"Where are we going Riyagi? It is starting to rain." she whispered worriedly as she stared at the graying sky. "My father would find out about this and we will be punished!"

He walked on, holding her by the waist with his right hand, all but propelling her deeper into the woods. "What difference does it make? He punishes you all the time anyway by locking you in that house! And he is too weak to know! Do not fool yourself into thinking that he will recover anytime soon. They have made sure of that." He stopped abruptly and stared at her pointedly. "And you are no longer the child that you were who fell ill just because you've breathed frsh air."

"What do you mean? Who are they?" She steadied herself by grabbing on to his arms that were still securely around her.

He smiled bitterly at her and did not answer. Instead he began to pull her into the woods again.

"Answer me, Riyagi!" She tried to stop walking. "What do you mean!"

He walked ahead, cradling his head in his hands. "You do not have to act dumb with me."

"I am not acting dumb! Really, what do you mean!"

"You've been poisoning your father! How dare you betray him! What did those clans offer you? Leadership? Wealth? What! What could have possibly been more important to you than your honor?" He whirled around as he said this, facing her with an almost wild eyed stare.

"I've not poisoned father!" she said in outrage. "Who gave you that idea? You should know me better than that! How dare you!" She shook in outrage. "Riyagi, who fed you these lies?" She was beginning to be wary of the man's wild eyed look. He seemed to be slowly losing grip of his control and sanity.

"I know. The clans told me who they hired." He wheezed out a laugh. "You don't have to hide it from me, I myself have been trying to kill him."

She gasped at the news and whirled around to run. She tripped because of the length of her kimono and fell. She felt the weigh of Riyagi behind her as he launged towards her when she attempted her escape.

"You do not need to pretend to be dignified with me, woman, I know your type! You were supposed to die with your father, I had the orders to kill you too but they suddenly changed their minds. Who did you sleep with? Who did you service with this body that they spared you?" She was struggling against him but he had pinned both her hands above her head with one hand. His knee pinned her kimono on the ground and restricted her from moving her legs. He held her throat with his other hand. "Were you not promised to me?" He said savagely.

"I have not been with any man!" she cried. Tears fell unheeded down her cheeks. "Stop this, Riyagi, you are hurting me. Please, let me go--"

Riyagi slapped her. Blood dripped from her mouth. Her vision blurred at the force of his slap. "Oh no you don't!" he shook her awake. "I want you to know and remember each and every moment of this. I will claim you but tell me first, who hired you?"

"No one." she answered faintly. "Why do you do this to me, Riyagi? Do you not love me? This is not like you at all."

He punched her abdomen. "This is the real me, you bitch. How dare you choose another over me! I could have protected you too! I thought you were different from all those other whores, I've been gentle to you and this is how you repay me?" He tore at her kimono.

"Please, Riyagi, do not!" She gasped in pain as he mauled her with his bruising hands. "Please, do not." tears fell. He dealt her with punches as much as he can, weakening her.

He faced her and would have kissed her but she turned away. "You dare deny me a kiss? Had you not given me this priveledge already?" He grabbed her face and kissed her forcefully. Blood trailed on both their lips as he lifted his face to look at her. She stopped struggling entirely.

"Do you like this, Youko? Why do you not fight anymore?" He ran his hands crudely over her.

She stared bleakly at him. "I have loved you." she whispered.

He wheezed. His sight began to dim. She moved off of her slightly and shook his head. "What is this?" His body seemed to be weakening. He supported his weight with one hand and held his temple with another. "What did you fdo to me!" he said in rage and hit her limp form again.

"I have not been poisoning my father. He has been poisoning me." She struggled to keep her eyes open. "I have been tasked to test poisons for him. I ate his food and drank before he did. That is why I always fell ill when I was a child. I received the poison intended for him. I am immune to most of these poisons now, in fact, I am instead, a walking and breathing poisoned being. My blood is poison. My tears are poison..." She looked him in the eyes. "He's dying because he never developed immunity to any poisons. He is too weak." She coughed up blood. "And now so will you. Did I not beg you not to kiss me?" She cried.

He fell limply on top of her and breathed his last breath. She did not even move or flinch. She looked at the sky. The sky was gray, yards and yards of dirtied white silk swirling above her. Rain pelted her unmoving body, coloring the grass with red, running and eddying around her in what seemed to be a cradle. The sky was suddenly hazed with her blood. She tried to blink away the blood but it would not go away. She tried to lift her left hand but it fell back limply on the ground. She was too weak. Rain pelted her body and darkness enveloped the edges of her eyes until not even the tears could clear it.

"I have succeeded again father. You were right about him. He is a traitor." She whispered.

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...some people are only alive because it is illegal to kill them...