A Tale Of Votara

Chapter Ten- I Missed You

The next day, Her Majesty called Xena to examine something together. She asked Xena to come along with her father. Together, they went to the spot where one of the assassins had jumped from and escaped. After they reached the site, they saw a footprint and confirmed that it belonged to the assassin. She asked Xena's father to conduct an investigation. Xena's father took the necessary materials and asked Her Majesty for some time, as it was difficult to find the criminal based solely on a footprint. She shared the information she had observed from the fight, mentioning that the escaped assassin had a double-edged sword with a golden hilt. Since not many people use that type of sword, the investigation became slightly easier. He asked Her Majesty for permission to leave and then departed. Her Majesty seemed a little anxious about the clues. She told Xena that it was suspicious that the assassin hadn't tried to conceal either the sword or the footprint. Xena asked Her Majesty to calm down and wait for the investigation to begin. As they were walking towards the chambers, they saw the old rose garden. Both of them were flooded with memories. Her Majesty asked Xena if she wanted to take a walk in the garden, to which Xena agreed. They walked for a while and reached the fountain. They sat on the fountain's wall, and Her Majesty had a mischievous idea. She took a handful of water and threw it at Xena. Although Xena was surprised at first, she played along.
After a while of playing, both of them were wet and decided to stop. They lay on the ground, tired, and Her Majesty started to stare at Xena. Xena observed and said this:

Xena: What?
Her: I missed you. I missed my friend. I missed us being like this. I miss the old times.
Xena: Times change, Your Majesty. So do people.
Her: Why do you have to change? Why can't you be my friend? Why can't we be just like in the old days?
Xena: We are not kids anymore, Your Majesty. We have responsibilities, and responsibilities change people.
Her: They didn't change me! So why did they change you?
Xena: Unfortunately, I've changed, and I'm not the old Xena I once was.
Her: But I'm the same old person I once was, and I still like you like I did in the past!
Xena: I like you too, Your Majesty.
Her: No, you are not getting the point. I just don't like you as a friend or just like my servant. I like you romantically. I just don't want to hug you as a friend. I want to hug you as your partner. I want to kiss you on the lips. I want to hold your hands in public and scream at the top of my lungs that I like you so much. Can't I do that?

Xena was silent and decided not to answer because she didn't know how to respond. She got up quietly and started to walk. Her Majesty was disappointed but decided not to ask her anymore. After a while of walking, they reached the chambers of Her Majesty, and Xena left.