InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Gracious Lady ( Chapter 79 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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"Stop!"

The room fell suddenly silent as Kagome's voice broke over the noisy rush of words from her four friends commandingly, and they all stared at her, surprised.

"First of all, please, everyone, take a seat." She gestured at the sofa, and the four plopped down like ungainly children, awed.

With a sigh, she smiled, and sat down herself. "Now - one at a time - calmly."

It was quiet for a moment more as the four friends looked back and forth between each other, and then Eri took a deep breath and said, "I think that you have a lot of explaining to do, Kagome. Just who is that... man, in there? Or maybe I should ask, what is he?"

At that, Kagome chuckled. "It seems that the world is a lot more complicated than school ever taught us, my friends - and yet, conversely, and all at once, it's a lot simpler, too," she finished, with a wry smile.

When her friends just continued to pin her with gimlet glares, she shook her head.

"Think, guys... think back to all the old myths - I know you heard what Sesshoumaru asked. All those old stories that talked about youkai... they weren't wrong. Youkai exist."

Again, a stunned silence was filled the room, and then Eri spoke again. "So, you're telling us that that guy is a... youkai?"

"Not just a youkai... Sesshoumaru is a youkai Lord - a daiyoukai."

Houjo was frowning, irritated. "I've heard some of the old stories - the ones that talk about Sesshoumaru-sama - is this guy named after those old legends or something?"

Kagome looked at him, gently amused. "No, Houjo - he is the Sesshoumaru-sama from those old stories - he's the Lord of the West. Daiyoukai like him are pretty much immortal."

Yuka spoke up then. "But Kagome... how did you meet him? Are you youkai, too, and we just didn't know it?"

With a startled laugh, Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no, Yuka, I'm just a plain, ordinary human girl, don't worry about that."

A new voice spoke up then, before anyone else could, and all eyes swung to Sesshoumaru as he walked into the room. "You tell tall tales, my miko - there is nothing ordinary about you, though you are human."

Houjo's eyes narrowed, obviously angry at the familiarity that the male addressed her with. "Kagome, you're too young to be getting married!"

"I'm almost nineteen, Houjo, so I'm not too young--" she was cut off by the seriously irate young man.

"How can you go along with this insanity? Youkai - immortality?" he asked, incredulously.

Sesshoumaru eyed the young human male, beginning to be a bit perturbed. "Tell me, human - what is so hard to believe? That what you have been taught could have been wrong?" His voice sharpened dangerously. "Or that Kagome could be out of your reach?"

The room froze at the sudden sense of danger that had entered along with the ice in his voice, and Kagome reached out to him, placing a hand on his arm, smiling up at him.

Softly, so low that her friends could barely make out her words, she said, "You know you're the only one for me, don't you, Sesshoumaru?"

He tilted his head to look at her. "Yes. But it seems as if this human does not understand that same truth." And he smiled, just a tiny smile, but it was the smile of a predator. "Your interference is not acceptable, boy. The miko and I will be wed in ten days. That is final."

Ayume cleared her throat, then, and with a tentative smile, asked, "So... what type of youkai are you, if it isn't impolite to ask, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Almost as an afterthought, she finished with, "And why do you call Kagome 'miko'?"

He turned an approving glance on the young woman at her polite tone. "This one is Inu youkai. And I address her so because she is a miko."

The groups gazes turned to her, and Kagome blushed slightly. "Eh-he... well..."

"My betrothed is certainly no ordinary woman. She is a most powerful miko." He cast a golden glance at her. "She is merely too modest to expect the respect that she should be treated with - Inuyasha has much to answer for there."

Yuka, Eri, and Ayume glanced at each other. Inuyasha was a name they knew. Again, Ayume spoke. "You know Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at her again, and nodded shortly. "He is my half-brother."

At that, the groups eyes all went wide, and Kagome said, "Inuyasha is a hanyou."

Houjo shook his head, still trying desperately to hold onto his disbelief. "If you're really youkai, then show us your so-called true form," he said challengingly.

Kagome's eyes widened at that. "That's not really a good idea, Houjo," she said, desperately trying to hold onto her calm demeanor. "His true form is larger than two buses - where would he fit?"

"You've seen his true form then," her mother piped up from the doorway, and Kagome nodded.

"Oh, yes," she said, smiling a bit at the memory, and she knew he was thinking the same when he met her gaze with a quirked brow. After a moment, she looked back at her friends, amused at the silence.

"You know, it's really funny - I never thought I'd see the day when you guys would all be stunned speechless."

Yuka chuckled at that. "Well, it's not everyday that you have the foundations of your world shaken up in this manner, now is it?"

"Speak for yourself. This is a normal day for me. I honestly don't think much could surprise me anymore," she mused, and Sesshoumaru tilted his head, eyeing her rueful expression.

"We will see, miko, we will see," he murmured, knowing that no one else could hear his words, and was highly amused, though he didn't show it, at the answering blush that swept her cheeks.

She clasped her hands together, and smiled at her friends. "So... anything else?"

The three girls shrugged. "Sure - lots. But we can tell that you have other things to do, so we'll go ahead and go. We'd love to spend a day with you - maybe after your wedding and honeymoon, you'll have time."

Kagome's blush deepened at the honeymoon part, but she nodded. "Sure... that would be fun. I'll contact you when I can."

They stood up, and bowed. "Sesshoumaru-sama," three voices mumbled, and he tilted his head in acknowledgement. With that, the three girls rather awkwardly escorted themselves out.

Once they were gone, Kagome looked at Houjo.

He stared back at her almost as if he'd never seen her before, then looked at her mother, and finally at the daiyoukai, before looking at her again.

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind about this, is there?"

She shook her head gently. "No, Houjo. I'm getting married in ten days - and I have absolutely no desire to change that. I am happy where I am."

He stood, then, and bowed to her, a slightly bitter smile on his face. "Of course... how could plain old Houjo ever compete with Sesshoumaru-sama? I should have known better..." he trailed off, then turned his back and left.

She knew she would never see him again - and she couldn't say she was sad about that.

Her eyes closed, and she slumped a bit, but a smile touched her lips when she felt Sesshoumaru place a hand on her shoulder. "You did well, Kagome - you were every inch the gracious lady. I am proud of you."

Kagome's mother moved around and sat down near her, patting her comfortingly on the hand. "Yes, dear - you did very well. Remind me to get you some snapdragons from the hothouse..." she trailed off for a moment, her eyes going thoughtful, and then she pinned Sesshoumaru with a firm gaze.

"Ten days, is it?"

And Kagome laughed, wearily shaking her head when her mother and betrothed both looked at her with quirked brows.

"Never mind," she said. "Don't mind me at all, you two talk about everything... I'm going upstairs to take a bath."

With that, she stood and walked up the stairs.

Gracious Lady... that's a big laugh - all I was trying to do was not freak out in front of everyone...

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A/N: Wow... I think I'd go take a bath, too. Poor Kagome, and here I am laughing at her.

On another little side note, I'd like to thank all the reviewers that have put this story at over a thousand reviews in the two months since I published it here on fanfiction dot net. I am very appreciative of all of your kind words and encouragement - and for those that have left ideas for the story, I extend a gracious thanks - even if I don't use the suggestions, they are noted and appreciated.


Amber