A Feudal Fairytale

Chapter 1

"Lord InuTaisho." Kikyo knelt on the stone floor in front of him.

"You have requested an audience?" He asked.

"Yes, my lord. I have request."

"You may get up, now, Kikyo. What is it you wish to obtain? Larger quarters? More food perhaps?"

"No, none of that, It's just fine as it is," she said, rising. "I'd like your son's hand."

"Sesshomaru?" he raised an eyebrow. "You know he's already betrothed."

Kikyo shuddered to herself, and luckily InuTaisho didn't detect it. 'Ugh!' she thought. 'Like I would want to marry that full-demon son of his!' "No, sir. Inuyasha."

"Ahh..."

"Will that be a problem?"

"No, I suppose you deserve it, what with all that you do for us…Very well. Would you like a…marriage, is it?"

"Yes, it is. And I would like that, yes…if it's not too much to ask."

"Not at all! You may be wed in the summer, how does that sound?"

"You are generous, my lord. Thank you for granting my proposal."

"Anytime, Kikyo. You are very important in this tribe; like a daughter to me!"

Kikyo chuckled to hide her grimace. "I am honored, sir. I suppose I shall leave now, I have guard duty in a few hours…" she tried her best to look apologetic.

"Of course, of course…farewell, Kikyo."

"Farewell." She left the castle, and went to her quarters to change into her armor. 'Finally,' she thought, 'I thought I'd never get out of there. But now I am to wed Inuyasha…'she sighed. 'Inuyasha…you are a hanyou, and son of the king here, nonetheless. That means you have power…and a human side…I can love you and still be a miko. I might even be able to turn you completely human…' Her thoughts trailed off as she went outside to her post, and was given dirty looks by the 4 youkai already there, Sango, Miroku, Hojo, and Eri. They dared not say anything to her face, though.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Miroku accused.

"I was held up at the castle," Kikyo said coldly, putting him down and effectively shutting them all up. "I am betrothed to Inuyasha now, isn't that great?" She bit back laughter at the group's stunned faces.

Sango was the first to recover. "So, tell me, does he know yet?"

Eri answered, "Well, he mustn't…he hasn't committed suicide yet. That's what I'd do in his position."

The four laughed as Kikyo scowled. 'Just wait…I'll have my revenge...' She walked away, fuming, to her post.

"Poor Inuyasha, betrothed to that human miko." Hojo said. "She smells of graveyard dirt."

"And Bones!" Eri added.

"I wonder what will happen when he finds out," Miroku mused.

"I have a feeling that we and half of Japan will find out soon enough…" Sango chuckled. At that moment, an earsplitting cry pierced the night air.

"Looks like he found out," Hojo chuckled, rubbing his ears. "Poor man."

"I take it back," Sango complained, massaging her own sensitive ears, "Us and ALL of Japan!"

The group laughed. "Oh, Sango…always a comedian," Miroku said, "I like that in a woman…" He reached out and stroked her butt.

A loud slap was heard throughout the village and nearby forest. "LECHER!" she screamed, as Miroku held a very red cheek.

"But Sango…" he whined.

"Humph!"

The InuTaisho family sat down for dinner. On one end of the table sat Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother and Sesshomaru's stepmother. On the side of the table, to her right, sat Inuyasha, to her left, Sesshomaru. At the head of the table sat InuTaisho himself. They ate in silence, until dessert. As they all chowed down, InuTaisho stood. "Sons, as you know, spring is almost upon us again, and spring means mating season."

Sesshomaru nodded in silence, and Inuyasha said, "Yeah, and your point is, old man?" Izayoi smiled to herself. Inuyasha was the only person who could get away with mouthing off to her mate.

InuTaisho continued. "I have found you both women. You will be mated this summer, and there is no need to go to the Start of Spring Festival; for obvious reasons." After he dropped that bombshell, there was a whole two seconds of silence before Inuyasha shouted, "WWWHHHHAAAATTTT?!?!?!?"

InuTaisho and Sesshomaru both winced and rubbed their ears at the noise, and Izayoi giggled at that. It hadn't bothered her that much, as she was human and her hearing was not as sensitive. "What do you mean, father?" Sesshomaru asked. "Like an arranged mating?"

"Yes, both to women you know, so don't worry; it'll be fine!"

Inuyasha had gotten over the initial shock and was now simmering in his seat, arms crossed tightly across his chest. "Who-are-we-getting-mated-to?" he grated out through clenched teeth. He had yet to find a female he liked in the tribe, with the exception of Miroku's bitch, Sango, let alone love.

"Well…Sesshomaru, I've paired you with Ayumi, that bitch you've been chasing after for the past year-" Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "-and Inuyasha, you will be with Kikyo."

It took all of Inuyasha's self-control to not yell again, louder. 'That human miko?' he thought, 'No way! No way in Hell! It's bad enough I'M hanyou, now I have to marry a human? Damn it!' When he trusted himself to speak he gritted out, "And what SAY do WE have in this?"

"None." InuTaisho said simply.

Inuyasha went into bargaining mode, a trait he'd inherited from his mother. "Fine, if I have to mate that Kikyo girl, can I at least go to the Festival?"

"No, you heard me, there's no need for that! The Festival exists for the sole purpose of meeting potential mates, and with you betrothed, you needn't be a part of that!"

"Come on, old man, lighten up!" he pleaded. "It's bad enough you're forcing me to mate, don't tale away everything!"

"I agree," said Izayoi, standing up. "Inuyasha should be allowed to go, just this one last time."

InuTaisho sighed. When it came to Inuyasha, she always knew how to handle him better. "Very well," he said. "You may go to the Festival. Now leave, both of you."

Inuyasha, somewhat enlightened that he'd been allowed to go, walked out of the room. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and left as well.

"What is it, Izayoi?" He asked wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's just…well, Inuyasha has a human heart, and he might not know it yet, but he doesn't want to mate to someone he doesn't love. I asked you let him go because…well, it would give him a chance to at least experience falling in love. I would also like to ask that mating not be required with Kikyo, so the marriage be annulled if he does actually fall in love…true love, mind you-the kind where he'd give his life to save hers."

"But Iz, it's not that simple! Kikyo would leave, and she's a valuable asset to our tribe-"

"She is a miko, a human miko. Do not tell me her strength exceeds your tribe's own. Have some faith in your people! She is one person. One person cannot do much difference. You need to stop playing favorites, it only ends up hurting people."

He listened to his mate's words and realized that she was right. "Very well," he said. "I suppose you're right…you always know what to do with him, don't you?"

"Mommy knows best," she chuckled, and after a moment he joined her. "I just hope, for his sake, that he does find someone. Better to have loved and lost-"

"-Then to never have loved at all, I know," he finished.

"Let's go to bed," Izayoi yawned. "Lots to do tomorrow. You know, sometimes I wonder why you accepted this position anyway."

"It was you. You told me to accept."

She smiled innocently. "No, that couldn't have been it." He chuckled, and she joined him as they ascended the staircase to the bedroom.

Inuyasha plopped onto his futon, cursing. Why did the old man always have to interfere? 'Oh well,' he thought grimly, 'at least now I can go to the Festival…' He growled in displeasure as he pulled a blanket over him and rolled over onto his side. 'Not that It'll do any good now…' He closed his eyes and was asleep in a matter of minutes.

FIN!

Chapter 1: Boy Meets Girl