Day 302: Love, Lust, and Power

The Prompt: Did Delilah really love Samson?  Write a 500 or more short story about them.  If she loved him, then why did she betray him?  If not, then why did she stay with him?

Delilah stared into her small, cracked hand mirror and brushed out her long dark locks, counting the strokes.  When she had satisfied herself with her hair's texture, she started braiding her hair, weaving in jewels and ribbons.

"Delilah," a deep voice spoke from the entrance to her tent.

"Samson, come in, darling," her sultry voice greeted.

"You look beautiful."

"As always," she grinned.

"I brought you something."  Samson pulled out something from his canvas bag.

"A new hand mirror.  Samson, you do know how to care for me."  She wrapped herself into his large chiseled arms and drank in the kisses he rained over her face and hair. 

Delilah had never met a more passionate, devoted, powerful lover, both physically and politically.  Samson stood against the Philistines and had the admiration of nearly every Israelite he came across.  With Samson, she had never known hunger.  He treated her like a princess, with a new gift almost every time he saw her.  He stated often how much he loved her, and she would reply with a kiss.  Why wouldn't she stay with such a man?  She didn't necessarily believe in his God, but that was a flaw she could ignore, as long as he didn't bring Him up. 

She liked to think that she loved Samson, but she had never really been "in love" with him.  She enjoyed his company but they never quite saw the issues the same way.  She thought he was wasting his time campaigning against the Philistines, and she could never convince him to do what she wanted.  It was Delilah's wish for them to travel, forget others, and live for themselves, but Samson was too stubborn to listen.  He cared about helping his people.  She couldn't understand why he gave away money to the poor when others could care for them.  She couldn't understand why God seemed so important.  She was restless but tried not to let it show.  She couldn't afford to lose Samson.

When the Philistines came with an offer, she had at first refused.  She didn't trust them and knew Samson would destroy them in a matter of days.  But the money was too tempting to pass up.  Like Judas, her love for money surpassed the love of man.  Perhaps she didn't think Samson would be hurt too bad.  Then they could use the money to get away together.  An opportunity like this could not be passed up.

So when she went about trying to find his weakness, she put what she was doing to him out of her mind and focused on the end goal.  Rich new clothes, several lovers, an exotic life away.  She found she enjoyed having power over the weakened Samson, just as she had always had the upper hand in their relationship, and she taunted him to the song that she used to sing to him during one of their late nights.  When she was bored of her new life, or when her money ran out, she would return to Samson.  His love for her was so strong that he would wait an eternity for her.