InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love of her Master ❯ A Woman's Opinion ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: `Inuyasha' belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. While this plot and any additional characters belong to me, everything else is hers. I make no profit off this story, and am writing it only for my own enjoyment.

 

CHAPTER 5 - A WOMAN'S OPINION

 

Kagome hurried back to Lord Inuyasha's apartment as quickly as she could, not wanting to keep her master waiting, and wishing also to put as much distance between her and Captain Koga as possible. Kagome hated how she had reacted to the Ookami's unwanted advances. If that had happened a year ago she wouldn't have hesitated to tell the wolf Youkai to leave her alone, or call for help, or something. Today, all she had been able to was shutter and try ineffectively to run away. If Kaede hadn't come along, she didn't want to even think about what could have happen. Kagome couldn't believe how much her confidence had been shattered since she had become a slave, and she hated it. She wanted so much to go back to the spitfire personality she used to be, the one who was never afraid to stand up for herself or say what she thought. And yet… she was scared to, scared that if she did Lord Inuyasha would be put off by it, and want to be rid of her. Kagome was under no illusions that the way she had acted in her home village had put off most of the men, hence the reason she had still been a virgin and unmarried when her village was attacked, while most common born women in this land were married off not long after their first periods. None of the young men in her village had wanted such a wilful woman as a wife. The sole exception to the rule was the sweet but very dense Hojo. Hojo had asked her many times to marry him, but Kagome had always refused, having been about as attracted to him as she was to her younger brother, and her beloved family had been unwilling to push her into a marriage she didn't want. Part of Kagome was afraid that maybe a wilful slave would be as unattractive as a wilful wife, and that if she showed that side of her personality that Lord Inuyasha would not want her anymore. Kagome didn't want to leave, didn't want to risk being sold to a new master. Her life here might be far from perfect, but with the way things currently stood she could live with it. She wasn't so sure she could bear to live with the possible alternatives.

 

On the other hand, Lord Inuyasha wasn't like the men from her old village. He showed that everyday with the way he acted both around her and his friends. His friendship with Sango - who everyday broke more rules of society than even Kagome ever had - hinted that he wasn't put off towards wilful women, and the way he treated her helped reassure her that he apparently didn't want to get rid of her anytime soon. Kagome had come to trust Lord Inuyasha not to hurt or abuse or her, and she found herself enjoying being in his company more everyday. It was clear to Kagome that Lord Inuyasha had never tried to hide who he was from Kagome, the first few days where he tried to act gentler than was usual for him to try to avoid scaring her not withstanding. Why couldn't she bring herself to trust him enough to show him who she truly was in return?

 

These thoughts were all running through Kagome's mind as she entered Inuyasha's apartment, via her own room. Inuyasha's apartment was set out in what Kagome had learnt was the typical layout for rooms in the noble section of the castle. There was a main reception room, which connected to Inuyasha's sleeping chamber, as well as Kagome's own smaller room. Inuyasha and Kagome's room were connected as well, so that Kagome could enter the room easily at any time should her master have need of her without going through the main room. While the main room could only be accessed through the front door, Kagome's room could be accessed both by going through the main room, or via the back entrance through the servant passageway which is where Kagome entered now. Upon entering, Kagome could hear her master talking with someone out in the main room, and as Kaede had said he almost sounded a little frantic. Kagome worried about what could have upset her usually so stubborn master, but she still had to put the laundry away and so decided she better take care of that before she went to see what else her master wanted from her. That was done quickly and Kagome was just about to enter the main chamber when something else occurred to her.

 

Her master was an Inu Hanyou and as such had a rather strong sense of smell. If she went in there now, he would no doubt smell Koga on her where the wolf had grabbed her, and something deep inside her told her that he wouldn't be happy about that. It hadn't taken long at all for Kagome to deduce that Lord Inuyasha and Captain Koga did not get along. This was something that Kaede had confirmed for the girl her first week at the castle, telling her how the Inu and Ookami had been rivals since they were both pups. She was sure that with everything else that happened today, she wouldn't be able to handle any yelling or accusations that her master might throw her way if he smelt his rival on her. Kagome also didn't think she could to explain to her master what Koga wanted from her, any more that she could to Kaede. If she had explained her thoughts to anyone who knew Inuyasha they would have told her in a second that Inuyasha would no doubt defend her from the wolf should she just confide her fear in him, something even Kagome herself might have realised should she stop and think about it. But Kagome was too stressed by the whole situation to really think things through clearly in that regard. All she knew was that she had to find some way to get Koga's scent off her soon, before her master realised she was back. After frantically thinking about her problem for a couple of minutes, Kagome got an idea and promptly hurried back into her own room.

 

Moving as quickly as she could Kagome changed into another yukata, one that was similar enough that her fashion challenged master would hopefully not realise was different from the one she was wearing that morning. As soon as she was changed, Kagome reached into her small chest of personnel items and pulled out the bottle of perfume Inuyasha's mother, the Lady Izayoi, had given her as a welcome gift when she first arrived at the castle (something that had shocked Kagome so much she had almost fainted, the lady of the castle giving a welcome gift to a slave?), quickly slashing some on her arms where Koga had grabbed her, hopefully covering up any lingering scent. She also pulled out a headscarf and sprinkled that with the perfume and tying it over her hair, because of where Koga that rubbed his face in her hair. With the smell now hopefully masked, Kagome took a deep breath to help calm her nerves and moved to enter the main chamber.

 

Although Kagome tried to be quiet as she entered the room, so as not to disrupt her master's conversation, her master naturally noticed her almost immediately and looked over towards her with a rather relieved expression on his face.

 

Kagome bowed and hoped that she had been successful in masking Koga's scent on her. “Kaede said you wished to see me, my Lord?”

 

“Kagome, great you're here.” Lord Inuyasha said, sounding about as relived and as happy as she had ever heard him. “Get over here, I need a woman's opinion on something, okay?”

 

Kagome walked slowly across the room to her master's side, trying to workout what was going on. As she had already known from the voices she had heard upon first entering the apartment, Lord Inuyasha had company. The company in question was a well-dressed middle-aged woman, who was watching Kagome with something between indifference and distain. On the table in front of where Lord Inuyasha and the woman were standing, several kimonos were laid out as if for inspection, which Kagome quickly realised they were.

 

“My mother's birthday's coming up in about a week, and I need help picking out a present for her.” Lord Inuyasha said, correctly guessing as to what Kagome was thinking. “Usually Sango helps me with this kind of thing, but she's been busy lately, and you're the only other woman I trust enough to help with picking something out.”

 

Instantly Kagome was besieged by two rather conflicting emotions. On one hand, she found herself feeling extremely touched and honoured that her master trusted her enough to have her help him with such an important decision, and for his mother no less. On the other hand, she was terrified that somehow she would mess everything up and be blamed for it. She didn't want her master or his lady mother angry with her for any reason. As she reached Lord Inuyasha's side and looked down on the kimonos laid out before them, she felt a little better. There were some truly gorgeous kimonos laying there which would no doubt look even more lovely on a woman as beautiful Lady Izayoi. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard; surely no woman with any taste would be unhappy about receiving one of those. On the other hand, some of the kimonos there were absolutely hideous, but surely not even her master was ignorant enough of fashion to buy one of those.

 

“As I was saying before the interruption, my Lord.” The woman who Kagome now assumed was probably the dressmaker said, ignoring Kagome completely as she had been doing basically since the girl entered the room. “This kimono here is my latest creation, one which I'm sure you're lady mother will love.” Kagome was horrified when the dressmaker gestured to what had to be the most repulsively ugly kimono she had ever had the displeasure of seeing. It was dyed an unnatural and very ugly shade of super bright yellow and overly decorated by indistinguishable patterns in lime green, dark purple and hot pink all of which clashed horribly and turning the already revolting kimono even more so. “I'm sure she will look stunning in this.”

 

“Yeah, if by stunning you mean she'll stun everyone who sees her with how bad she looks!” A voice blurted out. When Inuyasha and the dressmaker turned to look at Kagome, she realised with a jolt of fear that she was the one who said that.

 

The dressmaker seemed to get over her surprise quickly enough, and glared at Kagome with undisguised disgust. “I do not believe that his lordship is interested in the opinions of a slave. Why don't you go away and clean something or whatever.”

 

“If I didn't want her opinion I wouldn't have asked for it.” Inuyasha broke in just before fear had Kagome running from the room. He too sounded annoyed, but Kagome could thankfully tell that his ire was directed at the dressmaker and not her. “You really think my mother would look that bad in that one Kagome?”

 

Kagome took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before she answered. She could barely believe she had said that, even if it was what she was thinking. She wanted to just run out of the room and not look back, but she had spoken up now, and her master had asked her for her to continue.

 

“Honestly my lord, I think any woman would look horrible in that.” Kagome said nervously, praying that she wouldn't be punished for speaking so rudely about the dressmaker's work. “There are some dresses that can make even the ugliest woman look beautiful, that one does just the opposite.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome was surprised to see that he looked relived by her answer. What she didn't know was that he had been hoping to say no to that kimono since it had been brought out for inspection. He knew nothing about woman's fashion, but he did know that looking at it too long gave him a headache. Besides, whatever had been used to dye it had left a residual smell and he knew if he found it offensive his father would no doubt find it even more so.

 

“So which one do you think I should buy?”

 

Kagome paused to think and look over the kimonos carefully before she answered, wracking her memory of Lady Izayoi as she did so. Finally, she pointed at a soft pink kimono somewhat minimally decorated with large flowers in white thread. “That one. It's beautiful yet understated, and will look wonderful with your mother's colouring.”

 

“That one?” The dressmaker asked, looking extremely offended. “That one, along with all of these, were made by my useless apprentice.” The dressmaker waved her hand over basically everything on the table that Kagome thought was worth considering. “I would have fired her ages ago, but she's my equally useless sister's daughter. I only brought her stuff along because I'm going to see some other clients after this and I wanted to see if I could pawn her stuff off to them as possible clothes for their servants or something. She's good sewer, but she has no taste whatsoever. I mean look at those things.”

 

“She has no taste?” Kagome repeated, shock and anger at the woman's words loosening her tongue. “Look at what you've made. You couldn't pay me to wear a single one of those things, they're all hideous.”

 

“They're works of art!” The dressmaker snapped. “Do you know how much work I put into them? Their all one of a kind, and guaranteed to make a woman stand out. They all have colours found no where in nature.”

 

“That's because nature has too much sense than to create such monstrosities!”

 

“You little whore!” The dressmaker all but screamed. “If you were my slave, I'd see you beaten within a inch of your life! I'd…”

 

“That's enough!” Inuyasha suddenly roared, causing both women to jump and nearly sending Kagome running out of the room in a panic. Only fear that she would be in even more trouble if she did so kept her still, but as it would quickly become clear she needn't have worried.

 

With a low growl, Inuyasha grabbed a couple of writing instruments off a nearby table and quickly wrote something on a piece of paper, which he shoved at the dressmaker. “I'll take this one.” He said pointing to the kimono Kagome had suggested. “Give this to any of the servants working in stores and they'll get you your money. Now take the rest of your goods and get out.” Visibly shaken by the Inu Hanyou's anger the woman bowed and left as soon as she was able to gather up the rest of the kimonos.

 

As soon as the door was closed behind her, Inuyasha turned to Kagome. The girl flinched and took an involuntary step back before she quickly bowed.

 

“My lord, I'm sorry.” She said quickly. “I shouldn't have…”

 

“Don't apologise when you didn't do anything wrong Kagome.” Inuyasha interrupted, his voice firm. “I asked your opinion, and you gave it. That woman was a bitch anyway. One of my mother's friends suggested her, but you were right her stuff was dreadful. Besides, whatever she used to make those horrible dyes stunk. If I had brought one of those, my father would probably have come after me. His sense of smell is even stronger than mine.”

 

Kagome sighed with relief, her master wasn't angry with her. “Thank you my lord. I have some more chores to do, is there anything else you want from me.”

 

“Not really, just see if you can find somewhere to put the kimono until my mother's birthday, okay?” Kagome nodded before picking up the kimono and leaving the room.

 

Inuyasha stared after her for a minute, feeling a little disappointed that she could stay and chat with him for a little longer. He was really starting to like spending time with Kagome. He smiled slightly to himself, remembering how she had acted towards that bitchy dressmaker. He had thought from the very beginning that she was holding back her true personality and now he knew it. He had to admit, as surprising as it was to see the normally so fearful Kagome with so much fire in her eyes spouting off insults like that, he somehow found it intriguing too not to mention amusing. He had enjoyed watching the two women argue, right up to the point where that bitch had dared call Kagome a whore. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with insulting or threatening his Kagome.

 

Inuyasha stood there for a couple more minutes watching the door that Kagome had disappeared behind before he remembered that he had other things he needed to get done today as well and turned to go see to them. He was almost out of the room when he realised something else had been different about Kagome during that conversation with the dressmaker. She'd been wearing that perfume his mother had given her weeks ago, the one she had so far refused to touch saying she wasn't worthy. Inuyasha hadn't minded because he loved her natural scent. Why had she started wearing it today, he wondered before shrugging it off as unimportant. It didn't really matter he guessed, it wasn't like it could hurt either way.

 

 

AUTHOR'S NOTES

 

I just found out as I went to post this chapter that this story has become a Featured Fiction on the Inuyasha/Kagome based fan site Eternal Destiny. I'd just like to take a moment here to say that I'm touched that people like this story so much, and that I look forward to continuing it.