Chapter 3
Zoe's POV
As soon as I saw my Diana, it didn't matter that she was dressed like everyone else, or armed, or anything, I jumped into her arms, and wrapped mine around her neck. I breathed in as deeply as I could, I couldn't figure out what but she smelled off, somehow, almost like my Diana, but not all the way there. Even as her Left arm held me in place, and her right hand rubbed tiny tight circles on my back, I knew something was wrong. It felt almost right, she felt almost right, but not right, like when your babysitter makes Nachos with baked tortilla chips, and Soy cheese, or trying to sleep with your special blanket, the day after it's washed. It takes a few days for it to feel the way it's supposed to. I started wiggling around, Not my Diana took the hint and put me down on the ground. I looked up at her.
"I thought Diana's twin was a boy…." I said.
Not-Diana smiled. "He is…."
"Then how…."
"I am Diana….."
"But not my Diana….wait, Artemis, the Romans called Diana Artemis Diana…..my Diana named my Softball Team the Amazons, 'cause she was Diana….and….."
"I am Artemis, and I am Diana, but not your Diana, not yet."
"Not yet? You will be someday?" I asked. "You hug like her all stiff, and not warm or cuddly at all…."
"Yes, well, I'll be her, in a very long time from now….."
"2,000 years."
"A little more than that, but yes…."
"My Diana said that one day I would go home to my Mommies, am I home now, are they my Mommies?"
"Yes, they are, Princess…."
Gabrielle's POV
I watch as Zoe, my daughter's eyes widen at being called Princess, then she says quietly. "How'd you know to call me that? I didn't even know my name was Zoe until I was went to school, because She called me Princess….."
"Because you are a Princess….." I said. Zoe if she my child, was heir to my throne, Lila had when she turned it down at 16 choosing to study to be a Healer, Midwife and Apothecary, before 16 she has no choice, and while she was still part of my family and my house and treated with the respect that entails, she was no longer part of the line, she turned 16 full seasons at the end of winter, giving her the right to choose, even if she wasn't an adult yet, the age of decision Amazons call it, in the rest of Greece, you become an adult then, but Amazon laws are more complicated than that, as my Regent, Ephiny would have ruled if anything happened to me, but now Zoe would, well eventually, Ephiny would be her Regent if I died before Zoe turned 21, and if both Xena and I were gone, she would also be Zoe's guardian. "You are Princess Zoe, daughter Queen Gabrielle of the Telaquire Amazon tribe…."
"My Diana always called me Princess, but a lot of little girls get called Princess by their Moms, or whoever, I never thought I was one."
"Well you are." Artemis then went on to explain how, she, Athena, Aphrodite, Persephone, The fates and all 9 muses, pooled their powers to create her, after a drunken Goddess' night at one of Aphrodite's temples. And that the girl had powers from each of them. How it all came to be because Aphrodite was sad for her friends, Artemis was worried for her Amazons, and Athena doesn't handle alcohol well, she guesses the fates had a hand in what transpired. She had my Heart, Spirit and Golden Tongue, Xena's drive, passion, and physicality, a touch of extra intelligence from Athena, Warrior Skill and sense Honor from Artemis, not only empathy from Aphrodite, but the Ability to love honestly and openly without judgment, Persephone gave an ability be in tune with nature…..love and knowledge from each muse, and the fates dropped in a touch of I suppose you can call it second sight She can see the consequences of the actions of herself and others, even slightly alter destiny's course, or set things in motion, Artemis mentioned she had a feeling this was the fate's plan all along the evening together was their idea, the topic of conversation was brought up by Aphrodite originally, but they have this way of molding even Gods to their will. She said officially that, Zoe is her Chosen, but only because officially the fates cannot have chosen, but everyone agrees that Zoe belongs as much to them, as her. She also said that, because of this, she's protected from Ares, Zeus and even Hera. That one day she would be the greatest champion the amazons ever knew.
"How is that possible?" Gabrielle asked.
"A God or Goddess's chosen is fully protected from the other Gods, technically speaking there are loop holes, Ares found one in you, because you didn't know you belonged to me. It happens occasionally…..but Zoe is protected not only because of that, but because she also belongs to the fates, not technically as a chosen but no one's stupid enough to go against them….."
"Why not?"
"Gods and Goddesses only have real power if people worship them….believe in them…..but Fates don't have that problem, they also can manipulate any mortal human and not so human to do what they want, they influence enough people, that God or Goddesses loses their powers, but remain immortal, meaning they're stuck on earth forever without the release of death." Zoe said.
I raised an eyebrow, then asked. "And how do you know that, Little one?"
"Diana told me lots of stories like that, like Hades and Persephone were dating for a Good twenty years, before he kidnapped her, he did that because he got tired of hiding the truth, he wanted to marry her, but he knew she'd never tell anyone because she'd have to admit to her Mother, She'd been lying and sneaking out for two decades, and the Amazon nation breaking up into 12 tribes happened because Artemis disobeyed Zeus, and he was punishing her, he was hoping it would wipe them out completely, you know like taking away a favorite toy, or something…." Gabrielle and I looked at Artemis who nodded. "What about my powers?"
"What about them?" Artemis asked obviously amused.
"Do I get them now, or when I'm grown up, or…."
"You have them but you're a child, as you grow and become stronger, so will they. Most of them will come about during puberty, and grow stronger until you become an adult."
"How old?"
"What do you mean?"
"In my time adulthood is 18 to 21…"
"Yes, Well. In your case, you will have them all by 16, but they will not at full strength until you are 21, Amazons come to adulthood in steps, at 16 they are given the ability to make decisions for themselves, chose their path, but their mother, sister or guardian is there to continue guiding them, at 20, they are considered adults, but aren't consider full members of the tribe for another year, so that get used to the responsibility they now have."
"Diana…."
"Artemis, Princess….you must call me Artemis…."
"Of course If you want, but why?" her voice wasn't defiant just curious, and held a great deal of respect in it. I've noticed that over the last few days, she respects everyone automatically, regardless of age, race, gender, or status unless they do something she feels negates that respect. When she saw one of Cyrene's customers attacking his wife, I had to hold her back while Xena dealt with him, she was speaking her Native English almost under her breath so I couldn't understand but I do understand an insult in any language, she can also be disrespectful with her words or actions without meaning to, as any 8 season old can, and often times there are cultural misunderstandings, for instance her first bath, in her culture once you're old enough not to accidentally drown yourself, you bathe alone, and before that only your parents or caretakers help you, she didn't understand my helping her, at all, but once she understood it was fine, embarrassed and shy, but fine.
"Because that is my name here…...and all Amazons, even ones spread far beyond the borders of Greece, call me Artemis."
"Alright…..I understand….." She said with a bright smile.
Xena's POV
I noticed when Zoe smiled one of her teeth was missing, it had been loose, I'd noticed her playing with it, every chance she got since we'd met was the one to the right of her two front teeth. And now it was missing, and there was a noticeable hole in her smile, of course it made her adorable. Now that Artemis mentioned the gifts she had, the fact the Zoe sometimes sounds like a full grown adult when talks, makes a little more sense. No doubt a gift from Athena, or perhaps one of the muses, after all they all speak eloquently.
"Now, I must go….don't be surprised if one of the Goddesses I've mentioned stops by they each have a fondness for her….she spent a moon with us as a baby, before being sent forward….and we all feel a connection to her….but I can tell you right now Aphrodite will make an appearance, despite Zoe being my chosen and the Fates Pet, she has decided to take an interest in her…..if you need me just call out my name, I'll be there, even if you can't see me, I'll be there….I will however not interfere with your Mothers parenting….if they set a rule for you, or feel the need to discipline you, I won't help you break their rules, or stop them from disciplining you….this situation is confusing enough, without my interfering with their parenting choices…." With that she was gone. I looked at my daughter, Zoe my daughter, and smiled. The truth was felt the connection from the moment I saw her. And I know Gabrielle had too. The conversation was just confirming what we already knew in our hearts, and giving us information. Zoe looked like the ground had been pulled out from under her. She looked like she was going to fall where she stood, she yawns. She was only 8 full seasons, 8 summers old, it wouldn't be out of line for us to put her down for a nap. It was the right time of day for one. Suddenly I heard Gabrielle clear her throat.
"Zoe, you need a nap." Gabrielle said.
"Really? Are you sure? I don't feel like I need a nap." Her tone, and the slightly garbled speech from her trying to talk around the thumb in her mouth. I noticed she sucked her thumb in her sleep, but this is the first time she'd done when she awake, or at least partially awake.
"I'm Sure, Little one…." I lifted her up resting her on my left hip, while she placed her head on my left shoulder. I rocked her slightly. "Come, on time for you nap…."
Why is it children never admit to being tired? I carried her into the bedroom, Gabrielle followed and by the time we got her there she was fast asleep, Gabrielle pulled down the covers on our-my bed, and I laid her down. We each took off one of her boots, revealing plain grey woolen socks, which we both removed, along with her leggings, and her tunic, leaving her in her shift, and breaches. We pulled the covers over her. And brought her Blue blanket over to her, which she immediately started cuddling. I kissed her on the head, and so did Gabrielle. We soon joined my mother, in her kitchen were a mug of ale were waiting for each of us.
"So, I have a granddaughter." My mother said. Sipping her own Ale.
"You do…."
"You look happy, Little one."
"I am mother, but I am also scared….I lost one child, I cannot lose another, and at the same time I cannot leave her in the care of someone else, as I did Solan, as much as I regret not being able to protect Solan, regret losing him, mourn him, what I truly regret, is not raising him, not watching him grow, not being there to comfort him in the middle of the night after a bad dream, patch him up when his playing turned to roughhousing, hold him, teach him all the things I mother should…."
"We will raise her, Xena….we will be there for her…and I regret the same thing. Even if Hope never belonged to me, I still regret it…..."
"I know." I said softly. She no longer thought of Hope as her child, she knew she wasn't and never was. She was just a demon who used her body, stole her face, attacked and killed people she loved and nearly destroyed her relationships with me, her sister, and her people. And while she didn't mourn Hope, she does mourn what Hope never was, and I don't begrudge her that, even now. I mourn that too. Mere moments after we sat down, in between the first and second sip of ale to cross my lips, it started thundering and lighting, 3 sips, later, I considered checking on Zoe, when she ran out into the kitchen, dressed in her shift, with her blue blanket wrapped around her. I stood and she ran right into me, tears were in her eyes, and once again her thumb was in her mouth. I lifted her up. "Hey, there, Little one….did the storm scare you?"
She said something I couldn't understand through her thumb, it was also possible she was only half awake and speaking in English. Gabrielle came and stood beside us. "Zoe, sweetie, take your thumb out of your mouth we can't hear you…."
Taking her thumb out of her mouth. "I don't like thunder, and lightening…..rain is okay, but thunder and lighting is scary….."
"Well, How about you sit with us, you sit on my lap…..and I'll protect you." I hear myself saying. She put her head on my shoulder and nodded. I sat back down and she cuddled into my lap, resting her head on my chest. I went back to drinking my ale.
"Zoe, take your thumb out of your mouth." Gabrielle said gently, than added in an even more gentle tone. "If you can't keep it out on your own, we need to put some vinegar on your thumb to help remind you, can you remember to keep it out of your mouth on your own, sweet girl, it's okay if you can't, everyone learns and grows at their own speed."
"I can remember, Mama." She said mumbling, her head resting on my chest. Mother, Gabrielle, and my eyes all met. I suddenly heard her breathing even out.
I whispered. "Is she?"
"Sound asleep." Mother whispered back. The three of us carried on a conversation for the better part of a candle mark, all at a whisper, when Zoe suddenly woke up.
Zoe's POV
I woke up, still in Xena's arms, Diana never would have done that for me, I never would have been sitting on her lap in the first place, unless there just weren't enough chairs. Diana was good for the occasional Stiff and awkward hug, and she did make me feel loved, sort of, but she not the fuzzy wuzzy cuddly type, no matter how much she tried, not that ever did really, didn't figure Xena for one either. But then Diana was my teacher, and guardian and Xena is my mother, Diana always made that clear.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked the room, the fog lifting from my brain. I wasn't sure what to call anyone now. Calling them by their names felt wrong, but so did, calling them, Mama, Mom, Mommy mother, or something like that. Well not wrong, but too early, like I hadn't have earned the right yet. Maybe they didn't want me for a daughter, or anyone for a daughter.
"About a Candle mark." A what? Then I remembered a candle mark was the same as hour. Diana told me once, when she was giving one of her lessons, teaching me to make a candle clock. I always thought a lot of those lessons were weird, but I guess they all served a purpose.
"Okay, can I go out in play?"
"No, it's still raining outside….you'll get soaked through and covered in mud…."
I didn't understand why those were reasons, but decided not to fight it. I couldn't fight anything, not yet. "Then what am I going to do?"
"Well, I have to write a letter to my regent…explaining what is going on." Gabrielle said softly.
"Ephiny…." I said remembering the Xena stories.
"That's right….how did you know that?"
"My Diana, told me all kind of stories, mostly about the Olympian Gods, the Amazons, or um you and um….well you two…." Gabrielle had a funny look then it went away.
"Really?"
"Oh, yes…."
"What else do you know about us?"
"I don't know….When you met, Prometheus, Becoming an Amazon and your training afterward, Ephiny's wedding, The Black Wolf, when Xenon was born and Gabrielle almost died and you changed the General's heart, When Gabrielle met Meleager, when G-Gabrielle became Queen and the whole Lava pit thing, David, Perdicus, the furies, Aphrodite enchanting Gabrielle's Scroll…."
Gabrielle's POV
"That one was only about a moon or so ago…." I said soft.
"She told me, about Hope and Solan too…." "
"She had no right to that…." I said grimly. Thinking of Solan, and how I killed my child for him, how Xena killed Callisto in fit of grief and insanity, and how we nearly killed each other over the whole thing. And how Solan had brought us back from that.
"Why not?" Zoe looked up at me, with those big bright green eyes. Full of questioning innocence.
"Because the story, is very personal, and maybe too scary for you, I think you might be too little to hear it…."
"Well she didn't give me details, exactly…."
"What did she say?" Xena asked.
I took a deep breath and recited every word that Diana said about Hope and Solan together. "Hope was a demon who grew inside Gabrielle of Potidaea before she had completely transformed into the Battling bard, using her body, then stealing her face, killing or attacking those she loved, including Xena's son Solan and almost destroying their friendship…Solan who cared about them both repaired what he could after he died in a made up world called Illusia, and even though he couldn't fix it all, their bond to each other, commitment to the greater good and love for those in their life, especially those they held in great affection took priority over any issues that lingered."
Needless to say, I was for once in my life speechless. The words hit me mule kick to that very sensitive area of the stomach, that Eponin and Ephiny taught me to strike if I need to disable my opponent in one move and that area happened to be bare. But it wasn't as if any of those words weren't true. I wondered if she understood them. She had simply recited them, like I had heard, every Amazon child her age recites things mythology, history, philosophy, mathematics, before they truly understand them.
Xena's POV
Suddenly she crawled off my lap. "And where do you think you're going?"
"I have to go." We had learned that first day, before we even reached Mother's inn that was a euphemism for using the bushes or the room of necessity. We also learned that she preferred to wash in warm water, or use some waterless soap, she made from herbs, she offered to show us how to make some from herbs here. So far, I was pretty amazed at how easy going she was, but I knew it was just the calm before the storm. She's shown a handful of defiant moments, enough for me to know she had a hidden defiant streak. After she used the room of necessary and washed up. She sat on Gabrielle's lap as Gabrielle wrote to Ephiny.
"What does it say?" She asked.
"You can't read?"
"Apparently not in Greek, I can read in English, pretty good….well, for an 8 year old…there are a lot of big words I can't read yet, but I'm looking at this and I have no idea what it says….so, apparently that thing where I just know Greek, isn't with writing too."
"I see….well, we better teach you, Every Amazon child knows how to read…."
"Why? I mean how'd You manage that, everyone in my country is supposed to learn how to read but some slip through the cracks and never learn." Her voice held no sarcasm or hostility, just open curiosity, and a touch of wonder, which I suppose is the largest trait she inherited from Gabrielle.
"Education is very important to Amazons, aside from the warrior arts, hunting tracking, fishing, Amazons Laws and customs….the legends of the gods…."
"I know all those….Diana taught me all of those….."
"I'm sure she did….."
"Well, some of them anyway…..she taught me every story you could imagine and a lot about camping, warrior arts, and survival but there were laws back home, that kept her from teaching me some things, something about child endangerment, child abuse, and damned interfering bleeding heart liberals who don't know who they're messing with"
"Ah….." I said, Unsure of what to add to that.
"Will you read it to me?"
"It's not quite finished yet."
"Read me what you have so far, please…I know I made you mad before….."
"Shh….now, you didn't make me mad…."
"I know how to read those little tiny expressions your face and body make that you don't know you make that most people don't notice….Diana taught me, yours told me you were Angry when I told you, Diana told me about Hope and Solan….."
"I was, but I wasn't angry at you, or Diana, I was angry at the demon who created the situation who hurt me, and caused everything….."
"Oh….."
"You see, those were not happy memories…..Hope's existence, her birth, Solan's death, any of it…that's all."
"Oh….I can understand that."
Gabrielle's POV
Zoe snuggled deeply into me as if she understood my need to be comforted. "Can I ask you a question that's a little off topic?"
"Of course." Thank the Gods.
"What do I call you and Xena?"
"What do you mean?" Xena asked.
"Well, calling you by your names, now seem wrong, same with Cyrene…..I mean doesn't it?" She asked.
"Yes, I suppose it does." I said.
"So, what do I call you, I can't call both the same thing….and refuse to call one of you Mother, anyway, it's way too formal….I'm an affectionate type." She said.
"Well, what did you call Artemis?"
"Diana, Artemis is Artemis, and Diana is Diana." She said as a matter of factly
"Alright."
"I called her Diana….."
"When she explained to you, that you had two mothers, what did you imagine them?" I asked.
"Well, one of you would have been..." she said two words in English.
"Do you know the translation in Greek?"
"Mama and Mommy."
"You called me Mama this afternoon when you were half asleep….." I said through a smile.
"I did?"
"Yes….."
"Then it's settled." Xena said smiling.
"How come when I was half asleep, I spoke in Greek, but when I was thinking and awake I spoke in English….."
"The Gods work in mysterious ways….." Cyrene said.
"I guess…..so what do I call you….."
"Grandma is fine….." She said.
Zoe's POV
"Grandma, Okay…." I said, in Greek. In my mind though I was thinking how in English it sounded like the first word in that Sandra Bullock Ashley Judd Movie where they rode in the Airplane, drove down the street topless, Sandra Bullock wore a mutilated Yankee cap, and bunch a stuff I don't remember because I kept falling asleep. It was on TV when I had strep last year. "So what does, the letter say?"
"You want me to read it to you?" Mama said.
"Please."
"Greetings Regent Ephiny, I hope this message finds you and our people well. I am doing much better since the last time you saw me, Xena and I are still serving the common good, and helping people where and when we can. We are currently staying not far from the village in Amphipolis with Xena's mother. I have Good news, not only will be coming to see you long before winter sets and the village will be our next destination, but I have a daughter, well Xena and I have a daughter, she is 8 full seasons, I am sure you are wondering how this came to be, well she is a gift from the Gods, specifically the Moon Goddess Artemis. Before you panic, and send an amazon contingent to my aid, Artemis appeared to me herself, she assured me that this was truth, that this child was blessing, and explained that she, her sisters, Athena and Aphrodite, cousin Persephone, the fates and all nine muses got together and created this child from me and Xena and blessed it with gifts from each of them, and for 8 full seasons she herself raised this child, far in the future, before returning the girl to us. Her name is Zoe, and she is everything one would want in a daughter, I cannot wait for you and the tribe to meet her. When we come to the visit the girl will be welcomed, and will be accepted as my heir. On not only on my orders but Artemis's. Make it clear that it was Artemis who sent her to me and Xena. I understand the destruction that Hope caused but Zoe is not Hope, Hope did grow inside me but was never my child, Zoe didn't, and very much is….."
"I like it."
"Thank you….."
"So how is it going to get there?"
"We'll hire messenger….He'll take it to the edge of the tribal lands, the guard will come of tree, ask him why he's there, and he'll tell her, and she'll take the scroll, and give it to Ephiny who will read it."
"Messengers walk?"
"They run, from run from sun up until sundown taking half candle mark rest breaks every two candle marks, and they stop for water, and food, they travel from village to village delivering messages…..how do you communicate with people far away."
"We can talk to people far away like they are standing right in front of us, and we can write to someone and they'll get in just few candle drips…..everything happens right now….we could have gotten from where you met me to the inn, in maybe a quarter candle mark…..everything here is so slow….."
"And that's a bad thing."
"Not a bad thing, just different…..but a lot things are different, that aren't necessarily good."
"What do you mean?"
"People die here of fever, bad falls, animals attacks, broken bones, right?"
"Yes, it's unfortunate but yes…."
"Those are all very rare where I come from…..almost no one dies from any of that, they get better, and it's either forgotten or it becomes a funny childhood story their parents bring out to embarrass when they're all grown up."
"Women here belong to their husbands?"
"If they're not amazons yes…."
"In My Country, Women can vote, run for public office, own property, serve in the military, be a doctor, our word for healer, they can teach, act, do anything man can do. In their relationships they are equals, And men if they choose can stay home and raise the children…..most men don't, but I know, knew a few who did, while their wives went to work."
"That is different." Grandma said.
Xena's POV
I knew what my mother was thinking, if our society was like that, she wouldn't have married my father in the first place, and she wouldn't have had any of us. At least I think that's what she was thinking. She smiled at me and took my hand across the table and squeezed it. Apparently we were thinking the same thing.
"Mommy?" Zoe asked.
"What Little one?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing Little one, Everything's fine, now we need to finish this message, and get it to him so he can leave first thing in the morning…."
"How long will it take him?"
"Well that depends on how many other messages he has to deliver, and the weather, it's Autumn now, but it should take him about half a moon, give or take a day or two….." I answered.
"How long will it take us to get there? Mama wrote we were going…."
"About half that, you see all three of us will be on horse back, and we won't have to make as many stops….see messengers, carry scrolls for lots of people, not just one person….but again it depends on the weather….horses don't like the rain and wind, just as much as people don't like it…."
"I like it sometimes, but I don't like thunder and lighting, it's scary, and I don't like when it's pouring so hard you can't see straight, or your soaked all the way to through…..or when the wind and rain mix and it's all blustery, and makes you shiver…what I like is in the summer, when there's and it rains really hard for a quarter candle mark, but the sun is still shining really bright, and you go out and you dance, and run and run out and play in it….and it's almost like swimming…..and you splash around…..and then it stops, and you lay down on a dry blanket and sun yourself…."
I smiled, that description sounded like something, I would do, in fact it sounded like something I had done. Only my mother had forced us to use soap, and wash ourselves during those summer showers. We finished the message., Gabrielle started teaching Zoe the Alphabet, each letter, it's sound, by the time, they made it successfully through the entire alphabet, dinner was ready. At Dinner Athan had an announcement.
"Damia and I are to be wed…." He said. "It's been finalized. It's been a real whirlwind courtship, I admit, but we love each other…..and I love the children, Desa is extremely excited, even Melaney is mildly optimistic…..as a solider, I never family for two reasons, one I felt I could serve two masters, I needed to be a family man, or a military man, and two, I never felt I could marry a woman I didn't love, and when I met Damia, you've heard the expression to fall in love?" Myself and the others nodded. "This was better, her love lifted me up."
Athan continued to explain. He and Damia would married in a few weeks. Zoe was bored out of her skull, and volunteered to help mother with the dishes, I was bored too and luckily I got to excuse myself to put her to bed. The days passed quickly, everyone began preparing for the wedding, she'd been overly helpful the last few weeks. Gabrielle began teaching Zoe how to read and write she was a quick study making us both proud. She was already nearly at her age level for Amazon literacy, during wedding preparations I overheard a conversation between Desa and Zoe that nearly killed me.
"Athan will make a good father, for me and Melaney."
"I'm Happy for you…."
"You don't sound happy for me."
"Athan's choosing to be your dad, he told us he already loved you, and your mother gave birth to you….My mothers were forced, they don't have to love me, now, or ever…and I don't know if they do…." My heart almost stopped. "I've been behaving as perfect as I can, and It's killing me…..I'm not sure I can do it anymore, it's only been two weeks and I think I'm going to explode….but if I stop….before we get to the village and make to official then they can give me back, and even if I can make it until after then they never have to actually love me."
I felt as if my heart broke in half right then and there. How could she think that. Because it's easy to love someone when they're perfect. She's convinced herself, that we will never actually love her, but if she can at least act perfect until the ceremony where she's named princess…
"Why would you think that Zoe?"
"Well, neither one them ever said it.' Damn it. "And I was forced on them….just like Hope was forced on Mama, I love them so much, I just want them to love me too…..maybe over time, they'll grow fond me of me or something. Like people in arranged marriages….there was this couple back home they'd been married 60 years, it had been arranged, they hated each other when they were married, but by the time I knew them they were comfortable with each other, familiar, they had inside jokes, and warm smiles, and shared children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, maybe it could be like that…..I could live with fondness it wouldn't have to be love….Diana didn't love me, that was fondness and warmth, a student teacher relationship, it was nice, it would be familiar….."
"You want to play dolls?"
"How about army." That part made me smile. Mother had taken out all my and my brothers old toys when we arrived. There were many. But it included, a few toy soldiers, and when we went on the road, we wouldn't be able to take them with us. We could only be able to take what we could carry. I became lost in thought before Cortese, I still rebelled every chance I got, there were times I couldn't sit comfortably for days, but I knew I was loved, I knew I wouldn't be abandoned, I knew there was nothing I could do that wouldn't eventually be forgiven, but had I felt that love had to be earned, or was conditional. Even I might have tried to be perfect too. Actually I know that's what I would have done, because that what I did with Ares, I never bedded Ares, I never crossed that line, but I was the perfect warrior for him. Because his love was conditional, his obsession of course isn't, but his love and affection is. I turned to go back into the inn, from watching their conversation outside. Gabrielle and Damia looked at me as if I'd gone insane.
"Xena are you alright, you don't look well?" Damia asked. "Are the girls behaving themselves?"
"They're fine, but Gabrielle and I are in Big trouble, Gabrielle we need to talk…..it's important…."
Once I got Gabrielle alone, I repeated everything I'd heard and she burst into tears, her parents were like that. Her Lila had to be perfect, or well. For Gabrielle's own child to think that, Gabrielle couldn't handle that. She was inconsolable for quite a while. It not like it was uncommon. Many men behaved that way toward their children, and their wives, most women didn't, a few did. After Gabrielle calmed down we told my mother, who was surprised and saddened, she showed her love through actions, not words, and had smothered the girl with love, but actually said the words. We had some planning to do.
Zoe's POV
Desa and her Mom had to go home. We went through our day, and we had dinner. And our bath, Mama told me a story about her parents they didn't show any affection or love they just expected her and her sister to be perfect, her and Mommy didn't expect that of me, exactly, they expected me to obey, at least that's what Mama said, then she shared how she was scared to admit she loved me because if I got taken away or something happened to me, or I didn't love her back, her heart would just break into millions of little pieces but that was her mistake she is the Mama and it's her responsibility to take that risk and love me anyway, no matter the risks. She said her heart loved her the minute she met me long before she knew I was her daughter, she knew her heart, she knew truth. I still wasn't sure I believed it, or when Mommy said nearly, the same thing but added something about her failing. I decided I would test them with something small, something that I had done to Diana and had not gotten into too much trouble about. I had decided to climb to the roof, I scaled the building, and sat outside, they looked for me, finally I said.
"Up here." Mommy flipped up onto the roof. And sat down next to me.
"How'd you get up here?"
"I climbed." She swatted, my leg. "Ow."
"Answer me without the attitude, young lady."
"I honestly didn't think I had one."
She smiled. "I suppose you didn't, how did you climb…."
"I scaled the inn….am I trouble?"
"Yes, but that was your intention, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Well, you may not like the outcome."
Xena's POV
Her face became red and eyes filled with tears. "You're going to give me back."
I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her. "Never, ever, Little one, I love you far too much for that I would go to Tartarus and back for you, take on every God on Olympus not that I'd have to given who you are, what I meant was that you're getting your very first spanking, and you're not going to like it very much. Your backside might have its own heartbeat when I'm done with you, wandering off, is very dangerous and coming up here, is even more dangerous."
"I've done it before, I didn't get in trouble….Diana was proud of me…..She lectured me for a long time but she said how proud she was, and bought me ice cream."
"What's, never mind. So, you thought it was a little thing something small, to test us on?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, but it was still dangerous, and you still knew you were breaking a rule….we told you so….but when I'm done spanking you me and Mama will hold you for as long as you want at least until it's time to eat, I promise."
"You do?"
"Listen this is very important, it's something you may not know, I never break my word, or my promise, about anything."
Gabrielle's POV
So Xena didn't really spank Zoe so hard, her backside didn't get it's own heartbeat, but Xena's did give her sword hand quite a workout, given Zoe's age, and that she was small for her size, Xena didn't want to actually hurt her. She ended up covering the girl's entire bottom and midway down the back of her thighs in bright pink coloring. She would be sleeping on her stomach for at least one night, and wouldn't be able to sit comfortably at dinner, or breakfast. It certainly wouldn't hurt past that, it would still ache a little for the rest of the day tomorrow, but unless she decides to go for a horseback ride too soon or does something to get more than swat this slowly dying fire shouldn't reignite. After her spanking we held her until the evening meal. Then she decided to sit on Xena's lap, it was a trick to cushion her throbbing bottom and we all knew it, but it was also an Amazon custom, that after a spanking, that a child sit on a parent's lap, during a meal, most Amazonian parents just do it the first few meals, afterward especially if they have more than one child, but it's unusual for Amazons to only have one child a piece, or for the children to be for far apart in age, for them to be in different for that not to be an issue, You may not need Men to raise children, but with the exception of Zoe, you need them to make them. Which is how men became so powerful in the first place. And we let them. The laws for Amazons becoming pregnant, are very strict. I was grateful for Zoe in that respect after losing Perdicus and never having Hope but losing her, it was unlikely I was going to have a child, unless I adopted, which have more likely if I stayed in the amazon village. After dinner, we bathed and put Zoe to bed, at breakfast she chose my lap. I held her tight, as she ate the lost apple toast.
"Why do we eat with our hands?" She asked.
"What do you mean? What else would we eat with?" Xena asked with an amused raised eyebrow.
"Well, you saw the small duller knife, small spoon, and pitchfork looking thing in my bag, those eating utensils….they're for eating meals….."
"We use spoon sometimes."
"But nothing else….it doesn't make sense to me."
Zoe's POV
The wedding came and gone and now it was time to leave for the Amazon village. I had said good bye to Desa the first friend I had made here, I had entire town of friends in Luna falls, I made friends easily enough, like Mama I suppose, she's easy going like that, unless you're a merchant she's buying something from. Merchants don't like her at all. I must have had this skill even back home, because I was an eBay master even at 8, and the flea market vendors three towns over cowered in fear when came by. And I always knew how to find the bargains no matter what store I went to. Mommy's good at making Allies not friends, I think Mama, might be her only real friend. But they're more than friends, they don't know it yet, it's obvious the way they talk with their eyes, they're meant to be together. I'm going to make it happen, maybe Aphrodite can help me, since she's one of the Goddesses who helped created me, but I need to focus right now. We need to say Good Bye to Grandma. I had made her something out of some scrap leather pieces.
"It's a friendship bracelet, they're very common where I come from….I mean when I come from…..I made it for you, well, I weaved it for you, I'm not sure where the leather came from, I asked Mommy, She had some spare leather pieces she said I could have them, and I made it for you, that way, you'll have a piece of me you can show people…" I tied it to her wrist. "and this…." I handed her latest school photo. "It's a photograph….it's a long story, it's a real time still frame image of someone, like a painting, or an etching but more real….you can't ever show anyone but no matter where I go, or how far I travel, or how big I get, you'll have this….keep it in the casing or it'll get faded and ruined."
Gabrielle's POV
We've been on the road for three days, we're in the last village before, Amazon lands. Then four more days of open road, then the first of our outer boarders, then an hour or so to the village. And Zoe must finally believe we're in this for good, because she is in the midst of a tantrum.
Xena's POV
Zoe is now sulking with a slightly stinging bottom, Gabrielle didn't tan her or anything just gave her two quick stinging swats, while I dealt with the reason for her tantrum, the stable hand dealing with Kari and Argo, Argo being a warhorse can take care of herself, I'm sure Kari having been trained by Artemis can as well, but Zoe doesn't know that. We are only going to stay at the inn next door tonight because of the incoming storm, and because Gabrielle brokered a deal with the owner that will benefit us much more then him. I whisper in her ear. "I will talk to the stable boy, Little one, but have another tantrum like that and you will have the hottest backside in the known world."
Zoe's POV
After Mommy talked with the Boy, I saw him boy white, and pale. Then nod. We went into the inn, which wasn't as nice was Grandma's inn, and definitely didn't smell as nice. We shared a room, I had another pallet on the floor. it was a smaller room. We had to eat a different time then the men, and two of the men kept calling Mama and Me a word I didn't know when they saw our staffs. I tried to search my brain for the word in English but there was some kind of blank. I mean what's a Harlot? Sounds like some kind of fish, if you ask me. Mama and Mommy and I all bathed together again, Mama was washing me, while Mommy washed her, I wondered who washed Mommy. After our baths, I put on my warmer sleep shift, and Mama and Mommy took their turns tucking me in, I almost forgot my question until the end of Mama's story.
"I have a question." I yawned.
Gabrielle's POV
"It'll have to wait until morning, Sweet girl, it's time for me to go tell stories to the crowd and for your Mommy to sing to you now."
"Well, can I ask it now, and you answer it tomorrow….I'll forget otherwise…."
"Of course."
"What's a Harlot?" My eyes widened, it was a term for a warrior or Amazon woman, it had come to also mean prostitute, but its original meaning was just slang for Amazons. People have now taken over the word, and it became derogatory I can't be sure which they meant, it might not necessarily be derogatory, if the men were elderly saw our staffs, or have traded or fought alongside amazons when they were young when it was the slang that's all it might be, otherwise it could be a derogatory term for warrior, Amazon or prostitute. And I have no way of knowing. At one time an Amazon would have been proud to be called a harlot, and later an female warrior would, not it's a dirty world for any woman to be called it. "Why do you want to know?"
"two angry men kept calling you and me that." She yawned again and kept struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Alright, Good night, sweet girl." I kissed her head, exchanged a look with Xena and the two of us, exchanged places. She took over singing while I went to make us some dinars. It was a Good night. I made more money than usual, I didn't add any new stories, but I did add a new twist on the Persephone/Hades story. I had inside information how could I not? I didn't share what I knew about the amazons that I would share with the elders council and my regent when I got to the village.
The next day, at breakfast, we had a serious discussion with our daughter about the word Harlot she pointed out the men, and then said. "Take it back."
"Excuse me?"
"take back the word, Mama, it's your word, it used to be your slang for a word that meant something Good, then the men stole it take it back….in my time, the Word Bitch didn't just mean a female dog, is also Meant an unpleasant, cunning, certain kind of woman well, we took the word back, we're like well, we take the ownership of the word, it's a word for a woman acts like man, so, good…..it's not an insult, it's compliment, it's only an insult if you use it as one, It's also one of sentences, Babe in total control of herself, it makes sense in English."
"I'm sure….so we take back Harlot…."
"I would…..its your word they stole it."
Xena's POV
After breakfast we set out, I insisted, that Zoe ride with me so that both horses could get used to it, if it was actually needed. Argo actually seemed to like her, no doubt because of those future horse treats Zoe keeps slipping her. I've caught her slipping both horses them, three times since, she's arrived, I told her last time, the next time she gets caught giving them to the horses without permission, they get taken away and I dole them out. Now all three of them are mad at me. And now that Zoe knows we love her and are going to stay her parents, she's been testing those limits. Right now she's playing one of her harmonicas, a soulful, melody that would have me weeping.
"What song is that?" I ask.
Zoe's POV
"It's a Love song, but no romantic love, friendship, it's from a musical, called wicked, a musical play where they sing musical numbers, in its about how woman condemned as being wicked really she isn't, she really a very kind soul…..she's best friends with a very friendly popular sort….they sing a song together, it's sung it goes like this…..I spoke the words aloud, knowing they could only be sung in English "I'm limited, just look at me, I'm limited, just look at me…and look at you, you can do, all I couldn't do, Glinda, I've heard it said, many times people come into our lives for a reason, we must learn and we are led, to those who help us most of all if we let them and we help them in return and I don't know if all that's true but I know who I am today because I knew you, like a comet pulled from orbit when it passed the sun like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through it's run, who knows If I've been changed for better, but I have been changed for Good, it well may be that we'll never meet again in the life time but so just let me say before I part so much of what I am today is made up of what I've learned from you, like a handprint on my heart and now whatever way our stories end you have rewritten mine by being my friend…..like a ship blown off its mooring by a wind of the sea, like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant
wood, who can say if I've changed for the better, but because I knew you I have changed for Good, because I knew you I changed for good, and just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things you blame for, but I guess we know there's blame to share, and none of it seems to matter anymore, like a comet pulled orbit as it passes sun, like a boulder that meets stream halfway through wood, like a ship blown off it's mooring, like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood, who knows if I've been changed for the better but I have been changed for Good, I do believe I have been changed for the better, because I knew you, because I knew you, I changed for good. It sounds better in English and set to music, and sung as duet….by professionals…."
"I thought it was lovely, I couldn't have written it better myself." Mama said quietly.
"I didn't write it, it was from a musical I saw…..I could play it for you, I have the music on my Pad, but every time I turn it on, you get so upset."
"Because, it's a dangerous device to have, Little one…" Mommy said.
"Well, maybe we should give it back to Artemis, technically it's hers."
"What do you mean hers?"
"It belonged her, I kind of co-opted it a few months ago, started using it….and it became mine, I always asked, every single time I wanted to use it, or add something to it, and she always said yes….but it's still hers, and I wanted to give it back to her when we saw her the a few weeks ago, but I forgot I was too I think the word is dumbstruck."
"We should be stopping for lunch soon call for her then, and return it to her."
Gabrielle's POV
We did stop for lunch, and had dried venison and some cheese, first we decided to examine it. There was an application that translated some things into our dialect of Greek, there was a Letter from her Diana.
Dear Xena and Gabrielle, I know this seems like an odd way to reach you, and it is, but I had to communicate with you, with Zoe being as unaware as possible, I had to teach her as much as I could with her being unaware of her destiny in the least. I could only tell her she would go home to her Mothers some day and I wasn't one of them, that was the extent of it, and since the world we lived in didn't believe in Amazons, the Greek Gods, or Xena and Gabrielle, all of those things had to either be myths or history and the other skills I had to teach had to be camping, or part of girl scouts, or a punishment, or some other activity, I had to slip these things in. and as much as I could teach her, the written form of Greek has changed so much in the last two thousand years that she would definitely wonder, and the grammar and syntax has changed enough, that she would have a language barrier if she tried to use it on our trip to Greece last year. In this mode the entire tablet, functions in ancient Greek, it will give you a glimpse into her life, when you've learned what you can, then call for me, and have her return what she borrowed. Every mother should know their child's first step, first bath, first day of school, favorite color, biggest fear, favorite food, these memories you couldn't be a part of, but I wanted you to know them anyway.
By the time we turned in the night before the day we were arrive in the village. Xena and I knew these things. We saw images of a tiny dark haired girl, in wearing nothing, racing across a wood floor, giving her modesty now we both smiled at that. Her first day of school she was dressed in some kind of dress, her hair in two braids, and she was carrying a box and some kind of bag on her back.
Diana I don't want to go to school, who will help you at the spa?
I have plenty of people who help me….you'll like school… I think it was the hours of training sessions that got to Xena she was good, very Good, we had never sparred with her before. Not really. There never truly seemed to be time. She had all of Xena skills. All of them. We looked through photographs of her growing up, glimpses of her life. We had studied it all. The final mourning we shared it with Zoe one last time we laughed together and then had her call Artemis.
"You called?"
"Yes, Artemis, I'm sorry, but I borrowed something from the other you, and didn't return my mother insist I return it you now." She looked at what Zoe was holding and smiled.
"Forget that for now, introduce me first." Aphrodite said impatiently
"Aphrodite, this is Zoe, Zoe, this is Aphrodite, Goddess of love."
"Hello, Did you connect Damia and Athan?"
"I did…."
"I thought I felt you, how come I couldn't see you?"
"Because I didn't let myself, be seen….ah, you're so cute…just like her Mommies." She pinches the girl's cheeks. "I do nice work….."
"It wasn't just you Dite."
"I know, I know it was all of us…..at least Thene, isn't taking all the credit, you know how she can be."
"A Pompous Over-important windbag….." Zoe said, earning her a swat from Xena, which caused her to yelp.
"Zoe, I may not worship the Gods, but you're a child, and she helped create you, so a little respect"
"That's a direct quote….Diana referred to Athena as that…."
Aphrodite's eyes lit up, and smile became almost gleeful. "What did she say about me?"
"That She could see how it could be more annoying when every mortal man in sight would fall for Aphrodite instead of you, but when it came down to it she could see why Artemis would actually want to do less physical damage to her than Athena, but could also see how Artemis probably wished Aphrodite would spend a little more time on Amazonian love matches, then the rest of Greece…."
Aphrodite lit up and hugged Artemis "I knew you cared."
"Do you never stop?"
"Not really no."
"Fine….." she retrieves the tablet from, Zoe. "Thank you for returning this Zoe. Amazons are an honor bound society and this didn't belong to you, but you'll learn all about that in Amazon laws and ethics, it's very dry, but the most important class an Amazon nearing adulthood can take."
"Uh, tell me about even I had to take it…and I was already Queen….didn't matter in there though and I got my Royal butt good and paddled more than once for talking out of turn."
"So long, Gabrielle, we have to go, I told the Amazons you're on the way…."
"Good, to meet you Little Darling, So Arte, you want to go to Spa?"
"Why not apparently I own one in the future, maybe you can help me figure out how to make mine, you are an expert?"
"So true." They disappear. We quickly finished, then rode on, hitting the first of the outer boarders, We immediately made the peace signals, all three of us. And two young boarder guards no older than 21 came down.