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

[Fennec]

Aleksandra was almost immediately surrounded by huge men in silly outfits. Where she might have been frightened a few weeks earlier, now she had the urge to laugh. She quelled it and pretended to be indifferent, listening to their praise and admiration with a quickly growing ego. She could certainly get used to such treatment.

She finished wiping off her daggers and slipped them back into their previously hidden sheaths, which were strapped to her thighs. The motion brought some attention to her legs, probably more bare than some of these men had ever seen on a woman who wasn't a whore. Feeling a bit playful, she leaned back and crossed them, one over the other, feeling almost drunk on the admiring stares as they took in her scars and tattoos. She felt powerful in a way she never thought she would. She could probably ask some of these men to bray like horses and strip to their underclothes and they'd do it.

One man, apparently feeling brave after all he'd seen, was reaching for her leg. She let him, until his fingertips brushed her skin. Then she reached out and casually bent back his little finger, causing him to cry out and yank his hand away. Another man apparently found this amusing, because he threw back his head and gave a bear-like laugh that she'd come to learn meant Noxan approval. The laugh had attracted the attention of Aulfr, because he was walking towards her now.

She rose to her feet and took his arm, much to the disappointment of her many male admirers. "I'm feeling a bit faint," she admitted to him in a soft voice, making sure only he could hear it. "And things are a bit grey around the edges. It might be best if we retire for the evening." And so they did. They made a round of the room, Aulfr doing just about all of the talking, and then they were out of the hall. They passed by her mess on the way. Someone had removed the body, but there was still a puddle of blood on the floor and large spatters of it on the wall. She'd pretty much torn his throat out with her daggers. A stunt like that tended to make a mess.

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr glanced at the bloodstains, covering even older ones; it seemed Fate was playing its game. The bloodstain of Aleksandra's would-be assassin was covering the bloodstain of Aulfr's long-dead would-be assassin. What a coincidence- same servant, even, mopping up the floors. He gave the young maid a tiny nod as they passed, and was surprised, shocked, really, at the massive blush that erupted from the slim Noxan peasant. It begged the thought- what was his reputation outside the castle?

Clearly it wasn't that of a dead-inside monster.

It made him just a tad bit lighter, knowing that he wasn't viewed darkly in everyone's eyes. Even more uplifting was the arm he had on his own, the one he was escorting to a safe place. He could tell she wasn't her normal self- she dragged a bit, though the willpower was certainly strong in her.

Two minutes later, and he was relatching his door, shoved into place, as he turned back to her.

"First of all, Aleksandra- terribly foolish of you to go running off while you're still injured!" Here, he was angry, a little red at the face, a little... worried.

"And second of all- good job indeed on taking care of everything so well! You may have just marked the Oberjarl's final throes!" Now, he was smiling, and happy, and proud, even, beaming at her, anger gone- though he did tack on, "But you'd better not go running off while you're injured again!"

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr was, while being concerned and a tad angry, and also proud and pleased, amiable enough to act the part of the doctor. He fetched his medicine bag- he had attempted to get together some group of people to have medicines taught to them on a larger scale, for the sake of the healers, and less of an apprenticeship-only sort of thing, but it never caught on- but he knew the value. And so he went ahead, stitching away, gentle but firm. He didn't bother himself with the fact that he was causing her pain- it was the good pain, a pain that can't be avoided, but can prevent more.

He had to practically wrap his arm around her head, to reach her shoulder, once she decided to lean her face into his shoulder. The cursing, too, surprised him- he had never heard of half those words, and he mentally filed them away for later investigation. He didn't catch some of them, though, so he'd have to ask her about them later...

As he finished he, he noted how much she had already drunk, and her very low tolerance of alcohol- though, once she was drunk, she could drink a great deal and not pass out.

He leaned away, dropping the bloodied bits on the table. He sat down in the chair he had left neglected, in favor of hovering over Aleksandra to take care of his shoulder- and a single glance at her caught him. Eyes locked; she was staring at him with... something he didn't know how to explain. He noted her cup, watched her cross the short gap and plop herself on his legs, curious and maybe a little anxious.

He gave her a surprisingly solemn nod, noting her promise- he'd use that against her if she did get angry. He... grew a little uncomfortable as her eyes roamed, but relaxed when she settled on his neck- and relaxed maybe a little too much. It felt good, for lack of a better word in his suddenly struggling mind, too good. He shivered slightly, a tremor that ran through him, tiny but still present, at her words. He relaxed to new levels as she ran her fingers through his hair, as she talked to him.

And then the kiss- a surprising kiss, different from before. A kiss that he got into very quickly, one arm immediately coming up to cradle her back, the other coming up to frame her face, cupping her cheek. It didn't last long; she had different ideas, when he let her tug his hand away, and down to her...and suddenly her chest. His hand gently closed around it, treating it as if it were the most tender thing in the world, slowly moving his hand against her bust- and then he withdrew, jerking his head and hand back. His head, far enough away for her shorter self to be out of reach, while he stared at her wildly, and his hand, away and down to hold her wrist, rather than her hand or her chest- he did not want to lose control.

Panting, he stared at her, unsure, exactly, of what to say or do. So instead of curled his other arm around her a bit more, making them more akin to a hug than anything. He focused on the feel of her body against his, relaxed and actually wanting to be there.

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

He was just about to start humming, peaceful and happy though he was, when she brought up the subject of... the little ones. His slight rocking back and forth froze for a moment, before continuing, as he though about what she just provoked. Children were not part of his plan- he wanted to move and take over Noxus, and then maybe take over those people who makes nice explosives, so that he could provoke Ardany into doing something rash, and then taking over Ardany and leaving the land of explosions alone. Children didn't fit in until he had finished all these; he needed a heir when he had his rule over whatever it was he'd be ruling when secure, not before.

But Aleksandra might end up changing that. He couldn't have his assassin down and out for the count, either, for several months- he needed her. And, he's heard of how women get when they're pregnant, and having a moody, emotional woman, a moody, emotional, exotic, DANGEROUS woman, in his bed every night while she still had some beef on him wasn't a sound idea for him.

And then her brothers- did she even know that they were en route, trying to secure peace? They had mentioned a package that they will pay dearly for, and he had no doubt that it'd be Aleksandra. He could bargain a lengthy peace with Ardany, if he used her- but might insult them if they find out she's here, and he refuses to let them take her, and that she has significant power. He'd be risking war, or at least heavy scowling from Ardany.

But with her curled up against him, he almost didn't care.

So he enjoyed the kiss, and continued stroking her hair- his goal was to put her to sleep, and then think on all that she was telling him.

It only took ten minutes for her to slip into unconsciousness; he waited probably another ten minutes to start moving again. He stood up, Aleksandra in his arms, and set her on the bed. Retrieving some of his bandages, he carefully applied them to her still somewhat bloody shoulder, and then debated about her clothing. Finally, he decided it needed to come off- he didn't need bloodstains in his sheets, and she'd sleep more comfortably. She had taken to spending his money freely, so it wasn't as if this wasn't her only dress- being inexperienced at dresses, he, quite literally, just cut the thing off with one of his sharper knives. He tried not to stare too much at her in her underclothes, which were, in comparison to the normal Noxan lady's, rather sparse. He quickly tucked her into the center of his bed.

Then he took a step back, and looked down at his ridiculous garb. He sighed to himself, and used his same knife to slice off his clothing, too- he'd never wear the silly thing again. He took some amount of pleasure in cutting it up, already preparing for an end to his father's rule.

Then he slipped into bed behind the sleeping Aleksandra, and pulled her close, fitting her back to his chest, the back of her legs to the front of his, fitted like a glove. He lightly wrapped arms around her smooth, exposed belly, and let himself fall asleep.

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr woke with a small start, jerking slightly against an unusual weight on his torso- on his... His already confused mind became even more muddled when his eyes registered Aleksandra, and then she was kissing him. Something flipped inside his chest, and he realized just where the nearly naked woman was sitting. His right hand automatically came up to cup her cheek; his left hand went up to rest on the curve of her side, right on the edge of her ribs.

He felt her fingers on his skin, and he felt every single movement that she made, every tiny adjustment. He knew that, at this rate, Aleksandra would probably provoke him into doing things that he was... encouraging for, but wasn't planning on actually doing. And her straddling him was certainly encouraging him.

With a groan that broke their kiss, he pushed her away, forcing her to straight her back as he took a small gasp- he didn't quite have all his breath, whatwith awaking from a deep sleep to a all-consuming kiss, and all. So, instead, he settled for words.

"Good morning to you too?"

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr felt shivers run through him, and not because he was cold or because he was afraid. No, it was because Aleksandra was being... exciting. He didn't know whether or not this was a good or bad thing, especially with her teasing of him. And, regardless, her sitting on him wasn't exactly giving him a... calming effect. Especially in such a way, when clothed like so, and so obviously enjoying it.

His heart pounded, and another shiver at her purr. She could purr? He didn't know that, and he liked the sound of it too much for his own good. But instead of letting her see him shiver, see him want to just stare at her forever, among other things, he took the initiative.

So he gave her a wicked grin, and replied, "Aye, I am fairly pretty indeed. And besides, you look much better now than you did before. It'd be just as much of a crime for me to wear a shirt as it would be for you, you know. After all, you have significantly more... assets, than I, don'tcha think?"

He sat up, suddenly, embracing her with his arms, leaning his forehead against hers in a surprisingly intimate gesture.

"You and I, Aleksandra, you and I. We'll take on the world."

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr could admit to himself that he could get used to having someone's hands roaming over him, like how Aleksandra was doing. He reluctantly allowed her to get off of him, but relaxed back into his bed to watch her bend over to throw on one of his shirts. Thoughts meandered through his mind, such as why she was so teasing and flirty at times, despite what he knew to be her past. And he pointedly ignored her refusal of being his partner, and instead his helper and nothing more.

"You know, they'd probably attack me. Noxans are aggressive compared to you Ardians," he explained, intentionally mispronouncing her nation's people, "And generally try to get what they want. The only reason why one of them hasn't tried to kill you yet is because you showed that you could beat the crap out of the biggest Noxan Jarl."

Then he gave her a wicked smile.

"Besides, I don't think they have as many assets as you do."

Finally, he decided to roll out of his bed, immediately deciding to stretch. As usual, the world fell away as he closed his eyes and stretched luxuriously, rolling arms and leaning back, popping shoulders, elbows, and back.

Then, dropping limbs limply at his sides, he admired Aleksandra again, catching her staring. Again- the wicked grin, but he didn't do anything on it.

"Speaking of assets, the time I'm taking over is coming up pretty soon. I'm going to need more agents, you know- more assassins like you. If you would, I can allocate resources and a section of the castle to you, to train several maids to be my spies and assassins." The way he said it was almost a suggestion, or request- but based on who he is, and how ambitious he is, it's probably obvious that it's more of an order.

[Fennec]

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."

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr just smirked at her and her embarrassment. He briefly considered teasing her, as she sometimes did to him; he had an excellent idea on how to. And she was, after all, wearing his shirt. He could just take it back, after all. After several moments of increasingly vivid daydreaming, he realized what he was doing and blinked himself out of it, and focused on Aleksandra's awkwardness.

So he just grunted his bemused agreement, and stepped up next to her, facing the table rather than mirror. He listened, patiently, as she described her worry, about the maids. In the meantime, he picked up the khopesh and flipped it this way and that; now that he had some actual interest, whatwith someone else knowing about it, he could get the idea of how to use it.

"Hmmm... well, that's your advantage, for one. Most of the maids are relatively young, and we do teach them more than you think. You're still a bit of an outsider- most maids know how to use a knife, and know a good bit about cooking, healing, et cetera. You'd be surprised; they teach themselves all kinds of things in their free time, and we don't bother to stop them. But that's true; they've been led to believe that. Which would make them all the more potent; teach them how to act, how to fake, how to sneak, how to be confident. I might even let you beat me as a display for them."

Whirling around the khopesh with the practiced ease of a master swordsmen, he narrowly missed her as he swung about, precise and knowing of where he was swinging.

After a moment, he straightened, and mimed sheathing it, with a flourish, flashing a grin at her.

"You can start after the next feast. I'll have a dozen maids picked out by then, and I'll throw in a couple boys who've been itching to learn how to fight. Some male assassins wouldn't be unwelcome, for intimidation. It'd take a while for a women to really intimidate a man, see, they'd have to start with some examples. Your girls can assassinate, and my boys can do the info-gettin', where rougher measures are needed."

He held out his off hand, for a handshake.

"Train me some assassins, and you'll get the Noxan throne to support you, eh? I might even make you the Royal Assassin," he added, as if she wasn't already- and he knew it.

[Fennec]

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.

[WilsonTurner]

He, despite his sudden resolve to serious himself up, found that resolve very suddenly crumbled in the face of Aleksandra and her bewitchery. He wrapped his arms around her as she came up to do the same to him, feeling his own shirt pressing against him, worn by another. He let himself be taken by her kisses, and reciprocated with some amount of restraint; he let her go easily enough, not wanting to get drawn into wasting the morning away doing things he was not yet ready for, in several meanings of it.

Aulfr's lips curled up into an even wider smile, as she spoke. He let her take the khopesh away from him, though he made sure to trail his fingers along her hand as it withdrew, and watched attentively enough- though every glance Aleksandra shot at his eyes (if uncommon) told her that he wasn't entirely focused on the moves that she was making, so much as just her moving.

"I agree completely; 'twas something I was going to suggest, had you not suggested it first. And, hm, I think you mumbled something inbetween there. Didja mean to say something?"

He leaned in a little closer, suddenly very, very mischievous.

"It almost sounded like you said, I love you."

[Fennec]

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."

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr stared down at her, trying very, very hard not to be touched by the display. He was very touched, actually, but he was trying very hard to not let it affect him. His heart rate was going a little too fast, and he was getting a little too excited. Goosebumps rose where she trailed her fingers, and he had the urge to shiver from her light touch- and not because he was repulsed, either.

Instead, he reciprocated by rubbing her back, and dipping down a bit to kiss the top of her forehead.

In response, he replied, "And you're adorable when you're drunk, beautiful when you're clothed or naked, and you have lost most everything that you have, minus your abilities. Your family, your own security, violated by those that were supposed to be there for you. I will be your, apparently, steadfast pillow, anchored to the bedrock itself. I'll not betray your trust. And I assure you, I doubt I could find anything or anyone better than my very own beautiful Ardanian."

He punctuated his response speech with a light, intimate, loving kiss, so powerful yet so gentle that it conveyed all that he wanted, with all that he cared.

"You can enjoy me forever and ever, Aleksandra. I'll enjoy you right back."

[Fennec]

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."

[WilsonTurner]

Aulfr twisted his upper body from where he stood to see Aleksandra sticking her head out. At the moment, the majority of his berserkers were standing in a row in front of him, with some of the more promising naturals of the Noxan army practicing against each other behind them. He raised a hand to show that he heard, and turned back to the berserkers.

After along pause, where the berserkers stared at Aulfr- most of them were taller than him, notably, despite Aulfr's own size- and he eventually grinned at them. They shifted nervously, unsure of what was going to happen, and knowing that they'd always have to be on their toes.

"Free for all, fists only, last man standing, NO INJURIES!"

With that, the entire line roared their approval- though not quite as much when he tacked on his no-injuries- and rushed into each other, falling on one another in a mad frenzy.

Just a normal day for them.

Aulfr turned away from their squabble and strode quickly to the doorway leading into the suite. He slippd out a new key, inserted it, and was inside a moment later, re-locking the door. He waved at Aleksandra to close the window, and preferably lock it, and strode right on in.

He made careful note of the five women as he walked, in, all five of them shifting very, very uncomfortably at the ambitious Oberjarlson.

And he grinned at them, stepped up to the next one, and offered his hand to her. He knew, already, her name- he had kept tabs on who Aleksandra selected. Karina he helped up first, and when she was on her feet, he greeted her, "Good morning, miss. I've got a lot to handle, so I'll apologize for not knowing your name...?"

It took her several breathless seconds for her to manage a small, "Karina."

So Aulfr smiled warmly again, and, surprisingly, gave her a warm, welcoming hug- which, based on how much limper Karina got, wasn't that bad, especially for someone who had probably once daydreamed about the handsome Noxan prince.

And then he moved on to Natasha, raising her to her feet, apologizing for not knowing her name, and then giving her a welcoming hug, and a whispered, "Welcome to the inner circle."

And then right on Levana, and Nalani, and he paused for a moment when he reached the most foreign of them all.

And then he raised her to her feet like he did with the others, welcomed her, asked her name, and when he hugged her, he lifted her feet off the ground, and then gently set her back down.

Greetings finished, he walked back to the front of them all, and flashed them all a smile, giving Aleksandra a nudge with his elbow, to continue on with what she had in mind. Aulfr had his reasons- he could build some loyalty with all of them, as if they were close friends rather than just him giving orders. They'd have a personal interest in protecting their to-be Oberjarl. That, and they had to learn how to beat up someone that they liked, in addition to beating up scum of the earth and people that they don't give a shit about.