A sadistic Princess should have a sadistic knight.

Live.

Tsukuyo watched with worried eyes as Gintoki walked into their ample bedroom, heavily intoxicated to the point of drunkenly oscillating back and forth. She clutched his shoulder questioningly-no-demandingly.
     "Gintoki, you must get a hold of yourself. If you go crazy, I will too. Have faith, you dumb king. They'll bring her back."
A bitter chuckle left his lips. There was a blatant discrepancy between his kingdom and everybody else's. He was a lax ruler; someone who loathed taking the initiative but did it anyway. But what happens when his beloved wife restricted him from doing just that? He can't think straight. The only thing that occupied his brain was his daughter and rest of it was in a chaotic disarray. He couldn't care less. Who the hell would?
     "Tsukuyo... My faith is strong. I'm almost certain they'll bring her back. But when she does come back-if that happens-do you think she'll be the same?" He gazed up at the blonde, his eyes somehow glossed over like a translucent membrane.
     She swallowed. "What are you insinuating?"
Another harsh chuckle.
     "I'm saying that we don't know what kind of psychopathic maniacs stole our Kagura. What did they do to her? How did they treat her? What information did they demand from her? What disgusting things did they say to her? It haunts me. When Kagura walks into our bedroom, will she act like our Kagura?"
As distress splayed on her elegant features, Tsukuyo wrapped her arms around Gintoki. Tears rolled down her cheeks relentlessly, and she buried her face in his shoulder. He embraced her.
...
A thick fog was distilled along the calm waters, but Sougo knew just from a glance that the black silhouette in the distance was a boat. He pulled out the oar from beneath the benches and rowed them over.
"There's a ship," Sougo announced. Subsequently, everyone reached for their honed weapons, and allowed a crinkle to form between their brows.
     "Sougo was right," Hijikata whispered,"It's a ship."
     "Okita-dono, do you suspect them to have Leader?" Katsura asked lowly.
He shrugged and scanned them meticulously.
     "Don't lug behind. If they do have Hime, don't hesitate to create bloodshed."
Shinpachi especially twitched when he said that. He clenched his katana.
"Megane. If you're just going to be a nuisance, stay in the boat. I know... I know how much Hime cares about you."
He shook his head with exponential vigor.
"I want to save Kagura-chan more than anything. I promise I won't be a nuisance."
Katsura lowered his chin. "..so it's unrequited.."
Hijikata eyed him suspiciously, bringing his pipe to his lips and sucking in the smoke.
     "What's unrequited now?" He inquired gruffly.
Katsura shook his head as the distance between them and the large vessel lessened. With little hesitance, Shinpachi loosened the knot that held their boats together and tied it to the larger ship. They leapt on silently and gracefully. Their short breaths, usually visible due to the colder weather conditions, was unseeable within the opaque fog. It shrouded their surroundings.
Irritated, Sougo clucked his tongue. "Can you guys see in all this?"
"Not at all," Shinpachi responded.
"Wait," Katsura intervened, "someone's coming."
They froze. Several footsteps led to the front(at least, what Sougo assumed was the front)and stopped. Then voices were heard.
"Takasugi-chan~ how's my precious imouto doing?"
"Check for yourself."
"If I go, she'll be confused. She's been hearing your voice for a week. If I go in there so suddenly, she'll get headaches!"
What the hell kind of reasoning is that? Sougo thought.
"You're giving me the damn headaches, idiot. I already fed her, what more do you want?"
"I want my little sister to fight alongside me."
     A sigh. "Due to her being under our harsh ways of bringing her here and whatnot, I have no doubt she'll need some time of convalescence. That little brat is so needy. Why the hell do you want her on our side?"
Sougo was growing angrier by the second. He almost instantaneously ran over to the two silhouettes to make them take back their words. But he wouldn't allow himself to do that. At least, not yet.
He led them around the cabin that protruded out from the deck of the boat, and descended soundlessly down the stairs in which an all-too-suspicious door laid at the end. Realizing that all of them going down there would leave them unguarded, he motioned for Katsura and Hijikata to remain at the top. They complied and started back up the steps.
Hime, you better be behind this door.
...
Kagura felt an unconvincing listlessness despite the situation she was put in. Her mouth held slightly agape, and she put no exertion on her limbs or torso. As if death was upon her, she was devoid of any movement. She blinked slowly as the door before her creaked open, and a familiar figure lingered in the doorway.
"Sou...sa...dist..?" She breathed, as if her lungs were filled with dust.
"It's me.. It's me, Hime. Don't try to talk. I'm taking you home with me."
"You found her, Okita-san?"
She recognized that voice as well.
"Shinpachi.."
Sougo put a sinewy finger to her lips and lifted her gently and carefully, holding her like she was fragile glass. Her arms fell limply over his muscled shoulders and she allowed her nose to lightly graze the skin on his neck. Her hair, somehow a transparent vermillion, cascaded angelically past his waist and swayed in the subtle breeze. Shinpachi exited first, with his katana held before him, and Hijikata and Katsura acknowledged Kagura with smiles full of triumph. They climbed onto the boats and rowed away into the grey mist.

A/N: Man, it's lucky the first boat they found had Kagura in it! It's that surreal plot that you just gotta except in fanfiction. Next chapter will hopefully be longer, thanks for reading.