"Courage is of no value unless accompanied by justice; yet if all men
became just, there would be no need for courage.
~Agesilaus the Second
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 31: Justice
~Hikari Fortress (Kikyo's POV)~
"Let me through."
I hear a voice say outside my door. I turn towards the door automatically as if I can see through it.
"But Prince Kouga, I've been ordered to let no one see her."
I turn back to my desk and busy myself with writing.
"I will see her."
The door opens and Kouga enters the room. I pretend to be absorbed in my writing though I know I tense perceptibly as he comes near.
"Inuyasha believes that you poisoned Kagome." He says in a low, steady voice.
"And what is your opinion on the matter?" I ask coldly, without turning around. "Do you believe me capable of murder?"
I hear him let out his breath in annoyance and he starts pacing in quick steps.
"I don't know." He finally says. "Sometimes I think that you would kill them both if you were given the chance."
I laugh softly at this.
"Given the chance? Everyone know that you must make your own opportunities!"
I hear a low growl and I am forcibly made to stand up and face him. Automatically my eyes find his and then drop.
"Did you kill her?" He asks.
"What would you like me to say? I'll answer whichever way you wish."
I don't know why I am being so vaguely but I can't seem to just answer him.
"Did you poison her?" He asks again, his tone angry.
"I was the one who handed her the cup of poison."
"But did you put the poison in the cup?" He grabs me upper arms and shakes me.
I look up in shock and am struck by the fear in his eyes. I do the only thing I can do: I tell the truth.
"I wasn't the one who poisoned her. I went to see her, to tell her something, when I arrived at her door a servant already was there with the wine goblet. I offered to bring it in to her because I wanted to speak with her alone. I did not touch the wine or do anything to it. That all was some one else's doing."
He looks at me for a few seconds and then releases my arms. Instinctively I put my hands where his were.
"Did you see anything? Anything or anyone who might clear you?"
I turn my chair around and sit in it, resting my head in my hands.
"I've thought about it again and again, but I think there was nothing. The halls were empty, the servant---" I break off, an image forming in my mind.
Kouga step forward and crouches down in front of me.
"What is it?"
"There was some one else that I saw! I can't remember his name but I saw him across the hall. I remember him looking pleased at something and wondering what it was. I am sure he is a member of Inuyasha's court."
Kouga appears relived.
"And if you saw him?" He asks.
"I would know him." I reply.
He smiles quickly at me and is out of the room before I realize that he has moved.
~Hirkari Fortress (Kagome's POV)~
The darkness recedes, and I feel myself slowly waking up. The first thing I focus on is a figure sitting in a chair beside my bed. It takes me a few seconds of puzzlement to realize that it is Inuyasha. I feel both surprised and happy to see him here.
He looks up and I see the realization that I am awake cross his face. I raise myself so I can lean against the headboard but still be sitting. Even that little exertion leaves me breathless. He stands up and looks as though he meant to help me, but he does nothing.
"What is the extent of the damage by the poison?" I ask because I am curious.
"The only effects you feel should is weakness and tiredness for a short time while your body heals."
I consider this for a few minutes.
"That could not have been the intent of the poisoned."
"It wasn't. When we danced it quickened the rate at which the poison was dispersed. You were meant to die alone in your room at night."
A chill runs through my body and I shiver. Mechanically I pull the covers further up my body.
An awkward atmosphere, that I am not used to falls heavily onto the room. I look down to stare at my hands clenched in my lap.
"Kagome." Inuyasha say softly.
I look up to see Inuyasha staring at me, his face is calm. He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. Warmth spreads through me. He pulls back and I can see his flushed face. I am sure that I am blushing as much as him.
"What are you doing?" I ask faintly.
"I needed to see something." He answers with a slight smile on his face.
Already the blush is gone.
"Our contract forbids any of that."
"I know enough about you to know that you don't follow the rules." He says.
I am saved the chore of forming an answer by the arrival of Kouga. He opens the door without knocking and then hesitates in the doorway as if he knows something has happened.
"Kikyo didn't poison Lady Kagome."
Though I am surprised but I still manage to answer first.
"I know that, but we must prove that it was some one else to clear her in the eyes of all."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ack! It's been so long since I've updated. SORRY! I'll try to do better from now on since this fic is getting very close to the end.
thanks to: AssansinReiX, LapisLazuliKnight88, Inutori, Chibikitsune, Ayama The Cat Demon/Angel, Tamkia'gss, Thesmartazngirl, Mitsuko Maxwell, hyperchica11, InuKagStar, AJaKe, Midoriko-sama
~Agesilaus the Second
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 31: Justice
~Hikari Fortress (Kikyo's POV)~
"Let me through."
I hear a voice say outside my door. I turn towards the door automatically as if I can see through it.
"But Prince Kouga, I've been ordered to let no one see her."
I turn back to my desk and busy myself with writing.
"I will see her."
The door opens and Kouga enters the room. I pretend to be absorbed in my writing though I know I tense perceptibly as he comes near.
"Inuyasha believes that you poisoned Kagome." He says in a low, steady voice.
"And what is your opinion on the matter?" I ask coldly, without turning around. "Do you believe me capable of murder?"
I hear him let out his breath in annoyance and he starts pacing in quick steps.
"I don't know." He finally says. "Sometimes I think that you would kill them both if you were given the chance."
I laugh softly at this.
"Given the chance? Everyone know that you must make your own opportunities!"
I hear a low growl and I am forcibly made to stand up and face him. Automatically my eyes find his and then drop.
"Did you kill her?" He asks.
"What would you like me to say? I'll answer whichever way you wish."
I don't know why I am being so vaguely but I can't seem to just answer him.
"Did you poison her?" He asks again, his tone angry.
"I was the one who handed her the cup of poison."
"But did you put the poison in the cup?" He grabs me upper arms and shakes me.
I look up in shock and am struck by the fear in his eyes. I do the only thing I can do: I tell the truth.
"I wasn't the one who poisoned her. I went to see her, to tell her something, when I arrived at her door a servant already was there with the wine goblet. I offered to bring it in to her because I wanted to speak with her alone. I did not touch the wine or do anything to it. That all was some one else's doing."
He looks at me for a few seconds and then releases my arms. Instinctively I put my hands where his were.
"Did you see anything? Anything or anyone who might clear you?"
I turn my chair around and sit in it, resting my head in my hands.
"I've thought about it again and again, but I think there was nothing. The halls were empty, the servant---" I break off, an image forming in my mind.
Kouga step forward and crouches down in front of me.
"What is it?"
"There was some one else that I saw! I can't remember his name but I saw him across the hall. I remember him looking pleased at something and wondering what it was. I am sure he is a member of Inuyasha's court."
Kouga appears relived.
"And if you saw him?" He asks.
"I would know him." I reply.
He smiles quickly at me and is out of the room before I realize that he has moved.
~Hirkari Fortress (Kagome's POV)~
The darkness recedes, and I feel myself slowly waking up. The first thing I focus on is a figure sitting in a chair beside my bed. It takes me a few seconds of puzzlement to realize that it is Inuyasha. I feel both surprised and happy to see him here.
He looks up and I see the realization that I am awake cross his face. I raise myself so I can lean against the headboard but still be sitting. Even that little exertion leaves me breathless. He stands up and looks as though he meant to help me, but he does nothing.
"What is the extent of the damage by the poison?" I ask because I am curious.
"The only effects you feel should is weakness and tiredness for a short time while your body heals."
I consider this for a few minutes.
"That could not have been the intent of the poisoned."
"It wasn't. When we danced it quickened the rate at which the poison was dispersed. You were meant to die alone in your room at night."
A chill runs through my body and I shiver. Mechanically I pull the covers further up my body.
An awkward atmosphere, that I am not used to falls heavily onto the room. I look down to stare at my hands clenched in my lap.
"Kagome." Inuyasha say softly.
I look up to see Inuyasha staring at me, his face is calm. He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. Warmth spreads through me. He pulls back and I can see his flushed face. I am sure that I am blushing as much as him.
"What are you doing?" I ask faintly.
"I needed to see something." He answers with a slight smile on his face.
Already the blush is gone.
"Our contract forbids any of that."
"I know enough about you to know that you don't follow the rules." He says.
I am saved the chore of forming an answer by the arrival of Kouga. He opens the door without knocking and then hesitates in the doorway as if he knows something has happened.
"Kikyo didn't poison Lady Kagome."
Though I am surprised but I still manage to answer first.
"I know that, but we must prove that it was some one else to clear her in the eyes of all."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ack! It's been so long since I've updated. SORRY! I'll try to do better from now on since this fic is getting very close to the end.
thanks to: AssansinReiX, LapisLazuliKnight88, Inutori, Chibikitsune, Ayama The Cat Demon/Angel, Tamkia'gss, Thesmartazngirl, Mitsuko Maxwell, hyperchica11, InuKagStar, AJaKe, Midoriko-sama