Kagome stretched to the heavens as the morning light flitted through the window. She sat up and noticed a folded piece of paper on her desk. She reached over and touched the paper and smiled as she opened it up.
I cannot wait to spend the rest of eternity with you. I know you have a million questions in your mind but be at peace knowing that I as your husband will take care of you. Please be strong today.
Confused at the last sentence Kagome folded up the letter and put it between one of her books. Ayame's voice reached her through the rice paper then,
"Your majesty, it is time to go. Your presence has been requested." Kagome stood then and opened the rice paper door to allow Ayame in. Ayame smiled at her then and helped Kagome put on the kimono she received last night. Once the sash was tied around her waist Kagome sat and allowed Ayame to do her hair.
As her hair was tugged and pulled Kagome pondered the last line of the letter, please be strong today. What did that even mean? What was happening today that she needed to be strong? Kagome's hair was done then, it was down today in inky curls. An emerald pin was slid into the back pulling strands away from her face.
Kagome shuffled over to her desk and pulled out a beautiful piece of paper, she poured a small bit of water into the ink box and started to write a letter. She did solid beautiful strokes as she wrote down her thoughts.
Once she was done she blew on the letter, hoping it would make it dry faster. Before long however she folded the letter and handed it to Ayame.
"Make sure prince Kouga receives this." Kagome said as she turned back toward her old kimono and reached into the sleeve. Her fingers grazed the flower bud. She pulled it out and set it on the table near the window. She whispered kind encouraging words to the little blossom before Ayame insisted that it was time to leave.
Ayame led the way because they were not going to the regular meeting hall. Instead they were walking right up to the doors that had let Kagome into this world. Shippo stood there with his head held high.
"Welcome your majesty, your ride is outside waiting for you." Shippo said as he called out in the native tongue from a few days past. The doors opened and Kagome noticed there were two carriages. Just then a presence made itself known next to her.
Kagome glanced over to see the black kimono and locked eyes with Naraku's bride. The woman sat into the carriage and the hand maiden called to the lizard men and they lifted her and started to walk to the unknown destination.
Ayame had Kagome follow the same fashion and Ayame walked behind the carriage. Kagome noticed then the sullen expression on Ayame's face but she did not comment because they were walking through the village now.
The sheer curtains were down but still the villagers were on their hands and knees bowing to the royal carriages. Kagome noticed that Naraku's bride had a fan in front of her face, covering everything but her eyes.
Kagome looked around the carriage for a moment and she found one as well and copied the same fashion. They reached a door when the sun hit the middle of the sky; the walls around the door were high but not as high as the middle kingdom's.
Ayame helped Kagome out of the carriage but it was then that Kagome heard a scream of pain and a crack in the air as a whip hit skin. Kagome shook in disgust and fear as she gripped onto Ayame's arm. She turned to Ayame for answers but Ayame looked down as the doors opened.
Naraku's bride walked in behind her hand maiden, she possessed a cold stature and steely eyes. It was obvious that what was going to happen was bothering her. Ayame led Kagome in at that point, and what Kagome saw made her want to scream, cry, and vomit.
There were stands with padded chairs for royalty with a roof over it so they did not get hit by the sun. However the seats were posed so they could see what was happening below them. At this point there were seven girls, seven girls who had blood and mud caked all over there body. Who were chained by their wrists and ankles. Where the chains were the skin was bruised and bloody. The girls had chapped and bleeding lips and their eyes were full of hate and pain.
Then there was a chair in front of the seven girls where another girl sat. This girl was in the same fashion, bloody, bruised, and dirty. Instead however she had only a sleeping kimono on and her legs were dripping in blood. There were two men one on each side holding bloody paddles.
Kagome felt her knees go weak as she was taken to the covered seating and asked to sit next to the other women. Kagome looked into the girl in the chairs eyes and Kagome recognized her. It was the girl who walked away, who had death shrouding her, who knew she was going to die.
With a flick of king Bonkotsu's wrist the guard started hitting her again. The girl screamed in agony as her legs were being destroyed. Kagome sat there, frozen, in pain. Soon enough the guards undid the bindings on her wrists and ankles and threw her into the dusty ground on her hands and knees.
"Beg your king to be saved or die!" One of the guards yelled. The girl was shaking in complete pain as she whispered,
"I will never beg to anyone." The guards lifted her up and threw her to some guards next to a stable like building.
"Throw her in with the pigs, she has chosen death." The men took her to the side of the stable and threw her in. For the next five minutes all Kagome heard was squealing, screaming, ripping, and squishing noises. The screaming quieted down soon enough and then the girls in chains started to cry and scream.
The guards undid the chains on the next girl and she immediately fell to her knees begging to be saved, pleading to work as a slave. King Inu no Tashio nodded his head and the girl was grabbed by the wrists and taken to a covered wagon on the other side of the court yard. The girl was handed to the guards there and pushed into the wagon.
This continued on for hours. Some girls refused the life as a slave or concubine so they were tortured. Each torture was different. Some were given the same slapping treatment as the first girl. Others had their hips broken by the men bending their legs outward.
One girl had a snake demon's acid poured all over her body and Kagome watched as the acid ate away at her skin. Another girl was forced to wear red hot iron gloves and slippers and dance around the courtyard as the smell of burning flesh filled it.
The torturing continued until Kagome could not keep her emotions out of her face. By the last girl who did not even cry or make a sound as she was strung up to cows and pulled apart. Kagome felt a tear slip down her cheek. These girls did not deserve this, why? Why was this happening to them? What did they do to deserve this?
Once the wagon with only two girls was sent to market the royal families arose. The girls were the last ones to rise. They walked behind the royal families as they left the bloodied and foul courtyard.
As the royal families headed back to the palace, Kagome insisted to stand a little while longer as her stomach was queasy. When the carriages were all out of sight Kagome walked back into the court yard and cried. She let her tears soak the unholy ground. She cried to the sky and started to pray for the ground to be pure.
Ayame soon helped Kagome off the ground and took her to the carriage to be taken back to the palace. Ayame wiped the dirt off of Kagome's face and helped try to soothe the redness of her eyes. When that was over Kagome left her room and started to wander in a daze, the images of the torture being replayed in her mind, though she had failed to see the rose bud left on her table had bloomed to be a beautiful white rose tipped with red.
Back in the meeting house Kouga was outraged with his parents and the other royal parents.
"How could you subject them to that? How? They have just become royal and we immediately show them the gruesome side of having power! Why did you do that?!" Kouga yelled.
Inu no Taisho drank his tea before answering the young prince.
"Because Prince Kouga. The girls need to realize, being royal is not about just the gems and the parties and the respect. It is about keeping traditions. It is about taking care of problems that arise in any fashion that we seemed fit. A hundred years ago those girls would not have blinked an eye at torture. But because of the new age that's streaking across the kingdom suddenly they do. We had to knock sense into them that traditions are what will keep this kingdom sane."
Yoshiko nodded and then rose bidding them all a goodnight because she did not feel well. Inu no Taisho offered to join her but waved him off as she went back to her room. As soon as she entered the room however a woman was waiting for her. Her outfit with black and white with a black veil covering her face, she turned to greet the queen with a deep bow.
"Oh good you're here. Let us get down to business shall we?" Yoshiko said as she sat behind her desk. The figure nodded before throwing back her veil to reveal Kaede.
"I want to know everything about Kagome. I want to know where she comes from, where she was before this competition. I want to know everything. You can do that with your powers right?" Yoshiko asked as she poured water into her ink bowl.
Kaede shook her head slowly and bowed deeply before saying solemnly.
"I am sorry your majesty but the gods do not reveal that kind of stuff to me." Yoshiko rested her head on her chin and then and evil smile stretched across her face. She pulled out a piece of paper and started to write,
"Very well then, put a sickening curse on her. Make her so sick she cannot even move. Then in a days' time I will go visit her and give her and ultimatum." Yoshiko said as she blew on the writing she just created.
"You majesty, for that kind of spell I would need her blood." Kaede said as she clenched her hands so hard she felt blood drip.
"Very well, go to her when she is asleep. I will slip some sleeping herbs into her tea tonight so she will not awake as you obtain some of her blood. I want this spell performed tonight is that understood?" Yoshiko said calmly while staring Kaede down. Kaede bowed and left the room.
Her heart hurt as she prayed to the gods to forgive her. She loved Kagome, she was basically a daughter of hers and so she would make Kagome sick, but she knew it would only work for so long before Kagome's blood took over and destroyed the sickness because of what she was. Kaede left the condo and entered a secret passage behind the meeting house.
Elsewhere Kagome sat near the koi pond. Her fingers running through the cold dark water she smiled at the fish as they came up to her.
"Kagome…" A voice called out and Kagome turned to see her prince standing there, his head was bowed and he looked broken. Kagome stood and hurried to him.
"My prince, what is the matter?" She asked as she hesitantly touched his shoulder. He lifted his head and locked eyes with her; no matter the situation his eyes always took Kagome's breath away.
"I am sorry you had to endure that today. I know it was hard but kings and queens had reason behind it. It seemed to be a test of itself. Will you ever forgive me for not helping you out of there?" Kouga asked with broken eyes. Kagome smiled softly and nodded before answering.
"Of course I forgive you my prince. Because you are my husband and even though it broke me to watch such a display I trust you and so I will continue to prepare myself to be the wife you need me to be." Kouga picked up one of Kagome's hands then. Her fingers were like ice and his warm ones melted away the chill.
"Kagome, please do not suffer because of me. In two days we will be married. In a week we will be back at the southern palace. You can trust me because, I truly like you. I cannot say that I love you yet because I do not know yet…but I can say without a doubt that my heart beats for you." Kouga said as he gazed into Kagome's eyes. Kagome who still held the pain of the torture near her heart smiled at the man who confessed to her and so she lifted her other icy hand and placed it upon the hands that held her other hand.
"I like you to my prince." Kagome said as she smiled. Kouga shook his head and looked to the sky as he contemplated something. Soon enough however he looked down right back into Kagome's eyes and whispered.
"Not my prince, call me Kouga. Because soon you will be my wife and I will no longer be your ruler." Kagome felt her eyes close as a real smile broke across her face and tears poured out of her eyes.
"Why are you crying, Kagome?" Kouga asked concerned as he started to wipe away the stray water droplets. Kagome opened her watery eyes to look at him and she just smiled sweetly and said,
"Because, a few months ago I did not see myself being here, I did not see myself feeling anything for you. Now I get a confession and I realize how much I really do like you, Kouga." Snow started to fall then. They stared into each other's eyes as the snow around them started to gather. Kouga then dropped her hands and placed his hands on her cheeks.
He stared into her eyes as he leaned in. Kagome felt her heart pound as she closed her eyes and felt his mouth upon hers. The kiss was so numbing to Kagome that she did not feel Kouga's claws barley nick her as he pulled away.
When he noticed what he had done he began to apologize but Kagome just waved it off as a few drops of blood fell into the snow.
"Come on Kagome, let us go to the dinner hall and eat before we head off to bed." Kouga said as he rapped his hand in Kagome's and they walked toward the meeting hall. Unknown to them Kaede lurked in the shadows. She walked up to the blood droplets on the snow and scooped it into a dish.
She stared at the spot and shook her head; this did not meet her vision yet. The snow was not thick enough and there was not enough blood. Kaede then hurried back to her living quarters to begin the spell.
Kagome and Kouga had a wonderful night at dinner, they ate and drank tea and could barely stop smiling. Everyone seemed to be in a joyous mood as the night went on. When everyone was in a deep conversation, Yoshiko's hand maiden poured a silvery powder into Kagome's tea. Then passed them out with a smile before retreating back to the kitchen, they all drank their tea without even a care.
Even Kagome drank the tea without ever realizing she had been drugged or without knowing what was going to happen the next morning…