Procreation, as shaped by species evolution, is determined in a rather predictable manner. Like animals, several elements raise the flags of attraction (in humans). Attraction, for one, is an agent to procreation; it is also closely associated with how beauty is defined.
Whilst a universalist view of beauty— beauty (perception) is similar in all cultures—is widely recognized among human society (less popular, though), human experts arrived with such conclusion that somehow dissolves the romantic-filter on the more common notion [of „beauty is in the eye of beholder"].
What makes perception of beauty similar regardless of beauty standards set by cultures? A few things people look for: facial beauty, bodily features, behavior, attitude, tone of voice, adornments, and attires.
That sounded like a set of standards that can be categorized from genetics to fashion. It sounded a lot like from human standards, sure. But really, it was not that far from the sexual selection of the animal kingdom—just like how birds sing or spiders fight with their competitors by showing off their features. Showing off these physical attributes is to scream, I am healthy! Which is equal to: I have good genes, or I can reproduce!
Perhaps humans simply do it in a more civilized manner—by their standards. With the addition of clothes.
And if one would go through the checklist of these determiners of beauty, Lelouch could spit a million times on how his older brother, Schneizel, seemed to tick all the boxes. Deny as much as he would like to, there was no point of it.
Facial beauty? Facial symmetry? Smooth skin? Youthful appearance? Even eyes and facial expressions? His older brother seemed to have scored well when the heavens showered the earth with good genes. There was a reason why Schneizel has a lot of followers based on his appearance alone. Some people in their father's court often whisper among themselves how angelic the blonde is. How could he even forget it when he was once compared to his bright and shining brother, while he (Lelouch) existed like a shadow of him.
Bodily beauty? Well, it was mainly the height and the built. Lelouch had no further needs to confirm that Schneizel was also blessed in there. He had never once seen him in a physical fight, but his stature alone gave away what he could be doing in his spare time aside from wooing more people to join his agendas.
Behavior and attitude? Lelouch wouldn't go through this again. Schneizel has his way with persuasion. His curt manners and decisiveness. His conviction in his beliefs. His play of empathy and value assertion. All are indisputably astounding and outstanding. It only made sense why Schneizel is often sent as a diplomat in neighboring nations.
Lelouch wouldn't dive deep analyzing Schneizel's voice and fashion. The blonde was a pinnacle of how women idealized chivalrous knights and princes. Recalling memories proving these points just made Lelouch cringe in horror. In his eyes, it felt as if other people aside from himself saw Schneizel with a rosy filter. All Lelouch saw, ever since he became aware of his standing as a son of Charles, was a brother with overwhelming vicious aspirations masked with kind smiles and eyes.
Lelouch hated how painfully aware he is of these facts, to the point of insecurity. Perhaps it was because of a certain lady with him that made him simulate himself into a competition between two birds fighting for a mate.
He was disgusted by the idea of losing yet again another thing—her attention, perhaps, or something even more significant—to his brother. Schneizel's beauty is a bait effortlessly crafted to steal fish from Lelouch's ocean. If it is even rightful to say such.
"It is rather complicated—the things between my brothers and I," Lelouch started, hinting that the blonde she encountered was not his only sibling. His grip tightened on the reins. C.C. was sat in front of him, the horse walking them around rather slowly. "Perhaps it is similar anywhere else, when a family has many children, and each should try proving themselves."
It was not like Lelouch is taking his time to admire the nature as she did. She realized that he simply wanted to avoid going back to the mansion and meeting his own brother. 'It makes sense,' she thought, for if she were in his shoes, she would also avoid a man that conniving. Well, she was not entirely sure if that blonde-man was truly conniving. Her hunch simply told her that he is dangerous. Having lived in and with the nature taught her instincts to sense danger in some degrees.
Something that beautiful is dangerous. It reminded her of flowers that eat flies, or colorful snakes with deadly venoms. Or mushrooms so eye-catching (a tribesman once sampled a taste during foraging), it sent a tribesman straight to afterlife. Her conclusion is: the more attractive it is, the more fatal it could be. With that, Lelouch's brother is one of the many beautiful traps nature didn't bother hiding. Might as well carefully walk around it.
If he were a bait, she wouldn't bite. For what reason will she bite? She is not starving. She chuckled at such thought.
"What did he say his name again? Schnösel*?" C.C. asked, confident that she was mispronouncing his name. He laughed heartily, finding her mispronunciation (or misremembrance) funny.
She tried to gaze back at Lelouch, but her turning her head was interrupted when she felt his chin rest atop her head. His chuckling was replaced with a sigh.
It was her cue to ask, "What's this about? Sulking like a mum's child?"
"No, I prefer you do not ask about him," he replied. He admitted it finally: his thoughts only show how overshadowed he was by his charismatic—and rather villainous—brother. He glanced shortly at C.C. and added a mental note that he was as well fearful and insecure for whatever reason. The mere thought of comparing himself to Schneizel simply sent shivers to his spine and adrenaline to his system.
As an attempt to drive the conversation away from his brother, Lelouch asked the lady if she lived around the area. It was an open field of canola flowers with a good view of the mountain ranges blurring from a distance. The snowcapped mountains were frowning down at them. He started to wonder this time around, what a beautiful view there would be from such a height.
If the place where C.C. originated from always had such a view, it could have felt as if one had the freedom to wander till the ends of world. A massive globe of the sky would serve as a hat. The distant horizon would be the endless path. There would be no boundaries to stop one from travelling whichever direction one chooses.
He would think that way, at least. If one was presented an open ground to live onto, why stay on a cage? Perhaps that was the reasoning his father operated by, hence the need to claim lands and piss on them like dogs to mark territories.
"Not at all," was her response to his query. C.C. explained that she lived farther but she could not exactly figure out from which direction she came from either. When she was brought by Jeremiah, she was kept in a wagon with walls sealed tight and doors shut close that she had no sight of where they had gone.
For some time she managed to keep track of where they were headed, however they ventured to territories outside her village's, hence losing sense of direction. The travel was long and quiet—except for the laughter of Jeremiah and his soldiers and the thudding of the horseshoes. She remembered simply sitting there, her knees brought to her chin, for who-knows-how-many-days.
Recalling such memories on the day she was captured was not pleasant, but she resisted against that pang in her chest, given that being with Lelouch (at least for now) was not so bad at all.
The sky stretched over them, like an endless blue dome — or at least that was how it seemed as they rode the horse across the vast fields of gold. Clouds were not in sight, allowing the sun to pour direct sunshine on them. The wind was warm as it hit their bare faces, but it helped against the customary elaborate and warm clothes they had on. It was such a nice weather for a horse ride.
C.C. observed the mountains from the distance, those which seemingly fade into blueness. It was such a breathtaking experience to ride across the golden fields, for it felt like running on a golden carpet that the world laid down for them to play on. There was not a single soul around, only her and Lelouch.
It felt like a momentary freedom, but anything close to freedom she would likely embrace. Being with Lelouch felt less suffocating in comparison to other old men in his residence, so she might as well savor a scenery without them. Once they are back, an old ugly man would threaten her to get laid, no matter how inappropriate it sounded.
She leaned back on his chest, grabbing the reigns away from his hands. He gasped in surprise, but she chuckled and said, "This is how I ride, my Lord!"
Her smile grew bigger as his arms snaked around her waist. Her amber eyes seemed to glint brighter as she spurred the ride. She felt the energy through her and Lelouch's warmth radiating to her. " Run," she thought, " faster."
Her smile grew bigger as his arms snaked around her waist. Her amber eyes seemed to glint brighter as she spurred the ride. She felt the energy through her and Lelouch's warmth radiating to her. Across the fields they rode, dashing on such a quick speed that made her hair flutter in the breeze.
It was later in the afternoon when the two decided to hop down the horse. They decided to stop by a river bank, still in the middle of nowhere, – a place Lelouch probably knew – letting the industrious animal have its pause.
Lelouch's coat was laid down on the grasses, under the shade of a big tree by the river bank. He was already sitting there and gestured C.C. to take the place next to him, after she just finished washing her face with the cold fresh water.
It was late afternoon but the sun shone high and mighty, one of the many nice things about the season. The more sunshine, the better mood people are in, generally. It made nature livelier. It was as if it was what the insects and birds were talking about as they made nests and mate in lush greenery around. It was as if none of these creatures minded the heat nor the sunshine all day long.
Late afternoon sunshine was ideal for Lelouch, as they were not as harsh as ones from morning or noon. They were the right amount of gentle. Soon, C.C. sat next to him, watching his face as he thoughtlessly looked through the gaps of the foliage. The sound of the water flowing hushed his sighs. Nonetheless, she could see how relieved he seemed in comparison to a few hours ago.
'Maybe he was really scared of his brother,' she thought. Having someone you fear is normal, she further argued. After all, nature is a massive hunting ground and people simply turned the common notion of [hunt or be hunted] more complicated. He probably felt like a prey under his brother's scrutinizing eyes. All of it were understandable.
C.C. considered the thought that she could be simplifying things, but it would all point out to predator-prey relationship anyway.
She knelt, heaving up herself a bit to give him a soft peck on the cheek. She smiled down at him, her amber eyes confident and gentle. Her hand found its way to caress his head.
"Why, thank you," he chuckled. He reached out to her face and cupped them with his hands, propping himself with his elbows to connect their lips.
"It's so serene here. I feel calmer," he claimed. Their lips touched once more and kept going so.
When she pulled away shortly, she replied, "I noticed. Hence the kiss. It felt like the right moment for it."
His hands went down to her waist as he gave her a gentle squeeze. His eyes fluttered close, pulling her for another kiss and lifting her to sit on top of him. Once he secured her on him, he ran his hands and fingers through her hair – in which such action elicited a shiver on her. While their gentle exchange of kisses continued, he slowly laid them down fully on his coat.
Lelouch held her head close, unwilling to let her have a pause and pull away. He needed this warmth – this gentle warmth, as it distracted him from thinking any further about what awaited him home.
"Breathe through your nose," he murmured after a short pause before diving back into kissing her, deeper this time.
C.C. struggled to do as commanded, distracted by their bodies tightly pressed together. She opened her mouth and accepted his tongue curiously navigating her inner mouth.
It was getting heated, these simple kisses. She found herself squirming her thighs together, and as if he read the cue, she felt his thighs on her sides squishing her tighter. Lelouch had no intention of letting her go nor stopping at all.
She moaned in his mouth, making him grip her even tighter.
"My fair lady, that's one wonderful sound," he panted, kissing her nose. He started kissing the corner of her mouth, her chin, and her neck. There, he decided to suck on and bite, enjoying the moans the lady made on top of him.
He licked it gently and gave it a kiss, happy to see a little red spot where he played with his mouth. After giving it a bit of care, he sucked on the same spot again. His hands crawled down from holding her head up to grabbing her waist, them blindly searching for the ends of her skirt. When they found it, he hoisted them up, his warm palms touching her bare thighs.
He squeezed them till he found her bottom back, into which his palms sunk to the softness of her buttocks. His thighs squeezed her more; he pressed himself more to her, aware of how aroused the caresses made him.
She wasn't wearing any underwear.
"Did Schneizel see what's underneath this skirt?" he asked, his grip tightening at the mention of his brother's name.
"He might have kissed my foot, but I can assure you, Your Grace, that these clothes are way too long to show myself off," she chuckled, supporting her weight through his shoulders.
He pulled her sleeve down, revealing her smooth shoulders. Kisses continued; little red spots accumulated as he made his way down to her soft bosoms. Her dress was soon pooling around her waist, as his hand rested around her bare back, and another nestled under her skirt.
His tongue tickled her skin. The way he made her breasts wet as he licked gently stimulated a different wetness from far below. He licked and he'd bite; he would suckle on her, with his eyes fixated on her.
She liked how he watched her as she reacted to his touch. He enjoyed the vivid array of emotions she had in display. She savored the pleasure zapping through her body. He was delighted how vibrant she looked under the bright light while getting a taste of euphoria.
His fingers found her womanhood, now wet and warm. Glad at such build up, he sucked a little more on her breast, making her moan even louder.
Nobody could hear them, he thought. She could moan even louder, and he would welcome it. At such thought, he smirked, liking the fact that it would be next plan to implement.
He studied how her face reddened in every minute passing, in every touch of his hands, in every kisses he blew on her skin.
Suddenly, C.C. found herself laid on the ground, on her stomach. The moment slipped away from her, that Lelouch had flipped their positions. For some reason, she had her forehead resting on his arm, while he was towering and arched over her back. His lips left more trails of kisses and love bruises on her bare back. When she elicited a moan after he sucked the side of her breast and licked her armpit, he smirked against her skin.
"Do you like that?" he teased, rubbing his nose against her smooth skin. To add on her despair, he started rubbing his fingers on her womanhood from this position.
There was no response except from a heavy panting with moans in between.
"I assume, I am being ambiguous. I apologize, my lady." He chuckled lowly, kissing her on her sides. This time, he let go of her womanhood.
"Do you like me kissing you here?" he inquired, pressing his lips shortly on her side.
"Or does it feel better," he started, thrusting a finger in her. "If I do this instead?"
Her back arched, pressing them into his chest. Realizing how she seemed to tremble on his finger, he decided to hover over her and whisper closely. His tongue wetted her earlobes, indecent promises of more pleasure escaped his lips.
"Do you desire more, C.C.?" he teased further, curling in his finger briefly before slowly sliding it out. "I am willing to give you more of this, that way I'll hear more of this siren song."
She trembled as he pushed the finger back in. There was barely a moment she could collect herself, excited and nervous for these new feelings. Being with him, like this, in broad daylight, in the middle of who-knows-where felt like a newfound passion.
A smile found its way on her lips. She sighed amidst her smile, all simultaneously as she shuddered in pleasure. For once, this was not a mere prologue to a novel. Their past encounters had been both exciting and disappointing, that she wished nothing would come in between this moment. Perhaps her thoughts were too bold, for she never imagined admitting them bluntly such as. And yet, the longing she had for this kind of intimacy seemed to have grown on her. Tease a puppy with their food and they'd go ferocious, they said. All that taunting perhaps tainted her maiden brain.
It was not part of her culture to be brazen, and yet she felt like a vixen desiring more. She knew, he is what her body needs.
"Yes," she mewled in pleasure, eyes fluttering close. She meant to respond to his question, unsure anymore if he asked a few minutes ago or longer. It seemed unnecessary to care if she replied too late, for verbal words played little role in admitting her carnal desires. He continued nonetheless, as if gauging her response through her breathing or her humping.
She pressed her forehead harder against his arm supporting her, as she arched her back more. It was as if she invited him to go deeper into her, and deeper he ventured in her. His chuckle vibrated on her back. All his actions were stimuli to her at this very moment, that there were no further need to think about anything else.
The beautiful scenery they were at, the sound of the water rolling, the calm breeze fondling their skins – all seemed to fade in the background in that moment of heat.
Lelouch savored all her reactions, as if he was tasting delicacies for the first time. Somehow, it gave him a boost in confidence the more she reacted positively to his affection. Her blushing and warm skin, her unsuppressed moans, her trembling, her sighs, her wetness, and her back arching as if to ask for more... They were enough fuel for him to be proud of his bulging tent between his thighs.
He thought that his performance is akin to birds of the wild, dancing to capture their mate's attention. Indeed, he was proud to have captured one right at the mercy of his lips and fingertips.
He gently let her head lay on his coat as he pulled his arm away, ready to proceed further. With both hands free this time, he pulled her hips up and spread her buttocks to have a clear view of her wet pearl. Without further ado, he went in, tongue first, devouring her and tasting her, unmercifully licking all the juices she spilled.
He was not a good man, he thought as he ate her up. He thought he would hold back longer, but it seemed that there were some steps to be taken in advance for prevention. Indeed, he was not different from his father. He conquered lands and claim them before anyone else would. His grip on her buttocks tightened at such thought.
"Indeed," he affirmed, "she is mine to claim before anyone else could."
It sounded evil. It sounded greedy, and greed was never good. He tried to rationalize for one moment, only to lose to the act itself. He found himself enjoying giving her the pleasure, of not letting her hanging up for once, of having her not banter wittily as if for self-preservation. She could barely talk, but her body talked for herself.
C.C. moaned, sometimes she yelped. He would randomly nibble on her skin and proceed sucking. It was such an indecent behavior to engage in, and yet, she knew she wanted more.
His grip felt authoritative, as if she was all his to explore. After all she was, ever since Jeremiah captured her. Who knew that her ticket to freedom would be in the open—she meant getting laid right there and then, and yet the thought seemed to excite her more.
She laughed at such a thought. It never occurred to her that she would be that kind of a person. So far as her stay in the lowlands was concerned, engaging to such behavior would be a pastime of nobility. But then again, Lelouch is one.
Her thoughts were once again banished away by pleasure. Every time he would launch that tongue, oh she would lose it. There was not enough time to ponder. There was only space for pleasure.
"I want you more than ever," he spoke, pulling his face away from her bottom, hovering himself on top of her.
"Admittedly, it is a selfish desire of mine right now. I won't be able to stop anymore if you say yes," he warned, "but I will be eternally grateful if you allow me to claim you mine."
His breath was hot on her ears. She did not know how to respond properly, except for the need to be taken.
"I am all yours from the beginning. Haven't I told you that—" she was cut off after feeling something warm and hard spreading her lower lips apart. She started biting her lips.
"With this, I am yours," he spoke. Lelouch's arms wrapped on her waist as he whispered, "Then I ask you to be forever mine. You make me the happiest man right now," he pressed a kiss on her ear and slowly, very gently, pushed himself in her.
He stopped, letting her adjust to the feeling. She was breathing heavily every centimeter he covered. It must be painful for her, given how tight she felt. She was warm, wet, and tight, but none seemed to help her at the moment. He mentally noted that Suzaku told him a bunch of baloney from his barracks-intel.
She dug her nails into his arm wrapped on her waist. The sighs were heavier and louder. She could not think of anything but the sensation of being filled in. As if sensing her uneasiness, she felt his lips kissing her ears gently again.
"Breathe slowly and deep," he murmured. "I will not hurt you, unless you take pleasure that way."
She chuckled but proceeded to take deep breaths. In every breath she puffed out, he pushed in further, until he was fully inside her. He kept her in his arms, all the while she kept him in her.
So this was the feeling of being one with a partner. A pact signed once, a ritual repeated forever.
Her body was overheating. This clothes were not thought for outdoor activities such as, she thought.
"There you go," he whispered, this time feeling his arm slipping away, only for him to grab her by the neck. She felt like a real prey, left with no room to escape. Somehow, it didn't feel unpleasant. It felt like a tight embrace, a proof of being wanted.
"You are behaving better," he kissed her, his voice getting deeper in tone. "Let us make our union a memorable one, because we will only do so once."
"But that doesn't mean I will not make the next ones not equally memorable. After having a taste of you, I'm afraid I'll need it done more than this," he chuckled. "Shall you permit me, I will learn how our bodies tick. I will try as often as I could, until we come up of the most pleasurable strategies."
His eyes grew darker in desire, not that she could see it. Nonetheless, him slowly thrusting while keeping her wrapped in his arms was another proof.
He continued whispering probable events, hypotheses of how they could have sex and reach euphoric states. He whispered to her which places he would claim her in the mansion and imagined a scenario dismissing all other servants so they could lay around more freely.
"Or they could stay," he mumbled. "Perhaps I shall invite Jeremiah and do it in front of him."
C.C. chuckled at the idea. His movements started to feel more pleasurable than painful now.
"That would be a direct proof, wouldn't it be? That you fulfilled as he wished?" he laughed, kissing her ear. "I shall thank him for leading me to you, for I'll never know this pleasure of having you if it weren't for him."
His grip tightened and his pace hastened. His thrusts remained gentle, but it had the right amount of control and authority. C.C. would not deny it, she liked the feeling of him taking her and whispering things to her.
He kept on theorizing where they should repeat the act, even imagining as far having her laid on the giant table where he would meet his officers. At night he would take her there, so that in the morning after he has something to smile about when facing old men who would only banter about territory expansion much like his father.
The idea seemed to excite him, as she felt him throb and thrust harder. Though she could barely reply, her nails digging into his skin would probably suffice.
"I hope you will stay longer despite fulfilling the end of your deal," he bit her earlobe. "I hope to keep seeing you on my bedside every morning I wake up," he continued.
Her smile, sweet and sly, repeatedly painted itself in his imaginations. In all the scenarios he theorized to sleep with her, he pictured that familiar smile, that bewitching smile luring him to pleasure.
Greed is bad, he reminded himself. And yet, the idea of her leaving after them reaching a close step to each other felt heartbreaking. Perhaps, sometimes greed is good. It was what led him to wanting and now having her, after all.
Afraid his sudden sentimentality would sully his mood, he switched their positions. It took a bit of effort with their heavy clothes and her layers of skirts, nonetheless it worked.
Shocked of the switch and the sudden feeling of more fullness in her, C.C. gasped. It felt more shameless being on top, spreading herself in nakedness, she'd say. Her clothes were barely covering her body at this point anyway, being pooled around her waist.
Luckily there was no one around, otherwise she would be staring at them in the eye while engaging into such sexual acts. If a bunny or a deer were to show up, she would be embarrassed. However, she could console herself into thinking nobody but them were there, but there would be enough creatures in the wild to witness their ritual. The insects would likely think, for example, that C.C. and Lelouch were just like any animals in summer—mating.
Lelouch felt more vigorous as he pushed himself in her. She was basically straddling his waist, her back on his chest, his lips on her ear. He felt like an evil fay, whispering imagined scenarios that for some reason, she seemed to look forward to. He could her smile and chuckles in her panting, and that was enough assurance for him.
Her nails scraped the back of his neck or his shoulders. It felt like his ideas were poisoning her mind, altering her thinking, making her want them with him. Her eyes were shut tight as their bodies rubbed, as he embraced her, and as she pulled his hair so she could pull him closer to her.
It didn't take long enough though, as the excitement built from the whispered scenarios and their bodies rubbing brought her to the peak. It was such a strange phenomenon to her, but she knew she longed for this all the time.
It felt like she would explode if he didn't stop. She tried begging him, but he explained they should go further. It didn't hurt, pushing through it. He matched his pace with her increasing desire for release, understanding this as a sign – as explained in one of his conversations with Suzaku, for once he got it right – that she was close to her climax.
He wasn't far away from it either. His embrace tightened on her, as if to mimic the tightness he felt inside. There was no more reason to hold them back, and at the whisper of, "I like this honesty of yours," he brought both of them into pleasure.
They were sitting together for a few more minutes, bodies still tangled with each other. They both felt moist and sticky all over, given the recent physical union.
C.C. initiated to move, pulling him out of her. She felt empty without him, but the liquid trickling down between her thighs was proof that he had been in her. She looked back at him, his face pink as he caught his breath.
"What a sight," she thought, for he looked nothing like his composed self. His hair unruly, clothes disheveled, face so pink he seemed to have laid under the sun.
She stood, letting her dress fall on her feet. "I will wash myself shortly in the river. I pray you look after my clothes."
There was a smile he didn't see, but he knew it having a glance of her blushing ears.
She has a body and face of a goddess, who descended to earth – he thought, watching her bare self ease itself down to the water. She shortly dipped her head, and when she rose up, her long locks were now drenched.
She looked enchanted and out of the world. With the water sparkling around her, as if the sun decided to blind him with her beauty – or the spirits of the nature colluded to work together, Lelouch found himself, stripping of his clothes to join her.
"I'm afraid I'm no gentleman," he announced, taking off his blouse. "Will you permit me to join you?"
"Is that another way of saying I seduced you?" she smirked, pushing her wet hair away from her face and chest.
He felt himself getting excited once again, and instead of replying he hurriedly took his clothes off.
She laughed. Afraid to admit, the pleasures had only begun.
AN: * Schnösel is the German noun for a snob. I am personally reminded of the word Schnitzel whenever I hear Schneizel's name, but I suppose Schnösel sounds closer (phonetically?), or at least as I was told. It's been a long time, I'm glad some of you are still waiting for this. Thank you very much! It makes me happy. Be well!