Eternal Spirit

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Eternal Spirit

Part 27

The Amazon elder began to rise from her seat. Light strands of hair trickled along her cheeks delicately. Her eyes were as green as a newborn baby leaf yet paled with wisdom beyond her years. "Since there are no objections to..."

"I object." The voice rose stridently above the council's whispers.

The elder slowly sank back down in her seat, her eyes making contact with the outspoken Amazon. Disbelief washed over her face. "Pardon me?" The question held more hesitation than she cared to display before the council.

Making her way to the front of the panel the Amazon locked eyes with the head elder of the council. Without wavering she spoke with authority. "I, Queen of the Amazons, object to this ruling." An awkward silence hushed through the room.

"Have you lost your mind?" The Regent approached the Queen angrily waving her arms in the air to emphasize her words. "Gabrielle, how can you object? You of all people! After what he..."

The Queen raised her hand towards the Regent in a stopping motion, her eyes bearing little emotion. "Enough." She turned to squarely face the Regent who was now breathing heavily in rage. "You, Ephiny, of all people should know that under no circumstance have I or will I ever support murder."

Ephiny threw her hands up in the air furiously. "Murder? Murder Gabrielle? No this is not murder, this is justice. The laws are simple. If you break them you suffer the consequence. Murder is what he almost succeeded in accomplishing with three Amazons, including you my Queen." She unconsciously folded her arms across her chest squeezing her fists into tight balls.

A vacant emptiness filled the Queen's eyes as she closed them briefly to collect her thoughts. She exhaled deeply, opened her eyes, and faced her friend with an element of sadness. "Taking a life, any life, unless defending your own is murder. Your bitterness is blinding your judgment. Otherwise, you would clearly see the difference between revenge and justice."

"Gabrielle, he should..."

"That is enough Ephiny." The head elder silenced. She nodded to Gabrielle gesturing her to step forward. She spoke softly. "Gabrielle, crimes of this nature have fatal consequences. Amazon law states that the punishment for attempting to endanger an Amazon Queen is death. Now, I would presume it safe to say that what has been done exceeds that of simple endangerment, has it not?"

The Queen bowed her head respectively. "Yes it has. What was done was..." She lowered her eyes for a moment. "What was done was unforgivable. But his guilt is not the issue here. His punishment is. I fully understand what the law states. The law also states that as Queen I may exercise my right to request a Battle of Wills."

The Regent placed her hand on the Queen's shoulder and turned her around facing her. "Battle of Wills? Gabrielle, do you know what you are requesting?" Worry replaced the anger in her expression. "Why would you want to do such a thing? You need to think about this."

"I understand what I am asking Eph. I know you are trying to protect me but please understand this is something I must do."

The Amazon elders softly whispered to one another. The head of the council turned her tired eyes towards the young Queen. "Gabrielle I will not say that I understand your decision nor approve of it, but if it is your wish, then we will not object to it."

Gabrielle looked tenderly into the eyes of her friend. "I wish you could understand Eph. I wish I could make you see that I need to do this for me. I need to be.....free." She patted her friend's hand reassuringly and faced the council. "It is my wish."

"Very well then." The elder shook her head sorrowfully. "As you wish the prisoner's life has been spared. The penalty for the crimes that he has committed against the Amazon Nation will be carried out in a "Battle of Wills". The terms of this battle will be of your choosing Gabrielle. The battle will commence tomorrow morning." She nodded towards the group and rose from her seat. "Until then."

The warrior stilled her movement at the last words of the council. "The battle of what? What in Hades name went on in here?" She remained still as the last of the Amazons left the hut, leaving her alone with the Queen. Quietly she approached from behind her. "Gabrielle?"

Startled the Queen jumped. "Xena? You scared me! What are you doing in here?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "How long have you been in here?"

"I came in here because I couldn't wait another minute out there!" She stated pointing towards the entrance to the hut. Anger rose in her voice as she met the bard's heated gaze. "Battle of Wills? Gabrielle there is NO way I am letting you do this."

Darkness enveloped the bard's empty eyes. "Letting me? Xena you can't stop me. This is MY decision."

The warrior grabbed the bard by the arm drawing her closer. "Gabrielle I love you too much to..."

"Love? When you love someone Xena you don't make an effort to strip their will from them. Taking that from me makes you no better than he was." Using her other hand she removed the warrior's grip from her arm. "Now if you will excuse me I have a fight to prepare for....alone."

Continued In Part 28