly behaving
daughter.
"Needs salt," he responded. Meleager nodded and quietly added
another pinch.
"Sarah?" Sarah's mother called as she entered the kitchen. "Oh,"
she relayed flatly. "Hello Xena." Her unenthusiastic greeting was
followed by an excruciatingly polite smile.
Xena nodded quietly.
"Have you seen Sarah?" The older woman asked the three.
Before Xena could open her mouth, the woman continued. "I still have
some details I need to go over with her...the wedding is almost here
and she STILL hasn't made a decision on the flower arrangements,
musicians or her DRESS for Gods' sakes. She's acting like this the
wedding is MONTHS away! I really don't think she is taking this
seriously enough."
Xena watched as Gabrielle's father stir the soup. "Yes dear," he
responded, handing the soup spoon over to Meleager, who diligently
started to stir.
"First she was busy with Walsaian business, then it was this Amazon
thing, now she says this GALISAR business requires her attention...If
she spent even a FRACTION of the time focusing on the wedding that
she has devoted to the this Amazon business, she would be DONE by
now. Where ever did she get this knack for procrastination, I'll
never know...."
"Yes dear..."
"Well, if any of you see her, tell her we MUST get the arrangements
finished," she informed them. "They are all important to the
ceremony...as are the Traditional items," she added, delivering a
warning glare to Meleager, who cleared his throat and continued to
stir the soup.
"Have faith dear," her husband responded warmly.
"Yes dear," she sighed. After a peck on the cheek, she left the
kitchen.
Xena gave a questioning looked to Gabrielle's father as he got
another spoon and took another sample of the soup. He looked up and
gave her a familiar, warm smile.
"Even skilled Amazon hunters couldn't get that egg," Xena informed
him, causing Meleager to look up with surprise. Meleager the
Concerned looked over to the older man.
"I'm not surprised," he grinned.
"But...how will Meleager get the egg if they couldn't?" Xena asked
with a raised eyebrow.
Meleager looked at her, then the older man, considering that a good
question.
"Just got to know where to look," he explained, intriguing the
Warrior Princess. Meleager eyed him, considering that made sense,
then shrugged.
"Meleager and I will be going on a hunting trip tomorrow," he
relayed, making Meleager smile. "You're welcome to join us," he
added, the invitation surprising Xena.
"What about the Orchid?" Xena asked, Meleager looked at the older
man hoping that too would be as easy as getting that egg seemed.
"The Red Orchid of Love?" He chuckled warmly.
"Yeah, where do you get that?" Xena asked, finding his behavior odd.
He looked at her curiously for a moment.
"Are you asking for Meleager...or yourself?" He questioned her with
formidable words and an unwavering gaze.
"Does it make a difference?" Xena challenged him, her steely gaze
meeting his.
He sighed.
"To Gabrielle it does," he answered thoughtfully, surprising the
warrior. He returned his attention back to the soup.
Returning to the bedroom with the tray full of nutbread and some
dinner, Xena sighed as she gazed upon her bard, who was writing in
bed.
"Hey, you said I could WRITE...remember???" Gabrielle blurted
defensively, then raised a suggestive eyebrow. "And I'll have you
know...I'm feeling much much..."
"Gabrielle...," Xena interrupted gravely, immediately alerting the
bard.
"What?" Gabrielle put her quill down. She watched with concern as
her warrior quietly placed the tray on the night table and sat on the
edge of the bed.
"Your father and Meleager are going hunting tomorrow to ..."
"GO!" Gabrielle suggested enthusiastically. A little too
enthusiastically she realized from the surprised look on the
warrior's face.
"Uh...it would give my father a chance to get to know you,"
Gabrielle explained only part of her enthusiasm. She didn't see the
need to mention she wanted a break from her incredibly overprotective
warrior, with an incredibly annoying will of iron.
"Yeah...I was kinda thinking that too," Xena relayed. "You sure
you'll be..."
"FINE! I'll be fine! Don't worry about me...you go, make sure
Meleager gets those items," she enthusiastically encouraged her
warrior with a warm smile and pat on the forearm.
Xena's eyes narrowed. "Gabrielle, I don't want you pushing your..."
"I won't," Gabrielle quickly interrupted. Xena's eyebrow raised
skeptically. "I PROMISE," Gabrielle blurted then sighed, once again
bullied into a promise by the Warrior Princess' eyebrow.
As Xena, Meleager and Gabrielle's father were preparing to depart on
their very early morning quest, Xena stood off with Argo, patiently
waiting for Sarah and her mother to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Xena looked up at the bard's empty window, reminding herself how
adamantly she had insisted that Gabrielle should stay in bed and
rest. 'It's foolish to loose sleep just to see me off,' the warrior
remembered one of her convincing arguments.
Returning her gaze to the couples, she scratched Argo's neck. She
sighed with disappointment that this was one of the rare arguments
she actually won. Yet, Gabrielle did need her rest, Xena reminded
herself.
With the couples finally done with their good-byes, Xena let out a
relieved exhale as she started to mount Argo, anxious to depart.
"XENA! XENA!"
Everyone turned towards Lila, who ran towards them. "What's wrong?!"
Xena asked with concern.
"Nothing, as long as I give you this," Lila responded, displaying a
piece of parchment neatly folded into quarters. "She said she'd kill
me if I didn't get this to you before you left," Lila blurted as she
handed over the note to the warrior. Everyone curiously watched as
the Warrior Princess opened up the parchment.
Gabrielle's mother witnessed a dazzling smile light up the stoic
warrior's face as she read its short contents. The transformation
amazed the older woman, who had never seen the Warrior Princess
genuinely smile before.
Xena anxiously looked up from the note to the bard's window, finding
it no longer empty. Standing at the window, dressed in a simple
green dress, was Gabrielle. The bard slowly lifted her hand and
waved goodbye to her warrior, who gently waved back.
Xena reluctantly broke her gaze, returning it to her quiet riding
companions. "We should get going," she quickly suggested to them,
intending to follow the instructions in the bard's note - Don't be
long.
The oldest Poteidaian sighed heavily as she watched the travelers
ride off. Sarah and Lila looked at each other and took the
opportunity to quietly step back and head back towards the castle.
"Hold it RIGHT there, young ladies," she snapped, interrupting their
retreat and making them cringe. Their mother turned towards them.
"We've got to get ready for the guests, get the kitchen staff set up
and a MILLION other things..."
Xena was surprised when Gabrielle's father started to dismount. "Why
are you stopping?" Xena scanned the area.
"There's still time to get to the caves and get in some hunting in
before dark," Meleager added, making the older man chuckle softly.
Meleager and Xena looked at each other, both confused by this
Poteidaian.
"We won't need to go to the caves," he spoke nonchalantly.
"So we're going to get the orchid today instead?" Meleager asked,
wanting to understand.
"We'll get the orchid after we get the egg...in a couple days...can't
rush these things you know," he slowly laid out a blanket to sit on.
The warriors dismounted and joined the older man sitting on the
ground. After a moment of thoughtful silence, the older man finally
spoke to the curious warriors.
"Gabrielle is the bard of the family, but I will do my best to
explain," he smiled at Xena. "Traditions have their purpose," he
spoke wisely. "What I am about to tell you has been passed down
from father to son...," he started, then paused. He looked over to
Xena, slightly perplexed.
"Do you want me to leave?" Xena asked flatly.
"No Xena," he said softly, with a warm smile. "Hmmm," he thought a
moment and continued his lesson on traditions. "...passed down for
generations in confidence, which I trust you two will maintain?" He
asked.
Meleager nodded quickly, very interested in what this man had to
share. Xena eyed the older man suspiciously and slowly nodded in
agreement.
Bursting into Gabrielle's room, a panicked Sarah rushed in with Lila
closely behind. "It's a DISASTER!" Sarah blurted to Gabrielle, who
was writing at the table.
"Mother TOLD you not to wait until the last moment," Lila enjoyed
mentioning, drawing a death glare from Sarah.
"What's wrong?" Gabrielle put her quill down on the table, turning
towards her sisters.
"My Traditional gown maker is dead!!" Sarah blurted.
"WHAT?!? What that happened?" Gabrielle asked, shocked at the
horrible news.
"When Sarah finally got around to making the arrangements, she found
out that Rena, the dress maker, died in a freak farming accident a
year ago and her daughter, who took over the business, apparently
left for a vacation in Athens," Lila spoke flatly.
"I'm doomed!" Sarah blurted as she flopped onto the bed, face down.
"Well, the Traditional gown has been made by other dress makers
before...what about the Walsasian dress maker who made the bridesmaid
dresses?" Gabrielle asked helpfully.
"I'm doomed...," Sarah muttered into the pillow.
"Mother suggested that, but she left to visit her sick brother in
Marapolis," Lila relayed. "Then there's the matter about the kitchen
staff...," Lila added with a shrug.
"We'll just have to elope," Sarah rationalized, rolling on her back
and staring at the ceiling.
"What about the kitchen staff?" Gabrielle asked with concern.
"You know, this whole thing was to please her...I never really WANTED
this Traditional wedding," Sarah blurted with great annoyance to
the ceiling.
"They quit...again," Lila added, ignoring her eldest sister.
"So I PROMISED her...I think promises are actually over rated...and
WHO made up that STUPID rule that promises are not supposed to be
broken??" Sarah asked the ceiling.
"Why?" Gabrielle asked, ignoring her older sister.
"At least Mother should be pleased...she'll get to spend the REST of
her life saying I told you so," Sarah muttered.
"They didn't appreciate finding out they would have to cook for 300
people four days before the wedding," Lila relayed with a shrug.
"I'm doomed," Sarah muttered gravely as she rolled over, face
first into the pillow.
"Don't panic Sarah, we'll get through this. I've got an idea..."
Gabrielle blurted confidently.
Sarah lifted her head, glanced at the bard, rolled her eyes and
buried her face back into the pillow.
"I'm doomed..."
Two days before the wedding, the three hunters finally rode back to
Galisar, with Traditional items in hand. Xena wanted to come back
sooner, however, Gabrielle's father insisted they stay out or the
whole purpose of the Traditional Items would be lost.
For the sake of future generations of Poteidaians, Xena reluctantly
agreed to abide by the "Traditions."
When they dismounted and took their horses to the stables, Xena was
immediately alarmed when she spotted a half-dozen Amazon horses in
the stalls. Xena quickly exited the stables and spotted a familiar
Amazon hauling a sack of flower over her shoulder.
"Sustra!?! Why are you here? What's going on?" Xena asked
anxiously.
"Been recruited...got to get to the kitchen...Gabrielle's in Sarah's
room," Sustra blurted and left the Warrior Princess without a
satisfactory answer.
On the way to Sarah's room, Xena passed Solari, who was carrying a
large vase. "She's in there," Solari informed her, motioning to
Sarah's room with her head, as she hobbled past. Grimacing guiltily,
Xena went to the room and paused at the door as she listened to the
lively discussion.
"Why is this train so huge? It will take days to attach the
beading...Look, you could make a whole other dress out of this
material," Lila blurted holding up only part of it.
Sarah sighed impatiently, tired of standing up and being poked at
with pins by Gabrielle. "We could SKIP the beads," Sarah suggested.
"We could, the dress already looks wonder...," Gabrielle added
enthusiastically.
"We can't skip the beads! You girls know the beading is
Traditional...stand straight dear," her mother casually instructed
Sarah, who sighed heavily with her sisters.
"Almost done with the pinning," their mother mentioned, sensing the
frustration level in the room rather high. She looked up at her
eldest daughter with a warm smile, amazed how much work they had
already accomplished on the dress.
"Ow...," Gabrielle blurted, recoiling after she poked herself
with a pin.
"Gabrielle, don't you DARE bleed on my dress again!!" Sarah warned.
"I'll try to control my bleeding better this time," Gabrielle snapped
back, sucking her bleeding finger.
"Lila dear, please get me more pins," her mother asked.
"Do you know how hard it was to get that last blood stain out?"
Sarah blurted.
"I KNOW...I cleaned the sleeve!" Gabrielle snapped. "How people can
do this for a living and survive the blood loss is beyond me,"
Gabrielle muttered, inspecting her finger.
"Trust me Gabrielle, the way you've been poking me, you wouldn't have
to worry about your blood loss because you wouldn't have any
customers," Sarah retorted, drawing an annoyed look from Gabrielle.
"Perhaps now you girls will better appreciate sewing and THOSE who
can sew WELL...I TRIED to teach you girls," their mother relayed
with a sigh, then continued to deftly pin the hem.
Xena stood at the door, still debating whether to enter or not.
"XENA!" Gabrielle blurted when she glanced up at the door. Jumping
up and almost knocking Sarah over, Gabrielle rushed to embrace her
warrior. Surprising her mother and disappointing the warrior,
Gabrielle stopped herself. Sarah rolled her eyes with amazement.
"Uh...Did Meleager get everything?" The bard asked awkwardly.
"We wouldn't have come back if he didn't," Xena relayed flatly.
Seeing the bard's mouth open to ask her the obvious question of how,
Xena continued. "What's going on? I past Sustra and Solari on the
way here..."
"Just some last minuted wedding problems they are helping with
..we've got everything under control now," Gabrielle spoke
confidently.
Finishing up pinning the hem, her mother looked up at the
bride-to-be. "Alright dear, we can sew the hem now, then apply
the beading...the sooner we start...," the older woman relayed as she
looked at the huge train and sighed at the daunting task ahead.
"Stand up straight dear..."
"Queen Sarah, more guests have started to arrive...what do we do
with them?" Sustra popped her head in the room and asked.
"Uh...Lila could you greet them and show them to their rooms?"
Sarah asked, slipping out of her not yet finished gown. Lila nodded
and started to leave.
"And oh, uh...it's not that big a deal but...Eponin said we are out
of nuts for the nutbread," Sustra relayed, causing the Poteidaians
to glare at her. "We were going to just make the bread without
them..."
"NO!" The four Poteidaians blurted in an annoyed unison, startling
Amazon by the intensity of their glares.
Sustra looked over to the Warrior Princess.
"You need the nuts," Xena explained helpfully, making the Amazon roll
her eyes.
Sarah threw on her robe. "There are PLENTY of nuts in the store
room," Sarah blurted, tying her sash. Sustra shook head and
shrugged. "Oh...it will be easier if I just show you," Sarah relayed
with an irritated sigh.
"Wait a minute!" The eldest Poteidaian protested. "How am I supposed
to finish the hemming AND all this beading if you girls keep running
off on me? With only two of us," she eyed Gabrielle and sighed
heavily. "We might not finish it in time..."
"Grab a needle," Gabrielle blurted as she grabbed the warrior's hand
and pulled her towards the dress.
"Don't tell me SHE can sew," Gabrielle's mother snorted skeptically.
"She's better than I am," Gabrielle snapped.
"I'M better than you are," Lila relayed. "And I stink," she added.
"Just a few little blood stains...and there GOES my reputation,"
Gabrielle responded with feigned annoyance, amusing her sister and
mother.
"I'm going to see to the guests," Lila announced and left with
Sustra.
"I'm going to get the damn nuts," Sarah muttered and left in her
robe.
Gabrielle's mother eyed the Warrior Princess, who selected a needle
from the sewing box. "I didn't realize a warlord would have had time to
sew," she relayed coldly as she took the dress to the table.
Gabrielle's angry eyes narrowed. Before she could respond, the
warrior spoke.
"It came in handy," Xena relayed nonchalantly. "Still does," the
warrior added, quickly glancing at the bard's back. She returned her
gaze to the older woman, who nodded uneasily as she sat down at the
table.
"If you and Gabrielle would start on the beading on the
train, I'll finish up the hem and start on the beading on the
sleeves," she suggested, surprised to find the warrior nod and sit
down, diligently beginning the task.
Gabrielle smiled broadly as she sat down between her warrior and
mother and picked up a needle. "Ow!" Gabrielle blurted, managing to
stab herself again. "Are you SURE beading is really necessary?"
Gabrielle asked, once again sucking on her bloody finger.
After a few hours of sewing, the bard finally stopped stabbing
herself. Xena grinned as she eyed her bard, who had fallen asleep.
However, as much as Xena enjoyed the slumbering bard being nearby,
Gabrielle's head was resting on part of the train that still needed
beading.
"I'll be right back," Xena spoke softly as she got up. Effortlessly,
Xena picked the bard up in her arms and took her to her bedroom.
Though the older Poteidaian knew of Xena's strength, the gentleness
with which the Warrior Princess accomplished her task was surprising.
Having tucked her bard in bed, Xena returned and quietly resumed her
task with efficient skill. As Xena attached bead after bead on the
train, the older woman gazed with appreciation at the warrior's
nimble fingers. When she looked up, she found an intense look of
concentration on Xena's face.
Feeling the stare, the warrior looked up from her work to meet the
woman's gaze. They looked at each other a moment before the older
woman silently lowered her eyes down to her own work and attached
more beads.
Xena sighed and silently continued her task.
"Who taught you?" Gabrielle's mother finally asked, motioning to the
sewing.
It wasn't exactly the question the warrior was expecting from the
bard's mother.
"My mother," Xena relayed softly. "She always told me a woman needed
to have many skills."
"She must be proud," the bard's mother relayed, considering all the
skills this Warrior Princess was said to possess.
"I wouldn't say that," Xena said flatly, her eyes on the work at hand
as she attached another bead.
A long moment passed before the older woman spoke again.
"Do you want her to be?" The older woman asked another question
that surprised the warrior.
Xena paused a moment, still looking at the material in her hands. "A
few years ago, I didn't want to hope for something I thought was
impossible. Now...," Xena relayed, looking up at the attentive
woman. "I want that very much," Xena admitted. Feeling very
uncomfortable under the woman's gaze, she looked back down to her
work and added another bead to the train.
"What made you change your mind?" The older woman asked, sewing on
another bead.
"An extremely stubborn bard who believes in the impossible," Xena
answered with a small smile as she threaded her needle.
After silently attaching a few more beads to the dress, the older
woman looked up at the warrior.
"Do you know how much she loves you?" The older woman challenged the
warrior, who finally received a question she was expecting.
Xena looked into the woman's eyes and silently nodded.
"Good," she blurted firmly and continued her sewing.
"Do you know how much I love HER?" Xena countered, surprising the
older woman, who eyed her a long, silent moment.
"Well, there IS one way I would know for sure," the older woman
offered cooly, saying no more.
Surprising both the warrior and the bard's mother, the warrior's
needle slipped. As the warrior grimaced and sucked on her bleeding
finger, a small grin formed on the Poteidaian's face.