Vanquished Intimacy

Prologue

A lake, deep within a forest. It was well hidden by the overgrowth of trees, and could only be found by those who already knew of it.

This was one of the very few places where Zenobia did not have to stay on guard. The thought relaxed her. She wore a halter neck tunic of white cotton. Mud stained the dress in several places, but Zenobia's body language told that she was not bothered by it. After all, she did walk this far without any sandals on.

A pair of hands circled her waist from behind. The sensation tickled Zenobia, sending her into a fit of giggles. This was followed by a trail of kisses down the nape of her neck.

'Akhilleus,' she breathed, sighing happily. She freed herself from the pleasurable grip and stepped back, turning to obtain a better view of her lover.

He was a boy who couldn't possibly have been more than eighteen, but already had a well-defined build for his age. His hair were delicate locks of gold that reached down to the tip of his earlobes. His eyes were a mixed shade of blue and grey, brightened by the mischievous glint in them. He had full lips, their shape almost feminine. Other features complementing his face were a sharp nose and jawline. His chin was dotted with golden scruff, but aside from that, he did not seem to have many physical flaws.

Zenobia did not realise that she had been gaping at him until he spoke:

'Now, Anassa, do not deprive me of the pleasure of having you in my arms.'

His Greek was as fluid as poetry. Zenobia felt a deep blush spread across her cheeks. At times like this, she was thankful for her bronze skin that hid her redness well. In the game of love, revealing one's pleasure at the woo er's compliments is a sign of defeat. And Zenobia did not accept defeat well. She smiled smugly.

'Ah, but isn't depriving one of his pleasure a pleasure as well? Or eros, to be specific?'

Her lover's eyes grew wide for a moment. Then he threw back his head and laughed, the action sending vibrations throughout his body.

'That is something I'd rather not find out at the moment, Anassa  .'

Her lover spread his arms, and, with hands mimicking claws, lunged at her. Zenobia squealed, the sound a mixture of astonishment and pure delight.

'Let us take a dip, shall we?'

Her lover's arms released her waist and moved to her neck, where the straps holding her tunic together met. He gently gathered her long, mahogany locks and set them on one shoulder. Then, he slowly tugged at the ends of the straps. The knot came loose almost immediately; the straps travelling down the front of her chest. Her lover then undid his own tunic, the fabric falling to the ground in a ring of white cotton. He picked up the tunic and gathered it under his armpit.

He looked back at Zenobia to find her tunic on the ground as well. He reached down and picked it up. He walked over to a looming tree by the edge of the lake and set the tunics down under it. Zenobia followed. A moment passed. But to the lovers this seemed like an eternity of relearning each other's nakedness. Limbs were thrown clumsily over each other, but neither of them seemed to care. Their lips met, the encounter both savage and tender at the same time.

The two parted after a while, both breathing heavily.

Zenobia's lover tugged at her hand and guided her towards the lake. She let him. They stopped once they reached chest height water. The sudden cold sensation of water on skin startled her, leaving trails of goosebumps down her body. But Zenobia refused to give in. This is your last night, she told herself.  You can't give in because of the water temperature!

'Look at me, Anassa.'

Her lover's voice pulled her away from her private thoughts. She heeded his command and stared directly into his bluish grey eyes. He leaned in, starting the kiss. And Zenobia let eros take over her thoughts. She kissed him back hungrily, savoring every single physical connection between them.  After all, this is the last night...or so she thought.