SARA
Gabrielle, Gabrielle?
GABRIELLE
Huh?
Gabrielle turned her head toward the sound of Sara's voice after being brought out of her thoughts as she stood beside the ladder that the archivist was standing several rungs above her on, as she had been helping to pass the woman the appropriate writing to go on that particular shelf. Or that was what she was supposed to be doing at least, before her mind had wondered off several minutes prior.
SARA
The scrolls Gabrielle. Can you hand 'em to me?
GABRIELLE
Oh right. Sorry.
Gabrielle took a couple scrolls from the stack in her arms as she reached up and handed them to Sara who put them where they needed to be.
SARA
You okay? You seem awfully distracted today.
Gabrielle gave the woman another couple scrolls.
GABRIELLE
Just a little tired I guess. I didn't really get a good night's sleep last night.
SARA
You know I heard this morning that there was some kind of commotion around one of the other servants quarters. Don't tell me it was the one where you're room is. Do you know what happened?
Gabrielle sighed as her mind once again went back to the highly bazaar, alarming and confusing encounter that had taken place between herself and the Conqueror just the night before, still trying as she had been for most of the day, to make any kind of sense out of what had transpired.
GABRIELLE
Honestly I have no idea.
Gabrielle sighed.
GABRIELLE
I really wish I did though.
Sara shrugged as she finished placing the scrolls she held on the shelf.
SARA
Well given how much people around here like to gossip, I'm sure we'll find out what happened before too long.
Gabrielle handed Sara the rest of the scrolls she was holding as she turned and leaned with her back against the shelf as she returned to looking out of the nearby window and sighed.
GABRIELLE
Yeah, maybe.
In a darkened room with the curtains drawn, preventing the sunlight from entering Xena layed in her bed looking up at the ceiling. The pain in her chest, though still there, was significantly more manageable than it had been the night before. However Xena still wasn't able to enjoy the relief from pain as she had woken not long before hungover and with a splitting headache caused by her alcoholic binge from the previous day. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead and temples as she tried to relieve the throbbing.
XENA
(Mumbling to herself) I have got to stop doing this shit.
After a few minutes Xena gradually tried to sit up and though it hurt she eventually made it to her feet and over the small wash bucket that sat on her dresser. Standing in front of it, Xena reach in with both hands as she scooped up a large handful of water and splashed it on her face to try and clear her head from both sleep and the lingering effects of the alcohol. She did this a couple more times before she began to feel slightly better and picked up a towel that sat beside the washbasin to dry off. That was when there was a knock on the door and Xena called for the person to enter.
LEONIDAS
Afternoon my lord, you're looking well.
Xena scoffed as she glanced over at the full body mirror that sat in the nearest corner of the large room and saw her reflection. Of which she noted to herself wouldn't exactly catch anyone's eye with her hair a mess, dark circles under her eyes and a good amount less color in her face, before after a moment, returning to drying that said face.
XENA
Liar. I look like shit.
The Conqueror turned around and leaned back slightly against the dresser as she finished wiping the water from her face and dropped it on the dresser as she grimaced at the painful pounding in her head.
XENA
Feel like it too.
LEONIDAS
Well you were hitting the bottle pretty hard last night my lord.
XENA
(Annoyed tone) Thanks for the reminder. As if I'm wasn't already well aware of that.
Xena rubbed her forehead again as she shuffled over to a shelf and pulled a few small jars of things from it before mowing to her table and placing the containers down as she grabbed a cup and pitcher of water, filling the cup about halfway.
XENA
Anyway, did you need something?
LEONIDAS
Not particularly. Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. How's your chest?
XENA
Hurts.
The Conqueror opened the jars she'd gotten and began pouring just a dab of the contents of each in different amounts into the cup.
LEONIDAS
Then perhaps it would be best if you were to follow the healers instructions and not go wondering around the keep instead of staying in bed.
Xena looked at her lieutenant with a scowl as she added one ingredient to her cup and gave it a good stir with her finger.
XENA
(Irritated tone) This is my home and I can go wherever, whenever I damn well please.
LEONIDAS
Fair enough my lord.
Xena picked up the now finished mixture and grimaced both at the pain in her body as well as the terrible smell of the concoction that she had just put together.
LEONIDAS
Well if I may ask. What was it that you felt was so important that you felt needed your direct attention so badly that it required you to risk your injury getting worse?
Xena looked into her cup as she spoke in a softer voice then she typically used, the painful conversation between herself and Cyrene returning to her mind.
XENA
I, had to go see someone.
Knowing who Xena must've been talking about, Leonidas began to get the picture for why the Conqueror must've decided to drink as much as she had the night before.
LEONIDAS
I see. How'd that go?
The Conqueror turned around with her cup to face her lieutenant.
XENA
Don't wanna talk about it.
Xena raised the cup to her lips and took a sip before immediately having to put it down and grabbing the nearest empty container as she burned her face inside and losing the everything she had eaten the day before.
LEONIDAS
Shall I get one of the healers?
After a few moments Xena lowered the bucket and wiped her mouth.
XENA
No I'll be fine.
LEONIDAS
If I may make a suggestion my lord.
XENA
Mm?
LEONIDAS
You think perhaps things with your mother may have gone better if you hadn't been drinking before you went to speak with her in the middle of the night?
Xena gave Leonidas a very confused look.
XENA
What in Tartarus are you talking about? It wasn't late at all and I was completely sober when I want to see my mother.
Leonidas then mirrored Xena's confusion with his own face as he tried to figure out what she was talking about.
LEONIDAS
But I heard that you had been found in a rather awful state on the floor in the little one's room.
XENA
What are you talking about?
LEONIDAS
Gabrielle my lord. Who else do you think I call that.
XENA
(Slightly annoyed tone) I know who you're talking about.
Xena rubbed her forehead again. This time out of confusion as she tried to piece together the bits and pieces of her hazy memory from the night before.
XENA
I meant what did you mean that I was found in her room?
LEONIDAS
That was where the healers found you after being brought there by Elle.
XENA
Wait what was she doing there in the middle of the night?
Leonidas shrugged.
LEONIDAS
Maybe she heard some sort of commotion talking place between you and the little one.
XENA
A commotion? What could have possibly been going on for her to hear from her room? What was I doing, yelling like a banshee or...
Xena paused as pieces of what happened between herself and Gabrielle flashed through her mind. She still didn't remember much at the moment, but what she could recall caused an awful feeling to arise within her as she saw through her eyes holding Gabrielle down in her bed and then having her pinned up against the door.
XENA
(Thinking to herself) What have I done? I'm know I'm not a good person by any stretch of the imagination, but to do something like this, even drunk.
LEONIDAS
My lord, is everything okay?
Xena was pulled from her disturbing thoughts, her attention returning to the conversation at hand.
XENA
(Lying) It's nothing. You can go now. And have someone bring me up something light like broth or something from the kitchen.
LEONIDAS
As you wish my lord, I'll go place the order right away.
Leonidas turned to leave.
XENA
Oh and on your way out you can go ahead and take this with you when you go.
Xena held out the container that Xena had vomited in as the lieutenant sighed, feeling a bit dejected as he walked over, took the container and walked away with Xena commenting as he left.
XENA
(Half joking tone) You're a good man Leonidas.
Xena's demeanor then returned to being serious as she again thought about the fragmented memory of whatever happened in her personal scribe's room the night before. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to rest until she got to the bottom of it,. And though she already suspected that something so many already assumed she did may very well had taken place, Xena was well aware of what she was going to have to do. And that was find out for certain what had happened from the only other person who was in that room.
SARA
I think that should do it for today.
GABRIELLE
Are you sure I can go? It's much earlier than when I normally leave.
SARA
It's okay Gabrielle, I promise.
Sara took Gabrielle by her shoulders and turned her around as she began walking her towards the doors of the archives.
SARA
Now why don't you go get yourself something to eat and make it an early night. You look exhausted.
GABRIELLE
If you're really sure that the lord Conqueror won't mind.
SARA
Relax, you aren't going to get in trouble for stopping your work a little early. And if anyone does say something just send them my way and I'll take care of it.
GABRIELLE
But I don't wanna get you in trouble either, Sara.
SARA
You just worry about yourself Gabrielle. Trust me stopping work a little earlier than usual isn't anything that the lord Conqueror is too concerned about. Not that she would even know about it anyway. But as long everything stays running as it should around here and no one causes any problems, for the most part she just let's everyone go about their business as they see fit.
GABRIELLE
Really?
SARA
(Chuckling) Trust me she has far more important things to do than to scold people for going to bed early.
Gabrielle yawned.
GABRIELLE
Well if you're sure it's not a problem.
Reaching the doors, Sara opened one and held it for Gabrielle to leave.
SARA
Get some food and get a good nights sleep okay. Don't need you getting yourself sick from not taking proper care of yourself.
Sara smiled, giving Gabrielle a somewhat motherly look that told her the older woman thought of Gabrielle as more than just someone to assist her in her work. And for the first time that day Gabrielle smiled in return.
GABRIELLE
Okay. I'll see you tomorrow Sara.
Gabrielle left the archives and went to grab something to eat before heading to her room. Though after waking up to having the Conqueror in her room acting in a completely different horrifying way than normal, Gabrielle wasn't exactly sure how well she was really going to be able to sleep going forward. Not to mention being around the woman at all going forward. After all what had the Conqueror even come to her room in the middle of the night intending to do? Ideas had crossed Gabrielle's mind all day, but everything that she had come up with was just much too horrible for Gabrielle to even want to think about as she hoped that it was just the effects of the woman's obvious over drinking and not something that she was going to have to fear happening again and having the strong possibility of it ending up much, much worse.
?
There you are.
Gabrielle froze in her tracks as she turned a corner on her way to her room and heard an all too familiar voice behind her. Her nerves went into overdrive as she thought about the night before and looked over her shoulder to see the Conqueror standing behind her.
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) I didn't even hear her coming up behind me. How? Even injured she's far scarier than any of those old stories about monsters I've heard back home.
XENA
Come with me. We need to talk.
Not waiting for Gabrielle to respond Xena turned around began walking away as Gabrielle stood there feeling her fear and anxiety rising once again. What did the Conqueror want with her? Did she intend on picking up on whatever she had intended to do the night before? Was she going to punish Gabrielle for fighting back? And if it was the latter, why had she waited all day to do so? As she watched Xena walking away, Gabrielle wondered if she should just run. With the Conqueror still injured, maybe she could get to a room and barricade herself inside until she could figure out what to do.
XENA
(Stern tone) Hey I'm not standing here all day.
Gabrielle saw as the Conqueror had stopped and turned slightly to look back at her almost halfway down the hall.
XENA
(Stern tone) Come on.
Feeling like she didn't have a choice and not wanting to anger the woman, Gabrielle reluctantly followed Xena down the hall and through a large portion of the the building. As they walked in silence to their destination, Xena glanced back to see the depressing look on Gabrielle's face as well as the slow, defeated way that she walked and thought that maybe trying to get the answers she wanted this way may not have been the best way of going about it, but she also didn't want to get anyone else involved in the matter unless she had to.
XENA
Here we are.
Xena held the door open to her study as she waited for Gabrielle to enter and after she did was about to shut it behind herself after she walked in but thought it might make things a little less tense if she left it open so Gabrielle didn't feel like she was being trapped.
XENA
Have a seat.
Xena gestured to the normal spot where Gabrielle would sit while working as her scribe as the Conqueror herself sat behind her own desk. Seeing Xena sit several feet away from her and the door left open, Gabrielle felt comfortable enough to take a seat and not worry that the other woman had any intentions of harming her. At least not right then anyway. Once Gabrielle had sat down, there was an awkward silence as Xena tried to decide where she should begin. Then finally after several long moments Xena spoke.
XENA
Listen about last night.
Gabrielle felt herself become more tense as though she wanted answers about what had happened or might have almost happened, she was still afraid of what Xena would do as a result of her fighting back. After all Gabrielle had seen first hand what happened to people who didn't give the Conqueror what she wanted. And wasn't that exactly what Gabrielle had done when the woman had come into her room? But yet as Xena continued to speak Gabrielle was utterly shocked as she heard the nest words out of the Conqueror's mouth.
XENA
I know that it really isn't going to mean anything but... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry.
TO BE CONTINUED...