Subject: [KFFDISC] "Love and Duty" - Chapter 6
    Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 15:19:44 +0800
    From: " Megan Lavey" <dqbunny@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: kffdisc@nabiki.com
      To: kffdisc@nabiki.com


For those of you who are just joining us,
last year a romance novel of the fairy tale,
"The Wild Swans" was put out. For those of you
not familiar with the tale, it is the story of
how a princess must knit shirts out of nettles
for her 12 brothers who have turned into swans.
She must remain silent the entire time. During
this time, a handsome king comes along and falls
for the princess. He takes her home and marries
her. Things proceed from there....

I would like to give special thanks to Makyra
and to Sailor Elysia, both who are my pre-readers
for my Kenshin stories. They both are wonderful
inspirations to me and they write great fics as
well. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful
reviews! Some authors I truly love have written,
such as Calger459 and Zosocrowe, but everyone
has written very special reviews. Thank you
all!

"Love and Duty"
by DQBunny

DISCLAIMER: "Rurouni Kenshin" is owned by
Nobuhiro Watsuki. The romance novel form of "The
Wild Swans" is owned by Kate Holmes. All
royalities go to them, I'm just a humble fanfic
writer.

******

Chapter 6

Kaoru pressed her ear against the door until she
heard two pairs of footsteps head away from the
door. She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking
the gods that she had been able to come up with
such a quick distraction for Kenshin and Misao.
She faced her window once more. "They're gone
now, Hannya-kun," she said.

A masked man wearing the Oniwabanshu uniform
appeared behind the window pane. Kaoru rushed
to the window and released the latch so he could
enter. He leaped nimbly through the small
opening in the window and lowered himself to one
knee before his empress. "Tokugawa has been
sighted," Hannya said. "He has a familiar
companion."

"Megumi-san I take it," Kaoru replied, waving
her hand so Hannya would rise. "I'm not
surprised. The woman craves power."

Hannya rose. "It's not just power she's craving,
but a marriage for you."

Kaoru let out a very un-empresslike snort.
"They've tried to hand me over to Tokugawa
before. They couldn't when I was just a mere
child, who thinks they can do so now?"

Hannya frowned. "It's more serious than that.
Take a look, Hime-sama," he said, pushing back
the draperies to expose the entire view the
window offered. "Look out there, at the hills.
Tell me what you see."

Kaoru approached the window and squinted at the
hills. Faintly mixing in with the horizon, she
saw plumes of smoke drifting upward. "It looks
like there's some sort of camp going on out
there."

Hannya nodded. "Not just a camp. Soldiers, all
loyal followers of the bakufu. Tokugawa has
been recruiting them ever since your father
passed away. Your actions in Hokkaido were the
final straw for him."

Kaoru gripped the draperies, her hands shaking
violently. She took several deep breaths,
willing herself to remain calm. "I take it that
if I do not agree to the shogun's request for
marriage that these troops will attack Edo
Castle," she whispered.

"There's more," Hannya said, "Tokugawa has a
loyal follower, Shishio Makoto. Shishio has
gathered an army of asassins ready to attack
Kyoto at the shogun's command. Not only will
Edo be attacked, but Kyoto as well."

Kaoru closed her eyes. "If both Kyoto and Edo
are attacked, there is nothing to stop the
shogun from assuming the role of emperor
completely," she said. "Kyoto is the historic
capital of Japan while Edo is the current. Gods
forbid the devestation that will occur if both
shall fall." She glanced at Hannya. "How do
our own troops stand?"

"Most of them are in the area around Edo Castle.
The Oniwabanshu themselves are in the keep. I
will alert the okashira myself once our
conference is done."

"Is there any way we can move some troops to
Kyoto?"

"Not without Tokugawa knowing. He will be aware
of our plans then."

Kaoru silently swore, then released the
draperies. She started pacing the length of the
room. "I suppose the best thing to do is to
marry the shogun, I take it."

"It would prevent a war, Hime-sama."

Kaoru stopped pacing and stared at Hannya. "I
can't do that," she replied. "The outcome stays
the same no matter what I do. If I marry him,
he assumes the throne. If I don't marry him,
he'll attempt to assume the throne." She balled
her hands into fists. "Hannya, get Misao and
Himura Kenshin. He's a guest staying in the
west wing. Send them to the north tower of the
gate immediately. I will join them there."

Hannya bowed and immediately shimmered from
sight. Kaoru walked back to the window and
slammed her fist against the glass. "I refuse
to allow you to control me, damn it," she
growled to the lines of smoke on the edge of the
horizon. "You may get my throne, but you won't
have it without a fight, Tokugawa."

*****

Even in swan form, Saitou Hajime knew when
something was up. The tenseness surrounding the
household was one key element. The fact that he
saw an odd man enter the empress's office was
another. He took the opportunity and flew to a
ledge above the office. Craning his neck
slightly, he could see Kaoru's reactions to the
man's news, plus every word they said thanks to
the open window.

Saitou flew to the castle's shrine and found
Aoshi busy with his meditation. He prodded the
swan until Aoshi opened one of his eyes, gave
Saitou an evil glare, then went back to
meditating.

Saitou shook his head, then promptly bit Aoshi's
wing.

Aoshi cried out in surprise and flew into the
air, snarling at his brother. Saitou sighed and
pointed toward the sky with his wing. He soared
into the air and Aoshi followed.

The two swans flew toward the line of soldiers
Hannya pointed out to Kaoru. They landed on a
small lake near the largest tent just as Megumi
emerged, straightening her kimono. A large man
exited behind her, fixing his own clothes.

Aoshi gave Saitou a questioning look, and he
nodded in response. Although it was difficult,
he managed to work his beak so he could mouth
the name of the man to Aoshi - Tokugawa
Yoshinobu.

"Look," Megumi said, pointing to the swans.
"Swans. How odd. Seems my life is filled with
the damned creatures lately." The swans
bristled at her words.

Tokugawa laughed. "From your stories, it seems
like our dear empress has taken one step closer
to the edge of sanity by taking in that ruffian
and those pets of his."

Saitou smirked. Ruffian, yes, he would think
Kenshin that. Especially after the way he had
kicked him earlier. But them as pets? Not over
his dead body. He'd rather face a life in Hell
than be Kenshin's "pet."

Megumi laughed with him. It died away as she
gazed off toward the horizon. She could see the
towers of Edo Castle in the distance. She
shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Are you sure this is the only way," she asked,
softly. "Somehow, this doesn't feel right."

Tokugawa placed his hands on Megumi's shoulders.
"As I told you, a young woman needs guidance.
You said that yourself when seeking a husband
for the empress. It takes a man to rule a
country and keep invaders out. If Kaoru-sama
will not listen to reason, I must take control
by force. We can not allow the Americans to see
a disjointed country when they arrive. Only a
man will have the power to turn them back."

"Yes...but, I still think attacking Edo Castle
is going too far," Megumi replied. "It's my
home too, and Kaoru doesn't deserve to be
attacked."

"Megumi. The empress will not allow that to
happen. She will probably surrender herself to
me once the troops are in sight." Tokugawa
placed a couple fingers under Megumi's chin and
tipped her face up toward his. "She doesn't
know about the troops, therefore when she sees
them coming, she'll panic. She'll do anything
for the welfare of her people. Trust me."

Megumi nodded. He let his hand drop and he
brushed a kiss against her cheek. "Good. Now,
we must be on our way to Edo. By tomorrow
morning, I shall be the emperor of Japan. And
you, my dear, shall once more be the emperor's
courtesan." Tokugawa gave her a sly smile and
slipped away to talk to his soldiers.

Megumi hugged herself once more. Out on the
pond, Saitou and Aoshi shared a long look, then
immediately took to the air. They flew east
until the camp could no longer be seen, then
headed south toward Edo Castle.

*****

Kenshin walked swiftly across the courtyard
toward the tower that Kaoru had wanted him to
come to. He noticed a small crowd gathered
around the base of the tower. His eyes
narrowing, his hand moved to his sakaba's hilt
as he approached the group of people.

A few feet away from the tower, in a small patch
of shade, Kaoru stood talking to several people.
Lines of tension were etched around her eyes and
lips, but the smile she gave the people was
geninue. As he got closer, he could hear what
she was saying to the people.

"I understand your grievance with the tax,
Yoshio-san," Kaoru was saying. "But, in order
to make the improvements on the post roads, we
must have the money come from somewhere. I know
that instead of lining the pockets of the
government, your money is being put to good use.
After all, you merchants must utilize the post
roads in order to transport your goods."

"Yes, but it's worthless unless we're allowed to
use wheels on the roads," Yoshio replied. "I'm
a cloth merchant, I can only haul so much by man
and horse. Surely you can discuss this with the
shogun."

Kaoru's voice grew soft. "I'm sorry, the shogun
doesn't find it necessary to listen to me," she
admitted. "But, I do know a few people who will.
Thank you for addressing your concerns with me,
Yoshio-san. Who else has a problem they would
like me to address?"

A middle-aged woman stepped forward and Kaoru
focused her entire attention on her. Kenshin
watched as Kaoru listened to the woman, her eyes
meeting the woman's, not avoiding them. She
nodded and offered words of wisdom for the
woman's problems.

"Ah, Kaoru's doing one of her Audience Days
again, isn't she?" Misao said. Kenshin startled,
then looked to find the young okashira standing
beside him. Misao smiled at him. "An Audience
Day is something that Kaoru's father started.
He invited people from all over Japan to come
and share their problems. However, the shogun
usually attended and it only served to make
things worse. So, the days stopped. However,
Kaoru took things in her own hands and actually
went to the people. To most people, Kaoru looks
just like a friendly young woman. It's easy to
talk to her about their problems."

Kenshin and Misao watched as Kaoru picked up a
young girl, who clutched a broken doll. "It's
amazing," Misao said. "Most of the people know
that Kaoru can't actually change the way things
work, but she is someone who actually listens.
The bakufu certainly doesn't. That Yoshio-san
who was talking to her earlier is a prime
example. His silk business could flourish if
the shogun lifts the wheel ban on the Tokaido
and other post roads. A lot of these people
want Kaoru to take the reins of government back
from the bakufu."

Kenshin smiled as Kaoru produced a few sweets
from her kimono sleeve and hand them to the
little girl. She spoke to a servant who huddled
behind them and instructed him to get the child
a new doll. Having the monarchy restored in
Japan would definitely work things out for the
better, he knew deep inside that it wouldn't
occur without war. The Tokugawa would not take
kindly to the empress demanding her power back
at all.

Kaoru spotted them and gave them a tired smile.
Kenshin smiled back, but couldn't help feeling
sorry for Kaoru. She was trying to take
everyone's problems on her shoulders, yet it
look like she had few people to turn to so she
could unburden herself. He quietly moved to her
side, hovering inches away from her left
shoulder.

Kenshin noticed the tension in Kaoru's shoulders
ease slightly, even though she did not
acknowledge his presence. She kept addressing
her citizens with him by her side, also
listening to their problems. As the list of
complaints grew, Kenshin began to think of what
he had heard about European nations.

Despite the ban against contact with most of the
world outside of Japan, Hiko had made a few
friends, mainly Dutch, who kept him informed on
situations in Europe, Asia and North America.
Hiko had told Kenshin how the British colonists
in America revolted against their king and
declared themselves a democracy. France
followed suit, and the idea seemed to be gaining
popularity in the western world. The idea
behind a government similiar to the United
States would prevent one person from having all
of the power.

Some people hinted that if there was a
revolution, then they could get rid of both the
bakufu and the monarchy completely and establish
a government based on the Americans. A
government like that could work well in a large
country like the United States, but not here,
Kenshin thought. But, a modified system would
work, one that would give people a say in how
the country is run. At the head would be the
monarch. If the monarch was a just ruler, such
as Kaoru, then Japan would flourish.

"Kenshin?"

Kenshin blinked, then noticed that Kaoru had
taken hold of his arm. She smiled at him.
"Come on, I'm finished," she said. "I want to
talk to you and Misao-chan."

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru and Kenshin looked toward the main gates
of the castle. A pale Megumi hurried toward
them, her hair disheveled and clothes mussed.

"Megumi-san!" Kaoru rushed to Megumi's side and
immediately grabbed the woman's arm. "Are you
sick? We must send for Gensai-sensei. He's
over in the castle clinic right now."

"What does the whore want?" Misao asked,
approaching them, her hands behind her back.

Kaoru scowled at her. "Misao-chan!"

"Hey, I'm just saying what everyone else is
thinking," Misao replied. She pulled her hands
out, her kunai perched between her fingers.
"Tell me why I shouldn't throw you out now,
Tokugawa's slut?"

Kaoru gasped. Kenshin noticed a flash of white
in the air, then saw Aoshi settle to the ground
a few feet away from them. Aoshi nodded in
agreement to Misao's statement, jerking his head
toward Megumi for emphasis.

Megumi brushed Kaoru's hand from her and pulled
herself together. "I won't lie to you, I am the
shogun's consort," she admitted. "And, I am
here on his behalf to express a message."

"Traitor!" Misao screamed. She started toward
Megumi, but was suddenly pulled back. Misao
looked behind her to see the blue-eyed swan from
the shrine had grabbed hold of her uniform with
his beak and was hauling her away from Megumi.

"Let go of me!" Misao cried, trying to pull out
of Aoshi's grasp. The swan kept pulling harder.

"Misao-chan, stop," Kaoru ordered. "Let's hear
the message Megumi-san has to bring."

"Thank you," Megumi said, pushing her hair out
of her face. "The message is this, the shogun
will arrive at Edo Castle tomorrow morning. If
you are not prepared to marry him by then, he
will launch a full-scale attack on Edo."

Everyone fell still at Megumi's words. Only
Kaoru and the swan didn't seem surprised at what
she had to say. Misao's kunai dropped from her
grasp. Kenshin's violet eyes widened with shock,
then narrowed with anger.

"There's more. If you fail to surrender, an
attack on Kyoto will be launched at the same
time," Megumi continued.

"Kyoto!" Misao gasped. "Kami-sama...Jiya! The
Aoiya!"

"Is that all you have to say?" Kaoru asked,
calmly.

"Yes. I await your reply," Megumi bowed
slightly.

"You await your death, you monster!" Misao
scooped up her kunai and prepared to attack.
This time, Kenshin raced over and restrained the
Oniwbanshu leader.

Megumi gazed sadly at Misao. "Not a monster,"
she whispered. "Just someone who made some bad
mistakes for the good of her country."

Everything clicked in Kaoru's mind. The husband
hunts and this betrayal. Megumi-san wants this
country to be guided by whom she thinks is the
strongest, she thought. All of the men she
hand-selected for me were allied with the shogun.
Perhaps her coming across my father wasn't an
accident after all. Maybe...maybe his death
wasn't either.

Kenshin noticed when Kaoru started to shake. He
let go of Misao and rushed to her side. Not
knowing what else to do, he wrapped an arm
protectively around her waist. She gave him a
shaky smile.

Kaoru inhaled deeply several times, then managed
a wan smile at Megumi. "Please, tell the shogun
that he will have his answer in the morning.
However," she added, her eyes growing hard.
"Once you leave this castle, you may never enter
it again. This is no longer your home, and you
are considered my enemy, Takani Megumi. That is
the choice you made, not in these past few days,
but a long time ago when you chose to be the
shogunate's spy in the palace."

Misao gasped. Kenshin's grip on Kaoru tightened.
The empress kept going. "I only allow you safe
passage so my message will be relayed. But,
swear it upon the gods, you are now wanted for
the death of my father, the emperor of Japan.
>From tomorrow morning on, the penality upon your
head is death. I shall personally see to it
that you are hunted down and die every inch the
horrifying death my father had."

Kaoru pulled herself from Kenshin's embrace and
pulled a dagger from her obi. She grabbed
Megumi's hand and slashed the back of it. "No
matter what you do, or how you disguise yourself,
you will always have that. I better not find
out you've committed seppeku either. You don't
deserve such an easy way out. Now go, before I
decide to let Misao turn you into a pincushion."

Megumi snatched her hand away from Kaoru's.
"You can't prove it," she whispered.

"Maybe not. But, exposing you for the fraud you
were has allowed a lot of missing pieces of the
puzzle to fall into place. And, they point
straight toward you." Kaoru whirled around and
marched toward the castle. "Misao, escort her
out."

"My pleasure," Misao grabbed Megumi's arm and
hauled her toward the gates. At the entrance,
she yanked her to a stop and whipped out a kunai.
She pressed the sharp edge to the woman's throat.
"You're mine and mine alone," she growled. "I
will make you pay for everything you've done to
hurt the empress. Just remember this, no matter
where you go or what you do, Machimaki Misao
will be one step behind you." Misao pushed
Megumi out of the gates.

Megumi watched, tears in her eyes as the gates
slammed shut on her. She trudged down the road
toward the shogun's camp, the tears now falling
unchecked as she walked. "I'm sorry, Kaoru,"
she whispered. "I wish...I wish I had it to do
all over again. But, I made my choice and so be
it. Japan will benefit in the long run from my
actions, I'm sure of it!"

*****

"So, that's why you wanted to see us," Misao
said. She and Kenshin stood in Kaoru's private
chambers, watching as the empress paced the
length of her fireplace.

"Yes. Hannya had informed me of the shogun's
plans. I've been thinking about them for
awhile," Kaoru replied.

"You're not going to marry the bastard, are
you?" Misao asked.

Kaoru stopped pacing and gave Misao a sad smile.
"It seems like there's no other way."

"Yes, there is! You can stand and fight!"
Misao's hands curled into fists.

"Even if I reject him, he can still force a
marriage," Kaoru said.

Kenshin sank into one of the chairs, feeling
immensely tired. He admired the strength Kaoru
was showing. Any other woman he knew would have
crumpled when faced with so many problems. Yet,
the toll of remaining calm was taking effect on
her body. Kaoru had eaten little of the lunch
Tae had sent up and she was still shaking.

"So, your answer is?" Misao asked.

Kaoru whirled around to face them, determination
shining in her eyes. "We're going to fight, of
course. Hannya is trying to alert as many
troops as possible. I'm sorry to have left you
out of this, Misao-chan, but I didn't want to
risk anyone knowing before I could talk to you
in private. We may go down, but we'll go down
fighting."

"What about the marriage?" Misao asked.

Yes, Kenshin thought. What about the marriage?
The possiblity was still there that Tokugawa
could kidnap Kaoru and still force a marriage,
even if the monarchy, the Imperalists, turned
out to be the victors. Then, they would be
right back at square one.

"I've thought about that," Kaoru replied. "Even
if we won, if somehow Tokugawa managed to force
marriage on me, it wouldn't matter. Under the
law, he would have control. But, he can't force
a marriage if I'm already married."

"Huh?" Misao asked. "But, you're not married,
Kaoru."

Kaoru ignored Misao as she turned around and
approached Kenshin. His eyes widened and his
heartbeat nearly doubled as the empress dropped
to her knees before him. Misao's last statement
rang in his mind as Kaoru reached out and took
his roughened hand in both of her smooth ones.

Kaoru bent as low as she could while still
holding his hand. "Himura Kenshin, would you do
me the honor of marrying me?"

Megs
*******
dqbunny@simplecom.net
AIM: MegsLeigh
http://www.wishing-blue.net/dreamweaver
--