Author Notes:

As of the time I am writing this, I have received no more reviews. I am not surprised considering that I only posted the last chapter a few hours ago. So I have received no inspiration for these notes.

Did anyone see this coming? If they did, then I am not doing my job well enough.

There is at most 2 chapters left in me, more likely one... unless someone inspires me with some sort of review. I like reviews. So if you read this, review it. I would like to know what you think, and whether you are getting what you are supposed to get, and getting confused by what you are not supposed to get.

This chapter gets a little steamy, so I have upgraded it to M rating, just to be safe...

Kim sat in bed waiting as the sun rose. Yori had returned during the night and was now sleeping. Kim did not know what she would say. She hated Ron, she hated him as much as she could ever hate someone, yet she still felt angered by this betrayal. She would think about it, and when Yori awakened, she would hear her thoughts voiced.

"Kim-san?" Yori sat up noticing the eyes that stared at her with malice. "Is something wrong?"

After a few moments of silence she responded. "You were with Ron last night."

"Yes, Kim-san, we were discussing matters of state that could not be ignored."

"What matter of state required him to remove your clothes?"

"You do not understand!" Yori protested, "It was not what it appeared to be."

"I do not think so. His actions were unmistakeable." Kim replied, "I do not know what to do, but I think that if you enjoy his company so much that you must sneak out to see him during the night, then you should just stay in his tent for the whole night."

"As you wish Kim-san."

Kim rode alone that day. She stayed well back from the last of the men. Yori rode at the front of the lines with Ron, at Kim's request. She spent the day admiring the scenery and planning ways to get revenge on her 'friend' and husband.

She thought far ahead though she still needed them to help her get to Lord Fiske. She planned to kill all three on the same night. First Fiske for ordering her family's death, then Ron for following his order, and finally Yori for betraying her by spending the night with the man who had married her and claimed to love her.

If she had not seen it herself, she would not have believed it. Yori had been so trustworthy. She had kept secrets in confidence, not even revealing them to Ron. She thought back on the nights events. She had seen him fondling her and undressing her through the tent canvas. They had conspired to keep it a secret. Kim was sure… almost sure.

Her anger at Yori had subsided somewhat. She had after all taken every opportunity to avoid Ron since they had been married. Perhaps it was better that it was her friend who was fulfilling his needs instead of some village wench. Why should she care?

She no longer knew how to feel. She had to talk to Yori, but not now. Maybe tomorrow when she had slept on it.

They had set up camp at the edge of the jungle. Tomorrow, they would begin into the trees. It would be a tiring journey for Kim because she was not used to travelling through the jungle territories. She decided to go to bed early.

When she entered her tent, she noticed that Yori's bed was not there. Her bed was alone in the tent. She must have taken the order to sleep in Ron's tent seriously. Kim didn't really care anymore. She could have him. It is not as if Kim had ever planned to be with him. The sun was still up, but she went to sleep anyway.

There was someone playing with the flap of her tent. Yori was probably feeling guilty. She closed her eyes letting herself begin to drift back to sleep. She felt the comforting warmth of a body as it lay down next to her. A pair of arms wrapped around her body, pulling her closer to the warmth. It was like a dream, as a gentle kiss was placed on the back of her head.

It was not Yori, she realized. The touch of the hands, the strength of the arms around her, it was all so familiar, so Ron. She could not help but smile. Ron had chosen her over Yori. She did not move, but pretended to be asleep. Soon Ron's breathing became slow and regular. He was asleep.

Kim awoke as the sun was rising. She found herself with her own arms wrapped around Ron with her head on his bare chest. She sat up and pushed him away, wrapping the blanket around her self as she realized she was only wearing he under garments.

Ron was awakened by the disturbance. "Morning P-chan" He grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Kim asked as she searched for something to thow at him.

"It seems my tent was occupied at your order, so I assumed that meant that I was to stay here?" He put on the big smile of someone who was lying and knew no one believed him. Kim grabbed a cushion and whipped it at his face. "Okay enough…" He pleaded as she threw a shoe at him then reached for her sword. "Yori told be that you thought I was being unfaithful to you with her." Kim lowered the sword but didn't drop it. "I figure, y'now, if you didn't trust me to be faithful without you there… If I am holding you then you will notice if I try and leave."

"What makes you think I care who you are bedding?" Kim asked, wondering what she hated more, the thought of him sleeping with Yori, or the thought of him spending the nights with her.

"Well as I said my tent is occupied…"

"If you weren't sleeping with Yori, what were you doing with her last night?" Kim asked, hoping he would give her a reason to force him from her tent.

He grinned, "I have to get dressed, can't lead a war without clothes." Kim lay back down and closed her eyes. He wasn't going to answer her, and she knew it. Maybe if she was lucky, she could get another hour of sleep.

Kim allowed Yori to ride with her that day. It was more to help her navigate the dense trees than a desire for her company. The underbrush caught the feet of the horses, and the proximity of the trees made it difficult to navigate. Most of the Saru seemed perfectly at home here. Most of them had ridden in the jungle before when visiting their former master.

Soon Ron began having pike men travel ahead of the group, hacking at the underbrush as they passed to make passage easier for those who had never been to the jungle before.

"P-chan!" he called, falling back to her position. "Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" Scouts had informed them that Fiske's army had begun to move away from the capital towards the position of Load-domo's army. "Or are you looking forward to another night like the last too much to think that far ahead."

"I hope that last night was not your idea." Kim told Yori, pretending to ignore Ron's comments.

"Of course not." Yori replied, "I would have much preferred that he had honoured me with his presence. It is difficult to complete affairs of state on your own." Kim moved on ahead, passing Ron and making her way to the front near the pike men who were helping to clear the way. Yori and Ron remained behind, deep in conversation.

Eventually Ron returned to the front. He brought his horse up beside hers and travelled beside her whenever trees did not interfere.

"You will see tonight. I will discuss matters of state with you." She prepared to slap him, but a tree caused him to veer off.

"What matter of state could possibly concern me?" She replied.

"Ron-san will show you tonight, after he finishes his business with Yori." He grinned and fell back to Yori's position.

That night, they camped an hour away from Monty Fiske's fortress. Ron sent a messenger ahead to inform him that he would be receiving a visitor soon.

"It is easier to take a castle when the doors are open." He had told her when she questioned the wisdom of announcing their arrival. "He will be pleased to have more guards with his army away battling our distraction.

He had then taken Yori to his tent. Kim decided to sleep. The affairs of state did not interest her, at least not in a way that gave her a desire to see them. She noticed that Yori's bed was not there once again. Ron had promised that he would come to her again that night, even if she did not want to see him. It did not surprise her that Yori was still following her orders to stay in Ron's tent. She began to wish that Yori were still in her tent, it might stop Ron from trying anything. She decided to speak to Yori tomorrow.

Midnight arrived and Kim was awakened as two figures entered her tent. It was Ron and Yori. Perhaps if she pretended to be asleep they would ignore her.

"P-chan…" Ron whispered. She didn't move. "Wake up, Kim." He rolled her onto her back. She shifted uncomfortably but continued the sleeping act, though she knew they could tell she was awake.

Kim heard some whispering and giggling, but kept her eyes closed. She just wanted to sleep. She felt Ron brush the hair out of her face and listened to him try one more time. "P-chan, last chance to wake up." Her eyes stayed closed until she felt his kiss on her lips. After he had spent the first half of the night with Yori, he had the nerve to do this! She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. This only pushed her lips harder against his.

"She is like sleeping beauty." Yori giggled, "She must be awakened by a kiss from the prince."

Ron backed off and gave her his trademark grin. "If you were so hungry for the Ron-san, all you had to do was ask." She glared at him. "Oh yeah… Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday Kim-chan." Yori stepped forward and placed a bundle in her arms.

"Umm, thanks." Kim replied examining the bundle of black silk, she now carried. It was a brand new battle Kimono. Some parts were padded, others has steel plates sewn in. Embroidered on the front was the Possible family Kanji, and on the back, the symbol for the Saruwaruguntai. "You do not make these for women often, do you…"

"Nope, my first time." Ron replied, "I needed Yori to help me do it right."

"We thought you might wan't something special to wear when you kill Fiske-san" Yori told her.

"Since when is a birthday considered an affair of state?" She watched as Yori left. She didn't care.

"It has always been an affair of state, at least when it is for the lady of the land." Ron smiled and began to undress to his undergarments. "Especially when it is the most beautiful lady in the land." This time when he kissed her she did not pull away. "So, perhaps you would like to show me what you thought affairs of state were."

"You didn't impress me that much Ron-kun." But, he was getting there.