Chapter 21

***This was a terribly difficult chapter to write, as I have no knowledge of Amazon ceremonies nor do I have much imagination on the matter. Thus I struggled through, that's why it took too long. I was going to mark this as complete unless you think I should add a wedding night? I'm not very good at writing M scenes, but I could add a chapter if you think the story needs it for closure.***

Although Gabrielle generally didn't care for being fussed over as the Amazons loved to do with their Queen, she was finding it easy to make an exception on the morning of her bonding ceremony. She relished in the bath, scented with lavender and what smelled like vanilla. She was hoping the scent would linger on her skin long enough for Xena to smell it. As she laid back in the warm water, she wondered how Xena was spending her morning.

Xena scowled as she tried to patiently endure the multiple attendants trying to make sure Xena practiced proper personal hygiene before being presented to their queen. And they had no qualms about performing such personal hygiene for her if they found her own work to be unsatisfactory. She had drawn the line when one particularly attentive Amazon had tried to properly adjust Xena's undergarments in a less than modest way. She quickly grabbed the girl's wrists and pulled her up, twisting her arm and eliciting a squeak from the young girl. "You know what," she gritted her teeth, trying to remain calm. "I've been putting underwear on for years, I think I can handle it. Thank you." The warrior's glare caused the girl to turn red, and she rubbed her wrist as she slowly backed away. Xena shook the probing hands of other attendants off her body and scoffed. "Alright! Enough! I can take care of the rest on my own, thank you! Everybody Out! OUT!" Xena barked at the poor attendants just as Alana ducked her head in. Xena gave her a dirty look as she turned to the mirror. "What do you want?"
Alana blushed and flicked a smile. "Well I was going to ask if you needed anything, but clearly you have it under control," Alana didn't hide the appraising look as she looked at Xena's revealing Amazon regalia.
Xena raised an eyebrow as her only reply. She noticed Alana floundering in the mirror and took pity on the girl. She let her hands drop to her sides and turned around. "Listen, Alana, I know I've been kinda hard on you."
Alana blushed and nodded. "Well, it was my own fault. I did throw myself at the love of your life," she wrung her hands slightly.
Xena huffed and half smiled. "Yeah, well don't think I don't know why you did it," Xena smiled as Alana looked up with a surprised look. She took a few steps toward the girl. "Gabrielle and I have been through so much together. Death, birth, pain, torment, watching our children die, realizing we are soulmates." Xena's face became serious. "But through all that we denied to each other and ourselves the depth of our love for one another. If you hadn't come along, who knows if we ever would have."
Alana felt a grin pulling at her lips as Xena's blue eyes bore holes in her own. When Xena put a hand on her shoulder, Alana reached up and gently gripped her wrist.
"So, thank you Alana. I owe this all to you. It seems I've finally found where my heart belongs, thanks to you."
Alana breathed out a chuckle as she patted Xena's hand. "Well, I'm glad I could be of service. But you've pretty much done the same for me. If I hadn't run into you and Gabrielle I probably never would have been welcomed into this tribe."
Xena smiled and turned back to the mirror. "Oh I don't know. It seems they've taken quite a liking to you." Xena eyes her in the mirror. "Some more than others."
Alana blushed and cleared her throat. "Yeah, well. But I mean being friends with you and Gabrielle was pretty much my ticket in. So thank YOU."
Xena's smile was cut short when the canvas pulled back and Bargas entered. She grinned as she looked at Xena and shook her head. Bargas thought to herself how Gabrielle was going to swoon when she saw the warrior princess now. Her usual big brown warrior boots were replaced by brand new Amazon style boots. The leather was a soft suede, contrasted to the shiny leather Xena usually wore. The knee high, form fitting boots were emblazoned with a khaki colored embroidery of the same design that adorned Xena's breastplate. Her mid thigh skirt, also suede, was slit up the sides, also sporting Xena's signature design around the edges. Her halter style top was, to Xena's relief, much more supportive and less revealing of her ample breasts than other Amazons. It was no lower cut than her own signature corset, and she felt comfortable that she wouldn't accidentally spill out of it. The top was lined similarly to the skirt with smaller, less prominent swirls as her breastplate had. Around her right biceps she wore a thick arm guard made of the same suede. Beautiful silver feathers were sewn in a line around the piece, barely covering the bottom edge of the jagged scar that marked her as an amazon. Her left arm remained bare, for that adornment she would receive at the ceremony. Her usual braces were replaced by thick simple bracelets baring the same feathers as her arm guard. She was the epitome of power and beauty; A true Amazon.
Bargas nodded to Xena. "It's time."
Xena took a deep breath and felt herself blush. Being the center of attention was not her forte, but she knew it was now or never.

Gabrielle stood on the platform as the drummers circled around on the ground. She let the beat penetrate her bones and closed her eyes as she thought about her life with Xena. Memories flashed in her mind, her growing from a young girl to a powerful warrior: All at Xena's side. Memories of the warrior princess: her journey to redemption, from ridiculed to worshipped: All with Gabrielle at her side. Just as Gabrielle sensed her beloved's presence, the beat on the drum slowed. Gabrielle smiled and opened her eyes as she turned. The Amazon mask she wore could not obstruct her vision of Xena's beauty. At once Gabrielle felt lightheaded as her breath was swept away at the radiance flowing from her true love and soul mate.

Xena's worry of being center of attention was forgotten the second she spotted Gabrielle. In fact they all faded into the background, and only the echoing of a distant drum beat faintly in her ears. Gabrielle stood alone on that platform and was so beautiful it appeared that she glowed. Although the mask obscured Xena's view of Gabrielle's face, her Amazon regalia was absolutely stunning. Gabrielle's outfit was nearly identical to Xena's except the leather was a much richer brown color. Instead of the swirls of Xena's signature design, Gabrielle had a design of her own, but if Xena looked closer she would see that it was almost a mirror image of her own.
The drumming picked up, and though Xena thoughts she would hate the next part, all embarrassment and loathing went out the window as she only had eyes for Gabrielle. She was required to complete the ceremonial dance as she approached the platform, a dance that although she had learned, she had previously been dreading. Amazon dance had never been her favorite, in fact she had always found it rather silly; gyrating and flailing like an injured bird. But as she let the rhythm take hold of her body, there was only her and Gabrielle. This dance was no longer about completing some mundane task. It was a gift to Gabrielle. Xena let her body take over the moves, putting her entire soul in this performance. With every movement she was declaring her life given over to Gabrielle, and as she came to the foot of the platform the drumming was so loud and fast she thought her ears would explode. She rolled her upper body over and over until finally she threw herself to the ground as the drumming came to an abrupt stop.

It was only then that Xena realized she wasn't alone with Gabrielle, as two amazons lifted her gently to her feet by the biceps and led her up the ramp onto the platform. There Xena stood in front of her love, and although hidden, both eyes conveyed the gleaming smiles behind the masks.

Reena led the two women through the bonding ritual, which involved much wordy recitations and obscure dialogue. But Xena didn't seem to mind, especially when Gabrielle slipped her shoulder guard around her bare arm. It was a traditional piece that amazons wore to protect their non-sword arm, running down the shoulder all the way to the wrist. As was custom, new elegantly adorned arm pieces were exchanged during bonding ceremony. Gabrielle and Xena's new arm guards were identical to each other, joining them as family. Xena's breath hitched as she felt Gabrielle's feather light fingertips graze up her arm as she fitted the piece in place. Xena had never been as proud in her life as when she slipped Gabrielle's guard on and snapped it into place.

Gabrielle held up her hand to Reena, as it was the moment in the ceremony where each woman would shed blood to be joined with the other. As Gabrielle looked down at her hand, she noticed the line of an old scar down the length of her palm. Suddenly Gabrielle realized that, all be it much less ceremoniously, her and Xena had undergone this ritual several years previous. She thought back to when Xena had taught her the ways of a shamaness, where Gabrielle had travelled to the spirit world to try and save Xena's unborn baby from Alti. As Reena reopened the wound across her palm, Gabrielle looked up at Xena, realizing that they had been fated for this from the beginning. And when Reena joined their bloody palms, wrapping them together with a ribbon of leather, Gabrielle finally found her home.

As the ceremony came to a close, the dancing, chanting, and drumming had faded away. Neither woman was aware of anything in the world besides each other. They simply stood, joined at the arms, but souls and hearts intertwined for eternity.

The two women finally looked out over the field of Amazons, hooting and cheering for their Queen and her champion. Both smiled, knowing they had finally found their home; In the village and in each other's hearts.