Xena's Deep Dark Past...
The young woman gritted her teeth as another lash from Draco's whip burned across the sensitive bare flesh of her back. She would not give in, she wouldn't give the bastard the pleasure of knowing just how much pain she was in. Her eyes stung and swam with tears that she held back, blinding her almost as much as the rage building up inside her. Rage towards this man, men in general and more specifically. Warlords. If he thought that this would change her mind, make her more susceptible to his charms, or rather, lack of, then he really was more stupid and ignorant than she had previously believed.
Suddenly she became aware that the heat and bolts of fire upon her back had ceased and she could hear a woman's voice demanding to know what in Tarterus Draco thought he was doing. She lifted her head and tried to focus on the apparition in front of her. Ice blue met steel gray as she looked into the eyes of the warrior woman in front of her. It struck Xena immediately that the young slave girl hanging by her wrists in Draco's chamber bore somewhat of a resemblance to her. Her knack for reading people told her that this slave had fire, and a will of steel. She wondered briefly how long the girl had been enslaved for as she hadn't yet been completely broken by a life of slavery, with it's constant humiliations and beatings at the hands of men like Draco.
''How many lashes have you given her?'' Xena asked looking at Draco through narrowed eyes that told him the Destroyer of Nations was in no mood to be messed with.
''Nineteen'' he replied levelly. Nodding, Xena turned to survey the girl once more. Nineteen lashes and still conscious. Impressive. Her eyes once again met steel gray, the girl had that cold level stare that promised vengeance and anger. She had spirit, that was clear, Xena wondered if she was an Amazon, she certainly held herself like one. It was also clear to her what Draco's interest in her was - he wanted to break her, to conquer her. He was also going about it completely the wrong way. As Caesar had taught her, divide a woman's emotions from her sensibilities and then you have conquered her. In short, make her fall in love with you, not break her physically and then as she suspected Draco was planning to do after the beating, force yourself upon her. Draco was so stupid! Xena's eye's traveled over the young slave's body, taking in the girl's small frame and toned muscles, at a guess she was about 17 and given her small stature it was even more impressive that she was withstanding Draco's beating. Xena turned back to the scum she was in partnership with. ''So what exactly did she do Draco? You know how I feel about whipping the slaves, it's not good for morale'' she growled menacingly at him.
''The SLAVE girl had the audacity to refuse me'' Draco menaced back with a leer ''There's only one woman who can get away with THAT'' he drawled as he put his hands lecherously on Xena's hips. Xena's lip curled, she could see Draco's interest in the girl and if she were honest she wanted her for herself. The girl intrigued her, aroused her, Xena wanted to be the one to conquer this young ice maiden, truly conquer not break her. She wanted to break through the steel gray walls and discover what lay in the depths of her soul and to make the girl hers and hers alone. Her recent lovers had been so..boring and this girl promised a constant challenge, she wouldn't be some sap who'd fall in an instant and pine over her, oh no this girl would be interesting. Punching Draco in the face she grabbed his collar and pulled his now bleeding face to hers and growled, ''The girl is coming with me'' it was a command not a request and Draco knew better than to push Xena when she was like this, better to retreat and save his ego a battering. Shrugging and wiping the blood off his face with the back of his hand he spat out ''The bitch isn't worth it anyways'' as he stormed out of the room.
Xena moved in front of the young woman, ice blue met steel gray once more as Xena untied the slaves wrists. She held the young woman upright and said ''Soo..d'ya have a name? I can't very well keep calling you slave can I?'' The young woman held the warriors gaze, not wanting to submit despite knowing that this woman must be a formidable warlord to scare Draco.
Anger still blazing inside her she replied coolly ''Kateria''
''A Roman...'' Xena observed as she made to help her down from the platform on which she was standing. The small slave's knees buckled as she attempted to move, betraying the pain she was in and as Xena caught her with a gentleness she would never have expected from The Conqueror.
Kateria burned with the shame of having shown weakness in front of the woman warrior. She tried to push Xena away in her struggle to regain herself but Xena easily held her and leaned into the smaller woman, surprised at how much the girl caused her loins to burn as their bodies made contact. Not that she would let on just yet that she desired Kateria, in order to conquer this woman she had to first allow the girl to come to her, she had to break down her considerable defenses, or else find the secret entrance, to get into her soul. By the Gods she was going to enjoy this. Xena smirked, enjoying the feeling of power as she whispered in the girls ear ''you have a fighting spirit Kateria..I like that.. come with me'' fixing the girl with an ice blue stare.
A bolt of electricity coursed through Kateria's body as fear mixed with arousal caused her to take a shuddering breath. By the Gods was Xena coming on to her? She's a warlord who scares Draco, the man who was about to rape her, was she going to take her regardless of her own wants? So the woman made her feel something but she's a viscous killer and Kateria she was unlikely to see her as anything other than a conquest. Anger boiled up suddenly. How dare this woman! She was no better than Draco! Worse maybe, acting all concerned, touching her like that, so confidently, so sure of herself! Kateria's breath quickened. Well I'll show her! Kateria grunted as she stood fully upright, she returned Xena's icy gaze with an equally icy one of her own and said ''Just so long as there's a bath and some clean clothes'' her breath stopped and she flushed again, she could feel her chest and cheeks burning. She knew she'd been cheeky but part of her wanted to push Xena into dropping the act of kindness and just get the humiliations over with, she knew what would be coming but somehow she'd been unable to stop herself, the woman in front of her was confusing her and making her feel reckless.
Xena's eyes narrowed, this one had fire, even after the beating she'd just had, she was still being cheeky, she'd definitely be a challenge, and Xena would relish conquering this girl but as she had sensed earlier, she would have to play it gentle with her... for now. Smirking slightly as the petite brunette tensed for the slap that she's grown to expect from her years as a slave, Xena replied ''I'll see what I can do. Follow.''
Kateria stood frozen, her head reeling. What was going on? She frowned slightly, the blow she'd expected hadn't come, she was even more confused. Was the warlord being kind? She doubted that, she'd heard of Xena and knew she had a reputation as a ruthless disciplinarian, added to that the exchange she'd just witnessed with Draco - a warlord who no one crossed - Kateria was left with an uneasy sick feeling in her stomach. not that she wanted to be struck, but she knew where she stood with physical discipline. The blow comes then it's over. Xena made her feel nervous and apprehensive, where was the catch? She may be a woman but she was still a warlord and warlords weren't supposed to be kind.
''You coming?'' Xena's voice snapped her out of her line of thought.
''Umm.. err.. yes!'' replied Kateria, immediately chiding herself for snapping to attention so promptly. Xena turned and marched off Kateria hurrying along behind her cringing visibly.
As Xena strode ahead of her new plaything she smiled, the girl was already nervous, it thrilled Xena to know that she confused the young slave, that she already had her jumping at her command almost against her will, and that soon she would fullful wishes that the girl didn't even know she had.
