THE CHOSEN
PART 30
By D.virtue
“ Their probably in there....It doesn’t sound like their awake.”
“ How do you figure?”
“ It’s to quiet. When those two are....engaged the whole palace can hear them,
like we did just a bit ago.”
“ OH!”
Ephiny breathed out, at the thought of what they had been hearing since the
two of them left the banquet.
“ Well we have to wake them and tell them what happened, are you ok, you took
a pretty bad blow?”
“ Yes My Queen, I’m just so worried about what happened as a result of my
inattention. Goddess! I hope nothing happens.”
Terais said disheartenly.
“ It’ll be ok Terais.”
Terais looked at the acting Queen and took comfort in her words, she had to
believe it would be ok. Terais then squared her shoulders and she and Ephiny
walked to the bedchamber doors and opened them. Upon doing so they were both
overwhelm with a force of sheer pleasure that neither of them had ever known.
their eyes were locked on the two women and both Terais and Ephiny experienced
ecstasy as they had never know before. The sensation was so intense that both
of the women passed out from the intensity.
Three days later the two women finally came around.
“ Ephiny, Ephiny, can you hear me?”
“ Wh..what..what, happened?”
Xena smirked and then she simply said,
“ You and Terais passed out, you been out for three days.”
“ Oh really, I feel like a Centaur ran over me.”
“ I feel like a heard of them ran over me.”
Terais said in a weak voice.
“ What brought you two to my chambers?”
Xena asked as she handed Ephiny a glass of water
“ uh, uh..OH MY GODDESS, How long did you say we were out?!”
Ephiny asked in an urgent voice.
“ What is it Ephiny?”
Diana questioned.
Terais was now crying and she had her hands holding her head. Diana and Xena
looked at each other and then at the distraught young woman and then at
Ephiny. who now had gotten out of the bed where she and Terais were laid while
they regained their conscious states.
“ What is it Ephiny!”
Xena was now in her Conqueror mode.
“Lord Xena we came to tell you that Gabrielle’s been taken!”
“ Taken ?! what are you talking about Ephiny? What happen?”
“ I don’t know the whole story but Terais can tell you.”
Diana was now looking at The distraught woman and she two felt tears coming to
her eyes, at the thought that Gabrielle could be hurt or worst.
“Terais ! come here, and tell me what happen?!
Xena demanded an answer from the young soldier, her 1st. Terais hearing the
tone she immediately stood and walked over to where The Conqueror stood
focused on her trying to maintain her strength and confidence for Diana who
now looked like she was about to lose it.
“ My Lord, after you and...and Diana left.....”
Terais started, but when she looked at Diana she was about to lose it again,
until The Conqueror’s voice sounded in her ears.
“ Terais you will look at me only, until you have told me the whole story! is
that clear?!
Terais’s eyes went back to looking at The Conqueror instantly.
“ Yes My Lord.”
Xena nodded her head.
“ Now continued.”
Yes, My Lord. Anyway when the two of you left at the end, Gabrielle was so
excited about everything that had happened at the banquet, that she couldn’t
sleep and she wanted to go for a walk in the garden. I told her I would join
her if she liked and she allowed me to go with her. We had made it to the lake
and we were just talking about how wonderful the day had been. She said she
could really go for some more of the deserts, of course I found it funny, so I
told her she was amazing the fact that she could eat as much as she did and
still be hungry. She laughed nervously, and then she asked if it were
possible. I told her it was and anything she wanted Our Lord would let her
have, especially food. so I asked her if she wanted to walk back and get it or
if she wanted me to get one of the servants to bring it out to her. she said
she wanted to stay out, so I told her I would go and tell the servant and then
I would be right back, I also told her not to go off anywhere until I came
back.”
“ You left her alone?”
The Conqueror’s voice was low and dangerous.
“ Yes My Lord, but only for a brief moment!”
Terais said pleadingly, so as not to have The Conqueror tear her apart with
her bear hands. The Conqueror now had her arms crossed in front of her chest,
and her eyes were piercing into Terais. But Terais found her voice and the
strength to go on.
“ Wh..When I returned, Gabrielle was being held by some men I had never seen
before. They worn uniforms, but none that I had ever seen. I pulled my sword
and I fought six of them, but as I fought more and more of them appeared, and
just as I had killed and wounded the six I had been fighting the others
surrounded me and someone who I didn’t see told me to drop my sword or both
Gabrielle and I would die. I..I..I couldn’t risk anything happening to
Gabrielle, if the threat was just on me My Lord I would have fought until I
was taken down.”
Tears once again fell down the soldiers face, and she was becoming choked on
her emotions, especially from what she thought Diana must be going through.
The Conqueror was not swayed by the tears, although she understood the
distress Terais was in and she felt for her young soldier, but first thing was
first she had to get the information necessary to even begin a search. So she
told Terais to calm down and to continue. Terais wiped her eyes and she once
again composed herself and continued on with what had happened.
“ When I had dropped my sword, Some of the men grabbed me and held me, until
the unseen speaker came into view. I stood stunned to see who it was My Lord,
I would have never thought ....”
“ It was Timson, wasn’t it?”
Diana finally spoke, more to verify what she already knew. They all looked at
Diana, and then The Conqueror looked back at Terais with a raised questioning
brow, asking if it were true.
“ Yes, My Lord. It was Timson. He had over a thousand men, none of whom I
have ever seen before.”
“Are you sure they are not apart of My army?”
“ Yes My Lord. I know everyone of your soldiers. The only one’s that I do
not know are the new soldiers given to you by Diana. But I do not believe any
of them would do this, especially considering that the one’s who spoke to
Gabrielle treated her like a little sister, and the lead rider told her she
would not have to worry about any of the Royal household ever being harmed, as
long as they were alive and that included herself. They are a wonderful asset
to your army My Lord and I am quite proud to serve with such skilled soldiers.
I am just so sorry that I failed in my duty to protect Gabrielle,, I looked at
her as a sister also. Anyway, Timson told me that no harm would come to
Gabrielle if I did as I was told and things went the way he wanted.”
“ What?”
“ He told me that he wanted Diana gone,he want you to send her away, he said
he wanted her sold as a slave to some other kingdom over seas as a sexual toy
for the ruler and whoever else he wanted to share her with. When I asked him
why? he said she has changed the Greatest Ruler that has ever existed and he
would not stand around any longer waiting until you turned the rule of the
Realm over to your Consort. He then said besides the fact it should make The
Conqueror happy, especially considering that everyone says she was made to be
made love to, he looked as it as a fated thing.”
“ Is that right?”
Xena said with a evil glint in her eyes.
“ Yes My Lord, he also said that to make sure Diana was indeed sold into
slavery, you were to hold an auction and invite the Rulers from the other
kingdoms that you still do not have under your rule to this auction. Once
Diana was sold and taken, then he wanted you to make a proclamation that if
Diana was ever to return that she was to be captured and then sentenced by you
to....be whipped by you in the center of the courtyard, and then sent back to
the Ruler who had bought her as a slave in the first place.”
Xena’s eyes slitted, it was a wonder how she could see anything, but the fact
was that she saw everything.
“ He also said that he wanted you to pardon him and his men and then take him
as your partner to rule as a King and Queen type thing, including the perks
that comes with being a King and having such a Queen as yourself. He also said
that once he had this realm handed to him on a silver platter he would then
change some of the laws you have made since Diana come into your life. He
would also start the Crucifying of the dissents again. He would also get rid
of the soldiers that Diana had given to you as a gift, and he wants you to put
his men in the positions of your Royal advisors and personal Guards.”
“ Anything else?”
“Yes My Lord, He wants you to publicly proclaim that you and him are to be
married. That way he could become a legal ruler. He said also that once
everything took place Gabrielle would be freed and sent back to wherever she
came from, with orders to never come back to the Palace again. and if she was
caught around the palace then she would be whipped to within an inch of her
life and then thrown out of the gates to try and make it back to where she
came from, which he then laughed and said, we all knew what the results would
be, and he and his men laughed again. And then he said He had many other
things that he wanted but for now these would do. He then told me, because he
needed me to deliver the message, it was the only reason I was not going to be
killed, but instead just knocked out. he ended by saying you had 7 days to
make your decision. And then I saw nothing but black. The next thing I
remember was Queen Ephiny and my Amazon sisters standing over me. And then I
told Queen Ephiny what had happen and she immediately told me we had to come
and tell you both what had happen.”
Terais then stood looking at The Conqueror as she was now pacing back and
forth listening and thinking about all Terais had said, she did not look at
Diana, although she could feel how she was feeling, due to the connection of
their very souls.
“ What do you want to do Lord Xena?”
“ Well it’s been three days, so that leaves us with 4 to come up with a plan.”
As the three of them were talking Ephiny suddenly looked over at Diana and saw
that small green glass was falling from Diana’s eyes, she was staring so hard
that Xena and Terais both noticed Ephiny’s quietness and then Xena looked back
at Diana who was standing by the window with her back to it but looking over
her shoulder out it. Totally oblivious to what was going on in the room, at
least that’s what Terais and Ephiny thought.
When Xena saw the tears she immediately knew what Diana was thinking and it
involved blood shed.
“ Consort Come here!”
Xena said in a demanding voice. Terais and Ephiny was surprised by Xena’s
harsh tone, but Xena had her reasons. Diana heard the tone and she turned her
head to look at Xena as if she could not believe she was hearing anger in her
voice directed at her. Diana did not move for a moment , but when Xena turned
squarely to face her Diana came off of the wall and walked over to The
towering Conqueror.
“ What?”
Diana said in a tone that wasn’t quite respectful.
“ Is this how you speak to me Consort?”
Diana looked up at The Conqueror and seeing the flames dancing Diana
swallowed hard and then finally said,
“ I’m sorry, I just had something on my mind.”
“ I know you did, that’s why I’m going to remind you of something. This does
not change anything about your role, is that clear?”
“ How can you say that?! It’s my sister this bastard has! and besides that, if
you had listened to me in the first place when I told you about Timson!
Gabrielle would not be in his hands now, and we wouldn’t be looking at all of
our lives changing for the worse! But no... you kept telling me he’s an
excellent advisor and you knew everything that was going on around here, Well,
why didn’t you know about this?! You said you would protect her, you wouldn’t
allow me to do it and now look what happen! She’s been taken somewhere with
this mad man and only God knows what he or his men are doing to her. Xena you
promised! you promised!”
Diana then went to her knees and sobs racked through her body. Terais was now
on her knees crying and feeling totally responsible, Queen Ephiny had tears
rolling down her face but she maintained her composure. She then walked to
where Xena stood looking down at Diana and just as she came to stand by The
Conqueror, Xena went to one knee and although she understood what Diana was
doing she still felt somewhat hurt by it. But she was determined to not let
Diana suffer through this, with some words of assurance.
“ Diana? I promise I’ll get her back no matter what I have to do.”
Xena said as she started to stroke Diana’s jet black hair. But then Diana
moved her head out from under Xena’s hands, and Xena felt the shun as if
someone had hit her with a club. she actually flinched at Diana’s movement.
Ephiny saw the move also and her breath caught. Xena pinched her lips together
and she said through clenched teeth,
“ I’ll get her back, I swear!”
And with those words she stood up abruptly and Ephiny went to place a
comforting touch to Xena’s shoulder, but Xena jerked her shoulder away from
the touch and said,
“ I don’t need your sympathy Queen Ephiny. All I want is to come up with a
viable plan to get Gabrielle back, and punish those who are behind this.”
Xena then looked back down at her Consort and although Xena was angry and
somewhat hurt by Diana’s actions, she also felt Diana was right, she did say
she would protect Gabrielle and for all intense and purposes it looked like
she had failed. This more than anything dug deep into The Conqueror.
“ We’ll talk later Consort.”
Then Xena told Ephiny and Terais to come with her and they would continue
their discussions in her counsel chambers. Along with James and some of her
other Captains, and Draco. Xena figured that there had to be a spy working for
Timson, someone else who was around The Conqueror most of the time but who was
part of the discussions, as war information was being discussed, she figured
it had to be one of her Captains whom came to the meetings.
So she decided to use that to her advantage she would tell each person
individually what her plans were and then wait for a response from Timson
regarding one of those plans. After 2 candlemarks of false planning, Diana
came down to the Counsel Chamber.
end of part 30
continue to part 31
Love to hear from you
Denisewade@aol.com