The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
Blue eyes flashed with laughter as metal sang against metal. "Oh, you will have to do better than that!" she purred seductively. The warrior's voice sent a shiver to her opponent's belly, yet the Amazon tried again. The blonde unintentionally overextended herself as she tried one last thrust. Xena's foot hooked with her ankle and Ephiny went down with a solid thud.
Xena tisked and grinned at the swearing regent while stepping back and pulling her sword formally up to her chest in salute. The blonde turned herself around in the dirt and looked up at her tall dark friend and shook her head in exasperation. Her lover, Solari, was hooting some nonsense about watching one's step, to which Ephiny retorted with a simple but meaningful hand gesture. The reply was in kind, "Oh yeah?! See if *You* get any tonight."
The laugher that followed was genuine, as Xena hauled Ephiny up off of her butt and helped the regent dust down. The two warriors made eye contact and clasped forearms "Good match, Xena. I needed the workout." Ephiny's grin turned lopsided.
"Good Match. Your welcome." Xena responded politely. Then she spoke with sympathy. It was tough to be the leader sometimes, "You've had a lot on your mind." Xena let go of the lanky blonde's forearm. "Your's is not an easy job and it hasn't been made any easier by the politics of late." The two warriors stepped out of the fighting ring and were joined by Solari.
The regent's brunette mate spoke up, "You can say that again." She hooked her arm over her lover's shoulder and squeezed. Then she dropped her hand down and grasped Ephiny's palm in her own. Xena raised her eyebrow in acknowledgement of the public display then turned to cast a glance at the council hut. No doubt Gabrielle was honing her arguments to a sharp point. She smiled a quiet smile. The bard could be as deadly with words as the warrior was with her sword. The council members didn't have a chance.
"Oh, you know," Ephiny prevaricated, "It's not always bad. The celebrations are fun and not everything is politics." She pointed at Xena and smiled, "Your bonding ceremony for instance."
Xena smirked. She paced herself to the regent's more relaxed gate, "Oh, I found the bonding to be very political." Her grin was toothy and a touch evil, "Can't say it wasn't, when the Queen was involved."
Ephiny sighed, "Yeah, I know. Don't know why I brought up that example."
"Because it made sense at the time." Solari grinned and tried to poke the Queen's mate, quite unsuccessfully, in the side with a friendly finger, "It was still fun." Xena grinned, ducked away and nodded in acknowledgement. Solari continued, her tone turning ribald "And it looks like it is gonna be even *more* fun for you." The regent's wife waggled her eyebrows and fingers meaningfully at Xena and licked her lips. Xena smirked and shook her head and patted her heart ruefully in a manner that looked like, *whatever shall I do?*
Meanwhile, Ephiny whipped around and faced her lover in shock, "Solari!!!"
Xena's expression turned wicked, though her tone of voice was as neutral as ever, "Well actually, it's not me who'll be having all the fun. I'll just take my number and wait my turn." Blue eyes twinkled as she spoke in the most sincere and lusty voice she could manage with the chuckle that was trying to break free, " Though, when I get a chance, I will put forth my very best effort to entertain the Queen and her public." This time Xena waggled her eyebrows.
The expression on Ephiny's face was just too funny. Her pale skin turned a bright pink even as she strove to find the words. Xena and her mate looked at each other and then back at the regent. Then the two burst out laughing.
It wasn't that Xena wasn't taking the issue seriously. She really was, but as far as life and death experiences go, sex in front of an audience just wasn't something she feared. She got over that shyness a long time ago. She had to. Life in a Warlord's camp wasn't all that private. And she'd been caught more than once in the act. And there were a couple of times where it wasn't a matter of being caught. (She had to smile inwardly at that one) So it was easy for her to laugh, though her mind was working hard on possible solutions to the dilemma, because she wasn't certain about Gabrielle's own feelings on the matter.
One thing though, she'd always found her lover to be honest, incredibly sexy, more open minded than she was given credit for, and always surprising. Xena knew her bard wouldn't mind the joking. Especially since she'd made similar comments about and to Xena at other times. Yet, If Gabrielle was upset at the situation, then the warrior would be upset.
The Queen, however, was being remarkably calm about the whole thing. Of course it helped that they'd talked the matter through beforehand, when they'd discussed the implications of being bonded to Kalai and Arete, but Xena knew that it was one thing to say it and quite another to act it. Which was why they had chosen to take separate honeymoons. Who needed the stress?
They'd figured they had a whole year to work it out. Now, because of someone's poking about, it looked like they didn't have much choice or as much time. Which was what had Gabrielle all up in a fuss. She was fine as long as the situation held choice and was mutually enjoyable, but as soon as she thought there might be a problem, Well. . .her sense of fair play roused.
Xena contemplated her options quickly. Maybe she ought to go look up these scrolls and see what the precedents were, find out in detail how much, who and why. Then she could make a few choice suggestions and be there if Gabrielle needed her. Xena grinned. It was, after all, part of her job as Gabrielle's consort. Besides, it would give her something to do besides bruise Amazons and hunt.
Xena took note of Ephiny's apoplectic expression and strove to calm the regent (after finishing her laugh first. She needed those wherever she could find them) She grasped her friend's shoulder, "Ephiny, it's all right." The warrior tried to convey the truth with her expression. "I only laugh because I know in the long run things will work out."
Solari snaked an arm around her mate's waist, "Yeah, Eph. Xena and the Queen will work something out. I mean, they beat a goddess didn't they?"
Xena winced inwardly at that one. That was a short term solution and she'd known it. She only hoped those two goddesses stayed where they were long enough so she could think of a better one. Still, she managed a smile for the Queen's regent and supported Solari's reasoning. Why make it harder? And with that thought, ideas began to whir in Xena's brain. Gabrielle would have recognized the look as soon as she saw it.
The brunette warrior patted Ephiny's shoulder reassuringly, "It'll be alright. I'm gonna go see if Gabrielle wants to get something to eat." Solari groaned, but shut up as soon as a dark eyebrow was raised in her direction. Then Xena grinned at Solari and winked. "Yeah, but trust me, she uses every bit of it." That caused another spurt of chuckles from the Amazon (along with a comment of "You are so bad, Xena!" Which, if possible, resulted in an even more wicked grin from the accused.), who had a sudden vision of the Queen dealing with all her consorts at the same time, trying to stoke up at a meal. (The cooks would never catch up.) And another blush from the regent (who had a different, but similar vividly sexual revelation). Xena gave Ephiny another friendly squeeze then let go. "I'll see you two later."
As Xena parted ways from Ephiny and Solari, her expression remained mysterious, but her manner was courteous. "What do you think she's up to?" The regent asked the air in general.
Solari shrugged. Then she grinned. Whatever it was, she was sure it was going to be good.
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These pages were last updated: September 30, 1997
©September 1997