Hey it's a new chapter! Thank you all for you reviews! I love them all so much!

This chapter is in Kenshin's POV, so it's a bit different from the previous one. It's also a tad bit shorter...

Please enjoy the next installment of Runaway Stars!

Chapter 2:

Morning can either be a time of grasping opportunity or grasping your sheets and pulling them over your head again. The latter was Kenshin's choice. He really didn't want to get up that morning. This was the morning before the big night and he was really starting to feel doubt seeping through him.

'Damn,' he thought. All the while he was still under his covers.

"Your majesty, it's time to get up," Soujiro Seta, his servant, called with his usual bright smile on his face as he opened the curtains and the blinding sunlight came in.

"I don't wanna get up," Kenshin mumbled.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kenshin, but it's 9:00 and it's time to get up," Soujiro responded with his smile not faltering in the slightest.

Kenshin finally pulled himself out of the bed, sulking all the while.

"Cheer up Your Majesty!"

Kenshin just glared back and started pulling on his garbs.

"So am I finally going to see that princess who had the nerve to turn down supper last night?"

"No. I'm afraid Miss Kamiya has already eaten this morning. She wanted to take a walk."

At this Kenshin's eyes went wide and angry. "Did she go into my mother's garden?"

"No, she's just walking around the palace,"

"Oh," Kenshin replied, relieved as he pulled on his shirt.

Soujiro glanced outside. For a split second Kenshin could have sworn he saw a look of total fear on his face. It was quickly replaced with his trademark smile. "Excuse me Your Majesty but I have to go check on something."

He walked out using a stride that was neither masculine nor feminine, but was more of a young child who was naïve of the world. But Kenshin had a feeling that Soujiro knew more about this world then he let on.

Kenshin shrugged it off, pulled his hair in a low pony tail, and walked off into the hallway. Kenshin noticed Soujiro wasn't around and he walked slowly in order to get all of his thoughts together.

Last night he thought he would be able to see her. But she had been too selfish to come out and eat supper with them. It had just confirmed his assumptions of all royal women, so he decided not to fret about it. It was strange though because Hiko had made a remark about how fiery she was and Hiko never paid that kind of a complement to anyone.

As he was strolling down the hallway, he passed his mother's old painting room. His mother was an excellent artist who loved the feel of a brush in her hands.

It was strange because he used to refer the queen as 'mom' but he never called Hiko 'dad'. Maybe he did this because she used to give him approval and love, while Hiko would never give him a word of praise.

Hiko always called him scrawny or stupid. There were only two times that Hiko every showed any bit of caring towards the red-head. The first time was when has mom found him in the streets where his birth mother had left him. Hiko saw him and immediately agreed to taking care of him. Even though Hiko would deny it now he probably renamed Kenshin to allow him to forget the horrible past. The second time was at his mother's funeral and Hiko picked up the then eight-year-old and let Kenshin cry on his shoulder.

After that all Hiko had ever done was train Kenshin. He made him run around the castle five times ever since he was seven. Then he made him do 500 swings and then clean the training area with nothing but a dirty rag and a small bucket of water from top to bottom. When he finally taught Kenshin a technique, it was through doing the technique on Kenshin until he got it. Kenshin only had one technique to learn left and Hiko was no where near teaching him. He had to give Hiko credit though when it came to his skill. Hiko knew what he was talking about and Kenshin was certainly learning from it.

However Kenshin missed his mother with all his heart. She was the only one who ever told him that she loved him. His mother was the only one that he had ever loved either, not counting Tomoe who was another story entirely.

He stood there staring at the room for a few seconds and then walked on. Soon he was in the dining room and the only person sitting at the table was a middle-aged man who was obviously in shape, but there was something that seemed to be draining the energy out of him. The man was eating some fruit that had been picked from the plot in the back that morning. He turned to Kenshin and smiled. Unlike Soujiro's smile, it was without a doubt, authentic.

"Hello, Kenshin, nice day isn't it."

"Nice indeed, King Kamiya," Kenshin responded, tensing up. Kenshin was generally a quiet person unless he was around the people that he knew well, but something about this man made Kenshin deeply respect him. Last night when Sayo had come in and told them how the princess would not be joining them the king immediately got a look of concern and asked if she was alright. Unlike most king's, he actually cared about the welfare of his daughter. Most others would just start piling excuses upon excuses about the behaviors of their daughter without giving a second thought.

The king took the last bite of his fruit and stood up. "Well I think I shall go explore the castle now. See you at the ball!"

Kenshin tensed up even more and waved good-bye to the man. He then sat down and called in the cook to make him some fresh food.

After breakfast Kenshin ran his laps around the castle all the while thinking about what exit he should take so he carefully examined all of them. When he got to the training center Hiko was standing in the center of the room.

"Idiot apprentice, what took you so long!"

"I… uh…"

"You were what? Attacked by goblins, saved a maiden in distress, or was it my favorite, you slept in? Don't tell me you did it again! You could have met your future bride this morning, but of course you didn't. You are supposed to be representing this country, boy! Just for that you owe me 2000 swings and you have to clean the front hall as well as the training center so you better get to moving! Oh, and I want it all done in three hours."

"But that's…!"

"That's what? Don't complain or I'll make it two hours. Do I look like I'm kidding? Don't stand there gaping and go!"

Kenshin didn't hesitate as he started his swings. 'This is really stupid,' he thought. 'I'm twenty-years-old for goodness sake,' doing the same routine for years gave Kenshin the ability to do it quickly and correctly at the same time, so in about thirty minutes, he was finished. After everything was over he met Hiko in the library flirting with some maid. Hiko had always been a flirt, but he knew that inside Hiko had only truly loved the queen. He had had this look of undying love whenever he had looked at her and even though she was a tiny woman she could make Hiko melt in the twinkle of an eye. The only time he had ever seen Hiko cry was at her funeral. It made Kenshin cry even more to see this stone faced man crumbling in front of him.

But now Hiko was flirting with the maid and Kenshin was rolling his eyes. Kenshin cleared his throat and the maid blushed while Hiko acted like nothing had happened.

"Ah, my idiot apprentice is finally done. Now I have to talk to you about something seriously man to man."

By that time the maid had scooted out of the area to clean the dining room.

Hiko motioned for Kenshin to sit beside him in one of the chairs. "Now I know this marriage hasn't been the easiest thing on you. But let me tell you that it will all work out. Personally most of the princesses I've met are quite dull; but for the first time since your mother, I think I have seen a woman with a truly passionate soul who speaks her mind. I think, in fact I know, that you will grow to love her in time. So for the next month I am going to drop practices and let you get to know her."

Kenshin almost stopped breathing for a few seconds as he gazed at is adoptive father. Hiko had never talked to him like this. Kenshin was starting to feel extreme guilt about what was about to happen. But he had to run away. He wasn't going to let one year of careful planning go to waste. He also knew that maybe if he ran away there would be some way for him to help the people of the nation from the inside. Also he didn't want there to be a queen who would spend all of the money on jewels and clothing.

Before Kenshin could reply Hiko gave him a serious look. "Think carefully about what you are going to do."

Hiko left the room and Kenshin knew that Hiko had known all along that he was going to run away and Kenshin sat in the chair for thirty minutes and thought harder then he ever had in his life.

So that was it! I hope you liked it! I know it's going a bit slow now, but I promise that it will get better. I just have to develop my characters and then it will get lots of action! Please send me a review and tell me what you think. I also want to know when a good time for my updating would be. I'm thinking maybe I could do once a week or so. Please tell me your thoughts on that too!

Thank you so much for sticking with me!

-rm/bo