Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ In These Final Hours ❯ And Then in the Cold Hours of Morning ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.

In These Final Hours: And Then in the Cold Hours of Morning

It was reaching dusk when the carriage rattled to a halt. Kaoru roused out of her half-sleep and sat up straighter. She winced as pain shot up through her neck when she did. Apparently sleeping with your head crammed against the side of a carriage wasn't good for your muscles. With a huff of irritation, she massaged the offended area tenderly and leaned forward to look out the window.

A beetle scuttling up bark was all that met her curious gaze. Kaoru scowled and turned to the window that wasn't blocked by tree. That view was neatly obscured by a mass of red hair as Kenshin conversed quietly with someone standing just outside the door. Rolling her eyes, she turned to her last source.

"Sou, where are we?" she demanded, feeling surly after her interrupted nap and the crick in her neck.

The older boy blinked owlishly at her, looking a little dazed, "Mmm?" he asked, obviously only just now awake.

"Mou," she settled back in her seat and glowered at Kenshin's back, willing him to finish his conversation so she could find out what was going on.

The moment he said goodbye to whomever he was talking to, she saw him tense. He peeked cautiously over his shoulder at her, his violet eyes wide.

"Did you want something, Ms. Kaoru?" he asked.

"Where are we?" she asked with a slight laugh, her anger dissipating. It was hard to stay angry at a prince who could be cowed with a look he'd only felt.

His face relaxed into a smile as he answered, "A few hours from the Nishimoto border. We're stopping to set up camp for the night," he explained and opened the door to the carriage. As he stepped out, he turned back and offered her a hand down. She took it, feeling a little self conscious. The gesture was unnecessary; she was very capable of climbing down by herself. That made the touch less than professional, and after her conversation with Misao she wanted to keep all contact as restricted as possible. But to turn him down would be at best impolite and at worst mean.

She fought to keep a neutral expression on her face as she tried to sort out the trivial seeming little problems she'd now be plagued with. If only her friend hadn't said anything about the last escort. Her nerves were on hyper alert as she tried to keep her distance from the prince. Her fit of drowsiness in the carriage had been the worst. After the second time her head had bobbed and slumped onto his shoulder, Kenshin had offered it as a pillow. At first it hadn't seemed like a bad idea, but then she'd woken up a little. She'd played it off like she hadn't wanted to cramp his arm and firmly wedged herself into the opposite corner of the seat. She hadn't thought he'd taken slight to the refusal, but watching his face now as she climbed down, she wasn't sure.

His eyes were unnaturally sharp as he helped her out of the carriage. It was almost like he'd offered her his hand on purpose to see if she would refuse it. Like he was testing her. With a start she realized that he might be taking her abrupt distance for something more than she meant. Considering the abuse she'd been giving him the past day, both verbally and physically, it wasn't a wild leap on his part. Guilt panged her and she realized that her simple plan of avoidance was doing more harm than good. Now she was eyeing the knife-edge line between friendship and romance dubiously, wondering if she could walk it without tumbling off. Because… well, her hand was tingling where it was touching his skin.

"Thanks," she murmured, forcing herself to relax and giving him a bright smile. Kenshin's expression lightened and he let their hands fall away casually.

"We should find your trunk and get it to the tent, that we should," he said cheerfully, moving to the back of the carriage and unstrapping their luggage.

Behind her, Soujiro emerged from the door, his smile once again in place now that he'd sort of woken up. Kaoru grinned at him and stepped aside so he could go help the prince. In the meantime, she scouted the camp with a critical eye, trying to decide which of the tents the soldiers were erecting would be Kenshin's and then which of its satellites would be hers.

"Are you ready, missy?" Sano asked, appearing at her elbow. Under his arm was a trunk with a large medical stamp emblazoned on its side. She quirked an eyebrow at him. Trying to impress his lady by carrying her luggage, was he?

"I can see you are," she jibed, shooting a meaningful glance at his burden. He followed her gaze and grinned.

"What can I say? A girl likes a man with muscle," he said, flexing his free arm impressively. Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"Only if it's in his skull," the elegant doctor glided by, shooting an annoyed glance in Sano's direction and a hostile one in Kaoru's, "Quit flirting and be useful, rooster," she snapped before moving into the din of soldiers.

Sanosuke swore vehemently under his breath and Kaoru couldn't protest. It was very creepy when people did that.

"No one ever thought Sou was flirting with me when we talked back home," she muttered softly, keeping an eye on Kenshin to make sure he wouldn't accidentally overhear.

"This whole thing is one big joke," Sano growled, "The gods are laughing at us. I bet there isn't even a prophecy. That old hag was just yanking your chain."

Kaoru winced at the proclamation. Part of her agreed with him. Whatever threat there was to Kenshin now, he could certainly handle it much better than she could. About all she was good for was swatting away court flies at balls. Not exactly living on the edge, facing the maws of disaster at every turn. And what had seemed like such a pleasant emotion growing within her was quickly turning her situation sour.

"The tent is by those trees," Kenshin called, nodding his head in the appropriate direction as he walked up. His arms were full of Kaoru's trunk, Sou trailing behind him with the rest of their luggage. She felt her face heat as she thought of what she'd said to Sano only moments before.

Her brother glanced between the Prince and her and his face darkened, "Kao-" he started.

"I know. Misao talked to me earlier. It isn't a problem," she interrupted firmly, shooting him a grim look before turning a bright smile on Kenshin as he led the way further into the camp.

"He's… got baggage," Sano said cheerfully as he kept in step with her, nodding to the soldiers they passed. Kaoru nodded, catching his play on words. It was best not to talk about the Prince so openly in front of everyone.

"I can see that," she rolled her eyes at him. He ruffled her hair playfully before splitting their paths. She shook a threatening fist after him and their gazes locked in understanding. His eyes held caution and warning; hers were resigned. So much for her pastel dream world. The riches seemed to lose their glamour when you remembered that it was all just for pretend. In the end you thanked the handsome prince for a wonderful evening, went home, and lived the rest of your provincial life in peace.

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"Tell me you're joking," she shrieked, trying to keep her voice down. It ended up coming out somewhere between a squeal and a croak.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru, really I am," Soujiro soothed, his hands held out before him placatingly. Kaoru continued to pace inside the large tent, her eyes darting from one cot to the other and then back again. Two cots, one tent. The Prince and his escort. According to Guard policy, being in adjacent tents wasn't protection enough when traveling. No wonder Sano had asked her if she was "ready."

"How come I can sleep in a separate room at the palace?" she demanded, rounding on him with logic, "There's a whole wall between us there. Here there's only thin little pieces of tarp!" she slapped a hand against the material to emphasize her point. Soujiro winced and rubbed the back of his head tiredly. Kaoru glowered at him. He had no right to look so put upon. At least she'd waited until Kenshin had left to see about dinner before launching into her hissy fit. A fit she was well entitled to, she thought.

"There's more protection at the palace," he said lamely.

Kaoru glared, "And there isn't here?" she thrust a finger in the general direction of the camp, "There are about thirty, well trained men out there who would all willingly die for Kenshin, all a stones throw away!" now she jabbed the finger into her own chest, "I am useless out here. I can't even touch Kenshin's sword technique and, as far as I can see, the only female danger around is me! And since I don't have any plans on seducing him, what is there here that he needs protecting from?"

Soujiro shrugged uncomfortably and looked like he might drop the subject. Suddenly, though, his expression turned resolute and he shook his head to himself, "Saitou wouldn't want you to know about this, but you should know. At the palace, there are wards everywhere to protect him from magic. It's impossible to do any sort of offensive magic within one hundred feet of his room. But out here, we don't have the power or time to set anything that elaborate up. Saitou and I will set up some basic wards and warning triggers, but we're both pretty weak."

"And what does that have to do with me?" she returned, "I don't have a spark of magic to me. Why aren't you sleeping with him?" she scowled furiously, plopping down on the bed Sou had designated hers.

"It's just a rule, Kaoru," he sighed, "Kenshin is very honorable, he wouldn't try to take advantage of you."

She rolled her eyes, "I could have told you that. What will the others think, though? You know how rumors are. The soldiers might get the wrong impression and word could get to the Wolf and I'd be packing for home!" she gasped, "What if King Hiko heard? I'd probably be executed!" she squeaked fearfully.

Soujiro chuckled and sat down beside her, wrapping a brotherly arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry about that. Everyone knows about this rule, no one will think the wrong thing. As long as you act normally," he shot her a pointed look, "No one will look at you twice."

"I still don't want to sleep here," she muttered, but there was defeat in her voice.

"Well, just remember the prophecy. You don't know when it could strike, right?" he grinned at her, "You could end up saving the king before dawn and then you wouldn't have to worry about this anymore."

"Stop that, Sou," she scowled, "You'll make it come faster, talking like that."

His eyebrows disappeared beneath his bangs, "I thought you'd want to be out of here as fast as possible."

"I do," she replied vehemently, "I'm just… afraid. Unless it's throwing myself in front of a spear, I can't think of anything I'd be able to save him from."

He nodded understandingly, "I know. But I'm sure it won't be anything you can't handle, Kaoru. You have a strong spirit."

"Thanks," she sighed, not feeling very relieved. Having the confidence of her best friend was encouraging, but it didn't silence her own doubts.

"Ms. Kaoru? Soujiro?" Kenshin's head poked through the flap of the tent. He smiled as he found them in the dim light, "Dinner is almost ready, that it is."

"Thank you, Kenshin," Kaoru managed a smile for him.

She stood and the three left the tent, heading for the central campfire where a thick stew was being ladled out by the cook. Several of the soldiers she'd met over the past days greeted her cheerfully, raising glasses and spoons as she passed. She waved back, feeling better already. Sou was probably right. No one could assume anything inappropriate because it wasn't her choice, and they certainly knew Kenshin's honorable reputation.

"Go easy on him, eh girl?" a nearby soldier winked as she passed, "It's been a long day," he laughed, several of his cronies joining in. Kaoru paused, letting Kenshin and Soujiro go ahead. They hadn't heard.

"Pardon me, sir?" she asked sweetly, feeling her blood begin to boil dangerously.

The men stopped laughing abruptly, casting each other unsure looks. They hadn't expected this sort of reaction.

"I'm sure you didn't mean anything inappropriate by that comment," she went on, forcing her expression to be neutral. She could follow Sou's advice only so far. That the men's faces weren't pounded into the ground already was a high mark in her defense, she thought.

"Oh… of course not, m'am," the soldier fumbled a bit.

"Of course," she agreed pleasantly, her eyes flashing with promised pain as she cast him one last glance before turning away. The deathly calm that met her back as she hurried to catch up to the boys was grimly satisfying. They wouldn't be so quick to make comments now, hopefully.

"Perverts," she growled under her breath, letting her fists clench and relax inside the long sleeves of her tunic.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Kaoru?" Kenshin asked when she caught up to them, his eyes flicking toward the men she'd been talking to. She shrugged.

"Nothing I can't handle," she assured him with a little smirk. An eyebrow quirked at that, but he didn't do anything but nod. He offered her an arm to dinner and she accepted it with a mental sigh. He wasn't helping her case from any side.

When they finally crawled into the tent late that night, she decided that drinking that last mug of wine hadn't really helped her case either. Bad Kaoru. She giggled a little at her own thoughts, earning a lopsided grin from her red headed companion. She wasn't exactly drunk, but decidedly loose. She'd have to keep a close eye on herself or she could get into trouble.

Right. Straight to bed then.

"Oro, Ms. Kaoru, that is my bed," Kenshin pointed out as she thumped down heavily. She frowned at him for a moment before getting her bearings. Sure enough, her trunk was at the end of the bed across the room.

"Oh!" she hastily got to her feet and made her way to the correct side of the tent, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine, Ms. Kaoru," the prince assured her as she sat down again, this time on the right surface. She watched him through foggy eyes as he unfolded a small screen and began to set it up between them. That was probably a good idea, part of her realized groggily, because the whole scene was looking pretty pastel and shimmery from her perspective. An image from him that morning popped into her head and she flopped onto her back, draping an arm across her eyes. This wasn't the time to be remembering that he slept shirtless.

"I told you this was a bad idea, Sou," she murmured to herself.

"Mmm?" Kenshin looked up as he made the last little adjustments to the screen.

"Nothing," she waved her free hand at him, "It's nothing. I'm… going to sleep, now," she said firmly, more an order to herself than an announcement.

"Are you alright, Ms. Kaoru?" he asked now, amusement tingeing the concern in his voice. Kaoru lifted her arm to glower at him. He was the one who'd suggested she try the wine in the first place. Though, in his defense, he hadn't known about the few mugs Sano had snuck her during the meal. In retrospect, her plan of drowning her princely troubles in drink hadn't been very sound. All the alcohol had done was make her more prone to letting dopey smiles cross her lips and a faraway look fill her eyes when she stared at him. But, in her defense, she'd been very distracted by her own little depression when she'd made the decision, and therefore hadn't been thinking clearly.

"I'm fine," she enunciated the words carefully and rolled so her back was to him, "Goodnight, Prince," she said, feeling angry for some reason.

She heard him shift uncomfortably, "Wouldn't you like to change first? Or at least have a blanket?" he asked.

"Pervert," she accused, her mind dredging up the faces of the men from earlier.

"Oro?!"

"You heard me. Just go to bed. I need my sleep if I'm going to protect you," she pointed out, priding herself at the sudden appearance of logic in her thought processes.

"I am sorry, Ms. Kaoru," she heard him sigh. She tensed as his footsteps drew closer. A blanket draped over her form and she lay completely still as firm hands tucked it around her shoulders and feet.

"I don't know what I have done to anger you, but I apologize," he said softly. Kaoru stared at the wall of the tent blankly, her mind suddenly very clear and still. She wanted very badly to tell him things she had no business telling him, for both of their sakes.

"It's not you," she murmured, "I… I shouldn't be here," she firmly shut her mouth, berating herself for letting even that much slip.

"Ah," the bed shifted by her feet as his weight settled on it, "Are you worried about Saitou?" he guessed.

"He's a bastard," she growled, and then, "No."

"What is bothering you, then?" he asked, and she could hear his voice hitch in an effort to keep from laughing. She smiled a little. She liked being able to do that. It slipped, though, when she thought about how to answer his question. She couldn't tell him the whole truth. There were several reasons why she shouldn't be here. One, because she was lying to him. Two, because she was rapidly losing faith in the prophecy and therefore losing her reason to be lying to him. And three… because she was falling in love with him. The most unattainable of men, and he was the one her perverse little heart had settled on.

Typical.

"Well," she went with the only thing she could safely say, "I can't see how I'm supposed to protect you."

"What do you mean?" he sounded surprised.

"You're strong and talented and smart and, well, pretty much perfect," whoa, time to rein back the gushing maiden. She rubbed a hand across her face, feeling very tired, "I don't know what I could protect you from that you couldn't do yourself."

"Court ladies?" he prompted.

She chuckled, "You just need to learn that it's ok to say 'go away' sometimes, that's all."

She could feel the smile through his voice, "That doesn't sound so hard, that it does not."

"See?" she flopped a hand sleepily, "What do you need me for? I should just go back home."

Silence stretched between them so long that she started to fall asleep. "But I like having you here," his voice slipped through her foggy brain, jolting it awake. Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head to look at him, but he was already rounding the screen that separated them.

"You do?" she whispered as the light on his side was doused and she heard him slip into bed.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

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Though it wasn't as bad as the previous morning, when Kaoru woke up she felt pretty crummy.

"Stupid wine," she muttered thickly, rolling out of bed and stumbling to the wash basin near the door of the tent. She splashed water over her face and scrubbed vigorously. A peek at Kenshin's side of the tent found his cot already folded for packing and his luggage gone.

She sighed and went to her trunk, sifting through the dresses until she found another set of training pants and shirt. She shifted the screen until she had a nice private nook and quickly changed. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for the precaution as the flap rustled while she was struggling out of her old shirt.

"Ms. Kaoru?" Kenshin called softly before his steps halted as he noticed the screen, "Oh."

"I'm almost done," she said, voice muffled as the new shirt was pulled over her head. She walked out a few moments later, soiled clothing in one hand. Her hair spilled loosely around her face as she bent again to scrounge through the trunk for a brush and ribbon. The other had ripped at some point during dinner and was very sad looking.

"Um," the almost nervous quality of his voice brought her head up.

"What?" she asked, blinking roundly as she tucked her mass of hair over one shoulder. He stared at her for a moment before relaxing again, a strange smile on his face.

"You look much older with your hair down. It surprised me."

Blink. "Oh," she screwed her face up at him, shutting the trunk as she did, "You're very strange, do you know that?" she countered.

He chuckled, folding his arms into the sleeves of his tunic, "I've been told that on occasion, that I have," he admitted cheerfully.

"Well, believe it," she nodded and expertly tugged her unruly hair into a neat ponytail. She gave it an experimental swish before turning back to the trunk, looking at it dubiously.

"I hate to ask," she started, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"It is not a problem," he assured her, crossing the distance so he could lift the heavy thing. She grinned at him. After their strange little conversation last night, she was more than willing to let him do some manual labor.

How dare he hand her such a hopefully ambiguous statement like that. He liked having her here as a friend? Sister figure? Possible lov- heavily romantic partner?

Her mind stalled completely at the word "lover." Watching him effortlessly shift her trunk to his shoulder, his face calm and mouth relaxed, it was a very tempting bond to hope for. But at the same time, it scared her silly. She'd never even properly kissed a boy before. Not properly because of poor Ryo's failed mash of lips two summers ago. He'd earned a dent in the head for that stunt and she'd lost the eye of most of the village men as a result. A few noblemen had been careless with their hands, but never in any danger zones. The farthest any man had gotten was touching the fabric of her dress covering her knee. That man hadn't been so lucky. At least Ryo's attempt, though unwanted and inappropriate, had had a little romance behind it.

The point was that she was woefully inexperienced in the art of love. That's how people referred to it, right? The "art?" She shook her head. She wasn't even sure she had the terminology right.

"Ms. Kaoru?" Kenshin called worriedly. She blinked and focused on his face. He was standing in the doorway of the tent, watching her over his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She shook herself and smiled, "I was thinking."

"We should get out so the soldiers can pack up the tent," he pointed out, extending his free hand for her to take.

She took it with a repressed sigh, letting him lead her toward the carriage. He liked holding her hand, her elbow, or arm a lot. Maybe… though Sou liked to give her hugs fairly often and Misao liked linking arms when they walked through town. The only reason she didn't read more into those gestures was because her relationship was so firmly defined with each of them. With Kenshin…

Gods! This was so frustrating! She wanted to see some sort of reciprocation of feelings from him, but didn't know him well enough to know the signals. And since he didn't know how she felt, it wasn't really reciprocation, just a whole lot of blind hope. And if she asked him bluntly what he thought of her without knowing, he would instantly see how she felt. Then she'd be in the trouble Misao had warned her about. She'd have no way of knowing if a positive reply was genuine or out of some warped sense of guilt.

"Idiot," she muttered, not knowing whether she was denouncing the prince or herself. It worked both ways, really.

"Oro?!" Kenshin turned a surprised face on her. She blinked rapidly. Had that been out loud?

"Yes?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Did you just…?" he got that desperate smile, "Mm, never mind."

"Did I just what?" she prodded, trying to play it off.

"Call me…" he trailed off, his eyes sharpening over her shoulder and steeling to blue.

"Kenshin?" she asked, turning to find what had caught his attention so alarmingly. She had just enough time to register the arrow hurtling toward her face before Kenshin shouted and she was suddenly warding off the ground with her arms.

"Damn," the prince swore above her, his body partially covering hers. Kaoru's senses moved sluggishly for a moment before snapping into focus as the adrenaline kicked in.

"An attack?" her voice was sharp.

"Yes," he was already climbing to his feet, pulling her up by the arm. She scrambled to her feet and righted the trunk he'd dropped.

"Defenses!" his voice bellowed over the camp and there was a moment of tense silence before noise erupted over the clearing as men in dark armor burst from the cover of the trees. The Guard groped for their weapons, dropping luggage and packed tents where they stood. Kaoru assessed the situation in a brief glance and swore. They were horribly outnumbered. She threw open the trunk and ripped the bokken strapped to the inside of the lid free of its bracers.

Kenshin was already engaged in battle when she straightened in a defensive posture, his reverse blade sword gleaming in the morning light.

She stepped away to give him some room, knowing proximity would only hinder his movements. So she met her first attacker some feet away, ducking and spinning to avoid a clumsy charge and catching him across the neck in a back swing. He fell heavily, and she stepped over him nimbly to meet her next opponent.

For awhile all she could think about was the mechanical, sweeping movements of the sword as she steadily took down each man she faced. They didn't seem to end, a new man taking the last's place before she could fully recover from her previous offensive blow. Every once in awhile the stem would ebb a little and she would cast desperate glances over the camp to try and see how they were doing. So far they'd lost only a few men, but everyone was fatiguing rapidly. They hadn't even had time for breakfast before the attack and it had been a late night. Not the most ideal fighting conditions.

"Ms. Kaoru!" Kenshin's voice roared over the din of battle and she risked a quick glance over her shoulder to find him. He hadn't moved very far from his position by the carriage and was nearly swamped with enemies. She blanched at the sight. He was taking them down in sevens and eights, but they just kept pouring toward him, pinning him to his spot. He had a few shallow cuts and a bruise above his right eye, but looked otherwise unharmed.

There was no way she could help him, though, she realized in despair. She was having a hard time keeping her wits with just one man on her at a time. How could she possibly help Kenshin?

It hit her then.

"Bastards!" she shrieked, turning and pelting toward Kenshin, heedless of who was in her path. The move was unexpected, and she gained a second of lead as the men facing her tried to process the action.

They weren't fighting to kill.

They were fighting each person strategically to wear them down. Few enough opponents at once that the defender wouldn't be overwhelmed, but enough that they couldn't escape or pause to think the situation through. It was a decoy for something. A larger attack that needed the Guard exhausted so they wouldn't be able to prevent what was coming. Except that now she knew what to expect. She realized the danger before everyone except Kenshin. And Kenshin was the one she was supposed to protect. The one who was too burdened with opponents to block any outside attack.

Damn.

"To the Prince!" she shouted, jumping onto the back of a soldier and landing head blows to the men on either side of him. She whirled her way through the mass of enemies to Kenshin's side, her ears picking up the battle cries of Sanosuke and a few other Guards as they answered her call.

In another few swings, she was by Kenshin's side. Soujiro was on the opposite a moment later and Sanosuke protecting his front in another. Saitou completed the diamond of protection and a handful of other Guards made a loose net around the central core.

Almost before they were done, the opposing force stood back. Kaoru glowered at them warily, not exactly surprised by the move, but still not knowing what to expect. They surrounded them completely, swords held at ready but not attacking. In the sudden silence, she was very aware of the labored breathing among her group.

She growled under her breath, clenching her bokken angrily. As the adrenaline ebbed a bit, she was becoming increasingly aware of all the little bruises and cuts she'd acquired in the last hour or so of fighting. Quick glances at the rest of her companions found them in similar shape. All looked winded and lightly injured. Little blows that added up to a lot.

She cursed the enemy with every fiber of her being, waiting impatiently for their real plan to be revealed.

"I congratulate you on your excellent choice in escorts," a mocking voice rang out over the clearing. Kaoru's head whipped in its direction and she took an unconscious step toward the prince. The voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand rigid. It seemed their "plan" had just arrived.

"Enishi," Kenshin acknowledged coldly.

"Shit," Sanosuke spat softly and fiercely, shooting a glare in Saitou's direction. The Wolf watched over his shoulder, his face completely frozen.

Kaoru's eyes widened as the little army split neatly down the middle and a young man strolled through the center. His hair was startlingly white and his eyes livid with some emotion beyond anger. She shuddered a little, inching even a little closer to Kenshin's side.

"She caught on to the little ploy a lot faster than I would have given her credit. I see you're choosing them based on skill on the field rather than skill in bed these days," he chuckled as if it was some private joke, stopping a good distance away from them.

"That slut was your spy, you piece of shit," Sanosuke roared. Kaoru fought the urge to slap him over the head. Everyone knew it was a barb intended to rile them, but only he was stupid enough to rise to the bait. Then, her brother had always been like that.

"Sanosuke, stand back," Kenshin said calmly, ice edging his voice. The taller man tensed and looked ready to refuse, but stalked back beside Soujiro after a moment.

Kaoru assessed the situation carefully. The soldiers were still at ready, but clearly awaiting orders. The rest of the clearing was bare except for a few ranks of reserve troops a ways off in the trees that she could see. Some of them were attending to fallen comrades while the rest watched and waited patiently for a signal from their obvious leader. That brought her to the only real threat she could see; the man standing before them.

"Why are you here, Enishi?" Kenshin asked. It was a fairly reasonable question, Kaoru thought. A man deserved to hear the reason behind any attack on his person, however trivial. Apparently Enishi didn't think the same.

His face twisted into a snarl, "Don't patronize me. I am here to make you answer for your crimes," his mouth lifted in a disturbing parody of a smile, "Battousai."

Battousai.

Kaoru felt the world fall away from her for a moment before righting itself with a lurch. The tip of her bokken wavered slightly with the shock as her world was tipped for at least the third time in the past week.

"Goddamnit, Saitou," Sanosuke's voice cut softly through the sudden silence. Kaoru heard it over the loud drumming of her heart as she drew in wavering gasps of air through her nose. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she slowly turned her head to her Prince.

He met her gaze unflinchingly, his blue eyes burnished with a hint of gold. For a perfect moment they stared at each other and time seemed to stand still. Everything Kaoru knew about him crowded for attention in her mind's eye. All the looks, small touches, smiles and laughter. Then, all the moments of cold fury, the blue edged stares, the silent brooding as he pulled away from her and the world.

Kenshin was the Hitokiri Battousai. The Prince of their land was the dreaded shadow assassin, doing the dirtiest of strategic purging as the country had been ripped by war. No wonder his identity had been kept in such shadow. No wonder the scar…

He was… The man she was in love with was the Battousai. This was his big secret that she hadn't been allowed to know. The thing that the damn Wolf was so sure she couldn't understand, would break loyalty over. Well damn right she would when they'd waited until she was in the middle of a battlefield to tell her. She was the escort to possibly the most dangerous man in history. She'd slept in the same room with him, he'd held her to her bed in the predawn hours, he'd been there, constantly within reach everyday since she'd arrived.

"Was he like what people say?"

"He was… detached. He had put his heart aside to fulfill his duty,"

She closed her eyes as the memory washed over her. She could still hear him breathing as he'd stared at the sword in his lap, his face shuttered and drawn.

He was the Battousai. Fine. He was also Kenshin. Battousai was the title for a duty that needed filling during a time of violence and darkness. He'd taken that duty as the Prince of his country. He'd taken the largest burden upon his shoulders because it was his to carry. And it still haunted him.

But…

That didn't change the fact that she'd been kept in the dark. If he'd been anyone other than Kenshin, she could have been in mortal danger and blind to the fact. She had fulfilled her duty, but without being properly warned. An escort was a very intimate role to fulfill, and they'd been grossly negligent.

"I'm your escort," she whispered accusingly, breaking the silence that had settled over the field.

Enishi roared with laughter, "You didn't tell her, did you? I suppose that was wise since your last girl was such a spectacular disaster, but how ironic. She looked ready to spill her pathetic little life for you up until a moment ago."

"Shut up. SHUT UP!" Sanosuke roared, taking a predatory step forward. Soujiro caught his arm, hauling him back in a surprising show of strength.

For Kaoru it was all background noise as she continued to stare at Kenshin. He wouldn't look away, she realized. He wasn't denying what he was, nor was he apologizing for it. She could respect that and didn't except him to. She understood.

But he also wasn't apologizing for keeping it from her and it twisted in her gut like a burning knife.

"Do not blame him," an unexpected voice caught her attention. She stared at Saitou in surprise. His gaze was trained on the soldier in front of him and for a moment she wondered if he'd actually spoken.

"I value Saitou's opinion and his loyalty. I wouldn't jeopardize that by throwing the weight of my title around."

She returned her gaze to Kenshin sadly. No, he didn't have anything to apologize for, did he. It had been Saitou's call, and now the Wolf was even taking responsibility for his error.

"I'm sorry," the Prince said suddenly.

Kaoru blinked, her eyes sharpening and roaming over his face. His jaw was set and grim, but the apology was real in his eyes, even as scary as they were at the moment.

She smiled, "I understand," and nodded. The group seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief.

"I told you she would," Sanosuke muttered, pride shining in his eyes for his little sister. Kaoru grinned at him and then at Kenshin. They should have known better. But boys could be notoriously stupid, so she'd forgive them this once.

Behind her, Enishi snarled.

"You stupid girl, how can you just forgive him like that?" he drew his sword in a liquidly violent movement, "He's a murdering hypocrite. He carries a reverse blade like it can atone for all the lives he so casually destroyed."

"I protect this peace that I helped forge," Kenshin shot back coldly. It sounded like an old argument. "I have cast aside a killing sword and protect those around me as well as I can with this," he indicated his reverse blade before sliding it into its sheath and taking a prepared stance.

"You did not protect my sister," Enishi accused, his voice taking on a sing-song cadence. Kaoru felt her skin prickle in response. "You stole her from me! You destroyed her happiness! You destroyed her!" his voice rose wildly, echoing through the trees. Kaoru stumbled back a step at the force of his words, looking to Kenshin for some sort of denial. There was no excuse for killing a woman. She wouldn't have fallen on an assassin's list.

He stared ahead stonily, his jaw clenched in anger. She fought to stay still. She wanted so desperately to tug on his hair, to yank his face to her, to force him to deny what Enishi was saying or at least explain.

There had to be an explanation. Her brain clung to that certainty like a lifeline. It was Kenshin. Of course there was a reason behind whatever Enishi was talking about. She steeled herself and forced her gaze back out onto the field. This was as much of a test of her trust and loyalty as the revelation that he was the Battousai. She wouldn't fail him now. She would hold off judgment until she knew exactly what the circumstances were. And she would know the circumstances. She would beat them out of his little red head if she had to.

She felt the minute relaxation beside her as she resumed her defensive posture against the enemy. Apparently she had the Prince's gratitude for this blind leap of faith. Damn right she had his gratitude, the secretive jerk.

A small movement caught her eye and she flinched.

She glanced up to the trees, expecting to see a bird or squirrel. The breath in her lungs froze when she saw. She didn't even make a conscious decision, she just moved.

The look on Kenshin's face was classic as he caught her slumping body in his arms. She smiled up at him, feeling a sort of coldness spread down her back and through her body.

"Kaoru," his voice was muffled and far away. She watched him from the end of a long tunnel as he carefully lowered them to a sitting position. Her breath was coming out in short pants and she pressed her forehead against his chest as the pain seeped in with the cold.

"I did it," she whispered to him and she felt his body jolt against her in surprise, "I protected you."

"Yes," he sounded desperate and she was vaguely aware of a horrible din of noise surrounding them. She didn't pay attention, the colors beyond the red of his hair blurring together into grays. She lifted her head to look at him and was surprised by how much effort it took. The frown on his face was equally surprising. She touched the downturned lips with cold fingers.

"Don't be angry," she pleaded. Why wasn't he happy? She'd succeeded. He was safe. The prophecy had been fulfilled and now she could relax and go home. But first, a good nap sounded nice. She was so tired suddenly.

"Ms. Kaoru, please stay awake," he pleaded with her, clutching her limp body to him. She smiled as she felt the steady beat of his heart against her cheek, but it melted away sadly as she compared it to her own slowing one.

The old bag had been right; her naivety had brought the disaster back down on her. She should have remembered the archer in the trees. Now Kenshin would be sad, just like in her dream. She was falling, pain ripping through her chest in time with her heart beat. And she was so cold, the only warmth she could feel in the body hugging her close and the trickle of liquid down her back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her hand clutching weakly at his shirt before she finally froze.

A/N: DRAMA!!! With a capital D! Where did this come from? It's like "Ooh, fluffy story, la-la-la-BAM!" And then this tripped out prophecy? What the hell is going on?! Mmm… guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter, eh? And, no, this isn't the end. Not quite *cough* Ahem. Hope you're enjoying this so far. Don't forget to tell me what you think!