Her breath caught when she heard Gabrielle give out a small whimper, and she realized while she had been thinking about Gabrielle's hands on her breasts, she had been softly massaging the breast in her hand. She stopped immediately, and forced herself to think about other things — things that would distract her from this warm, soft body she was lying so close to. She thought of the assassin still at large, and of the battle that was to come, anything other than her queen lying in her arms.

Xena did not sleep soundly that night. Everytime Gabrielle would move, or take a deep breath, or mummur during a dream, Xena would awaken. She welcomed, and cursed, the coming of the dawn.

When Gabrielle woke up, Xena was sitting on the edge of the bed. As Gabrielle started rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Xena moved her hand and began to gently wash her face with a soft linen cloth, wet from a copper bowl filled with water. Xena then offered her water to drink from a silver ladle.

Xena next began to feed Gabrielle the large juicy grapes they both seemed to love so much. After Gabrielle had finished eating, she sat up on the bed, and Xena went to one knee, her head bowed.

"It is now my place to serve YOU, my Queen … my Lady … my Love," Xena said quietly.

Gabrielle placed her hand on the top of Xena’s head, running her fingers through the long black hair. "There are two things I think you must know," Gabrielle said as she raised Xena’s head, looking into her deep blue eyes. "First, in my private chambers, you are not to kneel or bow down to me, and you are to call me ‘Gabrielle.’ That is my name and I expect you to use it. And secondly — your hair is absolutely filthy! I think it’s time you had a proper bath," she added smiling broadly.

"As you wish, my – Gabrielle," Xena answered with a smile of her own.

Gabrielle instructed the guards to drag in her large copper bath tub from the Bathing Chamber. "If we can’t visit the rest of the palace, then we will bring what we need in here," she said to Xena. "And then after your bath I will have my dressmaker come to take measurements so she can make you some proper clothes.