A/N: While I was writing this I was thinking constantly of Thumbelina and the Mole. :giggles: Part three of three.
Part III- Unwise
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Insultingly, they received the invitation to the wedding in the mail barely a week later.
To the Inu Family:
It is our great honour to invite you to attend the wedding of the Lord of the East, Ryuunomei the Strong, to the daughter of the esteemed lord from the West, Iruka Mai. The wedding will take place on the night of the first full moon of autumn, a most auspicious date, at the ancestral Dragon Palace. Gifts are welcome and appreciated.
We hope to see you there.
Ryuu Yema,
Secretary of State Affairs
Ryuu Family
Inutaisho read it once, then left it on the table and went to the lake.
I am not really considering going, am I? Am I mad?
I cannot believe they actually invited us. It is incredibly callous, considering the situation.
Could I handle watching her being given to him?
No.
A hundred, thousand times no.
And yet, if I do not go, they will see it as an insult and cause difficulty for us. What should I do?
He knew that by now the engagement ceremony would be complete, drinks and gifts exchanged and promises made. For all intents and purposes, the engagement was now unbreakable. It was too late to protest the union, now.
You're really going to let this go? a voice in his head said accusingly.
Hello, conscience, he replied wearily. I do not want to, but what else can I do?
Take her back.
And risk war?
Is she not worth that much at least?
I cannot be the cause of so much suffering. Not for my family, nor for hers, nor for all the people who would die in such a war.
If they start a war, then that is their choice. You could not blame yourself for their stupidity.
Inutaisho was at a loss. What his conscience said made sense, but everything he'd been raised to believe was throwing itself against what he wanted to believe.
Could this really work out well? I cannot help but believe that is could only end badly if I am selfish enough to...
It seems she has no problem with that. She is willing to risk everything-- how can you call yourself a man if you are not willing to do at least as much?
That is a low blow.
You do it to yourself.
Was it just him, or did his own inner self sound smug? This entire situation was driving him literally mad. He had to come to a conclusion, and soon, else...
VvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvV
Autumn
OoooooooooooooooO
Mai was a ghost.
Her blood still rushed thinly through her veins, her muscles still moved when her mind ordered them to, but she was dead. She felt nothing, not the wind on her face or the taste of sake on her tongue.
It was much easier to be dead than to feel and suffer.
"Mai, child, it's time now," the maid coaxed. "Won't you help me even a little? This dress is unwieldy."
Woodenly she moved her limbs where the maid directed. She did not feel the fabric sliding over her skin, or see that it was white. Dead people did not understand colour.
The maid quickly, expertly draped her in her wedding gown, cinching it with a long obi of purest white. The she moved on to Mai's hair. It probably took hours, all the preparation, but Mai had forgotten how to tell time, so it did not seem like very long at all before the maid was leading her by her limp hand down the hallway towards the courtyard where the wedding would be held.
The farewell party from her family had already been held-- she remembered little of it but glowing lights and raucous voices raised in celebration.
Now all that was left was the ceremony itself-- a few sips of sake, a few words, and she would be condemned to centuries, millennia, of this same soul-dead existence. Since she was already dead, she did not care overmuch.
She walked out the door on stick legs, jerky as a puppet.
Ryuunomei was already present, kneeling before the Shinto priest in the white hakama pants that had been her family's gift to the wedding, as per tradition, and a long kimono overcoat, also white. His deep violet hair was properly restrained in a knot behind his head, and his green eyes were politely lowered. Colourful rice-paper lamps hung cheerfully about the courtyard.
She could see the three sake cups, already filled. They were all of different sizes, arranged smallest to largest, red lacquered on the inside and black on the outside. They looked hellish to her dim eyes, speaking of flame and shadow.
Mai hobbled up the towards the shrine, slumped as an old woman.
Then, unexpectedly, a brief flash of silver hair in the silent crowd.
She woke up and stopped dead in the center of the aisle. Her limbs, returning to life, felt the early autumn chill and she wrapped her arms around herself as she searched for that elusive hint of pale silk.
There!
Alas, it was only Inumaru, her beloved's father. But it had been enough to break her stupor.
What am I doing? she thought, suddenly horrified. Her legs began to move again, on their own, carrying her towards the thin, pale figure at the end of the aisle.
At the end, she knelt opposite him and bowed her ornament-laden head.
The priest intoned something to Ryuunomei that involved his commitment to her. He clearly spoke his assent, sounding insufferably bored.
Then the priest turned to her, face impassive and distant. Mai was lost in horror.
What do I do? I cannot say no! But neither, oh, neither can I say yes. What can I possibly do? It is far, far too late for this. What have I done? What am I doing?
The silence itched, and she realized that the priest was waiting expectantly for her reply. The polite, fabulously dressed crowd held their breaths and laced their fingers anxiously together.
Inutaisho! Help me! she thought desperately.
"Mai-hime?" the priest nudged uncomfortably. "Are you quite all right?"
"No," she said, and it was an answer to both questions.
"Excuse me?" the priest said, confused. "Is there something I can do to help you?"
"No," she said again, tasting the word. "No!"
"No what?" the priest whispered fiercely, highly unsetled by the turn of events.
"No, I will not. I refuse,." she cried clearly, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The crowd gasped, and Ryuunomei's sharp jeweled eyes narrowed furiously.
"Reconsider your words, my sweet," he murmured coldly. "If you continue on this path, you will lose everything. I swear it."
Good, she thought giddily, and smiled broadly. "No!" she sang. "I cannot, within my honour, agree to marry you, good Lord. Upon my engagement with the prince of the Dogs, I committed to that course and find it terribly dishonourable to commit to you without his dispensation. I was destined for marriage with him, and this hasty course correction rankles on my sensibilities."
"For gods' sakes, woman, why didn't you say something earlier than this?" the priest hissed.
"That is patently ridiculous," Ryuunomei said nearly on top of him.
"Nevertheless, it is my decision. I will not-- cannot-- marry you. You may do with me what you will, but I will not decide otherwise."
She stood on the edge of death, and had never been happier. Her conscience was crystal clear.
The dragon's face blackened, then snapped. "Then I shall kill you!" R yuunomei howled, utterly enraged. He drew back his arm, claws lengthening and gleaming in the lamplight.
She closed her eyes and smiled. Inutaisho... I love you. I am sorry I could not go through with this travesty, even for you.
The deathblow never came. Instead, somewhere above her head was a dull thud and the sounds of struggle. She cracked an eye and was astonished to find Inutaisho, brilliant hair drawn back into a tight battle queue and bedecked in full armour, wrestling with the furious and stunned Ryuunomei.
The world made a flying leap from darkness to brilliance and Mai shrieked with unbridled joy. Despite the ferocious battle taking place, she suddenly felt as though everything would work out perfectly. All her anxiety and fear and disgust dissolved into light and joy.
In the crowd, Inumaru saw his son descend like a glimmering comet and knew a moment of pure elation. His childhood had been shaped around stories like this. However, moments later, reality set back in and the rage hit him at his son's disobedience and foolhardy actions... but for just one, shining moment, he was more proud of his son than he had ever been.
"Let go of me, you little heathen!" the dragon lord snarled, full in the grips of true demonic fury.
"Do not ever lay a hand on her," Inutaisho bit back, voice low and lethal and golden eyes flashing.
"She is my wife! I will do as I please!"
"She is not, nor will she ever be. Did you not hear her refuse?" There was a deep resonance in his voice as he said that, and Mai shivered with pleasure.
There were very good reasons why she loved her dog lord, and this was one of them.
"Do you wish to start a war?" Ryuunomei thundered, scratching viciously at the dog prince's face with a hand he had finally worked free. Inutaisho did not budge as four bloody furrows carved their way across his cheek.
"You may start one if you wish. I will fight. I cannot, despite my best efforts, condemn her to an unhappy life with you. She deserves to be happy. If you are man enough, I challenge you to let this go gracefully and seek a wife who is more able to commit to you."
"As though I would ever let such an insult go! This will mean war, boy. Be warned."
"Inutaisho!" a powerful voice howled across the courtyard, and he cringed. "What is the meaning of this?"
His father.
"I cannot in clear conscience allow this to continue," he said calmly, though Mai knew he was shaking inside. She stood on quivering legs and gently separated the battling demons.
"Neither can I," she said softly, but clearly. "I cannot marry Lord Ryuunomei. He deserves a more faithful wife."
"Mai!" a woman cried, distraught.
Her mother.
"I am sorry, Mother," she said. "I know you are ashamed of me, but I simply cannot."
"I am sorry, Father," Inutaisho said. "I know I will be punished for this, but I could not allow it."
"How dare you!" Ryuunomei raged, and lashed out randomly, scoring bloody hits against both of them before they could stop him. His fury was an incandescent thing-- he was beyond reason, beyond thinking. In later times, such a person would be called a 'berserker'-- now, they did not yet have a name for it, but feared it nonetheless.
The time for action had come-- it was stay and die, or run and live for a while longer.
"Mai," Inutaisho said. "Are you coming with me?"
"Yes," she answered simply, and that was that.
VvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvV
After
OoooooooooooooooooooO
I suppose you're wondering what happens then, am I right, dear reader? Perhaps I shall tell you. Or perhaps not... this old exoskeleton of mine is tired. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to write letters big enough for humans to read when you're a flea? Do you? Hmm?
Hmph, I doubt it. I shall have a good sulk about it later, I think. Perhaps now?
Ah, well. I am not cruel enough to leave you in suspense. Thus, this is what happened after my lord's triumphant rescue of his swooning maiden-bride:
They returned to Inutaisho's home to await the judgement of their families. Personally, I think this was a very unwise decision but then again, I was not born yet to advise them better. What can you expect from a couple of hair-brained, tongue-lolling idiots? I loved them dearly, the both of them, don't get me wrong. They were just not the smartest of people. Anyway!
Their parents were understandably quite upset and they were severely punished. However, secretly, neither family had truly wanted to match to be broken off and were quietly glad that it had been... reinstated. By the way, those last two sentences contain a few stunning understatements. Can you guess where they are?
Ryuunomei, contrary to expectations, was quite ready to just forget the entire incident and go back to life as usual. His younger and decidedly more militant brother, however, was not so forgiving.
Ryuukotsusei, as his name was, convinced his reluctant brother to retaliate against the families of the West for their grave insult to their honour. I shed no tears for him when Inuyasha, Inutaisho's brash young son, recently did him in. Ryuukotsusei was an arrogant hotheaded whelp and caused a great deal of totally unnecessary pain for both sides. Harrumph. He sure got what was coming to him, yes he did!
Continuing...
Thus began a feud that would last for nearly two millennia, and its history came to be painted in blood-red and ash-black. Its end came in a final confrontation between West and East, once again over a woman, this one a human and as dark as Mai was fair. I tell that story elsewhere, at length.
Inutaisho and Mai united their clans and ruled the West after the demise of Inumaru-- shortly after the incident described in this story-- in a vicious border skirmish against the East. He died at Ryuunomei's hand, thus intensifying the feud yet further.
Mai bore one son and one son only, who she named Sesshoumaru with her dying breath. His story is also long and interesting... I will get around to it someday. Not here.
And lastly...
Five hundred years later, a certain Dog Lord met a certain black-haired human woman. What is it with him and stormy, difficult relationships? Why couldn't he just settle down with a nice, quiet woman and live his days out in peace? Ahh, I suppose that is not the sort of man my lord was. He needed a challenge to be happy. He snatched my lady Mai right from the jaws of despair, and Izayoi was no different.
He met her after a slaughter, appropriately, bathed in blood in true Lord-of-the-West style.
She didn't faint.
As they say (far too frequently, in this crotchety old flea's opinion)--
The rest is history.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
A/N: Well? I had fun writing it. I'm a romantic at heart and I just love a rescue scene. Star-cross'd lovers and whatnot turn my crank like whoa. Thus, I was squee'ing every few lines as I wrote this. Yay for classical romance!
I love you, Nebride!