Izayoi did not want to bathe with either Kagome or Fuiasu, but could not form the words to make her desires clear. All she could think about was the demon that had held her down and how very helpless she had been to defend herself, to save herself.
As she sank down into the hot bath water in the family bathing hall, as far from the other two females as she could manage, the hime could swear she still felt those iron fingers banding about her wrists, that other bruising hand cursing as he shuffled aside layer after layer of kimono to get at her, the way her throat was still hoarse from screaming and pleading, her cheeks still red and burning from tears and terror.
And inside of her a kernel of hate, just begging to be nourished, taunted her. It would be so, so easy to hate the youkai in this court, not just the ones who had tried to do those horrible things to her. It was a youkai who had taken her from her family, after all. It was a youkai kept her here while her blood kin aged and passed and forgot her. And it was a youkai who had done this to her tonight. It would be so, so easy to hate them.
Except that she remembered Kagome too, crying out Izayoi's name over and over again as she tried to flee her own capture to save her. And she remembered tea parties in gardens and playing with Fuiasu's paints and lessons in the infirmary with Atsuki and the kindness of the Inu no Tashio and his mate, the way they treated her like family.
And so when she felt the water of the bath stir, felt that massive presence of the Wester Lady hovering just behind her with open arms, Izayoi looked behind her to meet the citrine eyes of her guardian. Fuiasu-sama was not a touchy person and did not often offer affection freely—that she did so now was the balm to the wounds inside the young hime.
Izayoi crawled into the older female's lap and clung as she had once clung to her Father, sobbed as she had not sobbed since her last sister's death however many centuries ago. Dainty claws moved through her hair, soothing out tangles as Fuiasu let the pup cry out the terror and pain.
When Izayoi felt a small hand pat gentle against her back, she was reminded again of the youkai that had not done her harm and that kernel of hate inside of her withered away bit by bit.
The steam of the bath and the gentle ministrations of the other females made it easy to drift off in Fuiasu's lap, but there was to be none of that as the Lady spoke. "It is not time yet for sleep, little one. We must present ourselves to the court and then you may rest."
And so she followed Kagome and Fuiasu-sama from the bathes and tried not to flinch every time a servant helped her tuck or tug or tie a part of her new kimono into place. It helped when Kagome came to stand with her, having finished faster, and held her hand.
It wasn't until they left the bathing hall and moved towards the great hall that Sesshoumaru-sama and Tōga-sama joined them. Sesshoumaru-sama's short, short hair stole her breath, a welcome distraction from the pain of all the aches and bruises covering her small body. His gaze was impenetrable as he strode next to them behind their two Alpha's—he had not one spare glance for Kagome, not one look of longing as he usually did. His once illustrious hair now hung to just above his pointed ears, baring the stiff set of his neck and shoulders.
Izayoi was only able to draw her eyes away from those changes when they stepped into the hall and the noise of all the courtiers, the sobs and the angry chatter, the disgruntled tones of every warrior, the annoyance of those who did not yet know what had happened and had just been dragged from sleep—all of it zeroed in on Sesshoumaru-sama…but he did not flinch under that scrutiny. If anything, he only held his chin higher and followed behind his parents to the dais.
What happened next, she would never forget. The way the Inu no Tashio knelt before his son, watching those white, white hanks of hair flutter to the floor. The awe and gradual silencing of the court. The warmth of Kagome's hand in hers as they stood beside Fuiasu-sama. But mostly, the way Tōga-sama bowed before his court and asked for forgiveness and vowed to not fail them all a second time.
It was the night she first understood what honor and humility meant.
o.O.o
Word Count - 805