Outside the window of Kaoru's old bedroom grew two trees. The older and larger of the two was the Katsura tree Oka-San planted as a new bride, while the younger and smaller was a paulownia tree the same age as Kaoru herself. Her parents had followed the tradition of planting a paulownia tree, also known as a princess tree, in honor of her birth.

The screens in Kaoru's bedroom were painted with paulownia flowers. Kaoru and Megumi sat in front of one of these screens to share a pot of tea and catch up. Misao felt tired after the journey and went to take a nap.

Megumi raised a delicate black lacquered tea cup, part of the set Lord Hiko had given Kaoru, to her lips. "I like her better than Tomoe," she said, referring to Misao. Though Megumi liking someone better than Tomoe wasn't that high a bar to reach. "That bitch!"

Kaoru poured herself a cup of tea. She had told Megumi about how she and Kenshin (or Sir Ken, as Megumi had started flirtatiously calling him) had to flee Otsu because of Tomoe's betrayal. She'd done so with more than a little bit of glee. Having your dislike of someone proved to be well-founded was a pleasant experience. But reliving that night, the rustling in the attic, the teeth-clenching slice of Kenshin's katana, and the hot spray of blood quickly turned her spiteful joy into righteous anger. She slammed the teapot onto the tatami mat so hard that it almost shattered. "I wish Kenshin had cut her down instead of that thug of her brother's." Even though Tomoe had betrayed Kenshin, would he be able to kill her? No, it was beneath his dignity as a samurai to shed a woman's blood, and he couldn't take the life of someone he once loved. "...If anything happened to Kenshin, I don't know what I would have..." She might have broken her vow to only use a sword to protect life for the second time. Once had been more than terrible enough.

Megumi reached over and squeezed Kaoru's hand. "You really love Sir Ken, don't you?"

Kaoru wasn't sure how to reply. Her marriage to Kenshin had just happened, and whatever she felt for him had snuck up on her like an assassin. She'd been laid low before she knew what had happened. How was one supposed to know how to feel?

"Were you happy when your father arranged your marriage to Sanosuke?" said Kaoru.

"Of course," said Megumi. "I was starting to worry I would never marry." Megumi passed over to the wrong side of twenty before her father found a match for her. Despite her beauty and wealth, her eligible days had been numbered. "And when my father told me Sanosuke was a daimyo's son, I gave thanks to Okuninushi for my good fortune and I swore to be a good wife."

Despite her meddling, scolding, and flirting with every man in sight, Megumi was a good wife to Sanosuke. She made him very happy indeed if her becoming pregnant so soon were anything to go by.

Kaoru sipped her tea. "I wouldn't have chosen this marriage for myself..." But she couldn't have chosen a better husband than Kenshin.

"We're women, Kaoru-Chan. We'll never be happy in this life if we expect to get what we want. All we can do is our duty and make the best of what we get."

This moralizing made Kaoru roll her eyes. "Just because you're so much older than me, Megumi-San..." Kaoru giggled. "Doesn't mean you have to act like my mother."

"If I were your mother, I would have done a better job." Megumi winced and placed a hand on her swollen belly.

"What's the matter?" said Kaoru

"Your nephew's acting up again." Megumi placed Kaoru's hand on her stomach. Little Sanosuke jr was kicking up a storm inside his mother's womb. Kaoru pulled away when Megumi scrunched up her face. " And now I need to use the toilet... ow... I should have known bringing a Kamiya into this world would beat the crap out of me."

Kaoru laughed as she helped Megumi to her feet. May the Buddha forgive her, but how satisfying to see her haughty sister-in-law, who always acted like her shit didn't stink, like this. "Do you need help getting to the latrine?" The latrine was at the end of the hall. Megumi should be able to get there herself, but she would need assistance squatting over the pit.

"Laugh all you want, Tanuki, but it'll be your turn sooner or later."

"Later rather than sooner." Kaoru slid opened the screen door. As nice as red-haired bokken-wielding children running around the dojo sounded, was she ready? Was anyone ever truly ready?

Megumi wobbled toward the door with Kaoru holding her arm. "Do you not want them?"

"No..." How should Kaoru put her reasons for not feeling ready? "I'm enjoying sex and if I get pregnant, then I'd have to stop having it for awhile." When she put it like that, it sounded silly. Megumi, who snickered into her kimono sleeve, certainly thought so.

"You can still enjoy sex with your husband while you're pregnant. You get on top of him and ride him like a stallion. I wouldn't mind taking a ride on that Sir Ken of yours. They say that what short men lack in height, they make up for elsewhere."

It took all of Kaoru's willpower not to shove Megumi out a window instead of seeing her safely to the latrine.

Outside, the gatehouse bells rang, announcing that a visitor had arrived. Getas clip-clopped up the stairs like horse hooves.

"My lady." Kaoru turned toward the top of the stairs. Keiko, a lady-in-waiting and Yukimura-San's daughter, bowed to her. "Your lord father has returned."

Yukimura-San had explained that Otou-San had been away for the past several days inspecting troops mustered from the Kamiya family's retainers and peasants. They weren't expecting him for another two or three days.

Kaoru's heart leapt. She hadn't seen her father in over a year. So much had happened to her in all that time. She'd gone from a carefree, innocent girl to a married woman with blood on her hands. Would Otou-San even recognize her if he saw her?

"Tell my lord father that Lady Megumi and I will be right down," said Kaoru.

Keiko bowed again and tottered back downstairs.

Lord Kamiya Koshijiro, Daimyo of Murkai, was forty-five years old and a big, rugged bear of a man with a face like a warrior's mask which ever failed to put the fear of hell into an opponent or enemy. In full armor, he was an imposing presence. But his expression always softened into a handsome smile around his only daughter. When he removed his helmet upon entering the front hall of the Kamiya mansion, that smile greeted his family and servants, who'd gathered to greet him.

Kaoru bowed to her father. "Welcome home, Otou-San," she said. There he was, standing in front of her. She'd been afraid she'd never see him again.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Ka-Chan." Otou-San kissed Kaoru on the forehead.

Kaoru bowed to her father. "Welcome home, Otou-San," she said. There he was, standing in front of her. She'd been afraid she'd never see him again.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Ka-Chan." Otou-San kissed Kaoru on the forehead. I've missed you was such a weak way of describing how she felt.

Kenshin stood next in line. Otou-San clapped him on the back. "How are you, Himura, my boy? Married life treating you well?" He turned to Kaoru. "This one isn't giving you too much trouble is she?"

Kenshin blushed and lowered his eyes.

"I've always said that only a brave man could handle my Ka-Chan. Good luck, Himura."

"This unworthy one thanks you, Honored father-in-law." Kenshin bowed to Otou-San, who clapped him on the back again then whispered into Kaoru's ear.

"Come to my study after dinner tonight," he said to Kaoru before moving on to greet Megumi, the next person in line.

A/N I just read the new volume of The Way of the Househusband and I'm convinced that Kenshin and Tatsu would be best friends.