Chapter Three
"Where am I?" Xena asked dazed and confused. She was sweaty and lying in a very comfortable bed.
"Is this her?" She heard a voice asked. It sounded young and serious of someone regal.
"Yes, my Queen, we weren't expecting her to be with child, we must have gotten the wrong dimension. It looks like she hasn't fought in years."
"No matter a warrior never forgets and we won't have another chance."
"Is the child coming?"
"Soon my Queen, she has labored even while unconscious."
"Who are you people?" Xena managed to ask more loudly than her last question as a contraction ran through her body. "Ah!" She moaned.
"That is not important, but right now Madam you must push," said a man. Xena nodded. She didn't know how she understood their foreign tongue, but she did quite well. Someone helped her lift up as she bared down to birth her child. Where ever she was she didn't think she was any immediate danger accept that of losing her child. She didn't sense danger. She did however realize that her other children were missing.
"Chastity," She called as she fell back.
"We have a head my queen." The cries of a baby filled the air.
"Who's Chastity?"
"I do not know." They urged her to push again and Xena did so. She sat back in tears as her eyes focused on her child.
"It's a girl my Queen," The man who held her baby announced.
"Give her to me," Xena moaned as the person next to her moved. They continued talking as her child cried. "Give her to me."
"Should we kill it my Queen?"
"No, give her the child." He nodded and placed the baby next to Xena. Xena cradled her in her arms as exhaustion ran through her body. She took a good look at her as the baby's cries died down. Xena fell asleep thinking of all her children and hoping that they too had been saved by these unknown figures. She could only adjust from there.
"Ah you are awake." Xena had just opened the velvet hangings on the huge bed. Her daughter was not beside her and she did not hear any of the other children. She was surprised at the quality of her sheets and blankets, even her night dress was made from the softest cotton. The curtains had revealed to her a woman dressed in the finest cloth money could buy of many different fabrics. There were also several layers to her dress making her hips look narrow. She had many jewels that made a statement.
"Who are you?" Xena also realized that there had been a lot of architectural advancements from the furniture to the structure around her. The walls even had paint on them and it didn't look horrible.
"Me I am Queen Elizabeth of England."
"England?" Xena asked. "I've traveled the world I've never heard of such a place or spoken this language until today. What's going on?"
"Of course not you come from the past, my dear, I had you brought here to help me handle a great crisis, don't worry all your children are safe and the flood did not kill anyone." Xena was relieved to hear that everyone was safe.
"Why would you bring me to the future?"
"Because you are a great warrior and we need someone like you, a hero." Xena nodded.
"Can you send us back?"
"I'm afraid no, we had attempted to grab you from a dimension when you did not have children yet at least. Unfortunately there was a serious storm that wasn't quite as bad here as I imagine it was in Greece from how soaked you were, but it interfered greatly."
"And you expect me to survive the future with no knowledge, money or family. In my experience Monarchs don't last too long." She smiled.
"Yes, well I will pay you and give you an estate and title. I will help you secure marriages for your daughters and sons. I'm sure your second son will make his fortune in the world too."
"I'm sorry you'll have to explain your society to me because I don't believe that my daughters need a man to survive."
"Of course forgive me; I forget that I am of your nature. I too rule alone, no man will rule over me which is why I shall not marry. Perhaps you would grant me your first son as an heir."
"I want to see my children now." Queen Elizabeth nodded.
"Yes, of course, I will call my ladies in to help you dress." Ladies dressed almost as grandly as the Queen. Queen Elizabeth merely watched as they bathed her despite her protests, but she still slightly weak. They dried her off and pulled a linen chemise over her head as the ladies gathered a small farthingale, stockings, bodice because Xena refused a corset, petticoats, gray kirtle, forepart, than the actual gown after refusing a partlet. Fortunately this left some of her shoulders and the upper part of her chest exposed. Xena noticed that the dress however impractical it looked the top had been specially designed to come apart so she could breastfeed. As more and more layers piled on she understood why she needed another woman at least. After that came her separate sleeves and shoes.
"Now for your ruff."
"Ruff?" Queen Elizabeth indicated the one around her neck.
"No, they're highly impractical and I don't want one." They went back and forth and Xena made it clear that if Queen Elizabeth wanted her respect and loyalty she would have to earn it like every other Monarch before her. She was not a sword to be hired, but in light of the circumstances she had to be.
"I am my own person and to me your word isn't law though they may consider it to be." Queen Elizabeth would have usually thrown a tantrum and asked the person who the hell they thought they were, but she was talking to Xena and she knew her nature it was of her own there would be no changing it and she was sure who would dominate if they butted heads too much and she couldn't afford to lose her.
"Fine, bring the children to their mother." They nodded and left all but one lady, who finished brushing her long wavy black hair and secured a French hood to her head.
"Can I get some water?" She asked the remaining lady.
"Yes princess." She left out.
"Princess?" Xena asked as she took a seat in a chair with some difficulty, she was uncomfortable.
"I have announced that you are my sister, certified that you were my mother's last and secret child by my father Henry the VIII. Remember you were born in the Tower of London and a guard smuggled you out. You have been living in the country all your life and were raised by a kind nanny. I was notified of your existence only when I became Queen. My father did know about you, but did not want the public to know of you to avoid a revolt. Executing a pregnant woman would not have been in anyone's favor." Xena nodded.
"How do I explain my children?" Xena asked. "I know nothing of your parents."
"Do not worry I will give you all my knowledge. You will be as well learned as I am once this is all over. You will know of my father, but you have to remember to state that you never met the man personally and of course you never knew my mother. Most importantly if anyone asks he provided you with three thousand pounds a year. I am going to provide you with the same for each member of your family."
"And how will you explain the children?" Xena asked.
"It will be made clear that it was never you or my father's intention that you come to court or marry anyone of your status. You married beneath you and now he is dead leaving you penniless. He was a poor farmer." Xena nodded.
"Sounds about right when I think of Eric except he was a bastard and tried to oppress me."
"Men it is why I will never marry."
"Ah well that's your choice, but better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. And as this is the future he is technically dead am I correct in this?" Queen Elizabeth nodded.
"You are." Xena nodded as the water was brought in just as she was standing up and walking towards the curtains the covered the glass doors.
"Thank you," Xena told her. She sipped her water and opened the curtain. She looked out over the grounds and turned back to the Queen.
"How long has it been since you brought me here?"
"A fortnight, your babe is fine, she has been taken care of by a wet nurse and her christening is soon. We must christen all your children, I forget that I also have spinned the tale that your husband was rather cruel and refused to get the children christened to hurt you. We already had you christened."
"Am I to go by Xena?" Xena asked.
"I thought to leave it as so, but in light of the situation we realized that it was not in your best interest especially if we wanted people to believe your parentage."
"My name than, what is it?"
"Your title is that of princess and you are to addressed as such not as lady." Xena nodded. "You have been christened and we also believed that you would die for you had a very high fever. Your children were just passed out until yesterday." Xena paused in interrupting the Queen to inquire about her children's health. "But I named you Princess Anne Tudor after our mother." Xena nodded.
"I suppose that would be fitting." The door opened and the wet nurse entered with her new daughter. She set her glass down and waited patiently for the woman to reach her. She rejoiced and kissed her forehead full of black hair. She apologized for not being around much. Xena was so happy that she was alive.
"And what name have you considered to give her?" Queen Elizabeth asked.
"Elizabeth because if you hadn't of conjured me than she would be dead, even if had you not conjured me at all the storm never would have hit." Queen Elizabeth smiled.
"Princess Elizabeth how fitting." Xena nodded. Chastity ran in, she was dressed in a smaller version of Xena's gown but instead of wearing silver and grey she was wearing red and white with a small ruff. "Please remove the ruffs from my daughters and sons they're not to wear it." Queen Elizabeth nodded to her ladies who immediately intercepted them before they all crowded around Xena. She delivered kisses to them all and they told her how they had been given lots of toys and books to read along with food.
"Oh forgive me, you've been up two hours and I have not called for food."
"I'll see to it my Queen." Queen Elizabeth nodded as the lady curtsied and hurried out to speak with a servant who hurried to the kitchen. He brought up watered down wine and boiled capons with a golden saffron sauce. Chastity held her baby sister and allowed her mother to eat freely as well as her siblings before Xena switched with her.
"So what is this great danger that you just had to have me?" Xena asked.
"That I do not know, I just know that it has not happened and more information will present itself in time."
"So this could all be for nothing."
"Well if so, what do you care, you don't have to deal with Eric and you're living in luxury, your children are considered my heirs by the protestant population as my mother's marriage even if annulled would still make you legitimate. It is lucky that your children all take after you or I would have a hard time explaining why they look different."
"Yes, well." After they had eaten they were all given an extensive and private tour of the palace and taught how to operate in their new clothing. Xena learned to take the small slow steps but she preferred her own stride which was inhibited a bit, but she managed.
"Don't worry about meeting anyone," Queen Elizabeth told her. "You will not be exposed to the general public for a year. I don't want rumors of you beauty to spread too quickly." Xena laughed.
"Yeah right. I am going to need a sword if I am going to help protect you."
"Ah I forgot." She hurried off without another word. Xena looked at Chastity who was beside her.
"Got me we've been here a week and I still don't get her," Chastity answered to her silent question.
"Come on let's return to my room and play a game then." Chastity nodded as Xena grabbed the hands of both her little boys and led them back to where they could not entertain the notion of trouble fully. Looking out the window she saw it was noon and time for their naps. Once they were asleep in her bed she attended to her five year old Aurelia who suffered the most she thought and felt more neglect than anyone because it was more new too her and she had a easier time not neglecting the boys.
"Strange new world we live in," Lexie commented as she walked through the gardens with Xena a little later.
"Yes, I agree."
"How are we going to live mommy?" Lexie asked.
"The Queen and I have worked out a deal, we're going to be okay and your going to have to grow up in this world where women are oppressed and sex is taboo, but remember we have the power to change the world. And the change will start with you and me, Chastity, Henry, Edward, Selene, Aurelia, and Elizabeth if it must." Lexie nodded. "Never forget that you are strong and independent. You don't need men as some would have you believe to lead a successful life."
"But what if I decide I want to marry?"
"Than I hope that he'll love you as much as you love him for the rest of your lives. Everyone has a prince and they come in all shapes and sizes. You just have to be careful not to fall for the troll like I did." Lexie giggled.
"Eric is a troll." Xena laughed a little as well as they continued on their walk.