Hi everyone, I'm here for another update. Who here has started school? Those who have probably know that it sucks! It's been draining a lot of Vira's time, and she needs a lot of sleep. She's sad that she can't update as quick as she used to. Well enough about my sobbing, let's move on to the A/Ns:
1) I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of owning Inuyasha.
2) A lot of my reviewers have been wondering when we'll see a chapter from Kagome's P.O.V. sometime. The answer is never, unless, similarly to The Involuntary King and Queen, Sesshoumaru dies. And now, while I leave you all pondering about that, hehehe, the next A/N…
3) Currently I'm in the process of drawing a pic with Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Look for it soon.
Hm, that seems to be all. Alrighty, thanks for waiting, and here's the next chappy:
My eyes were soothed from worry as my wonderful Kagome entered the room. She was wearing an elegant, jade-colored robe with gold stitches. On her head was a small crown, shaped like a rose vine wrapped around the top. I detested the slight amount of perfume that she was wearing—it masked her own, natural scent. Other than these things, Kagome looked to be much unchanged. As she approached me I observed her confused expression, which she must have kept for some time now.
Did she remember everything? I decided to test her knowledge. "Hello, Kagome." I motioned over to a chair. She walked gracefully over and sat down. As she looked at me again, I noticed she had an intense stare, as if trying to remember something about me.
This was a good sign. And a start.
"I'm sorry to hear about your mother."
Her face darkened, regrettably. "Oh, t-that's okay. She, um…she lived a happy life."
'She thinks I don't know who she really is.' I realized after a short moment. 'She thinks I belong in this world…as far as she is concerned, I'm just an ambassador.' But that meant Kagome didn't remember our relationship after all. 'No matter. I'll build everything back up from the start.'
"My father instructed me to tell you that our kingdom has no intention of breaking our alliance. We will share your grievances over the Queen's death."
"Th-thank you." Kagome stuttered. "…That's, uh, very kind…" Clearly, she was not used to talking so formally about matters such as the alliance between two kingdoms. Just as before. I almost smiled, but managed to keep a professional tone.
"And our Shikon no Tama half is well hidden."
"Great. Fantastic." Kagome mumbled without much enthusiasm. She continued to look at me with faint suspicion.
Finally, I decided to ask…indirectly. "What's the matter, Kagome? Is something wrong?" As I used one of my gentler tones, reserved only for her, my trap was set.
"…Well, no, it's just that…I…" She paused for a brief instant. "There's something about you, but I can't quite seem to…remember…I sort of want to as you a question, but you'll think I'm crazy."
A small amount of joy flickered through me, and I began to hope beyond all hope. I was not without my caution, however. I needed to be absolutely sure of some things first. "I will respectfully answer any question you ask to me."
She was silent for a moment to think, and then sighed. "I feel as though I should be remembering something...about you." Kagome glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "A voice inside of me is saying that I've been here before, but...some stuff is different. I can't explain it at all. Do you...know what I mean?" I forced my gaze to go from her to the window. What was the best thing to say?
"I think I might. What do you suppose is different, Kagome?"
"When I first looked at you..." She mumbled slowly. "...I knew that you would have some answers for me. The strange feeling came back to me then, like I was forgetting something important. This world isn't the one that I'm used to, so I was hoping that a few questions could be explained..."
"What kind of questions?"
She looked out the nearby window, the same one I was facing. "I...I don't even know where to begin...there's too many of them...I've been so confused lately..."
I sat up in my chair. "You never know." I hinted hopefully. "I may be able to help you, Kagome."
Her head whipped back to me, which caught me slightly off-guard. "Alright then. For starters, why do you call me just 'Kagome'? Everyone here addresses me by Lady Kagome—even the ones at my meetings with people from outside the castle."
I was quick to realize that she had me, but I wasn't expecting it to be so soon and sudden. "Would you prefer it if I address you by that formal attachment?"
"Hm...not really." Kagome admitted. Her eyes lowered. "...And I think you know why. I landed in this world somehow, and so did you when the attack fell down on both of us." 'Her stare is as dangerous as mine.' I mused. "You know what I mean."
"I know more than you realize." I answered with some admittance in my voice. "Much, much more." Her interrogation skill was one to be reckoned with.
"I've been thinking a lot since I came here." She continued. "So far, here's what I've managed to piece together: the last thing I remember doing was sitting down to eat lunch with Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo. My meal tasted bizarrely different. You showed up then, Sesshoumaru, and challenged Inuyasha to a duel. This was unprovoked from him. At this point, I started to feel very strange. Some memories that I can't seem to fully recall began coming in small wisps."
'Memories.' I thought. 'If only I wasn't cursed by them.'
"…And the very last thing I can recall is you picking my up just in time for Inuyasha's attack to fall down on us. Next thing I know, I'm in this strange place that I feel like I've been at before, and one of the first things I thought about…was you." She blushed a little then, but maybe it was only my imagination. "And I don't know why. But I have a STRONG feeling you brought me here on purpose."
At this point I could tell that she was highly unhappy about our situation. Of course, I didn't expect her to be happy…at first. But before that, I needed to…refresh some memories. Quickly I devised a plan.
"You're right." I answered while trying to hide all affection in my voice. "I did bring you into this world for a reason. This is not the first time you've been here, Kagome. That's why you're having flashbacks of things from the past."
Her eyes widened. "You really did have a hand in this? But then, what reason was it-"
"-I cannot say for now." I replied with a hair of sadness that was undetectable to her. "You will understand in time, and then you'll see why." If I would've told her the truth about our past relationship, then she would have been utterly disgusted at the moment, I knew.
Just as I had once been with humans.
But over time, we had settled our differences, which were the barriers between our love. I had seen Kagome for what she truly was—a kind-hearted and gentle person. Well, now I would do the same for her so she could see me as something besides one not to be trusted.
I rose from my chair. "I will be staying here for three days. We will talk another time before then. For now…" I walked over to her with an unsuspicious manner and gently took her hand to press a small kiss against it. To my dismay, she shrank back, but it was clear in her face that old memories had once again been stirred. "…Farewell." I timed my exit perfectly, and I knew that Kagome would be wondering about that kiss for the rest of the day.
As much as I hated to leave Kagome after being away from her for so long, I knew she needed a little time to think, and I respected that. In the meantime, I was off to investigate. Hopefully, I would find some clues as to how her life had been so far here.
I tried to move around as quietly as possible, but it was hard with my recognizable face of the Emperor's son. As I passed one room, I immediately felt the presence of death. Judging by the monks and servants moving about, I had deduced that the ex-Queen was inside there. When I rounded the corner, one of the busy monks promptly ran into me. My face flitted with anger until I could get a proper look at him.
Surprise fell to me. "Miroku?" Yes, it was indeed him. I recalled quickly to when I first came to this world and remembered that he was the Head Monk of the human castle. And now, he was probably fulfilling his duty with the burial process.
"G-Gomen!" Miroku bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, truly, but I was in a hurry-" He looked up at me, and his eyes widened. "You're…Sesshoumaru, the Emperor's son…are you not?"
I nodded impassively.
"I see." He began to look very uncomfortable. "I apologize deeply once again. As you can see, they'll be needing me for things soon, so if you'll excuse me…" He began to leave.
"Wait." He looked back at me cautiously. "Tell me, how are Sango and that neko of hers doing?"
Almost immediately after saying that, I regretted it. At this point of time, Miroku probably had not met the woman named Sango yet. It was still too early, and it was evident that he had no idea what I was talking about.
"I don't know who you're talking about, frankly. Are you…feeling okay, Lord Sesshoumaru? Or perhaps you're thinking of another monk?"
I nodded quickly. "Yes, that must be it. Well…carry on, then." Miroku bowed again and went back to work. I moved on as well to the next few hallways while thinking quietly about what had just occurred.
Eventually I reached a place I was very familiar with—it was our bedroom, where we had once slept as a married couple. Curiosity controlled me at this point, and I entered quietly to inspect further. Obviously, the bed was much smaller, as this was only a room for one person now. The entire room was simply filled with the scent of Kagome, which I enjoyed to the fullest, although it was quite empowering to my nearly famished nose.
Nothing looked to be out of the ordinary, when all of a sudden I saw a single book placed neatly under the pillow of her bed—it was almost concealed. I walked over to it calmly and picked it up.
My eyes widened from complete shock as I looked down at the old cover. This was none other than the same book that Kagome had picked up from the ground when I had dropped it mistakenly in my haste. It had seemed like years ago, but the memory was alive in my mind. With a newfound delight in my discovery, I traced my fingers around the edges and realized that there was a bookmark a little towards the beginning.
Upon opening it up to that given page, I studied the content there carefully. It was a poem, and some of the words were underlined, probably from Kagome. Although my ability to read was not the best, I could make out almost all the words:
The Wife's Lament
I draw these words from my deep sadness
For the tossing waves: I fretted at dawn
As to where in the world my lord might be
In my sorrow I set out then
A friendless wanderer, to search for my man.
But that man's kinsmen laid secret plans
To part us, so that we should live
Most wretchedly, far from each other
In this wide world; I was seized with longing.
My lord asked me to live with him here
I had few loved ones, loyal friends
In this country, that is reason for grief.
Then I found my own husband was ill-starred,
Sad at heart, pretending, plotting
Murder behind a smiling face. How often
We swore that nothing but death should ever
Divide us; that is all changed now;
Our friendship is as if it had never been
Early and late, I must undergo hardship
Because of the feud of my own dearest one
Men forced me to live in a forest grove,
Under an oak tree in the earth cave.
This cavern is age-old; I am choked with longings.
Gloomy are the valleys; too high the hills
Harsh strongholds overgrown with briars:
A joyless abode. The journey of my lord so often
Cruelly seizes me. There are lovers on earth
Lovers alive who lie in bed
When I pass through this earth-cave alone
And out under the oak tree at dawn
There I must sit through the long summer's day
And there I mourn my miseries,
My many hardships; for I am never able
To quiet the cares of my sorrowful mind
All the longings that are my life's lot.
Young men must always be serious in mind
And stout-hearted; they must hide
Their heartaches, that host of constant sorrows
Behind a smiling face.
Whether he is master
Of his own fate or exiled in a far-off land—
Sitting under rocky storm cliffs, chilled
With hoar-frost, weary in mind
Surrounded by the sea in some sad place
My husband is caught in the clutches of anguish;
Over and over again he recalls a happier home.
Grief goes side by side with those
Who suffer longing for a loved one.
After digesting this in my mind, I noticed sadly that a few dried teardrops had been scattered on the page. They were hers. As I re-read everything, I had come to a few conclusions: one, it was obvious that Kagome did not have a fun time here alone while in the castle. My guess was that she had felt heavily confined. Add this to the fact that this wasn't her true home, and it was no surprise she felt this way.
Two, Kagome had been experiencing some emotions and memories that were strange to her. She had missed the warmth that I gave in our futon—just as I did when I first arrived in the youkai castle—without knowing why. Also, apparently Kagome too felt my yearning for her somehow, which she had unconsciously returned. Was it some unknown link between us? If so, why didn't I feel anything as well?
Three, she had clearly missed her friends and her old home. Was the loneliness really that terrible in this place? I supposed it would be, if you had constantly thought that someone was missing in your life. And this was the pain that Kagome had unwillingly felt. My guilt swiftly rose at this knowledge.
"Kagome…I…I did not mean…for you to suffer so…forgive me, I am a selfish taiyoukai that is plagued down with love for you."
"Sesshoumaru?"
In this moment of my grief, I had not even sensed her presence approach me. I whirled around and tried to portray an innocent manner. But it was too late—the evidence was plain to see in my hands.
She moved closer. "What was that you said just now? And is that what I think it is you're holding?" Before I could say anything in defense, Kagome walked over and took it away with an angry air.
Now, to be fair, I should not have gone rummaging through her possessions. I remembered that female humans liked to have more privacy than any other creature. So of course she would be upset. But I had not counted on actually being caught. Unfortunately, the poem had distracted me so much that I had failed to notice her presence in the room. This would be a fatal error, I knew, in my courtship process with her.
"What did you say just now?" Kagome repeated.
I stared at her dumbly. "I…didn't say anything."
She rolled her eyes. "…Sure. And what were you doing with my book?"
"It looked familiar, that's all." So it wasn't the best excuse that I could come up with. I cursed at myself for violating any trust she once had.
"Please leave." She answered numbly. Clearly, she didn't believe me. I had no choice but to obey this request, and left the room with much hesitation. I didn't blame her at all for being mad. I was my own stupidity. For the next few days I would have to tread lightly and be even more affectionate.
Review Responses:
anim3-ang3l: Ja ne means to say goodbye. I think.
Wyntermajik: Well I guess she wasn't too happy. But who could blame her?
Sesshoumaru-is-my-master: Arigato! Will do!
KouseiJL: Yes yes! Keep baking more cookies to make Vira happy! =D
Beautiful Witch Hunter Robin: Well that sucks that your life isn't doing so well. It can be hard sometimes, but there are good things too, right? Like your story! Update please! Well, if you have time anyways...
SakuraPetal13: Hahaha well they're in a castle right now in an A/U so there's no need for a screen door. As for the America question, well, America didn't really exist back in the Feudal Era. lol
barbara-marie: Yes, if only you could kill Naraku with your bare hands. It'd be a lot easier for Sesshoumaru!
Redeyes: Gomen. Don't worry, everything will work out, you'll see.
Supreme Neo slytherin Countess: Hmm, a son...interesting...Well I can't kill off Sesshoumaru, too many people would hate me for that!
snowy-angel: Wow, you have no idea how much of a relief that is to me. I thought things weren't making sense at all! Glad to see everything is starting to fit.
MoonlightPrincess: Yeah, a lot of you guys have been calling me evil...hehehe.
m1s7ress: Yep, he's going to alter what would've happened. And no, this will never be from Kagome's P.O.V. anymore, that is, unless Sesshoumaru dies, lol.
rOsExPeTaLz: Ah, you're making me blush! Glad you liked my other story!
rOsExPeTaLz (again): Yep, we'll just have to wait and see...
rOsExPeTaLz (again): Thank you! And I'll write more if you gimme cookies! =D
rOsExPeTaLz (again): Hahaha yes I know I'm evil. Thank you for taking the time to read everything though!
Sesshoumarulovesme: Okay, I won't stop the story...lol. Tell me how school went!
BlueDove: Well you may have to expect more of them, because I'm evil and all...
AngelMiko69: Yes, that's the question: who's more evil, Vira or Naraku? XD
Hell's Angel-Heaven's Demon: Yes, unfortunately school will be taking a big cut in my updates...but I won't forget about this story! Promise!
Dragon of Sesshoumaru: Ooh, pocky! Then I'll update three days in a row! =D
DarkPyroPlanet: Did you get my e-mail this time? You never sent anything back, and Vira is sad...
kittykathy: Hehe, yeah I suppose you could say a have a very big imagination...
Youkai no Yume: Aw, poor Yume's hair! Don't worry, another cliffie prolly won't happen for awhile though.
xypherscompany: Well I guess I don't want to die, so I'll keep writing! Heh heh.
Sesshyz Koishii: I'm 'fraid there won't be anymore of Kagome's P.O.V. since this will be shown strictly from Sesshoumaru's viewpoint.
Sesshys Hime: Hahaha, glad to see I'm living up to your expectations. But who knows how long it'll last!?
ThunderingWolfDemonOfTheNight: Wow, you hit your guess right on the mark! lol.
fluffys-sidesick: Arigato, I will! Thanks for the review!
cubanblood: Well she's kind of starting to remember things, but it'll still be awhile...
Yuna of Paradise: I dunno, I always thought of Cheza as like a little sister to Kiba, not a lover. But meh. Anyways, I hope school went well for you! And cool, a wallscroll!
yuki kesuma: Nope, just herself! And as you can tell, she's pretty mad from being taken from her home...
Blue Rhapsody3: Will do, thanks for the review!
And that's a wrap. Soon my dears, soon Kagome will see. She'll come through! I promise. Sesshoumaru still has some work to do though! Until the next update, R&R! Arigato, ja ne!