Ephiny and the Conqueror’s Treaty
by AJ Marks
Part 4
“Whew!”
Ephiny glanced over at her lover as they walked out of the meeting hut and towards their own small hut. An exhausting meeting when everyone expected a quick conclusion.
“Never thought I say this, but I wish we were still dealing with the Conqueror,” Eponin stated expanding on her previous comment. “I feel like we were left with the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ya know, if I didn’t know any better I’d say this was planned so we’d have to deal with her.”
Eph had no reply about that, and had to chuckle at her lover calling Bri a wolf. However she had to admit Bri had a way of saying and phrasing things which made you think you were winning until you realized what you agreed upon was what she wanted all along. What made things even worse no one seemed to be able to get mad at her, even Valaska who despite her previous outburst was not immune to the innocent smile.
“I’ve never seen anyone negotiate like that, using her words like deadly weapons, turning our own words and phrases against us. I hope to never do that again,” Ephiny finally said.
“I guess we could still be glad we have our clothes,” Eponin stated.
“Nah, remember she doesn’t like wearing them,” Eph replied. “I’m glad she remained covered, mostly.”
“Ah, yeah, there’s something about her that’s I don’t’ know, invigorating,” Eponin said as they continued walking along the path to their hut.
“Won’t find me complaining, especially after last night,” Eph said, pausing for a second to relive last night. Eponin had been even more aroused than she had been in a long time, and it lasted well into the night. She shook her head as their hut appeared.
“Well, at least the meeting seemed fruitful. I think the Nation will prosper finally,” Eponin said.
“Curious about the Horde and Erika though,” Ephiny said, a mystery almost needing to be solved.
“She lost two sisters in the battle but never talked much about it to anyone,” Eponin answered thinking about it. “I’ve heard stories about the battles, some lasted for days. All I know is the Horde never came back, but the warriors who returned to the tribe were never quite the same, nightmares, even savage like.”
“Few ever talked about it to, wonder if they ever wrote it down for the library?” Eph replied.
“You, the library? This I’d have to see,” Epinon said.
“Ha-ha,” Eph replied pouting a bit as they reached their hut.
“Ephiny, Eponin,” a voice said behind them causing them to turn to see the queen walking up behind them. “May I come in?”
“Of course my queen,” Ehiny said recovering her voice first before opening their door and allowing the queen in first before following and sitting down waiting to hear what the queen wanted.
“I wanted to let you two know that Gabrielle invited the Nation to a meeting this summer, it involves many of the smaller nations around Greece. I am thinking of sending Terreis along with you two,” Melosa said to them.
“Um, us? Why?” Ephiny asked before she could stop herself.
“Terreis needs experience in dealing with foreign dignitaries. Valaska is the rightful heir, and she’ll send Terreis out for politics and its time she start learning how,” Melosa said. “I’m afraid I neglected her upbringing with this and she’ll need to learn.”
Ephiny took a few seconds to think about what the queen said and realized she was right, and such actions would only help later on before looking over at her lover.
“I think we can do that, who else?” Eponin asked.
“I’ll leave that up to you, as the head guard for the mission,” Melosa replied glancing over at Eponin.
“We have plenty of time to think about who to take,” Eponin said.
“Good, I knew I could count on you two,” Melosa stated.
“My queen, why did you allow Erika to go?” Eph asked, the question bugged her ever since Erika asked and hoped she might get some answers.
“Several reasons actually,” Melosa replied looking a bit pensive about the subject before finally continuing. “What I’ about to tell you must remain in confidence.”
Ephiny and Eponin looked at each other before nodding and looking back at Melosa.
“The battles were worse than reported publically. The Horde make savages look civilized and in order to defeat them, those who sent fell down to that level,” Melosa replied. “It changed many of them. When they came back they were different, they’d fallen so far and were more like animals than the sisters who left. They don’t keep prisoners, and what they do to them, it makes you sick. We quietly wrote it down in the annuals of the Nation and sealed it away under the Queen’s control. Erika saw things no human ever should.”
Ephiny’s mind went in all types of directions unsure if what she imagined even happened. The savagery seemed even worse than she had thought and had a hard time imagining anyone not returning changed.
“I’ve kept track of the Horde’s activities over the years hoping they would never return. They never attacked us again since that time, I like to think because their warriors are all male, and ours are female that we gave them nightmares,” Melosa stated.
Eph sat in silence for several heartbeats before a knock on the door startled her, she was expecting no one before standing up and heading over to open the door. The sight of Gabrielle standing there surprised her.
“I hope I’m not intruding, oh, you’ve got company,” Gabrielle stated.
“Don’t mind me, we’re only talking old history,” Melosa replied.
“Really! I love hearing stories,” Gabrielle replied. “I’ve got a few in the library in Athens.”
“You’re a bard?” Ephiny asked feeling shocked at the admission by Gabrielle before finally waving her inside and shutting out the cold.
“Not much of one, but I do love to tell and listen to stories,” Gabrielle replied but Eph thought she saw a slight blush appear on the woman’s cheeks.
“I see you are full of surprises,” Melosa said. “How does one like you become what she is to the Conqueror?”
“It’s not much of a story,” Gabrielle stated.
“There has to be more than the ‘I’m the slave she’s the master’ story,” Melosa said.
“Yeah, I don’t’ know many slaves who negotiate treaties, have their own guards and has the Conqueror hand feed them,” Eponin said.
“Or allows a slave to call them by name,” Ephiny said getting into the conversation and recalling Gabrielle had called the Conqueror Xena, something even the Amazons did not do.
“There isn’t much to say, but it might explain a bit why I’m still a slave,” Gabrielle replied to them.
Ephiny leaned forward slightly to hear the story hoping it would answer more than a few questions she had.
“I entered slavery by the actions of my own parents, or should I say my own dad sold me into slavery,” Gabrielle stated. “I wasn’t more than five summers old, though I’m not sure of my exact age.”
The news shocked Ephiny who wondered what type of parents did such a thing to their child. She couldn’t fathom such a thing, especially in the Nation where everyone cared for every child and considered each a gift.
“I don’t remember much before that, only the training to be a slave, obeying orders, what to do and not to do, that type of thing. I think somewhere deep down I remained, sheltered somehow considering I had a few masters who were most unkind. I never seemed to stay with them for too long, thank the gods and goddesses,” Gabrielle stated. “One of my masters decided I was old enough to learn how to be his pleasure slave, never got the chance to use me as the Conqueror came through and killed him, and then sold everyone into slavery. Basically no change for me. I then went to another master who tried the same thing, but his wife was jealous and sold me before he could do anything.”
Ephiny listened in knowing that Gabrielle skipped some things, getting an abbreviated version of what happened.
“I was bought again, this time by the new empress, Xena, for a high price. She was betting against another guy from Persia,” Gabrielle stated. “The law states a slave can only gain their freedom if they earn their way to freedom. At the price I was taken it would take me about another twenty years to gain that freedom.”
Ephiny blinked wondering how much the price was, and how much Gabrielle might earn per day. She always heard rumors of how much a slave might be, she wondered if the Conqueror thought she got a bargain now? Also the amount of money would probably bankrupt the Nation.
“At the time Xena had finished the captain of conquering Greece and had an image to maintain for control as people like Drafus appeared to challenge her. As a result my first year was very harsh, which is where the piercings came from,” Gabrielle stated opening the cloak again so they could all see her breasts.
Ephiny wondered how such a close friendship could ever come from such a violent beginning to what she saw in the bath.
“Drafus tried to overthrow her that day and the fighting had been intense but she won. I suffered her battlelust that day. Few things about her have been exaggerated, this is one thing which isn’t,” Gabrielle said to them. “She wanted to hear me scream, that’s why they did my clit first, after that I don’t remember much. You could say our real relationship started that night, when I woke up the next morning I was sore but comfortable. She never again took pain to such an extreme, and when she did each time made sure I was comfortable with it.”
Eph unconsciously summoned up the picture of a naked tied up Gabrielle with the Conqueror on top before shaking her mind away from the thought.
“You okay?” Eponin asked.
“Yep, no problem, Eph squeaked out.
The sound of both Eponin and Melosa laughing caused her to turn before looking away feeling some heat in her cheeks, hoping she wasn’t blushing too much.
“Anyways, continue,” Eph said looking over at Gabrielle with as much dignity as possible which was hard considering Gabrielle was also laughing. They waited for Gabrielle to calm down a bit before continuing.
“Don’t worry about it, you’re not the first,” Gabrielle said, and Eph wasn’t sure to be glad or not as Gabrielle continued. “Of course she didn’t change overnight, no one can. She continued to enforce the no clothes, like other pleasure slaves, even in public. I’ll admit it was difficult at first, but now I prefer it, though I tolerate the cloak for warmth.”
Eph remained doubtful about that, her own experience was never pleasant. Perhaps it was because no one went around naked except in the baths. She turned her attention back to Gabrielle.
“Looking back at it all, I think we had fallen in love with each other from the beginning, but the master/slave relationship kept us apart. I can remember seeing her and thinking she was gorgeous, the long dark hair, blue eyes, she drew me in like no one else had ever done. I was scared and happy when Xena won that bid. Even before the piercings I had begun to secretly call her Xena, not the Empress or Conqueo, and I even started doing little things to make her happy, baking goodies, massages, and she rewarded me with writing instruments, a library, flowers,” Gabrielle said to them.
Ephiny had a hard time envisioning such scenes especially with the Conqueror. However it appeared the older woman knew how to woo Gabrielle, or had studied her enough to know what she liked and didn’t like.
“A could of seasons ago Xena wanted to free me, but I resisted,” Gabrielle replied. “I knew other masters had come to Xena requesting the same thing and she refused. Things were politically uneasy and I feared it push for another rebellion. I was right and when the rebellion came she still had a lot of support. It was after that when I began whispering small pieces of advice to her, not that she always agrees, but she does stop and think about what I say and that’s been good for the Empire.”
“That makes sense,” Melosa said speaking up for the first time. “Its been in the past couple of seasons which our spies have noticed a change within Greece. The threats of revolution subsided to the fringe and unsupported by the average person.”
“I think there will always be that type of talk, but if the normal person is happy and content things go better, that’s what I try to do,” Gabrielle said.
“Always wondered what type of person would tame the Conqueror,” Melosa said.
“Not sure tame is the right word,” Gabrielle replied.
“Oh, but I am, the Conqueror needed someone who was her intellectual equal, not physical,” Melosa said causing them all to stop and think. “She needed someone who could look into the depths of her soul and be strong enough to survive, and I think being forced into it helped you even more. Your position forced the Conqueror to look at her own soul, that’s what allowed your relationship to grow.”
“Are you sure you’re not an oracle my queen,” Ephiny half joked, yet seemed partly serious as well.
“No, seen enough of it with the Amazons, though I’m sure the Conqueror is much worse and it would require an equally strong opposite force,” Melosa replied.
Ephiny gave that some thought for a few seconds. She never thought of it that way, two eual and opposite forces. Anotehr thought entered her mind.
“So, we’ve been invited to Cornith this summer,” she stated to Gabrielle.
“Every summer Greece invites the nearby leaders, most of whom we have treaties with, to send a representative, this year we’re expecting them from all over, including Rome, Chin, Persia, Egypt and Cartage to attend, along with the Amazons of course. We don’t pressure anyone, but it’s a way to be diplomatic and hope to prevent any wars.”
“How do you get so many empires to get along?” Ephiny asked knowing many of the empires didn’t like each other.
“If Greece and Rome can get along then Xena expects the same from the others as well,” Gabrielle answered logically. “Um, do you have any communications with the Centaurs?”
“No,” all three answered quickly.
“Oh, right, forgot Amazons and Centaurs don’t get along,” Gabrielle said. “But I feel they should be invited anyways.”
“That’s asking for trouble,” Ephiny quickly stated knowing they would not get along at all. Put both Centaurs and Amazons in close quarters and a fight was almost guaranteed.
“And, if Xena can get along with Rome then so should you,” Gabrielle stated looking at all three.
Ephiny opened her mouth to argue and shut it again at the look Gabrielle gave her before looking over at Melosa and Eponin who bore a similar expression. It felt odd that three Amazons, including a weapons master and Queen were stared down by a mere slave.
“Well, Cornith is a big place, we might not even have to encounter any Centaurs,” Eponin said speaking up.
“See, things work out for a reason,” Gabrielle said, yawning. “Well, its getting late and I have quite the journey back to the palace tomorrow.”
“Goodnight Gabrielle,” Ephiny said as they stood and the smaller woman walked out of the hut. Ephiny noticed two guards nearby who immediately rushed to her side guarding her as she walked into the chilly night air.
“For a moment I thought you were going to hold the door open all night,” Eponin stated.
“Ha-ha,” Ephiny replied.
The three fell silent for several heartbeats as Ephiny sat back down next to Eponin. Everything about the past couple of days was unlike anything she expected including th3e signing of the treaty, and the announcement by what Rome had demanded.
“Did any of you noticed anything about Gabrielle?” Eponin finally said interrupting Eph’s train of thought.
“No, but then again she’s already unusual so I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Ephiny finally replied.
“I first noticed it when we were bathing, a small mark she had. I had to think about it for a few seconds but now I’m sure it’s the mark of Aphrodite,” Eponin stated.
“Aphrodite?” Eph repeated unsure she heard correctly and what that might mean.
“Doesn’t surprise me at all,” Melosa said. “Remember Aphrodite and Ares are attracted to each other, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Gabrielle s touched by the goddess. Everything thinks the Conqueror is the daughter of Ares.”
“Why do I suddenly have the feeling we’re not anywhere close to dealing with those two?” Ephiny asked them.
“I don’t know, but I hope better things are on the way for the Nation,” Melosa said before standing and stretching. “I should get going.”
“Of course my queen,” Ephiny said as Eponin stood holding the door open for the queen to leave their hut.
Ephiny watched as Eponin put a few more logs on the fire and turning to Ephiny.
“Ready for bed?”
“But of course.”
The End of Ephiny and the Conqueror’s Treaty