“Oh.” Gabrielle replied, in a soft voice. “Guess it was worse than chipmunk, huh?”
“Uh huh.” Xena pulled her closer, taking a deep breath as their bodies pressed against each other. “Bitch, whore… beast… scum.” She recited. “I think I remember being called a neutered whorebitch once… that was pretty special.”
“Uh.”
Xena smiled briefly, gazing out over Gabrielle’s head. “Well, I’d just drawn and quartered the guy’s father. Can’t blame him, really.” She said. “It was my thirteenth birthday, and I’d just started cycling. Lousy day all around.”
Gabrielle lifted her head and just stared, goggle eyed at her bedmate.
Xena shrugged.
“I think the most exciting thing that happened to me before the slavers came…” Gabrielle said. “Was our creek flooding and dumping six sheep and the chicken coop inside our bedroom.”
“Mm.” The queen chuckled. “Breakfast in bed the hard way.”
It struck Gabrielle as funny, and she started laughing.
Xena blinked, as the light, joyful sound filled the room. She decided she liked it, and she hugged Gabrielle a little, smiling as the girl hugged her back. “All right. Enough jokes before breakfast.” She released her hold, and Gabrielle eased away from her, straightening out.
“Yow!” Gabrielle released a surprised yelp as she stretched her legs. They felt like two twisted breadsticks, and as she moved them, a jolt of pain went right up into her groin. “Great Hera!”
Xena rolled over, putting a concerned hand on her shoulder. “What is it? I didn’t bite you that hard last night, did I?”
“Buf… no.” Gabrielle grimaced, reaching for her thighs. “Ow.”
“Ah.” Xena sat up, the silk sheets falling away from her naked body as she twisted around and slid her hand on the underside of Gabrielle’s leg. “My pony virgin. That’s right.” She could feel the knots under her hands already. “Lay back down.”
Gabrielle stopped trying to sit up, and relaxed back onto her elbows as Xena’s hands slid up her thighs. The morning light poured in the window and bathed her naked form, almost making Gabrielle forget completely about the ache in her legs as she absorbed the sight.
The long, powerful fingers worked at the muscles in her legs, easing the knots and sending little jolts of a completely different sensation through her as the queen’s hands worked up from her knees. The ache eased, though whether it was what Xena was doing, or just the fact that she was doing it causing that she wasn’t at all sure.
Gabrielle was suddenly conscious of the studious concern scrawled across Xena’s features, her brow tensing as she worked, relieving what surely the queen must view as a silly complaint with the same quiet skill as she’d used in caring for Gabrielle’s injuries after her near capture.
“Xena?”
The pale blue eyes glanced up at her.
“Thanks.”
Xena’s hands kept up their kneading as she regarded Gabrielle, her dark head cocked slightly to one side. “For what?”
The girl’s eyes dropped. “That.” She indicated the queen’s fingers. “I know you think it’s kind of…wimpy… don’t you?”
Xena looked down, her face a study in mild puzzlement. “Wimpy?” She eased Gabrielle’s right leg straight, and went to work on the left one. “Gabrielle, not being able to walk because you can’t put your knees together isn’t wimpy.” She chuckled. “I remember my first experience with riding horses… I got stuck on one riding from sunup to sundown, without a break. I couldn’t walk for two days after that.”
Gabrielle wiggled the toes on her right foot, the cramps feeling a lot better now. “Oh.”
“Didn’t have anyone to do this.” Xena went on, in a quieter tone.
Gabrielle looked at her. “You do now.”
Xena’s eyes lifted, and met hers. A grin tugged at the corners of her lips. “Hm.” She mused. “That’d almost be worth learning to ride all over again.” She leaned over and kissed Gabrielle on the inside of her thigh, listening for, and hearing the soft intake of Gabrielle’s breath. “You know something, Gabrielle?”
Gabrielle took in an uneven breath. “What?”
Xena put her hands on either side of Gabrielle’s hips and leaned forward, peering down at her like a large and hungry, if appealingly naked cat. “You are the first person I’ve ever known who I’ve even had the slightest desire to do that to.” She ducked her head and kissed Gabrielle on the navel. “Must be love.”
Gabrielle looked up at her, trying to catch her breath as her body caught on fire. All she could see was someone she felt so strongly for it overshadowed all her knowledge of what Xena was. “Must be.” She whispered, reaching up to run her fingers through Xena’s hair.
Must be.
Their lips met, and Gabrielle realized that, at the very least, she wasn’t going to have to worry about walking yet for a while.
Which was just fine by her.
**
Part 13
Xena strolled along the walkway, enjoying the sun on her face and the cool wind at her back. She glanced sideways at her companion, smiling a little at the interested expression on Gabrielle’s face. “How’s the legs?”
The misty green eyes glanced down, then over at her. “Oh, they’re okay.” Gabrielle said. “Um.. where are we going?”
“Down the walk.” Xena told her. “Gotta get to court, and I figured this was easier than jumping out of the window.”
“Um… okay, I’ve just never gone this way before so I was wondering…” Gabrielle ran her fingers over the mossy walls.
“Ahhh… ever curious.” The queen steered her down a new path, where the walls on either side of them rose up, and a wrought iron arch appeared midway between the two ends. Xena stopped before the gate and worked the latch, shoving it open with a screech of protest and gesturing inside. “G’wan.”
Gabrielle peered up at her, then she ducked through the gates. She paused in mid step, looking around in stunned delight as she found herself in a rich, beautiful garden. “Oh!” She breathed, her eyes going wide. There were flowers in every color imaginable, and sweet smelling herbs, and trees heavy with fruit draped over the wide beds. “Oh, my gosh!”
Xena leaned against the wall, watching her with a faint smile. They were due in morning court, just slightly past due in fact, but she’d remembered this spot as they were walking and decided to take her charming little bedmate to see it.
The garden was, she supposed, a nice place. It was where the cooks grew all the herbs they used, and fruit and vegetables for the royal kitchen. Walls surrounded it, and water from the well supplied it’s rich, dark earth with moisture and even when the surrounding lands grew barren in winter this little patch of earth stayed fertile. The air was full of the scent of growing things, and it was peaceful in a way that few places in her kingdom were.
Gabrielle captured a handful of blossoms and brought her face close to them, drinking in the scent and cooing. Then she selected one, and carefully plucked it, walking back over to Xena and offering it to her shyly.
The queen accepted the bloom, sniffing it, then twirling it in her fingers. “What’s this for?”
“Just because.” Gabrielle turned and took a deep breath of the fragrant air. “This place is gorgeous.” She wandered over to a tree dripping with apricots and touched one, then turned and looked at Xena.
“Go on.” Xena twirled her flower as she watched the fruit get picked, knowing a portion of that juicy looking item would be shortly finding it’s way to her. That was just how Gabrielle was, she’d discovered. The slave loved to share. Convenient, since Xena most assuredly didn’t. “C’mon. Let’s get to court. We can come back here later if you want to.”
“If I want to?” Gabrielle laughed. “I’d love to live here. It’s incredible.” She split the apricot into two halves and offered one to Xena. “Do you spend a lot of time here?”
The queen snorted, holding the gate open. “No. It bores me to death, but I knew you’d like it.” She nibbled on the fragrant fruit as she followed Gabrielle back into the hallway, resting her forearm on the slave’s shoulder as they walked along. “Tell you what… after we settle my heir presumptive, we’ll go on a tour of the rest of this place. It’s about time I did an inspection.”
“Okay.” Gabrielle bit into the apricot, which was juicy and very sweet. “I’d like to see all the nooks and crannies.. I bet there’s some stories around this place.” She added. “Could we have a picnic lunch in the garden?”
“Sure.” Xena replied without really thinking first. Then she realized what she’d said, and scowled. Her, do a picnic in the garden?
“Wow… that would be great.” Gabrielle said. “Do you think the nobles will be upset about Lastay? A lot of them seemed to like him, from what I could hear their servants saying the other night.”
Picnic. Xena exhaled. “I don’t think they’re expecting it.” She said. “It takes the wind out of the sails of the bastards who want me out the worst, too. One of their biggest agitating points is that I don’t have an heir.” She explained, as they entered the main part of the castle. “So I’ll give em one… and it ain’t what they expect.”
Gabrielle thought about the queen’s words as she followed her towards the big staircase that lead to her formal audience chamber. Instead of her black tunic, today she was wearing a warm, woolen overshirt of Xena’s, with a tooled leather belt fastened around her waist to make the shirt more of a neatly draped knee length dress. It felt good, and it smelled like Xena, and she found herself touching the knit and grinning as she walked.
Things were really looking up. When she’d walked through the upper hallway while Xena dressed in her beautiful gown, she’d heard two of the servants talking, in excited whispers about Lastay’s wife’s rescue. She heard Xena’s named mentioned, and for the first time since she’d been in the stronghold, it wasn’t spoken as though it were a curse. She’d told Xena that, and though the queen had merely snorted in amusement, she thought that Xena thought it was pretty cool anyway.
And now, she’d seen the prettiest garden imaginable. She finished her apricot and licked a bit of the juice off her fingers, already looking forward to the picnic and spending a few quiet moments with the queen under the shade of those trees.
**
The room was already buzzing when they entered. Xena swept across the floor and the crowd parted as usual, but she could detect just a touch of extra reverence in the bows, and her ego smirked with pleasure. She glided up the steps to her throne and turned, allowing the folds of her gown to swirl around her as she seated herself precisely in the center of the chair.
Slowly, she turned her head to regard the crowd, letting her eyes rest at last on Gabrielle’s slight figure with the rest of the servants near the back wall. Xena put two fingers into her mouth and let out a piercing whistle, grinning when her slave’s head jerked around and the mist green eyes focused on her. The queen lifted a hand and curled her index finger in a come hither gesture.
Gabrielle came, easing her way diffidently through the crowd of nobles, oblivious of the eyes on her. She trotted up the steps to Xena’s side and rested a hand on her chair arm, tilting her head in inquiry. “You wanted me?”
Xena grinned at her. “Constantly.” She purred. “Get your lily pad and siddown, muskrat.”
Gabrielle smothered an embarrassed smile of her own, and retrieved her low stool, setting it down next to the queen’s throne and easing her self down onto it. Her legs definitely ached, but Xena’s massage had done wonders and if she stretched her boots out a little and crossed her ankles, she was pretty much okay.
Xena’s fingers played with her slaves’ hair as the queen studied her audience, signaling the steward to open court. The touch relaxed Gabrielle, and she watched with deep interest as the steward pounded the floor with his long staff.
“Here ye, listen all.” The man intoned. “Her majesty, Xena the Merciless, has called you all here for a momentous announcement.” He half turned and glanced at Xena, who flicked the fingers of her free hand at him. “Her majesty will speak.”
All eyes shifted to Xena. An expectant silence grew as she straightened in her chair, and let her gaze linger on all of them. “I have decided.” She intoned. “After much deliberation…”
Gabrielle watched the different cliques of nobles stand together. She spotted Lastay near one side of the room, waiting quietly. On the other side of the room stood some of the men she knew had backed Bregos, and they were eyeing the queen with wary alertness.
“To name an heir.” Xena concluded slowly, drawing out the words.
Definite shock went across the room. Gabrielle could see it was the last thing they had expected to hear her say, and she could also see that it didn’t make all of them happy.
“An heir, majesty?” The oldest of her dukes questioned, hesitantly. “Surely you have no need to name one, as lovely as you are?”
Xena gave him a tolerant, yet severe look. “Ah, Jeran, the fact is I’m so incredibly beautiful, no man could ever measure up to me. So.. what can I do?”
A low murmur spread through out the room. Xena waited to see if anyone else had anything intelligent to say, then figured she’d have gray hair before then and went on. “I would like you all to attend a high court tonight, where I intend on officially naming my heir and successor. You can bring presents.”
The dukes all started looking at each other. “Tis one of us, Majesty?” Jeren asked, in a querulous voice.
“One of you? Of course not. It’s my little Gabrielle here.” Xena replied. “She likes fruit, and pretty clothes. Make sure you bring lots.”
Dead silence, along with a goggling of Gabrielle’s eyes in her direction.
“Morons. Yes, one of you.” The queen snorted. “You think I’d subject her to you lot? Not in this lifetime or any other.” She laid a hand over Gabrielle’s shoulders. “So you’ve got the day to get used to the idea. You’ve wanted me to give you a future, well, careful what you ask for.”
Her news had definitely caused a stir. Xena leaned back, pleased with herself. Bregos’ toadies were definitely caught off balance.
However.
“Majesty.” Evgast approached ponderously. “I would bring a horrible happenstance to your notice, not to belittle your excellent, and most welcome announcement.”
“Really?” Xena crossed her ankles. “Do tell?”
“Majesty, my castle was attacked last night.” Evgast stated. “By a legion.”
Xena glanced down her long length, then she turned and regarded Gabrielle. A chuckle escaped her. “A what?”
“A legion of men, Majesty. They invaded my home, and killed my men. I demand justice.”
The queen rested her chin on her fist, eyeing him in silence. She let the silence grow and take over the room, aware of the intense interest, especially from Evgast’s supporters. “You demand justice?” She kept her voice quizzical. “Evgast, are you a nitwit, or did just tighten your cummerbund too tight this morning?”
“Majesty!” The noble was visibly affronted.
“That wasn’t a legion, you moron.” Xena got up and prowled over to him. “It was me.” She indicated her chest with her thumb. Then she paused, and glanced back over her shoulder. “And my little friend, there.”
Evgast just stared at her.
“You want justice? I’ll give you justice.” Xena unsheathed her dagger and grabbed him by the throat. “You stinking little traitor.”
“No! Majesty!” The duke grabbed her hand and held it desperately. “You wrong me! It was I who was attacked, remember?”
Xena flicked a glance at the rest of the nobles. Evgasts supporters were pissed. She grinned at them. “You kidnapped a duchess.” She said quietly. “And held her to ransom the support of her duke. I took exception to that.”
Evgast stared at her, then turned his head and glared at Lastay.
Lastay smiled pleasantly at him.
“Didn’t realize she was gone?” Xena inquired. “I made sure to lock the door after myself.”
The duke’s eyes narrowed. “She wasn’t a prisoner. She was under my protection, majesty. Voluntarily. Running from him!” Evgast pointed at Lastay. “He used her infamously!”
“Really?” Xena’s tone was light. “How do you use someone infamously, Evgast?” Her hand moved in a flickering motion, cutting through his ornate tunic to rip into his flesh. “Like that?”
“AuuuggghHH!!!!” The man screamed.
“Wimp.” Xena reversed the hilt in her hand and slugged him. “It was only flesh wound.” She released him, and watched him slump to the ground. “Guards, take him to the cells.” She ordered. “I’ll sentence him tonight.” Her eyes lifted and regarded the stunned crowd. “It’ll be fun all round, eh?”
She twirled the dagger, and reseated it into it’s hidden sheath, then turned and went back to her throne, seating herself and looking over them all. She felt a sense of restless energy she’d been missing for a while, and she itched to take back the control her dukes had been nibbling away at and restore her kingdom to the way she’d originally fashioned it.
Gabrielle shifted a little, and looked up at her.
Well, with a slight difference. “Yeeess?”
“Did anyone ever tell you you’re really funny?” The slave asked.
“No.” Xena replied with a dignified sniff. “I killed the last person who even suggested it.”
They looked at each other. “You’re really funny.” Gabrielle said, with a slightly impish quirk of her lips.
“Mm. A saucy slave. My favorite kind.” Xena returned the grin, then addressed the still stirring, waiting crowd. “That is all. Court’s over.” She turned to the steward, who was still standing quietly by. “Tell the staff I’m going on inspection. Anyone wants to run screaming, now’s the time.” She stood. “C’mon, Gabrielle. Let’s go find trouble.”
“Find it?” The slave murmured, as she trotted after the tall queen. “I think we are it.”
Xena just laughed.
**
“Mistress, we’ve had a few men round asking.” Brendan rumbled softly as he followed her around the barracks. “Seeing as how Bregos men all took off, we could use a few new recruits.”
“Mm.” Xena observed the now spotless quarters, giving them a regally satisfied nod. “If they’re asking for the right reason and not because they’re damned spies.”
“Too dumb for spies, Majesty.” The soldier replied. “Might be good for pikemen, though.”
“All right.” Xena nodded. “Tell you what, let’s plan on a training melee tomorrow just to drive the point home that I don’t want any more divided loyalties.”
“Aye, Mistress.”
Xena came to the edge of the courtyard and paused, gazing over the neatly lined up supply carts and the practice pells tucked against the walls. She put a hand on the stone and felt it’s warmth, jealously garnered from the sun and held through the coolness of the night.
She could remember, long ago, curling up next to the stones of a small village well to still her chattering teeth and hoping some villager had dropped a bit of bread she could chew on.
Now she looked back on the stronghold before her, solid in the bright light, and richly prosperous and she nodded seriously to herself.
Mine.
“Any word on Bregos?” She turned her head and regarded Brendan.
The soldier looked thoughtful. “No, but a merchant came in this morning, and was telling some wild tale about men as forced him off the road and took his goods. Not sure if he wasn’t just having us on though.”
Xena considered the news. “Find him.” She decided. “Bring him in to me.”
“Mistress.” Brendan touched his chest, and backed off, turning and heading for the gates that lead down to the town.
That left the queen alone. She leaned against the wall and simply enjoyed the view for a few minutes, going over the results of her inspection. It hadn’t been nearly as bad as she’d feared. Her visit to the kitchens had shaken everyone up, and she’d guessed that a lot of scrubbing had been done in the intervening days.
She’d found a lot of things, little stuff, that had slipped though and now as she stood quietly by herself in one corner of her domain, she had to consider just how much of that was her fault. Had she retreated up to her quarters just a little too much?
“It’s good to see your Majesty out and about.”
Jellaus’ voice surprised her, and she turned to see the minstrel standing nearby, his harp in it’s leather case slung over his shoulder.
Xena regarded him from half lidded eyes, before she nodded slightly. “Thought I’d prowl around and give everyone fits. Haven’t done that in a while.”
The musician smiled and leaned against the wall next to her. “The castle air has cleared itself these last days, Majesty. It is a good thing.” He said. “And I hear all kinds of wild tales today about the raid on Evgast’s homestead last night.”
The queen grinned. “Jackass.” She chuckled. “Haven’t had such a good time in a while, I’ll say that. It was a good run.” She eyed the musician. “I’m gonna have Gabrielle tell everyone about it tonight.”
“Ah.” Jellaus smiled. “Your little golden flower.” He said. “She is gentle and charming… a truly sweet soul, one such as I’ve seldom seen.”
Xena smiled back at him. “She’s a good one.” The queen admitted quietly. “Sometimes the Fates toss you a bone and you don’t even realize it until you’ve chewed on it a little.” She gazed off into the distance, a gentle twinkle in her eyes.
Jellaus watched her in silence for a moment, then he shifted off the wall. “Ah. So the hawk is well and truly captivated by the little mouse, eh?” He teased her just a little.
Xena paused, then merely nodded slightly. She gave the musician a slap on the back and moved off, heading across the stockyards at a relaxed stroll, sucking in a breath of the earthy scents with a soft, reflective chuckle.
Jellaus watched her go, then turned as Brendan appeared at the gate next to him. “Ah, old friend. Things are changing again, eh?”
“Bout time.” The old soldier grunted. “Took a half revolution to get her Maj’s attention, but she’s not forgotten how to kick some ass, I’ll tell you.” He chuckled. “Felt good, it did. She’s back to herself again.”
The minstrel gazed at the retreating figure. “Perhaps, Brennie, perhaps, but I’m thinking she’s not so much back to herself, as finding new interests in living these days.” He chuckled wryly. “Luck of the Fates, it was for sure.”
“Ah.” Brendan grunted. “The little one, you mean?”
Jellaus nodded.
“Got spunk that one.” The soldier said. “Never figured a bit of a lass like that would catch her Maj’s eye.”
“More than caught it, my friend.” Jellaus strolled after the queen. “More than caught.”
**
“Picnic.” Xena said to herself, as she finished her inspection of the armory and rounded the corner to the hallway that lead to the garden. “Xena the Merciless, slaughterer of thousands, is gonna do a picnic.” She reached the wrought iron gates and paused, putting her hands around the thick bars and gazing through them.
The sun was high overhead now, and it was pouring down inside the garden, sending golden rays through the trees and bringing out the colors in the flowers and fruit. Xena took a deep breath, noting the presence of something roasted and spicy inside that she suspected hadn’t grown on the bushes.
She also could hear, just faintly, someone humming.
“What the heck do you do at a picnic?” The queen asked herself, as she pushed the gates open and strode inside as though she owned the place.
Which, of course, she did. She prowled around the rich beds, slowly stalking her prey, which was rustling in the very center of the garden just ahead of her. Sneaking up to the bushes, she carefully parted a few of the fragrant branches and peered through them.
Gabrielle was in the center, kneeling on a square of rich fabric spread out on the soft grass. Laid out on the fabric were plates, and a tray filled with goodies.
Xena licked her lips, appreciating the selection, and even more so appreciating the sunlight pouring through the thin fabric Gabrielle was wearing and outlining her slim body.
The slave was apparently unaware of her presence, and she hummed softly to herself as she arranged freshly picked fruit on the platter in front of her. She looked up when she was done, gazing around her and releasing a frank, joyous grin that lit up her face and eyes.
Xena exhaled, and let the branches close, stepping around the bush and peeking at Gabrielle with a grin of her own. “Well, well, well… what do we have here?”
Gabrielle grinned all the more broadly on seeing her. “A picnic.” She said. “You like picnics, right?”
The queen strolled over and let herself down onto the fabric, stretching out on her side and propping her head up on one hand. “I haven’t the slightest idea.” She told her slave frankly. “Never been to one before.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Xena said. “I’ve eaten on the ground, on my horse, on the tops of mountains, in the water, and up a tree, though.”
“Really?” Gabrielle’s nose wrinkled. “That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”
“It wasn’t.” Xena reached out and captured a berry, liberating it from it’s stem and popping it into her mouth. “This is much nicer.” She admitted. “What’s that?”
Gabrielle was bringing out a fluffy, silken pillow. She put it down and patted it’s surface. “Well, it’s for you.”
Xena examined it. “Damn well should be.. it’s my pillow.” She squirmed over to it and rolled onto her back, putting her head down and stretching her body out luxuriously. Above her, apple trees arched, shading them from the sun and bathing her in the sweet scent of their fruit. “Mm…nice.”
Gabrielle settled down next to her. “I thought so.”
A dark eyebrow cocked at her. “Now what?”
“Well.” Gabrielle picked up a bunch of grapes and selected one, inspecting it before she offered it to her queen. “I’m your body servant, so… I’m going to serve you.”
“Oh, really?” Xena’s blue eyes twinkled.
“Really.”
Her days were just being filled with new experiences, weren’t they? Xena considered the situation, feeling herself in a very vulnerable position lying there basically at Gabrielle’s mercy. However, she’d given the slave true advantage over her in a very uncertain time and she’d proven herself over and over again, so…
“All right.” Xena folded her hands over her stomach and crossed her legs at the ankle. “Serve me.” She closed her eyes and waited, confident that Gabrielle would not try something sneaky like putting a carrot in her mouth.
A blue eye opened and regarded the slave. Would she?
Gabrielle surveyed the platter, and selected a piece of cold duck, dipping it into a dark, spicy sauce before she held it near the queen’s lips. They parted, and her very white teeth closed over the offering, as Xena watched her lazily from one eye.
It was sort of like feeding a wildcat. Gabrielle waited as Xena chewed her duck, hoping it met with the queen’s approval.
A pink tongue appeared, and a grin. “More.”
Gabrielle smiled in relief, and returned to the platter.
“Ah ah.” Xena captured her hand. “No fingers.”
The slave blinked at her, slightly confused. “No fingers?”
“Noooo.” The queen purred, baring her teeth and snapping them.
Gabrielle looked at her, then at the tray. She licked her lips. “You want me to…”
“Uh huuuuhhhh..”
“This is going to be really messy.”
“No problem.” Xena grinned sexily. “That’s what your tongue is for.” She paused. “Well, that’s what *else* your tongue is for.” She studied the resultant extreme coloration. “Oh, that reminds me.. got any cherries?”
Gabrielle sighed, and rubbed her face. “Yes.” She reached across to a pile of the red fruits.
“No you don’t.”
The slave paused with a handful of them. “Um.. yes I do.”
“Not anymore.” Xena snickered quietly. “C’mere… gimme one of those, and I’ll teach you a trick.”
Gabrielle, puzzled but willing put one of the cherries between her teeth and leaned over, biting down lightly on it as Xena’s lips met hers and the queen nipped off her half of the fruit. Then the touch turned into a kiss and she had no urge to move back as Xena’s hand cupped the back of her neck and their tongues explored each other.
“Mm.” Gabrielle whispered. “That’s a great trick.”
“Ain’t it.” Xena nibbled her lip. “I think I could get used to picnics, at this rate.” She turned her head slightly and expelled the cherry pit, cleaned of all flesh, into the bushes. Then she returned to Gabrielle. “Next?”
Gabrielle produced a slice of peach. “This could take a while.”
The queen grinned, as she shared the fruit. “Good.”
Picnics. Her free hand slid up Gabrielle’s thigh. She’d changed her mind about picnics. A grape found it’s way into her mouth, Gabrielle’s lips nipping hers as they shared.
Yeah.
**
Gabrielle gazed quietly at a honeybee, busy selecting just the right flower to land on and totally oblivious to it’s intent watcher. The cool air ruffled the grass, and as she sat there, she reflected that she’d seldom if ever experienced a more peaceful moment than she was now.
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