This story is inspired by my love for Ancient Greek mythology and loosely referred to the Illiad and the Odyssey.

M Rating: This includes rape between main characters(Neji and Hinata) and features a Neji/Hinata romantic pairing, so if you are not into this pairing, please leave and do not read this story.

I agree that rape in a relationship, any kind of rape is toxic and evil and should never be condoned in real life.

There is an explicit rape scene, so please get out if you are uncomfortable.

The ending pairing is undecided. Both Sasuhina and Nejihina have a fair chance.

If you are alright with these terms, enjoy!


Hinata heard the sounds of footsteps, metallic armors clinking as the soldiers moved, and horses whinnying from the distance. She knew it was time for the new king to come. He had yet to receive coronation, but he as well could be. She straightened her posture on her seat and slowly closed and then opened her light lilac eyes. There were marks of dried tears on her pale cheeks, but she looked calm when the soldiers barged into her chamber.

The soldiers all bowed and saluted a tall young man with long hair who entered the princess's private chamber swathed in light misty curtains.

Everyone knew that the princess was having her time of solitude after the king's funeral, but there was barely any hint of condolence. Her father was a cruel man, but still died a king. Such would have been the proper and sympathetic gesture to show the woman who was still mourning her father.

However, everyone also knew that even if he was yet to be inaugurated, the young man was the sole ruler of the kingdom. Nobody was willing to get on his bad side for the sake of the setting sun.

The man's pale irises darted around suspiciously. He walked into the princess's chamber carelessly, and his aura was commanding and cold. He made even, composed strides in his silver armor, and his long ash brown tresses swayed by his bare toned arms.

The maids gasped and quickly stepped aside, afraid that they might cross him. The prince's guards shoved the maids roughly to the side, causing them to scream in fear.

The princess stood up quickly and knelt before the young man who just so rudely barged in the chamber without warning. When he saw the princess kneel before him, his face was still like a marble statue. Seeing the prince's icy face, Hinata closed her eyes and knew that now her life depended on his hands. Kill her or exile her, it was up to him.

An imposing general whose name Hinata could not recall at the moment unfurled a scroll and read in a booming voice.

"Princess Hinata, you are charged with murdering your father, the great king Hiashi. He has died under your care, so your responsibility is sure. Such is a crime worthy of executing three generations."

She barely bowed her head, and her indigo blue hair swept by her face like silk curtains. She felt her heart pounding and temples sweating at the fierce accusations thrown at her. But she knew that such was the necessary train of events that must be taken for the new king, the sun of Cretes, to succeed the throne.

However, now that she knew her life was irrevocably in their hands, she couldn't help but feel her heart pounding like a drum and blood wash away from her face. Fear washed over her like an ice cold shower, and she prayed that her sister, Hanabi, wouldn't have to hear news of her death. Hinata thought she was prepared but like all mortals, death was frightening, meeting the god of death Thanatos was horrible.

Neji looked down at her and unbeknownst to his subordinates, squeezed his fist tightly. His face was as expressionless and cold as ever, so they didn't know that his right hand was squeezing the hilt of his sword. As she bowed her head before the men in silence, Hinata glanced up at his squeezed hands that were turning red. Her eyes widened in surprise, as it wasn't like him at all to lose his cool.

She was greatly tempted to look up and see his face, but she knew that if she did, she might be beheaded at the spot for defiance and treason. It was the first time she has seen him since their last encounter. He refused to see her since, and she was not able to understand his-what could she call it, utter despair then. She still did not understand. It was so uncharacteristic of him to show the slightest bit of emotion, she couldn't help but feel concern for him.

After all, it was she who asked him to be king. The night before her father died, she escaped the Palace and ran through the midnight dew to his isolated quarters and asked him to take over the throne. Or else, she and her sister would have lost their lives to the coup.

"Do you acknowledge your incompetence?" a general asked in a detached voice.

She clasped her hands together, "I do." There was no sense of sadness, anger, or shame in her resignation.

Hearing her answer, the general nodded in satisfaction, "Princess Hinata, we hereby declare prince Neji as our rightful king and we ask you to denounce your right to the throne."

The princess nodded, "I submit," and bowed her head to the floor before the new king. She pressed her sweating forehead to the marble. 'This is what I asked for. I don't need to feel shame.'

As protocol, a general bowed to Neji and promptly seized her arm. Then Hinata's eyes widened in shock and her paled lips trembled in shame and mortification. Suddenly in face of physical strength, her determination to be brave and hold steadfast to her beliefs faded.

She at least wanted to be able to walk to the sentencing ground or outside the palace walls herself. When she asked Neji to be king, she thought she might still have a chance for a honorable death. However, she believed he had the honor to spare her sister, so she cooperated willingly. But where was this brute stranger taking her? As she imagined what fate awaited her, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Then she heard a man's bellowing scream.

Lightning, was what the other men thought they saw before the general coughed blood and bowed on his knees. He shivered like a dragonfly with torn wings, curling into a fetal position. The others gasped but stood quiet. They never thought the prince would wield his sword towards a man who was just showing his loyalty to the new ruler.

The king lowered the edge of his sword that dripped with blood and looked at everyone, "just because she is on her knees does not mean she is not the princess of Cretes."

The generals' faces turned ashen grey further at the king's uttered words. "How dare any of you try to touch the royalty?"

The men gasped. Letting a woman of an overthrown king remain her right to royal blood-such was unheard of. Their new king's unfounded mercy could potentially be very dangerous. And the woman was accused of the greatest crime any mortal could commit-killing her very own father.

"But our lord," a prime minister who served many years protested, "that woman before us is nothing but a source of danger and chaos to your reign. It is traditional in other kingdoms in Greek to banish such women or kill them. And she is also affiliated with the past king. Showing mercy is not appropriate."

"Enough," his low voice warned the prime minister who instinctively shut up to preserve his lifeline. Neji eyed the men and slowly lifted his sword, observing how their faces contorted in fear as he raised the blade to their throat.

The new ruler made his decree clear as day, " I am now the third king in line of Cretes. I don't heed what other countries' kings have done. If you want to send my cousin to the brothel or the gallows, you could. But you would have to answer to my sword, first." He eyed the men who sweated with contempt.

The men gulped. Afraid of a violent death, they shut their mouths, but they couldn't help being bewildered by their new ruler. He was usually rational and even-minded to the point of being frigid, so these series of events alarmed them.

Even Hinata couldn't help but stare at him wide-eyed. Being a woman of the palace all her life, she knew very well what Neji's declaration entailed.

"My lord, forgive my boldness, but princess Hinata must not remain in the palace!"

The other noble subject who contributed greatly to the coup de'etat refused to have his plans to hold power thwarted by the king's mercy for a young woman who was a liable threat to all his plans.

"At the very least, she must be the priestess of Aphrodite!"

Another soldier voiced his belief that traditions must be upheld, no matter the cost." Without tradition, the kingdom shall fall." The only reason the soldier agreed to have the coup de'etat was to secure the nation.

"It is already great mercy to spare her life! Our lord, please reconsider!"

She was a political eyesore-if she bears a son or sides with a strong political ally, she would be great danger. She must be discredited through prostitution or killed without a name, so that Neji could reign in peace. And what was a better way to make a live young woman with royal blood a ghost, than to have her as a priestess of Aphrodite?

She felt her forehead sweating and her hands feeling clammy against the cold marble. The priestess of Aphrodite.

In Cretes and Sparta, the priestess of Aphrodite was a harlot-a state owned slut.

Like Sparta, Cretes had a temple for the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, which served as the brothel of state-owned harlots. Those who could not pay taxes were given alternatives. The government officials in charge of imperial taxes gave them more time, but if they still couldn't pay their taxes and interests, they had to sacrifice their daughters. However, Cretes was known to be a lot more lenient towards its peoples than other kingdoms, so not a lot of peasants knew of such harsh punishment. However, the nobles and those close to the royalty knew.

Nobles knew and feared the place because those who opposed the king and proved treasonous were killed, and their daughters and wives suffered the consequences in Aphrodite's temple. Many tried to oppose Hiashi during his tyrannic reign, so the temple of Aphrodite saw a rise in worshipers and priestesses before he died.

If Hiashi had a surviving concubine or queen, that would be where they would have to go to escape death. There, they shall worship the goddess of love and beauty and live as harlots. They had to serve multiple men, regardless of class, which will discredit their names, break their spirit, and make them forget their golden past. If they begot children, the sons were put to death and the daughters became slaves.

"I beg your forgiveness, your highness." The general who bled bowed his head over and over. Seeing the general kneeling next to her in front of Neji, Hinata was in awe of how destinies could change so fast.

She was no longer scared of the intimidating man who accosted her, but she didn't like how physically close he was to her. She didn't have such a good heart to pity the man who tried to hurt her.

For a moment, Neji looked down at her as if he was contemplating what to do with her life. His eyes were unreadable. He closed his eyes for a moment and appeared to be in brief, deep thought. He remained silent for a tense moment and then faced the guards and spoke quietly but decisively, "Take her to the temple of Kaguya."

His followers' faces turned sullen. Neji effectively shut down their ability to protest. The oracle of Kaguya was above all in the kingdom of Cretes.

Then he turned his back and stormed out of the chamber.

The guards then escorted her to the temple of Kaguya so she could receive the oracle.

In the dark of the night, at the hour when the goddess Kaguya's presence is known to be most powerful, the princess received the oracle. The oracle was swathed in a a grey lavender robe, her eyes covered with a dark blindfold, and she seemed to be in a strange haze of ecstasy as she received Kaguya's message.

In the middle of the ivory temple, the Neji stood by, watching this scene impassively. His eyes shifted to Hinata who was kneeling on the cold marble floor, waiting for her sentence. When the fire blazed on the altar, the oracle of Kaguya covered from head to toes in white declared in a booming voice,

"The orphan shall bury her bones by the moon. That is the only way she could atone for her fathers' crimes to the goddess."

A week passed and the princess silently became the priestess of Kaguya. The prince's coronation occurred the week after. And since, Cretes has been fertile and prosperous, and it seemed that goddess Kaguya's wrath has been turned.


A year later

The birds were singing as the sunlight shone on the white marble temple that shone like white fire in the middle of the clear summer day.

The temple of Kaguya had a beautiful private garden that joined with the palace. The garden was immaculately trimmed and protected by the imperial guards and gardeners.

The young king was escorting his friend who visited from the neighboring country Namikaze.

Cretes had a history of diplomacy and mercantile exchange with Namikaze since the times of Hiashi and Hiazashi.

The young king of Namikaze, Naruto looked bright like the sun and at ease next to Neji. He laughed and frowned easily, and his easy manners and grace around Neji showed that he was confident and not easily intimidated. The sun of Cretes was bestowing its rays on his gold hair and vibrant azure blue eyes that poets sung about.

Seeing them together was like seeing the moon and sun, striding in dignity and immersed in their own discussions.

"It is amazing how you have led your kingdom" the young king of Namikaze glanced at the palace vicinity with playful envy, "Who would have known that Cretes would rival Namikaze in an year?" He gently nudged him on the elbow.

"It is all thanks to you, my lord," the king of Cretes lowered his long lashed eyes to the grass and his long hair fell by the side of his face. That was the closest Neji seemed to be at the relaxed state -with his childhood friend whom he sparred and took lectures with.

"Neji, do you really have to address me with honorifics?" Naruto frowned in exasperation, "We've known each other since we were just boys. I came to Cretes with other princes for boot camps since I was a kid."

A slight curve lifted Neji's lips at the memory, showing that he was fondly remembering the strict classes and martial lessons. Naruto said with warmer exuberance,

"Don't you remember, Rock lee, Shikamaru, Kiba? We fought together. We wrestled together. We took those unbearable lessons in Attic, together. I see you as a brother, Neji."

Feeling a little put off by the word 'brother,' Neji said stiffly, "as I said, I think it is better to keep some distance."

Naruto shrugged, "Well, I guess I will have to convince you an other day."

Priestesses wearing pure white muslin headdresses and long shawls were busily moving back to and fro, chattering and smiling. Young female worshippers were weaving wreathes of lilies and roses, all in dedication to goddess Kaguya. But secretly, everyone knew that the priestesses and worshippers were all there, after hearing news of their young, handsome king's visit to the temple. And to be followed by the young and also dashing king of Namikaze? It was no wonder that all maids of Cretes were eager to beautify themselves and flock to the temple.

The blond king looked at the blushing maiden with eager and sincere admiration, "They say that Cretes is known for its sun and beautiful women, and I find it true." Then he joked, "But how come you are not even an inch tan? And how do you not even have a single mistress when all these women are literally throwing themselves on your feet?"

Neji's face didn't falter even a little bit at his friend's teasing, as he was accustomed to ignoring his jabs. His all seeing ivory eyes skimmed through the blushing women with a look of callous indifference.

"You see," Naruto offered, "the marriage offer of one of my female relatives still stands. She's smart. She's beautiful. It would greatly benefit both countries, Neji."

"No, thank you."

"Oh, come on-"

But then Neji's iridescent eyes shone when he spotted something from a distance. Naruto stopped talking and also noticed what could have caught his stoic friend's attention.

At first Naruto frowned. He couldn't see what could have caught Neji's eye. But then he realized that he was staring at his cousin.

When Naruto stood looking at Hinata, his deep azure eyes suddenly looked sad as he sighed, "ah…"

When Neji heard his sigh, his sharp gaze immediately turned towards Naruto and he regretted making notice of Hinata. He knew that before the coup de'etat, Hinata used to be betrothed to the young king of Namikaze when he was still a prince.

The princess only got to stop her hotheaded fiancé from declaring war on her cousin, by explaining that it was her will that Neji becomes king to Cretes.

But when he asked her to come to Namikaze with him, she refused for she has already made up her mind to swear her life to living in devotion to the goddess.

The usually sunny prince soon left Cretes and didn't come back until he became king to Namikaze. It was only recently when Naruto decided to respect Hinata's decision and rekindled his ties with Neji out of diplomatic and trading necessity.

When he saw his past fiancé in her white priestess's robe, Naruto laughed nervously and turned away. Neji assumed that it must be uncomfortable for even Naruto to act unfazed in front of his fiance who refused his hand to be a priestess. Also his past fiance was accused of the greatest immorality a man could commit-patricide. Whether Hinata truly deserved such accusation or not, there was no king who could accept such bride with such blasphemous reputation. As to shake off the awkwardness, Naruto started talking about the kings of other countries they knew back when they were boys. Glancing at his friend, Neji also pretended to not have noticed his cousin and escorted Naruto to other parts of his palace complex.

When the two kings left the temple vicinity, Hinata finally looked up from her scroll and gazed at the retreating backs of the two lords. There was a look of sadness and longing in her light, opaque lavender eyes, but she tore her eyes away from them with great effort.

A fellow priestess looked at the golden haired king of Namikaze and then Hinata. She was holding a straw basket while Hinata was continuing her task of plucking primroses growing in a haphazard way around the temple. Primroses only bloom at night, under the moonlight, so priestesses plucked them and dried them as potential burnt offerings to lunar goddess Kaguya.

"Priestess, isn't that lord Naruto?"

Hinata pretended as if she didn't hear her question.

When they walked back to the temple, their arms heavy with straw basket full of primroses, the nosy priestess kept pecking her with questions.

"Priestess, why didn't you accept Lord Naruto's proposal?"

Hinata sat in the marble chair in their workshop where she started plucking the primroses to make as dried flowers, "It's all in the past."

"But, you could've just accepted king Kamikaze's proposal! That way, you could leave the kingdom-"

Hinata quickly cupped her mouth, "are you out of your mind? What you are saying aloud is sacrilege and treason! If anyone hears you, the king will behead you!"

When she removed her hand, the priestess spoke in a whisper.

"But...why didn't you say yes?"

Hinata just smiled and shrugged at the sad, sweet memory.

She remembered her past fiance's look of determination and the fire in his blue eyes when he held her hand in his, and said, "Hinata, I love you. I always loved you. I know we were betrothed because our fathers were just interested in political ties, but I always loved you and wanted you to be my wife. I can't let you die in a temple alone because Neji's followers bribed the oracles." She wanted to correct Naruto's misguided convictions about Neji's culpability, but he did not spare her the opportunity.

"Hinata, let's leave this place."

Her heart filled to the brim with emotions when she heard his proposal, "Naruto…"

Ever since she met him when she was fifteen, Hinata loved Naruto and his bravery.

What wouldn't she give to follow her fiancé to the kingdom where he grew up as a child and as a prince? But if she was to pursue her individual happiness, she shouldn't have degraded herself willingly as a disowned princess who is thought to be bad luck where ever she goes. And if she were to selfishly marry Naruto for her own happiness, he would be denied his right to his kingdom by his subjects and also become an exiled prince. Because he chose a stigmatized exiled princess, not a bride who will bring great fortune to his kingdom. She knew how much he loved his kingdom Namikaze, the kingdom protected by the god of sun and fire. It would kill him if he was to be exiled forever from his kingdom. Knowing all this, she couldn't lead her loved one to demise and despair. She loved him so much. She tearfully pulled her pale, small hand away from Naruto's.

"I...I do-don't feel the same way, Naruto," she hid her tearing eyes from his sight, "I don't want to leave my home. I'm sorry," and she fled when he tried to grab her.

Naruto was devastated by her rejection but he graciously accepted her refusal and left Cretes without trying to persuade her further. It broke her heart that he didn't try to persuade her at that moment. But what did she expect him to say? I still love you? Naruto might have thought he have loved her, but Hinata knew in retrospect, that it was his fiery sense of justice that made him try to protect her even with a marriage without love or prospect. He has misguided himself when it was his sense of justice and indignation at Neji that blindsighted him.

She sighed. But it was all in the past. It didn't matter anymore. For now, she could confidently say that she is content.

"I want to be with my people...My mother, and father are all buried here. Goddess Kaguya has taken their souls to Elysian. If I leave, the patron goddess and surly the god of the underworld will punish me, for not being grateful for their blessing."

The curious, nosy priestess started at the mention of king Hiashi. She was well aware of the reason Hinata was banished to the temple. She did not completely believe that the exiled princess did indeed kill her father-she looked too naive and weak for such bold move. But it was interesting, nonetheless.

Hinata pursed her lips, displeased by the maid's nosiness. But she was more afraid of what rumors and gossip that nosy priestess might spread.

Hinata squeezed the juice from a tiny yellow primrose petal between her soft pale fingers,

"If it's just me that's being cursed, I could accept, but so will the land and people of the city be cursed. No one escapes the wrath of our goddess ."

Still looking unsatisfied by Hinata's text-scroll answer, the priestess decided to leave her alone and talk about other gossip subjects.

"Oh, by the way, priestess," the maid continued as she sorted the primrose petals from the debris, "You know that the vicars and ministers of the kingdom are urging the king to find a bride and queen, do you? But it seems for some reason, the king refuses to relent."

Hinata remained silent, shadow cast over her eyes, but the maid went on, "They say that the reason Naruto sama came is to suggest our king a marriage proposal to one of the female royal members of Namikaze! She was an Uzumaki of course, and undoubtedly she would be beautiful considering that the royals of Namikaze are all decent looking. The vicars and ministers must be finally at ease. People are thinking that he would be married for sure.

The light in Hinata's eyes trembled, but the priestess did not notice and blabbered on.

"I-I got to go." Hinata did not stammer in a while, but found herself fabricating an excuse to take up the straw basket of primrose petals and leave the confused maid alone.

Hinata felt her heart pounding as her feet scuffled pass the light green, crisply trimmed grass of the temple grounds.


Lightning streaked across the night sky, and Hinata crouching over her white marble table bolted up from the sound of the heavenly eruption.

Her dark indigo hair streaked across her face as she quickly jolted to an upright sitting position. As she calmed her palpitating heart, she realized that the candle wax has depleted, and she was surrounded in darkness. The hard white lightning demanded her attention before she could succumb to the calming darkness. A throbbing headache caused her to feel stiffness in her neck and shoulders. Even after the brief slumber on her table, she felt confused and sick inside instead of refreshed as she hoped.

She started once again at the sound that inspired odes of how the supreme god split the cosmos.

Tonight was such night that would inspire such story, she thought as her chest clenched in strange foreboding.

She quietly rose and fumbled in the darkness to retrieve a fire stone, and with fumbling fingers, she managed to ignite a spark that illuminated her chamber.

She went back to sitting on her chair.

Beneath her pale delicate small hand was a scroll that she was reading. The scroll was titled in Attic, The Founding Legend of the Hyuugas and the Kingdom of Cretes, circa year XXXX. Written by Anonymous.

It said -

Long time ago in the island of Cretes there was a legend that every citizen knew by heart since childhood. There was a young man named Hirama Hyuuga. He was a man known for his strength and exceptional beauty. What was more beautiful than his impressive physique and pale marble skin was his long, beautiful ash brown hair. The way his long ash brown silky tresses swept by his cold eyes and long, straight nose, and chiseled lips sent nymphs and minor goddesses in a heart breaking trance. But his arrogance broke many hearts, mortal and divine. Hirama was proud and thought his hair was even more beautiful than anyone's.

While hunting in the deep forests in midnight, he seduced the virgin goddess of the moon, Kaguya. Kaguya fell in love with Hirama and gave him her godly eyes -the Byakugan that could look miles and miles away as gifts of her love.

But Hirama proved himself to be unfaithful and begotten twin sons with a Cretan princess named Lu whom he made his wife. Having divine power itself didn't satisfy him-he wanted the power to rule over his subjects. Enraged by her human lover's betrayal, virgin goddess Kaguya killed Lu and blinded Hirama but was unable to take back all of her ocular powers.

But Hirama's sons Hiashi and Hizashi both inherited their father's byakugan and founded the kingdom on Cretes. As if attesting to their lineage, they had the ability to look at stars miles away as clear as day. Through their ocular powers, strength, and brotherhood, they built their kingdom from scratch and developed a civilization that rivaled Thebes, Sparta, Ionia, and Minot.

Hirama died of old age, but legend said that goddess Kaguya still couldn't forgive him.

Angered by her past human lover's offspring's success, Kaguya inflicted another curse and killed both Hiashi and Hizashi's wives after they have given birth.

At least that was what the oracles claimed to be reasons for both royal women's deaths.

Hizashi's wife died after giving birth to a son. Hizashi named his son, Neji.

The king of Cretes, Hiashi was left with only two daughters and no sons. The oracle of Kaguya said that the goddess purposely delayed killing Hiashi's wife so Hiashi could have a full taste of bitter disappointment. He hoped for a son after his queen gave birth to their first daughter, Hinata. But he lost hope after she died shortly after giving birth to their second daughter, Hanabi.

The king of Cretes Hiashi and archduke of Knossos Hizashi were inseparable, but Hizashi was soon killed by assassins sent by Mycenae, the homeland of Agamemnon and the greatest kingdom in Attica (Greece and her colonies).

Neji was the only male descendant alive.

Even at a young age, prince Neji was exceptionally gifted in martial arts and politically shrewd. He grew to be a worthy and competent soldier, assisting his uncle to subjugate nations and showcase the might of the Hyuuga clan in humility and unrivaled loyalty.

Both Hiashi's daughters grew into lovely princesses, and the king was growing old. Lacking feminine virtues and propriety, the youngest princess Hanabi fled Cretes and lived with the women warriors of the Amazon jungle where she became queen of a savage tribe.

When the king aged, he died on his deathbed, leaving only his eldest princess by his side. The eldest princess was found guilty of patricide, murdering her very own father from whose loins she was born, and was duely punished to live as a priestess for the rest of her life. As substitute for the evil wretch, the worthy prince has risen to power.

Hinata found it strange that she would be reading such chronicles about her family and herself. She wondered if she had a penchant for giving herself pain.

It was close to midnight. The soft silky night wind was blowing the long white curtains of her private chamber in the temple. Hinata was sitting on her chair, in her thin long white night tunic. The long white curtains billowed like sails around her. The full moon was up in the dark night sky, and the birds seemed to quiet as they stared at the white curtains expanding like sails around Hinata.

Listening to the crickets, she was reading the holy scriptures that she borrowed from the temple's library archives. The lone candle on her table was her only companion.

Seeing her past lover Naruto has shaken up her nerves and Hinata had hard time sleeping. She managed to look nonchalant in front of others and perform her duties, but it didn't mean she wasn't nervous and anxious inside.

Trying desperately to ease her nerves, she decided to read some books. But she still couldn't sleep.

She kept on thinking, Neji ni-san might be getting married soon.

The wind misted by the moonlight blew across her private chamber once more.

She needed to accept her cousin's marriage prospect because she had no choice.

She gave him the throne, and he became king. She was denounced and was going to live a virgin priestess till death.

As king, he was going to wed and with his queen, build a dynasty of princes and princesses.

Hinata remembered Naruto and imagined what his female relatives would look like. Would she have blue eyes like Naruto? Golden hair? Would her beauty even melt the coldest of hearts?

When she straightened her back and massaged her temples, she heard a low masculine voice,

"Hinata sama..."

The priestess jerked her face away from her hands and looked at the direction where the voice came from. She raised her hands to her mouth to silence her scream and her heart pounded rapidly. Her face was pale , as nobody, especially a man, was to intrude in the abode of a goddess's servant.

But when she saw the intruder's face, her face was swept with a look of shock as if she was caught doing something bad.

She quickly rose from her chair and knelt before the tall visitor, "The king!" There was no fear in her eyes or voice, just pure surprise.

The king was half submerged in the shadows of a tall alabaster pillar. His long legs and lean torso were swathed with cool summer muslin. Cool shadows were cast over his long brown tresses, symmetrical regal facial features, and hard ivory eyes. His narrow pale feet were clad with simple brown calf leather sandals. His long brown hair swept by his back, tied in a loose pony tail, and his forehead was bound with a black silk band with gold embroidery.

He silently looked down at the maiden bowing her head before him. Then he finally said,

"Yes, Hinata sama. It's me."

She quickly rose and looked up to him with surprise in her pale lavender eyes,

"What could have brought the king at such hour?" However, she managed to still be graceful as according to the palace protocol, bowing her head and knees.

The king looked at her smooth, pale pink lips that smiled at him and quickly diverted his eyes away.

"I," Neji cast his eyes down, "I wanted to see if you were well, Hinata sama."

Hinata suddenly didn't know what to do with her icy cousin's sudden attentiveness. She was more used to his brash mannerisms and icy, biting silence. She was also shocked by his sudden visit and blushed, hoping it would not be obvious that her thoughts were dwelling on the subject of his marriage. It was as if he materialized by the will of her thoughts about him.

She blushed and lowered her eyes, not knowing what to say except for cliches like

"Your subject is unworthy, your majesty."

At her mechanical response, Neji barked impatiently, stress lines formed around his eyes

"Just call me by my name, Hinata sama." Then he almost looked as if he has bitten his own tongue when he saw her startled by his impatient tone. He tampered the frustration in his voice. He glanced to a side, uneasiness marring his features, "I can't bear you calling me 'your majesty.'"

After some pause, Hinata said, "I...no, that is not appropriate."

She looked up to him because of his tall height but her voice was firm, "And you shouldn't be calling me by my past title, Neji sama. I am no longer a princess. I am the priestess of Cretes."

But her voice softened when she sawed the tired rims of darkness around her eyes. After all, she and Neji grew up together and she had a soft heart of tenderness for her cousin. He spared her life. He allowed her to live in honor and peace. He was also a great rule of Cretes, better than anyone could have expected of the young king. She was happy and grateful at least she didn't make a poor choice or misjudgment.

She turned away, blushing at his intense stare, "I...I will send you some incense, Neji sama. It should help you with your insomnia."

She wondered, jasmine? lavender? Maybe, she could also prescribe some toasted figs as midnight snacks that could treat insomnia.

He suddenly grabbed her wrist, and she started at the unexpected hot touch of his palm. She couldn't help but wince at his tight grasp. He was a trained warrior all his life, so he must not know his own strength. Even as king, he disdained idle luxuries and preferred the rough life as a soldier and chief general. His grip burned her.

Neji looked down at her quietly.

"...Thank you, priestess."

His larger calloused hand dropped to her smooth hand unmarred with any scars and carefully caressed hers. He noticed how a quick shiver ran across her.

"...Your...highness..." She tried to keep down her shudder at the surprising tenderness of his hand.

Trying to understand his softened gaze and touch as a gesture of brotherly affection, Hinata smiled and touched his hand. Her touch was shy but gentle. His hand was bigger and she could see the handsome veins on his arm and the back of his hand.

"Thank you for granting my wish... I know that father..." her face darkened at the mention of Hiashi.

She felt a sudden tension in his hand and stammered, cursing herself for bringing up such heavy subject. But it was too late and she felt that she had to apologize and thank him for his sacrifice now.

"What father did to you and uncle was..." a slight tear formed in her opal eyes.

Neji made a smile of self loathing,

"...isn't that royalty, Hinata sama? The way I cast you from your throne and sentenced you to a life of an old maid priest?"

He stared at her with his cold eyes as the night breeze played with his autumn brown hair. Strands of moonlit hair passed by his face that looked melancholy.

Appalled by his words, Hinata raised her voice,

"Your highness!" She paled at his directness and looked around uneasily lest someone was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Even her fear for his reputation irritated him. Neji couldn't help himself from raising his voice,

"Just hate me for not even acknowledging your royal right to marry a neighboring king! Anything!"

He gripped his fist as he expressed his fury and denunciations of his cousin's untiring self-lessness.

She looked up to him wide eyed and face red in the dark. She could not help herself raising her voice at him, as the gilded shell of the king melted to reveal her cousin she had always looked up to, whether it was fear or admiration.

"It was for the best! Even I knew I wouldn't be a good ruler for Cretes! If I become ruler, the council who don't have any respect for me would not have listened to me. And neighboring countries would start invading us. And about not marrying Naruto…I am not going to give the kingdom of Namikaze any reason to kill my people!"

Afterward, she felt her heart still pounding thunderously but she managed to keep herself calm after a few breaths. After she restored her calm, she spoke with great composure,

"It is my greatest happiness to serve my people in whatever way I can, my king."

She even blushed, embarrassed that she spoke so openly, in front of the king himself.

Neji looked down at her.

"Please... allow me to just call you by that name when we're alone, Hinata sama."

"But-" she raised her alarmed eyes to him. She wouldn't dare. It was more out of how she couldn't help but feel so apologetic and guilt-ridden towards him.

It felt as if she would be adding salt to the insult she already afflicted-asking her to take care of Cretes after what he had gone through.

Neji interrupted her before she could protest.

"I didn't even want to be king. You know that. So at least do that one thing for me. It's the least you could do."

"...Neji ni san..."

She thought how loneliness must have made him more fragile.

Hinata felt guilt encroach on her. Yes, she knew what Neji had done for her father despite the terrible tragedy he has went through. Despite being a progeny and genius in every way, her cousin never wanted to be king. He was so absolute in his talents and daring that Cretans called him the reincarnation of Hirama. They said that Kaguya was still so madly in love with the beautiful mortal that she had given him a new life as her lover. There were only two in the island of Cretes who earned the title of being the reincarnation of Hirama and Neji already ousted his rival who was ten years older than him when he was sixteen. But Hinata knew that he never cared for such grandiose titles and legends and he definitely didn't want to succeed his father's murderer, his uncle .

But because she asked him on her knees to please take over the throne,he picked up his sword that weighed more than an adult man and cut down their enemies who tried to take Cretes. Now nobody dared to force her into decisions that used her for political gain.

But now he was alone, and the loneliness had the effect of making him look inhumane like a deity, scornful of the need for human warmth. But after all he was only human. There must have been only so much he could take.

Hinata murmured, "Your highness..."

Suddenly Hinata approached the tall young king and she tentatively reached out her hand. Her pale dainty hand without scars carefully overlapped over his rough one.

Shocked, Neji took a quick intake of breath and stepped back. He even tried to pull away, but the small framed woman still didn't let him go. He, who could slice through any body that would come too close, couldn't move an inch because of a small, frail woman.

"You were lonely, weren't you, Neji ni san?" Hinata spoke as if they were little children. She had the urge to embrace him, but she dare wouldn't. She should suffice with just holding his hand.

She used to hug him whenever she saw him shedding tears after Hiashi branded his forehead with a curse sign after his father's death. She would spot him in the corner of the palace garden crying with a bandage around his skull and cry with him as she hugged him. But she was no longer able to do that when Neji kept his guard up.

Without realizing her effect on him, she said, "There is no one, no family, no friend you could confide in."

She pulled back from an arm's length and looked up at him and smiled,

"You're my only family in this world besides Hanabi, Neji ni san. Nobody in the world could mean as much to me."

She smiled up at him and said, "I love you." Her voice was soft as the wind blowing between the willow tree branches. She meant it. She meant it with her entire heart. Her heart sang of her love.

Neji froze in her arms, "Hinata sama..."

He closed his eyes shut and lifted his arms to hold her. But his hands froze in place when he heard her soft voice. She steeled her own heart.

She should not be selfish. It was her fear of being left alone and dying a virgin priestess that kept her from purely wishing her cousin and king's happiness.

She told herself to truly wish for his happiness, even if it meant she had to be alone.

"I will pray to our goddess that you will find a good wife and wise queen in a short time."

When she felt the sudden stiffness of his shoulders, she asked tentatively, "Ni-san?" The warmth enveloping them like a moon's warm glow suddenly vanished and she shuddered at the cold.

She pulled away from his arms and she felt his fingers possessively digging into the sensitive flesh of her shoulder, reluctant to give up the grip, but he still released her.

She looked at his face, and he was cold again. There was something in his eyes...She felt an unknown shiver run down her body, and she might have been mistaken, but she could almost say that her stoic cousin seemed to eye her as if he was dying of thirst, as if he was consumed by a scorching kind of need that festered deep within his skin, as if he was suddenly very hungry.

She lifted her finger to her lips, and the light in her eyes trembled again. She was afraid.

"Priestess."

Her eyes widened when he called her by the name he begged to not have to call her by.

"Would you be so kind," his voice was deep and rather charming that it surprised Hinata. She always thought his deep voice made him suitable for command, not charming people, "to pray to the goddess right now? For me to have a wise, devoted bride?"

She blinked at first, unaccustomed to the sudden change of subject and the way he retained his composure again as if it was all her imagination.

A bright smile illuminated her face. She was always wary of her cousin's skepticism of the existence of goddesses and gods.

She feared it would resent the gods, so it brought her joy to see her cousin opening up to the divine. She didn't realize that her bright expression served to darken him more.

"Yes, yes, of course." She made graceful strides out of the chamber and ushered the king to the main court of the temple. She even held his hand as if they were children, and to her surprise and pleasure, he did not resist her. She made a secretive smile as she held onto his hand. This might be the only time he allows her to touch him.

The main court of the temple was empty, saved for the young man and woman.

The fire on the altar was burning bright in the front center of the wide spacious marble courtyard. In front of the burning altar was the grand ivory marble statue of goddess Kaguya holding a spear in her hand and the moon shaped shield in the other.

Hinata took some dried primrose stems from the marble reliquary next to the altar and threw them into the burning flames. Then she took a long metallic rod and poked into the woods.

Oblivious to the solid, dark look on her cousin's face, she smiled and spoke softly to him as if they were having a conversation over tea, "Do you know why the goddess likes dried primrose, Neji ni san? It's because primroses only bloom at night under the moon. They don't bloom under daylight."

When she glanced at him, she expected a curt nod. But he frowned instead, and her shy smile faltered. Her eyes widened to see his darkened expression, but not knowing what to do or say, she turned her face away and instead focused on the burning alter. She wondered what could have occasioned this change of mood. She thought they would have a loving moment of bonding?

Remembering her duty, she let down the metallic stick and folded her hands in prayer.

"Goddess Kaguya, may you please lead our king to find a young woman, who will be beautiful and wise and devoted. Who bears many healthy sons and daughters."

And also that I won't feel too lonely when that happens. That I could pray for his happiness with all my heart.

She prayed to the goddess the last request in her heart.

After some silence, she finally finished her prayer. She tried to shake off the sense of tension during the silence. She told herself she must be the one making it awkward. It was her insecurity of being left alone that was eating at her after all.

She unclasped her hands and turned to smile at him,

"Neji ni san, it is late, and you must head to your quarters. I will continue praying—"

"Priestess," his cold voice echoed in the wide temple.

Hinata's eyes widened. There was something different about the way her cousin just called her. He suddenly called her "Priestess" instead of "Hinata sama." He returned to being the ice king that everyone was afraid of. The change was so sudden and unwarranted that she wondered what could have occasioned it. Could it be something that she said? Did she do anything to upset him?

In a voice that ran smoothly, he asked and he lowered his head towards her. As he bent to level his cold steely eyes at her, she froze. She felt as if she was standing in front of a predator.

Then he started to ask her something she didn't expect at all.

"Do you believe in gods, Hinata sama?" He rumbled.

His voice made her hair rise. Hinata looked at him puzzled. There was also a slight edge of mockery that was difficult to not notice.

But when she saw the way he stared at her, Hinata started. She couldn't find a better word to describe his burning eyes, except fire or white lightning.

She felt heat rise to her throat.

She took a slow step, then series of quick steps back until her back hit the feet of the statue of Kaguya. Her hand reflectively gripped on the statue's ivory feet as her light pink lips trembled and eyes widened.

"I-I-"

She looked up to him helplessly, her graceful figure leaning on the ivory statue like a relief of a tree nymph. His chiseled lips curved in mockery edged closer to her face.

He spoke in a lulling tone that only scared her more, "if anyone is to hurt you, would they help you? Would they protect you?" His voice was both steely and secretive.

Her pale eyes widened. Her grip tightened around Kaguya's ivory feet, and Neji's lips broadened in a mocking smile that revealed pale, even teeth that glinted predatorily.

Her eyes welled with tears as her lips trembled. Her throat felt dry. Her lips parted as she sharply breathed in.

Suddenly, he walked up to her and grabbed her by her shoulders. His long fingers latched onto her skin, and suddenly, she saw his face just a few inches away from hers. His warm breath spread onto her neck, caressing her skin.

He wrapped his steely arm around her waist and pushed her backward to the marble floor. She felt her breath knocked out of her body, and she instinctively clawed on his arms. His heat suddenly engulfed her, and she was confused.

The young king pressed his muscled body onto Hinata's and effectively caged her on the floor. His sleek ash brown hair tumbled on his broad, snow colored shoulders and fell,curtaining themselves from the world.

Trapped underneath him, Hinata looked up at Neji's face, and her mind had hard time processing what was going on. The way he pressed his broad muscular body on hers, as if he was molding her shape to his frame, caused her senses to jump in alert. Her hands that gripped on his forearms trembled.

An inch away from her face, his hard white irises stared straight into her frightened lavender eyes.

She couldn't help her voice from cracking in fear, as he held her gaze,

"Ne-Neji ni san!"

Undeterred by the shock in her eyes, he approached the hollow of her neck, and his tongue came out and licked the part where her pulse fluttered. He started by first tasting the part where he will mark her. Her skin was petal soft-his red, thick tongue tasted more.

Then he started lapping on her creamy neck more boldly.

The sense of his tongue on her sensitive neck shot straight down on her spine. She struggled, but he grabbed both of her wrists.

Neji lowered his head and the cold tip of his nose started to nuzzle her neck. The surprisingly tender sensation rattled her and her heart started to pound like never before. This humiliation was unlike any she discovered or felt in her entire life. A whimper escaped between her lips.

Sounds of fabric rustling and falling on to the marble registered to her ears.

Then her mind quickly awakened from a daze, and she began to understand what was going on. Her hands pushed on his shoulders.

She might be inexperienced, but she wasn't naive as to not know when a man touched a woman, what was in his mind.

She felt his hot breath cascading on her neck, and the prurient sound of rustling clothes thundered in her ears. Rustle-rustle

"Neji ni san!" She cried.

She struggled and pushed on his chest but she might as well move a stone wall. She never felt so humiliated, as his tongue took liberty this time with her right ear.

He added strength to his hands that captured her wrists, to remind her where her place was, which was underneath him, writhing in utter helplessness.

Then she saw him slip his royal robe from his shoulder, and the divine fire burning in every tall altar illuminated his exposed shoulders and chest like pure gold.

His hair tumbled over his handsome face as he looked down at her as if maddened-his eyes were completely entranced with the sight of her underneath him but his lips were set in a determined line.

Fear and a feeling she can't identify made her heart beat like it was going to burst in her chest.

She felt his unique scent and spice like myrrh, envelope her, and the truth overwhelmed her.

This wasn't Neji ni san. This was a man. A man she has never met before.

When he again lowered herself, and slid her robe down from her shoulders, revealing her shapely, lush breasts, she turned her face away and teared up, "no, no, please!" She raised her hand to cover his vision but he grabbed her wrist and pulled it away.

He grabbed the thin lavender grey rope that wounded her waist like a belt and instantly slid it off from her body. She cried, "No!"

Hinata started kicking her sandal clad feet on the floor and pushing him away with what little strength her hands possessed.

Then he lowered his face to her chest and nipped right below her collarbone.

His hands firmly locked her shoulders down to the ground. She cried out when he became rougher in his torrent of kisses poured all over her breasts.

Succumbing more to carnal hunger than gentleness, he opened his mouth and latched onto her left breast. His mouth took in the patch of her soft, moist flesh and savored the consumed skin with everything he got.

Hinata felt her head spinning as she felt him carefully savor her nipple in his mouth.

Sounds of rapid breathing reached her ears as he sucked on her nipple, lightly tugging on the protruding bud between his teeth. Her head started spiraling as her breasts became engulfed in fire. Her fingertips and toes suddenly felt cold as the strange sensations allured her to unknown depths she never dreamed of or imagined.

Why had it come to this-she begged to the gods-I only begged for his happiness and for me to not be selfish. How had it come to this?

His mouth swallowed her breast with a loud suck as he pinned her wrists down by either sides of her head.

Then he rose, his tongue swept over his upper lip and went to the right breast and rolled around the nipple, until his mouth took half of the mound in his hot molten mouth.

Moans escaped her opened mouth as she fought to take sharp intakes of breath. She closed her eyes shut and tried to twist away from his grasp.

At the sounds she made, Neji lifted his head, watching her intently, a thin sliver of saliva connecting his lips with her wet nipple.

After seeing her flustered, red face, he lowered his face and continued. His eyes lowered to her chest and then closed, his eyelashes casting shadows on his face.

While his mouth kneaded on her breasts, Hinata struggled against his firm grip on her wrists and tried to move away but it was no use. "Ni-san, stop-! Please-I-I beg,"

What they were doing was wrong-it was not just against the oath of chastity she has taken as a priestess to her virgin god-she was not supposed to have such relations with the king and her cousin.

She told herself that she was going to selflessly wish for his happiness.

No, she wrung her head-this should not be happening. This was wrong.

She moaned, but her begs and little protests were only fuel to fire, and he kneaded her soft generous and sensitive breasts with conscious desire and lust. She turned over, her stomach on the floor as she attempted to crawl away, and he saw her bared nape and kissed it with surprising tenderness that he did not show ever before. She screamed for gods and mortals to help her. Her cries and sobbing echoed in the vast quarter of the marble temple where they were alone.

"Hinata..." he grated. He turned her over and rubbed his bare torso against hers. Hinata felt the damp perspiration between their bare skin, sticking their bodies together. At the sensation of skin sticking against each other, she inhaled sharply as a violent rush of heat assaulted her body and shot right between her legs.

Her lungs gasped for air as she felt plunged in a deluge of the fierce, painful heat coiling at the pit of her lower stomach. Oh gods, she was drowning, and her head was spinning in maddening spirals. Her eyelids were flushed, and she did not want to see what face she was making at the moment.

"What," she gasped, "why-" His strong hands groped her soft breasts and felt her hardened nipples that poked at his palm. Her eyes teared up at her body's own betrayal.

"N-no, this can't be true—" she whimpered in despair and utter denial.

His face hardened.

Her eyes widened as she heard a frustrated growl above her, "so the princess couldn't believe that the unworthy servant is touching her?"

Unworthy servant? What does he mean? Puzzled, she looked up at him to see his eyes turning fierce.

"But it doesn't matter now," he said coldly, "the tables have turned."

Before she could ask him what he meant, Neji shifted between her legs and pressing what felt swollen and alienly hard and scorching hot between her legs.

She froze.

For a moment, she did not understand what this meant.

Her legs swayed in agitation as he moved closer. The heat emanating from his loins threatened to burn her and the way he jerked himself onto her made her panic.

When she jerked her eyes up to his face, she saw his grey silver eyes looking hazy in pleasure and burning like never before.

She grabbed his biceps and tried to push him away but futilely, "Neji ni san, please!" But it was futile. Everything was futile.

She turned her head sideways to violently whenever he decorated her lean neck with burning kisses.

He trailed the outline of her jaw with his hot tongue, and she shivered in aversion.

The possessive trail left by his tongue felt strangely inviting with its cool sensation brought on by the distant breeze.

Tears prickling at the edge of her eyes, she groaned when he continued his wanton kisses, rubbing on her in grinding and surging motions. The grinding of his hips against hers, the rough surging, brought her pain that kept her gasping and her legs dangling sideways.

He kissed both sides of her neck, her bare shoulders, even her jawline and beneath her round chin.

Hinata was baffled and shocked by his familiarity.

She heard the slight sounds of sucking and pecking and her heart thundered as his lips kept marking her sensitive chest and neck with suckling kisses.

She felt as if he wanted to possess her as he groped her sensitive breasts and kept kissing and suckling. She dug her nails onto his shoulders and cried, "no...please." But her pleas were lost on him, as his lips and hands whispered the world into her body and his knee pinned her struggling thighs down.

The fire burning on the altar hissed and spat as the man started tearing down the clothes of the struggling woman. Their shadows cast long over the marble. His hands tore at her long robe, the front covering her chest, and her hands rose to stop him to no use.

His hands trailed down her hot body and met her thin undergarment covering what was supposed to be most precious to her.

His thumb rubbed on her soft nether lips through the fabric. He lost all of his focus except for that small patch between her legs. The softened arch of his brows and his glazed and intent eyes showed that he was quietly feeling that particular area. She withered into a scorching mess under his gaze as he watched as if it was the rarest gem. She felt like curling into herself, licking her own wounds, shying away from that hard, white, burning gaze.

She managed to push him away and raise her upper body from the floor.

Neji grunted, but he lunged back at her and they started fighting against each other with renewed vigor-all was gone except for one's will to conquer and dominate, and the other's fight to escape.

The fire cast the shadows of the two struggling forced lovers across the marble. The shadow of a long haired woman with bountiful breasts moved her arms but the tall man with long straight hair arrested her, kissed her, and pushed her to the floor where she was further violated.

The fire spat and crackled fearfully as the woman panted as her attacker lavished her. "Ah, no..."

His large hands grabbed on her lush generous breasts and kneaded them rougher than before, eliciting a pained and humiliated cry.

At the sound of that cry, Neji took a sharp intake of breath and stilled for a second. The pause felt like forever. Hinata sighed and touched his face tenderly, "Neji, are you alright now? Neji-"

But her calling her cousin's name, the tears in her eyes, her huffing breath brought upon an unexpected effect, and he grabbed both sides of her face and crushed his lips onto hers.

Without a moment of hesitation, he applied hard pressure on her jawline, forcing her mouth open.

Then his tongue took the opportunity to slide into her mouth and make slow, languid, mimicking thrusts.

As she felt his tongue thrusting in her mouth, she murmured, "um! Um! Um!" Her fists beat him on the shoulders.

Neji started rubbing himself on her privates in accordance with his thrusts and her moans.

Sharp heat lanced underneath her sheer skirt, her toes curled at the unexpected pain caused by the tightening coil inside her nether region.

He let out a deep guttural moan that frightened her when Hinata whimpered into his mouth and started beating his sides as she felt a growing heat pool between her legs.

She hit him with all her strength but Neji acted as if he barely felt anything. When he succeeded in pulling the upper part of her priestess garb down to her waist, revealing her slender almost breakable waist, he released her lips and took time to admire the view beneath him.

Tears blurred her vision as she covered her mouth with her hands. She closed her eyes, it was not fair-she just wanted him to be happy-why was he doing this?

Tunnel visioned by the long brown hair that fell by his side, his refined, pale features and the masculinity of his face had a haunting, hollowed out beauty. The threat that promised to sear anyone who came too close contrasted with the animal-like act he was inflicting upon her. His chest rose and fell as she stared from his face to his incredibly chiseled muscles that lined his abdomen. Everything about him spoke of his strength that was unrivaled, just coiling under his pale skin that was shockingly soft like an infant. She felt her breath getting caught in her throat and she averted her eyes as if he was the sun. A crystalline tear formed underneath her lashes.

Hinata happened to look at the monumental statue of goddess of wisdom and life gazing forward with her cold, marble eyes.

She felt her chest rising and falling rapidly as she panted rapidly, her eyes pooled with tears. The golden fire blazing in the altar in front of the tall statue cast flickering light on the unfeeling face of the goddess.

As he busied himself licking the side of her neck with his thick tongue, she turned her face away and shook like a leaf.

His tongue was hot and strong and felt her as if it had a life of its own.

His hands squeezed her wrists even harder, "your body never had to bear the weight of a man." The fire in his eyes burned even more.

At the look in his eyes, she panicked and cried, "no!" as she struggled to pull away, shaking her head. Her eyes widened as she felt him rub against her moist, sensitive center. Then his hand gripped on the hem of her skirt and lifted it above her waist in order to tear off the thin white barrier to her maidenhead.

Hinata felt cold air hitting between her legs, and she trembled when he bared her completely. She was as naked as she could be. But she didn't have the time to process that this was the first time she was ever naked before a man. And not just any man, not some mysterious suitor given to her by political ties, not some blank-faced conqueror, but this man, this man before her.

She cried out loud when the king wedged his broad muscular shoulders between her milk white thighs and started sucking her where she never even dared to touch herself. Her eyes stared in the distance in a confused daze. A strange feeling as if she was drugged was further drawn out at the persistent licks and sucks around her cleft, dragged on by his tongue.

His mouth latched on her feminine lips as if he was making out with her lips—sounds of wet liquid being sucked from her deep depths made her quake—sounds of squelching liquid coming from the acclimated heat. She never felt anything like this-no pleasure or pain could even strike the fraction of what she was feeling at the moment.

"Your...your..majesty..."

She quivered as she was forced to spread her legs before the man who was sucking on her nectar, her hands forcibly pressed on her thighs, her wrists captured in his iron grip.

Her tear-brimmed eyes gazed down at the man's handsome face that nestled between her thighs, the sound of squelching and sucking assaulting her ears and her heart pounding til she felt her body feeling both soft and captivated.

Her long midnight hair splayed across the marble that shone like gold by the fire, as she writhed under the feeling of his tongue that delighted in torturing her. As he sucked on her lower lips hungrily, his tongue swept over and dug in more and more to harvest her flavor. He occasionally paused to look up to her face, his bottom lip glistening and he watched her. Then he dipped towards her and lazily continued his licks and sucks.

His mouth drove into her relentlessly, and she grimaced, tears prickling at the edge of her eyes.

The fire cackled in a sinister rhythm and the flames were their only bystanders.

He dug his fingers on the inside of her thighs and sucked on her juices with such force that Hinata honestly felt as if her labia was made of fragile glass. She was on the verge of shattering at the swelling pleasure.

Her labia hurt ironically because of the accumulating pleasure—the build up both arousing and painful.

"No...stop—pl-please-"

Tears dropped from her eyes as she huffed and panted, steam coming from her body and his.

She felt her body growing hot as he lapped on her in a way she never imagined. The tip of his tongue was wet and deft against her folds.

The king himself, the one and only Neji was licking her where she was the dirtiest, lapping on her like a thirsty dog.

She stared down at him in disbelief. She wanted him to stop not just because of the outrageous indecency-the sacrilege, but also she viewed the act as a unbecoming humiliation for her king. But as if to refute her inner thoughts, he stared at her blushing face with calm, studying eyes and continued his outrageous act of licking on her wet mucuous slit that inflamed in a painful desire.

She stared at his eyes that bore into hers in sharp focus. His stare was without any shame, as if he was checking her instinct driven responses to his tongue's manipulations.

He lifted his chin slightly and arrested her clit between his teeth and in a series of rapid jolts, skimmed his teeth on her and sucked on her long and passionately.

"No, please don't," she cried as she tugged on his robe that was falling off from his shoulders. What he was doing to her was utterly degrading but why wasn't he at all shamed and why was shame her lot to carry? Was it because she was a woman designed by the gods to bear the burden called man? But didn't she worship the virgin goddess to escape her destiny?

She was confused by the onslaught of emotions she felt as she looked into her eyes-the powerful sense of embarrassment and the unwelcomed desire to never want to separate from his mouth. To want to be close to his lips, to always be the focus of his eyes. To be pinned underneath him and his overwhelming warmth.

When he rose and assaulted her lips, he forced her to taste herself. The musky flavor played with her tongue and alarmed her. Her eyes widened and then shut tight as she bit him and she turned to her side, trying to escape. He grunted and drew back and gripped the back of her head roughly, "Hinata sama..." he whispered her name as if it was a prayer.

"It shouldn't be like this-" she spoke between her tears and shook, "no, it-it shouldn't be like this-"

Neji stiffened, and there was the latent sense of turmoil simmering in him.

She didn't understand. Her light lavender eyes looked at him dazed, her mouth half open in panting.

When his eyes met hers, she looked quickly down.

If that behavior was not strange enough, he got on his knees before her. She jerked in shock when she saw him kneeling before her because she knew what this meant. Kneeling, for any Greek soldier worth his weight in gold, meant giving up his life. It was ingrained in such a subconscious level that surely a seasoned warrior like Neji would know. As if uncaring or unaware of the significance of his actions, he steadfastly removed his tunic and undergarments.

She looked up at him but his expression was unreadable—she couldn't read his emotions in his pale eyes that focused solely on her.

Neji spread her legs and placed them on the sides of his hips. She made to push at his bare chest, but he grabbed her shoulder blades and bent over her petite, lush body.

She felt the head of his cock touch her sex, and even though this was her first time to ever see a naked man, she had seen livestock slaughtered for the goddess Kaguya and knew he was big-so big.

"Oh-gods," she cried, "no-no-no!" tears poured down her face. Reality overwhelmed her like a high wave, and she started crying out in renewed fervor. Even her attacker looked momentarily taken aback by her sudden outburst. His countenance stiffened, and if she was not hallucinating, she would almost say that she detected hint of understanding ghosting his pale eyes and remorse that clouded his face and made his countenance look grim.

He wrapped his arm around her shaking shoulders as if she was made of glass and pressed her whole body against him, pushing her on the marble floor. She could not move her limbs in the position, as he locked his muscles around her.

When she sobbed, she suddenly heard gentle sounds of shushing. Warm breath caressed her temple as he whispered, "shhh-" When she saw his face, she was surprised to see him comfort her as if she was a child. He ran his other hand up and down her trembling side, trying to make her relax and bring warmth to her body.

"Neji ni san..." she whispered,

"Shh..." he rubbed his lips against her temple, "Hinata-" He spoke softly as if it was a silent vow, a promise he made to her as much as to himself. His fingers grabbed the back of her head and he stared ahead.

Her tearful lavender eyes widened at him, "wh-what?" She didn't understand the meaning of this. She could not understand why he was being so gentle but then she felt the thick head of his cock push into her opening, starting to penetrate her.

She tried to bite down on her bottom lip and hold back her scream, but at the end a strangled cry was ripped out from her throat.

Tears fell from her eyes and she struggled, when she felt something long and hot and pulsing enter her tight channel.

She felt like he was tearing her apart slowly. She was gasping for air, her breathing too rapid, and her mind went numb, only feeling the burning heat and tenseness of her lower abdomen.

She cried, "it hurts, it hurts-"

There was a hint of compassion in his eyes as he observed her and he pressed his lips against her trail of tears on her cheek.

She heard him speak softly by her ear, "Breathe..." Then he groaned and took a breath as if he was being choked.

Tears rained down her cheeks and Neji rubbed his lips against the shell of her ear tenderly.

She soon regretted feeling the powerful sense of longing that should never have existed in first place. What she felt was a dull ache. She whimpered and felt his hand wrapping around the back of her head. His forehead pressed to hers as he slowly pushed himself inside her. They both closed their eyes and felt the simultaneously soft and hard member enter her body.

He grunted as he slowly moved in. He managed to slip his cock inside her, but a grunt that he couldn't mute escaped him. Hinata looked up to see him bite his bottom lip and before she could react, he crushed his mouth on hers, slipping his tongue inside.

Then he backed up a bit and forcefully pushed his entire length inside her, breaking her innocence. Hinata screamed in his mouth, but he kept kissing her, muffling her cries of pain. When he pulled away his mouth and entered her forcefully in a single thrust of his hips, her mouth was muffled by his shoulder and her tears fell.

She felt torn in two. Her insides throbbed painfully and she cried. He hugged her tight.

He was in her. Because it was her first, he was slow. Stopping his movements, he waited for her to adjust to his size and then moved slowly. The slowness of his pace accentuated the sensuality of his movements as he almost dutifully built to the climax. His broad body moved up and down, towering above her, rising and falling in an almost leisurely pace. Hinata's pale lavender eyes turned vacant and hollow as they streamed with tears and stared at the goddess statue.

After a few moments, the throbbing started to recede.

Neji backed a little and pushed back inside her slowly. He kept this pace for a while, pumping more and more liquid out of her until her body started to relax some more. She felt the heat of their juices coming out from her body and she panted. Lips parting, he let her take in some air.

Her trembling hands that gripped onto him slowly relaxed. Hot juices that slipped from her body ran down the front of his thighs and dripped on the pristine marble. He started picking up his speed gradually, lust taking over as he drove into her relentlessly. Hinata let out small cries, and he raised his head from her neck to see that she was facing the ceiling, her lips apart, her spirit totally broken.

He unwrapped his arms from her body and pinned her arms on either side of her forcefully, his body raised and hovering over her. He started pounding inside of her faster, harder, making her body jerk and her mouth to emit soft cries. Neji was panting, his long brown hair caressing her face and neck as he moved, careless of her except for the gratification of his own desires. She wept, as she never felt this kind of feeling before. The utter degradation. The humiliation.

He watched her face, "Hinata..." his voice was husky and thick, like an animal's gnarl. Hinata's hips unwittingly came up to meet his fast, hard thrusts. When he pounded into her harder, her mouth fell open again.

She heard his hoarse whisper from above, "Hinata, look at me..." When she refused to look, she heard a groan from above. Almost helplessly, he rumbled, "please..."

Her eyes widened. Did he just beg-Neji begged her? When she spared him a single sideway glance, a glance of disbelief, fear, and loathing, Neji looked down at her, his eyes narrowed in hurt-hurt pride—she thought. Then he gritted his teeth and growled and entered into her with so much force that her eyes flung open. She met his hardened white eyes, so cold as if to refute the fact that he just begged her to look at him. He was looking down at her as if she was some prey to devour.

Wave after wave of heat generated from their union, and a strange warmth almost like a glow spread through her body. She felt his shaft fill her and withdraw from her only to enter her again in need. She felt a strong tide build up hide inside her, like a rising crest of the sea.

She closed her eyes shut and a tear fell. Her hands grabbed his biceps as if he was her lifeline. She opened her eyes slightly to see his face and grimaced and flushed in arousal.

She bit her bottom lip and arched her back and Neji shut his eyes and bent over her with a groan. She feared she might be pressed flat by his weight, but he supported himself on his arms so he doesn't crush her beneath him. She felt hot breath cascading all over her neck and chest.

Her indigo black hair splayed on the floor, her lips were swollen and bruised with kisses, and her stately priestess garb torn, revealing her milky breasts and body. Her pearl eyes looked up to the goddess with streaming tears as Neji kept making her naked back hit the cold marble repetitively with his thrusts. As he kept his dogged penetration through her first orgasm, he lightly nipped on her ear. She yelped when she felt his perfect teeth tug on the sensitive shell of her ear.

"Uh, uh, uh, ah!"

When he heard her short gasps every time her back hit the marble, he stopped and looked at her face to see what her eyes were doing. Were they shut close, as she bit her bottom lip, praying to the gods that this horrid time in her cousin's arms will quickly pass or better yet, be just a nightmare? But when he saw her, her eyes were open, vacant, and broken, lifeless if not for the streaming hot tears. He looked up to where she was staring, wondering what must have caught her eye. When he saw that she was staring at the cold marble statue while being violated by her cousin, the end of his lips went upon in a cold look of disdain at the goddess.

"The king is raping her priestess in her temple, but the goddess doesn't even bat an eye."

Hinata pressed her lips together and turned her face away from the statue in mortification of his words, and closed her eyes shut. Her legs each hooked over his arms were dangling helplessly like a doll as he pressed against her.

Then she felt her body swaying again by the hard unrepentant thrusts of his hips. In fact, after he saw her staring up at the statue, he started pummeling her with further force.

He even raised the lower half of her body up by grabbing her delicate ankles and thrust his hips on her like the waves crashing against the ocean shores of Cretes where she used to dip her feet. As her breasts shook at the exertion, Hinata screamed,

"No, please! Please, no!"

But then came his cruel mocking words from above, "This is your reality, Hinata sama. Your father killed my father, and now I have taken your throne and maiden and everything you've ever loved and cherished. This is my revenge against your father. This is my revenge against Cretes."

She felt as if her breath hitch to her throat at his cold, cruel words.

As he pillaged her body and took his pleasures like a loot, he asked her a question that tore her heart into half.

"How does it feel to lose both your kingdom and virtue, Hinata sama?"

He panted like a beast as he impaled her over and over again like an animal in heat, "The people call me the reincarnation of Hirama," he panted, "but who except for you knows what I truly am?"

Another stream of tear escaped her eye, and all she could feel was humiliation. And he took her, moving above her, lurching onto her. She felt him moving above her, rocking her, and she felt like a wooden draft rocking across the waves in a moonlit river, tossing around side to side. Her legs were bent and splayed open on the marble floor and his arm supported the back of her neck as he lurched over her. His low grunts echoed in the temple, attacking her senses.

She tried to tell herself—the old tales her nurse would tell her. Such is the lot of women. If their fathers or husbands lost in war, they belong to their murderers. Therefore, even her body's sanctity violated and her robe torn, she couldn't call for help or ask anyone to save her.

He was king. He was the victorious and she was the shameful exiled. He could take whatever he wanted. And he took her because he wanted her to feel shame, anguish, and complete defeat. She knew that too well, being a woman of the palace all her life. Noone could protect her. Neji looked at her face that refused to face him. Her grasp on his mind was dissolving, her consciousness dwindling as he simply watched her confusion and sorrow.

As he thrust and withdrew from her body, spilling milky essence down her supple bottom, he called her name with drunken fervor, as if he was a mad man or a Bacchus worshiper,

"Hinata, Hinata, oh, Hinata-" his strong hand grasped the side of her face as she stared off to nothing and then finally her eyes contained the sight of his face, panting, at loss.

His fervent calling of her name punctuated every thrust. His voice and the sound of her back thudding on the floor echoed in the vast, empty marble temple.

Despite her will to rebel, she let out long moans and sighs, "ahh...ahh..."

When he came, he let out a loud groan and shuddered and he grabbed the back of Hinata's head and buried his face into the dark pool of her long hair. She closed her eyes shut as his body pressed to her shuddered and she felt the warm discharge in her womb. She shuddered and recoiled when she felt Neji grabbing her, emptying himself hungrily inside her, his hips moving into her in rushed, forceful thrusts. In his effort to fully mark her as his, he thrust his hips against her languidly several more times until he was sure he was completely empty. Suddenly seized by a feeling of fear as if she was drowning, she desperately grabbed onto his arm and Neji pulled her little form to his chest in response. He who just attacked her embraced her tightly as if to protect her.

When she thought he was finally through with her, Hinata was covered in his sweat and hers. Her light lavender eyes were streaming with hot, fresh tears, as she gazed far off. When he saw her listless eyes, he scowled at her refusal to submit to him. And his fury made him hard and ready for another conquest.

He lied down on the floor and flung the half lifeless woman on top. When her eyes widened in shock, he gritted his teeth and glared at her. Then he entered her and maneuvered her from the bottom. Hinata swayed on top like a cypress tree blown by the wind and shook her head. She begged, "Neji...please..."But he grabbed her arm and steadied her by holding her hip. And he thrust upward and grunted loudly enough to frighten and mesmerize the woman.

She wondered-maybe this man is not human, because how could such an evil tormented man radiate so much light at his lowest moment?

She threw her head back, arching her back, revealing her splendid breasts. He grabbed her wrists so that she couldn't fight back or run away. All she could do was ride him and give her captor his pleasure. The fire next to them cast a gorgeous golden light on her body and she shivered as if she felt some chill run down her spine.

She could barely catch her breath as he played with her, fucking her, stretching her insides, lubricating her slit. He lifted his thumb to his mouth to wet it with his tongue and rubbed her clit with his moistened fingers till it ached. His eyes never lost sight of her face, flushed red and tired and at loss.

Neji looked up at Hinata throwing her head back and gasping. He watched her mesmerized when he saw the golden light of the altar fire lapping on her beautiful skin and breasts.

When he emptied himself, he pulled her lifeless body off from him and laid her on the cool marble floor. Covered in sweat, and cum, they panted as they lied on the ground, limbs and long hair, blue black and ash brown entangled with each other.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his lips into her hair. Hinata thought she heard him say something but she couldn't hear because she was exhausted.

The king rose and picked up his robes while the priestess has lost consciousness on the temple floor. Despite the violation he committed, he turned around and wore his robes as if he was getting prepared for his duties, while she was sprawled on the marble floor like a rag doll. Her robe was too damaged and torn. It was better if he just wore his clothes first and carry her to her chamber.

He quickly dressed himself and then picked her up, gathering her in his arms, and took her away.


When Hinata woke up, she was in her bed.

Neji was watching her as he sat on a chair by her bedside. When she saw his unwavering gaze, she stood upright.

When she looked at what was beside him, she saw a copper bowl of steaming water and a white cloth on the table.

She watched him wet the towel and squeeze the excess and lift it by her face.

"They said it is difficult for a woman to have her first time." He said quietly as he wiped down her face and her neck.

"Why-" Hinata's lips trembled as she gazed at him. His hand's movements stalled.

"Why...why did you do this?"

She asked but he just rested his hands on his knees and looked at her. No answer.

She wept, tears pooled in her opal eyes, "I-I just wished for your happiness. Wh-why did you do this?"

"Because I can."

When she looked at him in disbelief, he stared at her back.

His lips parted , "Because I wanted to."

Something in her burst. When she faced news of his marriage prospects, she tried to push down her feelings-her fear of being left out to be alone while he basked in happiness, she tried to wish for his happiness. But this was all he got to say? Because he wanted to?

The priestess in her cried, "You're king and have so many choice women in the kingdom wanting your touch, but you laid your distardly hands on me!"She gripped on her bed sheets and cried, "And now you made me betray my mistress against my will! I hate you! I hate you!"

There was a tense silence.

Neji who didn't even flinch or recoil when kingdoms declared war took in her words as if he was processing new information. Quietly.

He rose and approached her in a stride. Frightened by how quickly he made way to her, she recoiled and tried to back away. He reached out his hand and gripped a handful of her hair at the back of her head and forced her to look up at him. He looked down at her eyes that were burning with hatred, coldly, "you might think yourself as the selfless celibate but you are the selfish one, Hinata sama."

His eyes dropped to her pouty lips that he always watched kissing her sickly elderly father's hollow cheek. And her lilac eyes that were glaring at him in hatred.

He charged at her and locked her in a suffocating kiss. She fought but she was just no match to his strength.

"Ah! Ahh! Ah! Ahh!" Ashamed, Hinata tried to quiet herself but Neji was not being gentle at all this time. She hated to admit it, but she started to miss his prior gentleness-anything was gentle compared to what he was doing to her. He took her over and over. She couldn't count how many times he took her-despite his brutal ways of taking her. She felt degraded and he meant to make her feel degraded, tearing her down to the level of a she-wolf or a slave.

As he took her from behind, he gritted his teeth and dug his fingers onto her shapely hips,

"I never wanted to succeed your father. I would much rather destroy everything he has killed my father for."

And he dug himself into her, holding her by her generous hips and whispered into her ear, "and that includes you."

She lied on the bed, her stomach flat on the mattress and face turned sideways as he buried himself from her behind. According to his thrusts, she gasped softly as her eyes looked softly into the distance, her hands curled by her mouth, fingers to her lips.

He entered her more deeply as he dug the soles of his feet on the mattress and impaled her. His hands slammed against either side of her head, and she flinched at the shock of the impact. She saw the wisp of his long hair dangling in front of her. Then she felt his long, hot thrusts inside her.

Her blue black hair splayed on her soiled bed as she lied on the sheets and struggled to calm her breaths. As she clawed desperately on the sheets, Neji was holding up her hips and hitting her on spots she never imagined.

When he turned her around, making her look up to him face to face, Hinata panted, "cousin, no..."

At the title she used for him "cousin," he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down and kept pillaging her.

The king touched her mound with his hands and when he felt ready, he forced her again.

When the nightingale made its last cry, he peeled himself from her sticky, supple body and sat upward and picked up his clothes and started wearing his tunic. Hinata was sprawled on her bed, completely naked and a light trail of cum was smeared on her thigh.


It was rumored in the kingdom of Cretes that the priestess was heard having sex one night . Some said the priestess was getting ravaged by one of the gods who was angry at the goddess she served. But nobody knew who the man was, and if anyone voiced a protest or questioned the priestess's chastity, the new king immediately ordered his public execution and put his or her head on stake for daring to dishonor his beloved cousin.

In the kingdom of Cretes, there was a beautiful princess. And the king loved her very much.