An Heir Before My Death

by Zaru-san

Rating: T

A/N: Sadly, I have to inform fans of this story that I might be discontinuing this story because of lack of inspiration and potential...I believe this story has much potential, but I just can't seem to write any more chapters...if any of you may, you may either continue this story on your own, or write a chapter or 2 and maybe I could get something going on with that...Thanks a bunch...for more information, please read my profile, thanks...

Chapter 6:

It had been a couple of weeks since the mating of Kagome and Tisho and the couple were pretty much happy with one another. Although Inuyasha was having a fit about Kagome being with another guy. Especially a demon that worked for his elder brother. But he soon came to realize that Kagome's happiness was very important to him and that Tisho would take excellent care of her. Not to mention, he just had to know what her mother would say about Tisho once she met him. It was definitely going to be good. Her 15-year-old daughter had mated with an inyoukai who was a physician...okay, maybe she would be okay with it at some point, but not really much.

Inuyasha was in the garden on castle grounds, laying up in the tallest tree he could find so he could rest and let the afternoon sun bathe him in its warm rays. He did not notice a figure walking around in the garden as well until too late when a sweet voice called up to him.

"Lord Inuyasha, what may I ask are you doing up in that tree?" Hitori the Dragon youkai asked as she looked up at him.

Inuyasha was a little startled at her voice, but he answered her as he looked down. "Oh, just sitting here."

"I see." She ran her clawed fingers through her fiery read hair as she sat down, her back against the tree that Inuyasha was laying in. "Will you not come down and join me for a spell, Lord Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was taken aback. Why was she being so nice to him? Why did she want his company? Was this a joke just to humor Sesshomaru? But he decided to take the bait and went out of the tree and sat down, leaning on his feet next to the girl and held his palms to the ground as he stared at her while she was watching the horizon where the sun would soon be setting.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" He asked her straight out.

The dragon youkai looked over at him, her silver eyes questioning him. "What, Lord Inuyasha?"

"Is this a joke? Did Sesshomaru put you up to this? Cause if he did, it's not all that funny."

She laughed and gazed over at him while stilling her fingers in her hair. "Of course not, Lord Inuyasha. I always wander these gardens hoping to find some company within them. And since you were out here alone as well, I thought I would see if you wished to keep me company and me keep you."

Inuyasha averted his gaze away from the girl. "Company's...nice." He turned his whole face away from her, blushing just a little bit. But she had caught it before he moved his head away from her. And she could tell because of the extra heat coming from his face. After all, she was a dragon youkai and she knew heat. Very well in fact.

"Lord Inuyasha."

"Yes?"

"May I ask you a question?"

He was a little hesitant to answer her at first. What question could she possibly want to ask him?

"Uh, what is it?"

"I was just wondering, you've been living for over 200 years now and why have you not mated?"

He gulped. Mating? Great! Just the question I needed to have her ask. He blushed some more and kept his face from her view.

"Uh..." He tapped his foot on the ground wondering how to answer her. It was a question not normally asked to a half-demon. At least not from a demon.

"Well, if you don't wish to answer, that's quite alright. We can talk about something else." She turned her gaze back toward the horizon.

"Well, you tell me first. Why aren't you mated? Or are you? And I'll answer you." That was a good proposition. She tell him and then he'll tell her.

"Well, uh, where do I begin?"

"Wherever you wish to."

Hitori just smiled over at Inuyasha. Sometimes he could be a good person if he wanted to be.

"Well, it all started about 175 years ago when I was born. Right away my father wished for me to have a wonderful and strong mate. And I grew up learning that I always had to look pretty, not talk, obey and a strong suitor will be coming by my side in no time at all. When I was 14, my father began to have troubles with his land as he was always being attacked by the lands of the South and the North. He was hesitant at first to ask for Lord Sesshomaru's help, but he did ask and he did, as long as my father gave Sesshomaru whatever he wanted."

"Which was?"

"Me. He wanted me to work for him in the castle as a servant. Of course, well, me being the heiress to the Eastern Lands, I was not going to become a servant for another lord when I was only brought up to NOT do things for myself but my servants to do it for me."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. "Certainly you surely have done at least ONE thing by yourself..."

She nodded. "Yeah. I could go to the bathroom by myself, Lord Inuyasha."

He just smirked over at her. "I figured many don't really want that kind of help."

"Not really." She just smiled back.

"Please continue with your story. I am really interested to know more about why you aren't mated or if you are."

"Well, I would be glad to. As I have said before, Lord Sesshomaru wanted me to become one of his servants and I was decidingly not going to go with him even though my father agreed to let him take me as long as Sesshomaru and his army fought and helped him to protect my father's lands."

"Then you didn't go?"

"No. I went. I was forced so I had to go. I had also learned, too, that I had to follow the rules. Especially of an agreement like a contract." She bit her lower lip. "I was not meant for the life of servitude. At first. Then, well, I sort of grew into it day by day and I began to love doing things for myself. Bathing myself. Making my own bed. Making my own food. The usual. That was my first practice. Taking care of things for myself at first before I began to help others and I just got into it and became Head Servant over 150 years ago."

"How could you even think of staying in a life of servitude when you are a future heiress to the Eastern Lands?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to go back ever?"

Hitori just shook her head. "Nah. Never. Servitude is my calling. It is what I was built for. And nothing could make me happier than doing things for others."

"You don't know how to do anything else but serve, do you?"

She shook her head. "No. I live to serve. Being a servant has taught me many things, Lord Inuyasha. Many...lessons...that I wish to pass on to others. Maybe my own children..."

"You have children?" He knew it. She was mated.

"No. I don't have children, Lord Inuyasha. I am an unmated dragon youkai. And because of this current life I am leading, there might never be my own time for mating with anybody."

"What would happen if you did mate?" He was rather curious.

"Well...Lord Sesshomaru said that I would be released to mate and not have to serve for him utnil I have settled in."

"Really? He's that generous?" Inuyasha was rather surrpised. His brother would allow his servants to take time off just to mate and get things settled into their new matings? How strange.

"Yeah. He's very generous and I have learned that he could be quite...sweet...sometimes over the years."

"So, do you ever plan on marrying?"

That was a question that plagued Hitori's mind. "Maybe. I don't know. Depends."

"On what?"

"If I find the right one to be with me..." She turned to face him and realized his face was very close to her own. "...then I can be happy..." She whispered the rest to him as her gaze moved to his lips which were partly open.

Inuyasha felt somewhat uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Um...I'm sorry, Hitori. I'm just not..."

Hitori pulled away flushed. "Uh, that's all right. I never really thought anything would happen. Did you?"

He shook his head rather quickly to answer. "No, not really."

TBC...hopefully...

A/N: Okay, well as I have said before, I don't know this might be a discontinued story unless there is a brave enough soul out there who would like a crack at writing a chapter or two for this story...