Shaking his head in frustration, he had hauled himself from his seat and, without bother to excuse himself from his guests, he had headed to the chamber where Patroclese' usually practised his medicinal arts upon the slaves; it was where they would have taken the injured Xena. He strode with an angry, purposeful step that had his personal guards scuttling to keep up with. He wanted to know exactly the extent of his warrior's injuries and satisfy the nagging doubt that told him he was being played for a fool.

It didn't take him long to reach the room which was heavily guarded by Flaccus' men, who were taking absolutely no chances with the Warrior Princess; they had learned the hard way not to accept anything to do with her at face value. The flogging of fifteen of their number after her last abortive escape attempt had seen to that. The door to the windowless chamber was opened hurriedly by one of the men standing sentry and Caesar had marched in without slackening his pace.

Inside the room was crowded with guards, a quick head count revealed at least twenty making the small room cramped and uncomfortable. Catching Flaccus' eye, Caesar snapped, "Get everyone out of here, except four guards and they can take post in the corners out of the way."

With the soldiers removed from the room, the Roman ruler was at last able to see that Patroclese was not yet in attendance, and that Xena had already been prepared for his inspection .. Flaccus taking advantage of the woman's unconscious state to have her stripped down to a brief loincloth, and then chained down on the marble slab table. Allowing his eyes to linger over her bronzed flesh, Caesar could see the collection of painful welts and bruises that she had earned in her latest fight.

Moving across to the table, aware of the guards and Flaccus watching, he ran his fingers over the soft, naked, flesh of his slave, feeling the heat of the damaged skin, examining the mottling colours that purpled and blackened as the bruising made itself more evident. Licking his lips he ran his hands across the woman's breasts aware of the stiffening flesh tightening responsively under his gentle touch .. he lingered there almost longingly, dreaming of that which he could not have.

Forcing his hands to move on he reached her face which sported a nasty looking contusion on her forehead that oozed blood from the scraped skin. Turning the slack head from side to side, he tried to determine whether the Warrior Princess could possibly be faking unconsciousness. Nothing from her responses betrayed her if she was, but then he was well aware that Xena had many skills. Flipping back an eyelid told him little, and he was just about to attempt striking her, when Patroclese bustled in through the door.

"I wouldn't do that, my Lord," advised the healer as he realised what his master was about to do, "If she has a concussion you could do serious damage .. maybe even kill her," he warned, knowing that the thought of losing his prized slave would stay Caesar's hand where other arguments would have failed.

Without taking his eyes from the woman before him, Caesar demanded, "I want to know if she's shamming, Patroclese."

The healer moved to his patient's side, annoyance showing in his eyes about the way Xena was being treated once more. Her leg irons were secured to a ring at the base of the table and her hands had been drawn above her head, secured to another ring. Placing his satchel, that carried his medicinal tools and compounds, upon the floor next to him, he felt for the pulse point in his patient's neck and identified the slow even pace that he normally associated with unconsciousness. However, having been exposed for some time to Xena and her phenomenal abilities, he checked the condition of her eyes, as Caesar had done, but recognised the unfocused, glazed, appearance for what it was.

"Out to the world, my Lord," assured the physician. "If you will just bear with me for a few moments while I check the extent of her bodily injuries, I'll bring her around for you."

At Caesar's nod, the young healer ran knowledgable hands over the body he'd done more work on than any other since he had taken up his vocation. He knew every scar upon the muscular frame and it didn't take him long to come up with his diagnosis, "Heavy bruising to the abdomen and ribs, slight dislocation to three fingers of the right hand, nasty head wound that may have caused a concussion, which we'll know more of when I wake her up," he informed his audience as he bent down to rummage in his bag until he found the small bottle he'd been looking for.

Pulling a face as he eased the stopper off, he hastily held the container away from himself and waved it under the nose of the wounded warrior. Within a matter of heartbeats, Xena's face tightened into a grimace and her head began to roll from side to side as her unconscious mind sought to escape from the noxious odour. Finally she began to cough from the astringency of the fumes and her eyes flickered grudgingly open.

Patroclese forced the stopper back into the bottle and thankfully put it back into his bag. He noticed the looks of distaste that everyone in the room were wearing and shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry, but it's effective. I sometimes think it would bring a man, a week dead, back from the grave."

Coughing fitfully, Xena had tried to remember exactly where she was. She seemed to remember the young healer who was bending over her meticulously examining her eyes, but everything seemed fuzzy. She tried to sit up and was at first surprised, then concerned when her body wouldn't respond. She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on her surroundings, becoming aware that she was almost naked except for a loincloth and the metal at her wrists, ankles and neck. Her eyes shot open once more at the discovery, - Where in Tartarus am I! - she demanded of herself, beginning to struggle against the restraints.

"Settle down, take it easy, Xena," came the soothing voice of the healer.

"What's going on?" she demanded, a slur to her speech, "Who are you? Where am I?"

She turned her head as a tall dark man stepped into view. A man she instantly recognised from the darkest heart of her memories, "You!" she spat at Caesar, straining her muscles in an attempt to break her restraints to get at him.

"Hello, Xena," he answered her smugly, and all the pain and anguish of the last few moons came crashing back with a suddenness that left her mind reeling. "Looks like she wasn't play acting," he grinned, seeing the anger and rage being displaced by despair before it was hidden once more behind her more usual stoic mask. Satisfied with his discovery and once more pushing his doubts and concerns to the back of his mind, Caesar locked eyes with Patroclese, "Well?"

"A mild concussion, my Lord," came the answer. "A few days rest and she'll be as good as new."

"Good, because she's going to have a return fight with that ape who beat her .. and next time she's going to win."

Knowing that much was going to depend upon perfect timing, Ephiny had gradually organised things so that much of their equipment, possessions and incredibly large accumulation of dinars had been moved aboard Nebula's ship in preparation for a hurried withdrawal from Rome. Very little remained to be done, other than get Gabrielle and the others out of Pompey's palace and to the ship, which was going to prove more than a little difficult, because none of the five were co-operating, insisting that they were all going to attend the evening's festivities.

Frowning as she remembered the morning's conversation, Ephiny tried to think what she could have possibly have said to win the argument.

The morning had been hectic as they arranged for the final transportation of all 'non-essential' equipment down to Nebula's ship .. the fact that they were supposed to be leaving, in just a few days more, helped disguise their preparations while keeping them totally in the open. They intended to make it appear that they were leaving the final stages of their packing until the day of their leaving, but nothing of true value had been left behind .. mainly things that had been purchased in Rome for the very purpose of ensuring that interested parties would not cotton on to the fact that they had planned a strategic withdrawal.

"Have you noticed that since Pompey left on his 'important business' .. no-one seems too worried just where me and the boys are?" Gabrielle had said casually, "We don't even get a headcount, and the guards aren't following us if we go down to the kitchens."

Ephiny broke her supervision of the final removal of the last of the huge load of dinars that she'd won betting on Hercules' fighting prowess, grinning as the big man himself hefted the chest without any apparent strain, "Yeah, I'd noticed," agreed the Regent, studying her Queen knowing that this was leading up to something.

"That means that the guys and me shouldn't have any trouble slipping out of here when it's time to leave," continued Gabrielle absently twisting a half filled scroll in her hands as she watched Hercules leave the room with his burden.

"And your point is?" asked Ephiny almost certain that the innocuous seeming line of conversation was guiding her towards something that she was definitely not going to like .. and that could mean almost only one thing.

The bard looked at her feet and nervously shuffled them as she went on, "The point is that we aren't going to have any trouble getting out of here. In fact, I think that if we were to use Amazon Warrior disguises, Me and Iolaus, Toris and Joxer could .."

"No, Gabrielle," interjected Ephiny forcefully.

The young Queen continued as if she hadn't heard her friend, " ... come with you to Graccus' and make sure that we get Xena away safely."

The Regent shook her adamantly, "Absolutely not!" the blonde Amazon growled, "We've been all through this before, Gabrielle, and the same objections still stand. It's too dangerous, you might be recognised, if you get caught Xena's chance of any escape is gone for good. End of discussion," she added beginning to turn her back on her friend.

The honey blonde bard raised her gaze defiantly. "That may have been true of the other times, Eph. I could see your point about needless risk. But this time we're going to get her free and I need to be there when you ... we do!"

The Regent slowly swung back towards her young Queen, "There is no need for you to be there, Gabrielle. The real need is for you to be safe."

Green eyes held brown in a struggle for control, "You're wrong, Ephiny. I do need to be there. Without me there, Xena may not believe that I'm safe ... the same thing goes for Toris and the others too. Without knowing that there's no telling what she might do. If I'm there she'll feel the need to make sure I get to safety and won't do anything that's going to put me into danger .. can you honestly say that she won't do something impulsively reckless if I'm not there?"

"Gabrielle ... " Ephiny tried to reason, but was interrupted by the quiet, calmly assured voice of the young woman.

"Besides. I'm not going to leave Rome without her. If this doesn't work I won't desert her. She wouldn't leave me ... and the gods be damned if I'll leave her."

The Regent's brown eyes bored into the resolute young woman, desperately trying to find a niche in the firm resolve that radiated in waves from the bard. Finally, the blonde Amazon threw up her hands in defeat and conceded, "Okay, okay. You win ... but the others ..."

"They need to be there as much as I do," assured Gabrielle.

The Regent's eyes narrowed, "Hey wait a minute, why didn't you include Autolycus in that little list of additional Amazons? He's up and about and it's not like him to want to miss out on the rescue .. especially where Xena's concerned."

The bard grinned happily, "Well actually, he's going to be busy on a special mission for me."

Ephiny had tried hard to get the information out of the little bard, but whatever she and the thief had planned remained a close secret between the two of them. Now as the final preparations were being made for their departure, the Regent surveyed the four new members of the Amazon guard before her. Joxer and Toris didn't fit in too badly, although the wanna be warrior did have a tendency to fidget with the feathers and the leathers. He and the other men had objected about having to shave legs and arms, but they had seen the necessity in the end .. after all none of the other Amazon warriors were hairy.

Gabrielle's problem slave collar had been heavily disguised with thick beaded necklaces and feathers, and several of the real guards were sporting similar decorations so that the bard would blend in. All four had been told to keep strictly in the background and keep their masks down at all costs.

Against all expectations, Ephiny began to feel that they might actually pull this thing off.

- It had not been a pleasant reality to return to, - Xena considered while she endured the prodding and probing of Patroclese' knowledgeable fingers as he checked to make absolutely certain that she would be fit for the fight planned for that evening. - In fact, - she brooded as she ignored both the healer and the ever present guards, - I could think of a thousand situations I'd rather have been in! Including having to deal with those Titans! -

"Well whatever it is your body has, I wish I could bottle it for others less fortunate," grinned Patroclese as he dropped the tunic and tucked it through the thick leather belt at her waist, "If I didn't know better, I'd say those bruises were at least two weeks old, not just three days." When he finished straightening her garments he reached for her head and carefully examined the discolouration that was evident around the scabbing of the wound.

"Oh yeah, I'm really fortunate," muttered Xena half heartedly, although inside she was a bubbling cauldron of expectation .. with luck she would be free tonight and on her way back to Greece!

The healer gave her a sharp look. In so many ways he regretted his part in the capture and enslavement of the magnificent woman who sat on the table in front of him but, although his conscience bothered him every time he saw her, his logical and responsible thoughts assured him that this warrior was better off in custody for the safety of Rome and many of the peoples of the world, "If you just accepted your new situation, perhaps you could find contentment of a sort," he chided her gently.

The icy look from her azure eyes was anything but gentle, "Slavery's wrong, Patroclese. Not just for me, but for anyone. I could never accept being a slave, in any circumstances, let alone being Caesar's!" she almost spat with contempt.

"Tell me, Xena? Is your resistance worth being penned up like an animal? chained," he said fingering she shackles at her wrists, "unless being let off the leash to fight? Is it worth the punishment of those children for every time you balk? ... will it be worth their deaths, should you escape?"

Her glare intensified, pinning him with a coring light, "What exactly do you mean by that?" she demanded.

"I thought you knew. There are orders that should you manage to escape .. not just get loose, but actually escape .. not only will one in five of your guards be crucified, but those children will be too."

A faint look of anguish flickered through the warrior's eyes as the news sank in. - That's so typical of him! - she raged silently, - He'd do it knowing that I'd hear about it, knowing that I'd care! But, Gods help me, what do I do now. If I go ahead with Ephiny's plan, those innocent children will pay the price. If I don't, Gabrielle will pay, because she'll never leave here without me. -

It was a grim faced Warrior Princess who was led back to her cell to await the events of the evening. Her mind worked furiously as she tried to determine what her course of action should be.