The Tale Continues (Saiunkoku Monogatari Fanfiction: Ryuuki x Shuurei lemon)

Chapter 49: Remaking Memories

Seiran toss and turned in his bed. He cannot go back to sleep. He remembered the passionate kiss he had with Jyuusan before she went back to sleep. It felt so good. That kiss was his', and only his'.

Somehow he did not like the idea of Jyuusan kissing another man as passionate as she kissed him that time. He loathed the fact that someone else had touched and kissed her. His blood boiled when he remembered seeing her tied in chains on a bed with her clothes torn apart and her body marked with kisses.

But what he abhorred most was the fact that he was utterly useless this time. He was not able to do anything aside from carry Jyuusan to his mansion. He was not of any help. He was not able to protect her. And when he was supposed to help her, he ended up losing himself in the midst and ended up kissing and touching her for his own sake. He felt so disgusted and angry at himself.

He detested how he cannot forget how Jyuusan's lips felt, how good she smelled, how warm and soft her body is, and how it felt to kiss and touch her. Never before had he cared about those pleasures.

He wanted to strangle himself for enjoying what just did to her. He cannot deny he was aroused. Why did he even wish to make her moan his name? Perhaps it was just a random thought because of what was going on that time. But still it bothered him that he suddenly thought that way of Jyuusan.

He did not know when he fell asleep but when did, he dreamed of Jyuusan. He saw himself giving flowers to her and proposing marriage. She rejected him and said that she chooses Gen. Haku over him and they kissed in front of him.

Seiran woke up with a start. 'What the hell was that? Why Gen. Haku?!' he thought. Then he recalled that Gen. Haku said something about marrying Jyuusan. He imagined the two together and he shivered at the thought of them both grinning to him with dark smiles.

'Why would I even propose to that girl?' he thought. Then he remembered what happened last night and he paled. Should he propose to her? He wondered. After what happened, it was like they had slept together since he had touched and kissed her body. Should he take responsibility?

Jyuusan was surprised to wake up wearing only her undergarments. She would have panicked if she had not recalled she herself had removed her clothes last night and that 'that' thing did not happen. She blushed as she recalled what Seiran did to her. She checked her body as she bathed. She was grateful that despite getting carried away, Seiran was careful not to leave any marks.

She still cannot forget how Seiran gazed at her with desire gleaming in his eyes. She never expected to see that kind of look from him of all people. But then again that's what she needed to see if she wanted to engrave in her mind the memory of Seiran doing those things to her and not the leader of the bandits.

Yes, it was better if it is Seiran's face that she would remember rather than that vile bandit who assaulted her. If her memory last memory of being touched and kissed by a man was that of being nearly rape by a bandit, it would always remind her of her horrible past. It would also make her feel that she can no longer marry. She was grateful to Seiran for touching and kissing a lady like her and not feel disgusted about it.

Yes, Seiran was not disgusted all. Instead, he got carried away and was aroused. He was hungry and thirsty for her. He wanted her, and that reminded Jyuusan that it wasn't over for her yet. That she can still be desired by a man. That she is not disgusting.

She realized that she was glad that she protected her two young new military officers who had just joined them. If they were the ones who had been placed in her situation, they might have lost their minds and felt disgusted with themselves. They are just nineteen and twenty. She was glad it was not them. She is like a mother and a father to them ever since they joined her army and if they cannot fight, she would protect them even if it means she would lose herself. She loves her army.

She can still perfectly remember how the bandit looked like and how disgustingly he groped and kissed her. But at least when she recalls a man's touch, it was no longer of that ravenous bandit but Seiran's warm touch which she had enjoyed.

She may not want to admit it, but she liked Seiran's touch and kisses and of course she preferred it from that of the bandit. She had watched Seiran the whole time to really make herself see that it was Seiran touching and kissing her and not the bandit. Seiran had been so gentle, treating her like rose petals that should be touched with care or it will get crumpled.

She noticed how his gaze at her changed when he got aroused. His eyes, his touch, and his kisses were suddenly filled with longing. She noticed how he hesitated. She saw how he looked at her with eyes burning with desire as he craved for her but he had stopped himself from doing something else and she was grateful that he did. He did not take her. He did only what he was originally supposed to do.

Shuurei, Shuuei, and Ryuuki came early in the morning to see how she is. Jyuusan had smiled at them and said she is alright now. But when Shuurei hugged her, she ended up sobbing in Shuurei's arms and saying how disgusted she was at what the bandit had done to her. Shuurei held her tightly and comforted her. Shuuei, Ryuuki, and Seiran are relieved as Jyuusan spilled how she really felt to Shuurei. It would have been more dangerous if she kept on harboring it. She had screamed on Seiran's chest last night but she did not say how she felt when the bandit touched her.

''I really wanted kick his face the instant I saw him and yet instead I called him a sweet guy,'' Jyuusan said disgustedly as she tightly hugged Shuurei. ''Oh, but since I could not move that time I wanted to ask my soldiers to hung him upside-down a tree and make him a punching bag. Or make Seiran slice him to pieces and feed him to wild animals, but Seiran was carrying me that time.''

Jyuusan told Shuurei all the complaints she was not able to say in front of her army until when both of them ended up laughing together. The leader of the bandit was executed along with some of the bandits not just because they tried to rape Jyuusan but also due to their piled up crimes.

Shuuei could have killed the leader of the bandit the instant he saw him in the mountains. But he didn't. He did not need to. Ryuuki had passed laws which are now strictly implemented and violence against women, whoever they are not tolerated.

Shuuei knew too, however that if the leader of the bandits who was able to lay his hands on Jyuusan was not executed, he would have ended up being tortured and assassinated. The Ran Clan will not forgive the insult done to them as one of their princesses was abducted and nearly raped. Their elder brother Setsuna himself could have made his move as the clan leader.

Next Chapter: Sword Dance