Hm… there's not a lot to say about this chapter, other than I hope that you enjoy it! My next chapter will be posted next week. I hope everyone is doing well and that, if it applies to you, school is going all right.
Enjoy!
"Once upon a time–"
"Oh I absolutely love stories that begin that way!" Akahito teases, his white grin flashing in the moonlight. I shoot him a glare and he closes his mouth. "Fine, fine, continue."
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Rei. She lived with her family in a small village, one without her name. She loved going into the forest, collecting flowers, and playing with her three elder brothers. She had a beautiful mother and a kind father who loved all their children dearly.
"One day, Rei's mother became very ill. Rei prayed and prayed, but each day her mother only got worse. Right before the fever took her mother, her middle brother fell sick too. Even though she begged the gods to take her instead, they were selfish and saw the beauty in her mother and the gentleness in her brother and wanted them for themselves.
I look up to examine Akahito's expression, and for once I find it stoic and sober. He's staring at me, listening intently it seems.
"Rei cried for days after her mother and brother died, but she felt lucky to still have her two other brothers and her father. Day by day, they learned how to live without them, but the gods still weren't satiated.
"Almost a year after they had lost two of the family, a raid came through the town. Rei's father told Rei and her youngest brother to hide in the storage space underneath the floorboards and they did as they were commanded. The men broke into their house, demanding all the valuables had. Rei's family was poor, though, and had nothing to offer. They didn't believe her father and threatened to kill her eldest brother. Her father begged them to stop, but… but they killed the son anyway, in front of the father's eyes. It was only a few moments before they took him, too.
"After that, Rei didn't speak for years. The village wouldn't take care of the two orphaned children, one a mute and the other a boy with a ravenous appetite. Nobody wanted to take the burden of feeding mouths that weren't their own. So, Rei and her brother had to steal to eat. After they were caught, though, they were forced out of the town. From village to village they moved, taking what they could until they were thrown out.
"At one of the villages they stole from, however, there was a woman who wanted to take Rei in, but not the boy. She had always wanted a little girl, she said. Rei was devastated and clung to her brother's side, but too often she and her brother had experienced the sharp pains of starvation. He refused and decided that it was time he headed off to the war which had recently begun. There, he could feed himself and send a little money home to Rei. She cried for days, but her brother understood it was an opportunity they couldn't afford to pass up.
"The money came as her brother had promised for two years until one month it stopped. The next month came, and still there was no word from Rei's brother. Rei grew worried and prayed once more to the gods that he would come home, but there was only silence. Finally, one day, a letter finally arrived. It told of her brother's valiant death, how he had died with courage fighting the youkai.
"After that, Rei came to understand that she was alone in the world. The villagers still didn't treat her like one of their own, forbidding their own children from playing with the mute. Piece by piece, Rei lost herself to the silence and loneliness as they consumed her. That is, until one day a boy also new the village saw her picking flowers in the field. He talked to her, and little by little she regained her words. But in her heart was born the oath that she would never have to rely on another for help.
"She grew up prettily and her charm led many men into her path. All promised that they would take care of her and their future children as they grew old together, but she could never want the lives they offered. All she craved was freedom from the town, freedom from the society that still looked down on her for what she had done when she was a child.
"They decided against her will that it was time that she should marry. No matter how fiercely she objected, they insisted upon arranging the match. Her childhood friend was the only person she could ever have anything resembling a happy life with, but their ears remained closed to her words."
I pause. My throat begins to close and I lose my words. I shake my head briefly and continue. "So she told her friend of her impending misery. He heard her words and took her in his arms. He promised to take her far away from such a life, to stay with her for as long as she wanted him. The tears rolled down her face in happiness. 'Forever,' she told him. 'That's how long I want to be by your side.' So they moved on, living freely from village to village. One day, they even had children, and they lived happily ever after. The end."
"You are a talented storyteller. If you were worse, perhaps Sesshomaru would have had you killed, little sparrow." He grins playfully, but I can't find it in me to laugh.
I look up at him. "I've been meaning to ask you, Akahito-san: why do you call me that?
He shrugs. "Have you ever seen a sparrow, Rin?"
I nod. Of course I have. Who hasn't?
"They are small, and most people think them weak to which there is some truth. But have you ever watched one? Sat down and observed how it moves, how it acts? Though they are indeed lacking compared to other birds, they will fight for what is theirs, even if they are against a crow. And they're cute, even if a bit plain," he winks at me. "I see that fight in you, and I admire it, Rei. Oops, I mean Rin."
I'm about to protest and insist that the story is not about me, but to be honest, I didn't try hard to conceal it. I want someone, need someone, here who knows who I am, but it's a tale I can't quite tell as my own yet.
"So when do I get to hear your story?"
"My story? Well my life has been positively boring for these past 300 hundred years, so there's no need to tell it."
I stare at him blankly. "Three hundred years?"
"Yes, three hundred. I'm somewhere around 331, I think? I'm not quite sure. I lose count."
"You're joking."
"Not at all!" he says with a laugh. "Didn't you know that daiyoukai can live for thousands of years? We generally end up killing each other off long before that happens, but if you play your cards right, you can live long enough to watch the rise and fall of dozens of civilizations."
"I don't believe you. Prove it to me."
He laughs. "You'll just have to trust me for now. It's getting quite late, or should I say quite early? You need to go to bed and get a couple hours rest before the day begins."
I nod and yawn, covering my hand with my mouth.
"You'll have to tell me another story sometime."
"You first."
He grins. "We'll see."
A thought springs to my mind. "I have one last thing to ask of you, if it's all right."
"More paper for letters?"
I blush slightly at having been so transparent. "If… if you can."
"I'm surprised you haven't asked sooner. Your correspondent must be annoyed that you've taken so long to reply. In that case, though, you owe me some more stories."
"Tonight?"
"No, don't worry little Rin. Another time. I'll leave the paper under the tatami mat that squeaks in the rice room."
"Thank you, and good night, Akahito-san."
"Sweet dreams." He leaps from the rocks, landing gently on the tiles of the castle's roof. I go back inside, relieved that nobody appears to have missed me. Luckily, it seems that no one stayed awake to watch for my return. Climbing under the covers, I wait for sleep to overtake me.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
Footsteps overhead. The slow squeak of floorboards, ominous. I hear heavy breathing all around. Looking to my left, I can see the whites of my brother's eyes illuminated by the slivers of light which slip through the old wooden boards above us in our hiding space. I peer up through the gaps, watching boots pace across our living room.
"Thank you for inviting us inside your lovely home."
"What do you want?" my father growls. I tremble slightly. I've never heard him this mad before, not even when I broke our only oil lamp. His voice seems to shake with fear and rage.
"Whatever you have to offer. Don't worry, we'll be gentle."
I reach for my brother's hand, but I can't seem to find it. He's pressed against the recesses of our hiding spaces, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I know I shouldn't be watching, but my brother is too fixated to keep me from looking too.
"I told you: we have nothing. Please, search the house. Take what you will. We have plenty of rice that you can help yourself to. But the things you're looking for… you won't find them here."
"You see," says one of the two men, moving once more across the floorboards towards where my father stands, "Many before you have told similar lies. We search their homes and find nothing, but on their corpses they carry much more, trying to hide it from us."
"I promise you! We have nothing. Please, leave us alone!" I hear my eldest brother cry out. I want to climb into his arms, for him to sing me a lullaby in his strong, deep voice, but I know I can't move or make a single sound. Father told us it was the most important thing in the world that we were quiet.
"Oh, you promise, boy?" says the second man. "What makes you think that we'll believe words from the likes of you?" I hear a choking sound and my father crying out, begging them to stop. Finally, I hear a thud and gasping.
"Please." My father is weary now, his voice hollow. "Please take what you will and be gone."
"No, I don't think so," the second voice says, chuckling lowly. "You will bring us your valuables, or you can say your final farewell to your son."
"I'm begging you! Please, leave the boy alone. I can assure you that we have nothing to give to you!"
There's a silence that seems to last forever before someone speaks again, the voice quiet. "So you won't cooperate?"
I hear my father's anguished screams and a heavy thud on the floor. I look frantically through the floorboards, but I can't see anything because they're now obscured by shadows and boots.
"Do you have anything to offer us now?"
My father is sobbing, something I've never seen him do before, even after my mother and brother's funeral.
"Are you really so useless?" the second voice sneers. "If that's so, then there's no reason for you to even exist on this earth, now is there?"
A flash of light seeps through the floor as a body is lifted from the ground. There's a quick flash of silver and a gurgling sound before a black mass hits the wood boards. All is darkness now, robes blocking the only light we had. The boots leave the room and I can hear the banging and slamming of closest and trunks. I'm searching for my brother in the darkness when something warm and wet lands on my hand. I look up and some of it splashes onto my face and nose, trickling down my cheek. I smear it across my fingers as more lands on my body. I bring my hand up to the smidgen of light that still remains and I see that the mysterious liquid is a dark red.
I shake and I feel a scream building in my chest. I don't know what this is. I don't know what's going on. Where's my father's voice, my brother's? What is this on my hands? A hand clasps around my mouth and hushes me, telling me I must be quiet, I have to be quiet. The boots once more are crossing overhead.
"I guess the old man wasn't lying," says the second voice. "Ah, well, moving on."
The boots cross the floor, hovering briefly over where we are concealed beneath their feet. The weight of the man on the floorboard causes it to squeak and I feel hot tears ooze from my eyes.
"Come on, we have to get going," the second voice repeats, urging the other. The first man stand above us a little longer before finally his boots are moving across the floor, and finally the sounds of the men are gone.
I snap awake in my futon, shuddering. I fight, searching for the hand that's keeping me from breathing, tearing at my face to get it away. I'm still under the floorboards, my chest constricted. I toss in my sheets and clutch at them, gasping for air. I remind myself that I'm not in the storage space, that I need to figure out my surroundings. I tell myself again and again that I'm not there, that I'm not in that house, or even that village. I'm here in Sesshomaru's castle; yes, his castle. I grasp at the folds of the blankets, my hair sticking to my face from the tears.
It's been years since I've had this nightmare, the suffocating, choking nightmare of a hand wrapped around my face and blood on my fingers. There are a few other girls still lingering in the sleeping quarters, most in the process of folding their futons. They stare at me wide-eyed. I wonder if I screamed this time. I wave them away, standing up normally, but their gazes linger, some curious, some concerned or frightened. There's no use fabricating some lie about having seen a rat or something of that nature; they'll have their rumors no matter what I say.
When I get to the dining quarters, the majority of the plates and bowls have been emptied and there are only a few stragglers left, Eri and Tsukiko not among them. I'm a little disappointed. I wanted to ask them about Minako's being a hanyou, but there hasn't been a chance when everyone else hasn't been listening in. I don't know if it's supposed to be a secret, but it seems to be a pretty well-kept one. It would explain why she's never in the bathhouse when everyone else is. Thinking about anything other than the nightmare would help, anyway. I'm always jumpy for the rest of the day after having that dream. Keeping my mind preoccupied is the closest thing I have to an antidote.
I eat my breakfast quickly and head towards the sewing room. The silence which had once been an oasis to me now makes me itch with unrest ever since Itoko has joined me and I'm not very much looking forward to the day's work. I'm sliding the door open to the sewing room when a clawed hand arrests my wrist. What is it with these demons appearing out of thin air? I jump a little in surprise at the touch and look up to find Fumino staring at me with a stern gaze. Her look quells my thoughts.
"I've been looking for you. We need to talk." A trickle of fear runs through me. Has she found out about my sneaking out? Fumino doesn't sleep with the rest of the servants, so it's possible, even probable, that she saw me out of bed after lights out.
I nod my head though I can already feel sweat beading at the back of my neck. I groan internally; even if I can keep a pretty impassive mask, my sweat glands always seem eager to betray me.
"Several of the house servants have caught ill and we can't continue to work without the extra hands. You will be cleaning for as long as you are needed, understand? Minako will be joining you from the gardens."
My heart sinks. I detest doing housework, now that I've been able to come here to sew. I'll personally see to it that every sick servant is better by sunset if it means I'm safe from scrubbing the floors tomorrow. But, at least the prospect of working with Minako piques my curiosity. Perhaps I can learn more from her about what exactly she is. "Is that all, Fumino-san?"
"There is one other thing."
Uh oh.
"You did an acceptable job of reading the reports to Lord Sesshomaru, from what I've been told. Good girl. It has been suggested by some of the other staff that you take this duty on once a week. There used to be more humans in the castle who could do this, but Minako has long been the only one. Consequently, she does not take a day of rest like the other servants. One night a week, you shall take over these tasks so that she may rest. Tomorrow will be your first night. Do you understand?"
I'm relieved that her speech wasn't about my sneaking out, but a different sort of fear rises in me. Being in the presence of Lord Sesshomaru once a week? Well, it appears that as long as I do my job correctly, he doesn't care who does the job as long as it's done. I have to make myself focus, this time. No drifting off into daydream land.
Fumino stares at me for a moment, her brow furrowing. "Is there something you want to tell me?" Her nostrils flare. Is she… sniffing? Can they smell fear or guilt?
"Not at all," I say measuredly, careful to keep any stutter out of my voice. Once I had regained my speech after being a mute for so long, I had developed a stutter. My adoptive mother had tried her best to squash the habit, but when I was lying it had an uncanny habit of cropping up again.
She looks at me for a while longer before raising one eyebrow. "You had better get to work, hadn't you?"
"Yes, ma'am," I reply. She strides down the hallway and I watch her retreating back. I wonder if the full-blood inuyoukai have hidden tails, too.
I find Minako waiting for me next to the closet where the cleaning materials are stored. Her eyes flick upward at me briefly, though her head remains downcast. She murmurs a faint, "Good morning," before extending her hand which has an extra bucket with soapy water and scrub brush inside. I take it from her, and she immediately begins walking to the stairs.
We're apparently assigned to the fourth floor today, an area I've never ventured. Minako keeps her distance from me the entire time, continuing to be her ever silent self. We work our ways up and down the hallways, first scrubbing the wooden floors before we enter each room where we dust and wipe the tatami mats. Some of the rooms are obviously recently occupied with litter dusting the floor, while others look as if a guest hasn't stayed in them for months. Every alcove is filled with decorative pieces made with gold, silver, and jewels. I understand now why we're put into pairs to clean: we're expected to keep an eye on one another, just in case.
The entire time Minako doesn't say a word. Most of the time, the maids at least hum tunes or sing songs to pass the time. She, however, is as silent as the grave. Subtly, I try to steal glimpses of her as she works. When her low ponytail swings to the side, I see that she has human ears. When she yawns, her exposed teeth are decidedly human; she has no long, sharp canines to speak of. Looking at her hands on the scrub brush, I find that her nails are oval-shaped like mine. I'm puzzled. Had I been hallucinating?
We're nearing lunchtime when I do finally notice a something strange. Every time I get near Minako, she immediately scoots away on pretense of cleaning some other area, but it's not long before I notice that she backtracks to areas we've already covered. Soon, she starts wiping her nose as well with her sleeve.
Do I stink to you? I think, remembering that hanyou probably have better noses as well. I swear, for people who clean ashes and the muck from other people's boots, these demons are rather particular about their smells. Each time she repeats this set of motions, I grow more and more angry. Are you too good for housework now that you're in the gardens? Too good to work with a human like me? I know the full-blooded youkai are bad, but never did I think that hanyou too would be so picky.
The hours pass slowly, but soon the sun is setting in the autumn sky and I'm grateful for the shorter days that come with the approaching winter. My hands are cramping from clutching the brush all day and my knees are sore. I remember now more than ever why I hate housework and why I refused to do it when I was married to Kento. The thought of his name gives me pause, but I shake it off and run ahead of Minako to the dining quarters.
After eating a hurried dinner, I walk from room to room on the first floor in the servants' quarters, searching for where the rice is stored. I know it's where Akahito had pulled me aside to talk a few days ago, but I can't quite make out the path. It's dark inside the castle now and I'm having to find my way mostly by feeling with the occasional glimpse of moonlight from the windows. While the upper floors have plenty of wall-mounted oil lamps, the servants' quarters are, of course, woefully devoid of them.
I find the rice room soon enough, though with a few toe-stubbings along the way. I bounce up and down on each of the mats before finding the one with a decisive squeak and lift it up. It's unexpectedly heavy and I nearly drop it on my hands. I run my hands along the floor underneath. Feeling something smooth and soft, and I grab it and pull it up to see a thick stack of paper bound with twine. My fingers brush something smooth and cold: an ink well with a brush. I smile to myself, eager to use the fresh paper and ink, though admittedly not so much to write the letter I'm about to.
Dear Mika,
I pause. How do I ask for information about Kohaku without actually asking? My last attempt had only yielded two sentences. I know that Mika undoubtedly shows my letters to other villagers as everyone does, so I cannot be too blatant in my curiosity, even if Kohaku is my childhood friend.
I'm glad to hear everyone is well. Congratulate Yumi on her pregnancy. Kohaku and Sango are still training recruits? I hope it is coming along well, that way they can be in the village more often. Has Kohaku had his annual cold yet? It usually comes around this time of year.
I smile sadly at the recollection of his red nose and stack of handkerchiefs he had to carry around for this very reason. Every year, around October, Kohaku would catch cold without fail. I sigh, knowing I should put away such silly thoughts. Keeping them with me only troubles me. I no longer hope for Kohaku to come for me, considering that Mika has kept "our little secret". Perhaps he's even glad that I'm gone. I bite my lip. Mika would tell me if the engagement became official, wouldn't she?
I finish the letter with plenty of insubstantial inquiries on everyone else and fold it neatly, running it upstairs to Akahito's room. This time no one is in the hallways, but his room is still unoccupied. I slip it under the shouji and run back downstairs, hoping that I haven't missed the lights out call by much.
(¯`*•.¸,¤°´-`°¤,¸.•*´¯)
I'm disappointed and rather annoyed to find that the regular house servants are still sick the next day, so I am yet again recruited to help the others. Today, however, I'm not paired with Minako but Eri instead, a change I can't say I'm displeased about. Eri, though she's perhaps a little too bubbly, bounces around from room to room cheerfully humming and chattering away as we work on the second floor, helping time to pass faster. It's not until lunchtime that I remember that tonight shall be my first night of regularly reading the reports to Lord Sesshomaru. The rest of the day I begin to dread, and the hours which had once passed quickly now creep by at a painful pace. Even though Akahito promised me that Sesshomaru wasn't upset, I still can't help but feel that there will be some punishment for my last reading.
I bathe after everyone is asleep in their futons, noticing a discernible shake in my hands as I scrub my arms with the pumice stone. Fumino has already laid out the yellow and orange overcoat for me. I slide it on and braid my wet hair, steadying my uneasy heart. Right as I'm about to leave the room, however, I remember what Akahito had said once about Sesshomaru and gardenias. Crossing to the storage closets, I open them one by one, searching for white petals, oils, something. I know Akahito has convinced Sesshomaru not to dismiss me, but a little extra help never hurt anyone, right?
Finally, I open one of the doors to find rows of large glass jars, each filled with dried petals or other plants. I know that the servants must be forbidden from using them freely, but I've broken so many rules at this point, there's not anything to ignoring one or two more, right? I find five jars of white petals and open each until I catch the recognizable scent of gardenia.
I had loved flowers as a kid, playing in fields of them, picking them, braiding them into crowns or weaving them into others' hair. It's been years, but I still remember the name and scent of each perfectly. A wave of nostalgia passes over me at the smell of gardenias; they had been my mother's favorite flower too. I grab a small handful and tuck them into the inner pocket of the robe. Hopefully this wasn't a trick of Akahito's.
When I reach the landing of the sixth floor, I prostrate myself in front of the door as Fumino showed me and rap three times. A few moments later, the door slides open and a voice above me speaks "rise" in a low baritone. By the time I lift my head, Sesshomaru is already well within the room, seating himself at the mahogany desk once more.
This time, as I enter, I spend a moment taking in my surroundings. Rows of shelves line the walls filled with scrolls and even leather-bound books. The study is beautiful, ornate without being excessive. Maps decorate the walls and unfurl across the tables, seeming to cover every square inch of empty space. Little figurines stand on top of the maps while red string is pulled across them, cutting Japan into many little spaces.
"Sit." The voice pulls me from my reverie, and I walk with hurried steps to the stool where the scrolls lie. Tonight, there are only four and I sigh a little in relief. The faster I'll be out of here, the less time he'll have to decide to fire me.
I unroll the scrolls and begin reading. Once more, tales of death, disease, and famine are written upon the papers. Once more, Sesshomaru pays them no heed, continuing to scribble idly on his own page. Once more, I feel my anger rising. Twenty in a southern province had been slaughtered by demon wolves and three villages had lost their entire winter stores to bandits. Each time I look at Sesshomaru only to find his pen moving smoothly across a page I become more aggravated.
Halfway through the second scroll, I let it roll shut.
"Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru, but why do you have your servants read these to you if you do not listen?" I know this is said only under thinly veiled civility, but my people are dying, and their "Lord" does nothing for them.
Sesshomaru pauses, sets down his pen, and looks up at me with narrowed eyes. "It is not a servant's place to question this Sesshomaru."
"Is it not a Lord's to protect his people?"
"You are quite the foolish, impudent girl. You think humans are my people, the ones who intend a war on my own kind?"
"These people are your subjects. They support you."
"You understand very little, don't you? Humans will stand behind whomever they believe to be the victors; they have no sense of loyalty. Their support means nothing to me, and I have no need for it. I cannot blame demon wolves for killing them. I do the same when they are in my way."
My contempt drains from me at his words and a shiver runs down my spine. I know his words to be true, though I don't want them to be; too often I have heard the histories, men swearing fidelity to a lord before putting a knife through his back. Humans are attracted to power. People will not help a starving orphan girl if they don't see personal gain in it. "You are like the stories I've heard, then, milord? Merciless?"
He doesn't respond, instead taking his pen in hand once more. "Finish the reports and return to your quarters."
"I have only one more question, milord," I hang on the last word; it's a title he doesn't appear to deserve. There had been times during raids on Shiramura that I had wondered if we were still under Lord Sesshomaru's protection whether or not we would've been safe from them; I have my answer now. "Why do you call yourself 'this Sesshomaru'?"
He pauses, but does not lay down his pen this time. His eyes are cool when they meet mine. "You have no understanding of my power, do you?"
"Power, rank, it means nothing to me. In my village, even the highest didn't refer to themselves like that. They never forced us to call them 'Lord' or 'Lady'. We were all equal, no matter our station."
He rises from his desk and approaches me. This time, however, I'm not afraid. He doesn't look angry. Rather, almost coldly amused.
"A simple village wench has never seen a true demon, have you?"
"…I-"
"Demon ravens and crows do not count, human. Follow me."
He strides out of the room, leaving me sitting confused on the stool. He does not turn around, so I rise and jog after him. What does he want to show me?
Lord Sesshomaru leads me down the stairway through the main entrance, a place I've never had the chance to cross. At this time of night, however, only the hallway torches are lit and Sesshomaru apparently needs no secondary source of light. I run after him, following silver hair reflecting moonlight from the windows. We pass through the gates of the white stone walls and the guards jump to a silent salute. He pays them no heed, though, his gaze focused straight ahead. We reach the edge of the orchards whose trees have now turned into shades of dusty orange and red, almost brown in the deep night sky.
"You, like so many other humans, only know the true fear of demons when you are confronted with death, when we are the ones holding your pitiful lives in our hands.
I stare wide-eyed as an acid-green liquid oozes from his claws, dripping down his hands. He casually swipes at a tree to his right, one that is old, tall, and thick-trunked. I watch amazed as the entire middle disintegrates before my eyes, the wood turning black and charred. The top half falls over with a loud crack crashing to the ground.
"It will burn through flesh as well. That is the least of my power."
I stare at him, unmoved. It's fascinating, and it should scare me, but for some reason, I feel completely calm, though still a little annoyed from all the "human" and "wench" name calling.
"My cousin has a penchant for stupid servants and slaves, it seems. You don't even seem to know when you should be frightened."
"I am not stupid, milord. In fact," I say with a small laugh, something that I can't remember doing in months, "I think the foolish one is probably the one who doesn't see that he's hurt. You're bleeding." He's so completely serious that it's hard not to laugh at him.
His eyebrows arch and he looks at his hand. A piece of bark from the now felled tree is stuck in his hand, dark red blood trickling from the wound. I walk closer to him and take the bloody, clawed hand in mine. He bristles at the touch. "It is nothing."
"It's obviously something, milord," I say as I pluck the bark from his palm. I wipe the blood from his skin with my sleeve. When I clear the blood, though, the wound is gone. I look up at him, and his eyes are cool. "Your… the wound…"
"I heal easily." He pulls his hand from my grip. The warmth lingers on my fingers.
"And those purple stripes?" I say, pointing to the stripes on his hands. "Are they tattoos?"
"Hn," he scoffs. "Only nobility is born with these markings."
"Oh," I murmur. I want to trace them with my fingers, but I feel that I've already more than pushed the boundaries. Even though I've never served a lord before, touching him is probably frowned upon, and I've already done that once tonight.
He turns and begins walking away.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" He turns his head and looks back at me. "Do you still want me to finish reading the reports?" He says nothing and continues back towards the castle.
"Good night," I call after him one last time. There's no response, but something inside me warms with curiosity. He's by far the most fascinating person, or rather demon, I've ever met. Even though I don't want to admit it to even myself, I'm looking forward to the next time I read the reports.
Just in case people were curious why Sesshomaru refers to himself as "this Sesshomaru," the reason is this: in both the Japanese manga and anime, Sesshomaru sometimes refers to himself in the third person. It shows his high rank, status, and self-importance. There are FanFiction authors who decide to use this distinction and I've chosen to as well. It helps to show when he's more serious, I think, haha.
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! If you have the time to review, please do =) Good, bad, neutral, anything helps! Please let me know what I could do better on; you guys are the biggest help when it comes to improving the story! A big thank you to everyone who already reviews! You guys are wonderful!
To the reviewers from the previous chapter:
clairxdexlune – Yeah, those are definitely the two where GWTW show most. I'm glad you like Akahito! He's one of the most fun characters I've ever written, so I'm definitely happy to see that you enjoy him too. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
.9237 – Haha I'd like to think so too! He's definitely a blast to write and to have interact with everyone else. Thank you very much for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!
December Sapphire – Thank you so much! I appreciate your compliments so much! I think being at the castle has helped her too. She knows she has to hold her tongue and work hard; otherwise, she'll be put out on the streets, more or less. Still, she does have spunk as you said =) I'm so sorry! I think I accidentally overlooked your review last time when doing responses! Yes, he is very much like Cheshire Cat! I hadn't thought of him that way, but when you mentioned it, I realized that it was so accurate. The story is still set in the Sengoku period (~15th-17th century) like the original Inuyasha story. I haven't quite chosen the exact year, but I will soon =) Thank you as always for taking the time to review! It's wonderful to hear from you.
Lady Shenzuki – Yes, chapter five is quite like Spirited Away, isn't it? The images of the bath house there kept popping up into my mind while I was writing it. I hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter! Thank you so very much for reviewing =)
Taraah36 – She is quite the troublemaker, isn't she? Haha. Akahito doesn't miss out on much. You'll definitely learn more about Minako's story and why, even though she is a hanyou, she appears to be so human later on. She has an interesting tale herself =) Thank you very much for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
StoriedFabric – I'm so glad you liked it! I hope this latest chapter delivered as well! Thank you very much for taking the time to review =)
Medelie – I hope you enjoyed the other chapters! Thank you very much for reviewing =) It's good to see you again!
Aya – You ask so many great questions that I really, really want to answer but can't quite yet! Haha I can't wait to write more in of Jaken. He's such a funny character. Rin probably should have changed the name more, but either way, I think Akahito would've seen through it. He's a rather clever guy ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you liked this one as well. Thank you so much for your review!
sotam – Hahaha I'm not sure how long this story will be yet, but I'm pretty sure it is going to be lengthy =) I'm so happy you liked the chapter! Thank you very much for reviewing as always, and I hope you enjoyed this one as well.
Guest (AliasStars) – No! Don't be sorry! It's wonderful that you always take time to review at all! Is everything all right with you? Haha, to be honest, I think I might be jeaous of Minako too because she gets to spend time daily with Sesshomaru ;D I know, Mononoke Hime is a wonderful film, and I think he definitely deserves to retire, even if it does make me very sad to see him go. Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you like the story, and I hope you liked this chapter too! Thank you again for reviewing =)
Lady-Succubus – I'm so happy to hear that! I'm always worrying about the pace of the story and whatnot, so it's wonderful to hear that you think it's okay. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Guest – You are definitely asking all the right questions at this point, and I so wish I could answer them right now! You'll be learning a lot as the story goes on. I'm so glad that I can finally start showing her development. Her being such a brat in the first chapters killed me, but there are definite reasons why I chose to start out that way =) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you very much for your review!
Melinda-chan – Thank you so much for the compliments! I hope you liked this latest chapter, and thank you again for taking the time to review!
