The Faerie Chronicles of Kenshin & Kaoru: The Useless Sword and the Enchanted Rose, a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic by Raberba girl
Chapter 6 - Enchantress & Courtesan
The assignment had been specific in that the target was to be disposed of on the day of the Sunflower Festival. Battousai chose to walk at least part of the way, since getting back to his home country by faster means would leave him too much idle time to nurse his gloomy thoughts. Not that walking helped him much to escape such thoughts... It was difficult to enjoy the countryside when, for example, he was trying to avoid musing over why he had been dispatched so early, why Shishio might have wanted him to be absent in the next few days.
He noticed the scent of hakubaikô wafting around him just before her voice spoke. "And where are you headed, Kenshin?"
He came to a startled halt when the enchantress appeared out of nowhere. "Tomoe."
She did not smile. "You're going to let him get you out of the way until it's too late?"
He sighed. "Why not? I have the power to change nothing."
Tomoe's eyes narrowed. "Kenshin, the sakabatô was not forged for Shishio Makoto."
He frowned. "Am I to assume you meant it for me? I am in no position to wield it myself."
"Do you really believe that?" she asked quietly, and watched his expression grow troubled.
"Tomoe," he finally said in a low voice. "I cannot cross him, you know that."
"Can't you?" she challenged.
Battousai's head came up, his eyes sparking with anger. He stepped close and reached around to press hard against her back. "Do you not remember what happened the last time I tried to rebel?" he growled softly.
Tomoe winced at the sudden pain in her old scar, but made no attempt to pull away. "Of course," she managed to say after a moment.
He nodded and backed away. "I gave Kaoru-hime a choice. That is all I can do."
"No, it's not. You can accept your wedding gift and put it to good use."
He gave her an exasperated look. "My wedding gift, is it? What is so special about that sword that you place all your hopes on it, Tomoe?"
"If I was simply depending on the sword, I would have given it to Seta Sôjirô." She moved close to him again, gazing intently into his eyes. "I have faith in you, Kenshin. Some things haven't changed."
His head dropped as if in shame, and they did not speak for a while.
Finally, she smiled again and cupped her hand against his marred cheek. "Ever since I've known you, this cross has stood out so vividly," she said sadly.
A rueful smile came to his lips. "Even generations later, the mark of the Faerie Queen's anger is strong - though I'm told it was much worse in the beginning."
Tomoe studied him thoughtfully. "Such a face you inherited... She often tells me how she regretted her choice of revenge on you Himura men."
"I am not surprised. The fae put too much stock in beauty." He cocked his head curiously. "Do you know if she ever forgave my grandfather?"
Tomoe shrugged. "Of course. For one thing, he's dead. For another... Well, why do you think you're still alive, even though you've been trapped in the power of an enemy like Shishio Makoto?"
"So it's true." His face clouded dangerously. "If I am under the queen's protection, why did the rest of my family die? Why is my country in the thrall of a usurper?"
Tomoe sighed. "You know quite well that Unseelie blood runs through the veins of Shishio Makoto, far more strongly than Seelie blood runs through yours. Even the Faerie Queen has limitations." It was a kinder answer than, 'Because you are the only one she was interested in.'
He was looking closely at her. "Tomoe, why have you come?"
"Why else? To stop you from getting distracted. This man you're heading off to kill - he is completely innocent, you know. Shishio only gave you the order to get you away from the castle."
She chuckled at the tormented look on his face. "Yes, I've taken away ignorance, your last defense. What are you going to do now, Battousai? Follow orders like a dog? Or-"
"Or be manipulated by the fae?" he cut in meaningfully.
Her voice was quiet. "I am no Titania. Are you going to start holding my lineage against me? You never did before."
He shook his head. "I trust you, Tomoe. But I can't do what you want." He took an uncertain step away from her. Then another.
"You're going the wrong way," she warned.
He took yet another step. He had made it a few meters away from her when she called to him again. "Kenshin. It is no longer the Faerie Queen's anger which keeps that red cross so livid on your face. That mark is tied to your happiness no less strongly than the rose of Faerie is tied to Kaoru-san's."
He chuckled mirthlessly. "Is that so. What unhappy people we must be, then."
Tomoe nodded. "Yes. Which is why you fools were supposed to end up together."
She closed her eyes and disappeared.
o.o.o.o.o
The night before the wedding, Yumi had completed her task and was heading back to Lord Shishio's room when she noticed that the doors to the great hall were slightly ajar. When she had peeked in and seen who was there, she frowned and pushed her way inside.
"Battousai," she called softly. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be back home."
The assassin turned to face her. "Yumi-dono," he greeted calmly, but did not otherwise respond.
Then she noticed what he was holding. "What are you doing with that fey sword?" she asked sharply.
He shrugged. "Foreigners are not permitted to carry weapons in this castle. This is the only available substitute."
She stared at him in disbelief. "How come you're unarmed? Don't tell me you didn't even bother to sneak in. You're an assassin! How could you just stroll in through the front door?!"
"What does it matter? Only Lord Shishio and his people knew the true nature of my errand, right?"
"That's not the point!"
"Forgive me for failing to live up to your expectations, Yumi-dono," he said ironically. Then his eyes moved to the item she was carrying in her own hand. He asked quietly, "What sort of potion is that?"
Surprised, she glanced down at the bottle she held, then smiled a little. "Just a little drink I was sent to fetch." Her eyes glinted as they met his. "Would you like a sip, Battousai?" she asked challengingly.
His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "No."
Yumi shrugged and grinned at him. "Oh well. It was worth a try."
She turned to go, but stopped when she heard him whisper to himself, "Forgive me, Kaoru-hime...it looks like I'll have to force your decision after all."
Yumi looked back in surprise to see him gazing at the sword. Then he raised his head and gave her a very thoughtful look. "Yumi-dono," he asked softly, his eyes cold, "how much does Lord Shishio love you?" He took a step toward her, and a surge of fear shot up Yumi's spine.
"Don't touch me," she warned as he approached. "Don't you touch me!"
o.o.o.o.o
"What do you mean the wedding is postponed?" Shishio demanded. Early morning sunlight had just begun to ignite the frosty glitter on the windows, but already the castle was awake and bustling on this important, yet interrupted day. "You are jeopardizing the peace treaty you supposedly care so much about, just because some useless weapon went missing?"
"My daughter's marriage has been blessed by the fae," the king said seriously. "To proceed without their gifts would be foolish - they would take it as a great insult."
Shishio could certainly not throw a tantrum here, taking the princess by force and killing everyone else to relieve his feelings. However, he very much wanted to, especially since this little hiccup coincided so strangely with Yumi's disappearance.
"My lord." Shishio turned to find Houji entering the room, wearing an apprehensive expression. Shishio's eyes immediately went to the open letter in the servant's hand, signed only by a large, defiant cross at the bottom. Shishio had no need to read the note to guess its contents, his suspicions were already confirmed.
He turned back to the king. "Your Majesty," he said, his tone now courteous. "I will retrieve this sword if it's so important." Though I'll need a proper one to hack off Battousai's head with. "The wedding may continue as planned. I will be back long before its commencement." The king nodded, and Shishio strode purposefully out of the hall.
o.o.o.o.o
Kaoru, half-dressed in her wedding finery, pressed her hands together to still their shaking. Her maids had gotten her up before dawn this morning to begin preparations, which had been well under way before news came that the sword brought by the enchantress had gone missing. 'Thank you, Papa,' Kaoru thought silently. She knew that he had either arranged for such an occurrence or was at least taking advantage of it. A story had spread that the marriage would be cursed if the fey gifts were excluded form the ceremony, so Kaoru was grateful for even a brief respite.
Her eyes were fixed on the rose lying limply on the table before her. Its color was still remarkably deep, and it seemed to glow even in the lighted room. However, its stem had darkened, and what remained of the petals were wrinkled and drooping. Kaoru was afraid to touch it, for fear the last few velvety slips would lose their hold. There were so few of them now...less than a handful. Kaoru could not say why, but she was troubled by the feeling that when the rose lost the last of its beauty, something terrible would happen.
o.o.o.o.o
Outside the princess's chamber, Sanosuke and Sôjirô came to abrupt attention when they saw Lord Shishio approaching. The foreign lord grinned at them. "At your ease, men. Your princess is in no danger from her husband."
"Fiancée," Sanosuke pointed out. "You're still not married yet."
Shishio's eyes settled on him. "You're a bold one, aren't you. I suppose you'll do."
"What are you talking about?" Sanosuke demanded.
Shishio grinned. "Perhaps you can't tell, but I'm rather angry right now. No one will miss an upstart, ineffective bodyguard."
Sanosuke's furious reaction was interrupted before Shishio even finished reaching for his weapon. Sôjirô, without a word, had drawn his sword, turned, and thrust it into his companion. Then he watched impassively as Sanosuke slumped to the floor, eyes bright with horror at this betrayal, and did not move again.
Shishio processed this development so swiftly that he did not even pause; his sword rasped out of its sheath and came to rest, not at all gently, against Sôjirô's throat.
The young man didn't even flinch. "It can get pretty tiresome living among all these superstitious people," he remarked, the smile never leaving his face. "All their Faerie-talk was worth nothing when my father needlessly died in a poorly-led battle. It was worth nothing when my mother was thrown out to die on the streets as a harlot." His eyes met Shishio's squarely. "Grant me revenge, Shishio-sama."
Shishio lowered his sword. "It's a dangerous game you play," he commented. "However, I do have a slight problem, since I'll soon be losing my chief assassin. Perhaps I'll have you dispose of the princess instead, once she's served her purpose."
Sôjirô smiled. "I'll look forward to it, my lord."
o.o.o.o.o
"I don't think you realize what a stupid thing you've done," Yumi insisted. She had been lecturing him practically nonstop since he had carried her off, and Battousai was all but tuning her out by now. He continued to wait silently as she went on, "I doubt he'll let you live. You were already on the line, you know, and now you've gone too far. You ought to run now, while you still have the chance. Are you listening to me, Battousai?"
The slender warrior suddenly straightened. Yumi raised her eyes and smiled to see that her lord had come for her at last.
Shishio rode across the field and dismounted when he was close, handing the reins to his companion without looking. Sôjirô led both their horses out of the way, glancing at Yumi with mild curiosity.
"Heh. So your granny's protection is useless when you cast it aside of your own free will," Shishio commented, drawing his sword as he approached. "Finally. I should have done this a long time ago."
"As should I," Battousai answered quietly. His hand tightened on the sakabatô's hilt in preparation.
Shishio looked at the weapon with an expression of amazed disgust. "Don't tell me you mean to fight me with that thing."
"I wouldn't dare fight you without it," Battousai replied with a cold little smile.
His eyes slid questioningly to Sôjirô, and Shishio grinned. "You know quite well what I'm like when I'm angry, Battousai. I couldn't leave without killing someone, and the princess's little dog here volunteered for the part."
Sôjirô blinked, the only sign that he realized Shishio had not been taken in by his act. His smile did not falter.
'A hostage,' Battousai realized. Then he narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Not this time. No more killing, Shishio."
Shishio glared at the lack of an honorific or title. "You are too familiar, slave. Let's see how defiant you are when this boy's head rolls at your feet." He turned and slashed at Sôjirô, who was ready for him. The young man brought up his own sword with the speed of a lightning strike, so that their blades strained against each other for a moment.
"Please don't underestimate me, Shishio-sama," Sôjirô said cheerfully.
Shishio grinned. "I haven't. Felling a warrior like Seta Sôjirô is a much more satisfying warm-up than cutting down that bird-head would have been."
"It seems we have our work cut out for us, Battousai," Sôjirô called over Shishio's shoulder.
Battousai nodded grimly. "That we do." He raised his sword as Shishio broke away and turned to face him. "Hyaaaah!"
To be continued...
Author's Notes: In Scottish folklore, Unseelie refers to "bad" or dark fairies, and Seelie to light or relatively good ones.