"Observe your enemies, for they first find out your faults."
~Antisthenes
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 33: Enemies
~Hikari Fortress (Kagome's POV)~
The room is spinning; I am barely aware of anything but the sick feeling in my stomach. I lower my head so that it rests between my knees. I feel Inuyasha's hand rubbing my back and it helps me to straighten the room. Taking a deep breath I am relieved to see that everything is in focus when I raise my head.
Inuyasha looks at me questioningly, wondering if I need to return to bed. I smile at him reassuringly and he looks away, not looking convinced. I turn to see everyone gathered around us. The little boy Shippo jumps onto my lap, I smile down at him, happy to have some one to cuddle.
"What are we going to do?" I ask, keeping my voice steady. "The nobles are angry; and they may be more dangerous then the peasants."
Everyone seems to think about this for a few seconds.
"I think," Inuyasha says thoughtfully. "that how we deal with the Baron will untimely decide the future."
I agree with him, but I have no idea of what the consequences of each decision will be.
"Then what will be the best choice?" Sango asks.
"There are only three choices:" Miroku explains. "we can execute him, pardon him, or exile him."
"If he is executed he will most probably be remembered as a martyr," Inuyasha says, casting me an amused glance. "pardon him and there is a chance he will once again try and kill Kagome."
"The only choice left is to exile him." Kikyo summarizes. Everyone seems to be in agreement.
"We will have to do this very carefully." I add. "We must do this is a way that will earn the nobles' loyalty and establish me as their Queen."
Inuyasha seems to be the only one who sees where I am leading. He regards me with a curious stare.
"Let me hazard a guess." He says, "We will make a public appearance. We--- or should I say you?---will proclaim that we have forgiven the traitor and are granting him exile. Then it will be announced that we plan to marry at some close date." He is smirking and it makes me want to hit him. "Am I at least close to the truth?"
I am angry because that was exactly what I was thinking.
I shrug indifferently.
"Does anyone else have a better idea?"
No one seem to.
"Fine. I will set up a royal proclamation in the square tomorrow." Inuyasha says. "For now Kagome must go back to her chambers to rest."
I glare at him for daring to order me around.
"We would like to speak to Lady Kagome first if that is possible." Kouga speaks for the first time.
I turn to him, just remembering him because of him silence. I nod to him, ignoring Inuyasha's angry glances him my direction.
"Kikyo and I feel that we must tomorrow at dawn. We only stayed to thank you and take our leave."
I look at Kikyo, wondering if she will be happy if she goes with him. She meets my gaze squarely and smiles sweetly in a way I have never seen. I am shocked to realize that she loves him. I fear that the happiness will not last.
We follow all the necessary etiquette, saying goodbye and thanking each other. They leave, and I am left with a feeling of sadness. After, Sango and Miroku leave, and Shippo jumps off my lap and follows them.
Inuyasha and I are alone in the large audience chamber. He turns to me and searches my face for a few seconds.
"Can you walk?"
I think for a second, cataloguing the aches.
I shake my head. I doubt that I can even stand up.
After a few seconds hesitation he gathers me up in his arms and strides towards the doors at the other side of the chamber.
"What happened to the twenty-eight days?" He asks. "Why are agreeing to marry me this early without a fight? I expected an assassination attempt or something first."
I blush a little at the truth in his words.
"I merely want to secure my throne. It's the smartest way to do so."
I know that this is a lie but I do not know exactly what the truth is. I glance up into his face and catch dissatisfaction flashing across his face. I do not understand it.
I look away. I am distracted by the nervousness grinding in the pit of my stomach. Tomorrow will decide everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sorry for taking so long.
thanks to: Hamaguri, Midoriko-sama, Tamakia-gss, Phoenix06, SakuraSpring, huperchica11, Mitsuko Maxwell, darkrose2006, and SaKuRa-MIna.
p.s. to answer your question Mitsuko Maxwell, I get my quotes from lots of places: (sometimes books) but also on the internet at gothicrose.com (i think) and quotationspage.com.
~Antisthenes
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 33: Enemies
~Hikari Fortress (Kagome's POV)~
The room is spinning; I am barely aware of anything but the sick feeling in my stomach. I lower my head so that it rests between my knees. I feel Inuyasha's hand rubbing my back and it helps me to straighten the room. Taking a deep breath I am relieved to see that everything is in focus when I raise my head.
Inuyasha looks at me questioningly, wondering if I need to return to bed. I smile at him reassuringly and he looks away, not looking convinced. I turn to see everyone gathered around us. The little boy Shippo jumps onto my lap, I smile down at him, happy to have some one to cuddle.
"What are we going to do?" I ask, keeping my voice steady. "The nobles are angry; and they may be more dangerous then the peasants."
Everyone seems to think about this for a few seconds.
"I think," Inuyasha says thoughtfully. "that how we deal with the Baron will untimely decide the future."
I agree with him, but I have no idea of what the consequences of each decision will be.
"Then what will be the best choice?" Sango asks.
"There are only three choices:" Miroku explains. "we can execute him, pardon him, or exile him."
"If he is executed he will most probably be remembered as a martyr," Inuyasha says, casting me an amused glance. "pardon him and there is a chance he will once again try and kill Kagome."
"The only choice left is to exile him." Kikyo summarizes. Everyone seems to be in agreement.
"We will have to do this very carefully." I add. "We must do this is a way that will earn the nobles' loyalty and establish me as their Queen."
Inuyasha seems to be the only one who sees where I am leading. He regards me with a curious stare.
"Let me hazard a guess." He says, "We will make a public appearance. We--- or should I say you?---will proclaim that we have forgiven the traitor and are granting him exile. Then it will be announced that we plan to marry at some close date." He is smirking and it makes me want to hit him. "Am I at least close to the truth?"
I am angry because that was exactly what I was thinking.
I shrug indifferently.
"Does anyone else have a better idea?"
No one seem to.
"Fine. I will set up a royal proclamation in the square tomorrow." Inuyasha says. "For now Kagome must go back to her chambers to rest."
I glare at him for daring to order me around.
"We would like to speak to Lady Kagome first if that is possible." Kouga speaks for the first time.
I turn to him, just remembering him because of him silence. I nod to him, ignoring Inuyasha's angry glances him my direction.
"Kikyo and I feel that we must tomorrow at dawn. We only stayed to thank you and take our leave."
I look at Kikyo, wondering if she will be happy if she goes with him. She meets my gaze squarely and smiles sweetly in a way I have never seen. I am shocked to realize that she loves him. I fear that the happiness will not last.
We follow all the necessary etiquette, saying goodbye and thanking each other. They leave, and I am left with a feeling of sadness. After, Sango and Miroku leave, and Shippo jumps off my lap and follows them.
Inuyasha and I are alone in the large audience chamber. He turns to me and searches my face for a few seconds.
"Can you walk?"
I think for a second, cataloguing the aches.
I shake my head. I doubt that I can even stand up.
After a few seconds hesitation he gathers me up in his arms and strides towards the doors at the other side of the chamber.
"What happened to the twenty-eight days?" He asks. "Why are agreeing to marry me this early without a fight? I expected an assassination attempt or something first."
I blush a little at the truth in his words.
"I merely want to secure my throne. It's the smartest way to do so."
I know that this is a lie but I do not know exactly what the truth is. I glance up into his face and catch dissatisfaction flashing across his face. I do not understand it.
I look away. I am distracted by the nervousness grinding in the pit of my stomach. Tomorrow will decide everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sorry for taking so long.
thanks to: Hamaguri, Midoriko-sama, Tamakia-gss, Phoenix06, SakuraSpring, huperchica11, Mitsuko Maxwell, darkrose2006, and SaKuRa-MIna.
p.s. to answer your question Mitsuko Maxwell, I get my quotes from lots of places: (sometimes books) but also on the internet at gothicrose.com (i think) and quotationspage.com.