He had been right
He had been right.
As much as it irked her, her memory of the past week was blurry and sketchy,
and spruced with the image of strong arms adjusting her position and swearing
that she didn’t understand as she tipped.
Once she started staying awake for longer periods of time he had added a
sort of ‘pillion’ saddle which allowed her to sit behind him with her arms
wrapped around his waist but still gave her a view of his lands.
She had made a point to examine the countryside, examining the land that
Kenshin ruled. She supposed it was technically hers now as well, if she
decided to believe that she was really his wifeand that
left her feeling slightly surreal.
Her hands were currently linked together and pressed against Kenshin’s hard
stomach. The hand that wasn’t holding the reins of his horse, it practically
steered itself, was wrapped around her linked fingers. She hadn’t said anything
at first, and later she realized he was using it to hold her steady when she
dozed off. The hard muscles of his back worked as a pillow and she had drifted
off more than once. At least this way he would wake her every so often so she
wouldn’t wake up with a crick in her neck. She supposed the only thing worse
would be him pulling her back in front of him and letting her sleep for hours.
She was determined to see a day though without falling asleep against him. It
was disconcerting and irritating. She was not helpless.
Kenshin smiled to himself when he felt her jerk herself awake when he
shifted deliberately. She made a little nose and removed her nose from just
below his shoulder blade. Her hands tightened against his shirt as she forgot
that she wasn’t relying on him and then her hands relaxed and let go. She
breathed against his back and then sighed sleepily and he grinned to himself.
Then he frowned.
He was getting attached and he didn’t know how he felt about it. For the
first few days, he had been furious beyond reasoning. Even the press of her boneless
body against him hadn’t been able to curb his temper. That first conversation,
when she had watched him with sleepy eyes that held a spark of weariness and
fear, the first coil of anger had melted into something else.
“Once we clear these trees,” Kenshin told her softly, “we are going to ender
the borders of a place called Fodori. It’s the last village before we
reach the city. The name was shortened down, but it translates to some like the
Gate to the King.”
Her breath ghosted across his bicep as she leaned around him to peer. “I
take it that’s the rough translation?” She asked softly. Her words were still
fuzzy as she worked to wake up. “Are we stopping there tonight?”
He made a noise of agreement. “Yes. Tomorrow we will reach my castle and we
all could use a good nights sleep before we deal with the bustle our entrance
is going to cause after sending the caravan back early.” He had no desire to
tell her exactly what was waiting for them.
Kaoru gave him a suspicious glance but he kept his expression neutral. She
needed a good meal and a soft bed to make it through tomorrow and if he had to
sacrifice the dignity of those around him to make sure she got one, he would.
He tilted his head so he could meet her eyes. “How much of my people’s language
do you know, Kaoru?”
She was quiet for a long moment. “Enough,” and then she was
ducking behind his back again, leaving him to his own thoughts.
‘They said I was a temple-slave, they never named me a born-slave.’
That phrase danced through his mind again and he wondered if that wasn’t
perhaps the most truthful statement he had gotten from her so far.
~*~
The group had been forced to break apart into different inns
to accommodate the already full rooms. None of them would have denied their
King a bed and soon he had Kaoru tucked into a private bathing chamber. The Inn
had a natural hot spring so his wife couldsit for
some time in the hot water. He knew she was sore, even if she had been
attempting to hide for the past three days.
This Inn provided a stew that was thick and meaty and
a particular favorite of his. It would be the first time Kaoru would have
tasted his peoples flare for heat in their food and he had taken that into
consideration. The jug of cool spiced cider would help the spiced meat go down.
Along with the cider, two bowls of the thick stew, and a loaf of fresh bread,
there were also two small bowls of the rich pudding that he supposed would also
be new to her.
It surprised him how much he was looking forward to seeing her reactions to
his people’s culture and food. The most she had tasted had been breads and
cheese: common trail fare. They hadn’t really risked more than camping out in a
tent during the nights and she had been too tired to do more than inhale the food.
The tasteless trail food wouldn’t have done her palate any favors.
Running his fingers through his own damp hair, he sat back and admired the
flames of the fire while he waited on his wife to join him. He had checked her
packs and found that the soft pants and tunic he packed in her bag the night
before had been taken out. He had made a point to pick her up a few things
along the trip but the clothes he had given her should have been clean.
The door opened and Kenshin turned and blinked at the sight of his wife
entering the room. Her hair was damp, spilling down her back loosely, and her
cheeks were pink from the heat of the bath. His clothing was large and hung off
her slender frame hiding her small waist and the flare of her hips. “I take it
you enjoyed the hot springs?” Kenshin quietly asked, determined to keep an
awkward silence from filling the air.
Kaoru looked up at him. Pushing her hair back behind her ears she nodded.
The hot water had made her sleepy but the cool walk back to the room she was
sharing with Kenshin had woken her back up. Sitting down she wrestled her boots
off before tying her hair back with the ribbon Misao had given her. Her eyes
swung to the table that held several covered dishes and blinked. “Were you
waiting for me?” She was unable to hide the surprise from her voice.
He looked up smiling and motioned for her to sit at the table near the fire.
Once she was seated he easily hefted one tray and settled it in front of her.
He brought the other tray over and set it in front of his own chair and then
pulled a lid off the extra container between them to show a small loaf of bread
that had already been sliced.
“The stew is hot,” he warned her as he settled down into his own chair. He
reached for the jug and filled her glass. “Spiced cider,” he told her quietly
at her questioning look. He stirred his stew with a wide spoon. “Our people use
a variation of spices that we trade for, that I don’t think you would have
encountered in your home kingdom. Let me know what you think.”
‘If that isn’t a subtle warning, I don’t know what is.’ Kaoru thought
to herself as she spooned up the first bite of broth and she ignored the way he
was watching her face. He was right; it was hotter than anything she had eaten
in the temples. Thankfully her mother had been a lover of spice and she thought
she might have tasted something similar before. Raising her eyes to his face
she blinked at the expression in his eyes. “It’s good.” She told him quietly
before tucking in.
It was good. The broth was thick and there were large chunks of
potatoes, carrots, and gold cornels of corn. She wasn’t certain what sort of
meat they used but she thought it was some sort of beef. The spices had been
embedded into everything but the corn and it offered a sweet edge to the heat.
The bread was soft and still slightly warm and the spiced apple cider was
soothing and smooth. Over all the meal was quickly eaten by both of them. Kaoru
found herself pleasantly full and the weariness of the
past few days was crashing down when Kenshin handed her a small bowl.
“Spiced pudding for desert,” he told her quietly, digging in with his second
spoon. He finished his off quickly. He carefully set the small bowel on the
tray and headed over to repack there packs. Kaoru finished the pudding quietly,
surprised at how much she liked it. Standing up, she gathered the dishes and
settled them onto the tray but wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do next.
She decided to leave them there and looked around for something else to do.
Giving up, she turned and watched as Kenshin put the last of their things
together. Realizing how weary she was, she gave up on the idea of helping and
moved to the spacious bed and crawled in. It wasn’t the softest bed she had
ever slept in, but it was comfortable and she was drowsing when the bed shifted
and another body settled behind her.
“They were hoping to meet you tonight,” Kenshin murmured in a low voice. He
propped himself up and watched her blink open sleepy eyes. He smiled a bit at
her grumpy expression and didn’t say anything else until she had drifted off to
sleep.
“What type of a Queen are you going to make?” Kenshin asked her quietly,
brushing her hair away from her closed eyes. He shuddered as he felt a brush
against the link between them and pulled away. Settling down next to her he
fell into his own slumber.
~*~
She had decided that she was an oddity to them. Just as the
City in the distance became apparent, two dozen riders had appeared to escort
them into the city.
Kaoru pulled the hood of the cloak that Kenshin had given her, over her
head, minutes before it had started to drizzle, for once thankful for the
warmth against her stomach and chest. She has spent the past few days
attempting to learn the cadence in Kenshin’s voice and wasn’t sure how well she
was doing. That wasn’t what had her so confused. Last night, when Kenshin had
been talking to her when she had attempted to fall asleep, she had noticed
something. There was a thread of golden fire that ran across the back of her
eyelids and thrummed somewhere deep in her gut.
When she had gotten around to asking him about that morning he had gone so
still. He had promised to explain it to her at a later date, but she hadn’t
gotten the courage up to talk to him about it. So instead, she watched him and
his actions and tried to draw up reasonable opinions.
Her first estimation that he was too powerful for his own good had been
painfully lacking. She hadn’t learned much about him, but there was a
charge of loyalty in the air that she had never felt before. There was no fear
when he spoke to someone or any sort of temper when he was told something he
didn’t like. He was complicated. His arms were always strong when he held her,
and his thumb would sometimes flicker across the curve of her hip or wrist
bone, as if he wasn’t conscious of what he was doing. It was as if he needed
assurance. That surprised her. Everything was a surprise.
If she was asleep against him, there wouldn’t be a sound from the people or
the horses loud enough to wake her. It was if there was some signal she didn’t
recognize being sent out. When she was awake there was a sort of muffled
conversation that was always just low enough that she didn’t hear it. If she
sat up and looked around, they were always willing to answer her questions and
utterly respectful. It was as if they were unsure how to treat her and
uncertain what to do with her.
She was gaining her strength back and that made her quite happy. Kenshin had
promised her she would but in those first days she had slept so much. She had
been forced to trust Kenshin to care for her. It had given her the opportunity
to learn more about her husband than he would have appreciated. Kenshin was a
man who was used to carrying the burden of ruling on his own and the pressures
of his kingdom without anything more than the lone friendship of a few members
of his court. She knew that he gone into his marriage with Tomoe expecting
nothing more than he had already been given.
She had no idea of what he thought about his subsequent supposed
marriage to her, beyond the fact that he was honoring every vow he had made to
Tomoe. There was something in his eyes when he looked at her that always made
her wonder what he was thinking.
She was very irritated that she was still taking naps in the in the
afternoon to recover the energy levels that he had stolen with his
black-binding.
“When we go up over the ridge and move around the bend,” Kenshin’s voice
rumbled against her ear. “You will be able to see the capitol city.” So far she
had just been able to catch a glimpse or two of horizon.
Kaoru shifted a bit so she could see around his broad shoulder.
“The capitol is known as the City.” Kenshin quietly told her. “In Ancient
times it was referred to as the King’s City but it has changed over the years.
There are several large cities throughout the land, the most prominent being
the Port Cities on the coast. The City itself acts as the focal point of the
trading routes so most everything is sent here to be shipped out by river. We
also pick up recruits for the guarding the caravans that our sent out. Most of
our wealth comes from being the centerpiece of the trading world.” He
hesitated. “I would be more than happy to answer any questions that you have.”
Kaoru nodded absently and tried to remember the rumors going around her
temple. Kenshin had been attempting to open the trade routes that had been
closed during the 100 year war that had happened generations ago. His marriage
to Tomoe was supposed to have sealed the trade routes to the west. She wondered
what was going to happen to those routes now.
He had never said anything, but couldn’t help the lingering idea that she
was nothing more than a replacement for him. She didn’t know what he thought
she was, he referred to her as his wife, but that was impossible.
The sight of the upcoming city was impressive and terrifying. She didn’t
know what was expected. She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the
slim waist her arms were wrapped around. She was going to make an effort to get
to know the man who claimed to be her husband.
Even if it was just for her own sanity.
~*~
The storm that had broken open had only gotten worse and
Kaoru had been spared the worst of the crowds because they had all fled
indoors. Once they reached the palace she had waited for Kenshin to dismount
and had been in the process of getting her stubborn knees to work, when his
hands had gripped her around the waist. The ease at which he continued to move
her around unnerved her. He had to be as cold and stiff as she was yet his
moved with a fluidly, as if he was unaware of the temperature and wind.
She had been ushered into the palace and hadn’t even had the time to give
Kenshin his cloak back before they were separated. She had been tugged through
a large apartment of rooms until she had been dropped off in a large bathing
chamber.
Kaoru had stared at the steaming pool of hot water with something like
disbelief and a great deal of longing. The pool was sunken and looked to be
deep enough at the very back that she might have to stand on her tip toes.
Last night had been the first chance to soak that she had had in days and
even then she had been forced to scrub clean with a coarse bit of cloth and
rough soap. Somehow, she had the impression that the case here would be quite
different.
Two maids came in and set a clean white shift and a set of large, fluffy
towels on a smooth stone bench that had seemingly been carved out of the floor.
Her eyes scanned the room while the maids fussed for a moment and then left,
shutting the door behind them.
There had to be magic at work here.
There were windows high in the ceiling to keep serving boys from peeking.
There must have been some spell worked in, because the windows were open yet
there was no chill in the room. Slowly, with an earned feeling of exhaustion,
she unbuttoned the large over-tunic and dropped it to the floor carelessly.
Shucking her buckskin breeches that had been tightly cinched at her waist, she
kicked her legs free. The pants had dragged at her heels and were dirty and
stained now. The sash-like material she had used as a makeshift belt was also
tossed in the corner.
Everything she had worn had been carefully waterproofed. She had been left
with the uncomfortable feeling several times in the rain today that Kenshin had
chosen to give her his waterproof gear, leaving himself to be soaked to the
skin. He never said a word. Not even when her teeth were tightly
clenched together to keep from chattering, or when she had burrowed into
his back in an attempt to find some sort of warmth. He had given her a black,
waterproof cloak that had protected her from most of the damage and she winced
in sympathy and hoped he was getting warmed up somewhere else.
The water was so hot it hurt the tips of her fingers, her inner thighs, and
her toes. Once her body adjusted to the temperature and stopped complaining
enough to be thankful, it felt sinfully good. All the aches and pains her
shallow soak the night before hadn’t been able to work on were abused by the
heat now. Rolling her shoulders to loosen some of the kinks that had worked
into place during the long saddle ride, she then kneaded her lower back in an
attempt to loosen the muscles there as well. Reaching up she pulled the pins
that held her tight braid against her head and tossed them at the wall. Rubbing
at her aching scalp, she unwound the plait her hair had been imprisoned in.
Once her hair was loose she ducked under the water and scrubbed at the sore
spot in the middle of her scalp.
Coming out of the water she shoved the length out of her face with a
satisfied little sigh. In the temple they had always demanded that she cut her
hair, or keep it up. The back of her eyes and the corners of her temples always
ached at the end of the day and there was a constant pain in-between her eyes
from the heavy mass being pulled up. She refused to cut it. It was the one
thing she and her mother had shared in common.
Kaoru absently scratched at her scalp as she waded over to the little area
that was raised off the smooth floor. As she stared at the multiple little
bottles, she realized that it was her second real bath in years. That had her
stilling where she had raised her arm to pick up one of the bottles to check
the content.
Her second bath that had nothing to do with a bucket of freezing water; in
the winter she had been forced to break off the thin coat of ice some mornings
to wash up. Now she was in a large, sunken pool that was warm and somehow
rotated the water to keep it clean and scalding. Shaking off the urge to stare,
she picked up the first glass bottle and checked the contents.
The bottles were an assortment of rinses for her hair, soft bottles of
liquid soap that she thought Kenshin’s people made instead of imported. At
home, Tomoe had kept a small bottle of the liquid soap and had paid a small
fortune for it. If she remembered correctly the idea of liquid soap was a new
one and there wasn’t another country that had perfected it. It was suggested
that it was made with a combination of magic and hard work but Kaoru did know
there were half a dozen bottles of it in front of her.
Each bottle was delicately scented with various flowers. Setting the glass
bottle down she searched for the liquid soap she liked the best to scrub her
hair with. There was a small glass bottle that had been blown carefully to catch
the light, and it was filled with clear soap that smelled like jasmine. The
matching bottle that was fat and short was filled with a thick cream that was a
sort of after rinse. Her father had bought her something similar for her last
birthday before his execution and it had cost him a pretty penny. The rinse she
had seen before had been thin and almost watery. This was thick and soft and
clung to the fingertip she touched it with.
She scoured her hair twice and then smeared it with of the rinse, tying it
up in a knot to let it sink in. She found a small bag of sand-soap to scrub the
bottoms of her feet and a small bar of softer soap that was suited to scrubbing
the rest of her. She scrubbed harshly at the bottom of her feet with a stiff
brush to attempt to remove years of stone-stain on her feet from walking
barefoot. She had sweated her calluses off early on when they forced her to
wear soft shoes, and smooth temple floors did not encourage the correct sort of
resistance to protect her feet. She was going to have horrible blisters once
she got back into a good pair of boots and started working on her sword-play
again.
Kaoru raised her calloused hands to her face and stared at them. The
cleaning of her hair had cleaned the cuticles and the dirt from under her nails
and she could stare at her long-fingered hands, as small as they were, with a
bit of bemusement. Shaking off her wondering thoughts, she quietly rinsed her
hair and rung out the excess water and headed towards the towels.
The towels were another surprise.
They looked fluffy and soft from where she had stared at them earlier but
she wasn’t expecting them to be warm. The smaller one she had used to mop up
most of the water from her hair had been a bit warm to touch but the towel she
wrapped around herself to keep warm as she messed with her hair was warm and
soft and she stared at it for long moments while she sat on the bench. Who were
these people that they could afford warm towels?
Once her hair was damp she tossed it over her shoulder and picked up the
soft linen shift. It was a bit big once she pulled it over her head and headed
back into the main room. The shift itself was sleeveless and showed off a good
deal of leg and ankle. Her lips twisted in amusement. If Tomoe had pulled on a
shift like this…shaking off her thoughts, and the mental image of Tomoe’s
horrified expression, she barely had time to walk through the door before she
was attacked.
Kaoru blinked rapidly as a woman, a few years younger than she was, walked
forward and politely directed her to a series of cushions that were stacked so
she could sit up and be comfortable in front of the crackling fire. She was
surprised into speechlessness when the girl moved behind her and attacked her
hair with a fine toothed comb.
“You have such pretty hair, majesty. I think Lady Misao might be the only
one who has longer hair. If you don’t mind my saying so, I think you’re going
to cause quite a stir. It was quite the fashion this fall for the highborn
ladies to cut their hair. Now they’re all going to be growing it back out to
match yours, majesty.”
There was a high, almost nervous note in the girl’s voice but she rambled on
determinedly. Her hands were skilled and Kaoru relaxed and was starting to
drowse as the girl deftly braided and tied her hair off.
The girl disappeared for a moment and came back with a tray, again, that
determined expression on her pretty features. “His Majesty had this tray sent
up so you could eat your lunch in private.” She curtsied as she set the tray on
a low table that suddenly appeared.
‘Magic,’ Kaoru realized. Swallowing her own nervousness she attempted
to smile at the jittery girl. “Please,” she said quietly. “I do not know your
customs, but I am not accustomed to being referred to as Majesty.” She bit her
lower lip. “I would prefer it if you called me Kaoru.”
The maid’s eyes widened until Kaoru was afraid she had done something
horribly wrong. Then the girl swallowed and gave a hasty curtsy. “Lady Kaoru,
His Majesty has requested that you relax today, after you eat. Lady Misao and
Tae have been digging through the trunks to find you something to wear until
they can get a proper dressmaker. If it pleases you, my name is Cameral and I
will be your personal maid.”
Kaoru blinked at the idea of having a personal maid, what did you do with
one? The girl was thankfully quite content to take care of herself.
Kaoru was delighted to find a simple meal of spiced ham cut in thick slices,
bread that was still warm and cubed cheese and some sugared fruit. She went through
the meal quickly and blushed when she caught Cameral watching her as she
unloaded the small pack of things Kenshin had collected for her on the trip.
It didn’t take her a long time to finish putting it away. There were only a
few knickknacks: a wooden hand carved comb he had picked up somewhere, a bar of
jasmine soap, and a little mirror. There were a handful of ribbons to pull her
hair back and two changes of clothing he had pulled from his own clothes to put
her in. Besides that, there was very little. The mirror and the comb went to a
little vanity tucked into a corner with a cushioned stool and mirror. The soap
she put in the bathroom and the clothing was carefully added to a pile of
things Kaoru supposed was going to be washed.
Kaoru turned in surprise as a woman walked in. Her hair was pulled back into
a modest bun and her face was flushed but there was an air of authority to her.
She had large brown eyes that took in the room in one quick glance before her
eyes swung back to her. “Majesty, I am Tae. I am in charge of the kitchens and
have been assisting His Majesty to run the household. I am at your services.”
She said all of that a bit breathlessly; dipping in a curtsy that was even more
elaborate than the one the maid had given her.
“Please,” Kaoru asked softly. “Call me Kaoru; I would appreciate any help
you can give me in running this place.” Kaoru spread her hands wide and gave
her a little smile. “It’s been a long time since I have been in a place this
large, much less making the decisions.”
The woman looked surprised but smiled. “Of course, Lady
Kaoru. Now,” her voice changed into a brusque tone that Kaoru rather
thought was her normal way of approaching a subject. “This dress is going to be
a little large I think, but we can take it in so it fits properly.” The dress
of object was a pale green color that had several yards of fabric that wrapped
around her waist in a sash. It was simple, sleeveless, and once it was on it
fell gracefully around her curves. It was a little big but Tae set to work
tucking and pinning the hem up a few inches. Kaoru missed all that she did, but
soon it settled around her so that it fit very well. The color was a little
off, but it was much nicer than anything she had worn in years. The fabric was
soft and light and she didn’t have a word for it.
“I am afraid you will have to continue to wear those boots that Lord Kenshin
bought you,” Tae continued. “There were shoes maid and dyed to match this dress
but they were made for a large foot than yours I am afraid. I will have someone
in tonight to take your hand and feet measurements, Lady. Tomorrow the
dressmaker will come with fabrics and patterns for you to choose from.” Tae
didn’t pause from where she was continuing to adjust the hem. “I would be more
than happy to assist you in anyway tomorrow that I may.”
“There,” Tae sad in satisfaction as she stood, tucking the ends of the sash
in so it looked like a curious belt. “Those should make you suitable for today.
I apologize again that you do not have something more appropriate to wear,
lady. It shall be corrected as soon as possible. I will continue to dig through
some trunks and if you will permit me to bring a few more dresses in, we can
fit them to you tonight so you have something to wear.”
Kaoru nodded her head in agreement. She might not have been comfortable with
the fuss but she did understand why they were doing it. In order for Kenshin to
appear well in the eyes of his court she would need to be stunning. She would
set the fashion of the court and all the ladies would take their cues from her
on what they wore. If she favored yellow they would favor yellow. Kaoru took in
the foamy green of the skirt and the delicate embroidery along the cuffs and
neckline in a shade slightly darker. It really was a pretty design.
“I would appreciate the help tomorrow and I am happy to stand for any
measuring you think appropriate.” Kaoru told Tae softly. The idea that this
entire event wasn’t some massive charade was slowly beginning to settle in and
she shook those thoughts off. This was not the time to be thinking them.
Tae beamed at her. “Well, His Majesty is in a meeting right now. They
whisked him off as soon as he got out of his own bath. I think he will be there
for most of the afternoon. He requested that you take it easy but if you wish
to look around the garden or the rooms, please do so. If you decide to explore
this wing a little more, feel free to ask anyone for directions. They will be
happy to help you.” She nodded to Cameral. “If you need her for anything just
pull that rope next to your bed. She will come.” She dipped her head in a
respectful gesture before sweeping out of the room.
Kaoru wondered if her expression was one of who had been run over by a small
pony.
~*~
Misao took another sip of tea and grinned at her long time
friend. She never would have thought a pregnant woman would have managed to
pull off that elegant look of distain while practically glowing. The dress
Megumi currently wore didn’t hide the little bump in her tummy and Misao was
glad her friend was comfortable enough in her presence not to wear something
far cleverer. She knew her friend had been discussing designs and material
fiercely with Tae as they suggested all sorts of ways to have gowns fall
gracefully when it wasn’t so easy to hide her growing child. Misao was just
thankful that when she finally allowed Aoshi to talk her around into having a
child someone would have already gone through all those decisions.
Although she had the disgusted feeling that Megumi was never going to
waddle. She was so short she was doomed to waddle. Although,
to think of it, Kaoru wasn’t all that tall either. “So that’s pretty
much what happened,” Misao finished as soon as she stopped savoring the flavor
of the tea. “"Now, Tomoe is... hmm... I really don't know. I don't know
what her people are going to do with her.”
Megumi scowled, her pretty red mouth pursed tightly as her dark brows
clashed over her flashing cinnamon eyes. “Probably nothing,” she muttered.
“Women like that…” she shook her head and sipped her tea making a face at the
taste and Misao hid a smile. Her mouth thinned out and she looked at Misao.
“How do you like his new wife?”
Uh oh. Depending on Misao’s answer would depend on
how Megumi reacted to her the first time they met. The woman had a tongue
sharper than the two short-swords Aoshi favored. Frowning Misao put her put
down and picked up a nut cake, nibbling thoughtfully for long moments. “I
really don’t know. She was unconscious for most of the trip. That is to be
expected of course. I mean, Kenshin fully formed the bond, had it drained, and
had to reform it.” Misao shuddered.
“Not something I would want to go through.” She looked up at her friend and
shrugged. “I like her. She argued when she had the energy and she didn’t let
Kenshin railroad her into doing everything he wanted. She has spunk.” She gave
a heavy sigh. “I don’t know how she will do as Queen though.”
Megumi sipped her tea before sitting her cup down firmly and picking up one
of the crumbling honey cakes. “Has Kenshin decided how he is going to handle
that situation yet?”
Misao nodded her head. “Yes. Or, as far as I know he is sticking to the
original plan. Letting her recover from the trip and the
binding and easing her into her duties; he can’t not have her learn. I
mean, it was the whole reason he finally agreed to take a wife was because he
is tired of shouldering everything on his own. Tomoe was a pretty face and not
very personable, but she would have taken over some of his burdens.”
“But a freed temple slave?” Megumi said finally, her eyes grave. “Even a
bright one would have trouble slipping into the roles of court. It isn’t
something that just be learned. Everyone will know she isn’t court-born, and
while it won’t affect Kenshin’s opinion of her, it will be thought of as a
weakness to visiting nobility.”
Misao absently licked her fingers. “I know,” she finally answered, her voice
low. She shrugged. “What can we do? He bound her Megumi. The same way Aoshi and
Sano bound us, except, I think, his is even harder to bear. He hasn’t allowed
the bond to show emotions yet. He spent hours discussing how to set up a block
with Aoshi while she was unconscious those first few days. He is afraid of
hurting her and furious at the situation. I don’t think he knows what he wants.
Yet…” Misao frowned. “His attitude has been shifting. I don’t know if he is
aware of it.”
Megumi raised on delicately curved brow. “Fascination?”
Misao picked up her tea, comforted by the heat. “Maybe.
I really don’t know what he is thinking. Aoshi doesn’t say anything, of course,
but he is worried as well. There is just something about her I can’t put my
fingers on.”
Megumi considered her words for a long time. “I think the best that we can
do is do our best then. If she doesn’t know what is going on in court we will
have to teach her. Granted, I am a healer who had to learn and you’re the
daughter of nobility who was more interested in Aoshi and horses, but it’s
better than nothing. One of the other ladies would shred her.”
Misao smiled in agreement. “That’s true. I always forget you didn’t grow up
in this environment. Well, if you can do it she can to.”
Megumi gave her a wan smile. Misao wanted to whap herself on the head.
Bringing up Megumi’s past wasn’t tactful at all. Deciding that a change in
topic was needed she dropped her eyes to the little lump.
“So how have you been these past few weeks? Sano was really worried and not at
all happy. He was an unusual grump some mornings so I always assumed those were
the mornings you had the roughest.”
Megumi scowled in true form. “That man…he always butted in right when I was
not in the mood to deal with him.” Her eyes softened a little. “It’s been
alright. I won’t say it hasn’t been rough some mornings but I blame Sano for
that. It’s not my personality that makes the baby so rambunctious.”
Misao kept her lips pressed together until she was sure she wouldn’t laugh.
“I believe you. Megumi, why are you not drinking your tea?”
Megumi scowled. “I can only drink this weak tea and no matter how much honey
that I put in it, it still tastes horrible. Sano threatened to give me warm
milk.” Her mouth turned down into a frown. “Thankfully I can still eat anything
I want. The baby hasn’t taken a disliking to anything. Tae has me eating
smaller meals and more of them, so I can already see that Sano is going to just
love the idea of getting fed more than three times a day. He might cry when he
realizes the exact diet of those meals, but I am doing well.”
Misao smiled. “Good. I should probably go and track Aoshi down now. He is
going to be worried.” Standing she slipped her still damp braid away from her
shoulders. “He should be out of his bath and I want to spend some time with him
that doesn’t require a horse.”
Megumi smiled a nodded. “Go on. I shall bask myself in cucumber sandwiches
and few more honey cakes and then tottle off to check on the healing rooms. As
long as I don’t push it they let me in.” She laughed at Misao’s surprised
expression. “Oh, I had to have something to do while Sano was away. I don’t knit
at all and picking out colors without Sano’s input would mean going back and
buying something else. If we do it this way I can still get what I want but
make him think it was his decision.”
Misao giggled all the way out the door.
~*~
Kaoru looked around the library and smiled. Some of the
books she couldn’t read but most of them were written in some form of the
common tongue. She spent a few minutes just dragging her fingertips along the
spins of the books. The room was completely absent of dust but the faint scent
of aging paper and that odd smell she thought might have been magic was heavy
in the air. The library was larger than the one in her father had once boasted
owning at home but it still had the air of private use. There was none of the
feel of a public library and the low couches and carelessly arranged artwork
spoke of a single persons taste instead of being chosen to please many people.
Faintly she remembered Tae mentioning that this was the royal wing so she
supposed it was alright for her to assume that this was Kenshin’s collection.
Was this his or had this been a personal library that Kings had built? It was
expansive and her fingers itched to pick up one book over all trade routes and
treaties. Chewing her lip she wondered if she could read it without him
knowing. Carefully she mapped out the library mentally until she learn how the books were cataloged and then memorized the
location of the book. Maybe she could sneak back later and get it. Surely no
one would think it odd that she wanted to read. Every temple brat learned how
to read and write.
After she left the library, more because she needed to than she wanted to,
and headed out the garden so when someone came looking for her she could be
found. Once she got outside though, she wasn’t so upset at having to be there.
The grounds were immaculate with quietly flowing fountains and small pools that
splashed with colorfully fish. There were those great huge trees that were
named weeping something with little benches underneath and scattered fruit
trees. It was early summer so seeds were turning into fruit pods. She thought
one of them might have been an orange tree, but there were peach and apple
trees scattered about. There was a lily pond a little further in and dozen of
flowers. Some of them were let to run wild while some of then were carefully
tended. There were climbing roses along deliberately formed arches and wild
honey suckle and jasmine along hedges and low fences.
Kaoru located a bench and pulled her knees up smoothly to rest her chin.
There was bird song and coupled with the now setting sun, the linger scent of
rain the storm had left now that it had passed; it was beautiful. The earth was
still damp and held a loamy scent that had been her favorite as a child.
Closing her eyes she could almost imagine sitting on her fathers lap as he
swung them back and forth on a little hanging swing, shrieking with laughter as
he tickled her before he pointed out the last glitters of a rainbow.
Kaoru opened her eyes, suddenly aware that she wasn’t alone. Her husband was
watching her with his head tilted to the side. The sun was setting behind him
and she wondered if she was the only one who had associated the word pretty
with her husband. “Tae is ready to send up dinner if you would care to eat?” He
asked in that careful tone of his.
Kaoru wondered if he would ever know what do with her. There was a constant
weary expression in his eyes. She shook off that feeling and instead she stood
and hoped her skirt wasn’t damp and nodded. “Thank you for coming and getting
me.” She tried to find something else to say but words were lost to her.
He nodded and waited until she reached his side before walking her back to
their apartment. They were silent and the rest of the evening went the same
way. Kaoru tried to push it off as his being tired; there were faint
circles under his eyes. If he had indeed spent the evening being worn down in
meetings with his council then he would be tired. Kaoru gave him his peace and
quite and when he apologized for his behavior she managed to make some
appropriate noises and was thankful when he allowed her some time to crawl into
bed before he joined her. She felt him crawl into bed and fall asleep almost
immediately and attempted to do the same.
~*~
Kaoru burrowed into the warmth next to her a bit more and
snuggled her face down so she wouldn't have to feel the warmth of the sun
directly on her eyes. She vaguely remembered there being large, thick drapes to
keep the sun from spilling in around the bed last night. Laying there for long
moments she was annoyed at the sounds of what sounded like paper crinkling.
Finally giving in, she opened her eyes and met the sight of her husband’s
shoulder.
"I see you’re finally awake," Kenshin softly stated, taking a
drink from something that looked hot. On the other side of his leg there were
several stacks of papers and there was one set in his hand.
"What are you doing?" Kaoru asked, her voice slightly husky from
sleep, blinking sleepy blue eyes rapidly in an attempt to clear them.
"For the next few days," Kenshin answered, setting his mug of
whatever he was drinking on a small table she just now noticed, "I won't
be leaving our bed until you are awake. It’s a new place and you might stress
and physically you do not need that right now."
Kaoru stared at him, the warmth from his shoulder comforting her. Then her
eyes narrowed. "That’s ridiculous." Her voice was waspish and he
grinned at her.
"There is no need to be shy, little one. You’re quite cute when you’re
asleep," his eyes sparkled at her and she felt anything but reassured.
"I am not cute," she informed him with great dignity. "And
next time, just wake me up. I am not going to break and it’s ridiculous for me
to be sleeping if you need to do work. Actually, its just
plain stupid for you to be in here when I am sleeping at all!" She
decided to ignore the part of her that suggested that the only reason she had
slept so late was because he was there. She never slept well in a new bed.
Kenshin reached over and brushed his finger down the tip of her nose.
"And miss the way you burrow into my shoulder to hide from the
sunshine?" If he was attempting to make her more comfortable, he was
failing.
Kaoru glared at him. “You’re mocking me.” Her tone was accusing.
Kenshin grinned again, his beautiful eyes dancing. “Quite possibly, but you
still haven't moved away from my shoulder, so I am going to assume you don't
mind too much."
He was still laughing when she made it to the refreshing chamber and slammed
the door behind her.
~*~
The faint sound of her Kenshin’s laughter echoed under the
door and she leaned backwards and closed her eyes. This was what the rest of
her life was going to be like. That thought had her slowly sliding down the
wooden door and she took slow, even breaths. Her emotions were suddenly in a
riotous mess and she pressed her fingertips across her trembling lips. Her eyes
were dry but she was uncertain exactly what she was supposed to be feeling.
Queen.
Brining her knees up she leaned into her legs and
breathed against the skin of her bare thighs. Digging her nails into her calves
she got a grip on herself and swallowed.
She was bound to that man out there. He was her husband. Gods above she was married. Biting down on her bottom lip hard
enough to cause pain she struggled with that notion. She had been married to a
Prince who was now King.
“Damn you Tomoe…” Kaoru whispered fiercely. “You knew!” If it was
possible for her to cry this late in the game she would have gone into
hysterics. As it was she was fighting the urge to laugh or scream and wasn’t
sure which was going to win.
Any chance of finding her fathers murderer and avenging what had happened to
her family was gone. Instead she was married to her cousin’s husband and
left with nothing but the life of a replacement for a man who would never see
her as anything else. Burying her head into her knees again she breathed until
the anguish that thought brought forward faded and then stood to complete her
morning rituals and headed out to find out what was going on with her day.
Forgive me, father…
