A/N: Part two of three.

Part II- Trial

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Earlier

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If father finds out, I am a dead woman, Mai thought fearfully. For the thousandth time that hour, she checked the glamour that concealed her features and made her look like a mere servant man, a messenger of no great importance. As it had been every other time, the lumpy, nondescript face was firm and unwavering. Nobody could possibly have seen that the ugly runner-servant was actually the beautiful Princess Mai.

The purpose of this elaborate disguise? Mai was going home to the arms of her love, and no such paltry thing as duty or laws or filial piety were going to stop her. They were destined for each other, and that was that. No arguments.

It never occurred to her that she was naive, or that her plan was sketchy and full of holes. It certainly never crossed her mind that any others might suffer because of her decision. Mai was a princess-- thinking of the wellbeing of others was not her strong point.

That was not to say she was a selfish person. She was in fact very giving and kind whenever the situation arose. She just did not know how to look ahead at the long term consequences. This shortcoming of hers would cause a great deal of misery, for herself and for everyone involved with her. At the moment, however, she was blissfully unaware of any of this.

Time to go.

Slinging her supply bag over her shoulder casually as she had seen the other mailmen do, she sauntered towards the castle gates. Please don't notice. Please just let me through.

The guard stopped her.

Mai thought she might drop dead of terror. "G'morning," she slurred, careful to disguise her cultured palace accent.

The guard peered at her face scrutinizingly. "Are you new? I've never seen your face before."

She nodded. "Hired special to carry this," she said, bumping the sack on her shoulder. "Seems it's important. Goin' to the West, it is."

"Ah, I think I know what that is," the guard said with a dark grin. "They're not going to be very happy about that at all, now are they."

Suddenly, she found herself fighting off the urge to either cry or slap him. The contents of the missive were well known to her, as the concerned her and had been written because of her sister's death. His callous attitude grated on her. However, she had a mission and would not allow his cruel attitude to ruin it before it even began.

She forced herself to laugh. "Yeah, they'll be spittin' splinters for the next decade. Poor bastards."

Laughing, the guard waved her through. "Go on, then. Far be it from me to delay that letter!"

Mai tipped her conical hat at the guard and ambled out. The gate closed behind her.

Elation filled her. I did it! I'm out!

The horizon stretched out before her, inviting. The walk to the castle of the dog demons was a long four days. She was a sheltered girl who had never walked further than a few miles at once. She could transform and travel much faster if she wanted to, but word of an enormous silver dog galloping through the fields would give her away in seconds. It was essential that she maintain her disguise.

That meant walking the many leagues. She would be a mass of blisters and sore muscles at the end, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

I'm coming, Inutaisho, she thought quietly. I hope this won't hurt you too badly. If it could be helped, I would, but it can't. You need to know.

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She had met her second obstacle-- the guards at the dog palace. She was utterly exhausted and in sheer agony from her bleeding feet. "New boots," she murmured wanly as they stared suspiciously at her feet.

"For a messenger, you look pretty worn out. You new at this?"

"Yes, a little," she said truthfully. "I met some trouble on the road, too, and these bloody new boots are chewin' my feet off. You got a place where I can lay me down for a few?"

"What have you got in the bag?" the hard-eyed soldier asked.

"Message for the lord of this here castle. It's important."

Apparently she got the tone of the reply just right, because the guard seemed to hear an undertone to her voice that made him snap to attention. "Give it to me, then, and you go rest. The barracks are right over there."

I know, she resisted saying. I know every inch of this compound. I was here just last week. "Thanks," she muttered, shoved the scroll into the guard's hands, and stumbled off towards the barracks.

She had to give Inutaisho time to read the missive and run for the lake, so she had time to rest her body. Gratefully she sank onto the closest free pallet she could find and closed her eyes.

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It was several hours later when she awoke, and the sun was sliding helplessly down the outside curve of the sky.

Panicked, she checked the glamour, and was relieved to find it still firmly in place. Setting her hat firmly back on her head, she raced on screaming feet for the forest outside the compound.

I won't marry Ryuunomei. I won't! He's so cold and impersonal... and I sense cruelty in him. I know it's a betrayal of my family, but I just can't! I want to be with Inutaisho. He's a good alliance too, and the one I was promised to in the very beginning anyway. He's supposed to have me. So why shouldn't he? Why should he get short-changed just because my father sees fit?

Deep down, she knew she was being selfish, but didn't really care. Selfishness was not always a negative thing-- she was a living being, and giving her entire life to a loveless marriage merely for political convenience was too great a sacrifice to ask in these peaceful times. There was little danger of a war anyways-- they did not really need such a strong bond between the lands. Another daughter of lesser rank would suffice.

Or so she told herself, repeating it over and over again in her mind to chase away her lingering doubts about the rightness of what she was doing.

Every step through the untamed forest of the foothills was tearing agony to her feet and ragged muscles. She stumbled every second step, barely conscious. The glamour, however, stayed firmly in place. Not until she was all the way there would she risk letting it down. Not until!

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He was so lost in thought and deliberation, he did not even hear the person's approach until they-- he-- was nearly upon him.

"Inutaisho," he rasped exhaustedly.

He rocketed to his feet and stared at the swaying figure in consternation. It was a ragged messenger, obviously exhausted and in much pain. What was he doing up there? Inutaisho was fairly certain nobody but him knew of the location of the little lake. That, combined with the lack of an honorific, alerted him that something was up.

"Who are you?" he barked. "What do you want?"

The man stared at him blankly. "Inutaisho...?"

"And why do you call me so familiarly?" he snarled, hand falling on the hilt of his short dagger. He sensed no danger from the man, but felt better when he had a weapon in his hand regardless.

"Don't you... recognize me?" The man sounded desolate and confused.

Inutaisho was just as confused. "Recognize you? A messenger boy from a foreign castle? Why would I?"

Suddenly, light dawned on his face and the man launched into a shocking array of curses. "Bedamned! I forgot to take the glamour off!" He pulled the hat off and threw it to the ground, then formed a complex series of finger-symbols almost faster than Inutaisho could follow.

Magic? What? He drew the dagger and held it in front of him, fully on his guard.

The man's outline began to blur, and his scent changed dramatically... to one Inutaisho knew very, very well.

"Mai?" he asked incredulously.

And indeed, once the transformation was complete, it was his silver-haired maiden that stood before him decked in men's clothing and dirty-faced. "There," she said breathlessly. "I am sorry about that. Naturally, I could not travel all this way with my own face. I would not have made it past my own gate!"

He was astounded, and completely thrown off balance. Mere hours ago he had been reading the missive that said she was never to see him again and would be given to another. Now, here she was, tired but elated, smiling at him .

What's going on?

Heaving an enormous sigh of relief, Mai sank to the ground in a graceful slump. "I made it. I can hardly believe it."

"Mai..." he whispered, then catching himself, spoke more strongly. "Would you mind explaining what the hell is going on here?"

She blinked up at him owlishly, obviously deeply pleased with the success of her venture. "I disguised myself, replaced the messenger who was supposed to carry the missive, and came to you instead. I will not marry Ryuunomei. I will only marry you."

The sheer enormity and naivete of her words bowled him over, and he fell to his knees in pure shock. "You... what? What?"

She frowned prettily. "Did I explain it badly? I am sorry. "

"No, I think I understand what you did... my question is, why? Are you insane?"

His heart was at war with itself. On one side, he was deeply moved by what she'd done for him and what her act indicated-- she wanted to be with him, and was willing to go through suffering and fear to do it.

On the other, he saw that this would be seen as an act of rebellion by her family-- and that she would be in deep trouble for it-- and was very afraid of the outcome of the situation.

"Inutaisho?" she whispered, taken aback by the harsh tone of his voice.

"Do you realize what you are doing?" he snapped, his fear winning over his joy. "As soon as your family finds out about this, they'll hunt you down and you'll become a disgraced prisoner. You'll suffer, and then possibly die if they see the situation as unsalvageable. At the very least, you'll be disowned and exiled. At the worst, you'll die and the Eastlord will use the insult of your refusal as an excuse to start a war us in the West. You may have just..." He stopped.

She was crying, silently, hair curtaining her face.

"Mai? Oh, Mai, I am so sorry. I am just afraid for you, is all. You may have just caused your own death, and I cannot bear the thought of that. Ahh, you silly woman. Come here." He knelt and enveloped her in a deep embrace, pressing his lips to her hair and tangling his fingers in it.

She lunged and wrapped her arms tightly around him, sobbing into his chest. "I did not... did not think," she gasped. "I did not think about the possibility of war! I only thought... oh, Inutaisho, I am so sorry!"

"Hush," he murmured, heart breaking at what he knew he must do. Every cell in his body screamed at him to take her away and never let her go, but... He was a practical man "It is not too late. If you go back now, you can convince them that you merely wished to bid me farewell. Everything will continue as though nothing happened."

She stiffened beneath him, as he'd known she would. "What are you saying?" she sniffled, hurt. "You do not want to be with me?"

His breaking heart splintered and drove into the walls of his chest. "Oh, gods, Mai, that is not it at all! I have been thinking about this for the last several hours and I just do not see any way for us to be together in practicality."

"Really?" she gasped painfully, a hurtful chill in her voice: "Not even one way? I will do anything, Inutaisho, even leave the island if I must. I will leave behind my title and royal life without a second thought. Do you think I need everything to be perfect? I do not! All I want is to stay with you, wherever I can!"

His eyes burned and his lacerated chest constricted. "Mai... even so, they will hunt us down. We would never be safe. I cannot bear the thought of you living in fear for your life all your days. Please, my love..." he paused, gulping back the bile rising in his throat, "...go home, and go through with your family's wishes. It is best for everyone if you do."

"I cannot believe you are saying this," she wailed. "I came all this way, and you are going to turn around and send me back?"

He could hear her silent plea not to send her away, not to leave her alone. It tore him to shreds, but he could not give in. The stakes were too high. "Mai, I am sorry," he whispered.

She pulled away, shaking, eyes full of betrayal. "Then I will go," she said, voice suddenly remote and distant, "since you obviously do not want me to stay."

She turned and began walking back to the forest, fists clenched at her sides and shoulders hunched.

He wanted so badly to run to her, turn her around and kiss her until the stars rose above them. The impulse was so powerful that his skin was nearly tearing itself off his obstinate bones, but he knew that if he did so he would never have the strength to send her away. And send her away he must. For her own good, and that of their countries.

She paused and turned her head back. Silver trails of tears clawed their way down her reddened cheeks. "Fare thee well, Lord Inutaisho."

The honorific hit him like a hammer to the chest.

Mai kept walking, and did not look back.

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