Subtext/Love Disclaimer: Yep. They are in love with each other. But it's all implied.
Story Note: This is a "what if" story... What if Gabrielle had decided to stay with the amazons back in Hooves & Harlots? And doesn't take anything of the other 5 seasons into account. Solan is still alive but Gabrielle has not met him, Xena is very much alive and in love with her Bard-Queen.
"The Message"
by MerryAngel
MeryAngel@aol.com
The messenger
ran up to the tall warrior, whose blue eyes blazed through
the girl, putting a chill in the young one's belly. She
blushed before handing the warrior the missive. "Thanks,"
came the rumble from the gorgeous warrior. Her voice could
make even a straight woman melt and had on several
occasions. The warrior was never wanting for a sexual
partner. But they all seemed so bland next to the one woman
she ever wanted and could not have. Xena opened the
parchment to read the note from the amazon queen. Instead
what she found was the "Amazon Gazette" the tribal
parchment that went out across amazon territory every week.
She started reading about the new amazon queen and the
rules that stated she get joined or forfeit her rule over
the southern territory. The northern queen had been trying
to take over for several years but with Melosa joined and
widowed, it was safe for her to stave off the rule and the
northern queen.
It had been ten years since Xena had seen Gabrielle. She
wondered why the girl had not found a partner among her
Amazon sisters. The truth was Xena herself had not really
moved on, either. Sure she had had several whores and
one-night stands but no one to stay with her through it
all.
She looked back at the parchment. It was the "Amazon
Gazette" with several ads but one in particular caught her
eye. It read: "Lost Soulmate" - Short blonde seeks tall
brunette. Blue eyes preferred. Sexy look a plus.
Xena looked up to find the young amazon gone. The girl had
done her job and given Xena the message.
In the Amazon Queen's Hut, Gabrielle sat listening to the
many women outside lining up to be her consort. She didn't
know why she put the ad in the amazon's weekly parchment
but she did. Surely she didn't think that Xena would read
it, since it only goes to the amazon territories (north,
south, east and west). So, now she had all these amazons
vying for her attention and the only one who could ever
have her heart was far away. 'And probably married to
Hercules,' Gabrielle's mind chimed in. She loved being an
amazon but wished every day that Xena had chosen to stay
with her. She thought about going in search of her warrior
but always chided herself for being a silly girl with a big
crush. She was feeling melonchaly today and didn't want to
go out there and start picking through the many hopefuls.
Amazons lined up for miles with the parchment ad in their
hands. Ephiny looked out over the landscape and shook her
head. "Solari, did Chandra get back yet?" Ephiny asked,
hoping that her little bit of meddling wouldn't incure the
wrath of her queen. She had sent Chandra on a mission to
find Xena quickly and give her the parchment. It was her
idea to put the ad in the parchment in the first place and
she wanted to make sure that Queen Gabrielle had her
rightful consort. She knew whom Gabrielle would pick.
Solari shook her head, "Not yet, my regent." The amazon
bowed before her lover and deputy queen. In Gabrielle's
abscence, she had named Ephiny the ruler of Amazonia - the
Southern Territory. On occasion the young queen would
venture to Amphipolis to see Cyrene or to Poteidaia to see
her family. Lila had married Perdicus and they had two
children, Zaran and Larielle. They were their aunt's pride
and joy and loved to see her when she came to their home
town.
Solari and Ephiny had been best friends and soon became
lovers as they continued to share in the duties of teaching
a young amazon princess the finer art of staff and chobo
fighting. Both soon had to fight together to take on their
princess who learned faster than any amazon they had ever
taught. After a really hard battle on the practice field,
their battle lust had gotten the better of them but neither
ever regretted it.
Gabrielle was happy for her friends and mentors. They were
a great team and deserved the happiness each could give the
other. Now if only she could find her one true soul mate
and love of her life. She tried with some of the local
amazons but she just couldn't get Xena out of her mind.
Gabrielle had just admitted to herself that she loved Xena
and was in love with her when she received the rite of cast
from Terries. And wanting to learn what it meant to be an
amazon she had told Xena that she wanted to stay. The
warrior told her that it was a good idea and that she would
visit her when she was in the area. But little did the
blonde know that Xena, trying to keep her feelings for the
young woman from ever coming to the surface, avoided the
area for the last ten years. Tears began to slip from the
forest-green eyes of the pretty Queen. She thought that
with time away from Xena her love for the warrior would
fade and go away much like the warrior had. But it didn't.
It grew stronger. She could feel when the woman was in
trouble but never really knew that it was real. She would
have a dream of one near fatal happenstance after another,
every time the warrior would triumph but still the blonde
thought it was just a dream.
Chandra came trotting in to the camp from the west and
smiled at her regent. "Mission accomplished, Regent
Ephiny."
"Did she see it all?" Ephiny asked, it had been her idea to
highlight the ad because she wanted to make sure that Xena
understood what she needed to do.
"Yes, I watched from a distance. She is on her way now. I
had to take the shorter route through the mountains to get
here before her," the girl beamed. "She should be here in a
day or two."
"Good. Go get some rest, Chandra. You deserve it," the
regent smiled back at the young runner, who took off for
her own hut at the back of the camp.
Xena sat looking at the papyrus in her hands. 'Could it
really be?' her mind wondered. She had left Gabrielle with
the amazons to protect the young woman and had stayed away
to protect her own heart. She had started falling for this
young slip of a girl from the first time their eyes met
across a battle against Draco's men. Gabrielle had a fire
about her that intrigued the warrior, but she knew that if
the girl stayed with her, she would become a target for
every warlord in the known world. So, when the girl had
expressed an interest in staying with the amazons and
learning their ways, it was the sign Xena had been waiting
for.
So, why was she sending for the warrior now, ten years
later? Xena had to know...
She got up from the bar and paid her tab as she headed out
to her horse and possibly a whole new life.
The scouts had reported to Ephiny that a rider was inbound.
She had to some how get the line of amazon hopefuls out of
the way. She devised a competition to eliminate any weak
warriors from the queen's list. She had to have someone who
could equal her in a battle and not bring her down with
inept sword-play. So all the potentials were sent to the
practice field to start the sword-fighting. The ones who
couldn't even fight with a sword were eliminated
immediately. Gabrielle needed a true partner and Ephiny had
decided that to make it fair, Xena would be the final test.
The one person who got through all the others in this
competition had to pass one more test... fight the great
Warrior Princess in a battle to the near death. There were
going to have to be rules but she'd make them up as she
went. The only thing that mattered was that Xena was coming
to finally claim her soul mate and love of her life.
"Solari, I want you to intercept Xena before she gets to
the queen. Make up some rule about amazon cleansing or
something to stall her," Ephiny said to her lover.
"What am I supposed to say Eph?" the amazon warrior whined.
She did not want to be the one to try and stop Xena from
getting to her love.
"I told you. Make up something that states she must be
cleansed before she sees the queen," Ephiny sighed in
exasperation. "Warriors," she mumbled under her breath.
Gabrielle meanwhile had noticed that the area was quiet for
once. She peeked out her hut door to see the courtyard
empty of the amazons. She smiled, knowing that it was
probably Ephiny or Eponin who had sent them on their way to
save her sanity. She was starting to regret listening to
Ephiny about the ad. It was senseless. She knew who she
really wanted and since that woman hadn't even tried to see
her in ten years, it was likely she didn't want to see her
ever again. But she just couldn't move on. Xena was the one
who held her heart and always would.
On the practice field, amazons of all shapes and sizes were
fighting it out for the queen's heart. Xena was lead to the
field, after being "cleansed". Her armour gleamed in the
afternoon sun. She looked around for her love but Gabrielle
was nowhere to be seen. "Solari, where is Gabrielle?" the
warrior impatiently asked.
"Xena, Gabrielle is in the queen's hut where she will
remain until it is time to start the competition," Solari
explained with the patience of a warrior trainer.
Ephiny, seeing her lover and the Warrior Princess on the
practice field, exited to Gabrielle's hut. Knocking once,
she entered at the grunt of ascension. "My Queen, you
prospective suitors are ready for you to start the
competition."
"Ephiny, I'm not sure I want a consort. Why can't I just
rule without one?" Gabrielle complained. "And what's with
the formal 'My Queen', anyway?"
"You know the rules, Gabrielle. You've read them and we've
been over them time and time again. You have to have a
consort to keep balance within the nations. We both tried
to find a way out of this for you but Talmus, the northern
queen is insisting," Ephiny explained as she went over to
her friend and ruler. She put her arms around the smaller
Gabrielle and pulled her into the back room. "I'm going to
have Eponin and Solari come and attend to you. Then you
will come out to the practice field and preside over the
ceremonial sparring matches." Gabrielle looked at Ephiny
with a confused expression. Ephiny went on,"We thought a
match between all the suitors would be the best way to weed
out the undesirables. It's only right that the strongest
amazon should be at your side, right?"
Gabrielle shrugged but allowed Ephiny to lead her to her
bed chamber. "Rest for a bit and Eponin and Solari will be
here in a bit to help you dress." Ephiny turned to leave
but immediately turned back. "Gabrielle, where the queen's
mask. It is tradition." The regent turned and left the hut
at Gabrielle's nod of ascent.
Ephiny made her way out to the field where all the amazons
and Xena were warming up. "Attention, Sisters. In the
tradition of animity, each of you who will be fighting for
the queen's hand and heart must wear a mask. They are just
small coverlets to hide you identity from the queen, who
will also be masked. And it is so that she will not know
who you are and will not play favorites. You are all
wearing the traditional suitor leathers so it will be as if
you are all alike."
The amazon suitors looked around at each other and took
their masks which were handed out by the amazon children
who had just begun their training. All the southern
amazons, young and old, as well as quite a few from the
other territories, would be here for this momentous
occasion. A raised platform was erected for the queen to
watch the matches, which would take place on that field,
many simultaneously until it came down to the final four
suitors. This battle was the largest in Amazon herstory.
Gabrielle was well loved by all who knew her.
All eyes turned towards the platform as a procession
approached with the queen in the center of her honor guard.
Gabrielle looked out at the sea of masked faces, hoping to
find one in particular but they all looked the same so she
couldn't find her. It was a good thing she wore the full
mask or else the suitors would have seen a crestfallen
expression. But Gabrielle's body language gave nothing
away. She stood at the front of the platform, raised her
hand and in a flourish, gave the signal to start the
battles.
They watched for hours as one by one the combatants
dwindled. It was a long afternoon of parries, thrusts and
counter attacks, flips, leg sweeps and any other way a
warrior could defeat her opponent. Gabrielle sat on her
throne and snuck sips of ale and food under her mask. She
didn't know why she had to keep the mask on, everyone
fighting for her hand knew what she looked like. She wished
she knew what they looked like. Even though only the area
around their eyes, nose and upper face were masked off, it
was a good way to even the playing field. She had to cheer
for all of them in hopes that the winner would be at least
someone she knew well. She thought about how it would be
after the joining. She tried to have sex with a few of the
amazons but just couldn't put her whole heart into the
effort of making love to any of them. She could only do
that with one woman and that woman wasn't there.
Xena fought Amber in the next match. Amber was bigger and
taller than the Warrior Princess but Xena had years of
experience fighting thugs who were larger than herself. So,
Amber was defeated in a matter of minutes. It was finally
down to two. Xena and an amazon from one of the outland
nations, Tarmock. She and Gabrielle had met a couple of
times and each time the encounters were not very
successful. Tarmock wanted the power and prestige of being
the queen's consort, but she also wanted to finally make
that 'stuck up queenie' hers. That was the mantra that kept
the young amazon winning her matches. It was revenge time
and she had power lust in her eyes.
"It is now sun down!" Ephiny called to the group. "None may
fight after sundown. The final match will wait until
tomorrow." Ephiny signaled to Eponin and Solari to escort
the two combatants to their private huts. The two guards
knew that their new assignment was to watch over their
charges and not let them approach the queen.
Gabrielle winced. She did not want to go through another
day of not knowing who was going to win this match but it
could not be helped. Queen Melosa had made the rule after
one more in a long line of her warriors were killed in what
was supposed to be "friendly-Ceremonial" battle. She had
stated in the by-laws that there would be no more
unnecessary killings for non-war situations. She knew that
in war there were no rules but that she did not need to
lose warriors in friendly combat, so the rule was made.
Gabrielle was escorted back to her hut and helped out of
her ceremonial robes. 'One more day, Xena," Gabrielle
thought as she stood looking out the window of her room at
the stars. 'One more day and I will lose you forever. I
wish you had shown up. You could wipe the camp with these
Amazons. Well, at least the Xena I remember could. I wonder
what you are doing right now. Are you and Hercules happy
together? Did you go back to Hercules? Or did you continue
the good fight.' Gabrielle had not heard one word about
Xena since the last time she had seen her ten years ago.
'If you did have children they are probably Zaran or
Larielle's age by now.'
Xena had reluctantly gone with Solari to her assigned hut.
She had question the guard about Gabrielle and how she was
holding up these past few years and why she had never
chosen a consort before. Solari explained that while
Gabrielle did find companionship of a sort with her
sisters, there was only one who could hold her heart. Xena
paced her hut for the next few hours trying to figure a way
to get to Gabrielle. She had to tell her of her love for
her and that her entreaty to get the warrior's attention
was not in vain. She looked toward the door where she knew
her amazon guard stood...
Gabrielle turned toward her bed sensing that she was not
alone. She reached for her chobos on her nightstand.
"Don't be alarmed, Gabrielle," the voice came to her
familiar and very welcomed.
"Xena?" Gabrielle whispered, knowing the woman would hear
her.
The warrior stepped into the moon light, her body revealing
in the amazon leathers. The sword at her back brought
beloved memories back to the queen. Gabrielle stifled a sob
and ran into the waiting woman's arms, for the most
welcomed hug she had ever felt in her life. "Gabrielle, I'm
sorry I didn't come back..." the warrior started.
"Why didn't you? I loved you. I still do. What happened to
you?" Gabrielle asked rapidly.
"I didn't want to admit my own feelings toward you. I was
sure I wasn't what you needed," Xena pulled back from the
embrace to look at the queen in the moonlight. "You've
become a strong and competent woman. Though I couldn't see
your face today, I still melted just from the majestic feel
of you."
The tears spilling down Gabrielle's face revealed a scar in
the moonlight. It was a slight cut on her cheek. Xena
traced the tears path. "You have a beautiful face, as
well," the warrior said.
"Even with the scar?" Gabrielle asked, smiling up at the
one who held her soul.
"This makes you more beautiful in my eyes," Xena stated as
she traced the thin, short line down the fair cheek.
"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle said as she threw herself into the
warrior's embrace again. "I've missed you so much." The
Amazon queen leaned up and for the first time in ten years
allowed her lips to caress the softest lips she had ever
tasted. The passion swelled, lips parted, souls
intertwined.
"No, Gabrielle, we can't," Xena, pulling from the sensual
kiss, said as she felt her body responding to the long
treasured touch. "It will happen. I am one of your
contestants. Now that I know you feel the same way I do.
There is nothing that will stop me from winning tomorrow's
match."
"Except me!" a quiet, angry voice called from behind them.
Xena spun toward the voice, placing Gabrielle behind her
protectively. Gabrielle's eyes widened as she recognized
the woman as Tarmock, the one amazon she refused to date
because she had overheard the girlish boasting some years
ago about bedding the queen, when they had never even
dated. She didn't like the woman's attitude and didn't want
her even in her hut much less her bed.
Xena pulled her sword as Tarmock came at them in a
threatening manner. More amazons entered the queen's hut as
they heard Tarmock's scream of outrage. She and Xena were
sword-fighting in the queen's bed chamber. Ephiny, Solari
and Eponin entered and pulled the two combatants away from
each other. Eponin took Tarmock and Ephiny and Solari
pulled Xena to another corner of the room. "Okay, what's
going on here?" Ephiny demanded.
"The queen was playing favorites," Tarmock accused.
"No, she wasn't. I came to Gabrielle. I wanted her to know
that I love her. It's been ten years since I had last seen
her and I wanted to make sure she was all right," Xena
confessed.
"Okay," Ephiny said, calmly. "Both of you will go back to
your own huts and sleep on it. Tomorrow as planned we will
finish this competition and the winner will become consort
to the queen. I will have no more sneaking out." She looked
at both women before saying,"Is that understood?"
Xena nodded but Tarmock broke free from Eponin and raced
toward Xena. The only thing that kept her from touching the
warrior as a Chobo to the forearm. The loud crack made
everyone realize that there would be no competition in the
morning. Tarmock screeched in pain and was escorted to the
infirmary. "You bitch! You did that on purpose! You're
afraid I will defeat your friend."
Gabrielle looked at Xena apologetically, knowing the
warrior was anxious to prove her worth in the competition.
Solari escorted Xena back to her hut uneventfully.
Gabrielle turned to Ephiny. "I'm sorry, Eph. I couldn't let
her hurt Xena. You and Solari still had a hold of her and
she couldn't defend herself. I reacted."
"It's all right, Gabrielle. I'll go check on Tarmock. She
may still be able to fight. You didn't get her sword hand.
Maybe we can even up the fight, have Xena tie down her weak
arm," Ephiny tried to suggest. "I will see you tomorrow.
Try to get some rest."
As the sun came over the mountain-top, Gabrielle's eyes
slowly fluttered open. "Xena," she whispered as she sat up
to get ready for the day. This would be the day that would
decide her future. She believed Xena would prevail even if
Tarmock hadn't been injured by her hand. She now had her
answer, though. Xena loved her as much as she loved the
warrior and the warrior had not sought out Hercules which
means that for the last ten years she could have had her
warrior by her side and... "No, Gabrielle, no regrets," the
amazon queen scolded herself.
Ephiny and Gabrielle met at the communal food hut. She got
her cereal and sat at the lead table. She wanted a report
on the situation but knew it would have to wait. "Morning,
Eph," Gabrielle greeted.
"Gabrielle, good morning," Ephiny stated as she took her
seat next to her queen. They talked about non-consequential
things all through the morning meal. Xena entered the meal
hut with her escort, walked by Gabrielle and gave the queen
a wink. Gabrielle smiled and blushed. "Gabrielle?" Ephiny
asked as she noticed the flushed tone to her friend's skin.
Both women, finished with their meal, exited the hut,
heading for the council chamber.
"Gabrielle, it does not look good. Tarmock's arm is broken.
She wants us to wait until her arm heals for the final
match," Ephiny reported.
"Ephiny, we can't! Talmus will be here in a few days and
will want to challenge me on the ruling," Gabrielle
countered.
"Fear not my brave queen," a disembodied voice called
before Artemis appeared in the room.
"Artemis, I am honored to have you in my humble council
chamber," Gabrielle said as she went to one knee and bowed
her head.
The Amazons' patron stepped to her chosen and bid her to
rise. "Gabrielle, you honor me. Thank you." As Artemis put
her hand on Gabrielle's head, the smaller woman rose,
looking her patron in the eyes. "I will make things right.
Your true champion will be decided today."
Ephiny escorted the goddess to the healing hut as Gabrielle
went to find Xena. She found her in the practice field
keeping twenty warriors at bay. Gabrielle stared in awe
that was her friend and soul mate. Xena countered each
parry, thrust and sweep, some times taking on the whole
group at once. Xena's concentration couldn't keep her from
noticing her queen. She waved the warriors off. "My queen,"
Xena bowed her head as she stepped to Gabrielle's side.
"How is Tarmock doing?"
"That's what I came to talk to you about, Xena. The fight
will take place this afternoon. Artemis is here to heal
Tarmock so that the competition can be finished. We thought
of postponing it but Talmus is on her way here. If I do not
have at least a wedding in the planning stage before she
gets here, she could challenge me and take my right to rule
away."
Xena listened as she cleaned her sword with a soft cloth.
She nodded her agreement where necessary but was content to
let Gabrielle do the talking. She knew what she would have
to do to win and those plans were already flying through
her thoughts.
The crowd had gathered for the final match in the fight for
the position of Consort to one of the most loved Amazon
Queens in the nation's herstory. Xena paced the arena
blocked out by rope and sticks. No one may enter the ring
except the two combatants. Gabrielle took her place on the
platform. The masks worn by everyone the previous day was
forgotten since everyone knew who the final two were.
Gabrielle was glad of the rule since she really wanted to
see this match without any distractions... And because the
queen's mask was very hot and heavy to wear.
Tarmock paced in the opposite direction as Xena. This time
it was a weaponless match. Artemis in her infinite wisdom
had made the ruling in front of all the amazons gathered
and soon after vanished for Mt. Olympus. Gabrielle was
grateful for this. She knew that if she had made the
ruling, someone would have balked at it. Now it was out of
her hands. Tarmock threw the first punch which Xena
blocked. Then there was a fast flurry of arm swings and leg
sweeps that Gabrielle had a hard time keeping up with. But
as the match wound to a close, Tarmock made a "fatal" error
and misjudged Xena's next move. The amazon found herself on
the ground pinned by the warrior princess. "Submit," Xena
yelled. The fight was over and everyone including Tarmock
knew it.
All she had to do was say that she submitted the match to
Xena and that would be it. But she had other plans and they
didn't include playing fair. Tarmock glared at Xena as she
reached behind her and grabbed some dirt and threw in
Xena's face. The Warrior Princess fell back but was on her
feet before Tarmock could pin her down. While Xena cleared
her eyes by shaking her head and blinking quite a bit,
Tarmock got a good punch to Xena's cheek. It would have
cracked her nose if she hadn't moved back a bit just before
the punch connected.
Xena kicked Tarmock in the crotch and while it didn't hurt
as much as it would a man, it did have it's desired effect.
Tarmock bent over and with a final kick, Xena sent Tarmock
flying over the ropes and out of the fighting ring. The
other amazons cheered as Xena claimed victory and won the
queen's heart.
As the match was over, Gabrielle was finally allowed to run
to Xena's side. It was a struggle for Ephiny to keep her
queen on the platform when Tarmock had thrown the dirt. But
now Gabrielle could go to her warrior without forfeitting
the match. She lead Xena to the healing hut all the while
making sure her soon-to-be consort was all right.
Over the next couple of days, several things happened,
Ephiny was assigned to prepare the joining ceremony,
Tarmock was returned to her own territory with the broken
arm back in place. Artemis had only healed the bones
temporarily so that she and Xena could finish their match.
And Talmus entered the camp and declared her right to claim
the territory. But since Gabrielle's ceremony was already
in the planning stages and about to be completed with a
definite suitable consort, Talmus's plans were thwarted.
The joining ceremony was conducted by Artemis herself
therefore eliminating any question as to the amazon's
patron's wishes.
Weeks later, Xena lay on her back with Gabrielle cuddled
against her side, both women were naked under the sleeping
furs. "Just think, Xena, all this started because I put an
ad in the Amazon Gazette."
Xena pulled Gabrielle closer to her and squeezed her
tightly. "Yeah," Xena sighed as she kissed the top of her
Bard-Queen's head and looked at the framed ad on the wall
opposite their bed.
It read: "Lost Soulmate" - Short blonde seeks tall
brunette. Blue eyes preferred. Sexy look a plus.
The End... "or the beginning... end, begin, it's all the same... big change."