Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, he and the others belong to Rumiko Takahashi© Viz© and the Sun©

Authors note: I am very sorry for the delayed update, but unfortunately, my computer crashed and I lost absolutely everything on my hardrive, not to mention I was on vacation for about a week which cause delays, please forgive me! 00

春暖の候、

Here are your responses:

chibiNeko192::winks: she's going to have a grand old time ne?

Keirin-Sama: yea lol, lets hope a lot happens though :winks heartily:

SweetestChick: hee hee im glad you think so :really big smile:

DICEJetsChickie: wow :blushes: I'm happy you like it so much and I agree with you , Iza/InuT is sucha fun pairing since it seems you can practically create these people ya know?

Elocindragon: wow :really really big smile: I know, Izayoi is one of my favorite persons in the InuYasha series even if she really doesn't have a role (excluding the third movie) thanks for your review!

まずは用件のみ。

Japanese Dictionary:

Ne: sort of like a 'ya know'

Inu-Youkai: Dog demon

Kitsune: Fox Demon, Shippo is one of these.

乱筆乱文ご容赦。

Miaka obaa-chan practically led me by the hand from the Lord InuTaisho's chamber. I unconsciously felt the shift from smooth wood to soft grass as we passed the courtyard and back onto hard wood as we went to return to my chamber.

"Honey child? Are you faring?" Miaka obaa-chan gently whispered to me, being wary of the guards leading us.

I blinked my eyes quickly to withdraw myself for the stupor I was going into.

"Y-Yes Miaka obaa-chan"

She gave me a knowing look; she always did know when I was lying…

But just think! Me? The Lady Izayoi of the East now the Lady Isami, Miko of the Dog demons… I mean, yes my mother was a priestess…. But not all was hereditary.

"Ye sure nothing ails ye?" Miaka obaa-chan asked in a soft-tone.

I nodded and stood straighter, trying to push the shock behind me and try to think of a way to sort out this mess of a situation.

まずは用件のみ。

Nothing special happened after the guards returned me to my room; they led us in and stood outside, no threats and no banters that we were used to. Only then did I allow myself the heavy sigh I've been holding in the whole entire morning when they closed the shoji door behind us

Miaka obaa-chan tried to make best of the situation and walked around on the green tatami mats towards the trunks that have been placed in the center of the room after we left.

I heard the creak of an old wooden trunk and Miaka obaa-chan's grunt of approval as she pulled out a kimono made of a beautiful sakura petal silk embroidered with patches of gold and little embroidered Sakura around in random places. I smiled at the kimono, it seemed that the Inu-Youkai seemed to have more, well pampered Miko's then our Shinto ones.

"Lord InuTaisho has no problem making ye a fancy sort of priestess" Miaka obaa-chan smiled to me, draping the sakura kimono over her crooked arm.

"Much different than that of ours" I commented, walking towards the painted shoji screen and to Miaka obaa-chan.

"This old woman wonders honey child, what he is expecting of ye, to heal, to fight, 'tis much to ponder"

I ensnared my bottom lip between my teeth as I pondered on what Miaka obaa-chan said, and she was indeed correct. What would InuTaisho have need of me; he said something about a ceremony within six months, but what kind? My stomache turned at the thought of a sacrifice, something about spilling another's blood, be it animal or human, sickened me. I still ate meat, mostly the common fish, but I hated it when my father told for someone to strangle a chicken or cut up a pig while I was in the room, and that night as I would look down at my supper, my stomach would turn at the thought of the innocent life sacrificed for the sake of my father, as well as myself and the fact that I knew of its fate as my father commanded of it in the same room, I would rather not even know of a slaughter.

"Come child, 'tis the time I shall dress thee for the banquet" Miaka obaa-chan told me bringing her strong, yet gentle hand to the crook of my elbow and drawing me to my feet.

乱筆お許しください。

It took me longer to dress than I thought seems that the Miko of the Dog Demons was to wear about five kimonos over her priestess garb and had hair ornaments to dress their hair.

Miaka obaa-chan was the least bit surprised as she unrolled golden hair ornaments decorated made stones and elegant woods. She wrapped my hair into a simple high bun and put a butterfly, carved from bamboo and its wings decorated with pure white sand stones in the middle. She re-dressed me in my Miko garb from my mother and draped kimonos of green, to symbolize a stem under the sakura kimono. She only rouged my eyes and my lips, her knowing my dislike for rice-powder and made sure every hem was straight before telling me I was good to go.

Miaka obaa-chan knocked the shoji screen signaling the guards before having one slide it open and grunt to us. I hooked my fingers together and approached the guard who was to lead me to that night's banquet. He led us through narrow and quiet halls, alit with little oil cups, just like home…..

He stopped abruptly almost causing me to trip and opened the door to a sort of patio where many ladies and lords sat about, sipping sake and merrily chatting with each other on fluffy mats scattered about, not all around a low table like at home or at lord Takemaru's.

At one end of the room though sat the Lord InuTaisho. He sat on a level higher than everyone else, yet on the same kind of mat. There at his side was the Lord Sesshoumaru, sipping sake along with his father and looking bored at the women who sat around him, trying to flirt with him.

I scanned the room for a couple of spare mats, to at lest try to blend in with the others and make myself unknown, but every single mat in the room held a noble of some sort.

"Come woman, the Lord has requested that you're brought to him" the guard gruffly told me.

I felt my heart fall inside of me. 'Well, so much for blending in I suppose….'

It was such a long walk to me, parading up along the side of the wall and the step up to the level. The guard separated a pathway through the women who surrounded the two annoyed dog demon lords. It was quite comical; both of them sitting there, such long faces and sake cups grasped the same way in their hands. It was hard stifling my laugh at the site.

"Milord here's the Ningen Miko" the guard announced none-to-flattering to myself.

"This Ningen Miko is now the Miko of the Dog Demon's good guard" he smiled in my direction, "and as the Miko, she's to sit by my side by traditions"

I could feel my stomach lurch as those words came spilling from his mouth. From behind me Miaka obaa-chan gave me a subtle nudged and I nodded to the guard in a silent thank-you and kneeled upon the empty cushion. As I sat I could feel the burns of the ladies stares from around me at being able to sit in such a place of honor, heck even I do not know why I am sitting here…Lord InuTaisho called it a tradition….but for me, it would be the woman of the palace to be sitting where I was now and I was no woman of the palace, and I was still a prisoner, even considering he made me part of his court.

"I hope you have a tooth for meat Milady" Lord InuTaisho gave me a sideways glance with a charming smirk, "we have a nice roasted pig in your honor tonight"

OK, now I found myself really dumbfounded.

"Pardon my lord…but for my honor? I am still but a captive aren't I?" I unconsciously started twisting my hands in my lap.

"A captive, my lady, I thought we concluded this morning to what you were to this court" he arched his eyebrows, but his amber eyes still had the charm of an amused man.

"Yes you did my lord, 'The Miko of the Dog Demons', but still…"

"And as of today you are not looked down upon as a captive in my home, your to be looked at as a member and lady of court with slight advantage over in return for becoming this lands honored Miko" he told me softly, taking his gaze over his court and bringing the sake cup to his lips.

A servant dressed in a plain red cotton kimono came forth with a platter of sake on and some sweets for myself, I took the sake and a cheery blossom sweet and pondered.

The Lord InuTaisho has granted me into his court from being a captive, to the Miko, a lady of court but with a higher status…and he practically giving me my freedom as a member of court…yet still he had his hand over me…how in Kami's name did he do that?

I concluded that I had found myself in the hands of a man to not take lightly and was indeed as clever as a Kitsune

I observed my surroundings and concluded this room to be a great hall, rather gorgeous in decoration, none to elaborate but still had that effect with the simple shoji screens and the oil cups casting a toned glow about the place.

The ladies and the men were well mixed though the ladies surrounding now seemed to have ignored the Lord InuTaisho, which I must say looked rather relieved, and pounced on the Lord Sesshoumaru almost literally. His stance looked stoic, but his eyes were practically crying for help. I knew the smart thing to do would have been to make more nice conversation with the Lord InuTaisho, but of course I found myself standing from my mat.

"Lady Isami?" Lord InuTaisho asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Pardon me for just a moment my lord" as I walked the small circle around him and Lord Sesshoumaru and came to sit next to Lord Sesshoumaru.

"This is a nice evening wouldn't you say?" I asked kneeling rather forcefully on the tatami floor in-between Lord Sesshoumaru and a woman who looked rather remarkably like Megumi, smiling and answering Lord Sesshoumaru's plea.

Lord Sesshoumaru gave me a bewildered look but briefly before giving me a rather relieved smirk.

"Enjoyable if a might add"

In the corner of my eye I saw Lord InuTaisho lean around his son and look at me. I couldn't help my actions and I just blushed and rather fidgeted under his amber gaze.

"Lady Isami?" Lord Sesshoumaru asked ponderingly.

"Oh forgive me my lord, what were we talking about?"

まずは用件のみ。

Author's note: I am very sorry yet again for the delay, small issues surrounding school and other things have occurred which delayed me, I hope you don't bear a grudge and I promise to try and not let myself fall behind like this again. :Anime sweat drop: