The Way                                                                   - 4 - would have sold her to a man many miles away and Chandanda would have lost her best friend and lover forever.  Once her father paid the price that the family asked, Rajani was assured of always being by the princess? side. ?Chandanda??  Rajani?s concern showed in her expression as she lightly touched the princess arm.  At her touch, Chandanda smiled as she reached out and lightly cupped her lover?s cheek with her palm. ?It is the best of blessings,? she smiled as she held up the staff and her voice became excited.  ?Rajani, I prayed to the goddess Ganges, and this is the blessing she gave to me.? Glancing at the staff, the smaller woman smiled broadly well knowing what it meant to her friend.  Taking a step back, the tall princess began to swing the staff in the combat movements she had learned from long ago.  With a wide smile, Rajani watched in silence, and then began to giggle and clap in pleasure as Chandanda spun the staff through the combat forms faster and faster.   After completing the exercise, the princess smiled and turned to her smaller lover. ?Blessed Shiva!  All will be well!?  The woman said as she ran into Chandanda?s arms.  With staff in hand, the princess held her lover close. ?Yes, all will be well,? the taller woman whispered close to her cherished love. Although she had been uncertain of her path before, she now knew that no matter what her future held, her life would be blessed.  She would join the Chalukyas clan and marry their son.  If Krishna blessed her, then she would be given children from this union and she and Rajani would raise their children surrounded by love.  As she glanced at the staff, the princess smiled as the mighty goddess Ganges promised that she would always be able to continue in the warrior way. ~~~~~~ The tall Greek warrior and her lover walked down the road in silence, each seeming deep in thought.  Although neither knew where their future would lead them, the one consistency within their lives was the assurance that they would always be together, bonded by love. ?Xena, I never noticed before how beautiful you are when you?re blue,? the bard smiled slightly as she glanced slyly up at her lover.  ?And you have to admit, all of those arms might come in handy,? the bard smiled as she got that look she always had whenever she was feeling a need for Xena?s touch. At the reference to the goddess Kali, Xena arched a brow as she glanced down at her lover and shook her head.  The bard?s deep and philosophical musings seemed to have been pushed away for this new line of thought.  Never one to overlook a joke, the warrior smiled as she glanced down at the blonde. ?You know bard, you may have sworn your life to peace, but I didn?t,? the warrior teased as she reached down and lightly pinched below the orange skirt, which brought a slight yelp from the bard as she jumped away. ?Hey, back off Warrior Princess!?  Gabrielle tried to deepen her voice as she ran in front of Xena.  The blonde turned to face the taller woman as she walked backwards, then she danced slightly around her taller lover. ?What?  You swore to never fight again, you gonna change your mind now, bard??  Xena smiled as she feigned a move right, then quickly darted left and reached under Gabrielle?s skirt, the palm of her hand brushed over soft, yet firm flesh right before she gave the blonde?s buttocks a slight squeeze.  ?What would Eli think?? Gabrielle?s yip was half-hearted as she ran in front of the warrior.  Walking backwards, the bard molded her face into a slight frown and sneered up at Xena. ?You wanna a piece of this, come on!  Get it if you can!? the blonde tried her most fearsome expression as she beckoned the warrior with her fingers, daring Xena to tackle her. ?Keep it up, bard, and you?ll find out exactly what piece of you I want!? the warrior?s enticing smile revealed her true desires. ?Oh, yeah??  Gabrielle?s wide smirk caused her eyes to scrunch up as she leaned forward enough for her breasts to be seen by the warrior.  At the open seduction, Xena?s brows arched upward as she stared down her lover?s top.  Her eyes took in the white softness that had become so wonderfully familiar to her. ?Oh yeah?  We?ll I?m gonna have to take some pieces of those too, my beautiful bard!?  Xena allowed the lust to resonate in her voice as a vivid image of her mouth over the bard?s pink, erect nipple crossed her mind. Before they could continue, a metal horn sounded from behind them.  Turning their attention away from each other, they looked back down the dirt road in time to see the royal entourage moving slowly toward them.  Xena protectively touched her lover?s elbow and pulled her to the side of the road.  Using their hands as shade, they watched the armed guards marching in a protective circle around a group of elegantly decorated elephants. The mahout drivers wore clothing, which signified them as royal servants.  Although the first Howdah saddle was simple in appearance, the second one was more elegantly designed.  It was on the second elephant that the warrior and bard saw two beautiful Indian women sitting side by side.  While one wore a sari that was the wedding colors of red, the second wore simpler colors of brown.  With wide smiles, the two women spoke softly to each other as they held each other?s hand.  When the group passed by, the woman in red turned in her seat and looked down at Xena and Gabrielle.  For a moment, Xena thought that the royal woman would halt the convoy, but instead, she merely smiled, and then tipped her head in salutation before returning her attention back to the road in front of her. Although the two women from Greece did not know the story of these women, that simple glance seemed to convey a multitude of messages.  Once the entourage had passed, the warrior smiled down at her lover as she lightly placed her arm on the smaller woman?s shoulder.  Gabrielle eased into her embrace and wrapped her arm around Xena?s waist. ?I bet they?ve got an interesting story to tell,? the blonde absently stated.