NOTES:
-This is the 9th & final story in my
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series. Following
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL I: THE NEW ORDER
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL II: THE GREAT CAMPAIGN WITHIN THE DOMAIN
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL III: MUTINY IN THE MONARCHY
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL IV: A FRUITFUL STATE OF SKEPTICISM
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL V: BLOODLINES
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL VI: AN ABOMINABLE ASCENSION
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL VII: SACRAMENTS FOR SUBSTANTIATION
"THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN" series
SCROLL VIII: CONQUERING A BYGONE ERA
So it's highly suggested you read those in order before this one if you haven't already. As this is a direct sequel and knowing the events and/or characters introduced in the previous stories are important for understanding the plot of this story.
COUP DE GRACE =
An action or event that serves as the culmination of a bad or deteriorating situation.
CROWNED=
originating from or founded on the royal crown or its associated dignity, sovereignty, etc.:
INTRO QUOTE:
"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."
A flood of rushing water cascaded over the high ledge as a lone figure sat perched, looking out at the scenery below. A gentle breeze swept through the air sending a slight rustling sound through the nearby trees. Though this wasn't the only sound the figure heard as they became aware of another sudden presence. Not moving to alert their unexpected visitor, the person kept their attention forward as they just listened and waited for their hidden visitor to make their move. Barely autoble footsteps could be heard coming their way from behind. Ever closer their stalker crept as they remained hidden amongst the trees and other foliage until finally stopping only a couple feet from their intended target. Remaining as silent as possible the hidden assailant became poised to strike. Then waiting for just the right moment, the stalker kept out from their cover and grabbed their prey. Before a single sound could be heard the person found a hand quickly covering their mouth as they were held in place and the assailant whispered in their ear.
?1
(Whisper) Come with me unless you want to go over this cliff.
The assailant's hostage got an arm free from their captor's grip and pulled the hand from their mouth.
?2
You try it and you'll be going right over with me.
?1
You're welcome to try. But I think we both know that won't happen.
?2
You wanna bet?
The figure slowly edged them both closer to the ledge and looked down at the water below as they began calculating the toss of their hostage. However despite quickly running out of earth to stand on, the captive remained calm and unintimidated as they pushed back to slow them down.
?2
I'm warming you right now, if you throw me into that water, I promise you that I won't be the only one here getting wet.
The captor chuckled as they leaned a little closer to their hostage's ear and whispered once again.
?1
(Whisper) Oh but what makes you think that I'm not already?
That comment was the last straw as laughter rang out and the captive stopped fighting causing their captor to stop as well.
GABRIELLE
(Laughing) You're unbelievable, you know that?
While still being held Gabrielle turned around as she looked at her "captor" who smiled and shrugged.
XENA
(Half Joking) What, it's a compliment. That's just what you do to me.
Gabrielle shook her head as she then kissed Xena and wrapped her arms around her.
GABRIELLE
I'm guessing Aurora is with Skyla and Clover right now.
XENA
Yeah, I had them keep an eye on her while I came looking for you.
The two separated as Xena looked out at the view of the village that this height of the waterfall offered for a moment.
XENA
What exactly have you been doing up here anyway?
Gabrielle shrugged as she too looked out at the village.
GABRIELLE
Nothing special, just taking in the view. This place always looks so beautiful, especially during spring.
XENA
Huh, I guess I don't really think about it anymore. We've been here so long I've kinda gotten used to it.
GABRIELLE
You know being around something for so long just means you're able to appreciate the finer details that would otherwise go unnoticed by more unfamiliar eyes.
Xena smiled as she looked at Gabrielle and understood exactly what she meant.
XENA
Yeah, I guess you have a point there.
As Xena thought about what Gabrielle had said she reminisced about just how much Gabrielle had changed since they had first come to the village. In fact, in a lot of ways they both had. Xena thought of how drastically different their lives looked now compared to when they had first arrived along with so much that had happened during their stay. From shortly after first arriving and needing to defend the village from a group of slavers and Gabrielle becoming a strong queen and fighter. And Xena learning that Gabrielle was capable of so much more than she ever could have thought. To stopping a civil war that was provoked by Ares and threatened to destroy the whole Amazon nation. Only to soon after be faced with the attempted murder of Gabriellle as Valassca who was thought to be a friend and ally as she led a rebellion to take Gabrielle's title of queen. To welcoming new women to the village and being given the unexpected gift of a child that was conceived of both Xena and Gabrielle with the help of the Amazon patron goddess Artemis for everything they had done for the Amazon people. Though the joys of raising a child soon turned into a parent's worst nightmare when their baby girl, Aurora was kidnapped by one of the new arrivals to the village as revenge for the death of her mother who was revealed to have been Valassca, along with another resident who was exiled from the village after being a part of Valassca's rebellion. Thankfully Xena and Gabrielle were able to rescue their child and bring her safely back home. However, the struggle to retrieve her had resulted in Gabrielle becoming severely injured. As her health declined and the time she left to live seeming to be running out, Gabrielle did what she felt was best for the Amazon people and granted her right of caste to Xena, making her the new queen of the Amazons. Though Xena didn't like the idea due to her dark history with the Amazons, she reluctantly accepted the position being that she found herself unable to decline what seemed to be Gabrielle's dying wish to know that the Amazons would be left in capable hands. Of which she felt belonged to Xena. Shortly after Xena was made queen, her new role took her away from Gabrielle's side as the help of the Amazon queen was requested to help save a number of other villages that had been falling prey to an enemy that was targeting the Amazons specifically. Though as Xena assisted a group of the women in finding the enemy that would be discovered to be a literal monster, the creature soon became only part of the problem as some from the other village recognized Xena from the time when she was known as the Conquerer and Destroyer Of Nations when she had betrayed and killed almost all of the northern Amazons. It was difficult, but through her heroic actions, Xena had ended up convincing them that she was no longer the person she once was. And in the end, when all seemed lost for Xena and the rest of the group, they managed to slay the creature and save everyone in the area. After returning to the village with a special mixture that was made from the near-immortal creature given to Xena as a way to thank her for saving them, which Xena then uses to restore Gabrielle to perfect health. It was a short time later that Xena and Gabrielle decided to both remain queens together, which led to plans for them finally getting married. However, like everything else in their lives, the road to being married was far from as simple of a task as one might assume. Due to unusual circumstances Amazon law dictated that if they wanted to be married and rule as co-queens together, they needed to endure it number of trials to prove their loyalty to not only the Amazon people but to one another as well. And though both Xena and Gabrielle agreed to take on the trials, tension soon rose between them as Gabrielle found herself secretly struggling with feelings of inadequacy and guilt over not being able to protect their daughter and getting injured and forcing Xena into a position that Gabrielle knew that she didn't want. With Gabrielle vowing to herself to become someone who didn't need to be saved and could protect the people she loved, she began acting differently, which didn't go unnoticed by Xena who became increasingly concerned and angered by Gabrielle's new behavior when she refused to explain the multiple changes that she was making to herself. With a strain on their relationship and their wedding hanging in the balance, the two decided to continue the trials which eventually led to Xena learning what Gabrielle was dealing with and helped remind her of just how much of a strong person she truly was. Once Gabrielle's self-confidence was restored, both she and Xena completed the trials as any issues between them were also solved. And once the trials were complete, the pair were married soon after in a beautiful Amazonian joining ceremony surrounded by both of their families and friends. All was good for Xena, Gabrielle, and their daughter as the two settled into married life within the village. But after almost a year after their wedding and both officially being queen, trouble arose once more when Alti appeared and seemed to set her sights on turning the village that Xena and Gabrielle had been calling home for a few years at that point against them. And once revealing Xena's previously unknown past crimes against the Amazons, it seemed as though Alti would succeed in doing just that when both Xena and Gabrielle were stripped of their status as queen and of being Amazons, leading to Gabrielle being exiled from the village with Aurora in the middle of a brutal winter and Xena imprisoned and sentenced to death. With time running out for not only Xena, but also Gabrielle, Aurora, and the rest of the village, they fought against the odds to save Xena from being executed and stop Alti from achieving her true goal involving the village that still remained unclear as the sorceress lost the control she had over the villagers and left after realizing she had failed in her plain. It was now the spring after those last events and things had long since gone back to normal with everyone being forgiven, Gabrielle again being queen, and Xena deciding it would be better for everyone if she wasn't. And now here they were on a beautiful spring day as the snow had long melted and gave way to the new beginnings that spring always brought. Xena sighed to herself as she found herself almost unable to believe everything that had happened in the few short years of she and Gabrielle living in the secret village. How so much could happen to such a small group of people in such a relatively short time was something that if she and Gabrielle hadn't gone through it themselves, Xena likely wouldn't have believed it. Although that seemed to be true for her and Gabrielle's lives just in general as she smiled to herself and was brought back to the present when she suddenly saw a hand waving in front of her face.
GABRIELLE
Helloooo Xenaaaa.
Xena blinked as she looked over at Gabrielle.
XENA
Huh?
GABRIELLE
You okay? You were kinda just standing here staring out into the distance for a while.
Xena smiled at Gabrielle.
XENA
Yeah, everythings fine. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts about everything that's happened here after what you said. Even after everything you're right, this place still looks physically the same as when we first arrived but yet everything about it feels so different from then.
GABRIELLE
I guess it would be more strange if after everything it didn't. After all we've been here for a long time.
XENA
Yeah, we sure have.
The two looked out at the scenery together for a bit longer before picking up Aurora from her babysitters and heading back to their house. The rest of the uneventful day went on as that night as Gabrielle slept, Xena found herself reminiscing a little more as she went back to when they had first decided to stay in the village. It was only supposed to be for a short time originally, but one thing had kept leading to another, and before they knew it a few years had gone by. And all though Xena didn't hold any ill feelings towards the women of the village for what happened due to Alti, she was beginning to feel as though it might be time for herself, Gabrielle, and Aurora to move on. After all their stay in the village was never intended to be permanent anyway. They both knew that from the beginning. But even still Xena sighed to herself as she wondered how Gabrielle would feel about them leaving. She really loved it there. And this village was the only home that Aurora had known. Not to mention what Gabrielle would think about them going back to life on the road with Aurora. True that the village provided a much more stable and safe environment to raise a child, but still Xena hadn't stayed in one place for this long since she was growing up in Amphipolis. And even then she'd always had a thirst to go out and see what layed beyond the small village. Xena chuckled to herself as she thought that for all their differences, both she and Gabrielle were oddly similar in that regard. Even if the paths they had taken couldn't have really been any more different. And since the need for something more than just a life in a village was something that Gabrielle could understand, then just maybe she would understand why Xena was beginning to feel as though it was time for them to leave their life in the secret village of the Sapphire Snow Owl Tribe behind.
TO BE CONTINUED...
