Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Checkmate: Royal Aquisition ❯ Not just another pretty face ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Not just another pretty face

“Oh god….frills AND lace?” Tokio said with a groan as Saori and about ten other maids pulled out the dresses that had been made for her the week before. More were on the way. She was going to have a wardrobe fit for a princess of any kingdom. Tokio groaned again.

“Off with those breeches, my lady. It's time you start looking like your station. Mari, bring me that corset.”

“You pull that thing too tight and I'll scream,” Tokio said, glaring down at the little servant.

“Nonsense. A girl your age is still growing. If we pull it too tight it might ruin your figure for life.”

“Then by all means, pull it too tight,” Tokio muttered. Why is everyone else worried about my figure? Not like a little damage would really hurt it.

“Ok, next we need the undergown,” Saori said. Tokio tried not to roll her eyes too much. The undergown was a dress in and of itself. Then a large court gown would go over that. It would probably weigh a ton. All those damn jewels sewn in probably didn't help.

Tokio remained still as the women bustled all around her, pulling on this, tugging on that, rearranging a bit here, bit there. By the end her breasts were threatening to pop out of the square cut. They rose and fell with every breath. Tokio tried to breathe less conspicuously. God knows men would be staring at them anyway. Why men seemed to like doing that was beyond her. Surely there were more interesting things to look at.

Next they attacked her hair, pulling the curls this way and that, attempting to run a brush through parts of it. Tokio's face went from grimace to impassive. This was just like home. The dresses. The hair. The fashion. The pain of it. The fakeness of it all. And to think some women would not think of stepping outside their rooms without doing this.

Saori pulled out a small coronet. It had Kyoto's Dragon engraved on it. Oh boy. Not only did he want her shown off, but he was flaunting the fact he had Kyoto's princess. King Saitou never was a subtle man.

 

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“Your majesty, the guests are all ready and waiting in the banquet hall,” a servant said, entering with a package under his arm. “The item you requested, sire.” He set it upon the table.

“The princess?” Saitou asked.

“Waiting in the corridor.” Saitou cracked a smile.

“Let's see how Kyoto's diplomats handle their precious princess on the arm of the enemy,” he said aloud to no one in particular. The princess was probably pissed beyond reason, but she would do as she was instructed. Such was the law she was brought up under.

The book of Kyoto law lay on his table, opened. He was shuffling through it whenever he had a spare moment or two. Kyoto had many fascinating laws. Saitou wondered if Hiko himself knew half of them.

He pulled on the regal jacket, but did not bother with the crown. It was just a bunch of diplomats. He was not about to have a three hour headache for them. Nope, only Princess Tokio would have that issue. He almost felt sorry for her….almost. She was used to being a pawn. He certainly treated her better than her father had and she already knew he would use her as such. So far she had made no complaints.

Such was the training of a princess.

He stepped out of the room, immediately flanked by his bodyguards. At the end of the hallway stood the entourage that was surrounding the princess. Saori quickly moved aside.

Princess Tokio was stunning. Everything about her was perfect from the gown to the color setting off her skin and best features, right to the perfect coronet nestled upon her head. Her shoulders were back, chin straight, eyes straight ahead. Whatever training she had back in Kyoto had just kicked in. No longer did she look like a half shy girl. Now she looked like a powerful member of a royal family. Even if deep down inside, he knew, she was still that shy girl.

Her eyes, however, managed to catch him off guard. It was like she wasn't there. She stared straight ahead looking at nothing. Wherever Tokio was, she was not here. Saitou frowned. Had that too been part of her training? Her face was void of expression. Normally honey colored warm eyes were cold and distant.

I think I just found a female version of myself, Saitou thought wirily. He offered his arm and she obediently put hers through his, eye still straight ahead.

“You could try to smile,” he said as they walked toward the double doors the servants were opening.

“Aa, I could,” she answered, voice distant and cold. “As could you.”

Saitou chuckled. Did she always get this backbone when put in a corset?

 

There were ten diplomats of Kyoto. Seven were men, three were women. Among them were Lord Aizu and his sister Lady Megumi. Prince Sanosuke had accompanied them as well as a neutral representing his father, King Sagara. In truth it was just an excuse to go with Lady Megumi, sister to the Duke of Aizu.

The doors to the room opened and the King was announced…but that was not what made them jump to their feet in shock.

“King Saitou of Fujita and Princess Tokio of Kyoto,” the man announced.

“WHAT?” Megumi said, none to silently.

Sure enough. There was Cousin Tokio all bedecked and gorgeous on the arm of the man going to war against Kyoto. Not that she looked happy….or unhappy. She just looked void.

Saitou ignored the woman's comment. He chose to ignore outspoken women. He escorted the Princess to the seat next to his, sat her down and pushed in her chair. That brought even more shocked expressions. Obviously Tokio was being well treated.

“I must say, my lady, you are looking positively heavenly,” Prince Sano said, breaking the silence and tension. Tokio gave a slight incline of her head, accepting the compliment.

People calmed somewhat, but where still buzzing with questions. Megumi was trying to catch her cousin's eye but Tokio seemed to be deliberately ignoring her, which only infuriated the slightly older woman. But she wasn't in Kyoto. She did not have to bow to her older cousin's wishes. She merely ate her meal in peace.

After the meal King Saitou allowed the flood gates to open. Whatever questions the diplomats had prepared for him were now forgotten as they all wanted to know what their princess was doing here.

“Princess Tokio is here as my guest. When I deem it appropriate to send her back I will,” King Saitou said, stopping the mish mash of questions.

“Princess, are you here against your will?” Duke Aizu asked. King Saitou looked over at his prisoner. Tokio carefully wiped her mouth and set down her napkin. She looked up at her cousin, the Duke.

“I am a guest, Cousin. You came here under Treaty flags and yet your manners escape you?”

“And when do you plan on coming home?” Megumi demanded. “We've been worried sick about you for months!”

“Have you really?” Tokio asked, her voice light, but not too much disbelief. “And my father?”

That shut Megumi up. Tokio looked at each of them but no one answered. Treaty rules bound them to not outright lie. So King Hiko had not missed his daughter.

“Do you not understand what is going on between our two countries?” Duke Aizu asked of his little cousin. “While you are pampered, men die for-”

“Pampered?” Tokio interrupted. “First you make thieves, then you punish them. Nice Cousin. Very nice.”

Saitou's eyebrow rose. So she knew foreign literature? And understood it? Just what had she been reading out of his library? If there was ever a Princess who hated her position, Tokio was it. Yet she did not really complain. Sure, she didn't like the dresses or the formal occasions or anything else, but she hardly went whining and crying to everyone around her about her awful plight.

“You were born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations,” Megumi said through clenched teeth. Tokio turned to face her other cousin.

“Yes, one of which is to be a proper guest no matter who your host is. Or do you prefer to bend the law whenever it is convenient to you?”

“Which law?” Duke Aizu asked.

“Kyoto Law, Doctrine 34, Article 78, section 5. A royal guest is to accommodate their host. Any harm done to the host without proof of a previous grievance against the guest by the host will result in banishment or death.”

“You always were a walking dictionary,” Megumi said with a growl. “I wouldn't be surprised if you were sleeping with him.”

The entire room went dead silent. King Saitou tried very hard not to laugh. Him….a 30+ year old King sleeping with a 16 year old girl? He was old enough to be her father. Sure, she was beautiful, but that did not mean he was going to take advantage of her. He looked sideways at Tokio.

She looked extremely confused. Her posture changed instantly. The shy, uncertain girl was back. Her head was slightly cocked sideways in that way that signaled she was totally clueless about something.

“Sleeping with King Saitou? Why would I want to? I have my own bed,” she replied, the ice in her voice gone.

“Still naïve as the day she was born,” Megumi said with a smug grin.

“Eh? Tokio! You never heard of the birds and the bees?” Prince Sano said, a fish bone sticking out of his mouth.

“The birds and the bees? What does that have to do with sleeping?” Now she was full blown confused. A wicked grin appeared on the young prince's face.

“I'd be happy to lend you a few books,” he said. Megumi promptly cuffed the back of his head. “What, fox? I didn't say I was gonna give her a tutorial!”

“Why would I want to read a book on birds and bees?” Tokio asked softly.

Saitou's frown had deepened. For such an intelligent woman there was a huge significant gap in her education. Did she never wonder where children come from?

“You idiot,” Megumi hissed to Sano. “She doesn't know and won't know. If you put a book in front of her she wouldn't see the print or pictures.”

“Eh? Where's the fun of that?”

Unbeknownst to them Saitou heard every word. His eyes briefly narrowed. Wouldn't see the print or pictures? That had to be a spell. What sort of spell would leave a girl ignorant of the facts of life? Tokio looked over at him, still very confused.

“I'll explain later,” was all he said. That seemed to do the trick. The uncertain girl left, replaced by the cool exterior of a royal woman. Megumi and Sano were still arguing on the other side of the table.