It was a beautiful country. Especially Okinawa, the exquisite sylvan city that seemed as if it had been brushed onto the canvas of the world by a painter's hand, almost unrealistic in its perfection; the city which now passed by slowly outside the green satin curtains of Lady Hilde Schbeiker's carriage.

Hilde pushed the curtains aside to get a better view of the passing landscape- the lush green forests surrounding delicate, ornate wooden temples and houses; the white plains of the rice fields, dotted with the brown of the workers' straw hats; the hazy azure sweep of the ocean on the horizon, just beyond the pale gray and green of the mountains in the distance. She gazed at it all in awe and sighed.

Japan. Her new home.

Hilde let the curtains drop back into place and sat back against the plush velvet seat, leaning her head back against the headrest. She nervously pushed down the sleeves of her new silk kimono, a present for her "adoption" from Lady Catalonia; pure white silk painted with crimson petals, the color of cherry blossoms in the fall, before they withered in the cold. As Lady Catalonia had described it: "Reminiscent of virginity and sexuality; the lovely art of suggestion." And cherry blossoms were her new master's favorite flower.

Hilde felt a thrill of excitement run down her spine at the thought of her master. Although she was almost sickeningly nervous at knowing she would be with him alone for the first time, she was also practically dizzy with excitement. Lady Catalonia had told her so many stories about him, the samurai Lord Heero Yuy. A powerful warrior and an equally powerful lover. An adept sensualist and fantasist, much as Hilde herself was. A wonderful man to be "adopted" by, however married he was.

Married. Hilde sighed again.

Of course such an honored and respected lord and soldier would be married, and to nothing less than a goddess. His wife, Lady Relena Peacecraft, a princess from the French kingdom of Cinq: A goddess with straight golden hair that fell to her knees, large aquamarine eyes fringed with long, dark lashes, and a curvaceous, abundant figure. Theirs was a political marriage, set by Lady Peacecraft's father to further French interests in and secure friendly relations with Japan.

For the Lady Peacecraft, the match with Lord Yuy had been love at first sight. Heero Yuy was an amazing man: Tall and slender, yet with a powerful, muscular build, honed to near god-like perfection from his samurai background, wild dark hair, and sensuous, beautiful Prussian blue eyes, reminiscent of his European ancenstry. Hilde knew how she must have felt in seeing him for the first time; she herself had felt the strong sexual attraction that he seemed to emanate when he and Lady Peacecraft had come to Lady Catalonia's tea house that first time... The time he had decided to "adopt" her.

However, for Lord Yuy, love came only after the marriage. Despite Lady Peacecraft's incredible beauty and her prestige with the Cinq government, she was not at all what he had wanted in a wife. They had both been young- only fifteen- and the first year had been difficult. But now, after three years and with Lady Peacecraft preparing to bear his child, Lord Yuy had grown to love her and accept her as his wife. This was why Hilde had objected to being "adopted" by him at first; she couldn't imagine coming between a loving couple, and especially one that was preparing to have a child.

Hilde smoothed her delicate crimson fan across her lap, running slim, jeweled fingers over the fragile paper folds. "A man has needs," Lady Catalonia said. It had her much convincing before Hilde agreed to become Lord Yuy's personal courtesan.

A courtesan. A small smile curved Hilde's rouged lips as she turned the word over in her mind, marveling at the fact that that was what she was now. Hilde Schbeiker, the once wild, free-spirited daughter of the matriarch of a Germanic tribe, was now a courtesan, a woman who catered to and filled the desires of men.

The carriage continued to roll slowly over the well-trodden dirt road, past the quiet bustle of one of Okinawa's many merchant markets, and further into the forest towards Lord Yuy's secluded mountain estate. Hilde pushed the curtains aside once more to gaze out at the approaching peaks, obscured slightly by dense white fog and clouds, as she thought back to the time before Japan, before coming into Lady Catalonia's care and becoming a courtesan.

Hilde Schbeiker had been the daughter of Hilda Schbeiker, the leader of a matriarchical tribe in the wilds of Germany. Their society had been one in which women ruled over men, free to do as they pleased and roam the countryside as they liked. Femininity was irrelevant; the women dressed in men's trousers and shirts, more conducive for hunting and traveling than a dress would have been, and cut their hair short. Men were even more irrelevant. Hilde had barely known her father, who had died when she was three, and hadn't been bothered with the likes of men since. They were simply vassals to her mother and the other women who governed the tribe, useful for labor and of course, reproduction. Never had she imagined that men could have power over women, or that a woman should ever want a man to have power over her.

At fifteen, Hilde left with her mother to travel to the East, hoping to find a suitable home for their tribe. The wars against the Germanic tribes and France had left their own land destroyed and conquered by one of the French armies. Stories of wealth and fertile land in the East had prompted Hilda Schbeiker to move her people where they would be unharmed and free once more, but first she had wanted to see it for herself. Hilde travelled with her, reaching China and stopping in Shanghai.

Shanghai was almost as beautiful as Japan; a bustling seaside city with infinitely more people and infinitely more rules than Hilde had ever experienced, even here in Japan. It was in there that her life had changed.

A young Chinese girl had come to the forest shelter Hilde and her mother had built for themselves outside of Shanghai one night, pleading for sanctuary and promising to lend her skills as a warrior in order to escape back to Germany with them.

Ron Meiran. Hilde smiled at the memory.

Ron Meiran, the granddaughter of the powerful, feared leader of the respected Dragon Clan, Ron Shirin. A warrior in her own right, skilled in martial arts; a beautiful soldier with piercing ebony eyes and straight black hair, falling to her shoulders in a men's style. A girl destined to marry with Chang Wufei, a scholar that her grandfather had chosen for her, someone for who she would rather have died than become the wife of. Hilde and her mother took her in immediately. It was the end of the proposition of moving to the East, a place where men ruled without question.

Hilde became kindred with Meiran; to both, the idea of having her soul shackled to that of a man for all eternity was worse than punishment in Hell itself. They became like sisters, planning a perfect existence together away from men. Meiran would become part of their tribe and live without the pressures from her oppressive society.

Tears came to Hilde's eyes then and she quickly brushed them away with a fingertip, careful not to smudge the mascara and the deep lining of kohl around her eyes, the black in sharp contrast to the pale blue orbs. Her kindred sister and their perfect plan was not to be.

The night before the three had planned to return to Germany, a small army of Ron Shirin's men stormed their hidden shelter, tipped off by a merchant in Shanghai who had seen Hilde and Meiran walking together through the market that morning and followed them. Hilda Schbeiker was killed immediately, no match for the mens' swift machetes, and Meiran and Hilde were captured; Meiran sent back back to her home and forced into her marriage with Chang Wufei, Hilde destined for the most cruel of punishments: Banishment to Japan, or the heathen country, as the Chinese liked to call it.

Hilde spent nine days on a slave ship to Japan, worked and tortured almost to death by her sadistic Chinese masters. She knew if it hadn't been for the strong resolve implanted in her by her mother and the other women of her tribe, she would have surely died then. But to die at the hands of men was completely repulsive to her; she wouldn't be defeated so easily.

In Japan, Hilde was immediately sent to the block- the slave market-in Osaka. Luckily, that day, Lady Dorothy Catalonia had been present, searching for another servant to add to her extensive harem of help, and took Hilde in. The beautiful Italian woman had whisked her away to the tea house she owned in Okinawa, enamored of her new pet and determined on making her a "lady."

Hilde still thanked the gods for Lady Dorothy Catalonia, the kind, yet hot-tempered mistress who had somehow managed to turn her from a boyish imp into a sensuous woman. Of course, it had been difficult at first. Lady Catalonia had bathed her and covered her in scented oils, which Hilde had hated and tried desperately to rub off of her. Then she had given her a kimono- a delicate, sheer pink one- and Hilde had refused to wear it, yearning for the comfortable familiarity of her leather trousers and long cotton shirt. Eventually, after being deprived of any clothing at all for days and having to endure the cold winter nights in bare flesh, Hilde reluctantly wore the dreadfully feminine pink kimono. Then it had been her hair.

Hilde suppressed a giggle behind one small, carefully powdered hand, remembering how she had screeched and protested when Lady Catalonia had forbidden her to cut her hair when it grew down to her shoulders.

"A lady must never wear her hair like a man," she had said, ignoring Hilde's curses and screams as she washed the long black mane and then combed it through with rose water. "And your hair is absolutely lovely."

Hilde reached a hand up to delicately touch her hair, the shiny black curtain of silk which hung down to her waist now, carefully twisted up and held together with crimson sticks, a few strands falling loose around her face to suggest erotic disarray. Her hair was her pride and joy now, wondrously smooth and silky, and as blue-black as the night sky in contrast to her pale skin and wintry blue eyes. She was beautiful.

Lady Catalonia had seen the potential in her that day on the block, and over the years Hilde had blossomed. She was small and light, a delicate waif, but with a lovely, richly curved body. Her breasts were petite, perfect in their shape and roundness, perky and youthful under her kimono. Her hips flared slightly from her tiny waist and her rear was small and perfect, with a gentle curve. Her flesh was as white and flawless as marble, the blue eyes large and innocent in her young face, and her full, unnaturally red lips seemed formed in an eternal, petulant pout. Her physical charms, coupled with Lady Catalonia's intense "training", had molded Hilde Schbeiker into the perfect courtesan.

Hilde closed her eyes and touched a hand to her heart, feeling it flutter gently at the memory of Lady Catalonia and their nights of "training". She had been the first to initiate Hilde into the world of sexual pleasure, breaking her virginity with a soft leather phallus and bringing Hilde to her first orgasm. They had spent countless nights in Lady Catalonia's boudoir, the lovely blonde Italian showing her beautiful pupil how to suckle and fondle a man's cock, using the same phallus she had initiated Hilde with, and how to pleasure herself as well. Her hand slipped down now between her legs to lightly caress herself through the thin silk of her kimono, imagining Lady Catalonia's long, practiced fingers tickling that sensitive nodule inside her soft petals. They had taken turns pleasuring each other as well, playing games in which they tied each other in silken bonds and licked and suckled breasts and sex.

But the "training" hadn't always been so gentle and loving. Lady Catalonia was merciless in her quest to make Hilde into a "lady", often beating her with bamboo sticks and whips as the young German girl struggled to work herself to orgasm on a leather phallus mounted to the wall, meant to emulate sexual intercourse and perfect her skills. Hilde bit her lower lip, remembering the exquisite pain as Lady Catalonia brought the solid, sharpened end of the bamboo stick down on her rear, over and over again, paining her greatly and yet, intensifying her pleasure. She had been a wonderful teacher and now Hilde would finally get to test her knowledge.

Hilde opened her eyes and smiled, thinking once again of her master. The carriage continued on its way deeper into the lush forest, the chirping of the cicadas growing ever more intense as they neared the mountains, the scent of honeysuckle and cherry blossoms almost overpowering. She would be arriving soon.

Lord Yuy and his immaculate wife had only come to the tea house once, a week ago, before deciding to take Hilde in. Lady Peacecraft and Lady Catalonia had been friends in Europe before coming to Japan, and when Lady Peacecraft needed a favor she had turned to her old acquaintance. Lady Catalonia had invited the two to afternoon tea and had asked Hilde to act as the serving girl. It was then that she had first seen the esteemed Lord Yuy and quickly become enraptured with him, as he had with her.

Hilde sighed softly, remembering how their eyes had met over the steam of the spicy orange tea as she bent to pour some into his cup, the Prussian blue orbs burning with lustful fascination. She had sat down beside him afterwards and later during the tea, she had subtly let the top folds of her blue satin kimono fall open, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her wares. Lord Yuy had sighed, barely concealing a guttural moan as he gazed down at her sweetly exposed young body, clenching his teeth to sustain control. Hilde had been delighted, although she felt incredibly guilty in front of the Lady Peacecraft.

The other woman, however, hadn't seemed at all bothered by her husband's reaction to the beautiful courtesan and continued to kneel primly on her woven straw mat beside him, sipping her tea delicately, and smiling pleasantly at Hilde. She even seemed to take a liking to the German girl. Hilde had smiled back, glad to know that she had earned the other woman's friendship. That night the couple made their decision to Lady Catalonia and ordered Hilde to come live with them the next week. This week.

Hilde straightened in her seat and pushed back the curtains to look outside again, beginning to grow impatient. She wished the driver would hurry; her nerves were starting to get to her again, sending a wave of nausea coursing through her body, rising in her stomach. Dread and anticipation fought for dominance of her emotions, settling in the end for the mixture of both she had felt from the beginning. The carriage was coming to a clearing in the forest. Finally.

Lord Heero Yuy came back into her thoughts then; a vision of him kneeling naked by a fire, sweat running down the bronzed, sculpted musculature of his body as he awaited her arrival. Hilde closed her eyes and moaned softly, imagining how he would feel inside her. Her first man. However married he was.

Married. Hilde opened her eyes and sighed again.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt.

"Lady Schbeiker," the driver called. "We are here."

The door to the carriage opened and a large, callused brown hand reached inside. Hilde delicately extended her own hand and allowed the driver to help her down. Her jeweled sandals touched the grassy lawn lightly and she straightened, gazing in awe at the palatial estate spread before her.

Lord Yuy's house was magnificent. The entire structure lay enclosed within a fence made from bamboo and was surrounded by lush gardens of violets and daffodils, with a small, clear blue lake centered in the middle of a grove of cherry blossom trees; the house itself was a masterpiece in hinoki-cedar latticework and ornately painted shoji screens depicting beautiful natural scenes, as open and spread out as a temple. The roof sloped gently, small panels cut open to provide skylights into the house, and was tiled in slate colored an incredible shade of aquamarine. Most likely a tribute to the beautiful eyes of his love, Hilde thought with a smile. She suddenly appeared.

"Lady Schbeiker."

The Lady Relena Peacecraft stepped gently down from the steps leading into the house, followed closely by two younger girls dressed in simple gray robes; her attendants. The lady herself was dressed humbly, in a kimono of pale green satin painted with darker green leaves. Her golden hair was twisted up elaborately, held in place with delicate wooden combs shaped like leaves. Her flat abdomen was beginning to protrude slightly under her kimono; the pregnancy was commencing quickly. She came to a stop in front of Hilde and smiled happily, bowing her head in greeting. The aquamarine eyes sparkled. She was still beautiful.

Hilde bent her head in respect and lowered her eyes, bowing her entire upper body to show her extreme deference. The dangling rubies at her ears clinked lightly as she curtsied, kohl-lined blue eyes cast downwards in both respect and fear. Lady Peacecraft continued to smile, impressed at the girl's politeness.

"My lady," Hilde finally spoke, her girlish voice barely a whisper. "I thank you for allowing me to stay with you. I know I will forever be in your debt, Mistress Peacecraft." She straightened slowly but kept her eyes down.

Lady Peacecraft reached out a hand to gently lift the other girl's chin. Wide cerulean eyes, bright with fear and nervousness, met hers and she smiled again. "Please, you owe me nothing," the lady replied, moving her hand down to grasp both of the other girl's. "In fact, it is /I/ who owes you, Lady Schbeiker. Please, you may call me Mistress Relena."

Hilde stared back at the other woman, sensing only genuine friendship in her eyes. She allowed herself to smile as well. "Thank you, Mistress Relena," she said. "And I would be so honored if you would refer to me as only Hilde. I have no right to formalities."

Lady Relena took Hilde's hand in her own and led her towards the house, the two attendants staying behind to take Hilde's belongings from the carriage. "Don't be foolish," she said. "As long as you are in my home, we are equal." She smiled almost shyly then, ducking her head as they entered the house. "After all, we share everything now. You are my sister."

Hilde looked to her mistress, fighting the blush that slowly crept into her carefully made up cheeks, and smiled back. "Thank you, Mistress Relena."

The other woman looked up finally and brought the smaller girl close to her, wrapping her in long, silky arms. Her lips found the courtesan's and they shared a deep, affectionate kiss. Hilde felt a melting sensation in her thighs as her mistress's tongue probed gently at her own, reminiscent of Lady Catalonia. She moaned softly through the kiss and the spell was broken.

Lady Relena pulled away gently and smiled, taking Hilde's hand once more and leading her into a small parlor. "You must get ready now," she said, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from the long, crimson-streaked skirt of Hilde's kimono. "Lord Yuy awaits you in his chamber." She motioned to the other side of the house, past the open screen of the parlor and out into the sunlighted hallway. The screen on the far end of the hallway was closed, dim lights flickering against the thin white paper across the latticework. So there is a fire, Hilde thought, her heart increasing its tempo as she remembered her vision of her master. She turned back to her mistress.

"Mistress Relena..." Hilde sighed, struggling to find words synonomous with her emotions. As much as she looked forward to stepping behind that dark screen, a part of her still insisted vehemently that she stay away from this couple; she couldn't bring herself to think of what might happen if she complicated their marriage. The clear blue eyes began to well with tears again and Hilde quickly looked away.

Lady Relena raised her chin once again. "Lady Hilde," she said softly, gazing into the other girl's shining eyes. "I beg you, don't think anything of this. I am not jealous. I was the one who asked Lady Catalonia for you."

Hilde's brows furrowed in confusion. "But why, Mistress? Are you and Lord Yuy not happy?"

Lady Relena smiled and shook her head. "No, we are quite the opposite," she replied, blushing slightly. "But as I am with child now, I am of no use to him. A man has certain needs that must be met..."

So Lady Catalonia had been right, Hilde thought, feeling a bit better. But it still pained her to hear Lady Relena refer to herself as "of no use." Love wasn't about being used, she was sure of it. And a man had no right to impress that idea upon any woman.

"...And besides, I simply adore you," Lady Relena finished, reaching out one pale hand to brush a strand of long black hair behind Hilde's adorned ear. "I could not have asked for anyone better for my husband." She smiled.

Hilde forced herself to smile back, still lost in thought over the concept of being used. But that is what I do, she thought. I /am/ for the use of men. And yet I enjoy it.

She thought nothing of it again as Lady Relena finished touching up her hair and makeup and then sent her quietly down the hall with one last, sweet smile of encouragement.

Hilde entered the dark chamber shyly, her face half hidden behind her crimson fan, large blue eyes the only feature visible above the fragile folds. A thousand scents flooded her body as she slid the shoji screen closed, intoxicating her; citrus and pomegranate harmonized sensuously with muguet, jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla, wafting gently upwards from candles and sticks of incense. The sheer blue curtains at the large window were shut but for a small opening, allowing the soft autumn breeze to blow into the room, melding with the other scents and cooling her already hot body. A slender, dark figure stood leaning against the far wall, arms crossed over chest, head down and face hidden by long peaks of dark hair.

"Come closer." The voice that commanded her was soft, deep, with a lovely accent. Emotionless. A shiver of excitement ran down Hilde's spine. She stepped forward.

The shadows from the flickering candles played over the figure's sculpted body, dancing in the ridges of his muscles, enhancing the wiry build. He was naked but for a loose, dark blue robe, open under his crossed arms. The strong jaw was set, the eyes cast downward, the chest rising and falling rapidly; excited.

Hilde immediately bowed before her master, sinking to her knees on the smooth wooden floor, touching her forehead to the ground. "My master," she whispered. "I am honored that you desire my company."

Silence. Finally he spoke. "Come to me."

Hilde kept her eyes down and slowly crawled closer to him, as he had not commanded her to stand up. She felt her lord's eyes upon her as she moved as gracefully and lithely as a cat across the floor, her body undulating sinuously. His breathing grew louder in the dark silence; turned on. Her body suddenly responded and she was no longer afraid; Lady Catalonia had taught her well.

Still keeping her eyes down and her head bowed, Hilde bent down over his bare feet to kiss each one, conveying her submission to him. After giving each a soft respectful kiss, Hilde let her tongue slip through her slightly parted red lips to lovingly lave every inch of his feet. The breathing was ragged now, heavier. She kissed her way up the strong calves and stopped to rub her cheek against one muscular thigh, still not daring to look up.

Lord Heero Yuy was in agony. His sex throbbed painfully, growing ever harder as the beautiful courtesan lapped at his flesh with her soft, pink tongue. He longed to have her mouth on him elsewhere, everywhere, but he couldn't allow himself to lose control yet. This was only their first meeting and he had promised that the first time would be swift, simple, and under /his/ terms. The girl had stopped licking him and was waiting for his next command, breathing hotly against his thigh. Lord Yuy fought the urge to grab her hair and push her mouth over his cock. He spoke instead.

"You may stand up," he said. She obliged silently, head still bowed in deference as she rose to her feet.

"Disrobe." The soft silk of her kimono sighed open as she untied the sash around her waist, revealing the expanse of her creamy white flesh and those tiny, delicate breasts he adored. She continued to stare demurely down at the floor. Lord Yuy thanked the gods that she did; he knew if he looked into those large, innocent sky blue eyes all restraint would be lost. She waited silently for his next command. He slowed his breathing.

"I want to watch you pleasure yourself now," the deep, even voice continued. "But you may not reach perfect satisfaction yet. I want you to reserve that for your master."

"Hai, Master Yuy," Hilde whispered, sinking slowly to her knees once again on the cold, hard floor. She sat back on her heels, spreading her knees wide apart. Lord Yuy watched her silently, his eyes flickering over her body to linger on the wet sex between her legs. His heart raced; he wished to take her now, with no regard to his promise. It took all his strength to wait as he watched the girl bring one small hand to her mouth to lick each slim finger, running her tongue over the lengths to wet each thoroughly. She then brought the hand down, running it lightly over her body before letting it rest between her thighs. Lord Yuy felt himself grow harder, his heart pounding in his ears.

Hilde closed her eyes, concentrating on satisfying her master. She cupped her sex with the palm of her hand, stroking the soft nether lips gently, teasing herself. A soft, barely audible moan escaped her lips and she teased a little more, allowing one carefully moistened finger to slip inside. She arched up on her knees, pushing her breasts and hips forward, displaying herself as another finger entered and she began a slow thrusting, in and out. Lord Yuy watched, enthralled.

Hilde felt the dark gaze of her master burning into her skin and gave herself over to passion, bucking her hips against her hand, her thumb rubbing the distended nodule enough to give pleasure but not enough to bring herself to orgasm, torturing herself by not giving in to the sensations that tugged at her abdomen. She threw her head back, reaching her free hand up to free her hair from the sticks that held it in place, letting the long black silk tumble down her back, around her shoulders. Cries of tortured ecstasy emanated from her undulating figure, candlelight dancing over her pale skin, glowing with sweat, the growled moan of her master conveying his pleasure and raising her passion. She edged closer to perfect satisfaction. Lord Yuy watched, the heat and tension in his body almost unbearable. He groaned.

She opened her eyes. She hadn't meant to, but the sounds her master made had made her curious as to how he looked, what he was feeling. A courtesan was never to gaze at her master during sex; she had broken the rule. Hilde gasped as her eyes met his for the first time since the tea, the look of raw desire etched onto the Japanese man's face almost enough to have pushed her over the edge. Her body stiffened, ceasing its motion. She awaited her punishment.

Lord Yuy gazed into the bright blue orbs, half hidden behind strands of long hair, unbelieving that she had dared to look up at him. He knew that he should punish her but he couldn't bring himself to do so; those innocent eyes in that sweet, young face implored him for his mercy, the arch of her perfect body pleaded for his sex. He couldn't do it. The reasons whirred through his mind: She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She was too beautiful to punish. He ached for her. That one gaze had broken all resolve.

Lord Yuy came to her quickly, his robe falling to the floor, his face a mask of lust, the Prussian blue eyes smoldering with passion. Hilde watched him, both afraid and aroused, a thousand images racing through her mind as to what he would do to her. Strong hands clasped around her arms, pulling her roughly to her feet. A warm, questing mouth covered hers then, sharp, even teeth pulling at her lower lip and forcing her to open her mouth so that his tongue could enter. Hilde obeyed, moaning through the kiss as their tongues battled passionately, her fear giving way to complete arousal.

The large, elegant hands caressed every inch of her body, travelling up the slender hips to cup perfect breasts, pinching the nipples almost painfully between strong fingers. Hilde cried out, pulling her mouth away from his and arching her neck; Lord Yuy's mouth quickly covered the soft white flesh there, suckling and biting with vicious urgency, smearing her makeup. The hands continued to explore her body as hers explored his, running up his smooth flanks, over the muscled expanse of his back, feeling him ripple beneath her touch. She loved the way he felt, so solid and strong; her first man. His tongue touched her ear, licked it gently.

"Turn around, on your knees, on the floor." The commands were whispered surprisingly soft, gentle; he wasn't angry. Hilde moaned a soft "Hai" before turning her back to him and falling to her knees, reaching for the windowsill to lean on for support. He came behind her, on his knees as well, dripping hot, seductive kisses down her back.

Lord Yuy allowed a smile to curve his lips; the smile of conquest. She had slipped only once in her passion, not enough to warrant his punishment. She was still absolutely perfect in her submission, her complete deference to her master. She was /his/. He closed his eyes and sighed, bending his head to taste the spicy sweetness of her skin once more.

Hilde propped her elbows against the windowsill, parting the thin curtains slightly to allow the breeze to blow through, sending a chill through her body as Lord Yuy continued to kiss her back. She moaned softly, reveling in the sensations he created in her, gazing dazedly out into the courtyard. She could hear women's voices; Lady Relena and her attendants, out for a walk in the garden. She closed her eyes.

Forgive me, my mistress...

Lord Yuy's powerful chest pressed against her back suddenly shifted Hilde back to the present and she opened her eyes. She felt a touch between her legs then. Lord Yuy ran one finger delicately across the wet, pink slit, making Hilde sob, her body trembling with desire. Her scent, like the smoldering of fragrant flowers, intoxicated him, blending with the strong perfume of the incense. He took her then.

It was as Lord Heero Yuy had wished; swift, simple, and under his terms. He kept his eyes closed, the muscles of his abdomen tightening as he thrust his pelvis forward, entering her easily. Hilde's sweet cry of pleasure urged him on and he settled into a practiced rhythm, his teeth clenched, his thrusts slow, methodic, with all the power of the feudal lord he was behind them.

Hilde rocked back into him, crying tears of both joy and pain as he worked himself in her body; joy at having the honor of this man's sexual desires and pain at being the object of that desire to another woman's husband. The women's voices approached nearer; perfect satisfaction edged even closer. Lord Yuy was large and hot, thrusting into her a thousand times. Hilde cried harder, taking his thrusts and responding with her own, desperate for release.

Lord Yuy was gentle in his sex, hearing her sobs of anguish through the moans and cries of pleasure and moving his mouth next to ear to comfort her. He parted her beautiful hair, kissing her nape each time he descended into her, calming her and making her sigh "Heero-sama" softly, using his name for the first time. His name on her petulant lips drove him over the edge.

Hilde felt the immense organ inside of her stiffen; her walls tightened around it in response: Perfect satisfaction.

"Heero-sama, my master!" she cried, her hands gripping the windowsill tightly as he spilled his seed into her body. He grunted in answer, burying his face against her back as his sex continued to pulse inside her. She could see the Lady Relena and her servants now, on the other side of the courtyard across from the window, sitting under a willow tree. The lady looked up at the sound of her cry of Lord Yuy's name, the servants turning to stare as well.

Hilde stared back at the other woman, damp strands of hair falling in her eyes and clinging to her flushed face. Her inner places wept clear fluids as sweet and agonizing as the tears that continued to fall slowly from her eyes. Lord Yuy's mouth was on her neck again. She moaned. The two women continued to stare at one another.

Finally Lady Relena smiled, her lips curving almost secretively before she hid her face behind her green paper fan.

Hilde walked silently into the tea room, eyes respectfully downcast, and padded softly in her tabi socks to the low wooden table, taking her place across from her mistress. She knelt carefully down on the woven mat, arranging the folds of her trim peach-colored meisen kimono around her so as not to wrinkle the fine material. Her hair was twisted up and held with shiny gold pins, matching the color of the sash about her small waist, and her makeup was perfect; the soft peach-colored liner she had used to accentuate the deep, clear blue of her eyes was lighter and more natural than the kohl she had used yesterday. She seemed as if nothing at all had happened that night.

Lady Relena, already kneeling at the table with her tea in hand, watched the courtesan enter, bowing gently in homage to her mistress, and then sit, eyes trained on the space in front of her. The girl looked perfect, although Lady Relena had not failed to notice the slight slowness in her movements; pain in her nether regions, no less. She brought one hand up to her mouth to suppress a smile.

"I trust that you slept well, Lady Hilde?" Lady Relena finally spoke, taking a sip of her tea.

Hilde took this as permission to look up and did so, replying, "Yes, my mistress. I am very satisfied with my quarters." One of Lady Relena's servant girls came and poured Hilde a cup of the raspberry tea while another placed a small bowl of white rice in front of her. Hilde smiled her gratitude to both girls and reached for her rice.

Lady Relena smiled. "I am happy. Are you and my husband conversing favorably?" She stared into the other girl's eyes as she asked this, searching for any signs of the guilt and nervousness she had seen in them yesterday. The girl would have to learn that this was her duty.

Hilde gazed back at her mistress, a light blush coloring her delicately powdered cheeks, and nodded her assent. She had already cried over Lady Relena; the other woman had already shown her forgiveness and conveyed her approval. There was no need for her to shy away from speaking about her relations with Lord Yuy with his lady.

"Yes, we are conversing very well," Hilde replied, feeling a soft moistness between her legs at the thought of her master. They had had intensely passionate sex all night, stopping only to rest for intervals before he took her again and again. His incredible sex still filled her, his powerful, loving thrusts still wracked her body, the muscular arms holding her close as he kissed her lips and breasts while she moaned his name, over and over. "Heero-sama..." Hilde closed her eyes and a light shudder went through her body, her beautiful loins aching still from their passion.

Lady Relena watched her carefully, head tilted to the side in thought as she took another sip of her tea. So she had been ever more correct in her choice, she thought. Her husband was satisfied and therefore so was she. She quietly reminded herself to send a note of gratitude to her friend, Lady Catalonia.

"I am very happy, Lady Hilde," Lady Relena said, breaking the silence. Hilde's eyes opened and she colored again, looking down and taking a delicate bite of her rice. The other lady smiled. "I am sure my husband is just as pleased."

Hilde look back up and reached for her tea. The sweet, tangy fragrance of the raspberry liquid filled her senses and intrigued her as to its taste. She sipped once, relishing the delicious smoothness of the tea as it slipped down her throat. "Is Lord Yuy not joining us for breakfast this morning?" she asked. She wanted to see him; he had sent her back to her own quarters after their sex, the proper etiquette for courtesan and master, with a kiss and slip of paper on which he had written in beautiful calligraphy:

I have never seen an autumn
So sweet as the autumn
Which has brought you to me

Those few words had kept her nearly awake all night, her body raging in the heat of the cool night and her sex dampening her robes. If it had not been for her exhaustion after the night's pleasures, Hilde knew she would not have slept. She longed to see him now, to know what he was feeling, if he was truly happy with her.

Lady Relena spoke again, shaking her head slowly. Her diamond earrings caught the sunlight streaming into the open windows of the tea room and sent sparkles of brilliant color splashing across the walls. "No. Our lord does not take meals with the women," she explained. "Only on special occasions does he dine with us; the men have more important things to do."

Hilde hid her disappointment behind her teacup, taking another long sip. She would never fully understand the customs of this country, no matter how well Lady Catalonia had taught her and no matter how well she submitted to them. She decided to go on.

"What do the men do while the women dine, then?"

Lady Relena smiled, amused. Lady Catalonia had been right; she was still quite the foreigner at heart. "I am sure that you know Lord Yuy is a samurai, yes? And that he owns much of the land in this prefecture?" Hilde nodded and ate some more of her rice. Lady Relena continued.

"The mornings are reserved for his practice as a warrior. Sometimes he will spar with other soldiers or meditate in the temple in the mountains. Most times he will hunt; today he is hunting tanuki badgers in the forest with Lord Hazuki. Other times he will go and inspect the work and progress of the villagers in town. It is important that he keep up with his government; the Europeans have started to settle here and have plans of taking this port for their own, as well as others throughout Japan. Especially the Spanish."

Hilde listened, enchanted, imagining Lord Yuy going to battle with the fierce Europeans. He was so strong, so powerful... But the Europeans were equally powerful, as she remembered when her village in Germany had been captured by the French. She hoped that he would be able to keep them away.

Suddenly a servant man dressed in the modest clothing of the villagers, his skin tanned and weathered by the sun, entered the tea room, bowing several times, his head down. Lady Relena's attendants shrieked softly in surprise and hurried to set up a large, beautifully painted screen, hiding the lady and Hilde from the man's view. Lady Relena opened the white silk fan in her lap and held it over her face. Hilde followed suit with her own gold paper fan, confused as to why they had to hide from this mere villager. "But a lady must never be seen in the prescence of a man, especially if she is spoken for," she remembered Lady Catalonia telling her. "/Any/ man."

"My apologies, my lady," the man finally spoke, breathless and with a heavy accent. Hilde could see his shadowed form on the other side of the screen drop to its knees on the floor, bowing once more. "I have come here with a message for your master."

"Hai, you may proceed," Lady Relena replied, keeping her face hidden behind the fan. The attendants stood guard on either side of the screen. Hilde stayed silent.

"A shipman at the port tells me that a man has arrived from France this morning and wishes to seek an audience with your master, our honorable Lord Yuy," the man explained. "I was given orders to bring this message to you and return with an answer."

"Hai," Lady Relena replied softly. "Please tell him to send my brother right away."

The brother of Lady Relena, Milliardo Peacecraft, was a serious, exquisitely handsome man, a soldier as well as a prince. He was extremely tall, even taller than Lord Yuy, with a muscular, powerfully built body, tanned and chiseled in sharp contrast to the platinum hair that cascaded down his back, long and straight, and the icy pale blue of his eyes.

He arrived long after the village man had left to return the lady's message to the port, in the cool afternoon mottled with the shadows of the trees as they stretched across the yard, following the setting sun. The lady and the courtesan were sitting in the garden near the small lake, practicing their calligraphy, when he entered the courtyard, dressed in the bright red and white of the French army uniform. Hilde couldn't help but feel a pang of hatred at seeing that uniform; it had been the French who expelled her tribe from their land so long ago.

Milliardo came to his sister and they embraced tenderly; the attendants did not hurry with the screen to hide the two women. He then turned to Hilde and bowed his head in silent acknowledgement while Lady Relena proceeded to introduce them. Later, Lord Yuy finally came home.

The four ate a lavish dinner of rice, steamed vegetables, and fish on the sprawling deck of the house outside in the pleasantly breezy twilight. Small candlelit lanterns set around the house and the table lent light to the approaching night. The conversation was serious and almost businesslike despite the intimate atmosphere; Milliardo explained to Lord Yuy that the Spanish would be closing in on Okinawa soon and he should want to be on his guard. They talked of a man named Trieze, an old friend of Milliardo's; a French expatriate living in Spain who had taken on command of the Spanish fleet and was in charge of organizing the landing in the port of Okinawa. They would be arriving any day.

After the meal, Lord Yuy asked the other man if he would be staying until the Spanish arrival. The taller man explained that he had only come to give the message and see how his sister was progressing in her pregnancy; he could not stay for he was planning to be married soon, to an Italian commander's daughter named Lucrezia Noin. He would only stay the night and then set out for France once again in the morning. It was then that Lady Relena spoke.

"My lord, please forgive me for speaking," she said softly, bowing to her husband and keeping her eyes down, "but my brother has had a hard journey and I suspect he is in need of some time for relaxation." She turned to Milliardo then and looked up. "My dear Milliardo, would you enjoy the company of my Lady Schbeiker this evening? The journey back home is long."

Hilde looked to Lady Relena's brother, the feeling of nervousness returning. What would Lord Yuy say to this? Was she not his possession, his and his alone? The taller man gazed back at her, the icy blue eyes dancing with lustful intrigue. Hilde averted her eyes.

"I believe that decision should be left to Lady Schbeiker," Lord Yuy's voice cut through the silence, as gentle and harsh as the blow of a machete. "There are other courtesans in Okinawa." Jealousy tinged the deep, usually emotionless voice, surprising Lady Relena and sending a flush of hot arousal through Hilde.

The courtesan turned and bowed to her master, sinking to her knees and touching her lips to his bare feet in the gentlest of kisses. "Only if it pleases you, my master," she whispered, eyes down.

Lord Yuy reached down to caress her hair and she caught his hand with her mouth, kissing it fervently, the blue eyes closed. Lady Relena and the enchanted Milliardo watched as Hilde ran her tongue over her master's hand, suckled his fingers. Lord Yuy gazed down at the lovely girl at his feet, feeling his sex stir. She was truly his own; a night with his wife's brother out of courtesy would mean nothing.

"Your answer pleases me, Lady Schbeiker," Lord Yuy finally replied. "I give my permission, if it is favorable for Master Milliardo." He looked up to fix his dark eyes on the prince.

Milliardo nodded solemnly, his own eyes still on the courtesan kneeling at her master's feet. Lady Relena smiled.

"Come, brother, and I will show you to a room," she said, flicking her fan open and lightly covering her face as she passed her husband; a sign of deference. Milliardo followed, bowing his head to Lord Yuy in gratitude.

Hilde stayed kneeling on the floor with her eyes down, awaiting her master's permission to follow the other man and her mistress. She hoped this would be simple.

"You may leave," Lord Yuy said softly, watching as the girl silently climbed to her feet, still not meeting his eyes. He reached out a hand to grasp her chin, forcing her to face him. Those beautiful, shimmering azure eyes met his once again and he felt the urge to take her swell in his loins.

"Kiwotsukete, koishii," he whispered before claiming her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. Be careful, my beloved.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it had begun and Hilde hurried away, not daring to look over her shoulder at Lord Yuy for fear of losing herself in him, her body ready for the pleasure she must now give another man but her mind fixated on her true master.

Hilde slid the shoji screen quietly aside and entered the small room. The only light came from the three candles set on a low table beside the bed, casting shadows across the floor and over the thin curtains at the window, shafts of pale moonlight illuminating the path to the bed from the skylights above. She could see the prince Milliardo's still form standing beside the window, turned away from her, his long hair shining even whiter in the light of the moon. She slid the screen closed and stepped forward.

"Good evening, Master Milliardo." Hilde bowed her head respectfully even though the man's back was turned to her; Lady Catalonia had made sure that her manners were always impeccable. She stood silently then, waiting for his answer.

Milliardo slowly turned around, his face expressionless, his eyes almost seeming to glow in the pale light. He inclined his head slightly in a return gesture of greeting. "I thank you for willing to join me this evening," he said softly. "Your loyalty to your master is commendable."

Hilde smiled gently. His deep, calm voice helped to soothe her nerves; she was suddenly grateful that he would be her second man. But of course Lady Relena's brother would be nothing less than a proper gentleman. She felt stronger now.

"Thank you, Master Milliardo," she replied, bowing again. "And it is my greatest honor to be able to accompany you. As the Lady Relena said, your journey tomorrow will be long and difficult. If I can be of any relief to you tonight, I will be greatly pleased."

Milliardo stared at the beautiful young courtesan, studying her face as she spoke, marveling at the genuine kindness and feeling in her incredible blue eyes. The thin material of her kimono clung to her body, clearly underlining her physical charms underneath; the sweet push of her young breasts against the peach-colored fabric, the flare of her hips tapering down to long, shapely legs. He knew he could forget Lucrezia for one night. And there was still the other one... He spoke again.

"You are already of much pleasure to me, Lady Schbeiker," he said, stepping closer to her and reaching out a hand to gently stroke the side of her face with light fingertips. "I would enjoy just simply your prescence."

Hilde lowered her eyes, feeling the familiar sensations of desire wrenching in her abdomen at his touch, which was so much like that of his sister's. "I will do whatever you desire, Master Milliardo," she whispered.

The shoji screen slid open once again and one of Lady Relena's young attendants entered, whispering a soft "Gomen nasai" as she presented a young blonde boy dressed in pale blue robes. Milliardo nodded his head once in approval and the girl bowed once more, eyes always downcast, as she slipped quietly out of the room, sliding the screen shut behind her.

Hilde turned to stare at the newcomer. He looked about her own age; pale and slender, with short, slightly windblown blonde hair the color of spring sunshine, and wide, sparkling blue-green eyes which reflected the glow of the candles and the moonlight that bathed him in its bright whiteness. The boy bowed, keeping his head and eyes down as well. Hilde knew who he was now; Lady Catalonia had told her about the male courtesans who offered their charms to men who enjoyed sex with boys. This boy, so delicately, almost femininely beautiful, was most definitely a male courtesan.

"Please, come closer," Milliardo said, meaning the boy. The other courtesan obeyed, stepping forward slowly, eyes trained on the floor in front of him. He stopped inches from Hilde and Milliardo, hands folded demurely, toying with the sash to his robe; nervous. Milliardo stroked the boy's hair gently, much as he had Hilde's face, and then turned to the girl.

"We can begin now."

Hilde nodded, and with a whispered "Hai" she began to help the prince out of his uniform, unstrapping the sword he wore lashed across his side and carefully unbuttoning and undoing the binds to the heavy red and white material. The male courtesan watched silently under slightly rouged eyelids and long dark lashes. When the prince was finally undressed, his god-like form naked to the bronze candlelight and the courtesans' eyes, he walked slowly to the bed, sitting at the edge to face his waiting servants. The eyes which had been so icy and almost cold with indifference now looked upon the courtesans with love, the blue depths soft and inviting. Hilde felt her heart flutter in anticipation.

"Quatre-san, please disrobe Lady Schbeiker," Milliardo commanded the boy softly, laying back on the bed propped on his elbows to watch.

The male courtesan glanced up at Hilde shyly, his cheeks coloring as he stepped forward and carefully undid the gold sash tying her kimono. As the silky material parted, Quatre gasped, the blue-green pools of his eyes shining in awe as he gazed upon her naked body; he drank in the hardened tips of her creamy round breasts, like the buds of a wild cherry, standing out against the cool night air, and lower, the smooth impression of her feminine sex. His hands gently brushed one breast as he slid the kimono down her body and Hilde groaned involuntarily, pushing her breasts forward instinctively. A smile curved Quatre's lips and he looked away, the blush coming back to his cheeks.

Milliardo watched silently, amused and aroused at the boy's reaction to the other courtesan, equally amazed at the perfection of her porcelain body himself. His hand moved between his thighs to lightly stroke the aching sex there as he gave his next command.

"And now Quatre-san, Lady Schbeiker."

Hilde nodded and reached for the sash binding the boy's robes, letting them fall gently to the floor and revealing the smooth, curved, nearly hairless body of a prepubescent boy, although Quatre was her own age. She could see now why he was so desired by older men; his effeminate beauty stirred her own sex as well, the size of his organ not going unnoticed by her trained eye. She sighed.

"Come to me, both of you." Milliardo had moved up on the bed, spreading his entire length across the silken sheets, and was waiting patiently, absently caressing his hardened shaft. Hilde and Quatre obeyed without words, positioning themselves on either side of the prince. They bent their heads to kiss their master for their evening, tongues tangling and lips clinging to each other's for only moments before it began.

It was simple, as Hilde had hoped. The prince was swift in his release, wasting no time. He placed both of their hands on him, showing them how to stroke him and use their nails in his flanks; he enjoyed the pain. His face was a mask as the courtesans took turns stroking, faster and faster; he reached down into Hilde's lap to fondle her soft pink petals, teasing her with a finger, as his other hand slowly wrapped around Quatre's neck, bringing the boy's face down and letting his mouth engulf his immense cock.

Hilde watched in amazement and admiration as Quatre suckled Milliardo's great length; he was truly an artist at this, stroking and probing with his tongue while leaning his head back to take more of the throbbing organ into his mouth, down his throat. It took only minutes of Quatre's practiced suckling and Hilde's nails digging into his heavy scrotum to bring Milliardo to perfect satisfaction, his face contorting in both pain and pleasure, his cry one of utter pain and utter ecstasy. Afterwards he lay still, breathing heavily, his eyes closed as sweat trekked down the chiseled contours of his handsome face. The silence seemed to last an eternity, his labored breathing the only sound, until Milliardo finally fell into satiated sleep.

The two courtesans sat silently on either side of him, watching his face, so peaceful and relaxed, as he slept. Hilde reached out to gently brush the long white bangs from his forehead.

"Did we not please him?" Quatre asked, breaking the silence. His voice was sweet, young, boyish. He seemed disappointed.

Hilde smiled up at him gently. "No. We did everything he desired."

Quatre frowned. "Hai, but it was so quick."

Hilde laughed softly, amused at his naivete, even greater than her own. "His journey was long; he was most likely very tired."

Quatre seemed to think for a long moment, staring down at the sleeping prince, before he looked up again and smiled, satisfied with her answer. "I have never been with both a man and a lady at the same time before," he said, tilting his head to the side to look at her thoughtfully.

Hilde smiled. "Neither have I," she replied. "This has only been my second time with a man."

Quatre was silent once more, still gazing pensively at the lovely courtesan. Finally he spoke. "I have never been with a lady at all." His voice was soft, almost wistful; he looked away quickly, shyly.

Hilde moved carefully off the bed and came around to his side to kneel on the floor. She took his hand gently. "Would you like to have me?" It was only her duty, Lady Catalonia would have told her; it was clear that the boy already desired her. She was curious as well. "Master Milliardo will never know."

Quatre raised his eyes slowly, with a small smile, and nodded silently. Hilde nodded back and led him down to the floor with her, laying him back on the cool wooden slats and crawling on top of him to straddle his hips. In one smooth downward stroke, she impaled herself upon his hardened, waiting cock.

The boy cried out as he entered her, feeling velvet walls envelope him, embrace him. The sensation was so new, so exquisite. It wasn't until Hilde began to slowly move up and down on him that he realized what he must do now. He responded to her downward thrusts with his own, relishing this amazing feeling; she was so much softer than the men he had had sex with before, so much warmer and wetter. A long moan escaped his lips as he felt himself begin to tremble with release.

Hilde rode the beautiful boy hard, as if she had been born to this, her small, cherry-tipped breasts thrust forward and her head thrown back, delving deeper and deeper. She could feel his organ swell inside her, and soon after the pulsing of his release, echoed by a high-pitched, girlish cry of pleasure. She didn't allow herself to reach perfect satisfaction; that pleasure had been reserved for her master and her master only. This had only been for the boy Quatre's own pleasure. She bent down and caught his lips with her own, the kiss slow and tender. After a moment, she broke the kiss to speak.

"Which do you prefer?" The full red lips curved in a smile.

Quatre sighed. "It is so much harder this way, Lady Hilde." She laughed.

"But you are a marvelous lover, Quatre-san." They kissed once more.

In the end they lay side by side on the hard, bare floor, wrapped loosely in a velvet coverlet, arms wrapped around each other affectionately. Quatre's golden head lay against Hilde's breasts and he toyed with one nipple absently as he told her his history.

Quatre Raberba Winner had been born to a lavishly wealthy family in Middle Arabia. At the age of six, when it was discovered that his sexual preference lay with his own sex, his father shunned him from the family and sent him to live wandering about the desert. A band of Arabian marauders had saved him, luckily, and taken him in as one of their own. He had come to Japan with them originally, but a high lord in the city of Edo, where he and the marauders had been quartering, had taken a liking to the beautiful man-child and made him into a courtesan.

"But I will not be a courtesan for much longer," the boy finished, his voice conveying both happiness and hopefullness.

"Why is that? Have you found a master with whom you wish to stay with?" Hilde asked, moving slightly so that she could look at him as he spoke.

Quatre closed his eyes and smiled. "Hai," he replied softly. "Although he is not my master. He is a Spanish dancer, with the most exquisite green eyes I have ever seen. He arrived a week ago with the Spanish fleet in Edo. We are in love." Quatre sighed pleasurably, thinking of his love, no less.

Hilde smiled down at him. It seemed that he felt the same way she now felt towards Lord Yuy. Lord Yuy... The Spanish. "Arrived a week ago with the Spanish fleet" Quatre had said.

"Quatre-san," Hilde said, sitting up abruptly and moving Quatre with her to face him evenly. "Did you say that the Spanish are here, in Japan?"

Quatre nodded slowly, staring back at the girl, confusion in his eyes. "Hai, Lady Hilde," he replied.

"My lover tells me that soon they will come here."

It was a beautiful country. He couldn't understand why they called it "the heathen country"; no place as immeasurably beautiful and utterly peaceful as Japan could possibly be called "heathen." But then, the citizens of this country were not of the Catholic faith, a trait that would most definitely characterize them as just that: Heathen. Still, it was a beautiful country.

Father Duo Maxwell walked leisurely along the port of Okinawa, over the wooden docks, gazing out at the immense cerulean expanse of the Pacific Ocean stretched out endlessly before him. The bright orange sphere of the sun was just beginning to creep over the water's edge in the horizon, sending shards of fire piercing through the pale blue-violet of the morning sky, shimmering golden off the water's surface. A light breeze blew gently, ruffling the wild tangle of his bangs and playing with the long chestnut braid hanging down his back. He held a small black Bible in his hands, riffling absently through the pages as he walked, deciding which scripture to read at his introduction convocation that morning. He sighed, stopping at the edge of one of the docks to lean against the railing and watch the sun rise over the ocean. His interest was just not on God today. He still wondered if it ever was.

Maxwell sighed again, thinking back to his life before the priesthood, before he became a part of the Church and decided to take on a Jesuit mission to Japan. He was simply Duo then, a formerly nameless street rat scrounging the slums of London before he was taken in by an older boy named Solo, the leader of a group of homeless orphans much like himself who had banded together and worked as "sweepers", running the streets and gathering all they could in order to live a decent life. He smiled then, remembering his old friends and how the only troubles they had ever really had were what they would eat each night and how to stay out of trouble itself. It was Solo who had taught him everything he knew; how to survive, how to depend on himself. It was Solo who had christened him Duo.

But London would have no more of their childish antics. The authorities had stormed the abondoned warehouse where their group had been staying, threatening to arrest all of them and send them to a juvenile home, or worse yet, to a government sanctioned orphanage, much like the one Maxwell had escaped from at the age of six. It was then that the church stepped in. A man named Father Maxwell and one of his sisters, a kind, beautiful woman named Helen, negotiated with the London police and offered to take the children in. They would live in the church, take their lessons there, and hopefully be able to grow up into productive members of society. The police had reluctantly agreed.

Over the years, most of the children "sweepers" were adopted. Even Solo had gone on, promising the young Maxwell that one day, when he was established in his new job at one of the factories, he would come back and take him to live with him. He was married soon after. Maxwell had waited, believing in that promise, until soon it became clear that it was not to be. He stayed on in the church then, becoming an apprentice under Father Maxwell and learning the ways of the Catholic faith, knowing in his heart that this was not where his future lay but realizing that at least it was a beginning. Maxwell laughed softly to himself at that thought, looking down at the black priest's garb he now wore, the long, heavy silver crucifix hanging on a chain around his neck. If the priesthood wasn't where his heart truly lay, he was a damn good actor. Father Maxwell had made sure of that, teaching the younger Maxwell everything he knew about the Church and the faith, catechizing him and schooling him on every scripture in the Book until he knew each prayer and invocation by heart. "The gift is in you," the elder Maxwell had said. "Use it and spread His word throughout the world." And so Maxwell had taken the Jesuit mission.

With London becoming increasingly Protestant, the true Catholics had had to relocate in order to practice their faith more freely. Many had gone to Spain, the hotbed of Catholicism, including the Maxwell Church. There they began anew and after the elder Father Maxwell died, with Sister Helen soon after, the younger priest was left to keep it running, serving as a place of worship for the English Catholic expatriates and other Anglo-European Catholics. When he turned eighteen, the Jesuit missionaries came to the church and asked him if he would join their leagues, travelling around the world to spread the word of God and gain new converts to a rapidly dying religion. Maxwell had remembered his mentor's words and immediately joined, leaving the Maxwell Church to his own young apprentice and departing for Japan with the Khushrenada fleet, a French-Spanish mission to Okinawa.

And now I am here, he thought, sighing deeply again and opening his Bible once more.

"Touji-san!" a young female voice called loudly behind him. "Touji-san, please come back here!"

Maxwell turned around, closing the Bible to see what had happened. A small boy in a short green robe and wooden sandals was running in his direction, heading straight for the dock's railing. The slats holding the railing upright were spaced widely apart, just large enough for a child to slip through and fall to his death at the water's edge. The boy was running right towards one of the spaces, eyes shining in awe as he gazed out at the ocean, laughing happily at the girl's desperate pleas.

Maxwell swiftly stooped down and caught the boy, wrapping him in gentle arms, the child just inches from reaching the dangerous opening. The boy shrieked and tried to fight, kicking at Maxwell's legs.

"Hey there, it's alright!" he said, trying his best to keep from laughing as the child continued to struggle. "I know the water looks nice, but there are much safer ways to go see it."

"Touji-san!" The female voice was closer now. A girl about Maxwell's own age ran to the now quiet child, taking him gently from Maxwell's arms and setting him down on the ground. "I told you never to run away from me! Mother will be so upset when she hears of this!" The girl turned to Maxwell then, eyes respectfully downcast, with an appreciative smile and bowed. "Arigatou, dono." She raised her eyes slightly and scanned over his face and body, her smile turning almost mischeivious.

"Douitashimashite, shoujo," Maxwell replied, his cheeks coloring as he realized the girl's eyes hadn't left him. He had encountered this many times before. The London street rat had grown into a tall, slender, handsome young man with the friendly, open face of an angel, large, shining violet eyes, and an equally friendly, beautiful smile. The black priest's robes did nothing to conceal the lean, finely crafted musculature of his body beneath them, either. The girl was transfixed. He tried his best to suppress a laugh. She finally turned back to her small brother.

"Come, Touji-san, Mother is waiting," she said, giving the child a firm pinch on the arm that sent the boy running back to his mother, laughing and howling. She turned back to Maxwell then and with a secret smile said softly, "Ja ne, koudanshi." Goodbye, handsome one. She blew a kiss and ran off.

Maxwell gazed after her, unable to keep the smile from curving his lips. He watched her return to her mother and then waited until the family had wandered off before he opened his Bible and began looking for a scripture once again. The convocation ceremony would begin soon.

It had been two days since Lord Yuy had left to consult the daimyos of the surrounding villages outside of his private estate, to prepare for the arrival of the Spanish. A man from the port had come to the house and told Lord Yuy of the fleet's arrival in Okinawa; it would only be a matter of time before they set foot in the village. Lord Yuy had left right away.

Two days both Hilde and Lady Relena had waited, staying up almost all night in case there was any word. The lady tried her best to remain calm and nonchalant, as if the prospect of her husband dying in battle before the birth of their first child had never crossed her mind. Hilde did all she could to keep the lady out of distress, entertaining her with stories from her tribal days in Germany and her adventures in Shanghai. They spent the nights together sleeping in each other's arms, kissing and caressing breasts and sex, rubbing each other's bodies in scented oils after hot baths together. Hilde made sure her lady was always pleased, always relaxed; the pregnancy was progressing quickly. Her smooth, flat stomach was beginning to grow more and more each day. Still, Lord Yuy did not return.

The night was cold when he finally did arrive back home. Lady Relena had fallen asleep earlier, the fatigue of pregnancy beginning to gnaw at her body. Her two attendants slept next to her on velvet mats on the floor. Hilde had covered each of them with a heavy woolen blanket while she stayed awake, sitting on the floor of the lady's chamber, clad only in a simple beige cotton robe, her long black hair falling in soft waves around her face and down her back, her body trembling with the cold that seemed to seep through the walls, through the shoji screens. The small lantern sitting by her side did little to provide any warmth.

Lord Yuy entered without warning, sliding the shoji screen aside with desperate urgency, his face a mask of concern as he glanced down at his sleeping wife. Hilde rose quickly to her feet, keeping her eyes down, her mouth opening to voice a greeting. It was then that Lord Yuy took her.

With no more than a glimpse to reassure himself that his lady was in good health, Lord Yuy crossed the space between himself and the nubile courtesan, barely making sure that a screen hid them from the view of the three sleeping women before he pushed her to the floor. Large, rough hands pushed Hilde's cotton robe down her shoulders, revealing her nakedness, still moist and glowing from the night's bath. He bent his head down to capture one small breast with his mouth, catching the pert nipple between his teeth. Hilde cried out softly as her master began to suckle her like a man starved, his other hand deftly untying the sash about her waist.

After pushing the folds of the robe aside, Lord Yuy moved his mouth back up to kiss her lips, his tongue easily parting her and gaining entry. Hilde kissed him back with all the desperation and tension she had been feeling in the days without him, the sheer terror of not knowing where he had been or if he was alright. She reached down to grasp his firm sex through his robes; she couldn't wait any longer.

Lord Yuy broke the kiss to gaze down into his lovely servant's face as he released himself and plunged down into her sweet embrace. Cries of utter ecstasy escaped both youths' lips as they became one, the torture of their separation becoming fully apparent in that one moment. Time was not wasted afterwards.

The sex was hard and passionate tonight, the thrusts violent and powerful, the end coming quickly. With a strangled cry of passion, Lord Yuy released himself, echoing Hilde's moan of his name as she tightened around him, and then the sweet stickiness of her own release against his stomach. He kissed her hungrily before pulling out, replacing his hot, throbbing cock with his equally hot mouth, ravishing her with his tongue, licking the salty sweet mixture of their fluids from her thighs and sex. He found the secret, sensitive place within the soft wet petals of her flower and lavished all of his attention upon it, sliding a hand under her small rear to gently tease her back entrance with his fingers.

Hilde closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip until she drew blood to keep the screams of sheer pleasure from escaping her lips, lifting her hips up to meet Lord Yuy's face, buried so deeply within her femininity. His expert tongue drove her mad, the fingers teasing at her rear edging close to insanity. The night was so cold; his saliva cooled on her skin from one stroke of his mouth to the next. She laced her fingers through the wild dark hair, the long bangs that hung in his face tickling her as he delved deeper and deeper into paradise. The teeth bit down on her; she came quickly.

"Heero-sama!" Her cry of his name turned into a wet, girlish moan of ecstasy as she felt her sex tremble and spill with release. She thrusted slowly into his beautiful face until the pleasure subsided, the icy chill of the night beginning to set in once again.

Lord Yuy rose, sweating and gasping for breath, the Prussian blue eyes gazing at her with fierce intensity, both love and lust etched into the handsome features of his exotic face. He kissed her stomach once, laying his head against it. Hilde stroked the long hair out of his eyes, caressed his brow. His breathing slowed gently. The women on the other side of the painted screen continued to sleep.

"The Spanish will be here tomorrow." The voice was emotionless as always; a monotone.

"Tomorrow it will begin."

"I cannot believe how warm it is today! It's difficult to believe that it is really autumn when it feels so much like summer, ne?"

Lady Relena opened yet another window in her chamber to let the stiff, humid semblance of a breeze pass into the house. Despite the unusual heat and humidity after the icy night, the was beautiful; the sun shone like a golden medallion on the clear, glassy surface of the sky, the warm rays entering the house through all of the open windows and screens and lending a soft glow to the usually dark interior. The sparrows and cicadas chirped loudly in the garden outside.

Hilde gathered her long black hair in her hands behind her head, twisting it up deftly and securing it with a pair of green sticks. The back of her neck was sticky with sweat; she could feel it trickling down her back under her kimono. She sighed heavily.

"Sometimes I wish it /would/ turn cold already," the young courtesan said softly. "I hate being so hot. Are you feeling well in this weather, Mistress Relena?" She put the finishing touches on her hair and turned away from the open screen she had been gazing out of to look at her mistress.

Lady Relena lay sprawled on a rose-pattered chaise lounge, the only piece of European furniture she had been permitted to bring with her from France, lazily fanning herself with a small yellow paper fan. Her pink lips curved in a small smile as she lay a hand on her rounded stomach affectionately. "Yes, I am doing fine," she replied. "I think this weather is marvelous for him."

"Him?" Hilde asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "But how do you know the baby will be a boy, Mistress Relena?" Lady Relena smiled. "I can feel it in his kicks," she said. "Come, feel how strong he is."

Hilde walked to her mistress's side and knelt down on the ground to gently rest her cheek against the other woman's abdomen. After a moment, she felt something stir beneath the pale yellow silk and then a small bump against her cheek. She laughed.

"You were right, Mistress Relena," she said, looking up at the lady with a smile. "He is definitely strong!"

A shoji screen quietly slid open then and an attendant entered, bowing with her head down as she presented another woman. Hilde moved away from her mistress and sank back to her knees, keeping her eyes down as the visitor entered.

"Ava Maria," a light female voice, gently accented in Italian, spoke. "Cannot a former mistress receive a decent welcome anymore?"

Hilde smiled and made her way gracefully across the floor to kiss the delicate feet encased in shiny black heels. "My lady, it is an honor to have you grace us with your presence this morning."

Lady Dorothy Catalonia smiled at Lady Relena above the supplicant young girl and slowly bent down to raise the girl's face to hers. "Perfect, bella mia," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Hilde's jeweled ear with one black lace-gloved hand. "But do not be foolish. There is no need for formality with your mistress, prediletta mia."

Hilde bowed her head graciously and climbed to her feet. "Thank you, Lady Dorothy," she said with a sweet smile.

Lady Dorothy rose to her feet as well and wrapped her beloved courtesan in her arms, claiming her mouth with her own in a passionate kiss. A gloved hand snaked down then between Hilde's legs, past the concealing fabric of her kimono, and touched the soft wetness. Hilde groaned through the kiss and Lady Dorothy pulled away, smiling with almost arrogant satisfaction: Her pet still knew who her true mistress was.

"I am happy that my Lady Hilde pleases you, sorella," Lady Dorothy continued, walking past the courtesan to her friend on the chaise lounge. They kissed each other's cheeks lightly, twice, in the European style.

Lady Relena smiled and motioned for Hilde to sit next to her. The girl quickly obliged. "Yes, I am very happy," she replied. "And my husband is most satisfied as well." Hilde looked away, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

Lady Dorothy laughed. "Yes, well, I imagined he would be," she said. "Though I am very glad nevertheless. And where is our gracious lord, while speaking of him?"

Lady Relena sighed. "He is currently in audience to the Spanish," she explained, her voice conveying her distress. "They arrived here in the village only this morning; their commander requested my lord's prescence right away." She seemed to almost spit these last words in hatred, speaking of the Spanish commander, Treize. He /had/ been a friend of Milliardo's, Hilde thought. Perhaps she knew him from before.

Lady Dorothy nodded. "Yes, of course," she said. "The Spanish. That is part of why I have come to visit this morning."

Hilde looked up. "Have you heard any news? Why do they wish to take over Lord Yuy's land and the port? Do you know why they have come here?" she asked, looking to her former mistress with wide, imploring eyes.

Lady Dorothy laughed. "Patience, prediletta mia!" she said, making Hilde blush once more. "I do not know all of that, but I do know that a part of the reason for their coming here is for religion. There is a new priest at the Catholic church in Okinawa who has arrived with them. A Jesuit."

Hilde listened to the rest of the conversation silently. She remembered hearing that word, Jesuit, when she and Lady Dorothy had attended the Catholic church together when she lived at the tea house. The Jesuits were considered to be the holiest of the Catholic priests in both Spain and all of Europe. Currently they were on missions around the world, especially in Asia, to convert the "heathens" to the ways of the Lord. Now there was one here in Japan. She was curious to see him.

"...I came here today to ask if you will permit me to take Lady Hilde with me to church on the Sabbath," Lady Dorothy finished, glancing over at the girl with a smile. "She is a very devout Catholic and I would so desire her company in meeting this strange new priest."

Hilde smiled. Another thing she now was that she hadn't been before: A Catholic. Lady Dorothy had made sure that in turning her into a "lady" she also gained some kind of religion. Being a devout Roman Catholic herself, of course Lady Dorothy had chosen Catholicism for her darling, properly catechizing her and teaching her the ways of the Church. Hilde had grown to love and appreciate the faith; it had helped to give her strength in coping with her strange new life in Japan.

Lady Relena nodded and smiled back. "Yes, I think that would be perfectly fine, my sister," she replied. "I will make sure she is ready for you then."

Lady Dorothy bowed her head. "Grazie, signora favore mia," she said. "I thank you, my gracious lady. I promise that I will not keep her away from you for very long." She smiled at Hilde who smiled shyly back.

The two European women continued to talk for the rest of the morning. Hilde sat quietly nearby, gazing out of the open shoji screen into the lovely garden, marvelling at the beauty of the shades of autumn, glistening red and gold in the hazy sun. Wispy gray clouds had begun to appear on the clear blue surface of the sky, like the splashes of a paintbrush onto an open canvas, and the afternoon turned a pale, shimmering grayish-gold. The cherry tree in the garden wavered in the breeze, sending more of the delicate crimson petals spiraling to the grassy floor. Hilde counted the flowers as they fell to the ground, longing to go outside and climb the tree, to sit in its branches and count the flowers as they descended softly to Earth. Lady Dorothy noticed her pet's distraction and dismissed her. The rain began to fall soon after.

Father Maxwell stepped into the hazy stillness of the afternoon, glad to finally be out of the dark, hot enclosure of Commander Treize's quarters, where he was having an audience with the high daimyo of this village, a Lord Heero Yuy. He wasn't interested in their political battles or treaties; he had simply come here to fulfill his promise to the elder Father Maxwell and the Church. And the day was too beautiful to waste indoors.

The mountain village outside of the busy Okinawa port was just as lovely, although much more peaceful and inviting than the crowded bustle of the port. The landscape was all lush sylvan forests against the backdrop of the jagged peaks of pale gray-blue mountains, with small temples and houses set into the leafy green expanse of the land. Village workers combed the rice fields silently, going about their daily work despite the intense humidity of the day.

As Maxwell followed the small dirt path past Treize's quarters and deeper into the mountain village, the sunlight began to recede into the depths of the sky until it was only a blanket over the gray clouds that threatened to pour rain any second. He tilted his head back to look up, praying that it would rain to cool off the hot, damp land and his own sticky, warm body beneath the confining priest's robes.

Maxwell continued to follow the path, quietly humming one of his favorite hymns, one that his beloved Sister Helen had taught him as a child, until he reached a vast, beautiful estate enclosed by a low bamboo fence. The clouds had opened by then and a light drizzle was falling, making the atmosphere seem to shimmer between the shafts of pale sunlight that perservered through the gray and giving it a dreamlike haze. Maxwell stopped before the fence, his breath catching in his throat. He gripped the crucifix around his neck tightly. The scene before him was certainly like something out of a dream.

The most beautiful girl he had ever seen sat perched in the branches of a cherry tree, straddling one branch as she reached forward to delicately pick one blossom off another. She was small and slender, her limbs graceful, her figure and face vying for dominance. Her alabaster skin was pale and smooth, setting a dramatic contrast to her beautiful, deep blue eyes and the long blue-black hair cascading down her back to her small waist, part of it held back with a pair of green sticks while the rest flowed free, strands hanging in her face. She was the earthly embodiment of the Virgin to Maxwell, pure and innocent as she picked the petals off the blossom and watched them flutter to the ground, the mixture of rain and sun dancing around her.

He noticed then that the girl had stopped picking her flowers then, and he was startlingly aware of the fact that she was nearly naked. An iridiscent green kimono lay in a silken heap at the foot of the tree, obviously discarded in a rush. The girl was clad only in a single natural-color robe that clung to the sweat on her breasts and thighs, making each luscious curve painfully apparent. The rain had soaked through the thin material even more, and Maxwell could clearly see the small, youthful breasts, nipples pushing perkily up through the fabric, and the gentle curve of her thighs leading up to her sex, covered modestly with only a scrap of the same natural-color material.

His body responded automatically, his sex stirring beneath the priest's robes. Maxwell clenched his teeth and gripped the crucifix tighter, the sharp silver edges digging into his palm. He could not let himself become affected; this was sinful. /She/ was sinful, a virgin no more. He watched silently, transfixed, as the girl cupped her beautiful young breasts in her hands, massaging gently, her head falling back and her lush, unnaturally red lips parting in a sensual moan. She fondled herself for a long moment and then slid one hand down her body, up under the skirt of her robe. Light fingertips brushed over the concealed sex before two fingers pushed the scrap of material away and plunged deep inside. Maxwell groaned softly; the crucifix cut deeper into his hand.

The girl began to rock passionately against her hand now, her hips rising up and down on the tree branch she precariously straddled, pushing herself closer and closer to ecstasy. Her moans intensified, her cries soft, kittenish, as her body responded to her wet hands on her, in her. Her other hand delved down into the pinkness; she rocked furiously now against both sets of fingers. The rain cascaded around her, the sun still shimmering dimly behind the curtain of water, bathing her in a wet, seductive light, the crimson petals of dying cherry blossoms showering her sprawled, provocative body. Maxwell felt his own body on fire although the rain was cold; the fire of Hell. The sweet, virginal beauty continued to committ her sin. Maxwell grunted in anguish, fighting the sensations that tore at his abdomen, at his sex, in witnessing the vision of this girl and the sheer eroticism she exuded. He closed his eyes.

Finally the girl cried out, a short, lovely utterance of raw pleasure. Maxwell opened his eyes slowly, gazing out at her through the wet strands of chestnut hair hanging in front of him as she brought her hands out from her skirt and delicately licked the sweetness of her release from her fingers. He sighed, his grip relaxing on the crucifix, his muscles loosening slowly. His hand bled in the imprint of Jesus; he looked away, ashamed, and began to pray.

"Dear Heavenly Father..."

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.

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.

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.

Lady Dorothy Catalonia took the large, weathered brown hand offered to her from outside the carriage and stepped delicately down onto the grassy lawn. The green blades, still moist with the morning dew, were beginning to turn a light brown; winter would be here soon. A pretty, young attendant came out of the house then with a small smile and bowed, taking the lady's arm gently and escorting her inside the house. Lady Dorothy smiled back and allowed herself to be led into the bright, warm tea room.

Lady Relena appeared first, her growing stomach carefully hidden among the alternating shades of blue that criss-crossed the azure taffeta of her kimono, the clinging material bringing attention to her other physical assets. Her face had a healthy, natural glow under the carefully applied makeup and she had let her long golden hair flow loose, curling gently to the middle of her back. She smiled in greeting to Lady Dorothy and reached behind her to present the other girl. Lady Dorothy waited, hiding her amused smile behind one white-gloved hand.

Hilde stepped shyly into the tea room, clinging to Lady Relena's hand and keeping her eyes respectfully down. She had traded her beautiful kimonos today for a European dress of white Spanish lace, the bodice laced tightly in the back, pushing her small breasts up over the low neckline and enhancing the delicate curves. Her hands were encased in white lace gloves and her hair hung in a long, silky curtain to her hips, pulled back only on the sides with pins and laced through with white lilies. Her makeup was natural and modest today; the tiny wound on her neck was carefully hidden with powder. She looked every bit the Catholic schoolgirl on her way to church.

Lady Dorothy climbed to her feet from the small velvet pillow she had been kneeling on and smiled, opening her arms to embrace the courtesan as she approached her across the room. "Bella mia, you are absolutely beautiful today!" she said, kissing Hilde's cheek lightly so as not to mar the makeup. "Do you like the dress your dominara has bought for you?"

Hilde kissed her former mistress's cheek as well and smiled back, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Yes, Mistress Dorothy," she replied softly. "Although I feel a bit... cold. Especially for church."

Lady Dorothy and the other blonde woman laughed. "Prediletta mia," Lady Dorothy said, hugging the smaller girl affectionately. "But this is how the young European women dress for church! Now you are old enough to dress this way as well, you should be proud." She smiled and held Hilde by the shoulders, pulling back to look at her. "And you are beautiful, simply beautiful."

Hilde smiled and averted her eyes. "Thank you, Mistress Dorothy," she whispered.

Lady Dorothy gave her one last smile before turning around and glancing outside at the waiting carriage. The mass would begin soon. "Come, Lady Hilde," she said, snapping her gloved fingers crisply and picking up the long, white satin skirt of her dress. "We will be late if we do not hurry." She stopped in front of Lady Relena, who had been watching from the open screen leading out into the hallway silently, and kissed her friend's cheeks gently. "Grazie, sorella," she said. "I promise I will not keep her out for long."

Lady Relena shook her head, her lips curving in a smile. "No, you can keep her as long as you like. I am sure I will manage fine without her for a little while." She turned to Hilde and took her hands in her own, squeezing them gently. "Have a wonderful time, my darling. And please do not worry about me."

Hilde nodded silently and moved one hand to lay it gently on her mistress's stomach, feeling the slight stirrings beneath the taffeta and the silkiness of the ivory flesh. Lady Relena sighed softly and Hilde raised her eyes to the blonde woman, reaching up to tenderly push a strand of flaxen hair behind one ear.

"I promise to try, my mistress," she finally replied, squeezing the lady's hand once more before letting Lady Dorothy take her arm and lead her out of the house. Lady Relena silently nodded and followed the two women outside to watch their carriage depart down the small road leading into the village.

As the carriage disappeared around the bend, Lady Relena felt a prescence behind her. She closed her eyes as long arms taut with wiry muscles wrapped around her waist, laying strong hands over her rounded stomach. Nimble fingers undid the sash binding her kimono about her waist, letting the fabric fall open and baring soft, ample breasts and her abdomen, swollen with his child. Lady Relena sighed his name, moaning as he began to stroke her, moving his hands up to caress the sensitive breasts.

"Hisakataburi, Relena-chan." A whisper in her ear, sensual and promising.

"Hai... It has been a long time, Hee-kun."

"...In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Hilde followed the genuflection along with the rest of the congregation as Father Maxwell ended the mass with the benediction. It had been a beautiful sermon; he had spoken in two languages, English and Japanese, perfectly fluent in both. Hilde was surprised at the large group of Japanese Catholics who had joined in the mass, wondering if they were Maxwell's converts. She wouldn't have been able to blame them if they were, she thought with a smile. Even when speaking religiously, Maxwell still retained the friendly charisma she had noticed when meeting him for the first time. And he was more handsome than ever, so passionate he was in his beliefs.

Lady Dorothy touched Hilde's arm beside her, bringing her back from her reverie, and the two women knelt forward on the small mats placed in front of each pew to pray silently on their own as Father Maxwell prepared the communion. An organ played a soft, melodic hymn in the background. An elbow touched her own gently.

"You were right," Lady Dorothy whispered with a smile. "He /is/ beautiful." Hilde smiled back and began her prayers.

She said a silent prayer for her master Lord Yuy first, giving thanks that he had "adopted" her and was thus far pleased with her, and also for her mistress Lady Relena, that her child should be healthy and that she should have a son. Making the sign of the cross once more, Hilde finished her prayers and sat back up on the pew. Lady Dorothy continued to whisper softly in Italian, genuflecting several times throughout her prayers. Hilde watched her with a small smile; the pale sunlight emerging from the huge stained glass windows surrounding the church on all four walls fell upon her, further lightening her long, platinum blonde hair and giving her the aura of an angel. An angel... Hilde raised her eyes back to the altar.

Maxwell had turned away from the congregation to ready the glass of red wine and the plates of communion wafers, helping the nervous altar boys arrange each item carefully on the table with smiles and whispered words of encouragement. He moved slightly then and Hilde glimpsed his profile, a perfect, chiseled outline against the bright luminescence emanating from the stained glass window before him. The saffron light caught the golden highlights in his long chestnut hair and sparkled in the endless depths of his violet eyes, lending them a luster that seemed to reflect all the colors of the rainbow when he turned back to face the congregation. Even the long ebon robes he wore couldn't hide the defined musculature of his arms as he raised one to signal the beginning of the communion. Hilde touched Lady Dorothy's shoulder to stir her this time, and the two women rose silently and filed into the assemblage of people on their way to the altar.

Maxwell bestowed the communion upon each person one at a time, giving a whispered blessing as each passed in front of the altar, keeping his eyes on the line as it progressed. He could see her still among the throng, a virginal, raven-haired seraph in white lace. She had peered at him shyly above her pew throughout the entire mass, a sweet smile playing across the cerise lips. He had thrown himself into the sermon to keep his thoughts from straying towards her; now he was forced to face her.

Hilde felt her abdomen clench as the line drew nearer to the altar. She could see Maxwell's face completely now, his smile as he blessed each member of his congregation. Her heart fluttered at being able to hear his voice once more; the rich, deep, friendly voice, accented so beautifully in the English tongue. It took all of her strength to keep the blush from staining her cheeks as she finally approached the altar. Lady Dorothy gave her a gentle push from behind and Hilde stepped forward, veiling her gaze from the priest's as she prepared to receive the communion.

Maxwell gazed down at the lovely courtesan, her head bowed respectfully, the piercing blue irises of her eyes hidden beneath the feathery lashes. His muscles tightened instinctively to stave off the attraction, gathering tension in his back where the flesh continued to throb from his own punishment. He flinched with the pain slightly and regained his composure. He found his voice and quickly began the blessing.

"With the power vested in me, I permit you to partake of His blessing..."

Hilde raised her eyes slowly to his at the sound of the lovely voice, tilting her head back slightly to receive the communion. Maxwell stared back down at her, taking the communion wafer given to him by one of the altar boys without moving his eyes from hers. She awaited the blessing, drowned in violet depths. The low hum of the assemblage in the background seemed to fade away; she was alone with him. Hilde took a deep breath, fighting to calm the beating of her heart, and opened her mouth to receive the wafer.

Maxwell's hand seemd to move forward on its own, approaching the girl at an excruciatingly languid pace. His vision began to haze over, his mind and body a maelstrom of heat and dizziness. He fought to steady the trembling of his hand as he watched the moist, ruby lips part, ignoring the swell of her breasts, glistening with a light sheen of sweat, over the low neckline of her dress lower.

"Feast on His body..."

Maxwell gently slipped the communion wafer into Hilde's wet, warm mouth, feeling her sweet breath on his hand as she sighed softly. Her eyes closed; the soft lips brushed against his retreating hand, then the light lick of her tongue, the barest of kisses. Maxwell pulled back abruptly, his body reeling with a thousand different sensations, all culminating in an unbearably intense ache in his groin. The altar boy handed him the goblet of wine.

Hilde's eyes flickered open then to gaze back up at the startled young priest. She didn't have time to think as he was pushing the ornate golden goblet of wine into her hands, finishing the blessing.

"... and drink of His blood."

Hilde raised the cup to her lips and took a long drink, swallowing delicately afterwards. She had kissed him. And meant it. Maxwell continued to watch her, lost in the conflicting emotions racing through his body. A crystalline drop of the scarlet wine clung to her voluptuous bottom lip; he stared, transfixed, as she seductively licked it away. Clear sapphire eyes met his; that same teasing smile curved her lips.

"Go with God, my child," he whispered, the words little more than a choked breath forced from his constricted throat. The tiny girl before him nodded and bowed, clasping her hands as if in prayer over her sweetly exposed chest, and smiled once more before continuing down the line. The next woman, a tall, icily beautiful blonde, stepped forward. Maxwell sighed heavily.

He would burn in Hell for this.

He was beginning not to care.

The autumn was slow to arrive, but winter appeared just as soon as the last withered golden leaf fell from the hemlock tree in the garden. The light, brightly colored silks and satins of the autumn kimonos and robes were put away in cedar trunks and traded for the darker, heavier cottons and cashmeres of the winter garments. The house was kept screened in at all times to keep the sharp, glacial chill of the winter out, and small steel braziers were lit throughout each hall and chamber to provide warmth. Lady Relena had reached the difficult middle stretch of her pregnancy and had to be attended to at all times lest she injure herself or the baby. The Spanish were still in Okinawa but operations had been temporarily delayed, or so Lord Yuy hoped. The commander Treize had not called him for an audience in three weeks. The village was peaceful.

Lady Hilde Schbeiker was unrestrained by her masters for most of her time. Lord Yuy was heavily occupied with his samurai training and speaking with his daimyos about the Spanish situation. They continued to spend the frigid nights together, though, and Hilde made sure that her master was always left completely relaxed when she crept back to her chamber at the first pallid light of dawn, hot and aching pleasurably in her nether regions. Lady Relena had her girl attendants to cater to her; only on rare occasions did she request Hilde's company, and only then to read monogatari love tales or practice calligraphy. Most of the days she was left alone. These were her happiest days.

It was on these days when Hilde, accompanied by one attendant or more often on her own, walked the short path to the village to visit Father Duo Maxwell. She had begun to do this some time after her first Sabbath, when she had kissed his hand, under the guise of praying or coming to confession, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Maxwell hadn't been as easily fooled as she had hoped, though, and soon he would come to meet her at the church doors and they would go for walks in the tiny grove surrounding the modestly elegant stone building. He had been terribly awkward at first, but she had finally won his friendship. With Lord Yuy and her loyalty to him, this had been enough.

Hilde slipped on a pale blue pashmina wrap that matched the wintry hue of the sky outside her window and crept slowly out of her chamber, making sure that her own attendant was safely occupied with other matters in the house. She could hear soft voices coming from the slightly parted screen of Lady Relena's chamber and quietly side-stepped past, sliding open the shoji screen leading out onto the shuttered veranda winding around the back of the house and silently slipping through.

There was no wind today, but the still air held a definite iciness that froze the breaths as they escaped from her lips and clung to the mascara on her eyelashes. A slight shiver running through her, Hilde pulled the wrap tighter around her slender body and stepped into her sandals. She checked once more to make sure no one saw her and then ran lightly down the steps, into the garden and out through the gated fence. The forest around her was silent as she made her way down the dirt path to the village.

Maxwell was sitting on the small step leading up to the altar when Hilde finally arrived at the church, a group of Japanese schoolchildren gathered at his feet on the floor, clutching small Bibles and frowning down at the scriptures on the pages as the priest read them aloud. Hilde smiled and slipped inside, the heavy wooden door thudding dully behind her.

Maxwell stopped in mid-sentence and looked up. The pretty girl smiled and bowed slightly in greeting, sliding into the back pew to wait for him. He smiled back and closed his Bible.

"Alright, you've won me over," he said to the children, who eagerly shut their Bibles as well. "We'll end our lessons for today, but when you come back tomorrow I expect you all to know the /entire/ Hail Mary, am I understood?"

The children groaned and Hilde stifled a laugh behind the corner of her wrap at the look of exaggerated hurt and disappointment on Maxwell's face. He sighed heavily.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, holding up his hands in defeat. "We won't meet again until next week, so you have the entire time to play." The children cheered and stood up, placing their Bibles into pockets and schoolbags as they hurried out of the church.

"But you had better know the prayer by the time you get back!" Maxwell called after them. The door banged shut and he sighed once more, shaking his head. Hilde didn't suppress her laugh this time.

Maxwell looked up and smiled. "I wouldn't suppose you would be interested in a religious lesson today, would you?" he asked as he approached her down the aisle, his eyes glinting mischieviously. He slid into the pew in front of hers, sitting sideways so that he could face her.

Hilde laughed again. "I do not think you would have much better luck with me than you did with those children," she replied. "The day is cold but it is so beautiful. I think it will snow later." Maxwell nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the lovely girl before him. She was even more beautiful when she laughed, he thought. They had done much of that in their times together. It still amazed him how they had become such good friends; that incident at her autumn communion seemed to have faded into the past. She hadn't pressed the topic of their attraction any further, making it easier for him to accept her friendship, however much a courtesan she was. He thanked God for her understanding, although from time to time he thought about how much he longed for her, and how much he longed to show her his feelings. But that was not to be; she had her own obligations to her master as well.

"Will we go outside today, Maxwell-san?" Hilde suddenly asked, breaking the silence and Maxwell's own reverie. He stood up.

"Oh! Hai, I think it would be alright if we walked," he replied quickly, stepping around the pew into the aisle and offering his arm to the courtesan. "Will you be so kind as to accompany me, fair lady?" he asked, deepening his accent and smiling chivalrously.

Hilde smiled, averting her eyes at his galantry, however imitated it was, and nodded, slipping her arm through his. They exited the church and started out on the small path that wound through the church grove. The oak and hemlock trees were bare, as were the honeysuckle shrubs lining the path, but the tiny enclosure still held a sense of beauty and peace in the graying light of winter. The icy blue of the sky was beginning to wane, giving way to dense, smoky clouds. Light, wispy traces of white began to fall gently; the first winter snow had arrived.

The two young friends walked silently, arm in arm, as the snow continued to fall, covering the sparse ground and making ripples in the small lake at the center of the grove, their favorite place to sit and talk. Hilde disengaged her arm from the priest's as they sat down on the gentle slope of the bank, tilting her face up to the sky and letting the snow kiss her cheeks and eyelashes. She sighed happily.

"I love the snow," she said, keeping her face upturned as she spoke. "It reminds me so much of my home, when the snow used to be as thick as the branches of the pine trees in our forest, and would pile up outside our shelter walls so that we couldn't get out." She smiled at the memory. "Then we would just stay inside until it ended, telling stories and helping the older women make the supper. The snow brought us together, the whole tribe. It made it seem as if we were the only people in an empty, white world... as if we /needed/ each other." She sighed again and fell silent, her head dropping back down into place as she reached up a hand to smooth her hair back into its neat twist.

Maxwell gazed at her silently, watching the expressions pass over her lovely face as she talked. He had only heard a little of her past as the daughter of a fearsome Germanic tribal leader and the tragic manner in which she had come to live in Japan, but it still thrilled him to hear her talk of her days in the wild countryside, clothed in leather trousers that hugged the curves of her body as she rode through the hills and dense forests of her homeland. He could almost imagine her world... and the pain at losing it, so similar to his own.

Hilde looked up then, her blue eyes catching the white shimmer of the snow as it glided softly around them, sparkling in the deep irises, and smiled, her momentary sadness gone.

"Is there snow in England, Maxwell-san?" she asked.

Maxwell tilted his face up to the sky as she had done, his face locked in an expression of deep thought. "Well..." he began slowly, his brows furrowing in concentration. "I'm not sure." He stuck his tongue out then and caught a snowflake on the tip. After thinking for another long moment, he looked back down at Hilde. "Well, it still tastes the same," he concluded with a shrug.

Hilde laughed and shook her head. "Did you eat snow in England?" she asked, holding up the corner of her wrap to stifle a snicker.

Maxwell grinned, more like a child than the young man he was. "Sometimes," he said. "Most of the time we drank it. When you live on the street, you have to improvise. And so in the winter we were lucky; all you had to do was pick up a handful of snow, wait for it to melt in your hands a little, and then drink it. It is actually the best water I have ever tasted." He grinned again and let his head fall back to catch another snowflake.

Hilde smiled back. Maxwell hadn't told her very much of his own past, as she had told him of hers. All she knew was that his family had been a group of children much like himself and that they hadn't had a home until the church had taken them in. She was still curious as to why he had never had a mother or father, why he had decided to become a priest: She wanted to know everything about him.

Smoothing the soft brushed wool of her kimono over her lap, Hilde asked delicately, "Did your parents not mind that you lived in the street?"

Maxwell looked back down once again and sighed. The light shining behind the violet eyes seemed to darken suddenly and he averted his gaze, focusing on the church building to the left of the lake. "No," he finally replied softly. "I have no parents. At least none that I know of."

Hilde looked away quickly, an embarassed blush coloring her pale cheeks, immediately sorry that she had asked. "Gomen nasai, Maxwell-san," she whispered.

Maxwell shook his head, more to clear his mind of the memories of his life as a small child in the London slums, before Solo and the "sweepers", than to admonish Hilde. "No," he repeated, his voice stronger this time. "Don't be sorry, Hilde. It was only a question that you did not know the answer to. Please." He reached over to grasp her chin, turning her face back towards him. "We are friends, right? We can ask questions." She brightened a little and nodded, raising her eyes shyly to his.

"Do you mind now if I ask you a question?" Maxwell asked gently, keeping her chin firmly in his hand. Her face was so close now; he could feel the light warmth of her breath against his own face, see the perfection of the makeup and the incredible beauty of her eyes, feel her body trembling slightly under his touch. The lips were so red, so full... He could feel his control slipping. She nodded in answer to his question then and he snapped back into the present.

"Are you happy living here in Japan?"

The question startled Hilde out of her own reverie, forcing her mind from the thick violet haze that had clouded it and bringing her back. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, her brows furrowing in confusion. "I am not sure what you mean," she replied slowly. "Am I happy in Japan? Or with my Lord Yuy?"

Maxwell flinched as if he had been struck; it had never occured to him that the question could be interpreted both ways, although he knew in his heart that he had meant for it to be taken as so. He kept his gaze even as he nodded. "Both, actually," he said. He still held her in his grasp.

Hilde looked away for a moment, thinking, before raising her eyes back to his. "I like living in Japan," she began slowly, the piercing azure of her eyes softening almost dreamily. "But I will always miss my home and I should want to return there someday." She paused for a moment before continuing. "As for my Lord Yuy, yes, I am very happy to be with him. He is a wonderful master and he has given me everything I need."

Maxwell listened silently, turning her words over in his mind. He decided to press further, going against his own better judgement; the priest in him shouted for him to stop, but the man in him would not be satisfied.

"But do you love him, Hilde?" The words escaped his lips in a desperate tumble before he could stop them; he gripped her chin tighter.

Hilde looked up at the priest, his large violet eyes imploring her, the set of his jaw determined. His face had moved even nearer to hers; his heavy, labored breaths tickled her cheek, stirring the long bangs that fell into his eyes, his moist, hot mouth positioned just inches from her own. She felt her sex stir, her abdomen tightening in the familiar expectation of sexual fulfillment. Her breath came faster. The snow seemed to fall heavier now, increasing the dreamlike haze.

"Do you love him, Hilde?" Softer, the hand on her chin relaxing. His mouth hovered ever closer. Hilde sighed, reaching one small hand down to touch his muscular thigh beneath the heavy black cloth of his robe. She trailed upwards slowly, her eyes trained on his, watching as the violet orbs softened at her touch. Finally she reached his sex, firm and stiff between his thighs; she stroked it tentatively. Maxwell groaned, his eyes closing. Hilde leaned forward, touching her nose to his.

"I love..." she whispered silkily. Her tongue flicked out to tease the handsome priest's lips open; his own tongue responded, catching hers. The church bell suddenly rang, announcing midday; the spell was broken. This was wrong.

Maxwell pulled away quickly, removing his hand from under Hilde's chin as the girl reciprocated the action, tucking her own delicately adorned hand into the long sleeve of her kimono. He was a priest and she wanted him. This was wrong. The bell chimed once more; Lady Relena would be expecting her for lunch.

Hilde stood up slowly, fighting the weak feeling in her legs and the insistent, aching protest of her sex. "I had better go," she said, pulling the wrap back up around her shoulders, keeping her eyes trained on the ground, watching as the light snow began to blanket the hard brown earth. "My mistress will wonder where I am soon."

Maxwell climbed to his own feet, making sure he stood carefully apart from the courtesan. He brushed the snow from his robes, nodding in answer to her words. "Of course," he said. Hilde bowed awkwardly and turned around, heading for the road leading back to Lord Yuy's estate. Maxwell cursed himself.

"Hilde!" The girl looked back over her shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest against the cold.

"I want to see you again."

Hilde stared back at the beautiful young man, his long braid tossing gently in the breeze that suddenly wafted through the grove. The violet eyes were large and bright in his pale face, darker in the depths where they promised the things she had dreamed of. But this was wrong, she reminded herself, shaking her head. She forced a smile. "Hai," she finally replied. "I will come back soon, I promise."

Maxwell continued to gaze at her, his eyes darkening further. "You never answered my question."

Hilde looked away quickly, biting her lower lip to keep from saying something she knew she would regret; it wouldn't take Lord Yuy long to find out her feelings about Maxwell if she told the priest himself. This was her master's village, after all. And she was also her master's.

Maxwell waited for her answer, watching as she seemed to go over a thousand things in her mind before finally looking back up. Perhaps he was wrong to demand an answer from her. Even if she did love him, they could never be. Not unless he renounced the priesthood and gave up his entire life. But then, what could he offer her? He decided this would be the end of it.

"Forgive me, Father."

The whispered words drew Maxwell out of his contemplation, and he looked up just in time to see the courtesan bow once more before blowing a kiss and hurrying back to the road that would lead her back to her master.

The snow continued to fall for three days after it begun, when Hilde had almost broken her vow to Lord Yuy and tempted Father Maxwell. On the fourth day it finally changed over to rain, melting the snow that thickly blanketed the ground and bathing the forest in dark, damp hues of green and brown that matched the eddying patterns crisscrossing the delicate cotton of Hilde's kimono. Lanterns were lit throughout the house to provide a muted light against the stark bleakness of the dully tinted sky, complementing the melancholy mood that seemed to permeate the air. Maxwell continued to stay on her mind.

Lady Dorothy came to visit for afternoon tea that day, and after quietly finishing a pot of steaming green tea, she, Hilde, and Lady Relena settled into the day chamber to practice calligraphy. Lord Yuy was in his own chambers, resting peacefully after the last strenuous days of council and preparations in negotiation with the Spanish. Hilde had already visited him earlier and they had made love slowly and tenderly, after she had massaged every inch of his body in scented oils and tended to his maleness with her mouth.

Hilde hoped that whatever it was the foreigners planned, whether good or bad, it would happen soon. Both she and Lady Relena were beginning to tire of waiting night after night for Lord Yuy to arrive home, wondering if tonight would be the night they would be forced to leave the estate and travel up to Kitakyushu, where Lord Yuy held a guarded manor just for that possibility of war. But Lady Relena was within full expectancy of her child soon, in only a matter of months now. Travelling across the country would not be in the best interests of the child, or herself. Hilde desperately hoped the Spanish situation would not come to war, but Lord Yuy would say nothing. She thanked the gods that she still had Maxwell, who knew as much of the dilemma as her master, to tell her what would happen. Maxwell...

The rain continued to descend softly upon the house, drumming against the tiled roof and the windows, the rivers of water that swirled across the glass of the skylights reflecting down on the sheaf of thin, silken paper propped against the wooden frame of Hilde's writing stand on the floor. The water caught the diffuse light of the lantern at her side, blending soft orange with the pale, silvery color of the paper and making the surface dance with water and fire. Hilde sighed heavily and dipped her sharpened cedar branch into the small well of ink on the stand next to her paper, pushing her thoughts away from Maxwell and focusing on the poem she was preparing for Lord Yuy.

"How are things in the village, Lady Dorothy?" Lady Relena suddenly asked, breaking the heavy silence. "My lord refuses to tell us anything. He must think it will upset me... Are things really so bad?" Hilde looked up from her paper, her thoughts finally distracted.

Lady Dorothy dipped her own cedar branch into a well of ink and brushed a long stroke onto her own paper. She had a certain flair as she did this, reminiscent of her days of fencing in Italy. She sighed and painted another stroke, this one shorter. "I only know what my ladies tell me, as I have not had a chance to meet with the commander personally," she replied. "His soldiers are very outspoken about the reasons for their prescence here, however. My ladies have told me that this port and the surrounding areas are very beneficial to the Spanish empire in defeating the English and the French."

The English... But Maxwell was English, Hilde thought, her brows furrowing in concern as she gracefully brushed a kanji symbol onto the blank sheet: Love. She closed her eyes.

"Why would the Spanish want to defeat the English if they have one of their priests with them here?" Hilde asked, opening her eyes and distracting herself by dipping a finger into the wet ink on the paper and smearing the delicate kanji into an intricate pattern, erasing the message.

"The port is very important to business," Lady Dorothy explained. "Both the English and the French have possession of many surrounding islands; the Pacific is very rich in natural resources and precious items. It is all for the glory of one empire over another." She sighed almost in disgust and re-inked her cedar branch. "Religion has just been thrown in between, but it is all the same. The Catholic Church desires domination among the churches as well. If it can acquire more converts than other faiths and spread its Word throughout the world, it, too, will have glory over the others. It is all for domination."

Hilde re-inked her own branch and touched it to the paper once again. Domination. That seemed to be a key in almost everything. Men desired domination over women, masters desired domination over slaves, empires desired domination over other empires. She thought of her old friend, Meiran. So she had only been a prize in the battle for glory. And so am I, Hilde thought. Lord Yuy's prize.

"So there will be a battle for the port then," Lady Relena finally spoke, looking up from her own papers.

Lady Dorothy nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

Lady Relena sighed tiredly and touched a hand to her forehead as if she had headache. "Treize," she said softly. "He has always been so persistent."

Hilde gazed at her mistress as she said this, taking notice of the emotion that darkened the clear aquamarine orbs at the commander's name. Lady Relena seemed to have a deeper connection with the handsome French expatriate than she was conveying. Hilde made a silent note to ask her more later; she knew Lady Relena would confide in her, if not in anyone else.

The screen leading out into the hallway opened and a trio of Lady Relena's attendants entered, bowing and whispering pardons as they approached their mistress and carefully helped her to her feet. Lady Relena bowed her head slightly as she allowed the girls to lead her to the open screen and out into the hallway towards her own chambers. "Excuse me," she whispered, and the screen slid closed.

Lady Dorothy looked at Hilde, her face clouded with concern. "Where is she going?" she asked. "Is she alright?"

Hilde smiled and continued brushing strokes of the thick black ink onto her paper absently, letting her mind's reflections flow down her arm, through the branch, and onto the paper. "My lady is fine, Mistress Dorothy," she replied. "There is no need for worry. She is simply having her bindings changed." Lady Relena had begun to bind her stomach in the fourth month of her pregnancy, when her abdomen had become noticably larger, to hide her "ailment" and to retain her shapely figure. She had the bindings changed at least three times daily to allow some time for her body to breathe before becoming constrained for the remainder of the day.

Lady Dorothy nodded and returned to her own calligraphy. "I understand," she said. "I only pray that that is not harmful to the baby. There are some strange customs in this country, ne?" She smiled. "Has Lord Yuy asked any exotic favors of his koishii, prediletta mia?" She looked back up, studying the courtesan's face as she answered, taking note of the light blush that crept into her carefully made up cheeks and the glint of mischieviousness that sparkled in the cerulean eyes.

"No, not yet, particularly," Hilde answered slowly, keeping her eyes down on the paper before her, tracing the long black strokes as they crisscrossed the thin material. "He has only asked that I pleasure myself sometimes before he takes me... But I should want to play the shasai ikkai with him. I am sure he would enjoy it." She smiled, the blush in her cheeks deepening at the mention of her and Lady Dorothy's practiced game of sensual bondage.

Lady Dorothy smiled back. "Yes, I think he would as well," she replied. "Especially after so much voltaggio with the Spanish, ne?" She sighed and shook her head. "I should hope this will all be over soon."

Hilde nodded and dipped her branch into the ink once again. "Yes," she replied almost dreamily as she refined the image of a human shape on her paper, tracing the long, straight lines of perfect masculinity. The robes that adorned the shape were black. She couldn't wait any longer, and Lady Relena would be back soon.

"Mistress, may I ask you a question?" Hilde said, carefully masking the urgency in her voice as the words tumbled from her mouth.

"Of course, Lady Hilde," the blonde woman replied, frowning down at her sheet and quickly brushing a stroke of concealer across the symbol she had just painted.

Hilde continued with her shape. "I know that you have told me many times about the church, and about priests," the girl began slowly, re-inking her branch to start on the most beautiful part of her creation. "But I still wonder... Are priests not men? Do they not ever wish to partake in the arts of love?"

Lady Dorothy laughed gently and shook her head. "Ava Maria, you still have so much to learn, little Hilde." She looked up and smiled. "Yes, priests are men. But they are men with obligations to a higher being, prediletta mia. And one of those obligations is to take a vow that forbids them to partake of the arts of love. Sexual relations are strictly forbidden for them."

Hilde listened silently, keeping her eyes on her painting. She had known Lady Dorothy would say all of that, she thought. She sighed and added the finishing touches to the beautiful figure on her paper. "Yes, I know that," she finally replied softly. "But what if he were to have relations... because he was in love..."

Lady Dorothy dropped her cedar branch. "You are not talking about any priest," she said softly. "This is Father Maxwell, yes?" She gazed at the courtesan steadily, watching her face as she answered, the blush deepening ever more.

The young German girl closed her eyes for a moment, sighing deeply, her hand straying up to her neck to caress her collarbone as she bit her lower lip to suppress a moan at the mention of his name. "Hai," she whispered breathlessly, opening her eyes to look down at the figure of Maxwell she had drawn, the long braid falling over one shoulder as he smiled mischeiviously up at her.

Lady Dorothy shook her head once again. "Do you think that you love him, Lady Hilde?"

Hilde raised her eyes to her former mistress shyly. "I am not sure," she replied softly, pensively. "But I want so badly to find out, Mistress Dorothy." She closed her eyes again, not bothering to suppress a soft moan at the memory of his tongue, probing ever so gently at her own, this time. "I want it so badly, and I know that he does, too."

Lady Dorothy whispered a forgiveness in Italian and quickly crossed herself. "Favore, Lady Hilde," she said. "Do not speak like that! I know that he is handsome, but you mustn't. It is forbidden within the church; he will be excommunicated if you have relations together. And what of Lord Yuy? You are his courtesan! Do you not love him as your master?"

Hilde opened her eyes once more and looked up. "Yes, of course I love my lord!" she replied desperately, hoping Lady Dorothy would not repeat this to him. "He is a wonderful man and I do love him. But he belongs to Mistress Relena... and Maxwell-san..."

Lady Dorothy held a finger to her lips, silencing the girl, as light footsteps approached down the hallway. "No more of this, Lady Hilde," she whispered. "You must not tempt yourself or Father Maxwell. It will be safer. Favore."

The shoji screen slid open and Lady Relena stepped inside with her two attendants before Hilde could answer, smiling in greeting. Hilde nodded in answer to her former mistress and returned to her calligraphy, turning her paper to the next in her sheaf and beginning again on her poem for Lord Yuy. She would invite him to play a round of shasai ikkai with her tomorrow. It would be wonderful to teach him- his strong, hard body entwined in silken ropes, delicately restrained so that she could have her way with him, as Lady Dorothy had had hers with the beautiful couretsan. She smiled in spite of herself and began the poem.

The paper with the smiling image of Maxwell was tucked carefully into the long sleeve of her kimono, saved for much later.

Lord Heero Yuy read the delicately scrawled kanji message once more before carefully shutting the white moon-shaped fan it was printed on and tucking it back into the sash of his hunter green robe. He had found the small fan lying on the floor of his chambers when he returned from the bath house that morning, attached to a silken scarf drenched in his Hilde's scent, sweet and pungent. He had kept the scarf, placing it inside his private chest of belongings, and taken the fan with him to the Spanish commander Treize's house for his audience there. Her message intrigued him; he expected he would see her tonight but perhaps there would be something else this time. A shudder of erotic anticipation passed through his body then and he felt himself harden at the thought of his beautiful courtesan.

"How is the Lady Relena doing, Lord Yuy?"

The commander's voice shook the lord from his thoughts and he looked up at the other man across the low wooden table. "Hai," he said, touching Hilde's fan once more before turning his full attention to the European. "My wife is doing fine. The pregnancy is coming along well."

Treize nodded and smiled. "I am glad to hear of it," he replied. "She has been a friend of mine for some time... It is comforting to know that she is in such good hands."

Lord Yuy gazed at the commander pensively, taking note of the condescending look in the azure eyes and the sarcastic quirk in his smile. He decided to contemplate it later. "Gunshou Treize," the Japanese man continued. "Now that you ask of my wife, I believe we should get to the matter at hand." A servant boy entered with a pot of spice tea and refilled the men's cups. Treize thanked him politely and took a sip of his own before answering the lord.

"Was my negotiation not satisfactory?" he asked, his brows furrowing in concern. "I have already promised that the Spanish will only have control of the port and the surrounding village. The rest of the land is yours, as it always has been."

Lord Yuy shook his head. "No," he replied. "The port is extremely important to the well-being of the people here, and of my own well-being. My wife is with child now... Soon she will have my son and he will be in control of the port and this land after my death. This place has belonged to me since I was a child. I will not let anyone take it so easily. Your negotiation is invalid, Gunshou Treize." The lord inclined his head, as if challenging the commander to respond back, and took a sip of his own tea.

Treize faced the other man evenly and smiled. "I understand," he said. "So you are willing to battle for this land then?" The Japanese man didn't respond. Treize smiled again. "So it shall be."

Lord Yuy set his cup back down on the table. "You have said that my wife has been a friend of yours," he began slowly, wrapping a hand instinctively around the hilt of his sword, squeezing it comfortingly. "Will you not leave here in peace for her sake?"

Treize laughed softly. "There must be sacrifices in war, Lord Yuy," he replied, his eyes growing serious once again. "I am sure you understand that. Lady Relena is a strong woman; I know she will understand the reasons for this battle as well."

Lord Yuy tightened his hand around the hilt once again, the sharp edges of the carved wood cutting into him through the leather glove. He closed his eyes, the set of his strong jaw conveying his carefully controlled anger, every muscle in his body tensed. "Hai..." he whispered. "So it shall be." Opening his eyes slowly, the lord rose to his feet, not bothering to bow out of courtesy as he exited the house.

Treize watched the slender, wiry man leave and smiled to himself as he heard the shoji screen close behind him. The Lady Relena would not suffer during this battle, he thought as he sipped the rest of his tea. He would make sure of that himself.

The winter had made the days grow shorter, the pale sunlight clinging to the edges of the shadows as they grew, consuming the cold day into frigid darkness. The sky was cast in a wintry gray-blue that matched the brooding shade of Lord Heero Yuy's eyes as he climbed the small steps of the veranda and entered the house after returning from the village that night. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the commander Treize and his insistence on winning over Okinawa for the Spanish; war had officially been declared between them. He would have to think about moving his wife and Hilde soon. Hilde...

Lord Yuy walked quickly down the long hallway, passing the closed screen of his wife's chambers. A soft orange glow emanated from behind the thin painted fabric and he could hear Lady Relena's voice as she talked with her attendants. He passed silently, glad that she was busy. He would have to talk to her about the situation sooner or later, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb her tranquility. Tomorrow was still another day. Hilde awaited him.

There was no light behind the screen enclosing Lord Yuy's chamber. He began to wonder if Hilde had forgotten their engagement as he stepped inside, sliding the screen closed gently behind him, and found the room empty. He soon found that he was wrong. A single screen of red fabric dotted with white magnolia blossoms was positioned near the window, a long rope of white scarves much like the one he had found attatched to the small fan trailing out from behind it. At the end of the rope nearest his feet, a tiny scrap of paper was attatched, printed with a single kanji symbol: Irassharu. Come. Lord Yuy smiled.

Tearing the message off and picking up the fragile rope, Lord Yuy followed the trail behind the dark screen, his body tensing with expectancy and his own repressed lust. The breath was stolen from his body as he finally found her.

The Lady Hilde Schbeiker lay sprawled on the floor against red silk beddings, her smooth, naked body glowing almost transulcent, ivory contrasting with crimson. Her hair was loose and straight, brushed to a luminescent blue-black sheen that imitated the dark glint in her eyes, an unnatural cerulean under the thick lining of ebon kohl and the dusky shading of black on her eyelids. Her lips were colored in with a cimmerian gloss of carmine that shone more black than scarlet, her pout more defined. It wasn't until she stretched seductively, arching her back and hips forward, that Lord Yuy could see the gossamer silken ropes laced across her limbs, crossing in intricate patterns up her slender legs, her arms, across her midriff and haltering her tiny breasts, pushing them up and out. He could see between her spread legs another transparent rope, bisecting the delicate, shimmering wet outer lips and continuing to tie in the back, past the tight, puckered entrance of her rear, her body entirely bound.

A hand laced with more of the sheer material moved down her stomach to toy with the rope between her legs, rubbing the fabric slowly back and forth over her hidden jewel. She cried out, a soft, high-pitched mewl of ecstasy. The dark, gleaming blue eyes met his, the crimson lips curving in a smile. Lord Yuy ached in his hardness. Throwing the rope down and falling to his knees beside the beautiful courtesan, the lord covered the hand between her legs with his own, pushing the delicate material harder against her sensitive femininity. She screamed softly once again, her eyes remaining on his, her smile widening. This couldn't be wrong.

He had entered the room and stood at the edge of the painted screen to watch her, a sweet, lazy smile crossing his face. He leaned against the wooden frame, arms crossed across the front of his black robes, the violet eyes catching the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains and glittering almost mischeiviously under his tousled bangs. The braid that fell down his back was loosened, bound only halfway until the silky chestnut strands fell freely in a long ponytail to his waist. The set of his jaw through his smile was determined; it was then that he came to her, one large, elegant hand covering her own and making her touch herself harder.

Hilde smiled up at the beautiful man before her and gently removed his hand from between her damp thighs, raising herself up to a kneeling position. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it softly, tonguing the fingers gently and tasting herself. He moaned, a deep, sensual sound. Hilde shook her head with another smile and held a finger to her own lips to silence him. She ran a hand through his bangs, uncovering more of the gorgeous face, and held up a wrist to show him the bindings trailing from it. Taking the end of one thin rope in her teeth, she pulled it loose and held it up to him, as if in offering. He only stared at her, caressing her beautifully bound breasts lovingly. Lord Yuy clenched his teeth to keep some semblance of control as he watched her.

Hilde reached up to unbutton the restrictive black robe, her fingers finding the stoic white ministerial collar and pulling it free. Lord Yuy held his breath as her slim, practiced fingers unstrapped the sword holster across his chest and gently parted the folds of his heavy silk robe. He sighed huskily as she claimed his neck with her mouth, her tongue flicking across the pulse that throbbed there, her hands continuing to free his body of the robe.

Hilde slid the rough material down the strong, lightly tanned shoulders, baring his naked upper body. His chest was broad and powerful, more than she had ever dared to dream behind the long, concealing robes, ridged with muscles that caught the shadows and clearly defined their depth. Her breath caught as she raised her eyes to his once again, the beautiful face twisted in a look of almost feral desire, long strands of hair falling over his shoulders and into the dark eyes, his chest heaving with each labored breath. Lord Yuy's control was gone.

Sliding the long-fingered hands up her thighs, the violet-eyed angel clasped Hilde around her waist and crushed her body to his, capturing her mouth with his own in a desperate kiss. She tilted her head back, allowing his questing tongue further access into the moist reaches of her mouth, and let her hands roam over the smooth, taut flesh of his back and shoulders, skimming her fingertips down and around to his well-muscled abdomen. A guttural, choked cry of pleasure escaped his lips through the kiss as she delved down the front of his close-fitting black trousers, feeling the immense organ there come to life beneath her touch.

Lord Yuy cried out as the girl's hand slipped inside the modest loincloth covering his nether regions, finding his agony and caressing it teasingly. He tightened his hold on her waist and pressed his body into hers, pushing her desperately towards the sheets. She stopped him abruptly, her hand disengaging from his sex and moving up with her arms to wrap around his neck once more. A thin band of fabric suddenly wrapped around the back of his neck, tightening firmly in the surprisingly strong, delicate hands, and he moved away to look back at the courtesan.

Hilde sensed the confusion behind the bright violet eyes and shook her head slowly to silence him before he spoke, rising up on her knees and pulling him closer, her hands winding around the rope and tightening it further, bringing the ends together to begin the binding. He pressed his face into her breasts, licking tentatively first at the distended pink nipples and then daring to suckle gently at her moan of pleasure. She lifted his face to hers reluctantly after allowing him to lave each breast, sinking back down on her knees to kiss his lips before whispering, "Kudasai, bishounen..."

Lord Yuy opened his mouth to question her strange endearment when the rope constricted once again and the lovely courtesan smiled seductively as she lowered her prey to the beddings, her hands working on unwinding the ropes from about her own body and securing them to his. Lord Yuy laid back and closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her deft hands on his body as she worked to bind him down, the question he had meant to ask disappearing from his mind, replaced by the anticipation of this foreign game.

Hilde's nimble fingers wove swiftly through the gossamer strands of rope, threading them in and out, over and under, in complex patterns across the magnificent body, binding his wrists tightly to the wooden posts securing the beddings to the floor and interlacing the binds that trailed from the wrists down his arms, attatching them to the carefully intermingled entaglement about his torso. The lower body was left untouched, still clothed in the immuring black trousers.

Lord Yuy's eyes flickered open slowly as he felt the familiar softness of Hilde's cheek against his thigh, rubbing gently upwards, towards the center of his tension. Closing his eyes once again, the lord clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to break free from her cruel bonds and take her completely. It was then that she finally touched his throbbing core; his wrists strained against the ropes, drawing blood where the material broke through the skin. She ceased to stop.

Hilde smiled to herself as the bound angel below her fought to free himself, a curse escaping his sanctified lips. She placed a hand soothingly on his thigh, caressing him slowly until his breathing slowed and he was calm once more. She nuzzled his still clothed crotch lovingly, brushing her lips against the hardness pushing up through the fabric. He cursed once again, his hips rising up, and she gave in this time, unbuttoning the heavy trousers and freeing his agony. The loincloth disappeared then and Lord Yuy felt soft lips encircle the sensitive tip of his maleness, suckling gently, teasingly, small fingers playing under the profound scrotum. He cried out behind clenched teeth and pushed his lower body further into her mouth. She held him down firmly, continuing to nip and kiss the moist apex, allowing more of him to enter her mouth only when he calmed.

Hilde lavished her angel's incredible organ tenderly, running her tongue agonizingly up and down the hardened shaft before continuing to suckle. He was like steel encased in the softest velvet, she thought with a soft sigh, taking his virgin cock all the way in then and increasing her tongue's movements around the thick sex. His grunts of pleasure urged her to dare further, consuming him completely. Lord Yuy had reached the limit of his endurance.

Feeling him begin to throb with orgasm, Hilde abruptly ended her worship, pulling away and sitting back up on her knees. The violet-eyed beauty stared back at her in confusion and hurt, the glittering amethyst orbs pleading silently for her. Lord Yuy watched in impatience as the girl shook her head slowly, putting one finger to the smiling ebon lips again to silence him. He struggled against the tight bonds once again, straining his lower body towards her. Her wet, pink sex glimmered faintly in the dark light, open and vulnerable. Beckoning, as her teasing smile did. She untied the heavy boots and slid the trousers completely off, her eyes on the saccharine virgin before her, his own face a mask of carnal desire.

Delicately, Hilde unwound the ropes binding her breasts, taking time to make sure he noticed her light caresses. Once free, she tightened the silken cords around her hands, snapping them almost menacingly before smiling once again and bending forward to begin tying his ankles to the posts at the foot of the beddings. So resistance was futile, Lord Yuy thought, the corner of his mouth lifting in amusement as he watched the beautiful courtesan remove the ropes laced between her legs and begin winding them around his own sex. She pulled tightly then as she secured the bonds to the abstruse ropework across his abdomen, fixing his maleness in a state of perfect erection and making him cry in pain. The lush, shimmering lips curved once again, the unnaturally blue eyes admiring her work under the heavy black lining.

Hilde smiled benevolently at her fettered angel, his eyes still imploring her behind the long strands of chestnut hair. It had completely come loose from the braid now and was splayed behind him, making him seem even more defenseless despite the bonds, his face flushed and his sex cocked. Hilde reached down one hand and gave the exquisite organ a long, teasing stroke as she crawled onto his prostrated form, silencing his groan of pleasure with a deep kiss. She straddled the slender hips, locking him between her thighs but not allowing him entry yet. Her wetness drove Lord Yuy to madness.

Feeling his hips lift below her in protest, straining to enter her, Hilde pushed back against him with all her weight, tightening her thighs around him. She would have him when she was ready, as Lady Dorothy had taught her. Pulling back and fixing him with her most intimidating gaze, Hilde wrapped one hand around a lock of his hair and pulled firmly, watching in delight as the violet eyes widened in surprise and pain. She leaned back down and brushed her lips against his cheek, whispering huskily, "Warui, bishounen." Bad. He smiled.

The soft pink tongue caressed him before she pulled back again, reaching behind her. Lord Yuy was in a paroxysm of both love and hate. He pushed against her once more but was stopped abruptly when a hard, blunt, icily cold object touched his sensitive scrotum. He cursed as the object began a slow, threatening upward motion, moving over his erection and circling his toned abdomen before trailing back down, probing the susceptible skin gently. He closed his eyes and curled his hands into fists under the tight bonds, sighing softly as she continued to tease.

Hilde ran the sharpened tip of the bamboo stick over her angel's taut sex, watching as he grew even harder at the cold touch. She had wrapped the stick in a large plaintain leaf filled with hard-packed snow, letting the iciness sink into the wood for just this torture. It was something Lady Dorothy had shown her and tormented her with as well, having penetrated her with two of the frozen sticks at once during one session when she had still been a novice. Now she was the tormentor.

She knew of a secret place on the man's body, a soft spot at the base of the male sex that could initiate perfect satisfaction within seconds of stimulation. Hilde kept her eyes trained on the beautiful face, eyes closed in tense anticipation, the teeth clenched, as she slowly slid the tip of the bamboo stick back down the shaft towards the sensitive area. He cried out her name even before she had touched it, straining against the bonds and almost ripping free if she had not pushed her weight back down on him to hold him in place. The blue eyes narrowed into sapphire slits as the courtesan pulled back, scraping the bamboo stick across his sex and leaving a long red trail as she readied her hand to punish him.

Lord Yuy glared back at her, the set of his jaw defiant, a small smile playing across his lips even as the pain in his nether regions from her accidental scrape began to set in. He had always enjoyed a good fight, he thought, his smile growing as the nubile girl ran her tongue over her effulgent crimson-black lips and reared back with the bamboo stick. Adrenaline coursed through his body as Hilde's arm swung sharply down, the blunt edge of the wooden stick striking the muscular flesh of his inner thigh nearest his sex. The energy racing within his veins masked the cutting pain, giving way to the most exquisite pleasure he had ever felt. Lord Yuy closed his eyes and grunted loudly as the stick came down once again, lifting his hips to receive the blows eagerly now.

Hilde allowed herself a smile as she watched her prey's ardent invitation of the sensual punishment she continued to inflict upon him, lashing him closer and closer to his aching core. The blows were not meant to injure or cause pain, although they gave the illusion of such in the form of the most intense pleasure- she had been taught to strike at such an angle that the blows touched off pleasure centers and not sensitive nerves. Her angel welcomed the cruel stick, his cries and grunts of enjoyment clearly conveying his satisfaction. Lord Yuy felt himself begin to tremble at the edge of orgasm.

Suddenly, as quickly as the punishment had begun, it stopped. The lord opened his eyes, his loins numb from the indulgence, and gazed up at the courtesan. Hilde stared back, the bamboo stick gone from her hand, as she mounted his body lithely once again, this time positioning herself over his erection. He could feel the heat emanating from her; he held his breath, awaiting her engulfment.

Hilde reached down to smooth a lock of chestnut hair away from his forehead. He was damp, hot. The violet eyes flickered open then, the full lips parting. He licked them slowly. Hilde felt her control slipping, a soft, wet sigh escaping her lips, her breath tremulous. A hand suddenly touched her skin, tracing the curve of her hip teasingly before moving up to cup one small breast. A male hand. She heard the other rope snap; the other hand forced her hips down, impaling her sex on his cock.

Surprise soon gave way to passion as the strong male hands, trailing with the broken silken ropes from the wrists and fingers, wrapped around Hilde's neck, pulling her down to kiss moist lips while his lower body rose and fell in the familiar erotic rhythm to meet her fierce downward thrusts. She tangled her fingers in the long sorrel hair, her lips bruised, her tongue battling passionately with his as he continued to strain into her. His cock filled her, consumed her, pulsating deeper and deeper with each thrust.

The lips left hers then and Hilde broke away, rearing up and grinding her body harder into his. The male hands slid up to fondle her breasts; she cried out and threw her head back, her long hair sweeping down to her waist, the ends brushing the curve of her small rear. His name, Maxwell-san, died on her lips as she bit down hard to keep from crying it aloud. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. His mouth was on her breasts, biting and suckling until the sensitive pale flesh turned a bright scarlet. His teeth snagged on a nipple as he gave one last thrust, a curse escaping his lips as she sobbed with ecstasy, her muscles clenching around his shaft. Hilde lifted his face to hers to brush her mouth against his in a pre-orgasmic kiss before they toppled over the edge together.

They lay shuddering and gasping in the aftermath, limbs entangled underneath the damp covers of the beddings, the lord stroking his courtesan's hair tenderly as she drifted to sleep against his chest. Outside the snow began to fall softly once again, bathing the room in a tranquil, ethereal light. Hilde caressed the hard pectoral muscles absently, her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. Her mascara had begun to run, blurring her vision. She sighed.

Maxwell-san...

Far beyond the fence of Lord Yuy's private estate, in the tiny, cramped chamber above the main hall of the Catholic church, Father Duo Maxwell awoke in a cold sweat, his breath coming in orgasmic gasps, his body throbbing with energy. Shaking the grogginess from his mind, Maxwell pushed himself to a sitting position in the small bed, concentrating on slowing his heart and breathing.

What is wrong with me? he thought, his brows furrowing in confusion as he threw the covers off to allow the cold night air to cool his sweaty body. He felt as if he were on fire. Suddenly he became aware of a sticky feeling on his hands and in the region of his thighs. Looking down reluctantly, Maxwell found his left hand covered in a creamy, sticky fluid. He felt his face flush with embarassment and shame and he quickly wiped his hand on his trouser leg, mentally cursing himself.

Hilde...

Standing up with the beginnings of "Our Father" on his lips, Maxwell walked over to the small chest at the foot of his bed and pulled the long whip out.

It would be another long night.

"...Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

Father Duo Maxwell closed his prayer book and crossed himself, shifting slightly to mask his grimace of pain as his robes rubbed against the still-abraded flesh of his back and shoulders at the motion. The children sitting on the floor before him followed his action and then closed their own prayer books as well. The young priest smiled.

"Well done! You hardly had to glance at the text today. I can see you all have been practicing." The children glanced at each other, doing their best to hide smiles of triumph. Maxwell's own smile widened.

"Alright, alright," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "Let me see your hands." The children obeyed with groans of defeat, holding up small hands sheepishly. There, written in tiny, delicate kanji, were the words to "Our Father." Maxwell shook his head in mock disappointment.

"And here I had thought I had done a good job teaching you all!" he moaned unhappily, giving the guilty children his most hurt look.

"Gomen nasai, Shinpu Maxwell!" one little boy cried desperately, jumping to his feet. His face turned a bright red as the rest of the children turned to look at him, and he looked down quickly, bowing apologetically. "...But haven't /you/ ever had trouble learning your prayers?" The little boy finished abruptly, bowing again, and sat back down. The others giggled and turned their attention back to the priest.

Maxwell smiled, remembering how he had used the old hand trick on the elder Father Maxwell back in England when he was a boy himself. The child /did/ have reason.

"Well-" he began, but was immediately cut off by another small boy.

"Baka! Of /course/ Shinpu Maxwell never had trouble learning his prayers! He is a priest chosen by God! He was probably born knowing /every/ prayer by heart, right, Shinpu Maxwell?" The child stared up at him, eyes wide and imploring.

"That's right, he isn't at all like us human people!" another child piped up. "He's an /angel/!" The rest of the children breathed in amazement and gazed up at the priest in awestruck admiration.

Maxwell grinned and shook his head, reaching behind him to toy with his braid, a habit he had grown fond of when he was nervous. He cleared his throat loudly.

"I do not think I would say that-" The bell chiming midday interrupted him this time. The children didn't wait for him to finish. Instead, they picked up their prayer books and Bibles and scampered out of the church doors in a flurry of winter overgarments, schoolbags, and excited chatter.

Maxwell sighed heavily as the doors thudded shut, alone once again. Chosen by God, he thought with an almost bitter smile, pushing himself up to a standing position. Father Maxwell had always told him that. He wished he could believe it himself. He knew that no matter what, he would never truly know if the priesthood had been right for him, if it /was/ right for him. He didn't know where he was going, but he was going, had always been going, and he knew that someday he would reach his destination: That deeper place, where everything was right and he would finally know it.

And for being human... Maxwell smiled as he climbed the stairs to his private chamber to study scriptures.

...He had the marks on his back to prove that he was.

Hilde was wakened from her sleep in the late afternoon by first a low, male moan and then a soft, female cry of protest. The deep azure eyes flickered open sleepily; the world was a dense white haze beyond the near-translucent shoji screen enclosing her chamber. Hilde's glossy violet lids fluttered shut once again. The female cry grew a bit louder.

Opening her eyes wider this time, Hilde sighed and sat up slowly, reaching for her dark amethyst-colored cashmere kimono and pulling it over her scantily clad body. So Lord Yuy had decided to visit his wife today, she thought with a smile. Now she understood how Lady Relena must feel whenever she and the lord visited one another. But still...

"I think you should leave." Lady Relena's voice- angry. Hilde fastened the kimono tightly around her waist and hurried as quietly as she could down the hallway to Lady Relena's chambers. She stopped just outside the screen as the male's voice finally became apparent- not Lord Yuy's.

"Relena, please." The voice was smooth, richly accented in French. "Why do you continue to oppose me?"

Hilde held her breath, pressing her back against the wall next to the screen. So it /was/ the Spanish commander, Treize. She slid the screen open slightly silently, allowing a sliver of the view in the room to reach her eyes, and leaned further back against the wall. Only if her mistress needed help would she impede, although the scene in the room almost caused her to withhold her position.

The Lady Relena stood with her back to the glass of the window, her face flushed and turned away from the man kneeling before her. Although the man was fully clothed, only the blue jacket of his uniform halfway unbuttoned, he had opened the lady's kimono skirt and slid down the soft ivory hakama trousers that had been covering her vulnerable sex. The commander's face was buried in the tender area, proceeding to kiss Lady Relena to orgasm and succeeding. Hot tears of shame slid slowly down her cheeks as a moan escaped her lips/ Hilde fought the urge to run into the room and tear the man away from her, silently reminding herself of the sword strapped to his side and his long, powerful arms. She stayed poised outside the screen.

Lady Relena's hands moved down from her sides and came to rest on the top of Treize's head, pushing him further into her sex. Hilde watched, her eyes widening in disbelief. She had wanted this...

Suddenly, the slender, gentle hands tightened around Treize, tangling in his gold-brown hair and pulling fiercely, pushing him away at the same time. The commander cursed loudly, stumbling back onto his hands and landing on the floor. Hilde covered her mouth quickly with one hand to stifle a giggle.

Lady Relena pushed her undergarment up haughtily, retying the delicate strings at her hips and pulling the ivory skirt of her kimono shut over her long legs. She stared down at the flustered commander through aquamarine slits, her lower lip trembling at her concealed anger.

"I do think you should leave," she nearly spat in French, pointing towards the screen that led back outside to the veranda. "Now."

A slow, defiant smile crossed Treize's face as he easily climbed to his feet and reached for his hat, which lay on Lady Relena's chaise lounge.

"I will leave because I am a gentleman," he finally spoke, his voice still smooth and assured. "But I know that soon you will come to me of your own volition." He pulled his hat on and smiled again.

Lady Relena shook her head. "When will you understand that I am married, Treize?" she replied wearily, as if telling him for the hundredth time. "I am married, I am having a child, and you and I do not exist anymore."

Treize laughed, the sound carrying a definite sarcasm. "Yes, of course," he said. "To the illustrious Lord Heero Yuy. And I suppose you love that pagan bastard as well?"

Lady Relena closed her eyes, her hands tightening into white-knuckled fists at her sides. "I love him," she replied evenly, her tone one of forced calm. "Now please." One arm raised, pointing towards the screen once again. The jeweled fingers snapped. "Go."

Treize nodded, the smile still frozen on his lips, and bowed as he made his way out to the veranda and away from the estate. Only when the shoji screen finally slid closed behind him did Hilde enter the room. Lady Relena's face was deathly pale and her body trembled. Hilde ran to her mistress, gathering the taller woman in her arms and gently sitting with her on the chaise lounge.

"Are you alright, Mistress Relena?" she asked worriedly as the blonde woman continued to tremble in her arms.

The lady nodded slowly and forced a smile. "Hai, Lady Hilde, I will be fine," she replied. "It is all my fault anyways."

Hilde turned to her mistress, confusion clouding her bright blue eyes. "What do you mean, Mistress Relena? Are you in love with Gunshou Treize?"

Lady Relena smiled sadly and shook her head. "No, not at all," she replied, her voice soft, almost dreamy. "I only love my Hee-kun..." She placed a hand on her stomach as if to remind herself of his child. "I am his unto eternity. No, I do not love Treize."

"Then how can it be your fault that he loves you now, my lady?" Hilde asked, smoothing the long skirt of her mistress's kimono absently.

Lady Relena sighed, her eyes fixed on a point in space Hilde couldn't see. "Because I did love him, at one point," she finally answered. "At least I believe I did."

Hilde smiled and pushed a lock of golden hair behind the other woman's ear. "So how did you come not to love him?" she pressed, curious to know more. She had known there was a connection between her lady and the Spanish commander from the beginning, when she had noticed the pained expression that crossed the lady's face whenever his name was mentioned.

Lady Relena turned to the pretty girl beside her with a smile and took her hands in her own. "I will tell you the story, if you like," she said, and with an enthusiastic nod from the other girl, she began.

"It was strange at first- not love at all. When I first met Treize he was a grown boy of nineteen and preparing to enlist in the French militray with my brother. I was only ten, a mere slip of a child, and of no interest to him. But I was taken with him at first sight. He was always so beautiful, and so charming.

"He and Milliardo left for training soon after that and I did not see Treize again until I was thirteen and he was twenty-two. He was even more handsome then than I had remembered, fully a man." The lady sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, remembering. After a long silence, she continued.

"This was when he finally began to take notice of me. At thirteen I was already endowed with a woman's body, all long legs and breasts." She smiled and blushed slightly. "Treize certainly noticed, and soon he would always be at the palace for me, and not Milliardo.

"One of our favorite pastimes was fencing; we could fence for hours, Treize and I. He loved to teach me new moves and I loved just being near him. It was during these fencing lessons, though, that it began... The love, or something like it, at least." She paused for breath.

"Before this day, the day Treize and I began our affair, we had already begun to share affectionate kisses and touches," Lady Relena continued, her heart beginning to beat faster at the memory. She squeezed Hilde's hand to ground herself, reminding herself that it was over. Hilde remained attentive, her eyes wide with curiousity. Lady Relena cleared her throat.

"Well, one day, these kisses and touches became much more. I remember we had been fencing, and I caught him with a surprise thrust and wrested him to the ground. But not before... before the blade of his foil slipped beneath the buttons of my uniform jacket... and cut it open..." Her breath caught sharply then; she squeezed the courtesan's hand ever tighter. She took a deep breath.

"I remember being shocked at first, my breasts freed and naked to his eye and touch. But then he smiled, so reassuringly, and then he bent his head and kissed the tips of my breasts, so gently. I died at that moment, grabbing him towards me and fumbling at the buttons of his own jacket and trousers. He was much faster." She sighed once again, regaining more of her composure. She was stronger when she began again.

"Treize made me a woman that day, and so much more. I knew what love truly was for the first time. We made love as often as possible after that, without Milliardo or my father learning of it. Then, when I turned fourteen, my father decided it was time for me to become married. Treize was the first to ask for my hand in marriage, first to my brother and then to my father. They both opposed him strongly- Milliardo because he knew what a womanizer Treize had been, and Father because he thought a foreign match would be best for the Cinq Kingdom."

"And so Lord Yuy?" Hilde asked, smiling shyly. It sounded so much like the romantic monogatari tales they sometimes read together- a beautiful princess and the two men she was torn between. Hilde almost began to feel sorry for Treize. And somehow, the story was almost strangle similar...

Lady Relena smiled back and nodded. "Hai. The young Japanese lord Heero Yuy: Handsome, passionate, and willing to sacrifice his life for me, as he had told me the night after we made love for the first time to consummate the match. I knew I would be his forever after that. And so now here we are." Her smile faded slightly then. "And Treize has found me once more..." She looked away, tears brimming in the aquamarine orbs once again.

Hilde stroked her mistress's long hair comfortingly. "Kudasai, Mistress Relena," she said softly. "Do you think his reason for being here is a personal vendetta then? Does he only want these lands because they are Lord Yuy's?"

Lady Relena wiped her eyes hurriedly to avoid ruining her makeup and raised her eyes to the courtesan's. "I do not know," she replied. "But I would not doubt it is a part of his reason. Lady Hilde."

One delicate, jeweled hand tilted Hilde's chin towards her, the eyes finding her own large blue ones. "Hai?" the girl whispered, keeping her gaze on the lady's with great effort.

"If there is ever a time in your life when you are faced with a decision between happiness and security, please, promise me you will choose happiness," the blonde woman said desperately, her eyes imploring the other girl's. "I know that I do love my lord, more than anything, but I also know that he is not my true love, and because of that I will always wonder whether I could have found true happiness with someone else."

"Treize..." Hilde closed her eyes and nodded. She understood.

"Hai," Lady Relena whispered, lowering her own eyes. "Promise me that you will make the right decision, Lady Hilde. When it is your turn..."

She understood everything now. Everything.

Giving her mistress a quick kiss on the cheek and her hand one last, affectionate squeeze, Hilde rose to her feet and hurried out of the room without a word, stopping only in her chamber for a parasol to shield herself against the steadily falling snow before continuing outside and onto the road towards the village. Lady Relena did not call after her.

Father Duo Maxwell had just finished sweeping the entire length of the aisle towards the altar and was preparing to take his straw broom back down to the supply room when the doors of the church banged open. He looked up, startled, as a small, slender figure in a scanty violet kimono entered and lowered a large white parasol painted with lilacs. The figure then tilted its head back, shaking a light dusting of snow out of its long, blue-black hair. Piercing azure eyes beneath feathery ebon lashes met his.

Maxwell held his breath as the girl approached him at the altar, crossing herself and dropping to her knees before him, taking his hands in her own. Petulant red lips touched his knuckles; the incredible, unusual eyes met his once again. The full, moist lips parted in a sigh.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

"Will you hear my confession?"

Maxwell continued to stare down at the beautiful girl before him, willing himself to realize that she was not just another dream; Hilde had not been back to the church since the day they had almost kissed. But she was real now: The startlingly blue eyes gazed imploringly into his, the lush crimson lips touched his skin in gentle kisses, and the bangs that fell across her forehead tickled his hand where she kissed him. The top of her kimono had slipped down slightly to reveal one smooth, creamy shoulder; the violet material clung wetly to her body where the snow melted through. The full, red mouth was dangerously close to Maxwell's nether regions. He prayed to God she wouldn't notice his hardness, impossibly distended and erect beneath his robes.

Pulling his hands away from her lips abruptly, Maxwell cleared his throat. "Hilde," he finally managed to choke out. "I did not think I would see you here."

Hilde rose on her knees, reaching forward to touch the handsome priest and silencing him. "Kudasai, Maxwell-san," she whispered breathlessly, her body taking control of her mind as her hand began a slow ascent up Maxwell's leg. "You must hear what I have to tell you..." The hand reached mid-thigh, parting the heavy robes to reveal the tight black trousers beneath and the hot sex that strained against them.

"Hilde-" Maxwell began, but was immediately cut off by a sharp upward glance from the smoky blue eyes as the courtesan bent her head forward, pressing her cheek to his inner thigh and rubbing tenderly.

He watched, frozen in a paroxysm of lust and better judgement, as the girl closed her eyes and moved her cheek up to fondle his crotch. Her kimono slipped down further, exposing the rich curve of one beautifully crafted breast. The hand, which had still been resting against his other leg, moved forward now to unbutton his trousers. A groan of both pleasure and defeat escaped Maxwell's lips as she undid the first button. "I love..." she whispered.

Suddenly, the church doors creaked open and an old woman covered in a green shawl entered. Maxwell quickly grabbed Hilde's arm, pulling her to her feet while he re-adjusted his robes over the open trousers. Hilde pushed her kimono back up and smoothed a long strand of hair behind her ear.

The woman smiled at the two, seeming not to notice their flustered nervousness as she quietly genuflected and then sat down in one of the back pews to begin her prayers. Maxwell cleared his throat once again.

"Come, Lady Schbeiker," he said, taking the courtesan's arm gently this time. "I will hear your confession now." He spoke loudly, making sure the old woman heard. She continued to pray silently. Maxwell himself asked a silent blessing as he led the courtesan into one of the small confession cubicles to the right of the altar, hoping for forgiveness for any sin he might committ.

Hilde allowed the young priest to pull her into the tiny cubicle, sliding the heavy wooden door closed behind him. A single chair sat by the wall where a black wire-mesh separator divided the confessor's area from the priest's chamber on the other side. Candles were lit behind the separator, filtering gently through the wire-mesh and casting the room in a warm, deep orange glow.

"Sit down, Hilde." Maxwell's deep, husky voice brought Hilde back to the present, her eyes unfocusing from the hypnotic, sensual light and turning back towards Maxwell. His face was hidden beneath the wild tangle of his long bangs, masked by the deep shadows the flickering luminescence caused, although she could still see his eyes, glimmering dark violet in the haze. He immediately cast them downwards as he caught her staring at him.

"Sit down," he repeated, turning towards the door leading back out to the church once again. "I will talk to you once I get to the other chamber." He placed his hand on the door, preparing to slide it open when suddenly, a small hand shot out and grasped his arm firmly.

"No!" Hilde cried desperately, positioning her body quickly between the priest and the door. "Kudasai... I need you here, Maxwell-san." She drew closer to him as she spoke, touching her forehead to his chest. The cerulean eyes, bright with unshed tears, met his slowly.

Maxwell gazed down at the girl tenderly at first, wanting with all of his being to take her in his arms and give in to the demons that had been torturing him relentlessly since he first saw her in the cherry tree. But the urge faded and the amethyst eyes hardened. He pushed her gently away, prying her hand from his arm.

"Gomen nasai, Hilde," Maxwell finally replied, his tone flat and harsh. "I cannot do this." He watched, feeling more and more like a bastard, as Hilde's pretty face contorted in a look of utter pain and sadness, her eyes shimmering pools of tears.

"Please," the beautiful girl said, pushing Maxwell back into the room. "You /must/ hear what I have to tell you!"

Maxwell sighed heavily, his mind and body raging with conflicting emotions. She wouldn't give up without a fight, and he could not bring himself to force her away. She was so beautiful, Maxwell thought as he gazed at her silently. The dim light settled on her body, lending her pale skin an ethereal glow, seeping through the thin fabric of her kimono and outlining the sweet young body underneath. He closed his eyes.

"I was wrong," Hilde finally spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. Maxwell opened his eyes slowly and looked up. Hilde stepped closer to him.

"I was wrong," she repeated, her voice losing some of its tremulousness this time. "When I told you I was happy. I was wrong, Maxwell-san." She lowered her eyes then, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously.

Maxwell stood silent for a long moment, the meaning of what she had said sinking into his mind. So she didn't love Lord Yuy, he thought. Was she saying...

"I never wanted to be a courtesan," Hilde continued, keeping her eyes downcast. "Even though I admit that I enjoy it at times, I know that it is not a life I wish to keep. And Lord Yuy is not the man I love." She looked up then, the tears still glistening in the azure depths as she waited for him to speak.

Maxwell stared back at the courtesan with stormy violet eyes, the flickering shadows from the candles defining the sharp pain behind the colorful irises. He looked away quickly, his head beginning to ache with suppressed emotions, emotions he had not allowed himself to feel for a long time. Solo had been the last person he had ever dared to give his love to; Hilde threatened to reawaken that love now and take it for herself, and hers was far more dangerous. Hers meant damnation.

"I am a priest," Maxwell said, fighting to keep his tone even. "I am forbidden to break my vow of celibacy. I am bound by the Church and by my own word. I would suffer a thousand deaths if I were ever to break that vow."

"Do you truly believe that?" Hilde asked, her voice rising slightly at the frustration she felt at his words. Just as Lady Dorothy had said, a tiny voice reminded her. Hilde shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than to convince Maxwell that he was wrong- she knew that he understood that already. That was why it frustrated her so.

"Did you really grow up believing that you should become a priest? That you should give up a part of your humanity so that your soul could be saved? Would God really condemn love?"

Maxwell turned away then. She had voiced his own thoughts, put them into stark reality. He was forced to confront them now; he wasn't sure if he was able to. His head throbbed harder.

"We are the same, Maxwell-san," Hilde continued, her voice softer now. She moved closer to the beautiful priest; his body trembled slightly. She reached out a hand tentatively to touch his back.

"We are both bound by our circumstances," she went on, placing her other hand on him when he didn't recoil from her touch. She began to massage his back gently, feeling the sinewy muscles ripples beneath her hands. A sigh of contentment escaped his lips; Hilde continued.

"We are denied love, both of us. Your church forbids it; my master desires it only for himself. And yet..." Hilde pushed Maxwell's long braid over his shoulder, exposing the nape of his neck. She bent forward then, pressing her body into his, and kissed the smooth honeyed flesh softly, eliciting a barely audible moan from the priest.

"...Yet we are given a chance to free ourselves," Hilde finished, a whisper next to Maxwell's ear. Her hands continued to massage him, surprisingly careful not to knead too hard into the sore flesh of his back and shoulders; her hot breath tickled him, her warm breasts rubbing agonizingly against his back. Everything so tempting, so hot, he thought. Like Hell...

Free ourselves...

Would God condemn love...

Maxwell whirled around then, the pain in his head suddenly gone, replaced with only clear recognition: This was not wrong.

Hilde gasped as Maxwell grabbed her with desperate force, crushing her body to his. "What was your sin, Hilde?" His hands were careless in their urgency, assaulting her body with unpracticed caresses. Hilde gazed up at him, struggling for breath as the sensation of his hands on her clothed flesh set in, exciting her beyond anything she had ever felt. It was just as Lady Relena had described her first encounter with Treize: Frightening and arousing all at once.

Maxwell held her closer, his eyes burning into hers with a fierce intensity. "Make your confession to me, Hilde..." Their lips finally met then, tongues touching and tangling as they had the day out by the lake before moving into each other's mouths to explore the hot, moist interiors.

After a long moment, Hilde broke the ardent kiss, her breath coming in labored gasps as she turned her face away to catch her breath once again. Maxwell's mouth followed her motion, his tongue sweeping across her cheek and down to claim her neck.

Large hands suddenly pushed Hilde's cashmere kimono back from her shoulders to hang from her elbows, baring her long, slender white throat to his questing mouth and the inner curves of her small firm breasts. The hands moved up then to stroke the soft, flushed breasts as the mouth continued to suckle ivory flesh. A tiny cry caught in Hilde's throat, high-pitched and sensual. Maxwell splayed the long fingers of one hand across her mouth to silence her, reminding her of the old woman in the church just beyond the single wooden door.

Hilde bit her lower lip to keep from crying once again as Maxwell's other hand moved down, inside the skirt of her kimono, and untied the tiny hakama trousers laced at her hips, letting them slide past the delicate hipbones and puddle at her feet. Her scent was overpowering now; smoldering amethyst eyes met hers under the long bangs.

"Make your confession to me, Hilde. Your sin..." Maxwell's voice was heavy, silky, as he touched her nether lips gently, already wet and swollen. Hilde bit her lip harder, drawing blood this time, her hands on Maxwell's forearms digging into the thick material and grazing bare flesh with sharp, perfect fingernails.

"My sin," Hilde moaned, barely a breath in his ear. "My sin was only impure thoughts, Father." She parted her legs then, allowing Maxwell access to her aching clitoris, pushing her hips into his hand.

Maxwell looked down at her with a small, lazy smile, watching her writhe beneath his inexperienced touch. Her hands grasped his then and she began to move his fingers against her jewel, showing him silently how to stimulate her. Maxwell continued to let the courtesan work herself with his fingers until her pretty features twisted with oncoming orgasm. He pulled away then, moving around behind her to sit in the chair by the separator and pulling her with him.

"You must ask for His forgiveness first, koi," Maxwell whispered teasingly against her ear, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. He pushed her long curtain of night-blue hair over one shoulder, letting it fall in a straight, shimmering waterfall over the side of her face. Only her profile was visible now: Perfect, eyes lowered, long black lashes brushing her cheeks. The red lips parted in a silent moan as Maxwell moved beneath her, pushing his robes aside and freeing himself from the confines of his trousers. The hard tip of his sex sat poised at her open entrance.

"I want you to say three 'Hail Marys' and one 'Our Father' for your repentance," Maxwell continued, pulling the nubile girl close until her back was to him. "You may begin now."

With one powerful thrust, Maxwell raised her hips and pulled her down onto his erection. Hilde stifled a cry of ecstasy by knifing his forearms with her fingernails once again, breaking skin this time. Maxwell's breath snagged in his throat at the pain.

"Begin!" he cried hoarsely, closing his eyes and banging his head back against the wall to bring the pain to a different part of his body, one that he was familiar with. He clenched his teeth then as the hot, wet folds parted further, taking his full length until she was seated in his lap, her back pressed to his chest, her face twisted to his neck.

"Hai... Hail Mary, Mother of Grace..." Hilde began in a whisper. Her prayer was soon lost as her mind gave in to her body's passion, taking Maxwell's ministerial collar in her teeth and ripping it free. She worked the top three buttons of his robe open with her teeth as well, finding the smooth flesh of his throat and claiming it with her mouth, suckling passionately, his male scent intoxicating. Lord Yuy was a distant memory.

Maxwell surrendered himself as well as he felt the courtesan gasp against his throat, her breast heaving under his hand as she raised and lowered onto him, over and over again. He toyed with her nipple, pulling it between his fingers until it was as hard and red as the bud of a cherry blossom. Her soft scream of pain and intense pleasure urged him to dare further, taking her entire breast in his hand and squeezing fiercely. He reached down quickly with his other hand to find hers and clasp it tightly to stifle any louder cries.

Hilde moved on him, sliding the incredible length of him. Her muscles knotted and loosened with her movements, mimicking the intermittent squeezing of his hand in hers.

Maxwell felt his body go numb to sensation, feeling only pressure, heat, friction: /Her./ His most sinful dream come true. The muscles of Hilde's abdomen began to snake under his hand then, perfect satisfaction drawing near. His other hand was crushed in her own. Maxwell bit his lower lip savagely, banging his head back against the wall once more. He seeped, throbbing, a tantalizing taste of full release. His juices mixed with hers, pushed down by her smooth downward thrusts. Perfect sin... The torture of waiting was punishment enough.

Hilde felt herself on the verge of orgasm once again, her muscles clenching in preparation of the massive spasming they would soon endure. In desperation, she reached down, taking Maxwell's hand and pulling it down between her sticky thighs to rub her distended clitoris furiously, ending the torture and punishment alike.

Twisting further into his neck and biting the soft flesh hard to silence the scream of ecstasy building in her throat, Hilde released. At her sudden liquefying and the shudders that wracked her petite body, Maxwell matched her, masking his own grunt of perfect satisfaction behind painfully clenched teeth, the pain from Hilde's bite only a small distraction from the pleasure.

The pressure churned out; the candles continued to flicker behind the separator, bathing their slick, shiny bodies in a sensual glow. They stayed joined, holding each other as the trembling died down. Their hands remained clasped.

Hilde turned her face to bury it in the deep hollow of Maxwell's neck, kissing him gently there. Her breath stirred long strands of chestnut hair that had fallen loose from his braid.

"Love me, Maxwell-san," she whispered, rubbing her cheek against the smooth hardness of his chest. "Love the me the way I love you."

Maxwell stayed silent for a long moment, watching the candles' shadows play across the wall. He could hear distant voices out in the church; more people had arrived for mass. He smiled. It didn't matter anymore. He had chosen his fate: He would burn in Hell for this.

"Aishiteru, Hilde. Matsudai." Forever.

He was willing to suffer a thousand deaths for her.

Lord Yuy tested the sharpness of his sword on his forearm, cutting in a straight, vertical line from his wrist to his elbow. The thick carmine blood flowed down, staining his robes and the wood of the floor beneath him. Lady Relena cried his name.

Soon, he thought, wrapping the wound in a scrap of blue silk and rising to check on his wife.

Soon there would be Hell to pay.

Lady Hilde Schbeiker hurried back down the dirt path to Lord Yuy's estate, taking the twisted route behind the cover of the oak trees lining the main road, the branches stretching across the path to meet the branches of the trees on the other side, forming a canopy of stark black, lightly dusted with snow, against the clear night-blue sky. The pale face of the moon shone brightly, providing a bright, almost daylight-like luminescence to the forest as the courtesan ran lightly through the trees; it was already past her time to have been back.

It hadn't been easy to break away, though, she thought, feeling an emptiness beginning to well in her stomach, spreading throughout her body. Never had she felt as safe and at home as in Father Duo Maxwell's arms, never had she felt so right.

Duo. Hilde smiled at the thought of his name; he had only told her his real name that night, before she left the church after mass. They had stood at the doors, holding one another tightly, as if if one should let go, the other would disappear. The church was empty, silent but for the faint sounds of the wind blowing through the willow trees in the courtyard outside. It had gotten colder since Hilde had arrived earlier that afternoon, the snow ending and giving way to a still, frigid iciness. She had shivered then in Duo's long, muscular arms, thinking of her walk home and with only the paper parasol and her thin kimono to shield her from the cold.

Duo had broken their kiss then, smiling down at her gently, as if he knew what she had been thinking. "Stay with me tonight," he had said softly, bending his head to brush his lips against her cheek, her ear. He had never noticed how much shorter she was than him before, how tiny and fragile she was in his arms, like a beautiful doll. He wanted to protect her more than ever now, to keep her with him always. "Please stay, Hilde," he had whispered once more, his mouth close to her ear now, hot breath tantalizing her, drawing her closer.

Hilde had sighed heavily, leaning her forehead against his chest. "I want to so badly," she had begun, tears welling in her eyes as she remembered that she still belonged to Lord Yuy. She was on contract, bound to him forever. "But I cannot," she had finally finished, moving her face away to gaze up at the handsome priest. "Lord Yuy needs me."

Duo had nodded silently, his eyes darkening slightly at her master's name, and looked away. "I understand," he had replied in a low voice. "I have duties myself, things that I am bound to." Hilde had looked at him then, her blue eyes filled with sadness and understanding as well: He was the same as her, as she had told him earlier. There had to be some way, though...

Duo had kissed her then, stopping her thoughts, and reached down to caress her cheek gently one last time. "You must go now," he had said, his voice stronger now. "But I will see you again. I /will/." The violet eyes filled with determination. Hilde had nodded, smiling a little, and caressed his own face in a return gesture of devotion before turning and leaving the church. He had stood on the steps outside, watching her until she finally disappeared behind the trees. Only when her small pale form was gone did he go back inside.

He had to think.

Hilde reached the house just as one of Lady Relena's attendant girls, a tiny thirteen-year-old named Michiko, stepped out onto the veranda, holding a bundle of dirty cloths in her arms. She was surprised to see that all the lanterns were still lit throughout the house despite the late hour; everyone was awake now, and there was no chance at all that her tardiness would go unnoticed. Hilde hurried her step, running delicately up the steps of the veranda to meet the attendant.

Michiko watched the other girl approach, having noticed her shape moving through the garden as she slid the shoji screen closed behind her. "Lady Hilde!" she cried, dropping her bundle on the wooden slats of the veranda floor and hurrying over to meet the courtesan. She took one of the other girl's arms in her own and began to lead her inside the house. "We have been so worried about you! You have taken no attendant with you once again, and to the village! Anything could have happened there!"

Hilde allowed the servant to walk her inside and down the long hallway, her eyes taking in the sight before her. Every servant in the household was crowded around Lady Relena's chamber screen, talking nervously, excitedly. The lights in the house were bright, giving the impression of daylight, and Hilde's eyes ached against them. There was an aura of danger and excitement in the air. She wondered if she were the cause of it, or Lady Relena... Hilde stopped abruptly, taking Michiko's arms and turning the girl towards her.

"Michiko-san, is Mistress Relena alright?" she asked frantically, her blue eyes widening in concern, her brows furrowing. She knew she would die if she had been the cause of any harm to Lady Relena, her only friend.

Michiko shook her head fervently, staring back at the courtesan with mirrored concern. She reached up one hand to smooth Hilde's makeup across one cheek; it had smeared slightly, as if she had been kissed or touched passionately there. Michiko's brown eyes lit up in silent realization of what Hilde had been doing and she immediately looked away, embarassed at her knowledge. Hilde dismissed the servant girl's reaction and continued to gaze at her steadily, her eyes silently pleading for answers. Michiko shook her head again, keeping her eyes down.

"No, Lady Hilde, Mistress Relena is fine," she replied softly. "She had the baby tonight-"

Hilde gasped softly and straightened up, one small hand flying to her mouth as if she had forgotten something. "Oh, no," she whispered, the light blush of her cheeks draining. "It was too early... The baby..." She wavered where she stood and Michiko hurried to help her stay upright.

"Yes, a month early," Michiko replied. "But the baby is fine, Lady Hilde, I reassure you! And Mistress Relena is just a bit tired, that is all. The baby is very small, but very healthy, hai, and beautiful." The girl looked up then, a small smile playing across her lips. "Would you like to see him?"

Hilde stood silent, leaning on the smaller girl for support, taking in everything she had said. The baby was healthy. And it was a boy, just as Lady Relena had predicted. The color slowly returned to her face, her strength coming back. She straightened once again, brushing a strand of hair absently behind her ear, and turned back to the servant girl.

"Arigatou, Michiko-san," Hilde whispered, lowering her eyes, embarassed at her loss of control, the slight feelings of guilt that gnawed at the back of the mind and showed in her voice and actions. She should have been at her mistress's side that night. She should have been where she belonged, and not filling her own selfish desires. She closed her eyes. "I want to go see Mistress Relena," she said softly.

Michiko nodded silently and began to lead Hilde down the hallway towards the crowded chambers. Before they reached the open screen, the girl suddenly pulled Hilde close and brought her mouth close to the other girl's ear. "Lady Hilde," she whispered. "I promise not to tell anything." She looked up with sincere brown eyes, her furrowed brows slightly hidden behind the thin black strands of her bangs.

Hilde stared down at the younger girl, confused at first as to what she was saying, then realizing: She knew Hilde had been with another man. The makeup, smeared across her cheek, on her neck. She prayed silently that they could not still smell the scent of sex upon her and reached down to take the servant girl's hands in her own, giving them a gentle, friendly squeeze. "Arigatou, Michiko-san," Hilde said again. "I owe you so much."

Michiko smiled softly and shook her head. "No," she replied. "I do not ever want you to leave here. No one does. Now, go see Mistress Relena, she has been so worried about you as well. Kudasai." She bowed slightly and leaned up to kiss Hilde's cheek tenderly, smiling once more before hurrying off.

Hilde smiled after her and then pushed past the throng of servants crowded at the open screen, entering the brightly lit chamber. Lady Relena lay back on her white silk beddings, a single sheet wrapped about her lower body, her long golden hair splayed behind her on the pillows she was propped on, her pale face freshly made up with soft blue shadow lining her eyes and dusted over her eyelids, and a light pink shimmer coating her lips. She wore a single, misted white robe that hinted at the fullness of her breasts beneath, her soft pink nipples barely visible through the filmy fabric. She was still radiantly beautiful, even in her exhaustion.

Lady Dorothy knelt on a tiny woven mat on the floor next to her, dressed in a simple black-and-white patterned kimono, one black-gloved hand stretched forth, holding one of Lady Relena's tightly, comfortingly. She spoke in soft tones to the other blonde woman, her lightly accented Italian voice lilting in her French. Lord Yuy stood against the wall nearby, arms crossed over his chest, his head down, eyes hidden by the long bangs. One arm was bandaged tightly in blue fabric stained with dark red fluid: Blood. He didn't look up as Hilde entered the room, but continued to tap the sharp tip of his sword against the floor, over and over. Hilde felt her body go numb with fear, knowing that she would soon pay for her disobedience.

Lady Relena's aquamarine eyes suddenly shifted from Lady Dorothy, coming to rest on Hilde, and she smiled, her face brightening. "Lady Hilde," she said, gesturing with one hand. "Please come here, I have been so worried about you!" Lady Dorothy looked up then, turning to watch her courtesan cross the room and fall to her knees beside her new mistress. She watched her with a guarded suspiciousness, hidden well in the icy depths of her pale blue-lavender eyes, but expressed clearly in the arch of one wild, dark eyebrow. Hilde bowed slightly to her, keeping her eyes downcast, and then took Lady Relena's other hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing it with sincere apologeticness.

"Gomen nasai, Mistress Relena," Hilde said softly, the tears she had not allowed herself to shed for Duo falling freely now for her mistress, catching in her eyelashes and sparkling in the brilliant light of the room. "I went to pray at the church this afternoon, and then I stayed for the mass... I never meant to stay so long, Mistress Relena. Please, forgive me." She bent her head, continuing to rain kisses on the soft, delicate hand.

Lady Relena laughed softly, kindly, and took Hilde's chin in her other hand, lifting it gently, making the courtesan look up at her. "There is no need for forgiveness, Lady Hilde," she said, shaking her head. "You have not upset me. I am sorry that you missed the baby, but there is no harm in going to church." She smiled. "You are completely forgiven, my sweet little one."

Hilde smiled back, halfheartedly, through her tears, wiping them away carefully. "Arigatou, Mistress Relena," she said, kissing the other woman's hand once more. "I know I shall never forgive myself, though. Where is the baby?"

"The other attendants are taking care of him in the adjoining chamber," Lady Dorothy suddenly spoke up, answering for Lady Relena. She regarded Hilde with a cool expression, her eyes silently taunting: She knew the truth of why Hilde had gone to the church. "Perhaps you will be able to see him tomorrow; he must be cared for diligently tonight. I myself will be taking my leave now." She bent to kiss Lady Relena's lips gently before turning to the courtesan and giving her her own kiss, this one vigorous, almost angry, her tongue stabbing at Hilde's, silently telling her of her imminent punishment. Hilde kissed back tentatively, her eyes shifting towards Lord Yuy, still positioned against the wall, although he looked up now, watching the two women with dark Prussian blue eyes rife with emotions.

Lady Dorothy pulled away then, breaking the unaffectionate kiss abruptly and standing up. She nodded slightly to Lord Yuy in recognition and gave Hilde one last, warning look before saying her good-byes and well-wishes to Lady Relena and turning towards the open screen, disappearing through it. Lady Relena turned back to Hilde then, her hand still firmly clasped in the other girl's.

"I think I shall sleep now," she said as the crowd of servants began to filter away from the screen and back to their own occupations. She reached over to turn down the oil lantern by her beddings; Hilde quickly turned the small handle for her. The room was suddenly bathed in the pale, diffuse light of the full moon, everything basked in hues of blue and cloudy white. "Please come visit me tomorrow," the lady continued, her eyes holding a secret confidence: She wanted Hilde to tell her of what had happened today. Hilde nodded silently.

"Hai, Mistress Relena," she replied. "Tomorrow." The lady's hand fell from her own then and the aquamarine eyes closed. In the next chamber, the soft whimpering of the newborn baby wafted through the thin screens. Hilde rose slowly to her feet. Lord Yuy approached her then, taking her arm firmly.

"Come."

Hilde felt the deadened weight of fear settle in her stomach once again, her body slick with a sheen of cold sweat, as she allowed her master to lead her quickly down the hallway towards his own chambers. He slid the screen open with one hand, tugging Hilde inside the room, the windows covered with long drapes of heavy dark material, keeping the light out and closing in the darkness. A sense of dread came over Hilde then; the gloom promised depravity, penalization. Punishment.

Lord Yuy slid the screen closed behind them, turning to the courtesan with a blank, indifferent expression etched across his darkly handsome features. "You did not obey me," he said quietly, crossing his arms over his chest once again. He stepped forward, beginning a slow walk around the girl, circling her like a predator stalking its prey. The Prussian eyes bored into her, searing her; he could see into her soul. Hilde felt her knees go weak.

"Heero-sama-" she began, but was immediately cut off as a sharp slap hit her across the face, stinging her cheek and bringing tears to her eyes. She reached up, feeling the flesh grow hot, and instinctively kept her eyes down, fearing another blow if she looked up at him.

"Do not call me that," Lord Yuy continued, his voice still even, unaffected. "You are not to use my name, not until I have given you that privilege once again." He stopped his menacing circling and reached out a hand to gently caress her cheek where he had struck her, lovingly. Light fingertips brushed against the growing welt and she flinched.

"From now on, you will call me Master," Lord Yuy finished, continuing to stroke her tenderly. "And you will not disobey me again. I had thought we had made it clear that you would not leave these premises without the proper protection." The hand on her face trailed lower, playing across her delicate collarbone, moving the fabric of her kimono away to bare pale skin.

So he hadn't found out about Duo, she thought, allowing herself to breathe a silent sigh of relief. So Lady Dorothy hadn't shared her secret. Hilde stayed silent, her breathing growing ragged as his touch soothed her, aroused her. She still belonged to him; he still held the power over her, forcing her to give. And she wanted to give, she realized as his hand drifted to the sash of her kimono, pulling it loose. She wanted to give with pleasure. Duo could understand that much.

Lord Yuy tore the scant violet material from the courtesan's body then, making her gasp as the cold night air hit her exposed flesh, his eyes taking her in thoroughly. He saw her with new eyes tonight, possessively. She was his, and his alone. He stared at her, scrutinizing his lovely possession.

The courtesan stood before him, her azure eyes, so expressive, so trusting, dutifully downcast, almost shyly. But she was not shy, Lord Yuy noted with a small smirk, her body straight, arms hanging languidly at her sides, her shoulders thrust back. Displaying herself, proud of her beautiful young flesh. Her hair fell loose, tumbling down to her tiny waist in black, silky tangles. His eyes travelled lower, taking in the perkiness of her small young breasts, her smooth flat stomach, the soft short hairs modestly covering her most secret places. She was all gentle curves and soft malleable flesh, innocent and naive. He drank her in hungrily, imagining the Spanish commander Treize looking at her this way, or one of his men. She wouldn't know better; she would yield to their touches, their kisses, their lusty thrusts into her small, slender body. She would give, as she had been taught to. He couldn't stand it.

Grabbing the girl roughly by her arms, Lord Yuy turned her around so her back was faced to him and pushed her down to the floor on the dark blue beddings, making sure she landed on all fours, her knees spread. He followed the spread of her hips, the curve of her heart-shaped bottom, soft and amply fleshed, begging to be touched, kissed. Whipped. Another small smile curved his lips.

"You will wait here," Lord Yuy finally spoke, placing a hand on the small of her back and pressing down to emphasize his words. "And you will stay like this until I return. Do not move or try to run; I promise it will only be worse if you do." He turned away from her then, taking a long white bathing cloth from a hook on the wall, and proceeded outside to the bath house.

Hilde remained still, rooted in her submissive position upon the soft beddings, until she heard the shoji screen slide closed behind him and then his footsteps thudding softly down the veranda steps. Only then did she allow herself to tremble in her nakedness against the cold, her cheek still aflame from her master's anger. She realized she would have to do whatever Lord Yuy commanded of her in order to keep his wrath at bay, despite everything she now knew she felt for Duo.

Duo would gladly suffer more than this for her, Hilde thought, knowing that he, too, shared the difficult journey ahead. This was her sacrifice. Still, it was a sacrifice not without pleasure; the handsome Japanese lord would forever hold a part of her. Hilde gave herself completely over to that part now, the part that still craved her master's love, just as she heard the screen slide open again and the lord entered.

The corner of Lord Yuy's mouth quirked slightly at the sight of his beautiful slave, still perfectly positioned as he had left her. Naked, crystalline droplets of water still clinging to his body and dampening the long, dark peaks of hair that fell between his eyes from his bath, he crossed the room to stand behind the supplicant girl.

Hilde felt his prescence behind her and closed her eyes, willing her breath to slow and her body to cease its trembling. A droplet of sweat trickled slowly down the valley between her breasts. Lord Yuy was moving now, the heavy lid of his private oak chest thrown back loudly. He rummaged through it until he found what he had been looking for: Four tiny, black leather cuffs attatched to long silver chains. Hilde heard the familiar tinkling as he approached her and her mouth went dry with fear, her palms turning clammy where she rested upon them. And yet, erotic anticipation tugged at her abdomen, wetting her inner thighs. She sighed, raggedly, pleasurably. This would be the last time.

Lord Yuy came around then to stand in front of her, grabbing her arms and yanking them forward to cuff her wrists, winding the long chains around the wooden posts of the beddings and securing them there with a metal clip, much as she had tied him down with her silk scarves the night before. His face was blank, the eyes dark and hardened in concentration as he fitted the second clip onto the chain binding her right wrist.

Hilde watched him beneath the feathery veil of her eyelashes, her eyes sweeping over his beautiful face, the wild peaks of dark hair falling across his forehead, and then lower, taking in the hard-packed muscles of his chest and lower still, to his long, thick sex, semierect. A hot flush ran through her as she gazed at it, remembering the first time she had felt him within her, so large and hot, and wanting him more.

Lord Yuy's eyes snapped up then, sensing Hilde's gaze, and he smiled lightly, reaching up to brush her bangs back from her forehead. "Soon, koishii," he whispered, almost teasingly. "I am not through with you yet. Now stay still, and do not turn around."

He stood up then and walked back behind her, taking her ankles roughly and cuffing them quickly, looping the chains around the posts and clipping them tightly. Soon she was fully bound, held securely in her servile stance, on hands and knees. Hilde closed her eyes again, waited for the punishment to begin, her back and palms beginning to ache from staying still for so long.

A warm, soft wetness touched the flesh of her rear then and Hilde gasped in both surprise and pleasure, her muscles relaxing from their tension of expectant pain. Lord Yuy continued to kiss every space of the soft, pale flesh, his hands massaging the thighs below. After a long moment, the hands travelled upwards, spreading Hilde's rear. His tongue delved in then, running slowly down the crack in the middle, and then, equally as slowly, back up again. Hilde whimpered softly, releasing her breath in a lust-felt sigh at his intensely intimate touch. Her sex was soaked, aching.

"Tell me about the priest," Lord Yuy murmured, his voice remaining flat, emotionless. Once more his tongue made the descent down the divide. Hilde tensed inwardly, her eyes fluttering open, the erotic haze in her mind gone. So he did know...

"Tell me about him, Hilde-chan," Lord Yuy repeated, moving a hand back up to caress her rear. "Tell me about Duo Maxwell." He pinched the softness then, hard. Hilde cried out softly.

"He is only a priest," she finally managed to choke out, struggling to keep her tone even, nonchalant. "He is only a friend. He hears my confession sometimes."

Lord Yuy was silent, his hand continuing to stroke Hilde's rear slowly, lovingly. His sex hardened; she was lying. Lady Dorothy had told him that much.

Suddenly, Lord Yuy was on his feet, grabbing his whip from the open chest- two feet long, a short wooden handle to grip, many black leather straps. He shook out the straps, turning his wrist in preparation. He stepped back then with his right foot, drawing back his arm as if he were readying to throw something.

"You lie to me."

Lord Yuy snapped his arm forth hard, the straps striking Hilde's flesh with brutal force. She cried out, her arms pulling against the chains, tears springing to her eyes. Her cry, wet and sensual, even in its pain, aroused him. Lord Yuy struck her again.

"Please, Master," Hilde cried, a sob tearing her throat. "I am not lying, I swear it!"

Another blow cut into her then, making her scream in pain. The smooth, once-pale flesh of her lush bottom was a bright scarlet now, swollen with growing welts. The sight was provocative, beautiful. Lord Yuy felt himself grow harder at the vision before him, his anger giving way to pure lust. He lashed out at her once more.

"You would be wise not to speak," he finally replied. "Your denials only anger me more." He continued to whip her then, over and over, her girlish cries and screams only driving him onward.

Hilde let the tears flow freely now, her body wracking with both sobs and the force of the blows Lord Yuy continued to bestow upon her. But although her voice spoke otherwise, she felt herself enjoying this, enjoying the pain. She had suffered this punishment many times before at the hands of Lady Dorothy and her body had learned to bear it well.

Her thoughts turned to Duo, reminding herself that this exquisite pain was for him, that he was the cause of it. She surrendered her body to the sensation of the whip then, her mind rife with conflicting emotions, wanting Lord Yuy to love her, to take her, and yet only wanting Duo.

Lord Yuy smiled as Hilde's body relaxed, her tortured cries turning into moans of extreme pleasure, her back arching to his blows, lifting her beautiful heart-shaped bottom in offering. He stopped then, dropping to his knees to lick the abraded flesh thoroughly before moving his mouth next to her ear and whispering, "You do not love him."

Hilde whimpered, a wet, pleading sound, and twisted her face to his, her long hair tangled and damp, clinging to her cheek and back. Her tongue snaked out, licked Lord Yuy's lips.

"Take me, Master," she pleaded, straining against the chains. "Give me your sex..." She bumped her forehead against his cheek then, insistently. One large, male hand slid down between her legs.

"You are dripping," Lord Yuy said, his monotonous voice holding a hint of amusement. He moved a finger inside, insinuating. "Hn." Hilde groaned against his neck and he smirked, twisted his finger around languidly. Another finger moved to rub her clitoris. Hilde felt herself ready to fall over the edge.

"Master!" she cried, throwing her head back.

"Only I can give you this, Hilde-chan, this pleasure..." Lord Yuy continued in a whisper, his voice silky, husky against her ear as he continued to rub her. "I gave you freedom; I can take it away. I gave you my respect..." He pulled his fingers out then, shoved them into Hilde's mouth to taste. She sucked eagerly, taking her mind off the absence of his fingers.

"...I can take that away, too," the lord went on, reaching up to stroke Hilde's long blue-black hair. Her makeup was ruinously smeared now, mascara clinging to her cheeks in thick black rivulets from her tears, her red mouth an almost garish contrast to her pale skin and an imitation of the redness of her rear: The marks of his love. Lord Yuy thought she had never looked so beautiful, completely under his power as she begged him to take her, to place his cock inside her.

"Please, my master..." she whispered.

"I never want to hurt you, Hilde-chan," Lord Yuy said softly, silencing her and moving his hands down to snap off the clips holding the chains that bound his lovely slave. "I am in love with you."

Hilde pulled herself to a sitting position before her master, freed now. She turned to face him then, the cuffs still attatched to her wrists and ankles, the chains dangling from them. They tinkled as she moved. The Prussian blue eyes continued to stare at her; she knew his words were true.

"Master-" Hilde began, but was immediately cut off as Lord Yuy grabbed her arms, pulling her to him, into his lap. He held a finger to her lips; the tip of his maleness poised inside her entrance.

"...But if you force me..." The dark cerulean eyes fixed on Hilde, searching, as he continued. "...Omae o korosu," he finished, and in one violent thrust, he plunged his throbbing, erect cock deep inside the courtesan, making her cry with both surprise and ecstasy.

They made love madly, brutally, reaching perfect satisfaction over and over, until Hilde's inner places ached with the pleasure and pain of Lord Yuy's relentless thrusts, and the lord himself was drained of passion, his bronzed flesh covered in sweat and their combined fluids, his sex growing limp and flaccid.

Finally, Lord Yuy pulled out, kissing the beautiful young girl's lips tenderly, raising her chin with his knuckles to face him. "Say that you belong to me, Hilde-chan," he said in a low, toneless voice, bereft of emotion but clearly expressed in his incredible blue eyes.

Hilde gazed back at him, devoid of any urges to resist him: She knew she would always belong to him, somehow. "I belong to you," she finally replied, burying her face against the lord's neck. "I belong to you, my master." They kissed.

His words echoed through her mind then, emotionless, yet still menacing: "But if you force me, I will kill you." She shuddered inwardly even as his powerful arms embraced her lovingly, as his lips and tongue caressed her with sincere tenderness, as he whispered erotic promises into her hair, her ear.

She would have to make her escape soon.

Hilde awoke in the thick darkness that had blanketed the room when she first entered last night, all light from both inside and outside the house completely blocked out by the long, dark drapes. So her punishment- the whip, the screams, the sex- could be hidden from the world, she thought, forcing her eyes open wider despite the throbbing pain that resounded in her head. The memory of last night still aroused her, though, and Hilde could feel the familiar damp stickiness coating her inner thighs.

Suddenly, a bright whiteness filled her vision, its brilliance causing her to close her eyes and cry out softly in surprise. "Gomen nasai, Lady Hilde, it is only me," a young female voice replied hurriedly.

The servant girl Michiko appeared before the courtesan then, carrying a fresh kimono and a small jar of green herbs in her arms. She knelt down with a small smile of greeting and smoothed a long black tangle behind Hilde's ear. "How are you this morning, my lady?" she asked.

Hilde smiled back, grateful for the other girl's prescence, and moved to push herself to a sitting position on the still-damp beddings. The sore flesh of her rear rubbed against the sheets at her movement then and she flinched. Michiko leaned forward to help her settle in more comfortably, worry etched across her features. Hilde cast her another smile.

"Do not worry, Michiko-san," she replied. "I am fine."

Michiko shook her head. "Kudasai, my lady," she said. "Please allow me to help." She reached forward then to grasp Hilde's shoulders, gently turning the elder girl so her back was to her and she now faced the beddings. "Lie down," the servant girl commanded softly.

Hilde obeyed silently, grateful for the release of painful pressure on her rear as she laid back on the soft coverings on her stomach, closing her eyes. Michiko's hands were upon her soon after, removing the sheet that had been covering her nakedness and revealing her flesh to the cold once more. Hilde drew in her breath sharply at the exposure and a hand came to rest on her back, stroking gently.

"Shh, it is alright, Lady Hilde," Michiko whispered comfortingly. "I promise this will not hurt." She opened the jar of herbs then and selected two long, green leaves. With her fingertips, she smoothed the moisture that had collected in the shiny top layer of each leaf off, and began to carefully work it into Hilde's soft, abraded flesh.

Hilde let her breath out slowly, relaxing under Michiko's gentle touch. The sensation of the younger girl's practiced fingers on her rear was pleasurable, almost subtly erotic. She allowed her to work the salve completely in, the pain ebbing away to only a dull ache now.

Afterwards, two other girls entered Lord Yuy's chamber to sponge bathe and clothe the courtesan, leaving Michiko free to attend to her other duties within the house. She left with another smile, whispering, "Mistress Relena will see you in her chambers when you are ready" before she disappeared through the shoji screen and out into the hallway.

"Arigatou, Michiko-san," Hilde replied. For everything, she added silently as one of the other attendants drew her gently to her feet and slipped a beautiful, black georgette kimono over her naked body, the other lacing her hakama trousers up at her hips. But still it could not be saved, Hilde finished sadly, staring vacantly out the large window as the servants finished tying the sash on her kimono and began on her makeup. The sun shone brightly today, its luminescence glinting fiercely off the snow that still lay heavily upon the ground, creating the blinding whiteness that had greeted Hilde when she awoke.

Finally- skin silky smooth and flawlessly white, eyes deeply shadowed and lined in an ebony-sapphire shade, lips a shiny, bright candied red, and clothed in the clinging, shimmering black georgette- Hilde was escorted down the hallway to the Lady Relena's chambers, prepared to meet her mistress. The lady herself still lay on her beddings upon the floor, propped up on white lace pillows, when the courtesan entered the room. She had changed into a deep aquamarine cashmere robe that sought to imitate the color of her eyes, the top folds opened slightly to bare one ample breast from which a tiny infant suckled hungrily: The baby. Her and Lord Yuy's son. She smiled as Hilde slid the screen closed behind her and motioned for her to come sit beside her.

"Good morning, Lady Hilde," Lady Relena said as the girl approached, bowing respectfully. "Come, I want you to meet little Takashi." She gently removed her nipple from the baby's mouth, closing the top of her robe over her chest once again and presenting the swaddled child to the other girl as she knelt down on a simple straw mat by the beddings with a proud smile.

Hilde smiled softly back and reached for the tiny child, taking the blue bundle from her mistress's arms and holding him against her chest. He was even smaller than she had imagined, his little pink face scrunched in an expression of protest at being taken away from his mother, hands balled into tiny fists. Hilde smiled down at him and reached down with one hand to stroke one cheek with her fingertips.

"Mistress Relena, he is beautiful," she said. Suddenly, Takashi moved in her arms, tilting his head back, his eyes opening. Hilde drew in her breath; his eyes were gorgeous, big and sparkling, a mixture of Prussian and aquamarine that was almost hazel. Beautiful, hypnotic eyes...

"His eyes are just like Master Yuy's," Hilde breathed, remembering his eyes last night, as he made love to her. She closed her own eyes then, willing her heart to slow its racing at the memory. Lady Relena watched her silently, thoughtfully.

Two attendant girls entered the chamber then, taking Takashi gently from Hilde's arms and bringing him back to his nursery in the next chamber, leaving the two women alone. Lady Relena finally spoke, jarring Hilde from her thoughts.

"Did he hurt you very badly?" She sat up straighter on her beddings then and leaned forward, reaching up to caress Hilde's face, brushing back her long bangs and then letting her fingertips trail down her cheek to her sensuously pouty lips. "He says you are even more beautiful when you are in pain."

Hilde opened her eyes then and stared silently at her mistress, wondering why Lord Yuy had told his wife of their passions last night. Perhaps Lady Relena, too, wished to see her downfall, as did Lady Dorothy...

"Did you and Lady Dorothy plan this?" Hilde asked, lowering her eyes, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, anger and sadness at her sisters' betrayal threatening to cloud her judgement. "Did you wish for Master Yuy to dismiss me?"

Lady Relena shook her head fervently, reaching forward to take the courtesan's hand, lifting her chin with the other, forcing the girl to face her. "No! No, of course not!" she replied hurriedly, her brows furrowing in concern, the aquamarine eyes filling with genuine sincerity. "I would never do anything to hurt you. Lady Dorothy and I have nothing but love for you, Lady Hilde. You must know that." Hilde nodded slowly, silently. Lady Relena sighed heavily, sitting back, her hand still firmly holding Hilde's.

"Lord Yuy came back from the Kitakyushu estate yesterday and you were gone," she explained. "I did not want to reveal where you had truly went, so I told him you had gone for a walk to the village. Lord Yuy went to fetch Lady Dorothy... They have always been very close friends." She paused for breath before continuing.

"He asked her if she had seen you, and so she told him of Father Maxwell, that perhaps you might be there. They did not go to search the church because I went into labor then." Lady Relena lowered her eyes then and brought Hilde's hand up to her lips, kissing it gently. "Gomen nasai, Lady Hilde," she said softly. "I never meant for him to hurt you. And Lady Dorothy did not wish for any harm to come upon you, either."

Hilde accepted her mistress's kiss and returned the gesture, shaking her head and casting a small smile at the blonde woman. "No, Mistress Relena, you should not be sorry," she said. "It is I who should apologize for placing you in a position where you felt you had to lie for me. You did not have to, although I am eternally grateful. And the pain was not so bad, really. Angering my master was far worse punishment."

Lady Relena looked up then, her eyes shifting to gaze out of the long window across the room, pensively. "He has shared his pain with me as well," she said, her voice distant, almost dreamy. "You are not alone."

Hilde gazed at her mistress, her blue eyes widening with curiousity and incredulity. "He has..." she began, her cheeks coloring at the image forming in her mind. "... He has whipped you before, my mistress?"

Lady Relena nodded slowly, her own cheeks flushing, lending her smooth, pale complexion a sweet, pink glow. "Hai," she breathed, her eyes lowering once again, her bottom lip catching between her teeth. Hilde moved forward, coming to kneel on the beddings beside the lady, taking her hand in her own once more, wanting to know more.

"The first time was the night of our wedding," Lady Relena finally spoke, encouraged by the courtesan's awestruck silence. "We had made love many times before then, but that night he decided to bring out the whip." She paused, opening her eyes and casting them towards the ceiling, as if searching for the right way to share her most private memory with her new friend.

"Hee-kun has always been a man of fantasies," she continued. "Dark fantasies... And war. War arouses him. I suppose that is why he is a samurai, ne?" She looked down quickly again, giggling girlishly. Hilde smiled, her blush deepening.

"What happened, Mistress Relena?" she asked.

"First he had me pierced- my nose, nipples, navel, and tongue- because he loved the way it looked on me and the way it felt when I took his sex into my mouth, the way the gold stud in my tongue felt on him," Lady Relena began, keeping her eyes down, concentrating on the memory. "Then he had me lie down naked upon the beddings, facing upward, binding my wrists and ankles with leather and chaining them to the posts. My legs were spread; I was open, defenseless. He knelt down then and kissed me, kissed my entire body, his fingers playing with the gold ring dangling from my navel, while his tongue played over the rings on my nipples... I will never forget the way he looked at me, his eyes. Arrogant, pleased, as if he had captured me and I were his prey, for him to do what he wanted with."

Her ebon-shadowed eyelids fluttered closed then, her breath growing shallow. Hilde watched her, remembering her own night with the handsome lord, knowing what she was now feeling, remembering. She continued.

"He stood up afterwards... drew his arm with the whip back..." Her hand fluttered at the top folds of her robe, opening them slightly to cool her flushed body. "... And then he whipped me, over and over, especially across my breasts and sex," Lady Relena finished breathlessly, her skin glowing with a soft sheen of sweat. "It hurt so much, hai, but soon I began to feel the pleasure of it, and I understood why he enjoyed giving me this pain." The aquamarine eyes opened once again, fixing on Hilde. The courtesan continued to kneel silently, listening.

"Do you know why I tell you this now, Lady Hilde?" the lady asked. Hilde shook her head.

"I tell you this now because I want you to know you are free." Lady Relena leaned forward then, her eyes searching the girl's blue ones, so innocent and trusting. "You do not have to stay here anymore. Now that Takashi has been born, I am able to fill Lord Yuy's needs once again, as I did before, as I have told you. You are free to love as you wish."

Hilde gazed at her mistress, unbelieving of what she was hearing. Free... She would be able to fill Lord Yuy's needs once again... Free to love as she wished. Free to love Duo Maxwell. Hilde shook her head slowly, unable to understand what the lady meant.

"Mistress Relena, you do not mean that-" she began, but was immediately cut off by one slim finger placed against her lips, silencing her. "No, I do mean this," Lady Relena replied firmly. "And although it pains me to see my dearest sister leave, and although Lord Yuy will also mourn your departure, I truly believe this is best for you.

"You have led a life of servitude ever since you came to Lady Dorothy. I have had the chance to meet you, talk to you, share things with you that I have never shared with any other woman, or man, even. I love you as my sister, Lady Hilde, and so much more. And I know that you deserve more than a servant's life." She paused for breath once again before continuing, her hand still firmly grasping the courtesan's.

"Even though my husband is a wonderful man, he is very demanding and sometimes difficult to please. And you, you are so young, not yet having experienced love. /Real/ love..." Lady Relena reached forward then to caress the beautiful girl's delicate face once more, her eyes clear, sincere. "I know that you deserve that much, Lady Hilde."

Hilde continued to gaze at her mistress, slowly taking in what she was saying. She was free, as she had been in Germany... Free to love Duo. Lord Yuy's words came back to her again, echoing in her mind: "Aishiteru, Hilde-chan... I am in love with you." His love would not be so easy to break.

"We are supposed to leave tomorrow," Lady Relena's voice suddenly cut through the silence, bringing Hilde back to the present. "To the Kitakyushu estate," she continued. "Lord Yuy wants to move us and Takashi from here for the battle. It begins tomorrow."

Move... The battle. Duo. Hilde closed her eyes. "I cannot-" she began, but was interrupted by Lady Relena's hand squeezing her own, hard. Urging her to leave.

"You must go now, Lady Hilde."

"Shinpu Maxwell, where should I put these boxes? The village women have made us more candles for mass, candles of every single color!"

Father Duo Maxwell turned from his sweeping of the aisle to face the young altar boy who had just entered the church from his walk through the village. He laughed, watching as the boy set down his many boxes of candles and frowned down at them, exasperated with the village women's overbearing hospitality.

"Don't worry, Alexander, they are only trying to be nice," the priest replied. "And what would we do without candles anyways?" The boy shrugged, his expression turning thoughtful, and Duo laughed again. "Just place them downstairs in the supply room for now. After that, I need you to come back and help me wash windows."

Alexander looked up at the spacious church windows, the massive panes of stained glass enclosing the altar and side walls, and groaned in protest. Duo shrugged this time, mocking the boy's helpless expression at the candles, and Alexander quickly nodded and hurried off to help his master.

Duo stared after him, smiling, grateful for the boy's help. The church was not an easy place to clean, he thought, looking up at the windows that still needed to be washed and then back down to the aisle spread before him, unfinished in his sweeping. He sighed heavily, shaking his head, and returned to his broom.

The doors to the church swung open just then, thudding closed loudly as the three figures who stepped through entered. Duo turned around once again, hoping to see the beautiful courtesan. /His/ courtesan. A familiar male voice spoke then, crushing his hopes.

"Father Maxwell, I am glad that I caught you unoccupied," the smooth, melodious voice said, his tone friendly. "I have some important news for you."

Duo watched as the tall French commander walked gracefully down the aisle, his long black cape sweeping the floor behind him and touching the feet of the man who followed him. The commander came to a stop before the young priest, the other man and another small, slender figure stopping beside him. The other man was Asian, slim and tautly muscular beneath his iridiscent white jacket and trousers, with black hair slicked back into a short ponytail and intense dark eyes in an equally intense, pale face. The figure standing respectfully apart from him was decidedly a female, Asian as well, her gentle curves slightly visible beneath her green-gold jacket and trousers, long black hair elaborately twisted up and laced with sprigs of green leaves, eyes lowered, her makeup flawless. Duo waited for Treize to introduce them.

"Forgive me, Father Maxwell," the commander finally spoke, noticing the awkward silence. "I have forgotten my manners. I would like you to meet Chang Wufei. He has travelled here from China, Shanghai, to claim this port."

Duo nodded, extending his hand in greeting to the Chinese man. The other man declined the gesture, inclining his head in acknowledgement instead. Duo turned to the girl then.

"This is Mr. Chang's wife, Chang Meiran," Treize continued. "She has travelled with him to aid in the conquest."

The girl looked up, her beautiful onyx eyes fixing on the priest. She bowed her head politely, a small smile curving her candied red lips, the emeralds dangling from her ears tinkling at the movement. Duo smiled back and returned the gesture, his gaze remaining on the girl even as Treize continued to speak. There was something about her that reminded him so much of Hilde- the sincerity of her smile, her delicate beauty, the mischeivious glint in her eyes. She seemed so familiar to him somehow...

"... so I have come to tell you that we are no longer needed here." Treize's voice cut through Duo's thoughts then, bringing him back to the present. He turned to the commander, confusion clouding his violet eyes.

"No longer needed?" he asked. "The Spanish are defeated?"

Treize smiled and shook his head. "No," he replied. "Even though I have not been able to reach an agreement with Lord Yuy, we are not yet defeated. I have turned the port over to Mr. Chang. It is his to govern now, and we shall return to Spain."

Duo stared at the French man silently, not understanding what he meant. "But, Commander, I thought the Spanish sought to capture this port for Spain... and you would command it, yes?"

Treize sighed and lowered his eyes, nodding slowly. "Yes," he replied. "Yes, that is what the government has wished for me to accomplish." He looked up then, his deep azure eyes hard and darkened, almost angry. "But I have more personal matters to attend to here. I will be leaving with those matters solved."

Duo nodded, understanding the commander's unspoken reasons. "Then I suppose the church will be leaving as well?"

Treize's eyes refocused, fixing on Duo as if just noticing he were standing there. "That is what I came here to tell you," he said. "Bishop Andrade from the Osaka Church is coming here to take over operations and have an audience with Mr. Chang, since it is now his decision to keep the Jesuit missionaries here or not. You will be free to leave or stay, whatever the decision comes to, Father Maxwell."

Leave... He would be able to leave. With Hilde. He would have to find a way to take her from here, before Lord Yuy found out about Treize's trade of the port to Chang, before the battle that he knew was bound to come would. Before Bishop Andrade came and found out that one of his Jesuit priests was sleeping with a courtesan, Duo thought, wry amusement lifting the corners of his mouth slightly. He would have to renounce his priesthood first and then take Hilde. Tonight.

"Thank you for sharing this news with me, Commander Treize," Duo finally spoke, stepping down from the altar to take the hand the commander offered him and shaking it firmly. "I have already made my decision. When will you plan to leave here?"

Treize arched an eyebrow at the priest's abrupt declaration. So he would be leaving as well. "Tomorrow, if God is willing," he replied. "Do you wish to depart with us once again?"

Duo nodded. "Yes, if it won't be too much trouble."

Treize shook his head and smiled. "No, not at all," he said. "Then I shall see you tomorrow." He bowed his head slightly and turned back towards the church doors. "I will come here to meet you myself."

Duo nodded once again and walked with the trio to the doors. "Thank you once again, Commander," he said as the French man opened one door and stepped out into the quickly darkening twilight. "And thank you as well, Mr. Chang, for allowing me to leave." Chang inclined his head in silent acknowledgement of the priest's gratitude and took his wife's arm.

"You are welcome, Father Maxwell," Treize replied for both men. "Or should I now call you... Duo?" He smiled and the priest grinned, almost shyly. "We shall see you tomorrow."

Duo watched the three walk slowly back to the commander's waiting carriage, waiting until they disappeared inside the dark depths before returning inside the church for his last night.

Only when he turned back to close the doors behind him did he see the girl Meiran's pale, pretty face staring at him from behind the filmy blue curtains of the carriage window, the same secret, knowing smile curving her full red lips.

Again he thought of Hilde.

Lord Heero Yuy ran the small white cloth down his sword's length once more, leaving the intricately engraved steel a smooth, glimmering silver as he finished the night's polishing. The bright moonlight glinted sharply off the shiny surface, sending shards of pale light piercing through the hazy darkness of his unlit chamber. The day had been unusually springlike, the warm sunshine melting away the thick blanket of snow that had formerly covered the landscape, and the night had retained some of the day's warmth, melding with the cool darkness and creating an almost dreamlike mist.

Lord Yuy knelt in the middle of the haziness, slowly, methodically cleansing his blade of the day's practice and polishing it to a menacing perfection. Hilde lay in her own chamber across the hallway, safely and obediently. A small smile of satisfaction tugged at the corner of the lord's mouth as he thought of her, his beautiful possession, awaiting the night's visit. She had been perfectly submissive all day, not worthy of the whip tonight. But perhaps he would use it anyway, he thought with another smile, turning his wrist, moving the shiny blade in a slow arc through the thick air. Or perhaps even the sword. His Relena enjoyed the sword...

The shoji screen to the lord's chamber slid open then, almost imperceptibly, but the lord's instinctive reflexes found the intruder before she had even stepped inside, the tip of his sharp blade poised against her neck, under her chin.

"Hilde?" Lord Yuy asked, his tone flat, a statement more than a question. A long lock of straight, golden hair covered half of the girl's face, and as she raised her chin, the long-lashed aquamarine eye that met his finally made her identity clear to him. He lowered the sword.

"Relena."

Lady Relena stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the lord, her long hair falling over her shoulders and stopping just below her rib bones. She had cut it, Lord Yuy noticed appreciatively, her body no longer hidden as much beneath the thick curtain of hair. She wore a single, sheer dark blue robe, her pale skin and rich curves clearly visible under the thin material. The same robe she had worn beneath her wedding kimono.

The lady stopped just before her lord and placed two fingers against his lips. "There is no Hilde tonight," she whispered silkily, moving her fingers up from his lips to caress his face, the sharply sculpted features, and the long dark hair that always fell across his forehead and between his dark, intense eyes. She turned her hand then, so her palm faced outwards, and ran it sideways across the lower half of Lord Yuy's face, covering him so only the beautiful Prussian eyes were visible through her splayed fingers: An imitation of the gesture he had greeted her with on their first meeting, so long ago, when he had desperately tried to keep her from glimpsing his entire face, as no woman had ever gazed upon him fully as she had that first time. She gazed at him fully now.

Lord Yuy stared back at his wife, feeling his body begin to crawl with fire beneath his skin, flames coursing through his veins and culminating in a fierce, almost painful blaze in his loins. His breath grew harder, as did his sex, his wife's gesture returning to him distant memories of their past, their first meeting, when he had first felt the desire of a man. But more than the simple placement of her hand across his face reminded him of the past, Lord Yuy realized. She had cut her hair just the same as she had worn it in the Cinq Kingdom, he knew now, and something about her face called forth memories as well...

Lady Relena tilted her head to the side then, and something glittered upon her face. Lord Yuy drew in his breath sharply: The sapphire stud in her nose. She was pierced, as she had been on their wedding night. He reached up then, forcing her hand back down, and moved to untie the sash of her robe, baring her naked body. A small smile curved his lips as she was revealed, her hard pink nipples dangling with tiny gold rings and lower, her navel bearing a gold and sapphire ring as well. Her beautiful shape had been retained through her pregnancy, only slightly more voluptuous than he remembered, and her smooth, perfumed skin shone with golden glitter. She was beautiful, his Relena.

Lady Relena smiled softly as she watched delighted recognition cross her lord's handsome face, his hand stretching forth unconsciously to brush his fingertips against her skin, playing with the rings at her breasts, her navel, and lower, to tickle her soft wetness. She closed her eyes then, sighing girlishly, pleasurably, as Lord Yuy's finger pushed inside, insinuating. She moved forward to rub her cheek against his chest.

"Hisakataburi, Hee-kun," the lady whispered. Her tongue snaked out then and licked the hard, exposed bronze flesh of Lord Yuy's chest, seductively. He closed his eyes. He could feel the gold stud in her tongue now as she travelled it upwards to suckle his neck and he cried out, an anguished, guttural moan.

A hard, smooth, curved piece of wood touched the lord's inner thigh and began an agonizing descent upward, probing against his scrotum. Lord Yuy opened his eyes and looked down, past his wife's beautiful, glistening breasts to her arm, resting upon the long object she held in her delicate hand: His whip.

Lady Relena looked up as a large, male hand covered hers and smiled back at her husband's pleased, amused smirk. He brought her hand with the whip up slowly and kissed her knuckles, letting his tongue travel over her skin to lick the smooth wooden handle.

It had been a long time.

Hilde hid a smile behind her hand as Lady Relena's cries of ecstasy grew louder, until finally she uttered Lord Yuy's name in a girlish scream of orgasmic bliss and the courtesan knew she had reached perfect satisfaction. There was no chance that Lord Yuy would call for her tonight. He was with his wife and it was where he belonged.

Hilde wrapped a gossamer black scarf over her head, covering her long, carefully twisted hair and pulling the end across the lower half of her face, hiding her identity. She waited until she could hear Lord Yuy's voice, murmuring softly to his Relena, soothing her tortured cries as the whip snapped down across her flesh, over and over again, before she slid open her shoji screen and stepped quickly out onto the veranda. The night was surprisingly warm, the thick forest hidden in a lacy blanket of mist. She would be able to make her escape almost completely unseen.

Carrying with her only a small bundle of kimonos and undergarments, Hilde whispered a prayer of good-bye and good wishes for her former master and mistress, and blew a quick kiss in the direction of their hot, dark chamber before running lightly down the veranda steps and out into the garden. She ran silently and quickly through the forest then, the hidden path beneath her socked feet engraved in her mind, the way to the village memorized from her many night trips into the village to see both Duo and Lady Dorothy. Soon Hilde could see the small, low houses of the village and beyond them the towering stone face of the church, and she hurried faster through the trees to her destination.

The slowly waning full moon had reached its pinnacle in the hazy night sky when Hilde finally reached the steps of the church. She paused before the doors, one hand poised on the handle, and looked back towards the road leading to Lord Yuy's estate. This was the end, she thought, almost sadly. Once she stepped through the church doors she would no longer be a possession. But she would be Duo's, she realized with a small smile.

With a final whispered good-bye to her former master, Hilde pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The church was dark but for the light from a small table of white candles sitting before the altar, and empty. She walked down the aisle, past the altar, and up the small flight of stairs hidden against the far left wall beside the altar. The door that met her at the end of the hallway was closed, a dim orange light emanating from the opening under it. She could hear the priest's slow, even breathing. He was asleep.

Carefully, Hilde opened the door and slid inside, staying with her back pressed against the wall as she shut the door softly behind her. She drew in her breath slowly at the vision before her: Duo lay sprawled across the bed, clad only in his close-fitting black trousers, his bare chest glowing with a soft sheen of sweat in the diffuse candlelight, the muscles contracting as he took each breath. His long braid was beginning to come undone, his chestnut hair splayed across the black sheets behind him, his bangs a wild tangle falling into his face. The violet eyes, so expressive when he was awake, were still in sleep, closed, his long lashes curling slightly upwards. A small black Bible was clutched in one large hand, laying against his firm stomach. He looked even more like an angel in sleep.

Hilde dropped her bundle to the floor beside her, her eyes remaining fixed on the beautiful man before her, and slowly reached for the sash binding her kimono around her waist. She undid the elaborate ribbon and let the thin material fall to the floor, followed by her hakama trousers. Her angel stirred slightly as she moved forward, the Bible slipping from his hand. Hilde caught it before it fell and placed it carefully on the small table beside the bed.

Naked, Hilde crawled slowly onto the sheets. She placed her hands on Duo's clothed thighs, moving them upwards as her body moved upwards, a deep, firm caress. Her angel woke then, his head turning towards her, the violet eyes opening.

Duo stared at the girl hovering over him, her body completely unclothed, perfect in its ivory smoothness. Small, perkily tipped breasts touched his bare chest as the girl bent her head to kiss his lips, her long, night-dark hair falling between their bodies in a silky, straight curtain. Large, incredible blue eyes met his as she ended the kiss, and the full, shining carmine lips moved slowly, a sensual whisper.

"I am yours, Duo Maxwell."

"So you are free."

Hilde watched as a slow, pleased smile crossed her angel's handsome face, the realization of her words finally becoming clear to him. She was his now, no longer the possession of Lord Yuy. She smiled back at her lover and nodded her affirmation, bending her head to kiss his sweet, full lips once again.

Duo wrapped his arms around the beautiful girl kneeling above him, pulling her body closer to his as his tongue delved into her mouth, finding hers and leading it in a passionate, erotic dance. Her hands were on his chest, running light fingertips over the ridges of muscle, making their way lower. She found the buttons to his trousers and began to work them loose, her eager hand crawling past the immuring fabric to clasp his naked erection, feeling him come to life at her touch. Duo cried out as the courtesan began to stroke him gently, up and down, and he broke the kiss, gasping for breath.

"Hilde," he grunted, a ragged, breathless sound. The unusually blue eyes met his once again, wide with curiousity and clouded with confusion at his abrupt interruption of their passion. The delicate hand continued to play on his cock, caressing the hard length and massaging his scrotum in turn. Duo closed his eyes and moaned, fighting for control to speak and not to take her right then. He forced his eyes open then and tried again. "Hilde, before I say or do anything else, I have to know something."

Hilde gazed down at her angel, his amethyst eyes serious, hardened with concern. She eased her hand from his trousers, running it slowly up his stomach to rest on his chest once again, and nodded for him to continue.

Duo took the hand that lay upon his chest and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly. "Hilde," he whispered again. "Are you sure that this is what you want? Your life... with me?" The violet eyes remained fixed on the courtesan's cerulean ones, urging her to answer. She sighed.

"Hai... Yes. I want to be yours, Duo Maxwell. I want my life with you. I want to stay with you forever." One long, slender leg wrapped around the priest's hip then, drawing him closer to her nakedness, her wetness. The azure eyes closed and a soft, girlish moan escaped the petulant red lips, emphasizing her desire and the finality of her decision. She began to move, a slow, up and down movement, against his hip bone, riding him. "Matsudai, Duo-san," she whispered. Forever.

Duo pushed himself up, turning his body so that he faced her completely now. He leaned on one elbow, switching positions with the courtesan so that she now lay below him and he hovered above her. Hilde's eyes fluttered open slowly, her movements ceasing. Duo placed a hand on her thigh, pushing her into his hip once again, and nodded, silently giving her permission to ride him once more. She obeyed, grinding her lower body into him, the sensation of her distended clitoris rubbing against the rough material of his trousers almost sending her over the edge. She moaned once again, insistently. Duo reached down to caress her cheek, soothing her and returning her to earth.

"I have to be sure that this is what you want," he continued, his fingertips tracing invisible patterns over her smooth alabaster skin. "You are free to do whatever you want now... You could return to your tribe in Germany, never be under the power of a man again..." Duo lowered his eyes then, hoping she wouldn't see the pain in their colorful depths as he thought about her leaving him. He knew that if she decided to go back to Germany, he would never see her again. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stand it. But still, it had to be her decision, he thought. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he forced her to come with him and live a lie, the way he himself had been living a lie as a priest, as she had been as a courtesan.

Hilde ceased her movements once again and reached up to grasp Duo's chin, forcing her angel to face her. "I know that," she replied, a small smile curving her lips. "You are not forcing me into anything, Duo. I know that I could always go back, find my tribe." She sighed then, shaking her head. "But I could never be truly happy if I did that. My life belongs with you." She rose up on her own elbows then to kiss him, her tongue snaking out to lick his lips before she pulled away again. "I want to be your possession, Duo."

Duo shook his head. "No," he said, brushing her long bangs back behind one jeweled ear. "Not my possession, Hilde." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the confused expression that crossed her face then, such pure innocence for such a sensual creature. He shook his head again and bent his head to face her evenly, his mouth poised inches from her own.

"Not my possession, Hilde," Duo repeated, his voice low, husky with emotion. "My wife."

Hilde gazed up at her angel, her eyes widening in disbelief. His wife... He wanted to marry her. Marry her, the way Lord Yuy was married to Lady Relena. The way it should be...

Dizziness suddenly overcame her and she lay back down, sinking into the soft pillows, her eyes dazed as she stared up at the ceiling. Waves of happiness, of pure joy, coursed through her veins, but something else tugged at her stomach, overriding the happiness and creating a dull, sick feeling. Something Lady Dorothy had said, long ago...

Forbidden. Priests were forbidden from marrying.

"Hilde, are you alright?" Duo's voice cut through the haze in her mind, bringing her back to the present. The blue eyes refocused then and Hilde could see her angel, the concern and hurt filling his violet eyes. "Are you not happy?" he asked again.

Hilde shook her head slowly, reaching up with one hand to stroke his face, smoothing his furrowed brows. "No," she finally replied. "No, I am very happy, Duo. But I had always thought..." She faltered, lowering her eyes. "... I had always thought that priests could not be married because-"

Duo placed a finger to her lips then, silencing her. "You are right," he said. "Priests are forbidden from marriage. But I am not a priest any longer."

Hilde stayed silent for a long moment, the meaning of what he was saying slowly becoming clear to her. She looked back up. "But I thought that you loved the Church and-"

Duo smiled as she abruptly closed her mouth, seeing his hand rise to stop her once again. He laughed softly. "I do love the Church," he replied. "It has been very good to me. But it is not my life. I have always known that." He sighed.

"I came on the Jesuit mission because I was looking for something. My destination, I suppose. I have always known that I belong somewhere, as everyone does, and that when I found it, I would know it. I have found my destination, Hilde." He reached down then to cup her chin, raising her face to his. A small smile played across his sensual mouth as he spoke again, his voice silky, deep.

"You are my religion now, Hilde- My faith, my salvation, my sustenance. I love you." He bent down and kissed her, passionately, promising. One large hand travelled down the length of her body and she caught it in one of her own, breaking the kiss to stop him. Her hips moved against his, pushing insistently. "Kudasai, mitsukai..." she whispered.

Duo smiled again and shook his head, bringing his hand with hers down to rest upon her chest, feeling the wild beating of her heart beneath the soft skin. "Patience, koi," he said, his gaze loving, amused, as his eyes caressed her. He remembered the first time he had seen her body completely, when she made love to herself in the cherry tree, and now she was in his arms, naked to his gaze, her perfection defined in the soft orange glow of the candlelight. He wanted to remember every part of her forever. "Let me touch you."

Duo's hand, still covered with the courtesan's, began a slow descent down her body, moving from her chest to cup one tiny breast. He bent his head to kiss the sweet tip before continuing with his hand lower, over her stomach, her abdomen, and finally stopping at her femininity. He tickled her sensitive clitoris with one finger, a pleased smile spreading across his beautiful face at her cry of pleasure, her back arching up, her breasts straining forward, tempting him. He slipped another finger inside her, insinuating in her soft wetness. He touched her the way he had watched her touch herself in the cherry tree, so long ago, when he had wished it was his hand giving her so much pleasure rather than her own.

"Duo, please..." Hilde drew in her breath sharply as another finger pushed into her slick channel and threw her head back against the pillows, a cry escaping her lips. "Please... Love me now, Duo..." Her hands worked below, sliding his tight black trousers down, past his hips.

Suddenly the fingers were gone, replaced by a soft, wet probing between her legs, deep inside her sex: His tongue. Hilde pushed herself up on her elbows, finding her angel's face buried deep within her, his chestnut hair falling from its braid, the candlelight catching the reddish highlights in it, making him glow. She groaned as he began to lap at her hungrily, catching her clitoris in his teeth from time to time, and closed her eyes.

Soon Duo felt her thighs begin to tremble beneath his hands, her body nearing perfect satisfaction, and he pulled away. His long bangs brushed against her abdomen as he lifted his face, tickling her and making her giggle, and he smiled, his full, sensual lips glistening with her fluid. He bent to kiss her, filling her mouth with her own taste, and moved his body over hers, his erection poised above her sex.

Hilde kissed her angel deeply, licking her sweetness from his lips, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The long legs entwined around his slender hips then and she broke the kiss, her eyes finding his.

"I am your wife, Duo Maxwell."

Duo gazed back down at his lover, unable to keep the grin from curving his lips, and in one swift motion, he entered her, eliciting a cry of ecstasy from the beautiful girl below him. They made love slowly, deliberately, as if the night would never end. His thrusts were passionate yet gentle, his long, thick chestnut hair falling over one broad shoulder as he bore down on her, over and over again, his handsome features contorted in concentration and raw desire, sweat running in rivulets down his face and body.

Hilde's eyes remained fixed on her angel throughout their passion, watching as he made love to her. The act itself was a sheer release for them both, she thought as Duo grunted in his exertion, his cock pushing deeper into her body as he came down once again. Release from their previous lives, from the pain and lonliness of the past. Her angel had come to her on his black wings and would remove her from that lonliness forever. -Never again- was her last thought as Duo's sex suddenly filled her completely and she felt herself tighten around him, his name escaping her lips as he moaned her own in pleasure.

Perfect satisfaction.

Lady Relena Peacecraft opened her eyes to pale violet emptiness, the filmy blue curtains at the large window by the beddings opened to allow the faint morning light into the chamber. A surprisingly balmy breeze wafted through the room, none of winter's chill present in its soft caress. The long golden strands of hair falling across her forehead riffled slightly in the breeze, catching in her long eyelashes as she pushed herself to a sitting position on the still-damp sheets.

"Heero?" Lady Relena called softly, pulling the satin coverlet up to her chest to cover her naked breasts. The space beside her was empty, a slight indentation in the beddings where her husband's slender form had slept.

Wrapping the smooth blue satin over her body, Lady Relena crawled delicately to the foot of the beddings, placing her feet on the cold bare floor before standing up. The shoji screen leading out to the veranda slid open then and her lord entered, dressed in a loose white robe, the top folds opened to reveal the hard, muscled flesh of his chest. His sword was clasped firmly in one hand, his wrist turning as he carved smooth arcs through the warm air. The Prussian blue eyes were lowered, his gaze hidden beneath a veil of long, dark lashes.

Lady Relena watched him, the satin coverlet slipping from her curves. "Heero?" she repeated, taking a tentative step closer to him. The breeze grew stronger, blowing the golden tangles of her hair back behind her shoulders, tugging at the coverlet.

His eyes snapped up then, fixing on the beautiful woman before him. The Prussian orbs traversed her body slowly, up and down, before coming to rest on her face: The aquamarine eyes were wide, filled with concern under furrowed brows, and her lips, soft and pink, were parted slightly, as if she were about to call his name once more. He loved her, his Relena.

Lord Yuy crossed the space between him and his wife quickly, lowering his sword as he reached forward to grasp her arm, pulling her elegant body to him. He bent his head, grazing his lips across her cheek before stopping near her ear, his mouth hot on her cool skin.

"I must leave you now, Relena." His hot breath tickled her and the lady shivered, moving her body closer to his. Long fingers tangled in her hair, a rough, loving caress.

"But, why, Heero?" Lady Relena breathed as the handsome lord began to nip at her earlobe, his hand grasping her hair harder, tilting her head back to expose her neck.

Lord Yuy moved his mouth down to kiss the soft hollow of his wife's neck. Her scent, lilacs mixed with their sex, filled him, intoxicated him. /Her/ scent was like that as well, he thought. Only spicier, more exotic. Tangy, like the taste of blood.

"Lady Hilde Schbeiker is missing."

Commander Treize Khushrenada adjusted his sword holster across his chest, smoothing the bright red ribbon of the Spanish army across his blue uniform: The uniform of the French army, the royal color of the Cinq Kingdom. His Relena's kingdom.

Taking one last look in the mirror near the shoji screen leading out into the hallway, Treize swept his cape over his right shoulder and ran a hand back through his hair. He smiled, sheathing his sword in the holster with a satisfied finality.

"I am coming to return you to your destiny, Relena."

Bishop Felix Andrade took the hand offered to him from outside of the cramped carriage and allowed the servant to pull him down to the ground. The day was unusually warm for mid-winter, a balmy, wet breeze blowing through the bare branches of the oak trees lining the walkway to the Catholic church. It was little relief from the stuffy hotness of the carriage to the bishop and he quickly distanced himself from the four laymen who had travelled with him, the stench of their unbathed bodies wafting slightly away in the fresh, if humid, air. He looked around him, appraising the area that would be his new property if the Chinese man, Chang, allowed him.

The church was a beautiful, if not terribly impressive, structure, standing not quite as tall as most of the churches Bishop Andrade was used to in Osaka, but still elegant in its soft gray stone and intricately designed stained glass. The bishop tilted his head back to look up at the bell tower topping the church then and he smiled, the light breeze that had been blowing beginning to turn slightly cool. He would be able to turn this place into one of the most renowned churches in Japan, he thought. Its beauty would attract the people and his advanced instruction would make them stay. But first, the amateur had to be dismissed. The blasphemer, he corrected himself bitterly.

"Dario, let us go inside now and meet with this Padre Maxwell," Bishop Andrade suddenly spoke, motioning for one of the laymen to follow him inside. "I would like this to be over as soon as possible."

"Si, Obispo Andrade," Dario, a tall man of impressive size dressed in green trousers and a white shirt, replied. A long sword was strapped to his side and a rifle lay encased in a leather holster at his back. He turned to his comrades and whistled, motioning for them to follow with his arm as he joined the bishop on the church steps. He smiled to himself as Bishop Andrade pushed open the doors then and the group entered, his hand moving unconsciously down to his waist to rest on the hilt of his sword. This would be easy.

The church was empty but for a small dark-haired child kneeling on a ladder above the altar, washing the immense stained glass window with a long white cloth. Bishop Andrade arched an eyebrow at the convenience of the priest's absence; it would be even easier to prove the rumors right now. He cleared his throat loudly then and approached the altar. The boy turned around, dropping his cloth and the pail of water he had been using to clean the window in startled surprise. Bishop Andrade smiled.

"Buenos dias, mi nino," he spoke, stopping just before the steps to the altar. "Can you tell me where your Padre is?"

The boy climbed quickly down the ladder and picked up the pail and cloth, dropping to his knees to begin wiping up the water that had spilled onto the thick carpeting. He shook his head vehemently, keeping his eyes down as he rubbed at the floor with his cloth. "No, sir," he replied. "I have not seen Shinpu Maxwell this morning. I think he is still sleeping."

Bishop Andrade's eyebrow arched once again and the man named Dario stifled an amused laugh. "Can you tell me where he sleeps then? It is very important that I speak with him," the bishop continued.

The boy paused for a long moment, his eyes still fixed on the wet floor before him. When he finally looked up, his dark eyes were guarded, suspicious. "He sleeps up those stairs," he replied slowly, pointing to the hidden flight of steps to the left of the altar. "I can go wake him up and tell him you are here first." The boy jumped to his feet then and hurried over to the entrance to the stairs.

Suddenly, a large, meaty hand grabbed the boy's shirt, pulling him with almost bruising force back towards the altar. The boy cried out in surprise, falling to the floor. The bishop walked over to him and bent down, shaking his head in disapproval.

"That will not be necessary, mi nino," he said, his voice smooth, kind. "You have already helped us quite enough. God shall reward you for this, yes." He gave one last smile and straightened up, turning to follow Dario and the other men up the dark stairs towards the young priest's chamber.

Dario waited only until the bishop joined the group of men outside of the chamber door before giving the signal to his men and kicking open the door, weapons drawn. The wood splintered under the heavy man's forceful kick, sending shards of oak flying through the air as the men entered and surrounded the startled couple in the room. Bishop Andrade stepped inside carefully, his robe trailing over the broken door half-blocking the entrance, and appraised the two young people inside.

The male, the so-called Father Duo Maxwell, stood by the window, dressed simply in tight black trousers and a loose, dark blue shirt, his right foot resting on top of a chair as he bent to lace up his boots. His long hair fell in a single braid down his back, loose strands falling into his eyes with his bangs. The large violet eyes met the bishop's as he entered, darkened with confusion and anger. Bishop Andrade only nodded at him before turning his gaze on the girl.

She was beautiful, this courtesan, he thought, his eyes travelling slowly up and down her scantily clad body. He could see why and how she had seduced this young priest: She was small and slender, her curves gentle yet deliciously feminine, her breasts small and round, perfect, as were her legs, shapely and beautifully crafted, bare as they peeked out from the front slit of her thin black kimono, crossed demurely. Her waist-length black hair was half-twisted up, the rest cascading in tangles over her shoulders. Long bangs fell across her forehead and she brushed them away as she looked up, revealing incredibly blue eyes, striking in her pale, pretty face and against her dark hair. Her full, unnaturally red lips were parted, shaped in a delicate pout. The bishop could imagine those lips wrapped around Maxwell's sex, sucking him with lustful passion, then kissing him to taste himself... She was beautiful, this slut.

Dario kept his gaze fixed on the girl sitting primly on the edge of the bed, ignoring the priest at the window. He was slightly disappointed that they had not been in sexual passion when they found them, but the girl more than made up for that loss. His eyes travelled hungrily up her long legs, resting on the shadows concealing her naked sex at the opening where the kimono fell open over her legs. After the girl noticed his intense gaze between her legs and crossed them tighter together, Dario moved his gaze up, concentrating on the tantalizing bit of cleavage showing between the top folds of her robe as she bent down shyly to sweep the skirt of her kimono over her legs further. His sex strained against the front of his trousers as he watched her breasts rise and fall with each breath, the movement of her arms making the small, perfect mounds rub sensually against the fabric of her robe, hardening the nipples. He would have her when this was over, he promised himself with a smile. His eyes met the girl's then and she flinched outwardly, shrinking back under his predatory smile. The bishop spoke then.

"Buenos dias, Padre Maxwell," he said, his tone light, conversational. "I am sure Senor Khushrenada told you that I would be coming to see you, yes?" He arched an eyebrow, awaiting the young priest's answer.

Duo finished tightening the laces on his boot with an angry tug and straightened, his icy violet gaze fixed on the bishop. Picking up a small bag from the floor, he walked over to the bed and stood beside the courtesan protectively, his eyes challenging the men.

"Yes, he did tell me," Duo finally replied. "I have been expecting you, believe it or not. I have something I think you and the rest of the Church should know."

Dario stifled another sarcastic laugh and a smile tugged at the corner of Bishop Andrade's mouth. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. "No, Padre Maxwell, I believe there is something you should know." At Duo's confused expression, the bishop continued.

"We have already heard about you and this... courtesan." He motioned to Hilde with a disinterested gesture, his eyes still focused solely on the priest. "This is grounds for excommunication, as I am sure you know, Padre Maxwell."

Duo stood silent for a long moment before his lips quirked derisively, his eyes lightening slightly in amusement. "I am very aware of that, Bishop," he replied. "But I am afraid that does not apply to me anymore. I am renouncing the priesthood."

Bishop Andrade nodded slowly and lowered his eyes, trying his best to keep from laughing. "Si, I suppose you would be right then," he said. "But unfortunately we are in a foreign country, under foreign rule, and that does not apply here. At least not in this situation." He raised his eyes then, a mock sympathetic smile curving his lips.

Hilde tensed inwardly at the man's words and lowered her eyes, her hands clasping and unclasping nervously in her lap. Lord Yuy, she thought, a heavy, sick feeling rising in her stomach. Lord Yuy was why the situation did not allow Duo to renounce his priesthood and leave with her quietly. She was still bound by contract to him, a contract that could not be broken unless she died.

A thousand thoughts raced through Hilde's mind then: The death vow, so long ago, before she had even known Duo... "I will be yours, Heero-sama, even if it means death...", and Lord Yuy's words... "If you force me... Omae o korosu." She dug her nails into the palms of her hands to distract herself from the memories now, feeling tears sting her eyes, and forced herself to keep from sobbing aloud. Duo would die now because of her.

"This courtesan belongs to a Lord Heero Yuy, in case you were not informed," Bishop Andrade continued. "He, too, has been notified of your... liasions with this girl, and he has demanded three things: First, her return and your capture, and then her execution, before your own."

Dario laughed aloud then, a sadistic smile spreading across his wide, hideous face. "Si! That means that you shall watch your precious whore die before the sword is turned on you, esteemed Padre," he said, laughing once again.

Duo turned to stare at the other man, his eyes hardened with carefully controlled rage, the violet irises flaming with hatred and anger. Dario's smile widened at the priest's reaction and turned his attention to the courtesan, sitting with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her head bowed in shame. He took a step closer to the bed.

"Yes, your beautiful slut..." he whispered, his voice thick with lust, reflected in his small brown eyes. He approached the girl, causing her to look up quickly and recoil back against the bed, her hand reaching for Duo's. Dario smiled once again, licking his lips, and lunged forward, hands grabbing for the courtesan, gripping on her thighs with bruising ferocity, forcing them apart. Hilde cried out, closing her eyes in expectation of the humiliation to come.

Suddenly, a hard, strong fist crashed into Dario's jaw, crushing the bone there into the flesh with almost deathly force, throwing the heavier man back onto the floor with a loud thud. Duo stepped in front of Hilde swiftly, pushing her back behind him with one hand. He stared down at the fallen man with amethyst eyes burning with death, his jaw set angrily behind clenched teeth.

"Stay the hell away from her," he said, his tone low, menacing. He turned his gaze on the bishop then and nodded towards the door. "The rest of you can leave as well. I have already made my decision and I am leaving. /With/ Lady Schbeiker. If this Lord Heero Yuy wants her back, you can tell him where to find me." He turned around then and took Hilde's hands gently, lifting her to her feet.

A man suddenly leaped onto Duo's back then, breaking his grip on Hilde's hands and forcing him back. Duo growled in surprise and anger and reached behind him to throw the man off his back, catching the side of the other man's face with his fist. Hilde lay sprawled back against the bed, the skirt of her kimono pushed up to her hips. She held her legs closed as tightly as she could and watched as another man joined the one who had attacked Duo on the floor, the two finally managing to restrain the younger man. A hand grabbed her roughly to her feet then and she cried out once again, struggling against the iron grip.

"Do not fight us or it will be worse," a harsh male voice whispered in her ear. She turned her face away, lowering her eyes and letting her tension melt slightly away. Perhaps if she made it alive to Lord Yuy, he would have mercy on her.

Duo fought against the men gripping his arms behind his back, pulling with all his strength to break free and reach his lover. "Hilde!" he cried desperately. "Hilde, don't let them touch you!"

Bishop Andrade watched the scene before him with cool disinterest, his eyebrow arched in disapproval at the laymen's lack of grace and tact. He waited until another man pulled Dario to his feet before he finally spoke.

"I want you to take Padre Maxwell to the holding area at the port and have him imprisoned there until I return. Dario, you will lead the others back to Lord Yuy's estate with the girl and return her to her master. She is not to be harmed, much less /touched./ If one hair on her head is so much as disturbed, I shall pray for your soul when Lord Yuy deals with you. You will escort her to the estate and that is all. Is that understood, Senor Vasquez?"

Dario wiped the blood pouring from his nose with his sleeve angrily, his lips curled in a sneer as he watched the other men drag Duo out of the room. "Si, Obispo," he replied, turning back towards his group of men and the lovely courtesan.

Bishop Andrade nodded and turned, stepping back over the broken door and out into the hallway. Dario approached the man holding the girl and pushed him away, taking her arm in his own hand instead. She grimaced noticably and he smiled.

Bending his head to face her evenly, his mouth poised inches from her own, he said, "Do not worry, mi dulce. You are lucky I have been forbidden to touch you.

"But it shall be much worse when Lord Yuy has you."

Lady Relena Peacecraft sat in front of her mirrored dressing table, watching in the shiny panes of glass as her servant girl Michiko brushed out her long blonde hair until it was smooth and then parted the silky strands into sections to be braided and twisted up together. Michiko's long, deft fingers pinned each braided section delicately on top of the lady's head, lacing occasional strands with blue-tinged white lilies, winter flowers. Another girl sat on the floor beside Lady Relena, dabbing at her full, pretty lips with soft pink rouge while another smoothed foundation over her white skin and accentuated her eyes with azure and ebony. Takashi lay resting quietly in her arms, his mouth poised at her bared breast in case he should stir and be hungry.

"Your hair is so beautiful, Mistress Relena," Michiko breathed softly as she wound another thick blonde strand around her finger, twisting it into a perfect braid. "Such a pretty color and so soft... I love how you've cut it again, it makes you seem even younger, like you were when you first came to Japan."

Lady Relena smiled gently, careful not to disturb the girl adding gloss to her lips now. "Hai," she replied. "It does seem so long ago, doesn't it?"

Michiko realized her words then and one small hand flew to her mouth in shock, her deep brown eyes widening in fear. "Oh, Mistress Relena! I did not mean to say it was so long ago... You are still as beautiful as you were then, and it has only been three years, hai?" She shook her head as if to rid herself of any silliness and returned to her mistress's hair.

Lady Relena laughed and shook her head as well. "It is alright, Michiko-san," she replied. "I knew what you meant. But I am glad you like how I have cut my hair. I like it, too." They shared a friendly smile through the mirror.

The shoji screen leading inside from the hallway was suddenly pushed open and the attendants screamed softly, putting down their tools and rushing to find fans and a screen to protect the lady from the intruder. The figure that entered was not male, though, tall and icily blonde, dressed in a red-and-blue striped kimono and carrying a paper parasol painted with red and blue roses in one jeweled hand. Lady Relena rose gently from her seat, careful not to stir Takashi, and pulled the top folds of her own azure kimono closed.

"Lady Dorothy, is something the matter?" she asked, confusion and concern clouding her aquamarine eyes. "You do not look well, please sit down."

Lady Dorothy Catalonia bowed her head in deference and crossed the room quickly, giving the other blonde woman a quick kiss on the cheek before taking a seat on the edge of the chaise lounge tensely, her hands clapsed tightly in her lap. "I am surprised you have not heard yet," she finally spoke, keeping her eyes lowered, her voice shaking uncharacteristically. "Oh, it is so dreadful, Lady Relena!"

Lady Relena shook her head slowly, her brows furrowing as she struggled to discern the meaning of Lady Dorothy's words. She walked carefully back to her dressing table chair and sat down, shifting Takashi to her other arm. He stirred slightly, a small groan escaping his lips. She quickly covered his soft brown head with more of the blue blanket he was wrapped him and shushed him gently. "What is it, Lady Dorothy?" she continued. "What has happened?" Hilde, she thought to herself, panic tugging at her abdomen. Please, God, do not let it be Hilde.

Lady Dorothy looked up then, her pale violet-blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, her pale face almost completely colorless. Her red lips quivered as she spoke, matching the wracking of her shoulders as she fought to control a sob from tearing from her throat.

"It is Lady Hilde," she finally replied. "And Father Maxwell as well. The Church has found out about their relations... They contacted Lord Yuy, I am sure you know he has gone... Oh, Lady Relena, they are both going to be executed today, here, in the front courtyard!" The sob escaped her lips then and she covered her face in shame at her tears, her long, pale blonde hair falling over her shoulders, creating a protective curtain over her face.

Lady Relena continued to shake her head slowly, unbelieving of what her friend had just told her. "No," she whispered. "No... Heero would never do a thing like that, he knows that Lady Hilde is free to do as she wishes... She was only to stay here until Takashi was born, she is free now!" Her own arms began to shake and Takashi wriggled, another small cry eliciting from his open mouth. She quickly began to rock him, fighting to stop her own trembling. "We must go warn Hilde before they reach the church."

Lady Dorothy shook her head, wiping delicately at her eyes with one hand, careful not to mar her makeup. The tears were beginning to dry on her cheeks. "No, Lady Relena," she replied, her voice louder, stronger this time. "A group of men from the Spanish fleet have already been sent to fetch Lady Hilde here and the bishop of the Osaka church has already taken Father Maxwell to prison at the port. Lord Yuy has gone to consent with some of the other daimyos and then he will meet Lady Hilde's party here. The others will bring Father Maxwell here shortly for the execution. I am sorry, my lady, but there is nothing we can do."

Lady Relena felt a tear trickle down her cheek, thick with mascara, and she shook her head once again, biting down hard on her lower lip to keep from quavering. Takashi's hazel eyes opened, staring up at his mother with infantile worry. "There /must/ be something..." she said. "We must stop this, Lady Dorothy!"

Lady Dorothy stood up then, tilting her head to the side in a gesture of almost pity as she gazed down at the other woman, and shook her own head once more in disagreement. "There is nothing we can do but pray that Lord Yuy will change his mind," she replied. "I will do everything in my power to help that happen, but we must go now and ready ourselves." She offered a hand, her eyes filled with sadness, her glistening red lips tremoring on the verge of fresh tears. "Come, Lady Relena."

Lady Relena bent her head, the tears flowing freely now, and took her friend's hand, allowing her to pull her to her feet and lead her towards the shoji screen leading outside, to the execution plot.

Michiko hurried to her mistress to take the baby, watching with tear-filled eyes as the blonde women exited the chamber, Lady Relena's grief-stricked cries echoing down the hallway. I will pray for you, my Lady Hilde, the younger girl thought silently, closing her eyes in reverence.

In her arms, the baby began to cry.

A tear slid slowly down Hilde's cheek as she remembered everything that had happened before she was brought here: Dario and his men had ridden in a carriage to the estate but forced her to walk before them, her hands bound tightly with rope and lashed to the horse's bridle, her socked feet punctured with rocks and sharp pine needles on the path every other step. Finally they had reached the estate and Dario had untied her and thrown her carelessly to the group of girl servants awaiting her at the house. The worst had been yet to come.

The girls were not the same ones Hilde had been used to, but rather strange village girls who had most likely taken the job for a small wage. They led her inside the house and into a cramped closet with a single cracked mirror placed haphazardly on the back of the door. She was stripped then, the girls' rough, calloused hands ungraceful as they tore the delicate black georgette from her body, leaving her naked and shivering in the cool darkness of the closet.

Next, just as ungracefully, the girls ripped the pins from her long hair, letting it flow loose down her back. Hilde had been grateful for the fleeting protection of her hair over her nakedness, but then one girl, with a pair of scissors glimmering in her hand, had cruelly taken away that protection, swiftly shearing Hilde's long, silky hair to only a few inches below her shoulders, baring her breasts and the rest of her body to the other girls' jealous, almost lustful gazes.

The rest of the preparation was a blur to Hilde as the girls had then clothed her in scraps of rough gray fabric: A simple piece that barely covered her breasts and an unbearably short loincloth that stopped where her thighs began, meant to bare her very soul should she tip over just slightly. Her navel was pierced with a simple silver ring and a high, heavily gilded silver collar was clamped around her neck, marks of Lord Yuy's possession.

She was then rubbed in a shiny, glittering oil, meant to make her exposed skin even more noticable, drawing attention to her midriff, the top curves of her breasts, and her legs especially. This, coupled with her shorter hair, left her with completely no humility, her entire being about to be exposed to the public. The girls had then done her makeup, dramatizing her blue eyes in black liner and shadow, and shining her red lips with shimmering black rouge. She would be an exhibit, her execution a show.

Hilde hugged herself tighter, pulling her long legs further under the tiny skirt of her loincloth. Her eyelashes were thick with mascara, hardening from the wetness of her tears, and her hair clung in damp strands to her face and shoulders. The girls would be coming back soon to fetch her out to the courtyard, where she would first meet her death at Lord Yuy's hands as her lover helplessly watched. She closed her eyes, whispering a prayer of strength as the door to the shed was suddenly yanked open and a strong female hand pulled her roughly to her feet.

She only hoped Duo would be able to escape before they took him as well.

Bishop Felix Andrade watched the trial before him with growing impatience, his arms crossed over the front of his bright red bishop's robe in clear illustration of his disapproval. The layman who had been administering the punishment brought his whip back up and glanced over at the bishop with a shrug, a look of confusion written across his face.

"Padre Maxwell... /Senor/ Maxwell... I think this would be much easier if you simply admit that you have wronged the Church and wronged yourself in this matter of the... /courtesan/." Bishop Andrade flinched inwardly at the use of such a gentle term when speaking of the slut who had led one of his own Jesuit priests on the path of damnation. "Por favor, Senor Maxwell, it can be very simple, yes."

Duo opened his eyes and bit down on his lower lip to keep from screaming in pain at the bloody welts on his back as he moved his shoulders back and lifted his head to face the bishop evenly. His handsome face was contorted in anger, glowing with sweat, his eyes radiating pure hatred as he finally spoke.

"No," he said, his voice low, deep, choked with emotion. "I will not admit to something I do not believe I have done. I have already explained to you that I have never felt the true calling of a priest, I have never felt I am meant to be one of God's messengers. I have finally found what I want, what I was meant to be, and I am leaving the priesthood. I have not wronged the Church because I am not a part of it anymore, and I have not wronged myself because I am living my life the way it was meant to be lived now."

The layman with the whip raised the long weapon, readying to strike the bound man once again, but Bishop Andrade held up his hand in silent command to wait and shook his head. The layman lowered the whip, nodding in assent, and stepped back as the bishop approached Duo and bent down to face him.

"How can you say this, Senor Maxwell?" he asked, his tone saddened, reflecting in his furrowed brows. "What would your Padre Maxwell say about this? How do you think he would feel, knowing that one of his sons has decided to turn his back on the Church in order to sleep with a lovely whore?" Bishop Andrade waited for the younger man to answer, his pleading gaze fixed on the other man's violet one.

Duo lowered his eyes, gritting his teeth. It was true that the elder Father Maxwell had been good to him. He had been the one who had helped Duo find some kind of path in life, the path that had eventually led to Hilde. It was true also that Father Maxwell had been an extremely devout priest, giving his entire being over to the Church, and that he would probably have something to say about Duo's decision now had he still been alive. But then...

Slowly, Duo raised his eyes back to the waiting bishop, a mischeivious smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "I know exactly how he would feel, Bishop," he replied, his eyes darkening with derisive joy. "He would be damn proud. Because I finally found my place in life."

Bishop Andrade stood staring at the younger man for a long moment, silent as his mind processed the other man's words. Defeated, the bishop nodded, his mouth tightening into a firm, straight line as he stood up, giving the signal to the other laymen to untie Duo.

"Very well then, Senor Maxwell," he finally replied. "I shall pray for your soul after your death.

"Take him to the Yuy estate now."

Hilde allowed the girls to position her with her back to the X-shaped stake, facing the crowd that had assembled in front of the platform. It seemed the entire village had turned out for her execution, she thought with an almost bitter smile. She could even glimpse the young male courtesan, Quatre, hovering at the edge of the throng with an older man, most likely his master. He gazed up at Hilde sadly, his large blue-green eyes glimmering with tears.

The girls then untied her hands and roughly lifted her arms above her head, binding her wrists to each wooden pole with silver chains. Two other girls worked below her, forcing her legs apart and binding her ankles to their respective poles as well. She stood spread-eagled now in front of the people, their voices a low hum in the background of her mind, their gazes penetrating into her skin. After a long moment she finally raised her eyes.

Lady Relena sat on a small cushioned dais off to the left of the main platform, kneeling delicately with the long skirt of her kimono spread across the white cushions. Two girl attendants stood at her sides, holding matching silk-screened parasols over her pale, flawless form. The lady herself was hidden behind her own pale blue paper fan, only the sparkling brilliance of her aquamarine eyes and visible over the top of the fan. A light breeze blew through the still, humid air, tugging a long golden strand loose from her carefully braided twist and she reached up with a small pale hand to tuck it back behind her sapphire-jeweled ear. The aquamarine eyes shimmered with unshed tears as they rested upon Hilde and she hid her face further behind her fan, her shoulders shaking slightly with quiet sobs.

Lady Dorothy Catalonia knelt primly beside Lady Relena, her hands folded in her lap, her face not at all concealed by a fan or veil. Her long, pale blonde hair was fastened in a loose ponytail behind her, trailing down her back to her hips. The wan violet-blue eyes gazed at Hilde emptily, her red mouth drawn downwards in a pitying pout. She made the sign of the cross over her chest then and bowed her head in deference as a male shout across the courtyard captured the crowd's attention and the conversation silenced. Hilde turned her head in the direction of the shout.

Lord Heero Yuy walked briskly across the yard, his gaze fixed intensely on the platform as he approached, his face devoid of emotion. He wore an immaculate white robe, the top folds opened slightly to reveal the tanned, muscled flesh of his chest underneath and his hands were encased in white fingerless gloves, his beautiful sword drawn. His wild dark hair ruffled in the breeze, falling further into his dark Prussian eyes. He walked up the small steps to the platform, stopping inches from Hilde. She lowered her eyes quickly, feeling her breath catch in her throat at his nearness and the tip of his blade, circling in the air before her.

Lord Yuy's procession was quickly followed by the laymen, dragging a silent, angry Duo on a rope leash behind them. He was pulled forward roughly then and ordered harshly to stand at the foot of the platform and face upwards. Duo obeyed silently, his gaze coming to rest slowly on his beautiful lover, cruelly, garishly made up like some sort of sexual doll, a silver collar around her neck, her body spread and chained to the stake as if in sacrificial offering to the dark, handsome lord hovering before her. He finally found his voice.

"Hilde!"

Hilde's eyes snapped up at her lover's call and she saw him below her, his hands bound tightly in front of him with rope, his shirt ripped and stained with dark blood, his braid loose, the dirty strands whipping into his face, his eyes. His strong body trembled on the verge of tears, the amethyst eyes clouded with sadness and anger at his own helplessness. Hilde shook her head slowly, silently trying her best to reassure him. She would find a way to get out of this, she thought. To get them /both/ out of this.

Lord Yuy's gaze followed Hilde's, coming to rest on the wretched braided man standing below them, his face contorted in anguish. Lord Yuy turned slowly back to his courtesan, studying the sadness and pain in her own beautiful face, his anger growing. He should have known a girl like her could not be trusted, he thought bitterly. So beautiful, so free, coming from the wild and never having learned obedience. She would deserve this.

Lord Yuy closed the space between himself and the lovely girl then, lowering his sword. He reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his gloved hand, moving his body against hers, making sure she felt the hardness growing in his loins.

Hilde felt her sex melt at his touch, her scanty loincloth dampening with her wetness, and she closed her eyes, willing her body not to react to her master's seduction. Not in front of Duo, she told herself. Please, not in front of Duo. She gasped then in surprise as the hand that had been gently stroking her cheek moved down, following the familiar line of her body down to her breast. Her sex ached.

Lord Yuy allowed a small smirk to play at the corner of his mouth at Hilde's unwilling defeat. Her humiliation, her complete submission to him in front of so many people, including her lover, only aroused him more. He squeezed her breast then, his thumb circling the hardened nipple languidly, sensually. His hand continued the descent down her body, playing with the ring dangling from her navel for a bit before slipping up under her loincloth. He insinuated one finger inside her soft wetness, feeling her begin to drip onto his hand. Her head fell back then, a groan of absolute ecstasy issuing from her beautiful lips.

Duo watched the scene before him, his body crawling with angry fire, his muscles tightening with readiness to break free from the grips of the men holding him back. Death smoldered in his eyes as Lord Yuy bent his head to suckle his Hilde's bared neck, his finger continuing to work inside her sprawled body, her moans soft and sensual, her breasts heaving with each labored breath.

Lord Yuy tongued his courtesan's neck lovingly before moving his mouth up to her ear to whisper softly, "Omae o korosu, Hilde-chan." He drew his sword back up then, tracing a line up Hilde's leg, her thigh, and touching the tip of the blade to her sex. She drew in her breath sharply, her eyes fluttering open, the sensual haze in her mind quickly clearing.

"You broke our vow, Hilde-chan," Lord Yuy continued in a whisper. "Do you not remember?" His mouth moved back down then and his tongue flicked out to lick the tiny scar on Hilde's neck where he had punctured her so long ago: Their blood vow. "Until death would you part from me. But you have broken it and now I must kill you."

The blade moved away from her sex then, taking with it Lord Yuy's finger, and travelled up to her stomach, the sharp tip hovering over her abdomen, making invisible patterns over the skin. Hilde closed her eyes, tears catching in her eyeslashes, and shook her head slowly.

"Gomen nasai, my master," she whispered. "I never meant to hurt you. You can dismiss me, or punish me, but please-"

Hilde cried out then, her words interrupted by the sudden pushing of the blade against her skin: A warning. Long fingers covered her mouth, splayed over her lips. Prussian blue eyes met hers.

"You will committ seppuku for me now, Hilde-chan," Lord Yuy said, his voice remaining low, emotionless. "It is normally the samurai code of honor, to die for dishonoring oneself or one's family or group. But you have dishonored me just the same, koishii. It will be a fitting death for you." He turned the blade then, pushing the sharp, flat edge into her abdomen. His gaze was soft, loving. The splayed fingers moved to caress her cheek once again.

"Hilde!" Duo.

"Aishiteru, Hilde-chan," Lord Yuy whispered huskily. His hand moved to slice the blade across her abdomen. Hilde closed her eyes, sighing Duo's name in silent good-bye. Lady Relena hid her face behind her fan once more. Lady Dorothy's lips curved in a pleased smile.

"Stop!"

The blade was swiftly removed. The release of pressure against her skin caused Hilde to open her eyes, just in time to see the joyful smile fade from Lady Dorothy's icily beautiful face. Lady Relena's eyes appeared above her fan once again. Duo and Lord Yuy turned at the same time to face the direction the voice had come from, the men holding Duo's arms pulling him forcefully back into place.

Across the courtyard, a carriage stopped. A tall, impressively handsome man in a blue French military uniform jumped from inside it, followed quickly by a younger man wearing the red Spanish uniform, half of his beautiful face concealed by a curtain of straight, shiny chestnut hair. The two soldiers crossed the space between the carriage and the platform swiftly, the taller one drawing a long, curved sword from the holster strapped across his chest while the other moved up onto the platform and approached Hilde's stake.

More soldiers in red uniforms suddenly issued from another carriage behind the one which had held the first two soldiers and they ran quickly up onto the platform, seizing a surprised Lord Yuy. Two other figures emerged from the first carriage then, a male and a female, both slender and Asian, the male dressed all in white and the female in bright crimson, her hair and makeup flawless. They followed the man in the blue uniform up to the foot of the platform where Duo was held, the Asian male swiftly freeing Duo from the laymen's grasp and seizing one arm himself. The female took Duo's other arm, casting him a small smile of reassurance at his confused expression.

"Do not worry, it will be over now," she whispered in a beautifully accented voice: Chinese. Duo recognized them now. He smiled back and then turned his gaze back up to the platform.

Hilde suddenly felt strong, deft fingers behind her, quickly undoing the chains from her wrists and ankles, freeing her. Once completely unbound, she stepped forward, turning around to face her savior. One deep emerald eye met hers, the other concealed behind the silky curtain of hair. The young man smiled kindly. "Are you alright, senorita?" he asked, his voice soft, sincere.

Hilde continued to stare at the man silently; she knew his smile. He was the dancer, the Spanish dancer the courtesan Quatre was in love with. She smiled back then and nodded. "Hai," she replied, and the man nodded and stepped back down off the platform to take Duo's arm from the Asian girl who had been helping to hold him. Hilde met the girl's eye then and she smiled, her large onyx eyes lighting up in happiness. Did she know her? Hilde's question to the Asian girl was interrupted then as the soldier in the blue French uniform suddenly spoke. His men brought Lord Yuy down from the platform to face him and the Japanese lord met him evenly, his face as blank and empty as it had been earlier but his eyes smoldering with silent rage.

"This is unnecessary, Lord Yuy," the man said. "We both know that the dilemma here is between you and I." He cast his eyes up to Lady Relena's dais then and bowed his head. "I have come here to retrieve my lady, Relena Peacecraft." He blew a kiss in her direction and the lady colored, embarassed, hiding her face once again.

Commander Treize Khushrenada raised his sword then, challenging Lord Yuy. "Come now, Heero-san, and fight an honorable battle for your wife."

Suddenly, Lady Relena cried out, drawing the stunned crowd's attention away from Treize and Lord Yuy and towards the platform once again. Lady Dorothy had climbed onto the wooden dais, a long sword drawn in one jeweled hand, her face twisted in a look of anger and hatred. She approached Hilde with swift, angry steps and held the blade up against the other girl's neck.

Down below, Duo struggled against his captors. "Hilde!" he shouted, pulling against Chang and the other soldier's grips. "Hilde! Damn it, let me go!"

Beside him, the girl Meiran whispered, "Hilde."

"Wait," Chang said in a low voice to his wife. He motioned with his head to the curved blade strapped to his own side. Meiran nodded in silent agreement and turned back towards the platform.

Hilde stood still, facing her former mistress with blue eyes wide with confusion and shock. The tip of the blonde woman's blade lay poised against her neck, ready to slice through at any moment. A pleased, amused smile curved Lady Dorothy's lips once again.

"You /will/ die today, Hilde." Hilde stood completely still, her arms half-raised in defeat, as Lady Dorothy Catalonia pushed the tip of her blade further into her neck, her pale violet-blue eyes narrowed in a look of pure hatred. Below them, Duo continued to fight against his captors while the Asian girl stood beside him, gazing up at the two women on the platform in fearful apprehension.

"Hilde!" Duo shouted once again, his arms straining against the other men's grips. The beautiful green-eyed soldier pulled him back gently, bending his head to whisper something in his ear. Duo finally quieted, nodding slowly, and relaxed his body. Sad, angry violet eyes met Hilde's on the platform above and she shook her head, silently telling him not to worry. It was then that Lady Dorothy began a slow approach towards her.

"I had hoped it would not come to this," the blonde woman said, her voice low, breathy. Menacing. "You have left me no choice, though, prediletta mia."

Hilde shrank back from the other woman's approach unconsciously, her bare back hitting the wooden stake, stopping her retreat. She met her former mistress's gaze as evenly as she could manage, her blue eyes wide, shimmering with tears of confusion and hurt. She cleared her throat then, finally finding her voice.

"Mistress Dorothy, I do not understand," she began, fighting to keep her voice from quavering as the sword inched further into her skin, almost breaking through and drawing blood. "I have never meant to harm you in any way. Please tell me what I have done, so I may do my best to make it up to you."

Lady Dorothy's lips curved in a bitter smile then and she laughed, a harsh, equally bitter sound. "What you have done? As if you do not know! What you have done cannot be 'made up to me', as you have so eloquently put it." She took a step closer, thrusting her hand with the sword forward in a teasing attack, causing Hilde to cry out. She laughed again. "After everything I have taught you, Hilde... You are still a slut."

Hilde gazed at her former mistress, brows furrowed in sincere confusion. Lady Dorothy stared back at her, awaiting her response. She watched the younger girl's small, perfect breasts rise and fall with each shallow breath with lustful hatred, letting her eyes travel further down to her smooth, flat midriff, covered in a sensual sheen of sweat, making her seem even more appealing than she already was. She couldn't stand it. She took another step forward.

"Yes, you must die today, Hilde," the lady continued in a whisper, her eyes lowered, as if she were speaking to herself. "You must die for taking Lord Yuy away from me. He loved /me/ before you came here. I should have known I was making a dreadful mistake sending you to him." She paused, her lifeless eyes snapping up to face Hilde once again.

"But I had thought I had taught you better than that," she went on, pulling her sword back to ready herself for actual combat. "I had thought you knew better than to fall in love... to let /him/ fall in love. But now he will have nothing to lust after but me, because you will die."

Hilde watched helplessly as Lady Dorothy stepped back, her sword circling around behind her, preparing to snap her arm forward and plunge the long blade deep into her heart. She understood everything now: Lady Dorothy had been the one to reveal Duo to Lord Yuy. She had also been the one to reveal Duo to the Church and the bishop. She was the one who had orchestrated her execution so that she would selfishly have Lord Yuy as her own. She would have Lord Yuy as she had had him before Hilde, before even Lady Relena. She would be his courtesan once again. Hilde couldn't imagine what she planned to do Lady Relena after this.

There is nothing, she thought, closing her eyes. There is nothing but death now...

"Hilde!"

Hilde's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the strangely familiar, lightly accented female voice and she looked down to see the pretty, crimson-clad Asian girl standing on the steps leading up to the platform, an ivory-handled saber poised in one hand. The girl's dark eyes met hers and she understood the silent communication.

Stepping forth suddenly, Hilde whirled around to face the Asian girl, swiftly catching the saber in one hand as the other girl tossed it to her. Caught off guard, Lady Dorothy's attack faltered and she moved back, watching with wide eyes as Hilde turned back towards her, her face an expressionless mask, the azure eyes pools of darkness and knowing, the saber twirling in her hand. A smile pulled at the corner of Lady Dorothy's mouth.

"So you wish to challenge me, prediletta mia?" she asked, arching one wild eyebrow in amusement. She straightened herself and raised her own sword once again, her free arm stretched forth in a graceful beckoning motion. "You have no end to making mistakes."

Hilde straightened her own shoulders proudly and mimicked her former mistress's attack position, equally graceful and well-practiced. The ivory handle of the saber felt cool and comforting in her hand, familiar, as if she had handled weaponry all her life. She met the blonde woman's gaze evenly then, allowing a small smile to play across her own lips.

"You forget that my mistress taught me more than just sexual games," Hilde replied, her voice sharp, almost harsh. Lady Dorothy's eyes widened in surprise at the other girl's tone and she smiled once more.

"Then let us battle!" she cried, pulling her arm holding the sword back and lunging forth in attack. Her blade swung down, almost catching Hilde's arm, but the younger girl moved back in one swift motion, her lithe body darting gracefully behind the blonde woman, leaving her to attack an empty space.

Lady Dorothy whirled around, her face contorted in anger, and stepped back, readying to attack once again. "Very clever, Hilde," she said. "But I should warn you that I will not be so foolish again. You might want to watch that I do not scratch that pretty face." Her lips curled in a sadistic smile then and she lunged forward once again, her blade clashing with Hilde's this time as the other girl brought her saber up in a blocking motion.

Hilde stared up at her former mistress through the crossed swords, her blue eyes narrowed in concentration. Lady Dorothy met her gaze for a long moment before removing her blade and stepping back to thrust forward once more. Hilde recovered herself quickly, pulling her sword back up, and readied her body to attack again as well.

The two women battled across the stage as the crowd watched in awestruck silence, the Spanish soldiers keeping a firm grip on Lord Yuy while the Asian man and the green-eyed soldier kept Duo down. Lady Relena sat in stunned confusion on her dais, her face still concealed behind her fan, her mind whirling over the conversation that had just passed between Lady Dorothy and Lady Hilde. If Lady Dorothy had gone to such great lengths to have Lady Hilde murdered, to what lengths would she go to do the same to her? she thought, a sick feeling beginning to rise in her stomach. And Treize... What would happen if he won against her husband?

Lady Relena's thoughts were suddenly interrupted then as up on the platform, Hilde thrusted her saber forth, slicing past Lady Dorothy's feeble blocking attempt and into the smooth, unprotected skin of the blonde woman's cheek, leaving a long red trail across the pale flesh up to her jeweled ear. Lady Dorothy screamed, a mad, bestial sound, and Hilde stepped backwards, her gaze remaining even, unaffected.

"It seems that I have scratched /your/ pretty face, Mistress Dorothy," she said, her voice an emotionless monotone. She watched as a stunned Lady Dorothy reached one shaking hand up to her cheek, wiping the bright red blood from it, and then brought her hand back down to stare at the glistening fluid in disbelief.

A low growl began at the back of Lady Dorothy's throat then as she slowly raised her eyes back to a disinterested Hilde, and she raised her sword once again, the growl growing into a strangled battle cry as she rushed forth, catching Hilde by surprise and knocking the smaller girl to the wooden floor, a small cry of shock escaping her lips as her saber was knocked across the platform.

Lady Dorothy straddled the beautiful courtesan's hips then, holding her down with her weight, while she held the girl's wrists above her head with her free hand, rendering her completely defenseless. She watched with mad delight as Hilde struggled beneath her, small moans and cries eliciting from her throat, her glistening breasts heaving beneath the small scrap of fabric that concealed them. Her loincloth was pushed cruelly up to her hips, exposing her entire naked legs to the eager crowd, and her cheeks colored in enraged embarassment.

Smiling benevolently, Lady Dorothy brought her blade back up to Hilde's neck, pushing the sharp, flat edge into the soft hollow of pale flesh, taunting against the delicate pulse that throbbed there. Hilde stared up at her, unable to speak against the sword's choking pressure against her neck, her blue eyes wide and shimmering with tears of defeat. Lady Dorothy shook her head in mock pity.

"What a shame," she said. "To die so young, and so beautiful." Her lips curled in a derisive sneer then and she readied her wrist to twist the blade into Hilde's throat and end her life. She bent her head down to face the younger girl as if in one last kiss and whispered, "At least you will die beautiful, as I have taught you." Hilde's eyes fluttered closed in submission; Lady Dorothy turned her wrist.

"Hilde!"

Duo broke free from his captor's grasps, knocking both the Asian man and the soldier back in bewildered shock, and ran up onto the platform, reaching the blonde woman just as the blade was poised to enter Hilde's unprotected flesh. Meiran ran to her husband, placing an assuring hand on his shoulder, and shook her head. The green-eyed soldier unsheathed his own sword from the holster strapped to his side and rushed onto the dais behind Duo.

Lady Dorothy cried out in surprised anguish as strong male hands suddenly ripped her from the smaller girl, her sword flying from her hand and clattering onto the wooden floor. She stood up quickly and whirled around to face her attacker. Duo met her gaze with dark violet eyes, his hand clenching into a fist at his side, ready to strike.

Hilde lay back on the floor as if paralyzed, stunned at the sudden turn of events. Only when soft, comforting hands pulled her gently to her feet did she return to the present, allowing her saviors to lead her carefully to the edge of the platform.

"It is over now," a gentle female voice whispered, and Hilde turned to meet the soft smile of her eternal friend, Meiran. Beside her, a delicately beautiful blonde male stroked her hair comfortingly, his smile of agreement at Meiran's declaration reflected in his large blue-green eyes: Quatre. She returned their smiles half-heartedly and turned back to the scene unfolding on the platform before her, her lover hovering before a wildly smiling Lady Dorothy, readying himself to attack her.

"So you are the noble hero," the blonde woman finally spoke, reaching up absently to wipe away the blood still flowing from her wound. "It is a shame that you are here defending a worthless bitch, a slut who has given her body to practically every man in this entire village." She laughed delightedly then, an almost flirtatious giggle.

"And I suppose she has you believe she is an innocent virgin, yes? A helpless little waif, /desperately/ in need of the Church's help," she continued, her smile turning poisonous. "And I am sure you were /more/ than happy to give, am I right?" She stepped forward then, reaching out to push a strand of long chestnut hair back behind Duo's ear, and licked her lips seductively, thrusting her body towards him. "/More/ than happy..." she repeated in a whisper, her hand snaking up his thigh to fondle his crotch roughly.

"You bitch!" Duo cried, throwing her off him, his handsome face contorted in disgust. "Stay the hell away from me, and stay the hell away from Hilde!"

Lady Dorothy screamed angrily as the braided man pushed her disgustedly away, falling back onto the floor on her knees. Her sword lay inches from her hand...

With a pleased smile, she reached over in one swift motion and grabbed the sword, pushing herself back to her feet in the same movement. A choked scream escaped her throat then as she raised the blade and rushed towards Duo, the tip aimed directly at his abdomen.

Suddenly, Lady Dorothy stopped in her advance, her red mouth frozen open in a silent scream of pain, blood beginning to trickle down the sides. Duo stared at her in shocked horror, his eyes wide, as the green-eyed soldier stepped slowly out from behind her, holding a blood-stained blade in one hand. He nodded to Duo, who quickly turned and ran to the edge of the platform, sweeping a stunned, grief-stricked Hilde into his arms. Lady Dorothy collapsed onto the platform then, her death swift. Lady Relena closed her eyes, warm tears flowing slowly down her carefully made up cheeks. Lord Yuy watched in silent horror; Treize stood stunned. The crowd was completely motionless.

Feeling her lover's strong, warm embrace circle her cold, scantily clad body, Hilde allowed her knees to give way, sobs tearing through her throat as she stared at her former mistress, lying dead in a pool of dark blood, shimmering garishly in the bright, warm sunshine.

"It was not supposed to be like this," she cried, burying her face in Duo's hard, well-muscled chest. "Not like this, not like this..." Her tears soaked through his torn shirt, burning his skin. He closed his eyes.

"I love you, Hilde," he whispered into her silky black hair, kissing her gently. "I love you... It's over." He lifted her face to his then and kissed her softly, then passionately, covering her beautiful face and neck with kisses. She kissed back, allowing him to cradle her in his arms as if she were an infant. Meiran stepped back down off the platform to join her husband, while Quatre joined his handsome lover at the other end of the dais. The crowd slowly began to murmur once again.

Treize watched the two young lovers on the platform kiss and caress each other lovingly for a long moment before he finally regained his composure, turning back towards a stunned Lord Yuy. He drew his sword up once again and motioned for the soldiers to release the Japanese lord. Lady Relena sat up straighter on her dais at their movements, straining forward behind her fan to see them through the throng better. Please, God, no more, she prayed silently.

"Heero-san," Treize spoke, tossing his long black cape over his shoulder. "I give you a simple choice: Your wife or your land." He arched an eyebrow, as if challenging the other man, and stepped back, readying his body to attack. Lady Relena closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly.

Lord Yuy gazed at the French soldier emptily, his gloved hand snaking unconsciously down to his own sword, sheathed at his waist. "There is no choice," he replied simply, and suddenly, his blade was unsheathed and he rushed towards Treize.

The other man caught Lord Yuy's attack expertly and they began their battle, the crowd of villagers moving quickly out of their way as their swords clashed, over and over again, making a heated trail across the courtyard. Finally, the last blow was struck, followed by a choked cry of surprise and then a heavy thud as the defeated man dropped to the ground. Lady Relena's fan fluttered from her hand. She bent her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of honeyed hair that had blown loose in the wind, allowing the tears to fall freely now. Hilde lay against Duo's chest, watching as the man on the ground's breath slowly left his body for eternity. She closed her eyes.

Lord Yuy threw down his sword angrily, lowering his eyes away from the bleeding French commander: His wife's first true love. The crowd remained silent as he turned away from the dead man and began a slow approach towards Lady Relena's dais, his Prussian eyes fixed on her beautiful, tear-stained face. He walked up the steps, facing her evenly. A strong breeze began to blow, blowing her long golden hair into her face once again. One delicate hand smoothed it back; the soft, petulant pink lips were parted, awaiting her husband's words. The sunlight danced around her, lightening her delicate complexion, kissing the pale blonde highlights in her long silky hair. She was beautiful. His Relena. His love. He finally spoke.

"Forgive me, Relena."

With a low groan, Lord Heero Yuy fell to his knees on the white cushions surrounding his lovely wife, his head catching in her lap as Lady Relena suddenly moved forward to cradle her husband, tears streaming from her aquamarine eyes, glistening in her long eyelashes. She held him to her chest, her jeweled fingers tangling in his wild hair, stroking him comfortingly. She had let Treize go a long time ago.

"Heero, my Heero," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Aishiteru..."

Chang Wufei stepped forward then, bowing his head in reverence to the beautiful lady. "I give up my ownership of this land," he spoke, his voice deep, low. "It should belong to its rightful owner." He looked up then, casting his gaze towards his wife, Meiran, who nodded slowly. Lady Relena stared down at the handsome Chinese man, awaiting his next words.

"I only ask that your Lady Hilde Schbeiker and her partner, Duo Maxwell, be dismissed from your authority," Chang finished. Meiran smiled gently, resting a hand lovingly on her husband's arm. On the platform, Duo and Hilde waited, holding one another tightly.

Lady Relena looked over towards the other dais, meeting her friend's gaze over the throng of village people, and smiled softly through her tears. Hilde nodded, understanding her mistress's silent words. The lady turned back to Chang then and nodded herself, holding her husband closer against her breasts, his breathing beginning to slow. Lord Yuy reached up one white-gloved hand, clasping hers tightly. He agreed. She smiled down at him.

"Hai," Lady Relena finally replied, emphasizing her nod. "They are free to leave. And thank you... for returning the land."

Chang nodded in return of the lady's gratitude and turned back towards the platform. He met Duo's amethyst eyes, a friendly smile beginning to spread across the other man's face. He nodded once again and finally spoke, taking Meiran's arm.

"Come, we will leave from the port now."

Epilogue

The port at Shanghai was as busy as Hilde remembered it, bustling with people and merchants in colorful stalls, selling beautiful fabrics and delicious, exotic foods. She walked leisurely through the bustle with her friend, Meiran, her arm linked through the other girl's, a feeling of happiness that she had now known for years now coming over her as they made their way towards the boat docks.

"So what will you do now that you are free?" Meiran asked, pushing a loose strand of short black hair behind her ear. "And married?" She cast a teasing look at her friend then and giggled at the German girl's playful shove.

"It is so hard to believe, isn't it?" Hilde replied, raising a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright sun as the boats began to come into view in the distance. "I am married... We both are." She smiled at Meiran's embarassed blush.

"Yes, we both are," Meiran repeated. "And to think, we had vowed we would never be under the power of /any/ man. Do you remember?"

Hilde nodded, laughing at the memory of her childish foolishness. She had learned so much since then, and even though she often hated to admit it, Lady Dorothy Catalonia had had much to do with her knowledge now. She felt a wave sadness at her former friend and mistress begin to tug at her abdomen and she quickly pushed it away as she saw Chang and Duo standing beside a great ship, talking quietly to each other. She smiled then, remembering how the two men had fought on the boat trip back to China, Chang complaining about Duo's energetic personality and Duo complaining about Chang's boring one. Now they seemed to be getting along well; at least the fights had been kept to a minimum, Hilde thought with a giggle.

"So," Meiran continued, bumping her hip against Hilde's. "You still have not told me what you and Duo plan to do now."

"That's right," Hilde replied, a smile beginning to play across her lips. "I have not told you..." She turned to her friend then, her smile widening into a mischeivious grin, and placed a hand on her abdomen. Her blue eyes sparkled with secret happiness, and suddenly Meiran knew what she meant to say.

"Oh, Hilde!" she cried, squeezing her friend's arm excitedly. "When will you tell him?"

Hilde paused for a long moment, casting her eyes to the sky, pretending to think. Only when Meiran shoved against her once again did she look back down with a girlish laugh. "Soon," she replied. "Perhaps when we get to London. I cannot wait to see London!"

The two girls finally reached their husbands and parted ways to greet their respective men. Duo kissed his lovely wife gently, gazing at her with eyes filled with love when they finally parted. She had kept her hair shorter now, the ends brushing the tops of her breasts, and had traded her kimonos for a pair of brown leather trousers that hugged the curves of her slender body and a loose white shirt that tied just above her breasts. Her face was made up beautifully still, her incredible cerulean eyes shaded in natural tones of brown and gold, lined with deep black kohl, and her pale complexion was made slightly rosier with a light blush. Duo touched a finger to her full, shiny red lips lovingly and smiled down at her.

"Are you ready to go home now, koi?" he asked, watching her face light up delightedly.

Home. She would finally have a place to call home.

Resting her hand on her abdomen once again, feeling the life beginning to grow inside her there, Hilde cast a secretive smile at her husband and nodded.

"Hai."



~Owari~