Cassandra lifted the swords out of the box balancing one of them on her fingertip telling her mother "It's so light… the Balance is perfect...!"
Drawing her own blades Xena told Cassandra softly, "Hephaestus owed me a favor, and when he found out they were for family…"
"Family" Cassandra said, doubtfully still not sure she could or should believe her mother's story, she wanted to believe it but it was all to much to hope for, as much as she wanted to believe her mother she was in emotional turmoil. Her head knew her mother had made the only choice she could, her heart needed convincing before she could forgive Xena...
In the same moment outside in the stable yard Hippolyta looked at Gabrielle sizing her up telling her, "You put your heart into your summons… it's the only thing that could have called me back!"
Gabrielle quirked an eyebrow at the comment thinking, Called her back from where and what is she talking about!
"I will explain everything later Sister", Hippolyta stated reading her face, "What you did was..."
"Not you too" Gabrielle said, "Am I really that easy to read"
Looking past Gabrielle for the moment to the stable Hippolyta noticed her old enemy Xena and another woman. Getting ready to draw her sword Gabrielle trapped her hand against the hilt telling Hippolyta, "Xena has changed, until today I didn't know how much.."
It was only then that Hippolyta noticed the other women looked like a younger version of Xena and someone else.
"She is Xena's daughter…" Gabrielle told Hippolyta in a grave tone of voice, "
"Daughter!" Hippolyta asked quizzically, "Who is the Father"
Advancing on Hippolyta Xena said,"What ever your grievance with me is leave my daughter out this... "
"You had better sit down sister" was all Gabrielle told her, "Even I don't know the entire story"
Sitting on a nearby tree stump Xena stated, "It was just after I broke away from Aries, he had just lost his family to Hera's vengeance"
"Her Father is Hercules" Hippolyta stammered.
Drawing in the dirt with a stick "Yes" was all Xena said, "She only found out today I just wanted to keep her away from all of this insanity then I come home to find this." Showing Hippolyta the peacock feather, was all the convincing Hippolyta needed as she asked, "How can I aid you?"
Hippolyta knew the meaning behind the feather it was Hera's way of saying, "Your next"
Cassandra only knew Xena as her mother, she had never seen Xena Warrior Princess until this moment she looked at the women she had been calling Mom for the last 18 years thinking, Is this women my mother, she looks so... different!"
Sensing her daughter's disbelief Xena softly said, "I'm the same women you have always known!" Turning to face her daughter Xena said, "Cassandra you are the one thing that is and was untouched from my past, once we leave here your going to hear allot of stories about me, not all of them say nice things about me"
30 minutes later later Xena stated, "Gabrielle, Hippolyta care to join us for practice... she needs to learn to fight multiple opponents..."
At that comment both Gabrielle and Hippolyta gave each other a look, that said why not. Xena and Gabrielle spent enough time together and she could read Xena's body language to the point that the two had developed a type communication that bordered on telepathic with nothing more than a glance each knew what the other would do.
Xena gave Gabrielle a sideways glance and Gabrielle knew what her intentions were, drawing her sword Gabrielle advances on Cassandra swinging for her with lethal intent.
Reaching over both shoulders Cassandra drew both her Xiphos broadswords, parrying Gabrielle's attack with the one in her left hand and then swinging for Gabrielle's head with the one in her right hand, holding the point of the sword under Gabrielle's chin.
Shaking her head Xena said in a matter of fact chiding tenor, "Gabrielle she is my daughter I started training her at age seven... she's eighteen now"
Gabrielle gave Xena a look that said, "You could have told me sooner..." Drawing a second sword from her horse Gabrielle re-engaged Cassandra in battle.
"In battle you have no way of knowing Gabrielle" I thought you already knew that.
Hippolyta watched as the flow of the fight as it changed hands and then changed hands again thinking, Let's see how you do against a daughter of Aries, Cassandra!
Drawing both her swords Hippolyta waded into the fray slashing and hacking at her cousin, but somehow Cassandra was able to match Hippolyta blow for blow.
Xena watched as her daughter held her own against not one but two Amazon Queens, one of whom Xena trained herself.
Cassandra was fighting Gabrielle with her left hand and Hippolyta with her right and then switching off.
The sounds of swords colliding filled the air.
The fight had been going for three hours Xena had an inkling of what was happening with the fight but even she did not expect what happened next, Hippolyta suddenly screamed, "STOP!"
Placing her swords on the ground Hippolyta removed her belt from her waist and removed the scabbards and said "Cassandra this is yours... it was given to me by my father Aries"
Cassandra slipped her own swords back into the scabbards on her back without giving it a second thought. Then Cinched the belt round her waist not knowing what it truly meant. Placing her hand on Cassandra's shoulder Hippolyta told "You earned that belt."
Xena watched as her daughter put on Hippolyta's girdle thinking, your making my daughter your heir Hippolyta … what type of game are you playing?
Hippolyta looked at Cassandra and said, "So... you're my cousin..." Walking with Cassandra back to the stable Hippolyta said, "Much as I love this little reunion I think we should get moving"
"I thought I had no other family" Cassandra said in a small voice.
"If what Gabrielle tells me is true… all mount Olympus is you family Cassandra!" Hippolyta told her.
Later that night on the nine roads all day, they stopped somewhere between Amphipolis and Thebes the four women pull off the road for the night. Gabrielle and Hippolyta were tending to their horses. Xena and Cassandra sat side by side by the fire when Xena asked her daughter, "Do you understand what accepting that belt means!"
Cassandra looked at her mother confused Worry lines formed on her brow as her brow rose to I high speculative arch asking, "Mama...?"
Hippolyta stepped into the firelight two steps behind Xena taking a seat across from mother and daughter telling Cassandra "Accepting that belt means you are my heir Cassandra"
"I don't understand...!" said Cassandra as she furrowed her brows even deeper her face was awash with confusion.
Tending the fire and in her semi husky yet soft voice and in a serious undertone Gabrielle said "Cassandra... you held your own against not one but two Amazon queens... you have proven yourself Amazon!"
Looking into Cassandra's eyes Gabrielle said, "You could be the queen that unites all the nations once again"
Cassandra just stared at Hippolyta dumbfounded, that morning she was an average teenager, tonight she is a daughter of Hercules and Granddaughter of Zeus himself
Hippolyta half-chided Gabrielle saying, "She is an Amazon Princess, let's not get ahead of ourselves..."
An older man walked into the camp just outside the firelight Hippolyta was the one that noticed his presence first stating "Grandfather step into the firelight and stop stalking in the shadows"