InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale Twice Told ❯ A Man of Integrity ( Chapter 6 )

[ 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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The stage was set. Sesshoumaru was standing at a corner of the room, Lady Taishou was sitting in her chair, Myouga occupied a couch while Kagome stood behind another, a tad defensively. Right on cue, Inuyasha stormed into the room.

“What’s the meaning of all this? Why did you call me home right in the middle of the campaign?”

“The campaign is over. You have proved yourself to be unworthy of the position that you are aspiring to achieve,” Sesshoumaru informed him coldly.

What the-

“Unworthy? How have I been unworthy? This is classic – nothing I ever do is good enough for you! How can you just negate all the hard work I’ve put into this campaign?”

“Elections are not won by hard work and physical strength. If that were the case, we would have rather put an ox upon the dais. Politics is the game of the brain, and it is in that department that you are lacking to the tune of one.”

Myouga rose from his couch. “Surely, there is no reason to be sarcastic, Lord Taishou. Inuyasha-sama is inexperienced; there have been aggravating circumstances-”

“And there will be such circumstances in the future. But that does not mean he will go berserk like a brainless, uncouth, trigger-happy maniac.”

“How I defend my wife’s honour is none of your business.”

“Your wife?” Sesshoumaru cast a meaningful look at Kagome, who flinched under it. Suddenly Inuyasha was aware of a strange hostility between the two. At least, the hostility was clear from Sesshoumaru’s side. Kagome was looking stricken, hunted. He wondered what was going on inside the house. 'Just what happened here while I was away?'

Unaware of his thoughts, Sesshoumaru continued. “You owe your wife to politics, don’t forget that. She was given to you in exchange for winning the election. And since you have taken her and her money, now it is your duty to uphold your side of the deal.”

Why was Sesshoumaru describing his marriage in such cheap terms?

“I will win the elections, even though I never promised anything like that to her. There, I gave you my word so just butt out of my life and let me be.”

“Your word holds no meaning for me unless you can back it with your actions. Are you imagining this campaign to be a child’s play, Inuyasha? Day and night we are thinking, planning, working out ways to make the campaign a success. I am doing it, Myouga is doing it – every man in your party is doing it. And then you swagger in like an emperor and dismantle everything, all of our hard work,” Sesshoumaru sneered, “with your arrogance and your thick-headedness.”

Inuyasha was getting very angry. He was in a foul mood to begin with, still fuming over Kouga's insinuations and accusations. Then the imperious way in which Sesshoumaru had called him home in the middle of a campaign trip, allowing him no opportunity to refuse, had made him see red. He had given his word to the people, promised to visit certain organizations, had charted out the rest of the trip and he felt humiliated having to cancel everything and run home like a scared kid. Sesshoumaru…he wondered why he had stayed away from the campaign in the first place if he was going to be so involved with it. He hated his own dwindling independence and his brother’s ever-growing high-handedness within the Party. Especially, since their ideas and ideologies had seldom matched. More and more it was beginning to feel like he was simply a figurehead of the Party, holding no real power or authority at all.

Above all, somewhere in his heart, Inuyasha could not forgive Sesshoumaru for coaxing him to marry Kagome and then betraying him by taking her while he was away.

Coming home only to face this abuse proved to be the final straw. He picked up a paperweight and threw it at the window, smashing the glass.

“What part of ‘butt out of my life’ don’t you understand?” he yelled.

Sesshoumaru also looked belligerent. For some reason his patience was also running thin, Inuyasha noticed. He seemed to be on the edge, angry…with either him or Kagome, he wasn’t sure which. 'As if it matters.' Inuyasha pulled up the sleeves of his shirt.

‘Try coming closer and fucking see what happens Sesshoumaru!’ He thought, staring down his older brother, his gaze daring him to make a move.

Myouga’s small form intervened between the two brothers.

“You two should be ashamed of yourselves. You are playing right into Ryuukossei’s hands. This is exactly what he wants – to turn brother against brother, to destroy the unity of this clan.”

“Tell that to him,” Inuyasha growled. “I won’t stand and hear anybody talk shit about Kagome.”

“Pardon me, Inuyasha-sama,” Myouga said, sweat beading his forehead, “but as you know, Caesar’s wife has to be above suspicion. And now that Ryuukossei has made public the connection between Lord Taishou and Kagome-sama, tongues will wag. You are aspiring for a public office, Inuyasha-sama. Nothing will remain personal any longer.”

Inuyasha paused for a moment to mull over Myouga’s words. The last thing he wanted was more trouble for Kagome. He sneaked a clandestine glance at her, and was surprised to see her standing apart from everyone else, almost hiding behind a couch. As if she did not belong to the group – didn’t even belong to Sesshoumaru. He began to doubt his own assumption about the other night. Was there some other reason for her not picking up the phone? Was he too hasty to come to his conclusions? He uncurled his fists, relaxing his stance slightly. 'But why does she remain by herself?' he wondered as he chanced another glance at her lonely form. 'Why not join Mother at least?' He made a note to find out what had been happening in his absence. Kagome should not have to act like an unwanted stranger in what was now her own home.

But that was a matter for another time. For now he had to focus on the matter at hand. “Well then tell me a way to freeze the wagging tongues.”

“Maybe Kagome should accompany Inuyasha on his next tour,” Sesshoumaru suggested.

Inuyasha frowned at him. There was a certain quality to his tone of voice, a snideness that hinted at something more. Just what was he planning? But he saw absolutely no reaction from Kagome at the suggestion. Did that mean she was for the idea? Against it? Or just had absolutely no opinion on the matter? He had been toying with the idea of bringing her on his next tour but only after discussing the matter with her. He felt himself bristling at yet more proof that his life was being taken further out of his control. His anger only grew further with Myouga's reply. 'This is my life they're planning out, damn it! Where's my say in the matter?!'

“I think it is too late for that,” Myouga replied. “The public might take it as another façade, another show we have arranged for them. I don’t know if it will repair the damage or if they will become a laughing stock of the entire nation. By the way, who is Kagura?”

Sesshoumaru frowned. “Kagura?”

“She has been spotted leaving Ryuukossei’s office.”

“I had dated her briefly, before meeting Kagome.”

Myouga joined the tips of his fingers, lost in thought.

“What new devilry is Ryuukossei planning now?” Inuyasha wondered aloud, his anger subsiding for the moment as he pondered the turn the conversation had taken. He did not like this new fact that had come to light.

“We can assume the general direction he will be taking,” Lady Taishou spoke up from her corner chair for the first time since the meeting started. “This woman is likely to make an unpleasant noise about you, Sesshoumaru. There’s only one way to drown out noise, and that’s by a louder noise.”

Myouga looked up, eyeing her carefully. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

Lady Taishou inclined her head slightly. “The only way to salvage Sesshoumaru’s reputation now is by marriage to a nice, respectable girl from a middle class family. Something that should be symbolic of a union of the heart and not a political alliance from any angle whatsoever.”

Inuyasha’s eyes shot towards Kagome. He knew what he would find there. Sure enough, her face had blanched; her knuckles were white as she gripped the antimacassar of the couch in front of her. Inuyasha could understand her reaction. Barely had the girl time enough to get over the shock of her own marriage to him. Another shock so soon had surely sent her reeling. He hoped Sesshoumaru would refuse, would understand the girl’s plight and at least give her some more time to adjust to her new life.

“As you wish, Mother.”

All his hopes were dashed by that simple reply. So were hers. Kagome’s eyes met his, and for a second, their old connection shimmered again. Then she looked away, a flash of emotion crossing her face. Was it guilt? Was it shame? What was she feeling guilty about? He was perplexed, watching as she ran out of the room. Inuyasha kept looking after her, trying to figure out her strange reaction.

Slowly he became aware of what was going on inside the room again. Lady Taishou and Myouga were debating on who would be a good match for Sesshoumaru on such a short notice. They wanted the girl to be from their own circle, as the bride and the groom would not have any time to get to know each other. Rage swelled inside Inuyasha once again, when he realized the consequence of the wedding.

“Do we need to add another person into this melee?” he laughed cynically. “Already we have a pretty cosy situation going on here. I wonder how many more lives need to be sacrificed at the Taishou family altar before the ambitions of certain people are satisfied.”

“Do not speak ill of this family!” Sesshoumaru roared from his corner.

“Oh right,” Inuyasha shot back, “we are talking about the great Taishous here. Why don’t we all join hands and genuflect, instead? Oi, Jaken,” he called the butler, “call Kagome. She should also kneel before the altar. After all, she was Sacrifice No. 1.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Oops, I forgot. Things never go out of the walls of this mansion, right? The façade is perfect, dear brother. The ivies on the walls, the gabled arches, the magnificent orchard, the pebbled driveway – all very solid and respectable. No matter if the inside is corroding with despicable lies and abominable hypocrisy, no matter if our hands are stained with the blood of the innocent. So long as the façade is beyond reproach, you will not care.”

“It was not I who suggested this wedding.”

“But I hardly think you are averse to the idea. At least, if past conduct is taken as an indicator.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I thought I was contesting this election so we could bring Oyaji’s dreams into fruition. But I was wrong. This campaign belongs to you, Sesshoumaru. It has become a vessel to fulfil your own dreams and ambitions. I’m nothing more than a puppet on a chain. You are the one calling the shots around here.”

“And what if I am? What can you do about it?”

“I’ll abandon the Party, leave this house and take Kagome with me. Have you even considered how hard it will be for her to live in the same house as your wife? How will your wife, whoever she ends up being, react to Kagome's presence?” His eyes widened as the words left his mouth sounding too close to an accusation of his own. But part of him still wondered about what had happened while he was away, still felt betrayed by his brother, and now they wanted to bring another person into this mess? And part of him, the part that believed something had happened between Sesshoumaru and Kagome, couldn't help but wonder if they would keep carrying on after Sesshoumaru's own marriage, which only increased his fury. His anger was bringing him to the point of saying something he would regret but if things went too much further he didn't think he would be able to stop himself. 'Mouth always did get me into trouble.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed with fury. “Do you remember the comment Kouga made about this family, Inuyasha? Do you want more of that in the future? Do you want the people to point at Kagome and wonder if what was said about us is true? Do you want her to be always haunted, always suspected of sharing time between us, when in your heart you know that she is as pure as the driven snow? Is that what you really want?”

“Of course not! Wh-who’d be that selfish?” Inuyasha stuttered out. Was Sesshoumaru denying the allegation? His words about Kagome's purity seemed to imply it. He felt himself at something of a loss as his hasty conclusions crumbled around him. 'But if that's the case,' he wondered, 'then why did she look guilty?' Still, true or not, he could not allow Kagome to continue to be haunted by such accusations. He had already sworn that he would not stand and listen to them, that he would defend her honor. So how could he cast his own?

Sesshoumaru was looking at him with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. He obviously knew he was playing his cards right.

“Father’s dreams are important for me too, Inuyasha. Please realize that you and I are on the same team. So just let me help you. In return, I promise I shall take my marriage vows seriously. I shall not let an innocent person suffer for my obsession.”

A part of Inuyasha’s mind knew that he was being subtly manipulated. But the situation was such that he didn’t really have a choice but to agree with his brother. He desperately hoped against hope that Sesshoumaru would keep his promise and not ruin the life of Sacrifice No. 2.

“Do as you please.”

He walked out of the room.

That night he saw Kagome taking great pains to avoid talking to him. He suspected the reason to be the bombshell Lady Taishou had dropped on her head earlier. She looked quite forlorn and abandoned, as she leaned against the balcony, her dark hair floating in the cold night air. ‘Damn, she’ll catch a cold in that flimsy night gown,’ he thought with some concern.

He waited in the hallway, expecting Sesshoumaru to go to her and speak a few words of endearment. Maybe he would take her hand in his and steer her to her bedroom before bidding her a good night. But he waited in vain. A discreet inquiry to the butler led to the discovery that his brother had gone out for the night, to meet an old acquaintance. Cursing inwardly, he made his way to the balcony.

When Kagome saw him, she gave him a miserable, watery smile.

“I’m sorry your campaign had to be cut short.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Say Kagome, have you seen our Weapon Room yet?” He wanted a quick change of topic to divert her mind.

Kagome shook her head.

“What? Nobody has taken you there yet? What a shame! Come here.”

He put his arm around her, hiding a frown at how cold her skin felt, and guided her half-willing steps to the armoury.

“It’s just that we were married under crappy circumstances, otherwise it’s a ritual for every new bride to visit this room and be bored to death by hearing our family history.”

Kagome gave him a polite smile that failed to reach her eyes. Inuyasha pretended not to notice.

“You see this sword, Kagome?” He pulled out the article in question. “It is very special. My great-grandfather, who went mad at the age of forty – and whose genes my respected brother has inherited – had gone into the forest once to kill a tiger, armed with naught but this sword.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Could he kill the tiger?”

“Unfortunately, no. Before he could go too far, a bolt of lightning struck the sword and it plunged itself into his heart. Even now the blade can attract iron. It’s quite a magnetic sword, you see.”

He brought the sword close to a dagger and the latter clung to it with a loud clang.

“Wow,” Kagome drew in her breath. She looked almost like a child watching a cool magic trick.

A please look crossing his face as he saw that his words were succeeding in distracting her, Inuyasha put the sword back in its sheath and picked up a rifle.

“This was the Winchester with which my grandfather used to hunt. He had excellent aim, we’ve been told, but a hunting accident had maimed his right arm, curbing his ability to hold a rifle. Later on he hired a man called Bokusenou to do all his hunting for him. Bokusenou would kill tigers and deer and leopards and bison by the dozens, while my grandfather took all of the credit for them. His pride was too great for him to admit to his shortcoming.”

“Has your brother inherited those genes as well?” There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

Laughing, Inuyasha wagged a finger in front of her. He was very pleased to see that his distraction was working.

“Time will tell, Kagome, time will tell.”

He pointed at a sleek, black rifle hanging from the wall. “That’s an original Ferguson, 1782. In today’s time, it would cost a fortune.” He marched over to the wall and affectionately caressed the polished, ebon surface.

“Do you know how to shoot?” Kagome asked. She was leaning forward in excitement.

Inuyasha smirked. What a chance to show off!

“Of course I do, I’ve won three championships!” His smile faltered a little. “But I don’t like to hunt. Not even ducks. It’s such a meaningless sport – so many bright lives gone just for a few hours’ entertainment. There is no real bravery in hunting. Just that you have a gun, and the animal doesn’t.”

“You seem to care a lot about animals.” A shy smile crossed her face as she tilted her head to glance thoughtfully at him.

He did. That was the reason he and Kikyou were first attracted to each other. She was passionate about saving the environment. He shook those thoughts off to focus on the woman standing in front of him. “I just don't think it's right to hunt for sport. Hunting for food, for survival is one thing.” He paused as their eyes met before Kagome looked away, a shadow briefly crossing over her face. She yawned suddenly.

“Excuse me,” she blushed. Her eyes widened as she took in the time. “Wow, where did the time go? I didn't realize it was so late.” Another yawn punctuated her statement. “I should go to bed.”

'Late? It's not even 9.' Still, it had been a long day with some emotionally draining events. She could probably use the sleep.

Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement. “Okay, let’s go.”

His wife shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t have to look out for me all the time, you see. I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”

“I know,” he said bracingly, “just don’t lose sleep over the dumb ass okay? Last winter I said it’s chilly outside and he ran to get a bowl.”

Kagome shook her head and smiled. “That joke is really old, Inuyasha.”

“Got you to smile, didn’t it?”

Snorting, Kagome started walking towards their room. Inuyasha followed.

“If he was dumb enough to walk away from you, be smart enough to let him go.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Now you are just quoting stuff off the internet.”

“You gotta love a bad man once to appreciate the good one,” he bowed.

“Would you quit it already?”

He hung his head for a moment before perking up again.

“Hey Kagome!”

“What?”

“Knock, knock.”

“Shut up.”