Truth, Lies, Betrayal and Love

Chapter 5

Sorry about not updating guys, been busy lately with school… BUT! I am back :) hehe and I hope you like what's coming up later on, you won't want to miss it. And now I'll shut up and let you get to reading, 'k.

The next morning Kenshin woke up at his usual time (before dawn) and changed into his gi and hakama, smiling when he realized just how comfortable they really were, especially compared to the 'suitable clothes' the queen wished to see him in. He headed downstairs to the kitchen and saw that he was the only one up as he started making breakfast and shortly thereafter an elderly woman came in and gasped when she saw him, "Oh my! Lord Kiyoshi… w… what're you doing, sir?"

"Oro? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, that I didn't."

"You didn't really startle me but… what're you doing in here?"

"I'm making breakfast."

"Oh no sir, that's mine and Mika's job."

"I don't mind helping out, that I don't."

"It's quite alright, please just let me, sir."

Kenshin unhappily stepped aside and let the elderly woman take up where he'd left off, "I guess I'll go do something else then."

As he was leaving the kitchen he ran into a young lady and smiled at her, "I'm sorry miss, that I am, I wasn't looking where I was going, that I wasn't."

"It's alright, sir."

"Are you Mika?"

"Yes sir, why do you ask?"

"That lady in there's waiting for you I believe."

"Oh, Kaede, yes, she and I make breakfast, excuse me, sir."

Mika slipped past him and entered the kitchen and Kenshin headed off down the hall, finding a young lady there trying to reach something on a tall shelf, stretching out her short frame to make herself taller but it didn't work. He went up to her and smiled, "Excuse me, miss, do you need help?"

"Oh… no sir, I can get it."

Kenshin watched her try again then he chuckled, "Let me help you, here…"

"No, I can… ah!"

She let out a yelp of surprise when Kenshin knelt down and put her on his shoulder before standing up with her, she grabbed what she was after and he set her down, smiling at her flushed face, "Are you alright miss?"

"Yes sir… thank you…"

"My name's not 'sir' it's Kenshin, and you are…"

"Oh… I'm Yumi."

"Nice to meet you Miss Yumi, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No sir, thank you."

Someone called to her from across the hall and she bowed to Kenshin before heading over to them. He sighed and tied his sleeves back again before he knelt next to the bucket of water that was by the wall and started to wash the floors, just as he'd always done at the dojo. The servants watched him with amazement and whispered amongst themselves as he went about his routine, "Do you believe this! Lord Kiyoshi is actually doing chores with us!" a young man whispered in shock.

"I know but he's grown up as a commoner like us, maybe that's all he knows." Yumi wondered out loud

"Should we stop him?" a third servant asked

"Yes, if our majesties see this they will surely faint."

Yumi went up to Kenshin and cleared her throat, "Um… Lord Kiyoshi?"

Kenshin stopped and smiled up at her, "Oh, Miss Yumi, is anything wrong?"

"Yes sir… you're not supposed to be doing this, this is my duty."

"But… I always to this at home, that I do, I don't mind at all, that I don't."

"Well… here it's the servants' job to do the chores, sir, not the royal family members."

"Does it bother everyone so much that a… 'prince' can do chores?"

"Well…it just isn't done, sir… so please… just let me..."

Kenshin groaned, "Let me finish this one area and I'll let you take over, ok?"

"If… you insist sir…"

Yumi ran off to fetch something from the back room and Kenshin finished the area in no time but as he was putting the cloth up he heard a startled gasp, "Kiyoshi! What on earth are you doing!"

He looked up and smiled at Naoto and the queen, amused by their stunned expressions, "I'm cleaning the floor, that I am."

She frowned deeply at him, "Why and… what in the world are you doing wearing those rags again?"

Kenshin looked at himself and chuckled, "Well… I can't really do chores in nice clothes like Naoto's can I, ma'am?"

"It's not your job to do this, it's Yumi's! Where is she!"

Yumi came back and bowed to Kenshin, apparently not seeing the queen, "Sir, please, you really shouldn't be doing this, it's my job…"

"Yes it is and why are you letting my son do it for you!"

Yumi flushed and bowed deeply to the angry woman in front of her, "Milady, forgive me… I…"

"Yumi, this is unforgivable, I should…"

Kenshin stepped between them, "Hold on, Lady Iishikawa, it's not Miss Yumi's fault, that it's not, I wouldn't let her do it, that I wouldn't, don't punish her for something I did."

The queen was silent for a moment then she flushed as her anger rose, "It certainly wasn't your fault! She should've tried to stop you and…"

"Hold on," gold flecks started to spark up in Kenshin's violet eyes as he confronted his mother, "there's no fault here by anyone, especially not this young girl. The only reason that I was doing this was because I wanted to, I've been doing chores for the past thirty years and I don't intend to stop now just because someone came and told me that I'm some sort of missing prince. I can't sit around and watch others to things that I'm more than capable of doing myself and I'm sorry to be so rude to you, ma'am but if you can't except the fact that I like to clean and do things for myself then so be it. Now excuse me while I go and try to find something that I can do."

He left without another word, missing the stunned expression on everyone's faces as they watched him leave. The servants quickly went back to their chores and Naoto went after Kenshin, finding him in the courtyard kneeling next to the laundry bin. He went up to him and tapped his shoulder, "Kiyoshi?"

"What?"

"Are… you feeling alright?"

"Fine, why?"

"You… acted so crudely to Lady Iishikawa that I was wondering if you were ill."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow, "I was crude to her?"

"Yes, you basically bit her head off, don't you remember?"

Kenshin thought for a moment then he recalled the events a few moments before and flushed, "Oops, damn it! I let him out."

"Him?"

"Oh… never mind… is she alright?"

Naoto looked around for anyone before he grinned and leaned close to Kenshin's ear, "Actually, I found it quite amusing, I've never seen her so stunned in my entire life. I'm impressed at your bravely, Kiyoshi."

"Is she angry?"

"I don't believe so, but I thought she was about to faint there for a moment."

A maid came out of the house and gasped when she saw the two men, "Sirs… is anything wrong, why are you out here?"

"I followed Kiyoshi." Naoto explained

She looked at Kenshin and smiled, "Sir… why are you doing my chore?"

"I want to."

"But, sir…"

"I wish everyone would stop calling me that, my name is Kenshin!"

The girl looked hurt and Kenshin sighed, "I'm sorry, that I am, I'm edgy right now, but please understand miss, doing the laundry is one of my favorite things to do and it calms my nerves, that it does."

"But sir, Lady and Lord…"

"I'll worry about them, that I will, just let me do the laundry and I'll go back to my room."

"Very well sir, call if you need me."

She bowed and left, missing the chuckle that came from Naoto, "You realize that Lady Iishikawa is going to find out about this."

"It's alright, I can outrun her, that I can."

They laughed and began chatting as Kenshin finished the laundry. Naoto took him around back and met Ryunosuke and a few other guards there, "Are you ready for your daily lesson, Lord Naoto?" Ryunosuke asked

"Yes, do you care to watch, Kiyoshi?"

"Sure."

Kenshin sat on the large porch and watched as Naoto and Ryunosuke sparred with their thin sabers. A few moments later the king and queen came out and joined him and Kenshin apologized for his rudeness and she forgave him, smiling warmly at him as he turned red. Naoto gave up and sat down, trying to catch his breath, "He's very good, that he is." Kenshin commented on Ryunosuke's performance.

"Ryunosuke is a retired samurai, I've never been able to defeat him, but he is a good challenge."

The king chuckled, "Why don't you give it a go, Kiyoshi?"

"Oro? I don't… think that's a good idea, that I don't… I…"

"Get out there boy, show us what you've learned out there in the common world."

Kenshin was pushed into the courtyard and Ryunosuke handed him a fencing helmet, "Here sir, put this on and take this saber."

"Can't I just use my sword and not use the helmet, Sir Ryunosuke?"

"Lord Kiyoshi I insist, I don't…"

"I won't let you hurt me, that I won't, just let me fight like I always do."

"Very good sir."
Ryunosuke took a step back and get into position and Kenshin chuckled, "Can I make a request, Sir Ryunosuke?"

"What is it, Lord Kiyoshi?"

Kenshin went over to the weapon rack and took the real sword there and handed it to the stunned old samurai, "What's this, sir?"

"This is my request, that it is, I want you to use a real sword and don't hold back, I want you to fight me as you would an enemy on the battlefield, that I do."

"But sir…"

"It's that or I don't fight, I refuse to fight when you have so many limitations, so fight me fairly or I go and sit back down."

Ryunosuke thought hard for a long time before he finally smiled, "You are now my enemy, prepare for battle!"

Kenshin smiled and waited for him to attack. Ryunosuke charged at him and swung down but Kenshin side-stepped and blocked as he came back and swung at the red head's side. They spent several minutes repeating this, trying to size each other up then Ryunosuke smiled, "You're very good, Lord Kiyoshi, but you won't win."

"We'll see, won't we?"

Ryunosuke charged at him and swung down, causing a cloud of dust to rise up when the blade made contact with the ground. When the dust cleared everyone saw that Kenshin was gone then Naoto shouted, "Up in the air!"

Ryunouske looked up but didn't have time to react as Kenshin used his infamous Ryu Tsui Sen, easily snapping his opponent's sword in two. He then swung upwards and hit Ryunosuke in the stomach, sending him flying back several feet.

As he caught his breath Kenshin came up to him and helped him up, "You are a worthy opponent, Sir Ryunosuke, thank you for giving me a fair and honorable fight."

Ryunosuke chuckled and bowed, "It is apparent that you are more than what you seem, Lord Kiyoshi, I look forward to our next duel."

Kenshin smiled and gave a bow before he headed inside, the others quickly catching up to him, "My, my, my, it seems that our son is a master swordsman, Suki!" The king bragged to the queen

"I think you're right, Shiro, he does seem to have a knack for the blade. Tell me, Kiyoshi, were did you learn your swordsmanship skills?"

"From my master, Seijiro Hiko."

"Seijiro Hiko? I don't believe I've ever heard of him but he did a fine job with training you." Shiro chuckled

"Thank you, sir."

"Well, you go up and change, we'll have the servants ready your bath."

Kenshin headed up to his room, joking with Naoto along the way until one of the guards decided to gossip with him and pulled him aside. Kenshin headed off alone and entered his room, amazed to see a young girl, no more than fifteen or so in there cleaning, "Can I help you, miss?"

She turned around and lowered her head, her deep brown eyes sparkling as she bowed, "It's an honor to meet you, Lord Kiyoshi, I'm Rika, I'm the one you call when you need help with something."

She spoke softly and shyly and Kenshin had to strain to hear her but he smiled all the same, "Thank you but I think I'm good for now."

"Very well then, sir, just call if you need me."

"Thank you, Miss Rika."

She curtsied and left the room then Kenshin sat against the wall and sighed. He pushed his gi aside and saw the blood on his shoulder, he couldn't help but smile, he had a strange feeling that he'd fought Ryunosuke before but he wasn't entirely sure. The style was familiar to him but he just couldn't place if he'd actually fought the retired samurai or not. Later that night, after dinner, he took a bath and bandaged his wound before heading back to his room to get ready to bed. As he was untying his hakama there was a tap on the door and quickly retightened the knot, "Come in."

Rika came in and smiled shyly at him, "Good evening sir, I came to help you get ready for bed."

"Oh I'm alright, that I am, Miss Rika."

"It's my duty to help you, sir…"

Kenshin shook his head slightly and turned to where his back was facing her, he didn't really feel comfortable with a young girl in the room with him. He glanced over his shoulder at her and realized that she was probably no older than Tamaiya and that bothered him greatly. Suddenly he felt small shaky hands on his shoulders as they began to pull his gi down. Shocked, he spun around and looked down at her with wide eyes, "Miss Rika! What're you doing!"

She flushed, "It's… part of my job sir… I'm to help you get dressed for bed…"

Rika raised her hands to his shoulders again and Kenshin's heart sank when he felt the fear resonating from the young girl in front of him. He grasped her wrists gently and pulled her hands away from him, "No! I don't care what they say your duty is you don't have to do this!"

"But sir…"

"Miss Rika, be honest with me, do you really want to help me take my clothes off?"

Rika was silent for a moment before she looked to the ground and whispered, "N… no sir… I'm sorry…"

"Hey," he lifted her face to meet his gaze and he smiled softly at her, "Don't be sorry, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, that you most certainly don't. I'm a big boy I can dress myself, that I can, you can help me by going to bed and having good dreams, ok?"

"Y… yes sir."

"Good, now get out of here little one and go to bed."

"Yes sir… thank you sir…"

Rika hastily left the room and shut the door then Kenshin groaned loudly and sat against the wall, leaning his sword on his shoulder, "I can't believe they wanted a child to undress me! I don't think I can take much more of this… tomorrow I'm going home… back to Kaoru where I belong."