Kaoru leaned up against the glass window and watched as yet another
carriage was unloaded
Kaoru leaned up against the glass window and watched as yet
another carriage was unloaded. This one was apparently from a country that did
not operate with large amounts of magic because all their luggage was carefully
bagged and tucked away on a separate wagon. She had learned right away that the
royals that came in with bare baggage areas simply had their court mage pull it
from somewhere. She was going to have ask Kenshin if it was just a variation of
the spell that he used on his sword.
Whatever it was, Kaoru was aware that she was supremely jealous. She was
quite disgusted with herself, but couldn’t seem to stop her persistent urge to
learn everything she could; either figuring out how to work magic herself
(assuming she had the talent), or just knowing enough about it that she wasn’t
continuously fascinated by each and every use of it.
The window she was looking through was just a reminder of things she didn’t
know. It had started that morning at breakfast, with Kenshin asking her about
how things had been going with her lessons with Misao and Megumi. She had been
honest when she told him that they had been exhausting.
They were exhausting. In the areas where her court training and this
court’s training varied, she easily managed to act dumb and surprised. It was
when they fell back onto situations her mother had drilled into her since she
could walk that she had to work to keep from doing it perfectly or
understanding a concept. She didn’t particularly understand why her gut
reaction was to hide her background. At first it was because she was too vexed
with Kenshin and there were other things to worry about. Like the fact that she
was married to a man she didn’t even know, and worse, he and she were soul
bonded.
In Triath the line to the throne was complicated and directed through a
series of laws that had made her head spin as a child. Her father was the
eldest of twin boys as the direct decedents of the King they were the
favorites. While her father had been alive the likelihood of her one day taking
the throne had been a possibility but it had also been slim. Now, with
her father murdered and her mother disgraced before her death there was no
chance she would have been anything more than a royal bargaining chip if Tomoe
hadn’t thrown her to the temple.
Either way, she was related to someone who had done something his people
considered unforgivable… how would that affect how he saw her?
She was struggling with herself, admitting it was a stupid fear and a shy
streak she had done her best to burry, but she was almost certain it was
something else. She had always gotten strange gut feelings or hunches as a
child and this one was a strong as any of those had been. She wanted to come
clean and she wanted to tell Kenshin everything, but the idea that something had
to happen first wouldn’t leave her alone.
So she bit her tongue and wore herself out.
It was worse when Kenshin was making such an effort to get to know her.
Since the incident in the dojo a fortnight ago, he had taken to dropping a soft
kiss on the corner of her mouth every morning before he went to deal with a
meeting or confer with Tae on some small detail about the celebrations this
week. The mornings that he had nothing to do he slept in and she was forced to
leave the bed early so she could get drilled by Megumi and Misao. She was
looking forward to a time where she and he both could sleep in and enjoy each
other’s company.
Because she was so busy, when she did get to have a free moment, she had
enjoyed listening to Cameral describe the arriving royals and their entourages.
Apparently she wasn’t required to interact with them until after the
Introduction Ball or whatever it was that Kenshin had called it. Cameral must
have dropped a hint to her husband because during breakfast he had asked her
about it. She had blushed like some schoolgirl and refused to answer his
questions.
After a good few moments of teasing he had walked to the window, laid his
palm on the glass, and spoken a word. It echoed strangely and then he had
winked and left to talk to Saitoh. When she had gone to the window to see what
he had done, she had been surprised to find that the glass now apparently
overlooked the courtyard where she could watch what was going on.
Which was what she was doing now.
The part of her brain that picked up on subtle body movements and attempted
to find weakness in their walks was active and memorizing, picking those with
warrior training out of the rest of the crowd. It had been a skill both her
mother and her father had been determined she learn. Her mother because
learning to understand body language in a court was a weapon; and her father
because she would learn weaknesses in her opponents if she mastered the skill;
feeling unsure about her current status, it was an ability she was thankful to
have.
On top of all the excitement and flurry around the castle… five days ago she
had seen two of her father’s spies. She supposed they were hers now, but the
two women who had suddenly appeared in the King’s Garden had been a wonderful
surprise. Katriona and Lleana were older than she remembered them. Both had
silver in their hair, but there had been no change in the hard muscles and
quick wit of the two.
The only part of the conversation she had had with the two that she would
have wished to avoid was their opinion of Kenshin. They had apparently seen him
on one of his travels, and only had good things to say and rather embarrassing
questions to ask. Even thinking about it had her face turning red.
Kenshin just wasn’t interested in her for sex right now.
‘That’s not what his kiss said in the dojo,’ Kaoru’s little inner
voice reminded her. ‘His mouth said he wanted you and he wanted to do all
sorts of things to you.’ Kaoru squashed the ideas that were flickering
through her brain and swore. He might have kissed her in a way that still
curled her toes if she thought about it, but apparently something about it had
bothered him, as he hadn’t done anything since other than give her a light kiss
on the mouth.
‘Face it,’ Kaoru thought with a sigh. ‘He is attracted to the sort
of beauty Tomoe possesses and you are not that stunning.’ She could live
off of what he gave her. He never denied her his arms. There had been a couple
of times when she had been so frustrated with herself and her ‘lessons’ that he
had freely offered her hugs. She supposed when it came time to start producing
an heir things would change between them, but for now he seemed to be content
to get to know her. Kaoru had hoped that the warmth in his eyes that she had
seen once or twice might be something more, but she wasn’t sure if that was her
own wishes or her imagination.
She admired her husband. He was loyal and kind and very gentle with those
who required it. He had a sharp edge of humor that she liked, and he seemed
determined to make her transition into this life as easy as possible. She knew
that there was some growing affection between them; it was just hard to
pinpoint what. Especially when her own confusing feelings kept getting in the
way.
Looking at the ball of mage flame that changed colors depending on the time
of day, she sighed and moved away from the window. It was time to go and
deliberately embarrass herself again. Perhaps if they got done early enough,
she would have time to go play around in the salle before she had to eat
dinner.
~*~
Saitoh considered the little boy who was currently sitting
his lap. He was managing to sit up straight simply because of the angle he was
using to lean against his chest. It was the drool that was slowly oozing itself
down the baby’s arm that had him sighing. Conjuring a rag he wiped the arm
clean and shook his head at the adoring gaze that was staring up at him in
delight.
“You realize that if anyone sees you like this, your reputation of being
mean and nasty is going to go right out the door?” Tokio’s voice was amused and
Saitoh turned to eye his wife as she walked in the room. She had put a little
of the weight she had been burning off in her constant studies of the spells
for the barrier back on, and he was satisfied with that. His wife always looked
better with just a few extra pounds in his opinion.
“They would first have to explain why they were in my personal chambers,”
Saitoh replied dryly as he shifted the baby to his shoulder. Soft baby hair
tickled his neck.
”Then of course, I would be forced to kill them for such a breach of privacy.”
Tokio snorted and sat down next to him, kicking her shoes off with a
flourish. “Has he been good?”
“He has been coating everything he touches in drool,” Saitoh said dryly. “If
we want to go to war against the desert nomads, we can take this one with us
and use him as a bargain source of liquid.”
“You’re horrible,” Tokio scolded as she tried not to laugh. “Just because
Kenshin has been driving us all crazy doesn’t mean that the baby has to suffer
your attempts at wit.”
Saitoh decided to get even with her for that comment later. “Our illustrious
King is not the only one who has been doing things without his other half’s
knowledge.” Saitoh said calmly.
Tokio turned, looking interested. “Oh?”
“Her Majesty had two female visitors today. If they had been male, I would
have been forced to bring it to Himura’s attention. However, there is no
stipulation against unknown female guests outside of the royal chambers.”
Saitoh shrugged.
“Do you know who they were?” Tokio asked softly, sounding worried.
“No, but there was no threat in their chi. Do not give me that look.
It was bad enough when he was attempting who to decide to marry in the first
place. That he completely botched the attempt is not surprising, but that does
not mean I have to suffer through a second attempt because the little idiot got
herself killed.” The expression on Tokio’s face suggested she would be
attempting to get even with him. He tucked the baby closer to hide his amused
expression.
“Aoshi mentioned that Misao was also curious about what Kaoru has been up
to. Apparently up until Misao and Megumi started drilling her on etiquette, no
one was quite sure what she did other than nap and discuss things with Tae.”
Saitoh looked down at his wife’s bent head. “How are those little lessons
going?”
Tokio’s expression turned thought. “I have a hunch… and Misao and Megumi
agree with me but…” her word died off, and she turned and held her arms out for
the drowsing baby. “I am going to put him to bed.”
“You’re not going to tell me?” Saitoh asked with a raise brow.
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, then you don’t deserve to know,” Tokio
responded cheekily. “Besides, it’s so much fun to watch all you men struggle to
put the pieces together.”
Saitoh watched Tokio saunter away. As he watched the way her hips moved
under her robes, he decided that he was indeed looking forward to getting even
with his wife.
~*~
“This is just a waste of time,” Megumi snapped furiously,
sitting down hard enough that Misao winced in sympathy for the chair. She was
glad they were all well cushioned. “We are doing all this for nothing and
wasting our time.”
Misao picked up a cookie, eyed it, and sat it down. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Megumi leveled her with a flat stare. Misao held up her hands in an attempt
to ward off the lecture she could feel building between them. It did little
good. Megumi didn’t even glance down at the small sandwiches between them.
She’d crossed her arms, her lips were thinned and Misao resigned herself.
“First,” Megumi informed her in an acidic tone. “She knows what she is
doing. I don’t know how, I don’t know when she learned, but she knows what she
is doing.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “I do not appreciate being made a fool
of. Being asked to teach someone to learn the proper manners in two weeks is
one thing… discovering that the girl knows what she is doing and pretending
otherwise!”
“Which is the crux of the matter,” Misao interrupted, her eyes dancing. “She
is pretending to be ignorant. Why?”
Megumi frowned darkly. “What do you mean?”
Misao leaned forward. “Let’s look at this honestly. Kaoru told Kenshin she
wasn’t a born-slave, so she hasn’t lied about her identity. She just hasn’t
filled in the blanks. Personally, I haven’t asked for that sort of information
and if the way Kenshin is tiptoeing around her, he hasn’t asked either. I would
also hazard a guess that Kaoru is either too shy to say she was raised as some
level of royalty or uncomfortable with the implications.”
Megumi blinked in surprise and considered that idea. “You’re saying she
might be related to the Yukishiro clan?”
“That’s exactly what I am saying. It might be a minor connection, but if she
is related, it could explain a few things. Like how they were able to sneak her
into the marriage bed without Kenshin realizing it. He wouldn’t have thought
anything about it because he would have sensed the blood similarities, right?”
Megumi tapped her perfect nails against the table. “You’re saying she is
ashamed of her possibly tentative blood relation?”
“Exactly. Now… what does that mean?” Misao asked in a thoughtful tone. “What
exactly is Tomoe going to do about it?”
Megumi sucked in a deep breath. “We need to…”
“We’re not telling him anything. It’s all speculation anyway. If we find
hard evidence, then we can bring something up, of course. However, this does
take the pressure off Kaoru in making sure that she knows what is going on and
we can concentrate on teaching her the idiosyncrasies she might have forgotten
or not been able to learn before her mother’s death.”
“We only have one more session.” Megumi spluttered.
“Then we had better make it one good session,” Misao agreed with sparkling
eyes. “Consider it a challenge!”
Megumi rubbed her eyes. “I am too pregnant for this.”
Misao laughed. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “However, I do suggest we
let Tokio in on this. Unlike our men-folk, she might get vicious if we don’t.”
A reluctant smile spread over Megumi’s face. “I suppose we should.”
“Then it’s settled. We give Kaoru the confidence to be our Queen and stand
by Kenshin, and we do it in a way that keeps her from realizing what we are
doing. Once we have built up a solid foundation of trust, I am sure we will
learn the truth.”
Misao leaned back with a satisfied smile. She hadn’t had this much fun since
she had been chasing Aoshi. It was all about letting the prey think they were
doing the chasing and just wait to catch them.
~*~
Kaoru turned from her perch on the couch, where she had been
fighting the urge to nervously bite her nails, when the sound of the door
opening caught her attention. She stared as Tae entered, her eyes gleaming like
polished stones, and several dozen servants with yards of colorful fabric in
their arms. Kaoru was almost positive they were dresses and she watched
wide-eyed as the priceless fabric was strung out across various pieces of
furniture. “What….”
“That will be all for now. I shall send for you later.” Tae said calmly. “Do
not get dirty.” She turned and smiled at Kaoru. “We are going to pick out your
dress for tonight and then the ball gowns for the other nights as well.” She
looked quite pleased with herself. “These dresses are crafted as the base for
what we will do. We need to see how the cut, style, and color look on you
before they finished creating your gown for tomorrow.”
Kaoru stared at her.
“I think the pale pink can be thrown out,” Cameral said in a thoughtful
voice. “It will make her look too young.”
Tae frowned and considered Kaoru thoughtfully. “That is true. Put it on the
couch over there… yes, that one. We can also put the sky blue and the pale
green away as well. They will not accomplish our purposes here, but those
colors will work for a later date, I think.”
Cameral nodded. “Do you have a particular color that you are fond of,
Kaoru?” she asked sweetly. “If you’re not comfortable wearing the color, then
this is all for naught.”
“I think the scarlet one… no, the one with the gold insets, should be saved
for the last night. It will go so well with her dark hair, and then there is
the ruby collection from Kenshin’s grandfather.” Tae bustled around, walking
and picking up several dresses.
“I like blue…” Kaoru admitted softly, still feeling thunderstruck. “But what
does…”
“She will need to look regal and powerful… the red dress would work, but I
do not…” Tae frowned. “There must be something here…”
“What about this one?” Cameral asked thoughtfully, holding up a dress. “It
will need some changes and need to be fitted to her form but…”
Tae turned and considered the simple cut of the dress. The fabric was
stained a blue that was as dark as any sapphire. The cut of the neckline
suggested that the shoulders would be bare and the sleeves were simple and
bell-like. The skirt went to the floor and the hem was lifted and pinned with
silver knots to show off the creamy white underskirt.
“It will need some sort of bodice design… Perhaps some more of those
fascinating knot works in understated silver thread?” Cameral suggested
thoughtfully.
“I believe that will work. We shall have to have some under things sewn for
her tonight, but I do believe it will work well. With a corset and the royal
sapphires, I believe she will look stunning.” Tae agreed happily, clapping her
hands. “That will work wonderfully. Kaoru, if you don’t mind trying it on…”
Which was how Kaoru found herself standing on a wide, flat stool while Tae
and Cameral chatted around her, pinning fabric in places, suggesting
adjustments to the hem of her skirt, or what sort of knots should be sewn.
“Can you explain why you are going through so much trouble?” Kaoru asked
hesitantly.
“Because dear, you are our Queen. It’s our job to make sure that you
look far better than anyone else out there tomorrow. Do not doubt that they
will be attempting to outdo you.” Tae sniffed. “However, that will be quite
impossible. Your beauty is such that it requires very little to bring the best
of it out.”
Kaoru flushed. “But…”
“No buts,” Cameral said in a firm tone. “You are going to look fantastic and
we are all going to gloat over you. Now relax, majesty, this is our job and we
believe that we are the best.”
Kaoru just nodded. What exactly was she supposed to say to that?
~*~
Kenshin leaned back in the leather chair and rubbed a hand
over his eyes. The chair itself had been a gift from some enterprising young
man who specialized in leather and decided to incorporate it in his
father-in-law’s chair business. Kenshin had to admit that the thing was
surprisingly comfortable and a nice change from the standard straight-backed
chairs that had always been uncomfortable. The order that he had given for more
of the leather chairs had filled his study with the comfortable furniture, and
now it was a place that he retreated to when he was attempting to avoid the
continuous messengers that flocked in his direction during the Season with his
Court in full bloom.
The fact was that since tomorrow was the beginning of the season for his new
wife, he was being bombarded. Thankfully, the guard out front knew what
he was doing and there hadn’t even been a knock on the door. Leaning back, he
lifted the mug of hot tea and sipped on it thankfully. There was only a slight
bitter aftertaste that suggested the first cup was to help rid him of the
headache that had been forming all day.
“Man,” Sano muttered as he cradled his own mug in his hands. Kenshin noticed
that his friend was forming a pair of circles under his eyes, and he looked
torn between frustration and amusement. “When Megumi and I talked about having
a child, I forgot to factor in how well I would be sleeping before the baby was
born.”
Kenshin took another sip of his drink. “Keeping you up?”
Sano grinned ruefully. “I can’t blame her, of course, the baby kicks when it
should be sleeping and she has a hard time getting comfortable. Then, when she
finally finds a way to be comfortable, which is normally using me as a human
body pillow, she gets too hot.” He shrugged. “It’s wearing on both of us. I am
starting to dread her last trimester.”
Kenshin gave him a sympathetic smile. “How are those cravings of hers
going?”
Sano turned green. “Last night, I made her a pickle and peanut butter
sandwich. The night before that, pickles and vanilla ice cream. I love my wife,
but there are some things I did not want to know supposedly go together.”
Kenshin gave a low laugh. “I wouldn’t tell Megumi that.”
Sano shook his head. “I know better. I’ve been talking to Tokio about some
spells that will make the bed more comfortable and automatically regulate her
body temperature. Tokio said she used something like that with her pregnancies.
It’s just a matter of tweaking them individually for Megumi’s stage and what
she needs. Hopefully, we will have then figured out by this weekend. If we
don’t, and some Courtier just disappears, I would say that it’s because Megumi
probably killed them.”
Before Kenshin could answer, the door opened, and Aoshi walked in. He looked
a little worn, but Kenshin had discovered early that it was almost impossible
for Aoshi to look anything but almost perfect. Even in the days where Misao had
been chasing him around the castle, he had never looked frazzled.
“How are things going in the outside world?” Sano asked cheerfully, as Aoshi
poured himself a cup of tea.
“I received a missive from Shishio this afternoon.” Aoshi said calmly, as he
took his normal chair. “There has been a recent death in the court and it’s
causing complications. Shishio sends his apologies, but he is unable to come to
the celebrations this week, and has requested that before the Season properly
begins you bring Kaoru North, so that he and Yumi may meet her.” Aoshi took a
slow sip. “He also sends his congratulations and a list of possible baby names.
Makoto is, naturally, on the top.”
Sano snorted into his mug and Kenshin sighed. “I see that old bandages
hasn’t lost his touch of humor.” Sano said with a smile.
Kenshin shook his head. “Shishio is as he normally is. With Fayre and
Braeden both teenagers and with the new baby they have their hands full. I
imagine that they don’t need anymore stress.”
Sano sighed. “It makes me feel old, talking about Braeden being in his
teens. I remember when that tyke was chewing on his fist and sucking on his
favorite bear’s ear.”
Aoshi shrugged. “Their presence would have been helpful to show a strong
front to the rest of the dignitaries that are coming in. We are dancing on a
tightrope right now and not finding a lot of evidence to show why we are
blocking Triath from our trade routes. The slight she gave us, to them, is
slight and expendable.”
“They will never join our trade route for as long as the Yukishiro clan
rules.” Kenshin said softly, his voice venomous. “I will be more than happy to
discuss it personally with anyone who says otherwise.”
“We don’t need any murders,” Sano said carefully. “Shishio will back us in
many things, but even he can’t walk the tight rope that will occur if you kill
someone.”
“Or are linked to the death of someone,” Aoshi added. “No one is saying
anything right now. It’s all going to depend on the impression that Kaoru makes
tomorrow. If they perceive that she is your weak link, they will strike.”
Kenshin leaned back and closed his eyes. “Megumi and Misao are confidant
that she will do well.”
Aoshi gave a slow nod, his brow winkling between his eyes. “Yes…” his voice
was thoughtful. “This is true. It is uselessly to worry ourselves about this
now. With our alliance with Shishio, we have a power backing that most
countries cannot match. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, we have enough
power and control of the trade routes that we will be in good shape.”
Kenshin frowned before nodding. “Just make sure that Kaoru is unaware of the
precarious position we are balanced on. She has enough to worry about.” Kenshin
frowned. “There is something she isn’t telling me.”
Sano snorted. “Kenshin, there are a lot of things that woman isn’t telling
you about. It’s your job to make that change and we wish you luck.”
Kenshin gave him a droll look. “Thanks.”
Sano grinned unabashed. “It is my honor and privilege to serve."
~*~
Kaoru sat on the edge of the bed and kicked her feet
nervously. It was odd seeing her toenails colored. Tae had brought in a small
woman with a bright smile who had given her the most wonderful foot massage she
had ever had in her life and then taken a bottle of what appeared to be some
sort of stain and tipped the ends of her toes with silver. She had never had
her toes stained before.
Her fingernails had been too short to do the same with, but they had been
cleaned and filed neatly. When she crawled into the bath that night she been
left alone, but Cameral had been making noises about washing her hair the next
day. There had also been mutterings of another massage, but Kaoru had tuned
them out when dinner had been brought in.
Kenshin hadn’t eaten with her that night. She had been sitting in front of
the fire when he had come in smelling slightly of cigarette smoke and Kaoru
figured he had been involved in a meeting with Saitoh. Her husband was
currently bathing and she was far too keyed up to sleep.
“It’s late,” Kenshin’s quiet voice broke into her nervous thoughts and she
lifted her head to see him drying the ends of his hair with a towel. “You
should be asleep.”
She had wanted to be more open with him. “I’m too anxious to sleep.”
Kaoru admitted. All of the pressure of the last few days was about to build and
build, and she wasn’t exactly sure how she was going to handle the stress of it
tomorrow.
Kenshin eyed her for a moment. “Want to talk about it?” he asked quietly,
dropping the towel across one of the chair backs. He raked a hand through his
damp bangs and walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. His violet eyes
took in the way she was abusing her bottom lip and the faint slump to her
shoulders. “Kaoru?”
Kaoru lifted her head and met his eyes squarely. “I’m just nervous,” she
admitted. “A lot is going to be based on how I do tomorrow and it’s just…
making me nervous.”
Kenshin reached over and twisted strands of her hair between his fingers. “I
can’t say that tomorrow isn’t important, Kaoru,” he softly informed her. “It
is. A lot of people are going to draw conclusions on how you perform tomorrow
night.” He sighed. “The pressure is not just on you, I am afraid. The cut of
your dress, the angle of your head, everything is going to play a part.”
Kaoru nodded slowly, dropping her eyes. Kenshin reached over and lifted her
chin with two fingers. “I can tell you that no matter what happens tomorrow,
whatever the outcome of this week, things will be alright.”
Kaoru frowned at him. “You just said…”
“That they will draw their own conclusions. They will either be the
right ones, or they will be the wrong ones. I don’t particularly care. I pay
Aoshi to do that. Besides, we have enough power and the backing right now that
we can do as we please. It does not matter what they think.” Kenshin’s
expression took on a cast that was both mischievous and wicked. “I believe that
between Aoshi and Saitoh, we have enough information… certain individuals that
some of them are going to have but no choice to take home a glowing report.”
“You’re going to blackmail them if I screw up?” Kaoru asked in disbelief.
“Of course,” Kenshin said with an amused smile. “I have no patience for
idiots who believe they can form any opinion they like.” He winked at her.
“Saitoh’s patience is even less.”
Kaoru continued to try and find words when Kenshin stood. “I have something
else for you.”
Kaoru blinked at him in surprise. “You have something for me?” She was
startled at how childlike her voice sounded and mentally swatted herself. ‘Sure,
give him a reason to think that you have never been given anything.
Idiot.’
He turned and crooked a finger at her and Kaoru pushed herself off the bed
and followed him. Kenshin walked into their main living area and handed her a
box. “Here; not much, but it will give you something to wear around the palace
if you are so inclined.”
Kaoru opened the box and blinked at the sight of an ornate box. Reaching
into the box, she lifted it from the wrappings and set it on the desk. Feeling
the weight of Kenshin’s eyes on her as she lifted the lid and her breath
caught.
It was a jewelry box.
Nestled inside the velvet-lined case there was what appeared to be a
complete set of green-jade jewels. A simple necklace of cool beads; a dangly
pair of ear-drops; a simple set of jade studs; a pair of hoops with a single
bead rolling across the carved band; several solid bangle bracelets and what
appeared to be a thumb ring. She carefully took each piece out and admired it
before putting them all back. She swallowed and hoped Kenshin didn’t notice the
faint tremble along her hands.
“Why did you…” Kaoru started and then stopped, lifting her head to look at
Kenshin.
“There is a matching letter opener as well,” Kenshin said with a smile. He
reached over and brushed her jaw. “Why do I need a reason to buy you something
pretty?”
Kaoru swallowed and struggled to find something to say and failed. Kenshin
pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “It’s late, Kaoru,” he reminded her. “We
should try to get some sleep. We don’t have anything planned for the morning so
we can get some rest, but it will be a long afternoon.”
Kaoru nodded, still feeling slightly off kilter with the present. He had
bought her something pretty. Because he wanted to. What did that mean? She
walked over to the bed and crawled beneath the covers and flopped on her
stomach as she attempted to process what exactly Kenshin’s gesture had meant.
The bed shifted and Kaoru tilted her head in surprise when she felt Kenshin
brush against her side. He was sitting up on his knees and she stilled when she
felt his fingers press against the line just outside her spine. “Kenshin?”
Instead of saying anything he simply pressed more weight into what he was
doing. Kaoru let her head fall into the pillow and groaned.
Kenshin frowned at the how tight her back and shoulders were, working on the
knots long after she had fallen asleep. Eventually he slipped down and curled
around her, breathing in her hair.
He would have to remember to make a comment to Tae about getting someone in
here to deal with his wife’s stress levels. Closing his eyes, he allowed
himself to drift to sleep.
~*~
Tomoe tied her black dressing gown firmly about her body and
moved into her personal sitting room. Akira had left there bed at dawn to drill
troops and the idea of eating an uninterrupted breakfast with her brother was a
pleasing one. She loved her little brother but his and Akira’s little… matches
were wearing her out.
“Good morning,” Enishi’s voice was soft as she walked into the room. Enishi
had never been a morning person and she smiled in amusement as he gulped down
his first cup of coffee. She avoided his pot and poured herself some of the
Keemun black tea and sat down, enjoying the scent of orchids and roses that
wafted up from her cup.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Tomoe asked Enishi lightly. “Akira
mentioned that there was a girl that you had been interested in?”
Enishi rubbed his hair and sighed. “She was alright.” He admitted. “A little
brainless but she had a cute face.”
Tomoe nodded, and a servant brought in their meals. Enishi had a plate full
of grilled ham, biscuits, grits, and several fried eggs. Her own meal was a
perfectly poached egg and a few pieces of butter grilled toast. She delicately
tapped the top of her egg and dipped her spoon in.
“I am assuming you are being careful?” Tomoe asked gently. “I don’t mind you
playing around right now because it’s necessary for you to get it out of your
blood instead of letting it fester for when you find yourself a wife. If we
choose her wisely it will not matter what you do outside of the marriage bed,
but we shall need the stuffy politicians out there to think you are perfectly
chaste.”
Enishi swallowed a mouthful of biscuit, washed it down with a fresh cup of
coffee, and then delicately wiped his mouth before answering. “I know. I am
careful. I promise, I will never be a source of strife for you.”
Tomoe reached over and patted his hand. “I know, dear one.” They ate in
silence, Enishi devouring his breakfast in quick, neat bites while Tomoe leisurely
nibbled.
“How long are you planning on keeping Akira around?” Enishi asked softly.
“He is dangerous.”
Tomoe nodded her head in agreement. “His control over the demon-magic is
limited.” She tapped her fingers against her bottom lip. “It will be best if we
can keep him under control until we go to war. If he looses control in battle
it can only be for our benefit.”
Enishi scowled. “I do not like his obsession with you.” His face settled
into a frown. “If I had realized he would become this fanatic I would never
have introduced you to him.”
“Now, darling,” Tomoe scolded. “He has his uses. I may not enjoy sharing my
bed with him as much as I am forced to pretend, but in the end his life is ours
to shuffle as we please. He will help us accomplish our goals.”
“What if he lives through the battle? What then?” Enishi demanded. “It
wasn’t so much of a problem, him getting demon-magic when we thought you were
going to be married to Himura. If you ruled that throne, having Akira come in
and challenge Himura to a duel… that was one thing. Himura is at his best on a
battlefield. He won’t be distracted or hurt by accusations against his wife.”
Tomoe shrugged. “Hopefully the death of Kaoru will damage his psyche enough
that we can kill him. If Akira manages to live through that battle, then you
will kill him. Or that demon whose eyes he has will kill him. It matters little
to me.”
Enishi frowned before nodding his head. “That is true. Someone so low in
rank should never matter to you, Tomoe. We will win this war and when we do,
you will become Queen over a kingdom far larger than anything that horrible
cousin of ours could dream of.”
Tomoe gave a slight smile. “I look forward to it, brother.”
Enishi stood and gave a low bow. “I shall leave you to bathe and dress. If you
need me for anything, send word.”
Tomoe nodded her head and watched him leave, a slight smile curving her lips.
