A/N: Not much to say for once, but just wanted to let you guys know that I do read your reviews and appreciate them very much. They're my primary fuel to finishing this story!
Unfated Passion
Miku woke up with an unrestrained yawn, taking her time to adequately stretch her limbs as she sat up on the bed. Once she was finished with her usual morning routine, she looked next to her with a frown. Luka was still sound asleep. It was quite funny since she was the one who said that they should leave early in the morning, and judging by the position of the sun in the sky, she was nearly certain that it was almost noon already. She shook her head in disbelief and hopped out of bed. She didn't feel well rested at all. If she could have, she would have slept a few more hours. Though, how could she have possibly fallen asleep after that one sentence had been whispered to her last night?
All I know is that you are not leaving me indifferent…
It seemed like the succubus wasn't entirely sure where her feelings stood yet, but that she was also aware that the human princess had some sort of impact on her. Honestly, how could Luka not feel anything for her after all those loving gestures she gave her? Just thinking about the feeling of her soft lips against her forehead was making her heart throw a tantrum inside her chest. Miku was more than aware that her own feelings for the demon had grown to the point of no return. Yet, despite the clear evidence that Luka was also getting affectionate with her, the princess couldn't shake up her worries. Falling in love with the Queen of Demons, a succubus, seemed far too risky. She was bound to get hurt at some point, and not only because having romantic feelings for her supposed enemy was considered wrong, but also because Luka was a sex demon; someone who would probably not stick to a monogamous relationship. Miku had never stopped to think about it before, but now that they were getting closer, she couldn't help but let it concern her. If, by any chance, the succubus came to develop feelings for her, would Miku be all right with not being exclusive to her? Would she be fine with letting her be intimate with others? Perhaps being polygamous was the norm for demons, but it certainly wasn't the case for humans.
"You look gloomy, little maiden," A drowsy voice murmured, emotionless crystal blue eyes meeting teal.
Miku avoided her gaze and bit her lip. She didn't want to talk about those concerns of hers yet, especially when Luka wasn't certain of her feelings, but she was aware that if they ever got any closer, she would have to confront her about it eventually.
"How could I not? I left the kingdom when the war is at its doorstep! So many people are in danger, and I left them like a coward. I left them without an heir. I cannot help but think that escaping was not the best solution."
"I do not understand your guilt" The succubus admitted as she sat up, ruffling her bed hair with one hand. "Surely your life mattered more than those of the people that you probably did not even know."
"One life is nothing compared to many."
"You would have died if you had stayed, Miku, and your sacrifice would have been in vain; it would not have changed anything about the situation. I cannot understand your stubbornness on the matter."
"That is easy to say for someone who probably never once felt guilt. What do demons even understand about complex and tender emotions anyway?"
Luka didn't offer a reply, looking completely unfazed by the accusation that was thrown at her. If anything, she seemed a bit amused, the beginning of a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. It was almost as if she was silently making fun of her right now, and Miku couldn't help but feel slightly affronted. Still, she managed to ignore that high and mighty behavior of hers and looked at herself in the mirror, rearranging her hair the best way she could. Idly running her fingers through her long teal hair, Miku was shocked when she noticed the red marks on her neck, but she immediately understood where they had come from. It was when Gakupo almost strangled her to death. She stroked her bruised skin with disbelief; she didn't think it would have left such apparent marks. Remembering that moment of fright was giving her shudders, a lump forming in her throat. If it weren't for the guards' intervention, she would have most likely died last night.
"Luka, why didn't you do anything when your King almost killed me? It seemed like you were hesitating between stabbing him or not."
The succubus remained silent for a few seconds as if she was recollecting the events before she made no effort to hide her discontentment as she sighed heavily and shook her head in frustration.
"I let my guard down as soon as he charged at you, and he managed to use his powers on me while he was strangling you" She acknowledged with shame, the memory making her scowl. "We are both able to counter each other's powers if we concentrated hard enough. It is also why I was not able to take control of his mind, but he… he understood my weakness and used it against me."
Miku nodded to show her understanding. She also assumed that the fact that she was entirely unsusceptible to Gakupo's powers had been a significant advantage. She was almost sure that he managed to brainwash her mother because she had been very vulnerable to him; he probably had been able to seduce her simply by staring into her eyes. They had clearly underestimated him. She even supposed that they were fortunate that they were both alive right now. Things could have had become tragic very quickly.
The teal-haired girl heaved a sigh. For now, there was no need to dwell on the past, they should worry about the future instead… about what they were going to do now they were free. Luka told her that Gumi knew a place where they would be safe, but other than that, she didn't know anything about what they were planning to do, and she would much prefer to not stay in the dark about it any longer.
"We should probably go check on Gumi now. Since we overslept, she must be wondering why we are taking so long."
"Miku, wait a moment."
The princess looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The Queen seemed a bit edgy as she motioned for her to come closer. Hesitant, the human obeyed and climbed up on the bed, thinking that the demon needed to talk to her about something before they resumed their journey.
However, her eyes widened as soon as she was pulled into an unexpected kiss. Luka was kissing her. Again. Her incredibly soft lips were fervently pressed against hers while one of her hands was sliding down her back, easily giving her shivers. Miku's initial shock was soon gone as she allowed herself to melt into the surprisingly sweet moment, her heart hammering away in her chest and her mind rapidly becoming hazy with exhilaration. She didn't hesitate to return the kiss hungrily, pressing herself against the other woman to the point of making her fall on her back. It didn't stop the teal-haired girl from wanting more. She even took advantage of being on top of Luka to feel her tempting curves, running her hands on them hastily.
Miku could feel the demon's ragged breaths on her lips as she was boldly taking the lead for once, and it seemed like Luka enjoyed her daring gestures since she let out a satisfying moan as soon as her fingers reached her well-developed hips. It was obvious now what the succubus desired. They just woke up, and yet it didn't stop her from leaping at her with unrestrained lust. They kept on kissing ardently as they caressed each other's skin, avoiding the most inappropriate areas as they built up the tension between them. Needless to mention that it worked perfectly well; they were mewling helplessly into the other's mouth at this point, gasping and huffing as they were growing desperate for more intimate touches.
Miku eventually pulled away. They had at least spent a good five minutes shamelessly making out and teasing each other with burning caresses. It had been enough to make the princess lightheaded. The familiar heat and tingling sensation spreading through her whole body was unmistakable; she was aroused. And yet, no matter how frequently this was happening each time she was in the succubus's company, it was the first time she felt so… flustered. Her face was flushed, and her heart was throbbing hard in her chest. She knew why it felt different from previous times; Luka was being strangely soft with her all of a sudden, and instead of rushing to sex right away like she usually did, she took her time to give her preliminary caresses.
The teal-haired girl then sat up, getting slightly nervous at the way the other woman was staring at her so penetratingly, her expression unreadable.
"U-Um… we really should join Gumi; she must—"
"The half-human can wait," Luka cut her off abruptly as one of her hands was already slipping up her thighs. "Let us have a bit of fun. I am sure it will not take very long to make you orgasm. Besides, I can tell that you want it as much as I do since I can feel that you are aroused right now."
Miku swallowed hard. The suggestion was very tempting, but she was also growing worried about Gumi who was probably waiting for them. Though, her resolve soon crumbled when Luka started to feel her most intimate area, only giving her light, teasing rubs through her underwear. Yet, it was still enough to make the princess shudder, biting down on her lip to restrain a gasp. However, despite how good she felt, she quickly took the succubus' hand and pulled it away with a determined look on her face.
"I-If we are going to have sex, then I am the one doing the touching since you did not let me do it last night!" Miku exclaimed seriously, arms crossed over her chest. "Otherwise, I am afraid you will have to do without."
Luka frowned at the blackmailing, taking a short, silent moment to reflect on it. She seemed to be undetermined between giving up or letting her, but she eventually sighed and looked away —or more like, she stared anywhere else but at Miku's self-satisfied face—, pursing her lips in a thin line.
"Fine, but do it fast. We do not have much time to waste."
The princess grinned happily. A little bit more and she had thought the demon would have pushed her away. She had wanted to do this again for so long, and she had no idea when she would have had the occasion to, so she was pleased with the unexpected turn of events. Without saying anything else, she got rid of the succubus' clothes, her heart pounding with both anxiety and eagerness as she let her teal eyes linger on her perfect-looking body. She almost had the feeling that it was a crime to lay her hands on such flawless skin or that even just looking at it felt like a sin.
Miku blushed gently when she started looking at Luka's inviting breasts. She wanted to touch them again. She only got to do it once, and she had enjoyed it quite a lot. The feeling was so much more different than playing with her own; as hers were almost too small to even feel a little bit of squishiness.
"I…I know you said that I should do it fast, but can I—" Miku's eyes widened when she noticed that the other woman was smirking playfully at her, visibly amused at the lustful attention she was giving to her chest. The human then immediately knew her face grew a beet red as she felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. It wasn't fair! She was the one taking the lead for once, and she was the one getting embarrassed again.
"Do you love breasts that much?" The succubus asked with a purring voice, giving her the sultriest look she could make. "Go ahead, dearest, touch them if you so desire. Still, you must notice my surprise; this is quite rare for female humans to lust this much over other females."
"D-Do not say it like that…!" The princess glared daggers at her despite being very flustered right now. "Y-You are the only one I ever felt attracted to… s-sexually…"
And romantically. But she couldn't say that, could she?
Besides, Miku was almost certain that homosexuality wasn't that rare, but that some people preferred to stay in the closet everlastingly, which wasn't that surprising considering the consequences it could lead to. Demons didn't have to worry about any of that since they all didn't seem to care about genders when it came to sex even though they probably still had their preferences, which made Miku wonder what exactly Luka's ones were. She remembered her saying that she loved giving oral to females, that fact most certainly confirmed seeing how excited she had gotten from licking her down there yesterday, but other than that, she didn't know much. Nevertheless, the princess had assumed that sex demons would prefer engaging in kinkier activities rather than having it as vanilla as they had so far.
Trying to disregard her thoughts, Miku finally grabbed the Queen's breasts, relishing in the insane softness for the second time as she thoroughly fondled them with the palms of her hands. She was surprised at how hot Luka's skin already felt; she barely started touching her, and yet, a few beads of sweat were noticeably running down her bare upper half. The princess blinked and met with the other female's eyes, feeling astonished as she perceived strong lust in them. Miku immediately came to wonder if Luka actually enjoyed being on the receiving end more than she liked to show it, which didn't sound that farfetched; maybe the pink-haired demon had too much pride to admit that she adored the puny human's touches.
Feeling a sudden surge of confidence due to the succubus' compliant behavior, the princess let go of her breasts to hold her horns domineeringly. Almost instantly, Luka gently glared at her to show her disapproval of the situation. Even though she was visibly angry, the beginning of a gentle blush was starting to form on her cheeks, and the perceptible chills on her arms didn't help in making her infuriation believable.
"I thought I already told you that I do not like having my horns grabbed," Luka groaned, scowling at the riveted human.
"If that was truly the case, surely you would try to push me away. Your hands are not even tied this time." Miku stated with a grin. "I bet you enjoyed it so much last time that you actually wanted it to happen again. Am I wrong?"
"Do not be ridiculous, foolish human! I… I…" The prideful Queen bit down on her lip, distraught by the sudden mischievous behavior. Obviously, she was used to teasing others, so her smugness was easily destroyed as soon as the situation was the other way around, which of course, only helped to amuse the younger female even further. "J-Just do as you damn please, but be quick…"
"Don't mind if I do!" The human princess replied with eagerness, her heart hammering at Luka's docility. She was aware that she probably was one of the very few people to have ever seen the succubus' submissiveness since she didn't look like the type who would let others touch her easily. She had a dominant and authoritarian aura surrounding her, one that could undoubtedly make anyone submit to her. That still didn't stop Miku from doing whatever she desired; if anything, it only made her want to see the Queen ultimately succumb to her.
Without further ado, the teal-haired girl started touching the demon's most intimate area with one of her hands while the other stubbornly continued to grip her horn. Needless to mention, Miku was surprised by how wet Luka already was; she wondered if it was from the passionate caresses and kisses they shared earlier or if it was because of the anticipation of her taming her again. Either way, the small human couldn't be more delighted about the situation.
Now already knowing that Luka preferred internal pleasure rather than having her clit played with, Miku immediately rubbed her soaked entrance to lubricate her fingers before sliding two of them inside. It didn't take a long time before she found the same spot that always made the succubus lose her mind. Without delay, she alternated between roughly pushing into it, stroking it and twisting her fingers inside with each new thrust. Miku would have honestly loved to give her oral at the same time, but she wanted to keep holding her horn, and she couldn't really do both in that position. Though, she supposed that it was already satisfying enough to have a closer look at Luka's pleasured expression. The demon was more easy-to-read than usual, her cheeks slightly red as she so desperately tried to stop herself from letting out gasps each time her most sensitive spot was sharply getting hit.
The pink-haired female's breaths soon became uneven, her skin glistening with sweat as she clenched the bed sheets. She was also avoiding staring at Miku's bright eyes that were shining with mischief as she was examining her so intensely. Luka almost looked humiliated, as if she was embarrassed to be enjoying the human's rough touches this much. She even started moving her hips as she tried to follow Miku's rapid rhythm.
"Y-You can add… ahh… another finger…"
Miku was about to obey, but she abruptly stopped, a giggle escaping from her parted lips. Now was her chance for some well-deserved revenge. Luka dared to embarrass her by making her say all those shameful things yesterday, so she might as well pay for it.
She pulled her fingers out instead of listening to Luka's demand and firmly held both horns while staring mockingly at Luka's betrayed face.
"If you want this so much, a little pleading will not hurt, hmm?"
The teal-haired girl didn't know when she became so self-confident with sex when only the thought of it used to bring her a lot of shame before. Perhaps it was because the mighty Queen of Demons was visibly enjoying every one of her touches? Miku took great pride in that. Pleasing a succubus in bed, the most renowned one even, seemed like a hard task, and yet the human was doing it with such surprising ease.
"You…want me to plead?" Luka repeated, discernibly irked with the turn of events. She looked genuinely frustrated and angry. "If you think something like that will work on me, little maiden, you are wrong. You should already be content enough that I am allowing you to lay your hands on me."
"Tsk," Miku grimaced to show her disgruntlement. She was pretty tired of that hostile behavior; hence why her next sentence was spoken with sarcasm and mockery; "Oh yes, I indeed feel very privileged that the high and mighty Queen allows me to touch her… what a solemn honor!"
The pink-haired demon was unfazed by it. If anything, she was both impatient and unamused. She sighed and crossed her arms over her bust.
"Believe it or not, I have only allowed three people to touch me before, you included. I am usually the one doing the touching, so I am not taking this as lightly as you may think..."
The young girl's breath got caught in her throat at the revelation. She was left completely thunderstruck. Luka only allowed her and two other people to touch her? It seemed very questionable; after all, she was pretty sure that the demon had had more sex than any human could ever imagine possible. Then again, Luka looked somewhat distant and unattainable, so it didn't sound that improbable when it was seen that way. Still, Miku couldn't help the sudden embarrassment from building up within her. She even regretted the sheer mockery from earlier. She was the third person to have ever touched the succubus; thus, it was undeniably special. She didn't even feel like teasing her anymore. Clearly, Luka cared about her and trusted her enough to allow it, so maybe she shouldn't take it for granted even though she was dying to make the woman submit to her even more.
After letting out a deep breath, Miku finally decided to just give her what she wanted. Having the perfect revenge by making the impassive Queen plead was too good to ever happen, so perhaps giving up on it was the best thing to do. For now.
Without warning, the princess then proceeded by inserting three digits inside her and pumping them while rubbing her walls, hitting the same sensitive spot repeatedly in a matter of seconds. It was thrilling to see Luka shudder under her as she was at the complete mercy of her rough touches. Eventually, her irregular gasps transformed into moans as she almost urgently pulled Miku closer to her, wrapping her arms around her neck. The petite female was left surprised at the sudden hug, but it didn't stop her from doing what she was doing, nor did it stop her from picking up the pace. Besides, she certainly wasn't going to complain about their sudden proximity; she was so closely pressed against Luka right now that she could feel her racing pulse, and hearing all those delicious moans so close to her ear was immensely gratifying.
Miku couldn't help the soft smile from parting her lips as she buried her face in the older woman's neck. Everything felt more intimate than usual. Luka was even running a trembling hand in her teal hair as she was encouraging her to continue. It wasn't hard to tell that the succubus was plenty enjoying herself right now; she was letting out countless moans like it didn't disgrace her anymore.
Soon enough, Miku felt Luka's walls clench around her fingers and judging from the way the woman was shivering uncontrollably, it didn't take a genius to guess that she was finally reaching her climax.
"A-Ahh… M-Miku…!"
The teal-haired girl's eyes widened. She blushed scarlet at the realization of what just happened. She had expected anything but the succubus moaning her name in such an erotic manner as she orgasmed. She had no idea if Luka did it to embarrass her or if it had been involuntary, but either way, it drove the human to pull away as if she had just been electrified. Miku's heart was pounding as an oppressing heat was overwhelming her whole body. Hearing Luka moaning out her name like that undeniably enlivened her to no end…
"What are you so embarrassed about?" The succubus asked as she lazily sat up, still trying to catch her breath.
"Y-You just…" Miku swallowed hard, nervousness getting the better of her as she stared at anything but the other woman. You just moaned my name! In such an erotic way! Of course, I am embarrassed!
There was then a long moment of silence before Luka decided to ignore it by giving her the cold shoulder, getting off the bed to get dressed.
"I am well aware that you are highly aroused right now, but you will have to manage without me returning the favor since we do not have much time to lose."
You say that, but you were the one who insisted on having sex in the first place… However, Miku decided it was best to keep that thought to herself. Besides, despite the fact that she was irrefutably turned on, she was satisfied enough; having pleased the succubus in bed for the third time was already making her feel content. Still, she took a minute to inhale and exhale deeply as she tried to suppress her carnal urges. She felt like it was just some sort of revenge for having touched her instead of it having been the other way around since Luka could easily make her orgasm in a matter of seconds by using her powers.
"I suppose that settles our deal, then." The pink-haired demon spoke to break the silence as Miku was also getting dressed.
"H-Huh? I did not agree that whatever I did just now was part of our deal…" The princess frowned.
"I did say you could do whatever pleased you before you started touching me, and it was the term of our deal, so you agreed to it on your own."
Feeling betrayed, Miku pouted. Why did she feel like Luka just tricked her? She had wanted to do something more… intense than just some mere touching, and yet the succubus wasn't wrong; she did say that she could do whatever she wanted to her. She should have taken the opportunity. Nevertheless, she couldn't avoid the disappointment from making her feel a bit sulky. Though, she supposed that now wasn't the right time to dwell on it. They had lost enough time as it was.
"A-Anyway, let us tell Gumi that we are ready to depart," Miku sighed as she grabbed her bag and swiftly left, Luka following closely behind her, her hooded robe covering half of her face. If the petite girl remembered well, Gumi's room should be the one next to theirs. She then knocked on the door. "Gumi? Are you ready to leave?"
"Y-Yes, give me a moment…"
Miku told her to take her time, much to the pink-haired demon's annoyance, her foot tapping on the floor repeatedly with impatience. After a minute or so, the thin half-human opened the door, her eyes directed at the wall behind them, as if too timid to look at either of them.
"Good morning," The teal-haired girl smiled softly, attempting to be friendly.
"A-Ah…um…g-good morning…" Gumi blushed, playing nervously with a strand of her green hair.
"Did you rest well?"
"Uhh...yes…"
"Enough of this pointless small talk, let us leave already," Luka interrupted them harshly.
Miku rolled her eyes. That damned succubus really needed to learn some manners, but what else could they expect from a demon?
After agreeing on eating while walking, they finally departed, each of them having a piece of bread with some cheese for breakfast. Gumi was devouring the meal like she hadn't eaten anything this fresh in years, and the princess couldn't help but pity her. She was in such a deplorable state; it was almost a miracle that she was still healthy and able to travel. Those demons mistreated her so much; they fed her just enough to barely keep her alive. Though, sadly Miku couldn't say that Gumi would have been safer in humans' hands. Being half-demon and human would have been enough to repulse just about anyone, but she would have probably suffered a better fate than being kept alive only for the purpose of misery.
Disregarding the disheartening thoughts, Miku looked around. The streets were already more animated than last night. Several travellers and itinerant merchants were speaking loudly. There were even some musicians bargaining for money as they played their best music. The teal-haired girl couldn't stop the amazement from showing on her face, gawking at everything that was moving around her with deep interest. She hadn't the occasion to leave the castle often, after all, so seeing all those people was refreshing to her.
After several minutes of examining everything in great detail, Miku finally turned to Luka with a raised eyebrow to focus on more serious matters;
"So? What is the plan?"
"Before I explain everything, it would be in our best interest to find horses to travel with."
"Horses? But they are quite expensive, and we should save up the money that we have…"
"Dearest Miku, has it slipped your mind that I am a succubus? I can get almost anything for free if I talk to the right people," Luka smirked. "Now, stay back and let me take care of this."
The princess disapproved of the demon's stratagem, but she remained silent as she saw her walk towards a man who was watching over his two horses while his companion was inside a building. With his dirty clothes, he looked like a traveller; one that hadn't taken a bath in several weeks. Yet, it didn't stop Luka from approaching his ear and whispering something seductive in it, her index tracing a flirty heart on his torso.
Miku then looked away with a grunt and tried not to let it bother her. Yet, the pang in her chest was unambiguous; she was jealous. She hated it. She became so enthralled by the succubus that she was slowly starting to become more possessive of her even though she knew that it was a very unhealthy thing to feel. Her earlier thoughts about Luka not being faithful to her resurfaced once again. She felt like it was wrong to feel that way, mainly since they were not in an exclusive relationship, and it was why she tried her hardest to ignore it. Besides, it would quickly become problematic if she were to throw a tantrum because of it.
Still, it hurt. Her throat was burning from the jealousy. All the succubus was doing was murmuring a few seductive words to him; there was nothing more to it than that, and just that thought helped to ease her tensed shoulders.
"D-Do not worry; it does not mean that our Queen is unfaithful to you," Gumi suddenly spoke as if she read her thoughts. "S-Seducing him to trick him does not mean that something intimate is going to happen between them, a-and she would never take it that far…"
Miku blinked. The half-human seemed to think that they were in a relationship, and they definitely weren't. At least, not yet. Her resentment must be written all over her face if Gumi was trying to reassure her.
"We…Luka and I...we are not lovers," The teal-haired female specified, not wanting it to lead to further misunderstanding.
"O-Oh…" The greenette was noticeably ashamed of her mistake, looking down at her feet. "I…I'm sorry. I only assumed that you two were in a special relationship b-because the Queen looks comfortable when s-she is around you... S-She seemed angry and fed up whenever she was with the King or L-Lily… A-And each time she came back from humans' territory, she always looked oddly…p-peaceful …"
Miku's heart fluttered at the revelation. She was seriously starting to think that she was unique to Luka, and it was plenty enough to cheer her up, the beginning of a smile finally parting her lips. Perhaps her jealous really was for nothing after all.
Soon enough, the Queen of Demons persuaded the young man to let her take the two horses, his lovestruck eyes never once leaving her as she re-joined the two girls.
Luka soon frowned at Miku.
"What are you grinning about, human?"
"Nothing!" She replied a bit too cheerfully, before shaking her head at the sight of the two animals. "We really should try to steal from people as little as possible. I hope this man is going to be all right without his horses…"
Luka shrugged to show that it wasn't her concern. She then turned to Gumi.
"Do you know how to ride a horse, half-human?"
"U-Um… yes, I used to travel a lot with my parents and we always—"
"I did not ask for your past, so could you spare me the details?" The icy Queen exhaled irritably as she met with offended teal eyes. "Miku, you and I will share a horse."
"How about I share one with Gumi instead? You do not have to treat her this way!"
"A-Ah, its fine! I will ride one by myself!" The green-haired female insisted and gave a reassuring smile to the human to show her that she didn't mind the cold behavior at all. "I-In any case, we should probably leave this place already. W-We are starting to attract more attention than we should be..."
Miku looked around and gulped at the sight; so many pairs of curious eyes on them. Surely, Luka's frustrating habit to call them "human" and "half-human" at the top of her voice didn't pass unnoticed. It would be enough to make anyone apprehensive; especially since the succubus' face was hidden for the most part. They then quickly climbed on their respective horses, and the princess immediately encircled the demon's waist tightly to hold onto her. Without further ado, they started to head towards the village's exit.
Miku pressed her forehead against Luka's back, restraining herself from sulking again. The Queen's unfriendliness often ended up infuriating her to no end, and yet, why was she so drawn to her? Why couldn't she stop thinking about her? And most of all, why was she so hopelessly falling in love with her? The more she was spending time with her, the more her feelings for her were growing. Luka's surprising moments of softness when she was with her nowadays didn't help to make her less engrossed either. She wanted to see more of those unexpected sweet sides of hers that always succeeded in making her feel so warm and fuzzy. With those thoughts in mind, she tightened her grip around the succubus.
Once they were far enough away from the village, Miku cleared her dry throat before speaking;
"Where are we going exactly?"
The pink-haired demon stayed silent as if she was trying to find a way to explain the situation. Eventually, she sighed in defeat and stared at Gumi out of the corner of her eyes.
"Half-human, speak on my behalf."
"A-All right… um…" The greenette bit down on her lip as she inhaled. "T-There is a village hidden in a faraway forest that accepts b-both demons and humans equally, s-so we should be safe there. W-We were not many, but there was still e-enough of us to live adequately. This is also where I used to live with m-my parents before we got abducted while we were traveling..."
Miku's eyes widened. She had never heard of such a village before. She was shocked that a place like that even existed. With the obstinate rivalry between humans and demons, it was unbelievable to think that some of them lived together in harmony. The princess was starting to become inquisitive about what kind of place it was, but she bit her tongue,restraining herself from asking too many questions. She felt like it would be too overwhelming for the poor girl who already seemed very timid around her.
Though, Gumi seemed oddly nervous; or at least, a lot more than usual. Her hands were shaking as she opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly as if she was greatly hesitating between saying something or not. It didn't pass unnoticed by Luka either, who stopped her horse to glare darkly at her.
"If you have something important to say about the place that we are heading to that you did not tell me, spill it, or I will force you to."
"I… I…" Gumi's lips trembled as her eyes were starting to become glazed with tears. She obviously feared what the Queen would do to her if she were to tell the truth. She lowered her eyes and exhaled shakily. "A-After I talked to you yesterday; I told Lily where we were going…"
"I knew it! I knew you were hiding something, you damned half-human! I should have made you speak as soon as I suspected it!" Luka kept on cursing under her breath; her jaw clenched in deep anger. "I was willing to let you live there in peace in exchange for your directions, and yet, you freely told that weakling where we were going!?"
"I…I did not have a choice…!" The half-demon exclaimed back, her voice trembling as she struggled to let out words. "L-Lily intercepted me b-because she knew you were planning something a-and she forced me to talk."
"Do not try and fool me; Lily is too weak to make anyone admit the truth. Either you willingly told her the information, or she offered something valuable in exchange, but what could be more important than your own safety and freedom? Now tell me!"
"S-She…s-seduced me. A night with her in exchange for the truth…" Gumi mumbled very lowly. Despite how frightened she was, she was still telling her everything; as if she feared what would happen to her if she were to lie. "I…I swear that I did not want to tell her anything! Y-You may think that Lily is weak, but s-she still managed to seduce me d-despite the fact that I hate her for e-everything she has done to me. S-She always lured me into watching her while she was…um…i-indulging in self-pleasure only to find a reason to punish me afterward…"
Miku could feel Luka quiver in deep anger. Worried that she might lash out at the traumatized girl at any moment, the princess gave the succubus a gentle squeeze on her tensed shoulders to try making her calm down. While the situation was admittedly frustrating, she didn't think it was the right time to be blinded by fury. Besides, it apparently wasn't Gumi's fault; it was mainly that Lily's. There was no reason to shout at her.
Luka held her breath for a moment before giving a nod. The only reason why she was staying calm right now was probably because of Miku's uplifting embrace and the way she was tracing soothing circles on her stomach with her thumb.
"Were you even planning to tell us?" The Queen asked quite coldly.
"I…I wanted to last night, but you two already looked quite exhausted."
The succubus sighed and massaged her temples in thought, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.
"There is no doubt that Lily will tell Gakupo about our whereabouts, and there is a high chance that he will try to send subordinates to get rid of us."
"Will he seriously have time to take care of us, though?" Miku asked in a surprising grave tone of voice. "My parents probably think that you abducted me, which will most likely push them to start the war sooner than expected; I very much doubt they will have time to spare for us. Moreover, since your King seems to dislike humans this much, he surely won't be happy knowing that there is a village where both my kind and yours are living peacefully together, so all those people are at risk... the least we could do is warn them of the upcoming danger."
"I… I agree… I put them in danger, so even if you two decide to take a different path, I will still meet with them to warn them. T-This is my responsibility, after all, and I… I would not like to have those deaths on my conscience..." Gumi murmured with deep hesitation.
"Do not be foolish, half-human. It is dangerous to travel that far all by yourself," Luka whispered with reluctance. "Since we agreed on the plan, let us move on already."
Miku's expression softened at the succubus' understanding. She even pointed out her worry about letting the poor girl go there all by herself. Even if Luka was often hostile to others, there was certainly some softness and compassion hidden somewhere in her heart. The demon was slowly starting to change for the better, and the princess wondered if she was the one influencing that gentle behavior. Even Gumi looked shocked by her Queen's compliance, her eyes widening ever so slightly, but her surprise soon changed into relief as she smiled timidly.
For the rest of the day, they kept silent for the most part. Each time Miku attempted to strike up a conversation with both of them, either Gumi would say as little as possible out of bashfulness or Luka would tell her that she was trying to concentrate on riding the horse, which the human firmly believed was just a poor excuse not to make small talk with her. Out of boredom, Miku almost dozed off a few times despite the bumpy road they were currently riding on. They made a few stops to eat and let the horses rest a bit before resuming their journey.
It was only when the greenette started to fall asleep that they all decided that it was best to settle down for the night. Miku looked around as she stretched her sore limbs; they were in a forest, near a huge lake. They could hear the frogs make conversation with each other as the crickets were putting on their nocturnal concert. They could also hear a few owls hoot every so often in the distance. The princess qualified all those sounds as oddly relaxing. She wouldn't mind falling asleep to them to be honest. She would probably sleep regardless; she was exhausted even if they pretty much only galloped on horseback all day along.
While Luka took care of tethering the two tired animals around a tree, Miku meanwhile searched for a good spot of grass to sleep on. Although she would undoubtedly miss the luxury of her bed, it was still quite exciting for the usually caged princess to camp out like this. The air was a bit chilly, but it wasn't anything too uncomfortable. At the very least, it didn't stop Gumi from falling asleep as soon as she dropped to the ground.
Soon enough, the succubus joined her and laid down next to her, her back facing her.
"Good night, Luka," Miku said softly, already feeling like she would doze off in a moment, her eyelids heavy.
"Good night," Luka answered back almost emotionlessly.
And then everything turned pure black.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
After an hour of turning around ceaselessly in an effort to find a comfortable position, Luka decided to give up on sleep for now. She looked around; both Gumi and Miku seemed sound asleep, the annoying cracking noises that some wild animals were making seemingly not bothering them in the slightest. With a sigh, she stood up and decided to take a walk around the river. There was no point in wasting her time doing absolutely nothing while she miserably failed to find sleep. She approached the lake and sat down on a nearby large rock, her crystal blue eyes getting lost in the mirage of the bright stars reflecting on the water's surface.
She let her thoughts wander off, inhaling deeply. So much had happened recently and she hadn't the occasion to reflect on the events. First, there was that despicable half-human who dared to tell Lily about their plans, and Luka couldn't believe that she did it in exchange for sex. While Gumi had some succubus genes, she assumed that it was still not enough for her to give in on the first occasion. Especially not with the blonde demon who always made the half-human's life a waking nightmare. Mistreating her by eating food in front of the skeletal girl while she was almost dying from hunger and verbally abusing her… everything sounded unforgivable. Perhaps Luka sincerely pitied Gumi. Perhaps it was why she decided to partially forgive her betrayal.
And then, there was Miku. Miku who did not leave her indifferent. Miku, whom, Luka couldn't help but keep thinking about. Miku who easily made her heart act up each time she initiated intimate kisses and caresses. The same Miku who she wanted to protect and keep all to herself. She wanted those brazen moans and gasps to belong solely to her, and to her only. Most of all, she was ready to let go of everything if it meant being with her. Because Miku made her dark life brighter; she was like those stars on the illusioned black water, illuminating its lifelessness with their brilliance.
Nonetheless, Luka couldn't understand. She couldn't understand the origin of those emotions that made her days so much more meaningful. No matter how many times as she tried to grasp the meaning of those feelings, she simply couldn't get it. She thought it was simpler to blame it all on lust. Yes, she only felt very strong lust towards Miku. That was it; it was why the human didn't leave her indifferent.
"Luka…?"
And yet, why did hearing that endearing voice call her name with such concern sound so melodic to her ears? Why did it make her forget how to breathe for just this little instant?
Luka turned around, her heart skipping a beat at the sight in front of her; Miku was staring at her with such a soft expression plastered on her face. That little human was so expressive; it was very easy to notice all the affection and attachment she held for her merely by looking at her cute features.
"What is it, little maiden? I thought you were sound asleep."
"Ah… you sort of woke me up when you started walking away. No harm done though! Mind if I sit with you for a little bit?"
The impassive Queen would have honestly preferred to stay alone for a little longer, but nevertheless, she shook her head and made her some space on the big rock she was sat on, and Miku didn't waste any time joining her. Besides, perhaps they both needed to talk about some things that couldn't be left in the dark for too long now that they would spend most of their time together. Like the human's feelings of affection for her, for example. Luka wasn't dumb; she was well aware of the girl's growing feelings for her, and it could quickly become difficult if they didn't talk about it.
As with every time they were alone and failed to start a conversation, Miku avoided looking at her out of nervousness. Things were always oddly awkward between them when they didn't have sex; that much was obvious. Yet, Luka thought it was quite entertaining to see the human fidget whenever they were silent around each other. The beginning of a blush was even starting to form on her cheeks; probably because the succubus was currently staring at her quite intensively, a smirk parting her lips.
Since Miku obviously wasn't going to start the conversation for once, Luka straightforwardly spoke about the subject that bothered her the most.
"Miku, how do you feel about me?" She asked with a glaring lack of delicacy.
The human princess visibly tensed up upon being asked that one question, her eyes widening in shock. She probably didn't expect her to get into this topic, which Luka supposed was pretty understandable.
After inhaling sharply, Miku hugged her legs close to her body and buried her face in them, probably wanting to hide her embarrassment about the situation.
"I…" The human sighed shakily. "I suppose you could say that I feel a little bit of… affection for you. I guess…"
A little bit? Luka frowned. That was a blatant lie, and she knew it. A little bit was too little. The icy Queen hated to be lied to when she had been sincere about her own feelings yesterday by admitting that the human wasn't leaving her indifferent. And so, Luka did what she thought was obvious… and that was forcing the truth to come out from Miku's pretty lips.
Without hesitation, the succubus grabbed the girl's chin to force her to look at her and shamelessly used her powers on her, stroking her soft skin with her index at the same time.
"Be honest with me, dearest. How do you feel about me?"
Luka felt a lot of resistance at first, as if Miku was trying to fight her off with all of her might, but sooner or later, she let out a wistful sigh as she deeply stared into her crystal blue eyes.
"I… am falling in love with you…"
Love.
The demon abruptly let go of her as if she had just been slapped across the face, her breath caught in her throat. She had known for a while that Miku felt deep affection for her, but she hadn't expected it to come to love. What else was she supposed to expect anyway? Humans easily bonded to others, romance being a recurrent thing for them. Why her, though? No matter what, Luka couldn't understand why the other female came to feel such intimate feelings for her... Her, out of all people. She was just an empty shell, devoid of any positive emotions… at least, that was until she met Miku…
Miku who shook her cold heart.
Soon enough, choked sobs suddenly interrupted the seemingly endless silence between them, and Luka definitely wasn't prepared to see the flow of tears running down Miku's cheeks.
"F-Forcing me to admit my feelings without my consent… T-That is so… cruel…"
The succubus didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to handle things in the slightest. The only thing she understood was that she hadn't meant to hurt her at all. Being as confused as she was, all Luka could do was to stare down at their feet, tolerating the pang in her chest as Miku kept on snivelling about her possible broken heart.
Eventually, as if unable to bear the oppressing atmosphere between them, the human stood up and prepared herself to go back to Gumi, but Luka stopped her without a second thought, gripping her wrist.
"Wait," The demon said in an unintentionally detached voice. She then quickly cleared her throat and repeated it in the softest murmur she could ever utter. "Wait…"
Miku nevertheless refused to look at her, but she seemed a little less edgy at the unexpected softness that the other woman was showing to her. Even though she stopped her, Luka still didn't know what to say. Her mind was hazy. She was confused; there was no doubt about it. All the same, she didn't want to let her go when she had made her so upset. It was why she spoke what first came into her mind;
"I feel… unbearable lust towards you."
Miku stared at her with apparent shock before she quickly averted her eyes, letting out a nervous giggle.
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" She enquired in a whisper. "What I feel for you goes beyond mere lust…"
"I…" Luka began to speak but soon shut her eyes in frustration. She had never felt so many jumbled emotions at once, and they were forming some sort of unpleasant knot in the pit of her stomach. "Believe me when I say that I've never felt this strongly about anyone before. Otherwise, I would not have thrown away everything just to be with you right now, but this… love that you hold for me, I am afraid I cannot understand it… not yet. However, you have been able to make me feel… things… things that no one else has ever been capable of before… hence why I said last night that you did not leave me indifferent."
The princess already looked a little bit more reassured as she nodded to show her understanding. She then pulled away from the succubus' persistent grasp around her wrist and climbed off the rock, giving Luka a weak smile along the way.
"Thank you… for letting me know," She murmured tenderly. "I will go back to Gumi now. It would be terrible if something were to happen to her while we were not there."
It seemed more like an excuse to get away from her, but the Queen wasn't going to complain about it since she desperately needed some time to herself as well right now. As soon as she was alone, she bit down on her lip.
Love. Such a strange, yet powerful feeling.
Or a weakness like Luka always used to believe. An unfixable weakness.