Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.

The Heart of a Queen

By Sevick

We'd count up all the chances, that were lost to us forever…

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Sitting daintily within the carriage, Kaoru pulled her black lace shawl tighter about her shoulder and parted the curtains of the window. She peered up at the castle, tucked securely up on the hill surrounded by a tall grey wall. As she looked the castle moved through the gate and down the winding road into town.

Guards moved as one mass around the carriage, shielding it from the people who gathered beside the road to watch her pass. Kaoru waved through the window, smiling at the children running beside the guards and at the people throwing flowers onto the dirt road.

But as they continued their journey deeper into the public sector of the capital, the cheers of the people turned to jeers, and the flowers turned to rocks.

"How dare you let the enemy live in our capital!?"

"You're nothing like your father!"

"You'll bring war on us again!"

"Whore!"

The guards closed in tighter around the carriage as the people swarmed, but they couldn't stop a rock from shattering the window beside Kaoru. Glass sprinkled over her, falling into the folds of her dress.

The carriage finally reached the outskirts of town, where it turned to take the long road around back to the palace.

Kaoru stared over at Gohei, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Do you still think I'm lying?"

Kaoru lifted a trembling hand to brush the tears from her cheeks, then shook the glass from her dress, letting it fall all around her. She thought of the days she would go with her father into town, and the people would yell with delight and throw gifts at the carriage. Never rocks…

"What can I do?" she whispered, swallowing thickly.

"Marry Soujirou," Gohei said calmly, sitting stiffly against the seat across from her.

Kaoru took a deep, shuddering breath. She thought of Kenshin… she thought of Soujirou… she thought of her father. She looked at Gohei.

"Begin to plan the wedding," she said quietly, bringing her quivering hands together to hold them tightly against her lap.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied, hiding his slow smile.

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Wedding planners scrambled about the palace, taking measurements and choosing colors. A date was chosen for a few weeks from that day. Foreign dignitaries (none from Tokugawa, of course) were invited, as well as all the members of the court. The people would be allowed onto palace grounds to watch.

Kaoru sat on her throne, answering questions about the plans every few minutes. She never smiled. She sat somewhat slumped in the chair, as Gohei stood off to the side directing the show. Soujirou moved around, practicing being king by giving orders here and there.

A voice beside her startled her from her thoughts, as Kenshin moved to stand beside the throne.

"Your Majesty," he said stiffly in greeting, nodding his head.

"Hello Kenshin," Kaoru replied wearily. She closed her eyes, which were somewhat sore from tears she had cried upon returning to the castle.

"I hear the date has been set."

Kaoru looked up at him, begging with her eyes for him to understand, but he merely stared sternly down at her. His stance was stiff, his hands clasped behind his back and his hair pulled to the back of his neck. His eyes were caught between anger and sorrow.

"The people need a king."

"A king they know already… I understand," Kenshin replied, stepping forward as though to walk away.

"Kenshin, if I could I would choose you over everything," she said soft enough that only he could hear. He stopped walking, but didn't turn around. "But I have to choose my country this time." She paused, fighting back tears. "Please… don't leave."

Kenshin turned around and looked at her, seeing the agony etched into her features.

"You've made your choice, Your Majesty."

"I'll think of something, something to fix this," she said, trying not to raise her voice or reach out to him. "Just wait… wait for me to think of something."

Kenshin took a breath, and Kaoru sat, breathless, putting every emotion she felt into her eyes as she gazed at him. He looked down, and shook his head.

"I won't leave," he said softly, and Kaoru smiled through her tears. She wiped them away hastily. "But I can't stay forever and watch you with him."

"You won't have to, I promise," Kaoru said, continuing to smile as Kenshin walked slowly away.

From the other side of the room, Shishio watched with glaring eyes as the Tokugawan left the queen sitting on the throne. There was something about that man so achingly familiar, though a name and a place would not come to him. He had been dreaming, lately, of his last battle – the battle of Hitokiri, when that damn Prince Battousai had taken everything from him. Or, at least, that's what his damaged memory told him. His body, his mind, damaged forever… and his only consolation was that the little prince had disappeared and lost his inheritance, throwing Tokugawa off balance.

For ten years, he had struggled to deal with the fatal injuries he had been left with, and had tried again and again to remember the face of the bastard who had done it to him. But his battle with the prince was lost… except in fragments of dreams.

Now that damn Tokugawan kept stirring up things better left forgotten. And he was this close to ruining Shishio's plan to make Soujirou king.

Perhaps a rumor, spread to the right rebels in the capital, was just the thing right now…

Just the thing to kill a queen.

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Soujirou stood in the foyer, talking to one of the florists, when the Tokugawan brushed past him on the way to the staircase. Soujirou dismissed the florist for the moment and chased after him, trying to remember his name.

"Ah… ah, Kenshin!" he shouted, halting the man's ascent up the stairs.

"Oh, hello, Soujirou," Kenshin said with a simple grin in place. "Congratulations are in order."

"Yes, thank you." Soujirou smiled back, and they stood facing each other for an awkward moment before Soujirou spoke up again. "You will be here for the wedding, won't you?"

"I have no plans to leave."

"Well, I know it is often a struggle for a wanderer to stop wandering," Soujirou said pleasantly. "Exchanging the freedom of the open road for a gilded cage must be… difficult for you."

"There's something to be said for knowing where you'll sleep the next night," Kenshin replied, eyeing Soujirou through his smile. Soujirou eyed him right back.

"Well, Her Majesty would love to have you there, I'm sure. You were very helpful in the Jineh situation; one can only hope you will be here to protect her in the future."

"This one hopes she will not need protecting in the future." Though his smile remained, Soujirou saw Kenshin's eyes harden perceptibly.

Soujirou opened his mouth to say something more, but the persistent florist returned with another urgent question. By the time Soujirou had shooed him off, Kenshin was gone.

Soujirou was sure of it… the Tokugawan was trouble.

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Though she hadn't spoken to Misao since their "fight" a few days earlier, Kaoru was completely lost and alone. She needed a friend.

Cautiously, she knocked on Misao's door.

Misao pulled open the door, squealed, and yanked Kaoru into the room.

"I heard you set the date! Oh my goodness, Kaoru, I've been trying to talk to you since I heard about the wedding. How could you not tell me? That's okay, I forgive you. I'm just glad this whole thing with Kenshin is over-"

"It's not," Kaoru said, struggling to pick important words out of Misao's rambling, but understanding the last sentence perfectly well.

Misao stopped talking, pulling Kaoru over to sit on the bed.

"What?"

"It's not over – the thing with Kenshin. It's so not over, I… Misao, I don't know what to do," Kaoru said, holding onto Misao's hand. She didn't see Misao sigh deeply and look at her with concern in her eyes.

"Are you expecting me to know?"

"No, I just need to talk to someone, someone who'll be honest but kind, someone without an agenda."

"That's me, I guess," Misao said with a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "What's going on?"

"The people are so angry and frightened, Misao, they're ready to revolt! Over what? Kenshin? If they knew him, they wouldn't be afraid; he's so kind and brave… Better than Soujirou in every way." She said the last part bitterly, glaring at the carpet as though it were her betrothed. "But how could I ever convince them of that?"

"I don't think you can," Misao said softly, holding Kaoru to her tightly.

"So I'm marrying him – but I don't love him, not at all, I love… I love Kenshin."

Kaoru heard Misao release a breath.

"Misao, what am I going to do?"

"I don't know, but… you have to do what's right."

"And what is that?" Kaoru asked, pulling away to look into Misao's eyes. The girl, who was a few months younger than the queen, looked so mature and aged, without her normal jubilance in her eyes.

"Only you can decide," Misao said softly.

Kaoru leaned her head onto Misao's shoulder, and the girls sat there in silence for several moments.

Aoshi walked into the room, stopping when he saw Kaoru sitting on the bed with his wife. He moved back towards the door, pulling it open, before Kaoru told him to stop. She disengaged herself from Misao and stood up.

"She's all yours, Aoshi," she said with a smile.

"I know," Aoshi replied, in his usual monotone, though his eyes were molten metal as he looked at his wife. As Kaoru moved towards the door, she heard Aoshi say softly, "I thought I said I never wanted to see you with anyone else in this bed." Misao giggled loudly as Aoshi climbed into the bed with her, growling playfully.

Kaoru smiled to herself and closed the door shut behind her. She saw Kenshin walking through the foyer.

Well, it certainly felt right…

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They were off the palace grounds before anyone noticed they were gone.

Kaoru laughed as she pulled Kenshin through the back gate of the stone wall, running up the sloping meadows towards the mountains. The capital lay on the other side of the palace, sprawling down to the south in a maze of buildings and roads. As they reached the first plateau, Kaoru collapsed onto the ground, pulling Kenshin with her.

She sat up, and Kenshin followed suit.

"Isn't the view amazing?" she said, looking down at the large palace and the massive capital. A few cottages dotted the hillside, though they were mostly obscured by trees.

"Won't they miss you in the wedding planning?"

"Perhaps, but it won't matter to set them back a day or two," she said with a breathless laugh, before leaping up and running further up the slope towards the next plateau. A wooden sword was strapped to her back, as one was strapped to Kenshin's, though he also had his reverse-bladed sword hanging at his hip. A lesson in the mountains, she had suggested. And here they were.

Kenshin followed at a slower pace, chuckling to himself.

"Come on, old man!" Kaoru shouted, ignoring Kenshin's momentary look of guilt before he placed his simple grin back on. "Show me what you're made of!"

When they faced each other on the next plateau, Kaoru pulled her sword off her back and gestured for Kenshin to do the same. Before he had time to settle himself, Kaoru was running at him, concentration written all over her face.

As they danced the dance of swords, Kaoru couldn't help but notice she had improved. She was nowhere near Kenshin's level, but he wasn't holding back as much as before. At some points, she had him on the run, looking almost nervous. Her speed had greatly improved, as had her ability to predict what the enemy would do next. Though all her moves were her own, Kenshin had taught her more than he knew.

After an hour or so, Kaoru collapsed into the grass, gasping for breath. Sweat ran in rivulets down her face and back, soaking through her cotton gown, cut for practice. Kenshin moved slowly over to lie beside her. They stared up at the clouds.

"I'm sorry about the wedding, Kenshin, but my people-"

"Trust me when I say I understand," he interrupted, though his gaze remained on the clouds. Kaoru looked over at him, eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"Will you ever tell me about your past?"

"Maybe someday," he said, turning now to look at her. "I thought you said you didn't care."

"I don't – but it doesn't mean I'm not curious." She smiled to ease the slight tension of the moment, and Kenshin relaxed into a true smile himself. Kaoru reached over and grabbed his hand, tangling their fingers together.

She had no idea what to do… but she would do something. She loved Kenshin. She couldn't marry Soujirou.

She would think of something.

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Hand in hand, they walked down the slope, breaking apart only once they reached the castle wall. Sneaking back into the palace, Kaoru prepared her excuse to give to Gohei.

But she forgot it as soon as she reached the foyer.

Bodies covered the floor, some dead, most injured, as guards and servants milled about in the chaos. Gohei strode furiously through the chaos, stopping in front of Kaoru and glaring down at her. Kenshin slipped slowly from her side, choosing not to aggravate the situation further with his presence.

"Where were you?" Gohei bit out, but Kaoru could only look about the palace, tears gathering in her eyes.

"What happened?" she whispered, trying not to find familiar faces among the injured. A few bodies lying completely covered in white sheets tore her breath from her body, as she imagined who could lie beneath those sheets.

"Some rebels from the capital moved in, presumably to assassinate you. A battle took place, as you can see…" There was sick humor laced through Gohei's voice.

"And… who…?" Kaoru whispered, gesturing vaguely towards the dead.

"Mostly rebels," Gohei said, and Kaoru sighed in relief, feeling suddenly bloodless as she stumbled through the room. "But your friend, Aoshi, is with the doctor now."

Kaoru stopped and turned to stare at him.

"They don't think he'll make it."

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Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thank you for all the reviews - every one of them, short or long, is definitely appreciated. As we head into the final stretch, the drama gets bigger and more intense. Tell me what you think!

Next chapter:

He surveyed the guests before his eyes landed on the Tokugawan, whose gaze was fixated on the queen. Poor boy, he thought, as he noticed something very strange. The Tokugawan's eyes were… golden.

The opening line/chapter title is from Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"