Honestly… have we EVER had a good day?

Cassandra stamped her foot impatiently as she waited for everyone but herself to set the tents up. Normally she'd be helping Sophitia to pitch theirs, but she was currently occupied setting up the evening's campfire...well, that, and sulking.

We just keep going from one tragedy to another! I wanted to go on an adventure and really enjoy my life, but we never stop and do anything fun! It's always Soul Embrace this, Soul Embrace that...

Siegfried dropped one edge of the tent stake prematurely, causing the structure (and Siegfried himself) to topple forward in a heap. Ivy made a discourteous remark, and Tira immediately came to her self-proclaimed Masters defense, hands already starting to reach for her ringblade.

The only person I ever get to talk to is Sophie. Setsuka asked for my advice once, sure...and then proceeded to never talk to me again

She knew that wasn't entirely true, but a sense of exaggeration often accompanied sulking. I always figured that on an adventure, I'd spend less time fighting for my life and more time having parties, having fun, having romances...

That last bit just ticked her off even more. The man she had attempted to romance had rejected her. Sure, he'd been right; she really should've waited for someone she loved to give herself to - but those words had just intensified her fondness for Siegfried.

It had begun with a simple motivation: she wanted what Sophitia had; a handsome man who cared for her and embraced her. Siegfried was the only male they were traveling with, and was absolutely gorgeous, so it wasn't too surprising she'd fallen for him.

But Siegfried was already in a relationship...of sorts...and to call it 'complicated' didn't even begin to do it justice. Tira had been traveling with him since long before she'd met Siegfried, and it was kind of hard to turn a blind eye to their routine and suspicious coinciding disappearances. Cassandra had tried to visit Siegfried in the night while staying at the inn, only to hear cries of pleasure behind the wooden frame, to remind her that Siegfried had someone else he wanted to embrace.

That hadn't sat well with her either; especially after she'd seen Siegfried making love to Sophitia, something she had to cheat on her husband to accomplish. Rothion may well have deserved that, but it still hadn't done much for Cassandra.

She was aware she was young, but not entirely aware of her naïveté; her views on marriage and love were determined by the stories of Athens and the collected books from the known world. A hero saved a woman, was faithful to her, loved her and only her for all their lives, and they lived happily ever after.

Well, some of the time, anyway. She could forgive him for his past womanizing, if she could demonstrate to him that she was worthy of being his one and only lover.

But it'd be difficult to find time alone with him, especially since they kept moving at such a hurried pace. Everyone was exhausted by day's end from all their forced marching, and the group was slowly getting less sociable; no one had the energy or the desire to talk very much.

With none of the other women to confide in, and Sophitia herself now more a rival for Siegfried's affections than a source of support, Cassandra would need to take action herself.

"Isn't the fire ready yet, girl?"

Cassandra glared at Ivy, the older British woman looking rather displeased.

"What? It's getting there!" Cassandra told her, resuming her work at last.

This really isn't what I was expecting life to be like when I went out on my journey. All my comrades are fighting with each other, and the man I love is constantly being pulled away by the others...even my own sister!

I never thought I'd wish that I had just stayed at the bakery...

---

Another night of traveling between the fields and the waters separating the islands of Japan, Siegfried and his company had come to rest for another evening. Though normally they'd set up a fire and discuss things with one another, tonight no one seemed particularly energetic; and they hadn't been very involved at all since the events with Taki and Ivy, and then again with Zasalamel.

Siegfried - usually the perpetual peacemaker of the group - had adopted a stoic, determined silence since their last confrontation with yet another evil force. Siegfried certainly hoped that he'd seen the last of them, but knew better.

I will show you the greatest nightmare!

Siegfried's eyes widened as he turned his attention to the Soul Embrace, but saw only its cloth covering and he calmed down...just a little bit, anyway. He stood up and stretched a bit, removing some of his armor and setting it beside the Soul Embrace and the sleeping Tira, lying beside their precious weapon instead of her usual tree branch.

They'd made camp at the edge of a grove, with a freshwater stream and a forest filled with all kinds of fruits. Setsuka, though still acting as their guide, wasn't familiar with the indigenous foods, but Taki had confirmed they weren't dangerous, so a few had been gathered up and added to their dwindling supply of rations. Siegfried had a full stomach, and was looking forward to the night's rest...

...but he was far, far from satisfied.

Much as he enjoyed the fact that his traveling companions were all beautiful women, the increased numbers had wreaked considerable havoc with his usual night schedule. When they stayed at inns and divided into rooms, he could turn to Tira for what he needed, but when forced to stay in the wilderness...he had considerably fewer options.

Sophitia had more or less taken Tira under her wing and was spending more and more time with the girl, almost maternally. Cassandra was almost never out of Sophitia's sight, and Ivy, just when she seemed to be making progress towards becoming more socialable, had become increasingly distant and withdrawn from the others. Taki was still injured, and sleeping very deeply whenever she had an opportunity to rest, and Setsuka had resolved to help Siegfried overcome his lustful tendencies, so despite her constant flirting and her little winks, he'd yet to come to seek her company.

So, he just sat outside his tent, with Tira curled up like a cat. He was staring at the dying fire, and knowing his thoughts would plague him at least another hour, Siegfried turned from the stone and wood and headed into the grove, in search of wood dry enough to use for his fire.

As he stopped by the spring, a pile of clothing on a rock by the water's bank elicited shock, although the naked back of a young blonde woman surprised him more. At first Siegfried intended to withdraw himself, but paused, swayed by thoughts that recently had been increasing in frequency.

I thought she'd already gone to bed...why is she bathing now? And why isn't she - He abruptly stopped thinking as Cassandra turned ever so slightly, revealing the side of her left breast.

Cassandra wasn't quite as developed as Sophitia, and her shorter hair wasn't as appealing to him, but Siegfried saw little reason to be choosy. She was undeniably attractive, and undeniably naked...

...Stop it. You've been making progress. You can escape; you just have to show a little self-control. Cassandra made advances on me before and I was able to resist then...

But this only caused memories of a certain night to come rushing back.

"...Siegfried...Do you remember all the things I said to Sophitia today? How...she has everything I don't have...everything I wish I had? ...I want to...have one of the things she has. ...Or, maybe I should say, I want to lose one of the things she's lost."

Siegfried remembered that night outside the temple ruins, when Cassandra had come into his tent. He remembered that nervousness, that slow manner of speaking. He remembered that she was younger than her sister, less womanly, less beautiful...but her girlish charm didn't make her any less appealing to him.

"...Siegfried, I've...wanted you...since I first saw you...I want you to...be the one...to take my maidenhood..."

And then she'd lowered her shirt, exposing her breasts to him. He had felt them, as she willingly took his hands and placed them upon her, to enjoy the feel of her flesh.

"Siegfried, would you...would you be the one?"

And her eyes had been pleading him, since he'd tried to remain stoic, and she wanted him to give in to his desire. No, more than that, to give her pleasure and instill within her the feeling of love, if only temporarily. She'd sat on his lap, grinding their hips together, and she'd kissed him, and he'd kissed her back with all the fervor he could conjure, intoxicated by both her words and the thought of lying with her only hours after he'd had her sister.

Yet, he had refused her. Dissuaded her from going through with it and waiting until she'd found the man she loved.

Tonight, he didn't have that kind of restraint.

Don't you remember, Siegfried? She was a test you had passed. You managed to escape before you got sucked back into the cycle. If you take back your word, you'll have eradicated the value of anything you taught her, and you'll continue being a slave to your desires.

That was just an irritating voice in the back of Siegfried's head. He hated to hear those voices in his head, and knew the easiest way to silence them. It was so much easier to enjoy the pleasure, and to hear the loving cries of the woman lying beneath him.

It was so much easier to just give in...

"Cassandra." He said aloud.

The young Athenian woman turned and immediately sank down into the water, leaving only her head visible. It was hard to tell with only the reflection of moonlight on the water's surface, but Siegfried could tell her cheeks had turned bright red.

"Siegfried?! What are you - "

"May I join you?" He interjected, his voice unwaveringly calm.

"J-Join me? In the water? But, Siegfried, I - "

"A 'yes' or a 'no' would be fine, Cassandra." Siegfried told her, again with eerie calm.

"Um...well, okay, sure." She swam off to one corner, still casting her gaze at him.

Siegfried disrobed, slowly, but purposefully so. Normally, he'd have been embarrassed about changing clothes in clear view of a woman, but tonight, he had a plan in mind. Armed with the knowledge that Cassandra had already sought his embrace and sought to examine his form, he spent several seconds longer so she could get a thorough look at him - all of him.

By the time he'd stepped into the cool water with her, he already knew she'd be his. Her face was burning red, her short blonde locks were dripping with not just water, but sweat. He treaded through the water, keeping his intense blue eyes focused upon her.

"Siegfried, what are you...?"

"Do you remember the night when you came to my tent and asked me to 'help' you?"

Cassandra knew exactly what he was talking about. She didn't have to provide any verbal cues; it was already clear to him. Those blue eyes of hers were yearning for him.

And even if they weren't, they would still answer his desires.

"I don't know if it's too late, but I want to take you up on that offer." Siegfried told her. "I want to hold you. Kiss you. Embrace you. ...Make love to you."

The last four were the magic words. Cassandra gave a short yelp beneath the water's surface and slowly nodded, emerging ever so shyly. "...D...Do you remember what I asked you...?"

Siegfried grinned. "Don't worry - I'll guide you...and I'll be gentle."

He lifted the young blonde woman up onto the cool stones at the water's edge and buried his face in her breasts, provoking a short moan from the younger Alexandra sister.

I just lied to her. I told her what I knew she wanted to hear so I could do this to her.

Siegfried reached his mouth upwards and found Cassandra's lips, planting his to hers and letting his hands take over massaging her chest, and slowly but surely moving downwards.

She'd asked him to be gentle. Normally he'd spend more time with her breasts, her lips, her neck...but tonight, he was operating entirely on his craven lust for a young woman. It wasn't a want; it was a psychological need.

His fingers found her entrance and he inserted them, and the sound of Cassandra's deep moan was sweet music to his ears. He drew his face away from hers and placed it on the side of her neck, observing her cheeks flush an even deeper red and her eyes shut in evident satisfaction.

"I want to be inside you. " Siegfried told her, speaking in little more than a whisper. He was losing some of the calm now; his voice was breaking, his words less precise. "I'm going to go in, Cassandra."

Cassandra's eyes opened, her blue gaze held to Siegfried's. She gave a slow nod, looking apprehensive. Siegfried turned his face from her so she wouldn't see his lewd grin, and managed to conceal this as he repositioned himself, sliding up from beneath her...and then plunging deep into her.

Cassandra gave a cry and pressed her arms to Siegfried's neck and shoulder blade, but that did little to deter him. "Spread your legs wider." Siegfried instructed, sounding harsher than he'd intended. He began a slow, steady thrust, gradually picking up the pace as his tension grew.

And now I've lied to her again. I've lost sight of her wish...all I care about is my own moment of pleasure.

Between her cries, Cassandra obeyed Siegfried's request and spread her legs wider for him, allowing him better access within her as he continued his manic thrust upwards.

I can't control myself. I can't resist.

Cassandra's grasp became looser as she wrapped her arms to hold her to him, rather than to cope with the pain he'd caused her. He could feel all kinds of fluids leaking out upon him, and knew quite well he'd successfully torn away her virginity.

He growled and pressed his head again to her breasts, suckling upon them and caressing them. Beforehand he might've asked her to pleasure him with those breasts, but they were too small for his liking. He would need Ivy, or Sophitia.

What am I thinking? Siegfried asked himself. I'm not supposed to desire more than woman. I'm not supposed to be so unfaithful.

He turned his gaze back to Cassandra's breasts, smaller than he preferred, but still the warm, inviting flesh of a woman.

I can't stop. I need her. No, not her - I need the pleasure.

Images of murder flashed through his head. Those were the very things he needed to silence. The very things he needed pleasure for to begin with.

I can't stop.

His climax came out of the blue. He wasn't sure if Cassandra had done the same, but he didn't honestly care, as he pulled himself from her and left her against the cold stone.

Cassandra's breathing was heavy. Her body was covered in both sweat and water, and her flesh was burning hotter than ever. Even in the dim moonlight, Siegfried could make out the steady trail of red blood sifting in the water away from her.

After his ejaculation, he felt weak; lethargic. He too was breathing heavily, and though satisfied, felt that familiar sting of regret, as he'd once again allowed himself to be carried away by his desires.

Normally in such situations he'd ended up feeling guilty and disloyal. This time, however, he felt angry.

More.

Siegfried's body had expended energy, but the shameful memories and regret had not been silenced. Though he'd felt pleasure, he'd yet to be satisfied. He felt his hand grasp Cassandra's blonde locks as he prepared to enter her again, grinning animalistically at the thought.

More. I want more. I need more.

Cassandra opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised. "Siegfried?"

"I told you I'd teach you," Siegfried reminded her, his voice falling lower as his desire only grew more inflamed. "That was only the first lesson."

An endless cycle that will never be broken.

I have to use her. I can't stop.

And he continued, and the moonlight changed positions as frequently as Siegfried and Cassandra did. His lust was all the force he needed to power his now-exhausted body.

And not far off, drawn by the sound of cries, Tira observed in the darkness. It wasn't the first time she'd seen her Master sneak off to engage in such activities...and she doubted it would be the last.

---

The following morning, Siegfried awoke, still feeling tired. What few hours of sleep he had received had done little to reenergize him. He may have enjoyed the actions of the previous night, but he was once again bombarded by the painful memories and the slow, creeping feeling of his lust returning in force.

He stepped out of his tent and found his companions all packing up and preparing to resume their travel. Cassandra glanced his way from over alongside Sophitia and Tira but looked away just as quickly, intentionally avoiding his gaze.

She wasn't the best he'd had. Had he told her that? Had he let her know that she was just his proxy?

Sophitia was attempting to be friendly with Tira again, and as Siegfried observed them standing side-by-side, he thought that perhaps he might like them together...

...and this time, he didn't scold himself for having the thought.

---

Cassandra, meanwhile, drew back from the group to reflect. She'd finally made love to Siegfried, as she'd intended to do since they met. They'd made love in the water, under the moonlight, alone together and enjoying their passion. Sure she'd felt pleasure, but...

...there was something about Siegfried. He'd been distant. He'd been harsher than she expected. He hadn't been as gentle as he'd promised to be. He'd taken her virginity, and he hadn't even stopped to show any gratitude.

...And he'd frightened her. The eerie calm in his voice and the simple instructions he'd given...she couldn't help but feel he'd used her, even if she had agreed to all of his requests beforehand and even sought them out.

Yet now, the event had passed. She had expected it to be a special, heartwarming, romantic moment...but it was just a past event. Siegfried didn't seem too keen on mentioning it, and giving the way he'd behaved last night, she didn't expect that he would stop lying with the others and seek a monogamous relationship with her and only her.

In fact, all she really felt had happened was she'd experienced another disappointment. Her adventure had been given that romantic conquest she'd been seeking.

There just wasn't going to be a happily ever after.