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Once Upon a Time: Chapter 25
by white seraph
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WARNING: OCC & FLUFF
Kaoru shivered under the warm blankets. Her wounds were treated nicely when she woke up, and her splitting headache was gone. Was she in hell? Did they execute her already? She looked around the room, it was familiar yet she could not recall where she had seen it before. She got to her bare feet, the white floor was cold beneath her, looking around she caught sight of the scenery outside. It was snowing? What a mesmerizing view. When had she last seen something so beautiful? The stars. The night he had shown her the stars. Kaoru gingerly touched the cool grayish stones that framed the view, and inhaled the cool air. She was so captivated by the view, she wasn't aware that someone else had entered the room.
"Kaoru"
She whirled her head around. Who was it? She gasped as her eyes met his. She quickly bowed, humbly "You're highness", but when he physically touched her, she flinched back, pushed him away and ran toward the door "I didn't seduce Soujiro! I didn't seduce him!: She screamed "Don't accuse meeee!"
"I know! I know you didn't, I believe you. I believe every single word you say." He walked warily towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I'm so sorry. For everything." He apologized with remorse and guilt. "I'm sorry" He whispered again into her ears before nuzzling his face into her soft neck. "Please say you will forgive me."
Kaoru felt her heart melt. Why? She had never had this feeling before, she had always loathed his touch, always despised his lust for her. And now? Why? Did she lust for him as well? Or was it..what Misao had told her, love? Was this feeling love? But did he love her too? Unable to control her own emotions, she let the tears roll down her cheeks "I forgive you." She whispered, brushing her eyelashes to his face.
With that, he cupped her cheeks, and planted a soft kiss on her lips, which she had fully accepted. Relishing the sensation of her lips, he indulged himself to deepen the kiss, allowing himself to explore her lips the way he had never done before. Suddenly, he reminded himself that she was innocent little Kaoru. That it was wrong to do this to her. Pulling himself away, he quickly apologized. "I'm.Sorry, I just got carried awa-" Kaoru didn't let him finish the sentence and shut him up with another kiss.
And maybe they continued on to do something that might make this story NC- 17, or maybe not, it is up to you readers to decide. :D
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Kenshin lead Kaoru to another room later on that day, 'a surpirse' he told her. However, the sight was not at all pleasing. The guards, she had remembered that brutally tortured her was given the same treatment, chained and whipped, they were dragged into the room, bloodying the floor. "Kaoru, how would you like them to die? Have them hung? Or executed?" He smiled at her, which was a complete irony. How can he be so nice to her yet so cruel to the others? True they may be been a bit nasty and brutal, but that did not excuse him to oppress them with his almighty power, did it?
"I would like to have the released." She turned to him and replied seriously.
He gave her a skeptic look. "No Kaoru, I'm not kidding around here."
"If you let me make the choice then release them!" She retorted fiercely, then quickly softened "Kenshin, I know you have a nice heart" She touched his chest "But the world isn't just about revenge. To be a good ruler, you must be pacific, and yielding. It's like looking after pet dogs, if they bite you don't kill them, instead you teach them so they will become more gentle and docile." She looked around, everyone in the room was silent. "The world is a beautiful place to live in, and it would be cruel and barbaric to resort to death every time people do something wrong. You cannot deprive them of the chance to live in this world we all share. Right?"
Kenshin for the first time understood. He had allowed her to open up his cold heart, allowed her to guide him to a more optimistic view to life, something he was not abel to do himself for the past 10 years. "Release them." Yes. Kaoru was right, the world would be so much better if he didn't think of killing every time something bad happens.
"But-"
"I said release them." He repeated patiently. "Do as the lady says."
The guards were immediately released. "Thank you Lady Kaoru! Thank you, we will never forget the lesson we were taught! Thank you!" They bowed like mad men, giving the couple their thanks that their lives were saved.
"Everyone leave. The case is settled." The king ordered everyone in the room, who docilely dispersed out, including Kaoru.
She was quickly pulled by a strong arm "No, not you"
Kaoru giggled quietly in response and waited for the last people to leave the room. "Oh? But you said *everyone*" "But you're not everyone" He replied, pulling her closer into an embrace.
Suddenly, Kaoru pushed herself away, as she was reminded of something. "kenshin, I have a question."
"Hm mn?"
"I." Kaoru lowered her gaze "I mean, What will you do if I'm not who you think I am?"
Now he gave her a perplexed look "What do you mean?"
Kaoru wanted to get this through. She had been hiding it too long, and now that she had proven to herself that this man actually had a soft heart, she had to tell him. "What if..What if one day you come to realize that I'm not the palace servant you had always pursued for?"
He chuckled, easing the tension for Kaoru, "You know my feelings for you will never change no matter what your name is, what your status is, what." He paused, "You know I like you for you."
She smiled weakly, "I'm glad to hear that, you don't know how much it means to me." She looked into his eyes intently "So, if I tell you,.that I. that I came to the castle to seek for my father, that I am no servant. You.You won't mind at all?"
Now this was getting confusing. "Just spill the beans out Kaoru, I promise I will never hurt you, I cannot and will not." Really, did she have little trust for him? He was deeply disappointed.
Kaoru sighed, that's right, he'd never hurt me, plus, it's not a big deal, not that she planned everything out before hand anyway. "As I said before, I'm not a servant. I only came here to find my father, and.and I don't know.." She trailed off, believeing she had already given him an adequate explanation.
"Is that it? So tell me what's your real name?" He seemed very calm, perhaps he was, because nothing concerned him more than this girl, he didn't care if she was a princess, a duchess, or, as he had known her as, a servant girl, she was still Kaoru, the girl with mesmerizing blue eyes that enchanted his world. The girl who's heart was so pure, so kind that it taught him how to live a better life.
"You.you mean you don't mind at all?" Kaoru was blinked looking surprised, really surprised, she had expected him to charge her of spying, or lying.
"Well if you tell me you are actually the daughter of a traitor who owed the country debts, then maybe I will." He mused, "But tell me, what is your real name?"
"My name is Kaoru Kamiya!" She flung herself to Kenshin "I'm so glad you don't mind at all! It's like pulling out a rock from my chest!" she told him, relieved that her problems at heart were settled.
"Wait. You mean you're Kamiya's daughter?" She nodded happily and He sobered. At a quieter voice he added "But, your father was reported dead by some officials a week ago."
"What?" Kaoru questioned unbelievingly.
But she never got the confirmation, for suddenly, some men, dressed uniformly in black masked kimonos attacked from the windows, and grabbed Kaoru. If kenshin wasn't that distracted, and if there weren't 13 attackers coming in at the same time, he would have effectively defended Kaoru and precluded the men from adducting her. Yet everything happened so quickly, before he managed to kill the 13, not to mention very strong men, Kaoru was already taken.
Jumping from the tall tower, he followed the attackers. "Kaoru!" He yelled. As helost sight of the men as they went into the thick woods "KAORU!"
He didn't let himself stop, despite the bloody wound at his shoulder by one of the black men. When he reached the glen, he couldn't believe it himself. Contaminated with blood, Kaoru's blood. She laid there, with a sword priced deep into her heart.
And he blamed it all on himself.
Once Upon a Time: Chapter 25
by white seraph
**************************************************
WARNING: OCC & FLUFF
Kaoru shivered under the warm blankets. Her wounds were treated nicely when she woke up, and her splitting headache was gone. Was she in hell? Did they execute her already? She looked around the room, it was familiar yet she could not recall where she had seen it before. She got to her bare feet, the white floor was cold beneath her, looking around she caught sight of the scenery outside. It was snowing? What a mesmerizing view. When had she last seen something so beautiful? The stars. The night he had shown her the stars. Kaoru gingerly touched the cool grayish stones that framed the view, and inhaled the cool air. She was so captivated by the view, she wasn't aware that someone else had entered the room.
"Kaoru"
She whirled her head around. Who was it? She gasped as her eyes met his. She quickly bowed, humbly "You're highness", but when he physically touched her, she flinched back, pushed him away and ran toward the door "I didn't seduce Soujiro! I didn't seduce him!: She screamed "Don't accuse meeee!"
"I know! I know you didn't, I believe you. I believe every single word you say." He walked warily towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I'm so sorry. For everything." He apologized with remorse and guilt. "I'm sorry" He whispered again into her ears before nuzzling his face into her soft neck. "Please say you will forgive me."
Kaoru felt her heart melt. Why? She had never had this feeling before, she had always loathed his touch, always despised his lust for her. And now? Why? Did she lust for him as well? Or was it..what Misao had told her, love? Was this feeling love? But did he love her too? Unable to control her own emotions, she let the tears roll down her cheeks "I forgive you." She whispered, brushing her eyelashes to his face.
With that, he cupped her cheeks, and planted a soft kiss on her lips, which she had fully accepted. Relishing the sensation of her lips, he indulged himself to deepen the kiss, allowing himself to explore her lips the way he had never done before. Suddenly, he reminded himself that she was innocent little Kaoru. That it was wrong to do this to her. Pulling himself away, he quickly apologized. "I'm.Sorry, I just got carried awa-" Kaoru didn't let him finish the sentence and shut him up with another kiss.
And maybe they continued on to do something that might make this story NC- 17, or maybe not, it is up to you readers to decide. :D
***************************************
Kenshin lead Kaoru to another room later on that day, 'a surpirse' he told her. However, the sight was not at all pleasing. The guards, she had remembered that brutally tortured her was given the same treatment, chained and whipped, they were dragged into the room, bloodying the floor. "Kaoru, how would you like them to die? Have them hung? Or executed?" He smiled at her, which was a complete irony. How can he be so nice to her yet so cruel to the others? True they may be been a bit nasty and brutal, but that did not excuse him to oppress them with his almighty power, did it?
"I would like to have the released." She turned to him and replied seriously.
He gave her a skeptic look. "No Kaoru, I'm not kidding around here."
"If you let me make the choice then release them!" She retorted fiercely, then quickly softened "Kenshin, I know you have a nice heart" She touched his chest "But the world isn't just about revenge. To be a good ruler, you must be pacific, and yielding. It's like looking after pet dogs, if they bite you don't kill them, instead you teach them so they will become more gentle and docile." She looked around, everyone in the room was silent. "The world is a beautiful place to live in, and it would be cruel and barbaric to resort to death every time people do something wrong. You cannot deprive them of the chance to live in this world we all share. Right?"
Kenshin for the first time understood. He had allowed her to open up his cold heart, allowed her to guide him to a more optimistic view to life, something he was not abel to do himself for the past 10 years. "Release them." Yes. Kaoru was right, the world would be so much better if he didn't think of killing every time something bad happens.
"But-"
"I said release them." He repeated patiently. "Do as the lady says."
The guards were immediately released. "Thank you Lady Kaoru! Thank you, we will never forget the lesson we were taught! Thank you!" They bowed like mad men, giving the couple their thanks that their lives were saved.
"Everyone leave. The case is settled." The king ordered everyone in the room, who docilely dispersed out, including Kaoru.
She was quickly pulled by a strong arm "No, not you"
Kaoru giggled quietly in response and waited for the last people to leave the room. "Oh? But you said *everyone*" "But you're not everyone" He replied, pulling her closer into an embrace.
Suddenly, Kaoru pushed herself away, as she was reminded of something. "kenshin, I have a question."
"Hm mn?"
"I." Kaoru lowered her gaze "I mean, What will you do if I'm not who you think I am?"
Now he gave her a perplexed look "What do you mean?"
Kaoru wanted to get this through. She had been hiding it too long, and now that she had proven to herself that this man actually had a soft heart, she had to tell him. "What if..What if one day you come to realize that I'm not the palace servant you had always pursued for?"
He chuckled, easing the tension for Kaoru, "You know my feelings for you will never change no matter what your name is, what your status is, what." He paused, "You know I like you for you."
She smiled weakly, "I'm glad to hear that, you don't know how much it means to me." She looked into his eyes intently "So, if I tell you,.that I. that I came to the castle to seek for my father, that I am no servant. You.You won't mind at all?"
Now this was getting confusing. "Just spill the beans out Kaoru, I promise I will never hurt you, I cannot and will not." Really, did she have little trust for him? He was deeply disappointed.
Kaoru sighed, that's right, he'd never hurt me, plus, it's not a big deal, not that she planned everything out before hand anyway. "As I said before, I'm not a servant. I only came here to find my father, and.and I don't know.." She trailed off, believeing she had already given him an adequate explanation.
"Is that it? So tell me what's your real name?" He seemed very calm, perhaps he was, because nothing concerned him more than this girl, he didn't care if she was a princess, a duchess, or, as he had known her as, a servant girl, she was still Kaoru, the girl with mesmerizing blue eyes that enchanted his world. The girl who's heart was so pure, so kind that it taught him how to live a better life.
"You.you mean you don't mind at all?" Kaoru was blinked looking surprised, really surprised, she had expected him to charge her of spying, or lying.
"Well if you tell me you are actually the daughter of a traitor who owed the country debts, then maybe I will." He mused, "But tell me, what is your real name?"
"My name is Kaoru Kamiya!" She flung herself to Kenshin "I'm so glad you don't mind at all! It's like pulling out a rock from my chest!" she told him, relieved that her problems at heart were settled.
"Wait. You mean you're Kamiya's daughter?" She nodded happily and He sobered. At a quieter voice he added "But, your father was reported dead by some officials a week ago."
"What?" Kaoru questioned unbelievingly.
But she never got the confirmation, for suddenly, some men, dressed uniformly in black masked kimonos attacked from the windows, and grabbed Kaoru. If kenshin wasn't that distracted, and if there weren't 13 attackers coming in at the same time, he would have effectively defended Kaoru and precluded the men from adducting her. Yet everything happened so quickly, before he managed to kill the 13, not to mention very strong men, Kaoru was already taken.
Jumping from the tall tower, he followed the attackers. "Kaoru!" He yelled. As helost sight of the men as they went into the thick woods "KAORU!"
He didn't let himself stop, despite the bloody wound at his shoulder by one of the black men. When he reached the glen, he couldn't believe it himself. Contaminated with blood, Kaoru's blood. She laid there, with a sword priced deep into her heart.
And he blamed it all on himself.