InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forbidden Love ❯ Chapter XI ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: rockthedragon7 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 278 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 278 | Status: Completed
Chapter XI
Izayoi was woken by the sound of a gentle rapping on the fusuma, and she tiredly sat up, glancing down in wonder at the gorgeous bed beneath her, running her hands over the fine fabric. ‘I must be in Sugimi’s castle,’ she thought to herself, greatly enjoying the feeling of the smooth, soft material of the bed. It was not remotely similar to the cotton-filled futon that she slept on. She looked around, taking note of how absolutely large this room was. Why, it was huge! Few rich cherry wood chests and tables adorned the corners of the area, and there were colourful jomon vases filled with sweet-smelling bouquets of lovely flowers. There, to the left of the bed was a tall screen, which she assumed was a privacy panel to dress behind. And there, across the room was a great, shining mirror hanging on the wall above a table and stool. Above her head was a gossamer crimson canopy, thin enough for her to make out the elegant carvings that were woven into the lovely wood of the ceiling, depictions of beautiful and graceful demon women swaying and dancing to music only their keen ears could hear.
The quiet tapping came at the fusuma again, and Izayoi softly voiced her permission to enter. The fusuma cracked open, and a pretty face of a lady - most likely a servant - looked in, her ebony hair tied up and pinned into a bun. Izayoi noticed the emerald of her eyes right away, and tiny fangs that peeked out from the rosy lips. She was a demon, no doubt, but she was very lovely, with long, pointed ears, and an exotic look about her.
“I have brought you breakfast, by charge of Lord Sugimi,” the demon woman said, her voice a melodic, but almost indifferent hissing sound. “May I come in?” Izayoi nodded, and almost choked when the woman glided in on the body of a snake. Though her torso was as normal as any, she had no legs - in their place was a scaly, undulating, jade-coloured tail. The demon lady gave a wave of her clawed hand, and a tray appeared across Izayoi’s lap, adorned with small dishes of tsukudani and gohan, and a cup of steaming tea.
Izayoi bowed her head, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Thank you.”
The demon women nodded her head, and she slithered away, across the room, opening a chest and rummaging around a bit inside. “Do not be thanking me, little girl. My lord is benevolent, and he would not see a ‘guest’ go without a meal, even if his own greatest enemy was his company.” She slid back to Izayoi’s bedside, tapping an ornamental brush against one hand. She stared long and hard at Izayoi with those piercing green eyes, hands firmly planted on her hips. “You are pretty…for a human girl, I mean.” Izayoi did not know whether to take the remark as a compliment or an insult. The demon woman shrugged. “Lord Sugimi judges you as a pretty one.” A line of scarlet crept across Izayoi’s cheeks, and at that the woman laughed. “Hurry up and eat, little girl. My lord is waiting for you.”
The demon woman slithered down the hall, Izayoi close at her tail, twirling her fingers in her now soft and shining hair, which had been combed to perfection with a beautiful ivory brush inlaid with what she thought might have been pearls before the two ladies had left the room. Her face and arms had been washed with a silk cloth, and she had been served a delicious meal in bed. She certainly felt pandered to.
The demon woman turned the corner to the sitting room, followed by Izayoi, and she gave a deep bow to the dark silhouette sitting in silence before the open shoji doors as the morning sunlight streamed in, seeming to illuminate the figure with a divine white brilliance. “Good morning, my lord,” the demon woman greeted quietly.
Sugimi turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and Izayoi found herself mesmerized by the way the sunlight dazzled in his unbound silver hair. “A good morning, Jikun.” The demon lord gave a delightful smile. “And my warmest salutations to you, my lady.” Izayoi, spellbound by the daybreak divinity that was Sugimi, nearly forgot to bow. He stood, his long hair sweeping off the tatami to fall at knee-length. There was no tie to bind those magnificent silver locks up into the tail that she had always seen him wearing, and how beautiful she thought he was as he stood there in the radiance of the daylight, his hair glittering and shimmering and his golden eyes kind, with a shining smile that could have charmed her feet out from under her.
He lightly stepped over to her, pretending that he did not see the blush creep over her face, and he gently took her delicate hand. “Come. Walk with me.” The demon lord casually led Izayoi along, passing by several servants that would move from Sugimi’s path without delay, but some would not miss the chance to send a dirty scowl the human woman’s way. However, the glares were short-lived, for their lord would send one back at them with tenfold the potency. They swiftly scurried away.
“Jikun was not unruly when you woke?” Sugimi asked, his hands tucked comfortably within the wide sleeves of his blue and white kimono.
Izayoi realized that he was speaking of the lovely demon woman that had brought her a wonderful breakfast, and she shook her head with a smile. “Quite the contrary. She was very pleasant.”
The demon lord chuckled. “I would have not expected less of her. Jikun has served in this household since I was very young, since before my father’s passing when he still presided over the Western Lands. She is kindly and fantastically loyal, that one.” He glanced at the woman from the corner of his eye. “You will grow rather fond of her, I imagine. I know that I have.”
Izayoi gave a little laugh. “Yes, I suppose I will, if given the time.”
“You may call my bastion your home for as long as you wish,” Sugimi stated in a quiet voice. Izayoi nodded her thanks, but could not seem to find the words for appreciation. Her head was filled with thoughts of her father, and how she had so disobeyed him. The demon lord creased his brow, halting to glance curiously at the woman. “You are doubtful?”
Izayoi looked up to him. “No. There is not a trace of doubt in my mind.” She lowered her eyes, watching her hands wringing and twisting at each other. “I am simply…regretful.”
Sugimi took her hands in his, stopping that awful wrenching of her fingers. “If such guilt has come from bravery, then you should not feel so.”
Izayoi took comfort in the warmth of his hands, and the care in his words. “I have never disobeyed my father before,” she admitted quietly.
“He will offer his forgiveness.” She glanced up at Sugimi, and there was a knowing grin on his lips. “And he will do so without anger.” Izayoi was puzzled by such a smile as that one, so confident and unquestionably certain, but her thoughts were quickly turned aside when the demon lord gave a tug on her hand as he started away again, his long hair swaying in unison with his step. “There is someone I wish you to meet,” he said, and there was a loving note in his voice.
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Izayoi was woken by the sound of a gentle rapping on the fusuma, and she tiredly sat up, glancing down in wonder at the gorgeous bed beneath her, running her hands over the fine fabric. ‘I must be in Sugimi’s castle,’ she thought to herself, greatly enjoying the feeling of the smooth, soft material of the bed. It was not remotely similar to the cotton-filled futon that she slept on. She looked around, taking note of how absolutely large this room was. Why, it was huge! Few rich cherry wood chests and tables adorned the corners of the area, and there were colourful jomon vases filled with sweet-smelling bouquets of lovely flowers. There, to the left of the bed was a tall screen, which she assumed was a privacy panel to dress behind. And there, across the room was a great, shining mirror hanging on the wall above a table and stool. Above her head was a gossamer crimson canopy, thin enough for her to make out the elegant carvings that were woven into the lovely wood of the ceiling, depictions of beautiful and graceful demon women swaying and dancing to music only their keen ears could hear.
The quiet tapping came at the fusuma again, and Izayoi softly voiced her permission to enter. The fusuma cracked open, and a pretty face of a lady - most likely a servant - looked in, her ebony hair tied up and pinned into a bun. Izayoi noticed the emerald of her eyes right away, and tiny fangs that peeked out from the rosy lips. She was a demon, no doubt, but she was very lovely, with long, pointed ears, and an exotic look about her.
“I have brought you breakfast, by charge of Lord Sugimi,” the demon woman said, her voice a melodic, but almost indifferent hissing sound. “May I come in?” Izayoi nodded, and almost choked when the woman glided in on the body of a snake. Though her torso was as normal as any, she had no legs - in their place was a scaly, undulating, jade-coloured tail. The demon lady gave a wave of her clawed hand, and a tray appeared across Izayoi’s lap, adorned with small dishes of tsukudani and gohan, and a cup of steaming tea.
Izayoi bowed her head, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Thank you.”
The demon women nodded her head, and she slithered away, across the room, opening a chest and rummaging around a bit inside. “Do not be thanking me, little girl. My lord is benevolent, and he would not see a ‘guest’ go without a meal, even if his own greatest enemy was his company.” She slid back to Izayoi’s bedside, tapping an ornamental brush against one hand. She stared long and hard at Izayoi with those piercing green eyes, hands firmly planted on her hips. “You are pretty…for a human girl, I mean.” Izayoi did not know whether to take the remark as a compliment or an insult. The demon woman shrugged. “Lord Sugimi judges you as a pretty one.” A line of scarlet crept across Izayoi’s cheeks, and at that the woman laughed. “Hurry up and eat, little girl. My lord is waiting for you.”
The demon woman slithered down the hall, Izayoi close at her tail, twirling her fingers in her now soft and shining hair, which had been combed to perfection with a beautiful ivory brush inlaid with what she thought might have been pearls before the two ladies had left the room. Her face and arms had been washed with a silk cloth, and she had been served a delicious meal in bed. She certainly felt pandered to.
The demon woman turned the corner to the sitting room, followed by Izayoi, and she gave a deep bow to the dark silhouette sitting in silence before the open shoji doors as the morning sunlight streamed in, seeming to illuminate the figure with a divine white brilliance. “Good morning, my lord,” the demon woman greeted quietly.
Sugimi turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and Izayoi found herself mesmerized by the way the sunlight dazzled in his unbound silver hair. “A good morning, Jikun.” The demon lord gave a delightful smile. “And my warmest salutations to you, my lady.” Izayoi, spellbound by the daybreak divinity that was Sugimi, nearly forgot to bow. He stood, his long hair sweeping off the tatami to fall at knee-length. There was no tie to bind those magnificent silver locks up into the tail that she had always seen him wearing, and how beautiful she thought he was as he stood there in the radiance of the daylight, his hair glittering and shimmering and his golden eyes kind, with a shining smile that could have charmed her feet out from under her.
He lightly stepped over to her, pretending that he did not see the blush creep over her face, and he gently took her delicate hand. “Come. Walk with me.” The demon lord casually led Izayoi along, passing by several servants that would move from Sugimi’s path without delay, but some would not miss the chance to send a dirty scowl the human woman’s way. However, the glares were short-lived, for their lord would send one back at them with tenfold the potency. They swiftly scurried away.
“Jikun was not unruly when you woke?” Sugimi asked, his hands tucked comfortably within the wide sleeves of his blue and white kimono.
Izayoi realized that he was speaking of the lovely demon woman that had brought her a wonderful breakfast, and she shook her head with a smile. “Quite the contrary. She was very pleasant.”
The demon lord chuckled. “I would have not expected less of her. Jikun has served in this household since I was very young, since before my father’s passing when he still presided over the Western Lands. She is kindly and fantastically loyal, that one.” He glanced at the woman from the corner of his eye. “You will grow rather fond of her, I imagine. I know that I have.”
Izayoi gave a little laugh. “Yes, I suppose I will, if given the time.”
“You may call my bastion your home for as long as you wish,” Sugimi stated in a quiet voice. Izayoi nodded her thanks, but could not seem to find the words for appreciation. Her head was filled with thoughts of her father, and how she had so disobeyed him. The demon lord creased his brow, halting to glance curiously at the woman. “You are doubtful?”
Izayoi looked up to him. “No. There is not a trace of doubt in my mind.” She lowered her eyes, watching her hands wringing and twisting at each other. “I am simply…regretful.”
Sugimi took her hands in his, stopping that awful wrenching of her fingers. “If such guilt has come from bravery, then you should not feel so.”
Izayoi took comfort in the warmth of his hands, and the care in his words. “I have never disobeyed my father before,” she admitted quietly.
“He will offer his forgiveness.” She glanced up at Sugimi, and there was a knowing grin on his lips. “And he will do so without anger.” Izayoi was puzzled by such a smile as that one, so confident and unquestionably certain, but her thoughts were quickly turned aside when the demon lord gave a tug on her hand as he started away again, his long hair swaying in unison with his step. “There is someone I wish you to meet,” he said, and there was a loving note in his voice.
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