Hey everyone, chapter two! I would love to know what you guys think!

-Mia21


They arrived in Yamashiro the next afternoon. Kaoru couldn't stop staring around her at all of the people as they headed towards the manor house. She wondered what would happen now, but soon found her nerves were pointless. Kenshin introduced them to one of his overseers, a tall, thin man with spiky brown hair he introduced as Sanosuke. The man sighed and shook his head, telling them, "Sano." Before smiling at them both and winking at Megumi.

"So what can you ladies do?" He asked.

"We were both house servants." Megumi offered. Sano nodded.

"Let me go find Hana for you, she oversees all the inside workers."

He was back just a few minutes later, followed closely by a woman with brown hair and eyes. Sano introduced them to her. She nodded and smiled also.

"Follow me, I'll show you around inside."

By the time Hana got done with their tour, Kaoru's head was spinning. Hana put them both to work in the kitchen, under Yui, the head cook. Yui had Kaoru go with another girl, Niko, to milk the cows that evening. Niko was very talkative, explaining that the cows had to be milked twice a day, and then the milk taken into the dairy barn to churn into butter in the morning. Kaoru listened attentively, nodding when appropriate. They got to the stables where the cows were and Niko pulled out two stools. Kaoru watched what she did carefully, then set up her stool just the same way. Niko looked over as Kaoru was trying to figure out how Niko was getting the milk out and asked, "You've never milked before have you?"

Kaoru shook her head. Niko smiled. "It's not so hard, you just grab the teat, here," she said, showing her, "and sort of squeeze as you slide your hand down. You'll soon get it." Kaoru nodded, and did as she had said, surprising herself when a stream of milk flowed out into her bucket.

The two girls continued milking, Niko finishing four cows to Kaoru's two, but Kaoru was just happy to have helped. They each picked up two buckets and carried them to the dairy barn, Niko showing Kaoru the way. When they arrived, Niko explained that churning process and that they only churned the milk from the day before. Then Niko bid her a goodnight, saying she would see first thing in the morning. And with that, Kaoru returned to the manor house, to the wing where the servants slept. There she found Megumi, already laying down. Kaoru climbed into the bed next to hers and was soon fast asleep.

She awoke soon after dawn, Megumi shaking her awake.

"Come on, young miss, to work."

Kaoru sighed, sitting up and stretching. She was about to say she wondered what they would be doing today before she remembered she was supposed to be mute. Megumi helped her dress quickly, and then they headed into the kitchen where Kaoru found Niko waiting for her.

"Ready?" the girl asked.

Kaoru nodded and followed her out into the barn where the cows were kept. After milking, they again took the milk into the dairy barn and churned the milk left from yesterday. Kaoru found the monotonous task of churning relaxing. When they were done, they took the butter and cream in to Yui, and Niko said she would see her again that evening.

"Ren," Yui began, standing next to two buckets full of leftovers from breakfast, "take these leftovers to the pigs. You'll find their pen past the dairy barn." Kaoru nodded, picking up the two buckets and carrying them outside with her.

She did indeed find the pig pen a ways past the dairy barn. She peeked over the fence and saw a trough quite close to the fence. She noticed there was also a step on this side of the fence, which she assumed was to stand on as you poured the leftovers over the fence. She took the first bucket, stepped up on the stair, and poured the leftovers into the trough. The pigs, which had ignored her until that moment, were now running towards the trough. Kaoru stepped up onto the stair with the second bucket and poured that one as well, but lost her grip on the handle and dropped the bucket onto one of the animals' heads. It didn't seem to mind, as it kept eating. Kaoru sighed, wondering what she was supposed to do now. Deciding she'd better not go back in the kitchen with only one of the buckets, she realized she'd have to go get it. Luckily the gate was near her, so she opened it, slipped into the pen, and began creeping towards the trough. The pigs didn't even notice her until she reached out and plucked the bucket off of the pig's head. Rushing past her, several made it out the gate before she could close it.

'Well,' she thought, looking after them. 'I'll just have to get them too.'

Kaoru went out the gate and began following the pigs, which had stopped in a nearby field to root around in the dirt.

Kenshin, who was heading down towards the river to do some fishing, noticed Ren trying to shoo the pigs back towards their pen. He couldn't help but grin, and decided he'd better help. He went to join her, yelling the way the pig herder called and waving his arms. The pigs began to, grumpily, head back to their pen. Kaoru ran ahead and opened the gate as Kenshin finished herding them in. She smiled gratefully at Kenshin.

"Well, that's that." He told her, brushing the dirt off his hands.

Thank you. She wrote in the dirt next to the step.

"Your welcome. How can you read and write?" He asked.

I was taught so I could help my old mistress with her recipes. She wrote. Understanding lit his face and eyes.

"At least this makes communication between us easier. Are you enjoying it here?" He wondered.

Very much. She wrote. Everyone is so kind.

Kenshin nodded. "I should hope so. We certainly don't believe in beating servants here, no matter what they do." He told her.

That's good. She wrote, smiling. Kenshin couldn't help but notice again how beautiful Ren was, her eyes lightening incrementally when she smiled. 'And with that, he thought, 'I'd better go.'

"Well, I'll let you get back to your work." She smiled again, nodding, and his heart flipped over, but he turned and began heading back towards the river.


For anyone wondering, Akio's (the king's) father Akihiko and Kaoru's mother Haruka were brother and sister. Kaoru's mother died when she was born and her father when she was like six or seven which, not married yet, left her as her cousin's problem, that's why she was his ward. Hiope you guys will let me know if you like it!

-Mia21