Inuyasha characters do not belong to me but to Takahashi Rumiko.
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Drabble/Drawble Night: December 3, 2011
Theme: Road Signs
Word Count: 100 words each
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Prompt 1: Dip
There were a myriad of colors of gowns, shimmering richly under the light of the multitude of candles that hung suspended in gorgeous crystal chandeliers. A genteel waltz wafted through the ballroom, and the women’s jewelry glittered as their partners spun them around the floor. The party had a dreamlike quality to it: gauzy veils hung tastefully from the ceiling and walls, and shadows danced everywhere from the flickering sway of the candle flames. She stood in a darkened corner sipping her fruit punch, watching as the men dancing on the floor simultaneously dipped the women gracefully with the music.
Prompt 2: Caution
She felt out of place, cautious of attention, even though she wore a gown that rivaled any of the other women here tonight.
“All right, Kagome-chan?” asked a woman as she stepped into the corner with her partner.
Kagome looked up, nodding. “I’m fine, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama. Just a little out of place is all.”
“Nonsense, Kagome-sama. You fit right in,” exclaimed the noble, holding his fiancé gently by the waist. “You are of noble blood, and you have a right to be here too.”
Her eyes fell on a dancing pair: her sister Kikyou and the Prince Inuyasha, her betrothed.
Prompt 3: Yield
Kagome waved off her friends, content to watch them dance together as she swirled her drink. After a catastrophic first dance at her introduction to the royal court, Kagome had resolved to never dance again, much to the her parents’ dismay. Kikyou, her twin sister, possessed all the grace and delicacy of a swan, and had immediately caught the eye of the Prince, Inuyasha.
Headstrong and clumsy, Kagome’s parents despaired of ever finding their younger daughter a match.
“May I have this dance?” a voice asked, cutting into her ruminations.
Gazing upon the speaker, Kagome could do nothing but yield.
Prompt 4: Exit
He led her to the center of the floor, sliding his right hand onto her waist. He effortlessly guided her through the steps, and she never once trod on his toes. Whispers broke out across the floor as they danced, and Kagome had never wished more fervently that she could make a quick and discrete exit.
“He has never danced with anyone since he ascended the throne.”
“He never once showed interest in any of the females before.”
“Do not mind them,” he said softly, his voice rich and deep, his gold gaze locking with her own troubled grey eyes.
Prompt 5: Merge
The dancers gave the pair wide berth, despite how much Kagome wished to merge and blend in with the crowd. As the song ended, they stepped back and acknowledged each other.
“Thank you for the dance, Kagome-sama,” he said.
“The pleasure was all mine, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she replied demurely. Her heart was pounding, and she was sure he could hear it. Sesshoumaru was the reigning Lord of the Western Lands, the one whom she and her family owed fealty to. He had honored her beyond compare by dancing with her tonight, and she knew the gossip mill would be working furiously.
Prompt 6: Speed
As soon as was courteously possibly, Kagome speedily retreated to her corner, doing her utmost best to blend in with the gilded wallpaper. Kikyou soon found her close to hyperventilating, Inuyasha in tow.
“Kagome-chan! Breathe slowly!” she admonished gently, forcing her younger sister to count breaths as she locked her mocha eyes with Kagome’s grey ones. The Prince had turned around at Kikyou’s beckoning, giving the sisters some privacy while discouraging guests from intruding.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kagome gasped, “He danced with me, Kikyou-chan!”
Kikyou shushed her sister with a soft smile. “I know. I saw. And you two were absolutely perfect.”
Prompt 7: Limit
Kagome just about reached her limit with the staring. And gossiping. And pointing. Her eye twitched with aggravation.
Kagura, a fellow noblewoman, sidled up next to her. “So what did you do to catch our Lord’s attention?” she asked bluntly with a sniff. “It’s obviously not your looks.”
The younger twin stared, dumbfounded, for a moment before she found her voice. And what a voice it was.
“Where do you get off, insulting me like that?” she bellowed, silencing the ballroom. “At least I’m not a catty bitch after the man’s gold!”
From his seat on his throne, Sesshoumaru smirked.
Prompt 8: Wrong Way
Kagura glared at Kagome, cheeks burning with humiliation. “Ningen,” she hissed sibilantly, “You are too young to know anything! Don’t play games with a grown youkai woman, for you will lose, little girl.”
Kagome flushed, Kagura’s words rubbing her the wrong way. “Guess that shows how old you are if you have been in the court that long without finding a mate, doesn’t it?” she snapped back.
The kazeyoukai bared fangs as she flicked open her fan, and Kagome let loose a flare of miko reiki in response. Neither acted.
Sesshoumaru stood between them, a displeased frown directed at Kagura.
Prompt 9: Dead End
The stillness of the ballroom was deafening. Kagura had paled at Sesshoumaru’s thunderous expression. “M-my Lord, I—”
“Silence!” Sesshoumaru snapped quietly, and Kagura closed her jaw with a click. It was clear to all that Kagura’s bid to become the Lady of the Western Lands had reached an abrupt dead end. What came next shocked each and every member of the court, including the addressee. “That is no way to address Kagome-sama, my intended and future Lady of the Western Lands.”
Turning to a stunned Kagome, Sesshoumaru proposed. “Kagome-sama, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Prompt 10: Stop
There was a collective gasp from the spellbound audience, but Kagome never noticed. Instead, she could swear that for a moment her heart stopped when she heard his question as she stared wordlessly at her Lord with wide eyes.
Sesshoumaru stared back, gold eyes gleaming with a softness she had never seen before, despite his blank expression.
A bud of hope blossomed in her heart, and Kagome tremulously smiled back at him. “If you would have me,” she replied quietly, her words so soft he barely caught them himself.
A small smile curled his lips, and he replied, “Only you.”