Ilanna tapped lightly on Ephiny's door before entering. The blond Amazon opened a bleary eye and looked at her. "The sun isn't even above the trees yet. What is it?" sleep had been hard for her to come by last night and all she wanted to do was go back into Morpheus' arms for just a little while longer.
"You'd better come down to the jail. I've already sent for Saras." the dark Amazon said quietly. Ephiny sat up quickly.
"She didn't escape, did she?" she asked with disbelief.
"No, she didn't escape, although you might wish she had. It seems that some of Ep's friends took it upon themselves to pay her a visit last night."
Saras had just finished stitching the gash above Xena's left eyebrow when Ephiny came storming in. The blond ruler stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the battered woman. "Sweet Athena." she whispered. The once white tunic and skirt were now spotted with dark brown stains from the dried on blood. Xena hung limply from her shackles, the strength gone long ago from her arms and legs. Her face was battered and raw and sported several spots where the healer had to give her stitches. Despite her anger at Xena, Saras was still disgusted by the heinous beating and thus tried to be extra careful not to inflict any more pain than necessary while administering to the wounds. "Who did this?" Ephiny asked angrily. "Where are the guards that were supposed to be watching her?"
"They said they didn't see a thing. Everyone in the village knows what happened but no one will say who's involved." Ilanna explained. "Alessa and Dyna were on duty and both have been questioned. They're sticking to their story that they never left their post and have no idea what happened."
"I want to see both of them...NOW!" Ephiny growled.
"Xena?" came the quiet voice from behind them. Everyone turned to see Gabrielle standing there, her eyes wide with concern. Ephiny moved to block her view of the battered woman only to have the queen roughly push past her. Saras knew enough to step out of the way as Gabrielle approached. "Xena?" she whispered, her fingers a hairs breadth away from the swollen face before her. At the sound of her voice, Xena slowly lifted her head and focused on the bard, who was doing her best not to cry. "Is this how you treat your prisoners, Ephiny? Chain them up and then beat them?" Gabrielle said angrily. "Is this Amazon justice?" she reached down and brushed her fingers along one of Xena's ribs, stopping when she heard the soft whimper escape from the split lip. During the beating, the raven haired warrior had done her best to keep from reacting to the pain, but all of her reserves were gone now.
"Gabrielle, I think you should return to-"
"Forget it. I'm not leaving her side." she said firmly. She reached for the manacles and scowled. "Get these off of her and get a cot in here."
"We can't do that, my queen." Ilanna said. "It's too dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Gabrielle turned, her green eyes burning with anger. "What kind of danger could she possibly pose now? She couldn't kill a fly much less try an escape." she glared at Ephiny. "You've seen to that, haven't you?"
"Gabrielle, I didn't do this and I didn't order it. Before you came in I was trying to find out who had done it."
"Why, so you could give them a medal? I know what Xena did, I was there. At least she gave them a chance to defend themselves. You chained her up and let them beat on her. I want her removed from these..." she shook the thick chains. "...now!" no one moved. "Dammit, I'm the queen and I'm commanding you to unchain her!" Ilanna looked at Ephiny, who slowly nodded. Within a quarter candlemark, Xena was laying down on the cot, Gabrielle kneeling beside her. With a gentle thoroughness, the bard inspected the damage caused by the beating. Several of Xena's ribs were cracked and her torso and face were covered with bruises. "Ephiny, I want another cot brought in. I'm going to stay with her."
"Gabrielle, we need to talk...now." for several moments no one moved while the two women stared at each other. Finally the bard relented and followed Ephiny outside.
"What do you mean I can't stay with her?" the bard practically yelled. "Ephiny, you don't understand what happened. The gods were involved, you have to believe me."
"I want to, Gabrielle, I really do." she ran her fingers through her blond curly locks in frustration. "But you have to see it from my perspective. She attacked Eponin and Solari, demanded fifty thousand dinars ransom for you, not to mention the beatings you obviously suffered through. She even drugged you. How can you stand to be near her after all that?"
"Because I know her, Eph, I know that what we saw wasn't Xena." she looked away. "Well, it was Xena, but not like she is now. She didn't know me. She doesn't even remember what happened."
"And that makes it all right? Gabrielle, every Amazon in the village is calling for her blood. She has to stand trial for what she's done." Ephiny reached out and put her hand on the young queen's shoulder. "And I think that's why she came here. Gabrielle, she surrendered without a fight. She never even looked at the money."
"Then why those manacles, Eph? Why treat her like that? You said she surrendered without a fight. Why did you think it necessary to chain her up like an animal?"
"Because she acted like one, Gabrielle." she said, trying hard to keep her voice level. "We had no idea what happened. All we knew was that she was holding you hostage and assaulted two of our warriors. I did what I felt needed to be done. If you can't see that...."
"What? You think I'm blinded to the facts just because I care about her?" she jerked her shoulder out from under the blond Amazon's grasp. "She's here. When's the trial?"
"We'll start it as soon as she's able to move about on her own and all the parties are here. Gabrielle, I don't want there to be any surprises for you. Any moment she's not in that cell she'll be chained and under heavy guard."
"I'm sure she'd expect no less. Perhaps you can even find some volunteers to guard her, perhaps the ones who paid her a visit last night?" she said sarcastically.
"That's not fair, Gabrielle. I've done everything I could to avoid that kind of thing happening. You should know that. If it wasn't for Xena, Phantes would have been executed and my son would never have been born. I've sent a messenger out to the northern village to get an advocate for her. Xena will have a fair trial, Gabrielle, I swear it."
"Why can't I be her advocate? Ephiny, no one knows her like I do."
"It's out of the question, you're one of her victims, you'll have to testify."
"I...I can't do that, Ephiny. I can't testify against her." the stricken look on the queen's face pulled at the blond Amazon's heart. She could only imagine how hard it must be for the bard.
"You have no choice, Gabrielle. Not only for the crimes against you, but you're the only witness to what happened to Eponin and Solari. You have to stand up and tell what happened, no matter how much it hurts."
"What will happen to her if she's found guilty?"
"Part of it depends on what she's charged with. So far we're charging her with kidnapping as well as assault on you, Ep, and Solari. Once you tell what happened while you were with her, there may be more charges." Ephiny reached out and tilted Gabrielle's chin until she was looking into the queen's eyes. "Gabrielle, I need to ask this...." she hesitated, unsure of how to phrase her question. "I know you care very much about Xena, but did she...well, did she try to...you know, force herself upon you in any way?" she asked as delicately as she could. Gabrielle met her gaze.
"No. Xena never forced herself on me." regardless of her mixed feelings about what happened, Gabrielle knew in her heart that she was a willing participant, even if the warrior had no memory of what happened between them. Ephiny let out the breath she had been holding and smiled gently.
"Good. That will improve her chances at trial."
Gabrielle looked at the ground for a moment before speaking. "Ephiny, be honest with me. What's the worst that can happen to Xena?"
"Let's not think about that right now, okay?" she replied, desperately not wanting to answer the question.
"Tell me. I need to know what to expect."
Ephiny looked everywhere but into the eyes of her queen. "For the assault on Ep and Solari, she'll probably have to serve a few moons at hard labor. For what she did to you...it depends on the trail. Gabrielle, she won't get off so easy. Everyone knows she drugged you and your face tells its own story. Kidnapping the queen is a very serious crime all by itself, but combined with everything else...." she let the sentence trail off.
"They could order her death, can't they? That's what you're trying not to tell me, isn't it?" Gabrielle asked, her heart pounding with fear.
"It's one of the options, yes." Ephiny quietly admitted.
Gabrielle refused to eat in the food hut, partly because she didn't feel like being sociable and partly because she didn't want all the Amazons to see her face and be reminded of what had happened to her under Xena's wrath. Trasis, the head cook, delivered a platter heaped with meats and cheeses to her hut. Gabrielle ate sparingly, her concern for the upcoming events overriding her hunger. She wrapped several pieces of food up in a cloth and headed for the jail.
Xena sat up when she heard the key turning in the door, but looked down at the floor when she saw the bard enter. Gabrielle murmured a few words to the guard, who nodded and closed the door behind her, leaving the two women alone. "You shouldn't be here." the warrior said quietly, refusing to look up.
"And just where should I be if not at my best friend's side?" the bard replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. Gabrielle noted disapprovingly that Xena was sporting a leg manacle. She reached over and fingered the chain. "Does this hurt?" the warrior shook her head. A heavy silence fell between them. The bard set the package of food down between them and unwrapped it. "I brought you some meat and cheese. I'm sure it's better than whatever they've been feeding you." she said, breaking off a piece of cheese and handing it to Xena.
"Thanks." she put the food in her mouth, careful of the split lip. To Gabrielle's delight, she took another piece.
"Xena, we need to talk. They're going to try you for what happened."
"I know." she said quietly.
"Then why did you come here?" she reached over and put her hand on Xena's knee. "Xena, they don't care if the gods were involved. They're going to go after you for everything. We have to come up with some kind of a defense for you."
"There is no defense, Gabrielle. I did it. The reasons why don't matter." she looked up at the bard's eye, the bruise now more yellow than anything else. "How can you stand to be around me after what I did to you?"
"Because I know it wasn't you, Xena. I know the gods were involved in this. The trick is to get the Amazons to believe us."
"There's no 'us' in this, Gabrielle. I'm the one who attacked Eponin and Solari, not you. You're a hero to them, risking your life to save two Amazon warriors from the evil warlord."
"Stop it, Xena." she said angrily. "I'm trying to help you here. The least you can do is try act like you give a damn about what happens." she rose and walked over to the granite slab, still sitting in the middle of the room, and leaned against it, her face away from the warrior. "They're going to put me on the stand, you know. They're going to make me testify about what happened. I have to come up with something that we can both agree on."
"Just tell them the truth." she leaned back against the wall, her left leg out straight because of the shortness of the leg chain and wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs from the attack. "I deserve whatever happens." she said quietly. Gabrielle spun around, her green eyes blazing with anger.
"And what do I deserve, Xena? Do I deserve to watch you give up? Do I deserve to watch them sentence you for crimes that wouldn't have happened if the gods hadn't been playing yet another one of their petty games with you?" she walked over and knelt down in front of the bed, putting her hands on Xena's shins and looking up at the multitude of bruises and cuts that littered her best friend's face. "I can't lose you, not like this. If I have to lie, if I have to give up my title, I don't care. Nothing matters to me except helping you get out of this mess."
"Gabrielle, do you know what the penalty is for lying on the stand? The Amazons will see that as treason." she scooted forward and took the bard's hands in hers. "I can't let you do that. You have to tell them the truth."
Gabrielle jerked her hands free as her eyes began to well up with tears. "There is nothing that the Amazons can do to me that will hurt more than losing you, Xena. You can't even remember what happened when you lost your memory. There's no justice in that. This is no different than when Ares killed those men and let you take the blame."
"The difference is that this time 'I' did the things I'm accused of, Gabrielle. There's no defense for that. There's nothing we can do except wait and see what punishment the Amazons see fit to give me." she had no doubt as to exactly what the severity of the punishment would be.
"That's where you're wrong, Xena." she said angrily. "We can fight this if you help me instead of just giving up." they were interrupted by a polite knock on the door. "I have to go. Don't say anything until the advocate gets here and I have a chance to talk to her. Somehow we'll find a way to defend you. I'll try and come back later." she rose and headed for the door. "I mean it, Xena." she said, turning back around to face her best friend. She lowered her voice so the guard wouldn't overhear. "I'll figure something out. I'd rather be accused of treason than face losing you."
Xena waited until she was certain that Gabrielle was gone before summoning the guard. "I want to talk to Ephiny." she said. The Amazon motioned for the other guard to fetch the ruler. Xena sat back and thought about what her best friend was planning to do. Moments later the blond ruler arrived.
"Leave us." Ephiny said to the guard before sitting down on the bed next to the prisoner.
"What's the penalty for treason?"
"Death or banishment, it depends on the severity of the act. Why?" Xena didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the granite slab. She had no doubt the bard would lie to try and protect her or minimize her punishment. If the Amazons discovered her lies, there was no telling what they would do to her. 'You've suffered so much at my hands, Gabrielle...' she thought. 'I can't let you sacrifice everything for me. I can't let you be punished because of my crimes. I love you too much to let that happen.' she closed her eyes momentarily as she made her decision.
"Ephiny, I want to confess. I plead guilty to all the charges brought against me. There's no need for a trial." she said without emotion.
"Xena, are you sure you want to do that? Gabrielle tells me that the gods were involved. If you can find a way to prove that..."
"There's no way to prove it without having her testify. I won't put her through that." she said firmly. Ephiny's eyes widened with understanding. "Gabrielle was going to lie to protect you, wasn't she?"
"Just promise me that you'll be there for her." she said, refusing to answer the question.
"I'm not the one she wants by her side, Xena, you are." she waited for a comment from the dark haired woman. When none came, the blond ruler sighed. "I'll need a full confession. You'll have to tell the tribunal exactly what happened, what you did to Gabrielle as well as Ep and Solari."
"Whatever it takes to keep her from testifying." she said solemnly.
It was almost dark when Ephiny approached Gabrielle's hut. Xena's confession had taken less than one candlemark, but the lack of detail in her statement caused the tribunal to ask her question after question in an attempt to clarify some of the points. The whole matter took over four candlemarks before the members of the tribunal were satisfied. Ephiny knocked gently on the door. "Come in." she entered to find Gabrielle sitting there looking over several scrolls. "I thought if I could just find something in the laws..." she stopped when she saw the look on her friend's face. "What's wrong?"
"There's not going to be a trial, Gabrielle. Xena confessed to everything this afternoon."
"What? She couldn't...I told her not to do anything until I had a chance-"
"She was afraid for you. I think she believed that you were going to lie on the stand to try and protect her." she sat in the chair opposite the queen at the small table. "Gabrielle, I thought you said she didn't remember anything."
"She didn't. She told me that she didn't."
"Well, she did. She answered every question put to her and the account about the fight in the tavern agrees with what Eponin and Solari said." she reached across the table and put her hand on the bard's forearm. "Gabrielle, she remembers everything. Are you certain the gods were involved?"
Gabrielle stood up, walked over to the bed, and pulled the wooden lamb out from under her pillow. "I'm certain." she said, gently stroking the toy as she sat down. Her mind swam with the new information and the ramifications of it. "Ephiny, what happens now?"
"Now is the sentencing. The advocate should be here tomorrow and the hearing will probably take place the day after."
"What happens then?"
"All the interested parties will testify in front of the tribunal. The advocate will plead for leniency and the prosecutor will plead for the most severe punishment possible. It'll be up to the tribunal to decide what will happen to her then." she didn't fail to catch the glimmer of hope in the bard's green eyes.
"All the interested parties? So anyone who has feelings about this can speak?"
"Yes, but they're put through the same procedure as the trial. They have to take the stand and answer questions, but the advocate and prosecutor can bring things up that have nothing to do with the facts in the case."
"So they can ask about her past? They can ask about all the good things she's done?" she asked hopefully.
"They can also ask about the bad things too, Gabrielle. It works both ways. For every town she's helped, there's ten more that she's destroyed. For every person saved, there's a dozen she's killed. It doesn't work in her favor." Ephiny cautioned. Gabrielle pulled away and looked at her.
"Then I'll just have to figure out a way to make it work." she said. "I'm not letting go of her without a fight."
Eponin looked away when she saw Gabrielle enter. "Come to apologize?" she said snidely.
"No. I came here to see you." she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that Xena has admitted her crimes." She glared at Gabrielle. "I'm going to be there at the sentencing and I'm going to speak my peace."
"I wouldn't expect otherwise, Ep. I know that you feel angry about what happened but there's nothing you can do about it now. You have to move on."
"Move on? Move on? What in tartarus am I supposed to do, Gabrielle? I was a warrior. I'm useless now."
"You may be many things, Eponin, but never useless. I'm sure there's something else you can do, something that doesn't involve walking."
"Like what? All I've ever wanted to be was a warrior. I trained since I was five summers old. I'm almost thirty. It's a little late to pick a new career."
"It's never too late. Is there something, anything that ever interested you? Some hobby perhaps?"
"Hobbies don't protect the village. Besides, the only thing I ever had any interest in was being a warrior. There never was time for anything else, not if I wanted to keep in top form."
"Well, it seems to me that you have plenty of time now." she pointed out. "I'm not here to ask you to go easy on Xena, I wouldn't expect that from you. I'm here because I care. I want to help you in any way I can." she smiled gently. "You know, Trasis was telling me that you've been in her kitchen a few times to complain about the food."
"That's because Trasis doesn't use enough spices. She's afraid to take chances." She shifted and adjusted the pillow behind her back.
"Like you? Sometimes the biggest risk is to not to do anything at all. You've been a warrior for so long that you're afraid there's nothing else you can do. You're wrong about that, Eponin. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but you'll never know until you try. Remember when I first tried to learn how to use a staff? I kept hitting myself in the head and I was certain that I'd never get the hang of it. But you kept encouraging me, showing me again and again until I learned. You didn't give up on me and I'm not giving up on you." she was rewarded with the closest thing to a smile that the stocky warrior had given in days.
Xena laid back on the cot and laced her fingers behind her head. She had been expecting Gabrielle to show up for candlemarks. The moon was now almost directly above and there was still no sign of her. Not even a message. The raven haired warrior sighed audibly. 'Where are you? Why haven't you come to see me?' One thought continued to race through her mind no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. 'I lied to her. I lied about remembering and now she won't see me.' she reached down and ran her fingers over the bruised ribs, hoping that the physical pain would overpower the emotional pain she was in. Nothing she did could tear her mind away from the thought that Gabrielle wasn't coming. She jerked her left leg in anger, causing the chain to rattle and the metal band to dig into her skin. The noise caused one of the guards to poke her head in to make sure the prisoner wasn't trying to escape. Xena closed her eyes and let the vision of the woman she loved fill her mind. Only then could she relax enough to let sleep finally overtake her.
After talking to Eponin for the better part of three candlemarks, Gabrielle walked toward the jail but found herself unable to enter. She wandered the village aimlessly, trying to sort out her conflicting feelings. She had lied to Xena in an attempt to protect her, but the warrior had lied to her simply to deceive. She wandered until she reached the river bank and sat down on the sloping ground. Time passed as she stared at the moon reflecting off the water. "Why, Xena, why?" she said out loud. "Why did you let me believe that you didn't remember anything?" she picked up a stone and tossed it, watching it skip across the water several times before sinking below the surface. "You let me sit there and go on with a pack of lies knowing full well what the truth was. Why?" she pulled her knees up and rested her arms on them. The cool night air blew her hair back and caused the tears to take a curved path down her cheeks. "I would have still tried to protect you. Don't you understand how I feel? Don't you realize that I can't live without you?" she thought back to the nights of passion they shared. "It may not have meant anything to you, Xena, but it meant something to me." she sniffed. "Don't you realize that you've held my heart hostage for as long as I can remember?" she never heard Solari come up and stand just behind a large tree. "How can the gods be so cruel? For so long I've wanted you to want me, to see me as more than just a young girl, to see me as a woman. And when you do, it's because you want to control me, not out of love." The tall Amazon didn't mean to eavesdrop, merely coming out for a late evening stroll, but the sound of her friend crying softly and talking to the night sky caught her attention. Gabrielle threw another stone angrily. "I hope you're happy, Ares. You got what you wanted, didn't you? No matter what happens, I've lost her. I can't stay with her knowing that she doesn't love me the way I need her to and never will. I can't look at her and not remember how it felt to be with her, to touch her in the most intimate of ways and to feel her touching me." she buried her head in her arms as the sobs began. "If they kill her, I can't stay here either. I can't live day in and out with the people who took her away from me. I can't go to Poteidaia either. I don't belong there, I never have." she lifted her head up and stared at the moon. "She's my home." she pounded the soft earth next to her. "Damnit Xena, why didn't you let me take you to Athens? You would have been safe there. Why did you come here, knowing what they'd do you? How many villages have we avoided because you were wanted there? Why deliberately walk into an ambush here?"
Solari could stand it no more. She politely coughed to announce her presence and stepped out from behind the tree to see the young queen wiping her eyes. "Gabrielle, can we talk?"
"Uh, sure." she said, watching as the Amazon took a seat next to her. The injured arm was still in a sling and Solari was careful not to jar it when she sat down. The look on her face told the bard that she had been listening. "How long were you there?" Gabrielle asked, staring out at the water.
"Long enough to know that you're in a great deal of pain and could probably use someone to talk to."
"There's no one I can talk to, Solari. I'm surrounded by women who want to see Xena dead, including you, I imagine." the tall Amazon said nothing but looked out at the water. "I love her. I've loved her for so long that I can't remember not loving her. Now tomorrow I have to sit there and listen to all the reasons why she should die."
"They may not choose to execute her, Gabrielle. You can't give up hope."
"Hope?" she cried. "What am I supposed to hope for? That the gods will descend and make everything all better? That she dies quickly and doesn't suffer? That she escapes at the last moment? That I'll wake up and discover that this is all some horrible nightmare?" she looked down at her lap. "There is no more hope, Solari. I hoped that she'd someday love me the way I love her. Now I know that will never happen. I hoped that together we could find a way out of this mess and our lives could get back to normal. Even if some miracle happens, that dream is gone. Too much has happened." she rose to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get some sleep so I'll be ready tomorrow to watch my world fall apart some more." she walked away, leaving the Amazon sitting in silence.
It had been late when she returned the center of the village and she knew she was far too emotional to go see Xena. There was just no way she could face looking at the blue depths of the warrior's eyes and know that she would never see the love she needed there. She returned to her hut instead and spent the next two candlemarks reviewing the scrolls of Amazon law before giving up and laying down on her bed. Normally a sound sleeper, Gabrielle found herself tossing and turning in a vain attempt to settle into Morpheus' arms. Her body finally succumbed to exhaustion just before sunrise, but not before she had soaked her pillow with more tears.
It was mid-morning when Gabrielle was awakened by the sound of a knock upon her door. "Come in." she mumbled, sitting up to see Ephiny enter.
"The advocate arrived about a half candlemark ago. I thought you should know."
"Where is she now?"
"In with Xena." she walked over and put her hand on the bard's shoulder. "Gabrielle, the tribunal wants to start the hearing as soon as possible."
"I imagine they would." she replied. "What happens first?"
"The first thing they'll do is listen to a reading of Xena's confession, then the victims will take the stand and tell their side of the story and of how her crimes have affected them. It's at that point when Symra, the prosecutor, will ask questions followed by Luna, the advocate. After all the interested parties have spoken, Xena can take the stand if she wants."
"Sounds about right, everyone gets up there and paints the picture of the evil warlord and then she has to take the stand and defend herself. Tell me something, Ephiny, why even bother with a sentencing hearing? Why not just toss the rope over the nearest branch and be done with it?"
"Gabrielle, that's not fair and you know it." Ephiny replied, letting anger tinge her voice. "I understand that you're upset by all this but you need to realize that what she did was serious. We're Amazons, not mindless killers."
"Like Xena? Isn't that what you mean?" she shot back.
"No, that's not what I mean. Xena had the chance for a fair trial, she refused. If all we wanted was to see her dead we would have killed her in the field."
"I know, Ephiny." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm just not looking forward to this."
The largest hut in the village was the food hut and Trasis and the other cooks worked feverishly to clean up after breakfast and turn the long rows of tables and benches into a makeshift courtroom. Every Amazon in the village wanted to be there to hear the proceedings. As it was, less than half could fit inside, the others were forced to listen through the bamboo walls or wait for friends to relay what was being said. Symra sat at the front table on the right, a pile of scrolls in front of her. Luna sat next to Xena at the left table, one nearly empty scroll in front of her. The raven haired prisoner gave her little information to work with, offering almost nothing to her case. Ephiny sat on the bench behind the flame haired Symra, waiting patiently for Gabrielle, who had stopped before entering the hut and insisted that she needed to return to her hut for a moment. Andro, the head member of the tribunal, banged her ceremonial gavel on the table in front of her. Symra nodded and rose to her feet and cleared her throat. She unrolled a scroll and opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by the collective gasp from the crowd. All heads turned to see Gabrielle walk up the aisle.
She was dressed in her queen outfit, the soft brown leather hugging the curves of her body like a second skin. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed her beautiful face. Mouths dropped open and every eye in the room followed her progress toward the front of the room. Gabrielle saw the empty space next to Ephiny and stopped. She looked down at the regent before turning and taking a seat on the bench behind the defense table. A series of small murmurs swept through the crowd as they took it as a sign of silent support for Xena. The warrior herself was speechless at the bard's obvious defiance of protocol, although she noted that Gabrielle sat directly behind Luna and wouldn't look at her. Symra looked at the tribunal and waited for Andro to nod for her to proceed. "The purpose of this hearing to determine the punishment to be given to Xena of Amphipolis for the following crimes to which she has already plead guilty: the kidnapping, ransoming, physical assault and drugging of our queen as well as the assault on two of our warriors who were trying to protect her." the red haired Amazon looked around to make sure she had everyone's attention. "In the failed attempt to protect and rescue our queen, one of our greatest warriors, Eponin, suffered a crippling injury from which she will never recover." the crowd murmured again. Symra continued on, nonplused by Gabrielle's obvious support of her friend. "Xena once was called the Destroyer of Nations. Once again she tried to live up to her reputation as one of the most fearsome warlords in all of Greece. She turned on her friend, beat her mercilessly, even drugged Gabrielle to keep her from escaping."
"It wasn't like that." the bard whispered to Luna, who merely nodded and scribbled something down on the scroll before her. Symra frowned at the interruption before continuing.
"You all saw what Queen Gabrielle looked like when she was brought in. Unconscious, drugged, her face battered by Xena's own hands." she turned to face the crowd instead of the trio of judges and held her hand up in a fist. "Xena used her overpowering strength to beat a woman so much smaller than her into submission." she smacked her palm with her fist. "Imagine what it must have been like for Gabrielle." she brought her fist down again. "To be afraid for her life from the woman she once called friend, to wonder if she would ever see Apollo's chariot sail across the sky again, to no doubt have been bound and gagged..." she continued on but Xena didn't hear her. The warrior's head never moved but her eyes looked down at table before her. Only the tribunal members could see the immense sadness and guilt that stretched across her bruised face. Andro looked from the warrior to the bard and noticed that Gabrielle was whispering something into Luna's ear. "...and we ask that you pronounce sentence on the Destroyer of Nations, not just for the good of the Amazons, but for the good of the rest of the world as well. She's proven that she cannot be trusted to maintain a life of helping others, she's too selfish for that. This is our chance to stop the carnage that is Xena Warrior Princess, disciple of Ares. We ask for the ultimate penalty, death."
"And I have the sword." Gryne shouted from the back of the room, holding up the sword she had forged for Eponin. "She should die the way she has killed so many others." she was met with shouts of approval that raised in volume until Andro was forced to bang on the table several times to regain order.
Andro waited until the crowd settled down before nodding to Luna to proceed with her opening statement. The brown haired advocate quickly scanned the notes in front of her before rising to face the tribunal. "Um...Xena has done many things in her past...but we shouldn't judge her based on her summers of conquest and destruction...the issue before us today is only for the crimes she committed against the Amazon nation and its people." she looked down at her notes again. "Ah yes...she once saved this village from destruction at the hands of Velasca and helped to prevent a war. These acts should be taken into consideration when you pass your sentence." she nodded at the tribunal and sat down. Gabrielle looked at her, then Ephiny with disbelief. The blond ruler returned the look. Xena kept her attention focused on the trio before her that would soon determine if she would live or die.
"Is that all?" Andro asked, not believing herself that the advocate gave such a useless opening statement. Luna nodded and looked back at her notes. Gabrielle leaned forward and tapped the advocate on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you mention how she saved Ephiny's life three times?" she whispered. The brown haired Amazon leaned back.
"It's not important here. I can bring it up later."
"Not important?" the bard hissed. "You're supposed to be trying to save her life. Anything she's done in the name of good should be mentioned."
"It will, in time." Luna replied. She turned her attention back to her notes. Gabrielle looked over at Xena and was surprised to find the warrior looking at her, the blue eyes filled with guilt and sadness. The bard found she could not maintain the eye contact and looked down, her own feelings threatening to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes and prayed to Artemis for the strength to make it through the day without breaking down. Symra rose and began to read from the scroll that had recorded Xena's confession. Gabrielle listened intently, concentrating on every detail revealed by the warrior. She winced visibly a couple of times when Symra emphasized the beatings that Gabrielle received as well as the battle in the tavern. The bard noted gratefully that Xena had made no mention of their sexual activities. Whether it was to spare her or the warrior, Gabrielle wasn't sure.
"I call Ephiny, Regent of the Amazon nation." Symra said. The blond ruler rose and walked to the raised platform. Myrina, the shortest member of the tribunal, nodded and waved her hand at the empty chair. Ephiny sat down and took a deep breath. She hadn't planned on going first. "Ephiny, you have known Xena for how long?"
"Two summers now."
"And in that time, has she ever attacked you?" the blond Amazon shifted uncomfortably. "Remember that you are under oath to Artemis to tell the truth." the prosecutor said.
"Yes, once but-"
"Thank you, a yes or no will do." Symra said, cutting off her answer. "And isn't it also true that she once entered a battle to the death with the late Queen Melosa?"
"But that was to save the nation." she protested.
"Is it true or isn't it?"
"You know it's true." Ephiny replied, annoyed at the line of questioning even though she knew she should have expected it. The redheaded prosecutor smiled slightly at her victory.
"So in addition to her current acts against the Amazon nation, she engaged previously in attacks against Artemis' children, isn't that true?" Ephiny looked regretfully at Xena before nodding reluctantly. The warrior stared straight ahead, her face revealing nothing about her emotions. "I'm sorry, Ephiny, could you please say your answers out loud?"
"In the past she has engaged in combat with Amazons, but it was always for the good of the nation." she said quickly, refusing to let the prosecutor interrupt her again.