She woke up early, it was something she was proud of, as Ren's favorite maid. When waking up that early, you can watch the world rise slowly and set everything to be perfect just for the person she was serving. Being Ren favorite was her pride and joy, that woman have been through so many difficult experiences, she deserve to be treated with care and gentleness. That poor woman has been rejected by her husband family, then forced to give birth to a child she hadn't desired before the man she loved died. Ren was a poor and lonely woman that everybody abandoned, and that's why she really respected her. She has been the first annoyed when the people of the family were asking for Akito; didn't they saw all the work Ren was giving? And this kid couldn't even bear a little tightness around her chest. People might think Ren have been unfair to treat her daughter like a boy, but didn't they know she have been doing it for Akito well-being? God is not a woman! And this family was already unforgiving toward Ren, how could they accept their chief being a female! Plus, this Akito did not even faced a half of what Ren lived, never hard-issues. Akito should be grateful to her mother for taking care!
Really, she was glad to be under Ren's service instead of Akito's. Hell, nobody wanted to be under Akito's orders. She was a tempered child, a real nuisance, and every maid in the estate knew it. Though, now that she remembers, when Akito was still a child, there were that old maid that was here since the late master Akira was a baby, she had been taking care of Akito until Ren had enough and had dismissed the old woman. Who know what happened to her?
To be honest, she really did not care about that old granny, if she had been in Ren's shoes, she would have fired her even before. This woman had been cruel to Ren, she remembered. At the time master Akira had told the wish to marry Ren, the old woman has been the first to be against it and tried to separate them with the help of some members of the family. She on the other hand with the help of the other side of the family, had supported them. How horrible it was, to separate two people in love, just because of tradition.
She sighed sadly at the thought and wrapped her obi around her waist and then walked to the kitchen. There were already a few others servants up who were in, preparing the food. She heard them whispers and she frowned. She did not like the whispers, the untold secrets. It would be bad for the family and she needed to know if something was going to be an issue for her beloved master. Clearing her throat, she called them, making the girls jolt in surprise. "Is there a problem?"
"A-ah…Hum…" the servant hesitated, biting her nail anxiously. "Master Akito still refuse to eat the food we prepared for him…" the girl explained and she felt like rolling her eyes. She had enough of Akito's tantrum. It was better to deal with the issue by herself. "Alright" she just said before turning her heels in direction toward Akito's rooms, not caring about anything else. She stepped in the girl's wing and without a knock nor a word, she slid open the doors with loudly noise, announcing her presence. She eyed the empty table and walked toward Akito's room.
The maid rose her eyebrows when she noticed the lack of clothe of the person sleeping in the futon. "What a disgrace…" she muttered with contempt before decided to remove brutally the blanket to wake the girl up. Akito yelled and curled up, surprised by the sudden action and the cold temperature biting her naked skin. "What the hell!" she screamed. The maid was ready to remind her hers place when her eyes fell on the red spots all along her skin. The maid wasn't stupid and knew what a love-mark was. The question was, who was at the origin of the marks.
Akito frowned and then, her eyes followed the maid's on her skin and then, she gasped and pulled the blanket on her body, trying to uselessly hide it. "I-…Bu-bugs…" she tried to explain, only to give up and bow her head. The maid straightened and decided to announce the news to her master. Ah, really, if the family knew about what kind of slut was actually the chief they desperately praised, what kind of faces would they do?
She walked through the house with rushed, yet moderated, steps and opened the shoji doors to Ren's living room. She did not even take the time to knock, and she knew how impolite it was, but the matter was important. Ren frowned, she had her hand up, ready to sip her tea when she turned her face toward her favorite. "What's the deal?" she said, surprise in the voice with a hint of irritation to be disturbed during her breakfast. It was rare that the maid went here early to ring her. She was more of a helper when it was time to work.
"Madam…I…" the maid cleared her throat and kneeled down in respect. "I just saw the young master…" she started and Ren rolled her eyes, putting her cup down with annoyance. Since the day she kicked Kureno out of Akito's house, she never heard of her child again. Ren was happy with that, but of course, Akito couldn't stay still. The woman brought her fingers to her temple, massaging it. "This kid is a real can of worms…" she said to herself before taking her attention back on the woman. "Well, tell me, don't stay quiet like that." She said in a kinder tone. It wasn't fair to vent her anger about her son on the maid. That woman has been by her side since the beginning. A long time ago, when she was still a maid under Akira's order.
"Madam…" started the maid with hesitation. "The truth is…"
Ren ran like a fury to her son's house wing. If people where to describe her, she looked like the pretty Kiyohime transforming into the wrathful Hannya. She opened all the shoji doors facing her with fearful noise, almost slamming the doors out their handles. It was how she arrived into Akito living room, her clothes undone and her eyes feral. Akito had put a kimono on his body, hiding any proofs of his love-making, however, it was useless. The monster was out of its cage and already knew.
Ren slid the doors close behind her and Akito jolted, anxious. However, something was different in Akito behavior. First of all, he wasn't avoiding Ren eyes like he always used to. If only Ren hasn't been furious and losing her mind, she might would have noticed how they shared the same black eyes, and how as hers right now, they were burning in anger. Ren walked slowly, dangerously, toward Akito, like a tiger, a hunter approaching its prey. However, he didn't flinch and stood still. Not a step back, not trying to protect himself by pulling his arms high. No, he just stood here. Ren noticed the shivering; it was the only thing betraying Akito right now. The woman studied her son, scanning his body, as if she could see under the tissues.
"Take your clothes off." Said Ren with a commanding voice, but Akito simply stood here, staring with into his mother eyes. Ren couldn't see it, but the person in front of her was planting their nails so deep in the palm of their hands that blood started to come out. "Obey me!" Ren repeated, more dangerously, scarier. This time, Akito obligated and slowly rose up his hands to remove the grey kimono he was wearing, sliding it down all along his soft and pale body. The skin was white, it was one more thing that Akito had inherited from her. One more thing that make them look so alike.
The maid didn't lie about the love-marks. Akito was covered of it. The interior of the thighs, the chest, the stomach, and just here on the shoulder, there was a bit-mark. Ren made a face of disgust when she tried to count each one. Some looked older than others. Ren was furious but she tried to control herself. However, the way Akito was looking at her with the hint of a smirk infuriated her -unless it was her imagination? Ah, Ren wanted to slap her child again and again until that smile would disappear, but she couldn't, not so soon.
And, fuck, who would want to do it with that child and how did they sneak here? It was hard for Ren, thinking how that bothering child became such a slut, opening his legs to anybody. Was the purpose of this child life? Giving Ren more hard-issues than she already had? Sometime, she wondered was kind of bad person she was in another life to deserve this. Ren lowered her eyes back on a red spot on Akito's neck and looked at it with contempt. She inhaled and breath out by the nose and looked back in her son eyes. Akito never stopped to stare at her and she wished he would stop.
"Can I have an explanation of how this happened?" She said with a controlled voice. Akito blinked, as shocked that Ren hadn't tried to slap her and then he smirked. She frowned, where did that child learnt to have such expression. "Don't you know Ren, boys will be boys" said Akito with contempt, highlighting the 'boys' before chuckling and Ren had to bite her cheek as she looked down on her son breasts; it was full of red spots. She wanted to beat him until he couldn't be able to stand. Why Ren that used to make Akito bow in front of her was now unable to scare him. Why this sudden change? How it happened?
They stood in silence until Ren had enough, she wanted to know who was the person who made those. She closed her eyes a moment, trying to gather all the composure that was left in her. "Well…Who would be desperate enough to sleep with you? As far as I know, nobody is allowed here but maids." Akito's smile fell and she finally turned her head away. Good, Ren was glad to finally the control back on the situation, it she always did. Ren allowed herself to smirk.
However, Akito chuckled and that feeling of superiority disappeared. "Well…What tell you it wasn't one of your maids your carefully chosen?" Akito taunted and Ren gasped. How he dared?! "What are you saying! The maids are women, they can't-"
"Well, am not I a man myself?" asked Akito, his smirk growing wider and wider and Ren was paling. "N-no you're…!" she had lost her voice. Ren eyes were going down to her 'son' breasts and up to his face. Akito was… She was… "You can't be serious?!"
"What? I'm not a boy anymore? But, that's what you wanted, didn't you?" said Akito and for the first time, Ren had to admit, she had in front of her not a boy, her son, but a woman…The daughter that Akira desired, loved. The little baby this man, already so sick, was taking care of, waking him up at night, preventing him to sleep and to rest. The little one-month baby girl that Akira played him, putting her in a baby red kimono while he was leaving Ren behind. The same little girl that gathered and reunited the family together. The girl that was protected by four little boys, ready to fight for her happiness, like animal guardian, that came a morning crying their wishes to meet her. That little baby girl…Her daughter.
"Enough!" She roared, rising her hand to slap her daughter. However, before she could hit the white cheek of the girl, Akito suddenly grabbed Ren's wrist. They both looked at each other, eyes wide. Ren could see, Akito was so shocked, not believing what she had done, her body had probably moved on it own and her brain couldn't register what was happening. It was the error she made, because Ren saw the opening and rushed her body on the girl, making them fall on the ground. Akito didn't have the time to move away that Ren straightened her back and put all her weight on her daughter stomach, sitting on it and then, she wrapped her longs fingers around the neck and then squeezed.
Akito struggled, moving her legs helplessly and tapping on Ren arms before starting to scratch them. When she tried to remove the hands strangling her, Ren squeezed even tighter. Her black eyes were narrowed in madness. She was squeezing until the woman under her couldn't been able to breathe anymore. This…was something she should have done years ago. If only they didn't force her to give birth, she never desired a child to begin with, she wanted to stay with Akira forever, but instead they gave her this…This bitch of a daughter. The god they desired and that Ren always tried to erase. She had enough, it was better to end it up all now.
It was a good thing after all. This child was good for nothing and as a girl…Nobody would want to marry her, such a lewd person, a slut. Ah! Ren was helping her in fact! Right now, Akito had her mouth open and the lack of air was making her face blue. Trying to gasp for air, but Ren wouldn't let her. Let's abort the child she never wanted.
"Madam!" Screamed a maid behind her, making her jolt and remove her hands her surprise. Akito took a deep breath and quickly pushed Ren with all the force she had left in her body before rushing in a corner of the room, creating a wise distance between her and Ren. She coughed loudly, her body shivering. Ren turned her head toward the person who interrupted her. Her favorite maid was looking at her with wide eyes, her hand covering her mouth open in shock. Her face had lost most of its color. Why was she looking at her as if she was a murderer? She didn't kill anybody.
Slowly, Ren stood up and regained composure. "Please, take care of that…Whore." She said with authority. The maid walked in direction of Akito, showing a hand only to be slapped away by the girl. She looked like a savage cat, ready to scratch and hiss threateningly. The maid looked back toward her master with an apological look. Had Ren noticed how she was questioning her fidelity? The woman ignored it and threw a spiteful look to her daughter. Akito paled again and avoided her eyes, she bowed her head in submission. Yes, it was how the role should be, and Ren was going to make sure it will stay that way.
"Well, Akito, I guess I should congratulate you for being a woman, right?" she said with sarcasm. "Then, I will show you the joy of being one, you will like it, believe me" she added with a chuckle before turning her heels and walking out of the room. Her favorite quickly rejoined her, following with a one-meter distance. "This child…Is really a nuisance, isn't he?" she said. However, the pronoun sounded wrong in her mouth now that she saw the girl that was Akito, the girl she always tried to repress.
"Ah…Yes, sure madam…" answered distantly the maid behind her. Ren ignored that usually, the maid sounded surer and more determined when she was agreeing with her in such moments. Denial was better in the worst moment. She closed her eyes and walked in her office then sat at her seat. She mindlessly took a file that was laying on the desk and read it. Her favorite kneeled down beside her and told her the schedule of the day. The maid who had taken the control back on her body and had forgotten the images she saw before, simply read the agenda. Ren listened with attention, letting the maid voice easing her mind.
"…And then after that, there is a reunion with the Murashima's clan…" Ren clicked her tongue, the Sohma and Murashima clan have been trying to form an alliance for years but always ended up on a disagreement that erased every chance for a possible arrangement. She massaged her temples with both of her hands. It was a pain. How could she…
She rose her head up and slowly let her eyes wander around in the room before landing on the photo of Akira, her dear and precious husband…Husband… Ren suddenly gasped in realization. The best way to form an alliance was a marriage! "Tell me…The last son the Murashima-san…If I remember well, he is single, right?" she asked sweetly, like a panther moving slowly and without any noise to the prey it was hunting. "Ah…" just said the maid, unsure and not understanding what her master was implying in this question. "Indeed, his last lover break-up because he was mistreating her, from what I've heard." She answered.
"I see…And he is starting to get old, I'm sure he and his father are desperate for any woman who would agree marrying him, don't you think?" There were a hint of sadistic pleasure and satisfaction that was starting to show in her voice and the blood of the woman beside suddenly ran cold, the piece of the puzzle that were Ren's words were little by little starting to assemble together. "They would accept anybody…As long as she accepts and she is from a good family, right?" Ren turned her face toward the other woman, showing her white teeth as she smiled. The maid gulped. "I…Guess."
"You know, the Murashima clan is as important as the Sohma's, making an alliance this way could be the best. We will just need to ask to Murashima-san that we are ready to accept his son in our family as long as he is ready to marry my dear daughter who just discovered the joy of her sexuality." Explained Ren. "Of course…We will need to adopt in the family first, it would be bad if the Sohma's chief ended with the Murashima's name with this marriage, no, no…It's not acceptable." She thought aloud, caressing her chin with her finger. "But, I think it's a good compromise, isn't it?" she asked again, ordering an agreement. The woman simply nodded.
"Akito will understand, it's for the best of the family and…She need to know the joy of being a woman." And then, I won't have any trouble with her anymore.
• The story of Kiyohime is from the Noh piece Doujouji. It's a story about jealousy where the beautiful Kiyohime slowly change into a witch then a dragon, and in rage, she kill the man she loved who had hidden himself under a bell with a blast of fire.