"THE PRINCESS & THE QUEEN" series -SCROLL VIII: CONQUERING A BYGONE ERA

pt.8

Nothing about the secret Anazon village felt like home anymore to Gabrielle as she pounded on the inside of the front door to the house that she and Xena had lived in together for several years now.

GABRIELLE
You can't do this! I wanna see Xena, now!

The familiar voice of Iris came from the other side of the door.

IRIS
You know I can't do that Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE
Then let me go talk to Clover. There must be some way I can convince her not to go through with this.

IRIS
She's busy getting things prepared for Xena's execution.

GABRIELLE
(angry tone) Damn it Iris let me out of here!

IRIS
You'll be let out soon enough when you're escorted out of the village tomorrow.

Gabrielle threw her fist against the door once more in anger and frustration before turning around, leaning against it, and sinking to the floor in defeat as she cried. A little later as Gabrielle still sat up against the door not knowing how she and Xena were going to get out of this one, she heard Iris talking to someone outside. A few moments later she heard the door being unlocked and quickly stood and moved away from the door as it was opened.

GABRIELLE
Ephiny.

Ephiny walked inside and The other guard with Iris shut the door and locked it again. Ephiny and Gabrielle hugged for a long moment before pulling away.

EPHINY
How're you holding up?

GABRIELLE
(Angry tone/ sarcasm) Well, let's see both Xena and myself were just put through a sham of a trial and convicted of treason by the people we thought were our friends. I've been stripped of my role as queen and exiled from the Amazons for life. Oh, and the woman I love more than anything is gonna be killed by the very people she's fought alongside, to protect and called her friends. So yeah I feel real great right now.

EPHINY
Sorry, I guess that was a pretty dumb question.

Gabrielle sighed.

GABRIELLE
No. I'm sorry I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You're basically the only person left around here who doesn't despise me and Xena. Or think that we're traitors.

EPHINY
It's fine, given the situation I understand.

Ephiny walked Gabrielle over to the couch as they sat down.

EPHINY
I'm guessing given the time that Aurora's sleeping upstairs.

GABRIELLE
Yeah. Though she was being fussy tonight so it was difficult to get her to sleep. Usually when she gets like that Xena just sings to her and she calms right down and goes to sleep.

Gabrielle looked at Ephiny as she held herself back from crying again.

GABRIELLE
They're gonna kill her Ephiny. After everything she's done for them, they're just.. There has to be some way to stop them.

EPHINY
I wish there was. I really do.

Gabrielle rubbed her forehead as she ran through any options they might have to save Xena.  Then she thought of something that due to the chaos of everything she'd completely overlooked until that moment. She looks at Ephiny and for the first time since Xena had been brought back to the village from the hunting trip, she smiled.