Kenshin woke up to Kaoru snuggling a little deeper against the curve of
his body, her nose and mouth pressing up against his c
Kenshin woke up to Kaoru snuggling a little deeper against
the curve of his body, her nose and mouth pressing up against his chest. It was
always interesting to wake before Kaoru did because the woman always managed to
get them wound up in a tangle of limbs and sheets. Her black hair was scattered
across the pillows and some of it had managed to get tangled around his
fingers.
If he didn’t know better he would have thought it was his wife’s subtle way
of staking her claim. Carefully, he began his growing favorite morning ritual
of trying not to wake his wife. Kenshin had just managed to untangle his
fingers from her hair and started to delicately work on the sheet when Kaoru
stirred against him.
“Morning,” Kenshin softly greeted Kaoru, as sleepy blue eyes blinked up at
him. He kept himself from grinning at the picture she made by sheer force of
will. “If you think you can help me untangle I can try to steal some breakfast
from Tae,” he cajoled.
The little grunt Kaoru made in answer to his question had his lips
twitching, but he quickly found himself untangled and locating a shirt and
shoes. Turning to ask her what she wanted, Kenshin bit his lip to keep from
laughing. She had dragged his pillow over her head and burrowed so far into the
covers the only thing visible were the ends of her hair.
Shaking his head, Kenshin moved down the hall and the private path that led
to the kitchens. Rubbing his neck and shoulders as he walked, he sighed as he
considered what he needed to do that day. It was already late morning, close to
noon if he wasn’t mistaken, but his
Council would be demanding to meet to discuss the events last night. Today was
supposed to be leisurely for the guests and for Kaoru and himself, with no
formal event planned for the evening and games and picnics for any who were
interested.
Tomorrow night was the Mask Ball and he was looking forward to the event.
Masks always ended up being quite a bit of fun. Thankfully, Kaoru had agreed
that wearing a mask all night wasn’t her idea of a good time so they would wear
theirs until the meal.
Tae was slamming a knife through a set of carrots as he walked into the
room. She looked up and gave him a slight smile that had him frowning as a girl
pulled a tray down and brought him a cup of coffee. Taking a delicate sip, he
watched as Tae continued to add vegetables to the chopping block. An amused
smile touched his mouth as he considered how she moved. For the past three or
four mornings he had caught his wife at her morning exercises, and they had
calmed him after a difficult meeting as little else ever had.
“Tae,” Kenshin questioned, interrupting her vegetable killing barrage, “Do
you think it would be possible to send up some cold cuts to the meeting this
afternoon?”
The short, dark-haired woman turned and gave him a look that Kenshin
couldn’t quite put his finger on. “You’re having meetings?” Tae asked quietly.
“Isn’t this your night off?” Her tone was as off as her eyes and Kenshin
blinked.
“Yes, but there are some minor issues that the council will want to discuss
about last night,” Kenshin sighed. “Kaoru could probably use the rest anyway.
She will go to bed earlier if I am not there.” His mouth curved down a little
at the idea of not being able to have a few private moments with his wife.
Kaoru was always less guarded right before she went to sleep.
Tae slammed her knife down and rounded on him. Kenshin almost dropped his
mug of coffee as he stared at the flushed woman. “Your wife is operating under
some misconceptions, majesty,” Tae said finally, slashing down with the knife
dangerously. “They are your fault and they are making her miserable!”
Kenshin was sure his jaw was hanging open, and he attempted to get control
of his facial features so he could answer her. “What?” he finally managed to
get out, his expression befuddled.
She scowled at him. “Your wife is operating under a misconception that you
have failed to notice or clear up!” Tae turned her back to her King and hacked
at the vegetables, deliberately putting more force than necessary into the
strokes. Kenshin was probably too stunned to use his chi sensing ability
and so she played off that.
She might lose those ten silver pieces, but if what Cameral had said last
night was true about Kaoru’s nerves, then she needed some good old-fashioned
care from her husband. Which everyone knew she wasn’t getting. Kenshin was far
too tense for a man who was enjoying matrimonial bliss.
“Tae… explain.” There was an edge to her King’s voice. Good. That temper
would serve her purposes just fine.
“Your wife,” Tae turned and waved her knife for emphasis, “believes that she
is nothing more than a well dressed replacement for Tomoe, someone who this
kingdom will never respect because of her connections to Triath, or a
combination of the two.”
Kenshin frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
Tae mentally shrugged. Time to pull out the big guns. “Your wife has a
collection of books that she keeps under her side of the bed. She likes to read
over trade routes, Cervon history, and a few basic mage training books so she
can figure out what is going with our constant use of magic. She tries not to
let anyone see her reading the books. The only jewelry that she keeps where
people can see it are the jade pieces you bought her. The pearls are in a desk
drawer. Hidden, because they were sent for your wife. The wife you were supposed
to bring home and thus the pearls are not hers. Do you understand?”
Kenshin continued to frown at her, but little specks of gold were starting
to swirl around his pupil. “Kaoru is my wife,” he stated in a low tone. “Our
souls are bonded. How could she think otherwise? There is no such thing as a
replacement…”
Tae cut him off. “You haven’t explained that to her, have you?” She raised a
brow at his surprised expression. “Haven’t explained the bond between you or
what it could mean; has it occurred to you that she might need that sort of
reassurance?” Tae waved the knife. “Think about it. She comes from the country
your people now hate; is going through a very stressful time; and is unsure how
to bring up her lifestyle from there - otherwise she wouldn’t be hiding those
books. The assurance of having constant access to your emotions might do that
child some good. Getting laid might do both of you some good.”
Kenshin blinked at her in surprise at how blunt her words were. While he had
grown up with the knowledge that the servants knew almost every conversation
that his family had ever had, the idea of Tae discussing his love life out loud
in front of her staff left him torn between embarrassment and a mounting
temper.
Kenshin’s brows were tucked together as he considered her words and Tae went
in for the kill. “Just think about it,” she advised. “I mean… if something as
small as the gifts for your wedding are going to make her think that they
belong to Tomoe… I wonder who she thinks you belong to?”
The silence that echoed in the kitchen was loud, but Tae forged ahead. “I
would place solid gold on the idea that she might be struggling with the notion
that she considers you as being Tomoe’s property as well.” A strangled noise
from Kenshin’s throat was her answer. He wasn’t riled up enough yet if he could
still talk. “I mean, you haven’t had sex with your wife since you bonded her.
In Tomoe’s wedding bed, into a bond she knows should have been Tomoe’s. And
since you have been neglectful in that area of your marriage, it’s rather
simple for her to draw conclusions. The wrong conclusions, of course, but they
are still there.”
Tae turned to see Kenshin and more than half of the kitchen staff gawking at
her.
She sighed and walked over and cupped his face between her dirty hands.
“Your wife is miserable because she can’t accept that we love her for her.
You won’t touch her because you’re worried about rushing her, but Kaoru
thinks it’s because the bond between you doesn’t really want her; she could be
unaware of its existence; or she could even think she did something wrong at
some point. Whatever the case may be, she doesn’t understand, Kenshin.”
His eyes were a vibrant wheat-gold and there was something building behind
his eyes that relieved her. He would go and deal with the situation. Which was
the whole point of this conversation. She was tired of tiptoeing about the
couple, and so were the rest of the staff. Besides, Kaoru wasn’t the only one
who was miserable. “I’m going to have Aoshi either cancel that meeting or
rearrange it and you’re going to go and explain things to your wife. I will
make sure you two are undisturbed. I expect in about an hour or so you will be
wanting to eat and I will send a tray up.”
Reaching out with her apron, she wiped the bits of vegetable her hands had
left off his face. Then she gave him a stern look and shooed him out the door.
Shutting the door behind him, she turned and looked at the awed kitchen staff.
“That,” Tae informed them in a haughty voice, “is how it is done. Now get back
to work!”
~*~
Kaoru was standing on her tiptoes in front of the big window in their
bedroom. Her arms were stretched over her head and her spine was lightly
arched. He could only see her profile, but her eyes were closed and the way her
body was placed suggested her familiarity with the posture and comfort in
maintaining it for long periods of time.
If Tae’s conversation hadn’t been so fresh in his mind, he would have been
happy to stare at her slender form for a long period of time.
“Kaoru,” he called softly.
She fell back onto her heels and turned with surprise on her face. “Hey,”
she said brightly. The mid morning set her hair on fire with dark-blue glints
and set a rosy glow to her cheeks. She was wearing a pair of pants Tae had cut
for her slender frame and they hung loosely off her hips. She wore only her
breast bindings and a sleeveless under tunic that clung along the smooth line
of her skin. She shoved a dark strand of hair out of her eyes. “What are you
doing here? I would have thought you had a meeting this morning.” The hidden
delight at seeing him in her eyes had him swallowing. The idea that she was
happy to see him or was a little lonely without him had never occurred to him.
Kaoru watched as a series of emotions she had never seen coursed over her
husband’s face. She had considered walking over and hugging him, but decided
not to. She was becoming used to the chaste kisses and warm hugs and had been
looking forward to him coming home so she could have one. While she hated to
admit it, his body was reassuring and she liked being held. “Did the meeting
get canceled?” Kaoru asked him curiously, taking a few steps forward, hoping
she sounded normal. Something about his eyes was making her nervous. “I think
the maids just finished cleaning the bath if you want to relax.”
Kenshin gave a little sigh and then stepped forward until he was close
enough to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her against his chest,
burying his face in her neck. Surprised, and slightly pleased, Kaoru wrapped
her arms around his waist and waited for him decide to tell her what was
bothering him. She jumped a little in surprise when he dropped a few light
kisses against her neck.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured against her skin, before his tongue flicked briefly
so that she closed her eyes and bit her lip. When she opened them again he had
pulled back and was watching her with eyes the color of pale gold. “I haven’t
been paying very good attention, have I?” he asked in a rough tone of voice
that had her blinking up at him. She hadn’t heard that tone since he kissed her
senseless in the dojo. Since he hadn’t bothered to do it again, she had decided
that he just wasn’t all that interested, but now…
“I haven’t been a very good husband,” he told her quietly. “I plan to make
up for it, however.”
“Make up for it?” Kaoru repeated, rather perplexed. First he came over and
held her, then started kissing her neck, and now he was apologizing? “For
what?”
His eyes were true gold now and she swallowed at the expression. “For not
making things absolutely clear,” he told her gently. “For not paying enough
attention to detail.” He sighed and gave her a sudden wicked expression. “I
have been very, very bad. But I plan on being very, very good to make up for
it.”
Kaoru felt her gut clench at the expression in his eyes and licked her
bottom lip nervously. He wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was. There was
no way after all this time that he was going to… her eyes widened when she felt
his hand slid up under her shirt and stroke the sensitive skin at her waist.
“Kenshin?” she asked in breathless unsurety, biting her lip nervously as his
hand smoothed around to rest on her spine.
“Tae told me about your conversation earlier,” Kenshin told her bluntly. He
watched the way her eyes darkened in hurt and surprise and how quickly she
lowered them. Reaching out, he placed his fingers under her chin and lightly
tilted her head back. “Do you want to know something, Kaoru?”
She was absolutely sure she didn’t want to know anything, and was trying to
find a way to say so when he smoothly pulled her forward and nibbled on the
ridge of her ear. “You belong to me. I should have made that clear much
earlier. Let me show you how much you belong to me.” His teeth tugged at the
lobe of her ear and she moaned. His lips curved as she clutched at his back.
“B-but… I mean, what…” she tried, but her words were cut off as he leaned
back and gave her an assessing look.
“I like your mouth,” he told her thoughtfully. “Especially your bottom lip.
Every time you get nervous and start chewing on it I want to do this.” Leaning
down, he nibbled lightly before sucking, and then he brushed his tongue against
the contours before he angled his mouth and flicked her lips apart; leisurely
explored her tongue with his. She had to have been drinking some of the honeyed
tea she loved because she tasted of pleasant spices and sweetness. The noise
she made in the back of her throat had him delving one hand into her soft hair
and holding her up with the other.
He pulled back only when she had relaxed against him and was kissing him
back, her hands flat against his spine. He smiled at the glazed expression in
her eyes when she opened them and calmly scooped her up and walked a few paces
to the bed, setting her down carefully. Kicking off his boots, he climbed
upwards and settled himself on the top of her thighs.
He could feel the bond between them shivering with the effect of their
emotions and he wasn’t certain that it would be a bad time to introduce her to
it. Eyeing her faintly nervous expression, he picked up her hand and kissed her
knuckles. “Do you trust me?” he asked her softly. She gave him a startled
glance but nodded slowly.
He smiled and reached forward and happily attacked the buttons on her small
tunic. “Good,” he told her. “I need you to trust me.” He parted her shirt and
watched as her blush climbed from the tops of her breast to her cheeks. She
didn’t say anything so he continued. “This is all mine, Kaoru.” He gave her a
wicked glance from under his lashes. “Let me show you how I appreciate and
admire everything that I own.”
Kaoru swallowed hard as his eyes roamed over her skin before he finally
settled on her stomach. “Let’s start here,” he suggested, tracing her navel
with a fingertip. Fine shivers ran over her skin and he smiled. “If I remember
correctly you have a very sensitive stomach,” he purred down at her. “I got the
most pleasant response when I did this…”
Lowering his mouth the nipped a slow circle around her bellybutton before
dipping his tongue inside the well and doing things that had her moaning and
fisting the sheets into her hands. He lifted his head and gave her a very smug
look as her chest heaved.
“Oh yes… I remember that fondly…”
Kaoru swallowed hard and panted. She knew there was something she should be
saying but there was absolutely nothing to be said to a look like that.
Reaching up, he calmly took the tie out of his hair and let it fall around his
shoulders.
“Do you know what else is mine?” he asked her softly, dragging the pads of
his fingers in random patterns along her skin. He enjoyed the way her eyes
dilated and she swallowed, attempting to find the words. Reaching upwards he
cupped her breasts in his hands, lightly massaging.
“I am very fond of these, wife.” He sounded hungry. He leaned down and
kissed the bare skin just under the breast bindings and whispered a word. Kaoru
was startled when he was suddenly holding bare skin and gave a needy gasp as he
continued his ministrations.
She opened her eyes in surprise when he stopped. There was a great deal of
mischief in his eyes as he reached out and pushed her hands under her back.
“They stay there,” he warned. Kaoru felt her blood heat at the idea of being
completely at his mercy, but nodded when he made no move to touch her.
Instead of reaching for her, he gathered a handful of her dark hair and
continued to give her that playful look before he brushed the ends of her hair
against one nipple. She shuddered at the light caress and bit her lip as he
continued dragging her hair in patterns across her sensitive breasts in
caresses that were almost so insubstantial that it was maddening.
“I love your hair,” he crooned as she attempted to shift so that his touch
would have more substance. “It’s soft and warm… is there something you need,
Kaoru?”
Gasping as he continued to brush her skin with sweeps of her hair, she
nodded at him, unable to find the words.
“I can make you beg,” he told her in a tone that was almost a croon. “I can
make you writhe and scream and beg to find the release that you crave.” He bent
to kiss the curve of one breast lightly. “Let me wrap you in pleasure and fire,
little one. Remind me how my name sounds when it comes from your lips when
you’re screaming in pleasure.”
Letting go of her hair, he leaned down and traced one nipple with his tongue
before sucking lightly. Kaoru’s body moved under him as she cried out. He
suckled a little harder when she said his name in those breathy tones he craved
and reached out and teased her other breast with his fingers until she gasped.
Lifting his head, he deliberately licked his lips and leaned down to kiss the
tip of her nose before going and tangled his tongue around hers for a moment.
When he pulled back she was panting into his lips.
“I liked that very much,” he purred down at her. Her eyes were so dark they
were only ringed with a thin band of blue. “I think you liked that as well.”
His fingers lowered to the waistband of her pants and he made a low noise in
the back of his throat. “I love you in pants, Kaoru. But these will simply have
to go.” He murmured a low spell and then her legs were bare. He moved slowly
down her body dropping small love bites occasionally and soothing them with his
tongue until he came to the crease of thigh and hip.
“Do you remember this?” he asked, feathering touches of his fingers along
that line. “I can’t remember how coherent you were at this point…” he looked up
and gave her a wicked smile. “I made you scream.”
Kaoru remembered in great detail what he had done to her that first time and
parted her lips to say so when he shook his head. “I want you to guess,” he
told her mischievously. “I think there was something about this spot here that
had you….” She arched her back and let her head fall back as his fingers teased
her inner thighs. “That’s the spot,” he crooned up at her.
“Let yourself get lost in my touch,” he softly commanded as he continued to
tease. Watching her bite her lip as he swamped her senses, he reached forward
and slowly slid a finger inside her. Her eyes snapped open and then she
shuddered and cried out as he continued to rub against her walls, before
sliding his thumb up so that her spine arched upwards as he pressed against
her.
Kaoru was finding it hard to breathe. His clever fingers knew exactly what they
were doing as he happily sucked on the skin of her tummy while stroking her in
way that was lighting up all sorts of lights behind her eyes. His tongue
caressed the crease of hip and thigh, and she cried out as fine tremors began
to shudder along her skin.
“That’s right,” he crooned at her, increasing the pressure. “Your body knows
where it wants to go…” he slid up a little, never stopping his ministrations
with his and bit down lightly at her hip. His fingers did something then that
had her going up in burning sparks of fire and light, screaming as she went.
Kaoru felt weightless as she lay there, trembling with the after effects of his
attentions. She tilted her head to watch as he tossed off his shirt and kicked
off his pants. With the hot afternoon sun coming through the windows, each hard
line of his body was open to her gaze. She felt her throat run dry as she
watched him. When he moved, his toned muscles rippled under the skin and she
really wanted to reach out and touch. He gave her another of those knowing
grins before crawling up into bed with her. He settled himself between her
legs, hissing through his teeth when she immediately wrapped her soft thighs
around his waist. Shuddering for a moment, he took her in with his hot gaze and
danced his fingers up her stomach before shifting so he was balanced between
her legs.
Leaning down he paused next to her ear. “This is mine too…” he told her with a
purr in his voice. Lifting her bottom slightly, he entered her smoothly,
pausing only to allow her to grow accustomed to him after so long. She was
tense for a moment and then relaxed, a blissful expression crossing her face.
Leaning down, he took her mouth before he lifted his hips and drove back inside
her. Her legs locked around his hips as he took them both back to the edge of
pleasure and let them fall.
Kaoru gasped under him and was unable to find the will to move as she lay there.
Kenshin’s body was a comfortable weight which she rather liked as he attempted
to catch his breath. She hadn’t even really bothered to pull her legs away from
his waist yet.
He finally pulled back and brushed away her sweaty hair. “I mean it,” he told
her softly. “You were never a replacement. Tomoe was never my wife, Kaoru.” He
sighed. “We have a magical bond… you didn’t take that away from Tomoe. It was
given only to you and I never intended…” He took another deep breath and slowly
lowered his shield.
He hungrily reached for her emotions and let them mingle and mix with his.
Kaoru’s eyes were suddenly huge in her face and her lips parted in surprise as
he explored her from the inside out. She gave a shuddering little gasp and he
closed his eyes as he felt her own soul brush against his. Lowering his face
into her neck, he absorbed the sensations, rode them out and accepted her
touch. Touching like this was a form of sex, and he shuddered as she tightened
her legs around him and dug her nails into his shoulders
“W-what…” she asked when it settled down lightly in the background, flaring
with only the most extreme emotions. “What was that?” Her voice cracked halfway
through but he could taste her on this tongue and he knew he would never be
happy without it again.
“Our bond,” he told her softly. “When I took your virginity, Kaoru, I bound
our souls together. It’s ancient magic that Tomoe’s little fake priests have no
idea is real. There was no more Tomoe after having my soul wrap itself around
you. Do you understand?”
“Why have you not… I mean why… now…” She asked him in a soft voice.
He shuddered. “You were so soft and warm and tempting. I wanted to be sure
you were ready. I almost lost control that day in the salle and I have had to
fight to keep to myself.” He looked up. “I never thought that you might need
that reassurance or that I was hurting you.” He kissed her mouth lightly. “I am
very sorry, Kaoru.”
She gave him a sleepy half-smile. “It’s all right. I was wondering how
everyone seemed to understand things I didn’t about their significant other,
but I thought it was just me.” She shrugged and he kissed her again. He might
have been happy to keep kissing her, but there came a knock on the door.
“Tae sent up a tray, your Majesties,” Cameral’s voice called out from where
she was standing in the other room. “She says eat it now before it gets cold.
If you need anything else, please ring the bell.” There was the faint noise of
her walking away.
Kenshin looked down to see his wife’s face was bright red. He chuckled and
kissed her soundly. “Let’s get some food into you.” Kenshin said when he pulled
back, the edges of his lips curling in a content smile at the expression on her
face. “Afterwards you can nap if you like while I do some minor paperwork.”
Kaoru flushed and then glared at him. “What makes you think I need a nap?”
Kenshin leaned forward so that his lips brushed against the rim of her ear.
“Because when I am finished with the documents I plan on discovering the…
advantages to bathing with my wife.”
Kaoru made a faint squeaking noise.
“It’s been years since someone washed my back,” he finished with a sound
kiss on her temple and slipped off the bed to pull on the pants he had kicked
off near the bed. Kaoru looked around for her clothing and then blinked in
surprise when a shirt hit her in the chest.
“It’s going to get cold if you keep blinking like a sleepy kitten,” Kenshin
warned as he stepped into the living area.
Kaoru narrowed her eyes. Her mother had always said the best revenge was a
good offense. “Coming, dear,” Kaoru muttered, pulling his shirt over her head.
Misao crashed onto the small couch in Tokio’s private rooms
and kicked her boots off as fast as she was able and grabbed one small foot and
groaned as she leaned back against the pillows. “I hate courtiers,” she
declared vehemently. “Why can’t they just go home and leave us alone?”
Megumi gave an elegant shrug as she accepted a cup of steaming tea from a
servant and daintily selected a few cookies. “It’s not even the Season yet and
you’re already complaining.”
Tokio chuckled and settled her skirts around. “Well, I for one am glad that
Kenshin and Kaoru never showed.” Her dark eyes sparkled with humor.
“It would have taken a lot of pressure off us this afternoon. I can’t
believe he forgot about the brunch,” Misao scowled. “Much less that horrible
riding excursion throughout the gardens; I used to like the gardens! Until I
got a completely identical dialogue from three different girls on how lovely I
was, changing only in the vowels that were used and the faint accents.”
“Think, Misao,” Tokio continued. “If Kenshin was too distracted to attend
those events, and Kaoru didn’t come on her own, it makes you wonder what exactly
had those two distracted?”
Misao opened and closed her mouth. Megumi took a sip of her tea and smiled.
“It’s about time Kenshin figured a few things out.” There was a satisfied note
in the pregnant woman’s tone.
Misao blinked and then grinned. “Well… I suppose they are allowed a little
honeymoon bliss action every once in a while, but someone has to make it clear
to Kenshin that we are not going to be forced to put up with all the…
entertaining on our own, every time Kaoru bites her lip.”
Tokio giggled, the noise surprisingly girlish from the normally motherly
figure. “I am sure it won’t take even that. There was a bit of a surge of magic
earlier, which makes me wonder if Kenshin didn’t loose his grip on the bond
between them.”
“Now that,” Misao declared around a bite of spice cake, “is about damn time!
That poor girl would have been a lot more comfortable with him a lot sooner if
she knew what he was feeling.”
Megumi gave an unladylike snort. “Kenshin has no idea what he is feeling, so
how can he expect his emotions to help her out in any way?” She rolled her
eyes. “That man is clueless. The fact that he adores her is apparent to
everyone but him.”
“Makes you wonder when it happened,” Misao mused. “They haven’t had all that
much time to interact you know. Kenshin has been so busy in the meetings
dealing with Triath, Kaoru has been… well, reading? Doing whatever she has been
doing when none of us were paying a lot of attention, anyway.”
Megumi patted her lips thoughtfully before shrugging. “We’ll probably never
know. However, they better be enjoying their time together, because after
tonight they won’t have any excuse to miss the events that will occur in the
rest of the week!”
Kaoru twisted long strands of red hair between her fingers.
They were sprawled out on a low couch. Her head was propped up on a pillow; her
bare legs sprawled out over Kenshin’s lap. He was sitting up, his feet propped
up on a low table wearing only a soft pair of sleeping pants, his shirt wrapped
around her frame instead of his. There was a lazy, content expression on his
face as he traced the lines of her knee with his fingers. She had been napping,
but had woken earlier to find him simply watching her, seemingly unconcerned
with anything other than that patch of skin on her knee.
“Do you want children?” Kaoru asked. Kenshin’s head snapped up and his eyes
clashed with hers. Surprise flickered through his eyes, turning his eyes from
mellow violet to saffron blue.
“Where is this coming from?” Kenshin asked quietly, wrapping his hand below
her knee.
Kaoru lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “We just spent the day…” she let her
words hang and flushed at the roll of emotion that churned in her stomach.
“Anyway,” Kaoru hastily continued. “Where I come from, we drink herbal brews
twice a month to keep from having children and another brew for the morning
after.” She licked her lips and brought her eyes back to his. “Since I haven’t
been doing that, I have to assume you want children soon, or you have some
other version of birth control.”
Kenshin was quiet for a long moment. “You’re not with child,” he said
softly. Kaoru tucked her brows together and gave him a curious look. “What do
you know about our people, Kaoru?”
Kaoru shifted a little uncomfortably. “Not as much as I would like,” she
confessed. “I know about your trade routes and I know your language. I know
only a little of your history and I know hardly anything about your magic.”
‘Thus, proving that I would make a horrible Queen at this point,’ Kaoru thought
to herself. She blinked in surprise as Kenshin’s eyes faded to light gold.
“Do not belittle yourself,” Kenshin chided. He was silent for long moments.
“Do I want children… yes. I would. The idea of a little girl with your eyes…”
The warmth between them was more than enough of an answer to that question.
“However…”
Kaoru blinked up at him. “However, what?”
“It’s not going to happen for at least twenty years.”
“Excuse me?” Kaoru demanded, sitting up so that she was inches away from his
face. “What do you mean, twenty years? I am eighteen, Kenshin. In twenty years
I will be thirty-eight. Where I come from, to go that long without having
children is… is…” Kaoru struggled for a moment. “It’s enough to get you into
trouble with the Temple, that’s what.”
Kenshin let out a long breath. “No, not here. Kaoru, I am thirty-five. I
will be in my fifties when we are able to have children.”
Kaoru stared at him. His face was smooth as a man in his twenties. “You’re
in your thirties?” Kaoru squeaked out.
Kenshin nodded.
“Oh…” Kaoru managed. “Then why don’t you want children earlier?”
“Kaoru, my life span is… our life span is nearly three times the length of
those you are used to. The oldest King lived to be almost three hundred.”
“We are going to be old and wrinkly for how long?” Kaoru questioned.
Kenshin sighed. “It’s the magic. It extends our life spans. I am part of a
line of rulers bred for magic. The potential of my lifespan is… extensive.
Because our bond is the way it is, your life span will match mine. The aging
process… changes. Depending on the magic, it generally works out at one year to
every ten.”
Kaoru stared at him, wondering if she could find the words to articulate her
shock.
“Because of the amount of magic that entered your system when I created the
bond, and the magic that is now coursing through you because the bond is now…
open, your aging process will slow over the course of the next year and
eventually match mine.”
“Oh…”
“Not only that, but until our bond stabilizes and your body adjusts to the
magic, you will be sterile. That’s why I said it would take around twenty years
before we could have children. Because you won’t be able to until then,”
Kenshin finished.
“But… I have magic?” Kaoru asked in confusion.
“Yes, although right now it’s impossible to tell how it will manifest
itself, if it will at all. You will more than likely to do minor spells but the
depth of your talent won’t be fully developed for several years.” Kenshin said
as he brushed some of her hair behind her ear.
“Oh…”
She hated repeating herself but she couldn’t seem to drag up any other
words.
“Kaoru?”
Kaoru covered her eyes and blew out a breath. “Why don’t they paint signs on
you? Such as ‘dangerous to sanity’ or ‘do not sleep with if you want to die
properly’?” I mean, first you decide to jump me and then you tell me I get to
live forever.”
His mouth twitched. “Not forever. Just a few hundred years.”
Kaoru kicked him.
Kenshin grunted and leaned over and tickled her. Kaoru screamed with
laughter and rolled away from him. He made a startled noise, but Kaoru’s shriek
and thud as she rolled off the couch silenced him.
“I hate you,” Kaoru informed him once she lifted her face from the carpet,
rubbing her nose from where it had been smushed into the rug. She glared up at
his face as he was clearly attempting not to laugh.
“Want me to kiss and make it better?” Kenshin questioned once he got a grip
on himself, watching his grumpy wife pick herself up and cross her arms,
frowning darkly at him.
“No.” Kaoru informed him. Kenshin let his eyes wander down to the smooth
line of her legs and smiled. “Stop looking at me like that. You’re not getting
any more tonight.”
Kenshin laughed then, standing in one smooth motion. “Now, Kaoru,” he
started, desperately trying to keep his features straight as her grumpy
features darkened even more.
“Not happening, I’m tired and it’s late,” Kaoru told him as she put her
hands on her hips. “We have another ball tomorrow; time for bed.”
Kenshin shrugged, took a step forward, and scooped Kaoru up easily. “Allow
me to assist you, my grumpy little wife.”
Kaoru swatted him in the shoulder. “I ought to hit you,” she informed him,
frowning. Kenshin just smiled and walked into the bedroom.
“Perhaps,” he said as he dropped her onto the bed, flopping down next to
her. Playfully burying his face into her neck and making her squeal as he used
his teeth, he chuckled and soundly kissed her shoulder. “Go to sleep. I will
behave for the evening.”
“You better,” Kaoru informed him as his hand snaked inside the shirt to
curve along her bare hip. “I’m meaner than you.”
Kenshin just smiled and spooned against her, listening to the sounds of her
breathing until he followed her into sleep.
“Kenshin,” Kaoru said, trying hard not to let any of her
amusement leak through her voice or the bond between them, and quite certain
she was failing, “You cannot come in here.” He was sulking. The emotion
thrummed through the cord between them and Kaoru pressed her face into her
hands to muffle her hilarity. “No!” Kaoru finally managed. “If you cheat, I am
going to have Tae do something dreadful to your food.”
There was silence on the other side of the door. “Is that a challenge?”
Tae made an exaggerated noise from behind Kaoru. They had been forced into
Kaoru’s extensive closet to change when Kenshin had adamantly refused to leave
the room, sprawling out on one of the fainting couches and smirking. The fact
that his constant gaze had made her fidget all through her hair and makeup had
already amused him, but Kaoru refused to remove her robe and put on her under
things for the evening if he was going to be staring at her the entire time.
“When I get my hands around his throat,” she muttered, eying the chair
holding the door shut on more time, “I am going to strangle him.”
Cameral looked highly amused as she held out her hand for the robe Kaoru
wore. “He is only going to get worse you know,” she confided to Kaoru. “He is
having too much fun to stop.”
‘That,’ Kaoru thought in amusement, ‘is the truth.’ After
lunch he had insisted on distracting her all afternoon. First, he had dragged
her through his private garden and then ‘helped’ her bathe for the evening. The
fact that it had taken nearly twice as long with him in there than it would
have if Cameral or Tae had been the ones assisting, well, no one had commented.
He had disappeared for twenty minutes or so, getting his own costume for the
evening on, and now insisted he get to watch her get ready.
Warm affection slithered down her spine and Kaoru was hard pressed not to
blush. Taking a deep breath and concentrating - this sharing didn’t come as
easy for her as it seemingly came for everyone else - Kaoru sent him what she
hoped was the equivalent of a swat. Sudden laughter from behind the door
suggested that one way or another, he had gotten something. “I would ask you to
button faster,” Kaoru muttered to Tae as she held her braid out of the way,
“but I would hate to give him the satisfaction.”
A muffled noise from Cameral might have been a snicker. Sighing, Kaoru
examined what she could of herself. The vivid scarlet had been tamed a little
with gold inserts, but not by much. It was almost as form fitting as the night
before last, but this time the gown was sleeveless. She wore a ruby choker in a
delicate gold setting and instead of a bracelet or rings; Tae had taken a thin
paintbrush and painted her arms with delicate symbols in the paint. When Kaoru
had expressed her surprise, Tae had informed her that Mask balls were more for
fun that formal style. She wouldn’t be the only one wearing paint.
Instead of uncomfortable slippers like the night before, she had a pair of
boots that went to her knees. They were soft and supple and stained a shade
darker than her dress. “You’re positive,” Kaoru asked as she balanced on one
foot to let Cameral tie up the laces on her other boot, “that the paint isn’t
going to brush off?”
“Kaoru,” Tae scolded, “trust us. We are more than capable of performing such
small magic. It will wash off with soap and water, but that’s it.”
Cameral gave her a mischievous smile, “You know, if you think Kenshin is
going to want to undress you, we can put paint somewhere other than your arms.”
Kaoru turned scarlet. “No, that is quite okay.” Kaoru insisted, shaking her
head so hard the beads and feathers in her hair made little noises. “I am
perfectly okay with that being a big no.”
Tae adjusted the simple gold band that was settled over her temples. “Pity,
I am sure Kenshin would have enjoyed it.”
Kaoru scowled at them and settled her skirts once Cameral finished with her
boots. “Are you two quite finished?” Kaoru demanded, putting her hands on her
hips. The cold metal of the gold link belt that was twisted around her hips was
cold under her hands.
Cameral just smiled and pulled the chair away and opened the door. “Your
wife is dressed,” she informed Kenshin with a smile as she left the room. “You
have fifteen minutes. Do not ruin her makeup.”
Kaoru stepped out of the closer and frowned at the direction Tae and Cameral
were scampering away in. “Those two…” Kaoru growled before turning and looking
at Kenshin in admiration at Kenshin. She had struggled to keep her jaw from
dropping when he had come in earlier. He was wearing solid black. The black of
his boots was highly polished and there wasn’t a single break in color between
his breeches and tunic. His hair was braided with a single black feather
hanging from the dark leather tie on the end of his hair. His natural bright
coloring was devastating against the dark cloth. “You look nice,” Kaoru finally
managed, swallowing at the thrum of… heat, between them and the way his eyes
had gone dark bronze.
Kenshin stepped forward; the glint in his had her swallowing, when someone
cleared their throat. Kaoru turned and forced herself not to blush. Saitoh
stood there, dressed in a dark navy blue, his formal tunic and breeches cut to
fit the lines of his body almost elegantly; holding a mask in his hand. The way
his fingers had curled around the string and the angle he held it away from his
body suggested he was disgusted by it. “I am afraid there is a slight… issue
with one of the royals that requires your presence.” Saitoh said scornfully.
Kenshin made a noise in the back of his throat. “I will be there in a
moment.” He walked over to Kaoru and lifted her hand, kissing her knuckles
softly. “You look beautiful,” Kenshin told her softly. The look in his eyes
continued to convey more than his words. Kaoru kept her attention as far from
the bond as possible, quite certain that she didn’t need the added temptation.
“I will see you in a moment.”
Saitoh turned and followed Kenshin from the room. Kaoru frowned as she
waited for Kenshin to come back. No one had told her exactly where she and
Kenshin were going to be presented, so she was forced to wait on Kenshin to
return. Sighing, she walked over to the windows that showed off all the
sparkling mage lights in the gardens.
“Majesty,” a young voice broke into her musings, and Kaoru turned. A page
was standing in the door, dressed in the royal colors and looking faintly
nervous. “I was instructed to lead you to His Majesty’s private office to wait
on him.”
Kaoru blinked in surprise, but nodded and followed the boy down the hall.
The place was curiously deserted. Shrugging to herself, Kaoru picked up her
skirts to move quietly down the halls.
“In here, Majesty,” the boy murmured, opening the door for her. Kaoru
thanked him and stepped into the room as the boy shut the door. Kaoru felt a
surge of uneasiness when she realized how dark the room really was and after
taking several steps into the room, reached for the bond between her and
Kenshin. He seemed distracted and something about the sudden urgency in his
mood surprised her. The door opened behind her and Kaoru sighed in relief.
“Kenshin?”
“No.” The voice was male and the familiar tones send ice down her spine, her
grip tightening on the bond between her and Kenshin in reflex. “Not Kenshin.”
Kaoru turned and found herself facing a man in a red demon mask. “Sumita…”
The man smiled.
