Chapter Four: The Courtship
Sesshomaru saw Serenity once a week unless his lands were in trouble then at least once a month. He brought her books along with a portrait of himself as a way to remember him when he was away. He sent her jewelry along with letters.
*Beloved Serenity,
The moon constantly reminds me of you on the cold dark nights we are apart. I almost find myself distracted from the task at hand as I remember your shimmering eyes. Memories of your warm smiles keep me alive these nights. Returning to you is what makes the days eager to be done. Naraku could never turn you who are so pure to darkness. I hope to see you in three days.
Yours Truly,
Sesshomaru.*
Serenity sat for two hours a day for a week to have a portrait of her done for Sesshomaru to be commissioned. She then had another done for her palace.
Sesshomaru took her to the Cherry Blossom Festival at Cherry Park. Sesshomaru danced with her close in his arms at the dance. She laid her head upon his warm chest, listening to his heart pound at her proximity.
Serenity wore Sakura blooms in her hair with a pink sash tied around her waist. Pink quartz was the main stone in all her jewelry. Pink quartz studs on the upper ear piercings and gold hoops with pink quartz embedded on the outside dangling from the lower piercings. A pink quartz the size of a pea was surrounded by diamond chips for the ring. The necklace matched the ring, but the pink quartz instead was the size of a pebble.
They were walking back to her carriage when Serenity stepped in hole, twisting her ankle.
Sesshomaru picked her up bridal style to get her off her ankle. He didn't know what to do. "What do you need?"
"I need ice to keep the swelling down then pain relievers. I'll be in crutches for a week. I'll be staying at the palace until it is healed. I also need a long strip of cloth to wrap the ankle once the swelling is down," Serenity whimpered as her ankle throbbed in pain. She clutched his shoulder in an attempt to ward off the pain.
Sesshomaru told Adrian to head to the palace as he would get her to the palace faster than the carriage would. Then he ran with all the strength in his legs back to Silver Palace. He blurred past trees and houses.
"Get the damn healers!" roared an anxious dog demon. He practically flew up the stairs to her suite to set her on her luxurious bed.
A maid in a green apron peeled off the sandals to reveal the already swelling ankle.
"I need ice ASAP, Kari along with a long strip of cloth to wrap it. The healers need to bring pain relief," instructed Lady Serenity.
Two healers brought in leeches to drain away the excess blood. "Get those things away from me!" Serenity was mortified at their out dated methods of healing. She turned her head to Sesshomaru, "Would you be a dear and bring up the book on Modern Medicine."
He could deny her nothing especially if it was to her benefit. The five hundred pages were in a blue cover with natural cures and depictions of herbs and ways to administer them.
As the healers read, they learned new medical advice and advances. They got the swelling down in two hours then tightly wrapped her ankle in Ace-like bandages. She was put on bed rest for the rest of the night. She was instructed to stay seated with her left ankle elevated or to put as little weight on it as possible.
Serenity slept the rest of the day by drugs to put her into a healing sleep. She did feel her boyfriend kiss her forehead in affection. Again, she slept to eleven am.
She was given assistance to the lunch table where an American dishes of fried potatoes and hamburgers. (This was taught to Reiko by Kari the maid from America. ) Lunch was served on blue flora china. Dessert was fudge with several glasses of milk.
Her ankle was kept at a raised position on a foot stool with a pillow or another chair. Her crutches were not yet made so the footmen were temporarily crutches. She went to the study to see about legal matters then her sitting room to receive visitors.
"My lady, Baron West Chester heard about your accident. He sent these aroma bees wax candles as his regrets," a messenger bowed before her.
"Tell him thank you," she dismissed the runner.
It seems all the barons sent gifts like perfume or a fur robe including a cotton throw.
"Beloved, these are for you," Sesshomaru put down a pink orchid on her window sill to grow.
"They are beautiful," Serenity had Kari repot them in a porcelain planter of pink.
Serenity wore a fur robe over a purple winter kimono. Sesshomaru carried Serenity to her bad when she showed signs of exhaustion like inability to focus. Kari changed her mistress into a comfortable flannel gown as winter was starting to settle in and the nights grew colder.
A cherrywood dresser was in the walk-in closets far wall. Intricate cravings of cherry blossoms matched the bed and vanity along with closet doors. Black cherry scented candles were spread in groups of three around the room. One candle was taller than the rest with a short one and a wider one on silver platters. A still life of a blooming cherry tree graced the head of the bed.
Serenity slept for three hours before an empty stomach signaled dinner, "Kari!"
Kari came in with the fur robe and smile, "Lord Sesshomaru left, but promised he would be back when you are healed. He also left a note, my lady."
The neatly folded paper smelled like musk.
*Beloved Serenity,
Jaken has informed me that Naraku has entered my lands. Hopefully, when the threat is gone, you will come see me. I'll send word when Naraku is gone or dead.
Yours Truly,
Sesshomaru.*
Sesshomaru returned to the West to fight Naraku in a human inhabited village.
"You took me away from something important," snarled Sesshomaru as he bared his sword. He didn't waste any time attacking the enemy. He ran at the bandit from behind, severing the spinal column. The puppet fell to the ground useless, but left a single shard.
Sesshomaru snatched the shard up to give to Serenity. He went to his castle to check on preparations.
Maids were separated into teams. There were teams for dusting, washing sheets and curtains, and such. The gardeners were fixing the abandoned gardens. Money was spent to buy three new sets of fine china. One was gold rimmed with the second having purple flora designs and the last had blue rings. New menus were made for each day of the week. Bouquets were purchased from town which helped the economy. Cream eight hundred count cotton sheets replaced the ones on Serenity's guest bed and Sesshomaru's too. A burgundy down comforter replaced old wool blankets.
Sesshomaru set all his affairs in order before giving his beloved the okay to come.
