The Petal of the Rose

by LJ Maas

  She chuckled, her good humor having returned. "I'll hold you to that, my love." Then she rolled the two of us over, hovering over me and teasing me with her playful kisses.

  "Did you have a pleasant evening with Yu Pan?" she asked.

  "I had an interesting one leastways." I answered, wondering how much I should tell her. It took only a matter of heartbeats for me to decide to be completely honest.

  Xena adjusted to rest on her side again, and leaned up on one elbow. "What went on this evening, love? You look unhappy."

  I didn't mean to, but suddenly I found myself with tears forming in my eyes. I was lying beside the woman I loved more than my own life, yet I had to tell her that I wasn't the compassionate lover she thought I was. I needed to confess the hidden emotions I had toward her son, and I worried what her reaction would be. Therefore, the tears came unbidden.

  "Gabrielle," Xena with concern. She cradled my face in both her hands, and kissed my tears away. "What's wrong, little one? What happened?"

  I enjoyed being comforted by her, but I knew that in only a matter of moments her concern would turn to anger at the thought of someone hurting me.

  "Talk to me, little one."

  I told her all that I had discussed with Yu Pan. I told her of my assessment of Solan, and that I had given the information to Yu Pan. Finally, I explained, as well as I could, my fears where she and I where concerned with her son.

  I sniffed and wiped my eyes one last time. When I eventually had the courage to look up and meet her gaze, I should have trusted that this would be the sight I would meet. Her blue eyes had warmed to a deep hue, and her thumb caressed my cheek as her hand was cupped there, brushing any remaining tears away. Her expression, and her actions, displayed such love; I never would have known that I was sharing my bed with the Conqueror of the known world.

  "Gabrielle," she leaned in close against me, one arm around me, and the other hand still caressing my face. "Baby, don't you know by now that that there is nothing, there is no one that I would ever let come between the two of us. The thing, or the person simply doesn't exist that could drive in a wedge to separate you and me. Nothing, little one." She kissed me again. "No one."

  With one last kiss, she had befuddled my mind enough to cause me to forget my fears and confusion. Suddenly all I could think about was her. I think she took that as a good sign, especially when I couldn't hold back the moan that she swallowed up with an intensely, hungry kiss.

  I pulled her close to me once more and we kissed. Just before our lips touched, she ran the tip of her tongue along my bottom lip. Perfect, white teeth teased me by nipping gently at the skin on my neck.

  "Let me make love to you." She requested sweetly.

  "Yesss." I drawled out.

  I closed my eyes and took pleasure in the feel of her naked skin pressed against mine, our legs entwined together. We did no more than kiss, and caress one another for a long time. Our kisses were slow and deep, more of an exploration, as our tongues met, neither warring to be the dominant player.

  I felt myself floating along on a wave of pure pleasure, sensations washing over me in a torrent of passion. Xena's mouth pressed harder; became more insistent, more demanding. My body betrayed me. I already felt the wetness trickling away from my sex, gentle moans filled the air, and I was quite surprised that it was the sound of my own voice.

  She moved her attentions to my breasts, using her lips and tongue to stroke the tender flesh into submission. Her mouth wrapped around a pale pink nipple, and she was soon sucking the pebbled flesh hard between her lips and teeth.

  "Oh, yesss, Xena... just like that," I moaned in ecstasy.

  She slid down my body to settle between my legs. I allowed her to spread my thighs farther apart with strong hands, and move in closer. I groaned at the feel of her breath against my sensitive sex. She kissed the blonde triangle of hair and I felt her pause. She had a habit of pausing ever so slightly before tasting me. She breathed in deeply. A long guttural moan passed her own lips, at what I knew was the pleasure she derived from using her own tongue to bring me pleasure. She took one long, languid stroke against my sex and immediately I whimpered at the tenderness of the caress. I lifted my hips higher toward the source of the exquisite pleasure. I felt the warm wetness of her tongue, her breath, and the vibration against my skin as she moaned aloud at this first taste.

  This is where I became completely, and utterly, trapped within the spell of seduction that Xena wove. In all the time that men and women handled me . . . used my body, no one ever touched me with tenderness and compassion, until Xena. Her sometimes hesitant caress, the way she asked for permission before entering me, and her slow insistence that I be allowed to control my own pleasure, they all combined to create the most passionate love making that I have ever experienced.

  Her tongue slipped within every fold, stroking me again, and again with infinite patience, until I gasped as the muscle slipped slowly inside of me. My body shuddered at her deliberate actions and I tried to revel in it, letting my flesh simply experience the pleasure of it all. So soft, so gentle, Gods, she knows exactly what I need . . . precisely what I desire!

  My hips rose and fell to keep up a steady motion against the rhythm of the strokes from Xena's tongue. I know the sounds that I made were probably waking up the whole castle, but I was powerless to stop. My legs began to tremble; I spread them wider in silent invitation for her to continue. I wanted to beg her not to stop, but I found myself without the ability to speak.

  I felt her tongue and teeth rake across the hooded bundle of nerves and my hips bucked toward her at the exquisite contact. Finally, I found my voice.

  "Gods, yesss, Xena. Please . . . right . . . there . . . oh, Gods!"

  I exploded from within before I could even finish my thought. It didn't matter because she knew exactly what I wanted and she did exactly what I meant. I felt my body as it slowly rose once again, ready for another release as Xena lapped at the fluid between my legs, careful not to lose a drop.

  I felt her hand slide up my thigh, and she paused, as she always did waiting for my permission.

  "Yes, please," I begged.

  I felt her fingers enter me, and then she returned her tongue to its circular, caressing motion against my clit. It wasn't long before I came again, my body still convulsing from remembered pleasure, even as Xena moved up and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

  I felt so sleepy and weak, so completely sated; I could do no more than smile dreamily at the light kiss to my forehead. Just before I drifted off into the arms of Morpheus, I felt the silk coverlet pulled around me, and heard Xena's voice in my ear.

  "There is no one, my love, that could ever come between us."

  End Addendum To The Lord Conqueror's Manuscript

  From Queen Gabrielle Of Potidaea

  CHAPTER 12

  FOR MANY A FELLOW IS SO HARD OF HEART

  GABRIELLE LED THE way, followed by myself, and Yu Pan, into Solan's rooms. He was seated in his favorite chair by the portico that led to the open-air balcony. We were having a warm spell, and he was taking advantage of the early morning, southern breeze. So like his mother in this respect. I loved the out of doors so much that I only tolerated the moments when a roof was over my head. Many were the days when Gabrielle would find me seated before the window in our rooms. I would sit there, watching a sunrise, or a sunset. Looking down upon the rose garden that I loved so well, or simply watching the smoke rise from the chimneys of the homes in the village.

  Solan and I hadn't experienced any animosity, arguments, or even unpleasantness in quite some time. Gabrielle seemed to think that we were all getting along fairly well, actually. Now, she prefers to think of the world as half good instead of half bad, as I view it. When it came to Solan, I always seemed to be waiting for him to explode. I don't know why I felt this way, especially considering he was making great strides at civility. Perhaps because he was so much like me.

  The beast inside of me was part of the reason
for my unsettled tension. The darkness could lie dormant within me for months, then a word, even a look, could entice it from its lair. I hated the monster inside, but I also acknowledged that it was as much a part of me as my very blood. If Solan inherited some of his mannerisms and his looks from his mother, could not I have passed on more to the young man than met the eye? It was my own paranoia, to be sure, but it was a bothersome fear that resided in the back of my mind at all times. It was hard to try to remember that I wasn't born with this misfortune. Ares had offered, and I had accepted.

  I told Gabrielle about the agreeable evening I spent with Solan, just last night. I explained that we spoke of many things, including some of my past. I admit; that surprised her. There were few episodes in my life, which I felt willing to speak of to others. She appeared proud of the attempt that I made to converse with my son. We really spoke to one another last night, instead of simply parrying back and forth, as we usually did.

  "Solan," Gabrielle paused waiting for his attention. "This is the healer that I spoke to you about. His name is Yu Pan. This is Solan," She turned her head to Yu Pan. "Solan is visiting us as an Emissary from the Centaur Nation."

  "Hello," Solan responded. He had agreed not to be quarrelsome to the old man, and I almost think I agreed to come along today to make certain that didn't happen.

  "Good morning, young friend." Yu Pan bowed slightly.

  I noticed something odd just then. An expression stole across Yu Pan's features, one of almost surprise. He looked suspiciously as if he recognized Solan's face. I shook the feeling away when I saw that Solan gave no similar expression of recognition to the healer.

  Yu Pan sat in the chair beside Solan, ignoring Gabrielle and I, as if we were no longer standing there. Being so dismissed, we moved away. We sat down at the table in the next room, but still within earshot of the two men.

  "Yours is the wagon with the big monster painted on it." Solan inquired.

  "That is my wagon, correct. The monster is actually a long, or what you would call a dragon."

  Gabrielle looked at me and smiled. That expression told me that she knew something was afoot. She whispered that Yu Pan was going into storyteller mode. I took her words to mean that the old man was already treating Solan in the way of a story. We both looked somewhat relieved that Solan was being civil, and not using the belligerent attitude with which he seemed to enjoy shocking people.

  "I thought dragons were supposed to be fearsome beasts. I find it odd that a healer would have such a creature as his moniker," Solan responded.

  "If you will allow me to undress your splints, I will tell you the true story of the Chin long," Yu Pan asked.

  "Sure," Solan answered gruffly. "I mean, I guess that's why we're here, huh?"

  Neither Gabrielle nor I said a word during this exchange. Truth be told, we were both eavesdropping on their conversation. Wrong I suppose, but Solan hadn't yet earned our complete trust. I intended to stay to ensure Yu Pan's safety, but when I saw the old man move about, something told me that he just might be able to take care of himself. I watched as he moved and I realized that looks could be quite deceptive where this healer was concerned. Frankly, he looked as old as the stones we walked upon, but he held himself in great physical control. The way he walked, spoke, even inclined his head, spoke of a highly trained warrior. I made a note to myself to make the opportunity to learn more about this old friend of Gabrielle's. I suddenly felt the desire to speak with the healer alone, just the two of us.

  I could just see from the corner of my eye as Yu Pan moved a low-lying stool, and sat down in front of Solan. The healer removed the splint, first from one hand, and then the other. I could see the silent pain etched on the young man's face as Yu Pan manipulated the fingers on each hand. It was easily understood why Solan's grimace grew fierce when Yu Pan examined the crushed hand.

  As he worked over Solan and examined his, now healed, ribs, he spoke to the young man. His voice took on the same tone as Gabrielle's did when she began to tell a tale. I smiled with the thought of it, as I realized where she learned the technique. Gabrielle arched a questioning eyebrow in my direction.

  "I'll tell you later," I whispered.

  "The men I met from Gaul said the dragon is a fearsome animal, a beast that breathes fire, lays waste to the countryside, devours the populace, and kidnaps fair maidens." Solan explained to the old man.

  "The Chin dragon, unlike the creature that you know from the men of Gaul, is considered a benevolent creature, the custodian of rain, river and lakes, and a harbinger of good fortune. In Chin mythology, the dragon is described as having the body of a snake, the face of a horse, antlers of the deer, and claws of the eagle. The dragon also has the beard of a goat and the scales of a fish, but between you and me," Yu Pan confided with a smile, "I have never seen such a beast, although records of dragons in Chin culture go back to the beginning of time.

  One explanation of how the dragon came to be lies with the warring tribes who were my ancestors. Early societies had as their tribal mascot an animal; for example a horse or a camel or a fish. This is in fact something we observe even today here in the western portion of the Greek Empire. The Conqueror uses the symbol of the Lion, the Romans, before they were vanquished, used the Eagle. These symbols were used both for religious as well as military purposes, and rather as the Conqueror would march with the Lion as her standard, these emblems were used as military insignia.

  The theory goes that as a tribe went to battle and conquered another, it would incorporate some form of the conquered tribe's insignia. In this way, it is believed the Xia clan, who had a snake as its emblem annexed states such as the Shang; an eagle. Thus, to the snake's body was added the claws of the eagle. Soon the scales of fish, antlers of the deer, face of the horse and the beard of the goat all came to be incorporated, and thereby the Chin dragon came into being.

  So powerful has the emblem of the dragon become that every Chin governor, who rules under the auspices of the Conqueror, has adopted it as the Imperial emblem. Dragon King Temple's were built where the people could pray for blessings and a good harvest; all in the hands of the dragons, as they controlled the rain."

  Yu Pan sat back down on the stool once his tale was finished.

  "So?" Solan asked. "Can you fix it?"

  "What did you think of my story?" Yu Pan asked, ignoring Solan's initial question.

  "Oh, yeah. It was interesting. Kind of gave me a different look at the beast."

  Yu Pan smiled. "To my fellow Chin, the dragon is an auspicious animal that regulates rainfall and thus controls the yield of the land. Indeed, the dragon is divine, the manifestation of heaven's will and symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven." He finally added. "So you see, simply because a being looks and acts a certain way, it does not mean that they have to give in to people's perceptions of them. The dragon looks evil, yet he offer succor to people in need. A man is much the same. Too often men feel that they must either be hero or coward, and that nothing in between exists. Wouldn't you agree, Solan?"

  My curiosity got the better of me, and I glanced quickly at the two men. Solan had just pulled his hand from within the healer's grasp. I will not soon forget the expression upon the young man's face. Solan appeared fearful, as if Yu Pan had touched a nerve that was now exposed in a way Solan didn't wish for.

  "Well, my hand?" Solan began again impatiently. "Do you believe you can help?"

  "The question is, my young friend, do you believe I can help?"

  "Well, I wouldn't have let you poke and prod me if I didn't," Solan countered.

  Yu Pan chuckled slightly. "I admit; there is truth to that. Tell me, how did you come to be injured?"

  I didn't look up, but I could hear the uncomfortable strain in Solan's voice.

  "The Conqueror and I had a disagreement, of sorts," he answered.

  "Ahh, on the field of battle. Well, I feel it's a good thing that the two of you show no animosity after your battle. So, which was it . . . power, or a woman
?"

  "What?"

  "I have found that most altercations take place over one of two things; a fight for dominance or a woman."

  "Oh. I guess it was power," Solan answered.

  "You don't sound completely convinced." Yu Pan continued his prodding.

  "Maybe . . . maybe a little of both." Solan responded, but his voice lowered so that we barely heard him.

  "Elaborate, please, my young friend." Yu Pan continued, ignoring Solan's apparent discomfort at the turn the conversation was taking.

  "Look it's over and done with, is this really necessary?" Solan snapped.

  "You feel shame over your actions?" Yu Pan countered.

  "No." There was a short pause before Solan answered again. "Yes," he whispered.

  "Do you feel that your actions were dishonorable?" Yu Pan asked.

  I was looking into the other room when Solan raised his head, and his eyes met mine. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the young man.

  "Yes, they were dishonorable." Solan answered in a soft voice.

  His eyes continued to look into mine, and I realized that this was as close to an apology as he'd come so far. I nodded my head in acceptance, and turned my face away to give the two men the illusion of their privacy. Gabrielle reached over the table and took both my hands in her own. She didn't look up, but I felt her action spoke of her acknowledgement of Solan's words as an apology also.

  "Shall we begin then?" Yu Pan asked. He once more took his seat before Solan, never even waiting for the young man's answer to his question.

  I heard Solan cry out a few times. When I looked into the other room, I could see Yu Pan slowly manipulating the fingers in Solan's hand, the one that wasn't injured nearly as bad as the crushed hand. The healer had two long needles that he occasionally inserted into Solan's skin. Most of the time the healer sat with his eyes closed, his head kept at a slight tilt, and his fingers appearing to massage the skin under his fingers. I remembered the intense feelings from when my own crippled leg was healed in this fashion, a sort of paradoxical collection of impressions. I remember feeling an incredible pain, acute pleasure, along with a sensation of absolutely nothing at all.