"Godou! Do you know what day it is?" Erica Blandelli loudly asked while Kusanagi Godou and his sister Shizuka were eating breakfast.
Kusanagi sipped some of his tea and took a bite of toast while considering the question before blurting out, "Saturday?"
Shizuka sighed as Erica raised her head high and replied, "Hmm... I anticipated that your lazy yet regal mind would be too focused on trivial things such as food and not on the important dates on your mental calendar."
She pointed her slender finger in Godou's direction and continued her lecture.
"While today is, indeed, Saturday, it also happens to be the day before my birthday!"
Godou looked perplexed.
"I'm confused. If tomorrow is your birthday, why do you seem so upset that I forgot today was the day before your birthday?"
Erica shot a highly-mischievous smile at the teenage God-slayer.
"Because - my king - the day before my birthday this year is the day that you take me on a romantic getaway to Monaco for a weekend of passion and gambling at a five-star hotel and casino," she said with confidence in her voice.
Godou's jaw dropped.
"Monaco?!" he exclaimed. "I can hardly afford a ticket to Hong Kong let alone a trip to the south of France!"
Erica dismissed his concerns.
"Actually you can," she said with a wink. "The organization that protects and pampers you from the rogue Gods of this world also give you a substantial T&E allowance.
"It may not be a sum fit for a king, but you can undoubtedly afford better lodgings than the world's highest paid professional athlete."
Erica folded her arms in confidence.
"But that is actually besides the point, the airfare is already paid for and we are departing for Monaco today."
Godou stood up from his chair to object.
"Now hang on just a minute!" he said. "I realize it's your birthday but you can't just go making plans like this behind my back!"
He turned to his sister who was eating her breakfast with a surprisingly content look on her face. Usually Shizuka got almost uncontrollably angry when the subject of romance with her big brother was brought up anywhere on earth - let alone at the breakfast table.
"Shizuka, don't you have anything to say about all this?" he asked.
Shizuka replied, "Nope, Erica told me about her plan several months ago."
Godou was dumbfounded as Erica puffed out her chest in victory.
"And you just agreed?! I thought you couldn't stand when Erica tried to act all lovey-dovey with me?"
Shizuka nibbled on her toast and took a sip of tea.
"I had some reservations at first, but they quickly went away after Erica offered me a new MP3 player in exchange for keeping my objections to myself."
Godou felt defeated and nearly dropped to the floor.
"You... you sold me to this woman for just an iPod?!" he cried.
Shizuka smiled at him. "Don't be silly," she replied. "She also bought me this brand new watch."
She revealed her left arm to show a brilliant golden watch - possibly worth more than the price of their entire house.
"And do you know what time it is right now, big brother?" Shizuka asked as she looked at her watch's face.
The betrayed Campione looked at his sister with tired eyes as his strength suddenly left him.
"It's right about time that the sedatives I put in your tea this morning kicked in!"
The last words Godou heard as he fell to the floor were "Have fun in Monaco!"
Godou and Erica arrived at Monaco in the evening, with the God-slayer sufficiently exhausted from the over 12-hour flight.
The plane ride was much more tiring than it had any right to be: Erica spent over an hour arguing with the flight attendants about not being allowed to order alcohol on the plane. She then drank an entire bottle of wine she had somehow snuck past security and spent more hours flirting with Godou and massaging his leg while trying to kiss him.
Despite the frustrating plane ride, the pair still had enough energy to collect their bags and head to the hotel.
Godou and Erica arrived at "The Grand Royal Hotel & Casino" shortly before 10 pm and checked in at the concierge.
"You got us a reservation at a hotel like this?" Godou asked as Erica rang the bell for service.
"Don't be silly," Erica replied. "I didn't make a reservation."
Godou was beside himself.
"Wha-? Then how are we going to get a room?" he asked in disbelief.
Erica gave her usual smug laugh and replied, "Watch and learn my king. You'll learn that there's nothing a member of the prestigious Blandelli family cannot acquire."
An attractive young woman reached the desk to greet the Japanese boy and Italian girl.
"Oh my, aren't you an adorable couple," she said with a smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Excuse me," Erica asked the young woman. "I am Erica Blandelli here with Kusanagi Godou and I would like you to give us your most luxurious, opulent and romantic room for the weekend."
"Erica!" Godou raised his voice, his face flush with embarrassment.
"Oh right," Erica acknowledged. "And a bottle of your most expensive wine."
The young hotel clerk frowned.
"I'm sorry, but all of our luxury suites have been booked in advance. You really should have come with a reservation," she said.
Erica smiled and reached into her pocket.
"Oh but you're mistaken," Erica replied. "We're not here to enjoy the luxury rooms of mere commoners."
Erica pulled out a gold key and presented it to the clerk.
"We happen to be a very special kind of royalty," she said. "And we're here to take the Imperial Suite."
The young clerk was stunned at the revelation and apologized for her mistake.
"My apologies Lady Blandelli and Lord Godou," she said. "The room will be prepared immediately. And I will have a bottle of Queen Victoria 1876 sent to your room.
"Please enjoy your stay and welcome to the Grand Royal!"
Erica passed Godou a smug look as she led the luggage-hauling Campione to the elevators.
After traversing the long and artistically-decorated hallways of the hotel, the couple finally arrived at a pair of double-doors. Erica began fumbling around in her pockets for the key she had shown the clerk.
"Hmm... now where did I put the key?" Erica asked herself as Godou stood there trying to carry the massive luggage she had packed.
Godout interrupted, "Erica... can I please put the bags down now?"
"Absolutely not!" Erica replied as she pointed her finger at the tiring Campione. "A woman's luggage is as precious as oxygen and I will not allow you to disturb even one ounce of its contents!
"Now... where is the key? Could I have left it at the front desk?"
Godou's jaw dropped as he felt his knees start to buckle. Exhausted, Godou set the luggage down as gently as he could and collapsed into a heap.
Erica turned to Godou with an embarrassed look on her face and nearly screeched.
"Damn it you lazy boy!" she yelled. "Why didn't you just your powers to enhance your strength or make them just levitate?!"
But the look on Godou's face at the idea gave her the answer immediately. "You forgot didn't you?"
Godou tried to divert his eyes and then leaned back in exhaustion.
Erica sighed. "I found the key," she said. "Grab the luggage and let's get inside already."
As she unlocked the door, she added, "I don't want my weekend of passion thwarted by anything else in the world."
There was no other way to describe the incredible suite: it was fit for a king.
Artwork from the finest painters and sculptors of the modern age adorned every marble wall. Expensive-looking tables of gorgeous wood and sometimes metal. A fully-stocked kitchen with all sorts of exotic dishes already laid out for them. Attached to the kitchen a recreation room with a massive TV that would make a Hollywood movie theater jealous.
The bathroom featured a hot tub big enough for nearly a dozen people as well as several showers (Godou would make sure he locked the door to his shower stall when in use). All sorts of scented oils, perfumes and soaps were available - products he had no doubt Erica would make liberal use of.
But the bedroom was perhaps most impressive of all - a massive four-post king-sized bed with a veil adorning it in case privacy was needed. A wardrobe already stocked for men and women: custom-made Italian suits of all sizes and colors in case the man forgot his or simply wanted a new one; exotic dresses from all across the world, made from the finest fabrics (or lack thereof) from six continents.
Next to the bed was a bottle of wine sitting in a silver bucket of ice with two crystal glasses to the side. Godou could hardly make out the exotic lettering on the old-looking bottle, but the label appeared to read: "A Gift for Her Majesty Queen Victoria."
"This hotel has been the vacation spot of thrill-seeking royalty for generations," Erica said as Godou took in the sights. "Presidents, Kings, Dictators... And of course the legendary God Slayers."
"This is amazing!" Godou said in amazement. "I've never experienced luxury like this before."
Ignoring him, Erica playfully hopped over to the bottle of wine and made quick work of the 140-year-old cork, savoring the aroma of it upon pulling it out successfully.
"You should get used to it my King," she said as she poured the incredible-looking red wine into the first glass and passed it to Godou. He gave it a whiff and found the smell incredibly sweet to his senses even though such an old beverage should have long ago gone bad. He began to take a sip and was intrigued by how delicately the flavors divided themselves in his mouth.
There was no doubt in his mind that a bottle of this wine would cost any less than a worker's entire monthly salary - maybe three or four months at least.
"All of the finest things in the world will be laid out for you for the rest of eternity: the finest lodgings, the finest wine..." she interrupted herself to take a sip of the remarkable wine.
"The finest women...," she added in a whisper, but loud enough for Godou to get startled and begin coughing on the wine.
Erica giggled and began indulging herself in the remarkable wine.
"So tell me Godou," she asked in a rather aggressive voice.
Godou was confused by the change in her tone.
"Where are you going to take me first?"
"Huh?" he replied. "We just got here and you already want to head out?"
Erica held her head high and turned in the direction of the balcony.
"You forget," she said in her usual cocky voice. She took a long swig of the expensive wine and seemed to feel its effects immediately. "It is in my nature to explore new things and find new challenges.
"And finding a form of entertainment fit only for the future bride of great God Slayer shall prove to be as great a challenge as I have ever undertaken!"
The absurd statement merely made the tired Campione sigh.
"Well, maybe in the morning... I'm going to bed." And with that he collapsed onto the massive bed and pulled the covers over him without changing out of his traveling clothes.
Erica began growling in anger at Godou's lack of adventure. She knew that if he wanted to he could grant himself enough stamina to run several marathons in a row.
After clenching her fists in vain she puffed out her chest and said loudly, "Fine then. If you are going to bed then I suppose I will go to bed with you.
"With the caveat of course being that I will wear whatever manner of clothing as I see fit..."
That comment perked Godou's ears up a little. Knowing that there was no way Erica would sleep anywhere but the same bed as him he could sense that the Whatever she had planned, he had no intentions of letting her do anything to him when she wasn't in her right mind.
He got up out of bed to have a serious word with Erica.
"Hey now-" he started before realizing that Erica had already thrown off her shirt and was now in the process of taking off her pants - not even taking the extra minute to remove her boots first. Due to the effects of the alcohol she already seemed to not be paying attention.
"Wait Erica! Don't do that right here!" he exclaimed.
The tipsy girl finished removing her pants, leaving her shapely legs bare except for her Italian boots. Aside from the boots, all she was wearing was her lingerie: a red lace bra of exceptional design and a pair of red undergarments that were as inviting as they were exposing.
She flashed a wide grin at Godou, who in return only looked back in confusion.
"Umm... why are you-?" he started, but was once again interrupted by Erica's decision to leap right towards the still-sitting Campione.
In the split second of time to decide whether he would try to dodge her assault or take her head on, he instead decided to catch Erica to avoid her hitting her head, but he immediately realized he had made the wrong decision when she wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed his back on the bed.
Erica used her deceptively strong arms to pin his own arms down and began moving her hips around, trying to ignite a spark in Godou's equator.
She brought her face close to his and he could smell the alcohol on her breath and had a sense of her drunken intentions, but immediately decided against using his powers out of fear that he might over-exert himself and hurt her.
"Mmm... my King... you look so handsome tonight," she said, not quite slurring her words but definitely doing her best to hold back a hiccup or two.
As she brought her mouth closer to his she added, "And your lips look even softer than usual - like a fine dessert I just need to taste."
With her last statement she firmly planted her lips on his own, kissing him deeply and passionately. He savored the taste of her lips and could detect some of the wine on her tongue as it intertwined with his own.
Godou wanted to pull her off though but could not find an appropriate spot to touch that wasn't either barren or covering a vital part of her anatomy.
Grabbing her by the waist he pulled her off, finding that he could easily disengage from the usually powerful girl. He flipped her on her back and realized she was just too drowsy to keep up her own flirting.
Trying not to look at her breasts, he grabbed the sheets and pulled them over her.
"Good night Erica," Godou said as he grabbed a blanket and found a spot on the couch for him to make his bed.
Author's Note: I hope you are enjoying the story so far. If you have any thoughts, ideas, criticisms or compliments you'd like to share, please feel free to write them in a review. I am very open to all appropriate critique.
