3 days before traveling to the West
Kagome's day
The news of the treaty with the West had spread like fire in a drought. Kagome was awakened by some of the evening cleaning maids in the hall talking about how jealous they were that she got to bed the almost godly demon. Kagome laid awake the rest of the night pondering whether or not to continue training with the army for the next few days or to pretend like she was the perfect princess. As the sun rose over the horizon she decided the latter of her options was a better choice. Everyone would be keeping a close on her until she left with her father. She also knew that all of the unmated females who found out who she was would start challenging her for the right to bare Sesshoumaru heir.
'Well, they will be if he accepts me,' she thought with a sigh. Sitting up in her bed she waited her handmaids would be in, in not too long to clean her room make her bed and for the first time in almost 100 years help her dress for the day. Unlike her siblings she had four handmaids and six personal gaurd for when she traveled. It was a rare thing to have so many assignd to just one person. She had inharited her mother's handmaidens and solders when she died almost two centuries ago.
She could hear her maids on there way dicusing what to do for the rest of the day if she was, once again, not in need of there sevices. After a lite tap on the door out of habit the four of them walked in and stopped dead on the middle of the room looking for all intents like a group of fish.
"Good morning, ladies. What do you think I should wear today?" she asked rising out of her bed smoothly. All for women snapped out of their daze quickly.
Kira was a wolf demon with short brown hair, light colored skin, warm brown eyes, and a motherly attitude. She was the oldest and one of the handmaids she had gotten from my mother. Kira snapped her fingers and the other three women set to work one rushed to the closet, one started to set out different hair and make-up items, and the third set about leaning the room. Kira waked over and grabbed Kagome's arm leading her to the hot spring. "Come, child you need to soak before the day. Your mother always said that if you to start the day on a good note always do something you enjoy first thing," she said with a small chuckle.
Sitting in the hot spring Kira lectured her about how her hair was not as smooth as it should be, her claws needed trimed and polished, and she needed to take better care of her skin expecially if she wanted to mate a lord. After Kira had finished washing Kagome's hair and body dispite her protests, she called for Mika my mothers other handmaid, a dove demon with long blond hair, calm blue eyes that sparkeled like she had heard the best joke and would never tell, her skin was a grayish color, and a cheerful attitude as though the world was all sunshine, dasies, and sweets, to bring her a towel and robe for Kagome.
"Here you go, Mika. Oh, by the way the room is all clean, Tina has the best outfit out, and Sango is ready to play make the princess perfect," she giggled then turned and headed to the door. She was almost to the door when she turned. "When we're done can i talk to you for a minute alone, ?" She asked in a quiet whisper wringing her hands.
"Sure on one condition stop calling me Ms." Kagome said as Kira dried her off and wrapped her in the robe.
"Ok, see you later then," she said with a small curtsy. Then she slipped from the spring into the bedroom.
Once she was dry Kira dragged her into the bedroom in a flury of silk, make-up, and hair she was ready. Looking at herself in the full body mirror she was impressed, she had forgotten what her maids could do. She was wearing a dark blue kimono with black designs and a black obi. Her hair was half up in combs and lightly curled so it fell gracefully down her back.
"You look perfect in that kimono, Kags." Tina giggled ajusting this and that.
"Her make-up compliments the outfit perfectly," Sango purred with a smirk.
Sango and Tina were twins from an almost exstict white panther tribe. They both has mid length blond hair, stunning green eyes that hypnitzed you if you staied to long into them, and pale white skin, Tina was the more girly of the two she would have prefered tp dress everyone she met so nothing ever clashed, and Sango was more into fighting and getting her way by force, though she was the perfect make-up artist ever. Sango is also courting one of my gaurds his name was Maroku, that is if it hasn't been changed to Pervert. Once he would grope any girl insight now he only gropes Sango. He is a tall black panther demon, with a short, black pony tail at the nap of this neck, violet eyes, tan skin, and a very perverted view on life and he is loyal to those he considers wothy of his sevices. He choose to serve me I didn't choose him.
"Well, you're all set for the day. What are your plans?" Kira asked her to see how many of them she would need for the day.
"I was thinking about going to the garden for awhile and maybe watch the solders train this morning." She told her maids with a small frown turning down the corners of her mouth.
"Well now I only think your going to need Sango and Mika until this evening. Tina, You and I have been asked to help with dinner for tonight." Kira said with a nod of her head she spun on her heal and headed for the door.
"Wait one minute. What's going on tonight thats so special that I have not been told and i have to only have two of my friends to day?" Kagome asked with a false glare of anger.
"Your father has ordered a large meal to be prepared for tonight, because he signed a deal with Lord Naraku."
"No." Kagome said her eyes narrowing to slits.
"Excuse me," Kira asked in shock Kagome had never canceled an order directly from her father before.
"You heard me I said no. You all follow my orders not my father's and I refuse to be any part of what ever sceem him and Naraku have come up with so none of you will be helping with preperations for any of the celibration tonight." Kagome had never used the position of power before she unless it was for their safety. She started to pace the room. All of her maids could tell she was thinking of a way to get them out of having to work for her father. Suddenly she stopped and an evil grin spread its self across her face. " I've got it," she exclamed with a giggle and lap of her hands. Turning she said, " Kira, I need you to go to the libary and fin me all of the scrolls on Inu mating or coupling and bring them to the garden. Mika and Tina I need you to pack all of my things except what I will need for the next four or five days, and Sango, my love I need you to go find that wonderful man of yours and tell him to get the other men and meet me in the garden." All of them were confused but qickly complied with what she had told them to do.
In a florish of silk Kagome headed to her father's study. Forcing herself into an angry gait and her face to become emotionless she approched the study. Coming to a stop in front of the door she pounded on it with a large amount of force. Her father's voice called from inside trying to be heard over her ecoing knock. She slamed the door open with enough force that it closed its self with a bang once she was inside.
"How dare you presume you can order my maids to different chores without my aproval. They are mine not yours i need them today you will just have to do without. Next time ask their mistress before giving them orders so they do not assume i do not need their sevices. Thier allegence belongs to me not you, I will not tell you this agian." She screamed at him not giving him a chance to greet her or stop her rant. When she had finished she turned and left leaving her father, his genrals, and Naraku very confused.
Taru looked at the door his enraged daughter had just slammed as she left. Turning to the other men in the room he forced a smile, "It seems her heat is coming on faster then I thought I do apoligize for her rash behavior. Shall we continue?" he asked in a calm tone even though his eyes flashed with anger.
After waiting to hear how her father excused her behavior she skipped down the hall to the gardens. When she got there everyone was waiting. Her smile got bigger when she saw that Ky and Ty had shown up as well.
"Hi everybody, so i have a plan but i need some help whos in," she asked witha smile after ereting a sound proof barrior. Everyone raised their hand immidiatly with sly grins. They always got something out of her plans and they would do anything for her. "Great, so my plan is to help Lord Sesshomaru take over te North and Northeastern lands," she told them.
"Ok, you know that would be consisdered treason right to betray your father and his ally like that," Miroku asked in a small from beside Sango. Everyne else nodded in agreement.
Kagome smirked, "Not if Sesshomau accepts my loyalty before I give him all the information he needs. My first step is to get my father to disown me if I do it properly then the symbols of his house should fade and my mothers appeir. If he lables me as something I'm not then such as traitor then I will be branded until I take a new lord and prove that I am not a traitor."
"So what are you wanting us to do." Ty and Ky asked her at the same time.
"Well, right now i need some help going through these scrolls. My mother told me it's really for an Inu to get pupped the first heat I need to figure out a way to get around that," while she was talking a messenger arrived at her barrior and tapped on it. Turning to see who it was she dropped the barrior to let him in.
The messenger was wearing Western attire he swiftly walked up to her handed her the scoll and left. Slightly confused she broke the seal and opened it. It read:
~~Lady Kagome~~
I would like to speak with you in private upon your arrival.
Lord Sesshoumaru
She closed the letter even more confused then when she opened it. Shaking her head she started reading through the hundred or so scrolls Kira had retrieved. Finally after three hours of reading they found what they need. There were three things; two drinks one for her, one for him, and a bath powder that she needed to use for the next week until her heat started. After reading the ingredents she gave it to Tina and Kira to take care of so it was ready for this evening before bed. Everyone else returned to their regular activities.
Kagome decided to go watch the solder train since she could not join them today. When she got to the trining area she saw that one of the commanders was yelling at a young boy. With a growl she walked up to them, "What is going on here?" She barked.
"This Child thinks he is old enough to join the ranks." he said pointing to the child.
Looking down she noticed several things at once; one he was malnourished, two he was a fire kit, and three he looked like he had been on his own a while his clothes were worn to almost nothing. She smiled at him and asked, "Why do you want to join the military when your still so young kit?"
"I just wanna feel like I belong some where agian," he whimpered looking at the ground and twisting his shirt.
Kagome's heart ached for the little boy. "What do your parents say about this, little one?" She asked him in a soft voice as she knelt at his level.
"They don't say anything anymore their dead." He told her with a defiant tone and a glare as if daring her to call him a liar.
"I believe you, but since your still too young to be a solder what are you going to do now, little one," she asked him.
"I'm not little. I have a name you know it's Shippo, it's not little one, young man, or child."
"Ok, so what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. Leave I guess, nobody wants some orphened kit around. I'm to little to do anything, so it's back to getting what I can, when I can, however I can." he said as tears started to roll down his cheeks.
Before she could stop her self he was wrapped in her arms and she was headed to the kitchens. She passed Mika on the way and asked her to find something for her kit to wear and to have a seamstriss meet her in the sitting room as well as Momoka.
"Why are you being nice to me?" Shippo mumbled into her shoulder.
"I'll explain later first you need to eat, take a bath, change your clothes and get some rest." she replied walking in to the kitchen.
Everyone stopped to bow then they went back to work. The head of the kitchens, Sakura, walked up to Kagome and looked at the sniffing kit. "What can I get for you Kagome," she asked softly.
"Shippo, honey what would you like to eat?" Kagome asked him shifting him so she could see his face.
"Um, can I have some squirel soup, with mushrooms and carrots, and some fruit, please?" his voice was barely a whisper and it shook with fear.
Sakura raised and eyebrow, "My word, it has been a long time since I have made that dish. Thank you for the challeng one again, young master. Where will you be when it done?" she said with a smile that made Shippo smile back.
"We will be in the sitting room in the family wing," Kagome told her as she was about to leave she called back over her shoulder. "Sakura would mind bringing enough of that soup for Momo and me, please?"
"Are you sure you want some it will ruin your appitite for dinner?" Sakura asked her with a knowing smile. Things that Kagome planned were discovered by the staff and all of them wanted to help her, but acted like the didn't know anything so she wouldn't worry about them when she left. The only person who knew that Kagome liked Sesshomaru was Sakura and she had been sworn to secrecy on pain of death if she told.
"None of us are going to dinner. Would you also prepare several other courses for our diner and dissert too, please?" She asked turning on the puppy eyes.
Sakura agreed with a sigh and wondered if Kagome would ever grow up or if she would stay this sweet and innocent forever. Looking around the kitchen she started telling several people to get back to work and after giving sevral corrective orders she set to work on a welcome dinner for Shippo. She had decided to make soup the first course followed by a lightly roasted deer and some potatos, then a starwberry cream cake for dissert the perfect meal.
While Sakura had been ordering people around Kagome had reached her room and was headed for the spring. Once in side she stipped to her under layer and turned around, "Shippo will you please take off you clothes and get in the hot spring?" She asked him.
"Ok," she heard him shuffel around a bit and then a small splash and a sigh.
Turning around she saw him sitting in the sallowes part of the spring watching her tensed like he was about to run. She walked towards the spring and stepped in end fathest from him. "Do you need help washing your hair, Shippo?" she asked gently without moving. He watched her for a minute then nodded. She smiled and walked slowly over to him. He flinched when she reached for the hair wash. "You've been hit before by people that said they were going to help huh," again all he did was nod suddenly he was wrapped in a warm hug. "I will never hit you unless we are sparing and I'm teaching you something, ok." he looked her in the face looking for that gleam of untruth, but all he saw was pain and saddness for him. That's when he knew he had found a home until she had her own pups then he would have to leave. "Lets get you all clean then we can see if Mika found you something to wear."
He was clean, dry, and dressed in a new outfit in no time. Now he was sitting at a table filled with food and he could eat as much as he wanted. He looked over at Kagome and her sister talking, laughing, and asking him questions he felt included and wanted something he hadn't felt since his parents' death. He mentally shook himself nothing could be this good and last forever. When dinner was cleared away Kagome said it was time for bed. Shippo watched her take her sisters hand and waited for her to tell him to leave.
"Well come on that means you too, unless you wanna sleep in the woods." She said holding out her hand to him. With a big smile he ran up and grabbed her hand.
He got his own room right across form her's and she tucked him in, told him a story, and gave him a good night hug. his last thought was, 'I wonder how long she will let me stay and what she wants from me.'
After Shippo and Momoka were settled in bed and on their way to dreamland she went to he room and settled in to bed she decided not to write in her diary to day so she went right to sleep.
End of Kagome's day
Start of Sesshomaru's day
Sesshomaru's day started with a ten mile jog, sparing with some of his solders, and finishing some paperwork that had accumulated over the night and that morning. Two hours after sun-up he returned to his room bathed and changed into his royal attire, unlike his usual attire it had a high collar in red to match the honey comb pattern of the sleeves. Tying his hair in a high top knot he left his room and headed to the Elders' court room.
He arrived a few minutes early so he walked in ready to get this done and over with. He had only been in this room twice before once for killing the heir to the Eastern lands when he was a pup and the other when they told him his father was dead and he was to take over as lord of the West. He noticed the decore had not changed in 200 years it was a cathedral ceiling in marbol, oak desks and chairs made a semi-circle on the North wall, a scribes desk sat agenst the East wall, on the Western wall there were obsever benches, and in the center of the room was a large throne like chair. The elders, scribe, and observers were already seated when he made his entrence so he stood infront of the center chair.
"This Sesshomaru is here. What do you want?" He said in a mono-tone that made them wounder if it was a question or an order.
"Lord Sesshomaru, you have been called before us to be given a warning. As this is your 200th year ruling you are required by law to gain one or both by the end of the year if you so not comply with this order your roll as lord will end. Your brother and his mate will talk over the ruling of the lands in you stead." The high elder said with a smirk of satisfaction on his face.
"This one will mate and have an heir when he is ready not before do not think you will give this Sesshomaru orders." Sesshomaru said turning on his heel and starting towards the door on the Southern wall.
"Nephew you have been given many leanincys by this court because of how young you were when you became lord. You will do as you're told or you will be remove from that position. Give us your word as lord of the West that by years end you will be mated or some bitch will be pupped with your heir, Sesshomaru." The Wester elder said without raising the glare on his face showed how serious the situation was.
"You have This Ones word he will solve this problem by years end. None of you are to interfere if you do so This One gets another year those are my terms, Agreed." He said turning and leeling them all with a dark glare promsing death to any that disagreed.
"Your terms are fair, is it agreed," the high elder said riasing from his seat.
"Aye," the Western elder said rising from his chair.
"Aye," the remaining three elders corased rising from their seats. Together all of the elders bowed to Lord Sesshomaru as he left the room.
When the door had closed behind him he smirked ever so slghtly things were going his way already. He had hunch that the Northern lord was planning something, his hunches were rarely wrong on things like that. He would talk to the girl first he knew she was smart and would know what her fool of a father was planning. Either way he would get the bitch and the lands after he disposed of the lord and his heir for treason agianst another lord.
He felt grimy and stiff after the meeting so he returned too his room bathed again and changed into his normal attire. After he was comfertable once agian he returned to his study and sent for his genrals and majors. They arrived a short while later with bows and greetings. He told them to up patrols, training, and gaurds in the palace expecally on Rin he didn't want her hurt by the visiters most demons had a strong dislike for humans even small innocent children.
He had to hold court until dinner so his people could bring their problems to him to solve. After hours of hearing petty pheasent squables over, land boundrys, theft of animals and crops, and unions between villigas by marriges he was sick of hearing people talk. He ate dinner then retired for the night it had been a long day. Tomorrow would be the same thing.