White, stone walls surrounding a marble floor. Columns made out of large, single pieces of marble that would've taken a dozen strong men a piece to carry up the stair… or perhaps, a hundredth of a Reinhard. Where the walls met the floor, ornamental patterns had been carved out of mosaic and gold, bringing a rich detail to the otherwise solemn room. The fireplace that served as the centrepiece, standing tall to the eastern side of the room, was ablaze with wood that would never turn to ash, and a fire that would never cease burning.
The table was set with a teapot and two cups, both remaining untouched. Sitting on one of the many velvet sofas, overlooking the fireplace and a large, intricate mural depicting the sealing of the Witch of Envy by the three great heroes, Subaru couldn't help but feel out of place.
Over two years had passed since the start of the Royal Selection. Already, he had been to the Royal Palace of Lugunica several times, and even visited the galas of nobles who had just as money to spend as the heart of the kingdom- and far less restraint in doing so. Yet even as he dressed in his formal attire, long pants and shirt under coat in a design similar to that of the Royal Guard yet in his mistress's white and purple color, the black-haired man could only listlessly narrow his eyes at the opulence that surrounded him.
It would never quite fit him, he thought.
So why would someone like him make the trek all the way from the Mathers estate, which took still several hours by carriage, only to sit so awkwardly in a place where he did not belong?
The answer was quite obvious.
He glanced to his side, at the object of his affections. Her visage was just as noble as when he met her, yet her gaze had been sharpened by trials and ordeals alike. Long, silver hair dripped over bare shoulders, her white robes conveying the same, strangely ephemeral feeling that he had never quite ceased admiring.
It was just the two of them here, sitting on a top-class waiting room at the northern corner of the Royal Palace. It was nearly a month before the glacial period began, yet the cold was already starting to be felt. Emilia had never had any issue with mere cold. Nor with snow and ice, for that matter. And Subaru could only envy her for that.
If there was a reason why he had come here, it was because Emilia had come.
As part of the Selection, the Sage Council demanded occasional reports. Regular short meetings with each candidate and their appointed knights, where the ongoing Selection would be discussed. In truth, they were little more than formalities; mostly to keep tabs on the candidate's progress and for some mild pleasantries. Nothing too important. He was used to accompanying Emilia on these meetings.
He did wish it wasn't so damn cold though.
"Subaru, are you okay?" came a voice like a silver bell, crystal clear and ever so capable of catching the entirety of his attention. Subaru looked up, fighting off the slight shiver and taking in his princess's worried expression. It always brought a smile to his face, for appearances if nothing else.
"I'm fine, Emilia-tan!" he replied jovially. But his voice had just a bit more energy in it than usual, and Emilia's narrowed gaze told him she hadn't bought it, so he rushed to continue. "Well, actually, it's just a bit cold over here. The fire is nice, but it's not doing much for some reason."
The flames were pretty, but ultimately seemed ineffective. They carried some small amount of heat, but it was far from enough to fight off the cold temperatures. Maybe if he glued himself to the fireplace… but this wasn't the mansion. He wasn't going to act in such a way as to embarrass Emilia. Not anymore.
Following his glance Emilia pursed her lips, seemingly noticing his thoughts. "That's true… I hadn't noticed, but now that you mention it… the fire seems too weak. Almost as if…" She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Mmm… the mana is a bit weak. The fire crystal is probably running out."
"Did someone forget to change it? Or…" As the thought came to his mind, Subaru fell silent with a conflicted expression. Emilia in turn lowered her gaze, resisting the temptation to nibble at her lip.
It was something she was used to, and from his closeness to her Subaru too had grown to recognize the signs of it. A cold room at the start of winter, isolated in a corner of the palace and far from the meeting halls. Rare Red Tea imported from the frigid lands of Gusteko, known for their hunting and enslavement of demi-humans. And the grand mural of the heroes sealing the Witch, a looming reminder of the greatest curse Emilia was forced to bear.
On the surface, everything was as it should be. Yet there was also clear intent when preparing the room, so as to target the one it was assigned to.
To bring a distinct feeling that one did not belong.
…
"Well, don't mind that. If Emilia-tan ever feels cold or alone, I will be the pelt that covers you during the blizzard!"
Puffing out his chest, Subaru declared such nonsense entirely seriously. As she raised her gaze and saw his ridiculous expression, Emilia huffed and let out a giggle.
"Doesn't that mean you'll be the one freezing in the snow, Subaru?" she asked, to which he took on an incredulous, exaggerated expression.
"Oh no! How could I have miscalculated this! Please have mercy on your foolish knight, Emilia-sama, and let us find a natural cave where we can heat ourselves up instead!"
Emilia sighed, eyes narrowing and a smile gracing her features. "Honestly. Even if something horrible happened, I wouldn't just let you hurt for me. You are so silly sometimes," she teased, and it brought a wide grin to his face.
Then she hummed for a moment, looking downwards as if in thought before once again locking eyes with him. She lay a hand on his leg, shifting her body closer to his.
"Then… For now, how about I warm you up, Subaru?" she asked, eyes twinkling in familiar mischief.
She was so warm, just her body leaning on his like this, and the blush that had started covering his cheeks only became stronger as the mood changed. Emilia's own rising blush certainly wasn't helping matters in that regard.
The hand on his leg snaked up, reaching for the crotch of his white uniform. Looking between that and Emilia's face, who's warm breath sent tingles up his spine as it touched his cold neck, Subaru gulped.
"…what if someone comes, Emilia-tan?"
"You know how they always make us wait for over an hour, Subaru." Emilia responded to his claims, before narrowing her eyes and reaching close to his ear. "Unless… you think you'll last longer than that?~"
He mentally groaned. She sure had grown to know how to push his buttons.
"But we still shouldn't… What if we get something dirty?"
The pleading seemed to stop Emilia for a bit. She lifted her head, gazing into his eyes.
Her hand stopped itself right below his crotch. If it drifted upwards just a bit more, it would quickly touch the massive erection he had build just from Emilia's seductive gestures and words.
It wasn't really that he disliked the idea. If anything, the slight immorality of doing something like this in such a place, especially after the lowkey ostracization Emilia was subjected to, only heightened the excitement he felt.
There was just the issue of ensuring that everything went right. That nothing they did could inconvenience Emilia in any way. For her that was generally impulsive and driven quickly to emotion, Subaru had grown to be the brakes that kept her in check and approached manners more logically. Like a moth to a flame, the differences in their spirits brought them together just as much as the similarities in their ideals.
Perhaps knowing this Emilia took on a thoughtful expression, even as she pouted at Subaru stopping her advances. Then her eyes brightened and she lifted herself off the sofa, leaving him with a craving for the heat he had lost.
"If that's the issue, Subaru, then I have an idea."
At her announcement, Emilia turned to him and reached her hands beneath her skirt. While humming to herself, under Subaru's stunned gaze, she slowly lowered the strings of cute lacey panties she always liked to wear. White with purple details, as in the rest of her wardrobe. Comfortable and pretty.
Lifting up a leg, she slid the strap down her thigh high boots, with special care not to touch the dirty soles. The impromptu spectacle transfixed him, to the point where he could hear the beating of his own heart blasting in sheer expectation.
Seemingly ignorant of what effect she had on him, Emilia finished taking off her panties. With a smug smile on her face, she presented them to Subaru.
"Let's use these!" she said.
"…pardon?" asked Subaru in complete incredulity.
Not bothering to explain further, she approached the sofa, her smugness taking on a defined, naughty tone. She lay a knee on the sofa, before moving to sit on Subaru's lap facing him, in between his legs. The sofa deep enough that she found a comfortable seat even so.
It was impressive how easily she could make his mind switch gears like that. After her little striptease show, both Subaru's body and mind were more than ready for whatever she had in store.
Knowing she was waiting for it, he leaned in to kiss her lips. His hands took hold of her neck and waist, and the remaining nervousness she might have had relaxed under his touch. Even now, she was never sure that what she was doing was right until he validated her affections. Especially something new, like this.
As they kissed, sharing in each other's sweet taste, Emilia's hands wandered down his pants. She deftly opened the buttons at the front, then lowered his underwear to free his erection.
Subaru moaned, and she grinned as her pursuit of kisses became more aggressive. Her hands wandered up and down his shaft, pleasuring it with practiced touch. In between kisses, Subaru noticed the vapor their intermingling breaths were creating. Did the room get even colder, or did the contact between their bodies just make them that much hotter? He didn't know, but neither did he care. That Emilia was purging away the cold, was all that mattered.
Then, there was the feeling of fabric covering his dick. He moaned at the unexpected sensation, and Emilia broke apart their kiss, plucking away the string of saliva that connected them as she straightened her back. Looking down, Subaru saw how her panties wrapped around his cock. And when he moved his gaze back up to Emilia's smug smile, she began pumping his cock up and down with both hands.
The silken fabric felt different from anything else he'd felt. It was smooth and light, yet still applied some friction with every hand movement. And with Emilia's experienced touch, she was hitting all the spots with her fingers that he liked. Knobbing the shaft, teasing his tip, poking at the hole and playing with the precum that flowed out. Most of all, the lingering warmth of her body in the panties she was using for his relief, made the situation far more erotic than usual.
"Liking this, Subaru? Feeling better?"
The inquiry came in a whisper, in a purposefully innocent-sounding tone. He groaned in undisguised pleasure.
"Feels awesome, Emilia-tan," he managed to get out, in between grunts.
Emilia's smile widened, and she leaned in for another kiss, which he quickly reciprocated. Their bodies closed down the distance on instinct, seeking each other's warmth, and the feeling of their skins. Pulling them towards the inevitable ecstasy they craved.
Left alone to her devices, Emilia would do everything to pleasure him, while asking for nothing in return. Even if he never touched her, she would hardly even think of it and be pleased only with the satisfaction she gave him. That was just how she was. And Subaru had vowed to never let her do that.
So he led one of the hands wrapped around her back downwards, reaching behind her ass and in between her legs. Emilia's moans and the trembling of her thighs showed how sensitive she had become, and the wetness that dripped down her thighs only validated that sentiment.
He quickly found her pussy, and began rubbing against her folds with a finger. Immediately, as though on instinct, Emilia released a stronger moan, and wedged her thighs shut on his hand.
Not that it mattered. He wasn't planning on removing his hand, and it didn't keep him from doing what he wanted to do.
After a moment of teasing, he found her clit and began rubbing it as well. Emilia's body trembled from pleasure, and she was forced to break the kiss in order to get some air.
Her panting face, amethyst eyes narrowed in pleasure, mouth opened and tongue out, blushing furiously at him while too dazed to avert her gaze, as she often was prone to doing in embarrassing situations… He slipped a couple of fingers inside her, rubbing her sensitive pussy and just enjoying the cute reactions she gave.
Knowing he was teasing her, Emilia pouted and moved forward, this time avoiding his mouth.
Velvet lips touched on his neck, kissing and sucking on his trained muscles. As the pleasure she got from Subaru's fingers increased, so did Emilia's need to somehow suppress her moans. The sheer excitement made her teeth brush against his skin, before she started softly nibbling on it, sending lightning down Subaru's spine and driving him wild.
All along, she kept up her motions on his cock. Her technique faltered as the pleasure went up to her mind, being replaced by simpler and rougher pumps. He didn't mind that at all. They only showed how his own actions were affecting her.
They glued their bodies together, getting rougher and rougher as time went by. Soon they were locked into a trance, the only sounds being moans and grunts, and faint whispers of the other's name that validated their actions and feelings.
Lost in the heat of her body and the pleasure of her hands, Subaru could feel a familiar something coming. He lifted her head from her neck, panting from the lack of breath.
"Emilia-tan.. I'm almost there…"
Hearing those words filled her with warmth, and the tingles of pleasure she'd been getting throughout converged and expanded. As she instinctively sped up her movements, so did Subaru too give her pussy greater attention. Rubbing her clit and lips and fucking her with his fingers, giving her no choice but to be driven off the edge.
Rather than answering him in words, she bit down on his neck once more. Her vision flashed with white as she approached her climax, and she could somehow feel still how Subaru's dick throbbed and prepared for release. Her last action was to cover his tip with one hand, coaxing out his orgasm as the waves of her own flooded into her mind.
…
They panted together; bodies practically collapsed onto each other's. There was a bit of droll on Emilia's lip, which she barely registered before her body was lifted up, off of Subaru's chest.
He looked her in the eye for a moment, then took her in for a kiss. A far milder, yet no less passionate kiss than the ones before. Devoid of lust, yet filled with all the love they could give, and dare to take in turn.
"I love you, Emilia."
It was their ritual, of sorts. That whenever they made love, they would reaffirm their feeling orally as well.
Not because they had to, or felt the need to do so to validate them. Just because they wanted to.
"I love you too, Subaru."
So Emilia smiled in turn, mildly tearful from the excitement of moments prior, before moving in for another kiss.
Thanks to Emilia's careful handling of the situation, most of Subaru's cum was contained by her now very creamy panties, or her hand which had blocked the brunt of the ejaculation from dirtying his clothes. What remained, she deftly licked up like a cat, along with what liquid had stained her hand. Much to Subaru's excitement at the sight, which she loved seeing.
In truth, it didn't really taste all that good. But the sight of his face as he saw her lick up his cum was always more than enough for her to continue.
As they calmed down a bit, they looked at each other inquisitively. What would they do next? Certainly they started with a mere handjob, but that was far from enough for either of them. Gone from their minds was the reason why this had even started in the first place, or why they were in this room to begin with.
A sudden knock at the door made them practically jump from their seat.
"Y..Yes!?" quickly asked Emilia, in a shrill voice.
"Candidate Emilia, the council will receive you now."
The rough voice from the other side probably belonged to a knight. He left right after delivering the message, not even waiting for a reply.
Emilia and Subaru both held their breaths for a moment, only letting go when it became obvious they weren't going to be intruded upon. Then they flashed each other a smile, with Emilia climbing off of Subaru's lap. He sighed.
"That was fast… Wait, did I really last a whole hour?!"
"No silly," replied Emilia while raising up her skirt and putting back on her cum-covered panties. The slimy tissue stuck to her skin, and she moaned in discomfort. "They were just faster than normal. I think we were only doing it for some fifteen minutes."
"Right…" Subaru remained stunned for a moment, then… "Wait. Emilia-tan, you're just wearing those again?"
"Mmm? Is there an issue?" She looked seriously confused at his question, making Subaru shake his head.
"I mean, isn't that uncomfortable?"
"Ah, that." She passed her hands around her legs and thighs as she talked, making sure there were no traces of cum anywhere. "It's a bit slimy and gross, but where else would we put them?"
"Well…" It was true. They didn't have any baggage with them, and there was no time to go down to the carriages before meeting with the council, as they were already expected.
"And besides… I don't really mind the feeling if it's Subaru's…"
She averted her eyes as she said the last part, and her voiced filled with embarrassment. She blushed and coiled a strand of hair around her earlobe, then flickered her gaze towards Subaru while wearing a nervous grin. The sight made his heart skip a beat.
Though then, her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh… I might have bitten a bit too strongly."
Following her gaze, Subaru grasped at his neck. There was a faint moisture of saliva there, and a noticeably swollen area from one of her more passionate kisses. Seeing his reaction, Emilia lost her words and her blush grew fiercer.
Not saying a word, Subaru approached her in turn. Feeling the mood change, Emilia resisted the instinct to give a step back, looking up at her lover as he towered above her. Then he approached, as though leaning in for a kiss. Instead he went for her neck, forcing a sensual gasp from her as she hugged his neck, and he sucked on hers in turn. After a few seconds he relaxed and drew back, leaving Emilia short breathed and with a very obvious mark of her own upon her white skin. A reflection of the one she had left on his.
"Now we match," he said, throwing her a characteristic grin and a thumbs up. Emilia looked on in momentary shock, then began giggling at the antics she loved so much.
"Dunderhead… What do we do if the council notices?" she asked.
"No one says that anymore, Emilia-tan." Subaru shrugged. "And let them. Not like it's a secret anyway," he responded. "Besides, if they stuff two healthy young adults into a cold room like this, they should've expected something to happen."
"I'm a lot older than you though?"
"Do you have to strike me down like this?"
The two laughed together for a bit. Then, quickly fixed their clothing and hair, while Emilia healed the little love bites with her magic. Whatever stains there may be were also fixed with fire magic.
Outside of that room, presenting themselves to the council, they were candidate and knight. There was a level of presentation that was expected of them, which they had to meet should they want to preserve Emilia's already fragile standing upon the de-facto rulers of the country.
So, personal feelings had to be left aside momentarily. When they got home, there would be all the time in the world to remake the marks they left on each other.
For now, as they stepped outside the room hand in hand, they would face their trials together.
Many thanks to Vallhart, and many others, for repeatedly motivating me to continue writing even when my will to do so was at an all-time low.
Go check out his fic. It's some good stuff.
