'Bayushi Kachiko will see you now'. Bayushi Tonaka handed his Katana to the servant, flexed his shoulders, took a deep breath and entered the room.
Bayushi Kachiko stood near a wooden cabinet at the end of the room. As usual, the Scorpion Daimyo wore a red and black silk kimono. Her hair was done up with two hairpins which revealed her long, slender neck. Her half-mask covering the part around her eyes resembled a butterfly that had come to rest on her face. There were no other servants present. Kachiko had sent them all away. They were alone.
Tonaka did not dare to take a closer look, but kept his eyes to the floor. He walked to the middle of the room and took out his wakizashi. As he knelt down, he laid the sword carefully behind his back and then bowed. 'Good morning, Kachiko-sama.' There was no immediate response but Tonaka could hear her kimono rustle as she moved. He did not look up but kept his head to the ground. 'Do you think it is a good morning, Tonaka-san?' The words were uttered softly, almost playfully. He swallowed. 'Hai, Sama?' It was more of a question, than a statement. He felt nervous, like the first time, when he had met Bayushi Kachiko, the most powerful and most beautiful woman in Rokugan. He had been struck by her beauty and her intelligence and his young heart had fallen in love with the most alluring but most deadly flower in Rokugan.
Since then many years had passed and he was no longer an aspiring samurai after his gempukku. He had trained hard to become one of Rokugan`s most skilful assassins. His body was covered in scars from the fights and battles he had fought to be where he was now. He had all but embraced every single one of them, since they had brought him the satisfaction to be close to Bayushi Kachiko; to become the man she trusted the most. He was the man she relied on, when she needed problems taken care of. He was the scorpion`s tail that stroke when no one was suspecting it. He was the one, who accomplished even the most difficult tasks - up to now. All the years of training and experience had not helped him to fulfil the task Bayushi Kachiko had given him this time. He had failed
Bayushi Kachiko watched the samurai kneeling on the floor. His head bowed gracefully, the wakizashi behind his back as a sign of respect and utter trust. She was aware of his feelings towards her. She had seen it the first time, they met. At first it was just a small flicker of lust in the eyes of a boy which became the burning desire of a man. However, Kachiko had never met that desire. However, she had soon realized that this ambitious young warrior could be useful to her. So she helped training him, sent him to a sensei that would make him the weapon she needed. In his foolish admiration, he had protected her from her enemies near and far. Even if he was not aware of the fact, Kachiko knew that he watched her under hooded eyelids whenever he had the chance. She knew that sometimes, he hid in the shadows of the gardens when she took a stroll. Despite of his skills to become invisible, Kachiko always sensed when he was there. Sometimes, when she felt like it, she rewarded his eagerness with a poem, softly read aloud in the garden or a slipping kimono allowing him a glimpse of her skin. She kept him as a bodyguard. Whenever he stood there, motionless in the shadows, she felt safe, knowing that nobody could harm her, while he was watching. He had admired her vehemently but silently. And she loved him for that. The silk rustled a little as she moved toward him. She could see him raising his eyelids as much as he dared to watch her. The floor felt cold below her bare feet when she stopped in front of him. 'Get up, Bayushi Tonaka!' He raised his head and started to get up. When he took his wakizashi, she reached out. 'Give your sword to me! You will not need it.'
Bayushi Tonaka placed the sword carefully in her outstretched palm and wondered how such small and soft hands could yield a blade even deliver a fatal blow. Kachiko took the sword and kept it in her hand. She waited until he got up before she started to circle him. He kept his eyes straight ahead, staring on some distant point on the ground. But he could feel her eyes all over his body. Sweat started to run down his spine and he had to focus on his breath. He would have preferred it if she had yelled at him, accused him and handed him a wooden sword so that he could relieve himself of the dishonour to have failed his mistress. The minutes ticked by as nothing happened. Bayushi Tonaka stood there, his eyes low.
Bayushi Kachiko circled him slowly and watched him, watched him getting more and more anxious. She could see the effort it took him, not to turn around, not to ask her for a decision, if she would grant him an honourable death. She could see his breath coming and going, could see the muscles in his jaw flexing ever so lightly, hardly noticeable under the mental strain. She stopped, facing his back, took the wakizashi and put it to his throat. He swallowed but did not flinch as the cold blade touched his skin. 'You have failed to fulfil my orders!' She said matter of factly. 'Hai, Sama!' What else was there to say? The man had survived and Tonaka came back in shame, hoping he could retrieve his honour by Seppuku.
Kachiko walked again to face him, drawing the knife carefully along his jawline. 'Is there anything you want to say?' He resisted the urge to move his head and ease the pressure of the blade. He looked at her: 'I ask you for the permission to end my life honourably, Sama.' She did not respond, but moved the wakizashi away from his jaw, carefully sliding it over his collarbone to his heart. Bayushi Tonaka took a deep breath, focussed and braced himself for the strike. But it never came. Instead he could feel the tip of the sword move lower. Over his ribcage, his stomach … He could feel the pressure of the blade on his abdomen and then he heard his obi tear and felt his Kimono fall open at his chest.
He blinked and focussed on Bayushi Kachiko who stood in front of him. The collar of her kimono had slipped down to reveal a delicate, white shoulder which reminded him of an ivory statue of Amaterasu he had once seen on a mission in a Crane castle. When she took another step forward, there was only little space left between them. They had never been that close. She lifted her hand and pushed his Kimono aside to reveal a scar across his collarbone. She traced the thin line with her index finger. 'I remember when you got this one …' His muscles tensed under her touch. He held his breath and had trouble to compose himself when her fingers followed his collarbone to his biceps taking the sleeve with them. Without the support of his shoulder, the garment fell to the floor left him half exposed before her.
Bayushi Kachiko shrugged her shoulders deliberately, making the silk of her kimono slip further down to reveal the top of her breasts. Although he did not move, she saw the flicker of desire in his eyes. She walked back to the cabinet. 'You have been one of my most trustworthy servants, Bayushi Tonaka-san. You swore your loyalty to the Scorpion clan and to me. You have never failed a task given to you - up to now!' He looked at her walking away from him 'Hai, Sama. I am sorry, I disappointed you, Sama.' Bayushi Kachiko reached the sideboard, put the wakizashi down carefully and turned around to face him. 'I am not sure if I should grant you, what you desire.' Tonaka exhaled and closed his eyes briefly in resignation. When he opened them again, he saw Kachiko leaning against the cabinet. „Come over here!" He obeyed her order and moved towards her. Some two feet away he stopped and waited for her to tell him her decision.
When she closed the distance between them and pressed her body to his, all the blood in his head moved to his groin. She covered his mouth with hers and the tip of her tongue stroked his lower lip as if to demand access. He opened his lips slightly and Kachiko's tongue slipped into his mouth. She noticed the growing bulge in his trousers and deepened their kiss. She felt his self-control falter as he raised his hands to her shoulders to touch her - for the first time. He caressed her lower back with his fingers, felt the cool silk of her kimono. 'Tonaka …' she moaned. He could feel her tense beneath his hands, could feel her fingers on his back and her whole body moulding to his. He shivered. Kachiko`s hair usually pinned up so neatly, fell down to her shoulders. Her lips parted. '… I will not accept failure!' His eyes flew open when the cold tip of her hairpin pierced his skin and muscles to find its sheath in the middle of his heart.