King's Box

Lil-Sun-Rie


Author's Note Just want to say what every other author says, please review my fic.

Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark shadows. All he knew was that a soft heart wasn't a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survive. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

Disclaimer I don't own the characters, so stop pestering me!

King's Box

Chapter Four: Trust

            Dedicated to JouChan08



Kaoru glared up at the three men.


"She looks like a delicious morsel." Houji drawled as he licked his lips.


"What do you want?"


Shishio looked wide eyed at the 18 year old girl.


"So now you speak. . . Five years ago all you did was stare. I thought you had lost your mind that day."


Shishio opened his mouth and Yumi popped a grape into it.


Gohei looked at Kaoru with a stare that she most definitely didn't like. It was the stare of lust. He wanted her in a way she didn't want to be desired.


"Give the girl to me," He looked up and down Kaoru's body, "There are several uses I can think of."


Shishio shook his head, he wanted Kaoru for himself.


"I am not a possession! I only go with whom I please."


"You can please me in many ways." Gohei purred. His pig like face scrunching up as he thought of inappropriate subjects.


"You three pig headed bastards!"


They all stood up at the same time.


"I will never be slaved by you! I am a free person, with thoughts and ideas like any other person!"


"Your thoughts and ideas should be about serving us." Shishio hissed. "I want the box!"


"I have no idea what you're talking about!"


Shishio snapped his fingers. Kenshin and Yahiko watched from the sidelines as three guards entered the room.


"Now tell me where the box is!"


"Why is it important?"


"Tell me!"


Kaoru stubbornly shook her head.


"With the snap of my fingers, these guards could tear you apart limb from limb."


"Go to hell!" She replied slowly, letting each word hang in the air.


Kaoru knew he wouldn't kill her. He needed her too much. He thought she knew where the box was. If she pretended to know where the box was he wouldn't kill her.

Shishio snapped his fingers. The guards around Kaoru started to close in on her. Kaoru forced herself to stand up straight and tall. She would not let them see how scared she really was.


The guards knocked Kaoru down. She felt them kick and punch her. She felt hands travel inside her gi. Kaoru suppressed a shiver of disgust. She would not let them know.


Suddenly there was the sound of porcelain breaking. The guard who was feeling Kaoru slumped forwards with his head bleeding.


Kaoru saw broken porcelain on the ground next to her. She looked up to see Yahiko trying to pull the man off of her.


She pushed the man and noticed the other guards were too shocked to move.


"The boy!" Shishio hissed while pointing at Yahiko.


The two guards nodded and one grabbed hold of Yahiko's gi. The other one was about to punch Yahiko when Kaoru dashed in front of his fist. The guard's fist connected with her face.


Kaoru barred her teeth to prevent herself from screaming in pain. She felt blood run down her chin.


The guard was about to make another swing at Yahiko, but Kaoru pulled Yahiko away. She pushed him underneath her.


The guards started kicking Kaoru. But, Kaoru didn't utter a sound.


Yahiko looked up at Kaoru.


"It'll be over soon, it'll be over." Yahiko nodded his head as Kaoru smiled down at him.


The guards continued kicking and punching till suddenly there was a red blur all around them.


Then the guards slumped forwards with blood running down from a wound on their chest. Kaoru gasped as she was bathed in blood.


"This is a cowardly antic." She heard Kenshin's voice sound through the halls. "If you want her dead, kill her yourself."


"I'm too rich and powerful to listen to my employee. Remember Battoussai you were the one to come work for me. You will do as I say." He grinned, "Finish her."


Kaoru looked up at Kenshin with hate in her eyes. She pulled Yahiko closer to her.


Kenshin searched her eyes for any spark of fear, none came.


"She knows where the box is." Kenshin stated slowly. He looked at Kaoru with his amber eyes. "She knows where it is, that she does."


Shishio got down from his seat and made his way to Kaoru. He pulled her to her feet, even higher till she could not even feel the ground with her tip toes.


Kaoru sighed in relief when she saw Yahiko in a corner.


"Where is the box?" He questioned slowly. Kaoru glared at him.


"Tell me where it is!" Kaoru gagged a little then spit on his face.


Shishio wiped the spit away with his free hand, then he turned and glared at Kaoru. He threw her into the wall and unsheathed his sword.


"If you won't tell me where it is, you will die with the secret!" He approached Kaoru, his sword rising in the air.


He approached her, and with each step Kaoru felt a sort of dread crawl into her body.


Now he was only stretches away, but close enough to stab her. He raised the sword higher and was about to bring it down.


"It's with my Uncle Aoshi!" Shishio turned to face the speaker, Little Yahiko. "My Uncle Aoshi hid it from everyone."


Shishio glanced at Kaoru. "You will fetch the box for me, Kaoru. Or Hiko will die."


Kaoru stared at Shishio with disbelief written all over her face.


"There are guards all over Hiko's hut. He will be under house arrest till I get that box."


Kaoru nodded wordlessly.


"Show Kaoru to her room."


The servant took Kaoru by the elbow and gently led her out of the room. Since this used to be her house, she knew the place like the back of her palm.


They led her into the room that used to be her father's. Kaoru wanted to burst into tears when she saw it.


"The boy will stay with you miss."


Kaoru nodded. When the door was closed Kaoru started crying. She fell to the ground crying. Yahiko stood there dazed. The only other time he saw Kaoru cry was when they were on the ledge.


Kaoru was sleeping on the floor and Yahiko on the bed. Yahiko woke up to a whimpering sound.


Then he saw Kaoru tossing and turning on the floor. He picked up the candle on his bedside and brought it to the dresser table, which was closer to Kaoru.


He slowly crawled into Kaoru's arms. He smiled with contentment. She was like his older sister.


Kaoru smiled inwardly.


When morning brought the sun up Kenshin enter the room to see Kaoru and Yahiko both on the floor snoring away happily. He wanted to smile, but a samurai never shows emotions. His features softened when he looked at Kaoru.


"What is this feeling?" he mumbled to himself. He silently kneeled down next to Kaoru and brushed away her hair.


He wanted so much to feel her skin under his finger tips, but yet he didn't know why.


Kaoru's eyes shot open when she felt Kenshin's fingers brush her hair. She sighed in relief.


"It's just you."


"What's wrong with that?"


"Nothing I thought you were one of the 'masters.'"


Kenshin frowned.


"I trust you Kenshin, although you put on a mean act. I still trust you."


"You're not afraid. I could kill you anytime that pleases me and yet you lay there saying you trust me."


"I trust you. I know you won't hurt me. I saw it in your eyes last night."


Kaoru sat up and stretched. She went to the dresser and started pulling out random clothing.


"They still left my father's things in here." She mumbled.


She pulled out a blue gi and white pants. She went to look in the other drawers and found a white under shirt. She smiled to herself.


"Could you, you know, get out? Just for a while. I need to change."


Kenshin nodded and left.


Kaoru slowly peeled off her clothes and replaced them with the new ones. She looked at Yahiko and knew he would need new clothes, although all the ones her dad has would be too big.


She pulled out her dad's smallest gi and pants.


**********


Yahiko awoke to see Kaoru throwing stuff all around the room.


"Kaoru, what are you doing?"


"There's a tunnel here."


Yahiko shook his head, thinking that she had completely lost it.


"Your new clothes are on the bed."


******


Kenshin was wandering the castle.


"What is this feeling?" he questioned himself.


The next thing he knew he was at Kaoru's bedroom. Kenshin scratched the back of his head. He didn't know how he got there or why he was there.


A crash brought him out of his thoughts. He opened the door to see Kaoru pulling at an old chest.


Kaoru pulled and pulled, but the chest was too heavy. Then she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around and saw Kenshin.


His hands were wrapped around the chest and together they pulled the chest out of the way.


Immediately Kaoru started groping the wall. She pushed every brick, till finally one pushed in and the wall started to open.


Kaoru stepped back and watched the wall open.


Yahiko stood up. He walked up behind Kaoru.


Kaoru swallowed loudly. Then she put on her bravest face and walked into the dark and wet tunnel. Yahiko followed, then Kenshin.


They all climbed down the stairs till Kaoru saw a light up ahead. She smiled and ran to it.


Yahiko heard Kaoru's steps grow faster and he ran to catch up with her pace.


Kenshin smiled to himself as Kaoru and Yahiko ran towards the small light. Kaoru finally stopped. She had reached the end of the tunnel. She smiled as the sun's rays called out to her.


Kaoru walked out into the sun light. A huge smile was plastered on her face. She twirled around. She stopped and faced Yahiko and Kenshin.


"We'll need horses."


Kenshin nodded.


"We will need horses, that we do."


Kaoru smiled again and started walking towards the barn. If they were lucky there would be some horses inside.