This is Xena the Warrior Princess also known as the Destroyer of Nations. For 10 dark years, she conquered; she killed; she destroyed.

She was ruthless - She was Death herself. She was feared and hated by her own countryman, even by her own mother.

She leaded the greatest army ever seen in Greek. Strong, brutal, undefeatable. She was the greatest pupil of Ares, the God of War.

She was the Warrior Princess

How did the daughter of an Innkeeper, a simple villager of Amphipolis, become the Destroyer of Nations?

It started out as a simple and noble goal. She was a symbol of bravery, a protector of her homeland. Although she was also feared then, she was also respected.

As a child, she was different. Strong, wild, and proud. Against her mother's wish, she took up the art of fighting and exceeded brilliantly. However, this isolated her from others of her aged and mostly, she was left alone, in the company of her younger brother, Lyceus. They were inseparable. As closed as a pair of chopsticks.

When she was at the age 16, the age where simple village girls started to look for a suitable husband, a warlord attacked her village. Unwilling to sit back and see her village being destroy, her fellow people sold to slavery, she gathered a group of people and leaded them to war.

They won but she lost. Lyceus was killed during the fight and her mother blamed her for his death. But most of all, she blamed herself deeply for the death of her beloved brother. The only soul in the world that understood her, that supported her despite of her differences.

She was devastated. She fought with such rage and violence that shocked even her own people. She never really recovered from that loss.

She decided that defeating the warlord was not enough. In order to achieve greater protection for Amphipolis, she needed to secure other neighboring towns and villages too. Younger, ambitious men boasted by their success in defeating the warlord, decided to join Xena.

Thus, it started. The road of no return. Somewhere in between her task in securing her hometown safety, she lost her way. Neighboring villages were just no enough. She wanted more. She wanted Greek.

 She leaded an invincible army. She burned and destroyed; Killed and tortured. She was merciless and thoroughly ruthless. Anger and pain blinded her. Blinded by the pain of the death of her love ones; blinded by the raged of betrayal from those she trusted. She became a warlord, more feared and loathed than the one that attacked her hometown. Her soul was lost.

Ten years of brutal killings. She was tired.

She was at the turning point of her life. She was tired with all the killings and fighting. She wanted to stop. She thought of ending it all.Then she met Hercules, the son of Zeus. He convinced her that she can change, that she needed to stop.

She did. She stopped. She knew that there was nothing she could do to make up for the sins she had committed. Her soul was lost to the devil so tainted with thousands of innocent lives; her hands covered with blood so thick that she could never clean it off. She did not deserve a chance at redemption. She could not hope for forgiveness. There was no place for her on earth. The world can only be safe without her walking on the surface of it.

She had no idea why she chose this small little village. One of the rare ones that she spared, although she did not know why she never did attacked Poteadia. She was prepared to end it all here. But destiny was not finished with her yet. Must be the work of faith that she was interrupted by a group of villagers, threatened by slavers.

She watched in amazement as a girl bravely, willingly offered herself in exchanged for the safety of others.

 Her bravery reflected on the cowardice of Xena intentions to end her life here. With strength gathered from the bravery of the young village girl, Xena fought the slavers off, leaving them free of danger.

 Never did she guess the consequences of her interference.

Years later, tales that was said to be recorded by a bard travelling with Xena told said that, Xena, the former Destroyer of Nations met a beautiful, young woman, an inspired bard in a small quiet village called Poteadia.

Gabrielle, the Bard and later on an Amazon Queen who was then just a simple villager begged to travel with the notorious Warrior Princess. The tales weave by the bard herself would also tell you that they became the best of friends and companions…Doing goods…

Fighting monsters…

Enemies…

And meddling Gods…

But, tales are tales. They never tell the whole truth or else leave out the most interesting and important parts. Scrolls can never be enough to show the strong special bond between these two women…Of how Xena came to depend on Gabrielle to keep her on the road of redemption; to came to depend on the unweaving trust of her bard had on her….

The pain and tears they share…

The smiles and tenderness they had…

The baths they shared…*chuckle* and most importantly,

The deep-seated love they had….

Thus end here, the romance of Xena, the Warrior Princess and Gabrielle, the Amazon Queen and excellent bard.