Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the InuYasha series, only names and characters from my own imagination. The creation of InuYasha and those associated with him by either manga or anime belong to Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media, Shogakukan, and others who have either invested in the series of books and episodes, or in the company itself. I do not make a financial profit from writing this fan fiction. Only profit I receive is from knowing that my writing has either touched someone deeply or brought joy to someone's day.
Summary: He was a prince from the West. She is the princess of the East. When an accidental death causes war between these two kingdoms, can they save their country from ruin or forfeit the lives of the innocent?
Honor: Chapter 1
TIMES GREW HARD in Japan after that fateful day in the country, after an innocent man's life was taken from him by another, undeservingly. They thought him to be the man who had threatened to take the head of Emperor Jii, the human emperor who presided over the eastern part of their country. Instead, he was a simple demon at home with his loving wife and children. That is what started it all. The wars and burnt villages, the murders of men in front of their raped and battered wives and crying children. Both sides had taken a critical amount of losses during these past few months. Neither Emperor felt for the other, but they felt for their people. Riots were started. Lives were shattered. Rivers once crystal clear turned crimson from blood.
"A life for a life", Emperor Kamisho announced, "one of yours for one of ours." But more than one was taken. After the unfortunate death of his brother, the great Inu No Tashio sent his elite soldiers to the East to take vengeance on one man with a family. One man with a wife and children, to do the same thing that had been done to Masaru and his family. Instead they took a whole village. As a result, Emperor Jii sent his elite to do the same. "A village for a village." He had stated. His men took more. It continued on this way for more than a decade.
Kagome had been a child when it started. She and her mother were snatched from their country home to live in the capital with her grandfather, the Emperor, for protection. He feared that they may be the other Emperors next targets. Her younger brother had already lived with their grandfather, as training to become the next Emperor of the East. But once this war broke out, he no longer wished to have the role. He no longer wished to take on the responsibility of his grandfather's sins. Already had he lost his father to this war, another, he felt he would crumble away to nothing.
On his deathbed, her grandfather passed the unwanted throne to her brother anyway. He had no other male heir to do so. And with is passing, his brother attempted to call a truce, but the sins were to grave, and Emperor Kamisho still wanted that life for a life. So her brother, Emperor Souta, and ten of his personal guard met with Emperor Kamisho and his guard to discuss what could be done to nullify the situation.
"My brother was a good man." Emperor Kamisho stated blandly. "He was a loyal man, a generous husband, and a better brother."
"As was my father." The new Emperor Souta responded with the same tone in his own voice. "A life for a life has been paid."
"I have to disagree. My brother would have lived for millennia if his head was not taken from his shoulders." Sorrow etched its way across Kamisho's profile. "Though his children live on, his wife died as well. Heartache took her from us too soon. While my brother's death has been avenged, his wife's is still to be."
Souta closed his eyes. "What would you have me do then? Plenty of men have lost their lives due to this fruitless war, a war that I did not start, a war that my people did not start. A war of misfortune to our country, our lands, and ourselves."
"A life for a life." Kamisho repeated once again. "A wife, for a wife will also do. And this war will be over."
"You can have your pick of any maiden in my home. Married or not, she is yours."
"Not just any woman would do. She needs to be pure, untouched by any man. Unmarried to any love. Open and willing, over time, to give herself to the one I place her with."
"My sister has many virtuous women who can fit your criteria, if that is what you choose. You may take your selection."
"And what of your sister? Is she untouched?" At this question the young Emperor Souta hesitated. His sister. Kagome. What would she think of this? Would she comply? Knowing her, she would not. She would be highly upset if he chose to give her away for anything less than love. As a brother asking his sister to do this for the greater good of Japan, she would surely rebel against the idea. As an Emperor commanding her to do so, she would have no choice.
"She is not."
"Does she love another?" Another question. Another unknown answer.
"Not as far as my knowledge is concerned. She does not."
Satisfied for once since his brother's death, Emperor Kamisho nodded. "Very well then, your sister will do."
Though a heavy weight had been lifted off the shoulders of the newly named Emperor, a greater one fell on them. "And what are your plans for her? She is my sister, a princess of my Empire. She should be treated no less than that."
"She will bed my son, InuYasha. He is past the age to mate, and I would have him do so upon her arrival to my home."
"She is human," Souta retorted, "She would want to marry before she 'mates' or beds any man."
"If you wish, they can marry first, as the ways of your people. I understand a woman's need for virtue, honor, and self-respect. My wife is a human, the mother of my youngest, InuYasha. She too would not take me to bed until I wed her."
"And your son, InuYasha, he would not harm her in any way? Besides my mother, my sister is all I have in this world, and I would have your word that no harm came to her, even in her dying days."
"I will behead my son and send your sister back to you whole and healthy if he would so much as try to lay a finger on her."
"And I know your word it true?"
"A dog is as true as they come. Our word is our life. The moment one has any integrity issue, he is killed. I cannot trust a man who will sacrifice his integrity to save his skin. We do not hurt our women other than the two necessary times. This I will tell you. One is to take them, and the other to claim them."
"I understand the need for pain to take them. But why the need for pain to claim them. I understand you may grow frustrated with me; I have to insure that she is safe. That is all."
"The mark of a mate, it ensures she is untouched by any other male of any other species. Unless they wish to die themselves. To take a mate of another is once again an integrity issue that I, nor my clan will consent to. Your sister is safe with us, I promise you. We treat our women with respect. Without them, our clan would surely regress over time."
"Very well then. This union will have my blessing." Standing up Souta walked towards the opening of the tent they met in.
"Your sister, what is her name?" Kamisho asked.
"Princess Kagome, Daughter of the East."
"Beautiful name, she has. Tell her not to be frightened. I will send five of my soldiers with you to ensure her safe passage to my kingdom. Without them, she will not make it."
"And I will send five of my soldiers with them to the border, without them, your men would surely die, and this war will reinstate itself again." With the final words said, Emperor Souta made his way back home with fifteen soldiers in tow. Five demons from the dog clan, and ten humans from his own.
"WHAT DO YOU mean by this brother? You sold me off to another man to save yourself a heart attack!"
She was upset. More upset than Souta could have realized. What had he done? "No," he told her in a calming voice. "I did not sell you. You are going to single handedly save your people from destruction."
"A destruction that I did not cause. A destruction that you did not cause." She said out of anger towards the one man in her life that she swore would have made sure of her safety.
"It is done, sister. I am asking you as a brother to do this." He left his sentence hanging. A threat that was unspoken, yet it still drifted in the air as if it were blossoms in the spring.
"Or what?" She asked him, knowing that he was going to pull something from behind his back. A trick, the same tricks her grandfather used to use.
"You do not want to know." He replied to her statement.
"Grandfather would have never allowed this to happen."
"How do you think we got here?"
"Mother fell in love." Souta dropped his head into his hands at her statement.
"Mother did not fall in love with our father until after they had been married. You leave tonight. No need to take your belongings. They have kimono makers there who will create appropriate attire for you fit for their kingdom. Fit for their ways of living. You only need to arrive in your best kimono. They have already begun on your wedding kimono."
"My what?" Alright, Kagome was more upset than what Souta had realized. 'Over time,' Souta had said to himself. 'Kagome will adjust over time.'
Standing up to leave the throne room, Souta uttered the words he never wanted to say. "Seeing you will not satisfy my request to you as a brother, I command you, as your Emperor to begin gathering memorabilia to take with you on your journey. Say your final goodbyes. You leave before dark."
As soon as Souta left the throne room, his knees buckled from under him and he slid down the wall. "Your majesty!" guards and servants from all around came to his aide. "Are you alright?" they shouted.
"Yes, I am fine. Exhausted is all. Call Kohaku here. I must have word. Tell him I will be in my chambers."
"Yes your majesty, I will leave and fetch him now." His guard, Hojo announced. "You two, ensure that Emperor Souta makes it to his chambers unscathed."
"Yes sir," the men called out, each going to a side of the emperor and helping him to his feet.
Only moments after Souta undressed out of his robes did Kohaku come to his chambers. "You called?" He asked. "Your guard, Hojo, said you had fallen and requested me specifically. Is everything alright? How are you feeling? Would you like for me to fetch a priestess or a monk to help you with your healing?"
"No, no. That is quite alright. No such need. My body has been through a lot these past few days. I just need some rest is all."
"If rest is what you need, your Highness, allow me to leave and see you to it."
"No." Souta stopped his longtime friend. "I am in need of you. I am in need of your wisdom."
"Yes?" Kohaku replied, his interest peaking, and his curiosity getting the better of him. "What is it that you need. Anything, and it will be yours."
"I need you to be my friend, Kohaku." Souta paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I fear that I have made a mistake. A major one. One that will alter my course as Emperor over the Eastern Kingdom. I fear my people will no longer have the same love for me as they once did when word spreads about what I have done."
"What is it?" a worried Kohaku approached his ruler. Sitting before him, he gave his friend his undivided attention, knowing full well that he needed it. Souta was not one to come to any other about his troubles, and for him to do so, it had to be severe. "You can tell me anything. Your problems are safe with me, this you know."
"Yes, I do know Kohaku. This is why you and only you can be my trusted advisor on the matter. If I back down from this now, the war will be worse, and all of our lives will be in danger. The Eastern Kingdom of Japan will no longer be so, and our entire country will be ruled by Emperor Kamisho."
Worry etched over Kohakus' features, though, still he stayed, allowing Souta to continue.
"I fear that I have made a deal with the devil himself. A life for a life, he demanded, and this war that begun under my grandfather's rule would be over. His son, InuYasha, prince of the Western Kingdom will be wed to Kagome by the end of the week. She will be his mate. She will sire his children. And she will never return home to us unless wrong has been done to her."
His friends eyes widened in horror. He knew he had done wrong. Perhaps he should have discussed this with Kohaku before agreeing to the terms.
"And how does your sister feel about this?" he asked. "Does she comply?"
"No. She does not. She refused to do this favor as a sister and as a princess to her people. So, I had to force my hand. I ordered her to do it as her Emperor. The consequence of disobeying a direct order from me is death. This she knows."
"And if she still refuses?"
"She must die, a life for a life."
"Souta, what have you done?"
"I fear that I have dug myself into a hole, and there is no escaping it."
"And what of my sister? What of Sango? Does she go with Kagome, or does she stay?"
"Kagome and all of her maidens will go with her."
"Sango and the monk, Miroku are to be married, Souta. In the next new moon, Sango and the monk are to settle down and begin their own family."
"Miroku will go with her. They will be together, but they will not marry, not under my hand. If they are to be together, that will be up to the Emperor Kamisho, not I. Miroku will go as a consort and an ambassador for us. He will ensure my sister is treated properly by her husband and his people. He will ensure that no harm comes to her, and should it be, he will send word to us immediately."
"My friend, you have already pushed a boulder and it cannot stop. When are they to leave?"
"Tonight, my friend. Before the sun touches the horizon."
KAGOME SAT IN her room. Her face was swollen from the tears that fell down her cheeks. Her hair was once in a mess, but was now being redone due to her tantrums. Her makeup was reapplied in the styles of their people. Her skin was being scented with perfume. She closed her eyes. Kagome loved her brother, but she felt although she would never forgive him for what he had done to her. What he had done to her maidens. The betrayal she felt was too severe.
They would depart as soon as she was ready. And that would not take long. Four girls were going to be ripped from their families. Sango from Kohaku, her brother's royal advisor. Ai, from her sickly mother. Mae and Massimo from their elderly grandmother, the great healer and priestess, Kaede. There was a high possibility that they would never find love. They would die never knowing how it felt to be loved.
"Princess Kagome," Sango, head maiden to her personal court. "You are ready."
"Yes. Have you all said your final goodbyes to your loved ones?"
"Yes we have. We took turns to go and see them all a final time. Your brother, the Emperor, ensured their safety and wellbeing. He promised that he would take care of them and see to all their personal and financial needs."
"This was nice of him, I suppose. I would not take it to heart myself. Money cannot replace family."
"No. It cannot, though it can help." Sango lifted a hand to her mistress. "Shall we go, any later and the treaty will be null in void."
"Why am I doing this?" Kagome asked.
"To protect your people. To protect both the ones you love and the ones you could have. To protect innocent children from knowing slaughter in their lives, and to ensure that your country has a future, and is not demolished in self ruin."
"It sounds nice," Kagome replied taking Sango's hand. "When you say it, it sounds nice and easy. Until you realize you are marrying a demon. A man who is not human. And you are to have is demon spawn."
"When put like that, it does sound terrible. You have to think of it from a good point of view. You are stronger than this. And if in any way you feel like he is treating you wrong, though war would likely ensue again, you have the ability to come home."
"That would be a direct defiance to the crown. My head will be served on a silver platter, and my body will be among the dead. This is no longer my home."
"Come, it might not be so bad. He may be a gentle soul who is looking to show you how much of a gentleman he can be."
"Demons are not gentlemen. They are monsters, and one is to be my husband in a few days. I shall prolong our departure until I can no longer.
By the time they left, the sun was moments from touching the horizon. Guarded by ten soldiers, five human and five demons, the left. Her mother came to say goodbye. Her brother stood in his window and watched her leave. She looked up at him for only a brief moment in time, and the look on his face would haunt her dreams for many years to come. He had not looked happy with himself. He had looked as if he were being torn from the inside out. This is something that Kagome had wished not to see. The hatred for her brother that she had once had left her body, and sorrow enveloped her emotions.
'Goodbye, brother. Until we see each other again.' She thought to herself as her caravan made its way into the forest.
OH MY KAMI! RIGHT!? That chapter took a lot out of me. Tons of emotions. Tons of hurt and pain! I had to force myself to feel these emotions that were creeping through me into this piece. I know you guys have a lot of questions for me, which you can ask me on facebook.