Master and Slave
By: Saya
Chapter 1
"Your Highness, Jaken has captured Kagome and Kikyo. Shall we bring them in for interrogation or kill them both on the spot?" Hikaru, Jaken's uncle, asked their leader, Lord Sesshoumaru. Hikaru stared as Sesshoumaru looked up their names in his notebook.
Sesshoumaru was intrigued. The Youkai Prince had been searching decades for the deadly priestesses but to cross paths with Kagome and Kikyo was fortunate and propitious.
"Take our prisoners to the interrogation room and I will deal with them," Sesshoumaru replied. He was unsure what to expect but he knew well of the dangers the two could cause. He followed Hikaru down the stairs to the basement of the castle where the dungeons lied.
Sesshoumaru opened the cell door to find Kagome bound to a chair and Kikyo gagged unconsciously on the floor. Sesshoumaru gazed into Kagome's piercing collected brown eyes gazing into his own. He walked closer to her and took a seat beside her.
"Kagome, at last we meet in the flesh. You have been infiltrating my lands and causing quite a pandemonium among my people. Did you really think you could get away with killing all my demons and I would not notice?" Sesshoumaru asked her.
Kagome remained silent. She only stared back. Her eyes desired bloodlust. She wished she could wring his neck and gouge her sharp nails into his eyes. She licked her lips.
"My lord, we have used every kind of torture we could possibly think of. She did not even blink. Not a yelp or a gasp. What do you want us to do with her?" Hikaru asked.
"Where is Jaken?" Sesshoumaru asked looking for the other twin.
"Kikyo almost killed him. We had to sedate her," Hikaru replied.
Sesshoumaru nodded. He rubbed Kagome's cheek. He smirked when she pulled away. "Killing you would be such a waste. How I wish I could have you... pity isn't it?"
Kagome remained apathetic. She would not break. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up. He grabbed his Teneiga and positioned it over her neck. She did not bother pulling away.
"You know, you are no fun when you remain mute. What lovely soft skin you have. I would hate to ruin it by spilling your crimson blood. I demand you talk before I do."
Kagome laughed. "Who do you think you are? You think you can threaten me? Take your best shot. It would be easier if you just killed me. If you do not kill me, I will kill you. If you plan to keep me a prisoner here, there is a better chance I will end up killing myself."
Sesshoumaru smirked. "I truly do admire you. I have dreamt of this moment for a very long time. I will make a deal with you. I will let you live if you simply give in to me. Tell me who sent you? Did my half breed brother command you to come assassinate me?"
Kagome stared back with a curious expression. "What makes you think I wish to live?"
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Human nature, I suppose. No matter. My research has continued to benefit my plans as always. Hikaru, give Kagome the Enterprise prototype."
Kagome's eyes looked at Hikaru. Hikaru held a metal bracelet and placed it on Kagome and Kikyo's wrists. Kagome did her best to resist but her efforts were fruitless. The bracelet was infused with her skin. A sharp pain shocked her but Kagome merely blinked. Kikyo stirred.
"What did you do?" Kagome asked trying to break it.
"Nothing really," Sesshoumaru replied nonchalantly. "My latest invention. It is called Enterprise. It has the power to enslave a human body to one master. Only a prototype of course but in time it will be perfected for legions. As of now Kagome, you and Kikyo belong to me."
Hikaru untied Kagome. At that moment, she jumped into the air and attempted to escape. However, her efforts were fruitless. She fell to the floor and could not get up. Sharp electrical pain slithered through her veins and Kagome gasped in pain.
"Resistance is futile Kagome. Do not bother trying to escape; the moment you do, you will find a sharp pain stabbing your organs. It will bring about your demise. Welcome to Western Lands. Hikaru, show our guests to their rooms please."
Before Kagome could respond, she found herself being dragged by Hikaru. They passed several corridors and walked upstairs before stopping in front of two brass doors. Hikaru pushed her inside and locked the door from the outside. Kagome kicked the door with no luck.
Exhausted, Kagome stopped to take a glimpse of the room. It was divided between a bedroom, living room, and a bathroom. The walls were painted lilac purple while the drapes and curtains were lavender purple. The bedroom carpet was amethyst. The canopy bed was decorated in royal purple sheets, spreads, pillows, comforter, and duvet. Even the balcony overlooked a garden filled with dark purple roses and a view of a lake. The room was simply exquisite.
She was a prisoner in the castle but it did not stop her from exploring what was now hers. It was almost surreal. She went to the closet and opened to find clothes of her style. She quickly changed into silk slacks and a cotton blouse. She went to the shelves, pulled out The Count of Monte Cristo, and began reading it. She would bide her time well.
She was determined not to give in. She would take up the advantage of good hospitality but she would never forget she was a cold-blooded assassin. Kagome vowed to complete this mission. Everything depended on it. She had never failed before and Kagome certainly did not plan to fail now. She gave her word she would assassinate Sesshoumaru even if it included her death. So be it, her thoughts raced. You will rue the day you met Kagome Higurashi.
A gust of wind blew by. The winter night sky was filled with countless stars and the moon shone bright. There was a feeling of great anticipation and angst in the air. There was an eerie qualm in the moist of the air. A dark figure moved through the shadows under the canopy of trees. It was unequivocal that the night withheld many secrets even from the innocent eyes.
Kagome Higurashi returned to Moonlit Castle with a suitcase filled with currency. A dark silhouette appeared at the entrance. She greeted him with a nod.
"Welcome back Kagome," Sesshoumaru greeted his servant as he watched her carefully.
Kagome handed him the suitcase and made her way inside. She walked the castle free but she was reminded every day, she was a prisoner here. Five years did not change that. Kagome stopped in front of a crystal mirror. She gazed at her reflection. Nothing changed. Her long black hair simply waved down to her waist and her long bangs came down the side almost covering her melancholic brown eyes. She yearned for her freedom. She brought her wrist up to her eyesight.
"When did you get back?" a familiar voice called out behind her.
Kagome looked at the mirror and saw Kikyo walking down the corridor.
"Just now; when did you get back?" she replied.
Kikyo smiled sadly. "Yesterday. "
"I assume you were successful?" Kagome asked incredulously.
"Of course." She sighed. "I wish I were no longer a prisoner here. My loyalty will always remain with you Kagome. We need to escape. Sesshoumaru keeps us here for his amusement. We are nothing but slaves to him. I yearn for my freedom."
Kagome nodded. "We shall bide our time. He will let his guard down eventually. I am not leaving until I slit his throat myself. Be patient Kikyo."
Kikyo sighed. "Very well. I have complete faith in you but sometimes I feel you are a bit too stubborn. If it ever comes down to our escape and his death, I ask you to pick our escape."
Kagome smirked. "If it does, so be it. I give you my word; I will get us out of here."
With that said, the two parted. Kagome made her way to Sesshoumaru's office to fill out a report of the previous mission while Kikyo made her way to her room. Kagome could not bring herself to admit to Kikyo that she had fallen in love with Sesshoumaru. She was forced to lie. Kikyo would never forgive me if she ever found out.
Kagome knocked on a door. "Come in Kagome," the voice replied imperturbably.
Kagome entered. She tossed a stack of paper neatly stapled together on Sesshoumaru's desk. He looked up as he caught the stack. He placed it in a manila folder and looked up at her.
"Anything interesting happen todau?" Sesshoumaru asked placidly.
Kagome shrugged. "Define interesting."
Sesshoumaru gave her a look and Kagome sighed. "Nothing out of the ordinary. We met at the bridge and we exchanged suitcases. After authenticating the currency, I killed him. I lit the body on fire and it incinerated before me. No evidence whatsoever. I am an assassin. That is my job. I am also your slave and I do as you command me to."
"Excellent," Sesshoumaru replied. "That is all."
Kagome bowed. However, before she could leave, Sesshoumaru appeared in front of her blocking her path. He wrapped his arms around her pulled her closer into his embrace. She sighed and closed her eyes. He kissed her forehead. "My sweet, sweet Kagome."
Kagome looked up to meet his gaze. She wanted to believe he was being sincere when he professed his love and admiration of her but she knew better than to trust the man who held her a prisoner in his own home. He gently placed his lips on hers and kissed her so sweetly.
"Kagome, your scent is so intoxicating. Do you taste as sweet as you smell?"
Kagome laughed. "Perhaps? I guess you will never find out, will you?"
She was teasing him but his expression remained solemn. "Kagome, I may have taken away your free will but as a gentleman, I have never taken you against your will nor have I ever laid a hand on you. I truly love you and wish for you to come to me of your free will."
Kagome pulled away slowly. "If you truly loved me, you would not keep me here. You would let me go free. If you cared about me, you would not make me your slave. How dare you? Kagome Higurashi is but a servant for your amusement. I was never your equal."
Kagome left the room and sat on a stone bench under a peach tree. She crossed her legs and began meditating. Her thoughts were erratic and her breaths were uneven. She despised Sesshoumaru but she knew deep down, she truly cared and loved him. She refused to admit it though. Why do I love this infuriating man who has kept me his prisoner?
"Lady Kagome?" a young servant girl addressed Kagome interrupting her concentration.
"What is it Mika?" Kagome asked her personal servant not opening her eyes.
"There are two women in the front requesting an audience with His Highness," she said.
"Oh? Thank you, Mika. I will attend to them both. You are excused."
Mika bowed and nodded. Kagome walked to the front of the palace. She made her way to the palace gates. Kagome spotted two women. The shorter and most likely younger of the two has long brown hair while the elder of the two had dark auburn hair and crimson eyes. Bingo. Definitely youkai. The brunette must be her human slave. Kagome stared before approaching.
"State your name and business," Kagome greeted callously.
The older woman smiled coyly as she spoke. "I was once the Lady of this castle. Surely, my absence did not force Sesshoumaru to replace me with a shrew courtesan like you. The Lord of the West seems to be so preoccupied he has no time for me anymore. The guards say that no one gets an audience with Prince Sesshoumaru without permission of Lady Kagome."
"Indeed," Kagome replied ignoring the woman's condescending remark.
"I am Lady Misaki and this is Princess Rin. I'm his wife and this is his sister. May I ask who you are? His mistress or his servant?" the woman sneered.
Kagome was stunned. However, her composure remained apathetic. "Follow me."
Misaki smiled. "So how is Sesshoumaru these days? He never writes to me anymore."
"His Majesty is well," Kagome remarked quietly.
Kagome knocked on Sesshoumaru's office. "Yes Kagome?"
Misaki smirked. Kagome opened the door and allowed Misaki and Rin to enter first. Sesshoumaru looked up shocked. He saw Misaki smirk and Kagome frown with anger. Rin greeted her brother with a hug but Sesshoumaru was disturbed by Misaki's presence. He had not spoken to her in over a decade and had no feelings for her whatsoever. He cursed profanities.
"Tsk. Tsk. That is no way to greet your wife Sesshoumaru. Lovely whore you have here. Did you really think you could keep me a secret forever?" Misaki greeted disdainfully.
"What are you doing here Misaki? You and I agreed never to see each other. You broke your promise. I wanted nothing to do with you after you tried to kill me," Sesshoumaru snapped.
Misaki shrugged. "Tonight is just one blast from the past. I did not come here to patronize you. Allow me to entice you. I have come with a proposition you cannot refuse."
"I do not care. Leave. You are no longer welcome in my home," Sesshoumaru replied sternly. "The people of the West no longer associate you as their queen."
Misaki frowned. "You have not changed at all. I am still the Lady of this house Sesshoumaru. Do not ever forget that you are married to me."
"Only by contract. My heart does not belong to you. Now, get out," Sesshoumaru sneered. "Leave before I am forced to kill you."
Misaki stared at him with dagger eyes. "You will regret this Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru ignored her. "Kagome will show you out, Misaki." Kagome did as she was told. Kagome smirked and turned away. She locked the gates. Kagome knew better. This fight was not over. Misaki was a cunning demoness and would do anything to assert her power.
Misaki gave Kagome a smile. "Look at me you little whore," she whispered. "What's going to happen when Lord Sesshoumaru replaces you with someone else. He needs heirs. He might be interested now but he will come back to me. I am his wife. They always do."
Kagome shrugged. "That may be so but it seems to me like he already threw you out so I don't have to worry about that. Besides, at least I don't reek of desperation."
Misaki turned away. "Watch your back Kagome. There are still those who are still loyal to me. I never betrayed Sesshoumaru."
"Goodbye Misaki."
Kagome headed to her room. She ran to her desk and opened the hidden drawer under the desk where she kept her diary. She quickly wrote an entry and closed it up. She hid it when she sensed a presence approaching at her door.
Kagome opened the door to find the Grand Duchess standing before her. Kagome curtsied as a sign on respect and invited Rin inside her room.
"What can I do for you today Your Grace?" Kagome asked while offering her tea.
Rin smiled. "I just spoke to my brother. You do not have to be formal with me. In fact, you outrank me and I would prefer us being on casual and informal tones."
"As you wish," Kagome replied. "To what do I owe this lovely pleasure?"
Rin sipped her tea. "I wanted to speak to you about something personal…"
"Oh, is something bothering you?"
Rin shook her head. "It's nothing like that. My brother is happy for the first time in years and I came to explain Misaki to you. Sesshoumaru feels that you are upset about this."
"Why should I be upset? I am merely Sesshoumaru's servant and as Princess Misaki kindly pointed out, I am merely his whore," Kagome replied frostily.
Rin laughed. "Your reputation precedes you. There were rumors that the legendary priestess lived to draw blood but you are much colder than I had anticipated. I wish for you to forget Misaki. Sesshoumaru is in love with you. Give him a chance. You might be surprised. He truly does care for you."
Kagome stared incredulously. "Right," she smiled sarcastically. "If you will please excuse me, Sesshoumaru wishes to see me. If there's nothing else, I must get ready."
Rin stood. "Tell me, what is your rank among the Guardians?" The Guardians were the King's valiant and personal guards.
"I am the captain. Why do you ask?"
Rin shrugged. "Sesshoumaru speaks very highly of you; I can understand why. You are most certainly someone I respect and I hope you give my brother a chance."
Kagome smiled. She excused herself once more and asked Mika to show Rin out. She opened her closet and sorted through racks of clothing. She finally found a short black Gucci cocktail dress she bought last week. She applied makeup and slipped into her black pumps. She cleaned the smeared mascara and picked out red jewelry. She finally tied her hair into a bun. She stared at her reflection once more. She sighed. She combed her bangs to the left of her forehead and secured the rest with a bobby pin. At 8 PM sharp, she made her way to Sesshoumaru's chambers.
Before Kagome could knock, Sesshoumaru opened the door. He grinned. "Right on time."
Kagome smiled and said, "Sesshoumaru, we need to talk."
There was an awkward silence before Sesshoumaru reluctantly agreed. He took a seat before her and poured her a cup of jasmine tea. "What can I do for you today?"
Kagome stared for a moment before she spoke. She narrowed her eyes and contemplated what she would do. She did not know what to say so she just kissed him. It was spontaneous.
"That was unexpected," Sesshoumaru remarked.
"I do not expect you to understand but I will beg you once to allow me to go. I do not belong to you. I will do anything. Anything you ask of me, but please release me?"
He thought for a moment. "I will give you and Kikyo complete freedom in one condition. But just remember that you wanted it more than anything."
"Tell me," Kagome demanded.
"Marry me. I will release you."
"Done. You get me a ring and it's done. You will release me but you have to let Kikyo go. I promised her. She longs to return home. I beg of you."
Sesshoumaru nodded. "That was much easier than I had expected. You must want your freedom bad if you are willing to spend the rest of your life with me."
"It's a small price to pay since you are still married to Misaki."
"For the time being, once my divorce is finalized, nothing will stop me from pursuing my one true love."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Make sure the garden is surrounded by sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. And I want jasmine flowers everywhere."
Kagome ran to find Kikyo. She summoned Kikyo as she frantically packed all of her things. When Kikyo entered, Kagome handed her bags.
"You are free. Run! Go far away from here as you possibly can. No one will stop you. Enterprise has released you. Promise me, you will never return."
Kikyo was at disbelief. She didn't know what to say. "What about you?"
"My life for yours. I promised you, I would give you your freedom."
"What? But you can't…"
Kagome shrugged. "It's already done. Go now!"
Kikyo ran and Kagome was now going to be bonded to Sesshoumaru forever.
