DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the book called 'Hasse Simonsdochter' written by Thea Beckman, nor do I own the characters of these two stories!! But I do own the idea of mixing these two ingredients into a new story.
Italic: thoughts
-- --: locations
"...": spoken words
~*~*~*~*~: time gap
*...* : noises
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
It won't be told in the story why Kagome could plead for Sesshoumaru's life
and marry in order to save his life. I will give you the explanation here in
the author's note.
As I told you before this story is based on a book. The story in that book took place in the Middle Ages, somewhere around 1480 in The Netherlands. And in that age and place, it was possible for unmarried women to save a man's life, when he's going to be executed, by marrying him. I'm not really sure why that's possible; maybe it's a tradition or culture of that age.
I hope I have cleared some questions by explaining this.
-by Kittymui-
The execution
Previously:
"They're planning to execute him at high-noon in front of the church."
Onegai...kami-sama, please don't let it be him... she begged in her mind
as she ran as fast as she could towards the church.
~*~
The execution site was crowded. Most of the spectators were townswomen, since they were all curious about the handsome inuyoukai.
The church looked very medieval. It had a form of a cross if you looked at
it from above. The top part of the cross was facing the audience. It was made
of gray bricks and huge colorful rectangular leaded windows in the side walls
of the church and a round leaded window could be seen in the wall above the
huge wooden doors of the church.
A wooden platform stood in front of the huge wooden doors of the church. It
was square and just as high as the waists of the audience.
Two persons stood on the platform. One of them was obviously the executioner. He was masked and was dressed in pitch-black. The other one was dressed in a wide black robe, it was the judge.
"Bring out the scoundrel!!" the judge shouted after he looked at the sky.
The church doors opened a little and a soldier appeared with a chain in his hands. "Come out, you murderer!" the soldier spat as he yanked the chain. A person obediently came from behind the doors into the daylight.
The crowd became silent as the sun revealed the silver-haired inuyoukai. His claws were chained together on his back and his legs were chained at a way that he could walk by himself.
All of the townswomen gasped at the sight of the young youkai.
~*~
Sesshoumaru cursed himself for being so submissive and slowly walked out of the church. His clothes and armor were confiscated as soon as he was captured. He was now dressed in some dirty ragged clothes. His fluffy tail still hung over his shoulder.
He had to jerk his head to the side and close his eyes for a moment because of the bright daylight.
As soon as his eyes got used to the light, he opened them and looked around. He was definitely not enjoying attention that the spectators were giving him.
Townswomen were staring at him with dropped jaws and men were giving him the glares of disgust mixed with fear.
Disgusting humans... he thought disgusted. If only I had my sword with me right now...
The soldier yanked the chain once more and took Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts. He led him up to the platform and kicked his back; forcing him to kneel in front of the judge.
Sesshoumaru quickly glared at the soldier who kicked him and growled, but his attention turned back to the judge when he began to speak.
"Give me your name, scoundrel." he commanded with a low voice.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he kept his face down. "Sesshoumaru." he answered, while grinning in his mind. Just you wait, insolent fool, you'll be the first one to taste my claws...
All of the townspeople gasped at hearing this well-known name.
"Sesshoumaru," the judge continued. "you are under the suspicion of killing a townsman without reason, do you admit to your crime?"
Hate filled the eyes of Sesshoumaru as he looked up to the judge. "If he had not tried to rape a young innocent girl, I, Sesshoumaru, would not have to taint my claws with his dirty blood." Sesshoumaru spat. "Yes, I have killed him."
The crowd became disturbed.
Ignoring the first part of the youkai's story, the judge shushed the noisy crowd and spoke.
"Then you are hereby pronounced guilty and you will be beheaded on the spot." the judge declared and turned to the executioner. "Executioner, prepare the axe."
Sesshoumaru knew he couldn't get away with this no matter what reason he gave, since all human feared youkai and rather have them dead. But he would definitely not let himself be killed unfairly.
I wonder if she's standing there... he thought as he scanned the crowd.
~*~*~*~
Kagome finally reached the execution site.
There he was, kneeling in front of the judge. Kagome intermingled with the crowd and listened to the judgment.
Kagome couldn't believe the ignorance that the judge showed towards Sesshoumaru's reason. He's sentencing him to death without thinking twice... Kagome thought angrily.
Kagome dropped her face. The only person who cares about my existence is going to be executed because of me...what can I do? she thought as tears welled up in her eyes.
I feel so helpless...so powerless...
Her ears twitched as she caught a conversation.
"Such a pity to execute a handsome youkai like that..." the one said to the other.
"What are you saying!? He's a murderer!!" the other one replied.
Kagome recognized the voices. The same women from a while ago! she thought and listened more carefully.
"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to have him serve me whenever my husband's out of town..."
Kagome's eyes flared with anger when she heard them giggle and jerked her head to where the voices came from.
The two women didn't notice Kagome and continued their conversation.
"Your husband would kill you if he heard you saying that."
"I'm only joking you know..."
"I know...but you're right, it is indeed a pity." the other woman replied. "Too bad I'm a married woman, or else I would definitely jump on the platform and plead for his life."
Kagome's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something Ron told her a couple of years ago.
[FLASHBACK]
Kagome was lying on the floor, her hand covering a red and stinging cheek. She didn't sob or cry, she was only staring at the person who hit her with eyes filled with hatred.
Ron smirked. "Keh! I know you hate me." he spat. "And I know you want to get out of this house as soon as possible."
"But you know you can only be free when you get married." he grinned wickedly, turning around. "But I'm afraid no one will have you unless someone wants to escape a death sentence or something like that when you plead for his life." he snickered.
[END FLASHBACK]
Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru, he seemed to be looking for something in the crowd. Plead for his life by marrying him? she thought to herself.
C-can I do it? she hesitated. B-but he's a youkai...and I'm...
Her conscience battled each other as she tried to make her way through the crowd, to the platform.
~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru was disappointed when he couldn't find those beautiful dark blue eyes he searched for and bowed his head to the wooden stand.
I guess it's better this way since it's going to be a massacre in a couple of minutes. Sesshoumaru smirked.
The executioner raised the huge axe. "See you in hell, monster." he muttered.
The hell I will... Sesshoumaru thought as he tensed his claws that were chained and resting on his back.
"Stop the execution!! I plead for his life!!!" a voice suddenly yelled out of the crowd.
Sesshoumaru's ears twitched. This voice...!!
"Executioner, hold your axe!!" the judge commanded. The executioner lowered his axe and backed away.
"Who said to be pleading for his youkai's life?" the judge turned to the crowd. "Come out of the crowd and show yourself."
The crowd dissipated at a certain spot, leaving a girl standing alone in the middle.
Sesshoumaru was allowed to get up again and he slowly raised his head.
His eyes widened when he realized who the girl was that was revealed after the crowd backed away.
This can't...she couldn't be the one pleading for my life... Sesshoumaru thought in disbelief. His eyes were locked on the dark blue ones.
"I did." the girl spoke clearly and determined. She smiled at Sesshoumaru. "I plead for this youkai's life."
Sesshoumaru was even more astonished.
"Young lady, please come closer." the judge said.
The girl approached the platform and climbed on it. Sesshoumaru didn't take his eyes of the girl and watched her walk towards the judge.
"You are sure about this?" the judge asked.
The girl nodded.
"Pleading for his life means that you are willing to be bound with him, you are aware of that, aren't you?" he explained clearly, afraid that the girl was making a mistake.
The girl nodded again and turned to look at Sesshoumaru.
She gave him a gentle smile and said with a clear voice. "I, Kagome Higurashi, wish to plead for this youkai, no, Sesshoumaru's life and am willing to marry him."
Vocabulary:
Inuyoukai: Dogdemon
Posted: 21 July 2003
Last Edited: 12 February 2004 (re-edited because of tags problem)
Spelling check: Yes