People had been swarming the temple rooms all evening
People had been swarming the temple rooms all evening. She
had done her best to avoid them and dinner had been tricky. Gathering her
ration, two pieces of bread and some stale cheese, she had opted to stay clear
of everyone. Kicking back and forth on the branch above the ground entrance to
her room; she was practically swaying with dizziness. The sun was setting in
brilliant colors and for the first time since she’d been forced to stock the
fires; she was unable to enjoy it.
Dropping to the ground she almost stumbled in surprise when she felt her
knees give a little. Swaying, she caught herself only by force of habit and
made herself to walk thealmost deserted corridors.
The place was darker than usual and she blinked several times to locate where
she was going. In fact, she didn’t see the little shadow that was swearing
foully until she had almost crashed into her. The small woman stared up at her
in surprise and then her eyes narrowed to thin points of magic.
“Do I know you?” The woman asked and Kaoru shook her head, both answering
her and clearing the buzzing that seemed to be growing.
“Not that I know,” Kaoru answered, surprised at how rough her voice sounded
in her ears. “I am sorry that I didn’t see you.”
The woman’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Kaoru felt power rush in
her veins and the woman’s eyes widened. Then they narrowed again. “Shinomori
Misao,” she offered, waiting for an answer.
Kaoru hesitated. Technically she had a surname now, but it would be looked
down upon if she used it. “Kaoru,” she offered as she twisted her hand in the
woman wrist to disengage it. The woman looked startled and Kaoru bowed. “I have
duties, lady.” She put years of subservience in her voice and completed the bow
even though it caused the blood to rush to her head so that she felt dizzy.
The girl opened her mouth to say something but with Kaoru’s room so close,
she ducked in to avoid any more questions and closed the door with a sigh. She
leaned against the wall and trembled with weakness.
Misao raced down the hall, her feet pounding as she threw all caution and
stealth to the wind. She latched onto the link between her husband and herself
and followed it as quickly as she could. The girl had been pale and there had
been shadows behind her eyes, shadows that were swallowing her whole.
She turned a corner and smacked right into Aoshi’s chest. Luckily he was
used to her expressions and turnabouts, because he caught her easily and
steadied her, one brow rising. “I found her,” she breathlessly claimed, and
squeaked when she was swung up into his arms. Kenshin followed them, his eyes
burning in the dark corridors. “She looks really tired Aoshi, how could she
have gone through so much energy here?” Her chest was heaving as she panted
around her words. “She was sneaking around like she was terrified of
something.”
They didn’t say a single word, just followed her directions. Finally she
pointed to a room where three priests blocked the doorway, as if they could
delay the inevitable. Kenshin’s expression was suddenly so dark, Misao feared
for the innocents still in their rooms, but Aoshi soothed her with a brush of
confidence through their bond.
Her King was furious.
~*~
Kaoru slid down the wall in her room and panted a bit. She
had wanted to see if a cold bath would wake her up a bit but even that was
difficult. Not that the bucket the temple was forced to supply for her to clean
with was actually considered a bath. She let her head rest against the wall,
blinked sleepy eyes, and groaned. She had been fighting what was apparently a
losing battle all day and was growing tired of it. If she was going to be
forced to sleep whatever this was off, she was going to do it in her own bed.
Sleeping on the floor for several hours was the best way to suffer from a
back-ache. However, the moment she stood to head to bed, something shivered
down her spine and she was hit with a hard, overpowering warning.
Going to bed would be very, very bad.
Her panting breath was turning into something that was more sluggish and she
felt her lashes growing heavy just as she caught the sounds of voices being
raised just outside her doors. It was almost too much of a bother to raise her
head but her training as a swordswoman demanded that she acknowledge every
threat. It could have been the priests coming with the decision that they had
not released her after all, and panic welled in her throat.
The door smashed against the wall. The red-head whose mouth had been hot
against her skin the night before was suddenly there; the glowing eyes she had
just barely been able to see in the darkness were hot as they searched the
room. When they landed on her something dark flickered through them just before
something like relief flared in his eyes. Then he was moving towards her
so fast she could barely see him.
He picked her up and cradled her against his chest. Something like fire and
something like energy raced through her blood, and she sighed in relief as she
could think past her own heartbeat.
“I have you, little one…..” He breathed in her ear. The warm air ghosted
down her neck and she sighed, letting her head drop against his shoulder.
Whatever energy she might have had to fight him drained out of her almost
visibly. She let her lashes close, the warmth of his skin lulling where her
nose was pressed against his neck. He still smelled like ginger, sweat, and the
faintest bit of jasmine and she wondered if he had taken a bath. Giving into
the siren’s call that had been haunting her since she had awoken, she slipped
into the peaceful realms of sleep.
She was so light.
Kenshin stared down at the relaxed face, the energy he poured into her body
not even enough to keep her from falling into the world of slumber. She was so
tiny. He remembered that his hands could curve the flare of her hips that her
waist was especially small. He remembered that her toes had brushed his ankles
as he held her that night, but he had unaware of how small she really
was. Her face was mussed with smudges of dirt and sweat, and the light was
completely inefficient for him to be able to memorize her features. But she
could use about ten pounds before he felt she had reached proper body weight.
His eyes narrowed. The first thing he was going to do was get her out of
this hell hole.
He moved through the tunnel, absently noting that he was being followed by
Misao and Aoshi, and that Sano had appeared at some point. He was practically
snarling by the time they reached the outdoors where their horses waiting on
them. He balanced her carefully with one arm jerking out a water-proof cloak to
wrap her in its folds and hide her slight frame from view.
He swung up onto horse and settled her as gently as he could. It wouldn’t be
a comfortable couple of days for his wife. He felt bad about that but he
couldn’t stomach being in this god-forsaken kingdom for another night.
He still couldn’t get over how light she was. Her head pillowed
against his chest, and her fingers were limp in her lap. He was thankful for
the cloak he had wrapped her in to hide her from the crowds that were watching
them leave. Pale faces peaked out of windows and doors and he was reminded
again of the wretched weather in this place. Snapping his teeth in irritation,
he shifted his wife so that she was cradled even closer to his chest.
Fury burned so deep inside him he wondered how it wasn’t incinerating both
him and her. She was so pale; her fingertips cold where they were brushed
lightly against his forearm. His horse barely noticed the extra weight and if
the way his ears flickered back and forth said anything, he wanted to run.
“Soon,” he breathed towards his steed. They still had to get out of the
gates of the City. There was something inky, something cold and dangerous
echoing in the air. Aoshi and Sano rode on each flank, their own eyes hard.
Misao was behind her husband by only half a length of the horse, so that the
nose of her horse was even with Aoshi’s ankle.
“Aoshi, what do you see?” Kenshin asked lightly, looking at the gate. The
intimidating structure rose up high so that travelers could see it from a good
distance away. It was carved from a rare black wood that seemed to suck in the
remaining flickers or light.
“Priests from the temple are converging,” he softly replied. “I believe the
betrayer is there also. They will either attempt to argue with you or they will
break her ties with her people.” A muscle in his jaw jumped. “They know that
you cannot have restored the bond and they hope that the breaking of the bond
with her people will kill her.”
Misao made a noise in the back of her throat. “Vindictive people aren’t
they,” she sighed. “Aoshi, they wouldn’t try to give her an earth curse or
something, would they?”
Aoshi shook his head. “Not with the amount of protection spells that we have
wrapped around her now.”
Kenshin grunted. “They had better not try it.” His voice was low and
hissing. “I am out of patience for fools.”
Sano exchanged a look with Misao, and snarled. “They’re making an awful big
fuss for someone who is just supposed to be a servant.”
There was a tense silence as they absorbed the words that Sano had just
spoken.
“In order for us to question her,” Kenshin said with a growl. “We must first
get her out of here. Aoshi, I don’t care what you do or how it happens. They
will not touch her. The binding spells should have taking care of any ties to
her people, tying her to me instead.”
“Oh Kenshin,” Misao breathed, her eyes going wide. The binding that would
include, the idea that he had shared his soul with a complete stranger, broke
her heart. “We will take care of it.”
It was unspoken that Kenshin himself couldn’t waste the energy, because he
was too busy holding the girl in his arms to him. As darkness settled in the
temple lights flared up behind him, and the street lights, powered with magic
that came from the sacrifices the people gave on a daily basis. Soon the city
was glittering with lights. ‘Temple
magic’, Aoshi thought to himself, his eyes sparking harshly in the
lights. It gave the group an unearthly image as they traveled, and the people
that still lined the streets watched them with a little fear.
Kenshin ignored them.
He knew what they saw. He was enraged and his magic always responded to
that. It had always responded to his rage, his passion, his edge. Now, with his
body on fire he knew his eyes would be hot-gold and furious. Dropping his chin
slightly so he could hide behind his bangs, he struggled for control.
The gate had finally arrived.
There were four of them. Two of them were thin like stalks of grass, while
another was so round that he wouldn’t fit through the thin doors of the throne
room. The last was a small man, probably even smaller than he was. So old and
wrinkled that it was difficult to locate anything other than his thick lips. He
reminded Kenshin of those fish they caught off the coast, ugly and covered in a
thin sludge of slime.
“We must ask you to stop, Highness.” The old one commanded. His voice thin
and reedy as Aoshi stared him down.
“You will understand when we respectfully decline.” Aoshi returned, staring
down his straight nose at the man in front of him. “You’re Temple
and gods hold no jurisdiction over us.”
The fat one sneered, “This may be true, but we do have jurisdiction over the
woman in your arms.”
Aoshi didn’t have to roll his eyes. He was quite aware that his wife was
doing it for him, and if the way she was muttering under her breath said
anything, she was also planning on settingsomeone’s
hem on fire. “May I remind you that you gave up your claim on this woman the
same way you would have given up your claim on Yukishiro had the marriage
actually been valid?”
Tomoe stepped out of the darkness. Her eyes were dark in the moonlight and
her mouth was twisted bitterly. “The marriage was valid.” She insisted harshly.
“You have chosen this…this….slave over a Princess. How dare you!”
Kenshin watched her from behind the concealment of his bangs. He knew what
they wanted. To degrade the woman in his arms enough that he was willing to
hand her over and forget about her. He knew thatif it
wasn’t for the bond crumbling between them, desperately attempting to reform, he would have dumped her off and left her.
But theirdice had been cast. She was his
now and he never gave back what was his.
“Aoshi,” Kenshin warned softly. “My patience grows very, very thin.”
Aoshi nodded and uttered a word. It built and echoed, like a forest rising,
or the rushing of glacial waters as they fought and broke up the great ice
rivers. Once the black gates began to open, they pushed forward so that the
priests and Tomoe were forced to let them past, or else the Great War horses
would step on them. Misao’s feisty mare shifted nervously and Misao soothed her
with a hand.
“There planning something,” Misao mused out loud, voicing the words everyone
else was thinking. “It’s a good thing we sent the caravan out early this
morning when we realized what was going on. I wouldn’t put it past them to try
to steal the jewels we brought for Tomoe’s inspection. I can’t believe she
didn’t like any of them.” Her eyes were dancing with her unstopping mischief.
“I can’t imagine why.”
Aoshi shot her a glance. ‘Try to behave.”
Misao shrugged. “It’s the truth. How far do you plan on riding tonight,
Kenshin? Even with the moon we might have to light mage-lights if you plan on
riding in the dark after midnight.”
Kenshin tossed her a glance. “We light the mage-lights once we have cleared
their feelers.”
They rode hard for several hours, until even his arms arched with holding
her in place. He signaled for everyone to pull over once they reached a
sheltered glen. He dismounted and pulled her up close to his nose so that he
could take in the scent of her hair. His tent was the first to go up. It didn’t
take long before he was moving into his tent and settling her onto a pile of
cushions while he began to unpack everything he would need for the night.
It didn’t take long for him to lay down the bed roll and the extra blankets.
This god-forsaken place was never what he would consider to be warm and he
refused to allow her to get a chill. Walking around he sighed his thanks to
whoever had thought about bringing him a basin of water. Moving it into the
tent he found a rag and gently dipped it into the warmed water.
Walking over to his wife he pushed back the cloak and bathed her face. Her
skin was pale under the dirt and he admired the prettiness to her features. Her
eyes were blue; he remembered that and he wondered at how they would compliment
her face. In sleep she looked young, but he supposed she had to be near
eighteen years of age, give or take a few months. Her fingers were work worn
and as wonderfully calloused as he remembered.
He changed her clothes, careful not to disturb her under things. He allowed
his fingers to brush her ribs. How had he not noticed how thin she was? His
frustration was evident as he carefully put her in a pair of loose pants and a
warm, soft tunic. Her tiny feet were dwarfed by his thick wool socks, but her
boots were ill-fitting and he was not going to let them go completely
unprotected.
He carefully picked her up and put her on his bed roll, making sure she was
completely covered. He watched her sleep for several moments before heading
outside to talk to his group.
Misao was sitting on Aoshi’s lap, curled into his chest for warmth even
though they had built a fire. She wasn’t saying anything and he would have
almost thought she was asleep except for the way her fingers kept plucking at
Aoshi’s cuffs.
“We leave at dawn,” Kenshin said as he sat down and accepted the bowl of
mash someone had cooked. “I know that only gives us a few hours of rest but I
don’t trust Tomoe or her priests. They will try something.” There was an edge
to his voice and the others nodded in agreement. Misao looked up and grinned at
him.
“It’s alright! Kaoru is going to be getting sleep and that’s what’s important.
Why are you out here gabbing with us? Go and curl up with your wife and let me
curl up with Aoshi!” Misao complained, her voice petulant as she turned her
nose back into her husband’s throat.
Kenshin quirked a brow while Sano snorted and Misao ignored them. Kenshin
shrugged. “Be ready by dawn,” he said again and headed back into the tent. As
he walked he considered what Misao had told him. Her name was Kaoru.
“Himura,” Aoshi called just as he went to open his tent flap. “Two days
before we must give her the counter potion; we will need to stop earlier
tomorrow or we won’t have time to figure it out.”
Kenshin nodded once. The tent flap fluttered behind him and he muttered the
barrier and heating spells as he went and lay down besides her. He maneuvered
himself under the covers and pulled her cool form against him. He stared at her
passive features and growled a bit. “You have caused me so much trouble,” he
hissed at her. “And you are completely unaware of it.” He buried his nose in
her hair and breathed in her scent for long moments. “I am sorry, little one.
But I do not believe I will ever be able to let you go. Not after this.”
~*~
When Kaoru woke up she was feeling sluggish, uncertain,and a little
disoriented. In fact, her lashes felt like there were metal weights pressing
down against them. The only thing that had woken her up was the knowledge that
she was not comfortable. Something hard and warm was pressed against her spine
and as she fought against the weakness racing in her veins. She realized there
was a saddle under her buttocks along with the shifting of leather and the
smell of outdoors and ginger. This would not do.
Gathering her strength she mentally took stock of the situation. She cursed
her apparent weakness and tried to remember how she had fought through it the
first time. Shifting slightly, she attempted to figure out exactly where her
toes were and felt the man behind her start. Then she was being shifted again.
“Kaoru…” A man’s voice that was vaguely familiar, its tones husky , softly questioned her name questioning. He repeated
it again but she was busy struggling against the need to go back to sleep and
only managed to shift again.
“Is she waking up?” A female voice softly asked. It was a woman….late in her
teens or early in her twenties. She sounded young but there was a lilting
quality that told Kaoru she was used to broadcasting it loudly. Giving orders
perhaps?
“She is fighting it.” The voice under her ear rumbled.
“It’s the most we can hope for. How is the link?” Another man questioned.
Kaoru let the feel of the man behind her warm her skin and didn’t move.
“Healing.” His voice was soft and lethal. “You have
sent word ahead so that the Mages can begin their work? I want the barrier put
up as soon as we cross. They have less than a day left.”
Where were they going?
She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep after pondering the conversation that
had so baffled her. She had the vaguest notion that she should be remembering something, that something had happened just before she
fainted the first time. It was important, but her tired and exhausted brain
wasn’t working with it.
This time she managed to get her eyes open and she found herself staring at
a tent wall. It was the color of dune-sand. She was laid against several soft
pillows, her body wrapped in a pair of soft breeches and tunic, and covered in
a warm blanket. It took a moment but Kaoru managed to find the energy to sit
up. She was panting by the time she managed to move, but she wiggled herself
upwards. Looking around, the weariness tugged at her mind but she shoved it
back. This was no worse than when she worked the temple fires for three days
straight in punishment.
She didn’t expect that tent flap to open or for the man she had only seen
once or twice to enter the room. The expression in his eyes was like
melted-honey when his gaze met hers. They stared at each other, her soft gasps
loud in her ears as he stared at her for long moments.
What…
Something hot was suddenly being pressed into her hands and she stared down
at a liquid the color of dusky tea. Looking up, she met those burning eyes and
blinked rapidly as she attempted to put the words she saw forming on his lips
with the syllables echoing in her ears. That damnable exhaustion was actually
starting to become a physical pain and she struggled against it, setting her
jaw tightly and forcing herself to concentrate.
“…drink.”
“Why,” Kaoru rasped out, surprised at the weakness of her voice, but
refusing to let that stop her. She met his eyes without any shield and let him
see her frustration and determination. “Why?”
Surprise flickered through his eyes, and she noticed the warmth of his hands
as they held her hands against the cup. His hold keeping them steady even as
her body trembled with the force of her exhaustion.
“You will die otherwise.” He told her flatly. His voice was honest and
brutally controlled as he spoke the words. “They severed the new-link before it
could settle and I can only keep you alive for so long. We have to counteract
their spell and re-forge that night’s work.”
Kaoru closed her eyes and heard him curse under his breath. She opened her
eyes in irritation. “You did something.” Kaoru informed him between pants, her
words slow in coming. She looked at him. “You did something and now you want to
either fix it or finish it.”
There was that flicker again and she shut her eyes as she steadied herself.
All those damnable breathing techniques, both for her sword work and her temple
work seemed to help a little. She channeled what little energy she had left
into keeping herself upright and thinking. There were so many questions she
didn’t have the time or energy to ask. Part of her wanted to slide back into
the blessed darkness and the rest of her fought against the inky tide. A single
reason, a painful reminder, burned through her and gave her the energy to open
her eyes and meet his gaze.
Something in his eyes asked her to drink and she let hers drift shut again
to close out that look. Something was wrong and this might fix it. Maybe she
did something wrong to Tomoe… She could feel his gaze on her skin like a
physical touch as he helped her drink, and she coughed weakly as it burned
through her veins. He caught her suddenly spent body against his chest, and
then lowered her back against the softness of the pillows. She welcomed the
press of the covers and she slipped into a blissful sleep that was somehow
lighter than the last.
She thought she heard the faintest murmuring of thanks under the man’s
breath but she couldn’t be sure. It was probably just her imagination.
Kaoru was bouncing. She didn’t particularly like
bouncing. Blurrily she opened her eyes. Wherever she was sitting, it was damn
uncomfortable. Shifting a bit, she would have fallen over backwards if it
hadn’t been for the arm that was holding her on the horse. Her entire upper
body was draped backwards and she heard the sounds of someone swearing. She
wanted to help him but she was still attempting to figure out what was going
on. Her lashes parted just enough that she could see the sky wheeling around
with flashes of red and tan. This was worse than bouncing.
She couldn’t quite find the strength to do more to help whoever she was
sprawled against pull her up and settle her back against his chest. She heard
someone giggling and managed to part her lashes just enough to make out the
front of someone’s neck. She wanted to protest but all that came out was a
faint noise in the back of her throat. The giggling stopped.
“Is she waking up?” a voice questioned. Kaoru wanted to inform them that she
was wide awake and capable of her own horse. Instead she felt herself relaxing
into his chest and admiring the fact he was as warm as he was. Her lashes were
still parted, but buried under the hood again; all she could do was see glimmers
of light.
“Sano,” his voice rumbled under her ear. “You’re going to wake her if she
isn’t. Shut up.” His voice was tight and held an edge, but warm fingers were
suddenly tracing her knuckles. Kaoru felt her hand shift a bit and his fingers
ghosted a bit longer, then she was left can delete alone. She didn’t attempt to
sit up again because she really couldn’t feel her toes.
“She should be starting where she was supposed to,” Misao told Kenshin
softly as she watched him readjust the reins. “I mean…if this was the day after
the wedding night; then this is how she would have been. There wasn’t much help
for it.” Her voice was amused. “Which would explain her acrobatics I assume?”
Kenshin offered her a faint quirk of the lips. “She is going to be rather
irritable when she wakes up then?” The smirk kicked up even higher at something
Misao couldn’t see and she faintly wondered what she was missing.
“Fairly so, I remember my first few days and I was furious.” She grinned
cheekily. “And that was with my understanding of what was going to happen and
being happy to participate.” She rolled her eyes.
Kenshin sighed as they continued on. “I know. You have made plans for that
extra padding?” His voice was soft. “I also think she would appreciate some of
her own clothing.”
Misao nodded her head. “I sent a missive ahead. As soon as we cross the
border it’ll be safe to travel faster. The mages are already doing their
damnedest to get the basis of the type of shield you want in the works. They
have plans for a temporary barrier and have already sent out letters to warn
the other kingdoms of our position. I imagine we won’t be the only people
cutting ties with the Yukishiro clans.” Her bottom lip pressed out. “And yet I
am worried that they’re still going to attempt something.”
Aoshi looked at his wife. “It’s not a matter of if, but of when. We already
know they have a spy in our court. They’ll be attempting to make contact with
that spy as we speak. However, it will only be a matter of waiting him out once
the barrier goes up. He won’t have the temple magic to sustain him against our
spells.” Aoshi’s mouth curved slightly at one corner in satisfaction.
Misao sighed. “I am going to be happy when all this is straightened out.”
She looked at Kaoru’s pale form. “I wonder why they were so determined to take
her back. I agree with Sano, there is something off there.”
“We cross the border in three hours.” Kenshin reminded them. “We can stay at
an inn there to let her get some uninterrupted sleep while we plan our next
moves. Aoshi, I want you to contact my Uncle and let him know what is going on.
Once he knows he can help figure out how to get those shields up.” He shifted
his bundle a little closer, feeling her sink back into the depths of sleep. ‘You
are a curious one.’
~*~
This time, it was like waking up after a few perfect hours
of sleep, wrapped warm in a lovers embrace and sun-kissed skin. Her body was
sinfully relaxed and the press of sheets under her feather-like body was
heaven. Her nose was buried in a pillow of feathers that smelled wonderful, and
the bare skin of her calves and thighs relished the sensation of silk. How long
had it been since she had woken in Tomoe’s wedding sheets and realized
something had gone awry? Before that it had been a good four or five years
since she had felt anything besides the coarsest of wools and cotton.
It was when she was attempting to piece together the situation she found
herself in that she realized she was not alone by any means.
Her limited Chi sense had been honed to an art in the temple. The priests
would have her head if she hadn’t and enjoyed any reason to beat a
spoiled-brat. Now a presence flickered against her for a moment before fading
away, warning having been given. Blinking sleepily, she looked around. The room
was bright and clean -something the cold of the temple never managed to pull
off and the smooth wooden walls were lined with wall hangings. She couldn’t
really see anything past the headboard so she shifted and turned until she
could face what she thought might be the window.
She stayed where she was, lying on her side. She was still feeling slightly
exhausted, like all the marrow in her bones had been eaten along with her
energy. Raising a hand that was lightly shaking, she shoved her messy bangs out
of her eyes and stared at the man whose back was turned to her. She noticed,
suddenly, that her hair was loose, and clean, and smelling faintly of jasmine.
How odd…
“They said you would wake up today.” The man wasn’t facing her but his voice
was smoky enough that she would have thought he had just awoken as well. “I’m
glad to see they were right.”
Kaoru didn’t know what to say to that so she just watched him from behind
bangs that needed to be trimmed. The morning light came through the window and
turned his hair into a halo of spun gold and fire. The broad line of his
shoulders was evident under his tunic, and what she could see of his skin was
tanned a golden brown. There was something stubborn about his stance that
suggested he was used to getting his way. So this was the man who Tomoe had
married. He turned and she noticed with surprise that his eyes were a
smoldering indigo-violet color?
“Nothing to say?” He asked quietly, watching her
with the same intensity she suspected that she was watching him. It took her a
moment to realize he expected an answer so she wet her dry lips with her
tongue.
“Where are we?” Her voice was faintly raspy and he relaxed a little before
heading over to a pitcher and thick clay mugs. He carefully poured her a glass
and walked over, handing it to her and then quietly taking it back after she
greedily drank it down.
“We crossed the border some time ago,” he told her carefully. “You are no
longer in your kingdom. I am afraid you won’t be going back either.” There was
a grim line to his mouth that had her frowning.
“What do you mean?” Kaoru asked suspiciously, butterflies dancing up in her
stomach. This was the man who had taken her virginity and now he was informing
her that not only had he kidnapped her, now he wasn’t taking her home? A faint
memory attempted to tug at her mind but when she grasped for it, it slipped
away.
He looked at her upturned face for long moments before moving from where he
sat at the edge of her bed and moodily paced for a moment before turning back
to her with his hands clasped behind his back. “I need to know what the priests
told you when they asked you to take Tomoe’s wedding
bed.” His voice was soft but firm enough that she knew she wasn’t getting out
of the bed until he had his answers.
“Just that it was…” she looked away. “You have to understand,” she told him
softly. “That sort of request happened all the time in the temples. Most men
never know it, of course, but there is often an exchange of bride and servant.
Royalty loose their virginity as a completely
different bargaining chip.” She didn’t expect for long fingers to suddenly wrap
around her chin and tilt her face towards him. She blinked in surprise at the
sight of eyes that were definitely golden now.
“What did they offer you?” He asked softly.
“My freedom,” she told him still feeling confused. “Is Her Highness upset?”
His eyes were hard. “I don’t particularly care if she is or isn’t,” he told
her flatly. “Did they tell you anything else? Anything at
all?”
Kaoru felt her gut clench at the restrained emotion in his tone “No…” she
told him slowly. “Just that once morning came I was free to do as I pleased and
no longer bound…why?” She stared at him for long moments. “You did something,
didn’t you?” She swallowed. “Did I do something wrong? Is that why you and her
Highness are upset?”
He made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and let her chin go.
Breathing deeply he opened violet eyes to trap her in his gaze. “I am not
married to the Yukishiro heir,” he told her flatly. “She abused one of my
people’s most ancient laws and my magic did not bind her.”
Kaoru felt her brows tuck together. What was going on? “If you are not
married to Her Highness,” Kaoru carefully, suddenly terrified of his answer.
She felt that niggling memory attempt to rush forward again. “Then why am I
here?”
He gave her an assessing look. “That’s because I married you.”
“That’s impossible,” Kaoru informed him reasonably. “You married Tomoe. In the Temple. Blessed by the priests.
It’s quite impossible for you to be married to me.” She was surprised at how
calm she sounded when she felt panic welling in her throat.
“Its not,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “My people consider the
wedding bed to be the most important part of a marriage. The spilling of your
virgin’s blood is used to bind your soul to mine. The woman is affected worse
than the man so that the woman can be protected while she recovers.” He gave
her a hooded stare. “It’s why you’re so tired right now. Traditionally the lady
spends the first week or so resting and then only doing minor tasks until she
is at full strength. You went through your energy too fast and almost slipped
away from me.”
“You’re lying,” Kaoru whispered, staring at him with wide-eyes. “You can’t
be…” she swallowed at his expression.
“I will never be able to tell you an untruth.” He told her softly. Something
like sympathy swam in his eyes for a moment. “I…”
Kaoru had tossed the covers back and was standing before she knew what she
was doing. “I am not married…” she stumbled a bit and was completely
surprised when he caught her, pulling her against his chest. He held her as she
trembled with the force of her emotion and the sudden weakness that prevailed
in her.
“You shouldn’t be doing things like that, little one.” He murmured warmly in
her ear. “You are my wife. I am going to have to insist that you sleep the rest
of this morning. We have plans to move out a little after lunch to give you as
much time to recover as we can.” He easily settled her back in bed, not really
meeting her eyes.
“I am not your wife.” Kaoru told him firmly.
This time he met her gaze unflinchingly. “Yes, you are. You are mine now.” He told her firmly. “I do not give up what is
mine.” Once the covers were tucked around her he settled at the edge of her
bed. “I will stay with you until you sleep.”
Kaoru turned on her side and faced away from him so he couldn’t see the
anguish and frustration that flicked through her. He had taken away her chance
to track down her father’s killer. Something hot flickered through her and just
before sleep rose, she knew that she wasn’t going to do anything to make this
easy on him.
~*~
It annoyed her that she was feeling a little weak-kneed
after her conversation with her ‘husband’. Even after her nap. Someone had
brought in a plate with soft bread, cheese, and strips of dark meat. She was
frustrated not only with him but with herself at the weakness that plagued her.
Tears gathered behind her closed eyes and she bit her lip to stop the rush of
waterworks. She hadn’t cried since her father’s execution, and she refused to
cry over something like this. She would not be weak.
Eating had been tiring, but it had been worth it. They had also brought her
a change of clothing, but dressing had left her breathless and slightly panting
from the exertion. She was staring at the soft socks that were obviously meant
for her to wear under her boots and decided that she was much too tired to deal
with them right away.
The door creaked open and she turned to see Kenshin walk in. He had changed
into a set of leathers to wear for their trip, but she noticed he had left out
the uncomfortable bits that no one liked to wear. He didn’t say anything for
long moments, just watched her with his arms crossed across his chest.
She wasn’t even aware that her chin had raised and she was attempting to
challenge him non-verbally until his mouth twitched with that little-half smile
again. He moved forward silently and knelt before her, taking the stocking in
his hand, and balling it up so that he could slide it over her toes.
“The weather here is too chilly to not wear stockings, little one.” He
chastised her softly. Kaoru pursed her lips.
“You forget I am used to such weather.” She wanted to agree with her words,
needed to, but she hadn’t been able to spend as much time getting used to the
elements of the out-side weather as she would have needed to be unaffected. “And stop that, I can put my own boots and stockings on!”
He didn’t stop from where he was lacing up her boots and Kaoru considered
hitting him in the head. But he was already moving towards her other foot and
she really didn’t have the energy. She just hoped he didn’t take her lack of
fight as a sign of acceptance.
“Can you walk?” He asked her as he finished what he was doing.
Kaoru growled at him and stood. It was only the fact that she was used to
working and living as she had in the temple that she was able to keep her feet.
Ignoring him and the way he watched her with the same edge as a hawk, she
walked with her chin up and her shoulders back.
‘At least she walks like a Queen,’ Kenshin thought mildly as he
watched her almost regally leave the room and move down the steps towards the
entrance of the little inn they had been staying at. He gave Aoshi a look and
moved his head towards Sano who opened the door for her.
“You’re riding with me,” Kenshin informed her softly as he moved in behind
her, watching her take in his horse.
Kaoru gritted her teeth together. She stared at him and he stared right
back. She knew he could see the fury rolling in her eyes as well as the
weariness, because he spoke before she could. “We have a week or more left
before we get to my castle. You will ride with me.”
Kaoru stared at the horse and saddle. The girth of it made up by a series of
narrow ropes laid flat and held together by stitching three of them in place.
There was a complicated placement of the ropes they had divided into three
sections. They were buckled carefully and pulled tight to hold them in place.
The actual saddle had a deeper seat that what she was accustomed to using
and would likely allow him to stay in place with little effort. She supposed it
was his people’s version of a campaign saddle. Furthering that assumption were
dull brass fittings that were well cared for, but worn from use.
Over all, the tack was a bit different than anything she had seen but she
was still very uncertain as to how she was going to ride with him. On the best
of days, it was horribly disconcerting to ride double, much less highly
uncomfortable, and she was willing to dig her heels in on this issue.
Kaoru turned to frown at him. “I can ride just fine by myself.” It didn’t
matter that she was already fighting the drag of sleep on her eye-lids. She had
slept in the saddle before, and she didn’t fear doing that now. There was no
need for him to be stubborn just because he thought she was his wife.
Kenshin raised a brow. “I wasn’t aware that temple-slaves were allowed to
learn how to ride.” His voice was cool and assertive, and nothing in his body
language suggested that he was going to let her have her own horse.
Kaoru’s gut clenched and she felt the color drain from her face. “Who told
you that?” She hissed, unwilling to back down or to loose this battle.
Kenshin kept the cool expression and Kaoru felt the urge to hit him. “Tomoe
and the priests were more than happy to share that information as we were
attempting to leave the City. Tell me Kaoru, why would they be so determined to
name you a slave?” His tone matched his expression and she bit the old scars on
the inside of her lip.
Kaoru felt as if all the energy had been sucked out of her body. “They named
me slave, Prince,” she said, her voice suddenly weary. “They did not name me a born
slave.” Her lashes fluttered shut as the fight left her. “I can ride a horse
just fine.” She insisted stubbornly.
She didn’t expect one of his hands to suddenly be bracing the small of her
back. Or his other arm to be behind her shoulders, gently tugging her against
his chest.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you,” he swore crossly, his voice hard and furious at
the same time. Kaoru stiffened as his tone and he muttered something under his
breath she didn’t understand before easily picking her up.
“The reason you are riding with me, Kaoru, is because of this.” He tossed
her into the saddle and looked up at her with scorching eyes. “The next week or
so you’re going to run through your energy levels quickly and it will be easier
on you if you can catch naps in the saddle. To do that, you are going to need
to lean against me.”
Kaoru glared mutinously down at him. “I’m not tired.”
Some of the temper faded from his eyes and his mouth quirked up at the
edges. “It’s not surprising that you’re going to be stubborn.” He swung up
behind her and she found herself partially braced against his chest. She was
resting on the withers, the high point
of the horse’s shoulders before they dipped down into his spine. She had
wondered why he had a folded pad resting just before the pommel. But she
supposed it was best for the horse for her to be there, keeping it from
becoming unbalanced. Except she didn’t think it would be comfortable for long.
“Let me know when you get uncomfortable,” he breathed into her ear as his
arms settled around her so he could grasp the reins. “You can always shift so
you are facing me.”
‘Now,’ Kaoru thought crossly as she shifted to get into the best
position possible under the circumstances. ‘Won’t that be just awkward and
disconcerting?’
She had the horrible feeling that whatever this was, there was no escape.
