Part 18
It was the next month, actually, that King Ares arrived back in Amphipolis. He entered the palace to find Gabrielle holding little Perdicus and she was sitting in a chair in the long narrow hallway that led to the Royal chambers. Eve, Chloe, Serenity, and Dawn were running around in their little dresses, playing, and Solan was chasing after Dawn with a big smile and he was laughing.
Ares looked at the small boy that played with the princesses. He looked to Gabrielle with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Who is he, Gabrielle?" Ares asked.
"He's our son." Xena said as she walked into the room with Rose in one arm and Belle in the other. "It's Solan. I've hidden him from you since he was a babe. For a year, he's been living with the servants, and now he is here. I did not want such a young boy to be taken from me to be trained. He was much too young. I've waited a year, and in another year or so, he will go, but until then, he stays with me. That's final."
"Final?" Ares asked. "I'm the king! He will do as I command! You will do as I command!"
"And I am queen!" Xena said. "He's my son, and I say he stays! I don't obey you!" With that, the queen took off down the hall with her newborn daughters. She didn't want to be queen anymore. She just wanted to get the hell out of that place and never return.
It was the next month, actually, that King Ares arrived back in Amphipolis. He entered the palace to find Gabrielle holding little Perdicus and she was sitting in a chair in the long narrow hallway that led to the Royal chambers. Eve, Chloe, Serenity, and Dawn were running around in their little dresses, playing, and Solan was chasing after Dawn with a big smile and he was laughing.
Ares looked at the small boy that played with the princesses. He looked to Gabrielle with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Who is he, Gabrielle?" Ares asked.
"He's our son." Xena said as she walked into the room with Rose in one arm and Belle in the other. "It's Solan. I've hidden him from you since he was a babe. For a year, he's been living with the servants, and now he is here. I did not want such a young boy to be taken from me to be trained. He was much too young. I've waited a year, and in another year or so, he will go, but until then, he stays with me. That's final."
"Final?" Ares asked. "I'm the king! He will do as I command! You will do as I command!"
"And I am queen!" Xena said. "He's my son, and I say he stays! I don't obey you!" With that, the queen took off down the hall with her newborn daughters. She didn't want to be queen anymore. She just wanted to get the hell out of that place and never return.