Chapter 213
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Note: These characters are all from "Hercules the legendary journeys" and it's spinoff "Xena warrior princess."
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After the gladiator games, Caesar and Hope retired to their chambers. It was unlikely that the crowd would dare to defy them over the lives of those fighters, but they had to strategize. Their ally, Ares, soon joined them.
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Ares: The crowd was suprised when you two spared the lives of those gladiators, so was I.
Caesar: And myself. But after Hope gave the tumbs up, it's best if the people didn't see us disagree in public.
Ares: Fair point. Which brings us to the next question. Hope, why did you give the thumbs up?
Hope: I saw my mother in the crowd.
Caesar: Gabrielle is here? And Xena?
Hope: I didn't see Xena.
Ares: No, Xena refused to accompany her wife to Hell. I had hoped she would come. All of us together, imagine the damage we could do.
Hope: Xena hates me and Caesar, and you Ares.
Ares: That didn't always stop us from working together. That's an advantage of Hell. No matter how many times you kill each other, you can keep coming back. Actually, the klingons have this tradition. When their homeworld descended into civil war, which happenned a fair amount over the centuries, after a long battle spent slaughtering each other, both sides could come together and celebrate. They'd wish each other well in the next day's battle and say "Die well." I for one would like to see that tradition continued here. Sorry to get a little off track, why did you let your mother convince you to spare their lives?
Hope: I'm not sure. I supposse, there is some part of me that still loves her. That wants her love and approval.
Ares: But will she ever accept you for who you are? Will Xena ever accept you?
Hope: Probably not. But perhaps we can use this to our advantage.
Caesar: She's right. If Gabrielle thinks there's a chance Hope can be "redeemed" it could concievably drive a wedge between her and Xena.
Ares: I like your style. Anyway Hope don't feel bad, even the best of us has the occasional moments of weakness. I found my father in Hell. The once almighty king of the gods, reduced to a bum on the street. I admit, I took pity on him, set him up in a nice house with, any number of beautiful servant girls. So don't feel too bad about this one moment of weakness, just try not to make a habit of it.