AN ELEMENT OF TRUTH AND PAIN

Demetrius walked slowly through the royal garden it was late at night but unlike any other night Gabrielle was no where to be seen. He had become so used to glimpsing her at night walking the corridors and garden in werewolf form. Yet tonight he had not seen her but that wasn't surprising the Empress had put her to bed. He hoped that she was going to be okay, but knowing her she'd just shrug this off it seemed like something she did which was to play down pain even if it hurt like Tartarus. He'd seen hardened male and female warriors pass out when they'd had crossbow bolts being taken out. She'd remained conscious through out, which was impressive. He took in a deep breath as he carried on walking he spent so little time in these beautiful gardens apart from when he was training he'd never really stopped to just look around from time to time.

He looked up sharply as he caught sight of Thaleia she was sitting opposite one of the huge marble lions. She was clearly in deep thought as she didn't even see him as he came towards her. He could see by the look in her deep dark brown eyes that she was deeply conflicted about something he had wanted to speak her for a while. As he had been concerned about their last meeting as she hadn't been a very happy experience. He coughed clearing his throat before speaking. "Good evening Thaleia." Thaleia snapped out of her thoughts she looked up sharply meeting Demetrius's concerned gaze. She'd had no idea that he had been in the garden she been so lost in her own thoughts she lowered her gaze looking at the grass under her sandals. "Hello Demetrius." Demetrius felt a smile form. "A dinar for your thoughts?" Thaleia looked up slightly. "Its nothing I was just getting some fresh air, Ceto said it would be good for me."

Demetrius slowly sat himself down next to her. "Is it working?" Thaleia shook her head. "Not really, I thought being out here I wouldn't think about all the blood I saw, but I'm still thinking about it." Demetrius put his hands together. "Was it the blood and bodies in the game room or the blood on Gabrielle?" Thaleia took in a deep breath. "No I didn't see the bodies, Iona wouldn't let anyone go in to that room once Gabrielle was moved she had her men go in there and clean it out, was it bad?" Demetrius lowered his gaze. "It wouldn't have been nice for you to see, Gabrielle clearly has no patience when it comes to assassins who shoot her, the ones she killed really didn't go out in a very pleasant way, not that the ones our Empress killed lived very long ether."

He put a hand on his beard. "Safe to say you not being allowed in there was for the best." He paused before meeting her gaze. "You've never seen wounds and blood before?" Thaleia shook her head. "I've seen cuts and small wounds be stitched up but nothing like that, I mean the arrow bolt it went right through Gabrielle's back. There was so much blood half of her shirt it was just stained red, I thought she was going to die." Demetrius moved over gently putting his hand on her knee. "You know I wouldn't worry about your Gabrielle she's very strong." Thaleia shook her head. "I can't help it she's my friend and even though I am meant to be her personal maid our friendship hasn't changed at all." She felt her self tense. "I know she'll pull through she has the ability to heal herself but seeing all that blood on her it just scared me, I've never seen anyone with a wound like that before."

Demetrius rubbed her knee gently. "You know if it makes you feel better the first time I fought on the battle field when I was young after the battle I did nothing put throw up. It was the blood the rancid smell and the bodies and I was just a boy I wasn't ready for it at all. So don't see yourself as weak in anyway for not being used to seeing blood it happened to all of us." Thaleia looked up slightly. "You know when you put it like that I don't feel so bad for feeling this way." Demetrius raised his hand. "Trust me this may not be the last time you see that much blood but believe me it will get easier for you. There may even come a time when you have to get your hands bloody and it'll be to save someone's life, it may not be enjoyable but it will be necessary." Thaleia took in a sharp breath. "I would hope that, that day never comes, but I understand what you're saying and I will be ready for it if it's going to be my duty."

Demetrius nodded keeping his other hand on her knee. "I know you'll do your duty, no one has any doubt of that, believe me." He looked at one of the lions for a moment before turning back to meet her gaze. "I've wanted to speak to you for a while as the last time we spoke I felt that I'd offended you in some way." Thaleia shook her head. "No you didn't offend me I was just having a hard day." She paused suddenly feeling unsure of how to word her next sentence. "It's just there's someone in the palace I have feelings for but there above my station and despite my own station I know I'm not good enough to be with them." Demetrius blinked as he took in what she was saying he stroked his beard unable to stop his next question. "Is it Gabrielle? I mean do you like her, in that way…I understand I mean she is a king by rights." Thaleia turned shoving him playfully. "No it's not Gabrielle I am not in to women not in that way she's just my friend." She felt the smile fade from her lips. "No it's not her…it's someone else."

Demetrius nodded as the understanding drew up on him. "I see well you should ask this gentleman out to dinner I think he would approve." He breathed in sadly it was a shame she didn't like him because he'd always liked her, she was a very beautiful woman with a charming and heart warming personality. He could see why a lot of the palace warriors talked about her and always in a positive way. Though he'd only really come to see what they were talking about now that they'd spent more time together. Who ever this man was he was lucky that she liked him because thinking about it now he would like to be that man but he was against pushing any woman in to any relationship she didn't want to be in. He'd had relationships before now but all had ended badly as he had pushed to hard, the truth was he'd been a different man some years back he had seen all his relationships as conquests but once he'd gotten the woman he had been foolish and pushy or just lost interest hurting their feelings.

He was no longer that man and he wanted to a woman to be with him because she wanted to not because he was forcing her through conquests. Truth was Thaleia was far too good for him anyway and he knew that already. She was also very young and innocent and the better man should have her not him he'd just ruin it like it had his other relationships. Thaleia breathed in sharply as she turned to look at the taller man who now looked slightly sad. "I'll think about it." Gods that sounded so weak I'll think about it, couldn't she think of something better to say? She shook her head needing to change the subject. "You were right about the Empress she is in love with Gabrielle I saw it in her eyes today when she was taking care of her in the healer's room." Demetrius sat up slightly as he turned to face her. "I told you, she even called her sweetheart, she doesn't do that to anyone else and I've seen her with other women she doesn't touch them ether, not in the way she does with Gabrielle."

Thaleia nodded slightly. "I heard that to I think Gabrielle did as well but she ignored it." Demetrius raised an eyebrow. "Oh I think she heard it perfectly I saw a very odd look on her face for a moment before she looked away." Thaleia felt a smile form. "Its nice to see that the Empress is in love, its been a long time since she's felt this way about anyone." Demetrius looked up at the stars. "It has, before I joined the palace in Greece I did see her once in Rome with her husband before her betrayed her she looked so happy and so alive. I wasn't in charge then I was the second in command it was the general who was speaking with her I was just watching. It's nice through to see her smile that way again, I just wish that Gabrielle would smile back at her or something." Thaleia put a hand on her face. "There is so much I know about Gabrielle and still so much that I don't, she's complicated." Demetrius carried on staring up at the stars. "Complicated is one word for it, personally I think she's a little dense when it comes to the obvious." Thaleia shook her head. "She's a werewolf I don't think she expects people to like her in that way, a lot of people don't realize this but I've seen her getting ready she never looks at the mirror, it like she has a self image problem she never asks how do I look or do you think people will find the outfit I'm wearing attractive?"

She lowered her gaze sadly. "She's also very hung up on that scar on her face I think she's got this idea in her head that it's ruined her face. I've seen the way she looks at herself in the mirror from time to time on those rare occasions, when she does look I can see the self loathing in her eyes. Yet I know that Damokles loved her deeply, from the way she talks about him. I think maybe he couldn't change her mind about it, or maybe he did but now he's gone she's just revered back and as for her past relationships with women she just won't talk about them to me at all. I know she holding something back, I'm convinced something really bad happened with one of her female lovers but she just won't tell me and I try so hard not to push her." Demetrius took in a deep breath. "Nothings really changed has it? She's still the Empress's little mystery and I agree with you as much as we know about her there's still so much we don't. She's a royal who comes from a world which up until now has been a secret. It will take us a lifetime or more to learn about her and her people." He put his hand on his beard as a thought crossed his mind. "Maybe you should talk to her about how Xena feels about her I think she'll listen to you." Thaleia rolled her eyes. "You know I can't promise anything."

Demetrius turned to meet her gaze. "I don't expect anything Thaleia I just know that she considers you and your mother her closest friends next to the Empress." Thaleia looked at the stone lion for a long moment before speaking. "No I think she see the Empress as her closest friend now, we are in essence her family, I always feel more like her sister even though I'm not her true sister. I know she has a real sister in her home town along with her real mother and father and a younger brother. I think she sees us as a surrogate family and right now we are replacing her real family who she won't visit despite that there all still alive." Demetrius raised her hand. "Maybe she won't visit them because she's a werewolf I mean that might be a hard issue for her family to deal with. Where as here she doesn't have to go through all that with you and your mother you both already know and accept her for what she is and that's enough for her right now. Just to be accepted and wanted by a family even if it's not her own by blood." Thaleia blinked there was a lot of truth to Demetrius's word and it made sense though she'd not thought about it in that way until now, she turned slowly to him. "I think your right about that."

8

Iona didn't think as she smashed her fist in to blonde woman's face watching as she hit the floor on her knees as the blood ran down her chin from the force of the blow. "I'm only going to ask you one more time! What is your name and who sent you to kill the Empress!?" She watched as Leuis grabbed the chained woman by her shirt forcing her back on to her feet she narrowed her gaze. "Was it that idiot Abraxas or his wife Ilithyia?" The woman's brown gaze narrowed as she spat the blood in her mouth in her direction before speaking. "Please as if I'd use that bastard as a means to get inside your palace walls." Iona eyed her bloody knuckles. "Then how did you and your little friends get inside these walls, do tell me?" The woman laughed as she looked up. "I've heard all about you, Iona isn't it? You know they call you the royal toothless guard dog guess it must be nice to hump the Empress's leg." Iona didn't think as she smashed her fist in to her stomach bring the other woman to her knees again. "Let me make it clear I'm not toothless and in this room the Empress's humanity rules don't apply and I can just stop hitting you and use one of my torture devices if that will loosen your tongue."

She felt a cold smile form. "I have a lot of them believe me including a few of the banned ones which are no longer allowed to used in criminal punishments, normally I don't ever get around to having to use them because most smart people loosen their tongues." The woman laughed as she was dragged back to her feet her cold voice hitting the air. "Please I'm not a thug or some paid for hire hand I'm a professional just like you and threats don't amuse me." Iona felt her teeth grind together as she eyed her. "Professional, please you're lucky to be alive, from what I saw you and your so called professional friends are all dead." The woman's smile widened. "Yet we got closer to Empress than anyone ever has and you weren't even there to stop us." Iona took in a sharp breath gods she hated smart mouthed assassins and this woman clearly had an ego to go with her smart mouth, which meant that this was going to be a long night. Clearly hitting and kicking her really did nothing and they'd been here a long time now with no results. Obviously she was well trained to take pain so it was time to give her something to really cry about she turned slowly to Leuis. "Bring me the bone breaker would you?" The woman blinked watching as he opened a chest close by she laughed slightly. "Oh please, you don't have the nerve."

Iona watched as Leuis eased the wooden club from the wall which was weighted with bronze to make it heavier handing it to her. "No you see that's where I do have the nerve, I might be the guard dog as you call it, but its my duty to protect this palace and the Empress and all those closest to her and I'll do anything for the good of this palace, even if its not nice because I'm the bloody right hand so to speak." She didn't think as she smashed the club in to her leg watching as she screamed in agony hitting the floor. "You've clearly been trained to take pain, so let's see how you take to your bones shattering shall we?" She didn't think as she smashed the club against her leg again with even more force ignoring her scream of pain. "Recently I had my arm broken and I realized just how painful it was, in fact it gave me a new perspective. So just to let you know I'm going to break both your knees first followed by everyone of your fingers then I'm going to smash in at least two of your ribs, it'll hurt like Tartarus I'm sure." She brought the club down once more hearing the crack of bone followed by the other woman's screaming. "Unless I get your name and who sent you!"

The woman looked up as she spoke half mouthing a word which she didn't hear she leaned down grabbing her be her collar forcing her in to a sitting position. "Oh do you have something to say now?" The woman's eyes narrowed. "Mavican..." Iona snarled as she leaned closer. "That means nothing to me!" The woman put her hand on her broken knee trying to take the pain. "It's my…name." Iona felt her hand tighten around the wooden club. "Very good, we are finally getting somewhere." She leaned closer to the woman. "So who sent you to kill the Empress?" The woman breathed in painfully. "I wasn't sent to kill the Empress…I was sent to kill Gabrielle the Golden Hind." Iona blinked in surprise she kept still eyeing the other woman. "How did you know that her name is Gabrielle? No one knows that it's not public knowledge yet who told you?" Mavican eyed the other woman in disgust. "You know you really shouldn't keep werewolves as palace pets." Iona didn't think as she grabbed the other woman's throat slamming her against the wall. "Let me be very clear Gabrielle is not the palace pet, she's here because we want her here!"

Mavican winced as the hand left her throat. "Well all stray dogs should return to their masters." Iona smirked as she turned to her. "Gabrielle has no master believe me." Mavican kept her hand on her leg. "What would you know about her master, she has an obligation you know?" Iona turned smashing the club in to her hand full force ignoring her cry of agonizing pain. "An obligation…to who exactly?" Mavican held her had trying to take the pain. "The Northern Alliance of course, she betrayed us! She was supposed to kill the Empress and she failed, she owes us her life for her failure, that was the deal she made!" Iona kneeled down slowly in front of her she leaned forward catching sight of a long silver chain which went between her over exposed cleavage she hadn't noticed it until now as she didn't take much notice of that area in general when it came to any woman.

She didn't think as she grabbed it pulling it free of her neck watching as the Northern Rebel symbol came in to view at the end of the chain. "Its funny I was hoping this was going to be much harder." She turned to Leuis throwing him the wooden club. "Be sure to break her arm and all the fingers of at least one of her hands before you knock her out, I need to look at the records for the warriors going in and out of the palace." Mavican looked up sharply watching as she moved towards the door. "Wait I told you everything I know!" Iona turned eyeing her feeling her teeth grind together as she spoke. "Yes you told me everything and you insulted me and I hate people insulting me so now you're going to pay the price for your mouth." She didn't think as she slammed the door behind her as she raised the Northern Alliance symbol, clearly Gabrielle did have enemies just like the Empress and these enemies wanted her dead.

It was no surprise that the Northern Alliance wanted her dead they were a bunch of bastards maybe this would give the Empress a reason to get rid of them once and for all as they'd always been a problem in the Greek Empire. They were clearly very stupid though to try and kill Gabrielle she was better in combat than they'd realized and the Empress knew how to fight just as well. She eyed the symbol again she'd show this to the Empress just as soon as she'd figured out how they'd gotten in to the palace in the first place as that part still didn't make sense to her. Some one had to have let these assassins in which once more pointed to traitor working in side the palace. She knew that the Empress knew about this spy who ever they were but she had a feeling that maybe she'd been waiting for this. She didn't want to find them as they'd never show themselves. Instead she'd let them come to her which was a risky move but clearly it had paid off, as they now had a prisoner and new information.

End of part 57

Silvermoonlight.