Author's Note: Hopefully the character interaction won't suck too badly in this chapter, please keep in mind that I'm quite new at writing much romance. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! All suggestions and reviews are appreciated!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I would have killed off Jaken a long time ago.
Inukatsu sat in the eastern flower gardens, staring up at the summer night's sky. The stars were bright, and the moon was but a sliver, beginning its cycle anew. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching and the sound of someone softly crying. He knew who it was.
"Inukatsu, is it really true that you are to marry a human girl in only two weeks?" Misaki asked desperately as he turned to face her.
"My father has ordered it." Inukatsu said quietly, looking at the ground. "He says it is the woman the family legend speaks of, and I must do as he says." he finished. He didn't know what else to say to her. He knew that she had feelings for him, and she knew he returned them. They really hadn't given much thought to other marriages being arranged for them.
Misaki entwined her arms around Inukatsu's neck and leaned her face into his shoulder. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "Isn't there some way to convince your father not to do this?" she asked. Inukatsu felt her begin to sob quietly again, and he felt his stomach turn. He stroked her hair and held her close, hoping to give her some measure of comfort.
Misaki was furious. She would not show it to Inukatsu of course; she got much better results from playing the dainty lady in distress. She had worked too hard and too long to truly integrate herself into this family. After her family was massacred during a war when she was just a child, she had never felt like she truly belonged with Inuyasu's family. She had found much solace in Inukatsu's constant attentions, and she certainly wasn't about to lose them to a mere human wench. She had to come up with a plan soon to rid herself of this threat. She wasn't going to lose her chance at finally becoming lady of the castle, as she should be.
"I will speak with father again." Inukatsu whispered into her hair, gently kissing the top of her head.
Misaki smiled to herself in spite of her tears. "Thank you so much." she said meekly.
Kinome sat alone in her room placing the few remaining items she was taking to the south into the last trunk. She couldn't believe the past three weeks had passed so quickly. Inuyasu's traveling party was to arrive before long, and she listened to the strange silence of the castle. Her doors were open to the gardens, and she could hear the birds and cicadas chirping. When she arrived at Lord Inuyasu's home in a week, she would be married that day to his son Inukatsu. She still had no idea what to expect. She imagined her best plan was to stay quiet and out of the way. She wondered if the entire clan shared Inuyasu's obvious esteem of her and what her presence meant. The fluttering in her stomach told her of her doubts. She had no idea how she was even supposed to fulfil this so called prophecy.
"Lady Kinome, they are here." a castle guard said at her open door. She nodded to him and asked him to take her remaining belongings to the castle entrance.
"Oh my lady, I fear so for your safety!" Miu whimpered as she entered the room. "I cannot bear to think of the horrors those demons could cause upon you!"
"Miu, I will tell you again that you may stay here if you wish." "There is no need for you to go with me if you are to live in fear." Kinome said to her. Miu protested greatly again, saying that she couldn't let her dear young lady face those monsters alone. Kinome wondered if her constant agonizing would cause trouble where they were going, as she couldn't seem to convince her to stop her fretting.
Her departure was simple and quiet. She said brief farewells to her parents, trying to keep things as painless as possible. They left just before noon, and she inwardly cringed at the thought of constantly being in such close quarters with Miu for a week. She loved the old woman dearly, but too much of her rambling left her quite on the edge. The week passed rather quickly and the journey went smoothly.
She was quite amazed when the arrived at the castle gates. Inuyasu's home was much larger than the one she had grown up in, and the grounds sprawled over several dozen acres. As the gates opened, she peeked out of the small window of the carriage to see many court nobles gathering and talking amongst each other. Her stomach knotted as her anxiety surged. She took a deep breath. She would just have to handle whatever happened with grace, she told herself.
Inuyasu greeted her as she stepped out of the carriage and the entrance to the castle's main hall. "Lady Kinome, I am pleased that you have arrived." "I certainly hope your journey was comfortable." he said. There was another man standing beside him.
"Oh yes, it was very comfortable." she managed to say. "I was honored to be treated so kindly."
"This is my son, Inukatsu." Inuyasu said, taking a step back. The younger man bowed to her, and she returned. After a moment she looked up at him nervously. He looked much like his father, with sharp features and pale blue lines under his cheekbones. His hair too was long and white, and his eyes were a dark gold. He was quite handsome, she thought. She was rather sure he wouldn't feel the same of her. She looked up again, closer and longer this time. She could see the displeasure and aggravation written in his face. His keen eyes almost narrowed when she looked into them for a moment. She felt certain everyone could see her shaking now. Dread welled up inside of her; it was obvious Inukatsu was not happy with the arrangement.
"If you will follow me, I will show you to your rooms and we can prepare for the ceremony." Inuyasu told her cordially. She nodded and bowed quickly to him, anxious to be out from under Inukatsu's inquisitive and heavy stare. She suddenly realized that he had not stopped staring at her since she arrived, his gaze full of scrutiny. She followed Inuyasu down the corridor, and he ushered her into her rooms, which were full of servants ready to prepare her for the wedding. She quietly followed their instructions and was led to where the service would be held.
She sat quietly through the long ceremonial rites, and tried to keep her hands from shaking as she drank the ritual sake. At one point, she dared to look up at Inukatsu again, and his expression hid nothing of his desire to be anywhere else. She scoffed inwardly to herself slightly. She knew exactly how he felt. After everything was finished, she retired to her room, wondering what the rest of the night would bring.
Miu was there waiting for her, as well as a new lady, who was named Asuka. She seemed much younger than Miu, and was there to help Kinome adjust to life in a society of demons. She wasn't judging of Kinome, but she was outspoken. Kinome hoped they could become friends. After a while, Asuka ushered Miu out of the room, leaving Kinome alone. Her room bordered a garden full of night blooming flowers, and she opened the doors letting the scent drift in. She stared long into the night, her mind becoming blank. She decided that she would go ahead and retire to bed, it was very late.
As she turned, she gasped and nearly fell trying to take a few steps back. Inukatsu was there, standing right behind her. She hadn't even heard him enter the room. She wondered how long he had been standing there watching her, but she was too shocked to speak. She only stared. He did the same, and without taking his eyes from her, reached behind her and pulled the doors shut to the garden. There was a strange look in his eyes, one that she could not place. It was intense with curiosity and almost a sadistic wit. She swallowed hard, and felt herself begin to quake again.
"I had heard that human senses were practically infantile compared with that of we demons." he said slyly. He gave a slight scoff. "It seems the assumptions were true."
Kinome felt her eyes narrow and her jaw stiffen at his snide remarks, but she remained silent. She stood staring at him, looking him in the eyes once more. His expression hadn't changed. It was clear he had no wish for her to be there. She felt the heat of anger creeping into her veins.
"Forgive me, my lord, if my presence offends." she said, more sharply than she had intended. "It was not by my own choice that I came here." she finished. She realized she was breaking her own vow to stay quiet, but he was being quite selfish if he thought he was the only one at an inconvenience.
"Nor mine." Inukatsu said. "However, it seems that we shall have to bear one another's company." he told her. "I will leave you to yourself for now, that should please both of us, don't you agree?" he asked, obviously not expecting an answer as he had already turned to leave. He shut the door with a sharp report, and Kinome lay down and tried to sleep.
She lay awake for hours in the dark, her daze finally melting away in the silence of the night. She felt her eyes stinging, and hot tears sliding down her face. She had hoped to be able to make the best of her situation, but how could she when her new husband seemed intent on despising her? Her thoughts eventually faded into darkness and a deep but uneasy sleep. She wasn't even aware when Inukatsu slipped back into the chamber and watched her sleep for a moment before departing again.