RK: Cinderella Story

by: nyllemnev

Disclaimer's Apply: They are not mine. I'm just a poor college student. Please don't sue me.

Chapter 15: Actions

A soft knock from her door made Princess Sayo looked up from the book that she's reading. "Come in…" she said in a soft voice, closing her book on her table. A few seconds later, her door opened and her maid entered her room.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, your highness…" the maid bowed at her. "But you have a letter."

"A letter?" Sayo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes…" the maid nodded as she slowly took steps towards the young princess. "It came from King Okina of Tokyo." she said, handing the letter to the princess.

"King Okina?" Sayo said, while the maid only nodded before walking out of the room. "I wonder…" she whispered to herself as she opened the letter.

xxx

"Okaasan… Okaasan…" Little Kaoru happily ran to her mother who was quietly sitting on the porch, watching the blue sky. "Look at this…" she excitedly bounced up and down in front of him, clutching some flowers she had picked up from the garden earlier.

"Nani? For me?" Kaoru's mother blinked innocently at her daughter before taking the flowers from her daughter.

"Hai… Otousan told Kaoru that today is Mother's day and Kaoru should give Okaasan some flowers." Kaoru said happily, hugging her mother. "Happy Mother's Day!"

"Your otousan told you that, eh?" Mrs. Kamiya said, a smiled forming in her lovely face. "I thought you've forgotten."

"How could I?" Mr. Kamiya, who has been standing behind them smiled. "And how did you know that I was here?"

"I know you enough." Mrs. Kamiya smiled, not looking at her husband who had started walking towards them.

"Oh really…" Mr. Kamiya stood beside the two, smiling widely.

"Otousan! Okaasan liked your flowers!" Kaoru said happily, jumping out of her mother's lap.

"That's great… and hime-chan helped picked the flowers up too…" Mr. Kamiya knelt beside her daughter who nodded vigorously to her mother.

"Of course… Kaoru good girl!" the little girl said proudly.

"Oh really, little princess…" Mr. Kamiya said as she started tickling his daughter who started laughing uncontrollably.

"Mou! Otou…… laughter ……san…… laughter ……stop…"

"I'm the winner again?" Mr. Kamiya said as he gave his daughter a time to breathe.

"Mou… Otousan cheat! No fair…" Kaoru pouted.

"Yeah… no fair…" Mrs. Kamiya said, opening her arms to her daughter who quickly ran to her.

"Uh-uh… otousan made hime-chan upset again… tsktsktsk…" Mr. Kamiya said, shaking his head, looking disappointed about something. "I wonder if a scoop of her favorite chocolate ice cream could make my little princess smile again…" he added, again, shaking his head.

"Honto ni?" Kaoru's head turned to her father, huge ocean blue eyes shining brightly.

"It that could make my little princess smile." Mr. Kamiya smiled when Kaoru started nodding her head happily.

"Kaoru loves it!"

"Honto ni?"

"Hai!" Kaoru nodded happily. "Otousan forgiven…" she added, in a childish manner.

"Would her lovely mother love some too?" Mr. Kamiya said, catching Mrs. Kamiya's eyes before smiling.

"Sure." Mrs. Kamiya replied softly as she stood up with her daughter in her arms and together they walked inside their house…

xxx

Kaoru slowly opened her drowsy eyes, taking time to adjust to the bright sunlight that had started to peek through the gaps of her curtains. 'I had a really wonderful dream…' she smiled, lifting a hand to wipe something wet on her cheeks. 'Oh… I must have cried myself to sleep…' she sighed, pushing her blankets off herself as she sat up.

'Ohayou… Otousan, Okaasan…' she thought as he eyes fell on her parents' picture on her table. 'How are you doing there?' she added in her thoughts as she slowly and carefully picked the picture frame up.

'I'm doing quite fine here, don't you worry…' she managed a weak smile, her fingers tracing her parents' faces. '…well, actually… I don't know…' she sighed, trying very hard to stop the tears that had started to form in her eyes.

'I wish I know what I'm feeling…' she sighed, finally letting her tears to fall from her eyes.

xxx

Yahiko sighed as he swept the dried leaves off the backyard. "I wonder why Kaoru's still not up doing all of this?" he complained more to himself, yet a sound of growing concern is obvious in his voice. "She's usually up by this time of the day."

"You there…"

Yahiko looked up to see Megumi walking up to him. "Yes, Megumi-san."

"I want you to drop this letter on the mailbox." Megumi said as she hastily handed Yahiko an envelope. "Okay… do it now!" she added before turning to walk away.

"Er… Megumi-san…?" Yahiko called his employer who raised an eyebrow at him. "Er… Kaoru? I was just wondering…"

"She's in her room." Megumi said flatly.

"Eh?" Yahiko frowned. "Why? Is she sick or something?"

"None of your business why that pathetic girl is in her room." Megumi said coldly before turning away, leaving Yahiko slightly worried.

"I wonder what's up with her." he said more to himself as he watched Megumi reenter the house.

xxx

"Yukishiro… Yukishiro…" King Okina gestured the young man to sit down. "I am glad about this plan of yours. I'm really excited… I can oversee a bright future for our empire now."

"My pleasure, your highness." Enishi bowed. "Princess Sayo, surely is a very humble and nice young woman. I always knew that the Prince will like her."

"I'm very excited to meet her." Queen Yumi smiled. "I want to see her."

"Certainly, your majesty." Enishi nodded. "I have arranged everything."

"You've really been of big help." King Okina said.

"Everything for the sake of this country." Enishi bowed again. "Anything…" he added, the smirk on his face oblivious to the king.

xxx

'I wonder what's up with her really.' Yahiko sighed as he dropped the letter on a mailbox. 'I hope she's not sick or something…' he added on his thoughts as he started to walk back of the house.

"Yahiko-kun?"

Yahiko turned to see who just called his name. He smiled a little to find a very good friend of his, Sanjou Tsubame, standing not far from him. "Oi… Tsubame… what's up? What are you doing here?"

"Fine." Tsubame smiled, shyly at him, showing him a book. "I just went out to buy a new book… 'Bout you? And how's Kao-chan?"

"Well… I'm just fine and as for the busu…" Yahiko sighed. "Well, I don't know…"

"Eh?" Tsubame gave him a confused look.

"I mean… I didn't even see her the whole morning. That witch told me that she's in her room, though…"

"Is she sick?"

"The old hag never told me… I just wish she's alright." Yahiko shrugged, but his voice showing a hint of anxiousness. He continued to walk back with Tsubame by his side.

"Oh… I see…" Tsubame sighed. "I just wish they could be nicer towards her… I mean, their very mean to her… Kao-chan deserved better than that."

"You're right… The fool, if she'll only fight back."

Tsubame giggled a little which made Yahiko frown at him. "Nothing… don't give me that look…" she smiled again. "It's just that… it seems to me that you really care for her… I mean, a lot…"

Yahiko turned away. Tsubame could've sworn that she had seen a hint of a blush on the young man's face. "Stop saying nonsense."

"I'm not saying nonsense." Tsubame said, looking straight ahead. "We've been good friends, eh? You, me and Kao-chan… I care for her and I know you care for her too…" she sighed, finding the ground interesting. "…to what extent, I could only guess…" she added vaguely.

Yahiko could only turn his head sideways to stare at her, trying to read the emotions playing on her pretty face. "Yeah… right…" he sighed, looking away, casually placing his hands on his pockets. "You are always the smart one…"

"Yeah… and you are always the stupid one…" she added, whether she is joking or she is serious, it was hard to tell.

"Hey!" Yahiko frowned at her. "What was that for?"

Tsubame heaved a deep breath before shaking her head. "Nah… just kidding…" she added in a soft voice. "Well, nice seeing you around…" she looked up at him, giving him a small smile. "…tell Kao-chan 'hi' from me, ne?"

"Sure…" Yahiko smiled back as he watched Tsubame turn to a block. "See you around, Tsubame."

xxx

Kenshin sighed as he sat on a bench, staring at everyone passing. 'Where is she… I hope her stepmother is not giving her a hard time…' he sighed.

"Easy, buddy." Sano, who was sitting beside him, eating an apple, said. "You'll find her."

"I hope…" Kenshin forced a smile as he continued to watch the people passing by him. "I just hope…" he sighed again.

"Want some?" Sano offered an apple to Kenshin, who shook his head. "Fine… then I'll eat it."

"You sure has an appetite." Kenshin joked before turning away. Then, a smile suddenly formed on his face.

"Eh?" Sano stopped in mid-bite as Kenshin suddenly stood up from his seat and walked towards someone.

"Yahiko? You're Yahiko right? Kaoru…-dono's friend, eh?" Kenshin called. A young man stopped walking to turn to look at him.

"Kenshin? You're that… eh?" the boy called Yahiko suddenly smiled. "Yeah! I am Yahiko."

"Hai…" Kenshin nodded. Sano was starting to walk towards them. "Er…" he added, looking around. "…Kaoru-dono?"

"Oh… you're looking for Kaoru?" Yahiko exclaimed.

"Oi… who's that kid?" Sano interjected, taking a bite of apple.

"KID? Who ARE you calling a KID, ROOSTERHEAD?" Yahiko glared at Sano who choked.

"What did you just called me?" Sano glared back at Yahiko, after regaining his composure. "Huh? Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yeah… I'm talking to a big dumb rooster head!" Yahiko snorted while Sano grabbed him by the collar.

"NANI?"

"Maa, maa…" Kenshin said. "Stop it, Sano…" he continued but Sano completely ignored him. "I said STOP IT, Sano!" he said in a voice full of authority. Sano let Yahiko go abruptly.

"Sorry… the kid's got a bad mouth."

"NANI?"

"Er… I apologize for his behavior." Kenshin said. "Sano can sometimes be… er… like that… but he's a nice man."

"What's that for?" Sano frowned.

"Anyway… This is Sagara Sanosuke, my friend… Sano, this is Myoujin Yahiko, Kaoru-dono's friend."

"Eh? Sagara? Then you're related?" Yahiko narrowed his eyes at Kenshin and Sano. "I don't see any resemblances between the two of you." he added.

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked innocently, trying to understand what Yahiko had meant with that. Then as if somebody have hit him hard on his head, he felt his face paled. "Er… Sano was my… er… cousin… hehe… yeah, cousin!"

Sano frowned at Kenshin, no idea of what the whole exchange had meant. Kenshin stomped on the taller man's foot when Yahiko wasn't looking. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"I'll tell you later." Kenshin whispered to Sano before turning back to Yahiko. "Er… Yahiko-kun…"

"Kaoru's at home." Yahiko said. "Actually, I haven't seen her all morning. That old witch just told me this morning that she's in her room… but I don't know why…" he added worriedly.

"Huh? Why? Is she sick or something?" Kenshin asked worriedly.

"I don't know." Yahiko sighed again. "As I told you… I haven't seen her all morning…" seeing the look on Kenshin's face, he quickly added. "…but don't worry. I'll check on her later."

"Thank You…" Kenshin smiled gratefully at Yahiko.

"So… I guess… I'll see you later…" Yahiko smirked. "Or else those witches will skin me alive, eh?" he shrugged before starting to walk away.

xxx

Enishi sat on his office, pushing the documents on his table aside as he started to rub his temple. 'Argh… A long… exhausting day… I can't believe the amount of work they are giving me…' he thought as he eyed the papers on his table with disgust. He started to browse on the papers lazily. 'This is so… nonsense…' he frowned as he hastily threw some papers away.

"Huh? What's this?" he frowned as he picked up a small white envelope. "What do they want this time?" he said in annoyance as he found that the letter was from Takani Megumi. "The prince again? I can' believe the nerve of those people! If this is the usual nonsense…" he added as he opened the letter and started to read.

"Or… maybe… not…" he smirked as he had finished reading the letter, carefully folding the letter. "…maybe not…"

TBC…

A/N: Hey! Guess what? I'm back! Another chapter done! Hehe! (dodges everyone who started throwing tomatoes at me)… Okay fine! Sorry! Sorry for the late update! (dodges another row of tomato-throwing)… I just hope you enjoyed this chapter… Thank you for everyone who kept waiting (I mean… patiently waiting)… for this chapter… Till next chapter!

A/N2: Hey! It's my birthday! Greet me! Greet me! Hehehehe! Just kidding! This chapter is my gift for you! I hope you like it! Leave your review, ne?