A/N: A thousand apologies, but rl is a female dog of nasty attitude.
Beta: elkonigin - thank you so much for your help!
25
"Wed?" Kagome was utterly confused and trepidation washed over her when she saw her grandfather nod. He wasn't joking; his face was serious and stern. He had his thumbs put in the belt of his priestly robe, a gesture she knew meant that he was in no mood for discussion.
"Yes, granddaughter," he confirmed. "I have found you a young, handsome, and respectable man to marry and be a dutiful wife to. A fine man, a blessing from the kami. He and his father left the house not even a half hour ago, all is discussed and agreed upon. In seven days, I will marry you two, and this is why you cannot endanger your good name."
Kagome's world spun, her heart seemingly frozen and at the same time speeding up. Her grandfather stood there, so calmly talking about marrying her off, obviously quite pleased with himself. She guessed he thought she'd be happy, since he found her a husband he thought she'd like. Not every girl could marry a nice boy. But the realization that her grandpa thought he was doing good by her by doing that without asking her opinion - that sat terribly with her. She just recently moved here; she didn't know anyone and most definitely didn't fancy anyone. A distant rumble of thunder rolled over the forest-covered hills from the part of the sky engulfed by rapidly approaching clouds, but light from the low hanging sun still filled the garden, casting long shadows.
"Wh-who?" She managed to whisper, not daring to look away from her grandfather's face. "Why wasn't I asked?"
"Oh, Kagome," her mother came to standnext to her grandfather, tears shining in her eyes, a bright smile on her lips. Kagome noticed she wore one of her best dresses. "I'm so happy for you! I was so worried you would end up an old maid, but it looks like the young Lord Kagewaki was quite smitten with you! You will be a lady, Kagome! Isn't that splendid?"
"Kagewaki!" Kagome choked out. How could they think she'd be fine with marrying him? Or marrying anyone without her consent? They knew she didn't want to be a wife; she wanted to be a miko. She most certainly didn't want to be Kagewaki's wife spending time in that house, in his embrace...
Bile rose in her throat and tears filled her eyes.
She stared at her family, both so pleased and already telling her about all the things that needed to be taken care of. Her mom spoke of adjusting her old wedding dress for her. Her grandpa graciously allowed her to choose the flowers that would adorn the shrine. They already knew who they'd invite.
For Kagome's wedding. With Lord Kagewaki.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, I don't want this."
"Oh, Kagome, he's the best bachelor in the area," her mother scolded, almost playfully, as if Kagome was trying to tease her and pretend she didn't agree to hide how excited she was. "And you two seem to be good friends. Good friendship is a foundation for a good marriage, I'll say."
"Mom, I'm not joking." Kagome tried to keep her voice calm.
"All your friends will be so jealous, from what I gathered many girls pined after him," her mother said, as if not hearing her words.
"He also said he doesn't mind you studying anything you want, even if it's not befitting a woman," her grandfather frowned a bit. "So, if you still fancy that daydream of being a priestess, I assume you can practice some meditation, at least until the children take up your time from those fleeting fancies."
Cold sweat and shivers ran down her back. She clenched her fists, trying not to get sick all over the flowers.
"I don't want to marry Lord Kagewaki." She tried to sound focused and collected, a clear denial of the idea. "I never agreed to marry him."
"You don't want that now, granddaughter, but, believe me, he is the best match for you. He's well learned, wealthy and respected by the community," her grandfather told her sternly. "Once you get over your maidenly nerve, you will see how well matched you are. I gave my word to the old lord. We agreed upon a dowry and all that's left is for you to be ready and prettied up the day of the ceremony. You will marry him and be grateful he asked for your hand. I can't believe you almost ruined this by meeting alone with Mr. Kaze. No respected man would want to marry you if the rumors started."
"But..." She hated how her voice shook. It was half in outrage, but half in trepidation. How could they do that to her? Go behind her back like that? How could her grandfather speak so coolly to her, ordering her to live with the man she disliked and feared? Couldn't they see that this was wrong? She should be able to say her opinion on the matter; it was her life they were ruining, and it was not fair to treat her like a mindless doll one could give away. "Grandfather, I don't love him. I don't really know him!"
"I'm ensuring your future, Kagome," her grandfather said, gesturing to the home. "This will be Souta's house one day. He will marry and have children. You don't want to be a burden and a spare wheel in the household when his wife will take over as the lady of the household. Love will come in time as you two get to experience life together. I gave my word, granddaughter, if you try to foolishly endanger your future that I have ensured, your actions will cast shadow not only on you but the whole Higurashi family."
A part of her saw his point. Girls who failed to get married often faced the fate of being servants to their sisters-in-law or being forced to live alone. Or, worse. Kagome doubted her brother would allow such a thing to happen to her, but before she could vocalize that, her grandfather turned around, signalling he saw the discussion finished.
As the head of the family, he had the right to seek out a suitable husband for her. Her father should have been the one to do so, and Kagome knew that he would have asked her opinion before arranging anything.
But her father was gone, and she was never her grandfather's favorite. She knew he didn't wish her ill, after all from his point of view Kagewaki was a really good suitor. He didn't know about him capturing yasha. He didn't know that Kagewaki wanted to use her gift to continue his 'research'. And even if he'd known, would he have cared?
Her thoughts lingered on the malicious eyes of the kelpie. Once it'd get free - and it would sooner or later - it would kill her family as well for being related to his captor.
"Come, Kagome, we have to unpack my wedding gown," her mother said. "And we must make a list for all the things you will need. I also will tell you about the duties of a wife. You will make such a beautiful couple and I'm sure m grandchildren will be adorable."
The bone-chilling vision of the kelpie was replaced in Kagomme's mind by another, even more terriffying one.
Without thinking, with a shout of denial, she turned on her heel and ran, ran away from the smiling family that had sold her to the young lord. She ran from the shrine that felt devoid of color and joy,. The shadows of the buildings stretched on the ground long and dark, cast by a low hanging sun almost overtaken by thick clouds. She felt as if they tried to catch her and drag her back towards the fate she didn't want.
"Kagome!" Her mother after her.
"Let her gp, she is temperamental; she has to come to terms with this," her grandpa said soothingly. "She will see reason once she cools off. I swear, she is as stubborn as her father, never agreeing to what is best for her."
Kagome didn't care. She ran towards the forest, not paying attention to branches catching on her skirt and breaking as she yanked on it. She didn't look back and slowed a bit only when she left the hot sunlight and hid in the welcoming shadow of the trees. She went past the tall trunks, following a thin path and ducking under overhanging branches. She cared not for her dress or the twigs and leaves tangled in her hair. Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks; her nose ran, but she only wiped her face with a sleeve, tripping over roots and kicking up dry leaves.
Kagome came to a stop with a choked sob, collapsing after tripping over a rock hidden in grass. She reached the meadow where a waterfall bubbled in the hot, humid twilight. She didn't pick herself up from where she lay, crying with anger and fear, and disgust. Dread and hopelessness filledher heart. What was she to do now? How could she undo the stupid promise between her grandpa and the old lord?
How could they do that to her? They knew she didn't want that, she told them she didn't want that! But did they listen? No! They probably thought she had a bad case of temper or cold feet! They couldn't see that there was something wrong with Kagewaki.
She couldn't reject him now; she couldn't take back the promise between her grandpa and Kagewaki's family. It'd ruin her family's respect, and who knew how many people would take away their patronage of the shrine? How much of the shrine's income was thanks to the Kagewaki family donations? Without the respect of the community, who all favored the young lord and would look foul at a newcomer maiden refusing his proposal; the Higurashi family could lose its right to the shrine. Enough signatures under a petition to the high priest in the capital city, and there would be a new priest appointed to take over the shrine they had kept and ran for generations. No one would understand her reasons; no one would probably ever ask for them.
A thunder rumbled somewhere between the hills, but Kagome didn't care. A gust of strong wind shook the forest, but she didn't lift her head. She was prepared to get drenched if the kami saw it fit to add one more misery to her pile.
"I don't want that," she cried, smearing tears and dirtall over her face. She didn't want to marry him. She didn't want to marry anyone. She wanted to be her own person, even if no one seemed to care about what she wanted. No one asked her if she would want to be his wife. No one even felt that it'd be wise and right to know what the bride wanted. She hated this; she hated being forced to be stuck with that man, who didn't even see fit to propose to her himself.
How could her family disregard her will like that? How could they be so misjudged about what was best for her?
"I don't want that," echoed the waterfall.
No one asked what Kagome wanted; no one heeded her wishes. Only...
Inuyasha. He'd proposed to her. He'd accepted her refusal and was friendly to her, not acting like a stuck up arrogant prick. He listened to her, asked what she thought. He made her feel safe and ready to take on the world, not scared and helpless.
She gripped at the pendant he'd given her, so warm and smooth to the touch. It felt as if a wave of Inuyasha's aura, a barely-there scent of cherry petals washed over her, helping her calm down a bit, her shaking limbs relaxing, and her heart beating a bit slower. It still ached, and she still cried, but her panicked and hurt thoughts becamesomewhat coherent. Instead of weeping over the situation and how misrable it was, she started to think how to escape that dreadful fate.
Not ever for a moment did she thoght she could be Kagewaki's wife.
Should she call him? Should she ask for his help? What would she ask of him? She doubted he could magic away the problem or make time reverse. She didn't want him to fight her family, and she had no doubt in her mind he could easily kill them if he wanted to. What would she ask him then? To take her away from her home? Could he even take her to the yasha lands, a human entering where no human was allowed? That would probably put him in trouble. And... was it right to call him when he was just reunited with his family that he hadn't seen for so long because of her own ancestor?
Could she... propose to him?
A mirthless laugh interrupted her sobs. She'd just rejected his proposal on the basis of not knowing him well enough yet. She was attracted to him and he was a good friend, but since that time nothing had changed between them. And what would she do if he rejected her now? Would he even want to say yes knowing she was only asking because of her family trying to marry her off?
Was it right to run from her engagement with the man she didn't love by binding a yasha she very much liked, but not yet knew if she loved and was loved in return?
"I don't want that," whispered the waterfall in a mournful voice, a broken voice of a girl who had suffered for a long time, who was on the brink of breaking. "But it has to be done. I rejoice and regret, but this is the only way."
Startled out of her panicked thoughts, Kagome lifted her face from where it was pressed in the crushed weeds on the edge of the stream.
It wasn't the waterfall that spoke; it was a woman.
She stood in the shallow water near the spot where the waterfall bubbled, as if she'd just passedthrough the veil of shimmering water.. Yet, she was dry; her clothes and hair fluttering on the soft breeze. The dress she wore looked old, tattered and torn in places, the colors washed out until they all were pale brown and sandy blotches, no longer allowing to decipher the original design of the dress. In contrast to it, the shaw that hung from the woman's shoulders like folded wings, was vibrant in color, with an array of earthy colors creating a patter one couldn't appreciate fully as the mantle was thrown over her woman's hair was black and straight, reaching past her waist in a single sleek ponytail. Eyes as blue as winter sky looked at Kagome, deep and hauntingly beautiful, filled with sorrow so great that it seemed to press on the prone girl. The woman's face was pale and thin, dark circles of weariness shadowing her eyes. Stunned by the ethereal female, her aura faint and akin to late autumn noon light, Kagome remained where she was, unable to move or say a word in the face of the woman. She seemed to be so tired, so sad, so utterly lost as she stood there, tears clinging to her long lashes. Pale lips parted as she took a deep breath and lifted her hands.
She held a rod covered with bells, it resembled a branch bearing many tiny, twinkling fruits. With a flick of her wrist she made the bells chime.
"What is your name, poor kindred soul?" She asked in a voice that rang with old pain and new regret.
Before Kagome could think, before she could comprehend what she was doing, her lips moved, uttering her name to the yasha that wept as she walked out of the water, a shawl behind her catching the steadily growing cool breeze and billowing out like ethereal wings rising behind her back brought out against the sky full of storm clouds.
