♦⊱ Chapter 22 - Waking Up ⊰♦

This chapter is dedicated to Kira_xx! Happy reading!

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Kichiro pov:

My fists clenched tightly in annoyance, I walked to my chambers. It had been two days since I had brought Ruka back to the palace and she hadn't woken from her sleep. The royal doctor had said that she was exhausted and needed to rest, that she would probably remain sleeping for a few days but I was frustrated by her taking so long to wake.

I wanted to know what she meant when she had said that she loved me. I wanted to kiss again, I wanted to experience those strange, overwhelming feelings...why was she still unconscious?!

"My Lady, you're awake!" I heard her personal maid exclaim just as I reached the doors of my chambers. She had been with Ruka, tending to her for the past two days and I halted at the doors as she continued to speak, "How do you feel, My Lady?"

Ruka was sitting up and had a hand pressed to the side of her head. She was frowning deeply with her eyes closed when she answered, "I feel horrible..."

I frowned but relaxed when the maid held out a glass for Ruka to take, "Here, My Lady, drink some water. It might help ease your head ache."

"Thank you, Kyo chan," Ruka replied, taking the glass with a smile. She drank all of it in one go and sighed, leaning back against the pillows the maid had stacked behind her back.

"My Lady, may I ask what happened? I heard you were kidnapped..."

"I was...and I ran away," she answered. I narrowed my eyes, feeling rage stir within me. Was everything that she had said when she held me in the rain a lie?

"I...I don't understand," said the maid.

"I was kidnapped by a group of people from an organization standing up against Kichiro sama – they took me to their hideout as a prisoner because I'm an ally of Kichiro sama. I thought that I was going to be harmed or, in worst cases, killed by them but...I reunited with a friend."

"A friend, My Lady? An enemy is your friend?" pressed the maid.

I narrowed my eyes, confused by her words. She sounded so contradicting now...but her answer cleared the confusion I had. "Yes, before Kichiro sama first brought me here, I used to live in a village dojo with a friend named Tomoki. I thought he was dead but I saw him in the rebel organization's hideout," said Ruka. "He's alive and the leader of the Red Eagle's Organization that is fighting against Kichiro sama."

I felt irked by what I heard. That brat...I thought I had killed him that day. He had survived like the cockroach he was and now stirring trouble. If he thought that his organization would be able to deal with me so easily, he was wrong.

The expression of annoyance that came to Ruka's face suddenly intrigued me. "And, can you believe it? He asked me to marry him! No, he didn't ask me, he ordered me to marry him. He even shackled me when he figured out that I tried to escape! I'm so grateful to Akari for helping me escape before something terrible happened. Anyway, that topic aside, how long was asleep?"

"Two days, My Lady," said the maid. "You were very exhausted and it looked like you were having nightmares. You were groaning and flinching in your sleep often."

Ruka shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. She shut her eyes and mumbled, "I hate thunderstorms..."

Having stalled enough, I stepped into my chambers and walked to Ruka. The maid stood and bowed deeply in greeting. Ruka met my gaze and stood rather hurriedly. She stumbled and nearly collapsed immediately, though the maid caught her while exclaiming in worry. Ruka laughed softly and pushed away from the maid to stand on her own, though still a little wobbly.

"I-It looks like I'm still a little tired," Ruka said, fidgeting slightly.

"Leave," I said to the maid. She bowed before excusing herself, closing the door of my chambers as she left. I narrowed my eyes at Ruka who continued to fidget nervously under my stare without meeting my eyes.

Ruka pov:

I felt so awkward at the moment and I could do nothing more that fidget under Kichiro sama's stare. He was silent, which made things even more awkward.

The main reason for this incredible awkwardness was that I vaguely remembered that I had confessed to Kichiro sama that I loved him. I had even kissed him. Seriously, how could I have done that?! How could I have been so embarrassing?! How on earth was I supposed to look at his face after kissing him out of the blue like that?! He probably thought I was crazy!

"Ruka," he said, making me tense. I chewed on my bottom lip as I met his gaze through my lashes.

He seemed curious instead of scrutinizing – it was odd. He always watched every move I made even though he never judged me or told me to change my behavior in any way. His curiosity today though was...odd.

He held out his hand for me to take. I stared at it for a moment instead of taking it which made him narrow his eyes. I blushed at the thought that went through my mind and I met his gaze while clearing my throat, "Um, c-could you please hold your hand up so I can see your palm?"

He narrowed his eyes further but complied with my request. I reached for his hand, my heart picking up speed. I hesitated a moment but linked our fingers together. My blush darkened but I smiled at the flutters I felt in my stomach. My hand was small and delicate in his, and our hands fit perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle. Holding his hand this way felt special, more loving and...as if we were equal in a way.

I met his eyes but averted them almost immediately in fluster. I was almost sure that Kichiro sama could hear just how fast my heart was beating but he neither said anything nor moved in any way. It was after a moment of silence that he bent his fingers, pressing our hands together to hold mine in a firm hold. I met his eyes then, we held each other gazes silently.

He opened his mouth to speak but was stalled by a sharp knock on the door. I felt flustered and attempted to pull out of holding hands but Kichiro sama didn't allow that. He only gave the person who had knocked permission to enter. Kijima san walked in and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty, the officials wish to congratulate Ruka sama on her safe return."

I frowned ever so slightly – I had never met any officials before but I suppose I was well known enough for them to wish to speak to me. I didn't know what to expect in this sudden meeting with them though. I was nervous.

Kichiro sama tugged me to follow him at that, our arms in a weird angle thanks to the way we had interlocked our fingers. It was uncomfortable for both of us, which Kichiro sama too realized soon, and so, he let go of my hand only for a moment to hold it properly and pull me behind him again.

It was no later that we stepped into a large hall, the throne room actually, where more than a dozen people had gathered. As Kichiro sama and I walked to the throne on the elevated platform at the far end of the hall, the people on either side of the red carpet on which we walked bowed deeply in respect. When we had climbed the three steps of the platform, Kichiro sama took a seat and curtly pulled me into his lap soon after. He wrapped an arm around my waist to hold me in place while I squirmed, uncomfortable under the numerous eyes that were fixated on us.

"What is it?" Kichiro sama demanded. I shivered at the vibration I felt on my back when he had spoken but said nothing.

"We wished to welcome back Lady Ruka to the palace, congratulate her on her safe return, Your Majesty," one of the men spoke, his eyes on the floor.

"U-um, thank you," I responded when Kichiro sama didn't, "I really appreciate your concern."

Kichiro sama's grip on my middle tightened and I clenched my fists at the rather skeptical stares the ministers were now giving me. I wondered if I had said anything wrong, or perhaps spoken out of turn when Kichiro sama should have been the one to answer. I lowered my gaze whilst chewing on my lip but tensed when Kichiro sama took a hold of my chin, turned my head, and placed his lips on mine. I was not only shocked at his sudden gesture but also incredibly flustered for being kissed in front of so many people who had already begun to whisper amongst each other.

I reacted impulsively. I shoved Kichiro sama slightly, got up, and sprinted out of the throne room while covering my lips that tingled. I heard Kichiro sama calling after me, anger apparent in his voice, but I didn't turn back or stop running for even a moment until I reached our room.

Kichiro pov:

"Ruka! Ruka!" I yelled, angry as she ran out of the throne room after rejecting me. I had had the sudden urge to kiss her, for I had been wishing to do that since she returned to the palace...but how dare she reject me! How dare she push me away and run away from me after she had said she loved and kissed me first!

"Kijima, bring me my whip! I must show her that she is not to disobey me ever again!" I bellowed.

Kijima, however, stepped to me absolutely calm. He bowed and met my eyes, "Your Majesty, if I may, I wish to explain some things to you."

"What?" I hissed furiously. I was in mood to hear about giving her chances but Kijima was my most trusted minister and I only saw it fit to hear what he had to say.

"You mustn't be angry at her, Your Majesty, for she did not disobey you," he said, making me frown.

"She clearly disobeyed me – she did not return my gesture!" I spat but he only shook his head.

"Your Majesty, women are not comfortable sharing such gestures of love in the presence of others," he explained. "They feel shy and embarrassed. They see it as gestures that should be shared in private, not seen by others."

"Shy?" I questioned curiously, narrowing my eyes slightly in confusion.

"Yes, women feel self-conscious and timid in the matters of the heart. I'm sure Ruka sama too feels that way even though she was the one who first confessed her feelings for you. I would assume that holding hands is comfortable when in the presence of others, however, embracing and kissing would preferred to be shared when in private, when the two of you are alone. You can trust my words, Your Majesty, for they are from personal experience."

Kijima was smiling now while I pondered on what he had said. So, Ruka had not rejected but had become shy...it was hard for me to understand but I decided to trust his words for now.

Regarding my ministers with a nod in acknowledgment to their bows, I left the throne room and headed to my chambers. When I entered, I spotted Ruka standing near the sliding doors that opened to the private courtyard-garden. She had her hands near her chest and her cheeks were a dark shade of red. She didn't hear me approach and flinched when I stopped next to her. The color of her face seemed to darken when she met my eyes for a brief moment before she averted them to the side.

"I-I'm sorry, Kichiro sama," she mumbled, clenching her fists tighter over her chest.

I felt irked momentarily but calmed under the words that Kijima had told me. I decided to test it, to see if what he had said was true. I stepped closer to Ruka and held the side of her face with one hand. She met my gaze at that, not flinching when I narrowed my eyes. I glanced at her lips and she closed her eyes, as if waiting for me to kiss her. I placed my lips on hers and tensed as she closed the gap between us further, holding me as she responded without hesitance.

I closed my eyes as well and instinctively held her around her dainty waist. She was gripping my clothes with her fists but raised one hand to place it on my face. I opened my eyes, mildly startled by her gesture but noticed that her eyes remained closed. Her touch was gentle, soothing, and eased the uneasiness that had risen within me.

I was mildly startled again when she tilted her head sideways and pressed her lips against me a little harder than before. It felt overwhelmingly pleasant so I copied her action. She noticeably shivered, shifting her hand from my face to the back of my head. I momentarily though that she was trying to find my weak spot at the base of my neck to render me unconscious but she merely grasped my hair instead.

When we disconnected our lips, Ruka was breathing heavily. The color on her face that had diminished darkened again and she dropped her hands to my chest to grip my clothes again. She leaned forwards so her forehead rested on my chest. My heart was beating oddly fast and I couldn't look away from her.

"I love you, Kichiro sama," she mumbled, making me twitch. Yet again she had said that she loved me, rousing strange emotions within me, emotions that I didn't understand.

She moved away from me, seeming mildly nervous. She fumbled with the hem of my kimono as she spoke, "I-I'm sorry I ran away. I was just-"

"Again," I interrupted.

She looked up at me curiously, "What?"

"Kiss," I said and she turned red again.

However, she smiled a smile that seemed much more affectionate that any of the smiles she had given me before. Taking support with her hands still on my chest, she stood on her toes and let our lips touch while she kept her eyes closed. She pulled away sooner than I wished but embraced me with her arms around my shoulders. My mind lost focus momentarily and my chest constricted. I wrapped my arms around her though, once again following my instincts, to hold her firmly to myself while hunching slightly to make up for the difference in our heights.

She cradled my head with one hand as she had done when kissing me and spoke, "I promise I will never leave you again, Kichiro sama. I will always be with you...I love you."

Her words sent a wave of relief over me – it was strange yet satisfying. When she placed her lips on the side of my head, it increased the tensing of my chest, in return making me hold her tighter.

I could trust her words, couldn't I? She wouldn't end up like my family or anyone else and hate me, would she? Just the thought of that made my heart hurt, like it was being squeezed until it could no longer beat.

She said she loved me, she promised that she would be with me always, that she wouldn't leave me. She was genuine for she had returned to me even after she had got the best chance to escape and be with that brat from her village.

So, I could trust her like I trusted Kijima, right?

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Aww, we're getting to see a vulnerable side of Kichiro sama ^////^ Doesn't your heart just throb to love him?

Don't worry, Kichiro sama! You can definitely trust Ruka! ^^

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