Pardon the shortness! I just was updating my stories, and I got this totally cute idea in my head, so I decided to draft it in somehow... Gomen though!
Kenshin had been leaning against the walls when the fighting started, cooling watching the guard's actions, planning his escape. There was no way in the seven hells he wanted to become someone's husband! As a women's scream echoed across the corridors, Kenshin's instincts kicked in, and he jumped to his feet. He glanced down the small corridor, and finding no guards in sight, drew his sabeto. With a deafening clash, he pounded the lock, shattering it instantly. Without looking back, he began to run towards the screams, his crimson hair flying behind him. Though he was a farmer now, he had once been an assassin - and still remembered the techniques used. Whoever the hell they were after, he would protect - princess or no.
The ball had been running smoothly - the guests seemed happy, and Karou wasn't even getting sick of men stepping on her feet and proudly calling it "dancing". The dance had just ended, when they came. First, it had been a tall, man in a tacky overcoat thing, then a small, thin girl who stuck by the man. The man held a large blade in his hand confidently, while the girl held small "darts". One of the other ladies attending the ball began to scream, which set off the whole commotion - the pair rushed at Karou, who defended herself with a platter snatched from the table, and began to search wildly for something she could use - how she wished for her bokken! Cursing herself mentally for wearing such a Kami-cursed dress, she grappled behind her, grabbing the first thing that came - which happened to be a broom. She began to whack her assailants, trying to lure them away from everyone else when she was suddenly moving, almost to the point of flying away from them. She looked up, then saw the scarred face of a man, carrying a sword and carrying her. Getting fed up of being treated like a fragile piece of glass, she did the only thing she knew how to - she swung upwards, and hit him squarely in the jaw. He cursed, then landed up on the low roof of the stable, then uncereousmonily dropped her, nursing his hurt jaw. She angrily picked herself up, then turned to face her savior, or captor, if that's what he was after. As she stared, she found that he was quite handsome indeed, and muttered "Sorry about that… M'name is Karou, if you don't already know…" He looked up from his hurt jaw, then mumbled "Its okay… I've had worse, and my name is Kenshin…" The shouts of Karou's father rang through the courtyard, ones that chilled Karou to the bone. "I want those assisains captured! Get the one that abucted Karou! I think they are on the roof - but don't get her killed!"
He hesitantly stepped near her, when she leaned over and hissed "Leave! You'll be killed! Father won't listen to me - run!" Kenshin shook his head, and said "I have nothing to live for - I'd rather die honorably, than a coward" Soon, the guards saw them and began shouting, and Karou stumbled over to the edge, pretending to need Kenshin's help when she whispered to him "Tonight, listen for the birds!" and before she could say anymore, she was whisked off, leaving Kenshin in the midst of the guards. He was told that he would be killed with his so-called "friends" tomorrow morning. For the night, he would be locked up in an outside cell - where it was the coldest and darkest. He silently accepted it all, then was lead off, remembering what Miss Karou had said - but what did it mean?