Chapter Ten – Complicated

It took Kagome a few moments to realize that all of the noise wasn't made in outrage, but in surprise and jubilation. There were smiles on every face, and she didn't try to fight back the blush as the three cardinal lords stood, bowing to her as she made the gesture.

When she straightened, she saw that one youkai had separated himself from the rest and was approaching the dais, a wide smile stretching across his face. He had a strong jawline and a broad chest, almost resembling the body builders from her time. He bowed deeply, and as he resumed an upright position, Kagome finally realized who he was; Takuma, the uncle who'd murdered her father.

Had she been alone with him, and had Sesshomaru not been standing next to her, she was positive that she would've launched herself at him, fangs bared and murder on her mind. However, since she wasn't alone, and since Sesshomaru was standing beside her, she resisted the urge, forcing every muscle in her body to go relax as the inu opened his mouth to speak.

"It seems the gods have smiled down on us at last!" he exclaimed.

Kagome forced her ire to the back of her mind, remembering that she had a reputation to build. Methodically counting to ten over and over again, she smiled gently. "So it seems, oji-san. It is good to finally meet you."

The flash of mirth in his dark eyes told her that he heard the hint of sarcasm, and he responded in kind. "Indeed, Kagome."

Sesshomaru stepped down from the dais, reaching up to take Kagome's hand as he walked her along the dais to a small ramp, carefully keeping her fingers in his. She glanced up at him and saw approval in his eyes—instantly, her stomach filled with butterflies, and she momentarily forgot about her uncle as the silver inu lowered his mouth to her ear. "Very good. Remember what this Sesshomaru told you."

She nodded, recalling the words he'd spoken to her just that morning—as far as the Eastern lord knew, her parents had been murdered by rogue youkai and she had never been found. The Northern lord, who was the only one besides Sesshomaru who knew the true story, had agreed to pretend that he believed Takuma's farce. To make matters worse, the letter that Takuma had sent out went into great detail about how he had received word from Sesshomaru that Kagome was alive and well—the traitor had neatly tied their hands behind their backs, and they could do nothing. At least not yet.

Pulling her thoughts back to a less angering topic, Kagome smiled as though Sesshomaru had whispered something amusing into her ear, bowing lightly to her uncle as he fell into step on her other side, his youki snapping lightly against her wrist.

Sesshomaru went to the head of the long table, and after she'd knelt carefully on the cushion to his right, he nodded to the servants, who immediately filed out of the room and came back with large trays laden with fresh fruits.

While they set the trays down, Kagome turned her head and murmured over the noise. "Zenzo, where are the children?"

Seated behind her and slightly to her right, Zenzo responded, "In the gardens, playing with the others."

She nodded. "Tell them to stay away from him."

"Your will, my lady." He was gone instantly, and as he left, Ryouichi rose into his place, youki carefully subdued. She wanted to speak with him, but refrained, remembering that he didn't exist as her brother, but as her bodyguard. As the servants finished setting down trays and dishing out portions of fruit onto each plate, Kagome looked around the table, mentally taking note of who everyone was.

Seated to Sesshomaru's left was the Northern lord, Reiku. He was a regal looking neko youkai, with sharp yellow eyes, a thin mouth, and chocolate brown hair that fell to the floor in a straight mass. Beside him, his mate, who was also his advisor, smiled at her, and Kagome smiled back, somewhat shocked at the youkai's quiet beauty—she seemed plain, with brown hair and eyes, but there was an air of natural grace about her that set her apart.

Next came the Eastern lord, and Kagome noted with amusement that he was rather nervous even for a rat youkai, with beady black eyes and fidgeting hands; by contrast, his mate, who was, shockingly enough, an eagle youkai, was calm to the extreme, neither smiling nor speaking as she serenely looked around the room. Their eyes met, and Kagome felt an admirable amount of restraint in her gaze. She skipped over the numerous advisors and guards Haku had brought with him, finding it a little odd that he'd felt the need for so many. 'Does he think that he needs protection from Sesshomaru? Or from Takuma, for that matter?'

She looked to her murderous uncle, who was smiling and laughing with his own mate, an equally deceitful looking blonde inu, who turned her nose up slightly as she caught Kagome looking at her. Refraining from snapping at the obviously obnoxious female, Kagome met the eyes of her friends, who had carefully placed themselves between her and her uncle so that Sango was seated immediately to her right and Inuyasha right beside Takuma, Miroku calmly in the center.

Faintly registering the return of Zenzo's lucid youki as Sesshomaru held his cup up in a bid for silence, Kagome smiled lightly at her hanyou friend as the light chatter ceased; he returned it with a small grin, one of his clawed hands resting lightly on Tetsusaiga's hilt. Rolling her eyes at his brash nature, she took a deep breath as Sesshomaru spoke. "It is with honor that we gather here today, and it is with honor that we will abide by the laws set by our ancestors. Eat, and be merry."

Everyone raised a cup in acknowledgement of his words, and after he'd taken his first bite, the rest of them dug in, praises ringing out at the freshness of the fruit. Discreetly, Sesshomaru knocked a piece of fruit from Kagome's plate as he reached for the tea decanter; Ryouichi reached around her and took it from her lap, eating it and waiting a few moments before grunting. "It is safe."

Murmuring her thanks, Kagome daintily picked at her fruit, finding that concentrating on the food helped to calm her rattled nerves somewhat; at least until the Northern lord spoke.

"Forgive me, Lady Kagome," he said, his voice pitched at a pleasant tenor rumble, "but I know that I am not the only one who is curious as to where you've been all this time."

Kagome cleared her throat. Seeing a careful warning in Reiku's eyes and taking it for what it was, she chose her words with care. "I've spent my years as a human, my lord," she responded, waiting until the murmurs of surprise died down before she continued. "When the coup of my father's lands occurred, my mother managed to send me away, to a human miko who hid my youki and raised me as a human priestess." She took a sip of cool tea. "I lived in the village of Edo for a time, until I…erm…shattered the Shikon no Tama."

She'd purposefully mumbled the last part, but it seemed that everyone had heard her—a shocked gasp rang in the room. Smiling shyly, Kagome cleared her throat and tried not to fidget as Jun, Reiku's mate, fixed her with a wide-eyed, disbelieving stare. "You were the Shikon miko?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. I traveled with my friends," she smiled in their direction, "to collect the shards and put it back together. In the process, and with my lord's help," a respectful nod went to Sesshomaru, "we defeated Naraku."

"But I heard that the jewel was shattered a second time," the Eastern lord piped.

Fighting back a wince as his voice—he sounded alarmingly similar to Jaken—Kagome nodded. "We were collecting the shards again when I learned of my heritage."

"And what of the jewel, my lady? Will you still be able to put it back together?"

Reiku's question made her frown. In all honesty, she had completely forgotten about the bauble in the midst of her transformation and subsequent crash course in etiquette and youkai law, and the fact that she was no longer a miko hadn't truly registered in her mind in regards to the Shikon. She looked to Inuyasha, who was also frowning.

"Kagome, I don't think it would matter," Miroku murmured, bringing the full attention of the Council to him. Unperturbed by the scrutiny, the monk went on in his usual wise manner. "You told us that the Shikon had been inside of you, which means that you had to have been born with it, correct?"

Catching on to his train of thought, Kagome grinned. "Which means that it's already tied to my youki, not to the reiki I had keeping me human." As she spoke, she reached for the necklace she'd kept the shards in, noticing for the first time that the shards still pulsed lightly as she held the small jar in her hand. "I can still feel them," she murmured, not missing the flash in her uncle's eyes as she looked up. Tucking the jar back beneath her kimono, she mentally pictured a swath of heavy silk wrapping around the container, successfully hiding the aura and gentle pulse of the shards. Her uncle's youki snapped at her, just briefly, and her beast momentarily jumped at the threat.

She pushed away the growl that wanted to build in her throat and she tore her gaze away from Takuma, looking at Sesshomaru as he spoke. "The hunt for the final shards shall resume when possible," he said, the tone of his voice brooking no argument. Kagome, who was fine with having a break from trekking across the country, fought back the urge to snicker as Inuyasha immediately sat taller, opening his mouth to argue. "This Sesshomaru's word is final, half-breed," Sesshomaru stated before he could speak. Growling, Inuyasha clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, making a wise decision for once and choosing not to respond.

The conversation turned into light chat as they finished their late breakfast, and Kagome found that being in the same room with her uncle was beginning to wear down on her nerves. The large space felt as though it has shrunk three sizes, and she felt hot and aggravated, annoyed that she had to play polite with the man who had killed her parents. Though she tried to hold out until Sesshomaru made the suggestion to take the gathering outdoors—he had told her earlier that he would do so—she was getting impatient, and it only took one more giggling fit from the blonde Lady Furi, her uncle's mate, to push her past her limit.

Casually, demurely, she laid a hand atop the one Sesshomaru had in plain sight of their guests, and internally jumped for joy as he took the touch for what it was—a sign of her nonexistent patience. His fingers twitched slightly beneath her own, and though she'd initiated the touch, none seemed to slight her for it; instead, they nodded genially as Sesshomaru suggested they take their meeting outdoors.

As everyone stood, Kagome hung back, smiling as they filed out of the room ahead of her—just as the last guard left, Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. A hand on her shoulder and the warm embrace of Ryouichi's youki helped to lessen the tension she could feel building up in her shoulders.

"If you wish it, you may retire to your rooms," Sesshomaru said, voice pitched so lowly that she was sure she wouldn't have heard him as a human.

She shook her head. "I'm not going to run away from this," she replied just as quietly, lifting a hand to lay it against her brother's fingers. "We aren't going to run away from this." She paused, and didn't try to hold back the angered growl that rose in her chest. "No matter how much I want to rip out his throat."

Her words earned her a sound of approval from Ryouichi, whose aura danced and twisted with a feral delight at the prospect. "I would gladly kill him, dearest sister, and deal with the consequences."

"You'd hafta let me get a few hits in," Inuyasha added gruffly.

"Me too," Sango murmured.

"And I as well," Miroku interjected, voice dark. "His lack of honor is revolting."

Ryouichi chuckled, and released Kagome's shoulder to take a few steps in the direction of the door. Kagome had the distinct feeling that, if she gave him the go, he would be off down the hall like a bullet; there was an urgent tension in his posture, and a feeling of deep longing in his aura—a longing for their uncle's blood.

"No, not yet."

He turned, looked at her, and his dark eyes were bright with intensity. "I can do it," he whispered. "I've refrained this past century only because you were not here, but you have only to command it, and I will avenge our mother, our father, our lands." He clenched a fist. "I can do it," he repeated.

For a long moment, Kagome considered it. She really did. It would be so easy, after all. She wouldn't have to play nice, wouldn't have to keep up with stories and lies, and wouldn't have to figure out how to gently usurp her uncle without killing him. Why not let Ryouichi have his way? Why not allow him the pleasure of spilling Takuma's blood, of ridding the world of his nauseating existence?

'Because that's the easy way out. Besides, you would have a lot more to deal with afterward.'

Right then, Kagome decided that she hated her conscious.

Sighing heavily, she shook her head, watching as the light in Ryouichi's eyes faded. "We can't do that. We have to be sure that the lands are behind me first." It was a political move, being sure that the people her father had ruled were on her side. For all she knew—and it actually seemed to be the case—the people of the South were prosperous and wanted for nothing; her uncle did all of his dirty dealings under the table and in the shadows where none could see. Their best option was to bring him down by pulling all of his scheming into the light; it would take longer than outright murder, but would go smoother in the end.

Having come to the same conclusion, Ryouichi pursed his lips in resignation and nodded tautly, clenching and unclenching a clawed hand. "As you wish."

Taking another moment to calm herself, seeing as her thoughts and her brother's reaction had riled her up once more, Kagome smiled, looking up to see respect hidden in the depths of Sesshomaru's eyes. She felt her face flush but didn't look away, almost mesmerized by the burnished amber of his gaze.

"This Sesshomaru shall announce the betrothal in the gardens," he murmured after a moment. She nodded, remembering that his father hadn't the time to announce it before his untimely death.

Ryouichi returned to his place in her shadow, and the rest of their group walked quietly behind them as they strolled at a leisurely pace toward the gardens. Kagome took a deep breath as they neared the place where everyone was gathered, a servant having directed them to a vine covered pavilion at Sesshomaru's earlier command.

Sitting on the cushions that had been prepared for them, Kagome placed herself a little closer to Sesshomaru than she had been in the audience room. Carefully pulling and shaping her youki until it entwined with his, she sat silently as he'd instructed during his short debriefing from that morning. Though the two forces battled for dominance momentarily—and most of it was show to catch their guests' attention—Kagome soon submitted, calming her youki until Sesshomaru's easily overpowered it.

Though their display, by youkai standards, announced their status toward each other, Sesshomaru made it a point to speak clearly so that there would be no confusion. "It is this Sesshomaru's honor to announce his betrothal to the Lady Kagome, as directed by the late Inu no Taisho and the late Lord Shinosamu."

The applause was soft and respectful, and Kagome was forced to smile at every face, including the partially sour one of her uncle. Pleased, on some twisted level, at the stick they had thrown into the disgraceful inu's spokes, Kagome allowed herself a brief, triumphant grin in his direction. His eyes darkened momentarily, and then he smiled back, laying a hand at the small of his mate's back and plastering a mask of relational joy on his face.

His phony attitude irked her to no end, but she gritted her teeth, turned her attention away, and vowed that she would make it through the rest of the meeting.

It was midnight when Sesshomaru approached her, and she turned to him before he stepped up beside her on one of his vast garden's many bridges. He wore a plain evening kimono, the silk dyed a rich, forest green and his obi in the same shade; the color made his eyes and hair stand out almost sharply in the moonlight, his hair lit to quicksilver glory.

"This Sesshomaru would like a word with you," he said quietly, never taking his gaze from her even after she'd looked away. She nodded, and he continued in the same soft tone. "The Council meetings will begin full-swing on the morrow. If you wish to participate, I can have a servant sent to you in the morning."

"Would it be beneficial for me to be there?"

For a moment, the inu was silent, and she glanced up at him to find his eyes watching the flowing water beneath them, reflected moonlight dancing across the pale skin of his face. "If you are to begin the process of ousting Takuma, then yes. It is important that you see how things are run."

Kagome sighed. She had been eager to spend a little time with Shippo, since her studying had kept her too busy to ask him how his lessons with Zenzo had been going; the elder kitsune had filled her in briefly on their sessions, but she wanted to hear about Shippo's experiences from him. She supposed she could do it some other time.

"There is another thing I must bring to your attention," the inu said, bringing her out of her thoughts. She focused on him, and he turned to face her fully, his eyes taking on an intense light. "This one has already explained that there shall be a courting period in which you are free to decline the betrothal." She nodded. "And since the wish of our fathers has been announced, it is imperative that I place the courting marks."

She felt her face twist in confusion. "Courting marks?"

He slowly reached across the space between them and took her right hand in his own, turning her arm until he could see the pale underside of her wrist. "They are simple marks, placed here." He traced the skin of her wrist, and then touched behind her left ear. "And here."

"How does it work?" she asked, almost a little unnerved at the sensations that sparked from where his warm fingers touched against her skin.

"A small bit of my youki will be pressed into your skin, and it will take shape of the emblem of the Western House, emitting a pulse that will warn others away from you."

For a moment, Kagome nibbled at her bottom lip, and then nodded, giving her consent.

Sesshomaru's pleased growl met her ears as a velvet rumble, and she suppressed a shudder, watching aptly as he lowered his head over her wrist. A few strands of his hair fell over his shoulder, and she nearly pulled away as he slowly ran his tongue against her skin. She heard a low noise come from his chest, and then he planted a lingering, open mouthed kiss against her wrist, sending shivers up and down her spine.

Her skin began to tingle the longer his mouth remained on her, and by the time he pulled away, she felt almost as if her hand had fallen asleep. Resisting the urge to shake it, she blinked slowly, more interested than she would care to admit. Sesshomaru hovered over her wrist, and then, lips parted, sighed heavily, his breath chasing away the pins and needles and sending gentle waves of pleasure all the way to her toes. Some part of her brain short-circuited, and a heady fog settled over her.

She barely noticed when he pulled her closer, using the wrist he still held in his hand to tug her forward until he could wrap his other arm around her waist. He pulled her closer still, gently hoisting her up until not even her toes touched the ground. Her misty mind marveled that he seemed to complete the task with no strain whatsoever, and before she could think any more on the fact that their bodies were pressed so intimately together, his mouth was at her ear.

"Submit to me, Kagome," he whispered, baritone voice doing odd things to her body. "Submit to your alpha."

She tilted her head, registered the pleased growl that vibrated against her chest, and then nearly groaned in pleasure as his tongue touched the sensitive skin behind her ear. Her free hand twitched at her side, but although the muscle movement registered in the back of her mind, she couldn't seem to do anything more but absently wonder if a tongue was supposed to feel so good, or if lips were supposed to be so hot.

The tingling came as expected, and this time spread all the way to her toes. Her wrist seemed numb, but the rest of her was on fire, burning with desire for the daiyoukai whose mouth was wreaking such exquisite havoc on her system. There was a coil winding in her belly, spurred on by the dark, seductive caress of his youki against her and the rumbling growl she could feel vibrating against her chest.

She was almost there, positive that the coil was going to snap at any moment, when nearly all contact suddenly stopped. The fog cleared from her mind, but the clenching in her lower stomach didn't cease. It took her a moment to realize that although Sesshomaru still held her tightly to him, his lips no longer touched against her skin, but were rather pressed at her temple, his breathing slightly harsh. After a moment, he released her, but didn't look at her as she clutched the railing behind her, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Sessho—"

"Leave me, Kagome." His voice was gentle, and she was positive that had she still been human, she wouldn't have heard him.

"Wha—"

"Go, before I take you here."

Suddenly, she realized that while she had been lost in her own world, Sesshomaru had been entering one of his own; she could faintly recall the feel of his length pressed against her thigh, hard and hot. A fierce blush exploded across her face, and she mumbled something that even she didn't understand, darting around him as quickly as her kimono would allow.

Only when she was safely in her rooms did she realize what he'd said, and she groaned at the complications her life had suddenly adopted.

"Well. That was certainly…interesting." Ryouichi held up his hands as she whirled on him, startled. "I didn't watch," he mended at the look she felt flit across her face. "I felt it in your aura."

She sighed heavily, taking care not to lean back on her shoji screen as she slumped in defeat and embarrassment. "I can't believe that almost happened." Walking over to her mirror, she inspected behind her ear, relieved to see that the mark had been placed.

"I had a similar event occur when I began courting my mate," her brother murmured in amusement.

Whether he had intended to or not, his statement drew her mind away from her own thoughts, and they sat together for the rest of the night, sharing stories about the lives they'd lived.

Author's Note: And there you are! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!

~Aubrey