Summary: The Conqueror leaves Greece to visit Cleopatra and meets a slave/gladiator named Gabrielle but all is not what it seems.
Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle and all the other characters from Xena, The Warrior Priness don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for this story. I will return them once it has been finished, sadly.
Violence: There will be violence in this story, including some sexual violence. It is fairly graphic. I mean, come on, it's a Conqueror fic.
Subtext: Subtext is maintext in this fanfiction. There will be graphic scenes of two women making love, and having sex (which will be quite rough considering the Conqueror's sexual appetite)
If you are under the age of eighteen, or this type of story is illegal where you live, then close stop reading now. Close the page.
Author's Note: This is a Conqueror story which I have been writing for a while now. It won't be updated as often as my other stories, but I will not leaving it hanging for weeks on end either.
Comments are very much appreciated.
If you wish to send them to me, my email is jacklavigne13@hotmail .com
Enjoy the show! Or so to speak.
Prologue
I do not believe in love and anyone who has ever met me doesn't doubt it. I may be a master of seduction with many bursts of unquenchable lust, but that is all it ever is. Lust. Never once have I truly loved. I have desired and wanted and sometimes I have cared more for a person than I would like to admit, but I've never been in love. It does not exist to me. I believe in power. I believe in holding someone's life in my hands and watching the light leave their eyes. I have killed thousands of men, burned hundreds of villages and enslaved women. I have travelled far and wide, conquering armies and many men and women. It thrills me to hold so much power. It flows through my blood, setting me alight and it helps me do things that normal mortals couldn't dream of. I have never been defeated and some swear that I'm a Goddess. For so long I have conquered, never losing a fight, but one day, it all changed. Thousand's have tried to kill me, wanting my power. Hundred's have even tried to conquer me, wanting my body. Few have even tried to tame me, wanting my heart. They all failed. I'm a wild animal and I cannot be tamed or so I thought.
Who would have guessed that to tame a wild heart, you need an even wilder one. This is the story of me, Xena, The Conqueror, and how I was conquered and tamed by a mere slave. A gladiator called Gabrielle.
Chapter One
By the Gods, I hate Egypt. If it wasn't for Cleopatra insisting that I visit her, I would never come to this God forsaken place. I prefer Greece and more specifically, Corinth. My palace was built on a cliff overlooking the sea. The sun shines down upon us, but the breeze makes it bearable. The water is warm and I love the feeling of wet sand beneath my feet. And grass! I thank the Gods for the green grass now more than ever. I walk on sand now but it is not wet, on the contrary, it's unbearably hot. It burns through my thick leather boots and I know when I remove them later, I will have blisters. There is no breeze in Egypt and the air is unbelievably hot causing me to constantly drink from my waterskin. And by the Gods, the sun! I feel as if I will catch alight at any moment.
I haven't been to Egypt in over five summers. Since I became ruler of Greece, I haven't had the time for adventure. It depresses me to no end that I've practically spent the last three years in court with men and women that pretend to worship the ground I walk on and then spit on me when my back is turned. I remember the last thing I actually did in Corinth was send a man to his death because he spat on me, literally. To tell the truth, he was a rebel attempting to tell the people how much I sucked basically. I didn't really care about that though. But when he spat at me, I become suddenly enraged which is not uncommon for me. I shattered his jaw with a powerful kick and cleaned the spit off my boot at the same time before sending him to be crucified.
I glance around at my guard as we march through the unforgiving desert and I see that they are faring no better than I am. I feel a slight bit of pity for them, for their armor must be burning through their leathers and scorching their skin. You wouldn't be able to tell though. Their discomfort is hidden well behind their masks, their faces completely devoid of emotion like the good soldiers they are. I look to my right where my second in charge walks besides me. She looks back at me with angry midnight blue eyes as she pushes her sweat soaked dark red hair away from her face. She looks royally pissed and I smile at her happily which only seems to make her angrier, which is exactly what I had planned.
"Did I really have to accompany you here, my Lord?" She asks in frustration, her voice hoarse. She must be angrier than I thought for her to call me her lord instead of my name. Alexandria is one of the few that is exempt from that rule. She's been with me from the start and constantly proves her loyalty to me, despite her sometimes sarcastic and angry remarks. She knows me. She's seen the woman underneath all the armor, behind the mask that I constantly wear. Even more to the point, she's the only person in this world that has ever been able to beat me in a fight and for that, she has my respect. She's probably the closest thing to a friend that I've had in over ten or so Summers.
"Of course you did, Alexandria," I smirked as we made our way across the desert. "You're my second in command and my trusted advisor. I need you here."
I grinned as she muttered a few curses under her breath. Something about my second in command shoving something where the sun don't shine on my body. I ignored it as I looked into the distance. I could see Cleopatra's palace less than half a candlemark away from where we stood. I breathed a silent sigh of relief as I felt my feet ache with every step I took.
Truth be told, I had gotten bored in Corinth and Alexandria knew it. As much as I loved my palace in Greece, I felt like something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on what it was but I guess I've never really had time to think about it until now. It's been three years now since I finally took Corinth and I became the ruler of Greece. Everything had been quite peaceful since. I hated it. I missed the thrill of battle, the adrenaline it gave me when I did the impossible. If only I knew what I'd be getting myself into as I replied to Cleopatra's letter, I might never have come to Egypt at all.
"Was this trip really worth a lay with that she demon?" Alexandria growled as we finally made our way up the stone steps of Cleopatra's palace. I could see the Egyptian waiting for us at the top, looking more stunning than ever.
"Well, if my previous lover hadn't stopped joining me in bed, we wouldn't have had to make the trip, would we?" I smirked as I glanced at my second in command.
"Well, maybe if you didn't keep trying to tie her to the bed, she might not have stopped," was the muttered reply from the grumpy redhead. I just laughed as we finally reached Cleopatra who smiled at me brilliantly. She spared a disgust filled glance at Alexandria and I made an attempt not to grin. Alexandria and Cleo had never gotten on. Both of them were too jealous for their own good.
"Lord Conqueror," Cleopatra curtsied as I took her hand, bringing it to my lips and pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles with a seductive smile. "It's an honor and a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure is all mine, Cleo," I practically purred, ignoring Alexandria grimace of disgust. Cleopatra smiled once more before motioning for her slaves to take our things into the palace. I observed with amusement as Cleopatra practically wrapped herself around me as she led me inside, shooting a smug look over her shoulder at my second. I usually didn't let any one get away with antagonizing Alexandria but we'd had a fight on the ship to Egypt and I decided to let stew in her anger for a little while. That'll teach her to bed the captain.
"It's been too long since you've come to visit, Conqueror," Cleopatra said softly as she led me to the dining hall. "I have so missed your company."
"It has been a few seasons, hasn't it?" I mused as I wrapped my arm around her waist, caressing the soft white fabric that clung to her curves. Her body was delicious and I let my eyes wander over it appreciatively as I spoke. "If only I had your company in Corinth, I'd be quite content to never leave Greece again."
I could practically hear Alexandria stiffen besides me. Her step faltered and she came to a stop and after a few more steps I turned to face her, not bothering to let go of the Egyptian at my side.
"If you don't mind, my Lord, it has been a long journey and I would like to retire to my room," Alexandria said with a blank face as she tried to hide her emotions. Her anger at me showed in her flashing eyes and I smiled. I considered saying no for a moment but decided not to push my second too far.
"Of course, Alex," I nodded as I pulled Cleopatra tighter against me. Alexandria looked at me with raging eyes and my smile became brighter. "I'll see you in the morning."
"By your will, my Lord," She raised her closed fist over her chest in salute and managed a small nod to Cleo before turning on her heel and following one of the slaves to her room. I sighed inwardly as I watched her storm off. I would have to fix this later. Maybe a romp without the ropes would do the trick.
"I guess it's just you and me now, my Lord," Cleo whispered seductively in my ear and I turned to smile at her wickedly before letting her lead me to the dining hall, all thoughts of Alexandria forgotten.
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