Today's the big day!

Can you hear the bells? Well, I suppose not. This is a traditional Japanese wedding after all.

Miasma

Here the power is ruthless and the truth is deaf. Here the air is filled with the miasma of sin
-Jean Racine

I was a breath away from snapping at the next person to touch me, which, unfortunately for the many women buzzing around me, was likely to come far too soon for anyone's liking.

All morning I had been passed around these women, going from one awful act to the next.

My hair had been oiled to the point that it shined in the slightest hint of the early morning sunlight. A beautiful glow, for sure, but the oil made my scalp feel, well... oily. It was an uncomfortable feeling for me, and I desperately felt the need for a bath, so I could get rid of some of the grubby feeling.

Once passed off from my hairdresser to my makeup artist, I was sat down again and had plenty of powders and products rubbed into my skin. Not usually one for makeup of any sort, it was an uncomfortable experience, but I grit my teeth and let them whiten my skin, darken my brows and apply rouge to my lips. When a foul-smelling jar of something black was bought out, though, I put my foot down.

After quite an argument, I won the battle, and my teeth remained white, much to the dismay of the tittering servants.

I was lucky enough to avoid the drama of these women seeing my tattoos. I'd slipped into a simple hadajuban before allowing them into my room. They built on top of the thin hadajuban layer, padding my body and filling me out with layers of the beautiful white kimono that until now had stayed in the bottom of the chest Kagewkai had gifted me.

Each layer was so beautifully embroidered in white silk, just seeing it left me breathless.

"You look just as beautiful as she did in this," the eldest of the women working on me said as she tied one of the many sashes around my wait.

"She?" Who?

Her eyes widened a little. "Why, the late Lady Hitomi, of course. Young Lord Kagewaki was determined to see you wear his mother's wedding kimono."

Oh.

I hadn't thought for a moment that the kimono might have belonged to someone else. Let alone his mother. Kagewaki loved his mother dearly. That much was obvious, even if he didn't mention her often in our chats.

And, after cleaning her shrine and spending so many days talking to her about everything and nothing, I felt a weird sort of kinship with the woman. Being by her shrine was a safe place for me, and letting out all my woes and worries to her had definitely built our fictional relationship in my head.

Knowing I was wearing her kimono... I felt strangely warm and choked up over it.

It wasn't the same as wearing the kimono my mother had spent the majority of my life embroidering for me, even if a Japanese wedding wasn't something I was sure I'd even wanted. Western weddings were much easier affairs, and I had to say I liked the look of Western wedding dresses a lot more than wedding kimonos. They weren't even a thought here, though. Here I had no choice but to have a Japanese wedding.

Still, this was as close to sentimental as I would get in this wedding. I was wearing my mother-in-law's kimono. It made it special enough for me.

I couldn't get too emotional over that, though, before I was scolded sharply by my makeup artist. I couldn't ruin her hard work.

Before I knew it, I was knelt before a priest, sipping at saké dishes and listening to Kagewaki's beautiful voice read the vows and thanks for the ceremony.

I felt... lost during the ceremony. Fully aware of what was going on but like I was watching through the eyes of someone else as I prayed alongside the man that was positively beaming beside me.

I had never seen Kagewaki so incredibly happy. The strain of pain showed at the hard edges of his smile and the winces he gave as he moved around, but that did nothing to diminish the sheer pleasure the rest of him exuded.

No matter how I tried, I just couldn't muster the same energy as he had today. I couldn't smile as he did. I couldn't even so much as pretend. I just went through the motions, straight-faced and utterly lost.

Then it was done. We were wed, before the Gods and people among us.

"My Lady wife," Kagewaki crooned in my ear, holding me close as the two of sat amongst the guests now for feasting and celebrations. "My Masanori."

His.

I was his.

His wife. In this time basically his property.

Part of me was pleased. I really did like Kagewaki and I'd always dreamed of a beautiful wedding, which it had been, but the situation was... Well, when I'd spent days fantasising about my wedding, this was never what came to mind. The two emotions warred with each other as we were congratulated by a sea of faces. Most faces I didn't know, but a few were familiar. Watanabe and a few of his men greeted and congratulated us with incredible enthusiasm.

Despite my conflicts, I found myself being dragged into the festivities and actually smiling along.

With so many samurai at the celebration, it wasn't a surprise that the party started to get rowdy. People started to get louder, drinks started to come quicker, and jokes began to get lewder. By that point, I was in my element. I cracked crude jokes and laughed and teased the samurai men, likely offending a few of the quieter men and pretty much every wife that was in hearing range, but I was just having fun.

Especially since the saké in my cup never seemed to end.

It reminded me of home. Nights spent with friends in Roppongi. The music was a lot less fun than I was used to, but the atmosphere, the feeling of people coming together with food and drink to celebrate was universal.

We celebrated well into the night, but at some point, Kagewaki and I were shooed off to fulfil our new marital duties.

A few choice words and lewd jeers were thrown our way as a much less drunk than I Kagewaki led me through the crowd and into the now-familiar system of hallways in the castle.

"You have consumed perhaps a little too much," Kagwaki scolded lightly as I stumbled over my own feet and ended up in a giggling heap on the floor.

"Yep," I agreed, pulling myself up, and accepting his help when I didn't have much luck righting myself on my own. "I'll regret it later."

The morning would bring with it the hangover from hell and a promise to myself to never drink again, but that was a future Nori problem, and it was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.

After that one spill, we managed to get back to Kagewaki's chambers without any further incident.

He led me through the main room with a gentle guiding hand on the small of my back.

Then we were stood before his futon, illuminated by oil lamps as Kagewaki began to slowly undo the ties of the many layers of my kimono. The layers began to pile up at our sides. Knowing I was pretty close to useless as far as help went, I stayed pretty still as Kagewaki peeled the layers off me. I wouldn't know my elbow from my arsehole trying to get all these layers off me.

I was glad Kagewaki had at least some knowledge on the whole affair.

Soon, I was stood in just my hadajuban. Kagewaki reached for the sash just as he had every fastening and tie so far, but I grabbed at his hands to stop him.

I hadn't been worried about rejection when Naraku and I had... discussed Kagewaki's reactions to my tattoos. I hadn't felt worried in the slightest. It was Kagewaki. He was sweet and kind and liked me. Still, now stood before him, knowing what tonight would entail, I was worried. Beyond worried. What if he hated them? What if he rejected me because he thought I was a criminal?

What did I do then?

"Nori?" His deep voice was quiet, concerned. Almost as if he was worried he was going to shatter the trust we have going on if he raised his voice too much.

I'd been looking down at our joined hands, scared to see the expression on his face, even though he was yet to even see the tattoos. Inhaling slowly, I raised my gaze from our hands to meet his warm brown eyes. "I have tattoos."

I'd always thought that I would be with a man from my time - a truly insane idea, right? - that would know that tattoos were fun and cool. That there wasn't any negative connotations to them, despite what the little old snobby bitches that caught sight of them thought. I'd expected to not be judged as a criminal in a time when the death sentence wasn't so farfetched, for a choice I made out of petty rebellion almost a decade ago.

When did life get so complicated?

Kagewaki's eyes narrowed slightly at my meek confession, but soon his expression smoothed out again. "You are my wife, branded a criminal or not."

How could I have doubted him?

Giving him a smile, still somewhat hesitant, I released his hands and let my own fall down to my sides again.

Instead of reaching for my sash again, his large, warm hands cupped my cheeks. He ran the pads of his thumbs over the apples of my cheeks gently then leaned down to place a sweet kiss to my forehead.

I think I melted right then and there.

This man was so fucking sweet.

And he was mine.

My hands reached for the ties of his haori, tugging at them insistently.

I spent the better part of the evening proving multiple times that this man was mine.

My mouth tasted like cotton.

Slapping my tongue against the roof of my mouth a couple times, I tried to dispel the taste, but it just wasn't going away.

As sleep began to fade from my mind, I realised that I didn't have a headache.

I didn't trust it.

If experienced had proved anything, it was that I wouldn't know the real damage until I sat up and the room probably would start spinning. That would set off the nausea and the headache that was sure to come. I didn't drink often, and very rare drank saké, for this reason and this reason alone.

I hated life the morning after.

So I was planning on laying in bed for as long as I possibly could before having to move.

Though, the more I laid still, the more uncomfortable I felt. The body wrapped around me, holding me against a bare chest, was strangely wrong feeling. If I were to turn over and peel my eyes open (Ha! Not this century) then I knew exactly what face I would see.

The body behind me felt wrong, though. It was too bony, too cold, for what I was used to.

I was used to waking up in the morning next to Naraku. I was used to his heat, his muscular chest against my back, his easy breathing in my ear. Knowing I would see Naraku's calm face if I turned over, but feeling a thinner frame, and colder skin, and hearing slightly laboured breathing just put me in a weird position of unease that it just shouldn't have.

I didn't realise how used to Naraku I had gotten until now.

That didn't bode well.

I felt wrong laying next to my husband.

Who did that? Who the fuck felt wrong laying with their husband?

People in arranged marriages and cheaters, apparently. I got double points. Yay.

"Good morning," Kagewaki murmured, voice rough and so irresistibly deep with sleep.

"Morning," I replied quietly.

It was an exchange I never had with Naraku. He wasn't a pleasantries person. I rarely good a good morning or good evening from him. When Naraku was around it was generally business or silent company.

Why was I comparing the two of them?

I'd split my time between the two of them for a while without ever really comparing them. I had, that first time I saw Naraku, but not like this. What had changed? Was it because I was married now? Or because I'd now slept with Kagewaki? Was that really what was going on? I slept with both of them so I needed to compare?

What was I, sixteen?

I thought I was above being so fucking petty.

And there was the headache I was hoping would forget to visit.

I rubbed at my head and groaned.

"Don't ever let me drink again. Why was I even drinking saké?" Why?

Kagewaki chuckled behind me, nuzzling into my hair. "I believe you drank too much."

"Shhh, no. No more speaking." My head was so not ready for conversation. "Nap time." Maybe I'd be fortunate enough to sleep the majority of this shit off. Then I would revisit the idea of permanently banning myself from having any alcohol ever rather seriously. Ancient alcohol didn't mess around. I was feeling it this morning.

There was no way I drank the most last night, either.

I felt sorry for anyone that had drank as much as I had, because holy shit they would be suffering.

Kagewaki kissed my temple and rose from the futon, tucking the kimono around me gently. "Sleep. I shall find us food and water. I am certain you will benefit from something a little less alcoholic to drink."

I appreciated the sentiment, but not the speaking and was quick to bury myself under the kimono.

Blissful quiet.

Info!

Teeth blackening - teeth blackening was the standard of beauty for the Japanese elite for nearly a thousand years. It would normally begin during puberty, when an iron mixture was used to coat the teeth. The coating would be reapplied every few days for the rest of their life. Shiny black things were considered the height of attractiveness in any category in Japan, from wooden decorations to metal to teeth, so blackening the teeth was extremely popular among nobles. Historically, both Nagasaki and Kagewaki would have both likely had their teeth blackened. It was considered abhorrent by Westerners, and was eventually banned in the 1800's.

Roppongi - is a pretty notorious nightclub district in Tokyo. I haven't been into Roppongi, but I've heard a lot about it, and it's somewhere I'd like to try and hit up next time I'm in Tokyo.

Futon - I know I've mentioned futons before in this fic, but I hadn't really gone into detail about them. They're basically a floor bed. A thin mattress stuffed with straw or feathers or bits of cut-up cloth. Literally anything they could get their hands on that was soft and plentiful. Back in the Warring States, people would cover themselves with a kimono rather than the modern duvet. The whole futon structure is soft and easily foldable, so they'd be folded up during the day and put away so people could make use of the room as something other than a bedroom.

Reviews!

darkvibeslover - This whole fic is a dangerous game, isn't it? She's playing with fire, and as she's said before, she's dancing with those flames before they consume her. And I can promise they will consume her. Her feelings towards Kagewaki are probably the most genuine thing in this fic, as twisted as they are. She likes him, she really does, but he's nowhere near enough for her. He just isn't. Naraku has everything Kagewaki doesn't in terms of what Nori wants. He's rougher, quieter, more distant, and the sex is great. Of course, she'll never get that genuine love out of Naraku, though. It's a shame she can't keep both of them for very long, isn't it?

Guest - Thank you! I may have cheated you on the actual wedding. Poor Nori was very spaced out during it so not a lot was written about it. But afterwards was fun to write about. I love sharing the research I find out when I'm writing this sort of stuff. You find out so many strange and interesting things when you're researching, and sharing them is fun. I'm glad you enjoy what I share! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you next time!

It's very strange writing drunkenness, and I really don't know whether I got it or not. I'm not much of a drinker. When I do drink, I go hard, but in general, I just don't like the feeling of being drunk, and now since I cant have caffeine, my usual drink of choice is a nogo (and my only other regular option is good whiskey, with is expensive) so I just don't really drink at all nowadays. So you'll have to excuse this if drunk Nori is acting super strange.

I feel like I should probably admit that no matter how much I've drank before, I've never had a hangover. I've heard plenty of complaints about hangovers, though. Particularly from people that try to match me drink-for-drink. When I'm drinking spirits, I can drink far more than a petite 5'2 girl has any right to be able to, and it always shocks drinking buddies who insist on trying to keep up with me. Then the morning after, there's lots of grumpy complaints about dying, while I'm up and about fresh as a daisy. So, honestly, I have no clue about hangovers. Everything I'm writing about them is hearsay.