Xena was on the floor doing sit ups the last of ten other intensive exercises the queen had partaken in all while Gabrielle was doing her best to focus on the scroll she had in her hands. However she couldn't help but to be drawn to look at the warrior over and over again. When Xena noticed that Gabrielle was staring she looked at the woman. It was with a pleased sigh that Gabrielle lowered her scroll and finally settled her eyes on the woman, "Xena?"
The warrior stopped her exercise with a smile. As always when Gabrielle addressed her she gave her full attention and rested her elbows over her bent knees, "Yeah?"
"You have to be bored out of your mind." Gabrielle held her escalating fear in check, not willing to hold the empress hostage to her bewildering fear for even a second more.
Gabrielle knew that she needed to get over what felt like irrational fear to her. What she did not know is that the queen had never been more fascinated in her life. From the very second Xena had laid eyes on her captivating smile in the crowded city streets she had been hooked.
"I'm alright. All work and no play, as they say." The queen of the realm didn't get to her station in life not understanding life's little subtleties. She was honestly impressed by Gabrielle's unexpressed bravery. Xena had a thought on how she could help the woman become less fearful but Gabrielle would have to heal quite a bit more before she could really start to implement her plan. However there was quite a bit of information that a visual learner could certainly assimilate.
"Gabrielle, I've been meaning to ask if you wanted to learn how to defend yourself? That is once you feel better." Xena pursed her lips trying to determine what it was that made her so nervous about the subject. She believed every woman should know how to protect herself.
For whatever reason that Xena couldn't really place she was nervous so she studied Gabrielle intently. Gabrielle had never considered learning to fight and it showed in her nervous energy. In the time it took her to smile, her face lit up with a thought, "Who would you suggest teaching me?"
"I put a lot of thought into that and I think you should get someone tall." The warrior queen raised to her full stature with a gorgeous smirk as she made her way confidently to Gabrielle's side of the bed.
Gabrielle couldn't help but laugh at the matter of fact expression on the queen's face, "Tall? Is that important?"
"Well that way she can build your confidence against the bigger folks." Xena teased further, "Also it wouldn't hurt if she had blue eyes and black hair."
Xena joined Gabrielle on the bed and because she was no longer hindered by insecurities she sat right next to her. In fact Xena had sat so close that they could easily rub arms if the need arose. To make her blue eyes all the more visible to Gabrielle she turned her body towards her. The familiar sensation that came over Gabrielle made her body flush with desire.
"So basically you're thinking of a woman who looks like you then?" Gabrielle correctly assumed much to the warrior queen's amusement.
"Now you are onto something." Xena boasted, "Whoever you get should not only be a weapons master but also an expert at hand to hand combat. I also think that she should have many other skills." Xena's smirk became almost vengeful in its nature.
"It certainly sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this trainer." Gabrielle licked her lips fully enjoying playing along with the sexy conqueror, "It's just too bad. I was kind of hoping you would be the one to teach me but that 'many skills' thing kind of disqualifies you so I guess that means you're out."
Xena's eyes narrowed and her body recoiled clearly not impressed, "Wait. What? But I do have many skills." Xena pouted, playfully pleading her case to Gabrielle who couldn't help but to chuckle at such a sight. Xena now assumed that she had played entirely too much.
"I was just kidding. You are clearly a multifaceted human." Gabrielle was consumed by a blush when her next words escaped her willful mouth, "In fact I wouldn't want to learn how to fight from anyone else."
Xena smiled happily patiently waiting for the bright red to settle back to creamy before saying, "Good. I wouldn't trust anyone else with the task." internally the warrior finished in skittish thoughts, 'They would steal you away from me and I will not let that happen.' The queen's jaw tightened.
The thought was inescapable and once Xena had it she was forced to face it head on. It was something that was not easy to accept. At least not for someone who had sworn off any kind of lasting relationship in turn for her pursuit of ruling over the land. Before the warrior could leap up and begin pacing the floor Gabrielle's calming hand rested on her exposed knee. Her eyes falling on said hand that had obliterated all of her darkening thoughts making them go blank for the soothed warrior.
Gabrielle, misread the warrior's hard to read emotions and offered her a way out yet again, "I would understand if you needed to go do something. I'll be okay, besides you can't be with me all the time." Gabrielle felt the surge of fear but she felt more guilty over her lack of control over her new found bouts with the extreme fear. It took all of her will but Gabrielle's body and face remained calm.
Xena took a deep breath and looked up into Gabrielle's stormy eyes. She felt so at home within those depths that a smile claimed its well deserved place upon her lips, "I'm fine Gabs. Thanks for the offer though." Xena acknowledges, before changing the subject completely by gesturing to the stack of scrolls on Gabrielle's bedside table, "Are you happy with your scrolls?"
The scrolls in question had made Gabrielle about as happy as she could be. To prove her point she hugged the current scroll to her chest and gave her biggest nose crinkling smile, "Very happy. I've never had so much to read."
Xena smirked, shyly taking in the charming smile that lit up her darkened heart, "There's plenty more where that came from. I assume I'll lose you to the library when you're feeling better." It was a terrifying thought for the warrior queen who now craved the woman's company stronger than her drive to conqueror had ever been.
Gabrielle seeing the tendrils of worry clouding Xena's eyes informed the queen, "You know I don't honestly think you have to worry about that. After all, one of the great things about scrolls is that they can go anywhere."
Xena gave a full fledged and captivating smile all her own, "True enough."
As the caravan crossed the first block into Athens a sudden volley of arrows came flying from on top of a roof ahead of them. The warriors highly trained in the art of arrow catching easily caught the projectiles. The driver of the carriage however wasn't so lucky and he slumped limply over the side of the carriage. Several arrows sticking out from his chest.
Marcus, seeing the man's fall, quickly rode over and using his sword hacked at the wooden rail that connected the front horses to the rear. Freeing the lead horses not only makes the carriage more maneuverable but faster. Meanwhile the other royal guards' all of whom are excellent archers returned fire hitting the men dead center of their breast. Their bows reloaded and their eyes already searching for and firing on additional targets before their first arrows were even buried into the men.
Marcus, knowing that there must be more to the ambush climbed straight from his saddle into the driver's abandoned seat just as twenty rugged looking soldiers emerged on horseback ahead of them. Quickly he pulled on the right side of the reins turning the cart back towards the road they had just crossed. His abandoned steed charging forward past them. That is when Marcus saw twenty more soldiers that were riding up behind them. They would surely reach the road before they could make the turn.
Just then his warhorse charged into the middle of them, biting one of them in the knee, dragging him off the horse and kicking the soldier's head in before grabbing yet another soldier. All while the guards filled their bows and fired seamlessly with their still running horses. Marcus was never more grateful for the intense training the queen insisted on for all of them. Proudly he urged the carriage forward. The group barely made it back to the road they had just crossed before ten more soldiers were able to close in around them from the left of the road they were charging for.
"Ya!" Marcus shouted at the horses as he took a right turn onto the road but now they were completely surrounded as ten more men filed into the road ahead. The royal guard quickly dispatched the ten in their way and Marcus urged the carriage up and over the slain men. It made the women in the back screech out in pain as they were thrown around by the rough speed bumps taken at great speed.
A panicked look back and Marcus saw eight of the remaining forty of the pursuing soldiers just in time to see them getting struck with arrows. He couldn't see his steed anymore but he prayed that Ares would watch over and protect the brave animal that had given them the time they needed to reach the turn. More arrows struck eight more soldiers almost simultaneously. By the end of two blocks the caravan was riding alone but it didn't slow them down in the least. Not even letting the pedestrians slow them down as they rushed towards the castle.
After the exhausted blood soaked caravan pulled into the castle's large gates, driven by adrenaline, Marcus shouted, "Close the gates!"
Just before the gate slammed his warhorse ran through it. The horse was also soaked in blood from the battle.
