A/N: Whether you're an older reader or a new one, welcome to the new TGwSE! I hope you'll enjoy the new and edited version of my first RK fanfiction. This first chapter is dedicated to all those old readers who followed the old version and continue to support TGwSE! Without you guys the new TGwSE would not have been possible! Thank you!

Illusions of Dreaming proudly presents:

The Girl with Sapphire Eyes

Prologue

He was careless. He should've known His Majesty wouldn't give him up that easily. He'd let his guard down and now he's going to pay the price.

He had never expected this day to happen. Never before had the thought of running from his own country - his own people ever crossed his mind. Yet that was what he was doing now. Outcast, that was what he is.

His legs tire, his lungs burned and his body ached. Yet the man pushed himself to move – he couldn't afford to be captured now. One hand clutched at his shoulder, stemming the flow of red that pooled and stained his dark colored shirt. His heart pounded a sluggish beat by his ears, counting every second as his life dripped painfully away. The lingering sense of adrenaline leaving his system left the warrior completely exhausted, spent.

Poison. It was pounding through his veins, traveling around his body, masking his sight, his senses and shutting him down. It hurts as every slow beat of his heart sent the poison further into his system, slowly but surely destroying him from within.

The warrior bit down on his bottom lip, drawing strength and a brief moment of clarity from the pain as he forced himself to take another agonizing step. Why was he fighting again? Why was he resisting the comforting touch of darkness growing at the edge of his consciousness?

Move. The warrior struggled another step. Move. Move.

But he couldn't anymore.

His knees gave out first before gravity won and his body fell heavily to the ground. There was no grace; there was no pain, only exhaustion. Heavy exhaustion. He was just so tired.

The wound on his shoulder was burning, pulsing with pain. His head throbbed, his body hot and sweaty, sticky with blood. He was dying.

The warrior laughed, for it was ironic that he would meet his end this way, so far away and so very alone. He supposed he deserved it. Yet, something felt off, there's this sense of being incomplete and emptiness that had the man resisting death so far. Lying on the grass, seconds away from falling unconscious, the warrior felt regret. He hated it. It was such a petty emotion to die with.

Voices. Noise. His headache pounding painfully. The scenery changed in a blur as his limp body was turned over, flipped on his back and the moon glared down at him. The light was too much as a weak cry tore from his chapped lips. Enough already, he wanted to rest. Shadows invaded his vision and the man gratefully accepted the darkness until two sapphire orbs flashed into view.

"Hang in there!" A voice broke through the haze surrounding him and offered him a lifeline. However, the meaning of those words was lost to the poisoned male.

The soul that was unready to leave, unconsciously clung on to the only comfort it saw.

Sapphire eyes were the last things he saw before the night sky collapsed in on him.

Chapter 1: Awakening

He woke with agonizing pain ripping through him. He woke to the scent of blood and sweat. He woke to the sounds of chaos and panic. He woke to pain, then nothing at all.

x x x

"Will he survive?"

He stirred at the sound of a gentle voice beside him.

"I'm not sure, Kaoru. I'm not sure." Came the reply from a deeper feminine voice.

There was a sigh then a shift of cloth when he suddenly felt warm hands on his arm.

"I didn't bring back to let him die again."

His mind struggled to understand the words past the thick haze clouding it. His fingers twitched on the bed.

"We're trying our best. He should be safe for now, we managed to get the poison out of his system."

"That's good." The gentle voice that woke him said.

"Let the man rest Kaoru."

"Yes, of course… I'm sorry." The hands left taking along the warmth and the sound of a closing door filled his senses.

Kaoru. Her name echoed in his mind before unconsciousness claimed him again.

x x x

Thrashing. Someone was thrashing and yelling.

It wasn't until he slowly came to, that he noticed he was the one who was thrashing and yelling. And he had a perfect reason to.

The wound on his shoulder flared, his throat was parched from screaming and his body convulsed with pain.

"Someone get the antidotes!" someone yelled beside him as several hands came to restrain his flailing limbs.

His body arched painfully from the bed. His cry of anguish echoing against the walls and filling his ears.

"I thought you said the poison was out of his system?" A familiar voice.

Who? His thoughts broke off as another wave of burning agony ripped through him. He cried out again, straining violently against those that held him down.

"It's the aftereffects!" someone cursed. Something fell as his arm broke away from their hold and swept them away. He was getting out of control. The pain was everywhere, everything. It flooded his sensitive senses, ate at him and drove him insane. His struggle against his bonds turned violent as the injured man began to panic.

He had to get out. He had to escape from the pain! The warrior move to sit up and the noise in the room and hands reaching towards him increased. Unable to stand the onslaught on his senses the man made to get off the bed and escape.

Stop! The man growled fiercely at the moving shapes, tumbling forward as his body shook with another attack. Don't move!

Stop! Stop! The pain! The pain that exploded from his wound spiraled out and filled his mind. His agonized wail filled the room again. Stop moving!

"Warrior!" Two hands grabbed him and pushed him down. Blue moved into his hazy vision and blocked out the other moving shapes. The familiar color calmed the panicking man slightly and he paused long enough for someone to jab a needle at a pressure point on his neck.

"It's alright warrior. Rest easy."

He slipped into darkness again.

x x x

When he came to again, the room was quiet. His eyelids felt stiff and weighed down and he couldn't move his limbs. Struggling to open his eyes took a lot more effort than he thought and after several pathetic attempts, he managed a crack.

His senses reached out slowly, like invisible arms searching and probing his surroundings. It was a small confined room without windows or decorative furniture. It was empty except for the bed he was resting on. His eyes found another by his side.

He was surprised to find someone dozing so close to him. Even more surprised that he didn't sense her presence earlier and even now he did not feel he was threatened in the presence of a stranger. He watched the slim shoulders rise and fall with every breath and wondered. Who is she? Did she save me? Why?

He must've shifted the bed for the lady began to stir. The closed lids fluttered open and revealed stunning sapphire eyes that had the warrior pausing in confusion.

"You're awake." She murmured softly, smiling sleepily at him.

'Who are you?' he wanted to ask, yet the words never managed to get past his heavy, numbed lips. All that came out was a soft grunt.

"Who are you warrior?" It irked him that she was asking the question he couldn't. Her sapphire eyes caught his attention again and the man found that he couldn't refuse them.

"Ken…shin." He managed to whisper.

"Kenshin." She whispered back caressing his name in a strange accent that didn't belong to his home country.

His eyes closed as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Yes, my name…

..is Kenshin.

x x x

He had been moved.

The room felt different. It was considerably larger and cleaner. The air was fresh, without the musky tang of blood and sweat of the room he woke up to several times before.

And he was alone.

He began to move slowly as he slowly regained feeling in his body. First his arms, then the weight of his chest rising and falling, his legs and finally his fingers and toes. Steadily the man tried to sit up, wincing when the movement jolted his wound. By the time he managed to sit upright he was panting with exhaustion. The poison must have done worse than he thought.

Violet eyes scanned the room carefully as he searched for suspicious or hidden traps while the fine instincts of a honed warrior kicked in and mentally began ticking off a list. No potential threats. Empty. Breathing normal. Movements normal. Weapon? His hand slid to his waist and found it lacking a certain steel companion. Kenshin was disappointed but not shocked, it was expected after all, to take the weapons of a prisoner. That was until his eyes landed on a neatly folded pile of clothes at the end of his bed and the sword that was laid on top.

A mixture of shocked relief and curiosity bloomed in his chest as he hesitantly reached out to the familiar shape. Wrapping his fingers around the worn sheath he brought the weapon close and identified the sword as his own. Gratitude filled the warrior as he took comfort from the familiar weight of his inanimate companion.

But why? He unsheathed the sword slowly revealing steel inch by inch. He was relieved to find his sword untouched, its side still razor sharp. Why?

Why would his captors lead him deep into their keep and let him keep his weapon? Aren't they afraid that he'll escape? How can they be sure he won't use his sword to bring harm?

Pushing away the questions the man sheathed his sword and held it tight. The questions would have to come later; there were other pressing matters to be worried about. Standing on weak knees the swordsman took a few moments to stabilize himself before limping awkwardly to the door. His hand tested the doorknob and it resisted him. It was locked.

He contemplated on breaking the door open or escaping through the window, but it seems – his knees shook weakly – he wouldn't be able to travel far anyways.

The stubborn side of him insisted to try anyways, wanting to escape his current predicament while he's still armed and alone.

The reasonable side told him to bid his time. After all, if this room were meant to contain a runaway swordsman, instead of decorated walls, comfortable sofas and cushions there would be iron bars and cold hard cement. If they meant him harm, they would've let the poison finish him off.

Why?

His vision swayed sickeningly and the man tilted to lean on the wall for support, closing his eyes as a wave of pain washed over him. He was definitely not fit enough to try any escape stunts. He was stuck here until he was ready or when his captors decide on his fate.

Struggling back to the bed, the man all but collapsed on the mattress as he clenched his throbbing wound. They will be searching.

Searching for his corpse and when they can't find it…

He shuddered, biting down a groan as another ripple of agony ran through him again. He must escape soon. Healed or not, he will force his broken body to move when the time comes. Kenshin frowned into the bed as he slowly turned over and laid down in a more comfortable position after the attack ebbed off. It was not like him to get worried so easily. He's one of the strongest swordsman in his country, petty assassins couldn't hope to scratch him. His Majesty – the man sneered at the title - wouldn't go all the way just to retrieve one petty runaway warrior.

Then why did he feel so uneasy?

x x x

He jolted awake suddenly, his heart beating rapidly as his senses flared in response. His eyes flickered wildly as he tried to find his bearings and locate the source that triggered his senses.

Slowly sitting up, Kenshin reached for the sword by the side, violet eyes turning towards the locked doorknob that rattled viciously. His fingers tightened briefly on the hilt of his sword as his eyes flickered quickly towards the window judging the time it would take for him to escape if things went downhill. The doorknob rattled again and a resounding click was heard before everything went silent.

Holding his breath, Kenshin tried to calm his racing heart and forced down the urge to slide his sword out of its sheath. He shouldn't act rashly, if his captors came with peace on their minds, a tensed warrior with a raised sword would communicate all the wrong signs. Trapped inside a room deep within unknown territories, Kenshin would never make it out alive if he made enemies of his captors in his weakened state. No. His tight grip on his sword hilt loosened; he will wait and hope that they are as nice as they've been to him up until now.

His eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed as the door slowly edged open.

"Sir?" Kenshin flinched at the light, childlike voice coming from behind the door.

"May I come in sir?"

He felt himself stiffen with suspicion, gripping his sword for reassurance as he began to inch closer towards the window. Why were they asking for permission to enter a prisoner's room?

"Sir?" came the voice again this time laced with worry at his continued silence.

"Why do you bother asking? I doubt my opinion would change anything." He rasped softly, his eyes narrowing accusingly at the door. For what purpose do they play this game? Were they taunting him? Testing him?

The creaking of the door died as the voice turned silent as if the person behind the door was seriously pondering his question. In the end the voice didn't reply, his accusation neither acknowledged nor denied as the door moved again. "…I'll be coming in sir."

A young servant girl stepped in with her head bowed low. In her hands she carried a tray with bandages and several bottles. Lifting her arms the young girl presented the tray in his direction as she bent down in a bow. "I came to deliver your medications and change your bandages sir."

Kenshin made no move to approach the servant, his eyes quickly accessed the danger the girl possessed and searched for hidden weapons on her body. Finding none, his eyes darted quickly to the opened door and back to the tray the servant held balanced towards him. He wondered if it would be wise to run away now.

"Sir…" His eyes returned warily to the girl, still bowed at the waist. "We have no thoughts of harming you, please…"

Ignoring his roaring instincts telling him to escape the man forced down his suspicions and edged back towards the bed, sitting lightly on it. Sensing his wavering emotions, the servant girl straightened from her bow and raised her head. Meeting brown eyes, the man was surprised to find the servant girl no older than fifteen years of age with shoulder length hair and a petite structure. The relieved smile she wore on her face accentuated her youth. Uncertain to how he should react to the smile, Kenshin averted his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked softly as he warily watched the servant girl near him.

"In the castle of Amura sir." The girl smiled and slowly she presented the roll of bandages to him to show him that they haven't been tampered with. When Kenshin kept silent she stepped closer towards his injured side. "May I?" she asked softly, gesturing towards his soiled bandages.

Taking his silence as a sign to proceed the servant girl gently began unwrapping his left shoulder as his right hand held his sword tightly. Amura… the name struck a memory within him. The Kingdom of the East, Amura was one of the largest and strongest kingdoms in the world. It was one of the only kingdoms that haven't allied themselves with other kingdoms and preferred to stay neutral. If he remembered correctly, the current ruler is Queen Aimi after King Koshijiro passed away several years ago.

Did he really travel that far in just one night?

The girl stepped away after she finished changing the bandages on his shoulder, bowing low as she stepped away with the stained wrappings and placed them on the tray. Fingering the clean bandages, Kenshin tried moving his arm and found that his left side ached painfully whenever he stretched too far.

"How long have I been here?" he asked softly, rotating his shoulder to check for other areas of discomfort. Inwardly he worried whether his arm would still be able to function properly after he healed; yet he was careful enough to keep a neutral expression, hiding his worst fears.

"This would be your eighth day with us sir."

Kenshin froze. Eighth day. He was knocked out for one week. The red haired male frowned and his grip tightened on his sword.

"This one is terribly sorry for being a bother, that I am." His voice was strained as he glanced at the open door again. "This one would like to thank the kind hosts for their hospitality." And move on from this place before 'he' catches on.

"But…" he swallowed nervously as he closed his eyes.

The servant girl edged forward cautiously. "Sir…?" the short haired girl asked with a hint of worry tinting her voice.

"I can't – forgive me, but please remind me who I should thank?" he asked sheepishly, feeling heat gathering on his face.

The girl blinked several times before a wide grin stretched across her face. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Kaoru found you sir."

Kaoru. The name stirred a faint memory within him. Where had he heard that name before? Somehow hearing her name brought a sense of peace and security to him. But why? He had never met the Amurian princess before. Why would a princess save a foreign stranger like him? A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him and the warrior lurched forward drunkenly clutching his head, his thoughts pushed aside as pain wracked his body.

"Sir!" the young servant girl cried in surprise as she instinctively reached out towards him to support him but the man flinched back crashing back onto his bed.

"Stay away!" he hissed, his hand clutched his weapon in warning as he tried to suppress the growing ache. Though the girl seemed harmless the warrior didn't trust her enough to let her close when he couldn't defend himself properly.

"Please sir!" the girl cried frantically as she picked up a bottle from her tray and offered it to him. "You're in pain sir, the doctor wants you to drink this! It'll help with the pain!"

Catching the suspicious look on his face the servant girl immediately uncorked the bottle and poured out a black liquid into a small cup and bravely swallowed it whole. "It's not poison sir." She coughed, blinking back tears from the bitter taste that burned her tongue. "It's a herbal mixture prepared by the doctor that will numb the pain. Please sir!" she pleaded softly offering the bottle to him again.

Panting softly the man hesitated for a while, still dubious of the liquid in the bottle. But why would they want to poison him after saving him from it in the first place? His eyes landed on the young servant girl who bravely swallowed a cup despite not knowing what was mixed into the drink. Risking her life to prove the drink was not poisoned – a drink that was supposed to help ease his pain.

Slowly he nodded his head and took the bottle from the young girl. He took one last glance at the young girl. She didn't seem in pain nor was she foaming by the mouth. Only worry and fear lined her face – worry for him, a complete stranger randomly saved by her princess. Closing his eyes the man threw caution to the wind and pressed the bottle to his lips finishing the bitter drink in one gulp.

The bitter drink burned its way down his throat and it took Kenshin all his willpower not to throw up from the vile taste. Dropping the bottle, the man staggered back and sat heavily on the bed. The pain intensified suddenly, wrenching a tortured hiss from his lips before slowly, it began to fade. Bit by bit, the surges of pain began to ebb off and lose its previous strength. As the pain died off, the frown on his face smoothened into one of great relief.

Exhausted from the ordeal the man opened his eyes slowly to face the young servant. The girl seemed worried but she also seemed equally relieved that he was no longer in discomfort.

"W-would you like some water sir?" she offered a cup to him, her eyes sparkling with unspoken questions.

Dipping his head, the warrior graciously took the drink and washed down the lingering bitterness in his mouth. "Thank you." He sighed as he gave the empty cup back. "The … drink is quite effective."

"I'm glad you're no longer... in pain sir." The slight pause in her voice caught his attention but the warrior brushed it away as nerves.

"What is your name miss?" After all the young servant went through to earn his trust, Kenshin felt that he should at least learn her name.

"I'm Tsubame, a servant of the castle asked to serve you through your stay here with us sir."

Kenshin's eyebrows rose slightly when he heard her interesting words. "My… stay here?" he questioned curiously as he carefully watched the now named servant's expression.

"Sir?" Tsubame asked with a confused expression, missing the hidden question beneath his words.

Taking a deep breath, Kenshin held Tsubame's eyes before slowly asking. "Aren't I a prisoner here?"

Brown eyes widened, "No!" The word came out so suddenly and so loudly it shocked Kenshin at the ferocity of her denial. Ashamed of her explosion Tsubame quickly tried to cover her slip, "N-no sir, you're not a prisoner, but our guest." She explained quickly in a softer voice.

Blinking back his surprise, the warrior swallowed nervously. "Guest?" he echoed softly, his eyes traveling to the opened door that was locked not too long ago.

Following his gaze, a look of understanding dawned on her face before she slowly turned back to face the injured man. "We didn't want any curious people prying sir." She explained slowly.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Of course." His disbelief was clearly written in his expression but he made no further comment on it.

What were his hosts plotting? The man couldn't seem to get a good grip on the motives of the royal family and that worried Kenshin. He didn't want to stay here longer than necessary and though he was grateful for their help, he's an outcast in foreign territory – he couldn't afford to trust anyone here. Kenshin's thoughts were interrupted by a yawn before he suddenly noticed how exhausted he felt.

"You must be feeling tired sir. I'll take my leave to let you rest sir." Tsubame's voice seemed weaker in his ears, as if she was speaking through a layer of cotton.

The drink! Panic fluttered in his chest as the man struggled to stay awake, but failing as his limbs lost their strength and the man slumped down to the bed.

"You knew…" he accused softly, straining his eyes to keep them open despite the losing battle for his consciousness. You knew… a flash of betrayal ripped through him and hopelessness followed quickly behind.

"T-the doctor said you needed your rest, sir. It's just a mild sedative, please don't get angry sir…" she whispered, pleaded, but her words were lost to the fading male.

No! He wailed inwardly, trapped within by his own weakening body. His vision began to fade into darkness as sleep clouded his thoughts. I can't…

…not before I…

Tsubame's tearful expression was the last thing he saw; the sound of a lock clicking in place followed him into his dreams.

x x x

"The Roiin Kingdom sent another ambassador to us again." Kaoru sighed as she flopped backwards on a bed, watching her friend glare with disproval in her eyes.

"Those persistent humans. Don't they know when to give up?" her dark haired friend murmured as she made to shoo the princess off the clinic bed with a frown on her face. "And how many times have I told you to keep off the sick beds?"

"Many times." Kaoru laughed. "But I prefer not to listen."

"Spoiled brat." Megumi rolled her eyes in annoyance but the effect was ruined by the patient smile on her face.

"Indeed." Kaoru chuckled as she rolled over to face her beautiful friend upright. "They seem to be getting more desperate though. They were almost pleading on the ground to for an alliance with their Kingdom."

Megumi turned around slowly, frowning in thought as she said slowly. "You don't think…"

The princess nodded, "I'm not sure what threat they're facing, but it must be pretty bad."

"What happened then?" The doctor placed down her tools giving her full attention to the princess.

The princess was just about to respond when the door of the clinic was flung open, startling the two women within.

The princess leaped up from her position immediately as she turned to the door in a defensive stance that fell quickly when she recognized the small frame by the door.

"Tsubame! What's wrong?" All thoughts of the Roiin ambassador fled her mind as she walked to support the trembling girl.

The poor girl was shaking where she stood, gasping for air as she held the frame of the door to catch her breath.

"Y-Your Royyal Highness… Mi.. Miss Megumi." Tsubame managed to murmur between her breaths as she curtsied to the two women.

"Shh, no need for that." Kaoru hushed the exhausted girl gently as she kneeled down to meet her lowered eyes. "Tell me Tsubame, what's wrong? What made you run all this way to find us?"

Tsubame seemed reluctant to answer, chewing her lips in indecision as she shyly averted her eyes from Kaoru.

"Is it him?" Megumi who had stayed quiet all this while finally spoke and Tsubame tensed up immediately, eyes darting towards the female doctor.

"Him?" the princess asked in confusion, noticing the shared gaze between Megumi and Tsubame.

"Y-yes Miss Megumi." Tsubame bowed her head again.

"Did he drink it?"

The young servant seemed to cower suddenly, folding into herself as she pressed her lips together. Then slowly, she nodded her head. "Yes."

"What is going on?" the princess demanded angrily as she turned to glare at Megumi. "Can someone please tell me what's happening?"

"It's not Miss Megumi's fault ma'am!" Tsubame quickly jumped to the doctor's defense as she pleaded to the frustrated princess.

"What's her fault?" Kaoru frowned, growing more and more irritated by the second.

"It seems your new stray is awake." Megumi said as she leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms across her chest in a frown.

"…Stray?" Kaoru mumbled, before delight lit her face. "Kenshin? Kenshin's awake?"

"Why are you so excited?" her female friend asked dryly. "He's a stranger Kaoru."

Kaoru stood up, trying to hide her excitement as she faced her frowning friend. "He's a wounded human, Megumi. I think it's quite reasonable for me to feel relieved to know that he's alive."

"I just fear you might've forgotten he's not one of our own." Megumi murmured, closing her eyes briefly. "Be wary of him Kaoru. Something tells me he's not as harmless as you think."

The princess scowled. "I know that Megumi and I will be careful." The raven haired princess turned to the door and began walking out.

"Where are you going?" Megumi called out and Kaoru paused by the door frame, her back turned towards her friend.

"To class." She replied softly she began to walk away when Megumi stepped forward.

"What about the guest?"

Kaoru paused, "I trust you to take care of him for now, Megumi. He is your patient and our guest." Her voice held a hint of warning before she turned to Tsubame. "Show him around the area if he's well enough." As Tsubame curtsied, the princess turned and left.

Megumi watched the back of her friend disappear around the corner before slowly shaking her head. "She's not going to listen to me is she? Stubborn girl."

Tsubame meekly lowered her head, feeling somewhat guilty for the uncomfortable atmosphere in the air.

Finally, the doctor sighed and turned towards her tools. "So how is he?"

"He's wary and cautious of us. He was in pain but after he drank the herbal mixture he… fell asleep." Tsubame spoke softly and she looked down at her feet.

"You're feeling guilty." The female doctor stated calmly as she began to untie the apron around her front.

"It's just… he seems like a kind man.. and..yet.. it feels like I've betrayed his trust…" the young girl admitted, crumbling into herself even more.

"Betrayed his trust?" Megumi snorted. The stranger must be something to have captured the innocent hearts of both her friends so easily. But she was no fool. No normal stranger could survive wounds and poison like that.

She turned to face the young servant, sighing softly when she saw the guilty expression on her face.

"Tsubame." She spoke softly, capturing the attention of the young girl. "I was the one who told you not to tell him about the mild sedatives mixed into the medicine. If anyone should be feeling guilty, it should be me."

"Miss Megumi…"

Megumi shook her head slowly as she met Tsubame's brown eyes. "How would you think our guest would react if he knew the drink would put him to sleep? He would probably refuse it and choose to suffer the pain because he does not trust us enough. He would probably end up making his situation worse by moving around when his body is not ready."

Tsubame seem to process her words before slowly, she nodded her head.

Megumi sighed in relief as she stood up; placing her apron by the side she placed a hand on the young servant's shoulder, turning her towards the door. "Now go on to your duties. Run to me when Kaoru's beloved guest awakens again and we'll both see if he's up for a little chat then."

Tsubame nodded, turning around and ran down the hallway leaving the female doctor hanging by the empty doorway with tightly clenched jaws and unspoken worries.

x x x

"You!" the word was spat out with such venom and hatred, the young servant cowered and hid from the enraged warrior.

His body shook with his fury, the betrayal of his trust as his violet eyes raged gold. Only the thinnest strand of self-restraint held the warrior back from attacking the women in the room.

"You better have a good explanation or else…" the click of his sword being nudged open explained his intentions.

"Or else what?" Kenshin's eyes flashed towards the black haired woman who seemed unfazed by the terrifying aura he's emitting.

"You'll kill us, your saviors?" the woman continued calmly.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do not mock me, you're not my saviors. Anything-" his eyes flashed towards Tsubame hiding behind the tall lady. "but saviors." He finished coldly.

"Hmph." The tall woman crossed her arms across her chest as she met Kenshin's glare for glare, unflinching. "So this is how you treat a doctor who worked three days and nights without sleep to save your warrior hide."

"I thought people from the Koran kingdom knew better than to treat the ones who saved them with disrespect."

Kenshin flinched from the cold and disappointed tone but held his sword tighter. "You know nothing about us." He hissed, golden eyes narrowing into slits.

"Fine. Go on then. Slay us." The woman spread her arms wide in an obvious invitation as she stepped forward, ignoring Tsubame's gasp and pulling on her sleeves.

"Can't do it?" the doctor challenged softly as she edged even closer.

"Don't push it." Kenshin gritted, eyes flashing as his sword slid out another inch.

"Or what?" she replied coldly, "You'll pull out your sword and slash us apart?" she took another step forward.

"Miss Megumi!"

"You'll injure us for trying to help you?" she ignored Kenshin's warning hiss as she closed the distance and entered the reach of his sword. "No you won't."

Kenshin's eyes flashed open in shock and surprise as he looked up and met her cold gaze.

"I might not know anything about you. But I know enough about your country and your ways." Her arms lowered to her side. "You Koras take debts seriously and this is one debt you can't afford not to repay."

The man paused uncertainly, his arm quivering slightly as he stared at the fearless woman and really looked at her.

The tall woman who claimed to be the doctor who saved him, carried herself with an air of calmness and grace that suggests a wealthy upbringing. She had a long, feminine face with porcelain skin and her shiny black hair hung straight down to her waist setting off the deep brown in her eyes that spoke volumes of knowledge and wisdom.

"Who are you?" the warrior asked. She who stood fearlessly in front of him and knew about his kingdom's cultures and ways couldn't possibly be just a doctor.

"I am the royal doctor." Megumi replied steadily, unflinching even as Kenshin's eyes narrowed with suspicion and disbelief. "It's not that strange for a doctor close to the royal family to know about these things." The woman stated calmly, brushing her sleeves absently from imaginary dust.

"My life was saved by the princess and so my debt is hers to claim." Not yours. Kenshin challenged silently as he sheathed his sword quietly.

"Indeed, Her Royal Highness was the one who found you." Megumi nodded, "However, I was the one who healed you. You owe not one, but two life debts."

Kenshin growled in frustration as he shook his head. "No, you drugged me. I owe you nothing."

The corner of her lips tilted slightly in a mocking grin as she casually flicked her black hair. "You, drugged yourself."

Kenshin's mouth opened angrily but he was interrupted as Megumi continued smoothly. "I offered the mixture but you chose to drink it. You, put yourself to sleep."

"I trusted you." His teeth grounded together in frustration and anger as his grip tightened on his sword.

Megumi's eyes narrowed. "You speak as if we have wronged you. However, tell me most honorable guest, why would we wish harm upon you when Her Royal Highness placed you under her protection? Attempting to hurt you would be suicidal. And I, love myself too much to jeopardize my life for a stranger like you."

"Indeed, we might have forgotten to inform you about the sedatives. However, as the doctor instructed to take care of you by Her Royal Highness, I know the situation of your body – possibly even better than yourself." Her brown eyes landed on his left shoulder but the warrior had buttoned his shirt tightly, revealing nothing to the doctor. "You're in no shape to be moving around so quickly. You needed bed rest and I gave that to you. Your body needed the rest no matter how much you try to deny it. No doubt you're feeling much more… energetic now." Her eyes slid to the sword hanging by his side.

Though he hated to admit it, Kenshin knew there was truth in her words. The medicine did soothe his pain and though the sedative was unexpected, when he woke he felt rejuvenated and stronger. He had a slight fever but the pain no longer bothered him and he could easily forget the ache on his back. But it didn't mean he had to like being lied to.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't forget to tell me about these." He said brusquely as slowly straightened from his defensive crouch. But didn't smoothen the frown and distrust on his face.

"I'll try to remember that next time." The doctor's flippant reply gave Kenshin the feeling that Megumi didn't really care and would continue to 'forget' if it pleases her so.

She was not a woman to be trifled with, especially since she knows the ways of his country. The warrior felt backed into a corner without any possible escape routes. Finally, he sighed and slumped, rubbing a calloused hand through his bangs as he closed his eyes almost painfully.

"State what you want."

Curiosity seems to flicker over the female doctor's face before her calm mask fell over her features again. "I'll claim the debt you owe me at a later date, for now you can rest easy knowing that our princess is protecting you."

Kenshin flinched and opened his eyes, he tried to gauge the doctor's emotions but her face was turned away.

"When?" he gritted, fists tightening unconsciously.

"I have no idea. But rest assured," Brown eyes turned to his clenched fists, "the debt will be claimed before you leave."

The warrior's head bowed in defeat; undefined future claims were high stakes, since the debtor needs to be certain the debt was satisfied and no further claim could be made. He had no idea when the doctor will stake her claim nor could he prepare himself for it. Who knew what the strange doctor might ask? However, there was nothing he could say to change her decision – life debts must be repaid and she knew he wouldn't leave until both are claimed. They got him wrapped perfectly around their fingers.

"When can I leave?" he sighed softly, sitting down on the bed heavily as he looked up and faced the doctor.

"Even I don't know that." The doctor spoke softly, watching the wary slump of the warrior's shoulders. "But you definitely won't be leaving until your shoulder is healed. Our princess had been very… adamant about your health. The rest will depend on you."

"On me?"

Megumi offered no further explanation as she turned swiftly to face Tsubame. "Tsubame here, has been tasked to give you a tour around the area if you're feeling up for it." The short haired girl stepped forwards timidly and bowed to him

"Though you might not be able to leave immediately, you could still try to enjoy your stay here." The doctor turned to give him a cold glance, "We have been more than generous with you. You are our guest and my patient, enjoy your privileges but do not abuse our trust." She warned him before she turned to the door and made to exit.

He received the doctor's warning as his frown turned tighter. He understood that his hosts had been more than kind to him, but just because they allowed him – a stranger – a lot of free space didn't mean they wouldn't take it away.

"Will I be able to meet your princess?" he asked softly and watched as the doctor halted hesitantly.

"That…" the doctor paused silently as a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "… depends on her."

And the doctor disappeared from his room, her soft tinkling laughter trailing after her like the haunting cry of a ghost.

Kenshin shook his head sadly as an ache he knew was unrelated to his wound blossomed in his head.

He seems to be accumulating more and more questions as the day progressed and sadly it seems he's not getting any closer to finding the answers.

To be continued...

As promised! Here is the new TGwSE! I hope you like the first chapter! I'd love to hear your opinions on the changes I made C'x -excited excited-

One thing some might notice would be the change in rating for the story. After re-planning the story I have moved the rating down to T because the story is pretty much drama, romance and more drama + conflict in the future. There won't be gore and things won't be getting steamy any time soon. There might be a part where the story might risk being bumped to M but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I kind of switched a lot of things eh? :B Megumi's early appearance and what-not. But fear not! The plot stays the same! The events have been switched slightly to make things more interesting. B)

Next, I have decided to keep the old TGwSE. I've discontinued it but I want to keep the original (horribly planned version) as a reminder and for readers who are interested in comparing both new and old versions. But let me warn you beforehand, the old one was discontinued because it really was bad. So. BEWARE OF THE OLD VERSION. That's all.

Lastly, erm.. slightly bad news? I learned that one week is not nearly enough to replan the whole story + rewrite all four chapters. So I guess everyone will have to stick with the new rewritten chapter one for now eheh ^^; Hopefully I'll be able to get chapter two rewritten soon!

Long author's note but thank you for taking the time to read through it! Reviews make me happy, happy! eheh \^^/

Until next chapter!