Just a reminder that this story is an ultra slow burn between Xena and Gabrielle. Enjoy!
Chapter Eight: Little Worm in My Apple
Was this night ever going to end?
Gabrielle counted the minutes while she painted. The paintbrush swiped against the canvas and made a scraping sound that both her clients could hear audibly. She tried not to focus on either one of them and concentrated on the portrait.
The air was thick. The tension was almost obscene.
She was counting on the Empress' chatty tongue to break the silence but for once, the mouthy woman had nothing to say. With each stroke of the brush, she took a large inhale as if to help her ease the pressurized air inside her constricted lungs.
Xena crossed one leg over her knee and folded her hands in her lap. To occupy herself in this time of stillness, she ran a hand over the fabric of her gown. Then she tapped her fingernails together, glaring at Gabrielle a few feet in front of her. She couldn't stay here long but if she left now Sabina would say something. She was in an awkward situation that she couldn't weasel her way out of.
The infernal tapping noise caused the Empress' eyebrow to twitch. She side-eyed the brunette beside her and Xena slowly turned with a crooked smile. Just like that, Xena curled her fingers and Sabina gave a faint sneer.
"When is your child due?" Xena choked on her own words.
Sabina's face brightened ten-fold. "Hopefully by the start of fall but I have a feeling it will be the end of summer." She ran a hand over the swell of her abdomen.
Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some conversation. She didn't know how long she could take the silence even if it was a topic she wasn't particularly fond of. Her eyes darted to Xena who appeared to be unnerved and irritated by the Augusta's presence. You and me both, she thought.
"Do you have any children?" asked the Empress.
Xena forced a cheeky smile and shook her head. "No, afraid not."
"I'm surprised that at your age you don't have any children," Sabina's eyes twinkled, showcasing a grin.
Xena's eyebrows lifted high into her fringed hair.
This is going horribly. Gabrielle lowered the brush from the canvas and watched the blue eyes of her client enlarge. She was incensed, Gabrielle could tell. She wasn't shocked to hear something like that spew from Sabina's lewd mouth. That woman had a way with words and she knew exactly what to say to rile people all while looking so sweet and innocent.
It would be so easy to kill her. All Xena had to do was wait until Sabina left the workshop and walked back to the palace. She could grab her from behind and snap her neck in two seconds. Her body would fall to the ground and then Xena would drag her off into an alley and stage her death. Sabina would die at the hands of Nero just like his previous wife.
She could put an end to this woman's life by the end of the night. Nobody would suspect her. She'd be in the clear.
No, she talked herself out of the idea. She couldn't kill Sabina. It would be an impulsive kill and people would question everyone who last saw her. The moment she vacated from Rome she would be exposed. Everyone would know it was her.
"You think me old, Empress?" she chose to play the insult off as a joke.
Sabina snubbed her nose. "I did not imply such a thing. I am simply surprised that you don't have any children at your age," she shot the brunette a glare.
"My life is busy enough as it is. Children would just get in the way."
"Gabrielle, are you almost finished with my portrait?" Sabina ignored the second guest, eager to change subject.
The artist set down the paintbrush and glanced at the painting. It wasn't finished and she hardly got any work done with these two women in her workplace. She was too worried about what next thing was to come out of the Empress' mouth to focus on painting.
"I will need to work on it some more, Empress. We can schedule a future appointment for you to come in," Gabrielle suggested and quickly glanced at the scowl upon Xena's face. This night was far too long.
Satisfied with the offer, Sabina made a move to vacate her chair. Xena stood abruptly and while the empress struggled to stand, she extended her hand. Sabina's eyes traveled up to the tall woman and grabbed Xena's hand and slowly got to her feet.
"How nice of you..." she tried to pull her hand away and Xena's grip tightened.
"I wish you a safe delivery and healthy child, empress." Xena's lips curved into a smile and finally let go of Sabina's hand.
An uneasy feeling came over Sabina the longer she laid eyes on the brunette's smile. Protectively, she cupped her belly and felt the child within her toss and writhe. She then put a hand to her thumping chest and her tongue scoped around her arid mouth.
"Thank you," she croaked out. She shortly made eye contact with Gabrielle before exiting with her chambermaids.
Xena followed the empress walking outside in the rain. She narrowed her eyes and heard the blonde artist exhale. She gathered Gabrielle had been holding that in for quite some time now. They were both relieved that the Augusta had left.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea she would be here. She usually notifies me when she wants to come by," Gabrielle felt the need to apologize further, "that little remark she made was uncalled for."
Xena lowered her gaze and let her guard down. "You don't need to apologize for the empress' brazenness, Gabrielle."
"But I want to." she began to clean her workspace. "I feel the need to. She should've never said the things that she did. Who does she think she is?" she tossed the dirty paintbrush into a cup of water. "The minute she opens her mouth it's like she can't stop vomiting nonsense!"
"Gabrielle…" she crept up behind the petite artist. "Gabrielle," she gripped her shoulder. "It's alright. You don't have to defend her actions to me."
Goosebumps coursed along her skin. She eyed the fingers splayed on her shoulder and slowly rounded her body to face Xena's. Subconsciously, she hid the gash on her neck as she knew it would only draw attention and she didn't want to be bothered with it anymore.
"You're a bad liar."
Gabrielle's cheeks soured. "What? You don't know me well enough to say that," she chuckled awkwardly.
Xena stepped closer and felt warm breath brush against her chest. "You tried to get away but they had you cornered." She brushed a strand of blonde from Gabrielle's neck. "They got distracted and didn't finish the job."
Gabrielle trembled, bothered by the accuracy of the description of her altercation with her attacker. She backed away and bumped into the table, knocking over the cup of water. Xena kept moving forward until there was no space left between them.
"They watched you from afar," Xena's voice deepened. "They know where you work. They know your name. They hunted you like prey." She grabbed Gabrielle's chin. "They attacked you."
Gabrielle opened her mouth to speak but all that she uttered were spurts of labored breaths and her throat closed up instantly. Everything Xena said was spot on which was very unsettling.
"You fought back and that is the only reason you're alive." Xena took a step back, allowing Gabrielle space to breathe. "You injured your attacker and they hesitated but they trapped you." she arched an eyebrow, continuing on, "you had no weapons with you so you used brute force."
Her fingers ran along the gash and Gabrielle let out a shaky exhale.
"The question begs an answer," her voice steady and smooth, "why would someone want to attack a harmless person like you?" Xena titled her head, gaping into the jade eyes.
Gabrielle took a moment to compose herself though her insides writhed. "Maybe…she didn't like the way…I looked."
"She." Xena lopsidedly grinned. "The attacker is a woman," she spoke naively. "Who would want to harm you, Gabrielle?"
"I…I don't know," she spoke the truth.
"The Steppe woman, perhaps?"
A long pause passed between them.
Xena smiled warmly and finally she saw the artist's nerves subside. There was a small flicker in Gabrielle's eyes at the mention of 'Steppe woman'. Everyone feared her. They feared me, she thought. Yet she had nothing to do with Gölge's impulsive attack she felt responsible. She inflicted pain on someone so innocent. It was her fault that Gabrielle was harmed and there was nothing she could do about it except maybe throw Gölge out the tower window. That girl had been nothing but trouble since their arrival.
"Why didn't you tell me you were attacked?"
Gabrielle rubbed her cheek on her shoulder, evading eye contact. "It's not your job to worry over me."
"I could've found the person responsible. I have connections."
The artist wagged her head and put a hand to her radiating cheek. "You're my client. It wouldn't…it wouldn't be appropriate." She turned her back to Xena and closed her eyes, wishing this conversation would end. "I don't like to mix business with pleasure. I shouldn't even be having this conversation with you right now," she mumbled.
A frown graced Xena's lips. "I'm not Augusta Sabina who would turn you into the Emperor for speaking openly."
"Still. It's not right."
With her back turned and eyes shut, she could hear footsteps drift away. Gabrielle's eyes fluttered open and she held her breath, turning around to see Xena gone. She walked along the wall, gazing out the windows. The pitter patter of the rain sounded of hail. She hung her head and her hand clenched into a fist.
The following days Roman soldiers ransacked the entire city in search of the Steppe Queen. They barged into homes and businesses, questioning citizens relentlessly. Nero employed every single soldier within his power to find the woman and bring her forth for the rest of Rome to see.
Every home was tossed upside down and some people were held prisoner for how they looked. Foreigners who resided in Rome were also detained by Nero's orders. The brothels were a hot spot for tourists and soldiers alike. Since the hunt began all brothels were forbidden to cater to eager men who desired any kind of pleasure.
Nobody was to be left out of this search. Nobody was safe here. The search went on for more than three days and Nero had pressured his men to keep looking. There no answers but several questions. More and more people were taken to the palace for questioning all to be released with tattered clothes and bruises on their skin.
No leads guided the Roman army to the intruder in the city. Vindex heard of Xena's name being plastered around the city and he was questioned by four elite soldiers for two days straight. He gave no valuable information but he was constantly being watched.
On the fourth day, Vindex left his villa and when he walked down the street it was surprisingly void of soldiers. Adjusting the gauntlet around his wrist, a hand came over his mouth and he was dragged into an alley and forced into a low apartment in the slums.
Forced to his knees, he looked at the black armored figure in front of him. He inwardly kicked himself and tightened his face as he expected to be backhanded.
Xena spun on her heel and crossed her arms.
"Why didn't you tell me that people know my name? I can't even step outside without people whispering my name!" she bent down and held his face in her palm.
"I did! I told your maiden!"
Xena whipped her head to Gölge who hid herself in a corner of the room. She rolled her eyes. That girl had caused such mayhem for her that she questioned whether to keep her alive or not at this point. Everyone knew she was in Rome and although that had been her plan from the start, she didn't want her exposure to reveal itself like this.
"What happened?" she hissed. "How did the Romans come to know my name?"
Vindex tried to let himself up and she rammed his body against a barrel of old wine. "A spy…a man, came into my home and interrogated me."
"Go on…"
"I thought he was one of your men," he witnessed her pupils dilate like a hawk.
She sent a swift kick to his gut and he collided with the floor. She took the Governor by his collar and threw him against another wall. Vindex moaned and she pressed her arm against his throat, constricting air. While his cheeks turned bright red with the lack of oxygen, Xena pulled out a dagger and held the blade close to his blonde hair.
"You've been complacent, Vindex," she drew blood from his forehead. "Did I not warn you that this was your last chance? I keep my promises."
She nudged her head to her men, gesturing them to come close. They each held back Vindex's arms and stuffed his mouth with a cloth. He squirmed and wriggled, trying to get free. Xena turned to Gölge who was watching in horror.
Xena took a step back and her men held the Governor, forcefully holding him back so he would not escape. She waltzed across the room and swiveled the dagger to its dull end and held it out for her apprentice to take.
"Now is your chance to redeem yourself, Gölge." She pushed the dagger closer. "Take it!"
The young apprentice cautiously took the blade and clenched her fingers around the leather hilt. Xena's arm wrapped around her and she was pushed towards the squealing Roman. She stood in front of the man with warm breath gliding on the nape of her neck.
"Do it," Xena whispered in her ear. "Scalp him."
Hesitation was not a wise choice at this moment. Gölge saw the fear in his eyes. A pair of hands gripped her shoulders, causing her to tense. She took a deep inhale and the hands on her tightened to the point of it being painful.
"Scalp him or I'll scalp you, Gölge."
The mission at hand began to weigh heavily on her mind. Gabrielle thought that the Roman soldiers would've found something by now. Assassinating anyone was never an easy task but she was given the orders to kill Xena with absolutely no leads felt impossible. If Nero's men couldn't find her then how in the world could she?
Gabrielle was in a foul mood these last four days and it wasn't just due to soldiers practically tearing the city down. After that night with her clients she feared she might've scared her mysterious Delphi woman away. Sabina ruined everything that night. She had plans to work on the portrait but when she found Sabina waiting for her in the shop, she knew her night was to turn into a nightmare of sorts.
While the city was being turned into a pit of disaster and chaos, she continued to work on the Empress' portrait. The thought of slashing it with a knife occurred to her but if she acted on every single thought she had, she'd be dead by now.
She felt silly for lurking in the shop, staring out the windows. Sometimes she'd see Xena walk by or enter the market but now, it was like she disappeared. There was no trace of her. That's it, she thought, I scared her off. Gabrielle chastised herself for allowing her personal feelings to get in the way. She liked to be friendly with her all clients but this time was different. She was different.
Xena was cause of her stress –the Steppe Queen, the nomadic warrior, the primitive woman –she was the one who caused her mind to scatter. This was Xena's fault and no one else's.
She needed someone to blame and Xena was that blame. If she had never been assigned the task then she wouldn't be so downtrodden right now.
So her mind wasn't to wander further, she worked on Sabina's portrait and after she finished for the day she cleaned her brushes and station. She swirled the brushes in a basin of water and watched the colors blend together to create a black watery color.
Outside the shop she heard a lot of women screaming and wailing. Gabrielle raised her eyes and citizens ran across the street like a flock of birds. She took her hands out of the water and ran outside to see what the disturbance was.
Pushing through the crowd she came to see a man knelt in the center of the square. His scalp was doused in fresh blood that trickled down his face and neck. Gabrielle clamped a hand over her mouth at the horrific sight. His clothing was that of a nobleman but not a senator or politician. He had armor on.
That man was Gaius Julius Vindex. He was nearly unrecognizable.
Gabrielle bumped into several people as she trailed backward in horror. She ran back into the workshop and snatched her dark cloak draped over a chair. With her stomach churning she darted through the empty streets towards the east.
She couldn't get the image of the Governor out of her mind. There was so much blood. And it was fresh. He had to have been mauled minutes earlier which meant Xena wasn't far. She was so near and right under everybody's noses. Everyone was blind –she was blind. It was then that she realized she couldn't do this alone.
Gölge furiously washed her hands of Vindex's blood stained on her flesh. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to wash her sins away. Through a nearby mirror she gazed at Xena sitting in a chair behind her, cleaning the blade so apathetically it made her ill. She scrubbed until her fingers were raw and numb. Tuffs of blonde hair were embedded in her fingernails and she picked and picked until the beds of her cuticles bled.
"For a moment I didn't think you were going to do it," Xena said from afar.
Gölge pinched the skin around her nails to stop the bleeding and hurried over to grab a cloth to wrap around her bloody fingers. Heavily breathing, she looked over her shoulder at Xena who met her gaze.
"Because of you the entire city is searching for me." Xena sprung from the chair and tucked the dagger in her boot. "You put this entire mission at risk."
In attempt to save face, Gölge replied, "Vindex…told you where his soldiers are. You can still –still start the rebellion."
"And how do you suggest I do that hiding in this shack?" Xena laughed mockingly. "After the city dies down I will need to go outside," she sighed.
"Why would you…do that?" her lip trembled.
Xena marched over to her apprentice and cornered her. "Because Gölge," she growled, "I need to know what the public is saying about me."
She reached forth and Gölge flinched, fearful of being hit. She caressed the tepid cheek of her apprentice and gaped into her hazel eyes. She swiped her thumb along the girl's cheek to wipe away the dry tears.
"Anyone else and you would've been dead."
She ran furiously across the city and rapidly climbed the stairs to the upper level of the brothel. She paddled the door several times, breathing heavily. Women crowded the hallway and whispered at her arrival. She chose to ignore the onlookers and banged on the door until she received an answer.
Varinia swung open the door, barely clothed as usual. She closed the robe which exposed her breasts and glared at the blonde she recalled meeting.
"Where is he?" Gabrielle pushed the Syrian woman aside and rushed into the room.
Varinia grumbled and closed the door, glaring at the curious women lurking in the corridor. She folded her arms as Gabrielle surveyed the entire suite.
"Evander is not here," she said in her thick accented voice.
Gabrielle dug her nails into her hair. "Where is he? Do you know where I can find him?"
"I haven't seen him three days. Men are forbidden to come to brothels now." She poured a glass of wine for herself. It was nearing noon and hadn't planned on day-drinking until this rude interruption occurred.
"What about before that? Did he mention where he might be staying?"
Varinia sipped the wine leisurely. "I don't know where he conducts his business outside these walls. The thought of him speaking about his job makes me ill."
She could see that she wasn't going to get rid of the blonde so easily.
"He may have…" she rolled her eyes, "mentioned that he'd be scouting the north." She saw determination in Gabrielle's eyes. "But that was three days ago."
Thrashing noises outside caught Xena's attention. She abruptly pulled her hand away from Gölge's face and listened to the muffled grunts and voices of her men. She exited from the small washroom and one of her men kicked open the door and brought in a masked cloaked man.
She stood in the center of the room and once the alley was cleared by one of her men, the door was slammed shut and locked. All curtains were drawn. Xena walked forward to the cloaked man who was being held by Tildus.
Tildus forced the spy to his knees and wrapped an arm around his neck. "We caught him in the neighboring alley."
She nodded and ripped the hood off the intruder's head, revealing a head full of raven hair. She gazed into the icy blue eyes and scowled. She grabbed the mask off his face and flung it to the side. A smile she once had faded. Her mouth gaped and a lump formed in the center of her chest.
He titled his head upward to meet eyes that mirrored his own. He too, wore the same expression as her.
"Apple boy."