Nuptials Part 4

 Nuptials Part 4

Written by Virginia Leonard

Copyright 1997

     "And you are...?"  Gabrielle asked.

     "Forgive me, I go by the name Dresden.

Not my birth name but I like this one better.  As soon

as you both are ready, we will leave for Athens."

     Xena's head popped up from the table, "Excuse me?"

     "We leave for Athens as soon as you are

ready.  Which word in there did you not

understand?"

     Xena's lips twitched, a signal to Gabrielle

that the warrior princess was biting back a caustic

retort, probably very personal in nature.  "I think she

had plans for today, right?"  Gabrielle raised an

eyebrow at her companion.

     "Mm hum." 

     "They will have to be changed.  We must be

underway before mid-morning," Dresden said.

     "They can't be changed."  Xena replied.

     "There isn't a plan made that can't be

changed.  Athena was right, you are thick-headed.  Is

she always this hard to deal with?"

     Xena stood up with such force that she sent

her chair crashing to the floor.  Gabrielle

immediately jumped between the two women.

"Depends.  A compromise?  How about we leave in

two hours?  That will put us right at mid-morning

and give us time enough to finish our business." 

     Dresden turned her attention to the bard, her

features softening, "Since you put it that way, two

hours will be fine.  I'll wait here, unless, of course,

you, my dear, need help."

     Xena walked around the table, "She

doesn't," and grabbed the bard by the back of her

shirt, pulling her away from Dresden.

     Xena didn't let go until they had reached

their room and the door was safely closed.  She

began to pace the room, absently picking up pieces of

clothing and throwing them in the pack.  She was

mad at herself, more than anyone else, she had let a

stranger get under her skin, causing her to lose her

cool.

     "Would you mind telling me what's going

on with you?"  Gabrielle stayed next to the door.

The last thing she wanted to do was get in her

warrior's way.  She'd seen Xena upset before and

she'd also seen what happened to the unlucky wretch

who happened to be in the right place at the wrong

time.  Xena's vocabulary picked up some very

colorful metaphors and suddenly she knew intimate

details regarding her target's genetic makeup as well

as the peculiar sleeping habits of every member of

the family.

     "What makes you think anything's wrong?"

Xena threw another item in the pack.

     "Call it intuition," Gabrielle quipped.

     Xena wheeled around and faced the bard,

"She has some nerve..., who does she think she's..., I

can't...She can't take her eyes off you!"

     "Why, I do believe you're jealous."  Gabrielle 

broke out in a grin that stretched from one

ear to the other.  "That's it, isn't it?  You're jealous."

     "Am not.  I just don't trust her, she works

for a goddess, for Xeus' sake."

     Gabrielle began walking towards Xena, like

a lioness stalking her prey.  "Then you're just gonna

have to trust me, aren't you?"  She moved closer,

muscles tensed, ready to to strike.  "Why in the world

would I want anyone else?  I'd have thought that my

choice was very clear.  I'd also have thought that I'd

done a fairly good job of showing you.  Guess not." 

     Taught muscles released and Gabrielle

nailed her prey.  The look on Xena's face would be

forever etched in Gabrielle's memory.  The warrior

was not the only one with surprises up her sleeve.

     Gabrielle found Xena's lips, kissing her

with determination, making certain the her

intentions could not be questioned by the woman

laying beneath her.

     In her eagerness to expose Xena's divine

body, the bard's fingers, once skilled and deft, were

now all thumbs, unopposable ones at that, and not a

snap or buckle would give way to them.  If the

material had been anything other than leather she

would have just ripped it open.

     "Here, let me do it.  Leather repair on short

notice is expensive," Xena smiled. 

     Gabrielle watched the blue-eyed warrior

unfasten then wriggle out of her armor and she

wasted no time in removing her own clothing.

   Gabrielle took each nipple in her mouth, alternating

between gentle biting and vigorous manipulations

with her tongue.  Her hands began to roam and no

matter where they went, Xena's body responded with

a little more urgency, demanding attention, and

Gabrielle replied with new found authority.

     She knelt down at the side of the bed,

pulling the warrior closer to the edge, and plunged her

fingers inside Xena filling and claiming her. 

     The warrior braced her feet against

Gabrielle's shoulders, raising her hips to accommodate

probing fingers and a tongue that was coaxing her

body to linger on the precipice of pure and total

pleasure.  She grabbed a pillow, covering her face to

muffle the noise that would force it's way past her

lips. 

     In that final moment, Xena's back arched as

every muscle and nerve ending responded, in unison,

to the bards persuasive manipulations. 

                Gabrielle gave her partner a few moments to recover,

then climbed up on the bed, laying on top of Xena.  She

pried the pillow from rigid fingers and began to

gently kiss the cherubic face.  "Convinced?"

     Xena grinned, "No."

                                @@@

      Athens was beautiful, and no matter how

many times Gabrielle visited, she was always

somewhat awestruck.  The city appeared spotless, the

white marble buildings sparkled as if freshly

polished, and the people strolled the streets, not a

care reflecting in their faces. 

     They came to an intersection and without

hesitation, Dresden took them towards the left.

     "I thought the temple was that way,"

Gabrielle said, pointing in the opposite direction.

     "It is.  Athena does her formal business

there but she prefers to conduct personal business in

a more intimate setting."

     "Personal?"

     "Yes," Dresden lowered her voice and

leaned closer to Gabrielle's ear.  "She has a favor to

ask of your large grumpy friend and she doesn't want

any of the temple rats to see her doing it."

     "Why not?"

     "Oh, I don't know, something about

maintaining an image.  The die-hard worshipers have

built their entire faith around a vision that they,

themselves, have created.  They hold their particular

deity to a very exacting standard and most of the

gods and goddesses, that I know personally, find

those standards nearly impossible to maintain."

     "So?"

     Dresden shrugged her shoulders, "So...so

nothing, except that eventually their object of

worship will take a tumble from that pedestal."

     "I guess." 

     "Ah, here we are, the Dragon’s Wing," Dresden

announced.

     "How appropriate," Xena added, her voice

oozing sarcasm.

                                @@@

     Xena choked on her ale, spewing foam all

over the table, "You want me to what?" 

     "Ssh.  Do you mind?  I have a reputation to

protect.  Alcinda is a friend and I don't like seeing

what's happening to her."

     "No way.  The last time I went to that

island, it took me three weeks to get away so, no.  No

way."

     "And weren't they the most glorious three

weeks of your life?" Athena goaded Xena, hoping to

see an emotion other than..., well, any emotion would

be an improvement.

     "That's beside the point," Xena reluctantly

admitted.

     "Dear Xena, that's exactly the point,"

Athena chided.  "Hedonism isn't a male only

experience, you know."

     Xena leaned back in her chair and looked

around the room.  She understood why Athena liked

to socialize here.  The patrons were not exactly the

fine upstanding citizen type which meant they would

do their best to stay out of your way provided you

did the same.

     She watched Gabrielle trade news with a

handsome young man, his interest in the bard

overriding his interest in actually gathering news, and Xena

felt no jealousy.  Instead, she was filled with pride.  Proud 

that such a beautiful woman, by choice, was

permanently attached to her.

     "What's in this for you?"  Xena finally

returned her attention to the goddess sitting across

the table, drinking ale as if she had been sailing

vessel bred.  "I mean, you're the Battle Goddess who

sprang, fully armored from Zeus' head, at least that's

the story everybody tells."

     "Nothing," Athena replied, putting on her

most innocent face.  "As for the story, if that's what

mortals want to believe, fine, let them but it's not

exactly the truth.  I didn't spring, I was just suddenly

there, and it wasn't armor, exactly, more like clothing

made by a tailor in a really bad mood.  Zeus was

never known for his fashion sense."

     Xena narrowed her eyes, "Alright Athena.

Out with it, why do I have to stand as Alcinda's

second, why can't you just step in and forbid this

confrontation?"

     Athena emptied her stein and called for

another, obviously uncomfortable with Xena's

questions.  Drawing a deep breath, she finally

answered, "Because, in a moment of weakness, I

accepted a challenge."

     "A challenge."  Xena's voice was full of

animosity.  "And who caused this moment of

weakness?"

     Athena winced, "Hermes."

     "You let that fast talking thief lure you into

accepting a challenge?  What, in the name of Hades,

were you doing?

     The goddess' face turned crimson.

     "Oh great!" Xena groaned.

     Gabrielle chose that moment to walk up.  "What's great?"

     "Because Athena can't keep her pants on, I

have to act as Alcinda's Second."

     "Meaning?" Gabrielle asked.

     "Meaning either Alcinda fights her own

fight or, she calls me in her stead."

     "And who are we fighting?"

     "Good question, Gabrielle.  Athena, who are

we fighting?"

     "Hermes has called Anais as his Second."

     "That self-righteous, pompous piece of

floating perfection?"  Xena rested her chin on the

edge of the table and groaned.  "This isn't happening."