"You see what power is - holding someone else's fear in your hand and
showing it to them!"
~Amy Tan
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 26: Forgery
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
Kagome, Sango, Miroku and I are all sitting in the conference chamber. There is silence as we all consider what should be done next.
"We must lower the taxes so the peasant can continue to farm."
I nod in agreement.
"What about the people who already cannot afford to keep their farms and buy seeds for next year?" I ask.
"We can send subsidies to those who can prove that they need it."
I look around the table and every one seems to agree with this suggestion.
"What about---" Miroku starts but is interrupted when a messenger knocks on the door.
"Your Majesty. Prince Kouga and Kikyo have arrived. They ask to speak to you."
I look in surprise at the messenger. The prince of Aoi Kaze here?
"We will come down and meet them in the audience chamber." Kagome answers before I can speak.
The messenger bows and then leaves. I turn to her and see the worry clearly written on her face. We all stand up slowly and follow the hallway to the audience chamber. Miroku and Sango join the crowd of courtiers at the front of the crowd. Kagome and I continue walking until we reach the front of the chamber. We both sit down in the thrones; even though Kagome is not queen yet she still is permitted to sit on the throne when she performs her duties.
I follow Kagome's gaze the doors on the far side of the chamber and watch as Kikyo and Kouga are announced and led into along the aisle. They reach the front and I clench my fists in annoyance at Kouga's mocking bow.
"King Inuyasha and Lady Kagome, will you join us in a glass of wine?" He asks in an arrogant voice.
I nod because it would be a great slight to refuse. A servant comes forward and hands a glass to me and one to Kagome. Another hands Kouga and Kikyo a glass of wine. The glance Kikyo and Kouga exchange makes me nervous. The poison that killed my father came from the south. I am taking no chances.
"You." I point to the servant that handed me the wine. "Taste this wine for me."
The servant comes forward and after bowing takes the wine from my hand. He takes a tentative sip and we all wait to see if it is poison. He seem fine.
"Now do Lady Kagome's." I order and he reaches out for her cup.
"No." She says loudly. "No one will die because I am hated."
The servant bows and disappears into the crowd. I turn to Kagome. She had just made her self an easy target for poison. Everyone now knows she will not test her food first. I pluck the cup from her hand and replace it with mine.
Kouga watches all this with amusement.
"Do you really think I would poison you or her myself?" He ask.
I am forced to admit he is probably right.
"Take no offence. I have learned to be careful. What is it that you want?"
"I would like my financé back."
I pretend that I am puzzled.
"And that would be who...?"
"Kagome. She promised that she would marry me in exchange for my father's aid."
"And you have proof of this?"
"Yes. I have letters and a marriage contract all signed by her."
Kagome sits forward and the half smile that has been playing on her face disappears.
"You have no such thing. I never agreed to any of your terms." She says is a strained voice.
Kouga reaches into his tunic and pulls out a bundle of letters.
"They are all here. You may check them."
From the panicked expression on Kagome's face I know that it would not be wise to contradict this at the moment.
"We will discuss this later. I will have servants show you to your chambers. You are invited to our dinner and dance tonight if you wish."
Kouga and Kikyo bow and then follow the servant out of the audience chamber.
Kagome is deathly pale.
"Impossible." She whispers and then rises from the throne. I can tell that she is scared though I do not know of what.
~Hikari Fortress (Kikyo's POV)~
I walk along the hallway from my room to Kagome's. The hallways are curiously empty. After a few wrong turns I find myself outside of Kagome's door with a servant holding a wind glass close behind me.
"Is that for Lady Kagome?" I ask
The servant nods.
"I will take it into her." I say and take the glass from her hand.
The servant bows and then hurries away. Another courtier walks past and greets me. I nod my head in reply. I knock on the door and wait for a response.
"Who is it?" I heard Kagome's voice ask.
"It's Kikyo. I would like to talk to you." I answer.
There is a moments silence.
"Come in."
I open the door and find Kagome sitting in a stuffed chair in front of a fire. I hand her the glass of wine explain that I met the servant in the hallway. She takes the glass from my hand and takes a long drink. I can see that her hands are shaking.
"What is wrong." I ask.
"Those letters...There were no letters..." She mumbles almost to herself.
I know of what she is talking. She takes another gulp of wine and I see her compose herself.
"I don't know if you noticed while you were there but Aoi Kaze is famous no only for their warriors but also for their spies. They have the best weapons, the best warriors...and the best forgers. I can be sure that those letters will be almost impossible to prove that I did not write. And if that is so then I will be forced into marriage by the laws of Shi Wase."
While she is speaking I start to see her pediment.
"I know nothing of these letters. Kouga never told me what he intended to do. I have come to tell you something that I have meant to tell you since your father died."
She looks up in surprise. I take a deep breath and continue.
"Your father told me this when I was seven. He made me promise that I would tell no one until he was dead. He said that the years before you were born they were not happy. They both wanted children and felt that their happiness depended on it. One day your father was riding his lands when he came across a young women who had hurt her ankle in the fields. He took her to her house and found that she was married. They continued to meet...and in time they fell in love...and then a few months later I was conceived. Only a little later your mother also found that she was pregnant. Your father---our father and my mother decided that they would keep me a secret. They decided to pretend that my mother's husband was my father and no one dared to contest this. I was born exactly four and a half months before you."
Her face is white as snow and her breathing is irregular. She drains the rest of the wine.
"It's not true. Father always said her loved mother more then anyone." She whispers.
"Your father always wanted you to be sheltered. He wanted you to continue to idealistic so that you would continue the fight without questions."
"You're lying! It's not true!"
"You know it's true Kagome. You've have always suspected but you never wanted to believe. We look so much alike. Think of all the people who have said we could be sisters."
"Leave." She says in a harsh voice.
"I'm sorry. I did not want to upset you. I---"
"Leave."
I nod and then leave the room. She will calm down and then she will understand that I did what I thought was right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
whoo! long chapter this time. this is starting to get close to the end (probably only 6 or 7 chapters left at the very most). i'll try to update more often but I still have exams so we will see. ^_^
thanks for reviewing: Neie, pink twilight, dangerous-beans, Thesmartazngirl, hyperchica11, Paragorgon, ShadowSpinner, Neko Miko, Arwen of Imladris, tulip of cabbit chic, Inutori and Nevoincent!
~Amy Tan
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 26: Forgery
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
Kagome, Sango, Miroku and I are all sitting in the conference chamber. There is silence as we all consider what should be done next.
"We must lower the taxes so the peasant can continue to farm."
I nod in agreement.
"What about the people who already cannot afford to keep their farms and buy seeds for next year?" I ask.
"We can send subsidies to those who can prove that they need it."
I look around the table and every one seems to agree with this suggestion.
"What about---" Miroku starts but is interrupted when a messenger knocks on the door.
"Your Majesty. Prince Kouga and Kikyo have arrived. They ask to speak to you."
I look in surprise at the messenger. The prince of Aoi Kaze here?
"We will come down and meet them in the audience chamber." Kagome answers before I can speak.
The messenger bows and then leaves. I turn to her and see the worry clearly written on her face. We all stand up slowly and follow the hallway to the audience chamber. Miroku and Sango join the crowd of courtiers at the front of the crowd. Kagome and I continue walking until we reach the front of the chamber. We both sit down in the thrones; even though Kagome is not queen yet she still is permitted to sit on the throne when she performs her duties.
I follow Kagome's gaze the doors on the far side of the chamber and watch as Kikyo and Kouga are announced and led into along the aisle. They reach the front and I clench my fists in annoyance at Kouga's mocking bow.
"King Inuyasha and Lady Kagome, will you join us in a glass of wine?" He asks in an arrogant voice.
I nod because it would be a great slight to refuse. A servant comes forward and hands a glass to me and one to Kagome. Another hands Kouga and Kikyo a glass of wine. The glance Kikyo and Kouga exchange makes me nervous. The poison that killed my father came from the south. I am taking no chances.
"You." I point to the servant that handed me the wine. "Taste this wine for me."
The servant comes forward and after bowing takes the wine from my hand. He takes a tentative sip and we all wait to see if it is poison. He seem fine.
"Now do Lady Kagome's." I order and he reaches out for her cup.
"No." She says loudly. "No one will die because I am hated."
The servant bows and disappears into the crowd. I turn to Kagome. She had just made her self an easy target for poison. Everyone now knows she will not test her food first. I pluck the cup from her hand and replace it with mine.
Kouga watches all this with amusement.
"Do you really think I would poison you or her myself?" He ask.
I am forced to admit he is probably right.
"Take no offence. I have learned to be careful. What is it that you want?"
"I would like my financé back."
I pretend that I am puzzled.
"And that would be who...?"
"Kagome. She promised that she would marry me in exchange for my father's aid."
"And you have proof of this?"
"Yes. I have letters and a marriage contract all signed by her."
Kagome sits forward and the half smile that has been playing on her face disappears.
"You have no such thing. I never agreed to any of your terms." She says is a strained voice.
Kouga reaches into his tunic and pulls out a bundle of letters.
"They are all here. You may check them."
From the panicked expression on Kagome's face I know that it would not be wise to contradict this at the moment.
"We will discuss this later. I will have servants show you to your chambers. You are invited to our dinner and dance tonight if you wish."
Kouga and Kikyo bow and then follow the servant out of the audience chamber.
Kagome is deathly pale.
"Impossible." She whispers and then rises from the throne. I can tell that she is scared though I do not know of what.
~Hikari Fortress (Kikyo's POV)~
I walk along the hallway from my room to Kagome's. The hallways are curiously empty. After a few wrong turns I find myself outside of Kagome's door with a servant holding a wind glass close behind me.
"Is that for Lady Kagome?" I ask
The servant nods.
"I will take it into her." I say and take the glass from her hand.
The servant bows and then hurries away. Another courtier walks past and greets me. I nod my head in reply. I knock on the door and wait for a response.
"Who is it?" I heard Kagome's voice ask.
"It's Kikyo. I would like to talk to you." I answer.
There is a moments silence.
"Come in."
I open the door and find Kagome sitting in a stuffed chair in front of a fire. I hand her the glass of wine explain that I met the servant in the hallway. She takes the glass from my hand and takes a long drink. I can see that her hands are shaking.
"What is wrong." I ask.
"Those letters...There were no letters..." She mumbles almost to herself.
I know of what she is talking. She takes another gulp of wine and I see her compose herself.
"I don't know if you noticed while you were there but Aoi Kaze is famous no only for their warriors but also for their spies. They have the best weapons, the best warriors...and the best forgers. I can be sure that those letters will be almost impossible to prove that I did not write. And if that is so then I will be forced into marriage by the laws of Shi Wase."
While she is speaking I start to see her pediment.
"I know nothing of these letters. Kouga never told me what he intended to do. I have come to tell you something that I have meant to tell you since your father died."
She looks up in surprise. I take a deep breath and continue.
"Your father told me this when I was seven. He made me promise that I would tell no one until he was dead. He said that the years before you were born they were not happy. They both wanted children and felt that their happiness depended on it. One day your father was riding his lands when he came across a young women who had hurt her ankle in the fields. He took her to her house and found that she was married. They continued to meet...and in time they fell in love...and then a few months later I was conceived. Only a little later your mother also found that she was pregnant. Your father---our father and my mother decided that they would keep me a secret. They decided to pretend that my mother's husband was my father and no one dared to contest this. I was born exactly four and a half months before you."
Her face is white as snow and her breathing is irregular. She drains the rest of the wine.
"It's not true. Father always said her loved mother more then anyone." She whispers.
"Your father always wanted you to be sheltered. He wanted you to continue to idealistic so that you would continue the fight without questions."
"You're lying! It's not true!"
"You know it's true Kagome. You've have always suspected but you never wanted to believe. We look so much alike. Think of all the people who have said we could be sisters."
"Leave." She says in a harsh voice.
"I'm sorry. I did not want to upset you. I---"
"Leave."
I nod and then leave the room. She will calm down and then she will understand that I did what I thought was right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
whoo! long chapter this time. this is starting to get close to the end (probably only 6 or 7 chapters left at the very most). i'll try to update more often but I still have exams so we will see. ^_^
thanks for reviewing: Neie, pink twilight, dangerous-beans, Thesmartazngirl, hyperchica11, Paragorgon, ShadowSpinner, Neko Miko, Arwen of Imladris, tulip of cabbit chic, Inutori and Nevoincent!