CONQUERING THE CONQUEROR

pt.54

The bright winter's sun was shining though the large windows as Gabrielle left her room to start her day around early to mid-morning as she had done so many days prior. She stood there for a moment as she looked out of the large window that sat at the end of the hallway and smiled at the beautiful blue sky as a thought of something else strikingly blue crossed her mind that brought her back to the night before when she and the Conquerer had stood together under the starlit sky as they watched the heavens dance high above them. The memory of Xena holding her so close beneath the woman's coat. And how incredibly warm, happy and at peace Gabrielle felt while standing there in the woman's embrace. Something that Gabrielle hadn't felt in a very long time and had never imagined she would in this place. Least of all in the arms of the Conqueror. But as Gabrielle reflected on the seemingly utter absurdity of the fact that she had begun to fall for someone like the Conqueror, she remembered that even after they had first met, Xena had never been quite what Gabrielle had expected, and chuckled to herself at how, yet again her life had taken a drastically unexpected turn, and she had now ended up somewhere had never thought she'd be. But for once this was somewhere that Gabrielle was actually happy to be.

ELLE
You seem to be having a good morning.

Gabrielle looked over and smiled at the sight of her friend approaching.

GABRIELLE
Good morning Elle.

The young woman smiled back as she walked up and stood next to Gabrielle.

ELLE
(Joking tone) So is there any particular reason that you seem to have that big smile on your face, or are you just really happy to see me?

GABRIELLE
Come on Elle, you know I'm always happy to see you.

ELLE
Yeah, but you never have that look on your face that you had when I came over here just now.

Gabrielle felt her face get slightly warm as she looked away and fiddled with the sleeve of her top as she hadn't thought that Elle had apparently noticed her daydreaming about a certain dark haired, blue-eyed woman who ran the place, and for whatever reason found herself feeling embarrassed by it.

GABRIELLE
(Slightly uncomfortable tone) Wha- what are you talking about? I was just enjoying the scenery outside, is all.

Elle eyed Gabrielle suspiciously.

ELLE
You mean the same scenery that you've walked past every day for months?

Unsure of how to respond, Gabrielle began to stumble over her words as she frantically began trying to come up with something to tell her other than the truth of her having gotten lost in her enraptured thoughts about Xena. As for some time after Gabrielle's arrival in the keep, Elle had tried multiple times to show Gabrielle that the Conqueror wasn't the monster that she, like so many others, thought her to be. And at that moment, the last thing Gabrielle wanted to hear was a very pleased "I told you so" from the woman.

GABRIELLE
(Defensive tone) What, I can't like looking outside without needing a reason to?

Elle raised her hands slightly as she saw that she had hit an unexpected nerve.

ELLE
Woah, I never said that. If looking at trees makes you happy, then go ahead and look at all the trees you want. Sorry.

Realizing that had just been pretty rude to her friend for no good reason, Gabrielle sighed to herself as she looked at the young woman.