InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Protector of Her Heart ❯ Bitter Memories ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Bitter Memories

 

Ever since the tournament had been announced two weeks ago, knights from all corners of the Human Lands had flocked to the palace in hopes of winning the tournament and being chosen of the honor to serve Princess Kagome herself. Now the already overcrowded castle was bursting to its seams with noblemen come to watch the tournament, and dozens of tents for the knights had been set up on the castle lawn.

 

The activity around the palace was always in a flurry, with people from the city traipsing near the palace to see the excitement. Kagome was sure the population had increased tenfold, since the noblemen brought along with them their wives, their children, their horses, their grooms, their maids, and all others they would require to keep a level of comfort.

 

It was nearly overwhelming for Kagome, to see these hundreds of people coming all for her. She had been told when the knights began arriving that it was because of a tournament scheduled, in which a knight who won would be given the privilege of protecting her, until she was finally married. So soon after yet another betrothal fell through, she was eager to enter another one, as she always did, and get it over with.

 

A young, skilled knight would probably be the one to win the grandest prize. After all, she knew a thing or two about the sports, and knew the old men that had come to give it a shot didn't stand a chance. Especially when it came to jousting, the sport of daring men, when sometimes people were carried off the field dead. She had no wish for knights to be dying in her name, but deaths were rare, and after all, these knights were hardly squires, fresh from the stable.

 

As the two weeks progressed towards the tournament, more and more knights came to the castle, and many, mostly the wealthy ones with the strongest armor that men could buy, were presented to her formally. And such was the case that day.

 

Smiling slightly down at the young man, no more than eighteen, who bowed before her, Kagome asked, “And who are you, Sir Knight?” She held her hand to him, and he took it gently.

 

“Sir Jonathan, Your Highness.” His voice was smooth, and he kissed her fingers softly.

 

“I wish you luck, Sir Jonathan,” Kagome told him, while the knight rose up, bowing once more.

 

A flirtatious look lit the knight's face, while mirth sparkled in his eyes. “And so would I, Your Highness. For who wouldn't want it with such a fair prize?”

 

Kagome laughed slightly, before allowing him to go and turning back to her ladies-in-waiting. They had been walking along the palace lawn, between the tents, watching the hundreds of men go about their duties; cleaning their weapons, practicing fencing with each other, and other such things. When she walked past, she couldn't help but feel self conscious about all the heads turning towards her, along with all the stares and murmurs.

 

Her lightweight gown of blue satin with long, draping sleeves blew around her in the wind, making her feel like she was plunged among the waves, unable to swim above them. Though such a sight seemed to be amusing to her, it was commonplace when woman wore the fashions of old.

 

Kagome's three friends gathered around her, nearly squealing when she rejoined them. “He was a handsome one,” Lady Ayumi said, her eyes full of sparkles. “You're so lucky, Kagome, to have all these stunning men here willing to serve you! Now I wish there was some way I could have a few of them serve me instead…”

 

“You had better watch it, Ayumi,” Lady Eri cut in. “After all, you already have a husband, you know.”

 

“Have you seen her husband lately? Only thirty and he looks like a withered plum! No wonder Ayumi wants a young one,” Yuka giggled. “Who wouldn't want one now when there are so many fine young men wandering about the palace?”

 

Glancing at the knights gazing at them as they spoke in private, Kagome gave a small, yet sad smile. “I guess you are the luckiest of all of us, Yuka.” She turned back to her. “You married a man only two years apart from your age, and now, only three years from your marriage, his father died, making him a count and you a countess.”

 

Her friend came back with a quick retort. “Well, being next to you, Your Highness, makes the title seem rather insignificant, don't you think?”

 

Yuka had meant it in good jest, but to Kagome, it seemed like a sting of insult. The barb only deepened by the presence of the hoods over her friend's hair, signaling that they were married, while her black tresses flew free in the wind. “Yes, I suppose you are right.”

 

It was times like these when Kagome longed for her best friend Sango, who had decided not to marry, since her brother was paralyzed from a demon attack at a young age and she wanted to look after him. With her, she could have cheerful conversation, without talking or worrying about the subject of marriage. The only other woman she knew of that was her age and unmarried was her distant cousin Kikyou, but this was for reasons unknown.

 

Kagome looked back among the knights in the hundreds of tents, all having come here to win the chance to serve her. Her friends began talking amongst themselves, pointing to knights and commentating upon their stature and how handsome they were.

 

Turning back to them, Kagome said, “I think I'll take a walk in the gardens.”

 

“Do you want us to come with you?” Lady Ayumi asked, but Kagome shook head.

 

“No, you can stay out here and view the men, if you wish…I just want to get away from the crowd.” Her friends all decided to stay, while Kagome turned and left quickly, anxious not to have to hear her friends speak of the downsides of marriage.

 

The gardens were nearly empty, a welcome find after the crowded palace and grounds. Sighing, Kagome walked along the path, the trees branches swaying in the wind. Kagome closed her eyes and rested her head against a large tree, breathing in the fresh scent of leaves. I wonder, why is it I was born to be something that so many wish for, yet I wish I could be anything but?

 

“Why do I feel so lonely?” She wondered out loud. Why does it feel like something's missing?

 

Kagome knew why; it had to be because of her marriage situation. She had no husband, no one to want her at all, despite her enormous wealth. She could never fit in with woman her age, and others looked down upon her for her unmarried state…she was lost in a world were marriage was the only thing to greatness.

 

“Kagome!” a small voice stopped her musings. Opening her eyes, Kagome turned to smile as she saw her younger brother, Prince Souta, coming up the path. He seemed to be struggling a little bit with the very fat royal cat Buyo in his arms.

 

“Souta,” she replied, walking and sitting next to him as he sat on a bench. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Buyo needed a walk,” he explained, holding up the cat in his arms. “But he seems to think that I need a walk more than he does.”

 

Kagome laughed at that, before it subsided. Souta seemed to notice the tenseness in her voice, and he asked, “Are you all right, sister?”

 

“I am fine, Souta.” She hoped that he would take the hint and leave well enough alone, but he didn't.

 

Glancing out towards the palace lawn to see the sea of tents, the prince said, “Kagome, I know how hard this is for you…don't try to deny it.”

 

She turned away. “I can't imagine what you are talking about.”

 

“I know you have to get married soon, Kagome,” the boy continued. “And I know it's probably hard on you because of things like…well, Lord Houjou and all—” Hidden by the draping sleeves of her gown, Kagome clenched her fists. “But did you ever think it wouldn't be hard on me too?”

 

Pausing for a moment, Kagome turned back to her ten year old brother. “What do you mean?”

 

The prince's eyes fell, and he looked down at the cat in his arms, mewing contently as he stroked the soft fur. “You'll have to get married, Kagome…and then you won't be able to talk to me much anymore.”

 

Kagome wanted to deny it to comfort her brother, but in the back of her mind, she knew it was true. If her husband wished, he could order her to move to the country; he could do anything he wished with her. And though she would be queen, it would be her husband, the king, who made the rules about what she did and did not do with her life.

 

Reaching over to pet Buyo as well, Kagome explained, “Father wanted me to become queen of this country, Souta. And I can't help it if I have to marry to do it…it's just something that has to be done.”

 

“But Kagome, you're not even acting like yourself!” Souta snapped. “Didn't you once say that you would rather be in control of your life and not marry, and now you say you must?”

 

She glared at her brother. “I said that when I was young, and I was betrothed to a man nearly twenty years older.”

 

“But now?”

 

Instead of snapping back, like Souta had expected, Kagome looked up at the sky and calmly explained, “I have no choice, Souta…Father thought I would be the best one to rule this country when he was gone. I have a duty to the crown, and I cannot turn over what Father wanted just because of petty moods.”

 

“But why would Father give you this duty if he knew you would be unhappy?” Kagome couldn't help but smile at her brother's statement. Even though he had been denied the right to the crown as the firstborn son, he was still worried more about her than his own interests.

 

“I'm not unhappy Souta, I'm just…” She didn't dare say it out loud, but in her mind, Kagome finished, I wonder what it would be like to be a simple person, and free of this duty.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

“Keh, this is slow,” Inuyasha muttered. They were on the road to the eastern castle for the tournament, but it was to take place the very next day, and they still hadn't made it there yet. The hanyou attributed it to the fact that instead of running, like they were used to as demons, Kouga had insisted upon them riding horses. “Why are we riding these stupid things again? We could have gotten there at the most two days ago!”

 

“Be patient, mutt,” Kouga growled back at him, pulling his stallion into a faster trot. “I'm saving my strength for that tournament. Or would you rather we both be worn out and have some human beat us?”

 

“I wouldn't be tired if we had ran,” the hanyou glared, but he knew that Kouga did have a point. Even though they had more strength than humans, running that many miles without some urgency would make them tired like any other mortal.

 

Kouga ignored him, and turned his thoughts back to the event to take place the next day. “I wonder what it feels like, to be in service of the princess…After all, her knight would have to be with her at all times…anything could happen…”

 

The hanyou's face was set in a frown of annoyance. “Keh, don't tell me you're such a sap to believe that you're in love with her already—you've never even met her!”

 

“I did see her once at a distance, when she came to visit the castle a few months ago, when that stupid human was all over her,” the wolf growled for a moment while Inuyasha continued to roll his eyes. “Princess Kagome was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…I don't think I've ever seen another that could compare to her.”

 

“I didn't see her then, so how can I know you're telling the truth? She's probably just as plain as any other woman you come across. You're probably just exaggerating because you `love' her.”

 

Kouga huffed and turned away, “Well, you wouldn't have noticed, would you, mutt? Back then, you had your precious Lady Kikyou to occupy your time.”

 

Though Kouga had made Inuyasha fight the urge to growl and give him a good retort, he sucked it up for no reasons other than to keep the appearance of being indifferent. Turning away, he answered, “Listen you idiot, she's a princess. You're a knight, and a demon too. The only reason you're here is because you were captured, and were given a choice of loyalty or death, and were too much of a coward to pick the other.” Glancing back at the wolf, Inuyasha spoke, with hard eyes, “So what makes you think this princess of yours would ever think of you in such a way?”

 

Inuyasha sped his horse up so he wasn't alongside Kouga anymore, leaving the poor wolf to contemplate his last words. Though it was a cruel statement, they both knew it was true, since it was how the world worked these days. But thinking of Kouga pining after Princess Kagome reminded Inuyasha so cruelly of another relationship of the same lines…of himself and Lady Kikyou.

 

Glancing down at the dusty road beneath them, he remembered the day he met her, crying in the gardens. Even then, he knew it wasn't to be from the start…

 

He had been walking alone, trying to vent some of his anger for something he now couldn't remember, when he saw a sight he hardly believed. There, on one of the ancient benches, lay a woman, crying. She looked terribly disheveled, her eyes red and puffy, her red and white gown wrinkled from not having sat down without care, and her hair loose, the pearl strand wrapped around her forehead tangled in it.

 

Inuyasha had never before cared about human beings and their problems, but seeing this woman cry as if her heart was broken…he felt guilty, for some reason, as if he had caused it. He could not understand why, but he wanted to make everything all right.

 

Carefully, slowly, he walked towards her, not wanting to frighten her. The woman didn't move; she was kneeling before the bench, resting her head in her hands as she continued to sob softly. Every so often, he would hear her murmur, “I can't do this…I can't…” making him feel even worse for her.

 

When Inuyasha was right next to her, he took a deep breath and said, “Excuse me,” The woman heard him and her head sprung around, staring at him, with wide eyes. No doubt the first thing she noticed was he was not human. When Inuyasha saw her, that guilt he didn't know he had hit him as he saw the redness under her eyes, the sadness among her features. He paused a moment, not knowing what to say, until he asked, “Are you all right?”

 

He could have kicked himself for asking such a stupid question, but the woman didn't seem to mind. She shook her head and tried to wipe her eyes, the tears stopping now that she had an audience. “No…I'm afraid I am not…”

 

“Would you like me to get you something?” Why was he offering to help her?

 

Again, she shook her head. “Unless you can get me another life…” she whispered, but did not go on.

 

They still weren't looking at each other, but Inuyasha replied, “I'm sorry that I can't…If I could do that, then you're not the only one who would wish to trade your life.”

 

“Living in this place, with this life does not suit you either, does it?” she asked, but he didn't reply. “The world is so unfair, always giving us the perfect life that we cannot enjoy.”

 

Inuyasha had never heard a woman speak this way; most woman of her station seemed to revel in the balls, the gowns, and the wealth that came along with it. Yet here was a woman who said she would wish for something else. It intrigued him like never before. “But are there some things that make this life enjoyable?”

 

She didn't reply for a moment. “I find nothing in this life that I can enjoy,” her voice was harsh, but then it softened. “I suppose that I shall have to make them instead.”

 

The hanyou wanted to continue this conversation, but it was his day to be at his post, and now he was already late for his shift. Glancing back at her, he said, “Since you seem all right, I have to go.” He turned to leave, but he felt a hand on his sleeve, he turned to see the woman looking back at him, all sadness gone from her eyes.

 

“My name is Kikyou,” she told him softly.

 

From the first time they spoke, he realized she was not like other woman. Though in public she wore the mask of a perfect courtier, with him, she secretly longed to be her own person, afraid to let anyone have control of her life to do what they wished.

 

Inuyasha and Kikyou walked in the gardens, both talking and smiling slightly, but careful never to get too close, or smile too much. “You used to live in the Midlands?” Kikyou asked, curious.

 

Inuyasha nodded. “My mother lived there, near the border of the Demon Lands. That's how she met my father, when the Midlands was still a safe passage for all.”

 

“But on the border of the Demon Lands…” Kikyou asked, “Wasn't that dangerous?”

 

“That was when there was still a king on the throne,” he pointed out. “The Midlands weren't as war torn as they are now.”

 

Kikyou paused for a moment, looking away, “It must have been a nice place.”

 

“It was…” He suddenly turned back to her. “You told me once that you wished your life was different, so what is yours like?”

 

Sighing, Kikyou replied, “My father…he is a duke, and he knows in order for our family to rise, we have to form alliances…and one of the ways to form alliances is to use me as a marriage pawn.”

 

Thinking for a moment, Inuyasha asked, “So, that day, when I found you…”

 

“Yes…I had just been told that I was betrothed to a man who is already over the age of forty...I was devastated when I heard the news.”

 

Inuyasha saw no promise ring on her finger, but he cautiously asked, just in case, “And now…?”

 

“It fell through, as they often do.” Inuyasha wondered why he felt himself sigh in relief at that. “But I do not know when my father will set up a match for me like that again.”

 

“What, wealthy men to your liking?” he scoffed, but Kikyou returned him with a sharp glare.

 

“I will hand my life over to no one, especially not a man whom I was given to secure an alliance. My life is mine, and mine alone.”

 

He could only stare at her. Her philosophy couldn't be more like his…and yet more different. She wanted to never give herself to anyone, keeping her secrets locked forevermore. Perhaps he too, was like that. On the other hand, he wanted to give his life, his trust, to someone, but only if they did the same for him as well.

 

And for some reason, the implication behind her words made him feel a slight loss. “So is it the institution of marriage that you're against, or—”

 

“It is the thoughts that breed from marriage,” Kikyou told him harshly. “That women are the property of men, theirs to do whatever they wish…and that lust that men sometimes cannot keep restrained, though it would be better for all if they would.” With her words, she walked off, leaving him there, completely puzzled.

 

They became friends, talking about things, and the more Inuyasha knew of her, the more fascinated he became, and the more he wanted to change her mind about her steadfast belief about trust and marriage. But soon, he found out why exactly she had spoken so harshly about the lust that men had…

 

Inuyasha leaned against a pillar in the grand hall, almost hidden by the rough, old stone. He watched Kikyou with a smile on his face, as she spoke and laughed with her friends. The torchlight which lit the hall that night seemed to reflect off her skin and give her an ethereal glow, like an angel from the world beyond.

 

Kikyou seemed to notice he was there, turning to look at him while expression seemed to hold a longing to be closer to him. He returned her smile, and if they had not been in public, he would have granted her wish.

 

But Kikyou's eyes suddenly shifted from him to look away…and then her expression froze. Inuyasha could tell that something had made her frightened. He glanced in the direction she was looking but saw no one. When he tried to look back at her, she had already made and excuse, and was discreetly running away, from whatever it was that had frightened her. Worried, Inuyasha followed silently behind.

 

She was in the hallway, halfway to her room, just as she stopped and gasped—a figure had emerged from the shadows. She backed up against the wall, her eyes wide as the figure stepped into the torchlight. It was Lord Onigumo. “Alone, Kikyou?” he asked, with a smirk.

 

“Get away from me,” she ordered, but her voice faltered. How could it not? He had watched her for weeks, and he finally had her alone; there was no telling what he could do.

 

Onigumo came closer, though Kikyou backed away. “Why are you so afraid, Kikyou? You know it is not my wish to hurt you—”

 

“You will leave me alone!” she yelled, turning and bolting, but Onigumo caught her by the arm, and pulled her sharply that she collapsed into his arms.

 

His hands instantly clenched her to him, so close that he could feel her tremble in fear. “Come now, Kikyou, you didn't say please…” He smirked, holding her face to his, her breaths short and afraid of what was to come—

 

But it never did. In an instant, she heard a voice shout, “Kikyou!” and suddenly found herself thrown to the ground. Inuyasha's fist had come out of nowhere and hit Onigumo on the side of the head, making him crumple to the floor.

 

“Inuyasha…” Kikyou whispered, as Inuyasha, completely enraged, held Lord Onigumo high in the air, his fist around Onigumo's throat.

 

“You will not come near Kikyou again, you hear me!” he roared, his fist tightening.

 

Instead of struggling, Onigumo only smirked. “I heard that some puppy was sniffing around Kikyou, but I can't believe the prideful, great Kikyou would ever allow someone like you near her…it makes me wonder if she's really worth it, if you've already had her—”

 

The hanyou lost his temper once more and hit Onigumo once more, making the man stumble back into the stone wall. Inuyasha loomed over him, grabbing him by his collar and giving a growling warning, “If you ever touch Kikyou again, I will kill you.” He threw the man back into the hallway, Onigumo stumbling away, but not before giving one last smirk at the both of them.

 

With the threat gone, Inuyasha turned to Kikyou, who had watched the whole thing. “Are you all right?” he asked, coming closer to her, wanting to comfort her.

 

Instead of falling into his arms, like he expected, Kikyou just rose to her feet. “I'm fine.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Kikyou nodded, “Yes…but,” There was a genuine thankfulness and relief in her eyes. “Thank you, Inuyasha…”

 

With the threat of Onigumo gone, for the most part, it allowed Kikyou's true personality to really show. Though she was always careful not to get too far down a path they were always treading close to, Inuyasha began to see that she was freer with him than ever before. Kikyou now smiled, and laughed. At the small banquets, they would sometimes dance, and she would lean closer to him than any other she was partner with.

 

He soon knew he had to be in love with her.

 

And, those months they were together were the brightest he had ever known in his life, knowing the joy of being in love with a woman willingly at his side…but always there was a point where it would stop, for the sake of propriety. That didn't matter…as long as he had Kikyou, it didn't matter to him at all.

 

But it appeared to matter to her. And before long, he would know how much.

 

Inuyasha had noticed that Kikyou had been speaking to Lady Tsubaki and awful lot lately, and whenever she did, she wouldn't laugh like she used to. She seemed to be more distant, and kept her emotions closely masked from him, as if they were in public. He wondered if he had done something wrong, and hoped she would soon tell him what had changed so they could fix it, and continue being the way they were.

 

But she had other plans. “Inuyasha…you know this cannot be,” Kikyou told him, as they spoke in a secluded corner of the castle one day.

 

His heart clenched; he had been afraid of this. “Kikyou…what do you mean?”

 

“You know, Inuyasha…You know that we both…this will never work out,” Kikyou couldn't look back at him, but he could tell that even breaking his heart, she was having second thoughts.

 

He begged, “Kikyou, if I did anything to offend you, then please tell me—”

 

“It's not you, Inuyasha,” Kikyou cut in, this time looking him directly in his amber eyes. “It's us. Look at us! I'm the daughter of a duke…you're just a knight. I'm human, you're a hanyou…and a bastard at that. Inuyasha…this can never—”

 

“No, no Kikyou, this doesn't mean anything!” He yelled. “Kikyou, are you telling me that I just have to forget everything? Forget about what we talked about? Forget about the feelings I have for you?”

 

That only seemed to make it all worse as Kikyou turned away. “Yes, Inuyasha…both of us, it will never work, don't you see? What would I be if I stayed with you? I would be a nobody, and I was born to high for that to be allowed. I told you before, I will give my life to no man, not even you. And if I stayed alone, I would at least be Lady Kikyou, the daughter of a duke forevermore.”

 

Inuyasha shook his head, suddenly feeling all the rejection he had known thought his life hit him at once, and it all felt insignificant to what he was feeling now. “Don't do this Kikyou…You know you don't want to—”

 

“It doesn't matter what I want, Inuyasha, can't you see that?” She snapped, a fiery intensity in her eyes. “We live in this world, where we don't have a choice about these things! I cannot be with you any longer because of our differences, and so it must end, now.”

 

He couldn't help but ask, “And if you did have a choice?”

 

Kikyou didn't reply, but only turned away and spoke, “Forget about your feelings Inuyasha…they are nothing to me now. Forget all about us, and me.” She began walking away, leaving him behind, back in his lonely life.

 

Clenching his fists, Inuyasha couldn't help but yell after her as she left him forever. “Kikyou!”

 

Inuyasha was awoken from his melancholy thoughts as Kouga asked, “Hey, muttface, you alright?”

 

Glaring back at him, Inuyasha muttered, “Yeah,” while gripping the reins so tight that his fingers turned white. Being reminded of how Kikyou had left him not that long ago, he was only reminded of his goal to win the tournament. When I have the Shikon no Tama, then I won't think of this anymore…I can let these foolish feelings go.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

“You really are lucky, Kagome,” Eri said, after Kagome had been bestowed many blessings from the different knights as they walked late in the afternoon. “So many of them are very handsome!”

 

Kagome and her other ladies in waiting laughed. “I promise you can have any that you wish, so long as your husbands don't find out,” there was another chorus of laughter, so loud that they didn't hear her next statement, “Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of drooling over knights.”

 

While her ladies began swapping stories of different knights they had met during the week, one of the younger ladies-in-waiting asked, “What is that?” pointing to the spot of red amongst the green grass.

 

“It looks to be a fox,” another said, glancing at the bit of red fur in the distance. “Was it killed by some animal?”

 

“I don't think so,” Kagome said, running up to it. When she knelt on the ground, her long dress pooling around her, she could see for herself that it was no fox. “It's a boy!” she shouted, gathering up the small body in her arms. The boy seemed to have a red tail and hair, but was dressed in the clothes on humans, and looked to be sound asleep. On its head were pointed ears, the trademark of a demon.

 

“It's a demon…” “But how did it get all the way here?” “Is it another attack?” her ladies asked all at once.

 

“Oh please,” Kagome snapped, holding the young demon in her arms as if it was a baby. “It's just a young boy.” Smoothing the hair on its forehead like she would with a child, she noticed the sweat and the heavy breathing the boy had. “He's exhausted…” she whispered, before standing up. “I'm going to take care of him.”

 

Her ladies stared at her. “Are you sure, My Lady?” a blond woman asked. “After all, be a young boy or not, it is a demon.”

 

“That doesn't matter, he needs help!” Kagome asserted, marching back to the castle with the demon boy in her arms.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

It was hours later, near sunset, when the small boy woke up to find itself in a large, extravagant bed. At first, the boy had been frightened, but Kagome smiled and told him he was safe, and had asked him his name. He told her he was a fox demon from the Demon Lands, and his name was Shippou.

 

“I wandered into a bigger demon's territory without realizing it,” he explained. “He started chasing me, and I think he chased me all the way into the Midlands before I got tired. He was going to eat me…” the fox demon trembled before continuing, “So I transformed so I could fly away, but the demon kept following me on the ground, waiting for me to stop. I flew as far as I could before I could go no further, and then I don't remember anything else.”

 

“You must be strong, to fly all this way on your own,” she smiled, but Shippou shook his head.

 

“I'm not strong; I'm not even full grown yet.”

 

“I'm sure you'll be the strongest of all demons one day,” she replied, smiling, before turning away to let the young demon sleep some more. Leaving him to meet with Hannah, along with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi in the corner of the room, they began chastising her at once.

 

“Kagome, you shouldn't keep him, it's dangerous,” Eri told her sharply.

 

“He's just a boy!” she explained, but they would have none of it.

 

“What if his parents come looking for him?” Yuka demanded.

 

Kagome told them firmly, “He said he had no parents.”

 

Ayumi looked uncertain of standing up to her, but she did put in, “Kagome, what of his tribe? This could be seen as kidnapping, and they could come and attack the palace.”

 

“This is ridiculous—”

 

“I'm sorry, My Lady, but they are right,” Hannah told her. “Any way you look at it; this is a dangerous situation, harboring a demon, albeit a young one, in the Human Lands. Especially at a time when peace is so fragile.”

 

Glaring at them, Kagome spoke, “Then perhaps I am too soft, and it will kill me in my sleep one day. And then you may laugh and tell me how dangerous it is. But for now, I will care for him, and make sure that no one who would rather kill him will have that opportunity.”

 

She stormed away from her friends, throwing open the doors to her balcony and standing out in the open air, her long sleeves of the deep blue dress flying in the wind. Kagome sighed, resting her arms upon the stone railing and looking out towards the palace gate far below.

 

Though she knew living in the Human Lands meant scorning the demons, she had met some demons before; demon ambassadors when her father was alive, and knew demons could not be all bad. Yet no one was willing to believe her if she told them otherwise. To humans, demons seemed to be uncivilized, terrible monsters that fed off human blood any chance they got. The irony was, that was exactly how most demons viewed humans as well.

 

The Demon Lands and Human Lands weren't officially at war; her mother and King Sesshoumaru doing plenty to avoid it, but there was always an unspoken war, always attacks against one another whenever an excuse could be found.

 

Is there no way that the two countries could ever have peace? Kagome wondered, staring out at the city.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

It was late, and finally, Inuyasha and Kouga had made it to the city. But the minute they had walked through the streets, Inuyasha's hair and ears were an instant giveaway that they were both demons. People would stare, or hurry out of there way, muttering about them being dangerous demons that would sooner kill them than look at them.

 

Kouga rolled his eyes. “Every village we go through,” he muttered. “What do they think, that we'd waste time killing them now?”

 

“Keh, yeah, despite that we're wearing royal colors most of the time.” He glanced at the royal symbol upon his chest, ignored by any human looking at them.

 

The city was the biggest in the country, so it took much longer than expected for them to finally reach the large palace gate. Guards with spears lined the palace wall, and glanced at them suspiciously, before Inuyasha and Kouga both rolled their eyes. “We're in service of the crown, you moron,” Kouga snapped, before the gate was finally opened.

 

Kouga continued muttering about humans and their aversion of demons, but Inuyasha wasn't listening. He couldn't, because he had just seen a woman who looked a lot like Kikyou standing on a balcony, high overhead.

 

Not knowing what he was doing, Inuyasha kept his eyes on her, wondering why she looked so sad. The dress she wore was so different from the fancy, expensive ones he was used to Kikyou wearing; she wore a gown in the old style, with the long, draping sleeves, all made of lightweight material, without the sweeping skirt and several layers of petticoats. It seemed odd that thought he fashions of the country had moved on, she chose to wear attire that had gone out of fashion several hundred years ago.

 

While he watched her, her long hair, left down to indicate she was unmarried began swaying in the wind, partially hiding her face from him, veiling her in mystery. Inuyasha wondered who she was, and why she looked so sad.

 

Suddenly, the mystery woman noticed his stare. She turned first and glanced at him, probably only intrigued because of his unusual hair, and she turned back towards the horizon. Only a moment later, when she realized he was still looking at her, she glanced back, this time holding his gaze.

 

Though he had wanted nothing to do with women ever since what had happened with him and Kikyou, he couldn't help but think, She's beautiful…

 

The moment was interrupted when he felt Kouga punch his shoulder. Turning away from the woman, Inuyasha growled, “Hey!”

 

“Come on mutt, we've got to put these horses away in the stables,” the wolf replied, dismounting his horse and leading it on.

 

Before following him, Inuyasha glanced back up at the balcony. The woman was gone. Sighing, he followed Kouga's example and walked away.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

Kagome had retreated back behind the door to her room, her heart racing. Thankfully, her friends were gone and Shippou was asleep as she put a hand to her racing heart and wondered, Who was that man?

 

It had been obvious he was a demon because of his silver hair and ears, but for some reason, he seemed more handsome than any other human she knew of.

 

She glanced back outside, and saw he was no longer there, and sighed, feeling her heart return to normal. I wonder who he was…or if I shall ever see him again…