Part 5
Near nightfall, Xena and Gabrielle walked back toward the palace. They had talked all day long about each other's lives and how they felt about things. Xena and Gabrielle had quite a lot in common. They were surprised how much they had in common.
"You've had a child?" Xena asked in shock. Gabrielle nodded.
"Don't be too surprised. Villagers can have children at young ages too, you know." Gabrielle said. "I had a beautiful son. His name was Talos. He had blonde hair and green eyes. He looked like me. But, his father, Perdicus, well, he was in a war, and he would send us money to help get by the cold winters. Well, one day, the money stopped coming, and we never heard from him again. I had not much strength to feed my son, and he died of hunger, just two months after he was born." Tears formed in the young girl's eyes. "It's been a year, but the pain is still there." Xena wrapped her free arm around the girl, suddenly feeling older and smarter, but she didn't know why.
It was a few minutes later that the girls headed back to the palace in silence. Xena had Chloe in one arm and Eve in another. Both children were sleeping.
When they reached the palace, Xena said goodnight and hugged her new friend. She then walked to the Royal Chambers and put the children to bed.
Xena awoke in the morning to an awful commotion downstairs. She looked out her window to see, outside of the palace, the guards holding onto Gabrielle. Xena felt her blood boil.
"What's the meaning of this?" Xena called from her window. The guards stopped what they were doing to bow. Gabrielle looked up at the queen and curtsied. Xena shook her head as if to tell Gabrielle she didn't have to.
"This girl was caught trying to sneak into the palace. She said she was coming to see you." One guard said.
"Then let her up!" Xena yelled. The guards didn't dare defy the young queen. "Where's my husband?"
"He went to sign peace treaties with Rome. He'll be back by the next full moon." The guard said. Xena nodded and the guards led Gabrielle into the palace and up to Xena's room.
Near nightfall, Xena and Gabrielle walked back toward the palace. They had talked all day long about each other's lives and how they felt about things. Xena and Gabrielle had quite a lot in common. They were surprised how much they had in common.
"You've had a child?" Xena asked in shock. Gabrielle nodded.
"Don't be too surprised. Villagers can have children at young ages too, you know." Gabrielle said. "I had a beautiful son. His name was Talos. He had blonde hair and green eyes. He looked like me. But, his father, Perdicus, well, he was in a war, and he would send us money to help get by the cold winters. Well, one day, the money stopped coming, and we never heard from him again. I had not much strength to feed my son, and he died of hunger, just two months after he was born." Tears formed in the young girl's eyes. "It's been a year, but the pain is still there." Xena wrapped her free arm around the girl, suddenly feeling older and smarter, but she didn't know why.
It was a few minutes later that the girls headed back to the palace in silence. Xena had Chloe in one arm and Eve in another. Both children were sleeping.
When they reached the palace, Xena said goodnight and hugged her new friend. She then walked to the Royal Chambers and put the children to bed.
Xena awoke in the morning to an awful commotion downstairs. She looked out her window to see, outside of the palace, the guards holding onto Gabrielle. Xena felt her blood boil.
"What's the meaning of this?" Xena called from her window. The guards stopped what they were doing to bow. Gabrielle looked up at the queen and curtsied. Xena shook her head as if to tell Gabrielle she didn't have to.
"This girl was caught trying to sneak into the palace. She said she was coming to see you." One guard said.
"Then let her up!" Xena yelled. The guards didn't dare defy the young queen. "Where's my husband?"
"He went to sign peace treaties with Rome. He'll be back by the next full moon." The guard said. Xena nodded and the guards led Gabrielle into the palace and up to Xena's room.