A/N: you guys better love this!!!!
Disclaimer: Errrg!
Tsukiko lead Rin up to her room. She noticed that midnight blue pillows had replaced the empty head of the bed. She motioned to the table and the little girl sat on one of the cushions while she went over to the protected egg. She whispered consoling words to her dragons and pulled off the kimono while tying her hair up into a messy ponytail. (A/N: Remember, she's wearing her normal clothes underneath.)
"Now then, Rin. We don't have books for today, so let's start with dancing and dining etiquette. If you're good, then you can show Sesshomaru at dinner what you've learned today." She took Rin's hand and led her to the empty spot. She quickly tied Rin's hair back. "We are going to get really tired because I am going to show you how to go fast without losing your footing."
Thus passed the morning, coupled with short barks of "left!", "right!", "careful" and "you're going to be doing this a lot when you are at the ball, so chin up!" When it was almost time for lunch, Tsukiko had Rin stretch then sit down on the blue cushion.
The girl regained her breath and the pink left her cheeks as Arona came into the room with a tray of food. The eagle youkai slammed it down and Rin yelped with surprise. Tsukiko banished the woman from the room by making a hissing noise under her breath like her dragons.
Tsukiko set the soup and bread before the young girl, but told her not to eat. "First, we always listen to the leader of the house. Had you been a normal demon in a normal demon village, you would have been the first to eat because the ball was for you and you were in the highest position in the room. At your ball, however, Sesshomaru is Lord so he outranks even you. He will say grace, then sit down to eat. There is a short time frame in between him sitting down and him biting that I want you to carefully put this powder into your food." Tsukiko handed a small bottle of powder to the girl. "Try and do it like this. When reaching for the spoon," she raised her hand, "uncork the bottle. Tip your hand downwards as if you are going to grab the spoon and stir." Tsukiko went through all the steps. "If your soup turns purple, immediately notify me or Sesshomaru with a downward nod."
Rin nodded and did exactly as Tsukiko did, with hardly any flaw. Tsukiko smiled. This definitely won't be as hard as I originally thought. They ate, talking about things. Without knowing it, Rin was training Tsukiko as well in the comings and goings of the castle. She also revealed that Sesshomaru thought of her as a daughter and she him a father.
Sesshomaru waited in his office, sighing papers that had piled up over the month. He had not joined them a dinner because of the huge piles that nearly swamped him. Seriously, demons were turning more trivial than human, though they had always been more vain.
"My Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Tsukiko is waiting in the hallway for permission to enter." Anora bowed low, giving Sesshomaru a full view of her full-sized bosom.
Sesshomaru grew annoyed. Anora constantly had dress code violations and always managed to put herself into the conversation along with a thousand other inconsequential things that he could not exactly call her out on.
"Fine. Eagle, button up your shirt."
"Yes my Lord." Anora bowed again. She pouted slightly, giving her a cute look. When she had left, Sesshomaru allowed himself a small smile. Perhaps, in the spring, when his youkai hormones were raging…
"Sesshomaru."
"Wench, you will address me as Lord Sesshomaru." He growled.
"And you will address me as Tsukiko. If I show you respect, then you shall do the same for me." Tsukiko said icily.
"Respect should be earned." He said, returning the tone.
"Then I should be calling you demon constantly." Tsukiko said boldly, but not raising her voice. "Imprisoning me in a room, a very nice room, by the way…"
"Wench…." Sesshomaru growled again.
"Demon." Tsukiko's growl sounded more like a purr.
Sesshomaru changed the subject rapidly. "I expect nothing less than excellence in my rooms. You should be perfectly happy in the quarters you are in."
Tsukiko leaned forward, her hands on the desk. "Imprisonment in a fine room is the same as imprisonment in a dirty cell, and indignity even you can relate to."
Sesshomaru's golden eyes flashed, but he kept his anger under control. He sat back in his chair and smirked. "I prefer to think of it as unwilling service, though you seemed to be very willing in your dance class today."
Tsukiko's eyes widened, but she said smoothly, "I thought I heard something."
Sesshomaru was surprised, to say the least. Her act was extremely good; no youkai who had received less training than him would have been able to tell the surprise and anger in those deep blue eyes.
"How were the rest of her lessons? Does Rin require anything?"
Sesshomaru had finally found some common ground. Tsukio's eyes swirled in their own slow way as she remembered everything in fond detail. "We need some books, definitely, if she is to look like an intelligent person she should be one as well. She did very well with what limited supplies we did have, though. She can dance, though she needs more practice to be fast enough for the youkai that will ask for her to dance. She can successfully identify almost all types of poisons and anything stronger I will be able to detect…"
"What makes you think that you are going to attend, Tsukiko?" The name was foreign on his tongue, and he made a mental note to practice the word or avoid saying it.
Tsukiko's eyes did the swirl of anger and surprise again and the pomegranate smell in her scent spiked slightly, but her voice was deceptively flat and even. "I do not wish to, nor expect to be present during the ball. I do expect to be sitting in the kitchen at the very least, where hidden dangers are most likely to come."
"Do you think that I am unable to protect my ward?" Sesshomaru sneered. She had hit a nerve.
Tsukiko stood. "I do not think you are unable to protect your ward." She turned around and opened the door. She turned to him before slipping out, "I think you are unable to protect your daughter."
A/N: Review!
