"Lord Nobunaga, I have a favor to ask of you."
The diminutive woman sat across from the warlord, her hands clenched in nervous fists on her knees, their game of go not yet begun.
Nobunaga Oda was an impressive sight even in his leisure; though he was not an overly tall man, by some standards, the way he carried himself with an air of confidence and purpose, gave the clear message that he was not one to be trifled with. Add on to that the fact that the woman sitting in front of him would be deemed quite small by anyone who saw her, made the warlord look all the more intimidating.
Fixing her with his dark, slightly crimson gaze, a spark of curiosity playing in its depths, he cocked his head to the side "A favor, you say? How amusing, what is it?"
She took a deep breath and dipped her head in a respectful bow "I want to learn to defend myself! Will you please teach me?"
The Oda commander blinked, clearly unprepared for such a request "What do you mean?" he asked, the amused look remaining on his face as he watched her "You are safe here, why would you need to learn how to fight?"
Ophelia-for that was her name-looked up at him eagerly, prepared for such a response "Yes, I'm safe here in Azuchi, all thanks to you, but war is coming; we all know that, and I don't want to be a burden for anyone trying to look after me. Any one of your vassals, as skilled as they are, put their lives on the line when they guard me, and if I could learn to fight, maybe they wouldn't carry such a risk.
"It is their choice," Nobunaga replied, "they know the risk of giving their allegiance to me, and all that that duty entails."
Ophelia sighed "Yes, but what about my duty? If I am truly to be a part of this, and you insist on sending me to the battlefield, I should be prepared. Please, help me."
The chieftain looked her over, considering her argument "You look like you would barely be able to lift a sword, much less use it to kill a man, what makes you think you are capable of doing so?"
She gazed up at him with all the earnestness she could muster "I'm not. Not right now. But I really believe that, if you teach and believe in me, I can get there!"
Nobunaga sat there considering for a while, taking so long, that Ophelia was starting to think that she had made a mistake in asking. But he finally nodded, his mind made up "Very well, I will try to teach you how to fight. But you have to dedicate yourself to succeeding, or else it will be for nothing. Can you do that?"
" I can and I will!" she cried, vigorously nodding "I won't disappoint you, I promise."
"I'm not finished."
The commanding tone in his voice made Ophelia freeze in her celebration.
"If you exceed my expectations and show yourself to be competent, I will reward you. But if you fail, our bet of go will be void and I will claim every inch of your body as my own. All at once, nothing held back." a devilish smile curved the edges of his mouth.
Ophelia swallowed, the pit of her stomach turning over in her nervousness, but collected herself "I agree to your terms." she answered, her tone determined.
"Very well then, your training starts tomorrow."
Ophelia's first day of training was quite the event; the other Oda warlords had heard about her agreement with their chieftain, and had all shown up. Some, like Mitsuhide and Masamune, had come out of gleeful curiosity, while the rest all attempted to convince Nobunaga to reconsider.
"She's too weak, she'll never be able to stand on the battlefield without fainting, this is nonsense." Ieyasu was the first to voice his disapproval as he gazed disdainfully at Ophelia, dressed in her training outfit.
"My lord, I also wish to discourage these proceedings," Mitsunari added "though it is more because I believe all of us capable of defending our chatelaine than lack of faith in her ability. Teaching her the art of battle would simply put her in more danger than she already faces as part of the Oda house."
Hideyoshi agreed with Mitsunari, and was adamant, though always respectful, in his argument "Mitsunari is right, my lord, if you want her to be safer, then don't bring her into battle. And if you insist on doing so, let more than one of us be assigned to protect her!"
The arguments flew, with Masamune and Mitsuhide watching and clearly enjoying the conflict, though as the discussion became more heated, the former stepped forward.
"I, for one, would like to see how the lass does with such lessons." his declaration created a pause "Why don't we wait and see how her skills develop, and if she utterly fails, we can devise more complete ways of protecting her."
The warlords all resumed speaking at once, their gradually rising volume making it impossible to discern what any one of them were waying, until their commander's voice rang out above the din.
"That's enough! You've all had your say. And while I appreciate your opinions, the fact of the matter is that I will decide such things. Lili and I have made this decision and placed wagers on the outcome, so you may all go, rest assured that I have made her safety a priority."
His declaration received some murmurs of disapproval, but they all agreed that his word was absolute, and one by one, departed to their various duties.
When they were alone, Nobunaga turned to Ophelia "Are you ready to begin?" he asked her.
She nodded, unsure of what to expect, but eager to get started. She was surprised when, instead of picking up one of the wooden staves that were used in practice sparring, he turned and faced her, his hands empty.
As if reading her mind, he shook his head "The first step in learning how to defend yourself and survive, is to be able to do so with no weapon available to you. If you can't use your hands to protect your life, you aren't worthy of picking up a sword."
Despite being a little shaken by his reasoning, Ophelia saw the logic in it. "I understand." she said resolutely.
Her first lesson went about as bad as it could have gone. With no previous experience in defending herself and no instincts of the sort, Ophelia's performance was abysmal. Nobunaga had begun with instructing her on how to escape various scenarios of someone grabbing her, and while she figured out the mechanics quite quickly, she was so painfully lacking in physical strength, that she was unable to execute any of the strategies he showed her.
This went on for days, resulting in Ophelia feeling like she'd been run over by a truck at the end of the week. She couldn't tell whether Nobunaga was enjoying subjecting her to such a punishing schedule, or if he was frustrated by her lack of skill. His expression said nothing, and all the feedback he gave her was to tell her to get up and go again every time she failed.
"We'll take a break from your lessons tomorrow." he told her after the fifth consecutive day of training "You need to rest so we can continue; Kenshin won't wait forever, and we must be prepared for battle when the time comes."
Ophelia sighed "I know. And I'm doing my best. Thank you for being so patient with me."
Fixing her with a curious stare, he asked "Do you think I've been going too easy on you?"
"No!" she almost yelled "No, it's not that. You could have gotten angry with me so many times; I know it has to be frustrating trying to teach someone something that they are so naturally bad at. You never shouted or were harsh with me once, and I appreciate it."
"Why would I do that? Getting angry wouldn't help you learn, and I would be showing myself to have very poor control of my emotions if I were to let something so trivial upset me in such a way."
Ophelia just nodded, impressed by the maturity in his explanation. As she sat there resting, she felt her body slowly start to sag in exhaustion, to the point where she woke with a jump at the feeling of just beginning to topple over.
"Come."
Looking up, she was confronted by Nobunaga holding a hand out to her. Taking the offered hand, she let him pull her to her feet and guide her out of the dojo.
"Where are we going?" she mumbled, her fatigue starting to overwhelm her once again.
"You'll see."
A few hallways and corridors later, they arrived at one of the many steam rooms in the castle, one Ophelia knew was used the least frequently of the lot. When they got inside, he led her to the edge of the steaming bath; she was just about to ask him what he was doing, when he took her by the front of her clothes and began abruptly undressing her.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" she tried to pull away, but he held her by the shoulder.
"Relax. You need to soothe those sore muscles of yours, or you won't be able to move tomorrow." He was so quick and efficient with his hands, that he had her naked in a matter of moments.
Still in shock from the suddenness of it all, Ophelia only managed to cover herself, one arm holding her breasts while the other hand had shot down to cover her private area.
Nobunaga, completely nonplussed by her discomfort, ignored her actions and pushed her toward the hot water.
"Get in."
Seeing no alternative, Ophelia obeyed and stepped into the steaming bath. A sense of deep relief washed over her as she sank into it, letting its heat envelop her aching body. As she felt the tension ease from her body, her mind began to ease as well.
"Thank you for making me come here, Nobunaga," she murmured, her eyes closed and a small smile playing around her lips "You really didn't have to." she expected him to lecture her about taking care of herself, or make some teasingly suggestive remark, but was surprised when the only answer she got was silence. Opening her eyes and looking around, she was shocked to find herself alone in the bath house. "Lord Nobunaga? Are you there?" she called, but received no answer. Glancing down, she found a towel and fresh kimono laid out next to the bath. Puzzle, she continued soaking until she felt restored, and then got out, dried off and put on the kimono.
Feeling in need of an explanation for Nobunaga's strange behavior, Ophelia made her way toward the tenshu where she knew he would be at that hour. It was already dark by that time, and the halls were dimly lit, the flames of lamps set out here and there, casting flickering shadows on the walls. When she reached the commander's quarters, she hesitated a moment, questioning whether or not she should be there; she was well acquainted with how Nobunaga behaved when he had her alone in his chambers, and was slightly intimidated by how he might respond by her coming of her own accord.
"Too late now." she thought, making her decision, and lifting her hand to knock softly on the door.
"Come in."
Sliding the door open, she peeked through, and saw him. He was reclining on the floor in front of his bed; the small table next to him had a teapot sitting on it, and Nobunaga was sipping from a steaming cup. His free arm was resting on a bent knee, and he was gazing out over the moonlit fields that could be seen from the balcony when the doors were open. Ophelia couldn't help but notice that his kimono was loosely fastened, and had fallen open at his chest, creating a very distracting sight for her as she approached, trying her best to hide the nerves that were making her stomach twist into knots as she looked at him.
"Do you need something?" his tone was calm and he looked up at her briefly before lifting his cup to his lips and turning his gaze back to the open doors.
"I just came to thank you for making me take time to relax. I never would have done that on my own, and I feel so much better. So thank you, Nobunaga."
He nodded, keeping his eyes fixed ahead of him "Is that all?"
Ophelia squirmed "Well I would have told you there, but you left…"
"And you missed me?"
"Uh, well, I guess I expected you to stick around." she had clasped her hands behind her back and was twisting her fingers together nervously.
"Did you want me to stay with you while you bathed?"
His tone was infuriatingly calm and Ophelia wanted nothing more than to choke him-it was too bad that she was doing so poorly in her lessons, or she might have tried it.
"No! But you tease me so much, and with the way you talk about 'conquering my body'...I thought you would have -I don't know- tried to continue that." her eyes were glued to the floor, unable to even look in his direction.
"Ah, I see. You missed our games."
Ophelia was about to protest, but he kept going.
"As much fun as it would be to have you naked and wet in my arms, the reality is that when I am teaching you to be a soldier, you are a soldier. It is my priority to make sure you learn, and to make you rest when you need it."
She was again about to speak up and express her appreciation for his reasoning, but he again kept talking and didn't allow her time to interject.
"However, these are my chambers, and you aren't a soldier here."
Ophelia's eyes flashed up to his, the tightness that had almost left her body, coming back full force and making her press her legs together. The gaze that met hers was heated, and the way it dragged over her body made her feel like he was slowly peeling back her kimono and she was powerless to stop him.
She had unconsciously stepped toward Nobunaga while he had been talking, but the last sentence had stopped her in her tracks. She felt frozen there as they stared at each other, both fully aware of the tension that flowed between their bodies. Before she could open her mouth to respond, he had reached out and snaked his arm around her her hips and was pulling her down to him. She only had time for a surprised yelp before she was laying cradled in his lap, his intense eyes gazing down at her like a hawk looking at a mouse.
"You're completely naked under there," that scrutinizing stare was making it clear what was on his mind "you came straight from the bath, didn't you?"
Ophelia swallowed and tried to look away, her eyes darting around to look at anything but Nobunaga's face, "Um, I just came to say thank you while it was on my mind. If I had waited, I would have forgotten." she had gotten a hold of the belt of her kimono and was twisting it in her fingers.
A calloused thumb traced along the border of her robe where it wrapped over her breast "So you came here, with nothing but some thin fabric to shield yourself from me? I wonder if that's bravery or foolishness."
"Despite the way you talk," Ophelia mustered all the couraged she had and steadied her voice "you're a man of your word. You said that if I disappointed you, then my body would be yours to conquer entirely. But the bet isn't over."
"I see. So you think you've impressed me?" his eyes never left her face, reading every little movement, and seeing her feelings written there plainly.
"Well, no," her voice was getting shaky again "but I haven't been at it for long, and you would have to put me to some kind of test for me to disappoint or make you proud. There's been none of that yet."
"You seem convinced of my honor. What if I were to just have you right here? Bend you to my will, part your flesh with mine? I can feel you tremble. You want it, too."
Ophelia's heart was in her throat. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt for this man, but the lack of emotion in his eyes scared her. He was speaking with empty passion, and she knew that her soft heart wouldn't be able to withstand the damage of being so closely joined to someone who couldn't bond to her the way she would to him. Something in her eyes must have spoken to him, because she saw something shift in their depths. Just as she was about to suggest their usual game of go as an equalizer, he gathered his hands beneath her and lifter her to her feet.
"You're right, that would be too easy. Now go to bed Ophelia, you have a long way to go in order to win your body away from me."
Afraid that he might change his mind, Ophelia didn't think twice; seconds later she was out the door and flying to her room on feet spurred by the possibility of what she might do if she stayed.
It was around that time that Kenshin Uesugi started showing up in Azuchi. Ophelia had met him in the forest on her first day there, when she had tried to flee from Nobunaga and his vassals. Kenshin had struck her as fascinating, despite his chilly and sometimes outright rude demeanor. She tried to tell herself that her interest in him had nothing to do with the fact that he was stunningly beautiful, but it was useless.
One complicating fact of Ophelia's character was that she was contrary by nature; when pursued, she became coy and reticent, but when she felt ignored by someone whose attention she desired, she turned into the pursuer. It was a result of this unfortunate trait of hers that she came to want Kenshin's attention. It was well known that the warlord had a disdain for women, and when she heard about his reputation, Ophelia was curious. Not curious enough to go all the way to Echigo to satisfy her curiosity, but when she ran into him in the marketplace along with Sasuke, she considered it a serendipitous opportunity to find out more about him.
Although he spurned her attempts to get to know him the first few times they ran into each other, Kenshin eventually grew to be begrudgingly tolerant of Ophelia's company, and actually stayed in Azuchi longer than he had planned in order to spend more time with her. Unfortunately for her, the more time she spend in his company, the less Ophelia became interested in knowing him. All he wanted to do was fight and drink, and he was nearly insufferable when he couldn't have either. As attractive as he was, Kenshin wasn't incredibly exhilarating company, and Ophelia soon lost interest in being more than friends with him. She still enjoyed teasing him, though, and they regularly ran into each other in the marketplace and drank sake together, though she still kept it a secret that it was the Oda clan she was living with and working for.
Nobunaga's lessons also continued, and though Ophelia had been dishearteningly bad at the beginning, she was starting to understand the concepts, making it easier for her to focus on the areas where she needed to improve. Her first goal was building physical strength and endurance. Nobunaga had never chastised her for her weakness, but the ease with which he threw her around when they were sparring made it clear that even if she were to learn how to fight, such skills would be useless unless she could put some power behind them. Wanting to remedy her deficit, Ophelia began spending several hours every evening lifting buckets of water, strengthening every muscle she could think of, and hitting some she didn't even know she had.
Another curious byproduct of her lessons, was that she felt herself growing closer to her teacher; Nobunaga treated her with respect when he taught her, always gently correcting the mistakes she made, and acknowledging her improvements. Every time he commented on something she did well, Ophelia felt herself blush with pleasure, and found herself craving his approval, making her work all that much harder to get it.
As her strength grew, Ophelia began to notice that she didn't fall so hard when Nobunaga threw her on the mat, and the amount of times she got thrown was becoming less and less. She was learning how to wiggle out out of his holds before they got too tight, and dodge his strikes. Even Nobunaga himself was impressed when she finally landed a blow on him. It was a weak blow to be sure, but it still connected, and she felt almost giddy when she realized what she had done.
Nobunaga's eyes shined proudly down at her as they stepped back at the end of that lesson.
"You've been working hard, Fireball," he told her "it seems you maintain your talent of surprising me."
Ophelia blushed "I've only tried to do the best I could with what you've taught me. I'm happy to hear you aren't disappointed." she smiled shyly up at him through her long lashes, and felt her heart welling up at his praise.
"You still have much to learn, but you are dedicated, and it will serve you well." he turned to shrug off his sparring kimono and grabbed a towel, drying the sweat from his skin.
Ophelia bit her lip hard as she watched him, doing her best to control her facial expressions as she felt the heat rising up her neck at the sight of Nobunaga shirtless and in just his hakama. "How is it possible for a man to be this attractive?!" she thought desperately, knowing the blush was spreading over her cheeks "That body, those muscles; I just want to spend hours upon hours worshipping every inch of him." realizing her thoughts were getting out of hand, Ophelia cleared her throat "Um, I should go. I need to get washed up, and I'm really tired. Goodnight!" she almost shouted it as she turned and made her way briskly toward the door, not bothering to look back or wait for him to grant permission as she slipped out.
"What am I thinking?!" she demanded of herself as she ran through the halls to her room "He's so demanding, and forceful, and just...Nobunaga-like! I can't be feeling this way, I'm going to get myself into trouble!"
As Ophelia dashed along, she neglected to look where she was going, and ran smack into someone as she was rounding a corner.
"Oof!"
Both she and the person she collided with, let out grunts of surprise. Ophelia drew back and began apologizing profusely as she straightened her kimono, embarrassed of her mistake.
"And where is the little puppy heading in such a hurry? And looking so flustered, too."
Mitsuhide's teasing voice made Ophelia's eyes spring to his face, her apologies dying down to a mumble as she blushed, hating that he always made her feel silly without even seeming to try. "Oh! Mitsuhide, I'm sorry, I should watch where I'm going." she dropped her eyes to the floor and started to edge her way around him, "I'll try to be more careful, goodnight!"
He stepped in her way, blocking her path and leaned down to get a look at her face "Coming from a lesson with Lord Nobunaga, are we? Is that what's got you so worked up? My, my, I wish I knew his secret, I'd like to have that kind of affect on you as well."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ophelia retorted defiantly, finally able to return his gaze. "I'm not worked up at all, but I am going to bed, goodnight!" with that, she ducked swiftly around him and took off down the last hall to her room.
It was strange to Ophelia that, despite Nobunaga's aggressive pursuit of her outside of the dojo and the intense feelings his attentions provoked in her, she was most attracted to him during their lessons. Whenever he cornered her in the halls of Azuchi, or demanded her presence in his war room, Ophelia got butterflies in her stomach, and her mind went wild with all the possible things he could do to her, making her feel very unsettled, but at the same time very intrigued. But in their lessons, he put that aside, and focused on honing her abilities, a task he took very seriously. As they sparred, Ophelia noticed herself getting distracted whenever he had her perform a hold or throw on him. When she felt her hands on his skin, all she wanted to do was replace her fingers with her mouth and watch all the reactions she could get out of him. Somehow, Nobunaga seemed completely oblivious to her internal struggles, and made no indication that he knew how she felt.
When she was told that she would be accompanying the Oda chieftain and his warlords to battle, Ophelia was almost relieved; as much as she hated the idea of being around so much killing, it would give her something else to think about besides her complicated feelings for Nobunaga. She was incredibly drawn to him in more ways than just physical attraction, but there was a hesitation that she couldn't shake. Something held her back from indulging in the desire that had taken such a strong hold on her, and she had no idea how to deal with it.
When the time came to leave for the battlefield, Ophelia's spirits were high; she had chosen to have as positive an outlook as possible before things got dangerous, and was sticking to that mentality with determination. Sitting atop the white horse Nobunaga had gifted her with when he had first had the whim of taking her into battle, she squared her shoulders and did her best to appear confident. "Alright, Sakura," she murmured, patting the mare's neck "let's look out for each other, alright? We can't afford to die here."
The other warlords soon joined her at Azuchi gate, creating an intimidating sight as they lined up, each decked out in their unique battle regalia, their armor glinting in the sun.
"Good morning, lass!" Masamune was the first to greet her, throwing a roguish grin her way as he brought his horse to stand next to her "Are you looking forward to your first battle? If you feel scared at all, feel free to find me, my horse is happy to carry two, we'll keep you safe."
Ophelia was about to sass him right back when a deep voice interrupted them.
"You will do no such thing, Masamune."
Nobunaga had joined them and was staring at Masamune with narrowed eyes.
"Apologies, my lord," Masamune returned, his impudent spirit not dampened in the least "I was merely offering in case you were out of range."
Nobunaga ignored him and turned to Ophelia with his own devilish smile "You will ride next to me. Are you ready to bring me luck again, Lili?"
She shrugged "I hope so, but I guess we'll find out."
"We will indeed." he gave her a long look, his gaze sweeping from the top of her head down to her toes, before turning to go address his men.
When they were all ready, Nobunaga ordered the gates opened, and they took off from the castle at a gallop, all eager for the excitement of battle.
Ophelia hated war, she decided. She was surrounded by swirling clouds of thick, black smoke, with the sound of gunfire and clashing blades ringing in her ears. She had gotten separated from Nobunaga and the others when a group of enemy soldiers had hurled themselves at the Oda commander, and tried to tear him off of his horse. Nobunaga dealt with them swiftly and mercilessly, but they had swept in between him and Ophelia, creating distance and making her lose sight of him in the poor visibility.
"Great." she thought to herself "How am I supposed to get myself out of this one? I can't even tell which direction we came from, I could head straight into the enemy camp without realizing it."
"Ophelia, what are you doing here?!"
Whirling around in her saddle, her eyes fell on Kenshin who was astride his war horse, covered in splatters of blood and dirt, his sword drawn.
"Kenshin!" her eyes were wide and all she could do was stare at him as she realized they were on opposite sides and instantly wondered if he knew that. As she was searching for the right words to explain herself without telling him too much, a loud bang went of near them, spooking her horse and making her jump at the same time, resulting in her pitching headlong from her saddle and getting the wind knocked from her lungs as she hit the hard ground. The shouts around them grew louder, and she could tell something serious had happened.
"Ophelia!"
Looking up, she saw Kenshin leaning down toward her, his hand outstretched.
"Take my hand."
She obeyed without a second thought and was immediately hauled onto his horse, his arms clutched tight around her.
"Let me get you out of here, and I'll get you back to Azuchi." he told her as he turned his horse around and urged it into a gallop. They hadn't made it far when another shout rang out in a voice Ophelia recognized.
"Kenshin Uesugi! I demand you let Ophelia go."
"Mitsunari, no!" Ophelia thought, desperately wishing he hadn't seen her.
Kenshin pulled up short and turned to look at the other man, a wild glint in his eye "You speak as if you know this woman, Ishida," Kenshin's voice was cold "what is she to you?"
Ophelia's heart sank as she listened to Mitsunari's answer.
"She's a valued member of the Oda clan, and I request you return her safely or we will take her back by force."
Kenshin laughed humorlessly "I will do nothing of the sort. Try to take her back if you think you can." he drew his sword as he spoke and pointed it straight at Mitsunari.
Seeing there was no reasoning with him, Mutsunari lifted his own blade, and the two warlords began to circle their horses like predators squaring off.
Ophelia's heart was in her chest as she watched them, wanting neither to be hurt, but worrying especially for Mitsunari; she was well acquainted with Kenshin's reputation, and was terrified for her friend's safety, knowing that he couldn't match the God of War in ferocity. Their blades connected as she was wracking her brain for a way to stop them, the battle fierce from the start, as neither gave any quarter. Ophelia wanted to cover her eyes, but she couldn't tear her eyes away, every fiber of her being begging for Mitsunari's safety. He was bearing the brunt of the blows under Kenshin's savage attacks, and although he was keeping up well, Ophelia knew it was only a matter of time before Kenshin wore him down.
Setting her teeth, Ophelia watched for the right moment; she was determined to save her friend, and decided that when she saw an opening, she would push Kenshin from the horse and then take off with Mitunari. She had just seen Kenshin lift his sword in preparation for another attack, when another voice sounded in her ears.
"Lord Kenshin! We must withdraw."
Sasuke had showed up from out of nowhere and his horse was now right at Kenshin's elbow, close enough for Ophelia to look straight into his eyes and know he saw her too.
"Not before I finish with this one." Kenshin's teeth ground together, and Ophelia felt a shiver at the growl in his voice; she had never seen him angry before, and it was a chilling sight.
"My lord," Sasuke insisted "we can deal with this later, now if you please-"
As he spoke, Sasuke tossed something to the ground, and they were immediately enveloped in an encompassing cloud of smoke that burned Ophelia's throat and stung her eyes as she tried to breathe.
"Dammit, Sasuke." she heard Kenshin mutter as he turned their mount and took off after the ninja.
They didn't stop until they reached Echigo, and when they got there, Kenshin dropped from his horse and tossed the reins to a nearby stable boy "Take care of my horse, and you over there" to a pair of guards stationed at the gate "take this woman to the dungeons until I decide what to do with her."
Ophelia was stunned, and the full realization of what was happening didn't hit her until she was sitting on the floor of a cell as the doors slammed shut.
"What the hell?" she thought "I knew Kenshin would be mad, but this is ridiculous!" as she thought about the turn of events, she just got angrier, not just at Kenshin, but at Sasuke too. "He could have kept me out of here, probably could have prevented Kenshin from taking me, but he didn't do anything!" her resentment growing, Ophelia sat herself down in the corner of her cell, her arms and legs crossed and a scowl on her face "The next person who comes down here is getting an earful, dammit."
That next person happened to be Kenshin himself, and he seemed just as angry as Ophelia, though he wasn't nearly as expressive.
"So you're with the Oda clan. And they seem to value you highly; what are you to them?"
"What do you think?" Ophelia retorted "Tell me. You've clearly already made up your mind."
"The lengths they seem willing to get you back, suggest the kind of attachment a favorite concubine might enjoy. Is that what it is?"
Ophelia got to her feet and walked to the bars in front of him, adopting a defiant stance "If that's what you really think, I'm sure you're right."
Kenshin's stony expression wavered for a moment and he looked doubtful "If that isn't it, then what is it?"
Ophelia sighed "You know me as well as any of them, Kenshin. If you were them, is that the only reason you would want me back?"
It was his turn to sigh "No. I suppose not."
"Then why am I here?"
"Because now that I have you, I can't give you back to them. I do promise to make you as comfortable as I can, but you won't see me again. Goodbye, Ophelia."
Her shock prevented Ophelia from answering before he disappeared, but as she stood there, her ire grew to greater than it was before speaking with him "So that's it?!" she internally raged "His pride is what's keeping me down here? FUCK!" she was so angry, she could barely see straight. "I WILL get out of here. And when I do, I'm going to make sure you feel it, Kenshin Uesugi!"
Several days into her imprisonment found Ophelia's cell outfitted with many comfortable amenities, such as a comfortable futon, privacy screens, and a writing table. Despite Kenshin's gifts, she was still carrying the height of her rage toward him, and no amount of gifts could make up for her loss of freedom.
"I wonder what the Oda are thinking right now?" she wondered. She had no doubt that they would be coming for her sooner or later, though she couldn't speak to their methods or timing. There were so many conflicting strategies, that any number of things were possible for that group. She especially wondered if Nobunaga missed her. She knew he would want her back for no other reason than the fact that he considered her his his good luck charm and would take her kidnapping as a personal affront, but she also hoped that some part of him was motivated by genuine feelings for her. "When I see him again, I'll just tell him how I feel and ask him how he feels about me. I can't keep going like this with all these feelings and no outlet. I do want him, but not if he's going to treat me like something to pick up and set down at his leisure." with her mind made up, Ophelia sat down in the corner of her cell and plotted all the ways she could escape.
Meanwhile, back in Azuchi…
"My lord, it is too dangerous for us to launch an all-out attack on Echigo for the sake of one woman. We have to find another way."
Nobunaga stood at the war table, his arms folded across his chest, a faint scowl on his face. "Uesugi had the audacity to take Lili from me; such an act is a clear indication that he has abandoned any honor he may have had, and must be dealt with swiftly."
"Well I'm ready whenever you say, my lord." Masamune stood up, a hand resting on the hilts of the two swords he always carried at his side "That bastard knew she was one of us and took her, didn't care that she was harmless or a woman. It was out of pure spite."
There was a muttering of agreement from the other warlords gathered in the room. They all cared for Ophelia, and were outraged that Kenshin would take her as a hostage.
"That settles it." There was a finality in Nobunaga's voice as he turned from the war table. "We won't compel any of our infantry to come with us, only those who desire to help our princess will be allowed to join. Each of you speak to your vassals and decide who will accompany us on this mission. Ieyasu, Mitsunari, plan our attack, we will mobilize once we are all ready."
Each of the warlords bowed with an uttered "Yes, my lord." before going in their own directions to carry out his orders.
It wasn't long before Ophelia received a familiar visitor; Sasuke appeared outside her cell door, with a package and an apologetic look on his face.
"Ophelia, I'm so sorry you're in here. I didn't anticipate that Kenshin would actually take you with us. I don't know what he's thinking."
Turning to look up at him without rising to her feet, Ophelia looked him over "You didn't do much to stop him, did you Sasuke," her voice was flat "and it took you long enough to come down here and visit me. Feeling a bit guilty?"
He did indeed look shame faced as she spoke, but merely took a deep breath "I'll talk to Kenshin and see if I can reason with him. I think he knows keeping you here is wrong, but his pride is keeping him from following his conscience."
Ophelia sighed "I didn't ask to be a part of any of this, and I don't deserve to be kept here, I hope he is aware of that."
"I'll make sure he is. I brought you dumplings in case you're hungry. Please try to be patient, I'll do what I can to get you out of here. Oh," he stopped as he was turning to go "Your mare was taken as well, Kenshin had her put in the stables, she's being well taken care of."
She smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement, happy that Sakura was safe, but not wanting to give Sasuke any reason to think she was pacified. As sincere as he sounded, Ophelia didn't feel inclined to be patient, and didn't try. "I'm not waiting around for him to soothe Kenshin's mood. This is ridiculous. The first opportunity to get out of here, I'm taking it."
Her opportunity came sooner than she expected, in the form of Shingen Takeda showing up at her cell door.
"My lady I am so sorry you've been treated so disrespectfully," his voice was smooth, and Ophelia was instantly reminded of the same compelling charm he exuded in the forest back when she was thrown into this time period "if I had been there on the battlefield, I never would have allowed Kenshin to so rudely kidnap you. Have you been made comfortable? I would hate for the lack of hospitality to add insult to the injustice you've already been subjected to."
Ophelia couldn't help but smile, Shingen seemed so sincere, she almost believed that he was on her side and genuinely wanted to make right what Kenshin had done to her. "Don't get sucked in," she told herself "he seems all charm and sympathy, but the Oda are still his enemies and he will definitely use you to get at them in any way he can."
Assuming her most entreating manner, Ophelia gazed up into Shingen's beautiful brown eyes, her own wide and pleading "Thank you, lord Shingen! You're the first one to say that. I told them I have nothing to do with the Oda beyond being a glorified servant; I have no influence on, nor am I privy to any of their battle strategies or resources. They just keep me around for decoration. Please Tell Kenshin that I'm no threat and I just want to go home."
Shingen placed his hand over his heart "I will, my dear. Kenshin is an honorable man, but he is impulsive and sometimes makes very rash and ill-advised decisions in the heat of battle. Although…" he narrowed his eyes "I could just let you out myself…"
Ophelia was careful not to show too much enthusiasm - she knew better than to take such an offer at face value - but drew close to the door, taking hold of the bars, and stared up at the tall man "Do you mean that? I would be eternally grateful, but wouldn't that be dangerous for you?"
"Dangerous for me? You are too kind, my lady. Kenshin would be furious, to be sure, but we are allies and equals, there's nothing he can do to hurt me without risking the loss of that alliance. It is a shame though," his voice became sweet like honey and soft as velvet "I understand your desire to leave, but since you are here, I would really love to get to know you. What other opportunity would I get to become acquainted with a truly rare blossom such as yourself?"
Ophelia dropped her eyes shyly, playing along "You flatter me too much, lord Shingen, I don't know that I am an equal match to your graciousness. I would likely disappoint you."
Shingen leaned down to look into her eyes, his own expression flirtatious "Something tells me quite the opposite. Tell you what, if you promise to never see Kenshin again, I'll let you out, right here and now. And once you're safe back in Azuchi, I'll find a way to come see you so we can get to know one another."
Ophelia stared at him, her brain processing a mile a minute. On one hand, she wanted to leap at his offer; she had no trouble making that kind of promise, and following it to the letter. However, her instincts told her that such an offer was too good to be had to be some kind of catch, and she couldn't afford to gamble with a man she knew so little. Dropping her eyes, she chewed on her lower lip, and frowned in concentration, making a show of being conflicted. Finally, lifting her eyes to meet Shingen's, she spoke solemnly: "As tempted as I am by your offer, lord Shingen and as much as I want to say yes, I feel it would be dishonorable to disappear with no explanation. I would like to request that you convince Kenshin to come and speak with me. I have a proposition that might interest him."
"Is that so?" Shingen raised an eyebrow, clearly interested "Very well, I will do my best to persuade him. You have my respect, lady Ophelia, I genuinely hope to get the chance to know you better." With that, he turned and was gone, leaving Ophelia to lay her plans.
"I wish I could have trusted him to really let me go." she thought as she paced her cell, designing her plan of escape "But I can't take the risk that he might not have been serious. I don't know Shingen, but I'm fully aware of his reputation as a flirt and ladykiller; men like that always have an ulterior motive. If it weren't for the seriousness of my situation, I might be inclined to play his game."
While Ophelia waited for Kenshin to visit her, she found herself wondering what Nobunaga was doing. She was surprised by how much she missed him; normally she would be dashing around Azuchi running errands for him and looking forward to their next sparring lesson. Even thinking about the way he teased her, or the intense way he would look at her during their games of go made her heart ache, and she wanted it all back "Just you wait, Nobunaga, I'm coming back to you and I'll never let us be parted again."
Kenshin showed up sooner than Ophelia expected; she was sitting at her writing desk, sketching out a design that she had created for her sparring lessons with Nobunaga. As it was, there were no hakama that were small enough for her, so she wore some made for a young boy, but she had had come up with a more functional design.
"Ophelia."
Looking up from her work, she saw him standing at her door, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Hello, Kenshin." Ophelia set her work down and got up, walking over to the bars to face him.
"Shingen said you wanted to see me."
"Yes. It appears he is quite skilled at persuasion; I didn't think you would come, and especially not this soon."
He shifted his weight, looking away from her and then looked back before speaking again "Yes, well, he said you wanted to bargain for your freedom, and that it was a proposal worth listening to, so I thought it would be fair to listen to what you have to say."
Cutting right to the chase, Ophelia laid out her idea: "I want a trial by combat."
Kenshin blinked, his mouth falling open "You-you want what?"
Ophelia kept her tone matter-of-fact "I want the chance to fight for my freedom, and I want it to be against you."
He just stood there, completely blindsided and rendered speechless by her request.
Ophelia continued without waiting for him to collect himself "Think about it: if I win, you'll have to let me go, which we both know would be the right to do anyway, and I prove to you that women aren't weak. If you win, I become part of the Uesugi clan and stay here. That way you can let me out without worrying that I'll leave, because we also know you want me to stay with you."
When he finally was able to speak again, Kenshin objected "I can't fight you, Ophelia, I would kill you. There's no way you could defeat me, why would you gamble when you have no chance of winning?"
Ophelia shrugged "It would just be hand to hand, I think you can keep from killing me if we don't use weapons. And besides, if that's the case then you have nothing to worry about."
He thought for a moment, clearly disapproving of her idea "Why should I agree to this, Ophelia? It's a terrible idea."
"Because I'm bored Kenshin! And I'm angry with you! I can't stay in this damn cell for the rest of my life, and I'd like to blow off some steam in the process. Either way, I get out of here."
Sighing in frustration, he closed his eyes and spoke, albeit very begrudgingly "Fine. I agree. But Sasuke has to be there to mediate."
"Have Shingen there too as a witness," Ophelia told him "I think he would enjoy such a spectacle."
Kenshin Scowled "Of course he would, but if he tries to speak to you or touch you, I'll kill him." Kenshin turned to go, calling over his shoulder "We'll do this tomorrow, I'll send Sasuke to get you."
When he was gone, Ophelia leaned against the wall of her prison and sank to the floor, not quite believing that she had gotten him to agree to her terms "I don't know what I've gotten myself into, but I have no choice but to beat him somehow." She rubbed her hands over her face and ran them through her hair "If I can pull this off, I'll be going home to Nobunaga very soon." her heart fluttered at the idea, strengthening her resolve "I will win this battle. There's no going back now."
"Ophelia, what were you thinking?!" Sasuke had plenty to say when he came to escort her to the trial "Challenging Kenshin, the "god of war" Uesugi to a hand to hand fight, what could have possibly possessed you to do such a thing?!"
Ophelia had no time for his protests "It's been decided, Sasuke, there's no going back now."
"I'm going to tell Kenshin that this is ridiculous and make him call this thing off, you can't fight him." Sasuke was insistent as he lead her from her cell and toward the stairs that led out of the dungeon.
Ophelia stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face "Where was that attitude when he grabbed me on the battlefield?" she demanded "He listens to you, you could have prevented all of this if you had simply convinced him that I wasn't worth the trouble, but we're here now, and you will not interfere with me anymore." Her tone was final, letting him know that she meant what she said and that it wasn't up for discussion.
Sasuke merely pressed his lips together and said nothing, the remainder of their walk completed in silence. Just as they were getting to the door of the room where the trial would take place, Sasuke took Ophelia's arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway.
"I don't know how much this will help you, but," he sighed and looked down the hallway to make sure no one was around, and then leaned down, bringing his mouth to her ear, and whispering "Kenshin suffered bruising to his lower ribs on the right, and has an old knee injury on his left, do with that what you will." before standing up straight and ushering her through the door.
When they entered Kasugayama's dojo, both Kenshin and Shingen were already there, the latter looking very concerned, and approached Ophelia immediately.
"Ophelia," Shingen spoke with quiet urgency "If I had known this was your proposal, I never would have encouraged Kenshin to visit you. I offered to let you out myself, what made you believe that this was a good idea?"
"With all due respect, lord Shingen," Ophelia answered, looking him straight in the eye, discarding coy facade that was no longer necessary "as attractive as your offer was, I felt it was too good to be true, and wanted to fight for my freedom on my own terms. I'm sure you understand."
Shingen stepped back, realizing that Ophelia had been just as shrewd as he, and nodded, an expression of respect on his features "Well then, good luck, my lady."
As Ophelia and Kenshin faced each other, she looked him over carefully, sizing him up. He already had the advantage of size, strength and vastly more experience than she did, as well as being in a familiar setting. The odds were stacked against her, and for a moment, she wavered, feeling a twinge of fear at the prospect of losing; the last thing she wanted to do was stay in Echigo, and the possibility of it almost overwhelmed her. But just as she was starting to sink under the weight of her fear, she remembered the look on Nobunaga's face, and remembered the pride in his voice the first time she landed a blow on him "You're really trying, Lili," he had told her "I'm very proud of how much you've improved, and I expect you'll continue doing well." The memory made her heart swell, and cemented her resolve; she would make it back to him no matter how many men she had to fight to do it.
Ophelia had been so focused that she hadn't heard a word of what Shingen was saying as he explained the rules, the only thing she heard was when he commanded them to start. As they circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move, it dawned on Ophelia that even the idea of fighting a woman was completely foreign to Kenshin, and he was likely not prepared to fight her with the same aggression that he would with a man. He already underestimated her, and Ophelia decided to use that to her advantage.
Discarding the safe strategy of waiting for Kenshin to make the first move and basing her plan off of that, Ophelia charged him head on, aiming a blow at his sternum.
Caught off guard by her aggressiveness, he almost didn't react in time, but his skills didn't abandon him, and he deftly avoided her strike, grabbing her arm at the same time, and sending her sprawling across the mat.
Ophelia was on her feet in an instant, and hurled herself at Kenshin again, focusing her attacks on his torso, and once again he deflected and tossed her to the ground. This went on over and over again, until Ophelia started to notice him relaxing his vigilance; this had been her plan all along: convince him that she was careless and impulsive, thus making him drop his guard, and it was finally working. The next time he threw her down, Ophelia lay there, unmoving, until she felt him approach her to find out if she was ready to give up. She waited until she could sense him right behind her, the shifting of the mats telling her that he was crouching down to touch her. It was at that point that she launched her real attack.
Kenshin was just reaching down to take hold of her shoulder and ask if she was done, when Ophelia's hand flashed out and seized the arm extending toward her. Yanking hard on his arm, Ophelia sprang up off the floor, pushing off hard with her foot as she pulled on Kenshin, the doubled momentum sending her flying past him, letting go at the last second and bringing her elbow down hard on his lower rib cage area, where Sasuke had told her he was injured. The resulting pained grunt told her he had been telling the truth, and that she had struck true. She instantly followed up her first attack with a sweeping kick to his left knee, that worked beautifully, and brought him down with a painful groan as his weight landed on that injured knee.
Not wanting to waste her opportunity, Ophelia leapt onto Kenshin's back and wound an arm around his neck, locking the hand of that arm into the elbow of the other arm, and squeezing with all her might as she wrapped her legs around his torso, and held on for dear life.
Kenshin fought back immediately, seizing her arms and trying to yank them away from his neck. However, the tightness around both his neck and chest, combined with the two blows to his previous injuries had knocked a lot of the breath from his lungs, breath that he was quickly losing every second that Ophelia retained her hold on him.
Miraculously, Ophelia held on long enough to where she felt Kenshin's grasp go slack and his body start to sink to the floor. Worried that he might be trying to feign defeat so he could throw her off, Ophelia held on even tighter, until his body slumped to the floor. Even then, she didn't let go until she heard Sasuke's cry of "Lord Kenshin! Are you alright?" At which point, she let go and kicked off of him, rolling away as swiftly as possible and jumping to her feet.
Sasuke and Shingen had rushed to Kenshin and were trying to revive him, while Ophelia stood there staring, unsure of what to do.
It was then that Kenshin jerked awake and said in a half shouted mumble "She knew about my injuries, don't let her go!"
At that moment, Ophelia knew she had to run. Her eye's barely connected with Sasuke's, before she whirled around and sprinted for the door. She heard Shingen shout and get to his feet, but she had stopped listening. Flinging the door open, she was through it and flying down the hallways toward the stables where she knew Sakura was being kept.
Staying focused on her destination, Ophelia took no notice of those she passed as she raced toward freedom. When she reached the stables, she didn't bother grabbing any tack, but used the last air in her ragged lungs to whistle, the resulting neigh telling her exactly where the mare was waiting. Yanking open the stable door, she used her last bit of strength to haul herself up onto the mare's back, wrapping her arms around her neck and whispering "Take us home, girl. Take me to Nobunaga."
The mare let out a lively whinny as if she understood, and took off like a rocket, nearly bowling over the two stablemen who had come to investigate the commotion. As they flew toward the castle gate, Ophelia could hear shouts of "Close the gate! Don't let that woman get away!" Knowing there was nothing more she could do, Ophelia lay flat on the mare's neck and held on as tightly as possible, willing all her strength to flow from her body into the horse, and trusting her friend to get them out of there.
Her trust was not misplaced. As the soldiers were scrambling to get the gate shut, Sakura put her head down and put on a burst of speed, shooting through the gate with barely enough room to clear Ophelia's legs. And just like that, they were out in the open fields, skimming along the dirt road like birds on the wind, both of them tasting the sweetness of freedom.
When it felt safe, Ophelia sat up, and tugged on Sakura's mane, slowing her pace down to an easy lope. Looking back, she could see Kasugayama castle in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief "We must be almost out of Echigo, girl. That means we'll be in Azuchi soon." She felt a wave of longing at the thought "It feels like it's been so long." she mused "I hope everyone's ok. I didn't even take it into consideration that any of them could have gotten injured." She hoped with all her heart that this wasn't the case, and pushed the possibility out of her mind as they continued toward home.
As they crested the next hill, Ophelia saw something in the distance that made her squint and hold up her hand to shade her eyes from the sun, trying to get a look at what it was. It appeared to be a huge cloud of dust rising up over a far hill, and she strained to identify it, until it came to her "It's an army! But whose…" as the army grew closer, she recognized the banner and her heart leaped in her chest "That's the Oda banner! It's Nobunaga!" Winding her hands into Sakura's mane, Ophelia squeezed her legs around her, urging her on as fast as possible. The mare too seemed to recognize her people, and obeyed gladly, taking off at a swift gallop.
As she neared the army, Ophelia was able to make out each of the warlord's distinct armor, and the way he carried himself on his horse "Mitsunari, Hideyoshi, Masamune, Mitsuhide...Ieyasu is there too! But where...?" scanning the crowd for the one person she was looking for, Ophelia's shoulders began to sag when she didn't see him, but then- "There he is!" All the way to the right, and riding out in front of the others and sitting tall upon his black war horse, was Nobunaga himself. Ophelia could see the fierce determination on his face and it made her shiver; gods help whoever got in his way.
"He's coming for me," she thought, her emotions almost overflowing "he's on his way to rescue me." Without another thought, she urged Sakura on faster, speeding toward the army at a full gallop. When she was close enough to be heard, she began shouting "Nobunaga! Nobunaga, I'm ok! I'm safe!"
When they heard her, the entire troup picked up speed, galloping to meet her. When they reached a distance of about a quarter of a football field, they slowed to a walk, letting Nobunaga go out to meet her while they hung back.
Unable to wait, Ophelia tugged on Sakura's mane, making her slow until she could safely throw her leg over and slide to the ground. Once her feet made contact, Ophelia took off at a run, straight for Nobunaga, a lump catching in her throat as she ran, her eyes blinded by tears. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his leg and held on with every last bit of strength she had, as she let go and let the sobs come pouring out, tears leaving streaks in the dirt that covered her face.
Two strong hands slipped under her arms and lifted her aloft, depositing her in the saddle in front of him and holding her tight to his chest. Nobunaga then steered his charger toward Sakura, getting close enough to reach out and slip his hand under her soft chin and pull up her head, giving her a kiss on her velvety nose "You've done well, Sakura, now go home." he released the mare's chin and slapped her on the rump as she passed, making her whinny happily and break into a run toward where she knew her home was. Turning to face his army, Nobunaga addressed them "Ophelia is safe, let's return to Azuchi. Kenshin will pay for his actions another time."
Nobunaga continued to hold Ophelia tight as they rode. Her exhaustion finally caught up to her, and the rhythmic movements of the horse soon lulled her to sleep.
When she awoke, Ophelia found herself submerged in a steaming hot bath while Nobunaga sat behind her, washing her hair. Ophelia instinctively sat up, a little disoriented, until Nobunaga took hold of her shoulders and pulled her back down to allow him to continue with her hair.
"You're awake," he said simply "care to tell me what happened now?"
Ophelia let her body sag against him, leaning her face on the inside of his knee, and told him everything.
"So, you're telling me that you took on Kenshin Uesugi in hand to hand combat and not only won, but put him to sleep as well?" His tone held no indication of how he felt about it, and Ophelia was worried that he didn't believe her.
"If Sasuke hadn't told me about his injuries, I might not have been able to, but all I wanted to do was get away so I could come back here. I was determined to, no matter what happened."
There was a thoughtful silence and Ophelia thought he was done asking her questions, until he let put a low chuckle that turned into a full blown peal of laughter. "A tiny woman subduing the "god of war"! I don't think I've heard something so wonderful in a very long time. And it was my good luck charm who defeated him, he must be mad with rage." Nobunaga continued laughing for a while, completely amused by Ophelia's story.
When he was done, Nobunaga took a towel and wrapped it around Ophelia's shoulders, lifting her out of the bath, and dressing her in a kimono, before taking her hand and leading her from the steam room.
When they reached the tenshu, Nobunaga let go of Ophelia's hand and walked to the low table next to his bed, where there had been placed a bottle of sake and two cups, and sat down to start pouring it.
"You'll sleep here tonight," he said without looking up "you need your rest and I'm going to make sure you're warm and you get it."
Ophelia stepped toward him, clasping her hands together and twisting her fingers, trying to hide her nervousness "I don't want to rest."
Nobunaga looked up at her in curiosity, but she continued.
"When I was sitting in that cell, all I could think about was getting back to you. I missed you terribly, Nobunaga, and getting kidnapped made me realize that i have to express myself while I have the chance, or I might not ever be able to." She approached him until she was almost at his knees, and then untied the belt of her kimono, letting it slide to the floor as she spoke "I love you, Nobunaga Oda. And I want you with every part of my body. It all belongs to you, please take everything I have to offer."
He gazed up at her, crimson-tinged eyes alight with desire as he looked her over from the crown of her head down to her toes. Without answering, he reached out and took hold of her hips, drawing her between his knees and nuzzling his face softly between her breasts. He dug his fingers into her hips, before relaxing his grip and sliding his hands up to her waist and then her ribs, brushing his thumbs over her skin and along the undersides of her breasts, before leaning down and kissing where he had just touched.
Ophelia sucked in a sharp breath and lifted her hands, resting them on his shoulders as he continued exploring her body.
Moving to one of her nipples, Nobunaga flicked his tongue over it, before pulling it into his mouth and closing his teeth over it, gently nipping the sensitive flesh.
Ophelia let out a soft cry and arched against him, her hands gripping his arms tightly for support as he tasted her.
Appreciated her response, Nobunaga wrapped one arm around her hips, while laying the hand of his other over her belly and sliding it downward.
Tensing as she felt where he was heading, Ophelia held onto him desperately as his hand slid between her legs and he drew a finger through her lips to test her wetness. Finding her dripping, he gave a hum of approval, and slipped a callused finger into her willing heat, pulling a soft moan from her lips as he curled his finger and drew it back out. He was soon pressing in again, working her yielding flesh and getting her used to one finger, her arousal allowing him to add another and begin stroking her inner walls as he pressed the pad of his hand against her clit.
Ophelia reacted strongly and let her head fall back amidst her pleasure, but immediately felt Nobunaga move his hand from her hip and grip the back of her neck, tipping it forward so she had to meet his gaze.
"Look at me, I want to see your face." Was his command.
Ophelia did her best to obey, but the intensity of his gaze made it hard for her to meet it as he pumped his fingers inside of her, touching her everywhere she was most sensitive. As her climax bore down on her, Ophelia held on to Nobunaga as hard as she could, his name falling from her lips as he pushed her over the edge with one last stroke of his hand.
Ophelia leaned against his chest, her strength sapped, as she caught her breath, her mind a blur of pleasure and joy at having finally become intimate with Nobunaga after so much time and teasing. She clung to him, as if afraid that it was all a sweet dream, and she might wake up, still alone in the Kasugayama dungeons.
Nobunaga took hold of her chin and tipped it up to look at him "Are you still with me?" He asked, a hint of amusement mingled with the warmth in his eyes.
"Yes, and I will never be parted from you again, no matter what." Ophelia stared up at him dreamily, pure adoration radiating from her eyes, and all for him.
He smiled, leaning down and kissing her with a passion that made her dizzy, not stopping until she was again out of breath, her lips swollen and red from his attentions. But he was far from done, and as Ophelia shifted on his lap, she was reminded that he hadn't shared in her satisfaction, and she was struck with guilt at not immediately reciprocating. Sliding off his knee and onto hers, she reached for the belt that held his kimono together, intending to return the favor with all the fervent enthusiasm she had built up inside of her, eager to please her lover and show him how much she loved him, but he stopped her.
Holding Ophelia's face between his hands, Nobunaga prevented her from continuing with her intended task. In answer to the questioning look she gave him, he shook his head "There is time for that later, right now, I wish to continue exploring my gift more thoroughly." Without waiting for an answer, he gripped her around her ribs and lifted her up, standing as he did so, and turned around to face the bed, tossing her down gently before he began to undress himself.
Ophelia felt her desire for him come surging back through her body, her skin feeling unbearably hot, as she watched him loosen his robes and let them fall to the floor. She took in every detail: the strong sloping of his shoulders, the defined curves of his muscles, and the dextrous movements of his battle worn hands as he unfastened his clothing; even the scars held beauty to her, and she wanted to know about each one. Ophelia desperately wanted to run her hands over every inch of his skin, and press her lips to each scar, affirming her love for him in every way she knew how.
When Nobunaga pushed his hakama to the floor, Ophelia's heartbreak quickened with excitement; even his cock was beautiful to her, its thickness and the way it stood up from between his legs, making it look as proud and confident as the man who owned it.
Glancing up, Ophelia saw that he had noticed her staring, and was watching her with a smirk, making her drop her eyes and blush deeply.
Talking a step closer, Nobunaga took her chin between his fingers and tipped her head back to look at him "Do you like what you see? Don't be ashamed Lili, there is no need, we share everything now."
Ophelia let her eyes travel back to his length and, emboldened by his words, reached out and laid her hands on his thighs, sliding them upward and relishing the feeling of his skin beneath her fingers, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his low abdomen "You're so beautiful." She breathed huskily as she let her hands rove over his body, and indulging her desire to kiss every one of his scars that she could reach.
Nobunaga allowed her to explore for a while, his own breath quickening under her touch. Finally, when he'd had enough, and his desire was too great to be denied any longer, he pulled away and set his hands on Ophelia's shoulders, giving her a gentle push and letting her fall backwards on the futon, her heavy locks of silken hair spread out around her head like a halo. He then took hold of both of her knees and spread them apart, exposing her completely, and giving him a view that, from the look on his face, he enjoyed very much.
Ophelia merely lay back on the bed and made no protest when he opened her legs, allowing him to splay her out. With just a few words from her lover, she had abandoned any shame she might have felt, enjoying the way he took ownership of her body, and taking great pleasure from being able to give herself to him entirely.
Nobunaga's eyes had taken on a greedy glint, and he slid his hands down Ophelia's thighs, letting them come to rest at their apex, and then running his thumbs along her outer lips before spreading them open. Taking his cock in one hand, he slid the head of it through her folds and over her clit, making her bite her lip and push her hips up against him, begging for more.
"You're eager, aren't you, Lili?" He asked, a smug half smile turning up the corners of his mouth.
"Yes," she answered with a soft sigh "I meant what I said, my body belongs to you, please do whatever you want with it."
Without replying to her entreaty, he dragged his length through her ever-moistening sex several more times, until it glistened with her arousal. Then, as if tired of teasing her, he brought the flushed head of his cock to her entrance and began pushing it in, his pace slow to allow her to get used to the feeling.
Ophelia gasped and let her head fall back on the bed, curling her fingers into the blankets beneath her, desperate for anything to hold on to as her walls were deliciously stretched by her lover's manhood. She hadn't realized how long she'd wanted this, until it was happening, and just then nothing felt more right than to feel him moving inside her. She'd never felt so intimately connected to another soul in her life, and it gave her a mixed sense of awe and fear.
Nobunaga, who had been watching her face intently, seemed to recognize the profoundness of emotion she was experiencing, leaned down and propped himself above her on one elbow, while other arm slid beneath her and wrapped around the small of her back, holding her tightly and tipping her hips upward to give him a better angle to push deeper inside her. By then, he was buried to the hilt, and after a breathless pause - during which, they stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity - he began to withdraw from her heat, making her whimper at the absence.
Never having felt so full in her life, Ophelia immediately missed it when he pulled out, but didn't have long to wait, Nobunaga felt the same way, and pushed back into her with an urgency that belied his manner of calm control. Ophelia felt it and it made her heart swell; he wanted her too, badly, and she pushed her hips upward to meet him and urge him on, feeling a responding shudder from his body.
Their fingers entwined, and Ophelia reached up with her free arm and clung to Nobunaga's waist as both the speed and power of his thrusts increased, sending her into a fit of ecstasy, his name falling from her lips in tones of every emotion he inspired in her.
Ducking his head, Nobunaga sealed his mouth over one of her nipples and sucked hard, grazing his teeth over the sensitive bud, while he brought his hand up from her back and gripped the other breast, kneading it roughly between his fingers, his previously soft caresses giving way to ones of passion and desperation as he sank himself into her, all while still keeping her hand tightly clasped in his.
Ophelia was long past being capable of coherent thought; her body and mind were one with each other in the single, all-encompassing need to be close to this man. She writhed beneath him, wanting him all over her, inside her, under her skin; he was her world and she cared for nothing else besides pleasing him.
They moved together, their mutual desire building and overwhelming them both. Mouths on skin, fingers digging into flesh; the air was filled with moans and breathless cries accompanied by the sounds of wet skin sliding together and the smell of warm bodies.
Ophelia had never felt such powerful feelings building within her; she felt like she might shatter into a million pieces if they continued, but the idea of not touching him made her feel a way she couldn't describe. Having her heart torn out and thrown into the void sounded less terrifying than not having Nobunaga in her arms, and she held him tighter, a strangled sob falling from her lips.
Sensing her shift in emotion, Nobunaga released her nipple with a wet 'pop' and lifted himself up to look down at her for a second before leaning in and capturing her lips in a hungry kiss, an arm wrapping around her once again and holding her tight against his body as he continued pounding into her.
With his need for her drowning out everything else, Ophelia once again felt her climax bearing down on her, tried to return his kiss for as long as she could until it crashed over her, forcing her to jerk her face away from him and cry out "Nobunaga! I'm-ahhh!" her orgasm surged through her body in powerful waves, flowing up from her sex and peaking at her breasts, making her go rigid, her head thrown back as her inner walls clamped down on her lover's cock.
Nobunaga only lasted several thrusts longer, the sight, sound and feeling of Ophelia's release triggering his own, and he soon followed her with a guttural groan, spilling himself inside her as he buried his face in the side of her neck.
It was some time before either of them moved or spoke, both exhausted and not wanting to break the silence. Nobunaga was the first, to move, pushing himself up on one arm and gazing down at Ophelia with warm, affectionate eyes.
"What were you thinking during the last few minutes?" he asked, gently brushing a stray tendril of hair out of her face, "You sounded sad and afraid."
Now that those feelings had passed, Ophelia felt almost foolish; her he was, laying between her legs, still inside her, his scent lingering on her skin and those beautiful ruby colored eyes looking down on her with love, why had she felt the way she did? She didn't want to tell him and risk him laughing at her, but she couldn't keep anything from those eyes and sighed "I thought for a moment how horrible it would be to not be near you. What would I do if someone kept you from me? I couldn't bear it." even as she spoke, the tears welled up in her eyes "My wager with Kenshin was that I would stay with him forever if I lost, and in that moment, being closer to you than ever before, it hit me how easily I could have lost you and never had that." her tears then began to flow freely, and she turned her head toward his chest in embarrassment.
Nobunaga was quiet; he let Ophelia cry, for a few moments, and then she felt him chuckle from deep in his chest. Peeking up at him, she saw that the look on his face was one of cold amusement, but as he noticed her looking at him, his gaze softened.
"There is no way I would have allowed you to stay in Echigo. I would have burned Kasugayama to the ground before allowing you to stay there, and nothing Kenshin could do would stand in my way."
Ophelia's eyes widened; his eyes on her were soft, but the steely tone in his voice made her shiver; she didn't want to know what would have happened if she had lost her bet.
Nobunaga leaned down and kissed Ophelia's forehead, before gently pulling his cock out of her. He then grabbed a blanket and wrapped her up tightly, holding her to his chest as he rolled onto his back.
Glancing up at the window behind his bed, Ophelia saw the full moon shining down brightly, and she smiled sleepily as she let her eyes fall closed.
"You know, seeing as how you defeated Kenshin in hand to hand combat." Nobunaga's voice drew Ophelia back to the present "I think I'm going to have to take you with me to every battle I attend." she looked up at him, confused "With such a fearsome bodyguard, I'm sure to be guaranteed luck and safety wherever you are."
Ophelia groaned as he laughed and gave him a playful thump on the chest "I think I've had enough fighting for the rest of my life, thank you!" she said, doing her best to sound cross "You're the only combatant I think I can handle for a very long time yet."
Their laughter carried out on the cool wind that swept past the window and ruffled through the maples outside; Ophelia was again almost asleep, when her lover's voice drifted through her slumber.
"Ophelia. I love you too."