I kept my initiation into womanhood to myself for most of the next day. I was afraid telling Kaede that I had gotten it, but after awhile the pain became unbearable and I told her. Kaede was happy, but she was also worried about the omen of me coming into womanhood on the full moon, but it could not be changed now.
"Ye are a full woman now, Kagome, and all I can do is hope that I raised ye right to make your choices." Was the first thing Kaede said to me. I nodded slowly, running my finger across the lines in my palm. I already had this awkward conversation when I was twelve, right after Kikyo got her own monthly cycle; everyone assumed I would follow her. We touched on the subject of intimate relations only for a few moments, and went onto more pressing matters. We discussed what it could mean for me to reach adulthood so late in life, merely weeks from my 16th birthday.
Kaede and I talked for almost an hour. At a little past midday, one of the manservants came in, an entourage of maids following him. "Princess Kagome, delegates from the Western Territory will be arriving in a few hours, and the Emperor wishes you to be present."
I raised an eyebrow skeptically. Father wanted me at a political gathering, what was he planning? "Indeed and why are you here other than that." I eyed the army of aids behind him, an odd feeling of intense fear forming in my gut. I had an idea of why they were here…
"We're here to dress you for the arrival. We have heard of your coming into womanhood and we are prepared to dress you as the woman of status that you are." One of the maids replied, bowing towards me.
My face colored rapidly and I sent an accusing glare at Kaede who simply shook her head. "The laundry maids must have told your father when they changed your futon this morning."
I Scowled, and watched as the manservant exited, seven women staring down at me. I could feel their eyes staring at my darker than normal skin, my tangled hair, and my chipped nails. Even the freckles that had started to peep up on my cheeks and along the bridge of my nose were under intense scrutiny. I had been right about their intentions.
"Oh my oh my!" One of the maids crouched down, holding a cherry wood comb and pins. "You hair is so long Princess Kagome, but it's in such bad condition!" The maid pulled my hair out from its coarse ponytail. I yelped. I could feel the knots being pulled.
"You're skin is so dark! You're like a little peasant boy!" A younger maid said, holding a cat-hair brush and powder bowl. "We'll make you look pretty, like ivory!" She swished the brush in the bowl, mixing the crushed pearl, rice, and soybean paste mixture.
"And your nails are so chipped! We'll have to file these down!" Yet another maid said, holding a soapstone set in a small piece of rose wood. She examined my nails, "tsking" at their state.
The other four maids had a long spool of silk and a light linen kimono and hakama. "We're going to dress you in this, Princess Kagome, so just leave everything to us!"
I stared at all of this, unable to believe what was happening. I started to scoot back, slapping at the maid's hands as they started to undress me. "Get away from me! I'm not going to dress up just for my Father!" I was annoyed that Father was suddenly demanding this of me- I was the reject, I had no idea how to be a courtesan! The maids did not bother with my protests, and I was stripped down nude and had a strange cream put on my hands and feet, one that smelled like rice and sugar. Another set of maids put the power on my face, neck, collarbones, and hands to give the illusion that I was pale like Kikyo or Natsuko.
"You look completely different!" One of the maids held up a mirror, and I looked at my new color. I looked strange, in my opinion, I looked almost like a walking ivory doll, and the cream made my wrists itch. The maids apparently thought I looked beautiful now and kept commenting on it. I, however, felt silly.
"Stand up Princess." One ordered politely, "tsking" quietly when she saw my breasts. I complied, finding it strange to be standing nude in front of a room full of strangers. A silk covering was wrapped around my small, but existent chest and hips. Another wrapping, this time much larger and lighter, went around my entire torso then down to my knees. After that, another silk covering, but this time in the shape of a robe, was placed on my shoulders and pinned together with a small enamel leaf. The silk under coverings were opaque, and a person could see the dark outlines of my nipples if they were to look close enough. Finally, a silk robe in a deep green color went around me, then a sand colored linen kimono with tiny leave designs along the long sleeves and hem. The obi was of a similar dark green as the under color, and I was finally dressed.
"I hate this." I stated quietly, and Kaede simply returned a sympathetic look, the maids starting to twist and braid my hair into an elaborate headdress. "Why do I have to wear this? I look like a doll."
"A very pretty doll!" One of the maids said, my hair being pulled rather roughly. I scowled at her attempt to be kind- it only made me feel more annoyed. The woman did not notice as I winced and finally red-enamel combs were placed in my hair, and I was allowed to look in the mirror once again. I was greeted with the stare of a completely alien figure; the dark blue eyes the only part I recognized. I wondered what I had done to allow this strange torture to happen to my self.
"You look amazing, Princess Kagome!" The maids cried in unison, congratulating each other on a job well done.
I, on the other hand, felt mortified and like a dress up doll.
xxxxxx
I stood in the outside foyer, my ankles and wrists felt as if they burning from the cream the maids had put on me. I yearned to scratch and wipe the make-up off frantically, but if I made the slightest movement other then to look doll-like, it would be interpreted as rude. So instead, I decided to survey my one parent. I watched the back of my Father's head. Father was just as robust and handsome as I remember, but sighs of aging were slowly starting to creep in. The lines around his eyes, the small gray hair at his temples… Father must be at least fifty now, maybe even older. I know he married Mother when she was young, and there was a large age gap between them.
As I stood absorbed in my thoughts, I did not notice as a servant snuck by, handing father a note. He contemplated the parchment, and then my Father nodded slowly, turning to Kikyo and me. We had been standing behind him for a good fifteen minutes, and when he looked our way, I took the change to move my position to behind Kikyo, making it possible so that I could rub my writs. "Yes Father?" I realized that he was staring at me, as if he had seen a ghost.
Father shook his head, almost annoyed at me for opening my mouth. He turned to Kikyo, ignoring me all together. "Kikyo, these delegates are… Different form you and me."
"What do you mean?" Kikyo cocked her head to the side, peering at Father with curiosity, if not stupidity.
"Well, they are not human. They are yokai, an older race than we are, and are exceedingly powerful. So please, both of you," he turned to address me this time, as I was the one who was the blubbering idiot. "Do not offend them. We hope to make a pact with their nation, for the Continent is brewing with civil war."
Kikyo and I nodded, and we remained quiet. 'Not human?' I pondered the idea, 'what would they look like? Would they have three eyes, or would they be hideously deformed?' Frowning, I bit my lip, smudging a small bit of the dark red paint the maids had used on my lips. I had heard stories of yokai, but we had never been allowed to see any. I was barely allowed out of the palace, the forest surrounding it my absolute boundary. After a moment of tense waiting, Kikyo and I moved behind Father again, this time the Emperor sat down on his knees, leaving us standing behind him. Women always stood, because we were not officially allowed to be a part of the discussion or be recognized as significant or important.
"Now announcing the Crown Prince Sesshomaru, and the Prince General Inuyasha." A servant called from about twenty feet away, the main gates to the small foyer opening. I was curious. 'So, both of these yokai are princes? Interesting…' Squinting to see the new comers, my vision blurred by the sunlight, I had to wait for a moment while they walked through the archway. Then, quite suddenly, it felt as if my heart had stopped.
They were gorgeous. These beings in front of me must have been gods descended from heaven. Both brothers had honey colored eyes, delicately pale skin, and silver hair. One, his name Inuyasha, had the most delicate dog-ears on top of his skull, and I had a sudden urge to go over and rub them.
Sesshomaru seemed even more god-like than his brother. Everything about him was perfect, even the strange magenta strips and sapphire crescent moon on his forehead made him look amazing. Moreover, to think, I had been expecting monsters! I felt like hitting my self-forever thinking such a thing.
Every other female in the courtyard must have had the same look on her face as me; Inuyasha smirked to himself and quickly hid it, attempting to obtain the cool façade like his brother. I was slightly amused at that, but my attention drew elsewhere.
I could not help but stare at either of their face, and slowly I started to absorb their entire appearance after my initial shock and amazement. Sesshomaru wore dark, amber colored robes with purple circles as embroidery. He also had a half-gauntlet made of stone armor across his left shoulder and across his chest, a red sash at his waist holding two swords. Inuyasha was dressed equally as rich. He wore the bright red robes of the fire rat, one of the most coveted materials in Japan because the material was so durable because it could not be burned by fire or cut by a common katana. He had one katana at his waist.
I wished with all of my heart that one of them would look at me; just to give me a fleeting glace of recognition for my existence. My frame trembled delicately, and I had to hold onto my fan a bit tighter, steadying myself to keep from swooning. I t was not lust that urged me on, but simple human nature.
The brothers stopped at a respectable distance of eight feet in front of Father. Either yokai's attention was focused on the most powerful man in the human world.
"I am Lord Sesshomaru." The eldest tipped his head, just barely.
"I am General Inuyasha." Replied the yokai in the fire rate robe. Obviously, Sesshomaru was heir to the Western Territory, and Inuyasha, like me, was stuck as an underling. I felt more compassion for Inuyasha, but he seemed gruff and not nearly as cultured as his older brother did. I could easily fall in love with Sesshomaru… 'Wait! What in the world am I thinking? There is no way either of these godly beings would ever notice my pitiful form. Their voices alone had caused me legs to tremble; I might die of shock if one of them were to notice me!' The discussion proceeded, and no one noticed my inner turmoil.
Father nodded, "I am Emperor Takashi of the Ryuiko dynasty. These are my daughters, Kikyo and Kagome." I felt the piercing, golden gaze of the brothers stray over me, for just a moment, but they were quickly centered on my father once again. Chills went up my spine at the thought of finally having some recognition with these yokai.
"Emperor Takashi, we bring a proposal from Our Father, Taiyokai Inu-Taisho." Waving a clawed hand, Sesshomaru watched as a servant ran forward, taking out a large, creamy piece of parchment. Such a movement seemed a hundred times more graceful done by a yokai. "This is an official letter from him to you, it has been unseen by my brother or I."
Father nodded, and took the parchment, unrolling it slowly, reading it line by line. After a few moments of silence, Father let out a tired sigh. "I see. So the civil war on the Continent has officially erupted. Who leads it?"
It was Inuyasha's turn to speak; "we have yet to find out that information, but we believe it is a reel group from the far West. That is all we know." Inuyasha was the Head General, which was his job as the second born- to serve his brother. That would have been my job if Kikyo and I were male.
Father nodded, "I see. We shall continue this talk at another time, you must be weary or at least in need of a reprieve from your journey. We shall speak about this tomorrow; tonight I invite you to a feast with my daughters and me in our personal gardens." At that, human servants rushed forward, taking the luggage that the brothers and the few yokai with them had.
Sesshomaru bowed his head, his long pooling over his shoulders. "We gladly accept your offer."
As people moved to leave, Sesshomaru raised his head, his eyes catching mine. It felt as if my soul and mind were being stripped to the core, as if he could see what I was thinking. I never needed anyone more than him, my young soul and body calling out to the yokai in front of me, as if it knew something I did not. I yearned for his touch, for his acknowledgement, for his very being. I felt that there was something much more between us, as if our souls were already intertwined with fate.
As Sesshomaru turned to leave, I was able to catch my breath, and I quickly dropped my eyes to the ground, feeling as if my blush was visible through my layers of cream and powder. The dinner tonight would be hard, but I anticipated it with my every fiber.
