Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ In These Final Hours ❯ Trials and Transformations ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.

In These Final Hours: Trials and Transformations

Alternate Title: Caution: Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery while under the influence of red hair

By the time they reached the palace, tempers had cooled enough that everyone could enjoy the impressive picture it made.

The castle itself was perched on a steep rise in the land, a river wrapping snugly around the back and along the eastern side of its walls. A rambling city spilled down the hillside, settling in the lap of the little valley below the face of the palace. Kaoru leaned out the window, watching as the city writhed with moving forms too far away to distinguish. It unfolded in layers, moving from precariously stacked stone structures to the softer, more widely spaced hamlets that served as fringe. Beyond the river she could make out rich farmland nestled in more fertile half of the valley. Their part of the road cut through the rolling pasturelands where beasts grazed among the watchful eyes of dogs and farmboys.

It was picturesque in a way Kaoru hadn't anticipated. The castle looked like a stern hen roosting over her brood. Strong, well thought out walls surrounded the bulk of the palace, giving way to the more delicate, but equally stout heart. Towers and parapets commingled in a plan even her inexperienced eye could recognize as architectural genius. It looked like it could withstand a thousand sieges without a hitched breath. The whole valley radiated strength and efficient beauty.

"Sanosuke," she breathed, tugging absently on his sleeve. He smirked, sparing the window no more than a glance.

"I've seen it enough, missy," he reminded her.

Kaoru blinked, startled from her awe by the bald negligence in his voice. She turned a disapproving frown on him.

"And you call me jaded?" she accused.

He shrugged, "It's nice. I just don't need to gawk with my jaw on the ground anymore, is all."

"Cretin," Kaoru muttered and turned back to the window, refusing to let her brother spoil the one nice moment of the trip so far.

"You'll love the palace, Kaoru," Soujiro chirped, leaning his head in beside hers to take in the view, "It's even more beautiful on the inside."

Kaoru nodded, waving to a group of children herding geese across a field. Her brain was still trying to process the image before her. For some reason she hadn't thought the palace would be surrounded by such normal looking villages and farmland. Not that she'd had any particular picture in mind to begin with, but the resemblance to her own home was startling.

"Not what you expected, missy?" Sano asked, smirking as she turned a startled glance at him, "The palace isn't like the lords that are always running around. We're all business here."

Kaoru shot him a skeptical glance, "We'll see," she sniffed.

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When the guards saw who was riding in, they immediately let the carriage through the main gate. Kaoru leaned out of the window eagerly, waving at the soldiers they passed as they made their way through the courtyard and back toward the barracks. Her smile faltered, though, at the catcalls that met her friendly waves. Sano chuckled as she thumped against the back of her seat and fumed.

"Are all men idiots?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest huffily. Soujiro winced but didn't look prepared to challenge the question. Sano was more than willing, however.

"Some are. But most of us are pretty impressive specimens," he said, rubbing his chin in what was supposed to be a thoughtful manner. Kaoru just stared at him blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hey!"

"We're here!" Sou pronounced happily and slipped between the pair to clamber out of the carriage. It was enough distraction to keep the siblings from each other's throats and they wasted no time following the other boy's lead. Kaoru stretched her arms high above her head to work out the cramps of the drive while surveying the little area.

The barracks were standard grade, but the training grounds surrounding it were quite extensive. Kaoru immediately perked as her eyes roamed over the sparring circles and tracks. A few soldiers were practicing, moving through different exercises both individually and in pairs. She couldn't believe the sudden stroke of luck. Being the frilly escort to a snobby prince would be more tolerable if she had a nice place to vent her frustrations.

She was vaguely aware of Sano and Sou having some sort of heated discussion behind her, but she didn't give it much notice. Her attention had just been caught by something much more interesting. Or someone, rather.

Kaoru moved to the edge of the nearest circle where two men were going through what were probably basic exercises. She watched them move around each other avidly. They were making even simple moves look like a choreographed dance. The taller was a no-nonsense looking fellow with sharp, golden eyes and dark hair. Kaoru didn't spare him much more than a glance, though, because the one that truly had her captivated was the shorter red head.

He was feline grace and fire. Kaoru couldn't help but stare at him as he effortlessly rolled his opponent's sword off of his own, flowing under his arm to strike from behind. The taller man anticipated the move and had already turned to meet it, but the red head wasn't behind him anymore. Kaoru blinked in surprise, her eyes darting around the circle to find him. A flash of red was her only warning before the fight was over, the smaller man flipping back from the crouch he'd landed in as the taller dropped his sword in pain. He instantly retrieved it with his other hand, but the red head signaled the end of the duel, gesturing in Kaoru's direction.

She jumped in surprise as two pairs of eyes were suddenly focused on her. The first pair was critical, but the second was gentle and warm. She smiled nervously as they approached. It was obvious they intended on talking to her. She didn't know if she'd like that. The taller one looked like he might spit her on his sword without a thought and the smaller one made her want to fidget.

"That was beautiful," she commented, proud that her voice sounded fairly normal. The taller man gave her a measuring look and seemed to come away grossly disappointed. Kaoru couldn't help but feel a little ruffled by that.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, her fists already half clenched at her sides. He just gave her a bored glance, turned on his heel, and stalked off towards the barracks.

"Don't mind Saitou," the red head said apologetically, "He's like that with everyone, that he is."

Kaoru forced herself to drop her anger and focused her attention back on the man before her. His voice was a lot higher than she would have guessed, and his eyes were even more unexpected. They were huge and very purple. Someone who'd just sparred like that shouldn't have such an innocent, slightly dopey looking face.

"I'm Kaoru," she said, then, extending a hand. He looked momentarily confused by the gesture before cheerfully taking the greeting and extending his own.

"Nice to meet you, Kaoru," he said, "I'm Kenshin-"

"How've you been, Kenshin?!" Sano appeared so suddenly that Kaoru almost leapt out of her skin. Kenshin looked equally startled, she noted with some relief. It was a little balm to her affronted dignity.

"Sanosuke, you idiot!" she immediately launched into him for the unnecessary scare. Soujiro was between them before she could strike.

"Sister, please," he said calmly. Kaoru paused at two abnormalities. First was that Soujirou had called her his sister. A quick jog of her memory fixed that, but the second was still a puzzle. Her friend looked decidedly unhappy about something. Oh, he was still smiling cheerfully, but she knew him better than to judge his mood by the mouth. She calmed and watched him expectantly.

"Um, sorry," she managed when she realized they were waiting for her to react. Apparently it wasn't what they'd been expecting because she suddenly had three pairs of puzzled eyes on her.

"You're still an idiot," she huffed, giving Sano a good whack over Soujiro's head. The small act of violence diffused the situation immediately. For some reason that made Kaoru even more incensed.

"Ah, Sanosuke?" Kenshin started, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Oh, you wanna know who missy here is?" Sano guessed immediately. Kenshin tried to interject again, but Sanosuke had already launched into the introduction.

"This is Seta Kaoru, Sou's little sister. We thought she could try for that escort position. She's pretty good with a sword and my mom's been giving her etiquette lessons since she was just a kid. You know my mom," he grinned, "always wanted a daughter and all she got were boys," and because he couldn't resist, "Ain't that right, missy?" he hooked an affectionate arm around her shoulders. Kaoru ground her teeth at the barb but forced herself to nod anyway. She was supposed to be Sou's sister, after all.

"Oh," Kenshin's faced cleared and he smiled, "Well, if she'd like to have the position, I could test her, that I could," he turned a much brighter smile on her. Kaoru returned it hesitantly and nodded again, slightly thrown off by his overly polite speech. There weren't many men of her generation who were so formal with words.

"That sounds fine."

Kenshin gestured toward the circle, "Alright, would you like to pick a weapon and warm up, then?"

"I'm best with a bokken," she admitted.

"We fight with real swords, missy," Sano reminded her with a smirk. She shot him a glare.

"What I was about to add," another glare, "was that I'm also good with light swords," she turned back to Kenshin with a smile. He nodded and led her to the barracks to pick something out. She was a bit dazed by the huge selection, but Kenshin seemed to know just what would suit her. Without hesitation he pulled down two swords, handing each in turn for her to weigh.

Kaoru balanced each, doing a few experimental swings, before deciding on the second of the two. It hadn't been an easy decision. Both had fit in her grip and stance like they'd been made for her. In the end she'd gone with the slightly lighter one to avoid overtaxing her muscles. Her parents rarely let her practice with steel and her arms were built for the lighter weight of a bokken as a result. Obviously Kenshin was familiar with the weapon so he would know what weight would fit her best. Still, that he could know exactly what length and handle she'd need was amazing. He had a good eye.

As they walked to the circle, she shot her ex-brother and fake-brother a nervous glance. After watching him fight, she was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to defeat Kenshin. Kaoru was very aware that there were levels in skill, and she was probably twelve below her opponent. So what would that mean for her chances as escort?

Sanosuke gave her a lazy wink and Soujiro an enthusiastic nod. She smiled back at them nervously. They didn't seem to be worried, but that only went so far to comfort her. They weren't the ones about to be humiliated.

No.

Kaoru shook her head stubbornly as she moved through a few stretches. She couldn't think like that. Half of winning a battle was believing you could. So Kenshin was better than she was. Oh well. She'd just have to surpass him here and now. It wasn't impossible. Just… very, very unlikely.

She kept her warm up short for two reasons. One was because she'd already had a substantial work out that day and the other because she didn't want to give her opponent unnecessary time to study her movements. She had little enough advantage in this fight, she wasn't about to give hand him a favor.

When she was ready, Kaoru winced a smile and readied her stance across from the cheerful red head. He nodded reassuringly before falling into his own position.

The battle began. His face reflected the calm she knew was spreading over her own. Ki amassed and swirled around their relaxed, yet equally taught forms. They watched each other stonily, weighing what they knew and had seen of each other so far and translating it into the dance they would strike with. The silence was heavy and laden with the even pull and release of their breathing. Kaoru could almost see the line where their ki's crossed and the static it created. They waited patiently for the moment when the battle would start. Waited for the invisible signal.

Now.

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From the first strike, Kaoru knew he was holding back. She could feel the careful control through the swords each time they clashed. Kenshin was stepping back, giving her a fighting chance. The knowledge was both reassuring and infuriating to her. On one hand, he recognized their differences and was making allowances for her weaker skill. On the other hand… he recognized their differences and was making allowances for her weaker skill. While she appreciated the fact that she wasn't on her back in the dirt, she still had her pride. She couldn't stand not being taken seriously and she was growing angrier with each exchange, incensed by his babying her. Her swings grew wilder and she tripped suddenly, throwing aside a strike almost by blind luck.

It jolted her out of her anger like a bucket of cold water. She shook her head and flexed her grip on the hilt of the sword as she gathered herself. There was only a moment between her fumble and the next pass of blades, but a moment was all she needed to reprimand herself. Never let your opponent stir you to emotion.

The real sobering thought was that if Kenshin hadn't been holding back, he would already have taken advantage of the slip. Kaoru pushed the fleeting shame that aroused aside and redoubled her attack against him and the arch of his eyebrows was approving as she struck. Her movements liquefied into seamless curls and weaves as the anger drained and was replaced by cold calculation. Kaoru smiled grimly as her form stretched to its peak and Kenshin began to loose ground, inch by precious inch.

Still, the fight didn't last much longer.

He ended it swiftly and without warning. One moment, Kaoru was parrying a thrust and the next she was sitting on the ground, her sword skittering out of the circle. She stared at it, stunned, for a moment before a hand came into her line of vision and broke the spell. She followed it up until she met Kenshin's smiling face watching her. With a rueful grin, she accepted the hand up and brushed herself off as he stepped back. Though the abrupt finish had surprised her, it hadn't really. Once she'd stepped away from her pride and examined the battle, she'd realized it had been more of an exercise. He'd been holding back because he wanted to watch her style, not because he hadn't taken her seriously. Really, he'd taken her far more seriously than she would have expected from a master.

"You're much better than me," she stated, meeting his gaze dead on. She wasn't one to back down from any confrontation, good or bad. Kenshin shrugged his acknowledgement of the statement and it seemed to roll off his back. Kaoru grinned at the uncomfortable way he accepted the praise. Apparently he was humble and polite. This just kept getting better.

"I don't know any man here who wouldn't say that," Sano put in lazily. Kaoru turned to him, suspicious of the self satisfaction she heard in his voice. She narrowed her eyes in question, but he merely smirked at her.

Turning back to Kenshin, she offered a helpless smile, "So, did I pass?" she asked hopefully. If this didn't work, she didn't know what she was going to do.

Kenshin smiled, "Ms. Kaoru is very talented, that she is. I would be happy to have you in the guard. All you must do now is have dinner with my father and me," he turned to Sano and Sou, "You two are welcome to come as well, of course."

Kaoru beamed happily and had to stamp down the giddy urge to bear-hug the silly read head. The hard part was over, then. All she had to do now was put her little used gentry skills to work. She just hoped Kenshin and his father wouldn't rat to the prince about her less-than-regal dress.

"In that case, is there somewhere I could change for dinner?" she asked politely. Maybe one of the servants would let her borrow a washtub for a moment as well. She was sticky.

Kenshin gave her a slightly puzzled look.

"Of course, Ms. Kaoru. I will have a lady assigned to you. She will show you to one of our guest rooms and help you dress. There'll be a wardrobe for you to look through if you'd rather not try to get the wrinkles out of your dress. I'd offer my services, but my father needs me for a meeting."

Kaoru nodded absently, already imagining soaking away the grime of the day.

Then froze.

The click in her head as everything fell into place was practically audible.

"You're…" she stopped, fighting to make her throat work and Kenshin looked politely worried at the sudden palor in her face.

"Ms. Kaoru?" he asked tentatively.

"You're the prince, aren't you?" she finally squeaked. Kenshin blinked and nodded dumbly, looking around to the others for the source of the abrupt question.

"I am sorry, did you not know?" he was almost frantically apologetic, "I assumed you knew when Sanosuke said you wanted the position. He must have told you that I always test my escort personally. Did he not?" he floundered desperately, face falling.

Kaoru barely heard him. Her mind was too preoccupied with the fact that the prince had just implied that he would have gladly ironed her laundry if he'd had the time. The sound of the name snapped her out of the trance, though.

Sanosuke.

Things turned ugly, then. It took both Kenshin and Soujiro to drag her off of him. He skipped back, holding his hands out appeasingly.

"Hold on, missy, just calm down."

"You rat!" she shrieked, shaking off the arms that held her. Kenshin and Sou backed down after a moment when they saw that most of the death-rage had died.

"I can't believe you lied to me!" she hissed, hands clenching at her sides.

"Hey, I didn't lie," he protested grandly, "I just didn't tell you everything. Besides, only an idiot wouldn't find out all she could about what she was getting into."

"Sano," Kenshin warned and Kaoru stilled. His voice was like ice down her back.

She glanced at him and was struck by his appearance. With the frown, his whole demeanor had changed. It was suddenly very obvious that he was of noble blood and power. Despite herself, she had to admit Sano's point. She should have taken a closer look.

Sano paused at the word and collected himself. Kaoru's attention snapped back to him in surprise. That made three people who could quell her older brother with a word. Only one if you didn't count her parents.

"Look, I was just trying to give Kenshin a fighting chance. You're both my friends. I want you to get along. Besides," Sano explained calmly, "you'll fight better if you like him."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him, but couldn't argue with the logic. Her first impression of Kenshin was lasting despite this new revelation. It would be hard to think of him as "the prince" now. The calluses on his hands when he'd helped her up didn't lie. Neither did his eyes. He was genuine.

"Mou," was all she could mutter after another moment of quiet seething. The rat's plan had worked, and it had been well founded, but that didn't get him off the hook. He'd still lied to her. But not without help, she realized suddenly, and rounded on Soujiro.

"I suppose you knew about this, too?" she demanded.

Soujiro nodded reluctantly, "I did not want to lie to my little sister, but Sano's idea was good. I want you to like the prince as well."

"Ms. Kaoru, you don't like me?"

Kaoru froze guiltily at the wounded quality of Kenshin's voice. She spun around to reassure him.

"No, no, Kenshin," she winced. She hoped he didn't want her to call him "my prince." Somehow it didn't seem likely. "I," she paused to figure out a way to convey her feelings without giving her heritage away, "All of the nobles I've met, aside from Sano, of course," she added hastily, cursing herself for not being able to keep their ruse in mind, "They've all been…" she floundered helplessly.

"Rude?" Kenshin guessed helpfully.

"Yes!" she pounced on the explanation. It was half true, after all. How could she explain that the other half was the bitterness in knowing she'd have to marry one of the slime balls? Self important and hypocritical. Those were all the pure bloods she'd known in her time.

Kenshin nodded understandingly, "As I understand it from my guards, the country is managed differently from the palace. My father may be arrogant, but not to any particular class," here his smile was a bit pained.

Kaoru blinked curiously, but didn't pry into the matter. So the king was a different breed from his underlings? Kenshin was enough proof for her that there might be credibility behind the statement. Enough to hold off her opinion of him until she actually met him face to face.

As she was about to do.

"I'll be having dinner with the prince and the king," she realized belatedly.

Sanosuke grinned, "Yep, little missy, straight from the pan into the fire."

Sou sighed disapprovingly and moved beside her, "He's exaggerating," he reassured her, "The king is a very nice person."

"Just not to Kenshin," Sano laughed.

Kenshin rubbed the back of his neck but didn't refute the statement. Kaoru looked from face to face, but found no answers to her fears. So, in a huff, she asked Kenshin where her room was.

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Kaoru stared at herself in the mirror, turning first one way and then the other. It was always a shock to see herself in court attire. She liked the way the dresses showed off what little figure she had. The little pout her lips acquired when touched with rouge wasn't bad either. Her face twisted and the stranger in the mirror was suddenly sticking her tongue out at her. How very rude of her, Kaoru thought with an amused sniff. It was all the muck that the clothing represented that she didn't like. And if she gave an inch at home, her mother claimed a mile. Thus, wearing pretty things was more like dress up than habit for her.

"Are you ready to go to the hall?" Tae asked, appearing over Kaoru's shoulder in the mirror. Kaoru nodded and hid a grin. The woman looked far too smug at the results of her work. It was certainly not a face she would have expected from the woman she'd met just a couple of hours ago. Kenshin had introduced her to a kind and shy seeming servant. The story had changed once the door had been firmly shut in the men's faces. Then it had been all business, Tae all but tossing her into a tub to clean the layer of grime she'd acquired over the course of the day. Kaoru had been even more impressed by the uphill battle waged with her generous head of hair. Long and full was certainly beautiful, but only after twigs and snarls were removed.

"Do you like the blue, Ms. Kaoru?" Tae asked again as she absently adjusted one of the pins that held up the complicated mess tumbling down the back of Kaoru's head.

"Yes, it's lovely," she assured her, holding her head perfectly still. If she held her breath, someone might mistake her for a porcelain doll. The thought made her grin. "Thank you, again, for all of your help. I wouldn't have known where to start," she went on, referring to the designer shop masquerading as a closet in the room. While she had been too stunned to do anything but stare at the explosion of color and lace, Tae had moved unerringly through the racks. Her eye was dead on, as well; Kaoru only had to try on three dresses before they'd found her match.

"I've been doing this forever," Tae waved the compliment away, suddenly shy again, "I made this on myself, actually. It's a sort of hobby."

Kaoru blinked and stared down at herself again in new appreciation, "Really?" She switched her gaze from the dress to the lightly blushing woman leading her from the room and compared the two. The dress was a bold twist on a more outdated fashion. She'd have never pegged Tae as having such innovative flair based on her first impression. She just didn't look like the type.

"Are you normally a lady in waiting?" she asked half shrewdly and half because the hall they were walking down was horribly long.

Tae cheerfully shook her head, "No, I usually work in the kitchens. I manage all formal functions in the palace." Her face turned thoughtful, "If you stay, I'll make sure Tsubame is assigned as your lady. She's one of my best girls, but a little shy around the kitchen. The boys are a little too noisy for her, I guess," she went on happily, relating the bustle and confusion that was her staff and life.

Kaoru listened attentively, a little warm glow in her chest. If she hadn't passed the official exam yet, Tae certainly seemed to approve of her. That reassurance did wonders for her nerves. Her confidence was wavering with every step closer to the Great Hall. While she was confident that she could pass, she couldn't suppress the little doubts nibbling at her mind. She'd been training for a night like this for years. Literally. But training amounted to nothing if you couldn't put it into practice, and she was still untried. What if she made a fool of herself? Purposefully ignoring decorum was far different from failing when trying to follow it.

"Dinner with the king," she mused flatly as they approached an impressive arch hung with delicately woven curtains. Beyond, she could see the dining room glittering richly in candle light.

"He's not as bad as you think," Tae reassured her with a nervous laugh, "Just be careful with your words. He's good at turning them back on you."

Kaoru nodded thoughtfully, "A habit from dealing with petitioners and ambassadors all the time?"

"Oh, no," Tae tittered as she pushed her through the arch, "I think he just likes to."

And with that encouraging revelation, Kaoru was forced into the presence of the king. She plastered what she hoped was a smile on her face and glided into the room. Sano and Sou were already there, conversing woodenly and keeping a discreet distance from the nobleman brooding at the head of the table.

"Ms. Kaoru," Kenshin greeted, appearing suddenly at her elbow.

Kaoru recovered from the initial surprise and curtsied deeply, as his rank dictated. He, in turn, took her hand and brushed her knuckles beneath his lips. With a blush, she noted that he didn't follow modern fashion that swept the courtesy by without actual contact. She could feel the warmth of his touch through the thin gloves she wore.

"My prince," she let the words lift from her tongue like music, mimicking her mother's court voice perfectly.

She could almost hear the thud as Sano's and Sou's jaws hit the floor. Kenshin's gaze flicked to the side, puzzled, but he didn't turn his head. Instead, he took the hand he held and tucked it in his arm, leading her into the room. Kaoru registered the patent shock on her brother's and friend's faces, but didn't linger over the smugness the looks inspired. Her attention was held by the man scrutinizing her over his glass at the far end of the table.

As the king, he was excused from the duty that demanded gentlemen rise in a woman's presence. Still, Kaoru thought grumpily, he could at least have the decency to sit up straight.

"My lord father, may I present Seta Kaoru, candidate for escortship," Kenshin said formally, taking her hand and presenting it to the king. Kaoru dipped to the floor beneath it, letting her head bow respectfully and keeping her left hand folded at her chest.

The seconds dripped by like water from a leaky faucet as Kenshin's voice faded into the gilded corners of the room. Kaoru felt a bead of nervous sweat trickle down the back of her neck and hoped it wasn't visible. How long was the creep just going to stare at her?

When he finally spoke there was a collective jump from all assembled.

"You're very well trained for a peasant's daughter," the king observed coolly.

Kaoru fought down panic. The idea of being too convincing hadn't occurred to her. It should have. She cursed mentally and fumbled for a natural sounding explanation. Her mind immediately leapt to what Sano had said earlier.

"My lady Kamiya was very generous with me. She confided that she always wanted a daughter to spoil."

"I thought Kamiya had a daughter," he shot back almost before she'd finished speaking.

Kaoru ground her teeth angrily. Part of her was running in frantic circles in panic, but the other was becoming severely annoyed. She'd come this far on nothing but an old hag's words; she wasn't about to let some king ruin her plan. Even if he was rather menacing looking. Being king didn't excuse plain rudeness.

Seriously, she wondered detachedly, how did someone with a presence that exuded arrogance come by a son like Kenshin? Maybe it was another conspiracy to make her like him. It wouldn't have surprised her at this point.

"With all due respect, my lord, perhaps it was merely my humble self you heard tales of, mistaken for that which is above me as an unfortunate side effect of my lady's generosity," she ground the words out prettily, letting the barest amount of polite reproach fall into her voice. The trick was to show complete obedience without losing the natural arrogance inherent in a noble.

"You have to remind them sometimes just who is keeping whom in power," her mother would say, "It's all a part of the dance."

The king arched an elegant eyebrow at her response and, after a moment, nodded. Kaoru frowned inwardly. Traditionally, he should have apologized for the slight insult paid to her mother. Or rather, Lady Kamiya.

With a dismissive flick of a hand, he dropped the subject, "Enough," he drawled, obviously already bored with her, "Signal the servers, my stupid son," he waved his glass in Kenshin's general direction before returning his full attention back to the liquid sloshing inside.

Kaoru bristled. Not only had he completely brushed her off, but he'd also belittled his son in the presence of at least one acknowledged noble. That just wasn't done. It was damning to the person insulted. Reputations could be tainted for years as a result of just one slipped word of disapproval. The question then became whether he was very negligent of protocol or just so thoroughly self absorbed that he felt himself above any sort of system.

She suspected the latter.

Kenshin sighed and squeezed her hand to let her know she was to rise. She did cautiously, flicking anger-bright eyes between the king and his son. The first ignored her and the second gave her a reassuring smile.

"We shall eat, then, that we shall," Kenshin announced to the room. Immediately, servers appeared in a flock of steaming platters and glasses. Kaoru stiffened at the unfamiliarity of it. Dinner was rather more laid back at home. The response was well suited to the class she was supposedly a part of, though. Kenshin personally saw her to her seat, murmuring sympathetically to her so the others wouldn't overhear.

"It isn't usually so busy. My father likes to show off, that he does," his voice was tinged with amusement and Kaoru glanced at him, bemused. There was real, deep affection in his words.

"You look lovely, Kaoru," Soujiro said, taking the seat across from her. Sano grunted something approving as he settled into the chair next to him.

"Thank you, brother," Kaoru smiled demurely, keeping a close eye on her role. She almost jumped out of her skin, though, when Kenshin took the seat next to her.

"Yes," he agreed, "Forgive me for not complimenting earlier. You are a very beautiful lady, Ms. Kaoru."

Kaoru couldn't help but smile back at him. Below the table she twisted her napkin into nervous knots. He was charming her senseless without even trying. There wasn't even a hint of duplicity in his actions. He meant every smile and every kind word. It was making it increasingly difficult for her not to blush like a bubble-headed little school girl.

"You are too kind," she murmured, staring at the silverware with rapt interest. For once the dictations of a lady's court behavior were in her favor. She had an excuse for not making eye contact.

Kenshin served her dinner from the platters presented by the servants. For a while the only conversation in the room was the light murmur of the prince's voice as he inquired how much of this or that she would like. Kaoru rode through the storm of embarrassment flawlessly, hiding behind her mask of demure elegance. To think, the prince was personally serving her food.

Actually, she should have expected it. It was a long standing custom that the men of highest rank take responsibility for the needs of the ladies around them. She just hadn't had adequate time to prepare for the occasion. She'd never expected to set one foot inside the palace, much less in the king's private dining hall.

Then, she'd never expected to be handed a prophecy of doom, either.

They were half way through the second course when the king decided to interrupt again.

"You're acceptable," he said shortly, nodding his glass in Kaoru's direction. She looked up in surprise and then ruffled. There was just too much condescension in his tone for the statement to be anything other than insulting. Kenshin sighed and his head drooped. Kaoru favored the king with a brittle smile, the silverware bending in her dainty grip.

"My king, I beg your mercy. Such praise will lead me to blush," her words dripped with barely veiled sarcasm. Sano snickered under his breath while Sou gave her a pleading look. The prince lifted his gaze back to her face and blinked at her in surprise before a small grin tugged at his mouth.

Kaoru ignored them, her jaw set tightly as she met the king's stare. He watched her stonily and she couldn't tell if he was angry or not. She really didn't care at this point one way or the other. There were some things that couldn't be asserted effectively by court rules and one of those things was the kind of basic respect she demanded from all people, even the king.

The staring match ended when he began to laugh.

Even Kaoru wasn't quite prepared for that reaction. Kenshin looked like his little purple eyes would pop out of his head. She glanced from him to Sano and Sou, who looked equally floored, and guessed that this wasn't a usual occurrence.

"You amuse me, girl," he chuckled, "You're bluntly subtle."

"Mmm," she murmured neutrally, not sure if he was looking for an affirmation or denial of the statement. Frankly, she wasn't quite sure what he was talking about so she couldn't really be offended or flattered either way.

"Father?" the confusion on Kenshin's face was patent.

"Keep my stupid son safe," the king went on, rising from his seat, "He looks for trouble."

Kenshin protested this. The king merely glared at him before sweeping out of the hall, wine glass in hand. Kaoru could almost see the nonexistent cape billowing behind him.

"He normally wears a cape," Sou whispered at the same time, "But Tae refuses to let it into the dining halls. She says it's undiplomatic to intimidate your guests while they're eating."

Kaoru snorted, "He doesn't need a cape to do that."

"Father really is a kind person," Kenshin defended with an unconvincing smile, "He just has trouble showing it." No one would really make eye contact with him after that and he wilted slightly.

"Well, looks like you're in, missy," Sanosuke kicked back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head with a smirk. Sou nodded, a genuine smile on his face.

"You were wonderful, Kaoru," Soujiro chirped happily, "I didn't really believe you when you said you could behave like a classic court lady."

"Yeah, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you were a noble," Sano drawled, a fish bone dangling from the corner of his mouth.

Kaoru smiled at him, using her sweetest voice, "Now that is astonishing, Lord Kamiya. I was about to say the same of you,"

Kenshin watched the verbal sparring in amusement before catching Kaoru's attention with a small touch on her arm.

"You are now officially my escort, Ms. Kaoru," he smiled at the small widening of her eyes.

"I am, aren't I?" she mused dazedly.

"Yep, hundreds of more dinners like this one," Sano chuckled at the panicked look that spread across her face.

"And I know you will be wonderful," Kenshin went on, ignoring Sano completely, "I'm very happy that you will be protecting this lowly one, that I am."

Kaoru felt something flutter in her stomach at the smile he gave her then. She smiled and nodded, curiously at a loss for glib words.

It had been a long day, she reflected later as Tae showed her to her new room. Her meeting with the old seer could have been weeks ago instead of just hours. Not half a day had passed and she'd gone from being a rebel noble to the personal escort of the prince. A prince who was making her itch.

"I'm so happy you're here," Tae confided as she pulled an extra blanket from one of the chests in the elegant room.

"I wish I could say the same," Kaoru sighed, taking in the rich surroundings at little warily. Her room at home could have fit three times into this one.

"Nervous?" Tae placed an understanding hand on her shoulder.

Kaoru nodded, "I've never been away from home before," she confessed softly.

"The prince is a wonderful person. I'm sure you'll be very happy here," Tae reassured her, "And if you ever need a dose of normalcy, come to the kitchens. Nobles can be a bit much after a while."

Kaoru agreed with a laugh and bid her new friend goodnight. Tae had almost closed the door when she suddenly popped back in.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she beamed as Kaoru turned back to her in surprise, "You'll need to keep an ear on the room next to you."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because it's the prince's room," she explained, a sympathetic grin tugging at her mouth, "You protect him night and day from now on."

Kaoru sat down on her bed. Hard.

"What about the other bodyguards?" she asked weakly.

"They trade nights sleeping in the other room next to his. You'll always stay next to him, though. You need to be used to it so it'll be natural looking when you travel."

"Oh… ok."

"Sweet dreams!"

The door clicked shut, the sound echoing in the large room ominously. Kaoru looked around it in silent desperation.

That was when her gaze fell on the other door in the room. The one that connected her to the prince.

"Why me?" she asked of whoever might be listening before falling back onto the bed with an abused sigh.

If she ever saw that old bag again…

A/N: Heh. Action is picking up, yeah? Just wait till next chapter… which should be up by now *cough* I'm going home for the weekend so I figured I'd put up two chapters now since I can't update at home. So, um, hope you're all enjoying this!