Twickenham (Andrew Thurtell) and the animated Stallonus (Patrick Brunton), gather in her room that night to practice their performances, she enthralls them again with stories about Xena.  The next day, when Orion asks her to critique his tale, she honestly tells him that his performance is being hampered by his obvious concern about the reaction of his audience.  When he confesses that storytelling was pure joy for him as a child -- before his father began directing him -- she urges him to stop trying to please Polonius and to start pleasing himself instead.  Meanwhile, Polonius tells Academy registrar Kellos (Lori