She looked down at herself, and found the same armor, the same blood, the same dirt, and the same horse manure, then she lifted her head and regarded the one major change in the hall facing her.
It was hers already. That and the huge portrait of her that hung near one end. Her eyes shifted downward. And the blond kid wrapped around her.
Weird. Xena sighed, and turned as she spotted the Duke approaching her. She greeted him with a grin, reaching out with her still drawn sword to slap him in the ribs as he came beside her. “Congratulations. You passed.”
He wiped a bit of mud off his forehead and ducked his head to one side. “Twas a close thing, Mistress. Bastards. Came on us but days after you left, said they’d take in any who’d join em.”
The queen’s blue eyes sharpened. “And?”
“Stirred up those belowstairs.” The Duke said, succinctly. “Troublemakers.”
Xena frowned. “Shoulda just shot them.” She remarked. “They don’t understand anything else.”
The Duke looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Had my plate full, Majesty.” He said, in an apologetic tone. “Didn’t think they’d..” He fell momentarily silent. “All happened so fast.”
“Mm.” Xena let her blade rest on her shoulder. It was caked with gore, and putting it back into it’s sheath in that condition was unthinkable. “Yeah,” The pain of the battle was starting to make itself felt. “All cleaned up outside?”
“Mostly, yes.” He nodded. “Dungeon’s filling up.”
Xena’s eyebrows lifted. “I thought I said to kill them all.” She frowned. “I don’t want to waste time and dinars on prisoners.”
“Those from inside here, Mistress.” The Duke answered. “And there were some who surrendered outside when you rode in.”
“Oh, all right.” The queen exhaled wearily. “I can find all sorts of fun ways to kill them later, I suppose.” She glanced down at the unusually silent Gabrielle, who was still tucked against her side. “Right now, me and the baby princess here are going to go wipe the horse shit from our faces. “
The Duke’s face twitched, but he nodded and bowed, his expression a cross between propriety and chagrin. “If I may say, you were both extraordinary.” He said, hesitantly. “Majesty, your strategy was brilliant.”
Xena slapped him with her sword flat again. “My strategy was crap. Don’t start handing me midden water in a cup, or I’ll have you stripped and thrown in the pig house.” She warned. “We got lucky. Now go back to your room and write down all the details – who it was, how many men, when did he show up… I want it by the time I call court.”
Chastened, the Duke ducked his head and bowed, backing away and disappearing through the north archway.
Xena snorted, and shook her head as she started off towards the wide central stairs. “Y’know what, princess?” She remarked to Gabrielle. “The Fates must have guided you in picking that new bunkroom for us.”
“Why?”
“Cause I aint’ making it up those tower stairs.” The queen admitted. “These’ll be more than enough.”
Gabrielle fully appreciated the sentiment. Her head was still ringing and she was sick to her stomach from the blow Toris had given her as well as from the fear of the fight. She slowly climbed the marbled, curved steps, her mind idly pondering over Xena’s latest pet name for her.
Princess.
Hm.
“Xena?”
“Mm?” The queen seemed to be amusing herself by seeing how much mud and manure she could remove from her boots at each step on the gleaming surface.
“I think I like muskrat better.”
Unexpectedly, Xena’s expression softened. “Do you?” She asked. “That really was the right thing to do with the wagon, y’know.” She added.
“Thanks.” Gabrielle just really wanted to sit down. “And yeah, I do. I don’t think I’m much of a princess.”
They crossed the upper hall, where soldiers were dashing to get into position to guard them, some fresh from the battlefield. Xena gave them a bemused look, but simply returned their respectful salutes with a wave.
There were no servants in evidence. Xena paused and motioned the nearest soldier over. “Make sure the people who came in with the army are taken care of.” She ordered. “They’re my people now.”
The man nodded. “Aye, Mistress.” He put a hand to his chest, ducking his head as he turned and started down the steps at a brisk trot.
Turning, Xena yanked the door open to their new quarters. “S’allright.” She sighed. “Right now I don’t feel like much of a queen. We’ll just have to deal with it.”
One bright note occurred to Gabrielle, as Xena closed the door behind them. They’d be able to see if that bathtub was really as awesome as it looked.
She just hoped they didn’t end up falling asleep in it.
**
Gabrielle looked up at the soft knock, then she rose and went to the door. Opening it a little, she peered out to find one of the men who’d helped her pull the wagon standing there with a big tray. “Oh. Hi.” He had on a fresh tunic, she noticed, with a newly sewn patch on it bearing Xena’s crest.
“M’lady, I brought this up. Thought you might could use it.” The man said. “Things were tossed up downstairs, but we’ve got em working again.”
“Oh, great.” Gabrielle said, opening the door further. “Thanks.. you can put it down there.” She pointed to a carved sideboard. She was dressed in a light blue linen tunic herself, her skin scrubbed pink to remove all the grime from it. Xena was still in her bath, having more skin to scrub, and she’d sent Gabrielle out to pick her some clothing to change into. “Is everyone okay?”
The man set the tray down. “As can be, m’lady.”
“Could..” Gabrielle cleared her throat. “Could you just call me Gabrielle?”
“No, m’lady.” The man smiled to remove any sting. “Not unless her Majesty wills it.” He straightened his tunic, his eyes dropping to the new patch almost unconsciously. “None want to cross her desires this day.”
“Okay.” Gabrielle said. “Well, thanks – I know the queen definitely could use a good meal.” She waited for the man to leave, then she went to the sideboard and investigated the contents of the tray. “Mm.” It wasn’t only the queen who could use a meal. Her guts felt completely empty, but she resisted the temptation to sneak a nibble, putting the covers back on and returning to her task instead.
They had brought all of Xena’s things from the queen’s former quarters in huge, ornate trunks while they’d been gone, but the attack had prevented any further arranging. So Gabrielle found herself sorting through the fabrics of a lifetime in search of something for the queen to put on.
One whole trunk was gowns. Gabrielle ignored it. The next trunk was more ordinary court wear, heavy in silk and ribbon. Gabrielle ignored that too, pushing the top closed and trudging on to the next. “Ah.” She got down on her knees and sorted through the cloth, finally pulling out a soft, flannel dressing gown in faded crimson. It was unornamented, but it was gentle on her skin, and so it would be gentle on Xena’s, which bore so many scrapes and cuts it was hard to find a clear spot between them.
With a satisfied grunt, she picked up the gown and stood, catching hold of the edge of the trunk as her own exhaustion threatened to send her right back down to the ground. After a dizzy moment, however, she turned and headed for the bathing room.
**
Xena sat on the edge of the tub, gazing quietly down at her battered body. There were cuts everywhere, some now seeping light trickles of blood from her scrubbing, causing a multitude of stings across her skin. Her entire left knee was covered in a swollen bruise. Her right side was the same, above what she decided were cracked, but not broken ribs.
Her head hurt the worst, though. Aside from her original injury, she’d taken at least three hits during the fight, and broken open the cut on the side of her skull. Her hearing was gone on that side too, and she hoped it was a temporary affliction.
She looked up at the sound of bare feet against the stone, to see Gabrielle reentering the room. “Heard voices.”
The blond woman picked up a towel and brought it with her, gently starting to dry the droplets of bath water from Xena’s skin. “They brought some food up… the guys who were with us took over down there I think.”
“Ah.” The queen reflected on how good Gabrielle’s touch felt. She closed her eyes and simply waited, breathing in the scent of her companion’s clean body, and the almost tickly smell of the tunic she had on as Gabrielle moved around her.
“Oh, Xena.” A soft gasp. “Your head…”
“Hurts. A lot.” The queen acknowledged. “Bet I look like a Gorgon, too.”
A gentle touch parted the damp hair above the injury, even that light pressure making her skull ring. “You’re gonna have to do me a favor, muskrat.” She murmured. “Keep me awake.”
Fingers brushed her cheek, and she let her eyes open, to see Gabrielle’s concerned face looking at her. “Why?” Gabrielle asked. “Don’t’ you want to rest?”
Gods, do I. Xena lifted her hand slightly and pointed to her own head. “If I fall asleep with this, I might not wake up.” She watched her companion’s eyes widen in shock and panic. “Hey… hey… take it easy. I’ve got every faith in your ability to keep me from that fate.”
Gabrielle felt irrational tears forming in her eyes, and she stepped back a moment to regain her composure. A shaky breath emerged as she met Xena’s gaze. “S…sorry.” She wiped the back of her hand across her face. “Every time I think we’re okay, it just gets rotten again.”
Xena reached out and laid a hand on her thigh. “Gabrielle.” She waited for her eyes to lift again. “We’re okay.” She reassured her companion. “After all the crap I just went through, I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna live to enjoy lots of hedonistic nights with you.”
Gabrielle sniffled, and managed an embarrassed smile. “Sorry.” She said. “It’s been a really long day.” She offered Xena the gown she’d picked. “I thought this would feel nice.”
Xena stood, and ignored the gown, gathering Gabrielle to her in a hug. “Now this.. feels nice.” She said, ignoring the various and sundry aches and pains. “To Hades with the clothing.”
The window in the bathing room looked out onto the rear of the stronghold, a view of tall mountains and the crystal blue sky. A breeze blew in, raising goosebumps on both of them as they stood in silence together.
A stolen moment of peace, to revel in.
**
Xena was seated in the large, padded, almost throne-like chair near the windows, facing the bright sunlight so the annoyance of it would keep her awake. Next to her, Gabrielle was sitting on a huge fluffy pillow, her legs pulled up cross-legged under her.
“Here.” Xena speared a piece of roast duck on her knife tip, offering it to her companion. “If you keep licking your plate, I’ll have to have em put the gilt back on it.”
With a faint blush, Gabrielle accepted the tidbit, easing it off the knife and biting into it.
The queen watched her indulgently. “I’m gonna have to have you checked for worms.”
Green eyes flicked to her face in startlement. “Worms?”
“Yeah.” Xena said. “You’re like a horse who eats all day long, and you can still see his ribs. Means they have worms inside them eating all the stuff up.”
Slowly, Gabrielle’s eyes dropped to her midsection, then lifted, widening.
The queen chuckled softly. “Just kidding.” She ruffled Gabirelle’s hair. She noticed that her young friend was leaning against the chair, and if she shaded the light from her eyes, she could see that Gabrielle was a little paler than she usually seemed. “Hey.”
“Oh, sorry.” Gabrielle rubbed her eyes. “I was trying to think of a story.”
Xena touched the side of her head and tilted her face up slightly. “You all right?”
After a moment’s silence, the blond woman gave a half shake of her head. “I’m not sure.” She admitted. “But it’s nothing like how you must feel, so..”
No, that was true. Xena agreed silently. But she’d also had a lot more experience at it. “Something hurt?”
A breath. “Sort of. My head a little.”
Uh oh. “Did someone hit you?” The queen asked, slightly annoyed at herself for not noticing earlier. She examined the blond woman’s skull, running her fingers lightly over her scalp until they stopped, touching a warm lump. “Son of a bacchae.”
“Ow.” Gabrielle winced. “That’s the spot.”
Xena leaned closer and parted the thick, pale hair. “Can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I? Did that worthless piece of crap brother of mine do this to you?”
Gabrielle hesitated.
“Relax.” The queen murmured. “I’m going to kill him anyway. This’ll just make it that much more enjoyable for me.” She heard the catch in Gabrielle’s breathing. “C’mon, muskrat. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for him.”
“He’s…” Gabrielle lifted one shoulder in a partial shrug. “Is he really your brother?”
“Mm.” Xena tilted Gabrielle’s chin up a little. “Close your eyes.” She watched the blond lashes flutter closed obediently. While she counted to ten, she admired the gentle planes of her bedmate’s face. “Okay, open em.”
The green eyes appeared, the skin around them tensing as the light apparently bothered their owner.
“Ah.” The queen exhaled, seeing one dark pupil remain dilated. “Well, you don’t get to sleep either, it looks like. That’s a bad knock.” She studied the huddled form. “Come on up here.”
“Up where?”
Xena moved over. “Here. Damn thing’s big enough for six of us.”
Gabrielle got up and crawled into the huge chair with the queen, curling up against her side. She’d been shivering slightly, but the warmth of Xena’s body immediately made her feel better, although their conversation had made her feel infinitely worse.
“Yeah, he’s really my brother.” Xena told her. “Worthless traitorous bastard that he is.” She offered Gabrielle another piece of meat. “Can’t believe he had the balls to come here… he had to know if I caught him he was a dead man.”
“You really hate him.”
“Hate?” Xena released a short, bitter laugh. “Did he tell you who he was?”
“No.” Gabrielle whispered. “He just… he said he knew you. He said you destroyed his home.”
Xena snorted.
“Did you?”
“Oh yeah.” The queen’s eyes were cold and remote. “Backwater little town… we’d gone there to…“ She hesitated. “Just do some trading. Figured it was as good a place as any to spend a few dinars.”
Gabrielle watched her profile in silence.
“Didn’t want to hurt anyone…“ Xena let her head rest against the chair back. “He sold us out for a bag of dinars and the promise of a commission. Brought the army in while we were sleeping… only thing that saved us was a gods be damned rooster they set off sneaking in.”
“Oh.”
“Whole place was in on it. Figured they’d make an easy buck on our hides.” Xena’s voice was quiet. “So yeah, after we escaped being slaughtered, and the army went after easier pickings, we came back and I burnt the damn place to the ground.”
Gabrielle remained still for a bit. “Did he know who you were?”
The queen nodded. “Oh yeah.” Another bitter laugh. “Went on an on about how glad he was to see us. His only family.” Her lips twitched. “And I was stupid enough to believe him.”
Memories of her childhood settled over her like bats wings. “It’s… hard when your family hurts you.” Gabrielle finally said.
“Yeah.” Xena agreed. Then she took and released a deep breath. “So anyway… we’re supposed to be cheering each other up and keeping ourselves awake. Let’s can the maudlin memories and start kissing.”
“Okay.” Gabrielle agreed with surprising promptness. “But…”
“Whhhyyyyy did I know there was going to be a but there.” Xena tilted her head back and regarded the ceiling. “What is it, muskrat?”
Tenderly, Gabrielle reached over and stroked Xena’s cheek with the backs of her fingers. “You know… even with all the bad things my father did to us… he was still my family.” She said.
“And?” Xena peered at her.
“And… he thinks of you a certain way, Xena. Maybe you can prove him wrong.”
The pale blue eyes took on an almost gray glint as the queen looked at her. Slowly, one hand lifted and touched the lump on the side of Gabrielle’s head, and just as slowly, Xena shook her own. “No.” She said, huskily. “He’s not wrong.” She traced a line down the blond woman’s face. “What did he offer you?”
Gabrielle met her eyes with total honestly. “Everything but the one thing I really wanted.”
One dark eyebrow lifted.
Gabrielle put her fingertip on Xena’s nose.
Xena blinked a few times, looking down before meeting Gabrielle’s eyes again. “Remember what I told you about families?”
“I remember.”
“Don’t forget it.” The queen said. “Specially when we’re in court and I do what I have to do.”
Slowly, Gabrielle nodded in understanding. “I just thought I…”
“Shh. I know.” Xena put her fingertips over Gabrielle’s lips. “It’s all right. It’s a part of you. I know that.” She leaned closer. “It’s just not a part of me.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You understand that?”
Caught in the circle of Xena’s arms, Gabrielle could find only one answer to that question. “Yes.”
“Will you hate me for it?”
“No.” Gabrielle whispered back. “I just hope you won’t hate you for it.”
Xena fell silent, for a very long time.
**
“Once up on a time there was a little baby lamb.” Gabrielle felt her voice wavering, as she started on her third story.
“His name wasn’t Lambchop, was it.” Xena interrupted.
“No.” Gabrielle picked up her mug and drank from it. “It was Boris.”
“Boris.” The queen repeated. “You’re kidding, right?”
The light had started to fade, and it was moving towards a bluish twilight outside. “No, really.” Gabrielle said. “The little lamb’s name was Boris, and one day when his shepherd took him, and his family out to graze, and amazing thing happened to him.”
“He got skinned and turned into slippers?”
Gabrielle smiled, resting her aching head against Xena’s shoulder. “No, he discovered that he could fly.”
“Whew. Thought he started talking.” The queen exhaled. “Damn it, muskrat. I feel like six day old horse crap.”
“Mm. Me too.”
Xena could feel sleep calling her insistently, and one look at Gabrielle’s half closed eyes meant the blond woman heard the same call. “C’mon. I’ve got an idea.” She said. “Let’s grab some cloaks, and go walk in your damn garden.”
They ended up putting on more than just cloaks, but eventually walked together through the hall towards the outside courtyards. The halls were full of guards now, all of them bracing to attention as the queen passed.
There were very few servants in evidence. “Reminds me of when I first took over this place.” Xena commented. “Just my men around.” She glanced down one long hallway. “I think I like it. Quieter.”
“Me too.” Gabrielle took the queen’s hand and clasped it in hers as they walked. “I remember the first few nights I was here… it all seemed so loud.”
The guard opened the doors for them as they approached, and they left the relative warmth of the stronghold for the cold air outside. Their footsteps seemed loud on the rock path, and they were indeed alone as they turned towards the gates of the garden.
Gabrielle could already smell it, the rich scent of the herbs, and the trees inside. She pushed the gate open eagerly and stood to let Xena enter, closing the wrought iron behind them. The last bit of sunset was just dusting the tops of the plants with crimson, and she walked over to a rose bush and sniffed a bloom appreciatively.
The queen watched her for a moment, then she strolled past the rose bush and found a small, leafy plant low to the ground near a moss covered old stump. “Ah.” She sat down on the stump and stripped some of the leaves off the plant, folding them over and putting them into her mouth.
They tasted fuzzy. Stolidly, Xena chewed them, trying not to think about caterpillars as Gabrielle wandered over to join her, bringing her rose along.
“Are you eating that plant?”
“Uh huh.” The queen nodded. “You ate everything else. What choice do I have?”
Gabrielle knelt down and offered her the rose. “Would you like to snack on this? I think it probably tastes better.”
“Mm.” Xena plucked a rose petal and popped it into her mouth. “You’re right, it does.” She agreed. “But this stuff’ll help my head. Maybe.”
“Oh.” Gabrielle sat down on the ground and examined the plant. “Can I try some?”
Without comment, the queen handed her a leaf, watching with benignly impish eyes as she put it into her mouth and tentatively chewed it.
Immediately, her face wrinkled. “Ugh.” Gabrielle squeaked. “Thas…thas..” She poked her tongue out, covered with the fuzzy green matter.
Xena chuckled. “Yeah, it’s nasty. But swallow it – it’ll do you good.”
Gabrielle pulled her tongue back in and with a look of supreme fortitude, swallowed the fuzzy green bits. The taste was bitter, and somewhat musty, and she wished she had something to wash it down with. “Um..” She spotted an apple and got up, ducking around the queen and plucking it. She sat back down and took a bite, then offered Xena the other side.
Xena leaned over and nudged it until Gabrielle’s bite mark faced her, then she sunk her teeth into it, twisting her head slightly to pull off a mouthful.
It was crisp, and cold, and if she really concentrated, she could just taste Gabrielle on it.
The queen licked her lips. “I think you just wanted an excuse to raid the appletree.”
Gabrielle paused, her eyes dropping. She offered Xena the rest of the fruit. “Sorry.”
Hm. Xena frowned. “That was supposed to be funny.” She waited for the green eyes to lift, frowning again when they didn’t. “Gabrielle?”
“Um. I know.” Now, the blond woman did look up, slightly abashed. “I just used to get… “ She paused. “Back home, I mean. That’s how… we’d get punished when we were bad. Sent to bed without supper… kind of thing. “ Her eyes flicked to Xena’s. “I was pretty bad.”
Without really thinking about it, Xena reached out and cupped Gabrielle’s cheek surprisingly horrified at the unintentional hurt her words had caused. “Hey.” She smoothed her thumb against the creases of pain on her companion’s face. “I’m sorry.”
Gabrielle blinked.
Xena tasted the stark unfamiliarity of those words on her lips. “Listen.” She drew in a breath, feeling an ache in her chest as she looked into Gabrielle’s gentle, trusting gaze. “If you want to eat the entire gods be damned garden you go ahead.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to…” The blond woman’s brow contracted. “I think I’m just really tired and my mind is kind of going all over the place.”
Xena studied her tips of her boots. “Yeah, maybe I am too.” She admitted, unable to explain the turmoil inside her any other way. “C’mon. Let’s see what else we can scrounge in here. Might as well get em before the frost does.”
“We don’t have to.”
“No.” The queen agreed. “But we’re gonna.” She stood up and extended a hand. “Come, my friend.”
Gabrielle took her hand and they walked together in the sunset, raiding the fruit trees of their late season’s harvest, sharing in companionable silence until the last light faded from the sky.
**
The dungeon was dark, and cold, and damp. Xena stood in the long unused back doorway of it, at the foot of a narrow, circular stairs that few in the stronghold even knew about.
She knew. Xena had made it her business to prowl around her new conquest until she’d seen every square inch of it.
Now, she let her eyes adjust to the darkness and cocked her head to listen to the sounds of fear and pain echoing softly from the stark rock walls. With a frown, she lifted a hand to rub the ear that wasn’t working, then she sighed and started to move slowly along the wall.
It was a disgusting place. There had always been a reason Xena had preferred to kill her enemies than put them in here. A form of mercy, really. The queen glanced at the pits on either side of the main hallway, filled with dirt and water and plenty of vermin.
They were packed with occupants this time. She could hear the women sobbing, and at least one whispered prayer floated up to her.
Xena stopped and listened. Then she moved on to another cell, this one filled with defeated soldiers. There were no prayers here, these men knew what their fates were, and most lay huddled in silence. Standing in the shadows, the queen watched them, knowing they would see her as just another guard if anything.
Finally, she went to the area where there were smaller cells, tiny chambers meant for a single occupant and filled with all the accoutraments of torture.
They stank.
Xena stood across from the last one in the row and stared at the prisoner chained to the rusty spikes inside it. Toris was either asleep or unconscious, his features barely distinguishable in the low light from the torches set into the wall.
It had been years since she’d seen him. Two years her elder, he was tall like she was, and they shared thick, dark hair and blue eyes. But that was where the resemblance ended. His body was thin, with overlong arms and legs, and a flatter, more brutish face that shared none of her planed angularity.
How had she missed his being here? Xena could see blood in several places on his linen servants clothing and by the angle of one elbow, she’d guessed it was dislocated.
Painful, no doubt.
Xena leaned back against the wall, suddenly realizing she was too tired to even feel the hatred she knew she held for him. Here he was, her bastard of a brother and tomorrow?
Tomorrow he’d be dead, and she’d be the last of her family left on the earth.
The queen turned and walked through the arched front doorway of the dungeon, turning right down a dark, dusty corridor instead of heading up the flight of stairs that would take her back up into the stronghold. At the end of the hall was a door.
She slipped a key from her belt and opened it, the rasp of the metal lock loud as she pushed the door open and descended another flight of steps and came to a gate.
It was simple. Just wrought iron hammered into a plain but clean pattern by careful hands. Xena laid those hands on it and pushed it open, turning to set the torch she’d carried with her into a sconce just inside.
It was unprepossessing in the extreme. The walls were plain, but clean, as was the floor. In the center of the room were two stone crypts, one empty, the other not.
Against the wall was a carved bench. Xena walked over to it and sat down, resting her elbows on her knees and letting her chin settle on her clasped hands. In front of her the sealed crypt sat patiently, the simple crest and carving almost invisible in the low light.
She knew every inch of it anyway. Every nock in the stone, every chiseled angle and letter had been done by her, in the long, lonely days after Lyceus’ death. This was the one single place in the stronghold that was totally theirs – it had been nothing but a forgotten storeroom before she’d found it.
“You know, Ly.” Xena spoke in a low voice. “Sometimes I think you were the lucky one of us both.” She studied the carved name with pensive eyes. “But I had to come down here and tell you… remember that big argument we always used to have? You used to tease me all the time about what would happen to me if I ever fell in love? Remember that one?”
Echoes of her own speech answered her. “Yeah, well…” Xena sighed. “You were right.” She paused for a bit, rubbing her thumb against her knuckle. “You were right. Wish you could be here to see it.”
She sat there for a few more minutes, then with a sigh, she got up and walked to the crypt, laying her hands on her brother’s tomb. Her eyes closed, and she remained still for a few heartbeats. Then she straightened and gave the crypt a pat, as she circled it and headed for the iron gates.
It was time at last to rest. Xena closed the gates behind her and started up the steps, heading back to the wide, spacious expanse of her new rooms, where Gabrielle was waiting for her, along with Boris the lamb.
Tomorrow would be a new day.
**
Gabrielle woke in time to see the first light of dawn tinting the windows. She felt a strange sense of dislocation briefly, then she remembered where she was, and a soft smile crossed her face.
Their new bed, with it’s soft, feather stuffed mattress had been a surprise to both of them. Xena had assumed they’d moved the furniture from her former tower chamber, but they quickly realized that instead, the castle steward had restored the bed that had once been in here.
She ran her fingers over the rich, thick fabric, and the silk sheet covering them that glistened faintly in the coming dawn. It was draped over Xena, and after a moment Gabrielle snuggled a little closer, pressing her body against the queen’s, gaining a sense of warmth and security.
Xena was asleep. But Gabrielle could feel her breathing, her chest moving under the arm she had draped over her bedmate, and hear the slow, steady beat of her heart.
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