Tales of Vesperia

Chapter 1

The Princess and the Lion

Our world...our Terca Lumireis.

Hard to believe it's been so long since we killed the Adephagos at Tarqaron. Almost a whole year, to be exact. Who would've thought that, after saving the world, everything would go back to the way it was? I mean, sure, we still don't have blastia, and because of what we did, we never will again. Saving the world from the Adephagos required the use of every single blastia in the world-and that's a LOT of power.

"Yuri Lowell! Yuri Lowell!"

Ahh, wonderful. Just the sound of that voice calling my name was a sign that something was amiss. I could only imagine what I had done wrong this time.

"I say, where are you hiding?"

Greeeat. Tweedle A and Tweedle B, too. Well, might as well indulge them. No use running away anymore. I leapt down to the ground from my window to meet the knights, walking up the small slope and over to the lower quarter's fountain. Sure enough, it was Leblanc and his goons ready to scold me or try to arrest me...again.

"Yo! Leblanc! And you even brought the Tweedles with you this time, too."

"B-But of course!" retaliated the knight. "We are the Schwaan Brigade! Loyal to our captain 'til the very end!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. So, hey, what's up? Did you need me or something?"

"Her Highness, Princess Estellise, requests your presence at the castle immediately."

Huh? Estelle?

"Oh? Why's that?"

"It doesn't matter WHY she wants you there! You are coming with us, right now."

"Okay, okay. I'm coming. No need to be so pushy."

Estelle...Ever since the day we saved the world, she returned to the castle and started ruling Zaphias as the princess. And yet, we still don't have an emperor. Huh...I guess Ioder still hasn't found Dein Nomos yet. But then again, the last time I saw that was when we fought Duke.

We traversed the slope and made our way to the royal quarter, where the cream of the crop of hopeless snobs reside. Every time I look at the castle, for some reason, it just seems to get bigger. And more ominous. I took the lead and hurried up the stairs to the castle, pushing one of the massive doors open to get inside. Sure enough, the halls were just as hollow as they were before. Marble floors touched the surface of my boots, and my eyes gazed upon the majesty of the stained-glass paintings littering the walls.

We started on our way to the throne room, walking past who knows how many other knights. As we did, they would stand before us gracefully and solute us, just as they would if they were welcoming a hero. Heh. If only they were.

"Your Highness, we have brought Yuri Lowell, just as you requested."

I stumbled into the throne room, staring blankly at its majesty. The red carpet, the crystal blade behind the chair, the entrance to the Sword Stair placed ever so ingeniously behind the throne and up a set of stairs...it was beautiful, to be blunt.

"Yuri! That will be all, Leblanc. Thank you very much!"

Leblanc's face lit with a smile, and after a hearty solute, he and the Tweedles paced out of the room, leaving Estelle and I alone in a massive throne room.

"It's good to see you again, Yuri!" she immediately jumped.

"Uhh...yeah, always a pleasure," I replied.

"I hope I didn't startle you, what with my bad timing."

"Bad timing? Oh, you mean bringing me here at such short notice?"

"Yes..." Her cheeks turned a slight crimson.

I motioned my hand as I always do. "Forget it." Feeling like a smartass, I kneeled down on one knee and bowed my head down, crossing my right arm over my chest. A playful giggle echoed from the princess. Guess she wasn't used to me being so courteous. Can't say I really blame her, though.

"Oh, Yuri, you don't have to be so formal with me."

"Y-Yeah. Sorry." I returned to a standing position, dusting off my shoulder and shooting a smile at the pink-haired beauty.

"Actually, I..."

"Hmm?" I blinked. "Something the matter?"

"I...I..."

"You...?" I was trying to help her finish her sentence.

"I wanted to see you...because...I wanted to speak with you."

I smirked at her, feeling rebellious. "That right?" I played, starting for the door to leave the throne room. "Well, why don't we just hold an official meeting in the-"

The moment I started to open the door, I felt her run towards me, her hands practically slamming the door in front of me. Whatever the case, she didn't want me to leave. She turned back around to face me, a smile lit across her face.

"Alone."

Oh, that's what she meant.

"And I'll be able to continue this journey with everyone...With you."

That night in Aurnion...

"Thanks. I feel the same way."

That was when we officially pronounced ourselves as a couple. But not in front of everyone. If we did, Rita, Flynn, and the Knights altogether would be on my ass in the span of a mouse's heartbeat. So, we would often find times to speak together alone, if we needed to talk about something that pertained to our relationship. That's what she means when she says, "Alone."

I smiled at her. "All right. So, what's up?"

She blinked a few times, her smile shortening a little with every blink. I caught her beautiful emerald orbs of innocence glancing downwards, and they refused to break their gaze with the ground. I snapped my fingers before her face, snapping her back into reality.

"Are you all right, Estelle?"

"Yuri...Umm..."

Before she could process anymore words, she took my right hand and dashed me over behind the throne, where the crystal statue stood ever so gracefully.

"Estelle, what is it?" I worried. "If it's something we need to discuss somewhere else, let's go to my place in the lower quarter.

She hastily and rapidy nodded. "Okay." She took my hand once again and dashed out of the castle, practically leading me to my house in the lower quarter. Actually, it wasn't exactly a house; it was the inn. I just happened to be lucky, and the owners of the inn took me in, giving me a guest room on the second floor. She ran me up the stairs, opening the door swiftly, pushing me inside the room and hastily shutting the door. Whatever she wanted to say must have been serious.

"Estelle, what is it? We're here now, so tell me what's up."

She inhaled a large breath, exhaling after roughly five seconds of holding it in. She attempted to steady her breath, since she was running so quickly all the way here. She dusted off her shoulders and her royal attire, brushing back short bangs in her hair away from her eyes. She smiled warmly at me, her cheeks turning a bright crimson.

"Yuri...do you think I'm...sexy?"

I blinked, a little dumbfounded by her sudden outburst. "Do I think you're-Well, I mean...Yeah, I do."

She gasped a little, signaling that what I said made her happy. "Really?"

"Well, yeah, I mean...I think you're beautiful. Really beautiful. And you're the princess of Zaphias, so you're rich, too. And you're a great person to be around, since I traveled with you all of that time. You're smart, you're kind, and you-"

I felt her finger trace itself on top of my lips, preventing me from talking anymore. "Shh," she whispered. "That's all I wanted to hear."

"Uhh...All right, then. Is that all you needed me for?"

"N...No."

"Oh. Well, what else?"

"Umm...Which one of us do you like more: me, or Judith?"

I blinked. "What makes you think I like Judith?"

"Because you and the other boys were always staring at her...well, lustfully. I couldn't help but be a little...jealous."

"Jealous?" I laughed. "Estelle, there's no need to be jealous. I mean, yeah, Judith's got a nice body and everything, but..."

"But?"

"I just don't like her that way. She's a good friend of ours. I think that's about as far as it'll go. All she's really got for her is the fact that she's eye-candy."

"But I thought all men are hopelessly attracted to eye-candy..."

I walked over to her with a smile, taking her hands in mine. "Well, I don't exactly care about stuff like that when it comes to love."

"L...Love?" Her stutter was adorable.

"Well, yeah. When you're in love with someone, stuff like that shouldn't matter, right?"

"Yuri...I..."

"Hmm?"

"I didn't know...you were in love with me."

"Well...I mean...That is..."

She giggled slightly, and I felt her breath get closer to my face. She was moving in for a kiss, and within a few seconds, our lips locked together. My eyes widened, and my mind went completely blank. I wasn't really expecting that. Of course, it felt great to be so close to her. But even so, the kiss she gave me wasn't exactly the greatest. I could tell she was inexperienced; she didn't even really pucker her lips. It was more like she was just pressing her mouth onto my skin. Her eyes were squinted, so I know she's never done that before with anyone. At least, not with a man. Slowly yet surely, she moved her head away from mine, breaking the kiss and staring blankly into my eyes.

"Yuri...I..."

I blinked back into the situation at hand. "Estelle?"

"Y...Yes?"

"What was that?" I questioned.

Her cheeks reddened even more, and she started to twiddle her thumbs. "W-Well, I...I just...I just kissed you. I think...That's what that was, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders and scratched my head. "Well...yeah, it was supposed to be."

She blinked. "Supposed to be? What do you mean?"

"There wasn't really any meaning in it. I mean, it was really just you putting your mouth on me."

"But...that's what a kiss is, right?"

I shook my head with a smile. "Not really, no. Here." I gently pulled her forward to meet me, our bodies only an inch apart from another and our faces at a shorter distance than that. The last thing I saw before I planted a real kiss on her were her cheeks, which were flustered and red as a tomato. After about five seconds, I felt her hand place itself slowly and gently on my chest, touching my bare skin and sending a chill down my spine. God, her touch was so addicting. It wasn't all too flattering, but it was addicting. She broke away from me, seeming too afraid to make the next move. I grinned at her, and as I did, I felt her hand approach my cheek. It was warm, mainly because it was wet with sweat. She was so nervous, and I could only assume a little scared. I had to find a way to get her to relax.

"Here. Maybe this'll help."

With the span of a second, my left hand wrapped itself around her waist, and my right hand took her cheek. I stared into her eyes, our gaze filled with a secretive lust. She wanted to prove to me how much she cared about me; I could see it in her eyes. The only problem was that she didn't know how. Who could blame her? Being cooped up in the castle all their life would take a toll on anybody, for sure. Still, I was determined to get her to say what was on her mind. I felt her left hand place itself gently on mine, and she smiled warmly at me. I felt a finger on her right hand slide down my shirt, reaching for a strap or a lace-anything that held it on my body. I saw her tongue swerve ever so seductively around her lips. She was trying. That's for damn sure.

"Please...say it again."

"What?"

"Say those words to me again. They're music to my ears."

I smiled, slowly pulling her forward, placing my finger on her chin. She was taken aback by my sudden movements, and she gazed at me with those innocent eyes of hers. It was almost a shame that by the end of the day, she would lose that innocence.

"Estelle...I love you."

At first, she did nothing. Not a thing. She just stared at me, breathless. She even let go of the strap on my shirt. It was almost as if though she were some type of blastia that suddenly got deactivated. But then, after about fifteen seconds of utter silence, she suddenly lunged into my embrace, tossing us both down to the ground, my back landing rather painfully on the hardwood floor. Before I got the chance to even echo a sound of pain, her lips planted themselves on my own, and this time, I could feel it. I could feel the heat of passion circling through this kiss. It was only a matter of seconds before her tongue was demanding entrance into my mouth, and of course, I granted it access, my own tongue reaching for her teeth-filled cave. We engaged in a heated oral battle, seeing who would end the war victorious. It looked like I was winning, but for a while, it was hard to believe that this was really Estelle. I mean, the sudden sprint into my embrace, the heated tongue war...all of this was so unlike her. But then again, traveling the world with someone you love will change you. Usually for the better. And for what it's worth...I didn't mind the change. It was actually a huge turn-on for me.

It took about a minute for Estelle to finally give way so we could catch our breaths. She gazed at me, panting slightly. She had conveniently positioned herself on top of me, her legs stretched to the sides as if she were sitting. It was almost humiliating, because it was only a few seconds after I realized it that I had an enormous, throbbing erection. She felt it brush against her, and with a sudden yelp, she sprung backwards, holding onto my shoulders and glancing behind her. Witnessing how hard I was, she stared at it blankly, her eyes widened halfway across her face.

"Yuri...! This is..."

I could feel my cheeks turning red. Hell, I had a feeling she was going to see it sooner or later, but I didn't expect her to just blankly stare at it. It was kinda embarrassing, to say the least.

"Estelle..."

Out of instinct (I suppose), she wrapped her fingers around my erection, which was still inconveniently sealed within my pants. As she started to move her hand up and down, stroking it, I felt a sudden twitch of pain. I placed my hand on the hand she had placed around me, stopping her from going any further.

"Estelle, stop. That hurts."

She looked over at me. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to hurt!"

"I know, I know. But...you're supposed to get it out of my pants, first."

"O-Oh..." She glanced back down at it, and her entire face turned red. She took a deep breath, and before she had the chance to exhale, she instinctively started to unbuckle my pants. I couldn't believe it, at first; this was all really happening. Estelle, the princess of Zaphias, was about to engage me in a sexual encounter. As she finally managed to pull it out, she gasped at its grandeur. What can I say? Ladies dig the hot rod!

"This is...enormous!"

I grinned. "Nah, it's only eleven inches."

"Yuri, that's one inch less than a foot! I had no idea these things were supposed to be so...so...big!"

"Well, I aim to please."

She giggled at my comment. "Only for me, right?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Only for you."

She started to undress herself, removing her royal clothing from her body until all that was left were a pair of silky smooth white panties and a white bra with a light, flower-esque design. Even when she was more than half-naked, she was beautiful. She positioned herself onto me, removing part of her bottom clothing to reveal her entrance. But before she went any further than that, she looked back up at me.

"Yuri..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"I love you, too."

"Oh...Y-Yeah."

"Promise me, before I do anything else...Promise me you'll be mine."

I smiled at her, placing my hands on her thighs. "Yes. You're mine. And I'm yours. Forever."

"Together forever..." she said, leaning down to give me another kiss. This one was much more passionate than the one before, and the best part was that I could tell. My hands slid down to her panties, slowly and seductively sliding them down her body to reveal herself completely. The next stop was the bra, and I released the straps behind her to reveal a pair of lovely breasts.

"Yuri! I..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I don't want...I don't want you to see me like this..."

"Like what?"

She covered her breasts with her hands. "Like...this."

"Oh?" I gently removed her hands, leaning up to kiss her breasts. This, in turn, caused a moan of pleasure to echo from my princess. "I think they're quite lovely, to be honest." I started to swerve my tongue around her rack, causing her to arch back in satisfaction. One of my hands started to rub her left breast, while I continued to lick and kiss the other one with my tongue. It was quite possibly the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life.

"Ahh...Yuri...Just..."

I stopped for a moment to listen to her. "Hmm?"

"Just...take me!" she blurted.

I blinked at her words, but found it all right to smile at her. "As you wish, my princess."

I positioned her so that she was right above me, and within a few seconds, she lowered herself onto me, taking me inside of her and breaking through her wall, causing her womanhood to spew a small trail of red liquid. It consumed the tip of my rod, leaving behind a slightly gleaming reflection in the blood.

"Shit!" she screamed.

"Shit?" Wow...After so long, after traveling with her for so long, and after learning who she really was and accepting her innocence, it was hard for me to process the fact that she just cursed. She placed her hands over her mouth, regretting what she just said. I wouldn't be having that. I took her hands and placed them on my chest, signaling that she could move at any time. "Relax, Estelle. It only hurts for a little while."

She nodded slowly. "I...I know. It's going away. I feel better, now."

"You ready to keep going?"

"Yeah."

She started to motion herself upwards and downwards on top of me, my rod rubbing against the inside of her entrance. I could feel myself hitting so pleasantly against her walls, sliding inwards and outwards repeatedly at a reasonable pace. She was just a beginner, of course, but the way she rode me made it a little hard to believe. Her hips moved with her to match the rhythm, and after a short while, she started getting more entrancing with her movements. Dear god, it was incredible. She was already learning how to get me interested so quickly and so early, it was almost impossible for this person to really be the woman I loved.

"Yuri! I...I feel something...it's...rushing out of me!"

"Y-Yeah, me too..."

"Yuri! Hold me!" She leaned downwards and wrapped her arms around me as best she could, and within a few moments, we released ourselves, our bodily fluids mixing with one another's. We remained the way we ended, panting and desperate to regulate our breathing. I kissed her forehead with a smile.

"You were great, Estelle."

She giggled slightly, still out of breath. "I'm glad you liked it, Yuri. I'm sorry I was so inexperienced."

"Not at all. For your first time, you did really well."

I picked her up slowly while I was still inside of her, and we plopped onto my bed. She slowly pulled myself out of her, and she rolled off of me and to my side on the bed, snuggling against me under my sheets. She rested her arm on my torso, still covered by my shirt. Her eyes started to shut, and she echoed a long, energetic yawn. She was tired. We both were.

"I'm going to take a nap. Good night, Yuri."

"'Night, Estelle."

Hell, it wouldn't kill me to get some more sleep, would it? I adjusted myself on the bed to get comfortable, Estelle's arm still placed on top of me. She leaned over to my ear and whispered:

"I love you, Yuri."

I turned my head to face her, and I kissed her precious lips once again.

"I love you, Estelle."