♦⊱ Chapter 33 - Teaching You ⊰♦

Ruka pov:

I felt incredibly queasy for several minutes as we were transported to the Edo Period. When it quelled, I heaved and opened my eyes only to flinch at the sight in front of me. Bodies littered the ground around where we stood, large stains of sickening red everywhere. The queasiness returned and I bit the inside of my cheek while trying to push down the bile that rose to my mouth.

I gasped and stumbled as Kichiro sama shoved me behind him. It was followed by a loud clang sound that made me flinch. Looking out from behind Kichiro sama, I noticed that he had just blocked Tomoki's katana.

"Tomoki, what are you doing?!" I hollered but was ignored.

"Now that were back, I'm going to kill you, you b******, and take Ruka back! I will make her mine, as she always was supposed to be!" he bellowed.

The two of them broke into a violent battle while Kijima san came to protect me, having guided me to stand a few feet away from them. He had his katana unsheathed and darted his eyes around to make sure that we weren't suddenly attacked by anyone else. I too momentarily looked around, anxious, then glanced at Kichiro sama and Tomoki before I spoke up.

"Kijima san, what's going on here? Why are there so many people dead?" I asked, eyeing the bodies very uncomfortably.

"Soon after you left, Your Highness, war broke out. His Majesty was very angry because of what happened and with how the Red Eagles had managed to break into the palace, His Majesty announced the start of a war to conclude the wavering control of the provinces as well as any rebelling. Many lives were lost on both sides but even though the enemy had joined forces with the Red Eagles, they were no match for His Majesty. He has already won the war and become the Supreme Ruler of Nihon – all that is left is dealing with that b******, the leader of the Red Eagles."

My eyes were wide and my jaw slack at Kijima san's words. So much had happened in the six months I was away and the amount of gore around me was already pushing me to throw up everything I had eaten for dinner. I covered my mouth and shut my eyes to try and ease the nausea and desperately hoped that we would leave from here soon.

"Your Majesty!" Kijima san's voice laced with worry made me open my eyes and look at Kichiro sama.

My eyes widened, my heart threatening to burst out of my ribs at the sight of him down on one knee. He was breathing heavily and blood trickled down his chin. He was holding his wounded side that was bleeding, having opened from the rigorous movement. Tomoki's wound too bleeding but he was still standing.

Enraged, Kijima san lunged at Tomoki. Ignoring the fallen soldiers around me, I hurried to Kichiro sama's side. It had barely been a day since his wound had been treated. It was a severe wound, even worse than Tomoki's and it was a miracle that Kichiro sama was still standing, let alone fighting. Pushing himself had resulting in him coughing up blood now and I was worried that something really bad would happen if he continued to fight.

"Kichiro sama! Are you alright?!" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder as I kneeled next to him.

He didn't answer my question though. He wiped the blood off his chin with the back of his hand before standing up, staggering a little. I panicked and took a hold of his arm making him look at me.

"You shouldn't be moving around, Kichiro sama! Your wound has reopened! You're bleeding!" I hollered in worry.

He made me let go of him silently before lunging at Tomoki. His attack was so quick that I didn't even see what happened. Tomoki's sword was flying out of his hand the next moment and was lodged in the ground well out of his reach. Kichiro sama's blade was mere centimeters from Tomoki's throat and so was Kijima san's.

"Your Majesty! Kijima taichou!" we heard voices and I looked to the side at several soldiers who were hurrying to where we were. When they reached us, they surrounded Tomoki and, surprisingly, me as well while pointing their katanas at us.

"What are you fools doing?! Don't you dare point your blades at Her Highness, Ruka sama!" Kijima san barked angrily.

They gasped, eyeing my clothes oddly for a moment before moving their katanas away and getting down on one knee in respect.

"There's no escape this time, leader of the Red Eagles," Kijima san sneered and Tomoki glared back defiantly. He couldn't do anything though because it wasn't just Kichiro sama's blade that was dangerously close to his neck.

I shuffled past the soldiers to Kichiro sama, still worried about him. The whole of his left side was soaked in his blood now, making queasiness rise in me again. Just as I reached him, he swayed, dropped his katana to the ground with a clatter and fell back unconscious.

"Kichiro sama!" I shrieked and caught him, his back against my chest. He was heavy and I sunk to the ground under the weight while cradling his head against my neck and shoulder. Kijima san hollered as well and kneeled next to me while looking over Kichiro sama in worry, gasping at the sight of blood pooling around us from Kichiro sama's wound.

While the soldiers took care of tying up Tomoki, Kijima san had me support Kichiro sama while he wrapped the wound with a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding. Kijima san then hauled him up and hurried to a horse close by. He mounted the horse and then had Kichiro sama helped on behind him.

"We must hurry to the palace! His Majesty has to be treated!" Kijima san announced.

I scrambled to the horse as well but stalled getting on when Tomoki yelled, "Ruka! I won't forgive you, Ruka! I won't ever forgive you for betraying us! For choosing that b****** over me!"

I could feel Kijima san's gaze on me as I watched Tomoki – he was surely intent on hearing my response. Tomoki was glaring so hard at me that I was surprised I didn't already have a hole through me.

"I'm sorry, Tomoki," I said. "You don't know anything about Kichiro sama and you never will, but I know that he is a man fully fit to be the emperor. He may be harsh but it doesn't mean that he doesn't care about his people. He's constantly working to maintain peace and order in his empire, just as any emperor must do. I love him for the honest and kind man he is and that will never change. He is my most important person and I returned here to be with him and support him. Perhaps this is not much, but I can request him to spare your life in the name of our once strong friendship. I'm sorry that things had to end this way. Goodbye, Tomoki."

I got onto the horse behind Kichiro sama to support him. With a kick to the horse's side, Kijima san guided us back to the palace.

>>Time Skip

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" asked Kyo chan with a soft laugh at the way I was pouting and glaring into the distance while sitting in one of the many royal gardens.

"What else? Kichiro sama has locked himself in his study again! He's not spending time with me!" I complained. "And, Kyo chan, I thought I told you to not be so formal with me!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Ruka sama, I'll remember not to always call you Your Highness," she replied, laughing again. "That aside, why don't you go see His Majesty yourself?"

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" I mumbled, finishing the last bit of my tea while looking up at the star studded sky. "I'll go to his study and see if I can convince him to rest."

It had been a little over a week since we returned to the Edo Period. As expected, or rather as Kijima san had expected, Kichiro sama had woken up just a few hours post his wound being treated after he had collapsed on the battlefield while fighting against Tomoki. The royal healer had told Kichiro sama to stay in bed for two days – he obviously refused that but reduced the amount of strenuous work he did on my request. It was difficult to make him relax every now and then but he complied with my requests to accompany me to the garden or have tea – they were merely excuses to get him to rest, which I'm sure he was well aware of.

I don't know what happened to Tomoki after the day we returned to the palace. I hoped that my words that day had had Kijima san coax Kichiro sama to have him merely imprisoned instead of executed. I wasn't entirely sure though and I had managed to push that thought out of my mind while convincing myself that it wasn't my place to decide how Kichiro sama dealt with his enemies.

Life at the palace had returned to what it was before I had disappeared. Well, it was perhaps more extravagant than before because I was the empress now. The kimono dresses I wore were luxurious beyond compare and so was the royal treatment I got. Kyo chan was delighted to see me, obviously, and constantly fussed over me like an elder sister would. She was all the more glad because Kichiro sama was no longer always angry and the atmosphere in the palace had calmed to how it was before.

Well, it wasn't surprising that Kichiro sama's mood had been bitter when I wasn't here, especially when I had seen his anger firsthand in my time. After the conversation in the kitchen though, the anger he had had for me had faded out so quickly and been replaced by the tenderness he always looked at me with.

I had barely seen Kichiro sama in the past whole week though. After the two days of seemingly relaxed work hours, he had got really serious about work. He was always cooped up in his study or busy with meetings and all the work that came with running an empire so vast. The only times I did get to see him and spend time with him were during meals when I sat in his lap and in the night when we slept wrapped up in each other's arms.

I knew that his work was important but I really missed our alone-time together.

I was still pouting slightly when I stopped outside Kichiro sama's study's doors. I shook my head with a smile though and knocked once before letting myself in. I took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, then called out to him, "Kichiro sama."

He looked up from the parchment he was reading to meet my eyes. I smiled at that and reached out to place my hand on his. "Shouldn't you take a small break?" I asked. "You've been working so hard and staying up late every night for the past week. You still need to heal, you should give your body some rest."

He watched me silently for a moment before looking down at the parchment again. Curtly, he said, "That is not necessary."

I suppressed a sigh and shook his hand to gain his attention again. When he met my eyes, I pleaded, "Please?"

He let out a barely audible sigh before putting away the parchment and standing. I too stood and met him in the middle of the room. I wrapped my arms around him in a hug, a gentle one so I wouldn't hurt him in any way, and he returned it by wrapping his arms around me. Even though his recovery rate was quick, his wound this time was deep and would definitely need more than a week to heal properly. If it wasn't for me being so pushy, I'm sure he would have gone ahead with kenjutsu practice and reopened his wound again.

Well, whatever the case, it didn't change the fact that all he did all day, every day was work, work, work!

"I love you, Kichiro sama," I mumbled into his chest. He tightened his arms around me at that.

When I shifted away to smile at him, he glanced at my lips. He bent slightly and I closed my eyes as our lips met in a sweet kiss. Unlike before, Kichiro sama was the one who usually made the kisses more passionate these days. Even though he merely copied what I had done when we kissed, it was always so blissful. His affection for me could be thoroughly felt with every gentle caress.

I opened my eyes in a slight daze when we parted. I gave Kichiro sama a lopsided smile and blushed when he said, "Again."

I stood on my toes to meet his lips this time. Much to my surprise, he tightened his grip around my waist and pressed his lips against mine harder. When we parted, I was not only dazed but breathless from the intensity of the kiss. However, I regained composure quickly upon noticing Kichiro sama's deep frown as he watched me.

"Is something wrong, Kichiro sama? You seem upset," I said, having reached up to place my hand on is cheek.

Instead of answering my question, he kissed me again. I was surprised by the suddenness but I closed my eyes and parted my lips to return it. He still seemed frustrated when he pulled away. Frowning again, he said, "It's not enough."

It took a moment for what he had said to actually make sense to me. I wondered what he was so frustrated about but thought of something that made sense in this situation. A blush rose to my cheeks while my eyes went wide as realization hit me hard.

With Kichiro sama being almost completely unaware of anything pertaining to love, it was obvious that he didn't know anything about intimacy between a man and a woman. It was flustering to think about but something that was bound to happen sooner or later between us because we were husband and wife. I smiled at him shyly through the blush but he still looked annoyed.

"I know why you feel that way, Kichiro sama, and I will help you with it," I said, my voice soft.

I took a hold of his hand and gently pulled him behind me. Just as we were about to reach our room, I spotted Kyo chan. I felt momentarily awkward but cleared my throat and stopped in front of her while she bowed in deep respect.

"Kyo chan, I need you to make sure that we have some privacy tonight. Um, maybe have the soldiers on guard to move a little farther away from our room," I said, my blush resurfacing darker than ever.

It was a moment before a blush rose onto her cheeks as well. "Ruka sama, perhaps, are you..?"

I nodded, my blush now reaching all the way till my ears.

"O-oh, I understand, Ruka sama. I will make sure that you are not disturbed," she said before hurrying away. A soft squeal from her didn't go unheard by us.

Kichiro sama tightened his hold on my hand in response. I didn't think too much of it as I led us to our room and locked the door when we were inside. Like usual, Kichiro sama went to shower while I waited on pins and needles on the bed. I had already showered but I was feeling like showering again, solely to calm myself. The very fact that I would have to teach him about intimacy had me thoroughly embarrassed.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Kichiro sama exit the bathroom. He was in his night robes that exposed his chest and torso as always and tied loosely around the waist. It flustered me more than usual though. I swallowed thickly as he sat down on the other side of the bed and met my eyes. I shifted closer to him until I was sitting between his legs. I met his eyes while leaning against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me to hold me close.

He narrowed his eyes noticing my nervousness. Caressing my cheek with the back of his fingers, he asked, "Why do you look nervous?"

The apparent concern in his voice and the warmth in his eyes made my heart flutter. I leaned against him, burying my face in his robes with my eyes closed. I took a deep inhale of his musky scent and it calmed me a little.

"I said I would help you with how you are feeling but I'm a little nervous too, because I have heard that the first time is painful."

"Painful?" he questioned, not having understood what I was talking about.

I moved away from him a little but stared at his chest instead of meeting his eyes. "Yes, but it's okay because I love you and...I want to be with you. I am your wife, after all."

When I looked into his eyes, I noticed that they had darkened in color. I noticed this change whenever I said I loved him and I guessed that it was because he felt possessive and proud, and perhaps even happy. If he was happy, I was happy.

I straightened up a little to kiss him softly. He returned it but seemed annoyed when I pulled away soon. I then reached for the tie of his robes with trembling hands and undid them before moving the robes off his shoulder to expose his upper body. His entire torso was wrapped with bandages but the contours of his chest and abs were clearly visible. He was so handsome.

Hesitantly, I placed my hand on his bare chest above his heart. He tensed, his heart rate spiked, and I blushed. Chewing on my bottom lip, I retracted my hand and reached for my obi. I undid it slowly, my hands still trembling quite a bit, and flexed my shoulder to shrug off the kimono dress so my upper body was bare for Kichiro sama to see. He tensed more, his hold on my waist tightening. My heart was pounding in my ears now and I was so flustered that I couldn't look at Kichiro sama's face.

Deciding to be bold for just one more moment, I lifted onto my knees and embraced Kichiro sama tightly with my arms around his shoulder. The remainder of my kimono slid off my frame and I shivered at the warmth of Kichiro sama's body against my skin and the coolness of the gentle breeze that entered the room on my back. I shivered more when Kichiro sama caressed my back, as if trying to understand what was going on. It made goose bumps rise on my skin.

I closed my eyes and held his head gently with one hand. "Kichiro sama, t-this," I stuttered through my nervousness, "this is something that only a husband and wife share, something that I can do only with you because I belong to you. I am yours alone and you are the only one who is allowed to see me like this."

"You are mine alone," he repeated, my body shuddered at the possessiveness in his voice and the way his chest vibrated against mine. "This is something you can do only with me..."

"Yes, I belong only to you," I repeated, relishing the intimacy between us.

I took a few deep breaths until I was clam enough to pull away from him and meet his eyes. I was still pressed up against him though with my hands around his shoulders. I noticed curiosity swirling in his eyes and I smiled at that. I reached up to caress his face while he traced his fingers over my bare waist and back, his possessiveness growing stronger by the minute.

I leaned up to kiss him again, a little deeply this time. He responded immediately, parting his lips and holding me tighter. I couldn't stop a soft mewl that escaped my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held his hair at the roots, overwhelmed by the increasing passion between us.

I loved him, I loved him so much and I wanted to be with him forever.

It was not long before all rational thoughts began to leave me. It was merely a few caresses later that I gave into the bliss, letting my body take over my mind and just drowning in the love I had for Kichiro sama.

Tonight, it was just me and him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahem, well, that was a slightly steamy chapter wasn't it? *wiggles eyebrows* I hope y'all enjoyed it!

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