A/N: After writing that "prologue" (Season of the Samurai) and then vowing not to start yet another story before I finished one, I put off the next chapter of the 'Nobunagun has a harem' story off for...over a year. But I finished writing "Need You Now" (at last) so, I have kept my promise to myself and will now finally actually start writing this one despite the fact I still don't really know where it's going. Oh well.

Warnings: language, intense sexual content (rape); you have been warned. Also, there will be Japanese used, to emphasize the setting and Adam's own grasp of the language.

"Kore wa nihongo" (double quotes with italics in actual Japanese are...actual Japanese words. I try to use it sparingly, mostly to add a bit of atmosphere. You do not need to understand all of it, if at all, to read the story)
"This is the character speaking English" (double quotes with italics in English are when characters speak English in the world setting)
"This is the character speaking Japanese" (double quotes, no italics mean regular dialogue in Japanese, but of course it's presented in English so we can actually understand)
'Single quotes in italics are inner thoughts'

"Dare desu ka?"

"Jaa, shin da yo..."

Voices in a language he didn't understand...not well, at least. The sand and grit being scratched across his face however, was more understandable-combined with the salty waves that kept crashing against his body, he knew he should probably move but the exhaustion that claimed him made it difficult to do anything other than continue lying there.

A few more exchanges, something about calling for help (maybe?) and then he was being hauled off the ground, the two men who found him sprawled and half-drowned on the beach having decided that he wasn't quite dead, and since they didn't know what to do, apparently they were going to take him to the local village magistrate and leave him there.

At least, that's what he thought. He'd studied Japanese to a certain extent before leaving the safety of Her Majesty Elizabeth I's kingdom, the British Empire, but it had only ever been in theory; contact with the island nation Nippon was rare, its rulers determined to seal itself off from any and all outside contact, the people and culture a true mystery. His proficiency with the foreign tongue was probably the only reason the ship's captain had reluctantly taken him aboard, despite him having no prior sailing experience (and could barely swim, to boot).

He could only let out a half-grunt as they dumped him into the back of a straw-filled wagon, but it was better than being left for dead on the beach. The storm that caught the ship by surprise had not only flung them far from their intended destination of the island port in Tanegashima, but everybody else was probably either dead or dying. How he, a lowly sailor who was certainly doomed to the bottom decks had managed to survive could only be chalked up to the will of God's grace.

That, or pure, dumb luck.

He wished the two villagers who'd found him could have had the courtesy to at least cover him with a blanket or something, but maybe that was asking for too much. One cold, shivering ride in a bumpy wagon later, he was dumped off again, only this time it was onto a dry surface at last, some older lady grumbling over him (either in worry or disgust, he couldn't tell) while barking at a younger male to contact some sort of official. Or...the leader? Emperor? Adam thought he recognized the title of "lord" somewhere in that name-but before he could make any more sense, the older woman was half-lifting, half-dragging him off again, this time stripping him of the dirty rags and then dumping a whole bucket of mercifully warm water over him.

"Ugh!" The woman muttered something along the lines of 'be quiet', but he didn't think much nor resist after he was drenched in another bucketful. Somehow he managed to tune the whole thing out, and anyway, when he was finally clean and dry and being set down on a pile of blankets, his fate was the last thing on his mind as the doors slid shut and the two voices started up in hushed whispers again.

If it had been, perhaps he might've decided against falling into a slumber had he heard where they were sending him next.

"So...you know how to speak Japanese?"

"Uh, a little—"

"—Good. Very good, indeed." The air was thick with a haze of smoke and incense, Adam holding back the urge to choke and cough all over this woman whom he'd been brought before. After a night's rest, they'd carted him all day, into what seemed to be the city, judging from the outside walls and buildings—and then brought to what he could only assume was their leader.

Oda Nobunagun. He was almost sure the woman's name was a pun, given her surprising fluency in English, and the numerous Western artifacts that decorated the room—French porcelain, an Italian oil painting, and what appeared to be her most valuable treasure: an impressive collection of arquebuses from the Netherlands, Portugal and the country's own tanegashima rifles.

"Y-Your...your English is quite good, Lord Nobunagun." He bowed nervously, unsure of what to make of this situation. Could she help him return to England? The stories he'd heard mostly seemed to involve trespassers getting executed upon sight. "I appreciate you holding an audience with me..."

She smiled slowly and nodded, before signaling a maid who then returned immediately with tea. "Of course; I welcome trade with the European nations, Mr. Muirhead. As I'm sure you can tell, I have a rather...fascination with your cultures. It's quite different than our own, here in Nippon."

Adam took a sip and nodded in thanks—the liquid was more bitter without the milk and sugar he preferred, but it was surprisingly refreshing. The tatami room was dark and hazy, Nobunagun's pipe continually letting out a stream of sweet-smelling smoke that was making him rather drowsy.

"I'm impressed; most noblemen in England wouldn't accrue such a...valuable collection, much less a woman..."

His words seemed to have sparked something in her; those maroon eyes glinting for just a second, but then it was gone-perhaps he had just imagined it? It was kind of hard to see anyway-the screens kept out most of the sun, and Nobunagun seemed to prefer her rooms quite dark. In fact, everything about this scenario was very...different than any of his encounters in England. For starters, this lord was a woman—not unheard of, but certainly unusual, especially since he had a feeling she was no mere proxy or concubine. No, the servants and especially the villagers who'd brought him in had made it clear that this woman was someone to be respected...and probably feared. And judging from the way her eyes seemed to be taking in every movement, every action...Adam gulped the tea down, but never took his eyes off her. She didn't fit the usual standard of beauty, at least not England's—brusquely-cut strands, maroon eyes that seemed too large for her face—until you noticed that subtle, calculating glance that saw everything and missed nothing. Her robes certainly dictated her rank: a kimono of richly dyed purple silk, embroidered with a majestic pattern of chrysanthemum and birds, carefully draped over her slender figure. It was hard to discern her true age; the robe and the sash hid her figure, but from what little was visible, he felt she could not have been much older than a child—yet her poise and language and just the way she carried herself indicated a well-educated, intelligent young lady.

"Enjoying something?" Adam almost choked on his next cup, coughing slightly as he averted his gaze too slowly, Nobunagun's laughter tinkling quietly in the background. "No need to feel so ashamed, Mr. Muirhead. It's perfectly reasonable if you find me...attractive."

"Ah, that's not what I—sumimasen, Nobunagun-sama..." He set the teacup down clumsily—the smoke was really getting to him, normally he didn't give girls a second glance, much less one who held such a high rank. "I-I'm just wondering, if there would be a ship heading out soon..."

There was a dark chuckle, and the girl across from him slowly rose from her seat, still smiling all the while. "Ho? Your Japanese is quite impressive..." She sat down next to him now, gently taking the teacup from his hands and setting it onto the table. "Don't worry—I find you quite attractive as well..." Slender fingertips suddenly stroked the bottom of his chin, and he pulled away in shock, only to fall backwards into the cushions.

"I-I-I'm just, going back..."

"Going back? When you've just arrived? I think not," she frowned, easing the robe off her shoulders while she sank into his lap, her fingers now more persistent against his collarbone.

"Why don't you stay awhile, instead? I insist." She had switched back into the fluency of her mother tongue, which Adam barely understood—but he understood her intentions, especially after she closed the gap and firmly placed her lips against his.

"Mmmrph—?!" Too shocked to do much, his brain whirling all the while-what was happening, how this could even be happening, and just what the hell should he even do. Even as her tongue pushed its way into his mouth, he could only sit like a statue, breaking out into a cold sweat of fear as her hands ran over his torso.

"How unresponsive...you're not very fun," she pouted, casually undoing the buttons of his shirt. "But your body is certainly enjoying it," she smirked, gently touching the bulge that Adam hadn't even noticed was forming.

"O-Oy...listen here, Nobunagun...sama...I don't know what you're trying to get at, but I'm only interested in finding a way t' get back home. As much as I...appreciate your generosity in having me stay, I don't think that's an option..."

The girl's frown grew increasingly deep with every word, and by the time Adam finished there was a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was it that had warned him this woman was not someone to be trifled with? 'But honestly, what the bloody hell was that?! If this is how they do things in Japan, just randomly seducing strangers...I don't know if I'd want to stay...'

"Is that so..." Suddenly she stood up, but it was only to close the door entirely and lock it-the pit in Adam's stomach took a further turn. "Stranger. You speak of such things as if you actually have a choice." Now she was walking back again, the tips of her crimson obi trailing loosely behind her like a river of blood across the tatami mats. "As if I am entitled to help you go back to wherever it is you crawled out from." The tone in her voice was pure ice, and Adam was seriously regretting his decision to even seek help in the first place.

"You do not have that choice. I am not giving you that choice. Wakaru?"

Those crimson orbs bore into his own, slowly extending into a smile as Adam could only sit speechless, shocked at those words. How could things have changed so quickly...perhaps it had been a mistake after all, to recklessly sign aboard that ship, even if it was to help pay for his mother's medicine and to keep them barely afloat, a step above the slums that were scattered throughout London. And yet what choice did he have at the time? The ship's captain had guaranteed a payment as soon as he'd signed aboard—so even if he didn't make the journey, at least his mother wouldn't be completely helpless-though given the current circumstances, that might as well have been the case.

Nimble hands were making quick work of the borrowed shirt, Adam feeling a chill from both the air and the very atmosphere itself. This was going from bad to hell in a matter of seconds; Nobunagun had made it quite clear that she was not in the mood for any sort of discussions or arguments, yet what was he supposed to do, just lie there and let her use him like a prostitute? Wasn't she the head of the city or something, how could everyone just condone such behavior like this? Before she could move to his trousers however, he grabbed her wrists and forcibly pushed her away, a scowl now permeating his features as he scooted back towards the door.

"Ara...you have spirit, that's for certain," she drawled, looking surprised but not upset by his sudden actions. "Good, good...that might make things more interesting, actually..."

"What the hell are you talking about?! If you think you're going to have me be one of your...playthings or whatever, that's not happening—!"

Her laughter sent a spike of fear down his spine; it was cold and mirthless, as if she were cruelly amused by his reactions and objections. "Oh...Adam, was it? Didn't you understand my words earlier? You're acting as if you have a choice, yet right now, you have none."

"Like hell I—" But as he fumbled his way to the sliding door his body seemed to not be cooperating, his legs giving out just short of the shoji screens. "Wha, what the..."

"Oh my...is something wrong, Adam? Weren't you just about to show yourself out?" That sarcastic chuckle as she slowly made her way over, deliberately taking her time as Adam grappled with the strange and sudden paralysis that seemed to have overcome his limbs. "Did you change you mind?"

Something was wrong; he could barely force his hands to coordinate with his mind, instead just lying there, twitching helplessly as Nobunagun drew closer, a dangerous smile upon her face. His vision was getting kind of blurry too, and a strange heat was making him sweat, despite his lack of a shirt. Was he getting ill...? "S, Something's wrong..."

"Aww...are you feeling unwell?" Cooing gently, she dragged him with surprising strength back onto the silk cushions surrounding the low-set table. "Tsk tsk tsk; you should have simply accepted my offer to stay in the first place..."

How could this be happening? As his fogged mind struggled to make sense of anything at all, his eyes caught the glance of a teacup that had been overturned during their struggle... She had been continually pouring him cup after cup, yet now that Adam thought about it, he didn't actually see Nobunagun drink any herself.

"Y-You...drugged me...th, the tea..."

Now her laughter was positively hysterical, head thrown back in pure amusement as Adam grappled with the sinking reality of having been completely duped by this noblewoman, for nothing more than her sick little fantasies. "You have a sharp mind, don't you? I like that..." Her voice dropped as she undid her sash and let the kimono fall off completely, revealing nothing more than a thin cotton under-robe that did little to hide her bound chest.

"What...do you want..." Forget about getting back to England anytime soon; his immediate concern now was hoping to God or whatever that her idea of 'playing around' didn't end up with him turning into a corpse. Even if it was humiliation and shame to the point where wanted to vomit, a corpse couldn't escape.

"Hmm...I'm not sure yet. But I do know that I want you. You're interesting...and beautiful, you know?" He must've looked shocked, for she laughed again while brushing his hair. "You don't think so? I've met plenty of Europeans during my travels so far...but I've never seen a young one with white hair, nor eyes like yours..." She whispered and he could smell the scent of something on her breath, faintly sweet like a flower or something. "They remind me...of a jewel...like an emerald..." Swiftly, she removed the under robe and loosened the straps of bandages around her chest, until they sat in a pile around her waist, revealing modestly-size breasts that were quite supple despite their small size.

"You will be my newest pet; I'll take care of you, and you will not ever have to worry about returning to England or wherever it is you came from. Won't that be nice?"

Nice? As soon as the word 'pet' escaped her mouth, Adam wanted to throw himself into the fireplace. But he knew that making any sort of rash movement here would probably set something off in this unpredictable woman...and as tempting as suicide sounded at the moment, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving his mother to fend for herself.

"...I...what?! Is this what you do to foreigners who come here? Treat them like amusements?! No wonder Japan has the reputation it does..." He sneered, but Nobunagun silenced him quickly with a harsh yank of his white strands.

"Cheeky, are we? Well, don't worry Adam, we'll have you all trained up before long...yes, pets need proper discipline first, before they can be trusted..." Another painful tug before she pushed him onto his back, the mild paralysis preventing him from doing anything other than struggling futilely to stop her advances. This was wrong...despicable, and if he actually believed in God, he'd probably be going straight to hell. Her fingers were soft as she toyed with his trousers, slowly easing them down and giggling with amusement at his very obvious erection, a deep sense of shame flooding his mind. How the hell could he even be aroused in a situation like this...every fiber of his being screamed fear and disgust, not lust.

"Please...stop...I don't, I'm not interested in this...!"

"Ho? Your body says otherwise~" She gave it a gentle rub and he flinched, or as much as he could given the circumstances. Her touch was hot...almost too hot, for some reason every physical sense seemed to be amplified more than usual, and he grimly wondered if this wasn't a secondary effect to the tea she'd drugged.

"Th-that's not...that, is all your fault...oh!" His sentence was left unfinished as Nobunagun gripped his shaft a little more tightly, eliciting a moan that surprised him. Was that really his own voice? There was no way he could make such a lewd voice from something so shameful...was there? "D, Don't, stop...I don't..."

"'Don't stop'? That can be arranged..."

How Adam wanted to tear that smirk off her face, those maroons leering and mocking him with each movement of her hands, his mouth attempting some insult but nothing seemed to be coming out except for increasingly perverse moans and quickening breaths. Everything felt so hot, and despite how wrong it was his body seemed to appreciate the pleasure. Biting his lips, he whined through his teeth each time her hands changed directions, his mind finding it harder to concentrate on what to do, instead replaced with searching for this peak that he seemed to be heading towards. It wasn't anything he'd ever experienced before-how her hands seemed to know exactly where to touch, how to make his breath heavy and strained while he writhed around; despite the drugs, it was nearly impossible to not react, his body responding unconsciously as if it were trying to release its pent-up energy.

'Impossible...how can I actually be...enjoying this...?!'

She was in complete control and there was nothing he could do—and she knew it, that smile growing wider as her hands move faster and tighter until Adam suddenly felt a lightening bolt of heat jerk through his body, muscles quivering as hot fluid slipped out. Nobunagun seemed a bit surprised as she slowed down, carefully coating her fingers in the liquid as he panted in shock, too exhausted to do anything other than lie there and stare at his own mess in disbelief.

"Ah, so soon...? I was just getting started," she pouted, licking all his sperm off her fingers as if it were the most delicious treat in the world. "Unless...oh my, are you a virgin? Even at this age?" His indignant stare and the subsequent burn in his face only served to confirm her theories, the girl even more amused by this revelation. "So, the Gods see fit to grant me not only a new pet, but a pure one, as well...either you're a prude, or I am just extremely fortunate." She licked her lips and her eyes seemed to glow, the demeanor switching from cruelly amused to near-maniacal. "You shall be a very special pet, Adam..."

He really was scared, now. Adam didn't even know what being her pet entailed-certainly sexual in nature, given how she'd just drugged and violated him with complete disregard to his protests, but those eyes suggested something even more twisted and dark than simply turning him into a male concubine. Even as the paralysis seemed to be waning, his unexpected orgasm left him exhausted, both mentally and physically; forget about making a break for it now, especially since he had a feeling that Nobunagun only had to snap her fingers, and a passel of guards would immediately come running.

While his inner monologue had been busy, Nobunagun herself seemed to have busied herself with shedding all her clothes; she was entirely nude now, and in the dim candlelight she seemed to be no more than a girl, the silhouette of a slim figure of slight height heading towards him.

"Since you're a virgin, you'll get the honor of being de-flowered by me." Adam growled in protest, but in the blink of an eye she grabbed his face, fingers digging in painfully to his cheeks. "Or would you rather I throw your sorry body to the prison sentries? Male you may be, but you're pretty enough...I'm sure those guards wouldn't mind, as long as they get a hole or two to play around with...an ass is still an ass, after all."

To be raped by a insane warlord, or gang-raped by an entire group of guards who had nothing better to do... Adam swallowed hard, but didn't say anything more; instead, he allowed himself to sink fully into the silk cushions—even if he couldn't bring himself to verbally give in, he had to at least make himself seem less of a threat, if only so Nobunagun would lower her guard.

"That's better. Since you've never been with a woman before, I'll take the lead," she murmured, seemingly more calm now that he seemed to have given up. "Just relax...who knows, you might even enjoy it."

"...Why are you doing this."

She seemed a bit stunned, either from his question or because he was still talking back to her. "...Naze? I am Lord Nobunagun. Nothing is out of my reach, neither the Heavens nor the Earth; if I want it, I shall simply take it. Just like I have taken much of Nippon; why should people be any different?" Taking his length, she rubbed some sort of sweet-smelling oil over it first, Adam hissing from the sensations, before she sank herself down and that dark crevice swallowed him in one go, Nobunagun muttering to herself in her native tongue about how good it felt.

"Now, enough with the games; let's have some fun."

"...Goodness, Lord Nobunagun. Did you have to rape him that hard?" Dark eyes took in the scene before him, Her Lordship just finishing tying a silk yukata as he entered, a pale, unconscious body lying on the tatami next to her feet. "You need to be more...gentle..."

"I do not recall asking for your advice on how to handle virgins, Mahesh," she shot back coldly, already pulling her formal kimono over the yukata. "Besides, a pet must be broken first before it can be properly trained. And you'd do well to mind your tongue...unless you wish to take his place."

The man sighed, but nodded in respect. "Of course, Nobunagun-sama. Forgive my impudence."

"Hn." She merely snorted in response, and without even a glance back at her latest toy, swept out of the room, looking as cold and imposing as ever. "Clean him up, and then get him settled. Ask Asao if you need something."

"Hai, Nobunagun-sama..."

Mahesh Mirza let out a breath he didn't even notice holding as Her Lordship finally left the room. Talk about intimidating; even he, possibly her oldest and one of the most trusted 'pets', could never be sure around a temperament like hers. When he'd received the summons, he'd felt a shiver of fear—his company was usually only requested in the dark of night, not the middle of the day. 'Well, time to take care of her latest victim...'

He knelt down, first to check if the man was still breathing—which he was—before starting the arduous process of hauling him back to the harem's quarters. "Where'd she pick you up, I wonder...you're definitely not from around here...Europe, maybe? I guess I'll ask Jess about it." Even unconscious and covered in questionable fluids, Mahesh could see why Nobunagun had taken such a fascination in him; the man was clearly good-looking, with unusual silver-white hair, pale skin, and a well-built body. It was common knowledge by now that Her Lordship had somewhat of a fetish for European culture, but this was fast even by her standards. Mahesh couldn't remember the last time he'd seen white hair on a young man. Perhaps he was one of those 'albinos' that he thought only existed in folklore...even in his home country of India, individuals with pale hair and skin were regarded with a mixture of fear and superstition.

"Oh, Mirza-san, did you need some assistance?" He glanced up at the sound of Kaoru Asao, Nobunagun's personal maid and confidant and...probably everything, to be honest. "Oh dear...I wasn't aware she'd added another one...?"

"Yeah, I think she just decided on a whim...as usual," he sighed, letting Asao help him carry the man to the bath house. "She didn't even tell you?"

Asao shook her head. "Iya, I haven't seen her since this morning, when the local magistrate wanted to...oh." Her mouth formed a perfect 'o', as the pieces suddenly fell into place.

"Oh? Does this have something to do with that visit this morning?"

"...I overheard the villagers say that a man was found washed up on the beach a few days ago; a gaijin, yet he was able to speak rudimentary Japanese...perhaps, this is..."

They both shared an uneasy glance, before continuing forward in silence.

"...In any case, please take care of him, Mirza-san. You've been here the longest probably; I know Lord Nobunagun puts great faith in you to help everyone else get...adjusted."

He nodded gravely; for he too, remembered the shock and fear he first experienced, after being purchased as a slave and not knowing what his fate was going to be. "Don't worry Asao, leave it to me."

The woman bowed and left them alone, Mahesh now wondering just how the hell he was going to bathe someone who was still pretty much unconscious.

"Yare yare..."