DISCOVERIES Part 8
By D.virtue
“ Because I’m feeling generous, now drink it.”
“ I’m not thirsty, thank you.”
Xena then pulled out her dagger and while looking at the man before her, she
said,” You either drink it, or die where you stand.” Xena stated with venom
seeping from her mouth.
The man reached up and with shaky hands he took hold of the Goblet, he brought
it to his mouth and then slowly took a sip.
“ All of it.” Xena commanded.
The man then tilted the cup up and downed all of the liquid. After only a few
seconds the man begun to cough, and then shake violently as blood poured from
his mouth and nose, he went down with wracking cramps and spasms of his body.
Eventually after another few minutes he went still as a board. He died with
his hands reaching up and his mouth and eyes wide open.
“ Get him out of here!” Brenos ordered of his soldiers. The guest begun
clapping and Diana and Shatara and Xena all looked at them , but it was Diana
who was disgusted , she thought it was barbaric to applaud such a gruesome
death.
“ Disgusting! “ Diana exhaled through her teeth and Xena brought her hand down
to Diana’s cheek and gave a surprisingly tender caress to it. Diana relaxed
into the caress and then when Xena removed her hand Diana followed it with her
head as she looked up at Xena.
“ I’m pleased.” Xena whispered.
Diana smiled slightly and then held Xena’s gaze as long as Xena held hers,
finally Xena broke the eye contact and returned her attention to Brenos.
“ Lord Xena I hope this does not affect what we are all here for? You know as
well as any of us that there are always those who would try such things for
their own purposes. But I assure you it was not anything that I had any
knowledge of.”
“ I realize that, if I thought otherwise, then you would be dead also.” Xena
stated with assurance.
Brenos bowed his head in acknowledgement of the statement, then he turned his
attention to his other guest and encouraged them to eat and enjoy. The next
Goblets were brought and placed before the two. Diana went to pick up Xena’s
but Xena stopped her and snapping her finger for her personal tester she came
forth. Pouring the wine into the Goblet she took a sip of it.
Xena didn’t wait to see if anything was wrong with the Goblet she took the cup
and drank, and then placed it on the table before her. she waved off the
tester once again and she went back and sat with the other servants.
The rest of the reception went without incident, and then Xena was shown to
her chamber and her slaves were taken next door. Diana and Shatara were the
only ones to stay in the chamber with Xena.
“ Come over here you two.” Xena commanded as she sat on bed.
Shatara went over to the bed without a second thought, but Diana raised a brow
at Xena and then she slowly walked over to the bedside.
“ Sit down.”
Both sat on the edge of the bed with Shatara closer to Xena.
“ Tomorrow all of the slaves will be taken to watch an arena event, Brenos
seems to have liked the way the Romans handled their problem people, so he’s
adopted it for his own kingdom.”
“ I don’t want to go My Lord.” Diana stated without hesitation.
“ It’s not your choice, you will go. Afterwards, all of you will be brought
back here and some of you will be divided up and made ready for the guest to
exchange slaves for the rest of the negotiations.”
“ Are you saying some of us will be whores to these.....people?”
“ I wouldn’t have put it like that, but in essence, yes. It’s a way of showing
good faith.”
Diana looked away and went into a thoughtful mode as she ran her tongue over
the inside of her teeth. Xena saw the gaze but she didn’t say anything about
it. She knew for some reason Diana would find a way out of it, if her skills
continued as they had been.
“ You’ll both do what your told, except, I don’t expect for either of you to
be bedded by any of these people. But everything they tell you to do outside
of that, I do expect you to do it. If I hear anything to the contrary, you’ll
be sorry. Do I make myself clear?”
“ Yes My Lord.” Shatara said without question.
“ Don’t you always My Lord Xena?” Diana asked somewhat flippant. She was going
through so many different emotions, with Xena’s ever changing moods. One
minute she’s caressing her for her discovery, the next she’s telling her that
she may become some strangers bed warmer.
“ Shatara go and make yourself a bedroll in the outer room.”
Yes My Lord.” Shatara stood and bowed and then turned and headed into the
other room. Diana in the meantime glanced over at Xena who was glaring at her.
“ What?”
“ Go and get my weapons belt.” Xena commanded.
Diana looked over at it and then back at Xena, then she stood up and walked
over to get the belt, she brought it back to Xena and Xena took it .
“ Strip.” Xena said simply.
“ What? Why?” Diana said with some concern registering in her voice.
Xena looked over her brow at Diana, and then slowly pulled out the leather
strap.
“ Xe.....?”
“ Strip.” Xena repeated.
“ AW...Xena Please? I’m sorry.”
Xena didn’t say anything she just stretched out the strap as she continued to
watch Diana.
Diana begun to play with her hands as her fear tried to take over. She looked
at Xena who’s steely gaze had not waved, she simply cocked her head. Diana let
out a frustrated gasp and begun stripping out of her clothes.
Soon Diana stood nude before Xena.
“Get on the bed and turn your back to me. I want you on your knees with your
hands on that bedpost and you leaning forward towards it. “
“ Xena please ? I’ll behave.”
“ Oh, I know you will, especially afterwards.” Xena said with a steady gaze.
Diana was ready to cry even before Xena laid the first stroke upon her, but
she slowly climbed on the bed and positioned herself as Xena had told her. She
leaned her shoulder onto the post and once she had, Xena let the leather
strap fly.
W.h.a.c.k.!! It connected to Diana’s behind and she screamed from the pain. It
radiated through her body. It surprised Diana somewhat at how painful it was,
considering Xena was sitting in bed.
Xena let the strap fly fourteen more times all to the same area. Diana’s
behind was now glowing a deep wine, which if it were on someone even lighter,
then it would show up blood red. Diana was crying, although she tried to keep
the sobs down by covering her mouth afterwards as she continued to lean
against the bedpost.
“ Now come back up here and get over on that side of the bed and go to sleep.”
Xena ordered as she restored her leather strap.
Diana crawled over where Xena had told her to sleep and climbing under the
covers with some effort she rolled onto her side facing away from Xena as she
continued to let the tears roll.
“ Aren’t you going to say goodnight to me?” Xena asked somewhat putoff by
Diana’s impoliteness.
Diana turned her head so she could look Xena in the eyes, and then in a quiet
voice she said, “ Goodnight My Lord.” And then she turned back around and
laying her head on the pillow she buried her head in it after a moment and the
sobs started up once again.
“ Goodnight to you.” Xena said, then slid down under the covers and laid on
her back with her hands behind her head. She closed her eyes as she listened
to Diana.
Finally Diana quieted and went to sleep, soon Xena followed and let her sleep
claim her. The next morning came quickly and Xena was already up and dressed
and then she walked over to the bed and pulling the covers off of Diana to
expose her backside. Xena saw that it was quite a tempting sight. So much so,
that she let her hand caress over the firm round globes, that were shining
like a ruby in color due to the punishment of the night before.
Diana groaned in her sleep from the contact of Xena’s firm caress to her
behind.
“ I can’t wait until the day kitten.” Xena said to herself. As she finally
stopped herself.
She then looked at Diana’s whole backside and she noticed how Diana’s hair
waved down her back and seemed to look softer with every wave.
“ I love your hair.” Xena said to herself.
“ I know. “ Diana said when she heard Xena’s comment.
“ Hmm...your awake, good. Now get up, you have to be ready when they come for
all of you.”
“ Yes My Lord.” Diana said as she moved stiffly from the bed. Once she was
standing she was able to walk without obvious discomfort showing in her face,
or her gait.
Just as Xena was about to leave the chamber she called over her shoulder and
said, “ Your welcome. I am beyond pleased with how beautiful your hair is, and
how wonderful it smells, but I discovered it’s a natural smell to your hair.
Very nice.”
“ Thank you.” Diana said as a shy type smile came to her face.
Xena gave Diana a lingering gaze and then she turned and walked out of the
chamber and went to her meeting. Some of Brenos’s soldiers came to get Diana
and Shatara and the other slaves and they went to the Arena which was setup
just like the coliseums of Rome, during the Gladiator events.
Diana was very putoff by it, but having no choice at the moment and not
wanting to feel Xena’s wrath again anytime soon, she went and stood where she
was told, and then they were all told to sit.
Diana knew that the soldiers would report anything she did, especially after
the fact that most of them heard her screams, although there was no way to
tell who’s screams they were, considering Shatara was in the chamber area as
well.
So Diana sat down on the hard seats that they were assigned to, while the
arena was full, the noise of everyone talking was almost deafening.
“ None of you are to leave this area, if you try, you will be caught and sent
to your respective masters and Lords to be punished.” The Head Soldier said as
he leered at the women slaves.
Diana gave him a look and he eased out of the box and went and stood with the
rest of the soldiers at the entrance to the box seats the slaves were in.
Xena’s slaves were on the front row along with some of the others until all of
the seats were taken up.
“ Finally the events begun, the first was with two Gladiator types against one
lone man. They all had weapons but it was obvious that the man was not a
soldier.
“ The Gladiators took him out almost as quickly as when he came out the heavy
doors. The man was impaled from the front and then the back, and then both
soldiers pulled their swords out all at the same time and the man fell where
he stood.
Diana was appalled by what she saw, the audience went wild with approval of
what they had seen.
“ This is sick.” Diana hissed to herself, and Shatara heard her and leaning
over she said in an agreeing tone.
“ I am so glad Lord Xena doesn’t have this type of thing where we live.”
“ Well it’s not in our back yard, but it is apart of her Realm due to taking
over Rome.”
“ True, this is really something.”
“ It’s barbaric.” Diana said in disgust.
But then it got worst. The Guards down in the Arena area opened a concealed
door, where a woman and a little child were pushed out into the arena. Diana’s
eyes went wide at the sight of the woman for one thing, but to see a child was
to much. Diana was on her feet and Shatara also went to her feet.
“ They can not be serious! “ Diana shouted as she looked back to where the
Soldiers were standing guarding them. “ You! What did that woman do that
brought her and her child to such a place?”
“ Her husband refused to pledge to Ares God of war, so his family is the
sacrifice. Hahahahahaha.” The soldiers all laughed.
“ What’s the event?!” Diana asked through her teeth.
“ They’re to face The Cats.”
“ Cats? what type of cats?”
“ Loins and Panthers, and Tigers, all female. Six of them in total.”
“ Your kidding... Right?!! “ Diana said with a sneer.
“ No now sitdown Slave!”
Diana looked back at the arena and saw another concealed Door slowly rising
up.
“ NO!!! “ Diana screamed and then she launched herself over the edge of the
arena walls, which was a long way up from the floor of the Arena where the
woman and child was located.
Shatara screamed No at the same time Diana launched herself over the side.
“ Go tell Lord Xena what’s happened!!” Shatara screamed to the soldiers, but
they just laughed and told her in no uncertain terms.
“ If the fall to the floor doesn’t kill her, the Cats will.”
Shatara glared at the men but she looked over the edge just in time to see
Diana touch the ground rolling and then she came to her feet and with a speed
unseen before by Shatara and definitely by any of the people watching, Diana
flew over to the woman while at the same time yelling to her to pick up her
child.
The woman grabbed her child and Diana was just arriving at the two at the same
time the cats came charging out of the door. The woman’s eyes were riveted on
the cats as they bared down on her and her screaming child. Just when one of
them launched at the two, Diana grabbed the woman who was holding her child
and she flew to the far wall and ran up it without stopping.
The cat that had launched had landed and was now in pursuit along with the
other cats, all having changed their direction to chase the fleeing group.
Diana’s speed allowed her to run up the wall with the woman and child and she
made it to the top and another thunderous applause went up to the sky.
Diana had just set the woman and child down while she stood on the edge still.
They were thanking her and then one of the men in the crowd pushed her
backwards.
“ AHH.....Gods!!” Diana screamed as she started falling backwards back into
the Arena, and just below were the six Cats all growling up and waiting for
her to hit the ground.
The crowd went wild, Shatara was horrified, she had just started breathing
when she saw Diana rescue the woman and child and make it safely out of the
ring, but now her heart was racing once again as she watched Diana falling
back into harms way.
Diana gained her composure enough to realize she had to do something, and
that’s what she did, her feet were skiing against the wall and so she decided
to use that to her advantage. Diana tucked her body and waited and just before
she got too close to the waiting cats so that they could jump up and catch
her, she pushed off of the wall and went flying across the arena, which
surprised the cats.
Diana came to land across the way from the cats and they all turned. At first
they just stared and growled at her. Diana knew that she had to suppress her
fear, so as not to stimulate the animals natural instinct to attack because of
that fear.
Diana couldn’t look around too much, due to her having to watch the cats that
were now stalking slowly towards her.
“ Ok Ladies, I’m not here to hurt any of you, I just want to get out of here
without any of us getting hurt.” Diana said speaking to cats.
One of the tigers and one of the lions growled at her and they leaped at
Diana. Diana leaped out of they’re way and they over shot her, but one of the
other cats took the opportunity to catch Diana just as she came out of her
dive and was just coming to her feet.
One of the panthers caught her and had biten into her left shoulder. Diana
screamed from the pain but she went with it. Diana’s eyes changed and her own
nails now came out, which were larger and longer than the cats. She put the
touch on the panther that had her shoulder and it immediately let go of her
and she rolled away from it just as the others charged. Diana was now moving
around like a cat herself, She was leaping out of the way of one cat while
slicing through another.
They charged her and she flipped and rolled and dived and all the while she
took out cat after cat, finally it was just three cats left, Lion, tiger and
panther. They came together in front of Diana and bleeding quite a bit from
her shoulder Diana needed a moment to slow her heart down, but she didn’t have
a moment.
Finally after a moment of frustration and complete anger, Diana stopped moving
and at the same time she shouted a command to the stalking cats.
“ SIT!!”
The cats stopped moving towards her and then when she looked them straight in
the eyes, they saw reflective eyes, the same as theirs. They then sat. She
then sent a mental thought to the cats.
“ I don’t want to kill anymore of you, but I’m not going to let you try to
hurt me either. I only came for the woman and her child, it had nothing to do
with you. They did nothing to you.”
Then one of the cats answered back.
“ All humans are the same, they hunt us for our skin or as trophies, we hunt
for food, we have not eaten in days, so when we’re brought here this is where
we get our food.”
“ But your hurting the wrong people, the ones you want and should take your
anger out on are those people who have deprived you of your freedom, and
starved you. It’s the guards that use their whips on you. If you promise not
to hurt anymore innocent people I will tell you how to take your revenge out
on the guards.”
The animals looked at each other and then two of them growled at the one
communicating with Diana.
“ Agreed.”
“ Great! Now the way you can get the guards is, when your brought here to hurt
the people waiting in the Arena, refuse to attack them, come out of the door
and walk towards the person/s but not too close, just the look of Big animals
like yourselves is enough to scare most people. Anyway just sit and face the
people, and when the guards come out to punish you for not entertaining the
crowd that’s when you attack them. Then let the innocent go. Ok?”
“ We have agreed.”
“Great, but one more thing, will you pass this on to the other cats as well so
that they will not attack the innocent?”
“ We shall.”
“ Thank you.” Diana thought with her mind, and the animals lowered their
heads in deference to her. Then growled lightly and turned and headed for the
now opening door. The Crowd went crazy with their applause.
After the Cats were gone Diana turned to locate the other door and just when
she thought she had found it and was heading towards it the door opened
unexpectedly and out flew a huge Cat . Diana had just enough time to dive out
of the way. As she hit her left shoulder the pain shot through her. But she
was on her feet within seconds as the cat came around and launched at her once
again, this time from the side. Diana moved out of the way once again, but not
enough to avoid being scratched down the left side of her face down to her
knee.
Diana’s adrenalin was racing through her that she did not have time to react
to the pain. Diana whirled around and came to a defensive stance with her
nails once again shining brightly.
The Cat which was larger than three huge elephants, now sat back on it’s
hunches and then slowly changed into a woman a little taller than Diana, about
Xena’s height.
“ You have killed three of my pets, and now I will kill you.”
“ I don’t think so. For your information, they attacked me, I had no desire to
hurt them.”
“ They only attacked you because you took food from their mouths.”
“ Humans are not food for animals, except when their already dead. That is not
the natural order of things.”
“ That maybe true, but you can not blame hungry animals for taking what they
can get?”
“ No I can’t, I blame these soldiers who captured these beautiful creatures
and abused them by starving them!” Diana stated with conviction.
“ I see you have the nature of a cat yourself beautiful one.”
“ No, I don’t, you have the nature of a cat, I just have the instincts of
them.” Diana said clarifying her abilities.
“ So be it, but you still must pay for your crimes against my pets. “ The
woman stated as she slowly started walking around in a circle around Diana.
“ Who are you?” Diana asked.
“ I am called Feliness. I am the watcher over all felines.”
“ Really? Well you haven’t done such a good job if your charges are being
hunted and captured and killed.” Diana said sharply.
“ Your very impudent to be just a lowly human, although, I will grant that I
am impressed by your skills in survival, but that won’t last!! “ Feliness
shouted as she launched at Diana and Diana caught felines clawed hands with
her own razored ones and Diana initially went to her knees because of the
weight that she had not expected of the woman, then after recognizing that
while the woman was in human form she still carried the weight of the huge
cat. Once Diana recognized that she adjusted and she was able to lift up from
her knees and then push the woman back.
The woman fell back, but then went into a flip and came to land on her feet.
She then charged at the woman again and Diana rolled under the woman and the
woman caught Diana’s hair and just as she was about to bring her claws to cut
across Diana’s neck Diana flipped up and the claws caught her hair and cut
through it.
Diana flipped away from the woman and then came to stop a distance away. The
woman stood holding most of Diana’s long ebony hair in her clawed hands. Diana
saw it and her hand immediately went to her hair, and she discovered her hair
had been cut enough to where it now reached to her shoulders.
“ My Hair?! You Cut My Hair?!” Diana screamed at the woman.
“ Are you so vain beautiful one?” The woman purred.
“ NO! Vain has nothing to do with this! This is going to cause a lot of
problems! I can’t believe it!” Diana hissed at the woman, who simply brought
the cut hair to her nose and taking a sniff of it she caressed her face with
it and actually purred.
“ Wonderful, the smell of your pheromones is quite a stimulating thing, it’s
quite a powerful smell. You must be quite a lover.” The woman said as she
moved towards Diana with her catlike movements. As she was now looking at
Diana in a strange way.
Diana’s brows knitted at the change in look and then she realized what was
happening.
“ Stop!! Don’t even think about it! Now I want to get out of this arena and
your in my way.” Diana stated with a sneer.
The woman smirked and then leaped at Diana she and Diana rolled for a bit and
then when they finally came to a stop Diana was on top of the woman with her
razor sharp nails at the woman’s pulse point.
“ Stay your hand Diana.” Came a voice from behind Diana.
“ Why should I? She was going to try to kill me?”
“ Because she is one of my emissaries.”
“ And who are you that I should care?”
“ Artemis.”
“ Artemis, Goddess of the Amazons?”
“ Yes. I was also chosen by you to be one of your protectors?”
“ Well you did a poor job of that.” Diana said as she rose up off of the woman
and backed up to where Artemis stood, while still watching the woman.
“ Go Feliness..”
“ Yes Goddess.”
The woman then vanished with Artemis’s help. Diana now staggered back and
Artemis caught her and asked, “ Shall I take you out of here?”
“ No! Leave me, I have to figure out what I’m going to tell Xena about my
hair.”
“ Ok, as you wish.” Artemis then disappeared. Diana then sat on the ground of
the arena as the Crowd threw flowers and jewels and other things down at the
woman whom they thought was the most entertaining they had ever seen.
Not realizing Diana’s eyes were wild and she was slowly going into shock about
a number of things.
“ Get her out of there!! Shatara screamed to the guards and they immediately
called to other guards who sent the message to the guards at the Arena doors.
The guards went out to the arena to get Diana, and they were ready to pick her
up and carry her, but Diana pushed them off and staggered to her feet and then
taking a moment to steady herself, she walked out of the Arena and her and all
of the other slaves were taken back to the main resident, and Xena’s slaves
were taken back to the chamber next to Xena’s chamber and Diana and Shatara
were taken back to Xena’s chamber.
“ Are you ok little beauty? That bite to your shoulder along with those
scratches to your cheek and neck and shoulder and all the way down to your
knee looks bad. You need to get those treated.”
“ I know, I will, but right now I need to figure out a way to hid my hair.
Just long enough for me to be sure Xena is in a semi-good mood.”
“ Why are you so worried about your hair when you have all of those cuts to
your body and a panther’s bite to your shoulder?”
“ Because Xena adores my hair. Matter of fact, she was just telling me again
today just how much.”
“ Well hopefully we can get you cleaned up before she comes back. “ Shatara
suggested as the two women walked into the bedchamber .
Diana grabbed a black cloak that was hanging on a hook off to the right of the
door, she put it on and it hid her hair. Then both women came to an abrupt
stop when they saw Xena standing by a window looking out and talking to one of
the scribes as he took dictation from Xena.
“ Ladies...so, did you have fun?” Xena asked as she then turned around.
Her eyes went wide at what she saw and then they slitted.
“ Wh...What happened?!!”
“ My Lord I ...” Diana started.
“ Silence!! Xena shouted as she looked up and down Diana and then over at
Shatara. “Get Out!!” Xena ordered of the scribe and of Shatara, who
immediately bowed and giving a pat to Diana’s unaffected shoulder she
practically ran out of the room.
Xena then turned her attention back to Diana. And calling to one of her
servants she shouted orders.
“ Fill a bath put nothing in it, have the healer sent with medicine for
wounds, as well as the dressings.”
“ Yes My Lord.” the one servant then ran out of the room to do as she was
told.
Xena then turned back to one of the other servants and told her to have Lord
Brenos come to the chamber he had assigned for Xena.
“ Yes My Lord. The other servant then ran off to get Lord Brenos.
Finally Xena turned her attention squarely back on Diana. Xena had not noticed
Diana’s hair yet due to the black cloak she had grabbed off of one of the
hooks in the other room.
“ My Lord the bath is filled.” called the first servant.
“ Good. You get in there and clean up!” Xena scolded at Diana.
Diana didn’t say anything she just lowered her eyes and strided into the other
room to get cleaned up.
“ The healer arrived and was sent into the bath chamber and while she was
attending to Diana’s wounds she arrived at the bite to her shoulder.
“ What did this?”
“ A panther.” Diana stated flinching from the application of the cream to her
scratches.
“ A panther. My Goddess’s above, what were you doing around panthers?”
“ Never mind, it’s a long painful story, that I think is going to get more
painful.”
“ Hm..well I need a different cream for it.”
“ That’s fine, go and get it. “
“ SLAVE GET OUT HERE!!” Xena shouted as she paced in the other room.
Diana came out of the water and was dried off and oiled rapidly and then she
put on a robe and tied it and then went back into the other chamber. Again
Diana made sure the robe was black that way her hair would not be noticed as
quickly, and hopefully not at all until later.
The healer arrived back in the room with Xena and when Diana came out of the
bath chamber she told her to go and sit down. Diana didn’t relish sitting
anymore due to the punishment she already had taken from Xena earlier, which
she had forgotten about it while she was fighting for her life.
But now with her system returning to a more normal state she felt the pain
more so.
“ No I’ll stand here.” Diana countered.
The healer looked at her and then went over to apply the the cream.
“ Wait Healer, why do you have that cream?”
“ Because of the type of injury it is.”
“ What type of injury is it?” Xena asked as she turned around to face Diana
and the healer.
“ A bite by a panther.”
“ A PANTHER!! What in Tartarus were you doing anywhere near a Panther??!!”
“ I....I was fighting it my Lord.” Diana stated in one breath.
“ Fi..fi..FIGHTING?!! What were you doing that you were fighting a
panther??!!”
“ My Lord shall I apply the cream?” The healer asked wanting to finish her job
so she could get out of the chamber.
“ YES!! NOW Answer me Slave!!”
“ My Lord I was sitting down somewhat uncomfortably watching the things that
were happening in the arena, at first I was just disgusted by what I was
seeing. Gladiators against lone men, who obviously weren’t soldiers of any
type, being cut down like rag dolls. But then after six events like that they
started a whole new
section, this time I couldn’t sit by and watch it They...OWWWW!!! GODSS!!! WHY
IS IT BURNING??!!” Diana screamed as the healer applied the cream to the
inside of the bite.
“ That’s how it cleans, I need to apply some to the front side as well.” The
healer informed the tearing woman.
Meanwhile Xena had been watching and expecting the reaction, but she was not
expecting to see what she saw when Diana spun around, thus lifting her hair
off of the black robe.
“ What In Tartarus Happened to Your Hair?!! Xena shouted as she grabbed
Diana’s hair, and then she saw Diana’s cheek, on the left and she followed the
scratches down to her neck.
“ Xena ripped the robe off of Diana and Diana now stood nude to Xena’s slitted
eyes.
“ Look at you? Your scarred from your face to your knee, and Your Hair is cut
off!! How do you explain this?!! Xena scolded as she shook Diana’s head while
she held a handful of Diana’s hair in her hand.
“ OWww.. Xena Please let me explain? Please?”
“ How can you hope to explain this to me?! Your hair is cut!!”
“ I know, I know, but it’ll grow back.”
“ How soon?!”
“ I don’t know, I’ve never had my hair cut before.”
Xena growled at Diana and then threw her over to the bed.
“ Owwww.... Xena Please? I couldn’t let those big cats tear the woman and her
child apart! I couldn’t let that happen, Please understand, it was a child
they were going to have torn apart by Lions and Panthers and Tigers. Two
unarmed innocent people who didn’t deserve to die such a death, Gods Xena
Please don’t whip me again, I couldn’t let it happen. Please?” Diana cried out
as Xena ripped out her leather strap and was positioning herself to whip Diana
once again.
“ It was none of your business.” Xena hissed.
“ Xena I couldn’t just sit there and watch animals tear them apart, especially
that child, Xena, please understand?!”
Xena was visibly shaking, from the stress of controlling her temper towards
Diana. The Healer stood rooted to the spot and if it were not for her labored
breathing at what she was seeing she probably would have been forgotten.
“ GET OUT!!” Xena shouted at the healer.
The healer startled and then ran for the door after putting the cream on the
table along with the dressings, and then shot out of the room. Brenos came
through the door just moments after the healer ran out.
“ Lord Xena what’s going on?”
Xena whirled around and with fire in her eyes she exploded at him.
“ My Slave was almost killed today!!”
“ What?! How?!”
“ She jumped into your arena to save a woman and a Child!! What could a child
have done to deserve to be killed by wild animals?!!” Xena shouted.
“ Lord Xena it’s just one way we keep people in line.”
“ What did they do that my slave risked her life for them?!!”
“ Well her husband refused to pledge to Ares so they were to be the sacrifice
to Ares.”
Xena sneered and then turned her attention back to Diana, but she called over
her shoulder to Brenos, “ We’ll finish this later.”
“ As you wish, but if you need anything for her just let me know.”
“ Fine.”
Xena took another look at Diana on the bed and then she fully focused on.
“ You had no right to risk anything of mines.” Xena stated with sharpness in
her tone.
“ I couldn’t let it happen, you have to understand? It was a small unarmed
woman and a little child. About to face ferocious animals. I couldn’t let that
happen, please? Please, Please understand?” Diana said as all of the days
events came exploding out of her via her eyes. The tears rolled like an opened
faucet, as Diana curled into a fetal position and wracking sobbed claimed her.
Xena saw that Diana was overwhelmed. Xena stood watching her for a moment and
then signing she laid the strap on the foot of the bed. She then sat on the
bed and pulling Diana into her arms she was surprised to feel the tremendous
tremors shaking her frame.
“ I understand kitten, it’s alright, it’s over, your safe.” Xena said trying
to comfort the scared young woman.
Diana curled into Xena and Xena laid back against the pillow behind her that
was against the headboard of the bed. Xena caressed Diana’s head and although
she was trying to comfort Diana, she found herself somewhat distracted at what
happened to Diana’s hair. It was still long, but it only came to Diana’s
shoulder, rather than to Diana’s hips.
Xena let the shorten hair fall from her fingers and then feeling even worst
about what Diana had to face and what she probably felt and the possibility
of her losing Diana due to Diana’s impulsiveness, Xena buried her head in
Diana’s hair and her own tears fell as she squeezed Diana closer to her and
then kissed the top of Diana’s head, she then begin to whisper comforting
words once again.
The next morning Xena awoke curled around Diana’s body. She immediately went
to move away but found she could not quite convince herself, she looked at
Diana’s naked body and subconsciously began to run her hand over Diana’s soft
skin.
“ Mmm...so nice. “Xena praised as she caressed down Diana’s arm. “ No! not yet
kitten, I think by the end of these negotiations, things will be as I like,
your definitely on the right track, although I hate the way your hair looks.”
Xena then stood up and covering Diana, she got dressed and went into the other
chamber and sat and waited for Diana to wakeup while she read over some
scrolls.
Diana awoke a candlemark later and after dressing she wandered into the other
chamber and found Xena sitting reading another scroll.
“ Good morning My Lord.” Diana said quietly, not quite sure what Xena’s mood
was.
“ Come here.”
Diana walked over to where Xena sat and Xena motioned for Diana to sit in the
chair right across from her. Diana sat down easily, seeing how her backside
was still very painful. Xena noticed it but didn’t say anything about it.
After a few minutes of silence, Xena finally spoke.
“ How are you feeling today?”
“ Better, still a little shaky about everything. But I'll be fine.” Diana said
softly.
“ I see the scratches to your face are gone, fortunately your a quick healer.
“ Xena then placed her hand under Diana’s chin and moving Diana’s head to the
right so that she could look closer at Diana’s cheek. “ Very good, no scars.
Lucky for you.”
“ I wasn’t worried.” Diana said with a little smile.
Xena then let her hand go up to Diana’s hair and looking at how it was styled,
with just a bend around the end, and some of the hair covering her right eye
slightly, Xena let her hand feel and caress the hair and she sat back in her
chair and looked with a critical eye at the style and the way it looked on
Diana.
Diana subconsciously started to bring her hand up to her hair due to feeling
uncomfortable about the way Xena was looking at it. She knew Xena really
disliked it, and maybe even hated it, but she thought she could still please
her by styling in such an alluring way.
“ Hmm....the style is nice, makes you look very appealing, but I like your
hair long.” Xena stated, and then gave a hard look at Diana.
“ I’m sorry about my hair, but it’ll grow back.”
“ When?!”
“ I don’t know, hopefully real soon.”
“ Yes, hopefully. These negotiations seem like they will be going on for
another two weeks, and because of that, and what happened yesterday, I
decided that you will not be allowed to be out of my sight. You will stay
right by my side, you will not speak unless your spoken to, you will not get
involved with anything or anybody elses business. At night you will sleep
either in the bed with me, or if I’m upset with you on the floor by the bed.
Now as far as when your in the bed with me, you are not to do anything that I
don’t tell you to do. Am I making myself clear?”
“ Yes My Lord.”
“ Good. I like what your wearing, Brenos’s clothier did a good job in picking
out something that is very flattering on you. Although you being naked is more
flattering. “ Xena admitted with a appreciative stroke of her hand down
Diana’s neck to the cleavage area of Diana’s top.
“ I’m glad you like it.”
“ It’s not really the clothes that I’m admiring, as a matter of fact I’m
thinking about taking you.” Xena said as she stopped her hand’s caressing over
Diana’s flushed breast. She then looked up at Diana to see her breathing very
rapidly and her gaze was quite lidded.
“ Would you be a good girl if I bedded you right now?”
“ yes.” Diana exhaled sharply.
“ You’ll not do anything else, especially like what you did yesterday. You’ll
stay right by my side and be on your best behavior, just like you were
when...let’s say....when you wanted to go discovering with the pirate?”
“ yes, better.”
“ Hmm...so...tempting.” Xena purred and then Xena leaned forward and placing
her lips against Diana’s, she let her tongue flick out to caress along them,
Diana was tempted to leaned forward to feel more of Xena’s lips, but she
didn’t want to take a chance that Xena would get upset, so she allowed Xena to
do what she wanted.
Soon Xena pulled Diana closer and the kiss deepen, Diana was moaning into
Xena’s mouth, and Xena was doing the same thing. But then when Xena went to
caress Diana’s hair, as she had done in the past, she was immediately putoff
by not feeling it where she was use to feeling it.
“ Damnit! “ Xena swore and then she abruptly stood up and looking at the dazed
young woman trying to focus on her and why she was upset, Xena answered the
question. “ I hate the length of your hair. We have to go anyway, I have to
get to my meeting, come on.” Xena commanded.
Diana looked like she had just been slapped across the face, she was stunned.
So when she stood up she staggered slightly, and then followed after Xena. “
Damnit!” Diana cursed and then she caught up with Xena and said in an agitated
tone of voice. “ I wish you would makeup your mind, it doesn’t help for me to
already be this tight and you teasing me.”
Xena gave Diana an incredulous look and Diana stepped back around and stood
behind Xena with her arms crossed over her chest, basically pouting. Xena
smirked and then headed out the door of the chamber with Diana stride for
stride with her.
Shatara and the other slaves were already waiting for Xena when she arrived at
the meeting. Xena had been sending messagers back and forth to her Palace
because of something that she had started since the day she saw the images
that Diana had showed her.
The meeting went on for many candlemarks, and every now and again Xena would
glance over at Diana when Diana’s attention was taken by someone talking to
her. Xena’s eyes showed her obvious desire of Diana, but everytime she came to
her hair she would scowl and then return her attention back to whoever was
speaking.
When the meeting was finally over Xena sent her servants and slaves back to
the chambers, and she and Brenos went on a tour of the land along with the
other Dignitaries following along. Meanwhile Diana and Shatara went back to
the chamber that was assigned to Xena.
“ Shatara? “
“ Yes Little beauty?”
“ Can I ask you something?”
“ Sure anything?” Shatara said with a big grin coming to her mouth due to the
fact that Diana actually initiated the conversation with her.
“ When I was fighting in that arena, why didn’t you use any of your sorceress
powers?”
Shatara stood with her mouth open at the question, and then she clamped it
shut when she realized it was open.
“ You don’t have to answer it , if you don’t want to, I mean I didn’t expect
any help, but I was curious? I mean I saw you at different moments with panic
in your eyes for me, but yet you didn’t do anything, or even offer, at least I
don’t think you did.”
“ Diana you are absolutely right I was panicked for you, but I couldn’t do
anything to help you because of what Ares did to me.”
“ What he did to you? You were both on the same side.”
“ Yes, well that’s what I thought, but what he failed to tell me was that he
had planned to change a few things when he brought Xena back.”
“ Oh, and what things were they?”
“ He told me that I would have to give up all of my sorceress abilities, and
only be left with the gift of a seer if I wanted Xena to even think about
taking me as a Consort.”
“ So you gave up your sorceress abilities for Xena?”
“ Yes. But I don’t miss them, I really never use them, well almost never, at
times I would conjure up some little luxury, but I never used them for
anything else.”
“ Hmm...Does Xena know this?” Diana asked dubiously.
“ Yes, I told her just before she announced that she was going to take me as a
Consort.”
“ Hmm....but she didn’t bond with you, why?”
“ I think it was because of some deeper need that she felt I was not able to
meet both physical and emotionally.”
“ So, if that’s true, why do you want to stay with her, knowing you can’t
satisfy her, and thereby make her happy?”
“ Because I love her.”
“ Does she feel the same way?”
“ I think in her own way she cares about me.”
“ Hm, ok, I understand why you couldn’t help me when I was in the Arena, and I
have no hard feelings towards you about it, nor did I have any before you told
me the reason. I just wondered.”
“ I understand, I thought you would wonder why I did not try to help in that
way, I kept wondering why you hadn’t asked me about it, or even brought it
up?”
“ I was still to shaken from the experience to really want to talk about it
with you. But I’m fine now, now that I know I have that ability to handle
those type of animals. “
Diana then smiled slightly and then went to have a seat at the table where she
poured herself something to drink and Shatara went to sit on the sofa. Diana
and Shatara sat quietly in the same room without saying much but just thinking
about everything for different reasons, Shatara would laugh at times to
herself as she thought about certain things. She would then try not to look at
Diana since what she was thinking was about Diana.
After a while Xena walked into the chamber and seeing both women sitting in
different areas of the chamber Xena’s eyes lingered on Diana who was dressed
in a shift, while Shatara was dressed also in a shift, but the way Diana’s fit
allowed Xena’s mind to run rampant with all sorts of thoughts, she immediately
went tight and when her eyes came to meet Diana’s she found Diana gazing at
her with a raised brow.
Xena knew what Diana was thinking and although the thought was foremost in her
mind, she decided to handle the situation a little differently.
“ Consort get in there now!” Xena commanded of Shatara.
Shatara startled by the command but then she bowed at Xena and then headed for
the bed chamber, she glanced at Diana, who was looking at Xena, but then Diana
turned her gaze away and Xena went into her bed chamber. After a few minutes
Diana begin hearing the sounds of passion, mainly Shatara, at times Diana
heard screams of pain from Shatara, probably from Xena’s frustration with
Shatara from not being able to satisfy her. Diana couldn’t stand the sounds
coming from someone else being with Xena, so she decided to leave the chamber.
But rather than go to the chamber next door, Diana went for a walk around
Brenos’s resident grounds and around the palace itself.
Diana was just heading for a corridor when she heard raised voices, Diana
went to see what was happening or at the very least just to make sure it was
not some Dignitary beating on one of Xena’s slaves.
“ Emissary Chax, you cannot expect for Lord Xena to give any part of her land
up to you or anyone else, Her Realm is quite huge and I would consider any man
or woman who dares to go up against her a fool.”
“ Well it seems as though there was at least one person who dared and
succeeded, I mean she was killed by this warrior.”
“ True, but where is he and his army now? Emissary Chax, you can not honestly
expect for her to give you land so you can have some of your soldiers settle
there. Why would anyone in their right mind go along with that?”
“ Listen Brenos she doesn’t know that’s why I want the land, she thinks it’s
to allow some of my people to move to different places where they can be safe
from raiders. “
“ But it’s your own soldiers doing the raiding.”
“ Right, but that was just to make the story more believable.”
“ So you’ve been terrorizing your people just to get Lord Xena to believe you
needed another place for those people to live if they choose to leave?”
“ If we can get Lord Xena to give away bits and pieces of her land to all of
us, then we can settle our soldiers there under the guise of peasants, and
then once we have them there they can begin scouting. We can find out all
sorts of information.”
“ But what type of information will peasants be able to get, albeit soldiers?
Who’s going to tell strangers anything?”
“ That’s the beauty of all of this, right now Xena The Conqueror is hated as
much as she ever was, so I don’t see why people wouldn’t be quick to open up?”
“ But that’s even more reason why they wouldn’t want to, the fear of Lord Xena
finding out about it.”
” What is she going to find out? That her people are talking to one another
about her rule? Despite how she may not like it and how she may want to punish
any who speak against the Realm, the odds are she will not do anything about
it because there would be just too many people talking to. She will not want
to empty her kingdom of it’s people just because of everyday talk.”
“ Hm....your right about that, despite everything, the peasants are important
to our realms. But how do you expect to convince Xena to allow this
settlement?”
“ I’ll send a message back to my kingdom to my soldiers to make an attack
tomorrow morning, and then have word sent at a specific time, which I think it
would make more impact while I’m making my request and offer. That the raiders
have struck again and the people are ready to uprise due to frustration by the
attacks and deaths of family and friends and neighbors.”