Chapter 2

Lila's POV

What do you're leaving after the bonding ceremony.' I shouted.

"Xena and I have to get back on the road." I started yelling at her. Melosa came into the hut.

"What is going on?"

"I told her I was leaving."

"I see. Gabrielle will you excuse us."

"Melosa."

"Now, and we'll talk about your defiance later on." Gabrielle nodded and left, Melosa sat on the bench right next to me, and she pulled me onto her lap. She rubbed my back. "What is bothering you, Young One?"

"She left me there, and that was fine I understood that, I would have left too if I could but now they're both gone and she's leaving anyway." I laid my head on Melosa's shoulder. I never could have put my head on my mother's shoulder I would have gotten pushed away and if that's on a good day on a bad day I would have gotten hit, but Melosa just kept rubbing my back.

"I know, young one, I know she is, but when she became a student to Xena, she agreed to follow her, agreed to obey her, if Xena is leaving she has to go with her."

"I don't want her to leave."

"I know you don't, but she has to she is learning valuable skills with Xena and the two of them do a lot of good together, I will to get them to stay awhile, now close your eyes rest….." She was still rubbing my back, and she started humming. My eyelids started getting heavy. I woke up back in the second sleeping room in Melosa's hut on a bed, technically it was Gabrielle's room, she and Xena stayed here whenever they were in the village, but they brought in a bed for me. The door opened and Melosa came in. "How are you Young one, feeling better?"

"Yes." I yawned.

"Good come, it's time for evening meal." I went to the dining hall, and sat with Gabrielle, Xena, and Melosa. Ephiny the blonde curly headed one, and a dark haired one who looked like Xena stopped and did that odd bowing thing. We had a thick stew, and I some fruit juice. Then after dinner, Gabrielle told stories until Melosa sent me to bed.

Melosa's POV

After I put Lila to bed, I told Gabrielle she and Xena were to visit more often, even though it'd barely been three months since they were here, and they would be staying for at least a moon.

"Melosa….." Gabrielle interrupted.

"Don't interrupt me, sister. You only stayed half a moon last time, when you were accepted the right of caste there still much you must learn. You must stay longer. At least a Moon, maybe longer."

"That is not my decision…"

"You Will stay for at least a moon Gabrielle, or you will not be permitted to leave with Xena at all."

"You can't do that." She whined.

"Gabrielle, I understand by your eyes you're an adult, but in Amazon law you're a child, one I am responsible for. I am grateful that Xena has taken you as student I think her teaching will serve our tribe and our nation well, but She must learn how to teach an Amazon Princess and you must learn how to be one. Do not disobey me, child you will not like the outcome."

"Gabrielle, Melosa is right. You must learn what it means to be an amazon Princess, we barely stayed half a moon, 10 days at most last time, we couldn't leave fast enough. Besides I think the transition will be easier for Lila if you're here." Xena said.

"Good, Xena you will be given guest quarters, both girls will stay with me."

"I want to stay with Xena." Gabrielle said. Fast as an arrow shot, I stood, myself and Gabrielle up, and I swatted Gabrielle's backside rather hard.

"that is not your choice, Gabrielle. I know she's your teacher and friend and you've developed a very close relationship with her and I'm glad for that, but I am your guardian your, and Lila's parent by amazon law, you will do well to obey me, or I will tan your stubborn little backside. Do you understand young one?"

"Yes, Melosa." Gabrielle looked down.

"Also once you're back on the road, it's important to remember as your teacher, Xena has my permission to tan you if it's needed. I heard about the Titans if that or a similar situation were to happen she would need to feel free to discipline you."

Xena spoke: "Melosa it was taken care of, I switched her for that…."

"Good she deserved it…." I stood. "Guard, take Xena and find her a guest quarters…"

The guard Lyssa smiled "She can stay with me, I got my own hut, Mother insisted, I haven't any hut mates at the moment no one wanted to share with me since I talk in my sleep, but if you don't mind that, My huts small since it's just me, all the amazons who live just by themselves get single room huts, but I fixed it up real nice, even put up privacy curtains….."

"That will be fine….." Xena said. "Your royal guard."

She nodded "Apprentice I'm only 20, I'll full guard next year, well in half a year, My Mother is high up in the royal guard, she's Cyd's second hand."

"Very Good Lyssa, you may take off your duties to show, Xena to your hut. Gabrielle you go right now."

"But….." Gabrielle said

"Gabrielle, do you need a spanking?"

"No but I need use the bushes." She did a slight dance of urgency.

I chuckled warmly. "Go, the latrine is right outside…"

After Xena left, and Gabrielle used the bushes and washed up, she returned. She changed into her night shift, she was about to get into bed. "Gabrielle, Amazons lives aren't easy, but we try to give our children as much of a childhood as we possibly and as much training as we possibly can so they can be fully trained warriors, no other people do that. most people are considered adults at 16, or even 13 with no preparation no training or education. Now that you're my sister you have love and support you didn't have before, and I know you're struggling because with that comes a loss of control. But you have family now and so does Lila family that loves you and will support you, stop fighting me."

"Yes, Sister."

The next day I was at the bonding ceremony preparations were under way, Phantes had chosen to only bond with Ephiny and not with Eponin, it was their choice of course, though not sure why he wouldn't choose to bond with both of them. After all he knew that Eponin and Ephiny were lovers, and considered married as much as they would be. That any sons they had would be centaurs and any daughters amazons. But I would never dictate their personal choices, the bonding ceremony was wonderful, of course. It was a great celebration. After the ceremony we partied of course. We allowed the centaurs to stay on our land well into the night, I sat with Tyldus.

"Tyldus I hope this will mark a time of great cooperation among our peoples."

"I have no doubt that it will, Queen Melosa. I was pleased to see Xena is back….."

"She and my sister returned to bring our youngest sister to the village."

"I wasn't aware you had another sister….."

"You know that Gabrielle's story?"

"Yes when Terreius died she became your sister….."

"Well, Lila is her true sister, their parents are dead they were abusive drunkards, she asked me to take her in. I accepted the responsibility. She is the second in line for the throne…."

"Unless you have a child of your own….."

"I can't have children of my own, the specifics are unimportant I could adopt a child and she would be as I gave birth to her, but I want Gabrielle to lead this tribe, I see something very special in her."

"I see it too, and I am sorry."

"It is not your fault."

"You know Phantes Mother was not my only wife, I had another Annalise, she and I loved each other very much but she went to visit her parents. They told me she died in childbirth, along with the child. I mourned them both."

"I'm sorry, Tyldus….."

"We all have our share of personal tragedy it is how we rise above it and keep going that is the true test of our character."

"I agree….." Xena and Gabrielle came over, Xena carrying a sleeping Lila.

"She's asleep, the celebration seems to have worn her out." Xena said.

"Go put her down in the girls' room." Xena nodded and left the celebration. I grabbed Gabrielle's arm. "Gabrielle we need to have a talk. Excuse us Tyldus." I walked along and Gabrielle followed. "You're my heir, Gabrielle you know that right."

"Yes, My Queen." Off her look. "Yes, Melosa."

"I've come to care for you, in a short time. I admit that I believe your time with Xena will benefit our tribe I think you should continue traveling with her."

"You do?"

"I do. But Gabrielle you are to come back as often as possible, not only for Lila's sake but because one day you will be leading this tribe. Our sister choose wisely when she chose you, it really is too bad you didn't get a chance to know her, she had a touch of the sight you know, not nearly as developed as the grey seer and white seer but she could sense things about people. She must have known you what you would bring to our people….."

"She can be pretty stubborn." Xena said casually.

"I'm sure she can be. She won't be the first sister I took over my knee. Until she was about 17, Terrieus found herself over my knee on an almost weekly basis….." I smiled sadly at the memory.

"How long have you been Queen?"

"A dozen years, my mother Queen Elorah died when Terrieus was Lila's age, and I was barely 22 suddenly I had a tribe to lead, and a sister to raise. By Amazon law, Gabrielle and Lila are Elorah's daughters even though Lila was born a year after Elorah died."

"I understand that."

Lila's POV

I was sitting with the other children, I was talking to two other girls, about my age, Helena and Kara.

"Princess you want to go get some honey sesame balls My Mama made hundreds they're the best!" Kara said brightly.

"Just call me, Lila please."

"Okay, Lila."

"And sure I'd love some Honey sesame balls. Are you both Amazons too?" We began walking.

"Weren't always." Helena said. "I was abandoned here when I was little because My birth Mother died in childbirth with my little brother and he could be raised to work the farm and I couldn't. But I love my Mama, She's the village Apothecary she's real old, like 60, she's raised 11 other girls, 9 of them have died 7 in battle, and 2 from fevers. I have 3 older sisters who are still alive, two are Outer guards and one's a royal guard. I don't want to be a warrior, I want to be a healer. Mama says that's okay, she says I have to learn the skills in case the village is attacked but once I'm all grown up and become a healer I may never have to use them."

"I was left here, because I'm sickly." Kara wheezed. "I have trouble breathing, a lot of the time I can't be a warrior…..my parents thought I'd never be good for much but I'm an Amazing garden tender, My mother Kori is a garden tender she used to be warrior until she lost her eye and half her face got burnt in battle, but she's a good garden tender, and a Hunter, She never picked either position, a lot of Amazons who can't be warriors anymore, don't choose one job, they do several so their skills stay sharp, she helps Eponin train the young warriors too, and helps in the kitchens, and tends the bees our Aunt Iris Is runs the stables and is the animal healer, …she introduced aunt Iris to her wife Harmony…."

"My Mama is their Aunt." Helena said proudly "they have another sister who ran off with a miller a long time ago but she hasn't come home yet."

"Will she come back?" I asked.

"We don't know, probably not." We came to find a very strong, auburn haired woman with disfiguring scars down the left side of her face, shoulder and arm, and eyepatch on her left eye, She was still fairly pretty even with the scars. Kara, Helena and I walked up.

"Hi, Aunt Kori." Helena said.

"Hi, Mama. This is our new friend Princess Lila." Helena said.

"Hello, Princess."

"Just Lila please, I don't like being called Princess."

The woman laughed. "Terrieus didn't either, I remember until she was about 9 she'd stamp her foot every time someone called her Princess, until Queen Elorah gave her a quite paddling for it, I don't suggest you try it, Melosa would do the same. Now what can I do for you girls?"

"honey sesame balls. "Kara said.

"Well, I have plenty….I made over 300, people are going after the moon cakes, and the honey comb candy." She handed us both honey sesame balls. I took a bite it was really good, we each had three and then I brought Helena and Kara to meet Melosa and Gabrielle.

"hi, Melosa, Hi, Gabrielle, hi, Xena, these are my new friends, Kara and Helena."