Everyone liked the little flashback dream at the end of the last chapter. I'm hoping to let you see a little at a time as to what happened when Kaoru visited before. Kaoru still doesn't remember yet, but other things are getting complicated, too, so go on and read it!
Disclaimer: No way.
Chapter 7: Serving Memories
Misao wasn't awake even though her eyes were wide open. She could tell because she was once more back in her body. Her human body. Before her was the face she had longed to see for centuries; the cropped black hair, the cool blue eyes. The face of the man she loved.
At that moment he was confessing his own feelings for her, his words hesitant and slightly awkward in his unfamiliarity with expressing emotion. A tight ball of impatience was building inside her chest, and she wanted nothing more than to throw herself in his arms and cut off his slow speech. She withstood the temptation by shifting her weight from one foot to the other and twisting her hands together, her lip suffering abuse from her teeth. After a few seconds his mouth titled upward as he took notice of the signs of her eagerness and let his words taper off into silence, content to just look upon her. One of his elegant, long fingered hands reached for her face, and she knew without needing to be told that she was practically beaming with joy. Too long had she waited for this moment.
A noise from the front gate interrupted his intention, and Misao jerked her head around as if looking would tell her what she could not see through the many other structures that stood in the way. A startled shout lurched at her stomach, and she knew something had gone terribly wrong. Whatever was happening, it was not good.
A hand wrapped around her own and she darted her eyes up to the man standing next to her, his features no longer relaxed in happiness but tightened once more in his guardian mask. He was now the other half of the man she loved. The one that took orders from their master. Nodding, she gripped his hand back and followed as he stepped off the covered porch.
As they ran Misao looked briefly skyward, taking note of the darkening clouds and coming rain off in the distance. A storm was brewing out over the sea, and what she could see of the horizon was black and foreboding. Their palace up on the mountain would not be saved from its wrath. They needed to make preparations.
Another shout, almost a terrified scream, and Misao returned her attention to the closest problem. Either someone was attacking the palace or there had been an accident. Though she hoped for neither, an attack would be the worst. With the largest part of their military force out with the master, they had little power to protect themselves.
As they rounded the last building and the main gate came into view, Misao nearly relaxed in relief. There was only one woman positioned within the large gaping doors and she was standing straight and tall. No army spread across the clearing behind her and she seemed unhurt. Everything was fine… except for the body at her feet.
"It's the young lord!" Frightened for him, Misao took an immediate step forward, her first instinct to go to him and make sure he was fine. The hand grasping her own jerked at her arm, however, stalling her headlong dash.
"Wait. There is something wrong here."
"Of course there is, the young lord is hurt."
Casting her wide, aquamarine eyes back to the limp form of her youngest master, Misao felt sorrow, wondering if his unmoving figure meant that he was dead.
"Wake up, noble brat, and look upon my face!" Misao's gaze was thrown back to the woman, flinching as she swiped a hand through the air. Without even touching the lord his body flipped onto its back, a half-weak groan rubbing at his throat. "Look upon all the faces you have condemned!" The woman advanced, her multi-layered kimono that suggested her rank fluttering out in the wind, her loose hair whipping around her face and sleeves. She was more than just beautiful, she was almost ethereal, even with the look of utter grief and despair painting her cheeks with tears.
Once more her hand waved before her, her fingers curling around until they fisted, bringing her arm up high to eye level. As she moved so too did the body of the young lord, his hands going to his neck as if he were being choked. As his feet left the ground they kicked, struggling feebly, and the katana he had held dropped with a clunk.
"You have taken everything from me." The screeching voice of before was softened now in watery anguish, her chin trembling as she stared up at his defiant face. For there was no doubt in Misao's mind that their young lord was nothing if not defiant. He would not surrender to anyone. "Everything that I hold dear has been removed from my sight by your hand. And you… you have nothing! There is nothing in this life that pleases you! Nothing that I can take away! The death of your own father by my hand produced nothing from you! Nothing! I would kill you if I knew you feared death, but even your life has no meaning!"
Quivering with suppressed emotion, she swallowed, calming herself. "So I have thought of a different punishment for you."
Abruptly her eyes looked away from her victim, their jet black depths bottomless and unnerving as she swept them over the gathered onlookers. "I shall ask all of you this only once, so be wary of your answer. Today I have killed your master. I have destroyed your invading forces. I know of the troubles this house has had because of its warmongering lord. I know of the deaths and deserters of your noble household. I tell you this now, this…boy is all that is left of your ruling family. Would you give him your loyalty? Would you serve him as you have his father?"
Silence blew across the opening courtyard and the first thing Misao thought was yes, why would she not? The young lord demanded just as much respect as did his elders, didn't he?
"Very well. I have heard your answers."
Everyone gasped and stepped away from the witch in their presence. No one had spoken, not one answer given. Then there was a scream. A horrible, painful scream, and Misao covered her ears to block out the agony it trembled into her chest. The sound was muffled by her palm and Aoshi's hard knuckles, but there was no lessening the sight her blue-green eyes locked onto. There was no blocking the scene that would haunt her for the rest of her long life.
Twisting, writhing, screaming in a way she had never seen a man before, her young lord dropped to the ground, blood oozing out between the fingers fisted into his hair. He curled into a ball, pressing his face into the dirt to stifle his own cry, pride still present in the midst of such torture. The armor he wore broke off with a crack, the back of his kimono stretched, his voice turning to a screech, and the soft silk ripped and tore as two large, red wings sprouted from between his shoulder blades.
Panic began to take over Misao's thoughts and she took another step back, her grip a desperate clamp around the hand still holding hers. By then there was no more time to react, no more time to see, because the witch was in front of her, her grief stricken appearance burning into her retinas. Her lips were moving, and Misao belatedly realized she had been speaking the entire time, but she could not understand what it was she said. Then her hand reached, a finger touching her gently on the forehead, and for an instant Misao was calm.
"I am so sorry."
Then the pain began.
X
Misao woke with a start, her head lifting up off her forepaws and eyes snapping wide open. The lingering panic of her dream held her briefly in its clutches before one deep breath dispelled the feeling. Sighing, she curled herself back around the opposite way, tucking her nose into the coarse hairs of her belly. She at once hated and loved those dreams. Hated because it only reminded her of what they had all endured, and loved because she wanted never to forget her true love's face.
Aoshi-sama… how cruel that the same day we were going to be together was also the same day that separated us for life.
A few long minutes later and light spilled through the crack in her doorway, alerting her to the time of day. It was time to get up and be about her chores. The knowledge actually delighted her, and she smiled as she stood and stretched her long body. Too long had they all been idle. Too long since the last time their services were actually required. The young lord had long since dismissed them to their own devices, spiraling deeper into a depression he would let no one pull him out of. Now that there was a guest within the palace, though, they were once again needed.
The young lord was beginning to show interest in them again. Interest in a lot of things. Grinning rather impishly, Misao shimmied through the crevice in her shoji and popped out the other side onto the veranda. Her small room was situated along one of the hallways leading to the northern pavilion, one half of it open the other half closed off for the lady's servants. The lady of the house generally stayed in the northern pavilion, directly across a smaller courtyard from the master's at the center. Misao had been one of the last lady's personal handmaidens. This meant she had been without someone to wait on for much longer than many of the others.
Turning away to the south Misao shelved those depressive memories and pointed herself towards her new mistress. For the time being Kaoru was staying in the eastern pavilion, a place now reserved for guests. When the palace had been alive with activity and a large family, it had been the house of one of the family members. None of that mattered now, though, and Misao thought Kaoru probably would not be staying it in for very long anyway. Misao did not even care that she was one of the only few that thought that way.
Between her, Sano, Yahiko, and a few of the others, they all had a nice bet going on. So far no one was betting on her side, but that just made it better odds for her. She had some info that the others did not, too, and that kind of info she was planning on keeping to herself.
Of course it only took someone with eyes to see the young lord was interested. In fact, everyone was beginning to notice the way he followed Kaoru around, even if Kaoru herself had not noticed just yet. For the last few weeks during their cleaning he had shadowed her; perching himself atop an adjacent roof; watching as she laughed, cursed, or complained she couldn't get something clean enough.
He was completely disapproving of her decision to do servant's work, but every conversation the two had carried on about it had ended in a yelling match. Misao wondered when their lord was going to realize this woman was not going to be talked down. Her temper was more than a match for his, not to mention her stubbornness. That they were not getting along much right now was the main reason no one believed Misao's prediction. It was for that very reason alone that Misao knew she was going to win the bet.
The soft fluttering of feathers caught her attention and she forgot everything she was thinking about as joy threw her heart into her throat. Scampering to the edge of the planking, Misao strained her neck around to look for the source and smiled when a dark bird flew by. Halfway down the walkway and the bird back winged, pulling its sleek body up short as it changed direction to come back. Full of excitement Misao met him where he landed.
"Aoshi-sama! You're home!" Waiting only for him to steady his balance and fold his black wings at his back, she pushed the top of her head into his chest. "I missed you." Softly the sharp points of his beak nibbled at her fur, showing affection in the only way he could.
"I missed you, too."
Sitting reluctantly back, Misao looked him over to make sure he was unhurt. Special though they all may have been, they were still in danger of becoming part of the food chain, and it would not have been the first time one of them had been attacked by a normal animal wishing to feed.
Even as an animal he was beautiful. His shape had become that of a sleek black raven's, with a sharp beak and talons. Fortunately he had retained his eye color. They all had. He was the only raven she had ever seen with cool blue eyes.
"Did everything go alright?"
"The lady's father will arrive home safely today. I left him in the care of Saitou's policing unit so that I could come back and make my report to the lord."
"Did he have any luck?"
"He was able to procure three new students. They should be enough for him to make a comfortable living, and they seem to be honest and eager boys. They will be good for him."
"How is he emotionally? The lady has expressed worry for him once or twice."
"He is holding up well enough. I heard him talking to his new students and he has told them his daughter was married to a man from another village. A good excuse for him to be gone every once in awhile for a visit."
"It might not be too far off from the truth, either." His sharp face tilted to the side to look at her curiously, and she grinned toothily. "Well… sooner or later, anyway. Perhaps you'll see what I have and convince the rest of them of their ignorance."
Aoshi was quiet for some time before fluffing a wing. "Have they been getting along then?"
"Nope. They fight like cats and dogs."
Laughing softly Aoshi nibbled at her again, then sighed. "I suppose I should be on my way, little one. I have not yet made my report to the master."
"You came here first!" Astonished, Misao stood straight up on her back legs, scandalized and partially frightened by his daring. "The master would be furious if he knew!"
"He is still asleep." Waving a wing, Aoshi stepped back. "Besides, koishii, I wanted to see you. All will be well, as long as you don't say anything."
"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I try to get you in trouble?"
The twinkle in his eye said he was only teasing before he hopped along the planking, spread his wings, and took off once again.
"I shall see you later, koishii."
Tilting one wing down, Aoshi circled sharply around the side of the center pavilion, zipping up under the covered walks and between posts. Now at the front of the master's house, he looked for the open tsumado that would be left ajar specifically for him. Spinning into a dive, he swooped through the gap and pulled up short just in time to keep from slamming into the inner panels. Flapping his wings rapidly, he landed with a quiet click on the wooden floor.
Walking carefully down the hall and around the corner he peeked through the partially open shoji that led into the inner living space. Across the room he could see the upright form of their lord, his back bowed uncomfortably and his arms wrapped loosely around one upraised knee. One large, leathery wing lay completely spread on the tatami mats off to his side, the other curled around his head, resting its main skeletal weight on the back of his neck. Sighing, Aoshi backed away to wait. There was no need to worry just yet. Their master was still asleep.
X
Misao figured it was just fate that they would be cleaning out the northern pavilion that day. It was the last and final area for their cleaning crew, and Misao was just a little pleased that they were kicking the other crew's hind end. Of course, that probably had a lot to do with them having an actual pair of human hands, not to mention the lord was being cranky about anyone in his quarters. Ah well, bad luck for them. Look's like we get Tae's special dessert all to ourselves!
"It's so pretty in here!" Delighted, Kaoru was throwing open every shoji and tsumado she could find, letting air and light into the darkened rooms. "Kawaii! Look at the paintings! And this cute little vanity! Oh my, it's like a perfect little doll house!"
Giggling, Misao watched her dance around from one enchanting sight to the next. "I'm glad you like it, milady. This would have been the quarters for the lady of the house."
"The lady's? You mean like… the lord's wife?"
"Or favorite wife."
"He had multiple wives?" Appalled, Kaoru made a face, trying to imagine Kenshin married to more than one woman. It was a disturbing, and surprisingly annoying, prospect.
"Sometimes the nobles would, yes. Our master had five wives. Not that he really wanted any of them personally. They were just a means to an end. It was an easy way to garner favor and backing from their families. The Lord's marriages were all about influence."
"So he didn't once marry for love?"
"I don't think so, but… his last wife stayed his favorite longer than any of the others. She was the one who resided here. I wouldn't say he loved her exactly, but he did have a certain level of affection for her. She was my favorite mistress, anyway."
Kaoru frowned at the sadness now infecting Misao's voice. "She must have been a kind lady."
"Oh yes, the kindest. It was a joy serving her. You must have the same taste as she if you fancy the style of her pavilion. As the lady of the house, she had the freedom to decorate whatever she wished in whatever style suited her. She also decided on the decorations for the master's quarters, since he didn't mind."
"She sounds like someone I would have wanted to know."
"You would have liked her, and I think she would have liked you, too." Smiling a little more mysteriously, Misao winked at Kaoru's raised eyebrow.
"Alright you two, let's just get to work. I want to get this done as quickly as possible."
"Like you'll be doing anything but bossing us around, Megumi."
"I'm not made for this kind of labor." Preening herself and looking much too proper, the fox sat herself down in a ray of sunshine to highlight her red coat.
"But aren't you a servant to Lord Kenshin, too?" Curious of her haughty behavior, Kaoru questioned in a tone that held no sarcasm.
"Of course I serve the young lord, as his physician."
"You're a doctor?!"
"Yes. I've even kept up with the times, as well as I could. There are several good books that I've been able to procure over the centuries."
"Centuries?" Overwhelmed, and thinking dimly that she had finally found out some type of time frame, Kaoru wondered when her eyes were going to pop out of her head. "Just how old is everyone?"
Momentarily speechless, Megumi froze with one paw in the air, her jaw hanging slack. A light hiss from Misao snapped her out of her shock and she smoothly transitioned into indignity. "You shouldn't ask a woman her age, Lady Kaoru. It's rude." Turning with a swish of her tail, she trotted into the second room. "Can we please just get this finished. There are more things in this pavilion to clean than any of the others so far."
This palace is supposed to be over a thousand years old. I wonder… does that mean everyone here is… Surely not, it's not possible. Following Megumi into the other room, Misao trailing behind, she didn't immediately pay attention to the objects inside. But she did say centuries, and that isn't possible either. Neither is what Father said, about Kenshin not aging between now and thirteen years ago. Of course, there are talking animals here, too, and then Kenshin himself… oh, forget it. There's obviously something strange going on here, and at this point I'm ready to believe anything's possible.
The rest of their team was already busy cleaning the veranda and inner hallway, which left Kaoru, Misao, and Megumi alone within the two inner rooms. The smallest room, the one Kaoru had mistakenly used as her sleeping area in her own pavilion, was full of boxes of all shapes and sizes. Many of them were the same size, stacked upon one another in even piles. They were covered in dust, like everything else, but Kaoru recognized what they were even without looking inside. Her mother had two boxes like those. Only two, because that was all they could afford.
Kneeling beside a pile, Kaoru pulled the uppermost box off the top and slid it into her lap. Brushing aside the layer of gray lining it, she hesitated, before lifting the lid open. As she had expected the soft silk of a kimono lay inside, and its texture and make was better than any she had ever seen before. Vaguely she wondered why it was still so perfect; how it had been preserved if her theory about the time was correct. Then she remembered her own reasoning, that anything was now possible. It was such an insignificant detail to be worrying about at this point, actually, what with the talking weasel chattering away next to her at a fox.
Even still, she was afraid to touch it. Kimono were expensive, that was why they were generally handed down through a family. Out of her mother's two kimono, one of them had belonged to her mother, and she had worn it for the wedding to Kaoru's father. Her second kimono had been a wedding gift, from Koshijirou. The one Kaoru had worn to the palace her first day could hardly be considered a proper kimono next to even her mother's. Next to these… they were cloth sacks!
No wonder Kenshin is so disapproving of my clothing. If this is what he was used to, then I must look like a dirty homeless girl.
She was distantly surprised by how the knowledge depressed her.
As if her thoughts could summon him, Kaoru heard the voices of the servants outside respectfully acknowledging their lord as he passed. Jumping in guilt, she let the lid of the box fall closed. If this had indeed been the house of the master's favorite wife… then she seriously doubted Kenshin would appreciate her fingering through her clothing. Wanting to quickly replace the item before she was found out, she jumped again when Misao stopped her with a paw, her little face peeking through the crack of the lid as it had not landed perfectly back into place.
"Aren't they beautiful? These would have been the under layers. The next box would have gone over that, and the next over that, and so on. It's quite the affair, trying to get it all on perfectly."
Momentarily distracted, Kaoru gave Misao her full attention. "How many layers does this one kimono have?"
"It depends. Sometimes they can have up to twenty, but I think this one in particular has just twelve."
"Just twelve?"
"That's right. Oh, good morning, my lord." Dropping back down to all fours, Misao ducked her head courteously. "Is there something we can do for you?"
"No. I have simply… found myself with a free moment."
Kaoru grinned. "Did they finally get you out of your rooms, then?" As was becoming habit, he frowned, but Kaoru was more than used to his grumpy behavior by now and her smile merely widened. "Really, for someone who is determined his servants do their own job, you are stubbornly getting in the way of letting them."
"They may do their job when I am not present." Crossing his arms, he cast his eyes away and looked over the clutter. "And I left my rooms because I wished to and not for any other reason."
"Well I hope you didn't plan on coming in here and slowing us down. We've got enough to do without having to work around you."
Ignoring her, Kenshin looked away to the side, his hand tentatively reaching out to run over the faded screen painting. "I haven't been in here… in a very long time." The sadness lightly coating his voice made her chest twinge, and it was Kaoru's turn to frown, unsure of the reaction. What was it about that pavilion that was making her so sad? A fleeting dart of amber eyes caught her own gaze as he withdrew his hand. "Do the rooms please you?"
"Uh…" Startled by the question, Kaoru nervously fingered the box still astride her bent legs. "I guess." His features tightened, offended by her vague and rather careless answer. "I mean, I find them very beautiful, if that's what you're asking."
Nearly bursting with excitement, Misao bounced back up with her front paws on Kaoru's hip. "Don't be modest, Lady Kaoru. You were simply thrilled with the rooms only a few minutes ago. Right, Megumi-san?"
"She was about to give me a headache with her girly shrieks of delight." Sounding as if the scene had been insufferable, Megumi flipped her tail, ignorant to what Misao was doing.
"I'm glad." The smile in his voice was obvious, and Kaoru looked up quickly because it was not an occurrence that happened regularly. "I'm sure they will look even better after they have been cleaned. Almost like new again." His voice trailed off into a memory only he knew of, and Kaoru snapped out of her dazed awe straight into irritation with herself. This was supposed to be the rooms for the wife of the master. What the hell is he thinking saying such insinuating things to me? Feeling ill-tempered, Kaoru stood up and dropped the box back on top of its pile. The noise caught his attention.
"We won't get anything done with you in the way. So if you will please excuse yourself, we need to clean everything out of the room and air out the belongings. Especially these kimono before they accumulate a smell, if they haven't already."
Golden irises finally focused onto the box she had been recently holding, their large frame rounding almost completely as they stared at the crooked lid. It was as if he had only just realized what was going on. "Nothing in this room is to be touched." The statement was breathless and his eyes were still centered on the container. Then they flew to the two servants, settling on Misao as the culprit. "Why did you come in here?"
"My lor…"
"What if you broke something?"
"But they nee…"
"You could have already dirtied them." Stepping by Kaoru, she tripped backwards to avoid getting hit by his wings and watched him snatch up the top four boxes of kimono. "Obviously you cannot be trusted with their importance. They shall all be kept in my rooms from now on."
Turning with the boxes clutched to his chest, as if they were the most crucial aspect of his life, he left the pavilion on unsteady feet. Motionless and uncertain, Kaoru stared after him, dumbstruck. Perhaps it was the vulnerable way he had conducted himself, an action so unlike the way he was normally exposed, but Kaoru had felt no desire to argue with him for treating his servant so rudely. This topic was apparently too delicate for him to handle correctly.
"I suppose… he didn't mean to be so cruel, Misao-san." Finding herself trying to defend him, Kaoru didn't give herself time to question why. "All of this stuff is… clearly important to him, and we didn't take the time to see how he would react to us touching it." Trying to smile, Kaoru knelt down next to her friend who was looking painfully dejected.
"No. It's my fault, Lady Kaoru. I should have remembered how close he was to the last lady of the house. But he was acting so nice to begin with, like he was pleased, that I thought it must have been okay with him."
"You did say, though, that the master's favorite wife would have stayed here. All of this stuff must be hers then, and he just… misses her a lot." Of course, that was why she was his favorite. Ignoring the strange knot in her stomach, Kaoru continued soothingly. "That kind of emotional distress makes people act funny."
Megumi gave a strained sort of laugh. "You make it sound like she was Lord Kenshin's wife."
Shocked, Kaoru averted her attention to the fox. "She wasn't?"
"Of course not. The young lord has never been married."
"But Misao-san said your master had five wives at one time, and the favorite stayed in this pavilion." Completely turned around, Kaoru pointed almost accusingly at the weasel.
"Well, yes, that is technically correct, but she was speaking of our old master. The young lord's father. His newest wife, the one that stayed in this pavilion, was the young lord's mother."
"She was Kenshin's mother?" Digesting this new information, Kaoru sat back on her haunches, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side. His mother died when he was younger. Before his father, I'm guessing, but all of her stuff is still in this pavilion. Meaning the old master, Kenshin's father, never moved any of the other wives back into this favored spot. She must have been quite the lady to hold his attention even in death. And I guess… Kenshin's reaction is warranted even more so now that I know the real reason he was upset.
Standing abruptly, Kaoru bent to retrieve the rest of the stack Kenshin had taken from, lifting them carefully into her arms. "You two should start on the other room. I'll make sure all of these make it safely to the lord's quarters like he wished."
Misao looked relieved and breathed a quiet thanks. Smiling brightly, Kaoru marched her way out of the house and onto the walk that led to Kenshin's own rooms. She wasn't surprised to see the servants that were trying to clean his building all scurrying quickly away from it, wishing to stay out of reach of his temper. Sighing, she fumbled with the tightly shut tsumado and nudged open the doors so that she could skinny her way in.
The pair of wooden doors she entered were directly opposite the wall of shoji leading into the lord's private living space. They were flung wide open in contrast to his outer barriers, and Kaoru cautiously stepped up to their gapping entrance.
"Kenshin-sama… is it alright if I come in?" Something soft shuffled across the tatami, but there was no answer to her inquiry. Peeking her head warily around the inner door, the scene inside made her relax in sympathetic understanding. She had lost her own mother, too, after all.
The boxes he had taken with him were strewn across the floor, as if he had dropped them or tossed them away. A variety of pretty colors spilled out of each, like a splash of vibrant life within the confines of his drab surroundings. The lord himself sat way back inside the innermost room, the doors open but providing little light to shine upon his hunched figure. With one wing thrown around his legs and over his head, it was apparent he did not want to be seen.
Sitting down the boxes in her arms, she bent next to the others, meticulously replacing each delicate kimono piece and stacking them by the wall. "You should be more careful with what is precious to you, Kenshin-sama. You may accidentally do something you will regret later."
"I don't need a lecture from you."
"I'm merely expressing concern. These are very beautiful kimono, the likes of which I've never seen before. I'm sure the only thing that could have outshone them is the lady they belonged to." Amber eyes peered over the top of his partially lowered wing. "They deserve to be treated with respect to honor her memory."
"It is ridiculous to feel such attachment to something so insignificant." The wing was back up.
"But they're not insignificant. One of my mother's kimono has been passed down through her family for a few generations now. It holds every one of the memories it saw while worn, and it will continue to see new memories when my father gives it to me. That makes it more valuable than the coin it is worth."
"Then they are more than just worthless, since I cannot obviously wear them."
Kaoru covered a smile at the thought, glad that he still wasn't looking at her. "Yes, but one day you will find someone special to give them to, and then they will become even more precious."
The concealing wing tightened for a moment, then dropped completely as he sighed. "Perhaps I will simply give them to you, since you don't seem to have anything decent to wear."
"What?"
Nodding as he took a liking to the idea, he waved a hand imperiously. "Have them all taken to your rooms. I have no use for them in here. Besides, they're still cleaning my quarters and they will simply be in the way."
"But…"
Standing without listening to her stuttering, he approached her and bent to pick the boxes back up. "I shall help you with these… but only because I myself am heading out as well. The rest need to be handled by the servants. Someone with a delicate nature. I do not wish for them to be strewn across the courtyard."
Golden irises finally focused on her, studying first the wide frame around her eyes, and then the darkening blush of anger on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Kenshin-sama, but I can't." Refusing him with as much dignity as she could muster, Kaoru's words came out short and clipped.
Black lashes blinked quickly as he frowned and she turned without another word and walked stiffly to the shoji and then out the adjoining tsumado. As soon as her feet hit the veranda her head ducked, her arms crossed, and her steps quickened.
Confused, conflicted, and unused to the feeling rolling in his gut, he clenched his jaw tightly against the rising tide of anger and bitterness. Sitting the boxes down shakily at his feet, he twisted back to the smaller inner room and slammed the door shut behind him.
X
A/N: Yay! I'm finally getting to write about some of the stuff I have been wanting to. It gets a little frustrating having to make sure there is filler stuff so you better understand as the reader, when all I want to do as the author is write certain parts I particularly like alone. Anyway, I hope everyone liked this chapter better. I didn't get much feedback on the last one, and I know it's because there really wasn't much to review on. So here… tell me some stuff! I'm dying to get some reviews!
I had someone request a POV from one of the "servants" so here you go. I did kind of make poor Misao and Aoshi suffer, but I like it when they're all cute and cuddly. Unlike Megumi and Sano… I'm fine with them bickering, because that's when they're the cutest. The back story for Kenshin is much more detailed than what you were all just given, so go ahead and make some assumptions, but don't get too attached to them. Kudos to you who do figure it out, though I doubt it's much more complicated than it actually seems, so I don't want to build it up too much either. Anyway, I've got some grocery shopping to do, so I'll leave this be and get it posted. Please tell me what you think. I like reviews!