InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The King's Mistress ❯ Lessons in Foreign Policy ( Chapter 18 )

Check out this Fan Art!

 

Hey everyone, here is a link to some art done by Shimoyo, one of my wonderful reviewers from another site where I post my stories. Her work is beautiful, so I hope you check it out! It's based on the last chapter, “Masquerade”. I had to put spaces in random places so the address would show up, so just be sure to remember that. Enjoy, and remember, if you'd like credit in one of the chapters for pictures you've done of my stories, as well as credit on my profile page, just let me know! Thanks Shimoyo!

 

Picture from “The King's Mistress”: http:// img. photobucket .com /albums/v521/ The_Furies/ Kashis % 20Stuff/behindthemask.jpg

 

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Title: The King's Mistress

 

Author: dolphingirl0113

 

Chapter Seventeen: Lessons in Foreign Policy

 

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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I had not realized before how long it would take me to write this memoir, nor was I aware of the passage of time since I started this project…until yesterday. I awoke in the middle of the night to such horrible pains from the baby, our new Prince or Princess, that I was forced to call upon my physician, who told me I had to rest or else I would be at risk of going into labor early.

 

I could scarce believe what I was hearing. After all, the babe was hardly two months in my womb when I began writing, and I have become so engrossed in working on this little memoir of mine that I failed to realize nearly six moths have passed since I began, and the laces on my stomacher have been let out as far as they will go. The doctors predict that I shall deliver as early as three weeks from now.

 

Naturally, I understand that this information has no effect on you whatsoever…and yet I could not resist commenting on the reality of how long such a fete as this can take. When I began, I was a mother with a young son and another just barely on the way, and now I shall be going into my waiting period beginning in three days. The room is prepared, and soon I shall be completely isolated from the rest of the world until my child is delivered safely into this world. I hope to continue writing during this time, though I have to admit my physician could forbid such an act until after the birth…but again, I'm not quite sure why I am telling you all of this. By the time you are reading this, I will no doubt be old and gray, or more likely even dead and gone from this world…so you will notice no lapse in time whatsoever.

 

Keeping that in mind, I suppose I would be wise to return to the story at hand. Where did I leave off, then…?

 

Ah yes, of course…the kiss. The forbidden first kiss of mine that should have been so beautiful, so magical coming from the man I was newly in love with. And yet it was tainted by scandal, and tainted by the very existence of my sister.

 

I saw nothing of the King for nearly four days, and I knew he was avoiding me as much as I was avoiding him…for neither of us wanted to confront the realities of what we had done. We felt that by not speaking of it we could pretend that it never happened in the first place, and I personally felt that so long as I never voiced my feelings for him aloud again I could suppress the pain within my heart at the prospect of being doomed to love a man I could never have.

 

And as though reflecting our inner turmoil, the rest of the world seemed to be turning on its axis as well, slowly drifting into madness.

 

Our stay at the home of Kagura was prolonged (to my dismay, for I did not like the woman at all) when Inuyasha received word that his fellow ruler, King Henry VIII, had truly gone mad and was now determined to separate from the church adnd eclare the marriage to his faithful wife of over twenty years null and void, all for the sake of the Lady Anne Boleyn. As a result, Spain was in an uproar, and threatening to march on England at any time. This was no surprise considering the fact that Henry's current wife, Queen Katherine, was the nephew of Spain's current emperor, Charles, and the young man would have the head of the man who so disgraced and dishonored his aunt all for the sake of the Great Whore of England.

 

And so the rest of the world waited, caught between the two powers, wondering who would align with who, if the French would get involved, and all secretly hoping that in the end Henry would come to his senses and realize the madness of what he was doing.

 

All this I knew; and yet I was still worried more for my King than the fate of the world, for Inuyasha had received a letter from England, and another from Spain, and ever since he had disappeared into his makeshift study, leaving the rest of us to wonder what could possibly be in those letters that had our hanyou King so troubled.

 

I had my suspicions, of course, as all people…and unfortunately, in the end I was the one who was correct. But even so, I never would have guessed that he would come to me for advice about the very survival of the country rather than asking the advice of the woman he was to marry in less than forty days…

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Such a lovely day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and despite the harsh, barren land of the South, even Kagome had managed to find a tall tree full of green leaves where she could find relief from the intense heat while still able to be outside and enjoy the weather.

 

Summer days were normally so incredibly hot that she had no intention of wasting such a perfect opportunity for some fresh air without being scalded or sunburned.

 

Gazing up at the patches of blue sky managing to peek through the boughs of the tree, Kagome leaned her head back against the bark of the trunk, sighing as she felt its rough texture rubbing against her scalp in an easy massage, the smell of sap in her nose. How she wished all days could be this lovely, and that her whole life could always feel this simple…this innocent…this honest…

 

“So what happened then, Kagome?” She shook her head and looked down at the little boy beside her with his fiery green eyes and flaming red hair, clutching an old, worn out brown book to his chest. “Queen Guenevere really betrayed her husband and ran away with Sir Lancelot of the Lake?”

 

Kagome chuckled and put her hand on his head affectionately. “She didn't leave Arthur, Shippou…but she secretly loved Lancelot for the rest of her life, and never again went into the arms of her husband and King.”

 

The kitsune made a face as though he disapproved, and looked away while shaking his head. “But that's wrong.”

 

“Why? She loved him, and could not help it.” Like I cannot help but love a man I cannot have, she added silently. I am doomed, just like Guenevere, to be in a loveless marriage, loved by a man other than the one in my heart, for the rest of my life.

 

Inuyasha…my Lancelot…

 

“But it's still wrong.” Shippou seemed very sure of himself as he continued, his tiny fists balled and crossed over his chest as he opened the book as though to verify some fact. She chuckled inwardly, knowing he couldn't read a word on the page. “She shouldn't have married King Arthur if she didn't love him.”

 

Kagome sighed and looked up again, trying to find the words to explain. Ah, she thought inwardly, if only life were ever that simple. “Guenevere thought she loved him when they were first married, because she had not yet met Lancelot. But alter, when she did meet the knight, and also when she found out that Arthur had begot a child with another woman, she decided to follow her heart instead of her marriage vows.”

 

“So Arthur betrayed her too?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“With who?”

 

“His sister, Morgain la Fay.”

 

“Morgain la what?”

 

She chuckled fondly. “La Fay. It means dark, for that is how she was described. Many people in those times were given such names. Isolde, the Queen of Ireland, was called La Belle Isolde for her beauty and healing abilities, and another princess in France who was named for Isolde was called Isolde la Blanche for her white complexion and hands.”

 

“Oh.” Shippou nodded, understanding, but then suddenly acquired such a look of disgust that Kagome wanted to throw her head back and laugh outright, but refrained because she didn't want to embarrass the poor boy. It was as though he had just swallowed a sour grape and it had become lodged in his throat, and she knew that he had finally grasped the other part of what she had told him about King Arthur. “Did you say that Morgain was Arthur's sister?”

 

“Yes, I did.”

 

“But…but…” The little kitsune sputtered, pointing at her and then at the book as though searching for answers from some unseen form beside him. “How is that possible?” He shook his head. “That's not even right!”

 

Kagome chuckled and nodded in agreement. “That's what everyone who reads the story thinks, Shippou.”

 

“But if it's wrong, then why did they do…um…you know…that?”

 

At that she couldn't help but laugh at his naïve, embarrassed way of describing certain aspects of love and lust. “Well, there are many different versions of the legend of Arthur Pendragon, so no one really agrees on how or why it happened. Some say that he and Morgain did not know they were related when they, um,” she looked at him and tried to tread lightly over a subject that was so embarrassing for an eight year old boy to think about. “When they coupled.”

 

He nodded. “That would make sense, I guess.”

 

“But,” she added, holding up a finger to accent her point, “There are others who argue they knew, and that Morgain seduced Arthur while Guenevere was away on a journey to Avalon.”

 

“Avalon?”

 

“The place of the priestesses and worshippers of the Great Mother.”

 

“But I thought you said Guenevere was a Christian, not a pagan.”

 

“In some stories she is, while in others she is not.”

 

Shippou shook his head. “That's too confusing.”

 

Kagome laughed and patted his head fondly. “I'll explain it all to you in more detail another time.”

 

“Okay…” The boy frowned and looked down. “So, in all the stories, Guenevere felt in some way that Arhtur betrayed her, and so she in turn betrayed him with Lancelot?”

 

Yes,” Kagome smiled encouragingly, but inwardly wondered yet again if she had been right in telling such a young boy a tale which revolved so much around love and desire. He had found the book among her collection when playing in her room, and even though he was too young to read the old text, had wanted to know what it was about, and she had not wanted to lie. After all, much of what happened in the Arthurian legends, with the scandals and lies surrounding the court, was no different than the court of Inuyasha…and Kagome thought that it was better if Shippou came to understand through stories more about the world he was living in, so he would be less likely to make a horrendous mistake or get into trouble.

 

Like my sister, a silent part of her commented offhandedly, but Kagome shook the comment away, not wanting to dwell on such issues.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted when Shippou suddenly jumped to his feet, her father's old book falling to the ground before she could rescue it, a wide grin on his face even as he stood at strict attention, his little chest puffed out proudly. “Your Majesty!”

 

Kagome stiffened instantly, knowing only one man who would go by that title in these parts, and was suddenly afraid to turn around and meet his gaze, knowing what she would find there: nervousness and regret.

 

But she knew she couldn't avoid him forever, or else Shippou, even at his young age, would know something was wrong, and so, after several deep breaths Kagome rose to her feet, her skirts catching and making the move rather awkward, raising her head to meet the King's fierce amber gaze. Quickly she inclined her head towards the ground and curtsied. “Good day, Your Majesty.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “Good day, Miss Higurashi.”

 

Kagome winced at the formality of it all when a few days before they had been on a first name basis, knowing they had both reverted back to the traditional way of speaking as though that would put up a wall and keep anything too emotionally dangerous at bay.

 

A silence, long and lined with tension, filled the space between them, and as the seconds turned into minutes Inuyasha felt his own body start to heat up rapidly, as though a kindled fire was burning within his belly. Damn it all, that was why he had been avoiding her for so long…and perhaps he had made a mistake in coming to find her at all in the first place today…

 

Because he knew, just by having watched her from afar the past few days, that all it took was one look into her eyes and he was sent back to that night, the feel of her lips against his scalding his memory, titillating his senses. And even now, seeing her standing there with her hands folded demurely before her, clothed in her dress of modest mint green, looking for all the world like she was a child who had done something wrong (and, in all honesty, they both had), the hanyou had to forcibly tell himself to stay away from her…to not take that extra step and pull her into his arms.

 

“And what brings you out her so unexpectedly?” Kagome finally asked, unable to bear the silence any more, noticing that Shippou was now giving them both a curious look. And why shouldn't he? Normally Kagome and Inuyasha were able to converse freely, without worry…even though they did argue a lot.

 

Inuyasha coughed and tried to bring himself back to reality, ignoring the way her voice sounded like the beautiful peal of church bells on a clear Sunday morning, or the way the wind was blowing her skirts just enough that the dress hugged her curves in all the right places. “I was looking for you, my lady.”

 

“For me?” Kagome blinked several times in surprise, not understanding why he would want to see her intentionally, knowing that he had been avoiding her ardently for the past four days.

 

“Yes, I…” He gulped and shuffled his feet nervously, cursing his tongue for being so tied at the moment. “I would seek your advice.”

 

“Oh?” Kagome sensed it was more then that. She sensed that he finally needed to talk to her about the kiss…the one that he regretted, that tormented him with guilty…and the thought caused her to wince, because she hated thinking that he regretted such an act of love that she knew she would cherish the rest of her life, no matter how forbidden it had been. “When and where would you like to discuss this matter, my lord?”

 

“Now, if you please,” he replied, once more sounding commanding and confident in his request which was, in all honesty, more of a demand.

 

“Here?” She gestured around her, at the tree, which was now rustling in the wind, the half-open book of King Arthur lying forgotten on the ground, the pages flipping about aimlessly and creating a light fluttering noise.

 

“No…it must be done somewhere more private; I would not make a large issue out of this if I can avoid it.”

 

Of course not, Kagome thought with an obvious nod of agreement, again assuming that he was referring to their secret kiss. “I understand, my lord. Shall we go then?”

 

Inuyasha noted the pained look on her face and chose not to respond verbally to her question for fear of his own voice betraying the emotions roiling around within his heart, instead simply nodding and grunting as he gestured back towards the gray, foreboding castle of the South.

 

“Shippou, grab the book please,” Kagome instructed kindly, and then she and the boy were instantly at his side, matching his gait.

 

For the first time the hanyou really seemed to notice Shippou's presence, and it occurred to him that he had probably interrupted a quiet afternoon for the boy, which caused him to feel slightly guilty. He knew he could rely on Shippou to keep a secret such as this, even though he was only eight years old, but he still felt sorry for having pulled the boy away from an afternoon of peace and quiet. He so rarely was able to just be a kid any more, always working as a pageboy…

 

“You were reading to him, I take it?” Inuaysha finally asked, not at all appreciating the silence stretching between them again. Silence was his enemy, because when it was silent he had the chance to think things over, and to allow his desires to resurface. At least with conversation he could push all that away…for the time being, anyway.

 

Kagome nodded and smile, though he could see that the gesture lacked some of her usual luster. “Yes; the tale of King Arthur.”

 

The hanyou frowned at that. “A bit thick for an eight year old…”

 

“I thought so too at first, my lord,” Kagome rushed to explain, “But in the end I decided Shippou could understand the story.” She winked at the boy. “He's very mature for his age.”

 

“That's right,” Shippou added, smiling under the praise of the woman he had come to adore so much in such a short time. She was the only noblewoman who actually seemed to take an interest in his life beyond ordering him about as the pageboy that he was. “But Kagome didn't tell me the entire story.”

 

“She didn't?”

 

Kagome blushed, trying to avoid looking directly at those amber eyes. “We did not have time to finish the story, my lord. I would have, but you came and, frankly, interrupted us.”

 

“Keh!” She certainly was just as blunt as ever. But then again, that's what Inuyasha appreciated about her, and no matter how wrong her actions were in terms of court etiquette, the hanyou knew he would never be able to truly punish her for such treasonous, disrespectful actions. “So how far did she get, Shippou?”

 

The kitsune spoke up excitedly. “I learned about how Arthur pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone with the help of Merlin, and how he fought to become the High King. And Kagome told me all about Queen Guenevere, and how she fell madly in love with Sir Lancelot of the Lake even though she was married to King Arthur, and how their love is one of the most famous in literature.”

 

Inuyasha felt, for some reason, his jaw tense slightly. “What else did Kagome tell you?”

 

Shippou made a face. “Something really gross.”

 

“And what was that?”

 

“She told me,” he blushed, clearly still uncomfortable just thinking about it, “That Arthur and his sister Morgain had a child together.” The kitsune shook his head in disapproval like he had done before. “That's just wrong.”

 

At that both adults couldn't resist chuckling, and the strained mood was somewhat eased thanks to a child's simple words. “And I suppose that you hate Lancelot and Guenevere, like everyone else does,” Inuyasha finally observed, trying to keep the conversation going.

 

But the kitsune looked suddenly confused. “Why would I hate them?”

 

“Well, because…” He searched for an answer. “Because Guenevere betrayed her husband and Lancelot betrayed his King. They were lovers behind Arthur's back for many years, and most anyone who reads the story thinks that makes the couple despicable.”

 

Shippou shook his head and crossed his arms. “Well I don't hate them.”

 

“And why not? Adultery is wrong…you know that.” He didn't miss the way Kagome winced at that last statement, and refused to look at her as they reached the castle and walked through the gates.

 

“Because Kagome said you can't help who you fall in love with, and that it wasn't Guenevere's fault that she loved Sir Lancelot any more than it was Lancelot's fault that he loved his Queen.” He smiled and looked over at Kagome. “And I believe her.”

 

Inuyasha felt his jaw tense slightly, his heart quivering in his chest, and he risked a sideways glance at Kagome, who looked suddenly very uncomfortable. “Did she say that?”

 

“Yes, she did.”

 

The trio halted at the base of the stairs that would lead up to Inuyasha's study on the second floor, and the hanyou suddenly turned to the boy beside him with an urgent gaze. “You had better go and put the book away now, Shippou. I need to speak with Kagome.”

 

Kagome felt herself shiver slightly upon hearing her name on his lips, the first time he'd actually said it in several days, and a part of her wished she could clutch Shippou to her chest even as she watched the boy nod and scamper obediently down the hallway. He had felt like her safety…his presence keeping Inuyasha from saying what he wanted to say, which she knew she would not want to hear.

 

They stared at the floor for several silent seconds after the kitsune's departure, and Kagome finally clasped her hands before her and swallowed nervously. “Well, shall we go to your study to speak now? Or would you prefer somewhere else, Your Majesty?”

 

He grunted and looked away, avoiding her eyes on purpose. “My study is fine.” And with that began to walk quickly up the stairs, Kagome trailing behind him with her head lowered in shame. She really didn't want to hear what he had to say…it would break her heart…

 

Inuyasha's study looked different with the daylight coming through the windows, the fireplace empty and full of ashes, the magic she had felt from the other evening completely gone. It caused a cold pit to form in the base of her stomach, and Kagome wondered if she would ever feel that happy again.

 

Again, there was a long silence, but this time, instead of standing still Inuyasha began to pace like a nervous animal, and Kagome could see by the indents in the animal hide rugs on the floor that he had been doing that a lot the past few days. He was clearly very nervous about something, and guilt ripped through her to think that she was partly the cause.

 

“You'd best just say what is on your mind, Inuyasha,” She finally stated simply, not wanting to be tortured by such uncomfortable silence a moment longer. “Though I think I know what this is about.”

 

“No, you don't,” He replied sharply, stopping briefly to look her in the eye. “It's not about that, Kagome.”

 

That caused her temper to flare slightly, and she suddenly realized that she was offended by the thought that he didn't even care about what they had done enough to talk about it. “So we're not even going to talk about it now? Are we just going to pretend it never happened?” Kagome crossed her arms. “I think you owe me an explanation for the way you've been treating me the past few days, Inuyasha.”

 

The hanyou stopped and glared at her. “Why do you women always have to complicate matters?”

 

“I beg your pardon?” She blinked.

 

“You always make everything about you!”

 

“I do not!”

 

“Yes you do!”

 

“Do not!”

 

“Do to!”

 

“Ugh,” Kagome rolled her eyes and turned away in a huff, wondering if they would ever again be able to have a normal conversation. “If it's not about that then tell me what the problem is so that I can leave.”

 

Inuyasha paused, seeming to clarify something in his mind, before finally nodding to himself and walking over to his desk, which was piled high with papers, removing two neatly folded pieces from the top of the stack. He brought them over to Kagome, and she stared at his hand stupidly when he held it out to her. “The way I've been treating you has had nothing to do with what happened,” almost, he added silently, “And everything to do with these!”

 

Kagome blinked several times and looked up in confusion. “What am I supposed to do with those?”

 

“Keh, what do you think, woman?” He rolled his eyes and she glared at him in warning, causing him to pacify his temper slightly. “I want you to read them.”

 

“All…right…” Kagome took the two folded pieces of paper in her hands and opened the first one, trying to understand what was so important about what appeared to be a couple of letters…but then she gasped as she began to read.

 

To the King Inuyasha

From his brother King Henry VIII

Dated July 1

 

My Good Friend,

I am sure you have no doubt heard by now of the situation that I find myself in with regards to my would-be wife and my attempts to explain to the public that our marriage was never lawful. And I apologize for being so abrupt…normally I am much more gentile with fellow rulers…but these times call for desperate action, and there is no time for pleasantries.

 

I received your invitation to your upcoming wedding, and shall naturally alert you to whether or not I shall attend in the near future, and I realize that this must be taking up much of your time, but I still implore you to consider the needs of a neighbor.

 

Spain would march on us, my friend, at any time. The Emperor, Charles, feels that it is his right to defend the honor of his aunt, my non-wife, the Dowager Princess Katherine, and will not listen to reason when I try to explain that it was not by choice that I have put her through all of this. I am merely trying to obey the laws of our God in Heaven, and he would not condone me living in sin as I have for these past many years. Unfortunately, Katherine does not understand either, and has been caught sending letters to her nephew, which has only fanned the fires of possible war even more, for which I am livid.

 

All I want is to do right by God, and yet no one, not even the Pope, is willing to understand this.

 

I have already journeyed to France to secure my alliance with King Francis, but he, like all the French, is a fool who is nervous to commit, and as such I fear I cannot count on him as a potential ally when the time comes. As such, I am asking you to pledge your support should England require it, and I ask that you send me an answer post haste.

 

These are desperate times, and the rule of a King is never easy, his job, as you know, always to protect his people and his country above all else. To do this, I must have help, though I can assure you that by helping England you shall benefit in the end, for I have no doubt that should Spain declare war we shall emerge victorious. How could we not, when we have the support of God on our side?

 

Signed,

Henry Rex

 

Kagome noted the long, flowing handwriting of this King Henry VIII who she had heard so much about, and folded the letter back into its neat little square, the seal of England once more in place. The wheels in her head were already turning, and for a brief instant she just stared at the letter in her hand, not moving to open the other (for she already guessed that it was from Charles of Spain).

 

“This King Henry is certainly a man who believes in the purity of himself,” She finally commented, to which Inuyasha grunted in reply, not saying one way or the other, which she knew was a political move; even in her presence he was still nervous about slandering the name of a fellow monarch for fear that it would get back to him. In times like these, one word could start a war.

 

Even so, Kagome found herself waiting for a reply, but it never came, and so she finally gave up and opened the other letter, which had a much more regal air to it.

 

To the King Inuyasha

From Emperor Charles of Spain

Dated July 4

 

Dear Sir,

I received word from one of my many advisors that King Henry of England had written a letter asking for your allegiance in this Great Matter of his, and as such I knew I had to send a letter of my own post haste.

 

This is not a situation to be taken lightly, and I fear that His Majesty the King of England views himself as nearly Godlike, with the power to interpret God's will in any way he chooses. But in truth, this is nothing more than his lust for a woman who has refused him with the sole purpose of achieving the crown for herself.

 

My aunt, Queen Katherine, daughter of Philip and Isabella of Spain, descended from a long line of great Queens, has been nothing but a faithful Catholic wife to Henry throughout these many years (over twenty) of their marriage, and it enrages me that this would-be King has the gall to put aside such a faithful wife all for the sake of a lust below his belt.

 

Understand that I do not wish to go to war with England, for that would do no good for my country, but at the same time I am duty-bound to defend the honor of my noble aunt, and as such will do what is necessary if the time comes. As such, I ask that you please do not align yourself with Henry, and that, if in the end you cannot in good conscience align yourself with Spain either, that you should remain respectfully aloof of all of this (which is an option I wish I had as well).

 

Consider my words before choosing too quickly, and please respond soon so that I may know where I can count my allies.

 

Signed,

Charles, Emperor of Spain

 

There was a great silence when she finished reading, the voices of the two great monarchs echoing in Kagome's mind and in her heart as she tried to understand what was going on, but in the end it was all too much for her, and she didn't have the ability to refold the second letter due to the violent shaking of her hands. These were the letters written by the hands of some of the greatest rulers the world had yet seen, from the two countries who, along with France, formed the powerful triad of empires in their world. Never could she have believed…never in a million years…that Inuyasha would show her these…the letters the rest of the court had been dying to know about and be able to read as she had just done.

 

Looking up, her confusion was evident by her wide-eyed expression. “Inuyasha…why? I don't understand…”

 

At that the hanyou grunted and looked extremely uncomfortable as he shuffled his feet and glanced over her shoulder at the pleasant day beyond the window. In all honesty, a part of him was still unsure of why he'd gone to her and not to another man or, as it should be, his future wife. “I told you before that I needed your advice,” he finally replied.

 

“But…why in God's name would you choose me?”

 

“Because Miroku and I have poured over these damned letters a thousand times and cannot figure out what would be wise, that's why!” Inuyasha was fast losing patience because he was nervous and uncomfortable sharing such confidential information with a woman who, by all rights, he shouldn't even be with besides in public. And what was more, it had been a long few days, and at that moment his country was closer to international war than it had been in hundreds of years. One wrong decision could bring the wrath of either Spain or England raining down upon their heads…

 

Kagome jumped slightly at his outburst, but then pacified her temper and sighed, setting the letters down on the table and looking back at Inuyasha in a new light, seeing him, truly, for the first time as the King he was. She saw the lines on his face which told her he hadn't been sleeping thanks to these letters, and could practically see the heavy burden weighing down upon his shoulders.

 

In that moment her heart went out to him, and Kagome found herself moving in his direction despite the risk that entailed, knowing she would be tempted to touch him, to smooth away the worry on his face, to release the tension in his jaw with her lips…

 

“What would you have me advise you on, my lord?”

 

Inuyasha turned and looked at the woman who had moved beside him, noting her honest face and genuine expression, her eyes deep and innocent, and in that moment the hanyou knew he had found one ally that would never desert him even if the rest of the world did come falling down around his ears. She would stand by him, defend him even if need be…and that thought was comforting.

 

“I would know your thoughts, lady,” he finally replied with a deep, obvious swallow.

 

Kagome nodded and glanced back at the letters once more on the table before looking back at her King and thinking about the right way to phrase what was running through her mind at that particular moment. “It seems to me,” she finally began, “That while England wishes for your allegiance, Spain simply doesn't want you aligning with the enemy. So that is something to consider.”

 

“Yes, we already thought about that,” Inuyasha replied impatiently, desperately wanting her to say something miraculous and insightful that could make the solution to this whole problem suddenly seem simple and obvious.

 

“I realize you probably know,” Kagome snapped back, feeling her own patience waning, “But I'm needing to sort through some things aloud, and clarify some factors in regards to our relationships with these nations. After all, I'm not like you and in the know about everything that happens between all these different countries.”

 

That stopped him short, and Inuyasha sighed, crossing his arms and nodding. “Fair enough, I suppose.”

 

“Good,” Kagome nodded and continued, starting to pace the same line she had seen the hanyou pace a few moments earlier. “Now then, tell me what you know about this King Henry VIII.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “What do you know of him?”

 

“I know that he is said to be the Golden King of Europe, and that he is handsome beyond compare.” At that Kagome couldn't help but wink, to which Inuyasha blushed slightly. “I also know that he is said to be extremely intelligent and shrewdly political, but that sometimes his judgment is clouded by his, shall we say fondness for women. It is well known he has had dozens of steady mistresses in his life, a legitimate son and heir by his first, Bessie Blount, as well as two supposed children, a daughter and son, by Mary Boleyn, the younger sister of the woman he now pursues.”

 

At that Inuyasha nodded. “That is all accurate. Henry is very intelligent, and while I have never met him personally, my father attended his coronation when I was very young, and he said that Henry would make a worthwhile ally but also a dangerous opponent who was to be respected.”

 

“And that is why you fear angering him by refusing?”

 

“What?” At that the hanyou blinked, to which Kagome smiled knowingly.

 

“That is what you are intending to do, is it not?”

 

“Well, that's what I want to do, yes…but, how did you guess that?”

 

She shrugged. “That is what I would do, were I in your position.”

 

“You would?”

 

“Of course.” Kagome began to pace again. “Henry is going against the very faith upon which most of the civilized world is based, and to align yourself with him would mean you are aligning yourself against the Pope and the entire known Catholic world. Why else would King Francis be so hesitant to grant Henry his allegiance, after all? France is certainly powerful enough…but no ruler wants to sentence his country and his people to a holy war.”

 

When she finished, stopping her pacing and staring him directly in the face, all Inuyasha could do was blink and stammer, his jaw going slack in surprise. How had she, a woman who had lived in the country all her life, come to such a conclusion in a matter of minutes when it had taken he and his advisory council (which consisted of himself and Miroku) nearly three days?

 

Finally, growing uncomfortable under his stunned expression and tense silence, Kagome felt herself squirm slightly and rocked back on her heels. “Did I say something wrong? Am I making a total fool of myself? Are you regretting having asked for advice from an ill-informed woman?” She watched his unchanging expression and sighed. “Say something, Inuyasha, even if it is an insult, please?”

 

Hearing his name on her lips brought him back to reality, and Inuyasha grunted and shook his head to clear it before speaking. “I meant no offense, it's just…frankly, that was an impressive interpretation for someone who had only just read the letters and learned of the situation.”

 

Coming from him that was a huge compliment, and Kagome rewarded his honesty with a beaming smile that caused the hanyou to feel warm. Perhaps humility, on occasion, wasn't such a bad thing after all.

 

“So then,” Kagome finally spoke again, “If you already know what course of action you want to take, then why are you asking me for advice?”

 

“Because Miroku and I aren't really sure how to go about telling Henry that we will not be his ally without offending him and bringing his wrath upon us as well.” Inuyasha walked over to the windows and looked out. “I have no intention of aligning myself with Spain either, as Charles provided me with that generous loophole, but it is not the Emperor of Spain that has me worried either…”

 

Kagome nodded. “I understand.” She crossed her arms in a very unladylike gesture and pursed her lips as she thought back on the two letters she had read, knowing that Henry's words were her only true insight into what his personality was really like as she had never met him before. And, as she knew, as was true with all people, even a King could be handled delicately enough so as to not cause offense…but it had to be done carefully.

 

“It would seem to me,” She finally began after drawing a nervous breath, “That the best way of going about this would be to write something appealing to Henry's vanity.”

 

“His what?”

 

“His sense of pride…something that would stroke his ego.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I've never met the man, but just from his letter it would seem to me that he's a figure who enjoys being complimented, praised, and petted a lot, and who thinks very highly of himself.”

 

Inuyasha chuckled at her usual very blunt assessment of a man who was considered to be the most powerful man in Europe outside of the Pope himself. He was coming to understand that with Kagome Higurashi, even though she didn't always say the right things, and frequently allowed her heart to speak before her mind, at least you would always know where you stood with her.

 

As someone who hated secrets, he could appreciate that more than anyone else.

 

“And tell me how you came to that conclusion,” he finally replied with a smirk.

 

“Well, to me it's rather obvious; he's saying in his letter that his opinion is more important than the opinion of his entire Kingdom, and that he can interpret the will of God better than the Pope, who was raised from his birth to understand God's will.” She cocked her head in a very cute gesture. “He also seems very selfish, and a little too self-righteous for my taste.”

 

“Again, explain to me how you ascertained all of this from a letter consisting of no more than about five paragraphs…”

 

“Frankly, he refers to God so much that it's nauseating, and the way he insists that it is out of guilt of living in sin that he is divorcing his faithful wife tells me the man is absolutely in denial, and has convinced himself that he is doing the right thing because that's what he probably does with everything.” Her posture straightened, and Kagome nodded her head firmly. “So here's my advice to you: write a letter explaining to him that you do not wish to get involved, but that at the same time you are not aligning yourself with Spain either. Tell him that your country is too small to withstand any conflict, and that peace within the country is still new and fragile.”

 

Inuyasha's head snapped up. “That's a lie! My father secured peace between the four sectors when he first came to the throne!”

 

Kagome smiled patiently, now feeling like she was the one with all the information and experience even though, in reality, she was not. This was now just a matter of common sense, and, unfortunately, sometimes when dealing with other people Inuyasha just didn't have a lot of that.

 

“I know that would be a lie, sort of, but you can't deny that you and your brother are still at odds…at least according to rumor, which means Henry would be inclined to believe you. You can't give him the impression that he thinks you're declining his request simply because you disagree with what he's doing.”

 

At that Inuyasha shrugged and gestured widely with his arms. “I could care less what the hell he does in his own country!”

 

“I understand that, but unfortunately, I think in his eyes he sees it one of two ways: you're either for or against him. And somehow we have to figure out how to walk the gray line in between those two extremes.” Kagome snapped her fingers as though finally making the last connection in the riddle, and smiled meaningfully, looking suddenly like a shrewd politician, and not the sweet, demure girl she normally was. “And that's where you flatter him. You tell him that after all, in truth, your country is too small to make any sort of difference in this conflict, and that beside his great nation your allegiance would mean little difference.”

 

Kagome could see that Inuyasha didn't like what she had to say, and was prepared for the outburst. “What the hell does that mean? You know very well our country can defend itself! I could probably kill that worthless man in an instant if I was allowed to fight with my real demon strength…it would take just one swipe of my claws! And you want me to tell him that I'm too insignificant to make any difference?”

 

“It would be a lie, Inuyasha…”

 

“I don't care!” The hanyou whirled around and looked out the window. “I will not humiliate and dishonor my country that way. We are not weak, and I will not tell some stubborn, arrogant bastard what he wants to hear just so he can feel better about himself.”

 

Kagome waited for a few seconds after he finished talking, and played with her hands, trying to decide what the best way was to approach this. She didn't like the idea of belittling her home country any more than Inuyasha did, but she seemed to be the only one understanding how important it was to not offend a King who was currently willing to do just about anything simply for the possession of one woman. There was no telling what he would do if angered.

 

Finally, she just sighed and chose to take the simple way out, knowing, with Inuyasha's stubborn pride, that there would be no other way for him to hear reason. “Then you have sentenced our country to war, Your Majesty.”

 

The hanyou stiffened instantly at the formal way in which Kagome addressed him, and knew on some level that she was doing it on purpose, hating the fact that it was working, because Inuyasha instantly felt his gut clench at the thought. He knew he could defeat anyone sent against him easily with the sword his father had left to him, and also knew that his brother would come to his side to defend the country, for while they did not get along personally, they both felt an immense pride in their country and what their father had accomplished before them. But, unfortunately, he and his brother were only two men, and could not span the entire country at once…and if the King of England chose to invade, many would die before the day was done.

 

He couldn't do that to his people…

 

“Are you sure that's the only way, Kagome?” He finally managed to ask, his voice tight with restricted emotion.

 

Her eyes widened in surprise, and Kagome had to admit she was stunned he had come around so quickly. But then, as he turned to look at her and she saw the worry and strain on his face, his eyes clouded over by a hidden need to do the right thing, she realized that, in that moment, Inuyasha was truly a King: a man wedded to his country before anything and everything else.

 

Perhaps Inutaisho had indeed made the right choice in choosing his younger hanyou son as the successor, even though the rest of the country felt Sesshoumaru had been the better choice.

 

Softening her voice, suddenly feeling sympathy knowing exactly how he felt (like having to swallow a sour poison), Kagome smiled kindly and moved to his side. “I know you don't like the idea, and I don't either, Inuyasha, but…” she looked away. “Yes; I feel that's the only way to peacefully resolve this.”

 

Without thinking, she placed a hand on his shoulder and, surprisingly, instead of flinching or moving away, Inuyasha placed his own strong, warm hand over hers, squeezing slightly as their eyes met and for an instant all foreign policy was forgotten, along with the fact that they had been beating themselves up over the past four days for acting inappropriately. In that moment Kagome felt the magic begin to return, as though someone had flipped the switch and she was once again looking at a man framed by starlight, and willed herself to forget about the rest of the world despite the fact that common sense told her to back away.

 

Finally, after several minutes of silence that was once again comfortable as it had once been between them, Inuyasha finally sighed and pulled away from her, towards the window, and bowed his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with a clawed hand. “Thank you, Kagome.”

 

“What?” She turned, unsure if she'd heard correctly, and yet, even though the hanyou didn't repeat it, Kagome knew she'd heard right, and smiled. “You're very welcome, Inuyasha. I…” Suddenly she didn't know what to say, and, as always in such situations, her honest heart won over in the end. “I will always serve you as my King.”

 

She'd almost said her beloved King, but had managed to stop herself just before it was too late, and Kagome knew she had to now be very careful. These were very dangerous waters they were treading.

 

Inuyasha turned to look at her, and she saw, for just an instant, relief, and something else she dared not recognize flicker across his face before his expression hardened once more, though his amber gaze remained kind. “Do you mean that, Kagome?”

 

“I do,” she replied honestly, knowing she'd never meant something so much in her entire life. Smiling, she decided to try and lighten the situation. “And who would have guessed this could happen, considering the fact that I thought I hated you in the beginning for being so rude to me.”

 

At that even Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk. “Yeah, well, I wasn't too wild about you either. I thought you were outspoken and uneducated…and a little stupid.” He shrugged as though it was unexplainable. “So like you said, fate is strange…because now you're my loyalist courtier, outside of maybe Miroku.”

 

Her smile turned slightly sad. “Yes…and now you're calling me in for advice on how to run the kingdom, almost as though I were an equal…as though I was…” She bit her tongue before she could say he made her feel like she was his Queen. That would be too much, even in the tender moment they once again found themselves in.

 

“I didn't mean to treat you poorly, Kagome,” he continued, and she looked away, afraid that he would see the tears threatening to spill over.

 

“I know.”

 

“It's just that, well…” Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I think I'm a little more emotional when I'm in my human form, and that meant I did something I shouldn't, you know?”

 

Kagome closed her eyes tightly, fighting tears as she took a deep breath to push away the pain at his statement. “Do you regret it, Inuyasha? Do you regret what you did?”

 

The hanyou opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly found he was unsure of what he wanted to say. Did he regret it? He certainly knew it had been wrong, but…could he honestly say that he hadn't really wanted it, or that he hadn't enjoyed the feeling of her virgin lips quivering against his own? Could he deny that it had been one of the few truly joyous moments of his life, however brief it had been?

 

Inuyasha sighed.

 

No, he could not. He was too tired to lie to himself any more. “No Kagome,” he finally replied. “I don't regret it.” But he refused to say more. And yet it was enough.

 

Kagome smiled at that and nodded, accepting it and knowing it was the best she could hope to hear from him at such a time. “Is there anything else you require, my lord?”

 

He shook his head. “No; you can go about your day. But could you find Miroku and tell him I need to see him so we can compose this letter?”

 

“Of course.” She turned to leave, noting the fact that he made no warning about how she couldn't tell a soul of what they'd discussed, or of the contents within the letters she'd read. It warmed her heart to know he trusted her enough to just use her common sense and remain loyal to him. In truth, any more that's all she wanted…to know he understood she would never betray him as long as she lived.

 

Perhaps, once, she could have believed it easy to do so; after all, she'd hated the way he treated her those first couple of weeks at court. But now…she smiled. Now she just wanted to be at his side, to help him, and to know he trusted her and relied on her for strength and advice in a way he clearly didn't rely on her sister.

 

She'd just reached the door, her hand on the ivory knob, when she heard him call her back. “Kagome?”

 

Turning, she smiled at him. “Yes?”

 

Inuyasha was sitting at his desk now, gazing at her intently. “Which one of them are you, and which one am I?”

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

His lips curved up into a sad half smile. “Guenevere or Lancelot…which one are you?”

 

Kagome sighed in understanding. “Well, you're the King, and strong just like Arthur…so I suppose you're neither of the others.” She knew that's not what he was asking, but Kagome feared responding in truth, because to do so would suggest that they were secretly in love, and while she knew she loved him, it was too soon to even contemplate he might be starting to love her in return, especially with his wedding only a little over a month away.

 

Her answer seemed to wake him from a stupor, because the hanyou just nodded in understanding and put his head back down to read something before him, reaching for the quill to his right. “I see…well, I suppose that's all. Good day, Lady Higurashi.”

 

She nodded. “Good day, Your Majesty.”

 

Stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door, Kagome leaned against the stone wall and sighed in exhaustion, feeling emotionally wrung out. She just wanted to find Miroku and then go lay down, no longer having the energy to play outside with Shippou, even though that would disappoint the little kitsune.

 

But just as she was headed towards the main dining area, where the King's best ally and adviser normally could be found at that time of day, Kagome passed a group of women, young and old, huddled in a circle, gossiping. Unable to resist, she ducked into a doorway and tried to hear what was being said.

 

“Did you say he took her with him into his study?”

 

“Yes, one of the servants saw them…and she just came out a few moments ago, so they were in there for at least twenty minutes.”

 

“Doing what, do you suppose?”

 

“I don't know…but I certainly cannot blame the poor man for wanting the company of a good, honest girl when he's engaged to such a lying, deceitful woman.”

 

Kagome gasped silently, knowing they were referring to her and Kikyou, shocked to know that someone had seen Inuyasha and herself a while back. How was that possible? They had been completely alone…did this castle have damn eyes in its very walls?

 

“Who's to say the Lady Kagome is all that honest?”

 

“That's right…haven't you heard the way she's been defending her sister lately, and criticizing those who speak the truth? Would you call that honest?”

 

“I call it sisterly devotion, and I think it's admirable of her.”

 

“Well I call it silly denial.”

 

“Denial perhaps, but not intentionally.”

 

“Is denial ever intentional?”

 

“Who knows, really? All I do know is that Naraku man is constantly following Kikyou around, and given that woman's history I don't know whether her attempts to shrug the man off are real or just fake; for all we know she's off romping with him when nobody's looking, and Kagome's helping her!”

 

“Now I think that's a bit severe, Mary. We don't know that Kagome would do that…”

 

“But we don't know that she wouldn't. Mary's right; there's too much power in the Higurashi family for it to be as honest and noble as everyone says. Think about it: their mother is a Marquess in her own right, and may very well have done some less-than-honorable things to earn that title from the King, the eldest daughter is engaged to the King, and the younger is now engaged to Kouga, Lord of the North, while also appearing to have a certain, shall we say special relationship with the King as well. You don't find all of that odd?”

 

“I don't know…I suppose it could be. What a world this is now, with the King of England putting aside his wife for the sake of a whore, our own King engaged to a woman with a tainted reputation. It's not a place for good Christian women any more.”

 

Kagome had heard enough, and forced herself to just walk stiffly and quietly away from the gossiping circle of women, knowing it would just make things worse if she barged into their group and criticized them for saying such things.

 

Still…the nerve of some people! To accuse her own mother, her good, honest mother who had loved her father till the day he died and never again married even though almost ten years had passed, of having an affair with the former King…it was disgusting! And to think that she would ever have a relationship with Inuyasha…granted, she had kissed him, or, rather he'd kissed her, but she swore to herself it would never go any further then that, because they both knew it couldn't.

 

Unsure of where to go, Kagome wandered aimlessly throughout the halls for a while, completely forgetting about finding Miroku until she accidentally bumped into him, giving him the King's message before quickly hurrying on to her mother's chambers, suddenly having the desperate need to be with family since she couldn't run to the one man she wanted more than anything else, and never could again, or it could possibly ruin her, and her family, forever.