For over thousands of years, people have recognized the exclusive union of man and woman as marriage. It did not start as a, say, private ritual between couples in the past. Scholars of history and culture believed that families began as a randomly organized community of men and women, in which leaders share women among the community.
The first ceremony happened about 4,000 years ago. Marriages somewhat became "formal" when people realised the need for legitimate heirs; they started to take in wives to make sure that the child a woman will give birth to is truly theirs. Hundreds of years later, it spread on both eastern and western cultures, making it even more popular—and socially accepted.
While marriages have been a common thing way back in the history, it is more likely that people carry on these ceremonies not out of love. Married women are expected to bear children—the end.
The northern nomads, the faction of people where C.C. came from followed the same principle. Daughters are arranged into marriages by their parents to assure the continuation of their lineage—procreation for the hubris of passing on the family's name. If C.C. weren't taken to the lowlands by Jeremiah that day, perhaps she would be wedded to their tribe's new potential leader.
She was not a romantic person at all. What she ever wanted was to maintain the peaceful life her family was having. So to say, she had no time to fall in love. Archery, hunting, fending off outsiders—these were the things she was interested in doing. Hence, if she were to be married off to that burly man, she would do anything to refuse the marriage.
Now, how did she feel after Lelouch claimed her as his wife in front of his people?
Nothing. Perhaps he said so for the same reason why their tribe leader wanted to marry her off to the best huntsman: procreation, also the main reason why people marry back in ancient times.
Are there any chances of her escaping her fate in the lowlands? Maybe none, unless she would give this man a child so Jeremiah will let her off.
C.C. felt oddly empty as she rode the horse in silence. The fact that Jeremiah actually wanted her to sleep with Lelouch was for this? She was a bit perturbed. Given Lelouch's status and looks, surely there would be no woman to refuse his marriage proposal and open their legs for him on bed.
She glanced at him to get a good view of his already-too-close-face, his features turning more handsome with that angered expression. There was fire in his intelligent eyes, hatred in the furrow between his brows, boldness in the way he runs the stallion with no fear of falling off.
They had been riding for who-knows-how-long in a speed almost too fast for her liking. Lelouch was not giving her a glance at all despite knowing she was staring hard at him. He continued whipping the horse, their speed increasing no matter how quick they were moving across the plains.
C.C. wanted to hold his face and look directly into his eyes while asking the question: "do I really have to bear your child?" However she couldn't bring herself to pull him out of his fervent trance, for the glow in his eyes were too beautiful—prettier than his darkened pupils on their intimate moments. Wouldn't it be the perfect time to ask for her freedom? Maybe he would understand that this was the very fate she wanted to avoid in her tribe. He would listen to her, wouldn't he?
Oh, but she was a mere slave. Jeremiah reminded her that, hard and clear. She was Lelouch's bed slave.
"What is with that long face?" his cold low voice made her jolt in surprise.
Looking back to him, she realised that his focus was still on the road. "Nothing," she murmured, leaning to his shoulder. She felt him stiffen, but he relaxed soon enough. This talk would better be reserved for the later, perhaps after her role to him was fulfilled.
The sky was dark that evening. It was moonless, and the only 'helpful' light to guide their way was the lamp connected to a wooden pole C.C. was holding. It lit a few meters of road ahead of them, enough to see whether a hump or a huge rock would obstruct their ride. Besides that, there was nothing but the vast silhouettes of valleys and trees far away.
No structures—houses or any edifices—were to be seen, just the silhouettes of the low grasses and trees scattered across the fields. There were wildflowers, for sure, but they looked barely visible under the starlight.
Despite the lack of better lighting, the young aristocrat managed to direct the horse with dexterity. It seemed that the young man and his horse were a team, experts in running away from people and from home. For a long time, all that could be heard was the loud mad dash across the plains.
It was a cold evening as all nights would normally be. The speed they were moving at made the air dry and nippy against their bare faces. Harsh as if it could cut. The lady personally didn't like it, for once they stopped it would be warm again.
The only good thing about this journey was perhaps the scent of the flowers blooming at night. The faint fragrance smelled like wildflowers and a fiery night ahead of them.
Still, the journey went on. The rider had one hand on the rein and the other wrapped around the lady before him. He leaned down and murmured something to hear ear, and his eyes were back on the muddy path again.
Perhaps it was already the deep of the night when they reached a wooden cabin. The cabin was located at a safe distance away from the babbling brook, standing in such peaceful scenery. It was dark, but it had that ambiance. A home.
"Whose house is this?" she asked, referring to the cabin. She hopped down from the horse, ignoring the hand he offered her.
Lelouch grabbed her hand and put it gently on his arm, and led the way to doorway. "This is my secret place, a hideout where I stay whenever I get tired of the people nagging at me."
"So some people are bold enough to talk to you in such a manner, eh? I like them." She watched him unlock the doors with his set of keys who-knows where he hid them.
"Aside from you, yes. There are some people who speak freely to me—Suzaku, my governess and mentors, the head butler – sometimes, my father…"
There was a small smile on her lips hearing his answer. So she came across cheeky to him then? That sounded like a compliment.
Lelouch pushed the door open and let her wander inside. He busied himself in lighting up the lamps hanging on each corners of the house with a match. It would be easy to find their way in the dark this way. As the interior was slowly illuminated, he heard her murmurs of admiration.
Everything inside the cabin was made of wood. The table cut from logs, the chairs, the bed—which had a soft cushion on it, and the floor. There were swords hanging on the wall—either for display or self-defence, and deer heads which were displayed as trophies for hunting. There were also a few kitchenwares next to the sink far at the back of the house. Another door was standing at the back, and perhaps it was for the back exit.
C.C. followed him as he moved around still lighting up the lamps. Seemed like she was done taking a look. Well, it should not take her long since it was such a small house. It would take about fifteen steps to reach the kitchen from the entrance. Besides, there weren't any partitions dividing the parts of the house.
"It is a cramped place, isn't it? I hope this place is fine for you even just for tonight, dear." Lelouch smiled at her, blowing the match out.
C.C. smirked at him and turned, loosening the ribbon which made breathing hard for her. Lowlanders had a flamboyant but uncomfortable fashion tastes. "I am not bothered at all. My home is a little more spacious than this," she sat on the bed, "if anything, this is more comfortable than your mansion."
In their silence, the babbling noise of the nearby brook amplified. Airy shushing of the evening breeze could be heard all over the cabin. The loud cicadas completed the nature's evening show. It was simply serene, listening to the sounds of the night from outside.
They were thinking the same but, of course, they did not know this: this place would make a nice home.
Lelouch watched her fold the ribbon and placed it neatly on the bedside table. His gaze lingered on her, watching the little movements she does: the way she sits, smiles, blinks—even the way she tucks her hair behind her ear. Here sits a lovely lady before him—a lady ignorant of the feud between him and his brother, and how she would be crucial in providing him a heir.
He studied her ever so smooth skin, though all he could see was just her face and bare hands. The lady looked more enticing with a pretty dress on. Lelouch smiled to himself, thinking that going here felt like playing house.
That, or he was keeping a mistress.
"I am glad to hear if so," he finally replied, taking a seat on the table. "C.C," he called, wanting her to look at him in the eyes.
When her amber gaze landed on him all knowing, he swallowed audibly.
"I had a word with Jeremiah earlier, and I learned about his reasons behind his eagerness for us to spend the night together." Lelouch saw her surprised, her eyes widening. That expression was vivid despite the dimness of the room. He guessed her tribe was the most important thing, naturally.
"Please tell me you didn't ask him to let me free," she looked away, her forehead resting on her palms. Good thing it was a dimly lit room that he wouldn't see the face she was making.
The lady's mood instantly fell. She had enough confrontation with the lecherous old man earlier, and she knew he was serious. Dead.
"I didn't," he spoke. "Honestly, I tried to. The old man is hard headed, it seems to me. Even if I challenge him to a duel and dies in my hand, he will not let you off."
The lady remained silent, wanting to hear more. The soft cushion underneath her wasn't enough comfort. Stressing about this matter was ridiculous enough. If complete submission to Lelouch would it take, then she would make this night unforgettable. She was right; even Lelouch's confrontation wouldn't affect the old man. Did his talk set Jeremiah in action? Perhaps he was already on his way to the north.
The horror.
She sighed loudly, unabashed to show Lelouch how she dreaded the talk about Jeremiah. Or how upset she was with his move. Running her sassy mouth against Jeremiah was a facade, of course. Some matters had to be handled in such a way; she was abducted and given as a gift, and her tribe was at stake. Playing brave was her last resort, or else any sign of weakness before Jeremiah would give him total control over her. Not that she was already controlled, anyway.
"Worry not, my lady. You will be surprised to know that this persistence comes from a completely different thing," smile could be heard from his voice, "it was because of my older brother."
Lelouch hopped off the table and after a few strides, was already next to her. Her shoulders sagged as she looked downcast, her long emerald locks hiding her face from him.
"Do not fear Jeremiah. His threats only prove his eagerness for me to…" he paused, taking in the anxiety she had wore on her sleeves. The gentleman he was, put his hand on her back and patted her slow and gentle.
He knew should ask for her permission before he could touch her, but then again they were acquainted in the most bizarre ways. It took no effect to lift her worries up, so he decided to pull her to him.
Her head gently crashed to his chest, his arms secured around her. "Have you forgotten that I promised your tribe's safety? It seems to me that you take my words lightly, C.C."
Oh, she badly want to say yes. His words were taken lightly all this time. She remembered how much of a coward this man marital relations-wise, the past evenings of sexual frustration on her side were proofs. However he might be serious about keeping her and her tribe safe, for she saw sincerity and honesty shining in his eyes like jewels when they parted once.
"You did not heed my warning about the old man. Turns out I am correct. Tell me why I shouldn't worry, Your Grace. We are talking about lives here."
He shook in laughter. "Surely, I do know. I have known Jeremiah more than you had, and I can assure you he is true to his words. You forget to find out the reason behind his insistence, on one hand. That, I am trying to explain."
Pushing her away so he could see her face, he heaved a sigh. Along the flickering of lights, trust and doubt flickered in her eyes. "The news he told me made me furious. There is a sole reason why he threatens you that way, so we could finally do the deed."
She looked blankly at him. He continued, "Like what I have said earlier, it is because of my older brother."
Somehow, the wrinkles on her face slowly cleared up. But more, she wanted to hear more.
"Schneizel is not a nice older brother. He is the only one who can beat me in chess."
C.C. wanted to roll her eyes. So this was all about a childhood pride?
"He is better in most things than I am if I didn't work hard. Good though he is, he doesn't make use of his intelligence for the better good. And as I slowly race against him growing up, his hatred toward me built up." Lelouch continued telling her how Schneizel found him as a major hindrance in his ascendance to power. The young aristocrat emphasized that his older brother better not take his place, or else he would attack the northern nomads and seize the territories around them.
"He is evil, even assuring Cornelia that her country would be his as well in no time." Lelouch glanced at the lady next to him, who on the other hand, was unbuttoning her cuffs. "Clever but evil, not a good combination even if we have to go through history books."
"The greedy evil half-brother, I see. What does it have to do with us sleeping together? I don't understand why Jeremiah insists that, too. It is irrelevant, don't you think so?" C.C. pushed herself until her back touched the headboard. "Older brother ego. Getting laid. I cannot fathom where this is leading us to."
He sighed. "The old man mentioned something about copulation and producing a heir."
"An unborn child, or if it is born anyway, will not make your brother stop."
"I know, milady." Lelouch ran his hands through his hair. "I know. An infant carrying my blood will not stop my brother's evilness. What the old man is trying to tell me though, is that Schneizel will not stop until I lose my very life. Simply, carpe diem."
C.C. feigned realization, shifting her gaze from his flushing face to the flickering lamps across the room. "Fair enough… I suppose. Is this what you mean by declaring me as your 'wife' in front of your servants?"
Her question made the young man cough, perhaps embarrassed to talk about his boldness earlier as well. Lelouch sat opposite to her, eyes watching her in the dimness of the room.
"Aren't wives those who men faithfully sleep with? Honestly I have never brought a woman to my room, and despite the lack of," he coughed, couldn't bring himself to say it, "yes, the lack of a more intimate contact between us, you are the only woman I have done those things with. I do not make sense but the first thing I said gives my point away."
She gawked, this time a genuine one, because the so-called ruthless general was a stuttering fool in front of her right now. He is a virgin who knows how to work his lips and hips, but that is all. Aside from spouting nonsense, he also lacks enough knowledge what on earth is marriage. Isn't this one supposedly a standard knowledge among nobility?
She stated at him and kept him under her dark eyes. How could a man be so appealing and smart and dumb at the same time? He was a ridicule to her femininity. A joke to the art of pleasuring. Of course, she knew not a bunch herself, but at least it was common knowledge not to leave the one's partner hanging.
She winced, thinking that her bitterness towards their first nights were hilarious. He was able to drain the soul out of her once, so perhaps he wasn't a complete failure in the matters of bed.
The young aristocrat looked incredibly adorable as he broke contact with her gaze. She hated playing the witch here, but a prey has to be devoured.
"Before a man calls a woman his 'wife,' they have to go through a ceremony called wedding which binds them officially in the eyes of the state and...God, in my tribe, we have the Higher One. Not every woman a man sleeps with is his wife, Lelouch. Your culture, it seems to me, do not value fidelity towards their bed partners." She crawled towards him until she found herself straddling his lap.
This bold move was supposed to be a mere tease to taunt his ignorance and obliviousness; however, there was something compelling in Lelouch's intelligent purple gazes that always ignite something in C.C. She felt that, his body stiffening when she sat on him; and she heard that, his breath hitching when she ran her fingers at his nape.
Also, she felt that slight churning in her stomach...or somewhere lower.
"This is a bit indecent," she saw him nod. However, it felt like she had to be this close to clarify what role she is to play in his life. And that will never be a wife.
Slaves and masters don't marry each other. The art of segregation.
He smirked, reaching up to tuck her locks falling like drawn curtains on her face.
"Indeed, it's a bit forward of you," he whispered.
"Oh, who cares? We have done more than this." She wrapped her arms on his head, her chin atop his head. "Why are you so smart in the matters of politics and war, and yet so oblivious when it comes to women and relationships?"
She felt him rest his palms at the small of her back, his shoulders rising and falling in attempt to regulate his breathing.
"Perhaps my disinterest towards women as a growing boy is finally taking a toll. I have been engrossed with the idea of not letting my brother belittle me all my life."
"What a proud man," she chuckled, her fingers tracing his jaws. In no time, she had him staring up at her. "You brought me here for that purpose, didn't you?"
He winced, "I wanted to clear off my head. I couldn't leave you alone after seeing how serious Jeremiah is. At least, I want the head butler to inform him that I went out tonight with you...just to have him thinking I slept with you."
"I understand that I'm not that appealing."
"That is not what I mean to say," he sighed, catching her fingers from drawing circles on his face. "Every ounce of you is attractive and beautiful. I loathe the idea etched in your mind that I am simply using you for my pleasure."
She smirked, lowering her head until their faces were hair-breadth away. Their proximity made her breathe harder, or made their surroundings warmer. As per usual, they were breathing the same air. It tasted like lust, attraction, and perhaps romance - who knew, really.
Somehow, seeing her alluring lips this close made Lelouch's breeches tight. He could only keep staring until things escalate on their own.
"I am flattered, thank you." Leaning down, she gave him a peck. It was too quick that she wanted to do it once more to feel his lips, but no. Seeing his reaction and his eyes, she knew he wanted more as well. Not yet.
C.C. didn't feel right with how things turned out. Right from the beginning, she was firm that she wanted to escape this fate. But like a dog to its master, it only took one whistle and she found herself coming back to him. Was she smitten? Did he use a spell to lure her back? Was it in his eyes? Voice? Smile?
"Then pray tell me, how will I be of any help in clearing your mind from your brother?" she whispered to his ear, aware of his nails clawing the small of her back. What is it that beckons her to come back to him?
He was pushing her to remain still on his lap for reasons she was not aware of. Breathing in her flower scent, he was drowned in her again.
"Your company is all I desire,"his hand shot up to her hair, caressing. "You should have run away from me, C.C. I am not a good man."
"All men don't seem good to me." She pulled away from him. "They have the same heated look on your face when they're in company of a beautiful woman."
"I am not someone to be blamed, yes." He smirked, dragging her back to him. "Oh, but I can be good to you."
"Do not jest, Your Grace." Her fingers started unbuttoning his dress shirt. Their faces were dangerously close, and as they spoke their lips touch. "Do not jest for I know you will back away like you usually would."
"I don't plan to, at least for tonight."
Lelouch held her hands and guided her in unbuttoning his shirt, all the while they locked eyes. It was a clumsy attempt for her. She had jammed his buttons and groaned in impatience.
Her failures in unbuttoning his shirt earned a hearty laughter from the gentleman. Lelouch pulled her up for a kiss and undid the buttons on his own.
"That was not really stimulating, I apologize." C.C. let him kiss her. "I officially dislike the dress shirt you are wearing. Why did you not wear your usual linen shirt?"
"My dear, that is what I wear for bedtime. I do not meet my generals in my nightclothes. I presume you agree with me in that?" Lelouch shuddered as her cold palms felt his bare torso. "I would wear my nightclothes if I were with you… or do you prefer them on the ground instead?"
C.C. did not respond to him. She was enraptured with the sight of his beautiful body bare before her; this time she was not admiring his lean muscles afar. Tonight, she would not be the one devoured for once.
She searched for his eyes, slowly leaning down to his chest. The look she gave him was asking for approval, in which she didn't need at all. C.C. pressed her lips on his collarbone. His skin was soon peppered with butterfly pecks, her kisses not lingering more than a second or two on his skin.
Lelouch's low groans were still muffled, suppressed. What she was doing to him was a pleasurable torture he has no idea till when he could stand.
Her wands wandered freely on his torso, indulging in the softness of his skin and firmness of his muscles. She felt his erect nipples hard under her touch. How interesting.
C.C. smirked and craned her neck to plant a smooch on his jaw, before diving to his shoulder blades. She gave both of his shoulders a treatment they'd never forget: she kissed, lapped and bit his skin until it was red, bruised, and swollen.
His strong hands shot up to hold and push the lady away; his thoughts were conflicted, unsure if he was overwhelmed with a new feeling building up in him, or this was a bit painful and gross.
"Tell me you are not a vampire," his breathing was harsh and irregular. "Why do you have to do that?"
She sneered at him and captured his lips with hers. Kissing him long and hard until they both ran out of breath was ethereal. Pulling away to gasp for air, she went back kissing the man under her, tongues and lips, biting and tasting.
While she was busy kissing him, she wondered again what was it that tugged her back to him. Was it the man's full lips which could kiss so heavenly? C.C. was aware what his lips could do besides kissing...It was also heavenly, she thought.
"Quite famished, aren't we?" Lelouch smiled when they finally broke the kiss. Wiping their sweaty foreheads, he propped himself up a little.
He admired the blush creeping across her face, and the little pants she was making. C.C. was still sitting on his lap, clothed like a prude lady. It was such an unusual sight, of course, since she was usually less dressed.
She smiled at him - that smile which announced she wouldn't be so nice, and pushed him flat on his back. Her lips went back kissing his body, licking his skin.
Lelouch let out a throaty groan when he felt her nibbling on his nipples. It was not barbaric bite that could tear his flesh off. Rather, it was gentle. She sucked on them - not like how he suckled on hers - but it was definitely good.
Overwhelmed with a new sense of euphoria, he could feel thrusting his hips to hers; his breeches already tight and painful.
"Look at you, a beautiful mess." She pulled away from him, her eyes clouded with desire. The way his face blushed in embarrassment made her triumphant, victorious. "You liked that, didn't you?"
She had no time to take in what happened, but somehow he managed to flip their positions. She lied down under him, eyes watching as he unlaced her dress.
"That will take ages to take off," she laughed.
He responded with a growl. "Just help me take them off. This is too much of a torture."
"You're welcome," she rolled and lied on her stomach, unhooking the skirt and loosening the knots she worked hard on earlier.
After a minute of tearing the clothes off from her, she was left in her undergarments before him. The plain old white corset and drawers.
Just when she thought it was unattractive, she heard him say she was beautiful.
"Oh my, you are so wrong."
He dragged her back to the bed and pinned her underneath him. Hunger and lust, they were clear in his eyes. His fingers worked on her corset until it was torn away from her. Her chemise didn't stay long as well because his lips found her soft skin.
Her eyes closed in an instant with the feeling of his lips and teeth burying on her skin. His hands felt right when they gently seized her bosoms. His fingers traced her areola, tickling her with his feathery touch. He was doing wonders with her body, and she liked it.
A moan escaped her lips. There was no shying away from the pleasure he gives her anymore; perhaps it was the spell.
Her hands grabbed his head and brought their lips together.
It was the spell. He was the spell.
"Let me have my dinner, milady." He chuckled, pulling away from her. She looked so drowned with her arousal, and that turned him on even more. He gave her nose a peck before his tongue traced her collarbone and found her bountiful mounds.
Lelouch had always thought of sexual intercourse as unnecessary, dirty and lewd. Hearing his subordinates talk about their experiences with ladies made him gag. When he was younger, he came across a room where loud shrieks of a woman and groans from a man resonated from - it was somewhere in the East when his father had a state visit; and this made him thinking that intercourses are ugly and unappealing.
However, as he looked at the mess she had become...as he continued tasting her beautiful body, he was intoxicated with this lady. What they were doing maybe, yes, lewd, but he loved this. How could someone be beautiful in a state like this?
Only C.C., he thought.
He didn't wait for anything. Once he left her breasts wet and pink from his suckling, he pulled her drawers away and opened her up.
Lelouch watched as her eyes widen in surprise, his fingers unfolding her down there. He slowly stroke her, her body jerking on its own.
The sorry state she was, was too beautiful he couldn't get enough. His finger slid into her, making the lady before him shudder. She felt so slippery and warm and tight, and feeling her clamping on his fingers made him heady. That was when he wondered what it would be like if his length was buried in her caverns.
"Lelouch," her breath hitched as he slowly pumped his fingers in and out of her. She tried to squeeze her legs together, only to open them, unsure of what she was feeling right now. Was it shame? Pleasure? The need of something more? It was confusing.
C.C. felt crying with his agonizingly slow fingers. "Lelouch," she wanted to beg him. "Oh, Lelouch. Why must you put me in such an ordeal!" She grabbed and fisted the sheets underneath her. The pleasure was too much - too painful. Where is the bliss yet?
Lelouch smiled at how she reacted to his touch. She was flowing already, and he liked the sight of her beautiful womanhood. She was a mess and it was his doing.
He withdrew his fingers, leaving her empty and stopping the lady's torture. The angry look on her face showed no gratitude, though.
"On your stomach, C.C."
She rolled and lied on her stomach like he said, and he slid a pillow on her pelvis. Clueless of what will happen, she felt his weight pressing on her. This time he was kissing her back with such gentleness. If she didn't know better, she would think of this romantic.
His hands groped her bottom, amazed with how soft she was. Lelouch was officially addicted to her smooth skin. As he kissed her back, he pulled his pants down. And since he was already this bold, he made sure to let her feel his raw staff.
He heard her gasp.
"I am about to do this, C.C." He murmured to her ears, his chest pressed against her back. His heart was thundering in excitement and nervousness. It was finally happening."I will stop now if you do not want anything to happen."
His manhood poked her bottom, his stiffness proved he wanted her, only her. She had her face buried on the bed, but he heard it right - she moaned.
"Is it alright to assume that a yes?"
"I am not your wife, even after you enter me. It does not make me your wife," she cried.
"Oh, but I will take you as if you are my lover and bride. Isn't that better?" He didn't know where in the creases of his brain did he get these words. Frowning, he tucked the hair behind her ear to see her face. Her awfully red face.
Somehow, her reaction confused him. Was that a 'no', then?
"I am but a lover, Lelouch. You have bewitched me."
Her face was blushing madly, perhaps redder than a tomato, and he thought it was so pretty. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, so he leaned down and kissed them from her eyes.
"Let me be honest, I am the one who is enticed with you here. You are the bewitching one."
C.C. felt him press against her lips down there, so she braced herself for his entrance. His fingers tangled with hers as he slowly introduced his member to her.
Lelouch could feel her throbbing against him. And he inched closer, and closer, his member parting her folds. The way she held on his hands signified that he was not the only one nervous here.
He pressed a kiss on her shoulder and another to her ears, before he slowly pushed himself...until a loud heavy thudding stopped him from moving any further. He was in full alert as the horse closed to the cabin.
The horse neighed, and a loud knock startled the two. Lelouch immediately lifted himself from her and pulled the covers over her nakedness.
Lelouch vi Britannia knew what it could be.
"I apologize for such ruckus, young master, but this is an urgent matter. We received a letter from your brother, Sir Schneizel. Also, a word from the messenger: he will be visiting you tomorrow."
On one hand, that was not something he expected to hear.