A Lady's Attentions
"Who is that woman?" Inutaisho asks, turning to his father. "She's beautiful! What's her name? Who is her father? Where can I find her? I must see her again!"
The Lord of the West looks at his son, his only child, and smiles, and does not answer, because there are some things a man must do for himself.
So he seeks her out, this beautiful, exotic woman who caught his eye, and when he is soundly rebuffed, he returns to his father's side, still determined. "She is beautiful," he says. "I have never seen anyone like her. I must have her."
His father looks at him, and shakes his head, and wonders how the lord of the southern dog clans would like having his daughter spoken of like a piece of property.
His son realizes that he must prove his worth, must win a battle against a truly fierce opponent in order to even win her attention. Her affection is another thing entirely.
Except there are no male warriors stronger than the female who has caught his eye, so Inutaisho challenges her to a duel, and she has him defeated before the battle even begins, choosing her barbs and comments and offhand remarks as carefully as a general chooses his battle plans.
Inutaisho returns to his father's side, still determined, but now for a different reason. "I will defeat her," he says darkly, "and when I win the duel, I'll make my demands as victor."
His father, thinking he really should know better, asks "And what will those be, my son?"
His son smirks. "I'll make her my wife," he says, perfectly offhand. "Don't you fancy such powerful grandchildren?"
His father smiles and nods and says nothing, since he has learned this is the best course of action when dealing with his son. But he wonders if Inutaisho realizes that, yes, they'll be wed before the season ends, but it will not be he who rules the marriage.
At least, he thinks, Inutaisho's heir will be a handsome child.
End