Sesshomaru cracked a single amber eye. Nariko was more like her grandmother than she knew. Rin was up every morning at the crack of dawn. Now he heard her in her room on the other side of his moving around.

He looked down and let a small smile grace his face. Mizuki was still sound asleep in his arms. Somehow in the night he ended up on his back and she curled up in the crook of his arms. 'I don't want to wake her. Though, Nariko will be at the door soon.' "Mizuki."

"Sleep. Too early to get up yet." Mizuki slowly opened her eyes to look up into Sesshomaru's. She was comfortable and it was not even dawn yet.

"Nariko will not let you sleep. Come. Up." Then he slid away from her and stood up to stretch.

Mizuki starred in amazement at him. He was perfect! Literally. Even his name meant "Killing Perfection" after all. She sat up and stretched herself. "Will it be like this every morning?"

"Hai."

Mizuki stood and glided to her closet to get her clothes out. "I am sure that I will get use to it sooner or later. Besides, I bet I can talk Nariko into letting me sleep in some times."

Sesshomaru moved to stand behind her. He turned her to face him. He leaned down and kissed her lips gently. When he pulled his head back he said, "I will let you dress. Then I will meet you and Nariko for breakfast." then he glided on past her and out of the room toward his study.

Mizuki stood there starring after him. Her hand shaking on her lips. 'Now that is it I got to write mama today.' Then she turned back to the task of getting dressed in her usual outfit. She was elated to see that the clothes that Sesshomaru had made for her were all made the same way. Different colors and there were some kimonos in there but for the most part it was her own style.

She fixed her katana at her side then left. No matter who she became or what duties she might have, even if she had to wear a kimono, she was not going to go anywhere without her katana. As she walked out the door Nariko was waiting for her across the hall from the door. "Ready for breakfast?"

Nariko jumped up and smiled as she took her hand. "Hai Mizuki-sama! Come on lets go!"

Mizuki smiled as she was drug down the hall toward the dinning room for breakfast. "Not so fast Nariko, breakfast isn't going anywhere and Sesshomaru-sama still has to dress before he comes down!"

x

Hime came from around the corner and glared at the oukami and hanyou. She would have to play nice with the hanyou since Sesshomaru looks after her. Though she never really did like the child's grandmother or mother for that matter. And her inu youkai father was killed defending her, her mother and Rin.

When she heard that Sesshomaru had to dress still before he came down apart of her wanted to lash out. That meant that she spent the night in his room to know that. Another part of her knew how to use this information and quickly glided through the halls until she found herself right outside his door.

About the time that she stopped he came out of his study and moved toward his room. "Ohayou gozaimasu Sesshomaru-sama. Ogenki desu ka?"

Sesshomaru groaned inside when he saw Hime. Her father was a pompous ass in his court. For years now he had been bringing up the possibility of him mating Hime. 'Never. I would strike her down if it looked like my youkai was going to pick her.' "Hime."

Hime smiled her best flattering smile and cocked her head to the side. "Sesshomaru-sama, would you care to join me for a walk in the gardens after breakfast?"

Sesshomaru shook his head as he brushed past her. "Iie. I have plans with Mizuki-sama and Nariko after breakfast." Then he shut the door on her to dress and go to Mizuki. 'This just might work after all. Already the thought of seeing her again excites me.'

Hime glared at the closed door. 'I will show you! You, you, you, you jackass!' Then she turned and stormed off toward the dinning hall.

x

Mizuki smiled at the child that sat across from her. She was in yet another story that was centered around Sesshomaru. "Nariko, what are you going to be doing today?"

Before she could answer Mizuki turned angry eyes as the inu youkai that stormed into the room. "Who the hell are you?"

Hime glared at the oukami. "I won't let this happen. You are not a taiyoukai. I am. My father has served Sesshomaru-sama since he became Lord Of The West, and his father before him for hundreds of years. You need to back out. Go home and stay put. Stay away from him."

Nariko was growling. "You stay away from him Hime."

"Hime-san. Address me as such you brat." When she turned back to Mizuki she found herself starring into eyes that were no longer green. They were an ice blue and the air around the room was swirling slightly.

Mizuki growled. "Know this you bitch. I don't take kindly to other people telling me what to do. My own parents have a hard time getting me to do things that I don't want to. Back off and stay away from me, Sesshomaru and Nariko."

Hime had never seen an oukami flare their power. She was terrified. The resolve to kill that she was showing was remarkable! Almost an exact match to Sesshomaru! She growled one last time then turned and fled.

Once she was gone Mizuki let her powers die down and sat back down. "Baka musuinu. Thinks she can tell me what to do."

Nariko only smiled. "Mizuki-sama that was most impressive."

"Hai. A most impressive power."

Both females jumped when they heard Sesshomaru speak as he walked in the room. "What was the flare of power about?"

Nariko spoke before Mizuki could. "Hime came in and told Mizuki-sama to stay away from you. That she was to become your mate. Then she called me a brat."

Sesshomaru growled low in his chest. No one insulted one under his protection and got away with it.

"Demo, Mizuki-sama flared her powers and made Hime run out of the room. I think she scared her."

Mizuki crossed her arms and glared at the table. "She had no right to come in here and demand anything of me. Wench."

Sesshomaru fought the urge to smile. "All the same, this will be dealt with through her father."

Mizuki didn't feel like eating at the moment. "I am going to go and write a note to mama. Nariko wanna come with me?"

Nariko looked to Sesshomaru who nodded. "Hai I am coming Mizuki-sama."

Sesshomaru stood and left the dinning hall as well. Though he had a very different destination in mind. Hime lived with her parents in a home that was just beyond the main palace. 'However if he can not make his daughter stop her meddling, I will kill her and be done with the whole mess.'

x

Hime paced her father's study. "Papa you have to do something! She is oukami, and not even of noble blood. She lives in a home that is a half cave half ningen home!"

Tanaka sighed as he once again tried to explain to his daughter the way things worked. "She was invited as a guest of Sesshomaru. I can not just address her directly Hime. It does not work that way."

"Then how are we going to get this solved. You know as well as I do father that she is beneath me!"

Tanaka nodded. "Hai that is true. The fact that he would bring a wolf in to try to mate with is astonishing for all the members of court. However if you want him you have to play nice! Demanding that the one he brought here to try to mate with leave him alone is certainly not going to do the trick."

Koto was also in the study with her mate and daughter. Her only child, and the best thing that could happen to her or their family would be to become Sesshomaru's mate. "Hime-chan you have to try to show Sesshomaru that you would be more appropriate than the other female. Show him you know what is expected of you and you have no problem doing it."

Hime slumped down on a cushion. "That is not as easy as it sounds mama. I tried to talk to him this morning before he went to the dinning hall for breakfast. He acted like I was not even there."

Tanaka held his hand up to silence his mate and kodomo. "He is coming here."

Hope sprang forth in Hime's eyes. She and her mother moved to the side of the room as was appropriate for a female to do. Just before he walked in she whispered, "I hope your plan works mama."

Sesshomaru did not even announce his arrival. Tanaka was inu youkai and knew he was there. "Tanaka we must talk about your daughter."

Tanaka smiled. "What about her Sesshomaru-sama?"

"She is to stay inside your house for the duration of Mizuki-sama's visit. If I see her out of this house or anywhere near Mizuki-sama or Nariko-sama you will all be out of the court and kicked out to the common world. You will no longer be able to live inside the palace walls."

Hime and her mother were looking up now with shocked looks on their faces.

Tanaka was instantly on his feet. He would defend his pack as best he could. "Sesshomaru-sama please be reasonable. My daughter is fit to be a mate to one such as yourself. She just wants to be given a chance."

Sesshomaru smiled one of his evil smiles that he use to give Inuyasha. "I do not want someone who asks me how high if I tell her to jump. I want a mate that will buck up against me. I want a mate that can go into battle with me and stand at my side no matter what enemy we are facing. Your daughter can not."

He turned a glare at Hime. "And she has no right ordering my guests around or insulting one under my protection."

Tanaka glanced at his daughter. She had not told him of that. "Who did she insult Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at Hime. "Nariko-sama addressed her as Hime, not Hime-san and your daughter opted to tell her to address her the right way and called her a brat. By rights I could take her life for insulting one of my pack."

Koto looked down. 'She is not his pack. But the hanyou granddaughter of that filthy ningen that lived in the palace with her mate.' "Our apologies My Lord. We will keep her inside if that is your wish."

Sesshomaru smelled lie in the female's scent. She was just trying to pacify him and he knew it. "I change my mind. She comes out of this house again, I will let Mizuki-sama have her way with her." Then he left. Leaving them to deal with their own daughter. He knew that she would leave again. She was spoiled more so than he was as the heir to the Western Lands!

x

Mizuki sat and tapped the desk in the study that Sesshomaru told her would be hers as long as she was there, and her permanent study if they mated. Finally figuring out how to put it in words she began to write her mama and papa.

"Mama and Papa,

I know that the messengers here are going to get really mad at me for sending them to you with messages, but they will get over it.

Papa to you first. Things are doing alright. For my explanation on why I hid my friendship with Sesshomaru from you was simple. I was a pup with a crush. And he was the focus of that crush. I knew you would not have said anything about it, demo we all know telling you means telling mama too. She always gets her way with you and we all know it papa. Even Shippo!

Okay, mama now for your part. Well part for Papa as well.

Sesshomaru and I talked at length yesterday after I sent you the first message telling you what he wanted with me. He said I will know if my youkai shows up and claims him. How do I know if it starts to show up? Does it show in little things, or all at once?

He said it is fine with him if you two come to visit. Demo please leave the rest of our pack at home. They would destroy this place! Mama, please come quick, I really need to ask you about some feelings that I have been having.

Ashiteru

Mizuki"

She sat back and smiled. Her note was going to be enough to get her mama on her way here instantly. And she knew that her mama would make her Papa behave himself while he was here. 'Hurry mama.'

Nariko saw the confusion in her eyes. "Mizuki-sama do really wanna mate with Sesshomaru-sama?"

Mizuki was startled a little by the pups question. Then she sighed as she leaned against the wall. "Hai. Demo, I don't know what is going on with me."

Nariko smiled. She didn't have many memories of her mother and even less of her grandmother. She wasn't even to her mama's hip when she died. And her grandmother died 20 years before that. But she did remember her grandmother pulling her up into her lap with a smile and told her what love was. She told her that Sesshomaru-sama would tell her what it meant to mate with someone when she reached the age. But she explained love. And Mizuki fit all the signs of being in love.

"Can I help?"

Mizuki smiled. "Nani? How can you help?"

Nariko stood and readied herself to bolt out the door. "Stop thinking about everything and just be yourself. You already love him!" Then she bolted.

Mizuki was on her feet after her. "Get back here pup!" It was true though. She was in love with Sesshomaru and she knew it. But how did she convince her youkai to show up and claim him?