My Lord

Chapter 1: Service

This idea has been swimming around in my mind for a while. There are a few things to note before you begin this story. There is no time traveling involved. Kagome is simply another girl, albeit from a slightly better off family, in the olden days. She has not met any of the other characters before this. I believe that's it, but I will inform you of anything else I can think before the next chapter. Please read, and enjoy.

Vocab:

-sama: a respectful title given to someone of higher rank

-kun: a suffix used at the end of a friends name, applies to males

-chan: a suffix used at the end of a friends name, applies to females or young children

-sensei: teacher

Obi: a long strip of cloth that ties around the waist and can be practical, ornamental, or both

Kimono: basically a dress, though obviously different. I would suggest looking it up, as it can be difficult to explain. (I do believe there is a different word for the male equivalent of a kimono, but will not delve into technicalities too much…)

Hakama: basically a pair of pants that typically only men wear, although women have been known to wear them if performing some sort of martial arts. Looks similar to a kimono, but allows more movement with your legs. (Look it up on Wikipedia if you want more details…)

Youkai: demon

Ningen: human

The loud drone of whispering invaded her mind, threatening to scatter her every thought. She could hear their jeers, their restless fidgeting, and tried her best to ignore it. Tilting her head defiantly she followed the other recruits down the cold stone corridor. The floor was partially covered by a strip of elegant red carpet, its surface worn from the countless feet that had passed the very same path she was now treading. From the corner of her eye she could see the crowd of men who huddled at the edge of the carpet, their sharp eyes watching their progression like a wolf after its prey.

As they came up to the raised dais, they dropped as one to their knees, pressing the tip of their forehead to the ground in a bow. The smooth surface of the stone floor was soothing against her skin in the otherwise sweltering room.

"Behold, this year's initiates!" a voice squawked. She found it hard not to look up to see who had spoken with such a squeaky, yet undeniably male, voice. "As ruled by our gracious Lord, from this year forth, women are also allowed to train within the academy!" A rumble was heard from the crowd behind them. It was no surprise to hear the hiss of disappointment. For centuries women had been the householders, the baby-makers. No longer was this the case in this Lord's lands. The men, however, were wholeheartedly against the ruling, even if they daren't to disobey their master. "You may rise, initiates!"

They lifted their torso's at once, still kneeling upon the cold, unforgiving floor, to look up at the dais. Before there had been a lone, red swathed throne sitting forlornly upon the raised ground. Now there stood a small man who would perhaps reach her shoulders, wearing a pair of black trousers and a humbling brown shirt. He had little hair perched upon his head, and his face was contorted into a strange mixture between a frown and a pleased smirk. The whites of his eyes looked suspiciously yellow.

On the previously empty throne now sat what she automatically knew was the Lord of the West. He wore the most elegant clothing she had ever seen, with a pristine white outfit scattered with red flowers. Strapped to his chest was a polished bit of armor, cinched around the waist with a yellow and purple obi. On his left hip were two swords, one frayed and obviously very old, and the other without a sheath, gleaming in the torchlight. Higher up on the left shoulder jutted a strange piece of spikey armor, its use a complete mystery to her. He sat with his face in the palm of his right hand, seemingly bored, and she could just spot a rather large trail of fluff that sat behind his hand.

Most interesting of all was his face. Unusually pale compared to the common farmer, his skin was flawless of any mark except for those that proclaimed him Lord of the West. His hair was pure white, an odd thing for a man in his late twenties, and golden eyes that seemed to smolder. Smack in the middle of his forehead was a blue crescent moon, a stark contrast to the double magenta stripes on either of his cheeks. The top of his eyelids even had a small streak of matching color. The sleeve along his right hand fell just enough to see matching stripes twining around his wrists.

"I wonder if his stripes go anywhere else…?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by the squawking man.

"You will now swear your loyalty to Lord Sesshomaru, one by one."

When it came for her to speak, she lowered her eyes respectfully and dutifully recited, "I, Kagome Higurashi, shall fight or die under your ruling, Lord of the West, or risk dishonor upon my family. I swear fealty to you under the eyes of the gods." She felt his eyes rest upon her for a moment, an intimidating force that made her stiffen, before sliding along to the next recruit in line. Relaxing, she awaited her next part in the ceremony.

Once the last recruit had repeated the same promise of loyalty, they all stood to attention. Head up, chin thrust forward, shoulders back, their bodies rigid as a tree, and they clamped their right arm over the armor on their chest. The motion created a resounding clank as the guards on their arms butted against the cold metal covering their chest. "All hail, Lord Sesshomaru!" Their voices mingled into one large boom. The Lord waved his hand in a bored manner, and, just like that, they were dismissed.

The rest of the day was a mere blur. They were taken out of the decorative hall into a much smaller, gloomier hallway, separated into lines of male and female, and led deep into the heart of the castle. The girls were taken to the left wing of the stone maze, the boys to the right. A woman only a few years older than her, wearing a strange skin tight outfit with pink armor, led them to their rooms.

The rules were simple. Be in your rooms by the ninth bell and stay there, or else. Laundry was done by the multiple maids within the castle, but the upkeep of their weapons and armor was their job alone. They were shown where the privy was, along with the women's communal bath. Men were, obviously, not allowed in the left wing at any time. At last they were split up into groups of two to determine their roommate. Kagome was paired with a girl two years younger than her, wearing a bright yellow and orange kimono beneath her armor. Once introduced to the girl, named Rin, she felt less apprehensive. She had a pure smile that was infectious and put her at ease.

They were then sent into their rooms to dispose of their armor. The small room was purely made of stone, with two thin pallets that would be their bed for the next few years. At the far side of the room was a worn wooden chest to store their few possessions. After shucking their heavy armor, they all made their way back into the hallway, only to be ushered down yet another corridor and into another room, this one much larger. There two women measured their waist, bust, height and whatever else they needed. Kagome felt like an animal at an auction, being twirled around in a flurry of motion. Finally, she was directed to the other side of the room, where another woman handed her a bundle of scratchy clothing.

That night she lay sprawled beneath the cover of her bedroll, staring up into the unfamiliar ceiling of her new home. "God's, I hope every day isn't this hectic…"

"Oi, move yer asses! You call that runnin? My grandma can run circles around you, and she's dead!"

Kagome felt a headache coming on. Their first class of the day, which started before the sun even rose from the horizon, was endurance and strengthening. It was hard enough to run up and down the ramparts on top of the castle, but another thing entirely with their bad mouthed teacher bellowing at them from the sidelines.

Inuyasha was a fairly handsome man somewhere in his twenties, with a similar hair color to the Lord Sesshomaru, and the same golden eyes. His long hair was pulled back into a messy topknot, easily falling to his lower back, something most girls envied. Beneath his armor he wore the standard black trousers and white top, with the sleeves mysteriously missing on his shirt. His trousers were held up by the exact same yellow and purple obi as the Lord of the West, and a battered sword was thrust next to his left hip. Seeing the thin, but undeniably muscled arms made her wonder exactly how fit he was which was closely followed by a mental scolding for thinking of her teacher in such a way. However, no matter how nice the man looked, his temper left something to be desired. His volume only seemed to have two levels: loud, and louder.

Flanking a fellow recruit, she began the arduous task of yet again trekking up the steep stairs. Their class was mixed of both male and female, no barriers to extinguish one from the other. They all wore the customary black trousers and black top of trainees, cinched at the waist with a red obi. The black would be easier to clean blood and dirt from than white would, a small boon to the maids who had to clean them. There were perhaps thirty of them in all, all flushed and sweating from the exertion their teacher was putting them through.

It was a relief when they were released from class over an hour later. The sun was just beginning to rise, spreading its bright tendrils across the lands of the West. From the top of the castle one could see for miles and miles. Warm sunlight bathed the land in a golden hue, and she felt a sudden pang for home. Their garden had lit up in the same manner once the sun crested the tall walls surrounding their estate. Shaking off the tight feeling blossoming in her chest, she scurried after her classmates to their next class.

That next class turned out to be entirely about herbs and medical treatments, led by a monstrously tall man named Jinenji. His skin was even darker than most farmers, scattered with even darker scars that continued all the way up his arms. Some of them were so large she winced just looking at them. The man had black, slightly curly hair that was clearly receding, with the kindest blue eyes she had ever seen. While large, Jinenji-sensei was soft spoken and very patient, and she immediately took a liking to him.

Their first assignment was to search the grounds for an herb that would reduce nausea and settle the stomach. Kagome was embarrassed to find that she was horrible at recognizing which plants were which, and quickly tagged along with her chattering roommate, listening intently as the girl re-explained the properties of the plant. After an hour and a half at this, they were finally excused to head off to their next class.

Their next class turned out to have two teachers. One of them was taller than her by over two feet, with red-golden hair curling around his slightly pointed ears. His eyes were a muddied blue-green and twinkled in the sunlight. Seemingly a rebel, he was wearing a blue top, with green leaf print that matched his eyes, instead of the required uniform. His chest armor was also mysteriously missing.

The other man was only a foot taller than her, with a wide, boyish smile and ocean blue eyes. His skin was tanned by long days in the sun, and his ebony hair was pulled back into a swaying topknot. He at least was wearing the correct uniform, although she noticed that he wore a different type of armor across his chest than was normal. Around his waist was a tattered strip of a brown pelt instead of the required obi. His armor was dull and obviously well used, and appalling unpolished. She wondered if Sesshomaru-sama knew that their teachers were obviously not following the dress code.

"Ne, large group this year, Koga," the red head grinned. His eyes flitted through the crowd of initiates, measuring the squirming group up, before returning to his co-workers side. "Don't suppose you'd like to start first?"

"Alright, I'll stand up and be the man of the group," Koga said. He took an intimidating step forward, sharp eyes easily noting the ones who stepped back from his presence. "Listen up, whelps! We're not her to coddle 'ya like a bunch of babies. This here's Shippo, he'll be the one teaching you reconnaissance and evasion maneuvers. I'm Koga, you're survival trainer. We'll be teaching you how to effectively spy on enemy troops, survive in the wild should you ever be separated from your group, and how to evade traps and enemy spies. This ain't nothing to be giggling and joking about. One day this training might just save your sorry asses." She briefly wondered if he and Inuyasha were in any way related, if their inventive cursing was any indication, before being thrust into her lessons.

Their training ended up being more difficult than she had originally thought. They were split into two groups of about fifteen each. Koga-sensei worked with one group and taught them how to walk through the forest stealthily, without trampling through the undergrowth like a stupid beast. Kagome was put into Shippo-sensei's group, where they learned how to properly set up tents and find the best location's to set up camp if they were in enemy territory. Her sensei seemed to have a sense of humor, however, and would jump out of the undergrowth and scare the wits out of any trainees who weren't paying attention.

Two hours later, the sweating, dirt covered, swearing trainees were finally excused for lunch. Kagome wiped her forehead against the edge of her obi when her teachers weren't looking, positive that somehow it was blasphemous to purposely dirty her uniform. Once within the cool interior of the castle, they were all ushered into the mess hall. The smell of cooked meat made her mouth water, and she jostled along with the rest of her classmates for a good place.

"Kagome-chan, over here!" With a piece of bread hanging from her lips, she blinked over in the corner of the room where Rin was waving excitedly. Pushing her way through the crowd and simultaneously wondering where her roommate gained so much energy, she was surprised when her tray was suddenly smacked out of her hands. Her water spilled across the floor, trickling beneath a pair of large black boots. Following them up to their owner, she was surprised to see another boy her age leering down at her.

"Guess you're real clumsy, eh, Kagome-chan?" he mocked, crossing his arms over his chest. He was easily twice as wide as her and quite a few inches taller, with a broad chest and large biceps. His eyes were so dark as to be almost black with equally dark hair, and his thin lips were pulled back into an unpleasant sneer. The crooked shape of his nose suggested that it had been broken a time or two.

Quelling her immediate instinct to glower and snarl at the boy, she kneeled down to begin picking up the contents of her tray. "I apologize. I must not have been paying attention to my surroundings," she muttered. A heavy boot came crashing down on her tray, just millimeters from her outstretched fingers.

"Nee, Kagome-chan, people who don't pay attention don't belong here!" the boy said. The malice in his voice was unmistakable, and she felt her back stiffen in anger. True enough, not a year ago women were good for nothing but housekeeping and bed-warmers. Now, however, that had changed, thanks to Sesshomaru-sama. Whether the other men of this world liked it or not, she was chosen to be here by decree of their Lord. In this new world, she was of equal status as any man.

Leaving the hopelessly crushed remains of her food upon the floor, she stood to her full height, feet braced apart and her arms crossed over her chest. "Do you have anything you wanna say to me?" She was vaguely aware that the room around them was dead silent but pushed the thought from her mind.

The boy took a threatening step towards her, kicking the tray aside in a loud clatter against the stone floor. "You and your posse don't belong in a man's world," he hissed. Stale, reeking breath ghosted across her face as he leaned down to her level, eyes flashing. "We don't want you here!"

"Obviously Lord Sesshomaru finds no fault with women training for his army. Are you openly defying his ruling?"

Kagome had never been a submissive woman. She had often been told that the way she spoke made most men bristle and become defensive. It was the same with this case. Anger sparked in the other teen's eyes and she felt a pair of large hands clamp against her shoulders painfully. "Why you…!"

Just as his muscles began to tense in the act of shaking her, an equally large hand appeared on his own shoulder. "There a problem here?" The voice caused an immediate change in her attacker. He let go of her as if the touch burned him, standing at attention, turned on the sole of his boot and clamped his right arm across his chest in a salute.

"Inuyasha-sensei, no sir! I was simply reminding Higurashi-san to be more careful, sir!"

Kagome stood on her toes to see above his shoulder, blinking at the sudden appearance of her gruff mannered teacher. His golden eyes rested on hers for only a moment before swiveling back to the boy within his grasp. Koga-sensei and Shippo-sensei were propped up against the far wall, arms crossed over their chest in a deceptively casual manner. "Be sure that it stays just a reminder, Daitaro Shunsuke. I don't need to remind you the consequences of starting a brawl."

"Of course sir!" The boy quickly scrambled away from the teacher's burning gaze, spluttering apologies for his quick departure.

"Thank you for your assistance, sir," Kagome muttered stiffly. She crossed her arm over her chest and gave him a bow before returning to the floor to clean up her mess. As the sounds of the cafeteria slowly returned to normal she was surprised when another pair of hands began helping her collect the spoiled food.

"Keep yer guard up for the likes of him," the silver haired man muttered. The clattering of trays and the low murmur of voices made it unlikely that anyone else would hear him. "Daitaro is a bad egg, all wrapped up in tradition and the pursuit of power, and there are plenty more where he came from."

"Sensei, please, you needn't help me…"

"No problem." He handed her a crumbled piece of bread, its edges soaked in the water she had dropped. It landed on her tray with a plop. "Little bit of water won't melt me er anything. I'm a bit more resilient than the other snobs round here." Once her tray was thoroughly stacked with all of the crushed food, he easily plucked the tray from the protesting girl. "Oi, go get yerself another plate."

"But, Inuyasha-sensei…!"

She swore she saw him wink. "That was an order, Higurashi. Or are you going to disobey your ranking officer?"

"N-no, of course not…!"

"Then get your food and enjoy yer lunch."

The corner of her lips quirked into a smile, and she asked, "Is that an order also, Inuyasha-sensei?"

"Damn right it was." Clamping her arm across her chest in yet another bow, she mumbled her thanks and hurried back into line. She was, after all, still starving from her long morning.

After spending lunch with Rin and a few other classmates, they were sent off to their next class. Their teacher was a squat old man with a gray, severely receding hairline and a face full of wrinkles. On his upper lip was a strangely pointed mustache that was split in two, nearly five inches long on either side. It was a wonder that it stayed so perky without the aid of some sort of wax. His eyes were wide and full of knowledge, though his pupils were unimaginably small. Instead of a fighter's trousers and top, he wore a scruffy looking brown robe.

"Welcome, welcome!" he crowed, shuffling across the stone floor. "Sit, sit. Well met, students. It is truly an honor to see you today."

They all slid into the well-worn benches, flipping through their newly-handed-out text books. Hers had a fine layer of dust sitting upon its cover that made her sneeze. Perusing the table of contents, she was surprised to find such titles as Tales of the Sun Goddess, Evolution of Demon's, and Dark Days: The Rule of the Dark Demon. As she looked, flabbergasted, at the curious chapter labels and various artistic depictions of demons, her teacher was busy introducing himself.

"I am Myoga, your history and mythology teacher. As some of you have already noticed, these next few weeks we will be focusing on demons." He paused as he took a sip of steaming tea from a cup that had mysteriously materialized on his desk before adding, "The stories of such creatures often hold a glimmer of truth within their depths that can be associated with various historical happenings of that time period. And who knows, perhaps youkai truly did exist at some point in time."

Kagome was only just beginning to realize how odd this castle truly was. Opening her book to the prescribed passage, she listened in fascination as her teacher rambled excitedly about the different types of youkai. There were apparently as many types as there were stars in the sky, which meant they were impossible to count. Elemental demons were the easiest to understand, for they simply controlled the element they were named after. Then there were the numerous youkai who practically evolved from animals. Anything from a frog, to a horse, to a fox, there were so many of them her mind swam in mere minutes.

So wrapped up in her studies, she was shocked when class abruptly ended an hour later. Her head still bursting from the mythical creatures presented to her, she simply allowed herself to be pulled along with the crowd to their next class. Every hallway looked exactly the same as the others she had traveled and she was grateful that the older trainees seemed to know where they were going.

Stepping out into the bright sunshine of a dirt courtyard, Kagome blinked at the black clad figure standing in the middle of the enclosed area. The woman that had shown the girls about their quarters stood with her hands perched upon her waist. She eyed all of the recruits that scrambled into her 'classroom' with a curious gaze.

Once they were all settled, she announced, "I'm Sango, your weapons teacher. Here you will learn how to wield spears, swords, bows, and a variety of other arms." On the ground behind her was a pile of wooden staffs worn with age. Their teacher picked one up, testing its weight, as she looked around at her students. "Form a line and I'll help you choose your staff. Once you find one that matches, you're in charge of its care from now on."

As Kagome hefted the weight of her new weapon they began their lessons. First they were shown how to correctly hold it, with hands held slightly apart to better grip its smooth edge. Next they were shown a series of blocks and simple hits and she was proud to say that unlike some of her fellow classmates not once did she fall down from the unfamiliar weight. They were shown how to grip the staff with both hands to hold off a downward sweep and how to use their opponents momentum to send back a whack of their own. Then they were paired up with someone of similar height and weight to practice their new moves. The steady clank of wood against wood was almost soothing to her ears, and she fell into the rhythm with ease.

An hour and hundreds of bruises of later, they were dismissed for their afternoon duties. Older trainees rushed them to their rooms, where they changed out of their sweaty, dirty clothes and into their dress clothes. Looking in the mirror, Kagome decided she liked this outfit much better. They now wore a white kimono with a pair of red hakama and black, leather shoes. It wasn't nearly as scratchy as their practice clothes, the cloth nearly silky against her skin. Once out in the hallway she realized that the boys wore the exact same outfit. She felt better knowing that the boundaries of men and women were blurring, even if it was only clothing.

Their weapons teacher, Sango, reappeared before them, dressed in a flowing white kimono accented with stripes of pink and green. "You're going to help serve dinner to the lords of this castle. Each of you will be assigned a lord, and you're to fill their plate, refill their sake, and do whatever task they ask of you. Understood?"

After several rounds of agreement they were led out to a large room. There were two large tables edge to edge in the middle of the room that could easily fit over fifty people. As Sango-sensei began pairing off the trainees with their lords Kagome stood on tip toe to get a better look at those sitting at the tables. Some faces were familiar and others weren't. Inuyasha (who was now wearing a rather more dashing red silk kimono) and Koga were sitting next to one another, grinning wickedly at the fidgeting teens. Next to them sat a man with light brown hair pulled back into a low topknot, who was excitedly chatting to a man with black hair and purple eyes that seemed more interested in trying to coax Sango-sensei into sitting next to him.

When it was her turn, she felt her stomach drop. The only spot left was an unoccupied seat at the head of the table. There was only one person she could guess that would sit at such an honored spot, and moments later her thoughts were confirmed. Lord Sesshomaru swept into the room with only the silent grace he could command, his unusual golden eyes taking in everything within the room in mere seconds. They paused upon her small form for a moment, widened so slightly that she wondered if they had moved at all, before turning to Sango. Smiling sweetly, she questioned, "Is something the matter, my Lord?"

"Hn. I have never had need of a servant, nor do I wish one now."

"There are more trainees than normal this year, my Lord. They outnumber those currently at court. Surely you can make allowances this once?"

He seemed to size her up at that and she fought to remain still under his unnerving gaze. The way her Lord looked at a person reminded her of a predators analytical eyes and it was thoroughly intimidating to be the sole recipient of those golden orbs. After a few moments of intense scrutiny he finally lowered his head in a small nod. "I will not ask for something more than once, girl. Listen well."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama…"

The night was fairly uneventful. She served her Lord his food, refilled his sake, and removed his plates when he was done. Lord Sesshomaru spoke little and only to Inuyasha-sensei who, she realized by politely snooping on their conversation, was his younger half-brother. Looking at their similar long silver hair and golden eyes it was understandable, but if one dug beneath the surface to pay attention to their personalities, they were polar opposites. Where Sesshomaru was the epitome of royalty and quiet grace, Inuyasha was more likely the friendly man you would find drinking and bellowing in a boisterous tavern. Personally, she rather liked the latter, although it had absolutely nothing to do with the man's confident smirk, or his lean build, or his obviously well-muscled…

"You are dismissed, Higurashi." She blushed and shook her head at the cool voice of her Lord, who was looking at her with a bemused expression.

"Y-yes sir!"

Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. And before you ask, yes, this is a romance novel, although with plenty of action and fighting. More than that I won't say. However, I will tell you one thing related to future updates: I can either update quickly or slowly. It really depends on multiple things, such as motivation, whether or not the plot bunnies are flowing, time management, etc. I could update in a week, a month, or three months; I do not update on a schedule. Also, please know that I LOVE constructive criticism. If you think I'm portraying a character incorrectly, write a scene you find rather unbelievable or described poorly, or if you simply find grammatical or spelling errors, let me know! Your thoughts and inputs can greatly motivate me, which COULD result in faster updates. (I do not, however, appreciate bashing. If you have something to say, please use appropriate language. Character bashing is also highly irritating to me, so if you decide to do so, I will completely and utterly ignore you) Thanks again for reading, and please review! -Master of all Perv's, out!

P.S. Anyone interested in beta-ing this story, feel free to message me. Always willing to have someone double check my work!