THE WAY WE'D LIKE TO FEEL
Xena watched as the long chairs were moved in to place by the servants, she had done nothing this else this morning but help the servants. She watched as one of them pushed a huge chair opposite her throne. She had to make it look as though she had someone in mind to sit in that throne, to keep her position looking solid. There couldn't be any signs of weakness or cracks in her power she had to look far superior to them. She looked up slightly watching as a tapestry was unfolded. Her gaze shifted to the other throne which wasn't decorated, she'd never seen it fit to have a craft man make designs on it until she had someone she truly loved sitting in that chair.
She lowered her gaze sadly Julius Caesar used to sit next to her in Rome on a golden throne and she used to sit next him. She walked up her own throne which was made of bronze with silver and gold plating this was the same throne she'd sat on. She'd taken it with her when she'd left Rome. She believed by right it was hers as her craftsman had made it especially for her. She looked at the other empty throne as much as she wanted it as much as she willed it no one would ever sit in that chair. She had dreams of some one sitting in that chair over the years a man or a woman who could capture her heart but it has never come to pass. She turned sitting on her throne feeling the sadness hit home she had never met anyone like that though and those who she had met and who had slept with her, only wanted power.
She would not allow anyone like that to sit beside her on the throne of Greece. No Tyrant or Conqueror would ever sit beside her on the throne, truth was that she needed someone who didn't desire power but from what she'd seen everyone wanted power, for one means or another it just seemed to be the way of the world. She looked up sharply watching as Iona walked in to the throne room Gabrielle was walking in front of her, Iona still looked slightly under the weather in her view as she seemed tired. She watched as Gabrielle came to a stop in front of her she sat back in her throne taking in a deep breath. "You'll have to tell me about the Amazons here in this room as I'm very busy."
Gabrielle looked up at the dark haired woman seated on her bronze throne she breathed in sadly as she spoke. "Are you sitting there to show off your superiority?" Xena eyed her in disgust as she sat up in her throne. "I'm sitting here because I am Empress of Greece and this is my throne which I gained through democracy." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "And yet the throne beside you is empty." Xena put her hands together. "No it's waiting for the right person to take their place by my side." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "The life of a ruler is always one of loneliness." Xena turned sharply. "As if you would know what the life of a ruler is like or what it means, you're a single werewolf and a no body among your race."
Gabrielle breathed in ignoring the cutting pain of those words. "Every life matters." Xena raised an eyebrow ignoring the glances from the servants who were working. "Yes human life matters, not the lives of monsters like you who kill people." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "And now you're hunting us to extinction so clearly you don't value the life of a werewolf child who's helpless." Xena leaned forward. "You were telling me a story, which you haven't finished, about being found by the Amazons." Gabrielle looked down slightly feeling a painful breath leave her throat. "Yes I was wasn't I?" She looked down eyeing the decorated floor tiles under her boot she was so tired of telling her life story now.
8
Gabrielle opened her eyes feeling the pain as the sharp sun light pieced them. She closed them again opening them more slowly this time, seeing the small room she was in. She was naked and lying under a fur cover in a small thatched wooden hut which had a small desk and mirror, she could see burning incense bubbling on the table top its deep lavender smell was filling the room. She sat up slowly groaning painfully, every muscle ached painfully she moved her hand up to her shoulder expecting to feel bandages only to feel healed skin. She looked down sharply eyeing her healed skin there wasn't a mark on her. How long had she been out weeks, days, months? Also why was there no scaring?
Her thoughts were suddenly broken as the door was forced open she watched as a woman with long tight curly blonde hair and brown eyes, who was dressed in a black leather top and knee high skirt walked in to the room. The woman who was about her height folded her arms as she eased up the curved blade speaking evenly. "I see you're awake." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "How long have I been unconscious?" The woman's eyes narrowed as she spoke again in very a harsh tone. "You've been out for two days." Gabrielle looked at her shoulder pulling up the covers further suddenly feeling subconscious of her naked body. "But my shoulder it's healed." The woman breathed in deeply. "Yes it's healed up, sadly though that scar on your right eye didn't."
She picked up a small hand mirror passing it to her. "I'm afraid it's permanent." Gabrielle looked at her before slowly raising the mirror only to see the thick scar stare back at her in the reflection. It was an ugly looking diagonal line cutting through her right eyebrow right down to her eye its self, she felt the pain hit her chest hard. She was going to have this scar for the rest of her life it had healed up now making its presence felt. There was nothing she could do to change it or heal it, it would always be there as a reminder of what the slaver trading leader had done to her. If ever anyone asked she would have to tell them and they'd have to hear her shameful story.
She felt the tears as they ran down her face before she stop them she took in a deep breath trying to control her painful emotions. "What's happened to me, why did my shoulder heal up so quickly, is it the work of the gods?" The woman shook her head as she spoke. "Sadly for you it's the workings of a creature not a god." She eased up her hand. "The creature that bit you was called a werewolf and it's now given you a curse that will haunt you until you die." She shook her head. "This is going to be your last day as a human being, you should savour every moment of it, because tonight you will change and become a werewolf your self."
She eyed the young girl taking in a deep breath. "You'll become human once more when the sun rises but this curse will be with you always. Every night you'll be able to change in to a werewolf if you please. Its not all bad though werewolves can talk just like humans and are very intelligent beings, once the Amazon and Centaurs had an alliance with them, but that alliance is now over." She folded her arms. "We and the Centaurs requested your races help and you're three councils leaders made us a promise to help us to defeat the warlord Krykus but when that day came you never helped us and our great queen Melosa died and Tyldus the leader of the Centaurs lost his only son Phantes." Gabrielle looked down feeling the tears stream down her face she slowly put down the mirror. "I'm going to be a monster…please this can't be happening to me!"
The other woman shook her head as she threw her some clothing which landed next to her. "Sadly this is happening to you Gabrielle and by law of the Amazons I have no choice but to put in you chains. Tomorrow you have to leave this place and never return, if you do return by Amazon law it will mean your death." Gabrielle looked up slightly unable to stop her tears her life was turning in to a nightmare before her eyes. She slowly met the other woman's gaze. "What do they call you?" The woman's cold brown eyes narrowed. "Ephiny I'm head of the royal guard." She turned opening the door. "Now get dressed because I need to put in chains, your going to spend tonight in the prisoner's tent where you can transform."
8
Xena looked up slightly from her throne. "So even the Amazons and the Centaurs don't approve of your race and I have alliances with both of them." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "I was not part of my race when they betrayed the Amazons and the Centaurs, yet I paid for their sins for no more reason than that I was bitten." Xena sat back. "Clearly your werewolf council who lead you and make the rules have no honour." Gabrielle sneered slightly. "No they don't, if any one deservers to pay for their sins it's them not me." Xena leaned on her elbow. "You don't like the council?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "No I hate them they are a curse up on my race."
Xena took in a deep breath. "I'm surprised tell me why do you dislike them so there has to be more to it than what happened with the Amazons. I can see it in your eyes." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "You would never understand and you don't really care, so I see no point in sharing my view point with you on the leaders of my race." Xena felt her teeth grind together. "I command you to tell me!" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "You insulted me by saying I know nothing of leadership and you told me that I'm a no body among my race! I wouldn't share my thoughts with a woman like you, who thinks so little of me because I'm not human."
She narrowed her gaze seeing Iona reach for her sword hilt. "I may be a no body to you and someone you can taunt, insult and command at your leisure but take in to mind I was human once just like you and nothing will ever change that." Xena raised her hand stopping Iona from pulling her sword free, she narrowed her gaze. "Take Gabrielle back to her room." She breathed in watching as Iona lead Gabrielle towards the door that led out of the throne room, gods the younger woman was so irritating! She threw it right back in her face with ether anger or sarcasm it was deeply infuriating. She slammed her fist down hard on her thrones arm ignoring the surprised looks from the servants around her. A part of her just wanted to tear Gabrielle open and find out her secrets, yet it just felt like she was sticking her hand in a crocodiles mouth and it just kept on biting her at every turn!
8
Evadine turned watching as her lover turned the corner which led in to the royal gardens, many couples came here late at night to enjoy the stars and the beautifully torch lit garden. She felt her smile widen as Chara ran towards her. "There you are I thought you'd never make it." Chara breathed as she put her arms around the younger woman kissing her gently. "I'm sorry I'm late I got caught up in royal paperwork." She hugged the other woman tighter, gods she was her reason for living, her father had been an army captain who had died in battle during the Spartan occupation, her mother had died when she was young and he was all she'd had left. She'd found herself in a very dark place after his death were she'd hated everyone and her life in the palace. She'd hated the Empress the most for not being able to save him on the battle field when the arrow had hit him in the throat.
Then this young woman had come along one night when she'd been the study, all she could do during that time was work herself to breaking point on those long painful nights just to take her mind of the death of her father. This young woman had been the first to speak to her and just talk to her about how she felt, she'd become her first true friend in the palace and later her lover and she'd do anything for her. They had kept their relationship private though, not because of the type of relationship, same sex couples were common place in Greece it considered very much a social norm. The reason for the secrecy was due to their positions, she didn't want Evadine to be targeted by anyone in the higher positions of authority especially Iona, she loathed that woman with a passion.
She had been so cold about her father's death saying it was just the way things were and she should get over it since people died all the time on the battle field. She'd hated her ever since then, Iona had no respect for love or life, anyone's life she was just a cold hearted killer, who murdered people for kicks and enjoyed it. She pulled away from Evadine smiling slightly. "How was your day?" Evadine felt her smile widened. "Well the royal decorations are done in the throne room." She eased up her hand. "It won't be long now until the royal banquet." She lowered her gaze. "I saw Gabrielle today she was brought in to the throne room by Iona so the Empress could speak to her."
Chara raised her eyebrow. "Really how did that go?" Evadine shook her head. "You know it's funny I didn't like Gabrielle, she tried to strangle me but today I felt sorry for her, the Empress was very unkind to her." Chara blinked in surprise. "It's not like the Empress to be un-kind she's always been a kind and noble leader." Evadine shook her head as they carried on walking through the garden. "I know but she's not herself anymore, she's so tense and it's almost she like she enjoys being un-kind to Gabrielle. I mean I could understand if Gabrielle causes trouble but she never does, she keeps herself to herself no one even sees her during the day. I've only seen her at night she spends all her time lying on one of the huge marble lion statues alone."
She stopped looking in to the distance as she caught sight of a large figure sitting on the white marble lion, she could tell by the flicking light bouncing of the golden fur that it was Gabrielle. She pulled back hiding behind the bushes along with Chara who looked in to the distance. "Clearly they weren't kidding doesn't she talk to anyone?" Evadine looked up slightly. "She never talks to anyone." Chara lowered her gaze. "It must get very lonely for her." Evadine looked up sharply watching as Thaleia appeared the dark haired woman walked up to the statue which Gabrielle was lying on. "Isn't that Thaleia?" Chara blinked. "Oh yeah that's Thaleia, I'd recognise her anywhere."
Evadine turned to her raising an eyebrow Chara took hold of her arm pulling her closer. "It's her hair she like doing coloured fabric braids none of the other cleaning staff do that." Evadine looked up slightly. "Ah, I wouldn't know I'm not cleaning staff, I do room preparation for guests." She watched as Thaleia began to talk to Gabrielle who looked down at her, then she slowly passing her a small package which Gabrielle took gentle out of her hand with her clawed fingers. "Wonder what she's giving her." Chara watched as Thaleia said something giving Gabrielle a smile, the big werewolf breathed in deeply as if unsure what to do next as the woman walked away from her going back to her duties. "Thaleia isn't afraid of her maybe there both friends." Evadine felt a smile form. "It would seem that way." She felt her grin widen. "I think I should talk to her about it sometime."
End of part 19
Silvermoonlight
Chara in this story was not corrupted by power therefore her direction in life was very different.
Embrace The Waking Light will be taking a break for two or three weeks, as I really need to catch up on my chapters and I have mayor story issue, which really needs to be fixed Silver Light will take its place while it's on a break.