InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Princess of Two Empires ❯ CHAPTER 4: Instructions in Repudiation ( Chapter 5 )

Instructions in Repudiation

Chapter 4

 

 

Sesshoumaru sat, reclined, in his official delegation hall with his eyes closed and his feet up on his imperial desk.

 

“M-my Lord…Lord-dono?” Came a hesitant voice. Sesshoumaru lazily opened one of his eyes to stare down were Jaken stood, quivering, before him. “The w-women have b-been sent to the d-dungeons as you commanded, my liege.”

 

Sesshoumaru had been desperately trying to block out the rambling of the useless vassal. However, when he heard the toad demon mention the captured women, Sesshoumaru instantly saw the eyes and face of Kagome. She looked at him with a clear disliking. Perhaps even a little fear.

 

He abruptly stood up from his throne during the servant's long-winded speech about how the guards had done exactly what he had said, or something like that. Jaken squeaked in fear.

 

“M-my lord?” He said timidly. Sesshoumaru stretched his long limbs before answering the small quivering figure before him.

 

“It has been quite some time since I last paid a visit to the dungeons. Jaken, you will take care of the rest of the work. It will be done when I return.” The vassal wrung his hands and shivered, not quite believing his emperor had entrusted him with such an important task. However, before the demon had a chance to reply Sesshoumaru had brushed by him, out the grand doors.

 

While walking through the seemingly endless halls and corridors, Sesshoumaru let his feet guide him while he used his brain to think about that woman. He felt his lips involuntarily twitch.

 

He had not heard a word of anything the vassal before had said before he had mentioned the women. His thoughts were completely consumed with the girl. It was a mystery to him why the woman intrigued him so. But he meant to find out. Once I figure out why I am so attracted to her, I'll quickly expunge the source, and then I'll kill her. Yes, Sesshoumaru thought this with a smirk on his face, I'll kill her then.

 

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru felt the air around him growing colder and colder, as well as the air mustier and mustier. Absolutely vile, Sesshoumaru thought, wrinkling his nose ever so slightly. I must be getting close. His thoughts were confirmed when he came upon two guards, asleep, at their posts. They were issued there to stop anyone who came down to the dungeons who wasn't supposed to, as well as keep escaped prisoners in.

 

Bakas, he thought, seriously introducing his sword to their stomachs. No, he mused. My sword is much too expensive to rust in such unworthy blood as theirs. I shall send someone else to do it later.

 

With that, Sesshoumaru mentally nodded and gracefully proceeded down the wet stone steps, into the darkness.

 

 

 

 

The guard furiously bowed his head in surprise and wonder at his unexpected guest.

 

“Emperor-heika,” he said, shaking slightly, “w-what an honor! How may I serve you my liege?” Sesshoumaru listened to the man's groveling with a blank face. He was used to it.

 

“Hai.” He replied, interrupting the guard. “There is something you can do. I wish to know where the Hime of the east is being held. I ordered she be in a separate cell.” Sesshoumaru finished with a raise of his eyebrow.

 

The guard awkwardly bowed again and then led the way. Sesshoumaru felt like shrinking into a ball. This place was absolutely filthy! The walls were only inches from his silk kimono and he violently cursed the partition, knowing his kimono would probably be ruined.

 

He quickly made a mental note to never come down here in person again. A rat scurried across his path. Sesshoumaru groaned, but so softly only he bared witness to it.

 

 

 

 

After moments of silent wandering, Sesshoumaru was very much close to threatening the incompetent guard's life, when suddenly the vassal in question came to an abrupt halt. Only Sesshoumaru's quick reflexes saved him from a potentially unpleasant situation, which would result in the death of the guard for touching a person of royal blood. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and habitually smoothed the front of his elaborate apparel.

 

“Very well. I shall see her alone. I'll call you if I need you, or when I am finished.”

The guard gave his emperor a confused look, but quickly retreated when he caught the full brunt of Sesshoumaru's scathing glare.

 

When Sesshoumaru at last could not hear the guard's heavy footfalls, he let out a small sigh. He would be looking for several new servants before the month was over. He knocked his claws against the metal bars, hoping it would alert the woman of his presence. When he received no response Sesshoumaru became slightly confused.

 

He had been expecting an explosion of swear words and perhaps some insulting of his ancestors. Perhaps not, Sesshoumaru pondered, contradicting himself. My ancestors are InuYasha's as well…some of them.

 

His curiosity of the woman's lack of words got the better of him. Sesshoumaru slowly walked up to the front of the cells and peered in. His golden orbs easily penetrated the darkness, and saw the rhythmic falling of her chest and her gently closed eyes. Asleep, hm? Sesshoumaru saw on the girl's arms a sticky brown substance surrounding five small cuts on each one. The cuts were turning a rather nasty shade of green.

 

That can't be sanitary, Sesshoumaru brooded. The woman obviously needed medical attention. His amber eyes quickly scanned the cell. Staying in this can't be helping too much… and her skin will be ruined. After a minute of internal struggle, Sesshoumaru called the guard back to him, who came running down the hall.

 

“Take her up to the Aijin Pavilion. See that her wounds are cared for. Inform me when she has made a substantial recovery. That is all.”

 

Sesshoumaru strolled back up the corridor from whence he came, casting one last look over his shoulder at the guard who was hurriedly unlocking the cell with a frown on his face. When the man reappeared from the cell a worried look replaced the previous.

 

“She's burning up, Sire-heika! She must be in terrible condition. It's a surprise her soul hasn't left this world yet.” Each word cut through, straight to Sesshoumaru's heart. This was his fault. He tried to push these thoughts and feelings away, but when he saw the woman's limp form and the light sheen of sweat that covered her face and neck, he felt incredibly guilty.

 

What for? Sesshoumaru growled at his conscious. I've done nothing! Except for kidnap her from her fiancé, strangle her, and have her thrown into this miserable cell alone. He had felt this guilty only once before in his hundreds of years of life, and he had no desire to relive those memories. Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples. This woman is bad for my health, he concluded as he climbed the stairs into the glorious light.

 

 

 

 

Kagome had an extremely bothersome buzzing in her ears. However, through the noise, she could her the faint plucking of samisens and the light laughing and chatting of women. Wait a minute, Kagome thought groggily. Where am I? Why are there women here? She moved to open her eyes and sit up, only to find she could not move. Kagome mentally sighed and settled for just opening her eyes.

 

The instant the light hit her retinas she regretted it. Her head gave a violent throb and the buzzing became louder. Before she could stifle it, Kagome groaned. She was unbelievably sore all over.

 

“I do believe she's finally awoken. Those herbs the healer gave her must have worked well.” Kagome did not recognize the voice of the speaker.

 

“Oh no! Now we'll have to talk to her!” Said a shrill voice. There were titters of laughter until the voice that had spoken first cut them off.

 

“Ladies, that was rude! At least give her a chance to introduce herself.”

 

Kagome felt like she'd rather suffer through the pain then be on show for Kami knows how many women were watching her. She hissed in discomfort as she cracked her eyes open and was temporarily blinded. Kagome's stomach turned violently and for a moment, she was positive it would empty what meager contents it contained.

 

Suddenly, a cool hand rested on Kagome's sweaty brow. Slowly her stomach stopped its incommodious turning, and the fog receded from her vision.

 

“Are you alright? Do you need anything like tabemono?” The, now, familiar voice asked.

 

Kagome felt her back being gently propped up by small, but firm, hands. As her eyes cleared further, Kagome saw that she was in a semi-small, circular, room covered in lush tapestries and many gold-plaited items. The sunlight from the small windows caught on the gold and cast yellow reflections across the chamber. Kagome could smell incense burning. It was rather pleasant, she concluded. It wasn't too heavy, like a lot of incense used. It was spicy with a deep undertone of honey. Kagome felt her body relax as she deeply breathed in. It reminded her of her mother's room, in the palace back home in Assyria.

 

The smell quickly perked Kagome up, allowing her brain to function properly, for the most part, and her limbs to finally move. Although she was still stiff, Kagome cajoled her body into a sitting position, without the aid of the person beside her.

 

She saw several women dressed in overly elaborate kimonos staring her down. Some wore expressions of curiosity and others simply wore impassive, almost bored, faces. Kagome even caught the look of disdain on one particularly beautiful Japanese flower seated before her. Her dark hair was in a fancy up-do with several decorative feathers strategically placed throughout. The woman's bright red lips were pressed into a tight line and her eyes narrowed into dagger-throwing slits.

 

“You shouldn't lean on your arms so much,” said the voice Kagome had heard earlier. She tore her eyes from the angry woman to look upon the owner of the mystery voice.

 

It turned out to be a young woman who was quite pretty herself. She had long, silky, chocolate-colored tresses that hung in a loose ponytail over her shoulders. She wore no makeup but red eyeliner that brought out her hazel eyes. Compared to the other women in the room, she was rather plainly dressed. Still, Kagome couldn't talk. Sharply contrasting the woman before her, she looked like a pauper with her kimono in absolute ruins. The young woman gave Kagome a wide smile.

 

“Konnichiwa! Watashi wa Sango to iimas, O-namae wa nan?” The woman's friendliness was completely unexpected. Kagome's brain was still a tad slow.

 

“Watashi wa Kagome to iimas.” Sango's smile grew and the other ladies gasped and looked amongst themselves is shock. Clearly they had not expected her to speak Japanese. Sango rattled off Japanese and Kagome hardly caught half of what the pretty woman said. She held up a hand to stop Sango.

 

“I only speak a little.” The woman's smile faded, but only just so.

 

“Oh, that's okay. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect you to speak any at all.”

 

Movement drew Kagome's gaze back to the woman who had given her the cold stare before. Her expression hadn't changed noticeably. Kagome figured the woman came from a highly ranked family from her regal demeanor and the way she held her head high.

 

“I do believe it's time for the girl to take a bath. I must say,” She moved her kimono's sleeve delicately over her sneering mouth and nose, “she smells less than pleasant.” Kagome's jaw dropped in shock at the woman's blatant rudeness. The other women made no effort to hide their giggles and smiles.

 

With a triumphant smirk, that Kagome found incredibly annoying, the rude woman swept out of the room, followed by the other women and servants that Kagome had not noticed before.

 

 

 

 

 

When all the women had filed out of the chamber, Kagome remained motionless from shock. How could something so beautiful be so cruel?

 

“You'll have to watch out for the northern wife, Kagura.” Sango said sagely. “She has an unbelievably fierce temper and an even worse jealousy complex.

 

“Jealously?” Kagome inquired, rather stupidly. Sango gave her an odd look as she helped Kagome shakily stand up.

 

“Yes. She sees that his Majesty is obviously interested in you, to have brought you here. She always gets nasty anytime a new woman comes to join us.”

“Where exactly are we?” Kagome asked in a near squeak. She received the same puzzled look from the young woman once again.

 

“You were not told?” Kagome numbly shook her head, with a sense of foreboding. “You are at the Aijin, or lover, Pavilion.” Sango said simply.

 

“The what?”

 

“TennÅ heika's harem.”

 

Kagome's mind went blank, before her narrowed eyes saw red.

 

“Sesshoumaru…” she snarled.

 

 

 

 

 

I know some people don't like alot of Japanese in stories, but I find it such an interesting Language that I kinda go nuts (meaning there will be more.) Besides, it's fun to learn a new language isn't it? Huh? 


Well, I personally enjoy it. I realized something else. While a story looks like alot on Microsoft Works, when spread across the screen, it cuts the chapter in nearly half! I spent all this time writing this freakin' chapter, only to have it barely fill the page! Whassap wit dat?! Oh well...the past is immortal, but the future can be conquered now! (Or after dinner!) :) 
Enjoy! It gets good!!! 


 


Disclaimer: I don't InuYasha. Some other lady does (lucky duck.) Oh well, ya win some, ya loose some.