Chapter Twelve
Back and Forth
(Gabrielle)
Gabrielle's race back to her quarters was blurred with tear-filled eyes. The entire way her thoughts ran along the lines of, "What is wrong with her? What has she become? Why is she acting this way? How could she have talked to me like that?"
When she arrived, she went into one of the storerooms to hide. A room that was dark and cool, filled with sacks of grain, large clay-lined baskets of olives and grapes and dried fruits. And there she stayed the rest of the day until after dark, knowing she wouldn't missed since she left with a guard.
At first she tried to understand what had happened to Xena. Even when her dark side had occasionally arisen when she felt it was necessary, Xena was never deliberately cruel or inhuman. And she was getting to the point where she would only take a life if there was no other option. But now....
Eventually Gabrielle's thoughts turned to what Xena had said to her, her tone of voice, and what she had been implying. Xena was never one to pull punches, but today those punches seemed especially heartless, and they hit an exceptionally sensitive target. She knew that someday, if they ever escaped back to Greece, she would tell Xena all she had been forced to do. But for right now, her only way to cope was to block out what she could, and pretend those things had happened to someone else. But for Xena to so easily knock down the barriers she had put up was more than she could deal with.
The day passed with repeated bouts of crying, interspersed with feelings of hopeless despair, and the occasional fleeting idea of ending it all and be done with everything. But she squashed those thoughts as quickly as they arose. She suspected she must have slept some because the day seemed to go by more quickly than she would have thought. And so, she was surprised when she heard a sudden noise and saw Phaedra standing over her, a candle in one hand and a plate of food in the other.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Do you truly think I don't know what goes on in my household? I heard you arrive, and I've heard you sobbing the entire day. I heard you were allowed to see your friend. And I can only guess things didn't go as you hoped. But today has passed and tomorrow you will be expected to resume the tasks required of you."
Phaedra handed Gabrielle the plate and the candle with the warning not to set room on fire and turned to go. When she reached the door, she turned back and said, "There is talk that Cicerius has offered a substantial sum to Dominus for the purchase of Xena. And he is contemplating it."
"WHAT?!" Gabrielle exclaimed, the plate tumbling from her hand as she leapt to her feet.
(Xena)
Xena stayed at the iron lattice for too long, knowing that Gabrielle would not return, yet hoping she would. She finally walked back to her cell, not wanting to face anyone, and there she spent the day, going over in her mind what she should have said, rather than the hurtful things she did say.
As the day ended and the gladiators-to-be came in for supper, Xena discovered she was hungry enough to get up and join them. But even in her depressed state she could tell something was up. Everyone was watching her, but not speaking, and she knew it wasn't because anyone had heard, or would care about, her quarrel with Gabrielle. So she went straight to Doctore.
"What's going on?"
"There is talk among the house slaves that Dominus has been made an offer for your purchase by Cicerius. He says Dominus doesn't have the resources to finance your appearances in the larger arenas. And that under his ownership you could conceivably battle your way to the Coliseum in Rome."
"How do you know this is true? And how do they know any of this?"
"Because we are like furniture to Dominus and Domina. Would you hesitate to discuss sensitive matters in front of a chair?"
"When is this to happen?"
"Dominus is still mulling over the proposal. And I know it cannot be an easy decision for him, now that you have proved your worth."
Xena was now more concerned with being sold than her argument with Gabrielle. "Do you think Gabrielle would be sold along with me?"
"It is doubtful, unless Cicerius can find cause to want her. But with all the female slaves he owns, he would have no use for another."
"What if Dominus insists we must be sold together?"
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know."
(Batiatus)
"Things were so much simpler before SHE came!" Batiatus railed. "She has raised my ambitions and then has dashed them as if they were nothing to her!"
"Im quite sure she has no idea the turmoil she has caused," Lucretia replied.
"Why are you defending her?" he yelled.
"I am not. I am only trying to keep things in perspective. She is but a slave, this is your our, problem."
"She is NOT 'but a slave'! She is probably the finest gladiator to ever live! And now she is causing me anguish I do not like. The physician tells me she is healing faster than expected, and it will be only ten to fifteen days before she is able to enter the arena again. But invitations I make are rebuffed! After her spectacular win against Cicerius' two best warriors, no one will put their men against her. I even offered three against one, but her reputation has already circulated."
"Then why not accept Cicerius' offer and be done with her?"
"Because she is a gold mine! He will make tens of thousands of Aureus while I am offered a paltry four thousand for her!"
"Four thousand is not an insignificant sum."
"And just how long do you think it will last? How much did her exhibition cost us in wine and food? No! There must be some way to keep her and to make money. There HAS to be a way!"
Lucretia was silent, knowing when to speak and when not to. Then a thought came to her.
"Batiatus, I have heard of the spectacles in the Coliseum, they often pit condemned slaves against ferocious beasts. Why not do the same with Xena? Bring in bears or lions for her to...."
"And what if she is killed or maimed? Where would we be then?"
"But if she is as good as you say...."
"NO! I will hear no more of your inane suggestions! Leave me! This is my problem to solve. Go. Make love to one of your slaves. Whatever. Just leave me alone."
And without another word, Lucretia left the room, thinking about Gabrielle, and Barsis.
(Gabrielle)
"What did you say!" Gabrielle exclaimed, grabbing Phaedra's arm. "Xena is being sold?"
"That is what Dominus is considering."
"How do you know this?"
"Cicerius offered him four thousand gold coins for her. It is the talk of the household."
"But HOW do you know? Why would he do that?"
"Sateria was there when the offer was made in confidence. She overheard it."
"They spoke of that in front of her? Didn't they think...?"
"Gabrielle, haven't you realized by now that we are nothing to them? Would you hesitate to sell a cow if you could make a profit? Would you hesitate to talk of it in front of other cows?"
"But he can't sell her! We've been together for I don't even know how many years it's been. But we can't be separated. I'll die without her!"
"Yet the whole day you cried and grieved because of her. And I know it wasn't because you two had only a short encounter. I have seen the expression on your face when you look at her. There is no love there, only disappointment and despair."
"No! You're wrong! I love Xena more than anyone; more than anyone can love another. She's my life, my reason for living."
"Then you have an unusual way of showing it."
"Look, Xena - Xena can be exasperating, and sometimes I've hated the things she's had to do." Gabrielle took a deep breath then continued. "You have to understand that she has this dark side that she's been fighting since before I met her. But this place - this terrible place has made her do horrible things. I know that. And I can't be with her to help her fight against them. Do you know how frustrating, how maddening that is? Do you?"
Phaedra gave Gabrielle a sad smile. "This is what we experience every day. It is a fact of life. You can only live with it, and accept it."
"No! So long as there is life in my body, as long as Xena lives, I will never - never - accept this unlawful imprisonment!"
Phaedra shook her head and walked away. It wasn't the first time she'd heard that very same declaration. Every new slave had the same feelings, and made the same vow. But it made no difference. They were all slaves, and would remain so until death.
(Lucretia)
Being the good wife she thought she was, Lucretia was unhappy that Batiatus was upset about his newest gladiatorial hero, and decided she was the one to help him come to the decision that he should. But her pacing back and forth did little to give her insight as to how she could help him. Then on a whim she went to the nearest guard in the hallway outside her bed chamber, whose name she didn't know, and didn't care to know.
"You," she demanded. "Go to Doctore. Tell him to prepare Xena for audience with her Domina. And make sure her wrists and ankles are shackled."
"Right away, Domina," he said and rushed off to do her bidding.
When he returned with Xena, she was wearing one of the sleeveless, knee-length tunics the other women wore, but being that she was taller than the others, the hemline was fell at mid-thigh, rather than at her knees. Her hair was pulled back and tied with a leather thong. And shackles were on her wrists and ankles, with a length of chain between them, short enough that Xena was forced into walking slightly bent over.
Lucretia sat on the foot of her bed, looking her up and down. And despite her uncomfortable posture, Xena returned the look. Lucretia was wearing the slightly see-through gown she liked so much, and she wasn't wearing the bright red wig she seemed especially fond of.
Lucretia rose from the bed and walked to Xena, whose eyes never wavered. After walking around her, Lucretia finally said, "Are you aware of the turmoil in Dominus' thoughts because of you?"
When Xena didn't answer, Lucretia continued. "There has been a generous offer given for your purchase. Were you aware of that?"
"I am ... Domina."
"You must know that despite our age difference, I love my husband very much. And I become quite distressed whenever he is unhappy or troubled. And despite his misplaced ambitions concerning your appeal in the arena, and the money he expects to make, and the adoration he presumes to be heaped upon his head, I know that in the end you will cause him more problems and anguish than he realizes."
Xena didn't see that an answer was necessary, so she remained silent.
"So, that leaves me with the quandary of how to help Batiatus resolve this problem without him knowing I was instrumental in its resolution, and then him getting angry with me about it. His temper can be quite dreadful, you know."
"You can always allow Gabrielle and me to leave, to return home to Greece," Xena said, then quickly added, "Domina."
Lucretia laughed out loud; she truly found the statement amusing. "But of course that would be YOUR suggestion. But why would I do that? So, as you make your way back to Greece and spread the word along the way that I was responsible for your escape, then Batiatus finds out and has me beaten? Oh, no. I was thinking more along the lines of you dying from your wounds. Wounds that bled internally, along with so severe an infection that the physician could do nothing. Or, perhaps, a sudden fall in the bath tub and drowning."
"And if he discovered my death was at your bidding? Domina."
Lucretia didn't answer, suddenly wondering why she was being so open and so candid with a mere slave.
"Guard! Return this slave to her quarters. And insure Dominus doesn't see you as you go."
"As you wish, Domina," he replied, and grabbed Xena by the arm and dragged her out of Lucretia's bed chamber.
Lucretia sat back down on her bed, disturbed that she was no closer to a solution than she had been. But for some reason, Xena's ridiculous suggestion wouldn't leave her thoughts.