Author's note: We now interrupt our regularly scheduled programming of mecs, swords, and mayhem for some well-deserved elegance, high fashion, and some lime to enliven things. Enjoy and keep the reviews coming! Reviews are good and entirely too addicting.

Kaoru gave a deep sigh of pleasure as she felt the luxurious silk gi delicately enrobing her skin in softness. Two days past, The Black Avenger had finally limped into port and deposited its cargo in Aomori. The daimyo and his son were not in residence, having been called away by a minor crisis, and Kaoru was deeply thankful that the two lords were not present: Tsusbame was bedraggled and weakened from semi-starvation, and she was in no condition to meet her intended husband. Instead, the two had been greeted by a cavalcade of officers and courtiers who had escorted them to the daimyo's residence where an army of women swept them up and whisked them away, tutting loudly over the condition of their new guests.

Two days of intense bathing, soaking, shampooing, brushing, massaging, feeding, resting, and fussing had passed in an onslaught of scented bubbles and the high-pitched clamor of dozens of female voices. Kaoru's former life of swords and combat training had left her little acquainted with many of feminine delights available to women and much to her astonishment she found herself quite enjoying the pampering. It had left her with silky, gently scented hair intricately piled on her head and affixed with delicate ornaments, soft and callus-free feet, meticulously manicured nails, and facial features accented by cosmetics. As Tsubame's bodyguard, Kaoru had spurned a kimono, knowing it would limit her movements, so the serving women had enveloped her in an indigo-blue hakama patterned with cherry blossoms and a spotless white gi, both made of the finest silk which swished and swirled around Kaoru in a shimmer of elegance.

However, Tsubame easily outshone Kaoru as well as every woman in the room. As Tsubame moved gracefully across the highly polished floor to be formally presented to her future husband for the first time, she looked a living china doll. In her sky-blue kimono embroidered over with pictures of elegant bridges and her elaborately-piled hair, Tsubame was breath-taking. She glowed like a pearl in the afternoon light, her fine head held high as she carried herself with both modesty and quiet courage.

On the dais sat the daimyo with his son Motonori Yahiko standing a little off to the side. Kaoru examined him critically as she and Tsubame approached with the small knot of courtiers that were serving as their escorts. Lord Yahiko was perhaps a few inches taller than Battousai and unlike many of the men in the room, he was dressed simply in a black hakama and yellow gi specked with black and topped with a red haori, a plain blade at his side. His face was solemn, and Kaoru detected a hint of sternness in the set of his jaw, the mop of rather messy black hair also giving him a certain sense of stubbornness. However, as the courtiers in front of Tsubame moved to the side so that the lord had a clear view of his future bride, the hardness of his face softened and was replaced by a look of wonder and surprised delight. Turning her head slightly, Kaoru was pleased to see a slight blush rise to Tsubame's cheeks and her eyes dip downwards.

When the small party reached the front of the dais, Tsubame moved forwards gracefully and lowered herself to the ground in a full bow, executing it with the exacting skill borne out of long practice. To her surprise, Lord Yahiko stepped forward and knelt down to take her hand in his. "No," he said, his voice firm but kind. "You are to be lady of this land, and I will have you stand before me, not bow." His hand was gentle against hers, and her small fingers felt fragile in his strong palm. Warmth crept over Tsubame as she rose to her feet and faced her future husband. His eyes were gentle as they looked at her, and a pleased smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Gently letting Tsubame's hand free, Lord Yahiko pronounced in a voice that carried across the room. "Welcome Futaka Tsubame to the house of my father. May our families be united and the bonds strengthened between our lands so that all may prosper."

"I thank you Motonori Yahiko. May the uniting of our hands bring peace upon both our households," Tsubame responded formally. Her voice was not quite as strong as Yahiko's but Kaoru was pleased to see that it was firm and confident. How much she has changed, Kaoru thought to herself.

"Very good," the daimyo said for the first time, and Kaoru turned her attention to him. He had allowed his son to take control of the preliminaries and from the slight smile on his face, Kaoru detected kindness and paternal care in his powerful demeanor. It boded well for Tsubame's future and for the first time, Kaoru began to feel as if things would indeed work out in her charge's favor.

The next several hours did not, however, work out in Kaoru's favor. Entirely unfamiliar with the proceedings of court, Kaoru was astonished to find out how maddeningly tedious they were. As far as she could tell, Tsubame was being formally introduced to absolutely everyone in the daimyo's household and court if not within his entire province: a parade of people kept approaching the dais and going through the exact same drawn-out introduction process. Kaoru had been assigned her place and had absolutely nothing to do but endure the long wait. As the hours ticked by, she gained a new respect for Tsubame: although the teenager might not have the physical strength of her bodyguard, she had the mental discipline and stamina to carefully observe every gesture and form demanded by etiquette and withstand hours of the most intricate of courtesies. Kaoru had long decided that if she was forced to do the same, she would quickly go mad and run screaming from the room.

The arrival of the dinner hour signaled the end of the formal presentation process but dinner brought with it an entirely different set of etiquette, formalities, and needlessly complex social situations. Kaoru was comforted by the fact that she only needed to observe the courtly proceedings and was not required to take part of them: as a bodyguard, her sole duty was to stand a little off to the side and glower freely at anything that looked threatening, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone who might wish harm on her charge. However, it quickly became clear that her presence was rather superficial. Lord Yahiko carried the sword at his side with the same quiet confidence of Battousai, a certain cast to his body which emphatically stated that giving him any reason to draw the weapon would be a swiftly fatal mistake. He was already attending to Tsubame with a protective possessiveness that emphatically marked her as his own, and Kaoru knew that the lord would watch over the safety of his bride-to-be with all the diligence Kaoru herself would take.

Once the endless dinner had eventually drawn to a close, people began breaking up in small groups and drifting out into other areas of the house. Lord Yahiko beckoned to Kaoru and said, "I wish to have an audience with my intended bride. You may amuse yourself as you see fit." A slight flush rose up in Tsubame's cheeks, but she held herself quietly, awaiting her lord's orders, although delight was clearly written on her face.

Kaoru bowed and removed herself from the obviously happy couple. As she left Tsubame's side, she suddenly realized that it was the first time she had been separated from her charge in weeks and she was somewhat at a loss for what to do with herself. The fine lords and ladies of the court certainly would not be interested in speaking with a commoner such as herself, and the other guards had stared at her either in disapproval over the sight of a woman carrying a katana or with a predatory slant to their eyes that hinted of an approval that had nothing to do with swords whatsoever.

Rather than pursue company, Kaoru's wandering feet found their way outside the grand house, a far finer one than she had ever seen in her life, and were soon heading towards the elegant garden that beckoned to her in the waning sunlight. Delighted, Kaoru moved forward and eagerly set her feet on the white stone path. The garden was so meticulously manicured that she was half-afraid to walk through it, worried that if she disturbed one stone, a horde of gardeners would come racing out from behind the trees and beat her senseless with their shovels. Giggling, she conjured up a mental image of this happening and amused herself for a few minutes by envisioning a scenario involving herself fighting off a band of furious gardeners before the beauty of the garden captured her attention.

The cherry trees were in their fullest, most luxurious bloom and delicate petals drifted in the slight breeze. A few floated down to rest on Kaoru's shoulders as she stepped along the path. Entranced, she wandered under the elegant boughs that stretched over her head like a canopy and soon reached a small bridge arched elegantly over a quiet pond where fat, golden fish drifted in lazy circles. Standing on the bridge, Kaoru looked down to see the full moon shining in the water like a golden pearl as the scent of the cherry blossoms danced lightly in the cool breeze.

"So beautiful," a quiet voice broke in on Kaoru's thoughts. Startled, she whirled around to find Battousai standing at the edge of the bridge, the moonlight shining on his flame-red hair. Kaoru instantly felt her heart began knocking against her chest wall as the pirate lord stepped onto the bridge; within a few paces, he was at her side, gazing at her with eyes that reflected the glitter of the moon. He had foregone the worn pink gi and white hakama that he normally wore and instead was dressed entirely in black: the shadow-colored hakama, gi, and haori making him a creature of the night and emphasizing his power and strength.

Flustered, Kaoru dropped her eyes, focusing on the golden fish swimming under her feet. "Yes, the cherry blossoms are quite splendid," she said, rather nervously. "I've never seen trees so lovely before." She was painful aware that her hands were cold and her lips were trembling in a way that threatened to loosen a string of meaningless babble. Clamping her teeth together, she warned herself to stop talking before she said something regrettable.

Battousai's voice dropped lower and there was a strange warmth to it that called up a blush to Kaoru's cheeks. Leaning in, he said, "I was not speaking of the blossoms," caressing each tone as his breath sent a lock of Kaoru's hair whispering across her cheek.

Shivering slightly at the sensation, Kaoru blurted out "I...I..you what?" Risking a look at Battousai, she found her eyes captured and held by him; as she nervously gazed into those piercing orbs, she saw the violet tinge with warm gold.

"Oh yes," Battousai purred, a calloused hand gently capturing her chin and lifting it up so that she could not turn her glance away from him. "There are many lovely things in this garden but only one has my full attention. Besides," his lips curled in a triumphant smirk, "I believe we have interrupted business to complete."

Somewhere in the deep recesses of Kaoru's mind, a tiny voice was feebly yapping that she had a sword and swords were useful in situations such as these to fend off unwanted attention. Unwanted? she countered the thought. Well, I suppose technically it is unwanted. But wait, is it? And even if it is, I...

As Kaoru waged a silent inner debate with herself, Battousai's lips descended upon hers and all thought swiftly vanished. His arms encircled her body as he pressed her gently against the bridge's railing, careful to avoid her still-tender ribs as his fingers trailed lightly across her back and sides in delicious circles. Kaoru stiffened instinctively, then melted slowly against him as her trembling hands raised to clasp his shoulders and her body rolled up on her toes, unconsciously moving into his hard frame.

Cool fingertips traced intricate patterns across the nape of Kaoru's neck as hot breath ghosted across her collarbone. Battousai tugged gently on her lower lip before moving downward to suck lightly on the curve where her neck and shoulder met.

Kaoru shivered. "Battousai," she gasped out, her voice raspy in her throat.

"Kenshin," Battousai rumbled and pulled his head up to look her in the eyes. "Battousai is the name of the assassin. Himura Kenshin is the name of the man. But," his eyes gleamed. "Both names sound sweet on your tongue."

"Kenshin," Kaoru pronounced hesitantly, pondering over the name but her thoughts were quickly disturbed as Battousai resumed kissing her along her shoulder and neck, then dropped his head to the fold of her gi where the overlapping front angled away to show bare skin and the top of her breastbands underneath. Kaoru gasped breathlessly as his tongue slipped underneath the bands to slide between her breasts, sending fire racing up her spine as her entire body shivered.

"Kenshin," she moaned, gripping his shoulders. "Kenshin, stop. Please."

His head swung up to meet hers and she was alarmed to see pure gold gleaming in them. "Did they not tell you?" he questioned, a proprietary smile sliding across his face.

"Tell me what?" she responded, trying desperately to rein in her erratic emotions. Battousai's eyes were hungry in the moonlight and the heat he was generating thrilled and alarmed her.

He caught her chin with his fingers again. "The daimyo asked me what reward I wished for bringing the lady Tsubame to his son. I told him that there was only one prize I desired." His eyes blazed into hers. "You."

"Me? But..but I...now just wait a minute!" Kaoru sputtered out, feeling a cavalcade of indignation, alarm, panic, and baffled excitement smash together into a crazed heap of emotions.

Battousai laughed, an amused chuckle that bordered on condescending. Bending, he lowered his lips to her ear. "Have you forgotten what I told you, my pet?" he breathed hotly against her skin. "I do not give up what is mine. I said that you would do well to remember those words."

"But...but I..." Kaoru's brain was suddenly incapable of forming a thought that was anywhere near rational. Battousai did not wait for her to continue but slid a hand down to rest lightly against her almost-healed ribs.

"This body I attacked only at need and not willingly, and these ribs I broke only because their owner was so determined to fight me," he said quietly, almost solemnly. "I have regretting that action every day since then." Bending, he placed his lips on her still-tender ribs and kissed them gently through her gi. "In penance, I will kiss them a thousand times every day to better speed their healing and to ensure their continued strength."

Kaoru's mind was a battlefield of warring factions and she could do little but blink erratically. Such was the state of her confusion that she did not protest when Battousai gathered her in his arms again and pressed his lips against hers, this time more urgently. He finally, abet reluctantly, pulled away, leaving a kiss-swollen, flushed Kaoru panting with the heat of the moment and thoroughly unsure of what to do next. Seeing her baffled expression, Battousai gave a rumble of a laugh. "The night grows late, my pet, and you are still recovering from these past few weeks. I will leave you for now that you may rest. Sleep well and do not forget what I told you." With a ripple of black fabric, he disappeared into the scented night air.

Several minutes later, or possible hours if not entire days, Kaoru found herself in Tsubame's chambers with absolutely no recollection of how she had gotten there from the garden. Tsubame was glowing with an ill-conceived delight as her maids fussed over her, preparing her for bed. Finally, she dismissed them with a wave of her fingers and an air of command, then turned to Kaoru.

Smiling shyly, Tsubame said quietly, "The Lord Yahiko is very kind, isn't he?"

"Yes, very much so," Kaoru responded absentmindedly.

"And..." Tsubame's voice dropped to a whisper. "And handsome too, I think."

By virtue of sheer will, Kaoru dragged her mind away from what had just transpired in the garden and forced herself to focus on Tsubame. "Yes, he is," she replied brightly. "In fact, if you don't like him, I'll take him off your hands for you."

The joke sent Tsubame's lips curving up in a smile. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and began swinging lightly on her toes in a girlish gesture that surprised Kaoru. "Oh, Kaoru," she gasped out, her eyes shining. "Is it wrong for me to be so happy? I mean, I should be fulfilling my duty and marrying the man that Father selected for me. It feels almost disloyal to...to admit that I'm..." her voice dropped again. "I'm glad I was kidnapped," she said in a rush, and her face flushed as she clapped her hands to her cheeks. "Oh, that sounds so terrible!"

"Absolutely not," Kaoru replied staunchly. "You have every right to be happy and I know that you and Lord Yahiko will have many children and make each other very happy. If a kidnapping is what it took to bring this all together, then I'm glad it happened too!"

The sudden arrival of a few serving maids with tea and a bedtime snack interrupted the conversation and Kaoru was grateful for the interruption. The maids' chattering and subsequent distraction let Kaoru be alone with her thoughts and try to make some sense out of them but sense eluded her. Further pondering only brought more questions, and her outwardly calm face tucked them away from public view while her mind endlessly replayed the husky voice breathing into her ear those hot words: I do not give up what is mine.