Iâve been wanting to write this for a long time but couldnât find the words to express what I want to say.
Your stories lived with me in the height of my passion for the fandoms I was in (Legend of Korra/ACOdyssey Kassandra x Kyra).
Your stories lived with me in the moments after when I went about daily life.
Your stories lived with me when I was alone, seeking refuge, seeking love, seeking who I am.
Your stories have lived with me for years, no matter how busy life got, no matter where life took me.
Your worlds captivated me and still do.
Theyâve inspired me to write my own, not for posting, but to process my own emotions, and to understand why these stories move me so.
I return to fanfic time and time again, having saved my favourite stories which transport me into the perfect world and stories that move my soulâŚ
I imagine it is hard for fanfic writers to see the tangible impact of their stories. But, I wanted to communicate that after all these years, stories that Iâve read from over a decade ago still inform me of who I am and want to be today. Stories make an impact. Iâve found meaning in them.
I imagine it is hard to see fandoms slowly die down, as we move on in life and interest appears to dwindle.
But you see, the thing is that it doesnât. Not for me. Fanfic is honestly one true constant in my adulthood that I come home to. Your work. The interest is there. Itâs in my head. Itâs in how I try to carry myself.
Iâm bound to these fandoms in the best way; they inspire me to be better, and the worlds youâve created teach me.
Iâm not a strong online presence. Oftentimes, anything or anyone I interact with on tumblr goes into the abyss, despite that Iâm looking for interaction or to find kindred souls. Itâs just the nature of this platform combined with my lack of enthusiasm for any social media.
Iâve sort of given up on tumblr but I do have this note to write: I owe some part of me to the fanfic stories that spoke to me, which I found through tumblr, and hope this journal-like entry will be fun to read in the future.
More importantly, I hope it still holds true for the remainder of my life!
So, this is a small note of appreciation and gratitude for your stories in an attempt to make that impact feel a bit more tangible.
And, this is a small note to myself, to not feel so alone on tumblr, and to remember that this is where I got connected to the stories that made such an impact on me.
If Ubisoft know whatâs good for them, MORE Kassandra content is the right answer. Come back to us, Kassandra! Bring back Kyra of Mykonos, while youâre at itâŚ
Kassandra came to Japan with the same Portuguese traders she followed to Africa. This journey, however, proved to be a complete failure. The Isu artifact she came looking for had been taken by a shaman queen centuries ago. That one had brought it to a mysterious island, or so the story went. And, of course, no one was able to tell Kassandra where exactly the mysterious island was to be found.
Kassandra's usual approach would have been to travel the land for years, decades, or even a century, if needed, offering her services as a mercenary, protector, killer, or lover to gain the trust of the locals. However, Japan became increasingly hostile towards outsiders. In 1613, she finally left empty-handed on a Dutch trading vessel heading for America.
Looking for any other fans out there who would want to have friendly chats about all things ACO/Kassandra. I love this game, love this character, and I came back to tumblr for connection with others who feel the same way. By connection, I mean an actual two-way conversation, where I'm not the only one asking questions or offering insight!. Does that exist on this platform?!
Synopsis: Your father has offered your hand in marriage to an insufferably arrogant Athenian Polemarch. To make matters worse... he's terrible in bed. What a pleasant coincidence that he's just so happened to hire a certain mercenary known for her excellence in the area?
Content/Warnings: nsfw, reader is referred to w fem pronouns/has fem anatomy, top!kass, bottom!reader, scissoring, oral (r receiving), fingering (r receiving), jealous!kass but she won't admit it, in love!reader but she won't admit it, ambiguous ending ooooh
A/N: i am so sorry that it took me this long to post this... but it genuinely ended up being my favorite smut I've written so far. it's not even anything crazy, i just love kassandra so much and i hope this finds all my other fellow kassandra lovers out there.
đđ¨đŻđ, đđđ ŕ¨ŕ§
ââËâŕ¨ŕ§â˘â§âËââ
There's little that irritates Kassandra more than arrogance, so it's no surprise that right now, the look on her face clearly says she'd rather be anywhere else than sharing a meal with men who have heads as big as they claim their dicks to be.Â
At least you're there to catch her humorous expressions of reproval from across the dinner table; to respond with your own, sharing a silent conversation about how ridiculous these men sound as they decide that the next best subject to discuss over roasted quail and figs is how good they are in bed.
The only reason you're attending this glorified pissing contest is because your father had offered your hand to tonight's host, Alexandros, not too long ago. You aren't naive; you understand that in this world, women don't marry for love, but for security. Alexandros was at least a safe bet; an Athenian Polemarch with plenty of wealth to spare.Â
He decides to chime in, raising his cup of wine in the air for dramatic effect.
âOne thing is for certain,â he begins with a toothy grin, âno woman has ever left my quarters unhappyâŚâ
The room explodes with cheeky laughter and hollers of praise, droplets of dark red sloshing over their cups as they toast to Alexandrosâs proclaimed skillsâŚ
It isnât until their cheers die down that they realize youâve choked on your wine.
âWhatâs the matter?â Alexandros asks, clearly more annoyed than concerned.Â
Kassandra is slouched against the backrest of her chair. She lulls her head over to Alexandrosâs direction to shoot him a glare when he takes such a short tone with you.
âO-oh!â you begin, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand and trying to conceal your laughter the best you can.
Kassandraâs scowl is replaced with a grin as she watches.
âI just, uhâŚâ
Find it hilarious that you seriously believe Iâve ever left your bedroom pleasedâŚ
â...wine just went down the wrong way,â you say, finally having collected yourself enough to give him a dismissive wave. âWeâre running low, anyhow.âÂ
You stand to grab the decanter from the center of the table before excusing yourself to the kitchen to refill it.Â
A knowing smirk plays on Kassandraâs lips as she watches you leave, your shoulders still bouncing with giggles all the way to the kitchen.Â
She had become quite fond of you since taking this contract with Alexandros. The only reason she could stand to take contracts with men as insufferable as the Polemarch is that they were notoriously exuberant with their riches, offering her ludicrous amounts of drachmae, room, and board just to run simple errands that they simply couldnât be bothered with. Still, it didnât make these men- or working for them- any less annoying, but this time, she found herself hoping Alexandros had one more request of her before she set off for the next job; something that would give her the excuse to spend more time with you.Â
She's standing to succumb to the pull you seem to have on her before she can help it, pardoning herself for a moment and following the path to you with a wry smile.Â
You turn your head toward the sound of two knocks on the open frame of the kitchen, a grin spreading across your face at the sight of the Misthios walking toward you.
âMake haste,â she playfully urges, âweâre in the middle of an incredibly insightful discussion about whether itâs better to take a woman from the front or the back. You really donât want to miss it.â
Her feigned graveness sends you into another fit of giggles.Â
âAnd what say you, Kassandra?â you ask playfully, hopping up onto the wooden counter behind you. She leans her hip against its wooden edge and crosses her arms. âWhich is better?â
You donât expect her to give an honest response, but when she leans in and lowers her voice, you canât help but hold your breath.
âWhatever my lover wants,â she croons. She pushes herself off of the counter, reaching for a bowl of olives and casually popping one into her mouth as if she hadnât just been so crass.
The exhale that finally escapes you comes out as an incredulous chuckle.
âI didnât know there were still people who cared what their lover wanted.â
âWhat? No⌠didnât you hear Alexandros? No woman leaves his chambers unhappy, remember?âÂ
Her words- saturated in sarcasm- are met with a playful roll of your eyes.
âAlexandros only believes that because he canât tell the difference between real pleasure and a performance.âÂ
Her eyes are trained on you, narrowed and contemplative.Â
âThen why do you sleep with him?â She finally asks.
Great question.Â
You sigh.Â
âIt's in my best interest to get used to it; If Iâm to be married to him, you know.â
A frown finds its way on Kassandraâs face. Itâs something sheâd seen too many a time: a beautiful woman with so much to offer- a woman who deserves only the best- pressured into a loveless marriage to meet some arbitrary social expectation. Many of these women would end up requesting⌠assistance⌠from her while their husbands were off at war or otherwise occupied, and as much as she loves pleasing women, Kassandra prided herself on having strong moral convictions.Â
She wouldnât sleep with a married woman behind her husbandâs back. Itâs why she finds herself dreading the day that you do marry Alexandros, because, at this rate, she wants you for herself.Â
âYou havenât accepted his hand yet, have you?â
âI havenât,â you shake your head, eyes trained on a crack in the stone floor below you. âI just need more time to consider it, is all.â
Youâre lying through your teeth. You would have accepted your fate already, had it not been for the woman standing before you and the taste sheâd given you of what real chemistry feels like.Â
Your gaze lifts to her own, sadness painting your features.Â
âAre you still planning to set off for Argolis tomorrow?âÂ
She smiles softly at you. âAs much as Iâd like to stay⌠Iâve already got work lined up there.âÂ
You nod, giving her a woeful smile of your own. A silence settles between the two of you, but your longing gazes say everything. You want to ask her not to leave, and she wants to ask you to follow. You both know that neither can happen.Â
But when Alexandrosâs voice cuts through the silence from the dining room, calling out to ask whatâs taking so long, a bolt of indignation strikes Kassandra.
âIâm going up to my room,â she begins resolutely, âand Iâm going to leave the lamp on until the 12th hour.âÂ
You nod slowly, not quite understanding her message.
âIf, by, then, you havenât arrivedâŚâ
Your eyes widen. Now you understand.Â
â...then Iâll be off to bed tonight and on the waters to Argolis tomorrow. No hard feelings. But, if youâd like to pay me a visit before then,âÂ
She slots herself in between your legs, hand coming up to anchor to your thigh as she leans in to purr,
âYouâll find that the door is unlocked.âÂ
She takes a few steps backward before turning on her heel to head back to the dining room. Soon, you hear the idle chatter of everyone bidding her goodnight, and imagine her walking up the stairs wearing the wolfish grin she so often sported. You imagine her sauntering into her room- the most secluded space in the estate, back in the corner of the second floor- stripping layers of armor off to reveal chiseled muscles wrapped in bronze skin, undoing her braid and letting her chestnut waves cascade over her bare shoulders-Â
You're pulled out of your thoughts by the burn of your thighs pressed tightly together.Â
The rumors of her divinity must be true. Her allure is inhuman, and as you slide off of the counter, having long abandoned your task of refilling the decanter of wine, you realize that no human will satisfy the warmth pooling at your core.
You walk back out to the dining room, having already prepared some half-assed spiel about not feeling well and figuring that you should retire to your room for the night. Alexandros is nonethewiser; nor does he care.Â
Your fist is already poised in front of the door to Kassandraâs room, where lamplight spills through the gap underneath the door, and your heart flutters in your chest as you leave two gentle knocks on its surface.Â
Your breath is stolen from you when it opens.Â
You'd think she'd seem more imposing donned in golden armor, hand poised on the hilt of her blade. Somehow, her rumored divinity is harder to deny when she assumes this form: wearing only a night tunic, nimble fingers mindlessly unraveling the cord from her braid.
She opens the door wider for you to enter, keen eyes darkening as you cross the threshold to her room.Â
âI told you itâd be unlocked,â she muses, kicking the door closed behind her in a fluid movement.
âIt was only a courtesy,â you begin, strolling toward the end of her bed, âin the case that you were⌠indecent.â
She chuckles, a low rumble smooth like honey.Â
âI don't intend on staying decent for long.â
The cord she'd been working at finally falls free from her hair, and she tosses it onto the dresser behind her, eyes glued to yours as she begins to make her way toward you.
âAlexandros allowed you to leave?â She asks, hands shaking out her braid before they settle on your hips as she takes her place in front of you.Â
You know she's trying her best to school her disdainful expression, but her words drip with it all the same.Â
âI told him I wasn't feeling well,â you shrug.Â
âAnd he let you come up to bed by yourself?âÂ
She doesn't bother hiding it anymore.Â
You wrap your arms around her neck, placing a hand on the nape of her neck and pressing soothing circles into the muscle with your thumb.Â
âI shanât be cross. My ruse depended on his negligence, after all.âÂ
She sneers, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.Â
âI don't understand why-â
âKassandra.â
You stop her before she can begin yet another one of her rants about how insolent and incompetent your suitor is. You've heard it all, you know it well enough, and frankly, right now, you just want to be fucked.Â
âYou've already told me what Iâm missing,â you purr, your hand trailing down to trace her exposed collarbone. You lean in to whisper into her ear, your voice soft and tantalizing like the patterns you draw on her dĂŠcolletage:
âWill you show me?â
You feel the tendons in her neck tense as her breath hitches, but The Eagle Bearer is never caught off guard for long.Â
Suddenly, her hands fly to the cord wrapped around your waist.
âGet this thing off,â she spits urgently.Â
You can't help but chuckle at her uncharacteristic lack of suave. Your hands get to work helping her remove the fabric draped over your body.Â
âAre you always this eager?âÂ
âNo,â she replies earnestly, brows raised as if in surprise of her own desperation, âIâm not; but youâŚâ
When your dress finally hits the floor, her jaw goes slack.Â
âGods, be with me.â
It takes everything within her not to fall to her knees and take you in her mouth right then and there.Â
You reach out to tug at her tunic with a smirk.
âCome on,â you urge, âdon't leave me alone in such a state.âÂ
She obliges, but not without the lighthearted roll of her eyes. She pulls the thin material over her head, tossing it aside with abandon. Now, you both stand before each other, bare and on fire with desire.
Her brows furrow curiously as you sink down onto the bed and begin to scoot back toward the headboard.
âYou need not do anything but stand there.âÂ
She laughs incredulously at your shamelessness, but when you spread your legs, reaching down to explore just how wet some witty banter and a few lost garments have managed to make you, she can't help but fall to her knees this time.Â
âYou're trying to kill me,â she exhales, beginning her trail of kisses at your ankle.
Your giggle melds into a gasp as your middle finger swipes up to brush your hardened clit.
âIâm trying to fuck you,â you clarify.Â
âOh, Iâm fucked alright.âÂ
She makes her way up your thigh, arms wrapping around them and hands kneading their soft flesh. Her mouth comes closer, closer, closer to your center, and when she finally hovers just above your cunt, she lets out a shaky breath.Â
âIâm so fucked.â
The first drag of her tongue through your slick folds already has you mewling. The warm muscle flattens to trace a long line up from your entrance, then curls to circle the swollen bundle of nerves peeking out from its hood. Your hand flies to her head, fingers anchoring themselves in her long waves, and she chuckles, the vibrations pulsing through you.Â
âWhat, does he not use his mouth like this?â
âWhat do you think?â you nearly seethe, pushing her head into your core in an effort to silence her and urge her to continue.Â
This time, she laughs fully, head moving against your grip to place an apologetic kiss on your inner thigh.Â
âI think I should stop teasing, lest I get my head cut off.â
Your retort dies on your tongue when she delves back in with her own. Your breath stutters with each languid stripe she draws, each tight circle she makes. It nearly stops altogether when she begins to settle into a delicious rhythm.Â
âBreathe, agapi,â she coos lowly, massaging the junction between your hips and your thighs, âit feels so much better when you breathe.â
You nod frantically, doing your best to follow the misthiosâs directions. In through your nose, and you can feel each surge of blood that pumps through your veins, thrumming harder and racing faster as her own pace quickens. Out through your mouth- and always escaping you as a breathy moan- and you can feel yourself melt; into the soft sheets, into her firm grasp, into the pleasure that buzzes at your core.
With the sudden focus on your senses comes the realization of just how close you are, and when she circles your entrance with two of her long fingers, you're all but begging for that final push over the edge.
âYes,â you cry out, âyes, please; want you insideâŚâÂ
She removes her mouth for just long enough to ask you how many of her digits you want, but even the few seconds of lost contact are enough to make you huff out a whine.Â
âMph, I don't care,â you complain, bucking your hips up. âAnything, just keep going.âÂ
She halts all of her movements, looking up at you with wide, chiding eyes.Â
âYou're quite demanding, hm?âÂ
She pulls away from her place in between your thighs completely, crawling up to place a kiss on your jaw, and then, a nip on your ear.Â
âI could stop now,â she threatens lowly, âleave you laid out and desperate, just like he does.âÂ
You nearly sob at the thought.
âBut you don't want that, hm? You want to be a good girl for me; isn't that right?â
You shiver underneath her, clenching around nothing when her middle and ring fingers begin to spread the mixture of your slick and her spit up and around your entrance.
âY-yes,â you beseech, âIâll be good⌠want to be good for youâŚâ
She hums as if to consider giving you what you want. When her thick fingers finally plunge into you, you thank the Gods she shows mercy.Â
Your once airy moans are guttural now, punched out of your lungs with every stroke against your velvet walls.Â
She wastes no time on a useless, repetitive in-and-out motion- sheâs sure you're more than used to that- and instead, curls her fingers up to skillfully locate the ridges of nerves on your front wall and begins to massage them with the pads of her fingers.
Her thumb stretches to press into your clit in tandem with the fingers hooked inside of you. You don't have to tell her not to neglect the bud of nerves; not like you constantly have to remind Alexandros, who still fails to give it attention.
You're not even sure you can look him in the face after getting fucked this good by someone else.Â
Gods, sheâs fucking you so good.Â
Your stomach begins to tense, your breath sharp and shallow.Â
âBreathe, love. Relax and give it to me.â
One deep breath, and then another, before they're turning into heavy pants and loud cries. Your hands grab for anything they can anchor themselves to; one on the firm bicep supporting her weight, and the other around the sheets underneath you. Your trembling legs wrap around her, your chest arching up into her own, and when she leans down to request that you be a good girl and come on her fingers, you fall apart underneath her with a slew of moans and curses that you believe might have even made Aphrodite blush.
Eros would approve, at least.Â
Wave after wave of pleasure rouses at your core, tightening like knots before snapping and rolling out to warm the rest of your nerves. Your hand reaches down to stop her when the pleasure begins to feel too hot- icy-hot- and the roll of your hips becomes twitching and tensing.Â
When your eyes flutter open, she's gazing down at you with a look that can only be one of utter awe and pure adoration. She stares like you're the one who possesses divinity. Â
You don't know this, but she's decided that thereâs no way you donât.Â
âWhy are you staring?â You chuckle breathlessly.Â
She purses her lips and shakes her head.Â
âYou're gorgeous.â
You wave a dismissive hand in the air before letting it fall like lead onto the bed.
She leans down to place a kiss on your temple.Â
âYou alright?â She whispers into your hairline.
You nod underneath her kiss, brushing her hair back to rest behind her shoulders.Â
âIâm perfect,â you croon. âBut what of you? You haven't had your fill.âÂ
She comes back up to rest on her haunches, brows raised.
âOh, I had my fill.â
You giggle, but she's dead serious, eyes drinking in your splayed out figure.Â
âYou know what I mean. Do you prefer not to receive?âÂ
Your question is genuine, head tilting against the pillows underneath it.
âNot necessarily,â she muses, âbut I have enough fun getting pretty women off.â
Your eyes narrow in feigned jealousy.Â
You tell yourself it's all in jest, that is, but truthfully, the thought of her doing to other women what she just did to you leaves a bad taste in your mouth.Â
âIâm just another pretty woman, hm?â
She leans back down with a playful scoff, pressing feather-light kisses to the apples of your cheeks.Â
âNo woman is just another pretty woman. I take my craft seriously.â
You punch out a laugh.Â
âBut I will say,â she keens in between kisses that are traveling down to your neck, âI'm afraid you've made quite an impression.â
She nips at the thin skin over your pulse before her tongue darts out to smooth over it, and when she tastes the salt of your sweat, she canât help herself from latching on.
âAnd youâre going to leave a mark that Iâll have to answer for in the morning.â
âHush,â she mumbles, teeth trailing over your windpipe, âdonât wanna talk about the morning. Just want you.â
She sits up, leaning back on her heels again, staring down at you with a wicked grin.
âWill you spread your legs for me?â
Youâre not sure what sheâs planning, but at this point, youâll do anything she asks of you.
âGood girl,â she coos, hand sliding up the expanse of your thigh; and when she swings a leg over your hip, her center hovering just above your own, you gasp.
âJust need you to lie there and look pretty,â she husks, eyes trained on your fluttering cunt. âCan you do that, agapi?â
âYes,â you breathe out, your eyes wide and bright and your hands flying out to rest on the tops of her muscular thighs.Â
You hiss when her center- nearly dripping- finally makes contact with your own.
âToo much?â She asks, eyes snapping up to search your face for any discomfort. âI know youâre still sensitive-â
âKeep going,â you demand, fingers digging into the flesh of her thighs, âI want you to get off on me.â
Her eyes roll back, head dropping down as she begins to tick her hips forward, then circle them back, ticking them forward, circling back.
You didnât think youâd ever see Kassandra reduced to a whining, panting mess, but as she grinds down into your cunt, chasing her own high, youâre sure you could cum just watching her.
Or maybe, itâs that her swollen clit is slipping back and forth right over your own.
Itâs a debauched scene: bodies impossibly tangled; the room filled with the sounds of her groans, your mewls, and the squelch of her arousal mixing with your own; the smell of sex and sweat in the air.
Itâs a wonder Alexandros hadnât heard anythingâŚ
A knock on the door has your eyes flying wide open, and hers clenching shut.
âEverything alright in there, Misthios? It sounds like youâre in pain.âÂ
Alexandros.
âShit, shit, shit,â you mouth, sitting up; and inadvertantly positioning Kassandra in a manner that puts even more pressure on her clit. She leans down to bite your shoulder in a desperate attempt to rein herself in.
âYou have to answer,â you begin in a panicked whisper, âthis is your room!â
She canât help it; sheâs so close that her hips move on their own accord, twitching forward to chase the feeling of your heat against hers, and if she were being honest, she quite likes the thrill of getting caughtâŚ
Another two knocks on the door, and you watch in awe as she topples over the edge, hips stuttering, brows furrowed, and jaw slack. Sheâs still riding through her orgasm when she responds, her steady voice belying her current state.
âIâm alright,â she calls out, âJust stubbed my toe.â
Alexandros is nonethewiser, chuckling as he bids her goodnight and begins to walk, according to his footsteps, to his room;
In the opposite direction of yours.
By the grace of the Gods, you were in the clear.
Your eyes trail from the door to the woman in your lap, her chest heaving from exertion.
Divine. Youâre certain that she is.
Now, it was her turn to ask why you were staring.
You shake your head, at a loss for words. She just chuckles, placing a kiss on your forehead and dismounting from your lap. She falls on the bed beside you, and you yelp when she pulls you down with her, planting kiss after kiss on the crown of your head, the side of your face, the tip of your nose.
You make the mistake of settling in beside her, placing your head on her chest. Itâll make it that much harder to leave; to go back to your room, knowing that when morning comes, sheâll be gone.
You decide not to think about that now. For now, you pretend that there is no choice to be made; that there is no Alexandros to consider.
That there is no other to keep you from spending the rest of your nights in Kassandraâs arms.
ââËâŕ¨ŕ§â˘â§âËââ
Her room is bare before Heliosâs chariot breaks the horizon the next day. That is, save for the folded parchment resting on the nightstand.
You pad across the stone floor to pick it up, thumb rubbing gingerly over your name scribbled in ink on its front side.
When you open it, you read,Â
I think Iâll visit the bronze statue of Athena outside of the Parthenon todayâŚÂ
Iâll be there until the 12th hour.
You know the rest.
-Kassandra.
playlist
pairing: kassandra the eagle bearer x fem!reader
word count: 5.2k
description: kassandra was the eagle bearer. a misthios feared by all, nearly by the gods themselves. an unstoppable force, a deadly creature on the battlefield, and considered supernatural by many.
and yet, you had her wrapped around your finger.
tags: smut (18+), definite historical innacuracy, inaccurate ancient greek terms of endearment, period typical misogyny (not from kassandra), takes place in the midst of the peloponnesian war, risk of being caught, kassandra is a munch, reader is a bit of a pillow princess.
a/n: i know most of ya'll know my blog for house of the dragon (aka my one jacaerys fic), but kassandra was my first love so she needs appreciation. this is my first time writing for wlw pairing so... please bear with me :)))).
Summertime in Athens was a lazy thing, hazy with a simmering heat and the smell of ripened fruit.
It seemed as if Apollo himself kissed your skin as you basked within the late afternoon glow. His rays brushed over your cheeks, illuminating you in gold. Your eyes were shut, your pliant body laid out against a cushioned kline. You were a beauty not even sculptors could mold out of marble. Everything about you spoke of your careless luxury; silk chiton ruffled from your relaxation, gold earrings glinting in your ears, and the scent of myrrh perfume that filled the room.Â
A pitcher of wine sits with a full cup on a nearby table. Youâd already downed your first cup, you could feel the slight buzz of it in your veins; a gift from Dionysus. Everything felt lazy and quiet. The afternoons often stretched on endlessly, with little entertainment.
You had no other responsibilities to fill your day than to bask like a napping cat.Â
The bustle of your home city can be faintly heard from the balcony connecting to your rooms. The bartering of merchants in the marketplace, the boisterous laughter of a group of men who had overindulged, the din of many people moving along streets. Despite the temperature, the city still breathes.
Athens seemed to overflow with life, in spite of the Spartan siege resting just outside her walls.
Your father made sure youâd stayed far from that danger, shut safely inside your home. Where a woman should be, he tells you. He feels the brunt of this war and he does everything in his power to keep you from it. Your relationship with him was an odd one, for you were no son. However, since your motherâs life had faded during her labors, a daughter is what he must settle for. But no matter how chilled the bond between you grows, your wellbeing is paramount.Â
A dead girl cannot be married off for dowry.
He keeps you sheltered away behind the carefully constructed walls of wealth.
Well, until youâd met Kassandra.
The misthios had appeared one day at your villaâs doorstep, imposing and lithe as a lioness. Sheâd had business with your father, a contract that needed his attention. Standing before your father, who himself was stout and muscular, she outshone him like the sun does the moon. Sheâd seemed to be crafted specially by the gods themselves. For no other hands couldâve sculpted those lips and shoulders with such care.Â
Youâd watched her approach, sneakily observing from above upon a terrace.
Kassandra was unlike any other woman youâd seen before. Her demeanor was relaxed and held something akin to arrogance. Armed to the teeth, toned, and protected by gold and leather⌠she knew nothing would dare to touch her. The mercenary could almost be considered a demigod, blessed with Zeusâ eagle to circle above her head. She was everything opposite of what youâve been instructed to be.Â
She donned armor that youâd previously only thought belonged to men. It glinted as the sun struck it, illuminating her as if she was Athena coming to walk amongst mortals. The metal she wore for protection also served to accentuate her musculature, fit and lean. Youâd never seen such athleticism on one woman, only ever exposed to the soft curves of yourself and your maids.Â
She was striking in every sense of the word, well-loved by Aphrodite herself. She had the sharp eyes of a hawk, umber and gleaming when the light hit them just right. They did not miss you, either.
Amidst a hushed conversation with your father, her gaze had found yours. It was fleeting, merely a glance. But sheâd known you were there, even from your hiding spot. Even from your distance, you could see the pull of a smirk on her lips.
And there was a strange stirring in your stomach... It was something youâd only felt a few times before.Â
It was never in the presence of any of your fatherâs soldiers. The men often smelled of sweat and wine, the sight of them left a sour taste in your mouth. But around your maids, youâd noticed that recently your eyes have started to linger. Whether it be on the curve of their sternums, the beauty of their eyes, and the plushness of their lips. Youâd often wonder what they might feel like upon your own. It was a secret you kept close and never dared to act upon.Â
But Kassandra was bringing a tidal wave of attraction upon you, even from first glance. She looked strong like a man but she was still⌠most definitely a woman. She was beautiful.
You shouldâve known from that moment that you were doomed.
She was around often, having an objective that required constant movement around Athens. It often involved your father, the influential general that he was. You were not able to speak with her often, your father feared she might instill a sense of womanly rebellion in you. Though, you stole a few moments of furtive eye contact and quiet, imploring words.
It was upon her fifth visit that her head became buried between your thighs for the first time.Â
The mercenary had the unfortunate (fortunate) chance of visiting when your father had not been home. The man had been called away on some urgent business you hadnât cared to pay attention to. What use would it be? You wouldnât be allowed to help anyhow.
Youâd welcomed her in, under the facade of the demanding rule of hospitality.
Her fingers brush against yours when you hand her a cup of sweet wine. A few words are exchanged; she asks after your father, you ask about her eagle, she compliments the wine.
One thing leads to another and your back is against a wall covered in mosaic tiles, breathy moans leaving your mouth. She has one of your thighs over her large shoulder, your silk chiton rucked up to your hips. She made a temple of your body, an altar in between your legs, and a sacrifice with her tongue.
It was your first time lying with a woman, lying with anyone. She made you feel like you were in Elysium.
She visited more often after that, no longer just to see your father.
You often awaited her at night, when she would climb up through your balcony to find your embrace. The woman could scale just about anything, it seemed.Â
She was something holy; borne from the gods, no doubt. You believed that even more when she played your body like a finely tuned lyre.
Every visit has you feeling like Penelope, welcoming Odysseus back to Ithaca.
Though, lately, youâve gotten the feeling that she will soon be moving on to other places.
There was a far away look in her eyes when she gazed at you now, hidden beneath amorous hues. Her touches began to stray with a softness that had not been there before. Sheâs begun to linger after your satiation, lips reverently brushing over your temple when she has to depart. It made you uneasy⌠the affection was welcome, but it was tinged with a bittersweet omen. You did not wish for her to go.
This arrangement was not one borne of longstanding love and commitment; it was all-consuming, passionate, and free of false promises. However⌠you cannot deny the blossoms of affection that have been planted from all your shared intimacies with the mercenary. She would sometimes bring you fresh figs she picked along her travels, and then you would insist on sharing. Or there were times when she could not stay for long⌠so sheâd tuck an anemone sheâd saved behind your ear with a press of plush lips to the corner of your mouth.
Kassandra rarely allowed herself to have such tenderness. There were those out there who would do anything to tear away anything she cared about. It was all too easy to fall into the role of careless mercenary, only in it for the drachmae. Perhaps, if it was just her and Ikaros against the world, things would be easier.
But, there was you⌠saccharine and delicate, with a heart purer that King Midasâ gold. You felt like the closest thing to home sheâs had in a long time.
Everyone had their vices.
There were times that she did not crave you for lust at all. Sometimes she would crawl into bed beside you with a sigh⌠wounded or bruised. The look in her eyes, then, tugged at your heart. They were so tired⌠almost sad. You could see, she needed the comfort of your sweet words and to fall asleep in a safe place. The way you rubbed the muscles of her back, pressed chaste kisses to her bruised cheekbones, and undid her braid made Kassandra believe that maybe⌠she could afford to have this one shred of kindness.
It was a secret, just for the two of you. Something forbidden by the laws of men, two women partaking in such carnality, but what laws had Kassandra ever abided by?
Muted footsteps catch your wandering attention, sandals across smooth stone, bringing you back from your thoughts.
You're pleased to see the familiar outline of your lover in the doorway.Â
Kassandra was imposing even in the simplest of times. The sun catches half of her face, causing one eye to look molten, the other dark umber in the shadows.Â
She utters your name in a low familiar greeting, her tongue curling over the syllables. The left corner of her lips tug up in a slow smile.
You cannot help but rake your eyes over the way her body looked in her usual armor. Her chestplate accentuated the strong slope of her arms. You admired her well-built shoulders and biceps, one marred by the scars left by an animal sheâd conquered in her past. You often liked to brush your lips over it to make her shudder. Her leather pteruges rustled with each movement; accentuating the long lines of her legs. Every detail of her did not escape your notice; a vein along one of her hands, the cut of her calves, the small strands of hair that always escaped her braid.
You also do not miss how her heated eyes take you in. Like you were a nymph or nereid, basking in the sun.
To her, you were otherworldly.Â
The shoulder of your silk wrappings had slid down one of your shoulders, revealing a tantalizing slip of skin. The sun illuminated you like a beacon. You lounged like a big cat, easy and wanton. As you gazed at her through lazy, half-lidded eyes; she felt a familiar heat simmering between you both.
The two of you were like a conflagration, coming together to burn.
âKassandra.â You drawl in greeting, eyes tracking her as she steps into the room.Â
âI thought I might find you here.â The sellsword muses, sharp eyes flicking around your rooms. She takes in the open balcony, the goblet of wine by your side, before her gaze traces you again.Â
âDid you?â You cannot hide the quiet tease of your voice, something salacious hidden beneath your lilting words. She hums in agreement. You shift where you lie, a strategic move that lets your dressings slip even further down your chest, revealing almost too much of your sternum. You let one of your legs fall to the side of the kline, creating an inviting cradle between your thighs.
Kassandra notices. You can see the way she tracks the movement with a heated gaze. When she meets your eyes again, she raises an amused brow.
âYouâre done speaking with my father, then?â You inquire. There is a hope in your tone you cannot hide, and havenât been able to for a while now. You cannot deny you greatly look forward to Kassandraâs visits⌠and you yearn for her when she is not around. She is an excitement in your dull life, a taste of the outside world you havenât seen.Â
There comes that look upon her face that you are so used to seeing now. Something more somber and serious than her usual teasing facade.
âYes⌠I have just completed my final task for him.â
You feel a sinking in your stomach. Your earlier flirtations now feel⌠silly.
âYouâve been paid then..?â You venture to ask, brows drawing together. The clenching in your chest and the downturn of your lips strangely feel like disappointment.
âI have.â Kassandra states simply. She sighs, eyes glancing out towards the balcony for a moment. She seems to be thinking something over. She takes a step closer, knees almost bumping into your shins where you recline.
âI will be leaving Athens soon⌠my-â She hesitates. Does she tell you everything now? Her whole purpose in coming to the city? Her quest? The cult? Her family? â... contracts now lie in other places across the Aegean. I will leave with my ship tomorrow morning.â
âWhat?â You ask, almost startled. She was leaving? So soon? âLeaving-?â Your voice is, embarrassingly, tinged with panic. You begin to push yourself up on your elbows, chiton sliding across your skin to become entirely improper. You could care less.
Then, Kassandra does something you donât expect.Â
She kneels before your kline, body half hovering over yours. The proximity is enough to have your words catching in your throat. A pretty flush settles over your cheeks as you're forced to meet her eyes. The smell of leather, olive oil, and sandalwood fills your nose.
Her strong arms cage you in at either side, your noses are almost brushing against one another. The heat of her body is palpable, even through her armor. You can feel her leather pteruges brushing your calves, the leather softly rasping over your skin. Her chestplate digs slightly into your thighs.
âCome with me.â She murmurs, tone low. The words are meant just for you.
Surprise overcomes any other emotion youâre feeling.
âWhat-?â Your whispered exclamation is cut off quickly.
âCome with me. Travel with me, on the Adrestia.â She implores once again, ducking her head. Her lips brush across your jaw. You make a soft noise, it sounds like a surrender. You tilt her head and you feel her brushing chaste kisses down your throat. Her touch makes you shudder, your heart kicking up its pace as your body begins to perk up.
âSee the world with me. Feel the ocean breeze across your skin for the first time, leave these city walls, let me show you freedom.â Each word is murmured against you. Her warm breath fans across your skin, mingling with the clime of the day.Â
A gasp is torn from your lips as she nips at the junction between your neck and shoulder, trailing her lips to your exposed shoulder. You melt back into the cushions beneath you. She follows you down. It feels like molten heat is settling in your stomach. You do not know how she pulls this lust from you so easily, but youâre not complaining.Â
Your hands slide to her arms, feeling the well-built muscles under your palms. Your head tilts back against your pillows, lips parted with quickened breath. Her callused hands brush up to your hips, causing your chiton to bunch. She kneads into your pliant flesh.
âI could teach you to sail, have you stand with me at the helm. You would be free to do as you wishedâŚâ Kassandra breathes out over your skin, trailing lower and lower. Sheâs still trying to convince you, even when you havenât given her your answer.Â
You knew what you wanted, wholeheartedly. Of course you would go with her. The truth is, youâd fallen deeply in love with the mercenary⌠You could hardly let her go. She completed you, made you whole. She was the sunlight streaming through your bedroom doorway, the honeyed taste of figs on your tongue, and she was the freedom of the eagle soaring outside. She was hard and callous, but held a gentleness reserved just for you. It was as if youâd cracked past the exterior of a pomegranate, finding the sweetened seeds within.
Besides, if you stayed, all that awaited you was a loveless marriage and a possible death on your birthing bed.Â
However, Kassandra isnât leaving you in a state to speak these poetic thoughts to her.
One of her hands finds the slipping hem covering your chest. With a simple tug, she bares your chest to her.
You give a small squeak of surprise, a flush spreading to your ears. She shushes you, heated eyes meeting yours as her lips tug into a small smirk. Then, she descends upon you.
Kassandra brushes her lips over your collarbone, nipping playfully at the skin. Itâs clear she intends to leave a mark⌠then she trails lower and lower⌠before sheâs kissing around the mound of your breast. Â
You shudder, a sigh of pleasure leaving your lips. One of your hands finds her nape while the other tangles into her brunette tresses. It messes up her carefully woven braid, but neither of you really notice. You pull her closer like you canât get enough of her, like you can meld your bodies together. Her touch is as warm and filling as the sun. It sets you ablaze, threatening to burn.
When she laves her tongue over your peak, you give a weak cry. To her, it sounds better than any song the muses could ever sing. You moan so prettily for her. She could get drunk off of that alone. No flask of even the finest bacchanal wine could make her feel as you do. She begins to lap at you in earnest, tugging whines from your lips..
âKassandra.â You mewl, an encouragement. You do not care if anyone in the household hears.
âYou always taste so sweet.â The words are murmured against your skin, skilled tongue curling around the syllables. Her voice causes a fluttering in your stomach. She trails her mouth to your other breast, kneading the previous in her hand. Her eyes are half-lidded through her long lashes as she drinks in your every reaction. Your eyes shutter, arching into her brazen touches. The want radiating through your body pools, thick and cloying, between your thighs.
She has hardly even begun, and yet youâre melting in her hands.Â
âI could teach you to hunt, to live for yourself. You would be beautiful with a bow. You could put the daughters of Artemis to shame.â The warrior speaks against your skin. The words are murmured between swipes of her tongue, her lashes fluttering with the ecstasy of tasting your skin.Â
Once she has you squirming for her, just from her mouth on your chest, you feel her body begin to slide down against yours. Her hands brush down over your thighs as her lips travel over your covered stomach⌠then abdomen.
âAnd every night⌠I could take you to shore. Every night would be just like this. Wouldnât you like that?â Her words are husky and heated, leaving you more breathless by the moment.Â
âY⌠Yes⌠GodsâŚâ You nod shakily, struggling to be coherent. You shift where you lie, twitching your hips towards her.
âThere are no gods here. Itâs just you and me, erasmia.â The term of endearment rolls easily from Kassandraâs mouth.
Her calloused palms brush over your ankles as she gently parts them.Â
You blink open your hazy hues to gaze down at her⌠and the sight wouldâve made you weak in the knees had you been standing. Sheâs gorgeous, the paragon of your desire. Her broad shoulders gently nudge your thighs open, she guides them to rest over her arms. Sheâs smiling, you realize, her head turned against the inside of your knee. You wish to see its radiance but you wouldnât dare move her from where she is. The movement causes the silk of your skirts to bunch, dangerously close to exposing you.Â
Your paramour hums in satisfaction at the reveal of your bare skin. Her dark eyes are trained on your expression; eyes doe-like with soft parted lips. You feel her dangerous mouth skim across your knee, up to your thigh. Theyâre gentle, butterfly kisses. The way she touches you is reverential in nature.
She has never believed in the gods, for they had never done anything for her. But⌠having you like this⌠maybe there were supernatural beings in this world. Perhaps there were gods, perhaps Aphrodite had borne you from a rose. You were anointed with beauty that could rival any goddess⌠though she would not curse you by speaking the words aloud.
You suck in a breath as her lips skim to your inner thigh, holding it in anticipation for what you know comes next. A warm breeze blows through the open terrace. It caresses your bare chest, making you shudder. Every fibre of your being was wound with need.Â
But Kassandra was nothing if not a tease. You can feel her grin against your skin as she nips at your thigh. Her sharp canines travel across your plush flesh, leaving blooming red marks in their wake. It causes your muscles to twitch, shifting over her shoulders.
âI would keep you safe, of course. Nothing would touch you, nothing would even come close. Not while Iâm around.â She speaks against your skin, the words almost muffled. Her nose nudges into your thigh as her face presses even closer.
You whine in frustration as the woman between your thighs travels her lips higher. Sheâs distinctly avoiding where you want her most, wet and weeping. Instead, her hands push you chiton around your waist. You're open, exposed for the taking. But she doesnât seem to care. She sucks a mark into the jut of your hip bone, warm palms skimming over your thighs. She makes sure you stay open for her.Â
The mercenary is a terrible (beautiful) combination of passionate and possessive, often leaving marks that you struggle to hide from your father. Your body is a canvas for her marks of lust.Â
It is when she starts kissing across your stomach that you begin to beg. You feel close to trembling, losing yourself to the need she has (all too quickly) built you up to. There is not a sweeter torture.
âKassandra⌠please.â You breathe, lips forming into a slight pout as she showers kisses on the flesh of your tummy. âI need you. Donât be cruel.â Your voice is pathetic, tinged with desperation. Youâre too entranced by her to be embarrassed by it.
She laughs softly against you. But⌠she can never resist you for long. You were a test of her self-control, one she often failed. You were her Achilles heel. She would do anything for you, that is what makes you so dangerous. If the knowledge of her only weakness got into the wrong hands⌠she could lose everything.
But Kassandra canât help but need you anyways. She has lost so much in her life⌠she should at least have this luxury.
âIâll give you what you need, o khara⌠I always will.â It sounds almost like a promise.
And it is. One she intends to keep.
She rips a quiet gasp from your throat as she skims her lips down your navel⌠and, this time, she does not stop her descent.Â
Kassandra, first, presses a kiss against your core. The touch surprises you and it is not nearly enough. You open your mouth to tell her such, but youâre quickly silenced.
Your lover wastes no time, perhaps just remembering that your father was still in the house or the fact that your maids could walk in at any moment. She flattens her tongue against you, tasting your essence. She groans into you, your ambrosia like honey on her tongue. You can feel the vibrations of it travelling through your body.
Your choke on your breath for a moment, hands scrambling to hold onto something. One hand tangles into her hair as the other grips the couch beneath you. She grunts at the pressure but does not protest. In fact, she follows your guidance, pressing closer.Â
Her tongue slides against your entrance, eagerly tasting all of you where you leak for her. You can feel her nose nudging into your pearl, sending jolts of pleasure up your spine. You moan, biting your lip to try and keep quiet.Â
She tsks, pulling away much to your dismay. Already, her lips are wet with your arousal.
âNone of that, I want to hear you.â She rasps. You could argue, bring up the fact that anyone could very much be here. But gods, you donât want her to stop.
You nod dumbly, tugging her face back to the apex of your thighs. She goes, chuckling at your easy compliance. You sigh in relief as her tongue swipes through your folds once more.
Your hips arch into her ministrations. You crave more⌠so much more. You think, in times like these, that you understand how Icarus must have felt. A strong forearm slings across your hips, pressing you flat against the cushions for her taking. Her other slides to your haunch, gripping the pliant flesh. She keeps you spread for her.
Kassandra drinks from you like she is dying of thirst. She is messy, trying to taste every bit of you. The woman was skilled with her tongue. You can feel as she dips her tongue teasingly at your entrance before lapping over your clit, suckling until she repeats the pattern again. It has you melting for her⌠helpless to do anything but take the gift she gives you.
She is godlike, radiant from the late sun. She could be Eros incarnate, beautiful and salacious between your thighs.
You writhe, even under her strong hold. You tug, not too hard, at her hair. You need more. You mewl with every pass of her tongue over youâŚ
âAhâŚâ Your lips are parted with exerted breaths, breasts heaving with the force of them. Kassandra is enraptured by the sight, fiery eyes locked on you from where she feasts. âKassandra.. Mm.. donât you dare stop.â It sounds like an order from your mouth.
Soon, she zeroes in on your pearl. You think she might suffocate from how she presses her face into your cunt. If she was a lioness, sheâd be mauling you. She suckles at your clit, causing your body to twitch from the overwhelming feelings of pleasure. Your eyes flutter closed, mellisonant sighs and cries of ecstasy pouring from your pretty lips.
âSo beautifulâŚâ Kassandra murmurs against you. Her hand slides from your thigh to prod at your entrance, testing. âTaste so good, can never get enough of you. And youâre always so wetâŚâ You donât have the awareness to feel embarrassed by her teasing.
She slides two long fingers inside you, huffing as she feels your cunt flutter around the digits. You shudder, body not knowing how to handle the twin sensations. She continues to lap at your nub. But her fingers begin a slow slide, curling within you just right.
The wet sounds between your thighs are obscene. You can feel your own slickness and her saliva on the inside of your thighs, combined with the sting of where Kassandra had marked you earlier. Her attention is never ending.
Every thrust of her fingers inside of you wrenches a moan from you. They filled you so deeply, much better than your own. She has ruined you for anyone else. Embarrassingly, you can feel your peak approaching already. Desire pools in your stomach, a coil tightening.
Kassandra can evidently feel it too, the way you flutter around her. Gods⌠you got so tight when you were close. It was maddening. She doubles her efforts, moaning into your cunt as she flattens her tongue over your pearl.Â
Her free hand moves to your hips, encouraging you to grind against her face and fingers. You do, settling into a shaky rhythm. She was giving you everything. Your breathing is labored, hardly able to moan through your panting. Itâs desperate and so dirtyâŚ
Every pass of your hips as her fingers pressing closer, digits finding the spongy spot inside of you. It only takes a couple more grinds of your hips before youâre falling over the edge.
âThatâs it⌠look at you.â Kassandra praises, voice low and heady as she guides you through your peak. She continues to murmur dirty praises into your skin as you lose yourself to hedonistic ecstasy. Her fingers slow into gentle pushes, letting your release pool between them. Waves of pleasure roll through you, and you take them gladly. There is a faint perspiration upon your brow and your cheeks are flushed prettily.
Your partner presses kisses against you, digits sheathed till you whimper in overstimulation. You nudge her head away with your palm and she takes the signal. You shudder as she pulls her fingers from you, watching with half-lidded eyes as she licks them clean. Her chin glistens with evidence of your carnal sin.
You tug her up into a kiss, pliant lips against her own. She follows your direction easily. Your arms slide around her shoulders, feeling her warmth. Her hands are planted on either side of your head, firm body balanced above you. You can taste yourself on her tongue. Your body is still buzzing from satiation, lazy and full.
Kassandra hums into the kiss. Slowly, you pull away for breath. Both of your breathing is still labored. Gently, you brush your fingers along her tan cheek. She leans into the touch, nose brushing your own. The look in her eyes can only be described as loving devotion.
âOf course I will go with you.â You utter against her, voice shot from all your keening. âThere is nowhere else I would rather be than at your side, Kassandra.â
Her grin is more radiant than the stars..
-
That very night, she climbs your terrace once again.
But this time, youâll be leaving with her.
She coaxes you out of bed with a multitude of kisses across your cheeks. There are quiet shushes and giggles as you get out of bed to dress.Â
Kassandra drapes a shroud around your shoulders, making sure it obscures your face. She gently guides you from your bedroom, her hands at your waist help you climb down the ivy that clings to the rough clay walls. You travel like silent mice, the guards none the wiser to your midnight escape.
Her loyal steed, Phobos, awaits you a distance away from the villa walls. She hoists you up easily, settling you onto the knit pad on the horse's back. Phobos stands still for you, quiet and patient.
She joins you, clicking her tongue and nudging her heels into the animal's side. The beastâs stride is smooth and sure, and soon enough your villa is fading into the starry sky behind you.Â
Kassandraâs body is warm at your back, arms strong and heavy as she holds you. She guides your head back to rest on her shoulder, murmuring words of affection into your hair.
You ride together under the protection of Selene, off to a new life you would build. Together.Â