Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Checkmate: Royal Aquisition ❯ Duty Calls ( Chapter 16 )

You know, I often get reviews of several lines….but then there's Trinity. Yep, she did it again. But at the same time she raised some very good questions….I felt like I was handed a book report of my own work. It was slightly odd….but since she understood it well I am guessing I've written it all adequately.

 

Yes, Saitou was annoyed at her lack of faith. When Tokio refused to attack her family he was annoyed that she would think he had such little honor. In the manga Saitou Hajime is a former Shinsengumi member (3rd Captain) and well known for his honor. I wanted to carry that honor across into this story as well, although obviously it is not the honor of a samurai. However, men of very high honor are often irritated when their honor is so obviously questioned.

 

Now, there will be some rather distasteful material toward the end of this chapter….NC-17 warning. Please bear in mind this was what some royals (not presently that I know of…I hope not anyway) had to go through. I read a rather disturbing article on Marie-Antoinette that led to the inspiration for this fic. Explanation of the article will follow at the end of the chapter.

 

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Chapter 16: Duty Calls

 

By three in the morning Tokio was not only thoroughly exhausted, she was pissed. All around her lay the books he'd given her…the books and books of information she'd never even contemplated before.

`I am a fool to never wonder where children came from,' she thought viciously. Although, according to one book, it was a spell that had been cast on her long ago, probably early in her childhood. `I wouldn't put it past my father to do such idiocracy.'

And yet it barely made sense. Why put a spell on someone to make them completely naïve? That had, in a way, left her completely unprepared for seduction.

Yes, she had a term for it now. Her the naïve, innocent victim and the king…now her husband, the predator. He'd manipulated her quite well into exactly the right spot. Even used those seemingly innocent words of trust. And she had trusted him alright. So much for her trust. He'd neatly used that for his own devices as well.

Frustrated, she picked up a book and hurled it across the room. The book landed with a dull thud, but gave her no satisfaction. She wanted to scream, shout, pull her hair, break things….hell ANYTHING to alleviate the burning anger within her.

And yet all she did was calmly crumple to the floor in a sea of material. She looked down at it in mild distaste. It was illusion, all of it. The illusion of wealth. The illusion of power. The illusion of having everything she could possibly want.

And yet there was very little she could actually call her own. Not even her decisions were her own. No, they had to be made with everyone else in mind. Everything she did, every choice she made affected hundreds, if not thousands of other people.

`There is no room for selfishness in royalty,' she thought bitterly.

So what did she have?

“Ok, deep breath,” she said aloud, using her own voice to calm herself into rational thinking. Her temper flared, but it wasn't doing a damn bit of good. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself, pulling back from assumptions and quick judgment. Assuming too much could lead her down the wrong cognitive path…and might result in the injury of many people. “Now start back at square one.”

Frowning she looked around until she found what she sought. Off to one side was a small table with paper and quill. Picking herself up off the floor….and almost falling back down as the large court skirts tripped her….she made her way over. It would help her to think if she could write down key points.

`God, I'm even picking up his damn habits,' she thought.

“Fact one, father decided I should be clueless about reproduction…and the ways of men,” she said as she wrote. “Ways of men…how silly that sounds. I'm sure women are just as capable of the manipulation.”

“Fact two, King Saitou figured it out,” she mused and frowned. “No surprise there considering he's probably the same class of mage as my father. I wonder if that's why he left me in charge. Flirtations always did confuse me…no wonder Lord Hiraki annoyed me when he thought he should have been courting me.”

“Fact three, Saitou compromises me, finds out I'm a channel and marries me.” But that made her stop. Quill poised she thought about the explanation he'd left her with hours before. “Then forms treaty by using me as leverage…without actually using me as leverage,” she said softly.

Suddenly it seemed to be making a lot more sense. Saitou was a leader. His first and foremost thought would be of his country, his people and their safety. She was no more than a political prisoner and one person. One person verses an entire country.

“Fact four, he didn't have to marry me. Yet he did….but for what reason?” she mused. “Kyoto laws stipulate I'd have to marry him, but he isn't bound by Kyoto law…only Fujita law. Yet he specifically used Kyoto law…why?”

The question left her very confused and dampened any remnants of anger she'd had toward him. There was nothing forcing him to marry her. If the glares from the court were any indication, she suspected they wouldn't have cared if he'd slept with a dozen royal women and left them dishonored.

Honor.

“He…preserved my honor,” she said almost in shock. “He dishonored me and my family, but the minute we were married my honor was restored. He didn't do it for himself….he did it…for me?”

Technically they were only married on paper. She wasn't even eighteen so they couldn't hold the official ceremony or the nobles would have every right to protest that their king was holding himself above the law.

Now she was even more confused. Anger was still within her, but she had no idea where to direct it. Then there was the confusion….and uncertainty. Unfortunately there was no one she could run to for council. Would that Okita were still here…

“Okita,” she said softly, blinking back a tear.

“I certainly hope you aren't going to make a habit of saying his name when we're in bed,” came a sarcastic voice she knew all too well.

 

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The reports and paperwork couldn't wait so it was no surprise that the watch called out three in the morning when Saitou finished what needed to be done. He spent many a night dealing with such paperwork…and since he'd very neatly created more of it for himself, he couldn't very well grouse about it.

“Damn lords need to figure out how to run their houses more efficiently. Starving the peasants isn't going to make them work harder. It just makes them sick and unruly.”

The wolf pup looked up at him and wagged its tail. Once again the creature had latched onto him. Saitou was slightly amused when the pup turned on its back, revealing its belly to him in easy compliance and trust. There was no reason for the pup to trust him…yet it did.

That seemed strikingly familiar.

He ignored the pup and rose with every intention of climbing into his bed for a few hours of rest. He would be up at dawn, he knew, making the final preparations for the marriage ceremony. Her birthday was not long off and that would kill any further protest his more stupid nobles could make. If he felt generous he might even send King Hiko a notice about it.

Something along the lines of: Married your daughter today. Do keep your son off my lands.

He grinned to himself. He could almost see the fury in Hiko's eyes. King Hiko was very similar to himself. They both held a great deal of power and both liked to have control. Hiko was going to be pissed as hell that Saitou didn't bother to even inform him of the wedding, let alone ask his permission….in addition to the defloration of his only daughter and favorite political alliance tool.

And he would get a powerful Queen…once she learned a bit more. Okita's words still echoed in his head. She was capable of fierce loyalty and the fact that Hiko had been stupid enough to let her go…or rather, foolish enough not to keep a closer eye on her…

Kyoto's loss was Fujita's gain.

She wasn't a bad bed partner either. Sure, she didn't have any experience other than what he'd done to her, but she was willing to learn. What man wouldn't want a woman perfectly trained to his tastes? And he was willing to exercise a great deal of patience in that respect. Especially since he wasn't yet sure of her limits. She hadn't been self conscious before, but that would soon change when she began to think about it more. Not to mention the books would probably inform her of the delicateness society treated the subject with. It was only a matter of time before her sharp intellect pieced it together.

His amusement died when his eyes fell upon the bed.

It was empty.

He hadn't expected her to be there. After all she was only slightly aware of the marital duties and since they were not yet married by formal ceremony she would have no idea he expected her in his chambers.

Well that was a problem he'd fix immediately. He certainly wasn't going to wait until the formal ceremony to move her.

Closing his eyes he murmured the spell. It took a great deal of energy to apparate a person from one place to another. Luckily she was easy to move seeing as she had no shields or preventative magic of her own. He'd have to fix that soon though. He certainly didn't want someone else figuring out they could do the same and apparate her right out of the palace.

Funny King Hiko hadn't thought of that. Or maybe he had and couldn't get past the defenses around the palace. She would have been vulnerable only when outside palace walls and that had never been for long periods.

Tokio appeared before him, her eyes closed in deep thought. He hadn't expected her to still be in the ridiculous court gown. Then again, considering the reading material he'd given her he should not have been surprised she'd stayed up, reading long past when she usually went to bed.

“Okita,” she said softly, still not knowing her location had changed. He frowned in annoyance. Why the devil was she murmuring his dead councilor's name? Had they been closer than he'd thought?

He felt a light stir of jealousy within him. Ironic that he was jealous of a man dead almost two years. Okita had always looked up to him…and here he was jealous of him.

“I certainly hope you aren't going to make a habit of saying his name when we're in bed,” he found himself saying a bit harsher than he intended.

Her eyes flew open in shock, wildly looking around her. She immediately saw she was no longer in the library, eyes taking in chambers she knew all too well. But the rooms that she was once so comfortable in now made her a bit…nervous.

Well, perhaps she would not have been so nervous if he had not been standing in them.

“You could have just asked me to come here,” she said lightly as a hand flew to her stomach. “I think you left my stomach in the library.”

“The servants are in bed. No reason to wake them,” he responded.

“I was about to go to bed, what did you want?” she asked and barely suppressed a wince. “Damn corset,” she mumbled.

“You're chambers will now be here,” he said calmly, although he was more than amused by her sleepy mumblings, “with me.”

She merely nodded as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“One of those husband/wife things right?” she said more to herself than to him and yawned. “I don't suppose you can use some of that magic to get me out of these clothes and into a nightgown? It takes a full twenty minutes to get me out of this stuff.”

The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. If he wasn't so tired he would have considered stripping her with his hands and finding out how much she'd learned from those books. Even if he could find the energy, she didn't look like she was going to last another five minutes.

Tokio was to say the least, a bit shocked when the court garment suddenly…vanished. She was even more shocked to find herself standing naked right in front of him. He looked extremely pleased with himself with a smug smile upon his face and mischief in his eyes.

“This,” she said pointedly while looking at her state of undress, “is not a nightgown.”

“Just get in the damn bed,” he said with a laugh.

“Men,” she grumbled and slid between the soft sheets. They'd been changed, she noticed. They were now a much softer, smoother material…more feminine in a way. It was certainly more comfortable. She found herself drifting into sleep within seconds of closing her eyes.

Saitou shook his head at the amusing sight. There hadn't been much argument on her part to get her naked. What would she be like in the morning when sleep wasn't wearing down her defenses? Blowing out the candles he slipped into the bed beside her. It was against his nature to cuddle against her but when she rolled over and settled next to him he did not resist.

 

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NC-17 material….you've been warned….

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Royal ceremonies were a royal pain in the ass, Tokio decided. For one, you were woken early in the day just to spend four hours being prepared. Preparation included being sewn into the wedding gown…which she was convinced weighed almost as much as she did…hours spent on her hair, and a million and one last minute details everyone and their uncle just HAD to tell her at that exact time.

Tokio was sure her headache had started within ten minutes of being awake.

Then there was the whole business of the ceremony itself. The damn thing took more than half the day. She was beginning to understand why it took months to plan the damn thing. However, she was getting really sick and tired of everyone telling her what to do as if she was a five year old an incapable of thinking for herself.

And she hadn't seen her husband since the night before. Somehow she suspected his mood was just as foul as hers, if not worse. She could only hope he didn't maintain it later tonight. She'd read of the wedding nights. She could barely contain the excitement she felt.

It was hard to believe months ago she'd known so little. Now she was lucky if she got half as much sleep as she was used to. Saitou had proved to be rather…enthusiastic to teach her a great many things. A lot had come from that little book with all the pictures…and occasionally he came up with something she'd never seen in a book. Outside of the room he was his normal self and barely acknowledged her while busy with the court and running the country…just as she was. When they were alone, however….

She was hardly surprised at the seeming double life. If marriage to her had changed the man he was she would not have respected him as she did. For that reason she held onto the few hours they had alone like a lifeline. She had also learned that he only told her important things in private.

It might have seemed callous to anyone else, but Tokio was grateful for the trust. He could have elected to continue keeping her in the dark. Instead he wanted her to be aware and informed….even if he didn't exactly let her co-rule.

But what King would be willing to share a rule he'd successfully done alone for decades?

Following the silly ceremony…during which Tokio almost fell asleep as the priest droned on….there was, of course, a great feast. It seemed less like a celebration of the marriage and more like an excuse for nobles to get drunk and act like idiots. And she really didn't like the looks several noblemen were giving her. She noticed by the slight clenching of his hand that Saitou was less than pleased over it as well. In fact, he looked more and more annoyed by the minute, but kept his temper, as usual, in very careful control.

`Except I'm the one who'll have to deal with that temper tonight,' she thought, her own mood souring.

The feast wasn't over fast enough, but when Tokio suspected they would have continued far into the night had Saitou not stood an announced their intention to retire. This of course brought a round of leers and knowing looks.

`Idiots,' she thought. `Everyone knows what's going to happen. Why can't they have more…tact?'

“I'm afraid you aren't going to like this,” he whispered as they made their way down the hall. Tokio noticed several nobles following, including her own cousin. Megumi looked tight lipped and extremely unhappy about something.

“Not going to like what?” she asked, exceedingly confused. Did this have something to do with the group of nobles following them?

Saitou stopped as they reached chambers she didn't recognize. Why were they here and not at their own chambers?

“Lords, lady…” Saitou began. Tokio felt him tense beneath her arm. “If you would give us a few minutes alone?” he all but snarled.

They didn't look happy but they murmured an assent and waited. Saitou quickly pulled her into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

All masks dropped once the door was secure. Tokio suddenly got an overwhelming fear of dread. Saitou rarely let any emotion cross his face, but she could see the faint glimpse of a look she knew all too well. There was something he had to deal with that he found unpleasant…and she could only assume she had something to do with it.

“Since your….intimate education has been through me alone, I assume you know nothing of the Consummation Ceremony.”

Tokio frowned. This didn't make sense. Why would there be a ceremony about…sex?

“This isn't going to be easy on either of us,” he said, his voice turning emotionless and cold. He was distancing himself, she could tell.

“What exactly does this involve?” she asked.

“That group of idiots….and your cousin…have to watch us consummate our marriage. It's an assurance to the nobility that we have at least taken one step toward the creation of an heir.”

A cold shock passed through her system as her back stiffened. Her mind easily made all the connections, causing her jaw to slacken and drop. There was no humor in his eyes. This was no joke.

And yet it made sense….in a sick twisted way.

“Whoever wrote your laws was a sick, twisted pervert,” she said after a long silence. He merely snorted in reply at the failed humor.

“Well I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing your body.”

“Aren't we a bit possessive,” she mused, a corner of her mouth lifting.

“I fail to see the humor in this,” he replied, his voice harsh and cold as he looked at her like he'd never seen her before.

“I've been a victim of my station all my life,” she replied softly. “What's the point of life if you don't have a sense of humor?”

“I doubt very much you will be laughing in an hour,” he replied dryly.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

“Hold your damn horses!” Saitou snapped. Then he turned back to her.

“So what do you propose we do to make this as quick and painless as possible?” she asked, looking up at him. He was mildly surprised at her reaction. He hadn't expected her to even allow this.

“First, I suggest we get rid of this….is this even a dress?” he asked, looking down at the huge garment.

“Good thing you have magic or it'd take hours,” she mused.

“Waste of power.”

And yet the gown disappeared, replaced by a thick velvet gown with a high neckline and uninhibited skirts. She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised in question.

“I told you I'm not letting them see more than they have to.”

Before she could respond he pulled her against him, his mouth molding to hers in a way she'd recently become accustomed to. Tokio immediately leaned into it, letting his tongue glide into her mouth. Just as she began to reach for the ties on his shirt he abruptly stopped, pulling away.

“Wha-”

“Shh,” he replied. “We're not going to do this the usual way. I won't give them the satisfaction.”

Before she could ask he led her to the edge of the bed and turned her away from him. Under light pressure from his fingers she bent herself over the edge of the bed. He carefully pulled her hair to one side, the lightest of caresses along the back of her neck. She thought he would then let the nobles in…but it seemed he had other thoughts in mind.

She felt the heavy velvet lift and the cooler air brushed her legs, causing her to shiver ever so slightly. Calloused hands traced up her legs, firm but light. This was nothing new to her and she trusted him without question.

Tokio moaned when skillful fingers brushed across her, sending pleasurable shocks up and down her spine. She heard him chuckle and would have snapped at him had two fingers not slipped into her, reaching deep before stroking her oversensitive walls. A small shudder passed through her, releasing a familiar wetness. He stroked her once more before withdrawing, leaving her breathless and wanting more.

“Try not to turn your head to the door,” he said calmly. “I'm going to let them in now.”

She only nodded her head, closing her eyes as tears began to form. She'd been calm, but now the harsh reality of it was setting in. There would be people in here…watching her….and him….

“Breath dammit!” he swore and she let out a gasp as she exhaled. She hadn't even realized she'd stopped breathing. She'd been trying so hard to control her emotions that panic set in.

“I'm fine…just get this over with,” she whispered.

 

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Megumi was less than pleased at being stuck with a bunch of drunk lords who were taking bets on how the Princess…now Queen would be in bed…and just how big the King was. They assumed he had to be quite large to seduce such a beautiful woman.

`Men are fools,' she thought. `I'll never ally myself to one.'

The doors to the chamber suddenly swung open, much to the surprise of the lounging lords. They happily got up and sauntered in as if they owned the place. Less enthused, she took a deep breath and steeled herself to enter the room.

She didn't know what to expect, but she certainly had not expected to see her cousin bent over the bed with her skirts raised like a common tart. It was a disgrace…yet she immediately saw why he'd placed her in such a way.

The lords had expected a show. They had expected two naked bodies entwined for their carnal delight. Considering how much authority the king exercised over them she wasn't surprised they wanted to taste a little humiliation on his part.

And Saitou had thwarted them very well.

By having her clothed with only her skirts lifted he'd robbed them of their show. The only thing they would see was the penetration…and the back of her legs. He had effectively ruined any sort of sick pleasure they could get from it by making it as efficient as possible.

`I wish I had legs like that,' she mused to herself, steeling herself for the inevitable.

The king wasted no time pulling her hips against him and ramming himself into her. Megumi winced at the slight brutality and saw the lords around her were equally affected. If they had thought to catch their king in a moment of vulnerability they were dead wrong. He wasn't going to lose himself to passion or any other emotion. This was cold, efficient and emotionless.

Megumi fought the bile that threatened to rise in her throat, leaving a raw, burning feeling in her chest. She couldn't look away…this was her duty…

`Never,' she thought venomously as a tear fell down her cheek. `Never will I submit myself to this.'

As efficiently as he had started, the king finished. Taking a deep breath Megumi tried to compose herself. The glare upon the king's face was enough to cause several men to back up a few steps as he pulled down his wife's skirts down.

“Your examination, duchess,” he snarled and Megumi wished she could have been somewhere else….anywhere else….than at the receiving end of his wrath.

“This is my country's law, not yours,” she said firmly. “You lords may leave.”

“But-” one protested only to have her turn a cold glare upon them.

“Out.”

Had the situation been any different Saitou might have chuckled at the way his nobles cowered before the Duchess. She had been the only one to withstand his anger. Saitou did not like the humiliation involved…especially when it concerned Tokio.

“They're gone, cousin,” Megumi said softly. “I need you to lay back on the bed and try to relax.”

Much to her surprise the new Queen merely rolled over and pulled herself up onto the bed, her face void of emotion. This was not the Tokio she knew….this was the Princess in court with a dead calm face.

She had reverted to her royal training. It was the face she expected to see in a court, not on a royal bedspread.

But then again, this wasn't a situation either of them wanted to show weakness in. Megumi just wished her cousin had more trust in her than to leave her closed off.

`I haven't done anything to earn that trust, have I?' she said to herself as she washed her hands in the warm water provided.

“Shall I leave?” Saitou asked, his voice cold and detached. Megumi turned to answer…until she realized he wasn't speaking to her. Tokio merely shook her head. A sharp pain of guilt hit Megumi like a ton of bricks.

Tokio trusted her husband more than her own blood. Whatever King Saitou had done to win her loyalty, he had it without question.

“My uncle is a fool,” she muttered and approached the bed. Both of them heard her and she didn't pretend she hadn't said it. “King or no king, I'm going to slap him when I get home.”

The side of Tokio's mouth quirked ever so slightly, but other than that she did not comment.

“Please pull your knees up and relax. I'll try to make this as quick as possible.”

“What exactly are you looking for?” Saitou asked from behind her, causing her to stiffen.

“Forced entry,” she replied through thin pressed lips. Tokio's eyes widened ever so slightly and immediately looked upward as her cousin's fingers slipped into her. It wasn't a feeling she had EVER wanted, but clenching muscles around the fingers just made things worse. She fought to keep her breath steady, not focus on it and detaching herself from feeling. True to her word, Megumi finished as quickly as possible.

King Saitou suddenly wanted very much to visit Kyoto and punch the daylights out of his new father-in-law for putting both women in such a position. Examined by her own cousin! It was beyond cruel and twisted. He understood King Hiko's anger, but did he really have to resort to such measures?

Manipulative bastard.

“No problems,” Megumi said, her voice strained. “And now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go bleach my hands, be extremely sick and get roaring drunk.”

Saitou had never seen a woman run so fast out of a room before. Letting the tension roll off of him he turned back to the bed to look at his bride.

“I want out of this room,” she said quietly. Her face was pale and drawn, her eyes unfocused as she curled herself into a ball. He didn't respond, but immediately the surroundings changed to their own familiar chambers and the dress around her changed to a comfortable nightgown.

There he stood, torn over comforting her…which was not in his character…and leaving her to recover by herself. He didn't have to decide, however. She made the choice for him.

“Please…just leave,” she whispered. Tears refused to fall and she was holding onto her emotions too tightly. She would not show the weakness before him, he realized with a touch of irony. She had shared the humiliation, but she would not be weak. He had to admire that…although at the moment it was doing more harm than good.

“Have Saori get me,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible. “I'll be in the library.”

And then he left. The moment the door closed all her defenses came down and she curled herself into a tight ball.

And cried.

 

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Ok, so the article on Marie Antoinette. Basically, the parts they didn't mention in history class….cause, you know, they try to act as if sex wasn't a part of history or something, even though most of histories most prominent figures often had rather interesting and kinky sex lives.

You'd be amazed how many men had fetishes for their mothers…..weird.

Anyway, so Marie Antoinette's husband, Louis XVI had a little problem…besides being kind of unattractive and a dork. He had a type of problem that made it difficult and painful for him to ejaculate properly. Now like most royals…especially ones stuck together in an arranged marriage, their marriage consummation had to be witnessed. Yep, a bunch of people watching the future king and his wife have sex. Man I would have been very happy to NOT be one of the lucky lords.

Well because of his problem the consummation was less than successful…but of course in typical male fashion back then (not insult the guys, just pointing out the tendencies back then) the blame was laid upon Marie Antoinette. She wasn't particularly bright and coming from Austria, she didn't know that much French so she probably couldn't have argued even if she wanted to.

This meant they had to keep trying and trying and trying for years. It wasn't until many years later that the problem was identified and the king underwent a simple procedure to fix it. By then, however, the animosity between them was too deep….not that they were really affectionate to begin with.

Now I was horrified when I read this article. Considering it was from a historical magazine I assume it was legitimate. Unfortunately I didn't write down the source so I can tell you where I got it from (I know….poor researcher aren't I?). Even if it isn't true, which I suspect it is based on mentions I've heard from other books about her, it's still a horrific thought.

I wouldn't trade places with her for the world!