ALEXIS' POV

The next day, I was sitting in my cell with Sora sitting outside of my cell, guarding me and keeping me company, when I had an unexpected visitor.

"Good morning, Princess. Although I have to say, the morning is better for seeing such a beautiful lady."

"You're...Shingen, right?"

Viewed through the bars of my cell, he seemed even taller than the last time I'd seen him. Sora remembered him too, from the way he was growling and glaring at him.

"I'm pleased you remember me. It's been a while since Honno-Ji."

"Yeah, it has."

"I wondered where you went. I should have known Nobunaga would sweep up a beauty like you."

I thought of myself as fairly resilient against flirtation, but Shingen's smile and banter had a charisma modifier.

'Someone's trying to butter me up. Sadly, it's working. I blame the cell. That's it, it's the cell's fault.'

Shingen was masculine, confident, outgoing. The contrast to Kenshin's chilly beauty and grace, as Yukimura and Sasuke had noted. Taking a look around my cell, Shingen nodded, chuckling in approval.

"Highly quality pieces, not bad, for Kenshin. Looks like he's done pretty well by you, aside from keeping you in a birdcage. I understand the impulse to preserve the truly beautiful in this world, but a cell is still a cell."

"Yes, yes it is."

It was Kenshin who put me here, and he wouldn't even come talk to me. I glanced down at my chest to make sure the thorn in my heart was still invisible. Shingen whispered to me.

"Do you want out, Alexis?"

"You'd let me out?"

I asked in a surprised tone and then Sora stopped growling when he heard him say that.

"Dear Princess, setting you free would be my pleasure."

"I'd love to get out! Get some sunshine, breathe fresh air, see the moonlight and find some inspirations to write a new song, but are you sure?"

"A man never goes back on his word. I hate to give anything nice to the Oda forces, but if you wish, I'll arrange for your peaceful return."

'I could go back to the Oda right now, then, in only a month and a half, I'll be back in the present and back in Ontario...and, there's always the chance I might see Kenshin again, get him to talk to me once more. Maybe...'

"But why would you do that?"

'I mean, maybe he's just a really nice person, but isn't this against the wishes of his ally?'

He smirked a little. I got the feeling he was reading me, though his own face was a blank page.

"What's in it for me? I'd get to free you from this dark cell and see the sunlight caress your pretty face-"

"No! stop! hold on! be serious," I shouted with a frown on my face while Sora barked angrily.

"I'm always serious, but maybe you were trying to ask about my two conditions?"

"I knew it. Yes, those, what are your conditions?"

"If I let you out, you have to promise not to see Kenshin again."

"What? why would that be a condition?"

"It's simple enough. He's the lousy jerk who threw you in here. Just leave the castle quietly and never seek him out again. Talking to him won't do any good. You can't change his mind and if he sees you, he'll lock you back up."

What Shingen said stung, probably because it was true.

'Stay with the Oda until it's time to return to the future...and the cost is to never see Kenshin again.'

It was a pretty high cost, my head and my heart agreed. I thought it over. What was more important to me now? there was one last thing I needed to know.

"Tell me something, does Kenshin have any plans to use me as a prisoner of war against the Oda?" I asked as I folded my arms.

"I like you, you've got good intuition and get right to the point. In deference to that, I'll give you your answer: no. He has no plans to use you against them. Both sides have more than enough fuel for the fire. Furthermore, Kenshin wouldn't use hostages."

"No, that doesn't sound like him," I mumbled a little.

'That's a relief. I'd hate to be used against my friends that way, even though I ran away from Nobunaga when he tried to use me as a tool.'

My decision was easier now.

"Thank you for your offer, Shingen, but, I'd rather stay in my cell."

"Interesting choice you've made, may I know why?"

Shingen's eyes flashed with interest and it wasn't the transparently false interest he'd shown me earlier.

'So, he can be serious. In fact, I get the feeling this is the true Shingen.'

I thought to myself as I looked at Shingen who still had plenty of charisma. I looked away from him a moment, so I could concentrate on my answer.

"People say a lot of things about Kenshin but, I've come to form my own impression of him."

They spoke of his prowess, but never his sense of justice and no one ever mentioned the sadness in his eyes.

'Kenshin is strong, but he's also sensitive. Tender and kind, he's a beautiful man, inside and out.'

When I closed my eyes, I could picture us waiting by the campfire once more, his arm around me while I sang to him.

"I've had plenty of time to think about him and I don't think he does anything without a reason. There's a reason he locked me in here and refuses to see me. I want to talk to him and find out what that is."

'Getting out of here now would be giving up my last chance to talk to Kenshin. I know I'd regret that. I feel bad for my Oda friends who are worried about me, but, maybe Sasuke can sneak a letter out?'

Shingen looked at me up and down before speaking up again.

"Do you really think Kenshin will tell you anything? Personally, I'm afraid you'll only get hurt."

'You know, I'm starting to get the feeling Shingen is testing me.'

Whatever his game, I had nothing to lose by telling him the truth.

"Kenshin saved my life, more than once. If he hurts me a little, I'm still a lot better off than I would be if I'd never met him," I told him with a serious look on my face.

"I'm impressed. I thought you must be a pretty special woman, Alexis, but, even so, I'm pleasantly surprised."

'And now we're back to flirting? that was fast. He doesn't waste any time does he?'

"Come on, stop. We were having a nice, serious conversation."

"You don't see yourself as special? that's a shame, but, I like a girl who doesn't know her own charms. Maybe I should stay until I've convinced you, inside and out?"

'DEFINITELY flirting, does this kind of thing work on Sengoku women? because if does, it ain't gonna work on me.'

"In the meantime, I respectfully rescind my offer, at your request."

"Thanks anyway."

I told him before I realising something.

'Hold on, he had two conditions, right? curiosity demands answers!'

"Before you go, what was your second condition? you only told me the first one."

"Ah, yes. My second condition."

Shingen kneeled down in front of the cell and waved me closer to the bars.

'What's the point of whispering? we're only the two here, well, three if you include Sora.'

Still, I leaned closer. He reaches through the bars and patted me on the head.

'...What?! the heck was that about?'

"My other condition was that you smile at me and tell me 'thank you'."

"You'd seriously let a prisoner of war go for a smile?"

"I would, I haven't seen a smile on your lovely face since I came in here."

Shingen himself wore a smile that would've dazzled 99 out of 100 women and that's on a bad day.

'This is probably the only time I'll ever e a part of the one per cent but, ugh, no, I'm getting flustered!'

"H-how...how unfortunate for you!"

"No smile? but that is a lovely shade of blush on your cheeks. I know it seems really fast, but I might be falling for you."

'...Just don't slip and fall on those candied pick-up lines of yours.'

I backed away, but even with bars in his way, Shingen's reach was long.

'I am now cursing being locked in a cell for an entirely new reason.'

Sora growled and barked at Shingen until he backed away from my cell.

"Whoa! easy! easy boy! calm down!"

Sora growled angrily at Shingen until we heard a familiar voice speak up.

"What are you doing...?"

In an instant, the dungeons hit a temperature of absolute zero.

'Kenshin!'

"Get your hand off her right now, Shingen," Kenshin spoke with a frown on his face.

"Kenshin?! you're... actually here?"

He strode our way, but he did not look happy.

'What got him to change his mind?'

Shingen looked at Kenshin and he said to him.

"What poor timing, I think Alexis and I were just starting to connect before you came along."

Shingen artfully slipped away from the cell, shrugging in defeat.

"I only came because of your stupid letter."

'Hold on, SHINGEN sent a letter? This wasn't Sasuke's doing?'

Kenshin stabbed him with the offending paper like it was a blade.

"I'm going to kill you, painfully."

I sweatdropped a little while Sora whimpered in fear.

'That's more elaborate than his usual threats, must be a pretty bad letter.'

"The mention of pain is where I take my leave. I'm retreating."

Shingen plucked the letter from Kenshin's graceful fingers.

"I'll see you later, Alexis."

"Uh, I'll be here?"

With a suave, saucy wink goodbye, he took his leave. Sora barked at me and then he followed after Shingen. I was confused by this for a moment but that was when I knew why.

'He did that to lure Kenshin down here, but, was it really for me? I wish I could see what's in that letter, but I need to focus on Kenshin before he leaves again.'

I thought to myself before Kenshin turned to face me.

"...How are you doing, Alexis?"

"I'm fine."

It was an absurd answer for an absurd question, but Kenshin seemed so earnest, the reply just slipped out.

'Well, there's no point bringing up my imprisonment, he knows.'

"Are you lacking anything? I can have it sent down for you. I instructed fresh flowers be brought every day and new books and paper be delivered regularly but if you have any requests-"

"No, not really."

'Sasuke's right, Kenshin doesn't sound angry anymore. He sounds eager to please if anything.'

"Kenshin?"

"What is it?"

'How best to broach this?'

I had so much I wanted to say, but his mood seemed a little fey and I didn't want to rush this and lose my chance.

"Thank you for the furniture. I had fun decorating with them."

"So you liked them?"

"Yeah, I hear you picked them out? Everything's really nice."

"...But, you don't look happy."

'Well, duh, I'm in a cell.'

He looked at me, straining to see what I thought should be obvious.

"Tell me, what can I do to make you smile again? like you used to? A new kimono? my cooks could make you an especially nice meal, shall I have music played for you? no, scratch that last one you can make music of your own."

'What the hell is he even offering me? He can't really think that's what made me smile before, can he?'

And why was the man so angry that I hid the truth on the verge of begging me to be happy? Right now, a lot more than the wooden bars of my cell were separating Kenshin and me.

"I don't want more things."

"Tell me what you do want?"

'Do I really need to spell it out for him?'

Maybe it was best just to put it out there, plainly.

"I don't want to be your songbird in a cage. No matter how nice you make the cage."

He heard me. I knew because he frowned harder. Still, he hadn't bothered so I continued.

"There's only one thing I want. To be let out, I want us to talk face to face. If you're keeping me here because you think I'll run, then you can keep me under guard, but-"

"I can't do that."

"You can't? can you tell me why?"

I sensed a strange change come over him, a darkness that seemed to stain the very air around him.

"I can't keep you under guard, because then my guard would see you, others would see you. In a cell, I can guarantee you won't go anywhere while exposing you to the minimum amount of people."

'He...what? this is about making sure no one sees me?'

"What exactly does that have to do with you imprisoning me? you don't want other people to see me? that's weird, why?"

"I don't know why, but, it hurts me when I think about it."

'He doesn't seem like himself, I wonder if there's any point in asking.'

I asked myself as Kenshin's eyes smouldered like a cooling flame. Like heat and chill were at war inside him.

"When I said I wouldn't come back, it's because I had a feeling.

"Yes?"

"I felt if I saw you again, a change would come over me. A bad change. I wanted to avoid that, but, Shingen ruined everything."

"Kenshin, you're not making sense."

"It doesn't matter if I make sense. Not to you, not even to me."

His hand slipped through the bars, resting softly on my head...

'What are you trying to tell me?'

I felt a frisson at the touch of his fingers and I too worried something would change forever in me.

"Shingen touched you, right here."

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"Don't you see? the mere fact that he touched you aggravates me..."

The words rasped out of him, as though painful to say. Kenshin's hand stayed as if by that act he could erase Shingen's touch. 

'He's acting strange, but, I don't feel danger from him. Even if I did, I can't bring myself to move away.'

We stayed that way, this picture of something silent and sad until Kenshin finally withdrew and it was only when they were gone that I realised how comforting his fingers in my hair had been.

"Kenshin?"

"...I'll come by again."

He said it perfunctorily, then turned and left. Once he was gone, I smiled a little, but I sighed afterwards.

"What a strange guy...sometimes I wonder what goes through that mind of his," I mumbled to myself before sitting down in the corner of my cell.

'Despite all that, I wonder if I'll ever get through to him and become a free songbird once again.