InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Protector of Her Heart ❯ Many Meetings ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6: Many Meetings

 

Kagome and her knight had known each other for a week, and still could not stand each other. She had tried the morning after they met to resolve their conflicts peacefully, but it came to no avail. They broke out in a harsh argument yet again, and this time within company. Within a few days, the word was all over the castle; the princess and her chosen knight protector, a hanyou, weren't getting along.

 

Some just shook their heads and said it was to be expected; after all, her knight was a demon. Though many did not approve of this situation, no one dared to say anything in the princess's presence. After all, it had gotten around that it was her influence that the knight got his post in the first place, with her in full knowledge of what he was.

 

By one week, Kagome was seriously starting to regret having asked for him to become her knight at all. She thought playing nice might get him to calm down, but that seemed to make it worse. He insulted her about her looks, her position, and what he called, her “naivety”. She could only take so much when her patience wore out and she lashed back, causing a heated fight like dozens before it.

 

And as usual with the morning routine, they had gotten into a argument…again.

 

“I don't understand you!” Kagome glared at her high and mighty knight protector, who frowned back.

 

“Don't understand what?” Inuyasha demanded.

 

Jabbing her finger at his chest, Kagome yelled, “I don't understand why you had to volunteer for this if you don't like me!”

 

“I told you, woman, I didn't volunteer for this damn job!” the hanyou roared back.

 

She cut in, “You insufferable—”

 

“The stupid wolf dragged me to that tournament!” he finished. That and the Shikon no Tama, but if I have to deal with this wench, I should probably give up! Why does this spoiled princess have to be so damn temperamental!

 

“You could have backed out before I stood up for you!” she turned away into a huff, walking away towards a secluded, darker hall. Unfortunately, he followed her, and as always, had a retort ready.

 

“Keh! I should have, woman! Then some other unlucky bastard would have to deal with a woman who's disagreeable, spoiled, stuck up, and not at all the figure of a woman that I would have imagined!” Unfortunately, he didn't notice the sudden chill that the room took on soon enough. “No wonder you can't find some dumb man to marry you, if you act like this!”

 

Kagome snapped back around, her pink satin gown whirling around, while her eyes glared daggers at him. And he noticed a second too late, angry tears were leaking out of her eyes as well. When he saw the tears gleaming, for some reason, a small, very small, feeling of guilt came upon him. “You are,” she began, her voice low and her whole body shaking in anger. While she spoke, she didn't notice that she was backing up against an old tapestry. “The lowest, foulest, arrogant, crudest, most hateful man it has ever been my misfortune to—”

 

She never finished her statement. As an unseen hand shot out from behind the tapestry and met its destination—upon her bottom. Kagome screamed and jumped away in surprise, while Inuyasha (who didn't quite know why it angered him so much) smacked the lump behind the tapestry, which out from behind and appeared…to be a man.

 

A man who was dressed in black monk's clothes and had a large bump on his head, but with a smile on his face all the same. “Forgive me,” he said in a humble voice, yet the man still held a lecherous grin on his face. “But your form was so beautiful, that I couldn't help but test to see if it was a dream.”

 

The princess could only stare, before turning away with her hands over her eyes in shame. How dare that man touch her in such a way! No man was to touch a woman except on the fingers, and yet he touched her in a place that only a husband should have claim over. Now what would she do if this got out? How would she ever find a husband then? If anyone knows of this, I can never marry!

 

While Kagome was still recovering from being inappropriately touched, Inuyasha yelled at the man, pounding him over the head again. “You lecher! You just…just…” He blushed a moment before yelling, “You did that to the princess! You could be executed for what you just did!”

 

The monk smirked as he looked upon his wandering hand. “I would go to the next world with a feeling of Heaven.”

 

That earned him another hard punch from Inuyasha as he turned back to the now fuming princess. “So, can we kill him or not?”

 

“Why are you so eager to kill him?” she demanded, her hands clenched into fists, though she was still trying to control her temper by looking away.

 

The hanyou's amber eyes were cold as he spoke in a dead serious voice, “Men who do things like this to women shouldn't be allowed to live,” he finished, remembering Lord Onigumo.

 

With his words, she glanced back at him, giving him a curious look at the ferocity in his eyes, before sighing and turning back to the culprit. “Inuyasha, it's all right. It's not like he has done anything to terrible or…” she paused for a moment, “irreversible. As long as this is never spoken of, and he never does it again, I won't tell a soul.”

 

Now the monk seemed to get the drift, he sat up, into the light where Kagome could see him clearer. He appeared to be a young man, with dark hair tied in a small ponytail on the back of his head, and curios violet eyes. He raised his hands in surrender. “How could you think that I would do something that horrendous to women?”

 

“Oh yes, the picture of innocence,” Inuyasha rolled his eyes, when he noticed that the man's eyes were heading straight for the line of modest cleavage revealed by Kagome's tight gown. When she noticed as well, her face flushed red and she stood up straighter.

 

“Now, now, I am a simple holy monk; I am just cursed with this wandering hand…” he glanced at his right for a moment, before grinning once more, “That is all I ever allow it to do...on unwilling women.”

 

Now the hanyou snorted. “Right, holy monk. How is it that they let you in their order?”

 

Sighing, the monk got to his feet, his black robes coming to just above his ankle, and spoke. “All right, since you find it so amusing…I am not really a monk; at least, I didn't start out as one.”

 

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked, curious.

 

“My name is Miroku,” he began, “I am a lord, or at least, I was, before my lands on the border were burned in a Demon Attack. The village, my fields, the mansion, everything was destroyed, even the people. I barely escaped with my life. To get by, I had to sell everything on me, and when I had nothing left, I went to a monastery for a while, but that life…it just didn't seem to suit me very well…”

 

“I bet,” Inuyasha cut in, but Kagome silenced him with a single look.

 

“Now I travel the land, in the guise of a holy man to live, it is a humble life, but one that I find is not without its comforts. After all,” Miroku flashed a grin back at Kagome, “I've met many pretty women on these travels.”

 

Ignoring his last comment, the princess asked, “Lord Miroku…if you were a lord in service to the crown, then surely you would have been given some stability after the attack?”

 

Both Inuyasha and Miroku stared at her as if she was mad. “There was none,” he replied.

 

That caught her by surprise. Furrowing her brow, she continued, “But there is a compensation program for victims of demon attacks! And even for a lord, that provided the country with goods, then wouldn't they—”

 

“I was never given any aid, nor did they reply when I reported the attack and requested a fair price of compensation,” Miroku finished, his indigo eyes firm.

 

It didn't make any sense to Kagome. She knew that her mother had written up a decree for compensation years ago, and she herself had to sign it into law. How could it be that it was not being followed, when to not follow the supreme order of the crown meant imprisonment, or even death? “And what of the other villages that raise crops for the crown near the border, did the crown give them aid? Or other villages that need it?”

 

“As far as I know, there is no aid,” the monk told her. “The financial advisor only gives money when it directly benefits him, never in any other circumstance.”

 

Kagome knew Lord Renkotsu liked his job as financial officer a bit too much, but this? She had even asked him a few weeks ago when she heard of an attacked village if aid would be sent, and he assured her that it would. Was he really deceiving her? Did this mean that the council was completely ignoring the cries of help from the peasants, the blood of their country, and even the lords who had sworn complete allegiance to the crown? Was this all or was the corruption deeper? Was her country really as bad as demon ambassadors whispered at night?

 

She turned back to the monk Miroku. “You are excused, Lord Miroku,” she said firmly, before marching back to her room.

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed her, knowing that she was probably shocked at such a little thing like that. How naive are you, princess? Shouldn't you know that your kind won't care for the peasants? That nobles like you only care for themselves?

 

He backtracked on his first statement. But then…why do you care? he wondered.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

That night, there was a great feast to be held. It was a banquet to commemorate a great victory hundreds of years ago, when the humans pushed all the demons out of the border and back into the Midlands for good, or, so they thought. Inuyasha had heard an account of this battle from his father, years and years ago, who had been present for the battle. He said that it was more of a stalemate, and the demons left in the end because they wanted a place to live without being persecuted by the humans, but the human's pride made them think now that their ancestors were the victorious heroes of the continent.

 

After all, when demons were by nature stronger than a few humans alone, what else did they have left but their unwavering pride?

 

But as Inuyasha sulkily watched the humans dance after the feast, each talking and laughing with each other, he had to admit they had some redeeming qualities. They weren't as uptight as demons, and would laugh and have fun without care, and would let their true feelings show even if they tried to hide them closely. Humans were born to have compassion, love, whereas demons had to learn these emotions against a history of having to harden their heart against all soft feelings.

 

Inuyasha remembered Kikyou as his eyes glanced at Kagome, sitting and watching the dancing with a smile on her face. That time, he had thought that as a hanyou, he had loved her. Maybe he had, but he always thought…that love would feel stronger than what he felt for her. But maybe it was his demon characteristics showing through. Maybe it wasn't love, maybe he didn't know what love was…but if he didn't, than what was this small ache he felt when he thought about that day she told him they could never be?

 

It's anger, he told himself. I'm angry at her for it…she practically called me worthless! But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because once I get the Shikon no Tama and turn into a full demon, I'll be free of these weak feelings that weigh me down.

 

Thinking about what he would have to do to get the Shikon no Tama, his eyes glanced back at the princess, who was now pulled to dance by some smiling man. Of course she accepted, though Inuyasha did glare at the man who danced with her, if only in a warning not to try anything. After meeting that lecher Miroku, he couldn't be too careful, could he?

 

But for some reason, her loyal knight just couldn't stop watching her as she danced and laughed. She wore one of her traditional outfits again, a white long gown with the draping sleeves once again, with only a bit of gold lace to accent it, unlike the heavily petticoated, tight, very embellished gowns from the fashions brought by ships from lands far away. Inuyasha learned that women kept such gowns for festivals such as the festival of Midwinter and the festival of Midsummer, where traditions were part of the festivities. But Kagome seemed to like them better than the ones in style, and wore them all the same. She only got away with it without being called “old fashioned” because the royal family, of all people, had to keep up tradition.

 

When she wore them, she stood out in any crowd, and even Inuyasha had to admit that modesty worked for her. While she wore expensive pears upon her neck and hair, modesty in her fashion made her look more beautiful than the most stylish of ladies in waiting.

 

Wait a minute, when did I ever think she was beautiful? Inuyasha reproached himself. She's just a mere imitation of Kikyou! But though she did look like Kikyou, anyone could tell that the two women were different. Kikyou kept in style to the letter, while Kagome could care less. Kikyou put forth a great show of her position, and without the clothes, Kagome could be mistaken for a common village girl. That and her foul temper, he added.

 

So if she was so different than Kikyou, what made her so damn fascinating? He could barely stand the sight of her when they broke out in fights, yet for some reason this woman intrigued him beyond the point of mere curiosity.

 

It's because she's different, he came to his conclusion.

 

Scanning the room, he was glad that the pervert monk was no where in sight. Traveling monks did not eat with the rest of the nobility, so at least Kagome would be safe, though he couldn't say for the kitchen maids.

 

However, knights were allowed, so Inuyasha came upon a face he really didn't want to see. “What are you doing here, wolf?” he asked, folding his arms in annoyance as he saw his rival. “Aren't you supposed to be back at your post?”

 

“You know if we went back to the west, they'd just flog us for leaving without permission. So, I got a post here, to avoid that for now.”

 

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow. “They just gave you a post?”

 

Kouga shrugged. “Seems we injured quite a few knights in that tournament, mutt. They were desperate for someone to do a few watches and rounds. Besides, why should I leave? You've gotten the job any knight in the country would give his life for, and its no fun to go back if I can't keep an eye on you.”

 

“Spare yourself the trouble,” the hanyou glared. “Besides, if those knights knew following this wench around was a nightmare, I'm sure they'd change their minds.”

 

The wolf smacked him, and whispered, “It's treason to say that, you idiot! Especially in this company! And I'd get in trouble for talking to you when you said that!”

 

“Keh, like anyone really cares. It'd just be an excuse to get rid of me, wouldn't it?” Inuyasha rolled his eyes, just as he saw Kagome, now done dancing, walk up to him.

 

He stared. What was she doing coming over here? Why didn't she just keep on dancing? And so, he asked her, “What are you coming back here for?” the hanyou demanded.

 

Kagome stopped in front of him and narrowed her eyes. “I was going to tell you to join the fun, but since you can't seem to enjoy anything in life, why don't I spare you that?”

 

“Whatever,” he muttered, glancing back at the wolf beside him, who never looked more delighted in his life. And it seemed that the princess had noticed him as well.

 

“Who is this?” she asked, all anger fading and her voice being replaced with a sweet tone.

 

Kouga, like a perfect gentlemen, bent down and kissed her hand, “I am Sir Kouga, Your Highness,” his voice was enough to make Inuyasha almost sick.

 

The princess smiled, “You may rise, Sir Kouga. Now, how do you know Inuyasha?”

 

“The wimpy wolf and I were stationed at the western castle,” Inuyasha muttered, glowering at his rival looking like Midwinter had come early. “He came here for that stupid tournament, but now that he lost, he can't think of anything better to do stay here and mope.”

 

There were daggers in Kouga's glare, but he didn't dare smack Inuyasha in front of the princess. “It's true, but it is a shame that I didn't take the glory in the end.”

 

Kagome gave a warning look to her knight protector, who had now turned away, but kept a fierce scowl on his face. “Yes, such a shame,” she spat icily.

 

“I can't imagine of any knight who wouldn't want to serve such a beautiful princess,” Kouga said smoothly.

 

Giggling slightly, she told him, “You flatter me, Sir Kouga.”

 

“No, I hardly speak the truth. You are much more than that, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and—”

 

Kouga was silenced when Inuyasha, for a reason unknown to himself even, stepped between the two with an angry glare. “Don't you think you've done enough groveling, wolf?”

 

Kouga raised an eyebrow, “What's it to you, muttface? Why do you care if I want to talk to Her Highness?”

 

An excellent question, why did he care that Kouga had talked to her? He couldn't stand the infuriating woman anyway. What was it to him if the wolf wanted to make a fool of himself? But when he heard that wolf go on and on about how he thought the princess was so beautiful…

 

Then again, he was appointed her protector…must be demonic pack instinct. Yes, that was it. Because he had to “protect” her, and because he already didn't like the wolf to begin with, he wouldn't want it happening. He couldn't stand her, so what other explanation could there be?

 

He felt a stony stare from behind him. “Sir Inuyasha, what is it to you if I want to talk to him?”

 

He paused, stunned for a moment, before whipping around and glaring, “I don't care! That dumb wolf can talk to you all night if he wants, but who could stand to talk with you with your damn temper anyway?”

 

Inuyasha saw Kagome's eyes flare and her fists shake beneath her long sleeves for a moment, before she seemed to physically calm before his eyes. They had been fighting on and off for a week, and he knew she would never give up an opportunity to get back at him for this. So what was going on?

 

“Kagome, come and dance!” Countess Yuka called out from the dance floor, with her handsome husband on her arm.

 

When Kagome heard her, a sly smile appeared on her face, and she looked back at her pleasant, chivalrous, and ever-so-kind knight protector. “Come and dance with me, Sir Inuyasha.”

 

He froze. That's what she was planning! But how did she know he hated to dance? And the only time he ever did it was with Kikyou…he definitely didn't want to do it now with a woman who was practically her twin! “No…I don't dance.” he said at once.

 

“Then it's about time you learned,” she spoke smoothly. “After all, even a knight should be competent in dancing.”

 

“I don't want to dance!” he growled, but by now, others had caught on to Kagome's charade to get back at him.

 

Grinning wickedly, Kouga urged him, “Yes, Inuyasha, go dance. You don't know how much fun it is.”

 

Caught between the urge to hit Kouga in public or argue with Kagome again, Inuyasha rounded on Kagome. “Listen, you can't make me—”

 

“Inuyasha?” she smiled sweetly, before her voice became a low, threatening tone. “I order you to dance.”

 

Another growl escaped him as he clenched his fist. She noticed and now held an impish grin filled with relish. That damn girl! As Kagome half dragged him on to the dance floor, clearly hoping to punish him by making him look like a fool, not being able to dance. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Well, he'll show her!

 

Several people gave them strange looks; the princess asking her knight, a demon to dance. Even if it was a simple dance, why ask a demon who had nothing, over any other handsome man in the room?

 

The music started up, and it was a sweet tune, with a flute playing the main melody. Though Kagome had thought that perhaps Inuyasha, the gruff, anti-social Inuyasha, would not know how to dance and so humiliate him, when he grasped her hand (though it was a little tighter than comfortable) she knew that her plan wasn't going to work.

 

But little did they know that it would backfire as well.

 

The tune was known well, it had started out as a simple country dance of courting, as the two dancers started off in small steps toward each other, before flattening their hands and staring into each other's eyes. When Inuyasha met Kagome's eyes, all anger evaporated, as he remembered having danced like this with Kikyou, only months ago. Slowly, they turned in a circle, until their hands clasped and he twirled her around, his fingers burning where they touched.

 

Kagome had thought her heart was pounding because she held pent up anger for this man all throughout the week. But it was not so. Their first dance was filled with mystery, wonder, and their harsh exchange minutes ago only made it worse. Kagome wondered what went through his head, as he stared at her softly as his arm gently slid around her waist, pulling her closer against him, herself only inches from his body. While looking into his eyes, and feeling his strong arm holding her gently, she couldn't help but blush and look away.

 

The flute melody became softer, sweeter, and once again they separated to join hands and repeat the first steps of the dance, never taking their eyes off the other. Kagome never really noticed before how his red shirt accented his golden eyes…and how his hair long, unlike the styles of humans really suited him…it wouldn't look good otherwise.

 

Okay, I'll admit it. He is handsome, for all his rudeness.

 

Finally, the flute finished off on one trilling note, and it ended, with both princess and her knight still joined by the hands, still staring at each other with fascination in their eyes. After only a moment, Kagome turned away sharply and admitted, “You dance remarkably well, Sir Inuyasha.” She hoped she wasn't blushing.

 

“And it was a pleasure to dance with you, Your Highness,” he spoke, kissing her hand honorably, but inside, he was screaming. During the whole dance, he kept remembering how he and Kikyou had once shared a moment like this. He had expected it to be a painful reminder of Kikyou's sudden parting with him, not for it to be so…tolerable. Nice, even.

 

Hearing the musicians begin to play once more, Kagome glanced back at them. “Then…would you like to dance again?”

 

“No!” he yelled at once, alerting the attention of several nobles, who started whispering amongst themselves. The hanyou cursed to himself, and then whirled around and promptly left the room.

 

Kagome heard those muttering from behind her, “Did you see that?” “The knight just walked out on the princess? Is he so disrespectful?” “Is she so repulsing to men that she can't even keep a knight around?”

 

That last comment did it as Kagome glared and marched out after him, also earning herself some funny looks, before catching her so-called protector in the hallway outside of the great hall. “You know its treason to turn your back on the princess,” she chastised, frankly only wondering what had made him burst out like that, if he seemed to have enjoyed the dance so much.

 

Keeping his back to her in a defiant pose, Inuyasha asked, “Keh, what do you care? A charge of treason would be enough cause to humiliate me, wouldn't it?”

 

“Oh, lay off it!” the princess growled. “I was only trying to see if you would get off your damned arrogance and stop insulting me all the time!”

 

Now Inuyasha whirled around and spat, “It's all my fault now? I wouldn't insult you if you didn't start it, you infuriating woman!”

 

“You insufferable knight!”

 

For a moment they glared at each other, only inches away from each other's face, before turning away with a scowl. “I don't know why I allow you to disrespect me in front of others like that. Especially since your on thin ice as it already is.”

 

“It's because I promised to protect you, remember?” Inuyasha answered dryly, but once again, he gasped when he felt the Tessaiga at his side pulse, now more prominent and powerful than before. There it is again! What's going on?

 

Noticing the change in Inuyasha's behavior, Kagome asked, “What is it?”

 

“Nothing just…nevermind,” he sighed, giving up the fight as he marched out leaving her very puzzled behind. He headed outside, not wanting to be seen by anyone, and that not being likely, since everyone was already at the feast. His sword was still pulsing once he had reached a cluster of trees that would hide his movements.

 

Okay, we'll see what's up with this— he thought, drawing the rusty, dull edged sword.

 

Only when he drew it, there was a flash of white light that caused him to stumble back as right before his eyes, the dull edged sword grew much larger and thicker, it's blade sharpening and gaining a white sheen, while the hilt changed to look like it was covered in fur. Inuyasha's mouth was wide open as he saw the transformation appear, and it didn't shut once it was over. What…the…Hell? Tessaiga?

 

He didn't understand it. He had carried that sword for years, and had never used it; he only kept it because it was a family heirloom, his father's sword. He had heard that the sword would release great power when it choose its master, but he had never expected that useless sword to choose another master—namely, an unworthy hanyou.

 

Testing the edge of the fine blade, Inuyasha cut his finger, finding it was razor sharp. And a new question was asked. But…how? Why did the sword choose me? And now, of all times?

 

Remembering the pulsing he had felt over the past week, he remembered something—it had all happened after he had said something about “protecting” Kagome. Could that be it? The sword chose him because he had promised to protect someone? A human?

 

Damnit! He was trying so hard to hate that spoiled wench, and now it turned out that she was the one that released the true power of his sword?

 

He sheathed Tessaiga once more, the blade reverting back to its useless form as it went back into the sheath, and stared at it a moment, thinking about the new power he had within his grasp. But knowing he couldn't think on it forever before someone caught him here, he trudged back to the castle.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

Kagura, who had seen the whole thing, floated away upon her enchanted feather. Her face was set into determined pondering. So…it appears that Inuyasha has a new power…The great sword of the Inu no Taishou lives again…The sword that had the power to slay a hundred demons in one stroke…

 

Her master knew the sword was in Inuyasha's hands, but he had doubted that the mere hanyou would ever get the sword to awaken and choose him as the master. He had said once that Inuyasha was defenseless against them without Tessaiga, but with it…they were evenly matched, if not in great danger.

 

If he is so afraid of that sword…Kagura wondered as she flew back towards the Demon Lands, Then if Inuyasha were to master it, then perhaps…I could be free again!