CONQUERING THE CONQUEROR

pt.24

Two women stood looking at each other, the Conqueror with an unreadable expression on her face and the other woman with a scowl on hers. Xena looked down slightly as she stood taller than the other woman who looked a considerable amount older than Xena had remembered. Though it didn't surprise her to see the woman's advancing age as it had been quite a few years since she had seen the woman last.

XENA
Mother. You're looking well.

The older woman stared intense daggers at Xena with the same blue eyes as the Conqueror herself, but said nothing. After a long moment and feeling the tension and awkwardness of the situation, Xena spoke again to break the deafening silence between them.

XENA
I hope you find your room to you're liking.

Again more silence from the woman.

XENA
Um if there's anything you need day or night, whatever it is, just say so and I'll have someone bring it to you.

Still not getting any response other than an angry stare, Xena thought that a change in tactics was in order and switched to trying a more casual approach in attempting to get the older woman to say anything to her.

XENA
So how's business at the inn? I'm sure this time of year people are really enjoying some your good home cooking. Hey maybe while you're here you can...

Xena's sentence was abruptly cut short as she suddenly felt the stinging of a hard slap across her face. Her head jerked to the side with the hit and remained in that position for a moment as she pushed down the burst of anger that instinctively rose from the insulating action and silently reminded herself who it was that had struck her.

?
(Quiet angry tone) You have some nerve to have your men just come and take me from my home and bring me here.

Xena returned her gaze forward.

XENA
It wasn't a direct order but I do approve of their actions.

?
(Quiet angry tone) is that supposed to make me feel better? Regardless of how it happened I was taken by your soldiers and brought here against my will. Why? You haven't bothered with me or anyone else in the village for that matter for years. So why now? And why bring me here of all places?

XENA
Mother...

?
(Angry tone) No, don't you dare keep calling me that. After everything that you've done, you stopped being my daughter long ago.

Though Xena didn't show it, her mother's words hurt her to the very core. And even though it had been years since they had seen or spoken to one another, Xena's thoughts would often return to the older woman as she had always made an extra effort to ensure that Amphipolis, where she knew her mother still lived in the same home and inn where Xena and her siblings had grown up remained safe. But for as much as Xena at times might have wished she could go back to that simpler time, she knew all too well that those days were long dead and buried. Much like so many that Xena had known from that now seemingly far distant time. And among those lives that were lost on that fateful day, was the one that had driven that fist nail in the metaphysical coffin on the already strained relationship between the Conqueror and her mother. The very thing that had somehow ended up leading the two of them to this very moment. A moment full of anger, resentment and far too many painful memories that Xena was certain the both of them would just as soon rather forget. So understanding that the woman obviously still harbored a fair amount of anger and resentment towards her, Xena respected her mother's wish to not be called by her parental title and though it felt odd referred to the woman by name instead. Though due to sheer habit it was a bit more difficult than Xena originally thought.

XENA
Moth... Cyrene, Amphipolis was under threat of being attacked by a fairly powerful army. If you had been left there it was very likely that you would have been killed or possibly even taken prisoner by them.

CYRENE
(Angry tone) And yet you just left everyone else there to fend for themselves. The people that you claim to care so much about.

XENA
I didn't have any choice.

CYRENE
(Angry tone) You left the people who were once your own to die. Just like you did then.

Xena scowled at the insinuation that she had just simply abandoned the village that she had once called home.

XENA
(Quiet angry tone) You're wrong. I'm not the one who abandoned our people that day. It was that spineless coward of a so called brother of mine and your son who ran off like a scared dog with it's tail tucked between his legs.

CYRENE
(Angry tone) Well at least he isn't responsible for your other brother's death.

XENA
Lyceous knew the consequences of going into battle and chose to stand and fight for the village regardless.

CYRENE
(Angry tone) Only because you encouraged him and everyone else that fighting was the only way.

XENA
(Angry tone) Because I knew that there was no reasoning with Cortese. If we hadn't stood up and fought he would have taken everything and still likely would've killed us anyway.

CYRENE
(Angry tone) So you're saying that the ends justify the means?

Xena paused as she didn't want to agree or upset her mother any further and then spoke in a much quieter and almost defeated tone.

XENA
(Quiet tone) I don't know. I wish Lyceous was here but if we hadn't done anything...

Xena watched as Cyrene seemed to lose all of her anger and steam and lower her eyes in sadness as she turned away from the Conqueror and walked back into her room before stopping and looking back at her estranged daughter.

CYRENE
(Sad tone) You know Xena, there was a small part of me that had hoped everything I had heard over the years about you was wrong. But I can see now that I was only fooling myself. You truly are just as cold as people say. It seems that really do only have one child left in this world and there isn't anything I can say or do to change that.

Though Xena struggled to maintain a neutral expression, the pain of Cyrene's words showed in her eyes as she quickly turned away to hide the hurt and heard the door to her mother's room shut behind her. She stood there alone in the hallway for a long moment before the once buried emotions that the conversation had brought back to the surface bubbled over and in a burst of pain, anger and regret Xena spun around with a quick, loud yell, sent her fist into the door with a loud bang, before storming off angerly and cursing herself for even coming to the room to begin with. As she was reminded of the lesson she had told herself far too many times to count. That lesson being that at the end of the day all Xena was capable of doing was causing nothing but pain. Pain to everyone around her. And whether it was an enemy or ally, intentional or not, Xena had come to learn throughout the years that no matter the type, pain above all else was a highly powerful motivator for nearly everyone. A group of which to many people's surprise, she herself was not excluded from.

TO BE CONTINUED...