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There's a moment when I look at you
and no speech is left in me. My tongue breaks, then fire races through my skin and I tremble. And grow pale, for I am dying of such love, or so it seems to me.
-Sappho
Xena walked down the steps of the theater slowly, her footsteps echoing throughout the large space as she made her way to the center stage. A woman of equal height watched her curiously, a light breeze caused her dark curls to sweep to the side as the warrior closed the distances between them.
Sappho took in the entirety and captivating presence of the legendary warrior princess, whose eyes reminded her of a quiet storm over the Aegean Sea and wondered what God she had pleased to bring such a gift to her.
“You are Xena,” She said, her eyes traveling the length of the warrior’s lithe body and coming to rest on her breastplate.
Xena raised an amused eyebrow in response and nodded, “I am.”
Sappho visibly blushed as she brought her brown eyes back up to the warrior and held her azure gaze. “You truly are beautiful,” She said, beginning to circle Xena to take in the rest of her. “It’s certainly not just a myth.” She added when she stopped in front of her.
Xena smirked at her but remained silent as the poet regarded her.
“What brings you to me warrior princess?”
“Me and my companion were supposed to catch your show, but we were held up by some nuisances and I mixed up the time of the show. Seeing you, was supposed to be my gift to her, she is a huge fan of your work.” Xena said, as the breeze caught her raven tresses.
“I supposed the companion you are speaking about is Gabrielle?” The poet inquired.
Xena was unable to hold her surprise. “Yes. How did you-“
“‘I have had the honor of reading her scrolls, she’s quite famous among the writers and bards of Greece. Gabrielle’s scrolls have been translated into many languages and have traveled throughout much of the known world.” Sappho said
Xena’s heart filled with pride and she couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her lips. “Well, I have a simple request. Would you be willing to write a poem for her?”
Sappho returned Xena’s smile warmly. “Absolutely.” The brunette replied. “Tell me about her.”
“She’s everything to me…” Xena said pausing momentarily as she considered her feelings for the bard. “She’s the reason why I’m alive, the air that I breathe. She has stuck by my side in the worse moments of my life to the happiest ones. She completes me and makes me feel whole. She’s my-“
“Soulmate.” Sappho finishes for her smiling at the warrior who was known to be of little words but described her companion so passionately that the poet’s eyes watered.
“Yes. Gabrielle is the love of my life.” Xena said then fell quiet as Sappho nodded in agreement.
Sappho thought back to the vivid descriptions of the warrior princess that Gabrielle had wrote in her scrolls and without doubt, she knew that the Poteidaian bard felt the same way about Xena.
“Come to me in the late afternoon, I will have something for you.”
Xena grinned brightly and thanked Sappho with much enthusiasm. “I’ll be back.” The warrior said as she turned to leave before adding, “You should have guards around to protect you Sappho, no one should be able to walk right up to you.”
Sappho’s eyes gleamed with amusement went she replied, “Actually, I do have guards Xena.”
The warrior’s eyes narrowed as she looked around the theater unable to find a single soul surrounding them. Her ears were perfectly tuned to any sounds within the area and finding none she bought her attention back to the chuckling poet.
“It seems your reputation proceeds you, they ran as soon as they saw you.”
Xena chuckled and shared a laugh with the beautiful poet before making her way towards the town.
----
The warrior returned a few candle marks later, finding Sappho seated in one of the theater’s community rows. This time on the way in, Xena did see guards posted at the entrance. They nodded at her in acknowledgment though they were visibly shaken by her presence. Xena only chuckled to herself and began her descent down the stairs until she reached the poet.
“Hello Xena, Im pleased you returned.” Sappho said leisurely as she stood, a scroll held tightly in her left her hand.
Xena grinned happily, and the poet handed the scroll to the warrior. “As promised.” She said softly, returning Xena’s smile.
“I can’t wait to give this to her. How much do I owe you?”
Sappho shook her head, “You two have done enough for me, in ways you’ll never know, but I will keep them close to my heart. Payment is unnecessary; however, I do have a simple request.”
Xena nodded in understanding, “Name it.”
“I want to meet Gabrielle. For the latter part of this year, I will be in the land of the Pharaohs. I would be delighted if you two came to one of my shows there.”
The warrior’s response was immediate. “We would be honored to come Sappho.”
Sappho stepped forward and kissed Xena on the cheek. “Thank you, for all you’ve done for Greece Xena. I look forward to seeing you and Gabrielle in Egypt.”
Xena smiled and met Sappho’s gaze. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
----
Xena and Gabrielle laid together on the same riverbank they had been at earlier in the day. Their naked limbs were entwined with one another and they basked in the afterglow of their passionate love making.
The bard’s head was against her lover’s bare chest and Xena’s arms were wrapped around Gabrielle’s waist securely, daring anyone to try and take the bard from her. Gabrielle was certain, even with Xena in such a relaxed state, the warrior wouldn’t hesitate to immobilize any intruder in the blink of an eye.
It was these moments that always warmed Gabrielle’s heart. There were two sides to Xena, one for the world to see and one that was hers and only hers. Sometimes the two sides collided and other times they co-existed, but with Gabrielle, in the privacy of wherever they chose to call home, Xena was always her warrior.
Her champion, her chosen one, her soulmate.
The words from the poem came back to Gabrielle and she snuggled closer to the exquisite warmth of the woman beneath her, causing Xena to tighten her arms around her reflexively.
Gabrielle was still in shock from the revelation that Sappho knew who she was and had read her scrolls, she also wondered what deeds Xena had done to garner such a response from the poet. She knew that on their travels, Xena had freed many villages from the terrible threats of the local warlords and had saved much of the known world from evil by defeating Kings and Gods. Perhaps, that’s what Sappho had meant, the poet would’ve been exposed to these events through Gabrielle’s scrolls and maybe even personally.
“Are you ok?” Xena asked peering down at the blonde beauty, bringing the bard’s attention back to her warrior princess.
“I’m wonderful.” Gabrielle said contentedly, meeting Xena’s cerulean gaze. “Whenever we are together like this Xena, I’m wonderful.”
Xena smirked and rubbed circles against Gabrielle’s back, loving the feel of the bard’s muscles rippling beneath her fingertips.
“Xena?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know that I’m in love with you?”
Xena’s heart fluttered at the confession, and she tried to fight the blush creeping tinting her cheeks.
“I do Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle suddenly leaned forward and crashed their lips together in a kiss so deep it stole Xena’s breath away. The warrior returned the kiss with equal fervor and soon they were both panting and breaking apart for air.
“I am in love with you too Gabrielle, and sometimes, it scares me.” Xena said against her bard’s lips.
The blonde took Xena face in her hands and met her eyes with a fire burning within her emerald depths. “You don’t have to be scared Xena, I am right here, and I will never leave you.”
The warrior closed her eyes against the wave of emotion hitting her. The weight of Gabrielle’s words seemed to crush any of her insecurities and doubts that were troubling her mind and heart. Xena opened her eyes to find her bard gazing at her with pure adoration and a reassuring smile tugging on her perfect lips.
“I know my love, I know.” Xena finally whispered.
Gabrielle leaned down to kiss her again, and this time it was slow and deep. Their fingers entwined as their bodies heated with a desire that neither god, nor man, not even death herself could take away.
They made love in the light of the moon and cried out their pleasure against the roar of the waterfall.