I don't own any Rk Characters.. Any and all others are mine, unless otherwise stated.

Aoshi strode down the hall, a slight limp present; he'd just gotten done taking Misao to her room so the doctor could look at her. His injury had been wrapped before the doctor would even consider looking closely at her, insisting she wouldn't die from a few cuts. Aoshi knew what needed to be done, he didn't want to even think of how she would react, but it was the only way. He would need to talk to the king and queen to see if they would agree or disagree with his thoughts. If they did he needed to think of something else in order for Misao to be safe.

Aoshi had been there barley two days and she'd already been attacked once. He'd been careless to let the woman, into the bath, without checking her basket. He'd seen scented oils and didn't even think about what may lay under them.

His thoughts went back to the bath.

Aoshi had been standing outside the door when the woman approached. A smile on her face as she lifted the basket slightly showing that was all she carried. Aoshi nodded at her, then opened the door, and turned back to looking down the hall as he heard the door click shut.

He hadn't felt right since the first night, after the queen had given him a potion to help him sleep. The king had insisted that he take the potion, they needed him rested for what was coming up. Aoshi reluctantly agreed and took the potion and it did help him sleep, but left him feeling rather tired the next morning.

Aoshi found he still felt slightly tired, not sure if it was in fact the effects of the potion or just his body reacting to the little sleep he'd received lately. He closed his eyes as a wave of dizzy-ness passed through him. It passed instantly as he heard a cry from the bath. Swiftly he unsheathed one of his kodachi and yanked the door open rushing inside.

Aoshi heard the sound of metal hitting the stonewall of the bath. Misao rising from under the water, a scream leaving her lips caught Aoshi's attention. He moved forward watching Misao and her assailant. He rushed into the water, watching as Misao almost went under, the next instant she was staggering onto her feet, a wince on her face.

Aoshi waded as quickly as he could through the water, the blue cloak causing him to move slower, from the amount of water it retained. Aoshi dived forward, twisting to face the girl assailant. Misao didn't have enough time, from standing, to block the blade aimed for her side. Aoshi's eyes widened in pain as the knife dug into his leg.

A snarl left the girl as the knife dug further into his skin. Aoshi took a step back the blade causing more pain to flicker through his body. He felt a slight tug on his cape, as Misao grabbed the material. He glanced back at her, gasping slightly as the blade in his leg was yanked from his leg.

The woman brought the blade up and then down, trying to slice Aoshi in the chest, only to be blocked with Aoshi's koadachi. Aoshi shifted the blade in his hand pushing the girl's blade away from him. The stunned face she had give Aoshi the moment he needed to disarm her. He flipped his hand slightly and used the bottom of the handle and knocked the blade from her hand.

Instantly the girl moved forward, her eyes widening in horror as she rushed into Aoshi's kodachi. Her cold eyes looked at him, a smile on her face and then her features went limp as she closed her eyes.

Aoshi heard Misao's scream and turned as her weight fell heavily on him. Misao's hands still fisted his cape made it difficult to move, without being slightly chocked. Aoshi yanked the cape from her grasp and pulled her out of the water.

He rushed to the side of the bath and placed her on the floor. Aoshi lifted himself from the water, his injured left leg buckling from the injury. Aoshi took a heavy breath and then kneeled, putting most of his weight on his right leg.

Aoshi looked at Misao's unconscious body and saw a shiver pass through her. He unclasped his cape and threw it over her naked body. Aoshi took yet another breath and then stood. He bent down to lift Misao up, feeling pain shoot through his entire body at the added weight on his leg.

He walked down the long hallway back toward Misao's room passing only one servant. Another clatter met his ears, for the day, as he looked to her. It was the servant bringing them lunch. "Go get the doctor and tell him to go to princess Misao's room. Then get the king and queen." Aoshi voiced at the look of horror on her face. "Go!" Aoshi commanded and instantly she shot off toward the opposite direction of Misao's room.

Aoshi placed Misao on her bed and waited for the doctor to arrive. He'd been slightly surprised when Megumi burst into the room. Instantly she started flinging questions at him, which he answered when she calmed down.

"I can't believe this, she's been injured yet again. Even a bodyguard can't help." Megumi mumbled after she heard what happened. She shot a glare at Aoshi, who only blinked at her words.

"I didn't think a male bodyguard would be allowed to be in the bathing room while a princess bathes." Aoshi replied dryly. The people in the palace seemed to love pointing anything that happened on someone else besides themselves.

"Well of course not, but why didn't you check the things she was carrying?" Megumi turned to face him.

"..." Aoshi stayed silent, he couldn't blame his lack of thought on a potion. That would only prove he reacted the same way as they did. Megumi nodded her head and then turned back to her sister once more. "I'd advise you put your family feelings out of the picture and remove the cloak from her, part of it is wet.

Megumi gasped and instantly went to work removing it, telling Aoshi to turn around. As soon as she'd looked over Misao's wound she turned back to Aoshi. "Your wound is far worse than hers, I need to dress and clean it first.

Thus Aoshi had his leg bandaged and cleaned and then was rushed from the room. He glanced back at Misao and then saw the colored wooden door as it was shut.

"You take pain very well already walking on your injured leg. How do you do it Aoshi?"

"Do what? Anyone can ignore the pain and keep walking." Aoshi stated flatly as a spy he'd learned to do that quite often not making a sound.

"Your face doesn't change either?" Aoshi glanced over at her, his eyes glancing around the hall as it fanned out, showing they were getting close to the doors.

"I've learned to hide my emotions no matter what, if you will excuse me your husband has sent for me." Aoshi tried to walk past her only to have her move with him.

"Do tell him to come see Misao soon." Telia's eyes were narrowed slits, as her voice seemed to make the air seem colder. Aoshi nodded and then watched as she stepped to the left and let him pass. He could hear the clack of her heels as she walked down the hallway in a hurry.

Aoshi stayed where he was as a thought entered his head, instantly he banished the thought and continued toward the king's room.


Aoshi scanned the grounds, he'd barley gotten any sleep and the potion the queen had given him seemed to still be affecting his movements slightly. His movements seemed too slow to do much of anything today. He felt his muscles protest as he tried to go through his kata.

"Shouldn't you be guarding Misao?" Aoshi whipped his head around as he heard a male voice.

"And you Megumi." Aoshi stated coldly as he sheathed his kodachi's. He hadn't felt his presence.

"She's with Misao wants to be there when she wakes up. A guard is posted outside the door." Sano shrugged and sat down on the cool grass.

"You haven't slept?" Aoshi questioned as he leaned against the castle wall.

"Nope the fox lady has me running errands for her and all. I'll get some sleep later." A smirk appeared on his face.

Aoshi glanced at him and then pushed away from the wall. "Let Megumi know that I will tend to my wound." Aoshi voiced not knowing how to really end the conversation. Conversing with boys such as him did not interest him.

"Huh Oh yeah I'll let her know later Shinomori."

Aoshi slowly walked around the grounds, the suns light coming over the hills. Aoshi turned and watched it rise for a time. He'd had a rather long talk with the king and found he'd be away for a while and Aoshi needed to bring his thoughts up with the queen.

Okay well my stupid brain tells me this is a good ending for the chapter...but I am going to try and type another chapter and Ill post that a few days after this so I can make up for the long gap. I'm so tired darn it being Sunday. I guess doing origami for three hours wasn't too smart either it was fun though. It feels weird actually having Sunday off from both my jobs...hopefully I can get some chapters posted for fics and make all my readers happy hmm. Anyway any comments and questions leave in a review and I'll answer them. I could really use some questions to get my thoughts flowing so I can start explaining some things anyway bye.