InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The King and I ❯ Wait, what just happened?! ( Chapter 9 )

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

 

 

 

Patiently, I waited for the tea to boil, watching the flames lick the bottom of the large iron pot. Across from me, Rin was listening intently to our guest as she imparted her wisdom concerning one particular plant. I was starting to fear I'd traumatized the poor girl-she seemed to be awfully wary of poison ivy now.

 

“And while this mixture is brewing, cool water will do the patient well. Is this correct Kagome-sama?”

 

I wrinkled my nose at the honorific, but answered appropriately.

 

“That's true, miko-sama.”

 

Rin let out a little sigh of relief, and her stiff posture relaxed now that she had her answers.

 

“Tea's ready. Rin, would you like some as well?”

 

She nodded profusely, gracing me with a toothy grin, and I gestured for her to come closer.

 

“We always serve our guests first, so go ahead and hand that to Miko-sama.”

 

She concentrated on keeping the cup level as she walked back to the bemused old woman, intent on not spilling a drop. Amazingly, she made it with only a minor spill.

 

“Thank ye, child. And you both call me Kaede if you wish.”

 

“You're welcome Kaede-sama,” Rin chirped with a tiny bow. I gave Rin her tea next, then served myself.

 

I had so many questions running through my mind, so much I wanted to ask the mysterious Miko who'd randomly shown up at my door, but held my tongue. Still I was a bit uneasy around her. The buzz of energy around her was almost overwhelming, but the calmness I could feel radiating from her beneath that proved contagious. Even Rin was more quiet and relaxed than usual.

 

“I assume ye seek many answers from me, child. And I assure ye, I will aide ye as well as I am able. But know that I have questions for ye as well.”

 

“Since you're my elder, I insist you ask first then, Kaede-sama.”

 

She smiled, her eyes warm as they caught the glow of the fire, and her face took on a grandmotherly expression.

 

“You have grown so much, Kagome.”

 

“You mean we've met before?” I asked, bewildered by her statement.

 

“Not face to face, no. You were very young at the time. I was only slightly as old as I am now,” she replied, allowing herself a chuckle. “You lived in your father's home then as well. He was very strong willed, and would not allow us to meet.”

 

I gasped softly, realizing that she was the Miko who had come to my family's home shortly after my sister's miracle recovery. I had never actually seen her then, only knowing who she was through my sister's description.

 

“It was you? The one who told him I was a miko?”

 

“I am the very same.”

 

I sat in hushed awe for a few moments, as she sipped her tea. Rin seemed to pick up on the seriousness of our conversation, and remained oddly quiet. She placed her small hand on mine, and I gave her a reassuring smile.

 

“I know your face from only a glimpse of you in the woods the day I arrived. Ye were picking flowers, making a crown for your elder sister. But you have grown in many others ways as well.”

 

“How did you find me? I live so far from my family's home. This village is obscure, and I'm almost sure my father couldn't even name it if you asked him.”

 

“I had no need to ask him. I've not seem him since that day so long ago,” she cleared her throat, and sipped her tea again. My fingers gripped my cup tightly as I tried to remain patient for her to speak.

 

“I can see when ye heal, Kagome. Like lightning flashes bright in the sky, your power is shown to me. So brilliant, that all whom are witness it are unable to ignore it. I was quite a distance away when I first saw it, but I followed as a moth to the flame. And imagine my surprise, Kagome, when I found not a fully trained miko, but a small girl, barely to my knee. Ye were powerful back then; ye are many times more that now.”

 

“I don't understand-how can you see it?”

 

“That is my gift. I am able not only to feel certain forces, as all miko are, but I also see them. There are auras around every living being, Kagome, and the one around you is the brightest I've seen around a human.”

 

Self-consciously, I glanced down at my lap, as if trying to see it myself, but the only illumination I saw was that of the fire. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Rin mimicking my actions.

 

“It is a bright and colorful world I live in. Even on the blackest night, the trees lend their lights to me, so that I may travel safely. I was seen this way for all of my long life. I was trained in the ways of the miko, and honed my skills. So unlike ye, Kagome, I had much guidance. I must ask Kagome,” she leaned forward. “What do ye feel?”

 

“Everything,” I said breathlessly, hoping that with a single word, she would understand the extent of what it implied.

 

She regarded me thoughtfully, then glanced behind her at the door.

 

“I see a being, not far from where we sit. Can ye tell me what it is?”

 

Instead of looking as she did, I closed my eyes and thought. After a second I opened them again.

 

“A rabbit…she's pregnant.”

 

She nodded in acknowledgement, and turned around again. She concentrated for a brief moment, then turned to me again.

 

“It is much farther this time, towards the East. Tell me what ye feel?”

 

I felt out, eyes closed, then replied.

 

“A stag and doe, several birds…two more rabbits-oh…rain's coming.”

 

As if on cue, the soft patter of a late night shower sounded on the roof.

This time I could feel a brief wave of surprise from her, and she shifted, clearing her throat again.

 

“Ye felt that coming?”

 

“Yes. If I concentrate hard enough, I can feel the weather.”

 

She was silent, and I was unable to figure out what feeling she was giving off. She turned again towards the door, and narrowed her eyes in concentration.

 

“I am looking at the farthest of my abilities, Kagome, which I have mastered and honed for the entirety of my life. Pray, tell me what you feel?

 

I swallowed hard, not liking the uneasiness I could now feel coming off her. But I complied and closed my eyes. I felt out again, as far as I could, wondering if I could possibly find what she'd been looking at. Surely, she could see much further than I ever could if she'd trained for so long. A few moments later, I felt two presences, and concentrated on them. I felt a slight blush come over my face as I thought on their emotions. It was certainly no business of mine, but Kaede had asked a question.

 

“I feel two people, a man and woman. They are…uh…very happy together.”

 

As I opened my eyes, flinched a bit, not expecting to see the Miko staring at me with her jaw slack. She looked back again, as if trying to see what I'd described. Slowly, she turned back.

 

“The tiniest pinpricks of light. So small, I failed to notice. No color to show me the state of their auras. And yet you, Kagome-sama…you knew their very actions and emotions.”

 

I was thankful when I felt the calmness wash back over her. I worried my bottom lip as she took another sip of her tea. I was staring to feel a little uncomfortable though. If I'd heard her right, I'd just shown her up. Had I been too flashy with my power?

Suddenly, she chuckled lightly.

 

“Feel no shame Kagome-sama. Ye are simply beyond my highest expectations. I am amazed, and in the life of a miko, that is a rare occurrence indeed.”

 

I perked up again, realizing she was actually complimenting me.

 

“Kagome-chan is strong then?” Rin piped in.

 

“Yes, child, she is very strong. Ye are proof of that as well, are you not?”

 

Rin nodded happily, giving me another adorable smile.

“Kagome-chan made Rin all better. That's why Rin loves her.”

 

“She brought ye back from the brink of death, child. You are right to feel such affection for her. She healed ye with the love she felt for you.”

 

As they spoke, I smiled, feeling as bright as a hundred suns. For the first time in my life, I did not feel strange.

This was the validation my father had denied me the day he'd turned Kaede away all those years ago. This was all I'd ever wanted-no, needed.

Just to know that what I felt-that it was amazing.

 

As I glowed, and Rin happily told Kaede about the kimonos I was going to make for her, I caught a brief wave of weariness coming from the old miko. And something about it felt…wrong. As I began to concentrate on it, her body tensed and her eyes snapped to mine. The feeling quickly vanished, and Kaede spoke low and purposefully.

 

“When we search too hard for something, Kagome, we may not always like what we find.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kaede-sama,” I bowed, cursing my inappropriate curiosity. “I'm just not used to being…recognized.”

 

She relaxed, and smiled again.

 

“No apologies are needed. Now…ye must have many questions, ne?”

 

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It wasn't something I ever thought I'd find myself admitting, but Lord Fujitama's daughters were beautiful. They moved gracefully, even in their heavy kimonos, and their intricately braided hair glimmered in the dim light. Of course they were nothing compared to Kagome or my mother, in my eyes, but to my right, I had to constantly elbow my so-called “spiritual advisor” to stop staring at them. I toyed with the idea of telling Sango all about it when I returned.

Briefly, I locked eyes with the middle daughter, and she blushed and turned away bashfully. I turned towards the open window and sighed. She'd done that four times already tonight…

 

Fujitama droned on and on about his cloth business, and I pretended to listen, nodding at appropriate intervals. When he wasn't flirting with the daughters, Miroku would hold up my end of the conversation.

 

I glanced again at the daughters, who whispered and giggled amongst themselves and threw sultry glances my way. If only they knew…

 

It was hard enough as it was, continuing with a mission I had no heart in. But as Fujitama chattered, I'd had a lot of time to think about what I was really doing.

I was fooling everyone in this damn county. I was here to pick a woman who annoyed me as little as possible, and then convince her to marry me. After that, I'd drag her from her homeland and back to mine. And once we reached it, she'd get two of the biggest surprises of her life.

Number one: she was going to be a queen.

Number two: she was marrying a half-breed.

How would they react to that, to find out the man they took as their husband was only half that? Could they cope with it? Could they accept it?

 

Could they love me?

 

“…but I fear the hour has indeed grown late, and my Lord and I should retire. We do not wish to overstay our welcome.”

 

“You are always welcome in this home. Your honored presence here was a blessing on my home in itself.”

 

As we stood, all four of the lord's daughters bowed to us and exited the room. Each one gave me some type of flirtatious look as they shuffled past me, and I was overwhelmed.

I'd been looked at that way before when I was known as King. Now I was simply a no name lord, and four lovely women were looking at me as thought I were some kind of prize possession.

 

Miroku and I left the house a few minutes later, and made our way back to the inn. For some time, we walked in silence, until finally Miroku piped up.

 

“I think the eldest would have been best. She's been very well educated, and obviously more mature-,”

 

“I don't want to talk about this right now,” I muttered, not even bothering to look up at him. He stopped in his tracks, but I continued walking.

 

“Stop, Inuyasha.”

 

“Leave me alone, Monk.”

 

“What would your father say?”

 

That caught my attention, and I stopped a few feet ahead of him.

 

“And your mother, Inuyasha-what would she say if she saw you right now? This whole night, you've done nothing to help our cause, to fulfill your duty-,”

 

I whipped around and marched back to him, looking him dead in the eye.

 

“Fuck my duty! What about what I want?! Huh?! What would my parents say about that? I never had a say in any of this, no one ever asked me if I wanted to even be the fucking king? By all rights, I shouldn't even have that title! And if that weren't bad enough, now I have to marry some random twit, who by the way, probably won't even want to look at me when she finds out what I am, and share the rest of my fucking life with her?! You tell me how the fuck I'm supposed to be happy about that!!”

 

I glared at him angrily, silently daring him to tell me I was wrong, but he just looked back at me, calm and evenly. Finally, he sighed, and stepped around me, continuing on his way back to the inn. Slumping my shoulders in defeat, I followed after him.

 

“There is nothing I can say to console you, and I realize that. You know what you have to do. I'm here to help you do it,” he looked at me as I walked next to him. “You know, I don't like this either. You're my lord, but you're also my friend. I wish I weren't in this position, to force you to do something you hate so much. But…like you, I have my duty as well. And I intend to complete my task. So I will continue to organize this for you, to seek out the best possible queen, and wife for you. But you will have to make the final decision. Both of…we do what we have to do.”

 

We walked in a thoughtful silence from then on, and I felt a bit guilty for taking out my anger on him. He was really only doing his job. I couldn't be angry at him for that.

But I still was.

I was angry at my parents, for giving me the burden of the kingdom, for then giving me the burden of an obligatory marriage.

I was angry at Sesshomaru, for being a coward despite his imposing stature and political intelligence.

I was angry at Tsukoya for making him a coward in the first place.

 

I was angry at Kagome, for walking into that inn and into my life, making the whole situation so much harder.

 

I was angry at myself for being angry at her.

 

She didn't know. She didn't mean to be the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen besides my mother; nor did she mean to be the most intelligent woman I'd met besides Sango. She didn't mean to be the only person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

She didn't mean to make me fall in love with her…

 

“You're thinking about her again, aren't you?”

 

“Huh?” I snapped to attention as Miroku broke the silence.

 

“You're thinking about Kagome-sama again.”

 

I grunted, not bothering to answer him. There was no point in trying to deny it anyway.

 

“I remember when I first met my dear Sango. There she was, standing like some goddess in front of her father's home as I passed through her village. She was smiling, laughing with Kohaku, shining like the sun itself.”

 

I let a slip a small smile as I thought about the morning I left Kagome. She was asleep, holding the little injured girl in her arms, her hair splayed out all around her. I thought about the first time I'd laid eyes on her, walking towards me in the inn, and the way it had felt like she was the only other person in the room. The more male part of me also thought about how she'd looked half-dressed in the water, like some kind of fairytale nymph.

 

“And then, that's when I first saw her bend over, and that was it for me. She had the loveliest rear I'd ever laid eyes on, and have yet to see one to compare.”

 

His lechery broke me from my also not so innocent reverie and I glared at him flatly.

 

“You're disgusting.”

 

“I know,” he replied smiling. I couldn't help but chuckly, grateful that he'd actually manage to diffuse my anger. Another comfortably silent moment passed before he asked.

 

“If she were noble, Inuyasha. Would you-,”

 

“In a fucking heartbeat,” I said softly, not bothering to lie, “but she wouldn't want me even if I did ask.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“She made it very clear she didn't want a husband, Monk. She's already married to healing, and I…she would never leave that behind.”

 

He pondered that thoughtfully for a moment as we reached the inn.

 

“Would you ever leave for her?”

 

“Leave?”

 

“The kingship? Your life back home?”

 

The seriousness of his question caught me off guard, and I took the time to think about it as we made our way to our room.

Could I do that? Could I walk away from the only home I'd ever known, from the place were my word was law? Could I give up everything just for one woman, who in all honesty, could easily kill me with a single blow?

 

We settled in, and the fire began to dwindle, casting darkness over the room. Finally, knowing my companion was already asleep, I smiled to myself and whispered.

 

“Yes.”

 

 

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Darkness and light swirled in her vision, hints of dark green flashing here and there. Slowly but surely, the images before her eyes began to stabilize, and Kagura realized she was on her back, looking up at the night sky.

 

She blinked a few times, clearing her still blurry vision, and tried to lift her head. With a small gasp of pain, she let her head fall back on the forest floor, and grimaced.

 

What in the name of the Kami had happened to her? Why did her body ache so?

 

And, as if on cue, the floodgates of her memory were pried open, and it all came back to her.

 

The shady figure she'd dealt with to hide her from her pursuers, the way he'd double crossed her, and stripped her of all her money. The way he'd sneered at her when she asked, voice trembling, what he planned to do with the child.

 

The way he'd replied, in a half growl, half chuckle

“She's already dead.”

 

A ragged sob retched its way out of her chest, and she lifted a weak hand to her mouth.

 

“Rin…,”

 

 

 

 

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