Prologue- His Castle, Her Prison
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the poem "His Castle, Her Prison" by Randall Beers
Memorized by his charms,
He captured her heart and soul.
With a promise of lasting love,
He placed upon her head a crown.
She'd learned long ago that fighting, protesting of any kind would make the pain worse. She'd learned that any utterance of the pain inflicted upon her made it nearly lethal, and any eye contact during it would prove disastrous.
She'd learned many things in the violent and pain filled four years she'd been married. Mostly she'd learned that no matter where she went, who she managed to find assistance with, HE'D find her, and when he did, it was never pretty.
She'd married him so young. Stupid and naïve to the violent tendiencies he had. She knew he was harsh, rude, abrasive, and could be down right cruel, but he loved her. So she thought.
The first night he'd been so very sweet, so very endearing. The next month had been bliss. He'd introduced her to his friends, took her to lunch, brought her flowers, and was so kind, so attentive. Then, without warning, he punched her, stating that he'd seen her eyeing the hotel clerk when they'd checked out. He knew she was a slut.
She tried to remind him that the hotel clerk was almost 250 miles away. She just thought he had nice hair. He'd punched her again and again, until she'd screamed herself hoarse, and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning had been worse. He'd been sure she left him that night. She'd gone to HIM and had enjoyed laughing at him as HE'D fucked her. She once again protested. Once again the pain grew blinding.
Over the next four years many things had set him off. She was late, she looked like a whore. She'd been sleeping with his friends. They were laughing at him. She'd made dinner too hot. She'd made dinner too cold, She'd tried to poison him. She'd tried to leave him.
Mostly she just bore the abuse.
Adoration gleaming in his eyes,
He introduced her to his friends.
Proclaiming her his Princess
Vowing always to be her Prince.
Finally, she gave up on trying to live, she simply buried herself and waited for the abuse, the pain, the insults. She had no friends. The ones she'd had had simply given up on her. She never called or wrote any one. She never bothered with them. He managed every detail of her life. She had no money, no future anyway. Not with the voice she had. She couldn't sing. She couldn't do shit. All she was good for was fucking and making babies, and she couldn't do that either.
She'd buried that girl she was. Funny, smart, charming, and so self-assured. She was dead. That Kagome Higurashi was long buried, and all of Kagome's hopes and dreams were buried with her. Now she had no name. She was Bitch. That's what HE called her anyway.
The crown placed upon her head
Became one forged of fear and pain
With the promise of more to come,
His Castle became her Prison.
When he left, he locked her in the house. Clean it. She could do that at least. But one day between scrubbing her floors and cleaning the living room, she'd seen something or rather she'd heard something.
He'd left the TV on in his Room. The one she wasn't allowed to go in. And she guessed it was some kind of talk show. She'd heard the boos and jeers coming from the audience as she'd scuffled back and forth with her supplies. Then suddenly it seemed like everything stopped when she'd heard the whispered things coming from the room.
"My Boyfriend beats me. He locks me in when he leaves the house and when he comes back, he beats me again. We have a three year old daughter and sometimes when he beats me, she's right there."
The talk shoe host sounded sympathetic.
"Why do you let him do that to you?"
The girl whispered back.
"He loves me."
Her world felt tilted and disjointed. She'd said those same things at the beginning of her marriage to him. When she'd tried to nurse herself. When she'd bothered to stand up for herself.
Light turned to darkness,
Gloom would come to visit.
His charms turned to rage.
Her heart and soul prisoner.
A woman in the audience interrupted her thoughts.
"…not love sweetie. No one deserves to be treated like an animal."
The host sighed.
"She's right. Nobody deserves that. I want to do a test. Look in this mirror."
The girl sounded pained, liked he'd slapped her.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"I can't. I don't deserve to look at myself anymore."
Release sought from despair,
She turned within herself.
Seeking relief from her Hell.
By ending her suffering on earth.
Suddenly her world snapped into focus with crystal clarity. She had to get out of there. Hurriedly she gathered some clothes in a duffel, and took a shower. She dressed herself in some of his clothes and hid her knee length hair under a shapeless hat Finally, she made it into the kitchen. She kept the housekeeping money there. Money she'd found cleaning up after him or money he'd thrown at her during one of his fits. She grabbed the whole can and stuffed it in the duffel. She was leaving. She needed ID. She frowned.
She had no ID. She had no name. No matter. She'd find something.
Casting a glance around she grabbed one of the heavy figurines they'd been given by someone in the wedding and taking careful aim, threw it.