She had given up trying to fight them. Her strength was mostly illusionary after the long walk through the hot city streets and all she could do now was try to minimize the damage until Flaccus decided she'd taken enough. She was unable to prevent pain filled whimpers from escaping her lips nor, when they finally stopped hitting her, the violent quivering of her muscles as her eyes caught each slight movement of the men around her.

An anguished groan escaped her as she felt Flaccus pull on her leash. She had known what would happen to her even as she had fought to get to her feet. But she couldn't remain kneeling as Caesar slandered her. Her whole being had revolted at the idea and forced her to react, to let him know that he hadn't subjugated her to his will as he seemed to have subjugated his people with a mixture of charm, lies, spectacle and the lavish extravagance that he displayed.

- You don't have to conquer a people with force to enslave them, - Xena contemplated bitterly, and then forced herself to focus on what Flaccus was saying to her.

"Gods be damned, slave. I'm beginning to think you're not happy unless you've been beaten half to death. Doesn't it register in that brain of yours that if you keep defying authority you are going to be disciplined! You have no free will any longer. You are property, and you will learn a suitable demeanor because I can keep this up longer than you can take it." He glanced up to see that all the dignitaries had entered the temple. Yanking hard on the leash he commanded, "Get up! We've got a feast to attend."

Slowly, the Warrior Princess uncurled, her muscles screaming protest, her back aflame with pain. She was shaking with fatigue as she carefully pushed herself to her unsteady feet. She didn't like the way that everything seemed to be on the verge of spinning. Closing her eyes, she shook her head hoping to clear it, and found that she was only partially successful. Feeling sick to her stomach she willed herself to remain standing, and tried to concentrate on something other than her pain and the trouble she was having focusing her swimming head.

She glanced up at the huge double door entrance to the temple and blinked as she thought she saw someone wearing Amazon leathers disappear inside. - I must be hallucinating, - she told herself derisively, - First I think I see Eponin down in the port, and now I'm seeing Amazons in the centre of Rome going into the Temple of Jupiter, no less! -

Flaccus chose that moment to start moving to the top of the steps, dragging on the chain to pull Xena along behind him. Forcing her exhausted body into movement, the Warrior Princess hobbled unsteadily in his wake, her guards forming up around them.

When they reached the portico, Flaccus didn't lead her to the main doors of the temple, instead he turned to the right, making his way around the building to a far smaller doorway which gave them entrance to a small corridor that led deeper inside the edifice.

The centurion made his way with obvious confidence. He had been here before and he knew which turnings to take, which stairways to go down and what doors to go through. They finally arrived in a large underground chamber, fully prepared for the lavish banquet that would be served to honour the proud victors.

Xena automatically took note of the room's layout as she trailed along behind Flaccus. Two long tables were stretched down the sides of the hall, garlanded with vines and flowers. Benches ran both sides of the tables, which were laid with silver platters and goblets, with silver ewers full of thick red wine waiting for the celebrants to arrive.

At the head of the chamber, where Flaccus was taking her, was a raised dias with another table stretching across it's width, linking the two side tables with it's length. Here stood two throne like chairs, obviously meant for Caesar and Veranius, with more chairs stretching either side of them for the visiting dignitaries and Roman elite.

The centurion halted in front of the table, where Xena could see that all the utensils were made of gold, and he growled, "Sit!" at her.

She still bridled at his tone and manner, but was too tired and sore to dispute the matter with him. She sank onto the wooden dias as Flaccus bent and secured her chain to a thick iron ring set into the solid flooring, obviously it had seen use for this purpose before.

- So now I'm a trophy on display for the festivities, - her mind growled. A quick look told her that she wouldn't be able to easily pull the leash free from this particular ring, so with little in the way of options, she elected to get what rest she could, drawing up her legs and wrapping her arms around her knees so she could rest her aching head upon them.

She watched as Flaccus positioned a guard an arms-length away from her on either side, on the floor below the two foot high dias, where she sat, and from the corner of her eye she noted that the centurion placed the remaining eight men so that they had easy, fast access to the problematical slave.

She closed her eyes to the Romans and set about the task of shunting off all the pain she felt, into that little part of her mind she kept for the purpose, so that she'd at least be able to endure the coming, undoubted, torments with all the dignity that she could muster.

Ephiny accepted the wine that was offered her by a slave, and picked a couple of strawberries off of the platter held before her. She kept throwing anxious glances back towards the massive doors, as she waited for Hakine to return and report to her.

When they had entered the temple, with the other guests invited to the feast, Ephiny had given some low voiced orders to Hakine, to linger just outside on some pretext and assess how bad Xena's latest drubbing had been and whether on not she had hung onto consciousness.

Popping the fruit into her mouth, she chewed on it absently while her gaze switched over to Hercules, who knelt in a corner, surrounded by her Amazon guard. She knew he was having a hard time in controlling his urge to leap to the defence of the Warrior Princess. His drive to ensure justice, compassion, mercy and fairness, was being challenged by their need to endure the situation until they could act with success upon it. It was hard for the big man who was used to facing daunting odds to help strangers, let alone close personal friends.

Ephiny sighed softly to herself as she bit into the second strawberry, - How in Hades name am I going to be able to tell Gabrielle and Toris just how bad things are for Xena? - she worried in perplexity. - I'm going to have to have Pompey lock them up .. they're never going to sit quietly and wait for the plan to go into operation. - She sighed again, glanced across to the doorway and took a long swallow of the wine. - I wonder what the penalty is for usurping the power of the Queen? - she fretted, - Probably counts as treason, but I'll be damned to Tartarus before I let Gabrielle do something stupid .. like throwing her life away. -

Her back stiffened as Hakine suddenly appeared in the doorway, took a quick look around and made a swift move across the mosaic covered floor to the shoulder of the Regent.

"Well?" asked Ephiny shortly and quite softly.

"She's conscious," reported the warrior. "The gave her quite a pounding with those batons they're carrying, broke open more of those wounds on her back, but she protected most of the rest of her body, other than her arms. They seemed to be taking her to some side door in the temple. Probably going to hold her somewhere until Caesar's ready to leave."

Ephiny nodded sharply, "Go back to the others. Let them and 'Heston' know what's happening. I don't want any problems here!" she warned.

The growing uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, Hercules decided after some time analysing it, was rage. It was not an emotion that he was greatly familiar with, experiencing it maybe once before upon the death of Deianara .. he had been too mixed up by Strife's meddling to feel much except the anguish of Serena's loss, and even that had something of an unreal quality about it as, after he and Autolycus had changed her fate with the help of the Chronos Stone; Serena still lived and was happily married with children of her own.

- I have, - he reflected, - been a curse to the women I love. Both my wives died at the hands of my enemies. -

Xena, however, was first and foremost his friend. True they were lovers, and they renewed their intimacy when they found time, but the weight of their pasts, the burden of their enemies, made a lasting union almost impossible .. neither wished to inflict their load on the other.

But he cared for her. More than any other woman alive, he felt a kinship and closeness to the Warrior Princess and his anger at her treatment had steadily grown until it had become a burning rage .. an emotion he was not used to dealing with, and one that he was having difficulty keeping a lid on.

He knelt in the corner of the huge temple foyer, feeling more than a little irritated at being in such a position in a temple dedicated to his own father. However, he pushed that aside and concentrated on the dark haired man who stood some distance away and was the centre of the rooms attention.

Light blue eyes, bored relentlessly into Caesar's neck, willing the man to turn and see him, turn so he could look into the callous brown orbs that had tricked and deceived the young Xena and then turned her into the death dealing bitch from Hades that his half-brother .. Ares .. had used to such devastating effect, before he had been able to resurrect the dormant goodness that underlay the Warrior Princess's soul.

Hercules was certain that no one could have withstood the intensity of his gaze without feeling something, but Caesar seemed to be oblivious to him and the big man began to suspect that there was some 'family' interference going on. - Which, - he conceded, - for once is probably a good thing. - He knew that his obvious animosity to the Roman noble would cause questions to be asked, that they couldn't afford to have raised just now.

He drew in a deep, shuddering, breath as he forced himself to contain the raw emotional feelings he was experiencing, trying to concentrate instead upon the magnificent edifice that honoured his father, filled with all the strutting, pompous and arrogant Romans who partook of wine and finger foods whilst they were waiting to be conducted to the banquet hall for the feast.

His eyes keenly tracked Hakine as the Amazon guard made her way across to the place Ephiny stood, close to Pompey, where she engaged in the barest acceptable amount of social chatter with the occasional member of the senate. He watched, his eyes narrowing, as the guard delivered her message, and felt a weight lift slightly from him as he saw some of the worry go out of the Regent's eyes.

Barely restraining himself, he watched as Hakine returned to where the rest of the Amazons were grouped around him, and listened avidly as she told him and her sisters that Xena was conscious, on her feet and able to walk. It helped him to keep a leash on his anger and concentrate upon their plan.

Pompey had followed Caesar through the great portals, a sneer on his lips and an angry glare in his eyes as he glowered at his hated rival. His hatred stemmed from his resentment at knowing that Caesar had usurped his rightful place as leader and most honoured man in Rome. He saw his rival as a scheming politician who sought power for his own glory, caring nothing for the greater good of Rome, while he merely wanted what was best for the city state, and what was best was not what Caesar had to offer.

He climbed the steps, his mind filled with his plans that would see Julius, bloody, Caesar taken down a peg or two and give him the chance to solidify his own support in the senate and stake his claim for the supreme governance of Rome. It was risky and relied heavily on others, but the prize was worth the stake.

He took the goblet of wine that was offered but did not drink from it. Whilst around his adversary he had no intention of garnering a thick head from imbibing too much. He did select some nameless morsel and popped it into his mouth before moving close to where the striking Amazon Regent stood.

- She really is rather good looking for a barbarian wench, - he admitted to himself, - so much more fire than our Roman women. I wonder if that hulk, Heston, truly satisfies her? -

Avoiding looking at Caesar, who he knew was absolutely relishing his discomfort, Pompey focused on the Amazon Queen Regent, and could see that something, probably Xena's treatment, had her agitated and on edge. He smiled at the thought. Ares had promised him assistance and so far the god's information and suggestions had proven to be very useful. - If I can just knock Caesar off his perch, then I might even allow my allies to leave here alive. - He considered, - Especially as that hulk , Heston, has trebled my treasury funds, - he grinned, noticed Caesar looking at him with a puzzled frown and raised his goblet to him, making his enemy frown the more.

Caesar made certain that Flaccus knew what he wanted before he turned and followed the Roman elite into the Temple of Jupiter. Things had gone very well, although he had known that Xena would never remain in such a submissive attitude while he misused her reputation. - Still in her weakened condition, she wasn't too hard to subdue .. and the crowd enjoyed that particular spectacle. Hopefully Flaccus didn't do too much more damage in the process. - he mused cheerfully.

The fact that Pompey had been reduced to an attendant role on this day gave him an added measure of satisfaction. He had revelled in the blonde soldier's glares and impotence. - The man has no class .. no finesse, - he thought as he climbed the stairs and entered into the massive atrium of the temple, to the enthusiastic reception of his so called peers.

He moved to the centre of the chamber passing social pleasantries with old friends and enemies alike as he drew them to him much like a moth is drawn to a flame. He revelled in the attention, although he was careful to include Veranius into his immediate company, - My old friend Marcus will prove an invaluable comrade in the time to come, so I must make sure he gets his share of the congratulations and enjoys the feast that he deserves. -

His eyes were never still as he scanned the assembly to see who was present, just in case anyone had been foolish enough to try and snub him. His inquiring eyes fell on the barbarian woman dressed in leather who had a mane of wild blonde curls and an imperious attitude that spoke of someone who had, and exercised, power. - The Amazon Queen, - he deduced having been informed of her presence in Rome by his people.

- I wonder just what she's here for? - he mused, - Could she be seeking Xena? ... But no, my reports say that the Amazons have no love for the Warrior Princess and that there is a warrant outstanding for her arrest on some matter or another. - He smirked happily, - Maybe they're here to stake some legal claim to her. My, my Xena, you certainly know how to collect enemies. - He turned his attention back to the senator who was claiming his ear, and listened to some trivial petition waiting for the announcement that the feast was ready.

He glanced across at Pompey in time to catch the man smiling to himself. When Pompey saw him looking, he had the effrontery to raise a goblet in his direction, - What's he up to now? - he mused. Intrigued by the question, and wanting someway to gloat on his superiority anyway, when Pompey detached himself from Ephiny and made his way across the chamber, Caesar moved to intercept him.