Isle of Virote
Prologue
What I really want is just within my grasp.
Is it possible to obtain?
Will it slip through my fingers like water--
disappear like dust in the wind?
Is it real?
The gnawing voice inside of me whispers:
I NEED IT.
Like a raw desire it over powers me and
my fingers curl around it.
A number of people had gathered in the market square of the capital city of Glashell, the centre Providence of the Isle of Virote. Men, women, and children, all dressed in the cool silk that made life on the desert isle bearable. They all waited patiently, a murmer rippling, as they waited for the Steward to finish nailing the large cloth message into the wooden Message Board.
It was several more minutes before the last nail was hammered in, and by now the murmer was imaptaient and irritable. The Steward, a strong man, set the crowd a withering glare, but even that failed to stop the impatience. The Steward was a strong man, the pruniness of his skin and his graying the only attributes to his great age. He glared at them once more, before stalking off, mumbling about "imaptient youngsters".
The crowd nearly shoved him off of the cobbled side walk in their attempt to read the neat, scrawling script that covered the cream-colored cloth.
All of them knew that it had to do with the enemy north Providence, Hishell. Hishell was the only the only Providence of Virote that had refused to join the Circle of Virote. It was a Council made up of all the leaders and advisors of all Virote's Providences with Glashell at the head. Hishell's Queen had declared that Glashell was using the Circle as a means to rule the Isle. She went to every means necessary to belittle the centre Providence's King. The King paid little heed to her actions.
Until she called off the engagement between their children.
The engagment had been seen as a means to unite Hishell with the Circle. When the engagement was called off war had erupted between the Circle and Hishell.
This message was a declaration that a truce had been reached, and the Circle would finally be whole.
Third Day, Seventh Cycle, Fifth Year of the Circle
The Providence of Hishell hereby concedes to the will of the Circle of Virote and the Providence of Glashell. The negotiator from Hishell has agreed to all of the request of the Circle. They are as follow.
The aristocracy and nobles of Hishell will relinquesh there titles and land to the Circle.
The negotiator will serve the Circle for five cycles. The negotiator will then provide the Circle with five canidates for a new leader. During this time, all of Hishell's lands will be under control of the Circle.
All nobles and craft citizens of Hishell will serve families of the Providences of Glashell, Vishell, Jashell, Bashell for one year.
Any citizens of Hishell who breach this contract will be disciplined by the highest level of the Circle's punishments.
The raven-haired woman raised her gray eyes from the paper she was reading to met the golden ones of the Circle of Virote's leader.
"It seem short, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her voice sounded amused.
"The length of the treaty does not matter, Lady." His voice was neutral, but his eyes held a bit of irritation in them. The woman's tone really annoyed him. "All you have to do is sign it."
"Sign it? That's it?" She seemed to consider the words.
It took all of Sesshoumaru's self restrain to grip the arm of his throne tightly. Damn it! The bitch was toying with him.
"Yes, sign it. Sign it and it all become a reality."
The young woman need, and read the treaty again. She frowned.
"I would have to choose five canidates to be Hishell's new leader? That wasn't part of the deal." Her eyes darkened. "Your advisor told me that by playing negotiator I would be assured leadership of my home."
The small twitching of the corner of his lips was the most the youkai revealed of his humor at the woman's anger.
"My apologies."
The emptiness behind those words caused the woman's grey to darken nearly black. She bristled with animosity wishing there was some way that she could turn this treaty back in her favor.
"Are you going to sign it Lady?"
Oh, how she wished he would shrivel underneath her glare!
"I'll be blunt." Sesshoumaru continued when the dark-haired women refused to do anything else besides glaring at him. "This is the best offer you're going to get. The other members of the Circle are reluctant to give you this one chance at retaining control of your kingdom. After all you, the crown princess no less, betrayed your family and your country. You made the conquest easy." He paused and looked at her thoughtfully. "Some of the members say it was too easy."
"I told you before! It was obvious enough that your military might exceeded our own. Our country would have been crushed, especially with how thin the loyalties were between the prefectures and the crown! It was the only way that would result in the least amount of blood shed."
"Some say things would have been different if your sister had remained the crown princess." Wasn't it interesting how the Hishellian princess paled at the mention of her younger sister. "I believe that if she had married my brother as it had been planned that there would have been even less bloodshed. Isn't it a shame that she disappeared. My step-mother has told me that there were even talks of conspiracy within the palace. Such a shame." The whole time, Sesshoumaru's amber gaze held the eyes of the woman. She seemed to turn paler under his scrutiny. The inu youkai let his gaze drop to the treaty. He tapped a claw against the parchment. "Well what is your will, Lady?" This time he allowed the contempt to filter into his voice.
"You say it like it is my choice." She surprised herself with how even her voice sounded. Even her movements were calm and fluid. Her anger was only reflected in the violent way she signed the parchment and the way she pressed her mother's signet into the silver wax a little too hard.
Kikyou de Furl el Hishelia.
I know there seems to be a contradiction between what the people think and what actually happens but hey! that's politics. Please keep in mind that this is unpolished. I really needed to post something.I've also decided to start adding little poetic blurbs to my works at the beginning of each chapter. You'll see it in the next chapter of DGL. It should be out soon. I'm finally getting my creative juices flowing. I'll post the edited version as soon as I recieve it (which will happen after I send it to them) from my betas. Review!