A/N: Thanks everyone for the favs and follows! Please continue reading!
I'm introducing a little bit more information on this chapter and I would like to say now… that I'm borrowing names for a couple characters who remained nameless during the RK saga such as Kaoru's father (Koshijirou) from other authors so I apologize if you find it uncomfortable… and I do hope you(other authors and readers) do not mind.
Disclaimer: No I don't own anything and this is rated M for a reason… ¬¬ (althou I don't plan on showing anything… sexy yet XD)
CHAPTER 7
Green
Kenshin was annoyed.
The trip back to Kyoto was going to end up taking 5 hours more than Kenshin had wished to and instead of arriving around midday like he had planned in the beginning they reached the outskirts of Kyoto past noon which would finally put him inside the palace and beside his bride-to-be around 5 or 6. Shishou was going to be very displeased with him.
No, in any case Kenshin considered the man to be unmovable by his pupil's actions; because he seemed to always be displeased with any direction his life took… his use of their sword technique and even his late wife. The only thing Hiko seemed to approve was his marriage to the princess which Kenshin was still unable to come to terms with.
Kenshin's face was a mixture of exhaustion and stress.
Even thought he had given his word… even thought he had already agreed to it… he could not come to terms with this marriage before finding Kaoru. Else, marriage felt like any other task he had ever taken in his life, like… protecting his friends or those who could not defend themselves. Although Kenshin felt it peculiar that after insisting their technique; the Hiten Mitsuruji Riu had to remain separated from any political power or view, his own master had been the one to call him into action during the war and over for the eventual possession of the "lord" title. It was peculiar that his master, the ever distant Hiko Seijuro had insisted so vehemently on a marriage for political reasons instead of his succession of the Seijuro legacy.
But then again… the man was full of mysteries already; he would probably just elicit a laugh out of his sarcastic (twisted) old sensei with his 'naïve' questions, so instead he decided to ignore the topic again… but the ride back home was taking so long he was also running out of topics to think about. Traveling alone with Aoshi was not entertaining.
It had been obvious the moment Soujirou mentioned the name 'Anji' that Sanosuke would immediately decide to go meet with him, since after their fight years back they hadn't received any news about him and the monk could very well be dead already. So Kenshin and Sano parted ways soon after they left Soujiriou's hut leaving Kenshin to travel alone with the ever silent Shinomori Aoshi.
"I will travel to meet with Anji and I'll come back as soon as I have the information about the girl… alright?"
His friend had looked so anxious Kenshin had not been able to say otherwise, after all, no news were not necessarily good news, not in the middle of a war between lords. Sano had even come to think his friend had killed himself or had died because of the wounds he suffered during their encounter in Shishio's mansion… said monk had left the scene badly beaten as well as Sano and it was thanks to Sano's tough physique (and Megumi's care) that the gambling idiot had not died after his own fight and his attempt at attacking Shishio so it would have been only natural if the monk Yukyuzan Anji had also died after the fight if he didn't receive the right medical care.
"Trust me Kenshin, I'm sure I'll find something about her"
Trust him…? As if he had another choice. The man had given him none when they became friends.
Every time he traveled alone with Aoshi he was reminded of how much his life had changed since he met Kaoru. He had always been a loner, always traveling on his own, never trusting another; never ever staying on a place for too long. A wanderer with no home but… Kaoru had taken down the barriers years of war had built around his heart and when the moment came to trust another with his life Kenshin had been willing and actually wishing for the best. Sanosuke had proven himself a worthy friend, the best he could ever ask for and now the redhead was so used to his friend's loud personality that "lonely" was no longer something he enjoyed as much when traveling.
Sano… I hope you're doing fine on your own…
An image of the brown haired youngster popped into his mind, clueless face and all and Kenshin couldn't help but smile.
I hope he's not lost yet
The man and his poor sense of direction were another constant companion he enjoyed; it usually took them to the most interesting places or gave them both a good reason to laugh and good memories to remember.
But perhaps… right now was not the best moment to be laughing about anything… perhaps not even the moment to be lost in memories and ruminations. News had arrived earlier that day that the princess's convoy had been attacked by the enemy before they were able to cross the desert; not close enough for them to protect them, 'far away' enough from danger that their guards had relaxed a little bit too much. He couldn't help the guilt he was feeling deep down.
He should had been there to help. It was his fiancé for crying out loud! Shishou would be most displeased with his actions…
He was not as worried about the girl as he could be anyway; Misao had arrived the night before from an especial assignment and she was probably already on her way to protect the princess and her convoy. He was completely sure the slight woman would handle the issue with ease. There was something Misao's determination Kenshin feared deeply… if she could get the tall block of ice to fall in love and on top of it to propose… perhaps she could really do anything she set her mind to and this made Kenshin fear for his own destiny.
The woman was not happy with his engagement.
These thoughts brought another name he had been avoiding to his mind.
Sayo Amakusa…
To begin with, just the name made him feel somewhat curious. He had heard about the princess like any other person yet as any other person he had never met her "in person" or actually heard anything about her more than gossip, until their engagement. Hiko had been insistent on the disclosure of every tiny detail about her before he decided to support the whole thing and he was pretty sure the man had bullied Amakusa into talking. God knows what that old man could do to anyone to gain whatever he wished to possess.
Still… he feared Misao's determination more than Hiko's lack of scruples.
The princess or Magdalia as many called her had gained the reputation of a 'healer' because of her knowledge of medicine and the human body in general. She was very skilled and some had spread the rumor she was capable of miracles, another reason why her so called father had managed to settle as a lord despite coming from a low class family. People worshiped them as gods. But the princess grew as anything but normal not because of her new title and responsibilities but because of her frail physique that had her bed ridden almost all her infancy and adolescence. Now, of course, they had informed with delight that the princess had been fine for years thanks to the care of many doctors and wise men so she would be perfectly capable of birthing a child. Which Hiko had insisted was of outmost importance.
Kenshin grimaced against his will and an image of Sano's mocking face appeared to make him even more uncomfortable.
He had also heard the princess traveled along with a group of handmaidens she had befriended over the years, who she even called "family" and who were in charge of taking care of the young lady in any situation; not only waiting on her but also putting their lives on the line for her. Their devotion was something of legend. So it seemed Magdalia was not only worshipped by the villagers her 'father' protected but by the women she was served by. A good choice for a queen, Seijuro declared, Kenshin could only think he would decide after he met her.
Meanwhile…
Shougo Amakusa had taken precautions to protect Magdalia of those who might try to hurt her, since her reputation was like for any other "healer" a double edged sword. This resulted on complete anonymity. Basically, no one knew who the princess was, not even those who had had the luck of being treated by her or stumbled by her. Hand maidens who wore exactly the same clothes; dresses, veils, ornaments. Her companions were about the same height, similar tone of voice, some even the same eye and hair color and all this only made his engagement the more stressing for him since Lord Amakusa would expect him to continue taking care of the princess the same way and he was more than sure his future father in law was pretty displeased with his performance so far… if he already knew about the attack placed on his daughter that same day, that is.
A drop of sweat went down the side of Kenshin's face until it disappeared drenching his clothing. The sun had little to do with the heat he felt but Kenshin tried to ignore the desperate signs of his tired body in order to continue traveling, and so made a sign to his silent partner to continue on forgoing for now the small lunch break they would normally take in favor of covering more ground instead. Aoshi seemed to notice his pale colored face and the red head was sure he saw the ice block's brow twitch in annoyance but it was barely a second before it disappeared and the man turned his head in acceptance, tapping the horse with one foot instigating a faster pace.
The result was as positive as they could expect. It didn't take them much longer to reach the central city and after a really small break to shovel something edible down their throats they continued their way into the castle which they stepped foot on after a couple more hours.
The sight of the palace was as always breathtaking. He had come and gone from it a thousand times but he had never had a moment to observe the construction and its details with patience, and now, hiding with a cloak over his head and no horse to worry him he had found the tall building quite distracting.
Both of them, Kenshin and Aoshi arrived at the citadel as the princess's caravan moved towards the inside of the palace. After watching the ruckus created by the new comer Kenshin decided to cover himself up and send Aoshi back to the palace on his own; Misao could get stressed if she didn't see Aoshi and would ask everyone about them. He did not wish for the entire palace to search for him so, once the young woman had the ice block beside her she would overlook anything about the read head and continue on with her affairs which would demand her to stand beside Aoshi in welcome of the princess.
Better send Aoshi to receive the full brunt of Misao's excitement and unfocused energy than expose himself to several types of bodily harm.
So Kenshin, all covered and his hair out of the way, eyes lowered so the color wouldn't give him away moved swiftly between onlookers, curious kids, yelling salesmen and women until he reached the left side of the palace where he was able to bribe a guard to let him pass without announcement. They wouldn't hide his presence for long but the guard would give him a few minutes to pass unnoticed until he found a safe place to rest before he went to meet his future bride.
He could hear the group moving up the long stairs; slowly but not slow enough to give him any time for idle thoughts or wandering, so he didn't stop when he spotted his favorite bench in the garden or the sweet and sour aroma coming from the kitchen.
Aah… sweet and sour pork chops for dinner. Having eaten nothing more than bean buns since they left Soujirou's hut he felt his stomach twist in a dangerous knot while his mouth watered in preparation for such delicious treat he would have to wait hours to finally devour.
Still, Kenshin had an iron will and so he continued to move quietly as a mouse taking advantage of his God like speed to pass through corridors and between pillars without being detected until he found the door he had been looking for, which he opened quickly, slithering inside the room with ease. Yet the moment he felt safe inside the confines of his quarters another figure was looming dangerously over his head.
"I see you decided to change before meeting your future wife" the voice sounded calmer than the person felt and Kenshin knew it. "Smart decision my lord, I see you are covered in dirt from head to toe and since time is of the essence a bath will not be possible, changing your attire is your only hope to appear presentable"
"Aa" Kenshin answered meekly "hai" as he turned around to face the cold blooded killer waiting to confront him.
She was slight and petite like Misao, but similarities stopped right there.
She was standing in front of him and having come from the adjacent room, she had, folded over her hands, a hakama, keikogi and haori ready for him to change into. She had been expecting him and Kenshin already felt the cold sweat running down his back.
Why can't I befriend easy going women… who know nothing of swords or killing…?
In a pathetic attempt to seem at ease he moved to accept the garments from her hands and before he knew it he received a hard kick to the stomach that left him on the floor groveling in pain. A hurt expression escaped his lips in a gasp.
"Oro!"
"That's for leaving before I came back" she said in a much natural voice, also much calmer.
She, now satisfied with her vengeance walked towards the other side of the room were a comfortable looking chair was carefully positioned against a wall.
"Still too careless and trusting Himura, it is not safe to act this dumb when you rule lands this big and in the middle of a struggle with someone as Yukishiro"
"Ahh… hai…" barely managing to stand and pick up the clothes now scattered over the floor he looked up at the young woman now sitting comfortably. Her red-ish brown eyes looked mischievous as ever and the loose black hair around her only made her appearance the more wild and aggressive. She was very well pleased with her actions and his reactions, Kenshin felt he had no way to complain since she was right, this gave her all the more reason to be pleased so she smiled despite the ex-samurai's attempt at dismissing the subject.
"It is, anyway good to see you again Shura, I was worried about you, that I was…"
"Uhn, I suspected as much since you waited so patiently for my return"
The acid creeping back into her voice made him wince and reflect on his words once again.
"Shura, it wasn't like that… sessha had to leave, that…"
Noticing the change in his way of speech a little too late he was faced with a red eyed Shura who had a scowl on her face and small blade in her hand pressing carefully against his skin, just about to cut him if he were to move only one more inch.
"…Ah… my apologies Shura… some old habits are still quite hard to leave behind"
The woman didn't answered but lowered her weapon and moved back a couple steps before she placed the wakisashi in her hands inside its sheath, then turned back to sit on the chair, this time not daring to look at the man's eyes in fear of showing her turbulent feelings. Kenshin took this moment to move behind a screen and change.
"I wasn't able to find the information you needed anyway" she pulled up one leg and placing it over her other thigh she placed her head on one hand before she continued talking "the lead was bogus and it ended up taking me back to Kansai were I found out it was nothing more than a love story of sorts"
Now this was one turn of events he wouldn't have taken lightly if it weren't for Sanosuke traveling to find the monk and the substantial information he could provide.
"A love story?" he breathed out as he fought to secure his hakama around his slim waist.
"Yes" Shura couldn't be more disinterested "First I traveled to Tokio where the connection started but according to the town's data no one with the name Kamiya ever lived there. Records go as far back as possible but there's no sign someone with that name worked as a guard, or teacher, or even lived on the barracks as supposed, also the dojo you mentioned used to belong to a woman, not a man, who lived there with her only daughter, no father in the picture"
The story was indeed different but he was sure the information Kaoru had given him was true, she had not uttered a lie in the time they were together and he had met with Koshijirou himself… so… why…
"They mentioned the woman came from Kansai so I had to go back there only to find this… love story"
Kenshin came out from behind the screen and was as usual fighting to fix his attire under the heavy haori he was supposed to wear overall on special occasions… such as today. Shura glanced only for a moment at him and couldn't help the grin that crossed her features making her give up and move from her perch to help her friend in dire need. Still, she continued telling her story…
"This woman was said to be the daughter of a rich lord; a cruel man who treated her cruelly yet because she was one goody-two-shoes she couldn't leave him… well, until she fell in love with a kendo instructor, poor and homeless, to whom obviously the marriage was forbidden so the couple ran away to look for a place where to settle down, enjoy their time together and live in peace only to find death."
Now she was working the knots on his hair careful not to pull on him too much.
"The dojo was bought with whatever silks and jewels the woman took with her and the kendo instructor taught there for quite some time before he succumbed to a horrible sickness and died, she followed him not long after, sick with sadness."
"What about the daughter?"
"I tried to trace the child but there was no real information on her existence, only what the story says…"
Kenshin walked towards his discarded items and picked up his reverse blade which he placed back between the ties of his hakama, pressed tightly against him.
"She was taken back to her mother's father; her grandfather who took her in and pronounced her as his only heir… now, where did they live or even if she was real, I don't know"
Shura looked at this point tired and concerned so Kenshin smiled sweetly as usual.
"I see" Kenshin tried to sound casual, unstressed but as she looked down to the floor, he could tell something was coming to her mind as they spoke; something entirely different from what they had been talking…
"There is no record of anyone by the name of Kamiya Kaoru ever living or even born in Tokyo…"
Kenshin knew what it was but didn't dare mention it.
"What was the mother's name?" he asked instead.
"Sayoko"
"Uhmm" Kaoru had never mentioned her mother's name but the story did drift apart from what Kaoru had told him. Could it be that she lied? Or had it all been a beautiful dream? Or had she been lied to instead?
"Himura"
Her voice brought him back to reality before he drifted too far and he focused his amethyst eyes on her once more.
"Will you travel…?"
"No, I didn't think so…" he answered before she could even finish the question and moved to open the shoji now in front of him.
"If you do not wish to marry" her words were now somber and barely whispered, he wasn't even sure she said them, but, he had already seen it in her eyes before.
"I'm sorry Shura, I cannot linger any longer… my future wife is waiting for me" Turning around he smiled apologetically and pushed open the screen.
"You're right" she breathed again but before he could move one step outside of the room she raised her voice to call him again "Himura"
Time seemed to stop for the both of them. One felt cold as ice, hands trembling and lips trapped between teeth to avoid the tears from escaping; the other, distant and wary.
"I would have…" she tried to speak and words got caught up in her throat "You know I've always…" she tried again but this time Kenshin turned his head halfway around, lowered down, bangs covering his eyes.
"I know"
Then he moved back against the door and out of the room walking down the corridor until she couldn't hear his steps anymore. Cold air filled her lungs as she felt the rejection she had been afraid of crash upon her shoulders and lids, making them heavier, making her slump over the floor… eyes closing and tears running freely to drench her hand, the tatami floor and her pants.
Idiot… I am an idiot…
Her sobs were quiet but she could feel them tearing her heart in pieces like knives.
Never… never again…
She promised to herself as she banned all thought of the red head out of her mind.
People often thought of him as someone dense, someone so unaware of another person's feelings when they came to the point of romance. Hadn't he married a woman before? Could they have all forgotten he's training with the sword had more than just dancing with the sharp edged item and more of looking into another person's soul.
He knew sometimes too much for his own good.
And now, walking towards the sound of the grand entrance his boasting foster father had done, forgetting for a moment the almost confession he had ignored, he felt his own knowledge catch up with him.
She could know something about Kaoru.
His future wife could very well be Kaoru's keeper.
Kaoru could even be among the handmaidens waiting on the princess.
Could it be? Could he hope that against all odds the answer he had been looking for so long had come to find him head on.
The information Soujirou had given him had taken a moment to sink in, in between all surprises received and Kenshin's own departure back to the palace. It was little after he had received word about the caravan of the princess being attack that the notion finally kicked in.
Kaoru had gone looking for a princess who was very sick and who without her help would most certainly die. Wasn't it obvious enough? The lord of the west would never mention anything about a healer, of course, so he had detail his daughter's miraculously improved health as something achieved through constant care from wise men and physicians, what difference would it make to inform Seijuro she had been treated by a healer instead?
And as the columns of the main hall came into view he felt himself hold on a breath in fear of missing something he had been waiting for so long.
"Shinomori" he heard his father call him "Where is that stupid boy?"
"I'm here… father" He answered trying to ignore the insult thrown at him, considering a polite response would be better than the murderous desire his hands felt at the moment, it would not do to stress the princess or Kaoru… if she were there "I was merely taking care of urgent matters"
Of course Hiko had to try and rub some salt on the wound.
"There's nothing more urgent than the arrival of your fiancé, do something right for a change and greet her properly"
It was still quite uncomfortable to hear him say something like that so Kenshin moved after masking his expression towards the girls waiting a few paces from him. One of them kneeled in front of him in a delicate bow dropping her hand low until it touched the floor where it gently scrapped the ground with her nails and then came up to her chest over her heart.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Himura-sama"
She stood up as she said this until she was standing straight, hand still over her heart, head bowed and eyes casted down, finally meeting the red head who tried giving her his best warming smile to try and hide the cold he suddenly felt running through his entire body.
That voice… he tried to swallow but found it hard
Her voice is… He felt seconds suddenly turn so slow he could've already been standing for years
Kaoru…
Then her face lifted up as if she had heard him call her name and he saw them.
Eyes the color of emeralds
Green… wha…
She was suddenly studding him as well and he felt even tenser than before. Those emerald green eyes were staring at him hard enough to carve holes on him.
She's probably just as stressed as me…
The thought crossed his mind and suddenly he felt laughter roll inside him. It wasn't funny to feel so troubled just to hear a similar tone of voice and to hear it coming from his fiancé no less and so his smiled moved only slightly to reveal his mirth.
The princess seemed to catch it despite the subtlety of the movement and fret knowing he had noticed her blatant staring, so she turned her head around, a beautiful rosy blush spreading on her face, not to mention the hand still against her heart was gripping the fabric beneath it quite harshly.
"Kenshin is fine, Sayo-dono, it is also my pleasure to finally meet you" Feeling more relaxed he bowed formally low in greeting, smiling while still having fun at her expense.
"We will be able to talk further during our meal…" Considering his introduction was good enough for now he decided to politely excuse himself until later; an image of the meal he could steal from the kitchen popping in his mind. A quick scan had given him all he needed to know about the entourage following princess Sayo.
He was simply unable to see any difference between them from all the fabric covering them. It would be better to treat this carefully; he would have to think of another way…
"If it's at all possible… could I be excused from any other formality for the rest of the day my lord… I'm exhausted and I would very much like to rest"
There was that soft sweet voice again and he felt like an ass forgetting the woman and her entourage had had a difficult day while he had been miles away to lend her a hand while she was in such peril...
"Ah" Kenshin turned back to look at his adoptive father finding him looking to the other side, ignoring them completely so as he waved the image of a meal away he answered sweetly "by all means… please rest as much as you need, ah… Tsubame will take you to your rooms" with a hand he signaled the young woman to come forward and as she did the princess again spoke.
"First… I must require an audience with only Hiko-sama and yourself… Kenshin-sama"
Why was her voice bothering him so much, he wondered but couldn't find an answer. It was hard enough to hear her speak like Kaoru yet treat him so coldly.
"Uhmm… alright"
Turning around this time brought him a different response from his master; now he was focused and his expression was somewhat fearsome. The party was dismissed then, so Kenshin waited for him to made a sign for them to follow which was basically moving from his seat and through a passage to another room where the princess would probably inform them of her father's condition and expected time of arrival.
It was a small yet cozy room which appeared to be made like many in the palace of paper rice but was actually of a harder more resistant material which wouldn't let a sound escape the place. Perfect for the secrets his master liked to keep from him.
After Seijuro, Kenshin followed offering a hand to the princess to enter the room and already knowing their master's wishes, all her hand maidens entered and quickly sat with their legs bent, feet against their backside.
"Well, princess"
The three of them were seated in a triangle form in which all could see each other without much effort, this way it was easier for her to reveal herself in a swift movement of her hands, taking with her fingers veils, covers and headdress out of the way.
It was true one thing, Kenshin thought.
She's really beautiful…
The woman in front of them had beautiful long dark chocolate hair that waved from the line of her eyes to her shoulders now free of whatever was holding the strands, a fair, slightly tanned skin, a heart shaped faced and big green emerald eyes. A sight to behold in deed.
"It was at your bequest that I show my appearance Lord Hiko and it is my bequest that you do not ask for this to occur again until our wedding is consummated"
"Fine"
Now turning to her entourage she continued to speak. She mentioned their names one by one, the youngest with dark chocolate eyes was Ayame, the next with light brown eyes was Suzume, followed by Tae the oldest with dark black eyes and Rue, the tallest, who had black bluish eyes.
None of them could be Kaoru… he thought disappointed.
"They are like family to me and while we await the ceremony I would like to be attended only by them… if it does not displease or insult you, my lords"
Kenshin was lost in thought when he heard his master answer's followed by a harsh hit to his head.
"Act sharp boy! Your wife is asking for something"
"Ah…" found spacing out, he was for a second tempted to use his usual "oro" expression before he was reminded by the pain on his head he was not in front of someone he could use said expression with. Instead he decided to simply agree to whatever the girl had said.
"Yes, sure Sayo-dono"
He heard Hiko huffing beside him and felt him moving from his sitting spot towards the door which signaled the meeting was over.
"I apologize for" she started to say in a rush but was stopped by Kenshin's sweet voice.
"Do not worry Sayo-dono" the swordsman stated calmly "You're welcome here, please feel at home"
"Thank you… Kenshin-sama"
Kenshin felt like greeting his teeth but in the end avoided the show of displeasure by just giving her his best innocent rurouni smile, it always seemed to work with most women and was not disappointed when he saw the young woman turned around again, blushing prettily from head to toe.
Having left the princess in the capable hands of Tsubame, Kenshin felt ready to look for that meal he had let go a moment ago, a smile still on his lips.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to marry the princess after all… So far, she was as calm and sweet as the legend had it.
A piece of a memory from his past brought him the smiling face of Kaoru, sweat beading against her brows, dirt on her clothes and a scowl on her face.
Although… a little bit of that aggressive nature of her wouldn't be that bad
None of the women traveling with the princess were his Kaoru yet he felt hopeful, now that he knew the woman he was going to marry was such a kind and good natured person. If she knew something about Kaoru, she would surely tell him.
Soon, Kaoru… soon I will find you.
The positivism kept him up beat despite Misao's bashing about his marriage to someone he didn't even know, Megumi's questioning about Sanosuke's whereabouts and his father's sneaky comments during dinner. Not to mention he got to eat dinner twice.
Now full and sleepy he decided to stroll around the gardens to think up a way of bringing up the issue of Kaoru with the princess. He would have to be careful and gentle about it since it would be something rather taboo, for the princess to be friends with a healer, so to plan his interrogation would be most important.
Happily lost in his thoughts he walked out of the engawa and barefooted over the grass. He wandered pass the sakura trees and the small bridge in the middle to pass over a thin river cutting the garden in half when a dark figure moved to his right. Eyes focusing to distinguish the figure in the darkness he was surprised to find a young girl picking flowers unaware of his presence.
He approached her quietly, entranced by her motions.
Suddenly the clouds above them moved from in front of the pale moon to bathe the girl in its pearly gleam.
For second time that day he felt all air escape his lungs.
This time it was not a voice but the appearance he thought he would find soon enough. There, now, in the middle of the night, was the young girl he had been wishing to find, turned into a young woman, picking flowers from his garden.
Kaoru…
CHAN CHAN CHAN! MANTEQUILLA CON PAN! XD
Please read and if you review, be gentle :D
