A Feudal Fairy Tale...

Chapter 1: When First They Met...

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Once upon a time, there was a prince who was very spoiled. He was very powerful, and whenever he wanted something, he took it, and eventually, he became a powerful demon lord. I will call him Inutaishou. As a Taiyoukai, he was cruel, vain, and uncaring.

But see, this is where our story begins, because Inutaishou is about to meet someone who will change him. A human woman, who will infact, make him see many more of the faucets in life.

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The great demon knelt on the ground, covered in the blood of his enemies, staring at nothing. His three swords were in their designated resting place. As he stood, he felt something curious at his side. It was, in a word, pain.

He put a hand against the wound in his side and began limping away. It would appear that he had underestimated his opponents. A mistake that would never happen again. He saw a stream and went towards it. He began to walk upstream, finding a rather large lake. He peered into the crystal clear water and saw that he was far more injured than he had first believed. His armor hung in tatters on his right side, and blood was dripping down his arm, onto the snow. He frowned deeply, going to his knees, and instinctively licking the wounds on his arm.

As he sat there, a scent began to tickle his nose. He frowned, lifting his nose into the air. Humans, several, very nearby...

A soft gasp errupted from behind him and he turned, cracking his claws, preparing to slaughter the party that had come upon him.

He froze upon laying eyes upon the human.

It was a girl.

Her hair was black as night, her eyes were big and brown, staring at him with suprise. She was no threat to him, he realized, and turned his back on her once again. "Leave this place, human." He snarled. "Or I will kill you."

Izayoi, for that was the girl's name, saw the blood on the snow and her eyes widened in suprise. "You are injured, sir!" She moved towards him, seeing that he had injuries that would have killed any human, yet, he lived. She caught sight of the pointed ears and her eyes fell to the fur mantle on his back and she realized that he was NOT human. He was a youkai.

"I SAID LEAVE!" He snarled, moving faster than her eye could see, till he was almost upon her, raising a claw to kill her. He saw no fear on her face and stopped, inches from her head. "Stupid human..." He snarled. His vision was getting blurry. He lost too much blood. He'd been fighting for so long, couldn't he just lay down and sleep, heal? He felt his strength rapidly leaving him and felt two arms go around him as he began to fall. Then, there was only darkness.

Izayoi stared down at the beautiful demons face and frowned a bit. He was weak, but he probably wouldn't die. She summoned her servants. After all, for someone so skinny, the demon was horribly heavy.

"Izayoi-sama? Should we kill it?" The servant asked, looking at the large man with an expression of fear.

"No, bring him to the palace, take him through the back way, to the shed. Make sure a bed is laid out for him, as well as some things for me to tend to his wounds." She pulled her clothes tighter around her body, fighting off the chill. "Tell no one that I have brought a demon onto the grounds, for they would not understand. He is still a living creature. I must help him."

The servants honestly thought she was crazy, but they did her bidding, while the others accompanied her back to her home. When she arrived, her head general, Setsuna no Takemaru was waiting.

"Izayoi-sama, a family to the east has issued a declaration of war against our lands." He said evenly. "You must not leave unless you are in the company of guards any longer." He fell into step slightly behind her. "My lady, perhaps if you took a husband, the neighboring kingdoms would be less eager to attack..." He glanced away, feeling distaste for even suggesting such.

Her father had only just died, leaving no son to carry on the family, so it rested upon Izayoi, and he knew that if she married, it would have to be to a prince, not a general. She was a princess, and he was below her stature.

"I will not marry someone that I do not care for." She said quietly. "Marraige, Takemaru, should be not only a way to create peace. A marraige without love, is only a contract that binds two people in peace and war. Would you be content if I married a man and our land was free of war, yet, I was treated cruelly?"

"No, my lady." He said softly. I would not be content if you married any man other than me.

Izayoi smiled softly, nodding. "I will be resting the rest of the day. I do not wish to be bothered." She said quietly, walking into her room and sliding the door closed. Upon entering, she changed from her kimono and layered several yukatta, before exiting through her window, a practice she'd become quite skilled at at a young age, much to her father's dismay. She had always enjoyed roaming the woods by herself, yet when she got older, she had set aside her mischevious ways, and become the daughter her father had always wanted. She ran through the snow, walking up to the shed. On the door was a seal to keep demons inside, as well as several around it. She used to keep her pets in here, but now, her pet was far more dangerous than any wolf or young bear.

She entered and saw the demon's eyes were open once again. She knelt, picking up some cotton, then she looked at him. He had distrust in his eyes and anger, a great deal of anger. She didn't care. She had nursed many creatures back to health, this would be no different. "If you don't want me to strip you, I think you should remove your top yourself."

"What are you doing?" He growled. "Where am I?"

"You are at my home."

"Kinda live poorly, don't you..." He sneered at her. "I don't need your help, bitch, and I certainly don't want it. Let me out of here."

She took a deep, calming breath. "I believe a servant is bringing you some food. I hope rice and fish will be okay." She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. True, the demon was beautiful, but he was as cold as the snow she'd brought him from.

He looked at her carefully. She was bundled for warmth, her eyes however seemed to be warm enough for her and eight other people. Her hair looked like silk and was long, longer than his own, her skin was pale, looking soft. Easily ripped to shreds.

She saw he didn't move to do as she requested, so she shrugged, tugging open his haori and yukata. She saw the irritation on the demon's face and looked at his bright golden eyes. There was confusion in them and she could see that he was in pain. She unrolled another cloth, revealing her tools. She frequently sewed a wounded animal before and this was no different. Even if the animal was slender, muscular, and about the most beautiful creature she'd ever seen in her life. She knelt by his side, picking up her cloth, gently cleaning the wounds on his side.

One was far worse than the others. It looked red and oozed puss. She frowned slightly. "I will have to disinfect this and sew it closed." She said evenly. She picked up some sake that was on the floor and poured it over the wound.

He hissed in pain, forcing himself to remain still. He glared at her as she picked up a needle and thread. "Why are you doing this?" He snarled.

She looked at him, her face calm. "Because it's what I do." She said simply. She gave him a look that was mildly worried. "I enjoy helping the wounded. Usually, however, the wounded I take care of are, infact, animals not demons." She frowned. "This will hurt." She said, threading the needle, and pinching the wound closed to stitch it shut. Deftly she began closing the ugly wound.

He made no noise. He watched the girl work, his eyes narrow. Why should she help him? He would have killed her had he not lost so much blood. He saw a compassion on her face and frowned deeply. He watched her complete the stitches and she leaned close, biting the thread in half. He continued to watch her as she washed the blood off of his chest, then she moved to his face. She seemed fascinated with him. He could feel her eyes looking at every inch of exposed skin. "Why are you staring at me?"

She looked at his face, smiling. "I have never seen anything like you. You are quite beautiful." She said going back to what she was doing.

He bristled slightly, feeling her nudge his ego. He looked away, ignoring her.

She finished tending to him and straightened, wiping her forhead. The servants entered, leaving the tray beside the demon, then they left. She looked at him, seeing a peculiar look on his face as he peered at the food that had been left for him. "You should eat." She said, standing, and smiling. "You'll heal faster."

He looked at her in suprise, then frowned deeply. "Why are you helping me?" He asked gruffly, not letting her know that the unexpected kindness had touched him in a place he refused to believe existed.

She looked at him in suprise. "I need a reason to help a living creature?" She asked quietly, her eyes wide, innocent.

He paused. "I would have your name." He said evenly.

She smiled, nodding. "My name is Izayoi." She said, bowing to him. "I am the lady of the manor."

He started. A princess? A princess had done dirty work herself? Had tended his wounds with care, and tenderness. He stared at her. She was an odd one, this princess. He looked away from her.

"What manner of demon are you, sir?" She asked, walking towards the window and pearing out into the darkness. She could feel his eyes on her.

He remained silent, not speaking to her. She needn't know what he was. It was none of her business. He looked at the far wall of the small shed and frowned.

She shook her head, realizing he had no intention of answering her and a small smile turned up the corner of her lips. "Are all demons as stubborn as you?" She asked quietly, tilting her head to the side and looking at him. "I should return to the main house. I shall return to check on you tomorrow." She said, walking towards the door.

"Don't bother."

"It isn't one." She said softly.

He looked at her in suprise and saw a faint smile on her face. What? She looked at him and he found himself captivated for the first time in his life. Captivated. By a human. Here he was, Great Demon of the West, and he found he was unable to stand up to this small human woman. He watched her leave and forced himself into a sitting position.

He had to leave. He heard movement outside and struggled to move. Suddenly, the door burst open and he was staring at a boy. His son. He looked at the boy and saw disdain on his face. "Father." The boy said evenly.

Inutaisho fought to stand, finding it difficult. Pain was something new to him. "Sesshoumaru, let us leave this place." He said, walking out into the snow. He heard a commotion from inside the manor and knew they had been discovered. He snarled, feeling his form snapping and popping, changing into that of a dog. He towered above the soldiers coming out to fight, and his eyes caught sight of the woman who'd helped him.

She saw a strange calm in her eyes. "You intend to leave?"

He didn't respond, glaring down at the measely humans.

Sesshoumaru raised a claw, glaring at the mortal trash. "Father, leave, I will take care of this..."

"No, Sesshoumaru, you will not." He looked at his son, his face dark. "I owe a life debt." He said evenly, looking at the humans as the arrows tightened in their bows.

"STOP!" Izayoi shouted to the men. She rushed to the front, her face calm. "They have done nothing, and you will not touch them!" She commanded the men with the bearing of a leader, and knew they would listen to her.

Takemaru looked at her in confusion. "Izayoi-sama?"

She glanced back at the demons, her eyes meeting the red and blue of the one she'd saved. "Go."

The demon hesitated.

She saw the hesitation in his eyes and shook her head. "GO!"

Inutaishou looked at his son and nodded, and they both disappeared. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Izayoi with a tear on her face. He returned his eyes to the front of him. He could feel his stitches pulling and stopped running, slowing to a walk.

"Father?"

The demon snarled putting his hand to his side. "Stupid humans..." He snarled. He glared back at the manor, feeling uncertain emotions running through him. Why had that stupid woman saved his life? He was a demon, and a conqueror at that. He had no need for his life to be saved by the likes of her. And yet, he was relieved that Sesshoumaru had not arrived sooner, when the woman was assisting.

Because if he felt contempt for humans, than his son must have felt twice as much.

He suddenly remembered the tear on her face and frowned deeply. "Go on without me. I shall follow at a slower pace. I have yet to heal completely from my last battle."

When his son was gone, he sat down in the snow, leaning against a tree. He had never met anyone with so little mortal fear in his life. She had taken him in, fed him, bathed him, sewed his wounds shut. He reverted to his humanoid appearance and glanced back towards the manor. He could smell her scent and walked slowly back towards it, till he could hear the words being spoken.

"My lady! You're hands are like ice! You're ill!"

"No, Takemaru, I am not."

He felt a strange throb in his chest. Was she in fact truely ill? He inhaled, and frowned. He turned, disappearing.

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Izayoi lay in bed, her body trembling, sweat beading on her forhead, her hands cold and clammy. She had been sick for two days and it only appeared to be getting worse. The hand that had stitched closed the pussing demon wound looked decaying, and she had a nagging suspicion that she would die soon.

Late that night, while she lie awake with fever, she sensed a presence in her room. "Come out." She said softly. "I know you're here, sir."

Inutaishou stepped from the shadows. "You are ill?" He looked away, trying to look disinterested.

"I am dying, sir. I did not know that the puss from that wound of yours was toxic to humans." She said, looking at his lovely face. His armor had been repaired, and he appeared to be in good health also. "You look well." She smiled. "I succeeded in my task."

He turned towards her in suprise. "Why do you find such pleasure in helping those that are injured?" He asked, scowling a bit. Her scent was filled with death, and he knew the time was approaching for him to repay his life debt. Why should he care what happened to this stupid human woman?

She smiled. "It makes me feel good, knowing that I can do something for someone that they can't do themself..." She began coughing fiercely, blood leaving her mouth to partially coat her hand. "I'm glad you're here." She said softly. She ran her eyes over him, a small smile tilting up the corners of her mouth. "It is a privelage to die in the presence of such beauty."

He silently knelt beside her, taking the decaying hand in his. "You will not be dying this night." He said evenly. He pulled a small knife from his sleeve, dragging it across his palm. "I was exposed to the venom and survived. My body has antibodies." He explained, lifting her hand and carefully slicing it as well. He wrapped his hand around hers and saw the suprise on her face.

"Why?" She asked softly.

He looked away. He didn't respond, simply let his blood wash through her veins. As he watched, her hand returned to a normal shade, her skin becoming the soft flesh color. He rested the back of his hand and felt her temperature was down and pulled his hand away. The small shallow wound on her's had closed, as had his own.

She looked up at him and tilted her head to the side. "Thank you..." She said softly. "But why did you save me?"

He stood slowly, walking towards her window. "I do not like being in the debt of others."

She stood, walking toward him. "I would have your name before you leave me again." She said softly.

He glanced back at her, then returned his eyes to the blanket of white outside. "Inutaishou." He said softly.

She smiled, the put her arms around him. "Thank you, Inutaishou-sama." She said softly.

He froze, feeling her warmth against him. He remained still till she released him.

Humans were strange.

He didn't care anymore. He left her quickly.

He was gone in less than a moment. She had just blinked and he was gone.