Chapter seven:
"Sire," Sesshoumaru called out through the shoji door. "I have news from the Higurashi's."
"Enter." Looking up from some scrolls he'd been writing on Inu no Taisho waved his son to a cushion and decided to get right down to business. "Their response?"
"They have agreed to allow me to wed Higurashi Kagome. They request a month to prepare for the ceremony and request that it be a Shinto one. I agreed. It will give us time to gather enough for the bride price and their choice of ceremony is no matter."
Sesshoumaru vaguely wondered that his father after all these years never questioned the fact that Sesshoumaru never dropped his public face in front of him. Didn't his sire question why he didn't feel comfortable enough to show his true face? Didn't he wonder why he only showed the proper public face in his own home? Giving a mental shrug Sesshoumaru decided that it didn't matter. It suited his purpose these long years of hiding that fact that he had yet to mature and it suited his purpose now. He could skillfully hide behind his public mien and keep his excitement from showing. He did mourn how twisted his family was that he couldn't be himself around his own father for fear of his life but quickly felt comfortable to drop honorifics and his public face before Kagome.
"Very good, Sesshoumaru! I'm most pleased. Had they refused I was prepared to acquire the girl by other methods after the next full moon. This saves us the hassle of kidnaping her and a possible war until they learned their place."
Sesshoumaru's blood ran cold at the thought of Kagome being kidnapped by his father. He knew by now that attempts had been made previously but he wasn't sure if his father's attempt would fail as others had. He knew his father was too ruthless to not slaughter any defenders of the girl. Nodding Sesshoumaru accepted his father's dismissal and decided that he needed to start placing protections around Kagome now that she was officially his.
His first stop: his mother.
MLM
Sesshoumaru's mother had left the Palace of the West when her consort Inu no Taisho had disgraced her by taking a courtesan. She had been thrown into a rage the likes of which was still whispered in fear by many in the palace. While common dogs tended to give freely their 'affection' the alphas mated only with other alphas and unless one of the alphas lost their leadership they didn't stray. The dogs under them were only allowed to mate with their alphas' approval. Basically in times of plenty breeding was allowed and limited during times of hardship.
Dog youkai were similar but of course different. Each family had an alpha or the head of the house and their spouse. It was those who decided who married whom. From what Sesshoumaru understood it worked similarly amongst humans. Higurashi-san was clan head and it was his decision on who those he was in charge of married whom. Unlike humans' dog youkai followed marriages similar to common dogs. The head of the clan was supposed to set an example and remain faithful to their consort. Unlike dogs their youkai counterpart ran on more than instinct. And that was the problem with his parent's marriage. His father broke tradition and took a courtesan, shaming his mother.
Chiaki had managed to demolish an entire section of the shiro in her rage. She had maimed many in her path to her wayward consort. It had taken over half the palace guard to subdue her. Many in the shiro were sympathetic to her. When she had finally calmed down she packed her bag and returned to her sire's shiro in the sky.
There was nearly war.
Only Chiaki had staved it off by claiming she didn't want her son to be forced to choose sides nor for innocents to suffer due to her consort. She was proclaimed a hero by the people and Inu no Taisho's popularity plummeted, his hold over his people slipped. It was even worse when his sire announced that his lover was pregnant. To take a lover was acceptable for nobility but greatly frowned on once they married but to impregnate her was shameful. The alpha should only breed with the other alpha.
Chiaki never returned to her husband's palace and respected her marriage by never taking a lover.
Sesshoumaru adored his mother.
She was the epitome of femininity to him. Delicate of behavior in public and beautiful enough to make grown men swoon she was fierce in battle and tenaciously loyal. He had begged his father to allow him to follow his mother to his grandsire's home. He hadn't cared that he was nearly grown himself at the time and approaching his 'maturation'. His mother was hurting and needed him. He had always been his mother's boy. He had been denied since he was heir and needed to remain with his father to train.
Only Chiaki and now Kagome knew the secret of his maturation.
And it was to her that he headed now to seek counsel.
MLM
"Sesshoumaru," Chiaki muttered softly in greeting as her sole child entered the receiving room.
Her public face was even better than her son's. She appeared truly emotionless far beyond the polite disinterest required. Sesshoumaru was infinitely proud of his mother. As far as he was concerned she was the best mother a male could ask for. While other mother's would have worried about him not reaching maturity by his age she took it in stride and even reassured him that it would happen when it happened. There were many times that he would sneak off to his mother's shiro chocking in the feelings of inadequacy only to have her run her fingers through his hair as she had when he was but a pup and softly reassure him that there was nothing wrong with him. That everyone matured at a different time and his time would come.
"Mother," Sesshoumaru replied. "I seek a private meeting."
With a subtle flick of her delicate wrist the receiving room emptied of everyone, even her vessels. As soon as the room was vacant a small smile spread across her face and her eyes shown with the love she had for her son. Sesshoumaru could feel his shoulders relax and an answering grin stretch his lips.
"What brings you here, my son?"
"Glad tidings," he responded before sitting himself at the cushion before his mother. He was practically giddy at his news and in his own way it showed.
Chiaki raised an eyebrow at her son's unusual exuberance before muttering, "Oh?"
"I am to be wed." His grin morphed into a vibrant smile at his words. He savored the look of shock on his mother's face. It wasn't often that he had news that she hadn't. Sesshoumaru knew that she had reliable spies in his father's shiro that kept her abreast of its latest happenings. "In one month I am to be wed to Higurashi, Kagome." He could practically taste the pride in his words.
Chiaki's movements temporarily stilled as she was preparing tea at his announcement. "I was under the impression that it was your brother who was to wed the girl."
Sesshoumaru's eyes lit up and the smile stretched his lips till near painful levels. "He is terrified of Kagome-chan. She partially purified him with her aura alone when he angered her."
"Kagome-chan?" she murmured.
Sesshoumaru hoped he wasn't blushing. "I have been courting her in secret," he confessed. "She has become a good friend and knows of my shame."
Chiaki frowned at her son. "It's no shame, Sesshoumaru. You will mature when you mature. It's taking longer than normal because you have that much power to gain. If you had been a weak youkai you would have reached maturity at a younger age. The fact that it's taking so long means you are destined for great power. Now tell me how this came to be."
Sesshoumaru side steps the question of his maturation and eagerly went on to explain their first meeting and how he was impressed with her powers. A part of him realized that he was perhaps a bit over exuberant in describing her but he couldn't stop himself. He truly adored Kagome. She was his best friend, his confidant, and best of all-his safe harbor in the turbulent storms of politics. He explained how Inuyasha eagerly gave away his land to escape the marriage and his desire to protect Kagome from his father and the politics of court.
"She seems like a wonderful young woman," his mother commented. "I am surprised she's willing to marry you given the circumstances."
He nodded solemnly. "We shall be friends. I have sworn to provide her with anything within my power. If she desires children before I am capable of providing them for her I shall find a child to adopt."
Chiaki raised an eyebrow at her son. "You would take in a child not of your own blood? In times where food is scarce even for royalty? Just to appease you wife? Do you love your future consort?"
He fought to keep a blush from staining his cheeks. "I do not know. Could I even love her if I'm not even capable of taking her as a man should? She is precious to me and I would do my best to protect her from all harm."
"Love is hardly about the sexual, my son." Chiaki responded, her eyes twinkling and a small smile played across her lips. "Love is much, much more. Once you mature you will need to know the difference between sexual lust and love. Both are powerful and can feel similar but only one will last."
Sesshoumaru frowned at his mother. "How would I tell the difference? If both can feel similar enough to fool people into believing lust is love how would anyone tell the difference?"
"That is something that you must discover for yourself; not everyone learns the difference," Chiaki trailed off softly a faraway look in her eye.
"Did, did it come too late for you?" Sesshoumaru knew it was rude to ask such a personal question but his mother never denied him nor got offended with his curiosity. It seemed he was always a pup before her.
"In a way. When I wed your father and became his consort it was an arranged marriage. I did not love him. In the time we were together I grew to feel something for him. I had thought it the budding of love. It could be mild at times and ferocious at others. In the end I realized it was merely lust and respect for my husband, however, it was not until he took a courtesan that I learned this about myself. Feelings that you develop for Kagome-san now will be untainted by lust and truer than ones you may develop later."
Sesshoumaru wanted to cringe just thinking about the pain his mother had gone through at the hands of his sire. He knew his mother could bear no more offspring. His poison had cauterized her womb leaving her barren. His sire had taken this to mean that all of his progeny would be powerful and had lusted for a way to produce more. In the end his sire could not contain his desire for more power via scions and decided to experiment by impregnating a human. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if Inuyasha could be considered a success; though he was powerful for a hanyou he was reluctant to admit his father was strong enough to sire only powerful offspring. He also knew that his sire desired more children via youkai women. The Inu no Taisho desired to amass an army of his own blood.
"I swear, mother, I will not dishonor her by taking another while we are wed," Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed with the fierceness of his vow.
"I know, my son," she replied softly. "and I will see to it she is protected to the best of my abilities."
A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner but life is well... life. My beta has been just as busy so this is unedited. SORRY. My husband is still deployed, I'm still homeschooling my son BUT I have finished Hybrid and a sewing book called Frankenstein Sewing. I'm currently publisher shopping for those.
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