Ji-chan – Uncle. Typically added to the end of a person's name, or used alone, to address one as an uncle.

Irrashaimase – Welcome. When entering a restaurant, store, or any other public place of a similar sort, the employees use this expression to greet the guests.

Tatami – Straw mats. They are made from the leaves of dried rice plants, I believe. Tatami is used on the floor, kind of like carpet. You never wear shoes on them.

Ton-katsu – Fried pork. Made in a different batter than our kind of fried stuff. But very yummy, and served with a sauce kind of like soy.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

My name is Kamiya Kaoru. I am eighteen years old. I come from a once prestigious samurai clan. My home is in a small, upper middle-class district of the capital city, Kyoto. Seijuurou Hiko, my uncle, raised me after the death of my parents ten years ago. He is a defensive arms trainer at the palace, and has a position at court. Some say he trained our emperor in the sword arts. I think it is a fairy tale. I have never set eyes on the emperor, but he is said to have very strange, but beautiful, red hair. His wife, Tomoe-sama, on the other hand, I have seen. Once. She had beautiful brown hair, and a perfectly oval shaped face, and was dressed in full royal attire of red and gold kimono. Radiant would have to be the only word that suited her.

It is right to say that my life has been simple and carefree. I was even a little spoiled, spoiled enough not to notice politics anyhow. I have always had food on my plate and a roof over my head. Hiko-ji-chan even gave me some sword lessons, so that I might keep what little remained of my family's technique of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, that had been taught to me. Eventually, I was left to help out at a small restaurant that a family friend ran, as Hiko-ji-chan became busier at the palace. I figured my life would remain as uneventful as it had always been. However, it is amazing how much can change in one day…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Have you heard? Tomoe-sama was banished. I heard that she betrayed Emperor Himura, and not only that, her brother was involved! They tried to kill our poor king."

"Someone told me she had not come to the Emperor's bed for weeks."

Kaoru looked to the group of gossipy women, rolling her eyes, as they left the restaurant for the night, 'Stupid king. It's his own fault that something like that happened. They shouldn't pity him.' There was about half an hour left until closing. She went over to the table they had been sitting at and began to wipe it off with a wet rag. Yahiko had already cleaned off all the dishes. Somewhere to the left, she heard the door slide open. Turning around, she stood up straight, and said, "Irrashaimase!" However, her thoughts said otherwise, 'I was hoping we wouldn't have any more people to serve tonight…'

A single man had entered; she walked towards him, "Would you like to sit at the bar or a booth, sir?" He had a hat covering his head, and he kept his head low.

"A booth. In a corner." She eyed him suspiciously. His words had been curt, 'He could at least be nice…' His hat covering his eyes disturbed her. However, work was work, and life was not all fun and games. Kaoru quickly led him to the furthest table from the entrance, and said, "Here you go sir. I shall get you some tea." Leaving a menu on the table, she quickly headed back to the kitchen to fetch a tea tray, and to complain.

"What is it with people these days? It's as though they believe they can order me around because I'm a waitress!"

Another girl raised an eyebrow. She was cooking for the other remaining table in the restaurant, with the exception of the weird man, "That's life. Face it kid."

Giving a slight glare, Kaoru replied as she picked up the tray, "Yeah, yeah, I hear that all the time. And I'm a fully grown woman thank you."

After leaving the warm kitchen, she made her way towards her rude guest. As she arrived, she saw him set down the menu. He had not even looked to see that she was coming, when he spoke, "Set it on the table. Serve it."

'Of all the!' She thought, a frown written across her features. Kaoru set the tray on the table, removed her sandals, and then lowered herself onto the tatami. The girl could almost feel his scrutiny as she set the glass on the table, and lifted the tea pot to pour the hot liquid. She requested his order, and he gave it. The task completed, she began to stand, but a tight grip formed around her wrist, "Stay."

Bright blue eyes widened, "Excuse me sir, but I have a job I need to do." He looked up, and she was greeted with the fiercest eyes she had ever seen. They were amber with a touch of violet swirling within.

"And I am your guest. You are doing your job by doing what a guest requests."

She glared at him a moment with her blue eyes, not forgetting his firm grip, "You are hurting me, sir." His hand immediately let go. Kaoru sat back down, her feet tucked underneath her as she sat on the small cushion. The skirt of her kimono was clenched in her fists, and she studied her knuckles turning white, 'I better get a good tip.'

"I've a question."

Kaoru looked up at his words. He seemed to have been studying her. She looked back down. The waitress did not like him. She could not see how he reacted, but instead, she listened as he asked, "What do you think… of Tomoe-sama's banishment?" Her mouth dropped in shock. That was the least she had expected, "What sort of rumors are going around?"

She started to say one thing, but changed her mind, "Well, some of the guests have mentioned that she plotted against the emperor with her brother. That she tried to kill him," Kaoru glanced at him. His attention was focused on her, "And umm… that she… well…"

"Go on. Tell me."

Kaoru's face turned red, "That she had not been with him in weeks." The man chuckled a few moments. He then said, "And what do you, miss, think about all of it?" Suspicion began to grow in Kaoru's mind, so she merely said, "I think that we need a queen, and it's the emperor's own fault for not keeping her under control. Oh well, what the king does with his queen is none of my concern. He did what he felt he must do. If you will excuse me, I must place your order." Before he could say another word, she slipped her sandals on and returned to the kitchen. The last table had just been served their food as she entered.

"Can I get an order of the ton-katsu dish?"

The same cook from before smirked, "It took you five minutes to make an order?"

"Shut it," Kaoru joked, "I'm gonna go start closing. I don't want any more weird guests popping up tonight." The waitress walked as far away from the mysterious man on her way to the front. She noticed the last group of guests leaving, as she went outside and took down the restaurant banner. Bringing it inside, she set it down in the corner, and then shut the rice paper doors. Next she began to give all the tables a final wipe-down, not looking at the final customer. Kaoru spotted the young Yahiko leaving the kitchen, "I'm leaving busu."

The girl cringed when he shouted the nickname across the room. That was all she needed. At least Yahiko had not been dumb enough to say her name. Finally stealing a glance at hat boy, she saw the point of his straw hat over the edge of the booth. Sighing, she returned to the kitchen. The ton-katsu was already done. Grabbing the meal, she sighed again, and went back to the table.

"Ton-katsu, miso soup, rice, and cabbage. Enjoy."

"Miss," He said as she began to leave. She cringed inwardly, but turned with a smile on her face anyway, "Yes?"

"I'd like to continue our conversation," She watched him elegantly pick up his chopsticks and pick up a piece of the tonkatsu with a refined air. As he chewed, she said, "I thought all you wanted was a question answered. That would not necessarily be a conversation now would it, sir?"

He swallowed and looked up at her, while gesturing for her to sit, "You're quite smart. I like that." She blushed, "From your earlier statement, it seems the emperor is not highly thought of in your mind?"

She nearly laughed, "Forgive me sir, for not thinking highly of our 'so precious' ruler, our 'poor king.' I think he should be just as concerned about the people, as he is about his safety."

"Well, he provides the people with decent taxes, and there is a very low poverty rate. I'd say he is concerned about the people." He said, after taking another bite of his meal.

Sighing, she said, "I am not speaking of the present, necessarily. When that man was first put on the throne, an order to kill off as many of the samurai as possible was issued, and actually carried out. I don't like that he would kill off a bunch of people, based on the fact that they are fighters. And not just the men were killed either, many women and children were. Especially when his own military and apparently he himself, are all trained to use the swords just as well as the samurai were. I can't love a king who would kill hundreds of innocent people." A film of tears lined her eyes, and she said, "Excuse me sir. Your bill will be taken care of when your meal is done."

Before another word was said, Kaoru was away from the table, and in the kitchen, "Can you take care of the last guest, please?" The girl's sapphire eyes looked desperate, and the cook simply nodded, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Thank you so much!" Kaoru ran up and hugged her, and quickly removed her own apron, and then headed for the front door, without even glancing at the strange guest whose eyes were the creepiest, but most beautiful as well.

Sliding the door shut behind her, she sighed, "Thank goodness I'm out of there. I don't know how much I could have put up with his weird questioning…" She murmured. Beginning to head home, she looked up at the dark sky. There were many stars out, twinkling brightly with the crescent moon. She had been thinking, when suddenly, she gasped, "Oh my god! What if he were sent from the palace to find people who were committing treason? Is what I said treason?" The girl leaned up against a fence, so that she could think, "What if that means he'll come after me?"

Shaking her head, Kaoru firmly told herself, "No, Kamiya Kaoru, there's no way anyone from the palace would even care to go to our restaurant. And even if he was from the palace, I have Hiko-ji-chan to back me up… and… and…" She could not think of anything else, so the girl just continued on her way home.

--

"Hiko, I think I have a solution to the issue of having a queen." A man was sitting on a porch, his clothed leg the only visible part of his body, along with a strong hand draped over his knee.

Hiko was sitting on a tatami mat inside the open door, "And what might that be, my king?"

The person moved, "Last night, I went into the city to find out some things and a young woman intrigued me with something. She said that our country needs a queen, but it was my own fault that I couldn't handle our previous one."

A lock of red hair blew in the wind. Hiko looked up, shock written across his features, "You allowed someone to speak to you in such a manner?"

"The woman did not know it was me." A smile rose to the corners of the lips of the man, who looked the part of any Japanese man, except for his hair and eyes.

There was silence for several moments, when Hiko finally asked, "And what, my king, does that have anything to do with solving the issue?"

"Well, she then went on to say that I should be concerned with not only myself and safety, but with the people and their wishes. She brought up the past. This, in my opinion, makes me think she was very smart… and so, I have decided, I want her as my queen."

Hiko was thinking very hard. The emperor could not be talking about his Kaoru could he? Yes, the girl had mentioned something about a guest had bugged her about politics the previous night. And she was smart…, "Do you know anything of her, my lord? Her name? Where she comes from? Are you sure it is wise to choose a decision on a queen after one meeting?"

The emperor popped his head around the corner, his red hair pulled up high, and his golden eyes swirling with purple, "I don't know her name, but she has blue eyes. And I think it would be a very good decision; any woman who would give her opinions, such as she did, can be nothing but intelligent," He paused to let the information process, "And she can serve tea beautifully. I want her." His eyes were passionate.

The man still sitting had paled slightly, 'Kaoru… It can't be her…'

"And I am going to have her… but not so quickly," The king looked at Hiko, whose expression was unreadable, but pale, "Is that going to be a problem sensei?"

"No, king." He bowed low to the ground and then said as he stood, "Just, king, if she is as smart as you say she is, then be prepared for a strong fight from her."

"Oh, I am quite ready for that… she's already shown her spirit. I will visit her a few more times at the restaurant she worked at, the Sakura, and then have her sent for."

'Kaoru…'

--

Hey guys, when I watched One Night With The King (very good movie by the way), I was inspired to create a spin-off of sorts for Kenshin. It won't be exactly the same, since Japan obviously has very few Jewish people. So this is my Japan/Kenshin version, filled with more spunk, romance, and comedy, as well as a little drama. Let me know what you think! (next chapter will be longer. This is a preparation chapter for you.)

Hotaru