InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale Twice Told ❯ A Man of Great Worries ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of  their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

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It was an ordinary day. The weather was mediocre; the traffic was moderate; when Inuyasha reached the venue, the crowd had been exactly how he had hoped them to be. They cheered and applauded in all the right places and listened attentively to what he had to say. The speech was a success. On his way back he stopped at his usual bakery shop and bought his favourite pastry, which he ate in the backseat of his car while listening to Nirvana. He seldom had a more ordinary day in his life.

He got the first hint of the impending storm upon entering his home. There was a queer aura of suspense, a cloud of unease hanging in the air that he couldn’t quite figure. A troubled-looking Myouga took him by the arm and led him into the conference room. He remained strangely reticent about his reason for doing so.

Lady Taishou was sitting in there, looking pale and distraught. Sesshoumaru was standing behind a floor lamp, like a silent spirit. On seeing Inuyasha, the former sprang up from her chair.

“Inuyasha, good. Perhaps you can knock some sense into your foolish brother’s head!”

Inuyasha blinked. What was going on?

Myouga cleared his throat.

“Inuyasha-sama, your mother had gone to the Higurashi residence to discuss the marriage between your brother and Kagome-sama. Higurashi-sama, however, wants the marriage to take place between Kagome-sama and yourself. Additionally, he has offered to fund your election expenses. But only if the marriage takes place as he suggested.”

Inuyasha laughed. Clearly senescence had eroded the old man’s ability to think!

“Carrying a joke a bit too far, eh Myouga?”

“Your brother has decided to accept the offer.”

His laughter stopped immediately. Inuyasha could only stare. It was as if someone had punched him in the gut. It just couldn’t be! His brother had done what?

“Sesshoumaru has agreed for Kagome to be married to me?”

“That is the case.”

“But that’s utter bullshit!”

“That is what I’ve been trying to say, though not in those words,” Lady Taishou said, a chastising look upon her face at his language, “but the silly boy just wouldn’t listen. You can’t give up on your love so easily.”

“There is no need for all of this drama,” Sesshoumaru spoke up as he finally stirred from his corner. “My decision is final, Mother. Please inform Mr. Higurashi that we agree to his deal.”

“Deal?” Inuyasha yelled, “That is what a marriage means to you? Just a deal? A bride in exchange for money and connections? Is that why you were going around with her in the first place?”

“I am not answerable to you when it comes to my personal life.”

“Personal life? Did you hear that, Mother?” Inuyasha turned to Lady Taishou, “We’ve shared a room at one time, shared jokes, shared secrets, shared memories! And now he has a personal life?”

“Grow up, Inuyasha. It was all a long time ago.”

“Ok, you have a personal life – I’ll grant you that. But when the fall-out of it threatens to disrupt my personal life, I think I have every right to demand an explanation.”

“We need the money to cover our election expenses. It will give us a new lease on life. It’s too good an offer to refuse.”

“Even if it means selling your brother to the Higurashi clan?”

“You’d be lucky to marry a girl like Kagome.”

“Well, what about her feelings in all this? Has she agreed to the deal?”

“Leave that to me. You needn’t worry about it.”

Inuyasha drew in his breath sharply. Lady Taishou shook her head. Even Myouga shuffled his feet.

“You’ll ask her to marry me? And live in the same house with you? Be in the presence of your obnoxious self everyday and still not be married to you? Wish you a good night every night and then come to share my bed? Are you even human?”

The corners of Sesshoumaru’s mouth curved up slightly in a smile laced with irony.

“You see Mother, it won’t be so difficult after all. He cares for her already.”

Inuyasha was livid with anger. How dare he insinuate that he, Inuyasha, would covet any girl his brother wished to marry?

“You know that’s not true,” Inuyasha bellowed, “You know I’d never betray you like that!”

“Prove it!” Sesshoumaru challenged, “Prove your allegiance to your brother by doing as I say.”

There was a knock on the door. The butler peeped from it.

“Kagome-sama wishes to see Lord Taishou.”

“I shall be with her in a minute.”

The butler respectfully withdrew his head.

“Go, break her heart and show her what a cad you are,” Inuyasha remarked, his face set in an angry scowl as he regarded his brother.

“Mother, please call Higurashi-sama and convey your acceptance,” Sesshoumaru remained as calm as ice, “Inuyasha, go give your measurements for the tux. The marriage is going to happen, whether you like it or not.”

Kagome’s voice rang out angrily in the corridor. Sesshoumaru opened the door and poked his head out, and then turned to the assembled party.

“Mother, please prepare Inuyasha for the wedding while I go speak with Kagome.”

“I want to speak to Kagome,” Inuyasha demanded.

“You shall have your entire life to do so. After the wedding,” Sesshoumaru responded, before he exited the room.

Left behind, the three of them looked at each other, dumbfounded. Lady Taishou was the first to speak.

“Inuyasha, you know how eager your brother is for us to win. If he is ready to give up his love for it-”

“This is wrong, Mother. This is just wrong. But you can make that phone call to Higurashi-sama. It’ll be of no use in the end. I’m sure Kagome will never agree to marry me.”

Nodding, Lady Taishou walked out of the room slowly. Myouga followed suit. Inuyasha plopped down into a chair and stared vacantly out the window.

At that very moment, there wasn’t a man with greater worries than him.