?
And you should have seen the look on her face when I shoved the basket of bread right back at her and said, Gabrielle. Hey, are you even listening?
GABRIELLE
Wha...?
Gabrielle blinked a couple of times as she was pulled from her thoughts after hearing her name being called and refocused her eyes on Elle who was seated across from her as they ate their breakfast together in the keep's dining hall.
GABRIELLE
Oh sorry Elle, I guess I kinda let my mind wander off there for a bit. So, you were saying?
ELLE
You know if I'm boring you, or I'm talking too much...
GABRIELLE
Oh no it's nothing like that.
Elle gave Gabrielle a somewhat suspicious glance.
ELLE
You sure? Cuz' you seem even more quiet than usual.
Gabrielle gave her friend a reassuring smile.
GABRIELLE
You're fine Elle. Really.
ELLE
Oh good.
The young woman smiled at Gabrielle for a moment before her face went serious as she popped a piece of her food into her mouth and chewed before speaking again.
ELLE
So then did you wanna tell me what's been bothering you lately?
About to put a spoonful of warm porridge from the bowl in front of her into her mouth, Gabrielle paused as she responded to her friend's query.
GABRIELLE
What makes you think something's been bothering me?
ELLE
Gabrielle come on, we're friends, aren't we? And you've been here for how long now?
Gabrielle shrugged slightly.
GABRIELLE
A good while. Maybe a couple months shy of a year.
ELLE
Exactly. So don't you think that I've noticed that you've been acting differently than you normally do for nearly a month?
GABRIELLE
And how's that?
ELLE
Well for one you're usually pretty attentive and quick to respond when someone's talking to you, at least from what I've seen. But lately though there's someone talking to you, and you appear to be looking right at them, your mind just seems to be miles away elsewhere.
Gabrielle sighed.
GABRIELLE
(Lying) I don't know, guess I've just been a little off recently is all.
Gabrielle looked down at her bowl of food and idly moved her spoon in it around.
ELLE
You're not coming down with something, are you? Maybe you should go see the healers.
Gabrielle raised her eyes from her food to return her focus to the other young woman.
GABRIELLE
No, don't worry I'm not sick. I've just had some things on my mind and...
Gabrielle stopped talking abruptly as her train of thought came to a sudden halt when from a distance behind Elle her eyes caught the movement of someone walking into the dining hall.
ELLE
What?
Noting the abrupt pause and the now odd expression that had suddenly appeared on Gabrielle's face, Elle turned in her seat to look behind her to see what had captured the other woman's attention.
ELLE
Oh it's just her lordship. You kinda had me worried there for a second that something was wrong. You know you...
Elle returned her attention to Gabrielle and saw the young woman suddenly looking very tense with her head down as she appeared to find a new intense interest in the food in front of her, and as a result Elle quickly forgot what she had originally wanted to say as the concern for her friend took over.
ELLE
Gabrielle, what's wrong?
GABRIELLE
(Lying) Nothing.
ELLE
Gabre…
Gabrielle suddenly stood up from her chair as she cut Elle off.
GABRIELLE
I gotta go.
ELLE
Hey wait.
It was unclear if Elle's words even reached Gabrielle as barely a few seconds later Gabrielle had already put a good distance between them. Leaving Elle baffled as she sat and watched Gabrielle make a hasty exit out of the dining hall, never even sparing a glance back.
ELLE
(Talking to herself) Was it something I said?
Gabrielle entered her room and quickly shut the door behind her as she stood with her back leaning against it, trying to calm the racing thoughts that had too often been running through her head ever since the Conqueror had told her that she had feelings for her.
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) I can't even look at her now without going back there. She said she loves me. Does she really?
The young woman shook her head at her own question, thinking how outlandish it was for her to even consider.
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) Come on Gabrielle, don't be ridiculous. Of course, what she said wasn't true. She must've had some kind of other motivation for saying what she said. She had to have wanted something, or maybe it was a test or trick of some kind.
Gabrielle paused in her thoughts as the Conqueror's face came into her mind and brought the young woman back to the Conqueror's study as the memory of Xena crouching in front of her and the almost pleading look that she saw in the woman's eyes. The softness of her voice, the gentle way she held Gabrielle's hand in hers all flashed through her mind as she shook her head slightly in an attempt to make the thoughts go away. But even as she tried to dispel the notion that the Conqueror's confession could have truly been genuine, something deep within Gabrielle just couldn't let it go as she walked over and sat on the edge of her bed while trying to make sense of it all.
GABRIELLE
(Talking to herself) But she came to save me from those rebel Amazons. What could she have possibly gained from doing that if it was just a lie. She nearly died too. But I don't get it, why?
Gabrielle sighed as she idly turned her attention to out her window and watched the gentle snow fall for a bit before deciding to lay back on her bed for a little while until she needed to go to the archives. But as Gabrielle laid there she found herself unable to relax as her mind shuffled through a series of memories. Memories involving some of the Conqueror's actions that, while at the time seemed mundane and could have been interpreted in a number of ways, suddenly took on a whole new light. Such as the way that Gabrielle would sometimes catch the Conqueror looking at her when she thought the younger women didn't notice. How she had chosen Gabrielle to work with her personally. Then there was the time shortly after Xena had been originally injured by Draco. Even though the Conqueror had been drinking the night that she had come to Gabrielle's room and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Gabrielle still remained the general way that Xena stroked her hand against her cheek and the somewhat desperate look in her eyes. Up until now and after the initial shock and fear of the encounter had worn off, Gabrielle had just assumed that everything that Xena had said that night were nothing more than the drunken ramblings of a mad woman. But now after hearing the Conqueror's proclamation of love, Gabrielle couldn't help but wonder if it was possible that for the woman to have at least begun to felt something for her back then.
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) it would explain so much but... No, it couldn't be. I must be going insane to even think something like that.
Gabrielle shook her head at the thought. The likelihood of Conqueror to have felt anything for her now, let alone so soon after her arrival at the keep was just too farfetched of an idea to had possibly been true.
GABRIELLE
Gods, I must be going insane to even consider something like that.
With a shake of her head, Gabrielle con·sciously concluded the matter being settled and closed her eyes to get some rest. But as the same series of thoughts continued to play out on repeat in her head, Gabrielle found herself unable to get her mind to relax and opened her eyes once again to just lay there on her back as she stared up at the ceiling
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) But if I know none of what she said could possibly be real, then why can't I stop thinking about what happened?
Gabrielle brought her hand up to lay on her chest, able to feel the fast-paced beating of her heart as she laid there with her thoughts.
GABRIELLE
(Talking to herself) Or thinking about her.
TO BE CONTINUED...