"I told you why I did what I did. I was
desperate."

"You got want you wanted. I hope it was worth it."
Tali stood and rolled the scroll up. "The only reason I'm
here is because it's an order. As far as I'm concern, you
don't deserve to be part of this Nation, more less the
Princess." Tali walked away from Lila and out of the
barracks.

******

Lila sat in her hut, pouring over her notes. But her mind
wouldn't stay focused on her studies; instead she found herself
thinking about Tali. Even though the young woman could be cold and
thoughtless, Lila had found herself warming up to the young
trainee. But any thoughts of potential friendship were all but gone
because of her deceit. *Maybe she's right. I just don't fit
in.*

A knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts. Lila got
up and answered the door. Sophia stood on the other side with a
plate of food in her hands. "Hey kiddo. You missed lunch, so I
brought some over." She stepped inside and placed the food on
the table, noticing all the scrolls lying on it. "Studying
hard I see. Don't study too much, there is always time for
relaxation." She turned to her young friend and noticed the
sadness that filled her eyes.

"Hey, why so glum? Don't tell me studying has gotten
you down?"

"It is not the studying, though it's not helping
matters much. I did something and someone got hurt."

"Tali?"

The Amazon Princess eyes grew wide with surprise. "How did
you know?"

"Xena and I figured out your little scheme a while back.
That stunt was very foolish, but it worked."

"Yeah, but I lost a friend because of it. My intentions
were good, but innocent people suffered because of it. Maybe
Tali's right, I'm not fit to be the Princess."

"Whoa, wait a minute. I know that you feel guilty for what
had happened, but don't let Tali place those types of doubts in
your head. Believe in yourself. I know others who do. "

"Well, I hope I don't let them down. I watched
Gabrielle while she was here, and I don't see how she did it.
She knew the laws and traditions inside and out. The people love
and trust her. How can I compare to that?"

Understanding shone from the Guardian’s eyes. "Look,
I know that Gabby makes it seem easy. But there's a lot that
you don't know. At one time, an Amazon named Valesca led a
revolt against Gabby and tried to steal the throne from her. More
than half of the Nation sided with Valesca. A number of those
Amazons still live in the village. Though they don't hate
Gabrielle, they probably don't love her either. But they
respect her because she has proven herself. That is what you have
to do. Prove yourself. Pass the Rite of Initiation."