Duties

Callisto starred down at her feet as she walked along side Inutaisho. His energy was light and happy and gently started to influence her confused state of mind. Her eyes glanced up towards Inutaisho but he seemed oblivious to her. The glow of the gardens that surrounded her finally caught her attention. Small firebugs floated by the hundreds in the air. Peculiar flowers sparkled in the moonlight lit a specific path for them to walk by.

"Do you like this garden?" Inutaisho asked.

"Oh very much! Is it magic?"

"Not quite magic. My mate made this garden for my son some hundred years ago," he mused with a smile.

"I'll have to ask her where she found such flowers and how she tamed the bugs. So beautiful…" Callisto breathed.

"It is impressive if not a bit cold for my taste," he drawled with a hint of bitterness but Callisto didn't notice. "Do you remember my son?"

She furrowed her brow in thought. There was very little she remembered about her last trip to Japan. She remembered Inutaisho in particular but other than that she drew a blank. When she looked back at him her eyes read as a bit defeated. Inutaisho nodded thoughtfully and went to looking at the moon.

" I'm sorry my lord, but I've gotten the feeling this whole trip that there is something I don't know. Are you to finally tell me?" she asked on the hopeful side.

"I'd hope your father would have told you many years ago," he said. They came upon a bench and he motioned for her to sit. Callisto did gratefully and kept an open mind as she waited for this great secret. "Are you familiar with your exact age?" he asked.

"No," Callisto said frankly. She was now even more confused with how the conversation had turned. She knew her age was in the matter of records in the library back home but demons didn't bother themselves with their ages as humans did. Demons did take note of when they crossed from being an adolescent to a full mature demon. It was something felt by the demon and there was no age attached to it. However, it was once noted by a bear demon tribe that the age of the switch was roughly around 200 which was when demons usually mated.

"I'm sorry to confuse you more," Inutaisho said sincerely but it didn't help Callisto who was becoming more impatient. "You have come to Japan because my dear, you are 200. Are you aware what young mature demons are able to do?" Inutaisho asked with a smile seeing the complete and utter look of embarrassment on her face. She simply nodded and the confusion in her eyes seemed to melt from her eyes and harden into understanding.

"So my studies weren't focused on Japanese culture and language to become more well rounded then?" Callisto wanted to hide her blushing face but she kept her composure in front of Inutaisho.

"Your father gave you no warning to this engagement?"

Callisto suddenly found her mouth was dry and she couldn't stop fumbling her hands. A piece of discarded memory found it's way back to her thoughts. She remembered her father talking about her arranged marriage when she was still a child. Who was a child to worry themselves with being married? Callisto certainly hadn't given a lot of thought to her arranged marriage. How could her father just drop her here and expect her to be married to a stranger in a foreign land?

"I'm sure your father has his reasons. Do not be too upset with him," Inutaisho interrupted her silent melt down.

"I am to be married to your son," Callisto said it out loud trying to keep herself angry despite Inutaisho's authority. "What reason could there be?"

"Would you have been so willing to come here if you knew the truth?"

Her eyes couldn't lie and she knew the answered was written boldly on her face. She would have been just as angry. Never did she imagine her husband to be lived on a different continent. She would have yelled and put up a fight before coming here. How could she fight now that she was here? She was in a strange country and didn't know anyone. When was she to be married? Would her father leave her and never come back? Without warning, hope fluttered inside her.

"My Lord, I cannot be mated yet. I am not yet matured."

"I am aware of this. Both your father and myself have agreed to wait for three more cycles of the moon. If the change has not happened by then you will be mated regardless."

"But demons have been known to die if mated too young!" Callisto stood up in shock.

"You will not die, my daughter," her father had entered the garden. Callisto shut her eyes for fear her anger would boil over if she looked upon him. "You are 200 which is the perfect age whether matured or not. Once you are mated the change to maturity will happen. We are giving you till winter to get to know Sesshomaru."

"You think I should be grateful?" she said each word carefully although they were more poisonous than controlled.

"You will be married Callisto and you will remember that you are a lady of royalty," Christophe spoke sternly watching his daughter carefully. Callisto finally looked at her father. Unable to control her emotions, she screamed as loud as she could.

"Please, Callisto. Noble ladies do not screech," her father spoke chidingly.

Callisto let off an even longer scream trying to ease the tension that coursed through her whole being.

***

"How can this be happening to me? I come on vacation with my father and find out I'm getting married?" Callisto lay on her bed staring at her ceiling talking to Aya. The kind servant just sat on a stool and listened. Normally, Aya would have returned to her quarters to sleep but Christophe instructed she stay with Callisto to keep and eye on her. "Now I'm being watched like a prisoner to make sure I don't run away."

"You won't run away," Aya added. Callisto sat up and looked at her questioningly. "You have duties to your country and your father. In all my years of serving this family, I have not met a princess who ran away from her responsibility."

"You have too much faith in me," Callisto sighed flopping back onto her bed.

"It really isn't about you."

"Excuse me?" Callisto sat up again and looked her servant in the eye.

"This is about your country and my country making an alliance. I fear our worlds are on the brink of being thrust into war. This alliance is important to many," Aya said humbly.

"How is it you understand all this yet I've been so blind?" Callisto sighed.

"You've been well educated but wisdom comes with age."

"I suppose… Can we go for a walk? I don't think I can sleep," she added a sweet pouty face.

"You are the princess."

***

The air was cool and awakened Callisto's senses. Winter was coming soon and so was her marriage to a stranger. She tried to imagine what her betrothed looked like. Maybe her father never told her about this demon because he was hideous.

"Oh no… he's ugly isn't he?"

Aya was just a step behind Callisto so she couldn't see the servant give a complacent smile. Callisto took the silence as an affirmation. So he wasn't anything to shake a stick at. She didn't have to see him all the time did she? Pop out a couple of kids and just keep her distance. She gave a quick hard nod as she came to a sudden stop.

"Yes," she announced. "I won't let this get me down."

When Callisto turned around she found the same stranger who had beckoned her to dinner. As she met his golden eyes, she didn't even notice Aya stand back up from a very low bow. She was surprised that his aura was able to sneak up on her.

"Who are you?" Callisto asked with a slight tilt of the head.