CHAPTER SIX

x.

"You're nuts," Inuyasha snarled. "There is no way I'm marrying her."

"But milord-"

"Not going to. And that's the end of it, you disgusting little... flea." Inuyasha turned his back on Myoga, gritting his teeth. "I can't believe you'd hide something like that from me. Do you think I'm gonna marry someone just because it was arranged sixty years ago? Why should I?"

"Because your father arranged it! It is your duty to-"

"Big whoop! My dad's been dead for a real long time. Why would he care now if I get married at all, let alone to this fire-demon girl."

"You shouldn't be so stubborn about all this!" Myoga exploded, leaping up into the air and waving his four tiny arms. "After all, it's not like you're in any position to be picky about women-"

A moment later, he soared out the window, wailing piteously. Inuyasha waited for the cries to end, then stalked outside, determined to deal with this mess once and for all.

x.

Kagome felt her heard thud a little with shout from inside the hut. When Inuyasha was just speaking, she could only make out the sound of his voice; when he shouted, she could hear everything. Myoga was yelling, from the sound of it, calling him ungrateful or stubborn or something.

It was ridiculous, the idea of Inuyasha going off to marry that fire-demon princess Rakura. Absurd. Really, really dumb. But... Kagome kept wondering, thinking about what that might mean for Inuyasha. Was he tempted at all, to be in a place where no one would dare to mock him, and where he would be secure and maybe even able to assault Naraku with strong allies? He had struggled for so many years, always homeless and always alone.

He'd never do that, Kagome thought. But it still felt like she was trying to convince herself.

It was one thing to know he loved Kikyo. She had been his first love, he loved her still, and he wanted to protect her desperately. But it was a shock to find out he had technically been engaged all this time. And those arranged marriages were usually followed up on, she thought. Unless there was a good reason not to...

If Rukusin and Myoga convinced Inuyasha to go through with the marriage... could the others really argue against it? Kagome wasn't sure if it would be something good for him or not, but she knew one thing - she desperately wanted him not to go through with it.

Then suddenly Kaede's hut fell silent. And Inuyasha stepped out, grim-faced. "Rukusin!" he shouted.

The demon came forward, hands folded. "I grant that Myoga has told you everything, Lord Inuyasha?"

"Oh yeah, he told me plenty," Inuyasha said ominously.

Rukusin smiled slightly. "Then it will be my very great pleasure to offer you this, as a token of goodwill from your future family." He pulled a small enameled cask from under his cloak, and twisted off the top of it.

Kagome gasped. Inside the cask was a tangle of gems and golden chains - a small fortune, carried around like a bundle of daikon. It spilled out with a clatter at Inuyasha's feet, almost burying him up to the ankles in gold. The young demon just glared down at the heap of gold, as if he had been insulted.

Miroku stared in disbelief, and Sango put a hand to her throat. The necklace Miroku had given her looked like it was from that pile. She glanced over at him, but saw that he was as stunned as she was. Rukusin must have dropped this, she thought.

"Merely a small token, of course," Rukusin added quickly.

"You weren't listening, pal," Inuyasha growled. "Myoga told me about this whole arranged marriage thing. It's just too bad you came for nothin'."

Rukusin stopped smiling. Now he looked simply bewildered. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. I ain't going to marry the princess. Tell her I'm sorry, but I ain't going to do it."

Kagome felt as if Inuyasha had just yanked the weight of a mountain from her shoulders. Rukusin, on the other hand, was still staring blankly at the younger demon. It had clearly never occurred to him that Inuyasha might not go along with the arranged marriage. "But... but whyever not?" he asked finally.

"'Cause I don't want to," Inuyasha said bluntly.

"Your noble lord father-"

"My father is dead, and has been for a long time," Inuyasha snapped. "And where he is, it ain't going to help him if I get married to Princess Rakura. So there's no reason for me to do it." He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Rukusin seemed almost to wilt as Inuyasha stepped out of the heap of gold and gems. He looked so stunned and discouraged that Kagome almost felt sorry for him. But then the demon quickly regained his composure, and watched as Inuyasha stalked off into the woods, kicking a few small trinkets off of his pants.

Miroku and Sango looked at each other and shrugged. "I suppose that's that," Miroku said calmly.

"Yep. Nobody makes Inuyasha do anything he doesn't want to," Sango agreed.

Kagome smiled a little. But she had the uneasy feeling that their business with Rukusin and Princess Rakura was far from over.

TO BE CONTINUED