Godlike by Rachel
The Great General
••• This chapter is dedicated to Ms. Kittylin, who has so graciously offered her talents to create a cover art for Godlike!!! You rock my world! •••
In other news, I seriously can’t believe this is already almost up to 4,000 hits and it’s only 4 chapters old! I was not expecting this kind of response, and every review is especially heartwarming and never fails to put a huge smile on my face, even in the middle of NYC where random grinning is considered kind of weird...LOL
This chapter is also going to be a challenge response for Skye’s weekly challenge, with the prompt: “Imperial.”
And in case no one googled it already, the name ‘Musubi’ is the name of the Japanese god of love and marriage...are we noticing a theme, here? ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Apuleius’ version of The Myth of Cupid & Psyche, nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters.
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Kagome, standing obedient and silent behind her father – who was speaking at length about the village and herself with much fervor – looked out over the mass of people who had come from near and far to see her. There was no doubt in her mind that they had come not out of love, but out of some selfish desire to be able to claim they had laid eyes on the “most beautiful woman in the northern territory.” Kagome wanted not to believe her own theory, but judging by the amount of people that had amassed there, it was far from plausible they had all come just to wish her a happy birthday.
But she stood there like the was meant to, smiling and keeping her hands clasped in front of her, hidden by the heavy, ornate sleeves of her kimono. Despite being a moderately cool spring day, the fabric was stifling and the weight of it burdensome. How did they expect her to mingle when she could barely move from one end of the dais to the other? Either way she would have to greet the numerous visitors who had come to see her. How many of them truly cared, she wondered?
There was a pile of flowers upon the bottom step of the dais that had begun as a scattering of blooms, but as the number of people attending the birthday ceremony had grown, so had the number of flowers. The colors were as varied as the breeds; blues, yellows, roses, tulips, and here and there sprigs of aromatic pine and cherry blossom. It was a beautiful sight, but the flowers meant nothing to Kagome except how much a commodity beauty was to these people. Certainly, she loved them as much as her own family, but that love only extended to those who belonged to her father’s village. But the people who had come from afar on the wings of rumor? She had no love for them.
The scent of the flowers reached her nose, and for all of their beauty, the aroma was nauseating. Kagome desperately wished to escape back inside the safety of her father’s home, where she was considered only the young daughter, the innocent child who meant nothing to anyone save her father, mother, and sister. But her father was still singing her praises to the people, and every once in a while, he would say something that would elicit a hearty cheer from them. The sound was deafening, there were so many of them. The village was not small, but the crowd had exceeded its boundaries, splitting it at the seams and spilling out into the surrounding forest. Kagome swore she saw children up in the trees.
Akio said nothing of marriage to the people, but the implication of it was everywhere, with every word he spoke. There was no up front statement of the need for Kagome to have a husband, if not an intended by the end of the night, but the hints were there. “Fine gentlemen,” “Good soldiers,” “Honest tradesmen.” Lord Akio was acknowledging the presence of the hundreds, if not the couple thousand suitors in the crowd, and he wanted Kagome to note just how many of them there were. She would have no trouble attaining a husband, they were all certain; but Kagome knew that she would have trouble attaining a husband she could love.
In the front row alone were a dozen men, all of them with their eager eyes locked on the beautiful princess. They were young, predominately handsome, but boyish in their desires to have Kagome be their wife – they sought the celebrity that would come with her hand, not the woman herself. Behind those boys were a hundred men, somewhat older, with leaner faces and stronger hands, but whose expectations were far less – they did not seek the celebrity of a marriage to the young princess, but the financial security that would come from her dowry. These were not men of virile eagerness seeking fame and the envy of others, but men of shrewd minds who only saw the riches to be gained in Kagome.
And beyond those men were the rest – the old widowers seeking the fountain of youth, the grubby farmers hoping to have some beauty in their lives, and the veteran soldiers who were outwardly gentle and kind, but within the home were abusive, temperamental, and lost in the horrors of their bloody memories. All of them sought different things, but they were each of them so delusional that they believed the young princess held every one of their interests within her. Kagome was an empty vessel to them, a lovely exterior with a malleable interior, someone who would be lovely on their arm but slave to their needs, wants, and darkest desires, be they money, fame, power, or something even more depraved.
So, Kagome despaired, but she did so with a smile on her face. She despaired of ever finding or having a husband that loved and cared for all of her, not just her appearance. She despaired of ever finding true happiness. She despaired of the not so distant loss of her family, whom she loved more than anyone or anything. But most of all, Kagome despaired of ever having the chance to be free. Free of obligation, free of beauty, free of adoration, free of expectation. But freedom was reserved only for the lucky, and the dying, and Kagome was neither.
Lord Akio was bringing his long-winded speech to a raucous finish, and the entire Higurashi family could see the men chomping at the bit to be the first to get to the princess. The first was not necessarily going to be the winner, but it heightened his chances significantly. The youngest men, those who were the most swift of foot and tongue, were practically bent and ready to charge the dais as soon as Lord Akio was finished speaking. Kagome did not look at them – she had not looked any man in the eye for fear of giving them hope, or worse, something to brag about – but her gaze did wander over the tops of their heads, hoping that somewhere in the distance there would be a bird to envy as it flew in the broad blue sky.
It was then that Kagome, half-listening to her father’s happy discourse, laid eyes on the man standing by the village well, where a ring of space had opened around him. Even from her distance, the young woman could see the nervous and reverent faces of the villagers surrounding the man, as well as she could see his own exalted expression. He was obviously a soldier of high rank, possibly of the highest – an imperial general or some such.
He loomed over the others with his impressive stature, all broad shoulders and long legs. His ornate armor was absent, as it probably would have been too extravagant for such a simple occasion (or what had been expected to be a simple occasion before three thousand visitors had decided to attend), but his outfit was nonetheless impressive: a heavy kimono of pure black silk with a white underlay, with sleeves that nearly touched the ground. The hems of his hakama were tucked tightly into a pair of short black boots with pointed toes; above everything, he wore light armor of the deepest red and a gold-silk sash shot with Prussian blue.
His features were as exalted as his posture. Sharp and defined, he looked every bit the man of pleasure, worth, and power: the victuals of the male ego. His skin was tanned by the years spent in the outdoors, fighting the queen’s rare grand battles and regularly traversing the Western Lands. His eyes shone with the glory of his rank. Kagome, having forgotten entirely her decision to not look anyone in the eye, found herself unable to look away from this one man. He was the handsomest of all those in the crowd, but there was one problem:
He knew it.
Kagome tore her eyes away and despaired even further. There would be no hope for her, no matter who offered her marriage. She was going to wind up with the egotistical soldier or the absent-minded farmer, and in no circumstance was she going to find love.
“And so my good people, as well as those who have come from afar to rejoice this great and wondrous day, let the celebrations commence!”
Lord Akio’s excited cry came before his daughter could gather enough of herself to stop him. The people immediately erupted with cheers and confetti littered the skies, a physical manifestation of the “joy” shared by the masses. More flowers fell upon the ever-growing pile. Akio, his hands raised in the air, looked over his shoulder at his daughter, and when he beheld her stricken face, he felt the acute sense of betrayal coming from within him. He battled the prickling tears and offered his beloved child an apologetic smile, but Kagome’s wide eyes told him everything: wasn’t there something else you could have done? She was not thinking merely of herself, but of her sister Kikyo, too. Akio knew it, and it twisted the guilt even deeper into his heart.
He lowered his arms and went to his daughter, taking her trembling hands in his own. Kagome looked up at her father, and the fear of the duty that suddenly lay before her, stark and inescapable, shone vividly in her eyes. It broke Akio’s heart even more than it had already crumbled.
“Kagome,” he whispered as the people milled about the village, partaking in the delights of the festivities, “I’m so sorry.”
Could he have saved his daughters from this awful situation? He had been blessed with the luck of a loving and happy marriage, while Kikyo had been forced into the exact opposite, and by their expectations, Kagome was soon to have the very same fate as her sister. But the other Lords had left him no other options. They were envious of his luck, of his prosper, and of the beauty he had in his youngest, Kagome. And to make him suffer, they made him bring suffering down upon his daughters.
Kagome gripped her father’s hands so tightly Akio was caught by surprise at the strength behind them. They looked at each other, father and daughter, and the misery they each beheld in the other’s eyes was enough. No other words needed to be spoken. Kagome was the one to break both eye contact and their clasped hands. She took a small step back and bowed. When she righted herself, Akio witnessed the most heartbreaking smile ever to cross his daughter’s celestial countenance, and with that one gesture, the princess stepped away from her father to stand at the top of the stairs which lead down into the hellish mob of suitors and admirers.
By the well, Musubi watched the masses of men, women, and children scatter themselves around the village, while many of the eligible males remaining close to Lord Akio’s home, waiting like hungry predators for the princess to descend the flower-strewn steps into their midst so that they might fight to devour her. The general was able to regard the princess from the safety of his current vantage point without having to immerse himself in the rabble that had come to give praise to the woman. Those near the well had rightly made way for him when he had appeared among them, standing well away from him.
When the woman, Kagome, had made eye contact with him, Musubi had felt her scrutiny as intensely as if she had been standing right in front of him; of all the things he had been anticipating, being judged by a simple Lord’s daughter was at the bottom of the list. If anything, Musubi had been expecting himself to be the one to assess whether or not this woman was worth the beauty the rumors told of her. From afar, Musubi could tell she was not unappealing, but he wasn’t close enough to appraise her fully and garner a final judgment. And he was not leaving until he did so.
As Lord Akio gave the eager crowd the signal to celebrate, the general strode forward, his eyes locked on the princess. The people parted before him, knowing better than to obstruct his path, and in short time he was standing at the base of the stairs, easily bypassing the foolish boys who were tripping over themselves and each other to get to the princess first. While Lord Akio and his daughter spoke, Musubi regarded the pile of deplorable flowers that had been thrown at the princess’s feet in veneration. If the people considered this young woman as beautiful, if not more beautiful than Queen Vinasu, the least they could have done to prove it would be to offer her gifts suitable of her supposed beauty.
Lord Akio watched as his daughter moved away from him, and when she came to a stop at the top stair, he noticed that someone was guarding the path up to her, someone not of his own guard. This man was of a caliber that far exceeded any of those soldiers in his employ, and despite the sorrow that weighed heavy on his heart, Akio’s curiosity was piqued. He strode forward, shaking himself from his misery so that he might make a good impression, and stood next to his daughter.
“Samurai-sama,” he called above the din of the excited crowd. Most of the people were ignorant of the man standing guard over the Lord’s home, save the eager boys who wished to get to the princess before anyone else. They looked at the soldier with a kind of awed envy – awe at the stature and confidence that exuded off of him, envy at his proximity to their feminine target, having taken the coveted position with little more than a pointed glare. Akio had not failed to notice any of this before he called to the soldier. Beside him, Kagome released a small gasp, as if she had just noticed the man, herself.
The samurai turned slowly around, and when he beheld the lord of the village, he bowed deeply at the waist, keeping a hand on his sword and the other pressed against his chest.
“Lord Akio,” Musubi said, not raising his head. He listened as the lord descended the stone steps to stand closer to – but still above – him.
“Rise, samurai-sama, and tell me your name.”
Kagome watched the respectful exchange with nervousness and some fear. This was the same man she had spotted standing by the well, and now that he was so close, she could see with even more clarity how handsome he was, and just how much that had gone to his head – she could see the slight smirk on his face where she stood, and she knew her father would miss it in his anticipation. The man rose and met Akio’s gaze.
“My name is Musubi, Lord Akio. I am the Queen Vinasu’s general.”
Kagome could see her father’s mind working – either for his own sake or for hers, she could not be certain – but the look in his eyes was unmistakable: the humble Lord Akio might have just landed his daughter a general! Kagome felt sick, but she did not show it.
Akio descended the last few steps to stand before General Musubi, and he was just able to maintain level eye contact, the man was so tall.
“I welcome you gladly, General, but for what reason have you come to my humble village? Surely a birthday celebration would not interest a man of your standing.”
Musubi offered Akio a generous smile, which Kagome saw, but rather than being struck by the beauty of it, she only saw the slimy, greedy, underhanded charm that the general was using to get through her father in order to get to her.
“My soldiers have often spoke of a fair and prosperous village to the north and of the tremendous beauty that resides there. I have come to see for myself whether or not both claims were of any accuracy. I did not however expect the woman to be your daughter, my lord.”
Akio laughed with gladness, and clasped a hand to the general’s shoulder. Perhaps this man would be able to take on the duty of husband to Kagome...the thought was rousing Akio’s mind for strategy – how he might bring the general to consider Kagome’s hand in marriage, or to even be able to call the man a friend and enlist him should things fall through with finding Kagome a husband. To have a man like General Musubi to call upon to help defend his lands if the other lords decided to attack in retribution would be a great benefit to Akio.
“General, I do hope you will stay long enough so that both of your curiosities may be appeased. It is up to you to see the village for yourself, but I happily present my daughter to you so that you may find your answer to the matter more quickly.” With that, Akio stood aside to allow the great general viewing access to Kagome, who was rightfully standing at the top of the stairs.
The first thing General Musubi did was bow deeply, knowing better than to let the woman’s first impression of him be resentment of his being just another self-absorbed warrior. He was far smarter than that, and showing her respect right out of the gate was his first of many, many tactics that would get him close to her, close enough to...
Musubi rose and met the princess’s steady gaze, and while she made no immediate sign of interest, she did bow gently in response before returning to her original position. Now that they were in such close proximity to one another, both Musubi and Kagome took a moment to assess one another. The general’s first reaction was one of surprise. Having always considered village women plain, this woman struck him as being far from embodying such a trait. While his expectations had been quite high, he had not anticipated them being, of all things, surpassed. Kagome was indeed a remarkable sight.
Kagome, meanwhile, had already come to her conclusion about General Musubi, and no smile or word from him was going to change it.
“May I have your permission to approach the Lady Kagome, Lord Akio?” asked Musubi, not tearing his eyes away from the woman. There was an obvious vein of stubbornness that ran through this particular woman, and he wanted to get closer to see if it was something he could maneuver himself around.
“Good general,” replied the excited Akio, who had long since been enveloped in his hopes, “You may be the very first.” Akio turned to look up at his daughter, and smiled with joy.
“Kagome, I leave you to accompany General Musubi. I will attend to your guests.” And with that, Lord Akio was gone, immediately becoming swallowed in the sea of people as he sought his wife. This left the general and the princess alone, separated only by a low wall of flowers and a few steps. Musubi made quick work of circumventing the flora by taking one large step over them, and in that one stride, he found himself standing before the young woman, whose critical but dispassionate gaze did not stray from his face, now so close to her own.
With the corner of his mouth in a tilt, Musubi mounted the last step to position himself next to Kagome, his stare forcing her to turn to retain eye contact. She certainly was a determined woman. While Musubi’s own thoughts went through his mind, Kagome was having a few of her own. She knew that despite the general’s unlikable demeanor, she was going to have to play Lady to him nonetheless. Lucky for both of them that Kagome was a master of pretend.
General Musubi was the first to break the silence.
“I sense much of this pomp and grandeur is not to your taste.”
To call Kagome surprised would have been a stunning understatement. Of all the words he would have begun their first conversation with, those were not the ones she would have expected. “Your beauty is more than rumors told,” or even something unbecoming like “Your ‘attendance’ is indeed required...” Those were opening lines Kagome would have expected from someone like General Musubi. But for him to blatantly call out her displeasure without having to ask what she thought of the overzealous birthday celebration? It was the very last thing Kagome ever expected.
While the young woman struggled for a response, Musubi made good of her silence and produced his gift from within his sleeve, breaking their impressive staring match in order to divert her attention to it. Kagome watched as the general produced without so much as a word or even a flourish, a flower. Her first reaction would have been to take it and throw it on the pile with the rest of the “offerings,” but like the general himself, this flower was not simply one of many.
“Where did you find this?” Kagome whispered in awe. Musubi reached down and took one of the princess’s hands in his own, opening her small fist with a soft brush of his thumb against the backs of her fingers. With her open hand now resting upon his, the general laid the orchid in Kagome’s palm and closed her fingers around the stem.
“The Lady of the Western Lands owed me a favor,” he replied, his voice as soft as his touch. The general seemed to be changing all of Kagome’s conclusions of him faster than she could think to maintain them. In her hand was a long-stemmed orchid, but one of such rarity and beauty, she had only heard rumors of its existence. The bloom was of the purest white, as fresh fallen snow is when lit by the sun. Looking down at it rather than directly, the image the flower made was unlike any Kagome had seen before – on either side of the long, cylindrical center petal was a wing, like those of a sea bird. The feathered edges were supple and tickling to the touch, and Kagome wondered if she had ever seen a flower more delicate and beautiful before.
She looked up to meet General Musubi’s gaze, and instead of feeling revulsion or indifference, there was the slightest feeling of maybe...
Musubi watched, with a hidden sense of triumph, as the young woman held his gift close to her heart. While she did not appear to be fully swayed, there was a look in her eyes that told him that the first obstacle had been overcome: change her immediate opinion of him. Now he had to show her that he was indeed a suitable man for her to marry, and she was the only one he had to prove it to. Lord Akio was already wooed.
“Would you care to show me your village, my lady?” The general asked, turning to face the stairs and holding his arm out for her to take. Kagome hesitated, looking between the eyes of the general and the rare flower he had given her. She still was not sure of the man’s true character, for while what he had shown her up to that moment was a man who was kind and keen, there were still many expectations that General Musubi had to disprove in Kagome’s eyes.
With an austere upturn of her pretty little nose, Kagome weaved her arm through the general’s and began to lead him down the steps, ignoring the fact that he was not in fact taking in the sights of the village, but was rather keeping his eyes fixed upon her. Nonetheless, Kagome showed the general her beloved village.
And all the while, the delicate orchid remained clutched in her hand.
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Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Send ‘em my way! In the meantime, here is a link to a picture of the flower mentioned in this chapter, the White Egret Orchid:
http://www.thehanginggarden.net/musings/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/orchid1.jpg
x
Rachel