Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Twist of Fate ❯ Chapter 26 ( Chapter 26 )

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I struggled a bit with this chapter. I actually thought about including the next bit, but it made the chapter completely disjointed and when you read what happens next, you'll understand why. The story is pretty much finished at this point. I just need to tie up a few loose ends and see if I can close a loophole that I completely forgot about. (Yes, I completely forgot about Yumi!)

 

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Kenshin stood at the base of the dais. He was grateful that it was only a simple ceremony and nothing quite as formal as a ball. That particular event would occur the following evening. However, he didn't enjoy standing here in formal garb, watching Sano tug at his jacket uncomfortably. Aoshi stood still and regal, the only one who didn't seem to mind the pompousness of the situation.

 

Only a handful of the courtiers were present; the higher ranking nobles of the vicinity waited, still a bit unsure precisely why they had been summoned to the palace. He recognized a few of them and briefly wondered which one the king would wish to ally his daughter with. He couldn't help but weight judgment on the few who were of a marriageable age.

 

A door to the side opened and Misao entered. She nodded to Hiko who rose from his position and turned to the main entrance to the ballroom. He nodded and the double doors opened. “May I present,” A voice called out. “Her Royal Highness Kamiya, the Lady Kaoru.”

 

He bowed his head in deference along with everyone else as a slow murmur roved through everyone in the hall. As she entered, the murmurs grew as the courtiers attempted to make sense of what was happening. Kenshin swallowed, tuning out all the hushed whispers. Slowly he raised his eyes to the princess.

 

It felt as though an eternity had passed since he had last seen her, though it was really only last night. His heart stilled and Kenshin swallowed thickly before standing up. When he had met her, she'd swung a wooden sword, barefoot, tattered hems swinging about her ankles. After, he had witnessed her uncertainty as she first approached Hiko in the unfamiliar surroundings. While she had looked the part, her countenance belied the shy young woman she still was.

 

He had watched her battle Shishio, a determined woman willing to do whatever she needed to survive. Now she stood regal, her chin high, a princess ready to claim her throne and be queen. Only the flicker of her azure eyes in his direction belied her anxiety. He offered her a small smile of support. She quirked her lips and directed her gaze at the formidable man in front of her. She dropped into a deep bow.

 

“Your majesty.”

 

Hiko bowed his head in respect and then stepped down towards her. He paused a brief moment and Kenshin thought he heard the man sigh. The moment had finally come. “Rise.”

 

Kaoru did as she was told and Hiko crossed to her. “I am sorry for all the secrets that have shrouded you since your arrival.

 

Kenshin pressed his lips together, trying to keep his temper under control.

 

She glanced at him before offering the tall man a quick grin. “I didn't at the time, but I think now I do understand.” She opened her mouth to ask something else and the closed it.

 

“You have performed a great service to the kingdom.”

 

“I merely wanted to protect the ones I love.”

 

Kenshin lowered his eyes missing the look she cast his direction. Jealousy burned to know that she did not love him. “Foolish as it might have been, I have developed a soft spot for those who never quite seem to grasp what lies in front of her…or him.” The man's voice belied a hint of amusement. He looked up sharply, but Hiko's gaze was on the princess. “You have questions?”

 

Kaoru hesitated and now Kenshin focused on her. She licked her lips and glanced at him for help. He nodded in support. “Are you my father?” She blurted at finally.”

 

“No.”

 

There was a flash of something…relief, then disappointment in the cerulean eyes. She nodded and let go of a deep breath. Once again she lifted her chin. “Enishi told me I was the princess. Even Shishio claimed it was so. You all have tiptoed around me for weeks. If I'm not the heir to the throne, then just who the hell am I?'

 

Kenshin stifled his chuckle at the slight curse. “You are the princess; there is no mistaking that.”

 

“Then where is my father?' She demanded. “Kenshin said he was alive!”

 

The dark eyes angrily glanced at him. “He is.”

 

She nodded to herself, confirming the information she had been told. “You are not the king.”

 

Her pronouncement had a few of the courtiers whispering again. “No I am not. I merely act in his stead.”

 

“Where is my father?” She reiterated, taking a step forward. Her eyes were firm, demanding answers. The tall man leaned back; the closest Kenshin might ever see the man retreat for any reason.

 

“Perhaps I can answer that.”

 

The voice rang across the hall. The murmurs of the present courtiers grew and Kenshin turned to see the new arrival. A decade had passed since Kenshin had last laid eyes on Kamiya Koshijirou. Circulating rumors stated the man was deathly ill, wrought with grief for his family. He had told Kaoru as much when she had questioned him. However, the man standing in the doorway was a healthy, virile male. Grayed at the temples, his dark hair gleamed. The deep blue of his simply cut tunic matched the dark azure of his eyes, eyes that he had passed along to his daughter.

 

Protocol kicked in as he let go of his shock. He dropped to his knees in deference and searched Kaoru's face for recognition. She surveyed the scene in confusion, surprised when Hiko also bowed low. Hastily she dropped into a curtsey, tossing a furtive gaze of curiosity in his direction. Her confusion was clear, but what struck Kenshin was the reality she did indeed know this man.

 

She rose from her position and licked her lips. “What's going on?”

 

Koshijirou strode across the tiled floor. “I believe it time that you and I were formally introduced.”

 

The woman shook her head. “But we already know each other.” She stated, giggling nervously.

 

Unable to keep silent any longer, Kenshin stepped to her side. “You know this man?”

 

Guilt washed over her. Slowly she nodded. “I wanted to tell you so many times, but he swore me to secrecy.' She glanced back at the tall man. “He's my teacher, Kisho.”

 

“Teacher? The man who taught you to wield a blade?” He asked, startled by the revelation.

 

Her lips twitched. Again she nodded. `Things are never as they appear, my boy.”

 

Kenshin glared at Hiko. “You should know him as well.” Kaoru brought his attention back to her. “He's claimed to know you.”

 

He looked once more at Kaoru and then turned his anger on the king. “He knows me. After all, I was his assassin for five years.” Thoughtfully he narrowed his eyes and turned sharply to the woman at his side. She took a timid step back at the intensity of his gaze. Had he been played for a fool the entire time? “What is he to you?”

 

Perplexed, she shook her head. “He taught me to fight, that's it.” She told him adamantly.

 

“Koshijirou taught you to fight.” He repeated. He closed his eyes and swore. Her technique had seemed familiar, but he been unable to know why. It had been years since he had witnessed the king hold a sword. “You always wanted to pass your technique onto your heir.” He murmured.

 

“Hai. I did.”

 

Kaoru swung her eyes towards Koshijirou. “Pass it on?” She stared at him. “You taught me.”

 

“I did.”

 

“You passed your technique on to me.” She reiterated. Behind him he heard Hiko chuckle. He looked again at the woman at his side. Her blue eyes had grown wide, the veracity of the situation sinking in. “Who is he to have passed it onto me?” She whispered hoarsely.

 

“Princess, may I introduce you?” Hiko stepped forward, mounting the tension in the room. “I present His Royal Majesty, Kamiya Koshijirou, the king …your father.”

 

She grew still, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “My father?” Her words were barely audible. “After all this time?”

 

He nodded and reached to take her hand. She jerked back. Anxiety caressed his features. “I wanted to know you; however, Shishio was still out there. After losing your mother, I did not want to risk exposing you.”

 

Sucking in a deep breath, Kaoru clenched her eyes closed. Abruptly they opened and a tear clung to her lower lash. “After all this time.” She murmured again. Kenshin sensed it. Her face drained of color and then her eyes rolled back into her head. He reached her first, scooping the woman into his arms. Hiko indicated he bring the woman towards the king's chambers off to the side.

 

Aoshi ushered him after the king. They followed Hiko through the door behind the dais and into his chambers. He stretched her out on the divan and placed a hand to her forehead. “I think she just fainted.” He stated. He glanced around. “Where is Megumi-sama?” He demanded.

 

“Here” She shoved her way through the small crowd at the door. Aoshi shut it, closing everyone off.

 

Kenshin rose as she approached. Swiftly she dropped to her knees, her fingers on Kaoru's wrist. “I think she's just a bit overwhelmed. Give her a moment.”

 

He moved to return to her side as was his place but was blocked by Koshijirou. “She'll be alright?” The king asked the young doctor.

 

Megumi nodded. “She's fine.”

 

“Do you really think that was the best way to reveal your identity to her?” Kenshin challenged his frustration mounting.

 

Koshijirou rounded on him. “The information was always going to be jarring when I told her.”

 

“So why tell her in a public forum?”

 

He ignored him and turned back towards his daughter. He reached out a brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “After everything she had already gone through, I didn't think she would pass out.” He murmured.

 

“How long have you been meeting with her?” Megumi asked, looking up from her position. She rose to her feet, her dark eyes full of suspicion.

 

The king flushed slightly. “Maybe a year. Aoshi had informed of Misao's involvement with a young woman, that he had caught them sneaking into the palace. After seeking her out, I deduced that she met Kaoru. I waited patiently, realizing she must be sneaking away from either the cottage or Megumi. It was only a matter of time before I stumbled upon her on the side of the woods.” Koshijirou glanced around the room. “She was keen to learn, and I was more than willing to teach her.”

 

A soft moan reached them and everyone focused on the woman stretched out on the lounge. Koshijirou hesitated and Kenshin took advantage of the opportunity to drop to Kaoru's side. He gripped her hand and leaned in to peer at her face.

 

“Kaoru-dono? Can you hear me?”

 

Her eyelashes flooded and then opened to reveal her large blue eyes. She saw him and murmured his name. “What happened?”

 

“You fainted.”

 

Her gaze drifted over his shoulder and she stilled. Kenshin turned and saw she had noticed her father. Reluctantly he stood, relinquishing his place by her side. “How do you feel?” Megumi asked her.

 

Kaoru broke her stare and focused on the woman. “A little light headed.”

 

“Perhaps-“

 

“Everyone get back.” Megumi ordered, interrupting the Hiko. She glared at everyone and moved blocking the princess from view. “Give her some air and someone fetch her some tea.” She ordered.

 

Kenshin retreated to the other side of the room and crossed his arms. Aoshi came to his side. “You don't appear to be very happy.”

 

“Am I supposed to be?” He snapped, irritated by the way the events were occurring.

 

“No more secrets. Isn't that what you wanted?”

 

Kenshin opened his mouth to answer, and then stopped. “I didn't want it to happen like this.”

 

“There was never going to be an easy way to tell her. Finally meeting her father made everything real.”

 

He sighed. “Now what happens?”

 

Aoshi offered him a grim smile. “Precisely.”

 

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Kaoru smiled gratefully at Megumi. “Thanks. She murmured accepting the tea she offered. She had awoken to find herself in Hiko's chambers. The woman had kept her separated from the other occupants in the room. Kaoru was grateful though her mind brimmed with curious questions. She cast a nervous glance at Kisho, no Koshijirou, her father. He watched her, unsure how to proceed.

 

“What happens now?” She finally asked.

 

“We'll have a formal engagement tomorrow evening to announce your return and celebrate the demise of Shishio.” Hiko answered.

 

“So soon?” Kenshin asked. He didn't look at her and Kaoru wondered when she would find a moment to be alone with him. He had been by her side when she had awoken but had since retreated to the other side of the room.

 

“The sooner the better. The gossipmongers will surely have spread what occurred. People will be flocking to meet Kaoru.”

 

“You make me seem like some kind of carnival attraction.” She muttered. She sighed. “What if it's not even true? I mean, there's no real way of knowing I am the princess.” She stated.

 

Koshijirou stared at her. “You still doubt it? After everything?” He asked incredulously.

 

Kaoru swallowed and stared down at the cup in her hands. “I just…I just wanted something different. My whole life I had a different set of expectations.” Her eyes flickered in Kenshin's direction. His face was shadowed, unreadable.

 

“Do you not want this?” Koshijirou had stepped forward.

 

“It isn't that.” She hesitated. She glanced at Megumi for help. “I had accepted my fate. Then I met you and Kenshin and everything changed. Everyone keeps saying I'm the lost princess and while I don't necessarily doubt it, how can everyone be so sure?”

 

“Perhaps I can provide one last bit of evidence.”

 

They all turned to see Tae in the doorway. The king had risen from his position. “We all know who she is; she just needs to get used to the idea.”

 

“Don't talk to me as though I'm not here.” Kaoru retorted. She struggled to her feet. “How can you prove it?”

 

Tae swallowed as she approached. “Koshijirou and I have known each other for years. We met shortly after he met Eiko in the same glen where I imagine you met Kenshin. He would come to the cottage to court her. After several months they became engaged and then were married.”

 

She stared at the woman, suddenly realizing the full implications of her statement. “You did know my mother.” She whispered.

 

Tae nodded. “She was my sister.”

 

Kaoru suddenly looked at her guardian with a new eye. Off handedly over the years she had thought there was a resemblance between her and Tae. But she had dismissed it, assuming she was nothing more than an orphan when Tae had adopted her. Koshijirou stepped towards her. “You still have it.” He breathed.

 

“OF course.”

 

“Have what?” Kenshin asked.

 

Kaoru swallowed, staring with wide eyes between the two people she shared blood with. Tae ignored the redhead and nodded to the king. Then her dark eyes landed on Kaoru. She stepped towards her and held out a bundle of dark purple silk. A week ago, Kaoru had pulled it out of her cedar chest to look at it. She had been worried about it when it became apparent she would not be able to retrieve it. Gingerly the old woman handed it to her.

 

Kaoru stared down at it, her bottom lip trembling as the last bit of truth she needed was about to be revealed.

 

Unable to not know, she timidly lifted the silk from the pendant within. The emeralds gleamed in the dim light, the silver in need of polishing. “Tae said it was my mother's” She murmured.

 

“It was. She always intended for you to have it.”

 

Tears threatened and she looked up at the man who had been her teacher; the man who claimed to be her father. “It doesn't mean anything.” She said her voice cracking.

 

He nodded and offered her a hand. “Come, there is something you must see.”

 

She stared at the hand and slowly accepted it. She clutched the jewels to her chest, ignoring everyone around them. He led her to a door and opened it. “This is my personal study. Very few people have ever found their way in here. This is where I have resided for fifteen years, awaiting your return.”

 

She stepped across the threshold and blinked in the light. The room was surprisingly small, a small table and chairs to one side. There was a desk and a small serving stand. The walls were adorned with rich tapestries, but what at long last caught her attention was the painting on the wall. Her breath caught as she recognized the woman though she had never truly known her. Kaoru took a step towards it, tears streaming down her face as she stared into the serene face of the woman who had given birth to her. Her long dark hair tumbled down her back in soft curls. Her face was similar to her own and Kaoru couldn't deny relation. The gown was a rich plum accentuating the brilliance of her green eyes. In the center of her breast was the pendant Kaoru now held in her hands.

 

“Can you doubt it now?”

 

The voice was soft and she turned to look at her father. “Would she really have been proud of me?” She asked, her voice breaking under the strain of emotion. It was the one question she had often wondered, one that he had supported.

 

“There is not a doubt in my mind.” He came to her and reached out to touch her arm. His hand hesitated before it fell back to his side. “You have become an astonishingly beautiful woman.”

 

She sniffed and swiped at her nose. Her shoulders began to shake and she began to sob openly. The man in front of her hesitated only for a few seconds longer and then he took her in his arms. The act only made her cry harder and she clung to her father.

 

“You're safe now, Kaoru. Where you finally belong.”

 

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Don't hesitate to let me know what you think! Kisses until next time!