The Lord of the Moon and the Lady of the Night

Reconsidering

Izaiyoi returned to her room with a heavy heart. She couldn't stay here, every time she looked at the sliding doors all she saw was him, the great lord "Inu Tashio." He chilled her down to the core; he admitted he was a killer without blinking. Thinking on it now she has no idea how much danger she had truly put herself in. A man covered in battle armor and swords was obviously not afraid of violence or cold-blooded murder. She bopped herself on the forehead, she was a crazy person. Exiting the castle she attended to her morning rounds offering her prayers to the deities of the castle grounds, she had no food to offer them today. Her father had always said the Gods relied on her as much as she relied on them. She crouched on her getta sandals in front of the oldest shrine on the castle grounds. The great Inu guardian, she gave a slight sigh as she thought about how the Lord's name was 'Inu' as well.

"Is he a dog yokai like you then?" She whispered with a soft chuckle. "Is he a great protector of his lands?" She expected no reply but it warmed her to think of him guarding his castle in such a manner. She closed her eyes and said a quiet prayer over his shrine. When she opened them she met the western Lord's eyes. She met his golden eyes for the first time, as he bent over the top of the small shrine, and found herself captivated. The more she observed him the more she realized he couldn't possibly be a human. Azure marks streaked a crossed his cheeks and fangs poked from between his lips when he grinned, which he always seemed to be doing. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized he truly wasn't human in any sense of the word. She took a step back.

"What are you?"

"A demon my dear." His voice was a soft but confident whisper as he met her gaze. " I wish to take you away from this place." She couldn't believe her ears. He wished to save her? He gave a small smirk as he brought her close to him. Her hands quivered against her chest as she stared into the wrinkles of his kimono, his broad chest blocking her view. 'We are in broad daylight' the thought hit her like a freight train. After she just got scolded because of him. She shoved against him forcefully.

"Lord To..." he interrupted her.

"I will be here to court you again, Lady of the East. I will be back tonight my dearest." With that the Lord turned to leave, a billowy cloud trailing after him as he disappeared out of sight. She stared at the spot he had been for a long time. 'surely this was a dream?' She sat down in the dirt on her knees confused. This wasn't logical.

Inu Taisho watched her fall to the ground in confusion with a chuckle. Look how beautiful she was in the gleam of the sunlight. ' Her pale flesh, her black hair reflecting in the sunlight, everything about her was perfect. It was then that he saw the bruise chasing up her neck and the disturbance of her makeup along her cheek. Takimaru really did smack her around often. It wasn't abnormal for their time, sure, but she was a gentle soul. She wanted nothing more than to please, why was he so angry at her? He really should meet this Takimaru sometime soon 'he sounded like a treat' he thought to himself. He was originally doing this as a favor for the local yokai but now... he was amused by her, and if he was honest, attracted to her.

"You may enter Lord Inutashio," her voice wavered slightly. She fidgeted with her hair, eyes glued to the floor with a pounding heart. The lord slid the door open slowly, even without the moonlight, she could tell he was smiling arrogantly. He slipped into her room like a ghost leaving the door open behind him. The soft smell of grass wafted around her room the cold breeze made her shiver. It was nearly the cherry blossom season again; it was nearly spring. The breeze was cold as he undid the belts on his chest plate and shoulder guards, making a low bow to her.

Feudal, Japan is a turbulent time of war and famine this was also a propionate time of yokai. Lady Izaiyoi's suitor is a powerful demon and lord over the western lands of Musashi and Kai. These yokai were prevalent in this time due to the number of restless souls. A yokai is born when evil takes over the human soul and they become the embodiment of their desires. Yokai can ne born through a women's mourning and through their scorn. These beasts are born when an animal's desires whether love or hate have not been fulfilled or who have reached 100 years old. Lord Inutashio was one of the ones born from an animal. Lady Izayoi is the daughter of a powerful shogun – Ashiga Takauji and had been promised to a well-off lord in the eastern lands, Lord Takimaru less than three years into their marriage things are not going well. Lord Tashio smiled wickedly and slowly began to slide the sheaths from his hips leaving them by the threshold as well as his dragon armor. He'd watched her cringed at the sight of them the last time he had seen her.

"How fair the lovely Lady Izaiyoi on this darkest night?" He whispered to her. He approached her slowly reaching for her hand. She nodded, in a jerky way, her eyes stuck to the ground.

"I am well my lord," she replied in a soft whisper. The Lord chuckled as he clasped her hand and felt her blood race underneath his fingertips. He brought her hand up to his lips kissing it softly.

"Such short words and such bashful reactions." He whispered as he lightly squeezed her hand. 'I could scream' but if she was honest she enjoyed having company. No one else talked to her not since she had been unofficially, banished from the courts. Her only source of company was the sexual compliance she gave her husband, which grew farther and farther apart, and her handmaid Ame. She wondered when he would stop visiting her all together and she would be forever alone in this wing. Izayoi got lost in her thoughts, blocking out the Lord's presence.

"When will you run away with me my lady?" He whispered the words softly in her ear. She jumped back creating more space between them.

"I'm sorry my Lord but I can not do so. I belong to my husband." He chuckled shaking his head slightly, she'd give in soon enough. Staring into her chocolate colored eyes he inhaled her scent. She had such a sweet yet musky smell. Her answers amused him greatly. Perhaps that is why he was wanting her as badly as he did, why he wanted her all to himself. 'Why?' He'd only known her but a day or so. She was nothing special compared to the Inu girls that splayed themselves before him... yet she was so much more interesting.

"I can take very good care of you. I can kill anything that so much as looks at you wrong if that is what you desire of me." He whispered softly as he ran a hand a crossed her cheekbone.

"That is not what I require my lord." He sighed, when would she just give in and indulge him of his desires? He wanted to make a proper wife out of her. She bit her lip and looked away from him pulling ever so slightly away from him.

"Tell me, have you been eating well?" He asked noticing her almost gaunt cheeks. She bit her lip harder still refusing to look at him. The lord growled deeply in his throat and Izayoi stiffened at the sound slowly meeting his eyes.

"Are they not feeding you because of me?" He received another silent confirmation.

"I will kill him if he mistreats you anymore." He pulled her back in his arms growling lowly in her ear as her head was pressed to his chest. He was not amused by this lord. Normally, he would have killed anything that stood in his way. Which, would be killing Takimaru and taking Izayoi away. If he killed her husband she would be sad, maybe not heartbroken, but sad. He could tell that she was soft-hearted by nature. So, for now, he would have to play it her way. The human way. Although he was the fucking lord of the western lands, he could give her the moon if that is what she asked of him.

"Please do not be so rash mi Lord."

"Let me feed you Lady Izaiyoi." Her heart gave a loud thump at the way he said her name, blood pooled to her face. She blinked slowly covering her cheeks with her hands looking away from him. He felt his heart calling out to her, the male in him was howling to please her, to provide for her. Those seductive brown eyes were screaming for him to love her. She nodded slowly as her stomach growled. He smiled down at her placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She'd conceded. Score one for the Inu lord.

"Wait for me Izaiyoi." His voice was husky as he disappeared into the night.