The Little Dragon Pt. 4

The Little Dragon Part 4
(KitsukiXIchiro Bodyguard Vanilla Hetero)

Kenshin’s pace was faster than Mayu had seen before. As he walked the streets toward the Governor’s house, she could hear him muttering small words. Was he practicing what he would say? Or still wrestling with the details?

It was no small task to accuse a governor, or a Mirumoto, of murder. Kenshin planned to accuse Noriko of four. It was the impressive kind of bravery that did not happen on the battlefield, that no one would believe if she lived to talk to her cousins back home.

There were guards in front of the Governor’s, and Mayu felt her hairs bristle. Men with long spears who appeared ready to stop anyone who tried to force their way inside.

“Slow down, Kenshin,” Mayu said as he approached the steps of the building.

Mayu still couldn’t get over the soldiers on the street. Why was Noriko so guarded? Kenshin’s pace slowed, but the men moved out of the way as he approached. They weren’t going to stop a determined magistrate? What were their orders then?

Mayu followed behind him as they went through the halls. Her hand reached out and grabbed him at the shoulder, stopping him before they could reach Mirumoto Noriko’s meeting room on the far end.

He looked up at her, almost bewildered. It was as if she had pulled him back to reality.

“Kenshin,” Mayu said, looking back toward the guarded doorway, “This could be the difficult part.”

He took in a deep breath, and his eyes calmed as he let it out. He nodded.

“Noriko is a bushi,” Kenshin said, “If she feels cornered, she could attack. As a student of the Mirumoto school…” He trailed off.

“This is the part where I defend you,” Mayu said. The words came out quiet. She hated the thought of Kenshin being in danger, but when he was fighting peasants she could trust his training to protect him. That wasn’t true against Noriko. Mayu wasn’t even sure she could defeat Noriko.

Mayu let go of him, but Kenshin’s eyes stayed locked on her. This made her duty difficult. On the battlefield, she couldn’t question her every movement. She had to accept the guidance of her teachings, and the voice within. It was the voice that told her they could be walking into an ambush, and the voice that told her she would need her katana this evening.

“We have a task to perform,” He said, “Even if it puts us in danger. That is our duty.”

Mayu couldn’t help it, she frowned, “I would rather you live.”

What she meant to say was, I will ensure you live, or something to that effect.

Kenshin’s eyes went wide, and he gasped, “Mayu?”

A voice came from down the hall, a light wrapped around the contained fury that was Mirumoto Noriko.

“Kitsuki Kenshin,” She said, “I assume you have something to report?”

They both stood straight, and moved to the same low table that they first met at when they entered the town.

Kenshin bowed, and Mayu followed. Noriko bowed her head, but she didn’t move to kneel.

Mayu noticed Noriko was unarmed. She didn’t know if this put her at ease, or made her more nervous than ever.

“This is your second day,” Noriko said, “I have heard stories of your movements around my humble town. Tell me, Magistrate, how do you grade the justice I’ve enacted?”

Mayu was standing beside Kenshin this time, her eyes darting between Noriko, Kenshin, and the details of the small room.

“I thank you for allowing us to research the truth in this matter, governor,” Kenshin said, his words flowed free, but his expression was stoic. This wasn’t the jovial pair that met the morning before.

Noriko nodded.

Kenshin took a step forward, “I’ve come to request that you admit your guilt in the murder of the woman, Kairi.”

Mayu didn’t know what to expect when Kenshin accused her, but it wasn’t the calm woman before him. Her eyebrows arched, and her head tilted to the side.

“Maybe you better explain, magistrate Kitsuki,” Noriko said.

“I suspected you from the moment we first entered town,” Kenshin said, he started to talk around the room as he spoke, “You have the town on high alert, and you publicly executed several men for the murder of one low woman. It was a strong gesture for a small town. I knew of your temper, and I tested it when we first met. You could barely contain yourself when even faced with the idea of someone challenging your views. It is no surprise that you would overreact to someone stealing your future husband.”

Noriko’s chest puffed out as Kenshin spoke, “I advise you, Magistrate or not, to watch your words Kitsuki. Do you have no shame?”

Kenshin turned to face Noriko head on, “You knew Rokurou was meeting with another woman.”

“I assure you,” She replied, “I did not. Even if I did…”

“You learned about this woman, and you informed Rokurou of her behavior, accused her of being a loose woman. When he didn’t change his behavior, you made plans of your own to be sure that Rokurou would only have eyes for you.”

“I did no such thing!” Noriko snapped, her face growing red. Her voice rose in volume, but Mayu knew that she was still in control, just barely.

“I examined the flesh of the supposed killers,” Kenshin said, “When did you have them killed, governor Mirumoto?”

“I don’t…” She seemed lost, her eyes moving back and forth, a hand touching her waist as if looking for the blade that wasn’t there.

“They were dead before the crime was ever committed,” Kenshin said, “A whole day or more. I believe, Lady Mirumoto, that this would make it hard for them to kill the woman Kairi.”

Noriko violently shook her head, “No, no. I didn’t have them killed.”

“Come out with the truth,” Kenshin said. He took slow footsteps toward her, and Mayu moved in kind. She knew he would walk himself into a concealed blade if that is what it meant to hear the truth. “It is the virtuous thing to do, Noriko.”

“I…” Noriko seemed unstable on her feet, the powerful bushi was barely able to stand, “I wouldn’t kill an innocent man, never, no. The soldiers, they were defense until the peasants were calm.”

Noriko looked up, and her eyes locked on just past Mayu’s shoulder, “You!”

Mayu turned and saw the ronin, that rugged young face, standing in the entryway.

“It appears I’m late,” Saku said, “No surprise there.”

The ronin bowed, then bowed low to Mayu. He was smiling at her again.

Her hand went to the hilt of her katana, out of instinct.

“He brought me their bodies,” Noriko said, “He told me of their crime, and that he caught them in cold blood.”

Kenshin was frozen. Mayu knew why. He had no fear of being wrong, he enjoyed the challenge of finding the truth, except when he thought the case was solved. He was set on the truth before him, but now the mystery had escaped him.

“Is this true?” Mayu said as she drew her blade.

The man watched the reveal of her katana in silence.

“Would it really matter if I started telling the truth now?” Saku said, “We both know you want this to come to blows, Ichiro Mayu.”

He went into a stance of his own, and Mayu felt her muscles tighten. He didn’t draw his katana, it made her think of her small knowledge of some Crane schools. All of this was wrong. None of it made sense anymore.

He moved first, charging forward and slashing with his blade. It existed its sheath in one smooth motion that left Mayu only just able to defend. He was stronger than he looked, but that was still the strength of a small man.

She slashed down at him, and he defended her blows with small deflections. Slashes she had seen rattle a man’s arms were thrown aside like nothing. They traded slashes, Mayu trying the one strategy she knew, moving closer, overwhelming him with her superior height and strength. Her katana clashed with his, and in a brief moment she lost herself, in the excitement, the uncertainty of the moment.

Saku smiled at her, “Good.”

He swept his blade up, and in that moment of weakness her katana was launched from her hands. Mayu’s eyes went wide, and she moved back in time for his katana to sweep across her stomach. She expected excruciating pain, but instead felt only a light sting.

“Mayu!” She heard Kenshin yell.

She dreaded what she would see when she looked over. He was there, charging with his wakizashi out. Mayu’s heart didn’t have a chance to beat.

Saku was unprepared. He wasn’t so weak as to be unable to take on another attacker, but Kenshin wasn’t an organized opponent. The little dragon charged in shoulder first, his blade pointed out near his hip. Saku met his shoulder, but Mayu watched as the blade slipped into Saku.

The ronin growled, and struck Kenshin across the head hard enough to knock him to the ground. He stood with his blade ready to finish Kenshin off. The moment felt like an eternity, every sound of her body was amplified in her ear. Kenshin would die, and she would fail, in her duty, and if she admitted it, in love.

Her axe was free. “Look here!” She yelled.

He turned in time to deflect the first fall of her axe, but in her fury and fear she struck again, and again until his defending arm buckled under her strength. Her last swing went across his chest, a red gash that carried to the floor. Saku fell to the ground with one loud grunt of defeat.

“Kenshin,” She said, dropping her axe as she went to his side.

He was sitting up, but looked no worse off besides a bruise budding on his forehead.

“I have to say sorry again,” Kenshin said, a small grin on his face.

“No,” She replied, “You did fine. You saved me.”

“I decided I would rather…” He let the words go quiet. His smile faded, “I failed, Mayu.”

Mayu watched Noriko move to the body of Saku. The ronin was sputtering blood, a smile on his face as he wasted away. Noriko grabbed him by the collar, lifting his lulling head from the floor.

“Why did you bring them to me?” Noriko yelled, “I trusted you. Why would you do this?”

Mayu looked back to Kenshin, “You didn’t fail, you did fine. You beat him, that was exceptional.”

Kenshin’s eyes brightened as he realized her humor.

Still, they were in a bad situation. Four people were dead, and Kenshin’s mind was scattered. She lifted him to his feet, but her mind was elsewhere. She felt like there was something, a drifting thought that was nagging at her as this whole situation came together.

“I just don’t understand,” Kenshin whispered as they both looked on at Noriko attacking Saku.

What had Kenshin said about the case? There was a hole? Someone had the motivation to cause all this. They thought it was Noriko, but if her words were genuine, she hadn’t actually ordered the death of the three men. Kenshin thought she wanted a clean marriage.

It was a marriage that would honor the Mitsuyama, and ensure the loyalty of the vassel family.

“What about Akiko?” Mayu said out loud. The words weren’t meant to reach anyone’s ears, but she was next to Kenshin, supporting him.

“What?” Kenshin asked.

“Sorry,” She said, “Nothing.”

“No,” Kenshin said, “What about Akiko.”

He up straight, and she could see something alight behind his eyes. It was the look that made her stay with him. It was the mind of the dragon.

“The Mitsuyama had a lot to gain from Kairi’s death. If Noriko had any reason to deny her marriage to Rokurou, they would be left forever, a vassal family. To Rokurou, Kairi was his lover. To Akiko, who married into the Mitsuyama herself, Kairi was a woman between her and a chance to rise to a higher position than she could reach during her own youth.”

Mayu heard a gurgling sound. She looked and saw Saku, laughing as life sputtered out of him.

“Is that true?” Noriko said, more to Kenshin than the man she held, “Would Akiko use me like that?”

“Who told you about Neji?” Kenshin asked.

Noriko reached a brief calm as she thought, “I had tea with Akiko. We were discussing Rokurou, and she brought up his life among the people. His name came up.”

“And you brought it up with Rokurou?” Kenshin asked as he took a step toward her.

“Yes,” She admitted, her eyes falling to the floor, “It is hard to find matters to discuss with him, so I spoke of a name I knew he would recognize.”

“She set it all up,” Kenshin said, a smile appearing at the edge of his mouth, “She knew you would discuss Neji, she knew you would accept responsibility for killing Kairi’s attackers. All of this to keep her son on the honorable path, and absolve her of guilt.”

Mayu nodded at Saku, “What about him?”

Noriko dropped the now dead man, “Her recommendation.”

The governor was calm for a moment, then shouted at the top of her lungs, “Guards! To me!”

A dozen men were there in moments, leaving Mayu to wonder where they were while she was fighting for her life.

“Benzo,” Noriko said to the lead guard, “Go and capture Mitsuyama Akiko, and have her brought to me. She is to answer to the Dragon magistrate for her crimes.”

The man bowed, then the guards all shuffled out together.

Kenshin looked to Mayu, “I think, before I face her, we should rest.”


Later that night, Mayu kneeled in prayer. She extinguished the incense, and sat in the dark. Somewhere, Kenshin was facing the captured and restrained Akiko.

She knew she wasn’t needed there, and took the time to patch up the small cut across her abdomen.

She heard footsteps in the hall, and stood in time to see a familiar silhouette outside her door.

“Mayu?” Kenshin said.

Her mind flashed back to the night before, him standing in that same spot, her hands slick with the sweat from her own body. She thought, that night, that he heard her fall into selfish pleasure. If he did, he made no mention of it.

She slid the door open, and there stood Kenshin, dressed for his duties, unlike her. She was down to a robe for the quiet of night.

He looked up at her, but his gaze still made her feel small. It wasn’t stern, or even angry, it was certain. He had reasoned what he was going to say next, that had to be it.

Kenshin closed the screen behind him, and took a step toward her.

“I thought about what you said earlier,” He said.

She didn’t know what he meant. It could have been anything, even something she said before they entered town. She opened her mouth to speak, but she had no response.

“About wanting me to live,” He clarified, “At the time, it struck me as an odd thing to say, not typical of your behavior at all.”

Mayu could feel heat rising to her face. This wasn’t an event she planned for. What if Kenshin found her feelings for him shameful. When she thought about it, that was the proper feeling for him to have. She used to worry about it, but it was replaced with a fear that he would never recognize her. Now she was recognized, and she had to face what that meant.

She bowed, “I’m sorry, Kenshin. I let the moment grasp me, and spoke out of turn.”

Kenshin’s expression didn’t change, “You do that a lot, don’t you? You’ve taken several opportunities to reprimand me, despite your duty being to me.”

Mayu kept her eyes low, unable to face him.

“I puzzled over this,” He said, “You can imagine my surprise when I reached the obvious conclusion. Your behavior, your changes in speech, even your loyalty, all of it based on that. It makes me look like a fool.”

Mayu shook her head, “No Kenshin, not at all,” there was a touch of panic in her voice, “I just didn’t want to shame myself by… it would be inappropriate.”

Kenshin stepped closer to her. Now, as she looked down, she was looking into his eyes. It looked like he was searching for something, some clue. His fingers moved frantically, his mouth opening and closing as if he was practicing some grand speech.

“You know you solved the case today, right?” Kenshin said, his voice quieter.

She resisted smiling, “No, I just helped you find the path, the one that you always find.”

“It is a path you always help me find,” Kenshin said, “and I’m grateful for that. I will always be grateful.”

He smiled, and Mayu felt her stomach clench. Right there, looking down at his smile, a lifetime of training melted away. She couldn’t hide herself any longer, her yearning for him burned at her. All she could manage was to smile as well.

Kenshin kissed her, and Mayu gasped in surprise. His lips were every bit as tender as she always dreamed, a warmth against her that relaxed her down to her toes. She felt a soft touch at the side of her head, like two fingers searching, and realized it was Kenshin.

The kiss broke, and they looked at one another. She felt the need to say something, to thank him, or apologize, something to explain herself. But when she opened her mouth, he shushed her with a finger.

They kissed again, and this time she closed her eyes, let the moment overtake her. It was one she dreamed about for so long, a moment she saw in his eyes whenever he watched her.

She felt his hands crawl down her body, they moved inch by inch, down the front of her robe, over her concealed nipple, down the new bandage across her upper stomach, to the sash that kept her robe closed. With one tug, it came loose,

“You’ve waited for this,” Kenshin whispered.

Mayu nodded, unable to whisper in reply.

His hands moved under her robe, searched every curve of her side, found the bend that meets her thigh, and turned in. She felt him touch the short hairs above her most private place, and took a deep breath. Would he touch her there? Why would he?

“And you’ve always wanted it to be me?” He asked.

She nodded, “Yes.”

His finger slid along her entrance, teasing her lips in a way that chilled her spine. She tried to stand brave, but then he touched her again, and it was all she could do to avoid collapsing. His finger slid inside, and she blushed at how easy it was, at how wet she was with only his presence.

“You’re more aroused than I expected,” He whispered, “You always manage to surprise me.”

She tried to smile, but he kissed her again. His free hand moved to her shoulder, and he moved them both down to their knees. As they kissed, she could feel him within her. One finger, two, reaching deep within her with a thoroughness that shouldn’t have surprised her. Her every move changed how his touch, her small gasps of pleasure required further action, any small moment of discomfort changed her behavior.

Her breathing was so heavy that she felt faint. Her skin felt hot.

“Kenshin,” She whispered, “You play with me.”

He smiled at her, then moved her to the floor. Her knees to each side of him, looking up into his eyes in the dim light of her room. He slipped out of his pants, and she could see his swollen head, just for her, primed and ready.

His hand ran over her stomach, his fingers lingering on old scars of hers.

“You’re a strong woman, you know that?” He said, “Yet you pine for me. I couldn’t hope to match you in physical strength, and I could never survive as many trials as you have.”

He lay above her, she could feel his excitement pressed against her. She gasped as he entered, surprised at how well he fit her. It sent a thrill through her body, made her curl her toes.

They kissed as he first thrusted, and Mayu held on to his shoulders.

“What you want is someone who can challenge you,” Kenshin whispered to her as he moved, “Not in the typical way. You aren’t afraid of a man with a sharp blade.”

His thrusting was strong, and she could feel each impact reach deep inside her. His words sank in as a rhythm, behind his motions, between the friction, and the growing sensation.

He stopped for a moment, and Mayu snapped to attention, then she felt her knees being brought up above her. Her ass was pulled up, and Kenshin rose above her as well. The new position brought her knees just inches from her shoulders. It felt ridiculous, until he slid into her again, deeper, touching places even she had never reached.

“I thought you would like this one,” He said as he continued.

She couldn’t help but whimper at the deeper penetration. It felt like he had grown, and each thrust struck home. Muscles through her body flexed in preparation for what she knew was coming.

“You want a sharp mind,” He whispered, “You want someone to know you, inside and out, see past your scars, and your axe, and your stoic face, to the beautiful woman inside.”

He let go of her knees, but she could feel his excitement was coming to a head. His every thrust was more powerful than the last, his breath was labored as they pressed against each other.

“I just want you,” Mayu gasped.

She couldn’t restrain herself, not against this. His every word, his touch, all calculated, even in intimacy. He disarmed her, and with a long moan, she cried out in defeat. He spilled into her, and she welcomed every drop, pulled him closer to her, enjoyed his kiss as his manhood trembled within her.

Kenshin looked down at her, kissed her on the forehead, “I’ll be yours. And I’ll serve you, in whatever way you require.”

Mayu’s eyes burned as they filled with tears. She squeezed him tight.


The next day, they were on their horses again. They were riding further South, Kenshin with a small collection of interlocking rings in his hand.

“Where are we going now?” She asked.

“South,” He said plainly, not bothering to look up from his toy.

Mayu shook her head. He was lost again, figuring out some other puzzle. Still, she knew that he needed her, and she needed him. That hadn’t changed.

He looked up from his toy, “A Togashi monk is imprisoned for theft, something about a priceless scroll. I’m sure I will need your help on this one.”

She let him ride past her, and smiled, “Then I will be there for you, magistrate.”