Nimue and Arthur had an altercation after the joining ceremony. It wasn't a big one, but it had caused tension Nimue didn't particularly want to deal with at the time. She had left Arthur standing there, quickly walking away to find a secluded place where she could be alone and commiserate. Turning a corner, she spied a set of stairs going up. Intrigued she climbed them, following as they curved around. She saw the light at the end and hastened up, not hearing or sensing anything untoward. She hoped no one was there. When she reached the top, she stopped in astonishment. Around her was stone platform, broken at the edges by lush ferns and other small plants. In the middle was a pool of water, steam rising gently from the top. The ground on the other side sloped away, until it met the edge of the trees, underneath their canopy was lush with other vegetation. The trees from where she stood looked small, for directly ahead of her, a glorious sunset took her breath away. The vista was a wash of golds, oranges, and pinks, heralding a warm end to the evening. The entire scene was charming, tranquil, and pulled at Nimue's senses teasingly. Looking around, she could indeed see she was alone. Arthur hadn't followed her, which did annoy her but for which she was ultimately glad. She wanted this privacy, this time to herself to simply breathe. She couldn't hear anything else except the song of nature. She did not sense anything else but hesitated in indecision. She wasn't sure she should partake of the beauty, but in the end, the calming sensual atmosphere won her over. Looking around again, she checked to make sure she was really alone. A small excited grin grew on her lips, as confirming it was just her, she started to undress. Her boots hit the ground, followed by her stockings. She felt her dress slither off her shoulders, shivers cascading over her body as the fabric teased her body, before drifting to the ground, leaving her in her undergarments. She too pulled those off, the gentle breeze brushing her skin delicately. Delicious little goose bumps littered her skin at the wickedness of her naked skin in full view of the vista. She took quick steps to the pool, sitting on the edge gingerly. She put one foot in, followed by the other when she felt the warmth on her insoles. She groaned in pleasure, her eyes closed in bliss, as her body slid into the steamy water. She was in heaven, pure unadulterated heaven. Leaning back, she felt her body relax completely as she gave herself over to the carnal feel of the water embracing her bared body.

She didn't know that she was being watched.

…

He had found the sanctuary alone. Of the other paladins, he had sent back to the camp and continued on. His reasoning, he wanted to see how many more symbols…. directions he could find. They had accepted it. However, he had gone further, circling the area, and had stumbled onto a small sloped rocky clearing. He had pressed himself to the side of the small rock mountain that, from what he could see showed a door. There were ferns and other small plants, he had used to help disguise himself, waiting to see if it was clear. He was sure this was the back of the sanctuary, left undefended. He could understand, as the thick vegetation in the tree line had provided him with trouble to get through. it was in his estimation, an extremely poor decision, and very risky but he had managed to find a way, feeling his senses lead him here. He had thought this was what they lead him too, but he was wrong. She had appeared in the doorway, causing him to instinctively grab the pommel of his sword. He stilled, perusing her. she didn't have the sword, she appeared to be alone. What arrested his attention completely, was the rapture on her face as she looked around the secluded area. He waited a few moments, as her feet carried her a few steps out of the doorway. She seemed completely unaware he was there, and this pleased him. He intended to keep the upper hand, hoped to capture her as quietly and as quickly as possible. Instead, he hesitated, his eyes roaming from her face, down to her boots and back. She was a beautiful creature, and he willingly admired her form as the colours of the sunset arrested her. he stiffened as she looked around her suddenly, unsure if she had sensed him. Then realised she hadn't, his mouth opening slightly, his eyes watching in abject fascination as she disrobed. His breath caught in his throat, as her creamy skin was revealed, soft and inviting to his senses. Her scent surrounded him, and he couldn't help but inhale it, his eyes darkening as he realised, she was slightly aroused by her adventure. She was a siren, her skin, her scent, her beauty calling out to him, beckoning him to her. the groan of pleasure she released as she slid sensually into the pool, shot through him, hitting something deep inside of him. He wanted her. he couldn't deny she had intrigued him before he had seen her. how she had managed to survive, escaping them, butchering the wolves and everything else she had to do. A worthy adversary. Right now, though, she was no adversary. No, he decided. Now she was something else. Now, she would be his. His decision made, he quietly left his cover, his silent footsteps taking him closer. He had become exposed, but she had never seen, her eyes closed in relaxation. He lent against the side of the rock, crossing his arms and his boots at the ankle, his eyes examining her unguarded body, admiring her.

….

She sensed something. She listened, but could not hear anything unusual, opening her eyes, she glanced around, looking for anything untoward. Turning, her eyes spied him, and she froze, terror flowing through her like an icy river. He was leaning against the rock face, his arms and legs crossed, still as a statue, watching her. they both stared at each other, not moving. She was afraid if she moved, she would break the spell, and he would kill her. for now, he was her voyeur, and so she waited for the inevitable, like prey petrified in the powerful gaze of a lethal predator. He gently pushed himself off the rock, straightening up, before stepping carefully closer to her. in response, she sunk lower in the water, her eyes not leaving his dark form as she cautiously moved backwards in the heated pool. His eyes never left her, his vigilant gaze seeming to caress her, as he ceased all movement between her and the doorway.

'you are alone' the husky deep tenor of his voice washed over her, and she sucked in breath before she timidly answered.

'yes' it was almost a whisper, threaded with fear. A small smirk was visible from where the cowl of his hood left his lower face visible.

'not very sensible of you' he intoned, his eyes scrutinising her closely, watching her lips tremble. Her skin felt like it was sensitized, becoming more aware of her state of undress, and the regard of his gaze. No man had ever seen her naked, not even Arthur, but this man before her, was close enough to see her should the water no longer shield her. a shiver both hot and cold from an unwanted desire and terror of the threat he posed coursed through her in that moment. She tore her eyes away from his, refocusing them on the hand that relaxed on the pommel of his sword. She noted he hadn't griped it to draw it, merely resting his hand there for convenience. He noticed her gaze, his eyes flickering to his hand before they rose again to observe her. her eyes again returned to his. She said nothing, caught before him. His lips opened enough so that he could wet his lips with his tongue. Heat rocked through him as he watched her eyes focused on his mouth. She seemed mesmerised and this captivated him. He spoke again, drawing her gaze.

'no one to come to your aid, I wonder if they would hear you scream?' his words seemed filled with a darkness, deeper then desire, that called to the very depths of her being. Again, she felt a shiver go through her, caught in the web he was weaving for her. her lungs felt starved of air, her heart beating faster in a lewd anticipation. she knew then, he was more dangerous to her then she had imagined, she had underestimated him. She had also underestimated her reaction to him. His very being taunted her.

'what do you want?' the quiver in her voice was barely noticeable but he had caught it. His reply was not immediate, using the silence of the question to pervade the atmosphere between them, lingering in the air. His eyes skewering her, perusing her, almost as if they caressed her, haunted her. his answer when it came, was quiet, full of sensuality, seduction, tinge with want and invitation.

'you'

The cadence of his voice was enticing, alluring, and tempting to her, lust heating her blood, pervading her body. He heard her breath as she sucked it in. he watched as a red flush of desire flared on her face, creeping down her neck. He witnessed her eyes grow dark. She froze, as his lingering gaze caged her, while he removed his sword belt. He stepped closer to the pool, laying them gently to the floor close to the edge. He watched her as a wariness permeated the desire filled haze, he had surrounded her with, with his words. His fingers went to the buckles of his cloak, releasing them so that his cloak floated to the ground behind him. He pulled his outer tunic up, yanking it over his head to drop to the ground beside him. She said nothing, her lips parted, as she witnessed his disrobing. He removed the coat he wore, dropping it behind him, leaving his upper torso draped in a white tunic. Her eyes followed as he lowered himself and removed his boots and socks. His bare feet shocked her, and she became aware, as the reality of his intensions became clear.

'what are…. What are you doing?' her eyes reached his, stunned when her eyes met the startingly blue of his. She had stumbled over her words when she had seen them, and now she could see his face. She took him in, the handsome profile, young, with a strong jaw, unshaven. Her breathing quickened. He was stunning. Again, her eyes perused his face, fixating on his lips. They held her captive, drawing her thirst to taste them. Her own lips tingled in want, her imagination yearning to feel the reality of his lips on hers. He moved, and she again lost herself in the jewel like depths of his piercing gaze. He hypnotised her with his eyes, as if they could see into the very depths of her being, they exposed her own craving, her desire, her need. His tunic was gone, and his hands lowered to his pants. When she realised, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she turned her back in mortification, forgetting the scars that graced her own back. She heard a rustling and felt the ripples of water as he entered. She pushed herself further into the side of the pool, her arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself, and her body beginning to shake, in desire or fear she did not know. She felt him near her, and waited, closing her eyes. He said nothing, the heat of his body reaching her through the warm waters. She felt her hair shift and she startled but stayed as she was. The heavy waterlogged tresses were swept to the side, arranged gently on one shoulder. She rested her forehead against the rock, her breathing rapid. His fingers on the skin of her back drew her attention. Tingling and excitement roared through her veins, her awareness of him acute through his lingering touch against her skin. They caressed the tender skin of her back, alighting her nerves, temptations heat screaming through her body. It was then a sudden realisation came over her. her scars. In panic she sought to turn. Just as quickly in reaction, his arms reached around her, securing her, and dragging her back into the strong plains of his chest. his skin met hers, his arms like steel bands around her, trapping her arms against him. her awareness of him grew, as she felt his body, from the top of her shoulders, down to her backside, line his intimately, feeling his desire for her against her back. Her breath stopped, and she shuddered. His arms tightened in response, his lips grazing her ear as his voice teased her senses, low and enticing.

'you're not going anywhere. You're mine now' her eyes closed, and all fight left her, her body moulding to his as resignation or submission swept through her. she knew not which one, as her body betrayed her, and her thought processes had scrambled. He felt divine, his strength swallowing her. she felt safe, small and in that moment, entirely female. A moan of intense need ripped out of her throat, and she knew then, whatever would happen, she would let it.

…

She was pure fire, heating his blood to a passionate boil. He felt the burn, revelled in it, and knew in that moment, he would burn for her. She was molten lust, the purest temptation man had ever known, and he would have her. He felt her heat, felt her submission, felt her need driving her and revelled in it. He didn't know if they would survive the future. All he wanted was the moment, with her. he ached for her, the intensity of his ardour driving him further to the edge. The skin of her neck glistened, enticed him, and he couldn't ignore it any longer. He bent down, his lips tantalising her skin as he laid gentle seductive kisses on it, his tongue darting out to taste her. her head tilted against his shoulder, allowing his attentions, sweet sounds of her lust falling from her lips. She pushed against him in instinct, as he followed the line of her neck to her shoulder, occasionally nipping her. her groan inflamed him, encouraged him and he wanted more. His arms moved, his hands grasping her upper arms. She gasped as he spun her, her startled eyes catching his as he bent to take her opened mouth in a passion filled kiss, his tongue immediately darting in to further drown her in arousal. Her body arched into his, her hands running up his chest to dive into his hair as the band holding it together was released. His left hand laid low on her back, half on her backside drawing her into his lower body tightly, his body aching in pure unadulterated need. His other hand threaded into her hair, twisting in the heavy mass to trap her in place as he took from her, fulfilling his whims. They both groaned as the pleasure between them soared, both lost as slaves to a dance of sensuality and seduction as old as time. He drank from her willing mouth, thirsty for more of her. his hand released her hair, dancing down her back tantalising, joining the other as he ran them over her backside to the skin that met her thighs. He felt her shiver, felt her shuffle into him, and deepened the kiss further. Hooking his fingers around the back of her thighs, he lifted, opening her up, encouraging her legs to wrap around his waist. He simultaneously took a step forwards, pushing her back against the rock behind her. again, they gave voice to their lust, as the slickness of her heat rubbed alluring against him. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, lightly biting it. They broke apart, their breaths heaving, eyes caught within the others. Her voice heavy with desire begged him.

'do it'

His forehead touched hers, as he moved, fulfilling the need they both had. the slight feeling of euphoria dissipated when he registered the momentary hitch of her lost innocence and her cry of discomfort ring out. He froze, feeling Her nails dig into the back of his shoulders when she grabbed him, her face a study in pain. His hands clenched her flesh as shock overwhelmed him, realising his mistake. He was too gone in his desire of her, too hypnotised by the very essence of her, he did not sense her purity, did not think that she was untrained in the passions of a mans body, with as beautiful as she was. His eyes closed, as he condemned himself, his self-hate for robbing her of her innocence no matter how willing she was, filling him. In that moment, he knew he had erred, and had been entirely wrong about her. with self-recrimination, he began to remove himself from her, his apology falling continually from his lips in harsh whispers. Her reaction was not what he expected, his eyes flying to her face, wide in astonishment. Her legs tightened strongly around his waist, her ankles hooking together, not permitting him to move, her arms crossing over the back of his shoulders to bind him tighter to her, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

'no, don't leave' he saw the last vestiges of pain leave her eyes, their depths begging him to stay with her. he hesitated briefly. Her words reached inside him, and something changed. his fingers tightened on her, his lips pressing together as he once again divulged himself of her, feeling her heat around him. Her moan cut through him, reheating the molten lava she had created, burning through his veins. His eyes closed in prayer, feeling in that moment like he had found salvation. She was his goddess, and he would worship her. she encouraged him to move, her lips brushing his lightly. He responded, capturing her lips, deepening the kiss again as he slowly withdrew only to thrust hard into her depths again. He swallowed her moan, his own lost to the feeling of her as he took her over and over again. She was his heaven.

…

He took her hard, his stamina and strength appealing to her. she couldn't help herself, revealing in the sensations he created deep inside of her, moving against her, sending her higher. She knew not what would happen, only that she desired this, wanted as much as he would give her. he tasted divine. She delighted in the sensation of his skin against hers, the warmth of it seductive to her. she drowned within his taste, breathed in his decadent scent, beguiled by the feeling of soft skin over hard muscle. He invaded her senses, and she knew nothing but him. She felt the ache inside her intensify, flying closer and higher, the burn becoming deeper as she got closer to…. something, something she sensed was glorious. But she needed more. Breaking the kiss, she leant her head back against the rock, arching her back and thrusting her body into him as she pleaded, desperation clear in her voice.

'faster' she was breathless as her acquiesced to her pleas, seeming to need it to. Yet it wasn't enough. As if he sensed her need, his movements became harder, almost brutal. Her encouragement, her gratitude of her heightening pleasure sang from her lungs as it sharpened. One of his hands moving to her belly, caressing her from belly, over her chest teasingly, and up until it curled and cupped her neck and shoulder, holding her, imprisoning her against the delicious barrage. she was on the precipice, on the edge of something wonderous, waiting to fall. one last time, she did fall, his mouth falling on hers to muffle the scream that tore from her lips, as her body exploded in a rush as pure carnality swamped her. she was lost to the euphoria, indulging in it.

….

He felt her as she tipped over the edge, her nails breaking his skin, the pain only heightening the fire in his blood. The hedonistic delight she took within her completion, feeling her fall sent him soaring, bringing him over the edge with her. he felt himself empty into her, the debauched feeling of knowing he had seduced her and in return been seduced, permeated him, utterly sinful and wicked to him. In that moment, he hoped he tied her to him wholly.

….

They collapsed against each other, both completely breathless and lost within a decadent haze. Not one thought of his immoral actions in the eyes of the church invaded the moment. Only the virtuous feeling of a shared magnetism, a fascination, an attraction pulsed through them. It was useless to deny it. It didn't change anything between them. He would always be drawn to her. he would always hunt her; she would always be his prey. And she would always evade him, always flit away at the last minute, just out of his reach. That too they acknowledged, as he withdrew from her, their eyes meeting the others, watching each other. He touched her cheek gently, his hand cupping it reverently as he bent forward to leave a lingering sweet kiss on her lips. And she gently embraced him, as she excepted the gift, aware their short interlude was over. He left her then, staring after him as he exited the pool, dressing quickly. Once he had donned his sword belt, he walked to the edge of the clearing feeling her eyes on him. He turned meeting her gaze, promising himself he would make sure she would be aware of when he returned, giving her time to get her people out. He broke their gaze, having sufficient time to commit that picture of her to memory. It would have to do to keep him warm through the cold agonisingly lonely nights until he cornered her again. He smirked to himself. He would make sure she was alone again.

…

She watched him leave, this dark foreboding man. He had so effortlessly captured her. and she realised with regret, that there was no chance between her and Arthur now. She had burned in the fires of the churches most lethal weapon, and she had adored it, worshipped it, yearned for it. A precious interval, that she would treasure for the rest of her days. He had worshipped her, and in return, she had become his prize. She could not regret what they had done and hoped that one day something would come of it. As she felt his seed leave her body, she wished something already had, that she might be tied to him forever.

To her, he would always be her one.