Part I: A Fated Romance
Chapter 1: The Return
"Kagome! Kagome!" came the cheerful voice of Chouko, and the young girl so addressed turned on the path, her bow clutched in her hand as she watched the servant girl run towards her energetically in the bright morning sunlight.
"What is it, Chouko?" Kagome asked, a smile for the girl lightening her fine-featured face.
"Miko Kiyoko is commanding your presence, Kagome," the girl responded breathlessly as she caught up and stopped, bending over slightly while trying to catch her breath.
Kagome laughed as she tucked her bow back over her shoulder, raven tresses swirling around her in the gentle breeze. "If you didn't run everywhere, Chouko, you wouldn't be out of breath so much. Truly, your name was well-given, for like the butterfly, you flitter here, there, and everywhere," she finished with a shake of her head.
A breathless giggle answered her, and Kagome asked with a sigh, "So... do you know what Miko Kiyoko wants?"
At that, the young girl sobered, and straightening, nodded. "Maybe," she said slowly. "There was a message... from your father."
Kagome blinked, then frowned a little, confused. Why would her father be sending a messenger now, while she was in the midst of her studies? Yes, she knew that she was never going to be a miko – as a daughter of royalty, she would be married off at her father's discretion, probably to cement an alliance. But... he had agreed that she would be allowed to train her spiritual powers – so that she wasn't a danger to any of his youkai allies.
It was a rarety in this day and age that a human would claim youkai alliances – but her father did. And when her spiritual gifts had been discovered a few years ago, it had been necessary to send her away from his palace – her power was great but uncontrolled and it would not do for her to injure or even kill one of the youkai that frequently visited on political business. That was how she had found herself here, on shrine grounds, training her spiritual powers so that she could perfect her control.
It had been an exciting time for her – as a noblewoman, she had been trained to read, and that had given her a chance to learn something that very few others save noblemen like her father would normally know – she had been studying the Jinno Shotoki* that the most honorable Kitabatake Chikafusa* had written. It was most enlightening, and she was looking forward to continuing her studies on it that evening.
As she allowed Chouko to hurry her back to the Miko's small hut at the foot of the shrine, she could only hope that the messenger wasn't bringing news of something that would end her little bit of freedom and interfere with her studies. This last three years had been the best of her fourteen years of life; it was much less stifling here than it was in her father's palace. There, she was a hime, protected, trained in court protocol, female duties, and little else.
Here, she was learning so much more! Besides the Jinno Shotoki, she had learned to control and focus her power, had been trained in youkai court protocols by a kitsune that served in the high court of the Lords of the West, and she had even been allowed to keep up her skills with a bow. Her father had never really approved of her fascination with the weapon, claiming that it was unsuitable for one of her station. But he had never been able to deny her much, and she had always had a strange affinity for the traditional weapon of a miko – which, once her spiritual powers had been discovered, had suddenly become understood.
With so much practice, she had become unequaled with a bow – neither male nor female could defeat her, and she was proud of that fact. As was her father – if she was going to learn such a thing then she would be the best at it, for he would allow nothing else in his children. He had always been a perfectionist, and Kagome always did everything she could to please him.
Still, despite the fact that she was a bit nervous about a messenger from home, it would be nice to hear the news, and as she reached Kiyoko-sama's hut, she rapped on the doorframe, then entered when bid. Bowing respectfully to her teacher, she knelt in seiza and murmured, "You sent for me, sensei?"
Kiyoko smiled slightly and nodded. "Aa. There is word from your father, young one. You are to return home." At her dismayed expression, the miko held up a hand. "There are political considerations. You have been trained in youkai court protocols, and there is need of you."
Eyes widening, Kagome's fingers picked at her chihaya nervously. "Really?" she asked, hoping it was true. How exciting if it were!
The miko nodded just as another rap came at the door and the matting was pushed back, showing her maidservant, Mei, from home. Kagome looked up as she entered, followed by Chouko.
"Oh, Kagome, is it true you are to leave?" the young girl questioned sadly.
"Truly, you must not call her that," Mei tutted disapprovingly. "Maiden of the bow* she may be, but she is the hime Izayoi-sama of the House of Setsuna, and you will address her as such. That nickname will not be spoken again."
Izayoi sighed inwardly at that, knowing it would take some time to get used to her name again. After all, she had been answering to Kagome for three years... and indeed – somewhere inside, something insisted that she was Kagome, not Izayoi. In fact, that had been her nickname since she was a tiny child, given from the moment she had shown such fascination for the bow.
Somehow, she had never felt comfortable with the name Izayoi, though she'd always thought it a pretty one.
It just wasn't her... but she'd never been able to articulate that to her family, and she knew it wouldn't have mattered anyway – she would never disrespect her father by refusing to answer to the name he had given her.
And so, Izayoi she was, and would be.
~oOo~
Izayoi sighed as she watched the last of her things be packed away an hour later, bittersweet recollections surging gently through her mind as the items disappeared into baskets to be loaded into her father's carriage for the journey home. So many memories! Please, kami, never let me forget my days here, and give me courage to face whatever comes next.
Dressed in the formal twelve layers of kimono her age and position required, she huffed discreetly, trying to get used to the heavy robes she hadn't worn before. When she'd come here, she'd been too young to wear the formal wear of a woman of marriageable age. But that was what she was now. No more children's kimono or chihaya and hakama for her.
"Do not pick at your clothing, Izayoi-sama," Mei said firmly as she stuffed the last of her mistress' items in baskets, allowing one of the soldiers that were to escort them home to load them in the carriage. "You must comport yourself properly at all times. Since your lady mother's death those years ago, you are now the default lady of the house, and with your training, are a most valuable asset to your honorable father. You would not wish to tarnish your royal name with inappropriate behavior."
"Yes, Mei," Kagome said dutifully, stifling her spirit into acceptable formality with difficulty, but also determination. After all, she had trained hard with Kenji, the youkai tutor she had been honored to receive lessons from, and she was proud to be able to be of use to her father in his endeavors. Taking a deep breath, which was admittedly difficult with all those layers, she settled her nerves as best she could and followed her maidservant out of the hut she'd lived in for the last three years with one last glance around. I will miss this place...
She smiled demurely at the companions she'd lived with for so long, now lined up to say their goodbyes, and she held back her tears with every bit of courage she had. These people had really been family for three years, now, and leaving them was painful. But like the hime she was, she held her tears in and her head high, saying her subdued goodbyes under her handmaid's watchful eye.
And then, in a blur of silks and dust, she was in the carriage and they were pulling away, a detachment of her father's soldiers surrounding the conveyance protectively.
It would be a tiring journey, taking two full days to reach home – barring any unforeseen circumstances, of course, such as bandit attacks or rival clans out to start a war. As far as she knew, though, her father wasn't currently at odds with any other clans, nor any youkai, either. And as far as bandits went, her escort was large and well-equipped, completely devoted to making sure she remained safe.
Her father was most careful with his children – she, and her brother. They both had entire detachments of the army that functioned as protection anytime either of them left the protective confines of the palace. Most of her father's allies thought he was too protective – after all, if something did happen to one of them, he could always just have more children. But her father always insisted that he was perfectly happy with the two he had, and didn't want any others.
It had benefited the shrine, that was for certain – all the time she had lived there, her detachment had stayed with her, guarding the holy place from any who would attack. She could only hope that kami would protect them now that she was gone along with the soldiers.
With a sigh, she put aside her worries and addressed Mei. "What news of home?" she asked softly.
Mei lifted her head from her needlework, eyeing her charge mildly for a moment before returning her eyes to her lap. "There is a new Captain of the Palace Guard. He came a fortnight ago. A most handsome young man, and a worthy warrior. His name is Takemaru. I don't know how long he will last with your father, though – he has a most pointed dislike for youkai, and your honorable father has many dealings with them."
"The palace guard?" Izayoi murmured, brow furrowed. "He must be related, then, ne? As father only allows those who are family to be so close."
Mei dipped her head in agreement. "Yes. A distant cousin, I believe, several times removed, but nonetheless, a son of Setsuna. And your father has a new youkai advisor, sent from the court of the Inu no Taisho himself, much like your tutor, I understand. His name is Hikaru, and he is a fire elemental."
Izayoi's eyes went far away at that; since beginning her lessons in youkai court etiquette from Kenji, she had found that she had a major fascination with youkai. She knew what the common belief about youkai was – they were evil and to be destroyed. But she just couldn't bring herself to see it that way.
She was well aware that there were some that were dangerous, and she was quite capable of defending against such rogue youkai. But... she saw them the same way she saw ningen – they could be good or evil, and should be judged on an individual basis, not a racial one. After all, evil wasn't a birthright, it was a choice.
"What's he like?" she asked, after a pause, and Mei slanted her a quick glance.
"Formal." The maid kept a steady hand on her work, even as she answered her mistress' question. "He is polite but keeps mostly to himself when not attending your father. I think he feels out of place. From what I have heard, this is his first time being posted to a ningen Lord's court."
"Hm," Izayoi said, thinking to her own tutor. "I'm going to miss Kenji," she said, so softly that Mei almost didn't hear her. "He was most amiable and very helpful."
Mei cleared her throat gently. "You will see him again, Izayoi-sama. He has been assigned as your aide for any dealings with youkai you will have as your father's hostess. It was your father's wish, and the Western Lord was most amenable to the request."
A brilliant smile crossed the young woman's face then, and she felt a little more comfortable. It wasn't that she didn't love her family, but she had been away for three years, and it would be comforting to have a familiar face to ease her return to palace life.
"I must remember to thank father for his consideration, then, when we arrive home!"
"Aye, that would be appropriate, Izayoi-sama."
"Tell me, has father shown any interest in marrying again?" Izayoi's mind flashed to her lady mother, dead these six years, a bit of sadness echoing through her eyes as she realized that she barely remembered her.
"No," Mei murmured, "he still holds to his fondness for your late mother, my Lady. I do not think that will ever change."
Nodding sadly, Izayoi agreed. "But if anything should happen to Ichirou, what would father do for an heir?"
At that, an odd silence reigned in the carriage for a few moments, and then Mei spoke. "Your father has taken that into consideration. In case your brother is killed, kami forbid, he already has someone in mind to take his place as heir. But he will not name him, so that ambition doesn't cause any evil to your brother."
Immediately, Izayoi took in her meaning. Political maneuvering had, indeed, taken many a life, and she could only agree with the precaution her father was taking in keeping his choice for alternate heir secret. "Father is most wise," she replied, her voice subdued. The thought of losing her brother bit deep – she had always been close to him, and she had missed him a great deal during her sojourn at the shrine. At least she had gotten to see him once each year, though, since he'd insisted on making the journey to see her. She smiled at the thought of seeing him soon. It had been a long time since his last visit – nearly the full year.
"Aye. And there is another reason for your homecoming at this time – a bride has been chosen for your brother. You will be her mentor, teaching her all she will need to know as the wife of the Setsuna heir."
Izayoi's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Who is she?"
Pursed lips met her inquiry, and then, "A daughter of the Hojo clan."
Izayoi was taken aback at that. "But... weren't the Hojo* family disgraced when they lost the Shogunate regency?"
"Yes. But your lord father believes that the Hojo family will at some point regain importance in the scheme of things, and to that end has decided to an alliance with them."
It wasn't said, because Mei was nothing if not proper, but Izayoi could tell that she didn't approve of the wife her father had chosen for her brother. "Has Ichirou met her yet?"
The handmaid nodded. "Yes. They have met several times, and your brother seems most pleased with her. It remains to be seen whether she will do your father's choice justice. She does seem all that is amiable, I will say that, and is quite comely."
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat as the carriage ran over some ruts in the road, Izayoi said, "So, it is just her clan affiliation you dislike."
Mei stiffened. "I would not presume to judge my betters, Izayoi-sama," she said repressively. "It is not for me to speak against your brother's bride."
"Mei," Izayoi said gently, "everyone has opinions. You don't have to agree with father's decisions, you simply have to abide by them. I wouldn't expect you to voice criticism of my father to others, but I am his daughter, and I can see very well that you do not particularly like this alliance."
"Nonetheless, I would speak no ill. My opinions are my own and can do no harm if not spoken." The servant set aside her sewing and looked over at her mistress, deliberately changing the subject. "If you are too warm, Izayoi-sama, just say so. It would not be inappropriate on a long journey in such heat to wear a few less layers. Of course, you must become accustomed to wearing them on shorter journeys, which is why I dressed you that way."
With a nod, she agreed. "Please. It is very warm in this carriage, and I find myself feeling a bit faint."
Scooting over on the seats, Mei helped her mistress remove her top six layers, and Izayoi couldn't hold back the sigh of relief that even that much allowed. After a few minutes of silence while the woman neatly folded her clothing to keep it from being wrinkled, she once more addressed her mistress.
"Why don't you take a nap, my lady? The journey is tedious, and I am sure you have been awake since very early."
"Yes," Izayoi replied, "we were always expected to be up well before sunup, and I must admit, this morning's excitement has taken it's toll. A nap sounds most agreeable."
With that, the carriage fell silent, the only noise coming from the soldiers outside and the rumble of the carriage over the hard, dry earth of the road.
It wasn't long before the young hime drifted off to sleep, watched over carefully by her handmaid.
~oOo~
Izayoi woke a few hours later, jarred out of her sleep by the jolting of the carriage as they passed over a portion of the road that had been damaged by the heavy rains of early spring. Mind a bit foggy at first, it took a few moments for her to realize where she was, and then, with a heavy sigh, she straightened herself on the seat and met Mei's complacent gaze.
"Are you hungry, Izayoi-sama?" the older woman asked, and she nodded, realizing that she was, indeed, hungry.
"Yes, it's been a while since breakfast."
The older woman rummaged around in a basket that lay next to her, and within moments, a solid repast of smoked meats, rice balls, and ripe peaches lay before the hungry young woman, along with a full waterskin. With a smiled thank you, the little hime started to eat, after which Mei joined her.
It was silent in the carriage while the two ate, both lost in their own thoughts.
Once the meal was over, Izayoi spoke.
"Mei, do you have any idea why father is sending for me now? I mean, at this particular time? I know you said I would be helpful to father in his dealings with his youkai allies, but... there's something missing."
It was clear that the question made the woman uneasy, and she frowned. "Your father has not given a reason to any, my Lady, so I cannot say for sure. But... it is possible that it has to do with something that is supposed to happen soon." She flashed a sidelong glance at her mistress. "There is a rumor, and it's only a rumor, mind you, that the great Inuyoukai of the West, Touga-sama, is going to make a court visit to your father. Even though they are allies they have never met, and since you have been trained most thoroughly on youkai court etiquette, it is possible that is why you are being returned now. To act as Lady of the House and aide your father in dealing with such a guest."
Stunned eyes of an unusual shade of blue opened wide at that announcement, and she gasped. "Touga-sama? Truly? Oh, Kenji has spoken of him a great deal. It would be an honor to meet him!" she said, awed voice making the handmaid grimace. "I know many of his preferences from Kenji, so that would make sense for father to require my presence." The young woman drifted off into thoughts of meeting the great Lord, her fascination with all things youkai kicking in and leading her off into her own little dreamworld.
Mei, however, wasn't so sanguine.
So much intrigue swirls around the palace, now. This situation is strange – why would the Lord need to meet with the youkai Lord? They are allies, yet have never had to meet before now. Something about this visit doesn't seem quite right. And Izayoi-sama... I'm beginning to believe that the rumors of that youkai being assigned to train her in youkai ways by Touga-sama himself was correct.
If it was... what was the point?
She was very uncomfortably aware that there was some deep game being played at home, and that Izayoi, the poor child, was going to play a major role in it.
There was no peace in the thought.
She is so young, Mei thought, as she surreptitiously watched her charge, too young for all these politics that are being played out. Not even quite fifteen... though that milestone is coming, and if I'm not mistaken, is the true reason for her return at this time. I think the other reasons are a smokescreen...
But what it looks like... I only hope I am wrong.
The maid was brought out of her worrisome thoughts by her mistress' voice once more. "Are we planning to stop in Kyoto for the night, Mei?" The young woman stretched discreetly, feeling cramped and sore from sitting for so long.
"As usual, my Lady. The inn knows to expect us."
A nod. "Good. Would you signal to the guard – I need to step out for a few moments and move about. I am stiffening most uncomfortably."
"Yes, mistress," the older woman murmured, following her instructions. Within moments the carriage came to a halt, the large detachment of soldiers milling around as the young woman descended from the conveyance followed by her maidservant.
Needing to relieve herself most desperately, the hime simply stepped into the underbrush that lined the side of the road looking for some privacy, Mei behind her to keep watch. She paid no attention to the soldiers, not noticing that there were more than the normal contingent that went with her everywhere.
Needs taken care of, Izayoi stepped out of the trees a few minutes later. Looking around, enjoying the temporary freedom of movement whilst outside the carriage, she put a hand over her eyes to shade them from the bright sunlight as a still mounted soldier appeared before her.
She turned a little as Mei spoke, her voice showing her surprise. "Captain Takemaru! I did not realize you were with us," she said respectfully, bowing. "Allow me to introduce you to my Lady. This is the hime Izayoi-sama, Captain." She turned her head to address her lady. "This is the Captain Takemaru I was telling you of earlier, my Lady."
Izayoi nodded politely to the soldier that was beginning to dismount. "Captain," she murmured. Mei was right, she thought, watching the young man step closer to bow to her. He is very handsome. But his eyes hide him...
Tall, slender but broad-shouldered, black as night hair just like her own but with deep brown eyes, his features were regular and strongly masculine giving him an authoritarian air that she supposed would serve him well in his particular profession.
The man studied her for a few seconds, his eyes opaque, then bowed correctly. "My Lady. It is a pleasure to meet you," he said, his voice even and well-modulated. "Are you ready to continue on?"
With an inward sigh Izayoi nodded in the affirmative. "I am. Good day, Captain." With a last thoughtful glance, she turned and stepped back to the carriage, climbing inside with Mei's assistance. She could feel his eyes as he watched her, and shivered as though something were walking over her grave.
There's something about him, she thought, concerned. His manner seems all that is proper, but... shaking her disturbed thoughts away after a moment, she sat down, settling her robes around her as Mei once more joined her, and with a jolt, the carriage returned to its rambling passage over the road to Kyoto.
"I wonder why father had the Captain of the Palace guard come to escort me?" she said, brow furrowed. "That seems odd, does it not?"
Mei said nothing at first as she went back to her stitch-work, and Izayoi watched her for several seconds before the servant chose to speak. "Perhaps it is because Takemaru-sama is considered a brilliant warrior and a great leader of his men. Your father spares nothing when it comes to you and your brother, you know that. He would want such a man to escort you home. Not many, with his reputation, would dare to attack anything he guarded."
"Ah." Izayoi nodded. "I see. Yes, that makes sense," she said as she leaned back against the wall of the carriage. As silence fell once more, Izayoi chose to take out one of the scrolls that Kenji had given her to study from and busy herself with that.
The silence in the carriage became comfortable, and the two women allowed themselves to wander into their own worlds.
~oOo~
Takemaru rode at the head of the large group, eyes peeled for any danger on the road ahead. But while his eyes were intent on the track before him, his mind wandered far along other paths.
I had heard the hime-sama was most comely, but such words did not do her justice. She is beautiful, and her eyes... I have never seen eyes that color. Her father will have many suitors for her hand, I can already tell. And her comportment is all that is proper, though she has been on that shrine for so long.
He was well aware of the fact that the young hime had the spiritual powers of a miko, and thought it was a good thing with the way her father consorted with youkai. If one ever tried to force their disagreeable presence on her, she would be able to fight him off.
One such as her should not be exposed to such wicked beings. But her purity will protect her.
Eyes flickering, he wondered what fate her father had planned for her. It was very possible a husband had already been selected for her. That thought annoyed him for some reason. But it would not be surprising, after all, though young, she was most definitely of age, ripe and ready for childbearing.
Perhaps he already has some fat Lord in mind for her. It would be a pity – to see her beauty wasted on one who was undeserving.
His mind flickered over possible candidates. There was always the middle-aged Lord of the Hojo clan. After all, his wife had died a few years before in childbirth, the child dying with her. He would need a wife soon to get an heir on, and with the little hime's beauty and sweet manner, he would be smitten quickly.
Or... possibly the young Lord of the newly risen Takeda* clan. They were very wealthy, and would most likely grow in influence and power. He at least was young and considered handsome. Her father could do worse for her.
There were actually several possibilities from amongst the Lord's allies, and Takemaru couldn't help feeling envious of the male that would eventually take her to wife. Beauty such as hers had often been the subject of battles and intrigue, destroying whole clans and bringing entire dynasties of rulers toppling down from their lofty pinnacles.
But for a chance to have such a flower for himself, he could accept such a possibility in his own life.
His mouth turned down bitterly, then. But I am merely a minor son of the house, and any aspirations in that direction would never be allowed. I am but a glorified servant, after all.
If only... he shook his head, then, pushing those thoughts away. There was little point in considering something that would never have a chance of happening. Best just to turn his thoughts to those matters that were within his sphere of influence.
Slowing his pace just a little, he continued on the road, making sure any peasants on it moved aside for the hime's carriage.
That was part of his duty, and he would always do his duty – cold as it was.
He didn't let his thoughts dwell on the fact that a person's mind could choose to interpret their duty in a different manner than their superiors did...
~oOo~
By the time they arrived in Kyoto, Izayoi was ready to pay to get out of that carriage. And she didn't even want to think of the fact that she'd be spending a good part of tomorrow in the conveyance, as well. With an inward groan, she almost wished she were just some ordinary, common-born girl – then she could have stayed on the shrine and trained to become a miko.
The life of a priestess, after all, was the most freedom a woman in this time could expect, and Izayoi longed for freedom. She feared the day her father told her she was to marry and move away from everything she knew. But despite that fear, she would do as her father commanded because it was her duty. She would not tarnish her family's honor with disobedience.
Straightening her weary shoulders as her escort and carriage clattered to a halt before the doors of the Inn, Izayoi waited for the matting to be pulled back and then descended, helped from the carriage by a hand – a hand belonging to Captain Takemaru. He smiled enigmatically as she glanced at him; she nodded her thanks, withdrawing her hand as she gathered her robes to enter the Inn.
"Thank you, Captain," came floating over her shoulder as she walked away. No one caught the expression of longing that flashed across his face for one second before disappearing as though it had never existed. As she entered the Inn, he turned and began handing out orders, taken from his thoughts of her with the responsibility of getting his men settled and everyone seen to.
Mei spoke brusquely to the Innkeeper's wife, and a whirlwind of activity burst out around the hime and her servant as maids appeared as if by magic to show them to their rooms.
As Izayoi moved with stately grace through the corridors of the Inn, she said to Mei, "Before dinner is served to me, I would like to bathe. Is the bathhouse available?"
One of the serving girls answered the inquiry. "Oh, yes, my Lady. I will have it prepared for your use immediately," taking off down another hall when Izayoi inclined her head graciously.
When they arrived at their designated room, Mei entered behind her mistress and hurriedly gathered her bathing accoutrements, then led the young woman to the bath-house, knowing a yukata would be available there for her to wear after bathing.
Izayoi could hardly wait to reach the baths – it had been a few days since she'd had the luxury of a hot soak, and after all day in a carriage, she could certainly use the relaxation.
A few minutes later, she lay back in the steaming water with a happy sigh, eyes closed as she allowed the hot water to draw out the aches in her body. She'd always hated traveling in a carriage.
"Was it just me, or is Kyoto even larger now than it was when I traveled through on my way to the shrine three years ago?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.
There was a rustling as Mei shifted on her seat.
After a moment... "Yes, Kyoto has grown. I was astounded when I passed through on the way to you. Even at night it is easy to tell how much larger it is. It is too bad we have not the time to visit and take in the sights. Your father was most specific, however, wanting you home as soon as it was possible."
Izayoi hummed abstractedly. "Why the rush?" she wondered.
"I believe he wants you home as your fifteenth year begins, my Lady," Mei said placidly, her earlier worries absent from her voice.
The young woman's eyes popped open at that. "Oh... that's right. My fifteenth year is soon to start. I had forgotten," she murmured.
"Your father is eager to see the changes in you, my Lady. While he enjoyed your letters he has missed you. I know that he was very upset when his planned visit to you had to be set aside over that political crisis between two of his allies. But he was needed here – it was only with his intervention that a clan war between the two was avoided."
Water splashed a bit as the young woman sat up; reaching for her soaps, Izayoi began to wash up, enjoying the scent of the sakura scented soap that she had been using since she could remember. There was only one servant at the palace that made it this particular way, and her father had always had it sent to her while at the shrine to keep her happy. It kept her skin so soft and sweetly scented, and it worked in her hair better than anything else she'd ever found.
Finally, refreshed and happy to be clean, Izayoi stood up and stepped from the tub, holding her hand out for the toweling cloth Mei had for her. Wiping herself down, she quickly slipped into the yukata provided, then followed her maidservant from the bathing room, now more than ready for her dinner and bed.
In the shadows, eyes watched the young woman in her intimate dishabille, knowing full well such a thing was forbidden – but not able to care. He couldn't pull his gaze from her supple form, and within the heart of Takemaru, an obsession was born.
He burned with desire... and he vowed in that moment that one way or another, she would burn, too, forbidden or not.
Just like so many beautiful women before her, Izayoi was destined to be the downfall of a man.
If she wasn't very, very careful, however, more than just Takemaru would be destroyed.
~oOo~
Morning came early, and to the eyes of the little hime, a little too brightly, proving that the day would be just as hot and fine as the one before. Shaking her head as she sat up, she looked to Mei, determined not to be forced into all those layers of kimono again. She just couldn't fathom another entire day dressed to perfection, yet locked away in a carriage.
She got her way, Mei dressing her in the minimum of layers allowed, and after a hearty breakfast they got quickly underway. Travel that day went swiftly, Izayoi keeping stops to a minimum, halting the group only twice to relieve herself. As the day waned, the matting on the carriage was pulled back for a little airflow, and she watched, rapt, as the terrain became more and more familiar.
As the carriage came around the last turn of the road leading to her home, she looked out for the first glimpse of the palace, and her breath caught.
It's been so long! How beautiful it is, she thought, wistfully.
Built on a hill in the middle of a bamboo forest, the road leading to the palace gave a magnificent view of it. It was one she hadn't seen in so long that it struck her speechless at the sight of the tiles of the roof glowing in the dying sunlight and casting the entire hill in fire. For a moment, her heartbeat stuttered in her chest, as it really looked as though the entire palace complex was on fire,* echoed hellishly in the lake that lay before it...
And then the illusion and uneasy moment disappeared, and she forgot it in her joy at once more seeing home.
"Oh, Mei!" she said excitedly. "I had forgotten how beautiful it was! I didn't realize how much I had missed it until just now," eyes alight as they took in everything with eagerness.
A horn rang out announcing the hime's return, and the massive gates slowly swung open. "Is it just me, or has the palisade grown?" she asked.
"It has indeed. Your father has added to the palace since you've been gone. He added a wing for youkai visitors to his court and added to the defenses. The army has grown larger, as well," Mei responded.
As the carriage and its escort clattered through the gates, the courtyard became a hive of activity, soldiers dismounting from horses and servants swarming to unload the hime's effects. Mei stepped out of the opened doorway, then turned to hold out a hand to steady her mistress as she exited the carriage, still looking around with wide eyes at all the changes.
When her eyes landed on those who had gathered to greet her, a brilliant smile lit her face and she moved forward with as much dignity as she could maintain at that point to embrace her sire.
"Father," she whispered as he held her. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them in.
"My daughter," he responded fondly, tightening his hold for a few seconds before releasing her to step back and look at her. "You have become so beautiful, my Izayoi. You are as beautiful as your mother was," he said, a sadness evident in his voice.
She blushed at the compliment, but her gaze softened with understanding as she caught the pain he tried so hard to hide. He really loved mother, and he still misses her...
And then she was being pulled away from her father by her rather exuberant brother, and a giggle broke from her as he lifted her and twirled her around, her robes flaring slightly around her. "How is my little maiden of the bow, my little Ka-go-me?" he asked loudly.
"Ichirou, you will put your sister down and do not call her by that moniker again," their father reprimanded. "Remember yourself. You do your name no credit with such behavior."
Her older brother merely huffed at his words even as he cooperated and set Izayoi back on her feet. Breathless, the young woman smoothed her robes, her cheeks flushed with pleasure and a wide smile on her face, not really interested in all those watching their reunion from all over the courtyard.
"Oh, it is so good to see you, father, Ichirou. I have missed you both!"
"And me more than father, eh, brat?" her brother prodded with a grin, ignoring the look from his father in favor of linking arms with his sister and leading her inside the palace through double doors opened wide in welcome.
Their father followed them in, shaking his head in amusement at them, only too happy that his children got along so well – he'd seen far too many families where there was no bond at all save duty to name. He thought that was a sad way to live, and that was why he didn't insist on more formality in these circumstances.
There was plenty of time for that when more than family was witnessing their behavior.
He chuckled to himself at his daughter's denials of favoritism, not disturbed; he knew she loved him as much as her brother. Izayoi had always been an affectionate child and had a hard time sometimes keeping to formality. She had an irrepressible spirit that he had never wanted to stifle, and so he had been a bit more lenient on her than some men were on their daughters.
It had paid off, he thought to himself, watching his children interact as they moved through the palace to the family room. She had grown in stature and beauty while she had been gone, her bearing regal, yet not haughty at all. He was immensely proud of her, despite his discomfort with the knowledge that she could be classified as a warrior with her mastery of the bow.
Not to mention her spiritual powers.
He remembered with clarity the day they had discovered that she had them – it was the same day her eyes had changed inexplicably from a light brown to the bright blue they now were. No one had ever been able to explain that to him, but he no longer even cared. It just made her already almost extravagant beauty even more noticeable.
She had been sitting with him in informal court when an imp servant of one of his visiting allies had tripped and fallen on her, startling the rather drowsy young girl. With a shriek, a pink glow had surrounded the child, blowing the imp back and leaving him suffering from some minor burns.
He had immediately sent for one of his advisers, a Buddhist monk, who had tested the girl and then recommended that she be sent away to a shrine for training as soon as possible. Apparently, her powers were shockingly strong, and if not trained soon, would erupt all out of her control.
Within days, she had been gone.
He would have her demonstrate her control over her reiki on the morrow. He needed to be sure that she would not be a danger to youkai, especially with the plans that had been made on her behalf. Not that he didn't know anything about her progress; Kenji had kept up a constant flow of reports to both he and the Western lord, as was proper as the Inu Lord's vassal. Still, he wished to see for himself what she had learned in her three years' absence.
Once they were settled in the family room, he sat back on a thick cushion and just took her in, a smile lingering on his face as she waited for him to speak. Finally, just as he could tell that she was about to explode with impatience, he chuckled and shook his head.
"So, little one, tell me of your days at the shrine. What things you did, and your studies."
And the sum of her days at the shrine burst from her, keeping her family entertained far into the evening.
~oOo~
Finally, late into the night, the Lord of Setsuna looked over his now drooping daughter and smiled. She was obviously exhausted, the excitement of her homecoming wearing off to leave her barely able to stay awake.
He glanced sideways at his son, catching his smile at his sister, as well, and chuckled. "Call for her maidservant, son, it is time for our little flower to sleep," he said, waving off Izayoi's protests as she struggled to wake back up. "Do not naysay me, child. You can barely keep your eyes open. There is yet plenty of time for you to tell us everything your little heart desires – it need not be all done tonight."
With a sigh, Izayoi bowed her head obediently to her father, falling silent as her brother stood and left the room. While he summoned Mei, she let her eyes drift around the room, finally taking note of the differences from when she had last seen it.
Delicately painted rice paper walls gave the room a warm glow. Sakura trees in full bloom and drifting petals set the tone, and the welcoming pillows scattered throughout the room in complimenting shades of greens and whites and pinks beckoned the visitor to relax. The slightly silly thought that the way she always smelled of sakura made her fit right in made her giggle lightly, and her father watched her, entranced with her sleepy yet happy face.
She was so precious to him... and he hoped that the future he had chosen for her would keep that happy smile on her face. In his mind, it was a better fate than any other he could think of...
He stood as Mei entered the room, nodding as she bowed to him, then took his daughter's hand and helped her up. Wrapping her arm around his own he escorted her out and headed towards the family's sleeping quarters. He didn't demure when Ichirou took his sister's other arm, and surrounded by family and feeling loved, Izayoi beamed sleepily at both of them.
"I am so glad to be home. I'll miss the shrine and my friends there, but... there's really no place like home. I love you, father, Ichirou," she said softly, hugging their arms to her as they walked.
Both the Setsuna males smiled down at her, murmuring their own affections, and Mei smiled inwardly, watching. She knew they loved the girl, and only hoped that fact would temper any political maneuvering using her as the prize. She deserved better, though that was the life allotted to hime of any house, of course.
Taking over her charge at the door to her room, she soon had the tired young woman stripped down to a yukata and ready for bed, and sleepily smiling at her, Izayoi bid her goodnight, turning over to cuddle into the thick pillows that lined her futon.
They were both luxuries that she had missed while at the shrine – there, she'd only had tatami mats to sleep on, and one pillow that she had brought from home.
Within moments, the little hime was fast asleep; Mei covered her over, and then turned and left the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
Tomorrow would come soon enough for her, and she needed all the sleep she could get, for it would be a very busy day.
Izayoi slept peacefully for several hours, but deep in the darkest parts of the morning, her dreams turned to nightmares and she tossed and turned, whimpering and frightened as their vividness kept her paralyzed and unable to escape them.
A bright pink jewel skewered by an arrow, its living captives warring inside it endlessly. Flashes of people she knew she should know but couldn't identify twisted and turned through her mind, taunting her with forgotten fear.
Burning its way into her mind's eye was the face of a young woman who looked oddly like her, yet didn't, a woman who carried a bow that looked exactly like the one she'd been found clutching as a young child. No one had ever been able to figure out where it had come from, and she couldn't remember, either. She was wearing strange clothes that for some reason seemed as familiar as the robes of a hime, and Izayoi could feel her fear and the weariness in her slumped bearing.
She was tied to that jewel, that much Izayoi could tell, but why she felt as familiar as her own skin she couldn't say.
But that wasn't all the sweat-damp'd young woman saw in her dreams that night. Fire ran through them, chasing her wherever she fled. She watched as her home burned, lighting up the night sky for many ri, watched as her father twisted and danced in the flames, her brother as well.
And she saw two men in her dreams, somehow knowing that it was these two that would bring this fate upon her house if she didn't find the very narrow path that existed through the danger and walk it with courage.
One was Takemaru... and the other...
She didn't know yet, because she'd not been able to see him clearly.
But he wasn't human.
With a frightened gasp, she sat up, finding herself twisted up in her bedding. Unable to think her way through the dreams she'd just had, her face lowered into her trembling hands.
That had been a dream of foretelling... but the first dreams, the dreams of that girl that looked so like her, and those flashes of people her heart recognized...
Those had been memories.
How that was possible, though, she had no idea.
Lifting her head up after a few moments, she untangled herself from her bedding and stood. Slipping on a heavier yukata, she stepped daintily over to the second set of doors into her rooms – doors that led out to the private family gardens, and let herself out. She needed the cool early morning air to calm the heat from her body after those nightmares.
What was all of that? And why was Takemaru in my dreams? I don't even know the man. Nor will I ever – after all, father will offer me in marriage to someone that offers something worthwhile in return, such as a profitable alliance. Takemaru cannot offer anything like that.
And the other one? Someone not human. I wonder why I could not see him? He was the only part of all those dreams that was unclear. Even so, unclear or not, something about him had tugged at her heart.
Izayoi was fourteen summers, and within a few days, would be fifteen summers. She had been considered a woman for two years since she had started her female cycle. Woman or not, though, she had never met anyone who made her heart beat fast with tender feelings most hime were not allowed to be familiar with. Love was, after all, not a factor when politics and power came into play.
That wasn't to say that she didn't wish for love – what woman didn't? But she had been determined to be practical; after all, her probable fate had been drilled into her from a young age. The fact that her parents had loved each other as they had was considered nothing more than luck – their marriage having been as arranged as any other nobleman's would have been. It had been done to cement an alliance.
They found love in each afterward, not before.
The most she could hope for was an amiable husband, one who wouldn't stifle her and would treat her kindly. She had a good chance of that, actually – she knew her father treasured her and would do his best to find a match for her that was optimal on all levels, not just for political gain. She was sure that he would not force her to marry one who would break her or harm her in any way.
It was the best she could expect.
Reaching up, she ran her fingers through her waist length hair, then brushed the short locks framing her delicate features back, enjoying the cool air on her skin and the even cooler grass beneath her tiny bare feet. She looked around at the beauty of the garden in the moonlight, her eyes coming to rest pensively on the moon bridge in the very center of the garden.
She contemplated it silently for some time. They say that the moon bridge connects your past and your future, that walking it takes you from one into the other. Perhaps the kami are trying to tell me something, because that certainly wasn't here before I left those three years ago.
It gleamed darkly in the moonlight, almost beckoning her, and still with that pensive expression in her eyes, eyes washed to black by the icy quality of the available light, approached it slowly.
A bridge between my past and my future, eh? She stepped closer, a little wary, but unable to back away from the wooden bridge. But which past... and what future? she wondered, a shiver skipping down her spine as she remembered her dreams.
It made her leery of taking that step onto the bridge, and yet... If I don't, I will never know the answer to my question. And as a daughter of this house I cannot be so craven as to turn away from what my fate is to be. So... I will meet my destiny head on and unflinching. I will bring honor to my house, though fear pierces my heart with sharp talons.
With that, she drew in a deep breath and put a foot onto the cool wood before her, and then another, and then another, until she found herself standing in the middle of the bridge. The symbolism of that did not escape the young hime – it was exactly where she was now in life – standing in between her past, whatever that had been, and her future – whatever that was to be. One more step, and she would set in motion the wheels of time, and her fate would then be free to find her.
With tightly clenched hands and a deep breath, she lifted her foot, and stepped along the arch of the bridge.
She didn't know for sure what she was expecting, if she was even expecting anything at all, but what happened certainly caught her off-guard.
As she set her foot over the center line of the moon bridge, a pink pulse of power flared around her, her reiki apparently reacting to something there. It was answered by another pulse... a pulse from something far off in the distance – something that lay north of her family's lands – a long way north. And then another pulse came from the bridge itself, though the color of this power was a bright blue, something she'd never seen before.
Gaining speed, she hurried the rest of the way over the bridge, turning to stare at the now silent and quiescent structure in uncertain awe as soon as her feet hit solid ground. Had that really happened?
It had to have, to have pulled her powers from her. They were definitely hers – no miko before her had carried reiki the color of hers.* As Miko Kiyoko had explained upon first seeing her reiki break free of her body, Miko had powers that were a light blue or even purple – but not pink like hers. It marked her as different. And at this point she was beginning to believe that there was a definite reason for that.
Disturbed by the events of this night, Izayoi frowned and pulled her yukata closer around herself, suddenly chilled. Turning away from the bridge, she set her feet on the path back to her rooms, for some reason now wanting walls around her – ever since those pulses of power she'd felt as though eyes were on her.
Perhaps it was time to put the strangeness of this night aside and go back to sleep – hopefully not to dream again.
No... dreams like those she'd had this night could stay far, far away.
~oOo~
All information taken from Wikipedia, except the meaning of Kagome's name.
First annotation: Jinno Shotoki-This chronicle emphasized the importance of maintaining the divine descent of the imperial line from Amaterasu to the current emperor, a condition that gave Japan a special national polity (kokutai). Besides reinforcing the concept of the emperor as a deity, the Jinnōshōtōki provided a Shinto view of history, which stressed the divine nature of all Japanese and the country's spiritual supremacy over China and India.
Second annotation: Kitabatake Chikafusa-author of the Jinno Shotoki, and the chief commander of the Southern Court forces.
Third annotation: I have seen several meanings ascribed to the name of Kagome, but the one cited by Takahashi herself, if I'm remembering rightly, for it was some time ago, was Maiden of the Bow. I chose that meaning here, since it pins a bit of the story together. I apologize ahead of time if I'm wrong, and the reader can take the meaning as meant for the purposes of this story only.
Fourth annotation: The Hojo clan-According to Wikipedia, the Hojo came into prominence by marrying a daughter of their house to Minamoto Yoritomo, and then seizing power from the shoguns. When Yoritomo and his heirs were assassinated, the shogun became a hereditary figurehead, the real power resting with the Hojo regency. Their influence lasted for almost one hundred and fifty years, from 1192 to 1333. An attempt by Emporer Go-Daigo to restore imperial rule in 1331 was unsuccessful, but weakened the shogunate significantly and led to its eventual downfall.
Fifth annotation: Takeda-I have no knowledge for sure that this clan existed at this point for certain, for they are not mentioned in what I have read, but if anyone has noticed, I am incorporating a great deal from canon universe into this story. The Hojo's, the Takeda clan, Kagome's blue eyes, (from the manga), her age at the time of the manga. There will be others as we go along. That is because this story will be in some ways paralleling the canon universe.
Sixth annotation: The scene I painted of her return – the seemingly burning palace – is taken from a scene in the third movie, when Inu no Taisho dies in the wreckage of the burning Setsuna palace fighting Takemaru.
Seventh Annotation: Kagome's reiki-In canon universe, every miko we see has powers that are either blue, or a light purple. Only Kagome's powers are pink. Most believe it is due to the influence of the Shikon jewel, but Takahashi-san never states her reasoning for making it that way for sure either way.
All that said, welcome to my new Inupapa/Kagome story – be prepared for a long haul, however, and a tale much different in style from my previous ones for this, or indeed, any pairing.
I hope you all take it as meant, for entertainment purposes only, and enjoy!
Amber
8/11/2013 - Beginning editing of what is so far written. Cleaning up any grammar mistakes and spelling and typos.
