Choosing Sides
Four days now Gabrielle was still stuck in the pillory and her wrists ached as did her neck. She casually watched her sisters pass her without making much eye contact with her. She couldn't believe that she escaped Xena's stronghold to be treated like this by her own people. Perhaps she should have stayed with Xena in Sparta if she would have known her sisters reaction.
On the fourth day, Gabrielle woke up to the wooden stocks being unlocked. She slowly lifted her head out of the pillory and rubbed the back of neck and rolled her sore shoulders back. Queen Hjaquima seemed less than enthused to release her. Gabrielle frowned at her and the others that stood behind her.
Her eyes glanced over at Alexander's General that stood in the center of the camp. He did not come alone but with a few of his finest soldiers. "What is he doing here?" she asked her fellow Amazons.
Hjaquima snubbed her fellow queen and stared at the general standing off to the side patiently. "He wants to discuss Xena and the Persian invasion. I told him that you had information so he wanted to speak to you."
Gabrielle rubbed her wrists and stepped forward, sizing up the tall general. "So, which general are you?" she asked in a terse tone.
He chuckled and held out his hand, "General Cassandar," he said and Gabrielle refused to shake his hand. He awkwardly lowered his hand and rubbed his fingers on his pants. "Is there somewhere we could talk in private?"
"Follow me," she walked towards her hut and gave her Amazon Queens glares and they turned away from her.
Chilapa stood in front of the hut blocking her way. "My Queen, should I come in with you?"
"No, you've been enough help already. I can handle talking to Cassandar alone. Make sure Hjaquima and the others do not run off somewhere and plan my next imprisonment," she muttered and gently pushed Chilapa out of the way and entered her hut.
If there's one thing that Gabrielle learned while being with Xena it was to keep answers short and sweet. She had no idea why one of Alexander's Generals showed up to her camp but word of her escape obviously spread around quickly or maybe he was planning to make his way over and got lucky.
She sat opposite of the general and stared at him as she laid his sword across his lap. Ready to strike if necessary, she thought. Smiling, she began the conversation. "Why did you come here?"
"Last I heard you were held captive by Xena. I guess it seems that you have escaped or perhaps she let you go?"
Play the game, she reminded herself. "You didn't answer my question."
He snickered and nodded his head at the obstinate queen. "I've come to tell you that we are on your side and we will be victorious against King Darius and Xena. I know she is going to attack Corinth and it would be great if you could allow us access to the Isthmus for the invasion."
Everyone seemed to want that canal but technically her Amazons gave it to Xena for the time being. She wasn't going to sign that document that Hjaquima wrote up a few days ago. Although, she had no control over what those queens did behind closed doors since she was locked up outside for days, that letter could have been sent out to Xena without her consent.
"I'm afraid I can't give you access to the canal, general," she said coolly.
His reaction was everything that she expected. He was angry and irritated that she wouldn't hand over the Isthmus easily by just a simple demand. Xena was more convincing and because she knew she could use the Amazons' queen as a bargaining tool, the canal was granted to her. But now, Cassandar wanted the canal too to fight the Persians, but did he really?
"Why would you want the canal anyway? The Isthmians have control over that stretch of land and sea. It's almost impossible to deal with them. I would know. I've tried." She smirked and he rubbed his chin pensively in deep thought.
"It is a perfect strategic landmark to attack the Persians, your highness. We cannot trust the Isthmians."
She frowned and remembered Kyla saying that the Isthmians had sided with the Corinthians before she escaped Sparta. Deciding to remain stoic and calm she proceeded. "Why wouldn't you be able to trust the Isthmians to fight alongside us?"
He scoffed, "have you not heard? They side with Xena. No doubt they will give her access to the canal."
Although she knew for a fact that the Isthmians did not give Xena access to the Isthmus but it seemed that everything Kyla said was not true. The Isthmians were not allied with Corinth and it was all a lie –a trap –a lie spread by Cassandar himself. She knew that he was the one to spread such fear and lies, but luckily for her, she didn't bother to tell Xena that lie before she left Sparta.
"I don't think the Isthmians would be that foolish. They would never give Xena the Isthmus."
Cassandar studied her face suspiciously and leaned forward in his chair and cast a charming smile. "You were trapped in Xena's stronghold for quite some time, your majesty. Surely, you have some inside information."
Information she did have and she wasn't sure if she should share it with him or not. He already spread false news about the Isthmians siding against Xena to which they did not. He just came here to scoop up dirty information on Xena on how to go about completely destroy her. Little did they know that Xena sided with Darius under a façade of an alliance? Xena wasn't going to attack Corinth. No –she wanted Corinth just as much as anyone else. She wasn't going to let Darius or Alexander have it.
She smiled at the eager general. "I'm afraid that I was left in the dark while Xena planned her schemes."
He nodded, dissatisfied with the answer that was given to him. "You are aware that she has spies all throughout the Greek Empire?"
Oh yes I know that, the queen thought. "I don't doubt it. She is very smart."
"I'm sure that her spies in Amphipolis have alerted her by now that Alexander is taking control of the city. He will soon have all of Thrace and he will make sure to keep Xena out of Corinth. I am counting on you and your Amazons to fight against her and Darius when the time comes."
Amphipolis. Gabrielle knew that city. It was so close to Potidaea, her old home where her family lived. He wouldn't just give out this information unless it meant something. Xena was from Amphipolis, of course. How could she have missed that? Xena was not a Spartan but she was not a Greek either. Alexander, the Macedonian emperor, wanted all of Thrace, Macedonia, Greece and Arcadia. He was going to destroy everything Xena had in order to win and she was going to do the same to him.
She wasn't trying; she was going to do exactly that. Corinth was just a small milestone but Amphipolis seized by Alexander would absolutely kill Xena and she might retaliate in greater ways than Gabrielle ever imagined. She only caught a small glimpse of what Xena was capable of. She didn't know how Xena reacted in battle and the lengths she would go to in order to win. She was going to obliterate everything. Everything.
At this moment, she had an opportunity to expose Xena and her false alliance with Darius but she decided to keep that to herself. She could use this against Xena possibly or maybe she wouldn't have to. But the longer she stared at the general, the more she did not trust him. He wanted more than to destroy Darius and Xena. He wanted more. Alexander was obtaining all of Thrace as they spoke and it wouldn't be long until he tried to attack Xena too.
Tapping her fingers on her knees she glared at the impatient general. "I have a question for you."
"Anything," he leaned back in the chair.
"If we win the war against King Darius and Xena, what will happen to my Amazons and the rebels of Corinth?"
Cassandar chuckled, as if insulted she would ask such a question. "Alexander will own all of Corinth. You will pay taxes to the empire and your citizenship taken away. You will no longer be Corinthians but part of the Greek Empire. You will be the emperor's loyal subjects," he explained and Gabrielle hid her shocked expression. "So, you will aid us against the Persians and Spartans?"
Xena was right. Alexander didn't care about the Amazons or any of citizens inside of Corinth. He just wanted everyone to bow down to him, prostrating themselves to the new ruler of Greece. Gabrielle inhaled lightly and stood from her chair, standing in front of the general.
"I will need to talk this over with my sisters if you don't mind."
He stood up and nodded. "Of course, I understand. Take all the time you need, but not too much time. The Persians arrive in less than a month."
She smiled faintly and the two stared at each other in silence until he bowed his head curtly and left the hut. Her smile turned into an ugly grimace.
The moment he left the hut she began pacing back and forth, thinking of how she was going to fix this. What is there to fix? She could either go along with Cassandar's plan and attack Darius like planned but then that would mean that she sided with Alexander. She had always been allies with Alexander but she didn't know he was going to turn against her and claim her land.
Essentially, Xena wanted to claim Corinth too but she mentioned being friends and working together. Gabrielle knew Xena well enough to know that those words could be empty but knowing her and the riddle games she played, the words could be sincere too. She could go both ways.
She thought she could ally with Xena but Xena doesn't want allies. She wants people to work with her to defeat her enemies and then crush her friends later. Friends turned to enemies in a split second. Look what she is about to do to Darius. She was going to stab him in the back as soon as he wins Corinth. Now that she gave the Persian King false hope, he willingly gave her Egypt as a reward which she gladly took. If she was able to keep Egypt under her reign then she would have more land than Alexander and Corinth would mean nothing to her.
Wrong. Gabrielle groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Come on, Gabrielle, think of something," she muttered to herself.
Chilapa walked into the hut and eyed her queen whispering to herself and pacing around like an anxious caged animal. "My Queen, how was the meeting with the general? I saw him leave."
Gabrielle turned around and her heart stopped for a moment. "He asked me to give him aid to fight Darius and Xena."
The Amazon smiled. "And you agreed, yes?"
"I told him I needed to think about it," she said and saw the confusion all over the dark haired woman's face. "Where are Hjaquima and the others? Are they going to arrest me? Because I don't believe that is a good idea to do that again." She said in a certain menacing tone and Chilapa lifted her chin.
"I don't think they will do that again, my Queen. Why do you hesitate to ally with Alexander?"
Gabrielle turned around and leaned her palms on a table and stared at a painting on the wall. "I don't think Alexander is truly our ally right now," she hated to admit that and she really hated to admit that Xena, her kidnapper, was right all along. "Perhaps those games weren't useless after all," she whispered and crookedly smiled.
"My Queen?"
Gabrielle turned around and walked over to nervous sister. "I need to go do something. I have to leave tonight."
Chilapa raised her eyebrow. "Where are you planning to go?"
"I can't tell you that but I need to go alone."
"I can't let you go anywhere by yourself."
She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Trust me. I need to go alone."
Chilapa's eyes widened and instantly she knew what her queen was thinking and what she had on her mind set on. She shook her head and refused to believe it. "It is my duty to protect you."
Gabrielle smiled and cupped the Amazon's cheeks. "I know but I can protect myself. If Cassandar comes back just tell him I don't have a decision yet. And one more thing; don't tell the others I'm gone and I wish to be left alone in my hut. You understand?"
Chilapa sighed deeply and nodded her head.
In the large port city of Athens, the men that gathered up the girls from several parts of Greece, mostly in Thrace, were brought to Athens. The men forced the girls out of the large caravan and pushed them along to form a straight line. A man in the front led the girls through the market. Helena, one of the youngest and smallest among the other girls, was in the back of the line.
Her eyes scanned the market and several people looked her way and she frowned at them all. The man behind her pushed her forward and then grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to line up with the other girls on a dais. She grunted and tried to push him away but he whacked her in the back of her knees.
Not able to find the strength in herself to fight back she stood slowly and looked down the line of captured girls, herself being one of those girls. She then saw a group of men dressed in fine robes, probably noblemen, she assumed. By the way they dressed and acted they had to be part of the Athenian court or even of a higher status. Many of the robed men looked up and down at the girls, touching their arms and face, checking their teeth and hands.
Helena gasped and fixed herself in the line, biting her tongue. All eyes were on her and all of the eyes were men. There were no women in this market. This place was nothing like Amphipolis. It was larger, busier and filled with several types of people.
Two tanned skinned men dressed in white robes, flat brown sandals, and black wigs lined with gold ornaments approached her. She stared down at them briefly as she stood on the dais and saw kohl lined around their long almond eyes.
They whispered to each other and she furrowed her eyebrows. She knew that they were talking about her and had the nerve to speak about her in front of her face as if she weren't even there. One of the men, the thinner one with the shoulder length wig stepped forward and grabbed her wrist to examine her hands.
Helena snatched her arm away and he chuckled lightly. "What do you think of her?" he asked his friend who accompanied him.
The elderly man adjusted his robes and frowned, looking at the girl from head to toe. He pinched her arm and she gasped. "She is too skinny."
"We will not put her to work in the fields, Mentor," the younger man said and he waved his hand, unimpressed by the girl. He turned to the slaver standing beside the girl. "I need a slave for my master's household. She will do just fine in the palace. How much do you want for her?"
Helena's eyes widened and she shook her head. Slave? No. This marketplace was odd the moment she stepped into it and now she knew why. She should have never gone to check on those girls in the forest. If she hadn't done that then she would be at home right now, polishing silver in her grandmother's tavern.
"Twenty dinars," the slaver said and grabbed Helena's arm so she wouldn't resist further.
The man frowned and rubbed his clean shaven chin. "I will give you ten. She will never be sold to anyone at her age." He said and pulled out the proper amount and the slaver took the coin and he approached the young girl, stretching his hand out. "Come."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dais and Mentor shook his head at the lithe girl. "You should not have bought her, Bagoas. There are plenty of older and fit girls to choose from. You have wasted our coin."
Bagoas smiled and gripped onto Helena's hand tightly and she lifted her head, staring at him. He looked down at her and she averted her gaze. "She is not wasted. She will have a position in the palace." He paused and felt the girl's hand clam up. "Where are you from?"
She grimaced and refused to answer and he halted, pulling her arm upward and she yelped. "Answer me!"
"Amphipolis!"
He smiled, "I'm sure that is a lovely city. Thrace, right?" he asked and she nodded and they kept walking towards the docks where all the merchant ships were. She eyed the sea ahead of her and knew she wasn't staying in Greece for long. "Egypt is your new home now, girl."
Gabrielle's heart hammered as she approached the gates of the Spartan stronghold. She thought about turning around at least three times during her journey over here but it was too late to turn back now. The guards immediately saw her and crossed their javelins in front of the gates.
She halted her horse and peered over the tall iron gates at the white palace. It looked larger than the last time she saw it. It was more foreboding now than when she first arrived. Somehow, she didn't think that Xena was going to be very nice to her after what she did and she couldn't blame her. But, she was here now and whether she liked it or not, she needed to speak to Xena.
"I need to see your Empress," she said, this time not mocking the title of the Spartan.
The guards refused her entry, which she expected.
"It concerns Emperor Alexander. I need to speak with her," she remained adamant.
"Wait here," one of the guards said and opened the gate and ran inside the stronghold. She held her breath and eyed the other guard below her and then kept her eyes on the white palace atop of the hill.
Minutes later, Leo walked over to the gates with the guard and he frowned up at her. She lifted her chin and he opened the gates himself and gestured for her to enter.
"She is waiting for you in her chambers. I'm sure you know where that is," he said with a snide tone.
She smiled and trotted inside on her horse, bypassing the two guards. At this very moment she never felt so hated in her entire life until she rode through the training field. It was obvious that she was not well liked here before but now, she could feel it. They knew –everyone knew about her escape. Everyone. Especially Xena.
Xena leaned on her desk with her arms by her side and tapped her fingernails generously, waiting. The doors opened and Gabrielle walked in wearing her traditional Amazon clothing. She smiled at the blonde queen and as soon as the doors closed, Gabrielle did not flinch, but kept her eyes on the Empress on the other end of the room.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is. The woman who poisoned me and escaped," Xena began and pushed herself off the desk and sauntered over to the Amazon. "I must say, I am very surprised by your tricks, Gabrielle. I didn't know you had it in you."
She stopped in front of Gabrielle, a mere two feet away and crossed her arms. The queen breathed in deeply and stared up at the menacing figure above her.
"I came here to talk to you about Alexander."
Xena scoffed, "what –no apology? Just get right down to business, huh?" she winked and Gabrielle groaned inwardly, trying to remain focused. She began to wonder if she made a mistake coming here, but so far, nothing has happened and her heart was still beating soundly in her chest.
"I'm not going to apologize for poisoning you but I will apologize for escaping," she said. No games, no tricks. Not this time.
Xena stifled a laugh and circled around the queen. "What a strange thing to apologize for, Gabrielle. You see, I think it should be the other way around." She inched closer to her. "Don't you?" she whispered in her ear.
The hairs on the nape of Gabrielle's neck stood up and she closed her eyes, focusing on her plan. "General Cassandar came to my camp a couple of days ago. He wants me to ally with Alexander and against you and Darius."
"Oh and I'm sure you told him that you would, am I right?" Xena asked and walked around, now standing in front of the blonde. "But you didn't because you wouldn't be standing here right now. All alone. In front of me. Would you, Gabrielle?"
"He wants the Isthmus and I told him he couldn't have it. I didn't mention that I gave you access to it," she said and Xena raised her eyebrow.
"And why would you do that?"
The queen folded her arms and felt her heart beating faster and faster as she stood in front of Xena. "I do not believe that Alexander is really a friend of mine. Cassandar told me he wants to destroy you and Darius and claim Corinth under the empire. My people will have no rights."
Xena laughed and rest her hands on her hips, leaning backward as her laughter continued. Gabrielle narrowed her eyes to slits, watching the woman laugh at her.
"What…exactly do you want me to do about it?" she asked Gabrielle. "You want me to save you? Is that it? You really think I'm going to do that after what you did to me? I could have your throat slit for what you did, Gabrielle. You don't get to negotiate peace with me."
"Then why haven't you done it already? You could have killed me right here, right now but you haven't." Gabrielle boldly said.
Xena nodded and unsheathed her sword. "That can be arranged."
Now, Gabrielle knew this was a horrible idea. She needed to explain herself more. This wasn't a time for riddles and games. "I thought by escaping and running back to my tribe that they'd help me but they arrested me. They accused me of conspiring with you. I told them that you are working with and against Darius and I told them to let you have the Isthmus because I know you will win against him."
Xena gripped her sword and looked at the sincerity in the queen's eyes.
She continued, "I thought you would have come looking for me in my tribe after I left."
The Empress snickered and lowered the blade. "Did you? You wanted me to come for you?"
Inwardly, Gabrielle wanted to say yes, but she didn't want to give Xena the satisfaction of that answer, but she also couldn't say no. She really needed her to work with her somehow, some way. "I just thought you would."
Xena hummed to herself and sheathed her sword and Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief. "Do not think I don't remember what happened that night, Gabrielle."
What on earth is she talking about?
"You caught me off guard. I suppose that is my fault but I can't say that I'm not impressed with your skills," she crinkled her nose as she smiled from ear to ear. Gabrielle looked around and didn't know what she on about.
She stepped closer to the blonde and ran her fingertips gently over her plump lips. Gabrielle's eyes widened and her stomach tightened. Now she knew exactly what Xena was talking about. She hoped that Xena would have been too out of it to remember any of that.
"Very impressive," Xena said with a crooked grin. "You really came all the way back to Sparta just to tell me what Alexander's stupid general had to say? Or did you come for something else?" she pried and felt hot breath escape the queen's lips. "My help, perhaps?"
"Yes," Gabrielle finally said and Xena's smile grew.
"Really now?"
"I want your help."
Xena traced her fingers along the Amazon's cheek. "You know the price for asking for my help, Gabrielle." Her voice deepened and her fingers traveled along her cheekbone and she eyed the bulging vein in her neck. "Give Corinth to me and my aid will be provided to you."
Of course, Gabrielle thought, it's what you want. "I'll give Corinth to you on two conditions."
"Bargaining again? Didn't work out so well for you the last few times." Xena shook her head playfully.
"Drive Darius out and allow me to keep my Amazons and our rights in Corinth."
The Empress sighed and tapped her finger against the queen's neck vein. "I can promise the former but I'm not so sure about the latter. You did poison me."
"It wasn't lethal," the blonde spat back.
"Three points for you, two for me. We have to even the score, Gabrielle. Can't have you one upping me on my own turf." She teased.
Gabrielle felt that Xena was not playing a game anymore. She was doing something far more dangerous. Strategic warfare was not a game to her, but toying with people's minds definitely was. "Does that mean you will help me?"
"I underestimated you, Gabrielle. You are unlike any other Amazon Queen that I've met. It is not power that you seek but peace. Just the opposite of what I want and yet here you are; asking for my help. Imagine that." She shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly.
Swallowing her pride, Gabrielle looked into the azure eyes above her and saw a glimmer. She was enjoying this but yet she was not being malicious. Odd behavior, she noted.
"This way we both get what we want."
Xena nodded slowly and walked to her desk and grabbed the wine that was brought to her days ago. "Passion flower was a nice touch, Gabrielle," she remarked and saw the queen lower her gaze. "Apologize and I will help you."
Gabrielle raised her eyes and frowned deeply. "You held me hostage."
"I never harmed you."
Gabrielle marched to the desk, looking the Empress in her eyes. "You nearly choked me to death!"
"But I didn't."
"You could have."
"What is this, Gabrielle? You try to challenge me and ask for my help? Which is it?"
Gabrielle frowned sadly and turned around, tears swelling her eyes. "I just want to save my people. That is all."
Xena set down the wine bottle gently on the desk and looked at the queen's back turned to her.
"It is impossible to talk to you," she said in a shaky voice and looked up at the ceiling, hoping for some answers, though she knew they would never come. "I shouldn't have come back here."
"What were you hoping to do? Sway me with your words of wisdom or your roaming lips?" Xena tersely said and Gabrielle turned around slowly with pale cheeks.
"Hypothetically, you said we could be friends. You said that you would leave my sisters alone if you had Corinth. Did you mean of any of that?"
Xena shrugged her shoulder. "Depends how generous I am feeling at the moment."
"Then maybe you could show some of that generosity to my tribe. Alexander is going to take all of my land for himself. You were right and I was wrong," she said sourly, hating to say those words. "And I need your help."
"And you trust me? You don't think I would ransack your tribe just like I did to Cyane's?"
Gabrielle wiped her teary eyes and frowned at the brunette Empress. "Well, you haven't killed me yet so I have that going for me, don't I?"
"If you let me help you then you are considered a traitor of your own people and you will be Alexander's enemy." Xena smiled maliciously. "Are you sure you want to do that, Gabrielle?"
She didn't feel like she was Alexander's ally anymore after she spoke with Cassandar and she certainly didn't know if she was Xena's ally either. The woman could swing both ways depending on what kind of mood she was in and what person was in her way at the moment.
"My tribe deserves to be free from servitude. I won't be one of Alexander's subjects and have my rights stripped away."
Xena stepped closer to the Amazon and saw dry tears on her plump cheeks. Crying; is that all you Amazons know how to do? She wiped her thumb on her cheek and Gabrielle tensed by her touch. "And how exactly do you think your Amazons are going to react when they find out you asked for my help, hmm? Celebrate? Burn you? Hog tie you?" she frowned and leaned downward. "It is you who is playing a dangerous game now, Gabrielle."
Dangerous game. Yes, I need to keep playing the game, Gabrielle thought. "I know you are a woman of your word," she said confidently. "You didn't kill Indila. You could have but you promised you wouldn't if I came."
"One day later and I would have," Xena said and stepped away from the blonde Amazon.
"You would actually kill a child to prove a point?" Gabrielle asked and the Empress turned around, grimacing at the wall. "I saw the way you reacted when Eia died. She was a child too. You don't have it in you to murder a child."
Xena's frown faded and the thought of her daughter entered her mind. She had only laid eyes on her a couple times in her life. One being from the moment she was born and then a few years later when she was about eight summers old. She hadn't seen her in three years but knew that she wouldn't be able to show her face to her daughter; instead she looked from afar and sent lavish gifts.
She turned around, facing the diligent queen and said, "I will help you but only if you agree to give me full access to Corinth."
Gabrielle didn't feel like arguing anymore and she was out of ideas. "Fine, but will I get to keep my tribe in my area and retain the rights we have?"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Gabrielle," the Empress grinned slyly.