A/N: Thank you, scarylady, for the suggestion. I am really sorry. I did not think about warning anyone about the child rape scene. It totally escaped my mind. I guess I was too involved in writing the story itself. This whole story contains scenes on child rape here and there. I am sorry for those who take offense in this and I really did not mean to offend anyone. It is purely fictional. Once again, my deepest and sincerest apologies.

Chapter 1

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Fated Encounter

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The land of Khaheleb was a beautiful country ruled for thousands of years by a family chosen by the god of flame, Dioni. Protected by Dioni throughout centuries, Khaheleb never did face enormous tragedies by nature or by the hands of man. As such, the people of Khaheleb do not take for granted the laws of their land. They know that as long as they follow the laws of the land, Dioni will shine on them and bless them and their families.

It was an old culture but many still respect it.

The family chosen by Dioni was the household of Himura. The household of Himura has always kept the laws of the land. True, there have been unfortunate times when certain rulers tried to abuse their power but the other family members have always neutralised the effect. It was the only way to protect the land.

The land flourished, the people prospered and alliances were made with neighbouring lands.

Kenshin, son of Himura looked at the land he had left behind for nearly eight years of his life. He stood on the top of the mountain and kept his eyes down on the place that would soon be his. Never in his life had he imagined he would one day be the ruler of such a vast and bountiful land. Soon, a great deal of responsibilities and expectations were going to be placed on his shoulders. Instead of fearing them, Kenshin looked forward to his future.

He was not very tall. In fact, unlike most men in his family, he was quite vertically challenged. He followed his mother in this sense and was not proud of it. Over the years, he has been teased mercilessly due to his height and colouring. Kenshin frowned. His flaming red hair has been the talk of the lands for years. For nearly a century, there were no red heads born in the household of Himura. His birth had made his parents very happy. Even then, his sister and his best friend had never missed a chance of teasing him.

Kenshin took a deep breath and sighed, content. It was good to be home. He was looking forward to meeting his parents and his sister. His best friend, Sanosuke, son of Sagara, should be home about this time too. They had separated for training purposes and now that their training has been completed, Kenshin looked forward to catching up.

The sky was bright and clear. Kenshin could hear the birds chirping and the wind blowing softly, playing with the leaves on the trees. It was all so peaceful. Life with his master had been anything but peaceful. It was tough and rough but it had been worth it.

Reining his horse, Kenshin turned around and rode down. He could not wait to get home.

XXX

With the sun bright against her back, Kaoru, daughter of Kamiya, scrubbed the clothes she had brought in her basket. She had started nearly an hour ago but the huge amounts of clothes and the heat of the sun had slowed her pace. Beads of perspiration dripped down her face and her skin burned a bright red. She felt hot, sluggish and tired. The past few days had been rather hectic and Kaoru wanted nothing more than a place to lay her head.

She knew better than to complain. Complaining only got her more work as a punishment. If not because of her past, Kaoru could have left this place and moved away to start afresh but it seems the gods held a grudge against her. She was tied down to a house that not only despised her but also enjoyed torturing her.

Lots of work, little food and terrible accommodations.

Kaoru sighed.

She kept on scrubbing, careful to avoid scrubbing too hard. The last time she had accidentally torn her sister's robes...stepsister, Kaoru corrected with a frown, she was forced to brush the entire house and was denied dinner for a week. She had almost fainted by the end of the week and only Tae's kind heart had saved her.

Bless her soul. Her old babysitter had a heart of gold.

Kaoru kept on washing. Tomorrow was her day off and she wanted to visit her mother. The weekly visits were helping her mother and Kaoru did not want to stop now. Her mother was her only living relative and Kaoru missed feeling her mother's safe arms around her.

Would she be living as someone else's maid had her mother been around for her?

Kaoru did not know the answer to that question. The gods work in mysterious ways and Kaoru was always one to put her faith in the gods.

Carefully, she rinsed the clothes, one by one, at the river bank. There was no one around her and Kaoru could work in peace. After all, only an idiot would wash clothes in such hot weather.

Her sister...no, her stepsister, had insisted she washed the clothes today.

Rinsing and wringing the clothes, Kaoru hummed softly to herself and enjoyed the peace around her. The river was a quite a distance from the village and usually, the womenfolk would head together to do the morning laundry. Kaoru had been held back. Somehow, she did not mind it. Not many were comfortable around her. She only had very few friends.

After all, not many would want to befriend a murderess' daughter, would they?

Kaoru had heard them talking about her and her mother when they thought she could not hear them. Their children were not allowed to speak to her. The men made crude suggestions when she passed by. The women totally avoided her. She was used to it.

As she piled the clean clothes into her basket, she smiled ruefully.

They did not know who she was. They did not know the reason her mother had committed such an atrocious act. She knew. She knew why her mother had killed. She knew why her mother had sacrificed her whole future. She knew and she did not blame her mother.

Reaching her hand into her sleeve for a cloth, Kaoru slowly wiped away the sweat covering her and tugged the cloth in again. She then untied her hair from the bun and tied it up into a ponytail. The cool breeze made her smile as she picked up her laundry and walked home. It was a long day and she was going to have to pick up the pace if she did not want to sacrifice her sleep.

XXX

The land had changed over the course of eight years. Kenshin could see small changes here and there. The villages were far apart and the settlements were always near rivers. As he headed into the main city, Kenshin trotted lightly on his horse. He wanted to savour the feeling of being home. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and the weather was magnificent. He would not trade this moment for anything.

Turning, Kenshin stopped and frowned.

A few feet before him, stood a woman with a basket of clothes piled beside her. He could not see her face but he could see the beads of sweat kissing her skin. Her dark hair was in a tight bun. Even as he watched, he saw her take out a cloth and slowly wiped the sweat away. She then took the bun out and shook her hair. Kenshin felt like the air in his chest simply disappeared. Never had he seen such beautiful hair on a woman before. It looked like pure black silk, cascading down her small back, right until her bottom. She shook it a few times and then gathered her hair into a high ponytail, much like his. She secured it with a blue ribbon. Kenshin watched as the petite woman leaned down and carried the basket. Then, she sifted it to her head and balanced the load before walking back towards the main village.

Part of him stayed rooted at his place. The other part of him demanded he help her. Stunned, Kenshin did nothing. He knew he could do nothing. Rumours would fly if he was spotted with a woman just when he returned home. He watched her leave, obviously used to the load as she walked gracefully even with a heavy load on her head. Then, he frowned.

The river was quite a distance from the village. He had no doubt that this woman was a maid. She had to be. But as far as he knew, women usually travelled in groups to the river to wash clothes. Why was she alone? It was very dangerous.

Convinced it was for her own safety, she was one of his as well, Kenshin rode behind her, watching her movements closely. He could barely make out her body as she wore a loose robe. He watched her until she reached the village and disappeared.

Satisfied and just a little guilty for not helping her, Kenshin headed home. He firmly put her out of his mind and rode easily across the village to his home, a huge manor at the top of a hill.

The manor that had held the house of Himura for years stood majestically on the hill. It was not a large hill, so the people were not inconvenienced. It was a land, given by the gods, to the first head of Himura chosen to rule over Khaheleb. Amazingly, even after thousands of years, without any manpower, the house of Himura needed no tending to. It looked as new and beautiful as it was for many years. Some people say that the gods looked down on them and blessed them for caring for the people.

Kenshin rode through the gates and soon reached the front of his home. There standing at the door were his parents and his sister.

Syousuke, son of Himura, stood tall and proud next to his petite lady, Aya, daughter of Ryuzaki. He was a fierce looking man of forty and nine. His violet eyes were mischievous as it landed on his son. His dark brown hair was long and tied to the base of his neck. Dressed in a light blue attire, he greeted his only son with huge smile.

"Kenshin, welcome home, my boy!"

"Father," Kenshin greeted as he hugged his father and bowed down before kissing his father's hand. His father slapped him easily on his back, glad to see his son back after so many years.

"How has your training been progressing?"

Kenshin grinned. "You are talking to your son, father. I did well. Master Hiko is very happy with my progress. He is planning to come down soon."

"That's good. That's good. My old friend is always welcome here. It is his fault for living in seclusion."

"It is for the training."

Aya huffed. "Enough of all this training business. Come and greet your mother, boy!"

Kenshin laughed and hugged his mother tightly. He was only a head taller than his mother and still far shorter than his father. It always made his self-conscious.

"Mother, how are you?"

Aya smiled lovingly and raised a hand so her son could kiss it. Kenshin leaned down and kissed his mother's hand. A sign of deep respect.

"At least your manners have not changed. I was afraid that bullying drunkard would have corrupted you somehow."

Kenshin laughed easily.

"I am sure if Master Hiko wanted to corrupt our little midget, it would be in an entirely different sense, right, Kenshin?" a voice towards his father's side said.

"Hei! Megumi!"

Kenshin looked at his younger sister. She was nearly five years his junior. As he himself was already twenty and six, Megumi was at the ripe age to marry at twenty and one. He knew that his sister and his best friend had a certain love/hate relationship going on but he did not know how her private life is now. It made him wonder who his sister would eventually settle down with.

"Master Hiko did not such thing. Besides, I'm a man!"

Syousuke laughed. "He had better not try anything."

Kenshin looked scandalized. "He did not. The only thing he did was bringing back women and kicking me out of the house in the cold. He called it personality training," Kenshin grumbled as they headed inside.

"Your girlish looks did not attract him? Oh dear, you are losing your touch, Kenshin boy!" Megumi said as she laughed wickedly.

"Megumi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Well, you used to attract a lot of men when you were young, Kenshin," Aya said with laughter in her eyes.

Kenshin growled. "Would you stop it? Honestly, this is way too embarrassing."

"I agree," Syousuke said drily as he kissed his dark haired wife. "Stop questioning my son's manhood, Aya."

"Father!"

"Ohohohoho!"

Kenshin shook his head and sat down with his family. It was good to be back home for real this time.

"I cooked today, Kenshin, so you better eat up, alright? I do not want any food going to waste," Aya said as she rubbed Kenshin's head. Her boy had turned into a man and she did not have the blessings to watch him grow.

"I will, mother. How is Khaheleb? I have not been keeping in touch."

"We are all doing well. The crops are magnificent this year and the poultry has fared well. We have a good year ahead."

"We are planning a welcoming home party, Kenshin."

Kenshin frowned. "Mother, I just returned home. Can't we keep it for another time?"

Aya shook her glorious dark hair. "All the preparations have been done for tomorrow. It is too late to change it now."

Syousuke raised a well shaped eyebrow knowingly. He knew his lady wanted nothing more than her son to settle down seriously in life. Without doubt, she had invited every beautiful and single woman around for the party.

"I am just exhausted. But if the preparations are done, I am willing to attend. But don't expect me to be at my best," Kenshin warned.

"Of course not."

"Well, shall we eat? I'm starved."

"Did someone say food?"

Heads turned to see the newcomer and Kenshin grinned instantly at the sight of his best friend. Tall and tan skinned, Sanosuke stood at the threshold, grinning at the household of Himura.

"Sano!"

"Hey man! Glad to see you! Hiko kicked your butt?"

"I'm sure the temple priests kicked yours too."

"Che, I wouldn't let them. I'm much better."

"Yeah, right. Much better at getting beaten up," Megumi grumbled as she glared at Sano.

Sano smirked. "Miss me, foxy?"

"Dream on, rooster."

"Megumi..."

"Sorry, father."

"Welcome back, Sano. Is everyone at home well?"

Sano bowed down at Syousuke and leaned to kiss his hand. He looked up at the father of the woman he loved and grinned recklessly. "Oh yeah, they are fine. They wish you well."

"So do I. Will you join us for a meal?"

"Don't mind if I do."

"Leech."

"Damn right I am."

"Sanosuke."

Sano paled and grinned weakly at Aya.

"Sorry, my lady. Usage of bad words are forbidden in this house."

"Yes, it is. Now, why don't we head into the dining? My son is starving."

Sano laughed and followed them.

"So am I."

Aya simply shrugged as she nodded to the maid. "But you're not my son."

Pretending to be hurt, Sano held his heart. "Aah, what a broken heart could do? You won't hold that against me and say no to food, right?"

Aya laughed along with the others. "No, Sano, you may still join us for the meal."

"Great!"

"Leech," Megumi said loudly as she breezed past him.

Sano had to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing her hand. It would not do to make a pass at the princess of the household of Himura right in front of her father and brother. Both were overprotective males. Until Sano could prove himself to be worthy, he could not approach Megumi openly.

"Fox."

"Hmmph!"

"You enjoy riling my sister up, Sano," Kenshin said quietly as they adjourned to the dining.

It was a smaller room than the one used to entertain guests. A low table was set at the centre of the room and a large hand woven cloth was spread on top of it. Surrounding the table were countless of soft cushions to sit or recline on. Unlike the customs of the land, in private, the household of Himura dine together. The women sit together with the men. As theirs was a small family, Syousuke did not even consider making his wife dine elsewhere.

"Well, she looks rather adorable when she rolls her eyes," Sano said absently, staring at the food.

Kenshin chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder if you fell in love with Meg or with the food."

Leaving Sano with his mouth hanging wide open, Kenshin took his place beside his father. He was no fool. He knew Sano and Megumi were in love with each other. It was rather hard to miss that since he found them exploring each other's mouths the previous summer.

But does Megumi still love Sano?

He had his answer the moment his sister laid her eyes on Sano. She just lit up at the mere sound of his voice. Kenshin knew Megumi did not care about money or status. He, too, did not. So he did not mind them getting together as long as Sano kept her happy.

Sitting around the table and enjoying a wonderful meal, Kenshin forgot all about the mysterious woman he saw in the afternoon.

The two men walked in the gardens, working out the heavy meal Aya had prepared. The silence was not an uncomfortable one. They were used to each other's presence. After a long time, Kenshin was glad to see his old friend had not changed much over the years.

"How was your training?" Kenshin asked as sat on the high wall surrounding his home. From his position, he could see the village his family lived with.

"It was hard but it was worth every second. The temple priests were not exactly the most hospitable of people but they knew what they were teaching. I have honed my skills well."

"You are lucky, Sano. Not many have your talents. The gift of sight is something you should treasure," Kenshin said softly, as he faced his friend.

They both knew how much Sano had suffered when he was much younger. The brown haired man had only touched something or someone and he would be assaulted with their past, present or future. It could be a gift or a curse. Sano thought of it more as a curse. Due to his unique ability, he could barely leave his home in case he was assaulted by someone's memories. Besides, he found it intrusive. It wasn't until he saw his own mother's death in front of his eyes that he had started seeking a way to control his ability.

"At least now I can control my mind when I meet someone. I do not end up seeing anything connected to them. Before, I felt like I was constantly living in a pit of fire," Sano replied closing his eyes and leaning his weight on his hands.

"What are you planning on doing now?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking of finding an odd job or two. Need to gain some working experience. I am not ready to take over my family business."

"Not ready to be a soldier of Khaheleb?" Kenshin teased.

"Not everyone is born ready like you, Kenshin," Sano replied. "Besides, I want to experience the world first. It seems such a waste if we end up settling down before actually knowing what is out there."

"Perhaps. Are you looking to settle down with Megumi?"

"Are you really her brother? You should be terrorizing me right about now," Sano grumbled as he stuck a fish bone between his teeth and started gnawing on it.

"If she has already chosen you, why bother? Besides, if you hurt her, at least I know you did it and I can come after you. If she chose someone I did not know, how the hell am I suppose to beat the crap out of him?" Kenshin said with a cheerful grin. His violet orbs were full of laughter as he stared at his harassed friend.

"Nice. Great. Jeez, thanks a lot. Makes me feel a lot better," Sano grumbled as he turned away. "Man, this place is beautiful."

"No place like home."

"What about you? I'm betting your mother is already looking for a bride," Sano asked his redhead friend. Kenshin winced.

"I'm looking forward to the work, not the women," he answered and then, hesitated. "Sano, I saw someone today."

Interest sparked, Sano turned and looked slyly at his friend. "Someone's already started looking," he said in a sing song voice.

"Quiet. I did not even see her face."

"What!!?"

"Well, I met her on the way here at the river. I only saw her back. She had black hair and she was wearing a loose robe. She was doing the laundry."

"But you just arrived. Was she at the river since morning?"

Kenshin shook his head, ordering the image of the woman to appear in his mind. "No, she was alone at the river in the afternoon. I thought it was odd that she was there alone and at such a hot hour too."

Sano thought for awhile and burst out laughing. "Hey, could be a man?"

Kenshin looked scandalized. "Absolutely no way. Why would a man be doing laundry?"

"Must have been a servant somewhere. No woman would go alone there. It is too far and too dangerous. Why can't it be a man? You have been mistaken as a woman often enough from the back," Sano said teasingly.

Kenshin frowned. "Can you stop reminding me of that? But I guess you are right. Could have been a man..."

But he remembered that posture and knew that it was a woman.

Only, he had no idea who she was.

And he should stop thinking of her.

If she was doing the laundry, she was a maid and his mother would not approve of him dallying with a maid.

XXX

SLASH!

Kaoru almost cried out as the whip landed on her bottom for the third time. It hurt so badly that tears filled her eyes. She bit her lips and refused to make a sound, knowing it would only make her master happy.

Standing before her, Enishi, her stepbrother, rolled the whip and gave it to his servant. His eyes never left Kaoru's form. He was very pleased with the pain he could see in her blue orbs.

"Next time, make sure you come back quickly and don't waste your time. There is a mountain of things to do here. Or do you enjoy getting punished every time?" Enishi sneered as he used the boot to tilt her head up so that their eyes could meet.

Kaoru wanted very much to spit at the pompous young man before her. He was not much older than. He was only older to her by two years and yet he enjoys asserting his authority over her. Biting her lips from saying anything harsh, Kaoru did not say a word.

Enishi watched her silently for awhile before he turned and walked away. He has many plans for his younger sister but they would have to wait. He was going to savour every minute of having her to himself.

The two guards who were forced to hold Kaoru throughout her ordeal gently set her down after their young master had walked away. Kaoru was almost grateful for their kindness as they set her on a pile of pillows. From behind, she heard the quick footsteps of her caretaker.

Tae hurried over to Kaoru. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she gritted her teeth to stop herself from cursing the Yukishiro lad loudly. It had been a hot day and Kaoru's absence had been justified. If only that man was forced to do the laundry in such weather, he would understand, she thought furiously as she opened the bottle of balm she brought along.

The two guards looked sadly at Kaoru. The older one, Hattori-san, was a man who had known Kaoru since she first arrived at the house of Yukishiro and the younger one, Miyabe-san, was a friend she made when she turned twelve. They had known each other for years and yet nothing could be done. Kaoru knew this and she did not blame them.

"Lady Kaoru, we are so sorry," Hattori apologized softly in case there were any ears nearby. It was a well known fact that the house of Yukishiro had many spies who made life for everyone else very difficult.

Kaoru tried to smile reassuringly. "It is alright, Hattori-san, Miyabe-san. I will be fine in no time and please refrain from using the title 'lady' with me. It will get all of us into trouble."

Hattori bowed. "Of course. We will take our leave now."

Kaoru nodded and tried not to wince. She watched the two men walk out with slumped shoulders and sighed.

"Come, Kaoru. Let me hike up your robe so that I can apply this balm," Tae ordered gently as she pulled up the light material. Kaoru could only lift her hips a little to help her. Tae wanted to curse when she saw the back of Kaoru's robes torn. It was one of the very few clothes she possessed and now this one was also ruined. She mentally made a note to herself to get a new robe for Kaoru.

That was nothing compared to the next thing she saw.

The deep welts on Kaoru bottom almost made Tae cry. Against her pale skin, dark red slash marks marked her bottom. They were deep and ugly. Tae knew Kaoru would not be able to sit for at least a few days so that the wounds would heel. With shaking fingers, she dipped her hand into the cool balm and applied it on Kaoru's broken skin.

Instantly, Kaoru screamed. The burn was so intense that she could not stop herself from crying out. Tears fell and she pushed her head into a pillow to smother the sounds she made. Against her skin, she could feel Tae's tears but she had no strength to stop them.

Tae almost wanted to pull back from inserting any more agony on Kaoru but she knew she had to continue. If she did not periodically treat Kaoru's wounds, it might get infected. So, she deafen her ears to her young mistress' cries and continued applying the balm.

"There, there, my child. The burn will lessen soon. Don't cry. Hush now. Hush," she said soothingly, stroking her long dark hair gently. Kaoru's cries lessened but she kept her face hidden.

That brute! Tae had enough sense not to scream and shout but this has gone too far. Both the Yukishiro heirs were exerting their authorities cruelly when it came to Kaoru.

Especially after the death of Lady Yukishiro.

The continued to stroke Kaoru's hair but they both knew the time was up. If Kaoru and Tae did not get back to work, they would get into trouble.

When Kaoru finally moved, Tae helped her up and brought a cloth to tie over her town robe. The young woman nodded her thanks. She still had to hang the clothes and scrub the dishes. Wanting to get those done with, she moved achingly slow outside.

The gods had seemed merciful enough to lessen the heat. Kaoru wobbled slowly to the back of the house to hang the day's laundry.

The dry area was slightly further from the main house. There were clothes' lines to hang the newly washed clothes. Kaoru felt grateful she had enough foresight to place the clothes here before heading to the house when she was called. Otherwise, it would have been extremely hellish to drag the clothes here in her condition.

Just as she reached down to pick up a robe, a pair of hands beat her to it. Turning in surprise, Kaoru's eyes met the gaze of those determined orbs of a young boy.

"Yahiko?"

The brunette simply looked away. Anger and helplessness had risen within him when he saw Kaoru being whipped but he could do nothing. However, this, he could help.

"I had nothing to do. Thought I could help," Yahiko replied harshly. "Got a problem with that?"

Kaoru simply smiled. Her blue eyes softened.

"Thank you. You know, they should give you more work if you can roam around like this," Kaoru replied as she took the robe Yahiko picked up and turned over. She pegged it on the line.

"Well, I guess they don't trust boys my age. Doesn't matter. You have a lot here. Can get it finished half the time if I help you, right? You promised to teach me how to read if you completed your work early."

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, I did promise to teach you. Let's do this quickly, alright, little boy?"

"Hey, don't call me a boy!"

Kaoru laughed.

She knew in her heart that Yahiko was worried about her. She was only grateful she had really nice friends to keep her company in this house.

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you leave?" Yahiko asked as he took another robe from the pile.

Kaoru sighed. "It is not that easy, Yahiko. My mother is here and I have a debt to clear with the Yukishiros. It will be cleared in a couple of years. After that, I was planning to go back to my home."

"You have a home?"

Kaoru smiled and nodded at him. She winced as she moved and stopped to catch her breath. When Yahiko leaned closer, she waved him away.

"Yes, I have a home of my own with a little land a bit far from here. It is at the edge of this village. It is nearer to the river."

"Why can't you work there and pay off your debt?"

"Well," Kaoru said as she moved once more to another clothes line. "Well, when I inherited my debt, I was very young. I could not move away and work on my own. Have you forgotten? The age of adulthood over here is 18. Until then, even a woman like me cannot leave her caretaker."

"Your caretaker was Lady Yukishiro?"

"My mother was married to her husband. So yes, she is my caretaker."

"But that means you can work elsewhere, right? To pay off your debt. Someone in the village can take you in! Why are you living like this?" Yahiko asked loudly, angry at her unwillingness to leave.

Kaoru laughed humourlessly. Had she not tried? She had tried to find work where ever she could but people turned her away. She thought of working her land the moment she turned 18 but that idea had not worked out. Her land was not fit for farming until she could invest some money and buy some things. She did not have that luxury. She did not have any money with her. Everything went to the house of Yukishiro.

"I wish things were not like this too, Yahiko."

She could see the helplessness in her young charge's eyes. Yahiko was an orphan Kaoru picked up at the streets. He was poor, homeless and hungry. Filled with pity, she arranged for another guard to bring him in and get him a job in the house. Luckily, there was a position for a stable boy and Yahiko was willing to work to earn his keep. He never forgot Kaoru, though. He knew she was in a worse condition than him. To help her, he would come over and bug her life, teasing her and calling her names. They got along well together. Yet over the years, the price of watching Kaoru suffer silently at the hands of the Yukishiro siblings was high. Yahiko was growing into a young man. As a young man, he could not watch the woman he considered his mother and sister suffer daily.

She wanted to tell him everything would turn out well but she did not have the strength to do that. She was always optimistic about the future but lately, something was wrong.

Kaoru could sense it in her very bones.

Every time Enishi looked at her, she felt her skin crawl with fear. It was the same feeling she experienced as a child. He would stare at her and his gaze would always land on her breasts or her bottom. It made her feel extremely uncomfortable. As precaution, she started wearing looser robes, to hide her curves. Yet it still made her feel as though he was violating her with his eyes.

Tomoe too, seems to have something in her mind. She would watch Kaoru almost thoughtfully. Her eyes were emotionless and expressionless. It made Kaoru shudder to think what the two siblings had in store for her.

She only hoped she could escape before it was too late.

XXX

A/N

The ideas for this story are just pouring out. I am so glad I have completed another chapter. The responses for my first chapter are great! Thank you all very much. It just spurs me on to write. I I ended up writing quite a long chapter. This one introduces some of the players. Once again, thank you all for your reviews. I really appreciate them. Just a note of warning, this story has a lot of violent elements. So, it is really for mature readers. I hope, once again, no one is offended. Thank you all so much and hope you enjoy the story.

P/S I need your help. There is a story I am searching for. I read it once before. I can't remember the title and I'm hoping you can help me out with it. Kenshin leaves Kaoru (again) but this time she is pregnant and he doesn't know it. She tries to kill herself but Sano and Yahiko stops her. A bunch of ladies from the village came to tell Kaoru how they are disappointed and all but are glad she at least tried to kill herself to safe her honor. Then, Kenshin returns. He meets Kaoru and has to stay over at her place to recuperate. Sano and Yahiko warn him from getting close to Kaoru and her son. Kenshin then decides to woo Kaoru once again. I know it sounds similar to a few stories. Hopefully the part about the ladies will jog some of you memories. Thank you and have a nice day!