Thy Thralldom Come

by The Monday Child

Two sisters of royal blood are captured by the enemy. Their kingdom is no more. A cruel prince has taken them both for his own, tempting them into depths unexplored by good girls. Their choice is clear: lose themselves or lose their lives.

1. Undoing

One: Undoing

"…and that is how your honored ancestor Tsukiyomi vanquished the demon who betrayed her and established our kingdom, Higurashi, the sole human kingdom to be free of the demon race and their influence," Kaede recounted with a smile on her face as she stroked the soft hair of the smaller girl. "She became our first Queen, our first priestess, and our first warrior. She was succeeded as Queen by her firstborn daughter, who was also a powerful priestess and warrior just as her mother before her. Our Queens have defended our kingdom and protected its people from the evil demons and the few humans who have attempted to cross our borders for many generations.

"And you, Kikyo, are just like them. You are even stronger than your mother Midoriko, and she would have undoubtedly gone on to become the strongest of our Queens had her life not ended so abruptly on that battlefield, bringing our little Kagome into the world." Again, she stroked the girl's hair, though this time the young child climbed into her lap, throwing her arms around her neck and nuzzling her face into her shoulder.

Kikyo remained silent, the child possessing a serious, somber personality even at the age of ten.

"Are there any stories about princesses?" Kagome asked in her cheerful, high-pitched voice, snuggling into the elderly lesser priestess. She was only three and did not know or care how fearsome Kaede could be, and perhaps that was one of the reasons why the old woman favored her so. Not even the numerous battle scars or her missing eye could deter little Kagome when she wanted to be held and coddled.

Kaede laughed. "Yes, of course, sweet girl. But there are only love stories about foreign princesses, not stories of adventure such as our mighty Queens have."

"Might we hear one anyway?" Kikyo asked shyly, her soft voice barely loud enough to be heard.

It was enough to make the old woman look at her charge sharply, causing the girl to flinch at the stern expression. "Come along, Kagome, it's time for you to go to bed. Your sister needs to resume her training."

The tell-tale dimpling of Kagome's chin warned Kikyo in time for her to cover her ears.

"I don't wanna! I want to stay up and play with Kikyo! It's not fair!"

Kaede was at a loss, holding the screaming, squirming, struggling, and kicking toddler at arm's length, wondering if she should send Kikyo to fetch the laudanum. Unafraid, Kikyo grabbed one of her baby sister's flailing fists and gave her wrist a small tickle, making the girl laugh.

"If you promise to sleep now, I will make up a story to tell you tomorrow night. And we can play pretend that we're both princesses again!"

Kagome screeched wordlessly in happiness and lunged at Kikyo, giving her the biggest hug her tiny arms could manage. The little girl's nurse, summoned by the mild tantrum, carried her away and to her bedchamber, where she would probably be out like a light the moment her head touched the pillow. Kikyo smiled. Kagome was too stubborn and contrary, and that was exactly what made her so adorable.

Kaede sighed. "Were it not for that child's pretty face and occasionally charming ways, everyone would sooner jump from the castle walls than deal with her."

Kikyo merely nodded, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

"Well," her teacher continued, "it's time we went to the meditation chamber. Will you come willingly this time, or will I have to call the guards again?"

She shook her head. "I will go."

On the way, Kaede continued staring at her. Finally, she sighed. "Fairy tales are good for Kagome, but a Queen shouldn't fill her head with nonsense like that."

Kagome's attitude must have been contagious, because Kikyo was suddenly feeling a little rebellious herself.

"Why? I like the fairy tales most of all."

The old priestess struck her wrist with the fan she carried mostly for that very purpose. "You and your sister have different paths. You are the warrior Queen, Kikyo," she stressed. "You will lead our nation just as your mother before you, and her mother before her. When you turn twenty-five and come of age, the strongest men in your army will battle one another for the honor of your hand. The victor will be your General and serve to continue the bloodline as well as protect you in battle, but nothing more.

"Kagome is a great asset to the kingdom, but only as a tool, moved by those of greater minds. She need only to concern herself with being pretty, learning music, dancing, and art. When she is old enough, she will be traded to another kingdom for gold, livestock, and military aid.

"There are no princes in your story."

"I have a higher purpose." The words rang hollow since they were only a repetition of her teacher's.

She nodded. "That is correct. Even as we speak, your father is in negotiations with representatives from the kingdom of Hekigan. Their Crown Prince Hojo is only a month older than Kagome. If all goes well, she will become a queen as well, but nothing like you are, Kikyo."

"Is Hekigan far away?" the young girl asked as their footsteps echoed like heartbeats throughout the stone hallway.

"Yes, very. It is across the forests and the mountains and the plains, a prosperous island nation sitting in the very middle of the ocean."

"But I don't want Kagome to go away," she complained, faltering in her steps. "I love her more than I love Father and Mother put together. Can I not order her to stay?"

Kaede sighed. "And I'm sure the little one feels the same as you do, but your destinies are not meant to intertwine after she comes of age. Order must be preserved. Now keep your chin up, you still have many years yet before that day comes."

They reached the meditation room where she was usually trained. Generations of women in their family had gone through the same ordeal as she was in this very same room, but that thought gave her little, if any, comfort. The barren rock walls were like the rest of the castle, but here the room was tinged with fear and agony, a combined power so strong it never failed to overwhelm her, sometimes almost to the point of tears. Kaede told her she was especially sensitive to the residual power left behind in places where significant events had occurred. The first time she had set foot on a battlefield, she had fainted, overpowered by the misery and hatred and rage that lingered in the very earth, a curse transmitted through the shed blood of the conquered. Since that day she had improved a great deal, thanks in no small part to her priestess exercises, but she doubted she would ever be completely unaffected.

Since she was Kagome's age, she had been training. Sometimes she wanted to run away, far from the castle and her duties, but thoughts of Kagome had always stopped her. Who would protect her and the rest of their people if their Queen abandoned them? Life had been colorless before her mother had given her a sister, and so great a gift was more than enough to soothe the pain of Midoriko's passing. Kikyo had hardly ever seen the woman, as she was always out battling this tribe or that clan to protect Higurashi, but she loved her like one would love a goddess.

Her father inspired similar feelings in her. Though he was present far more often, it was usually only to restock supplies and ensure things were going well with her training before rejoining Midoriko. Now that his wife had passed, he temporarily ruled the kingdom in place of Kikyo and his duties consisted more of politics than war. She felt at times that he resented her for it. Kaede told her he would still be the most powerful warrior in their kingdom, a title he had worked hard his entire life to achieve, if only he were free to fight again. He was a doer, not a thinker. Once her training was complete, she would be crowned and presented with the sword of her ancestors, and maybe then her father would be happy.

Kneeling down as was customary, she took a deep breath. "I am ready," Kikyo said softly, her mind temporarily cleared of her troubles.

Kaede's eye was stern. "You will not be allowed any form of rest until you can create a barrier around this wing of the stronghold for an entire hour. My fellow lesser priestesses are stationed in order to observe the quality of your barrier as well as make sure you complete your task. Should you fail, you will be punished."

Kikyo nodded, took a deep breath, focused, and set to work. Immediately, the room filled with a bright silver-blue glow. At first blinding in its intensity, it faded as it continued expanding until its brilliance was little more than a faint pearlescent shimmer illuminating everything around them. The longest she had ever managed to hold a barrier of this size was twenty minutes. Her teacher's threat of punishment made her heart beat faster and forced her to strive for the ordered goal. After just fifteen minutes, she was sweating so much that her clothing was soaked through, clinging to her back and legs.

At twenty minutes Kikyo's knees began to hurt. She welcomed the pain. Pain made Queens great. Pain made them wise. Pain made them strong. It was the pain they endured for the sake of their people that made them fit to rule even more so than the powers the gods had blessed them with. She dug her short fingernails into her thighs with enough force to cause bruising. Biting her lip also helped her concentrate and she stopped only when she tasted blood.

The barrier was becoming more difficult to maintain as the minutes ticked by. At forty minutes, she almost lost her hold on it. Kikyo panicked inside, having no wish to experience Kaede's harsh punishments yet again. Desperately, she turned her thoughts to Kagome and her father. The General would be so pleased with her once she completed her training and he was able to go out and fight alongside his people once more. Feeling her control over the barrier growing, she turned her focus to her sister, her thoughts reflecting on her future. When she was crowned as Queen, maybe she could order Kagome to stay with her, no matter what Kaede said. The Queen spoke the law, after all. Had any of the other Queens been in a situation like hers? She wished there was a book on their personal matters, but all she had found in the library were volumes upon volumes of the battles won during each Queen's reign. If only her mother were still alive, then she would not have to worry about any of this. She wouldn't be so timid in front of her father and she could play with Kagome whenever she wanted to, making snowmen and telling stories…

Her face exploded in pain and she cried out as the barrier collapsed.

"Fifty-seven minutes," Kaede said, her face set hard in disappointment. Again, she struck the young girl's face with the closed wooden fan, slicing her skin. "You were so close, Kikyo."

"W-What—"

A few more thwacks with the fan had her in tears. She knew better than to cry. It only ever earned her a worse punishment rather than anything even remotely resembling mercy. But she couldn't help it. It wasn't like she wanted to be so weak. The salt from her tears burned the small slits and cuts crisscrossing her face and she tried to stop only to have them falling faster, mingling with the drops of blood and staining her white training clothes with splotches of pink. Even she was punishing herself for her failure.

"A Queen cannot afford to rest when her kingdom needs protection from invaders. If a horde of demons had been outside the castle gates, we would have been overrun in minutes. That's how long it takes, Kikyo. Only minutes."

"I'm sorry, Kaede, I-I'll—"

The hardest blow yet, this one against her sensitive and already cut lips, sent her reeling back.

"You will learn to go without sleep for the sake of your kingdom."

Kaede grabbed her by her long braid and dunked her head into a tub of ice water she'd had brought in sometime during her barrier training. Kikyo tried to struggle, but the old woman was too strong, muscles still powerful from years of war and fighting retained their strength even this late in her life. When she thought her lungs were about to burst, Kaede yanked her out of the water. She only had time to take in a single gasp of air before her head was thrust back inside the tub, this time so hard that her face hit the bottom. Warmth gushed from her nose and told her she was now bleeding. She screamed under the water, wasting her precious breath. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore and she was going to suck in water, again she was pulled back.

"Please, Kaede, you're going to kill me!" she sobbed.

The priestess did not even hesitate. Kikyo was forced back under the water, this time without having taken a breath. She did not struggle. What was the point? Queens had always been trained this way. Their weakness was cut out from them like an infection, scraping the pus away until all that remained was salvageable, healthy flesh, even if the surgeon had to dig to the bone and beyond to get to it. Kaede was only doing her duty, making her into a true Queen, not just a child with a title.

Yet none of that stopped the feelings of powerlessness and despair that rose inside her.

Kikyo's rage mingled with the residual rage left over by her ancestors and called out to it, invited it in. Barely aware of what was going on, she let herself be invaded by the foreign entity, making their power her own. An intoxicating strength lit up like a sun inside her solar plexus and, on the verge of passing out, she released it. Suddenly, the stinging in her scalp and the pressure holding her prisoner were both gone and she lurched out of the tub, knocking it over and spilling the icy cold water across the floor. Water was in her throat and she coughed and vomited, expelling it along with the feelings that freed her. She was seeing spots, so she blinked rapidly, taking in huge gulps of air, panting for breath as her mind had yet to fully absorb the fact that she was alive.

Her teacher lay a few feet away from her, left arm at a crooked angle, blood trickling from her scalp, and a large smile on her face.

"Kaede…" was all she said, confused. The ice water had done a good job of numbing the wounds on her face, but it still hurt her lips to form words.

"It took your mother five more years of training before she threw me off. She was the one who took my eye, you know."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, exhausted. She wanted to cry but she could not.

"Don't be, my lady." Kaede struggled to her feet, gingerly holding her broken arm. "Now you are truly a Queen."

O\o/O

Kikyo rubbed her eyes, wondering why her mind chose now of all times to reflect on the past. Fifteen years had gone by since she had been crowned in that midnight ceremony, the youngest Queen to ever ascend to the throne. Her father had been delighted and soon returned to his old station, winning many battles for them, taking no prisoners as was their tradition. He had been so successful a General and warrior that for years she had not been necessary on the field, but when she was fifteen his strength had momentarily faltered and his opponents crippled him. That he survived at all was a testament to his strength, though his shame from being beaten almost killed him. Now he was back at running the domestic politics of their kingdom while she led the troops.

Everything had been going so well until six months ago, when the Inu Empire attacked. The war was not going in her favor and hadn't from the start. They were greatly outnumbered, their opponents had better weapons, and worst yet the legions they fought were primarily demons, possessing far greater strength, speed, experience, ruthlessness, and cunning. All her learning and skill had been already applied and she saw no way out, no path to victory. Her men were already calling her the Queen of Retreats. If things continued the same, the kingdom would surely fall.

This war was nothing like the kingdom of Higurashi had ever experienced since Tsukiyomi had conquered and eradicated invading demonic forces five-hundred years ago. Three-hundred years ago, Queen Hitomiko had been one of the first signers of the human-demon treaty, the very one that the still reigning Inu no Taisho Toga himself had signed, swearing peace with her people and humans the world over. Why now? Why break the treaty and lay siege to her small quasi-isolationist kingdom? Humans in this corner of the world were always fighting amongst themselves and the demons never interfered or showed any interest. She didn't think they even noticed their existence, too busy in their far-off lands to the West and living lavishly in their palaces in the sky. But for the past few years the Inu Empire had been expanding, rapidly so. Knowing they had long been in the practice of taking slaves from among their conquered lands, both human and demon, she worried intensely over the fate of her people.

Their magic was powerful and different from anything she'd ever seen before, and their strength was frightening even to someone as experienced in war as herself. Maybe she could take them on if she had an army of priestesses, but priestesses were rare and none were as powerful as she was. The lesser priestesses served as the kingdom's last defense, but she knew if it came to that then they were already as good as beaten. Kikyo, like the Queens before her, was used to battling humans. She was also used to winning. But with these enemies it was all she could do to keep them from slaughtering her men. There was no victory, her focus was not on how to minimize the time a battle lasted, but rather how to minimize their losses and prolong their struggle as long as possible.

Pushing away the negativity, Kikyo rubbed her eyes again and studied the maps in front of her. It wouldn't do to think about things like that. She needed her wits about her, to concentrate, to pore over the maps and ancient tomes searching for a way to defeat her enemy. True, she had not slept for more than two days, but she was fairly used to that. If they were going to win a war against demons, they had to fight like demons, and demons did not take time off to sleep.

Neither did Queens.

"Some tea, my Queen?" came a soft voice from outside her closed tent.

Quickly, she pushed the maps she had carefully gathered from the royal library to the side of the table, not caring when some fell to the floor. It was uncharacteristic of her to be anything but completely and totally organized, but the person that voice belonged to always made her act in strange ways.

"Come in!" She tried not to sound too eager and failed, just as she always did.

Suikotsu, her personal physician, smiled at her as he entered, just as exhausted as she was. He always stayed up in solidarity with her no matter what. Maybe he knew it made her sleep more often because she did not like to see him suffer. Her cheeks colored at the thought of him noticing her tender feelings. He handed her a cup of tea and she shyly accepted it, keeping her eyes on the steam coming from the hot drink, very visible in the cold winter air. His hand grazed hers and she felt her heart skip a beat before pounding out of control.

"I called out twice before you heard me. You must have been very lost in your thoughts."

It was very unusual for her not to immediately respond, so she understood his concern.

"I was just thinking of my training as a child."

Suikotsu shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning down. "The brutality you experienced still makes me sick. I was there many times when my father treated your wounds. That was my own training, I guess you could say."

"It prepared me for times like this, so I cannot be anything but grateful to Kaede."

"Would… Do you mind if I check your shoulder wound, my Queen? Or shall I come back later."

Holding her breath, she nodded, untying and opening her robe as she did so. In her nervousness, her hands revealed too much and she exposed one of her pale breasts. The look on Suikotsu's face was the only thing that stopped her from immediately covering herself again. Several times she had caught him staring at her, but never did she even dream he would find her body attractive. She was covered in scars and more muscular than most women. Her breasts were on the smaller side and she was far too tall to be considered feminine. Her father had once told her she had very symmetrical facial features, but she was still unsure to this very day whether that was something she should be proud of. But the way Suikotsu was looking at her made her feel not like a battle-worn soldier, but instead a woman.

A very desirable woman.

His hands, gentle and beautifully shaped, shakily reached out towards her. Her nipples hardened as just the tips of his fingers grazed the top of her breast, right where the swell began, but then he was unwrapping her shoulder bandage, all business. Dazed, stomach still churning with an unfamiliar longing, she wondered if she had imagined it all.

As he examined, cleaned, and redressed her wound, she removed herself from the pain by thinking of the man before her. Though she'd been aware of Suikotsu's existence all her life, he had only become more than just the doctor's son to her when she began to go to war. His father had died abruptly of a heart attack and so he too was thrust almost unprepared into a role he was unsure he even wanted to fill. Since he was the royal physician and she was always sustaining some sort of injury, they became close. He'd tell her funny stories as he treated her and made her feel human, the warmth he brought her second only to that of her younger sister. Almost immediately she began to feel things for him that she knew were forbidden.

No matter how much she wished it were not so, there was no chance that they could ever be together. In order to ensure a strong bloodline, she would have to marry her strongest warrior, and he would become the father of her children, her General, and her second in command. Suikotsu, however, had never even held a sword in his life. The very sight of blood made him feel faint, but his soul was so pure that he persevered and ignored his own discomfort in order to save lives, whether the wounded be friend or foe. It was that strength of his that she admired. None of the muscular, posturing warriors were as strong as he. None of them would ever talk to her about books and fanciful things. None of them filled her every waking thought and beautiful dream. Yet one of them would become her husband.

"All done. Looks like another sleepless night for the both of us, my Queen." His smile was warm and free of resentment.

Dawn was beginning to show through the small opening in her tent flaps.

"Please stay in my tent and sleep, Suikotsu. You cannot possibly do your work when this tired."

He merely shook his head, smile still in place. "I swore to obey your every order, and I would regardless of your status, but I cannot follow a command that keeps me from my duty."

Kikyo sighed but smiled back. She hadn't expected any different. That purity of heart, that fortitude, that devotion was what she loved most about him, after all.

"Stay near me, then. At least allow me to protect you."

The royal physician nodded. He seemed to want to say something, but then her page boy arrived and it was time for her to get ready for another day of hell. To give her privacy, Suikotsu retreated outside the tent.

First, she pinned her braid into a crown with tiny wooden combs intricately carved with birds and vines. Many Queens before her had simply cut it all off, but her one traditionally feminine feature was her beautiful, shining waterfall of raven hair, and she allowed herself this single vanity. Shrugging out of her cotton robe, she pulled on her trousers and undershirt. Her feet were slightly swollen from lack of sleep and standing too long, but she forced her sturdy leather boots on regardless. The page boy strapped on thick padding to her arms, legs, torso, and neck. Then came her armor. It was hot, heavy, and suffocating, though flashily made of pure gold, spun so fine and enchanted so that it was not as weighty as it should have been yet triple-enforced. When she'd first worn it, she'd had a panic attack, but after Kaede made her wear it for a week straight she no longer had a problem. Many minutes passed while the boy struggled to get it all in place. Finally, it was time to don her helmet. Gold to match the rest of her battle wear, it was padded inside and completely covered her face, leaving only a small slit for her eyes and several little breathing holes near her nose and mouth.

Moving was always difficult in the suit at first, but the sounds of slaughter reached her and suddenly the armor felt light as a feather. Suikotsu was already out there, tending to the wounded and dying, helping those he could and couldn't. He needed her to protect him.

Keeping an eye on where he was removing the first of several arrows from a dog demon's stomach, she almost effortlessly wielded the sword of her ancestors, killing all those foolish enough to come near her, imbuing her purifying powers into her weapon whenever she encountered demons. If only she had more soldiers with the same abilities, the war would have been over in a month. Her actions became repetitious. Dodge, parry, stab, slice, move on. Dodge, parry, stab, slice, move on. Becoming bored, her thoughts turned to Kagome.

The princess was safe and sound behind the walls of the castle, far away from the death, indignity, and horrors that surrounded the Queen. Against the recommendations of her advisors, she'd left her strongest and most trusted warriors to guard the palace, more specifically Kagome. They'd protested, but that had ended quickly enough. She was their Queen. She spoke the law. Her warriors did not protest once that had been made clear and she knew they'd go above and beyond to do their job. After all, she was just a month away from her twenty-fifth birthday. One of them would win the tournament and become her husband. It wouldn't be wise to earn her wrath now and have to share a bed with her in a matter of weeks. She trusted them to protect Kagome, the jewel of the kingdom. If something happened to her, Kikyo didn't know if she could go on.

Besides, her sister wasn't the only royal who required protection.

Kagome's betrothed had insisted on remaining with her even though he was of even less use in a fight than the princess, coming all the long way from Hekigan to "protect" her. Kikyo had allowed it without feeling too annoyed since he'd brought them some much needed supplies and scores of soldiers. And if by some miracle they did manage to survive and emerge victorious, it would serve her well to stay in the young prince's good graces, for it would make convincing him to remain in Higurashi after his and Kagome's marriage all the easier. Everyone knew the Crown Prince wasn't made for ruling, and if he stepped down and let the throne go to one of his younger siblings, she would promise him any comfort possible in her kingdom.

When she thought about it later, she still wouldn't know what it was that compelled her to abruptly stop fighting her opponent and instead turn around, searching the area where she'd last seen Suikotsu. He was far from where he had been earlier, attempting to save, of all people, her little page boy, whom even she could see was not going to make it. Enemy soldiers were descending from the hill, fresh reinforcements from the clean and eager look of them, mere yards away from where he was absorbed in saving a life. One of them was closer than the others, glee on his face as he raised his frighteningly large sword to strike. Dashing towards her physician, she shrieked a wordless warning, terror in her bones. Just in time to save his own precious life, she made it to his side, striking a blow so powerful that it pierced the dog demon's armor and flesh both with the ease of tearing through wet paper. He howled as she purified him and she didn't stop until she could smell the stench of his burning, smoking corpse.

Now she was surrounded. Her men were fighting as well as they could, but as she had noted before, they did not have the numbers and many no longer had the will. Kikyo called on the power of the former Queens and released a purifying wave. It cleared out all the enemies near her and Suikotsu, but it seemed as though for every soldier she struck down, two more suddenly appeared in his place. Soon, even she was overwhelmed. The lack of sleep, the stress from fighting six solid months without reprieve, and the agony of the man she loved being in danger became so apparent that they were almost physical wounds, piercing her heart straight through.

Out of breath, Kikyo nearly fell to her knees, catching herself at the last moment. No, a Queen would always go out fighting. Her own mother had the very sword she now carried in hand when she had given birth to Kagome, right there on the battlefield, slashing and stabbing at the calves of the enemies while her soldiers took the rest of their bodies on. Kikyo was a Queen. Even if she had never felt like one in life, she swore she would die like one.

Her momentary weakness had not gone unnoticed.

A sick grin twisted the face of the dog demon warrior nearest her. So arrogant he did not even wear armor, he twirled his twin swords, flashily going in for the kill. Angered by the display, Kikyo raised her sword, just a fraction too late. The demon's blades pierced flesh, all the way through to the other side.

She screamed.

"Suikotsu!"

The rage she felt at seeing the beautiful man impaled shook the very earth and stones around her. The familiar pearlescent silver-blue light exploded out from her and disintegrated every demon soldier in the vicinity. Finally allowing herself to drop, she hovered over him, wanting to touch him but not knowing if she'd only make it worse. Kikyo wanted to take her armor off, to see and hear him properly, but she couldn't, her hands were shaking so badly.

"Kikyo," he whispered, and somehow she could hear him even over the noise that seemed to overtake the entire earth.

"Why? Why did you jump in front of me? I could have— I was—" She was crying for the first time since her coronation. Kikyo knew there was no way she could have deflected the blow, but damn it, why!?

"Kikyo," he said again, a smile on his pale lips. "I wish I could see your face. Touch your hair."

She was glad he couldn't see her. Her face was covered in tears, dripping in weakness. She was supposed to protect him, and she failed.

"I'm sorry. Oh, Suikotsu, we need to get you home…"

"Run. You know there's no use fighting them. Run and live, Kikyo."

Suikotsu gave up the ghost, having saved one last life, the life most precious to him.

For the first time since she solidified her status as Queen and killed a man, Kikyo obeyed the orders of another. She scrambled to her feet, her usual practiced grace nowhere to be found. If this were another war, another enemy, she would have called soldiers to her and retreated, giving Suikotsu a proper burial and mourning him for the required time. But she couldn't. Heartbroken, she shed her armor as she ran, grateful it was much easier to take off than to put on. When she was halfway back to the castle, she realized that had been the first and last time Suikotsu had called her by her name.

O\o/O

"My princess

I must confess

You stole my breath

The first time we met

And every time yet

Because you are the best

Please put my heart at rest…"

Hojo continued with his poorly written poem. It was a struggle for Kagome to keep the proper, demure smile on her face, but she did so, idly wondering how he'd react if she attempted to do what she really wanted to do and slammed his head straight through the stone wall. Sighing internally, she wondered when Kikyo would return. Never before had she been gone for so long. Usually it was a month, two at most, and then she'd be back home and telling her stories about the battles and her stupid soldiers. Even though Kikyo had been gone for half a year now, Kagome didn't worry, completely and totally confident in her older sister, in her Queen.

"You can brush my hair now, Hojo."

Anything to get him to shut up.

Like an eager puppy, he tripped over his own feet to get to her, standing behind her chair and taking the jewel-inlaid boar's hair brush. With extreme caution, he began at the ends, working his way up. It was nice. At least he was good for one thing.

Normally, she wasn't such a brat. At least she tried not to be. But it was kind of fun making a prince from a kingdom larger and allegedly more powerful (though she thought that to be ludicrous because they didn't have Kikyo) than her own act like a lady's handmaiden.

"Have you given any thought to the wedding date yet?" he asked, his nerves showing in his voice.

"I'm only eighteen, Hojo," she responded, trying to get some dirt out from under her nail. Maybe she could get her fiancé to do it after he finished with her hair. "Seven more years, remember? It's tradition."

"But we can still talk about it, right?"

No, she thought, but instead she just shrugged. "Why bother? It's seven whole years away. We don't even know what will be fashionable then."

"I'd like to have it in my mother's chapel," he said dreamily, his words distracting him from his task as he brushed the same length of hair over and over and over. "My family's traditional colors are dark blue, light blue, and gold, but your family's colors don't match. At least I don't think red and blue match. I'll have to ask Mother. And we can have Mother sing at the wedding, and my cousin will accompany her on the flute, and—"

Kagome instantly had a headache. "Wanna practice kissing?" she chirped.

He dropped the brush, face going an inhuman shade of red. "Wuh-wuh-wuh, Ka-Kagome, I-I-I—"

"That's enough, Princess." Kaede's grumpy voice came from her post by the window.

Kagome pouted and crossed her arms, bored again. "I want to go and see Kikyo. I hate being cooped up like this!"

The old priestess laughed, but it soon turned into a ragged cough. "You would not be able to withstand even a glimpse of the horrors of the battlefield."

"But Kikyo does it every day! I just want to do it once, just once. Don't you think she'd be happy to see me? I know I love surprises."

"But Kagome," Hojo protested, "your beautiful skin would be destroyed in the sun, and your hair would be lightened and damaged. Here, let me read you another poem…"

Even Kaede rolled her eye this time.

"Crown Prince, the hour of your nap has arrived," one of Hojo's constant guards announced.

"No wonder I'm so exhausted!" Hojo yawned. "I can't wait for our marriage, Kagome. Then we can have naptime together."

The Crown Prince of Hekigan and his entourage retreated to a separate chamber.

Kagome shuddered. "Why did Father think this boy and I should get married? Are you sure he's met him?"

"It is a good alliance. The kingdom is powerful and wealthy beyond any of the other human kingdoms, despite their rather…strange royals."

"But the demons are even wealthier, right?" she sighed. "I wonder what that's like."

The door bursting open stopped any reply Kaede may have had. One of the guards closest to the now splintered doorframe was run through with a spear before he could even react. The rest began to fight as the demon soldiers began to pour in, their battle cries ringing in the small room. Kaede rushed to the door, brandishing her cane before her like a weapon, ready and more than able to slay any demon who underestimated her. Kagome's eyes went wide and she wrapped her arms around herself at what she was seeing. What was she going to do? There was only one way out and it was a bloody mess. The window was too high to jump from. Should she hide?

A spray of red erupted into the room, all the way across and over to her, splattering across her face and new dress. Another spray. A demon had been stabbed through the heart and was dying, shooting jets of thick blood with every rapidly failing beat. Just when she was about to scream, a familiar face appeared before her. Kikyo made several motions with her hand that Kagome couldn't understand, but the soldiers and Kaede simply nodded and marched off determinedly without a word.

"We need to run to your chambers, Kagome, and you need to be very quiet, do you understand?" she hissed, eyes large and straining.

She shivered. "Y-yes."

"Good girl."

Kikyo grabbed her by the hand and tugged her along, going at a speed the princess was unaccustomed to. Still, Kagome tried her best to stumble along, wishing both hands were free so she could hold them over her ears and attempt to block out the screams and cries among the clashing of metal. It wasn't too long before they arrived at their destination, and thankfully that portion of the castle was as of yet empty of the enemy hordes. Locking the door behind them and sliding the large iron bar lock in place, Kikyo wasted no time in pulling off Kagome's clothes. The younger girl was too scared and shocked to protest and just let her continue doing it, first her beautiful lavender dress, then her silken white chemise, before going so far as the cut through her breast bindings, stripping her until she was completely naked. Opening a leather pack she hadn't seen before, Kikyo thrust a rough woolen dress into her arms. Kagome noticed her sister's hands were covered in what looked like ink, but had no time to dwell on it, shaken as she was from what she'd just seen.

"Here. Put it on. And hurry."

Kagome recognized the gray dress from Kikyo's private "peasant collection". Sometimes the Queen liked to walk out among the people as one of them without drawing any attention or notice to herself. She had always wanted to tag along, but each time Kikyo made up new reasons why she shouldn't go. The latest one had been that princesses weren't allowed to leave their castles until they got married, and then they couldn't leave their husband's castle. It all seemed so incredibly unfair.

Once she and Kikyo were both dressed in what Kagome had always thought of as poor people clothes, the older girl handed her another leather pack.

"Three minutes. Bring everything you will need. We're going on the run."

Adrenaline rushing through her, Kagome quickly stuffed everything she thought she'd need into her bag while Kikyo kept lookout. When she was done, she tapped the Queen on the shoulder, who jumped, startled. The girl felt bad for not considering how tightly wound Kikyo must have been from her many months spent fighting. Again, she experienced being dragged by the hand through the familiar castle which had quickly become an unrecognizable battlefield. Kikyo kept a slower pace this time, being more cautious, for which Kagome was grateful. Her heavy bag was weighing her down.

They ran into trouble almost immediately.

Kagome hadn't even noticed the armored man coming towards them, so intent she was on looking at her feet and making sure she didn't trip in the clunky wooden shoes she was unaccustomed to wearing. One minute she was counting her steps and the next she was watching Kikyo pull her sword from out of nowhere and aim it at her. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on when suddenly Kikyo swung at her. Shrieking, she ducked, and out of the corner of her eye saw a dog demon sliced down to his bowels by her sister's sword. He'd been trying to sneak up on them and do gods knew what, but thankfully Kikyo was smarter than he was. She barely had time to take a relieved breath before they were running again.

To her surprise, instead of going towards one of the gates, Kikyo led her down a servants' flight of stairs, going further and further into the deep dark underbelly of the stronghold until they were in the vast underground storeroom, where they stopped. With steady hands, Kikyo grabbed a large jar of cooking oil. The muted silence in the room bothered her when she knew what was going on just above their heads.

"Kikyo, what are we going to do?" she whispered. She longed to hug her sister but knew it was not the time.

"The invaders have presented us with only two options: death or capture. And you know what happens to captured women, especially those with status."

Kagome shuddered. "Can't we just run?"

She shook her head. "Higurashi has fallen. The demons will ensure none escape. I am not certain of how greatly they outnumber us, but I would not be surprised if it was a hundred to one. Even if we were able to slip past the battle lines, they would send trackers into the forests soon enough. These infernal dogs have a very strong sense of smell."

Kagome began to tremble. "Is it hopeless, then? Do we… Do I use the dagger Kaede gave me?" If the kingdom should ever be overtaken, daggers were passed down to any females among the nobility. Suicide was the only honorable way for a woman to die once the enemy had won. It had never happened in their history, but the wise ones who came before them knew that didn't mean it never would, and so they instituted this tradition.

"My life was saved at the expense of another's today, Kagome, and I swore to myself I would save yours as well. We two have a responsibility to continue living. If I did not believe in us and our people, I would hand you a sword and tell you to go out fighting." Kikyo's face glowed from within, lit by a holy fire, and she had never looked more like a Queen. To the little princess, she was nothing less than a goddess.

Willing the tears away, Kagome nodded and squared her shoulders. "I'll do whatever it takes to be worthy of your rescue. You command and I will obey."

O\o/O

Inuyasha, second son of the Inu no Taisho and second in line to the throne, lazily strolled through the Higurashi stronghold. Compared to what he was used to, it was just a decrepit pile of rocks held together by stubbornness and that bitch queen's magic. One of her unwashed warriors ran at him swinging a colossal battle axe. He would have been impressed had he not seen ten others like him just that morning. Growling in annoyance, he muttered some words under his breath and light appeared from his fingertips, slashing the man's face clean off.

"Fuck, how are some of them still alive? Where the hell are they coming from?"

His companion easily swung her massive boomerang down the hall, clearing it of demons and humans alike, uncaring of who sided with them and who didn't. It returned to her and she caught it without breaking her stride.

"It appears that some of their best warriors were kept behind in the castle. Perhaps they were guarding some great treasure?"

He snorted. "Nah, they're probably too fucking dumb to formulate a proper strategy."

Inuyasha was not in a good mood.

In the five years since he'd begun proving his worth to his father and conquering more lands to bring him tribute, expanding the empire and improving the lives of both those back home and in the new territories, he'd not had a campaign this mind-numbingly tedious. What took just days with other human kingdoms, a few weeks at the most, had taken half a goddamn year in stupid fucking Higurashi, the joke of the developed world. Months had been spent fighting in a war of attrition with these idiot human barbarians who smelled like shit. Months spent living in a fucking freezing tent. Months sleeping on the ground like the aforementioned stupid human barbarians. Months of being forced to eat the crap they served those of the military, from the infantrymen to the Generals. No one got special treatment, not even the prince.

The humans smelled like shit, there was no disputing that, but their entire stupid kingdom smelled like it was made of shit, and he was somehow always downwind of it. In addition to those less than ideal circumstances, his brother, the future Emperor, the one who'd inherit the result of all Inuyasha's hard work, kept sending him taunts disguised as missives, letter after letter offering assistance because the campaign was taking him, as he put it, "so damnably long".

But what pissed him off the most, even more than all that nearly unbearable crap, was how he hadn't fucked since he'd left the palace. Six whole months without any pussy was driving him insane. Of course Sango chose that very moment to walk in front of him, her skintight leather outfit hugging her every curve and crevice, enhancing them for his viewing pleasure (and torture). His groin ached at the sight and it was everything he could do not to pull her aside and bend her over.

Sango Taijiya was his "shadow" and had been since they were fifteen. In the world outside Higurashi and the other tiny human kingdoms, demons were the dominant species. Sango's clan were traditionally demon slayers, but centuries ago had sworn allegiance to his father's bloodline. Humans outside the Taijiya lived reasonably comfortable lives in demon territory, like his mother, who had been a princess in one of their minor territories before marrying and mating his father. Most of the people they'd conquered had thanked him and his troops after just a short while, once they helped in rebuilding and overseeing them. Their governments not only ran much more efficiently under Inu rule, but were more prosperous thanks to the massive trading opportunities that were then opened to them.

But these Higurashi barbarians were different from regular humans. Not only did their military fight, but the peasants took up arms and fought too. Then there were the freaks known as "priestesses" who expelled a strange power that was capable of turning demons to ash in an instant. He'd seen their bitch of a queen murder his men on more than one occasion on the battlefield, her face concealed by her masked helmet, hidden like a coward. Once he got his hands on her, he'd make her wish she'd never been born.

Once again he was distracted from his thoughts by the sway of Sango's ample backside. Her athletic body was slim, muscled, and fit. All except for her rear, which was thick and luscious. Her breasts were on the smaller side, but with an ass like that it didn't even matter. It was she that had formed his preference in women, all his subsequent conquests bearing a resemblance to her as a result. Now with his mind firmly stuck in the gutter on thoughts of hot sex, Inuyasha tried and failed to recall the last time he and Sango had been intimate. When outside his bedchambers of the palace, it was crucial that they abstain from any sort of sexual contact. Not only was it forbidden for him to take a common unranked non-slave to his bed, but Sango was a slayer. In her clan, a woman who was an active slayer was sworn to virginity. Once a woman was deflowered, it was believed that she became wanton and easily distracted, which Inuyasha thought might have some truth to it, at least in her case, though it seemed more often than not it was he who was distracted, and most certainly wanton.

They'd been in their teens when they'd broken that particular taboo, giving their virginities to one another, and he hadn't thought then of the consequences she could possibly face. If they were discovered by the wrong people, almost nothing would happen to him except for perhaps a sternly worded letter from his father, but the punishment for Sango would have been death by beheading. He knew she loved him and that was why she risked it all to be with him. Inuyasha was incredibly grateful to have her at his side as a constant presence and was awed by her each and every day as she continued to prove herself to him as well as everyone else.

Now bored, annoyed, and sexually frustrated anew, he idly observed his surroundings. The hall they were walking through seemingly went on forever. Here and there appeared marble statues, pure white and flawless. All of them were of seemingly virginal women, not that he was surprised, considering these particular barbarians had a matriarchy. Despite their backwoods ways, he had no choice but to admit he had never seen such perfect works of art. At first he had thought it was plaster poured over humans, but that proved false on closer inspection. No living person had such perfect proportions. He'd heard of the beautiful women of Higurashi before, but he assumed it to be nonsense and rumors, or even some joke. Inuyasha was proved right when they arrived in the kingdom and found the great majority of women and men were nearly indistinguishable from each other in their hulking muscular appearances.

But these flawless marble statues were of a kind of woman he had never laid eyes on before. Breasts high, firm, and large, like unripe melon halves, with nipples erect. Beautiful faces with pouty lips. Long, flowing hair that waved and seemed to defy the very material it was carved from. The excruciating ache in his groin was strong enough that he wanted to reach out and touch one, wanted it to come alive. He'd certainly haul them back to his wing of the palace once they were done killing the bitch queen and her father the king.

Another thought flashed across his mind, a reminder that such works of art were made by hand. Perhaps those responsible for carving these statues should be taken back to the capital rather than left behind. After all, their talents and skills were wasted here if they had to make up imaginary individuals as subjects for their art, and he was sure that such skilled craftsmen would be a welcome first tribute to his parents from this latest conquest. That, and he was still struggling with just what to present his mother for her and his father's anniversary. He filed the thought away for later. Now it was time to enjoy his hard-earned victory and revel in the moment he'd been looking forward to for over half a year.

The massive wooden doors with gold inlay signaled they had arrived at their destination. The throne room. His soldiers had informed him that the queen had run off once she realized her imminent defeat, cowardly leaving her army behind to fend for themselves. It was very likely she was conferring with her counselors and king in the very room he was about to enter, so he prepared himself, brushing imaginary dirt from his red fire rat fur cape, inspecting his immaculate white tunic and matching trousers, wanting to make an impressive entrance. Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he nodded at Sango and together they destroyed the door, him with a kick and she with her weapon.

Brandishing his sword before him, he growled, the sound loud and menacing as it echoed throughout the room.

"Come out and show yourself, you fucking cunt! The sooner you do, the less pain you'll be in."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, take a look around you."

The throne room was barren, all but for one hunched over form surrounded by a dark puddle in front of the large wooden throne. A man lay on the ground, having run himself through with his sword no more than an hour before, from the smell of him. The quality of his garments and the rather plain diadem signaled that he was the very man he was looking for. Angered and disgusted, he kicked the body of the one-legged man across the room. After all this time, all the effort and the suffering and the fighting, the man he was hoping to take some of his frustrations out on was dead by his own hand. What a fucking joke. The entire Higurashi royal family was now forever branded as a bunch of worthless cowards as far as he was concerned.

"Before you continue desecrating that corpse, remember our true objective. The queen must be recovered. Our sources also indicate there is a princess as well, and she could be useful."

He snorted. "The young thing engaged to one of the inbred Hekigan idiots? Useful, my ass."

"Regardless, we should search for them as they are more than likely holed up somewhere here in the castle with their waiting women."

"Did our informants give us any names to work with, or are these barbarians not familiar with the concept? We're gonna need something to put on the tombstones." Provided, of course, he didn't lose his temper and there was not enough left of the royal women to bury.

"It wouldn't be in our best interests to kill them and you know it," she responded, calmly walking out a different door than the one they'd come in through, letting her senses guide her to where they felt the women would be. "The royal family here is different from others. Their names are known only to their close blood relatives, most trusted associates, and social equals. In their tradition, names give those who know them power over them, so they are known to most by only their titles. It's actually quite interesting."

"Too complicated, if you ask me. That's why women shouldn't be involved in important shit. They just fuck it all up." Transforming Tessaiga back into its less impressive form, he returned it to its scabbard, tapping it agitatedly against his thigh.

The slayer was too used to him to be upset by his remarks. He was just angry and venting, so she easily forgave him, as she always did. Truth be told, she was feeling much the same as he was in every respect, the difference being part of her job was to temper him.

Every room they came to was empty and ransacked. Evidently, the soldiers had followed their queen in her final retreat and had helped themselves to quite a bit of the castle's goods while they were at it. They probably hadn't been paid since the war started, so they were welcome to it as far as he was concerned. The only things of value in the entire place were the statues. Well, the queen and the princess as well, but he had to find the bitches first, and he cared less and less about their treatment the longer it took. At the beginning, he would have taken them alive, maybe roughed them up only a little just to make it clear who was in charge, but now he wanted blood.

"I think this might be the king's chambers," Sango announced, slamming the corner of her Hiraikotsu into the head of an enemy that thought he could sneak up on her.

"How d'ya know? It's the same as every other room, just a little bigger."

"Look at that." She pointed to a giant portrait that took up almost the entirety of one wall. The majority of it was smeared with ink, staining the canvas and obscuring the faces. It also looked to have been slashed with a sword several times in key places. Information on the Higurashi royal family and the realm's culture in general was scarce since they were borderline fanatics about keeping to themselves, so the painting would have been a huge help. Judging by what was left undamaged of the picture, the queen was a young woman, somewhat slight, while her father, the king, was a bear-like man with a beard. The princess was a child in a poofy pink dress of the kind that seemed to be fashionable among the upper classes in Higurashi. However, Sango noticed that the king had both his legs in the portrait, so there was no telling when it had been painted. They still had no idea what the two women they were searching for looked like.

Turning to discuss what the obscuration of the painting could mean, the slayer noticed her prince was missing, no longer where he'd been just moments before. Movement out of the corner of her eye notified her of his new location, and she looked at him fully only to immediately blush.

Reclining on the large though still somewhat rustic-looking four poster bed was Inuyasha. The heat in his eyes was familiar and she nearly moaned, her knees going weak. Sango shared his frustrations, but they were on a mission, for heaven's sake!

"Inuyasha," she whispered, mouth suddenly dry, "y-you know we can't. What if we were caught?"

His voice was husky. "It's been too damn long. We've got loads of time. Those little whores are probably cowering in the cellar or something, just waiting for someone to rescue them."

Her feet moved of their own volition, her mind no longer in control. Sango's heart beat fast and hard. Suddenly her skintight suit felt very tight indeed, its heat suffocating.

"We can't," she repeated, crawling over him. "Soon we'll be back at the palace and then we can make up for all our lost time."

Inuyasha flipped her, grinding his hips into hers. "Six. Fucking. Months," he hissed, nibbling the shell of her ear. "That fucking king killed himself before I had the chance, so at the very least I can get back at him by fucking you on his sheets."

The slayer nearly swooned, overwhelmed by the desire coursing through her. Moaning his name, she brought him down for a kiss.

Just before their lips touched, he broke away. "You've been keeping up with your anti-pregnancy teas, right? Just checking."

Sango rolled her eyes. The moment was ruined, but at this point she'd take what she could get. "Yes. I know how much you hate to even breathe the same air as a fertile woman." The teas were the preferred method of contraception for the women in their land. Infused with magic, the leaves did not interfere with their hormones or cause miscarriages. They simply blocked the sperm from fertilizing the egg. She'd been drinking the foul stuff every day for twelve years now, since she was sixteen and her prince had first taken her.

"Fuck yes," he growled, yanking down her jumpsuit until her breasts were exposed. His mouth found her nipple straight away and he sucked hard, pinching her other when he heard her cry out in pain and pleasure, her hips grinding up against him as her hands gripped the back of his head.

BOOM!

The agony in his ringing, deafened ears had him howling (not that he could hear), and he clutched his poor head, vibrations reverberating throughout his body until he accidentally fell to the floor. Concern for Sango helped him recover quickly, and he pulled his hands away, reaching for the panicking woman on the bed. Grimacing, he realized his fingers were covered in blood. Tossing her over his shoulder, he ran, only to be thrown to the ground when yet another explosion rocked the floor beneath his feet, sending him sprawling as he held Sango safely to him. Cursing, he stumbled to his feet again and ran, scenting for the nearest exit which just so happened to be a giant window in the throne room. As he jumped, he realized something:

The dead king's sword had not been drawn when he kicked him across the room. The sword that had run him through belonged to another.

Rolling as he landed, he held Sango close to his chest, protecting her head and wrapping his limbs around her so she would not be hurt. True, she was the one who was supposed to be protecting him, but in this instance he was better suited to it. Any warrior to raise their weapon would fall at her feet, but exploding castles and chunks of debris the size of wagons were more than she could handle.

After a few deep breaths with no subsequent explosions, he shakily rose to his feet, holding a hand out to his shadow and help her up. Sango fixed her jumpsuit, aware of the consequences of discovery even in such a shocking moment. Inuyasha opened his mouth wide, stretching his jaw, and was relieved when his ears popped. That meant a full recovery within a couple hours. Already the ringing was lessening and he could hear a little.

The prince turned to the slayer and grinned. "Well, that was fucking—"

The largest explosion yet echoed in his every atom. Right before his stunned and pained eyes the Higurashi stronghold was lit from the inside, pieces of rock flying every which way but most collapsing in on the structure itself. If the queen and princess had in fact been hiding in the cellar, their hiding spot had become their tomb. The same went for every other soul in that building, whether human or demon. A second after the destruction of the castle, Inuyasha's nose twitched as something began to rain around them, something distinctly familiar that he'd associated with Higurashi from the very start.

Was that… Was that shit?

The last thought Inuyasha had before passing out, overwhelmed by the smell of shit, was that the queen had managed to turn her own fucking sewers into a bomb. He had no doubt a woman like that was still alive and kicking.

No matter what it took, he was going to kill that bitch.

Note: So what do you guys think? The first three chapters were worked on with Kenju. He basically gave me a blueprint and I made changes here and there and wrote it up. Beyond that, it's all me. You guys know I'm not very detail oriented and I get bored and move things too fast, but I'm going to make a decent attempt at making the chapters profesh af and updating at least every other week, though we all know what an author's promises are worth.