“c7″> 

The
Conqueror was as surprised by her words as the young woman but she
knew them to be true. All of her considerable emotional defences
just seemed to crumble to dust regarding the blonde. When she once
again tried to leave, Gabrielle‘s right hand found her
left.

“c7″> 

“c7″>"Xena, please, sit down. There’s a lot of
gossip in this palace, and I heard a lot about you, that’s
true. There’s also a lot of talk about your bedroom
adventures but they all say that you only take what is freely
given. They say your violence is for the battlefield only.
I’m not concerned about this. I’m truly sorry my
reaction hurt you, and I cannot promise that it will never happen
again. It really had nothing to do with you personally. It is…
One of my former…."

“c7″> 

“c7″>"You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts
too much, Gabrielle. It probably will take a lot of time before the
shadows of your past have left your soul. I will always be there to
listen and to care but you don’t have to torture
yourself."

“c7″> 

"I
don’t know why, but I want you to know, Xena." Gabrielle
left her hand in Xena’s but her eyes were fixed on the
blanket. "One of my former masters was a traveling merchant
between Lutetia and “c7″>Rome. He owned many
slaves and had a house and office in several of the towns along the
road. He loved to travel with a great retinue, with mercenaries,
cooks, servants, and slaves. He purchased me as a body slave but
when he learned that I could read and write, he only used me as one
of his scribes. At first, I couldn’t believe my luck, and I
shouldn’t have to. The first moons we spent in
Rome “c7″>and I was allowed to learn Latin. I wore beautiful clothes,
was well fed and free to go everywhere in his house, garden and
fields. If it hadn’t been for the collar around my neck, I
would have forgotten that I was a slave and not a servant. When he
began traveling though there was no way to forget
it."

“c7″> 

Xena
gently put her other hand on top of Gabrielle’s and gave her
an encouraging squeeze. "During the journey I had to stay with
the scrolls, day and night. When we stayed at an inn, I was next
door to his bedroom and when we made camp, I slept in a small tent
next to his. One night, after about ten days of traveling, he
entered my tent in the middle of the night. He was drunk. When I
awoke, I found his arms securely wrapped around my body, his mouth
only inches away from mine. He was breathing heavily and his mouth
came nearer. I panicked. I knew he had every right to do with me
what ever he fancied, but still… Somehow, I freed my right hand
and slapped him hard across the face. He pulled away and left the
tent without saying a word. I was afraid but eventually I went back
to sleep."