AN: It's been too long, I know. I hope you find this chapter worth the wait.

A nod of thanks to Shrouded View, LC Rose, and Ravyn for their willingness to look this over for me. Thank you, also, to everyone who left reviews, added this story to your favs and alerts, and sent me words of encouragement.

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin characters are the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. Any original characters which arise belong to me.

Allerleirauh
The Devil's Dance

Blood and smoke… one cloying, the other choking. The scents churned in the air, blanketing the sky over the castle in a putrid haze that turned the sun red. Ash fell from the great clouds of smoke, coating everything in a grey-white cloak that reflected the crimson light so that the world appeared bathed in fire and blood.

If hell existed, Kaoru was sure this was it – only this was a hell of her own making. Now, as she had for the last two days, she watched from her tower hideaway as wagon after wagon of animal carcasses were brought through the gates.

Immediately after the disastrous meeting with her father and his council, orders were issued. Soldiers were pulled from their duties and sent on hunting missions, their families held as ransom to ensure their cooperation, while all of the available buildings on the grounds were turned into refineries and tanning rooms. The ancient forest outside of the castle bore scars of destruction as its trees were felled to feed their fires.

Forced to weave the precious metals being refined in the out buildings, the most talented cloth and garment makers in the kingdom were imprisoned in the dungeons. Some would take the cloth they produced and sew it into the elaborate dresses that were part of the price she'd demanded from her father. The rest would stitch together a cloak of a thousand furs. They'd been given just three days to accomplish the impossible. If they failed…

Kaoru shook her head, unwilling to contemplate the tragedy that would fall if they didn't succeed.

The impossibility of the challenge she'd leveled at her father – 'The king,' she corrected. 'That man is no longer my father.' - it should have ended this absurd notion that he could marry her. Kaoru, however, had greatly underestimated the level of his madness. She had never expected him to try to meet her price, wreaking such devastation on his kingdom and its people just for her hand in marriage. The senselessness of it all angered her beyond reason, the guilt near crushing and as she sat there watching as the wagons were relieved of their grisly burden, she could feel her muscles tensing, coiling with the need to beat the hell out of something.

"I need my sword."

With grim determination, Kaoru made her way down the spiraling stairway and back to her rooms where she quickly changed into the loose, cotton breeches and sleeveless tunic used for training. In less than ten minutes, Kaoru found herself in the private training hall hidden behind the family garden, sword in hand, ready to lose herself in the familiar rhythm of her art. With the warmth of wood under her feet and the familiar weight of steal in her hand, Kaoru moved slowly through her warm-up, slowly stretching and loosening her muscles as she gradually increased the speed with which she worked through the forms.

Most women of nobility would have found the idea of holding a sword abhorrent, but not Kaoru. Without sons to train, the king had taken it upon himself to teach his only daughter not only the politics she would need to rule after his death, but the art of swordsmanship as well. She'd trained with her father's soldiers and was given no deferential treatment just because she was female and a princess. To be able to lead these men, she would have to know what it was to be one of them.

Kaoru worked hard, harder than most of the other soldiers, determined to overcome the limitations of her size and strength. More than one new recruit had underestimated her skill, the young soldiers bloated with an arrogance only the young and ignorant can possess. Illusions of grandeur quickly faded, however, when he found himself on his back, a petite female with fire in her eyes standing over him, her blade pressed to his throat, while his compatriots looked on laughing. It didn't take long before Kaoru's tenacity and strength of spirit won over the men she would one day lead.

But then the madness had begun and the troops' loyalty had split between duty to the king to whom they had sworn their allegiance and the princess who'd won their hearts. The soldiers turned on each other and in the end, she'd ordered those who would have stood by her to follow her father's orders. Her life was not worth the lives of their families.

Closing her eyes, Kaoru shifted from defensive to offensive maneuvers and she envisioned her opponent – a father who wished to wed her, believing her to be the reincarnation of her dead mother. She'd never before won against him in a fight, but this was a battle she couldn't afford to lose. Somehow she would figure a way out of this mess.

As she battled the phantom foe, the face conjured in her mind's eye shifted and morphed into someone new. Night-black hair bled snowy white; eyes dark as onyx lightened into pools of swirling aquamarine.

Enishi…

Once a childhood playmate and friend, now he was her enemy. She hadn't yet figured out the hows, the whens, or the whys, but Kaoru knew the young lord was the impetus of this madness. She'd seen it the other day in the Council's chamber, mocking her silently from the windows of his eyes.

She just had no proof.

"Why?" The frustrated cry broke from her lips as she cut through the illusion with her sword. What had happened in those years since she'd last seen him to change him so much?

Panting heavily, Kaoru wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm when dark laughter filled the room. She gripped the hilt until her knuckles blanched with the strain. How dare he follow her here, to one of the few places left where she could find solace.

"What do you want?" she asked, turning to face the newcomer.

"I should think that was obvious," replied Enishi who stood leaning against the door, his bright, assessing eyes slowly raking over her. Kaoru stood tall under his scrutiny even as she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at the sight of unguarded hunger in his eyes. She would not give him the satisfaction of letting him know just how exposed he made her feel.

"I came for some exercise," he continued, smirking as he lifted a sheathed sword Kaoru hadn't noticed he held in his right hand. "But I see the salle is already in use. Perhaps you will honor me with a sparring session? Your Highness's skills with a blade are legendary."

Kaoru gave an indelicate snort. "I don't think so."

Enishi flashed her a smile that was undoubtedly meant to charm, pushing himself off the door frame and walking toward her. "You don't think your skills are legendary, or you won't spar with me?" He moved with all the grace of a predator and Kaoru has the distinct impression she was being hunted. It wasn't the first time he'd made her feel this way, but she refused to cower before him.

"Get out," she snapped.

"Oh, come now," he crooned. "Is that any way to treat a guest?"

Kaoru's eyes flashed in reply. "You are not my guest."

"I'm hurt, Highness!" he gasped in mock surprise. "I'm only asking for one little duel. Where's the harm in that? Just to test myself against 'Caer's Rose.'"

The light in his eyes darkened once again, intent and focused as he took another step closer. Kaoru raised her sword in defense, but he was already too close, caging her between his body and the sheathed sword he'd brought around behind her back. Her own blade was pressed uselessly against the leather of his vest. She had no leverage and would not be able to fight him at this proximity.

"And if you win, I might just answer your question."

"What are you talking about?" she bit out.

Reaching up, he ran calloused fingers tips down the curve of cheek and along the line of her neck. Kaoru flinched away from the touch, but he caught her easily, thumb pressed under her the curve of her jaw as long fingers curled around to grasp her nape, holding her in place. He leaned close, his whisper dark in her ear. "You did want to know 'why', didn't you?"

Kaoru pushed against him as hard as she could, blue eyes sparking in anger. Enishi freed her from the cage of his arms, his laugh mocking as he pulled his sword free of its sheath when she slid into a ready stance. "You really are so predictable, you know that?"

Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, a calm voice of reason that sounded remarkably like the father she remembered told her to just walk away – to not play his twisted little game. "Do not let your emotions control you. Battles fought in anger are rarely won." Sage words from a seasoned warrior, one who knew well the quick temper of his student.

Unfortunately, the emotional toll of the last few days – hell, the last year – had pushed Kaoru beyond reason. Adrenaline was pumping fast and furious through her veins and Enishi had just volunteered himself up as her personal sacrifice. Both sword and woman were eager to take the arrogant lord down.

"Shut up, Enishi," she spat. "Let's get this over with so I can throw your sorry ass in the dungeon for treason."

Enishi threw back his head and bellowed with laughter. "Very well then, Your Highness," he said, bowing in feigned supplication. "Let's see how good you really are."

He charged, bringing his sword down against hers in a jarring blow that left her arm more than a little numb. She grit her teeth, cursing silently, meeting him blow for blow, but Kaoru knew that too many hits like that and she wouldn't be able to stand against him for long, but she also knew that size and strength weren't everything in a fight. She had been trained knowing that she would always be smaller, her reach shorter than her opponent's, and she knew how to compensate accordingly.

The clash of steel rang through the hall as the two danced their deadly waltz and Kaoru was dismayed to see that even her most advanced techniques were no match for him. Enishi hadn't even broken a sweat, while her own muscles burned with the effort. She needed to find a way out of this fast without getting herself hurt. She continued to hold her own, even as she looked for some opening, some weakness, which she could use to her advantage.

But there was nothing.

Just then, a flicker of movement in the corner of her vision caught her attention for just the briefest of moments, but it was all the opening Enishi needed. Kaoru quickly found herself completely on the defensive, bombarded by a barrage of crushing blows.

Shit!

She lost her footing and was on her back in a matter of seconds, looking up the length of Enishi's blade into triumphant, glittering eyes. Panting heavily, she closed her eyes in defeat, furious with herself. Only the greenest swordswoman allowed herself to be distracted in the middle of a fight.

"Well, that was amusing," he said.

"Bastard," she spat.

"My, my. Such language, Kaoru," he chided. "It does not become a delicate princess. Although… after that little demonstration, maybe they should call you Caer's Hellcat, instead. You're not half bad, though I have to admit, I expected more of a challenge given the size of your reputation."

Lowering his sword, he offered her his free hand. She swatted it away, pushing herself from the floor. Stepping quickly away, she kept her weapon firmly in her grip, using the back of her forearm to push sweat-drenched bangs from her eyes. But when she went to move past him, he caught her upper arm and held her in place. He leaned close, and this time Kaoru wasn't able to suppress the shudder that coursed through her at the feel of his breath ghosting over her ear.

"Just remember, little Kaoru. I always win… always. You could save yourself a great deal of trouble – and pain – if you would just say yes to me."

"Go to hell," she spat.

"Eventually, perhaps, but not today," he quipped darkly as he pulled away. "Just think about it. Your father or me. Choose me and I will save you from the nightmare. You only have one day left."

Kaoru wrenched her arm free, the echoes of Enishi's dark laughter following her out onto the grounds as she fled the training hall, wondering which man was the greater nightmare.

She was afraid – really, truly afraid.

And Enishi knew it.

AN: Thank you for reading. This chapter was written for the LiveJournal community, 100_fairytales, prompt #5 – Learning to fear men.

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