“So I am to be put on display as though all was right with the world?” Kagome asked Lazzaro angrily.
“I believe that is Akando’s intention, yes, Your Majesty,” he replied solemnly.
Korbin was endlessly kind to Kagome in the throne room, and she would have been taken in were it not for the fact that Kirra kept shifting uncomfortably. No, even the debonair Korbin, the very picture of his father, was just another Roman with lusts and ambitions.
When he had left that evening, the discussion, which included Kagome to her amazement, was weather to aid Miroku or not.“A magnificent person. I do not see how we can refuse him,” said Akando, his overly painted eyes glittering. Kagome’s jaw dropped. Surly she was surrounded by fools. Why had the Gods, who had once smiled at her so sweetly and granted her everything she had ever needed for the sake of her kingdom, her people, now suddenly cursed her?
“Doing our little bit to help Rome destroy itself!” said Tertius with glee.
“Can’t you see!? It is sure folly to choose sides in this war! Send warships to Miroku, and when Inuyasha triumphs, do you have any idea the vengeance he will wreck on us?!” cried Kagome. Surely she wasn’t the only one to realize this. She looked up at Amadeus, who smiled, looking directly at her, but gave a hardly perceptible nod. At least the General understood this.
“The only reason we have to aid Miroku is because we were asked so kindly. And at, oh, what? Fifty? I doubt Inuyasha would have struck such a deal,” said Akando.
“Fifty one,” murmured Kagome to no one in particular. Since her child hood adventures in the market place of Alexandria, she had gathered as much information as possible about the famous senator, consul, general, orator, and now, dictator of Rome. It gave her a tingle of fear and excitement down her spine just to hear his name. She longed to meet him, but not under the present circumstances.
“Just because you went to Rome with father for two years, you think you know everything about Rome! What do you know about Inuyasha!” shouted Sota. Kagome ignored him.
“They say the Inuyasha is beyond all other men and demons. That his ancestress is Venus, Aphrodite herself.”
“I’m told he’s only half a dog demon,” said Tertius, slightly put out.
“They say he is prone to fits of madness, where in the gods touch him, and speak to him. They guide him! How can you possibly consider taking on such a demon?!”
“Enough!” shouted Akando, trying to bring order between the siblings. “If His Majesty does not object, we will aid Miroku.” Nothing was spoken, of course, if Her Majesty agreed or not.
“Of course, of course! Go ahead. Send Miroku the ships.”
“The fools,” Kagome thought. They had sealed their doom.
He unhooked her arms, but couldn’t help smiling. “I’d prefer if Her Majesty didn’t.” Kagome laughed, but did kiss his cheek. “You must be prepared to leave at dawn. I have arranged everything for you. Now, go to Kirra. She is already packing for you.” Kagome could not contain a squeal of joy, and it took every bit of her energy to keep from running down the hall to her room.
A rap at her door awoke her from her fantasies. Kirra opened it, to reveal one of Amadeus’ soldiers.
“General Amadeus requests an audience with Her Royal Highness, Queen Kagome.”
Kagome blanched. Had Sota or one of his spies found out about Lazzaro’s plan to sneak her out of Alexandria and gather military force? Was Amadeus waiting with a guard to take her away and murder her? Or was Sota’s threat of throwing her to the soldiers coming true?
“Tell the General that I will meet him in the antechamber.”
To Kagome’s utter relief, there was not an armed guard waiting, nor was Akando or any other officer there to read her the charges against her person. No, it was simply Amadeus, standing tall, his lean figure a silhouette against the candlelight which sparkled in the room.
Amadeus bowed low, rising again, his blue eyes sparkling.
“May I have the honor of offering Her Majesty a chair?” he asked. Kagome didn’t dignify him with response, and did not sit in the smooth horse hair chair offered anyway.
“Now is not the time to be stubborn,” said instinct, and so she said nothing.
“Your Majesty,” began Amadeus, “I was shocked and appalled by your brother’s behavior. You have far too little protection about you. If I may be so kind and bold, I would like to propose a partnership between the two of us.” “I am greatly touched by the offer. But you are my brother’s General. It is a role I could never truly trust, could I? But I will not be so stubborn. What would my part be in this partner ship,” said Kagome warily.
“To be my friend,” said Amadeus, leaning somewhat closer to her so that Kagome could feel his very breath on her face. She was frightened, but did not show it.
“You are my brother’s friend, are you not?”
“You would be a very special, intimate friend.”
Kagome squinted slightly, a sign of her distaste. Her instincts were, once again, never wrong.
“I see. So instead of being passed around your soldiers like a whore, I am to be your private whore.”
“I see Her Majesty needs some time to think. I will return tomorrow night for her decision.” And with that Amadeus left. That settled it for Kagome though. Far too many men were trying to rid her of this burdensome thing known as virginity.
She had to get out of Alexandria. Tomorrow.
There was unspeakable joy when she saw the spy that had been faithful in her father’s service since before she remembered. Information was quickly flung on her. The number of who had joined her growing army against her brother, the amount of money she had and how long she could pay them for. Now she was on her way to the sea, so that she might join her cousin and the pirates he had recruited for the attack on her brother’s stronghold in Pelusium. The idea of pirates in her navy was not so pleasant. The thought of seeing her cousin again was wonderful.
Braeden, the bastard, hawk hanyou son of her late uncle, the King of Syria, Kinsmen, and the person she had had a crush on since childhood, had been sent away to Greece for military study by Kagome’s father.
“She is the last hope of this kingdom. I cannot allow you to ruin her.” They had been the exact words of her father that Kagome had overheard. She had thought her heart may break.
And now, aboard her own vessel, feeling more than slightly nauseous, she and Braeden were re-united.
Yuma, the pirate, at first glance, was hardly someone Kagome wanted to rest her hopes on. He was short and fat, but his eyes sparkled with a fierce intelligence, and Kagome had learned years ago not to be fooled by appearances. More bad news befell Kagome. Inuyasha had lost a battle to Miroku, and had now fled to Thessaly. Miroku’s army still greatly outnumbered Inuyasha’s, and Kagome was at a loss as to what to do now.
“He’s been outnumbered before!” argued Kagome. All her hopes rested on Inuyasha. He had to beat Miroku, because if he didn’t, and she couldn’t win at Pelusium, she would be lost. It all depended on him beating and triumphing. “He’s down, not out.”
“We must prepare for the worst Kagome. It’s only one battle, but we still must plan for if he does not succeed. It’s not like you to stall,” said Braeden.
In his joy of beating Inuyasha, Miroku proclaimed Sota under his personal protection.
“But if he does lose, that will put him in a bad way with Inuyasha,” said Kagome with hope.
“Yes, but Inuyasha has been fabled as extraordinarily merciful,” said Yuma. “But I do agree with Her Majesty. Miroku’s fighting a fool’s war.”
“So then it may be a good thing that Miroku doesn’t recognize me as under his protection?”
“Perhaps.”
“I must be practical,” she thought. He kissed her neck. “Damn it Braeden, stop, I’m trying to be practical!”
It did her little good. She did not want to be practical. Not now. Not when the moment she’d been dreaming of since she was a child was at hand. She found herself lost in a battle she knew she could never win.
“This is wrong! This is right! This is wrong! This is right!” said her instinct, which warred with itself. In the end, Right won.
Some human, quite a lot of youkai, and even a few hanyou, like himself, occasionally thrown in. Miroku had always preferred human legions, whilst Inuyasha hadn’t cared one way or the other. He did have mostly demons, and they had proved to be vicious fighters in the past, hell, now the present, but men were men. Men of means, men of power. Not wealth power, but all the riches in the world would have done Miroku little good in the face of Inuyasha’s loyal legions.
“I must remember to make a sacrifice to Venus and Mars next chance I get,” he thought. For Venus, his ancestress and protector, a lamb. For Mars, who had undoubtedly helped him for Venus’s sake, a bull. Large, black. That ought to do it. It would be remembering Mars’ sacrifice that would be the trouble. He never forgot Venus. And in turn, she never forgot him.
No, it was not Inuyasha’s first walk among the dead. Some bodies he could identify as his own loyal men, others, Miroku’s.
Miroku. Ah yes, Miroku. He had been told he was now fleeing to Alexandria. That was fine. A beautiful Greek city, he had been told. It would be a pleasure to chase Miroku there. Yes, he would follow Miroku, catch him, and make him see reason. Make him see that senate had toyed with him. Yes. That would do it.
Feh. The senate. He hated them. Always conniving and interfering. They couldn’t keep there damned noses to there own business. Maybe he could get Miroku to help him overthrow them. He couldn’t help but grin evilly at the thought of the look on Cian’s ugly little face.
Truthfully, part of it was Miroku’s own damn fault. He had become tired of public life and simply longed to retire. To be able to get as drunk as he liked, have sex as often as he liked, and eat as much as he liked. And this would suit Miroku quite well, for he was the sort of person to do this. He needed a bill of some sort to motivate him while in power. For Inuyasha, power had been it’s own motivator. No, retirement was not something someone like Miroku could afford to do.
He heard someone call his name, and looked up. Just one of his secretaries, Myoga, running up to him, bowing, and stumbling over one of the fallen. “My…apologies…my lord, but….the men you’ve….selected are…..ready…to…leave….” he said breathlessly.
“Yes, yes….I’m coming….Just….Saying goodbye,” replied Inuyasha somewhat depressed. A trip to Alexandria was in order. Make Miroku see reason, and then have a nice vacation until the tides were once again in his favor.
“But we aren’t dead,” she responded, somewhat annoyed Braeden had followed her in without her consent. “And tomorrow I sail back to Alexandria.”
“Yes,” he said somewhat darkly. They had won with the element of surprise on their side. That and the fact that Sota’s soldiers were horribly disloyal. It had been easier than anticipated. “About that. I refuse to let you go to Alexandria. You’ll be killed in an instant.”
“What?!” her mind raged. He? He was refusing to let her?! That tore it. Braeden had been taking far too many little lovers privileges as of late, but that one just tore it!
“We already discussed it. If anyone is to meet Inuyasha, it will be me. You can barely speak Latin, whilst I am fluent.”
“Kagome, don’t be-“
“Don’t you tell me what not to be! I am queen, and you are acting like a child who’s jealous over another child whom he fears will steal his little toy. Well I will tell you something Braeden; I am no one’s little toy. Not yours. Not Inuyasha’s. No one's.”
Braeden winced at her words. He had gone too far, and she was, as usual, right.
“But what if something happened to you?”“Then may the gods protect me.”
And that was the end of the matter. It had to be Kagome who went, they all knew it. Braeden had to stay here with the soldiers, and Yuma had to take her to Alexandria. She had the two most powerful weapons in the world. Money and sex appeal. She was easily as tough as anyone Inuyasha had ever faced.
“His Lord Inuyasha’s enemy has been thusly exterminated. Surly he has no reason to linger in Alexandria. If he would be so kind as to remove his ships, we may continue with the business of the country.”
Inuyasha felt the red hot demon blood creeping into his eyes. He willed, he forced it down. No. Now was not the time to let his demon side take over. He forced down a growl as he clenched his fist. He’d love to rip out the eunuch’s throat, but restrained himself.
