Some Friendly Advice

Millerna woke slowly. Yawning widely, she blinked the sleep from her eyes and saw Hitomi. The other girl was sleeping soundly in a chair across the room. Smiling, the princess rolled over and tried to get back to sleep. But she couldn't. The memory of last night was too fresh.

"Millerna, you're going to be queen of Asturia! You can't just sleep around with whomever you want." Allen's words echoed through her head. The more she tried to ignore them, the more she realised the cruel truth.

It was funny how things went. A moment ago she was perfectly happy. Now she was on the verge of tears.

Unable to stop herself, quiet sobs wracked Millerna's body. The noise woke up Hitomi. The seer knelt by the bed and gently touched Millerna's shoulder. "Princess?" she whispered gently, "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Millerna couldn't stop crying and it was starting to scare Hitomi. "Please Millerna, calm down. Tell me what's the matter." She took her into her arms and held her gently. "It's alright. Don't cry."

Eventually, Millerna's tears ran out. Sighing she pulled away from Hitomi and looked deep into her eyes. "Hitomi, there's something I have to tell you."

Hitomi cocked her head. "I'm listening."

"You don't understand! It's breaking my heart to keep it in, but if I tell you then you'll hate me." Tears welled up in the pretty blue eyes once more. "And I'd die if you hated me."

Hitomi tilted Millerna's face to hers and looked deep into her eyes. "Millerna you have my solemn oath that nothing you say could make me hate you. I love you, and love is stronger than that."

Millerna sighed. "I guess we'll see then."

For a minute she didn't talk. Only the sound of the wind rustling trees outside the window could be heard. Finally the princess spoke up.

"Hitomi, I can't be with you anymore."

Before Hitomi could say anything, Millerna plunged onward. "It's Asturian custom for the ascending prince or princess to marry as soon as possible and produce an heir for the throne. Father is getting old and he won't be around much longer. Marlene is dead, and that leaves the throne for me. I'm going to have to marry someone and it can't be you!"

By now tears were flowing unchecked down Millerna's face. "And if you stay with me, you would always be lonely. It's obvious we can't give each other children" she smiled humourlessly, "and people would think you're a freak for loving another woman. So I guess it would be best for us to just end it right now."

She waited in fearful anticipation for Hitomi's anger, her sadness, and even her hatred. The minutes passed in silence and still no sound came from the other girl. Finally Hitomi made a noise. It was a quiet amused laugh. Startled, Millerna looked up and stared in shock as Hitomi laughed lightly.

"Hitomi?" she asked, slightly in awe, "What are you doing?"

"My Grandmother once told me" Hitomi began, managing to stop her laughter, "'If there's something troubling you, but you know it's stupid, just laugh it off'".

Millerna made a face. "This is not even slightly stupid! It ruins our relationship totally!"

Hitomi sighed and leaned into Millerna's face. "Tell me something Millerna: Do you love me?"

Millerna nodded. "More than anything".

"Do you want to be queen?"

"I never have and I never will".

"Then can't you just break the rules this once?"

Millerna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hitomi threw up her hands. "Tell them you don't want the job! Quit! Resign! Appoint someone else! Fake your own death for God's sake! This isn't about me by now. If you become queen you'll obviously be unhappy. And I would really hate to know you're unhappy."

"But there's no one who can become queen instead of me!" Millerna protested. "Asturian law states that someone of royal birth must be crowned monarch! So I have no choice! Unless…" Her eyes suddenly sparkled with intuition. "Eries! Eries could be queen! She's been training for this her entire life. She'd love to be queen." But then she sighed again. "But you'd still be alone."

Hitomokedoked blank. "What on Earth, Gaea, and Mars are you talking about?"

"People around here hate anything out of the ordinary. If you stay with me then people will shun you, hate you, call you a whore. You wouldn't have a moment's peaceful life with me. And we couldn't even have children. I don't want to make you miserable Hitomi."

Hitomi put an arm around Millerna. "Millerna" she said softly, "People's opinions about me mean that." She snapped her fingers. "We wouldn't have to live in Asturia. We could go to Fanelia, or Freid. It doesn't matter where we go, just so long as I can be with you. And as for the children, they're not important. You'll always be my princess, Millerna. And all I want is you. In fact, I need you."

Millerna dried her tears and looked at her lover. "You mean that?"

Hitomi smiled. "I could never lie to you."

Tears flooded Millerna's eyes again. But these were tears of joy and love. "God, Hitomi, I'm lucky to have you!"

"Yes you are."

Millerna hugged her tightly, the aforementioned tears trickling down her face. Hitomi wrapped her arms around the princess and just held her. Millerna knew she needed this, and thanked any God, spirit, deity, or angel who might be listening.

Twin rumbles interrupted their tender moment. Hitomi and Millerna turned red. Then they laughed.

"Being miserable sure makes you hungry!"

"Another thing Grandmother said was to never be miserable on an empty stomach! In which case…" Hitomi pulled away from her princess and reached out. Grasping a bell, she rang it twice. In under a minute, Kio strolled into the room.

"What's up ladies?" he grinned brightly. "I'm guessin you want some breakfast?"

Hitomi gave a dazzling smile and batted her eyelashes. "Yes please."

The Crusade's chef (A/N: I don't know if Kio is really a chef. He was just convenient) bowed. "Coming right up, two Kio specials!"

When he left, Millerna glared at Hitomi. "You mean that all this time I've been waking up at an abysmal hour, I could have slept in and had breakfast in bed?"

Hitomi grinned cockily at Millerna. "Kio has a soft spot for pretty women." Millerna mock-snorted.

"And what am I? Chopped lizard?"

Unable to resist the dare, Hitomi took her lover in her arms. "Oh you're much more than that my love." She whispered. "So much more than that".

Millerna tilted her head up to be kissed and Hitomi obliged her. If Kio hadn't shown up with breakfast, they probably would have spent all morning like that. Rolling his eyes skyward, he sighed gustily. "No shmoozing while I'm in the room, kay?"

The women broke apart instantly, red in the face. Kio grinned. "Don't worry about it. Merle told the rest of us when she dragged in the commander, and Van and Gaddes backed her up. I tell yah Hitomi" Kio shook his head, "You really nailed the boss pretty bad."

Hitomi looked sad for a moment, and Kio hastened to make her feel better. "Don't get me wrong. It was a good thing you did. The commander was drunk, and he wasn't thinking straight. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

Millerna beamed and snuggled up to Hitomi. "I keep telling her, she's the best! Maybe now she'll believe me!"

Hitomi pecked Millerna on the lips. "I'm nothing without you."

Kio rolled his eyes again and set the food down on the floor. "I'd suggest you eat before you get too involved, or it'll go cold." With that, he left the room, laughing slightly. Princess Millerna and the girl from the Mystic moon. Who'd have thought it?

***

"More grapes?"

Hitomi nodded and the fruit was lowered slowly. Teasingly, they kept just out of her reach, so she nibbled at the bottom-most one enticingly.

The two women hadnt tnt the morning feeding bits of food to each other. When their hunger for food had been sated, Hitomi lay her head in Millerna's lap and allowed the other woman to feed her grapes.

As she nibbled on the grape in an enticing way, she kept looking up at Millerna's breasts. Full and round, they strained against the blue and white dress of the night before. The princess had a way of bending over so that she gave the seer a full view of what she had. Hitomi longed to feel those mounds of flesh beneath her lips as this grape was now. She knew Millerna was teasing her, and it was fun to play along.

Millerna watched, riveted, as Hitomi licked and teased the grape with her tongue. Imagining her breasts under her ministrations, Millerna nearly moaned out loud. Slowly, she lowered the grape and Hitomi sucked it into her mouth. Slowly she chewed the fruit. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Anymore grapes?"

Glancing at the bowl, Millerna affected to sound sorrowful. "Oh dear" she pouted, "It seems we're all out of grapes. Such a shame".

The other eyebrow went up. "I am still hungry. What else do you have?"

"I'm sure I can come up with something."

Millerna slowly bent over until her body was only inches from Hitomi's. Leaning in even closer, she closed her eyes as their lips brushed.

Entwining her fingers in the other woman's hair, Hitomi yanked Millerna closer, deepening the kiss. She surrendered her mouth to her and gasped in delight as Millerna's tongue tickled and teased, as it slowly possessed her entire being. They broke apart for an instant, to breathe, and the princess crushed her mouth to Hitomi's.

Taking control, Millerna swept Hitomi's tight ass into her hands and pressed her lower body to herself. Breaking her mouth free, she kissed Hitomi's neck. Each kiss was like fire, driving the other girl to slow frenzy.

Hitomi suddenly flipped them over so she was on top. Grasping the bodice of Millerna's dress, she heaved. Millerna gasped as her dress ripped apart under the unrelenting pressure of Hitomi's hands. Without pause, she leaned downward and started suckling greedily at Millerna's breast.

Millerna moaned as she held the prostrate Hitomi to her chest. "Feeling a little tense, are we?" Reaching downward, she plunged her hand into Hitomi's shorts and brushed past her underwear. "Let's see if we can't loosen you up a little." Finding what she was looking for, the princess caressed the spot. Hitomi moaned and let go of Millerna.

Millerna leaned forward now, casually removing the shredded remains of her dress. Reaching forward, she took Hitomi's shirt in her free hand and lifted it over her head. Her hand still in her underwear increased pace. It rubbed hard against Hitomi's supercharged area. Hitomi was so charged up she was struggling just to keep from coming into Millerna's hand.

"Millerna…" She gasped. "I can't…hold it… I…can't…oh God!" Unable to resist, she let go, and a stream of warm liquid gushed into Millerna's hand.

Removing Millerna's hand from her, Hitomi brought it casually to her lips and carefully licked each one clean. Looking into her eyes, she smiled wickedly as she saw the effect. "My turn!" Slipping out of her pants, she wriggled up Millerna's prostrate body. She kissed her warmly. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

Millerna smiled into Hitomi's kiss. "Of course I knew" she whispered. "I always knew."

Hitomi smiled back. Suddenly inspiration struck her. Grinning maliciously, she twisted into a classic 69 position. Millerna's tiontioning look quickly became glazed with pleasure as Hitomi tickled her with her tongue. "Hitomi…ooh…" she whispered.

Hitomi reacted by licking her pussy lips, inciting a small scream. "Now" she said, her voice muffled between Millerna's legs, "You join in".

Millerna quickly got the idea. Holding Hitomi's legs apart, she clamped her lips onto her clit and sucked. Plunging her tongue deep into her, she pumped in and out hard and fast.

Hitomi was nearly blind with pleasure. All she could see was Millerna. She poured all the energy that the princess' treatment gave her into her tongue.

Both women were driven into a frenzy, and they reached their climaxes at the same moment. When it was all over, they lay together, gasping, their hot sweaty bodies tangled together.

After some moments of breath catching, Millerna moved about so that her head was by Hitomi's.

"Hitomi" she said, "I want to thank you. You stayed with me, even though I didn't think I wanted you to."

Hitomi sighed and kissed Millerna's cheek. "I love you princess. That's what you den yen you're in love."

Millerna smiled and snuggled closer. "So, what happens now?"

"Now we sleep. All that sex wore me out." Millerna's laugh turned into a yawn, and soon they were sleeping in each other's arms.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the Crusade, Merle went through a similar predicament.

The cat girl was padding throthe the corridors looking lost. In fact, she was nearly so. In her mind, she was at sea over a certain black haired king. Yes, she loved him. Yes, she knew it. And yes, she wanted so much to tell him. But she couldn't. The simple truth of the matter was that she was afraid. Afraid of his rejection.

Blinking away a tear, Merle looked up. She had come to Van's room without knowing it. "I should go," she said to herself. But another part of her body had seized control, and Merle found herself opening the door and stepping inside.

'NO!', Merle's mind howled as she walked through the door. 'Don't do it!'

Van was sitting on his bed reading. When he looked up, he smiled at Merle, turning her insides to jelly. "Hi Merle. What's up?"

Now that she had got this far, Merle's tongue froze up. "I…I…"

Van looked at her oddly. "Are you okay Merle? You sound like you've got a hairball or something."

Merle shook her head. This was not going to be easy. Fiddling with her tail, she lay her ears back and sat down on a chair. She took a deep breath and tried to get it out. "Van, I-"

Gaddes burst into the room. "Hey Van. I've got the newspaper for you like you wanted."

Van smiled. "Thanks Gaddes". The sergeant nodded and passed the paper to Van and left. Turning to Merle, Van said, " wha what was it you were saying?"

Merle gave a shaky smile. 'Okay Merle. Just spit it out and the tension will be over.' "Van, I l-"

The window blew open in a strong wind. With a terrified squawk, a bird was blown into the room. With a small shriek, Merle covered her head and ducked to the ground while the winged creature flew round her head.

Eventuallan can caught the bird and, with much struggle, threw it out the window again and closed the door.

Merle silently seethed as Van closed the window and sat down again. "How on Gaea did the wind manage to blow open the window? It was locked!"

"I don't know." Merle sighed in exasperation. "Look Van-"

The door burst open again. Merle screamed out a word that she'd once heard a sailor use.

Kio and Van stared at her. Realising what she'd said, Merle blushed to the tips of her ears.

"Uh…" Kio stuttered, "I was just…uh…gonna say that supper's ready. I'll leave now." With that, he hastily backed out of the room.

Van stood up. Walking over to Merle, he offered her his hand. "So, do you want to join me for supper?"

Merle's heart did a back flip. "…Okay…" she squeaked.

Just then the wind blew open the window again and, with a frigid howl, blew out the lamp.

Merle's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark, but in that moment she tripped over a footstool and sprawintointo Van's arms. Glad it was dark she blushed again. "Uh, sorry Van". She was about to say more when she felt Van's lips on her own.

Startled, she backed away slightly, breaking contact. Looking up into Van's face she saw momentary surprise. Then only ashamed sadness touched his expression. "Merle, I'm so sorry." He began. "I don't know what came over me!"

Merle lightly touched her lips as he babbled his fervent apologies. Resolved hardened her mind. Touching a finger to his lips, she silenced him. "Whatever it was, I'm glad it did." Then, throwing panic out the window, she pressed her lips to Van's.

Startled, Van didn't know how to react. Tentatively he touched Merle's soft pink hair, and slowly wrapped an arm around her waist. Merle felt this and shivered in delight. Letting herself drown in his warm sweet lips, she closed her eyes and sighed. An instinct took over, opening her mouth and invading Van's. This move took the king by surprise, but he grew used to it. He fought back, teasing her mouth and sucking on her tongue when it retaliated. Both were so reluctant to break apart that they were half-asphyxiated when they finally gave in.

In short, their first kiss was passionate, hot, loving, and so sweet that a diabetic would have keeled over on the spot.

Gasping for breath, Merle tried to talk. "Van…I…love…you."

In spite his own breath being nearly gone, Van smiled reassuringly. "Me too… It…took…a while…but it…finally…hit me."

The words took Merle's breath away again, and she fainted from lack of oxygen.

She awoke a few seconds later to Van giving her mouth to mouth CPR. Smiling, she let him continue.

Eventually, Van figured out that unconscious people don't usually smile. Frowning, he reached down and tickled the young cat girl mercilessly until her squeals of laughter echoed across the room. She swatted his leg with her tail, sending him to the floor on top of her, and silencing all sound.

Van's eyes met Merle's with the intensity of a laser guided ICBM. Merle stared back, her eyes half-closed, seductively smoothing her soft fur.

Finally, Van leaned down and kissed her again. Merle met him with such ferocity that it seemed she was a tigress. Tongue pushing deep, she let out a loud purr and let her instincts take over.

It was some time before they got up to eat supper.

***

Hitomi and Millerna strolled down the hall to the mess hall. Their clothes were rumpled, their steps were unsteady, and their hair looked as though it had been used to clog a drain. But their eyes gazed adoringly at each other and their hands clasped with love.

On the other side of the ship, Van also walked toward the mess hall. His arm was wrapped around Merle's waist, and the cat girl's tail returned the favour. Neither could keep their hands off each other and they nearly started making out I the middle of the hallway.

Both groups arrived at nearly the same moment. Seeing each other, they grinned and moved to a table in the centre.

Kio had laid out food earlier and no one else was in the room. It was just the two pairs of horny lovers.

Van sat down and Merle plopped herself into his lap. Millerna daintily seated herself next to Hitomi and started feeling her up the instant she sat down.

Giggling, Hitomi turned her attention to Van and Merle. "So I see you've finally got together. Goo for you! Maybe you'll be less solemn and irritable."

Merle hissed dramatically, clutching Van's shoulders. "Hey! Only I'm allowed to tease Lord Van!"

Hitomi rolled her eyes and Millerna laughed. "So I see you two have tied the knot?"

Van blushed, even as he smiled. "Ah no. Nothing that far. We kissed. We cuddled. We didn't break anything."

Hitomiled led teasingly. "How considerate". Millerna whacked her arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For flirting with someone other than me" Millerna said. Then she folded her arms in an expression of mock hurt.

Smiling, Hitomi leaned forward and gave her a melting kiss on the lips. When she pulled back she pinched her breast, drawing squeal. "You know I'm only for you princess."

Millerna smiled back and lay her head on Hitomi's shoulder. "I know."

Merle smiled at the sight. "Well now I know how you guys feel."

"And how's that?"

"Hot sweaty, tired, and loving every minute of it!"

Laughter ensued around the table. Van looked thoughtful, even as he stroked Merle's back fur. "Do you suppose it's like that for everyone? Even during this war?"

"What does a war have to do with it?"

"Well, I've always heard that war ruins times like these, that it makes you more serious and ruins the casual day to day love.

Millerna shrugged. "If we don't find love when we do, then will we ever?"

Hitomi frowned. "I'll have to think about that. In the meantime, lets eat."


THE END