Lady of the West, Daughter of the East

By Angel Dust
It's a SesshomaruxOC, InuyashaxKagome, KougaxSango fic!

You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the other characters or the original story line. I DO own my characters, they're as obvious as the nose on your face.

A few months after the Compass Ball, Lord Nishi of the Western Lands has called in the other lords for help fixing his rebellion issues. This will pull Lord Higashi and all five of his sons from the palace, leaving Lady Mai in charge of both kingdom and their daughter. Nikki has yet to show interest in any males, to her mother's great displeasure at the ball, though is secretly writing Sesshomaru as he is fighting by his father's side. Mai is anxious and willing to do anything to get Nikki to mate, and now that her only barrier (Higashi) is out of the picture temporarily there is nothing to stop her from having her way. Can Nikki survive her father's absence, or will there be one less member of the family at the dinner table from now on?

Chapter 9


Nikki was happily sealed away with the various royal women and the seamstress who was thrilled to start planning the wedding kimono for Kagome. All of the males were in the throne room, which was moved around so that the judges of the trials could sit where the thrones were and there were chairs for everyone who was watching. Higashi walked up to the other three lords as everyone filed in and everything was going through final set up phases.

"We'll beginning shortly," Nishi said as he nodded. "Higashi, if this gets to be too much for you or the boys, no one would doubt you if you walked out."

"I'm not going to walk out," Higashi said as he looked darkly at them, "they captured and tortured my daughter when they should have been keeping her safe. I want to be here when they get questioned and sentenced." The three lords nodded, they all would have felt the same if they were in a similar situation, though they were confident enough that they wouldn't be.

Everyone sat down before the first prisoner was brought in. He looked ragged already, a few months in the dungeon would do that though, and he was still chained and shackled. He stood before them, head held high, and continued to look confident in himself.

"State your name and rank," Minami demanded of the guard.

"My name is Akihiko and I am a member of Lady Mai's personal guard," he answered simply.

"Do you understand the crimes you are being charged with?" Nishi asked him.

"Yes, my lord," he replied.

"And what that might be?" Nishi asked, confirming the guard was aware what was going on.

"I am one of five being charged with the capture and torture of Princess Nikki," he answered, all three lords nodded while their sons looked on.

"What was your role in the crime being charged?" Inuyasha asked him.

"I, with the assistance of another guard, captured the princess after the castle went to sleep, this also included the princess. We then escorted her to the dungeon she was located in later on with her two personal guardsmen as her keepers there," Akihiko answered simply.

"Do you feel remorse for your actions?" Kouga demanded.

"No, my lord," Akihiko answered as he bowed. "I was under orders, I carried them out to the best of my ability." This statement bristled a few members of both the audience and judges fur.

"Explain yourself," Minami demanded annoyed. "Remember, your statments prior and after this will help determine whether or not you live after we are through here." Akihiko just looked mildly at him. Nothing seemed to perturb this youkai before them.

"Lady Mai was upset, the princess was refusing suitors left and right and she is supposed to be mated," he answered. "She had even refused a young lord from the south earlier in the evening before we captured her. She had scared him off, which was one of her more defiant tactics when she didn't want to comply with the Lady's wishes. She wanted to teach her daughter a lesson and ordered myself and Fusao to capture her and take her to the dungeons. She did put up a fight, mind you, but once we got to the dungeon and her guardsmen were there with the cell all set for her. We would then once a day check on the princess with Lady Mai, but we were not instrumental in her actual torture." The lords looked at him as they thought about what was going to end up happening to him.

"Do you feel you should be punished for what has happened?" Kouga asked curiously. It was obvious his demeanor is throwing off the heirs.

"Should I be punished?" Akihiko repeated. "For following orders?" This seemed to irritate the youkai before him more than they realized it would.

"You've been heard, is there anything else in your defense that you wish to add?" Minami asked him before they were ready to hear the next one. If all the guardsmen were like this, they'd be done the four in the day, possibly even the sentencing.

"Just that I was under orders, my lord," he answered. Minami waved his hand and the guardsman was escorted out of the room and back to the dungeon.

"He should be put to death," Seiji muttered to his father. Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "He doesn't even seem to care about what is going to happen to him."

"He has already done the crime, at this point what we do to him is nothing with the notion that he has had to and will have to until whatever death he meets," Higashi told them. "We can't hurt him beyond what his own guilt is doing to him." The boys watch as the next guardsman is brought in, also in chains and shackles.

"State your name and your rank," Minami ordered.

"My name is Genji, I am one of Princess Nikki's personal guardsmen," he answered shakily. He looked prepared to collapse.

"Can you stand?" Nishi demanded.

"Yes, my lord," Genji replied bowing.

"Do you understand the crimes you're being charged with?" Kita demanded of him.

"Yes, my lord," Genji answered bowing. He was shaking badly as he moved.

"What was your role in the crime?" Kouga asked him.

"I was in charge of Princess Nikki's imprisonment in the dungeon with the other guardsman, Itsuo. Once Lady Mai's guardsmen brought her down we chained her and kept her in her cell within the dungeon. Upon orders from Lady Mai we would punish her defiance after her visits." Genji answered shakily.

"How did you punish the princess for her defiance?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I didn't like doing anything, my lord," Genji answered softly, "Princess Nikki was always good to us. But Itsuo enjoyed it...too much...he would laugh when he would hit her, unable to defend herself. I usually would leave the dungeon, I couldn't bring that kind of pain to the princess."

"Why didn't you stop it?" Nishi demanded, it was obvious he made them angry with his answer.

"I was afraid, my lord," Genji answered shakily. "Lady Mai was out of control once Lord Higashi left the castle and took the boys with him. She ruled and threatened those who didn't comply. I have a mate and several kittens, I feared for them more than myself."

"Do you feel you should be punished?" Inuyasha asked him curiously.

"Yes, my lord," he answered after swallowing hard. "I should have done something, I should have saved her...little princess..but I was a coward and couldn't effectively do my job because of it. I deserve the punishment of heaven and hell for this. We all do."

"Just to let you know, what you have told us will be used to determine that punishment, either life in the dungeons or death." Minami told the trembling guardsman. "Is there anything in your defense you would like to add?"

"No, my lord," he answered shaking his head. "I deserve whatever you feel necessary." Minami waved his hand and Genji was carried out of the room and back to the dungeon.

"He was a coward, but I don't know about death," Ryo said softly behind him. Higashi wasn't so certain about life imprisonment either, yes the youkai was a coward and he failed his daughter drastically, but it was obvious he was the most guilty. They all looked to see the next guardsman brought in with his chains and shackles.

"State your name and your rank," Minami demanded of him.

"Itsuo, one of Princess Nikki's former personal guardsman," he answered simply.

"You don't seem very worried," Inuyasha pointed out.

"Should I be, my lord?" he asked mildly curious.

"Do you understand the crime you're charged with?" Kita demanded of him.

"Oh, yes, my lord. I'm being charged for what happened to Princess Nikki," he answered smoothly. They all noticed a feint smile on his face. "It is a shame."

"What was your role in the crime?" Kouga asked him.

"I was one of the keepers of the princess while she spent time in the dungeons and on occasion I would dispense the punishments ordered by Lady Mai." he answered as if it were no big deal. "Genji was too weak to do anything, he usually ran when she was to be punished."

"What punishments were you administering?" Kita inquired.

"Depends on the offense, really," Itsuo answered as if it weren't a big deal. "When Lady Mai would come visit if she didn't answer her questions, we were to hit her. She spit at her mother once, she got beaten for that as well. She lost food privileges when she tried to poison her mother." Higashi wanted to rip him to pieces, but kept his composure and knew the other lords were looking to him to see his reaction on whether or not to continue.

"The princess informed us quite a bit of what was done to her in the dungeon," Nishi said softly and it was obvious it was a very dangerous question to be asked, "what was the worst punishment that you administered to her and why?" Itsuo looked amused by the question.

"If she told you, you know my lord," he answered confirming their worst fears, "and why not? There was no offense created for it, I don't know if Lady Mai would have approved, though I highly doubt it. It's hard not to take advantage of one so young, so pretty, and so defenseless like she was."

"Return this to the dungeon," Minami growled annoyed as Itsuo laughed a little. "Just to inform you, with your information we will determine whether you live your life in the dungeons or die at the hands of the taiji ya." Itsuo was then led out of the throne room as the lords all seemed to shake with fury, really the whole room did.

"We will stop for today," Kita announced before standing up. "We've heard enough that we can make the decision for the three we've heard. Tomorrow we will hear from the final guard and Lady Mai before announcing the final decisions for them all." With that everyone stood and prepared to head out of the room.

"Maybe now was a good time to stop either way," Seiji said as his father looked at him curiously, "it's almost dinner time and I wouldn't want Nikki walking by and accidentally hear all this." Higashi sighed and nodded as he thought.

"You boys go get ready, alert the women of the time," Higashi said and he left the hall.

"Where's he going?" Minami asked curiously.

"Who knows? But can he be blamed if any of the prisoners are dead by morning?" Jiro asked curiously.

"No," the three lords answered as they all headed towards their temporary chambers for a bit. Sesshomaru went to find Nikki while everyone separated for preparation for dinner.

Higashi walked into the dungeon, he wanted to gag as it always was disgusting down here. He had always taught his kittens to avoid this area of the castle because he did, explaining no ruler should be in a dungeon except for their crimes. He passed the dungeons containing the four guardsmen, coming to the last occupied cell containing his mate. He didn't know what possessed him to come down here but here he was and he almost regretted it.

Chained to the wall, in a similar fashion to how their daughter had been, was his mate looking frail, ragged, starved, and exhausted. Only difference is it was obvious Mai isn't being tortured while Nikki survived horrors that never should have been inflicted upon her.

"Higashi..." she whimpered hoarsely, "you came..."

"I can't imagine why you think I'm here, I'm sure it's not actually why I'm here," Higashi said as she sighed and moved a little.

"I was hoping you'd forgive me and allow me back up in our home," she said softly.

"No Mai, your trial is tomorrow," Higashi told her as Mai nodded and looked down. "I can't imagine how you can live with yourself for torturing our daughter the ways you did." Mai whimpered. "After the decision of the judges, I will have a priestess remove your mating mark." With that Higashi turned and left the dungeon as Mai cried and whimpered in her cell.