Willem Brandszoon. Swordsman.

In the following months, Willem visited Yamamoto several times a week, and he had a muscle ache each time the training was done. At first he'd been in actual pain as his upper body muscles had not had such a workout in forever, but he was healthy and strong, and he soon felt better. And he got better. His long arms gave him the advantage of a longer reach, and Master Yamamoto was pleased with Yoshinobu's progress. Even when it would still take a long time before Willem would actually be good with his sword.

Willem knew that 'good' referred to the way that samurai could handle their blades, and he didn't count on making it that far, nor was that the reason he was practicing. Everything he learned now was good, and he felt confident he was even more able to keep Haruna safe. And Reika. And Misako. All three women had grown on him, and they all felt safe with him.

Willem didn't dare to say a word about his feelings towards the three women, but he felt he really loved all of them.

Besides the sword training, he also got training in using the staff, and Reika kept him busy with learning more Japanese. He was even trying to read the language, but that was very hard for him.

Learning the intricacies of the staff happened in the small garden behind the house, where Willem was now free to go. The trainer was one of Lord Masamune's men, appointed by the lord himself. The man hadn't been very keen on this assignment at first, but after the first few lessons he'd taken it as a challenge to make this strange hulk of a man as fearsome as possible with the fighting staff. And Willem enjoyed that challenge. Of course he got slapped and hit plenty of times, but that got less and less.

After one of such lessons Willem gladly put the staff away. He'd actually managed to hit his trainer once, which was more luck than skill, but it counted.

Misako smiled at him as he came in. "I watched you, Yoshi San." She had started calling him that. "I made a bath for you."

"Arigato, Misako. Thank you." Willem needed that. These fights were hard work and sweaty affairs. As he followed her to the bathing room, he recalled how that had changed too. In his sailor life, washing and bathing hadn't been that important. Being in a storm, outside and getting drenched, was most of the bathing sailors on most merchant ships did. He shuddered at the thought of having to go back there. With Lord Masamune and Haruna he'd been to a few more ships, and the stench there had gotten worse each time.

They both undressed in the bath room. Having a bath with Misako around was always fun. As he sat in the bath, with Misako washing him, Haruna came in.

"I though I heard you here," she said as she slipped out of her clothes. "How was your training, Yoshi?"

He told her what had happened and how he's actually managed his little success. She smiled and said she was happy to hear that. Then she stepped into the water as well. They often shared a bath, even if the tub was a bit too small for that. Neither of them cared about that. They were so used to being together, skin to skin, that this had become normal. Haruna simply sat in Willem's lap, which was the best way to do this.

Misako kept washing Willem, but included Haruna in that ceremony too now. That, too, had become normal.

The two in the bath silently enjoyed the warm water and Misako's gentle movements over their skin. At times, when there was an option, Willem or Haruna reached out and touched Misako, stroked her, as a thank you for what she did. Willem knew that wasn't necessary. Misako was basically a servant, but Haruna had 'promoted' her to something more. She, Willem and Reika knew that, as did Misako, and that didn't need to be spoken.

Willem wrapped his arms around Haruna's waist and held her. "I like this."

Haruna sighed as she leaned into him. "So do I, Yoshi." She'd started calling him that more and more.

They were quiet for a long time, simply feeling happy as they were together.

Misako was done washing them and asked if there was anything else she could do.

"No. You can go," said Haruna. Earlier, Willem had been surprised about that, but he'd gotten accustomed to these moments. This meant that Haruna wanted time alone with him.

Misako made sure the water was still warm enough, gathered her clothes, and then left.

Willem had moved one of his hands. It cupped one of Haruna's breasts, and he mindlessly rubbed the nipple with a thumb.

"You make me happy, Yoshi," she whispered. "You make me happy in a dangerous way."

"Dangerous?" For a moment he stopped rubbing the nipple. "How that?"

She looked at him. "I should not say this, as I am a woman. A noble woman, but still a woman, Yoshi. But I..." She averted her eyes and looked at the water. "I have fallen in love with you." The words were just a whisper. "And that is dangerous."

"Because I'm not Japanese," he understood. In a way, her words had shocked him. It was not scary but something he felt too. He'd been hiding his feelings for her as well as possible.

"Hai. Yes. And you are not the right class."

"I'm only an honorable man. I understand." Willem knew he had to face that truth.

"But my heart does not understand that, Yoshi," she said, now looking at him again. "It sees more than an honorable man."

He felt his heart beat faster. Her pretty face was close to his, her eyes were big and incredible. "My heart doesn't understand that either, Haruna Sama," he whispered. "Because I love you too."

"You do?" She seemed genuinely surprised and her face suddenly radiated happiness. She put a hand over his that still held her breast. "You made me happy, Yoshi. But no one should know."

Willem nodded. He knew they were playing with fire all of a sudden, with all this honesty out in the open. Even when it was just between the two of them. Not finding anything else to say, he pulled her close and kissed her. Haruna didn't resist.

*

A few days later, a messenger from Lord Masamune's castle arrived. The man knelt down deep and told Haruna that she and her household had to move to the castle with haste.

Of course she wanted to know why, but the messenger only repeated what he was ordered to tell.

Willem looked at her. He had no idea what this was about either. "We should go," he advised. "Lord Masamune won't order that without a good reason."

Haruna nodded. "I know, but that doesn't mean I like to give up my home just like that." She sounded a bit rebellious. Willem liked that a lot about her. Despite that though, there was no going against the word of Lord Masamune, so Willem warned Misako and Reika to pack the necessary things.

The messenger announced that a few people were already waiting outside to help in carrying everything to the castle. That meant there was something big going on.

About an hour later, they were ready to move. Their belongings were stored in crates and baskets, that the carriers were lifting up. Willem had shoved his sword in his belt and had the staff in hand. He looked at the chair that had been brought for Haruna. People would carry her to the castle, to make the journey faster. That made him worry about the situation. What was going on?

He asked some of them, but no one dared to answer. As soon as Haruna had taken the seat, they lifted the chair and hurried off.

Willem looked at Misako and Reika. "Will you be okay?" He felt responsible for them, even though that wasn't his task.

"We will. Take care of the lady, Yoshinobu," said Reika. "We'll be with the carriers of our things."

He nodded and jogged off, in pursuit of the chair and the woman he loved.

That was easy enough; the four men didn't actually run. They did go a lot faster than Haruna could have walked, though.

The trip to the castle went quite fast. Willem wondered if more people had been ordered inside the big stone walls, because there were none in sight. Maybe there were more and they were still packing. Or they were already there.

Haruna's chair and Willem passed through the gate, and the chair was put down once they were near the proper entrance. Willem helped her get out of the chair, which earned him a quick but loving smile. They both knew they had to be careful here. People saw them and would watch them.

A samurai walked up to her and bowed. He asked her to follow him. The man merely glanced at Willem, knowing he'd follow too. His appearance was known well by now, and people knew that Yoshinobu was not someone to cross. He took his duty as bodyguard very seriously.

They walked through the various corridors and came to a halt in a part of the castle that Willem had never seen before. Lord Masamune wasn't there, but they were greeted by a noble woman, Masamune's wife Ayaka, who welcomed them.

"We are very sorry, Lady Haruna," the woman said, bowing to her. "Lord Masamune received word about an uprising near Shimabara and he fears for your well-being. That is why he ordered you to be here, until the unrest is over."

Haruna looked scared all of a sudden, and she reached out to Willem. That was very uncommon in public, so he wondered what worried her. He also wondered where Shimabara was. He'd never heard of it.

Lady Ayaka smiled. "You need not worry, Lady Haruna. Your bodyguard is to remain here for your safety. My lord husband has enough men to defend the castle if problems arise."

"Thank you, Lady Ayaka," Haruna said, bowing to their hostess.

Willem was relieved to hear that their relocation was just a precaution. That meant that Reika and Misako weren't in any kind of danger out there. Still he hoped the two would be inside the castle walls soon. He was Haruna's bodyguard, but he'd become very protective of the two, and Haruna knew and appreciated that.

Lady Ayaka asked if there was anything she could do for them. Haruna thanked her for that. She wanted to go into their new dwelling for a while, which Ayaka understood. She said that servants would be there for them, and left.

When they were alone, Haruna took Willem's hand. "I'm afraid, Yoshi. Afraid that something bad will happen and that Lord Masamune will require you to go and fight."

Willem wrapped her in his arms. "Nothing like that will happen, my love. Let's go inside and see what space we've been given. And wait for the others."

She let him guide her into their rooms.

*

Misako and Reika arrived not much later, together with men who brought their quickly gathered belongings. Willem and Misako supervised everything they brought in, to make sure nothing had vanished. Everything was accounted for, which made him feel good.

They distributed their luggage over the various rooms they'd been given, where Misako unpacked everything. Willem wanted to help her but he knew he shouldn't. At home this wouldn't be an issue, but they were in another man's house, and someone could come in. If he helped a servant and someone were to see that, it would give off a wrong signal.

After some time a servant asked permission to enter. Haruna allowed it. A young woman came in and bowed. She said that the lady asked for the guests to join her.

Haruna nodded as she looked at Willem. He understood that they'd leave Misako and Reika here, or they would find something to do elsewhere. Next he wondered if he should take the sword with him. Lord Masamune would probably be happy seeing the bodyguard wearing it, but Willem didn't know if the man would be there, and taking a sword to the lady of the house would not be a friendly gesture. As if Haruna read his mind, she smiled and pointed at the door. Not at the sword. That answered his question.

They got up. Willem walked out first, out of habit, to make sure the corridor was empty. Then he bowed for Haruna, as he should do here.

They followed the servant to a nice room with a view of a garden, where Lady Ayaka was waiting for them. She had arranged for tea and some special cakes to enjoy.

The two joined her, and spent quite some time with the woman. It was mostly them speaking, with Willem only answering questions when they were directed at him. Lady Ayaka seemed very intrigued by him, though. More than Willem had expected.

She told Haruna that she'd never been a foreigner this way. Everyone had always told her that the gai-jin were rough and uneducated. Yoshinobu proved to her that they could be pleasant to be near. Haruna said that he had worked very hard to achieve this position, and he was still working on improving himself.

Lady Ayaka then pondered something for a while. "Ever since I heard of Yoshinobu saving my lord husband and you, at the Dejima harbor, I wondered how you..." She hesitated as she looked at Haruna. "I mean, gai-jin are not allowed to cross the bridge." The woman almost looked embarrassed for asking such a personal question.

Haruna smiled. "You surely know that I am not always following the proper lines of etiquette, Lady Ayaka. I was curious, and there was no husband to tell me what I could and could not do." She didn't go into any details and left the topic at that. Lady Ayaka was a smart woman who understood things quickly.

After some more talking, Lady Ayaka invited the two to have dinner with her. "My lord husband is not at home tonight, so you will only have my company."

Haruna assured her that was fine, and Willem thanked her in his best Japanese, which the woman appreciated.

*

Haruna and Willem were back in their rooms. Dinner with Ayaka had been very nice, and now the two sat down with Misako and Reika, who'd had dinner with the servants of the castle.

Haruna looked at the three people with her. "We will have company tonight."

"Company?" Willem was puzzled.

"The lady," Haruna said. "She is very curious about you and me." She smiled. "And Lord Masamune is not here."

Willem blinked. "You mean she..."

"Secretly," Haruna said. "Yes." She looked at Misako and Reika. "You will sleep in another room tonight."

"Hai, Haruna Sama," the two said, and they immediately got up and left.

"How do you know?" Willem asked. He was certain he'd heard most of the conversation.

"I know," was all Haruna said. "And no one should know." She rose and started extinguishing all the lights except for two smaller ones, which left them just enough light to see shadows. She sat down opposite him. "And now we wait."

As they sat in silence, Willem reached out for her hand and held it for a moment. Haruna's warm hand felt good in his own.

Not much later there was a soft rustle. Haruna got up and went into the small reception area of their set of rooms. Not much later she returned with a figure completely wrapped in a black cloak with a hood over their head. A figure the size and shape of Lady Ayaka.

Haruna stood next to the guest in black and simply let her robe drop down and stood there, naked. She looked at Willem, who took the hint. He also got up and let his clothes slide to the ground. Seeing Haruna's outline, and knowing she was naked, was enough for him to get aroused.

Haruna stepped behind the cloaked person and slowly removed the black garment. The woman beneath it wore a white mask with a painted face on it, which covered the upper part of her face. It was so pale that he could see it in the dim light.

Haruna led the woman, Ayaka, closer to Willem where she knelt down, pulling their guest down as well. Without hesitation, Haruna wrapped a hand around Willem's hard cock and her lips around the head. Slowly she licked and sucked him for a while, making him feel weak in the knees. She had a way of doing that.

After a short while, Haruna let go of him and made space for Ayaka to do the same. Ayaka's hand was small and trembled a bit as she took hold of the thick member. Slowly she pressed her lips against it, then she dared to lick it slowly.

A few moments later both women were licking his cock, either together or sharing it quickly, and then Ayaka slipped her mouth around it. Willem looked down and wished there was more light, but it was obvious that Haruna was massaging the woman's breasts and pinching her nipples as Ayaka got more brave and took his cock deeper in her mouth. She softly moaned.

Willem was close to exploding under the attention that the two gave him. Right on time, the two let go and gave him some time to recover. He knew he wouldn't have lasted much longer, otherwise.

Haruna took Ayaka by the hand as she got up, and they walked to the larger of the two beds in the room, where they both lay down. Haruna made sure Ayaka's legs were spread. She slowly caressed the woman's genitals.

Willem walked over there and knelt down, watching the slender, nimble fingers do their work in the near darkness. He was surprised how calm Ayaka remained. She didn't seem worried about any of this. He reached out and let his fingers take over from Haruna's. Haruna turned to their guest's breasts and nipples, teasing them, licking and sucking them, while he massaged the soggy pussy, probing between the folds and leaning over to give them a good licking.

Ayaka quietly moaned, and her hips started moving because of all the attention the two gave her body.

Willem's tongue worked the hairy pussy. He licked wherever he could reach, and he noticed that doing all this in the very dim light added a special tension to the act. He couldn't actually see what he was going to do, so many encounters with the soft skin and the rough hair was a surprise for him as well. Meanwhile his cock was refusing to get any harder and demanded release, but he wasn't certain if fucking the lady of the castle was part of the plan, and asking that would be very awkward.

Haruna sat up and pushed Willem back a little, after which she slid two fingers inside Ayaka. The woman moaned louder now, and Haruna pumped her fingers in and out several times as she looked at Willem, nodding. It was clear that fucking time had finally arrived.

His lover pulled her fingers free and lay down with Ayaka, whispering into the woman's ear, while Willem got on top of Ayaka and maneuvered his cock into position. Ayaka spread her legs a little more, which was all the encouragement he needed. He pushed in, feeling her opening up to the slightest pressure. Haruna's finger-work had prepared the woman well. Still he moved slowly. The woman was perhaps not used to his size, and the feeling of entering her should take as long as possible.

Ayaka's moans were muffled by Haruna kissing the woman, while her hands kept playing with the lady's nipples and breasts, right in front of Willem's face. All that together was arousing in a way he hadn't experienced very often. Sure, sex with Haruna and the other two always was fabulous, but that never was so secretive as this round, with the lady of the master of the area.

Haruna then pushed a hand between Ayaka and Willem, and started working the woman's pussy. Ayaka sounded more and more urgent in her moaning and sighing, and she held a hand over her mouth to muffle most of that.

"Where do I cum?" Willem asked Haruna in a whisper. He wasn't far away from that.

"Outside," Haruna whispered back. "First her." She moved her fingers faster, while Willem did his best to keep the fucking going and also giving her enough space for what she aimed to do.

High squeals came from the lady's lips as she had her orgasm, invoked by Willem's and Haruna's activities, and her pussy squeezed hard on his erection. It took a lot of his control to keep from getting off. Only when Haruna nodded, did he pull out of the woman. Haruna grabbed his hard member and started sucking him, forcing him to cum inside her mouth very soon.

By the time he was spent, Haruna leaned over Ayaka and used a finger to open the woman's mouth. Then she slowly let his cum drip from her mouth into that of the lady of the castle, who didn't make any move to avoid that.

Willem's cock was still hard and pulsing, and watching that scene, even when it happened in the shadows, kept it that way.

Haruna took her time in emptying her mouth. She gave Ayaka enough time to swallow everything. Then she knelt down between Ayaka's legs and slowly started teasing and kissing the woman's tender parts.

Willem stared at her ass, that was up in the air as an invitation. He knew Haruna. She did this on purpose, so he moved behind her and pressed the head of his still hard cock against her pussy. She pushed backwards a little, making her intention clear. He waited for her to go full force on Ayaka's pussy again before sliding inside her.

Haruna's pussy welcomed his cock. He couldn't call this anything else. She fit around him as if they were made for each other. As he fucked her, slow and deep, he saw how Ayaka lifted her head a few times, as if she wanted to watch what the two were doing. She didn't manage that very long though. Haruna's tongue skills brought her to her next explosion quite fast.

As the lady of the house was twitching, Willem pulled out of Haruna and tipped her over, on her back, after which he licked her pussy until she came. She'd done a lot to make Ayaka get her fill, and Willem decided she had to have her own too, and when it happened, Ayaka was sitting up and watching them.

Haruna squirmed and grabbed the bed with one hand, and Ayaka's arm with the other as her hips bounced.

Willem had already moved away to safety. He knew how violently his lover could respond to some well placed oral attention. He watched her chest rise and fall, her nipples hard and excited, while he savored the taste of her juices.

Ayaka lay a hand on one of Haruna's breasts, bent over, and slowly licked the nipple. She did it only once. Then she got up and turned her back to Willem. It was obvious that the three-person orgy was over and she intended to leave. He understood that she'd need the black cloak for that, and he scrambled around to find it. In the dim light, the garment was hard to locate, but he did find it.

Without touching the woman, he draped the cloak over her shoulders. As she fastened the belt, he lifted the hood over the woman's head.

For a moment it seemed as if she wanted to turn and face him, but she just turned her head a bit and whispered, "Arigato. Thank you." Then she pulled the hood down a bit further and walked off.

Willem was stunned. The lady of the castle had thanked him as an equal. A mere 'domo' would have been amazing already, a word that meant 'good'. But this?

He knelt down on the bed and looked at Haruna, who looked up at him. Carefully he stroked her cheek. "How do you feel, my love?" he whispered.

She held out her arms and held him close. "Now I feel good," she said. Together they pulled the cover over their bodies and held each other until they fell asleep.

*

Very early in the morning, Haruna and Willem woke up because of a lot of shouting outside their rooms. Willem jumped up, grabbed his sword and raced out to the corridor. He was naked but he didn't care about that.

"What?" he yelled at a few servants.

One of them told him that there was a problem at the gate. Willem asked if the woman knew if the men at the gate would be able to handle the problem. She said she didn't know, so Willem stayed at his post. His job was to protect Haruna.

"Yoshi..." Misako came out with a robe for him, which he quickly put on.

"Arigato," he said. "Thank you. Where is Lady Ayaka?"

Misako didn't know, so he asked another servant, who knew that the lady was in her room. As the woman spoke, there was noise coming from down the corridor. Then there was the sound of women screaming.

"Fuck." Willem walked down the corridor, occasionally looking back to make sure that no one got to Haruna's quarters from the other side. For a moment he thought he saw a man hurrying away. Was he wearing Masamune's colors? Willem didn't recall ever seeing him, but he hadn't had a proper look of the man. He dismissed the event and looked around the corner as he reached it.

Three unknown men in dark clothing stood there, looking into a specific room where the screaming came from. Willem drew the sword, dropped the scabbard, and stormed forward, the sword ready to strike. As he was barefoot, the trio didn't hear him coming, so cutting the first man down was easy. The second one tried to grab a knife, but Willem hew a few times, dealing with that man as well. The training with the sword kicked in and he acted almost automatically.

The third man had bought himself some time because of that. He held a large knife, which he used to slash at Willem. He cut through the sleeve of the robe and across the former sailor's chest.

Willem felt a sharp pain; the man had gotten him. He grabbed the man's face with his free hand and slammed him against the wall, driving the sword up and into the man's throat in one move. It was something he'd practiced and had hoped he'd never have to use. Before the man had fallen to the ground, Willem was already inside the room where the noise and screaming still were going on.

Two men had forced themselves onto Ayaka. One of them held her down, the other was preparing to rape the woman. Both of them had their backs to Willem, which was a bad thing for them.

The bodyguard made his blade go down the wannabe rapist's shoulder with all the force he could muster, and the sword got stuck halfway down the man's rib cage.

The other man jumped up, knives in both hands, and he charged at Willem. He managed to slice the other sleeve without really hurting the sailor, and a moment later he was rammed into a wall as well. Willem was furious about this attack and hit the man's face until it was reduced to a red pulp. Only then did he let the man go and knelt down with Lady Ayaka.

"Are you well?" he asked, to find she was unconscious. The woman's face was pale white, and her throat showed red marks where the last attacker had tried to strangle her. He knew he'd been right on time, or she'd have been done for.

Willem picked her up and carried her out of the room, and from there he went straight back to Haruna's quarters. He lay the woman down on the first bed he found, looked at Misako and Reika, and ordered them to take care of her.

The two immediately got to work, trying to see what they could do.

The bodyguard looked out into the corridor. No one. He hurried back to the spot where he'd fought the three men. He knew he had to get his sword back, just in case other folks had the wrong ideas and were eager to end their lives there.

Pulling the sword free from the man's body proved hard. Willem had to put a foot on the dead man's body for that, but in the end he managed it, and then he rushed back to Haruna's quarters, where he took position inside the door opening.

There the wait began.