FADE IN

A camp at night. Xena and Gabrielle sit before a campfire while Darion can be seen asleep in his bedroll.

GABRIELLE:
     Okay. Truth or dare?

XENA:
     Dare.

GABRIELLE:
     Come on, Xena! You always choose dare. Where's the fun in that?

XENA:
     And you always choose the truth. (She yawns in an exaggerated fashion)

GABRIELLE:
     The whole point of the game is to reveal something about yourself--something you would never tell otherwise.

XENA:
     Maybe there are some things people shouldn't know about one another.

GABRIELLE (smiles a little):
     The truth hurts sometimes. But I'm a bard! I'm supposed to be curious.

XENA:
     Careful. Don't forget what curiosity did for the cat.

GABRIELLE:
     Please, just this once? (she smiles.) For me?

XENA (sighs):
     Okay--just this once. Truth!

GABRIELLE (stares at her in shock):
     Truth? Really? Well--I never expected you to pick--now I don't know what to ask... (she looks back at Darion to make sure he's asleep)

XENA (in a conspicuously bored tone):
     Ask anything you want. When did I first kiss a boy--how old was I when I lost my virginity--

GABRIELLE (probingly narrows her eyes at Xena):
     How long have you been in love with Ares?

For a moment, Xena gapes at her silently.

XENA (quietly):
     What?

GABRIELLE:
     It's a simple question. How long have you been in lo--

XENA (impatiently):
     I heard you. Where do you come up with this kind of stuff?

GABRIELLE:
     Come on, Xena! The truth! Or are you scared?

Xena doesn't react to Gabrielle's obvious baiting--which frustrates Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE:
     I'm warning you! If you don't tell me I'm going to think up the worst dare I possibly can.

XENA:
     Whatever you dish out I can take.

GABRIELLE:
     Okay, you asked for it. Let's see... (she studies Xena a moment, deep in thought. After a moment her expression brightens with inspiration.) I know! Your dare is that you've got to call Ares here, right now, and tell him you've decided to give up the warrior business and become a poet.

XENA (snorts):
     There's no way Ares would ever believe--

GABRIELLE (interrupting):
     And then--and then you have to recite a poem for him. Hmm... How about this:

      Violets are blue,
     Roses are red,
     Daisies are pretty,
     War makes me sad.

Xena's eyes widen in horror and revulsion with every line Gabrielle recites. Finally she throws up her hands.

XENA:
     Okay! Okay, you win! The truth...

GABRIELLE (nods knowingly):
     I knew I'd get you with the poem.

XENA:
     The truth is... (she is lost in thought for a moment) ...the truth is--I'm not sure.

GABRIELLE:
     You're not sure? Oh come on--you're not getting out that easily!

XENA (rolls her eyes, concealing her obvious embarrassment):
     Look, Gabrielle...when you do what I do, you don't have a lot of time to stop and get in touch with your feelings.

GABRIELLE (gently):
     Was it since he gave up his godhood for you?

XENA (shakes her head):
     No, I think it was before...maybe when-- (she looks very thoughtful, then perks up and lowers her voice to a whisper) What was that?

GABRIELLE (exasperated):
     Yeah, sure--you don't expect me to fall for that--

XENA (raises her hand, motioning to Gabrielle to be quiet):
     Shh--there's someone--

A noise is heard in the underbrush; a man stumbles out toward Xena, and Xena and Gabrielle both leap to their feet.

XENA:
     Milo!

MILO:
     Xena--Gabrielle! Thank the gods I've found you!

XENA:
     What's wrong? Has something happened to Agrippina?

MILO (nods, gasping for breath):
     Yes! She's--she's been... (his voice breaks off)

GABRIELLE:
     Just relax and try to breathe slowly.

Milo nods and struggles to catch his breath while Xena looks on impatiently.

XENA:
     What about Agrippina, Milo? Is she in trouble?

Milo nods, his breath returning to normal.

MILO:
     She sent me to find you. It's Nero! Since you were last in Rome, he's--he's changed. He's turning into a ruthless tyrant--only Agrippina has had the courage to stand up to him. So he silenced her--the only way he could.

XENA (with a touch of fear in her voice):
     What did he do to her?

MILO:
     He accused her of trying to seize sole power for herself, and had her exiled to Bauli--it's a small island a short distance from Rome.

XENA:
     She's alive.

MILO:
     For the moment. Agrippina fears that Nero won't stop there. She's convinced that now that she's out of Rome, he'll--finish the job. Agrippina needs you, Xena. You're the only person in the entire Empire that can protect her from her son.

CUT TO

A calm moonlit night at sea. A long shot of a ship sailing across toward an island dimly visible in the distance.

The camera slowly zooms in on the ship.

CUT TO

A modest cabin inside the ship, illuminated by an oil lamp. Agrippina is resting on a couch. Her elderly slave Smyrna, whom we saw in THE BONDS WE CHOOSE, is sitting on a low stool next to her.

SMYRNA:
     My lady, I'm sure he will come to his senses and bring you back.

AGRIPPINA (chuckles bitterly):
     For my funeral pyre.

SMYRNA (gasps):
     Surely you don't think... My lady, your son is not an evil man. He's just young and hot-tempered and--misguided.

AGRIPPINA (sighs):
     I wish I could be as sure of that as you are. Yet here I am, thinking that at this very moment, my own son may be plotting--

She is interrupted as the ceiling of the cabin collapses with a deafening crash.

As the dust settles, shouts are heard from outside the cabin.

A large piece of the cabin's roof has fallen on the couch where Agrippina was lying, covering it completely so that she cannot be seen.

After a few moments, we see the piece of wood move slowly, then tip over and fall to the floor. Agrippina sits up, stunned, and looks around. She touches the high sides of the couch, which kept her from being crushed by the falling piece of wood, then shakes her head and gets up a little gingerly.

AGRIPPINA:
     Smyrna?

There is no answer. Agrippina looks around; the camera pans over to Smyrna on the floor, partially covered with debris. She is not moving; there is blood on the floor around her head. Agrippina bends over her, then stands up and shakes her head sorrowfully.

FEMALE VOICE (outside, screaming hysterically):
     My Empress! My Empress!

AGRIPPINA (shouts):
     I'm all right!

CUT TO

A member of the crew and an elegant-looking woman in a light blue gown, obviously a noblewoman, helps a still-dazed Agrippina up on the deck. The camera pans over the deck. The crew is running around in a panic; people are shouting incoherently; a few are seen hauling a small rowboat. Cries of "We're sinking!" and "Save yourselves!" are heard.

AGRIPPINA (to the woman, calming down):
     Acerronia, what happened? Did we hit a rock?

ACERRONIA (distraught):
     I don't know--thank the gods you're alive!

CREWMAN (stammers):
     I don't know what's happening, my lady--it was as if--all of a sudden, the ship started falling apart!

There is a loud screech. Agrippina looks up and sees that a mast is falling.

AGRIPPINA:
      Run!

She dashes off in one direction, Acerronia and the crewman in another. The mast falls on the deck with a loud crash. Pan over to the ship's helm, which starts to wobble and creak, and then comes off as well. The ship tilts and begins to sink.

Pan to Agrippina, who looks around her and jumps in the water.

CUT TO

A rowboat with three men in it, getting away from the ship, which is seen sinking. Shouts and scream are still heard from the sinking ship.

In the near-darkness, someone is seen swimming toward the boat.

FEMALE VOICE (muffled):
     Help! Help me!

The boat moves on.

FEMALE VOICE (louder, sputtering):
     Help! I am your Empress!

One of the men in the boat signals to another and the boat slows down. The woman in the water swims closer to the boat.

One of the men raises an oar over the woman's head and forcefully brings it down as we:

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER