Series: Inuyasha
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the intellectual property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I only make bad fanfiction about it.
Author's notes: Last Sess POV chapter for a while. Enjoy and remember to R ! I adore reading all your comments, most sincerely: THANK YOU!
Midwinter's Day Dream
888
The moonlight fades from flower and rose
And the stars dim one by one;
The tale is told, the song is sung,
And the Fairy feast is done.
Louisa May Alcott
888
The wedding ceremony had started out normal enough, or as far as normalcy was allowed considering their circumstances. The bride and groom had glided down the aisle to an orquesta of heavenly harps and disapproving murmurs from both sides. But the negativity amounted only to that, whispers and mutters, and no physical violence broke out between the guests much to the shocked relief of both royals.
At one point the ceremony deviated from a standard Winterling wedding by making the bride and groom kneel in front of each other and bow their heads, eyes closed in a showing of mutual vulnerability and respect as the bride presented her vows first. Kagome spoke of eternity and understanding, and other promises that sounded rather like public-posturing than true commitment. Sesshoumaru would know - their advisors had written the vows for both of them, and very little sentiment had been poured into it on either behalf. Neither royal was very keen of lying, after all.
"Your hands are mine to warm; your heart is mine to keep. Let this garment be a testament of my affection; may you never face the cold alone."
The rustle of sequins reached Sesshoumaru's ears - the removal and presentation of her golden cloak to him - as Kagome finished her pretty little speech and Sesshoumaru knew his cue had arrived.
"I , Sesshoumaru Taisho, Lord of the West, King of Tôr Hivern, hereby accept thee…" The Winter King looked up to peek at his betrothed, curiosity prevailing, hoping to merely catch a glimpse-
-and his voice cracked in his throat, windpipe contracting and promptly swallowing all comprehensible sounds.
Oh, Father Frost, he cursed colorfully.
Sesshoumaru licked his lips instinctively, gawking blatantly despite himself. He had always known that his future wife was a stunning creature, but the sight of her had stolen his voice and was inspiring second thoughts about their arrangement. Not because the maiden was unfavourable or unpleasant to the eye at present; nothing could be further from the truth.
Sesshoumaru should have known better than to expect anything close to modesty. He had borrowed the tight, revealing Summerling attire for their first engagement announcement to the people of Fär Elphame; and he had witnessed the Summer courtiers prance about the castle often wearing very little but translucent frocks and bejeweled underwear. Lady Kaede had even warned him about the custom of exchanging clothes, and the supposition of what that might entail for undergarments. Still, none of that had mentally prepared him for the sight of his would-be-wife. If Sesshoumaru had been expecting a pristine white gown underneath, much like in Winterling tradition, he had been sorely mistaken.
At first glance, the young nubile princess appeared to be stark naked; but upon closer inspection, Sesshoumaru noted the thin golden strands draping most delicately over the sumptuous curves of her figure. And what a figure it was. The modest swell of her bust swerved into a miniscule, thin waist, that then gently sloped outwards into the rounded curve of hips. Tiny little jewels, in a rainbow of jade colors, twinkled back past the gilded gold, strategically placed in clusters over her most delectable attributes, hiding them like buried treasure. What slim slivers of tan skin could peek through the thin layers of gemstones and clothing (if one could call mere beaded strings "clothing") was covered poetically in red henna, crisscrossing over her soft body in a beautiful concert of tattooed lines.
Her hands, placed demurely upon her golden thighs - thighs painted gold by the flimsy strands passing off for a dress - were gloved in chains that connected from a bangle on her wrist to metallic rings and a golden talon on her index finger. Her ankles, tucked under the lovely curve of her bum, sported a similar accessory.
The princess was a statue of twinkling starlight, covered with a river of sunsets that invited admiration and a dark hunger deep in the Winter King's loins.
Kagome looked up at his pause, confusion and anxiousness burning bright in those impossibly-blue eyes. Her makeup, much like her clothing, was surprisingly minimal but equally effective. A dark kohl line accented the already dark upper lid of her full midnight lashes, her cheekbones highlighted a pearlescent gold that caught the light in just the right angles. A wayward strand of ebony curled along her jaw, the rest of her hair coifed back in an intricate braided bun of emeralds and rubies. She was so beautiful as to rival Queen Titania herself.
Sesshoumaru swallowed thickly, momentarily forgetting his vows.
Subtly, so as not to draw attention to himself, the Demon King tugged at his suddenly tight hakama pants, hoping his haori was long enough to cover the front.
The court waited.
No vows were forthcoming.
Fuck, Sesshoumaru thought eloquently.
The treacherous part of his mind that had been driven giddy with desire suggested that, after the ceremony, he would be free to do just that. Once their vows had been exchanged and the formal proceedings had been ticked off, they would officially be husband and wife; it would only be natural for them to consummate their marriage in a more... physical manner.
Kagome glanced from the anxiously-waiting priest to the gaping Winter King before her, worriedly. She looked so troubled, her brows furrowed upward, her mouth pursed cutely in an anxious pout. Sesshoumaru wanted nothing more than to run his thumb across her perfectly pink lips and rub that pout away.
Ah, but I truly have gone mad, he mentally cursed with chagrin. Theirs was only a farce of a union, meant to bring unity between the two kingdoms and nothing more. He had promised her peace, and she in turn had promised her cooperation. Their relationship could never be anything more than that. She would not allow it, and he would not force her. Shaking his head and banishing all impure thoughts, Sesshoumaru opened his mouth and, with concentrated effort, continued his vows. He heard the collective sigh of relief from both Fae courts and his blushing bride.
"Your fevered brow will be mine to cool. Your hopes will be mine to build. I accept this garment, in return for my unfaltering devotion."
And as he recited his practiced speech, he risked another glance at Kagome - my bride, his mind supplied in almost disbelief - and seeing the optimistic set of her brows, he desperately wished to communicate his sincerity.
"You shall never face the cold alone."