To Love an Enemy
Chapter 18 - Stagnation
I don't own Inuyasha, the song used is Dreaming of You by Selina
TWO WEEKS LATER
Looking around the room that was to be her home, probably until the day she died, Sango couldn't help but sigh. Moonlight was streaming through the window beside her bed bringing back memories of two weeks ago. Even though the traveling days had been rough she had preferred them to this endless stagnation. Anything would be better than this, hellhole; all she ever did was mend clothes and sew. It was enough to make any sane person go mad! That was if you consider her sane after she ran away from home.
Flopping down on her cot Sango groaned, if only she could work with Kagome in the kitchens, at least then she would have had someone to talk to.
She refused to admit it to herself but not seeing Miroku since arriving was partly responsible for the overwhelming feelings of restlessness. As much as she hated to admit it she missed the prince and his perverted ways.
"Why in the world did I have to fall in love with the prince?" she mentally berated herself. "If I had fallen in love with a soldier like Kagome at least I might have been able to see him sometimes. No mere servant is probably even allowed to se the prince, not that he'd ever want to see me again."
Rolling onto her stomach Sango put her face in her pillow. "Why would he want to see me. After all I was someone who just passed through his life, someone whom he granted a brief mercy to, and then passed out of his life forever. Now that I think of it, why would he think of me? Not when he has all the pretty women all swooning over him. It's not even possible that he might think of me as often as often as I think of him. While I think of him everyday, I'd be lucky if I received so much as a passing thought."
Sitting so that she could look out her window at the moon, Sango decided to go take a walk to the royal gardens. It was highly unlikely that anyone else would even be up at this time of night. Slowly Sango descended the stairs of her room to the ground floor and then proceeded to walk to the gardens. When Sango reached the bridge she halted seeing her reflection in the water. Pausing she leaned over the rail, to catch a better view. Looking up at the moon Sango remembered a song her maid Kilala used to sing. Softly she began to hum and soon she began to sing softly.
Late at night when all the world is sleeping
I stay up and think of you
And I wish on a star
That somewhere you are thinking of me too
Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight
Til tomorrow I'll be holding you tight
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be
Than here in my room dreaming about you and me
Wonder if you ever see me and
I wonder if you know I'm there
If you looked in my eyes
Would you see what's inside would you even care
I just wanna hold you close but so far
All I have are dreams of you
So I wait for the day (wait for the day)
And the courage to say
How much I love you (yes I do)
I'll be dreaming of you tonight
Til tomorrow I'll be holding you tight
And there's nowhere in the world that I'd rather be
Than here in my room dreaming about you and me.
"You have a lovely voice Sango," a voice said from behind her. "You should sing more often."
Sango whirled around there was Miroku sitting on the ground on the other side of the garden. "Miroku! What are you doing up!" Sango exclaimed startled.
"I could ask you the same thing," Miroku winked.
"You shouldn't wait so long to reveal that you're listening," Sango humphed embarrassed, hoping he wouldn't ask her who she was singing about.
"If I hadn't I wouldn't have heard you sing," Miroku replied rationally.
Sango merely glared at him and asked, "so why are you out here at this time of night?"
"I could sleep so I came out here to clear my thoughts," Miroku said closing his eyes again. "I was meditating before you came along and posed as an interesting alternative."
"Oh," Sango said stung by the insinuation that she was better than boredom. After a pause where she collected her emotions she admitted, "me too."
"That was a pretty song, did you write it yourself?" Miroku asked after a moment of silence.
"No," Sango admitted. "My maid Kilala did, for some reason it just seamed to pop into my head just now…odd. I haven't seen you around much. Actually I haven't seen you since we arrived here at the palace. Royal duties been keeping you busy I presume? Or are there just too many beautiful woman to chase?"
At that Miroku opened his eyes and looked slowly over at Sango was it possible she was jealous? But he was unable to see Sango's face because once again she was looking up at the moon. "I thought you knew me better than that," he said finally and closed his eyes once more.
There was a moment of awkward silence until Sango spoke once more, slowly this time as if afraid to voice one of her deepest wishes. "Miroku, is it possible that not all of the soldiers in battle were killed. Is it possible do you think for someone to still be alive?"
"What do you mean?" Miroku said his heart clenching. Who was she thinking of?
"I mean is it possible that you might have taken some of my people prisoner?" Sango asked. Recently she had been thinking, maybe the Etonet's were not as bad at her people made them out to be… maybe it was possible that they might have taken her brother prisoner like they had her. It might be possible because they would be able to recognize the prince Kohaku, unlike her they knew what he looked like, so might it be possible they had kept him for bargaining purposes or something?
"I really don't know," Miroku said slowly not wanting to dash Sango's hopes. "The chances are slim." Standing up and brushing off the dirt he walked over and grabbed her hand walking back towards the palace. "But I know one way to find out."
"Where are you taking me," Sango demanded letting herself be pulled along. The words "He's touching my hand!" echoing through her every step.
"The dungeons," Miroku answered. "Sango I can't promise anything; the someone who you're talking about might not be there, I just don't want to get your hopes up for nothing."
"I understand, but if there's even the slightest chance that he might be alive I have to know," Sango said determined.
Hurrying through the castle Sango found her heart beating furiously, not only from the running or the prospect of Kohaku being alive but because Miroku had grabbed her by the hand. His hand was surprising warm, and it seemed to burn her to the core of her being. Soon they arrived at the dungeons and Sango wished they weren't because Miroku released her hand.
Slowly opening the dungeon door Miroku stepped back and allowed Sango to go in front. Stomach and throat tight Sango began to walk down the row of cells, looking through the bars she went past. Many were occupied with sleeping prisoners but just as many were empty. Pausing Sango looked up ahead. Did she really want to continue when there were only ten cells left? Did she really want to know if her brother was alive? Would she be able to accept the fact that he really must have died if he wasn't there……. Clenching her hands into fists she swallowed bravely and began walking again.
"Sango?"
Sango whirled around, she thought she had heard a voice but, she guessed she had been wrong, it must have been her imagination.
"Sango?" a faint voice asked disbelieving. Hearing her name for a second time, Sango glanced around looking for the voice's host. A few cells ahead, Sango saw someone with a mop of brown hair the same shade as her own starring out at her through the bars in his cell.
"Kohaku?" Sango whispered.
oooh new plot twist thrown in hey! I just had to bring Kohaku into the story, I'm sure most of you were expecting it at one point or another hey. Well hope you liked and I apologize for it being a bit dull, the next one I think will make up for it! Well stay tuned and please reviewing bye dee bye for now.