Something Different

I don't know how much time has passed, it didn't matter either way. I'm ready to stay in bed for all of time or until I die, but that was unlikely since this body had the blood of a 'god' flowing through it.

When I wasn't sleeping, I observed the room around me. It was filled with all kinds of priceless items and jewels, the item that intrigued me the most was a painting of his wife, Julia Harte. She was beautiful, her wavy black hair and eyes enhanced her beauty further, I stared at her mischievous smile feeling pity for the dead woman.

'At least she isn't here to see her children suffer.' I closed my eyes feeling sleepy but opened them as the door to my room shook violently, as if someone was trying to force it open.

I took in a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the door which was made out of the hardest substance found within the empire, to lay waste to such a door…the person on the other end must be very powerful.

'THUD'

As the door fell with a thud, the person on the other end revealed themselves. She had blonde hair that fell in waves behind her back and hazel brown eyes that radiated a certain warmth. A frown dominated her face as she strode towards me.

"What the #### is wrong with you ####### little pig!?" She tore my blanket away from me, I tried my best to resist but my body was weakened and stiff. "How could you do that to them, you ####" She continued to berate me and I decided to tune her out to the best of my ability.

The woman was an archmage, she was declared a prodigy in the field of magic when she was a year old. She was also Theodore's sister….my sister now, I guess.

"Let me go, Xena," I said, trying to brush her away.

Xena continued to shout at the top of her lungs, it's understandable since the last memory I had of her indicated that she had gone somewhere far away to research something. She must have been quite shocked upon finding out that her brother had gone crazy and assaulted his children.

"Look at yourself…" Xena said, staring at me, a whirlpool of emotions swirling within her eyes. "You're…pathetic."

Hearing her remark, I took a look down at my body. In the memories that I saw, he had a lean and healthy body but now it had shrivelled up, and I could see my bones pretty clearly.

Oof, sucks to be me I guess.

"It's been three years, Theo….you have to stop this. Your childre- no the empire needs you."

…

It's been three whole years since he's locked himself here….wow…just wow.

"You've always been a little obnoxious little bitch, but you have to step up now," she said, slapping me on the shoulder.

She seemed to care about me, but I knew better. In the memories that I saw they always had a strained relationship since Xena was illegitimate and Theodore viewed her as something beneath him, I even saw a memory where he outright called her a bug. So, if she is begging me to come back….the situation must be that dire.

Oh well.

"- You can't just hide away from everything. You need to face the hard truth" Xena hadn't stopped blabbering on, I could tell that she was nervous.

"Alright."

"No, you need to come back. You can't kee-....huh?"

"I'll come back."

If I can't die either way, I might as well go out. I was starting to get a little bored anyway.

______

Xena hated Theodore Gladius with all her heart.

She knew it the moment she met him for the first time, he wasn't sane. He behaved as if he was above everyone and everything. He would insult her every chance he got, there was even an incident where he tried to throw a glass at her, but it had missed her by a mere inch. But she still remembered how he had smiled that day as if he was amused by how scared she was.

Theodore wasn't the most excellent ruler, but everyone was afraid of him and why wouldn't they be?

He was the most powerful emperor in the history of the Gladius Empire.

The most bloodthirsty and cruel emperor had been reduced to such a state. Upon seeing his current appearance a part of Xena felt happy but she knew that he had to come back. The empire was unstable right now, nobles and neighbouring kingdoms alike had started to eye the throne.

'He needs to come back.' Xena kept reminding herself.

"Alright."

…..

"I'll come back."

Xena stared at her brother, stunned. This was way too easy…she was prepared to fight her brother and drag him out but he seemed willing to come back.

' No…it's not just that…something is off.'

The air around her brother had changed, he looked calm. There was no rage…no sadness…nothing behind his eyes. Xena felt an uncomfortable tug in a corner of her heart. But she had come too far to go back now.

Xena didn't know it then but this was the moment that marked the beginning of the end…of everything.