Xena woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunrise quietly peeking into the massive room through the curtained windows. The sun's rays washed gently over the blue-eyed woman's skin where it was exposed, or it hit Gabrielle's wherever she blocked its access. Xena looked down at the blonde and couldn't resist the smile that suddenly possessed her lips. She was wrapped up in her shorter companion in every way possible, only really having one arm completely free. But it didn't matter to her. After a night like the last and because of the contented look on Gabrielle's face this morning, Xena felt that she could die right in that very moment and be perfectly happy in her death. And when Gabrielle stirred, snuggling closer to her friend and exhaling the long first breath of morning consciousness against Xena's chest, the black-haired woman was only more sure of herself.
"Good morning, Gabrielle," she said softly, her voice rich and warm. Gabrielle smiled, not yet opening her eyes.
"Good morning." The blonde shifted her weight to roll away from Xena, and almost immediately she recoiled. "Ouch!" she cried.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Xena's eyes were wide as she waited for Gabrielle's response. The blonde examined her shoulder, or as much of it as she could see, and saw a large dark spot where a bruise was forming. She immediately looked at Xena, eyes narrow, accusing. Slowly, the taller woman smiled, shrugging her shoulders innocently. "Sorry about that," she said.
"Yeah, you should be. You know, I really should figure out a way to train you not to bite to hard." Xena cocked an eyebrow, smiling darkly per usual, and leaned down close to Gabrielle so her lips just brushed the blonde's ear.
"You might want to start by not asking for it in the first place," she said, and her voice in Gabrielle's ear caused the blonde to shiver. Xena lowered her head only a few inches, starting a slow trail of gentle kisses down her friend's neck. She left an especially delicate one on the bruise she had left the other night once she got to it, and then continued downward, traveling below the collarbone that she loved so much. Gabrielle's eyes had long before fluttered closed, her fingers nesting in Xena's unrestrained locks. She let out a voiceless breath, not resisting her smile, and opened herself up to the black-haired woman for the umpteenth time within the past 10 hours. But the expected ecstacy was rudely interrupted by a knocking on the door, in response to which Xena rolled off of Gabrielle lazily, instructing the blonde to get decent, and quickly, with a simple hand gesture. The warrior herself did the same, grabbing her undergarment from the floor and slipping into it as she approached the door. She opened it easily.
"Good morning," a servant greeted. His body language was somewhat insecure, one because he was speaking to a woman who stood before him in her underclothes and was obviously not shy about it, and two because she towered over him, nearly six feet tall if not that. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but the king and queen sent me to tell you that he wished to speak with you-" There was a sudden horror on the young man's face. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" Xena smirked, glancing back behind her at Gabrielle, who had wrapped herself up in the bed sheets and gone into faking being asleep.
"No, not at all," Xena said. "Tell the king we will speak with him shortly."
Xena cleared her throat as she came into the king and queen's chambers. They both turned and smiled at her and Gabrielle, but the smiles were short-lived.
"Xena, Gabrielle, thank you for coming to speak with us. I'm sorry you were woken up, though-"
No, we were already awake," Gabrielle assured the monarchs with a smile. Xena gave her a look and discretely but effectively hit her in the arm. The blonde shut up.
"There was no problem."
"Good. I am glad to hear that," the king said, turning and walking away. He approached a window near his wife, looking out of it for a moment before speaking again. "I have gained word of my daughter's whereabouts," he said. He looked at Xena and Gabrielle. "Have you heard of a man by the name of Black Pegasus?" Gabrielle didn't respond, but Xena's face grew hard. She nodded.
"Yes, I have. It's been a very long time, though."
"My army is setting up an attack in a day's time to take back my little girl from his camp. I was hoping that you might assist-"
"Your plan won't work," Xena interrupted bluntly. Both the king and queen and Gabrielle all looked at Xena with a slight shock on their faces. "Not alone, anyway." The gears in Xena's head began grinding together furiously, the brunette trying to work out a plan. She thought for a moment about it, weighing her options and their outcomes. "Let your army carry out its surprise attack tomorrow, and I promise you I'll do everything in my power to get your daughter back."
"Thank you Xena," the king said, his arm around his wife. The queen's eyes were teary and her bottom lip quivered subtly.
"Thank you," she said softly. Xena nodded at the two of them and Gabrielle gave them a small smile before the two of them turned away, Gabrielle not far behind her friend.