Chapter Two
The Perfect Suitors
As Valkyra and Achika walked into the room the two men stood up, and the King remained in his seat. He was above them and had no need to show respect as these two men must. The two men bowed and each of them held out a hand to one of the ladies. Valkyra and Achika accepted their outstretched hands and allowed themselves to be led to the chairs that surrounded the King. Valkyra regarded both of the men; they seemed to have a pleasant air about them, and held themselves up in a dignified manner.
The one who had taken Achika's hand was very handsome. He had long black hair that was in a braid that fell almost to the floor. His eyes were a captivating cobalt blue, and in the middle of his forehead was a tattoo of a four pointed star. His skin was nicely tanned, as if he spent much time outside instead of stuffed inside a castle as Valkyra and Achika were forced to. He was also fairly muscular.
"My beloved daughters, allow me to introduce the leader of The Band of Seven, Bankotsu," the King said as he motioned toward the man Valkyra had been observing. He nodded his head and smiled at Achika. Her eyes lit up and she smiled in return. She was half in love already.
Valkyra finally turned her attention to the other man, the one that she herself was now sitting next to. He was strikingly handsome and his hair was also long, reaching past his knees, and it was silver. He was slender and tall, with pale skin and pointed ears. His most alluring feature, however, were his eyes. They were the color of golden amber, and had a depth to them that Valkyra found intriguing.
"And this is Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, and the last full-blooded dog demon," the King announced. Sesshomaru let his deep amber eyes shift toward Valkyra and she smiled politely at him. Her father's obsession with pure-bloods was getting out of hand. Even their horses had to be pure-bloods or they were sold to the villagers, none of them even fetching an impressive price.
"What a pleasure it is to meet you both," Valkyra said, her sister nodding in agreement.
Just then a servant walked into the room and announced that dinner was ready. The five of them stood up and began to follow the servant to the dining room. Valkyra kept pace with her father and whispered to him, "We need to talk." He gave her an aggressive side glance, but nodded.
"You three please continue to the dining room. The Princess and I shall join you shortly," he said. Achika, Bankotsu, and Sesshomaru all bowed to the King and kept walking. After they were far enough away he grabbed Valkyra roughly by the wrist and dragged her into the nearest room. "What could you possibly want to discuss at a time like this, daughter?" he asked in his cold voice. The one he reserved for times like this.
"Father, what purpose do these suitors serve? You bring these men that aren't even the usual type of suitors you would bring, and something gives me the feeling that you've already promised the hands of your only daughters," Valkyra snapped back as she jerked her wrist from his grip. It ached from the force and she hoped that a bruise would not form.
"I am not certain why you would concern yourself with this, Valkyra. You are to do as you are told. You are a princess and you must act accordingly, but if you insist I shall tell you." His dark eyes were piercing as he stared at her; both of them standing tall and stubborn. "As you are well aware there are those in this world that wish I had not claimed this land as mine. However, I earned it. I have fought and defeated many people for this throne and some say it was ill-gotten. Demons are running rampant in my kingdom and they must be stopped. I don't care much about the people, but I must protect them regardless. Bankotsu is the leader of the Band of Seven. They are a mercenary group, and it is to our best interest if we have a reason to keep them on our side. Therefore, he will be wed to Achika, and she will bear him many children. Sesshomaru is not only the Lord of the Western Lands, but he is also a full-blooded demon, and the son of the strongest of the dog demons. He is willing to give help by providing us with more armies, and you will have a fellow demon to breed with. Your children will be pure, and royal," the King explained. Valkyra felt her anger growing. He was getting rid of his daughters as if they were something to trade. As if they were nothing more than things to be bargained for.
"Are you honestly telling me that you have sold us to these men so you can continue your demon hunts?" Valkyra half-yelled at her father. His expression immediately changed. He had seemed intense moments before, but now he was furious.
"Valkyra, you are my eldest child. You are the crowned Princess, and future Queen of this land. But I feel that I must remind you of the fact that I am your Father, and the King. I am the most feared and most powerful demon in this land and you will not disobey or disrespect me any further or you will certainly learn what the wrath of Naraku truly entails!" Valkyra shrunk back as her father's voice continued to rise and he took a few steps closer. The next thing she knew her cheek was burning. It had happened so quickly that she hadn't realized what was going on. A gasp escaped her lips and she reached up to feel her red-hot cheek. She looked at him with surprise, and then anger. His face was stone, and unchanging. He was still angry, and she was sure he would stay that way for a long time. "Now, you will go freshen up and when you are ready you will come down to the dining hall. You will sit at the table, and you will enjoy the company of your future husband and tomorrow the preparations for your union will begin and if I hear you complaining you will regret it," Naraku's voice was deep and Valkyra knew she had finally crossed the line. His eyes, which were usually a dark brown, had turned red in his rage. His long raven colored hair seemed as if it was pulsing with electricity.
"Yes, your grace, as you wish," she said in a small voice. He took a few steps back and examined her. She still looked beautiful, but she now had a bright red mark on her cheek and tears were slowly escaping her eyes. He gave her another stern look just before she bowed and quickly left the room. He stood there for a minute to compose himself. Then he took a deep breath before he left the room. He couldn't keep his guests waiting much longer.
Once Valkyra had left the room she began running. She ran all the way to her room and didn't stop until she had slammed the door behind herself. She was gasping for breath and tears were flowing freely from her eyes. She leaned against the door and slowly sank to the floor. She would allow herself a few minutes of weakness before she got up, gained her composure, and returned to the dining hall. She was a nineteen year old Princess that still wasn't married, which was quite the scandal. She had other things on her mind, however. She had never wanted this life. She just wanted to be happy, and live a small quiet life. Her father wouldn't hear of it. She was perfectly trained on how to use a sword, how to shoot a bow and arrow, hand to hand combat, and she had her powers on top of all that. She was also trained in the art of being a lady. Being proper and knowing when to be silent were things she was supposed to know very well, but she always had a problem with the silent part. If she was so powerful, why did she have to worry about what she said?
"Okay, Valkyra, pull yourself together," she whispered to herself. She walked over to her looking-glass and examined the damage. Her cheek had faded to a light pink and she seemed only slightly covered with sweat. It wasn't nearly as bad as she had expected. After brushing through her hair a few times and making sure she looked presentable again she began the long walk back down to the dining hall. As much as she didn't want to return and spend the rest of the evening pretending to be pleasant, she knew she had to and that would be the hardest part of it all.
"Oh, sister, I am so glad you've finally returned!" Achika shouted as the servants announced Valkyra's arrival. They both bowed and shut the doors. Dinner was already laid out across the enormous table and Achika, Bankotsu, Sesshomaru, and Naraku were already halfway through the meal.
"I am terribly sorry for my disappearance. I hope I didn't miss too much," she replied as she crossed the room to sit next to Sesshomaru, and to the right of Naraku who was at the head of the table. She smiled gently at Sesshomaru, but he didn't seem convinced. He acted as if he knew something had happened that Valkyra was ignoring.
"So sorry that you missed the beginning, but I cannot express how glad we are for your return, my lady," Bankotsu said in his sweet, deep voice. It was hard to believe that he was a mercenary. He was expected to be feared and deadly, but when he spoke it was with the voice of an angel. Maybe that helped him lure in some of his prey. Valkyra nodded politely and turned her attention to Achika, who was beaming and seemed to glow.
"Yes, sister, we were just discussing the terrible ordeal of the Demon War," she reached and grabbed another roll to nibble on.
"Ah, that dreadful thing; I'm sure we're all tired of it and with the help of you both it will hopefully be over soon." Naraku shot Valkyra a warning glance as she finished talking, and she tried to ignore him.
"My lady, you need not concern yourself with these matters. I'm sure you can easily keep the care of this castle running as we all fight this war," Bankotsu mused as he took another swig of his drink and winked at Sesshomaru, who didn't seem amused with his rambling. Valkyra guessed he was not drinking tea. A smile played across her face however, and Achika actually began laughing. "I'm sorry, did I miss the joke?" he asked, with a sincerely confused look on his face.
"You must have me mistaken for some other princess, sir. I am Valkyra. Also known as Miyuki, and I'm certain you'll do well to remember that," she said between Achika's giggles. Bankotsu's face showed his shock, and he laughed.
"You aren't serious. You are a princess. There is no way that you can also be Naraku's top assassin," he mused. Naraku's expression confirmed his uncertainty, however. He slumped down into his chair and seemed defeated. Miyuki was known throughout the land as a ruthless assassin. Naraku's best and least merciful. If you made it on Naraku's list and Miyuki got your name, you were as good as dead that moment. No one knew what she looked like or where she came from, but here she sat. Just across the table from him. A better killer than he was.
"You underestimate my daughters, Bankotsu. You will soon learn what the daughters of Naraku are truly like. For now, I fear, we must all retire to our chambers. It has been a long night and tomorrow is the beginning of the preparations," Naraku said as he looked at Bankotsu. His eyes seemed as if he was actually laughing on the inside. How could anyone doubt the strength of his own blood? His daughters would soon show the two of them how well-bred and well-trained they truly were.
Bankotsu, Achika, Valkyra, and Sesshomaru all stood as Naraku finished speaking. They bowed to the king and left the room. Bankotsu and Sesshomaru were both greeted by servants and led to their chambers. Achika intertwined her arm with Valkyra's and she looked happily at her sister.
"I feel as if that went rather well. Let's hope you don't run off next time!" Achika gushed as they walked toward their own chambers. Valkyra nodded, but said nothing. She had too much on her mind, and she was looking forward to the prospect of sleep. Achika didn't seem to mind her silence. Once they reached the second floor Achika kissed her sister on the cheek, which was still a little sore, and ran off toward her room. Valkyra's was next to the library, just as she liked it, and as she walked by it she ran her hand across the door. She sighed heavily and entered her room once again, eager for the comfort of her bed after such a long and eventful day.
