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Irresistible	By : kamorgana Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5018 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Disclaimer: standard disclaimers apply. RK belongs to Watsuki, but the ideas, text and OCs are mine.
Warning: lime.
Irresistible

Chapter 18: The moment of truth

Tokio was waiting, trying to overcome her nervousness. Tami had calmed down, thanks to the narcotics that Mariko had given to her, and Tokio had left the house a little reassured on her sister�s state. It had been heart wrenching to say goodbye to her, as always. She hoped that she could see her at least once more before she had to go back to Aizu, but she hadn�t been able to promise it. She tightened her fists in frustration. If only her father accepted to let Tami come back with her. She was even more decided to convince him, and had prepared more argumentations.
Kondo-sama had promised to help her and not to tell her father or the Daimyo about her visits until she did, but in the meanwhile he had forbidden her to go to the house again. She had no choice but to accept, Kikue and Hatsue would get problems otherwise.
Tokio was ashamed of her attitude. She had doubted about him, and she had been wrong. They had had a long talk, last night, sitting in the garden, and he had explained his reactions. Why he didn�t want her to marry a samurai, whereas he thought that few would deserve a wife like her. He had only been worried about her and had wanted to protect her. Of course, he had been furious of her initiative, but he had also been proud of her and thankful for her attempts at defending his position. His words had made her feel so happy to realize that he held her in high esteem, and yet so unworthy of it.
Her remorse had taunted her for the rest of the night, after he had helped her to sneak back to her room. After all that had happened she had been exhausted nervously but sleep didn�t come to her. If she felt bad about Kondo, she felt even worse about Saitoh.
She had spent hours thinking of him. All the feelings that she had tried to fight had overwhelmed her.
He was an honorable man. He was faithful to Kondo, to the Shinsengumi and to the Bakufu. He was a man of convictions. Kondo�s explanations had left her appalled at her behavior.
He was disinterested in wealth and political influence. All that mattered to him was to complete his duty. Justice only was leading his life. He didn�t even care to have his reputation tarnished, accepting to sacrifice it to his duty. She didn�t know how he could do it: samurai were raised to place their honor above all. They were even allowed to kill if it was offended.
In fact, she knew how he could. For most of them, honor meant only shallow pride. She remembered her grandfather saying that whether not tolerating an insult was justifiable, it wasn�t where laid the real sense of honor. The real honor of a samurai was to devote his life to his duty, to place it above everything, above his own life if he had to. Saitoh had that quality.
And she didn�t see it. Whenever she recalled even thinking of him as a coward or a traitor, she felt like slapping herself. She was flattering herself to be intelligent, yet she had fallen in the trap of appearances. She had had all the clues, why didn�t she see it? She hadn�t wanted to, that was the only explanation. She had let her feelings blind her. She couldn�t understand why she had needed to hate him so much. She resented the power that he had over her, the fact that he could shatter her control, and she was paranoid at the idea that Tami could be discovered but that wasn�t even the beginning of an excuse. She was unforgivable.
She owed him an apology. He had already departed when she had gone downstairs last night and she didn�t have the occasion to talk to him. That was the least she could do, considering that she had tried to kill him. Kondo-sama had been reluctant to transmit her message to him, saying that he had explained and that Saitoh had understood her mistake. Still, she had wronged him, and she had insisted. Kondo was right: Saitoh wouldn�t care. But it was something that Tokio wanted to do, for herself. He might not care about his reputation, and he probably cared even less about her opinion of him. But she had been raised to respect honorable men. She had to tell him that she did, following her own code of honor.
Not that it would make her feel better in any way, she thought bitterly, reaching for a lily next to her and playing nervously with the white petals.
***
Should she get closer?
She hesitated, peeping from behind the sakura tree. She was just relieved to have guessed correctly the destination of the Takagi girl, discovering her near the tea pavilion. She was too far to discern her features, but the mauve kimono and white obi were enough to be sure that it was her. She had followed from afar, losing eye contact, preferring prudence to an eventual discovery. She would have had a hard time explaining her presence there.
Yes, better be cautious�maybe she should wait for the man who wouldn�t fail to show and then arrange quickly that the girl was found there. It would be as simple as alerting the Shinsengumi guards of her absence.
Maybe she should go now, to ensure that the girl would be caught. She fought her first movement to leave: she wanted certainty�and to see who it was. If only it could be a commoner, a saddle boy, oh, that would be priceless. Ah, here he came�
She stiffened when she recognized who was showing up. The tall silhouette and the blue haori informed her immediately on his identity.
What the hell was he doing here?
***
Saitoh spotted Tokio waiting for him, sitting on the engawa of the little tea pavilion, in the residence�s main garden. He stopped to observe her. The morning mist was lingering over the water reflecting the grey sky, numbing the scene into a surreal atmosphere, the white lilies seeming to grow out of nothingness. The jasmine and wisteria near the pavilion were in full blossom, some branches heavy of mauve and light yellow flowers falling down like the rain that would come soon. She didn�t seem as lively as usual, rather as melancholic as the scenery. She was wearing a light mauve yukata, closed by a white obi, and her hair was down, long strands framing her face to tumble around her in silky waves. Her thoughtful gaze was fixed on the waters of the pond.
There was something different about her today.
Maybe he had this impression because now he knew everything about her. He couldn�t see her in the same light. To be honest, he was not far from being impressed. He had never thought that he would ever meet such a sense of duty in a young woman and less in this one. She had been ready to risk her life to protect her sister, that wasn�t so much out of the ordinary. She had been ready to kill for that, cold-blooded, though. When she had attacked him, he had seen in her eyes that she fully understood what she was doing, that she knew the price and was ready to pay it. No furor, just the cold determination to eliminate a threat to the one she was responsible for, just like when she had tried to attack the Ishin menacing her father during the trap in Shijo. That was already uncommon.
The most remarkable was that, unlike most women in Saitoh�s opinion, her reactions hadn�t been based only on her feelings. Yes, she loved her sister, obviously she also had the greatest admiration for Kondo and Matsumori Aiko had been her friend. But she didn�t involve herself because of it. If she had put her personal situation or her family first, she would have stayed out of it. She had taken the risk to attract attention on her, which was dangerous for her sister if not for her. Yet she didn�t hesitate. He had to agree with Okita: she knew the real meaning of the words honor and justice. She despised him because she thought that he had none. She had wanted to clear her friend�s name to correct an injustice and to find the Shinsengumi traitor not only out of loyalty towards Kondo, which would have been already respectable, but because of her convictions. Her words still resounded in his head.
She didn�t act as a stupid idealist either. Saitoh was very cautious towards idealists. They were usually dreamers and ended up being manipulated because they ignored reality. She had been practical, following her path, thinking and deducting. Her conclusions had been wrong; nevertheless considering the information that she had, they had been only logical and she had surprisingly hit the nail on one or two.
His talk with Kondo and the one that he had had with Hatsue in the morning, had finished to enlighten him about the weight that she had been carrying. He wasn�t surprised at her absence of shock concerning the attack during the trip. What was the body of a stranger when she had found her mother�s? He could understand that after almost two years of dissimulation, she was able to let her mind control her reactions, yet even back then she had reacted with her sense. If he considered her sheltered life until then, that was indeed remarkable.
She had taken everything on her shoulders: dealing with her mother�s death, with her duties towards her siblings, towards her family, towards the Bakufu. He could guess that it hadn�t been easy for her, with her temper and her foolish expeditions to see her sister. But she had done it.
She was a strange combination of reason and passion. She had a will of steel and she was intelligent, although she wasn�t able to always control her emotions. He couldn�t just see her as an arrogant, feisty brat anymore. She *was*, but she had so many other faces. The one she had at the court, manipulative and controlled lady, the one she had for her friends, caring but keeping a distance, keeping her secrets, the one she revealed to her enemies, that he had seen the night before�.
She turned towards a bunch of white lilies next to her, with a nervous sigh, extending a hand to get a flower. She realized his presence, their eyes meeting.
Saitoh understood why she was looking different. All her other faces were masks and she wore none today. Her gray eyes weren�t concealing anything of her soul. He had had some glimpses at it, only, but for the first time he faced the real Takagi Tokio.
***
She repressed the growing feeling that something was wrong.
Saitoh truly disliked the Takagi girl, and reciprocally. That couldn�t be a lovers� meeting.
Cold sweat ran down her back. She had to know why the twit would want to meet him without witness or chaperone, and why he would accept. He would never risk his position that easily.
She had to know why.
But she had to wait a little, yes, she had to wait that they would be too absorbed in their conversation. He was a trained soldier and she had to be extremely careful on her way to the pavilion.
She smiled cruelly: patience was her best quality.
***
Tokio stood up, and even from the distance Saitoh could sense her tensing. Kondo had told him that she wanted to apologize. How weird. Some days ago, he would have been thrilled at the idea. Now, he didn�t really want her to. He had come because he wanted to know if she had other information. The attempted assassination against Kojima Miyu was definitely pointing at one of the ladies and she could reveal a precious insider.
He also had come because he hadn�t been able to resist the idea of seeing her alone again, he admitted finally, when he was standing in front of her inside the pavilion and that she lifted her face to him.
Indeed, she had let down her mask. Her eyes were filled with emotions and he could see all of her. It was what he had wanted to. That glimpse at it, the night before, hadn�t been enough.
�I want to apologize�.� she started, kneeling on the tatami, casting her glance down.
�Kondo told me,� he cut off, settling in front of her. �I don�t need it.
�Yes, but I have to�.I want to,� she insisted, stubbornly. �I did you wrong.�
He contained a grin. �You still have to improve your skills at manslaughter. You barely scratched me with that dagger.�
Surprised, she lifted her eyes to observe him. Why wasn�t he mad at her? He had been furious at her for way less than trying to kill him, hence that made no sense that he would forgive her behavior just because she was sorry. His face was as always severe, but there was a kind of�.bemusement in the amber eyes.
�And you also have to improve your deduction skills, as it seems. I�m very curious to know why you suspected me to be the traitor�.though I have to give you a point for some of your other guesses.�
Was he mocking her? She blinked, trying to figure it out. The realization that he didn�t resent her made her feel so light, all of a sudden. It was like a weight that she hadn�t been aware of had been lifted from her heart.
Saitoh liked to see her bewildered. He liked the puzzled look in her eyes and she trying to figure him out. It had been his situation since they had met, and it was definitely more pleasant now that the role were reversed. He nodded briefly as she asked silently for a confirmation, and it was even more enjoyable to see that she was happy about his shrugging off her mistake. He shouldn�t have, she should learn her limits and to respect authority�.but he just couldn�t help. Not when he knew the why. That shouldn�t count, but it did, and to hell with it, he thought, annoyed to be mellowing.
�Why did you think I was the traitor?� he repeated, seriously. �I know that it has to do with my cover during the Serizawa problems. Kondo told me all about it. Yes, about your mother, too. But from being an ambitious obsessed by politics to being a traitor, there is a gap, isn�t it?�
Not that big of a gap, though. The moment he thought it, he saw it clearly written in her eyes.
�That�s the point, you see,� she sighed, embarrassed. �I didn�t know that you were investigating Serizawa. And your attitude now wasn�t fitting with the fact that you didn�t take sides. At times, you seemed to be just an ambitious, but at others you were�different. When you fought in the woods, when you were giving orders�.you weren�t acting like a coward, then. That�s when I started to think that maybe, you didn�t choose because you waited for Serizawa to pay more for your allegiance. Therefore the rebels could have bought you, since you had no loyalty towards the Shinsengumi.�
Saitoh lifted a brow. �When Hatsue told you about what was going on at the compound? I talked with her.�
�And when you talked with these two men after Reiko was killed. The conversation sounded like they were convincing you�.but I had the feeling that you were manipulating them.�
That had indeed been the case. She was intuitive, even more than he had granted her for.
�And you based your theory on your intuition, only?� he nevertheless scolded.
She shook her head. �No. I looked at the facts, and it seemed to me that you could have materially committed the crimes. You weren�t at the Kyomizudera and Hatsue told me that you had gone, nobody knew where. You could have killed Torimi and Aiko�.If the court was the scene of the crimes, nobody would suspect a member of the Shinsengumi. That made sense.�
�Not with the attack in the woods.�
�Oh, but yes, it did. I thought that it was a fake from the start, so you would have deterred the suspicions later, when the murders would begin. You beat them really too easily�.�
�Oh, did I?�
She had the good grace to look flustered.
She was so destabilized that he decided to push his advantage further. He enjoyed very much the new balance in their relation. He was the one holding the ropes for once.
�There is one thing that I don�t get, still. I had the feeling that your suspicions towards me had a personal basis�.�
�You aren�t exactly charming,� she shot back. �You can�t ignore that many people dislike you.�
He grinned. He had drawn closer to her and she was definitely uncomfortable. But she still had the sense of repartee. How interesting.
�No, but none convinced themselves that I could be a traitor without giving a thought at other possibilities�.�
�I had a very�.�
�Tell me why,� he demanded, sounding persuasive. �You came here to apologize; therefore I have the right to an explanation for your behavior.�
She hesitated a second and he didn�t let her break the eye contact, using his physical presence to intimidate her. He knew that he could shatter her.
�I don�t know why, it�s just that you disturb me�.�she finally admitted, sighing and looking at her lap again.
Saitoh concealed the effect of her words on him. He was attracted to her and now that she was revealing her real face it was more and more difficult to ignore. He had suspected that she had the same reaction towards him, yet he hadn�t been sure. She was too young to realize what her words meant, but he did, and that provoked a train of thought that made him forget about the rest.
�Disturb you?�
�Yes. I�m just not able to control my reactions when you�re around�you make me feel uncomfortable�.�
This time, he couldn�t help his lips twitching, sinfully smirking. He reached for her hand, slowly, observing closely her reaction, her eyes widening and her lips opening on a shocked sigh, enjoying the shivers that he felt when his skin made contact with hers.
Soft, hers was so soft. He brought her wrist closer to his face, his fingers tracing the blue veins, feeling her pulse racing. He darted his eyes into hers again and brushed his lips where it was beating.
�Do I disturb you in this way?� he asked, though he already had the answer.
She nodded, lost, and so vulnerable�.He was dominating the situation, completely, for the first time since he had met her. He could control her, make her surrender to him. The feeling was too enthralling for him to stop there.
He pressed his lips to her wrist again, tickling lightly the porcelain skin with the tip of his tongue. She tasted good. Sweet. Fresh. More.
Leaning into her, he reached for her with his other hand, placing a strand of hair behind her ear, shifting towards her neck, and brought her face close to his. She seemed hypnotized, making him conscious of his power over her. He closed the distance between their mouths, to pass his tongue on her full lips, teasingly, like he had in his disturbing dreams. That was good too, that was even better, and the feeling of power increased at her reaction, her eyes closing, her hand he still held grabbing his wrist tightly.
He rubbed his lips against hers, again and again, tantalizingly, until they opened for him, until she murmured incoherent words, and he wasn�t able to control the little game anymore. He pulled her to him, roughly, deepening the kiss, tasting her mouth at last, not teasing anymore, but taking, possessing, devouring hungrily. He was dimly aware that he might hurt her, but he couldn�t care less. She let him, she let him kiss her senseless, she let him holding her so tight, his arms circling her waist now; she let him have her as he wished to. She let him and she wanted him, tilting her head back to receive his kiss fully, her hands grasping his shoulders, her heart beating wildly against his chest. She was delicious, even more than he had imagined, and he got lost into savoring her, his body tensing as she relaxed in his arms, leaning into him, offering herself unconsciously. He groaned in triumph, yet it wasn�t enough and his tongue played with hers until she moaned and finally, finally answered to his kiss. She touched her tongue to his, awkwardly, one of her hands traveling to his jaw, caressing softly, soothingly, as a silent plea for patience�.and for more. He lost it there, crushing her against him, until she whimpered into his mouth again, then he let go of her lips to kiss her throat, her collarbone, his hands closing around her breast and teasing them through the fabric, feeling her holding him tighter as he promised her more, his voice urging and feverish�
***
She stopped neat, 20 meters away from the pavilion. She had slowed her path again, careful to progress by very small distance and to hide behind the trees and bushes, knowing that she could be seen from the inside of the construction, if one of them had looked the wrong way. It had been an unlikely possibility but that kind of coincidence had already jeopardized her plans once.
Useless precaution. It was very clear now that the risk to be surprised was below zero. She couldn�t believe what she saw. That didn�t fit what she had seen or what she knew of Saitoh Hajime at all. Was he trying to ensure a marriage and a powerful family to support his ambitions by seducing the girl?
Possible�she considered again alerting the guards now. Yet�
She tiptoed in direction of the pavilion. It might be stupid, but she just had to be sure.
***
The sound of thunder hammering, far away on the mountains, threw Saitoh out of his trance.
He abruptly broke off their embrace. What the hell was he doing? That he knew, moron. She stared at him, at loss, while he was frowning, upset to realize that he had just entirely lost control over himself.

He failed to look even, and she must have realized it because she sent him a longing glance. She might have no experience but she sure had instinct: he needed a respectable amount of will power to let go of her completely and to settle again at a safer distance from her. She seemed so disappointed that he overcame his own frustration.
�We can�t. Not now.�
�Why?�
The spoiled, stubborn lady was back.
�I have an investigation going on and a traitor�s identity to figure out. Just in case you forgot.� And you made me forget about it.
But he�d die before he said it.
�Oh.�
He experienced a moronic surge of male vanity as she wasn�t hiding the least that it had escaped her mind.
�I guess that you heard about what happened to your friend yesterday.�
Her explanations had finished deciding him to share his knowledge with her. She was able to gather elements and to build theories, and she knew very well the political stances even of the Kyoto officials. She might have information about the court, which he didn�t or couldn�t reach, and she was definitely on their side. It might help him to reorient his suspicions.
His words seemed to steady her. Her expression darkened.
�Kondo-sama told me. I didn�t see her yet�But he said that she was out of danger.�
She sounded dubious and worried.
�Yes. Nagakura is guarding the conference right now, but he told me that she was although she still had fever this morning. The doctors said that it was a natural reaction and wouldn�t even last the whole day.�
She sighed with relief.
�This is why I wanted to see you. She had this in her hands when Nagakura found her.�
He reached into his haori, and extended his open hand.
�My hairpin! I had lost it�but��
She threw him a puzzled look.
�I think that the better term might be �stolen��one of the reasons why we have been suspecting one of your friends.�
He gave her the clues that had led him to think so. She absorbed the information and reflected on it for a while.
�If you have anything that could help me to orient my investigations, or if you can remember, *now*, if there was somebody else in Aiko�s room��
�It makes sense, but��
�Unless you�re still suspecting me?� he mocked, but not aggressively this time.
She shook her head, embarrassed about this reminder of her stupidity, and spoke quickly: �Yes, I was wrong on you, but maybe you are also looking into the wrong direction. The others aren�t intelligent enough to build such twisted plans. I thought that it might be Fujiki, and that he had used Sarina for information�but now I�m not sure. It�s possible that the Choshu traitor isn�t at the court, but in the Shinsengumi.�
�Satsuma.�
�Excuse-me?�
�The mole is a Satsuma one. And, there is a traitor at the court *and* in the Shinsengumi.�
She was staring at him intently, trying to understand why he was confiding in her, all of a sudden, and bewildered at his revelation.
�How��
�This is irrelevant, now, but it�s connected to the attack during our travel. Which leaves me with one question for you�If I assume that it isn�t the first time that you are spying around,� he finished with a knowing grin.
She lifted proudly her chin, challenging him to scold her. Feisty little thing. He liked that, too. She regretted to have misjudged him, but not her actions to support Kondo and Matsudaira.
�My problem is the following. I know that the two traitors are working together. Their actions led to two results: the impending demise of Matsudaira, if the vassals turn against him, and the contestation against Kondo. I thought of an alliance between a Satsuma mole here and a Serizawa supporter from our ranks. Except that I suspect a woman. No man would have had such a free access to your friend�s rooms and to yours, as your stolen hairpin shows. What I can�t figure out would be the link between them. A reason why a woman here would have�.�
He cut off as she had turned as pale as when she had discovered him in front of the Gyon house.
She breathed: �Could it be that both want to avenge Serizawa?�
He was surprised at her tone. She sounded appalled. �It�s a possibility.�
He hadn�t thought of this�because he hadn�t had anything to hint him into that direction. There was no love lost for Serizawa at the Aizu court, as far as he knew. His exactions had been tainting the honor of Matsudaira and the name of Aizu itself, and he knew that many of the officials had been lobbying for his demise for that very reason. Nobody had shown anything but relief at his elimination. Obviously, she had reasons to think otherwise.
�Impossible. She is too stupid��she muttered.
�Who is too stupid?� he asked roughly when it appeared that she was pondering the fact, lost in her thoughts.
�Michiko�..she was his mistress.�
***
Even though she had been able to listen to the conversation for a few minutes and had anticipated the direction where it would go, she froze at the girl�s uttering her name.
How inspired she had been to follow her, seeing her sneaking out of her room, and to spy on her. She had thought of a secret meeting with a lover, which she could have used to destabilize Takagi. Takagi was a problem and she had been trying to find a way to get rid of him since the imbeciles had failed assassinating him. But that was even more crucial.
She had to escape. Saitoh, that traitor�.He had been doing the dirty work for Kondo. How idiotic she had been not to see it and to ask her accomplice to win him to their cause. No, not that idiotic. If it hadn�t been him, she wouldn�t have gone to listen to their conversation. She had had plans for the third captain and her natural defiance had demanded that she ensured his reliability, since she knew where Takagi Tokio stood.
With utter precautions, she took advantage of the moment when they resumed their conversation to get away from the pavilion, unseen and unheard.
***
�Matsudaira Michiko?�
Tokio nodded. �I saw them at Tsuruga-jo, once. Two years ago�.they were�she was in love with that beast.�
She had spat the last word. Saitoh understood now why she hated the woman. It was more than a rebellion against authority.
And all that made sense. If the money stolen by Serizawa had been in the governess� hands, that explained how the Satsuma clan could have launched their offensive and why he hadn�t found anything following the former Shinsengumi leader�s political allies. Definitely, the governess was intelligent, enough to have created such a plan, to be the mastermind behind the Ikedaya leak, the crimes�..and to have helped Serizawa for his robbery of the Shinsengumi resources. She was clever enough so that nothing pointed to her and that it had taken a long time for it to be discovered.
�Yet,� Tokio was going on, �Maybe it has nothing to do with it. I mean, he was with a�courtesan�when they executed him. Why would she want to avenge him, when he wasn�t loyal to her?�
Saitoh smirked. ��Courtesans� mean nothing. She was helping Serizawa to steal the Shinsengumi, and if she loved him enough to become a criminal�she didn�t mind his little distractions. Maybe she was even providing them. That happens, he had needs and she might have found this way to control him and keep him��
Tokio had clenched her jaw, yet suddenly her eyes filled with sorrow and utter disgust, as bewildered as if she had been struck by lightening. �Do you think�do you think that she also helped him to�to��
***
Oh, no, things weren�t going to end up like this. She would not allow it. Never.
Michiko had always known that she should have paid more attention to the little poisonous bitch. She had always sensed that the girl *knew*, somehow. She had dismissed her instinct, attributing her attitude to a life of being pampered by a putty-in-her-hand family and a dislike for any attempt at authority, thinking that there was no way she could suspect anything. How could she be so stupid? The girl�s scornful behavior this time had been way too personal. She had been aware that something was wrong, hence her attempts to win Tokio�s respect and trust. She had been very careful, not changing her attitude too openly, hinting here and there�.The little thing was no fool. Even less than she had thought.
She should have gotten rid of her first. She should have gotten rid of her anyway.
Yet, Michiko had been so sure that nobody could ever make a link between her and Kamo. It didn�t even come to her mind that the little twit had discovered *this*.
Kamo�.she tightened her fists, grief overwhelming her as always. How could the feeling of being empty fill a mind so completely?
Yes, she was empty all over again since she had lost him. She had been devoted to her family, devoted to her duty, devoted to order and devoted to discipline. It had been all her life. She had not even thought of another choice. Her education had all been about obedience, how could she question it? Thus she had supervised her cousin�s houses, thinking that she had to be grateful for him offering her this position after she had been left without parents. She had worked all day long, making his court work like a perfect mechanic. All was neat. All was perfect. She was respected and she was regarded as an important personage. She had authority over the maids, as much authority as her cousin had over his vassals, and moral authority over the dozens of girls who had been frequenting the court, who were now married to high officials, even in Edo, and were talking about her as their model. She was important, or so she had thought.
When, during these long, endless years, she had been nothing more than a shadow.
Kamo had made her conscious of it. He was all that she should have despised: he was a depraved man, everybody said. He had no order, no discipline and no morals. The first time they had met, almost 3 years ago, she had welcomed him to the residence and adopted the appropriate attitude: respectful and disapproving. He had looked at her and had smiled, in that knowing, irresistible way. Then he had told her what a pity it was that such a beautiful woman wasn�t allowed to have a life.
His words had shattered her like nothing ever did. She had realized that she had nothing, that she was nothing. She had been living for everything but herself. She wasn�t as important as she thought. She was still and only a woman: she had to leave the room like a servant when Katamori discussed politics, and she was confined to ancillary tasks, when she was more intelligent than many of his vassals and whereas he confided in that commoner Kondo. And she wasn�t even allowed to be a woman. She had trusted her cousin, when he had never even had the consideration of preparing her a marriage, when he had intended to keep her as an eternal slave.
Michiko could still feel the revolt running through her veins. Kamo had revealed to her a life of frustration, and what she had been missing all these years. She had fallen for him. He had made her discover the heat, the passion, the incredible feeling to belong to a man. Nothing else had mattered since then. At first, she had lived only for the moments she would spend in his arms, it was nothing more than attraction, than physical pleasure, and when they were separated she still had the feeling that she was betraying her duties. He was a kind of evil, she knew it and he didn�t deny it. He was a relative of the Tokugawa, he had the power to do almost whatever pleased him, but it was not enough. He wanted to do *all* he wanted to, and he did. She should have reproved, but she just couldn�t: she admired him because he had never enough, whereas she had contented herself with a mediocre life for so long. He repeated it to her, that she could have more and to seize it, to live the life she wanted. She admired that, too.
That was when she had fallen in love, forsaking everything for him. She knew there were other women, but she didn�t mind it because she was different to him. He was violent with the others, but never with her. He was never angry with her, he said that she was the only intelligent woman whom he knew; he praised her capacity of organization, how clever she was. He confided in her. She had helped him to steal money from the Shinsengumi. She had finally helped him to plot against her cousin. He had never enough. He wanted the title of Protector of Kyoto, he wouldn�t content himself with merely leading the Shinsengumi. She had agreed and he had decided to marry her when they would have eliminated Katamori. They would have power�and it was only the beginning. How could she have hesitated?
She was still convinced that they would have succeeded. Why did he have to go after Ryoko? He had wanted her for a long time. She was beautiful and she had a purity to her which had always attracted him. He wanted to spoil her and it had been stronger than any of the logical reasons not to try anything. When he had arrived to Tsuruga-jo that day, she had known that he had made a mistake. And what a �mistake�� He had thought that he could have his way with Ryoko and intimidate her into not revealing his name. Ryoko had never been a strong woman, but fragile and shy. Kamo didn�t think that she would resist, didn�t think that the baby daughter would interpose herself. He had left without knowing whether they were dead. She had covered his traces, trembling at the idea that they would survive, relieved to know that they had died. The lie about the accident didn�t awake her suspicions the least: it was of Takagi to spare the memory of his wife.
It was only when she had gotten the news that Kondo had executed Kamo that she had known. Months had elapsed but it was a payback for Ryoko�s death. Katamori and Takagi�s attitude had been as clear as crystal to her. She still ignored how they had learnt, still wondered what she had forgotten. She had been empty again, for weeks, back to her colorless life, back to mediocrity, until the day when she had discovered that she had something to live for: hate and revenge. She had come up with that perfect plan. She had already thrown away all she had believed in, no, what they had wanted her to believe, for Kamo; and she had been ready to deny all the rest for his memory and for herself, too.
She stopped in front of the main building, realizing that she was out of breath and that her state of mind was certainly showing on her face. She retrieved a serene composure, entered the main hall, and asked calmly a servant to prepare a horse within moments. That was an advantage of her situation: he didn�t question and obeyed swiftly.
She hurried up to her room. She had no time: Saitoh would be after her very soon. The man was no fool either. Most of her possessions were safe but she still had carefully hidden documents to take with her.
She bolted with surprise as she saw that somebody was already in her room, before she let out a dirty smile. She would leave no unfinished business here. Her revenge would be complete.
She took swiftly her dagger out of her obi, enjoying the surprised look of her visitor.
***
Tokio looked down, unable to say the words. Saitoh understood what she meant.
�It isn�t impossible,� he said slowly. �I�ll try to know when I interrogate her. Forget about it now, and focus on the recent events. An alibi, something that could infirm this theory��
She stiffened, and her eyes clearing, she nodded slowly.
�I know that she couldn�t kill Reiko. This is why I never thought of her. It was the day of the provisions, food and sake arriving; and she is always there, checking and verifying. If she hadn�t been, the servants would have talked and Yuka would have told me. The next day, when Torimi was killed, was the day of the inventory��
Saitoh approved of. �I think that we should look into the direction of the other traitor, or of a thug that she would have hired. I think that she didn�t intend to do the job herself.�
�Oh�� Tokio had followed the thread of her thoughts, and exclaimed: �This is why she poisoned Aiko! The inventory�It was her alibi��
�She played me,� Saitoh let out, obviously furious. �Yes, she presented the truth about the schedule as a lie, so that her lies would look like the truth afterwards. This is why she had to kill your friend Aiko: she used her to build herself an alibi and as a scapegoat since her fianc�s death was making her perfect for that role. But why didn�t Aiko tell that Matsudaira Michiko had absented herself from the study?�
�I�m as puzzled as you are�except�except if you asked only at what time she went back? Aiko didn�t know the details and she was shocked. And she wasn�t�twisted.�
In spite of his bitterness at having been fooled, Saitoh contained a grin. Matsumori Aiko hadn�t been very smart but Tokio wouldn�t say it in this way.
�Indeed� we had only a first interrogation, and the mole could act before her lies were discovered. It wasn�t difficult for her to poison your friend�I sent her to your rooms myself, to calm down Kawashita Kana, the timing fits,� he uttered, as he made the logical deductions. �Kojima Miyu thinks that she heard somebody in Aiko�s room, and according to your maid, you only heard Michiko entering Kawashita Kana�s room�and nothing afterwards.�
Tokio accused the shock. �Miyu�she didn�t tell me anything�oh! Kondo-sama mentioned that Michiko was there when she was attacked�she also staged it?�
�Yes, and she surely faked her wound�I will have to clear this point. As for your friend, she confided in Nagakura, who ordered her to tell no one including you. Yet it isn�t impossible that their conversation was overheard. All makes sense.�
Tokio shook her head. �Not everything. Why would Michiko have killed Torimi here? Everybody thought of an outsider after Reiko�s murder�.when they didn�t believe that it was an accident. It would be attracting the suspicions on the court and maybe on her�if Torimi knew something about the murder, I would understand but��
An image of Niwada Torimi at the compound after Reiko�s death flashed through Saitoh�s mind. And he understood everything. Every little detail fitted and there wasn�t the shadow of a doubt.
The beauty of the truth, logical, implacable truth�and now he could arrest her.
He considered Tokio�s inquisitive face; her brows arched delicately, her eyes taking a demanding light as he was still silent. He felt a smirk quirking his lips.
He knew both traitors, now. Within hours, all this matter would be settled.
�Believe me, she had a reason to get rid of Niwada Torimi. She is the one, without a doubt. I�ll explain the details later. I have to arrest her, first, and get her confession so I can have proofs against the Shinsengumi traitor. Do you know where she is?�
As she was considering him stubbornly, he added: �There is no time to lose. The sooner, the better. She can decide to attack your friends again.�
That seemed to make its little effect. �In her study, she is going to spend the morning there. The food supply arrived yesterday�I could also sneak out because she was busy there. It�s the day of the inventory again.�
His smirk widened. She of course had verified, to be sure that she could sneak out of her room, *today*.
�I�m going. I�ll see you afterwards. I�ll have all the answers, then.�
�I come with you.�
�No,� he said dryly. �You�ll go back to your room, or better, with the others. They have breakfast in the left aisle�.but you know that too, I guess.�
�I want to see her face when she is caught,� Tokio insisted, her stare hardening, her voice steely.
�You�ll see her die if you want. But your presence now will only create complications. She might figure something out if she saw us together. I�m sure you don�t want to risk an escape.�
�She is too stup�.� She cut off, realizing the nonsense of her words.
�Do you think that you�re the only intelligent woman of the court?� he teased, bemused.
She sustained his glance. �Obviously not,� she admitted reluctantly, before realizing that he had made her a compliment. It was his way to thank her for her information and help, and though it was a decidedly weird way to, she didn�t expect to appreciate so much.
�Go back with the others,� he ordered again, aware of her trouble and not hiding that he liked it.
�I�ll check on Miyu, first. I want to see her.�
Why did she always have to object?
�Fine. But don�t approach Michiko�s study. Clear?�
She nodded, glaringly satisfied to have bargained. She was impossible. He had to teach her to take an order, period. She was smiling to him and he could see that she wanted another kiss. It was tempting, and even more as he knew that she had been as obsessed to find the traitors as he, that they were sharing the satisfaction to have found the truth and the idea of Justice to be accomplished soon.
�I said: �not now�,� he nevertheless asserted, and he stood up, impatient to arrest the felon. Tokio had to learn discipline, anyway, and holding on his desire for her was accentuating his anticipation of the arrest.
He was out of the small construction when she called him back.
�When, then?�
Annoyed, he turned towards her again.
�Yes?� he asked, with exasperated irony.
She seemed to hesitate, before repeating tentatively: �You said, �not now�. When, then?�
He had the satisfaction to see her blushing under the look he sent to her.
�Soon,� he smirked, before walking towards the end of the garden where the governess� study was.
To be continued�
And we have traitor number one. I love writing villains and I love this one, LOL. She is definitely a snake, but as you see she has her reasons�and her weaknesses, like her pupils. Villains who are not evil �just because� are so much more interesting in my opinion. Michiko�s motivation is also why I needed Tokio to have this personality and looks, because people react differently to their environment, and while she could make the best out of the male chauvinist society others couldn�t.
And while we�re at it: Women�s Lib rules.
I had thought that for once, instead of Saitoh suspecting Tokio of being a traitor, it would be funny if her innocence was certain�and to have the reverse situation with Tokio suspecting Saitoh of felony�LOL.
Little lemony action, and let me tell you that it�s only the beginning...*foxy laugh*. You didn�t wait for nothing, believe you me.
Next chapter: I can�t say�just: �you think that it�s over?� and �not for the faints at heart�.
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Irresistible