COMPLEX AND DEEPLY FRUSTRATING

I now have a werewolf in my palace, I'm insane and this is the stupidest thing I've ever done. Problem is my word is honour and I believe in sticking to it no matter what. To dishonour my word is to not be true to myself as a warrior, now I'm going to have to explain this to everyone and have to deal with all their questions. It's going to be a long day and I'm dreading when royal guests come to visit on top of that this werewolf has no manners, that's really clear to me now. I just hope that the damn monster learns some and fast. I'm going to have to set some ground rules very soon, like when guest appear she has to disappear altogether.

I have to be true to my word which means every now and again she has to come to my quarters study and we have to talk about who she is as well as her race and her history. A simple talk no forcing and no one around to bother us just me and her and being polite. I'll even call her by her name in that form if I don't I will never gain her trust. My gaze darts up as Demetrius forces the door open the anger in his eyes as he walks in to my study. "Yes?" Demetrius breathed in as he came to stand next to the Empress's desk. "This is terrible mistake Empress you should have let me kill that monster!" Xena looked at the night sky it was still dark outside. "That monster calls her self Gabrielle."

Demetrius sneered slightly. "Fine then we should have killed Gabrielle!" Xena raised her eyebrow. "And what would killing Gabrielle accomplish other than making you a murder? She was willing to die and if she wanted to kill me she'd have done so. She's a monster yes but one who seems to have a sense of honour." Demetrius raised his hand. "You can't keep her here, she's dangerous." Xena stood up sharply meeting his gaze. "Until tonight I had no idea werewolves could even speak and despite that she is dangerous and she is a monster my word of honour is absolute. I will not have her killed in cold blood and she's already knows that she can't leave these walls she knows the risk if she does so."

Demetrius blinked as he folded his arms. "Then you are making her prisoner with in these walls?" Xena sat down slowly picking up her quill. "In a manner of speaking yes, she will be bound to these walls and if she tries to leave your men will bring her back here. Until I know what kind of a monster she is." She slowly started to scribble on her documents. "She'll have to report to me when I say so and tell me about her self, she'll be my reasonability and you'll just have to learn how to live with her with in these walls." She looked up watching as Iona came in shoving Demetrius aside ignoring his look of disgust. "Is it true, the young woman is a werewolf and she talks!?"

Xena rolled her eyes as she leaned on her elbow. "Yes she's a werewolf and she talks, her name is Gabrielle." Iona stepped forward feeling her smile widen. "This is wonderful, do you know what this means?" Xena looked up slightly feeling un-amused by her joy. "No what does it mean? Tell me because I'm curious." Iona put her hands together. "Think of the power she has? If we could somehow harness it…" Xena looked up sharply. "No! We are not going down that road Iona she is not a toy for your personal use she is staying here so I can learn about her." Iona breathed in deeply. "But this is such a great opportunity a once in a life time thing!"

Xena felt her teeth grind together. "I don't care my decision is final and you will respect it!" She watched as Iona pulled back lowering her head the disappointment in her eyes. She looked up again watching as both Phrixus and Phantasos entered her study she put her hand on her face feeling the annoyance hit home. "How can I help you both?" Phantasos adjusted his robes putting his hands together. "My deepest apologises Empress I only came to make a small request regarding your new guest Gabrielle who I've been told is a werewolf and can apparently talk." Xena looked up sharply. "Yes and what might that request be?" Phantasos eased out his hands. "Please let me study her."

He breathed in deeply. "I won't hurt her in any way I just want to look at her when she's a werewolf, no ones ever never been able to study a live one." Xena put her quill down Phantasos never ever made requests and out of everyone his had so far been the most sincere. "When I speak to her I'll come to some arrangement for you." Phantasos lowered his head respectfully. "Thank you Empress." Xena turned to Phrixus. "What's your request?" Phrixus eased up the piece of scroll which Gabrielle had fixed. "Personally I dislike your new guest already she's obnoxious, rude and she smoked my pipe." He ignored the sound as Iona sniggered.

He eyed her disgust before turning back to the Empress. "But she can read the werewolf scroll and I was going to ask why but news has it she's a werewolf so that answers my question." He eased up the scroll higher so she could see it. "I want you to order her help me translate the whole scroll and teach me this messed up version of Greek she calls a language." Xena looked at him for a long moment before speaking. "No I won't do that, she will not be ordered to do anything." She lowered her gaze. "If in my talks with her I can come to an agreement about helping you then I will, but I will not force her to do anything I am not a tyrant. If she causes problems for others then she will answer to me and only me because it was her word of honour that made this arrangement possible."

Phrixus raised his hand not bothering to hide his sarcasm. "Great we have to be nice to her, how wonderful." Xena eased up both her hands she had, had enough of this and now all she wanted to close her eyes and sleep on the decision she'd just made. She stood up putting her quill in the link pot before looking up. "Leave all of you! I have a lot to consider and I need time to think it through." Demetrius lowered his head. "As you wish Empress." He slowly backed away watching as the other did the same. He closed the door behind him turning to the others. "Its time for you to return to your rooms the Empress has, had a long night." Iona sneered as she walked up the corridor. "You know you could have helped me by agreeing with my proposal!"

Demetrius turned to her folding his arms. "I don't agree with you proposal I'd rather see Gabrielle die." Iona felt her teeth grind together. "You're a small minded idiot sometimes, don't you see her value?" Demetrius walked away from her. "Oh please there is no value in this monster, she's dangerous and you'll realize that soon enough." Iona turned the corridor away from him. "So it hasn't occurred to you that Xena might just want her around for the protection, I mean from what I heard she's seven foot tall and has three times the strength you do. Come to think of it you very inferior compared to her, may be that's why you're scared of the prospect."

Demetrius raised a finger. "You've never seen a body after a werewolf has finished with it I have, it's messy and it's disgusting! Werewolves don't just tear of limps they rip out your insides to see it would turn even your stomach Iona." Iona sneered as she carried on walking up the corridor away from him watching as the other two men went their own separate ways not wanting any part in their argument. "I've always had a stronger stomach than you Demetrius I do all the dirty work which you can't!" Demetrius turned walking in the opposite direction watching as she vanished from sight, they had always been at odds on certain subjects and he'd never liked or understood her obsession with powerful things. He hoped that one of these days she'd come to realize power was about more than being powerful it was about your state of mind and you didn't need powerful things to obtain it.

8

Thaleia yawned as she scrubbed one of the torch holders clean she hated the late shift. She was now doing this due to the palace rotation which happened every six months, the night staff would become day staff and vice versa. The palace in her view was always creepy at night with looming shadows and high walls which seemed to fall up on her, her mother would always tell her that that the palace at night was nothing to fear. In truth she was afraid of the dark as childish as it sounded, she'd never been comfortable with it. She scrubbed the torch clean maybe her mother was right maybe she didn't have anything to fear and besides six months from now she'd be back on the day shift which she preferred. The corridor she was in was completely empty the only guard was at the end of the hall.

She looked up slightly hearing a tapping sound echoing through the corridor it was very odd sound she turned seeing the guard stand up straight as a huge figure passed him by. She blinked as the huge figure which looked like big dog but as it moved closer she felt the fear hit home it was much bigger than a dog. She blinked watching as the candle light flicked causing the light to bounce of the mattered fur causing a shimmer of gold. She found herself standing still paralyzed with fear as the huge being came fully in to the torches light. She knew what it was now she'd seen the stuffed black one in the visitors study with its scared chest of healed wounds.

It was a huge golden furred werewolf the sharp tapping sound was each of its clawed feet hitting the marble floor as it walked on all fours. She could see dark golden fur as well as huge hands and feet. The long ears were lowered and the eyes which were green and frighteningly human stared forward. She could see long upper and lower canine teeth which were protruding slightly out of the jaws. She was going to die! Any second now it was going to rip her apart, she felt her back hit the wall only to watch in surprise as it walked past her showing no interest in her what so ever. Instead it just carried on walking past focusing slightly on the floor.

She watched as the huge werewolf carried on walking up the corridor. She let out the deep breath she'd been holding in what in Tartarus was going on? There was a werewolf walking around the palace and no one was trying to kill it, it made no sense! She should be dead right now and the guards should be trying to kill this beast. Gabrielle stopped she turned to look at the young woman she could see the fear reflected in her dark brown eyes it was a look she'd seen a thousand times before, she'd even worn it once, a very long time ago. It was the look that every human gave her when they feared for their lives or believed they were going to die by her hand.

She'd taken this short walk because she wanted to test if the Empress was noble to her word about her being allowed to walk around. Clearly it was true since no guard had attacked her, as yet. Also a part of her needed to see these corridors at night since she'd only walked them during the day when the sun light was all around her. Her walk was over though and she needed to rest, she could cope with having less sleep than a human being but even she had her limits, no doubt tomorrow would be an interesting day. She eased up her clawed hand opening her door still seeing that the young woman was staring at her in both fear and confusion.

She took in a deep breath she'd have learn to once more live with that look of fear from others along with hated and contempt. She was after all in their eyes a monster and that would be all they'd ever see her as, a monster. Maybe she should learn to live up to their expectations because they'd never see her as anything more. Thaleia watched as the golden werewolf disappeared from sight closing the door behind it she heard the click as the key turned. It had looked right at her focusing on her for just moment and she'd seen a long scar on its right eye which cut through both its eyebrow right down to its eye. The look it had given her was almost a look between pity and sadness and it made so little sense to her.

End of part 11

Silvermoonlight