CONQUERING THE CONQUEROR

pt.13

A knock on the door awoke Gabrielle from her slumber. She opened her eyes to the morning sunlight pouring through the window of the small room she'd been locked in all night, as the grim reminder of where she was returned to the forefront of her mind. She then heard a voice from the other side of the door.

ELLE
Gabrielle, it's Elle. Time to get up. The lord Conqueror is requesting your appearance shortly.

Gabrielle sat up with a grimace due to her side still bothering her as Elle unlocked and opened the door slightly.

ELLE
Can I come in?

GABRIELLE
Sure, I guess.

Gabrielle slid to the side as the woman opened the door more to see Gabrielle sitting on the floor by the doorway.

ELLE
What are you doing on the floor? Are you okay?

GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) Okay?! How can I be? Nothing about any of this is okay.

Gabrielle could see a look of concern on Elle's face as she crouched down beside her, and could help but believe it to be truly genuine. So she decided to ease the young woman's concern.

GABRIELLE
It's nothing. I guess I just fell asleep here last night.

ELLE
Oh.

Elle gave a relieved smile as she stood and offered Gabrielle her hand to help her up, who accepted and stood.

ELLE
(Joking) You do realize you could've slept in the bed, you know?

Seeing the unamused look on Gabrielle's face she received for the comment, Elle cleared her throat awkwardly.

ELLE
Sorry. I didn't mean to make light of things. I'm sure none of this is easy for you.

Gabrielle softened her expression as she thought that Elle had likely been with the Conqueror for a while and had probably forgotten about what it was like to just come into that world.

GABRIELLE
It's okay. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it.

Elle gave a slight releaved smile as she then stepped back out into the hallway for a moment before returning holding some neatly folded up clothing in her arms.

ELLE
Here's some more clean clothes. I'll leave you for a bit to get dressed, and then I'm to take you to her lordship. Just come out when you're done.

Elle put the clothes on the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind her as Gabrielle looked at the clothes that were fairly similar to what she usually wore and sighed as she decided at that moment that if she wanted to survive this whole ordeal, find a way out and somehow locate, save and reunite with her family, then she would have to play along and be obedient to what the Conqueror wanted. She just hoped that they were okay and that she'd be strong enough to endure the days ahead and whatever they entailed.

XENA
Enter.

Xena stood looking out the window as the door opened after a knock and Elle lead Gabrielle into her private quarters.

ELLE
I've brought Gabrielle as you requested, my lord.

Xena looked over her shoulder at the two before returning her gaze out the window to the scenery of the green rolling hills that the room overlooked.