{"id":1349,"date":"2016-03-12T07:17:02","date_gmt":"2016-03-12T13:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1349"},"modified":"2016-03-15T07:33:05","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T12:33:05","slug":"ephiny-and-the-roman-army-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1349","title":{"rendered":"Ephiny and the Roman Army – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ephiny and the Roman Army<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ephiny looked up at as the Conqueror seemed to finally settle on an arrangement on how the camp was supposed to be set up. One guard had been sent back to the main army behind them to tell them what was going on.\u00a0 Eph knew the Conqueror needed time to inform Melosa of what was going on before suddenly finding out there was an entire Greek army behind this group.<\/p>\n

That thought brought up the fact Gabrielle might have informed Melosa about the army as part of the story with Terreis. Eph could only imagine the reaction her queen might give.\u00a0 Normally the queen was thoughtful and deliberate before reacting to anything, but an army this close to the Nation might not be welcome and others might use it as a reason to reject Gabrielle\u2019s Rite-of-Caste.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re pretty much set up, ready to go?\u2019 the Conqueror said interrupting Ephiny\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Eph said, getting up and glancing over at the Conqueror and a sudden question came to her mind and decided to ask the question and get a different perspective. \u201cI\u2019ve heard Gabrielle\u2019s version, but what\u2019s your version of how you two met?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, she told you that whole thing about love at first sight nonsense,\u201d the Conqueror said and Eph had a feeling this version would be different.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, she was pretty convincing with that story,\u201d Eph said looking over at the taller woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI not, then again I doubt anything could have affected me back then, I was pretty self-absorbed with myself back in those days,\u201d the Conqueror replied back to her. \u201cI saw hundreds of people a day on an endless campaign.\u00a0 One after another and anyone good looking caught my attention which is probably why I looked at her that day.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until my previous body slave, Frona, was killed due to poison that I can remember seeing her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph remained quiet listening to the opposite side of the story. She knew Gabrielle could remember the first time she saw the Conqueror.\u00a0 Most people never forgot that sight either so it was no surprise the Conqueror didn\u2019t remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to the slave market to purchase a new slave on the same day Bri\u2019s previous master placed her up for sale. He said something about his wife being jealous of the slave,\u201d the Conqueror stated.<\/p>\n

Eph briefly recalled something Aphrodite said about making wives jealous to help protect Gabrielle and wondered if this was one of those times.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing her for sale was the first time I can actually recall seeing her. I saw something in her eyes which caught my attention, it was something different than what I was used to seeing and it intrigued me.\u00a0 Now I know it was the formation of her adoration for me, love and a mixture of fear as well,\u201d the Conqueror said.\u00a0 \u201cVery little surprised me anymore and I had to find out why she was looking at me that way.\u00a0 I was bored and I figured she would provide some amusement for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, if you knew then what you know now would you still have paid so much for her?\u201d Eph asked unable to stop herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d the Conqueror replied with no hesitation at all. \u201cShe\u2019s worth twice that much.\u00a0 The only thing would be I would have treated her differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph was sure she heard a wistful tone in the Conqueror\u2019s voice over the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen did you realize you were in love with her, or is that question off limits,\u201d Eph asked hoping she had not offended the Conqueror who merely laughed at the question.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no secret, I mean most of my enemies know I love her, except for maybe Caesar, he\u2019s always been a bit dense in that regard,\u201d the Conqueror replied back to her. \u201cIt was a slow process for me.\u00a0 I found myself spending time with her, watching her when she wasn\u2019t aware of it.\u00a0 Giving her gifts, like a quill, perfume, or a scroll for her to read with no reason at all.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until Drafus and his small rebellion that things really changed.\u00a0 I was still fighting with myself and the legends of the beast I was is true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph could recall the stories she heard about the Conqueror, including those from the Northern Amazons. Many in the Nation had hoped Drafus would actually win the rebellion and were disappointed when it was learned how easily he had been defeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrafus, the guy never stood a chance against me, I knew every move he made through careful planning. He did have one surprise for me which made it interesting,\u201d the Conqueror stated.\u00a0 \u201cSeveral slaves who I thought were loyal betrayed me.\u00a0 It seems Drafus promised them they would be freed if they helped him.\u00a0 It was that which turned my anger against Bri.\u00a0 I thought she was one of the ones who betrayed me, even though I knew she hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 I ordered several things to remind her of who owned her.\u00a0 I only went through with the piercings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph decided not to ask what else the Conqueror had planned and was sure she didn\u2019t want to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, the look in her eyes, even in pain, reached me finally,\u201d the Conqueror said. \u201cShe passed out to which I was thankful and realized what I had done, who I was doing it to.\u00a0 I cancelled everything else and carried her up to our room.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I can ever apologize for what I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure she feels the same way,\u201d Eph said recalling what Gabrielle had told her of those events, and what the piercings meant to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo?\u2019 the Conqueror asked taking a moment to stop and look at Eph.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, she views them as a connection to you, that she belongs to you,\u201d Eph said to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like something she would say. I\u2019ve given up trying to understand her.\u00a0 She can be so na\u00efve and innocent and then turn around and say something to wise,\u201d the Conqueror said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Eph said agreeing thinking about some of the things the small blonde had asked and done while she knew her. Gabrielle had a way of disarming people with her looks and they forgot she actually was smart.\u00a0 \u201cShe does have that innocent look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa, forget that, she enjoys quite a lot of things, including some more public displays,\u201d the Conqueror said pausing a bit before asking her next question. \u201cAre there going to be any public orgies or anything with this princess thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUn, no, why?\u201d Eph asked unsure where that question might have come from, or why.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe really enjoys putting on a show in public,\u201d the Conqueror replied back to her.<\/p>\n

The statement caused Eph to stumble a bit wondering if she heard the statement correctly or not before hearing the Conqueror laugh slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, this stumble, is that anything like when you fell into the bathing pool last time I was here?\u201d the Conqueror asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that was different,\u201d Ephiny replied stopping when she realized who said it. \u201cShe didn\u2019t tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked over to see a grin on the Conqueror\u2019s face and groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d Eph mumbled wondering if she had somehow become the joke of the Greek royals. The more she learned about the strange relationship between Gabrielle and the Conqueror the less it conformed to anything she expected to see from them.<\/p>\n

Mercifully they entered the village ending the course of conversation and she led them towards the Queen\u2019s hut where the guards were standing. She noticed the two Greek guards also nearby merely standing around but came to attention when they noticed the Conqueror approaching.\u00a0 The two Amazon guards allowed them in and the group appeared to have been talking but she only saw the Queen, Gabrielle and Eponin.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Xena, I assume you\u2019ll have the missing pieces of the story here that our new princess doesn\u2019t have, or won\u2019t say,\u201d Melosa said looking up at the Conqueror.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich part, the Romans, Amazons or my army?\u201d the Conqueror replied calmly to which Melosa never reacted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll three,\u201d Melosa replied and Eph wondered how much the Queen actually knew and what she needed.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Ephiny stretched her back after sitting for the past candlemark in one position. The Conqueror told the Queen everything which happened in Corinth, from the Roman merchant who was now in custody to the rumors of a Roman invasion which is why there was a Greek army marching towards the Nation.\u00a0 She looked on as Melosa took all the information and thought about it before asking any questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis group, Valaska\u2019s chosen, do we know anything about them?\u201d Melosa asked looking over at Eph.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much my Queen,\u201d Eph answered honestly. \u201cThere is reason to believe that Tanis is behind this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, the serpent shows her fangs again,\u201d Melosa replied surprising Eph slightly. \u201cTanis and Caesar, I wonder if there isn\u2019t a Roman legion already here then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph\u2019s mouth dropped at the casual tone the queen took when talking about this. She had the impression that any union between the two would have a small chance of happening at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really think Tanis would go to a man?\u201d Eponin asked. \u201cAfter all, the Conqueror is a woman, and was a known enemy of the Amazons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but Tanis wants power and she will go to the one who tells her that she will have that power not understanding the politics behind it all,\u201d Melosa said. \u201cAnd the Conqueror doesn\u2019t appear to share power.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, but I\u2019d be very suspicious of anyone so willing to overthrow the current queen, especially if things are going well, like I assumed they were in the Nation according to my spies,\u201d the Conqueror said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had hoped that banishing her would cause her to forget about the Amazons. I fear I should have killed her when I had the chance,\u201d Melosa said solemnly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Ligeia and Koni? We are keeping an eye on them?\u201d Eph asked wondering about those two.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I already do, they were friends of Tanis,\u201d Melosa said answering the question.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your friends closer and your enemies closer,\u201d the Conqueror stated and Eph watched a look of understanding pass between the two of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like that. Neither of us have survived by being stupid,\u201d Melosa replied back to her before standing and heading over to a table motioning the Conqueror over.\u00a0 She spread out a map and leaned on the table\u2019s surface.\u00a0 \u201cNow, where do you suppose Caesar would land his troops based on the maps?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eph never expected her Queen to be talking to the Conqueror about strategy so calmly. She gave some thought to what the Queen said and then were the sentries would be placed and could only come up with one spot which someone could land troops and not be seen.\u00a0 She made her way over and pointed at a spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about here, the sentries don\u2019t see it very well, and its hidden, they might be able to land without being seen,\u201d Eph said to them. \u201cThe fw outposts could be manned by friends of this Valaska\u2019s Chosen group.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, now that you mention it, there were some requests for that position, I didn\u2019t think anything of it at the time because it\u2019s a boring outpost few like to do,\u201d Eponin replied back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we need a couple of trusted scouts to get out there and see what\u2019s going on,\u201d Melosa ordered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get right on it my Queen,\u201d Eponin said leaving the room to carry out the order.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil we have that information, we have a feast and funeral to plan,\u201d Melosa said to them.<\/p>\n

Eph glanced over at Gabrielle who appeared silent for a moment and knew their princess would have to have a change in clothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take her over to Zona\u2019s to be fitted,\u201d Eph said hoping to volunteer would get her out of here. She almost paused when she saw a smirk appear on the Conqueror\u2019s face and looking over at Gabrielle she noticed a stubbornness appear in her eyes and she wished she hadn\u2019t opened her mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, a royal celebration outfit,\u201d Melosa replied and either failed to see the look Gabrielle gave or ignored it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way,\u201d Eph said leading Gabrielle out of the hut. She recalled the conversation back when she first met Gabrielle and the Conqueror and she questioned why Gabrielle didn\u2019t wear anything.\u00a0 The Conqueror made an off-hand comment about her not keeping any clothes on.\u00a0 Perhaps Zona might be able to come up with something, or she hoped she could.<\/p>\n

End part 2<\/p>\n

Continued in part 3<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ephiny and the Roman Army by AJ Marks Part 2 Ephiny looked up at as the Conqueror seemed to finally settle on an arrangement on how the camp was supposed to be set up. One guard had been sent back to the main army behind them to tell them what was going on.\u00a0 Eph knew […]
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