3rd installment of the Court Series. Follows: 21: Friend and 22: Think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Ravyn

Kaoru dropped her head in her hands and took a deep breath. What she needed was a hot cup of delicious tea, a steaming hot bath and a meal with enough protein to make even Misao happy. Unfortunately, she was stuck with cold tea which she had made – it tasted terrible. She peered through her fingers at the cup. Surely brewing a proper pot of tea after thirty odd years of trying wasn't that difficult. But oh, it was. It was either so strong she ended up soaking everything up with bland crackers and eating it that way or it was so watered down she should have just drank the water itself. There didn't seem to be much of a range between the two.

Her stomach growled in complaint and Kaoru considered, just for a moment, finding out what the hell would happen if she did order food from the kitchen. Unfortunately, she just didn't have the energy to order the food or check it for poison. Instead, she picked up one of the stale crackers and nibbled. She didn't dare let her whim become an act. The past two days had forced her to throw out three meals. The third might not have been caught if Kamatari hadn't been there to take the food.

At least her old friend hadn't done more than scowl and disappear, returning with sandwiches.
Pushing to her feet, she stubbornly ignored the way the room spun and walked to the window, leaning against the glass panes. Had it really just been that morning that she had sent the revised contract? Her fingers brushed against the thick pane as she tried to form a picture of the man who She should have been unsurprised that someone with his talent knew exactly what he wanted – it might have been the reason he had remained unmatched.

Giving him a child while he remained an active consort would give him leverage she hadn't thought to guard against – wasn't sure that she would have even if she had thought about it. She was having a difficult time holding his needs against him. The truth was… she would have done the same if she had been in his position. He couldn't know that his demands, while a complete surprise, had given her the best possible reason to refuse the Yukishiro Clan. That he had given her a reason to disguise her sudden need for male companionship in ways that had nothing to do with Misao. She didn't think he was aware of this byplay… but it was possible he would know before the ceremony.

She wondered what he thought her reasons for the offer were.

The cold air coming off the glass helped counter some of her weakness and Kaoru bit her lip. She really shouldn't have made that second contract. The first had been difficult enough and the second had left her so dizzy and weak that she had required Kamatari to help her to the couch to rest. Unfortunately, he had been forced to leave her to deal with the contract and by the time she returned she had managed to disguise how tired she was well enough. She just wished she had thought to ask him to bring her meal. Now she didn't have the energy to summon him.

'Idiot.'

The sudden sound of the door opening had every muscle in her body tensing. Cursing mentally, she twisted around, letting her eyes scan the desk where she kept her knife. Schooling her features as she swung her gaze to the door, she stilled internally at the sight of who had walked into her rooms without setting off any of her wards.

She had known he wasn't very tall, had appreciated it. She had never liked being dwarfed by a man, had never felt impressed by those who felt the need to flex their muscles to be noticed. It had been his eyes that had caught her attention the morning he had stood before her while she hid behind a screen. His eyes had been hot and yellow; shifting with the intensity of his moods. She watched now as they flickered across her and to the desk. Even after his eyes came back to her, there was the lingering impression that he was examining the room around them.

How had he gotten in? She glanced down at his left hand and the ring that glimmered faintly in the light. She didn't know whether to be surprised that it had fit or that he was wearing it.

"It fit then?" She was relieved when her voice came out strong enough to carry across the room.

"The spell was well worked," Kenshin replied, his features slightly guarded as his eyes swept her a second time. She watched as his mouth tightened, the gold of his eyes darkening into bronze.

"Good," Kaoru said. "May I ask what exactly you are doing here?"

He lifted a brow, leaning back against the door, shutting it softly with the motion, his body language almost lazy. "I wasn't particularly interested in meeting you tomorrow in front of a dozen strangers."

Kaoru pursed her mouth, watching him for long moments. She hadn't expected such a candid answer, but maybe she should have. She doubted he minced words on the battlefield and Misao had hinted that he had been used in the Assassins Core. There was little reason to expect him to accept protocol between them. In some ways it was refreshing, in others, well… it was something she would have to get used to. His file said he was from a land near the border. Perhaps she should have taken into consideration how different his lifestyle would have been there instead of a place closer to the court.

'Too late now to worry about it,' she thought with a sigh. She had been too tired to think and now she was going to have deal with the small quirks she hadn't considered.

"Why don't you have a seat and I'll explain what you've gotten into?" Kaoru suggested. The request was partly to make him feel more comfortable and partly because she was so tired. She wasn't sure she could have the conversation they needed to have without falling down halfway through if she continued to stand. She didn't attempt to keep the weariness out of her movements – it would have been a wasted effort and just drained her more than she already was. Even the surge of emotions – exasperation because she had wanted another day before they met, relief because he could fetch meals – she didn't dare tap into them for energy.

Sitting down on a wide chair she studied Kenshin. Each movement was controlled, graceful and silent. It was a good thing she had built a locator spell into his consort ring when she had designed it years ago as a precaution. If he moved that quietly all the time, it was possible that he might startle her into a defensive spell. That had the potential to end badly. Once he had sat down she spoke.

"First, I would like you to call me Kaoru." The way his features shifted was interesting. "Second, before I get started, do you have any questions?"

Kaoru liked the way he studied her before he answered. It showed attention to detail and another swift glance of the room when he had sat down had been impressively thorough. He had seated himself in the most interesting way. She wasn't sure which glance had told him where her weapons were, but his body was angled so that he could move himself between her and the door, giving her the chance to grab the knife on her desk.

"Why only the minimum contract of ten years?" Kenshin asked, his disconcerting eyes settling on her features. It was unfair how he could manage that look under lashes that long. To her surprise though, his voice lacked an accent. Leaning back in the hope that it would keep the room from spinning, she considered his question.

"Misao won't take the throne for another ten years. Her grandmother has given her that long to finish her training and to finish putting together her council. Until then, Misao is under a minimum amount of protection as is required by law. There have been… several attempts to assassinate her over the past fifteen years."

"Is that why you decided to take a consort? To protect the Heir?"

His voice didn't rise or fall with any sort of judgment, but there was something about his tone that she couldn't put her finger on. That rattled her a little. She had been trained since she was a child to pick up and more importantly, understand each nuance of any voice.

"No," Kaoru said shaking her head. She allowed a little vehemence to enter her voice even as her mouth angled down into a faint frown. "I need you to protect me. I can take care of Misao." "Unfortunately, you might have agreed to do more than you think." She ran a hand through her bangs.

"The only way to Misao is to kill me. Misao has been attacked five times in the past month. Five days ago I set off a spell trap that should have killed Misao. I fared… decently, for the strength of the spell." She watched his eyes to see if anything showed through. He must have been wearing his assassin's mask because not even his pupils reacted. "I'm a bit low on magical resources at the moment."

There was silence between them as he processed what she had said. "So your plan is to watch the Heir's back while I watch yours." His voice was thoughtful. "How exactly do you plan on protecting her?"

Kaoru gave him a considering look. "Do you want to know everything now or can we take this one subject at a time?"

"Explain the effects of the spell trap." Kenshin said after a moment. "What do mean when you say you are low on magical reserves?" His eyes narrowed a little, as if he knew the answer to his question, but was wanted her to admit it to him.

"I can't use my magic right now," she said finally. "It's not my only defense, but until I get my levels stabilized, I'm prone to dizzy spells and I need to sleep a lot."

She decided not to mention that lack of food recently. There was something about the line of his mouth that was… a sort of warning.

Kenshin stood and when he spoke, there was an odd note in his tone. "I believe those contracts you made were magic based."

Kaoru sighed. "Yes, but they were necessary. I will admit that I was thankful when you didn't request another change."

She wasn't certain she could have found the will to shape the contract again. He stood and moved closer to her, watching her from those bronze eyes. This close, they were shape a little like a cats.

"Have you eaten?"

"I can't cook." She forced herself to admit it, determined to keep things honest between them. For now at least. It wouldn't do them any good to start out on a bad foot and once she figured out his temperament and reactions, she would be able to keep things to herself. Until then, however, she was stuck.

A noise rumbled from his throat. "Show me the kitchen."

X

Kenshin watched her sleep, absently wondering what he had gotten himself into as he absently listened to the sound of hear heartbeat. She hadn't moved from where he had tucked her into the blankets, skin paler than even a lady of the court had a right to expect and he was surprised to find that it worried him a little.

Kaoru.

She had talked while he cooked, explaining anything he had thought to question her about. He hadn't said anything about the way her voice had slowly lost strength, the shadows under her eyes only making them look larger, childlike. There had been a stubborn glint in her eyes and the angle of her jaw had promised trouble. So he had cooked, calmly categorizing all the information she had given him and drawing his own conclusions about the lady who would eventually give him his freedom.

He had honestly thought she would fall asleep while she ate, but she had set her shoulders back and took each bite slowly, chewing exactly ten times, and then swallowing. She had managed to clean most of her plate and only rattled the delicate tea cup against the saucer once.

Kenshin had debated just sweeping her off her feet and taking her into her room, but he wasn't certain where that was. The couch didn't look comfortable for an extended nap and he had been afraid that once her body stopped moving she was going to stop being conscious. So he had followed her closely from behind, memorizing the taste of her wards and the path she took. She hadn't acted like she noticed, eyes on her feet, but if she was aware of anything, he knew it was him. She kept her body had angled towards him no matter which direction they had turned. Over the meal, her eyes had judged each nuance of his expression and there had been the way she had tilted her head each time he had spoken, as if looking for something in his voice.

He had pretended not to notice when she gathered a nightgown and went behind a screen, her breaths labored in the room and he had pretended not to notice the faint bruising on her legs. As if she had bumped into things recently and not noticed. Not until she had climbed under the covers did he walk towards the bed. She hadn't remained conscious for more than a few heartbeats after her head hit the pillow – her energy levels were a little healthier for the food he had cooked. His options had been limited and he would need to go and find things to stock her kitchen with. Her soft comment about the poison had his jaw locking in temper. It was the coward's way out.

Rubbing his suddenly aching head, Kenshin made sure all her wards were in place. He would first clean up his mess and then go to the kitchen to bribe the cook for fresh fruits and vegetables to cook for dinner, and then he planned on coming back and watching her sleep. She needed her rest and he needed to make sure that someone wouldn't try to kill her before his contract to her was official. Calculating the time, a little over twenty-four hours until the ceremony, he shut her door behind him before he set his own ward along the lock. He would know now if anyone attempted to tamper with her wards.

This was his duty now. To protect the woman who would eventually give him both his freedom and a family. He would protect her. His future. Barring his teeth in a sharp smile, he set off to complete his tasks.

Please Comment