FEELING THE CRUSHING WALLS CLOSING IN AROUND YOU
Xena looked around her she had fallen asleep on the cushions some time ago but had woken up not that long ago. Gabrielle was still fast asleep in her arms pressed up against her in her lap with the thick fur skin wrapped around her shoulders as she slept soundly. She had clearly been tired this morning not that she blamed her, she had found her sitting here because she believed herself unworthy of her position as consort and not good enough to be her wife one day in the future. She was anything but and she'd make sure that everyone in the palace told her so, she didn't care if she was a king who had no estate or that she had no dowry to give, as far as she was concerned she didn't have give her anything. She would remain true to her words about the other woman's fur as long as lived even if she regained her kingdom from the Imperial Council. She felt her thoughts shatter as she heard the double doors to her room open. She turned watching as Ceto walked in a bemused look on her face as she eyed the bed clothes which were a complete mess.
She felt a smile form. "Hello Ceto." Ceto raised her eyebrow as she grabbed the cover pulling it up looking at it as she spoke not bothering to hide the amusement in her voice. "Have fun did you Empress?" Xena felt a smirk form. "Something like that yes." Ceto pulled the covers from her bed shaking her head. "So who was on top?" Xena raised her eyebrow. "As if I'm going to tell you that." Ceto smiled as she put the bed clothes in her basket speaking in a very playful tone. "So be it, keep your secrets I don't care." Xena turned seeing that Gabrielle was still sleeping in her arms she looked up at her personal maid. "Could you please run a bath for us?" Ceto put down her basket as she smiled moving over to the sunken tub. She turned looking at Gabrielle for a long moment before speaking. "She looks so different when she sleeps it's like the tensions not there." Xena breathed in deeply. "I know, I hope a day comes when I can get her to look this way when she's awake."
Ceto leaned over starting the water watching as it spilled in to the tub causing steam to rise up due to the heat. "I'm sure that day will come." Xena moved her fingers up to the younger woman's face running it down her cheek feeling her shuffle and half murmur something in her sleep, she looked up giving her personal maid giving a knowing smile. "I'm sure it will." She paused before speaking. "Tell Thaleia that Gabrielle is here." Ceto looked up slightly as she stopped the hot water in the now almost full bath tub then turned the other tap on allowing the cold water to flow. "That won't be necessary Empress. She hasn't left her room since last night I believe she is with Demetrius they had things to work through she did leave out Gabrielle's clothes ready though." Xena nodded as understanding dawned on her. "I see, I did hear that they had things to work through, just tell her when she gets back that she's not in any trouble. She does an excellent job attending to Gabrielle, so I have no issue with her sorting out personal matters."
She paused watching as Ceto poured in the oils in to the tub then stopped the colder water. "How is it that you don't have a partner in your life?" Ceto moved her hand through the warm water then dried it with a hand towel. "Never found one who could keep up with me Empress, though I have had many offers in the palace over the years." She breathed in deeply. "Don't get me wrong they were nice men who proportioned me but." Xena nodded calmly she knew what the other woman was getting at. "They just didn't feel right in your heart?" Ceto nodded. "Yes Empress, I want to feel love for the person, it's very important to me I also need to be able to trust them due to my role as your personal maid." Xena looked at Gabrielle for a long moment. "I understand it's been a long time since I've felt this way and I believe it was worth the wait." Ceto looked up slightly. "Then I hope that my time comes one day Empress." She paused seeing that Gabrielle was starting to stir. "I'll leave you two alone and I'll wait for a while till I bring you both your breakfast."
Xena nodded watching as she moved towards the double doors. "Of course." She smiled as the other woman closed the doors behind her. She turned back to Gabrielle whose eyes opened as she yawned. "Morning." Gabrielle stretched as she sat up. "Is it morning already?" Xena eyed the sky. "Well its late morning not that it really matters though." Gabrielle ran her hand through her hair which felt messy. "I need a bath." Xena smirked as she turned eyeing the filled bath close by. "Way ahead of you, I had Ceto run one while you were sleeping." Gabrielle turned sharply. "She was in here?" Xena stood up slowly watching as the other woman did the same looking slightly uncomfortable. "Don't worry she didn't see anything." She moved her hand to the fur skin which the other woman had wrapped tightly around her body. "You were in this." Gabrielle walked over looking at the bath she could see the hot steam rising. "Are you sure we can both fit in here?" Xena breathed in as she eased her robe of as she walked up to the bath noticing that the other woman was watching her out of the corner of her eye. "Trust me it was made for two."
She paused easing her hands up taking hold of the fur skin carefully easing it free watching as the other woman looked down nervously. She really wasn't used to being naked in front of another and despite last night she wanted to help her over come this. "You know you have a beautiful body Gabrielle." She eased up her hand running it down her neck stopping between her breasts, seeing her breath in sharply. "If anyone has ever told you any different then they were lying to you." She moved away easing herself slowly in to the warm bath water enjoying the smell of jasmine and other oils as they rose in to the air. She looked up watching as the other woman took of her underwear then eased herself slowly in to the water in front of her much faster than she had. Clearly the heat didn't bother her she watched as she ducked her head under the water before surfacing pushing her wet hair back she felt a wicked smile form. "Clearly you like it hot."
Gabrielle felt a smile form as she watched the other woman lay back soaking her hair carefully before sitting up. "The hotter the water is the better." Xena paused as a thought crossed her mind as she felt the other woman lean up against her. "Did Adrienne tell you that you weren't beautiful?" Gabrielle felt her body tense she felt the other woman's hand move to her waist stroking gently, she breathed in painfully as she spoke unable to keep the pain out of her voice. "She never told me I was beautiful no, we never had many conversations it was always her telling me that I was hers." She felt her body relax as the other woman's hand began to move up her back she felt herself tense as she found a knotted muscles in her shoulders which she began to work on it with a gentle massage. "Even when we had sex I never looked in to her eyes and when it was over I just used to turn away from her, it made it easier to forget that she had control over me."
8
Gabrielle closed her eyes as the blast of colours filled them she grabbed the woman's shoulders beneath her trying to ride the wave. She ignored the blood running down her skin from the deep cuts on her back and shoulders where the woman's nails had dug in deeply. She opened her eyes slowly watching as Adrienne came in to view, she knew this was wrong with ever fibre of her being and yet she still did it. She looked at her room before rolling of the other woman turning her back on her as she pulled the cover over herself ignoring the twinge of pain both from her muscles and the deep cuts. She shouldn't have slept with Adrienne after returning to the Grand City now she was trapped in this nightmare which had now become her life. She feared Adrienne and feared her presence and most of all she feared being hit by her but she couldn't get away from her. She just hadn't been able to help herself she was lonely and she felt depressed about everything she'd done. Also sleeping with her had seemed like a good idea at the time but she now knew that it was the biggest mistake she'd ever made and she was powerless to change it. She had spent her twenty third birthday alone like so many others before it and without any contact while mindlessly signed the council's papers and even now they wouldn't talk to her, despite that she'd done everything they had asked.
The truth was so clear to her now she was just a puppet and she had no power, only they had power and it was over her. She heard Adrienne breath in, in content the other woman didn't love her she just liked sex. She had, had sex with women before now but she never had she felt so empty doing it, the rush of the orgasm seemed to be the only nice moment in the whole event. She had also found herself smoking opium just to forget the painfully memories of these past few months, the rest of the time she smoked coltsfoot leaf just to take away the mounting stress she felt. She wished now that she hadn't been given these horns, which even now hadn't had the points come through. They were still covered in velvet despite being full size. She no longer understood her goddess motives, why was she being made to suffer like this? She wasn't great she wasn't even able to lead her people she was powerless and at the mercy of the Imperial Council. When she was alone she was at the mercy of Adrienne who didn't care about her and hurt her but enjoyed sleeping with her. When she wasn't sleeping with her she was like some kind of jailer who was around her every second of the day, she couldn't do anything on her own.
Adrienne moved the cover over her naked chest seeing that Gabrielle was looking away from her. "Why do you always turn away from me I'd like to see your face for once?" Gabrielle didn't turn around as she looked at her desk where a carved Black Cap was sitting which she had recently finished its wings opened like the Goldfinches which she had packed away now from sight. She eyed it for a long moment before speaking. "Lets not be coy you come here for sex not because you love me. That's all this is an arrangement to benefit us both." Adrienne breathed in deeply they'd had sex in both forms but she wouldn't lie she was starting to feel something for the other woman. "You misunderstand." Gabrielle felt her teeth grind together. "I misunderstand nothing I'm your conquest and your boast, you get to be my lover and everyone thinks your special." She eyed the Black Cap once again. "But your not special not behind closed doors, your just my sexual partner nothing more." Adrienne eyed her Gabrielle she felt a hand form a fist the blonde woman was starting to become more negative and angry and she could also be cruel when she felt like it. She breathed in hitting her now wouldn't have impact despite that she wanted to. She felt her fist loosen as she smiled widely speaking in a low seductive tone. "What if I did have feelings for you have you considered that?"
Gabrielle laughed but it was a cold laugh even to her own ears. "I wouldn't care if you did have feelings for me, you're not someone I would consider a friend. You're here to do what the Imperial Council tells you, they tell you to screw me to make me happy you do so with out question." Adrienne snarled as she slammed her fist violently in to the decorative head board not caring if she damaged it, after all it was just one of her lover's stupid carving which she hated. Frankly she wished she'd stop making them she was a warrior not a carpenter. "It's not that way!" Gabrielle eyed her feeling a cold sneer form. "No that is the way it is, you lied to me about the mission you told me it was an honourable cause that we slaying the enemies of the werewolf race but we weren't we? No we were killing innocent men, women and helpless children." She picked up the Black Cap back looking at it for a long moment. "There's no honour in that." Adrienne turned away from her. "Think what you want Gabrielle but I do care about you and I won't ever let you go. You need me, without me your nothing and one day and you'll come to realize that and you'll learn to love me and you'll mate with me." Gabrielle eyed in her disgust before turning away again. "Pray to your Norse gods that the day never comes when you get to test that theory of yours."
8
Xena looked down sadly. "I'm sorry that you had to endure that Gabrielle you didn't deserve that." Gabrielle felt a sad smile form as the other woman finished her gentle massage of her shoulders which felt much better now. "She no longer has any control over me and what she said was wrong, I don't need her, I never did." Xena leaned forward kissing her back. "No you don't need her, you were always the strong one Gabrielle she is no more than a vile bitch sent to control you and she will never have power over you again. You defeated her in battle if she ever wakes up she'll have to live with that for the rest of her miserable life." She leaned against her. "Plus she a fool for not seeing the beauty of your carvings, she clearly had no artistic taste." Gabrielle leaned over meeting the other woman's lips in a gentle kiss before pulling away. "You like my carvings so much don't you?" Xena felt her smile widen. "Yes I do they are beautiful, just like you."
Gabrielle eased up her hand running it through the other woman's wet dark hair. "Did you have any plans today?" Xena took hold of the soap she did have paper work to do but frankly that could wait. She fully intended to spend the day with the younger woman and not bother with it. "I plan to spend the day with you." She lathered the soap then began to wash the other woman's back. "That is assuming you don't have paper work to do your self." Gabrielle closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of the other woman's hands as they lathered soap down her back she had paper work but frankly she didn't care about it today, it could wait she was in no hurry. She wanted to spend the day with the other woman who was now her lover and not miss a moment of it. She wanted to just forget for one day that she was Horn Hind and that the Imperial Council wanted her dead and just be Gabrielle and be her company. "No I have no paper work to finish." Xena raised her eyebrow as she washed the soap away working on the other woman's arms enjoying the feeling of muscle under the skin. "We could have our breakfast then take a walk in the gardens I mean soon winters going to be here and it will start snowing."
She paused as a question crossed her mind. "Do you like the snow?" Gabrielle put her hand on the other woman's leg underwater. "When I'm in human yes, in my other form not so much, I can feel it through my paw pads." Xena raised an eyebrow. "There that sensitive?" Gabrielle turned to meet her gaze, which were filled with curiosity. She felt the warm water pour down her skin as the other woman washed the soap of her arms and shoulders. She was enjoying this so much it was utter bliss the heat of the water the smell of the oils and the other woman's hands as they worked lathered on the soap and washed in away, she felt a content smile form. "Most werewolves wrap their paw pads in the bitter cold with leather so they don't freeze." Xena moved her hands to her upper chest rubbing in the soap. "Has your winter coat started to grow yet?" Gabrielle felt her eyes close as she truly began to sink in to the sweet sensations. "Yes it's just started growing, did you want to see it tonight." Xena leaned closer to her she was enjoying doing this as much as the other woman was enjoying the sensation of it, she could see the content look in her face. "I'd love to."
End of part 94
Silvermoonlight