AT THE CROSSROADS WHERE TIME STANDS STILL

Xena walked up the street which led to Abraxas villa she knew that in less than ten minutes she'd be there. She had been to his villa once before but that had been a very long time ago back when she'd first become Empress of Greece. She'd been visiting all the people who had been loyal to her politically and promoting them to diplomats. That felt like so long ago now and she could say with out a shadow of a doubt that with most of these people she'd made the right choice, with the exception of a few who had betrayed her. Her gaze drifted upwards as she caught sight of an old warrior who was coming towards her. He wasn't a hoplite or one of the city guards his armour was much more personal, there was a bronze emblem which represented a house on his chest. This emblem meant that he was someone's personal house guard, house guards normally consisted of warriors who had done a term in the army. As well as warriors who had been kicked out of the army because they couldn't follow the rules or disobeyed orders, as well as those who could no longer serve due to a serious injury. This man was one of them his injuries were very obvious he had a slight limb and was missing two fingers on his right hand.

She stopped watching as he looked at studying her carefully for a few moments before coming to stand in front of her. He raised a small scroll as he spoke ignoring Demetrius's intense gaze which now up on him. "I have a message for you." Xena eyed him for a long moment. "A message for me?" The house guard smiled showing off three golden teeth. "Yes this is just for you, it's from Abraxas he told me to give to you personally as he heard you were in the area he said that it was very important that you receive it." Xena took the small scroll from his hand blinking in surprise. She knew that Gabrielle was at his villa but she had not expected him to go out of his way to even contact her over this issue or help her with it. As she knew full well that they had never really seen eye to eye. She had fully expected to enter his villa and for him not to even say that Gabrielle was inside and to only reveal the truth when he got what he wanted by using the situation to manipulate her in some way. She eyed the small scroll carefully cracked the seal opening eyeing the writing on it.

"Dear Empress.

Ilithyia came across your close friend Gabrielle this morning in the market place, she had concerns for her safety as she is a royal. Even though that may not be known to the public as yet we were still concerned as the hunting law has only recently been passed and there are people out there who still might try to cause her harm. She's now safe and sound inside our villa and being well taken care off. I hope that you'll come up to my villa and take her back to the palace as I'm sure you've been concerned as to her where she is and would prefer that she is brought back safely.

Abraxas."

Xena slowly closed the note looking up at the older man who smiled. "Thank you, would you please lead us to villa?" The old house guard nodded. "It would be my pleasure Empress." Demetrius followed the old house guard as he led the way he had to confess this had surprised him as much as the Empress. He hadn't expected Abraxas to come forward about Gabrielle he had assumed that he'd play a political game of some kind. He turned to Thaleia who now looked very tired, he could see it in her eyes he eased up his arm putting it around her shoulder pulling her close. "How are you holding up?" Thaleia took in a deep breath. "I'm all right I'm just tired." Demetrius felt his smile widen. "I know, I am to." He paused eyeing the map in her hand. "You did a very good job of finding the area Gabrielle was in if it weren't for you I doubt we would have found her this quickly." Thaleia looked up meeting his soft gaze. "Thank you it means a lot you saying that." She breathed in deeply. "I must say though that I can't wait to get back under the sheets of my bed at the palace."

Demetrius nodded. "You and me both, I think when I get back I'll drink a warm tankard of mead then sleep for a long time." He paused feeling unsure of his next words. "You know maybe when we get back we could both…I don't know have a picnic in the garden sometime. I mean if the weather holds up." He paused. "You don't have to go with me I mean, I understand if you're not interested." Thaleia looked up sharply she eased up her hand putting it on his chest. "No I'd love to come." Demetrius felt his smile turn to a wide grin. "Well then I'll try and get some food together when we get back." He breathed in deeply he knew this was rather sudden but if this day had taught him anything it was that they didn't spend enough time together, despite that they were good friends. He also wanted to see whether or not she had invited the man she liked to dinner as she hadn't spoken about it at all. Even when they'd gone to market to get gifts for Gabrielle when she'd been on her sick bed she hadn't said a thing. He wouldn't lie he did feel a little jealous that she liked someone else but he wouldn't go after her himself despite how he felt about her as he'd rather that she be happy.

He turned back to her. "Who knows it might snow and if it does we can make something out of the snow." Thaleia felt her smile widen she knew that most of the staff didn't like the winter snow fall but she loved it. She loved the way it covered the statues and the palace and she loved watching the children all run around in it and throw snow balls. Some of her fondest memories were playing in the snow with her mother as a small child along with her father who she could remember very clearly. He had been dressed in his armour pretending to be a horse with her on his shoulders. She felt her smile fade she still missed him even now and some days she wished she could see him again but she knew that was impossible. It was said that the dead could visit the living but he had never visited her and she hoped that where ever he was now that he was happy. She knew he hadn't worshipped the Greek gods but strange gods from another land she could still remember him telling her stories about Gleti the moon goddess and Xevioso the thunder god.

She vividly remembered asking him why he didn't worship the Greek gods like her mother he had smiled warmly and said, we worship what is in our hearts. She had never really understood what he meant by that as a child but now as a grown woman she had now come to understand his meaning. He was saying that he worshipped what he believed in regardless of what others thought, because that was what his heart told him to do. It was better to follow your hearts desires and needs than be forced to follow others down a path, which you nether liked or wanted. She turned back to Demetrius. "I like it when it snows the palace always looks so beautiful." Demetrius turned to her. "I agree, I have always liked the snow myself I mean its fun to have snow ball fights now and again." He was about to say more only to stop as he caught sight of Abraxas villa, he had to confess he'd never been to this diplomats villa. Though he had been to other diplomats villas and it had been a pompous and annoying affair. He really hoped that this villa wouldn't be the same he really hated it when the servants thought they had to kiss his ass because the villa owner had told them to.

Xena looked up watching as Abraxas villa came in to view it had been such a long time since she'd been to his home and strangely it looked just the same as she remembered it. She'd been to some very over extravagant villas in her time but she remembered Abraxas villa as a more sub duded home. His villa was about comfort and beauty rather than decadence and it hadn't really changed at all in all these years. The same statues could be seen in the garden and its wide courtyard was the same. There was single horse stable close by and she could his servants running around doing their duties, she watched as the large gates were closed behind them. These tall gates were there purely for the protection of the villa owner and the staff if war broke out in side the city. Though frankly she didn't see that ever happening no one had ever breached the outer wall of Corinth apart from herself and that had been in when she'd liberated it from its tyrant queen Nebula who had been bringing horrific suffering to the people. She had been the last great dictator to fall in Greece and she had brought her to justice for her crimes. After which she had met her end at the noose in a public hanging. After this had happened the remaining royals who had been loyal to Nebula had all surrendered unconditionally pledged their loyalty to her and she'd been crowned Empress of Greece. She'd spent the next six years rebuilding Corinth bringing its economy back and rebuilding it back to its forma glory.

Her love affair with it should have ended after its rebuild but strangely it never had, she fallen in love with the city and had carried on changing it. Even when she'd lived in Rome after her marriage she'd worked on new things for it. Now it stood as a testament of her love, the biggest city in the whole of the Greek Empire with more theatres, gladiatorial arena's than any other city. It had five huge city regions and temples to both the Greek and Roman gods as well as lesser temples in other lands. It was now the capital of Greece instead of Athens she still saw the old capital as important though as it was a place for the bards, scholars, history, maths and learning and mysteries. Some people had said that these mysteries shouldn't be tampered with as it was an offence to the gods but she didn't agree. She felt that it was important to understand the world and she got a lot of pleasure out of reading the scholars findings every six months. After all it was understanding that had helped a very clever engineer named Heron to work out the water system in her palace which worked through pipes and water pressure. His idea meant that you could also get hot and cold water from separate taps. Though he had stated that he'd seen this concept in a dream, regardless of it being a dream or not his design had been revolutionary and was now being used across Greece along with the underground sewage systems which linked to homes in cities.

These ideas showed the importance of understand and how much they could help the people, so despite that Athens was no longer the capital she'd always told her people that she wanted it to remain central point of leaning. Corinth was the city of her heart and was her greatest achievement as a ruler and one day she hoped to emulate its design across every town and village in Greece but she knew that it would take many years to do so the royals were only just starting to emulate her design in there own cities but it had taken them years to catch up. She shook her head breaking out of her thoughts as the old house guard used his key to open the villa's front door. She walked in side with the others watching as he closing the door her locking it. She looked around her at the wall paintings and statues it was just the same as she remembered it. The house guard turned to her. "Please excuse me I'll get Abraxas." Xena took in a deep breath as he disappeared from sight, only to reappear again as he was closely followed by Abraxas, who gave her a smile as he spoke. "It is a pleasure to see Empress I'm glad that you got my message."

Xena folded her arms eyeing him. "Yes I got your message though I'll confess I did not expect you to send me it." Abraxas eased up his hand. "As I said in my message Gabrielle was walking the streets it was Ilithyia who found her and brought her back to our villa. We were both concerned that harm might come to her as she is a royal at the end of the day." Demetrius felt a smirk form. "Trust me there's no chance of that, any common mugger or criminal would wind up dead if they tried to touch her in any manner." Thaleia nodded. "Yes I agree." Xena slowly met Abraxas's calm gaze. "Thank you for bringing her back to your villa, it is true she has nothing to fear from common criminals but she does have those among her own race who do not approve of her because of how she thinks and her higher moral standards. They may have used this opportunity to harm her, if they knew that she had been outside the palace and was walking around with out an escort. So her being safe is very important at this moment in time when her people are dealing with such civil unrest."

She paused eyeing him. "Where is she now?" Abraxas put his hands behind his back. "She's sleeping she said she was tired, Ilithyia showed her to one of our guest rooms." Xena felt the breath she'd been holding leave her throat along with the tension of the past hours. Thank the gods she was safe. She turned eyeing him wanting to say more but Gabrielle was important to her right now. "Please take me to her." She turned to Demetrius and Thaleia who looked just as tired as she was right now. "Also give my friends food and drink and a warm beds to sleep in, their both very tired." Abraxas eyed the Empress she was very tired he could see it in her eyes. The fact that she had come searching for Gabrielle with her staff showed just how important this woman was to her. He turned not wanting to hold her up as he could see the anxiousness in her eyes. "Please follow me." He turned to one of his servants. "Please show the Empress's friends to the two other guest rooms and if they want anything to eat or drink have it brought to them." The servant nodded. "Yes Abraxas." Abraxas slowly walked up the hallway watching as the Empress followed him. "As I said in my note we had no idea you were looking for her personally if we had known we would have sent a note sooner."

Xena turned eyeing him. "Tell me, why is it you're not asking me for anything, I mean you found her?" Abraxas turned meeting her tired gaze. "I have no interest in using your friend as leverage to get what I want, plus I like her she has that hard edge I admire." He stroked his beard. "I mean it not like anyone ever tells her what to do, she clearly likes to choose her own path. None of the other Greek royals would take a walk outside the palace with out a guard they have no spine when it comes to that kind of thing." He ignored her surprise. "I didn't expect you to come after her personally ether disguised by a cloak, since you normally only walk the streets on a horse surrounded by your royal guard." Xena breathed in deeply. "Yes well I realize that I need to get out more, I spend too much time inside the palace walls." Abraxas carefully opened the door to the first guest room, watching as Gabrielle came in to view. She was sleeping on a double bed fully clothed though she had taken off her boots and her swords she still had one of her weapons in her hand. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Would your coming to get her, be about more than just getting out?" Xena eyed him for a long moment. "Yes it would…she means a lot to me."

Abraxas looked up slightly clearly Ilithyia did have a good point when she referred to possible feelings between the Empress and Gabrielle and he would tell her that later. As right now she was talking with the newest servant out in the garden who the city guard had scared as she wanted to put her even more at ease. He stepped away from the open door looking at the Empress. "Please feel free to rest your head as soon as you get up I'll have my servants make you a meal, I'm sure you're hungry." Xena took in a deep breath she hadn't expected him to be this nice or even to offer a meal she looked up slowly. "Thank you Abraxas." Abraxas nodded before turning away. "I'll leave you both alone." Xena moved inside the room closed the door behind her. She looked around the large room which had a door opposite which led out in to the gardens as well as a double bed in the centre of the room there were two side ways sofa's and small wash room near by. A thick velvet curtain had been pulled across to block out most of the light but it had left just enough that she could see where she was going. She came to stand opposite the double bed where the younger woman was sleeping looking down at her. She was clearly sleeping very deeply and she didn't want to wake her up despite how much she wanted to speak to her. She was very tired herself and her feeling this tired meant that the things she wanted to say might not come out right and that was the last thing she wanted, she wanted to be fully awake and rested when she spoke to her.

She had to confess she had not expected her in to end up in Abraxas's villa and yet now that she was here she would rather it be his villa that any other diplomats home. Abraxas he had not shown any interest in using the situation to his advantage and it confirmed a few things from his last visit to the palace. It seemed that though he didn't care that much for her he clearly liked Gabrielle, so much so that he wanted to help her. She eased her hand down running it gently though the younger woman's long blonde hair letting it spill through her fingers before leaning down and kissing her gently on the cheek. Gods she had missed her so much, if this event had taught her anything it was that she didn't want to be away from her for this amount of time ever again. It had been like torture not having her around, it's true she could have waited for her to return to the palace but she really hadn't wanted to do that. She didn't want to give Gabrielle the impression that she had to come and apologise to her she also didn't want her to think that because she was Empress and in a higher position of power that it was her place to submit, even if it wasn't her fault. She didn't want their friendship to be ruled by their positions in any way, shape or form the other Greek royals could bow all they wanted but she'd never force Gabrielle to kneel or bow to her. She didn't want the younger woman to ever think that she had to kneel just because she was a royal just because the other royals did. She was nothing like the other royals she was above them, she was honourable even when the scales weren't tipped in her favour and she'd risk her position even if meant getting caught.

She lowered her gaze to the floor she loved her too deeply to loose her and a part of her was happy that she hadn't left the city because she knew that in her position and after the things she'd said, that she might have chosen to leave for good. She eased off her cloak putting it to one side. She didn't want to think about what she'd have done if the younger woman had chosen to leave for good. She knew that if the younger woman had done so that it would have been the perfect opportunity for those who hated her to try and assassinate her again. She probably hadn't left because she knew this and wouldn't take the risk. She shook her head now she was just happy that she had found the younger woman once more and that she was all right, that was all that really mattered to her right now. She walked over to the other side of the bed easing her self on it so she was next to Gabrielle. She moved her arm over very gently putting it around her waist pulling her close, watching as the younger woman's hand tightened around her sword hilt for a moment before loosened as she half murmured something in her sleep as her body relaxed once more.

They had a lot to talk about when she woke up and she had idea where to start, what mattered most to her was telling Gabrielle that she'd done a noble thing during the androphonomania massacre and that her actions had saved the lives of many children who were still alive today. She also wanted to find out the full truth about what she had wanted during the meeting with the Imperial Council because there just had to be more to it than she'd said she could feel it in gut. She breathed in deeply she had made such a mess of things by not taking the time to listen to what Gabrielle was saying and she wanted to put that right. She also didn't want her to see herself as a mess or a nuisance who she had to clean up after, because she wasn't that at all. Her breaking things was irrelevant, things could be replaced in her palace. Rooms could be rebuilt but nothing could replace Gabrielle she was special and she mattered to her more than anyone else. There was also one thing which the younger woman had said which had been true and that was that she afraid of going beyond her palace walls and that she liked to hide behind them.

She had spent so many years hiding behind her palace walls since Rome but walking around the city today had taught her that she really had nothing to fear. No one even recognised her, she hadn't been assassinated and it had given her a sense of power and understanding. In that she could walk beyond her walls without fear and not have to worry about looking over her shoulder. Which meant that the only real danger in the past had come when she'd put on her armour and showed off who she really was. This new found freedom had made her realize something else though, she didn't need legions to protect her she just needed very truth worthy people who knew the city and who could hide in it and talk to contacts. She turned back to the younger woman she had been right about this and she deserved to be told so. No one had ever taken the time to listen to her pains like Gabrielle did, she was her best friend, her family and she loved her. She knew if she wasn't around that her life would be lonely again, she would just sink back in to the wine and she didn't want that anymore she wanted her company it was the only thing that made her feel whole. She shook her head letting her thoughts go as the tiredness took over and she felt her eyes start to close as she slid in to the darkness of her dreams which were so welcoming and relaxing.

End of part 84

Silvermoonlight

Gleti the moon goddess and Xevioso the thunder god are both African gods.

Heron of Alexandra (10–70 AD) was a Greek mathematician and engineer who created steam and water driving devices. He understood both mechanics and water pressure but was limited by the technology of the day. The idea is that in this universe the technology is slightly more advanced and is not being oppressed, the world of gods and learning live very much side by side.

Herculaneum is recorded as having and underground sewage system which was very modern and went under all the houses. In this universe Pompeii and Herculaneum have not been wiped by Mount Vesuvius, so their technology has become much more wide spread but with all alternate universes this means that someone will still suffer devastating disaster, though it may take a different form.