“How many more?” Gareth asked, ignoring
the crowd noise from the ongoing match in the corral.
“Twelve, sir. It’s gone well. You say there’s one more?”
the master unfurled his scroll, ready to write another name. Gareth waved
his hand.
“Indeed. A special surprise.” he rolled the scroll back up and
tapped the man on the head. “A double entry for this one.”
“Two fights in a day sir? We’ve never had that. The winners
fight again tomorrow.”
“This one won’t be here tomorrow. It will have to be done today.”
Gareth curtly ordered.
“Where shall I fit him in then?” the master rolled out the list
again.
Gareth pointed to the parchment. “There. Third to last. Scratch that
one. Good.”
The master looked up. “You said a double match sir?” he looked
confused.
Gareth leaned over the parchment, and wrote his name at the bottom.
“You sir? The last match is with you?” the master stroked his
beard in amazement. “That’s quite an honor. But they’re
too close…” he jumped as Gareth slammed his hand down over the
parchment.
“You’re not to change a thing. That’s an order and if
you value your life, you’ll keep it.”
She began to shake from the inside out.
“Don’t tell me that, Dantien. Don’t say that to me.”
her voice cracked with emotion.
Dantien reached out her hands and rubbed them up and down Gabrielle’s
arms, looking up at her.
“Oh Gabrielle, don’t you understand. I can’t go home.
I can’t stay here. They don’t trust me to just leave and even
if they did, my brother will put such a high price on my head that I’ll
be hunted down in no time. I can only fight for so long. And I’m
tired of fighting, Gabrielle.” she tried to take Gabrielle’s
hands but Gabrielle flung her arms out, backing away from her. She stood
back, fists clenched, shaking.
“How….dare you.”
Tears welled in Dantien’s eyes, and she closed them.
Gabrielle threw herself forward, grabbing Dantien’s shoulders, pushing
her down into the bed with all her weight. Dantien turned her face as
if she expected a blow and Gabrielle began to cry.
“You cannot do this to me.” she was shaking her. “You
can’t. How can you- after what I told you last night- how can you?”
“Gabrielle-” Dantien gasped, and tried to put her hands up
to Gabrielle’s face, only to have them angrily yanked away and pinned
down.
“No. No.” Gabrielle panted. “You’re not quitting
on me. How can you- after the way you kissed me-“
“I never kissed you Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle released Dantien’s hands and straightened up, straddling
Dantien’s waist. She wiped her face, and looked down at Dantien
sadly.
“Some things are worth fighting for, Dantien. Love is one of them.
If you don’t believe that, then…then…” her voice
dropped “…you don’t deserve me.” she leaned forward,
looking in askance. Dantien’s eyes were dark, like a deep lake in
the moonlight. She could see her reflection. It shimmered.
Never breaking her gaze, Dantien ran her hands slowly up Gabrielle’s
thighs. “When you ran away last night, I gave up. I thought I’d
never stand a chance.” she lowered her eyes, and her voice. “I’m
not a warrior princess, Gabrielle.”
“Oh Dantien, I don’t want you to be.” Gabrielle
stroked Dantien’s cheek with her hand.
Dantien’s hands tightened their grip on her thighs, pulling Gabrielle
slightly forward. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse with passion.
“I would slice through every hound in Hades just to taste your lips,
Gabrielle.”
Her hands moved up Gabrielle’s body, her arms, her neck, and rested
on her face. “Kiss me.” she whispered.
Gabrielle took Dantien’s hand, twisted it, and kissed her palm.
She did the same to her other hand. Taking both Dantien’s hands
in her own, she raised them, then pushed down as she leaned forward, feeling
Dantien’s body tighten with anticipation. She watched as Dantien
sucked in her breath, her lips parting. Gabrielle sank into those liquid
dark eyes with her own, watching them close as she inched in and….kissed
her on the forehead. Dantien exhaled sharply with frustration.
“Why do you take such delight in torturing me this way?” she
moaned.
“If I kissed you now we’d be late.” Gabrielle kissed
an eyebrow. “And we don’t have the time to be late.”
She kissed another eyebrow. Dantien groaned and arched her hips and shoulders,
rolling over to press Gabrielle beneath her, but Gabrielle deftly slid
out from under her onto the floor, leaving Dantien in a passionate embrace
with the bed.
“How did you do that?” Dantien’s voice was full of wonder.
“Years of practice.” Gabrielle playfully patted her butt.
“Now you save all that energy for fighting.” She straightened
herself up and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Dantien rolled back over to look at
her.
“I’m going to see the King. I’ve got some persuading
to do.”
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