Author's Note:

[Disclaimer - I don't own Hakuouki or any related rights, characters or artwork. This makes me sad.]

[I'm trying out the Poll feature on my Profile page - please feel free to check it out and vote!]

Two housekeeping details in case certain editing I've done recently causes confusion: nakigaoyuu (thanks!) pointed out a couple of items that I thought should be fixed, specifically that the name of Sen's ancestor is Suzuka Gozen (or Suzuka-gozen) - which was correct in early chapters but not in recent ones, and that Amagiri is the demon's last name, not first name - which is a case of me overthinking something and eventually getting it wrong.

That out of the way, thank you to everyone for the amazing reviews and encouragement you've sent my way. Acknowledgments will have wait, or I won't get this posted, but really, it's always great to see an email saying somebody has reviewed/commented on the story. Welcome to two Guests and I hope you'll stay with this story as it unfolds.

For those who asked, yes, you'll get to find out how Souji and Heisuke are doing post-Oni-battle. Just not in this chapter (sorry!). There's a lot going on...

And now, back to my Oni story on this site so far...

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Chapter 20 – The Princess

Chizuru's headache seemed to be concentrated around her forehead between her temples. Her body also ached, but not quite as fiercely as her head. She alternated between fear of being taken away by the cruel blond man and anxiety about not being appropriately dressed for visitors. Some part of her recognized the incongruity, but not enough to calm her.

Saitō was not actually gone for very long, and he returned with cold water from the well. With deft, silent movements, he filled the hand basin with water and lavender oil, dampened one of the clean rags that Chizuru always kept on hand, and wiped the sweat away from her forehead and the back of her neck. He also bathed her wrists, which she had once told him was soothing for patients with fevers or sun-stroke.

Chizuru kept her eyes closed, mostly because they hurt but also to alleviate her embarrassment at having somebody like Saitō-san look after her in such a way. However, whether it was his presence or the lavender water or both, her headache gradually seemed to ease. At the same time, she became aware that the occasional touch of his fingers on her fevered skin seemed to relieve the more pervasive aches, which was rather strange.

"Shitsurei shimasu," called an unfamiliar voice from outside her door.

"Enter, Yamazaki-kun," Saitō responded calmly.

Chizuru turned her face and saw the shinobi with purple eyes from the night before. The eyes made her think of Hijikata-san, and she hoped that he wouldn't be angry that both Saitō-san and Yamazaki-san were pulled away from their duties.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Yamazaki-san," she said politely, if rather faintly. "I'm glad you are well after last night's battle."

"Arigatou, Yukimura-kun."

He knelt down beside her, and she finally realized that Yamazaki-san must be the Shinsengumi's medic. She wondered if he had been told about her. A moment later she decided that he must know, since Saitō-san wasn't concerned. The medic laid his wrist against her forehead and then her cheek and shook his head a little.

"It's not easy to tell, since you've been cooling the skin, but she does appear to have a fever. Yukimura-kun, I must ask some questions."

"Hai."

He went on to ask her about her appetite, breathing, fatigue and a number of other things. Chizuru was very glad when he finally told Saitō-san that he had no more questions. Her eyes had closed again, this time involuntarily, and she found herself enjoying the murmur of the low voices above her. She could sense Saitō-san's still presence, as cool and pleasant as the lavender-scented water, and she noticed that Yamazaki-san made an effort to be calm around his patients, of which she approved.

"She is feverish and in some pain, but has no other notable symptoms," Yamazaki told Saitō with a shrug. "It could be the start of influenza; for all our sakes I hope it isn't. It was warm last night and she was running – quite a distance actually – and then of course the inn was stifling on the upper floors. It could be heat sickness."

Chizuru wanted to protest that she wasn't as weak as all that. She had managed more difficult things in the past without being ill. But for some reason Saitō's fingers pressed down on her wrist at that moment and she was given the distinct impression that he wanted her to remain silent. She almost felt as if she could hear him reminding her that a little pride was a small price to pay for keeping some aspects of last night confidential.

"Yes, Saitō-san," she murmured sleepily. Fortunately, she didn't notice that she had reached out to curl her fingers over the hand holding her wrist, since it would have embarrassed her very much.

"Did she take willow-bark earlier?" Yamazaki asked quietly. If he saw anything strange in the scene he neither commented nor allowed any surprise to register on his face.

"Aa. After she brewed it last month she always kept a flask nearby."

Yamazaki, who knew that the medicine could be useful to deal with some of the aftereffects of too much sake, nodded his understanding. He had seen less of the division captains since Chizuru had been allowed to look after their minor ailments. Her treatments were supposed to be cleared with him first, but he knew that for a few things they simply went to her as a matter of course now.

"I will check in again this evening, but you can always call me sooner, taichō. I will let the Vice Commander know how she is."

Saitō nodded and Yamazaki silently withdrew.

Eventually, Saitō tried to shift the girl's hand off his fingers. He was curiously reluctant to move, but it didn't seem appropriate to stay like this for too long. He knew how he felt, but not what to do. He wasn't at all sure how Yukimura saw him, although she appeared to be comfortable in his company. Earlier, she hadn't wanted him to leave, but he didn't know how much of that was related to the strange fever. Asking her directly how she felt was beyond him right now, although it had a certain attractive simplicity. Fortunately, he was quite good at being patient.

He was still thinking about the Vice Commander's advice. Hijikata-san said that he should trust himself, but what did that mean? He was a soldier as well as a warrior – more so than many of the others, perhaps – a sword to be employed at need by his commander. He could take a life faster and more efficiently than most because of a fluke of natural speed and strength combined with an inclination for hard work. He had killed more men than he could honestly remember and would no doubt kill again at need or as ordered. What could he offer a girl who only wanted to do good and never harm? That worried him.

Or maybe she was generous-hearted enough to accept him despite who he was and what he did? Sometimes, recently, he had thought that might be possible. Except… if he were honest, he wanted something more than that. It seemed like a lot to ask for, though.

Very slowly, so as not to wake her, Saitō gently moved the small hand away from his fingers and lifted his hand from her wrist. For the first time he felt like he understood the look he had seen sometimes on lovers' faces when they touched – fingers intertwining in an unspoken greeting, or a hand tracing the curve of a cheek in farewell. It was a very strange sensation, like being warm and shivering at the same time. He found it unsettling.

Chizuru didn't seem happy that he had moved, but although she murmured a protest she didn't wake. Her skin seemed much cooler now in any event. He could only hope that his own headache would fade soon as well. His body felt like he had been fighting desperately the night before when in fact he had done comparatively little. He took some of the willow-bark medicine and settled into his favourite kneeling position to wait and compose himself.

Shortly before noon, he heard a light tap on the sliding window shutter. Seeing the man's outline against the heavy paper, he went quickly to the door and stepped out.

"Vice Commander?"

Hijikata noted that Saitō looked entirely himself again and decided that it didn't mean much. Sometimes he had to remind himself that Saitō and Sōji were the same age – just past twenty – and not much older than Heisuke. Kids. But he found it difficult to think of Saitō as a kid anymore.

"How is Yukimura?"

"She is sleeping, but I believe she is improved. Yamazaki could not find anything specifically wrong with her."

"Could it be related to last night events?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. How are Sōji and Heisuke?"

Hijikata smiled slightly.

"Both have slight fevers and complain of general pain, but that could be attributed to their injuries – although Sōji doesn't have any external wounds."

"I heard."

"So I guess that leaves you, Saitō. Headache? Fever? Aches?"

"Yes. Almost gone now."

"Right. Get food if you want it and then get some sleep. I want you go on a short patrol this evening and start regular patrols again tomorrow."

"Hai."

Inclining his head politely, Saitō walked away. He regretted not returning to Chizuru's side, but this was more practical.

Hijikata stood leaning against the wall by Chizuru's window for about ten minutes. Just as his brows were starting to lower, Nagakura came hurrying up. His hand had been neatly bandaged and he looked very fit, all things considered.

"Gomene, Hijikata-san. You said it was okay to get a quick lunch."

"It's fine, Nagakura. If Chizuru wakes up tell her to wait to be seen by Yamakazi before leaving her room, okay?"

"Sure, Vice Commander. Anything else?"

"How are you feeling today?"

"Alright I guess. I got some sleep this morning, which helped. Yamazaki says the hand will be fine – and I've always been able to heal up pretty quick anyway."

Hijikata nodded. They'd all been very lucky on the whole, until Sannan had gotten hurt. He'd just have to make sure they survived the current round of madness. Which reminded him…

"This morning we're pretty sure we had an intruder in the yard – one of the strange guys that Sōji, Harada and Saitō saw. But if he was there then we couldn't see him."

Nagakura looked strangely at him.

"Uh, Hijikata-san, do mean you couldn't find him or that he was invisible?"

"Well… more the second, actually."

"Great. I can't wait to meet these guys, they sound interesting."

"Hmm," Hijikata responded noncommittally. He'd be happy never to see them again. He just didn't think he'd be that lucky.

He was growing more worried about Sōji. Something had been off for a while now. Maybe he'd ask Kondō to spend some extra time with the young hothead while he was stuck in bed. And sometime in all of this he needed to touch base a bit more often with Sannan. The man was growing more reclusive again and it would likely get worse with every incident where he was left behind. Somehow it didn't seem like a good idea to let him spend so much of his time with the rasetsu.

Damn it. He did not need magic and evil spirits and strange illnesses on top of everything else. And the Ikedaya raid had been a success, hadn't it? He ignored the growing headache and strode off toward the common room. Maybe he could talk to Kondō at lunch…

Harada Sanosuke led a small combined squad of eight men along a modified patrol route. He wasn't surprised to see that the streets were quiet. After last night's display, things were likely to be subdued for at least a couple of days. He agreed with Kondō-san and Hijikata-san, though, that letting people know that it was business as usual for the Shinsengumi was a good show of strength.

He was still having some difficulty adjusting to his new sensitivity to the people around him. The feelings from the townsfolk ranged from slight fear to concealed hostility. He made a point of stopping to talk to an older woman who actually seemed friendly and probably gave her a little too much for the small orange he'd bought. Ah well, Chizuru would approve and the orange was for her anyway.

He was glad he'd gotten a chance to rest for a couple of hours after his "chat" with Hijikata. Not that he felt terrible, but he wasn't a hundred percent and the nap seemed to have helped the headache. He'd worn a head-guard a few times while nursing a hangover and it wasn't fun. He figured that Shinpachi probably wore that green bandana because it gave him an excuse not to wear regulation head-gear when he was a feeling a little the worse for wear.

They were just completing the last quarter of the patrol, which skirted the edge of Shimabara, when he felt somebody looking at him. Not staring with loathing or fear at the blue coat, which he was used to, but more… checking him out? Mind you, it wasn't that people didn't notice him, but usually any attraction was quickly overcome at the sight of the uniform. But anyway… whoever was looking at him now was definitely interested. In exactly what way he couldn't tell except it seemed friendly.

He slowed gradually and the well-trained soldiers behind him did likewise, at the same time spreading out just enough to become more of an obstacle to whoever the taichō was tracking. When he thought he was about level with his "admirer", Harada signalled a stop and turned to talk to his temporary second-in-command. He gave the man credit for playing along while he scanned the crowd, such as it was.

He was surprised to find that the person watching him was a girl or young woman of obviously good birth accompanied by a rather formidable, much taller woman dressed in a severely-styled dark kimono. Harada almost managed to catch the girl's eyes, but her companion deliberately stepped between them with a haughty look and tried to hurry her away. It almost succeeded, but the girl looked back over her shoulder just as they rounded a corner and gave the spearman such a dazzling smile that he automatically grinned back at her.

Curious, he gestured for his squad to wait while he tracked the women's movements. Unfortunately, bad luck with a passing cart made him lose track of them despite his height advantage.

Thoughtful, he led his men back to headquarters. Harada might be easy-going by Shinsengumi standards, but he was also an intelligent and experienced officer. She wanted to see me, he thought. I wonder why. And how did I know where she was anyway?

"Yes!" Sen cried aloud, barely restraining herself from hugging the sombrely clad shinobi as the latter closed the door behind them.

Kimigiku eyed her tolerantly. Sen took off her sandals and hurried into the main sitting room of the house.

"Oh I'm so annoyed that Amagiri found out first – or rather, Shiranui did – but it can't be helped! That man – the red-head with the beautiful eyes – that's the Tenth Division Captain, right? Harada."

"Yes, Princess."

"Well, his Gifts are coming along and without some of the hindrances others of part-blood have found, wouldn't you say Kimigiku? Enough to give us hope that some of Amagiri's other news is true? Although Harada-san is surprisingly open-minded for a man raised among humans. If there are others, it may not be going as well for them."

"You would know better than I, Princess. But I have seen Harada-san before. He and his friends come to Shimabara from time to time. Not as often lately. They've been busy."

"What's he like?" Sen perched on a cushion, yellow silk kimono pooling slightly around her. Her clear magenta eyes shone. The idea that a wholly latent individual – a human, really – could come so far without years of teaching and struggle and pain was incredible. She wondered if her many, many times great-grandfather had been like this man.

Kimigiku was smiling a little nervously.

"Princess, we really can't just walk off with one or more captains of the Shinsengumi…"

"I know. But we can get to know them, can't we? And especially the girl. I hope I can help her."

"Yes. That must certainly be done. And before your cousin returns if possible."

"I'll manage it. I don't undervalue Chikage, you know. He's aggravating and arrogant and stubborn as a two-headed donkey -"

"You seem to have lost the thread of your sentence, Princess," her companion murmured with a small smile.

Sen waved a hand airily.

"But he's actually very loyal, honourable and yes, a capable leader."

The shinobi poured tea. As she moved, the severely plain kimono rippled and became trousers and a close-fitting tunic, both of which hugged her tall curving figure.

"And you still won't marry him?"

"No."

This was said very seriously, and the Oni princess' eyes darkened perceptibly.

"I can't," she continued, sadness and a hint of loneliness in her voice. "I admire Chikage – at least, sometimes – and I care about him. I love him as one of the closest members of my family."

She considered the last statement and clarified: "He's the annoying elder brother I never had."

Kimigiku laughed, but Sen just gave a quick smile and continued more seriously.

"You know that he helped me a great deal when my mother died. And his sympathy was sincere."

"I know that you honour your mother's memory."

"It's not just that, Kimigiku. I believe that she, and my grandmother, and those before them, were right. How many pureblood Oni are left?"

The taller woman was silent, hands cupped around her tea. It was an old argument.

"Fewer than fifty," continued Sen, implacably. "And out of those, eleven women. Of whom four are directly related to Chikage – sister, mother, grandmother, aunt. I must credit the Kazama family for one thing: they may have ignored our clan's warnings for centuries, but they were attractive enough to find loving mates and so bred true through many generations."

Kimigiku still said nothing. This was familiar territory to her and she was deeply saddened for her young charge. Of course, if Sen-hime didn't marry Kazama Chikage – or his younger brother – then it would be an inferior marriage, pureblood or not. Nevertheless, the shinobi still hoped that the Princess of the Oni would marry among her own kind. Taking Suzuka-gozen's route was taking a chance on a myth, although she would never say so aloud. She didn't need to, since Sen-hime could usually read the hearts of those around her easily enough.

"Right," said Sen with a smile, sadness once again banished by unquenchable determination. "We'll make sure to meet all of the Shinsengumi commanders as soon as possible. Now tell me about Harada-san. Does he have a first name?"

When Harada arrived with Chizuru's dinner, he found Saitō standing not far from her door looking up at the evening sky. Saitō was in uniform and as calm as usual, which Harada found surprisingly pleasant after an afternoon of hostility from the citizens of Kyoto. He had duly reported the one notable exception to the Vice Commander upon his return.

"Shinpachi just went to dinner," said Saitō as Harada approached. "I've eaten."

"You're out on patrol this evening?" the tall red-head asked. "They were still organizing the squads when I went out this afternoon."

"Yes, but only until midnight. Harada – did you have a headache or fever at all today? A few of us have suffered similar symptoms."

Harada nodded, curious. "Yes, but not too bad. You?"

"It was uncomfortable for a time. Yukimura was much worse than anyone else, but she is better now."

"More mysteries?"

"Aa."

They stood there in silence for a moment, and then Saitō nodded to Harada and walked off toward the main gate. So far, so good, the spearman thought. Except that with Saitō he might not even know there was a problem until he found a sword at his throat. Well, no, that was unfair. With a shrug, the Tenth Division Captain announced himself at the door.

A/Note: Thank you to all for reading. :)