01. Beauty Causes the Downfall of a Dynasty
"Her robe is a cloud, her face is a flower;
Her balcony, glimmering with the bright spring dew…"
The lord of such prestige pondered into the quarters of his beloved, waving away the greetings of the servants as the beauty mesmerizes him. Her movements gentle as the flutter of fallen petals and her poise, above all women.
"…Is either the tip of earth's Jade Mountain
Or a moon-edged roof of paradise."
Her dark tresses half coiled into an elegant bun, her lips naturally pouted in pink—A beauty who entices all men across the lands, how can a prestigious lord not? She makes one misbelieve there is such exquisite human beauty.
The young lord grasps the beauty from behind causing the delicate flower to gasp in surprise, "M'lord!" He does not reply. Only curves his lips in content as he pulls his woman passionately into his arms, nuzzling his nose into her silky hair and gazes out the balcony to view the tranquil afternoon.
"There's a perfume stealing moist from a shaft of red blossom,
And a mist, through the heart; from the magical Hill of Wu—
The palaces have never known such a beauty—
Not even Flying Swallow with all her glittering garments."
"A Song of Pure Happiness, Li Bai…I must say M'Lord, your lady is pleasantly surprised you have learned the language of the mainland empire so quickly." The young woman smiled not only with her lips but the wit in her eyes.
"Anything to please my lady."
The beauty twirls out of his arms teasingly, "and M'lord have heard of the third part?"
"I have not. Why not we hear it?"
Her fragrance of fresh peach blossoms lingers as she trails around her lover; her fingertip slightly grazes his shoulders as her enamoring gaze locks onto him.
"Lovely now together, his lady and his flowers
Lighten for ever the Lord's eyes;
As he listens to the sighing of the far spring wind…"
She leans into his ears, "…Where she leans on a railing in the Aloe Pavillion."
"A beauty so beautiful…you make other women cry." The lord grasps onto the small of the beauty's waist once more as he looks deeply into her eyes. She looks away shyly, "What exaggeration my lord…the only reason I make other women cry—Is because I have all your love to myself, M'lord."
"Yes you do, my beauty."
The young woman smiles and leans into her lord's shoulder. The gentleness of the shy smile however did not last long as one corner curved into a smirk, her eyes a momentary flash of silver.
How stupid are humans? Especially human men.
"This is the third castle we've been to with the lord being under attack by female demons." Kagome analyzed as she and the rest of the gang travelled further and further away from the castle where they just saved a lord from having his soul devoured by a demoness. Something seems odd though…
"Yeah and we are done saving them, Kagome! We have more important things to do, like look for Naraku and jewel shards!"
"Don't you guys find it odd? None of these attacks had to do with jewel shards…Why do all those demoness want to devour the souls of lords, in particular?" Kagome continues, completely ignoring Inuyasha's displeasure.
"So what? So what if a lord here and there gets his soul devoured, big deal!"
Shippo who sat himself comfortably on Miroku's shoulder sighed, "Well, I'm just glad I'm not a lord."
"I must say the snake demoness just now definitely tops the list in the looks department, knocking the spider demoness into second place…"
"MIROKU! Is that all you care about?!" Sango angrily strikes him over the head with her Hiraikotsu causing a lump to develop on top of his head.
"OW-What? I'm just—Sango! You know I don't mean it that way!"
"What other way can you possibly mean?!"
"OWW-OWW! OWW! Nothing! Nothing at all!"
The band of six travelled for two more days before they arrived at the next village. This village bustled and the towns people are lively with adults and children alike…of course Inuyasha did not fail to catch more than a couple pair of horrified looks but Kagome is always there to smooth the fluffed feathers of the villagers over.
"We should probably look for a place to stay. Nightfall will arrive soon." Sango suggested as she looked over the horizon of oranges and purples, the sun casting their shadows onto the road.
Kagome raised her to arms up into the air in excitement, "Yes! That means a bed and a hot shower tonight!"
"Hmph." Inuyasha grumbled with his arms crossed. Although he would prefer continuing on their road…he knew the humans he is travelling with needs the rest once in awhile. He will save it for next time to complain, besides he couldn't help but enjoy the fact that the village has the smell of peach blossom lingering in the air.
"Hey! Did you hear? The lord is passing out rice for all the villagers!" An older male villager shouted, excited as he walked past the group of travellers towards his acquaintance.
The acquaintance's face beamed, "Oh wow! Really?" He turned to his wife beside him, "dear wife, lets go get our share."
A young woman passing by sighed and looked towards the castle; "Apparently the cause of the lord's generosity is because of his satisfaction of his new concubine. After her arrival the lord casted all the other ladies aside…" She proceeds to grunt under her breath, "…How beautiful can she possibly be?"
"A beauty…they say." Miroku caresses his chin in interest as he stared out towards the castle. A smack on the head follows suite.
"You never learn…do you Miroku?" Shippo says shaking his head.
"Do you guys think…maybe…?" Kagome pondered as the castle also caught her attention.
"Maybe what?!"
"You know, like the other incidents!"
"Even if it is…it's none of our business! C'mon lets go find some shelter for the night!" Inuyasha took the lead to walk off.
"Yes, as we were heading towards the village we felt an unsettling aura coming towards the village and castle…" Miroku continued his explanation to one of the castle advisors as his travel mates look upon him, questioning where did his shamelessness come from, "…I will perform a couple sutras around the castle and my companions and I will keep watch to make sure all is well."
"Thank you, monk. It is surely a blessing you and your companions showed up. The caretaker and I were getting suspicious at what is causing the light migraines that has been going around. A good few of the servants have been going to the physician saying they have an unsettling feeling but can't explain what."
Sango and Kagome shot each other a look. Now would you look at that? That monk really got lucky.
"You do not have to worry. We will get to the bottom of this."
"I shall be in place of the lord to show our gratitude for your benevolent actions!" In his kneeling position the advisor bowed with great formalities. A clear knock on the floor echoed through the room.
"We have prepared a feast for you all. Please do not be shy to ask if you need anything." The caretaker spoke once he slid open the door and entered the spacious room he had allotted for the demon slayer and priestess to stay in. The monk and the half demon were not staying far as they are to rest in the next room over. The servants of the castle, women uniformed in green yukata, one by one brought in trays of rice, fish and soup. The male servants followed after with a whole chicken and a plate of expensive assortment of lobsters, crabs and oysters. Kagome's eyes sparkled in disbelief… was she waiting for this meal or what!? Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea on Miroku's part. They were going to sleep in a warm bed, get a nice hot bath and have the most luxurious feast in feudal era ever. Kagome definitely feel like they can do this a little more often.
"Please make yourselves comfortable, the caretaker and I will be on our way." The castle advisor said with another bow and exited the room with the caretaker. The rest of the servants followed after, the last, knelt down to slide the screen door closed.
"I'm going to dig in!" Shippo and Inuyasha shout in unison as they set their eyes on the slightly roasted glazed chicken in front of them.
"You two, don't overstuff yourselves like last time." Kagome warns the Tom and Jerry of feudal era as she happily digs into her fish after a sip of her hot miso soup.
"Say, could this castle have the same fate as all the other ones?" Sango asks after chewing her rice.
"You mean if a demonness is bewitching the lord of the castle so he can hand over his soul?" Shippo asks as he savours the chicken thigh in between his chews.
"It feels different…" Inuyasha comments, taking a break from his food as he tilts his head up to sniff the air, "…but its also odd how there is such a thick scent of peach blossoms when there isn't one single peach blossom tree nearby. This scent is even stronger in the castle."
Miroku nods, his eyes closes in a moment of thought, " Inuyasha is right, there is an aura but I must say it's masked very well."
"C'mon, lets finish eating and go check it out." Sango says as she finishes her soup and starts on the delicious looking mackerel on her tray.
Kagome sighs in content as she leans onto a nearby rock in the hot spring. The aches in her body unknotted as she relaxes in the water. Sango sat across from her, completely at ease. This is much needed for both of them through their trials of fighting demons and sleeping on the cold hard forest floors.
Earlier the gang had tried to scoop around the castle to see if anything unusual is going on…but they were unable to find any traces of abnormality. In the previous castles puppet servants were placed around in the act of eyes and it was very obvious where the demonic aura was emitting from, however this time they had no lead. If there is a soul hungry demoness in this castle, she sure is in a different level than the previous careless three.
Kagome went to question a pair of servant girls why there is such a strong scent of peach blossom when there are no peach blossom trees in the area. The explanation was that the lord's new concubine is a known treasure of the mainland for naturally having a fragrance to her. Although rare, Kagome cannot dispute this to be wrong as through one of her history classes it was mentioned in 16th century China there was a consort who naturally smelled of an exotic fragrance.
They would use Inuyasha's keen sense of smell to locate this lady of the castle but the scent is not concentrated enough for one to trail where it is emitting.
"Should we head back?" Sango mumbled in her relaxed state. Kagome lifts her head from the support of the rock and nodded. They both leisurely got out of the water and dressed themselves to walk back to the other side of the castle where their resting quarters have been allocated.
"The Lady is passing through!" called a servant as he scurried to the side of the hall along with the few others and bowed his head like the rest. Kagome and Sango looked at each other with sudden interest but were quick to comply to not look out of the ordinary. Softly coming down the hall were light shuffles of the sound of silk as the Lady strolled with a band of five servants following behind her. Kagome and Sango peeked from their bowing position to get a good look of the owner of the peach blossom scent.
The young woman's long dark hair flowed past the curve of her petite figure with the rest coiled into a hair arrangement with silver and opal pins dangling from it. She dressed of a six layer kimono of pinks and blues all intricately embroidered and laced with pearl and jewels…this woman is completely lavished by the lord at no restrains to the cost. With the rumors of how enamored this lord is, these spent luxuries were of no surprise but this woman's beauty—There is no way a human can possess this sort of perfection. The fairness of her soft skin so supple one who ages naturally would never obtain that kind of a glow even for a young woman.
"Kagome…we have to watch over Miroku, this can be bad." Sango whispered as the lady of the castle disappeared down the corridor.
Kagome sneered with teasing eyes, "My…Sango-chan, you're not jealous Miroku will be deeply enamored like the lord are you?"
Sango's face lit red and she turned away with a hand to the cheek. It suddenly got really hot…
"NO-O! I'm just being a good friend and looking out for him!"
"Right."
"Sana, who were those two unfamiliar women in the hall?"
"My lady, they are part of the band of visitors that claim there is an inauspicious aura looming over the castle and is here to ward it off."
The beauty narrowed her fox-like eyes, "what nonsense."
"The rest of you can stay outside, I will attend to the lord and the lady." Said a young girl who looks just about the age of eight. This young servant girl is the lady's closest and most trusted servant, the other servants of the castle cannot argue with her when it comes to the matters of the lady.
The young servant girl with big round eyes and hair tied into symmetrical buns slid the screen door closed and knelt close to it as her lady gracefully walked into the room in the quiet of the night.
"M'lord…?"
The young lord dressed in his silk attire of navy appears, out behind his screen panels, "My beloved, you have arrived—what brings you here, so deep in the night?"
The beauty put on her best pitiful look, her perfectly arched brows furrowed and eyes so moist in dismay.
"…And think of home, with wistful eyes,
And of those tonight in the upper chambers.
Who toss and sigh and cannot rest."
"My beloved misses her homeland and cannot sleep? Why don't you come here and keep this lord company?" The young lord led his lady towards his desk where he is painting.
The beauty nods with a meek pout and holds onto the privileged man's arm as she observes his paintings on the desk…They were all skillfully drawn portraits—of her.
"Even when you are away…I cannot stop thinking of you, so I put my thoughts into ink and paper."
The beauty smiles and leaned on the lord's shoulder, "although your lady does think of her homeland…she wishes to see her lord as well."
"My sweet, sweet lady…"
"M'lord did mention once, through a visit of a mainland prince you were gifted a valuable treasure of jade…?" The lady gently ran her lean fingers that look almost translucent under the moonlight over the young lord's cheeks, "…would this humble lady have the honor to see it? Seeing a treasure from the homeland will surely ease the homesickness a little."
The lord looked into the enigmatic lash-laced eyes of the beauty in his arms, "anything for my beauty…now, whenever you feel homesick you can come to this chamber and admire it as much as you want."
"A-A-AAAHHCHOOO!"
The lord is startled out of the beauty's trance as he looks towards the balcony where the noise came from, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The beauty sighed and rolled her eyes—those creeping rats outside. Now they left her with no choice.
Before the lord can turn his attention back to her, she swiftly hit a pressure point causing him to slump into unconsciousness.
The beauty got up away from the body and trailed towards the balcony, her eyes no longer holding the look of a pitiful helpless woman.
"Its rude to be snooping around, haven't your mother taught you?"
[End of Chapter 01]
Li Bai - A Poet during Tang Dynasty, China
