| Fan Fiction |
by kon_kon
“Tomohisa-san…” Her voice trailed off as he slowly leans in placing his soft lips on her pink ones as her face took the color of the cherry blossoms that surrounded them both. Tomohisa parted the brief kiss, rendering Maki still surprised that the quick peck of his lips still lingered on hers. His chuckle woke her from the trance she was in. A playful smack landed on his shoulder as she too, laughed quietly at his little pain.
“Tomohisa-san, please…” Even though she admittedly loved his kisses and his embraces, both of them knew that it wasn’t right for them to be together. The kiss he had just planted on her earlier was enough to be dangerous. Be it in private and in hiding, or out in the vast open of the garden, it was less than legal for them.
Tomohisa was a samurai. His loyalty and allegiance to his Lord was his top priority. Maki, on the other hand was the Lord’s concubine. Her whole body was solely her Lord’s and no one else, especially not to one of the lower samurai.
“Maki-chan…” Somehow all the thoughts of everything else vanished when he uttered her name. No, another encounter of their lips was prohibited. Maki took Tomohisa’s left hand and placed it on her cheek. Her eyes let out happiness because of his touch but it showed sadness as she had to leave him to more training. She quickly mouthed the words he longed and desired to always hear. Aishiteru.
Maki walked away, entering the enormous palace doors. Her destination; the throne room of Lord Nishikido. As she gallantly walked down the colossal room, expectedly, there he was. Lord Nishikido was sitting on his gilded throne that was twice his size. His multi-layered kimono was a stunning sight for her but the empty look on his face contrasted the brightly coloured kimono he wore. The dancers around him made no effect on his miserable face. At the sight of his concubine, he dismissed the entertainers with a wave of his hand. They left the throne room. Solitude rained over the concubine and her Lord. The aura around Lord Nishikido changed from poignant to incredibly amused, the moment he saw her blushing face.
Maki bowed down to him, showing utmost respect. He had called for her earlier when she was admiring Tomohisa’s training. She stood in front of Lord Nishikido, waiting for his orders. He had not said anything for a moment, then stood from his throne and was now eye to eye with his concubine. Maki felt an invisible rising heat between them. He took her hand and they both entered his master bedroom. He shut the door behind them and Maki had not moved. She was standing a reasonable amount of distance from his king-szed bed.
Slowly, his hands travelled from his sides to her kimono’s obi. He was gradually untying the obi as the kimono loosened from her body. Maki could do nothing but go with what her Lord wanted. That, similar to Tomohisa, was also her first priority; to serve her Lord. The silence grew as Lord Nishikido let the left arm of her kimono fall from her petite, soft shoulder. No protest came from Maki’s lips. Only an undistinguishable shiver from her body emitted. To her, there was no thing as she was scared or she wasn’t ready. It was her Lord’s decision, not hers. Lord Nishikido felt an anxious vibe from Maki. His hand was on the other sleeve and he was about to slowly slide it off.
“Do you mind?” He asked, questioning Maki.
“My Lord-…” He stopped her with his finger on her lip.
“Call me Ryo.” He told her and Maki nodded as he took off his finger.
“Ryo, I will give my whole body to you. My entirety is dedicated to serving you, My L- Ryo.” Ryo was slightly happy that he knew how loyal his concubine was. Ryo shook his head and gave her a chance to wear her kimono properly once more.
“No. I want to know what you really feel.” His voice was a tone filled with command.
Maki was torn for a moment. She could not say she wasn’t ready. She had to always be ready for her Lord. Maki pursed her lips together. She clearly saw that there was something bothering the young master and he was going to use her to subside whatever he was mad about. Then again, he did command her to say what she really felt.
“I think…that My Lo- Ryo should tell me what is bothering him.” She felt hesitant to say this sentence but there was nothing stopping her. Ryo bit his bottom lip. She was right, he thought to himself.
“Then I shall not do it if you feel that way.” He said picking up her obi and giving it back to Maki. He sat on his bed, disturbing the neatly fixed golden silk sheets. Maki turned to look at the feeling of seemingly endless solitude Ryo was feeling. She stood in front of him, unsure if she was allowed to even touch his bed.
“Ryo…” She uttered his name, not knowing what to say next. The young Lord had buried his face in his cold hands. Maki’s lips were sealed from any other words as she took his hands from his face and held them in hers. True, her position in the palace and in his life was only to be a concubine but she felt, deep inside her that Ryo needed someone in his lonely life. Ryo looked at her with questioning eyes but a smile tugged at his lips because of her sudden actions.
~*~
Tomohisa tracked his all too familiar steps from his room to Maki’s room which was near Ryo’s room. She was treated far less than a princess but far more than a maid. To Ryo, Maki was a valuable subordinate. As Tomohisa rapped gently on her door, he was careful not to be seen by any guards. For contact with Lord NIshikido’s concubine was illegal and can result in death. However, Tomohisa loved Maki and would sacrifice anything for his beloved, even his life. He was only careful because Maki had told him that she would not want him to be taken away from her. He knocked one more time. The door opened so only a small crevice, not even big enough for some light to shed on her beautiful face. She pulled him in, wary of his katana that now hung on his back.
Finding them sitting quietly on the bed together, Tomohisa pondered why his lover was silent. He hugged her from behind when she stood up. His left cheek buried in her hair and his arms coiled around her shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” He said in his soft whisper that tickled her ears.
“Nothing.” That was obvious lie on her part but that was all she wanted him to know. He kissed her cheek and tenderly turned her around so he could place his lips on hers. Maki moved her head, parting their sweet lips from each other. Tomohisa furrowed his eyebrows. Maki’s lips curved downwards and pouted. She sat back down on the bed. Tomohisa looked down at her, admiring the nightingale effect he had on her. He took off the strong sash of his samurai sword and placed it on her wall where he usually put it whenever he was there.
He took his steps to her and sat down beside her. The seemingly welcoming atmosphere a while ago vanished, replaced by an awkward silence that they both weren’t fond of. Maki turned her head to him, cupping his face between her hands. She leaned in, kissing him more than gently, almost forceful. Tomohisa was surprised but he liked the feeling of Maki roughly kissing him. He returned her desire and pushed her back on the bed. Stroking her hair, he continued to abuse her lips but not to an extent that she would want to push him away. One arm under her back and the other on her cheek. Maki hugged Tomohisa and even with her eyes closed, she could feel his riveting lips sway with hers. Her lipstick faintly smeared on his bland lips.
A loud sound halted the two of them as he got up from her bed; he swiftly takes his katana and bids her farewell with one last kiss.
“Be careful, Tomohisa-san.” She whispered as he vigilantly exited her room, again with utmost care.
~*~
A gory bloodbath stood in his path. Bloodied bodies and limbs torn apart rested in front of the palace. Tomohisa’s sinful katana was still attached to his hand. His blue kimono had been painted with crimson blood. He placed his katana on his back and made his way back inside the palace just like the other samurais who survived the sudden invasion.
The alliance that Lord Nishikido had formed with their neighbouring kingdoms had been broken. His trust for his so-called allies, Lord Ikuta and Lord Kazuya vanished. Lord Ikuta dared to release information to the enemies and Ryo found out that Lord Kazuya had also known about Lord I kuta’s betrayal but failed to tell Ryo. So the enemy had invaded his palace, killing more than half of his soldiers in a gruesome battle of betrayal.
Tomohisa and the other surviving samurais went back to their places and fixed themselves. Ryo had given them a day off from training to sustain themselves and collect their remaining energy. He was different from other lords who would have usually gone with the choice of making his subordinates fight until their death. Lord Nishikido was dissimilar. Lord Nishikido…cared.
Tomohisa tightened the cloth around his wounded arm to keep the deep gash from bleeding. He then wiped the bloodied sword with another piece of cloth and it shined again like moonlight. He had changed from his dirty kimono and put on a new one. He was grateful to have not died in the surprise battle. He still wanted to see Maki’s smile, Maki’s eyes and hear Maki saying the same words that hummed gracefully in his ears.
~*~
Maki was awake like everyone else in the castle. Her mind said to visit Tomohisa but her body had led her to the familiar room. She knocked on his door and found no answer. Immediately, she turned the knob and opened the door. Ryo was looking out the window, wishing that the rain had blurred his view of the red river of blood outside his home. He wished it rained so that it could wash away the dirty blood and the sharp pain in his heart. Maki’s kimono swished the floor as she sauntered up to him. She pressed her lips together and stopped behind him. Ryo turned around, not at all surprised to see her.
He didn’t know how or why but a cacophony of feelings and desire entered his mind. He was kissing Maki, taking what was his and using her as she was. She was a concubine, only to give pleasure to her lord. She let him abuse her virgin lips. Tears were nothing and so she held them back, knowing that this was his way to let his anger out. He untied the obi and let her kimono fall to the ground as he wraps his arms around her, leading her to his bed. His kisses trailed from her lips to her neck. She could not move, she could not protest, she could not do anything. For her Lord, she would let him take her. He trapped her legs with his own, feeling the brush of her untainted skin.
She only responded to her kisses but she was seductively inviting him in. Ryo’s tongue explores her mouth as he touched her bare skin. Everything was gone from his mind and what aroused him was that in the process of taking his precious concubine…even his heart had been captured. His heart was roaring in his chest. The sweat from his head trickled down and he could see Maki’s expressionless face.
Ryo stopped.
“Maki, I’m sorry…I don’t know what came over me.” He tried to apologize and explain his rude actions. He takes in the sight of what he had done to Maki. Her lips were red and swollen and he cursed himself for it.
“I was just mad and-…” Continuing that sentence was impossible for him. He breathed hard, trying to collect himself.
Finally, tears went down Maki’s face and she quickly wiped them away before Ryo could see. Her body was under his silk sheets.
“Ryo, I will give myself to you if you desire me.” She said in that voice that Ryo just couldn’t resist and that voice that he was, right there and then, in love with. As he realized this, another cursing came over him. His dirtied hand tangled with his black hair.
“I’m sorry. I-I can’t tak-take you if you d-don’t…” His words clashed together as he stood up, reaching for his own kimono to put on. Maki was taken aback. She was his concubine and she needed to let him know. She stood up, following him; the sheet was still covering her petite body.
The rushed feeling came to her mind and concluded that she hated seeing her lord suffer under pain and solitude. Her heart hammered endlessly as she placed her arms around him. The space between them was disappearing as she pressed her body before his.
“Take me.” Maki whispered. Ryo faltered at her words.
“But you love Tomohisa…” He told her. Ryo had known all along. He knew that they were breaking rules and doing forbidden actions. He respected his samurai and taking his subordinate’s own lover was cruel. Perhaps that was why he had chosen not to play with his assigned and rightful concubine.
Ryo cared.
“He’ll understand, My Lord. He knows my place in this and he knows his.” Maki informed him.
Just then, a knock on his door was heard. Quickly, he headed for the door and opened it, only to find one of his trusted and well-respected senior samurai. The samurai softly said something to Ryo and he nodded and dismissed the older man.
“Maki…” How could he say this without breaking her heart? He couldn’t.
Maki cried in his arms holding onto the sleeves of his kimono as she slid to the ground. Her cheeks drenched with uncontrollable tear stains. Someone had killed Tomohisa right after the attack. An enemy has pursued the palace and unfortunately Tomohisa had been there to try and protect his Lord. The older samurai had also informed Ryo that whilst the quick preparation for the battle occurred, Tomohisa had joked quietly about if he had died, he’d be glad that the one to take his beloved, Maki, was his own and respected Lord Nsihikido. For his lord was his first priority and was his last. Allegiance to Ryo stayed as his top precedence even as he took his last breath.
“Tomohisa…Aishiteru.” His name escaped her mouth and she cried more.