Author's Note: As soon as this story came to mind, I couldn't resist. I have the entire thing outlined, each chapter detailed (for the most part), and even a couple of moments written. I get very restless while at work, and this story is the result of it.
Sango's Choice is inspired by the story of Helen of Troy. Specifically, the line that brought this story into being is the face that launched a thousand ships (a very popular allusion, which I hope you've all heard). Sango's Choice will not completely follow the story of Helen of Troy, so don't go thinking you know exactly how this will end! I intend to take you along a couple of twists and turns before we get anywhere close to an ending.
Title: Sango's Choice
Description: When her people are put at risk, Princess Sango of the Taijiya kingdom lays her future on the line in place of her people's. Men from lands far and wide appear to fight for her hand in marriage, and bring with them wealth, promises, and veiled, twisted hearts. How heavy is the weight of sacrifice? How sharp is the knife it carries?
Rating: T for violence, mature themes, and some language.
Pairings: The main pairing will be Sango/Miroku. There are tons of side pairings, so stay tuned!
Setting: This is an Alternate Universe set in ancient times. It is a world of kings and queens, of kingdoms and wars and court secrecy. It is a world of power, dominion, and tragedy.
Chapter 1: A Flower Blooming
The villagers were accustomed to dread. They were used to taking precaution, and they knew how to check and double check. They planted their most important crops in the secret places. Their best kept tips of their trade were learned through dread, through working around dread, to living with dread.
So when they woke up and stepped outside, when they realized the source of their dread had failed to meet them, they were stunned. Silently, each family looked out and saw their village untouched. No cattle were missing. All their public garden crops were growing, still. The flowers were uncrushed, vibrant and alive, bloomed overnight. Its scent was foreign to them — flowers had never lived long enough to bloom before.
Things looked just as they'd left them, and that was the most fearsome thing of all. The only difference in the scene, they realized, was the purple haze in the air. If they squinted just right, they could see it: a clear, purple fog, faint but visible enough to garner a second glance, enough to make the villagers squint to see it.
The murmuring began. Why hadn't the Tree Demon come? He had come every few months for years. They were too small of a village to find help, and too poor to pay for help even if it arrived. The village lived in anticipation of the Tree Demon's arrival, they even kept track of time by his coming. Now, he had failed to appear, and when combined with the purple hue in the air, there was only one logical conclusion to be made.
The Silent Hero had come.
The crack of a Kusarigama released into the air was too loud. It wouldn't do, and as Kohaku snapped it back into his hand, he winced at the weight of it against his palm. He thought about this sometimes, how he held the power of life and death in this one weapon of his. He knew just how to weld it. He had learned well.
He just wasn't sure if he believed what he had learned, yet.
"I don't see the point in training," Kohaku grumbled, his uncertainty coming out as complaints, "It's not like we've had any work to do in months."
"When it comes, you must be ready, young prince," his master Totosai said wisely as he watched carefully.
"What if it doesn't come?" the teenage prince asked, turning around to face Totosai with a challenging expression. "Ever since the Silent Hero showed up, there have been no demons for us to kill anyways. He's doing all the work, and once he's finished, there won't be any demons left."
"Release your weapon. We shall see if your prophecy comes to truth."
With a sigh, Kohaku followed his master's orders and turned his back to the old man, snapping his wrist as he strongly whipped the Kusarigama forward. His frustration had been unleashed with his weapon and the move was surprisingly steady, his pent up emotions perfecting his technique. Both Kohaku and Totosai paused for a single moment, in awe at the mastery he showed in that one motion.
The moment ended when a large boomerang guided itself directly onto the path of the Kusarigama and fell to the ground with it. At the sight of the weapon, Kohaku burst into a grin and looked around expectantly. "Sango?!"
His older sister appeared behind him, smiling at him. "Looks like you have more training to do," Sango commented, a hint of teasing in her tone.
Kohaku grinned and drew the Kusarigama back, the Hiraikotsu turning over as his weapon flew into his palm. "That was a perfect one, and you know it!" he called out, feigning offense.
"It was, but it could have easily been thwarted in battle. Perfect technique means nothing without the perfect plan," Sango recited one of their father's favorite sayings.
"You can't expect the young prince to master two difficult skills at once, Princess," Totosai jumped in. Kohaku nodded vehemently at his mater's words until his master began speaking again. "He is much too simple for that," the old man suddenly added.
Sango chuckled at the look of surprised indignation on Kohaku's face. She grabbed the Hiraikotsu and mounted it on her back before she made her way over to Kohaku and put an arm around his shoulders. "You're advancing quickly," she said kindly. He smiled at the compliment, but the silence gave away his unease to his sister, who had always been the one to see his emotions for what they were.
"It's okay to want to slow down, Kohaku," she said quietly, careful to keep Totosai from hearing. The master took the hushed tones as a sign to leave, and respectfully stepped away from the training grounds, heading back to the palace.
"Did you ever want to slow down? Did Father?" Kohaku asked, his voice soft but steady.
"No," Sango answered honestly, "I wanted to keep going. But Father asked me if I wanted to." Kohaku's head lifted in surprise at that detail, and in return got an affectionate head rub from his sister. "Father never expected me to keep going, or even wanted me to. He let me decide, and made sure I know I always had a choice. You have a choice too, Kohaku. Don't forget."
"Why hasn't he asked me, then?"
"Because it took me much longer to get to where you are right now," Sango said proudly, her voice revealing the grin on her lips.
"That's because you trained with Father, and he was too busy to turn you into a slave like Totosai does," Kohaku complained.
That got a laugh out of Sango, and she hugged him from where she stood beside him. Kohaku's frown lifted into a begrudging smile; his sister had always been the one to ease his every worry. "Totosai means well, the tricky old man," she murmured, "but he is good at what he does, you have to admit."
"It's not like there's any point in hurrying, though," Kohaku countered.
"What's that supposed to mean? You don't want to become a slayer?"
"The Silent Hero does all of the work now, our people haven't gone out in ages."
"The Silent Hero, or whatever they're calling him or her, is of no importance to us. Our people will be fine, Kohaku, and so will we." She kissed the top of his head, at which Kohaku blushed gently. "Now run off before Totosai comes back and makes you train again."
"Okay. Thanks, Sango. I'll see you later!" He ran off, looking back once with an enthusiastic wave. It wasn't until he was out of sight that Sango's smile fell to a grim frown.
There was a protocol to be followed in every court, even one as open and familial as Taijia. If one wished to speak with the King, a scroll of announcement must be submitted. The scroll, marked with a family crest, was passed through the King's advisors before given to the King himself. The process was lengthy and thorough, and could sometimes take days to months to be granted.
Even for the King's immediate family, there was a protocol to follow, albeit much simpler and perhaps more childish. There was a back door to the King's courtroom that leads to a small room, empty and plain save for a small hole in the wall. When the King was alone, the hole showed a clear view into the room, but when the King was occupied, the hole was covered. The back door was a secret held closely to the King's family, and it was a secret frequently used.
Today, the King was alone in the Courtroom. He didn't look up at the sound of his eldest daughter's arrival, continuing to read through a stack of scrolls beside him.
"My father is a popular man indeed," Sango joked lightly as she lowered herself to a curtsy before his throne.
"Not a man," her father boomed, "a King." His tone was boisterous despite its projected volume and Sango could hear the smile in his voice.
"The people are troubled?" Sango asked.
The King sighed and set the scroll in his hand down, his dark eyes fondly alight but tired nonetheless. "The crown is a heavy burden indeed," he said cryptically. Sango's eyes lifted to the circlet atop his head, bright and regal and proud. "There is nothing out of the ordinary today. What about you, Princess Sango? Is something troubling you, as well?"
"Just Kohaku, Father."
"Ah." He leaned back against his throne and appraised his daughter with a sharp gaze. "He is still hesitant about his training, is he?"
"Yes," Sango admitted, "but that's not why I came."
"So you reassured him, then."
She smiled humbly. "Yes, I tried."
"Good. The two of you are as thick as thieves. I'm a lucky father to have such children. Now, what about Kohaku is worrying you this time, Sango?"
"He… He knows about the Silent Hero."
"I was wondering why he said nothing about it. It took a long time. And I'm guessing you're the reason for that?"
"I've been trying to keep him focused on other things," Sango confessed.
"Perhaps there is no need for such measures, Sango. Kohaku is becoming a man. He perfected the Whiplash, after all."
Sango blinked up at her father a few times before she found her voice again. "You… you know?"
"Totosai was just here to inform me of his progress as he does every week. I'm proud of him, daughter. Aren't you?"
"Yes, of course I am, Father, but—"
"Kohaku is skilled. He is bright. More than that, he is kind. There is nothing about him that suggests he is unworthy of knowing information that is pertinent to our kingdom's fate."
"It's not that I find him unworthy, Father, I had just hoped..."
"I know. And I would expect nothing less from you, Sango. I know you as well as I know Kohaku, and I understand. But a flower cannot bloom when kept in the dark, Princess. Flowers belong in the light."
"And if the light overpowers the flower?" Sango challenged, unable to quell her sisterly protectiveness.
"I believe that this particular flower will grow, regardless."
"Why?" The young princess's voice was demanding, momentarily losing the respect owed to royalty. "Kohaku needn't know of struggle yet, of hunger, of the weight that a title can carry. He is but a boy, Father."
"He will bloom because he has a great sister to show him the way," the King said patiently. Sango's eyes stung with the threat of tears, and he smiled softly. "He will bloom because he has seen you bloom, Sango. He couldn't have a better person to look up to."
There was a beat of silence as Sango turned his words over, absorbing her father's response until finally, she nodded and curtsied. "I will see you at dinner, Father," she said respectfully, the lack of noticeable warmth betraying her frustration. The King smiled fondly and nodded; Sango was dismissed.
He doesn't understand, he's the King, he has too many things to think about so he neglects Kohaku's innocence and wellbeing! Kohaku is training and he's improved much but he is not close to being finished, he needs to focus on those things, not the Silent Hero, whoever he or she is…
"Princess Sango!" Sango stopped and turned towards the voice that had called her name, panting but piercing nonetheless. A young priestess came forward, the flush in her cheeks proof of her running hard to catch up to the more athletic princess. The young woman curtsied and held out a long piece of cloth, a bright mint green color but plain otherwise. At the sight of Sango's perplexed expression, she hurried to explain. "Prince Kohaku left this behind at the shrine after speaking with Priestess Kikyo."
"He was speaking with Priestess Kikyo?" Sango questioned, taking the cloth that she now recognized as his makeshift belt.
"Yes, he was. When Prince Kohaku heard the two of us discussing current events, he immediately asked to be informed."
"And you did? Inform him, I mean?"
"Oh, I'm not sure, Princess Sango. I left shortly after he came, to greet shrine visitors."
"So he was left with Kikyo?"
"Yes, Princess."
"I see. Thank you, priestess." Sango nodded respectfully and the young priestess curtsied quickly before turning to head back. "Wait!" The young priestess paused and turned around again. "What is your name, Priestess?"
"Kagome." The young woman smiled brilliantly, surprising Sango with its warmth. "You can call me Kagome."
Taijiya was particularly renowned for demon slaying, enough to name the kingdom itself after the practice. They were, first and foremost, warriors. They fought for those they love, they fought for those who needed their help, and they fought for whatever they believed in. But the Taijiyans knew that a world cannot have fighters alone; they needed people to fight for, and people to return to.
They also knew how important the spirits can be, despite their work in the physical realm. The Taijian priestesses have always been particularly powerful, for obvious reasons. The slayers routinely brought demons back to the kingdom to use them once more: to turn their bones into weapons, to use their hide as armor, and to create protective barriers for their families and friends.
Kikyo had been one of the most promising priestesses as a young woman, and when she was of age, she was immediately asked to join the Taijiya kingdom as their High Priestess.
Sango had only been a teenage girl when Kikyo first arrived to court, but she remembered the day clearly. She remembered thinking that the priestess was beautiful. She remembered that Kikyo did not smile. The Taijiya High Priestess had a king face and soulful eyes, but she did not smile. Not once.
Since then, the two woman rarely crossed paths, treating each other with respect and honoring each other's importance. They remained in their separate spheres, serving their people and their land from different angles.
Today, Sango sought Priestess Kikyo out.
"Princess Sango, welcome," came Kikyo's smooth voice of velvet. The High Priestess did not curtsy but instead offered a deep nod, which Sango returned.
"Priestess, I hear my younger brother has been here earlier this week," Sango said directly, unwilling to make small talk.
"Yes. We spoke on multiple occasions, whenever he came by. He first visited three weeks ago. The young prince is an inquisitive young boy, with a promising young mind."
Sango nodded in agreement before moving on. She looked as regal as a princess should, and as hard as a rock, too.. "Priestess, I would like to know if you informed my brother of the Silent Hero."
"I did indeed. He had heard whispers of the new demon slayer, and he had noticed the infrequency of Taijiya's own people taking on a new mission. He caught on, he asked, and I answered." Kikyo's detatched eyes sharpened and fixated a challenging stare at Sango. "Would you rather I have lied to the boy?"
"He is your prince, and I am your princess. I ask that you do not interfere with what is outside of your jurisdiction."
Kikyo didn't respond immediately, appraising Sango with a distant look on her face. Sango searched for emotion, an open window, a look into the priestess's thoughts that would reveal just what Kikyo was looking for. She found nothing. The two looked on, each woman examining the other, each woman carefully keeping a veil over her eyes.
"Princess Sango. Please, would you take a walk with me?" Kikyo suddenly asked, beginning to move without waiting for a response. Surprised at the sudden request, Sango begrudgingly followed and remained quiet, sensing that Kikyo would begin speaking when she was ready.
"The Silent Hero is a threat to the Taijiya kingdom. You know this." Kikyo glanced at Sango, who nodded gravely in confirmation. "Kohaku is your brother. I understand your wishes to protect him. Contrary to popular belief, I am not an unfeeling and unattached ghost of a woman. I have a home village. I have a younger sister. I relate, Princess Sango. Any other woman would be praised for such honorable intentions as ours, but we are not other women. You are not just his sister, he is not just your brother, and I am not just Kaede's neesan."
"You are a princess. Kohaku is a prince. I am the High Priestess of the Taijiya kingdom. Kohaku must learn to deal with a threat. You worry, of him being distracted, burdened, even tainted by any news of the world. I will not lie to you, Princess, your worries may come to pass — if he does not receive proper guidance. You will be the one to show him how to be the prince he is. You must."
"Priestess, you speak of duty, as if I do not know my own," Sango replied, adopting the same formal tone Kikyo had used when speaking to her. "I know all of this. I will protect Kohaku, because that is not only my duty, it is also my heart."
Sango took a deep breath, grasping at the last bits of her composure before she carried on. "But you will understand that you do not have the right to inject yourself into the life and mind of Taijiya's prince. It is not your place, Priestess, and you have overstepped your boundaries in this. You do not have the right to inform Kohaku of the Silent Hero, even if you believe it to be the right thing to do. The people are already at unease. Their fears would only be heightened if Kohaku was restless and conflicted."
"Then make sure he isn't, Princess." Kikyo stopped walking and looked up to the sky as if searching for a hidden message within the clouds. She ignored the weight of the eyes intently fixed upon her, its gaze holding the heat of an unhappy princess. "I must leave now. Remember my words, Princess Sango. Heed my advice."
The priestess, true to her word, left and headed to the shrine. The princess stood alone, now looking up to the heavens herself, searching for whatever Kikyo had seen.
What's Happening in Chapter 2? The Silent Hero must be dealt with, and dealt with soon. The King, Sango, and the King's advisors meet up to do just that.
Author's Note: This was a lot of Kohaku — not that that's a bad thing, right?