Briala studied the bathroom, making sure that it was in optimal condition for her Empress. Steam rose from the large bath in the center of the room and the fire from the stove crackled, pots of warming water resting on top of it. There was a fine layer of bubbles to the bath and the smell of honeysuckle and rose permeated the room. The two other servants stood against the back wall, their heads bowed to allow the Empress privacy when she entered. Briala pulled the privacy curtain in front of them. They would only be summoned if Celene called for more water or soap. Only Briala, as the Empress' personal handmaiden, was allowed to see Celene without her gown and mask. Satisfied, Briala nodded once and pulled open the bathroom door, dipping her own head.
Celene strode past her and Briala closed the door, following the Empress to the edge of the tub. Celene was naked beneath her violet silk robe and Briala kept her head lowered as Celene undid the tie. She watched the servants from her peripheral, ensuring that they kept their discretion. Then Briala grabbed the shoulders of the robe and Celene slid out of it, allowing Briala to take it and drape it over the privacy curtain. She stepped back quickly and extended her hand to the Empress. Celene's warm hand came around hers and squeezed it gently as she climbed the small steps into the tub. She let go and Briala stepped a few paces back until her back was against the wall and listened to the sound of the water in the tub.
"You may leave," Celene said finally, and Briala lifted her head to meet the Empress' eyes.
Celene was staring at her, mouth upturned in a grin that made Briala shiver. "All of you."
Briala suppressed her smile and dipped her head as the other servants walked around the side of the privacy curtain towards the door. She opened the door and let them out first, closing the door behind her. Celene heard them all exit and smiled to herself as she rinsed her arm. She washed her hair and dipped her head under the water to rinse it out. When she brought her head back up she caught sight of someone in her peripheral and smiled.
Briala stood in the door watching as her Empress emerged from the water. She smiled as Celene noticed her and stepped forward, closing the door behind her. It took only a few minutes for her to leave the other servants, change into her nightgown, and make her way back to Celene through the passageway. But it seemed that Celene had still taken care of most of the washing herself. Celene watched with a soft smile as Briala stepped nearer and placed her hand in the tub. It was cooling, and she playfully flicked her hand at Celene before making her way over to get another bucket of hot water.
Celene sighed as warmer water was added to her bath and reclined against the back of the tub. Briala crouched next to her, arms resting on the side of the tub and studied her Empress. Celene's face and body were flushed from the heat, hair tangled and shimmering over her shoulder. Briala reached her hand out and dabbed at the beads of water on her chest with her fingertip. The water churned as Celene slid to the side of the tub and Briala closed her eyes as Celene kissed her. A wet hand came up to cup her cheek and Briala slid her hand along the expanse of Celene's chest. When she dipped a bit too low, the hem of her sleeve caught the water and Briala broke their kiss with a sigh, pulling her arm back.
Celene chuckled as Briala wrung her sleeve out before rolling them both up her arms.
"You know if you took it off you wouldn't have to worry about it," the Empress offered with an innocent tilt of her head.
Briala smiled and skimmed her hand along the top of the water. "I don't want to get wet."
Celene raised an incredulous eyebrow and Briala blushed, flicking water at her again. She flinched in the water and Briala watched as mischievous glint lit up her eyes. Celene raised her hand, poised to send a wave in Briala's direction, and the elf raised both of her hands in surrender. Celene nodded, lowering her hand.
"That's what I thought."
"The Empress always wins," Briala sighed, feigning a pout.
"Does she? What's her prize then?" Celene asked, running her tongue over her bottom lip.
Briala leaned forward again, taking the back of Celene's head with one hand and drawing her closer. Celene's wet hands rested on her cheeks again as they kissed and Briala could feel the water dripping off of her chin.
"Come in," Celene whined in a whisper against her lips.
Briala shook her head, smiling at Celene's pout. She reached her hand out again and dipped it beneath the water, running her fingers along the curves of Celene's breasts. Celene took a deep breath, closing her eyes as Briala skimmed her palm over the top of her breast, squeezing gently.
"I don't have to get in the water to please you, your radiance," Briala whispered against Celene's lips before kissing her again.
They kissed as Briala entertained her breast, Celene breaking it with a sigh as the elf switched to the other one.
"Maybe I wanted to please you," she challenged, back arching just slightly at Briala's touch.
Briala smiled, mindful of the blush on her cheeks. With the fire from the stove and the steam of the bath the room was stifling. Her clothes itched to be removed and she felt sweat collecting along her hairline. She traced Celene's breasts one last time before her hand went lower. The muscles of Celene's stomach tightened against her touch and she flattened her palm against the contours, sliding her hand downward to her hip. She gripped it tightly, the water ebbing as Celene rotated her hips. Briala's hand continued downward along Celene's thigh before coming back up to rest between her legs.
Celene shifted, hoping to spur Briala to continue but the elf kept her hand still, coaxing the Empress into a kiss instead. Celene kissed her eagerly, her desire rampant against Briala's lips. She continued to roll her hips against Briala's hand and shuddered when Briala finally moved, fingers running teasingly through her folds. Years of memorizing her lover's body had her finding what Celene desired quickly, and she stilled her hand once more, smirking as Celene broke their kiss with a frustrated groan.
"The Empress always comes first," Briala murmured, her voice low with her own desire.
She moved a single finger this time, slow and in tight circles, watching as Celene's knees crested out of the water. The Empress closed her eyes, hands gripping the sides of the tub as she moved gently against Briala's touch. Quiet moans escaped despite her closed lips and the water rising and falling from her chest as it reacted to her movements.
Briala pulled her in again with her free hand, and Celene moaned into her mouth, knowing that she loved it. It made the elf shiver and she deepened the kiss, her tongue tasting the spiced tea that lingered on Celene's. She moved slowly with Celene, neither of them in a rush, and opened her eyes to watch the Empress move against her hand. She loved the tension in Celene's arms, the flexing of her biceps as she gripped the tub in rhythm with her hips. She loved to watch her breasts peak above the water, glistening from the water and lined with bubbles before descending again beneath the waves. She loved the sounds her lover made, the sighs and gasps and moans that told Briala exactly what she was doing right.
Celene broke the kiss with a heavy moan, one hand lifting from the tub to cup Briala's cheek. Briala felt her fingertips tense against her cheek and turned her head to kiss Celene's palm. Celene smiled, eyes closing as she leaned forward and began to move harder against Briala's hand. The elf pushed just a bit harder against her but kept the same pace despite Celene's urgency. Water ran underneath Celene's chin, cresting over the edges of the tub and splashing onto the floor.
Briala rose to her feet, leaning over the tub and kissing Celene again in hopes of relaxing her movements. Celene's wet arms came around her back, holding her tightly as her body shuddered from her release. Briala carried her through it until Celene pulled her hips back with a hiss, arms tightening around her back. Celene took a few deep breaths and opened her eyes to look up at her lover. Briala smiled at her and kissed her sweetly before she tried to straighten.
Celene's arms tightened, keeping her bent over the tub and Briala saw the mischievous glint in her eye again. She pulled again and Celene used her weight to keep her down. Briala swallowed, eyes widening as Celene gave a slow smile.
"Celene."
"Yes?"
"No."
"Briala?"
"Yes?"
"The Empress always wins."
Celene pulled and Briala was powerless to stop herself from toppling over into the tub with her. Water rushed over the sides and Briala wriggled free from Celene's grasp, breathless as her sopping nightgown clung heavily to her skin. She heard Celene laughing and felt the weight of the nightgown lifting. She raised her arms, allowing Celene to lift the garment over her head and listened as it plopped to the floor with a wet smack. Briala sighed and looked down into the soapy water. Half of her hair was wet and now needed to be washed. She flashed Celene a glare and relaxed onto the opposite side of the tub, dipping her head beneath the water and bringing it back up, pushing her hair back as she did so.
The Empress watched her calmly, eyes still partially glazed as she continued to come down from her orgasm. Briala sighed, keeping her brow furrowed as she lazily washed herself, ignoring the way Celene's toes skimmed along her sides.
"Celene."
"Yes?"
"This does not put me in the mood."
She gestured over the tub to where her wet nightgown lay and watched Celene's face relax in apology. The Empress frowned and beckoned Briala over. Briala sighed and crossed the tub, coming between Celene's legs and resting her head on her chest. Celene's arms came around her and Briala felt lips against her forehead.
"This is all I wanted," Celene murmured against her skin.
Briala sighed again and pressed a kiss to Celene's collarbone. She worked her way up to Celene's neck, kissing the spots she couldn't reach before and feeling Celene's hips roll instinctively against her. Briala turned in Celene's arms until her back was resting against Celene's chest. Celene brought her arm up, warm water washing up against Briala's chest. Briala let her head fall back onto Celene's shoulder and she closed her eyes as she felt the Empress' lips against her ear.
Celene washed her slowly, lazily, taking her time to run her hands along Briala's stomach and chest. She kissed the side of Briala's face tenderly, lips grazing against her ear and jawline and any other part Celene could reach. Briala felt desire building up inside of her as Celene continued to explore. She exhaled slowly and lifted on leg to rest it on the edge of the tub.
Celene's chest shook beneath her as the Empress laughed, and Briala watched a pale hand rise up from the water to trace down her thigh. She lifted her hips a bit as Celene's hand went lower and Celene took the hint, her hand delving back into the water and between the elf's legs. She ran a single finger up, feeling the difference between Briala's excitement and the water. A deep chuckle sounded in Briala's ear, making the elf shiver.
"I thought you didn't want to get wet?" Celene teased, her free hand coming up to Briala's breast.
Briala pushed into both of Celene's hands, bringing her hand over Celene's and squeezing it as her hips rocked against the other. Celene used the heel of her hand to expose Briala, spare fingers spreading her apart as the other found what it was looking for. Celene moved up and down slowly as Briala loved and skimmed her nose along the elf's ear. Briala hitched as the pleasure hit her from so many different spots and gave a low moan, hips rising to meet Celene's hand.
Celene's heavy breathing was hot against her ear, sending pulses of pleasure through her thighs as the Empress' patient hand worked against her. Briala placed one hand on the edge of the tub, the other reaching behind her to grab Celene's head. She ran her fingers through Celene's tangled blonde hair, gripping tightly as she turned her head and kissed her.
The water was cooling and goosebumps rose as it splashed on Briala's heated skin. Celene kept her touch gentle between Briala's legs, but squeezed harder on her breast, thumb brushing over her nipple and causing the elf writhe beneath her hands. Briala groaned, hips moving faster as she felt Celene's tongue in her mouth. The Empress increased her pace just slightly and it was all Briala needed. She lifted herself nearly out of the water, her moans muffled against Celene's mouth. She felt the Empress smiling against her and bucked against her hand until it became too sensitive. With a sigh, she lowered herself back into the water, their kiss losing its vigor and easing into a tender, slow pace.
Celene lifted her hand, running it up Briala's stomach and stretching her back. Briala looked lazily down onto the floor where quite a mess had been made. She dreaded the thought of cleaning it and relaxed her head back against Celene's shoulder.
"My nightgown is ruined," she commented lightly, smiling at Celene's chuckle.
"I'm sure I have something for you to wear…if you must wear anything at all."
It was Briala's turn to laugh and she laced her fingers with Celene's, examining the pruning of their fingertips. Celene gave a contemplative hum and rubbed her thumb against her index finger. Briala smiled, knowing that the Empress was now deep in thought as to why fingers pruned when bathing too long. She leaned up and kissed Celene's jaw, the only thing she could reach without too much effort, and Celene lowered her head so Briala could reach the rest of her jaw and cheek as well.
"I'm sorry I pulled you in," Celene murmured as she gave Briala's hand a squeeze.
"No you're not," Briala laughed, feeling Celene's chest rumble beneath her. "But I suppose it all worked out in the end."
Celene hummed happily and Briala used what was left of her energy to lean up and kiss her again.