InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 35 days to love ❯ Gathering the Princesses ( Chapter 1 )

35 days to love

 

Kougasmate- okay everyone! The first chapter of thirty five days to love is here! YAYAYA! I'm really on a roll with my stories lately!

 

 

Chapter one- Gathering the Princesses

 

 

Workers in a rice field looked up curiously as a procession of wagons rattled by. The flags of the four ruling prominences, North, West, East and South, marked each corner of every wagon. Guards marched stiffly beside the wagons, weapons ready to fight at a minutes notice. One man in the field, twenty years in age, closed his eyes sadly and turned away, tears springing to his eyes. Those wagons had been coming into their town lately, extracting every available woman they could find and taking them to the meeting point of the four prominences. The four rulers, getting on in age and ready to pass their Lordship down to their children, had decreed that a wife must first be taken before their sons took the throne. The wagons contained village girls from the ages of fourteen to twenty eight, and seemed ominous to their grieving families. The man, Taishu, watched sadly as the wagons passed from his sight, and the noise that accompanied them diminished. “Good bye,” he muttered, tears running a river on his dirt streaked face, “Good bye sister…” He knew that his sister's leaving was for the best, his family was starving and this was a chance at money, but he couldn't find it in himself to rejoice. His sister was beautiful, and many men had tried for her hand. But his vivacious sister grew bored quickly, and rejected the men. Her name was Fiora, as many men knew, but only Taishu knew how badly it pained her to leave her family, for she only trusted Taishu, four years her senior, with her thoughts. Inhaling deeply Taishu frowned, and saw Fiora as she had been that morning, preparing herself for her meeting with royalty. He heard small footsteps behind him and turned to find his daughter, Sere, crying loudly, Fiora's sapphire ribbons adjourning her light brown hair. “Where's Fiora going daddy?” Taishu closed his eyes in sadness, and replied, “She's going away so that we can be happy. But she'll come back soon.” Sere nodded, looking down at the dirt, and wiggled her toes. “I'm going to be good so she's proud of me when she comes back.” Taishu smiled, “good girl Sere.”

 

Fiora sat unhappily in the wagon, knees draw up to her chest in an un-lady like fashion. Sighing, Fiora drew back the curtains to the wagon and looked out. Already she was farther from home than she'd ever been. Letting the curtain fall back into place Fiora fell into a fitful sleep.

 

 

Meanwhile, in the Eastern lands, a young woman with dark brown hair in a ponytail stepped into a wagon similar to Fiora's. Her eyes were warm brown and at her shoulder hung a small demon kitten with two tails. The woman turned to look back at her father and younger brother, eyes misting up. “Father… Kohaku… I'll never forget you…” Turning so as to hide her broken tears from her father and younger brother, Sango stepped into the wagon. Her gown ruffled as she did so, seeming to send the unspoken goodbyes into the wind, a sound of finalization to broken hearts. The kitten at her shoulder looked up at her sadly, eyes seeming more human than demon. Sango looked down at Kirara, the only piece of home she was allowed to keep with her, her only friend from this point on. Sango closed her eyes, cradling Kirara in her arms, and gave into sleep, haunted with visions of the terrible man that may await her, or the knight that would hold her love.

Meanwhile, the royal guards were having trouble tracking down a certain woman, who was currently running through the forest like hell was at her heels. Her silky brown hair whipped at her face and the undergrowth cut her unprotected feet and soft skin. A village princess, she had never known a day of work, and now, as she ran through the forest, her flawless skin became marred with blood and gouges. Tears ran in rivulets down her pale face and her green eyes glimmered. “I won't go!” She mumbled as a silent resolve to the forest, a promise to be broken. “I won't let them take me!” Suddenly, three men surrounded her, ruining her deluded dreams of freedom. As she looked at the men, she knew with a sickening feeling that freedom was a lie, and only imprisonment held truth. Hanging her tears stained face, amatsu conceded defeat, and walked with the men back to her village, back to the carriage of hell that stole away her freedom. As she neared the wagon, she saw the flags flying at the corners of the wagons, silk thread gleaming in the sun, as though heavenly. She smiled with disgust, finding sick amusement in the irony of the beautiful flags.

The last woman to be brought out form her homes into the carriage that signified a new future, Kagome was a jewel among pennies. She was the town favored woman, and treated unlike the others. If she needed rice for her nights supper, most men would jump to offer her rice and fish, if only to insure an hour in her presence. Kagome's large, sapphire eyes were wet with tears as she hugged her small brother, “Don't worry Souta… I'll come and visit, okay?”

“Really Kagome, You won't forget about us?”

Kagome smiled and wiped a tear from Souta's eye. “No, hon, I won't.” Souta smiled weakly, “O- okay…”

Kagome's mother grabbed her daughter in her arms, closing her eyes. “I expect to hear from you soon, all right? And you be sure to marry the nicest one, you deserve no less…”

Kagome laughed weakly, “Sure mama, I will.”

As Kagome got into the wagon, she turned and waved at her family, smoothing out the wrinkles in the kimono her mother had worn when she got married. Now it seemed it would be used again.

 

Kouga sat unhappily in a sparsely decorated room, long black hair swept back into a secure, handsome ponytail. In front of him sat a man with an overwhelming presence, Kouga's father, Toku. “Son, I don't see why you are so unhappy about taking a wife. Why, if I were you, I'd jump at the chance to find a beautiful young wife such as the ones we've gathered. Just this afternoon I was out in the gardens and happened to catch a glimpse of a few of the women. Even princess Ayame, whom you've so vehemently denied, pales in comparison.” Kouga frowned, looking out the window into the rose garden. “It's not about beauty! It's not about, love, or finding happiness! What makes me maddest is being forced into something!” Kouga growled threateningly, glaring at his father with deep blue eyes. Toku laugh a deep, rumbling laugh, and took a large drink of sake, “You're just like your mother, son. Stubborn as a mule!” Kouga grimaced as his father bellowed, “I hardly see the humor in that.” Toku lowered his sake cup and starred intently at Kouga.

“Listen up, pup,” Kouga winced. His father was mad now. “You listen to what I tell you and you don't whimper or whine, or come to me with your tail between your legs because you're `unhappy'. You are going to take a wife, and that is that. Understood?” Kouga sighed, “Yes sir.” Just then, there was a knock on the door and a maid peeked her head in timidly. “Apologies for the disturbance, but the ladies are now ready. We are meeting in the great hall.” Toku grinned wickedly, “C'mon Kouga my boy, it's time to pick your future.”

With a sigh, Kouga managed an un-enthusiastic, “Oh joy…”

 

As the four soon to be rulers gathered to view the assembled women, they exchanged glances among themselves. Sesshomaru's glance clearly expressed his disdain at an arranged marriage, while Inuyasha's showed anger and immaturity. Miroku's, however, displayed to all his obvious joy at so many women lined up to marry him. Kouga scoffed, and all knew he had had a talk with his `loving' father.

Kaede stood front of the current and future rulers, watching them with one serious eye. “Today we gather to decide which brides are most suitable. Those found lower than standard will be sent home, whilst the ones found to be of the right standard shall stay.”

Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, looked at Inuyasha with a mixture of love and concern. “Oh Inuyasha, don't worry! I'm sure which ever woman you end up with will be just wonderful.”

“Feh.”

The first woman out was a beauty name Kisoko, who, unfortunately, had a few less than exemplary qualities. Her cheekbones were to high and her nose was to narrow, a blemish on her otherwise beautiful face. She was sent back to her small homeland in the south, all though she was allowed to keep the kimono she had been dressed in for the showing.

After twenty minutes of parading woman after woman, all in the room felt quite sure they'd have to settle for less. That is, until Kagome stepped out. Izayoi stood excitedly and half ran onto the stage, grinning madly. “Oh honey! You're so beautiful! What is your name?” Kagome, rather flustered by the outburst which was so uncommon in royal families, merely gaped. Izayoi laughed behind a beautiful gold and sapphire fan. “I'm sorry dear! I was just starting to think no one would be right for my dear Inuyasha!” She indicated her son and looked eagerly at Kagome. “So, name please?” Kagome smiled a little. “K-Kagome Higurashi, your highness.” Izayoi smiled, “No, no Kagome, none of that `your highness' stuff, I'll have you showing no in superiority to me!” Kagome smiled, and cast a sideways glance at Inuyasha, blushing a little. Izayoi walked back down towards Inutaisho, who was laughing at his wife's outburst, and waved her hand, “She passes! Finally!” Kouga watched as Kagome walked out of the room, eyes locked intently on the door through which she'd just gone. Then he sighed. Kagome was clearly marked as a possible bride for Inuyasha. But a wolf could dream, right?

Dreams became lost as the next woman stepped out. Her name was Fiora, a name that Kouga would not soon forget. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Miroku smirking and preparing every charming line he could think of, so he nudged his dad. “Her. I pick her.”

Toku grinned drunkenly, “That's our girl! She is ours! Allow her to go through!” Kaede nodded, “Ye pass my child.” Fiora sighed sadly, “I see.” Wit a rustle of kimono she exited the room, casting a rather forlorn glance at the princes, her eyes welling up with tears. As she entered the room into which Kagome had walked in, she looked up at the other woman, who was obviously a few years her junior. “Hello…” She whispered numbly, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking down sadly. Kagome stood, walked over to Fiora, and looked up at her. “What's the matter? Did you not pass?” Fiora shook her head in disgust, her shoulders shaking as she tried to compress her feeling of rage. “N-no! I p-passed alright! I just… I d-don't want to b-be here!” Kagome nodded, putting her hand on Fiora's back, and led her over to an open window. “Look at how beautiful the sun shines over the mountains, isn't it a truly inspiring sight?” Fiora looked up, tears gone, replaced by a mask of hate, hate for none other than a certain wolf demon. “It's disgustingly ironic…” she mumbled, walking over to a cushion and sitting down, turned away from the window and the beauty just beyond it.

 

 

Kougasmate- wow! Something tells me Fiora will be painstakingly popular or everyone will hate her! I don't think there will be an in-between. Just to be clear, she's not really evil, and she doesn't hate everyone, she is just sad about leaving her family. She will lighten up around the others later on. All except Kouga, of course. Boy wolfy sure picked the wrong gal, huh? Well, she'll eventually warm up to him; otherwise, it's not a love story!