To Fulfill One's Destiny
Chapter 20- Confessions
Maria awoke to find herself lying in-between Kagome and Sango, with the males reclining in separate places around a fire.
Slipping out from between them, she fixed the mussed covers and then straightened.
I'm still wrapped in this kimono. No wonder I woke up, probably overheated. I probably still have the makeup on too. And these hairpins are painful besides.
She stood and looked all around, spotting a pond a ways to her right.
Here we are.
Trekking up to the shore, she collapsed, exhausted, next to the pond's edge.
Looking at her reflection, she paused.
"I almost look like a courtesan in this makeup. Well, almost."
Grimacing, she raised her arms to let the many sleeves fall back, and thrust her hands in the water. Splashing her face, she began to scrub furiously to remove the offending makeup.
"That won't work."
She turned, peeking through parted fingers to see Sesshomaru standing by her.
"And I suppose you have something better?"
He kneeled gracefully beside her, producing a cloth. As she lowered her hands, he dipped it in the pond water and began to gently stroke her face with it.
"I've seen the servants at my home, they seem to prefer this method."
They knelt in silence, neither speaking as he wiped her face clean.
"Look at me."
Her face heated, but she still persisted in averting her eyes from meeting his own.
After all this time, she still could sense the questions he would not ask.
Turning from him and moving out of his reach, she stood, undoing the obi belt and sliding the outer layers of her kimono off until she had one pure green layer covering her white underrobe. Sliding the many pins out of her hair, she allowed the dark river to cascade down her back.
He stood, watching her every movement.
Turning to him again, she held her hand to her chest, producing an iridescent light that glowed and shimmered around her fingers. Wincing a little at the pain, she lowered her hand to show him dozens of shards of the sacred jewel cradled in her palm, allowing the light to fade away as they both watched.
"He implanted these within me every so often, hoping to force me to bend to his will. When I sensed your coming, I acted as though the shards had finally taken effect."
Clutching the shards to her chest, she continued.
"After all that time, I still recognized your signature, your presence. I figured, that if he thought me subdued, I might have a better chance of escaping."
"I didn't protect you."
She blinked.
"I failed you, when you depended on me."
Placing the cloth on her cheek, he guided her face upward to face his own.
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she finally looked him full in the face.
"It was so painful...to embrace him like that...with you watching...I didn't understand why...but it hurt me so badly to do it."
Her head bowed down, she broke down and wept in front of him for the first time.
Unconsciously embracing her, he held her as she soaked his haori with her tears.
Why did it hurt me to watch as well?