The Bow that Breaks

As a young mother, and wife of a lord constantly at war, Satomi is left to her own devices in learning how to raise Sesshoumaru. But when the prince is more than she can handle she finds herself unsure that she is capable of her duty to the West.

Chapter 1

Her pursed lips weakened only to become a downward turn as she looked at the child standing in front of her. His eyes were so innocent…innocently deceiving. She rolled her eyes as he cocked his head to the side trying to understand the expression. She took a deep breath, calming herself as she combed her fingers through her hair, flicking away a leaf in distaste. She was tired of this chase. No one ever told her that being a mother was going to be easy but no one said it would be this hard either. Maybe it was her youth, a lack of understanding. But surely by eighteen she should know exactly what made a near three year old tick shouldn't she? She should know how to comfort him when his father was off fighting a war that seemed to be going on forever. Instead, she was in the middle of a forest looking at the child she called his son. Sesshoumaru did not belong to her, he belonged to Taisho. Yes, she'd birthed the child, cared for him his entire little existence but she laid no claim to this child. At least that was the way she'd always viewed it. Male demons were raised closely alongside their fathers and females alongside their mothers. In another few years, she would be lucky to catch a glimpse of the child in passing. He would train at his father's side, raised in the way to see her as merely a vessel to his existence and hardly anything more.

Maybe the other part of it was the fact that she never wanted to have children but no one granted her the right to say no. She was obligated to have at least one male less she be unfit to be a Lady of the West if she could not fulfill her duty.

There was no surprise that when she'd reached the age of maturity she was presented to the highest noble, courted and wed within a short period of time. It was a tradition as old as time itself. It was in her blood as a princess and her parents would not sell her for petty coins. But the dog general was her least favorite pick at the time. Taisho was certainly the strongest and maybe the wealthiest but not the most practical. Taisho's values and views were eclectic; he had a certain penchant for throwing inuyoukai standards by the wayside and giving nods to the humans. To her brutish father it didn't matter so long as she was with a noble and benefiting from the union. Once he and Taisho shook hands, the deed was done and Taisho wasted little time presenting her with the expected responsibility of motherhood.

At fifteen, she was expected to understand all nuances that motherhood offered. It was all that she learned or at least was supposed to learn. Absolutely any and everything including the fight training that took place outside her window as she sat there learning how to be poised while holding a screaming child held more interest. She knew that once the screaming child was old enough she would blend into the background quietly.

"Sesshoumaru, enough of this. It's time to go home."

She'd developed what she thought was a sterner voice over those few years but it did little good.

Sesshoumaru's responses to her words were always the same as one would expect from a wall. Un-moving silence. She hated the obstinate look he was now giving her, as if her words already didn't matter to him. He was learning to ignore her too quickly. The little demon was almost three going on thirteen. Satomi cringed at the thought of trying to grab him again but what choice did she have? She would simply have to endure those little claws and fangs that hardly felt little when they were digging into her skin. She'd learned his child…the two personalities that Sesshoumaru exhibited. There was the poised little prince and then there was the wild animal that was unleashed from its cage more often than not especially when he could not have his way. Satomi tried to convince herself that this stage would end soon. But there was no end in sight.

The moment she plucked him from the ground reminded her of every other moment she experienced with Sesshoumaru day in and out, growling and fighting all the way while avoiding claws and fangs that should've have been saved for a true enemy. There wasn't a day when she did not struggle, where she didn't have to fight to get him to go unwillingly no matter what the occasion. Only his father held that authority. The thought made her throat burn the heat of blood rose to the surface of her skin. No. Sesshoumaru would never be her child.

There was only a certain amount of triumph and dignity a lady could muster as she nodded to the guards who bowed to her on the way into the castle; still, she kept her head held high despite the fact that she was carrying Sesshoumaru in a less than dignified manner. The moment the doors closed behind her she sighed and relaxed only to realize her mistake as she screamed. She faintly heard Sesshoumaru's growl as he landed on the floor. She was less concerned with his short trip to the ground than the blood running down her forearm where his claws found their way in. Bending, she pressed her arm trying to stop the blood from draining to the floor as it soaked into her dress.

"My lady, you're injured!"

"It's alright Kaori. It will heal. Really, it was just an accident." Satomi shook her head to keep the tears from forming from embarrassment as the old servant frowned and placed a cloth over the wound.

"An accident? Hmph" Five deep scratches from the bend of the elbow down to the wrist was no accident.

"…"

Satomi noticed Kaori turn a stern look in Sesshoumaru's direction shaking her head in the process.

"My lady, I doubt that you will have to contend with such behavior for much longer. Our lord sends word of his return tomorrow."

"Very well."

"My lady…"

Satomi met her eyes and behind them she saw experience and wisdom. Kaori may have only been a servant but she had several children and now grandchildren of her own.

"You have a strong son but do not forget your strength in the process of allowing him to become his father's heir. You are just as responsible for his strength as his father and therefore you hold equal claim."

"He isn't mine Kaori. I have accepted as much."

"Then you accept being powerless and he will treat you as such…weak."

Satomi looked over at Sesshoumaru again as he remained seated on the floor a glare affixed to his features. She felt a certain unease build as she realized he'd never taken his eyes away from her, he felt no remorse for what he'd done. She was at her child's mercy.

Satomi straightened as she moved toward Sesshoumaru but stopped abruptly as he tensed in a manner ready to attack her again should she get any closer.

"My lady…?"

Kaori joined her seeing the nervousness rise in Satomi.

"Tell me what it is you need."

Satomi crossed her arms against her as she began to shiver. She wanted to blame it on the poison in Sesshoumaru's claws but she knew better. He'd not been using it and she too held the same poison in her blood lending her immune. The tears hung on for a moment longer before they fell and she turned away.

"Bathe him and take him to his room. I don't want to see him anymore today."

"Yes my lady."

Kaori frowned. She was only saddened by Satomi's reaction to Sesshoumaru. It was always what she did when she didn't know what to do. She would separate herself from Sesshoumaru, avoiding him when Taisho was gone. Today had been one of the few outings that the two of them had together but they hadn't been gone very long. Despite Sesshoumaru's age Kaori was well aware that Sesshoumaru had a working order of who was alpha, omega and everyone that fell in between. Taisho was alpha to him but his mother was no more than omega and he was the beta. It was exactly why he was obedient to Taisho and gave everyone else hell. But as Sesshoumaru's main caretaker she managed to work her way into a position of respect. It was the position his mother should have had. Sesshoumaru rarely fought with her and even now he let her pick him up without more than a whine in opposition

"You treat your mother with such disrespect but I'm not afraid of you little one. Give me any trouble and I'll let you decide if my bark is worse than my bite. Understand?"

Sesshoumaru gave her a perplexed look before peering over her shoulder to see his mother walk away.

A/N: Although I've written little snippets of Sesshoumaru's mom (aka Satomi) into other fiction I've never explored her character or Sesshoumaru as a child so here we go :)