GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER
Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. This is just for fun. No copyright infringement was intended.
For other disclaimers please refer to the first chapter Festival1
I sing of Gabrielle, Amazon Queen:
The first day of the festival began like many others. The only difference was that instead of the single stag sacrificed to Artemis, there was a dual sacrifice of wheat and grains to Demeter. In past years this was cause for some awkward moments as the Regent strove to honor both Goddesses equally. This year however, the Amazon Queen was in residence. The Queen and Regent presented the offerings simultaneously. Ephiny as Mother (the evil Hope not counting) offered the grains to Demeter. Gabrielle as Chosen attended Artemis. The sacrifices were presented at sunrise. Although the bard was loath to participate in anything that early (and privately wondered why the whole thing couldn't be done at noon) she performed her duties admirably. The deer was young, having broken its leg in the hunt's chase and as such not full sized, but many Amazons marveled at the strength of the young Queen as she carried the offering to the alter. Much to the Queen's disappointment, the Nation would fast until the feast that evening. After the offering ceremonies, the games began.
The first event in the autumn festival, viewed by many as part of the opening ceremonies, was the archery contest. This event had the most participants so by the final round of competition, Apollo's chariot was approaching the end of its course. The addition of the young Amazon Queen added incentive to the warriors but as expected, Ephiny easily walked away with the honors. As the last rays of the sun streaked across the field, Ephiny loosed the winning shot, turned, bowed to the crowed, winked at the Queen and retired from the field.
The Regent shouldered her bow and jogged towards the presentation stand with a wide grin, her face still flushed with excitement. Ephiny stepped forward intent on giving her friend a perfunctory brushing of lips to cement her victory and open the feasting. Gabrielle surprised her second by placing one hand on Ephiny's cheek effectively immobilizing the woman for a long moment while she savored the contact. The queen had spent the greater part of the day remembering the Regent's description of the festival and her place there-in. Gabrielle decided she found the whole idea rather intriguing. The Queen slowly brought her face to Ephiny's and softly tasted the regent's mouth with flicks of her tongue before settling in on a firm kiss. Savoring the slight tingling in her lips, Gabrielle stepped back and offered the Regent her arm, "Shall we?" Ephiny, dumbstruck just nodded and allowed herself to be lead to the feasting tables.
To open the feasting, like so many times before, the Regent and the Queen ascended the dais together. This year's difference lay in their positioning. Instead of her usual two paces behind, Ephiny strode proudly at the Queen's side as she accompanied the leader of the Nation to her appointed seat.
When everyone had been seated at the long tables ringing the fire area, Ephiny stood and clapped her arms twice above her head. Gabrielle rose by her side to announce, "As the moon rises, we dedicate ourselves once again to our Goddess Artemis. Let the feast begin!" With a cheer, the Amazon's raised their tankards to salute the moon and their Queen. They drained the wine and let forth a wild, high pitched yell that some said could be heard from Athens to Corinth.
With no mention of the kiss they had shared, the Queen and her Regent settled in to the rhythm of many feasts held before. Gabrielle consumed truly regal amounts of food and Ephiny kept close tabs on their subjects to ensure that everyone had a good time while staying ready have the guards contain any villager who had consumed more than their share of celebratory wine. This night however, the Regent was distracted by pleasant conversation and fatigued from the activities of the day. The same quantities of spirits, which usually left her unaffected now, loosened her tongue with her young friend. Somehow a discussion of the centaur emissaries from last quarter moon turned into an un-resolvable bet of who was the best endowed. The debaters finally concluded with much giggling that Kytar was probably the victor since he must have had something to recommend him as head of the delegation and it certainly wasn't sense, strength or manners.
Ephiny turned as her friend started in on her third helping (it had been a long time since breakfast) and stated, "I don't know where you put it. You eat more than a centaur and there is not a drop of spare flesh on you."
"I work off a lot of it with Xena," the Queen answered distractedly, still eating.
"I'll bet you do," Ephiny answered with a leer. "She could work a meal off anyone."
"Well we do spar a lot," offered the Queen.
"Gabrielle, staff work was not what I had in mind," Ephiny stated with conviction.
"What did you mean?" Gabrielle queried, finally focusing on the discussion.
"Gabrielle, don't you and Xena ..." The Regent tried to trail off politely but at her friend's blank look continued, "Aren't you two lovers?"
"Oh, no!" disagreed Gabrielle vehemently. "Xena would never... That is she doesn't think of me like... I don't think she likes women that way," the bard concluded lamely.
"Gabrielle," stated the Regent with a confident grin, "from the stories I've heard, she looks at men, women, Gods and horses that way."
"I think you are the one for horses," Gabrielle reminded her friend with a smile. Then her eyes turned sad. "It must just be me she is not interested in," the bard concluded.
"What are you interested in?" Ephiny asked remembering the kiss on the presentation steps. "I know you were married to a man, but what do you think about women?"
"Well Xena is...," Gabrielle began.
"No. Not Xena. Any woman. How about one of them?" the regent asked pointing at the dancers who had taken their place in the circle. The fire had burned low and the flames cast soft, flickering light over the scantily clad forms swaying to the drums.
"Well," stated Gabrielle after several moments of sipping her wine and regarding the leather and feather clad forms before her, "the one with the blonde hair has nice muscles."
"Not to mention a fine set of glands," Ephiny nodded approvingly. "Who else?"
"That one dances very well," said Gabrielle getting into the game.
Ephiny flashed her a wicked grin, "Not to mention almost coming out of her skirt. I never took you for a fair-haired lover, Gabrielle. I thought you would be more inclined to dark tresses."
"I like yours just fine," said Gabrielle twirling a finger in Ephiny's long curls. The Amazons in the yard looked up at their Queen and Regent on the dais and smiled. The consensus was that Gabrielle was a sought after and well deserved prize for her second in command.
Ephiny brought one hand up to Gabrielle's face in a mirror image of the pose they held earlier and touched her lips to Gabrielle's. The Regent's tongue slipped into her table mate's mouth on an in-drawn sigh and explored the soft recess. Ephiny slowly withdrew and sat back smiling, "My friend, your partner doesn't know what she has been missing." At Gabrielle's uncertain flinch Ephiny continued, "But more immediately; do you think the redhead with the nice ass or the brunette with the long legs would have more to offer Artemis' Chosen?" Gabrielle laughed as the tension was broken and they returned to their game.
After several more observations from the pair about various dancers' chest size, muscular form and dancing techniques, Ephiny rose and turned to her Queen, "Shall we retire?" The Queen who had been resting comfortably against her Regent bolted upright and looked at her friend. "Trust me," Ephiny murmured as she extended her hand to the seated figure. Gabrielle took the proffered hand and rose from her seat to exit the dais. Neither women noticed the many fond and envious stares directed their way as they left the festival and headed toward the Royal hut.
As the couple said their goodnights to the Royal guard and entered the hut Ephiny turned to her friend, "Gabrielle, nothing has to happen tonight. Let's just take a bath, relax and see how things go." Now that the moment had come, the Queen was feeling rather nervous. Gabrielle pulled Ephiny to her for a hesitant kiss then turned without a word and walked to the large, steaming tub in the corner.
As Gabrielle reached for the clasp to her armor, Ephiny stepped forward and covered Gabrielle's hand with her own, "Let me service you, my Queen," the Regent insisted. After loosing the ties on the arm band Ephiny cupped the material in both palms and let her fingers trail over Gabrielle's arm as the leather was dragged down and off. Both arms were given this treatment then the Regent knelt to begin on the leg armor. Shin greaves were removed in the same manner then the boots were unlaced and placed on the growing pile of leather on the floor. Gabrielle had to grab the side of the tub when Ephiny covered each inch if exposed skin with kisses, in agony that the Regent had gone no higher than her knee. After the boots had been removed, the Regent turned her attention to the skirt held on by the braided Amazon belt. Positioning Gabrielle with her back against the tub, the Regent took hold of the rim on both sides of the Queen's hips and began to remove the belt using only her teeth. Gabrielle's stomach muscles clenched with each hot breath and the bard looked down in wonder at the shining eyes that glanced up at her. Careful to not graze the skin, Ephiny tugged the braided leather out of the clasp and watched as the skirt fell to a pool on the floor. Ephiny inhaled deeply at the sight of downy hair covering the area she longed to bury herself in. The Regent swayed on her knees as Gabrielle's scent filled her senses. Gabrielle groaned audibly when Ephiny quickly rose to her feet. "Patience, My Queen. You haven't had your bath yet."
"Ephiny, you are killing me," complained Gabrielle.
"Oh, I haven't even started yet," laughed her friend. "Now turn around. You don't want to take a bath with your halter on do you?" Gabrielle turned to give Ephiny access to the ties holding the leather bodice on. Ephiny undid the bottom stays then slowly ran her hands up the sides of Gabrielle's breasts scratching lightly with her nails and unfastened the top. "Get in."
As Gabrielle climbed into the tub, Ephiny made quick work of her own clothing and joined her friend in the bath. "That wasn't very fair," Gabrielle commented as her friend settled on the bench at her back in the midriff-high water. "I didn't get to undress you."
"But tonight isn't about me," disagreed Ephiny as she began to wash and rinse Gabrielle's hair. The Regent knew just the right amount of pressure to use while messaging the Queen. ("I am sorry Xena, but you do wash me like a filthy ten year old.) "I was competing for the honor of serving you," Ephiny purred. "And I am going to do everything in my power to serve you well." After the Queen's hair shone in the candlelight Ephiny worked up a rich lather and began to lath it across Gabrielle's breasts. Firmly kneading them both in her hands, Ephiny pushed both breasts together lifting them up for her appreciative gaze. As Gabrielle arched her back to get more of the sensation, Ephiny slid around to her front and pushed the young Queen back against the wall of the tub. "Now it is my turn to get clean," Ephiny husked as she eyed the well lathered Queen. Bracing her hands on the bench, Ephiny leaned in to administer a breath stealing kiss all the while rubbing her own breasts against Gabrielle's. The feel of Ephiny's rock hard nipples against her own caused Gabrielle's hips to serge forward and grind hard against Ephiny. The Regent broke the kiss and turned so that her back was pressed firmly against Gabrielle's soap clad form. Ephiny then proceeded to sway a wriggle as competently as any dancer from the fire circle. Just as Gabrielle had begun to rhythmically thrust against the firm buttocks between her legs, Ephiny rose out of the water to stand before the Queen. Gabrielle stared up at the powerful form before her as the soap ran in rivets down Ephiny's chest and dripped from the area between her legs. "Time to rinse I think," she commented staring into Gabrielle's passion glazed eyes.
"Ephiny come hear," said Gabrielle in a surprisingly regal tone. "I need..."
"What do you need, My Queen?" Ephiny asked with a smile.
"I don't know," Gabrielle answered shaking her head ruefully, "but I am praying to the Gods that you do."
"I think I have an idea," crooned the Regent sinking to her knees before the Queen. The soap flowed from her body as the water reached the crest of her breasts, just covering her nipples. Ephiny edged forward parting Gabrielle's thighs to position her body between them while pulling the Queen to the edge of the submerged bench. This had Gabrielle leaning back against the rim with her breasts pointed up and her legs spread to accommodate the woman between them. Ephiny thought she had never seen a more enticing site. In stead of bending straight to her task, the Regent scooped up water from both sides and let it run down to the body before her. By the time the last of the lather had been washed away, the Regent was breathing nearly as heavily as the Queen. Then between one breath and the next, Ephiny ducked her head and fastened her lips to the soft folds of the Queen. Gabrielle's whole body jerked with sensation as she felt herself probed from her clit to her depths by a very agile and surprisingly strong tongue. The sensation vanished as quickly as it came. After one deep foray into Gabrielle's depth, Ephiny rose from the water and gasped for air.
"Not that I don't like it," stated Gabrielle breathlessly, "but aren't you afraid you might drown down there?"
"Yes," Ephiny answered with a smile, "but not from the water. You could be right," the Regent continued as she ran the fingers of one hand up Gabrielle's thigh and slipped a finger into the wet opening. Crooking her finger slightly, Ephiny rubbed against a smooth place on the walls of the passage.
"Right about what?" Gabrielle stuttered as sensations began to wrack her body in response to the movements inside her.
"Perhaps we should stop for a while," Ephiny continued slipping her hand from its warm tunnel.
"No!" groaned the woman before her sitting upright.
"Don't worry," laughed her Regent as she gracefully rose from the tub and wrapped a towel around her form. "I just want to move to the bed. I may still drown," she commented with a satisfied smile as she thought about the bard's sweet taste, "but at least you will be safe."
Ephiny drew Gabrielle out of the water and brought her in for another deep kiss. Sometime during the exchange the towel ended up on the floor and the two women were wrapped in each other's arms straining to touch along their whole bodies. Ephiny felt Gabrielle's leg move between hers and press against her mound. The Regent ground against her thigh coating it with moisture much warmer than the bath they had just left. Ephiny broke away and eased her friend down to the royal bed. "Not so fast. This isn't about me remember?" Then she proceeded to stretch the Queen out and cover each leg in kisses and caresses staying maddeningly away from her center.
"Ephiny, please!" groaned out Gabrielle shifting her hips.
"Do you know what you want now?" Ephiny teased looking up from between Gabrielle's legs.
"You," the reclining woman answered. "Your tongue. Your hands. On me. In me. Now!"
"As you desire," Ephiny purred as she returned to that sweetest of spots. She cleaned Gabrielle with her tongue where the juices had run down into the bed during Ephiny's ministrations to her legs. Then Ephiny brought her tongue up both sides of Gabrielle's folds in long sure strokes. She parted the folds before her and slowly slid the first finger of one hand inside. At Gabrielle's sigh Ephiny slowly withdrew the finger only to push in with the opposing finger. She slowly alternated hands stretching Gabrielle' walls as she circled the hard nub with her tongue. "This is what you wanted?" Ephiny queried as she could feel the juices run down her hands onto the bed.
"Oh Gods yes," exclaimed Gabrielle beginning to thrash on the bed. Ephiny felt the first tremors of impending release and latched onto the pulsing bud while bracing herself with one arm and driving two fingers into the Queen. "Yes!" Gabrielle screamed. Ephiny plunged faster, in and out and in and out, until Gabrielle arched back and yelled "Artemis!" (It was often argued on Mount Olympus that Artemis had as many devoted followers as Aphrodite just on the basis of such cries.)
"Damn you are loud," laughed Ephiny as she held her fingers inside to feel the last of the vibrations.
"All in a good cause," panted Gabrielle.
"Yes and what cause is that?" queried the Regent as she crawled up to lay at Gabrielle's side.
"I was learning how to do this!" Gabrielle executed a quick wrestler's move that landed her atop her partner with the Regent's hands held above her head.
"Now what?" laughed Ephiny.
Gabrielle bent down to capture Ephiny's mouth. She sucked lightly on her lower lip until Ephiny opened to allow access to her tongue. Rubbing along its length, Gabrielle coaxed the member back into her own mouth and proceeded to suck lightly at the digit. At Ephiny's moan, Gabrielle released the muscle with a grin and purred, "Liked that did you? How about this?" The Queen nibbled and kissed her way down the Regent's body pausing often to inquire, "Is that too hard. No huh? How about that?" When she reached the peak of Ephiny's breast the Regent surged forward causing the bard to reflexively nip at the swollen point. Instead of retreating, Ephiny moaned and pressed forward. "That is good?" asked Gabrielle wonderingly. "Who would have thought. Well what about this?" she inquired as she grazed her teeth along the fold of Ephiny's thigh and torso. Gabrielle pulled slightly on the soft, downy hairs at the apex of the Regent's legs. When her friend thought she would never get there, Gabrielle finally found the small bundle of nerves hidden under its soft hood. The bard bent to taste the nectar that flowed from between the folds. As she paused in her ministrations Ephiny grated between clenched teeth, "Gabrielle. If you stop what you are doing once more to ask me a question, I will call the guards in here and have you whipped."
"I don't think I would like that," Gabrielle answered with a grin Ephiny could feel.
"You don't know until you try it," Ephiny returned. Then there was only groaning, gasps and an occasional, "Harder," or "Another finger," until finally Ephiny screamed, "Sweet Artemis!" in a voice that shook the rafters.
"And you called me loud," laughed Gabrielle from her position between Ephiny's legs. The question of volume would later be much debated around the campfires of the Royal guard.
"Come here," murmured Ephiny. Gabrielle came up to lay against her second and said good night with a deep kiss.
...
"And that is the story of my first experience with a woman," concluded Gabrielle.
"You realize my love, that you don't get off that easy," growled Xena with a smile as she ran her hand along the inside of her partner's thigh. "You still have to tell me about the other six nights."
"That is a story for another time," muttered the bard as she took her love's face in her hands and administered a soul-stealing kiss.
There is obviously more to the story. Whether the rest is written, and published depends on the feedback I get for this one. Positive comments are appreciated. Constructive, negative comments are even welcome. Flames are really more trouble to write than they are to throw away.
If you have questions or comments you can e-mail me at: prosper4@hotmail.com
Unkind comments will be wasted.
URL: /STO/amazons/festival2.html
UPDATE: 082499
copy; July 1999