She looked in the mirror and sighed. Fifteen years had passed since the rune forced itself upon her. In those years, nothing about her had changed. She still held her position, fighting against enemies for the council, but there were no crow's feet, no blemishes, no nothing to tell the tale of her trials.
She put the brush down on her dresser and sighed. All but one of her most trusted men had left the army or died in battle. She was happy for those who chose to live out the rest of their lives with their families and cried when she lost Louis and Borus to the rages of war.
And then she realized, standing there, facing her beautiful reflection, that there was one thing in this world that she had never truly experienced. There had been many suitors in her life, and the short-lived romance she had with Borus was cut cruelly short by his untimely death. But as a woman she wanted something. And she knew who she could trust to get it from.
She wasn't sure why right now it seemed to important to know the warmth of a man's touch, but after taking a deep breath, she brushed out her hair one more time, and then left her quarters.
It was a short walk down the hall to his room. She knocked on the door and waited call "come in." He looked old, sitting on the small sofa and reading. But he still rose in her presence.
"My lady, what can I do for you?" He asked.
She smiled at him. "Sit down. I'm not here for business."
He seemed confused, but did as she asked. She sat next to him and found her courage to ask, "I am here because I need a favor."
"Of course, milady."
"Please stop calling me 'my lady.'" It was a strange request, and one that made his graying brows arch.
"Alright, Chris. What is it that you reqiure?"
"I…" She started, then bit her tongue, deciding exactly how to word her request. "I…want you to do something for me."
He seemed to wait for her to finish.
"I want you…I want you to kiss me."
"Pardon me?" He stood up.
She shut her eyes. "Never mind. I seem to have offended you."
"No, no, Chris. I…I mean, there are certainly much moreeligibe men…"
She interrupted him. "I don't want them. They care nothing for me. But you do. Why do you still serve in the knights? You could have retired years ago."
He sighed. "I have my reasons."
"Because you love me."
"Yes." He said, amazed that the word came out of his mouth.
"I know that. And now I want you to kiss me."
He sat back down next to her and drew her into an embrace. A long, passionate kiss followed, and then after several moments of bliss, she broke it.
"Now I have another favor to ask."
He looked amused, or maybe just the kiss had left his head spinning.
She whispered into his ear. "I want you to fuck me, Salome."