Chapter Text
‘Your bath is ready, my Lord.’ Called Miyo softly.
Preparing Lord Kudou’s bath was a pleasant task, it signalled the start of the end of the day. Miyo had noticed that sometimes and only sometimes it would also signal the loosening of Lord Kudou’s tongue. When their paths crossed going to and from the bathroom Lord Kodou would speak to her, either praise her food again, her diligence of keeping the house in order helping Yurie and even once telling her she looked beautiful.
Miyo had learnt not to hope. She had learnt it when she was young and she had learnt it well. However living at the Kudou residence she had begun to hope, it had started slowly, seeping into her thoughts and feelings and now tonight, she hoped Lord Kudou would speak again.
She lingered, straightening the towels that were already straight. Hope bubbled in her chest as she heard Lord Kudou enter the room. He walked over to the bath, passing her and the bubble of hope burst. She stopped straightening the towels and her stepmothers voice rang in her ears for the fool that she is, turning to face Lord Kudou as she prepared to leave. Miyo risked a glance at him and paused, for he was looking at her with an expression she couldn’t name and any and all words died in her throat.
She felt like a deer caught in headlights and for a moment he just looked at her. Taking her in before speaking.
‘Miyo, I am very good at my job.’ He was still looking at her with that peculiar expression.
‘Yes, my Lord.’ Miyo had a feeling that something was about to happen but couldn’t tell what.
‘I am good because I am thorough. I will check something and I will check it again to make no mistakes. The lives of the people under my command depend on it.’
Lord Kodou paused and looked away. Miyo couldn’t move, her heart beat fast and and her breathing turned shallow. She didn’t know what was happening. He looked back at her, eyes determined. ‘I do not intend my marriage to be a mistake. Therefore I must thoroughly check the compatibility of my future wife and myself.’
This was it Miyo thought, he’s going to send me away. My stepmother, Kaya, my father were right. I am worthless.
‘Miyo,’ Lord Kudou looked to take a step closer and then seemed to think better of it. ‘You have out done all those who have come before you. You are highly competent in all you have shown me.’
Miyo could only stare, so taken aback with what Lord Kodou was saying that she could do nothing else.
‘Your friendship with Yurie, you take any task given in hand, you do things without being asked, you are no bother, you are…’ Lord Kodou cleared his throat and stood straighter and continued on. ‘It would be remiss of me to not check our compatibility in other areas.’
‘Other areas, my Lord?’ Miyo said, she was at a loss. This was not at all the conversation she hoped to have, it was better and simultaneously worse the she had expected.
‘Yes, other areas.’ Lord Kodou paused, nodded to himself. ‘There are times when words will not do and actions are better suited. I told you to obey me the first time we spoke.’
‘Yes, my Lord.’ Miyo whispered.
‘That stands now. We are going to bathe together.’ Lord Kodou said with finality.
Miyo’s eyes were as wide as saucers and quickly dropped her head to look at her feet. She hid her face, she didn’t know what to think, she didn’t know what to say. ‘…Uh…uh, my Lord…I, um…’ she stuttered.
‘Remove your clothes and get in the bath. I will wait outside until you are ready. Then call for me.’ He said as he swept passed. He paused by the door. ‘You will need your hair up so it doesn’t get in the water.’ Then we was gone.
Miyo was in shock. Her heart was thundering, her body sluggish and her mind was racing. Back and forth trying to understand what was happening, what was going to happen. Always coming back to obey, she had agreed to obey. If he told her to leave, she would leave. If he told her to die, she would die. He told her they were going to bathe together and therefore they would bathe together. Surely having a bath with someone was easier than dying? Before tonight she would have thought this, but now she was not sure. With fumbling fingers she undressed and secured her hair, with shaking legs she entered the bath.
Attempting to hide the tremble in her voice, Miyo called out ‘I’m ready, my Lord.’
Her head was bowed when he came in the room and she was concentrating on the freckle on her left knee under the water. Trying not to listen to the strange sounds of a man underdressing. Then before she knew it, he was in the bath with her.
The room was quiet. Minutes went by and the warmth of the bath did nothing to ease the tension in her body.
‘Miyo, lift your head.’ With great effort she did. ‘I promise you that I am not going hurt you.’ She believed him, Lord Kodou had not lied to her in their acquaintance. ‘Give me your hand.’ He said extending his hand out of the water.
Haltingly she placed her hand in his. Her mind knew he would not hurt her but it was her sisters voice that told her. ‘You’re an Ant, Miyo. Everybody who steps on an Ant thinks nothing of it. They have hurt and killed an Ant and it means nothing. Passerbys will see the dead Ant and will think nothing. Because it is nothing. You are an Ant, Miyo. Your pain means nothing, your death will mean nothing. You. Are. Nothing.’ Would Lord Kudou even know if he had hurt her?
Lord Kudou slowly pulled Miyo towards him, keeping her body submerged and turning her to sit between his legs, her back to his front. He let go of her hand but was still touching her. The inside of his lower thighs were touching the outside of hers.
Taking a moment to let her settle, he said ‘Put your hands on my knees and leave them there.’ She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. After letting out the breath she didn’t realise she was holding she put her hands on his knees.
Slowly, not to scare her, Lord Kudou placed his hands on her shoulders.
Miyo could feel the drops of water dripping from his fingertips, the rough calluses from the pommel of his sword and the heat from his hands on her skin.
Time seemed to stand still but eventually the warmth from the bath permeated her body and she started to relax. As soon as Lord Kudou felt the change in her body he started to knead her shoulders.
It felt so good, thought Miyo. A certain awareness had filled her body as soon as he entered the bath and that was still there but it now it was accompanied by a sense of calm that got stronger the longer his skin touched hers. She had only remembered hands hurting her, slaps from her stepmother and pushes from her sister. Lord Kudou’s hands were gentle and kind.
His hands moved slowly, sliding under the water and massaging the back of her ribcage. She had to bite her tongue to prevent any noises coming out her mouth. His hands felt like magic, maybe that was part of his gift? She thought, stretching her neck and moving her head side to side when her touched a part of her lower back that made her want to moan.
Her mind was quiet and all she could think about was how good she felt. Her mind and her body were more relaxed then she could remember being. Lord Kudou’s hands left her back and went to her knees, where he started to slowly massage up her legs.
It just felt so good. His hands were big and warm and she felt safe, so safe that she didn’t panic when his hands got to the top of her thighs. He squeezed her legs and she couldn’t help but let a moan out. His hands stayed there for a while and her own hands had left his knees and traveled to his thighs as she had leaned back against him. When she had done this, she did not know. Miyo was too relaxed and happy to think much of this and as Lord Kudou had not told her to put her hands back she thought nothing more of it.
Speaking of hands, Lord Kudou’s had left her thighs and travelled to her stomach and were leisurely circling her bellybutton. He was breathing in her hair, her head against his chest, his heartbeat loud in her ear and she felt something hot and hard against her lower back when one of his hands left her belly and moved up to her ribcage.
‘Miyo,’ Lord Kudou said, his voice rising above her heavy breathing, ‘I’m going to touch your breasts now.’ He waited and when she didn’t object he covered her breast with his palm.
Miyo gasped and closed her eyes. His hand on her belly moved to cup her other breast and it felt wonderful. She had explored her body before but it had never felt anything like this.
Miyo wasn’t embarrassed, she felt so safe and taken care of, she could only embrace the feeling of his hands on her. He massaged her breasts, touched her nipples and it made her whole body burn. She felt Lord Kuduo press his lips to her head and inhale against her hair.
One of his hands left her breast and trailed back down to her stomach and made its way lower Raising his head from her hair he told her ‘I’m going to touch you between your legs now.’ And he did. His hand slipped down and found her most intimate part. Her legs widen of their own accord and one of her hands lifted from his thigh to grip the back of his neck while the other grabbed his wrist. To pull his hand away or push it closer, she wasn’t sure. He opened her up, stroked her and the fire that had started when he first touched her skin inflamed. Every touch he made stoked it higher, made her burn brighter. Eyes still closed she turned her cheek into his chest and moaned, long and low, short and high, the noises he illicit from her were sinful.
‘My Lord, my Lord, please, please…’ she didn’t know what she was asking for. Her body was burning too bright and felt like she was going to burst.
‘It’s okay, It’s okay. I’ve got you. Let go. Let it take you. I’ve got you.’ Lord Kudou said in a rough whisper.
Miyo could do nothing but obey. She let go, let the fire burn until it reached its peak and exploded. Pulling a noise from her throat she didn’t know she could make and causing her to go limp in Lord Kudou’s arms.
Wonderful sensations ran throughout her body, she felt boneless as she lay against him. One of his hands flat on stomach and the other trailing a path from her thigh and to her neck and back again.
She couldn’t say how long she lay on him before the lovely hum in her body started to dissipate. She was relaxed but she realised Lord Kudou wasn’t, his hand on her stomach was tense, his body behind her taut and is breathing was loud and forced.
The warm feeling in her bones left instantly. They weren’t compatible. She had failed.
Leaning forward and slipping out from his grasp she could think more clearly. This touch clouded her mind and she would need all her senses to be able to leave this room without crying.
Lord Kudou hadn’t moved, he let her go, his hands dropping away from her body with no protest. She could feel his stare on her back and steeling herself, she turned towards him. Keeping her head bowed she spoke in a voice stronger then she was feeling ‘I apologise, my Lord. I-’
‘What?’ Interrupted Lord Kudou. ‘Lift your head Miyo and tell me what you are sorry for.’
She lifted her head but kept her eyes lowered as she spoke. ‘I am sorry, my Lord. We are not compatible. My reactions in the bath and your reaction now show that we are not suited. I am sorry, my Lord.’ Miyo bowed her head again and waited to be cast out.
Lord Kudou took a deep breath and said ‘You are mistaken. We are compatible. Your reactions have pleased me greatly, Miyo.’
Head still bowed, Miyo absorbed what he had said and stayed still because she did not know how to process it.
Lord Kudou spoke again and his voice was tight. ‘Leave the bath and go to your room, Miyo. We are done for the night.’
‘Yes, my Lord.’ Said Miyo. She did not know how she did it but she left the bath, gathered her clothes, sorted herself out and was at the door ready to leave before her mind had stopped whirring.
Stepping through the doorway and kneeling down she said ‘Goodnight, my Lord.’
‘Goodnight, Miyo.’ Said Lord Kudou and his eyes caught hers as she slid the door closed. They were alight and full of flame.
Once the door had closed she found she could breath easier. Standing up Miyo stared at the door that separated them and thought of all that had transpired. Reliving it in her mind until the sound of splashing water and a low deep groan from the other side of the door filled her ears.
Knocked from her revere she hurried to her room. Knowing at least she wouldn’t have nightmares tonight as there was little chance of her sleeping.