InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As A Courtesan ❯ To the East ( Chapter 16 )

MS- hey guys =)

Lol i love reading the reviews everyone left me. They're really... hmm.. inspiring... supporting... ah here's the word: Motivating!!

ShippoV, why am I not right? =(

Other than that, I know I've been estimating the number of chapters, but honestly right now... I have no clue how long it's going to be.

To be even more honest, I have no idea where this story will go. So many ideas!

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Anyway, enjoy the chappie!

As A Courtesan
MiserablySweet

Chapter 16- To the East

Previously...

"I deserve to die," she cried. Her beloved Sesshoumaru hated her now... hate her enough to want her executed. She wasn't going to kill him, she would never forgive herself. The best solution was her death, yes... It was for the best.

"I'm so sorry Sesshoumaru-sama... but, I do love you... That will never be a lie," Kagome numbly stood up and headed back inside the castle, not knowing Sesshoumaru was hiding amongst the large shrubs and bushes. His heart ached as he watched her retrieving figure, 'She loves me...'

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Present...

Sesshoumaru swung open the doors of his father's study, "FATHER!" Inu-Taishou looks up from the scroll in his hands. His desk was covered with unread and read scrolls scattered in various places. Inu-Taishou sighed at his other troublesome son, "What is it Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru swiftly shut the door to his father's study, "The East conspires against us!" Inu-Taishou's eyes grimed and shook his head in denial.

"Sesshoumaru, we can not accuse without proof." The young prince shook his head, the conversation he had with Kagome not too long ago replayed in his head, he growled at the unwanted feeling of betrayal and having a broken heart. "This Sesshoumaru has proof father," Sesshoumaru clenched his hands into a tight fist. Inu-Taishou sensed his pup's anger and frustration,

"Do you really Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru nodded. Inu-Taishou rubbed his aching temples, "Well?" He demanded the information that Sesshoumaru just previously had discovered himself. Sesshoumaru inhaled sharply, "The Eastern Lord and his family... they plan to murder us and claim the land for themselves."

Inu-Taishou raised an eyebrow, "Sesshoumaru, from where have you heard such a bizarre rumor?" The prince growled in fustration, "Father this isn't a rumor!"

"Who told you of such information then?" Inu-Taishou pressed, he did not like where this was going. Half of his instincts was to trust his beloved pup, the other half was laughing at Sesshoumaru's sanity. Sesshoumaru's eyes glazed over, 'Should we tell father of her treachery?' he asked his beast, but there was no response.

"Well?" Inu-Taishou tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. Sesshoumaru remained silent, "..." Inu-Taishou was now very frustrated, "Sesshoumaru if this is some prank, you will be disciplined for it." The elder Lord knew his son would not play 'pranks' like Inuyasha would, but after all that's happened it could be a possibility.

"Kagome," came Sesshoumaru's broken voice. The Western Lord thought he was hearing things, 'What did he just say? Kagome was it?'

"Sesshoumaru, repeat," he commanded. Sesshoumaru took in several deep breaths to regain his composture, he was on the verge of breaking down. Emotions he thought he would never feel, the very emotions he laughed at was coming back to haunt him.

"... Kagome has told me so, she too is involved with the conspiracy." The shock struck the great Inu-Taishou like lightning, 'how can that be?'

"She told me if we were to ascend the throne and marry Kagai, this Sesshoumaru would be in grave danger" he finished. Sesshoumaru sighed dejectedly, he was torn between the duty to his honorable land and his attraction to Kagome. "We told her, she would be executed tomorrow for the celebration of our coronation..."

Inu-Taishou rubbed his aching temples once more, "Sesshoumaru, we can not rely on her information." Sesshoumaru shook his head, "What she says is true, I detected no sent of dishonesty from her when she told me. Further more, she has embarrassed me by bedding that blasted Naraku," anger began to creep into his voice, the emotion of betrayal swirled through his head making him forget that she was not the being who bedded Naraku. His father, who was there to witness the event finally nodded in agreement.

"This does make sense in a way," Inu-Taishou began and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Logically speaking, it is uncanny that her father and brother were abducted by cat demons, and the Eastern family are neko youkai. Not to mention Malitzou went straight to Kagome after he stepped out of the carriage and whispered something to her. This is so... surreal." Sesshoumaru nodded,

"She bedded Naraku without shame after the dinner," Sesshoumaru shook his head, "This Sesshoumaru has a feeling she has been planning all this from the start." Inu-Taishou then shook his head, "But if she was conspiring against us, why would she warn you?" Sesshoumaru was stumped, 'Why would she warn us?' he asked himself. The Western Lord continued,

"If she was conspiring against us, by telling you of their plan... wouldn't she be in danger from the mastermind? Perhaps..." the lord trailed off, hoping his next words won't emotionally damage his pup even more. Sesshoumaru waited for his father to continue, "perhaps what father?"

"Perhaps she has been misleading us all along, perhaps this is part of their plan to overthrow us," Inu-Taishou finished. Sesshoumaru shook his head in disbelief, "She is a mere human father, if she lies we can detect the slightest hint of nervousness and dishonesty... and my beast and I have yet to detect any from her."

"It isn't impossible Sesshoumaru," his father continued as he recalled several events in the past few days since Kagome's arrival. "It so happens that Naraku was with Kagome when she was injured with the arrow. Neither Jyunchi or Kouga could find a hint of a trespasser in the palace grounds. Also, Naraku miraculously came up with an antidote when Yuna deems her cabinet holds no stabilizer for the poison." Sesshoumaru's body grew colder with each passing second, his newest fear confirmed. Kagome is conspiring against the West. Sesshoumaru's knees trembled and leaned against the desk for support, he was in a state of shock.

"What do we do now Father?" Inu-Taishou looked sternly at Sesshoumaru, "There's not much we can do. Sesshoumaru you know what will happen next."

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly, "Yes... we have to assemble the Lords of Council." Inu-Taishou retrieved several pieces of parchment paper and began writing messages to the other lords that made up the Lords of Council. "Sesshoumaru, the coronation will be postponed. I will let the Northern and Southern Lords know of this matter. This is serious my pup, for as long as I have been part of the Lords of Council I have never witness such an event. The East will be watched strictly until the Lords arrive. Sesshoumaru," Inu-Taishou paused for several seconds, "Kagome must be prisoned immediately."

Sesshoumaru's eyes betrayed his emotions, but his voice smooth and cold, "Yes Father, This Sesshoumaru will see to it." Inu-Taishou sighed, "My pup, as much as the thought of sending you to throw your beloved to the dungeons pains me, it must be done. If proven guilty, she will face execution..." Sesshoumaru shook his head,

"We understand, but what about the East?" Sesshoumaru's stomach churned, his guts felt like it was twisting into a knot... his heart felt the stab of a million knives. He can do nothing to save her, he wouldn't do anything to save her. Though his heart still longs for Kagome, his head rejects the black haired beauty, 'She brought it upon herself' he thought bitterly.

Inu-Taishou rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "If it is proven true, I assume his title will be striped. I am unsure, these matters I must discuss with the Councils of Lords. Retrieve the girl and lock her in the eastern dungeon. You may go," the elder lord dismissed Sesshoumaru. "Never let your guard down Sesshoumaru, just in case this matter is true," he warned his son.

Sesshoumaru nodded, "You as well Father."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Nocturnal birds' coos sounded throughout the dark night sky. A shadowy figure was treading at a laggard pace through the forest trail, stumbling over twigs, leaves and roots.

"Where am I?" the figure whispered into the windy night. The figure's been running at inhumane speed for hours and just recently started to walk at a constant pace. Confusing flickered in the emotionless black orbs, "What was I running from?" He grunted as air in his lungs were knocked out of him when he tripped over a protruding root and landed on his chest. He shifted to sit on his bottom, "What is that feeling?" he whispered as he looked at his scrapped knee, tiny beads of blood began to surface on his tanned skin.

The scent of metallic invaded his nose, "What is that smell?" He watched with wide eyes as the skin miraculously sprouted over the wound, healing it.

"What am I?" he flexed his slender fingers with sharp claws. He tilted his head, ebony waves cascaded over his shoulders, he shifted to stand on his feet. A light reflection on the floor caught his now semi-brown and black voids. An ivory colored cloth glowed under the moonlight. He reached down and grasped the thin material in his hands, "So soft, so silky." The scent of jasmine invaded his nose, 'A familiar scent' he thought as he stood still sniffing the ivory cloth.

"Where is this scent from?" he whispered to himself. He growled in frustration, 'It is very familiar, too familiar. Who does this belong to?' He sniffed the cloth again, this time he brought it within centimeters from his nose. The intoxication jasmine scent filled his senses, moments later he doubled over in pain. He tossed the cloth away from him as if it burned his skin. His hands flew over to cover his ears from the loud pulses generated from his thick blood. He groaned in pain as the massive headache increased to almost an unbearable level.

He clenched his eyes shut, trails of sweat glistened under the moonlight, his inner kimono now soaked with his sweat. His body remains in a hunched position as he struggled to open his eyes. He squinted to focus his eyesight on his surroundings, everywhere he glanced swirled with such intensity it made him nauseous. He dry heaved for several minutes and one of his hand dug into the leaves and twig colored dirt. His vision began to blur, flashes of a female with midnight colored hair flashed through his head, her name was on the tip of his tongue.

He was treading on the edge of consciousness, he leaned over, still hunched over the ground the pain was unrelenting. A twig snapped behind him, his head thrashed to the source of sound. Every moment made his head ache even more, a figure with piercing silver eyes emerged from under the shadows. 'I know her,' he thought as he tried to concentrate on her face. Her rich chocolate brown hair floated with the wind, she slowly headed towards the slumped figure.

"Stay away!" he growled, he wished his voice was not wavering like it was. He sounded like a meek cat rather than a powerful youkai. The silver eye female gave him a haunting smile, "Sleep" he heard her say as she reach over his head. He attempted to snap at her hand but her cold finger tips reached the pressure point on his neck. His eyes now completely brown, flickered with pain as the headache ran its course. He knows her, he touch so familiar,

"Yuna..." he whispered before falling into the depths of unconsciousness. The female nodded, confirming her name to the male, "Naraku-sama."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Kagome sat silently on her futon waiting for Sango's return, 'I have so much to tell you.' She sighed and brushed her hands across the embroidery of the back of the kimono Sesshoumaru has granted her only a few hours ago. Her eyes glossed over when she remembered Sesshoumaru's face when she has told him of the East. In truth, it was not a lie. The moment Malitzou ordered her to kill Sesshoumaru after she drank that potion, was the moment she was part of the East's plan to overthrow the West.

"I don't have a choice," she sobbed into the dirty kimono. Kagome remembered her father and brother's weak, miserable faces when they were chained up in a dungeon under Malitzou's watchful eye. She is still torn between choosing her family that has cared and loved her for many years, or the Prince who intrigues her, who took her innocence with such care, the prince who trusted her. Kagome shook her head hoping the thoughts would leave her, 'it matters not, I chose my path.'

She smiled bitterly to the kimono in her hands, 'You will be executed tomorrow, celebrating my coronation' she remember him saying. She didn't want to escape, in truth she was looking forward for her execution. She failed her mother, Kagome promised to take great care of her father and little brother and yet they are lying in a damp and cold dungeon. Kagome failed to protect her love, her beloved no longer want to have anything to do with her.

"Yes... death is a good solution," she mumbled under her breath. Long minutes passed, Kagome kept still on the futon clutching on the kimono with tears dripping down her chin. She made no move to wipe it off of her face. Her once bright and crisp cerulean depths are now dull and grey. Kagome chuckled darkly at her stupidity, "Why did I even hope he would save me?" she asked herself. Kagome's mind began to trail into the depths of depression. Facts and lies jumbled together, in this state of mind she was unable to tell which was the truth, which was a lie.

'I am only a pleasurable whore for him,' she thought when Kagai's words played over and over again in her head. 'It is she who he wants, the Eastern princess, not me.' Kagome began to rock her body forward then back in a hauntingly slow pace, "Leave me alone" she would whisper repeatedly.

"Let me be," Kagome would continue as she dug her nails into her own flesh, drawing bright hues of liquid from her body. Her luster hair is now limp and there was a heavy lack of sheen. Her skin still pale as it was, but with a combination of her dull, void eyes and her limp hair, she looked deathly ill. Kagome giggled to herself out of nowhere, "Mother, I will see you soon" she whispered in an eerie tone.

Loud booms shook the floor outside Kagome's room. The door was ripped open by a guard holding a sharp spear, "You, come with me" he ordered. Kagome remained silent, trapped in her own word... conversing with her dead mother. The guard growled in frustration and hauled her by hair, forcing her to look at him. The guard released his grip on her once he saw her face; emotionless, cold eyes stared into this soul sending him shivers up his spine. Sesshoumaru entered the room with a composed and determined posture, "Wench" he called to her, his tone cold and distant, void of any emotion.

There was no response, instead Kagome continue to mumble to her self. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her, 'What is wrong with her?' He shoved Kagome with his feet, "Female" his tone commanded authority and obedience, but she didn't react.

"Answer the prince when he is talking to you!" the guard growled out and swung his hand across Kagome's face. Kagome didn't attempt to catch herself and allowed her body to fall hard on the floor, her head met the cold hard ground first. Sesshoumaru sucked in a breath, he noticed something was really off the moment he entered her room. Her scent was no longer of a lovely, intoxicating scent of jasmine. The scent she was giving off now smelled like burnt ash and rotting wood. His heart jumped silently in shock when he saw Kagome fall without restraint, this was not the Kagome he yearned for. He bent down on his heels and stared down at the motionless female a few inches away from him. His hand unknowing reached Kagome's cheek and brushed it with a single finger.

The guard cleared his throat, "Sire, we must get going." Sesshoumaru nodded and pulled back and ordered the other guards to lock her feet in chains, as well as her hand. The guard hauled her up on to her feet and shoved her to the door, "Go" he commanded. Kagome subconsciously followed his orders and headed for the door. The cold metal burned her skin but she didn't care. She was still in her own world conversing with her deceased mother. Sesshoumaru lead the trail of guards down several flights of stairs. The environment immediately changed as they headed down to the prisons. Several guards shivered, "She'll never survive" Sesshoumaru heard one of them say.

Sesshoumaru inwardly agreed, 'She'll never survive in such temperatures.' Kagome subconsciously shivered and her hair raised on the back of her neck as the cold air penetrated her lungs.

"Unlock the gates," Sesshoumaru ordered as the guards unlocked a vacant cell. One of the guards pushed her inside the cell but kept her feet and hands confined with chains.

"You are under arrest for conspiring against the Western Lord and his family with Lord Malitzou, the Eastern Lord. The Lords of Council will decide your fate if you are proven to be guilty. You will not be able to leave this cell until the day of the trail," with that said they shut and locked the cell door. Kagome huddled in the corner, still trapped in her own little world.

Sesshoumaru swallowed, silently fearing for the life of Kagome. The only source of light and warm in the dungeon was the torch that was hung on the stone walls. He dismissed the excess guards and began assigning shifts to watch over the human female. He stole a glance of Kagome, her form hunched over in the corner of the cell, rocking her body forwards then backwards. 'This Sesshoumaru wishes... you were lying,' he shook his head slightly and headed back to ground level, leaving Kagome to keep herself warm in the cold, damp dungeon.

-0-0-0-0-0-

His eye lids fluttered open revealing chocolate brown eyes, "where am I?" his voice was hoarse. Yuna smiled, "Naraku-sama" she offered him fresh water from a container she brought with her.

"Yuna?" Naraku tilted his head in confusion, 'What is going on? Where am I?' Yuna stood silently besides Naraku as he drank his fill of water.

"Do you remember anything milord?"

Naraku furrowed his eyebrows and remained silent for several moments, "I remember displeasing father, then he gripped my neck... I don't remember much after that. And Kagome's face keep coming up in my head... I don't know." He cringed when he felt a rising headache. Yuna nodded, "She is in trouble. Your father tried to make use of her for his plan. But," she sat next to Naraku enjoying the warmth coming from the blazing camp fire in front of them.

"But...?" Naraku pressed on, he needed to know what his father wanted from Kagome. He knew in the back of his mind that Malitzou wouldn't kill her, he would most likely to enslave her. Yuna continued in her eerily soft voice,

"She managed to tell Sesshoumaru-sama in a different way, the blame was mainly on her. And now, she is locked in her own world, in the northern cell of the Western Palace," she finished. Naraku narrowed his eyes at Yuna suspiciously, "How do you know all this?"

Yuna clapped her hands together and mumbled something under her breath. Her hands began to emit a bright glow and a mirror appeared in her hands, "My mirror tells all." Naraku's breath quickened as he saw images move inside the mirror. Kagome was sitting in the dark dungeon with her knees to her chest. He watched in horror as another scene played, the scene which he bedded the other shapeshifter. Naraku smirked bitterly, "I knew I wasn't a pure youkai... I am a shapeshifter."

Yuna shook her head, "No milord, you and Lady Kagai were molded from his own flesh, you both are his children. Yet, I am created from herbs and blood of a youkai female." Naraku took in this information, "Is this why you were able to escape his control?" Yuna nodded, "Those who are created from his flesh and blood, he will have greater control over them. Those who are not, are more reluctant to succumb to his will."

"Look," Yuna ordered as her mirror flashed suddenly, and revealed Kagome tied to the moonflower arch. The scene played, and his eyes greedily took in the information Yuna feed him. The scene ended, he shook his head, "I can't believe it... Malitzou..." he said his father's name without respect for the first time in his life, Malitzou was no longer going to control him, Naraku pledged to himself.

"Naraku-sama," Yuna donned on a serious face, "We have no time. You must save Lady Kagome."

"How? If I go back Malitzou will find me," Naraku growled in frustration. He wanted to save Kagome. He honestly did, she was the first to accept him for who he was and didn't judge him because of how he appeared.

"You need not to enter that palace, just your own" Yuna's mirror flashed again revealing two male figures in his palace's dungeon. "Her father is the only one who can save her, he is the only one who can unlock the forgotten memories. We must hurry, for Lady Kagome's sake."

Naraku nodded in agreement, but a question was gnawing at him since he was awake, "Why do you want to save Kagome so much?"

"Lord Malitzou is a monster to behold. He is extremely knowledgable in dark arts, with his youkai stealth he will be unstoppable. He can, literally raise hell. There is a known prophecy, 'He who controls the East and West will control all. He will control who lives or who dies under this reign. But if a human girl, with the aid of a young prince should battle for their right to love, he who want to control the East and West will fail.' "

Naraku gasped, "Kagome is the human girl?" Yuna nodded, "Sesshoumaru-sama is the young prince." Naraku shook his head, "How are you sure of this?"

Yuna smiled, "I am not, however... I for one will not take the risk of the prophecy coming true. Hurry, time is scarce."

Naraku crouched down and motioned for Yuna to get on his back, "This will be faster." Yuna dissolved her mirror into thin air and complied with his order,

"To the Eastern Palace..."

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MS- sigh... poor Kagome...

How i wish i can ease the pain... oh wait.. i can =)

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So, tell me what you guys think of the chappie!

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Review please!