Blu3jay: Yup like I said people, I update really really slow. Lol. Forgive me. High school is a plain in somewhere. I have at least 3 tests a week and loads of homework. All the people in high school right now, sympathies with me.
Disclaimer: Same as last time.
Chapter Two: Visiting Kenshin
The next week proved to be uneventful at the palace. Word got around that Saitou was robbed but not too many people seemed upset about it. Saitou himself has not yet left his manor. His servants said he was sulking in his bedroom, hearing him mutter about some plan of revenge under his breath.
…………………………………………………………
"Megumi. Do you ever get bored of this place?" Kaoru mindlessly asked her maid.
Megumi stopped her cleaning for the moment to ponder the question.
"Well…I must say the palace boys could be cuter but other than that, it's that so bad."
Kaoru giggled. "You know what I mean."
Her maid sighed. "Yes, I guess this place can get a bit stuffy feeling at times. But you're lucky compared to most of the other people who are living out on the streets."
"Megumi, what's it like out there? I mean I've only got to see glimpses of it but that's only when I ride by on a carriage. Still at those times, all activities just about stop. What's it really like?"
Megumi thought for a moment before answering. "Well, it's hard to explain really. You can think of it as an exhibit almost. There's the gossiping exhibit, where girls gather to talk about what might have happened that day, this new crush, the new ribbon they bought... There's also this shopping exhibit. If you go to the market, you can hundreds of people milling about the stalls, weighing this against that: what's cheaper? What'll last longer?. There's the children exhibit, where boys would be playing outside as girls stayed home to help there mother." After a moment of pause, Megumi continued in a saddened voice "Then there are exhibits where unfortunate children and adults beg around for money because they had no other ways of making money. There are exhibits where people live on the streets at night because there's nowhere else to go. There are exhibits where people must steal to get what's needed. Miss Kaoru, to tell you the truth, you are really protected from the real world."
"Out there…there's good and bad." Megumi tiptoed across the room and whispered into Kaoru's ears. "I think you should go take a look at this world by yourself." With a wink, she went back to cleaning, leaving Kaoru to ponder what she just heard.
…………………………………………………………
Kenshin stifled a yawn. Last night's work took a bit longer than expected and he didn't get enough sleep. Suddenly, a foot connected with his head.
"Ouch! What was that for?" He looked up from his work to the angry eyes of his boss.
"Himura! You're supposed to be working! Not daydreaming!"
"Sorry sorry!" he cried as he started scrubbing the floor of the inn with renewed diligence. After a few minutes, another foot connected with his head.
"What!" He said as he turned around. "Oh," was his response as he turned back to his work.
"Oh! That's the response I get? What kind of way is that to greet someone?" Megumi said haughtily as she glared back at his head.
"You kicked me in the head!" Kenshin resorted.
"Yeah whatever. Listen, I have a business proposition for you. You're trying to earn some loose cash am I right?"
Kenshin stared at her for a while and sighed.
"I don't know whether to trust you or not."
Megumi ignored him as she went on. "My employer is looking for a guide around the city. She pays big and won't be a bother.
Kenshin glanced untrustingly at Megumi. "Who is this employer?"
"Oh, just someone. So, will you do it or not?
Kenshin sighed. "Well…I do need a bit of pocket change…and I don't have anything interesting to do this week. So as long as you swear to whatever god you believe in that is person is not a convict, then I guess I could spare some time."
Megumi squealed happily and ran to hug Kenshin. "You the best!"
When Megumi pulled back, a pot clanked against Kenshin's head, successfully knocking him out.
"Himura, I'm not paying you to flirt!" Kenshin's boss barked from the other side of the inn.
…………………………………………………………
Kaoru impatiently tapped her feet. She was dressed in a simple rag with a hood over her head, coving her hair and a bit of her eyes. Megumi was late. They had agreed to meet at the back door in the kitchen after Kaoru's last class of the day. Lesson ended a bit early today so she was early. Megumi should be here in about five minutes. She was supposed to help Kaoru out of the castle to meet up with her guide around the city. Megumi couldn't do it herself because her absence will definitely be noticed if she was gone for too long.
Suddenly, someone tapped her at shoulders. Kaoru spun around to face Megumi, dressed in her servant's clothing. The older woman silently took Kaoru by the hand, and started to lead her down the hall Kaoru came from. Stopping in front of a painting lying closer to the ground than most, Megumi put both hands behind it, pulled on something, and the painting swung open to reveal a dimly lit corridor.
Megumi giggled. "Servant's passage."
She lead Kaoru down a twist of hallways, left, right, right, left, center and left again, before finally stopping in front of another door with light peeking through the cracks. She carefully opened the door, peeking out into the hall, before ushering Kaoru out of the tunnel. Kaoru looked around, surprised.
Three walls of the room were covered with large windows, explaining the light. A comfortable looking bed stood elegantly in the middle and a colorful wardrobe rested near a corner of the room. A desk was placed at on of the windows; a vase of purple tulips sat on top. The curtains fluttered in the wind gently, letting in a soft cooling breeze. It was all so simple yet so elegant.
"Who's room is this?" Kaoru ask.
Megumi smiled a bit before heading toward the door.
"Your mother's," she replied before signaling Kaoru to follow her out.
Once in the hall, the two took a right, and opened a door that lead into the midst of the castle garden. Taking Kaoru's hand again, Megumi plunged head long into the bushes of flowers, roses, and all kinds of perennials. Finally, they hit a wall. Megumi hoisted Kaoru up to the top, gave a wave, and disappeared back among the path they took there. Kaoru gave a small wave and jumped. Looking down, she had a split second to realize she was about to fall on top of someone.
"Look out!" she gave a small scream as her foot came in contact with the person's head, falling into a heap. For a few seconds, Kaoru just sat there, confused about her misfortune when the man tapped her politely on her shoulders.
"Oro? Um, miss? Could you please get off?"
Kaoru's face became red as a cherry as she scrambled off the poor guy's back, trying to find her footing as she did so. The man hurriedly got up and grabbed her by the elbow to prevent her from falling again.
"Um, thanks…" Kaoru said, looking embarrassedly at the ground. Taking a peek up, she saw that the guy looked as if he was frozen with horror. Kaoru looked behind her, expecting to see an assassin but saw that the street was empty. Confused, she pinched the guy's arm and waved a hand in front of his face. The man jerked a bit and gave an apologizing smile.
"Sorry miss. I'm Himura Kenshin, and I will be your guide for today." He said all this with such politeness and gave such a deep bow as if he didn't just get kicked in the face. Kaoru laughed. Smiling happily, she took his sleeve.
"Well let's go then!"
…………………………………………………………
Kenshin repeatedly cursed himself. Why, of why of all the people, must he have the worst luck! It's the same girl as last night, the same girl that made him lose his brain! God you are a bugger. (a.n. the last sentence was just a figure of speech so I didn't mean to provoke anyone when I said it. If I did do so, I'm sorry.)
"Wow!" Kaoru said, turning her head in every way possible. She told him her name after he introduced himself. Kenshin couldn't help but smile a little at the childish way she was acting.
"I take it you rarely go to the city market."
The girl blushed prettily. "Actually, I've never been to the market before."
Kenshin was stunned. "Never?"
Kaoru, if possible, blushed even harder. "Usually the servants go do the shopping. I never had reason to leave my father's property.
"Really now. Who's your father?"
Kaoru, instead, pointed to a stall near a restaurant that was selling souvenirs. "Kenshin let's go over there." She avoided my question, Kenshin thought to himself, but followed her toward the booth anyways. By the time he arrived, she was already holding up a jade pendant carved into a tulip, admiring it in the sun.
"It's so pretty!" she appreciatively. The owner of the stall smiled at her said, "I'm glad my items are being enjoyed."
Kenshin looked from Kaoru to the owner and then back to Kaoru. "How much is that?" He asked pulling out his pouch of coins.
"That would be 2 gold pieces."
Kenshin began taking out the coins. Kaoru looked startled at him. "You shouldn't! I should pay for it myself!"
Kenshin ignored her protest and gave the man the coins. The owner smiled, "nice doing business with you."
A few hours later, they were sitting in a by the river with an ice cone in both their hands. They've already visited the market, the plaza and they went for a walk at the edge of town. Kaoru's new necklace hung on her neck. Kenshin began to lick his cone furiously. It was melting too fast. So far so good. At least she doesn't know who he is yet…
…………………………………………………………
For the first time that day, Kaoru was given the chance to really study the face of his guide. He had the reddest hair she's ever seen on men but she liked it. His face was childish as his studied his menu as if it was one of the castle scrolls. His eyes were a strange violet yet they were really familiar for some reason, but she could swear she's never seen him before. Her thoughts immediately wondered back to the thief she saw last night. Kaoru could never seem to get him out of her head. He's eyes were like no other person she's seen before and for some reason, it was as if they were for a second… connected… not of this world… She looked back at Kenshin's eyes and then the eyes of the thief came back into her mind. This was how it went, back and forth and back and forth, ember and violet and ember and violet. Then suddenly, everything clicked. Of course! Kenshin is the thief! Their eyes may be different colors but they were the same! So this was why he suddenly zoomed out when he first got a clear look at her, it was because he recognized her! She must call the authorities at once. But, something held her back.
This man, though a thief, is a good person. Had he not volunteered his time to tour around a childish highborn? Had he not bought her a necklace that had no connections to what he was really paid to do? Maybe he had a reason for his actions. Maybe he was forced to steal once a month because of a higher power. If that's the case, I have to hear what he has to say first. Still, she couldn't just blurt out. "Yeah, hey Kenshin. Yup, I know you're a thief. So tell me, do you do it as a way of providing yourself or is it just a hobby?" That was turn out just great wouldn't it?
She cleared her throat. Kenshin looked up, his hand sticky from the rapidly melting cone.
"Kenshin, maybe I should be heading back now. I've been gone the whole morning."
"Wait, there's one more place I've got to show you."
Kaoru bit her lips anxiously. Kenshin saw and quickly added, "it's not far. Just a few minutes away from here actually."
Kaoru nodded, "I guess that's ok then."
Kenshin shyly took her hand and lead her northward, following the river. As they kept walking, Kaoru began to hear the sound of thunderous water. Before long, she found herself standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down at a roaring waterfall, surrounded by lush forests. The water lead further than the eye could see, flowing first harshly then softening as it continued its path. The sun hung high in the sky, shining down upon the water, making it sparkle like diamonds. Looking down from such height, Kaoru caught her breath.
"Wow Kenshin it's beautiful!"
Kenshin's cheeks tinted pink for a bit before he asked.
"Do you trust me?"
Kaoru nodded and gasped a bit as she felt Kenshin's hands snaked around her waist, gently lifting her up and over the edge of the cliff. Kaoru bit back a scream and looked down again. There was no ground, just water, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she was flying! The wind whipped her hair about, her cloak slipping off her body. Kenshin quickly brought her back to landing before it slipped, holding her closely to him, their bodies against each other, their face an inch apart, her feet still dangling off the ground.
Suddenly, he put her down like his hands were burned, swiftly replacing his hands to his side. Giving a shy smile, he said.
"Miss Kaoru, we should be heading back now."
…………………………………………………………
Kenshin brought her back to the place they met. Megumi was there, waiting for Kaoru to return. Kenshin himself felt awful. He wanted to spend the rest of his day with her. Heck, he wanted to spend the rest of the week with her. But of course, like most wishes, it can't come true. Kaoru readjusted her cloak, putting her hood back on. Megumi began heading back toward the palace, but not too fast so that Kaoru can easily catch up. Kaoru had extended her stay and was late to return.
She took Kenshin's hands.
"I had a wonderful time," Kaoru said.
Kenshin smiled, liking the feel of her hands entwined with his.
"Me too. I can take you out again. That is if you want me to."
Kaoru nodded eagerly.
"How about the same time next week? We can have a picnic instead!"
Kenshin was quite happy with how things were turning out, finding that he could only nod as a response.
"Kenshin, I got to go."
"Ok, well bye then."
Kaoru suddenly began to blush again. Quickly, she reached up and pecked Kenshin lightly on the cheek.
"Bye…" she whispered into his ear, and ran after Megumi.
Kenshin was on cloud nine. Things couldn't have turned out better. God loves him.
…………………………………………………………
Wasn't that just plain fluffy? I'm never written anything that fluffy before. But I just needed a chapter where Kenshin and Kaoru get s to know each other. Don't worry, in the next chapter, Kenshin will commit suicide and Kaoru will get pushed off her balcony (Joking people joking! Don't kill me yet!)