The Way By L. Crystal Michallet-Romero Copyright  ©  April 26, 2002  L. Crystal Michallet-Romero All Rights Reserved

For: Halen, of the Xena: Warrior Lesbian discussion board.  If you hadn?t posted that interesting thread, the idea for this story might never have crossed my mind.  THANKS! Big Thanks to my beta readers, Bill the Semi-Bard, and my life partner, Jessica Michallet. Disclaimer: Xena Warrior Princess, its characters, and all related materials are the property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures.  The other characters are mine.  Like the show, I am playing around with the historical time lines. Rated: NC17 Violence: None. Sexual Violence: None. Subtext: Yes. Sexual Scenes: None. For All Feedback: lcmichallet@charani.org Chandanda Pallavas remained standing knee deep in the Ganges River.  The coldness of the water was a contrast to the warm sand that surrounded her submerged feet. When she wiggled her toes, she felt the sand shifting, burying her feet even deeper under the clean, warm sand.  As she thought over this strangeness, Chandanda watched the sun slowly moving towards the distant mountains.  The cool breeze brushed past her while she tried to still the restlessness of her thoughts. ?It is all happening too fast,? she thought to herself as she glanced down at the rippling reflection in the slowly flowing waters of the Ganges.  She noticed the way her long straight hair shone in the sun.  When she tilted her head, she saw the thin, angular line of her nose and firm chin.  Her almond shaped eyes were offset by their dark color. Chandanda, Princess of the Pallavas clan, had always known that someday there would be a match made for her.  As the only daughter of sixteen sons, Chandanda knew that someday she would be used as a tool to cement her family firmly in a position of power.  Yet deep within, she had always hoped that the day would never come. After nearly eighteen years of age, no match had been made and Chandanda had begun to believe that her father might have decided to let her choose for herself whom she was to wed.  ?But perhaps after so many years of waiting, he has finally given up,? she mused as she walked a bit further into the running river, her fingers dangling in the quenching waters. Chandanda remembered how her father?s wives had warned that she should not be allowed to join in the manly pursuits of self-defense and education.  They had warned that the only princess of their clan would not grow up properly if the King insisted on raising her as a son.  Yet, her own birth-mother had come to her defense. ?What good is it for a child to be easy prey??  Her mother had protested.  With wisdom like that of the great god Bhrama, her father had meditated and decided that the lessons of combat would continue as well as lessons, which would help the princess to become a proper wife.  So like her brothers, and all of her male ancestors before her, Chandanda continued to learn the art of war and self-protection while also being schooled on the art of wifely conduct. The tall princess reflected on her life as she stood quietly in the flowing river.  She was only a child when she began to train with the fighting staff.  As she became proficient in this weapon, the weapons master would include additional weapons.  By the time Chandanda had grown into a woman, she could hold her own, and even outmatch some of her brothers in weapons and hand-to-hand contests. In addition to her womanly studies, she delved into her general studies like she did her physical training; with enthusiasm and an unquenchable thirst.  Regardless of the subject, the princess would turn her entire concentration into mastering the new field of study.  Like the art of war, the concepts of the stars, natural science, mathematics and scribing intrigued her.  When she moved into the realm of philosophy and religion, she felt as if the world existed for her alone. When she glanced down at herself, Chandanda noticed the color of her red sari changed to a slight hue of maroon when reflected in the stream below.  ?Red, the color of a bride,? she mused silently as she studied the rest of her clothing.  Her short sleeved blouse was cut high enough to show off her sculptured abdomen, which showed the evidence of her physical training.   With a shake of her head, the young princess glanced out at the holy river and sighed. The future was a mystery to her.  She had never met this prince of the Chalukyas yet she was expected to not only leave her home and family to be with him, but to marry and spend the rest of her life with his family.  Whatever dreams of traveling the lands with her love, seeking adventures, and defending the weak would never be for her, and this both saddened, and frightened her. She could turn away and run from this marriage, take her small entourage and find refuge in a hermitage.  But even as this thought crossed her mind, she knew that it was an option, which held many ramifications.  Yes, she could run away from the marriage.  With the dowry already delivered, his family would have a handsome addition to their coffers, but would it be enough, she wondered.  Schooled in history, she was well aware of the wars that had started over just such an incident.  Whereas it was true that she could run away, the possibility that this would bring her people into a war with the Chalukyas clan was something she did not even wish to contemplate. ?No, I cannot have innocent blood on my hands,? she sighed and gazed at the flowing waves of the Ganges river. ?Please, you once spoke to me, oh, mighty goddess of the Ganges.  Please tell me what to do,? she beseeched as she closed her eyes and willed her rampant fears to silence.  As she felt the waves of the mighty Ganges sweeping by her, she stilled all thoughts as she reached out toward the powers of the water.  The tales of the river?s might and magic had been told to her when she was a child.