To thoughtsofawanderer01208: Thank you for years of kindness and support for this story. It will not be as readable without you.

A.N.: It's been a long time but I'm back.

Chapter 26

The raven haired woman looked at the parade through her prison's black framed window.

"Long Live the King! Long Live the Queen! Long Live the Crown Prince!"

The people's screams exploded as the Queen of Hiten raised the three-year-old boy with her arms.

The storm of emotion swirled as people began to fall to their knees and chanted "Long Live the Crown Prince!" like a prayer.

The boy looked like a replica of the King with his crimson hair. He watched the prostrating people with curiosity. The child seemed to be unpertrubed.

"Hopefully he will be a strong warrior like his father," the guard outside her cell said. The woman thought that they were likely watching the parade while enjoying the warm sake distributed freely from the palace. She would love to drink some sake. It's stale and damp in her cell, even in this summer day.

"Our King had surpassed even his ancestors in uniting this continent. His son will surely be strong. The prince was born with noble blood from both sides. There is nothing to worry," said the other guard.

"Yes, I agree. His mother is exceptional. I must say that our queen is a lady beyond comparison. She was truly born to be a queen. I have never seen any woman as beautiful and intelligent as she is."

The woman looked at the royal family who were sitting in an open carriage. The queen's face was hidden by her silk veil. A little boy sat on her lap. The queen wore a red gown with the same shade of her child's hair.

"It should be as red as blood," the woman whispered. Like the blood of the children who were stabbed to death without mercy by the Hiten's soldiers.

The red head king was smiling toward his wife and son. He was embracing the queen with his right hand. It was the picture of a perfect family and she felt sick to her empty stomach.

He looked so handsome and strong. Full of pride and happiness, the woman thought with hatred. They were happy and she was the one who had to pay for their happiness.

She whispered curses. She cursed that the boy will soon die. Have the people of Hiten mourned the lost of their beloved heir.

She cursed the Queen. May sickness robs her beauty and youth and leave her body slowly decaying while she still lived.

She sent a special curse for the King. The man who had slaughtered her people. May he be captured by his enemy. May he be slowly tortured and humiliated. May he see the destruction and death of all which are valuable to him. May he die without any honor.

She laughed shrilly as she imagined the pain that the King will feel. 'He will feel all the pain of a forgotten man. He will beg for an immediate death and given only a very slow, painful one'.

Her chanted curses transformed into a dark vortex of smoke. Her blue eyes darkened as she watched the black smoke gathered and created a black cloud full of hatred.

"I call to the darkness of the seen and unseen

Take my soul and give me my revenge

May this black hatred destroy all that they love

Hell be their reality in this world and the next."

The woman laughed again before suddenly she screamed her anger and despair. Again she demanded that the darkness took her life and ended her misery.

The guards outside did not even scream at her to be silent anymore. The woman had long gone insane and screaming at her only tend to prolong her malady. In the end she will lose her energy and started to faint due to anger and hunger.

"It's a shame really that a woman as young as she ends up like that," said the guard who had complimented the queen.

"Indeed. I must confess I even thought of her as beautiful when she first came to this prison," said the other guard. "Now she is a living skull. After she died, I guess there will not even any flesh left to be consumed by the worms."

"It is a shame,but what did she expect when she disobeyed the King. She, a foreign lowly woman who was given the highest honor."

"But don't you think it's harsh that the King then ordered to kill almost half of her people. He burned the capital without mercy to any woman or child. I heard that she was also forced to see the executions of all her friends."

"Don't you know that she betrayed the king with one of her so called friends. I heard that the king personally mutilated her lover limb by limb in front of her."

"He should never marry that Kamiya woman. He should have just made Queen Tomoe as his first queen."

XXXX

Kaoru screamed so loud that her voice was already hoarse. She woke up alone in the darkness of her room. The young queen quickly lit up all the candles in her room.

Horrifying. Too cruel and too real.

"Never... never... I will never... He will never...," she kept on chanting. Her whole body trembled with fear.

She tried to clear her mind, said prayers yet fear still prevail. She did not want to be alone.

Before she realized it, she had walked through the secret tunnel and arrived in Kenshin's room. She did it guided by instinct and oddly it led her to the source of her fear.

Kenshin quickly woke up when he picked up the sound of her steps. He thought he was in a dream as he saw her in anguish.

"Please hold me," she said in a broken voice. Her sapphire eyes glistened with tears.

As his warm body enveloped her, Kaoru's felt as if an invisible rope had been cut from her chest. Strong, she thought. His protection shielded her from her nightmares

XXXX

In the bed, the king and the queen laid. He did not let go of his hold as Kaoru sobbed on his shoulder. Kenshin felt a bit guilty because a part of him enjoyed the predicament. It is the first time she had ever depended on him. Kaoru had always been strong. Too strong, he often thought, that it seemed she did not need him at all. So strong that he could not help himself but admire her.

"What is it Kaoru? Why do you cry?" he softly asked.

"I had a nightmare of becoming a prisoner," she said with incoherent voice.

Kenshin laughed inwardly. What made her ever think of that?

"You know I will never let that happened."

She stiffened in his embrace. The cruel fact was she did not believe him. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't.

"What is it Kaoru?"

"You were the one who imprisoned me."

Amber met sapphire and Kenshin felt as if he was stabbed as he looked at the fear and the pain in her eyes. He tightened his hold and softly kissed her forehead.

The man in love was mad. How could she ever think that he will ever hurt her when he only want to lay the world at her feet. The logical king could not be mad. After all, he did force her to marry him or to become his prisoner. The more he saw her point of view, the more he regretted his past actions.

"One day I will gain your trust and love Kaoru." his voice rang with sincerity and Kaoru felt her heart racing for reasons other than fear. His body so warm and strong with the scent of sandalwood. It did not take long before she fell asleep.

XXXX

The young queen woke up alone in the midday. Kaoru was relieved that he had gone away. It would be very awkward if she had to talk to him. She could not even understand why her first reaction was to come to his bed.

It was the second time she woke up in the royal chamber and she was alone once again. Kenshin had left a letter for her.

My love Kaoru,

I'm in my office doing paperworks for the whole day. If you want to, I could actually use the company.

Kaoru could not stop herself from smiling. Kenshin was definitely not a poet, but it was definitely an improvement than being left without any word after their wedding night.

Oddly, she could recall that night now with less resentment. It had been three months since their wedding day. To say that she had forgiven and forgotten would be a lie. However, as she learned more about him everyday, it's hard to be mad at him.

Intellectually, she could understand that he did nothing wrong in accordance with Hiten values. In Hiten, men can have multiple wives. They could change mistresses as fast as they could change their clothes. As revolting as it was, such men were praised for their 'virility'. She wanted to throw up whenever she thought of it.

Therefore, as painful as it was, she could not blame him for not abiding the Kamiya's values. To be truthful, even with the wonderful values of her nation, infidelities happened there too.

Then where did that leave her? She could not deny that he seemed very sincere.

She groaned as there were too many conflicting thoughts in her mind. Better use her time to do something useful.

XXXX

Lady Tsubame was a very attentive student. She was no genius, but she had carefully written all the things that Kaoru taught her. After she asked to become her pupil, Kaoru invited Lady Tsubame and her family to the palace. Of course, her invitation was gratefully accepted by the middle rank noble family.

"Why do you want to become a healer Tsubame?" she had asked.

"I... Your Majesty... If I may..."

"Stop being so formal. You can tell me."

"Your Majesty, my mother passed away after she birthed me."

It was Kaoru's turn to lose her words. She knew how hard it was not to have a mother, but at least her mother had been there in her early years.

"My nanny Sae told me that before she gave birth to me, my mother had a bad premonition. She paid a painter from Kamiya to paint her. I am grateful that at least I have her potrait. Not long after that, my father married my stepmother and then she gave birth to my half-brothers."

"Did she... Did your stepmother treat you badly?"

"Well, she is not my birth mother, Your Majesty. I cannot expect her to treat me like she treats her sons. She is not unkind," Tsubame answered diplomatically.

"I was raised by Sae. She was like a real mother to me. She was a very wonderful woman. However, about a year ago, she also died because of childbirth."

Kaoru was amazed by the way Tsubame talked. There were no tears in her eyes. Only determination. It is indeed true to say that gold is refined by fire.

XXXX

"What makes you think I will ever fulfill your demand?"

"You will do it if you want to win over Kaoru's heart."

"I have to gain my wife's love by following another man's orders?"

"Not merely an ordinary man, of course," the chicken head man said, "just the one more intelligent than you."

Amber eyes flashed dangerously.

"And... must I remind you that I'm her best friend and the one who know her best," said the not-so-idiot who just insulted the King of Hiten.

Kenshin sighed heavily. He did not like Sanosuke. If it was up to him, the man would be exiled out of the continent already. Kenshin had not reached the point where he wants to wipe out the insolent man, not that he was not tempted to do so.

"So you basically asked me to directly see the construction of the clinics which I had ordered," said Kenshin.

"Not as yourself of course. No one will ever show the truth to the king. You need to put some disguise. Your hair and eye color are too recognizable."

"So what disguise? As a clown maybe?" he asked sarcastically.

"That will draw too much attention. I am not sure if there is even a clown in this macho macho country. I suggest you disguise as a woman. You'll make a pretty one."

Kenshin glared murderously at him.

"On the other hand, you might be overly pretty and become a distraction."

"Are you tempting me to kill you?"

XXXX

Night time was a fearful time. The time when you could not run from your loneliness. Here she was, trying to sleep yet she could not.

She was so scared. Scared that the nightmare will appear once more. Could it all be real? Could she ever hate someone so deep that she was willing to curse a child to death?

People said that she was a kind woman yet there were times when she felt the darkness within her. There was a time when she wanted to know how it feels to become a killer. She had even touched the cold body of her own father with an odd curiosity.

If Kenshin killed all her friends, would she turned into that kind of woman?

"Kaoru"

"Kenshin, you frightened me. Why are you here?"

Kenshin smiled with fondness and sat next to her.

"I've been looking for you, but it seemed that you've been very busy."

"Yes. I taught Tsubame and then visited Lady Chiko."

"Lady Chiko? The sister of Minister Okubo?"

"Yes. Lady Chiko had been really supportive."

Kenshin was amazed.

"The iron lady herself?"

"Don't be like that. She might look stern but she is a good person."

"I do not doubt her virtue Kaoru. Merely to be truthful, many warriors feel intimidated around her, myself included."

Kaoru laughed with amusement and Kenshin was happy just to hear her melodious laughter.

"So, I assume you're better now?"

"Yes, I am. It was a silly nightmare anyway."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kaoru took her time to think of it. It might be better to tell him anyway, rather than feeling afraid of herself.

"Well, you essentially hurt me and imprisoned me and I became a witch that cursed you."

"You became a witch? I bet you became the eternally sexy young witch who cursed me to become an ugly frog," Kenshin laughed.

Kaoru threw a pillow at him.

"I'm serious. I was evil and ugly and not to mention dirty."

"I'm sorry Kaoru, but to think you're becoming an ugly witch was just... Well to be honest, even if you become a witch, you will likely be the beautiful ones. Like the one in the myth. The one that entrapped men, especially sailors with her beauty and voice."

"You mean the sirens who drown sailors and possibly eat them," Kaoru said sardonically.

He could not stop himself from laughing loudly, "It's always entertaining to speak with you Kaoru."

Kaoru laughed along with him. It was like the days before their wedding when they filled their days with laughter and flirting.

"Well... It's good to know that you're feeling better," he stood up and ready to return to his room.

"Wait..." Kaoru said.

"Will you... I mean it's hard for me to sleep. I'm so tired, but I don't know why I'm afraid to sleep."

His eyes softened and his heart raced. He wanted to jump with joy, but of course his ego was just too big to do so.

"If... if you're willing. It will be good if you can lie next to me until I fall asleep."

"Sure," he said.

"Well, tell me what you did all day long," Kaoru said as she closed her eyes.

Kenshin started to recount his activities that day. There was not a lot to be done. What he did was mostly paperworks. There were various proposals from trade companies. Several royal cousins had asked his permission to marry.

She fell into deep sleep, not long after Kensin talked. He kissed her forehead gently and stood up. He was tempted to sleep on the same bed with her. However, the trust between them was still too fragile.

He promised that the day will come when he could hold, touch, and kiss herto his heart's content. His feeling for her is a mix of protectiveness and possessiveness. She made him feel so many emotions, but never indifference. He's acting like a fool, but a happy fool nonetheless.

XXXX

AN:

To kokoronagomu: Saitou did believe that women are inferior to men. It's hard for him not to when everyone around him thought so. However, he is essentially a fair and logical man. When he found out about Tokio's abilities, he logically change his mind.

To InTermsICanUnderstand: Thank you for your reviews. I am trying to make the story as realistic as possible. I plan to make sad and happy events as parts on the ending. Though, mostly happy.

To ai: Yeah. Men are not the only ones that can be possesive. I really enjoy writing the transformation from a woman who always follow the society norms to the Tokio who know that she deserves the best.

To Devafiend: Thank you. This chapter are mostly about KaoKen. I hope you like it.

To karicasak: Kaoru isn't really sure whether she loves Kenshin. Kenshin, in the other hand, knows for sure that he loves her. Kaoru is growing to be more realistic while Kenshin is learning to take risks with his heart. Hopefully the story will flow naturally.

To pmaverick: Thank you. I just kept on getting idea for this couple. They will go behind the curtain for the next chapters but I will make sure that you won't miss them.

To Hekate Fortuna &Jenineji: Thank you. I feel great whenever I get a new reader. I hope you like this chapter

To Artistic Ane: Thank you. I went hiatus for several months but I decided that the story is my little way to bring a little happiness to others. Therefore, I continue.

To imtheoneandonly: Yes, the myth is my version of Ramayana. I really like Sita, she is a very strong woman.