Show her how you feel

Alexia wiggles slightly in your grip, surprised that your hands are still on her hips; she is even more surprised when you slowly pull her close to you until your lips brush first her temple, then the shell of her ear and continue to move towards the corner of her eye. You feel the exact moment she realizes that this is different from the platonic embraces you've shared in the past; and you pull her into a passion filled kiss, spearing your tongue past her parted lips before she can close her mouth. For a moment Alexia's body stiffens like the arm of a bow as an arrow is drawn, but almost immediately you feel her soften in your arms until her small hands climb around your neck and she pulls you even closer. After what feels like forever but is perhaps only a minute you break for a breath.

"I'm sorry, Alexia." You tell her as you pull away reluctantly, both of you panting like you'd been sparing for ten minutes. "Not about this, never that. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you earlier." Her eyes are wide with wonder, desire and anger and you try to put your feelings into words. "I'm an ass, but I certainly didn't intend to make you worry. There is something big happening in Athenapolis, something even bigger than anyone knows. I don't know what it is, but I have to get to the Temple of Ares, and I have to get there soon. " You see her nod silently, but then she surprises you for a change.

"Oh, I thought you came here to find that noblewoman you've been obsessing over."

"What?" It's hard to deny that at least in part you are in the city because you had hoped to run into Sandrine again, but you didn't think Alexia knew that. You try to downplay your feelings for the mysterious young woman, after all you've just stepped up your relationship with Alexia, she doesn't want to hear about some other girl.

"I don't even know who she really is or where she lives, it's not like I planned to sweep her off her feet and carry her to her bed." Alexia takes a deep breath, and studies you for a long moment.

"Maybe you should, Bruce." As she continues you sense that this is a conversation she's been planning for a while. "You should certainly start taking advantage of some of the young noblewomen who are waiting for you to make a move. Don't marry them; take them as lovers or concubines or whatever you want to call it." You jerk in surprise at her words, but she continues rapidly. "Take Mara and Sara for example. They expect you to summon them to your tent, Sire. In fact they can barely keep their pretty legs closed whenever they get near you." You start to protest, but she interrupts you before you can even get out one word. "I'm not exactly sure what they were told by that pit-rat, Darius, that dragged them here, but if you don't privately summon at least one of them to your tent soon, those girls are going to think they're hideously deformed."

"Alexia, don't be ridiculous."

She takes a deep breath, "Either that, or they'll start to believe the rumor that you prefer men to women." You've heard the gossip yourself, but never given it much credence but Alexia has been taking this more seriously. "If I may, Sire, your relationship with the two princes isn't helping keep that juicy bit of scandal from resurfacing." Fuck those rumors, you don't need a harem of pretty women to prove your manhood. You are however a little concerned about Mara and Sara who you've taken under your care.

"Can you talk to the twins for me, Alexia?" You ask hesitantly, once again felling like you are on very unsteady ground. "They seem to want to be your friends too, you can explain that I really do think they're beautiful but that I would never order innocent maids to my tent … not for my pleasure ... not to use like ..." This is by far the most awkward conversation you've ever had with Alexia, even worse than this morning's. "Just explain that I don't summon girls to my bed and that I've never -" you stop abruptly. "Just talk to them OK?"

"I can talk to them, Bruce." Alexia refuses to let this drop. "But I think that your chivalrous views on this matter are hurting you in more ways than one. Several of the tentative inquiries I've made concerning eligible matches from other royal families have been rebuffed because of your perceived impotence." You didn't even know she was trying to find you a bride, and now this! Alexia is speaking again, this time about your troops. "- they don't understand why you don't take advantage of all the lovely young women around. Not just this Sandrine of yours, or the twins but I've personally seen over a dozen women and girls offer themselves to you pretty much with no strings attached." Alexia takes your stunned silence as an opportunity to continue. "Have you ever had sex, with anyone?" You stare at her angry and confused by how this encounter in the middle of the dark city has changed. Just a moment ago the too of you were kissing like nothing else in the world matters, and now she is telling you to start up a harem.

"There have been seven different claims," Alexia tells you likes she briefing you on troop movements, "made by maids and matrons alike that you had sex with them. Usually they reported that you were magnificent in bed, but when I, and my father before me, pressed these women for details none of the stories matched."

"Wait!" You finally break in "You do investigations into my sex life?"

"Yes Sire, it's my job." Her green eyes meet your unapologetically. Then with a shrug of her pretty shoulders, she takes your arm in hers and leads you back towards the courtyard where you first grabbed her. "I'll talk to the twins when we get back to camp; but you may have to deal with your mystery woman yourself." You stare at her in confusion and she explains. "Victor, Bart and Galeon are all scouring different neighborhoods looking for you, I told them their best bet was to find this Sandrine of yours. With any luck one of the others will have found her by now and realize that you're not busy charming her skirts off." You start to chuckle at the idea of you seducing the fierce young woman of Athenapolis, but the image of her in your arms makes you wonder what it would be like to kiss her like you just kissed Alexia.

"But that would solve my problem, right Alexia?" You joke relieved that she is finally dropping topic. "I could return to Kalion with a pretty war bride, plucked from the **** markets of the fallen city." You grin, "What if I just returned to Kalion with you instead?" Before she can react you pull her into your arms for another kiss, wondering as your mouth lands on her soft lips why you hadn't tried this years ago. "I have to warn you though," you whisper softly as the kiss slowly ends, "if our relationship continues this way it might be you who returns to Kalion as my queen."