The Faerie Chronicles of Kenshin & Kaoru: The Sleeping Prince, a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic by Raberba girl
Chapter 6 - In which Kenshin finds it difficult to leave.
"The Queen of Fairies she caught me,
In yonder green hill to dwell."
Tam Lin
o.o.o
Titania curled up in her bed, weaving spells around the room to block out all the chaotic sounds from outside. She hadn't realized how much a part of the Seelie court Tomoe had become...she hadn't realized that she would miss her like this. That dark, foreign, quiet woman in their midst had unnerved them at first, but they had come to rely on her steadiness, to seek out her strangely familiar Unseelie playfulness. They were all fae, after all. Kenshin, beloved as he was, understood them as an outsider, a dear friend. Tomoe understood them as one of their own family, bound to them through all the hate and all the love.
The handmaids had cried when she had been taken.
Chills went down Titania's spine, because the new Faerie King knew - he knew what she had done, long ago in her rage, and he meant to use that knowledge to hurt Kenshin.
No...not just to hurt him. Titania slid upright, her breathing harsh. She had to do something. She had to save Kenshin, but even she with all her powers could not change the past - and then she nearly choked. This was it. This was the time. When else could it be?
Resolutely, the queen rose from her bed and arrayed herself with her best glamours, arranging her hair and clothes as would best suit a proud monarch. Then she took a deep breath and stepped through the bounds of time, as only she and the Faerie King had the power to do. She navigated her way back, years passing like seconds, until she emerged in the same room, but of a different time. She smiled a little as she made her slow, majestic way to the main hall, where her people parted and made way for her, their faces filled with awe.
Tomoe sagged between two handmaids, drugged on hakubaikô, her eyes glassy and restlessly wandering. The Faerie Queen of the past looked up and smiled when she saw Titania, cupping the blood-red object in her hands like a prize. "Hello, dear," she greeted cheerfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such a visit?"
Titania approached, giving Tomoe a carefully absent-minded pat on the shoulder as she passed. The brief contact sent a burst of reviving magic through the girl, who raised her hand to clutch at Titania's sleeve. "Hurts," she said plaintively.
"It won't for long, dear," Titania said soothingly, then winked at her past self to allay suspicion. "To answer your question," she now addressed the queen, moving close, "I'm here to tell you a splendid hiding place for that thing."
The queen's hands tightened excitedly around the red prize, and Tomoe cried out in pain.
"Do enlighten me, dear," the queen invited.
Titania stepped close and whispered into her ear - the fae strained and some magically projected their hearing, but in vain.
The queen gasped in delight. "Oh, lovely! We are clever!"
"Yes," Titania agreed, though her heart was heavy. "Well then, I must fly. Do give my regards to Kenshin, love."
"Take care, dear," the queen answered merrily. They kissed in farewell, and even as she returned to her own time, Titania heard the creaking of the doors as they opened to admit young Himura Battousai. "It's not enough," she whispered to him, though of course he couldn't hear. "It's not nearly enough...but I swear to do all in my power to keep you safe, Kenshin."
o.o.o.o.o
It was one of the best awakenings Kaoru had had in a while. She yawned, then lazily turned over in bed - and was shocked to find her husband lying beside her. She had very, very rarely seen him sleep; usually Kenshin was up before her, fully dressed and groomed and already engaged in the day's activities. Yet here he was lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling with an unhappy expression.
"Kenshin?"
She heard him draw in a breath, then he turned his face to her and smiled. "Good morning, Kaoru-dono."
"Um," she said uncertainly, "are you all right?"
"Mm...how can you ask that, after last night?" he drawled, and moved over to wrap his arms around her.
She smiled at the feel of his flesh on hers, and squeezed him tightly back. "It's not often I get to smell your morning breath," she teased. "May I ask the reason for this special occasion?"
He gazed at her in confusion. "Oro?"
"You," she murmured, lifting her head to nuzzle his ear. "You're here. I'd have thought you'd be up, dressed, and gone by now." She heard him sigh.
"...To tell the truth, that was the plan."
She frowned and shifted to face him again. "What do you mean?"
He smiled a little. Might as well take advantage of this annoying situation. "Well, circumstances changed. But as long as we're here..."
Some time later, the conversation resumed. "Mm...Kenshin..." she murmured in contentment. "I really, really like this, you know."
This time it was his turn to tease. "Do you? This one wouldn't have guessed."
She giggled. "No, I mean...waking up to you. You know." She smiled at him. "Seeing you slow down for once, instead of..." Instead of rushing to get away from me. "Maybe...when we get back home, you can sleep in more often."
"Oh." Again, he was wearing the wrong expression.
Kaoru frowned and sat up. "Kenshin, what's wrong?"
He lifted himself up to one elbow and gave her a pointed look. "Aside from the fact that our son is lying in a coma?"
"Kenshin!" she gasped, her cheeks coloring a little. "That's not what I mean! What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since Sôjirô came back." She was shocked when he did not meet her eyes.
"Kaoru-dono...this one is trying very hard to make things right." He sighed. "This one knew it would be difficult, but...not like this." Then an annoyed look crossed his face. "And it doesn't help that Grandmother chooses to play games even now." Suddenly he sat upright. "Grandmother!" he gasped furiously. "That's why she was so willing to let..."
"Kenshin, what are you talking about?"
He gave her a sidelong look. "Kaoru-dono...what were your plans for today?"
"I don't know," she huffed. "Seeing as how I'm not privy to your plans, I was probably going to do my best to keep you with me as long as possible."
"You're not the only one," he grumbled.
Before Kaoru could ask what he was talking about, the door burst open. She shrieked and dragged up the sheet to cover herself, then grabbed a pillow and tossed it into Kenshin's lap. "Do you mind?" she said furiously to the handmaid who had entered.
The girl burst into giggles. "Ken-chan," she said, "we brought breakfast."
"No thank you, Michiko-dono," he said coolly.
"It's not fey food, we promise!" she insisted. More handmaids came in, bearing trays of food which they presented to the couple before perching on the edges of the bed to watch with interest. Kaoru glared at them as Kenshin thoughtfully ran his hand above the food, sensing it with his magic.
"You're right," he said in surprise, then shook his head. "Grandmother is truly going out of her way to make this one as comfortable here as possible."
The handmaids burst into laughter, but at a glare from Kenshin, they backed away and sheepishly left the room, shutting the door behind them.
"What is with them?" Kaoru burst out.
"Don't mind them, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said heavily. He handed her a bowl of rice. "It's all right - it's food from the human world."
Kaoru eyed the rice, then Kenshin's face. He seemed preoccupied, but she was too hungry to care about fae tricks. So she grabbed the bowl and dug into it hungrily, even eating part of his share before she realized what she was doing. "Oh...Kenshin, aren't you going to eat?"
"This one is not hungry," he said heavily.
She frowned and set down the bowl. "Kenshin," she said sternly, "tell me what's wrong."
He paused. Then a look crossed his face as if something had just occurred to him. He looked around the room, then said, not casually enough, "Kaoru-dono, would you mind fetching the sakabatô, please?"
"Why?" she asked guardedly. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have hesitated, but Kenshin was acting strange.
He smiled a little, as if guessing her thoughts. "Please."
She sighed. "All right." Keeping one eye on him, she climbed out of bed and crossed the room to get his sword. Then she brought it back to him. "Here," she said, holding it out.
He took it thoughtfully. "Thank you, Kaoru-dono."
"What's the deal?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips. "Kenshin, you'd better tell me right now, or the biggest, bluest eyes in the world won't save you from the wrath of Himura Kaoru!" She was trying to joke, but she really was troubled by his odd behavior.
Kenshin took his time answering, he seemed to be more interested in surveying her unclothed body. Kaoru smiled in pleasure and spun slowly for him. "Like what you see?" she asked, though the usual question had become more anxious in the years since her children had been born.
"Oh, yes," he answered lazily, as always.
Then Kaoru suddenly frowned. Grabbing the sheet again, she wrapped it firmly around herself and leveled a glare at him.
"Oro?!"
"Kenshin," she growled, "tell me now."
He scratched the back of his head. "Well. Let's just say that...this one could not have fetched the sakabatô himself."
Kaoru tilted her head in confusion. "What?"
"Or anything else, for that matter." He smiled and held his arms out to her. She could see his fingers straining, his arms stretched as far as they would go; even his upper body was leaning forward as if pushing against resistance. Then he gave up and sat back again. "See?"
"You...you mean you can't...leave the bed?" she said in disbelief.
He shrugged. "This one is irritated and ashamed to admit that that is correct."
"But...why?" she said in bewilderment. "That's the stupidest spell I've ever heard of!"
"Not if the caster wishes to prevent this one from leaving the Seelie court," Kenshin muttered, and flopped back down again with an arm over his eyes.
Kaoru hesitated, then crawled up next to him. "Kenshin?" she said softly.
"Hm?"
"Is it so bad...taking your time for once? Is it so bad to rest for a little bit?"
He removed his arm and looked straight at her, his eyes cold. "Kaoru-dono. Your son is on the verge of death, and you ask a question like that?"
Shame burned through her, which turned quickly to anger. "I didn't mean to just leave Kenji like he is!" she yelled as she sat up. "If-" She sucked in a breath and spewed out the rest. "If you'd just agree to take me with you, I'd want to leave in a heartbeat! It's just..." Her voice trailed off, and she glared down at Kenshin with angry tears in her eyes. "It's just that I hate, hate watching you walk away from me, Kenshin."
"You had better get used to it," he said, still in that cold voice, so that Kaoru suddenly slapped him, awkwardly because of their positions. He seemed to have no reaction, glaring back at her with those awful eyes as his struck cheek slowly reddened.
"Why would you say something like that?" she said sulkily, barely able to stand the shame.
He sat up as well, his red hair swinging forward to brush his shoulders as he looked at the wall. "Forget it." He drew in a deep breath. "Kaoru-dono...my apologies," he said quietly. She could hear the effort he was making to sound civil.
"I'm...sorry for hitting you," she mumbled. For a minute, they sat there without speaking, and then his hand found hers.
"Kaoru-dono," he said in a low voice, "the sakabatô is made of mythril, and has no power to break Seelie spells. Is there any chance you brought a knife with you?"
"No," she doubtfully. "I pretty much just got out of bed and ran after you yesterday morning. All I have is the robe-" She broke off, because she suddenly remembered the packet of fae-bane Saitô had slipped to her - as if he had known. Jumping out of bed, Kaoru hurried to her discarded clothes and rummaged around until she found, to her relief, that the little bag was still there. It was with a triumphant smile that she pulled out a small but sharp iron spike and showed it to Kenshin.
He matched her grin. "Prepared, aren't you."
Her face colored a little. "It was Saitô's idea..."
Kenshin shook his head. "That man is almost too perceptive, that he is. Perhaps he ought to have a raise..." He suddenly looked up. "Kaoru-dono," he said earnestly, "this one is very sorry to have upset you."
She laughed a little sobbing laugh and hugged him around the neck. "I'm sorry, too. I really am!"
He stroked her hair, lingering a bit to breathe in the smell of her skin. Then he gently pushed her away and got to work, stabbing the iron into a corner of the bed and carefully dragging it all the way around. The material of the bed offered more resistance than the spell holding him here, which crumbled instantly at the touch of the metal.
"K-Kenshin!" Kaoru suddenly gasped when the silken sheets began to turn into very coarse, brown fabric. She wasn't even sure it was meant to be a blanket - the binding spell wasn't the only magic that was unraveling. "That's what we were sleeping on last night?!"
Kenshin would not have minded sleeping on a glamoured bed, except that, because of their energetic nocturnal activities, Kaoru's body as well as his own were showing signs of abrasions now that the glamour was wearing off. The sight of scratches across her soft flesh was unacceptable to him. "Someone," he growled as he kept at it, "is going to regret it when I am released."
"Yeah," Kaoru huffed, wincing as she touched a patch of raw, reddened flesh. "Sic 'em, Kenshin."
o.o.o.o.o
In the throne room, the queen was studying her face critically in a mirror as a handmaid worked on her hair, and another touched up the glamours on her dress. "Stop pulling," she said crossly. "Where's Tomoe when I need her? That girl was the only one who could do my hair right. Curse that Enishi! Walking straight into my court to carry off my handmaid..." As she was musing over possible plans for revenge, Titania suddenly looked up when two unwelcome visitors entered. "You're supposed to be in bed," she said flatly.
"This one felt it was not prudent to sleep in this morning," Kenshin returned smoothly. "Grandmother, this one has come to formally take his leave of this court, after of course seeing that Kaoru-dono is escorted safely home."
Titania knocked away her handmaids and stood up, eyes blazing. Then she suddenly smiled. "Oh - very well, then, Kenshin. I will miss you in your absence, as always. Come here and say good-bye to your grandmother, love."
He gave her a wary look. "This one would prefer to bid you farewell from afar."
She sniffed. "Fine. I don't need you close for his spell, anyway." She flung out her hand in a tossing motion, and Kenshin gasped when he saw the briefest glint of red and black in the air. "Good-bye, love!" Titania called merrily. "Do drop in when you get back."
Kaoru nodded curtly, then turned to her husband. "Kenshin?" she asked hesitantly. "Can I walk with you part of the way, at least? Let me stay with you as long as I can."
He began to laugh hopelessly. "Not again..."
Kaoru stared at him, and then her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
Still laughing in that utterly humorless way, Kenshin took a few steps away from her, then tugged sharply with his hand. Kaoru gasped when she felt a stinging in her wrist. "What...?"
"Hilarious, Grandmother," Kenshin said dryly. "Now, please release us. This is no time to joke."
"Who says it's a joke, Kenshin?" Titania said sweetly. "Your lovely wife wishes nothing better than to be with you all the time! I am simply granting her wish! That's what fairies do, right?" She laughed. "I'm so glad I had a lock of your hair among my mementos...you've cut it too short now for it to be much good."
"Kaoru-dono, please keep close to this one," Kenshin said shortly, then turned and stormed out of the hall.
"Kenshin, what-" Kaoru began, then found herself dragged after him by the wrist. "Kenshin! What's going on?!"
o.o.o.o.o
It was actually kind of interesting to be tied to her husband for a day, though the experience was spoiled by Kenshin's sulking. "Kenshin," Kaoru said hesitantly, "is it so bad, being connected to me like this?"
They were attempting to eat lunch in one of the gardens. Kaoru was watching the handmaids' antics and stealing glances at Kenshin as she chewed, but he simply sat there, his sword nestled in his crossed arms and his face hidden by those thick bangs of his.
"Yes, Kaoru-dono - at least, if this one's intention is to stride into enemy territory and do battle with those who stand in the way, that it is." He raised his head and gave her a wry look. "Once upon a time, this one was caught under such a spell along with Tomoe. It was the Faerie Queen who broke that enchantment, so you see the dilemma." He dropped his head again and sighed.
Kaoru shifted uncomfortably. "Kenshin," she mumbled, "how come you never...call me by just my name?"
"Oro?" he said wearily.
"It's always 'Tomoe,'" she suddenly burst out, "and 'Kaoru-dono.' Like you're more comfortable with her than with me."
Kenshin stared at her for a long moment in surprise. "Is that so?" he finally said. However, since the issue would soon no longer matter, he was not interested in it. "This one is sorry you feel that way. No offense was intended...Kaoru-dono." The last was spoken with a tiny quirk at the corner of his mouth, so that Kaoru suddenly giggled as she remembered the first time he had spoken to her.
"Well...I guess it's better than 'Kaoru-hime,' but still. How would you like it if I called you 'Kenshin-san' all the time?"
He felt very strange as he heard that. "Such a thing would be unpleasant," he admitted. "Yet you have never complained about it before."
Kaoru drew her knees up and hugged them, suddenly embarrassed. "Well...it didn't bother me after a little while, and I kind of liked it, even." Her mouth suddenly set in a hard line. "But not when Tomoe-san is 'Tomoe' to you."
"Mm." He was frowning as he watched an Unseelie fire sprite making his way through the shrieking, giggling handmaids. "Now, what's he doing here?"
"Kenshin, I'm talking to you!" Kaoru snapped.
"Sorry. What was that?"
"Never mind," she huffed, and turned her back on him.
She didn't see him shake his head and give her an affectionate look before getting up. "Kaoru-dono, are you finished eating? This one would like to find out why Chou was admitted so freely."
"Do what you want," Kaoru grumbled, wondering why he was talking about one of Saitô's spies. She stood up, then suddenly grabbed him and kissed him. He seemed surprised, and when they parted she looked fiercely into his eyes and asked, "Kenshin...do you love me?"
He took his time answering, gazing into her face intently as if memorizing her every feature. "This one's heart is full to the brim with love for you, that it is," he answered softly. Then he turned quickly away, but not before she saw, just for an instant, the sudden welling of tears.
"Kenshin?" she asked in concern, but he was already striding away. Her wrist was leaping after him, pulled by the enchanted strands of their hair, and she had to hurry to keep up.
In the throne room, Chou was presenting himself to the Faerie Queen, who surveyed him frostily. "You're late. I was expecting you back last night."
"Apologies, m'lady," the fire sprite answered smoothly. "Perhaps your most gracious Majesty would be appeased by a gift?"
She raised her eyebrows, but deigned to say nothing.
Chou shrugged. He elegantly flipped into view a pretty little box, wrapped with gold paper and a wide red ribbon. Titania watched him carefully as he approached and opened the box with much ceremony, to reveal some plain brown lumps nestled in thin paper cups.
Titania's eyes lit up. "You didn't!"
"I did," he said, and delicately picked up one of the brown things. "Chocolate, all the way from the 1990's, just for you, m'lady."
"Tell me!" she shrieked in agitated delight. "Tell me how you got it! It's impossible, you can't!"
He raised his eyebrows. "Can't I?"
"Tell me!"
"It's a se-e-ecret." He quickly offered to place the chocolate in her mouth before she could insist further.
"Ohhh..." She closed her eyes in ecstasy as the milky sweetness dissolved on her tongue. It was only after she had thoroughly finished savoring it that Chou ventured to hand her a letter, which had been the purpose of the errand she had sent him on.
Her brows came together thunderously when she read it ("Tam's a fool if he thinks he still has any favor with me"), but was quickly distracted from her displeasure by the rest of the chocolate that Chou was now waving lazily under her nose. Grinning, she dropped the letter and snatched away the box in order to devour its contents.
"Hey!" he protested. "It was to share!" He grabbed for it again, which resulted in a tussle that somehow ended in a long, sloppy, sugary kiss.
"How long do we have to watch this?" Kaoru grumbled.
"No longer," Kenshin answered softly, looking rather amused. "The situation is clearer, though this one will still need to speak to Chou alone. Where would you like to go, Kaoru-dono?"
She eyed him. "What do you say to...the bedroom?" she asked testingly.
"If you like."
"Hold your horses there, tiger!" she said sarcastically. "Or would you rather us go to the swimming pool, or the gardens, or the dancing lawns? Which would you prefer?"
"Whatever you like, Kaoru-dono," he answered honestly. He wanted to spend this day, at least, doing whatever would please her best.
She threw up her hands in exasperation. "You really don't want to, do you! You don't even care!"
"Oro...this one doesn't quite understand...this one cares about you very much, Kaoru-dono." He glanced uneasily at Titania and Chou; the former was glowering at the interruption, the latter frowning at Kenshin in recognition.
Kaoru sighed. "Kenshin, honestly. Do you want to..." she glanced self-consciously at the other couple as well, "...come to...you know; come with me? Do you really want to? Or are you just...I don't know, fulfilling some duty?"
"This one would most like to do whatever would please Kaoru-dono."
Titania and Chou rolled their eyes in unison.
Kaoru felt like tearing out her hair, but as she looked at her beautiful husband and visualized the body she knew was concealed under his clothing, she decided that she could wait until later to yell at him. "You know what, Kenshin, let's just go." She backed out of the room, drawing him after her by their linked wrists; he smiled at her and came willingly.
"What a pair of idiots," Chou commented.
"Yes...but forget them, love," Titania purred. "Where were we?" She reached to kiss him again, but he pulled away just a little.
"You know," he drawled carefully, "much as I'm lookin' forward to this, let me just point out, with the greatest respect, that my services are still, at the moment, purely voluntary..."
A spark of irritation lit her eyes, then subsided. "You so sure about that?" she whispered in his ear, giving it a little lick as she spoke. Then she guided his hand beneath her skirt, where he felt the handle of a knife strapped to her thigh. Frowning, he grasped it and tried to draw it out, but more and more blade appeared until he found himself holding a sword.
"Look...at...this," he gasped, touching the clear blade ever so gently; his thumb came away slick with blood. "This is incredible! How many bodies can this cut through?"
She grinned, though her eyes were cold. "Let me know when you find out."
He held the sword up to the light, so that suddenly it seemed like he was holding a weapon made of rainbows. "This can't be mythril, no way it's admantine...what the heck is it?"
"It's diamond," she said sweetly. "Sort of. Bit of plastic, too, though it's enchanted so you'll only be able to tell by the feel."
"Plastic?" he said absently, still admiring it. "What's that, some Seelie magic?"
Titania frowned playfully, though her eyes were narrowed. "So you know about chocolate, but not plastic..."
His eyes flicked to her in alarm, but then he grinned. "Just kidding. This is awesome, m'lady."
She smiled and let him get away with it. Now was not the time. "So you like it?"
"Oh yeah," he said gleefully, giving it a couple of testing swings.
"But not as much as the place where you got it from, right?" she said, guiding his hand back.
He hesitated for just a moment, his eyes straying to his new sword. Then he remembered that he was a disgraced Unseelie, and this was the Seelie queen, and he remembered the doddering, heartbroken old man he had just returned from visiting, whose desperate letter now lay discarded and forgotten on the floor at Titania's feet. Chou smiled to hide his irritation, laid the sword aside, and wrapped his arms around her. "As you wish, m'lady."
To be continued...