AN: I decided to break this up into two parts as I cannot address everything I want to into a single chapter as it is very important! Enjoy and thanks for reading ;)
God Battles –Part I
Upon arriving in Rome the following evening Xena began to sweat feeling the toxins from the poisoned arrowhead seeping from her pores. Her wound still fresh but the bleeding had clotted since they arrived to Rome. Octavius and Solan went to their separate quarters to clean up for the evening. Xena was carried in by two men on a cot and was brought to the Roman baths.
She looked at the ceiling and slowly turned her head to see a steaming bath next to her and a few maidens awaiting for her arrival it seemed. The men bowed and left the room quietly. One of the maidens closed the curtains to respect Xena's privacy.
"First he shoots me with a poisoned arrow and now he wants to pamper me," she smirked at the Roman emperor's strange behavior. If it were her she would have just killed the enemy instead of incapacitating them for awhile and then bathing them with expensive Arabian oils and Greek soaps. As she was helped up slowly from the cot she noticed that she was indeed alone and without Gabrielle once again.
"Where is Gabrielle?" Xena asked as one of the maids was taking off her black pants, ripping the seams carelessly. She was tempted to smack the young woman but she did not have the strength to.
The maid began unwrapping the bandage around Xena's breasts, leaving her fully exposed. Her body pale and thin unlike her usual olive tone, she felt like a pale Gaul woman instead. "You mean the blonde one?" she asked Xena in a meek voice. Xena simply nodded and was helped into the steaming hot bath water, wincing as her shoulder was still sore from the fresh wound.
"She will be tended to elsewhere. The emperor instructed us to bathe you first for tomorrow," the girl began squeezing a damp cloth onto Xena's skin, rubbing gently while the other young girl rubbed Xena's opposite arm with essential oils.
Xena did not feel like a prisoner but a very pleased house guest right now. She was unsure why Octavius would allow this, it didn't seem like his style. Although he was not a tyrant or a murderer, he did not give his enemies a measly death. He made sure they were given horrible executions as did she, but this..this was new to her. Once the young maid wet Xena's hair she saw out the corner of her eye a pair of sheers.
"What are you doing with those?" Xena asked, a bit afraid that she was going to die in this bath, but the girl smiled and picked her hair up from out of the warm water. Xena heard the legs of the sheers snipping away on her long raven locks. She turned her head slightly around and saw at least ten inches of her hair lying on the ground next to the maiden's legs. Her eyes widened and she tried to resist but her shoulder prevented this move.
"Why are you cutting my hair?" Xena asked fearfully. To a cut a woman's hair in her eyes was to shame her, although she was left with plenty of hair, at least to the middle of her back, she felt like a piece of her was chopped away, literally. The young girl then put the sheers down and began brushing Xena's wet locks gently, but did not answer her question. Xena looked to her hair and reached for it, grasping the wet strands in between her fingers. A piece of her was now gone, but she felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders –like she was getting rid of her past and burying it for good. The wet strands of hair glided off her fingers as she pulled her hand away slowly.
An hour or so later Xena was lifted out of the water with a new bandage wrapped around her shoulder and the two girls dried her off with a soft towel. She did have to admit that she felt better after the bath but was still confused and still had no idea where Gabrielle was.
"Am I going to see Gabrielle now?" she asked hopefully.
One of the girls smiled, "you will be shown to your room now." She wrapped a silk robe around Xena's exposed flesh and left the room with the other maid. Two guards now appeared from behind the curtains and she raised an eyebrow. Her legs still felt weak as did the rest of her body. Xena did not wish to fight back as she knew she would lose inevitably so she complied in allowing them to help her walk to her room for the remainder of the evening.
Gabrielle was bathed on the other side of the emperor's palace and was given new clothes to change into for the time being. She was escorted out of the baths by a young guard down a long hallway. She discussed with Xena on the ship not to cause any mischief while they were in the hands of Octavius. She was alive and well but Xena was injured and could not protect herself for a long period of time so Gabrielle complied with Xena's suggestion and stuck with the plan.
Her eyes admired the Roman palace, although it was not as extravagant as Xena's it was still lovely and decorated quite well. She had a hard time believing that Octavius actually liked all of the tapestries and draperies in the palace. She tried to look beyond the guard to see if she saw Xena but alas she did not. She had no idea where she could be at this moment. Stopping abruptly they came to a large door, Gabrielle instantly knew where she was –Octavius' office.
The large doors were opened and Gabrielle walked inside after Octavius gestured her to come in. She saw Solan sitting down across from Octavius and she opted to stand while she was here. Keeping her mouth shut she would allow the emperor to have all the say.
"Every time we meet it seems to be because of Xena's power games," Octavius mentioned with a smug smile, sipping some wine. "Yet here you stand, without Xena." Gabrielle's response was silence and he knew that this was some kind of game that she and Xena had put together while on the ship.
Solan looked Gabrielle up and down carefully and he saw that she noticed this and her body stiffened. He poured a glass of wine for the blonde and gave it to her. She eyed the glass then Octavius, and after a few moments she gradually took the wine offered to her.
"It isn't poisoned." Solan smiled, drinking from his own glass.
Gabrielle nursed the glass in her palms, "I did not suggest that it was..." she chose her words carefully.
Octavius leaned forward in his chair, lacing his fingers together, twirling his thumbs as he stared at Gabrielle. "You were once Xena's gladiator and now you are her scribe. You have many trades." Gabrielle's posture straightened and she did not respond. "Amazing how you were able to elevate yourself from a slave to a scribe in a matter of months," he gathered, thinking it very suspicious.
"Maybe I proved to her I am more valuable as a scribe than a gladiator," Gabrielle finally spoke getting the emperor's attention as well as Solan's.
"You seem like a smart girl, Gabrielle, so I won't waste your time with riddles like Xena loves to do," the Roman smiled, getting more comfortable in his chair. "Xena...she has a lot of land, a great empire that rivals the Roman empire. How is she so successful if she terrorizes the people?" he asked.
Gabrielle gulped feeling a bit on the spot, but she wanted to defend Xena. Although she once hated her, she no longer did. Xena was a complex woman, but she is trying to change, she knew that, she saw it.
"As Caesar said, you must 'divide and conquer' and that's what she did. But she knew that she couldn't stay in that mindset forever, so she needed a change."
Solan interrupted, "and you're that change?" he smirked. Gabrielle eyed him but ignored his comment.
"I knew Xena as a destroyer of nations when I was young, but now that I know more about her and her desire to change...I believe she can. She is not the woman she once was," Gabrielle felt like Xena really needed to be in this room with her right about now. She began to think of Xena's words when she often said her words of wisdom were described as philosophical bullshit, as Xena put it. This is what Gabrielle had to do, she was good at talking, she just needed to spout some of that philosophical bullshit to these Roman elites to seem charismatic.
She cleared her throat, "you see Octavius, Xena possessed the power to rule these lands, but she ruled with fear. Now...n-now she wants to rule with trust and honesty, something that will prove to work in the long run. She has proved she can do this by appealing to her people, talking to them as if they are equals to her."
The Roman emperor rubbed his chin enjoying this show that the scribe was putting on. He never realized this woman had such a way with words, but he knew why Xena kept her now. "Very well, Gabrielle. You've proven to me that Xena means well, but her past actions do repeat themselves. She has murdered Marc Antony, a Roman elite. Although I don't care for the man, and am quite grateful he is dead.." he sighed, "Xena must be put on trial for the crimes she has committed."
Gabrielle did seem this was fair but she also thought that none of the other rulers had to be put on trial. This just proved that the Romans truly hated Xena as an Empress of Athens. She immediately thought of an idea that might benefit Xena, "let me defend her in trial. I am more than capable."
Solan scoffed, "Xena is very lucky to have a friend like you." He sipped from his wine glass. "But my uncle has another proposition that must be addressed," he eyed the emperor and Octavius nodded his head. Gabrielle looked to the blonde ruler awaiting his next proposition.
"A game is to be held tomorrow. I know Xena loves the Roman games of gladiators. She was so anxious to enter you in the last one," he hissed.
Immediately Gabrielle got goose bumps and she swallowed hard, setting her wine glass down on the emperor's desk. "You want me to enter the games?"
Octavius and Solan smiled at one another. "No we want Xena to compete," Octavius said. Gabrielle's heart sank at this. She did not know how Xena would compete in the games with her injury.
Xena did not sleep well knowing that she was in the emperor's palace and in a quite nice suite in the east wing. Two guards burst into her room and she sat up in her bed, wrapping the sheets around her body.
"You're needed. Ordered by the emperor himself," one of the guards said. Xena was pulled up out of the bed wincing as her shoulder was jolted from the harsh movement of the guard.
Once she was dressed somewhat she was put into a wagon with chains around her ankles and wrists. She peered through the curtains and saw she was in the busiest part of Rome. She hid her face and pulled the curtains to a close. A few moments later the wagon came to a stop and she was forcefully taken out of the wagon and saw she was at the arena. Completely oblivious to what was going on she was sure she wasn't going to be watching the games as the guards lead her to the barracks of the arena. She heard the crowd above her and sighed as she pulled to a room where some Roman armor was waiting for her.
Xena smiled, "is that for me? You shouldn't have," she sarcastically added, grabbing the armor from the soldier and gladly placing it over her frame. Her wound started to bleed as the hole had opened up again since she was moving her shoulder a lot from putting on the armor and tightening it carefully.
Gabrielle sat with Octavius in the balcony feeling sick to her stomach. She didn't know why Octavius wanted this to happen and why Xena had to go through with this. She would gladly take her place and she even begged the emperor but he was not keen on the idea. He definitely wanted Xena to suffer and suffer well. It wasn't enough that she was humiliated and injured by a measly arrow but now she had to compete in an unfair state. She sunk into the chair unwilling to look at the arena.
Octavius stood and raised his hand quieting the crowd. Gabrielle's eyes went to the empty seat which was obviously Solan's seat and she frowned. Where could he have gone?
"Romans!" he shouted, "I have for you, the Empress of Athens, the Destroyer of Nations, the Warrior Queen of Qin, Persia, Greece, Egypt and Thrace –Xena!" he gestured for the guards to open the gates now. Some of the crowd cheered while majority sent out cries of discontent and hatred towards her.
Xena stepped out with simple Roman battle armor, gladiator sandals and a Roman sword in her hand. She was not provided with a shield and wore a brace around her injured shoulder. She walked to the middle of the arena surveying the crowd. Squinting her eyes she saw Gabrielle standing next to Octavius. She smiled at her and lifted the sword high into the air, receiving mixed cries from the crowd.
This is what you want Octavius? Fine you'll get a show you won't forget. Xena saw the opposite gates open and a soldier came riding in on a black war horse with a shield and a sword. She looked to the soldier's frame and took in every angle, noting the horse's weak spots she needed to cut the knees of the horse first before she could strike the soldier.
"And here we have the Black Ryder," Octavius shouted once more and Xena's opponent raised his weapon and shield causing the crowd to cheer loudly. Xena rolled her eyes, and did not wait for the emperor's cue to let the fight begin. She ran towards the horse and slid onto the sand cutting the horse's two front knees and sliced the underbelly of the animal. She somersaulted into a standing position feeling her head and vision perish at her sudden moves. Her body still weak from the poison was not going to stop her and she certainly wasn't going to die.
The horse cried and fell to the ground. The crowd's gasps were very audible and Gabrielle did not shy from a smile as Xena was able to get the first move against her opponent. The Roman soldier came crashing to the ground as the horse fell, blood seeping from her wounds. He scowled and stared directly at Xena who stood twirling her sword in hand.
Two more gates were opened and three men riding horses came charging at Xena. The Black Ryder grinned beneath his helmet and jumped onto one of the horses with one of the men. Xena backed away as one of them had a net, another with a double edge sword and the third carrying a whip, cracking it against the sand.
Gabrielle leaned forward in her seat and now was beginning to sweat. Xena was surrounded by three horses and three deadly weapons. She knew that Xena was not up to her usual standard and that's what Octavius wanted. She peered at the Roman sitting next to her and he had a smug smile on her face. Tempted to roll her eyes she reverted back to watching the horrible sight in front of her.
Xena smiled at all three of the horsemen and threw her sword forward plunging it into the swordsman's chest, causing him to fall off his horse and onto the sandy ground. The crowd booed at her and she flipped backwards onto the horse behind her and grabbed onto the man's whip, tying it around his neck. She kicked the horse's side and began riding around the circular arena. She shook her head trying to focus her vision again. The man choked as Xena tightened the whip around his windpipe. Finally she threw him off the horse, sure that he would die of asphyxiation. Xena grabbed the reins of the horse and peered behind her to see the last horsemen following her with the net.
She grinned widely and thought it would be crazy to do such a thing but she steadied herself, ignoring the fact that her body was not agreeing with the sharpness of her mind at the moment. She slowly stood up on the running horse and faced the men riding behind her. She cracked the whip, scaring the men's horse causing it to turn in a different direction. She realized that the Black Ryder sitting behind the horseman was controlling the horse and so she took off her helmet throwing it to the Black Ryder, knocking him off the horse.
Xena sat back down on the horse and took control of the reins, galloping alongside the arena walls, occasionally looking back to see the net man catching up to her. "You aren't going to give up are you?" she mumbled and her hair flew into the wind as she tried to make the horse gallop faster around the arena. The abruptly pulled the reins of the horse slowing it tremendously allowing the net man to pass her up. She smiled and began riding behind him now, cracking the whip at the horse's behind.
The Black Ryder soldier groaned and got up from the sand, spitting out some blood. Furious he saw that Xena was indeed winning and he did not know how because she was injured. He had underestimated her obviously. Irritated he ran to grab a spear and aimed it towards Xena. He closed one eye and threw the javelin at Xena's horse, causing it to rear end her off the saddle and she cried out as she landed on her injured shoulder.
The crowd gasped, cheered and booed all at the same time. The horseman with the net turned his horse towards Xena and she tried to get herself up off the ground but she was not quick enough. The net was thrown on top of her and she struggled to get free.
Gabrielle stood up and saw Xena was being drug inside the net and she gasped.
Octavius saw the scribe's concern and touched her arm, "and she was doing so well, wasn't she?" he smirked.
She frowned, "you're going to kill her!" she yelled and turned her attention back to the games at hand. The younger soldier grabbed a sword from the weapon wrack and waltzed to the center of the arena. The horseman came to a halt and threw Xena to the middle. Sand in her hair and eyes as well as many cuts across her face and arms.
Xena got free of the net and groaned, holding her arm as her shoulder was dislocated now. She saw the Black Ryder point a sword at her throat and her eyes widened. She had never felt so defenseless in her life, she was too injured, poisoned and had no available weapons. The sunlight was blinding her and she squinted, covering her eyes with her uninjured arm. The soldier stepped in front of Xena, blocking the sun, still holding the blade up to her neck.
She grinned breathing out slowly, "why don't you give the crowd what they want?" she challenged the soldier, sure that he wouldn't kill her, although the closer he got to her neck she began to worry this is where she was going to die.
"you would like that wouldn't you?" the Black Ryder said and Xena's eyebrows furrowed, recognizing that voice. He took off the black plumed helm off and threw it to the side, revealing his face.
Her mouth gaped, "Solan!" her voice hissed, disbelieving that he was capable of such acts. She could have killed him a few moments ago, but now the tables were turned.
He smiled, "you look surprised. I told you I have trained with the sword since we last met," he pushed the blade closer to her neck. Xena sat up as much as she could, she used her torso for support and her elbow dug into the hot sand.
Gabrielle covered her mouth and saw who was holding the sword to Xena's neck. Octavius enjoyed seeing her surprised expression and judging from the interaction between Solan and Xena he reckoned that she was surprised as well.
"What does he think he's doing?" Gabrielle asked, demanding an answer from the emperor.
Octavius shrugged his shoulders, "proving that he could be the next great Roman emperor, Gabrielle. This game was his idea."
Her eyes filled with worry for Xena and what Solan might do to her. "What?" she said in shock and incredulity.
The crowd was growing impatient from the lack of bloodshed and Xena stared into Solan's doe brown eyes, resembling Borias' and Lyceus' eyes. He reminded her of Lyceus so much because he was passionate, naive, had blonde hair and tanned skin, but the attitude of Borias and temper like hers. She couldn't believe that he would agree to fight her in the arena let alone kill her.
She scooted backwards and sat up some more, causing Solan to take a step forward, inching the blade closer to her. "Remember when I told you that I knew your mother, Solan?" she said in a soft voice.
"What does that matter right now when you're about to die?" he asked, smiling widely.
She smiled softly, "that gold pen given to you on your fifteenth birthday this year, I know you loved it very much." Solan's eyes twitched and he didn't understand so she continued. "On your tenth birthday you were given a desk made of mahogany wood."
Solan scowled and thrust the sword closer to Xena, becoming irritated as she continued onward with this charade. Xena flinched from the sword, unwilling to fight back anymore.
"On your fifth birthday you got a wooden box for your small trinkets you made by hand." A single tear fell from her eye and trickled down her cheek. Solan now understood everything now and his eyes widened, realizing that Xena could have only known this because she was his mother. She sent those gifts to him and her emotion proved his theory to be correct.
"Solan...please," she pleaded in a whisper. Xena was never known to beg but she felt that she had to, had to make him realize that he was about to make a terrible mistake. Part of her wanted him to do it, but she wanted him to know who she was even if she were to die.
Solan stood there silent and stared out into the restless crowd. Many yelling for bloodshed of the Empress but his eyes revered back to Xena, who was lying on the ground, helpless and defenseless and broken.
Xena swallowed, her saliva coating her dry throat as she stared into Solan's eyes once more. "I love you." She finally said those words that she never thought she'd say to her son. She said those words in silence when he was a baby and after he was taken away but never said them aloud. Now that she finally did she felt a sense of relief and an aura of serenity come over her.
Solan growled, lifting the sword high into the air and swung it downward. Xena closed her eyes and when she heard silence from the crowd and felt her body still intact, she opened her eyes to see the sword in the sand next to her head. Her heart beating faster than ever before and saw Solan walking away from the scene and back into the barracks.
Gabrielle had her eyes closed not wishing to see the end of Xena but opened them slowly as she heard nothing from the crowd except whispers and murmurs. She leaned forward in the seat and saw Xena still very much alive lying on the sand, struggling to stand up with her injured shoulder. She smiled relieved to see Xena alive but Solan had disappeared.
Octavius stood up disappointed that Solan did not get rid of Xena like he said they would. He groaned and he too disappeared from the balcony leaving Gabrielle alone staring off into the arena.
Xena was helped up by some Roman soldiers and carried off from the arena. She stared up into the balcony and grinned weakly at the smiling Gabrielle.
Back at the palace Solan was in his training room and flipped over a table full of scrolls and maps. He grabbed his sword and began swinging it around aimlessly in the air to relieve his anger. His mind once clear was now fogged up since Xena basically insinuated that she was indeed his biological mother. He once wanted to know who his mother was, but now that he did he wished he never did. Although he agreed to rid Xena from this earth from mother Rome, he couldn't, his heart wouldn't allow him even though his mind disagreed.
Xena was carried back into the palace and was sure she was going to get a verbal beating from Octavius but she spoke to the guards in a tired tone, "where is the emperor's nephew? I wish to speak with him."
The guards eyed her with suspicion. "You can stand guard while I talk to him...please?" she pleaded once more. She had never begged so much in her life. The guards were unwilling to take her to see Solan and continued to carry her to her room to get cleaned up from her fresh wounds and her old one as well as her dislocated shoulder.
She chuckled, "do not be fooled by my condition, fellows," she used the last bit of her strength and knocked over one of the guards onto the floor. The other pulled out his blade about to strike her but she head butted him and pinched his neck, causing him to kneel and gasp for air. She sighed, "should have..just complied, gentlemen. Excuse me," she stepped on the fallen soldier's chest, holding onto her limp arm and walking down the hall, listening to the sound of belongings crashing against walls and slight cursing in the background.
Figuring she was close she stumbled upon Solan's training room which was now a mess. She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. Solan immediately saw her enter and became irate.
"Quite a mess you've made," she gathered, staring at the torn scrolls, ruined table and chairs fallen on the floor.
Solan twirled the sword in his wrist and frowned angrily, "you once told me that my mother loved me."
Xena did not flinch nor show any emotion, but stared at him blankly, allowing him to release his anger on her.
"How can someone like you...be..." he groaned, "you lie to me, you are not my mother!"
Xena stepped forward and Solan held up his sword in anger so she took a step backward, still holding onto her arm. "Whether you believe me or not I am your mother and I do...love you."
His eyes filled with tears, but too irate to shed them he turned around slicing his blade into the wooden table causing Xena to flinch at the outburst. "I lied to you to protect you," she said in a softer tone than usual.
Solan began laughing at her ridiculous words. "You lie to me to protect me? That's hilarious. You gave me up so you can have your little empire."
"I didn't know that you'd end up here as a Roman," she defended herself.
Solan shook his head not believing a word that was coming out of her serpent mouth. "I find that hard to believe!"
Xena frowned now becoming irritated at her own son. "I told your father to take you away from me and not tell me about your whereabouts. How was I to know that you would end up in Rome?" her breath stunted her words and realized she spoke of Borias unexpectedly.
His eyes changed from irate to now sad and a bit curious. "My father? He still lives?" Xena nodded her head in response, now her eyes staring at the marble floors.
"Get out," he commanded. Xena stood still unwilling to move. "Get out!" he yelled and Xena looked up to see he was quite sincere. She turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
She leaned against the door closing her eyes and another tear streamed down her cheek. She wiped her tears with the backside of her hand. She lingered awhile expecting to hear more chaos in the room but she heard silence. Frowning she opened the door and saw Solan was no longer in the room but the curtains swaying against the gentle breeze from the open balcony. Xena stumbled into the room and went to the balcony and saw Solan riding off on a horse hastily. She sighed wearingly as he departed.