Summary: The prince of the Western lands despite being twenty and eight has yet to take a bride or even sire a child. The Kingdom eagerly awaits a day when the heir apparent finally takes a mate; however, within the walls of the Palace there are rumours of his weakness. Enemies eagerly spy to find this one who holds his heart, however he loves her with such conviction that if she cannot be his bride then he will have none at all.
The Prince's Aid
Sesshomaru de Taisho of the Western Lands sat upon his throne listening to the woes of the peasants as he scanned the numerous documents that required his attention. The West was made up of several large nations and numerous islands, and was the wealthiest and most fertile of the four kingdoms. It prospered under the rule of the De Taisho's, demons who had ruled the Nations for centuries in mostly harmony, save for the few insurrections in many small towns that were swiftly dealt with. The West would continue to prosper as it was the only Kingdom of the four where demons, humans and hanyous were by law allowed to peacefully coexist, sharing equality in laws. The East and North were ruled under iron fists by Demons and the South which was the largest of the four Nations was ruled by Humans, using their numbers and the aid of their priests and priestesses in order to protect their borders from their demon neighbours.
Neither the North, South or East tolerated Hanyous nor as such the West was constantly being flooded with the parents of these creatures, of the couples who wanted to love freely, for hanyous who had lived in secrecy and wished for freedom in a land where they would not be judged.
"My lord, please…the hanyous of our village are much too weak to protect the humans which reside there from youkai bandits. I beg your aid my lord!" pleaded the frail elderly human peasant, obviously a farmer from the look and dress he had. Sesshomaru spared him a glance, before turning to his first command NaRin, "Send four of our guards to escort him to his village. They will reside there for three moons, and teach the hanyous of that Village to defend themselves properly. After which I will send an emissary to evaluate the progress they have made." He stated simply, and loudly enough for the male to hear who fell to his knees before his lord, praising him and thanking him for his kindness.
"As you will, my liege." Answered the armoured knight who stood beside the Prince's throne. In a moment, it was as though he had vanished from plain sight to return moments later, four knights already kneeling before their Prince, ready to heed to his commands.
NaRin of the house of Thabes was without question, the Prince's most loyal and dangerous aid, his shadow. He had been shadowing Sesshomaru for over two decades, the heir apparent to the house of the Duke of Thabes. As was customary, the first born sons of all the houses in the lands would be sent to the Palace at the age of 6 in order to serve the Prince as squire, guardian and confidante. Usually the son of a demon was chosen as the ruling family would need their confidante, it was a grueling process of elimination through skill, wit and strength. When NaRin first came to the Palace at six, he was one among four hundred boys, at the age of ten and two, there were two hundred young men who would make up the Prince's entourage and guard. When NaRin was ten and five, he was among thirty who made up the Prince's personal guard. When NaRin was ten and seven, he would be the Prince's shadow.
NaRin had always known he was…different, as a child. He was brilliant beyond compare at his age. He was smaller than most, as such his father had trained him harshly, never giving him a chance to be a child. His first memory was of being trained in the art of the sword, the second was of riding a horse. As a child, they had fed him fed in order to discern his tastes, piling his young body with minute amounts of poison that now he was certainly immune to most normal poisons. He served numerous positions, taster to his master, elite guard, and confidante amongst others. When he was finally sent to the Palace, he was significantly more advanced than the other boys and it had shown. And when he was only ten his worth had been proven many times in saving the prince's life.
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Ten year old NaRin stood beside the Prince with arms folded behind his back. The two were alike in temperament, quiet and observant and much too grown for their ages. Strapped to their waists were swords, not the size of the normal soldiers, bigger than a dagger but smaller than a sword. They were the only ones allowed to carry them. To their right, stood one of the King's best guard, he would shadow Sesshomaru until Sesshomaru's own shadow was trained.
They were in the training ground watching the other boys practice their swordplay with wooden sword. NaRin and Prince, Lord Sesshomaru had already completed their training for the day much to the pleasure of their instructor and stood watching the others as they tried to do the same. Above them, upon a Balcony the King and Queen along with their entourage watched the young men with amusement. As the Palace guards surrounded the entire grounds, protecting not only their rulers but the future lords of the Court.
There were a group of boys who were not as skilled with the sword as the others and were learning how to use the bow and arrow, one, Seirg, who especially brilliant, though even at that skill, the heir followed by NaRin were more exceptional. Amongst the training in the yard, none seemed to notice the that Seirg had turned away from the wooden targets that had been placed yards before him and turned his arrow on a nearer sight, the heart of the West's only heir.
In a flash, the arrow was released as the boy smirked however, he didn't account for the sweeping arch of NaRin's sword and that of Sesshomaru's splitting the arrow in three. NaRin's brown eyes locked with the Gold eyes of his Prince, before the guards immediately placed themselves before the Crown prince, others rushing after the boy spy who had aimed to take Sesshomaru's life as many had to date.
NaRin's eyes flicked to the balcony, past the worried faces of the King and Queen as they two were being ushered away from potential danger and to his father who acknowledge him with a pleased nod of the head before disappearing with his King. NaRin smiled, focusing on any other potential danger once again, noticing that the Prince had his eyes on him. As though surprised, whilst they had never truly spoken in the four years they had been acquainted outside of introductions, they both felt the moment their bond was forged. And after that day, it would be hard for one to be without the other.
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"The wine is poisoned, my lord. However the meal is acceptable." Came NaRin's calm and straight voice from the table in the Prince's private wing. Sesshomaru acknowledged him with a "hn", Before partaking in his meal.
"Excuse me, my lord, whilst I dispose of a traitor." NaRin informed, as the Prince nodded, allowing his servant to leave the table. He knew that the man would beheaded, the one who had tried to end his life, though it would have been without merit. For as a poison demon, he was immune to poisons however the audacity of the traitor, if it wasn't bad enough he could smell the poison as well as the scent of the poison who had tried to kill him on the cup as could NaRin, who though not a poison demon as he was also a Inu-demon.
Within moments, the young man was reseated at the table and resumed eating along with several other of his personal guards.
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The next day at dinner, the royal family entertained a horde of guests as it tended to do. Members of their entourage, Dukes and Duchesses, Earls, ladies and their daughters, many of whom hoping the young lord would chose them if not as a wife or as a concubine as their land permitted. Their own king, though mated had one concubine, a princess of the South, a security for their treaty, he had however fallen for the woman and she had borne him a son, a hanyou they called Inuyasha he was but five and rambunctious. Unfortunately, his father chose that dinner to brooch the subject Sesshomaru tended to avoid.
"You cannot avoid betrothal forever Sesshomaru, I am no longer a demon in my prime and the attempts on your life have only increased in the last two decades." claimed King InuTaisho, watching his son at the end of his table.
Sesshomaru took his time before he put down his fork, his eyes noting the guards that circled every corner of the room.
"I refuse to marry unless it is of my choosing." Came Sesshomaru's chilling answer.
"Sesshomaru, I married the Princess and took a princess of the South for my country. You will do the same!" InuTaisho roared.
The prince's golden eyes flashed red for a brief moment.
"We are the strongest Kingdom in the four realms. I am Sesshomaru de Taisho, I was born a Prince, I was born to rule not be ruled or be bound to any inconsequential customs. When I take I bride, it will be of my own free will." He answered in a chilling voice, throwing his Boa over his shoulders.
"Pardon." He murmured to the guests and rose from the table, his three guards following close behind him as his father seethed.
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NaRin served many roles to the heir to the West. He was not only his squire but acted as the lords, personal servant outside of his guard. He had bathed his king, dried him and cloaked him in a robe of the finest silk, seating him before the furs by the fire as the heat dried his hair, his long thin fingers combing his lords' long silvery strands. The heir to the West was beauty embodied, pale skin with silky soft silver strands that fell to the back of his knees. The purple crescent moon nearly hid by his bangs in the middle of his forehead, as his deep maroon stripes led to his straight aristocratic nose and thin lips.
Suddenly his strong arms grabbed NaRin's wrist, stilling him. Their eyes locked and he pulled the smaller man into his body, his other arm moving to his waist in order to hold him steady. It was something he usually did for NaRin was not one to be surprised. NaRin had showered along with his lord in the huge spring that was attached to his quarters.
"I wish to declare to four Kingdoms that you are mine!" he swore softly, his words coming out a low growl.
NaRin sighed, moving one arm to cup his cheek. "You cannot my lord. For tis' a great dishonor that would befall the house of Thabes!" he whispered as he always did. He was grateful that he was the lord's shadow as he was the only person who had a room attached to his lord though he never resided in his own room. Sesshomaru growled, flipping them until NaRin laid on his back. He lifted his brown eyes to watch Sesshomaru as he removed his own robes and turned to NaRin's.
NaRin gasped, "My lord…" as hands calloused from swordplay cupped the small feminine mounds that had been bound earlier and Sesshomaru moved between his legs, cupping his member he brought it to a core dripping with wetness and thrust inside. NaRin cried out softly in pleasure, wrapping slender legs around Sesshomaru's hips.
He lowered his lips to kiss her own, groaning as she clenched about him. "Rin…"
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He rutted. He chose females who had discerning tastes, royal concubines provided by dealers who specialized in only the best. He was beginning to think he was unusual, interested in males and not females. Not males, but his Shadow NaRin. He found the man intoxicating, his smell drove him mad and he had to fight to remain calm now that it was mating season. He was ten and six and his father was pleased, pleased that now he wished to rut.
He groaned as he climaxed within the barren inu pleasure slave. He took no time to recover but turned into his robe, held out to him by NaRin who had not left the room. The man's face revealed nothing to watching his lord rut but he could tell he had been affected, they all were, it was mating season after all and even the most loyal demon would feel the effects. NaRin never reacted to females as he did, never.
He turned away from the woman and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise; the time it took him to turn was enough for NaRin to restrain the Inu-demoness, knocking the knife from her slender arms. "Shall I dispose of her, my lord?" With an inclination of the head, the female demoness was dead. Her reasons for wanting the man she had once pleasured unknown, not that Sesshomaru cared.
He stalked from the room, expecting the younger man to be following him with his usual ease. He was halfway from the chambers when he realized that the man was not following and in an uncharacteristic move, he retreated into the room to find NaRin on his knees clutching his stomach. For the first in his life, Sesshomaru felt an unnamed emotion for someone other than himself, concern.
"NaRin?" he questioned and eyes with widened pupils looked up towards him. Sesshomaru stiffened, feeling a jolt of lust go through his body. He growled at his retainer, hating that a man could inspire such strong feelings when he had never met a female to do it. Suddenly a scent hit him, a distinctly feminine scent. He frowned, reaching for his friend.
NaRin slapped his hands away. "Please, my lord, do not." He begged, rising on shaky legs as he backed away from his lord. Sesshomaru growled and reached out with his claws, cutting through NaRin's armour and clothes and what felt like bandages. His eyes were the only thing that betrayed his emotions, looking as NaRin's chest as the shredded garments fell away to reveal lush breasts with pink tipped large nipples.
Fearful eyes watched Sesshomaru as her arms rose to cover her chest, before a another cramp forced her crumble, it was the pain that kept her from protecting herself from his claws.
"All this time…you have been a woman?" he spoke, NaRin looked up at him with tear filled eyes, as though a lump within her throat kept her from speaking.
"You are experiencing your first mating heat. Did you not know it would be impossible to hide. Did no one tell you?" he asked her and she shook her head.
"I have been raised as a male for as long as I can remember. My mother…was my father's soul mate. She died…giving birth to me. He would take no other. He killed the midwife and told everyone his mate had died birthing a son. The house of thabes must always have a son to guard the royal family, that is what I was told. And that is what I have done. I beg of you…I beg you, my lord, please…if you tell your father, my own shall be banished or worse, beheaded for his betrayal. Please…" She begged, tears running down her cheeks. Sesshomaru's face was a blank mask. Finally, he stooped grabbing her chin in his hands.
"I will heed to your request…" he whispered before crushing her lips to his as she stiffened beneath him. She had a knife to his throat in an instant.
"You commit treason, NaRin." He warned and saw the conflict in her eyes, before she lowered the knife.
For a brief moment his eyes flashed red, "All this time!" he swore and crushed his lips to her once again. It would be the last time he took another woman.
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