Blades and Flowers

Blades and Flowers

Disclaimer: These characters are owned by other affiliates not me, nor do I get paid for the fiction you are about to read. They’re only written for your and my pure enjoyment.


Kaoru is a girl living on her own and she needs a job and the only thing she is capable of doing is sword fighting. Kenshin (Battousai as he is known) owns a dojo and needs an assistant master for his dojo. will he accept kaoru or turn her down like all the other dojos. and if he accepts her will it grow to something more.

Chapter One

‘But ya gotta give me a chance!’
‘No and besides you’re a girl, too young. There’s no way you have any skill. Ha ha woman samurai indeed. Run home and practice your tea ceremony, you don’t even own a real sword, you’re carrying a stick.’

Before she could protest the door slammed in the young woman’s face. That sound was becoming familiar as she was turned down by every dojo in Edo for two days now. Hungry, tired and desperate the young samurai was not giving up. She adjusted her gi and went on her way cursing the rude man for not giving her a decent chance of showing him her skills when she happened upon a little street. It was quiet with lines of cherry blossom trees. Feeling this was a good sign she walked along the wall tracing the worn marks with her hands when she was almost knocked down by a man being tossed out of a door..

She falls on her butt and looks up ready to tell off whomever didn’t watch what they were doing until she saw the man step out with his hands quietly resting inside the arms of his kimono.

‘If you ever come here with such pitiful skills again I will rid your family of their disgrace.’

The words he spoke were true, she could tell. Looking over she saw the man get up and draw his sword. He had a huge gash on his arm and one in his leg. She sat and wondered why he would try to attack with such wounds. The man lunged, his sword above his head ready to come down on the strange swordsman, when a gush of wind rushed around them waving her hair in her face blocking the fight. Quickly moving the strands out of her way she saw the man, lying at her feet, his chest rushing with blood, his eyes still capturing the sight of the blade that ended his life. She tried to control herself but found it difficult and leapt from her place into the swordsman’s arms.

‘May I help you with something?’ he said coldly.
‘I..I..I….’ she stammered.

He kindly pushed her off of him and she landed on her butt again.

‘Hey how dare you I outta…’

She didn’t see him draw the blade, it was too fast, she only saw the edge of it almost sitting on her nose.

‘As you can clearly see I’m not in the mood for any games little girl so…’

He was interrupted by one of his what looked like a house servant.

‘Sir pardon the intrusion but the new cook hasn’t arrived yet, what shall we do about the birthday dinner tonight?

He turned his head to see the servant and spoke without even putting the sword down. Too scared to move she listened to the conversation and came up with a plan. She was turned down by the simplest of samurai and she knew if she asked this man he would do more than laugh in her face, she was confident in that.

‘….so go down and find someone or I’ll be hiring a new liaison also.’
‘Yes..yes sir, I’ll get on it right away.’
‘As for you what business do you have here, are you with this pitiful excuse of a corpse, do you want to join his untimely demise as well?’

She swallowed hard and stood up slowly her eyes never leaving the blade as it followed her movements. She bowed her head and confidently said that she was said ‘cook’ and was running late. She moved her eyes slightly and saw the blade being slid back into its sheath with a soft click. She saw him look her over and huffed at the wooden sword on her hip.

‘From the looks of that you’re more like a fighter to me. Are you sure you haven’t come to challenge me on behalf of our dead companion here?’

Her head shook from side to side too nervous to use her voice.

‘I’m not a fighter, I found it and kept it. I was looking to see if a little boy dropped it while playing. I does not belong to me.’

She hoped he believed her and she heard his footsteps leaving her as he entered the doorway and disappeared.

‘Are you coming or not?’
‘Oh, right sorry.’

She was elated that she got in the door and she didn’t want to mess her big opportunity to learn whatever skills this man had. She’d decided to play the role of servant and catch any lessons he gave without giving her plan away. She was lost in her thoughts when she bumped into him. She didn’t know that he had stopped let alone spoke to her.

‘Oh I’m so sorry..’

She couldn’t finish because she found her self pressed between the wall and his body.
‘I will not tolerate such insolence, you will answer me when I speak to you understand.’
‘Yes I understand.’
‘You understand what?’
‘I understand to speak when spoken to.’

She could see that he’d gotten angry and she didn’t know why. He stepped back placing his hand on top of the sword’s hilt. Her mind raced when she noticed she gave him no sign of respect and corrected herself quickly.

‘Master…I understand Master.’

Seeming to be pleased by her response he turned and continued to walk.

‘I accepted sir, but if you prefer Master than that’s what it shall be.’

She hated that word so much but she needed to get his good side or she’d be out on her ass again and her stomach was too empty for that.

‘Your name?’
‘Master, my name is Kaoru Kamiya.’
‘Really, it doesn’t suit you. From now on your name is **Gensou.’
‘Gensou Master?’
‘Yes.’
‘What does it mean if it’s not rude to ask.’
‘None of your business and it is.’

Kaoru found she was not fond at all of the new Master she acquired, but she knew becoming a samurai would be hard task and she would do it no matter what it took. He explained her duties to her. She was to cook, clean, buy groceries and take care of the house whenever he was away. She agreed not saying a word unless asked. He introduced her to the rest of the staff which were basically on lookers. He showed her room, small and quaint with a view of the garden and across the pond was his room.

‘That is my room. You are not allowed inside unless I give you specific permission. Think of it as one less room to take care of.’

He stepped into the hallway half way closing her door.

‘For this dinner I want it done and on the table by 8:00 tonight no exceptions. You are to prepare, rice balls, eel, squid, rice patties, sushi, tofu, homemade sake and present a tea ceremony according to my family’s traditions.’

The menu itself overwhelmed her and she was about to make a face when she was caught by the Master.

‘By the way…I have none of these things here is money to purchase food and I expect you to wear the traditional arrangement for this occasion.’

The door closed and she put her heart back inside her chest, when his voice came through the thin white paper.

‘If you’re going to disrespect me in anyway always make sure my presence is not known.’

Already off on a bad foot.

**Gensou is Kanji for Illusion.
**Battousai names her this because she has the illusion that she can become a samurai or that she already is one.