A/N: Sorry that this one of all had taken the longest. I got caught up in the others. So, here we go with this story.

God Save the King

Kenshin had sat through dawn that morning on the doctor's orders. His ankle was propped up with a cloth of ice changed frequently. He'd been stitched up for the cuts on his face. He couldn't resist rubbing it. There was disbelief in his that another opponent was even capable of striking him, let alone wounding him. He tried not to let the thoughts go to his head.

The doctor, Gensai, came into the room with another cloth of ice ready for his ankle as well as a wrap because delegations were going to go as Kenshin and his adviser's had mapped out for that day.

"Your Majesty, maybe you should rest today. You've been through a very stressful ordeal." Dr. Gensai informed. He began wrapping Kenshin's ankle tightly. "I can't imagine who would go against you Your Majesty, really. You're such a kind soul." Gensai shook his head as he spoke. "I just can't imagine."

"You'd be surprised what people have heard doctor," Kenshin stated. He looked into his reflection in a glass of tea. "I'm not special."

"You mustn't say that! You are the reason were still together Your Majesty. Without you, there is no kingdom!" Gensai exclaimed while he finished patching up the emperor. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little woozy, but I think I can make it."

"I'll get you a crutch Your Majesty. "

"I can walk," Kenshin stood, his foot slipping into the shoe just below. Gensai and several of the other apprentice doctors were looking at the emperor with shock. Gensai was next to Kenshin, just to make sure that he didn't fall over and hurt himself further.

"Please. Your Majesty. You must be very careful. Megumi, please, will you hand me the crutch?"Gensai took hold of the wooden crutch and helped Kenshin get adjusted to it. Then they allowed him to walk on his own, but followed behind in precaution along with an entourage of guards treating everything as an enemy. Kenshin retreated into his room where he was dressed elegantly in black silk. An adviser was the one to bring in the mahogany box with the gold crown in it. He bowed to Kenshin as the ladies finished the last buttons on the over coat. He brushed them away when they tried to touch his messy hair.

"Is this necessary?"

"To proclaim your rule Your Majesty, it is. " The man bowed his head again hoping he hadn't spoke out of term. He opened the mahogany box showing the golden crown. A top it was a cross. Though it was only inlaid with one emerald, the gold itself was worth more than anything. He took the crown which was only used in ceremony for coronation. Apparently many officials deemed this necessary. He was helped by the adviser. The gold was plenty heavy for him to wear which was making standing difficult. Somehow, Kenshin managed just as he did at the coronation.

The throne room had changed from the night before. It was spotless as though there wasn't a party at all. The centerpiece in the room was the throne, which Sagara Sanosuke and his father Sagara Sozo were standing. They weren't the only ones. Many different officials and their grown sons were waiting for the emperor to emerge for the state of emergency they were in. Much contrast to the rest, like he always had been, Sanosuke's hands were empty of a priceless gift. Even though he still owed it to emperor for the birthday celebration the night before.

"I told you you should have brought something Sano," Sozo scolded. He had his hands folded neatly behind his back, his cloak hanging limply off one shoulder. Sanosuke didn't mirror his father in any way. He was taller, and he decision to not look half as regal was one that he had gotten much grief over.

"I don't really think he needs anything else," Sanosuke said while panning his vision around the room. "Besides, that's not what were here for anyway." Sanosuke tried to remind his father. Shortly after the word had risen that the emperor had been injured, so had the word that he needed a better guard those of the royal guard. Someone who was more than just crude strength. Sanosuke really didn't think of himself in this category. Brute strength was all he had. So said the bruise on his cheek from the night before.

"Hush Sano," and Sozo nearly flung himself to the floor along with the rest of the diplomats. And this was because one of the royal advisers had came out in advance of the emperor. It was when Kenshin emerged that Sanosuke knelt down. His eyes wandered to the emperor, and was surprised to see the mirrored wounds of his opponents adorned on him. Sanosuke bit his lip a moment, thinking back to the night before and having the image of his opponent in his head. The things that he had said to Kenshin, and how brutal he had been. He squeezed his eyes closed.

"I thank you for coming," Kenshin began. He looked over the attendants as they rose. Sanosuke was the one that was avoiding all eye contact by staring at the crown instead. "you needn't worry about my health, I will survive this. However, it seems that while someone is on the loose, it seems necessary for one of the diplomats allows me to borrow either himself or his son in this state of emergency." Kenshin explained.

"If I may Your Majesty?" Sojiro asked. Kenshin nodded his head. "Now, this is very simple. You will approach His Majesty with respect, you will bow your head and he will ask you questions. We realize already you must had the skills in the guard category, but this is a test of your diplomacy."

'Crap!' Sanosuke thought, knowing his diplomatic skills were less than none. Still, he stood with his back straight and with his face stony so that Kenshin wouldn't know that he was flustered.

The room fell cold and silent while Kenshin let his eyes wander around the room. He had his cheek in his hand, a few strands of hair twisting it. He looked at each man for several seconds, as though he were looking inside them. And, at last he came to Sanosuke and his father Sozo. Kenshin paid barely any attention to Sozo and rushed his eyes to Sanosuke. It seemed that Sanosuke was correct in his deduction that Kenshin was Empress H.

"Ah, Sagara-sama, you seem to have been able to make it to the party," he tried to his hand at humor while looking at Sozo. Sagara Sozo tried not to blush, and instead he laughed.

"Very sorry for that Your Majesty," Sozo put his head down in a bow. "We got caught up in some messy business."

Sanosuke tried not to laugh at his father but it was hard. He let out an awkward squeal, then closed his mouth again once Kenshin had turned his head back to Sanosuke. "And your Sano, am I correct?"

"I am."

Kenshin rested his chin on the back of hand looking Sanosuke over with plenty of intrigue. "Come foreword please Sagara-sama," he said, making it clear that he was addressing Sanosuke. The man came up toward Kenshin reluctantly. He bowed his head, not making eye contact with the interested purple ones of the ruler. "Messy business you say?" he asked Sozo. "You're son seems to be injured."

"Well, Sanosuke took a spill," Sozo said, trying to cover for his son. Kenshin nodded.

"I see. And, how old are you Sano?"

"Nineteen sir."

Kenshin turned and looked down at his ankle as it throbbed. "Nineteen? You've not been in the army yet?"

"No sir."

"We don't need to be formal Sano," Kenshin said. This took Sanosuke off guard, but he nodded.

"Of course...Kenshin." He said. To all around, the name sounded very foreign. Sanosuke was barely able to get it to roll off his tongue. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Did I really need to know your age in the first place Sano?" And everyone saw what Kenshin was doing immediately. It was Sanosuke who was taking his time figuring out what Kenshin meant.

"Then, why would you ask?" Sanosuke asked.

"Curious I guess. You seem like you're still a little juvenile. Running around hazardously?"

"Is that suppose to mean something?" Sanosuke asked hotly. He tried to conceal that he was getting annoyed, but he usually that person that took everything to heart. Kenshin started to shift around in his chair.

"Is it?" Kenshin asked him. Sanosuke smirked.

"Smartass," he whispered.

"Would you care to repeat that Sagara-sama?" Sojiro asked. Kenshin raised his hand up to Sojiro to stop him. "But Your Majesty..."

"Halt Sojiro. This is getting interesting."

And, just like Kenshin, all were looking on in delight. They smiled and laughed at Kenshin's gag with Sanosuke's dim witted diplomatic abilities. Sanosuke may have acted stupid most of the time, but the last thing that he was about to do was be ignorant around the emperor. Instead of getting mad, Sanosuke smiled.

"Is it?" He asked back. Kenshin raised a brow.

"Are you going to copy cat me?" Kenshin wondered.

"Maybe."

"You don't want to be doing that," Kenshin warned.

"Why? Is it a law?"

"It could be"

"But it's not is it?"

Kenshin sat in silence, closed his eyes and pondered a moment. "You have me there," they both looked out to the crowd watching the quarrel with surprise and a little bit of displeasure. "Sanosuke, why fight me?" he asked, and to Sanosuke it had a double meaning. He clenched his fists trying to think of an answer that wouldn't sound of alarms in front of his peers.

"I...guess that was what you wanted me to do Sire."

"No formalities. Haven't we already gone over that?"

"Of course sir," Sanosuke was trying his hand at making Kenshin mad. The emperor made a half smile, batted his eyes and looked back to the crowd.

"So, you thought I wanted to?"

"I would suppose. You called me out sir."

"Oh, so I did," Kenshin was now picking at his nails hoping he was pissing Sanosuke off, but neither were seeing the effects of what each was inflicting. "Fall back Sagara-sama, I think I'm done."

So Sanosuke bowed and walked back next to his father who was clenched in his spot. There was something about Sozo that Sanosuke wasn't liking. Sanosuke watched like his father did toward the onslaught of questions that Kenshin was posing toward all the rest of the officials and royals in the court. They were nearly breaking down at the way that Kenshin was interrogating, and at times, acting sarcastic and even sadistic towards them. This let Sanosuke know the emperor's displeasure in his subordinates. Eventually, none were laughing at the ruler's cruel sense of humor. They looked on in scrutiny, and most of all, fear. It was Sojiro, Sanosuke realized, that was having fun with what Kenshin was doing. Finally, once all was silent, Kenshin turned his head to Sanosuke and Sozo calmly conversing with one another. He waited, listening in on the father-son conversation.

"What's wrong Dad?" Sanosuke asked.

"Nothing, he's being unusually cruel today," Sozo stated. "Kenshin is a very benevolent ruler. I've never seen him like this."

"Whoever did this must have kicked his dick or something. That's the only thing that I can come up with."

"Sanosuke! Don't say that about His Majesty."

"Dad, the guy's not as formal as these other guys. You got to realize. That's what this test is about. Who can act normally instead of diplomatically."

"That explains why he's talking interest in you." Sozo commented. "There was something about how he was approaching you that was different from the rest," Sozo said from observation.

"Just act normal. I think that's what he wants."

"Then why say diplomatically?"demanded Sozo. Sanosuke stood in a moment's silence then glanced up to Kenshin watching them like a hawk. He turned back down to his father.

"It's a trick."

"Sirs!" Sojiro finally yelled out. "I think His Majesty is calling upon you."

Sanosuke looked up to Kenshin, let their eyes lock, and then stepped forward despite not being asked to. "Why are you being so uptight?"

"Sagara-sama!" Sojiro yelled.

"Hush Sojiro." Kenshin leaned on the armrest of the chair. "Now, would you care to repeat that Sano?"

"Who shoved a stick up your ass, Your Majesty."

And with a gasp catching the breath of all in the room, the one sound in the room was coming from the emperor, and he was laughing at Sanosuke. Sanosuke came closer to the throne, almost threateningly, to which the guard jumped and crossed their swords in front of Kenshin for protection.

"Put down your arms gentlemen," Kenshin commanded. "I feel that Sano is no threat to us."

"But Sire..."

"Put your swords down, please."

"Hai!" Simultaneously, they sheathed their weapons and moved out of the way. Kenshin was looking at Sanosuke with a very inquisitive glance.

"What is on your mind Sano?"

Sanosuke stood dumbfounded, as though Kenshin were seeing right through him. There was no "Sano" it was only "Zanza". Kenshin was still itching, Sanosuke surmised, for a fight. Sanosuke had been one of the first to give Kenshin a worthy fight, so he wanted more. Verbally obviously would have to do.

"Nothing."

"Are you certain."

"Nothing."

"Pity," Kenshin rose, the crutch underneath his arm, and he hobbled to where he was standing a few inches away from Sanosuke. Everyone could see the obvious height difference. Sanosuke stood a foot taller than the sovereign. "Would you take a sword's sharp edge if it meant sparing my life."

"Depends," Sanosuke answered with a shrug.

"On what?"

"On how well I get along with you."

Kenshin laughed. "Sojiro! Where is the dagger?"

"Sire? Why him?"

"Sojiro, just give me the dagger," he coolly commanded. Sojiro gave him dagger in a leather sheath. Upon revealing it, there was an inscription in the metal. "Sagara Sanosuke, next in line for the fourth province of Levan, I ask your permission to mix blood."

Sanosuke looked around at the men who sulked that they weren't chosen, but also were thanking God that it wasn't them.

"Sire..."

"Do I have your permission?" Kenshin asked. He had the blade pressed against his palm. Sanosuke knew that this was the ritual to have him admitted into the blood of the true sovereign.

"You-you have my permission Your Majesty."

Kenshin closed his hand and let to blade bite into his skin, shredding a straight line. Blood slowly began to drip onto the marble floor. Kenshin presented Sanosuke with the blood stained blade. With reluctance, he took in and pressed it into his palm. He looked up at Kenshin, holding his palm out and allowing it to freely bleed onto the floor. Finally, after several moments of gaining his breath, Sanosuke took the dagger and slide it through his palm mimicking Kenshin. He winced at the pain, it stinging afterword. The velvet red blood slowly fell over his palm and making its trek to the floor. Once the blood was shed, he was the one to step forward and let his blood fall into Kenshin's open palm. It created a pool, deepening in color the longer it dripped. That was until Kenshin took his hand away.

"Sojiro, get Gensai please. And, we need the document. For my new brother," Kenshin looked at Sanosuke from the corner of his eye before turning to sit back down. Sojiro had already departed from the room. Sanosuke felt another drop of blood fall from his palm. It stopped hurting.

A/N: Weird, I know. Barbaric too. Well, that's the new chapie. Till next time, KenSan out!