Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts scenes of violence. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story. Also note: some of the violence portrayed results in children being injured and the aftermath of these injuries is dealt with in some detail.

Love Disclaimer: This story depicts a love relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story. Please note no graphic sexual scenes are contained within the story.

Note: This story is the fifth in my Sorrow series and begins the day after the fourth story ends. I strongly recommend reading the other stories to understand what is going on in this one. You might find yourself a bit confused if you don't.

Tissue Alert: I've been warned to include this after not warned people of the sad nature of the last story. Although this story has a much happier ending then the last, there are some sad scenes. So you might want to keep some tissues handy just in case.

Feedback: Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

kathleen_wolf@yahoo.com

Special Thanks: Thanks to Alina for beta reading my latest little rambling and for being the first ever to call me a romantic mussball. Thanks to Lizzy for going on vacation (hope you had a good time) and making me realize how just how much easier life would be if I paid more attention to grammar. To Gin the Answer Lady, thanks for reminding me I had no one to blame but myself for the plot and for believing I could actually finish it? even when it looked impossible.

Part 1

"Danu," the bard responded, looking up from her scroll. "I think after all we've been through you can call me Gabrielle."

'Or maybe soon you'll be calling me Mom.' She thought to herself, remembering the exchange between the archer and her daughter the day before.

"Gabrielle," Danu spoke her name to consolidate her right to use it. "I was wondering how Sorrow's doing?"

"She slept soundly through the night. She's still asleep but I'm sure she wouldn't mind waking up to find you there." Gabrielle squinted through the morning sunshine. She found it hard to believe that after the torrent of rain the day before, this day could've awoken so brightly.

"Are you sure?" Danu took a step closer. She'd hated leaving the Princess the previous night, but by her own admission, Sorrow had desperately needed to sleep. When she'd been taken to the Royal house Danu had reluctantly let her go and went home. Home to find Tearnon patiently waiting for her. Home to an argument, that she was sure, half the village had heard. Gabrielle watched the archer's face first beam and then cloud over as the moments passed.

"Danu, please come and sit with me." Gabrielle decided to get all of the formality out of their relationship right then, hoping it would allow the archer would open up to her. Taking the request as an order, Danu moved quickly to sit on the bench next to the bard. "I know at certain times it will be necessary for you to treat me as your Queen. But I'd really like to keep those times to a minimum. The rest of the time I would like us to be friends. I'm not sure but I think my daughter is quite fond of you." She winked at Danu.

Danu allowed her mouth to curl into a half smile and nodded.

"Now get in there." Gabrielle laughed as she turned back to her writing. She knew it would still take some time before Danu was totally comfortable around her.

"I think she's even more afraid of you then me." Xena came from around the corner of the house, just as Danu disappeared inside.

"That would be a mistake!" The bard's response was punctuated by Xena flipping over the porch railing to land beside her on the bench.

"I'm just a little old Warrior Princess?"

"And I'm just the Queen. I'm trying to get her over that." Gabrielle cut her off.

"I don't think that's the only thing." The warrior rested her arm behind the bard and played with her hair. Gabrielle just stared at her, waiting for her to explain. "You are Sorrow's mother. That does result in a little nervousness for the person in love with her."

"I never thought of that." Her face saddened a little at the thought. She really did like the archer.

"And after your recent display of over-protectiveness." Xena moved her hand from the golden hair up to the bard's shoulder and began to lightly massage the taunt muscles.

"I don't think I was the only one guilty of that and beside he was a madman." She sighed as she thought of their most recent brush with death.

"What are you writing?" Xena tried to change the subject. Silently cursing herself for bringing up any reminder of King Rike.

"Actually, I was writing about just that." Gabrielle held the scroll up for her to see. "So don't worry. You didn't cause that sigh." She read the warrior's thoughts easily.

"You don't usually start a story so soon after." Xena commented, as she read the parchment. "So that's what I looked like through your eyes." She finished reading the passage that described her arrival into the courtyard with Sorrow the day Lord Dunlop had visited.

"No, not entirely." Gabrielle took the scroll out of the warrior's hands and leaned in closer. "I left out the part about you being drop dead gorgeous and how my heart nearly leapt from my cheast at the mere sight of you."

"Good thing!" She released the low growl as she pulled the bard closer. "Then you would've had to mention how unbelievably beautiful you looked sitting there in the sunlight." Not waiting for a response, she leaned in for a kiss.

Danu slipped as silently through the door as she could. The small twitch of Sorrow's lip told her that she hadn't been quite enough. Despite being in the deep sleep that allowed her body to heal, Sorrow's senses still picked up on the slightest sound or movement. Danu was happy to see the nervous twitch turn into a little smile as Sorrow's senses realized who had entered the room. The Princess didn't stir as Danu pulled a chair beside the head of the bed and sat down. Instinctually, Sorrow rolled over to that side of the bed to face the archer as she slept. Danu almost laughed as the hand of the sleeping form moved lazily to capture hers. Knowing what was being asked, Danu placed her hand onto Sorrow's head.

"Sleep my love." She whispered as she ran her fingers through Sorrow's mane. "I'm right here where I should be."

The regenerating sleep possessed her for another candlemark before Danu saw signs of her awakening. A sudden flex of her leg and then a change in her breathing. No longer the fast and deep pace then would make anyone else hyperventilate.

"I'm having the most wonderful dream," Sorrow spoke without opening her eyes.

"And what would that be?" Danu stayed her hand but quickly continued stroking when Sorrow frowned in protest.

"This." She whispered as she opened her eyes to stare into the archer's. How she loved to look into those rich brown eyes. Reaching up she brought Danu's hand down and kissed its palm. The sudden feeling of extreme heat on the archer's hand couldn't be accounted for by her arousal alone.

"How are you feeling?" She scooted out of the chair and onto the edge of the bed.

"Why don't you tell me?" Sorrow countered the question with a mischievous grin, as she placed Danu's hand onto the bare flesh of her collarbone.

"You're burning up!" Danu couldn't hide her worry.

"It's all right. It means I'm healing." Sorrow saw the archer's fear and tried to calm her. "Fire is a very powerful tool in my Father's realm. The heat is just my body's way of using that power to repair itself."

"It's much nicer that when you were cold." Danu remembered the icy feel that Sorrow's skin had once possessed.

"With you around, I could never be cold." With the little reserve strength she'd accumulated, she shot up to wrap her arms around Danu and pull her down onto the bed.

"Sorrow, your Mother is just outside on the porch." Despite her own objections she snuggled into Sorrow's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm afraid I'm still too weak to do anything that would get us in trouble." Sorrow bent down to steal a quick kiss and was happy to let it become an extended engagement.

"Sorrow, be good." Danu finally made herself break the kiss. "What would your Mother and Xena do if they saw me in here taking advantage of you?" She didn't understand why she was feeling so shy. After all they were in an Amazon village and she was an Amazon.

"Xena's going to close the door and make sure we have some privacy for awhile," She whispered the words so only Danu could hear them. Before the archer could question her choice of phrasing, she heard the small thud as the bedroom door was pulled shut. Turning a very deep shade of red she buried her head into Sorrow's cheast. "It's all right Danu. If there are two people who know about the importance of love, it's my Mother and Xena. They've been to Tartarus and back to be with each other."

"Kinda like us." Danu mumbled the words into the Princess' cheast, not knowing if she was wrong to make the comparison.

"Exactly." Sorrow's gentle touch coaxed her face upwards. "They know that you beside me is the only medicine I need."

"I'm still embarrassed." Danu answered honestly. "I don't know why but I'm so nervous around your Mother now."

"You weren't embarrassed or nervous yesterday." Sorrow teased her. "Mother, Xena and half a dozen other Amazon's were in the room with us then."

"That was different." She said blushing again. Sorrow watched sadly as the blush turned pale. "I'd said all those terrible things and then you'd died in my arms."

"Sssshh." Sorrow stroked the archer's blond hair. "I didn't mean to make you think about that."

"I wish I had the power to take back every one of my hateful words." Lost in her own guilt, the archer suddenly felt very unworthy to be laying there with her Princess. "I love you."

"You have a greater power than anything I've ever know." Sorrow spoke the words knowing they had extra meaning coming from the daughter of Dahak. "And you wield it every time you say those three little words."

"Then I love you, I love you, I love you?" Danu punctuated each 'you' with a gentle kiss.

"Would you like to go for a walk, my love?" Xena came out of the front door beaming.

"Yes, but I thought you were going inside to clean up?" Gabrielle rolled up the scroll and tucked it into its case. She was glad to have a good reason to stop writing. Although she knew this was an important story to chronicle, she also knew it would be very hard to write.

"Sorrow is feeling a tiny bit more energetic this morning. I figured it would be nice to give them some privacy." Xena offered her hand and helped the bard to stand. "We both know they have a lot to talk about." She attempted to clarify what she's seen, knowing Gabrielle had gotten another idea from her first comment.

"That's no fun." She wrapped her arms around Xena muscular neck. "You and I wouldn't be talking."

"If I had gone through what she has, I'm afraid that we would." The warrior laughed.

"He poisoned you as well, remember?" The bard's brow furrowed with the memory of seeing Xena fall.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Xena answered, leading her off the porch. "I was really hoping that you could leave the part about sticking your fingers down my throat out of the story."

"You're not mad at me for doing that are you?" Gabrielle has seen the warrior stiffen at the memory. She knew the idea of being that vulnerable hurt Xena's pride.

"You saved my life Gabrielle. How could I be mad at you?" Xena halted their steps and turned to face at her. "But I would be upset to have all of Greece knowing about it. I have a reputation to maintain." She raised an eyebrow.

"All right! Not one word about you throwing up. I'll just have to stretch the truth a little and say that not being affected by deadly poisons is another one of your many skills." Gabrielle smiled widely at the look she was getting. "After all this time I think I know what's good or bad for your reputation."

Laughing, Xena clasped the bard's hand and they resumed their walk.

"You look tired," Sorrow whispered, when she saw Danu's eyes getting heavy. "You didn't sleep well last night, did you?"

"No." Danu yawned. She knew sleep would have to wait a few more minutes. "When I went home Tearnon was waiting for me."

"She didn't hurt you did she?" Sorrow tensed at the guard's name. "Cause if she did?"

"Calm down," the archer hugged her closer. "She just had a few questions about what was going on."

'And a few choice comments about you.' Danu kept that thought to herself.

"You want to tell me about it?" Sorrow let herself relax in Danu's grip.

"She was just standing outside of my hut. She didn't understand what was going on, so I explained it to her." Danu knew the short explanation wasn't going to cut it.

"And she understood? Just like that?" Sorrow asked.

"Not really. She ended up screaming a lot. I just kept telling her that I love you and nothing will change that. I think she was really bothered that all the time I was with her, I really wanted to be with you." Danu tightened her grip on Sorrow to reinforce the truth in her word. "Finally after awhile she just swore at me, took her stuff and stalked off."

"I'm sorry, I should've been there to calm her down. You don't deserve to be yelled at like that." Sorrow cursed her own weakness and then cursed Ares.

"It's all right. She's just really hurt. I'm sure she'll get over it." Danu didn't know if she believed her own words. One thing she had learned during her time with Tearnon, was that the guard didn't forgive things easily.

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about you. Are you all right?" The Protector spoke softly.

"Better than I have ever been." Danu's heart answered as she snuggled in, taking a few deep breaths she allowed herself to sleep.

Sorrow patiently waited for the archer's breathing to reach a steady pace. Yawning, she gave into her own body's demand and went back to sleep as well.

"We should find Ephiny and see if there is any news of a retaliation," The warrior remarked awhile later, when she felt her sixth sense suddenly activated.

"Do you really think they'll start a war?" The Queen asked as they walked.

"I hope not." Xena felt less confident about her answer when she saw Ephiny wave to them across the courtyard.

"I was just coming to find you," the Regent said, handing a scroll to Gabrielle. "This just came in from the northern border."

"I can't believe this." The Queen had already finished reading the short letter and handed it to Xena.

"Now this is something I didn't expect." Xena reread the letter, focusing in on the name at the bottom. "I don't remember meeting a Queen Delany when we were in Aldernon."

"What?" Ephiny asked for an explanation. "Are they declaring war?"

"No," the warrior spoke coarsely. "They want to put Danu on trial for murdering King Rike."

Ephiny's eyes widened. Gabrielle just shook her head and sighed.

'One day,' she asked the heavens silently. 'Could we just have one day without any problems?'

"I'll find Danu." Ephiny tried to offer her help, expecting that the pair would need time to work out a plan.

"That won't be too hard." Xena thought of the happy pair curled up at her house. "She's at our place. Come on."

"Danu," Sorrow whispered, hating to disturb sleeping woman in her arms. "Danu, I think you better wake up."

"What?" Danu's eyes darted open, expecting the worse. Seeing Sorrow's smiling face she relaxed.

"Well not that it bothers me, but I thought you should know that Mother, Xena and Ephiny just came through the front door." She placed a soft kiss on the archer's forehead. "I didn't want you to be embarrassed."

Stealing a brief kiss, Danu moved to a sitting position just as the Xena knocked on the door.

"Come in," Sorrow called out, smiling at Danu who was busy smoothing out her skirt.

"Sorry to interrupt." Entering first, Xena winked at Sorrow. The Princess couldn't help but laugh.

"How are you feeling?" Gabrielle moved past the warrior towards her daughter.

"Better, but weak." She knew they could all see how frail she was. Ares' poison had almost been successful and her body was working overtime to fix itself.

"But you're still burning up." Gabrielle placed her hand on her daughter's forehead. "Remind me again that's a good thing!"

"It's a very good thing." Sorrow tried to give her a bright smile. "Hey there Ephiny."

"Hello Princess, I'm glad to see you're feeling better." The Regent smiled at her.

"Oh no, she's calling me Princess. I knew something was wrong." Sorrow looked directly at her Mother. Hers would be the one face that would give her a true idea of what was going on. "So?"

"I should give you some privacy." Danu squeezed Sorrow's hand and moved off of the bed to stand.

"No Danu, please stay." Gabrielle tried to ease the woman's nerves for the moment. "A letter arrived from Aldernon."

"I'm going to assume it wasn't an apology for trying to kill Xena and myself." Sorrow joked lightly, as her insides turned.

"No, not exactly." Gabrielle handed Sorrow the letter. She read it quickly and handed it to Danu. They all waited for her to finish reading.

"Can she really do this?" Danu looked to her Queen for answers.

"I'm afraid she can try." The bard bit her lip, remembering the treaty she had signed with King Rike. "There is a little clause in the treaty that says prosecution with occur in the kingdom in which the law has been broken and that the judicial system of that kingdom will be used."

"Maybe I'm missing something here. She hasn't murdered anyone. He had a dagger over my heart at the time. Not to mention the fact he'd tried to kill Xena. Danu hasn't committed any crime." Sorrow was visibly upset.

"By their law she has. Killing a member of their Royal family, no matter what said member is doing, is considered murder." Gabrielle hated to be the antagonist, but they both needed to know the truth.

"So, either the Nation goes to war?" Danu took a deep breath. "Or I go on trial for murder."

"Oh no! There isn't going to be a trial or a war. I'm going to put an end to this right now. " Sorrow moved quickly to stand, thinking her growing rage would give her strength. When her vision went black, she knew she had made a slight miscalculation

Xena took two quick steps, catching Sorrow just as her knees buckled.

"It's all right, I've got you!" Xena knew that the Princess couldn't hear her. She said the words more to comfort Gabrielle and Danu, as she lifted her unconscious daughter back onto the bed.

A heartbeat later, Sorrow's eyes flickered open.

"I passed out didn't I." She looked sadly at Danu. All the archer could do was nod. It was so hard to watch Sorrow this way and even worse to watch her struggle against it. Not caring who was in the room with them, she crawled up next to Sorrow on her knees.

"Promise me you won't do that again, please?" She put her hand on Sorrow's cheek, fixing brown eyes into green ones.

"You know I can't do that." The Princess wanted so desperately to raise her hand to meet the archer's, but the limb seemed just to heavy to move.

"Could we please have a minute alone?" Danu turned and asked the question sheepishly.

Knowing what the archer intended to do, Gabrielle gave Xena a slight nudge toward the door. Ephiny had already retreated into the main room. The door closed with a familiar gentle thud.

"Danu, I won't lay like an invalid while you're in danger." Sorrow used will alone to raise her hand to catch the archer's arm.

"My Princess," she whispered, her heart falling as she watched Sorrow struggle. "I don't think you have much of a choice."

"There is always a choice." Sorrow corrected her, desperately trying to think of one.

"Funny you should say that, because I believe there is." Taking Sorrow's hand, she held it in her lap. "And my choice is to go on trial. I won't have the Nation go to war over me."

"The nation won't go to war, I will." Sorrow buried all of her physical pain down deep. She was more afraid of the pain in her heart. "You know you won't get a fair trial. They'll find you guilty and demand a public execution. Do you really think I can let that happen?"

"No, I know you couldn't." Danu's eyes welled up with tears. "But if you go into battle to defend me, sooner or later you'll tire and you'll die."

"I haven't died yet and I've faced much bigger things than a army!" She faked a big smile, hating the pain she saw in the archer's eyes.

"Sorrow, please no jokes." Danu fought for control, as a small tear rolled down her cheek.

"You know I can't bear to see you cry, but I still can't promise you that I won't try to protect you." Sorrow knew her current state left her defeated. "But the choice is yours to make. Either way, I'll support you."

"Then I go to trial." She shuddered with the thought.

"Then we go to trial." Sorrow corrected her.

"No!" The archer's voice was stern. "You're going to stay here and rest until you're healthy again."

"Wait, not only do you not want me to try and stop this, but you want me to stay here?" Sorrow's voice revealed every ounce of her displeasure.

"Yes. I don't say this to hurt you." Danu rubbed the hand in her lap. "But you're too easy of a target right now."

'If they touch one hair on your head.' The thought made Sorrow bite her lip so hard she drew blood. 'I'll hunt every last forsaken member of that kingdom down and teach them what true suffering is.'

"Xena?" Danu's voice broke the silence she found in the main room. "Sorrow would like to speak to you."

Silently the warrior rose and went into her daughter's room. Danu pulled the door closed behind the warrior and took the empty seat at the table.

"I convinced her to let me go to trial." Danu looked at the floor as she spoke. "And not to endanger herself, unless it's absolutely necessary. I couldn't make her promise?" She didn't bother to finish the thought, knowing both the Queen and Regent already understood.

"She's right. The best choice is for her to go on trial." Xena answered the unasked question as she sat in the chair next to the bed. "In the very least it'll buy you time to heal."

"I know, I just don't like this." Sorrow looked at the warrior sadly. "I know it upset her, but I wouldn't promise, I couldn't promise."

Xena nodded. If it was Gabrielle who faced this death sentence, she knew she would be unable to make that vow.

"Will you do two things for me?" Sorrow struggled to sit up.

"Anything!" Xena moved to help her. Propping the Princess up on a pillow, she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I know if there's trouble, you'll think to save Mother first. Please think of her second." Sorrow locked her eyes to Xena's. "And promise me you'll call me the moment anyone makes a move to hurt her. You have to give me a chance to save her, even if I die trying." Xena nodded and pact between them was sealed.

"There is always a chance that we can reason with the judge." Gabrielle looked up to see Xena exiting Sorrow's room. When the warrior wouldn't hold her eyes, her heart knew that something had been agreed upon behind that closed door. Something none of them would like.

"She's asleep again." Xena leaned against the wall beside Gabrielle. "Danu, she'd like you to go in whenever we're finished here and wake her."

"Actually, I was hoping you'd allow me to send someone to get your things. We'd like you to stay here with us until we leave." Gabrielle glanced up at the warrior, who nodded her approval.

"Thank you." Danu brushed a stray hair from her face.

"What are we going to do if they find her guilty? Which I'm sure they will." Ephiny asked the question again. Unable to see any way of reasoning with whomever was going to judge the trial.

"First, Gabrielle will argue against the charges. While I figure out what kind of an army they have to back up their threats. If they do find her guilty, we'll just have to buy enough time to figure out something else." Xena stared into Ephiny, resenting the bluntness of her question.

"Under no circumstances will the Nation go to war," Danu spoke loudly, not the least bit intimidated by any of them regarding this. "I don't want to die, but I will not have other Amazon's dying in my place."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Gabrielle tried to bring calm to the situation. "All we know so far is that we have to be there by the crescent moon. Which means we still have three days before we need to leave. Let's not have any more talk of war or dying until it's absolutely necessary."

"I promised Madalene I'd pick her up from daycare." Xena stared out the window as she spoke. Despite the bard's instruction, she still though of war and Sorrow dying to save Danu.

"You should go and get her then. Ephiny and I are going to look over the treaty and see if we can find any loop holes." Gabrielle reached out to lay her hand on Danu's arm. "I'll tell Eponin that you're not to be scheduled for patrol until after we get all of this worked out. Your place is with my daughter."

Once everyone had left, Danu slipped back into Sorrow's room. She had no intention of waking the Princess. Half of her felt like laughing, while the other half felt like crying when the unconscious figure motioned for her to come lay down. Even deep within the recesses of her healing sleep, Sorrow knew exactly what the archer wanted. More importantly, she knew exactly what the archer needed.

"I love you." Pulling the smaller woman close to her, Sorrow awoke long enough to whisper the words the archer longed to hear.

Syn waited until she was right next to the Royal guard before she spoke.

"Tearnon, you're going to be waiting a long time for her to come home." The tall warrior used her staff to tap the door of Danu's hut.

"What do you mean? I'm not waiting for anyone." Tearnon turned viscously on the uninvited comment.

"Hey, I'm on your side!" Syn took a step back. "I just thought you should know that Danu no longer lives here." The guard's wide eyes gave her the inclination to continue. "Monka had orders earlier to come and collect all of her things." She stopped, deciding to make Tearnon ask if she wanted to know more. She wasn't disappointed.

"Where did Monka take her things?" Tearnon held her clenched fist behind her back.

"The Royal house," Syn spoke softly, trying to look saddened. "It appears the demon Princess is getting everything she wants. At the expense of loyal Amazon's like yourself."

Syn hadn't heard the argument between Tearnon and Danu firsthand. But she had been given a through report by one of her underlings. This could be just the opportunity that she needed.

"Damn right she's a demon," Tearnon answered, glad to finally have someone agree with her. "I spend every waking minute trying to make Danu happy and what do I get? She leaves me the first time that animal flies back into village."

"It's not your fault or Danu's" Syn took a step closer to the guard, not wanting to risk that her next words would be heard by uninvited ears. "The problem is Sorrow and the rest of the Royal family. The Nation would be much better off?"

"Syn, you're talking treason! I should arrest you right now." The guard's low hiss cut her off.

"Tearnon, we both know I'm telling the truth." Syn leaned in closer as she spoke. "If you really think I'm wrong, you can arrest me!" She held her hands in front of her.

"I don't have time for this!" Tearnon slapped Syn's hands out of the air.

"Why don't you come to my hut at dusk then? We could talk some more." Syn smiled. "I just want you to know that some of us are on your side."

"Maybe." Tearnon took one more look at her former home, before walking off.

'This is better than I expected,' Syn thought as she watched the guard walk away. 'This may be exactly the distraction we need.'

"Good Afternoon your Highness." Janyn, the daycare assistant, approached Xena the moment she entered the hall.

"Hello," Xena answered. "Is Madalene ready?"

"Actually," Janyn came a little closer. "I was wondering if I could speak to you about something for a minute. We've been having a little problem with the Princess."

"Problem?" The warrior looked over to see Madalene playing with another little girl at the far end of the daycare.

"Just a little one." The assistant had hoped to speak with the Queen. "Madalene has been a little aggressive towards some of the other children."

"In what way?" Xena questioned, trying to keep herself from laughing. She wondered how anyone could be surprised that her daughter was a little aggressive.

"In the last four days she's attacked five other children."

"What were they doing to her?" Xena didn't like Janyn's use of the word attack.

"Nothing that anyone can tell." Janyn cowered under the warrior's stare. "When I've broken them up, Madalene just says it was nothing. The other children are starting to fear her."

"I'll have a talk with her." Xena walked past the assistant to where Madalene was playing.

"Mommy," Madalene screamed when she saw Xena approaching. "I knew you'd keep your promise."

"I never break a promise." Xena bent down to receive a big bear hug from the little Princess. "Who's your friend?"

Xena studied the small, brown haired child. Slightly disturbed by the dark circles under the child's hazel eyes and her sickly complexion.

"This is Thallia!" Madalene released her hug and moved to help her playmate stand up. "She's my bestest friend."

"Hi Thallia," the warrior spoke quietly, trying not to frighten the frail little creature.

"Hello your Majesty." A happy voice came out of the child, who could hardly believe she was talking to the mighty Warrior Princess.

"Mommy?" Madalene asked, holding onto her friend's hand. "Can we walk Thallia home?"

"Sure." Xena smiled brightly at the request. She was curious to see who the youngster parents were and question how she was being treated.

The two girls walked ahead of the warrior, who couldn't believe her eyes when they stopped in front of the healer's hut.

"You live with Oxin?" Xena asked, just as the healer came out to greet them.

"Your Highness, is something wrong?" Oxin was alarmed to see the warrior bringing Thallia home.

"No, everything's fine." Xena moved over to the healer as the two little girls suddenly became very interested in their own conversation. "Madalene just wanted to walk your daughter home."

"She's not really my daughter." Oxin offered. "I took her into my care when her mother died." She continued without any further questioning, knowing Xena would be wondering about Thallia's appearance. "I was called up to assist a healer in a small tribe to the north. One of their warrior's had hemorrhaged to death during childbirth. The healer managed to save the baby, but the infant obviously had something wrong with her. This particular tribe is very superstitious and their priestess was afraid she was a omen of bad times. I feared for the poor thing's life, so I brought her home with me. She's been under my care ever since."

"What's wrong with her?" Xena asked the obvious question.

"That's the baffling part," Oxin sighed. "She has terrible pain's in her abdomen most of the time. Often she can't bare to eat at all. I really never expected her to live as long as she has." She smiled brightly as the little one caught her looking. "By the Gods Xena, I have never seen such an intelligent child in all my life. She was able to name every healing herb and it's properties by sight before she was three and just recently she taught herself to read and write. It's just so sad that's she's in pain all the time."

Xena nodded. Saddened to hear that Thallia had to suffer so much, but also thankful that her own daughter was healthy.

"Mommy," Madalene interrupted them. "We should go home now. Thallia needs to lie down and rest."

"Let's go then." Xena hoisted the little Princess up onto her shoulders and nodded to the healer.

"Bye Thallia." Madalene turned from her perch to wave to her friend as they walked away.

Danu was still curled up in Sorrow's arms when Gabrielle quietly entered the room.

"Danu? Danu," the Queen's soft whisper drew her out of a dreamless sleep.

"Is something wrong?" She asked quietly, hoping her voice wouldn't wake Sorrow. She was glad when the deep, fast breathing of the Princess didn't change.

"No, I just thought you might be hungry. The cooks were kind enough to deliver dinner here. I hoped you and I could eat together." Gabrielle stayed close to the doorway and watched Danu untangle herself from Sorrow's embrace.

"Thank you. I can't remember the last time I ate." Sitting down at the table in the main room she though about the turmoil of the last few days. How naïve had she been to hope that there would be no more problems, that she could possibly spend the rest of her life in happiness. Just loving Sorrow.

"You should've said something." Gabrielle took the covering off the bowl of hot stew and handed it to her. "Sorrow says she won't have to eat as long as the heat stays. I don't want to see you starving yourself just because she isn't eating."

Digging into the stew, Danu couldn't help but smile.

"What's that about?" the bard asked smiling back. She'd noticed the brief happiness as it crossed the archer's face and hoped that talking about it's origin might lighten the woman's mood.

"I was remembering how nice it is to have people worry about if you've eaten or gotten enough sleep." She let the memories of her mother and sister wash over her.

"You're part of our family now." Gabrielle stopped eating to look at Danu. "If you want to be?"

Danu nodded, taking a piece of bread from the tray in front of her.

"When Mother died I was eight and my sister Latty was twelve." Danu looked at Gabrielle for a moment, seeing the encouragement in the bard's eyes she continued. "One morning she woke us up and told us to pack an overnight kit. She was taking us on a trip." She took a sip from the cup in front of her. "We were only a half day's distance from the border when the bandits attacked us. She took down three of them before?" Danu focused in on the memory. "When the sword went into her, time slowed to a crawl for me. Another of the bandit's was carrying Latty off into the forest. She had tried to fight him with her staff but she was only a child." She took another sip. "There was a bow nearby, so I picked it up. I didn't think about what I was doing, I just did it. I put an arrow in the throat of the man who'd killed my Mother. Two into the cheast of another bandit who was running towards me and then three into the trees."

"Into the trees?" Gabrielle had asked the question in a heartbeat, desperate to know what had happened next.

"Yes, three into the trees." Danu nodded. "I couldn't see them with my eyes but my mind knew where he'd taken Latty. All three pierced his heart." The story was so unbelievable that she wasn't surprised by the look of shock on Gabrielle's face. She'd seen the same look every time she told the story. "Latty came running out of trees thinking Mother had saved her. All she found was me standing there with the bow in my hand." She'd never forget the expression on her sister's face. The sudden loss of innocence as Latty looked at their Mother and realized the fatal stab wound had already taken her. "Latty took charge. We did our best to build a stretcher. It took us two days to carry her home."

"Oh, Danu," she whispered, as she moved over to where the archer sat and crouched down.

"If only I had thought to pick up the bow sooner. I might have saved her." Danu felt the hot tears rising in her eyes.

"You were only a child." Gabrielle wiped a lone tear off the archer's cheek. Hardly able to believe that this beautiful creature had found the strength to kill so many, so young, regardless of the circumstances. She didn't condemn her for her actions. Only found herself wondering how different the archer's life would have been if she'd never been forced to pick up the bow that day.

"Hi, Mother! Hi, Danu!" Madalene raced through the front door and headed straight for Sorrow's room.

"Stop right there!" Gabrielle's voice brought her daughter to an immediate halt. "Your sister is sleeping. Come have something to eat and then you can go in and see her."

"All right." The little Princess moaned and walked slowly back to the table.

"Besides," Xena said, taking her place at the table and accepting the bowl of stew offered by the bard. "We have something to discuss. I had a little talk with Janyn when I went to pick you up."

"Is something wrong?" Gabrielle placed a bowl in front of Madalene and tucked her in to reach the table.

"Your daughter has been? what was the word the teacher used? attacking other children." The warrior knew the bard would appreciate the 'your daughter' part.

"There better be a reasonable explanation for this!" Gabrielle sat back down and looked sternly at Madalene.

"A very good explanation." Xena added in a low hiss. Knowing that if Madalene had inherited any of the warrior's aggressive nature, they would have to get it under control immediately.

"There is," Madalene answered, matter-of-factly as she began to eat. "They hurt Thallia!"

"Thallia?" Gabrielle glanced at Xena.

"She's my bestest friend!" Madalene answered, a bright smile on her face.

"Oh, she is?" The bard raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why are the other children hurting Thallia?"

"Because she's really smart." The short explanation was mumbled through a piece of bread.

"First, don't talk with your mouth full." Gabrielle pointed out. "Secondly, why doesn't Thallia stand up for herself?"

"I won't let her." Madalene gulped down the bread before answering. "If she was to get hurt then she might get sicker."

"Sicker?" The bard was concerned now. Although secretly proud that her daughter was sticking up for someone weaker than herself.

"Her tummy hurts really bad." Madalene dropped her spoon into the stew, a serious look on her face. "If I can protect her from getting hurt, then everything will work out like it's supposed to."

"What will work out?" Xena asked before the bard had a chance.

Furrowing her brow, Madalene looked up at the warrior. As the moments passed, the Princess' sight glazed over. Until she was no longer looking at Xena but through her.

"I'm going to marry Thallia." Blinking back into reality, Madalene began eating again. She was completely oblivious to the strangeness of her comment.

Gabrielle shot a confused look at Xena. Who, also at a loss, just shrugged her shoulders.

"We still have a little problem with you attacking your classmates." The Queen finally regained her train of thought.

"It'll be all right now. Everyone knows not to mess with Thallia."

"That's fine and good, young lady." Gabrielle leaned back in her chair. "But you can't go around beating people up. Regardless of what they've done."

"I tried to explain it to them, but no one would listen to me." Madalene shot a sly look at Xena. "Not until I started to crack some skulls!"

"There will be no more skull cracking!" the bard spoke authoritatively. "Under any circumstance. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mother." Madalene answered quietly.

"If you're finished eating, why don't you and Danu go see how Sorrow is doing?" Gabrielle glared at the warrior, who'd suddenly found something very interesting to look at in the bottom of her bowl. "I need to speak with your Mother about skull cracking."

"So glad you decided to join me after all." Syn motioned for the guard to enter. Tearnon hung in the doorway for a moment before resigning herself to go in.

"I have a few minutes before I go on patrol." The warrior absently picked at her fingernails. "I'm not really sure why I'm here."

"You don't have to be here for a reason," Syn offered, pouring two mugs of wine. "Drink?"

"Thanks." Tearnon nodded as she took the cup.

"I'm glad you did drop by. I have news about your archer." She took a long sip of wine, leaving ample time for the guard to ask her what the news was.

"What news?" Taking a sip of her own wine, the agitated red head shuffled nervously.

"The Queen of Aldernon has charged her with murder. She's going to go on trial." Syn shook her head sadly. "I can't believe the Queen is letting this happen." Seeing the guard lost in deep contemplation, she decided to lead her a little further. "At the very least you'd expect the demon Princess to protect her. Sorrow isn't even going with them to the trial."

"What?" Tearnon almost choked on her wine. "First it steals Danu from me and now it doesn't even have the decency to protect her!"

"I know! More wine?" Syn refilled the guard's empty cup.

"Thanks," Tearnon answered gruffly. "I really wish I had the opportunity to teach that demon a lesson."

"Funny you should mention that!" Syn moved closer. "There are many of us who'd like to see that happen and for you to get Danu back as well."

"Going against the Royal family is suicide! If Sorrow didn't kill you, Xena would tear you apart." Tearnon finished the last of her wine, refusing another refill.

"Let me worry about the Royal family. As a member of the Royal guard you'll be going with to Aldernon, right?"

"I can't see why I wouldn't be."

"Good. I don't want you anywhere near here when our plan goes into motion." Syn licked her lips.

"What plan?" Tearnon narrowed her eyes.

"The demon Princess is still very ill and I suspect very easy picking for the right kind of assassin!" Syn put it all on the line. Everything up to that point could've been explained away. Now she was definitely guilty of treason.

"You can't kill that beast. Can you?" The guard didn't care what laws were being broken now. She just wanted to know if Sorrow could really be taken out of the picture.

"In the words of the Goddess Artemis, 'An extraordinary effort to kill her'." Syn let out the small breath she had been holding. The hatred on Tearnon's face was obvious. "Ares' poison only did ninety-five percent of the job. I have someone who'll finish the other five percent."

"When is this supposed to happen?" Tearnon smiled at the idea of Sorrow getting what she deserved.

"While the Royal family are in Aldernon. There'll be no one to protect her and she's too weak to protect herself." Syn smiled back. "That's why I want you to be in Aldernon. You'd the primary suspect if you're in the village when it happens."

"True," Tearnon answered. "Why are you telling me all this? What's the catch?"

"Well, there is a small favor I might ask you to do later on. Nothing big though. Just offer a little help when I challenge Gabrielle's right to the Queen's mask."

"Have you forgot who the Queen's champion is?" Tearnon laughed. "You got a death wish or something?"

"Don't worry about the details Tearnon. That's my job. I just need to know that my help in getting Danu back for you won't go unnoticed." Syn placed a firm hand on the guard's shoulder.

"You get rid of that animal and I'll do anything you want!" The guard smiled back slyly.

"Gabrielle, how many times to I have to apologize?" Xena waved her hand in front of the bard's empty gaze. "I don't condone our three-year-old attacking anyone. Even if it is for a very good reason."

"Sorry! I wasn't ignoring you because of that. I was just thinking about what Madalene said at the table." Gabrielle rolled over to look at the warrior. "Did you notice how she looked when she said she was going to marry Thallia?"

"Oh course I did." Xena had gotten shivers from her daughter's visionless stare.

"It was like?" The bard didn't want to voice her concern. Fearing that to speak of it, would make it true.

"Like she was looking into the future." The warrior finished the abandoned thought.

"You saw it too then."

"How could I miss it? She looked right through me," Xena answered. "She doesn't seem upset about it though. Just driven to protect Thallia so that? how did she put it?"

"So that things would work out like they're supposed to." Gabrielle recited her daughter's strange words. Exchanging a concerned look, they silently agreed not to talk about it anymore. There would be no answers tonight. Snuggling together, they went to sleep.

Gabrielle was alone in the council chamber when Ephiny entered.

"I thought I'd drop in to tell you everything is ready for tomorrow." Ephiny took a seat at the long table. "Solari thinks the Royal guard will be sufficient protection, but I'd feel better if you took a couple of extra bodies along with you. Just in case!"

"No, the Royal guard will be fine." The Queen dropped her scroll onto the table. "If I wanted to bring enough warrior's to start a war, I'd just start the war and save everyone the worry of the trial."

"True," the Regent conceded.

"I can think of a thousand reasons why Queen Delany should stop this trial," the bard scanned the parchment again. "But I have a feeling she won't agree with any of them."

"If she's half as crazy as King Rike was?" Ephiny didn't finish, as she followed the bard's stare past her to see Delara standing in the doorway.

"Your Highness." Delara moved stiffly down to one knee.

"Are you all right?" Gabrielle could see the discomfort on the scout's face as she struggled to rise.

"Fine." The tall woman shuffled herself over to settle into the seat being offered.

Gabrielle braced herself for bad news. Delara's brown hair was unkept and the dark circles under her eyes said she probably hadn't slept since leaving the village. Usually the scout had an uncanny ability of looking untouched, regardless of how many days she'd been traveling or fighting. Offering the scout some water, the Queen waited patiently for her to start her report.

"I was unable to get past the valley, just a day's travel from here." Delara took a big swallow. "The Aldernon Army has it guarded from horizon to horizon. No one is getting in or out, without written permission from the Queen. I was unable to breech their camps at all." Delara remembered the sentry she'd encountered in the woods. Thankfully he had been off on his own. She'd have never made it back if he'd been able to sound an alarm.

"You're telling me that Queen Delany has posted her entire army along its southern border?" Gabrielle asked for clarification.

"Yes! The rumor is that she doesn't expect you to give Danu up for trial. She is preparing for war." Delara thought of the ugly drunken soldier who'd given her that little bit of information. His memory reminded her that she'd definitely need to take a long bath before she went to bed.

"I figured as much." Xena injected from the doorway. Sauntering over behind the Queen she looked Delara up and down. "Did you get away clean?"

"The only one who recognized me as Amazon won't be talking anytime soon." Delara met the warrior's stare. "Panther attack."

"Good." Xena was well aware of Delara's trademark. She laughed inside, knowing Delany's army would be wasting its time searching for the animal. Not one of them would suspect any different. Xena's unrelenting stare caused the scout to continue with her report.

"That sounds wonderful!" Ephiny shook her head when Delara was finished.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Gabrielle looked hopefully at Xena.

"Not that good either." The warrior answered her honestly. "I have a few ideas though."

"Which one you got there?" Sorrow leaned heavily against the doorway to her room, watching Danu read the scroll.

"What are you doing up?" Danu rose and crossed the main room quickly. "You should have called me to help."

"Danu, I'm fine. See!" Before the archer could reach her, Sorrow let go of the doorframe and took a tentative step.

"Humor me then." Danu put Sorrow's arm around her shoulder, attempting to take as much of the woman's weight off of her weak legs as possible.

"If you insist." Sorrow's raged breath came back in response. She'd used all of her will power to keep herself from tumbling to the ground and was thankful for the archer's strong arm around her waist for support.

"See, that was easy." She gave Danu a bright smile once she was sitting.

"Simple." Danu called back to her as she retrieved a blanket from the bedroom. Tucking it around Sorrow's legs, she sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry." Sorrow added softly. "I just thought is would be nice to sit here by the fire together for awhile. I didn't mean to cause so much worry."

Danu didn't answer. Looking at her weak Princess, she wanted to cry. She'd be leaving at dawn without her, leaving her here to fend for herself while she healed.

"Danu, I know you have to go. I don't like it. But I do understand." Sorrow read her thoughts. "Mother and Xena will take good care of you until I'm well enough to join you."

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you." Danu looked up into her love's deep green eyes.

"Come here." She opened her arms and the archer melted into them. Relieved to feel the heat pouring off of the Protector's skin.

"Now be good for Aunt Ephiny." Gabrielle gave Madalene another hug.

"I will." The little Princess hugged her back. "But why can't I stay with Sorrow?"

"You know why!" The bard wasn't going to get into this argument again.

"I promise, we'll go see her anytime you want." Ephiny patted Madalene's black hair. "Now go inside. Solari's got something for you."

Giving her Mother one last hug, Madalene bounded inside the Regent's house.

"I could bring her over in the morning, if you and Solari want have tonight to yourselves." Gabrielle sighed as she watched her little girl leave.

"There's no reason to wake her at dawn. Besides, Solari says this way she'll be guaranteed to get some sleep." Ephiny winked at her.

Despite everyone's objection, the dawn inevitably came. Sorrow opened her eyes to see the soft beginning's of the day coming through the bedroom window and Danu sitting in the corner. As any good warrior would, she'd awaken early to double checking her bow.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Sorrow pulled herself to the edge of the bed.

"I was watching you sleep." The archer slung the bow over her head. Comforted by the familiar feel of the weapon over her shoulder.

"That must be fun," she laughed, running her hand through her tousled mane. "I almost forgot. " Sorrow moved to get off the bed, but the archer stopped her. "I have something for you."

"Save your strength. I'll bring it to you." Danu offered, following her gaze to small package in the corner of the room.

"I know it isn't much," Sorrow mumbled as her hands fumbled to undo the leather cord that held the bundle closed.

Danu knew the object by its familiar shape. Without looking, she released the small buckle on her old armguard and let it drop to the floor. Sorrow took the opportunity to take the archer's arm into her lap and slip the present onto her forearm. The Princess carefully did up the series of small buckles around the back of her arm, until the guard was firmly in place. Danu watched Sorrow's finger trace the markings on the soft, brown armguard. The leather that covered her palm was embossed with the Amazon symbol for the Protector.

"I know it's not much," Sorrow stammered as she looked up into Danu's eyes. "And that usually you give a bracelet or some other piece of jewelry."

Danu took it a sharp breath when she realized what Sorrow was alluding to.

"And I'd gladly get you any of those once I'm better." She ran her hand over the archer's leather covered palm. "I couldn't let you leave without giving you something to remind you that I love you and without asking if you?" Danu knew she should stay quite, let the poor woman ask her the question, but she couldn't.

"Hold that thought!" Danu darted out of Sorrow's startled grasp and moved to retrieve her quiver. "I have something for you too." She added when she noticed the crushed look on her love's face. Moving back to sit beside her on the bed, she removed the small object hidden between the arrows.

"Compared to this?" She kissed the leather marking in her palm. "Mine is nothing." She placed the necklace into Sorrow's hand. The choker was made of small sections of carved, polished ivory. Each section strung to the next by small twists of leather.

"Would you put it on for me?" Sorrow asked smiling at the beautiful object in her hand. The archer's nervously tied the choker around the Princess' pale throat.

"It look's beautiful on you." Danu ran her hand over the ivory for a moment.

"Where on earth did you get it?" Sorrow's moved her hand to capture the caressing fingers.

"It was my Mother's." Danu face turned a shade sadder, despite her wide smile. Looking into the green eyes she loved, she was again filled only with joy. "I want to give it to you as a symbol of my promise."

"Looks like we both had the same idea." Sorrow put her hand to Danu's cheek. "So as I was saying? will you join with me?"

"I'm yours forever and always." Danu moved closer to lean her forehead against Sorrow's.

"As I am yours." Sorrow whispered just before they kissed.

When Danu finally emerged into the main room, no one missed the blush in her cheeks and the lightness in her step.

"Good morning!" She exclaimed, taking the tea offered by Gabrielle. Noticed the startled look on everyone's faces, of how she could be so happy on today of all days, she almost laughed. Here she was leaving the security of the village to go on trial for murder in a hostile kingdom and she could care less. All that mattered to her was that Sorrow hadn't only agreed to join with her, but had planned to ask her as well.

"Sleep well?" The bard finally let her curiosity get the better of her.

"Very well." The archer's smiling face beamed back at her. Face to face with the Queen now, she couldn't keep up her end of the bargain. Turning she walked back into Sorrow's room.

Gabrielle and Xena looked at each other confused for a moment. Sorrow's voice calling them into her room broke their frozen forms.

"I know, I never really expected you to be able to keep it a secret." Sorrow laughed and placed a small kiss on the archer's nose.

"What's going on?" Gabrielle came into the room with Xena right behind her.

"Danu and I have something very important to tell you." Sorrow looked up at her mother.

Seeing the marking on the archer's new armguard and the ivory choker around Sorrow's neck, the warrior knew immediately.

"Congratulations!" She put her arm around the bard's shoulders.

"What?" Gabrielle looked up confused at her for a moment before looking back to the pair on the bed. "You mean?"

"Yes, that is if you'll both give us your blessing?" Danu held tightly onto Sorrow's hand. A very tiny part of her was afraid what their answer would be.

"I believe you already have mine." Xena's pride made her stand a little taller.

"Of course you have my blessing." The bard moved to hug them both.

Syn leaned against the thick tree, watching the large procession make its way through the Northern Gate. She nodded when she noticed Tearnon was staring at her. A bright smile crossed her face. Maybe Queen Delany would be gracious enough to slaughter the entire Royal family for her. That would leave just Ephiny and the precocious three-year-old for her to deal with. She wouldn't rest her plan on that happening, but she could hope.

'First, things first!' She thought as she walked towards the dining hall for breakfast.

Even within the depths of unconsciousness, Sorrow's mind stretched out to find the archer. Saddened as her mind registered each of the steps that took the woman farther and farther away. Her mind could feel her Mother smiling. Bubbling with the knowledge that when all of this was over, she'd be returning to an official announcement of their joining. The dark cloud that surrounded the warrior didn't disturb her sleep. She was comforted by the fact that Xena had her mind on the most important of tasks. Bringing the archer back to her.

Their journey to the Aldernon border was uneventful. Cresting the last hill, Xena silently applauded Delara for her accurate description of what they were up against. Gabrielle had asked her how the Queen would be able to amass such a large army in a relatively small kingdom. The warrior only had one easy answer for her, money.

Everyone was wound tightly when they approached the fringes of the border. Hand signals from the back of the group told Xena that no one was coming up behind them. To both the warrior and the Queen's surprise, it was Lord Dunlop who came out on horseback to meet them.

"Queen Delany has asked me escort you into the compound." The nervous man hung his head.

"I have a question first." The Queen moved closer to his horse and waited for the man to dismount. "Who exactly is this Queen Delany?"

"She is the late King's twin sister." Lord Dunlop answered quickly. "She and her brother had a falling out many seasons ago. She was living in Rome when she heard of his death. As the only living heir, she returned to take the throne."

Seeing his discomfort, Gabrielle walked back to Argo. Excepting Xena's arm, she was soon sitting snugly behind the warrior.

"Lead on then!" Xena commanded the shaken man.

The compound turned out to be an elaborate grouping of tents and one building. The Queen's sole reason for constructing the large central hall was Danu's trial. On each side of the building a network of tents had been erected. The door flaps of the tents on the right were open to reveal that the structures were furnished but empty.

"These are for your use during the trial. The area within the green flags will be honoured as Amazon territory for the duration of your stay." Lord Dunlop explained to them as he dismounted. Handing the reigns of his horse off to a young soldier, he started to move towards the large tent on the left. "These are Queen Delany's quarters. She requested that I bring you to see her as soon as you arrived."

Xena jumped off of Argo. Gabrielle waited for the warrior to help her off the horse. Danu and the rest of the Royal guard dismounted together. A small number of Amazon warriors, brought along under the guise of stable girls, tended to the horses. Other warrior's began the job of unpacking supplies and getting the Amazon tents prepared for habitation. Solari signaled where she wanted guards posted around the Amazon portion of the compound. With five of her best warriors she followed the Queen, Xena and Danu into Delany's tent.

The large tent had been divided into several different rooms. The Queen's private chambers were at the back, hidden behind thick crimson curtains. The main area of the tent held a throne and large table.

"Welcome," Queen Delany's coarse voice greeted them as she emerged from a small curtained room behind the throne. Her black hair was cut short and the way it framed her face immediately reminded Gabrielle of Rike. No one could dispute that these two were twins. "I am so glad you've come to settle our little problem in a civilized way. I was so concerned that I'd have to start a war." She removed the sword from her side as she sat down on the ornate throne.

"I would like nothing more than to have a civilized discussion." Gabrielle locked her chin as she spoke. The hatred she felt towards Rike was instantly transferred to his repugnant sister.

"There will be more than enough time for that in the morning." Delany waved at Lord Dunlop, who raced to get her wine. "The trial starts at dawn."

"I was hoping we could discuss things first and that this trial might not be necessary." The bard tried to filter the dislike from her voice.

"What would we need to discuss?" The dark haired Queen cocked her head to one side and stared wide eyed at the Amazon. "The treaty is very clear. The crime was committed in my kingdom, so my laws apply."

"Yes, you are correct." Gabrielle knew better than to dispute this moot point with her. "I'm not sure if you are aware of some of the extenuating circumstances surrounding your brother's death."

"What extenuating circumstances could possible change the fact that my brother, the King, was murdered?" She dragged out the last word for effect.

"Your brother had poisoned two members of the Amazon Royal family and was a heartbeat away from killing my daughter. I see those as fairly compelling extenuating circumstances." The bard pointed out what she was sure Delany already knew.

"True!" She gulped her wine. "In your kingdom that might make a difference and it may make a difference to the trial judge. But too me, it doesn't mean anything!" She lowered her dark eyes to stare into the Amazon Queen.

Gabrielle fought the urge to shake her head at the woman's stubbornness. Her first logical attempt to have the trial stopped was failing, so she changed her tactics. Queen Delany seemed more like a spoiled child than a monarch. The type of person who only responded to authority and not gentle persuasion. Hoping her character assessment was right, she tried a new approach.

"I have a request regarding the trial." Her words dragged Delany's wavering attention back.

"Yes?"

"I am sure your kingdom has many fine judges. I ask only for the right to pick one from among the many to rule during the trial." She crossed her arms in front of her. The request was not unreasonable and from Delany's response she'd get some evidence of how fair the trial was to be.

"Of course." Delany chuckled. "I have twenty possible choices for you. I'll send them all to your quarters immediately."

'Twenty!' The bard groaned to herself. She hadn't counted on such a large number, determining the best candidate was going to take all night.

"Excellent!" Gabrielle smiled brightly, refusing to give Delany the satisfaction of seeing her upset.

"Guards!" Delany stood suddenly and screamed. Xena and the Royal guard went on immediate alert as two soldiers entered the tent. "Take the prisoner away."

"Now is that really necessary?" Gabrielle's calm voice broke the tension. "Do you have such little faith in your army that you think they couldn't stop this small woman from escaping?" She motioned to Danu who stood behind her.

"Fine." Delany spat, embarrassed by her own overzealousness. Silently she cursed Rike for leaving her to deal with the annoying Amazon Queen. "Dunlop show them to their quarters!"

Gabrielle nodded her approval at woman's change of heart. Turning she followed the rest of her group out of the tent.

Leaning back further into the throne. Delany concentrated on the image of Danu in her mind. She'd picked out the archer immediately from the other Amazon's. Surprised by how small the woman seemed compared to the monster she'd conjured in her mind. But size didn't matter, she'd still pay for her crime.

"Thank you." Gabrielle tried to make her tired muscles smile for the hundredth time as the man exited the tent. "Solari please send in the next candidate."

"That was the last one." The warrior stuck her head inside the tent flap.

"Thank the Gods." The Queen slumped down in her chair.

"Any of them seem honest?" Xena slipped in behind her.

"A few." Gabrielle turned to the warrior. "So do you have good news or bad?"

"Neither. The army is exactly as Delara described it."

"I was hoping you'd return to tell me that you'd found a way to beat them yourself." The bard looked at her through tired eyes.

"If it comes down to it?" Xena bent down and kissed her. "You know I'll find a way."

The merciless dawn came too quickly for Gabrielle. Looking up to see Xena already dressed and eating, she realized she'd slept in late.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She struggled to shake the sluggishness from her legs as she dressed.

"I did and you told me to go to Tartarus!" Xena answered playfully. "I figured I'd just throw a bucket of cold water on you in a few minutes."

"I'm sorry, did I really say that?" She looked sadly at her partner. She knew she could be a real grump when she didn't get enough sleep.

"I'm kidding." The warrior moved to embrace her. "I was waiting as long as possible before I woke you up."

"Thank you." Moving up onto her tiptoes she kissed the leather clad woman. "Expecting trouble?" She looked down to see Xena's breast dagger in its usual place.

"Just want to be prepared." The warrior followed her gaze down. "You better hurry up and eat. Delany's going to want to start soon." She led the sleepy woman over to the table. "Did you make a decision on who you want to be the judge?"

"Yes, there is one who I'd really like but I doubt she'll go for it." Gabrielle tore into a piece of cheese. "Once she rejects him, I have a second choice she'll readily agree to."

"When did you get so sneaky?" Xena instantly realized the bard's plan. Having Delany reject her first choice, would force the acceptance of her second choice without argument.

"Me, sneaky?" She looked up innocently. Finishing the last of her breakfast she went over her trial notes. The sound of trumpets told them it was time.

Danu was talking with Solari outside of the Queen's hut when the trumpets sounded.

"Good morning!" Gabrielle emerged first and went straight to hug the archer. Seeing her future daughter-in-law looking so nervous almost broke her heart. Pulling back she looked Danu in the eye. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

"I know." Danu tried her best to smile. The truth was she wasn't worried about herself, she was worried about Sorrow.

"My Queen, everyone is ready." Solari's report shattered the fragile exchange. Gabrielle nodded and led the Amazon procession to the trial hall.

The large building was overflowing with people. Two dozen benches were arranged in rows to look at a large desk against the far wall of the room. Delany's throne had been moved from her tent to the right side of the hall, in front of the benches. Three large padded chairs sat across from the throne on the left side of the hall. Under Solari's supervision the Royal guard was positioned throughout the crowd for security. Danu silently took one of the three seats on the left side of the room, while Gabrielle and Xena stood nearby talking. A lone chair sat off to the right of the desk, waiting for the testimony of those who'd borne witness to the crime.

Queen Delany entered the room with Lord Dunlop and the twenty possible trial judges in tow. She slammed herself down into her throne and glared at the Amazon Queen. Whose tactic was to ignore the childish woman as the rest of the crowd fell hushed.

"Who is your choice?" Unable to bare the bard's silence, Delany barked the question across the hall at her.

Purposely turning back to finish her conversation with Xena, she made the dark haired Queen wait a few more moments before she spoke.

"I choose Lord Dunlop." She smiled brightly at the shocked figure across the hall.

"He's not a judge, you can't choose him!" Delany slammed her fist down onto throne's armrest.

"He is a member of the Royal house and privy to all the laws of Aldernon, is he not?" Gabrielle took a few steps closer.

"Yes, but he was witness to the events following my brother's murder. He cannot stand as judge." The irate Queen shifted in her seat.

"Then my second choice is?" She scanned the group of judges one last time. "Judge Henrik."

"Fine, everyone else is dismissed!" Delany smiled, happy that she'd forced the Amazon Queen to make an unwanted choice. She watched amused as the gray haired judge bowed first to her, and then to Gabrielle, before taking his seat behind the large table at the front of the hall.

"Please read the charges." Henrik instructed the guard who sat now to his right.

"The Amazon warrior known as Danu is hereby charged with the murder of King Rike." The guard's loud booming voice echoed through the hall.

"I object to the charges." Gabrielle spoke firmly. She was the only person in the room standing and this alone struck the crowd as a defiant action.

"On what grounds?" Henrik admired the young woman's determination. He'd struggled all night to understand the relevance of many of her interview questions. The only thing he was sure of, was that she wasn't about to give up without a very compelling argument.

"Although I acknowledge that the treaty between Rike and myself would dictate that Danu be tried here, under your rules, I plead that there are reasonable extenuating circumstances that negate the right to charge her with murder." The bard kept her voice even and confident. With each word her general nervousness diminished and she settled in to do what she did best. Talk up a storm

"What circumstances do you view as being so extraordinary that the law would not apply in this case?" The judge questioned. There was no circumstance he knew of that could negate the law but he was curious as to what she'd argue.

"Danu did not kill the King out of malice or revenge. She killed him because that was her duty. At the moment her arrow pierced his heart, his dagger was poised to kill a member of the Amazon Royal family. My daughter, Princess Sorrow." Gabrielle glanced at Delany. The woman's blank stare made her uneasy. "This in addition to the attempt by the King to poison both the Princess and my Champion earlier in the evening, is surely enough reason to dismiss the charges."

Henrik looked at the Warrior Princess. Xena stared right back at him.

"The law is clear!" Delany rose up, breaking the momentary silence. "Rike's actions prior or even during the moment of his death are irrelevant. She killed a member of Aldernon Royal family. She's guilty of murder."

"Right now I am ruling on the right of this court to charge Danu." Henrik spoke directly to his Queen. No matter what her agenda might be, he was bound and determined to give the Amazon warrior a fair trial. "The matter of guilt is not the issue right now." He cleared his throat and looked at Gabrielle. "Whether the law is reasonable or not is not mine to decide. Queen Gabrielle, do you deny that you freely signed the treaty with the King?"

"I freely admit that I signed the treaty." Gabrielle conceded the point since she couldn't deny it.

"Then as dictated by the treaty between Aldernon and the Amazon Nation, Danu must stand trial for the murder of King Rike." His eyes silently apologized. His hands were tied, only the Queen could change the letter of the law. "Queen Delany you may begin the presentation of the case against the accused."

"I call Lord Dunlop to testify." Still standing, the Queen waited for Dunlop to sit before she began. "Please describe to me in your own words everything you witnessed from the moment the Amazon Royal family arrived at the castle, up until the moment my brother was found murdered."

Taking a deep breath, Dunlop told his version of events to the court. Under Delany's prompting he was forced to admit that he'd hid them in his chambers the night of the murder and the following day. Admit that he alone had given the antidote to Xena and only with his help had they been able to escape. Although glad to get the secrets off his cheast, Dunlop knew he'd be killed after the trial for treason.

"Dunlop," Delany purred as she paced around him ready to pounce. With every word this man was digging himself a deeper grave that she would happily send him into. She focused herself on the task at hand. "I want to clarify something. When you met Danu in front of the ante-chamber, what were her exact words when you asked her where the King was?"

"She said 'Your so-called King is dead. I sent him to Tartarus, where he belongs.'" Dunlop's words were punctuated by a deep gasp from the crowd.

"So she admitted, without any prompting, that she killed my brother?" The monarch asked.

"Yes."

"Thank you, Lord Dunlop." Delany waved him away. The thankful man sprang from the chair and tentatively moved to his previous position near the throne. "I call Xena, Warrior Princess to testify."

Xena stood stiffly, adjusted her armor, before she confidently strode to the witness chair and sat down.

"You were witness to my brother's murder, were you not?" Delany cut right to the point.

"No." The warrior's short answer caused the Aldernon Queen to stop her pacing.

"You're denying that you were in the ante chamber when he died?" She studied the warrior face.

"No. I was there when he died." Xena leaned her weight forward in the chair and challenged Delany. "I just don't believe he was murdered."

"Please don't start that all over again!" Delany threw her hands up in disgust. Focusing her eyes to stare at the warrior she poised her own challenge. "What were you doing when my brother was killed? Obviously your reputation is a little exaggerated. I thought the mighty Warrior Princess would've had no trouble defeating the God of War and disarming my brother!"

Xena was silent. Her stare into the dark haired Queen didn't falter as she answered.

"When your brother was killed," her voice was deep. "I was fighting the God of War. Who for your information, didn't get his title because he looked good in leather pants." She hated giving Ares any credit but how else could she defend her lack of action.

"But from your prone position on the floor you did see who fired the lethal arrow?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Danu fired the arrow to protect the Princess." Xena stopped the one-word answers to add her interpretation of the event.

"Once again, I don't care about her motivation. Just that everyone has heard you admit that it was Danu who fired the fatal shot." Delany waved her hand to dismiss the warrior. Xena remained in the chair, unwilling to follow her command.

"Xena you may return to your seat." Henrik's soft voice added after a long uncomfortable silence. Only on his request did the warrior move. "Queen Delany you may call your next witness."

"I call the accused to testify." Turning to face the crowd, she walked back to her throne. She sat patiently as Danu slowly made her way to the witness stand, only when the archer was seated did she rise again.

"Did you kill my brother?" She asked the blunt question.

"Yes." Danu's voice was blank. She tried not to show any emotion, afraid that her feelings would only serve as ammunition for the vengeful Queen.

"Everyone here seems to be very preoccupied with why you killed him. I have to admit, I'm a little curious myself." Delany stood a few feet away from the archer. "So, why did you kill him?"

"It was my duty." Danu raised her head proudly. "I had to protect the Princess."

"Protect her from what?" Delany shot a quick look at Gabrielle. Who'd been studying every one of the woman's words, looking for something she could use against her.

"King Rike was about to plunge a dagger into her heart." Danu answered confused. Why would Delany be asking this again?

"And she'd already been poisoned?"

"Yes." Her answer was slow.

"What other titles have the Amazons given Princess Sorrow?" Delany smiled wickedly, knowing that the Amazon Queen wouldn't be expecting this angle.

"Titles? I don't understand what you mean." Danu was genuinely puzzled.

"Isn't your Princess also known as the Demon Ranavalona?" Delany turned away from the archer and stared at Gabrielle. A little disappointed by how well the woman managed her shock. "Isn't she also known as the Protector?"

"She is both." Danu gulped hard as she answered. Frantically trying to figure out how this woman could've known either of these things. The answer came suddenly. Dropping her right hand to the side of the chair, she used signals to convey her suspicions to Solari. Who in turn signaled Xena. The signal gave no new insight to the Warrior Princess. She'd come to the same conclusion earlier.

"There is a spy among us." She whispered the words to Gabrielle. A slight flinch was the only response the bard could afford.

"Now then?" Delany returned to her pacing as she spoke. "Could you please tell the court what Princess Sorrow is?"

"She is not a what!" Danu's strong voice snapped back at her questioner.

"You seem very touchy about that. I'll get back to why that is in a moment." She stayed her pacing for a heartbeat before restarting the rhythmic walk once more. "I'll make this easy. Isn't Princess Sorrow really an immortal demon from another realm?"

"She's not immortal." Danu shook her head.

"You're agreeing that she is a demon and that she is from another realm?" Delany laughed at the archer's discomfort.

"Yes." Danu hoped the short answer would save her from revealing any more. She refused to argue that Sorrow was part human due to her soul. She wouldn't give the monster before her the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

"Why do you say she is mortal?" The Queen looked at the hall's high ceiling. Unable to look at the pitiful archer, less she burst out laughing.

"The Goddess Artemis proclaimed that she was." Danu hoped the word of a Goddess would convince the court of Sorrow's mortality.

"Please tell the court how it is that the Princess can be killed?" Delany looked back at Danu with pleading eyes.

"I don't know." Danu bowed her head.

"Then I'll make it easy. Tell the court so far what injuries have failed to kill her!" Delany grew impatient with the archer's silent contemplation and began to mock her. "Hello?"

"She has survived many wounds." Danu finally began. "From swords, Xena's chakram and?" The archer couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"Did she survive having the wings cut off her back? Did she survive four seasons buried underground in molten rock? Didn't she survive being poisoned?" Delany's voice grated the archer's nerves like knives. All Danu could do was nod. "What in the world made you believe that this dagger would kill the Protector?" Delany pulled her brother's dagger from the harness in her sleeve and embedded it into the judge's table. Dropping her voice down to a low hiss she continued. "I think you had a much more emotional reason for murdering my brother! Jealous much?"

Danu's jaw dropped with the accusation. Her mind was still busy trying to understand how, even with a spy, this woman knew so much about Sorrow.

"I mean why else would a lowly archer chose to stay behind with Xena. Her bow would be of little use when they were attacked by the palace guards." Delany licked her lips. "That is, unless she could use that bow to murder the one man who threatened to steal away her demon lover. You were so possessive of her that you went to confront her that evening, didn't you?" She gave Danu no time to answer. "What was it you called her, the village whore? I guess her nocturnal encounter's with my brother would qualify her as one."

"She did nothing with your disgusting brother." Danu response was loud and angry. Her white knuckled hands gripped the chair in an attempt to keep herself from charging the woman.

"All right, so that was a little exaggeration. It did show everyone just how defensive you are about the Princess." The Queen laughed. "In an attempt to make the decision of this court an easier one. I believe I have shown that Danu wasn't doing her duty when she killed my brother. But that she murdered him in cold blood because she was jealous. She knew the Princess was not in any danger because she couldn't be killed. She had no other reason to fire the fatal arrow then she was afraid that my brother would steal Sorrow from her."

Danu could hardly breath. Her mind tried to remember when exactly it was that everything had gone so wrong. When exactly was it that she went from a warrior doing her duty to a revengeful jealous lover?

"Now, although the letter of the law states that what my brother was doing at the time he was murdered has no bearing on this trial. I think you will agree that the motivation of his killer is of the utmost importance in the determination of guilt and punishment." Delany addressed the judge.

"Yes, her motive is of great importance." Henrik looked sadly at the Amazon in the witness chair.

"Then I believe I'm finished." The Aldernon Queen turned and began to walk back to her chair. As an afterthought she turned to add one last request. "When she is found guilty, I request that the punishment be an immediate public execution." Smiling happily she returned to her throne.

"Judge Henrik, I humbly ask for a recess." The Amazon's Queen even voice came the moment Delany's hateful request was finished.

"On what grounds?" Protocol forced the judge to ask, he couldn't just recess the trial without a compelling reason.

"I must admit that I have come here today as a lamb walking into a lion's den. I am at an obvious disadvantage in that I had no idea what evidence Queen Delany would present." The Queen's soft words begged for his sympathy. In his interview, she had gotten the impression that he was an emotional man. That he suffered with his position as judge. Always worried if justice was really being served when he ordered someone to be executed. "I will need time to form a proper defense to these accusations." Gabrielle knew she was taking a chance. She was confident that even if the recess was denied, she could regain herself in a heartbeat.

"Under the circumstances, that seems quite reasonable." Henrik reacted as Gabrielle had expected. He believed that justice wouldn't be served if the Amazon Queen wasn't given time to prepare a proper defense. "The trial will resume tomorrow at high noon." The icy look from his Queen made him realize the unusualness of his decision. If the trial started at noon, he hoped the Amazon Queen would argue enough to give the archer at least one more day on earth. With what had been presented so far, Danu would surely be executed.

Back in the Amazon portion of the encampment, the archer broke down. She didn't return to the Queen's tent with everyone else, instead opting to go into one of the smaller structures alone. Her mind tried to understand how all of this could be happening.

'I'm going to be executed!' The once unbelievable thought suddenly seemed possible and with this thought came an even greater worry. She rushed to find Xena.

The warrior was sitting at the table in the main tent, discussing strategy with Gabrielle and Solari.

"I don't care what you promised!" Danu's frantic voice announced her entrance into the tent. Ignoring that Xena could snap her like a twig, the archer moved to challenge the warrior. "You will not call her!"

"That isn't your decision." Xena shook her head and stood up to meet Danu's approach. When the archer planted herself only inches in front of her, the warrior prayed she wouldn't move. Afraid her reflexes would react without her mind's consent.

"Whose is it then?" Danu jaw began to quiver. "Hers? You know she'd be here now if it was her choice."

The warrior shook her head. Sorrow may have made the request, but she would decide if the Protector was called.

"Yours then?" Danu choked on the words. "Cause if you call her, you're killing her." The image of Sorrow struggling to simply lift her arm flooded back to the archer. "Do you understand how weak she is? How vulnerable?"

"Danu, calm down." Gabrielle approached the archer carefully and led her away from the tense Warrior Princess. "You don't have to worry about this. No one will have to make that decision. I won't let that happen."

"Have you lost your mind?" Danu questioned, with no thought that she was talking to her Queen and Sorrow's mother. "They're going to find me guilty and they're going execute me. Whatever clever argument you come up with tonight is only going to stop them."

"She's right, Gabrielle." Xena hated agreeing with Danu's bleak view of the future.

"No, she's not right!" The bard snapped at both of them. "I refuse to believe that we've lost before we've even tried to fight. I can not and will not walk into that hall tomorrow believing that everything I say is futile and I would appreciate it if the rest of you, at least faked, a little confidence." Fed up with all of them, she stalked out of the tent. Her last look told the warrior not to follow.

"We have another problem to deal with." Xena turned back to Solari, forcing herself to heed the bard's unspoken command. "As we all figured out, there's a spy in the nation."

"It seems that way." Solari returned from the corner she'd retreated to during the argument. "She knows things only those in the village would."

"She knows even more than that." Xena replayed Delany's words in her mind. There were only two people who knew that at the time Rike was killed, she'd been on the ground in one of the corners of the antechamber. There'd also been one God in the room. At the very least Ares was feeding Delany information. The important thing now, was to figure out what he gained from all of this.

A candlemark later, when Gabrielle still hadn't returned, Xena went to search for her. It didn't take any of the warrior's skills to realize that she'd gone to the stables. The four members of the Royal guard, standing at attention outside the structure, gave away the Queen's location.

"I'll guard her now." The warrior gave the order as she entered the stable. She didn't bother looking around as she went straight to Argo's stall. The Amazon Queen was sitting on a pile of fresh hay not far from the horse.

"Gabrielle, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I doubted you." Xena offered the apology freely when she realized the bard had been crying.

"It's not that." She sighed loudly, fighting back another wave of tears. "Danu is right. No matter what I say tomorrow, he'll find her guilty and Delany will have her executed. It's just?"

Xena sat down in the hay beside her. She'd known all along the real reason why the bard had lost her temper.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. That was wrong." Hanging her head, she spoke the words softly.

"You were wrong!" Gabrielle snapped back. "I knew though. I was waiting for you to say something. But you didn't. I thought we shared everything. What hurts the most is knowing that you're willing to keep something like that from me." The hurt look on Xena's face made her soften her tone. "How were you going to explain Sorrow suddenly showing up out of no where?"

The silent warrior shook her head. She'd tried not to think about that. Thinking about it made her remember how horrible it was to be keeping secrets from the woman she loved.

"You'll call her, won't you?" Gabrielle stared into the warrior's blue eyes for an answer. "You will. No matter how much Danu or I object."

"What would you have me do Gabrielle?" Starring back at the bard she asked the unanswerable question. "If I don't call her Danu will die and I go home to face Sorrow's grief. I know what's it's like to lose the person you love." The image of Gabrielle dragging Hope into the fiery pit filled her mind. "I don't know if I can put her through that." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Or I call her. Even in her weak state she may be able to fight them for awhile and I'll do my best to help her. Do I take the chance of her being killed? Do I take the chance of being so caught up in fighting that something happens to you? What would you have me do Gabrielle?"

"By the God's Xena, I don't know." The bard whispered, resting her face in her hands.

"I was only hoping to spare you the burden of this choice. That's why I didn't tell you that Sorrow made me promise to call her." Xena's low voice apologized again.

"Wait." Gabrielle looked up at her. "You promised her?"

"Yes." She'd hoped the bard wouldn't pick up on her choice of words.

"Then I guess the choice is already made." Gabrielle took a deep breath and finally allowed the burning tears to fall from her eyes. Her warrior wouldn't go back on a promise, no matter what the consequences may be.

"She has to be given the chance Gabrielle." She gathered the crying woman into her strong arms. "I'd want her to do the same for me."

"Slow down, Madalene!" Ephiny called as she increased speed to catch the little Princess running ahead of her. "She'll be there whether we run or walk."

"But she called me!" Madalene pleaded, she'd been so happy when Sorrow's voice had floated into her head during dinner.

"All right, let's go!" Ephiny picked up the child and shifting her into a piggyback carry, broke into a run.

"So you did hear me." Sorrow smiled when the duo burst into her room. "I was starting to think you were ignoring me."

"Aunt Ephiny is slow." Madalene jumped from her perch atop the Regents back to land on the bed. She quickly moved to hug her sister. "I missed you."

"I know, I missed you too." Sorrow hugged her tightly. Relieved when her arms promptly responded to her mind's direction.

"How are you feeling?" Ephiny asked concerned as she sat down in a nearby chair. Sorrow had been in her coma like sleep since Danu's departure.

"A little better." Sorrow managed, with a some effort, to sit up and lean against the headboard of the bed. "Any news?"

"Not a word." The Regent shook her head sadly. "But no news is good news, right?"

"I hope so." Sorrow answered, distracted by the little Princess who hands were busy admiring her promise necklace.

"Where'd you get this?" The child asked fascinated by the smoothness of the white ivory.

"It was a gift from Danu." She smiled as she spoke. Her happy thoughts of the archer were quickly broken when Madalene slid one small hand between the necklace and her skin. Her other hand gripped tightly onto Sorrow's right hand. "What's wrong Madalene?" Sorrow recognized the change in her immediately. Starring first at Sorrow and then through her, Madalene's monotone voice answered.

"You must remember her vow. Only you heard the words. Only you can invoke the law. You are the law. She is yours alone to claim." Her grip on Sorrow's hand was as tight as her small fingers would allow. "Flesh and Fire. Fire and Flesh. You are the law. Call forth the fire." Madalene released her grip on the necklace and ran her fingers softly over the scar on Sorrow's palm. "Call forth the fire and soar on the flames." Blinking hard, a sudden shiver went over the Princess as she came back to herself.

"Madalene, are you all right?" Sorrow gathered her sister into her arms and stared deep into her eyes.

"I'm fine." The tiniest of voices answered.

"What did you see?" Sorrow questioned.

"Danu in the forest. On her knees. In the rain. A big leather book. I couldn't read the writing. You, a big fire and then you flying." Madalene tried to hold onto the fading images. When the last of them fled from her mind, she felt normal again. "You're thirsty! I'm going to get you some water." She exclaimed suddenly and scrambled off the bed. Ephiny could see that Sorrow was shaking.

"It's happened before. She's fine now." Ephiny tried to offer a shred of comfort to the Princess.

"When? I've never seen her do that." She tried to calm herself. She could still feel the Madalene's blank stare penetrating into her soul. The Regent went on to explain Madalene's vision of marrying Thallia during dinner.

"That time she understood what she was seeing. I don't think she had any idea what she was watching this time." The lack of similarity between the two events made Sorrow worry even more.

"Does what she was said mean anything to you?" Ephiny finally asked, hoping that at least part of the cryptic message meant something to the Princess.

"The 'Flesh and Fire' part could be about my body using heat to heal. That once the flesh has enough heat, I'll be able to fly again." That part of the message had seemed so clear. "I have no idea what she's talking about with me being the law and being the only one who can invoke it."

"Could she mean Amazon law?" Ephiny smiled as she offered the obvious interpretation. "You are a Princess."

"I don't think so." Sorrow thought for a moment. "While Mother is away, it's your power alone to administer Amazon law. Even as Princess, I fall under your command."

"True." Ephiny agreed, although she knew deep down she would always look for Sorrow's opinion on decisions. "What about this big leather book she mentioned?"

"I'm back." Madalene came in balancing the large mug in her small hands

"How did you know I was thirsty little one?" She took a long drink of the cool liquid.

"Just knew!" The little Princess jumped back onto the bed. "Aunt Ephiny and I are going to leave now. You need to go back to sleep." She proclaimed authoritatively.

"Guess I've been told." Sorrow laughed. "You be good for Aunt Ephiny, okay?"

"I will." Madalene gave her a big bear hug.

"And Ephiny, I'll let you know if I think of any explanations." The Regent's nod, told the Princess that she understood.

Hearing the front door close, Sorrow moved back down onto the bed. Closing her eyes, the healing sleep came to her quickly. Even as she slept, the question of what Madalene's vision meant consumed her mind.

Tearnon stared at the ceiling of the tent. Judging from the amount of sunlight hitting the roof, she had less than a candlemark before she'd have to report for watch duty. Her thoughts were focused on the archer. She'd almost died when Queen Delany had accused Danu of being Sorrow's jealous lover. How stupid had she been? That demon had intended on stealing Danu from the moment she'd flown into the village. It must have been the Princess who arranged for Danu to go to Aldernon. Why else would you bring an archer to a treaty negotiation? The Princess had probably arranged for her to stay home so that they could be alone. Suddenly the reason why most of the Royal Guard hadn't made the first trip to Aldernon seemed very clear. The entire Royal family was conspiring to keep her and Danu apart.

'I hope you're holding up your part of our agreement.' Tearnon thought of Syn and her secret assassin. 'I hope you kill her slowly.'

"Aunt Ephiny? Aunt Ephiny!" Madalene jumped up onto the sleeping woman's stomach.

"What?" Ephiny shot straight up, knocking the little Princess onto Solari's side of the bed.

"We have to go to my house." Madalene regained her balance and started for the door.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" The sleepy woman attempted to regain control of the situation. "Why do we have to go to your house? It's the middle of the night."

"Sorrow's in danger!" The little Princess stood impatiently in the doorway. "Someone's trying to kill her!"

The Regent stopped herself from asking the obvious question. She decided to have faith in Madalene's abilities. Grabbing her sword, she followed the little Princess out of the hut.

"What's wrong?" Delara was returning from the baths when she saw the Regent running with the little Princess across the courtyard.

"Someone is going to try and kill Princess Sorrow." She whispered to the scout as she approached. Seeing the puzzled look on the woman's face she continued. "Look I can't tell you how I know, just trust me. I have to get the Madalene somewhere safe. Can you go to the Royal house? I'll be right behind you."

"I'm on it!" Delara broke into a run. She didn't care what Ephiny's source was. If there was a chance that someone was making an attempt on Sorrow's life, she was going to do her best to stop it. She'd always admired the Princess' patience when she taught weapon skills in the practice field. The scout had been even more impressed the day she'd come across the Princess in the forest teaching hunting skills to some of the younger Amazons. Although Sorrow made sure they all realized how important and serious the hunt was, she was patient with the girls. Choosing to offer constructive criticism, rather than berate them, if they accidentally scared off their target. The scout had taken the opportunity to hide in the trees and test if the woman's skills were as spectacular as everyone claimed. Delara had thought that she'd managed to allude the Protectors senses, until at the last moment, when Sorrow had looked up to her perch and waved goodbye. She'd almost fallen out of the tree in shock.

After first scanning the front of the house, Delara moved stealthily to the back of the structure. The open window sent up an immediate red flag. Carefully, she peered inside. Her nerves weren't surprised to see the darkly clothed figure moving towards the sleeping Princess.

'One shot!' She thought, as she hoisted herself up into the window frame and dived. The intruder's attention was focused on the Princess, allowing Delara to take her by surprise. Having no weapons, the scout's first thought was to disarm the assassin. As her opponent regained her footing, Delara scrambled away and grabbed Sorrow's cloak from its hook on the wall. Curling the thick fabric around her arm, she used the dense barrier to deflect the dagger blade aimed at her cheast. Twirling, she drove her forearm into the back of the intruder, knocking the small woman to the ground. Shifting her weight she prepared herself for the next attack.

'If I can just keep her occupied until Ephiny gets here.' She reassured herself. Glancing through the darkness at the Princess, she hoped that she'd gotten there in time. She was surprised when the chair came flying at her. She hadn't expected the intruder to abandon her dagger attack and opt to throw the heavy wooden chair next to the bed at her. Striking her across the head, the blow caused Delara to stumble back against the wall, momentarily disoriented. Seeing her chance, the assassin moved in to dispose of the Princess' savior.

"I believe it was me you were interested in!" Sorrow was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her voice made the assassin turn and momentarily forget the scout. "Don't tell me you've found someone more intriguing already." Moving to stand, she was glad her legs didn't give out. "Well come on then!" She baited her attacker, surprised when she found herself being pinned onto the bed. Her hands focused on the location of the dagger. They both stared each other down for a moment as the warm pool of blood gathered between them.

It was Delara that pulled the dead assassin off of Sorrow, just as Ephiny barged into the room with her sword drawn. Seeing Sorrow covered in blood, she feared the worst

"How badly are you injured?" She glanced at the dead woman on the floor as she rushed to Sorrow.

"Happy to report that none of this is mine!" Sorrow smiled at them. She'd managed to turn the blade back on its owner at the last possible moment.

"Thank the Gods!" Ephiny bent down to look closely at the dead assassin. "Either of you know her?"

"I think her name is Sura, she's from one of the northern tribes. She arrived about a week ago." Delara filled in the blanks for them.

"If someone is willing to call in outside help." Sorrow leaned back on the bed to rest. "We've got major problems."

"Damn!" Ephiny cursed. "We'll have to send word to Gabrielle." Sorrow nodded in agreement.

"I'll leave immediately." Delara volunteered without hesitation. "I already know where the Queen is and have a good knowledge of the army."

"I'll write you a decoy letter." Ephiny went to the main room to find some parchment.

"Thank you." Sorrow broke the silence left by the Regents departure.

"Anytime." The scout smiled back.

"How did you two know that someone was about to slice and dice me?" Sorrow asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"You'll have to ask Ephiny that." Delara answered honestly. "I was on my way back from the baths when I saw her and your sister running through the courtyard. When I asked her what was wrong, she asked me to come here and protect you."

"Madalene was with her?" She swallowed the lump in her throat. The answer was clear now.

"Ephiny was bringing her somewhere safe and I ran right over." Delara entertained the idea of asking Sorrow if she knew how Ephiny had known. Deciding that it was better for some questions to remain unanswered she held her tongue.

"Would you deliver a personal message for me?" Sorrow changed the subject.

"Oh course." Delara sat down on the bed and listened closely to the message.

"Here you go." Ephiny returned a short time later.

"Just got to grab my kit and I'm on my way." The scout accepted the letter and headed for the door. "Take care, Princess."

"You too." She smiled back, feeling very happy with the new kinship that the event had forged between them. Although next time she saw the scout, she'd have to tell her to drop the Princess.

"I think I should post some guards here with you. Just in case." Ephiny waited for the Princess' objection.

"On one condition." She swallowed her pride. "You and Madalene come to stay with me in the house. If something like this happens again, I'd like to have you both close by. It'll be easier to protect you that way."

"Agreed." The Regent walked towards the door. She had no intention of pointing out that again that it was Sorrow and not them who needed protection. "I'm going to go and wake up the guards. I'll get someone here right away to remove your unwanted guest."

"I was starting to think I'd have to drag her out myself." Sorrow was glad to hear the Amazon laugh. "And don't worry Ephiny. I'll be fine until you get back."

"I'll try to hurry." Ephiny's gaze fell onto Sorrow's bloodstained cheast and arms. "I'll run you a bath when I get back."

"That would be nice." She managed a weak smile. She hated the feeling of the blood drying on her skin. The feel of the thick sticky liquid reminded her of her childhood. The days spent slaughtering other's in the name of her education. Her father's insistence that to be covered in blood meant she'd performed her lessons well.

"Bath's ready!" Ephiny announced as she watched the Princess struggling to move herself to the edge of the bed and sit up.

"I guess I used up a little more energy before than I thought." She looked at the Regent embarrassed.

"At your service." Ephiny offered her arm. Helping Sorrow to stand, she tried to support as much of the weak woman's weight as she could. They moved slowly to the small room off the master bedroom, where the Queen's private bathtub waited.

"Do you need me to?" Ephiny asked sheepishly as she watched Sorrow struggle to get out of the long sleeping gown.

"Sorry about this."

"No need to apologize." The Regent tentatively grabbed hold of the loose fabric at the sides of her waist and lifted. Making the most conscious effort possible to stare Sorrow directly in the eye. Despite herself, she found her stare straying to study the Princess's naked form as she helped her into the hot bath.

'This is just a natural curiosity. I mean everyone must be curious if her human form is anatomically correct, right?' The voice inside her head tried to rationalize her actions. 'In no way shape or form are you leering at Gabrielle's daughter. It's not like you're sitting here thinking what a great body she has. Oh, wait!' Her unconscious thoughts caught up with her rational mind. 'Bad Ephiny!'

"Would it be to much to ask for a little more help?" Sorrow loathed asking the question. How helpless must she be that she couldn't wash herself? All she knew was right now was that she needed to get the blood off of her skin as soon as possible. "I really am sorry to make you do this."

"Stop apologizing." Ephiny had finally gotten a hold of herself. Her momentary childish reaction to the situation had been easily quelled when she started to wash the blood off. The stains a serious reminder of the dangerous the Princess had faced. "I'm more than happy to help." Realizing the possible implications of her words, the Regent froze.

"It's okay, I know what you meant." Sorrow laughed and felt the underlying tension of the situation evaporate. She'd naively figured that her own discomfort had been solely because of her feeling so helpless, but now knew better. "Do you think I want Solari coming home to kick my butt around the village?"

Dressed in fresh clean clothes and back in her room, Sorrow could barely keep her eyes open. Madalene's soft rhythmic breathing beside her was a great comfort. She fought the grip of sleep just to listen to its cadence. Thinking to herself how each person's breathing during sleep was as individual as their voice. Knowing the house was under heavy guard and that Ephiny was asleep in Madalene's room, she felt secure enough to give into her body's demands. Resting her hand on Danu's promise necklace, she drifted into unconsciousness.

Having cleared the forest around dawn, Delara hoped to reach her destination by early afternoon. Forcing the horse to quicken its pace, she planned to ride the poor beast to exhaustion. Hoping that when she was finally forced to abandon her mount, she wouldn't have too long a distance to run. The feeling of urgency weighted on her greatly as she rode. Digging her heels further into the steed's sides, she focused her sights on the horizon. Willing the distance between her and the Queen to shrink as quickly as possible.

Entering the hall well before noon, the archer, the Warrior Princess and the Amazon Queen were alone within the structure. Xena sat on one of the front benches watching the bard mumble to herself as she paced back and forth in front of the judge's desk. The warrior silently worried about her, Gabrielle had remained staunchly focused on arguing a case she couldn't possibility win. She'd been so consumed with planning her words that the bard had skipped breakfast. This small fact, had not been missed by the warrior, and only added to her concern.

The archer had chosen to stay at the back of the hall. Alone in the night, she'd made some decisions. She'd let Gabrielle argue for as long as she wanted too. Even though she knew all of the Queen's carefully chosen words would be wasted. The judge did seem to be an honest and just man, but there was no other way of interpreting the law. By her own admission she'd killed the King and for that act she would die. She held tightly onto two convictions now. The first was that when it came time, she would die on her terms. The second was to find a way from keeping Xena from calling Sorrow.

"I'm going to get you some water before you lose your voice." Xena volunteered when Gabrielle started to cough suddenly. Danu waited for the warrior to leave the hall before she approached her Queen.

"If they do find me guilty, you have to stop her from calling Sorrow." Danu took her courage in hand and confronted Gabrielle. "You're the only one who can stop her."

"Danu, not even I can do that." The bard shook her head sadly.

"Can't or won't?" The archer's anger got the better of her as she let the accusation fly.

"I can't stop her. She promised Sorrow and Xena won't break her promise. Even for me." Gabrielle conceded.

"She would if you asked." Danu countered. If anyone on earth could get the warrior princess to do something against her will, it would be Gabrielle.

"Danu, do you think I want Sorrow to come here in the state she's in?" The bard questioned back. "Do you think I won't suffer if I lose her again? Do you suddenly believe that you're the only one who loves her?" Gabrielle voice was harsh and demanding. She really didn't want a confrontation with Danu over this but it seemed the only way to get the archer to remember they were all worried right now.

"I'm sorry, it's just?" Danu tried to continue, but the words choked in her throat. Gabrielle embraced her just as the tears started.

"I know." She hugged the archer tightly. "It'll work out for the best, we just have to have faith."

The hall quickly filled up as noon approached. Gabrielle wasn't surprised to see that the judge looked very weary as he took his place. She'd hoped the man would be kept up all night with thoughts of the trial. She hoped to use this to her advantage. Taking her seat between Danu and Xena, she waited patiently for Queen Delany to arrive. A half candlemark later it was Lord Dunlop who ran into the hall.

"Queen Gabrielle," He talked quietly as he approached. "You must come quickly. One of your scout's was just brought in from the border. She says she has a urgent message for you."

"Did she say her name?" Gabrielle asked fearfully.

"I think it was Delar." He tried to remember the tall Amazon's name.

"Delara?

"Yes, that it. Queen Delany is questioning her right now. She's gotten very paranoid that you're going to launch a sneak attack on Aldernon." He gave Gabrielle the small insight without guilt. He knew he would hang for his previous actions, he might as well earn his trip to the gallows twice.

"Show me where they are." Gabrielle knew the man would do as she asked. Xena and Danu followed her out of the hall.

"Tell me what the hidden message within this letter is!" Delany demanded as she slapped the scout.

"There will be dire consequences if you dare to strike her again." Having just entered the tent, the bard's forceful command stopped the woman's hand. Seeing the deep red welt raising itself on Delara's cheek she was enraged. "Why was she not brought directly to me?"

"The letter she carries is pointless. I know she has some other secret message for you." She snapped back viscously. "I will not stand for such treachery."

"May I see the letter?" Gabrielle walked over and snatched it from her grasp. Scanning it quickly, she knew immediately that Delany was right. This wasn't the real reason that Delara had been sent. "I do not consider this to be pointless. In fact I believe it is of the utmost importance to know that the business of my nation is going smoothly in my absence."

"You'd have a messenger travel here just to so you could know that one of your horses gave birth while you were gone." Delany laughed at her.

"Yes!" Gabrielle's insides turned. How bad must the real message be if Ephiny had sent such a hastily composed letter as a decoy. "Queen Delany, you can run your kingdom any way you choose. I will run mine as I see fit." Gabrielle moved over to inspect Delara's face. "Since you have seen fit to delay the trial to see to your paranoia. I choose to delay while I see to my scout's wounds. Do you have any objection or shall I ask the Judge directly?"

"Fine! Take all the time you want. It won't change anything, I'll have her life before nightfall." Delany starred at Danu and laughed. "Dunlop inform the Judge of the recess." She turned and retreated to her private chambers at the back of the tent.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Delara offered as Xena examined the welt on her face. "I just wish she hadn't been wearing that damn ring." The slice across her cheek bleed freely.

"It's not too deep. I don't think you'll have a scar." The warrior cleaned the wound.

Gabrielle stood only an arms length away, patiently waiting for Xena to finish.

"I guess you've realized that wasn't the real message." Delara offered as Xena worked. Gabrielle only nodded that she did. She didn't trust her own voice enough to talk.

"What's got Ephiny so upset that she sent you?" The warrior asked in a calm voice.

"There's been an attempt on Princess Sorrow's life." The scout hated saying the words. The strained looks on everyone's faces told her things were not going as planned. "She's wasn't injured in the attack. The assassin was killed before we could get any information."

"Do you know who it was?" Xena asked as she finished bandaging the scout's face.

"She arrived from one of the northern tribes about a week ago. Her name was Sura." Delara filled in the little information she had.

"When did this happen?" Gabrielle's shaky voice asked.

"Late last night."

"Sweet Artemis Delara, you must've ridden three horses into the ground to get here so quickly." Solari spoke for the first time.

"Just one horse and these." She pointed to her legs and smiled, proud of how quickly she'd made the trip.

"Tell us everything that happened." Xena instructed.

Delara described the events of the previous night in as much detail as possible. Suddenly realizing the huge question still remained of how Ephiny had known of the assassin. The scout was surprised when no one asked.

"She was able to stand up on her own?" Danu asked hopefully. Since there seemed to be no way to prevent Xena from calling the Protector, the archer prayed that her heath had improved.

"Yes, but she seemed quite exhausted afterwards." The scout answered honestly.

"Oh!" Danu's hope dissipated quickly.

Xena looked around the room deep in thought. With the attempt on Sorrow's life, her suspicions had consolidated into facts. Gabrielle watched the change in the warrior.

"Delany knows of the attack on Sorrow." Xena voiced her inner thoughts to them. "That's why she was so paranoid about Delara's message. She's desperate to know if the assassination attempt was successful or not."

"What should we let her think?" The bard wondered which choice would better serve them.

"We give her nothing one way or the other." Xena answered, deep in contemplation. "If we can drive her into making more slips, then maybe we can get a better idea of who in the Nation is assisting her."

"Why would someone in the Nation help her?" Delara questioned. "I'd assumed the attack on Princess Sorrow was just someone trying to make a challenging the Queen for her mask easier."

"It's both!" The warrior said, filling in another piece of the puzzle in her mind. "Delany doesn't really care who is leading the Nation as long as she gets her revenge on Danu. Her ally within the Nation is planning to make an attempt at Gabrielle's mask. Each one sees their partnership as a means to their perspective ends."

"Why would she be so desperate to know if Sorrow's dead then?" Danu wasn't following the warrior's logic.

"Because this game has another player." The warrior looked at Gabrielle seriously. "Ares."

"Why would the God of War care about any of this?" The scout questioned.

"He wants Sorrow dead." The Queen responded harshly. "Curse him and his petty revenge!"

"I don't think this was ever about revenge." Xena finally shared her concern. "I don't know why, but Ares needs Sorrow dead and he can't kill her directly."

"So he's recruited Queen Delany to help him." Gabrielle tried to clarify the idea in her mind. "But what is he doing for her?"

"Remember when you asked me how such a small kingdom could amass such a huge army?"

"You think Ares gave her this army?" The bard questioned fearfully.

"Yes." The warrior continued. "There are other reasons I believe he's involved. Lord Dunlop told us that Delany had been in Rome when her brother was killed. There is no possible way she could've gotten news of his death and returned to Aldernon in such a short period of time."

"Let me get this straight," Solari attempted to summarize what was being said. Too much of the conversation was being spoken silently between the bard and warrior. She figured the rest of the room was as confused as she was. "Ares needs Sorrow dead, so he helped Delany get back here in order to get her revenge on Danu. Delany, in turn, has made an alliance in the Nation with someone who wants the Queens mask and is willing to kill the Princess to get it. I can see why Delany needs an ally within the Nation. But why would our traitor need Delany's help?" The simple asking of the question supplied the answer. "Damn! The trial's nothing but a diversion."

"Not to Delany." Gabrielle shook her head sadly.

"Or to Ares." The warrior added mapping out all possible angles. "He knew that if the assassination failed, the trial would provide him a second chance."

"This army wasn't assembled to start a war with the Nation? this army's only purpose is to kill Sorrow when she comes to save me." Danu spoke the words slowly.

"I'm afraid so." The warrior conceded sadly.

"Xena, please tell me you won't call her. Not knowing all of this." Danu small voice pleaded with her. "Before she might've had a chance. If you call her to fight against these odds, she'll die."

The Warrior Princess didn't answer the archer's plea.

"I need to think." Exchanging a brief glance with Gabrielle she walked out of the tent and headed towards stables.

Xena picked up the brush and began to groom Argo, trying to still the torment in her heart.

"There all looking to me for answers, girl." She spoke softly to the horse. Who snorted back in response. "And I can't find any." Argo snorted again. "Well of course there are answers, but none of them are good ones. If only Gabrielle wasn't here, I could just start a war and hope everything turned out for the best."

"Doesn't sound like much of a plan." The bard slipped behind her and encircled the warrior's waist with her arms. "Sorrow would still come."

"Well, then if only you and Danu weren't here, I could just start a war and hope." Xena soaked in the feeling of the woman pressed against her back.

"Xena, you know she'd come if she knew you were in danger." Gabrielle felt the body within her arms release a heavy sigh.

"This would all be so easy if Sorrow wasn't so loyal and self-sacrificing." The warrior twisted around to look at the bard. "I guess I should blame her Mother for that."

"It's who she is. She reminds me of someone else I know." She raised her hand to Xena's cheek. "Something will happen to tip the scale in our favor. It always does." Trying to convince her, she kissed the warrior softly on the lips. "The next move is mine. I'll try to get Delany to reveal as much as I possibly can."

"I almost pity her." Xena laughed softly. Seeing the bard's questioning eyes she continued. "She's has no idea who she's going up against. She be spilling her guts before she knows what hit her."

"Danu, can I speak to you in private for a minute." Delara motioned for the archer to join her at one end of the tent. She watched the defeated woman walk slowly to her and hoped the message she carried might offer some comfort. "Sorrow asked me to give you a message."

"She did?" Danu's eyes lit up. Delara leaned in to whisper in the archer's ear, just as the Princess had instructed.

"Every moment my ears are filled with the sound of your breathing, my skin remembers the feel of your touch, my heart aches to beat in rhythm with yours and my soul waits impatiently to join with yours forever. I love you."

Danu's legs went weak. It was no longer the scout who was speaking to her, for the words came to her ears in Sorrow's voice. She couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Delara moved away from the archer. Part of the scout felt like crying from the sheer beauty of the words, another from the picture she held of Sorrow's loving face as she spoke them. Mostly she felt like crying because the words made her sad, she doubted anyone would ever love her as much as the Princess loved Danu.

"Queen Gabrielle, you are ready to begin your defense?" Henrik asked strained. The unexpected delay had played havoc with his already shaky nerves. Although he didn't want the archer to be executed, a part of him just wanted this over. He planned on retiring after this case.

"Yes I am." Gabrielle rose from her chair and walked closer to the judge's desk. "I would like to recall Lord Dunlop to the stand."

Dunlop moved swiftly to fill the witness chair. Although he dreaded the idea of having to answer any more questions, he had a feeling that the Amazon Queen would be easier to cope with than his own.

"Lord Dunlop, when did you become aware of the King's plan to kill Xena and my daughter?" Steadying her nerves she began.

"He announced his plans the day after his father's death." Dunlop would never forget that day.

"Would you kindly explain what he told you that day?"

"He said that the God of War had revealed to him the existence of a great power and that with this power he could rule the world." He replayed the event in his mind. Editing out a good deal of the Rike's unimportant ranting. "He informed us that you, the Amazon Queen, were in possession of that power and that he would lure you to Aldernon in order to take it from you."

"Did he tell you at that time what this power was?"

"No, that's why when you introduced me to your daughter I was surprised. King Rike hadn't mentioned that you had a daughter." Dunlop wiped the sweat from his brow. "When I returned to Aldernon and informed him that you had accepted his invitation, I also told him about Princess Sorrow. He laughed at me. It was then that he explained that she was the power."

"Was he aware that Sorrow was the Protector?" Gabrielle questioned further.

"No, all he ever said was that she possessed a great power and that Ares had given him the means to take it from her." Dunlop voice was confident. "He always rambled about the great power possessed by a virgin Amazon Princess. He never mentioned anything about the Protector."

'Interesting!' Gabrielle thought. 'Rike didn't know that Sorrow was the Protector. I wonder why Ares wouldn't have warned him who he was going against?'

"Did anyone disagree with what he wanted to do?"

"Yes, many in the court though it was madness. The idea of luring you to Aldernon and then killing Xena and the Princess wasn't a popular one." He wiped his forehead again.

"How did Rike deal with those who disagreed with him?" The bard was sure she could guess the answer.

"He called the court to vote. Everyone who voted against his plan was taken behind the palace and murdered!" Dunlop voice was frightened and he stared into the floor. He could feel Queen Delany's eyes burning into him.

"Lord Dunlop, I know these are difficult memories to relieve but how many did he murder?" She kept her voice soft and she was pleased when the man responded to her gentleness by looking her in the eye.

"Seventeen were dead by the time it ended. When the executions started a handful of soldiers tried to revolt against the King. They too were killed." Looking into the Amazon Queen's beautiful eyes, the memory of the day's horror seemed all the more tragic. Moving his stare to look at the archer, he hated that another innocent life would be lost to Rike's madness.

"Did King Rike ever say why Ares had revealed the existence of this power to him?" She asked, hoping to gain some insight into Ares motivation.

"The King said it was his destiny to possess the power." The man knew that the woman had been hoping for something more, but he had no insight to give her.

"You're absolutely sure the King had no idea the my daughter was the Protector?" Gabrielle needed this point to be indisputable.

"I am sure he didn't." Dunlop voice was steady. "I was with him just before the coronation. He was laughing about how sweet and innocent your daughter was. He commented on how he didn't think it was necessary to poison the Princess, but that he'd do as Ares asked regardless. He said it would be fun to watch your suffering when both the Princess and Xena dropped after the toast."

"Thank you, Lord Dunlop." She nodded at him and watched his hasty retreat back to his Queen. "I call Danu to testify." Gabrielle turned to face the archer as she walked towards the dreaded witness chair.

"I trust in your judgment, my Queen." Danu whispered as she passed. Offering the words both in support and as permission for the bard to ask her anything she deemed necessary.

"Danu," She decided to dive headlong and start with the issue of Danu's motivation. "Queen Delany has claimed that the reason you killed King Rike is because you were jealous of Sorrow's affections for him. Is that true?"

"No!" The archer response was firm.

"Then are you denying you confronted Sorrow about her interaction with the King?"

"No, I go to her room and confront her." Her voice lowered as she remembered her terrible words.

"Were you angry with her at that time? Did you call her the village whore, as Queen Delany claims?" Gabrielle hated to ask these questions, but they were vital to her argument.

"Yes, I was angry." The archer swallowed hard. "And regretfully, I did call her that."

"When you went to confront her, you were feeling angry and jealous?"

"Yes."

"Were you feeling the same at the end of the conversation?" She could see the agony on Danu's face and was glad to have a question that would allow the archer to redeem herself.

"Not at all." Danu remembered the sweet revelations discovered during the argument.

"Why?" Gabrielle smiled as she spoke.

"It was during that argument that Sorrow told me, for the first time, that she loved me." Danu's heart held tightly onto the unforgettable memory. "That she would always love me."

"Then why would you have been in such a jealous rage that you would plot to kill the King?" Gabrielle held up her hand as an indication that Danu didn't have to answer the rhetorical question. She turned to look into Delany's icy glare. "I mean if you'd just found out that the woman you loved, loved you back? what possible reason could you have to be jealous?"

Confident strides carried the Amazon Queen back to her chair. After a drink of water she continued her questions. "'Danu, would you lay down your life for my daughter?"

"Without hesitation.!" The answer came instantly.

"How much do you love her?"

"With all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with her." Danu thoughts were of the Princess as she spoke.

"I know you were hoping to keep this a secret." Gabrielle eyes looked for the archer's unspoken approval before she continued. "Would you please tell the court what is planned when you return to her?"

"We're to be married." Just speaking the words made her smile. Momentarily she let herself ignore the fact that their marriage was unlikely since Queen Delany was determined to have her executed. Looking around the room the smiling faces of her fellow Amazons beamed back at her. The smile on Solari's face alone was enough to light up the room. Near the back she found the only angry Amazon response to the news. The look on Tearnon's face was true, unbridled rage. For a moment, she expected the guard to cause a scene. She was grateful that the woman kept herself in check and chose instead to walk silently out of the hall.

"Why did you fire the arrow?" Gabrielle switched the focus of the conversation, knowing the archer's answer would come quickly and honestly. On top of that, she knew the judge would see finally Danu's real motivation for killing the King.

"I heard the fighting and I was worried that Xena wouldn't be able to protect Sorrow. When I reached the doorway I saw her battling Ares and King Rike with a dagger raised over Sorrow's heart. I fired the arrow to stop the King from killing her." Danu's attempted to explain why she'd released the fatal shot.

"You believed that if he stabbed her, she would die?" The pace of the bard's questions quickened.

"Yes!"

"Why? She's the Protector. She's battled armies and survived. What would make you think a simple dagger would kill her?" Gabrielle pushed Danu to convince the court that she'd been afraid for Sorrow's life.

"When I came into the throne room and saw you cradling her in your arms, I knew then something extraordinary had been done to her." Mentioning the scene cause it to spring into her head. "Yes, I have watched her battle armies and emerge without a scratch. That's why seeing her fall scared me so much. How terrible must things be if the Protector has been taken down by a single goblet of poison."

"Was there anything else that led you to believe Rike had the power to kill her?" The bard probed further.

"Yes, the way he spoke about her power." She'd never thought of this before and silently applauded the Queen for helping her see it. "He was going to sacrifice her to get it. Once I saw Ares in the antechamber with him, I realized he'd been telling the truth. With Ares help, he surely must have had the means to kill her and I had to stop him."

"The moment you released the arrow, what were you thinking?"

"That I had to save her."

"Nothing else?" Gabrielle asked, truly hoping there was nothing else.

"Only that thought."

"Your Honour," Queen Delany annoyed voice raised over the humming crowd. "I'm failing to see the relevance of any of this."

"You fail to see the relevance?" Gabrielle turned to address her. "Was it not you who pointed out the importance of Danu's motivation in the assessment of her guilt?"

"Her motivation doesn't matter!" Delany stood and squared her shoulders to confront the small Amazon Queen. "All you're doing is stalling for time. You're only delaying the inevitable."

"On the contrary, I believe it was you who were stalling for time." The bard's eyes cut into her. "Yesterday you found it quite relevant to discuss Danu's motivation, at great length I might add. Why would you suddenly feel that her motivation is unimportant? Have you finally seen the innate error in the law being used to prosecute my warrior? Or is this diversion no longer necessary?"

"This is not a diversion!" Delany became infuriated and fought to restrain herself. "My brother is dead and his murder will not go unpunished. Nothing else is more important than that!"

"Nothing?" Gabrielle took a step closer to Delany. Purposely invading the precious buffer between them. "If your brother was so important to you, why were you in Rome and not at his coronation?"

"If I'd of known I would've been there. How dare you doubt my love for my brother?" She took a step closer to the Amazon, hoping to intimidate her.

"You didn't know your brother was about to take possession of the crown?" Gabrielle was shocked by the admission. Refusing to be intimidated the Amazon Queen took another step closer.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Delany attempted to dodge answering.

"It would raise one very startling question. How fast would a messenger need to travel to get to Rome and inform you of your brother's death, but still allow you time to return to Aldernon and amass this army in just a few short days? If I didn't know better I'd say you had a little help from the Gods." Gabrielle looked at her in mock confusion.

"Who I receive assistance from is none of your concern!" The Aldernon Queen spoke the forceful words slowly.

Exchanging a knowing look with Xena, she was thankful to have at least one of their suspicions confirmed. Delany was getting help from a greater power and the natural choice was Ares.

"I bet that assistance came with a price!" Gabrielle moved closer to where the Warrior Princess was sitting. Momentarily returning a safety buffer between and Delany. Choosing to mount an even harsher attack with her words. "I'm sure your benefactor won't be pleased to hear that you have failed to hold up your end of the bargain."

"I knew that scout was carrying another message!" Delany shook her fist in Delara's direction. "You're precious demon daughter will run out of luck one of these days."

"Firstly, my daughter is not a demon." The Queen voice was strong as she took three quick steps toward her opponent. "Secondly, what does this have to do with Sorrow being lucky?"

"The real message, we both know what it is was." Delany's words were much softer as her brain realized the trap she had fallen into. Gaining confidence in the knowledge that the failed assassination was more of a disappointment than a failure, she taunted Gabrielle. "No matter, she'll be dealt with one way or another. My benefactor, as you call him, has planned for even this small set back."

Gabrielle turned to see Xena wink at her. The warrior was pleased with her success so far. She winked back.

"To show you I am not as cold hearted as you think," Delany spoke, regaining the bard's attention. "I have a warning for you."

"Yes?"

"Do whatever is in your power to keep your daughter away from this place. For if she sets one foot on Aldernon soil again she is destined to die." The dark haired Queen dropped her voice low. Gabrielle shuddered from its tone and her prophecy of the future.

"Isn't that the real reason for all of this?" The bard motioned around the room. "Is all of this not to ensure that she will again step onto Aldernon soil? You realize he planned for things to work out this way?"

"What?" Delany asked puzzled.

"Do you think my daughter would risk certain death for anyone other than Danu?" Gabrielle questioned, intending on bringing the intended revelation to Delany slowly.

"She's the Amazon Protector. She'd sworn to risk her life for any of you." Delany countered her question.

"True!" The bard nodded, deep in thought. "It's strange though, you said it yourself. Why would a lowly archer stay behind to help Xena? Her limited skills would be useless against the King's soldiers." Keeping the thoughtful look on her face she continued. "One thing puzzles me. With all of his great powers, why wasn't Ares able to stop Danu's arrow?" Staring into Delany's eyes she could almost see the woman's mind racing with the question.

"Are you saying that Ares planned for my brother to die?" Delany small voice finally asked.

"Looking at this big plan you alluded to, I'd say yes!" Gabrielle's voice was genuinely sad for the Aldernon Queen. "He knew that if your brother was killed, you'd want revenge. Who other than Danu would assure Sorrow's involvement? For who else would she stand against an army, even in her weakened condition?"

Delany turned and retreated to her throne. Sitting down, out of fear that her legs would collapse. She struggled to keep her faith in the God of War. Faith that her revenge against Danu was just and righteous. Pushing the doubt to the back of her mind she focused on the one thing that remained true, her brother was dead and it was the archer that killed him.

"Judge Henrik I demand you bring this woman's useless rambling to an end!" Delany walked up to stand in front of the judge. "I demand that you render your verdict." Her voice loud, she slammed her fist against the table.

"Queen Gabrielle, I have listened very carefully to the evidence that you've presented and although I am convinced that Danu's motivation was not jealousy or anger. I am hard pressed to see how any of this changes the fact that by her own admission she has broke the law." Henrik looked at her sadly. He'd seen that look in Delany's eye before, if he didn't act quickly he'd end up dead as well.

"Your Honour, the issue is much bigger than the death of one man." Gabrielle walked to stand beside Queen Delany near the judge. "I believe the very nature of Aldernon law should be under consideration here. Is any man, even the King, not responsible for his own actions? If Rike had been a solider none of us would be here. Danu's actions would have been in defense of her Princess and no one would have even entertained the idea of charging her with murder."

"Sadly, as I have informed you already, the Queen is the only one with the power to change the law." Henrik furrowed his brow. "My Queen?"

As Delany turned to face Danu in the witness chair, Gabrielle hoped her words had cracked the woman's vengeful shell and given her pause for thought.

"None of us can claim to understand the grief you feel over your brother's death, but will more death offer relief to the pain within your heart?" The bard whispered so only Delany could hear.

"It'll be a start," Delany whispered in response before turning to look at Henrik. "I have no reason or desire to change the law. What is your verdict?"

"As she has freely admitted that it was her arrow that killed the King, I have no other choice but to find Danu?" He adverted his eyes to look at the wooden desk under his shaking hands. "Guilty of murder and at the request of the Queen of Aldernon?" He stammered the difficult words. "She is to be publicly executed today at dusk." At the last moment his heart convinced his mind to give the archer a few more moments of life.

The crowd was silent.

"I wish to speak." The archer's strong voice broke the air. Standing, she avoided looking any of them in the eye. "I accept the punishment of the court with only one last request."

"Yes?" Delany was shocked by the archer's strength.

"I wish to choose the method of my execution." Danu finally found the courage to look at Gabrielle. The bard's eyes were wild, unable to understand what she was doing.

"The choice is yours." The Aldernon Queen agreed easily to the request.

"I have lived by the bow and I wish to die by the bow." Danu pushed the words through her clamped jaw. Almost wavering in her decision as she saw tears well in her Queen's eyes.

"As you wish." Delany head bowed slightly to the archer. Turning to look at Gabrielle her mouth curled into a wicked smile. "Till dusk then!"

Danu bowed her head to the judge. Her attempt to relieve the man of his guilt for her sentence, only added to his own self-hatred. With sure, steady steps she walked through the stunned crowd and out of the hall. Gabrielle, Xena and the others followed her lead back to the Amazon encampment.

Danu's footsteps took her straight to the Queen's tent. She entered without permission, knowing this is where they would all gather eventually to discuss what had happened. She took a seat at the large table and waited. She was surprised when none of them came. It was unnerving to be left alone in the tent, waiting for them to arrive, waiting to answer the questions they would have. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself she began to cry.

"Gabrielle, where are you going?" Xena asked concerned when she saw the bard stray from Danu's path.

"I just need a minute alone." She grasped the warrior's hand tightly as she spoke. "Please go be with her until I get there. Don't let her be alone, not now." Xena nodded that she understood and reluctantly released the bard's shaking hand. Gabrielle fought to keep her heart from breaking as she walked away from the Amazon encampment toward a large empty field to the north. Standing in the open, she felt the crisp breeze remind her of the tears that flowed unchecked from her eyes. Closing her vision from the serene meadow she thought of her daughter. Thought of the love Sorrow had for Danu. Thought of the happiness she'd seen on both their faces when they'd announced their engagement. She willed her mind to open up and stretch out in search of the Protector.

'Sorrow?' Her thoughts asked for confirmation that they were being heard.

'Yes, Mother?'

'The verdict is guilty. You have until dusk.' She sent the horrible words to her daughter.

'I'm coming. Tell her I love her.'

Gabrielle felt her mind close up with the last of Sorrow's words. The connection between them broken now, she turned and walked back to her tent.

Continued in Part Two.