Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and am just borrowing its characters for a few chapters. The main idea isn't my own, but what's in between and the dialogue is my very own. Most of you who are told Fairy Tales know that there is hardly any dialogue at all, mostly just words from the narrator. In my culture, family really, Fairy Tales are all told in a poetic sense and there isn't any dialogue at all, so therefore I had to add to it.






A Virgin's Curse

Written By Night Mistress





Part Four







After riding for what seemed like hours, Kaoru could feel herself go sore from riding on a horse for so long. She bit her lower lip to stop from being tempting to ask her captors to stop. Who was she to ask a group of rebels to stop riding to their camp? It was then that she was grateful for having her veil over her face or she was sure they would have been able to see her discomfort. She was not about to take sympathy from a bunch of barbarians.

"You know, Missy, you're the first woman I know who can stay riding on a horse for five straight hours without complaining. Even the itachi musume would have asked to stop by now. You sure are one tough princess," commented the one Kaoru had learned was named Sanosuke.

Kaoru might not have been able to see her reflection, but she was certain that her face had turned as red as the veil over her head.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon. You'll be able to get a day of rest at the Akai campsite before we get on the move to meet up with the other groups of the Hanransha. We're holding our annual meeting where all of the important people of our group get together and plan what we do about the quarrel of the kingdoms," said Sanosuke as he went on to explain how China was without a royal family and needed a new emperor, but the peasants didn't want to start a new dynasty so they were now looking for the lost heir of the Kamiya family.

"The Kamiya family lost a daughter, didn't they? In a carriage accident in Shanghai, am I correct? I remember Father saying something about the Princess getting lost and her future husband vanishing, while the Emperor and his wife both died in the incident. Only the Emperor and Queen's body were found with the markings of some creature. I don't exactly remember, but I think the Emperor was the first to die by the carriage and the Queen died on the steps of Japan's castle?" questioned Kaoru as she tried to get her facts straight.

"Yup, which is the reason why China and Japan are currently at war. You see, the Prince of Japan, your brother I believe, was to marry China's Princess. They think that the Prince raced off to save himself and left China's Royal Family to die and with that thought, they think that your Father had planned it that way," added Sano and upon hearing his voice grow in volume, Kaoru knew he had ridden closer to her and the Leader of the Hanransha.

"Father would do no such thing! I'm certain that my brother had probably gone off to find help and didn't know that the Empress of China was still alive. My family is very proud and you must know that my own mother died as well a few weeks later after finding out that her son might no longer be alive. If it was planned, then why was my sibling killed?" demanded Kaoru as she felt the urge to protect her family, but stopped speaking when she felt the man behind her tighten his hand around her waist.

The Princess of Japan could tell that something was wrong from the silence that followed the Leader's action. Her confusion however was only heightened when the horse stopped and she was once again placed on the ground, although she didn't exactly mind when the cloth over her head was taken off.

Finally able to see something besides red, Kaoru had to rub her eyes slightly to clear her vision. She looked around and noticed that they were once again on a hill and at the moment all she could see was grass. Her eyes fell on the three men who had captured her and their horses, but in the end she couldn't help but stare at the one the other two called Lord Battousai.

The auburn-haired man might have been only a few inches taller than her, but his mysterious and dark aura clearly made up for it. It wasn't exactly his aura that caught her attention; it was his pair of golden eyes. They seemed to be the only source of light in the darkness of the night. Her analysis of the Hanransha's leader was stopped short when a bag was placed in her arms.

"You'll need to change into that before we go down towards the camp. The others are bound to make a ruckus if they see you in a wedding gown," stated Battousai before he turned his back to her and ordered the other two to do the same.

Thankful for the privacy and knowing better than to object, Kaoru quickly as possible changed out of her red kimono and into the white and blue flower imprinted one. She briefly wondered where the rebels got their hands on it, but thought better of it while she adjusted the obi around her waist. Her hand went to her neatly put up hair and she hesitated to take the beautiful design off as well as the pins that once belonged to her mother.

Before she managed to straighten out her black hair, a pair of hands as fast as lightning, held her wrists and prevented her from finishing the task of making herself seem less elegant.

"You don't need to put down your hair; it'll let the men know you're taken," said Battousai as he placed a white cloak on her shoulders and moved the hood over her head just enough to hide her hair but not her eyes.

This time, Kaoru waited expectantly beside the white stallion to be helped up and it seemed almost automatic that Battousai lifted her up in his arms.

When they were both settled on the saddle, Battousai rode them done the hill towards the valley full of mobile tents the size of small houses. There were people moving around all over the place and if Battousai hadn't led her down, then she was certain she would have never known that a group of so many people were staying on the other side of the hill. The fires were so well contained that none of the smoke reached the skies above the hill and the voices of the people were so controlled that one could have mistaken it for birds chattering in the distance.

Kaoru's eyes widened as the sounds of the members of the Hanransha Group grew louder when the horse got them closer. It was as if someone had suddenly turned on the volume when they finally reached the bottom where the land was completely flat.

When she was helped down again, Kaoru was greeted again by Sanosuke and Katsu, who were both eating a piece of meat on a stick. She noticed that they were both changed into something more comfortable and their weapons seemed placed away as well as their horses.

"Hungry?" asked Sanosuke as he moved the piece of meat in front of Kaoru's face.

"No thanks," said Kaoru as she shook her head.

"Your loss, Missy, but know that you'll have to get use to either eating a lot or a little depending on the season," said Sanosuke with a shrug as he bit into his meal.

"Why don't I get a new one instead of one that's been bitten into already?" offered Katsu politely and looked at his leader when Kaoru shook her head again.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry," answered Kaoru truthfully.

Before Katsu could object, the cries of triumph were heard as the other eight men that were part of the raid on her carriage raced down the hill on their horses with their hands raised in the air in a fist. A crowd of woman with tears of relief in their eyes raced over to the men as they dismounted and Kaoru couldn't help but smile when he saw the group exchange hugs and occasionally kisses. It was as if the men had returned home after years on the battlefield than just a simple raiding of a Royal carriage.

"You'll need to get use to that as well, Missy. No matter how trivial our departures are, the women tend to become hysteric and quite fussy when the men return. The only reason why Katsu and I aren't getting bombarded is because everyone knows we can take care of ourselves and everyone knows that our leader here would kill the first person who tried to show him affection," said Sano as he grinned at annoyed hitokiri.

"More like no one would want to hug you, tori-atama," snapped a cold voice to their right, making Kaoru turn her head to make out the figure of a woman not much older than herself and was oddly reminded of a fox when the woman spoke.

"What did you call me, kitsune?" growled out Sano as he sent the approaching woman a pointed glare.

"You heard me, tori-atama. Lord Battousai, why are you with a tanuki?" asked the lady dressed in a violet kimono, her comment gaining her yet another glare, but this time from the Princess of Japan.

"You have some nerve calling me a…" started Kaoru angrily, but stopped when Battousai placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Takani Megumi, this is my wife, Himura Kaoru," said Battousai calmly as he moved his hand on her shoulder around her waist and pulled her next to him.

Not wanting anyone to see her blushing face or the expression the others held, Kaoru stared at the ground and began to wring her fingers together nervously. She had heard Sano making a comment about Battousai taking her as his bride, but she had silently hoped he was just joking. From the look she had seen on the man's face, it seemed that he hadn't suspected his words to become true either.

"You can't be serious, milord," said Megumi in disbelief.

Kaoru finally decided to look up when Battousai took off her hood to show Megumi her neatly placed up hair. She blushed again when she saw that those that had been seeing the warriors home were now staring at her in amazement too. Obviously no one had suspected their leader to suddenly bring home—back to the Akai campsite—a bride.

"Is this enough proof?" asked Battousai when it became evident that no one was about to speak up.

"Well that's enough proof for me!" said Sano, who was the first to recover. He sent a wink to the other warriors who were part of the raid and gave Kaoru an encouraging smile when the men began to yell out in congratulations for their new Lady.

"No one is to enter my tent tonight, understood?" commanded Battousai as he led his bride through the crowd.

A chorus of whistling and agreement were left in their wake as Kaoru's 'husband' got them into his tent without any injuries.

It wasn't until they were completely alone in the tent--with only one bed--that Kaoru began to seriously panic.



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Seated on his throne in his palace in Japan, Seijuurou Hiko rubbed his temples as the sun began to set outside the windows around him. With closed eyes and unhearing ears, Hiko completely ignored the man who would have been his son-in-law by now.

"Your Majesty, can you please explain to me again why my wedding has been postponed? I cannot return back to England without a princess to be my queen. If it is time that she needs, then I can arrange for us to simply go back to my castle and get to know one another better before our wedding. You needn't have stopped the entire session in such an urgent manner," said the white haired Prince of England as he stopped right in front of Japan's emperor after his continuous pacing. Of all the things he had been expecting when he came to the island, this wasn't one of them.

Tired of the young prince going on and on, Hiko finally spoke in a commanding voice, "Please, Prince Yukishiro, get some rest for the night. I know that originally you would most likely be too busy celebrating at this time, but my daughter refuses to see you. She has threatened to take her own life should anyone interrupt her in her brooding. My daughter is in a very fragile state at the moment."

Astounded at the tone of voice used on him, Prince Yukishiro Enishi adjusted his spectacles before bowing politely.

"As you wish, Lord Seijuurou," complied Enishi as he walked out of the throne room, his cape following right after him.

When the stone doors closed behind the younger man, Hiko let out a sigh. He didn't even bother to pay acknowledgement to one of his best spies when the informer walked in and bowed to him.

"You asked for my assistance, Emperor?" asked the spy in his trench coat as he stood up straight after his bow, revealing the twin kodachi that hung at his hip.

"Shinomori Aoshi, you're one of my most trusted spies in the entire empire. My daughter, Kaoru, has been kidnapped. There has been no evidence on who could have taken her. I fear that it might have been the revolting group of the Hanransha or worse yet, the Ishin Shishi," said Hiko, revealing his fears of what might happen if his daughter were in his enemy's hands.

"I understand why you wish to find her. Shall I request the help of the Shinsengumi?" suggested Aoshi as he looked at his Emperor for permission.

"Yes, it would be wise to inform them to look after her on their rounds of the cities. I want her back unharmed, Shinomori, before her 18th birthday," ordered Hiko.

"Of course, sire," said Aoshi as he once again bowed to his waist.

"You are dismissed," said Hiko as he waved a hand towards the door.

Nodding, Shinomori Aoshi, Okashira of the Oniwanbanshuu Group, walked out of the Royal Throne Room with his new task in mind.

Quietly to himself, Hiko shook his head, "If you weren't already betrothed, then I wouldn't have had to agree on sending my beloved Kaoru to the other side of the world and none of this would have happened. Are the Gods really out to get me?"



∞∞∞∞



The best doctor out of the entire Hanransha group fumed as she stormed into her tent and began grounding a batch of herbs together with a rounded rock to release some of her anger. She still couldn't comprehend the fact that the man she had had her eye on for so long had married without a single word! And to a tanuki looking girl too! What in the world did the girl have that she didn't? She outnumbered the immature brat in beauty and intelligence, so how in the world did she manage to catch the eye of their Leader?

Once satisfied that her pounded herbs were done, Megumi collected the powdered substance and placed them in one of the many bottles in the chest she kept in the back of her tent. When the task was done, she once again sat down at her small table and began pounding the herb pile beside her again.

"Knock, knock," said a cheery voice outside of her tent.

Sighing from the sound of the familiar voice, Megumi forced herself not to yell for the girl to leave.

"Come in, Misao," permitted the doctor while she kept her attention on properly mixing new herbs into her bowl.

The door flapped open and a small girl with a long braid going down well pass her waist skipped in. She grinned as she sat down across from her friend and her face showed anxiousness like a child wanting to tell their mother or sibling a secret they just learned.

"I heard the news, itachi musume: Battousai has finally married. I was there when he announced it," said Megumi before Misao could speak or ask for her to guess.

She only arched a brow when she looked up and saw that the teenager was still had her trademark smile on her face that said nothing but mischief.

"Do you want to know or not?" asked Misao, her emeralds eyes glowing as she placed her hands on her hips in mockery of what the doctor did when she wanted an answer.

"Fine, amuse me," said Megumi while she cleaned her hands with a towel nearby on her table.

"You're not going to guess?" pouted Misao.

"I don't have time for this. You can either tell me or get out of my tent so I can work!" snapped out Megumi in irritation.

"The Princess of Japan's wedding got cancelled today," blurted out Misao before Megumi could demand that she leave at once.

Completely confused, Megumi stared at her childhood friend in such a manner that told her guest to continue explaining.

"I heard from one of the men that were with Lord Battousai. He said that the Princess's carriage never made it to Sapphire Meadows, which is where the wedding was to be held. I knew that there was something strange about the girl when I saw her walking with Lord Battousai to his tent. She isn't like the rest of us; her movements are more graceful than ours and her hands show no sign of hard labor.

"I came up with a theory and I didn't want to say it to anyone until I found proof," said Misao with a huge grin on her face.

"Are you trying to say that Lord Battousai kidnapped our country's princess and made her his bride? Don't you think that she would have demanded that she be let go? The girl seemed like any of the other girls that get married around here; blushing and completely embarrassed when someone makes an inappropriate comment," protested Megumi as she gave Misao her full attention.

The younger girl only rolled her eyes before stating, "Lord Battousai gets what he wants and people give it to him without a word of complaint. Even the Officials are afraid of him, never mind a princess who has never left her castle! Knowing our Lord, he probably scared her into it or something like that."

"Where's your evidence?" asked Megumi.

"I couldn't bring it with me, but I found a red wedding dress made of pure silk in a bag attached to Lord Battousai's horse. It was beautiful and I've never felt something so soft! You know that it has to be property of a rich family when it feels better than anything you've ever felt before. If you put two and two together, you'll find it suspicious that the Princess should vanish from her wedding the same day our Lord suddenly decides to get married too," stated Misao with a nod of her head.

Megumi tapped the bottom of her chin thoughtfully as she thought about it all. What Misao said seemed reasonable, but why would Battousai want to marry a princess? She didn't seem any different than any of the other daughter's of rich nobles, except that the girl didn't seem all that snobby. Easily tempered maybe, but hadn't she been provoked? There had to be something about the girl for their Lord to choose her out of so many to be his wife.

"Earth to Megumi, did you hear me?" asked Misao, her voice causing the doctor to snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, I was thinking of something else. Can you repeat yourself?" asked Megumi.

Coughing, Misao said, "I asked you if you'd like to come with me tomorrow morning and talk with this girl. She seems different and it's not just because she's a princess! There's something odd about her…. She's attracting a lot of stares and I don't think it's just because she's pretty or our new Lady. Himura Kaoru is unique in more than one way, you can tell by looking at her eyes."

"You have way too much free time on your hands, Makimachi," said Megumi as she shook her head. It was just like Misao to go and pay attention to things that no one else bothers to notice.

"I'm telling the truth! So will you come with me at dawn or not? I'm sure they'll be awake by then, everyone else will be," repeated Misao.

"Oh alright, but only for a few moments, I don't think I can handle being next to the girl for a while until I get over a few things," said Megumi seriously.

Nodding in understanding, Misao stood up and smiled before vanishing from behind the tent flap.

Once Misao left, Megumi went back to work with new thoughts plaguing her mind.



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