King's Box

Lil-Sun-Rie

Author's Note Don't forget to review.

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 anything but the plot.

King's Box

Chapter Five: Wife


"Lord Aoshi, there's a messenger! He claims that it's important."


Aoshi looked down at the man. "Show him in."


The servant nodded and led in a ragged looking man.


The man looked up at Aoshi and gulped.


"Well," he barked, "What is your message?"


The man gulped once again and opened his mouth. "Lord, if I may be so kind, it is a message from your wife."


Aoshi's face showed no emotion, he just nodded for the man to continue.


"Lord, may I be bold? I must compliment you on your wife's beauty. Your lady's been mistreated though."


Aoshi's face still showed no faze. The messenger grew more and more uncomfortable under the lord's penetrating gaze.


"She said she is in need of an escort. She says to pick her up at the green mountains atop the highest hill, Shogun."


Aoshi nodded, his face never betraying his inner thoughts. He looked the messenger over and saw that he wore the colors of the Jupengatina (bare with me, I don't know how to spell it.)


He never trusted that group. This messenger probably told his lord of the beauty who claimed to be his wife. He knew that they were going to be traveling to get her. They would do anything to hurt his village.


Aoshi sat up and stroked his chin.


'It could be a trap. Some one could be out to get me.'


Kaoru sat next to the window and looked out. She sighed once again.


"How long will it take a messenger to deliver a message?"


Kaoru looked out the window again. She saw the three brown horses grazing in the green pastures.


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Kaoru waltzed in the sunlight. She broke into a quick sprint once she saw the stables. She heard pounding feet behind her. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and she saw Yahiko and Kenshin fighting to keep up with her, or at least Yahiko seemed to. Kenshin was tagging behind Yahiko to keep up the rear. She smiled to herself as they reached the stables.


She heard the familiar neighing of horses and pulled at the stable doors. Kaoru pulled with all her might, although that just caused her more pain. When she finally got the door open Kenshin and Yahiko were right beside her. She looked into the darkness of the stables, and then screamed when something threw itself over Kaoru.


Kenshin looked down and saw a man in rags mumbling incoherently to Kaoru.


"Katsura.." Kaoru gently helped the man sit down and looked up at Kenshin.


"Katsura?" Kenshin nodded.


"He was Kamiya's best friend and loyal soldier. He went crazy the day Kamiya died. Now he mumbles stuff about a reward from the king. People don't kill him in fear that the curse will haunt them after his death." Kenshin shifted his eyes over Kaoru's shoulder.


"There are horses we can use, that we can."

**************************************




Kaoru sighed with impatience once again. It was already the tenth day since the messenger dispatched. Yahiko's uncle should be here by now. Or, maybe the messenger did get there but thought it was a trap. She only meant to entice his curiosity when she said she was Aoshi's wife. She had hoped that he would come out of curiosity, to see who was foolish enough to claim to be his wife.


Kaoru watched as the sun began to dip. Then a small speck approached. She saw more little specks appear. Finally she could make out shapes of men. There were a lot of them. What did they expect, a war?


Kenshin saw the men outside. He could hear the distant trampling of hooves against the soil. He approached the window and looked out over Kaoru's head. He looked at the closest figure and examined the stance. He could tell immediately that this was the Jupengatina. The figure he was examining must be Aoshi.


Kaoru stood up. She could hear the hoof beats too. She could tell that they were getting closer and closer.


She stood in the middle of the hall. She felt a small prick of fear, but why should she? She was here, after all to return what someone else has stolen. She was here to make sure Yahiko got safely back to his uncle.


Kaoru swallowed as she heard the creaking of the doors. She felt the warm sunlight filter through the darkness. She raised her head and looked up. There was a dark figure that contrasted with the blinding light surrounding him.


"Aoshi," She whispered.


The man came in a little more. Kaoru could see his facial features more accurately. He was insanely hansom. Kaoru sucked in her breath when she saw him approach her.


"Are you the lady who claims to be my wife?"


Kaoru felt like bowing her head and running away with her tail between her legs. Instead she looked him square in the eyes.


"I am."


Aoshi watched as the young woman fidgeted under his gaze. She was beautiful. He saw a patch of purple on her face. He gently cupped her chin and tilted it to the side a little. He gently fingered the bruise.


"Who did this to you?"


"Oh, that! It's nothing important." Kaoru started to blush furiously. "Um, I'm here to return your nephew."


Aoshi let his hand drop and looked around for any sign of his nephew.


"Yahiko come out now."


A small black haired boy came out into the light and approached his uncle.


Yahiko looked up at Aoshi. He didn't know whether to run to him with open arms or bend over and wait patiently for a good swatting.


Aoshi looked close to tears when he saw his nephew. He gingerly walked over to Yahiko and bent down to look him in the eyes.


"Yahiko," He whispered. He sounded and looked like he was talking to a ghost. "Yahiko."


Aoshi immediately opened his arms and pulled Yahiko into his embrace.


Kaoru watched them. Yahiko seemed so happy that Aoshi was there with them. When they pulled from each other Yahiko ran over to Kaoru and pulled on her hand.


"This is Kaoru. She helped me when the bad men kidnapped me and she protected me when they beat her."


Aoshi's eyes snapped to Kaoru. She received bruises that should be Yahiko's?


Kenshin came out from the darkness. Aoshi saw him and narrowed his eyes. Kaoru backed a bit so that she was standing next to Kenshin.


"I'm sorry, I might sound rude, but we are in desperate need of an escort. The person I am searching for lives just on the outskirts of your village."


Aoshi nodded his head in understanding.


"You have done so much for my nephew, it would only be right for me to escort you."


Kaoru gently brushed the horses brown mane. She walked over to the three men who housed them.


"Arigato!" They all smiled at her and bade her goodbye.


"Yahiko, you should really say thank you."


"No!"


"Yahiko," Kaoru hissed dangerously.


Kenshin came up from behind Kaoru.


"Do as she says."


Yahiko cringed as he saw Kenshin's eyes flash dangerously. He backed away and approached the three men.


Kaoru smiled as she watched the men bow happily. They had done so much for them; she only wished that she could do more.


Kenshin seemed to fidget next to her. She looked at him.


"I guess I should say thank you too."


Kaoru watched as Kenshin approached the group.


Later, they all saddled their horses and were ready to ride.


It was well into the night.


Kaoru was preparing their sleeping things. Yahiko came up to her.


"Is it okay if I sleep with the men tonight?"


Kaoru nodded. That was when she noticed that she was to only one in the little corner. She sighed and pulled her blanket closer around her. Yahiko could see Kenshin staring at Kaoru.


'She really trusts me? I could kill her and yet she stays with me as if we were friends. Or maybe more?'


Kenshin could see that Kaoru would not sleep tonight. She was too afraid of being alone. Normally Yahiko would be with her, but now he wanted to sleep with the other men. He wanted to prove that he was growing to a man, but what kind of man would leave Kaoru alone at night?


Kenshin glared at the darkness and settled into his sleeping mat. He let his eyes slowly open and close.


'Am I having feelings for her? Nah!'


Kaoru shivered. She dreamt that she was on a high step and was staring down into the dark abyss. She shivered as she felt the night's cold fingers curl around her unconscious body.


Yahiko felt the nagging pain of guilt as he glanced at Kaoru's shivering form. He knew that she never liked the darkness or heights. He can remember when he first met her and how green she looked just by glancing at the gentle slope of the cliff. Yahiko looked over at Aoshi to make sure he was asleep and made his way to Kaoru.


Yahiko fixed his mat and laid next to her.


The next morning Kaoru awoke to something heavy wrapped around her waist. She lifted the blanket and saw that it was an arm. She suppressed the urge to scream and traced the arm to Kenshin. He was sleeping peacefully next to her with his arm around her waist.


Kaoru sighed and snuggled closer to his chest. That was when she noticed that Yahiko was on her other side. She at up a little way and saw that the rest of the camp was surrounding them. Kaoru smiled at all the slumbering men and gently climbed out of Kenshin's arms. She went to her food supplies and started a fire. Soon she was cooking breakfast.


Kenshin had awoken long before Kaoru. He felt her shift and quickly closed his eyes. He wasn't about to let her know that he was staring at her.


'Wait! Shit!'


Kenshin mentally kicked himself. His arm was still wrapped around Kaoru. It was too late for him to move suddenly. He sensed her sit up; he could feel her eyes staring at him. Kenshin suppressed the urge to laugh. He felt her lay back down and then she did something he didn't expect. She snuggled closer to him. Kenshin's muscles immediately began to stiffen with nervousness. Then she sat up again and left. Kenshin groaned inwardly from the loss of her warm body against his.


Then he smelt smoke and knew that she was probably cooking something to eat.


Kaoru glanced around her and sighed inwardly because none of them were awake yet. She wished they'd wake up. She felt awfully lonely.


It was as if it were magic. Kenshin's still form began to move as he sat up and stretched. He looked her way with a question on the tip of his tongue. Before he could ask his question, Kaoru cut him off.


"Would you like some breakfast?"


Kenshin nodded mutely. He approached her and she handed his a small ceramic plate full of food.


Kenshin accepted the plate with an unforeseen eagerness.


As the other soldiers woke up their silent enjoyment of each other's company faded. Kaoru helped pass out the food.


Kenshin didn't know what was wrong with him, all he knew was that he felt a small pang of hurt when the rest of the company had awoken. Maybe, the Batoussai was getting soft. Kenshin scowled as he thought this. He was the Batoussai and he didn't have any feelings or emotions. Kenshin watched with his amber eyes as every man laughed and talked with Kaoru. He was in this small corner all by himself. He had no one to talk to and no one wanted to approach him.


Kaoru smiled to all the men as she happily passed out the food. When they all finished their meals Aoshi stood up.


We're going to stop by a small town.