A PATH WHICH IS FORCED UPON YOU WITH OUT YOUR CONSENT

Xena slowly turned Argo watching as Gabrielle moved Meztli following her. She'd felt it best that they go out in to the fields by the house and ride together for a little while. The cold air felt soothing and refreshing for some reason, she moved Argo forward at a slow trot watching as her lover carried on moving just behind her. She turned her horse coming up along side her lover's stallion who snorted, she breathed in feeling the need to bring forth the subject which had been playing on her mind ever since this morning. "Why don't we go on vacation to Apollonia?" Gabrielle stopped her horse gently watching as Xena stopped next to her. "Apollonia…you want to go to Apollonia?"

Xena patted Argo's neck. "No I want us to go to Apollonia together we could get away and stay at Agatone's guest villa again. There we can relax and work things out and just get away from it all." Her gaze drifted slowly to her lover's stomach. "It'll be good for our child." Gabrielle turned her horse away slightly feeling her eyes dart. "There's still Typhoeus's will to sort, I have to sell his villa and give those who deserve it their share in the money, we can't just up and leave." Xena turned Argo moving up close to her side. "Sure we can, your sister is about to join the council tell her what you want to do with the will and have her do it for you, she'll probably enjoy it you know how much she enjoys reading documents." She felt a smile form. "She helped me to find that loop hole which allowed me to free the slaves."

Gabrielle lowered her gaze to the floor their engagement, gods there was so much rattling around in her head at the moment and she really didn't have time to go through it all right now. She had no idea where to begin it just felt like to much effort to piece things together. She looked up slightly maybe her lover was right, maybe it'd be good to just get away and relax. Maybe then she could get her head straight she moved closer to her lover only to stop as she felt her senses start to tingle. She looked up slowly turning in the direction of the source. "Aphrodite?" She moved her horse backwards as the goddess appeared in a sudden blast of white light and pink and yellow rose petals.

Aphrodite breathed in deeply she walked towards the bulky black station gently putting a hand on his head stroking it gently. "How is it you can do that?" Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. "We've had two life times together, I've become very accustom to your company." Aphrodite stroked the horse's thick black mane. "He's a beautiful horse." The horse snorted causing her to smile. "Meztli he likes that name he's very proud of it." She looked up meeting Gabrielle's gaze. "How are you feeling now?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "I'm feeling much better." Aphrodite moved her hand gently putting it on Gabrielle's lower stomach ignoring her look of surprise she closed her eyes for a second hearing the healthy heart beat of the unborn child.

She eased her hand away looking up slowly. "Your unborn child is doing very well despite what you've been through." Xena leaned forward in the saddle. "How can we help you?" Aphrodite breathed in stepping away from the black stallion who snorted again she felt a wide smile form. "Well I need a favour from my favourite girl group." Xena breathed in deeply great she should've seen this coming she turned to the curly blonde haired woman whose smile was as wide as she could make it, clearly she was playing cute. "What kind of favour?" Aphrodite slowly eased up a piece of scroll unrolling it so they could see the picture of the dream stone. "I'd like need you to get this for me."

Xena eyed her for a long moment. "Ah I see and where is that?" Aphrodite looked at the image she slowly turned to Gabrielle. "Its in Sophia's palace about a days ride from here." Gabrielle felt her gaze narrow as she eyed her friend. "No!" Xena slowly eased herself off Argo taking the reins. "You do realize we've just had a very bad few days!?" Aphrodite looked at the scroll. "Yes I know that and I know its bad to ask but I need this item, its really important." Xena looked in to the distance she could see the dead monsters body which had been dragged outside the city to the old crave yard on the far outskirts. The rumour was that they intended to bury it but it would take a least two more days to create a big enough grave to put it in.

She shook her head. "Why do we need to get this thing, I mean why not get it off her yourself?" Aphrodite breathed in deeply rolled up the scroll. "Sophia doesn't worship me she worships that hagster Athena and Poseidon." She moved putting her hand on Gabrielle's horse. "She knows you, she has always had a soft spot for you, she'll give this item to you I know she will." Gabrielle sneered slightly. "You know your forgetting about the really bad part, which was that she had been locked up and beaten in one of her cells!" Aphrodite shook her head. "That was a very long time ago." Gabrielle felt her teeth grind together. "Yes and for me it still stings!" She tried to move her horse only to find it wouldn't budge. "You know that I like to avoid Illyria I don't have pleasant memories of the place." Aphrodite eased up her hand. "You two got together in Illyria, it was the place were your relationship started."

Gabrielle eyed her for a long moment. "No that was Epirus." Aphrodite breathed in sharply. "No that was where you first made love, your first kiss was in Illyria and you know it." Gabrielle let go of the reins folding her arms. "What difference does it make? I'm not going there." Aphrodite unrolled the scroll feeling the frustration mount. "All I want is to see this painted stone, that's all I'm asking." She stepped back eyeing Xena. "You were both talking about getting away just a moment ago I mean this is a chance to get away from everything." Xena took the scroll from her hand looking at it. "So you just want this flat painted piece of rock that's it. There's no adventure evolved in this?"

Aphrodite raised her hands. "No, no adventure, I just need you to get this stone for me and help me figure out how it works. Once I get it working I'll bring Hercules and Iolaus with me to the place I'm going. Then you can both go to Apollonia and make plans for your unborn child among other things." Xena looked at the scroll for a long moment before turning to her lover she knew Gabrielle wouldn't like this but somehow this felt strangely like the right thing to do. Gabrielle had never confronted Sophia and she had constantly avoided the subject for many years. Maybe now it was time to help her by confronting the topic.

She looked up meeting her lover's uncertain gaze. "It's a one day trip Gabrielle, we can just get this stone and then go to Apollonia." Gabrielle eased herself out of the Aztec saddle taking hold of her horse's reins. "You can't be serious?" Xena looked at the scroll. "This is nothing but a painted stone and once we get it, we don't have to worry about this anymore." Gabrielle eyed the scrolls image. "You know that I hate Illyria." Xena moved forward letting putting a hand on her arm. "It's just a one day trip sweetheart nothing more than that, we can just stay a few days and then leave." She leaned forward gently kissing her head. "We'll be back here before by the end of the week then we can make plans and go to Apollonia."

She paused, feeling bad for her next words as she never liked to play on Gabrielle's conscience. "King Kleitos died not long ago Gabrielle, he did what was right for us shouldn't we respect him in death by at least visiting his daughter to tell her that she's doing a good job in her position as Queen of Illyria?" Gabrielle raised a hand feeling her teeth grind together. "Fine I'll go." Aphrodite looked up catching the slight smile on Xena's face as she stepped away from Gabrielle. She moved forward putting her hand on her friends arm. "Thank you Gabrielle, you know this means at lot to me I have an important mission which Zeus has sent me on and I can't do it with out that stone."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes frankly she didn't care what her friend's mission was she wanted no part in it. She had far too much on her mind and the last thing she wanted was to be on another adventure. Aphrodite was her friend though and she owed her for all the pain she had put her through in the other life time when she'd hurt her feelings deeply and pushed her away. She'd never been able to make that up to her, but this was the perfect opportunity to make it right. She turned to her lover. "We'll talk to the family tonight and then make our way to Illyria tomorrow." Aphrodite moved forward wrapping her around her friend. "Thank you Gabby." She looked up watching as Xena's smile widened.

She stepped back grinning. "I'll meet you both when you get to Illyria." Xena watched as she waved vanishing in a blast of white light and red rose petals. Gabrielle breathed in gods she was crazy the thought of going back to Illyria was just turning her stomach. She dreaded the thought of having to face Sophia again more than anything. She breathed in deeply may be she felt worse normal about this because of the unborn child growing with in her. Her feelings felt so much more heightened recently, like the crashing waves of the tide, she'd found it very hard to just shut off and relax. She did need to get away from Potidaea though after all that happened in this past week, she needed to go somewhere peaceful to rethink and re-evaluate her life.

Inside the Royal Palace of Illyria

Sophia pushed her long red wavy hair back as she adjusted her royal chiton robeswhich were white in colour with many gold flowing patterns which were meant to resemble water and oceans. Around her waist was a thick heavy decorative jade and gold belt which was just a symbol of her status as queen. Frankly she hated it but she was forced to wear it since she wouldn't wear the heavy crown. She tapped her white sandal on the floor as her dark blue eyes narrowed as she unhooked the heavy decorative belt throwing it on the chair close by. "This is a simple matter why is everyone being so up tight about it?" Damokles sat up in the chair in their royal chambers meeting his wife's annoyed gaze. "Yes I agree it is simple, it's just the others don't see it that way."

Sophia folded her arms meeting her husband's piecing light blue gaze. "I think this treaty will be good for our kingdom." Damokles shook his head as much as he loved this woman sometimes she could be really stubborn. He ran his hand through his full thick black beard. "Some people are afraid of werewolves Sophia and let's face it, not everyone sees things in the way you do." Sophia breathed in deeply. "We have one of their people in our city, who is clearly a warrior. If what my sources tell me is to be believed he wears the Horn Hind symbol on his chest plate. I mean isn't this just the perfect opportunity to bring him here and offer an olive branch in the name of friendship and diplomacy?"

Damokles shook his head. "You know the people who have allegiances with us are only just starting to embrace the fact that you have Seleukos who's a Minotaur as your body guard." He pushed his short black hair back. "I mean isn't this just a little risky? The werewolf city has an unbreakable allegiance with the city of Messene and from what I've heard they don't make allegiances with out good reason." He looked up slightly. "Rumour has it three cities offered them allegiances but they turned them down, apparently unless both cities agree on an alliance it will be rejected." Sophia felt a smile form. "Yes and that's why this is the perfect opportunity to embrace this and try to gain an alliance with both cities."

Damokles felt a smile form as he shook his head. "You really want to try this don't you?" Sophia felt her smile form. "Of course, I have a good feeling about this." Damokles raised an eyebrow. "You know your father was never this forward." Sophia felt her smile fade slightly it hadn't been so long ago that she had been sitting by his death bed talking to him as he'd passed away. "I am not the same person my father was, I want to give Illyria strength like it's never had." Damokles stood up slowly. "You are a great leader Sophia, greater than your father and you've done so much for the people. The worst parts of the city have been rebuilt and the people now have a grand library and beautiful amphitheatre in which they can see the latest plays and hear the words of bards."

He gently put his hand on hers. "I just want you to relax now and take it easy I want to keep trying for a family just like we talked about." Sophia lowered her gaze sadly. "We've been trying now for a year, what if I'm baron what if I can't conceive?" Damokles looked down this was a soft topic for his wife and it frustrated her deeply. He knew she wanted a child but her inability to conceive was making her feel very unhappy. For the first time in a long time he was seeing her mood at a low and when it was like that she wasn't always nice to people. Though everyone in the palace didn't mind an odd swing her mood now and then as they knew the reason for it, he was concerned though that it would get worse and the last thing he wanted to see was her become that miserable again.

He eased up his hand running it through her long red hair. "We will have a child it'll just take a more time that's all." Sophia looked up slightly. "I hope your right about that Damokles, because if I can't conceive a child people will see me as weak and they'll try to kill me just like they tried to kill my father." Damokles put both hands on her shoulders. "Elpidios failed in that plot as did Leuis and Abraxas when they tried to kill your father in their vile council plot. Xena killed Elpidios and both my self and Heli killed the other two. Kolina was involved in that plot but you showed her mercy and gave her back her position on the council and she is now Heli's lover.

He sighed sadly. "As for Chara." Sophia narrowed her gaze. "Chara locked me in a room and then sexually assaulted me she when I was younger, she made me hate everyone including you. Because of that bitch manipulating me, I put Kolina's sister to death and she was innocent and I had Gabrielle locked up and beaten in a cell and even to this very day I've never been able right things with her fully." Damokles raised both hands. "What I'm trying to say is that you now have very trustworthy people on the council who we both picked, no one will ever do that to you again Sophia. You are much stronger than you're father as a ruler and your people know that, no one will try to dethrone us." Sophia breathed in painfully. "I hope your right, I want to believe it I just worry sometimes, you're the king and I don't want my people to see me as your weakness."

Damokles shook his head. "People do not see you as weak Sophia you are anything but weak I wouldn't be able to do half of what I do as King with out your help, if anything you make my role as king much easier." He leaned forward gently kissing her lips. "So please don't trouble yourself in this manner." He was about to say more only to stop as the room started to rattle violently, he pulled her close only to watch in shock as the wall on the opposite side of the bed was blown apart. Pieces of wood flew in all directions as multicoloured rainbow light filled the room completely before fading away in to nothing.

He turned as the door to their room was forced open as the huge Minotaur Seleukos ran inside his hoofs smashing the floor. His huge sword came in to view as he came to a sudden stop blinking in confusion. Sophia turned looking around her looking at all the fallen pieces of wood her gaze drifted up to the wall which now had a huge hole in it. "What in gods name?!" Seleukos watched as she walked towards it he moved forward. "You're Majesty please allow me." Sophia stepped back ignoring the sudden rush of warriors who ran in to their room their swords high only to stop in confusion when they saw the hole in their wall. Seleukos moved forward looking in to the gapping hole he blinked catching sight of many shining objects.

He eased up a clawed hand seeing what was left of some kind of hidden door he roared pulling it off opening the whole area up fully. He turned throwing the half broken door to the floor. He looked in side the gapping hole seeing that there was no explosive black powder. "Majesty this is a store room of some kind, it was hidden view by what was a secret door." He stepped back watching as stepped in front of him looking inside along with Damokles. "May be the door's trigger was faulty and destroyed the secret door itself, I've heard of it happening." Sophia looked in side again she recognised some of the things instantly. "These are my mother's things, I recognise the golden statues they were my father's gifts to her."

She narrowed her gaze feeling the confusion hit home. "I thought he got rid of most of things after she died when I was very young." Damokles raised an eyebrow. "Clearly Kleitos didn't though he must have hidden them behind this secret door. I don't understand though why would he store them like this and not tell you?" Sophia slowly stepped inside the medium sized hidden room which was filled with all manner of statues and paintings as well as other beautiful items like royal dresses and jewellery which were on display. She picked up a gold and jade necklace looking at it. "My father always felt guilty that she died when I was young, he also blamed himself even on his deathbed for making Chara my lady in waiting." She breathed in painfully. "Maybe he still felt guilty and didn't know how to tell me that my mother's things were here, maybe he thought I'd be mad at him for keeping these things from me." She shook her head sadly. "Your saw him at the end he was so weak that fever he had some years before destroyed his body he never had the strength again that he'd had."

Damokles lowered his gaze. "Maybe he just forgot about this place Sophia." Sophia looked around her putting down the necklace she turned only to stop as she caught sight of flat thin piece of stone which had beautiful tribal paintings on it which appeared to be glowing. She leaned down slowly picking it up, despite that it was pure stone it felt as light as a feather. She watched as the glowing light faded away leaving only painted stone, she turned to her husband feeling the confusion take over. "What in Tartarus is this?" Damokles stared at the odd stone he had never seen tribal painting like it before, he moved closer looking at the images on it. "I have no idea I've never seen anything like this before."

End of part 34

Silvermoonlight

This chapter is going up early as I'm away all of next week I'll update again when I get back :)