Part Seven

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Hilde sat on a low wooden stool in front of a long mirror, watching as Lady Relena's attendants brushed out her tangled, rain-soaked hair and twisted it back up for her, weaving cream-colored jasmine blossoms through the silky strands. Her flushed, wet body had been carefully dried and perfumed when she finally came back inside and wrapped in a new under robe and a cream-colored outer kimono laced through with shiny green threads. The attendants had fussed over her, scolding her for going out in the rain nearly naked, warning her of sickness. She had simply shrugged and smiled and let them do their work.

One young girl sat in front of Hilde and applied makeup while the other finished smoothing her hair to a glossy, almost blue sheen. One of the shoji screens to her quarters slid open. The attendants quickly slipped away, bowing and whispering greetings to their mistress.

"Lady Hilde, are you almost ready?" Lady Relena asked softly, coming around to face the courtesan. She looked absolutely beautiful; her long flaxen hair was braided and laced with pink tuberoses, matching the soft pink silk of her kimono patterned with white roses like the ones in her hair. Pink diamonds dangled from her ears and her aquamarine eyes were lined in a shimmering white, adding to the brilliance of the ocean-like depths. "You gave us such a fright going out there in the rain with no protection!" She bent down and took Hilde's small, delicately adorned hands in her own. "Please promise me you will never do that again. You could have caught an illness, or even been taken by men! That is why women must be so careful and always hide themselves, for protection against other men. Our lord would be very unhappy if anything were ever to happen to you."

Hilde looked down at her mistress and smiled gently. "I give my deepest apologies, Mistress Relena," she said. "It is only that the rain is so beautiful, and I wanted to be outside. I promise never to go without protection first again. Please forgive me." She closed her eyes and brought Lady Relena's hands to her lips, kissing them tenderly. "I never meant to upset my lord or my lady."

Lady Relena nodded. "I understand, Lady Hilde. Of course you are forgiven!" She kissed the other girl's hands as well. "As long as no one saw you alone... Do you remember seeing anyone?"

Hilde's eyes flickered open slowly and suddenly her memory was flooded with a vision of beautiful violet eyes, staring out at her through strands of long wet hair, the depths smoldering with desire. She shook her head; she had only imagined that. "No, Mistress Relena," she answered finally. "No one saw me, I am sure of it."

Lady Relena smiled. "Good. We are expected at the Spanish commander's quarters soon. I will meet you in the carriage." She stood up and bent to kiss Hilde's smooth cheek before smiling once more and taking her leave.

Hilde stared after her mistress, only looking away when the shoji screen closed behind her. She turned back to her reflection in the mirror and smiled at the beautiful azure-eyed girl staring back at her. Soon she felt another pair of eyes on her as well.

"You must never do that again," the deep, familiar voice said flatly. Footsteps approached her from behind; the heavy clank of a sword against a solid, well-muscled body echoed the footsteps. Hilde closed her eyes. The rain continued to patter softly against the closed screens outside.

Strong hands descended on her shoulders, kneading firmly there for a moment before sliding down and around to cup her breasts through her kimono. The hands fondled her roughly and gently at the same time; a warm, moist mouth found the smooth skin of her long, graceful neck. Hilde sighed and tilted her head, exposing more skin to the hot, questing mouth.

"Never again," the voice repeated. The hands slid further down, resting gently on her hips. A firm male body pressed against her back, the hardness in his nether regions pushing into the small of her back. "Never." A husky whisper.

"Hai, Heero-sama," Hilde whispered back, keeping her eyes closed, loving the feel of his hands on her body. The hands swiftly turned her around then and the mouth claimed hers in a deep, tender kiss. The darkness of the chamber and the hypnotic rhythm of the rain outside seemed to envelope them, closing them off from the rest of the world. Hilde knew nothing but the sweet probing of his tongue against hers, teeth occasionally biting down on her lower lip, hands roaming the curves of her body.

Lord Yuy pulled away finally, his dark eyes on hers and a slow, satisfied sigh escaping his parted lips. He ran the palm of his hand lightly down the side of her face, a gesture of extreme love and devotion.

"Aishiteru, Hilde-chan," he said softly. With a last kiss, the handsome lord stood up and took his leave.

Hilde sat transfixed, touching her face gently where his hand had just recently been. A thousand thoughts swirled through her mind. The rain continued to fall.

~*~

"Father Maxwell, how good of you to join us this evening!" Captain Treize Khushrenada smiled and saluted in greeting to the young priest. "I did not think you would be here, considering how you disappeared this afternoon."

Maxwell tucked his hand inconspicuously into the long sleeve of his robe, hoping to hide the white bandage wrapped around his hand where he had cut himself on the crucifix earlier. "Yes, well, I only went for a walk," he replied to the captain, forcing the image of the beautiful girl gyrating in the cherry tree from his mind. "I have a committment to your fleet, Sir. I will be staying with you until the church allows me to keep quarters there."

Treize nodded and took the priest's arm, leading him into the well-lighted, slightly crowded tea room of his quarters. "I commend your loyalty to our fleet, Father Maxwell," he said. "But I also wish for you to enjoy yourself while you are here. After all, if God is willing, you will be able to establish a good practice here, when I gain this land for Spain." He smiled confidently and Maxwell looked away; he had no intentions of staying in Japan or taking land from other people. He was simply here to help in spreading his Faith.

A shoji screen slid open and a male attendant bowed, stepping aside to present the newly arrived guests. Lord Heero Yuy entered, dressed immaculately in his finest samurai robes, his long sword strapped to his chest. A young female attendant followed him, leading in two other women; one blonde and beautiful, hiding her face modestly behind a pale pink silk fan, and the other raven-haired although just as beautiful, face hidden behind a light green paper fan except for her eyes, which glowed a bright, ethereal blue against the thick black kohl lining them.

Maxwell felt his chest tighten suddenly as he gazed over at those unnaturally blue eyes, peeking shyly from behind the green fan, and watched as the ominous Lord Yuy and his entourage took a seat on woven mats on the floor across the room. The girl from the tree. The girl of his most sinful thoughts. His sex immediately stiffened and he silently began to recite the Lord's Prayer in his mind, over and over again.

"Sir," Maxwell finally spoke, his words coming out choked. He averted his eyes from the girl across the room who had begun to talk to the blonde woman. "Sir, who is that girl with Lord Yuy?"

"Mm?" Treize looked down at the handsome priest beside him as if seeing him for the first time, tearing his own gaze away from the blonde girl. Milliardo Peacecraft's young sister; Lord Yuy's beautiful wife. He shook his head and smiled to himself. "Which one do you mean, Father?" he answered.

Maxwell gestured subtly to the raven-haired beauty. "Her," he replied, fighting the blush from creeping into his cheeks.

Treize gazed at the courtesan thoughtfully for a moment before he smiled. "Yes, her," he said. "She is a courtesan. Lord Yuy's courtesan. I am not sure of her name, but she is beautiful, yes?" He shifted his eyes down to the priest, arching an eyebrow as he waited for the man's answer.

Maxwell felt the captain's eyes on him and straightened, giving his best nonchalant look, the one he had perfected over the years. "Yes, I suppose she is," he said, keeping his voice even, disinterested. "And she is a courtesan?"

Treize nodded. "Yes. She is Lord Yuy's personal lover, although I am willing to bet she is sometimes permitted to share a bed with other men as well." The man's eyes shifted back up to Relena Peacecraft, who had caught his gaze across the room and was now staring straight at him over her fan. He smiled. "If you will excuse me, Father, I have an old acquaintance to be reacquainted with." He patted the priest's back reassuringly and made his way across the room to the blonde woman and the beautiful courtesan.

Maxwell stared after him, watching as he took a seat beside the blonde and began to talk to her. The raven-haired girl sat silently by, her eyes straying over to where the troupe of Spanish dancers who had travelled with the fleet as Treize's entertainment were preparing to entertain for the night. He watched with a small smile as the courtesan gazed at one of the troupe's main dancers; a tall, lithe, and gracefully muscular youth with an exquisitely handsome face and deep emerald eyes, concealed partially by a curtain of shiny chestnut hair. Maxwell felt a twinge of something like jealousy as the girl's eyes flickered appreciatively over the dancer's chiseled body, defined in his tight, elaborate costume. The dancer caught her gaze and turned to look back at her. The two shared a seductive, secret smile.

Maxwell tore his own gaze off the pair and turned away, mentally cursing himself. He knew now that she was a courtesan; that explained her behavior earlier. She was a naturally erotic being. She took and gave pleasure for a living, she practiced erotic love as an art. She was not married, although she did belong to Lord Yuy. In Catholicism this was a sin. He gave religion for a living, he practiced God's ways as an art. We can never be together, Maxwell thought. Not even as friends.

Across the room, Lady Hilde Schbeiker felt the strangely familiar burning sensation of those intensely beautiful violet eyes on her once again. She looked away from the lovely dancer she had been so coquettishly flirting with and gazed around the room, searching for the eyes she so desperately wished to find. Her eyes only came to rest on a tall, slender figure clothed all in black, a long braid falling down the back. The figure turned slightly then to leave the room and Hilde glimpsed the profile; an angelically beautiful male, sadness etched across the sweet features, the warm light flickering over him in an almost ethereal glow, shadowing his eyes. Something tugged at her heart as she watched the dark angel leave; a voice seemed to whisper something to her. She made a silent note to find him later that night.

The evening was just about to begin.

Part Eight

~~~~~~

Hilde sat silently next to her mistress as the tall, handsome commander glided across the room to their place on the floor, the medals on his bright blue uniform glinting in the warm light. He smiled, his dark cerulean eyes trained on Lady Relena, and took a seat beside her.

"It has been a long time, Mademoiselle Relena." He took one of her small hands and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently but not without passion.

Lady Relena stared off into the distance as he did this, turning one smooth cheek away from him. "Yes, it has been a long time, Treize." Her tone was gentle but tinged sharply with disinterest.

Treize only smiled and nodded his acknowledgement to Hilde. The courtesan smiled softly back and turned away, leaving the two to their conversation as she concentrated on the dancers on the other side of the room.

Hilde watched shyly from behind her fan as the beautiful green-eyed dancer stepped to the center of the room, the emerald orbs fixed on her as he held out a hand behind him, signaling for his partner to join him. The chamber quieted slowly as the musicians tuned their instruments in the far corner, readying for the dance. The dancer snapped his fingers then and a lovely girl ran delicately to his side, slipping one perfectly manicured hand into his.

The girl was almost as tall as the male dancer, long and lithe, clad in a long black dress of antique lace that barely concealed the smooth white flesh underneath. A black lace veil attatched to a tortoiseshell comb was pinned into her long auburn hair, falling in soft curls down to the middle of her back. Her red lips curved in a small smile as she glanced at Hilde with pale blue eyes circled in deep red, and then back up to her partner who had still not taken his own eyes off the courtesan. Hilde averted her gaze and fluttered her fan coyly. The guitar strummed then and the dance began.

It was a strange, sensual waltz, with the girl tapping her black heels against the floor in a practiced staccato rhythm as the boy whirled her around, brandishing the long skirt of her dress like a matador's cape. Hilde watched, fascinated, as the boy's hands travelled up and down the girl's body, his face a mask of the deepest concentration as he released her and caught her in his arms, again and again, his eyes fixed on Hilde over her shoulder. The music and the dance built to a frenzied climax until suddenly it ended, the girl posed with arms outstretched above her head with her back to the boy, and the boy with one hand on her hip and the other arm outstretched with her own, holding her in an erotic, affectionate embrace.

The audience clapped appreciatively, Hilde trying her best to so as well while keeping her fan positioned in front of her face. The dancers bowed. The pretty girl ran back into the shadows while the boy stayed. Hilde gazed at him as he magically produced a single red rose from the billowing white shirt of his costume and tossed it in her direction. The delicate flower fell softly into her lap and Hilde picked it up slowly, inhaling its sweet, intoxicating scent as she brought it to her lips. The boy smiled seductively and slipped into the shadows as well.

Hilde turned back to her mistress. The lady was still trying desperately to ignore the persistent commander. They were talking about France and Milliardo's marriage to the Italian commander's daughter. Hilde bit her lower lip to stifle a giggle at Treize's obvious advances towards the uninterested lady and looked out into the audience again. Lord Yuy was nowhere to be found. Across the room, she caught a glimpse of the male dancer again, huddled in a corner with a small golden-haired figure dressed in a flowing blue robe: Quatre. She smiled. Suddenly the memory of the mysterious black-clad boy came back to her. She had to find him.

Hilde reached down inconspicuously and caught Lady Relena's hand in her own, squeezing it gently as she shifted her eyes to glance surreptiously at her mistress. The other woman caught the secret exchange and nodded subtly, never taking her eyes off of Treize, who continued to talk, oblivious. Hilde smiled gently in gratitude and whispered a soft "Gomen nasai" as she climbed to her feet and started out towards the shoji screen leading to the garden. Her dark angel had gone through there.

~*~

Maxwell sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest, a slight shiver running through him at the night's chill. The sky was a deep, velvet blue, hazy with thin wisps of white mist that seemed to blanket the dark forest, lending a calm, heavy atmosphere to the silent garden. Drops of rain pattered softly to the ground, dripping from tree leaves and the petals of the wild orchids that grew there, glimmering wetly in the aftermath of the afternoon's rain. A bird chirped somewhere off in the distance, readying for its night's rest. Small, hidden animals rustled in the bushes. Cold settled over the village along with night.

Maxwell shivered again and closed his eyes. In a day the church would open again, under his leadership. In a day he would finally be able to start the mission he had come here to fulfill. Perhaps then he would be able to forget about the raven-haired nymph. The courtesan, he reminded himself almost bitterly.

A light footstep from the left side of the garden stirred Maxwell from his thoughts, his eyes flickering open as he turned to see who had disturbed his silent sanctuary. A slender, delicate figure emerged from the filmy curtain of mist surrounding the house leading to the garden, the shimmering blue pools of the eyes glinting softly in the hazy light, fringed with long black lashes and startlingly iridiscent against the lining of kohl. The moist red lips curved in a smile.

"Are you not enjoying the party?" a sweet, girlish voice asked. The figure stepped closer, her entire face becoming visible under the translucent paper of her fan. She had to tilt her head to look up at him; she was tinier than he had first thought her to be.

Maxwell stared at the girl silently, unable to force the words from his throat. It was her; the beautiful courtesan, the girl who brought out his carefully cloaked, carnal nature, all that was maleness in him. He felt his groin begin to tighten instinctually, and he quickly turned his thoughts away from her, although she remained in his vision. He cleared his throat.

"No," he finally replied, facing her evenly as he repeated a silent prayer that she would not affect him over and over in his mind. "No, I just wanted to get some fresh air."

Hilde gazed back at the strange, beautiful man, her eyes trailing languidly over the handsome features of his pale face. It was then that she finally focused on his eyes, large and bright, burning a deep blue-violet. Violet... The breath was nearly stolen from her body as she realized that he was the one she had envisioned watching her on the tree earlier. The intense violet eyes beneath the tangle of long chestnut bangs. It was him.

"You..." Hilde stopped the words from escaping her lips as her eyes travelled downwards, resting on the white collar about his neck, and then the long black robes lower. He was a priest. A Catholic. She closed her mouth immediately and fell to her knees, grasping his hands and kissing them fervently. "Oh, Father, forgive me," she said breathlessly, showering his large, elegant hands with soft kisses. "Forgive me, please."

Maxwell stood silent, staring down at the courtesan, willing his body not to react to her lips upon his skin. So she knew he was a priest now, he thought. Perhaps this would change everything. He reached down to lift her chin gently, raising her face to his. She looked back up at him, her eyes bright and shiny with tears.

"Please, that isn't necessary," he replied, helping her back to her feet. Hilde lowered her eyes shamefully and turned her head away. Maxwell carefully turned her back towards him. "Please, don't."

Hilde raised her eyes almost shyly, forcing her tears back. "You are so young for a priest," she said quietly. The young man laughed and smiled.

"Hai, I suppose I am." Hilde watched him silently for a moment, wondering why he hadn't admitted to seeing her that afternoon. He didn't seem angry, as she imagined a priest would have been. Lady Dorothy had always said priests were holy men who didn't believe in the arts of "ladies" such as themselves. Perhaps he was different though, she thought, a smile playing at her lips as he laughed. He was so young, probably no older than herself, and he seemed friendly. Perhaps he even wanted her... She felt the secret place between her thighs melt at the thought. Lady Dorothy could have been wrong about priests.

"I am sorry that I haven't introduced myself properly," the young priest continued, holding out a hand. "My name is Father Maxwell, although I don't mind being called just Maxwell." He smiled almost mischieviously then and Hilde relaxed further, smiling back.

"I am Lady Hilde Schbeiker," she replied. "But you may call me Hilde, please." She bowed slightly.

Hilde, Maxwell thought, turning her name over and over in his mind. It was sweet, pretty, much like the girl it belonged to. He continued to gaze deeply at her, wondering how such an innocent being contained such a sensual, hedonistic nature. Even now as she stood before him, virginal in her soft, cream-colored kimono, but still suggesting sexuality in the way the silky fabric molded to her curves, the wrap of the material just so, so that if she happened to tilt forward her breasts would spill forth, giving the privileged man a generous glimpse of her young, firm body. The tension in Maxwell's groin was almost unbearable. He broke the uncomfortable silence quickly.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Hilde," he said, forcing a smile as she shook his hand delicately, as if she had never done so before. She looked up at him, smiling back.

"I like the way you talk," she replied, her cheeks flushing with embarassment. "It is not Spanish... Did you not come with the Spanish?"

Maxwell relaxed, thanking God for a chance to distract himself from his thoughts. "Hai, I did," he replied. "But I am really from England; I have only come here on a mission for the Jesuits, who are Spanish. I am going to head the Catholic church in Okinawa."

"England," the courtesan repeated wistfully. "I have always thought that name sounded so pretty. Is it pretty there?"

Maxwell sighed, remembering the grimy streets of London and the suffocation of a rapidly growing population. "Actually, I think it is much prettier here," he replied. "Much more peaceful. And beautiful." He gazed at her as he said this and Hilde looked away with a shy smile, whispering a delicate "Arigatou." Maxwell smiled back.

Hilde looked back up, her eyes fixing on the endless black expanse of the night sky, watching as the swirls of mist climbed higher and higher into the abyss until they faded. "Hai, it is beautiful," she finally replied, her voice dreamy. "Although I should love to visit England one day. I should love to leave here..." Her gaze suddenly snapped back down to Maxwell, jarring herself from her thoughts.

"So you are the new priest at the Catholic church?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as an icy breeze cut through the stillness of the night.

Maxwell nodded. "Hai. Are you a Catholic, Hilde?"

Hilde smiled. "Hai. My mistress had me baptized three years ago. I took my communion only last year," she explained. "But I do so love the religion. I have found that it helps me..." She met his eyes once more, her breath catching again at the amazing beauty of the violet pools. "... and it, too, is beautiful." She smiled once more and ran her eyes over his body, taking in the clean lines of his tall, muscular form under the stoic, concealing robes. She realized she would love to have him, to take his long chestnut hair down from its braid and do things to him that he had never dreamed of before. But he was a priest... That was sin. And she belonged to Lord Yuy.

Maxwell shifted nervously under her seductive gaze, repeating his prayers like a mantra, until finally she looked away, her cheeks coloring once again. He allowed himself to breathe once more, his muscles relaxing.

"I should go now," Hilde said, breaking the silence. She looked up then, her eyes clear and innocent. She stepped closer to Maxwell, reaching up into her hair and threading one of the jasmines out of the thick black strands. She took his hand gently and placed the flower in his palm, raising her eyes back to his with a smile.

"I hope to see you again soon, Maxwell-san." She bowed once more and turned back to the house.

Maxwell watched her leave, his hand closing over the jasmine. Perhaps she could be absolved yet.

Hilde stopped before reaching the door to the house and looked back over her shoulder at the handsome young priest. His eyes were still fixed upon her. She smiled.

Perhaps Lady Dorothy was wrong about priests.

Part Nine

~~~~~~

Lord Heero Yuy tangled his gloved fingers in the long, straight black hair, pushing the girl's face further down on his cock, a sound like the breath catching in his throat escaping his lips as more of him slipped down her slender throat and she enclosed him with soft lips, increasing her smooth up and down motion.

Hilde moaned around the thick organ filling her mouth and went down on him harder, his soft sighs and grunts of pleasure the only sounds in the dark, silent chamber. There were no candles tonight; Lord Yuy had arrived that night distressed after another meeting with the commander Treize and he had barely unstrapped his sword before pushing Hilde to the floor. The pale moonlight emanating down from the skylights had been enough illumination, though, as Hilde swiftly parted his dark green robes and found his hardened sex expertly with her mouth.

Lord Yuy closed his eyes as slim, warm fingers caressed and fondled the heavy sac, the wet mouth still working up and down on the erect length. He grabbed fistfuls of Hilde's silky hair, twisting the delicate strands between the leather, stabilizing her head on him, and thrust his hips forward to pump into her mouth.

Hilde moaned again and tilted her head back to let him thrust deeper down her throat, the tip of his cock already beginning to spill the salty-sweet liquid. She raised her eyes to gaze up at him over the immense sex sliding in and out of her mouth, delighting in the sight of his exotic face contorted with ecstasy and glistening with sweat. She suckled harder still.

Lord Yuy opened his eyes then, feeling the courtesan's gaze on him. He met the sparkling, iridiscent blue eyes, glinting under the veil of her long black lashes, the red lips curving in a smile around his sex. He came hard then, giving one last push into the embrace of her mouth before spilling his essence with a cry of ecstasy.

Hilde sighed softly and drank down the creamy fluids, cleansing her master thoroughly with her tongue before disengaging from his cock. She kissed her way lovingly back up his stomach, letting her tongue linger on his chest to lick and suckle the russet nipples standing out erect on the hard pectoral muscles. Lord Yuy groaned softly "Hilde-chan" and soon she felt the leather-gloved hands on her body, pushing away the light silk of her single crimson robe and caressing bare flesh.

Hilde moved away from his chest and finally let her lips touch his, running her hungry tongue tentatively over his upper lip before he became impatient, and with a grunt captured her mouth roughly with his. Hilde responded to his silent command and moved her hips up to straddle his. The covering of crimson material concealing her wet, swollen sex was swiftly pushed aside with the rough leather fingers, and in one smooth motion he was inside.

The two beautiful young bodies melded and meshed in the moon-bathed night, moving to the familiar erotic rhythm, climbing higher and higher until they finally reached the edge of the cliff, tumbling off together. Afterwards they lay together listening to the syncopated rhythms of their hearts and breaths, damp limbs still entangled, silent. Lady Relena's attendants talked quietly on the other side of the screens, their light, girlish voices floating gently through the still night air in the silence of the aftermath. The branches of the hemlock tree outside Lord Yuy's chamber window scratched softly against the glass as the breeze stirred it. Hilde buried her face in her master's broad, muscular chest and sighed happily.

Lips caressed her hair, hot breath stirring the strands that fell into her eyes. "Hilde-chan." A sultry, deep whisper. One hand moved slowly up and down her body, tracing the smooth line of her thigh up to her hip and following the rich curve there all the way up to her breast, which he teased lightly with practiced fingers, before moving back down.

Hilde closed her eyes and moaned softly, the feel of the well-worn leather on her creamy, delicate skin creating sensations in her she had never felt before. She sighed again, opening her eyes and moving up on her elbow to face her master. He gazed at her through almost dreamy dark blue eyes, a small smile curving his lips as he continued to caress her lazily. Hilde smiled gently back and bent her head to kiss him, deeply, tenderly.

Lord Yuy pulled away after a moment and reached down beside him to pick up his long, heavy sword, which he had thrown carelessly aside in the desperation for his lovely servant's sex. Shifting the tiny courtesan carefully so that her entire body rested in his left arm, Lord Yuy held the sword up to the pale blue light, the moonbeams catching the delicate kanji engravings on the blade and glinting with silver fire in the darkness. Hilde gazed at it silently, watching as her master turned it over and over in his hand.

"I have been thinking," the Japanese lord said softly, making invisible circles in the air with the shimmering blade. "And I must ask you to make a choice."

Hilde turned to look at her master, hurt and confusion clouding the clear azure eyes, the petulant cerise lips falling in a delicate pout. "Have I not pleased you, Heero-sama?" she asked, a long strand of raven hair falling across her shoulder as she bent forward.

Lord Yuy shook his head and tenderly pushed her hair back behind her ear. "No, koishii," he replied, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile. "Never. But I must still have your answer to this question."

Hilde lowered her eyes and nodded. "Hai, myoushu," she whispered. "I will do whatever you desire."

Lord Yuy nodded back once and returned his attention the sword in his hand, arcing it slowly back and forth now. "The Spanish commander is not willing to compromise over the Okinawa port," he said. "I feel there will be a battle soon, but not yet; the man Treize is very elegant about these things." He paused, tightening his arm around Hilde's small waist. "I know that if there is a battle, your safety will be greatly compromised. I would never forgive myself if you were to be hurt..." Lord Yuy closed his eyes, a ragged sigh escaping his lips. He brought the blade of the sword down swiftly, touching the cold silver to Hilde's bare skin, pushing it against the deep hollow between the curve of her hip and her waist. She gasped at the icy touch, moving away from the glinting sharp edge instinctively, suddenly afraid.

The Prussian blue eyes flickered open then. The blade began a slow, scintillating ascent up her body, following the trail he had taken with his hand moments ago, stopping at her breast. The flat side of the beautifully carved sword ran up over the small mound, resting against the rosy pink nipple and stimulating it slowly. Hilde closed her eyes again and whimpered with pleasure, her fear giving way to the sensation of her master's gentle stroking.

"...So I must ask you, Hilde-chan..." Lord Yuy's sensual, abysmal voice cut through the silence, bringing Hilde back to Earth. She opened her eyes. The lord stared back at her, his gaze intense, loving. The blade continued to caress her breast.

"I must ask you... if you will stay..."

A soft cry of pleasure at both the stimulation at her breast and at her master's words escaped Hilde's lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the hollow there. "Hai, Heero-sama, hai," she repeated, over and over again, kissing the sweet flesh of his throat ardently. "Hai... Even if it means death..."

Lord Yuy grabbed her chin with his free hand then, stopping her kisses and bringing her face up to kiss her lips. After a long moment he broke away, breathless. He met her eyes evenly and brought the sword back up, lifting it from her breast to her neck. Hilde stared back, her breath coming in labored gasps after the passionate kiss, awaiting her master's next words.

"You will make a vow to me then," he said. "You are prepared to die for your loyalty." The blade punctured the fragile skin of her neck then and Hilde cried out. A single, sparkling droplet of scarlet budded from the small cut, staining the milky perfection of her flesh there; Lord Yuy quickly bent his head to catch it on his tongue, licking the sweet, fresh blood tenderly before capturing the wound with his entire mouth and suckling passionately. Hilde let her head fall back, allowing her master greater access, and cried out with the sheer ecstasy and carnality of her vow to him.

"Hai!" she moaned, the word uttering sensually between the dewy lips, red as the blood Lord Yuy cleansed from her body. He broke away from her then with a lustful grunt and lifted the courtesan's hips once more to plunge his aching cock deep into her wet, waiting embrace and consummate the vow.

Outside the moonlight began to fade, giving way to a faint orange-violet glow. The matins light bathed them in a glistening luminescence that matched the soft sheen of sweat covering their bodies as they continued to make love, riding each other harder and faster with each stroke until daybreak exploded with cries of rhapsody and they collapsed upon each other, sated and exhausted and trusting that their vow should never be broken.

Only then did the night finally set in, bringing with it dreams of the handsome priest and his beautiful violet eyes. It was he who had made love to her that night, after all.

~*~

The pale dawn crept slowly over Maxwell's still, alert form through the thin white curtains over his window, falling in slender shafts across the cold, bare wooden floor where he lay, his Bible lying open next to him. He groaned as the light fell over his eyes, momentarily blinding him, and he shut them tightly, pushing himself to a sitting position against his bed.

The night had not been easy for Father Duo Maxwell, his dreams filled with the cerulean-eyed courtesan and her flawless ivory body, lying open and inviting amidst the branches of the cherry tree. She still tormented him, even though he had not seen her for a week now. In the dream she had seen him watching her this time; she smiled, beckoning to him with one small hand while the other worked languidly at the secret place between her thighs. It had taken all of Maxwell's strength to jar himself from the dream, to calm the storm of emotions racing through his mind and body.

Self-flagellation had never been one of his favorite practices but tonight it had helped him; the constant, painful blows of his belt against his back had quickly erased all the lustful thoughts from his mind and served as his penance for even considering such libidionous actions, even if only in the dream.

Maxwell opened his eyes slowly then and gingerly touched his shoulder, flinching as his fingertips brushed the abraded flesh there. It had certainly helped. The pain reminded him that he had to be strong to carry out God's will. The vow of celibacy was perhaps the hardest one to keep, especially for a young, handsome man; Maxwell had had that vow tested many times before in the past and managed to shun the feelings and retain his virginity. Only now did he feel truly threatened that he might break it.

Maxwell sighed and ran a hand back through his wild bangs, brushing the long hair back from his damp forehead. He could get through this, he thought. He knew it. After all, Lady Hilde Schbeiker /was/ a Catholic, and being one she should know the rules of the priesthood. She should know that no matter what, he could not break his most sacred vow. She would understand.

Feeling stronger at that thought, Maxwell climbed to his feet and started out of his chamber to the bath. He still needed to go over his sermon for the mass tomorrow and time was always of the essence with the Spanish fleet; they were preparing to stage a coup on the Japanese lords soon.

As Maxwell stepped outside of the house and made his way through the small garden to the bath, the scent of jasmines wafted gently in the breeze, invading his senses: Hilde. He sighed heavily and shook his head, continuing into the enclosed pool and shedding his robes to lower himself into the cool water.

That vow would be difficult to keep.

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