InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The King's Mistress ❯ Masquerade ( Chapter 17 )

Title: The King's Mistress

 

Author: dolphingirl0113

 

Chapter Sixteen: Masquerade

 

Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, implied sexual situations)

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor do I take credit for several of the historical ideas, facts, and realities I have taken and used.

 

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After that day, Kikyou and I became something akin to a united front against the rest of the world…or, at the very least, the world of Inuyasha's court. Naraku was everywhere, taunting her, tempting her, and as such I had to try and be everywhere too so as to provide an honest alibi should anyone accuse their future Queen of having illicit relations with any man other than the King.

 

There are many things about this world that I love…but there are also many things that I hate, and the hypocrisy of men is one of them. They believe it is their God-given right to have an affair with any woman of their choosing, and so long as it is their idea, the woman cannot be shamed. But if a man wants a divorce, or if he wants an excuse to be estranged from his wife, he'll accuse her of adultery in an instant, and everyone will shun the woman as a dishonest whore.

 

And so it was with my sister; her illicit affair with the Nobleman Onigumo notwithstanding, Kikyou Higurashi had one of the cleanest, most honest reputations of any woman at court. Her virtue was not even something that could be questioned (again, disregarding her affair with Onigumo), and as such I felt enraged when I began to hear murmurs that the King's fiancée was off romping with her former lover, and that, for such an act of treason, she should be cast off or exiled.

 

Kikyou, who every woman had once wanted to know and be favored by, was now the outcast in what was soon to become her own court. If that was the case, how could she possibly hope to earn the respect of other monarchs throughout the world?

 

For the most part, I bit my tongue and let the comments and purposefully audible whispers go, knowing that, as Kikyou herself had pointed out, one could not stop people from gossiping, and that, to do so, would only make things worse in the end. Still, I could not prevent myself from snapping at a particular young girl who was clearly trying to make an impression among a group of ladies by calling my sister a whore, just as Anne Boleyn was the Great Whore of England.

 

I walked forward and, God help me, I slapped her right upside the face and demanded she take it back, reminding her that she was not slandering just anyone, but her future Queen. The girl repented in front of me, but within an hour I was hearing new rumors that Kagome Higurashi, the court's own Summer Maiden, was blinded by her dedication to her family, and could not see the truth in front of her eyes. It brought tears to my eyes as I got my first true taste of the cruelty of men, knowing I had done nothing truly wrong other then defend an innocent woman.

 

Yet I had to put it all aside, and I can remember to this day screaming into my pillows before leaving my bedchamber, and then appearing in public as calm and collected as ever. For I had a Masquerade to plan, and I had sworn it would be the greatest fete anyone had ever seen, so that no one could insult the Higurashi name ever again…

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

It was the night of the new moon, which meant more candles were required then normal to light up the grand ballroom. Kagome glanced over her shoulder at the pitch black night, barely illuminated by stars, and sighed again, wondering why she had been so stupid as to forget about planning around the phases of the moon. It was hard enough to light up a room at night…now it was extra difficult.

 

But she had managed to do it. Kagome had discovered that by placing mirrors in specific locations, along with jewels and ornaments, she could get the candles to reflect a certain way, making it seem brighter then it actually was. That, added to a roaring fire in the grand hearth, made for a warm, beautiful, almost romantic feeling.

 

The members of the court would be arriving at any moment, and Kagome was making some final adjustments to the lavish decorations as she checked off every necessity in her mind.

 

It was true, the castle of the South was a drab, sparse, unwelcome place to celebrate anything for any occasion, let alone something as joyous as a masquerade, but Kagome had managed to turn the dungeon-like feeling into an Eden of romance and mystery.

 

Rich white silk outlined in gold velvet hung in long strips on every wall, covering nearly all the stone, giving everything a warmer feeling thanks to the flickering of the candlelight. Red ruby clasps held the silk in place, clasping it together so that there was the appearance of upside down triangles along each wall, falling all the way to the ground, white and gold silk carpeting the floor, and then, to accent the red in the rubies, rose petals had been draped all along the floor, covering the harsh stone entirely and giving it a softer look. And even more wondrous then that was how Kagome knew by the end of the evening the entire room would smell of roses as people slowly crushed all the petals underfoot throughout the evening.

 

She sighed at the thought. Perhaps it had been a slightly personal indulgence, but…she just loved the smell of roses, and always had, ever since she was a little girl.

 

Crystal bowls filled with expensive grape wine were sitting atop eight ornamental tables framed in gold and silver with counters made of marble, stationed two along each of the four walls, and Kagome had placed two elegant thrones at the head of the room, should either the King or his future Queen care to sit and rest.

 

She had purposefully made Kikyou's throne just as grand, so that there could be no question of who would one day be a co-ruler of the country. It wouldn't stop the rumors, but at least it would hush them up for one night and give Kikyou some peace. After all, ever since Naraku had appeared and her ugly past had resurfaced, the older Higurashi sister had known nothing but torment from every member of the court, and it became obvious just how jealous the people of the country had been all along that a woman such as she, without royal blood, had managed to ensnare their King.

 

And so, even though Kagome wasn't very skilled at being a courtier who could turn a pretty phrase or defend her sister with eloquent speeches, the younger sister had decided to use the only weapon she had: her temporarily powerful role as the Summer Maiden. She decided to do everything she could to make Kikyou look like the Queen she would soon become; for, if nothing else, Kagome Higurashi was beginning to understand that giving a good show was everything and that, even if in the end she couldn't make the court love her sister, she could at least dazzle them and blind them to the reasons for why they were so jealous in the first place.

 

The theme of the masquerade was simple: the battle of good versus evil or, more plainly put, Heaven versus Hell. It was a very commonplace theme for a masquerade, one that was used time and time again by monarchs throughout the world in one form or fashion, but Kagome unfortunately lacked the experience to get any more creative, and so had been forced to fall back on the past accomplishments of others.

 

Still, she'd done her best to put her sister up in a place of honor, and as such, she and Kikyou were slated to be the two virgin angels of heaven descending to earth in radiant glory for an evening of joy and merriment. They would then be `attacked' by demons from Hell, who would be dressed in the obvious dark color of black, before being `rescued' by the knights of heaven.

 

It was all designed to symbolize something much greater than a mere story, of course, as many masquerades did. King Henry VIII was well known for putting on great shows and using them to send messages to his people, for example, such as the time when he hosted a ball where he placed a fake crown of laurel leaves around Anne Boleyn's head, as a warning that she would become his Queen despite the fact that the general population still supported their beloved Queen Katherine.

 

Kagome certainly had no intention of causing nearly such an uproar with her hidden messages, and had purposefully kept everything very black and white, both in the colors of the players and in the concept of the masque. It would be obvious what was good, obvious what was evil, and in the end Kikyou would emerge a shining star rescued by her golden prince.

 

The only problem was that the golden prince was missing, and had been ever since the sun had gone down…

 

Kagome had searched every inch of the castle, and yet had found no sign of Inuyasha anywhere. She was furious, because now the masque was set to begin in no more than thirty minutes, and she didn't know how she'd explain away the fact that the heroine, Kikyou, would not be rescued. That would certainly be a hidden message gone all wrong.

 

She could see it now: all the rumors about how Kikyou, the fallen woman, was not saved from the cruel demons of Hell just as she could not be saved from her inner turmoil and past sins in real life.

 

“Great,” Kagome mumbled to herself, shaking her head vigorously to rid her mind of such thoughts.

 

The sound of rustling skirts could be heard, and Kagome heard a light chuckle, though it was somewhat weighed down by melancholy. “You shouldn't do that after Yuka spent so much time on your hair, Kagome. She'll be very upset if you appear before the court with your curls all in tatters because you couldn't stop yourself from shaking your head like a silly dog.”

 

Kagome turned and couldn't help but hitch her breath slightly as she gazed upon her sister Kikyou, who was the perfect image of beauty and grace.

 

Draped in a gown of white, her sleeves tight in the style she so favored, her waistline and the outline of the gown sewn in with gold velvet to match the hangings on the walls and the carpeting on the floor, she had never looked more regal.

 

Kagome knew she wore a gown nearly identical, save for the fact that her sleeves remained long and loose, as always draping over her fingertips in the old style.

 

But more then that were other, more subtle differences, such as the way Kikyou had her hair all done up in elegant braids, some falling down over her shoulders while others rested atop her head in loops, whereas Kagome's hair was tightly curled and falling over her shoulders in a much simpler style. And, to accent the hair, Kikyou was wearing rubies and diamonds in her hair, whereas Kagome was simply wearing pearls. The entire point of such differences was to accent the fact that Kikyou was destined for greatness by giving her the more expensive jewels and modern style of hair and dress.

 

And, in all honesty, Kagome found that she really didn't mind as much as she thought she would. She really did hate having to dress up any more then was absolutely necessary, so it was easier when she had a specific reason for not overdoing it with her hair or makeup.

 

“I doubt that Yuka will even care what my hair looks like by the end of the evening,” Kagome replied to her sister's comment with a smile.

 

Kikyou just raised an eyebrow. “And why would that be?”

 

“Well, if she's enjoying herself she'll have other things to grab her attention besides me and whether or not my hair survives the night.” Even Kikyou couldn't help but chuckle at the slightly provocative joke, for it was well known what many men and women did once they became befuddled with wine during such a party as a masque, and Kagome was grateful she had brought a smile to her sister's face, if even for just a few moments.

 

They made one final sweep around the large ballroom to assure themselves that everything was in place before quickly moving through the side doors into a separate, smaller room where the other `players' in the masque were waiting, making any last minute adjustments to their costumes.

 

Kagome glanced over the mass of men and women, some dressed in black as the demons of Hell while others were dressed in vibrant gold as the knights of Heaven, desperately trying to locate a wealth of silver hair…and sighed in a fury of frustration when she finished her search with nothing.

 

“Kikyou, where is the King?”

 

“What?” The older woman blinked and looked around, as though noticing for the first time that her fiancé was not there.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, wondering how two people who were in love could be so unaware of each other all the time. Sometimes she wondered if they really were in love, or ever had been…

 

She shook her head to clear her thoughts as Kikyou replied. “I don't know, Kagome. I assumed he would be here with the others, preparing for the performance.”

 

“Well he's not,” Kagome snapped out of sheer impatience and frustration. Of all the nights to let her down!

 

“Kagome!” She turned to see Kouga bounding toward her excitedly, dressed in his own glamorous suit of gold. He was clearly very proud to be one of the knights of Heaven, especially since he was the one who would be `saving' her.

 

“Kouga!” Suddenly she had an idea. “Kouga, have you seen the King?”

 

“Inuyasha? No…I thought he was with you two.”

 

She shook her head. “He isn't, and I haven't seen him all evening. He's supposed to play the leader of the knights, as you know, and be the one to rescue Kikyou from the demons.” She made a wide gesture with her arms. “But he's not here.”

 

The wolf man looked at her blankly and she could tell that he was completely missing the point. “So what's the problem, Kagome?”

 

She sighed in frustration. Kouga was a wonderful man with impeccable manners, but he could still sometimes be as dense as a wooden post. “The problem,” she hissed through clenched teeth, not wanting to cause any sort of major scene, “Is that without the King, there is no one to `save' Kikyou, and she, more than anyone, needs to be saved tonight.”

 

“What?” Kouga blinked, and she gave him a hard, meaningful look before glancing over at her sister, who was chatting amicably with one of the younger women of the court. Suddenly a light dawned in his eyes, and the wolf realized what she was trying to say. “Oh…I see, so you're wanting me to save Kikyou since the worthless mutt couldn't show.”

 

“Hush,” she hissed again, “You can't be heard speaking of the King that way.”

 

At that Kouga raised an eyebrow in surprise. “And since when did you become such an ardent defender of his, Kagome?” He winked. “I thought you and I had promised to have many treasonous conversations together about the King and his court.”

 

Kagome blushed beet red from head to toe, and could have slapped herself for making such an obvious, open statement about her feelings regarding the King. “Never mind that,” she finally changed the subject, “Will you do this for me Kouga?”

 

He gave her one of his brightest smiles, his blue eyes twinkling, and Kagome found herself wondering, yet again, why she couldn't just feel for him what she felt for Inuyasha. Things would be so much simpler that way…

 

“You can count on me, Kagome,” he gave her a mock salute, and she giggled.

 

“What on earth are you doing?”

 

“Why, I am saluting my lady.”

 

“Your lady?” She touched his cheek fondly. “I believe you are still above me, my lord. We are not yet married.”

 

He winked again, his smile widening. “Ah, that may be true, but in my heart, you are my Queen already…the lady of my heart. And I salute you.”

 

Kagome blushed an even brighter shade of red and wished he'd just stop this nonsense, but couldn't help catching a small amount of his good humor and holding onto it for herself. “Oh stop it, you silly fool, and promise that you'll be there for Kikyou when the time comes.”

 

He sobered up slightly and nodded. “Of course, Kagome. I'd do anything for you. My only regret is that I can't save you now.” He looked around. “Come to think of it, who will be the one to save you?”

 

She waved her hand as though it didn't matter and, in all honesty, it didn't really. Kikyou was the priority, and that would be so for a long time to come. The thought caused her to feel momentarily exhausted…to think that she'd have to keep up this kind of energy for at least another month, when her sister's wedding was finally over!

 

“I'm sure someone will take the hint when they realize that you've gone to save someone else, Kouga,” she replied earnestly. “And besides, this show is not for me, it is for her.” She gave him another meaningful glance. “You know that as well as I.”

 

He nodded seriously. “That I do, though I'm still not sure I understand why you insist on defending a sister who, up until recently, treated you like you were invisible.”

 

Kagome looked away for an instant, knowing, in her heart, that she had asked herself that question many times since that evening when she'd made the toast before the entire court nearly two weeks ago. That had been the worst choice she could have made in terms of making her own life easy, and she often wondered why she was sacrificing her happiness for a woman who had been so cruel to her for so many years…

 

And yet, she thought with a smile as she looked back at Kouga, the answer was simple, and just as honest. “She's my sister, Kouga…and, for better or for worse, I can't change that. I love her.”

 

He chuckled, though there was a slight trace of bitterness behind the sound, and he touched her cheek with his hand, his warm fingers giving her a slight chill, though not in a bad way. She just wished it was someone else's fingers touching her face…the fingers that had touched her cheek that day on the jousting field at the home of Bankotsu with the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, a pair of amber eyes gazing at her with such tenderness, such…such…

 

“You know something?” Kouga commented, and she had to shake her head yet again to clear it of such thoughts. She could not be thinking of the King in such a way. She could not.

 

“What?”

 

“You almost sounded a moment ago like someone making a marriage vow, not an oath to protect a sister.”

 

At that Kagome looked him directly in the eyes and nodded her head firmly. “That's because the bond between sisters is just as sacred as the bond between a man and a wife, if not even more so. She and I are bound by blood. She taught me to read and to write, and how to dance.” Her eyes turned soft as she spoke. “She listened to me practice on my violin for hours, even in the beginning when I sounded terrible, and I helped her sit her horse better because I always was the better rider.” Kagome glanced one more time at Kikyou before looking back at her fiancé. “The bond she and I share is not something that is easily broken, and it is my duty to help her. You understand, don't you, Kouga?”

 

He sighed and removed his hand from her cheek, shrugging his shoulders. “No, I don't, because I was an only child growing up. But I trust your judgment Kagome, and if you truly believe that this is the right thing to do, then I'll follow your lead.”

 

She nodded at that and smiled as she heard the musicians from the other room begin warming up. Clapping her hands, she gained the attention of all the performers and nodded for them to don their masks, the signal that it was time to begin.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The night was feeling long and exhausting already, and the masquerade had yet to actually begin. But Inuyasha seemed to be the only one who felt that way, because everyone around him was jostling about excitedly, speculating on how the masquerade would be, wondering if Kagome could pull off such a fete with so little personal experience while trying to get a good view of the main floor, where the small play would be acted out before the dancing and merriment would truly commence.

 

He smirked slightly as he felt someone bumping him aside to get a better look at the lavishly decorated room, the poor man not even realizing that he had just committed a horrendous act of treason. There had been several others to commit such a crime that evening, and it was as though none of the court recognized their own King.

 

And why should they?

 

Tonight, he looked nothing like the mighty hanyou King his people had come to know. His hair, normally vibrantly silver and reflecting the light of the candles like the bowls of crystal on the nearby tables, was now a mane of simple, ordinary black, and his eyes, normally the stunning amber that so many painters had tried to capture when drawing his portraits, were nothing more than a slightly unusual violet color, similar to that of Miroku's.

 

Truly, he thought as he passed a nearby mirror placed on a table, noting the human ears where he normally had none, his violet eyes peeping through a mask of gold that covered him from the nose up and was held to his face by a string at the back of his head, the man before him was a stranger to this court.

 

And he hated this stranger who he knew so well!

 

Inuyasha loathed the pathetic, weak human body he was forced into once a month thanks to his annoying human blood, the one trait that truly marked him as a hanyou…he hated the fact that he could no longer smell, especially tonight, with the scent of roses so obvious in the air. He wanted nothing more than to inhale that scent and let it surround him for the entire night…but instead he was forced to enjoy it with the same limitations as the rest of the men and women around him. And more then that, he hated how his ears felt like they'd been stuffed with cotton, making everything seem like it was coming out of a vacuum.

 

But most of all, Inuyasha hated being human because it made him hate the part of him that came from his mother. He always felt guilty for wishing he could avoid this single night every month, because he felt, in some way, that it was dishonoring her memory, as though he were saying by hating his human body he hated her as well.

 

Walking over to one of the crystal bowls and taking a goblet of wine for himself, Inuyasha took a moment to truly survey the utter transformation Kagome had wrought on the room, and in spite of his normally uncaring attitude, he had to admit that she had done a brilliant job, just like…

 

He shook his head, refusing to make that comparison yet again. He'd made it too many times already, and each time he did the walls around his heart cracked more, the actual organ softening further. Things were hard enough as it was, and he certainly didn't need to complicate things.

 

The sound of the musicians warming up their instruments reached his ears, causing the hanyou to turn and see the rest of the masked performers begin to make their entrance, doing the customary mingling with the rest of the court before the actual spectacle began.

 

Inuyasha knew that by now Kagome was probably furious, for he'd heard several people running throughout the hallways trying to find him, including Kagome herself, and Miroku, more then once, had actually suggested that Inuyasha just tell her his secret so that she'd stop heckling him for answers as to the whereabouts of the King.

 

Nevertheless, he was still dressed as one of the golden knights, his pants and shirt gold and shimmering with glitter, his golden mask giving what was left of his visible skin a very ethereal glow. A fake sword was at his waist, as was the case with all the other players, and since it was the night of the new moon Inuyasha had decided to just forgo wearing the tetsusaiga as well. There was no chance of him turning demon that night, after all...it was one of the very few perks of turning human.

 

He was very well aware of the fact that he was supposed to be the one to rescue Kikyou from the demons of Hell, and also knew that he had no intention of doing so. He didn't need to draw any attention to himself, after all. So, in the end, Inuyasha only hoped that Kagome had managed to figure something out.

 

The only downside in his plan was that Kagome now, no doubt, thought him unreliable, and for some unexplainable reason that thought just didn't sit well in his gut.

 

Finally, after several minutes of waiting, the first strains of a pleasant sounding waltz drifted through the room, and every member of the court parted from the long white carpet that represented the “stage” for the players, directing their attention towards the elevated head of the room where two thrones would eventually be placed but, for the moment, served as the place of “heaven” where the two angels would descend.

 

And descend they did, in grand fashion.

 

Inuyasha felt his breath hitch as he watched the two Higurashi sisters, dressed in radiant virgin white and gold, make their appearance, their arms linked and their heads bent in fake conversation as they moved down the three steps that had been provided to reach the ground floor.

 

He knew instantly who Kagome was by her draping sleeves, but even more then that, also knew her by the modest way she was dressed in comparison to Kikyou. They both wore masks of white over their faces, covering them from the nose up, but Kikyou's slightly longer hair was fixed up in a much fancier style, and her head was adorned with rich diamonds and rubies, whereas Kagome wore nothing more than a crown of pearls.

 

And yet, he decided, she would have looked ugly in anything else. Kagome was the kind of person who wore modesty well, and grandness like an ugly medusa head. She defined the concept of understated beauty, and, for some reason, Inuyasha found that he liked her more for it because he was such a conservative, inner person himself.

 

It was odd that he was forced, due to his station, to dress so grandly and yet was so drawn into a shell, and yet she dressed so modestly and was one of the most open people he'd ever met.

 

Not for the first time, Inuyasha thought that they were much better suited for one another than he and Kikyou were. Kikyou insisted on grand parties and elegant gowns and jewels, whereas he did not. Kikyou insisted on always making public appearances, whereas he did not. And while, in most cases, that would be alright, for some reason Inuyasha just felt, more and more, a rift, as though someone were cutting apart the pieces of a puzzle so that they no longer quite fit together.

 

And he admitted to himself, watching as Kagome turned to face the crowd to make her first open statement, in all honesty perhaps the pieces of this particular puzzle had never quite fit together perfectly to begin with.

 

“Why sister, the night is so beautiful,” Kagome declared loudly, her voice ringing out over the audience like the peal of church bells, and her beautiful mouth curved up into a radiant smile. “I am so glad you insisted we come to earth.”

 

Kikyou stepped forward, and when she spoke her voice was exactly the opposite, deep and rich, like thick velvet against the skin or dark chocolate in the mouth. But it was no less enchanting or beautiful. “Indeed, we needed a change. Heaven is beautiful, but I have come to believe that earth has its own beauty that the angels miss.”

 

“I agree,” Kagome replied melodramatically, her head nodding in a very overdone sort of way so that everyone in the farthest corners of the room could know that she agreed with that last statement.

 

And so it continued for several minutes, the two women frolicking together around the small space, pretending to catch butterflies and admire beds of flowers, and Inuyasha slowly felt himself being drawn into this ridiculous little storyline.

 

He'd come to the conclusion that Kagome had made a huge mistake trying to make Kikyou look more refined, though he knew exactly why she'd done it. For the past two weeks she'd been doing everything in her power to defend Kikyou and make her older sister look like a spotless angel in the eyes of the court…something he was fast coming to admire.

 

Still, for some reason, at least to his eyes she should have made Kikyou the understated beauty, because suddenly the older Higurashi sister looked overdressed, as though she were an imposter in Heaven whereas Kagome had returned home to where she truly belonged.

 

He only hoped the rest of the court didn't see it that way as well.

 

Suddenly the music changed its tune to a much faster, darker melody, and at least a dozen men and women dressed all in black jumped forth, bringing a gasp from the audience as they rushed the two innocent angels with shouts and cries. Kagome and Kikyou did a marvelous job of feigning shock, and before long they were whirling and twirling about in a fast dance that was supposed to represent a beautifully choreographed “struggle”.

 

Inuyasha smirked proudly as he heard several men and women around him comment on the beautiful scene, praising Kagome for her ability to do such a thing without much experience, commenting on her beauty and natural grace on the dance floor. Unfortunately, to his dismay, nothing was said about Kikyou…though he supposed he should be grateful that it meant nothing bad was being said about her either.

Finally the music grew to a frantic pace, and Kagome stopped what she was doing and turned with a start in the arms of what looked to be Miroku who was, to Inuyasha's annoyance, holding Kagome a little too firmly about the hips. “Oh!” Kagome cried. “Someone help us! We are naught but poor angels from heaven!”

 

And with that cry for help, Inuyasha and the others burst forth from the crowd dressed in their shining gold costumes, and Kagome couldn't help but forget for a moment that she was an angel in peril and smirk in triumph, knowing that her masque was coming together as a huge success.

 

She saw a familiar wolf with a ponytail and blue eyes grinning through his mask leap forward and pull Kikyou into his arms as she swooned dramatically, falling against his body in relief, and Kagome waited for her own rescuer, who she had decided would be Hojo. She giggled inwardly as she recalled how excited he'd become when he'd learned about his newly acquired honor, watching as the extremely shy brown-haired boy moved towards her, and waited to make her dramatic move, falling forward and trusting him to catch her.

 

But that's when something very strange happened…

 

Rather than being grasped by the shy, somewhat weak arms she was expecting, Kagome found herself suddenly pressed against an extremely strong, well-defined chest, lean, muscular arms wrapping around her waist and holding her securely. A tingling sensation ran through her body, as though she'd been shocked by a bolt of lightening, and she gasped at the familiarity of it.

 

Inuyasha made her feel like that every time he even looked at her.

 

So why was she feeling this now? Surely he hadn't been the one to…?

 

She looked up for the first time at her rescuer, and felt her heart sink slightly in disappointment as she gazed into a pair of unfamiliar violet eyes, black hair framing the man's vibrant golden mask. It wasn't Inuyasha…so why did he feel so familiar?

 

“I believe you are safe now, beautiful angel,” he whispered, his voice husky, and Kagome found herself blushing from both embarrassment and pleasure.

 

His voice…

 

So familiar…

 

“I…” Kagome swallowed. “I thank you for that, my lord.”

 

He nodded, and the musicians stopped playing to the applause of the entire court as all of the players took a bow while members of the crowd called for an unmasking. And so, with great drama, one by one every knight and demon removed his or her mask, eliciting a gasp of delight from the crowd every time someone new was revealed, until finally the only three who remained were Kagome, Kikyou, and Kagome's secret golden knight.

 

Kikyou removed her mask with a great show of elegance, pulling it over her face and through her hair so that her long ebony locks tumbled down over her shoulders, suddenly released from the clasps that had been holding it in place, though it still remained in several small braids. The crowd smiled and commented on her beauty, to which she nodded politely in reply before turning to Kagome, who also removed her mask, though in a much simpler fashion, a beaming smile on her face.

 

“Now we shall dance!” Kikyou exclaimed happily, as though she was already Queen, and the musicians nodded, striking up a waltz, and it didn't take long for the rose petal-carpeted floor to be swarmed by people.

 

Kagome noted that her sister was instantly swept away by a handsome young man who she did not know, and smiled. Kikyou had always been a woman to attract the most handsome of men, after all.

 

“You will not dance?”

 

Startled, Kagome turned to the owner of the voice, who turned out to be her mystery man, and smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “I have no one to dance with, it would seem.”

 

The man looked down at the floor, and Kagome wondered briefly why he had not removed his mask with the others, but pushed it aside as he looked up and met her gaze, causing her breath to catch. Why did this stranger have such an effect on her? And why did his voice sound so familiar?

 

“I suppose you could dance with me,” he finally replied, as though it were the only option, and not a good one at that.

 

Kagome chuckled lightly. “You suppose? Am I that unappealing, my lord?”

 

“Not at all, fair lady,” he replied, “I just supposed you would rather dance with your fiancé, or someone of higher stature than I.”

 

She cocked her head. “And how do I know you are not of high stature?”

 

He shrugged. “You don't, I suppose.”

 

“Well isn't that the point of a masque? To dance with complete strangers while hiding behind your costume?”

 

Again, the mystery man shrugged and looked out at the dancers before looking back at her once more, and for an instant Kagome thought she saw his eyes soften tenderly. That caused her even more puzzlement than before. Why was he acting this way? Why was he acting as though he already knew her? And why did she have the feeling that he was right?

 

Finally he coughed and rocked back on his heels nervously. “You didn't answer my question, Lady Kagome.”

 

“What question was that?”

 

“Whether or not you would dance with me.”

 

She laughed heartily at that. “I don't believe you ever truly asked, my lord. You merely gave me an ultimatum.”

 

“Did I?” She saw the corners of his lips curve up in a smirk…a painfully familiar smirk full of arrogance and confidence.

 

“Yes,” she replied, feeling suspicious once more, wanting to know who this man truly was. “You did.”

 

“Well then, I suppose I should just ask you…would you care to dance, Lady Kagome?”

 

Deciding that was the best way to get to know him, she found herself nodding. “I would be delighted, my lord.”

 

That was all it took, because the man sprang into action, almost like an excited boy, taking her hand in his firm grip and whirling her out onto the floor amidst the other dancers, who quickly noticed the fact that Kagome Higurashi was dancing with a man other than the King or her fiancé.

 

There was little time for talking for a while, the two of them simply dancing, their bodies pulling the music inward until they both seemed to radiate the beat in every movement they made, and Kagome thought she had never felt so aroused in her entire life…save for the one time she had danced with the King. And that thought just kept nagging at her as the night wore on.

 

The King…Inuyasha…

 

Finally, after what felt like hours but had probably only been about twenty minutes, the musicians struck up a slow moving waltz, and Kagome at last had the opportunity to speak to her mystery man. “Tell me more about yourself.”

 

He looked at her sharply, as though she were asking him questions he didn't like. “What do you mean?”

 

She giggled. “I mean, what is your name? Who are your family? I know so little about you, and yet you are my golden knight of the evening.”

 

The man snorted indignantly, and that caused Kagome to catch herself, looking at him more closely. Still the pieces of the puzzle weren't quite fitting together…

 

Kagome decided to push a little further. “I have a right to know, since you did act a little presumptuously by taking Hojo's place in the masque.”

 

“Hojo?” The man grunted. “He is a wimpy boy not worth to wipe your shoes.”

 

“Is that so?” She opened her eyes slightly. “And who are you to judge? He is a very kind young man, and a good friend.”

 

“Keh.”

 

At that Kagome froze, stopping dead in the middle of the dance floor, causing another couple to bump into her back. But she didn't care.

 

That sound. That arrogant, dismissive sound that only he ever made…

 

And suddenly she understood, wondering why she had not seen it before. Even behind the mask, she could see the same intensity in those violet eyes that she normally saw in amber, and his hair, while black, was still just as long and glaringly different. The only main thing she didn't understand was what had happened to his hanyou ears, but still… “Inuyasha?”

 

Inuyasha froze, looking down at her and feeling his jaw go slack in shock. How had she possibly figured this out? How did she know?

 

Damn it all, he'd known it had been a mistake to do this, and yet, he hadn't been able to stop himself when he'd seen that ridiculous Hobo friend of hers moving forward to take a spot that he had, suddenly, felt was rightfully his. But now he was really in hot water…

 

Without thinking, he grabbed her firmly about the wrist, ignoring the curious eyes around them, including those of Kikyou, and pulled her away, towards the doors that led into the outer chambers of the great hall. But he didn't stop there, leading her up the stairs and down another long hallway into a large room with a roaring fire, covered in plush animal hide, a large desk in the far corner by several windows, piled high with papers.

 

This was his study.

 

He whirled on Kagome. “How did you know it was me?”

 

She blinked, still trying to process the fact that this man, this human man, was really Inuyasha, and at first didn't respond, and when she did, her voice was nothing more than a tiny squeak. “Is it really you, Inuyasha?”

 

The hanyou grunted again and, with an exaggerated nod of his head, whipped his golden mask from his face, revealing his human face.

 

She gasped.

 

True, his eyes had completely changed, but were still no less stunning in their violet color, his gaze intense, still causing her to feel like this man could see through to her very soul, stirring foreign desires within the pit of her belly. And his hair was just as shiny, just as beautiful in her eyes, though she had to admit that she preferred the silver hair.

 

It was, without a doubt, Inuyasha.

 

But it was also a very human Inuyasha.

 

“I don't understand,” she finally managed to sputter, putting her fingers to her lips. “Inuyasha, what's happened to you? Were you cursed by black magic?”

 

He grunted and rolled his eyes as though she had asked an absolutely foolish question and shook his head. “No, stupid; I'm a hanyou, remember? Because of that, I turn human once a month, on the night of the new moon.”

 

“The night of the new moon…?” She turned and glanced out the large paned windows, and suddenly felt some answer shift into place in her mind. “So that's why you weren't around today when I needed you.”

 

At that Inuyasha actually looked away, slightly sheepish. “I didn't mean to just let you down, Kagome; I'm not an unreliable person. I just can't risk the entire court knowing about this, because then my enemies would know, and they would use this weakness to their advantage.”

 

“This is a weakness?”

 

“Of course!” He waved his hands about as though that were the most obvious thing in the world. “How could it not be? I've lost my demon strength, my sense of smell, my sharp hearing skills…I've lost it all. I'm nothing in this pathetic human body…”

 

Kagome crossed her arms and gave him an annoyed look. “You certainly seem the same to me; at least your attitude hasn't changed.”

 

That caused his tangent to stop, and Inuyasha looked at her with a piercing glare. “And what is that supposed to mean, wench?”

 

She walked over and pulled roughly on his hair, to which he winced. “I told you never to call me that, and I meant it. What I meant was you're still just as arrogant and just as rude as you always are.”

 

“Keh, I'm not rude.”

 

“Yes you are.”

 

“Am not!”

 

“Are too!”

 

“Am not!”

 

“Are too!” They both stuck their tongues out at each other, looking very childish, and while Kagome was wondering why she had wanted to see him so much, Inuyasha pondered how he could have ever thought he and this woman were better suited for one another than he and Kikyou. They fought all the time!

 

Kagome was the first to break eye contact and move towards the window, where the little starlight, combined with the glow from the fire, caused her white and gold gown to glow, giving her the appearance of truly being an angel from heaven. Inuyasha had to force himself not to audibly draw in a breath of wonder at the sight. She was so beautiful…

 

He shook his head, remembering why they were there, and his secret that she now knew. “Kagome,” he turned her about somewhat roughly so that she met his gaze, and he fixed her with a hard stare. “You can't tell anyone about this, do you understand? It would ruin me. It would absolutely ruin me, and any authority I have over the people of this country…”

 

She put a finger to his lips to stop his rambling, and the hanyou obeyed, feeling his lips tremble, on fire at her touch. “Don't you trust me at all, Inuyasha?” She asked, her voice sweet and lilting.

 

He looked away, feeling slightly ashamed. “Kagome…” Did he trust her? “Of course I do.”

 

“Then what are you worried about?”

 

“I don't know…it's just that this is such a huge secret to keep…”

 

She smiled brighter. “Then maybe I can help you keep it, and share your burden. Who else knows besides me?”

 

“Miroku and Shippou.”

 

Kagome blinked. “Not Kikyou?”

 

At that he blushed. “No.”

 

No matter how much control she had learned to hold over her emotions, not even Kagome could hide her surprise at that piece of information. Inuyasha hadn't told the woman he was to marry, the one woman who had every right to know, about this secret of his? “Inuyasha…”

 

“I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it!” He snapped, and she jumped slightly at his suddenly sharp tone.

 

“I didn't mean any offense,” she offered, and saw his shoulders slump slightly, his face clouding over in guilt. He was so much more expressive, she thought, right now then he ever was otherwise. Was it perhaps because he was human? Did his human blood make him more emotional?

 

“I know, Kagome,” he finally replied, sounding very tired. He felt tired. He was just as exhausted as she was, trying to fend off the rumors circulating around his future wife, trying to fight off his own embarrassment as well by being surrounded by such a scandal in the first place. “Just…understand that I have my reasons for not telling her.”

 

There was a brief silence, in which time Kagome actually considered trying to convince him that he was wrong in not telling Kikyou, but finally just nodded her head, realizing it wasn't her place. “As you wish, Inuyasha.”

 

Her tone was so soft, so understanding, that the hanyou couldn't help but turn back around to look at her again, the black sky of night framing her face, her skin glowing as it reflected the firelight. Her eyes seemed even deeper and more complex than normal, her cheeks rosy from the exertion of dancing, her lips suddenly seeming very full and kissable.

 

He slapped himself mentally.

 

Kissable? What the hell was he thinking? This was Kagome, his soon to be sister-in-law! It was bad enough already that his fiancée was rumored to be having an affair…he sure as hell didn't need to start rumors of his own!

 

And yet…Inuyasha couldn't resist the warmth that was slowly invading his heart, making him feel safe and protected in a way he'd never known before. He felt secure in her presence, as though a missing part of him had finally returned, allowing him a sense of completeness.

 

“Kagome…” He stepped forward a few feet, closer to her form, and she stared back at him with an unflinching gaze, lost in his eyes, which were still just as mesmerizing as always, despite the fact that they were a different color.

 

“Inuyasha…” Suddenly, as though a wall was being torn down, Kagome felt all the exhaustion, all the fear, and all the longing that had been building up in her heart for nearly a month collapse in a rush of emotion, and she found herself throwing her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest. She felt him stiffen momentarily, but then relax, and eventually his arms even circled her waist, holding her gently. “I'm so tired of everything…”

 

He sighed and leaned his cheek against the top of her head, even with his human nose able to smell the faint scent of roses. Inuyasha smiled. “I know…I'm tired too. But while I was born to this kind of responsibility, and have created some of my own troubles through bad decisions,” he thought of Kikyou, trying to decide if she qualified as one of those bad decisions, “You were innocent of all of this, and I am truly sorry for bringing you into all of this by making you the Summer Maiden.”

 

At that Kagome pulled back slightly, though not enough so that he released his grip around her waist, and placed her palms on his chest. “Don't you ever say that, Inuyasha,” she whispered fervently, meaning every word. “I don't regret one moment that I have spent at your court. Not one moment…”

 

He chuckled at that. “Somehow I doubt that, Kagome…considering the fact that I can think of a few moments I'm sure you'd rather forget.” He thought about their first encounter in the rose gardens, and that first night when they'd danced and she'd offended him with her statement that he was unhappy. How long ago that all seemed now…and how insignificant considering where their relationship had gone since then.

 

But, he thought seriously, where exactly was that? Where had their relationship ended up anyway?

 

Inuyasha felt warm fingers brush his cheek, and brought himself back to reality as he looked down at the woman in his arms, her kind face very serious. “I mean it, Inuyasha. I don't regret any of the time I've spent here, because…it's allowed me to get to know you.” She looked down at the floor. “I can't imagine not knowing you now.”

 

“Kagome…” His heart fluttered, as though joyous, at her confession, but he couldn't ignore the fact that some part of him was also warning against what could come. His instincts told him to run away and never look back, and yet, for some reason the hanyou suddenly had no inclination to do so.

 

Her fingers still on his cheek, scorching his skin, Kagome smiled. “You've been my savior throughout all of this,” she stated firmly. “You've brought me back from the edge several times just by being near me. And now, with all this nonsense about Kikyou and Naraku, I've never needed that support more.”

 

Inuyasha found himself leaning against her hand as he replied, his voice suddenly sounding very heavy with longing and desire. “You're very brave to defend her like you are, Kagome. Most women would flee from scandal to save their own reputations…but not you.” He chuckled. “You just ride right into the fray. What a soldier you'd make, if you were a man.”

 

She grinned at that. “Coming from you, I'd say that's quite a compliment.”

 

He grunted. “It sure as hell is.”

 

Another, longer silence passed between them, nothing interrupting it save for the occasional crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace, and without realizing what was happening, the two drew closer together, pulled by some unseen force that they both knew was dangerous and yet were also unwilling to stop.

 

“Inuyasha, I…” She started to speak, but before Kagome got out another word, she suddenly felt soft lips pressed against her own, and felt her eyes fly wide open in shock.

 

He was kissing her! He was actually kissing her!

 

And yet, before she even had a chance to savor the moment he was pulling away again, so quickly she thought perhaps her skin was hotter then she thought and that she had actually burned him. He looked upon her as though she were suddenly some dangerous thing that had to be avoided, and put a shaking hand to his lips.

 

“Inuyasha…” She spoke his name again, unsure of what else to say, but knowing that she wanted to say something important.

 

“Kagome…” He tried to speak, but his voice caught, and, suddenly, without warning, Inuyasha turned and sprinted out of the room, leaving her alone, still standing by the window.

 

Unsure of what else to do, Kagome mimicked his actions and brought a finger to her lips, wishing the kiss had lasted longer and yet also recognizing, with a growing sense of fear, that it never should have happened at all.

 

Up until then, she had known that he was slowly worming his way into her heart, unintentionally, and that she had been consciously pushing him away. It had been simpler, because there had been nothing to hold her to him, nothing that would pull her back time and time again, but now…

 

She looked back at the door where he had so suddenly disappeared, and reached out her hand as though to pull him back, even though he was long gone. “…I love you.” She finished the sentence she had started to say to him a moment earlier, shocking herself at the verbalization of such a reality. And yet it was true, and now Kagome knew, truly, that she was doomed…