Things in this story such as the castle and the way they prepare baths are probably not historically accurate for the 1500's b

Things in this story such as the castle and the way they prepare baths are probably not historically accurate for the 1500's but it was easier to write it this way.

Kagura's eyes went wide as the castle came into view. It was amazing, with stonewalls towering above them. She stared in awe as she walked behind Sesshomaru. He pulled open the doors and handmaids, servants, and ladies in waiting approached them. "Lord Sesshomaru you have returned." One said bowing deeply to him. "Can I prepare you and your wards a meal?" she asked. "Yes, and please prepare baths for myself and the others." Sesshomaru said continuing on up a grand staircase.

Maidservants went in all different directions. "Miss." One said. In the shock of it all Kagura wasn't listening. "Miss." A hand maiden said again. "Oh, yes?" Kagura asked. "Could you come with me as I prepare you a bath?" she asked sweetly. "Sure." Kagura said. "How do you keep from getting lost in here?" she asked as they walked down a long corridor. "I have worked for Lord Sesshomaru's family for many years; I have the palace memorized by heart." She said with a soft smile.

They came to a screen and the woman opened it bowing as Kagura passed through. There was a large tub on golden legs and a pump on the wall. "The water comes from a natural hot spring so it is always warm." Said the lady beginning to pump the water. Steam soon filled the room. "What is your name?" Kagura asked standing awkwardly in a corner as the woman pumped water into the tub. "Akura." She said rolling up her sleeves as they slid down her arms into the water. "The water is ready Miss." Akura said standing. "Call me Kagura." She said nodding to her. "Now let me take your old clothes and I shall leave you in peace, when you are finished, ring this bell." Akura said turning Kagura and undoing her obi quickly. "Sesshomaru must have it very good with these servants waiting on him hand and foot." Kagura thought. The woman put the layers of her kimono into a wicker basket, and when she came to the last layer her eyes widened in shock at the two distinctive puncture marks in the junction of her shoulder and collar bone. She picked up the wicker basket, took another bow and quickly left the room; surely to spread the word that Lord Sesshomaru had taken a mate.

Kagura sighed, the water felt wonderful. Every muscle in her body relaxed and she sat limply in the therapeutic waters. Her aching feet and back were now soothed. A floor above her Sesshomaru also sat calmly in a bath processing his thoughts. But they all had seemed to have fled his mind. He had not been able to relax like this in ages. Kagura sighed again washing herself with the perfumed bars of soap and shampoo provided. She traced invisible circles in the water sending ripples through the water. What would they do now that Naraku was dead? She didn't really care right now. She climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself and then realized she was supposed to ring the bell.

She did and two maidservants came to her immediately one holding a long comb and the other a white robe. Akura was the one holding the robe. She quickly pulled it over her shoulders. "Sit, Lady Kagura." She said pulling up a stool near a beautiful vanity. The mirror was rimmed with gold etching and had clawed golden feet like the bath. The two maids patted her hair dry and ran the smooth ebony locks through the carved wooden comb. Soon her hair was woven into a simple bun atop her head. The servant whose name she didn't know held the door for her as they walked down another hall. Akura provided her with cloth white slippers; she said it was improper for a lady of her status to not wear shoes. Frankly they were really comfortable and soft, but she didn't see what the big deal was if her feet were bare. They led her to another room with another vanity, a wardrobe and a velvet chase lounge of a deep plum. "Come, milady." The unfamiliar one said pulling open the wardrobe. There were many different kimonos all of many layers of fine silk or satin. "Choose your pick." Akura said smiling sweetly at her. Kagura chose a sage green one with five layers and intricate designs of darker green blossoms. The inner layer plain white, the others were black, a darker green, and a pale yellow. It took awhile to tie each one into place, and finally it was tied with a black obi. Her fan was tucked gently inside and her feathers adorned her hair as they always did. Another servant popped her head inside the door. "Lady Kagura, dinner is served." She said before quickly leaving.

The dinning hall was magnificent. The table was set for four, silk cushions at each place setting. Delicious food adorned the table like sweet biscuits, rice, sake, shrimp, lobsters, fresh breads, and raw meat obviously for Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru and his wards entered the room. They all looked fresh and clean. Rin wearing a blue yukata with a red obi, Jaken wearing what appeared to be the same attire only in a different color, and Sesshomaru, wore no armor or his swords, only his pants and flowing hakama which was belted with a red sash matching the honeycomb family crests of his kimono. They all sat down and began to eat. She had never seen Sesshomaru eat like this; He cut the meat gracefully with his claws and brought a piece to his mouth. "Am I supposed to do that?" she wondered. She skewered a shrimp with one of her claws and brought it to her mouth. It wasn't as difficult as it looked.

For the rice she did use chopsticks though, it would have been difficult to use her claws for that. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked from across the table. "Yes?" he replied. "May I go see Ah-Uhn after dinner at the stables?" she asked. "Yes, but then get to bed." He said taking a sip of his sake. "Yes my Lord." She said smiling. Soon dinner was finished and the plates were cleared away. Lord Sesshomaru rose from his seat and the others did as well. Jaken went in one direction, Rin in another, and she just kind of stood there not knowing quite where she was supposed to be.

"You follow me; I will show you our bedroom." He said taking her arm and soon they reached the top of the staircase. They continued down the long hall and turned left and they came to a large set of mahogany doors. He pushed them open; at least a hundred candles were glowing softly throughout the room. There was a huge bed at least ten feet long and ten feet wide. The linens were woven of fine silk, pillows stuffed with feathers. The headboard was carved intricately from ebony. Her mouth was agape. It was absolutely beautiful. Sesshomaru pulled sleeping robes from a drawer and began to undress. "Where are my sleeping robes?" she asked facing away from him, blushing a bit. "My clothes are on this side of the room, yours are on that side." He ran a comb through his silken hair and crawled into the large bed. He watched her as she changed into her blue robes. She could feel his eyes watching her. She undid her hair and it tumbled to her waist, still a bit damp from her bath. She hung her kimono over a chair and crawled into bed as well. The candles flickered dramatically throughout the room. He took in the scent of her hair and pulled the fabric of her kimono down to her shoulder, He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck. She smiled and chuckled a bit. "Is he always in the mood?" she wondered. "To celebrate our union, to celebrate the death of Naraku, and to celebrate passion itself." He whispered to her. She sighed as he kissed farther down her spine, taking his time and eliciting shivers that rippled down her vertebrae. She rolled over to face him her eyes sparkling with joy. "To celebrate our union, to celebrate Naraku's death, and to celebrate passion itself." She repeated, her hand tracing the scarlet markings on his face with a clawed finger. She leaned forward and kissed him gently losing her way in all of it, the pleasure, the excitement, and the happiness.

Kagura awoke the next morning to sunlight filtering through the curtains in their room. She stretched and stood. She didn't really know where to go, so she put on a Terri cloth robe and began to wander throughout the castle. "Sesshomaru?" she called. The first door she came to was unlocked. She knocked softly. "Sesshomaru?" she called again. Kagura turned the knob and the door creaked open. Inside was what looked to be a baby's room. It was filled with dust and cobwebs that looked many years old. She stepped inside; small plumes of dust filled the air from every step she took on the old white rug. There was a white bassinet, white dressers, and shelves of old toys and books. There was one that stood out particularly; it was bound with black leather, and a ribbon for a bookmark.

She picked up the old book and wiped off the dust. It was a journal. She opened where the bookmark had kept its place. It was the last page to be written in. She began to read. The last entry wasn't really an entry, it was a letter.

"Dearest Inu no Tashio,

By the time you have read this I will have gone. I am sorry to leave you and young Sesshomaru like this. But this union was not of love; it was as you know arranged. I was betrothed to you before I was even born. I'm not happy here with you. I bore you a child, an heir. Just as our parents wished, and that is all that they required of us. I have left for the one I truly do love. Sesshomaru will not remember me, by the time he is old enough to read. I simply want him to know that I do love him, and he is not the reason why I leave. Goodbye Inu No Tashio.

"Kagura." Said a sharp voice. It snapped her quickly out of her entrancement. "Sesshomaru, I was looking for you." She said still holding the black book. He took it from her hands and snapped it shut. "I'm sorry." She said quickly. "Do not be, you didn't know any better." He said leading her out of the room. "It is time for breakfast, Kakashi and Akura will help you dress." He said. Akura and Kakashi quickly appeared in the hallway. "Come this way miss." They said guiding her down a flight of stairs.

Sesshomaru let out a heavy sigh. That book was what brought him pain and bother. And now that Kagura had read it, she knew why he was so reserved, quite and stoic. His mother had left him but days after birth, abandoning him, leaving him to be raised by maids and servants. He was so bitter and angry with her. It deeply worried him that Kagura would leave him as well.

A floor beneath Sesshomaru's study Kagura blushed red as her handmaids stripped her of her robe and began to wrap her in silk. She knew they had seen the evidence of their lovemaking, the bites and the marks on her throat and chest. Soon she wore seven layers of fine silk and satin. The two maids pulled the obi tightly around her waist until she had slight difficulty breathing. She wore woven slippers. Another maid wrapped her hair tightly around a long wooden comb and clipped it in place. She wasn't very comfortable. "Do I really have to wear all this today?" she asked. "No, no, not at all." They said. She sighed as best she could in relief. "You change for every meal and tea ceremony." They said to her. She gaped at them in horror. "You mean I have to take this all off and put more on four times a day?" she asked. "Were sorry miss, it is tradition." They said. "Now can we take you down to breakfast?" Kakashi asked. Kagura nodded.

The table was set much like it was the night before. Four place settings and cushions at each one. Today the table was adorned with sweet teas, fruits, nuts, and fresh berries, milk, and juices. "Good morning Lady Kagura." Rin said sitting down at the table. "You look really beautiful." She said squirming a bit in her seat. Sesshomaru entered the room, today he wore a simple white robe and black pants much like the ones he typically wore. Jaken was especially talkative this morning. Kagura tuned him out as she ate. She was thinking about that book and the way Sesshomaru had reacted. "So that was his nursery." She thought. I wonder what else lies about in this house?" she wondered. "I will have to do some exploring." She thought to herself tapping her chopstick to her plate.

Soon breakfast was eaten and Kagura ready to go exploring was escorted in a different direction. "Come Lady Kagura, it is time for you to get ready for tea ceremony."Kakashi said. "You do know what tea ceremony is right?" A shorter girl asked walking beside her. "Um…" she said confused. "Well, no not exactly." Kagura said as they led her down another hall. "Yuki, she will learn soon enough, with you fetch us lavender oil, aloe Vera, and fresh blossoms?" one of the older women asked. "Yes lady Okitokie." Yuki and she rushed down another corridor. They brought Kagura to the bathroom she had been in the night before. One woman ran water, another picked through the armor, and another began undoing the seven layers of her kimono. The youngest servant, Yuki returned with the goods her senior maid had asked for. She poured the oil into the bath and laid the blossoms on a wooden counter. Kagura stepped into the tub and melted into the water.

She must have fallen asleep as they washed her hair with the aloe, filed her claws, buffed them to a shine, dried her hair, wound it around a wooden comb, wove the blossoms into her hair, and rubbed lotion into her hands and feet. They woke her gently and pulled her from the tub. Kagura wobbled a bit still half asleep. They dried her and brought out her terry cloth robe. "Sit lady Kagura." Said Okitokie. They powdered her face white, with talc, darkened her lashes with charcoal, and stained her lips with rouge. She looked up into a mirror, she didn't even recognize herself.

The youngest servant yuki returned with woven bamboo soles and silk ties. "Hold out your foot Lady Kagura." She said looking up from her spot kneeling on the floor. She held out her foot and the girl strapped the sandals to her feet. She stood and stretched. Then she remembered how restricted her range of motion was. "Come miss to the tea gazebo." Said the senior maid servant Okitokie. They padded down the hall in a little triage. The maids navigated their way through the maze with ease turning left then right then right again. They came to beautiful French doors leading out into a garden. Sun filtered lazily through reflecting off the many koi ponds.

Trumpet vine and morning glory wound its way up a wooden trellis along one side of the stone walls. Paths were laid with cobble stone and lined with bleeding hearts, fox glove, roses, daisies, posies, nesternum, petunias, and other plants she didn't know the names of. At the very end of the path there was a cedar gazebo with ceramic roof tiles. ""There is where we will practice." Said Yuki. Kagura knew much of making tea, when she served Naraku she would make him tea every evening. But in fear of being poisoned she was told to sip it before giving it to him. One time she did try to slip him a neurological poison that would paralyze him and destroy his senses. She pretended to take a swig of the concoction and set it in front of him. "Kagura." He said pushing the tea away from him. "I have changed my mind, I will have none tonight." He said smiling at her. She cursed to herself. "Will you finish it for me?" he asked with a hint of a smirk at his lips.

"Oh, no thank you." She said rising from her seat. "Kagura, drink it." He said coldly. He was smiling now, he knew. She knew not what to do. She tried to knock over the glass but Naraku held it fast. Drink it or else." He warned smugly. She took a dainty sip and set it back down on the table. "All of it." He ordered. She began to cry as she picked up the cup and finished it in one gulp. She sat there for a moment, and began to feel dizzy and feverish. The room began to spin. She fell to the floor pupils dilated wide spitting up vomit. Strange shapes and colors streamed in her vision. Soon she couldn't move and her vision was fading. Naraku sat calmly watching her sweat and suffer upon the floor. All went black but her eyes remained open. "Kanna." Said Naraku "Take care of this mess." And with that he left the room.

"Miss Kagura, are you alright?" Okitokie asked. She had zoned off remembering the bitter memories. She lay bedridden for weeks as her sister sweat the poison from her skin with poultices and herbs. "Oh, I'm fine she said sitting in one of the wicker chairs. Without being told, she measured out the loose tea with the scoop and poured it into the pot. She added the hot water and began to whisk it together. She poured it into the cups and set them around the table. "I thought you didn't know anything about tea ceremony?" said Yuki. "You did it perfectly." She said smiling wide. "I didn't know it had a name, or that it was a ceremony." She said a little embarrassed. "I guess we have time before lunch, you're free to do as you please." Said Okitokie, obviously impressed.

She re-traced her steps back to the vanity room and changed into a simple yukata; she wore no shoes or make-up and began to tread through the halls. She came to a hall with so many doors all heavy set and intricately carved. She came to the first one and pushed it open. It was a library, shelves and shelves filled with old leather bound books ran along the walls. Two high backed chairs sat in front of an empty hearth. She didn't know where to start. Some were in languages she had no idea how to read; others were atlases and old records. She browsed through more and more and actually was very interested in. A sketch fell out of one. It was a picture of a great demon who resembled Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, was this the Inu no Tashio she had read about or was this a Grand Father or an uncle? She wondered. The paper was yellowed and slightly torn. She tucked it into the folds of her kimono and went on. Next was a book bound in reddish leather? She cracked it open and it turned out to be a book of sutras. She let out a yelp as it burned her hand and left a portion of it charred black. "Aghh." She winced holding it close. It continued to burn even after contact had ended seconds ago. She cradled it as it bled softly. A single drop of blood hit the white carpet.

Three floors below Sesshomaru's nose twitched. He could sense she was in pain and he could smell her blood. Even this sent his senses to a haze as he hastily flew up the stairs. The bond to his demoness mate was so strong even if she was afflicted with something as minor as a paper cut would get his attention. He came to the floor she was on and scanned the halls. She was at the very end in the library. In a single jump her stood in the door way. She sat upon the large armchairs clutching her wrist. She had torn her yukata and wrapped it around her hand; blood soaked through and was dripping onto her lap.

He looked at her hand and then to the book of sutras. "Come, I shall take you to the infirmary." He said taking her un-afflicted hand and led her down the stairs and to a room with row of cots. "What would he need all of these beds and medicines for?" she though as he settled her onto one of the immaculate white cots. A human woman came into the room carrying a black leather bag. "A human!?" she thought. "Sesshomaru hates humans, why would he hire her?" she pondered. The girl gasped. "What a horrible sutra burn, what was it that you touched?" She asked un-wrapping the cloth she had bound the injury with. "It was a book of sutras; I don't know what it was exactly." Kagura said.

The nurse unwrapped her hand and filled a bowl with water and added a clear solution."Here, rest your hand in the basin." She said. Kagura did so and quickly drew her hand away from the sting and shot a nasty look at the woman. "It's just water and antiseptic." She said. Kagura sighed and slowly placed her hand back into the bowl. "May I take your vitals; it was a rather bad burn?"She asked taking out a stethoscope. Kagura nodded. She placed the cold instrument beneath her kimono. "Will you take a deep breath?" Kagura inhaled deeply and then let it go. "Could you take another?" the nurse asked. Kagura did.

The doctor wrinkled her forehead. "This is going to sound strange, but will you remove your robe?" Kagura looked at her strangely but untied her yukata and held it at her hips. The woman placed the cold instrument on her navel. The woman stood and motioned for Kagura to pull up her shirt. "Have you been having sex recently?"She asked. "What does that have to do with a sutra burn?" Kagura asked looking rather shocked. "Have you or haven't you?" she asked. "Yes…I have." She said awkwardly. The doctor sighed. "Lady Kagura, you're pregnant."