Sahara’s position was…Not very good! Two pieces of clothing…That was all that was left!

Another tear fell down her cheek, and she closed her eyes to the helplessness and agony of another whipping and tried to check on her dantian again, but she was getting way to dizzy and…Hot…

Sahara couldn’t help it, she started to mumble.

She hadn’t mumbled her sorrows away in quite a while.

While being out on her mountain, she was pretty happy…Since coming back, nothing drastic had happened, except the loss of life…

But now, once again, Sahara took up an old habit of mumbling her sorrows away.

 

Seeing the change in the woman, the Crowned Prince looked away. She had totally humiliated him to a point that he hardly wanted her anymore…

Thinking about his brother, he looked back at her and shook his head. He made himself focus on the face that his brother would have.

What face would he have if she got pregnant with my child instead of his!?

Somewhat forgetting the humiliation, the Crowned Prince dropped the whip and walked back to the woman limply hanging there.

Taking her leg, he went to raise it up to his waist, when the door was kicked in.

 

Having the Crowned Prince being side-tracked, and Sahara having tried very, very hard to concentrate, she teleported back to the stable at the General’s residence, not even knowing that they had left to come to save her…

It would be hard to know if Sahara would even laugh to finding out that Naruto had bitten the Crowned Prince on the ass…But, even if she was told that, she had bigger problems right now.

Since she was alone once again, Sahara let out a loud scream to her pain.

After another scream, she then yelled, “You asshole, bastard, shithead, mongrel! I’m ganna kill you, you psycho!”

Falling into the hay, that started to stick to her because of the blood from her back, she rolled around, trying to deal with all that was going on.

 

The heat, the heat was so strong! Sahara felt so…Hot!

“Ahh!” She could feel herself sweating everywhere!

Sahara had never taken an aphrodisiac before, in both lives. It was as she thought it was though, as she felt like taking the rest of her clothes off without too much thought…The need to get something…To fulfill what she wanted at this moment, was really strong!

Was this how it was normally, or did the Crowned Prince overdose it!?

Fulfilling her urge was starting to become the main focus in her thoughts, making her have more trouble on remembering to try and cleanse her body.

Feeling an edge of the stable, Sahara banged her head against it, to try and feel sane again.

Not even bothering on trying to calm herself down, she grabbed some sweat, cleansed it, and tried to go through her bloodstream to get rid of this aphrodisiac.

“Sahara?”

 

Matthew had been waiting for Band Three to return, to report to him that Band One was with the emperor. Through staying here, he was able to tend to his wounds and was able to remember that his Princess could potentially teleport back here.

Not hearing that Band One was with the emperor yet, Matthew had simply stayed here worrying like all hell had broken loss.

Hearing the screams from moments earlier, Matthew had been put into a stunned silence. Those screams…

He felt his heart begin to shake and tremble…They sounded so unforgiving…

The curses were able to let him breathe again, and he walked towards them, almost positive that it was his Princess.

 

Her body scared the hell out of him, but he had to make sure that she was ok. He can’t get scared or afraid, when she most desperately needed his help.

Unable to stop himself from still being worried, he pulled off his outer clothing, then picked up the bloodied body, that was mumbling and dirty.

Putting his outer clothing over her, as he held her to him, he felt her hands travel into his under clothing.

“Sahara?” Matthew swallowed.

“Hot!”

“Sahara?”

She kissed him, clinging to him. “Hot!”

 

Finally realizing what was wrong with her, Matthew found himself fighting against himself.

Unable to deny the strong want inside himself, that seemed like the most desire that he’d ever had for a woman in his entire life, including other times when he had been with Sahara, Matthew had to pinch himself incredibly hard to think properly over this matter…

He really wanted her and felt that it would be great to keep her by his side by doing this…But she wasn’t herself at the moment, and he’d already failed at having protected her. He had no right…So, he didn’t feel anymore want to do this kind of thing to her.

His wish to have her in his life and by his side hadn’t changed, he wanted her heart as well…So, anymore thoughts of taking her right now disappeared.

…Some thoughts may have disappeared, but he was indeed uncomfortable…

Tightly hugging her instead, he whispers for her to calm down and she seemed to be able to close her eyes, by feeling his hands around her.

Having her head right near his heart, she came to find that she was able to focus upon its beating…

Sahara, knowing a little more of her predicament, concentrated on getting rid of the rest of the aphrodisiac and finally felt more herself after some time.

“Shh…Take a slow breath in, and know that you are safe, release that breathe out, keeping your faith…Shh…”

Matthew had gone to the saying what the Empress used to use for him for when he was younger and went to rocking Sahara.

 

Breathing better, Sahara focused on healing her wounds next, staying silent.

At first, his heart had helped her to focus and be able to concentrate, but as time moved on…His heart become a comfort for her.

The pain from the whip marks continued to gnaw at her, reminding Sahara of what she had just gone through. Yet, even though her eyes were slightly glowing red in anger, Sahara felt herself unable to think of what she would do to that man when she next saw him…Only getting as far as knowing that she wanted to act out some kind of revenge against him, she couldn’t help the soothing beating of Matthew’s heart overcoming her rage.

Matthew continued his words and rocking, while Sahara got tired and couldn’t finish clearing her wounds. After the sun started to come up, she fell asleep in his arms, absolutely exhausted, and hearing the beating of his heart.

 

Matthew felt the woman in his arms finally relax and was certain that she was sleeping. He knew that she was still not in a good way, as she was still practically naked, under his outer clothing.

It was perhaps an hour or two beforehand, that Band Three had come, while the two people were holding each other, still at the stable

“Your…Master?”

Matthew had shushed him, making Band Three come closer to Matthew, to whisper in his ear. Hearing that Band One, at that point in time, was waiting for an audience with the emperor, it was when Matthew was supposed to have left…

…But he couldn’t leave her…The importance of his Princess on staying calm and even having her this close to him, overcame even seeing the Emperor of Green Haven over the crimes of the Crowned Prince…

“Go back to Band One and state that I will see His Majesty shortly.” Matthew had whispered back.

“Yes…Master.”

 

 

Band Three had been really surprised at seeing his Master holding a female. He’d heard about the ‘Princess’ that his Master had personally selected but he had not officially seen her till this day.

Having seen His Highness so doting towards another female was quite new, as even Isabella hadn’t really got this much doting in the past. He had never put a woman more important than seeing the emperor!

The relationship between Isabella and his Master had been very formal as well, as they would never touch each other unless it was required, and not as he had seen his Master just now…

It was really quite surprising, quite some time ago, when everyone heard that Isabella had been pregnant. It had been deemed by the emperor as the best news of the year, because it had been such a worrisome thing for the whole populace!

Only few knew that it was most likely because of being with friends and having a leisurely drink of alcohol that may have let the boundary down for a night…

Having seen and heard about this ‘Princess’, Band Three was convinced that this relationship will be very different…

 

As Band Three had jumped towards the palace, he had seen the fire at the Crowned Prince’s residence. People were rushing everywhere, still trying to put out a fire caused by spiritual essence.

Fires enhanced and made with spiritual essence, were naturally harder to extinguish, so the symbol had been able to be seen for quite some time and by quite a number of people…

There were people who used their Water element to put the fire out, then others who could use wind in a reverse method, in a way to suck out the oxygen. Any others trying to help, would be getting water from a nearby source and rushing back as fast as they could, trying not to drop any water in their large bowls during the process.

It had been…Quite a sight…

​

Since Band Three had left, Matthew didn’t even know that he was uncomfortable with his legs as well, having been kneeling all this time. His legs seemed to have gone a bit numb and his hands, having held her tightly all this time, had gotten uncomfortable as well. But all this was not thought of, or felt, by Matthew…Having this one woman in his arms seemed to dull out any pain or suffering. All he could feel, was that he felt like he was supposed to be here and be there for her, just like this.

Knowing that she really should be in a bed, even before she had fallen asleep, he had continued to rock her. Never wanting to admit that he just didn’t want to let her go…

Matthew tried to look at Sahara, but she had firmly hidden herself into his arms and clothes that had started to come off him in her attempt to fulfill what she felt she had needed, quite some time ago. Feeling her head against his bare chest, he tightened his arms around her, silently apologizing to her with all his heart.

Sighing, he kissed her on her head and prepared to stand up.

 

Picking her up and making sure that she was covered, Matthew takes her to a bed inside of the General’s house. He had slowly walked, making sure that there was no interruption upon her sleep…And his legs were hardly handling this small matter as it was anyway…So, the trip took some time…

Able to see her face now, Matthew felt his heart tremble and hurt once again. Not only was her face showing that she had been hurt, and perhaps even still bleeding, but Sahara had also furrowed her eyebrows, even in sleep…

What made Matthew feel a tiny bit better, and worse at the same time, was that she didn’t let him go…Unable to have someone dress her or even tend to her wounds very well, all Matthew could do, was let her hold him.

My Princess needs me…I guess I’ll see the emperor later.

Putting a whole blanket around her, she still was able to hold onto him and Matthew could only sigh and gather her up into his arms and found himself falling asleep right beside her.

 

End of Volume Three