InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For Love comes on the Wings Of Pain ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

The guards ran after the scent of the prince. They dodged a fallen tree and several broken branches and scattered boulders. Up ahead a small child was leaning over a pond. The guards sighed as InuYasha turned to look at them with a frightened expression. In his hand a small rock was held, one sharp edge covered in some brown color. The scent told the guards that it was the scent of dried blood, the blood of a human. InuYasha whimpered and lifted his hands up to the guards and the guard picked him up and held him in his strong arms. They turned to face the opposite direction and proceeded to walk home with the little prince shaking. * * *  

He burst out of bed panting, the red silk sheets flung off the bed and to the ground. The silver embroidered dog’s head gleamed in the firelight as the occupant of the bed sat up. He had the dream again. He was a pup and he was fleeing from something and he always ended up at some pond with a stone in his hand. InuYasha shook his mane of silver-white hair and flipped his legs over the side of the bed, the cold stone floor covered by some animal fur. He buried his toes into the fur, the silky feel of it against his bare skin. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the stained glass window. The window depicted a huge silver dog outlined against a rising sun, a red slash against its chest and a decapitated dragon on the grass green hill. It was his favorite legend of his father. The story of the defeat of the dragon king.

The door to his quarters opened up and his servant Myoga the flea hopped in after a hand maiden carrying a tray of covered food. “My lord, your mother wishes to see you in the royal bed chambers at once.” The servant set the covered tray on his desk and uncovered it. On it was a piece of bread covered in butter. “It is in regards to your 16th naming day.” his retainer said as he followed the kitchen maid into the hall. InuYasha looked disdainfully at the bread and gulped it down in one bit and decided not to put on his royal robes and threw on his other clothes and went to his mother’s bed chambers.

His mother, a beautiful woman, the envy of many mortal men and women alike, sat in her bed, a tray of steaming ramen in a gold bowl embossed with flowers. She patted her bed next to her and looked at him with her soft brown-violet eyes and smiling at him with her sad smile. “InuYasha, you are a royal prince of the Tashio line. You need to choose a wife. I know you do not want to but if you don’t, you automatically forfeit the rights to the throne since I have discovered a document in your father’s penmanship and it declares that you will be King when he passes and your brother has not yet married.”

InuYasha shrugged and looked at the bowl of ramen. “yes mom, I know. Why do we have to throw a ball inviting all the young royals to our home?” He asked her as he sat on her bed and took the bowl into his clawed hands.

“InuYasha, this party is one of the most important events in history. All the kings, dukes, lords and other royal families will be present. The king of the wolves, Koga will be here as well as his daughter, so will the lord in the east with his daughter Yura. That is only the beginning of the list. The daughter of the previous wolf king will be here also. You will have many to choose from. Now eat then speak with your brother about The Choosing.” she leaned back into the padded headboard and closed her eyes. Even if he refused to admit is to himself, his mother was dying.

He ate the food and found it was his mother’s recipe and set it down and gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and left the chambers, a black void filling his heart with dread.

“So, have you talked to her?” Sesshomaru asked him in a cold voice when InuYasha rounded a corner and collided with his elder brother.

“Yes, Fluffy.” InuYasha said as he noticed the pelt on his brother’s shoulder, “Where’d you get that?” he asked pointing.

“Father has passed.” Sesshomaru said as he lovingly held the pelt. “His hair as well as yours is in it. This is yours as the rightful heir.” Sesshomaru held it out.

“You hold it.” InuYasha said crinkling his nose and turning to walk down the hall.

“The Choosing is powerful. You will either know it or not. Careful InuYasha choose wrong and not only can you die but the rightful one also.”

InuYasha walked into the great hall the words of his brother tumbling around in his head. “Master InuYasha your mother wished me to tell you the ball is scheduled for tomorrow night.” Myoga the flea whispered into his ear.

“Myoga, how long will she live?” He asked his retainer quietly.

“death is certain but for how long she will last is up to her will.” Myoga said as InuYasha sat on the top step of the marble stair way. * * *  

“Kagome!” A voice shouted as the young human girl waded in a gurgling brook, a sharpened stick in one hand. She ignored the voice and in a flash struck out on one of the silvery flashes in the water. She withdrew the spear from the water and looked at the rapidly dying fish. Her father would be pleased.

“There you are!” A wolf demon panted, his lanky brown hair flopped around as he pushed aside a leafy plant. His mud colored eyes looked at her with a grin. “fishing?”

“yes.” she said as she followed him back, the fish held on the spear.

“Your father wants to talk to you.” he said seriously. “You are leaving for the ball soon.”

“What ball?” she asked as she pointed the fish at him.

“The ball for the Prince’s naming day.” he said as if she should have known this.

“Oh, do I have to go?” she asked, looking down at her scrubby clothes. The hide was frayed at the edges and worn in many places and her black hair was full of brambles.

“No, Koga asked a Miko Healer to come by and help you. She will bring a dress and the things women need to dress up.” * * * * *  

He was fuming as they fixed the scarlet tunic he was forced to wear to this damn ball he was forced to attend and forced to host. The silver pants were uncomfortable and itchy and he wanted to claw them off. His servant brushed his hair and the silver gleamed as strongly as the glare in his golden eyes.

His mother stood in the back watching him glower and whine like a puppy. “Inu, stop that.” she told him softly as her servant helped her walk forward.

“Fine.” he said gruffly.

“Your guests have started to arrive. You must go great them.” She said as she set her arm on his own. He placed a hand on her hand and led her from the room.

They reached the grand stairway and stood at the top, looking down in the grand hall, decorated with blood red roses and silver ribbons. Many women danced about and some older men walked among them. Only a few younger men, or at least younger seeming men were in attendance. He recognized the monk Miroku’s purple robes, his brother’s formal clothing, a few demon leaders such as Koga and he stopped dead and looked at the young woman attached to his arm. Koga and his human daughter, InuYasha guessed.

She was average height, long black hair with blue highlights, a slightly tanned face with large blue-gray eyes that drifted over every thing and everyone with interest. She wore a simple gown of silvery-blue that draped along her breasts and hips and flowed around her like water. As she turned with her demon father he noticed the silver thread embroidered around the edges, roses from the pattern, he supposed. On her forehead, a jewel hung by a slim silver chain, the sapphire reflecting the light of the fires that burned in the torches on the walls.

InuYasha passed his mother to one of her elderly friends and pushed his way towards Koga and found himself face to face with the Duchess of Wel Jast. Kikyo looked at him the way a falcon looked at its prey before it lunged.

“My lord,” she said with a sickly sweet voice.

“Duchess.” he said as he walked around her and head towards Koga. He spotted InuYasha and bowed.

“My Lord.” he said with more respect than the Duchess.

“Koga.” He said in reply. The woman on his arm watched him warily, as a wolf might have done.

“My lord, this is my daughter Kagome of the Wolves.” he said as she curtsied.

“Pleasure.” InuYasha said as he gently took her hand in his and brushed his lips across it.

“I have matters I must attend to, my dear.” he spoke to his daughter and left her with him.

“You can release my hand now.” she said a bit coldly.

“What?” he asked as he dropped her hand.

“I don’t know who you are, but you have no right touching me like that.” Kagome said as she huffed and turned away. He was surprised, she had no idea who he was. “Although I must show some respect for you if my Father thinks so highly of you.” and he realized she was speaking in the wolf dialect when her father spoke to him in the Western Language.

“I apologize.” he spoke to her in her language.

“Who are you?” she asked as she glared at him.

“I am InuYasha, Prince of these lands.” he said with a sigh.

“And I am queen to the fairies.” she scoffed.

“You don’t believe me?” he gaped at her.

“No.” she said as she spun and landed in the chest of the worst person she could have run into.

“My lady, I apologize.” Miroku said silkily as he helped her regain her balance.

“Monk.” InuYasha growled.

“Oh hey.” he said as he smirked and slapped InuYasha on the back. Kagome glared at them.

“Miroku, this is Kagome, Koga’s daughter, Kagome this is the Monk Miroku.” he introduced them.

“Monk?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sometimes I don’t think so.” InuYasha said.

“InuYasha!” Miroku said as he turned to his friend. “Kikyo is coming towards you.”

He grabbed Kagome by the wrist and pulled her through the crowd and out to the gardens he so often hid in at these functions. “So you are the prince.”

“I told you.” he said as Miroku followed.

“I still think he’s in on the game.” Kagome said.

InuYasha drew Miroku to the side, “Miroku she thinks I’m acting like who I actually am. She’s talking to me like you and Sango do.” he switched to Western. “I like her.”

“Well then woo her.” he said.

InuYasha looked over at Kagome who was looking uncomfortable in her dress.

“I will.” he felt a strong connection to her.