Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Dangerous Alliance ❯ Change of plans ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

Misao woke to the sun pouring into her window. She hated the morning sun. Figures the maid didn't draw the curtains that night. The bed felt heavy at the bottom. She looked down and smiled softly. Aoshi had fallen asleep leaning on her bed. Guess he didn't believe that she wouldn't go walking off in the middle of the night. He was so cute asleep.

No Misao, bad thoughts. Your first loyalty is to Kaoru. She said to herself. The sunlight was hitting his dark black hair. He looked so at peace. Yes, first loyalty was to Kaoru, but oh he had her heart.

"My lady? Are you awake?" Hannya asked from the doorway.

"What is it Hannya?" Aoshi said. Misao jumped. He was awake? Gods, did he know she had been looking at him? How embarrassing!

"There's something you might want to….handle in the Queen's bedroom."

Aoshi sprang up and was immediately followed by Misao. They feared the worst. What met their eyes was not exactly what they expected.

Kaoru was still asleep. Kenshin was propped against the backboard, her head resting on his bare chest, arm around her shoulders. When they came rushing in he opened one violet eye. Aoshi stood in shock.

"Your eyes….they're purple," he said. Kenshin merely nodded.

"Purple?" Misao asked, confused.

"His eyes haven't been purple since…" Aoshi began.

"Since before my wife died," Kenshin finished. "Before the war."

"What did you do to my cousin?!" Misao demanded.

"No more than Aoshi has done to you," came Kenshin's reply and he closed his eye. Misao blushed and sputtered.

"He's very intuitive," Aoshi said in defense when she looked at him accusingly. Misao went around and pulled the covers back. Kaoru whimpered and snuggled closer to Kenshin.

"Well she's still a virgin. Thank god for that."

"Do you think I would be that dishonorable?" Kenshin snapped. "I want you all out of here. Now."

"You don't give me orders," Misao said, crossing her arms across her chest. Aoshi clamped a hand over her mouth, picked her up and carried her out swearing and cursing in a muffled voice.

Kaoru groaned beneath him. Kenshin rubbed her shoulder and kissed her head.

"Misao is going to lecture me…I know it," she said sleepily.

"I'll get Aoshi to distract her. Get some sleep. I have to meet with the council in a half hour. Afterwards I want to talk to you."

"Ok," she said and rolled over, hugging the pillow to her. Kenshin had to smile. She was rather cute when she was sleeping.

<Fujita Kingdom>

King Saitou rose way before the sun rose. He was a man who slept very little. Tokio was still asleep in their bed, naked as the day beneath the covers. Well, that was the way he liked her…

The agenda for the day was laying on the table in his dressing room. Saitou wanted his day carefully planned and calculated. A minute not recorded doing something was a minute wasted…unless it was spent on his wife. He didn't need anyone knowing about those intimate moments.

On top of the agenda was a letter. Odd. This early in the morning. It was from King Hiko. Even more odd. They had a war a few years ago and because of such were not exactly on corresponding terms. He opened it with his knife, careful to check it for any sort of weird articles. Hiko was not a man to try and poison him, but other people might try to in his name.

It was a two lined message. Saitou read it twice.

Tokio shifted in the bed. It was not yet morning. Her husband, of course, was already up. She could feel the weight in the bed had shifted slightly. He came back in, lighting a candle. His face was not its usual blandness. He was thinking about something.

A lesser woman would have either rolled over and gone back to sleep or plagued him with questions. Tokio knew him better than that. When Saitou wanted to tell you something he would and not before. To show him she was willing to listen she sat up. He leaned back against her, head resting just below her breasts. He handed her the letter.

"You are hereby invited to a royal wedding of Kyoto Kingdom and the reaffirmation of the Edo Treaty. Please bring your charming wife," Tokio read aloud. "Aww, he thinks I'm charming, that pompous prick." Saitou chuckled. "Doesn't even tell us who is getting married. I will be so happy to attend that man's funeral," she said.

"We could not go," Saitou offered.

"Nonsense. Besides, you need to resign this treaty."

"If she wants me to resign it she can come here," he said. They both knew who she was.

"Well I'm going to go. Its an unwritten tradition. I'm still mad at you for not telling them about our wedding."

Saitou looked up, his right eyebrow highly arched in his mocking way.

"Funny. You didn't seem mad last night."

"Sex and respect are two different things. Sex is hormones. Respect is mental."

"Are you saying you don't respect your husband and king?"

"I am Kyotoan so you are not my king," she said, pulling away from him. "You kidnapped me but you cannot change my birthplace. And to answer your question, I do respect you…when you are not being an idiot."

Saitou hated it when she did this. Oh so smart Tokio trying to outdo him.

"All I said was we could not go. I never said I wasn't going."

"Hmp," was her reply and she grabbed a robe off a chair, walking to her dressing room.

"Tokio, do not walk away from me," he said dangerously.

"Or you'll what?" she challenged. "Kidnap me from my homeland? Hold me hostage? Marry me against my will? Seduce me? Kill my kinsman? Oh wait, you've already done that." She opened the door that connected their rooms and walked through. He waited. She left the door open. That meant she was just grumpy from being up so early and not really mad. Trust her not to let something go that happened years ago.

"Have your things packed and ready to go by sunrise," he said and he entered her room. She looked at him from behind her dressing screen.

"Oh, so now you want to go?" she asked sweetly.

"I have a treaty to sign don't I? I'd rather not have that sorceress in my kingdom again."

"Just try not to offend Prince Himura again. You're already married to one royal. It's against the law to marry more than one. Unless you are going to kill me off I don't think you could come up with another treaty with Kyoto."

"I am King. I could change the law."

"I'd castrate you first," came her quick reply. Saitou smiled at that. Jealous little vixen she was. And all his.

<King Sagara's throne room>

King Sagara looked down at the letter in his hands. A wedding huh. He damn well hoped it wasn't his own son. If so the boy better have a damn good reason for not informing him.

"Being my son Yahiko here please," he asked the servant who popped up.