Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ In These Final Hours ❯ Realizing What's Already There ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.

In These Final Hours: Realizing What's Already There

Alternate Title: Obligatory Bath Scene

You know you have it bad when he's the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning.

Kaoru frowned. For some reason that statement didn't sound right. She was pretty sure it was "when he's the first thing you think about when you wake up." Why was her brain insisting on the former phrasing, then? Probably because of the violet eyes watching her with concern and the bright halo of red hair that was hanging over one finely sculpted shoulder and tickling her collarbone. The frown on her face persisted. That didn't seem right, either. She was certain Kenshin didn't belong hovering over her in bed. Not that she particularly minded, but it was inappropriate considering their professional relationship. Of course it was crazy to think that he was really there in the first place. Kenshin wasn't that kind of man. Still, she couldn't ignore the proof right before her eyes. And… yep, he was definitely there. So where did that leave her?

With the prince in her bed, apparently.

"Kenshin!" she shrieked, waking up fully as panic overtook her.

"Oro," he fell to the side as the pillow her hand had blindly grabbed connected with his head. She felt a little bad about the unconscious action, but that didn't stop her from scrambling to the other side of the bed, dragging a fair amount of the covers with her in the process. Her nightgown was thin, she remembered from the other morning.

The prince bobbed back into view from below the edge of the bed. It was only then that Kaoru realized her mistake. He hadn't been in the bed after all, just leaning over the side. Still, he'd been leaning close enough for his hair to touch her, and while it was long, it wasn't that long. And she could still feel the warm imprint of a hand on her shoulder. Her own clutched at the spot without thinking and her face tinted pink with embarrassment. The fact that he apparently slept without a shirt wasn't helping matters.

"What are you doing?" she asked shrilly.

His face was the picture of concern, "I apologize, Ms. Kaoru. You were having a nightmare. I was just trying to wake you."

Kaoru started. Now that he said it, she could still feel her blood pumping coldly through her veins. The shock of waking up to Kenshin had overshadowed it for awhile, but now she couldn't help a slight shiver. He watched her with a worried expression and in her haze she realized it was the same face he'd been wearing when she'd first opened her eyes. His honor as a gentleman was intact, it seemed.

Damn.

She sighed at her own gut reaction and let her shoulders slump as she relaxed.

"Thanks," she mumbled self consciously. So far their score card was two in his favor and only one in hers. But how was she expected to keep up when he was constantly being such a nice guy?

"You should go back to sleep," he suggested, a gentle smile gracing his features, "There are still a few hours before dawn and we have much to do in the morning."

Kaoru racked her brain before dredging up the details of the previous day's conversation, "Oh, right. We're leaving to go to Nishimoto today," she grinned, pleased with herself for managing that little bit when it was still so early.

Kenshin nodded agreement and quickly left her for his own bed. He hadn't even closed the door between their rooms when he'd come in to wake her. Kaoru frowned worriedly. What could she have been dreaming about that would cause him that much worry? She couldn't even remember being scared. The slight, clinging chill to her skin was the only remaining vestige of the dream.

With a shake of her head she lay back down again, straightening the twisted sheets until they lay smoothly over her. Yet more evidence of her apparent distress.

"Stupid dreams," she muttered and firmly closed her eyes.

It was a good half an hour before she finally fell back asleep. The puzzle of her vanishing nightmare hovered in the back of her head, prodding her into wakefulness. That made two in three nights, and she usually slept like a rock. And at least the first one had left some lasting impression on her. If she concentrated, she could still remember the pain and fear. Kenshin's face as he sadly accepted her help. And… something else, but it eluded her now.

After a few minutes spent stewing in thought, she gave up with a disgusted sigh. Dreams were just like that sometimes. No matter how much you tried to remember, they didn't stick. These nightmares were probably just spawned by her doubts about taking on a prophecy. She tended to ignore the implications during the day as they made her stomach churn with fear. Even more now that she was growing more attached to her ward.

It wasn't fair, really. Disaster always loomed over the shoulders of the nicest guys, she thought grumpily, punching her pillow into a more comfortable shape. Just like prophecies were never benign, the people attached to them were never deserving. For once she'd like to see a really nasty fellow get something like this pegged on his fate. Or not. Since when was she such a pessimist?

"Mou, this is too much," she moaned into her pillow dejectedly. It was hard to remember that your life had been turned upside down when you were busy trying to grab a handhold so you wouldn't just crumble into nothingness. Only when night fell was there time to contemplate such matters, but now when she opened and closed her eyes she found that it was just as dark on either side. What was tangible suddenly became blurred by the stillness of the room, reality only felt with the steady puffs of air against the pillow and the subconscious hum of her blood. The darkness was like a bridge, opening the doors of her shuttered mind and letting things she'd rather remain hidden drift to the surface. Her thoughts were loud and jarring against the back of her eyes and she squeezed them tightly, focusing on the dancing lights as if they were guides to peace. But they only moved as far as she looked and the irony that presented was finally more than she could stand.

"Mom," she sighed longingly, burying her face into the covers, pretending that she was back at home. At this point she'd take her mother's nagging over any of the freedoms the palace had offered. Even Kenshin. But… no, not that.

She winced against the opposing tugs on her heart and forcibly blanked her mind. After a few minutes, she finally found a little sleep.

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When she woke for the second time, she felt like something had dragged her through a thorn bush, down a hill, and finally dumped her into a sticky pit of mud.

"Ugh," she unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth, her lips curling in disgust as the taste of decay filled her senses. She was sore all over, too, like she had a fever. Her eyes were gritty and puffy, her nose dry and stinging, and her mind fuzzy and muddled.

Ah, the wonders of a good night's sleep.

"Ms. Kaoru?" a tentative voice called from somewhere in the room. She blinked heavily and lifted her head.

"Hmm?" she managed after a moment, locating a young looking girl standing just inside her door.

"Ms. Tae told me to help you with your packing," she curtsied apologetically, her hands folding nervously in front of her. Kaoru frowned at her and again had to sift through her less than organized thoughts to make some sense of the statement.

"The trip," she concluded more to herself than the girl as she crawled to the end of the bed and swung her legs over the edge.

"That's correct, my Lady," the girl bobbed up and down again and for some reason Kaoru found it incredibly annoying.

"Don't call me that," she sought for a reason to take the edge off her tone, "It's not like I'm a noble."

The girl studied her feet intently, "Yes, but you're the escort."

"I'm Kaoru," she insisted.

"Um, alright. If it pleases you, Ms. Kaoru," again the bob.

She shook her head and found her footing to stand. It was almost as bad as Kenshin.

"And what's you're name?" she returned, deciding it wasn't really worth the fight.

"I'm Tsubame," she said shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Tsubame," she muttered, stalking toward the door that lay behind her. The bathing room was down the hall and right now she needed a steaming bath much more than a wilting maid.

"Where are you going?" Tsubame's hands fluttered uselessly at her sides as she followed her down the hall.

"I'm going to take a bath," Kaoru explained patiently, keeping her eyes glued on the door of her destination.

"Oh. Would you like me to-"

"No! Thank you, Tsubame, but I can handle this myself," she insisted. That was something she'd had to deal with from time to time at home. She didn't mind when her grandmotherly maid washed her hair, but the rest was a little discomforting and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

"I'm sorry," Tsubame said immediately.

"Don't be," Kaoru sighed as she reached the bathing room. She caught sight of the wide, terrified eyes out of the corner of her vision and paused. It wasn't Tsubame's fault she wasn't a morning person.

"Why don't you find something for us to eat?" she posed in an almost pleasant voice, "You can start picking out dresses until I get back and then we can have breakfast. I'd pick them myself, but I don't have a very good eye," she admitted with a little scowl. The shy smile returned and the little maid scurried off on her new mission.

Kaoru watched her until the girl was well around the corner and she was once again left to herself. She shook her head at the morning and stepped forward to open the door.

The knob turned under her hand and she took a step back in surprise as the door suddenly swung open. She looked up and blinked as Kenshin stared back at her. He was dressed for the day in his usual billowy ensemble, but it clung to him damply at the collar where his wet hair hung loosely down his back. Kaoru felt a blush beginning to creep up her cheeks at the innocent gorgeousness of him.

"Good morning Ms. Kaoru," he greeted cheerfully, "How are you feeling?"

The blush died instantly. She scowled at him blackly and stepped back so he could get around her.

"Wonderful," she growled.

Kenshin hesitated, the smile on his face unsure, "Oro, that's good to hear?" he offered tentatively and scurried from the doorway. Kaoru muttered something dark and evil sounding and brushed past him into the bathing rooms, letting the door slam behind her.

The red head stared at the closed door worriedly a moment before a mischievous grin split his face. He turned back down the hall toward the kitchens, chuckling.

Meanwhile, Kaoru snatched up a bucket of bathing supplies and let her gaze roam over her options. The room was a large complex that consisted of several private bathing chambers, a steam room, and a community bathing pool. The liberal use of marble, porcelain, and brilliantly polished copper made Kaoru's head hurt. She knew a little about the market and the cost of this room alone was more than half of her house. It made her appreciate anew how Spartan her father was.

Not feeling up to dealing with people, she bypassed the arch that led to the community pool and chose an empty private room. Steam and soap filled the air as she firmly locked the door behind her and drew up her bath. The room hummed quietly to itself with the sounds of running water, splashing, and even the occasional off-key ballad.

Kaoru let a few drips of scented oil fall into her steaming bath and smiled as the smell washed over her. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and into the tub, hissing slightly as the hot water closed over her skin.

"Kaoru? Is that you?" a familiar voice drifted over the wall to her right. Kaoru stifled a groan and sank deeper into the water. If it wasn't someone who was uselessly nervous, it was someone who was uselessly energetic. She had little patience for either at this time in the morning, and especially when following up such a weird night.

"It has to be you!" the perky voice insisted, "You always use Jasmine oil in your bath. Come on, I know you're there."

She blew a few irritated bubbles before her face and lifted her mouth free of the water, "What do you want, Misao?" she called over the divider.

"What? I was just saying hello," the younger girl sounded wounded.

Kaoru rolled her eyes, "Right. Good morning to you, too, Misao. I'm going to take my bath now," she said with finality and reached purposefully for the soap over the edge of the tub.

"Did you run into the Prince?" now her voice was sly, "He left right before you got here. He was polite when I said good morning."

"You didn't say good morning," Kaoru pointed out moodily, trying to ignore the blush that was returning with the reminder of her run in with Kenshin.

"Oh… well, good morning!" Misao cheered, "You're so lucky! I wish I could see Lord Aoshi right out of the baths," Kaoru rolled her eyes at the dreamy sigh, "but he always has a bath brought to his room."

"What a smart man," she growled, scrubbing vigorously at her skin until it turned pink from the abuse.

"I can't blame you for liking the Prince," her friend continued to prattle, "I mean, even though I'm spoken for, I can still admire a good catch when I see one-"

"You're not spoken for."

"-And Prince Kenshin is a very good catch," Misao ignored the harsh reality lobbed in her direction, her practical assessment not skipping a beat. Kaoru hadn't really had much hope in the first place.

"It's a shame about that scar, you know? He'd be flawless without it."

Kaoru felt herself bristle, "I kind of like his scar. He'd look too feminine without it." Actually, that was a vast understatement. She was absolutely fascinated with the wicked looking cross on his face but hadn't worked up the nerve to ask about it.

There was excited splashing from the other side of the wall and Misao's voice crowed with triumph.

"Ha! So you admit you think he's gorgeous?" she demanded in a smug tone.

Kaoru sniffed primly, "He's a sharp looking young man."

Misao cackled gleefully, "You like him! Just come out and say it. Kaoru likes a nobleman! Your mother would die from shock."

"You know, there are more people in here than just the two of us," Kaoru pointed out warningly, standing in the tub and reaching for the little bucket to rinse herself with clean water.

"Ooh, you're right," the younger girl's voice lowered to a theatric whisper, "I'm sorry, Kaoru, I shouldn't be blabbing about your lover all over the bathing rooms. People could talk, I know."

"You know, for a spy you really have a big mouth," Kaoru snapped angrily, stepping out of the bath and pulling the plug with a swipe of her hand. She dried and robed herself in record time, her face glowing scarlet with embarrassment. She half expected a crowd of people to be watching her when she stepped out of the little room with her things.

"Kaoru, wait," Misao sounded genuinely worried, "Don't be mad. I'm sorry, I know I'm getting carried away again." There was splashing and rustling as the younger girl ended her bath as well.

Kaoru leaned against a wall wearily. The bath had done wonders for the knots in her back, but nothing for her throbbing head. She rubbed her temples absently and waited for her friend to come out. When she did, her face was drawn into serious lines and for a moment Kaoru could almost believe that she was a maturing teenager.

"Come on, let's talk outside," Kaoru said tiredly, motioning her head towards the door. Misao nodded mutely and followed her out. Once they were in the hall, Kaoru felt she could breathe again. At least now she could see if someone was near enough to hear them talking.

"First of all, I do like the prince," she said quietly, holding up a hand when Misao's mouth automatically dropped open, "But right now I'm a little confused about what it is exactly that I'm feeling. So you're not allowed to make rash assumptions if I'm not. It's probably just a silly thing. I'll get over it in a few days," she shrugged uncomfortably. She was lying now, and not just to Misao. A part of her had already staked out a place in her heart and labeled it "Kenshin." Now all that remained to be seen was how much of it he would claim. Nothing more than a small piece, she hoped. The last thing she needed right now was romance beating her over the head.

"Kaoru," Misao's voice was stern, "You need to be honest with yourself about this, whatever it is."

"I will," she assured automatically.

"No, I'm serious!" her friend insisted, "I know how you are. You'll stew over it in your head forever and not say anything to anyone about it. Liking the Prince and falling in love with the Prince are two different things, and if it's love, you need to be careful," she warned.

Kaoru slowed to a stop, frowning at the vehemence in Misao's tone.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

Misao stiffened and bit her lip worriedly. With a reluctant sigh, she turned to her friend and fixed her with a serious look.

"I don't think those stupid boys told you why the escort position was open, did they?"

Kaoru shook her head mutely. It was something that had crossed her mind once or twice, but it hadn't really seemed important until now. Something told her she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear.

"The last girl was kicked out because she tried to seduce the Prince," Misao said solemnly.

Kaoru felt her eyes bug out of her head as she stared at Misao in shock. Then she started laughing hysterically.

"Misao, are you really worried I'm going to seduce the Prince?" she giggled.

Misao reddened in embarrassment, but her gaze remained stern, "No, not really."

"I couldn't seduce a rock!" Kaoru wheezed, clutching at her side in mild discomfort.

"Misao stamped her foot angrily, "Kaoru, would you listen to me?!" she demanded.

"Sorry," she muttered, feeling the laughter seep out of her.

"I know you wouldn't do something so stupid, but I know Kenshin might if it comes to someone like you."

Kaoru sobered quickly at the pointed use of the Prince's name.

"You're a nice girl, Kaoru," Misao said, "Too nice. Kenshin's a sucker for those types. If you fall in love with him and he figures it out, he might do something stupid because he'll feel like it's his fault."

"What if he falls in love with me?" Kaoru countered without thinking and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. Misao stared at her with round eyes, the corners of her mouth quirking slightly upward. Kaoru watched her fearfully, her face hot and blotchy. Luckily, Misao chose that moment to set aside her evil tendencies and kept going without comment.

"It won't matter if he loves you or not, you see? He'll feel guilty no matter what," she rolled her eyes, "Like it's his fault that girls swoon over him. He's such a weirdo."

Kaoru frowned slightly thinking about it. If his behavior at the ball was any indication, Misao was exactly right. He was too nice for his own good. Imagine how accommodating he might feel obligated to be if he thought the girl really loved him. She blushed and pushed that thought hastily aside.

"Ok, I understand. If this 'thing,'" she flipped a negligent hand to indicate its lack of importance, "Develops into something serious, I don't let him have any idea or he'll make a fool of himself."

Misao nodded, "Good."

They started walking again and silence stretched between them for awhile as they lost themselves to their own thoughts.

"Are you and Aoshi going with us today?" Kaoru asked as her mind drifted over the prospective trip.

Misao's face darkened a bit, "No, we're heading toward Nobu for some reconnaissance work."

"What's in Nobu?" she asked.

"Enishi," she stated with a bit of a wince, "That guy really gives me the creeps. And I'm still mad at Lord Aoshi for backing up that jerk yesterday," she nodded her head firmly.

Kaoru shrugged, "Kenshin talked to me about it, and I understand why he's respecting Saitou's decision. He is the Captain of the Guard."

Misao scowled, "I just can't believe my Lord Aoshi wouldn't tell me! I've known him for almost ten years. When you introduced us, remember?" she sighed.

Kaoru nodded but didn't say anything. There wasn't really much to say. After a moment she winced as she thought of something.

"Did you ever talk to Yahiko for me yesterday?" she asked, "I assume you must have told Aoshi since I'm still here and Saitou's not dragging me out the door."

Misao blinked, "Of course! You know Yahiko, as soon as we got far enough away he started firing questions. He's so rude," she frowned, "And I told Lord Aoshi when he got back to his room. He understands, and actually I think he's heard something about the prophecy. He got that funny look in his eyes when I told him about it," she nodded confidently. Kaoru felt her eyebrow twitch. No matter what Misao tried to convince her of, she would always maintain that Aoshi only had two facial expressions. Ice and Glacier.

Misao opened her mouth to say something else when the window caught her eye. She blanched, "It's this late already?" she shrieked and started pelting down the hall, "Lord Aoshi will murder me!"

Kaoru winced at the expression as she watched her friend disappear around a corner and into the maze that was the palace. With as cold as Aoshi was, that sort of exaggeration was just a little too probable for Kaoru's comfort. Not that Misao had anything to worry about. As much as she reminded her friend that the nobleman hadn't made any signs of courting, she knew as well as anyone that he had a soft spot for the little whirlwind.

If it was Kaoru who was late, on the other hand…

With a shake of her head, she headed back toward her room.

When she arrived she found Tsubame already folding her selections and packing them into a small trunk at the end of the bed. Kaoru smiled at her and made a beeline for the table with their breakfast.

"Let that be for a minute," she beckoned the maid with a hand as she settled in a chair and began selecting a few pastries.

"Ms?" Tsubame froze mid-folding and stared at her in shock.

Kaoru blinked at her, her mouth already half full of muffin. She swallowed quickly and nodded to the chair opposite of her, "Have you eaten yet?" she asked in a dubious tone.

Tsubame shook her head mutely.

"Well, then come eat!" she said like it should be obvious.

The young maid jumped a little at her loud demand before a shy smile worked its way over her face, "Are you sure, Ms. Kaoru?" she asked hesitantly.

"Would I have asked if I wasn't?" Kaoru countered, waving a thoughtful banana in her direction before using it to point at the other seat again, "Sit and eat, Tsubame. I insist."

Tsubame smiled genuinely, then, and wasted no time coming over and helping herself to a plate full of food. Kaoru smiled at her approvingly and they ate their breakfast in companionable silence.

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Sano griped about her taking too long to get ready when he came to pick up her trunk for the carriage. Kaoru had shouted about womanly sensibilities and to show a girl who'd had a bad night a little sympathy. He'd left the room grumbling and with the trunk hefted on one shoulder and a shoe he'd retrieved from his forehead in his hand. Once he'd gone, Kaoru had felt a little bad about being late. In all honesty, she hadn't really known when to be ready. They seemed to like keeping her in the dark about crucial details.

When she discovered what a mess the barracks was when she showed up a few minutes later, the guilt died. They were at least another half hour away from being ready to set off.

She found Kenshin in the middle of it all, the calm center of a storm. She made her way over to him and offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry I snapped at you this morning," she said.

"That's alright, Ms. Kaoru, you don't need to apologize, that you don't," he said cheerfully as if there weren't thirty men shouting at each other around him. Kaoru eyed the situation with a critical eye. The yard around the barracks was a mess of luggage, horses, gear, and half-armored men.

"Sano said we'll be riding in a carriage?" she asked, trying for a bit of small talk. She needed something to distract herself or else she'd start taking charge and ordering the soldiers into at least a semblance of organization.

Kenshin nodded, "Yes. The trip is too long for you to ride sidesaddle the whole way," he said, glancing at her. He did a double take as he seemed to realize for the first time that she was wearing her normal training gear.

"Any woman knows it's not practical to travel in a dress," she remarked with a grin, "I think you've been hanging around too many noblewomen," she teased, "They have to worry about too many court niceties to be able to risk looking casual."

"Unlike you, some women take pride in being elegant," a smooth voice cut in from behind her. Kaoru turned in surprise. A tall young woman was approaching from the palace. A tall, stunning woman, Kaoru noted with a bit of envy.

"Ms. Megumi, how are you today?" Kenshin asked, taking the hand extended to him and grazing it with his lips. Kaoru fought to keep little horns of jealousy from sprouting from her head. It had been silly of her to think she was the only one he'd do that to in the first place. He was the Prince, he probably performed the gesture so much he didn't even think about it anymore.

The taller woman noticed and her expression turned sly, "And who's this adorable little girl?" she asked sweetly, barely glancing in Kaoru's direction.

Kenshin's smile froze a little at the invisible battle he felt brewing around him, "This is Seta Kaoru, my escort," he introduced formally, and then turning to Kaoru, "Ms. Kaoru, this is Takani Megumi, the Guard's physician."

Kaoru stared at the woman in shock. A female doctor was pretty rare in this conservative era, but a female, noble doctor?

"Pleased to meet you," she mumbled faintly.

"Of course," the older woman smirked her superiority.

"Yo, Fox!" Sano's voice floated over the din of the surrounding bustle. Kaoru turned to spot him, frowning slightly. Just who was he looking for? A curt sigh behind her answered that question. She returned her gaze to Megumi and was surprised to see the beautiful face pulled into a pouting frown.

"What do you want, you big lug?" she demanded testily as Sanosuke sauntered up to their little group.

"What? Can't I just say hello, Fox?" he asked with a teasing smirk. Kaoru's eyes almost popped out of her head. Sano hardly ever teased anyone like that except for herself. And there was something distinctly different about the way he was going about it, too. Could he…?

"Missy, you're gonna catch flies with that mouth," her brother joked, ruffling her hair with a heavy hand. She ducked away and scowled at him.

"Sorry if I distracted you," she shot back pointedly. His gaze sharpened minutely as he glanced at her, but he pretended not to understand what she was saying.

Before anything else could be said, the yard finally decided which way was up and the party was ready to go.

Kaoru was quickly hustled into the first carriage by her brother and the Prince was tumbled in unceremoniously behind her. Saitou would have completed the foursome, but Sanosuke decided he wanted to ride in the second carriage. Whether it was because that's where Kaoru had seen the doctor heading to or because he had some serious issues with the Wolf, she couldn't tell. Probably both. It turned out he'd booted Soujiro from his seat, because a minute later his smiling face was climbing apologetically into the carriage with them. He judiciously took the seat next to his "sister," even giving her a brotherly hug around the shoulders. Kaoru leaned into it gratefully. He was enough like a brother that she took the same sort of comfort from the action. Her other brothers were too far ahead of her in years for any sort of close relationship to have developed. That, and she'd been a sort of black sheep. It had made their wives disinclined to invite her for visits.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Sou asked observantly.

Kaoru smiled guiltily, "No. Nightmares again," she decided to leave Kenshin's valiant rescue out since Saitou was staring at her so stonily. If he wanted to bring it up, he would.

Sou frowned then, surprising them all, "That's not like you, Kaoru. You sleep like the dead."

For some reason that made her shudder involuntarily. She shook it off and gave a careless shrug, "Who knows? Maybe it's just all the excitement of being in the palace. I'm really missing home," she admitted softly.

"I am sorry," Kenshin said compassionately, "When we return from this trip, perhaps you would like to visit?"

"Yes, I'd imagine your parents must be worried about you," Saitou put in smoothly. Kaoru's gaze fixed on him warily. Was that question intentional?

"Parent," she corrected slowly. It was possible he didn't know, after all. "My mother died a few years ago from a wasting sickness."

The disappointed glint in his eye told her that he was well aware of this fact. She scowled at him. Did he suspect she wasn't Soujiro's sister?

"Saitou," Kenshin snapped warningly, "that was very rude of you."

"My apologies, Ms. Seta," he drawled the name out mockingly, "You know, you and your brother don't look much alike."

She bristled. Actually, she really didn't look much like any of her real brothers, either. Most of her features were throwbacks from her great aunt. Actually, her straight, dark hair and blue eyes were closer coloring to Sou than they were to Sano's spikes and brown eyes.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd just say what you mean," she challenged. It was a risky gamble. She wasn't sure if she could lie convincingly if he asked her point blank. If he didn't have any real evidence other than his general dislike of her, though, maybe she could call his bluff.

He leaned back in his seat with a negligent shrug, "I was just making an observation," he said, drawing a cigarette from his pocket. Kaoru's eyes widened as he lit it with his magic.

"Saitou," Kenshin's voice was like steel, "I am growing tired of your mind games. You will ride."

Saitou narrowed his eyes, turning to the prince to see if he was really serious. Kaoru and Sou shifted uncomfortably in their seats. That hard, blue-violet gaze was unnerving even when they weren't the recipients.

"As you wish, my Prince," Saitou said, his voice neutral. He moved to the door of the carriage and made a nimble leap, not bothering to ask the driver to stop the horses.

"I apologize for him, Ms. Kaoru," Kenshin said seriously, "I did not think he would be so openly rude."

Soujiro's smile was rigid, "I can't believe he used magic in front of a lady," he said pleasantly. Kaoru shot him a reproving glance. She didn't need him getting protective on her. She'd been around enough magic to be callous about its use. Personally, she thought the little butterfly illusions she'd sometimes coaxed out of Soujiro when they were younger were beautiful.

"I will speak to him about that," Kenshin promised, "He should know better than to be so vulgar."

"I don't mind the magic, really," Kaoru insisted, "I grew up with Sou," she pointed out.

"He shouldn't be threatening my little sister," Soujiro returned evenly. She rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a light smack.

"I can take care of myself, thank you," she said primly, "Besides, I know enough about magic to know not all of its uses are dishonorable. I'm sure Ms. Megumi must have at least a little healing gift if she's the only doctor you have for this group," she said thoughtfully.

"Mmm," Kenshin said evasively. Kaoru sighed, throwing her hands in the air in disgust. She thought she'd escaped the assumption that she was made of glass when she'd escaped her noble title.

"Idiots," she muttered, turning to the window and watching the landscape roll by, "Just because a poor little country used its only advantage in a war hundreds of years ago, all use of magic is suddenly deemed 'immoral,'" she glanced back at them challengingly, "If you ask me, I think the other countries were just bitter that they couldn't carve up the territory among themselves."

"Not all countries can claim a high concentration of magic users," Kenshin argued quietly, "It is an unfair advantage."

"And not all countries can claim an unstoppable shadow assassin, but we used one anyway in the last war to prevent the same thing Natsu was trying to avoid," she returned, eyes flashing in challenge. Soujiro placed a staying hand on her shoulder and Kenshin stiffened in surprise. He dropped his eyes from hers after a moment and turned toward the window, a pensive look on his face.

"Kaoru, you have a knack for saying the wrong things," Sou sighed for her ears only. She shrugged his hand off, but kept her gaze on the Prince, regretting her harsh words already. It was his father who'd hired the Battousai, after all. From the other day she'd gotten the impression that he was uncomfortable with the topic; maybe he hadn't wanted to use the assassin in the first place, but didn't want to appear disloyal to his King.

With a sigh at her own stupidity, she shifted to the other bench and sat next to him. After a moment he turned to face her, his expression still shuttered.

"I apologize, my Prince," she said formally, "It was not my place to say such things," and then, so he'd know just how much she meant it, "Sorry, Kenshin," she murmured quietly, letting her bangs shield her eyes.

He sighed a little and relaxed in his seat, "Forgive me, Ms. Kaoru," he said just as quietly, "You just see things from a different angle and it surprises me sometimes. It's not a bad thing, that it is not."

She risked a glance at him at the casual formality. He was smiling at her, looking almost sheepish.

"And I was just complaining this morning to Misao that she has a big mouth," she lamented with a shake of her head. It had the desired effect as the two men dissolved into laughter. Kaoru wondered how her friend would react if she knew she was the butt of this particular joke.

As she watched Kenshin's laughing face, she decided it didn't matter.

A/N: Ack. Sorry for the long time between updates. I'm bogged down with tests at the moment. Again, if you're impatient, head on over to ff.net where this story is up in its entirety. But, please remember to let me know what you think. Despite the high review count over there, I do read every one and take critiques into account. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, so don't be afraid to point out something. I'll look into it, seriously. With that said… ^_^ Later!