Making up
"Ladies please escort the princesses back to the palace," Drake told her ladies-in-waiting even her guards. Xena mounted her horse and turned to follow them back to the palace, it was her destination anyway and she was not speaking with her husband. Drake trotted forward on his horse to match Argo's pace.
"You're still speaking to me?" Drake asked. Xena looked around the University Square a little more. "Real mature the silent treatment." Xena continued to ignore him and galloped so that everyone was between her and Drake for at least ten minutes before he joined her up front.
"Now, look I've planed a nice picnic lunch and we're going to on it and we're going to work this out."
"Maybe I don't want to work it out right now Drake."
"I don't see why not."
"I just don't right now, can you leave me alone." They were both silent and arrived back at the palace and Xena skipped out on lunch all together.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Xena asked herself. "He just wanted me protected, it was nothing to get mad about." She paced back and forth trying to calm down. Ever since Melody's birth her hormones had been out of whack so there for her emotions were a bit screwed. When she should be touched by Drake's love, she was angry. Where she was bold in their private life, she had become shy and unsure of herself. She ran away from any mention of future kids and Drake was forbidden to do more than put his arms around her when he touched her.
"Nothing is right!" Xena exclaimed. She threw her chakram in anger and decapitated the statue in the room.
"What isn't right?" Drake asked just moving his head as her chakram embedded itself in the wall.
"Nothing," Xena answered as she walked over and pull it out of the wall.
"Xena talk to me, you've been different lately and obviously something is wrong."
"I don't know Drake, healer says I'm fine. There's no weird ass Glacial pregnancy, I'm not sick, and I'm not under a magic spell except for the virginity spell Ubel's mother put on me." Xena walked over to her throne and sat down gripping her Chakram.
"Maybe there's something more to the spell." Xena shook her head.
"I don't see how." Drake raised his eyebrow at her.
"Are you serious, you have Melody." Xena shrugged.
"Okay, so I see your point, but still my emotions are all screwed, if you don't think so now, wait until we exchange vows. Instead of tears of joy I'll be raging mad over nothing."
"That won't happen, you'll be amazingly happy and not suffering."
"I doubt it."
"For all you know it could change once you lose your innocence again."
"I'm sure that's one theory you'd love to test."
"I'm just saying people change after that."
"No really?" Xena asked in annoyance. He backed off.
"Okay you're right I'm wrong. Perhaps you should take the girls just you and your three head ladies and head for Amazon land. For all you know it might cheer you up and give you some insight." Xena nodded.
"Yeah, it might, but I've got business in Moscow, The chancellor of the University and I are collaborating to create Queen Mother's Day on your mother's birthday." Drake looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Spill, what's the underlying motive."
"None, I've just decided to take a different approach in dealing with your mother," Xena told him in an innocent enough tone, but he knew his wife all too well and looked into her eyes. He saw that familiar sparkle of mischief in her eyes that definitely matched his own and the one in his daughters' eyes. There was no mistaking it for anything else, there was a plot a foot and he wanted in. He never could resist a good plan.
"What do you take me for a fool? I know that look because its in my own eyes and our daughters. I want in." Xena grinned.
"My eyes never could hide that secret from those who know me well." Drake laughed.
"It's too obvious, all the hilarious pranks your liable for around the palace."
"Flattery will get you know where King Drake, but next winter if things aren't too bad, we should visit Glacial and get some things more into place like Taxes and such. I also need to make you my Archduke legally and probably rebuild the palace." Fiona had peaked into the room.
"Agreed," Drake said sensing someone still at the door.
"We have to learn about Glacial crops, so I've sent a letter to Evzenek about sending an expert on farming there over. Farms haven't been yielding quality crops sense Ubel's grandfather came to power, except in the Archduchess's private farms. This leads to women getting less to eat which accounts for their small size and fragile bodies. But not completely."
"What makes them so fragile though?" Drake asked curiously as he sat down and pulled her over and into his lap.
"I don't know, they weren't always that way from the Glacial history books, Linnea and her mother are proof of that. Neither of them are fragile, but I suspect Linnea's father is not the same as Ubel's."
"Probably not, I saw what she looked like." Xena nodded. "Maybe Evzenek will have some answers when we visit."
"But more locally you'll have to help us plan the event for your mother, they don't want her to build another university, everyone loves it here in Moscow. Now that I've visited it I see its actually quite lovely and has lots of history." Drake nodded.
"Why don't we go out to lunch and make plans for the university here, we could expand it. It's not exactly inside the city. Its outside of it with vast land surrounding it just like this palace." Xena nodded.
"All right, I will go on this lunch picnic with you out in the snow since you keep insisting."
"I haven't be...oh right of course thank you dear." He kissed her before they both stood up and headed for the door. Fiona pretended to be just coming inside.
"Oh I thought you two were in here."
"Yes, we were, did you need something Fiona?" Xena asked, her eyes laughing because she knew Fiona was curious to know what she was planning for her. She always did love a good present no matter who it came from.
"Yes, I wanted to spend time with my son," Fiona said remembering her initial plans to crash their picnic lunch.
"Sorry Mother, I'm taking Xena on a much needed private lunch date. Perhaps tomorrow I can make time for lunch with you."
"Why tomorrow?" Fiona asked suspiciously.
"Because I already promised Xena today."
"But I'm your mother."
"I know, and I'm sorry, but you taught me to keep my promises."
"Why don't you two have dinner tonight?" Xena suggested. "I hear mother is making your favorite Fiona." Fiona looked at them both.
"Why are you being nice to me Xena, are you sick or pregnant or something?" Fiona asked. "Yeah, you must be, I'm going to go get the healer you wait right here." Fiona hurried off to find the healer glancing back at her daughter in law.
"I like it better when you two fight, nice just makes things boring and out of place."
"Me too, but I have no interest. Maybe she's right, I am sick."
"Maybe, but right now, private lunch just us." Xena nodded. They walked through the Apple orchard, which had been ripe with apples earlier in the fall.
"I brought warm apple cider and fritters."
"I know, I can smell it, they're my favorite." They found a perfect little place in the garden pass the orchards where the pond was frozen solid.
"Care to dance on the ice, milady?" Drake asked holding up a pair of white skates before bowing deeply to Xena.
" I'd be delighted, milord." She curtsied. "But I must confess, I do not how to dance on the ice."
"No worries, I will teach you." She sat down on the edge of the pond after he had set up their picnic and poured her some warm cider. He took each foot delicately in his hands and put on her skates, showing her how to lace them tightly so they didn't cause her to fall. "Your one and only knight in shining armor who comes to your rescue whenever he's needed will teach you and don't worry knights don't let their Queen's fall." Xena laughed and rolled her eyes.
"You my friend need to lower your ego."
"Why should I when I have the most beautiful woman in the world to do it for me."
"Hmm…well I do like doing it, it let's you know whose boss after all," Xena laughed. They kissed as the snow began to fall again.
A/n: Lol just thought I'd stop randomly instead of continuing on with more in this chapter.