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“Come, my love, won’t you come to the square with me?” Inukimi rubbed her husband’s shoulders. He sat at his desk, dressed down in nothing but a yukata.
“But you hate the square.” he raised a brow skeptically. Inukimi didn’t like humans much.
“Oh but it’s such a nice day, perhaps we’ll find a treasure.”
“A treasure? In a human town? Are you feeling alright?” Toga stood from his chair, wrapping his arms around his wife and all her incessant finery.
“Perhaps I’m trying to be more…considerate of my husband’s interests.”
Toga sighed, shaking his head. He readied himself for the day, straightening his clothes. His silver hair up in a high tail that still hung to his hips.
On their way to the square in their carriage, Inukimi watched her husband revert to a child, fidgeting in his seat and forgetting all decorum as he looked out the windows as excited as a puppy seeing his first snow. She rolled her eyes and held her tongue. He didn’t often catch a break from his lordly duties, even less time for indulging in human society.
“Mind the pickpockets, dear,” she said boredly, exiting the carriage. Toga hot on her heels, dove out and forgot his posture. Inukimi grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back.
“You’re still a Lord even outside the walls of our shiro. Please mind yourself, I am not your mother.”
Toga nodded in a false seriousness, lips pursed to hide his giddiness.
The pair made their way through various stalls. Inukimi found herself drawn to one stocked with various incense, local and exotic. Toga carried on, looking at a display of combs and cosmetics. He found one that he liked, but he didn’t think it would fit well with his wife’s complexion.
Moving on in a swell of the crowd, Toga found himself bumping into someone. He quickly patted his pockets, finding nothing out of place before finding himself pulled around the corner.
“Shh,” said a voice. “If someone saw you patting your pockets like that they’d know just where to hit next time.”
“Who are you?” Toga tried desperately to catch his breath, but this tiny human had him slightly panicked.
“Nobody of consequence.” The voice was female, and he deflated a bit. Caught unaware by a human female. Kami forbid his wife found out about this. “You, however…youkai royalty? In a lowly human market?”
“I uh…” he swallowed thickly, trying to catch a glimpse of the face hidden under the hooded cloak. “I was curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat, you know,” she said, her voice dancing in amusement.
“Good thing I’m a dog,” he chuckled.
His mouth hung open as she lifted her hood, her deep brown eyes staring at him in mirrored awe. Her lips a gentle pink…he suddenly knew what to get from that stall he passed by.
“You’re inuyoukai? Come, follow me,” she grabbed his hand, her own so much smaller than his. He wondered at its softness and thought perhaps she was of a higher class despite her clothing.
After a few minutes of wrestling through the afternoon crowd, they arrived at a small restaurant and they sat together at a table. Toga seemed only a little too big for the chair, and he smiled sheepishly.
“How shall I address you?”
“I’m Lord Toga no Taisho, and you?”
“I'm Lady Izayoi. What brings you to Edo?”
“This village is within my lands…and I was curious as to its inner workings. You are a Lady, yet you dress as if to hide yourself…what is it that brings you to the market today?”
Her face sobered.
“My fiance…I wanted one last day in town as myself before I leave home.”
“When is that?”
“A week from now.”
Toga sat silently for a moment, sipping his tea. He gazed out the window and his eyes went wide. Just across the street, was his wife.
“Izayoi, would you excuse me for a moment?”
She followed his eyes to an elaborate noblewoman across the street and she felt her heart sink.
“Of course, my lord,” she nodded. What was I thinking? she sighed. It wasn’t every day a tall handsome man walked right into you at the market. But of course…he’s likely married. The woman outside was dripping in finery, he almost looked out of place by her side.
Toga stepped out of the restaurant, and made his way quickly across the street.
“Where did you run off to?” Inukimi drawled.
“Nowhere, mother . I’m a grown male, remember? I can handle myself. Although…I did follow your advice to find a treasure.” Toga huffed, eyeing his wife and trying to measure her mood. It was always difficult to detect.
“What did you find?”
“Uh…” he glanced back over to the restaurant where Izayoi was waiting for him. Inukimi smiled knowingly.
“What’s her name?”
“Izayoi.”
Inukimi’s mischievous smile widened.
“Goodness, you have found a treasure. How breathlessly you say her name!”
“I can’t…I can’t have her. She’s due to be married and will be moving away.” Toga hung his head slightly. He hadn’t expected to find love here in this bustling human market. A trinket, sure…but love?
“Well…if she’s to be yours…I’m sure you’ll find a way.” Inukimi tapped her fan on her chin a moment, eyeing him and chuckling inwardly as she could see the wheels turning in his mind.
“Humans share the dowry custom, do they not? I could double it.” he said slowly.
“Toga, dear…you don’t know what the dowry even is,” Inukimi stopped tapping her fan. Who was this girl anyway? Before she could ask, he bound back to the restaurant. Izayoi was fixing her cloak and preparing to leave.
“Wait!”
She looked up and saw Toga, his cheeks aflame.
“When can I see you again?” he gasped out.
“Perhaps tonight…won’t you be sleeping?”
“I don’t need as much sleep as humans,” his voice evened out as he caught his breath, and he closed the distance between them, grasping her hands. “Where should we meet?”
“Where we did today.”
“The alley?”
“Why not?” she smiled sweetly, eyes twinkling in a way that drove him mad. “See you tonight, Lord Toga.”
With that, she swept out of the restaurant.
Toga returned to Inukimi, promptly announced he had forgotten something and took off. Inukimi sighed and went back to the waiting carriage. Toga followed shortly after, a small bag in his hand.
“Forget to kiss her goodbye, did you?”
“What? No, I… I did get her something though, from the market.” Toga slumped in his seat, sticking his feet out across the carriage floor. Inukimi fought back the urge to roll her eyes. She really was trying to be a better spouse. It was hard for Toga to see his stoic and chronically frustrated wife in their son Sesshomaru, and he just couldn’t play the way he wanted with them.
“Do you think she’ll show?”
“I don’t know…but if she doesn’t…I’m not so sure I’ll ever be able to forget her.”
Midnight was approaching, and Toga was restless. He had dressed himself in the darkest night clothes he had, a rich navy blue. Inukimi was fast asleep, uninterested in seeing him off to what she could only refer to as a scandalous tryst.
Fastening the small gift and his sword to his obi, he made his way outside the walls of his shiro. Transforming into his demon form, he flew high to blend hide among the clouds. He was much faster than the carriage, and he landed quietly just before the town. The moonlight was just enough to see by, and the previous bustle of midday market was silenced. He stepped carefully down the street, looking for the little alley where he had bumped into Izayoi. He heard a noise from behind him, and his hand went to the hilt of his sword. It was stupid coming down here without an entourage, he silently berated himself. Before he could make out the shape that dodged behind a stall, he was jerked backwards by the wrist and he let out a small gasp.
“Shhh!” a voice hissed. “It’s me, you fraidy cat!”
“Izayoi…?” he squinted his eyes, just barely making out her shape in the dim lighting.
“Indeed. So what are we going to do? Or did you just want to stare at me some more?” Izayoi stepped to the side, affording Toga the room to sit up and settle his nerves.
“I’d love to stare at you some more…but it’s dark out here. There’s more light up there.”
“Up..there?” Izayoi asked. “Up where?”
Toga grinned, and pointed to the sky. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes…?”
He stood, dusting off his clothes. Taking her in his arms, he began his ascent. They flew just above the clouds, and Izayoi gasped. The moonlight hit the clouds like might on fluffy, new fallen snow. It was indeed much brighter up here, but also a bit colder, and she shivered.
He waved a hand and summoned mokomoko around her shoulders. She looked up at him, eyes wide. He gave her a small smile as he took in her beauty. It was beyond compare, even among other human nobles, and he wondered how long he could hold his tongue.
“Izayoi…would you come away with me?” he asked, carefully holding her with one arm, and combing his fingers through her hair. It was braided tonight.
“But…”
“If you weren’t betrothed, if you didn’t have an imminent wedding on the horizon…would you?”
“We just met…and you’re…”
“A demon?”
“No, and that wouldn’t bother me… you’re married yourself.”
Toga sighed, and flew them down to a small lake below. They sat together in the sand, and fiddled with little twigs they found.
“It’s true that I’m married. However…she and I have an agreement. We had married to strengthen our clans more than anything else…and I am free to take another wife if I so choose. But, my lady, I want the choice to come with me to be yours.” He pulled out the gift from the market and saw awe, curiosity, even a little rebellion in her eyes as she took it in her small hands.
“Oh…this is beautiful.” she breathed, opening the small shell and revealing the pigment inside. Returning it to its pouch, she grinned. “In the only day that I’ve known you, you’ve treated me with more respect and playfulness than I’ve ever known from any man other than my own father.” she pinched his cheek. “Fly me away, Lord Toga, I’ve got nothing to lose but a boring, stuffy life as the wife of a pretentious nobleman.”
With that, Izayoi jumped into his arms and he couldn’t help but laugh as he caught her.
“Come, let us get back before we’re missed.” Toga stood, and helped her up.
They flew low among the trees, and he returned her to the gates of the shiro. She turned to look at him one last time, grinning with hope from ear to ear. He returned the smile, giving a little wave, watching until she was out of sight before turning away.
He stopped abruptly, a small dagger to his throat.
“What business do you have with my woman, demon?” The voice was low and furious.
“Lord Setsuna, I presume? I request an audience with Lady Izayoi’s father.” Toga kept his voice calm, and held very still.
“The old man is dead,” Lord Setsuna growled. “And you still haven’t told me your business.”
“Since I cannot converse with her father, then I will speak with you and your court tomorrow at noon. Please ensure that Lady Izayoi is in attendance. I wish to challenge your engagement.”
Lord Setsuna seethed. “She is no demon’s plaything.”
“I’m glad that we agree.” Toga moved the blade aside with his fingers.
Lord Setsuna’s mouth hung open as Lord Toga grinned, and was gone in a flash of light.
—
Izayoi had just returned to her chambers and opened the windows.
“Hey.”
Her head snapped up, her hand over her mouth. There was Toga, hanging off her balcony.
“What are you doing here?!” she whispered, looking around for any voyeurs.
“I met the future husband…seems he’s more trouble than he’s worth. What do you say we leave tonight?”
“You met him…” her eyes were wide. “Did he do anything to you? He hates demons…”
“ Keh …he ain’t nothin’. He did try to get me to tuck tail and run, but I’m no young pup anymore.”
Izayoi giggled.
“We don’t have much time, I can hear him downstairs and he doesn’t seem too happy…although to be fair he did just have his engagement challenged.”
Izayoi stood motionless for a moment…then in a rush of silks, she grabbed a satchel and carefully packed away a few things that belonged to her parents, and an extra yukata. Taking a deep breath, her own human ears picking up the stomping in the hallway, she stood in front of Toga. He transformed into his great dog form, and she settled on his back.
They sped off, just in time to hear the doors to her chambers fly open. Huffing in feigned sympathy at the loss of the fancy hinges, Toga flew higher and higher, relishing the squeals and giggles of his unlikely treasure. The clouds tickled their noses, and the sun rose behind them as they made their way home.