Red Shadows
Chapter 2
A Foreword
In the first chapter I used the term "aura", and I thought I should elaborate it for the setting of this story. The story itself is a fantasy, set in English medieval folklore with magic, but I threw Aura into it. I had planned to explain it along the way as the story progresses, but I decided to explain it separately so that the story can be understood better.
The closest similar definition for this story's "aura" is chakras or "spiritual energy" (think MXTX novels or Chinese sword fighting wuxia stories), similar to Japanese ki or Chinese qi. It should not be confused with magic, as aura can be trained/cultivated, while magic is genetic. However, a person with inborn magic will naturally have a stronger aura as magic is a source of energy. You can think of this story's "aura" as somewhat more magical than Japanese's ki but less than what Chinese "spiritual energy" can offer.
For example, a swordsman can channel his aura to his sword to make swings and strikes more powerful - the more he concentrates the better - but he can't blast lightning or the likes of it from the sword (unless the sword is specifically made to do so, but that will mean it's a magic sword). A sword stab with powerful aura, even if shallow, can be damaging as the stabbed person's aura will be overwhelmed & damaged.
Auras are not limited to fighting but any path a person trains on. For Megumi, her aura is honed for medicine, and she's able to use it to get more precise details on a patient's condition and even for healing since she also has magic. Training is required to build a strong aura that can be controlled, so while most people have their own innate aura, they might not know how to use or control it. Kenshin has trained hard to not only control, but also read or sense other people's aura which gives him an advantage in battles. Just like compatibility with people, there is compatibility between two people's aura too. And because Kenshin's able to read aura well, he's now terribly attracted to Kaoru's :)
Onto the story!
"Mother, mother, are you alright?"
From the side of the chair, a small girl tugged on a coughing woman's sleeve, her innocent eyes worriedly looking at her mother's pale face. The woman weakly smiled and stroked her daughter's head, her motions soft and slow.
"My precious daughter…" The woman softly spoke, her eyes gazing lovingly at her daughter, yet laced with worry. Summoning her strength, she carried her daughter onto her lap and looked at her in the eye. Her daughter quizzically looked back at her, her small hands still clutching her mother's clothes.
"Kaoru," The woman's voice turned stern, "promise me that no matter what happens, you will stay strong." Her voice cracked at the end with a heavy cough.
"Mother…?"
With tears in her eyes, the woman embraced her daughter as tight as she could. "Mother... has to leave soon." Kaoru started to protest, but the woman cut in before she could speak. "Hush, Kaoru, you are a big girl now. Tomorrow, when you go to your fathers, you must remember to behave and be a good girl."
The little girl started to cry and protest, and the woman's heart broke into pieces as she held her struggling daughter.
But no one can turn back time.
"Mother, no!" Kaoru hugged her mother back, crying into her clothes as she wailed. "Don't leave me! I don't want to go!" The woman started crying together with her daughter, but whispered a promise into her daughter's ear.
The next day, Kaoru saw her mother's lifeless body taken away from her home, surrounded by sobbing strangers who stopped her from reaching her mother. No matter how she shouted, cried, or how much strength she put into running towards her mother, Kaoru was not able to break free from the grasp of the person grabbing on to her. Even after she could no longer see her mother, Kaoru could only struggle as it was the only thing she had left in her life. But soon, her young voice turned hoarse, her small legs started to give way, and she could only close her eyes as she fell into the arms of the person who had steadily held her throughout.
"Kaoru."
Kaoru held her head down, stubbornly staring at the floor and not acknowledging the deep, steady voice that rang above her.
"Kaoru, stay in the castle tomorrow."
Kaoru whipped her head up and glared at the chiselled-face man sitting on the throne, clothed in full battle armour, holding a sword in one hand. Eyes that held the same colour as hers looked back at her.
"No," Kaoru gritted out, her fisted palms shaking from anger, "I will be out on the battlefield."
The man on the throne sighed, and silently gazed at Kaoru for a moment before waving his hand. The knights that stood guard uneasily glanced at each after, but the King's orders had to be heeded. They slowly shifted out of the hall and closed the heavy doors behind them.
After all of the guards were gone, the King slowly stood up and walked towards Kaoru, whose heart grew heavier as the metal of his armour clunked closer. Both of them held their gazes, one soft, one fiery, as if there was an unwritten rule that the first to break the gaze loses.
The man stopped in front of Kaoru, his tall presence looming over small stature and there was a long pause. Finally, he looked down and took one of Kaoru's fists in his own hands, gently prying her fingers open while placing the sword he was holding in another hand into her small palms, his two big hands covering hers. Kaoru, stunned, dropped her eyes to the hand that held the heavy, foreign metal scabbard and the warm, coarse hands that enveloped her own. Confused at the turn of events, Kaoru blankly held the sword, staring at it's intricate dragon design on the scabbard.
It was Zemlya Boha's royal heirloom!
Kaoru's reflex was to struggle and pull her hands away from the man, but his hands were still firmly clasping her hands with the sword, not allowing her to let it go. She cried out, "Your highness!"
While Kaoru was too focused on breaking free, she didn't notice the man starting to kneel down. Suddenly, she found herself in a tight embrace - while one of his hands was still wrapping hers along with the sword, pressed in between them, an arm had wrapped around her shoulder and held her close.
"Kaoru, my dear Kaoru."
Kaoru closed her eyes and choked a sob, but as soon the man softly murmured something to her again, tears started running down her cheeks without restraint and she started to bawl. She unconsciously gripped the sword that was so repulsive to her earlier and hugged it with all her might, while the man did the same with Kaoru.
Kaoru had never had many men hold her before, but while in this man's arms, her sorrowed mind brought her back to the steady arms that held her when her mother died.
Loud roaring and metal clashing assaulted her senses as Kaoru slowly opened her eyes. Confused, turned her head and found herself on her bed, a heavy weight in her hands. Flashbacks of the previous night came running through her head and Kaoru jerked up. She had no recollection of what happened after - did she pass out in the King's arms last night?!
While grabbing the sword, she ran towards the window and looked below. It was already mid-day, and the castle grounds had turned into a battlefield. Her eyes frantically scanned the chaos and finally found the person she was looking for. The king himself was engaged in combat, his swings deadly and precise. However, his opponent, whose back was facing Kaoru, was just as swift and powerful, not only blocking the blows but also steadily pushing the king back.
Kaoru's fingers tightly gripped the window sill, her heart in her throat. After watching a few more attacks, she couldn't take it anymore and was about to turn and join the battle when the opponent suddenly pulled back.
His sword glowed black, and with great force, he pushed the sword towards the king while narrowly avoiding an upcoming swing attack.
The sword completely went through the king's chest.
Kaoru's mind was in a complete whirlwheel, it can't be real, it can't be real. As the king's body faltered and slowly sank to his knees, she let out a scream, screaming a name she never dared to voice in her life.
"Father!"
The opponent swiftly turned to face her and all Kaoru remembered was his angry, icy, navy eyes before darkness took over her.
Kaoru blinked open her eyes, but this time she saw an unfamiliar ceiling, beneath her an unfamiliar bed. Her head was in a blur; her chest hurt while her body ached. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took deep breaths trying to calm herself, slowly recollecting her thoughts and trying to remember what on earth had happened.
Just as she closed her eyes to concentrate, a sound of a heavy door swung open. Kaoru, with her whole body heavy, decided to just lift her head to look at the intruder and widened her eyes as she blurted out in alarm, "Who are you?"
The lady in a purple tunic-dress at the door paused, staring at her briefly before turning to push the door close and dipping into a polite bow. "My lady, how do you feel? You had a brief curse attack two days ago and have remained unconscious since."
Curse… attack?
The term triggered a sudden flash of pain across her eyes and her temples started throbbing incessantly. Kaoru clutched her head, letting out a soft groan as her body unconsciously turned to the side so that she could hide her face in the pillows, away from the sunlight. Hurried footsteps approached. Just when she could no longer take it and felt her brains were about to explode, a cold pressure was exerted on her neck. She involuntarily shivered from the touch, but felt her headache slowly ebbing away. As soon as the pain faded, recent memories crashed down on her.
Where am I?
You cannot be… Are you the King?
Stop it.
How dare you, how dare you! He killed father-!
Please, help me.
"Kamiya."
A low voice washed over Kaoru like a cold bucket of water. She snapped open her eyes and a blur cloud of red assaulted her senses. Blinking a few times, her vision finally cleared and she found a chiselled face near her, with his loosely tied fiery strands of mane falling off the side of his cheeks and shoulder. His lips curved into a frown while his golden pair of eyes peered at her. Alarms went off in Kaoru's head. She knew this man.
"You!"
Kaoru's voice was hoarse but wary, gritting her teeth at the man before her.
As she tried to back away, from the corner of her eyes she realised several other people had appeared behind, surveying her, including the purple tunic-dress lady and two men who looked familiar and dangerous - Kaoru's heart went cold as she recalled the interrogation. Noticing her eyes wavering and staring behind him, the man with red hair stood back up and turned towards the onlookers.
"Wait outside."
It was a soft but firm order, and his men silently shuffled out of the room. As the wooden door closed shut, Sano whispered to Megumi, "Is that the suspish girl ya'll were talking about?" Megumi shot him a look, but Misao also tugged Aoshi's sleeve and chimed in, "She doesn't look cut out to be a spy, are you sure?"
"Looks can be deceiving." Aoshi cooly responded.
Both the girls and Tae stared at him as he calmly looked away while Saito lit a cigarette and let out a puff of smoke.
Kenshin turned back to look back at the girl in the bed, who now kept her eyes down at her fists that were clenching the blankets on his bed, till her knuckles were white. Unsure of how to approach the captive, he looked away and cleared his throat, mentally trying to find the right words to start a conversation.
"I apologise."
Kaoru kept her head down, her mind in a whirl at what was happening to her at that moment and didn't notice the man had spoken. This man… this man… he's the King of Chevron! This bed linen is made of silk… ah. Is this his bed?! Am I in his room?! Oh, what clothes are these…? Wait, didn't I just yell "You!" in his face!?
"..."
"..."
Suddenly the door swung open with a bang and Kaoru jerked with a small yelp. There stood a lady holding a large tray that held several plates of food, with one of her legs slightly lifted up in the air.
...Did she just kick open the door of the king's chambers?!
She then noticed the men Kenshin sent out at the side of the entrance outside, staring at the lady with probably the same thought in mind.
"Tae?" The king's voice was in disbelief.
The lady named Tae completely ignored the king and turned to smile sweetly at her, which made Kaoru's hair stand on her neck, her palms starting to sweat.
"My dear, are you feeling better? You must be famished after sleeping for two days after the unfortunate accident." Tae briefly turned to glare at the red-haired man, who looked away and cleared his throat again.
Manners made Kaoru's mouth voice a reply but all that came out was a small squeak as her body shifted uncomfortably.
"It will do you some good to get out of bed and move your body," Tae continued as she walked towards the table in the chamber and set the tray down, taking and placing the plates and bowls of food on the table. The aroma was alluring and Kaoru found herself trying to control her stomach from letting out a rumble.
"Your highness, you have not had your meal today, so I took the liberty to have your share brought up to."
Kaoru's stomach immediately lost its vigour to rumble as she stared at Tae, who had just finished setting up the table and turned around to look at her and Kenshin, her hands firmly placed on her hips. "I've instructed the guards that neither of you are allowed to leave the room for the next half an hour. Understood?"
Kenshin and Kaoru simultaneously replied, "Yes, ma'am".
As Tae headed to the door, Kenshin followed her and Kaoru stared at him blankly while Tae swiftly glared at the King. Kenshin coughed and explained, "Just passing some instructions to Aoshi." Aoshi moved closer to his king while the rest dutifully moved a few steps back. Kenshin murmured his instructions, and Aoshi bowed in acknowledgement. The next thing Kenshin found himself was pushed back into the room by Tae with the door swiftly slammed shut in his face. Through the thick wooden door, he could hear Tae shoo-ing his men away.
Kenshin sighed and closed his eyes, mentally counting to three as he prepared himself to tackle the lady behind him, in his bed, with a wary, curious aura that seemed to be boring through his back. Sucking in a breath, he opened his eyes, turned around with a strained smile and gestured at the small table full of plates of food.
"Shall we have lunch?"
Kaoru blinked at him but didn't move, her fingers still clutching at his bedsheet.
After a pause, Kenshin tried again, "We don't want to upset Tae."
It seemed to work, as Kaoru's shoulders did a small jolt and nodded her head. Her body felt like a heavy lead and it took her whole strength to climb out of bed. At least her head wasn't pounding anymore. As she groggily stumbled to the table, a whiff of what smelled like stew caught her senses and Kaoru suddenly felt more alert. She nodded in thanks as Kenshin pulled out the seemingly heavy wooden chair for her and focused on the aroma of the food assaulting her senses.
It was a simple fare of meat stew and a few loaves of bread, but the aroma was luxurious. After having not eaten for two days, Kaoru's stomach finally broke all restraints and rumbled. Loudly. In front of the king. Kaoru squeezed her eyes in horror at what her stomach had done, not wanting to face the man opposite the table. But she heard Kenshin let out a gentle, kind chuckle, which made Kaoru peek open one eye.
"I hope the food suits you."
There was a soft smile on his face as he gestured to her to eat, and Kaoru felt her face flush. That handsome face should be illegal. However, her brain reminded her that he was the King, so she thanked him and dug into her food.
As they started to eat, the room fell silent - albeit an uncomfortable one for Kaoru, as Kenshin's kingly presence made her squirm. Kaoru swore that she felt his gaze on her several times, so she decided to stare at her stew throughout the meal. But when they were almost done and Kaoru thought she could be free from her agony, the red-haired king decided to break the silence.
"How is the food?"
Having no choice, Kaoru looked up with a nervous smile and replied, "It's good, your highness, thank you."
When Kaoru glanced at his face, she saw that Kenshin was looking at her strangely, but he continued the conversation.
"I'm glad to hear that. We tend to use a lot of spices in the northern area, and even some of our own locals prefer a lighter palate."
In all honesty, Kaoru was too hungry to care about the taste, although the food was delicious. As she stared at her now empty bowl and recalled her meal, she subconsciously replied, "I guess I do prefer meat."
"Meat?" He echoed.
Kaoru mentally slapped her forehead. She really had to stop her bad habit of opening her mouth!
"Ah," Kaoru opened her mouth while frantically finding an excuse, "I live near the sea, so I mostly had seafood for my diet. Red meat was considered a luxury… I guess it's normal for the southern-"
Kaoru suddenly felt her heart squeeze and she gasped, clutching her chest. It was only for a beat and left minimal pain, but it was a good enough warning to not continue her sentence. There was a gentle grasp on her left shoulder and Kaoru glanced up, surprised. Kenshin had left his seat and was next to her, looking down with concern, "Are you alright?"
Kaoru took a gulp of air as the pounding in her chest finally regained normalcy, "Y-yes. Thank you."
The warmth on her shoulder disappeared; she watched Kenshin, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face, as he sat back down. There were so many things running through her head on how to explain her situation, or how to get out of this situation. Her initial main goal was to run and go into hiding, but she was captured, put into prison, and now she was having lunch with the King of Chevron!
Kenshin observed Kaoru and her aura. Although she was looking at him, it was obvious that her mind was somewhere else. When she started eating her aura was a soft, gentle buzzing, but now it was as strung tight as if to protect her in a fight or flight response. Mentally sighing, he decided that it was now or never. He softly spoke so as not to startle her, "I apologise."
Kaoru's azure eyes focused back onto him, seemingly confused at his sudden apology, but also laced with a tinge of fear. Kenshin paused, thinking of how to approach the subject. The anxiety, however, was suffocating Kaoru and she felt her heart thump hard in her chest. She silently clenched the foreign fabric of her clothes, willing herself to calm down. She had to find a way to escape.
"We had the curse analysed," Kenshin continued, "so we won't be asking you anymore questions. I also apologise for the recent unfortunate events that we made you go through."
Kaoru's heart dropped at the king's statement. Enishi's curses were a unique form of forbidden magic that no one else had. She knew that he had done some random attacks on the neighbouring countries before she fled… Analysing the curse meant that it was as good as declaring they knew where she came from, and if they had enough intelligence, it would not be difficult to dig up who she was.
She had to escape, as soon as possible, before they took advantage of her.
"I see," Kaoru replied as evenly as she could. "I thank you for your hospitality as well, but I would appreciate it if you could let me continue my journey after this meal." Her fingers still clenched at her clothes as she directed all of her anxiety to her hands. The costly fabric she never ever wore in her life was probably ruined.
Kenshin felt his lips curl slightly. Whether unconscious or not, Kaoru's manner of speech was a dead giveaway that she had an aristocratic upbringing. With the curse analysed, Kenshin knew that Kaoru had known her identity was exposed, so she was probably trying her luck to flee. But given the situation at hand, her ties with Yukishiro, a national threat, meant that she had to be held prisoner for his land's security. Or as a last resort, a pawn for negotiation tactics.
Kenshin frowned.
Clearing his throat, he stood up and changed the subject, "You have a guest. Shall I show her in?"
"A guest?" Kaoru couldn't make sense of what he was saying. She didn't know anyone. Did Enishi hunt her down already? Her lips went dry, but before she could stop herself, she found herself voicing out with a tremble, "Who?"
Kenshin paused, gazing at her again with that strange, unreadable look.
"Tomoe. Yukishiro Tomoe."
Yukishiro Tomoe had shown up outside the castle walls in the morning. Sano bumped into her as he was on his way back from an all-nighter, apparently let out a yell at the sight of Tomoe, and ran into the castle to yell some more. By the time the guards had come to inform him that a lady had requested a hearing with the king, word had spread like wildfire throughout the castle that an ex-flame had returned.
Kenshin mentally sighed. Tomoe was no stranger to the people of Chevron and his castle. Before Enishi started his antics, Chevron was on cordial terms with Zemlya Snihom. As a young king, Kenshin's council had sought to strengthen his political standing by asking for the hand of Zemlya Snihom's princess, whom he had formed a pleasant alliance and friendship with after her frequent visits to Chevron as her father's envoy. With her continual visits to Chevron's castle, rumours about him and Tomoe had started to spread around town. Although Kenshin had his reserves, his council thought it a good opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. On one of Tomoe's visits, Kenshin privately asked her about the prospect of marriage. While a part of him hoped she said yes, another part of him knew that he was not ready for this commitment.
Tomoe, however, had politely declined without a second's thought.
Kenshin found himself heaving a sigh of relief.
As the king mused about his past with Tomoe, she was brought in by the guards to his Audience Chamber. Tomoe walked in and dipped into a flawless curtsey, her famous impassive facade plastered on her oval, porcelain face. Kenshin waved and signalled the guards to leave. After they shuffled out, Kenshin walked closer to Tomoe and bowed, "It's good to see you well."
Tomoe looked up and her features softened. She smiled at Kenshin, "You too, your highness."
While it was tempting to bring up the past, the King stopped himself from doing so. He ushered her to the nearby couch, "What brings you here?"
Kenshin had his information network, but the last he heard about Tomoe was three years ago, when it was rumoured that she had left Zemlya Snihom's royal court for reasons unknown. While worried for her as a friend, she didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, so he didn't pursue her whereabouts.
"I live in Vohon with my husband now." Tomoe chuckled at Kenshin, whose eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Yes, that is also the answer to why I declined your offer."
Kenshin was surprised - not only at the news, but also how he had zero ill-feelings towards Tomoe. He genuinely smiled back at her, "I'm happy for you, Tomoe."
"Thank you," Tomoe replied, but her smile faltered. "I didn't come to tell you this though, your highness." She looked up at Kenshin, her eyes stern, "Is Kaoru here?"
End of Chapter 2
Author's Notes
A hello to those who stumbled across this fic, and a thank you to those who stuck around since my first chapter. I apologize for any spelling or grammer mistakes, and for the short chapter, but I wanted to force myself to post today, on Kenshin's birthday (andnotdragmytwoyearhiatusanylonger).
Happy Birthday Kenshin, my first husbando!
To those who worry there might be no more updates… there will be, as the whole plot is already laid out. But when I will pen type it down on paper word, time will only tell…
See you in the next chapter!
~zhuang
