Life as a Peasant

By 246Nakuro

Summary: When Izoyi the Queen of the WEST kingdom is chased from her land and throne she runs into a demon by the name of Inutashio, who ends up not only saving her, but her land, and her people.

Chapter 1: Meeting and Transforming

Izoyi ran from the men chasing her, they wanted her dead because she was the only royal member of the WEST kingdom and they were overthrowing the Kingdom. Running away and panting she ran into someone who fell to the ground and grumbled something as a bunch of chopped wood fell around them. Her eyes landed on the man she had accidently trampled. He was rubbing his hand though his whitish silver hair, his golden eyes were watching her intently, and Izoyi lost all thoughts at this beautiful man. Suddenly before either of them could get a word out they both heard the sound of horse's hooves and yells.

"I'm sorry for trampling you, but I must go!" Izoyi helped the demon up and quickly ran off.

Inutashio raised one of his delicate eyebrows as what seemed like an army chased after Izoyi. He growled in anger at his good natured heart and went to get on his horse, the freshly chopped firewood now long forgotten. Galloping after the army he quickly caught up to Izoyi because his horse was a brumby and used to this land and the army's horses had been running for a long time. Staying next to Izoyi was easy; he extended a hand to her.

"Grab my hand!" He ordered but she continued running and raised an eyebrow at him like he was insane. "Well if you want to take your chances with THEM…" He motioned towards the army of men chasing her. "That can be arranged."

She grabbed his hand and he quickly pulled her up onto the back of his horse then urged his horse into a gallop towards a cave. Leaping off the horse and pulling Izoyi with him as they rounded the corner he pulled her into the cave. His horse continued to gallop away from them. The army followed the horse, Izoyi and Inutashio stayed quiet until they were sure the army was long gone. Izoyi watched this man that was risking his life for her, a complete stranger, with admiration.

"Sorry." Izoyi told the man after they were sure the army was long gone. "I took you away from everything important to you. Your family, your home, you're gonna be hunted now because I made you help the likes of me. I'm so sorry."

"Really, your fault?" Inutashio asked her sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Poked me with a cattle prod did you? Threatened to kill me did you? Offered to give me riches beyond my wildest dreams did you?"

"Well no but…"

"Look uh…"

"Izoyi." She told him her name, and thought how silly it was that she hadn't told him sooner, but well that was the past.

"Look Izoyi. I choose to help you. I knew the possible consequences. But I helped you anyway. Why? Because it's what I wanted to do. I wanted to help you, no matter the danger."

"Well… Thank you."

"Inutashio."

"Huh?"

"Inutashio. That's my name. You can all me Touga, if you like."

"Thank you. Lord Inutashio." Izoyi fell into a deep sleep, finally being able to sleep for a change after a week of running away and half awake all the time took a lot out of her.

Inutashio looked at the girl sleeping peacefully and moved the hair out of her eyes. "What's this? Why do I feel this way around you?" He whispered to himself before he fell asleep too. Inutashio awoke with Izoyi already awake and cooking breakfast. "Wanted to get away from me did you?" Inutashio asked with a laugh.

"Yes I wanted to leave the man who saved my life." Izoyi joked back. "You got it right Lord Inutashio."

"Touga. Not lord. Just Touga or Inutashio." He told her with a small smile.

"Yes… Lo… uh I mean Inutashio." Izoyi felt weird not having titles with this guy.

"Nice to meet you again Izoyi." Inutashio replied taking the food she gave him.

As they ate, Inutashio watched her and had to ask. "Hey. Izoyi."

"Yes?"

"Why was that army chasing you?"

Izoyi sighed and placed her food down. "You have to promise that you'll still treat me the same as you do now if I tell you."

"I promise."

"I'm known as Queen Izoyi of the WEST. But right now my land has been taken over and my parents and all my family but me was killed." Izoyi started crying and covered her face with her hands trying to stifle the sobs.

Izoyi jumped and looked though her hands as Inutashio hugged her close to his chest and sobbing she hugged him back. Inutashio felt the front of his shirt becoming soaked with tears, but he did absolutely nothing to stop the source. He gently pet her head down to her waist calming Izoyi down with no words. Suddenly he gently but firmly dropped her to the ground standing between her and the woods.

"What's wrong Lor… Inutashio?"

Suddenly a man charged at her sword raised to strike. Izoyi gasped and cowered in a ball only to hear a grunt and opening her eyes she stared as Inutashio stood between her and the man growling at him. The man charged again only this time she watched as Inutashio grabbed his hands and she saw the blood from the deep cut the man had planted on him but he threw the man back and the man slumped against the tree, unconscious.

"Come on Izoyi." Inutashio urged her gently. "He won't stay out for long."

Izoyi followed Inutashio until night fell and they set up camp. She looked at him, he was treating her differently already, but not in the way she expected. As he set up the fire she grabbed his hand and forced him to stay still and started to clean his cut.

"Thank you… For saving my life… Again." Izoyi told him as sincere as she felt.

"Izoyi…" Izoyi looked at Inutashio as he grabbed her hand gently causing her to look at him. "I make you this promise. I'll protect you with my life."

"You…" Izoyi took a deep breath and tried to stop her heart from beating so fast. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to. If you'll let me."

"…Yes."

Smiling he let her finish her first aid and helped him to cook the boar he had caught for their dinner. He stayed up as Izoyi fell asleep and he watched her breathe steadily. He knew they had been followed but he wouldn't let them get to her. Not on his life. As the man charged at them he was flung against the tree and upon hearing the snap of a bone, knew he'd have some time before the next attack and went to sleep next to Izoyi.

The next morning when they awoke Izoyi was on edge and Inutashio was growling at the forest again. Suddenly the entire army went to lunge at Izoyi but was stopped by Inutashio.

"Izoyi. RUN!" Izoyi obeyed her self-appointed body guard, only to cry out as a man caught her. "No!" Ignoring the other men he grabbed Izoyi right out of the man's hand and placed her on his back. The men charged at him but this time he was done playing around. "Hang on." He ordered Izoyi as he formed his chi cloud under him, breaking the concealing spell on him.

As he took to the sky he glanced at the men who had seen his markings and knew that a demon was protecting Izoyi. Luckily they hadn't seen them too deeply. He heard a gasp from his shoulder and looked at Izoyi who was clinging onto him for dear life. He landed softly a few thousand miles away from those men and since she had seen him he turned to face her as he was.

"You're… A demon." Izoyi responded then slapped herself mentally at how plain that sounded. "I mean, that your -"

"It's ok. I get what you mean. You're not afraid?"

"No. I'm amazed and shocked. But not afraid. It's still you Inutashio. Even if you are a demon."

He smiled at her and she grabbed his hand and they started walking to get more distance between their pursuers. Inutashio looked at her and her luscious hair that looked as soft as silk. She turned to face him with confusion in her eyes.

"Why?" the question was so innocent, so plain, so clean that he turned away from her so he couldn't be hurt in any way by asking his own question.

"Why what?"

"I understand. You don't feel comfortable telling me. I'm just curious is all! Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's personal and a stranger like me has no right to know. Forget I said anything."

Inutashio sighed, it was weird and he knew it, but he felt obligated to tell her. "I… I was gonna be forced to marry a demon I didn't love. If I'm gonna be married I want it to be for love, not politics. So I ran. I ran and ran until I could run no more, then I walked until I couldn't walk anymore, then I crawled until I couldn't crawl anymore. I made myself a small house, and I lived comfortably as a peasant for the next three years. I planned on staying there until I passed away… Then you showed up. I'd never met anyone like you before. Even now. You look at me, and all my markings, and you still treat me like I'm someone. Someone important."

"It's because you are important to me. And not because of your rank, or your title, or even your offer to protect me with your life. Your important to me because you are willing to die and fight for someone who let's face it, would be dead and out of your hair by now had you not."

They sat in comfortable silence, eating their dinner. Done they threw their dinner out. Inutashio looked over at Izoyi and ran his hand though her hair without asking. Izoyi stiffened and looked back at him but as he gently continued to run his fingers though her hair she grabbed his hair and did the same.

Izoyi and Inutashio fell asleep once again holding each other close. Inutashio had never allowed another woman, demon or human alike, this close to him if he could help it. But with Izoyi the playing field was different, he was drawn to her and he knew it. He knew what his demon was telling him without so much as a word. He loved this woman. Loved her with his whole heart. He wanted nothing more than just to be by her side until the end of time.