"I think my father is having an affair."
Annika's, as well as her group of friends, looked up from their books to look at Akio. He was staring at nothing in particular with his own book hanging loosely in his hands. Annika's eyes left Akio to her other friends who all shared a look.
"What makes you think that?" Eri asked with an uneasy tone. Akio licked his lips and shrugged.
"Just a feeling I guess. It's like there is something in the air. A thickness of tension and I cannot place where it's coming from. My parents seem...distant from one another."
"What is your point exactly?" Everyone turned to Sesshomaru who had not looked up from his own book. Annika elbowed him lightly. Sesshomaru glanced at her but brought his attention back to the book in front of him.
"I have to agree with Sesshomaru on this one Akio. Who cares?" Katsu asked with monotone.
"Well, I care." Akio said as if it was not obvious.
"But why?" Katsu continued. "People have affairs all the time. For all we know mine and Eri's father is having one."
"He is not!" Eri shouted in anger.
Katsu rolled his eyes. "Maybe not, but if he was it wouldn't be any of our business."
Shaking her head Annika could not believe what she was hearing. "So you're saying if your father was having an affair you would just be okay with it?"
"I'm saying it would be none of my business."
Annika glared at him and then turned to Sesshomaru who still looked at his book, though she knew he was listening.
"What about you Sesshomaru? How would you feel if your father had an affair?"
Sesshomaru paused before answering, if only for a moment.
"It would be no concern of mine."
Katsu made an open-palmed gesture toward Sesshomaru as if silently saying "See."
A frown was placed on Annika's face at Sesshomaru's disinterest. She was not really surprised, but when it came to topics such as these she supposed that she couldn't help but be hopeful that he would be more open. Did he truly not care if his father were to take another lover? The idea of Annika's own parents doing such things made her sick. Their relationship was not an easy one, as it was clear that both demons seemed to hold very different views on things but Annika never questioned their devotion to one another.
"Well, regardless of it being my business it bothers me," Akio stated. "it bothers me a lot."
Sesshomaru glanced at him from across the table for a moment before looking back to his book.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Sesshomaru stared at the spot that Akio once sat all those years ago from his corresponding position. When he found himself needing to think, Sesshomaru was usually more driven to the forest. Something about the open world seemed to calm his sense of self, making him whole. Today, however, for reasons he did not know himself, Sesshomaru found himself in the library. He could remember how in his younger years this was a place he had spent such a large amount of his time. Reading the history of his land and the leaders before him. Lords, Ladies, generals, soldiers, demons, humans, myths and legends. Until one day he grew tired of reading about the forces that built the world around him and instead used all of his wills to be one of those forces. Internal conflict was not something Sesshomaru often found himself dealing with. For many years his emotions and goals came hand in hand and his drive was uninterrupted by the thought of anything else. For the first time in a long time, Sesshomaru was not fighting external enemies but instead internal ones. To break the mold of his selfish habits Sesshomaru tried to rise above and do what was by most peoples standards the right thing. But the right things burned in his gut. Eri would make a fine mate. She was quiet and obedient. Her features were delicate and Sesshomaru had no doubt that were they to have children, they would be most adequate. Yet somehow it all felt wrong. At first, he assumed it was simply up until this point he would never take a mate, and that he had not truly adjusted to the idea. However, it was more than that.
Sesshomaru wondered if his own father had had this problem. He did not often think of his late father but at this moment he was the exact person to come to mind. Toga had a devoted wife, power, a son, and a legacy. Yet for reasons Sesshomaru could not understand, his father threw it all away for a mortal woman. As someone who did not usually have emotional ties to his decision making, Sesshomaru pondered what would be in the future. Could he be truly satisfied doing something simply because it was the right thing to do? Was it all more complicated than that?
"I thought I might find you in here."
Sesshomarus attention snapped to see Annika standing in the doorway of the library. Lost in his own mind he had not sensed her presence as he usually would. She walked in casually and sat in a chair across from in on the other side of the table. Placing her arms on the table, leaning all her weight on them as she did so, Annika tilted her to one side.
"Something on your mind?" She asked.
"Nothing of importance." Sesshomaru replied coolly. Annika smirked.
"Really? Because whatever it is has made you unreachable to everyone in the castle all day."
"You seem to have found me just fine."
A small chuckle left her lips. "Yeah, but I know all your hiding spots."
"I hide from no one."
Annika rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Oh Sesshomaru, always so perceptive of everyone but yourself."
"Is there something you needed Annika?" Sesshomaru responded with an annoyed tone. Picking at the table Annika put her head down and shrugged.
"Not really. I suppose I would try and spend some time with you while I'm visiting your home. I spent a fair amount of time with Rin today and I don't remember her being so inquisitive."
"Rin has always been a curious child, probably more than she should be." Sesshomaru agreed.
"She's very blunt, reminds me of you actually."
A long silence presented itself and normally it was something Sesshomaru did not mind. It was always something he appreciated about Annika. That they could sit in complete silence and she was still somehow content with his company. It was not a common thing to come across. Sesshomaru was not a conversationalist and most who were tended to bore him. All the inane, meaningless noises people make that pass for intelligent conversation. They might as well be pigs grunting in the pen. With Annika, Sesshomaru never had that problem. Somehow even the most meaningless conversation held itself to be something important.
"Annika." She did not respond to him verbally but instead brought her attention back to his face. He tried to think over what it was he actually wanted to say to her. The opinions of others were never something Sesshomaru cared for but the things running through his mind needed an outlet and he could think of no other person he would dare share them with.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
There is was. Out in the open, Sesshomaru's own self-doubt rang through Annika's ears like church bells.
"What do you mean?" Annika asked, unsure of how to answer if question. She had to approach this delicately, for if she made the wrong move Sesshomaru would close up again and dismiss whatever it was he wanted to talk about. She had seen it before.
"Mating with Eri prevents an unnecessary war. It unites the east and the west, and it creates the possibility for my legacy to live on through my offspring."
"But...?"
"I have no interest in such things."
Annika raised an eyebrow. "No interest at all or just not with Eri?"
"Does it matter?"
"It does."
Sesshomaru thought about it. All of his life his goals had nothing to do with the actions before him. That was then, however. Now, Naraku was gone, his father was gone, his fight for power seemed almost like a hobby than a true quest. Sesshomaru knew that any demon to test his strength would be no match for him, and even if they were he would take the challenge in stride, doing anything to be the victor. His future was cloudy and suddenly for the first time in a long time, Sesshomaru did not have anything to prove. Sesshomaru was a warrior. A wondering force of power. If he no longer did the things that made him who he was, then who was he really?
"What would you do?"
Annika took in a deep breath. "What would I do if someone told me to mate or go to war?" She bit her lip in thought. "I would mate." She confirmed nodding. "But, I think that that would be easier for me because I have already mated out of love. I had that and got to experience it so doing so out of duty would seem less of an inconvenience for me. If something like that had happened before Isamu...well, to be honest, I am not sure. I feel like I would try to find some other type of compromise, but there is no way of knowing if that would work or not."
"Eri needs a mate, there is no compromise for that. Eito is dying, either way, war to secure her seems not to matter to him." Sesshomaru said pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Actually I might have an idea." Annika began. "It's not a guarantee but, if mating with Eri is really something you only want to do if you have no other option then it might be something to explore. I mean you already announced it, everyone here is just waiting for the full moon. If we can change things before-"
"Stop your ramblings and just say what you have in mind." Sesshomaru said glaring lightly.
"Eri needs a mate. Well, why does that mate have to be you?"
"I am the best choice."
Annika rolled her eyes. "Of course you are, but what if Eri loved someone else?"
"She doesn't"
"But what if she did?"
"If she did we would not be having this conversation," Sesshomaru argued becoming fed up with Annika's riddles.
"Akio, Sesshomaru. I'm talking about Akio."
Sesshomaru scoffed. "That fool is of no comparison."
"You're being very difficult right now. You know that right?" Annika said, now also annoyed. With another deep breath, Annika sat back and brought her palms together, lacing her fingers.
"I am not comparing the two of you. Akio loves Eri, he always has."
"He told you this?" Sesshomaru said raising an eyebrow.
"Well, no, but all the signs are there. Put them in the same room together and just watch how he looks at her. It's right there."
"You're making an assumption."
How could Annika say such things with such confidence? Because of the way Akio looks at Eri? What did that mean? If she were wrong and tried to push them together it could cause much more harm then good.
"Sesshomaru, I know emotions, and things related are not your strong suit, but they are mine. I pride myself on it. Akio loves her, and a part of me thinks she loves him too."
"Then why would neither say so?" Sesshomaru ask still unconvinced.
"Becuase she has always been so wrapped up in you! She doesn't even love you! I'm sorry if that wounds your ego but she doesn't. She just thinks she does because of her parents brainwashing her into thinking that the best things for her are what they say they are."
Sesshomaru leaned onto the table and folded his hands together.
"Alright, Annika. Let's say you're correct. What then? What exactly is your plan?"
"Get them alone. As much as possible. Akio needs to admit it and Eri just needs to see it. If they can do that then maybe everyone can win."
"And if they don't?"
Annika gave him a small shrug. "Then everyone loses."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Hello, darling." Sesshomaru's mother greeted him as he sat at the dinner table. Sesshomaru said nothing as he sat down, only to look at the head of the table to see his fathers seat empty.
"Father busy again this evening?" Sesshomaru asked casually. He watched his mother pause for a small moment before continuing to eat.
"Yes, it appears that way. His duties lay far beyond our castle. Nothing to concern yourself with."
Sesshomaru nodded lightly as he began to eat as well. He wondered if his mother truly thought him foolish enough to not know where his father was. If she actually thought he could not smell the amount of human on him. Instead of stating the truth, Sesshomaru's mother did not just act as if nothing was wrong for her own sake but seemed to do so as if it was somehow protecting Sesshomaru from the reality. But as mother said, it was no concern of his.
Well, there is chapter 9, hope you all are doing well and hope to hear what you guys think thus far. I really am trying to make this story a kind of slow-burn type of thing, because I have a habit of rushing romantic relationships, and I see that in a lot of other stories and it kind of takes away from things sometimes. I hope it remains interesting to everyone regardless and hopefully soon we will start to see more romantic aspects of the story start to come in.
Till next time!
