"…" Leaves rustled to greet the rising sun that crept over Solfin's walls and into Lucina's bedroom to wake her from a restful sleep. Now that the shadow knights were gone, the mansion's windows could be freely left open without worry of an intruder. Thin white curtains softly danced as the wind wove its way through the bedroom and out the other side. The clock on her nightstand said it was almost seven in the morning and continued to softly tick along. "…Mmm," Lucina grumbled as she sat up in bed and stared down at the sheets in a slight daze of not wanting to fully wake up yet. Her eyes glanced over to the empty space beside her; she was alone in the room. "…" Kicking her feet off the side of the bed, Lucina got up and stretched her arms high while lazily walking over to and brushing aside the curtain to the west balcony. As Sailest retreated beneath the western horizon, the sun's light crept over the eastern walls to bring light to Solfin. Lucina watched the sun slowly banish the wall's shadow as it climbed higher into the sky.

"That's it! Now, step into the strike!" Loud voices echoed across the yard and made their way into Lucina's ears.

"…?" Across the yard was a barracks that Lucina had constructed to house the Hellhound knights and a sizable open field was given to them for training. The knights' day started even before the sun rose and today was no different as Lucina watched a group of knights running laps, another group practicing sword drills, and a final small group doing some one-on-one sparring.

"Just like that!" Leading the sparring was Olivia who was taking full advantage of being allowed outside and was wearing a loose-fitting white shirt, long brown pants, and thick brown boots while her hair was in a high ponytail. Peter was off to the side watching as Olivia was sparring with a girl that looked their age and had her short brown hair also up in a ponytail.

"…" Lucina's finger tapped against the marble railing as she watched Olivia's face light up with excitement as she continued to spar with the girl. Abruptly, Lucina turned away from the scene and returned to the bedroom to quickly get changed.

***

"Ha!" the brown-haired girl shouted as she swung her wooden sword in a horizontal strike. The wood blade made a satisfying crack sound as the strike was deflected away by Olivia.

"Don't swing with your wrists!" Olivia chastised as she took a step back to wind up her own swing. "Twist your body and use your arms!" The wood blades clashed again but this time Olivia didn't follow through with the strike and allowed the blades to rest against each other. "Now, what should you do?"

"Deflect!" the girl replied and twisted her wood sword so that Olivia's would be pushed aside.

"And, now that you've negated my guard, step forward and press the opening." Olivia took one hand off her sword and helped the girl aim the pommel of her sword toward Olivia's head.

"Wouldn't a slash be better?"

"A slash would take too much time, what you want is to put your opponent further off balance." Olivia lightly tapped her face against the girl's sword's pommel. "Even if I was wearing a helmet, a strike to the head would still disorient me enough to grant you more time to attack or to take a step back and re-center yourself while I stumble away."

"Ah, I see!" The girl enthusiastically nodded her head as she took Olivia's words to heart. "Then, when I-"

"Having fun so early in the morning?" Lucina approached the group with a calm smile on her face. Since she didn't have any plans to go out, Lucina was wearing a simple green and yellow robe that was comfortable to move in.

"Greetings, Countess," Peter gave a salute and bow.

"Greetings, C-Countess!" the girl stuttered her greeting but held a confident salute.

"Good morning, Lucina," Olivia happily said and walked over to give Lucina a hug. "…!" But she quickly stopped herself when she realized how sweaty she was.

"Here you go," Lucina laughed and presented Olivia with a wet towel. "Mary and a few other maids will be out shortly with jugs of water for everyone."

"Ah~!" Olivia draped the towel over her face and wiped it clean while squeezing out some cool water to run down her neck.

"So, how was your spar with her?" Lucina appeared friendly and her tone was upbeat, but Olivia felt something off about it. "Is she up to your standards?"

"…" Olivia watched Lucina's eyes flick over with an analytical scrutiny toward the girl. The gaze was almost…hostile? "She…handles a blade quite well." Was Olivia just imagining it? "A little more refinement of her form and she'd make a good addition to the knights."

"I see." Lucina walked over to the girl who was still keeping her salute. "If you've managed to impress Olivia… Then I see no reason why you can't begin knight training, Sophie." All the tension that Olivia thought was in the air vanished without a trace. Lucina looked over to Peter, and mentioned, "I guess swordplay is in your blood, Peter."

"My wife would hate to hear that, Countess," Peter replied but couldn't hide the proud smile he had at hearing Lucina praise his daughter.

"Really?" The girl, Sophie, looked at Lucina with eyes filled with hope and joy. "I can be a knight like my dad?"

"If your mother agrees, then yes."

"…Ah." An uneasy smile and a dubious look crossed Sophie's face as she avoided eye contact with Lucina, and Peter flinched.

"After all," Lucina hummed as she walked past Sophie and explained, "You wouldn't hide something as big as becoming one of my Hellhounds from your mother, right?" Both Sophie and Peter had the exact same nervous look on their faces. "You wouldn't embarrass me by having your mother storm into my estate and throw a fit because you tried to keep this hidden, right?"

"…I just remembered, I need to head home! Let's go, dad!" Sophie abruptly declared. Before leaving, she bowed to Olivia and said, "Thank you for your time, Lady Olivia!"

"Right," Olivia replied as she watched both Peter and Sophie hurry away. Once they were gone, Olivia turned to Lucina to find her staring at her.

"Would you like to go for a walk in the garden to wind down?" Her eyes never left Olivia.

"…Sure." Olivia didn't feel nervous, but something did stir in her heart. The feeling didn't go away and instead continued to mull over itself as the two walked along a stone path through the mansion's garden. Thick bushes and neatly cut-back trees lined the path while beds of flowers gingerly swayed in the distance. Lucina led the way while shadows glided across her figure as the sun tried to peak through the trees. Neither said a word and Olivia felt the stirring in her heart turn into a churning that forced her to speak up, "Lucina?"

"Hm?" Lucina looked over her shoulder. Everything was normal.

"Are…you alright?" So what was bugging Olivia?

"…Yes?" Lucina stopped walking, turned around, and cocked her head to the side as she stared at Olivia. "Do I not look alright?" She gave herself a once over to see if something was wrong with her clothes or if she had a wound that she hadn't noticed beforehand.

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"Ah, no, it's not that." Now Olivia was feeling embarrassed for bringing up her uncertain feelings. "It's just…"

(Affection: [ERROR])

"You won't…hurt Sophie, right?"

"…" A brisk wind cut through the trees and rustled Lucina's hair so that Olivia couldn't see her face. What expression was she making?

"F-Forget it, I-"

"Why would I hurt her?" The breeze died down and Olivia could see how confused Lucina looked as she tried to comprehend Olivia's meaning.

"Well…" Olivia dug this hole, and now she had to deal with it. "…I guess I was concerned that you wouldn't like me…getting close to other girls…and…" Olivia couldn't keep going as she realized how embarrassing she was sounding now that she was speaking the words out loud.

"Did you…think I would get jealous of Sophie because you were having fun sparring with her?" A coy grin crept along Lucina's face and she took a step toward Olivia.

"…" Olivia's cheeks softly blushed and she avoided Lucina's gaze.

"Pfft!" Lucina barely contained her laughter and kept it to softly chuckling. "If I couldn't trust my own knights around you I would have already done something about it." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand at the thought. "Peter's smart and would know to rein in his daughter if she started having feelings for you, and Sophie has enough sense to know what lines shouldn't be crossed. Besides…" Lucina brushed some hair off her face and allowed the sun to twinkle in her eyes. "I trust you, Olivia."

"…" Olivia couldn't look away as she was captivated by Lucina. The Hellhounds had fought, bled, and died with Lucina so they were the most trustworthy people she had by her side. It made sense that she wouldn't get jealous over something like Olivia sparring with one of their daughters. "…?" So why did that thought tug at her heart?

"Hm?" Lucina also noticed Olivia's hesitance and discomfort as she tried to sort her thoughts. "Olivia? Are you…" A strange thought crossed Lucina's mind. "…sad that I'm not jealous?"

"Huh!?" Olivia's cheeks became even redder than before and she tried to refute Lucina's words, "N-No, I…I just…" But the more she thought about it, the more the feeling in her heart aligned with Lucina's question.

"…Oh my~," Lucina cooed and she reached out a hand toward Olivia.

"W-Wha-!?!" Olivia was yanked off the stone path and pulled through the bushes. "L-Luci-!" Her hands were planted against bark and Olivia found herself pinning Lucina against a tree.

"You really are too cute for your own good, Olivia~." Lucina leaned back against the tree as her eyes looked up into Olivia's. She brought her shoulders back to puff out her chest, and started to whisper seductively, "It's only morning and you're already filling my head with strange thoughts. Were you intentionally trying to be loud when you were sparring with her to wake me up so I would see?"

"A… I…" Olivia's mind was blank as her heart stirred with a slurry of emotions. Her eyes were glued to Lucina as she watched Lucina loosen her robe, and Olivia felt an itch start creeping between her legs as a strange atmosphere surrounded them.

"Did you want me to get angry? To get upset?" Lucina's poison infected Olivia's mind as their gazes never broke away from each other's. "Did you want to see me push Sophie away while declaring you as mine?" She gave a devilish smile as Olivia leaned in closer. Lucina lightly put her hand on Olivia's chest and gave a gentle push to keep her away. "Too~ bad~."

"…Lucina." Olivia was trying to control herself and finally broke away from Lucina's gaze to look around. They were behind the tree so that they would be hidden from the path and, luckily, no one was around. She looked back to Lucina and, with flushed cheeks and a longing stare, she pleaded, "Stop giving me weird kinks."

"No~," Lucina denied the request and lifted her knee so it would press between Olivia's legs.

"Ngh~!" Olivia tensed up and leaned forward to stay standing.

"The more kinks I give you, the more you become mine, right~?" Lucina reasoned while grinding her knee against Olivia, sending shivers of pleasure through Olivia's body. "Besides, no~ one's~ around~."

"…Just remember, you asked for it," Olivia muttered before standing up and taking a step away from Lucina.

"…?" Thinking she might have pushed Olivia too hard, Lucina was about to apologize when she watched Olivia get down and squat in front of her. "Olivia?"

"You know…" Olivia began as she reached out a hand to softly run down Lucina's robe. "I noticed this last night, but you only use your hands when we have sex."

"What else would I use?" Lucina asked, confused about what Olivia was doing and what she was getting at.

"Did the books Elise shared with you not go into it?" Olivia's hands reached the bottom of Lucina's robe and her fingers gripped the edge.

"The…techniques those texts taught me were how intercourse would be taught for education." Lucina felt her heart rate start to speed up as she continued to watch Olivia. "How to best please a female partner without a penis."

"Hmm, so the 'pure' techniques were preserved and taught but nothing else?" Olivia lifted up Lucina's robe.

"…What else is there?" Now it was Lucina's turn to blush as she found it surprisingly embarrassing to see Olivia so calmly lifting her robe and staring at her bare legs while outside. She only planned to tease Olivia and, if she wanted, continue in the bedroom; things were veering off course.

"Well~," Olivia mused as she moved forward and ducked under Lucina's robe. "Just something I saw online."

"Onli-…Olivia!?" Lucina felt her cloth undergarment get moved to the side. But what really startled her was that Olivia was doing this completely beneath the robe. Lucina couldn't see what was happening and that both frightened and excited her. "Isn't it too dark to-" A tongue licked Lucina's clit. "Agh~!?!" Lucina instantly clasped her hand over her mouth and looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Her thighs tried to clench shut but Olivia's head was blocking them from closing. "H-Hey? Olivi-Agh~!"

"…" Olivia stayed silent beneath the robe and continued to playfully lick the entrance of Lucina's vagina. Her hot breath tickled Lucina's bare skin and sent a shiver up her spine while Olivia's tongue continued its diligent work.

"I-It's dirty!" Lucina hastily whispered as she found herself wanting to be as quiet as possible despite no one being around. The fact she could hear the distant sounds of the knights training sent a confusing excitement coursing through her brain. What if someone saw them? "Stop it! Do-Oh~!!!" Shivers wracked Lucina's body with every lick and she was losing the strength in her legs. "Oh~…Mmm~!" She leaned back against the tree for support as her hand stayed clasped against her mouth. The roughness of Olivia's tongue was a bizarre yet enticing experience that Lucina both wanted to stop and keep going. She reached down with her free hand and tried to push Olivia's head away but that only made her inadvertently lean forward and further into Olivia.

"…" Taking the initiative, Olivia inserted her tongue into Lucina and started attacking her weak spots with it.

"Mm~…Ah~…Ah~!" Lucina's breaths were quick and shallow as she felt the pleasure swelling up through her body. "O-…Oli-" Olivia gently bit Lucina's clit with her upper teeth and pressed one of Lucina's weak points with her tongue. "!?!" Lucina instantly lost all feeling in her legs and slammed the back of her head against the tree as she violently climaxed. Olivia wrapped her arms around Lucina's legs to hold her up as she continued to shake and moan from the orgasm. "Aaagh~!" Only after she was thoroughly satisfied did Olivia move back and finally let Lucina slide down the tree to sit on the ground.

"So?" Olivia asked when she emerged from under the robe. Her face was covered in ejaculate that she wiped off on the inside of Lucina's robe. "What did you think?"

"…" Lucina couldn't respond as her mind was still reeling from the ecstasy. The occasional twitch jolted her body and her lungs were gasping for air as Lucina stared off into space with sweaty locks of hair covering her face.

"Honestly… Do you have any idea how crazy you make me feel?" Olivia grabbed Lucina's limp body off the tree and pinned her to the ground. Being locked in the room for so long made Olivia unstable while also making her more honest. "Fine, I'll admit, I want you to get jealous! I want you to be possessive of me! I want you to hold me and tell me I'm yours! I don't want these feelings to be a whim or a dream, I want you to be mine! I…" Olivia's words trailed off as she looked down at Lucina. The green and yellow robe was parted to reveal Lucina's breasts that heaved up and down with her deep gasps, and her hair was a disheveled mess that partially covered her face, except for one key part.

"…" A perverted smile was plastered on Lucina's face as hungry eyes peered up at Olivia through the briars of hair.

"…You really are an expert at getting under people's skin!" Olivia grabbed and tore open the robe to fully expose Lucina's body. She leaned down and deeply kissed Lucina while her hips started grinding against her. Olivia's hands caressed Lucina's body and lifted her off the ground while her nails dug into Lucina's skin to mark her which got pleasure-filled moans out of Lucina. The grass was cool from being in the shade, away from the sun's warmth, but a pleasantly warm breeze kissed the soon bare skin of the two women who were indulging themselves in pleasure so early in the morning.

***

"It's so refreshingly cool up here," a noblewoman sighed as she stared off at the distant pine forest that bordered the mansion to the north.

"Indeed, I hear the capital is going through a heat wave," another exclaimed as she sipped a cup of tea. "It must be miserable down there, what with the supply shortage still affecting them."

"Still?" another joined the conversation. "I thought it would be solved, by now. Isn't that what you heard, Lady Cassandra?"

"…" Cassandra gingerly set down her cup of tea and leaned back in her chair. She was hosting a small gathering of local nobles in her home barony since many were clamoring for gossip despite most leaving the capital's social season early to return to their territories. She stoked the fire of rumors a bit with her words, "That's because I assumed the Crown Prince would surely extend his hand to us in our time of need… But I guess I was wrong." She intentionally made her voice sound hurt and lowered her gaze while tensing up her hands.

"Really, what is the imperial family doing?" the first noblewoman complained. "Ever since Lady Olivia was ousted from her position as Crown Princess, things started taking a turn for the worse." The conversation was going exactly how Cassandra wanted.

"At least back then we had a Crown Princess," the second chimed in. "Ever since the wedding, no one's seen a single strand of hair of the Saintess. My mother is close to a nobleman in the imperial knights and not even he's seen her."

"Oh dear," Cassandra pretended to be worried. "I hope nothing bad has happened to-"

"My Lady!?" a maid hurriedly approached, out of breath, and bowed to Cassandra.

"What is it?" While the maid had been rude to interrupt her, Cassandra wanted to know why the maid was so worried so she let it slide.

"Th-There's an uninvited guest who-"

But before the maid could properly explain, Lucina stepped out of the mansion and onto the patio where the tea party was being held, and greeted, "Lady Cassandra, it's been too long." A few knights, led by Kent, were following Lucina but were hesitating to draw their weapons against her.

"…Countess," Cassandra's mood instantly shifted to cold hostility and she picked up her tea cup. "I don't recall sending you an invitation. Why are you here?" Even if Lucina would occasionally bring letters from Olivia, she was never this bold in her approach.

"…" The other noblewomen started fidgeting uncomfortably at Lucina's suffocating presence and all conversations ceased.

"Well, I was in the area when I remembered I had to give you something," Lucina blatantly lied while holding out a sealed letter.

"…" Cassandra sipped the tea to check the temperature, stood up from the table, walked over to Lucina, and poured the tea over Lucina's head while taking the letter.

"!?!" The noblewomen all tensed up at Cassandra's actions and started to sweat. Their eyes watched Lucina, waiting for the worst.

"…" Lucina didn't flinch as the lukewarm tea ran down her face and stained her black and red dress. It was obvious why Cassandra was hostile, and Lucina couldn't blame her, so she let it go and playfully asked, "Is this a new blend? I don't recall ever tasting this one before." Cassandra had at least been nice enough to make sure the tea wasn't scalding hot.

"It's my own creation," Cassandra flatly stated as she opened the letter. And as she read, Cassandra's expression went from one of annoyance to one of confusion and apprehension. In a low, threatening voice, she asked, "Is this some kind of joke, Countess Sanguine?"

"You know I don't joke when it comes to Olivia," Lucina reassured after licking her lips to taste the tea. "There isn't a dress code since it will only be you and Margaret, so wear something comfortable. The weather in Solfin's still quite nice." Lucina didn't wait for Cassandra's response and turned to leave. "I hope to be seeing you soon, Lady Cassandra."

"…" Cassandra silently watched Lucina leave before her eyes fell to the letter in her hand; the invitation to a small gathering in Solfin hosted by Olivia.