Go find Alexia

Once again the mental picture of Alexia's long-limbed body submerged in a tub of sudsy water pops into your mind, and you have a hard time deciding which of the two images is harder to ignore. Confident that by now, your spymaster is fully dressed you head to her tent sticking your head through her flap to see if she has any update on the evacuation of the citizens of Athenapolis. You realize belatedly that you should have announced your presence after all. She is laying facedown on her bed, her short undertunic is pushed high on her legs and one hand is trapped under her rocking body while the other clenches a handful of the bedding.

"Hades, Bruce!" Alexia's slender body jerks in surprise as you crowd through doorway. "What's wrong?" Her face is flushed and her normally neatly coifed hair is a damp tangled mess. The tub, still half full of soapy water, is set up on the far side of her tent but it looks like your modest spymaster got distracted as she was getting dressed.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Alexia." You stammer as you start to back away. "I should have knocked." Before you are able to close the flap Alexia stops you.

"Wait!" There is an intensity to her tone that turns the single word into a command and you let her get off her bed and approach until she is standing much closer than usual. Less than a hand's width separates your chin from her forehead and her round breasts are brushing softly against your tunic. For the past several years Alexia has made it a point not to ever infringe on your personal space, and you've respected her preference for standing off in the shadows and letting the attention fall on you. However, because of the rash way you followed her into her tent, you are now close enough to breathe in the sweet sent of her hair and see every freckle on her pale skin.

"Alexia," deciding that words are too difficult at this time, you use a single finger to lift her chin and kiss her trembling lips softly.

Alexia's gasp of surprise is accompanied by her eyes widening and nostrils flaring. You had always believed that Alexia avoided close contact with you because of her natural reserve and the excuse that it was better for people not to see you too close, but now you wonder if there is another, more personal reason. It doesn't take your divine gifts of perception to interpret the flush in her cheeks and the quickening of her breathing. Even if the tent wasn't filled with the aroma of womanly arousal, you would have known how sexually excited this beautiful redhead is. She tries to step back, but you have not forgotten the sharp sting of her palm on your cheek earlier this morning and like a dancer you press forward even as she retreats.

"Who were you thinking about?" You ask quietly, enjoying the way your normally calm-and-collected advisor is flustered by your sudden intrusion. "Was it me? Because, I think this tension between us has gone on long enough." Her hands come up and rest on your chest creating a little space, but you don't mind because you can feel the warmth of her palms through the fine-weave cotton of your tunic. You can see her struggle to form a coherent explanation and almost have pity on her. If she didn't smell so good you'd go have a seat and give her the space to think, but at the moment you are not in a forgiving mood.

"You're an ass, Your Highness." Alexia finds her voice to your regret. "You're lucky I didn't stick one of my knives in your thick leg and cut a chunk of your blessed flesh out." She takes advantage of your surprise to slip out of your arms and plop down on her bed pulling her knees up tightly against her torso unintentionally making her small breasts swell up attractively.

"I guess there's some truth in that." You give her your best boyish grin, remembering Galeon basically said the same thing. The smile seems to have some effect because she smiles back hesitantly, but then her expression becomes solemn again.

"Bruce, why did you agree to that stupid fight with Prince Iasos?" Her question catches you by surprise, and it takes a heartbeat to even realize what she's talking about.

"Oh that arrogant fool?" You laugh, "It was much easier and quicker to put him in his place that way than it would have been any other method."

"Yes, perhaps, but then you went and offered him the Kingship of Kalion." Her voice rises with emotion. "You didn't have to do that. What if he had gotten lucky?"

"There was no way that a piss-ant like that was going to be able to scratch me, Alexia." You almost laugh at the idea, "the throne of Kalion was never at risk." A pillow flies at you with such **** and speed that you can't quite get your head out of its path, and you end up catching it only after it hits your ear.

"That's not all you put up as a prize, Bruce." Alexia points at you as you stare at back in confusion. "Bruce, didn't you see how Prince Iasos stared at me when he accepted your offer?" You do remember now the arrogant prince made a crude remark about your pretty advisor. Like so many others he mistook her for nothing more than an attractive concubine, but you still don't see how it matters.

"I won, Alexia." You step forward and hand back the pillow as a gesture of good faith. "So it doesn't matter."

"Bruce, it does matter. That's why you found me ... like you did." She swings her knees under her so she is kneeling upright on the bed, "You may not have considered the consequences, and everyone else thought the duel was for the crown of Kalion," Alexia tightens her fists so hard that her knuckles whiten. "In my mind, Bruce, there was something far more personal at stake." Her tear-filled eyes blink slowly as she stares up at you. "You put my virginity up as the prize; the winner of the duel would be the man who would claim my maidenhead."

"No!" The denial is not loud, but every ounce of your soul. "I would never have let him-"

"Stop it, Bruce!" Alexia cuts you off. "You swore an oath before the gods, you would have had to honor it." It is hard for you to deny her claim, but it doesn't really matter because you didn't lose, and you couldn't have lost. Before you have a chance to try to explain that there was no way that could have happened, Alexia is pulling off her undertunic. The beautiful woman is kneeling naked on her bed and you see, for the first time, her beautiful breasts - small and erect peaked with light brown nipples that quiver with each breath. Much more troubling, is the way her eyes are burning with an fire that you have never before seen in the otherwise reserved spymaster.

"Alexia?" You are finding it almost impossible to breath, "What are you doing?"