It was the night of the ball, and Megumi and Karou weren't having fun. Or, just Megumi seemed to be enjoying it.
"Ow! Stop poking me with those confounded pins!" yelped Karou at her snickering servent. "I wasn't trying to poke you.." admitted Megumi, eyeing up Karou. The dress was perfect, and Miss Karou looked radiant in it, even if she hated it. A small swishing sound assured Megumi that her "escape" was ready, and hidden in her pocket for later use. With wistful eyes she glanced out the window, where freedom was. 'Freedom' thought Megumi as she remembered what life was like before she came to the castle.
Her thoughts where interrupted when Karou grumbled, "I sure would like to get out of this dreary castle - and away from Father…" Megumi motioned for Karou to come to her, which Karou did automatically, but was shocked when Megumi whispered "Tonight Karou - I'm leaving all this behind me… I'm running away" Her eyes widened, and she stifled a gasp as she looked at Megumi's pale face, and downcast eyes. "YOUR SERIOUS?" shrieked Karou loudly, but in a quieter voice she pleaded "Please - take me with you! I won't be any trouble, and I know the castle better than you! Please…" Karou looked at her with sorrowful eyes, and Megumi nodded slowly, then the two began to whisper plans of how to escape from this, with Megumi thinking 'I'll just take that thing later tonight, and leave her - I can't take her with me, no matter what…'
A few hours later, (and many more pinpricks and plans) it was time - Megumi stood at the edge of the ball room, watching Karou step shyly onto into the room, her head down and her eyes downcast. When all eyes were upon her, Megumi silently slid out of view, headed for the only place she knew she could be alone - the sakura gardens. She hurriedly crossed the grounds, neither glancing to the left nor the right, otherwise she would have known that a pair of brown eyes were upon her, watching her every move as she scurried passed him. With an easeful grace, he rose and swiftly followed her, his eyes curious and wondering.
Megumi strode through the doors to the garden, trying to not feel regretful as she passed the flowering trees. 'Such beauty - too bad that I won't be able to see Miss Karou find a husband…' though Megumi sadly, and with a hesitate hand she reached for the tiny vial that held her escape - a poison of sorts, that she had created long, long ago for when the time came. She quickly uncapped it, and lifted it to her lips… When a pair of strong arms came around her and violently knocked the vial away, and a deep voice said "Do you really want to escape that badly? Then come with me - I'll protect you, Miss Megumi" and she found herself staring upwards into the same brown eyes she had encountered before - Sanosuke's. The two stood there, silently staring into each other's eyes as if waiting for the world to come crashing down upon them.
Seconds passed, and soon sounds of fighting and screams pierced the halls of the castle, and without a word Megumi broke from the embrace and strode over to a nearby saukra tree and plunged her hand inside it. To Sanosuke's surprise, her hand came out with a small, but relatively sharp dagger, and with a determined look in her eyes she began to jog to where the screams had started, with Sanosuke following behind her. Confusion spread, but Megumi remained calm, panicking slightly as she dashed to where she knew the fighting had begun - the ballroom. Assassins must have gotten wind of the ball, and were set out to kill the king and his heir, ball or no ball. Now it all came down to if she could save her or not…