InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Princess Recalls Her One Adventure ❯ "Ugh....effort" ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: Gyousei

A/N: here's the third chap, a lot earlier than I had planned, but it's true what they say, reviews do make you update faster

* edit* I edited InuYasha's description of the castle, but I'm still not totally happy with it, sorry for putting it up again without a new chap, my mother said I was stressed and that I should do something I enjoy, so this was close, anyway, next update will be in approx two weeks give or take a day, because of my mock exams, catch ya then!

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The ride through the forests wasn't as boring as I thought it was going to be, it was just the two of us, and the forest was beautiful, just like the idiot Miroku had commented, but I wasn't gonna agree, I just snorted as usual, a lack of interest is the fastest way to shut Miroku up, he likes the attention.

The idiot had a smirk plastered across his face ever since we left the Inn, and it was beginning to piss me off.

I was in the room next to him, I didn't want to be kept up all night. Again.

I just hoped he wasn't thinking of that miserable cow with the bad squawking habit. I shuddered to think what kinda foul screeches she'd make.

I can't believe I was just thinking that…

Distraction.

The lake really was as magnificent as everyone who saw it claimed it to be. I could see swans swimming across the clear blue water, it was almost magical.

There was a very peaceful atmosphere here. I'd learned to admire nature on all the recent travels my brother and I were contracted to by our father. Let's face it, what else is there to do on horseback all day? You think I was going to talk to Miroku?

I glanced back over at him again. He wasn't wearing a soldier's uniform today. He instead had black riding trousers and boots and a loose black shirt. A dark purple coat as well, with the belt and sword buckled over it. The coat was of a fine cut, he always liked to show his position off with finery. I normally just chucked on what the maids left for me.

He was still smiling.

“Oi! you better be on your best behaviour here, we don't want to be thrown out because you're skirting one of the hand maids.” My eyes narrowed, remembering a similar incident in a Counts mansion on our journey over here.

“Oh, I promise you my Lord, I will keep my wandering hands to myself, hopefully.” He placed his hand on his heart, mocking a promise.

“Sesshomaru will chop your hands off, just like he said he would after last time, you know he's good on his threats…” the idiot paled. Good.

“And I'll cut your dick off too, for good measure” he swallowed nervously.

“I assume this is a serious affair we are going to in the castle…?”

“Yeah, apparently, I don't know exactly what is up though, Father only mentioned to me to map out the land in my head, but Sesshomaru seems to have some interest in the royal family here. I'll tell ya when I find out don't worry.” Miroku was a nosey bastard at the best of times.

He nodded.

We rounded a bend and got our first good glimpse of the castle. I could see the spires from the lake beyond the hill before, but now I was looking at it in full.

I was impressed.

Really impressed.

I swear it was the exact castle from the books my mother used to read fairytales from when I was small.

We were on a bridge over a small waterfall valley, the water crashing on the rocks beneath us. We had an excellent vantage point here to view the castle and countryside beyond it. The river valley below being the only flat land in the area, it was completely surrounded by mountains.

As soon as the breathtaking sight subsided from my conscience, the military part of my mind took over and I assessed the castle's offensive and defensive features. From what I could see at this angle the gate house, was orange, obviously brick. The building was located on a giant mound of rock, trees surrounding it, although the position was more for the sights from the castle, out onto the lake and mountains, than for having an advantage over invading enemies, so I was told.

The sumi-yagura or turrets as they call them here, where positioned at the front only, its not as if any army could attack from any other side anyway, what with the river acting as a moate of sorts on the other sides. A large square watch tower sticking up, with the family crest flags waving from a pole on its roof, again different to the way our castles were structured, but this wasn't a war castle.

There was nothing there that I would consider a tamon-yagura, bailey, or even a wall, it just looked like the donjon continued out up to the gate, although I could see what must be a court yard inside.

The main keep, was white with One, Two, Three…. Eight stories including the roof level, but I'd bet any amount that there where more carved out of the rock underneath, the roof tiles were a bluey/green colour, surprisingly enough, I had found something about this castle that wasn't unusual. The main house also had two towers, one larger, one smaller than the watch tower. Many small rounded bay and spire windows decorated the level before the roof began, much like the gables back home....

This place was huge, I had had to admit that, no matter how strange it seems.

Spectacular is the only way to describe it. I'd love to see it in autumn with the changing leaves. Mother would love it… Oh crap! I'm turning into a sap like Miroku here.

I kneed my stallion onwards; I wanted to get this visit over with as soon as possible. Looking at that small body of water, it made me think of home. The sea.

When we arrived at the front gatehouse, there only seemed to be one entrance/exit, unless it was hidden somewhere. I admired its construction while waiting for the doors to open.

It was different from anything else I'd ever seen before.

I'd seen a lot of castles, in many shapes and sizes, in many different countries. But this castle held a certain magic over it.

I glanced up at the royal insignia that was engraved at the pinnacle of the gatehouse arch. Two lions to each side of a crest, I could not make out the items that it supported, they must have been worn away by the elements. Above the crest was a balcony, it's a wonder this thing has battlements, this had been designed by an artist not a strategist after all, there where soldiers there, wearing white and forest green with their minimal leather armour, in the Higurashi family colours.

The heavy doors groaned as they revealed the inner courtyard. I was delighted to see the main house right in front of me, something I had always hated about home, the maze from the front gate to the donjon, but I knew it had a very good purpose, but it was still very annoying.

I sent Miroku off to see to the men that had arrived earlier with Sesshomaru.

Climbing the smooth stone slab stairs into the main house, I started to wander through the castle, admiring the dark wooden carvings, there wasn't a plain piece of wood in sight, paintings, portraits, numerous golden ornaments and crystal and gold chandeliers that hung everywhere I went.

I was eventually totally lost and decided to ask a servant for my brother. I was brought to a fifth floor reception room, lavishly decorated in the dark wood that seemed to cover the entire of the interior structure, the wall panels were a golden yellow colour to compliment the dark wood.

Sesshomaru was standing with his back towards me, hands folded behind him, looking out the window. He had taken off his coat and was just wearing his white shirt and tan riding pants, he insisted we wear something of the fashions the main continent had, so as not to scare anyone, seeing Fukushima soldiers passing through your town was like a declaration of war. We needed to appear peaceful, especially in the more defensively-challenged countries like the one we where in now.

I could see the lake out past his frame. I wondered if it reminded him off home like it did to me.

Nah, he hasn't a sentimental bone in his body.

I looked around the room, it was obviously regularly used. It had many portraits of the family and not a speck of dust. I wasn't used to there being so much lavish decoration; everything back home was simple and minimal.

My eyes ran over the paintings, taking in the cultural contrasts, waiting for Sesshomaru to at least say something.

My gaze landed on the family portrait set over the intricately carved fireplace, we didn't have fireplaces either.

It must have been years old, as it still had the old King in it, and both his parents, his mother dead years before him, his father, the present King, and his three children, they were very young, Souta the heir was only a toddler. The two girls looked like twins, only differentiating by height and eye colour, the shorter girl had grey, wait… those eyes are familiar…

Shit.

That bloody cow from the Inn was in the damn painting!

She couldn't be

Could she?

I looked around to some other paintings, she was in at least four more.

Don't tell me…

“I want you to retrieve the Princess, bring her back here.”

I turned, pealing my wide eyed stare from the paintings, Sesshomaru still had his back to me facing out the window. Maybe the sentimental bone was there, instead of his funny bone.

“Huh?” was my only response to his request.

“You heard me InuYasha, I want you to go get the Princess.”

“What? Why? Why me?” I moped; I didn't want to have to go after that stupid wench.

“As a Prince it is your duty, I'm requesting that you find her and bring her back here to her family.”

I snorted. “You're a Prince too, why don't YOU find her?”

“Don't make me order you InuYasha. Do this simple task and I will name you my Lord General upon my crowning next spring.” He was still facing out the window. He knew it would bother me eventually. He always knew.

“It sounds too simple. What's the catch?” I grew wary. I was talking to Sesshomaru here. I knew his tricks better than anyone else, considering they where all used on me anyway.

“There is no catch” he turned around, and walked over to the mantel piece, studying the design. “Why would there be a catch?”

He was trying to bait me into a fight, I knew it, just so he could prove to Father that I'm not worthy to be Lord General. Did I really want the position though?

“It just seems to be too easy, catch the Princess, drag her home, you name me head of your armies. Is Father trying to make you pick me or something?” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, tucking my hands into my opened shirt cuffs.

“No, Father would not do such a thing, you know that, he only asked me to think about a Lord General, I suppose he was thinking about you, but it is my choice and he knows that. I believe myself that you would be a capable General.”

He picked up a strange figurine off the mantel, to give it further inspection, it was odd, even for here.

He looked up at me, eyebrow raised. “Do you not want this offer?”

I was beginning to think this was serious. I never in a million years would have guessed Sesshomaru to be asking me this.

“Umm, yeah I do, I guess….” I was stumped.

“You cannot guess, you either want it or you do not, I can think on someone else if you would prefer…” He placed the figure back in its place. He turned and replicated my cross armed stance. A sure sign he was interested in this discussion.

“Why me?” I asked in all seriousness. Why me indeed.

“I told you, I believe you are capable of it, you have commendable skills in both fighting and tactics, you communicate well with the men, and you are well respected by our people. I was made Lord General at 17 InuYasha, that is younger than you are now, you are well able for it, if I was able for it at 17.”

Sesshomaru, complimenting me on my skills? Never!

Well we were both thought by our Father, and his skills got our family back on the throne…

“InuYasha, you have the experience of both mine and Father's bestowed upon you, you know you are ready for it. You know you want it.”

“Wait, since when did YOU bestow your experiences on me?” He's trying to tease me, just so he can take it from me at the last moment.

He sighed. “Have I not told you my every story and adventure from before you were allowed to ride out with us? Have I not helped you to improve your sword stances and katas as a child? Have I not commented on your warfare tactics when there was a small mistake that might have cost us? I have tried to teach you, did you not learn?”

This was creepy.

He was right.

I always used to make him tell me stories after he came back from battles or treaties. We did brotherly bond crap even though we fought like, well, siblings.

“I want you to go find Kagome, even if you do not wish for the position as General.”

“So, if I just drag that bitch back here by her hair, I get General?” I was beginning to get excited, maybe the bastard was serious after all.

“Don't drag her by her hair, tie her to the saddle or something, I want good relations with this country for the future, it would not do to bring their Princess back bald. Besides do you not think she's prettier with hair?” He arched a brow and a small smile playing upon his features.

Did he just attempt to be humorous?

Probably liked that wench or something equally as silly. Ewww.

I stuck my tongue out at the fireplace portrait that held her child likeness, rather unbecoming for a 20 year old prince… the door then opened to admit a small, greying old coot, err, I mean man…

“Your highness” Sesshomaru said and bowed.

I turned around and repeated exactly like my brother.

“No, no need to bow, I'm sorry you both have to visit in such a desperate time for the Kingdom. Come, you must both be hungry, we shall talk over dinner.” He waved his arms at us trying to direct us to the door.

When neither of us moved, he looked back, obviously bewildered by our matching dead-pan faces.

“My brother has offered to search for the Princess, Your Highness.” Sesshomaru stated “He feels duty bound to find her and return her to her rightful place.”

The old man looked at me. Were they tears forming in his eyes?

“Thank you son, I'm honoured you hold my Granddaughters safety so high in your list of priorities.” He then walked over and, hugged me of all things!

Sheesh, the things I must go through.

“I'll set out at dawn” I told the man that only reached my waist.

He walked out, near-skipping before us, no doubt joyed at the news that such an "experienced young fellow" would track his Gran-baby down. He had informed us that most his men either didn't know what she looked like, or weren't good enough to track, he offered them to me anyway.

I sighed.

At least I'd be away from these weirdo's for a few days. No-one can do anything right here.

Except build a really cool castle. Although, it was probably wasn't them that built it.

“Did you see her on the way to the castle?” Sesshomaru was behind me and trying out his creepy new technique of suddenly speaking in your ear. Father almost killed him when he tried it on him.

You just do not creep up on our Father. It's practically suicide. Though I must say, it was hilarious seeing him jump like that, unfortunately father hadn't a sword on him at the time...

I shook off the willys he gave me by doing that. “No, I saw her at the Inn, Miroku was hitting on her.” Sesshomaru sighed. Contemplating actually chopping his hands off most likely.

“I passed her on the way here, you'll have no trouble in finding her, seems she is so dopey that she cannot even notice 20 men on horses riding toward her, she will undoubtedly stand out.”

He walked on ahead of me and opened the door, “I was invited to stay here tonight, and you will go back to the Inn and bring the men out at Dawn from there. I shall expect you back for supper tomorrow night.” He was about to walk out the door, when an after-thought hit him, “Oh, and mind her hair…”

I was officially scared by this Sesshomaru now. This was not Sesshomaru.

My feet were in bits.

I sat to the side of the large dust road heading south, it wasn't very dusty really, it was compacted by years of feet and rain, it was like solid stone.

Still I had to be a bit thankful for the leather boots though. My silk slippers never would have held out.

My legs stung and burned and begged me for rest.

I wasn't desperate enough to sleep under a hedge, yet, I had to keep going.

As I was walking, I tried to admire the sunset, the sky was a nice pinky colour and the sun was like the yellowy-orange of an egg yolk. But I couldn't, my legs were too busy trying to disconnect themselves from my body so they could go off and die in a ditch, making me concentrate on keeping them moving instead of the sun.

I had passed through two villages already, they were both so small, neither had any Inns, not that I wanted an Inn in those towns anyway.

Some passing peasants assured me the next town was bigger, with two Inns where I could stay.

I'm pretty sure they where laughing at me.

I stood out like a sore thumb, moaning and muttering to myself.

Not long after complete darkness I arrived in the town. There where two inns apparently, I just wanted the closest one.

“The Blue Turkey” it was, it even had a sign with a painted turkey and blue feathers outside.

I went in, it was fairly crowded. Smaller benches, for not more than eight people were arranged all over the decently sized room, in a different manner from the previous Inn.

It didn't matter, I only needed a bed. I was too tired to eat.

I walked over to a lady in a white apron, she was tall and very thin, she had greying black hair pulled up into a tight high bun. Her stern wrinkled face surveyed the room, I noticed she kept a keen eye on the drunks singing in the corner.

“Excuse me, I would like room please,” I smiled weakly when her head snapped in my direction and she took in my wretched state. She snapped her fingers and a small, bouncy, heart-shape faced girl popped up beside her.

She directed the girl to bring me to a room and asked me if I would need supper. Her voice was squeaky, almost like a drawn out cats meow, not like my cat's of course; Buyo was a breathing hairy lump, we deemed a cat, which emitted strange grunting sounds as he rolled around.

I told her I didn't want supper and if I could have the closet room possible to this spot, and I set a wake up for a half hour before dawn.

I groaned on looking up at the stairs, but I smiled as the serving girl took my arm over her shoulder and helped me up them.

I tugged my dress over my head and lazily yanked my stockings off and leaving them all on the floor, then I just flopped on the bed, uncaring of lumps, asleep just as my body hit the mattress.

A/N: I revised the other two chapters because I was advised to use more description, before I didn't use much because I was told in other writings that I put in way too much detail, I hope I didn't put in too much for this, my description of the castle wasn't great I know, but I will be revising it soon and I'll be putting up reference pictures for things in the story later, but for anyone interested in searching a pic up of Kagomes castle it's Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria I'm using, (also known as sleeping beauty's castle in disneyland).

Sublimetrickster: Thank you ever so much for that constructive criticism, it was great, I'm a big fan of your Umezu artwork by the way!! On the stuff about there being a blind spot over InuYasha and Miroku, there's a reason for that, as you said we see them when Kagome does, but she didn't actually see them properly, she only looked at Miroku's eyes and hand's, and InuYasha she was too busy screaming at with blurred vision to notice anything about him, there will be proper descriptions as Kagome sees them, or InuYasha, only really when something is seen for the first time in whoever's POV. Thanks a lot for reviewing and I hope you keep reading.

Interested Reader: Thank you for reading and being interested!!

Vashta: Feel free to assume and tell me what you think, who knows what ideas those things might spark off. I'm glad you didn't expect Sess, you expected Inu right? I'll try to work in some more twists in future.

Thank you to everyone else that read!!!

Oh please read my new fic “Jailbirds”, that's not shameless self promotion is it?

-Gyousei

Edited: 9/1/05.

Second Edit: 29/1/05