Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

THE AMAZON QUEEN

Part Twenty

DISCLAIMERS: The characters of of Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrenê, Joxer, et al (meaning anyone else I didn't list and should have.) are the property of their creators and anyone else who has a legal claim (thanks for letting the girls come out to play!) Melysë and The Amazons belong to themselves, though, (and I dare any man to say different!) This Story is mine, though, and written just for fun, not profit.

Subtext: - YES, though nothing explicit. Xena and Gabrielle, while still soul-mates and the very best of friends, are not a couple in the romantic sense of the word. They are joined to others as heart-mates.

Violence: Yes, but no more than you’ll see on the show.

Language: Pretty tame, so far.

Spoilers: (so far) The Deliverer, Gabrielle's Hope, Maternal Instincts, Sacrifice I&II, A Family Affair, Livia, Eve, The God You Know, Path of Vengeance

Other: If you haven’t read the previous installments in this series, you may have difficulty following along with who’s who.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group headed back to the Lodge where Autolycus informed that Arynë had come and taken Melysë with the Honour Guard to meet with the visitors. Xena sighed.

"I suppose we're too late to go and join them," said Gabrielle.

"Probably," said Xena. "We'll just have to wait for 'Lysë and 'Ryn to come and tell us what it's all about."

It wasn't a long wait. Melysë entered looking grim. Accompanying the priestess was her eldest daughter, Arynë and two other young women who looked to be around 'Ryn's age. One of them was veiled and very pregnant. The other was dressed as an Amazon.

"Gabrielle, Xena, I would like to introduce our guests," said Melysë. "This is Anaxilea, warrior of Thraso's Tribe."

The golden-haired Amazon saluted the three queens, solemnly.

"And this," said Melysë, nodding toward the veiled pregnant woman," is Lucina, daughter of Eve of the Elisians."

Xena and Gabrielle gasped as Lucina dropped her veils. The young woman was a mirror image of Xena - and now Meg, as well.

"Oh, my!" said Lucina, her eyes widening at the sight of her grandmother.

"By the gods," whispered Gabrielle, looking from one to other of the women.

"H - how is this possible?" asked Lucina.

"Eve is my daughter," said Xena, quietly. "As for Meg - I'm not sure how <that> happened.

"Eve is your ... you are my <sabaema> - my grandmother, then," said Lucina, pondering.

Gabrielle clapped her hands over her mouth, suppressing a giggle at the look on the warrior's face.

"Uh, no, Lucina, I mean she is, but ... why don't you just call her 'Xena'?" said the Bard.

"Yeah," said the warrior. "That'll work."

"Anaxilea was kind enough to escort Lucina to us after she left the Elisians," said Melysë.

"Alright," said Xena, glancing around at the children all watching the scene. "Lucina, Anaxilea - we'll meet with you at the Queens' Cottage after you're settled in."

"<Carami> - with respect, Your majesty, Warrior Queen," said Anaxilea. "But I would like to move on - I am on a quest of great importance, and - "

"What quest?" asked Melysë, sensing deception from the golden-haired warrior.

"I ... um," began Anaxilea.

"There is no quest, is there?" asked the priestess, gently.

"Yes, of course there is," said Anaxilea, defensively.

"It's alright - we'll discuss all of this later," said Melysë. "I am requesting that you remain with us to rest from your journey. You may move on in the morning if you wish."

"<Carami, Amida> - with respect, Lady - as you wish," said Anaxilea, saluting the priestess. Xena sensed anger - no, worse, <rage> emanating from the young warrior. Instinctively her hand moved toward her chakram. The warrior dropped her salute and inclined her head, waiting for Melysë to dismiss her, then turned at the gesture and walked stiffly out of the Lodge towards the barracks. Xena watched, her deep blue eyes narrowed; this visitor would bear watching.

Melysë shook her head sadly, then smiled and turned to Lucina. "You must be very tired after your journey," she said.

"A bit," admitted Lucina.

"Well, let's get you settled in - as family, you are welcome to stay in the Queens' Cottage with Xena and me, or perhaps you would like a guest cottage?"

"Or she can stay here with me," offered Gabrielle with a bright smile.

"Maybe Lucina would be more comfortable in the House of Mothers," said Xena.

"Or with <your> mother, Xena," said Cyrenê, entering the room with a smile and an embrace for the young woman. "Meg just told me - welcome, Little One. I am your great-grandmother."

"I - I ..." began Lucina, before bursting into tears, clinging to Cyrenê.

"What's wrong?" asked the older woman, wiping the tears from Lucina's face.

"I'm just so overwhelmed," said Lucina, calming under the older woman's touch. "My mother ... never told me we had family other than the Elisians ... I have just never been so ... so ... Everyone here is so kind, offering me a place in their homes and ... and ..."

"Lucina, of course we want you," said Melysë. "You are family - and an Amazon, as well. You have a place here for as long as you wish it."

"Me ... an Amazon?" asked the girl, confused.

"Well, of course," said Gabrielle. "Don't you know? I felt it as soon as I saw you. You haven't been Initiated?"

Lucina laughed. "Oh, no! Of course not - the way my mother feels about Amazons, how could I?"

"And just how is that?" asked Melysë, one eyebrow raised.

"Never mind," said Xena, quickly. "Well, what will it be, Lucina? Where would you like to stay?"

"I think tonight, I will stay with Anaxilea," said Lucina, thoughtfully. "She has been kind to me and I don't when - if ever - I will see her again."

"Very well," said Melysë. "I will have a guest house prepared for you two. In the meantime, I think a visit to the <shamenki> is in order for you, young lady. You look very near your time."

Yes," said Lucina, one hand over her swollen middle. "I am nearly. It's funny, I didn't expect to be surrounded by people who actually care for me when the time came."

"Really?" asked Melysë. "What about your mother?"

"It would have been just me and a midwife," said Lucina, shrugging. "Mother is ... busy. She has a lot of responsibility, leading the group."

"And the father?" asked Gabrielle. Lucina rolled her eyes.

"Let's just say he didn't marry me for love," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Gabrielle.

"I am my mother's daughter," said Lucina simply.

"I don't understand," said Melysë, frowning, looking to Xena and Gabrielle. "I thought that love was what the Elisians were all about?"

"We are," said Lucina. "Or we were."

"What do you mean, 'were'?" asked Xena.

"Mother ... well, Mother has her own ideas about what the Elisians are about," said Lucina, hesitantly.

"What ideas?" asked Gabrielle, alarmed.

"I can't ... really, I'm not sure I should mention anything," said Lucina, her eyes growing wide like a rabbit in a trap. "I'm sure Mother has the best interests of the group in mind - everything she does is for Eli and his followers."

"To the exclusion of her own daughter?" asked Melysë, sadly.

"No, please - you misunderstand," said Lucina, desperately, tears springing to her eyes. "The important thing is to spread Eli's message - right?"

"What message is that, Lucina?" asked Gabrielle.

"That ... that Love is the Way, the only Way and that Love is the only weapon anyone ever needs to fight evil," said Lucina, reverently. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes, it is," said Gabrielle, relieved.

"And as long as that message is spread, then it doesn't matter how," said Lucina.

"What?" said Xena.

"I mean, sometimes we have to ... um ... do whatever is necessary to get that message to as many people as possible, right?" asked the young woman.

"Like what?" asked Gabrielle.

"I don't know - just ... sometimes I think Mother may ... 'embellish' Eli's message - to make it more powerful or more attractive to others," said Lucina.

"Alright," said Melysë, putting one arm around the young woman's shoulders and leading her to the door.
She glanced back, worriedly at Xena and Gabrielle, then looked at Lucina and smiled. "We'll talk of this later, Lucina. In the meantime, I really want you to see Hypsyple - she's our <shamenki> - our healer and midwife. Then you need a bit of rest. We'll have dinner in my cottage and you can tell us all about this then, okay?"

Lucina looked relieved and nodded as Melysë led her out of the room.

"Xena, what - ?" began Gabrielle.

"Sounds like Evie's following a new Way," said Xena, grimly. "Or maybe not so new."

"What way is that, Xena?" asked Cyrenê, worriedly.

"The Way of Power," said Xena, shaking her head. "Eli's Way ... it's hard - and even Eli said that it's not for everyone. But it sounds like Eve is interested in getting as many followers as possible, regardless of whether it's right for them or not. That's not Eli's message."

"What is his message, Xena?" asked Cyrenê, curiously. "This Way of Love - it does sound attractive in its own right - Love, peace, non-violence - I don't understand why it's a problem to gather followers for this Way."

"It's not that, Mom," said Xena. "Do you think <I> could follow it?"

"I don't see why not, Xena," said Cyrenê.

"Thanks, Mom - but the bottom line is that my Way is the Way of the Warrior," said Xena. "That's the path that's right for me. I respect Eli's message and the faith of the Elisians, but it's not for me to try and follow - if I did, I would not be true to myself."

"Ah, I think I see - so if Eve is recruiting people who are not suited to this Way of Love, then the message is distorted - and over time ..." said Cyrenê.

"Eli's true message will be lost," said Gabrielle. "We can't allow that to happen, Xena."

"I don't intend to, Gabrielle," said Xena, grimly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lucina, does the sun burn you?" asked Melysë, as she walked the young woman to the <shamenki's> hut.

"No, not at all - I love the sun - why?" asked Lucina.

"I was just wondering about the veils," said the priestess.

"Oh," said Lucina, quietly. "A few years ago, Mother ... started wearing them and then she said that Eli told her that every woman in the group was to wear them, too."

"I wonder why?" mused Melysë. Lucina shrugged.

"I don't know - I guess I don't need them anymore - or maybe I do - I don't know - if Eli really did tell her that, then I should keep wearing them, just in case." Lucina sighed, then pulled the veil from her head to rest on her shoulders like a shawl. Melysë noticed a small mark on her arm. She frowned. Lucina had said she was not Initiated as an Amazon, but it appeared to be a tattoo like an Amazon priestess would receive at the completion of her training. She looked again, not recognising the symbol, although it looked somehow familiar, then dismissed it as a birthmark.

"Why would Eli want all the women in the group to wear veils, I wonder?" Melysë said.

"I don't know - the will of Eli is not to be questioned - he does know what's best for us," said Lucina. "I guess. Sometimes, I just get so confused. I know Eli's message and I believe it with all my heart, but sometimes ... well, I think the group puts too much emphasis on <Eli> and not what he had to say. He's dead - why should he care how we dress or what we eat, or ... or who shares a bed with whom? Sometimes, I just feel so out of place with them, and yet we all share the same faith - sort of. We are all untied in Eli's message and a commitment to follow the Way of Love - I don't know why, if I believe that, why I can't just go along without questioning so much all of the time."

"Lucina, I think your confusion lies in the way Eli's message is being presented - surely you can discern for yourself what is right and wrong, can't you? Why would wearing veils be part of Eli's message of Love? That just doesn't make sense," said the priestess.

"You said you were a priestess - does your goddess speak to you?" asked Lucina, thoughtfully.

"Yes, She does," Melysë replied.

"Does everything she says make sense to you?" asked Lucina.

"Eventually," said Melysë, thinking of Hekate's most recent message.

"Really?" asked Lucina, troubled.

"Yes, really - Hekate doesn't expect Her followers to follow blindly, trusting everyone who claims to be Her mouthpiece - She Herself has encouraged us to question everything until we have discerned the truth for ourselves," said Melysë. "As the Goddess of Free Will - among other things - She always offers choices - and She wants us to make those choices with all the knowledge we need to make the wisest one for us."

"But ... " began Lucina, biting her lip.

"What?" said Melysë, gently.

"Doesn't that make life a lot more complicated?" asked the young woman.

"Yes, it does," said Melysë, smiling. "But it also makes our lives our own - and it's worth the complications when that happens."

"I don't know," said Lucina, doubtfully as they reached the door of Hypsyple's hut. Melysë laughed, placing a gentle hand on Lucina's shoulder.

"Oh yes you do - that's why you're <here>," said the priestess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xena sat in the main room of the Queens' Cottage, staring silently into the fire in the hearth. Gabrielle sat beside her, equally silent, both deep in thought about Lucina's revelations. Melysë found them there when she returned from escorting the young woman to the guest cottage she would share with Anaxilea.

"Hey," said the priestess breaking the silence. Xena looked up and smiled slightly.

Hey," said the warrior, quietly.

"Where are the girls?" asked Melysë.

"Meg and Joxer took them for a while," said Gabrielle, rising. "'Lysë, what do you think about all this?"

Melysë sat next to Xena before answering.

"Lucina is a remarkable young woman," said Melysë. "She's torn between what she knows to be true and wanting to fit in with the group. I think she's very troubled by her mother's actions. According to Lucina, Eve has written a book about Eli and in this book, she records 'messages' from Eli - including laws about how the Elisians are to dress and what they may eat, along with certain laws about how the Elisians are treat one another - which is silly, since if they follow this Way of love, they would not need those rules. There are even laws about who one can marry and bear children with." Melysë shook her head. "Add all that to the fact that her emotions are not really her own right now and it's no wonder Lucina is upset."

"So am I," said Xena. "Eve was born to be Eli's Messenger. If she's really distorting his message, I want to know why."

"I think that the temptation to power for a person in Eve's position is difficult to resist," said the priestess.

"Especially for someone like Eve," said Xena, quietly.

"Perhaps," said Melysë. "But I think it would be difficult for anyone."

"No, 'Lysë, Eve is cursed with my blood, my darkness ... my ... 'legacy'," said Xena.

"If that is so, then so are Selenë and Neiromei," said Melysë, gently. "And they will both face the same challenges when they come to their places of power."

"There's a difference, Melysë," said Xena. "Eve has my darkness and Callisto's spirit in her. Selenë and Neiromei have your ... light, your conviction -"

"And your strength, Xena," said Melysë. "As Eve has. Perhaps she has only lost her way for a time."

"She could be right, Xena," said Gabrielle. "Maybe if we go and talk with Eve - "

"No," said Xena, shortly.

"Why not, Xena?" asked Melysë.

"Because - it won't do any good," said the warrior with a sigh. "She won't listen to us."

"Why ever not?" asked Melysë.

"She just won't," said Xena, rising and going into the other room.

"Gabrielle, what happened between Xena and Eve the last time you two saw her?" asked the priestess.

Gabrielle sighed and sat in the chair recently vacated by the Warrior Queen.

"It didn't go well," said the bard. "Eve gave Xena a very hard time for being a warrior. And when she found out that Xena had accepted the Amazon Initiation ..."

"What?" asked Melysë. "What is it that Eve has against the Amazons?"

"Other than the fact that we put her on trial for her life?" said Gabrielle.

"Well, but ... what did she expect?" asked Melysë, frowning. "After what she did ... and we did release her in the end, after all."

"Yeah, but Eve holds a grudge," said Gabrielle.

"Well, her own daughter has the Amazon Spirit within her - even without Initiation," said Melysë.

"Eve had my Right of Caste," said Gabrielle, quietly. "Naturally, she forfeited that when she was Livia and committed all those crimes against the Amazons. I think Lucina inherited it by default."

"Eve never knew that she was an Amazon Princess, did she?" asked Melysë.

"No - no one did when she stood trial except Xena and me - good thing, too," said Gabrielle, shuddering.

"Yes," said Melysë, grimly. "We are harsher with our own - still, I think Eve's case could be considered special circumstances. I doubt very much she would have done those things if she had known."

Gabrielle looked at Melysë solemnly for a moment. "'Lysë, how could she not have <felt> it?" asked the bard quietly, pain evident in her eyes.

"Gabrielle, Xena's mother was an Amazon and she didn't feel it - look at what she did to the Amazons," said Melysë gently.

"And yet, the Amazons forgave her," said Gabrielle.

"Xena went back and made it right again," said Melysë.

"Yes, she did," said Gabrielle. "And Eve ... Eve holds a grudge against us, as if <we> wronged <her>. She hates the Amazons and everything we stand for."

"So much for the teachings of Eli," said Melysë, shaking her head. "Gabrielle, I still think we should go and talk to her - at the very least, she should know that her daughter is safe and well - as a mother, I'd be frantic if one of my girls was missing."

"That's true," said Gabrielle, smiling. "And that may just be our 'foot in the door' to discuss other things with her, too."

"Very well," said Melysë, rising. "Let me just go and tell Xena - "

"Tell me what?" asked the warrior emerging from the other room.

"We're going to see Eve," said the priestess. "Just to let her know that Lucina is safe."

"You could send a message," said the warrior, one eyebrow raised. She looked at the determination on both Gabrielle's and Melysë's faces and realised this wasn't just about letting Eve know that her daughter was safe. Xena sighed. "Alright," said the warrior. "I'll go with you."

"That's not necessary, Love," said Melysë, gently.

"Oh yes - it is," said Xena, coldly. "Depending upon just how far Eve has fallen, you may need me."

"Xena you don't think - " began Gabrielle.

"I don't know what to think," said the warrior. "But I'm going anyway."

"Alright, but we have to make this quick," said Melysë, frowning. "You know we really shouldn't all three be gone at once."

"Never mind that - just ... do the thing, 'Lysë," said Xena, grimly.

Melysë sighed and used her magic to transport the three queens just outside the boundary of the Elisian Commune.

"Who's there?" called a man from the high stone wall surrounding the property.

"We come in peace to see the Messenger," called Xena.

"Who's there, I said?" came the voice again.

"I am Queen Melysë of the Aemetzainê. Tribe of the Amazon Nation," said the priestess. "And these are my fellow queens - Xena and Gabrielle. We come ... bearing a message from Lucina."

Swiftly, the great wooden gates swung open to allow the Amazons to enter. Melysë hesitated, then a great burly man jumped out from behind the wooden gate, grinning.

"Ah, don't ya worry - we won't bite ya!" he said. Melysë found his grin infectious and offered her own small smile. "Good ta see yer agin, Xena - we been missin' ye here, that's fer sure."

"Josiah - good to see you too," said Xena, even as the bear of a man called Josiah caught Gabrielle up in a great hug, swinging her around.

"Ah, Gabby! We missed yer stories come ev'en time - you be stayin' long enough ter tell a few by the fire tonight?" he asked.

Gabrielle smiled. "I'm sorry, Josiah, we can't stay that long," said the Bard.

"Aw sorry ta hear that - you got news of little Lucina?" said Josiah, a worried frown puckering his great bushy brow.

"Yes," said Xena. "She's fine - she's with our Tribe. She and another Amazon warrior came to us just today."

"Ah, that's good," said Josiah, smiling happily and nodding. "She's a sweet thing, little Lucina. Her mother just about tore up the whole place when she ran off."

"I can imagine," said Xena, wryly. "Where is Eve?"

"She's in the Common Building. Come on - I'll take you to her."

Melysë followed a little behind the other two, picking up almost imperceptible whispers from the Elisians who were all about, doing their work. She felt their unease at the sight of the Warrior and the bard and curiosity concerning herself. Melysë smiled at one small boy, who grinned back, displaying a prominent gap where he had lost a tooth, reminding her of Neiromei. His mother glared at the priestess and grabbed him up, taking into the house. Melysë frowned at this and then shook her head sadly, not understanding.

The Amazons were led to a large building in the center of the commune. It was cool and dark inside. Josiah strode through the corridors and up to a wooden door. He knocked three times.

"Enter!" came a man's voice from behind the door. The door swung open and Josiah led the three women inside. Melysë saw a woman with silver-streaked auburn hair peeking out from beneath a heavy woollen veil seated behind a desk piled with parchments. Her face was lined and her blue eyes looked weary until she saw Xena. Then they sparked with anger and she rose.

"Leave us," she waved her hand imperiously and Josiah escorted the other man, protesting, out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"What are you doing here, Mother?" said the woman, frowning angrily.

Xena started to speak.

"Eve, Lucina is with the Amazons," said Gabrielle, eyeing the warrior's angry frown.

"That ungrateful little bitch!" cried Eve, slamming her fist heavily upon the wooden desk. "How dare she go running to my enemies! I suppose she told you all sorts of little tales about me?"

"No, Eve, of course --" began Gabrielle.

"As a matter of fact," Xena interrupted her. "She has mentioned a few disturbing things, yes."

"I thought so - and of course, you believe her," fumed Eve. "So 'Mummy' and 'Auntie' Gabrielle came to scold me, huh? Well, don't bother - everything is fine here."

"Eve, why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?" asked Xena, softly.

"I <told> you the last time we met that I wanted nothing more to do with you and your violent ways," said Eve, coldly. "I can't believe you came here - though at least this time you had the decency to leave your weapons behind."

Xena glanced down, then looked at Melysë, who shrugged slightly; they had left the cottage so swiftly, there had been no time for Xena to grab her sword and chakram.

"Eve, we really just wanted to let you know that your daughter is alright," said Melysë, gently. "I know how I would feel as a mother if - "

"Who are you?" Eve interrupted.

Blessed Goddess, Xena - is your daughter suicidal or just terminally rude? thought the priestess, barely reining in her anger - and her words. She knew that Xena was in pain, seeing her daughter this way and that only served to make the priestess even more angry with Eve. Xena's jaw set and she glared at Eve, then sighed sadly, shaking her head. The warrior turned and left the room, leaving the door ajar. Just outside the door, the warrior saw the man who had been in with Eve just before their arrival. He stood there, glaring at the warrior.

"Do I know you?" asked Xena.

"No - I'm Darius, Lucina's husband," said the man, momentarily laying aside his suspicion and smiling, holding out a hand to Xena. Xena ignored it.

"You're Lucina's husband, huh?" said Xena, raising one eyebrow, appraising the man. He was tall and painfully thin. His face looked as though he eaten something which tasted bad and the stupid grin he offered the warrior only served to make it worse.

"Yes, I am," said Darius, defensively.

"Why'd she pick you?" asked the warrior.

"What?! Well ... I mean, I ... what do you mean by that?" asked Darius. Xena waved him away and walked back into the room, hoping the poor kid Lucina carried would take after her side of the family. One look at her daughter, however, made Xena think twice about that wish.

"I asked you a question, Amazon," said Eve, her eyes narrowed. "This is <my> place and I require an answer from you - I don't care who - or what - you may be to the Amazons; you are among the Elisians now and I am the leader here."

"I am Melysë, Priestess Queen of the Amazon Nation," the priestess replied. Eve laughed bitterly.

"A priestess?" said Eve with a sneer. "Oh, please - Mother, what are you doing here? Trying to convert me? Or better yet, don't tell me - the priestess is going to convert to Eli's Way, right?"

"Certainly not," said Melysë frowning. "Although I respect Eli's message, following his Way is not for me. Just as our ways are quite obviously not for you."

"Oh, Priestess of a false goddess," said Eve, sarcastically. "Come to teach <me> about Eli's Way - obviously you have been misinformed - Eli's Way of Love is the <only> way to salvation."

"Salvation from what?" asked Melysë, curiously.

"There is only one god - the god of Love - the god of Eli - all those who don't follow him are damned to eternity," said Eve.

"Eve, what are you saying?" asked Gabrielle, tears springing to her bright green eyes. "Even Eli himself said that not everyone can follow his way."

"He said nothing of the sort!" said Eve, furiously.

"But he did - " began Gabrielle.

"No!" cried Eve. "You will not speak your blasphemies in my presence! I am the Messenger of Eli - don't you think I know his will? Don't you think he would have told me this himself if it were true?"

"When was the last time Eli spoke with you?" asked Melysë, quietly.

"Are you deaf or just very stupid? I just <said> that I am Eli's Messenger - he speaks with me all the time!" said Eve, exasperated.

"When was the last time you <listened> to him?" asked Melysë, her dark green eyes flashing flames of anger - especially at the pain in her warrior's eyes.

"Eve, I was Eli's first disciple and even though I couldn't follow him totally, I know his truth - the truth he shared with me," said Gabrielle. "That Love is the only way to end the cycle of violence - and that Eli's true message was to teach mankind to revere life - <all> life, including your own - and sometimes, Eve, that means some people must be warriors - at least until everyone hears and chooses to stop fighting."

"If you know so much, <'Auntie'>, why didn't Eli pick <you> to be his Messenger? Huh? He didn't, he picked me and I am trying to spread his message as is my destiny, so you need to just butt out and let me do what I was born to do," said Eve. "And as for you, Mother - I told you once I wanted nothing more to do with you and your violent ways - now heed me. Take your Amazon harlot and get out of here - and as for Lucina, you can tell her she can just stay with Amazons - I never want to see her here again, either." Eve spoke coldly, but Melysë saw a flicker of fear in her eyes when she looked at Gabrielle again.

"Very well, Eve," said Melysë, steel in her usually gentle voice. "But let me just leave you with one thought - Eli's god is <not> the only god - and if you are wrong about that, what else are you wrong about?"

With a deliberately bright flash, Melysë transported the Amazons back to her cottage. Well, the cottage had been her intended destination, but the three landed just outside the boundary of Amazon lands.

"'Lysë, what - " began Xena as another bright flash blinded the Amazons and there before them stood a beautiful winged creature. Snarling, Xena reached for her sword before realising that she didn't have it with her.

"Michael," said the warrior with a growl.

"Xena, do you know why Eve is corrupting Eli's message?" asked the archangel with a sneer of contempt.

"No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me," said the warrior.

"Do you remember when Caligula wanted to kill her and you stopped him?" asked the archangel.

"Yeah?" said Xena, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"You should have let him," said Michael, grinning. "Eve is Eli's messenger - her message was in her martyrdom and now ..."

Angrily, Melysë stepped forward. "For a god of 'Love' and 'Peace', there certainly have been a lot of people who had to die in his name," she said.

"That's true," said Michael, sadly shaking his head. "And many more will follow if Eve is not stopped."

"So what are you saying, Michael?" said Gabrielle. "We have to kill Eve to preserve Eli's message of non-violence and peace? That just doesn't make sense. None of this does."

"No, I think it's too late to kill her now," said Michael, grinning at Xena. "She listens to another now. It may be too late to do anything. But if the Warrior Princess has learned yet what is meant by making someone 'small', you may accomplish what needs to be done." He looked sharply at Melysë and then offered her a gentler smile. "You, Little Sister, must be more cautious than any - if the entity Eve now listens to succeeds, you and all the other followers of the old ways are doomed. Have a nice day."

With that, the archangel threw back his head and laughed, then disappeared, leaving the three queens standing near the banks of the river.

"Blessed Goddess - he's supposed to be one of the <good> guys?" said the priestess, shaking her head, as she wrapped comforting arms around her warrior.

"Never mind that now," said Xena, grimly. "We have more urgent worries."

"Xena ..." began Melysë, biting her lip.

"What, 'Lysë?" asked Xena.

"Do you think Michael was right? About Eve?" asked the priestess quietly.

"No," said Xena. "There was no way I was going to allow Eve to be killed - Michael knew that - everyone did. He used me to keep Eve alive - and to get rid of Caligula. If he had been allowed to live, then all of Eli's followers would have been killed and the message of Eli lost. No, he's playing me - I just can't quite see what his motive is - yet."

"Let's hope we can figure it out - and soon," said Gabrielle. "In the meantime, we have the Destroyer to deal with."

"And the children," said Melysë, her voice breaking a bit.

Xena sighed. "Okay," said the warrior. "One thing at a time."

"Where do we start?" asked Melysë.

"With whatever hits us first," said Gabrielle, with a sigh.


To be continued...

If you have enjoyed L. M. Townsend's "THE AMAZON QUEEN - Part Twenty", then please be certain to e-mail her at  QueenLaese1[at]aol.com  and thank her for posting this Story.

Click here to continue on to "THE AMAZON QUEEN, Part Twenty-One"

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