Keiko's Charity

Keiko carefully wrapped her kimono in silence. When she was fully dressed, she shared a silent smile with Kiyo, then walked out of the prison.

Keiko slowly shut the prison door and stood for a moment in a trance at what had just transpired.

Kazuo, sitting in the chair next to the door, cleared his throat and spoke.

"My lady?"

She jumped.

"Yes, Kazuo?"

"I have something I've been meaning to tell you."

Kazuo stood up and shifted his feet bashfully.

"Oh?"

"Your father... He was a nice man."

An amused look came across Keiko's face as she wondered why he decided to tell her this now, when just moments ago, she was breastfeeding another woman. Of course, he didn't know that.

"He was indeed a very nice man," Keiko responded with a polite smile. She went to leave but Kazuo spoke up again.

"I was little..."

Keiko stood impatiently while Kazuo cleared his throat.

"...He found me playing in the streets with a wooden sword one day. I was pretending to be a samurai. Whacking trees, chasing cats and such... instead of shouting at me for being so unruly, he came over to show me the proper fighting stances. He taught me how to swing the blade. For such an important samurai to go out of his way like that... I'll never forget it. I mourned him when he didn't come back last winter. Even if his death was a brave one. I guess I'm telling you that because you remind me a little of him."

Tears welled in Keiko's eyes. The story touched her.

"Thank you, Kazuo. For sharing that. I'm very lucky to have you in the castle."

He bowed. Keiko squeezed his shoulder affectionately, then left.

She came back after the next day, when the castle was quiet again, and just as before, she wordlessly unwrapped the top of her kimono and offered her breasts to Kiyo. Kiyo wordlessly took the breasts and sucked until she became full. By the second day, Keiko's breasts have gone back into full production. They were swollen to almost twice their usual size, full of milk.

By the third day, a healthy blush came back to Kiyo's face and her skin became noticeably fuller with fat. The breast milk did not replace solid, nutritious food, but it relieved her of the intense pain of starvation and gave her energy.

After satisfying herself with Keiko's milk, Kiyo asked, "You know I'm stuck in here. Why are you doing this for me?"

Keiko shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have a plan."

"Neither do I," Kiyo responded. "Except to die."

"I can't let you die," said Keiko. "We'll figure something out. This will at least give us time. Watching you starve to death comes last on my list of things to do."

For a week the breastfeeding continued. Every night, past midnight, Keiko would sneak down to the prison. Kazuo, without giving a second thought, would open the prison cell for her. And she breastfed Kiyo.

No one suspected her of stealing any food from the kitchen, because she stole no food. At a certain point however, many of the guards began to wonder at why Kiyo didn't perish. In fact, she seemed healthier day by day. Her wounds healed. The bruise on her left eye faded to a light purple and was no longer swollen. Her skin blushed with color. It became clear to many in the castle that she was indeed possessed by a demon spirit. The thought frightened the guards, and so they steered clear of the prison if they could help it. Only Kazuo suspected that Kiyo's improved health had something to do with his mistress's nightly visits, but he said nothing to the others. He guarded their secret.

But one night, Keiko came down and Kazuo was not there. In his place was a portly guard that glared at her as she walked up. Shocked, Keiko wondered if this meant that Tanenaga somehow knew.

Nervous, and fearful for Kazuo's fate, she asked the guard. "Where is Kaz-... Where is the other guard?"

"He was reassigned to the city wall," said the guard. Her heart sank.

"I understand."

She continued, "may I see the prisoner?"

He snorted and shook his head. "Can't let you do that. Orders from the boss. No one sees the prisoner."

They had run out of time. The guard clutched his naginata suspiciously as Keiko lingered for a moment. Defeated, she turned to go back to her chamber. There was no convincing this guard.

The next night, Keiko went back down, and again found the same guard standing at the prison door. When she returned to her chamber, she found Tanenaga waiting for her.

"Where were you, my love?" He asked.

"I went for a walk," Keiko replied innocently. Though startled, she smiled at him and unpinned her hair to let it fall. She started to undress for sleep. "I was restless tonight."

"Ah," Tanenaga replied simply.

Keiko yawned and proceeded to brush her hair. He watched her patiently and pensively while she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. He knows, thought Keiko. He knows that she was feeding Kiyo to keep her alive. Her heart pounded, and her head raced though she maintained a calm composure.

"I see your breasts are getting larger."

Keiko looked down at her chest and bounced them. Full of milk, they shook. "So they are," she laughed nervously. Sweat beaded on her brow.

"That must mean another child is arriving soon."

Keiko laughed again. "And so, it appears... My hope is that it is another son."

"As it is, of course, my hope."

Tanenaga removed his kimono and let it fall to the ground so that he stood naked in front of her. "So, we still have some months," he said as he ran a hand over her breasts.

Relieved, Keiko nodded. Sex was on his mind. Unmoving in her expression, she untied her Kimono and her undergarment, letting them fall to the ground. She was painfully conscious that her breasts were much larger than their usual size, as were her areolas, which were also shades darker.

Her husband grabbed a breast with a rough hand around the areola and squeezed to cause the pale milk to eke out. She still felt the lingering sensation of Kiyo's moist mouth and her warm breath and tongue on the skin of her breast. That feeling was soon replaced by the feeling of Tanenaga's tongue as he reached down with his face to lick the milk from the tip of her nipple. Though this felt intrusive, she feigned a sexual moan as he licked and sucked at the breast and squeezed harshly with his hands. Tanenaga asked, "You like how that feels?"

Keiko nodded and moaned some more. He went to the other breast and started to do the same. As he did this, flashes of Kiyo's face appeared in Keiko's mind. She imagined Kiyo with milk streaming down from her mouth and was aroused by the image. Her nipples grew hard. She then pictured Kiyo kissing her. She imagined the feel of Kiyo's lips against hers, and the slight, sweet taste of her own breast milk as Kiyo's tongue lightly grazed hers. She moaned louder and clutched the back of Tanenaga's head. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest and wetness creeped into her vagina.

When Tanenaga finished at her breasts, he laid her down on her futon. He separated her knees to reveal her vagina to him and then penetrated her with his penis. She felt her vagina stretch as the shaft went in. She felt it throb inside her, but in her mind, she imagined Kiyo kissing her body. He thrusted rapidly. The imaginary Kiyo went down on her to slide her tongue between the slit of her vagina and press it softly against her swollen clitoris. Keiko gasped and moved her hips. She moved a finger down and rubbed slow circled on her clitoris, imagining Kiyo's tongue doing the same, as Tanenaga thrusted harder and harder.

Before long, Tanenaga came into her and collapsed on top of her. Almost immediately, he began snoring with his arms wrapped around her. She still thought of Kiyo. Only, she thought now incessantly that she hadn't fed Kiyo in two nights now. She's not getting any food, she thought helplessly. Her turning mind then thought of Tanenaga. Doesn't he know? Why did he replace Kazuo with this new guard? Why didn't he say anything? Why isn't she allowed to see Kiyo?

Anger entered her mind at the thought that he found pleasure in all of this. Of course, he would treat this as a game, she thought. A cruel game in which she was made to suffer. She thought of what Tanenaga had said earlier, about her possibly being pregnant with his child. She absentmindedly placed a hand over her womb. The thought made her nauseous. Was he right? Was that why she was producing breastmilk?

She recollected that, before, she hadn't started producing milk until much later in the pregnancy. If she were pregnant now, she certainly didn't show it or feel it.

The thought of Kiyo then flashed into her mind again. Kiyo was starving. She was sitting in the cold, dark dungeon with a blanket wrapped around her, with only the light of the moon for company.

She then glanced over at Tanenaga's rumpled kimono. A long, curved object poked out from the pile of clothing. His katana. She thought of the fat, angry man guarding the entrance to Kiyo's cell. Her eyes went wide, and her heart beat fast as she realized what she needed to do. She was going to take Tanenaga's katana and force the guard to let Kiyo free.

She slowly slid out from beneath Tanenaga's relaxed, deep-sleeping body and stealthily put her kimono on, watching Tanenaga intently as she did so. He shifted in his sleep. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she crept over to his kimono and untied his katana from the sash. With it in her hand, she made for the door.

A shock of fear spidered down her body when she heard the deep, familiar voice behind her.

"And where do you think you're going, my love?"

She spun around to find Tanenaga propped up on his elbows, watching her with a stern, fierce gaze. She was caught, with his katana in her hand, sneaking out of her own room, and she couldn't find the words to explain herself.

"I know what you've been doing, Keiko. I know that you've been visiting her every night. I know you've been feeding the bitch. It took me a while to figure it out. You weren't stealing food from the kitchen. You weren't giving her your own food. How were you doing it? I thought. Then I noticed how your breasts have changed. Clever girl."

He laughed. There was a nastiness in the way the laugh came out. Keiko stood silent, looking at him, scared and frozen.

"Drop my katana, Keiko."

She didn't move. He rose to his feet and walked over to her. She focused on the way his muscled body rippled in the darkened room like an ox. She wrapped a shaking hand around the hilt of the katana. She knew she wanted to take it out of the sheathe and hold the blade against him. But she couldn't find the will to do it.

He grabbed the sheathe of the katana and threw it violently. It clattered against the floor. She pressed her back against the door, fearful of his rage.

"I wondered if I should just throw you in the cell with your friend," he said. That way you can suckle her all you want. But then I thought... I don't want to give you the satisfaction."

He wrapped a hand around her neck, digging his thumb hard, crushing her windpipe. Her eyes bulged as she clutched helplessly against the powerful force of his hand. His face appeared fuzzy through her watery eyes, but she could see the angry bloodlust. The world faded darker and began to spin. This was how it was going to end for her. Strangled by her dearly beloved husband, Tanenaga-dono of the Mashita clan.

But then something boiled up from inside her. She did not know if it was desperation or resolve. It may have been a bit of both. Or perhaps it was wrath. Whatever that boiling feeling was, it nonetheless cried at her with a high-pitched tinny scream to reach into her kimono and grab her kaiken. So that's what she did. She reached in and with fingers clutched around its hilt, she swiped with one hard motion across the inside of his naked thigh. The sharp blade hit his bone as it cut. He howled in tremendous pain and stumbled backwards. a look of bewilderment drew on his face as he stared down at the dark femoral blood dripping from his hands.

"You whore," he screamed, as he lunged at her. He began to choke her again with both hands, shaking her violently. She stabbed him with her kaiken in the gut several times. He persisted in his crazed state. But then he faltered. She felt his grasp weaken and then he collapsed to the floor.

Her kimono was soaked and splattered with a dark red hue. Her neck was bruised and painfully tender to the touch. Tanenaga's body laid still, glistening in sweat and hot blood.

She spat on the body and said, "that's for my family."

Then, with her mind racing, she ran to collect the katana, and ran out of the chamber to go break Kiyo free.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found the portly guard staring at her, puzzled. He cried out in panic when he realized the significance of the sight of a bloodied Keiko with an outstretched katana but didn't have enough time to react otherwise. She thrusted the katana into his chest, sinking it in until it hit the hard-wooden structure behind him. He gurgled and his limbs shook violently; his eyes wide in horror. Pink spittle frothed out from between his teeth.

When his eyes went shut, and his body went limp, Keiko tried to take the blade, but it was lodged so deeply in the wood, she did not have the strength to pull it out. She left it and instead dug into his pockets to search for the keys to Kiyo's iron clasps. When she found them, she busted through the prison door with them in hand. Kiyo jumped up to her feet, not knowing what to expect with the chaotic noise outside her cell.

"What happened to you!" she exclaimed, staring in shock at Keiko's white, bloodied kimono.

"No time to explain. Give me your wrists. I'm breaking you out of here!"

"You're what?" Kiyo cried in disbelief.

Keiko unlocked her wrist clasps, and her ankle clasps. When Kiyo was free, she embraced Keiko tightly, kissing her on her cheeks with ecstatic joy on her face.

"Let's go," Keiko said. Kiyo nodded. They ran out of the prison.

Kiyo stopped briefly at the dead guard.

"Damn! Did you do this?" she said, in awe. She dislodged the katana from the body and wiped the blood off on his kimono. Keiko handed her the sheath and with her hands clutching her hair, moaned, "I don't know what came over me!"

In a dull, dazed voice, she continued, "It's done. Tanenaga is dead."

Kiyo sheathed the katana and tied it to her belt. She put her hands on Keiko's shoulder, not smiling, not with a look of satisfaction or pleasure, but with a look that said: the prerogative now was only escape. Keiko understood. She turned and led Kiyo up the prison stairs. Kiyo limped painfully behind. She was still weak from lack of nutrition. The castle was, fortunately, still fast asleep, and dark. They were illuminated in the quiet halls only by the cold light of the full moon. The peaceful cricket chirps were the only sound besides their muffled footsteps as they quietly scurried for the gate of the keep.

Keiko led Kiyo to the stable. Rows of large war horses stirred awake at the arrival of the shadowy intruders. They whinnied and clomped their hooves in their stalls anxiously. Kiyo spotted a large black mare in one of the stalls.

"Oh!" she cried. "That's one of my husbands." She went to the horse, and nuzzled it, grinning widely.

"Ok, that's great," Keiko said, not paying attention. She was busy peeking out the entrance of the stable down the main avenue of Erimo, studying their escape plan. The avenue led directly to the only gate in or out of the town.

"The gate's closed," Keiko said. "But I have an idea. I'm going to go open it. You get the horse ready and when it comes open, you ride swiftly."

"I'm not leaving without you," Kiyo said adamantly.

"I'll wait for you at the gate," promised Keiko.

Keiko walked hurriedly down the wide dirt road until she came to the guard tower where she knew to be the lever to let the gate down. She entered and walked up the stairs to the top of the tower and found four sentries there, huddled around a torch for warmth.

"What the-?" one shouted. They all jumped to their feet and grabbed their swords.

In feigned distress, Keiko cried out, "my husband is under attack! There are ninjas in the castle. He needs your help!"

The guards stood frozen, looking at each other in confusion. Keiko, distressed at their reaction, was certain her plan was not going to work when one shouted,

"What are you waiting for? Go help the Daimyo! I'll guard the tower."

The other three guards grunted and jumped into action, scurrying down the stairs, leaving the one that spoke up behind. It was Kazuo.

Overcome with relief at the serendipity, Keiko smiled at him. He stared in horror at her outfit. "You're bleeding," he cried, dropping his sword to aid her.

She held out a hand to stop him. "No, don't. It's not my blood."

Kazuo didn't understand.

Keiko sighed and said, "I killed Tanenaga."

In shock, Kazuo did not respond. Keiko did not have the time to explain. She looked around for the lever that would open the gate. She found it in the far corner and ran over to pull on it. The lever was attached to a ratchet mechanism wound with the chains that held the bridge closed. Freeing the lever from the ratchet would cause the bridge to swing open. Though she put her entire body onto it, it stayed stationary.

"Come on, damn it. Move!" she cried helplessly, but it wouldn't budge with the weight of her small body.

She glanced back at Kazuo beckoning him to help with her eyes. He stood in a daze.

"Kazuo get over here!" she pleaded.

He looked at her, unsure of what to do. Loyalty to his Daimyo was being challenged. He was paralyzed.

Keiko abandoned hope that he would help. She went back to the lever and pulled again and again. It was the only option left. Her arms strained. She cried out in frustration. But then she felt Kazuo behind her. He reached around and grabbed the lever with her. She glanced back at him. He nodded at her with a newfound resolve in his eyes. Together they pulled down on the lever and it broke free of the ratchet causing a loud commotion of spinning chains and the drawbridge to come crashing down.

"Let's go!" Kazuo said. Keiko hugged him quickly. He grabbed his katana and they rushed down the tower stairs.

Kiyo was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Keiko and Kazuo found themselves facing the three guards they fooled earlier. They were accompanied by three other guards that were patrolling the city streets. They had heard or seen the drawbridge come open.

"What is going on?" one screamed angrily.

Kazuo drew his sword. "Leave us!" he said.

The guards drew theirs. Kazuo pushed Keiko back against the tower wall, and she watched in horror as the guards surrounded him. He swung wildly at one. They laughed. One struck Kazuo on the shoulder with his blade. He cried out in pain.

"Keiko!" he yelled. "Run, Keiko!"

He swung again. His katana cut the arm of one of the guards. "Arghh!" the guard yelped and stumbled backwards. Kazuo stood his ground, in the stance of a samurai, katana raised valiantly against the overwhelming foe.

The six guards lunged at him together. Before he could take a swing, they stabbed him each in turn with their blades. He crumbled, crying in pain, to the ground. Keiko screamed at the sight of Kazuo's lonely, still body between the shuffling legs of the guards, and collapsed to the dirt in a sobbing pile. When they were finished with Kazuo, the guards grabbed at her violently and dragged her off towards the castle.

"You've made a bad mistake," a guard muttered angrily at her. She did not care. She was submitted to her fate and did not resist. The gate was open. Kiyo had the opportunity to escape. That was Keiko's solace. She closed her eyes, squeezing out her tears, and relaxed her tense limbs. She heard the chirps of the crickets and the soft hooting of a lone owl that was perhaps observing the scene with curiosity from a branch in the pine trees. The town was still except for the panting guards as they dragged Keiko through the wide avenue towards the Daimyo's castle.