Hey everyone, a new story yay! So this story is about Kenshin and Kaoru, but it's other worldly. It's what would happen if Kaoru lived in a kingdom where her land needed a Lord and where she is the Bridge. Please check it out! Standard disclaimer applies.
~Mia21
Bridge: a connecting, transitional, or intermediate route or phase (in this case person) between two adjacent elements, activities, conditions, or the like (in this case beings, the Lord and his land)
In the beginning, the land was wild, overrun with magic, and the earth itself had a life of its own. Because of this, the first King sent out his greatest magicians, to find a way to tame the land so his people could live and work in harmony with the world around them. But the magicians, though strong and brave, could not do this feat alone. Each found himself a partner, a bridge to land and heart. And now, every domain must have its Lord and its Bridge, or the earth itself would rebel.
Because she was Bridge, Kaoru stood next to the Administrator and the Dignitary, just in front of the main doors into the House. They were waiting for the new Lord to arrive. There had been a time when everyone was worried. Would he consent to come? Other than an uncle and a cousin, the previous Lord had no other family. Of course, the previous Lord had cared more about his power and position than his duty to the land. Even when everyone in the domain had begun to realize the previous Lord and his Bridge were out of control, still the ordinary folk, herself included, had felt only anxiety and fear. That was until the crops began failing and the trees rotted because it rained too much. Then the fires had started. It was one such uncontrollable fire that led to the death of the previous Bridge. After that the Lord had packed up and left. Kaoru privately believed it was because he knew that no new Bridge would allow him to continue dismissing his duty to the land. Because re-allotting the domain would upset not only its balance, but the balance of the entire kingdom, it was decided that the previous Lord's cousin would be asked to return to the domain. He had lived in Springhaven when he was a child, up until his parents had died and he was sent to live in Woodcrest with his uncle. The uncle they knew wouldn't leave Woodcrest, they hoped the nephew would prove different. And so a letter had been sent, begging for his return. Kaoru remembered that even as a child he had understood the land better than most, and she knew he would return. Sure enough, the next day they received his response, saying he would be there as soon as possible. Kaoru was high enough up on the stairs that she saw the moment those people lining the drive began to see the coach, ignoring the two men who were ignoring her by staring at the drive. And soon she could see the coach for herself. It was black, which was a perfectly acceptable color for a Lord. The coach stopped in front of the House, and the door opened. Out stepped a short man with long red hair held back in a high tail. Looking at him, Kaoru could just see the child she'd played with, the one who'd always worried about the trees and the crops, and if the temples were well tended. As she watched him, Kaoru could see none of the rumors they had all heard reflected, that how, during the kingdom's revolution, he had become a heartless killer. She could see, as he climbed the stairs, years of sword practice mirrored in the way he moved. But she had already made up her mind that she wouldn't fear him, and it was a good thing, since, as Bridge, hers was the first greeting. She could feel the fear rolling off the Administrator in waves. She shook it off, and stepped forward, offering the cup she held. "Welcome, Lord."
He nodded his thanks and reached immediately to take the cup from her. She was glad he seemed to know his role, and glad that he had decided to come. Kaoru knew Springhaven wouldn't survive an out blood Lord and a Bridge who was untrained and inexperienced, as she was. It was bad enough the way it was, Springhaven was restless, hurt and unhappy: half mad with it, she sometimes thought, delirious as a child with a bad fever. Whether this was as a result of being Lordless for seven months or from the twelve years of neglect preceding the previous Lord's departure, it was impossible for her to say.
The new Lord followed them inside the House to the East Hall where they were going to have their first official meeting. Kaoru realized that it would be up to her to get the Circle and the Lord to work together in harmony. She wondered if she should bring one of her informational books with her, but watching her fumble uselessly through a book for the right incantation would be helpful neither to the Circle members nor herself. When they arrived in the meeting room she hesitated. She knew that there were a lot of rules, which she hadn't learned yet, about standing by a window.
"Stand by me." The Lord said, which was a perfectly proper place for the Bridge to stand. Once he was seated, she stood proudly by his right side.
She heard the plans being made to visit the Northern Temple, where the Lord could better connect with his land. Kaoru realized she wouldn't have to go, as the Bridge would not be needed. Before she knew it, the meeting was over, and the other Circle members were walking out of the room, which left Kaoru alone with the Lord.
"You're Kaoru right? Koshijiro's daughter?" He asked.
"Yes, Lord." She replied.
"Call me Kenshin, please." He told her, then, "I remember you. How are you enjoying your new job?"
"I'm afraid I'm a bad Bridge. The others certainly think so. Did you know that Bridges feel the pull of the land more strongly than any of the rest of the Circle members?" She wondered.
"I thought so. I believe I felt the land the moment the carriage crossed the boundary from Woodcrest." He said.
"I'm glad you decided to come. It's better for you to be Lord of this land, blood Lord, than for the King's favorite to be set in your place, and to have the land try to remake itself in a form that is not its nature." Kaoru declared.
"Thank you. Your words give me hope that perhaps it's not too late to be a Lord, even though I've been gone from Springhaven since I was a child." Her Lord, Kenshin, disclosed.
Thank you for reading! Please review! Next chapter will be up soon.
