It’ll Never Be Forever
This is my gift for the Top Tier gift exchange! @lorei-writes & @pond-lilies
@elsieverie This is for you I hope enjoy it!
Memories of being rejected when all she wanted was to be accepted. He was a cruel man, the king. He must have hated having a daughter and an illegitimate one at that. Lustelle was who she was because of him. She shook her head, returning to the present and remembered that the king was dead. Should she be as relieved as she was? Probably not. She didn’t have it in her to care because now things would be different. She could be with her brothers freely, and try to have some sort of relationship with her son, Leon. She felt a fierce desire to protect her brothers…Except for that womanizer asshole Jin, he could go to hell.
She had been locked in the castle dungeons until Sariel appeared with the keys in his hand Now that the king was dead he was going to give her a second chance. She was going to behave in fear of being locked up again.
She walked the palace grounds on a peaceful night when wind picked up blowing her hair frantically around her face. Thunder roared, and lightning illuminated the sky.
The next thing she knew she was in the Sengoku time period in Japan. How did this even happen? She wasn’t even in Japan, she was in Rhoadalite. Thankfully, she was versed in speaking various languages and could speak Japanese.
In a mess of events from that night she ended up in Nobunaga’s care as Chatelaine.
It was beneath her she was no maid. Mostly she bossed around the other maids.
While she was in her room a tile moved in her ceiling making her go into defensive mode.She grabbed her sword ready for an attack. It was a ninja named Sasuke who claimed he was also a time traveler in the same way she was. He had seen her before the wormhole appeared then it swallowed them both. He hoped that nothing awful had happened to her while she had been here.
He had been in Sengoku Japan a lot longer than she had. For some reason the wormhole had decided to release him a lot sooner than it had her. He saw her that fateful night that the wormhole opened for her. He idly waited till she was alone. He stated they had three months before they could go home.
Three months was a long time, or so she thought, but somehow within the weeks that went by one sharp tongued warlord made her heart flutter every time he came near. Never had she let herself feel for someone as she did for Ieyasu.
Lustelle always told herself she could give herself whatever a man could. She didn’t need a lover and wasn’t interested in matters of the heart. She decided she would avoid Ieyasy as much as she could. She had no business having feelings for someone she couldn’t be with
On a night where all the warlords were gathered and food was served and alcohol was flowing, She had hit her limit,
“I’m going to retire for the night.” Lustelle announced as she stood to her feet.
Nobunaga nodded. “Ieyasu, walk her to her room, make sure she doesn’t stumble on the way, yeah?”
“Yes my lord.” Ieyasu didn’t complain for once, which was out of character for him.
“You really don’t have to, I'm fine.I’m not drunk.” Lustelle said, wanting to avoid him.
“ Well here we are,” he said as they stopped outside her room
“So we are.” Lustelle said quietly.
They had been silent the whole way to her room, and now conversation was hard. Neither of them moved, seemingly rooted to the spot.
She gazed into his eyes, and he lifted a lock of her onyx hair, and placed it behind her shoulder. His eyes were full of desire and longing.
“Are you going to go in?” he asked, but with the heat in his eyes she couldn’t resist and leaned up and pressed her lips to his.
Ieyasu sighed into the kiss and they kissed from every angle until he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced together and he pulled her closer to him, so she was flush against his body.
Breathless they pulled away from each other. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and smiled at her, but Lustelle was conflicted, she wanted to be with Ieyasu so badly, but her time was limited. They could never have a real relationship, maybe fool around sure, but a relationship? She knew better damnit! Why did she kiss him? She was so stupid.
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you settle in for the night.” He said as stroked her cheek.
She was confused, he had kissed her so fiercely. Now he’s going to just send her to bed? What the hell?! No, she wouldn’t have this.
“Come in, I’ll make some tea,” she insisted
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He expressed, trying to be respectful.
Lustelle rolled her eyes.
“I just want to talk,” she explained.
“I suppose,” he relented.
She slid the door open and motioned for him to go in. She closed the door as she entered the room, and made tea as promised. The first sip brought a suprized expression to Ieyasu’s face.“This is good.”
“I’m glad you like it, my little brother taught me.” A smile graced her lips as she fondly recalled Yves in the kitchen teaching her all about tea.
Ieyasu lifted his head, suddenly interested. “I wasn’t aware you had a brother.”
“I have eight” She said, as she took a sip of tea.
Ieyasu’s eyes grew wide. “Eight?! There’s nine of you?”
She laughed. “I’m the oldest, conceived from a one night stand…My dad was an asshole.”
He took another sip, and raised an eyebrow. “Was?”
She nodded. “He passed away”
Ieyasu immediately regretted asking, fearing he brought her pain. “I’m sorry”
She laughed sarcastically, “Don’t be, I hated him, I’m definitely not losing sleep over it. If anything I’m glad he’s dead.”
“I see.” Ieyasu didn’t know whether to feel releived that he hadn’t overstepped by asking about him, or feel sad that she had a bad relationship with her father.
They both sipped at their tea, and a silence fell over them.
“Ieyasu.” She finally spoke his name, breaking the awkward silence. “What is it that you want?”
He shook his head and snickered. “You kissed me, remember so I should be the one asking you that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And you kissed me back.”
“Fine, you win.” He set down his cup and studied her. “Isn’t it obvious? I want you Lustelle, all of you.”
That’s what she was afraid of.
“We can’t be together like that,” she said matter of factly
He felt conflicted. “And why not, you obviously feel the same.”
She licked her lips. “I do, but you see I’ll be leaving to go back to my home town.”
“You have a duty to Nobunaga now, he’s not going to let you go. You do know that don’t you?” he said bitterly.
“He won’t have a choice…I… don’t have a choice.” she confessed, her voice low.
“What do you mean you don’t have a choice? Explain Lustelle” He spoke firmly, he was baffled not knowing what was going on.
“You won‘t believe me,” she said quietly.
Now he was genuinely curious. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
“You’ll think I’m crazy,” she added.
“I already think you’re crazy,” he took her hand in his.“Tell me.”
She sighed nervously
And so she told him everything from the wormhole appearing to the night when she was spat out and met all those different people. She told him about Sasuke, and how she only had three months. She held her breath as she waited for Ieyasu to say something.
“I believe you, it’d be unlike you to make up a story like that, and I remember what you were wearing the night we took you in. It’s nothing I’ve seen, even in the western countries.”
She let out a breath in relief. He put his finger on his chin as he pondered for a moment.
“I see what you’re saying, you don’t want to get involved because you’ll be leaving. I don’t see it that way. I think we should make the most of what time we have to be together. At least we’d be able to love each other, even if it is for a short time.” He brushed her dark hair behind her ear.
“You still want to be with me even when you know it’ll bring you pain?”
He stared into her crimson eyes with resolve and brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “I still want to be with you.”
She shook her head, “Ieaysu, I -“
He placed a finger over her lips, “let me love you.”
She bit her lip, then finally relented. “Okay”
“No regrets,” he said as he took her hands in his.
“ No regrets,” she repeated back to him
When that fateful day finally came, they had made love for the final time that morning. Everything seemed surreal. They had been so blissfully happy it almost felt like a sin. They spent the day together, going into town and enjoying each other’s company.
He took her to a vendor who sold jewelry. “I want you to take something back to the future that’ll make you remember the time we spent together.”
She put her hand on his forearm. “I want you to have something too.” They looked through the jewelry and finally she found something, she held up two stone necklaces in front of him.
“One green, one red. To match our eyes,” she suggested.
Ieyasu smiled, “I like it.”
He purchased the necklaces and they helped each other put them on. He took the red and she took the green. Lustelle looked up at the sky and saw the sun setting. Her gaze settled on Ieyasu laced with grief. “I know, it’s time for you to go.”
He took her hand, and they interlaced their fingers together instinctively.
They mounted the horse and she sat behind him. Although, they were silent the whole way, she held onto him tightly placing her cheek against his back wanting to be as close to him as possible. He had his free hand interlaced with hers.
When they arrived to where she was meeting Sasuke they dismounted. Sasuke was already there, but he waited to give the lovers a moment to say goodbye. Ieyasu tied the horse to a tree, and noticed how the sky darkened and wind picked up. He turned toward Lustelle, and traced the outlines of her jaw. Cupping the sides of her face with his hands he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, and she put her hands around his wrists. Their lips crashed together in a needy kiss. Tears intermingled as they kissed.
Sasuke cleared his throat. “ I don’t mean to interrupt, but it’s time to go”
They pulled away from each other, and Lustelle combed her hand through his hair. Then she embraced him and he held her tight. When they separated she gave him a sad smile.
“I’ll always love you, Lustelle”
“And I’ll always love you, Ieaysu.” She kissed him on the cheek.“I must go.”
“I know” His voice was shaky with emotion.
“Goodbye Ieyasu. Be happy.” She turned to leave, their hands struggling to let go. Their fingers to slip away one at a time.
Sasuke walked up to them, and Ieyasu turned to him. “Make sure she makes it home safe.”
Sasuke nodded. “of course”
Then Sasuke held out his hand. “Ready Lustelle?”
She nodded and put her hand in his.
She was leaving Ieyasu here in the past, she had to focus on the future the best she could with her brothers and son.
Ieyasu watched as she walked out of his life forever, and for once he was powerless. He was never going to see her again, and he had to be okay with that. His love for her was endless. He had no choice but to let her go. He mounted the horse then looked back at her one more time, as she looked at him. He rode off never to see her again.
