Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha do not belong to me. They are property of Rumiko Takahashi, and the other people involved in making the manga and the anime.

The Royal Family

Chapter 8: Izayoi

InuTaisho plastered a smile on his face as the next act of the entertainment gained the stage, brightly coloured and cheery. Having a party to raise his spirits in the aftermath of the events of the last few months had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was not so sure. When he was alone he wanted to be with people, but now that he was surrounded by them... he wanted to be alone again. He gave in and decided to do just that.

The whole room fell silent as he rose from his seat, the musicians ceasing to play and the dancers stopping their dance. InuTaisho waved for them to continue as he left.

The night air was mild and fresh, the sky was clear and the moon, despite being at its crescent stage, glowed so brightly it overpowered the stars next to it. InuTaisho sighed sadly as he took the path that lead to the grove of cherry trees. The blossoms had long since fallen, and now the trees were covered in a crown of green leaves.

A place once so full of happiness and joy: now desecrated and defiled by the blood that had been shed there.

He had been in the North discussing the uneasy tensions in the East when he had received the word of a renegade dragon from the south had attacking his mate and son. He got back to the palace as fast as he possibly could, but it was too late to save his mate Sesshoulara.

She had been dead too long for even Tensaiga to save her. The messengers from the other side had taken her soul to the afterlife before he could get to her. But even that realization had not struck him as hard as seeing his son's blood splattered body viciously pinned to one of the trees by a dragon's spike. The Daiyoukai's heart had stopped for few moments as the scent of death radiated from his son, entered his nose

InuTaisho had hoped and prayed silently, as he had raised Tensaiga, that his son was not to far gone to be saved. Thankfully, Fate had decided to take pity on him, and Sesshoumaru was alive once more.

Alive, but unhappy. The death of his mother had devastated the poor pup's spirit. He was not exactly cold or reclusive, more just languid and silent, as if life's energy had been drained out of him along with his blood during the attack. Tensaiga could not rejuvenate that.

With those doleful conditions, it had almost been welcome, the rather scathing letter from Sesshoulara's twin brother. Sesshoulokesh was now ruler in India, and he demanded that his sister's body be returned to her homeland. Getting out of the palace would be good for Sesshoumaru's spirit. InuTaisho remembered he had been quite depressed before leaving on his trip around the world, but came back completely refreshed and feeling like a new youkai. He had hoped Sesshoumaru would have the same experience. And to make sure Sesshoumaru didn't feel like he was traveling completely alone, he gave his son Tenseiga to take with him.

Apparently his son was having a good experience, he had stayed there for almost a year already, with letters full of interesting happenings and goings on and things he was learning. In his son's latest letter, he had described his mastery over his whip attack. Now, he could spin around and hit something a small as a butterfly with deadly accuracy.

InuTaisho placed a hand on the trunk of the tree where he had found Sesshoumaru after the dragon's attack. He felt a lump rise in his throat at both the memories the tree called up, and over what he was thinking of saying in his next letter to his son. As happy as it made him to hear his son was happy and well in India, at the same time he wanted to write and ask his son to come home. Truth be told, he felt a terrible emptiness with his loved ones gone from him. One in a distant land... and the other in the world beyond.

Damn you Ryuukotsusei! InuTaisho thought, his blood beginning to boil. If he was not Lord of the Western Lands, he would have immediately begun the hunt for the dragon who had dared attack those he loved. As soon as his son was safe in India. But with problems rising in the east, personal vengeance took second priority. Much to InuTaisho's dislike.

InuTaisho was startled out of his thoughts when his ears picked up a gentle voice behind him.

"Lord InuTaisho, did you need a breath of air as well?"

InuTaisho turned to see a human woman, with long dark brown hair and a rather pale face.

"Huh? Yes, I suppose I did. When you've seen your pup bloodied and dead on the ground you stop breathing, and I'm having trouble remembering how to start again." At any other moment InuTaisho would have been glad to be in the company of a beautiful woman, but as it was, he just wanted to be alone. Perhaps that was the cause of his briskness.

The woman lowered her eyes in sympathy. "I can only pretend to imagine that feeling, m'lord. I have had no children, I am not even married yet."

At seeing the sadness on her face he instantly felt guilty at taking his pent up frustration and sorrow out on her.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to speak so harshly to you." He inclined his head respectfully. "What is your name?"

"I am Princess Izayoi, of the house of Wakahisa." She bow respectfully back to him. "My father is Katashi Wakahisa."

"Ah yes, I had heard that your mother was ill." He recognized her father's name immediately. They owned land on the border of the Eastern and Western lands.

"Yes, I'm afraid to say it's true. But she should be better when we get back. I made her some special medicine. You'll forgive my immodesty, but I'm quite good with herbs." Izayoi giggled in high sweet tones. InuTaisho could not stop the smile spreading across his face. It warmed his heart to hear the sweet sound of laughter again.

"However, there wasn't enough time for us to be here on time, and my father... I'm rambling on. Forgive me. I should leave you in peace." Izayoi blushed in embarrassment.

"No, no. I don't want to be left in peace, that's why I held this stupid party in the first place. With my wife gone and my son away, I was bit…lonely." InuTaisho couldn't believe he had just spilled a part of his inner thoughts again. This woman, Izayoi, was so easy to talk to! It had been a long time since he had talked to someone who held no judgment in their eyes, someone who was not trying to find some flaw in him. What a relief it was.

"It takes many different hands to heal a broken heart." She smiled brightly for a moment, but then it lost its glow as she continued. "Besides, with so much turmoil, a meeting for fun is rather welcomed. I wish to enjoy this, as I will be married in a few months, and my mother insists I start staying home. My betrothed, Takemaru, feels it is best if I stay out of politics."

"I see...they want you to be a porcelain doll, influential but silent." InuTaisho nodded, he knew all about arranged marriages and performing family "duties".

"They want me to be free of ridicule, to be a proper wife and mother. Their intentions are good."

It was not lost on InuTaisho that Izayoi was trying more to convince herself of that than him.

"Do you love this man…uh…Takemaru, at all?"

Izayoi looked at him, shocked. Apparently no one had ever asked her opinion on the matter. InuTaisho reminded himself that other family's rules about how women were perceived were much different than his own. He had always valued Sesshoulara's opinions whether he agreed with them or not. He had to remind himself that his perceptions were not widely shared; many believed that women were to be seen and not heard.

"I will not lie to you, my lord," she answered in a low voice. "No, I do not love him. I've tried... but we're just too different from each other. I don't know if he loves me, or just the thought of owning me."

"Give him a chance, maybe he's in the same position you are so he clams up and doesn't reach out," InuTaisho offered, trying to find some hope.

"I'm afraid it's the exact opposite problem," she answered, shaking her head and grasping the sleeves of her kimono. "He reaches out too often. We're always talking, but the conversations are always empty. And when we're not talking, there's always this weird silence... he gets this look, like a tiger stalking its prey."

"I am sorry for you," InuTaisho said solemnly, meaning every word. He was lucky that he and 'Lara had gotten on so well, even though neither of them loved each other with what was known as 'true' love, the kind that soul mates had. Lara had said it best when he came out and asked her if she did love him:

"Yes, Taisho I do love you, but I fear it is not the way you want to be loved. You want your soul mate, one that would give part of their soul to you as well as all of their heart. And though I love you with all of my heart as you do me, it is not enough to give unto you part my soul. But you will always be my cherished friend and husband."

And you will always be my cherished friend too, Lara. I hope on the otherside you can forgive me for failing you. InuTaisho thought sadly.

This sadness was not lost on Izayoi as she quickly changed the subject.

"This certainly is a beautiful garden…so peaceful." She turned away from him to look over at some chrysanthemums. "It allows one to breathe and think clearly."

"Yes, sadly one of my few places of solace has been filled with bad scents and memories."

"Oh," she said, turning back around.

Suddenly a gust of wind came up and blew strands of hair across Izayoi's face. The contrast of her pale face, now highlighted and softened by the moonlight to the look of dove's feathers, and the locks of satiny dark hair together painted the most beautiful picture InuTaisho had seen since the death of his wife.

Izayoi frantically tried to get her hair under control with a decorative comb she had with her, but it slipped from her hand, skipped off the ground and landed at InuTaisho's feet.

InuTaisho leaned down and carefully picked up the fallen comb, then held it out to her. She raised a delicate hand to accept it. InuTaisho felt his heart begin to race and shivers of both pleasure and anxiousness suddenly raced up and down his spine as her fingers brushed against his. She stopped, resting her hand on his with the comb in between, and looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. So warm, so inviting…

InuTaisho leaned forward, beginning to fall into those eyes like a moth towards a glistening light.

"Princess Izayoi! Princess Izayoi, where are you?" a voice called out from nearby.

InuTaisho snapped out of his trance, straightened up, and turned in the direction of the voice. "She is here!"

A servant appeared, looking very flustered.

"My lady- Oh. Lord InuTaisho! You'll forgive my intrusion, but my lady's father is asking for her! Oh, my lady, your hair!"

The servant grabbed Izayoi's hand and began directing her back toward the palace. As she walked away, Izayoi looked back at InuTaisho with apologetic eyes.

The Lord of the Western Lands watched her go with longing eyes. He balled his hands into fists, and realized there was something else in his right hand. He looked down and saw he held the beautiful comb. It still smelled of Izayoi.

00000

The meeting of Izayoi and InuTaisho. Did you like how I portrayed it?

Please read and review!

Till Next Time!

- Vega Sailor