AN: So I realized that this whole time there has been a missing chapter! It's really my own fault, I tend to not look back at things until I've already published them but I realized that chapter 6 as you guys know it is actually chapter 7. I know that to most that must have seem like a major plot hole, "just how did Xiaolian get Himawari back?" well that chapter is up, sorry again guys. It's chapter 6 by the way, I took the extra time to reelable everything so it doesn't confuse anyone.
Himawari
Dear mother, I've been content since my marriage. I have many new things, like a bunch of new kimonos and perfumes that you would appreciate. My husband is fine, he and everyone in the castle treats me properly-
"What the hell is this?" Kurou snapped as he snatched the letter from Himawari's hands. "Treats you properly? That sounds as if I treat you with things merely like you are my guest, you don't sound like a happy newlywed!" Kurou snapped.
"You wanted me to be truthful, so I am." She began, her voice rising, "I am not a happy newlywed and I hardly feel like a guest!" Himawari sneered back. That tone and spiteful glare she sent in his direction earn her a hard slap across the face. Himawari swallowed her pain and clenched her hands as her cheek stung. Her eyes watered but she'd decided that she wasn't going to waste another tear on Kurou ever again.
"You ungrateful wretch, know your place!" He hissed. Himawari bowed her head submissively as he continued to read the letter. "Your penmanship is horrid, how is anyone supposed to read your handwriting?" He said to himself.
"This is the best that I can do as I am blind my lord, my mother however is accustomed to reading my writing." Himawari said. Kurou looked down at her with disgust and balled the letter up.
"Write it again, and this time sound happy, if I come back and it's not to my liking, you'll pay." Kurou said as he exited her chamber.
Himawari frowned and began to write another note. Four months had passed since she'd been married, four miserable months. She was losing herself more and more each day, and someone else was taking her place; someone colder, someone who thought about dark things, someone more sinister. She was tired of being hurt, what must it feel like to hurt someone else for a change? A wicked smile graced her lips as her hands continued to write sweet fabrications. What must it feel like to hit Kurou, or better yet kill him? A gasp escaped from her and her hands quickly flew to her mouth in shock. She could hardly believe she was thinking like that, what had come over her?
Xiaolian
Xiaolian was sitting in her office, imperial seal in hand, she was just signing off on some important legislations but for some reason a certain inu-youkai occupied her mind –like he'd been doing for the past couple of months. She shook her head to remove the thought and to focus on the task at hand.
"What's wrong with you Xiaolian! Why can't you stop thinking bout Sesshomaru?" She asked herself. She couldn't fathom it, after all he was her rival but wanting to beat him in a match, wanting to kill him was her only desire of the man wasn't it? Did she find him attractive? Yes, he was very handsome…for a dog youkai that is. His demeanor, the way he approached everything so calmly and meticulously, it reminded her of her father but somehow with Sesshomaru it was so…alluring. Xiaolian slammed her seal on a document and then growled at her thoughts.
"It's his power. He's strong, he even was able to defeat me once, I'm attracted to his power." Xiaolian admitted as she stamped another document. Realizing this made everything else make sense. Xiaolian was a conqueror, someone who strove for domination and power, it was only natural that she'd be attracted to someone who was so much like herself, someone capable of even besting her. When she thought of Sesshomaru and her attraction for him in such a way, it made it easy for her to admit that she was indeed very attracted to the daiyoukai.
She was closing in on her final campaign to take her title as Empress, but for the first time ever she thought about who would rule her empire beside her. Someone who would have the title of Emperor would have to be worthy, someone who was just as powerful as her and would be worthy enough to father her children. Sesshomaru popped into her head again and she glared at the thought.
"Emperor of the tiger clan would obviously have to be a tiger-youkai." She said to herself. But does he? Xiaolian had a distant cousin who was a mix of tiger and panther youkai…of course said cousin was banished from the tiger clan along with her father for committing treason. However, her cousin wasn't the Empress, with that power Xiaolian could possibly do anything she wanted. Why was she even thinking like this? Sesshomaru was a dog youkai, yes his lineage was noble but still the inu youkai was inferior to the mighty tiger youkai…or so she was always taught.
While deep in her thoughts she hadn't noticed her mother, Mika, enter the room, and it wasn't until the woman had sat down on the cushion in front of the desk did Xiaolian see her.
"Mother." Xiaolian greeted seriously. Mika gave her a weak smile and cocked her head to the side making her ornate headpiece rattle.
"Oh my Xia-chama, always working so hard…even empresses need time to relax, my love." Mika cooed. Mika was regent until Xiaolian claimed her throne, she hadn't done a bad job at ruling the clan, everyone was at peace but Mika also wasn't very ambitious; expanding and taking over never interested Mika, she seemed content with her empire as it was.
"I'll relax once I've felt my empire couldn't possibly grow anymore powerful." Xiaolian replied as she stamped another document. Mika's eyes went to the document she'd just branded and then went back to her daughter with worry.
"Power isn't everything Xiaolian."
"The tiger clan strives on Loyalty, Honor, and Might-
"Yes, but you forget the most important of all: Family." Mika said which succeeded in getting an unladylike snort from Xiaolian.
"Tigers are solitary animals mother, I don't see how tiger youkai are any different." Xiaolian said as she leveled a serious look into her mother's eyes.
"I received a letter from your sister today, Himawari seems to have adjusted quite well to her marriage, her letter reads that she is very happy." Mika said. Xiaolian raised a surprised eyebrow, she hadn't expected that one, and especially how Lord Kurou had looked at her.
"Oh? So when did she say she'll visit you?" Xiaolian asked. Mika's face scrunched in thought and her hand went to her chin in concentration.
"Now that you mention it, it didn't say, and she'd promise to visit right after her wedding." Mika said in suspicion, then her mouth spread into a wide sly grin almost immediately. "Lord Kurou must keep her exhausted I bet, especially with that fragrance I gave her for her wedding night." Xiaolian gave Mika a dry look.
"Really, how did I get such a degenerate seductress for a mother?" Xiaolian said wryly. Mika scoffed.
"How did I get such a power hungry shrew for a daughter? At this rate you're going to rule a powerful kingdom alone with no husband or children and your eggs will dry up faster than gecko jerky and you'll leave me with no grandchildren!" Mika exclaimed. Xiaolian stared at her with shock.
"B-but you have plenty of grandchildren!" Xiaolian retorted.
"A grandmother can never have too many grandchildren." Came her serious response. Xiaolian rolled her eyes. She debated whether or not she should confide in her mother about Sesshomaru, before her father had left they were close and she couldn't trust her other siblings. She decided to take a chance and tell Mika her feelings.
"The truth is mother, I feel that I may be interested in a man I've met in my travels." Xiaolian admitted which seemed to have sent Mika to heaven with the expression she had on her face.
"Really? Who is he? Is he handsome? What family does he come from?"
"He is a lord, he's very handsome, his family is noble but…you see, he is not a tiger youkai." Xiaolian said. The blood from Mika's face seemed to drain as she stared at her daughter.
"To mate with someone other than a tiger youkai is treason Xiaolian." Mika said seriously. Xiaolian frowned and looked down at her hands that balled on the surface of her desk. "However, there are certain ways one can bypass that law." Mika said finally. Xiaolian looked up at her mother, her eyes hopeful.
"How?"
"A certain Empress regent can grant an exception only once and make the outsider a honorary tiger youkai, then he is eligible to marry and mate any tiger youkai he pleases." Mika said.
"But what if we should have children?" Xiaolian asked, ignoring the heat rising to her face at the thought of baring Sesshomaru's children.
"And here is the catch. Your children and grandchildren must mate with full tiger youkai, so that the purity may one day be gained again." Mika said. "Of course this man of yours must be worth it, you will be Empress but only fools would expect their people to not ridicule them behind their backs, there will be a backlash, there will be uproars and this scandal will follow you."
"I understand." Xiaolian said. And she did, she was risking a lot if she wanted to mate with Sesshomaru, she decided that there was one more thing that had to be proven for her to marry him. He had to beat her in a one last duel, if he came out on top then she would make him her husband and give him her undying loyalty, her virginity and half of her empire –all generous gifts.
It was strange really; just a few months ago mating with someone who was not a tiger youkai would have appalled her. Her mother seen the pensive look on her face, she herself wonder just who this man was that Xiaolian could be thinking of marrying. Xiaolian was always a person who went by the book, breaking laws wasn't in her nature…but then again, getting her way was.
"This man, he must be really something." Mika said as she gauged her daughter's expression. Her expression stayed neutral, as if she neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement. Mika watched her, she was excited that Xiaolian was soon to be married but Xiaolian herself didn't look like a young maiden in love. She expected her daughter to be bouncing on the walls, speaking animatedly about the man, or just ecstatic that there was a way to marry someone who was not one of their own.
"You do love him don't you, Xiaolian?" Mika asked. Xiaolian's head snapped to her mother, she looked at her as if she'd grown another head.
"Of course not mother. Honestly, what a silly thing to say." Xiaolian replied coldly. Mika glared at both Xiaolian's response and her tone.
"You're going to make some random youkai emperor of the tiger-clan, bring shame to your family, bare mix-breeds with a man you don't even love? Now that Xiaolian is absurd!" Mika said angrily, Xiaolian glared at her mother.
"I hardly think you have a right to talk, Mother. My father loved you, yet you bore some random human's half-breed and brought shame to the family. I have a motive for what I am doing, at least the man I want to marry is strong, he could lead the tiger-clan with an iron fist, he may even be more worthy than any available tiger demon out there, what was your motive for betraying father? What did you hope to gain by producing a pathetic half-br-
Her mother slapping her across the face cut off Xiaolian's words. Mika glared fiercely at her daughter as she stood standing over her.
"Do not speak so poorly of your sister. And do not speak of things you don't know! I loved your father, Yoshimaru was everything to me! I've never betrayed him, never! I've come to terms with what fate has dealt me, fate has given me a child with half blood that I adore and at that price I have lost everyone dear to me. Yoshimaru betrayed me! I trusted that he would believe in me, believe me as he always had, he knew I'd never not even once lied to him but when the time I needed him to trust me, believe me, he chose to abandon me, no, us…all of us. And with his disappearance I've lost all my children, because all of you except Himawari despise me. Even you Xiaolian, you despise me, you don't even look upon me as your mother anymore, but despite that I love you, as I always have and as I always will. I know you miss your father but I am still here! And no matter what I will never abandon you! However, I will not tolerate this disrespect any longer either!" Mika yelled.
There was a long silence between them. Xiaolian sat at her desk with a scowl that laced her features.
"I'm leaving for the land across the sea, I'll return shortly." Xiaolian said curtly as she stood and exited the office leaving her mother to stand there.
Yoshimaru
It'd been months since that strange group had come through to his village, the hanyou leader he'd learned his name to be Inuyasha. He was glad he never actually met the group, he didn't like half-breeds and he didn't know if he'd be able to hold his cover in front of them, especially if they'd had a demon slayer, a monk and a priestess among them. Yoshimaru smirked as he continued to plow the earth. The Fire God? Hah, how laughable, it seemed that little rumor had dried up months ago and was revealed to be some sort of baboon demon in disguise. Whatever the case he was simply glad that things were quiet in his village again, well except for the commotion Ayumi caused every now and again but she was child and that couldn't be helped.
Yoshimaru wiped the beads of sweat from his brow with his hand before he went back to plowing the land. It was hot on this day and his heavy wool was beginning to become a burden. With the sickle in his hand, he turned to the bucket of water sitting by his foot and bent to drown his face in the cool liquid. He gasped and then plopped down for a brief rest. Breathing heavily he watch over the horizon where the village lay, he could just barely make out the shadow of a group coming over the horizon. There were carriages and it looked like the entourage of a lord passing through.
When the group was up close he then saw a feudal lord riding his white horse. The lord was a demon, a tiger-youkai in fact and Yoshimaru briefly wondered of coincidence it was. He knew the lord; he was Kurou of the East. Yoshimaru sat relaxed as the horses' trampled by destroying his hard work he'd just done in his garden- he'd do the work again, it didn't matter, he was simply glad that Kurou didn't recognize him. It was actually funny, a tiger lord simply walking past his emperor…former emperor, Yoshimaru reminded himself.
The next to treed by was the lord's wife, the Lady of the East. Yoshimaru didn't know Kurou had even mated so he didn't resist the urge to gaze upon the tigress. When Yoshimaru met Himawari's blind eyes his breath caught in his throat. Her golden hair was filled with silver pins, her glorious pink and white kimono hung loosely off the rear of her white horse. Her golden skin glistened in the blistering sun, her milky eyes stared directly back at him. It was the hanyou. Yoshimaru thought. He was amazed at -despite her odd attributes- how much she looked like her mother. And then Yoshimaru was filled with rage all at once, that wretch was the one who destroyed his family, she was a product of Mika's deception. Yoshimaru quickly stood and grabbed his sickle, it took everything in his power to simply turn and walk back into his shabby hut rather then spew obscenities.
Xiaolian
Xiaolian was hot on the tail of Sesshomaru; she was riding on Jun so it didn't take long to get from the Mainland to track the inu-youkai out. When she looked down on the forest beneath her, she saw Sesshomaru and his group walking leisurely and she pulled back on Jun's reigns. Jun began her rapid descent and landed squarely in front of Sesshomaru. Xiaolian smirked and withdrew her swords and charged at Sesshomaru quickly. He didn't even blink before he blocked her attack and retaliated with one if his own. Xiaolian back flipped out of the way and landed gracefully.
"Ni hao, Sesshoumaru-sama! I've come back for a rematch!" Xiaolian said excitedly as she pointed one sword at him. Sesshomaru gave her a look that said he'd already figured out as much.
"You won't give up until I've killed you I see." He said simply. Xiaolian smiled and waved a figure at him.
"On the contrary my lord, this shall be our final duel and I have no intention of letting you kill me. But if you can simply immobilize me, I have something to give you that you simply won't be able to refuse." Xiaolian said cockily. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and took a step back.
"Jaken, get Rin to a safe distance." Sesshomaru said. Xiaolian looked behind Sesshomaru and expected to see his brother but instead saw the imp and the little girl and Sesshomaru's dragon. She started to question where was his brother but found that honestly she simply didn't care. When Rin and the others were far away, Sesshomaru stood silently and stared at her, he was observing her and she wondered just what was he trying to assess.
"What is it that you have to give me woman?" he asked coldly. Xiaolian smirked and placed one hand on her hip. She knew his curiosity would guarantee his participation, but she wouldn't let him know just yet, he had to work for that bit of information.
"Let's see if you can simply immobilize me, and I'll give it to you." She said. Sesshomaru glared at her and sheathed his sword. He had not time for petty games. He was not going to fall into whatever nonsensical trap she was trying to lie.
"Utterly ridiculous. You are wasting my time." He said as he turned his back on her. Xiaolian glared, she was insulted, how dare he just simply walk away from what she was risking to give him. The ungrateful sod!
"I took you for a man who wanted power, someone who wanted domination. I was obviously wrong, an insolent dog like you doesn't deserve what I'm offering!" Xiaolian shouted at him. She tuned back to Jun and was going to mount her when she saw Sesshomaru's impending blow in the reflection on Jun's saddle buckle. Xiaolian turned just in time to block Sesshomaru's attack. He looked peeved, not quite angry but upset enough to want to kill her. She pushed him back a step and then charged at him. Their swords clashed and crossed repeatedly with no one coming out on top. Then suddenly, Xiaolian punched him in the face as hard as she could, and that slid him back a couple of feet. Before he could compose himself, she'd already gotten a running start and she jumped and kicked him square in the chest shattering his armor. Sesshomaru glared at her and then with speed unmatched he charged at her. He swung his sword with the intent to kill. Xiaolian parried and blocked as many of his swings as possible, but she couldn't catch the one that sliced through her shoulder.
She screamed in pain as her hand went to her bleeding shoulder. Sesshomaru didn't waste time; he'd already appeared in front of her and used his poisonous claw to slice at the same injured shoulder. Xiaolian grunt in pain and flipped out of the way as the poison began to enter her body. It wouldn't kill her, her demon blood would combat his poison and eventually fight it off, but it would pose a threat in the battle.
Xiaolian smirked and threw one of her swords down. She only had one good arm anyway so it would be interesting to see just how the fight would turn out now. She ran at him, her hair flying out of her well-kept bun and in a blur of crimson her sword came down on him. Sesshomaru parried and then swung on her –which she blocked. It went on like this for what seemed like forever, neither letting up, until Xiaolian managed to slash at his leg, and it was a very effective hit. Sesshomaru growled, by this time thoroughly enraged.
"Enough of this." He growled. "Dragon Strike!" he bellowed. Xiaolian smirked. She'd been training just for that attack alone. Smiling, she charged at his attack head on and to Sesshomaru's shock, she parried his dragon strike attack easily and was heading straight for him. When she was in front of him she swung her sword at him but before it could even get close to him, his fluff wrapped around her waist and flung her across the clearing. She had barely enough time to roll to the side before he'd come crashing down on her.
Quickly jumping to her feet, she did a triple back flip to a safe distance where she tried to catch her breath. Sesshomaru's eyes were glowing red now as he walked towards her slowly, if she were a lesser demon she might have been frightened, instead she smiled, because she could feel the shift in the air and how much his demonic aura had even increased tenfold. He contained more power than she'd originally assessed, and she had a hard time seeing his shifting appearance as anything other than beautiful. He youki wanted to transform, to reveal his true form but Sesshomaru had too much self-control and wouldn't let it. Xiaolian knew that he hardly thought her worthy enough to see his true form. His arrogance was almost becoming.
Xiaolian ran at him and was immediately surprised when the wall of his demonic aura wouldn't even let her get close. It was sickening in fact the raw power that was feeding off him; from far away it was nothing but being this close to him made her nauseous. Impossible. Xiaolian thought as she tried to attack him in combinations but he block each hit effortlessly. She bellowed as she released powerful hit after powerful hit but he blocked them as if she were a child sparing with her teacher. She'd never felt power like this, it reminded her of her father but then with a sickening realization it was actually stronger than her father's. He could kill me. This thought actually excited her more than it should have.
She jumped back and she watched as his wounded leg healed instantly before her eyes.
"Your life ends here." Sesshomaru hissed as he charged at her. Xiaolian watched as he ran at her, when he attacked her it pushed her back each time, even when she blocked she still took damage.
CLING, CLANG, CLING
Their sword crossed, but then the unbelievable happened. His sword cut hers in half. She stood shocked; her father himself had forged those swords. She looked up at him as he brought down his blade on her head, and she did the only thing she could at that moment:
She kneeled down and bowed her head. His sword stopped a mere inch from impact. She looked up at him with a wide smile and he narrowed his eyes at her but they did return to their natural golden color.
"You've defeated me," Xiaolian said "You've proven yourself worthy for what I am about to offer," Xiaolian continued. Sesshomaru sheathed his sword and looked down at her expectantly.
"I offer you my hand in marriage." Xiaolian said as she lifted her hand. She expected him to take it, but when she felt nothing she looked up to see him turning his back on her. Her mouth fell open in shock. "H-hey where are you going?" She asked as she got up from her knees.
"Not interested." Came Sesshomaru's simple yet cold reply. Xiaolian's mouth fell open and she stared at him in shock. How dare he? What did he mean not interested? How could he reject her? This simply won't do. She ran after him and walked beside him and glared at him with murderous intent.
"What do you mean 'not interested'? Do you not understand the honor I'm offering you?" Xiaolian hissed at him. He turned to level a cold glare at her.
"Your ego and audacity have no limit." He said wryly "Considering your hand in marriage a honor is laughable." He finished. Xiaolian face turned red from the mere rage, never had she been so insulted.
"You are a fool if you do not see the gain! I am going to be the empress of the tiger-clan, if you married me you would be the emperor, you would have power over the most powerful race of youkai in the world-
"The tiger-clan? The most powerful race of youkai? What a joke." He sneered. "If you will be their leader than I can only assume the rest of your kind will be nothing but weak lesser youkai." Xiaolian glared at him and moved to block his path.
"Disillusion yourself all you need to sate your inu pride but you know the tiger-clan is a powerful force and we've already taken the Mainland, just how long do you think it would take to eradicate you pitiful dogs?" Xiaolian hissed. Sesshomaru glared at her, she could see she'd hit a nerve and she expected him to attack her but he never did. Instead he kept it civil and retaliated with words instead.
"Pitiful? Speaks the future tiger empress who was on her knees begging to me." Sesshomaru said. Heat flared to Xiaolian's cheeks and she wanted to hit him, to slap him across the face. She couldn't understand how a man could be so infuriating!
"I was not begging-
"Yes, I am mistaken. Groveling was more like it." He said coldly. Xiaolian realized there at that moment that he as making fun of her, he took her for a joke and that enraged her more than anything else.
"Why aren't you taking me seriously Sesshomaru!" She hissed.
"You simply aren't good enough. I would never have such an unworthy woman at my side, you're pathetic." He said simply and Xiaolian narrowed her eyes at him. She'd never thought to hear something like that from him. Of course she was worthy! He was a dog demon she was a tiger demon, she was already above him in every way! Of course she was good enough, how idiotic for him to say otherwise. She stepped in his path again.
"Is that so? Tell me Sesshomaru, do you find me attractive?" His eyes narrowed to slits as he looked at her.
"You're in my way, woman." He seethed. Xiaolian glared at him.
"Answer the damn question!" she barked. Sesshomaru walked around her.
"I owe you nothing. If anything you owe your life to me as I could have easily ended you. I would take you as my servant, my boot cleaner perhaps, but never my wife." He said as he continued to walk. At this point Xiaolian didn't bother to follow him as his silhouette disappeared into the trees. She really didn't understand the Lord of the West, after all she offered and he still was an ungrateful, arrogant, rude, sod. A small smile graced her lips, she couldn't help but like his wit however, and his confidence was appealing as well. He was a man who was sure of himself and his power and Xiaolian was sure he couldn't find a better match than herself.
