Disclaimer: The Princess Bride and Rurouni Kenshin aren't mine, so let my empty student's pockets be.
Author's note: Ah, hello! Early again: I found I couldn't resist posting it today, since it's finished anyway! Only one day early!
Out of the frying pan into the fire, in some respects, now. The Count and the Prince are finally introduced properly. To anyone dissatisfied with my choices: I've lost sleep over these decisions! Do you have any idea how much I've been thinking about those two?! I've been going crazy!!!! CRAZY!!!!! *takes deep, calming breaths* And the chosen two seemed best suited to their respective parts. So if you want to flame me, go ahead, I've made my choice and I stand by it. *flameproof* ^_^
The Princess Bride: Kenshin Style TenThe Prince was generally accepted as being a fairly evil person. While the population at large hardly saw or knew much at all of him, they knew enough to be sure that he was not altogether pleasant, their opinions being formed by the fact that their future ruler took barely any interest in his people, or in their laws, lives or concerns.
The Prince was a tall, slim-built man of a yet young age, though well past twenty, and delighted in nothing so much as hunting.
Hunting was his greatest love: the feeling of pursuing and killing another creature made him feel powerful and controlling in a way nothing else did. He relished the chase of a deer in the misty dawn, the pursuit of a tigress through steaming marshland, the tracking of a falcon's flight on a cloudy day. There was not a creature on earth, great or small, that he could not pick up the trail of, hunt down, and kill. There was not a single death he executed that did not bring a smile to his face.
To this end, he kept a place known by the tiny few who knew of it as the Zoo of Death. It was a multi-levelled enclosure, set up underground where it could be kept in secrecy, hidden away from prying eyes. It held every kind of animal the Prince could ever wish to hunt.
There were five levels in the Zoo of Death. The first level, just beneath the ground, held creatures of speed: wild dogs, cheetahs, hummingbirds. The second level contained strong animals: anacondas, rhinos, crocodiles and such. The third level was for creatures of poison: spitting cobras, jumping spiders, death bats in their hundreds. The fourth level held creatures of fear, the most dangerous: the shrieking tarantula (not a sound you would want to hear in the darkness), the blood eagle, and even a sucking squid, located in its own ink-black pool. This was a level to be shrunk from.
The fifth level was empty.
The Prince had constructed this final level, down in the darkness and dankness, the level farthest from the surface and the sunlight, in readiness for an enemy that was his equal. He had built it in anticipation of a creature with strength, speed, skill and ferocity as great as his own.
He didn't think it likely that he would ever find anything to put in the fifth level. But he left it there, ready, all the same: for, even in his arrogance, the Prince's love of hunting thirsted for a real challenge; an enemy strong enough to push him to the (expansive) limit of his abilities, that deserved to feel the sharp edge of his burning power.
The only people who knew of the Zoo of Death were the Prince, the albino (who took care of the daily needs of the animals within), and the Count.
The Count was the only person the Prince trusted. And he didn't completely trust him: that would have been foolish.
The Count had stood alongside the Prince as an advisor, helper and companion for many years, and knew his monarch well enough to understand the details of any given command without the need for their being explained.
That was why, when the Prince left the choosing of his bride to the Count, he knew that the Count would bring him the perfect bride: she would be demure enough to be carved and fitted into her role, but with enough intelligence to prevent her being completely boring to converse with. She would be modest and aware of her purpose as his bride. And she would be so beautiful that everyone who saw her would say to themselves, 'Wow, with a wife like that, that Prince must be a real someone!' Though the Prince hardly cared much for his people, his pride allowed nothing connected with him to be less than perfect. It was bad enough that the king was dying in so feeble a manner: the Prince was hardly impressed by such weak behaviour. He had half a mind to kill the old man himself, and cut off a prolonged and pathetic end. But that would have been too easy, therefore too boring.
So, with the matter of his bride laid firmly in the Count's capable hands, the Prince continued his hunting and killing, and awaited the king's death and his crown.
"I will come back for you. I promise."
"This is true love: that's the most precious thing there is."
"I love you, Kaoru."
Flame-bright hair, glimmering in the sunlight, deep blood-red hair dripping with rain… Eyes gazing at her, eyes the colour of clouds lit with lightning in a storm… A hand clasping her back, fingers trailing over her blushing face, and the back of her neck, sending shivers across her skin… Lips touching her cheek, lips capturing her in a kiss, lips forming the words 'I love you'…
A girl sat, curled up into a tight ball, among the gnarled roots of a great old tree. Her head lay cushioned on her arms, her dark fringe covering her forearms and hands, and hiding any part of her face that may have been visible. The sun couldn't reach her in the shade of the cherry blossom's ancient boughs.
Kaoru's shoulders shook with a sob, as her breath shuddered from her lungs. Every time she was by herself, she thought about him. She couldn't stop it. His memory played over and over in her head, sweet and bright and relentless.
Yet she fought it. She had been reborn into a life of loneliness, and she did not want to recall things from the past that would only hurt her.
She willed away the soft, rose-tinted images of her one true love. She pushed them down into a secret place in the bottom of her heart, praying they would stay there and never escape, neither to desert her nor control her.
She stood up, wiping the tears from her face, calming herself. It was okay. She was someone else, now. She just had to remember that: the Kaoru that cried was the Kaoru who had loved a farm boy named Kenshin, a man who had loved her back with all his heart. That Kaoru was gone now.
This Kaoru smoothed down the front of her kimono, and headed back home through the emerald shade of the ancient forest.
As Kaoru wandered along the path in the wood, a voice spoke from the shade of a tree just ahead.
"So, you are Kaoru."
She looked up in surprise, raising a hand to her chin self-consciously, hoping there were no traces of tears on her face.
A man stood, leaning against the tree trunk, looking at her over a small pair of spectacles. His moon-pale hair glimmered faintly in the muted sunlight that danced in speckles all around. He had an expression of satisfaction on his face, as he looked Kaoru up and down swiftly with those darting eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked hesitantly.
"I am sorry, let me introduce myself properly." He pushed himself away from the tree with graceful ease, standing straight, and bowed to her.
"I come as an emissary of the Prince, on a matter of great importance. My name is Count Enishi."
"A peasant girl? A peasant!" The Prince laughed aloud, a harsh, mocking sound. His eyes narrowed as a smile touched his lips. "Well, Enishi, you have done well this time. The people will be delighted to hear that their Prince is to marry one of their own. That takes the effort of actually building up rapport with the hordes off my hands. And if she is as beautiful as you say she is, well…"
He let the thought trail off as he swirled his glass of wine in a cupped hand, and brought it to his nose to breathe the rich aroma of the blood-red liquid. His eyes remained on the letter he held in his other hand, perusing the details again.
Finally, with another laugh, he tossed the piece of paper on the fire, and drank off his wine with a dark smile.
"The Prince will be coming to visit you within the next few days. If he is satisfied, you can look forward to being a very fortunate young lady."
Kaoru watched as the Count took another sip from his tea. "Um, excuse me, Count Enishi, but… Why does the Prince wish to meet me? I am only a peasant farmer's daughter, and you said yourself you had only heard of me less than two weeks ago through idle rumour…" Her words died away as the Count looked up at her with a strange smile on his face.
"Do not trouble yourself, my dear girl." His smile twisted into something of a smirk. "The Prince will tell you anything you need to know when he arrives. Only one thing I request of you: make sure you are looking your best when you meet him."
Kaoru nodded, still puzzled. None of this made sense to her, but there was a heavy feeling in her chest, that foreboded something to come. It worried her.
Her mother nodded to the Count, offering more tea. "Please be assured, our daughter will be in a state that shows respect to the honour being shown to her with such a visit."
The Count inclined his head in a slight bow. "Good. Ah, no more tea, thank you. Time presses on, and I must return to his majesty now."
He stood, as did Kaoru and her parents.
"Thank you for your visit, you do us great honour," said her father, bowing formally. The Count only smiled, bowing at Kaoru's parents, and then Kaoru herself.
They gathered outside to see the man off. He swung up onto his horse with ease, and waved with a curious smile. "I hope to see you again, in grander surroundings, in the near future, Kaoru," he said, his eyes flashing in Kaoru's direction, an implication in his tone that baffled the young girl.
Then, without further ado, he set his heels to his horse and cantered away.
"Well, I suppose I shall go and get on with my work," said Kaoru, still a little out of it with her surprise, still with no idea what the whole thing was about.
As she walked away, Kaoru's father turned to his wife, guiding them both back into the house.
"Let's not speculate in front of our daughter," said Kaoru's father quietly. His wife nodded, a sad look on her face.
For they both suspected what was really behind the Count's visit, and both feared for their daughter's already broken heart.
Sure enough, the Prince came, along with the Count, five days later. They came on their own, without entourage, guards, or any pomp or splendour. Kaoru found herself respecting that: she'd always found the nobility's showiness to be arrogant and pointless.
She had been ushered indoors immediately by her mother the moment the horses could be seen approaching from the valley below. Her father had been left to welcome their esteemed guests while Kaoru was made ready.
Kaoru had been used to being dressed and made presentable before, but nothing had prepared her for her mother's whirlwind of washing, dressing, and combing. Kaoru had her face and arms dunked in cold water, a towel set to her with urgency, a comb pulled through her thankfully already smooth hair, a set of pins stuck in to secure her black locks, a bright new kimono pulled onto her, and a ready-tied obi bound tightly around her all in the space of about ten minutes.
She was allowed enough of a pause for one gasp before her mother pushed her out into the living room, where the Count and the Prince awaited her.
The Prince rose as she entered, looking only at her. As her father introduced her with, "My Prince, this is my daughter, Kaoru," the Prince only managed a grunt in reply.
His eyes swept over her with a pleased gleam, and he abruptly turned to Kaoru's parents. "Please allow me to escort your daughter on a walk outside. The Count will stay to discuss formalities with you."
The older couple exchanged slightly anxious glances, politely bowing to their guests as the Prince gestured Kaoru to the door.
Kaoru tried not to show her nervousness. Here she was, walking, alone, with the future king of her country, and she had no idea why he was there in the first place. What could she say?
She had been about to make a safe comment on the weather when the Prince suddenly stopped and turned to her.
He was a strange-looking man. He seemed normal enough, in form at least, but where his rich garments ended, at his neck and ankles, smooth white bandages covered his skin: even over the bridge of his nose, and round his fingers, smaller bandages encased him. Kaoru found herself recalling something her mother had once told her, about an accident the Prince had had as a younger man, in which he had been horribly burned, and that he had to wear bandages all the time.
She was brought out of her train of thought as he spoke.
"You may know why I am here. But I will tell you anyway: my father, the king, is dying. No, no, don't offer your sympathies. You can do that later. When he dies, I will be made king, and one of the laws of this land states that there must always be an heir to the throne: therefore, if I am king, being an only child, there is no other heir. So I must marry and have a child.
The Count found you for me. I have to say, you are perfect. May I ask what you think of this?"
Kaoru was surprised at how calmly she was taking everything. "Perfect, I am not. I am a peasant and a farmer's daughter."
"I wouldn't be here if that mattered."
"I'm not a very good cook."
"I have a team of cooks at the castle: you will never have to do a day's work for the rest of your life."
"I won't leave my pony behind."
"Fine."
"My parents need my help on the farm."
"Servants will be provided to fill your place."
"I'm learning the use of a sword, although I'm not very good yet."
The Prince quirked an eyebrow in interest. A wife who could use a weapon. If she'd been very proficient, he might have decided not to bother risking it. But she was new to it, apparently: and it meant she could appreciate his own weapons-skills. A nice bonus.
"That is a pleasure to hear. If you wish, you shall have a sensei assigned to teach you further."
Kaoru stood in silence, out of arguments. Except one.
She looked up at him, considering. He watched her, waiting for whatever it was she wanted to say.
Finally, looking very matter-of-fact, she said, "I won't marry you."
"I'm your Prince. If you refuse, you'll be executed. It's treason to refuse an order of the monarchy."
"Fine. Kill me."
He sighed resignedly. "Why would you rather be dead than married to me? It's hardly complimentary."
"Because being married involves being in love, and I've been there and it turned out badly, so I'm not interested in being in love again. Ever."
"Love?" He laughed. "That has nothing to do with it. I need an heir: you are my choice. Your choice is simple: marry me, become the most powerful woman in the country, be among the social elite, and give me a son, or die horribly and painfully. It's up to you."
"I don't love you," she affirmed.
"I wouldn't want it if I had it."
"Then by all means, let us marry."
Author's note: Phew! *falls over* I wrote that pretty much all in one go, and my fingers are dying and my creative juices drained for the day… *goes to order a cocktail from the Fic-Writer's Take-Out* Anyhoo, hope you liked it! Not much in the way of fluff I'm afraid, but I have to actually get on with the story once in a while! *ducks as fluff-seekers chuck various sharp objects in my general direction* Gah! I'm sorry! I put a solid ninety minutes into this chapter, okay? And I still have to proof-read at least twice! PROOF-READ! *a perfectionist in some things* ugh… ugh ugh…
Anyway! It all pays off in the end. ^_^
Right, I simply have more replies to write than brain power left this time, so I'm gonna just reply to the reviews that kind of require one. Sorry if that disappoints anyone: you have my sincere thanks for taking the time to review, okay? *glomps everyone happily* ^_^
Thanks to incoherence (oh yes, Sano-age is a must *lying in a puddle of drool on the floor* I've been noticing recently just how yummy he indeed is… ^_^ But I'm not telling who he'll play!), TenkunoMeiou, MegumiFuu, JellyBob 15 (I'd probably cry in a heap too… *eyes well up* Kenshin!), lidmoon02, Girl (not the Prince! ^_^), Demon Neko-Chan, Dark Duelist (thanks for the candy *munch* and the compliments! It is down to your own faith, whether he's dead or not… *wink*), Little Yahiko (sorry it wasn't by Wednesday, but still a day early! I took a while to finally settle on my choices for the Prince and Count *sheepish smile* er… Can I still have the soup?), Califpinay3001, Kyaa-Kyaff (*takes a photo of Kyaa-Kyaff's vision for future blackmail purposes* hehehe ^_^ Just kidding!), LilInuyashaMunky, me (*throws a rock in the general direction of school*), InuYasha fan (*does 'zipping up my lips' action* ^_^), Tikal, Bye Bye Birdie (*offers a couple of sugar cubes with a smile*), NightRain (icky indeed!), Staci/Nadia (glad you're enjoying it! I too am much of a sucker for fluff… ^_^ Farm boy can be clever when he wants to be, ne? ^_^), Shizuka (No worries! Ha! I have defied you predictions! *desperately tries to think of more unexpected plot twists* er… *sweatdrop* ^_^), Mary (*slaps Mary's wrist* Naughty! *laugh* Sano will be along soon enough, don't worry… ^_^ Whether in hentai mode or not is entirely debatable!), TwinBakaNekos (he's alive. That's what you asked me to say, right? *wink*), bluejeans (thanks!), stillbornangel, Vash-chan AKA Makoto Almasy (well now you know who the Prince is! And love truly is miraculous… True love at least!), Skipper (*runs away very quickly, and ducks behind nearest person* … *surprised* Oh, Kenshin! It's you! What are you doing here? *wink*), angelicyokai (thank you ^_^), LittleDragon5 (thanks! *grin*), awc (*hands over more tissues, also a metre-wide hanky* You okay? Sorry to upset you! It'll all be okay in the end! Promise!), imaninz (thank you! And… He's not dead. That was what you wanted me tell you, wasn't it? *cheeky grin* Don't worry, it'll all work out… ^_^), pretty Luthien (thanks very much! ^_^), Chibi-dragongrl (*discreetly shoves a screen in front of Kaoru to help her hide her blushes* Whether she got any or not is her secret I guess! I kinda stopped typing at a certain point, so they were left to themselves after that… *winks and laughs*), cherrymecha (no you don't! Four days this time, wasn't it? *counts on her fingers* yep, four!), EvilPrincessMelphis (thank you ^_^), DarkElf (*puts down some matting for DarkElf to stomp on* There we go! Happy stomping while you wait! *grin*), Papaya! (Hello! *glomp* *grabs sandwich* So I lost my day job after not turning up… *munch* I was lost in the fluff at the time and couldn't find the phone to call in fluff (as opposed to calling in sick) so I'm stuck with glaring menacingly. Or trying to. *pathetic* And evil I shall be! Though not as evil as the Prince and Count… *shudders* Evilisation ahoy!), Redhead Samurai (*grin* I had that title planned from the day I started this story, and couldn't wait to use it! ^_^ 'The Dread Hitokiri Battousai'… Just had to happen, really, didn't it? ^_^), D45 (you inspired me with the 'never trust a Yahiko when death is on the line!' but I'm still debating about who'll be the Sicilian, Vezzini… ^_^ It'll be fun tho, that's fer sure! And you earned the medal, that you did. ^_^), dunkmoonX (^_^), monkeysme (Ah yes, I can't wait for that duel! It'll be fun! ^_^)
Phew! *wrings poor hands out* Back in five days, okay? Or earlier maybe, knowing me! I just can't always guarantee four days, so we'll say five days as usual, okay? ^_^
Click the button! Leave your thoughts! *happy dance* ^_^