Benevolently Unbound - A Sesshomaru Romance
"Their screams still haunt me… On those nights were the black of night blends with the hate in my heart… He will always be there… every day to mock me, every day to remind me of what I have lost, what was taken. What he himself has done. I have cast my fate to the winds forever; forsaken."
"I cannot even recall their faces; only the pain. I will never be free his tyranny?" I sat in front of the old house-wife. I spoke only to her for she could not speak herself. She had been a mute as long as I have been a slave. I would never risk my life and utter words that would have me no sooner dead than fate had decided. She sat there numbly beside me shaking her head... I could no longer tell if it was from her thoughts or from age wearing on her old flesh and mind.
"I will come see you again, Meaa." I stood from my seat next to her and closed the door silently behind me. It was almost high noon and the Lord of the Southern lands would be in his hall with his maids and mistresses and I would do my duty. I no longer heard them murmur as I passed... it had become old news. I had already heard all that could be said anyways.
My mother and father had been predominant people of the Wine-makers of the Southern Lands. After the new lord's coronation, a celebration was held in his honour. My family had brought wine and the best they had, as a blessing to his new place in the world. In the past many assassinations had been made on his life, none had been successful.
At the hour when the lord's Lady had made toast to her glorious husband, every man and woman had in their hands a glass of my family's famous wine. The toast commenced and every one downed what wine they had… and one by one the glasses of crimson ambrosia crashed to the floor. My-self included.
I had wrenched uncontrollably then, as did every other member attending this coronation. I watched as the young servants became sick with nausea clutched at table covers with tears in their eyes. My own mother fell to the affliction; the color draining from her face. I watched for hours as the life in the people slowly burned out. The Lord of the Southern lands was aided by his most noble man-at-arms. They informed his Lordship of the proxy which killed all but a hand full of men and women, his wife had been included amongst the dead.
Needless to say my family and I were dragged from the bedchambers that had been lent to us for healing and forced to our knees before the stature of an enraged and grieving man.
"My Lord!" These would be the only decipherable words that I would ever hear from my mother again. With the flick of his hand I smelt the tang of lamp oil and watched as the liquid was poured over my mother, my father and me. It burned my eyes and tasted foul.
"You will burn for your treachery! For the death of my wife and for the lives here you have wasted for a failed attempt at my assassination! I WILL BURN YOU IN THIS LIFE TO PREPARE YOU FOR ETERNAL DAMNATION IN HELL!" His voiced had echoed and all I could do was scream inside the confines of my mind.
"My Lord, please! We have not brought this evil on you or that of your wife. It must be someone else's doing, my lord!" I crawled on my hands to get closer to my mother, but a kick to my ribs by a guardsman sent me back. I caught the glare of fire against his lords' eye as a flame was brought over. The terror set on me caused nausea to over take me... and then I saw true terror.
"This girl child drank from the poisoned wine?" His Lord ship looked at me with a hatred based on false blame. His men clasped me and flung me towards the Lord of the south and I crumpled at his feet. My mother whimpered… she knew what was to come of this some-how. This I believe with all my heart. My father diligently knelt accepting no blame. Did he know of a life after this one that was assured to be better than this one?
"For the crimes of your worthless mother and bastard father I condemn you as their child. You will watch them burn and die a slower death by my hands and should you die before your sins have been paid, I charge you to finish your payment in what ever hell will take you."
I had watched his head snap to the side and I heard the faint jingle of the lamp as it hurtled towards my mother and father. It smashed into shards of glass and the oil burned. I tried to rush forward but someone kicked my head onto the cold stone floor. I was all but unconscious as I watched in disconnected sorrow. My mind wept where my body could not. No tears could I shed though I tried. The oil had ruined my eyes as I would find out later when the lord's own poisoning would fail and I would be announced his 'personal' poison tasting slave. Sadly though I could still see fine enough after being healed, but the tears would never come again. I found out that after dragging myself up from my poisoned illness that my punishment would start immediately. I sat at my lord's feet as meal after meal I consumed death meant for him and survive. Most times the meals had no effect, but other times the food made one deathly ill; Attempts at ending his Lords life. I had been born a daughter, a friend and a member of a winery with prestige. I would die a slave; sick and dying always, but never enough to finally rot.
"Rem. I expect today's meal to be as well as most." I bowed in silent distaste.
"I'm sure of it my Lord."
