Author's note: This story is dedicated to a friend of mine who won 2 of the fan fiction challenges we had. I LOVE YOU FISH! –I love lemon, leaf and pudding too! - So this story is dedicated to you Fish!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha.
P.S: I would love to own Rin and Sesshoumaru though…
A long time ago, the land of our ancestor's was segregated into four different kingdoms, ruled by benevolent rulers.
They were dubbed the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern Kingdoms.
Our story begins in the Southern Kingdom, a peaceful…
"NO WAY! I WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"
Well…it was peaceful; most of the time.
The sound of a door slamming and a scurry of footsteps followed.
"Kagura-sama! Come back here! We're not finished discussing this yet!" a deep voice echoed after her.
She paid no heed, for soon, the sound of footsteps became softer…and softer.
With a sigh, the elderly man turned to the petite figure next to him.
"Rin, I need you to try and talk some sense into that girl! You're the only one she listens to, now that her father has passed away…" a faraway look entered his eyes as he gazed past her shoulder.
Rin gave him a regretful smile. "Tanaka, you're not the only one who misses the King you know,"
"Yes…Yes I do know. But I cannot help but wonder how things will be like, now that he's gone…"
"We'll get by,"
"With war right on our doorstep? I would think we'll scrape by!" he chuckled.
"We have Kagura-sama. I'm sure we'll make it through," Rin offered.
"Oh no! I totally forgot about that. At this rate, we'll definitely be defeated!" he teased earning a laugh from Rin.
"Kagura-sama may be willful at times, but she's got a good heart," Rin stood akimbo.
"Yes well, now is the time she stopped being so willful, and grow up,"
"By growing up you mean by agreeing to this treaty, don't you?"
"I have no choice Rin. The King himself signed this,"
"He let his own daughter marry a perfect stranger to cease the war between the Western land and the Southern land? That doesn't sound like him," Rin heatedly argued.
"He had nothing left to lose Rin. You probably know as well as I do that we are loosing this war; badly. Try and understand his predicament,"
"As much as I may understand, I owe himno loyalty. I only answer to Kagura-sama, and I will do so only until she herself orders me away," she bowed her head and hurried after her mistress.
'What a way to start the day…'
"Kagura-sama! Kagura-sama, please open the door!" Rin knocked on the oak wood.
Silence.
"Kagura-sama!"
"Rin? Is that you?" came a soft reply from the other side.
"Yes, it's me…Could we please just talk?"
At first, there was neither a response, nor movement of any kind, but after a few seconds, the door creaked open.
Rin stepped in, after which, Kagura locked the door again.
"If you've come to try and get me to agree to this treaty I would suggest you don't waste your time and just get out," she coldly stated, glaring daggers at the brunette in front of her.
"I'm not here to force anything upon you my lady, but please explain why you are so against it," Rin pleaded, arranging her kimono as she sat at the foot of Kagura's bed.
She patted the side next to her, indicating the Lady of the Southern lands to sit down.
"I don't get it. How could my father have ever resorted to this? It's beneath him," she confided in the girl.
"Kagura-sama, please try and understand. He didn't have a choice. He knew that he already had one foot in the grave. Everyone knew that with him so far gone with cancer, that there was no chance of survival. He even told…"
"Don't change the subject! This shouldn't have even been a resort! Using me? His flesh and blood? His only flesh and blood," she growled.
"He knew he wouldn't live long Kagura-sama…"
"Drop the honourifics. I swear I'll scream if you use 'Master' again," she instructed the younger girl.
Rin nodded before continuing.
"Kagura, he knew he wouldn't live long, and he wanted to take care of both the war and you,"
"Oh, so how will both the war and me be taken care of? Hmm? Please, do enlighten me" she sarcastically prodded.
"This treaty between the Southern and Western lands will strengthen our forces against Naraku, and you'll be married to Sesshomaru-sama.,"
"What the hell kind of an excuse is that?"
"I can only speculate what was going on in your father's mind Kagura," she sighed, and got up.
Kagura stared off, deep in thought, while Rin picked up the clothes strewn all over the room.
"Rin, I simply cannot marry this man. I don't know him, he is nothing but a stranger in my eyes. So I refuse to marry him," she thoughtfully answered, running her hand through her long hair.
"Maybe if you just met him, you might fall in love with him," Rin tried another approach.
"Ha! That only happens in all those gauche romance novels you indulge yourself in,"
Rin sighed.
"There's nothing wrong with reading all those gauche romance novels Kagura," she mimicked.
"Yes there is. All it does is fill up that head of yours with wild fantasies and nonsensical dreams that never ever do come true," Kagura pushed herself up and flicked her index finger on the girl's forehead.
Rin rubbed her abused forehead before trying to convince her mistress again.
"I still won't go along with this treaty. How could my father give my hand in marriage to some…Lord-to-be-of-the-Western-Lands so that he could save his country? That is not fair! I had no say in the matter at all!" she plunked herself onto the bed again.
"If you don't, what use would the treaty your father signed, be of?"
"I don't care,"
"We're loosing in this war badly, we already have suffered heavy damages and we've lost a lot of good men. Everyone is at their wits' end. We can't go on like this…"
Kagura paused for a moment, weighing down her options again before heaving a sigh.
"I can't, I just can't,"
Rin was about to plead with her again, when Kagura lifted her hand to stop her.
"Let me explain, and then, I promise you can tell me whatever you want,"
Rin smiled as she tipped the clothes in her hand into the laundry basket. She patted her hands on her apron, and sat directly in front of her Lady, on the dressing table stool.
"Go ahead,"
"You're really a good friend Rin, but you see, I will never be able to go through with this, for my heart already belongs to another," she shifted her gaze to the mirror.
Rin blinked in surprise.
Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly had not been this.
"I love Naraku…", she hurried on, "I know it's wrong. I know we're fighting against him, but he treats me so well, and he's so nice to me. He isn't all bad; he does have a good heart,"
"He loves me, and I love him. He's so kind, faithful and friendly. Anyone would fall in love with him if they met him. I'm so lucky that he returns my feelings," Kagura sighed as she pulled her hair into a bun.
'Yeah. In front of you, he may act like the sweetest thing, but when you turn your back on him, he goes around doing all the most disgusting stuff I've every seen. He's the kind of person who rapes his maids and mistreats his servants, he's faithful to his cause of instilling war wherever he goes, and he's as friendly as a grizzly bear,' Rin sourly thought.
Yet, even she knew better than to voice out her thoughts to her love-struck mistress.
"How did you get to know him?"
"Um... Do you remember that before this war between the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern lands started, there used to be a ball to which each nation was invited?" Kagura dreamily sighed.
"Uhuh..."
"Well... About three years ago, he came... and... and at first, neither of us knew our real identities. We just liked each other for ourselves, but somewhere along the road, that like turned into love... and... We shouldn't be having a treaty with the Western lands! We should be have it with the Southern lands!" she broke out of her dreamy state.
"Kagura... Do keep in mind that it was Naraku who declared war against us!" Rin reasoned.
"That was because father refused to join him! Naraku knew it was only a matter of time before the Western lands and the Eastern lands decided to declare war against us! Look how friendly both the rulers are with each other! All they have to do is to catch us unprepared and it will be over! NARAKU DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!" she huffed.
She was too far gone in love.
'In love…She was in love…with our enemy…' Rin bit her lower lip as she watched her mistress with pity.
To love someone, but be betrothed to another. It was a shame that such had happened.
"If only I had more time…" Kagura looked out the window.
"What do you mean?" Rin was confused.
Time? What would she need time for?
"If I had enough time, I could find a way to break the treaty, but if I'm to accept, I will be off to the Western Kingdom tomorrow," Kagura sighed again.
Silence followed her comment, as both ladies becam consumed by their thoughts.
'She's helped me so much. It's time I returned the favour,' Rin thought, thinking of a plan.
'She loves someone…It may be the wrong person to love, nevertheless, she still loves him. Sounds like a case of Romeo and Juliet if you ask me,'
She knew what to do.
Suddenly she jumped, causing Kagura to jump too.
"Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!" Kagura clenched her chest.
"How sure are you, that you can break the treaty Kagura?"
"I'm positive I can do it within –give or take- a month," Kagura nodded.
'If I do this, our Kingdom may fall,' Rin sadly thought, 'but I don't own my loyalty to this Kingdom. I owe it only to Kagura-sama. Only to her. So for her, I will gladly suffer,'
"Alright then. Kagura, I have an idea, but I need your co-operation if you want this to work out," Rin whispered as she kneeled on the floor.
Kagura nodded, and they began to formulate the plan.
"You have to be joking," Sesshomaru growled.
"Now son. This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I heard the Lady of the Southern Lands is quite the beauty. Why, she had 10 marriage offers on her 15th birthday!" Inu no Taishou nudged his son with his elbow.
'I have no need for a weak wife that's only beautiful. What good would it do me?' he icily thought.
"I am not interested in beautiful women," Sesshomaru said, irritated at his father's naiveté.
After a moment's silence, he saw his father's eyes widen in disbelief.
"Don't tell me you're interested in beautiful men! The horrors! What kind of a son have I raised?" Inu no Taishou sobbed.
"What I meant is that I'm not interested in only their beauty, father," Sesshomaru sighed.
And to think he thought his brother was bad.
"Oh ho hoo! So you're interested in their assets then," his father winked his eye and nodded understandingly, "Yes, yes. What's the use of beauty if they have no assets eh?"
Sesshomaru stared at his father icily.
"I see that my son does have a hidden perverse mind under that entire macho exterior!" he roared.
Correction. His father was definitly in a league of his own as compared to his brother…
Sesshomaru bit back sigh of relief as his stepmother joined in the scene, pulling her husband's ear.
"Darling, would you stop harassing your poor son? And what's all this talk about assets, hmm?" she chided.
"You were eavesdropping dear?" Inu no Taishou winced.
"You were practically announcing it to the whole world with that loud voice of yours! Sesshomaru has no perverse mind. He's the sweetest boy I know!" she pulled even harder.
Sesshomaru's eye twitched, 'Boy?'
"Now dear, you know I'm just fooling around!" he felt more pain as his wife twisted his ear harder.
"It's true! It's so fun to tease my little son; he's got such a serious face and an equally serious attitude to boot. I jut can't help myself! Lighten up my boy!" he smacked Sesshomaru hard on the back.
Sesshomaru remained expressionless.
"You see what I mean? He looks like he's carrying all of the world's burdens on his more than capable shoulders," rubbing his abused ear.
"Dear…" his wife warned him.
"Oh now come on! I'll stop teasing him, but first, he just has to sign this little white and black paper! Don't you want this war to end? I most certainly do! This war has caused every single strand of my hair to become white!" he whined.
"Honey…Your hair was always white!" she clipped him on the head.
He whined.
"I'll take that paper, and Sesshy can sign when he's ready. Now go look for Kagome-chan. I recall I heard her saying something about a certain grandchild of ours being awake," she baited her husband.
He willingly took the bait.
"Our grandchild is awake? Oh why didn't you say so in the first place?" his eyes glistened, "Now don't you worry Sesshomaru! I'll be back!" he ran down the hallway towards the wing the nursery was located in.
"You only have one life! Live it!" he roared merrily down the hallway.
The two of them stared after the great demon lord.
"Your father is such a jovial person, isn't he," she commented, with a breath-taking smile etched on her face.
"You really are an intelligent woman Mother," calling her mother by accident.
"Why thank you!" she beamed as she flagged the paper to her sides.
"Mother, I…"
"Stop right there! I know what you want to say. You don't want to marry this Kagura person am I right?"
When she didn't receive any sign of acknowledgement she just continued.
"To be honest, I have no idea what your father was thinking when he drew up this treaty," she eyed her eldest son.
"Perhaps it's because your brother, InuYasha, is already married. On top of that, he and Kagome-chan already have a kid, while you my dear, have neither," she pondered aloud.
"Father did say something of the sort before,"
"Hmm…Sounds like I'm right, but don't worry! Just go find a mate and it will all be fine!" she perked up and patted her son's cheek.
His facial expressions darkened.
Izayoi took one look at his face and laughed.
"I'm joking Sesshy! You should listen to your father about lightening up! I tell you what. If we really can't stand this Kagura person, we'll just say the deal's off alright? Though I must admit, I 've heard rather nasty rumours of her and her involvement with Naraku," she added matter-of-factly.
"She's involved with Naraku?" Sesshomaru was beginning to resent this marriage treaty even more.
"I'm not sure. I think they sort of have an understanding with one another, or something like that. I don't really remember… Anyway, it was just a rumour," Izayoi tapped her chin thoughtfully.
She saw her son's eyes become even colder.
"Now Sesshy…"
"Please don't call me that…"
She showed no signs of acceptance for she just continued, "Now Sesshy dear, I'll talk to that father of yours and we'll see what can be done alright?"
She kissed his cheek and waved.
"Don't you fret! I'll knock some sense into that joker," she laughed as she hunted her husband down.
As much as he hated to admit it, his mother had a knack of convincing his father about anything, something even he couldn't do.
He began to glide towards his chambers when he paused mid-motion.
'Did I just say mother?'
"She said she'll go," Rin emerged in the room which held a dozen of weary elders.
Immediately Tanaka perked up, "She'll go? Why, that's great! I'll inform everyone to prepare for tomorrow,"
He jumped out of his chair, gave Rin a big bear-hug and whistled down the corridor.
The mood noticeably lightened up in the small room, the men slapped each other behind the backs, and some shook hands.
Rin grimaced.
"Is Kagura-sama really alright with this?"
Startled, she turned around to come face to face with a blurry man, with graying hair.
"I for one know I wouldn't be if I were in her position," he sighed and looked at his colleagues with blatant disgust.
"I know they are happy about the war going to end now that she's agreed, but I wish they could spare a thought for her," he continued.
Rin blinked.
"Kagura-sama will be happy to know that at least someone cares about her Kamiya-san," Rin smiled.
He nodded before exiting the room.
'It's good to know that at least some people care about their mistress,' Rin thought as she walked towards the kitchen.
Time and tide waits for no man.
"Ohhhh…I amn't a man, so why didn't it wait for me?" Rin whined as she walked hand-in-hand with Kagura towards her royal bed chambers.
"That was a bad pun Rin. Now hush up, or do you want our plan to be uncovered?" Kagura glared at her good friend.
Rin sighed.
'I'm beginning to have a bad feeling about this, and I'm the one who created this plan!' Rin thought.
Tomorrow had finally come, and the two girls were putting their plan into action.
"I just hope this works…" Rin sighed as she opened the door to let her mistress in.
I wonder what the plan is…Hmmm… If you noticed, I've shortened my chapters a bit, so it's not too long. If you want me to revert back to my long chapters, please just tell me. By the way, I am not against gay people, so don't put it against me for teasing Sesshoumaru. They're normal people, like you and me! If anyone feels offended by this, please alert me and I will have it removed.
Love, dakishime…
P.S: Please review!