Rice and sake
(I do not own any rights or have affiliation to Inuyasha, or its characters, that belongs to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.)
"I never once in 20 years ate with that woman, and its not going to happen now." Ryusei stubbornly said with her head held high.
"Don't know why you must try and make this difficult child..." Hideo started in on her.
The poor servant who delivered the news that their presence was requested by the Lord and Lady of the palace that night for dinner, was stuck witnessing the exchange while she waited for their response.
"She makes me damned uncomfortable Hideo, you know this... I'm not one for making nice small talk, and Lady Inu Kimi likes to take advantage of making me uncomfortable."
The servant intersected into the conversation at this time, "If I may be so bold, I believe the Lord and Lady mentioned discussing what to do about the East at the meal, and that your thoughts on the matter would be appreciated."
Hideo and Ryusei both stared at each other in surprise.
"Well, I guess let them know we'll be there." She told the servant. The girl stood and walked through the door back to the main house.
"This should be real interesting Hideo, the Lord and Lady of the house wants to know our opinion on the East. Puh, I do not know if this will be a turning point or disaster."
"Either way, what do you think we should tell them? All we know is that the Dragon youki has been gathering up Naraku's cast-offs and building their army, as well as now knowing how to bring down powerful Inu youki with this poison they created... We don't have much more to go on."
"I say we tell them what we know, choke down dinner, and come back. The faster I can avoid conflict with his mother, the better."
"Are you scared of her?"
"No, just annoyed. If I had done something to create this rift, I'd understand. But she seems to hate me for something I can't change..."
"Hhmm, best way to find out, is to ask."
- Later that night-
Hideo and his ward were walking towards the palace on a path leading through the gardens. The palace was lit up from the inside, the only noise to be heard were the cicadas singing their late summer song. It was only slightly cold when the breeze blew through their hair, their path illuminated from the full moon and cloudless sky. Ryusei had changed into a kimono that was borrowed from the main house, it had three layers. The first closest to her body was white, the second layer was yellow, and the outside had red cherry blossoms on pink back ground. Her kimono was tied with a yellow obi, she felt like a princess after years of being dressed for battle. Hideo had dressed in the dark blue kimono's that are known to be worn by scholars, his shoulder length dark hair tied at the back of his neck with a white strip of silk, neither one of them needing their usual armor within the palace walls.
"Try to stay calm Ryusei, you already know the Lady will try to bait you in front of Sesshomaru, so she may discredit you to him. I'm not suggesting you have no pride, just know she will try to stop you from being right about anything. That's the way females are at court, sweet smiles with blood dripping from their claws."
"Hn." Was her only response, her appetite had gone hours ago when the news of their impending shared meal reached her. She already knew she was fighting a losing battle, the Lady was Sesshomaru's mother after all. She had already resigned herself to not saying much at all, why open the gate for the snapping dogs to attack?
They walked through a bamboo door situated in between two Inu youki keeping guard, removing their sandals at the inner door, then followed a hallway that led to the dining room. Along the way there were servants busy with their nightly chores, hauling fresh linen and towels into various rooms, others with lists surveying the contents of closets. Soft laughter floated into the end of the hallway as they approached a large, well lit room, with a large square table in the middle. The table had thin bleached bamboo white mats set upon it, four to be exact. Inu Kimi and Sesshomaru were already seated, with the Lady seeming to be making most of the conversation. As they entered, the lady in question narrowed her eyes and smiled at Ryusei, while Sesshomaru had a face seemingly made out of granite, with eyes that followed her while she moved. Hideo and his ward made shallow bows as Ryusei sat to the Lord's left, with Hideo across from her, to the Lady's right.
"Now that you have decided to show, we may feast!" Inu Kimi stated while clapping her hands. Servants came from two separate doorways behind the table, laying out bowls of rice and chicken, as well as sake. The smell made Ryusei nauseous. The meal looked wonderful, the company, not so much.
"So when did you decide to make your way down from the wolf dens up North Ryusei? I would think you would still be up there, knowing that that's where you were sent so many years ago..." The lady said with a smile.
"Like you stated, My Lady, that was many years ago. I was asked to train and gain knowledge of my skills while in the North. I have done so, and decided to make it back around to my home, where I found nothing but trouble." Ryusei smiled back.
Hideo choked on his rice. Ryusei looked to him, then down at her plate. Damn it, she already took some of the lady's bait, and hadn't even started eating her rice yet...
"How unfortunate, Ryusei, were I to have been told you had planned on coming back, I would have made it more pleasant for you." The woman smirked at her. She knew what the Lady implied, but Ryusei just took a bite of her chicken and stayed silent.
"My Lord," Hideo turned and said to Sesshomaru, "what is it you would like to know from My ward and myself."
"Why were you sent to the North, Ryusei." Sesshomaru turned to her and asked.
Ryusei's head shot up from her plate, he had never addressed her by her name without anger until that point, it was pleasant she'd have to admit.
"Because she is human and weak, the Inu no Taishou had no use for her here during the war." Inu Kimi answered, "she was only a hindrance."
"I guess you're partly right, My Lady, though wrong at the same time, " Ryusei turned to Sesshomaru, "Lord Toga did not want me here if the war against the East got out of hand, and wound up near the palace. It was my 20th birthday when he sent me away, after giving me my sword that I carry to this day, made by Totosai. He told me his reason, which was for my better good with the little training I had at the time, and sent me off to grow. He had trained me up until then, but it wasn't enough at the time. I have since come into my own, and can now defend what I love, and so headed back home."
Sesshomaru gave thought to this as he studied her, and it made him think of what he had to do with Rin. He loved her as if she was his own, but had made her stay with humans to learn more on how they live, as well as keep her out of harms way while everything settled down with the rest of Naraku's pests. He understood why his father did what he did, as well as why his mother was stinging Ryusei like a wasp. Toga loved his ward, like Sesshomaru loved Rin. Ryusei was half human, which would lead his mother to think she helped in Toga's affinity towards humans, which helped in the creation of his Hanyou brother. His mother had a right to be upset about the situation, but she took it out on the wrong individual.
"Hn. What have you run into while I was away?"
