A/N: Veen some time ain't it. Well, as much as I like writing on Fanfiction, I enjoy reading there too. Soooooo, I've been doing reading which is slowing down my writing time. I think that I might get in alot of time now, considering all the circumstances. Well, I hope you enjoy this.

Run...Run...Run

It was an unmistakable feel of horror raging in Kaoru's body after that. She calmly sat at dinner sipping down soup across from her husband who was drinking red wine. Things were going from bad to worse. That's all that happened when he got drunk. Sighing, Kaoru decded to retreat, but as she stood Enishi coaxed her down. " Finished so soon my dear?" he asked with a Cheshire cat like grin.

" Y-yes. I'm going back to my quarter." she stated trying not to make the shake raging in her voice audible to her husband. That would only make what was going to happen so much more painful.

" I see. I guess I'll meet you there." he wasn't going to stop her. Really this whole thing was a game to him. It was just a really fun game. The reason it was so fun? Only he knew the rules.

Snickering, Enishi tipped the glass at his lips but never did he take a sip. There was somethig about Kaoru that was starting to irritate him. It didn't make any sense. He scared the hell out of her earlier, just to set her in place. The last thing he expected was her actually do what he set out to accompish. Enishi growled and slammed the glass on the table a drop of it staining the lacy white cloth. " Who does that women thinks she is?" he growled. " You can't hide any emotions from me Sapphire," he started to stormed to the main foyar. " You can't hide anything at all."

--

" Wakey wakey Ken-san. Come on, wake up for me...pleeeeeasssssssssssee." the voice, begging, nagged at the red head and he lifted up holding his head. From the sensation, a blanket was drapped over his lower body and a pillow was against his back. He must have fallen into a deeper sleep than he realized.

" Megumi-dono?" he asked.

" Ummmhmmm." a giggle came from another woman.

" Tsubame-chan." Megumi gave that testy voice.

" Tsubame?" Kenshin questioned.

" Yes, she is my live-in apprentice. And she can make some of the best dishes I've tasted. Speaking of...don't you have something for him Tsubame?" the foxy voice was overwhelming for Kenshin. His mind was still foggy from everything that had occured lately. The battle at the cresent? What happened? He couldn't remeber. He remembered saving Soujiro; that wasn't really a difficult task. then he was shoved in and landed on a ledge. Was that right? He kept questioning himself as Megumi tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

" Would you like help Ken-san?" she asked. Shaking no, Kenshin smiled and grabbed the chopsticks beginning to eat. " You work as though you've been blind before.

" I've been hit by a budgeby bomb before." he told her.

" Oh, what happened? Well- I'm mean, why were you hit?"

" Shishou did it. To challenge me. "

" So it was on purpose, as a test?" the shock that grasped Megumi's voice was flaring as ever second passed. The energy that she emit from just one tellin was really easy for him to spot.

Trying to gather his words, Kenshin swallowed and said: " Well, it's not good to just learn, but endure. If you know what you're up against, it makes it easier to know how to take the best course of action the second time." he took another bite. He was right. Megumi, at least when she was faced with something she had never seen before, figured out by narrowing down and then when the person left wrote it down to know exactly what she should do if it should come up again. Kenshin was wise beyond his years, she couldn't deny that.

Turning around, Megumi closed the curtain to Kenshin's bed. He was patient, and therefore needed his privacy. " Had it happen before huh?" she asked between a laugh and a sob. " Then what will a second time do. No one's faced this before." The reason be, no one could take the poison that would emit from he bomb when it made contact. She was scare as she mumbled to herself. " Ken-san..." tears pricked. "... can you make it?"

--

Kaoru swallowed very hard as she stripped down to just a simple silky gown that you could practically see through. If she made it look like it was what she wanted, then maybe he would reject it and things would go smoothely. Gulping, Kaoru heard his footsteps; Enishi drew near. She pulled her hair down and placed the crown on her vanity. Finally she braided it as fast as her fingers would let her and slowed when the door clicked open.

" My sweet," Enishi purred and peeked to his wife. " Are we getting ready?" he came over and placed his gloved hands over her shoulders reaching to her ear. " You look ravenous my sweet." Kaoru shuddered but kissed him nonetheless. " You are very in the moment, Give me some time dearest, well head to my bedroom."

Separte bedrooms for the two when Enishi wasn't ' in the mood'. Kaoru was glad when he wasn't which was three-fourth's of the time. Swallowing another large ball of saliva that practically choked her, Kaoru gazed into her crystalline mirror and scream when she saw a half-naked Yahiko looking at her.

" Busu, what's up?" Kaoru held her hand at her chest and sucked in breath as fast as she could.

" What do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" she asked still spooked.

" Hey, I just came from the springs." he wiped off his hair while he hiked up his towel as not to reveal anything to the teenage queen. " They're nice. You guys could make a profit."

" It's ours, no one elses. Now go, Enishi will be here any minute."

As Yahiko exited, Enishi entered and smiled. He was in a cape and nothing more, Kaoru smiled. ' Grin and bear it' she told herself over and over again. ' Grin and bear it.'

" Now my darling. Come with me?" he extended a hand and his voice was a purr that hid deceit. Kaoru stood and walked to him, accidently tripping into his arms. " You are such a playful little creature aren't you?" he asked kissing her. Her eyes went half lidded, and she did all she could not to knee him in his groin. He began, almost as a dance with her through the halls which he had ordered empty. They galloped down the stairs and he went to the back.

" Where- where are we -g-going." it was hard for her to get a word out with him running kisses on her neck. Enishi put his head near her cleavage his hand rising as he forced her to the springs. He dropped the cape and lead her like she was under his spell. " My queen. You are so radient when you try to be stoic." Kaoru became scared. He knew her secret. Her secret to success one might say.

Suffocation enveloped her as Enishi tried desparetely to pull..no.. rip her gown off. her hair had already fallen and she was practicaly lifeless in his arms to the heat of the spring. " Come now my dear. Give daddy what he wants."

Oh god the pain, the torment, and she felt it. The tremendous feeling of insecurity she had now. Her mouth was dry, and her face was pale. She was slumped in the spring as Enishi pulled her out. " Now dear. What was thaty about free will or something?" he cackled and dropped her in again. " Don't think you can double cross me. And that boy?" Kaoru's eyes widened in her almost drunk stupor. " He'll be dead. Tomorrow morning, my dear. Say your good-byes."

Kaoru gazed as the guards kept ahold of Yahiko who throttled to keep away. His hands were tied behind his back and finally one clubbed him to knock him away from the concious world. Kaoru cried, she cried like no tomorrow and finally she passed out herself in all the agony.

" Kaoru? Kaoru?" Misao asked. The voice was tunneled and hardly audible. " Kaoru?" she asked again.

" Misao-chan?" Kaoru asked. Her forehead was covered with a cloth and she babbled to herself endlessly and cried into a handkerchief, Misao at her side.

" That..TYRANT!" she bellowed.

" Misao...he'll here you."

" Well, good." she huffed and continued to wipe her friend's forehead. Kaoru coughed and looked at her legs which ached at just moving. A bit of blood seeped as she stood and limped to walk. " Kaoru. You need to stay down and rest. Your body.."

" I don't care." the tears had made her face numb and she struggled to hang to a wall. " I'm getting out of here, and I will find that warrior that brought me here. I'll give that man a piece of my mind. I...I...I need someone too protect me." she balled and fell to floor. " I ant him. I want that warrior." she said muffled to her soaking wet dress. " I need to save Yahiko." she said and stood . " Misao, get me a travel dress. Something that the public wears. And a cloak, alright?" Misao nodded and ran to collect the items. Kaoru brushed out her hair grabbing a fan. She kept it a braid and turned to Misao undressing and redressing. It was a dark green, almosty like pine. She placed the cloak over her shoulder and hooked it.

" Will I see you Kao?" she had to ask.

" You want to come? I would like a friend." Misao nodded and ran down the velvetty marble steps in tow of her friend as they followed down the mounds of steps and corridors, and god the doors. There had to have been thousands, and not a guard in sight. Kaoru grabbed a torch as she reached the the cement dungeon. A smell of a rotting who knows what reached their noses. The sense of terror and break-down carresed them. It was hard to see, even with the light of the torch, and she would walk into a puddle or touch mold every now and then.

" Why do you have a dungeon like this?" Misao yelped when she heard a bat fly.

" It's Enishi," she said wiping away a spider-web. " Not me."

" He's creepy." Kaoru didn't respond as she got the keys from the guard which took a little womanly charm, and alot of butt-kicking action. He was too easdy. Unlocking the cell containing her friend, Kaoru coaxed Yahiko out, but decided to go out the back door.

The forest was surrounded in the far by a wall and Kasoru ran climbing up with her friends at her tail. Yahiko reached first and helped the young queen. She still had tears running. Standing, Kaoru looked at the palace she once thought grand. Clutching her cloak she began to run as she climbed down. Her legs hurt. She could still feel the blood and the seman mixing. It was a powerful feeling, but the feeling was more as she thought of who did it. It forced her to run, even in the shoes hich had a small heel to them. Yahiko and Misao clasped hands trying to keep up with the scared princess. " Where are you going?" Misao managed when Kaoru stopped for a breath and to take a drink from the stream. She was a princess, but she knew how to do anything a povertious person culd. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her face. It was dirty and scuffed and a hickie was on her neck. Enishi was really rough. Wiping away tears that no longer belinged, she answered.

" To..." it was hard to talk as she thought about were Tiger-Lily might have went if he survived. " ..To..." someone whi would care." Megumi's Medicine."

A/N": Kaoru's out of Enishi's clutched, but for how long? With an execute vitcim gone and the queen a manhunt will ensue. I really got choked upm, and my mom and friends helped me with describing teh dungeon. I hope you liekd it as mucvh as I did...( I cried...almost) Til, mext time, KenSan out!