Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 4

Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*

Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors

Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original.

Notes: I deliberately cut this off and I know I'll get objects thrown at me. *laughs* But there's a reason. I promise, and if you really want the lemon. I'll write it. *smiles*

------------------------------------------------

Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 4

------------------------------------------------

First and foremost, I am a warrior, a sorcerer, and lastly, a woman.

My name is Arion Rue.

Ironically, I was named as if I were male. My parents were ashamed that their only child was a daughter, thus, they named me Arion. Rue is exactly what it is: regret.

They were ashamed of me. Thus, from the time I could walk I was raised as a male. I was taught to fight, to follow the Cipher of Verve.

It was a hard life. I never had a moment to rest from the intense training of what my father chose to put me into. I had to become a Death Knight to bring honor to my father, the king.

To be a Death Knight, one must kill. I always found that strange when a Death Knight was supposed to uphold life.

So strange that I have started to question what indeed, if ever, I stood for.

I felt the smooth skin beneath my cheek move with the gentle rising and falling of breath and I sighed. My fingers followed the smooth muscles to the soft strands of hair that had fallen over a shoulder.

The candles bathed the room in a soft light, and I wrapped a few of the strands around my fingers, lifting it to the soft glow.

The hair was wreathed in a reddish-gold halo where the light touched.

It was hard for me to fathom my feelings, my actions, why I was even here. My fingers gently flipped back the strands that I held to gently rest upon the warm flesh of a shoulder as I pushed my face into the crook of the neck, snuggling my body tighter against the warm body beside me.

I have though much about the situation, and more often of what prophecy has foretold. That is the true reason why I am under Argo's command. Prophecy has told me that I shall find my peace in war, and in truth, I have… to a degree.

I am content to stay here, within strong and warm arms and ignore the rest of the world.

With another sigh, I turned my body so that my chin rested upon the soft rising and falling chest so I could see his face.

His eyes were closed and his eyelashes swept soft shadows against his high, strong cheek. His thin nose exhaled his breath while his slim lips inhaled.

I loved to watch him sleep, as his lovely eyes would twitch at times, as would his lips when he was caught up in his dream.

Basically, I loved to lie there and memorize his features. I knew I would not see them as long as I wished, so I often willed myself to remember the soft slope of his jaw until it came to the sharp point of his chin.

I could often tell you how he acted even with my eyes closed. His actions were memorized and seared into my memory, into my very soul.

How could I ever tell him that I would die and his hatred and bitterness would raise its ugly head once more and dominate him for a hundred years?

I could not. I kept that information to my own soul and heart, keeping the devastating information to myself.

I did not want him to think of things that could not possibly be avoided.

His eyelids fluttered and I saw them pull back to reveal slightly groggy slate colored eyes.

His hand, the one that was not upon my shoulder, fell over his eyes as he groggily asked, "Is it time to start our training again?"

I smiled softly, my index finger stroking the soft cheek. "No, it is the middle of the night, Oni."

He groaned and dropped his hand on his belly. "Why was I woken up, then?"

"I do not know. Perhaps you feel guilty about tossing me in that lovely lake when you very well know I cannot swim."

I saw the corners of his lips threaten to tug upward. "But you look so cute as a drowned shrew… you know you are a shrew too."

I rolled my eyes and rolled out of the bed, wrapping my outer kimono around my shoulders.

He laughed slightly as he rolled over, his hand catching mine as I grasped my obi. "You know you could sleep better if you got rid of that cumbersome leather."

I frowned down at him. "It is not cumbersome to me, and it actually feels like it is part of my skin. I do not wish to show you some things that evidently you would like to see."

He sighed and rolled onto his back to stretch, much like a sedated wild cat. "I understand scars, Shinare," he said in the taught quite. "I understand why you would be shamed of those scars."

I felt my back stiffen. "It is not as simple as that, Oni Masho." I could almost feel the wince that crossed his features. I sighed slightly through my nose. "I apologize. I have no reason to snap at you like that."

I jumped when I felt soft fingertips brush aside the hair that fell over my face. I did not hear him move. His slightly calloused hands tipped my chin forward, and he smiled sadly. "I understand far more than you would think, Shinare."

My body trembled badly as I felt his soft lips brush against my own. His strong hand slipped around my waist and held me gently to him as his lips gently coaxed mine apart.

His soft lips slanted over mine gently, and I let out a choked gasp as his fingers started to knead my hips.

I was lost within this fog as I felt the gentle tugging of his hands, coaxing me to come back to the bed with him.

Could I be any more helpless within the onslaught of so many new emotions?

Possibly not, but for some reason, instead of resisting and pulling away, I allowed him to pull me closer to him as he lowered me back among the pillows.

His soft lips found the column of my neck and softly kissed it while I threaded my hand through his hair.

I felt him pull away from me gently as he rested his weight on one of his elbows above me. His fingers traced my lip gently.

"You have nothing to fear, Shinare…"

I looked deeply into his eyes and saw the spark of something within, something that I knew I would be safe within.

I never once questioned the little voice in my head as I nodded my head and brought him up for another kiss…