A disclaimer : I do not own Inuyasha
A note of gratitude : None of this would be possible without my fantastic beta (the lovely and talented Deathangel113) and viewers like you.
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The next day passed in a blur. One moment poor Izayoi was being scrubbed clean in a bathhouse by the women of her household. Then she was pinned in a white silk, cinched at her narrow hips by a silver girdle. After, she was placed in the center of the room and adorned with her mother's old jewelry. All the while, the women would make lewd jokes at her expense. The chatter provided by the women had long faded into noise for Izayoi, though. She could only hear the steady beating of her heart as it pounded away as it had always done - a steady thump thump while the women brushed out her long, dark curls. She listened to nothing else as they placed the crown of entwined leaves on her head. And when they closed her tiny hand around a ripe pomegranate, she unseeingly took in the blending colors, focusing instead on the stable heartbeat in her chest. When she stepped out over the threshold of her house, she didn't even stop to mourn that she would never cross it again as a woman of that household. Izayoi simply looked up into the overcast sky and concentrated on the soft beats that were the only constant remaining to her in her life.
The marriage was simple – she was herded into the temple of Hera by the same chattering women who threw white petals all around her for her projected loss of innocence. Her father wailed in mourning of the loss of his only daughter and made sweet smelling sacrifices to the goddess of marriage. Then he herded the best of the sheep and goats to Amphitryon. Only a few cows followed their smaller pasture companions, and they were withered and old. But if Amphitryon noticed, he didn't care – his face had not changed from the beatific smile he had worn since he first saw Izayoi. He simply waved his hand so that a shepherd standing beside him would herd the animals to their new pastures.
He reached out his hand for Izayoi's. She looked up at him as though just realizing he was there and couldn't hold back a smile in response to his obviously all-consuming joy. Amphitryon saw his young bride react and closed his hand around hers, rubbing it comfortingly. She visibly relaxed and he led her towards the great feast that had prepared in honor of the occasion. He seated her on the fine silks he had laid out for her, sitting himself eagerly at her left. Her dear father sat on her other side and began to pass the platters of mutton and cheeses.
Now instead of listening intently to her heartbeat, Izayoi relaxed into the festivity around her. She moved her gaze from her new husband who had been gushing about the joys of their new life together to take in the rich sights of silks that had been spread in a canopy over the newlyweds and their parents, the tips beginning to lighten from the stalwart rays of sunshine dispersing the cloud cover from that morning. Maybe it won't be such a bad life after all….Izayoi contemplated.
"Would you like some Koufetta, my sweet?" Amphitryon's voice broke through her thoughts.
Izayoi stared at the collection of almonds coated in a fine covering of sugar. The sweet and bitter taste was one she was familiar with having sneakily sampled the dish from the high table at the many weddings of her brothers. Her mouth turned down slightly – she wished they were here to steal almonds from her table this time.
Amphitryon noticed her mood change and his ever present smile faltered the slightest bit. For the first time, he wondered if she as exuberant to be wed to him as he was to be wed to her.
Izayoi looked back at the face of her husband. The smile was still there but it looked a bit strained now while dark eyes searched hers as though looking for confirmation that he should still be smiling. Pity overcame her longing for her brothers. She really hadn't been fair to her new husband at all. He was a good man, and more than that, he was a strong man who would be able to provide for her and protect her.
She tried for a smile. "Of course, my dearest."
He brightened and raised the bowl to pass it to her but misjudged the distance to her hand and ended up dropping it mere inches away from her out-stretched hand. The bowl fell with a resounding smash – all the wedding guest ceased their talking immediately and whipped around to the head table.
Poor Amphitryon's face drained of its normal olive tones only to be colored again as though filled with the fine wine at his right hand. His parents at his side quickly busied themselves with their plates in an effort to hide their embarrassment.
But at his other side, laughter erupted, ringing out in the stillness. Izayoi's peals of laughter shook her entire body and completely drained the tension she had been building for weeks. She managed to contain her mirth long enough to pick up one of the almonds that had made it to her plate in the crash and turned to her husband.
"Oh my husband," she struggled out through peals of laughter. "You only throw pots before they've been hardened."
And she placed the almond in his open mouth.
He chewed and laughed with his new wife while a chorus of aww's served to cover the confusion of the crowd. What was so funny about that? they wondered. But at the head table, the bride and groom laughed together, knowing that they had just needed an outlet to release their fear and uncertainty.
Izayoi was much happier – she rose to dance with Amphitryon, who only joined her after a great deal of pleading. He was a terrible dancer, stepping on her feet while they skipped together and apart. Sometimes he would miss steps all together, but the happiness and laughter shining from his new bride would lighten his despair at his own incompetence and convince him to continue to try.
They finally crashed back to the silks at the head table, flushed with excitement, hands clasped together, for the toasts. As was the usual process, Izayoi's father stood unsteadily and a hush fell over the revelry. He raised his glass to his ruddy face and peered into its equally ruddy contents, mulling over what he wanted to say to bless his favorite child in her new life.
"Thank you," he finally slurred out, "for joining us on this most festive of occasions. I am grateful that you could celebrate with us as I send my beloved daughter to the arms of both her new husband and new role in life. I can only wish her every happiness for her years ahead."
Here the king smiled at the new couple who glowed back with similar warmth.
"I wish that my sons could be here to join us in the celebration, as I am sure they are disappointed to have missed out on such an opportunity to mock their little sister."
A shadow crossed his good-humored continence. "But they have been called away to uphold the honor of our city-state and our family. And because they aren't here to share in the wedding feast, I have reached a decision. Amphitryon," with sudden clearness and sobriety, he looked into the eyes of his new son-in-law. "You are not to lay with Izayoi until her brothers return and honor has been restored to our family, as without the feasting of both families, you are not truly wed."
A clash was heard as Amphitryon dropped another bowl, but this time only shock was left to fill the silence.
Author's notes :
Hello fanfiction community - long time reader, first time writer and all that.
This story is my way of saying thank you to all of you. Things have been pretty hard since I graduated and I'm having a really hard time finding a paying job. But you guys have always been there to lighten my spirits with your ridiculously intriguing stories and incredibly intricate and creative plot lines. I usually just let things like that slip by unnoticed, but it's hard to explain how wonderful it is to relax into a great story with my favorite characters after an awful interview and I just couldn't leave that thankfulness unsaid. On an unrelated note, if you or anyone else you know needs a graphic designer, you just let me know :P
I am a new author so I have all of the insecurity that comes with releasing my beloved story into the wild of the internet and I just squeal in high pitched volumes when I see that new people have looked at my story. So I would appreciate it if you would say something back to me, if only to summon the neighborhood dogs with my inhuman frequencies.
Please enjoy my gift to you and I hope you keep reading!
