ALTERING RULES
By: Chiki Yumeshisa
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin….all original character/ideas are mine to claim. No stealing please.
AN: Hello again, everyone. Once more, I'm sorry for the late updates and my lack of telling you guys. Here is where the OFFICIAL continuation of the story begins and this is no longer a reposted chapter. Chapter 9 is where I finished last year, this time I am continuing on.
I'm really happy to hear people like Kaiden's character. I rather like him myself, cute guy. I should make a plushie. Anyway, this chapter is packed with things and I hope you are able to keep up. Please bear with me as my ideas are still in formation – this is a rather long chapter…..that said, please enjoy!
CHAPTER 10
- Beginnings -
Creeping backward after scanning the terrace below, he winced as his knee hit a particularly jagged rock. His armor was heavy and his back was hurting from having crouched for the past half hour, surveying the assembled army below.
The enemy was massed together in an unorganized fashion. Tents were set up haphazardly. The animals were everywhere, wandering and leaving their mess. From what he could see, there were chickens running loose along with some goats.
Fires were lit in several places as some of the men were finishing their meals. Somewhere in the throng, a woman's wail rose, long and shrill. It lasted for mere seconds before it disappeared.
"Dare we wait?"
The whispered words made Aoshi rip his eyes away from the confusion of it all. Soujiro was crouched next to him, sword in hand, the hint of his usual smile missing from his face.
"They are too spread apart." Aoshi said, angrily pulling himself into a more comfortable position. The pommel of his sword had begun to try and sheathe itself between his breastplate and his ribs. "There doesn't seem to be any formation with this group at all." His mind was racing through the different strategies they could use to bring such a huge army down by themselves, or if not, cripple it at most. But their people were everywhere and that in itself served as a disadvantage instead of the opposite.
Had they arranged themselves neatly, they could have split to cripple a different section each. Now, they were running out of time.
Soujiro glanced behind him at their own men. "They're scared, Aoshi." He said. "There are too many." Prince Kaiden was being readied for battle, replacing his rich red cap with a soldier's helmet and donning a pair of gauntlets and armor over his clothing. He looked even smaller in the getup, even more vulnerable than without. Aoshi let out an angry breath.
"We don't have to do this." Soujiro continued, returning his gaze to his fellow commander. "It would be a waste."
"Are you afraid?" Aoshi demanded. It was just like Soujiro to get scared and run, in his opinion.
Soujiro ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, Aoshi. Spirits be cursed, you would not be normal if you weren't! Do you know what you're asking your men to do? You are asking them to walk into a suicidal mission!
"If we go down to battle, we would do no damage at all – the men would die, the village would be run down, and a Prince would be involved, causing our country to have yet another problem on their hands!"
Aoshi turned his glare on his partner. "You turn craven."
"Logical, yes. Craven, no."
The truth of the words sunk in deep. But he was given orders, and Aoshi intended to carry them out. "You're right: the Prince should be taken away safely. But by command, we must fight."
Soujiro nodded. "I agree."
Now it was Aoshi's turn to be confused. "But you just said…."
"The Prince must get away, now. A squad will escort him away safely." Soujiro glanced at the men again. "That will be enough to keep him safe. The others will stay here and fight, as ordered. We may not last the night, but it is our duty to protect as long as we stand. We'll create enough of a diversion to keep the Prince safe, that way we won't have too many losses and we'll have one less failure."
Aoshi also took a glance at the men. A few of them were pacing, awaiting orders and the signal to attack. They had sent one back to try and get reinforcements, so they were short one man already. And they were going to be short four more. "Settled." Aoshi said finally. "The men must take him down and head toward the Biron trail. Since the Torrins are coming from the North, we must get him out of their path and head toward the palace grounds."
"Then we commence attack now." Soujiro said, pushing himself to his knees. "You choose the three others that are going to go with you when you take the Prince to see the King - "
"Me!" Aoshi cried. "What makes you think that I-"
"-Because you are the most capable, Aoshi. If anything, you will die on your mission, but not before delivering the Prince safely into the Palace." Soujiro told him. He brushed dirt off his cape and armor absently before gesturing to the men. Now, some of them were looking up, wondering what was going on.
Heatedly, Aoshi sat up, and opened his mouth to protest, when Soujiro interrupted. "What about Malla?"
"What about her?" He growled.
"You have someone waiting for you, Aoshi. I don't. If I were to go and you were to die this night, I do not know how I would deliver that message to her. I couldn't bear it."
"And what about Sir Kenshin? How do I tell him that his best friend was killed while I stole away?" Aosih retorted.
Soujiro let a ghost of a smile cross his lips as he nodded slowly. "Why, Shinomori: I didn't think you cared. Tell my lord that I died doing my duty, just as you stole away doing yours." He reached out a gloved hand. "The Ancient be with you, good sir." Their hands clasped each others tightly, as they both knew there would be no other choice.
"I will be back, Seta: as soon as I get the Prince to safety, I will return to help you."
Soujiro turned. "Then you'd best get out of here now and hurry back. The enemy won't wait for you." He began calling out orders for all the bowmen to be at the ready. He did not look back as Aoshi called Kaiden to him.
"My word, has it started already?" Kaiden asked, reaching up to secure the overly large helmet on his head. He seemed excited, and he reached for his sword. The magnificently made sword was brand new, from what Aoshi could see, never before used. He wanted it to stay that way. His hand came out over Kaiden's as the young Prince made to unsheathe it.
"No, Your Highness: we must get you out of here now." Aoshi told him. "I will escort you back to the Palace."
"But the war - "
"-Is not for you to join." Aoshi said firmly. "We must leave immediately. There is no time to lose." He picked four men to accompany them, two of his own, and two of the prince's. They seemed to understand the urgency and began to ready their things. Kaiden let out a cry of dismay.
"What about the others?"
"They will remain here."
"They will die!" He cried.
"And you do not need to be a part of that." Aoshi told him, impatiently. "Prince or not, you will obey my orders, now. Am I clear?" His eyes were like daggers to the heart, and it took a while for Kaiden to wrench his gaze away and nod meekly.
So back down the mountain they went, as quietly as possible, leaving behind the others, moving as quickly as they could.
Soujiro watched them go, until they were out of sight.
There was no turning back. He raised his hand, to signal the troops left in his command.
0-0-0-0-0
The indoor gardens were beautiful with the way the moonlight lit the area up. In the center of all the lush leaves stood a small plaza, giving the feel of walking through an enchanted area. The hall that overlooked the gardens were empty and dark, save for a few candles that were glowing dully. They cast shadows about the walls, contrasting strongly with the calming moonlight in the garden just beyond.
To the left of the yard stood a pedestal, where a statue of another maiden stood. She was faceless, after years and years of being passed down. Yet, despite that, she was beautiful. Sanosuke reached out to touch a carved finger of hers, gently trailing his hand over her worn, unseeing face. If he didn't know any better, it looked like she was crying.
He was dressed in his armor again, holding his helmet under one arm as he waited for Kenshin to arrive. He had been having a great dream when Tsubame had waken him up. It seemed that he could not be with Megumi, even in his sleep.
"Why?" He asked the statue. He had told himself that he would not fall in love with her. Yet he had, and it made it worse when she told him that she loved him too. He had tried to break it off, but he couldn't help his feelings. If the Prince Amakusa found out…she would be hanged. He would rather cut his tongue out first.
He turned to the sound of footsteps. Kenshin also dressed in armor, his red hair held back into a high ponytail. "Well, met, Sanosuke!" He said. "We must leave at once: there is urgent business to take care of."
"Such as?" Sanosuke asked. He had done his duty of speaking with the King. As far as he had known, His Majesty had refused to let Kenshin out of the castle. "What's going on?"
Kenshin looked up at the statue as well. "The Prince of Mintril has gone missing. We have orders from Sir Cyus himself to go and find him."
"Dear Spirits, Ken! An army does not have to go looking for him! Send a troop: a welcoming party does not need a regiment!"
Kenshin let his eyes fall from the maiden and to his friend. "Sano, this is an order. The Prince must be found before the opposition gets to him. We do not need that trouble. We do not need to engage in combat, so long as we are careful." His voice got hard. "And I refuse to stay behind walls knowing I could help. My place is on the field. I am a commanding officer."
Sanosuke felt his anger rise, but seeing the look in Kenshin's eyes, he sighed. He knew he wasn't trying hard enough to keep his friend back, and he could understand the man's thoughts. He was a soldier too. And he was still under his authority. "I'm sorry….as you command, sir." He said a silent prayer to the statue for protection, before he fell into step next to Kenshin.
"We are just going to be there to make sure that the Prince is safe." Kenshin said, knowing that Sanosuke was not pleased. "The other troops will take care of the problem of the invaders." He proceeded to tell Sanosuke of his plans of action as they left the gardens, and made their way toward the front entrance of the building.
The walls were built high, as was precautionary for any Palace, the drawbridge shut securely. The soldiers on patrol outside gave the two men salutes before resuming their guard.
The sound of falling water could be heard, running across the cobblestones and rocks from the little waterfall that was stationed toward one side of the palace grounds. There was a pungent smell in the air, along with the smell of horses' dung. Stable boys were running back and forth, tending to the horses and preparing them for the mission they were to take part in.
Kenshin watched as a few squires ran to do the bidding of their masters, and continued on down toward the palace doors.
"There is war towards the north, where we've sent our troops earlier. If the Prince of Mintril is coming down, he'll want to avoid that section all together. There are a few possibilities on where he could head. We need to cover every bit we can, and we have to pinpoint the most possible route he could have taken-"
He cut himself off as they walked past the throne room, and he looked up. He stopped at the base of the grand stairway leading in.
There, standing at the top, on the balcony, stood Her Majesty, Trissen. Her regal robes fell in waves on the floor. The material seemed to shine despite the darkness all around her. It was as if the material she was wearing was sewn of diamonds with the way it sparkled every time she moved. Her hair was dark brown, falling in long ringlets around her beautiful face. She looked like an older image of Sayo, with a long, slender nose, and small lips. Her eyes were a deep green in color. She made her way down slowly, her robes trailing behind her.
"Good evening, gentlemen." She bade, as both went to a knee before her.
"Your Majesty, live long and prosper." Kenshin said, and he heard Sanosuke echo the phrase. "It is late."
"So it is, Sir Kenshin." She said, airily. She made no move to make them stand. Instead, she looked down on them with scrutiny. "And why are you two out of bed?"
It was Sano who spoke. "Doing our duty, Your Majesty."
She ignored him, and kept her gaze on Kenshin. "I hear the King ordered you to stay on grounds, Sir Kenshin." She motioned for him to stand, and he came to his feet, though slowly. He kept his eyes forward as she circled him. "I don't see why…he is so adamant that you stay…."
Her voice was just as pretty as the rest of her, but it did not make him feel at ease. Her sentence had been a two-sided one, and he knew her well enough to hear her true meaning. She finally stopped in front of him, and laid a hand on his cheek, fingering the scar there for a moment. "Try not to get yourself killed."
"Yes, Your Majesty." He heard himself say. He couldn't bear to look at her.
She stared him in the eyes, though, and smiled slightly. "Going against the King's orders – you're very brave. Tell me, what exactly is your duty tonight?"
"Patrolling." It was Sanosuke again. "We're just patrolling, Your Majesty."
She glared down at him. "Be silent, soldier, when you are not asked to speak."
Sanosuke looked away, bowing his head. He bit his tongue from replying and mentally chided himself to keep his anger in check.
Kenshin was having a harder time doing so. "We were just asked to patrol, my queen. The army is keeping its eye out for any problems. As we have more than enough problems on our hands, we want to prevent another one."
Before the queen could say something more, a voice rang out. "Mother?" It was Sayo, dressed down in her silk night wear, rubbing her eyes with the back of a fist. She looked down over the balcony and caught sight of the men as well. "Mother? What is going on?"
"Go back to bed, Sayo, dear." Her mother's voice grew sweet.
"Is Sir Ken leaving again?" She asked, taking a fistful of her skirt and proceeding down the steps.
"I said go back to bed." Her mother scolded, reaching out an arm to stop her daughter from continuing on to Kenshin.
The young girl stopped. "But Mother-"
"-He's none of your concern. And I told you not to speak with him." The queen kept her eyes on Kenshin. "He's a very busy man."
Sayo let the fistful of her skirt fall back to the floor and she started forward again. "Sir Ken! Are you leaving again?" She cried. Her mother kept the restraining arm out. "Sir Ken, you can't! You just got back…!"
Kenshin smiled, to reassure the child. "Yes, my princess. I am leaving again. But I will be back safely." He couldn't help but glare at Trissen. "I promise."
Trissen's smile grew. "Wouldn't that be grand, Sayo? Come now, let's go back to bed. I was just giving Sir Kenshin my…..favor."
"I wish to give him mine too, Mother!" Sayo told her, pushing past the outstretched arm that Trissen still had out. She ran forward into Kenshin's embrace, hugging him fiercely, and he bent down to speak with her. "How soon will you return?" She asked, her little fingers touching his cape, and running over the smooth metal of his armor. It was cold to the touch, and hard as anything.
Kenshin smiled. "I can't say, Sayo…but when I return, I'll send for you right away."
She threw her arms around his neck again. "I'll wait for you." She promised. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "You have my favor. Strength to you."
"Thank you, my princess." He said. His voice faltered for a moment, and then he straightened, as the child ran back to her mother. He bowed slightly. "A good night to you, Your Majesty."
Trissen shook her head slightly, so that the ringlets bounced in little waves about her. "Good night, gentlemen." With a grand gesture, she led her child up the stairs again, with the princess glancing over her shoulder every once in a while.
When they were gone, Kenshin took the time to compose himself before saying, "The night is not over yet…it has only just begun." He took another calming breath. "Get ready the men Sanosuke. We must leave at once."
0-0-0-0-0
Metal scraped the floor, a grating sound that pierced the ears. The man's footfalls could be heard, hammering the floor as he was dragged roughly through the room by his arms and he continued to put up a struggle against his captors. "I am innocent, I say! Innocent! I did nothing wrong!"
His cries went ignored, and he tried in vain to tug himself free. He had lost his helmet somewhere during the capture and the resistance, so that his balding head was shown in all its glory. His beard, however, was not lost in any way, still gracing his jaw with a few white hairs spidering through the dark brown ones. His skin was weather-beaten and worn, like one who had been kissed by the sun one too many times.
He was thrown, unceremoniously to the floor in a heap, by the feet of a young boy, who gazed down at him coldly. His armor seemed to weigh him down as he tried to lift himself up feebly. "Is this the man?" The young one demanded. He was flanked by a couple of other soldiers who were bristling steel.
"It is, sire, as it would please you." The knight who had dragged the unfortunate in replied, clapping a fist to his heart in a salute.
The captive finally managed to grasp the robes of the boy in front of him. "I am innocent!" He tried again. "I was not the one who - "
"-Silence!" The boy barked, angrily. He hugged his robes to himself, feeling tears of anger prick at his eyes. The firelight of the halls shone in them, and he made no attempt to wipe them away. "How could you think to be so cruel?" It was then that the doors to the room behind him opened.
Trissen strode out, followed by the crown prince. Where the queen looked fresh and wide awake, Amakusa stood bleary-eyed, his cloak half on, half off. With one hand, he kept it closed. His long hair was loose, tumbling around his shoulders, and down his back. This sight would have sent most maidens into swooning had any been around so late at night.
"Is this the one?" Trissen demanded, looking upon the man on the floor.
The boy moved back a bit, as the man tried to grab for his robes again. Amakusa spoke, in low hushed tones. "Mother, don't you think that Father would like to hear of this?"
Trissen paid him no mind. "I'm certain His Majesty would deal with this traitor in the same way." She said evenly, not breaking eye contact with the man on the floor. "Sir Berik, for your crimes against the crown and the royal family, you shall be executed by sunrise." She announced.
Sir Berik looked stunned as he was dragged once more to his feet. "It was not me!" He cried out. "I would never think to harm the young prince!" He turned pleading eyes to Amakusa, who looked to be having trouble understanding the situation. "I beg my lord, mercy!"
As he was being pulled away once more, Amakusa turned to the Queen. "Sir Berik has served us a good many years, Mother. He's Father's right hand guard…"
"And he gave the orders for my son to be murdered in his sleep!" Trissen said angrily. "I will not stand by and let that go unpunished." Her hand went out protectively to the younger boy who was still watching Sir Berik go, stonily.
Amakusa shook his head. "But I don't understand: what would give him cause to do that? And were there others with him?"
"Those who were with him are being held of course." The queen said, impatiently. "To testify the truth of the orders. And then they are to be hanged." She fingered Shuzo's hair absently as she spoke, ignoring the echoing shouts from the condemned man as they rang through the halls.
"What will happen to him, Mother?" Shuzo demanded, turning his head up to look at her. At ten and three years, he was small for his age, and innocence was his refuge. He looked strikingly like his mother, only with short curly dark hair. His face had started to blemish with the signs of manhood, but remained youthful as did his voice. Soon, that would change, and he would join the world of adults.
Trissen pat his shoulder gently. "Do not worry for a traitor, my son. What matters now is that you are safe: he will not bother you again." She turned to face Amakusa, her expression darkening. "There was a conspiracy in the army, who knows if there are more? I demand that everyone be questioned."
Amakusa tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful. "That is almost impossible, Mother…there are too many men, and after Sir Berik's execution, no one will admit to the threat…."
He was right of course. There were just too many in the army, scattered about the kingdom, and those who were left at the castle was a huge number in itself. Even if they questioned everyone, there was no telling whether the traitors were among the troops left behind; if they would even confess to being so. The time it would take would be too long, and such a thing could not be wasted.
Trissen was not moved though. "We must find out who, or the King himself may be in danger." She did not wait for his response, but rather, announced that she would go down to the dungeons to see to the questioning herself. She left the Prince and his younger brother alone.
"Shuzo, are you hurt?" Amakusa asked.
"No…not badly." Shuzo replied. "Just some bruises and cuts trying to get away." His shrieks and cries for help had brought the guards in, and they had made quick of their work, leaving the sent assassin facedown in his own blood, only after he had coughed up the name of Sir Berik.
What the soldiers had done to the man, Shuzo told Amakusa, he did not know, as he had been taken from the room while it had been done. He shook as he remembered the dagger that had been so close to his throat, and scant seconds would have allowed the soldier to rip it apart. It took a while for Amakusa to finally talk the younger prince back into returning to his room and only after he had personally seen him there and left some guards, did Shuzo climb back into bed wearily.
Amakusa did not doubt that word of the incident would reach his father before sunrise. And he did not doubt that the king would be livid and want answers. The truth would be clouded though, with Sir Berik's execution before a fair trial.
He slowly shut the door to his brother's room behind him, quietly, and took off down the hallway, intending to find his mother. There had to be a reason…
He passed a man, shrouded in the darkness, completely.
Those eyes were watching; ever watching. He was waiting; ever waiting. When the young prince was alone, he would get his chance. He had failed once that night, but he would not fail again.
0-0-0-0-0
Kaoru sat down in front of the mirror, and with the aid of Megumi, she pulled back her clothing, leaving her torso naked, and exposing her flesh to the cold.
"Are you sure about this?" Megumi asked again, for what seemed the millionth time. She held the bandages in her hand, and nervously pushed a couple of locks of hair from Kaoru's shoulder to the side.
Kaoru turned her head slightly to look at the woman behind her. "I am." She took the bandages from Megumi's hands and began to bind her breasts tight against her. It was a constricting and almost painful feeling. But she could not be mistaken as a woman, or else her ruse would not work.
Resigned, Megumi helped her with the task, noting the scars and wounds that Kaoru had on her back. There were long, deep gashes where the whips had left her skin marred. They crisscrossed one another in an absurd pattern. The pain they spoke of must still have haunted the younger girl, for as she let her fingers trail over a particularly nasty scar, Kaoru shivered involuntarily, and jerked away.
"What did they do to you….?" Megumi heard herself whisper in horror.
Letting a ghost of a smile cross her lips, Kaoru self-consciously tugged the material to her clothing back on, securely closing the front of it to hide herself from view. "They're my own doing." Kaoru said, but her voice was hollow and her smile forced. "I received just punishment."
Megumi could not believe a word she said. She understood a little of why Kaoru was so timid. She was afraid to get hurt again, to be torn… but she would never understand the pain. Those gashes were brutal, almost as if the poor girl had once been flagged to near death.
Seeing that she was making her servant uncomfortable, she shook her head waving her hand as if to banish the thoughts. "Let's see how it looks." She commanded, and Kaoru stood obediently, facing her fully.
Megumi looked her up and down. Even with the tunic she had given the girl to wear, she still looked too feminine. The breast-binding had worked though, and the bandages could not be seen easily. Still, the smooth face and long hair were a dead giveaway.
Kaoru felt her cheeks heating under the scrutinizing eyes. She knew that she wasn't being looked at with disdain like all the other times people cast a look in her direction. Still, she couldn't help but feel as if she were back on that slave-field, ready and waiting to be sold yet again.
That was the past though.
"There's something….missing…."
Kaoru lifted her arm and looked down at her attire. She was clad in breeches which were a bit too long for her and a tunic that was deep brown in color. Despite the way the clothing seemed to hang off her, she still looked slender. They had hoped that the clothing would help to add some bulk to her figure, but it wasn't working. "What am I missing?" She asked.
"Your appearance needs some work. And your gestures…." Megumi tried to imagine the way Sanosuke walking. "You'll have to walk with a swagger. And your voice has to be deeper, I think…."
She shifted over and make Kaoru sit once more, pondering. "We must think of a name for you." She said. "They will not believe a random soldier who has no name for himself."
There was a lot that Kaoru had not thought of when she had come up with the brilliant idea to pose as a man. A silence fell over them as they tried to come up with something that might be believable. Kaoru was a loss though, as she did not know too much about the upperclassmen. "They will know I am not a soldier of theirs." She said, miserably. Her plan was looking dim, and impossible.
"Then you will be a soldier from another country and army." Megumi said. "Though, the story will be complicated and difficult…."
Kaoru nodded. "My Lady, I will take care of it. The important thing is that I am able to play the part. I will need to get armor to complete the disguise."
Megumi made for the door. "Then stay right here. I will be right back."
"No." Kaoru told her. "I will go." When Megumi asked why, Kaoru answered, "It will look strange for a court maiden carrying armor around." Before she could protest, Kaoru continued, "If I were to pose as a servant for a soldier, no one would ask why I would be bringing my master his armor back to him. And with the new slaves brought in, I am certain no one would be able to tell me apart from the old slaves."
It sounded like a safe plan. Yet if someone were to catch her…
There was no other way.
"Very well." Megumi sighed, dismissing her. "May the Ancient protect you."
"May the Ancient protect us all." Kaoru said. "If I do not return, my Lady, you will forever have my thanks…."
Megumi hugged Kaoru close, before allowing her servant to slip into the dark hallways of the night.
Kaoru was able to get the directions to the armory by the help of a pageboy who had believed her to be a soldier as he couldn't see her face well in the darkness. It had been easier than she'd imagined, yet at the same time, she knew it was because he was not yet a man grown as a boy of at least 7 years.
Just as she got to the doors, she was surprised to see Consolence, standing just outside of it, her back to the door, her eyes coming up to meet Kaoru's. "I see you're finally here, Kamiya."
Taken unaware, Kaoru took a step back, ready to run.
"Have no fear, I have no intention to hurt you." Consolence said, making Kaoru stop in her tracks. "I'm here to help you."
Feigning innocence, Kaoru asked, "With what?"
"I know of your plan. I saw it….and you will need my help." Consolence took a step closer. "They are leaving and soon, and we must go with them."
"W-we?" Kaoru stammered, to confused to argue.
"Why yes, of course, child. I will be coming too." Without waiting for an answer, she threw open the doors to the armory. "We must be fast: there's a lot we have yet to do."
To Be Continued…..
AN: At this rate, Kenshin won't be able to make it in time to save Soujiro - or will he? And there are traitors within the royal palace? Now Kaoru is getting dressed as a soldier, but will she be on time? Okay, those are the questions that I would like people to have assumptions on. PLEASE REVIEW! I thank EVERYONE for their support and encouragement of this fanfiction. Please review for me again! Thanks!