InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Dance To Remember ❯ When The Big Dogs Bark ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer - Of the many horrible things to say-I don't own Inuyasha…gasp! And never will. Another gasp!

Notes - For any of you who find this story somewhat…harsh, this chapter will make up for it. Promise.

 

 

Chapter 4: When The Big Dogs Bark

 

 

There was a man who saw Life face to face,

And ever as he walked from day to day,

The deathless mystery of being lay

Plain as the path he trod in loneliness;

And each deep-hid inscription could he trace;

How men have fought and loved and fought again;

How in lone darkness souls cried out for pain;

How each green foot of sod from sea to sea

Was red with blood of men slain wantonly;

How tears of pity war as summer rain

Again and ever washed the stains away,

Leaving to Love, at last, the Victory.

Above the strife and hate and fever pain,

The squalid talk and walk of men.

 

~David Starr Jordan (excerpt from “To Love, at Last, the Victory”)

 

 

 

She sighed again as she stood and allowed the maid to dress her in a brown summer kimono with white and lavender plums across it. She did her hair herself, just because it was habit, and then dismissed the maid with a flick of her wrist.

 

She had sat for a long time thinking after returning the castle. This could not go on. But she could not let him break her either as he wished to do. Submitting perhaps would not be so hard…but it would hurt her pride. She did not want his body. It was only a thing…an object that he used to get what he wanted. She would bow her head this one time…but not again. Or could she? It had been almost a month since the stable accident, and she had staid even further away from her husband and his staff. She had also talked with her mother who had only given her a grave look. But Kagome had refused the unspoken words. Perhaps there should be a treaty between them? A peace of sorts? But what peace could there be in an environment such as this? Everything fairly screamed Sesshomaru's name…the ideally manicured gardens, the white washed castle, the lands around, it, the servitude of the peasants, his guards-she felt like a lamb thrown in amongst the lions covered with cuts and scrapes so as to hasten her demise. She sighed and looked out the window at the cloudy sky and then picked herself up to stride down to the library. She would clear her mind for a few hours…read…and then perhaps make an effort to make peace with her husband.

 

Little did she know she wouldn't have too.

 

 

*****

 

“How dare you.” The statement made him pause as he glanced over at the woman before him. He made the mistake of looking away and was rewarded with a loud slam of her hand against his desk, making him jerk up in surprise.

 

“Kyoko-”

 

“How DARE you do that to my daughter? Where is that precious honor you spoke of when I gave her to you as a bride? Well? Where is it? Certainly not with you!” He glared back at her and stood, his tall figure towering over her small frame but she did not bend. He leaned forwards, his hands resting flat on his desk.

 

“I have nothing to say Kyoko.”

 

“Damn right you don't! And it is probably a good thing too! Lest you say something even more abominable!” She stepped back, her eyes glowing with anger. He held her gaze until she broke it and began to pace back and forth across the office floor, her emerald silk kimono trailing behind her. He was silent as he watched her, and then stiffened at the look in her eyes when she looked up at him.

 

“You will apologize to her…and you will do it soon!”

 

A tick appeared at his jaw line and he sat back down

 

“Never. I refuse to apologize to a woman.” He watched as Kyoko turned a deep fuchsia in response.

 

“Today! Or so help me, I will carry out my threat from before! A month you have been married! A month! And already you torture her! I did not give her to you for this! You are reenacting my marriage to her father!” Kyoko began to pace once again, stopping every now and then to look up at the ceiling, grit her teeth and then begin to pace again.

 

“You wouldn't dare.” He stated coolly as he calmly rolled up a loose scroll from his desk.

 

She spun around and glowered at him.

 

“Wouldn't I? I'll go to war before I see you…see you `rape' my daughter as you did in that accursed barn of yours again!” His fist slammed down on the desk in anger, but she ignored him and slammed her own down next to his.

 

“I refuse to put up with this…I gave Kagome to you because I felt you would treat her better then how my husband treated me…but apparently not! She is reliving my fate! But the difference here is that I am not afraid to step in and help her the way my mother was unwilling to.” His eyes flashed red in anger at her and she glared back, her face still a deep fuchsia color. There was a staring match between them, before Sesshomaru finally averted his eyes and sighed, albeit angrily.

 

“Then I will go to war.” Kyoko forced back a scream of rage and exasperation at his words and went so far as to grab him the scruff of his robes.

 

“You listen here, you spoiled, arrogant, beleaguer! I am your deceased mother's closest friend, and I REFUSE to be treated like a common peasant! Do you hear me? I REFUSE!” Throwing him away from her she sank into a chair, breathing hard as she put a hand to her pulse and felt it.

 

`And they always said that Kyoko had no temper…well not I know where my wife gets it from.'

 

“She is a woman. And many things would happen…many months before you could take her back from me.” She glanced up at him, her lips pursing together.

 

“So help me, you little heathen, I will wreak HELL down upon you IF YOU DO NOT APOLOGIZE TO HER!” She ended with a yell as she jumped to her feet, knocking over the chair. He rose as well once again, his own face finally becoming flushed.

 

“I will not. Ever.”

 

Kyoko rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Some LORD you are! More of a bratty child! You will swallow your pride and you will say you're sorry to my daughter-or trust me, I will-”

 

“Mama…why are you shou-” Kagome asked as she entered the room, stopping abruptly as she saw her husband standing all of a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened as he glared venomously at her and looked from her mother to her husband to her mother again.

 

“Excuse me…I'll leave.” She said, keeping herself in check as she bowed and began to turn around.

 

“No you will not Kagome! Your husband was just about to say something to you. WEREN'T you?” Kyoko asked through a sickeningly sweet smile. Sesshomaru gave her the coldest glare he had ever given to anyone before-even his enemies, and flipped his hair over his shoulder in frustration. Tilting her head to the side, Kagome beat back the feelings of anger and resentment towards him, telling herself over and over that she needed to submit at least a little. Her mouth opened to speak but his own cut her off.

 

“I apologize.” Her eyes widened so much, she thought her eyeballs might pop out of their sockets and took a step back, away from him. It had to be a trick…he was going to kill her now or something…that was why he was sorry! She stared at her mother who gave a satisfied sound of triumph and crossed her arms over her chest. Kagome took a step back as her husband stepped towards her and saw a dangerous look come over his face.

 

“Stop moving away.” She did as he said until he reached her and then watched as he leaned forward and kissed her chastely on the cheek. Then he snapped his face away and marched stiffly from the room. Her eyes snapped closed and then opened again to stare at her mother.

 

“What…what is wrong with him? Is he…dying?” Kagome asked in horrification at her husbands actions.

 

Kyoko laughed and hugged her daughter gently.

 

“No, he is just learning that marriage calls for things from both parties.” Kagome's eyes could only stare at her still.

 

“He just-”

 

“Yes he did.”

 

A pause.

 

“How did you-?”

 

“I have my ways.”

 

Another pause.

 

“I think I'm going to faint now-”

 

“Oh-dear god Kagome, snap out of it!”

 

 

 

*****

 

 

He couldn't believe he had actually done it…he had actually apologized to that-

 

His hands fisted at his sides as he strode ironically enough to the barn and began to sadlle his own horse. His eyes betrayed him slightly as they gave off a bit of anger every now and then, but besides that and his hands, he was unreadable. Finishing after what felt like seconds, he gracefully vaulted onto his horse and kicked it harshly in the sides making it rear slightly as it sped out of the barn doors. He needed to ride…to relax slightly before he went back. No doubt the little bitch would shove the whole mess in his face! He growled and kicked his horse again, a pure white draft/pleasure mix he had bred himself years ago. He felt himself speed up, and then felt his body being lifted as he and his horse jumped over a fallen tree.

 

 

*****

 

 

`Good. The bastard deserved to be derailed!' She thought satisfied as she retired to their room.

 

She hadn't expected to see him there so wasn't surprised when she was right. Closing the screen behind her, she undid her hair as she went and began to brush it out as a maid came in a few minutes later to undress her.

 

`He was pretty angry…nah! Why should I care after what he did…the uncivilized bastard!' She thought as she glared at the mirror.

 

She'd spoken to Inuyasha today. But not of what had happened. There was supposed to be a breeding of two champion race horses in the next week and she had been curious if she could attend it. Inuyasha hadn't been sure so she had just shrugged it off and changed the subject. After all, when in doubt, say yes.

 

He had taken his dancing lessons and it had paid off. Kikyo and her mother had held a social gathering at the Northern palace a few days ago and Inuyasha had succeeded in literally `sweeping Kikyo off her feet'. She smiled at it as the obi was finally untied and the kimono was shrugged off, layer by layer. Idly, she wondered when the wedding would be…for her sister and Inuyasha…? Not long, she suspected, at the way the two were circling around one another like vultures to a dead carcass.

 

“Thank you Sayori-chan.” Kagome said thankfully as she was finally rid of the confining garment.

 

Sayuri responded by bowing timidly and then leaving to fulfill her other duties. Offhandedly, Kagome was surprised at how she had been able to stake off boredom so well, and slipped a sleeping yukata on for bed. Finishing her hair, she glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed as her mind traveled back to her husband. It was a male-dominated society…what more should she expect? But as the guardian of the jewel, couldn't she be allowed some exceptions?

 

She shook her hair out and fluffed the silken strands before pressing a bit of lavender oil into the pulse points of her neck and wrists. No sense in not smelling alright…that kimono had been excruciatingly hot and uncomfortable, and she was too tired for a bath.

 

`What will he do when he comes back? I have nothing to say to him...so how exactly do things get smoothed over?' She sighed and straightened up suddenly as the door was flung open and her husband stepped inside. Her eyes widened slightly at his windblown appearance and rumpled robes before she he glanced at her, He gave her a glare before striding pointedly past her into the connecting bathroom. She felt anger boil up in her once again at the dismissal.

 

`It can't go on like this. I have to say something.'

 

Rising, she stepped after him to see him forcibly pulling off his armor and clothing. She watched him for a moment before seeing him finally rid himself of his pants and then step into the spring. She had long ago lost her modesty at his nakedness and so did not flinch when he turned back to her.

 

“You may want to leave…lest I `rape' you again.” He said with a sneer as he scrubbed a bar of soap roughly across his arms. She stiffened in anger and was about to leave before she caught herself and sighed. Turning back around, she looked at him and kneeled down on the stone floor. He eyed her once before completely ignoring her, and she sighed once again at his childish antics.

 

“Thank you for your apology. It meant a great deal to my mother and I.” She said softly from her place on the floor. Sesshomaru stilled but then took up his scrubbing just as quickly and she shook her head in disappointment.

 

“You didn't do it all because she told you to, did you?” She asked as she watched him. At her words, his hand squeezed the bar of soap so hard it split into two pieces and was lost into the murky water. His back stiffened as he continued to ignore her.

 

“You are too proud to know when you are wrong…but then that is all men, even your brother-”

 

“My brother has nothing to do with this!” He said finally looking over his shoulder at her. She glanced coolly back at him in response to his outburst.

 

“He does actually. He just understands it more then you do.” He sneered at her again as he reached for another bar of soap.

 

“Still as insolent as ever, I see.” He said rudely as he began to scrub himself again. She actually smiled at his words.

 

“Still mad that I'm not attracted to you? It's to bad actually, because I could be if you took more care of what you say and do around me.” He glanced up at her sharply at her unexpected words and gave her a distrustful look.

 

“What are you plotting?” He asked his eyes burrowed holes into her but she did not flinch.

 

“Absolutely nothing. I just refuse to let the situation writhe in agony as it is doing now.” She shifted slightly for better comfort on the cold floor as he continued to eye her.

 

“I don't believe you.” He said tactlessly. She smiled again.

 

“Have you ever? Not that I am one to talk. But I am at least honest with myself in that animalistically, yes I am attracted to you, but everything else about you I absolutely can't stand.” His eyes widened slightly at her brutal words and broke the second bar of soap in his anger. She stifled a giggle as her husband looked at his hand, unconsciously breaking their gaze as he stared even more angrily at where the second bar had rested seconds ago. He looked back at his wife when she laughed.

 

“I know that we are more equal then you may think. And I am willing to prove it if you could just take a few pointers from your brother. Look at him and my sister. I refuse to love you…but it would be good to have a truce between us. An eternity of this is not exciting to me or you I'm sure.” She said as she yawned and stood, dusting off her yukata.

 

“We are not equals. You are a woman.” He said as he gave up altogether with the soap and instead turned to glare at her fully. One of her eyebrows lifted in response to his words.

 

“Is that a challenge, husband?” He leaned forwards towards her over the rim of the spring and glared even more heatedly at her. She shrugged at his obvious answer.

 

“I accept. For now however, I am tired and you look horrible, so good night.” And with that she turned and began to leave.

 

“Scheming wench.” He growled from behind her.

 

“Conniving bastard.” She said back as she closed the door with a finalizing click.

 

He was left just to stare after her. And then suddenly, he couldn't help himself and he smiled slightly.

 

`Always so quick with that tongue of hers.'

 

 

 

Thoughts - There. Harshness is being dissolved, see? Anyway, I'll be gone until the 18th so don't expect an update until after then. Thanks!

 

P.s., anyone think I'm too twisted for my own good? And please REVIEW. I have the next chapter done but I'm still waiting on my beta reader to finish with it...