Truth, Lies, Betrayal And Love

Chapter 11

I hope you like this chapter I worked hard on it and hopefully I'll surprise a few of you hehe . But if I don't surprise ya, sorry, any ways, read and enjoy!

"Lady Suki? May I speak with you and Lord Shiro for a moment?"

"Of course Kiyoshi please come in."

Kenshin entered the room and bowed to them then Shiro asked, "What is it that you wanted to talk to us about?"

"I… I wish to go home back to the dojo."

"You can't go back to the dojo now Kiyoshi, you're getting married in a few days."

"Sir I don't belong here that I don't, I'm not cut out to be a prince that I'm most certainly not. I'm a wanderer I have been for the past ten years and before that I…"

"You what?"

"Never mind, the point is that I'm not noble or worthy enough to marry a princess that I'm not. She deserves to marry someone in her class…"

Suki interrupted him, "You are in her class, Kiyoshi, you are our son and that makes you a prince, regardless of how you have been raised."

"That may be true, and I may be a prince by blood… but I'm not by heart. I've grown up as a simple commoner and I've been perfectly content with my life that I have. I have a family waiting for me back at the dojo that I miss very much. I can't live the rest of my life here in this castle that I can't. I know I'm being rude and I apologize but I just… I just want to go home."

Shiro shook his head, "You cannot you've been betrothed to Kiyoko ever since she was born."

"No sir, Naoto has been betrothed to her not me."

"He has been betrothed to her only because he has been taking your place, Kiyoshi." Suki pointed out.

"Let Lady Kiyoko marry someone she wants to not me. I know she doesn't love me and it's not right to force her to marry me that it isn't."

Shiro groaned in frustration, "It doesn't matter whether you love each other or not right now, you both will learn to love one another all in good time."

"No I will not. Sir I'm sorry but I refuse to marry a little girl who is old enough to be my daughter."

"Your daughter?" both Suki and Shiro asked in shock

"Yes, I have a daughter who is only a couple of years younger than Lady Kiyoko. I can't live my life married to a child that I can't, I won't. And I will not force someone to marry me if they don't want to that I won't."

Shiro's face turned red and his voice deepened with anger, "Kiyoshi you will do as you are told and you will marry Kiyoko!"

That was the wrong thing to say to the retired manslayer, Kenshin's eye turned into a bright golden hue and he stepped up to the king and looked him dead in the eyes as he whispered, "Try and make me."

With that said the red head turned and left the room, missing the shocked expressions on his parents faces as he shut the door. Shiro turned to his wife and asked, "Did his eyes change color or was it just me?"

"No… I… I believe they turned gold."

"That's what I thought."

"Let me go and talk to him, maybe I can convince him to stay."

"You do that, I'm going to get a drink."

Suki kissed his cheek and headed down the hall to Kenshin's room. She entered and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed looking to the floor. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his knee, "My son, I know that all of this is strange and new to you and I know that you are frightened by this marriage but you will learn to love Kiyoko you'll see."

"I don't want to learn to love Lady Kiyoko. I already love someone that I do."

"Would it happen to be this Kaoru that you keep speaking of?"

"Yes."

"Kiyoshi you must do this… this is your duty…"

Kenshin laughed dryly, "My duty… it's been along time since I've heard that."

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Suki, I have had quite enough 'duties' to last me the rest of my lifetime that I have, I'm tired of having duties to fulfill. I gave up my duties ten years ago right now I just want to be me. I want to be Kenshin… a wanderer. That is who I am and that is who I'm going to be, I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience for you but I just can't marry Lady Kiyoko that I can't. I can't betray Kaoru and besides, I'm not worthy enough to marry her that I'm not."

"Kiyoshi…"

He didn't answer he just turned his gaze to the window. She took the hint and left the room. Kenshin watched her leave then flopped back on his bed with a loud groan, "I really blew that…"

There was a chuckle in his mind as Battousai made his opinion known, "I actually thought you handled that quite well and I even got to scare someone, I'm happy with how it turned out."

"Shut up Battousai, I didn't ask you!"

Battousai made a sound like a cat growling, "Aren't we bitchy all of the sudden."

"I have you in my head give me a reason as to why I wouldn't be."

"Hate to tell you this but you need me."

"How so?"

"Because I'm the better half are and besides I'm the better looking you are."

"Cut the crap, I'm not in the mood for this!"

Battousai chuckled, "Oh really? Then just what are you in the mood for, Wanderer?"

"Battousai!"

"What?"

"You are so filthy minded!"

"But that's why you love me."

Kenshin growled softly, "Trust me, I can certainly live without your 'love' Battousai."

"Can you? Well we'll just see about that."

Kenshin sighed and got up deciding to get some fresh air to clear his head. He headed out into the garden and stumbled upon a peculiar sight. Sitting underneath one of the cherry trees was Kiyoko and Naoto, she had her head resting against his shoulder and his arm was wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to him. He snuck up behind the tree and listened to what they were saying, "Let me talk to Kiyoshi maybe together he and I can figure out something."

"No Naoto, even if you did come up with a way Lord Shiro and Lady Suki would not permit it. Please believe me when I say that you are my heart Naoto that will never change… but…"

"But I can never truly have you, can I?"

She smiled sadly and nuzzled his shoulder lovingly, "I wish you could… I would love nothing more than to be your wife."

Kenshin watched as Naoto leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and his heart sank as he saw a tear stream down the girl's face. He felt badly for the both of them but what could he do about it? After a moment Kenshin sighed sadly and looked to the ground, "I really don't belong here. I'm interfering with their lives and I'm missing out on mine. I have got to find some way to fix this and make it right for everyone."

LATER THAT NIGHT

Kenshin was out in the courtyard practicing trying to blow off some energy and steam but so far the only thing he had managed to do was to make himself sweaty and tired. He paused to take a breath and wiped some sweat from his brow when he heard a familiar voice call out to him, "You're out awfully late, Lord Kiyoshi."

"Oh Sir Ryunosuke did I wake you?"

"No I'm on patrol for the evening. I never apologized to you for hurting you during our spar."

"Oh that's alright that it is I enjoyed it very much that I did."

"You know… we have fought once before Lord Kiyoshi… long ago."

"We did?"

Ryunosuke came to sit next to Kenshin on the bench and smiled, "Yes, I'm not sure if you remember me but we have fought in the past."

"When was that?"

"Twelve years ago in Kyoto. My troops and I were sent to fight another clan and when we returned to the camp it had been ambushed by the Choshu Clan. Most of my soldiers were killed and I had been injured during the battle. I managed to slip away to go and get help but this red haired man stepped up to stop me. I fought him fiercely but he won in the end but for some reason he spared my life and just left me where I lay. I don't recall much after that but I distinctly remember bright golden eyes and a cross-shaped scar and the name 'Battousai'."

Kenshin looked to the ground and clenched his hands into tight fists, trying to keep his feelings at bay, "Is that so?"

"Yes, when you returned to the castle I couldn't believe that you were that same man from all those years ago. You fought like a demon that day… Battousai…"

"I'm not Battousai anymore that I'm not."

"Maybe not but I am curious to know something."

"What's that Sir Ryunosuke?"

"You spared my life twelve years ago… you clearly had the upper-hand yet you didn't kill me… why?"

Kenshin smiled to himself, his voice calm, "Truthfully… I don't know why I didn't kill you. But… at that moment you were no threat to me or my clan so I saw no reason to kill a wounded man. I never killed unless I had to… I hated killing."

"Everyone believed that you were nothing but a heartless demon with a human's face… but… you showed me that they were wrong. You were a child back then, weren't you, sir?"

"I was very young, yes."

"You know, I was here the day you were born. I knew that you would one day grow up to be something great, something greater than any mere prince. I saw a great hidden strength in your eyes that I had never seen before and I haven't seen again since that night twelve years ago in Kyoto. I knew you weren't meant to stay here in this castle and become a puppet to your lord and lady… and that's why…"

"That's why what, Sir Ryunosuke?"

Ryunosuke chuckled softly, "And that's why… I took you to the Himura family."

"What!" was all Kenshin could say as he looked at the man beside of him.