I'm terribly sorry for such a long wait. I got caught up with my newest fic 'The Sacred Alchemist.' (Which you should totally go check out if you like FMA!) But, I'm back and will be updating regularly! And without further ado, As Fate Would Have It!
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great manga/anime. Red River belongs to Chie Shinohara and Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Ankoku, however, is my OC character although the idea is severely overused. So I can't really take all the credit for her.
~Special Announcement~ Today's chapter is dedicated to Halley Vanaria, ladymelancholy17, tapionwarrior, PuriPuribeth and Azaleas!
Summary: All Kagome has ever wanted was for the Well to reopen so that she could return to her first love, Inuyasha. But the Fates had different plans for when. After she was forced to try to forget her life in the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome rejects Hojo's confession of love to her and ran when he got forceful. Then something happen, she was pulled down into a lake by the Queen of the Hittite's to be sacrifice for a Katashiro.
Before the queen could do she is save by the third prince – Kail Mursili and became his concubine and then the incarnate of Ishtar, Goddess of Beauty and War. Now, she must fight her way back home as well as whatever the Fates throw at her.
Beta:
As Fate Would Have It
Kagome's dark blue eyes widened as her face drained of all color as Kail's words sunk it. Her mind repeated it like a mantra, replaying it over and over again. She took a step closer to the prince, her hand raised. "Why?" she said almost pitifully. "Why can't I go with you? I've proved to you that I am a capable warrior in both Arinna and Kizzuwatna. Malatia should not be a problem!"
The third prince looked down at the young woman with cold, expressionless golden honey eyes. He folded his arms inside the sleeve of his robe as he stated in a detached voice, "This war will be different from those battle, Kagome. We cannot return to Hattusa until the Mitanni have been destroyed. It will be a long war. We could be gone for years." his voice got even colder as he saw her stiffen slightly, her back becoming straighter. "Kagome, you'll have an opportunity to return to your country in a year." His eyes narrowed, showing only a sliver of their bright color, "No, less than ten months from now, the Water Season will come to Hattusa and Ishtar will rise in the heavens. There are other High Priests other than the Queen and I in Hattusa. You will be able to go home even if I'm not here."
No. That was not what the miko wanted to hear. Not after she finally admitted to herself that she liked Kail. Kagome discreetly touched the left side of her chest as a wave of heartache tried to claim her. Deep inside her, she felt the dark embodiment of her corrupted side stir restlessly, but the Shikon no Miko blocked her attempts to siege control. If they were to part now, they may never see each other again.
"Do not worry. The queen cannot get at you very easily. Although you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, " his eyes traveled to her waist, where the dagger the Hatti Tribe Chief had given her rested. "I shall assign my most trusted guards to protect you." Kail grunted softly when the miko suddenly launched herself at his chest, striking him with her tiny fists.
"I made a promise." Kagome cried as she struck him with her left hand. "I promised to stay by your side!" Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as her hits slowed until she was holding onto him desperately. Why was he acting like this? Just a week ago, Kail was so forward and loving towards her. Kissing her so gently and trying to touch her whenever the opportunity came up. The miko knew that she did not belong here in Hattusa. She belonged back in Japan with her awaiting family. Back to her goal of getting the well open, so that she could return to her family there. But... "I can only stand to live here because of you! I don't want to stay in Hattusa without you! Please allow me to keep my promise, Prince Kail!"
Kail felt his heart twist painfully in his chest, but he strengthened his resolve and calmly removed her hands from his clothing. He fought to the urge to bring that soft appendage up to his lips and calm her down, wiping away all her sorrows. The blond prince released her hand, "If you came with me, you might miss your chance to go home. You should stay here and return to this "Japan" of yours." Twisting on his heel, Kail left Kagome standing there with tears streaming down her face.
Something inside the miko snapped from seeing the prince walk away from her. "Kail!" she screamed, her reiki spiralling out of control, causing the occupants of the room to veil away their eyes from the intensity, and a barrier formed around her body. "No! Kail! I don't want to stay here!" Kagome fell to her knees, her powers dimmed and the translucent, pink bubble shattered into glittering pieces around her. Tito ran over to her the instant her barrier was down and hugged her close, whispering words of comfort.
"Princess!" her handmaids shouted worriedly as they crowded around her, trying to soothe the miko.
Zannanza watched the four siblings console Kagome before he shifted his bright hazel gaze to his brother's retreating form. He narrowed his eyes as his brow furrowed up in a small scowl.
The Shikon no Miko sat on a ledge, her head cradled by her arms as her knees were drew up to her chest. A small sob left her body as she cried and cried. Did Kail truly want her to leave him? Over something silly like seeing the hickeys Zannanza had left behind when he was under the queen's control? Why would he not listen to her explanations correctly. It was like he only heard what he wanted to hear. 'And then there's the fact that I all, but begged him to take me with him. Have I fallen for him that bad?'
"I tried to tell you that, Lady Kagome." Ankoku's voice was sarcastic at best as she mocked the young miko over and over again, trying to break her strong will. "I told you that you still have so much to learn about what the heart wants. And your heart desires Kail, not that worthless hanyou!"
"Please leave me be. I have no wish to argue with you at the moment." Kagome sighed when she felt the dark influence settle back inside of her, only stirring restlessly now and then.
"Princess Kagome!"
Looking up at the sound of her name being called, Ishtar Incarnate saw her four servants rushing over to her. She smiled gently through her tears, "Tito-kun, Girls...I'm sorry I worried you earlier."
Tito walked over and wrapped his arm around the miko's shoulders. "It's alright, Kagome-sama."
Kagome laughed dryly as she lowered her head, causing her bangs to create shadows over her eyes, a lone tear streaking down her cheek. "I'm okay now. I'll do what the Prince wants." Her head sunk lower into the cradle of her arms. "He was right. I should stay here and wait for the Northern Star to rise ten months from now." She turned away from her servants, "Hadi-san...I...Maybe Prince Kail has no desire to be near me anymore."
The Hatti siblings went into a frantic panic at the choked sounding way the miko's words left her mouth. They waved their arms around in an overly exaggerated manner as they tried to comfort Kagome. Saying this like: Kail cares for her deeply; that he's very fond of her; and that he truly wants her to stay here. Those words reassured the miko, but they did not stop her heart from twisting painfully in her chest. More silent tears left her eyes as she threw herself into Hadi's arms.
"Hadi-san!"
Zannanza watched the interaction between Kagome and her personal servants with a sad look in his eyes. He felt his heart cry out to the woman he'd come to adore so much weep her eyes out for his older brother. "I had believed that Kagome belonged to Brother, so I gave up on falling for her. But now that he's left her I can take her with me and fully embrace her."
Kikkuri gasped, his slanted eyes widened just enough to reveal a sliver of their russet-brown color. "Prince Zannanza?"
The fourth prince turned slightly to look at his brother's most trusted servant with hesitant eyes. "Kikkuri..." he paused before turning on his heel and tossing his cloak over his shoulder, "Perhaps you should warn my brother. Tell him of what I just said if, you must."
Kail sat in his chamber near his private pond, his fingers skimming over the water's surface as he took a deep sip of wine from his cup. He crossed his leg over his knee and tossed his head back, his long golden bangs sliding away from his face. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask, but they would always get caught up in his throat with jealousy. Making Kagome stay here to be taken back home was the only thing he could think of to stop this feeling in his chest.
"Prince Kail! Prince Kail!"
The third prince lifted his head to see his best friend rushing towards him. "Kikkuri, what is it?"
Kikkuri slid to a stop once he was at an appropriate distance from the prince; he placed his hands on his knees as he panted for his breath. "Prince Zannanza said..." he pointed out the door, a frantic expression etched into his brow, "He was going to take Princess Kagome with him. He said that he will fully embrace her!"
"What!" was Kail vicious reply as he hopped to his feet. He ran towards Kagome's chamber that she shared with her handmaids and ripped past the curtain that covered the entrance. "Kagome?" his eyes sought out for the raven-haired miko and his heart dropped when he could not find her. "Where is Kagome?!"
Hadi brought her hands up to her chest at the furious look in the blond's eyes. "Prince Zannanza came just now and carried Princess Kagome away. We tried to stop him, but..." she trailed off, casting her eyes to the ground as she wrapped her arms around Tito for comfort.
The blond snapped his eyes over to Kikkuri, his tone venomous and his eyes glinting dangerously. "Where did he take her?!"
Kikkuri took a step back. He's never seen Kail so livid before. Especially not over a woman. Bowing his head, he answered, "He said that he was going back to Kanesh to organize his forces for the war."
"A horse!" Kail ordered. "Bring me a horse!" Once they brought out his peach-colored stallion, he quickly saddled it and snapped the reins. The blond-haired prince urged his beast to run as fast as it could down the halls of the stables to the gate, which he promptly demanded to be opened. He raced across the sandy terrain, calling out a word of apology when he scattered a shepherd's sheep. 'Stupid! Zannanza, you stupid fool! Why do you think I'm leaving Kagome behind?' He cursed loudly and dug his heels into the horse's sides, urging it to gallop faster.
'I'm only doing it so that she can go home. Back to her beloved Inuyasha. Not to push her into the arms of another man!' In a moment of intense annoyance and ire, Kail completely forgot about the miko's linger feelings about aforementioned man as he gritted his teeth in a snarl. 'Zannanza, you'd better not have touched her! If you have, I won't forgive you this! Brother or not! I won't give Kagome up to anyone!'
He squeezed his thighs as he leaned down deeper into the stallion's back, snapping the reins. His eyes scanned the desert area around him and up head by a nearby tree, Kail spotted their horses - Zannanza's own dusty colored stallion and Kagome's midnight black beast, Raion - strapped to a low hanging branch and were nipping at the grass that surrounded the tree.
"Kyaah!" a woman's voice screamed, "Prince Zannanza, stop!"
Kail did not even wait for his horse to stop fully before he hopped off the beast. It was the miko's voice that screamed out in terror. His eyes were full of murderous intent as he ran over to the scene, Kagome's name on his tongue. But he stopped at the sight he was greeted with him. Zannanza was shaking the apple tree close to them, making the red fruits fall from their perspective branches, but also making little green worms rain down on Kagome.
"Prince Zannanza, I'm begging you! Stop! The worms are touching me!" That was the warrior miko's one weakness. She absolutely despised worms! They were just so slimy and creepy looking! Where the hell were their eyes and mouths! They simply grossed her out. Kagome cowered behind her hands as more green insects rained down on her and she swore that the second she got a chance, Zannanza would find himself at the sharp point of her dagger.
Zannanza stopped shaking the branches, sensing someone staring at them. Already knowing who it was, a smirk slithered onto his lips as he turned his head, "Hello, Brother. You came sooner than I expected."
Kagome stopped hiding behind her hands, shooting the fourth prince a glare before she followed where he was looking. She arched an elegant brow, "Prince Kail?" she said his name coolly. "Why are you here?"
Kail gaped, his jaw dropping open as the initial shock at what he had witness slowly fading away. "Why am I here?" he repeated the miko's question. "Aren't you...What are you two doing?!"
The miko crossed her arms below her chest and raised her chin defiantly at the prince's harsh demanding tone. Looking at him out of the corner of one dark blue eye, she said curtly, "We were having a picnic. Prince Zannanza saw how badly I was hurt by you and was trying to cheer me up." she pointed an angry finger at the blanket that was covered with various delicacies and fresh wine. "Hadi and the others even made us lunch. Does that not please you, my prince?"
An angry flush spread over Kail's cheeks as he narrowed his eyes. "Those...Those bunch of idiots!"
Zannanza walked over to his brother, a pleasant smile on his face. "Brother, I am your favorite brother, right?" his smile widened when the older male nodded slowly, "And your right hand man?"
Kail gave his little brother a strange look as he nodded his head once more, confirming Zannanza's accusations. "What's your point?"
The hazel-eyed prince leaned in closer to his older brother, lowering his voice to whisper so that only Kail could hear what he was about to say. "Yet you came riding up looking like you wanted to kill me. If you care about her that much, how can you leave her?" his voice changed slightly and Kail could easily detect the smirk that was plastering over Zannanza's lips, "I know you are a man of strong will, but it's not healthful to deny yourself so." he patted the older blond on the shoulder before moving over to saddle his dusty horse. "Now I leave this to you, my Brother. You're welcome!" he chuckled at the faint red color that was dusting over Kail's cheeks.
"Wait! Zannanza!"
"A younger brother always ends up with the short end of the stick." Ilbani commented, holding the reins of Zannanza's horse.
The fourth prince strapped his sword to his hip, a sigh leaving his lips. The Imperial Clerk was right. With him being the younger brother, he would always be second best compared to his elders. They have first pick of everything; wealth, women, certain positions; all those things were reserved for the older brothers. Closing his eyes in silent defeat, Zannanza said, "I shall outshine my brother is this war and beautiful Mitanni women will flock to me." His voice was strong with determination. "Now, I'm going back to Kanesh. I'll see you in Malatia."
Ilbani bowed, crossing his fist over his heart. "Have a safe journey, your Highness." as he rose out of his bow, the foster-brother called out in a concerned voice, "Do you need anything else?"
"No. Farewell, Ilbani."
An awkward silence filled the air between Kagome and Kail. The miko waited with narrowed eyes and bated breath, waiting for him to say something, anything to break this damned silence! She sighed in defeat when Kail did not so much as even turn to look at her. Walking up closer to him, aggressively dodging any stray worms, and reached for his sleeve - only to stop short of touching him. "Prince Kail...I will do as you wish and stay in Hattusa."
"Ten months..." he finally said.
Kagome blinked. "What?"
"I'm going to finish the Mitanni in ten months."
The miko frowned. Even she knew that some wars will take years to finish and one of this caliber it could very well take up to ten years to settle. Furrowing her brow, Kagome said, "You told me that it would take years to finish. How do you possibly going to be able to finish it in such a short amount of time?"
Kail finally turned around, looking her in the eyes; there was a look in his eyes that made Kagome want to swoon and just be held in his arms. "Forget what I said. I will end this war in ten months and return to Hattusa in triumph. With you by my side." He moved closer to her, close, but not touching, "Warrior Miko Higurashi Kagome, come with me."
"What?" It seemed like that was all she could say, especially when the third prince finally brought his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks in his warm palms.
"I promise we'll be back in ten months so that you can go home." He slid his fingers into her long, thick raven hair and pulled her face even closer to his, "So, come with me." Kail silenced her with a deep kiss when she tried to speak. Teshub, he's wanted to do that for so long now. The desire to hold her and kiss her senseless has been plaguing him since they returned to Hattusa. Right now, Kail did not care if he stole away her breath, did not care who saw them, did not care about anything except tasting Kagome's sweet lips. "I didn't want," he said in between kisses, "to prevent you from going home." Kail licked her lips, asking for permission to take it to the next level, "But as long as you are here, I want you with me. I won't let you go!"
Kagome sighed as she parted her lips under the prince's insistence, moaning when his tongue slid over hers. Kami, she's been waiting so long to feel his lips upon hers again. The miko knew that her feelings for Inuyasha have dwindled down to a mere affection as Kail began to take control of her heart. She was not in love with him, but Kagome knew that with time, she would be. The Shikon no Miko wrapped her arms around his neck when he lifted her up, cradling her body close to his chest as their tongues continued to dance with a seductive grace. Nothing else in the world mattered except them exploring each other's mouths with fevered kisses.
"Do you think the Hittite Forces will come, Black Prince?"
Mattiwaza smirked down at his subordinates as their cowardice ways, his piercing grey eyes locking with theirs and instilling even more fear to them. "They cannot ignore our provocations. They will certainly move against us." he chuckled lowly and dryly, "Suppiluliumas I was a fierce general in his younger days and is known for his strength. I don't think he'll run from a fight. Anyway..." he purposely trailed off.
His subordinates leaned in closer. "Yes, my prince?"
"I don't care so much about that old man, but I do hope to meet his son in battle again." The Black Prince crossed his arms over his powerful chest as his long, wavy, ink-black hair swayed in the breeze. "The one called, Kail Mursili II. His blood will be a good foretaste of our conquest of the region."
A solid black stallion galloped fast up a steep hill as the rider's long raven hair flew out behind her in the wind. Squeezing her thighs tighter, she leaned down closer as she urged her beast to go faster. Loud, joyous laughter emitted from her as she tossed her head back and enjoyed the feel of the wind on her flushed face. Her fun was ruined when the worried voices of her comrades called out,
"Princess Kagome! Please wait. It is dangerous to ride around alone."
Kagome pouted before a sneaky gleam entered her eyes as she snapped Raion's reins, making him dash ahead in a quick sprint. "Just to the top of the hill!" she laughed when her horse reared back on his hind legs as they reached the top of the cliff. 'It feel great to travel once more!' Her eyes widened at the sight of so many soldiers marching along the path. "Such a magnificent army!"
Hadi rode up beside the miko, a small yet pleasant smile on her face. "Yes. This is the largest expeditionary force since King Mursili I conquered the capital of Babylonia. Prince Kail was named after him."
The miko smiled at the bit of information the eldest of the Hatti siblings provided her with. She'd always wondered why Kail was the second and now she knew why. "How appropriate." Kagome hummed before snapped the reins and bringing her stallion to a steady gallop down the rocky terrain.
Kail sighed when he saw the miko's horse race past him and back, making circles around the marching force. "We better camp here tonight. Bring Kagome back. She's liable to ride all the way to Malatia with the energy she's exerting right now."
Kikkuri chuckled behind his hand. "Yes, your Highness."
Kagome hopped off of Raion's back, landing gracefully on her feet, and a bright smile tilted at her lips. Nothing could bring her mood down right now. Her dark sapphire eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she approached the Imperial Clerk. "Ilbani-san! You're coming along too?"
The normally cold and distant man could not help but to return the smile the happy girl was flashing him as he lifted his tablet and engraving pen. "Yes, I am." he looked down at the miko with bright grey eyes. "Long expeditions like this are not won by soldiers alone. You need cooks and craftsman, too. And I shall chronicle it all for prosperity."
"Kagome, come here." Kail's voice called out for her. He patiently waited for her to make her way over to him before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I want to introduce you to my officers."
A man with short red hair and shining pale brown eyes smiled up at the miko from his kneeling position. "I am Kash, Commander of the Chariots." he crossed his fist over his heart as he bowed his head. "I am honored to be in your presence."
"How do you do?" The tall, bald man with steel-colored eyes greeted as he, too, placed his fist over his heart. "I am Mettannamuwa, Commander of the Infantry."
The last man who had chin-length black hair and mischievous onyx eyes approached and kneeled before Kagome. "I am Rusafa. I command the Archers." he took hold of the miko's right hand. "I am delighted to meet you. Please, allow me to receive Ishtar's blessing." he pressed his lips upon the back of her hand.
Kash plowed his fist into Rusafa's skull. "You sneaky bastard! Why do you get to be first, dammit!"
Kagome laughed uneasily as she moved out of Kail's arms and over to where Ryui and her sisters were. She arched a brow when she saw the blushes that were spreading over their cheeks as they giggled flirtatiously. Following their eyes in the direction and soon her cheeks, too, pooled with blood as she stared at a man with long golden hair and bright sky blue eyes. "Oh my...He's beautiful." she turned to her handmaids. "Who is he?"
Hadi clapped her hands together and tilted her head to the side as she sighed dreamily. "He is a priest. His Majesty sent him." she batted her eyelashes at him. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"
The twins giggled as they hid behind their knuckles. "Blond hair and blue eyes. He must be a foreigner from the North! Really rare."
The priest smiled as he finished blessing a soldier and sensed eyes on him. Turning around, he smiled lightly at the women before approaching the miko. "You must be Princess Kagome. I am Shalma." he waved his staff over their heads. "May the God of Hittite bestow good fortune upon you ladies."
Kagome giggled at the Hatti siblings' obvious love struck faces as they blushed and swooned on their feets, giggling like mad. 'This is interesting. The army certainly is made up of many kinds of people.' Deciding that Raion was in need of a good brushing, the miko went over to her bag and dug out the mane comb and went to run it down her stallion's hair.
Later that night after everyone finally finished setting up camp, Kail called for a war meeting. He sat in his makeshift chair with Kagome sitting to his left, her cloak wrapped around her legs to fend off the breeze, Hadi on his right pouring him a cup of wine, Ilbani sitting on the other side of the warrior miko nibbling on a slice of apple that Shalla offered him, and his commanders surrounding the fire.
The Imperial Clerk lifted his cup to his lips, taking a sip of the cool, clear liquid inside. "In just three days, we will surround Malatia. What are your plans?" he asked, taking a red grape off the vine and sliding it into his mouth. "Will you attack them straight away?"
Kail shook his head from side to side as he reached for Kagome and sat her in his lap, playing with her long dark hair. "I think not. The Mitanni are excellent charioteers." he kissed her cheek softly and wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. "There's a great advantage of the plain surrounding the city. We'd be easy prey to the Black Prince."
"But once we get iron weapons, their chariots won't stop us." Kikkuri supplied.
Kagome sat up straighter in Kail's lap, her eyes wide at the information that she just heard. "We aren't armed with iron yet?"
Hadi smiled as she began her explanation of how iron was crafted. For the Hatti siblings to cast iron, they had to wait for the Wind Season. The strong winds were needed to make fires hot enough to melt the iron. Once the Fire Season is over, the Wind Season will begin and they shall immediately start crafting iron weapons for the Hittites.
Rusafa looked over at the tall brunette woman then at his prince. "Then we must lay siege to the city. That means a prolonged conflict."
"Yes. It could take three months for our iron weapons to arrive." Kash said grimly as he gritted his teeth.
Kagome drew her knuckles to her mouth, gnashing them with her teeth as she felt dread fill her body. If it took three months to capture Malatia, just how does Kail presume to finish this war in ten months. The miko bowed her head as she crumpled her cloak in her fingers. She started to rise from the prince's lap, only to fail when he tightened his arms around her and yanked her back against his chest.
"We're not going to lay siege Malatia and we won't need iron either." He threaded his fingers through Kagome raven hair, pulling her head back and pressing his lips to hers in a brief kiss; he let his mouth linger over hers and traced his tongue over her lips softly. Kail chuckled when the miko squeaked at the blatant show of public affection and covered her face with her hands. "I shall take Malatia in five days."
The Shikon no Miko looked up at the prince with wide eyes, his name on the tip of her tongue. 'Five days? Prince Kail, how is that even possible?' She remained quiet for the rest of the war meeting, swatting away the blond's advances and soon she got fed up with it and pinched his hand when he trailed it down her legs. To this day, Kagome wondered why he had such an addiction to her legs.
Soon the moon and the stars blazed high in the sky and Kail finally brought the meeting to a close and everyone retired to their tents. The blond Hittite Prince grabbed the miko by her cloak when she tried to go into the tent with Hadi and her siblings and pulled her into his.
Kagome sat on her knees, averting her eyes to the ground so that she would not stare at Kail, who in an attempt to remain cool left his robe open and had his chiseled chest revealed for her viewing pleasure. "Prince Kail..." she hesitated, peeking up through her eyelashes at him, struggling with the urge to gaze at his body. "I know you said we'd be back in Hattusa in ten months, but don't push yourself. Just capturing Malatia is going to be difficult, and Nakia won't give up on the Dragon's Eye without a fight." She blushed faintly as she finally allowed her eyes to roam over Kail's bared chest. Kagome felt Ankoku stir around in her consciousness, whispering all the dirty things she had done to Kail when she took control. The miko silenced the dark embodiment as she said aloud, "I'm happy as long as I can be with you. So, don't over work yourself."
Kail looked at her with smoldering golden eyes as he reached out a grabbed her forearm and pulled her over to him. He moved out-of-the-way as he laid her down on the blanket and crawled atop of her. A mischievous smile slithered onto his lips and before she could shout at him, Kail slanted his mouth over hers and drew a deep moan from her. "I don't intend to. In ten months time, perhaps a bit less, we shall return to Hattusa. I promise." he whispered before sliding his tongue past her slightly parted lips. The blond twined his warm, wet, pink muscle with the miko's in a slow caress, building up the passion between them gradually.
He took his time and kissed her slowly and sweetly, nothing like the last time they nearly bedded each other in a fevered passion of lips and tongues. Moving slowly, almost cat-like, Kail placed his lower body in the cradle of her thighs and pushed his hips forward, eliciting a sharp gasp from Kagome. Smirking into the kiss, the prince broke it only to begin dropping hot, open-mouth kisses to her tender throat and once he reached her pulse, Kail slid his tongue over it. He nipped her skin with his teeth and ran his wet appendage over it in a soothing caress.
Kail pressed his hips down into Kagome's as he looked up, wanting to see her pleasure-filled face - to see her dark blue eyes glazed over with lust and need for him - but gaped when he saw that she had a peaceful slumbering expression on her face. A frustrated blush spread over the bridge of his nose and into his cheeks. "She said she wanted to be with me. I hope she doesn't think that's all there is to being a concubine." Kail reached up and stroked her face gently, trying to see if she was feinting. "It's not safe to sleep so soundly, Kagome." he touched her lips and leaned in close so that she could feel his breath, "I might take advantage of you."
Kagome merely snuggled deeper into the pillows and sighed in her sleep, mumbling something about oden. The Hittite Prince let out a defeated sighed and moved away from the miko, laying back onto the cushions as well. No longer wanting his arms to feel empty, Kail pulled Kagome to rest on his chest and circled his arms around her slender waist. He then pulled the blankets over them and closed his eyes, falling to a dreamless slumber.
A soldier rushed down the path that led into the Throne Room where Mattiwaza was awaiting news. He stopped at an appropriate distance and dropped to his knees, keeping his eyes low. "Black Prince! A Hittite Army is only a day from here to the North."
The Black Prince smirked as he rose from his seat, the black gem on his forehead gleaming in the light. "They've finally come. Are you sure it's the Hittites?" he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword in case the incompetent fool dared to give him an answer he did not like.
The soldier saw the small action and he feared for his life. His voice was shaky as he answered, "Y-yes, your Highness. The same banner flew over those we fought in Kizzuwatna. It must be the same army."
"What?" Mattiwaza's hazy steel eyes widened just a fraction of an inch. 'The same army? The army of Kail Mursili II?' His smirk returned to his lips as his face settled back in a neutral expression. "Very well. I'll go them." Pulling his sword, sheath and all, out of its holder, he moved towards the exit, "Vena! I'll leave a third of the soldiers here."
A man with short dark brown hair stepped forward and bowed his head, "Yes, your Highness."
The Black Prince stopped in the doorway. "I'm entrusting the defense of Malatia to you."
"Yes, your Highness. I wish you good fortune in war."
As Mattiwaza ordered for his troops to march out of the city of Malatia, a Hittite soldier with short black hair smirked as he moved from his hiding place. Hopping over the shallow steeps to his horse, he hurried back to the campsite to relay what he had seen. His message went from soldier to soldier until it finally reached the ears of Kikkuri.
A wide smile tilted at Kikkuri's lips as he rushed over to the tent where Kail was getting ready in. "Prince Kail! Our scout reports that the Mitanni are on the march."
Ilbani rose from his seat, shock written all over his face as his grey eyes widened. "What? They know where we are."
The shorter male chuckled softly under his breath as he reassured the Imperial Clerk. "I think not. They're heading southwest."
A deep tenor voice chuckled from behind the tent door as Kail pushed it aside. He smirked as he walked outside to stand in between the two men. "I told Zannanza to lure the Black Prince out of Malatia and lead them around for five days."
"You used Prince Zannanza as a decoy?" the tall brunette questioned. "I'm surprised the Black Prince fell for it."
"Zannanza's army from Kanesh are the ones who defeated the Black Prince before. He will want revenge." the prince supplied.
Kikkuri poked Kail with his elbow and gained a teasing glow on his face. Once he got the blond's attention he said slyly, "Prince, I never knew you understood him so well."
Kail narrowed his eyes at the chestnut-brown haired man before pulling him into a headlock. While Kikkuri struggled in the prince's hold, he continued, "We shall begin to make our move." he drug the squirming servant inside the tent with Ilbani following close behind. Kail flashed Kagome a sweet smile when she eyed the duo strangely, but did not relinquish his grip on Kikkuri's neck, in fact, he tightened it. "First tell the Hakim of Malatia that Prince Kail Mursili II of Hattusa wishes to call on him. Tell him I'll be accompanied only by my aides."
"What?" Kikkuri said, forcing his head out of the small enclosement of Kail's left arm. He rubbed the back of his neck, where a faint red ring was forming. It's been awhile since he was placed in such a maneuver by the prince, but perhaps he did deserve it for that comment.
The Hittite Prince disregarded the fact that his best friend managed to break out of his hold. "I don't think they're aware that we know Malatia is now a Mitanni base. Since the Black Prince is not in Malatia the Hakim may receive me to avoid a confrontation."
Ilbani stepped in front of his foster-brother, his eyes stern even though he was younger than Kail by a few weeks. "You cannot be serious, your Highness!" he said exasperatedly as he raised his hands up, "Malatia is an independent city-state that belongs to no empire, but if the Black Prince has his troops there, Malatia is in fact a Mitanni stronghold!"
Kagome narrowed her eyes at Kail, her thumb coming up to her lips where she promptly buried her teeth in. 'What's this stupid prince planning? What could he possibly plan to do in such a dangerous situation with only his aides with him?'
Kail ignored his personal servant and foster brother's pleas for him to not go through with such a dangerous plan as he reached for his cloak, draping it over his shoulders. "To take Malatia in five days, I must use potent bait." He frowned when they continued to oppose him, even opting to use the miko to try and convince him not to go through with him. "Enough! Obey my orders!" he turned and walked over to the tent opening, only to be stopped when something latched onto his cloak. "Kagome?"
The warrior miko pulled the prince out of the doorway and back inside the tent, her eyes narrowed and her lips set in a thin line. "Prince Kail. You are not going anywhere without me. Since you insist on bringing only your aids. Hadi, her sisters, and I will accompany you as guards."
He looked down at her for a few seconds before a bright grin spread over his face as his eyes closed with happiness. "Of course I am taking you with me, Warrior Miko Higurashi Kagome. You are the heroine of this play."
Kagome gave him a strange look as she arched an elegant brow. 'Why do I feel like I'm suddenly in a bad shoujo hentai?' She bared her teeth when he patted her on the head and lashed out at him. That was one thing you do not do to Kagome. The miko was not a dog; do not pet her like she was one.
Kail chuckled as he rubbed the spot on his arm that the dark-haired girl struck as he grinned down at her. "Just do your best, which I know you will." he winked at her before turning to his best friend. "And Kikkuri, let no scouts for the Black Prince enter or leave Malatia. I wouldn't want him coming back while we're still in the city."
"Hakim!" Vena yelled as he rushed into the room. "Is it true that you've given permission for a Hittite Prince to enter Malatia?"
The Hakim turned around, letting out a puff of air through his nose. "What else could I do, General Vena?" he questioned, placing his arms inside the sleeve of his robe. "He said he's on his way to battle at the head of a Great Army. His request was very polite. He asked me to just let him and a few aides visit." he shook his head from side to side. "I could not turn him away. We haven't enough men to resist him."
Vena followed the Hakim down the hallway to the room where the prince was housed. "What manner of man is Kail Mursili II? Prince Mattiwaza says he's a brilliant general."
"I don't know." the older man sighed. "Normally Hittite Princes, other than the Crown Prince, serve as mayors for their important outlying cities." he closed his eyes as he tilted his head back. "I heard a rumor that Kail, though he is not the Crown Prince, has a palace in the capital and is a bit of a playboy."
"Perhaps King Suppiluliumas gave him an important position that keeps in the capital." the black-haired man offered, his eyes narrowed.
Hakim let out a stream of air. "I also heard that he enjoys sporting with many princesses."
Vena rubbed his chin as they turned another corner, approaching a door that was protected by two guards. He nodded at them and they allowed them passage. "We'll learn the truth when we meet him."
They walked past the doorway and entered the waiting room, where Ilbani and Kikkuri stood waiting. The moment they spotted the two, the Hittite servants dipped into a bow. The tall brunette was the first to speak.
"Greetings, Honorable Hakim." he said in a calm voice, "Thank you for your hospitality. We are very grateful."
Hakim smiled slightly as he nodded at Ilbani. "You must be Prince Kail's aides." he placed his hands inside his sleeves. "I would like to greet his Highness."
Kail's deep tenor voice floated around them from behind the curtain as he said, "I need no formalities here." he chuckled softly and his voice turned beckoning. "Have him come, Ilbani."
The Imperial Clerk turned around at the sound of his prince's voice and nodded his head, heeding his order and took hold of the pristine curtain. "Please. The third Prince of the Hittite Empire, Kail Mursili II."
Hakim and Vena stepped inside the curtain, their greetings on the tip of their tongues, but what they saw had their eyebrows raised to the point where they nearly touched their hair lines. Kail was surrounded by three beautiful women (Hadi and her sisters) each one dressed in a skin-tight russet-brown shirt that clung to their curves perfectly and long white skirts that had slits all the way up to their hips. Golden jewelry decorated their bodies and chimed softly as they moved.
But what caught their attention the most was the small, yet exceptionally beautiful woman draped intimately across his lap. She wore a flowing white dress that began just underneath her full breasts, but they were hidden from view by her thick white shall. The golden headdress upon her head had the Warrior Goddess emblem hanging in the center of her forehead, large dark blue eyes that stood out on her petite, heart-shaped face from being lined with kohl, and her plump lips were painted with the faintest bit of red.
Kail, himself, was seated in a golden chair, dressed in one of his finest robes of white and deep violet. His eyes were bright and carefree as he smiled charmingly. "I'll be making myself at home here for a while, Hakim."
Kagome lifted her face out of the prince's shoulder, a crimson color dusted over her cheeks. 'Heroine, huh? I feel like a concubine...'
"You are a concubine, stupid." Ankoku's voice was a bit angry sounding.
The miko narrowed her eyes. "Only in name." she smirked at the obvious ire that the dark embodiment was exerting. "You're just mad because I forced my body to shut down last night."
"Shut up! I will have his sweet body one day, Lady Kagome."
Kagome sighed as she felt Ankoku settle back down inside her consciousness. She barely paid any attention to what Kail was talking to the Hakim about - something like him being appalled when his father declared war and whatnot. He was really getting into his act as his fingers steadily traced up and down her outer thigh. She fought the urge to blush even deeper when his hand dipped into the slit of her dress and his fingers danced along her inner thigh.
Turning calculating dark ocean-colored eyes over to the soldiers that were posted at every corner. Kagome knew that even though they wore the uniforms of Malatia, they were really Mitanni warriors. She blinked when Kail suddenly curled his fingers around her chin and pulled her closer to his face. Her eyes shot open when he used his tongue to push a grape passed her lips.
'What is this idiot doing? This is not the time to be acting perverted!'
Vena coughed behind his fist, gaining the prince's attention when he went to slip another one of the round fruits in his 'concubine's' mouth. "Your pardon, Prince Kail. I wish to congratulate you on your brilliant victory at Kizzuwatna."
Kail peeked at the dark-haired man from the corner of his eye as he took a deep sip of wine from his cup. "Oh, that was the work of my younger brother. My mother took him in, so he gives me credit for half of his victories, the little dear. He's probably off achieving another stunning conquest right now. This is a trading city, no? I can hardly wait to visit your Bazaars!" Taking another sip of wine, Kail caught the miko's face once more and pressed his lips to hers. Opening her lips with his tongue, the wine he held in his flowed inside her mouth. A small trickle of the red liquid seeped out and he trailed his wet muscle down her lips to her chin.
Her hands flew to her mouth as Kagome sat up straight in Kail's lap. 'Yech! I refuse to be the heroine anymore! That kiss was good for at least a year of tongue!'
Kail grinned sweetly down at her. "Such a sweet wine, wasn't it?"
"Your concubine, Prince Kail?" Hakim said, wiping at the sweat that beaded at his forehead.
The Hittite Prince smiled charmingly at the Hakim as he pulled Kagome off his lap and set her on her feet. "Yes, quite beautiful, isn't she?" He twirled her around in a slow circle, making her long wavy hair fly out and dance around her body in the breeze. Kagome quickly caught on to what the prince was doing and she smiled sweetly, making her dark eyes sparkle innocently. "She's been with me for three months now."
Hakim placed his hands back inside his sleeves. "She's very exotic looking and so charmingly innocent."
Kail frowned and pulled her body close to his chest, holding her closely as he blew in her ear softly. Kagome squeaked in surprise when he covered her with his cloak, so that he could squeeze her breasts. "Oh, no. She's quite experienced." He kissed her neck before grazing his teeth over the slope of her shoulder gently. "Especially in bed."
"My lord..." she said breathlessly, her eyes never leaving his face as Kagome turned in his arms and placed her lips to his ear.
The blond gave a sultry smile as he flashed her a seductive look. "I see." He pressed his lips to her cheek. "You wish to retire to our chambers? Very well then, my sweet."
Kagome lazily wrapped her arms around his neck and weaved her fingers in his soft golden hair. "Prince..." she stood on her tiptoes and laid her mouth upon his in a tender kiss.
Ilbani walked over to Hakim and Vena, blocking the embracing couple from their view. "It would seem that Prince Kail and his concubine wish to be alone."
Hakim's bushy eyebrows shot up as a faint blush tinted his cheeks red. "Oh, yes. I'll take my leave." he bowed before the couple. "Prince Kail Mursili II, sleep well."
Kail picked Kagome up, cradling her close to him and he nuzzled the crook of her neck and shoulder. "Oh I shall, Hakim. Goodnight to you."
Ilbani led the two men out of the room and let out a sigh. While he knew that all this was an act, he wished Kail would not over exaggerate so much. Kagome will surely have his head for what he just put her through. The tall, brunette turned to face Vena when he called for his attention.
"I've heard that Prince Kail Mursili II's concubine is Ishtar, the Goddess of Beauty and War." the dark-haired man questioned carefully.
"Oh that rumor..." Ilbani sighed, lifting his hand to his forehead as if to rub away a headache. "The Prince invented that tale to quiet the soldiers who didn't want a woman riding into battle with them."
Hakim sighed and nodded his head. "I see. Your job must be most demanding."
Ilbani shifted his piercing grey eyes over at the Hakim and nodded his head solemnly. "Quite. But please, let's keep that between us."
"But of course," Hakim said as he and Vena walked down the corridor and exited the building altogether. He furrowed his bushy eyebrows together as he exhaled through his nose. "It seems the Black Prince needn't worry about Prince Kail."
The brunette agreed reluctantly, "No, but I must inform him of this, nonetheless. I'll send a rider immediately."
The elderly man raised his hand to his mouth to stifle a loud yawn as he arched his back sleepily. "As you wish." he mumbled as he walked towards his room. "The Black Prince will surely have Kail's head when he returns." his voice turned dark and sinister sounding, "We'll allow him to spend his last days enjoying himself."
Vena said nothing as he watched the Hakim walk away and entered his room, retiring for the night. The brown-haired man then went to the room where the Mitanni soldiers were hiding and informed that one of them was to ride to where Mattiwaza was and report that Kail Mursili II was here in Malatia. Once his message got through, Vena went to his post, dozing off now and then.
Kail pushed back the curtain draped over the window and saw the amount of soldiers have gone down substantially and a small chuckle left his lips. "They've reduced the guards by half. My performance was very convincing."
The others did not look convinced as they gave the prince a deadpanned stare. 'That was an act?'
Kagome walked over to the Hittite Prince and smacked him in the back of the head. That was the most embarrassing thing that she'd ever had to do. It was almost worse than when she had seen Inuyasha and Miroku passed out naked in the hot springs. She gritted her teeth when he merely smiled sheepishly down at her, his bright eyes twinkling mischievously. "Tell me, Prince Kail, just how the hell was me acting like a lovesick concubine apart of your plan to conquer Malatia?"
The blond reached for the ties of his headband, sliding it off his forehead. "The most difficult part of seizing a city is getting inside, and we've just accomplished that."
The miko rolled her eyes and frowned. "I know that! But, how do you plan on fighting the entire city with just me, Hadi-san, Ryui-san, Shalla-san, Ilbani-san, Kikkuri-san, and yourself?"
"I have no intention of fighting. Malatia will be taken without bloodshed." he smirked. "The reason you were to 'act' like a 'lovesick concubine' as you put it, was to lower their defenses." Kail's eyes turned calculating as he nodded his head at the window. "I was positive that they heard of my accomplishments as a general and with you being the Goddess of War would have made them uneasy." he glanced over at his foster-brother. "Which is why I had Ilbani say that you being Ishtar was a rumor that I made up to keep you by my side."
"I see." Kagome said, her eyes shining with a light of admiration. Kail had such a brilliant mind...even if it was sometimes in the gutter. She placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head to the side, "And how do you plan on taking the city without killing anyone?"
Kail did not miss a beat as he stared the miko down, gold and blue clashing with one another. "We shall open the eastern and western gates and let in the Hittite Army. But before we do that, we shall set fire to Malatia armories. We will deprive Mitanni of a stronghold and avoid a full-scale battle." He took a few steps to the right until his toes were barely touching Kagome's as he continued to gaze into her eyes. "One day to learn where the guards are deployed. One for our troops to take control of the city. Two to prepare for the Black Prince's inevitable attack. And one more day just in case. That's five days in all. Thus, we take the city quickly without wasting resources or lives."
The miko narrowed her eyes in challenge. "But will it work?"
The prince smirked cheekily. "It will. The Black Prince's absence makes it possible. If he were here to defend the city, it wouldn't work."
"So that's why you had Prince Zannanza to lure the Black Prince away from here." Kagome said, crossing her arms over her chest and returned the cheeky smirk.
Kail reached out for her, a devious gleam in his eyes. "Exactly." he cut his eyes behind him to the servants. "We have no time to lose. Find the Deployment map."
The Shikon no Miko stepped around the Hittite Prince and looked her handmaids in the eye. "We also have to find the Dragon's Eye. Does anyone have an idea of what it looks like?"
Ilbani rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb. "I don't know. No one has seen it. But some say it's a real dragon's eyes from ancient times, others say it's just a scarlet stone." He closed his eyes and hummed, "It is said to be sealed in a box of gold-inlaid ivory that fits in the hands."
Kagome hummed as she closed her eyes, trying to envision what the box would look like. Small, maybe with tiny red stones embedded into it, and with a golden dragon on top. Nodding her head, she locked the image away in her mind.
Kikkuri and Ilbani bowed before the couple before retreating towards the door.
"I'll investigate when I search for the map tonight." the Imperial Clerk said, "You two rest well. Goodnight."
The miko slid into the bathing chamber and pulled off the elaborate gown and dressed in a simple pale blue robe. She grabbed her dagger and strapped it to her waist. "I'm going too."
Kikkuri turned around, his brows raised in confusion. With what Kail had just put her through, the miko should rest. "Princess Kagome, it is fine. We can handle it. You get some rest."
Hadi nodded in agreement.
Kagome narrowed her eyes at the servants. Why could they not realized that she did not wish to share a room with Kail at the moment? After what happened last night, the young woman was not sure if she could keep Ankoku from taking over and ravishing the Hittite Prince. "I am going. You are shorthanded."
Kail watched with disinterest as his concubine left out the door with Hadi and the others, tossing him a goodbye over her shoulder. He flipped over on his bed, staring up at the ceiling before tossing his arm over his eyes. The frustration of being celibate for almost four months was killing him and the woman that he desired would not let him in. Looking around to make sure no one was around to hear him, Kail sighed and gazed at his right hand. 'It has been so long since I had to resort to this method.' He then proceeded to ease his vexation, guiding his palm down, all while imagining that it was Kagome's soft touches instead of his own rough ones.
Hadi frowned down at Ishtar Incarnate, her eyes holding a light of disapprovement. "Princess, you really should have stayed with Prince Kail. What if he needs you?"
The miko merely shrugged her shoulders, pulling the hood of her cloak down further on her head. 'Staying beside Kail is becoming a problem.' she discreetly touched the shimmering pink tattoo over her left breast, feeling the power of the Shikon thrum under her fingertips. 'The Shikon uses my affection for him as a means of Ankoku taking over. I know of what it means to be a concubine, but I am not ready to give him that part of me. I only just found out that I like him more than I should.' She felt her eyebrow twitch when she heard Ankoku chuckle softly within the confines of her mind, saying that Kagome could not keep her away from Kail forever. 'And I forced my body to shut down last night to prevent Her from coming out.' She pressed her hands to her chest, pondering on the many possible ways that she could avoid being too intimate with Kail.
"Princess!" Hadi's voice snapped Kagome out of her thoughts as the older woman grabbed the back of her cloak and pulled her behind a pillar. "Hide yourself!" The second the miko was hidden by the stone column a Mitanni soldier came riding past them and out the gates.
Kagome narrowed her eyes at the fading rider. "A messenger for the Black Prince to inform him about us." she hissed under her breath. The miko took a deep breath to calm her nerves when she felt Ankoku stir within the ocean of her subconsciousness. 'Need to stay calm.' Turning to look at Kikkuri with expectancy in her eyes, Kagome said, "The soldiers will stop him, right?"
Kikkuri gave her a small smile. "Yes, they are expecting this move." his smiled dipped down into a tight-lipped frown and his voice became stern. "But please be careful, Princess. If the guard see us, we will be dead before the Black Prince returns."
The Shikon no Miko nodded and followed behind Ilbani, who was leading them down an empty corridor. The tall brunette placed his hand on the wall, trailing his fingers along the way as he peeked his head around the corner. Motioning for them to come closer, he said, "This is their City Hall. Find the Hakim's office. The map should be there."
Kagome scanned the hall for any signs of movement, her eyes darting around until they spotted something glittering inside one of the doors. Walking over to the opening, she saw that it was filled with hundreds of different spoils and gold. "This is the Mitanni cache of treasure." a small smirk crossed her lips. "The Dragon's Eye may be in there." she glanced over her shoulder when someone grabbed her arm.
The brown-haired servant shook his head slowly. "Queen Nakia wouldn't allow the Dragon's Eye to be transported in plain sight. It would be well hidden." He pointed his finger down the hallway. "We don't have the time to look for it through this mountain of treasure. "We'll search for it after Malatia has been taken."
"Right." the raven-haired woman nodded and proceeded to followed the group down the corridor. They continued to scout out the office, peering into doors cautiously and avoiding getting caught. Soon the elder twin, Ryui, beckoned them over to one of the open doors.
"This way." she whispered loudly. "We've found the office."
The rest of them hurried over to where the twins were and let out a quiet cheer as they saw that it was indeed the Hakim's office. Kikkuri's voice was almost a replica of Kail's as he ordered for them to search for the Deployment map. Kagome raised her finger to her lips as she tried to remember what a deployment map looked like in one of her textbooks. 'Okay, this is the Ancient Middle East. Paper was very rare around these parts, so they wrote maps and various other things on animal hide.' Gazing around along the walls, she spotted a brown hide that was rolled up and smirked. Moving over to it, she grabbed the strings holding it up and unraveled the map. "Found the deployment map!"
"Good job, Princess Kagome." Shalla patted the younger woman on the back as she reached into her sash and pulled out of piece of hide. Reaching for the bottle of ink that was sitting on the desk, the younger twin began copying the deployment map. She took extra caution to make sure every detail was exactly the same as the real one. Once Shalla was finished she grinned and showed her work. Ryui flashed her twin a smile and grabbed the original map and placed it back on the wall.
Kagome smiled at the teamwork between the two young women. Maybe Kail's plan will work and they will be able to take the city without any bloodshed. It was a good thing that she studied other things rather than just Ancient Japan relevance. 'If everything goes smoothly, we will be able to conquer a lot of cities and possibly be back in Hattusa within ten months.'
The rider sent by Vena rode through the sandy terrain, pushing his horse to run fast and hard. He was so preoccupied with his urgency to get to the Black Prince that he failed to notice the Hittite warriors waiting to ambush him.
The head guard waved his soldiers over to him. "Here comes the rider from Malatia. He mustn't reach the Black Prince. Don't let him get away!"
"Wait." a deep, soft-sounding, voice echoed across the plain where the soldiers were hidden as a being covered with a black robe emerged from the shadows. The hood of his cloak hid his face from view, but a small tendril of golden blond hair shined in the moonlight.
"You?" the head guard retorted. "State your business here!" he growled low in his chest when the person stayed silent, moving slowly towards their only opening to the rider. "Step aside! If that rider gets through, Prince Kail will be in danger!"
The cloaked being slowly pulled out a small, gleaming dagger from the confines of his robe. "Yes. That is exactly why I'm here." Before the other man could even speak another word, the man rushed forward with an almost inhuman speed and embedded the blade in the short-haired man's chest. Turning around quickly at the angered sound of the other soldiers' voice, the cloaked being drew more daggers from his robe.
The thin blades soared through the air with a slight whistling sound as they flew towards the attacking warriors. They struck with deadly precision, hitting two of them in the center of their foreheads and the remaining one in the chest. Blood soaked the ground as the fallen soldiers dropped dead.
"The sooner the Black Prince returns, the better." the man reached up and pulled his hood down, revealing the beautiful face of Shalma, and glared down at the corpses. "If he kills Prince Kail, Queen Nakia will be pleased."
Kagome grinned alongside her partners in crime as the help up the copy of the deployment map. They ducked behind a pillar when they heard the footsteps of the nearby guard, snickering softly at the stupidity of the soldier. They were just in his line of sight a few seconds ago. "Alright!" she cheered quietly. "We have the map and four more days until the Black Prince returns." turning around to make sure her friends were still following behind her, the miko continued, "Before we let the troops in we should get some rest."
The others agreed and Kagome went to sleep with the Hatti sisters. Once morning came and everyone was well rested, they scurried to Kail's room, where they began going over the plan to capture Malatia. The miko slipped into the bathing chamber and changed out of the robe she wore the night before and into a sleeveless deep violet top that was lined with amber around the neckline, sleeves and down the center, a silk skirt that flowed down past her ankles with a slit going up to her hips on the left side.
She decided to leave her hair down, noticing that it had grown a little past her back, and pinned her bangs back with the Higurashi hairpin. Placing on a few more Hittite jewelry because of the spell she cast on hers to make them invisible and untouchable, Kagome deemed herself ready. Exiting the chamber, the warrior miko took her place at Kail's left side as he went over the plan once more.
Kail smiled charmingly at the attire Kagome chose to wear before sliding his finger along the map. "Let's go over this one more time. The plan for conquering Malatia." moving his slender digit over to the smaller rectangles etched into the hide, he said, "There are three armories that we must deal with and two gates."
Kikkuri smiled as three other soldiers lined up behind him. "We'll set fire to the armories!"
Ilbani did not miss a beat as he relayed his job to the prince. "Then we will open the gates and let the soldiers in."
"And while you are doing that, Kagome and I will distract the Hakim and General Vena." the Hittite Prince divulged. "We'll put our plan into action tomorrow at dawn, Is everything clear?" his voice took on the tone of a commanding general. "Make sure you get the word out to the soldiers outside!"
The servants plus Ilbani bowed. "Yes, sir!"
Admiration filled Kagome's eyes as she gazed down at Kail. He could be so strong looking when he was calculating his plans. He surely had a brilliant mind and a powerful will to make things happen and the miko liked that about the blond. His determination to become emperor and rule without prejudice will surely make his goal come true. Kagome almost forgotten how strong human beings could be once they set their minds on something. 'I've been around youkai for far too long.' she chuckled inwardly.
Two solid knocks resounded through the room and set everyone on high alert when the Hakim's voice ebbed through. "Good Morning, Prince Kail." he sounded polite, "May I come in?"
Ilbani cursed silently as he ordered for everyone to get into their roles as he hurried to hide the deployment map. Once Kail had Kagome secured snuggled against his chest as he laid them down on the chaise longue, he beckoned the Hakim in and smiled charmingly when the elderly man entered with his eyes low.
"It is a beautiful day, your Highness." Hakim began, his voice was slightly unsteady as sweat began to bead at his brow. "I wish to host a formal feast in honor of your visit. Would you be my guest?"
Kail threaded his fingers through Kagome's long hair, smiling as he, too, noticed that it had grown longer, and held out his cup for Shalla to fill with wine. "A formal feast?" he echoed with slight disdain. "That means only male royals are invited. Then only Ilbani and I would be allowed to attend."
The grey-haired man quickly bowed in apology. "Forgive me. I am unable to invite your lovely concubine. Royal custom forbids it."
The blond Hittite Prince pouted as he cupped the miko's hip in his hand and squeezed gently. "A feast with no women." Sighing in defeat, Kail replied, "Ahh, well, I suppose I should accept your invitation."
Hakim's face lit up as a wide smile tilted at his lips. "Thank you, your Highness! I will be back to escort you this evening!" the elderly man bowed once more before exiting the room in a hurry.
Ilbani chuckled softly as he tossed his long ponytail off his shoulder with a flick of his wrist. "He wants to hand Prince Kail over to the Black Prince."
Kikkuri joined in with the Imperial Clerk's low laughter as he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Right, but he doesn't know his messenger was intercepted."
Kail sat up on the chaise lounge, allowing Kagome to finally breathe easily without his body heat suffocating her and tempting Ankoku to rise, and tossed his goblet aside. The golden cup somehow managed to stand upright on the small table not too far away. "Well, I'll enjoy his hospitality for now. You should all get some rest."
"Yes, Your Highness." Ilbani bowed and as quickly followed by the other servants. "Please excuse me." he spoke up, his eyes low so that they would show the small, knowing twinkle in them. "I know you must flaunt your ardor for Princess Kagome in your current 'role', but be careful not to exhaust yourself or her."
The Hittite Prince grinned as he hooked his arm around the miko's waist and pulled her back into his lap. His grin widened when he felt her skin flush and she squeaked out his name. "You wound me. One night of love won't wind me." Kail slid his lips down Kagome's cheek to the hollow of her neck and shoulder, placing a delicate kiss there.
Kagome struggled in his hold, demanding to be let go, freezing when she felt his soft lips trail along her body. She quickly threw up a mental barrier to stop Ankoku's advances and released her reiki throughout to shock the embodiment into submission. Satisfied with stopping the demoness from emerging and having her way with the prince, Kagome relaxed against him and inhaled his scent of frankincense. 'All of the preparations are finished, so we have nothing to do until the next morning. I'll be alone with Kail for the rest of the night.' She sighed. 'I don't know how much longer I can hold Ankoku back before she manages to take over again.'
Ankoku chuckled softly, slowly, and almost seductively. "Soon, my sweet little prince will be mine. I've been craving his touch. Although his brother's was satisfying enough."
"Shut up!" Kagome hissed as she blocked the dark embodiment from her mind.
Later on that morning, Kash rode out with his underlings, searching for signs of distress around the perimeter when he finally realized something. They have not heard a peep from the men he sent out to intercept the messenger from the city. They should have reported in by now. Snapping the reins of his horses, the Chariot Commander order the troops to a go move out to where the soldiers should have been waiting.
Once they reached the area, he pulled the reins, forcing the stallions to a stop and jumped off the chariot he was standing in. "They were waiting in ambush around here. We'd better have a look."
"Yes sir!"
A few minutes into the search, with no signs of the group Kash had sent out, a soldier cried out the commander's name in a panicked frenzy, waving his hands back and forth. Once the Chariot Commander was beside him, he pointed into the valley below and Kash let out a low curse. He hopped down into the cavern and walked over to the dead bodies of his officers, grimacing at the splashes of crimson the colored the ground around them. "Who did this?" he demanded.
One of his soldiers walked over to the bodies and eased the knife out of a carcass. He examined the blade thoroughly, but could find nothing. "The knife provides no clue." he shook his head slowly and closed the eyelids of his fallen comrades.
Kash saw red for a brief tick of a second before he regained his senses. Cursing loudly, he began barking out orders. They did not have time to worry about who killed the ambush team! The messenger got past them and the Black Prince will soon know that Prince Kail is in Malatia. They needed to go and report it. They had to save the prince and Ishtar! They could not allow them to die, nor have the plan to fail!
"Black Prince!" a Mitanni soldier called out before he dropped into a deep bow in front of Mattiwaza. "A rider has just arrived from Malatia."
Mattiwaza snarled and reached for his weapon when the rider relayed his message. He was sorely tempted to remove the man's head from his shoulders; it would have been easy to do, just a flick of the wrist and the man would be decapitated. "That fool!" he roared. "Why did he let him in? The Hittites obviously intends to capture the city from within!" he easily deduced Kail's plan in a matter of seconds.
Sharp grey-tinted eyes cut across the battlefield over to the opposing warriors and realization dawned upon him. That army was just a decoy! No wonder they were simply sitting around not bothering to attack. Growling low in his chest, the Black Prince raised his hand in the air and called all his troops to attention. "We are returning to Malatia with all speed!"
The Mitanni army was quick to respond to their leader's command, gathering up their chariots and horses. Once all preparations were complete they raced full speed back in the direction of their current base of command, Malatia. On the other side of the field, several Hittite warriors saw that their enemy was withdrawing and they hurried to tell their Prince the news.
"Prince Zannanza!" a soldier with ashen blond hair raced over to where the prince was, "The Black Prince and the Mitanni are heading back!"
Zannanza snapped his head up, wavy blond hair swishing with the quick motion, and he locked wide eyes with the warrior. "What?" he cursed loudly when the man repeated his message once more. "Damn! Word must have reached him from Malatia! If he goes back now, my brother will be..." he trailed off as he immediately began barking out orders for someone, anyone to go and inform his brother of the situation and prayed that he would not be too late.
Kagome bit her lip as her eyes scanned over the small rectangular prism that made up the game she and Kail were playing. It was something similar to chess and required a lot of thinking before you placed your game piece down. She smiled when she finally found and opening and dropped the cone-shaped piece down. "I've won!"
The Hittite Prince grinned as he shook his head from side to side and placed and game piece into a spot in front of the miko's move. "No, I won."
The Shikon no Miko reared her head back before the looked down puzzled at the game board. Her eyes widened as she saw that he lured her into a two-way trap. "No fair! I lost again!" She cleared the board of the pieces, ready to start a new game. Higurashi Kagome was not one to accept defeat easily!
Kail chuckled softly as he reached over and placed his hand over the priestess', stopping her movements. He curled his fingers around her wrist and brought it to his lips. "I've won ten times in a row. You have gotten better, but still have no knack for this game, my princess." he pressed a tender kiss to her sensitive flesh.
Kagome jumped as a small blush filled her cheeks and turned her face a light pink. She took her arm back and slid off the table with haste. It was only a matter of seconds before Ankoku registered that Kail was touching her and the dark embodiment began trying to take over. "I'll clean the room."
The blond prince laid back in his chair, "You've done that twice." he said softly as he brought his hand up to rest his chin on. "And the servants cleaned it before you."
"But..." the miko blushed when his smoldering golden eyes settled on her body and the dark spirit within her purred with pleasure and began whispering all the temptation and the promise of a sweet release if she would let Ankoku take over. 'No, I cannot give into it. I've just only realized my feelings for Kail and I still love Inuyasha. Just not as much...'
Kail narrowed his eyes when the women of his affections went silent as she stared out of the window at the stars. Silently, he rose from his seat and made his way over to where she was standing. He gave her no time to react as he swept up into his arms bridal-style; he ignored her demands for her to put her down and walked back over to the small couch. He slid between her legs as he laid her down on the cushion and nuzzled her breasts. "In my country, a man makes love to a woman he's fond of. That is how he expresses his feelings to her." His hands slid up and down her sides, causing her to sigh softly.
Kagome tried to resist, she really did. But when he began running his sinfully hot tongue down the side of her neck to the junction of where it met her shoulder, where he sucked on her pulse, the miko felt her control slip away. A deep lustful moan left her lips as she drew him closer to her body; her eyes flickered from dark blue to golden orange. Ankoku has awakened.
"Just sleep for awhile Lady Kagome. I will take good care of my sweet little prince." the dark embodiment chuckled as she took full control of the miko. Her markings came into view as she tugged Kail's hair, wanting to finally taste his lips again after such a long time. She purred in pleasure when his warm, sweet-smelling breath fanned out over her face and his hand came up to caress the side of her face. She snapped her eyes open when a sharp pain spread over her face. When she opened her eyes, Ankoku saw Kail biting her on the nose. "What the hell, Kail?"
He showed her his tongue. "My Kagome wouldn't want me to do this." Kail said smoothly. "I'm not going to force her."
Ankoku narrowed her eyes seductively and trailed her fingers down his arm slowly. "But, I am not Kagome and I do want you to do this. I want you to be inside me, being as rough as you want to be." she ran her tongue along her full red lips. Her long claws moved to run through his long blond hair as she moved in to kiss him. But Ankoku's advances were stopped by a gentle finger.
"You are a part of Kagome and that is her body you are inhabiting. I will not give into your seduction." he said calmly as he removed his body from hers.
The miko youkai hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously. No one denies her of what she wanted! No one! Ankoku was about to launch herself at the prince when a jolt went down her body as Kail's piercing eyes locked with hers. She flashed him her fangs, "Release me!"
Kail's eyes flashed white with his powers, "Release Kagome." he sent another wave of his ki towards the miko youkai, hoping that his princess will soon awaken and he would have her in his arms. Not this darker version of her. He would not comply to her wishes without Kagome's consent, no matter how beautiful this woman was. The miko was the one he wanted. Opening up his aura, Kail intertwined it with the dormant one of Kagome's, trying to shake her awake.
Kagome felt someone brushing against her reiki with their own. She recognized that ki! She's felt it countless times! 'Kail!' She opened her eyes and found Ankoku hovering over Kail and the next thing Kagome saw was silver. Soon she felt someone shaking her and speaking gently. Gingerly, the miko opened her eyes and saw the handsome face of the Hittite Prince; Kagome smiled. "Prince Kail."
Kail gazed down at his princess for a long time, not saying a word before swooping down and kissing her senseless. Within a matter of seconds, the prince left Kagome gasping for air. "It is not pleasant to see you try to avoid me, but you do it for a reason." he chuckled and he weaved his fingers through her long night-colored hair. "And yet, I'm tempted to torment you a little."
The priestess sucked in a sharp breath when the blond slid his lips slowly up her throat to her ear, where he promptly nibbled upon her earlobe. Kail licked the shell of her ear softly before blowing a stream of air, causing the woman to shiver. "Tell me, Kagome." he purred seductively, "How can I make you want me? I'll do whatever you tell me to." The blond prince was being careful to notice any changes in his princess' aura, just in case that other woman decided to try to take over again.
"Y-you will?" she gasped, arching her back and circling her arms around his neck.
Kail nodded before nuzzling his head between her breasts again and kissing the clothed mounds gently. "What do men in your country do? How do they show their affections?"
Kagome mulled over the question. While the boys in Japan do make love to the woman they desire, the miko was raised to fall in love and to marry before engaging in such activities. Pushing the prince away from her breasts, Kagome turned and dipped her finger into the goblet and began tracing something onto the table.
愛
Kail watched as the young woman traced the marking on the table and tilted his head to the side. "What spell are you casting?"
She sent him an annoyed look before she remembered that Kail would have no knowledge of Japanese. "It is not a spell." she said with a small laugh. "In my country, this is called a kanji. It is how we write words. This kanji is pronounced Ai." the miko watched as the prince tried to repeat the pronunciation of the words very crudely. "No, it's not A-i. It's I-ee. Ai means love. There are many other forms of the word love, but Ai is the true meaning of the word love."
Kagome drew another kanji on the table. 好き "This one is Suki, which also means love, but in a lesser form. This is typically the form my people use when it is budding affection for the person they like, but is also the most used way to say 'I love you.' Men say 'Suki dayo' and women reply with 'Suki yo.'" she continued her lesson of explaining the many forms of the word love in her native language. Told him that men usually called the women they adored 'Koi' or 'Koibito.' Finally she drew one last kanji on the table.
愛してる
"This one says Aishiteru. It means I love you and is the strongest form." she explained to Kail. "It is rarely used unless the person truly has deep feelings for the person they are saying it to." Kagome looked away shyly with a small blush tinting her cheeks. 'Kail has never said how he feels about me. But I like Kail...more than I should.'
The Hittite prince looked over the kanji with mild interest as he memorized each one. He smirked as he ran his hand up her leg in a smooth caress that left her quivering in his hold. "I like the way we do things in my country better." his hand slipped over her hips to her bottom where he gave it a firm squeeze. "It's much more fun."
Kagome blushed and swatted away his seeking fingers. "Hands to yourself, hentai!" she gasped when he took hold of her wrist, dipped his finger into the goblet and traced something in her palm. 愛してる And then he raised it to his lips and kissed it. Her eyes widened. 'Kail...loves me?'
Kail moved in closer to his princess, trailing kisses up her arm until he reached her face. "I won't let your lips reject me." he pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. "They belong to me." He silenced her words, sealing her mouth with his. His ran his tongue over the seam of her lips, asking for entrance and slipped it inside when she opened up for him. Kail twined his pink muscle with Kagome's and brought them into a slow seductive dance. He curled his fingers in her hair and tilted her head back to get a better angle at her lips. The blonde sucked on her bottom lip and nibbled on it gently while his other hand glided down her back in a slow caress.
The miko wrapped her arms around Kail, her nails digging into the fabric of his robe as she surrendered to his advances. She arched her back when his warm lips left hers in favor of pressing against her throat. "Prince Kail..." Kagome sighed his name out softly, her eyes sliding closed.
"Ahem!" a voice called out loudly, disrupting the passionate moment. "Prince Kail." It was Ilbani's voice. "Pardon the intrusion, but the Hakim has come to escort you to the feast.
The Hakim bowed lowly, his formal robes brushing against the floor. "Forgive me for disturbing you!"
Kail opened his eyes slowly as the elderly man's voice registered in his hazy mind. Pulling away from his princess' sweet lips, he rubbed his thumb over her cheek and said, "Oh, is it time already?" he stroked his fingers down the priestess' exposed shoulder softly. "I'll need a moment to change."
Kagome sat up on the chaise longue and watched as the prince changed into a more formal robe of the deepest amber trimmed in violet and tied and headband around his forehead to keep his bangs out of his eyes. A part of her felt relieved that she and Kail were stopped, but another side of her craved for them to continued. A blush lit up her face and Kagome brought her hand up to cover her cheeks. 'We're in the midst of war! This is not the time to be thinking about that kind of stuff!' And yet her mind betrayed her, replaying all the passion-filled kisses that she'd shared with Prince Kail. Slowly, Kagome began to pour her love into them. A groan left her lips. 'I think I'm falling for him...'
The feast that was set up in the Grand Hall. The laughter and chatter of the royal males residing in Malatia echoed throughout the room. Kail looked as if he were having a good time, but he still kept his act up. Commenting every now and then how he wished that there were some pretty women serving them. Ilbani merely rolled his eyes and stated that it was only a few more hours until Kail was able to return to his concubine.
Kikkuri poked his head through the door and let out a breath of relief at seeing everything was going by well. He turned a small smile to Kagome, "Things seem to be going well. We need only to avoid suspicion until we make our move at dawn."
Kagome nodded her head, her dark eyes trained on the prince's face. "Right."
Laughter rumbled behind them and sent the miko on high alert. She reached for her dagger that she had tied to her upper thigh, her body tensed as the voiced got closer. Kagome dropped her defensive stance when she saw a familiar flash of red hair.
Kash was talking animatedly with a guard, laughing and joking around with the man. "Why do they send me on such a trivial errand?" he asked, his voice sounding cross. "Powerful men are hard taskmasters, aren't they?"
Kikkuri arched a brow when he saw the Chariot Commander chatting it up with a Malatia soldier. "Kash?"
"You know what I mean, right Brother?" the redhead said, grabbing onto the guard's tunic.
The guard let out an exasperated sigh before his eyes fell upon the loyal servant of Prince Kail. "Hey! Kikkuri! This man wishes to speak with Prince Kail!" she sighed when Kash released him and ran over to the brown-haired man before bowing. "My duty is done. I'll just be going."
The Chariot Commander grabbed onto Kikuuri's tunic tightly and shook him slightly as he cried, "Kikkuri, listen to me! Those idiot bureaucrats insist that they much have Prince Kail's seal in order to request more beans!"
Kikkuri took the redhead's wrist in his hands to stop his shaking as he demanded, "Kash, what are you talking about?"
Kash kept up his hysterics. "They won't send more beans without the Prince's approval!" he drew Kikkuri closer once the guard was out of earshot, but still lowered his voice just in case, "The Black Prince will be here tonight!"
"What?"
"The Hakim's messenger got through." the Chariot Leader explained gravely.
Kikkuri took his tunic out of the Kash's hand as sweat rolled down his face from his hairline. "What happened?"
Kash sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll tell you the details later." his pale brown eyes hardened with resolve. "Prince Kail must be warned at once!"
By this time Hadi and her sister had come to see what all the commotion was and overheard the men;s frantic conversation as Kikkuri told Kash that they were unable to tell Kail of the impending danger that was advancing upon them because he was currently attending the Hakim's formal feast.
Kash stamped his foot and cursed loudly. "This is a matter of life and death! Find an excuse to summon Prince Kail. If the Black Prince returns now, all is lost!" his next words made Kagome's heart clench painfully in her chest, "He'll behead Prince Kail!"
Kagome tuned out the rest of their arguments as she battled with the feeling of her heart. One side of her was angry that the Black Prince would even dare to try and behead her kind, benevolent prince. The other side was scared because there was nothing she do to save Kail from this Fate. 'No! I changed Tito-kun's fate twice! I will not let something like Fate stop me from protecting Kail!' With a determined look in her eyes, Kagome walked over to the entrance of the Grand Hall. "I am going in." she announced.
Kikkuri gaped and tried to block her path but was too slow. "Princess Kagome, wait! Women are not allowed in there!" he frantically tried to think of anything that will stop the miko, "They may slay you on the spot and Prince Kail won't be able to stop them!"
"I don't care!" she snapped as she broke out of Kash's hold. "I have to warn him!"
Hadi reached out from the princess but a shock of dark violet energy shocked her fingertips. She blinked and cradled her hand to her chest. That was nothing like the energy she felt when Kagome first threw that dagger laced with her powers at her. That ki felt pure while the one that just zapped her felt malicious and evil. "Princess, wait!"
Kagome held her head high as she stepped into the Grand Hall, unknown to her that her eyes had taken on a light golden-orange hue. It was barely noticeable and shimmered just below the dark blue of her irises. Her appearance in the midst of the formal feast caused an uproar from the men participating.
"What's this? Women are not permitted here!" one yelled.
"What brazenness!" another cried. "This is an outrage!"
Vena rose from his seat and unsheathed his sword and in a menacing voice said, "Princess Kagome! Though you are Prince Kail's concubine, this cannot be ignored!" he rushed at her with his blade held high. "The law demands that you pay with your life!"
The warrior miko easily evaded Vena's attack and brought her hand down on his unprotected back. She glared at him, her eyes flashed a brilliant orange color as she growled softly for only him to hear, "Stay out of my way." Kagome then broke out in a sprint and ran towards the third prince of the Hittites, "My Prince!"
Kail started to rise from his seat with the miko's name in the tip of his tongue when she crashed into his chest and knocked him back down. He blinked when he saw Kagome curl up in his lap and draped her arms around his neck. "Kagome, what are you?"
"My lord!" she cried. "I miss you. Please come back to me!" she nuzzled deeper into his chest. "Don't leave me alone anymore." Her eyes smoldered as she gave him a seductive look and pressed her lips against his neck, nipping slightly. "I wish to be alone with you. Take me to the bedchamber, my prince, please." Once she was sure that everyone was so enthralled with her boldness in her ardor for Kail, she leaned up and whispered, "The Black Prince will be here soon."
The blond prince's golden eyes widened slightly at the information that Kagome had provided with him and shifted his gaze over to the doorway. Kash caught his eyes and nodded slowly, confirming the miko's words. He vaguely heard the Hakim trying to gain his attention, but he ignored him in favor of the beauty cuddled against him in his lap.
"So, you were lonely, my sweet?" he flashed her a sultry smile as he rose from his seat and cradled her closer to his body as he stole a deep kiss from her lips. "There, there." he cooed. "Very well, my lovely Kagome. We'll go." He leaned in closer and dragged his tongue along the slope of her neck, making her shiver in his arms. "I hold you close to my body and keep you warm all night long." Finally looking at the Hakim, he allowed the elderly man to see the lust swimming in his eyes, "Your pardon, Great Hakim. I enjoyed tonight's festivities immensely. The company was enthralling. But I have more pleasurable activities to attend to." He bit back a yelp of pain when the miko dug her nails into his shoulder.
Kagome flashed them a sweet smiled and let a small flush enter her cheeks as she waved at the Hakim. "Bye bye! Have a good night." Keeping up with the act of being a lovesick concubine, but also under the influence of her darker side, she flashed Kail a seductive smile, "I know I will."
As the couple walked out of the Grand Hall, Vena rose on shaky feet. What on earth was that woman? She was no mere concubine! The way her eyes flashed orange and the guttural sound of her growl was not human! Putting on a brave face, he sheathed his sword and turned to the Hakim. "This would have been a good place for the Black Prince to behead Prince Kail. But, all is well. Their blood shall soak their bed instead of this floor."
Kail placed Kagome down on her feet and quickly began to call out orders when Kikkuri started to panic about the Prince of the Mitanni approaching. He gave the best friend/loyal servant a stern look that screamed calm down before speaking, "We're just going to open the gates a bit sooner than planned. Open them immediately. Let in the Hittites!" He tossed off his pristine white cloak and thrust his arms out as he began, "Kikkuri, set fire to the armories! Ilbani, open the gates! Kash, you get word to our men outside!"
"Yes, Prince!" the three men bowed before carrying out the orders of their ruler.
Ryui swayed her hips back in forth in a hypnotic manner, lacing her fingers with her sister's as she batted her eyes at the guards posted at the gate. The twins smiled sweetly and blew small kisses at the men before dancing over to them. "Hello, handsome soldiers..." they said breathlessly.
The guards blushed and cracked a perverse smile at the girls. Their eyes took on a lusty gleam when the twins wrapped their arms around their necks and pressed their bodies closer against theirs. "What do you girls want?"
Shalla smiled sweetly, "We have a favor to ask of you," before it turned evil as she and Ryui pointed daggers at the guards' throats as they continued to speak in the flirty, seductive tone. "Open the gates, quickly."
An explosion rang through the air as flames licked at the small building that housed the Mitanni's weapons. The soldiers gaped at the bright flames and began running around in circles, trying to claim any form of weapon they could find. But one question plagued them. Who set fire to their armories?
Kagome giggled silently at the comical fashion the Mitanni warriors were responding to having their weapons destroyed. But her smile faded as thoughts of the Black Prince's return to Malatia flooded in her mind. She drew her thumb into her mouth and worried it with her teeth, 'We must take the city before the Black Prince's return!'
Somewhere not far from Malatia, Mattiwaza pushed his soldiers to the brink of exhaustion. He called out threats to get the moving even faster, such as the one he just said now, "If any man delays us, his severed head will adorn the walls of Malatia!"
Of course, when Mattiwaza calls out a death threat, the soldiers knew for a fact that their prince was serious. He never forgoes his promises of demise. They urged their stallions to run as fast as they possibly could to keep up with the Black Prince's speed.
Vena was absolutely livid to see his soldiers flee in panic, disregarding his orders for them to stay and fight whoever it was attacking them. He growled low in his breath when the warriors ran for their lives not even bothering to pay him any attention and began to reach for his sword.
"Halt!" a loud voice boomed as the sharp end of a blade was pointed into Vena's face. The General looked up the long gleaming sword and found that it was the Hittites' Infantry Commander, Mettannamuwa. "You are General Vena, I presume." His sharp steel-colored eyes narrowed slightly, "If you love your life, keep quiet."
"Our soldiers are flooding through the western gate!" a Hittite soldier informed the prince. "The city hall is in our hands!"
Kail nodded, his arms crossed proudly over his chest as he observed the battle. He only had to remind a few of his soldiers to not kill, but to capture any resisting Mitanni warriors; this was a fight that would be done without bloodshed. He smiled when another one of his soldiers reported that they have captured all the senior officials and that the eastern gate would soon be theirs.
Kagome stood by Kail's side with a cheerful expression on her face. That perverted prince's plan was actually working. Noticing that her faithful handmaids were busy with a battle with a couple of Mitanni brutes, the miko reached for her dagger and started to go over to aid them. She gasped when someone hooked their arms around her waist and pulled her back.
"You are my princess." Kail's voice fluttered through her ears as he drew her closer to him. He tilted her head back so that he could gaze into her depthless dark eyes. "Your place is by my side." With those final words, the blond placed his lips upon her in a slow, drugging kiss.
The princess bit back a low moan that built up in her throat as she relished in his sweet kiss. She had to force down a small whimper of disappointment when Kail pulled away her to drop hot, open-mouth kisses down her jaw line. "Prince..." she sighed. "I need to go and help Hadi-san and her sisters." She let out a breathy gasped when he nipped at her pulse. "Prince Kail, stop."
"Uhm...Prince Kail?" a soldier asked awkwardly. "The Mitanni foot soldiers are looting the treasure room."
"Let them." was the prince's muffled response as he drug her hands up the miko's slim waist in a smooth caress.
Kagome snapped out of her lust induced daze, her eyes tinged orange. "What? No!" she pushed herself away from Kail just a bit to clear her thoughts. "The Dragon's Eye is in the treasure room. We can't let them find it."
Kail looked a bit confused before realization hit him. "The Dragon's Eye?"
She pulled away from his arms completely, her eyes returning to their normal dark blue color as she set her jaw in a determined manner. "I have to retrieve it." she challenged Kail to try to oppose her and she will remind him what her ki would do to his precious smooth skin. The burn on his hand had just healed and that was caused many moons ago. "If it is anything like the Shikon no Tama, Mitanni cannot be allowed to possess it."
"Wait!" Kail said, trying to stop her, but a bright flash of pink light made him release her with a hiss. 'Damn! I'd forgotten the pain of her ki.' "Someone else can!"
Kikkuri ran inside from the opposite door. "Prince Kail! I have urgent news."
The Hittite Prince took his eyes off of Kagome for a second to answer his loyal personal servant and when he turned back around, he saw that she had already ran out of the room. "Kagome!" he called out with her arm out stretched.
The miko ignore Kail's calls for her to come back as she focused her reiki into her legs and ran even faster through the halls. She absent mindedly felt the throbbing power of the mark of the Shikon skimming over her breast and Kagome placed her hand over it. 'The Black Prince, nor Nakia can have the Dragon's Eye. Especially if it is anything like the accursed gem I guard over.' She lowered her head and pushed her legs to moved harder. 'While everyone is too busy to worry about it, I'll go and get it.'
"Prince Kail," Kikkuri called out once more, making the blond look at him. The brunette's brows drew closer together in urgency as he said, "The Black Prince! He's returned! He entered through the eastern gate!"
Kail snapped burning gold eyes on his best friend. "What?" I was just told that the eastern gate would soon be in our hands!"
Kikkuri bowed lowly, his fist crossed over his chest in respect. "Yes, but..." he hesitated slightly, "Someone cut the bow strings of the soldiers who were assigned to take it. I'm sorry, my Prince."
The Third Hittite Prince cupped his chin in his hands as he thought over how the Black Prince could have gotten wind of his appearance in Malatia when Kash assigned an ambush team. "First the messenger got through because someone killed our soldiers and now someone has cut the bow strings of the soldiers assigned to take the eastern gate." He looked at Kikkuri with a serious look in his eyes. "There's a traitor among us." 'Kagome, you better return to me safely.'
"Chikuso!" Kagome cursed as she shuffled through the contents of one of the many treasure rooms. She picked up a small box and opened it, sighing dejectedly as she threw behind her. "How the hell will I find such a small bow in all this mess?!" the miko groaned as she heard the plate she tossed shatter against the wall. The warning bells in the back of her head. She reached for her dagger and prepared to throw it at the intruder.
"Princess Kagome!" A sweet tenor voice cried out in alarm.
The miko lowered her weapon as she stared at the golden-haired man before she blushed at his wide sky blue eyes. "You're that priest? Shalma, right?" She narrowed her eyes as the redness in her cheeks faded. "What are you doing here?"
Shalma smiled slyly as he pointed a finger down at her. "And what of you? Why are you, Concubine of Prince Kail, plundering the city's treasure-house?"
"That is none of your business." she snapped as she returned to her quest for the Dragon's eye. Kagome heard the priest shuffling around on his feet and she turned to glare at him. "If you're just going to stand there, you can help me."
"Help you?" was his intelligent question as he tilted his head to the side.
Kagome let out an exasperated sigh as she rose to her feet. "Yes. Help me. I'm looking for a small box about this big." she held up both her palms. "I know for a fact that it is in here." She returned to her search, completely ignoring the priest. 'This man is being very suspicious. But I don't have time to ponder on why. I need to find that Dragon's Eye.' A plain beige bag caught her eye. Why would someone place such an ordinary thing amongst all these glittering treasure. Reaching for the bag, she pulled on the string that held it together and wheat came flooding out of the bag.
The miko arched a brow and began to shift through the scattered contents and her fingers came in contact with something hard. Picking the object up, she found that it was a small gold inlaid ivory box that had a fierce-looking dragon adorning the top. It was also decorated in dozens of rubies. Cautiously, she used her reiki to break the seal, opened the lid and looked inside. There resting almost harmlessly inside the container was a dark violet jewel that had an immensely malicious aura surrounding it. "So this is the Dragon's Eye..." she said absent mindedly. "I found the accused thing."
Kail was beginning to grow anxious. With the return of the Black Prince and the threat of a traitor being in their arms, the prince wanted Kagome by his side where he could protect her. He reached out and grabbed Kikkuri by the tunic and said, "Have you found Kagome yet? We don't know who the traitor is. She may very well be in danger!"
Kikkuri placed his hand on the prince's wrist. "No, my prince. But Princess Kagome is a strong and able warrior in her own right. She is more than enough to handle a mere traitor."
"Prince Kail!" a soldier called out, rushing over to the blond, a groveling light-haired man following close behind. He crossed his fist over his chest and he bowed before his higher authority. "Forgive me, my Prince, but this slave has caused trouble."
The man shot up to his feet, struggling against the two soldiers holding him back from Kail, "I have to find my master! I'm meant to stay with him, but I think he got lost...or I did." he added the last part quietly.
Kikkuri's eyebrows rose in recognition as he looked over the slave. "Prince Kail, I've seen that man before." he whispered. "I saw him in Queen Nakia's temple." he stood up straighter and with authority in his voice, Kikkuri ordered for the slave to bow on his knees. "Prince Kail has a question for you."
Kail walked over to the kneeling slave. "What's your master's name?"
The slave raised his head, wide eyes blinking in confusion. "Lord Urhi." he lowered his head back to the ground. "Lord Urhi, Priest of the Temple of the Sun."
"The Queen's minion?" Kikkuri questioned, his slanted eyes opened wide enough to reveal the russet-brown color of his irises. "He's here?"
"Uhm...yes, sir." the slave said timidly as he lifted his eyes up to speak to Kikkuri. "He accompanied the prince's army as a priest. His name is Urhi Shalma. Do you know him?"
To say that Kail was shocked would be an understatement. How could he have not known that priest was Urhi! Although he had never seen the Queen's retainer's face, he would know that man's voice anywhere! 'Damn it! He's after Kagome!'
"So this is the rumored Dragon's Eye." Kagome closed the lid of the box and used her ki to reseal it. "I've been looking for this."
Shalma smirked. "Yes, so have I."
The miko blinked. She had forgotten that the priest was in here with her. "Excuse me?"
Before Kagome could even react, Shalma brought the side of his hand down on the back of the miko's head, rendering her unconscious. The box that housed the Dragon's Eye fell from her numb fingers and the priest bent to pick it up. "I joined this expedition just to retrieve it. Nakia-sama wants it." He ran his fingers through long gold hair. Shalma turned his head at the voices of Mitanni soldiers and sneered, "I wanted to take your head back to the Queen. But I'll let those soldiers have you instead." He made a hasty escape just before the soldiers came bursting in.
The Mitanni warriors came bursting into the room where Kagome laid helpless. They snickered between each other as they lewdly commented on how large her breasts were and how smooth her thighs looked.
"She's so prudy." one commented, reaching out to trail his fingers down her exposed leg. He hissed when his comrade stepped on his fingers. "Wha'!"
"Don't touch her idiot! We can sell her for more if she untouched." he sneered as he hefted the unconscious girl onto his back and carted her off to the add to their catch.
Shalma ran, hiding the Dragon's Eye in the folds of his cloak. He pushed any one who got in his way as he made a quick escape from Malatia. But something bumped into him and caused the box holding the cursed artifact to fly out of his hands and the wheel of a chariot landed on it. Shalma raised his bright blue eyes and glared at the source, "What are you doing?" He immediately dropped to his knees when he saw who had stepped down from the cart.
"A Hittite Priest?" His voice was dark as Mattiwaza held his sword out in front of him. He pulled out his blade in a quick smooth movement, caused Shalma to flinch in fear, and stabbed the tip of the weapon into the clay flooring. "I don't want to kill a priest." he narrowed his slate-grey eyes. "Go and tell Kail Mursili that he can have Malatia, but he'll pay for it with his head." With a swish of his black cloak, he picked up the gold-inlaid box and tossed on his chariot. "Mitanni soldiers withdraw! We're leaving this place! Abandon Malatia!"
Sweat rolled down Shalma's beautiful face as he secretly thanked Teshub for sparing his life. A scowled tilted at his lips. 'I had the Dragon's Eye in my hands!'
Mitanni soldiers grinned as they showed all the loot and gold that they plundered from the treasure rooms, but none could compare to the young woman that they had captured. She was very beautiful and since she looked so young, they were sure that she's hasn't been touched by a man before.
"The Black Prince has ordered the retreat!" a man told the others.
A soldier with dirty brown hair grinned, showing his missing front tooth. "Good! With all this treasure, we won't have to work when we get back to Wassuganni." he slid the woman off his back and onto the cart filled with their stolen treasures. "And men will pay a fortune for this maiden." He resisted the urge to trail his grimy fingers down her soft-looking thigh. "She's the best piece if plunder we've got."
"Let's be on our way!"
Kikkuri ran into the throne room to find his prince pacing the floor. "Prince Kail?" he waited for the blond to looked up at him and he saw the worry in the other man's eyes. "Malatia has fallen my lord. The city is ours!" He was not prepared for when Kail reached out and grabbed him by the tunic.
Kail pulled his best friend closer, his nerves shot with worry for his princess. "Where is Kagome!" he asked. When Kikkuri merely tilted his head in confusion, the prince pushed him away and ordered, "Find her!"
As the Hittite Soldiers rejoiced in their victory over the Mitanni, the three Hatti sisters watched with proud smiles as the enemy began to retreat. They set their weapons down and admired the scene.
"Amazing." Ryui breathed, "Malatia fell in only three days."
Hadi felt another smile twitch at her lips as she placed a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "Everything went exactly as Prince Kail planned."
Shalla narrowed her eyes when a cart full of treasures passed under the gate before her gaze settled on a familiar dark-haired woman. She gasped when she recognized the girl. "Sister Hadi!" Shalla yelped as she pulled on her elder sister's robe. "Princess Kagome has been captured by Mitanni soldiers!"
Kail's eyes widened to their fullest extent at the information Hadi had just provided him with. The Mitanni have captured Kagome. The sentence repeated like a mantra inside his head. His initial disbelief written all over his face. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, Kail asked, "Are you sure that it was Kagome you saw?"
Hadi nodded her head. "It was no mistake. Princess Kagome was being taken away by Mitanni looters on a cart through the eastern gate."
The Prince's normally warm amber eyes went cold as ice as anger flooded through his body. How dare the Mitanni take his princess! Kagome was his and his alone! No one else is allowed to have her. 'Kagome!' He turned to his loyal servant, "Kikkuri get my chariot! No, ready my horse!"
The elder of the Hatti sibling rushed forward to stop the prince's advances towards the door, her calloused palms pressing back against his chest. "Prince Kail, there's nothing you can do. It's too late!"
"Let go of me, Hadi!" the prince snapped, his tone dangerous.
The tall brunette shook her head and continued to push Kail back away from the exit. "Please, this is suicide, Prince Kail."
Rusafa saw that the young woman could no longer hold the irate prince back and ran over to aid her. "Your Highness, please stay here."
Kash followed in the Archer Commander's lead and grabbed Kail by the arms and forced the prince back. "Your Highness, the Mitanni troops have pulled out. To pursue the would be foolhardy. Please don't go!"
Kail struggled in the two men's hold, his muscles bulging with strain as he yelled. "She is my princess! I'm going to get her back!" Remembering the lesson that Kagome had given him on her land's native tongue, Kail said, "Kagome is my Koibito!"
"Prince Kail." Ilbani's voice reached the prince's ears through his hysterics. "I know that you care deeply for Prince Kagome, but what of the five thousand soldiers under your care." He narrowed his eyes when Kail looked back at him. "Please do not forget. You are commander-in-chief of the Armies of the Hittite Empire right now."
The blond prince squeezed his eyes shut as he let his foster brother's words sink in. He let out a soft sigh as he relaxed his body. "Kash, Rusafa. Release me." When his two commanders did as he requested, Kail continued, "Gather all the Senior Officials we've captured into one room and restore order to the city."
Hadi approached the prince warily, her eyes sympathetic. "Prince Kail. I sent my sisters are Princess Kagome. They'll protect her with their lives. So please..."
Kail cut her off with a dead look. "Thank you Hadi." he turned back to Kikkuri. Get me clean clothes. I must transfer the governance of the city."
Mitanni soldier grinned at each other as they tossed two slender bodies onto the cart where the first girl laid. "We have new prizes! A couple of strays from the Hittite Army!"
"Excellent!" a soldier with a gap-tooth smile said as he eyes the two women. They looked identical with curly light brown hair and shining grey-green eyes. "Don't touch them. They'll bring a higher price if they're unsoiled."
The twins scowled at the Mitanni soldiers before turning their full attention onto the young woman resting on the pile of gold. Deciding that it was uncomfortable for the princess to be sleeping on the hard metal, Shalla pulled Kagome's head onto her lap.
"She's okay." Ryui noted as she spotted the steady rise and fall of the Ishtar Incarnate's chest.
Shalla let out a sigh of relieve. "I am glad. But Ryui, how are we going escape." she
kept her voice low in case of eavesdroppers.
The oldest of the twins lifted her face up to the moon. "I do not know, Shalla. But what I do know is that we must protect Princess Kagome with our very lives."
"Right."
This fic is still alive! I shall never stop writing on it until it is finished! I guess I should tell you know that the Fate encounters will show up less and less as Kagome begins to control her own destiny.
~Special Thanks~
Halley Vanaria: I am glad that you enjoyed my fanfiction. I try my best to please my readers.
ladymelancholy17: Sorry for such a long wait. But as you can see, I made up for it with this extremely long chapter.
tapionwarrior: Thanks for reviewing. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last.
PuriPuribeth: Im sorry that it took so long for me to update, but as you can such a long chapter took me this long. I hope you enjoy it!
Azaleas: Here's an update. Hope you like it and thanks for reviewing.
Guest (leave name so I can properly thank you next time): Of course I am going to continue this fic. I mean that I was not going to make you think what was going to happen next. Sorry for the confusion.
Sun-Moon4ever: Did it leave that speechless? Thanks for reading and reviewing!
dark-driex: You're welcome, but the updates haven't stopped yet! Here's another chapter for you.
tohru78: If you loved that chapter, I hope you love this one as well. There should be plenty of funny angry Kagome and a lot of other things
DragonFire Princess: You are my most loyal reviewer. I can always count on you to read my fanfiction. I cannot tell you for sure if Kagome will see her past demon family just yet. So keep on reading to find out!
