She runs the young prince down and explains herself, but she's not happy with him.

Marcus dashed headlong through the harem, running through empty rooms filled with beautiful artworks and luxurious furniture. His gaze a mist of tears that streamed down his cheeks, the young prince didn't know where he was going, only that he had to get away. He couldn't face Kihara, not now, not after what he'd just heard. As his bare feet slapped against the marble tiles, his mind raced just as quickly. It all made sense now. He'd never really understood why Kihara was so nice to him, why she'd taken him into her bed, why she kissed and pleasured him like a lover. He'd let himself be swept up in how good it felt to be wanted that way for once in his life, and by such a gorgeous, perfect lady too. Now though, he could see how stupid that had been. It just didn't make sense for such a strong, amazing woman to want a weak, pathetic boy like him. Now he knew it was only because her aunt wanted to invade his kingdom. He was a hostage, a prize of war, nothing more than that. She...probably didn't care about him at all!

As if in answer to that awful thought, the memory of their first night together in that grubby tavern swum into his mind. How Kihara had kissed that first time, her lips hot and hungry on his own, her dark eyes alight with sparkling desire as she pinned him to the bed and stared down into his blushing face. How she'd sat on his face, urging him on with gentle encouragement as he licked her pussy until he brought her to orgasm, then afterwards when she'd laid him down and ridden his cock while he whimpered and squealed with delight at how good it felt. She'd been so kind and patient, even if it was his first time and he wasn't any good, so warm and caring with him, and...he'd fallen for her hard right then and there. Had that all just been part of a scheme to take him as a hostage and make him care for her? Suddenly it... really didn't feel like it. Why would she have even bothered when he was so helpless already?

He remembered all the other times they'd made love too. When she'd carried him into her tent in that forest grove and made him beg for her touch, the oasis where she'd put him across her lap and spanked him until he cried just to show him how she did care after all, how she'd lain with him under the stars afterwards and murmured about how she wanted to stay there with him forever. His heart ached, tight and sore, as her words then echoed in his mind, brimming with so much feeling he just couldn't bear to imagine could be fake. Even between all those blissful moments, the way she hugged and reassured him, so patient no matter his worries, how she touched his body at every opportunity, her warm fingers settling so naturally on his bare skin as a gentle reminder that she was by his side. How she'd always called him little one in such a warm, affectionate way. All of that couldn't be fake, could it? How could he still doubt her after all that? He padded to a shuddering halt, his legs too sore and tired to run anymore and his head spinning with heartsick confusion.

Well, it still didn't matter, he tried to tell himself as he gasped for breath. Maybe she did care a little...but she'd still lied to him! She'd never mentioned her mission or invading his kingdom, or anything like that! She was an enemy to his parents, just like uncle Gaius! He had to get away from her, get back to his home and free his mother and father! That's what he should be worrying about, no whether some enemy warrior who wanted to attack his kingdom cared about him or not! Panting hard and sniffling, his throat so tight and sore he could hardly breathe, he raised his head to try and figure out where he was. His tear-filled eyes flickered over a very unfamiliar room, the floor ahead of him draped with piles of soft cushions and the walls decorated with those lewd paintings of beautiful young men that seemed to be everywhere in this strange place. His heart pounding, the young prince realized he had no idea where he was, nor how to get back to anywhere familiar. He couldn't even retrace his steps, not with how he'd just ran like a startled rabbit. It was Kihara who'd led him through the harem, and without her he was totally lost.

Only, even if he did know the way...where exactly was he supposed to go? The only place he knew in this whole massive palace was Kihara's bedroom, and he couldn't got back to her now. She'd be so mad at him for running away like that, for not trusting her again no matter how much she'd tried to reassure him. What if this was it? What...if she decided she didn't want him anymore? Even with all these awful doubts swirling around inside him, he could hardly bear the idea of her coldly telling him she didn't want to see him again. His stomach twisted at that thought, his trembling lips and painful throat threatening fresh tears. What...was he supposed to do now?

Just then, he heard pounding feet behind him. That moment of shock was the only warning he had, barely enough time for him to squeal out in surprise before a pair of strong, familiar arms swept him off his feet, pulling him tight against a warm, muscular body. Caught off guard, the young prince shrieked in panic, his legs kicking out. One of his thrashing feet slammed up into her belly, but it felt like kicking a stone wall.

"Stop struggling, right now!" Kihara's voice snapped. Marcus froze in an instant, going limp and helpless in her tight embrace. He found himself staring up at her gorgeous face, as she held him tight with one arm wrapped around his waist, while the other had him by the shoulders, easily supporting his weight in her hands. Pinned to her front with her rippling biceps squashing him against her, the young prince knew he had as little hope of squirming free as a mouse in a trap. All he could do was tremble in her tight grasp, feeling like he could hardly breathe as she glared down at him. Even worse than the anger in her dark eyes was the concern he could see behind it, the tightness to her jaw and the trembling of her full lips, the way she held him so crushingly tight like she was scared he was about to slip away again. "What on earth is the matter with you?" She continued, her voice wavering before she continued. "Running away from me like that!"

"I...I..." Marcus stammered. He tried to say more, tried to explain himself, but the words got caught on painful hooks that seemed to be squeezing around his throat like a collar of suffocating ice. He wasn't sure whether he was trying to tearfully apologize or scream at her for answers, but in all his pain and confusion, he couldn't even manage to speak another word. Fresh tears trickled hotly from his fluttering lashes, leaving trails of dark makeup on his cheeks before they trickled down onto his chest.

"You heard me and my aunt talking, did you?" Her dark eyes flashed, demanding answers. "You listened in on us?"

"Yes, I did!" Marcus snapped, and just like it felt like the dam broke, more spilling from his lips in a torrent before he could even think to hold them back. "I heard everything! You were going to invade my kingdom! All this time, you lied to me! You pretended that you were on my side, acting like you wanted to help my parents! When you were an enemy all along!" His trembling voice ebbed away into another hoarse sniffle. Swallowing hard, the young prince raised his tear-filled gaze to look back at Kihara's face, more than a little frightened of what he might see. Her tanned face was frozen, her jaw clenched.

"You...you...silly boy!" She began, her voice hoarse and trembling. Marcus felt his heart clench at the pain in her words. He felt her shudder against him, her arms clutching him so tight it was almost painful, then she relaxed. With a sharp sigh, she lowered him back down onto trembling legs, setting him down on the ground in front of her. Her hands settled on his bare shoulders, her fingers gripping him there and sinking into his soft skin. Leaning over him at her full height, she stared down at him with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, her cool gaze making him feel so very small. "And that's what you believe now, is it?" She murmured. "After hearing a tiny part of a conversation between the Empress and I, a private conversation about matters of state that are far beyond a boy your age, you suddenly think you know everything about my intentions?" Marcus paused, a shiver running down his spine. When she put it like that, it really did make this all sound...very stupid. Just a few overheard words had somehow made him doubt everything about her, and for the life of him he couldn't even understand why! What had she ever done to convince him she was an enemy? Nothing at all...

"No...I don't believe that, really." He began, his quivering lip already threatening fresh floods of tears. He should stop...he knew he should, and apologize to her, but...somehow he just kept talking instead, the words he'd held back bursting from his lips. "But...you still lied to me about..."

"I did not lie!" She snapped, her sharp voice cutting him off in an instant. "Yes, I never told you about the mission I was sent on or my aunt's plans and this absurd, boyish reaction is exactly why I kept it from you, but nor have I ever deceived you about who I am or what I intend. I would never lie to you!"

Marcus froze stiff, his thoughts racing away from him as he struggled to catch up. Kihara...hadn't lied after all? No, that couldn't be true...or else why would he have gotten so upset in the first place? No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't remember her ever telling him anything that he now knew was false. Whenever they'd gotten close to a sensitive topic like this, she'd just dodged the question or distracted him instead, which wasn't really lying at all. Especially since she seemed to think he wasn't ready to hear any of this, so she'd no doubt tell him it was for his own good. With his utterly stupid reaction to overhearing one part it was hard to argue anything else, even to himself.

So, if she'd never lied about any of this...did that mean she wasn't lying either when she'd said she wanted to help his parents? Or all those times she'd told him how much she cared about him and wanted him with her? He sniffled wetly, guilt twisting in his belly. Of course she hadn't been lying, of course she cared. How many times had she tried to show him that? Even just minutes ago, when she'd protected him from the Empress and insisted he stay with her, but he'd focused on the everything else instead like an idiot. So...he'd gotten all upset over nothing...again? Only this time had been way worse than before. His chest tightened with awful, cold guilt until he felt like he could hardly breathe, only her hands tightly gripping his shoulders keeping his trembling legs from collapsing under his weight.

"So, let me get this straight, just so I can understand exactly what's been going through that silly, boyish head of yours." Kihara sighed, the disappointment in her voice somehow feeling even worse than her anger. "You heard my aunt plans to invade your kingdom, and somehow just assumed I was an enthusiastic partner in that utter foolishness?" Her eyebrow darted up, the flash of anger in her gaze making it clear how poorly she thought of that idea. His heart sinking like a stone, Marcus had to nod, no matter how much he wanted to pretend he hadn't been that stupid. "From the start I've been trying to persuade her to call off her plans." She continued sharply. "I wanted to talk her into letting me lead a rescue party instead, a small group of knights who could free your parents, but I can't simply tell her that or order her to let me do as I wish. She is a stubborn woman, prone to digging in her heels, and it will take time to talk her around to the idea, but I am not going to give up until I've persuaded her." The more she explained, the worse Marcus felt, each word adding to the weight of guilt that felt like it was crushing him into the floor. He couldn't believe he'd assumed she meant to hurt him or his parents...when the truth made so much more sense! Why couldn't he just have thought this through, even a little, before running away in tears and telling himself she was an enemy? Why was he always so stupid? "So, do you understand that now?" She asked, glaring expectantly down at him. "Is this enough to make you believe in me again?"

"Um...yes." He managed to gasp out between hoarse sobs. "Sorry..."

"Why...why can't you just trust me?" She murmured, like she hadn't even heard his pathetic, whimpered apology. One of her hands slipped up to his cheek, her fingers tracing over his flushed skin and brushing away the tears that still streamed from his fluttering lashes. "Why don't you talk to me first, before you let these silly ideas overtake you? If you'd just waited a little longer until we were alone instead of running off we could have talked this through together and I would have explained just as much as you needed to know. Wouldn't that have been so much easier than you getting all upset and scaring me half to ****?"

"Kihara..." The young prince whimpered. She was right, of course she was. He should have waited, he should have trusted her! And for all the world he couldn't even understand why he hadn't. It had...all just happened so fast, and he'd already been scared and upset with the Empress and her mean concubines...but that really wasn't much of an excuse.

"Enough." She murmured. "It's my fault as well. I know how highly strung you are, but I was so excited to be home I didn't consider how this place would unsettle you so much. Of course it has got you all tied up in knots. And...my aunt too, I never should have let her see you, not when I knew how much she'd want you. All those twisted schemes of hers, trying to take you away from me, that must have been confusing and upsetting for you as well. Another mistake of mine, I should have protected you better." A soft sigh escaped her lips, that warm breath tickling on his tear-stained cheeks. Marcus sniffled, his heart aching at the regret in her dark eyes. This was his fault...he'd made her upset now too because he'd been such an idiot. If he'd just been stronger and trusted her more...she wouldn't have to be sad. "Come, let's get you back to my room." Kihara continued. "I'm had enough of this place."

She reached for him again, and as her firm hands took hold of his waist Marcus went limp, feeling exhausted and heartsick. No matter how heavy and tired he felt, she lifted him just as easily as she always did, taking his slender body in a firm grip that felt somehow warm and reassuring even if he didn't deserve any of that. One of her hands settled under his butt, supporting his weight there, while the other was wrapped around his shivering shoulders. Holding him like that, resting his body against her soft chest, Kihara stepped away, carrying him with her back out into the harem's maze of confusing passageways. Marcus had no idea which way to go, but that didn't matter anymore. He knew Kihara would take him somewhere safe and look after him, even if he didn't deserve that either.

"You'd best believe this isn't over, little one." She murmured suddenly, her warm voice tingling in his ear. Marcus froze, those two familiar words piercing through his keening misery like a ray of warm sunshine. Maybe...he didn't deserve that comfort either, but he clung to it all the same, his exhausted body relaxing in her firm, reassuring grip. "As soon as we're alone, I'm going to make sure you understand that you need to trust me, no matter what it takes."