A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Conflicting emotions flashed through Leia's eyes. She was clearly considering his words. Erik could see the deep frustration and need to vent that her confrontation with Tarek awakened inside her.

More than that, however, he could see the instinctual urge to reestablish some control… because that's who she'd forced herself to become.

After talking with Naeku, Elora and Runa about it, this was the conclusion he'd come up with. Basically, Leia became of age after Ankhur had already taken the throne of what was then a small, reclusive community, and this was what saved her from being forcefully married off to a potential ally, as her parents wanted.

Ankhur was a lot more doting and loving towards his little sister, so he blocked any efforts to force her into anything, but the situation still weighed heavily on her.

Her mother, Fatima, who was tired of ruling and telling people what to do for most of her life, kept her opinion to herself and acted like a loving mother to Leia… but inside, Leia knew her resistance to being married off was disappointing Fatima.

She knew this largely because Fatima never stopped Tarek from bringing up the topic actively… and everyone knew the relationship between Tarek and Fatima was one where Tarek wouldn't lift a finger without Fatima's express permission.

Meanwhile, everyone obeyed Ankhur because he was the ruler now, but their parents still commanded a lot of respect. Many people looked at Leia strangely. They blamed her for not listening to her parents. They didn't understand why she wouldn't just follow their wishes.

This was where Naeku's insights came in. Leia would never have discussed this openly with Naeku, but the latter did occasionally talk to Ankhur about it, and Leia's brother had been witness to all of her changes over the years.

As a child, Leia was sweet, adorable, excitable, and loving. She loved her family, she loved the people around them. She loved their community—and that's where her resistance came from.

As she came of age and realised what her parents wanted from her, she was heartbroken. She resisted because she didn't want to move away from the place she'd grown up in. Out of a desire to please her parents, she met with many suitors, but none wanted to live there with her—they all wanted to take her away.

So, she refused them all, and Ankhur supported her unconditionally. His support allowed her to resist the outside pressure, but the situation changed her. Accusations of selfishness were tossed her way on a daily basis. No one seemed to value her as much as she used to value them.

She started leaning into the selfishness they accused her of. Now, she wasn't refusing to be married off out of a desire to stay anymore. Rather, she was doing it out of spite and a desire to feel in control of her own life. She still wanted to stay close to her brother, and later Naeku, but mostly it was spite.

That's when she started leveraging her position and Ankhur's support to force weak men into submission. Without friends or the ability to have a normal relationship, this was the only way for her to feel some intimacy, as well as get some payback on the community who shunned her for wanting to stay with them.

As time passed, respect for the old ruler dropped, and that for Ankhur rose. Old people died, young people came of age. Many started disagreeing with the way Leia's situation was handled back then, and praising their king for supporting her. Then the awakening came, and things changed even more.

There was no longer a reason for Leia to act the way she did. Her parents hadn't changed, but the community had. Now, its resemblance to the ideal version she had in her head as a child was far closer to reality.

But it didn't matter anymore. Leia barely realised any of this. She'd become stuck in the personality she created for herself. Memories of her childhood had become distorted, and a part of her believed she'd always been this way. She couldn't really be happy in this version of herself, but neither could she break free from it on her own.

Runa had tried to help, but failed, so now it was Erik's turn. Of course, he only cared about Leila by extension of Naeku and Runa. He'd help her… but he had every intention of profiting from it in the best way possible.

This was the story Erik had pieced together, and it was what flashed through his mind as he watched Leia consider his proposal.

It took a few seconds before a wide, but somewhat hesitant grin started spreading across her lips. "A— Alright! You're right, that is more fun!"

Erik could see she was forcing herself to act this way. It was a very different look from when she propositioned him before his wedding. Back then, her behaviour looked natural, but Erik could see the difference now. With her mind clearly still in turmoil over her conflict with Tarek, it was harder for her to act in the way she'd trained herself to do.

And that made this the perfect moment for Erik to break through.

Leia finally stepped forward and pressed a finger against Erik's chest. "But if you want to do this… then you'll listen to me like a good boy! I don't care about our difference in strength. I— I only have sex with men who know their place in the bedroom!"

A small smirk spread across Erik's lips. 'I wonder if she even realises how unsteady she sounds right now,' he chuckled inwardly. 'I'm sure she's delivered this line with more confidence before—it certainly sounded better when our roles were reversed.'

He had no intention of giving in to her, however. He had a much better idea.

He stepped closer as well. Now, they were almost chest to chest, and Leia was forced to let her hand be pushed back. "I could tell you the same thing, Leia," he growled with lust-filled hunger. "So how about a contest then?"

Leia blinked in surprise. "W— What do you mean?"

Slowly, he placed his hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow. "Simple. We each get five minutes to make the other cum in whatever way we like. Fail, and your turn passes. Succeed, and you get to go again. The first of us who succeeds twice in a row wins and gets to decide how the rest of it goes."

Leia's breathing quickened. "Y— You'll do as I say?"

An amused flash travelled through Erik's eyes. "During your turn, and later if you win, yes."

"Deal!"