Chapter 15: A Day of Discovery
Two weeks had gone by since Xena had accepted Ulysses' proposal. She wanted to get acquainted with the kingdom and her people, to build a personal relationship with them on her own. Ever since Gabrielle heard them making love in their bedroom, Xena ensured to keep their activities to a minimum, hoping he would finally invite her to move into his bed quarters. Gabrielle saw Xena wrapping her red cloak around her body at the palace entrance. She had Zephyra with her.
"Xena, where are you going?" Gabrielle asked.
"I'm going into the kingdom today. I want to get a feel for what's going on without Ulysses being with me. I want to talk to the people, to connect with them. That's the only way that I know we are going to make an impact. Identify what's working and what's not." Gabrielle looked at Zephyra up and down, who also had on a cloak.
"Is she going with you?" Xena could tell Gabrielle was becoming jealous that she was taking Zephyra and not her.
"Yes, she's familiar with the territory."
"I see," doubt clear in her voice. Xena handed Zephyra a parchment.
"Can you write?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Great," Xena smiled at her. Xena turned back to Gabrielle and placed her hands on her shoulders.
"I promise I will take you with me next time." Xena and Zephyra walked out of the palace together. Xena mounted a grand stallion and Zephyra waited for Xena to pull her up onto her horse.
"Oh no, you're riding your own horse," Xena said teasingly. Zephyra's eyes lit up. She never imagined she would have the honor of riding one of the grand stallions. One of the footmen brought the horse to Zephyra and she quickly mounted it, her and Xena taking off. Gabrielle watched them disappear with a straight face and then turned away. As they rode through the countryside, Xena started asking questions to get to know Zephyra better.
"Zephyra, tell me about yourself," Xena began with a gentle tone. Zephyra hesitated.
"There's not much to tell, my lady. I've worked at the palace for many years."
"Please, call me Xena. And I want to get to know you, even the little things. We're going to be spending alot of time together and I would like to consider you, my family. And don't worry, this conversation stays just between us girls," Xena gave her a tender smile. Her beauty was inviting. Zephyra took a deep breath.
"Well, my lady, I come from a small village near the mountains. My family was very poor, so I came to the palace to work and send money back home." Xena nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"I understand. I grew up in a small village too. Life was hard, and I had to learn to fight for everything." Zephyra looked at Xena occasionally and saw the warmest smile coming from her. This gave her the courage to open up more.
"I've always loved horses," Zephyra said, her voice softening with the memory. "I never imagined I'd get to ride one of the king's stallions."
"You handle him well," Xena said with a smile.
"I remember the first time I rode a horse. I was terrified, but it soon became one of my favorite things."
"What do you like and dislike about your life at the palace?" Xena asked.
"I like the security and the friendships I've made," Zephyra said thoughtfully. "But sometimes, it feels...restrictive. Like we're just part of the background. There are so many rules." Xena's curiosity rose.
"What kind of rules?"
"There are rules about where we can go, who we can talk to, how we should dress. It's like we're always being watched and judged," Zephyra explained.
"I see," Xena said, her expression empathetic.
"When I was a commander, I often felt confined by the expectations others had of me. It's not easy." Zephyra eyes lit up,
"You were a commander?
"Yep." Zephyra looked at Xena, seeing the understanding in her eyes.
"It would be nice if we had more opportunities for education and personal growth. Maybe even some activities that allow us to explore our talents and interests." Xena smiled warmly.
As Xena and Zephyra arrived in the kingdom, Xena noticed a field full of workers tending to the olive trees. One thing stood out: they were all young women and teen girls. Xena squinted as she led her horse in their direction. She hopped off and handed her reins to Zephyra.
The workers all stopped and looked at Xena, most with wide eyes. They could tell by her cloak alone that she belonged with the palace. Some of the girls whispered,
"I think she's our future queen." Xena walked through the field, smiling sweetly at the young girls and softly patting some of them on their backs. Her cloak blew in the wind, adding to her majestic presence. She stopped at one girl and asked,
"Who's in charge here?" The girl pointed towards a hut at the end of the field. Xena headed towards the hut and knocked on the door. An older lady snatched the door open and said,
"What do you want now?" in an annoyed voice. Xena turned her lip up towards the lady, and her look softened, if only a little.
"Can I help you, ma'am?"
"Yes," Xena said, "could you tell me where all the young men are?"
"You ain't from around here, are ya? Clearly, they are at school learning."
"Thanks," Xena said dryly and left. She mounted her horse and told Zephyra,
"Write this down: 'Girls working the fields while boys attend school. Unacceptable. Need immediate change.'" Zephyra nodded, scribbling down Xena's words on the papyrus. Xena gave one last glance at the field of girls before urging her horse forward.
As they made their way into the marketplace, Xena tied her reins to a tree and told Zephyra to do the same. Xena saw large boats with their ramps down, ready to load up the exports. She walked to the back of the stalls and immediately noticed a heavily pregnant lady struggling to lift a basket of fish into the export canister. Without hesitation, she went to the lady and lifted the basket for her. The lady smiled at her gratefully. Xena could tell she was exhausted. She was dirty and sweaty. Xena asked her softly,
"Why are you out here working? You should be resting." The lady replied,
"If I don't work, I don't eat. My husband died at sea, and it's only me. I have no one else." Xena sighed and turned to look at the other people working. They all continued filling their bins as if they didn't see her struggling. She shook her head at their selfishness. She turned back to the lady. "What is your name?"
"Taria."
"Well, Taria, how would you like to stay inside the palace until your baby arrives?" Taria's eyes went wide.
"Ma'am, I am most grateful, but I'm not sure how you would get the approval." Xena smiled and replied,
"You already have approval...by me." Her teeth sparkled in the sun. Zephyra spoke up,
"This is Lady Xena, your future queen." Taria grabbed Xena's hand and kissed it. Xena then said,
"You will have to ride back with me. Pack whatever you have, and I'll meet you here." Taria nodded and turned to leave. Xena watched her go. She knew there were many more people like Taria who needed help, and she was ready to make a difference. As Taria walked away to gather her things, Xena turned to Zephyra, who had been observing the interaction silently.
"Zephyra, make a note of this," Xena instructed. "We need to ensure there's a system in place to help those who have no one else. Especially expectant mothers and widows. We can't let them struggle like this." Zephyra nodded, scribbling down Xena's words.
"Consider it done, my lady." Xena gave her a nod of approval and then looked back towards the thriving marketplace.
"Let's continue. There's still much to see and many more people to help." Xena and Zephyra walked past the boats slowly, listening to the merchants exchange funds and make agreements. She noticed one older man trembling as two young, well-dressed men were taking his milk from his stall without paying.
"Well, well, gentlemen, what's going on here?" Xena asked.
"Mind your business, lady," one of the younger men said.
"Whatever is happening here IS my business," she said in a low voice. The older man spoke up with fear in his voice,
"Every week, they come and raid my milk stand, and they barely give me 25% of what I charge." Xena looked at them in disbelief. She said to the older man,
"Based on the milk they have now, how much would they owe you?" The older man replied,
"30 dinars." Xena looked at the men and said,
"Pay him 60 dinars." The men laughed in her face. She slid her cloak open and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, now worn around her waist. They looked into her eyes and could tell she was not to be messed with. They threw the older man his money and ran off to their boat.
"Thank you, thank you! I am most gracious," the older man said with his hands clutched together. Zephyra spoke up and said,
"This is your future queen, Xena." Xena touched the man's hand and asked,
"Anything you need help with?" He shook his head no, and Xena walked away from him. Suddenly, she heard a loud bell ring. She looked around to see what it signaled. Then, she saw the school was letting out.
The boys immediately went to their homes, laughing and playing on the way there. Xena noticed that the young girls were still in the olive field working. Xena called one of the girls out of the field to her and asked,
"Have you all eaten lunch?"
"No, Lady Xena. We eat once we're off," the girl replied. Xena frowned.
"Not anymore," she said. She called all the girls out of the field and took them into the nearest tavern. She told the owner,
"Feed them whatever they want every day for lunch, and I will have the palace compensate you."
Xena then kicked in the door to the hut. The grouchy lady inside was feasting. Xena grabbed her by the collar and told her,
"When that bell rings, it's lunchtime for the girls, and they eat inside the tavern. Once they're done eating, they are off for the day. If you try to stop them, you will have to deal with me. Do you understand?"
The lady nodded with fear, and Xena roughly let her go and left. Taria slowly made her way to Xena, carrying only one small bag. Xena helped her onto her horse, and they slowly made their way back to the palace. As they rode, Xena turned to Taria.
"We're going to make some changes around here, Taria. You'll see." Taria nodded, grateful tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Lady Xena."
Once they arrived at the palace, Xena had Zephyra help Taria get settled.
"Take her to the bath hall. Once she's done, please put her in an empty room. See if we have some clothes that would fit her and take her to the dining hall. Tell the cooks I said to fix her something to eat ASAP. Also, do we have a healer here? She could be delivering soon." Zephyra replied,
"We usually send for a healer, but it could take days before one arrives, depending on if they're coming from the mainland." Xena put her head down and sighed.
"Can you make note of that too for me?" Gabrielle walked up to Xena as she saw Zephyra walking away with Taria.
"Who is that?" Gabrielle asked.
"Long story," Xena said.
"Walk with me." She pleaded with her eyes.
"Sure," Gabrielle said eagerly.
As they walked down the halls, Xena went over her notes with Gabrielle about her discoveries in the kingdom.
"The boys are in school while the girls work in the fields. It's not right. They should be educated too. And the marketplace is a mess. People are being taken advantage of left and right." Gabrielle listened intently, nodding.
"Sounds like you've had quite a day." Xena spotted Lysandra passing by.
"Lysandra, can you send for a healer?" Lysandra nodded.
"Of course, Lady Xena. Right away." As Lysandra hurried off, Xena and Gabrielle continued their walk.
"I can't believe the conditions some of these people are living in. There's so much work to be done." Gabrielle placed a comforting hand on Xena's shoulder.
"You've already made a difference, Xena. Just by being here, you've shown them that someone cares."
"I hope so. I want them to know that things can and will change for the better."
They reached a quiet corner of the palace, and Xena paused, looking out over the courtyard.
"There's one more thing," she said.
"We need to ensure that we have a healer available at all times. It's not acceptable to wait days for help, especially for those in need." Gabrielle nodded.
"I'll make sure to have word sent for one permanent one." Xena smiled, grateful for Gabrielle's support.
"Thank you. I couldn't do this without you." Gabrielle returned the smile.
"You don't have to do it alone, Xena. We're in this together."
They stood in silence for a moment, taking in the magnitude of the task ahead. Then, Xena straightened.
"Let's get to work. There's no time to waste."
Once Gabrielle and Xena had gone over the changes, Xena was eager to share the news with Ulysses. She hadn't seen him all day and couldn't wait to see him. She knocked softly on his door. He opened it and pulled her inside.
"Xena, I've missed you. I heard you went into the kingdom," he said, smiling. She smiled softly.
"Yes, about that, we need to talk." Ulysses took a gulp of his wine and sat down on his bed.
"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about as well."
"Okay," Xena said, feeling a bit unsure.
"You go first."
"Well, I know we're not married yet, but I was wondering if you would consider moving into my sleeping quarters with me?" Ulysses asked, looking hopeful. Xena walked to him and sat in his lap. She kissed him softly, letting her lips linger on his.
"I would love to," she said.
"Good," he replied, a relieved smile spreading across his face. Then, with a playful glint in his eye, he flipped her onto her back and began to undress her.
"Ulysses," Xena whispered, gasping as his hands roamed over her skin.
"I couldn't wait to have you all to myself," he murmured, kissing her neck as his fingers quickly undid her garments.
As they became lost in each other, the worries and responsibilities of the day melted away. For a moment, it was just the two of them, wrapped in their own world. The only sounds they could hear were each other's moans and breathing.
Later, as they were tangled in each other's arms, Xena rested her head on Ulysses' chest.
"When I went into the kingdom today," she said softly,
"I saw so many things that need to change. The girls are working in the fields while the boys are in school. The marketplace is chaotic, and people are being taken advantage of. We need to do something about it." Ulysses stroked her hair, listening intently.
"You're right. We need to make changes. And we will. Together."
Xena looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination.
"I've already started. I brought a woman back to the palace. She's pregnant and has no one to help her. I couldn't just leave her there." Ulysses smiled, his admiration for her growing.
"You have such a big heart, Xena. We'll make sure she's taken care of."
