Chapter 8


I followed her out into the hall. He was willing to make amends and beg for her forgiveness, but she was not ready, and rightfully so. Still, his apology was a start. We walked quietly side by side with one another.

"I hope you will keep what you heard to yourself, Your Majesty."

I smiled. "It is as you said. We will be married soon. I will gladly keep your secrets. I understand what it is like princess."

"Please do not assume to understand me or my life. Simply because you have witnessed only one discussion between the king and I."

"I understand more than you know. I too was raised by an angry person who could not see past their pain. Your father failed you. My mother failed me. Simply because they lost people that they loved. You lost your mother. I lost my father. So yes princess. I understand more than you know."

She continued walking, and I followed her. The whispers of those in the hallway did not go unnoticed. More than just servants this time.

"Does it not bother you? Their gossip I mean."

"I pay them no mind. I do not let the whispers of society get to me. My skin is far too thick for that. Their words are nothing compared to what I have had to live through. Besides, I am above them all, and they know this. My ego is not too big, but it is a fact. That is why they do not say those things to my face. Their gossip will stay as whispers, and I will leave this place. They will remain where they are, as they are."

"Hn."

It was a subtle feeling, but I could tell there was something that she wanted to say.

"How did you deal with it? Having to be raised that way."

"There is no correct answer per se. However, the wrong thing to do is run away from it. You will have to face it someday. Be brought up that way. It was... sad for lack of a better word; but then it passed. As all things do."

She stopped ahead of me staring into a room. I came up beside her, looking into the room as well. It was a woman and a boy. They stood side by side, watching servants pack this. The woman wiped her eyes. Realized Himiko was standing there. She gripped her dress in her hands and rushed over to her angrily. I stepped in front of Himiko blocking her path.

"Get out of my way you demon." the woman spat.

Himiko stepped out from behind me. The moment she had, the young boy's eyes shifted to her. They held so much hate and anger, but he remained silent.

"Please address the emperor as his majesty. I know that you are only capable of one thing, but please do try to use your head."

The woman stepped back recognizing her mistakes, quickly glaring at Himiko again.

"This is your fault. Your father gave me an impossible choice. Throw my son out and stay here or leave with him. What kind of mother would do that to her only son? You have made a mess of things! Turning my daughter against me! Turning your father against me! You-"

"Perhaps the only bed you should have been lying in was the king," I said.

Both women gave me a shocked look. I could see the corner of her mouth twitch upward.

So, she was capable of smiling.

"You must be Misaki. The walls of this castle talk and they have many interesting things to say about you and your son. While you are a woman I will not tolerate any disrespectful things you have to say to my betrothed."

"B-betrothed."

"Yes. My betrothed. If you utter another word towards her; the future empress of the Western empire. I will consider it an act of war against me. There will be nowhere you can hide. No one you can turn to. You will be cast out. Again. Do we have an understanding?"

She said nothing. She only glared as she backed away into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Himiko took a deep breath. That woman was a trigger for her.

"I wish to leave. Right now."

I smiled. "Lead the way."

I could see the look in her eyes. It was as if she could not really believe what was happening; that she was actually leaving this place.


I stepped out of my shoes and turned on my heel and rushed through the halls and down the grand staircase. The servants saw me coming and quickly opened the doors. Being seen in such an unladylike manner was the last thought on my mind. I ran out into the courtyard, and finally, I could breathe; finally, I was free, free of this place. Free of Misaki.. free of them all. I sighed in relief pressing my feet into the dirt. Sesshomaru came up beside me. I looked up at him. He had a smile on his face.

"Running that way was not ladylike at all." he teased.

I pushed the stray hairs back into place.

"I told you I wished to leave. I did not see any reason in wasting time. Besides, I am their crown princess no longer. No one here cares how I look."

"No." He said coming closer, pulling the pin from my hair causing my hair to fall down. "That is right. You are no longer a princess. You will be an empress." he whispered in my ear.

"Can we hurry?" I asked, ignoring his flirtation.

I wanted nothing more than to leave this place.

"Your things?"

"They can be replaced," I told him.

"Hn."

I watched him kick his shoes off, and remove his blazer and shirt.

I covered my eyes. "Are you mad? What are you doing?"

I peeked out from behind my hand when there was no response.

A large white cloud formed in front of him. He stepped onto it, holding out his hand to me. I took his hand, not looking back. He pulled me up and held me close to him. The cloud began to rise until everything became smaller. The further away we'd gotten from the castle, the lighter my shoulders felt. I looked over the edge. I had never seen a view like this. The sun was high in the sky and I could see farther than the kingdom stretched. It was beautiful. I smiled so hard that my cheeks hurt. It was the first time in my life that I had smiled like this, I felt his arm tighten around my waist. I looked up at him.

"It is nice to know that you can smile like that, Himiko."

I regained my composure. I could not forget myself around him. Despite the words that my mother had written in her journals. Despite the nice face he had shown me. He was still a man. A man I did not know. The Sesshomaru she wrote about could very well be gone. I could not outright trust him. Being closed off has gotten me this far and I'd continue to be this way. I slipped out of his hold and sat down. I squeezed the cloud with my hand. I had never seen or felt anything like it. I could not wrap my mind around it.

"How are you able to do this?" I asked.

He sat beside me. "There are demons who are born with special powers. This is one of the many things that I am able to do."

I noticed that the markings that adorned his cheeks were only on other parts of his body as well.

"I have questions," I said.

"As do I," he said. "However, they can wait. You should enjoy it for a while."

"Enjoy what?"

"Your newfound freedom."