The Lord of the Moon and the Lady of the Night

He Appears

               She scooted from her bed ever so slowly sliding a crossed the tatami mats as smoothly as she could manage. She clutched the blanket to her chest. He dropped to one knee with an audible thump bowing his proud head with an arm rested on his knee. Izayoi jumped every time he made a loud noise her heart pounded in her chest so loud she was sure he could hear it. Sweat developed on the back of her neck as her back hit a wall. Her finger trembled holding her top tightly closed. Her chocolate eyes stared at him desperately trying to understand how he could be so far in the castle and not be seen. She should have been screaming calling for someone but her throat was sealed shut, so tight she found she couldn't even breath her lower lip trembled.

"Lady Izayoi, The yokai of this area no longer wish to see you in pain. They have asked me to take you away from here." She stared blankly at him unable to speak, his eyes said he was serious and spoke calmly as if he truly believed in the words he spoke.

"Yokai asked you to come kidnap me?" He was a crazy person in her room after all. It was silent for a long time before a bellow of laughter exploded from the warrior and he looked up at her. His golden eyes glimmered in the moonlight and his eyes crinkled with laughter. She rushed forward clamping her shaking hands over his mouth muffling his booming voice. She looked around desperately tears glittering in her eyes. She prayed her husband hadn't heard him she knew she would be punished if he was found in her room. Lucky for her she was alone in this wing of the castle; part of her punishment was seclusion from the court for being a disgrace. Soon she would lose all her standing in the courts. She shook her head trying to focus on her currently alarming situation her standing as a noble was another battle altogether. His large calloused hands came over her's, taking hands away from his mouth holding them firmly in his. A blush took over her cheeks as she quickly retracted her hands and put them behind her back.

"Yokai are all around you my dear, both good and bad but the ones here in this mansion tell me you are the wife of an abusive husband because you will not bear him a heir, yes?" Izayoi's eyes went wide and a small gasp escaped her lips. 'How could he have possibly know that?' she thought to herself fiddling with her fingers nervously. She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face, he sought something but what she couldn't say. She refused to break under the pressure he was putting her under. Her heart wanted to cry that he was another male that was informed of her inadequacies as a women. She was such a disgrace to her father.

"So you speak to the youkai then, Are you a youkai too?" She asked softly staring at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing around.

"No." That response got her attention. She focused her gaze on him to see his lip pulled in a smirk.

"No? What does no mean?" She asked confused. No he didnt speak to youkai but he had just said.. or no he wasn't a youkai.. but he didn't look human. The longer she pondered his answer the big she saw his smile grow. His black teeth barely showed in the low glow of the moon.

"Your teeth are black. Are you married then?" she asked. 'Why wasn't she screaming? Calling for her guards? Calling Lord Takimaru here?' Izayoi couldn't answer any of these questions immediately. Maybe because he was the first stranger she'd met in a while and she was, in truth, lonely. He didn't seem like he wanted to hurt her ,otherwise he would have immediately wouldn't he? She was defenceless otherwise.

"No, I am not married. White teeth can glint in moonlight; black teeth do not." It took her a second to understand why it mattered normally only married women blacked their teeth out and then it hit her like a rushing bull. She gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth.

"Are you a killer?" She asked in a nearly silent whisper.

"I am Lord Inutashio of the western lands." His golden eyes glowed reflectively in the moon like.. like a beast he settled onto both knees as if he planned on staying awhile. He sat with a straight back and his head high just like a Lord. Inutashio smiled as he watched a Zashiki child appear with a mischievous grin behind Izayoi, her pink kimono swirled around her as she reached for a nearby by statue and slammed it to the floor. Izayoi jumped up in surprise spinning around to see the smashed vase on the floor.

"What was that?" she whispered feverishly to him. The sound of footsteps padding down the hallway echoed through the thin paper walls. The door opened with a loud bang.

"Lady Izayoi who are you talking too?" A maid asked staring at the now empty doorway. A maid who had her husband's ear. Izayoi's eyes instantly shot to the open door where moonlight filtered in filling the now empty spot where the lord had been.

"Ahh... The wind," she whispered more to herself. "I was reciting poetry to the moon." 'Was he but a figment of her imagination?' she wondered to herself as she took one last glance to the open door before the maid shut it and began to clean up the smashed vase.

Smack. His hand was hot on her face, searing a pain in her pale face. Blood dripped from her lip glinting in the sunshine as she brough her sleeve up to her lip. She bowed her head so it touched the floor. 'I can not defy my husband I can not displease him as his wife.' She thought to herself fighting back the tears that stung in her eyes. Her throat burned with the need to cry. That beast did this. That beast was the reason she was in this trouble right now.

"Who was in your room Izayoi?" Takimaru snapped at her.

"My lord there was no one in my room, the maid was incorrect. I was reciting poetry. " she whispered softly. His brown eyes were narrowed sharply at his wife, face twisted with disdain. Izayoi sat before her husband with her forehead touching the floor. 'Stupid lord, how dare he get me in this much trouble.' She thought to herself.

"I don't believe you Izayoi, you are hiding something from me and I will find out. If i find out you have gave yourself to another I will make sure you are sold to a brothel like the whore you are. Do you know what the biggest motivating factor is for people?" Izayoi shook her head humoring him. She wasn't afraid of his threats because she wasn't cheating on him. He would bring himself a lot of dishonor if he were to sell a Shogun's daughter.

"Food. Food is the biggest motivating factor for this world other than money. Being the daughter of a shogun you have never hungered for much. In fact, that's a war tactic you father used quite a bit. It is said that hunger and sleeplessness are what have the ability to drive a person to insanity. So, until you tell me of your midnight lover you will go hungry and if you don't we will resort to the tactic of your own father." His back was to her now his hands crossed over his chest. Dressed in the finest Hakama pants with a sword on his hip and his hair pulled back into a samurai bun. She bit her lounge, literally, how dare he speak as if her father had done something wrong. Her father fought to keep the land at peace and to keep lords like him out of war. She pressed her lips tightly together till they were white.

"Yes, My Lord," she whispered, "May I leave?"

"Go." She bowed her head as she turned and left the council room. It was that moment that her title as Lady of the East died. She could hear them gossip about her and the ladies whispers of disdain as she passed. She ran a finger through her waist length black hair and prayed her father would return home soon.