By T.Novan
TNovan@aol.com
Twenty-Fifth in the Melosa Series
Disclaimers: The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess and all other associated with the television series of the same name are owned by MCA/ Universal Pictures. This is a work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Subtext: I guess with my writing so far we'll just quit calling it subtext and call it maintext. Yes they are in love with each other.
Sex: VERY suggestive, but nothing graphic.
Violence: None
Language: Mild
Spoilers: None
Other: Part twenty-five in the series "Raising Melosa". Most of the Melosa stories have a gap of about six months between them, but this one takes up two weeks "Among the Memories". Also, you’ll be getting these next several parts from Xena’s POV.
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After the automatic memory of dressing a wound came back, Mel and I found that teaching Gabrielle how to read along with math skills and other things came quite easy. She was thrilled to be learning and her memories came in small flashes. As she was reading the scrolls, she said that she didn’t actually ‘remember’ the stories, but that something felt familiar about them. I knew it would only be a matter of time.
I explained to her about the village and her position as Queen. She was a little more than shocked at that information, but took it in stride. She decided that she wanted to see the village and see how things worked. Ephiny took it from there. While I returned to some of my duties training warriors Ephiny would take Gabrielle around and reintroduce her to the village. They attended council meetings and Gabrielle watched the Regent conduct village business.
I met them for the mid day meal. They were already seated and eating when I got there. I got my food and sat down with them. Gabrielle smiled at me and took a bite of her food as she pointed her fork at me. "You…need a bath. As Mel would say, YOU STINK!" She wrinkled her nose at me and smirked.
"Yeah I probably do. It’s hard training your warriors. They like to beat on me." I grinned as I began eating. Ri and I hadn’t taken ‘our’ relationship any further than it had been since the accident, but the familiar banter was coming back and that made me very happy and seemed to please her.
"There’s a joining festival tomorrow." She said and seemed very intent on my reaction to the announcement. I dropped my head and groaned. "Hey you were right." Ri said to Eph who snickered. "Tell me Xena why do you hate amazon parties?" She nudged me. "As I understand it, this festival is very important, because so many couples are joined."
"I don’t hate them exactly. I’m just not much of a people person Gabrielle. Festivals and parties make me…twitchy."
"So I take it you’re not coming over tomorrow?" She sipped her juice and looked at me over the top of her mug.
"Are you?" I inquired as I continued to eat.
"Mmm-hmm."
"Then I’m coming too."
Eph snickered again and I reached around Ri and smacked the back of her head.
"Hey! What did I do?" Eph asked with a grin.
"You are a troublemaker." I said. She snickered again.
Gabrielle held onto my arm as we walked around the village. The party was in full swing and she seemed a little hesitant. I patted her arm and leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Ri, if you want to leave you just tell me okay?"
"Okay."
"We don’t have to stay. If you want to go now we can."
"No. I want to stay."
"Alright."
Eph had made sure that the council understood that Ri was not ready to take on any responsibility for this festival and that we were only coming because she wanted to see some of the activity in the village. As we walked past the dancers she watched them with a smile. They still paid her tribute as Queen bowing as we walked by. She was embarrassed by the attention and buried her blushing face in my shoulder. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and chuckled a little.
"Why do they do that?" She asked as she clutched my arm.
"You’re still their Queen. It’s a sign of respect to you."
"I’m walking next to you and they’re showing me respect. What are they…crazy?"
I laughed out loud. "No my darling. You are their Queen. I am merely your consort." I couldn’t believe I let that word out of my mouth. Dumb, dumb warrior!
"My what?" She stopped and turned to look at me. "You’re my what? She pulled on my arm and made me turn to face her.
I swallowed hard. I hadn’t planned for this to come up so soon. "Your consort."
"What does that mean?"
"I’m…well…umm…" We sat down at a long table with a group of friendly, well known trouble making amazons at the other end, but it afforded us the privacy I felt we needed for this conversation.
"Is it a bad thing, to be my consort? Do you not wish it?"
"No, no it’s a good thing. A very good thing." I cleared my throat and tried to recompose myself. "And yes I wish it very much."
"Well then what is it?" I noticed the Ep, Sol and Eph had managed to slide themselves a little further down the table toward us. They tried to make it look innocent. They failed.
"Well we… we’re life bonded. Joined…umm… married. Consort is a title that goes with being married to the Queen."
"Married? Like those couples earlier?"
"Yes just like that. Only because you are Queen, we had our own ceremony. We didn’t have to share it with anyone."
"How long now…have we been married?" Her features seemed to soften once again and she ran her fingertips down my cheek as she asked me this question.
"Almost ten seasons." I took a cup of wine from the hand of the closest amazon and drained it, before handing it back to her. I certainly hadn’t expected this conversation to come up tonight. I glanced back when I noticed the amazon whose wine I had just snitched was Ep. I groaned inwardly. I didn’t need her aggravating this situation. She turned and flashed me a toothy grin as she handed me another cup of wine.
"Thanks, but don’t you have someplace else you can be?" I growled at her.
"Nah, I got all night. Besides this conversation is just too interesting…" She said out of the side of her mouth.
"You should be ashamed of yourself eavesdropping on your Queen and her consort."
"I should be, but I’m not. I want to see where this goes."
"Umm I can tell you where you’re gonna go if you don’t go away…" I said very slowly.
"Into the lake?"
"With a large rock tied to your ankles."
Ep turned her back to me and engaged the other two in a conversation. I turned my full attention back to Gabrielle. She was busy now watching the other newly joined couples. I just propped my elbow on the table, rested my head in my hand and waited.
"Xena?"
"Hmmm."
"If we’re married why haven’t you done that?"
"What?"
"That." She said as she pointed at a couple across the clearing.
I looked over to find a young couple engaged in a rather long and enthusiastic display of affection. "Well Gabrielle there’s a time and a place for everything and this isn’t the time or the place."
"Of course it is."
"Not for us." I said quietly, but firmly.
"Why not for us? You say that being my consort is a good thing. You say that we are married. Then why haven’t you…"
"Gabrielle darling there’s more to it than that." I said as I took her hand and turned her head to make her look into my eyes.
"Like what?"
"Love, Gabrielle there should be love."
"Love?"
"Yes."
"Do you love me?"
"Yes. With all my heart."
"Then why?"
"Because I’m not sure you love me anymore." I hated to admit it, but since the accident of course things were different. She had no way of remembering our love. She had no way of remembering what it meant to be in love. We still shared the same bed, but it was like it was before we were married. It was mostly for the comfort of it. I had shared my bed with her for so long I couldn’t imagine sleeping without her being close to me. She had never questioned our sleeping arrangements and had even started to cuddle up next to me again. Then in the middle of the night I would hold her in my arms until it was time for her to wake then I would release her and allow her to awake unrestrained. I was content with that.
"I loved you before the accident didn’t I?"
"Yes."
"Then why wouldn’t I love you now?"
"Well some things are bound to change Gabrielle."
"Could that be one of those things?"
"It could be yes." My voice cracked as I thought about the possibility of her actually loving someone else.
"It could be that I am now in love with someone else?"
"Well…not…necess…" Before I could finish my sentence Gabrielle got up and moved past me. I turned and watched as she tapped Ep on the shoulder. When Ep turned around Gabrielle grabbed Ep’s head in her hands and laid on one of the most passionate kisses I had ever seen. I could see Ep trying to squirm out of the kiss as Sol and Eph sat stunned and watched the entire display.
Gabrielle completed her kiss. I glared at Ep who threw her hands up in defense. "I didn’t…I…I…please don’t kill me." She stammered as she scrambled to her feet and climbed over the table. I stood up and considered going over the table when I felt my own head captured and being pulled down.
Our eyes met. Hers closed. Our lips met. My eyes closed and my arms wrapped around her. I was afraid I would overwhelm her with emotions I had been holding back for so many weeks now. She didn’t seem to want or need me to hold back. She’s the one who demanded and I’m the one who gave in. I pulled her closer to me as the kiss between us deepened and the passion ignited once again.
I could feel her body in tune with mine as if nothing had ever happened. We melted into each other with a kiss that seemed to go on forever. My hands slid over her slender form. It felt so good to touch her again I couldn’t help myself. I heard her moan into our kiss and I knew I had to stop before it got completely out of hand right here in front of the entire village. I drew back breathless and opened my eyes.
She smiled her eyes remained closed. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head on my shoulder. "No contest. You’re much better at that. And from the way I feel after, I’m pretty sure I’m still in love with you."
"Oh well gee thanks a lot." Ep growled as she stalked away. I thought Sol and Eph were going to fall off the bench from the laughter that erupted.
I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Maybe we should retire to the Queen’s chambers and continue this exploration in feeling in private Your Majesty."
"Maybe we should." She looked at me and drew a soft seductive hand to my cheek, letting her fingertips trace the outline of my jaw. "Can we use the house here?"
"I’d like to see them try and stop us." I growled as I wrapped my arm around her and we moved across the village square.
Once inside the house, I took a deep breath and realized I had to get this under control. This was my wife, but she had been hurt and not all that long ago. I also needed to remember that she had no memory of my touch or our lovemaking. I took several deep breaths as my mind took control of my body.
"Don’t do that." She whispered as she moved her body into mine.
"What?"
"Hold back. You have been doing that everyday. You’ve been holding back from me. Not tonight, not anymore." She kissed me again. I felt her hands slip under my tunic. Her touch felt like fire on my skin. Gods here we were. It was going to be just like the first time. It was a first time. That thought shocked me for a moment. How many people were fortunate enough to have a first time with the person they loved twice?
"Gabrielle, if you need or want me to stop I want you to tell me. I love you so much and the God on Olympus know I want you, but if you’re not ready…"
My words were cut off with another kiss from her. She was remembering how to release all my triggers. I was amazed when her hand traveled to the back of my neck and she found that pressure spot on my neck near my ear. My legs went weak when she hit that one. It had always been one of her favorites because it did make me so weak.
I gently untied the knot at the shoulder of her gown and it slipped to the floor. My hands touched her bare skin. This was the touch I had missed giving her, missed having her accept from me. I needed to make love to my wife like I needed air to breathe and these past several weeks had been hard, but under no circumstance was I going to push her into something she wasn’t ready for. If she had decided right now to stop I would. I’d have to go take a swim in the deepest, coldest body of water I could find, but I’d stop.
I lowered my lips to her neck and kissed her softly and gently. "Ohh Gabrielle I’ve missed you so much." I could hear my own breath picking up as I continued my exploration of her neck. She let her head drop to the side to give me more room.
"Tell me Xe." She moaned into my shoulder. "Tell me how much you’ve missed me."
I picked her up in my arms and carried her to the bedchamber. "Let me show you." I said as I lay her down on the bed.
Several candle marks later she looked at me as she gently tried to blow hair from her forehead. I reached out and brushed it back. She lay there on top of me and smiled down at me. I waited for her to say something.
"I’ve come to a decision." She finally said as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"And that would be…"
"We should do this…a lot." I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her and allowed myself to trace the outline of her back with my thumbs. She lifted her head and looked at me again. "Was it…like before?"
"Umm…well no."
"Bad?"
"NO! Just different." I reassured her.
"How?"
"Well for one thing biting down on my shoulder in an effort to be quiet is new."
"Well I…didn’t want anyone to…hear." She blushed again. As she reached up and touched the red mark on my shoulder. "I’m sorry."
"It’s alright sweetheart don’t worry about me I’m tough I can take it. As for people hearing, it wouldn’t be the first time Gabrielle." I chuckled as I kissed the top of her head and held her close.
"What?" Her head raised and she looked into my eyes. "What does that mean?"
"Well this is an amazon village. It’s not as if anyone is surprised by anything they hear…or see and up until now you’ve never been…quiet and of course there was that kiss you bestowed on Ep last night…in front of the entire village. Hard to believe that the woman who kissed her Captain of the Guard like that would be shy now and with her own consort."
See looked at me for a long moment. "Oh Gods!" The realization of what she had done hit her and she blushed again. "I should apologize to Ep." She said as she just let her head drop and buried her face in my shoulder. I laughed silently at this now very shy woman who lay in my arms. This was indeed an interesting change.
"No, I think for the sake of Ep’s ego it might be better to let it go." I said as I kissed her forehead.
She shifted and moved down onto the bed next to me and wrapped herself firmly around me. "So tell me about our first time." She said softly as she traced my collarbone with her fingertips."
"My love every time with you is like the first time."
The Raising Melosa Series Continues with The Good Life