**************************************************
Once Upon a time: Chapter 15
by white seraph
**************************************************
Soujiro wiped the sweat that trickled down his temple. He was happy yet curious about Kaoru's close escape. But nevertheless, she was here he was free, from his shifts so why not teach her some kendo techniques as he promised earlier?
And so, they were there, at this open area on the edges of the gardens, under the blazing sun practicing. Well, it seems like that's the only available place to practice, when the castle itself was busied with nobles and servants. Besides, Kaoru was rather reluctant to accompany him to the castle basement to get some wooden sticks already, seems like she has a distaste for that building. But oh well, it doesn't matter.
Soujirou dropped himself on the carpet of soft, green grass as he watched Kaoru swing the stick here and there, showing him how much she got. Which surprisingly was a lot, but they were all for defense. his eyes wandered from the stick to her arm to her body, to her face, he silently admired her beauty from there.
Kaoru stopped suddenly and turned towards him, their eyes meeting before he could glance elsewhere.
"What are you staring at?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow with curiosity.
That was when he realized he had been staring at her rudely all along while she was practicing. Feeling embarrassed, soujiro felt himself flush, he managed to come up with an excuse that was't really an excuse because it was sort of true. "well you were showing me what you had, and naturally I need my eyes to watch you." He chuckled "You are skilled, but only with defense. Have you never been taught any attack skills?"
Kaoru was taken aback. This time, it was her face that turned red with embarrassment. Suddenly finding her feet rather interesting, she stared down, and muttered quietly "Well.you see, it's like this." She gave her friend a quickly glance "It's.well I don't know, father's never around and my sister and i.well.okay it's like... we teach ourselves these arts.so yeah." She trailed off lamely.
Soujiro laughed heartily and her reply, "You must like kendo very much to peruse it yourself! So you never had a master or a teacher in your life?! But nevermind, I can be your first teacher! It's surprising how you can teach yourself all these defending skills."
He pulled himself up, and took the wooden stick from Kaoru's hands.
"Let me teach you some of my best attacking tricks"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Last night was a hectic night for both Kamiya and Misao. After his confrontation with the leader of the group, and a private talk with Misao, everything was revealed. Apparently, people did not trust Misao, and people were sent too listen to her confidential conversation with her father. Cunning indeed, these people were. And before Misao even finished her tea, men had crashed into the thin rice papered doors and came charging at both father and daughter.
Misao who was on alert quickly pulled out her daggers (what..they're not daggers, what are they called?) And threw them at those who attacked her helpless father, before pulling him out of the half wrecked room, and jumping into the thick woods. Kamiya turned back and saw shadows of men catching up with them, but before he knew of anything, he felt a hand tug his gi from the back and pulled him up to a nearby tree.
Perplexed, he turned around to see for his rescuer, but to his both relief and disappointment, he saw Misao hanging on another branch behind him. Relief because his daughter was safe but disappointed because he didn't know who saved them both.
But his daughter seemed to understand the whole situation. She was staring down at the dusty ground, eyes twinkling.
"Aoshi-sama" She whispered, before busting into tears.
Kamiya's heart beat paced quick with fear. "Be quiet my girl! Do you want the men to find us up here?!" He chastised the poor girl in a harsh, low voice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
Kaoru had returned to her room which by now she was rather familiar with, before sunset because Soujiro had a shift after dinner, and he needed some rest. Well, she needed some too, after all, she never practiced that long before. and the tricks her friend taught her were a lot more strenuous than the ones she taught herself.
Although she tried very hard to absorb everything soujiro taught here, it was a rather hard task. No matter how hard she tried.But perhaps all she needed was practice. Soujiro was very patient with her, and was willing to explain everything again and again until she understood.
She would find soujiro again, not tomorrow because he had errands to run for a general, but the day after tomorrow, he promised her, he would teach her more, or even if possible, they would spar.
So now, Kaoru was back at her own chamber, still with the bokken soujiro had "lent" her. Humming to herself, she threw the wooden stick here and there, practicing the new things Soujiro had taught her today, whilst Natsume was in the bathroom, preparing a nice warm bath for her young mistress. The room was unfit, and small for kendo practice. Kaoru had to look behind her to see if she'd hit anything each time she moved to a new position. Swinging her bokken here and there, she took no notice of the floor. And suddenly *trip* her foot tripped over the leg of her low table and she tumbled onto the floor ungracefully.
A low chuckle came from across the room, at the door. And Kaoru spun around to meet the person she least expected, and least wanted to see. His cold hearted, moronic highness. How dare he spy at her! god knows how long he's been there! Blinded by anger, Kaoru nearly forgot this was the man who she was supposed to fear most.
"How dare you come into a lady's room without asking!" She fumed. Pulling herself up, she straightened her posture.
He smirked arrogantly, and replied. "This is my domain, and I can go wherever I want. And besides, aren't you happy that I bothered to come up here just to visit you?"
What and arrogant conceited man! Kaoru silently renamed him 'his cold hearted conceited moronic highness' She didn't know what to say and decided to keep her mouth shut.
He looked at her waiting for a reply, actually he really didn't know why he came, but then again he never liked to explain to anyone, not even himself why he did what he did.
After the morning meetings with the other nobles, he sat at the library and god knows why the image of that girl kept popping up in his mind. And suddenly, he found himself asking his men to find out which room in the harem section of the castle she was staying in.
He looked at her, and realized she wasn't going to give him a reply, because she turned as he if was invisible and started digging some clothes from the large wooden wardrobe. He coughed to bring her attention back to him. "Well, I would like to invite you to dinner with me" He extended an arm, gentlemanly. "And we shall continue on the conversation we had earlier today" Yes, the conversation he hardly remembered about, but the only image left after that was that she was different from the others.or so her game was difference at the very least. But whatever it was, she left him perplexed, he wanted to know more about this girl who worked in the palace, yet he paid no notice to until recently.
"Well I'm sorry but I will have to decline your offer" Koaru replied snobbishly, remembering how she was forced to dine with him a few nights ago. "I wouldn't like to be forced to dine and share a bed with you." She added, more stiffly.
He chuckled, shaking his head "No no, the whole purpose in the dinner is to get myself aqauinted with you, but if you want to share a bed with me afterwards, I guess I wouldn't mind." Then silently, he added "After all, I'm just taking the long route to pursue that!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Yumi wrapped her arms around herself as she entered the kitchen. It was crowded, and busy with prepration for tonight's dinner. She weaved herself gracefully into the school of cooks and servants, until she reached a certain row; the row that takes care of the food for mistresses and favorites.
She approached a woman, who was at the far end of the row. She had done some research, and knew this woman was in fact the cook that prepared food for herself, that wench and the other few that also stayed on that floor of the castle, which wasn't that many.
Yumi looked around to see if any other people had their attention on them. Everyone seemed busy with work, so she slipped a few gold coins from the sleev of her kimono into the woman's hands. "I want that new wench dead." She whispered allusively into the woman's ears.
Once Upon a time: Chapter 15
by white seraph
**************************************************
Soujiro wiped the sweat that trickled down his temple. He was happy yet curious about Kaoru's close escape. But nevertheless, she was here he was free, from his shifts so why not teach her some kendo techniques as he promised earlier?
And so, they were there, at this open area on the edges of the gardens, under the blazing sun practicing. Well, it seems like that's the only available place to practice, when the castle itself was busied with nobles and servants. Besides, Kaoru was rather reluctant to accompany him to the castle basement to get some wooden sticks already, seems like she has a distaste for that building. But oh well, it doesn't matter.
Soujirou dropped himself on the carpet of soft, green grass as he watched Kaoru swing the stick here and there, showing him how much she got. Which surprisingly was a lot, but they were all for defense. his eyes wandered from the stick to her arm to her body, to her face, he silently admired her beauty from there.
Kaoru stopped suddenly and turned towards him, their eyes meeting before he could glance elsewhere.
"What are you staring at?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow with curiosity.
That was when he realized he had been staring at her rudely all along while she was practicing. Feeling embarrassed, soujiro felt himself flush, he managed to come up with an excuse that was't really an excuse because it was sort of true. "well you were showing me what you had, and naturally I need my eyes to watch you." He chuckled "You are skilled, but only with defense. Have you never been taught any attack skills?"
Kaoru was taken aback. This time, it was her face that turned red with embarrassment. Suddenly finding her feet rather interesting, she stared down, and muttered quietly "Well.you see, it's like this." She gave her friend a quickly glance "It's.well I don't know, father's never around and my sister and i.well.okay it's like... we teach ourselves these arts.so yeah." She trailed off lamely.
Soujiro laughed heartily and her reply, "You must like kendo very much to peruse it yourself! So you never had a master or a teacher in your life?! But nevermind, I can be your first teacher! It's surprising how you can teach yourself all these defending skills."
He pulled himself up, and took the wooden stick from Kaoru's hands.
"Let me teach you some of my best attacking tricks"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Last night was a hectic night for both Kamiya and Misao. After his confrontation with the leader of the group, and a private talk with Misao, everything was revealed. Apparently, people did not trust Misao, and people were sent too listen to her confidential conversation with her father. Cunning indeed, these people were. And before Misao even finished her tea, men had crashed into the thin rice papered doors and came charging at both father and daughter.
Misao who was on alert quickly pulled out her daggers (what..they're not daggers, what are they called?) And threw them at those who attacked her helpless father, before pulling him out of the half wrecked room, and jumping into the thick woods. Kamiya turned back and saw shadows of men catching up with them, but before he knew of anything, he felt a hand tug his gi from the back and pulled him up to a nearby tree.
Perplexed, he turned around to see for his rescuer, but to his both relief and disappointment, he saw Misao hanging on another branch behind him. Relief because his daughter was safe but disappointed because he didn't know who saved them both.
But his daughter seemed to understand the whole situation. She was staring down at the dusty ground, eyes twinkling.
"Aoshi-sama" She whispered, before busting into tears.
Kamiya's heart beat paced quick with fear. "Be quiet my girl! Do you want the men to find us up here?!" He chastised the poor girl in a harsh, low voice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
Kaoru had returned to her room which by now she was rather familiar with, before sunset because Soujiro had a shift after dinner, and he needed some rest. Well, she needed some too, after all, she never practiced that long before. and the tricks her friend taught her were a lot more strenuous than the ones she taught herself.
Although she tried very hard to absorb everything soujiro taught here, it was a rather hard task. No matter how hard she tried.But perhaps all she needed was practice. Soujiro was very patient with her, and was willing to explain everything again and again until she understood.
She would find soujiro again, not tomorrow because he had errands to run for a general, but the day after tomorrow, he promised her, he would teach her more, or even if possible, they would spar.
So now, Kaoru was back at her own chamber, still with the bokken soujiro had "lent" her. Humming to herself, she threw the wooden stick here and there, practicing the new things Soujiro had taught her today, whilst Natsume was in the bathroom, preparing a nice warm bath for her young mistress. The room was unfit, and small for kendo practice. Kaoru had to look behind her to see if she'd hit anything each time she moved to a new position. Swinging her bokken here and there, she took no notice of the floor. And suddenly *trip* her foot tripped over the leg of her low table and she tumbled onto the floor ungracefully.
A low chuckle came from across the room, at the door. And Kaoru spun around to meet the person she least expected, and least wanted to see. His cold hearted, moronic highness. How dare he spy at her! god knows how long he's been there! Blinded by anger, Kaoru nearly forgot this was the man who she was supposed to fear most.
"How dare you come into a lady's room without asking!" She fumed. Pulling herself up, she straightened her posture.
He smirked arrogantly, and replied. "This is my domain, and I can go wherever I want. And besides, aren't you happy that I bothered to come up here just to visit you?"
What and arrogant conceited man! Kaoru silently renamed him 'his cold hearted conceited moronic highness' She didn't know what to say and decided to keep her mouth shut.
He looked at her waiting for a reply, actually he really didn't know why he came, but then again he never liked to explain to anyone, not even himself why he did what he did.
After the morning meetings with the other nobles, he sat at the library and god knows why the image of that girl kept popping up in his mind. And suddenly, he found himself asking his men to find out which room in the harem section of the castle she was staying in.
He looked at her, and realized she wasn't going to give him a reply, because she turned as he if was invisible and started digging some clothes from the large wooden wardrobe. He coughed to bring her attention back to him. "Well, I would like to invite you to dinner with me" He extended an arm, gentlemanly. "And we shall continue on the conversation we had earlier today" Yes, the conversation he hardly remembered about, but the only image left after that was that she was different from the others.or so her game was difference at the very least. But whatever it was, she left him perplexed, he wanted to know more about this girl who worked in the palace, yet he paid no notice to until recently.
"Well I'm sorry but I will have to decline your offer" Koaru replied snobbishly, remembering how she was forced to dine with him a few nights ago. "I wouldn't like to be forced to dine and share a bed with you." She added, more stiffly.
He chuckled, shaking his head "No no, the whole purpose in the dinner is to get myself aqauinted with you, but if you want to share a bed with me afterwards, I guess I wouldn't mind." Then silently, he added "After all, I'm just taking the long route to pursue that!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------
Yumi wrapped her arms around herself as she entered the kitchen. It was crowded, and busy with prepration for tonight's dinner. She weaved herself gracefully into the school of cooks and servants, until she reached a certain row; the row that takes care of the food for mistresses and favorites.
She approached a woman, who was at the far end of the row. She had done some research, and knew this woman was in fact the cook that prepared food for herself, that wench and the other few that also stayed on that floor of the castle, which wasn't that many.
Yumi looked around to see if any other people had their attention on them. Everyone seemed busy with work, so she slipped a few gold coins from the sleev of her kimono into the woman's hands. "I want that new wench dead." She whispered allusively into the woman's ears.