The Faerie Chronicles of Kenshin & Kaoru: The Sleeping Prince, a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic by Raberba girl

Chapter 3 - In which Kaoru messes up Kenshin's plans.

"Janet has tucked her green skirts

A little above her knee,

And she has braided her yellow hair

A little above her brow,

And she's away to Carterhaugh

As fast as she can go."

Tam Lin

o.o.o

The curtains were flung apart, flooding the room with bright morning sunlight. Kaoru flinched and curled up tighter under the blankets (under which she had slept alone the night before, by her own stubborn choice). "Go away," she mumbled.

Megumi's lips tightened, and she marched over the bed. "Get up, Jooh," she ordered. "He's leaving in a few minutes. If you're not out there when he does, you will regret it, do you hear me?"

"He won't," Kaoru mumbled. "Prob'ly jus'...tryin' t' get 'way frm me..."

Megumi's eyes narrowed. She nodded to Tae and the other maids huddled curiously in the doorway, and they quickly came over to help. "On my count, girls," Megumi instructed.

"Hey!" Kaoru protested when she felt them taking hold of her.

"One - two - three!"

The covers were thrown off and Kaoru found herself swung bodily out of bed by the giggling women. "Let go of me!" she raged. "Where's my sword?! I'll clobber you!"

"H-Here's your gown, Your Majesty," Tsubame offered, a terrified look on her face as she clutched an ornate dress almost heavy enough to make her lose her balance.

Kaoru glared, but tried to calm her expression when she saw the timid girl. "Thanks, Tsubame-chan, but...I'm not wearing that, at least. If he wants me, he can deal with me ugly." She got up and marched straight out of the bedroom - nightgown, bed-hair, bare feet and all.

"What a stubborn idiot," Megumi sighed, and followed her out.

Servants quickly got out of the way and tried not to stare as Kaoru came sweeping imperiously past them in her night-clothes. She found her husband surrounded by a crowd of people just inside the doors to the Grand Balcony, where important public announcements were often made. He looked to be in some last-minute conversation with Sanosuke and Saitô.

Sôjirô looked up and smiled brightly when he saw her. "Good morning, Kaoru-Jooh."

The others all turned. Sanosuke grinned as if to say, 'I knew you had more guts than that,' Yahiko smirked at her disheveled appearance, and Kenshin looked immensely relieved. "Kaoru-dono," he greeted her, almost questioningly.

"I came...to say good-bye," she grumbled, her voice more unfriendly than she meant it to be.

It was just like him to see past that to the pain and turmoil beneath. He smiled warmly and came over to wrap his arms around her. "This one will miss you," he whispered for her ears alone. "Kaoru-dono...this one loves you so much, that he does."

Kaoru frowned. He sounded more serious than she expected. "Kenshin?" She couldn't say anymore, because suddenly he was kissing her - and not one of the chaste kisses they usually reserved for when they were in public, but rather one that was so thorough it was beginning to make Kaoru blush, since dozens of people were watching.

"Eeeew!" a high-pitched voice shrieked. "Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"

"Yucky!" was the happy agreement.

Kenshin and Kaoru burst into laughter, which was a little awkward considering how their mouths were already occupied. They turned to find their daughters staring up at them with wide eyes, filled with partially with disgust but even more with delight.

"Kiss me, too, Daddy!" Ayame begged, "Kiss me good-bye!" Kenshin reached down to deliver kisses of a different sort, taking the girls into his arms one last time.

"Will you bring us back presents?" Ayame wanted to know ("Presents?" was Suzume's instant query).

"Haha...we will see."

"Bring me a rose, Daddy!"

"You mean a rose like your mother's?" he said, smoothing her hair affectionately as he avoided her question.

"Just like Mama's!"

"We'll see," he whispered again, and suddenly hid his face against her hair.

Kaoru frowned as she watched him. "Kenshin? You're not crying, are you?"

There was a pause, but then he lifted his face to reveal a sunny smile. Kaoru found herself smiling back, then suddenly recalled her appearance. "Oh," she gasped, self-consciously wrapping one arm around her waist and raising the other to comb distractedly through her hair. "I look like a mess...wait, Kenshin! Don't go out there 'til I've changed!"

"Don't let her!" Yahiko called out. "She's a female, she'll take forever!"

"If you ask me," Megumi added conspiratorially, "it's a plot to keep you from leaving, Ken-Ô."

Kenshin laughed as Kaoru growled and brandished her fist at them. "You shut up! It'll just take a second."

Saitô said nothing, but was giving Kenshin a very hard, discerning look.

After Kaoru had hastily slipped into a more suitable robe someone handed her, and had had her hair combed and tied in a ribbon by one of her trailing, ever-prepared maids, Kenshin took her arm and stepped out with her onto the Grand Balcony, with the court fanning out behind them.

It seemed like half the kingdom had squeezed into the courtyard for the king's farewell speech, and they let out a great chorus of cheering when they saw the royal couple appear. "Long live King Kenshin! Long live Queen Kaoru!"

It took a while for them to quiet down, and then Kenshin stepped up to speak, briefly explaining his mission, and that the people must prepare for the return of their prince.

"Niisan looks just like Daddy! Only not as old," Princess Ayame announced unexpectedly, which induced laughter in those who could hear her.

Kenshin smiled fondly at her. Then a more serious look passed over him as he turned to face the fancy arch that had been set up on the Grand Balcony. Technically, he could cross between worlds from almost anywhere, but it seemed proper somehow to make a show of it, to give the people something concrete to see. He squeezed Kaoru's hand one last time, then let go and made his way with slow, solemn steps to the arch. The people made no sound - all eyes were fixed on him breathlessly, expectantly.

"Fool," Kaoru heard Saitô mutter beside her. "Does he think we don't know?"

Kaoru frowned and looked up at him. "Don't know what?" she whispered, trying not to disturb the quiet.

Saitô gave her a long, appraising look. "That husband of yours wasted fourteen years because he thought going to Faerie himself would be a breach of responsibility. Now, suddenly, off he goes, and he thinks none of us can figure out why."

Kaoru stared at him. She did not understand what Saitô meant at all, but as she looked back at Kenshin, walking purposefully towards that gateway to another world, Kaoru suddenly had the overpowering conviction that if she let Kenshin cross that line alone, she would never see him again.

"Kenshin!" she burst out. Everyone looked at her in surprise, but he only raised a hand in farewell and did not turn or slow his steps. Kaoru was startled to feel something pressed into her hand - a collection of fae-bane. Frowning, she looked up at Saitô, who had lit a cigarette and was watching Kenshin impassively.

Kaoru gripped the little bag in her fist, knowing it was a challenge. Then she dashed out from her place, hurtling across the balcony to fling her arms around her husband.

Kenshin, having reached the archway, was just turning in surprise. He let out a little grunt when she crashed into him, and his arms automatically came around her as they fell. The two of them, quite ungracefully, tumbled into Faerie together, vanishing from sight.

Everyone stared at the empty space where they had been.

"They're gone!" Ayame said unhappily.

"Gone," her sister echoed, then burst into tears and ran to Sôjirô.

There was an uneasy stirring in the crowd.

"Well." Everyone looked to Saitô, who began to grin. "Looks like I'm in charge now."

"Just who died and made you king, Bamboo-Curtain Head?" Sanosuke said indignantly.

"Looks like that red-haired idiot did."

"He's not dead, fool!"

As they argued in the background, Sôjirô picked up the little girl to comfort her, and turned to Megumi. "It looks like it's up to us for the moment, Takani-san."

She nodded. "Yes."

"That Kaoru," Yahiko huffed. "She sure cut it pretty close. For a minute there, I almost thought she was gonna let Kenshin go off by himself after all."

"All's well that ends well," Sôjirô said brightly. "What do you say we head down for breakfast?"

o.o.o.o.o

Tomoe sat listlessly on her window-seat, leaning back against the wall as she stared out at the bleak landscape. The scene matched her thoughts - almost, but not quite, for there was still a grain of hope.

She had felt it earlier, she and Enishi both, when the spell had suddenly taken effect. Enishi had been in the middle of a practice bout; he had burst into laughter and briefly forgot about his opponent, who accidentally slashed a shallow wound into his chest (after which Enishi had promptly plunged his own sword into him, then demanded that someone get the groaning, soon-to-be-corpse out of his sight).

That was the point at which Tomoe's paralysis had snapped. She had thoughtlessly thrown herself straight out of Faerie, stumbling onto fresh green grass and raising her eyes to see the magician, Hiko, leaning over that prone figure.

Tomoe closed her eyes and slowly clenched her fist. The feel of that cold skin...she had thought she would die in that moment. There would have been no living with the shame of causing an innocent child's death, and of causing such grief to Kenshin and his...and his wife.

Perhaps if she had had no choice - but Tomoe was disgusted by her own selfishness as well. Her lot in life was difficult, but she had never expected any better. She should have been content to go back into the dark she knew so well, to live the rest of her life cold and alone, especially if she knew that Kenshin, at least, had found happiness at last. But her wretched, wretched selfishness had nearly cost them everything...

Tomoe expelled a breath. Nearly. Not quite. For, to her astonishment, she had felt the boy's heart still beating, the very rhythm of it sending delicious tremors through her hand. "Oh, Kenji," she had whispered. She had seen the sakabatô lying there in the grass, and knew that that blade, imbued with what little love she had to give, had once again saved a doomed life.

There was an impatient knock at the door, which opened at once, before Tomoe could even draw breath to call out permission.

"Neesan," Enishi said eagerly. "He's coming. He's coming here."

Tomoe's heart went cold. "Who is?" she asked softly.

Enishi laughed, his voice too loud in the silence of the room. "Who else, Neesan?"

Tomoe closed her eyes. She had thought she could trust that Seta boy, but now Kenshin was coming after all.

"Soon, Neesan." Enishi came close and wrapped his arms around her. "Soon, we'll have our revenge."

To her horror, Tomoe felt tears trickling down her face, and pressed her hands against her eyes to stop them.

"Don't cry, Sis," he begged. "He won't escape, we'll get him for sure. I won't let him get away with what he did to you."

"Enishi," she tried one more time. "We can...let him go...we can-"

"Neesan," he said firmly. "You don't need to do this. You don't need to let him off. I have him, he won't be able to escape, no one will be able to touch you. Okay? I've got everything under control. Trust me." He sat beside her and rocked her, murmuring what words of comfort he could, until her tears dried and the true feelings of her heart were locked away once again.

To be continued...