Within seconds a sword was drawn and directed at the slave in the corner. "This will only take a second Shizuru-sama, you may want to close your eyes," The Commander snickered as he slowly made his way over to the girl. His worn hands grabbed at the girl; her exhausted body thrusting in every direction, attempting to somehow be released from the chain.
A cry filled the room as the slave's hair was grasped in his hand. Her neck strained as the blood thirsty man yanked his hand back. Pressing his sword to her neck, his lips peeled back, an eerie smile forming. "This is what you get when you kill my men," Reito's lips were pressed against the bluenette's ears, whispering softly, as if he were to sing a lullaby.
"Ara..Reito-san I believe you told me that this girl was a street rat," Shizuru announced now standing in the tub. Droplets of water fell from her body as she stepped forward, out of the tub, making no movement to cover her body. Red eyes only watched the sword's hesitation in midair as she strode toward the exit of the bathing area. "I may not be a physician, but I can not imagine a man of your army could die from such a weak girl. Do you feel threatened by such a girl, Reito-san?" The brunette only smiled as she walked into the next room.
Reito could only close his eyes and laugh at the Mistresses remark. He placed his sword back into its sheath, a smile painted across his mouth. "Correct as always, aren't we Shizuru-sama," He whispered to himself in an arrogant tone before shouting to the brunette in the other room "Forgive me Shizuru-sama, I must have over reacted, it was a long, exhausting journey to make it back to Kyoto."
The brunette came out moments later, dressed only in a crimson robe. "Then the Commander of the Fujino army should rest. Yet be that as it may, Commander, do not take it out on this girl. She is after all, the one who posses the where abouts of the savages that killed my kin." The Mistress slowly made her way to the two. She gently ran her hand across the man's cheek with a smile.
"Shizuru-sama," The Commander whispered, eyes popping open, his hand dropping from the slaves head. His faced changed from a shock expression to a smiling one. "So that's why you wanted her, I should have known," His eyes closed as he smirked, "Now then, I'm sure that your father would want me to be in this quarter with you, yet you seem to be suggesting that I take my leave. Unfortunately I can not let this beast be alone with you Mistress. If it were to attack once more, whom would here to protect you?" Reito mocked slightly, his fingers ripping her hand from his face and kissing it gently.
Shizuru smiled gently at the man before her. "Ara..I was only taking in the consideration of how tired my Commander is." She confirmed as the black haired man's lips pulled away from her hand. "I still believe you should go rest up Reito-san, you wouldn't want to be tired during your speech tonight during the welcome back soldiers feast." The procrastinator teased gently, her hand slipping out of the rough grasp, resting one hand the slaves chain, while the other fumbling with the clasp of the chain to release the girl.
"If you keep making such comments I would think that you want this girl all to yourself." Reito smiled gently, his hand resting on the sword's pommel. The black haired man stood straight, his eyes staring straight at the girl lying on the floor. 'You may have been saved by the Mistress this time, but rest assured anytime that you and I are alone, there will be bloodshed' The Commander thought, his eyes piercing through the slave's skin.
The slave stared back, her weary forest green eyes containing the same intensity as the man before her. She wouldn't back down to the likes of him, no matter how much power he had over at the moment. The bluentte opened her mouth, ready to growl when she felt her body slump down even more. With a loud clang, the chain that was once keeping her captive against the wall was released. The slave could not help a small smile appear on her lips. If she were at full strength right now, no, even half strength she would attack this 'Commander' before her.
"Such a weak beast, worn out by the Commander himself," Shizuru announced gazing at the slave. The brunette reached down and grasped the slaves arm in her hand, pulling her up so she could stand. "If Reito-san would be kind enough to leave for a mere second, to let Kikukawa-san know that my slave needs new clothes." The procrastinator smiled to the Commander as she lead the wobbling slave over to a stool. "Ara, I do believe I will be fine for just one second, do you not trust me?"
Reito shook his head and without a word began making his away through the exit. His hands curled into tight fists as he let out a rough sigh. "Just wait, wait until she is yours and you run this god forsaken lands." The black haired man growled to himself before putting on a smile and entering the Seamstress room. "Ah, Kikukawa?".
The black haired man stood in the middle of the Seamstress room, surrounded by the new Osakin slaves. As much as he wanted to retrieve his blade and make a blood trail in order to talk to Kikukawa-san, he let his civilized self get the better of him. The Seamstress was actually an old friend of his and if she had seen him draw his sword it was sure that her partnering Tailor would have a word to say.
"Hey Reito-san its great to see that your back," The Head of Security called walking over and patting a hand on the Commander's back. "Sorry about this but you know how the Lord is, he wants all the slaves healthy and ready to go by the next day. It may take you a little while before you can reach either Yukino or Haruka," the red head smiled as she watched over the slaves running back and forth to the tailoring and Seamstress station.
"Its fine Sugiura-san I wouldn't expect anything less. I would have just preferred that the Lord would have given Yukino a larger room so that it would be this crowded. Or I suppose my men should not have brought back all of these women, surely we only needed a few." The black haired man exclaimed as he heard the muffle shoutings of what seemed to be Haruka from the left side of the room.
"Don't take any offense to this Commander but the more the merrier. We only had enough maids to fill about a third of the mansion. It was a real plain having to run from one end of the house to the other just to find one of your Heads of the house." Midori sighed as she folded her arms over her chest, why there were so many meetings for the Heads of the house she would never know, all they usual did was sit down, have tea and eat some of Mai's cooking.
"Oh that's right you were promoted not to long ago. How has that black haired beast been treating you so far?" Reito questioned as his eyes caught a quick glance of the girl that had also put up a fight in Osaka. Unfortunetly he was not there for the encounter. General Tate had been the one that had reported the girl had fought the soliders that lunged at her. Reito at the time was to busy slaying Lord Kuga.
"Oh that one, shes full of energy it was a bit surprising that she put up a fight with me but let Mai do whatever she wanted with her. All because she gave her some food. It seems as if that one's stomach rules her brain. I wouldn't doubt if I would have to in the near by future have to go and track her down only to find her hanging out with Mai in the kitchen." The Head of Security thought as she grasped her chin and could already imagine it happening.
Glancing over the crowd she saw her red haired friend being followed by the girl. "Speak of the devil," The readhead mumbled before sighing. "Nice to see you Reito-san, welcome back," Midori exclaimed before waiving and taking off after the girl. "Mikoto you are not a maid!"
Reito quietly chuckled to himself, it seems even if Midoir was now the Head of Secuirty she hadn't changed from her usual self. "Ah well that's good" The Commander thought as he watched some of the slaves make their way to the exit of the Seamstress room to go to the dining hall to fill their empty stomachs.
The black haired man maneuvered his way through the crowd with ease, until he bumped into a black haired woman. "Kanzaki-san," Chie frowned rubbing her head from hitting the man's chest. Right behind her, latched onto her hand was the brown haired girl from before. The only girl that was picked for a certain section. "You know for being the Comander you think you could be more graceful and make sure not to bump into anyone. Especially the Head of Communications, should I report this I suppose?" The black haired girl joked as she pressed her index finger to her glasses.
Reito laughed at the girls statement, "Harada-san it has been a while, has it not. You'll be happy to know that I have many tales of my men during our trip to Osaka." The man smiled, looking down at the wide eyes of his old friend.
"Heh, you know how to get out of a sticky situation," Chie laughed, "You know better than that to tempt me with such news. So my friend how has your first day back been. I heard that a certain someone is one step closer to becoming the heir to the throne," The black hair girl suggested poking her friends rib.
"Me and Shizuru-sama aren't like that Chie," The Commander smiled, although he wished it were true. "You know for a fact that we only exchanged a few kisses but before anything can fully start the Lord always has his army out patrolling lands or conquering them. Although you do know I wish that were true, any man in the army would be honored to take the hand of the Mistress."
Chie glanced behind her, gently caressing Aoi's hand with her thumbs, as she looked back up at her old friend, making sure he didn't see the action. The last time that two women were seen together on the grounds he had been the one ordered to kill them. Lord Fujino had no toleration when it came to 'such crude acts' such as that. It was even rumored that some of the men in the Fujino army had been doing such acts and were listed as casualties in battle.
"I do have to thank you for one thing though my friend. Thank you for bringing this one back, she will definitely be a nice asset to the Communication team, hell she may even be the best one yet." Chie smiled and turned once more to look at Aoi. The Osakin smiled back, unable to help herself. Chies smiles were becoming contagious, even if she had known her for such a small amount of time. "Sorry to be rude but we have to get moving."
"Of course my friend, I look forward to seeing you at the feast tonight," The black haired man smiled before moving around the two, it was almost empty now just two more slaves walking to each end of the Seamstress room. He was about to open his mouth and call out to Yukino, when he heard a scream.
"Yukino I thought the numbers were 82-85-38 from the head down!" the scream came from non other then that of the tailor, Haruka Suzushiro. The blonde came stomping out of her desk on the left side of the room and walked over to the right, oblivious of the Commander standing in the middle of the room.
"Haruka the measurements were 82-58-83" Yukino corrected her, sighing. She was truly amazed. Haruka had somehow managed to mess up almost every other maid and security outfit. But thankful to her quick eye she was able to help Haruka fix the mistakes before sewing the outfits. "Its ok Haruka, I know how frazzled you are, I am as well." Yukino smiled at her friend before blinking twice.
"Reito?" She questioned, taking her glasses off, and whiping them clean. She placed then back onto the bridge of her nose before smiling and waving to her friend. "You never come and visit on the first day you return." The Seastress blushed a bit, she was embarrassed to do that in front of her friend. Usually she never had to take another glance, but this was a rare occasion.
"Kanzaki-san?" Haruka piped in and turned around. "You, you did this! You brought all the girls down here at once, why would you do that?" The blonde growled rubbing her temples. "This one and that one, they all looked the same at the end. I couldn't even hand out the right uniforms the girls had to try them on one at a time."
"I'm sorry for such the hassel Haruka but you know that it is the Lord that sends down the slaves correct. If you have such words to say, perhaps you can take it up with him?" Reito questioned with only a smile on his face. He placed both hands behind his back and gripped the two together in a casual manner.
Haruka's face dropped, that was the last thing she needed to do and it was a good thing that the loud mouth Chie Harada wasn't in the room or she would have been out of a job. Possibly even executed or exiled if the Lord was in a good mood. "I…I'm going to go lay down before the feast. Yukino..you can wake me before then right?" The blonde asked.
"Of course Haruka," Yukino answered with a smile as she watched her friend take her leave. "Now Reito you know how Haruka is, that wasn't very nice." She sighed pushing her glasses up with her index finger. "She just takes getting slaves so much worse then everyone else, even I don't get upset and I have the same background as her."
Reito frowned and bowed his head slightly, knowing the action would work against his friend. "I'm sorry Yukino," He lifted his head and smiled, "Perhaps its Shizuru-sama just rubbing off on me. Oh but she does have a request however. You and Haruka were not in the courtyard so you never had the chance to see, but, Shizuru-san has picked a personal slave."
Yukino almost held her breath, she was almost certain that Reito was going to ask why they weren't in the courtyard. It wasn't her fault that Haruka could be so persuasive when she wanted to be. The seamstress almost blushed at the thought of this morning of when the two shared a bed. "A..um a personal slave you say?" Yukino questioned surprised shaking her head to get rid of the memory.
"Everyone was just as shocked. She never told anyone while she picked the girl, that was until a few minutes ago. She believes the girl had ties to the murderous beasts that killed her kin. You see the girl was wearing the necklace of Fujino-tono's wife. As soon as Shizuru-san found out she immediately wanted the girl for her own." Reito sighed placing his hand to his chin. "She will have a tough time with this beast that is for certain. Even when we put her on the table to announce what she would be she was glaring everyone. Not to mention she almost killed my man in the other room."
"That's what that was," Yukino asked with a flushed face, the slaves were so loud we just thought one of them screamed, possibly running into another slave. I'm so sorry Reito, I'll be sure not to mention it to Chie or Haruka." The Seamstress announced knowing if word got out it would humiliating toward the whole Fujino army.
"Now about this personal slave you mentioned. Just tell Shizuru-san as soon as she is finished to bring the girl to me. It may take me more time since Haruka has left but the second the Mistress steps in the door I will be sure to make the slave an outfit." Yukino smiled at her friend.
The black haired man smiled back. "That's good to know. Now I'll return in just a bit with the girl and our Mistress in hand." The Commander announced before turning around and throwing his hand over his head in a goodbye manner.
---
The blunette leaned down carefully, sitting on the bench before letting out a soft sigh of relief. With that Commander gone she could at least let her guard drop a small bit, or so she thought. Her head whipped around as soon as she heard a small smack of the whicker basket that held the small blades. The slave peeled back her lips as she slowly lifted her will-less body from the stool. Forest green eyes narrowed into a glare as she scrunched up her nose, baring her teeth like a trapped dog ready to attack.
"Ara, such a beast full of pride." The brunette walked over to the slave before her. "Attack me if you wish, I had only saved you from your own country, from your own people. Surely a street rat would have died on the criminal streets of Osaka." The Mistress reached out and grabbed the shredded rags of the slave, running the blade slowly the threads.
A hot feeling filled the slave. Her cheeks colored with embarrassment, across her snarling face within seconds, never had she let anyone get this close to her, allow them to simply disrespect her people, right before her face. She was letting this woman step all over her, and there was nothing she was doing about it.
A small trigger went off in the slaves head as the blade grazed across the threads. Her shackled hand suddenly shot up and gripped the brunettes wrist, holding it in place. Her green eyes peered into crimson ones and it thrilled her to see just a spark of fear. "Go ahead, call out," the slave wanted to dare the girl, but held her tongue. The brunette's free hand gripped the blade and slowly pulled it from the brunette's grasp. The girl was frozen in place, and it pleased the slave to no end.
Shizuru swallowed fearfully and attempted to stay calm. She wanted, needed to call out, cry out for her Commander to come and save her. "What was this slave doing? If this girl really wanted to kill her, she wouldn't take her time…or perhaps she would, and run her hands along each and every cut, feeling the warm droplets of blood, capitalizing on a murder," the procrastinator thought.
The slave dropped the blade to the ground and peeled off the weak threads from her body her expression leaving with it, a small blush now covering her cheeks. She would rather herself disrobe her own body rather then have someone else do it for her. She her head, not wanting the girl to catch another gaze of her blushing cheeks. The blunette slowly raised her shackled hands to the brunette and shook them, the chains clattering.
"A..ara..off? You want them off?" Shizuru questioned as she broke from her frozen spell. "I'm sorry to say that the Seamstress has the key, you will see her after you are bathed." She spoke slowly and calmly, taking her time as she still had a small amount of fear wash over her. This girl could and possibly would snap at any moment, if she could slice a solider before her with her weak state, surely she could take down a Mistress. "Why..didn't you speak like before…you did speak correct, or have my ears imagined hearing a wonderful tune pass through your murderous lips?" The brunette teased, masking her fear while the slave looked down.
"Because I don't want to give you that right, when you have taken so many of mine away," the slave inched her gaze up before looking into the eyes of the Mistress. The blue haired girl turned and sat down on the stool once more, pulling her hair away from her back, exposing the slash marks bestowed upon her during the attack on Osaka.
When the soldiers witnessed three of their men fall to a woman, it was a clear symbol to draw their swords and slash away. One had even been from the Commander himself, exclaiming that he wanted the blood of each and every Kuga on his sword to present to the Lord. Unfortunately the strike did not kill her and some idiotic solider threw her into the slave cart with the rest of the Osakins.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" A voice sounded behind the two. It was the Commander returning from the Seamstress room, leaving out the fact that he had left the longest and deepest of the four slash marks on the girls back. The slashes were in a randomized pattern; one was across her shoulders, another was draped from her middle of her spine to the edge of her left hip, a rugged one ran across her left shoulder to the middle of her right side and the last, deepest one, ran from her lower back diagonally up to the tip where her shoulder and neck met.
"You may want to see Sagisawa-san if you want to prevent those wounds from infection. It looks as if they are already irritated," it was the first useful information that passed through the Commander's lips while they were in the bathing area. "I talked to Kikukawa-san, she was a bit frazzled, having to deal with all those slaves getting fitted maid outfits, but she said the second her Mistress steps in the room she will begin working on her outfit."
The brunette hesitantly ran her fingertip along the deepest wound, causing a rippling effect to take place on the slaves back. "Reito-san would you be as so kind to get me a clean sponge and pale of warm water?" Shizuru asked while continuing the trace the cut, amazed at how beautiful the beast winced. That's when the Mistress's hand got the best of her, touching the spots of exposed skin in-between the intertwined slashes. It was smooth, soft like silk, soft like the skin of her own, but this skin was much more intriguing, it was after all the skin of a beast.
Within seconds the sponge was by the Mistress's side and the pale was placed before the slave. The Commander would have lied if he said he wasn't a little bit shocked. There was his Mistress, a woman known for being taken care of since the day she was born, never having to lift her finger to do anything, was scrubbing an Osakin beast. His stomach bubbled with rage as he watched her put so much care into making sure the slave wasn't in pain. If she wanted to know the whereabouts of her kins murderers a quick sword to the neck would surely make the bluenette scream answers, even if they were in Osakin.
"Ara, Reito-san," The brunette exclaimed, turning to catch a quick glance at the Commander. "Please do turn and look away, we wouldn't want to embarrass the girl by having a man watch her while she scrubbed herself, even if you only are seeing her backside. You never know she may snap and kill you before my very eyes," Shizuru teased, a small laugh exclaiming her lips as the man turned.
This however, did not exclude Shizuru from witnessing the back of the girl as she cleaned herself. A small blush filled the procrastinators cheeks as she heard the soft sound of the sponge moving against the girls body. The brunette rose from her once kneeling position behind the slave and walked before her to get the pale of water. As she bent down to pick the pale up her crimson eyes widened, and the small blush began to fully cover her cheeks.
The slave had her eyes closed, tracing the sponge from her neck along her chest, softly, taking her time circling one then the other with care. A small amount of color was on the bluenette's cheeks as she gently caressed her body with the sponge, she could feel eyes on her, so this was what it was like to be degraded as a slave. "It was a good thing at the Kuga palace they didn't have any," Natsuki thought as her eyes slowly opened as the sponge made its way to her stomach, washing off the darkened spots of dried blood of her people. Her gaze slowly rose, her forest green eyes once again meeting crimson, and it was this time that the green eyes of the beast that had a spark of fear in them.
Natsuki had heard such diseases, from not taking proper care of your body, not scrubbing away all dirt and dried blood would be dangerous in the state that she was in now. Her green eyes quickly darted away, now gazing at the dried blood on her thighs, she hesitantly draped her fingertips across the spot before slowly and softly scrubbing it, not wanting to peel her own skin off in the process by scrubbing to hard and fast. Her reddened face began turn into a darker crimson now, realizing what was next to be cleaned. Her green eyes shot a questioning glance, to see if the wide eyed crimson girl was still witnessing her in this moment of privacy, and she was still there frozen, her eyes traveling over the body of the slave.
The brunette swallowed slowly, how had her mouth become so dry in the past few couple moments. Her face burned as her eyes traveled the length of the bluenette's body. Her mind was blank and her eyes were glued to the girl. It was as if she had seen such a body in a painting before. A pale, toned body, not to muscular but not to feminine, ample breasts that suited the girls body perfectly not to big and not to small for her frame and those eyes, that had Shizuru captivated, until the girl had looked away. Her crimson eyes darted to the next place where the sponge was headed, the very core of the girl. Shizuru's heart began to speed as her fingertips gripped the side of the pale, her breathing even began to increase.
Just then Natsuki turned her body to the side, out of the sight of the Mistress. She quickly scrubbed and placed the sponge to the ground. Her head rising, her body not making the slightest movement to turn to back to the frozen brunette. The slave flinched when she could have sworn she heard a whisper travel into her ears, "Ikezu".
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I'm sorry to all the people I was saying "Just a few days, keep on the look out for an update". Before I knew it my Christmas break was up and school started again. So how was everyones Christmas, I hope you got what you wanted! I'd love to hear from you guys about your holiday and what you got and for real this time I think Runner will be the next update and it will be in the next few days, probably by the end of this weekend!
Read, Review and PM!