Fennec

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra latched the window shut and tugged the curtains closed, knowing exactly what it would look like to people in the courtyard. The prince and his assassin were having a bit of fun and were making it very obvious that they were not to be disturbed. Well, hopefully she'd find beating him up to be very fun. As she turned, she had the beginnings of her speech on self-defense prepared. But she froze when she saw Aulfr... hugging one of her students. Then she felt an immediate flash of jealousy, which only strengthened as he continued down the line.

She quelled it, knowing exactly what he was doing. He was building trust, and probably also knew he was making her green with envy. She schooled her features into a perfectly bland mask as he greeted the women. She stepped up beside him as he stepped away. Standing close, her students didn't see the possessive little smack on the ass she gave Aulfr, and they could tell nothing was happening from her blank expression.

Finally, she let herself smile a bit, which eased the tension in the room and caused many of the women to relax and even smile back. "Alright. Now that we all know each other, Prince Aulfr here is going to be our living dummy for the demonstration." She pointed to the area where the floor padding was thick, an area for sparring. "Over there, dummy." This caused at least three of the women to giggle. One of the cousins gave a very unladylike snort.

Once she and Aulfr were in position, she had him stand behind her in a hold that most men would use to abduct an unsuspecting woman. "People- men- usually don't hunt for women who look like they'll put up a fight. They'll pick you because you look off-guard or vulnerable. Mitsuka, Karina, and Natasha, this is especially important for you three. Levana and Nalani are taller and those lean limbs look more athletic, and they're less likely to be grabbed."

"An abductor will try to move you to another location where they won't need to worry about being interrupted. Do not let them move you to another location." Her voice was sharp as a blade, as firm as a rock. The women nodded quickly, eyes all wide and faces slightly paled. They understood exactly how important this was. "Fight back enough to convince them that you're not worth it. And make as much noise as you can. In the slums, though, I bet no one will bother coming to help you. But you should still start screaming your head off about a fire- not rape, not theft, not something that cowards would usually hide from. Or that other criminals would try to join in on. And if shouting doesn't discourage them, there are a few tricks to outsmart them."

"Some might make them drop like a stone, others might get them down temporarily. But once they're down, your biggest priority is getting the hell away. Do you understand? They let you go, you run."

And for the next hour, she had Aulfr grab her in varying positions and demonstrated how to break his grip, and then different ways to hurt him. Eye-jabs, where to stomp on a foot to do the most damage, using elbows and knees to crush anything soft. And, of course, the ever-classic knee to the groin. She held off an actually performing that move, knowing that it would only come back to haunt her when they sparred.

Finally, she finished the demonstration and started to let the students train on each other. She pulled Aulfr down and kissed his cheek lightly, giving him a wink. "Thanks for your help, dummy. Now go punch things." Mitsuka and Nalani watched the exchanged with great interest until Aleksandra noticed and gave them a deadly look that had them quickly returning to practice.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Another week passed quickly, but there were no more long, awkward pauses in conversation. No uncomfortable glances across the room. Aleksandra had done away with all her embarrassment and had resolved to kiss Aulfr as frequently as possible. When they weren't sparring, she always sat close to him. She didn't always touch him, but she did like feeling his strong, solid presence beside her. She was surprised by how much she missed him when he went to long war councils or out on some hunt or raid.

To combat this new feeling of loneliness, she prowled the halls of the castle each day when Aulfr wasn't around, looking for suitable women to begin assassin training. She tended to drift toward the smaller women, though there weren't many of those in Noxus. All of the maids seemed to be reasonably attractive, though. Many of them were a bit plump for fighters. She singled out five young women eventually, all of them with the most athletic builds she could find and all of them of varying heights and features.

She began training with them four days later. She had to allow time for gathering everything she'd need, including weapons, clothing, lock-picks, poisons, and other various items that would kick start her students' education. And of course, she and Aulfr had to approach the women to inform the of what would be happening. And so, the first day of training began in a disused suite of rooms next to the courtyard where Aulfr trained his own warriors.

At that moment, her five students were sitting cross-legged on the mats she'd prepared in what had been the bedchamber. She would be using this room to teach them the basics of fighting and self-defense. And none of them looked at all comfortable with this turn of events.

Two of the women, Levana and Nalani, were both from the Banti desert, as was evident from their deep brown skin and slightly upturned brown eyes. They were cousins, sold into slavery together. Both were tall and slender, and each moved with a feline sort of grace that Aleksandra knew would be beneficial in their training.

The third woman was very small and delicate, from Xiang-Bao. Her name was Mitsuka, and she'd chosen to live in Noxus and work at the palace of her own free will. She had ridiculously long hair, almost down to her knees, and a mischievous glint in her eyes that had made Aleksandra pick her in an instant.

The final two were from Noxus, of average height and with the usual dark-blonde hair and blue eyes. Karina and Natasha were their names, and out of all of the women, they seemed the most disturbed by what was going on. And the most frightened of Aleksandra.

She puzzled over how she might put all these women at ease. She wasn't the type to make jokes and play around when training. She needed these women to understand how important it was that they trust her. Which meant a demonstration. So after a few moments of staring at them and having them stare back, she marched over to the nearest window and threw it open. The sounds of men fighting poured in, soothing her nerves immensely. "Prince Aulfr," she called. "I could use a bit of assistance in here."

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra pressed her lips together and sighed through her nose, keeping her gaze trained anywhere except for on Aulfr. "I did say that," she quietly confirmed. She continued making her slow movements, forcing herself to keep calm and keep steady. This wasn't anything he didn't already know or hadn't guessed. She loved him. Of course she did, or she wouldn't have even entertained the thought of putting his hands on her the way she had.

"I do love you. I, Aleksandra Belikova, am in love with Aulfr Volsung. You're everything I've wanted for over ten years. Safety, comfort, someone strong enough to carry me when my fear threatens to overwhelm me. You've never underestimated me and you treat me like an equal, even knowing all that you do about me. You see me as I am. Terrified and angry, and filled with a deep enough darkness that just looking into my eyes has made weaker men piss themselves."

"You've seen me drunk, seen me naked, seen me crying as if everything and everyone I love has been destroyed. You've seen me laughing and smiling. You have always tried to respect my many, many physical boundaries. And I've let you touch me in a way no other man has before."

She couldn't keep swinging the stupid sword around anymore. She went still and let the tip sink to the floor, finally lifting her eyes to meet his. She kept her expression carefully neutral. Waiting to see his reaction. "I trust you with all of me. My life, my possessions. I trust you with my body. Which is something I've never been comfortable letting anyone touch. Not even other women."

She set the sword down and approached him again, leaning into his chest with a soft sigh. She took his hands and set them on her back, and did the same to him. Only she let her hands trail up and down his back, very lightly running her nails over the warm skin on either side of his spine. "I'm sure this is a great inconvenience for you, O Future Oberjarl. Having one of your pawns pining after you. You needn't reciprocate my feelings. I'm not looking for that. I just needed you to really know how I feel. And one day, I'm sure your ambitious self will want to marry some princess from some distant land that you conquer and I'll be let go, free to maim and kill to my heart's desire. Until then, I'll enjoy you."

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra watched him with new eyes. Watched the way he smiled for her, the way his hair fell into his eyes and the way his muscles shifted with every graceful move he made. She watched him the way any woman would watch the man she loved. And that was what it was, right? She loved him. She loved Aulfr Volsung in a way she had never loved anyone else. The only person she'd ever loved more was her father. Or her horse.

She found she was smiling back at him, and she rose to her feet when he extended his hand to her. She took his hand, but instead of shaking it she pulled him in for a hug, placing his hand solidly on her lower back. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and closed her eyes, giving a soft sigh as his warmth enveloped her. She was going to say it to him. The three words. It wasn't hard and she knew it. She was just afraid. And she'd done so many things she was afraid of with him.

She rose up onto her tiptoes and pulled him down, and even then she didn't reach his ear. That was okay. She settled for trailing a gentle line of kisses along his collarbone until she could hear him sigh. That one noise alone made her smile. She could make him do that. And more, once she could past her fear. She was looking forward to every sigh, every growl, every laugh. They were all hers. She stretched up and pulled him down even farther and just barely managed to kiss him. Then she let go.

She turned away and gently pulled the khopesh away, making it clear that she was going to show him something important. She started working slowly through a few moves so he could watch, and continued talking all the while. "It might also be a good idea to employ a whore to teach some of the more willing women how to seduce men. I love you," she mumbled, "It could be a useful skill to have, especially for loosening a drunken man's tongue. Plenty of pretty maids in this castle," she continued, mostly hoping he hadn't heard her. That had been a bad idea.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Still grooming herself, she watched Aulfr out of the corner of her eye as he stood and stretched. She'd watched him before, even without a shirt on once or twice. It felt different this time. Watching the muscles shifting sinuously under his skin, which she knew was warm and soft except for the lovely rough contrast of his scars... She made that purring sound again, and she realized when he grinned at her that she'd turned around to watch him. She whipped back around, but he could probably see the flush in her cheeks through the mirror.

"Who says I'm not aggressive? I've never had the chance to find out what kind of person I am when it comes to..." Well now, how to put it? Everything she thought of made her blush. "When it comes to sex," she finished lamely. She hurried on, covering her gaffe with more conversation. "I could be completely wild. Or I could be as shy as a butterfly." She set down the brush and started braiding back the hair the framed her face, securing the braids behind her head so none of her hair could get in the way.

"As for the maids thing, aren't you at all concerned that I might teach them too well and they'll try to kill you? Or are there just certain things you want me to show them how to do?" But she was already pondering what she'd have to do. The best spies were women. Women were usually more diplomatic, less conspicuous. People underestimated them, so they were less likely to hold back information in the presence of one. She'd need several of the smaller women in the castle. And it would take months to teach them to be any sort of decent at combat. But until then, she could teach them all the ways to loosen someone's tongue. How to hide in the dark and the shadows so even the most alert wouldn't be able to spot them. The idea was appealing.

"I might run into a problem. Women in this country aren't really encouraged to do more than cook and procreate. They won't feel confident in their own abilities. They won't feel as if they have the right to be taught all of this."

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra grinned back at Aulfr and readied a witty reply to continue their banter, but he gathered her in his arms before she could say anything. She automatically snaked her arms around his broad shoulders and closed her eyes, assuming he was going to kiss her. But then their foreheads touched and he said those quiet words. And she very suddenly felt like crying. Not out of fear. She was just happy. Elated, in fact. The sweet feeling in her chest swelled until she felt like she was going to melt into a teary mess right in his arms.

She couldn't stop one tear from escaping, but she didn't think Aulfr saw it. Gently, without moving her head from that intimate little touch, she reached up and slowly raked her fingers through his hair. Then over his ears and down his neck. Across his shoulders, down his arms and back and then up his stomach and chest. She ended her light caress on his cheeks, with her thumbs placed at the corners of his mouth. Then she leaned in and kissed him.

Finally, she had to pull away and climb from his lap. She had to get her emotions in check; if she started crying now, she'd never be able to live it down. She carefully turned her face away and wiped her cheeks, feeling the wetness there. No more tears, she told herself. She didn't need them. "You'll take on the world, Aulfr. And I'll be there to help you along the way. But it's all yours." She picked up one of his discarded shirts, gave it a cursory sniff, and pulled it on over her shift and underthings. She knew she probably wouldn't be leaving their chambers, so there was no reason to really get dressed.

Besides, she sort of enjoyed moving around the room, the hem of the shirt fluttering and giving teasing little glimpses at her rear.

She went to the door, motioned to a nearby servant (who looked very surprised and uncomfortable to see her wearing almost nothing but the prince's shirt), and ordered breakfast for her and Aulfr. Then she turned back and sat in front of the small dressing area and the mirror there as she brushed and wrangled her crazy black waves into something less wild.

"Whatever you were saying before about assets was nonsense. You can see how women drool whenever you're near them. Can you imagine how one of those simpering little posies would react to seeing you in such a state of undress?" She snorted at the thought. And then felt a disturbing flash of jealously. She didn't really enjoy that feeling. It felt... slimy.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra was a bit surprised and even somewhat relieved that Aulfr stopped the kiss when he did. She wasn't embarrassed, but maybe she needed that emotion to keep her in check. After all, being so free was just a bit too nice. She couldn't rush herself or Aulfr or she'd end up ruining things. She didn't want to do something she'd regret and then associate that with a bad experience.

Still she couldn't stop herself from smiling sweetly, almost happily down at Aulfr. "Good morning. A very good morning indeed." Realizing that she was probably causing him some discomfort in his lower anatomy, she scooted forward a bit, to just above his hips. "You know, this might be your fault. You're too pretty," she said breezily.

"And you also stripped me nearly naked! Who said you could do that? Not me, certainly. And then you're also nearly naked..." She looked him up and down and made some ghastly noise of approval that she'd never made before. It sounded like a purr. "Not that I really mind. Hmm, you shouldn't ever wear a shirt. Saints, it should be a crime." She pressed her hands to his chest and stomach, feeling every breath he took and the pounding of his heart. That last bit made her lips twitch into some faint sort of smile.

At this point, she was just having fun with him. She never had this sort of effect on anyone. Mostly because she'd always been grim and quiet and pointing sharp things at anyone who glanced at her the wrong way. And here she was, straddling a man with a grin on her face, watching how utterly she disturbed him. It was the most fun she'd had in years.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra woke the next day with a slight headache and a body that ached absolutely everywhere. And then the events of the previous night caught up to her and her aches were forgotten as a hot flush spread over her entire body, even the tips of her ears. How mortifying. She'd practically forced Aulfr to paw at her. She wanted to squeal and cover her face in embarrassment. She also wanted to stab something. But she wasn't really mad.

As she'd promised Aulfr, she wasn't angry with him. She was just very embarrassed at how she'd acted, and somewhere deep down, she was also secretly thrilled. If she could let Aulfr touch her like that, then she knew she could learn to trust again. She wanted to feel comfortable touching people she hardly knew, and she wanted to love freely. As it was, her only friend was Aulfr.

She turned on her side and looked at his peaceful, sleeping face. Their legs were tangled together and his arm lay heavy over her waist. She loved this man. She thought loving someone took more time than just a month, but she'd loved him for awhile now. Strangely enough, she thought she'd realized this when he'd punched her back the day she'd been angry he spilled her secrets. She enjoyed that he treated her equally. If she hit him, she could be damned sure she'd be hit back. Probably even harder. And then he cleaned her up and fixed her nose.

Slowly, without stopping to second-guess herself, she slid a leg over his hips and sat up, straddling him. She realized belatedly that she wasn't wearing anything except her near see-through shift and undergarments. Too late to stop now, she figured. She settled herself comfortably, noticing that he had narrower hips than she first thought. That was interesting. Hers were wider, probably for having children, she reasoned. And he was also mostly bare. She didn't see him like this very often.

She pressed one slim-fingered hand to his belly and felt the warmth of living skin and lean muscle. She wondered vaguely if she should feel embarrassed by all this touching, but they were both nearly naked and she was straddling him. It was a little late to feel embarrassed. Once she did away with that thought, she felt strangely light. Freed. The feeling washed over her and, with a smile, she leaned down and kissed him.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra let Aulfr wrap her in his arms, and leaned into his warmth with a soft sigh. She felt right. Safe. Happy. For the first time in a long while, she had the feeling that things would get better. If she could trust Aulfr to touch her that way, then maybe one day she'd be able to enjoy her body like anyone else. Maybe she'd have children. A family and a husband. The thought brought a drunken grin to her face.

She tipped her head back to look up at Aulfr. "Have you ever wanted babies? A little Aulfr, maybe, to pass your kingdom to once you're an old blighter?" She sighed and nuzzled her nose against his collarbone. "I want babies. Kind of a difficult feat, considering I won't open my legs for anyone," she said with a snort. "I think I would be a good mother if I didn't feel the need to hunt. Maybe that will go away after I kill my brothers." She peered up at him somewhat suspiciously. "You're going to let me do that, aren't you? When you invade Ardany, I need to kill them."

It didn't matter what he said, she was going to do it. She hugged him tighter and slipped her hand into his, threading their fingers together. Saints, no one told her how wonderful it felt to hold someone's hand. Just feeling that simple warmth, and the faint thrum of someone's pulse against her own, and the way their muscles worked to keep holding on. It felt... indescribably good. Somehow, it made her want to kiss him again. So she did just that. She leaned up and kissed him, but much sweeter than before. Just a light kiss to make them both feel shivery and happy.

Cancel my appointments, I've been sold into slavery.

Aleksandra smiled, even in the face of his anger. She knew he was just concerned for her, and she reached up to touch his cheek gently when he finished speaking. "Then there had better not be any more attempted assassinations," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She turned away and fetched everything she'd need to clean herself up. Some clean cloths, a small basin of water, some needle and thread. The cut on her face wasn't deep enough for stitches, but the one on her shoulder was.

She wiped the blood from her feet and legs first, and then her shoulder and face. "I might need your help with these stitches. Turning my head far enough to look just pulls the wound open." She knew it was going to hurt like the Abyss, so she'd grabbed a small goblet and filled it with some of the leftover cider. She was comfortable with inhibiting herself around Aulfr, knowing both that it would numb her a bit and that she was safe with him. She handed over the needle and thread and took a few big gulps of the cider, feeling that lovely warmth settle in her stomach and spread to her ears and toes.

She sighed and let Aulfr do what he had to. And however hard she tried, she couldn't bite back the very colorful arsenal of curses that ensued once the pain hit her. There was something almost cruel about how different the pain of mending was compared to the pain of receiving the wound in the first place. She allowed herself to drink the rest of her cider and then she leaned forward, pressing her forehead into Aulfr's shoulder as he stitched her up. She made sure to call him all manner of names, and in four different languages.

By the time he was done, she was very close to drunk and somewhat exhausted from insulting him so much. She sighed and sat back after he finished with her bandages, and then she stopped. She had to be drunk, she reasoned. Because she was staring at Aulfr and seeing him in a way she'd never seen him before. She was looking at his eyes, a mix of brown and green and grey, and thinking they were so beautiful. Like someone had liquefied a forest and decided it would be his irises. And she wanted to run her tongue over the stubble on his jaw and hear the sigh he made in response. And... Saints, a whole host of other things that made her blush just thinking about them.

She glanced at the goblet in her hand, then at Aulfr again. "Oh, whatever," she muttered, then downed what was left. Yes, now she was definitely drunk. She set the cup aside and, without any hesitation, sat herself in Aulfr's lap. "I am somewhat drunk and having very unusual thoughts. Indulge me for a few long moments while I figure out what in the Abyss I'm doing. I won't be mad at you later, I promise," she slurred, leaning into his chest.

Now, what to do first, she wondered? Her eyes took in different parts of him. No, not that. Saints, definitely not that. Her gaze came to rest on a spot on his neck that looked quite inviting, so she leaned in and kissed it softly. She lingered there, breathing in the scent of him, earthy and sort of like the oil he rubbed into his weapons each day, and sighed. This was a scent she'd learned to love. She could admit that to him. "I love the way you smell, Aulfr." She couldn't tell him she loved him outright, so maybe she could make it obvious in other ways.

She wrapped an arm around him and ran her fingers through his soft brown hair. "I love how soft your hair is." She shifted on his lap, finding a more comfortable position before she raised her head and kissed the little furrow between his brows. "I love how taciturn you usually are, and that I'm one of the only people who can read you so well." Then she kissed the tip of his nose, then his chin, and hovered over his lips. "I love kissing you. You make me feel safe when you kiss me," she murmured.

She leaned in and kissed him, with a surprising fervency that she'd never shown him before. Every one of their previous kisses had been chaste, sweet, unhurried. And none too long, either. This still retained some of her hesitance and sweetness, but there was a pronounced hunger there that hadn't ever been there. And as they kissed, some instinct in her caused her to grab one of his hands and hold it to her breast, her face flushing further in embarrassment. She didn't pull away though. She did want this, but she was so unused to even touching someone else that it would take some adjusting.