Author's Note: My utmost apologies for not updating in so long! I'm so sorry, but my computer broke down because of a stupid virus and I had to get it reformatted. It took longer than I thought to get the needed items to fix my computer and it took even longer for me to fix it. My apologies once again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way. I am merely using its characters for a few chapters.

A Dragon's Love

By BattousaisGrrl

Chapter Five

Eyes fluttering open, Kaoru groaned as a ray of sunlight hit her unprepared eyes.

Instinctively covering her sensitive sapphires, the Ryuujin's sacrifice slowly sat up, moaning at how stiff her limbs felt.

"You shouldn't be up you know, His Royal Majesty won't be pleased if he found out you got up on your own," spat out an irritated voice to her right, the sarcasm that coated the girl's words making the Safaia villager cringe.

Looking towards the owner of the annoyed voice, Kaoru couldn't help but cock her head to the side upon seeing a girl no older than herself seated on a red velvet chair with her arms across her chest, the girl's face clearly stating that she had not sat there willingly.

Kaoru frowned. Had this girl, who was no doubt a human from her aura, been forced to be her servant by the Ryuujin? The very thought made Kaoru queasy. To be the cause of someone else's misery did not suit her well at all.

"Lord Battousai sent you to look after me, didn't he?" whispered Kaoru, her head downcast as she clenched her fists around the golden sheets in her lap, vaguely aware that she was still clothed in her white and yellow yukata.

She raised her head and stared at the servant when she heard the shorter girl snort in disgust.

"Trust me, I'd be more enthusiastic about my new job if it was you who I had to look after for," reassured the servant. Her face twisted into exasperation as she continued, "I can handle working for a human, or at least someone who at least resembles a human, but doing the will of a stupid arrogant dragon, who can't even talk, is just too much!"

Kaoru openly stared.

"You mean you're Kuwairo's servant?" asked Kaoru incredulously.

"Lord Kuwairo," corrected the subsidiary distastefully.

Kaoru sighed. She should have guessed. Kuwairo was much too proud to be called anything else lower than the Ryuujin, whom he practically raised, or rather protected.

"What's your name?" asked Kaoru. If she was going to be with the girl for the time being, then she might as well find out what her name was.

"Misao, Makimachi Misao of the Emerarudo Village," introduced the braided-haired girl proudly. Her face immediately brightened at the mention of her home, making her look dazzling in her lime kimono.

"I'm Kaoru, Kamiya Kaoru of the Safaia Village," greeted Kaoru with a smile as she got off of the large circular bed she had previous slept on.

Misao's eyes widened for a split second at Kaoru's introduction, immediately going to Kaoru's side and helping her to stand up straight when Kaoru faltered.

"I'm sorry," apologized Kaoru blushing, "I guess I'm still recovering from the ascent to the Barrier."

"The Ryuujin had warned me about your condition," stated Misao, stepping away from Kaoru once she was certain that Kaoru had her legging again. "We're already at the Barrier; I believe you've been asleep for a couple of hours now."

Kaoru looked out of the arched window a few steps away from the bed, her brows creasing together at the sight of the sun peering over the high clouds beyond the Ryuuguu's walls.

Misao quickly took it upon herself to explain in a matter-of-fact tone, "The Ryuuguu has been traveling around the earth the moment it reached the Barrier, which is a layer of breathable air fit for humans to live up here among the clouds." The servant looked thoughtful for a second before smiling. "I just learned earlier today why no human has ever caught more than a glimpse of the Ryuuguu. The Ryuuguu is constantly moving around the earth within the Barrier and the only time it ever stops and descends is to pick up its promised servants and...chosen virgins."

"Ah," was all Kaoru could say, painfully reminded of the reason why she was on the Ryuuguu in the first place.

Taking in the large room, which was more than five times the size of her own home, Kaoru asked almost automatically when she noticed something, or rather someone, missing, "Where is the Ryuujin?"

"Lord Battousai?" questioned Misao, blinking before raising a brow when Kaoru turned to her and nodded. "The Ryuujin and Lord Kuwairo went to check the perimeter of the palace. I was informed that they were flying around the Ryuuguu just a few minutes before you woke up." Misao's eyes widened in panic as she remembered something else as well. "The rooster-head also told me to make sure you were well prepared before they came back. So come on, we've got a lot of work to do and they could come back any second now!"

Kaoru stared at Misao confused when the small girl grabbed her right arm and tried to drag her towards the ebony-wooden door that was right in front of them. One moment the girl was revolting against her duties and now she was doing her best to comply to them. Kaoru was beyond baffled at Misao's behavior.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Kaoru, causing Misao to stop in her attempt to get Kaoru ready.

"Doing what?" asked Misao confused.

"Doing as you are told. You don't seem like one to bend easily to others' commands," said Kaoru knowingly.

Misao frowned. "I don't like working for others as much as anyone else, but I have to."

Kaoru stared at Misao expectantly, her eyes communicating that she was not going to cooperate until she got her answers.

"If I don't get you in there, washed and presentable before they get back, I'm going to get in big trouble. Please, Kaoru," begged Misao as she once again tried to get Kaoru to move.

"Misao," said Kaoru firmly, "what are you hiding?"

Head bent, Misao whispered, "If I disobey them again, I'll get in trouble. Please, Kaoru, please don't make this any harder on me."

Biting her lower lip, Kaoru nodded, yielding reluctantly to Misao's pleas.

Suddenly beaming, Misao dragged Kaoru towards the ebony door with an extra bounce in her step. "I'm going to make you look so stunning their jaws will drop!"

Kaoru nearly groaned. What had she just gotten herself into?

oOxOo

Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, Kaoru sighed as she kept her hands in her lap, waiting none too patiently for the Ryuujin and Kuwairo in the overly large dining room.

After nearly drowning in a large pool of water that was supposed to be her new bathtub, Kaoru had been washed, dried, and clothed as if she had been pampered her entire life, Misao refusing to let her do anything but remain still and look pretty. Snuggled tightly into a gold and crimson kimono, Kaoru had her hair forced into a bun by an over enthusiastic Misao, who kept adding amber dragon ornaments into her dark locks to keep her black waterfall from cascading down her back. Then, to add to the finishing touches, Misao had ordered Kaoru to put on a set of ruby embedded jewelry, which included dangling earrings, a lovely bracelet, and a diamond necklace with a golden dragon wrapped around a teardrop ruby-pendant attached to it. But no matter how much Misao had demanded and begged, Kaoru had refused to wear any rouge, leaving Kuwairo's servant fuming and frustrated as she led her to the dining hall.

Apart from feeling terribly awkward when servants and dragons alike bowed to her as she passed them, Kaoru's earlier tour of the Ryuujin's palace had been uneventful.

Now, as she sat to the left of the large chair at the end of the table, which obviously belonged to the Ryuujin, Kamiya Kaoru of the Safaia Village felt terribly uncomfortable. The very thought of meeting the Ryuujin again had her more than self-conscious about the way she looked. Had she overstepped her boundaries by wearing his colors? Should she have agreed to Misao and worn rouge? Had it been a good idea to choose a lavender scented bath over rose or strawberry?

Worrying her lower lip, Kaoru snapped her head up almost painfully at Misao's light touch to her shoulder.

Forcing herself not to message her neck, Kaoru stood and bowed when she noticed the dragon in gold, not daring to meet eyes she knew would be filled with the same fire that was flowing through her veins.

"Lord Battousai," greeted Kaoru, straightening with an apologetic smile when she heard an envious growl. "Lord Kuwairo," added Kaoru and Misao at once when the last of the Koganeiro Dragons came into view from behind the Ryuujin.

Covering her mouth with her left hand to stop herself from giggling at Kuwairo's arrogant posture of supremacy, Kaoru met the Ryuujin's gaze.

Looking away from his knowing eyes that seemed to be able to read her very soul, Kaoru shifted nervously under his inspection. His eyes left an invisible trail of heat as he examined her from top to bottom, taking all of her in almost possessively.

Kaoru shivered despite herself as she caught the twinkle in his hypnotic gaze.

A low growl from Kuwairo stopped the Ryuujin's analysis of his new proclaimed virgin, causing Kaoru to giggle as the Ryuujin rolled his eyes further Heavenward.

Tail swaying rhythmically behind him, Kuwairo walked over to Kaoru and rubbed himself against her, purring as Kaoru caressed his honey colored skin when he came to a stop at her right.

"I missed you too," said Kaoru as she petted Kuwairo's head lovingly, ignoring Misao's scowl of distaste.

"Hungry?" questioned the Ryuujin as he motioned for Kaoru to sit down while walking to his own seat.

Blushing at her stomach's growl in response, Kaoru nodded her head once she had sat down.

Giving her a smile, Kenshin looked towards his pet, who had made its way to his right.

Roaring a command, Kuwairo raised his head triumphantly and gave a fang-smile when his call was answered by several servants entering the room with silver plates in their hands.

Misao quickly raced to Kuwairo's side once the Ryuujin had given his pet an approving pat on the head.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Kenshin, returning his attention to his guest as they were being served, his eyes observing Kaoru's every movement.

"Yes, I did, thank you," reassured Kaoru. "How was the patrol of your palace and the Ryuuguu?" She wasn't exactly sure how she was to act around the powerful dragon, especially with the way his golden depths kept giving her very unladylike ideas and images.

Going scarlet, Kaoru shook her head, trying desperately to focus on the contents of her plate instead of the sweet taste of the Ryuujin's mouth on hers and undeniable longing in his eyes that mirrored her own agonizing want.

Stopping herself from barely groaning, Kaoru forced herself to focus her attention on Kenshin's response to her earlier question.

"-raining soon. We'll be trapped in a lightning storm whether we like it not. The Ryuuguu is not capable to moving fast enough to avoid the large storm," said Kenshin, continuing despite the fact that he knew his guest had been only half listening. His patience only went so far, but he decided against embarrassing her after noticing how often she kept shyly eyeing his lips as he spoke.

Smirking when Kaoru still didn't look away from him, Kenshin asked, "Still tired?"

"W-what?" asked Kaoru startled as she looked into the Ryuujin's eyes, blushing when she realized she had missed what it was he had asked her.

"I asked if you were still tired," repeated Kenshin, taking pleasure in the way she squirmed under his gaze.

"No! I mean...I-I'm just a bit dazed...I guess... I'm fine," answered Kaoru hesitantly, looking anywhere but at the Ryuujin.

Kenshin raised a brow at her reply, but said nothing. She would come out and tell him when she was ready. The Ryuujin smirked at the thought and the memories of the Treasure Room that came to mind. She would no doubt come to him when she was ready and he wouldn't be the Hitokiri Battousai if he didn't help her...prepare.

Smiling at her, Kenshin asked, "Shall we eat?"

Nodding, Kaoru returned the smile and began her meal, missing the glowing intent in her host's eyes.