Chapter 12

"Yes."

Sesshomaru grabbed Miyuki and wrapped his arms around her smothering her open neck line in gentle kisses. He grabbed the tie of her night gown and just before he undid it she caught his hand.

"You will have to wait until we're married before you can do that," she smiled, a strange look in her eyes. Immediately he froze and tried to make eye contact only to have her turn her back on him. He gently wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder; silently they stood there listening to the soft sounds of the night.

"You need to invite your mother," Miyuki was sat on Sesshomaru's knee whilst writing an invite to Inuyasha and Kagome. He stopped writing Sango and Miroku's invite and looked at her with undisguised disgust.

"You can't be serious, she almost killed me and insulted you!" he snarled with unbridled aggression; Miyuki sighed.

"Then let's show her that she can't control you and that you want nothing more to do with her!" she stretched out and bite down gently on the lobe of his ear causing him to moan quietly.

"Only if you write the invitation," he breathed into her neck unable to argue against her when her teeth were gently massaging his ear. Miyuki smiled into his hair and an evil chuckle escaped from her mouth.

"Fine but you will be the one to greet her," she quickly turned and wrote an invitation to Sesshomaru's mother before Sesshomaru had a chance to register what she meant.

"W...wait what!" he watched as Miyuki gave the invitation to a carrier bird and sent it so that Sesshomaru couldn't rip it up. She jumped off Sesshomaru's knee and sent the rest of the invitations to their recipients and then stuck out her tongue at him.

In a flash he was out of his seat and in front of her; he captured her waist in his hands and kissed her so that her tongue was in his mouth. She opened her eyes in a wide shocked expression; for a moment she tried to fight him but his arms held her firmly against his chest. Soon her eyes softened and she leant into him; one of his hands moved from her waist to the back of her hair and his fingers tangled themselves in her red locks.

They were disturbed by a soft knock on the door; Sesshomaru sighed and pulled back with an annoyed growl.

"Come in!" he snapped; Sai walked in with her head bowed, a soft blush on her face.

"Forgive me but I need to borrow Lady Miyuki for a while," she bowed low and waited.

"Why!" he snarled.

"Of course you can," Miyuki ran up to Sai and took her hand; she looked back at a fuming Sesshomaru and smiled gently, banishing his anger instantly.

"I'll be back soon," she promised before they disappeared from his sight.

"It took longer than I expected sorry," Sai ran beside Miyuki as they race to her room.

"There's no need to apologise, i knew that it would take some time," Miyuki smiled at her and they burst through the door to her quarters startling a couple of older demons who had arrive to help her get ready for her marriage which was happening in three hours.

"Sorry," her smile didn't budge from her face; she danced into the room closely followed by Sai. The women couldn't help but smile at the joy on her face.

"It's been a long time coming, i was starting to think that he would never get married," one of the women laughed as she led Miyuki through to the wardrobe. Miyuki gasped when they entered the room; there were several dresses hanging up ready to be inspected and all of them seemed to have been crafted with a great deal of skill.

"Beautiful," she breathed; the women around her beamed at the praise and she realised that they had made them by hand.

"Now all you have to do is choose one," Sai smiled and walked out of the room; the women followed her so that Miyuki could have a free range at which dress she wanted to wear. Immediately she walked up to the only ivory coloured dress and saw that it was a slim, full length dress with a bodice as the top part. It was embroidered carefully with gold thread and depicted a hell hound which twisted all the way round the bodice starting and ending on the front.

"This is the one," she whispered, she picked it up and took it to where the women were sitting without looking at the other dresses.

"I see you have made your choice," Sai said bring Miyuki to the attention of the gossiping women on the bench.

"Right," one of the women clapped her hands together in a single sharp burst, "put it on and we can make the final adjustments." The women swarmed around Miyuki and soon had her into the wedding dress. In the instant that they finished putting the dress on her they realised that it was actually the right size and the women let out a sad sigh.

"Okay sit down somewhere so you don't ruin it," one of the women, her eyes downcast and miserable.

"Forgive me for saying this as it will add to your work load, but could you make Sai a dress. She's going to be my bridesmaid," Miyuki smiled; Sai gasped and searched Miyuki's expression looking to see if she was lying.

"Y...You mean it!" she exclaimed getting to her feet.

"Well of course I do, I wouldn't have said it otherwise," Miyuki laughed as Sai ran up and hugged her. The older women laughed and clapped their hands in joy, glad that they could be of use for their Lord's Wedding.

Sesshomaru stood in the throne room watching the master carpenter construct the ornate chair for his wife to be. It was a simple chair crafted from the white wood of a Yuki tree. Its cushions were red and were embroidered with gold thread in the shape of a twisting hell hound. Another group of demons were hastily constructed an altar at which Sesshomaru and Miyuki would get married.

Jaken instructed a group of imps as they hung up the decorations; whilst female pixies arranged flowers down the aisle.

"My Lord," a small voice caught his attention, he looked down and saw a young boy from the Neko clan who had signed a peace treaty with Sesshomaru several years back.

"What is it?" the boy shrank back slightly before clearing his throat nervously.

"It's time for your Kimono fitting," the boy bowed, his ears flattened against his head in fear.

"Thank you," Sesshomaru put a firm hand on the boys head and tousled his hair; he then ran to the door and was out of sight in a matter of seconds. The boy let out a breath of relieved air and gently touched the top of his head with a smile.

"My Lord, this way," Sesshomaru was ushered into his deadly silent quarters past Miyuki's room which was full of laughter. When he entered all the servants stood and bowed to him, a silent growl rumbled through his entire fibre.

"Please, don't bow to me, you are part of this household and so you are part of my family," Sesshomaru said a gentle smile on his face.

"We can't do that," one of the servants stepped forward, "on the orders of your mother we have no right to be anything more than slaves to your will."

"I am not my mother! My mother does not reign in this house or in this land! If you want to follow her orders then go back to her and be a slave!" his anger rippled across the room causing the servants to take a step back.

"Miyuki, what's wrong?" Sai looked up to see Miyuki staring in the direction of Sesshomaru's quarters.

"Hmmm, nothing," Miyuki sat down by the wall and closed her eyes seeking the connection between her and Sesshomaru. In an instant she found it and opened his mind up to hers.

Sesshomaru gasped as he felt his connection with Miyuki smash open so that her emotions could flood into him. She was unbelievably happy that she was getting married to him, she was slightly worried about what would happen afterwards, she didn't care that Sesshomaru's mother would be at the wedding and she was confused as to why she felt Sesshomaru's anger. He sighed and cleared his mind of the anger that had filled it allowing her to know his true feelings. He too was ecstatic that she had agreed to marry him, he was looking forward to mating with her, he was slightly angry that his mother was going to attend the wedding and that he felt sorry for ruining her mood. He could feel her laughing after she registered these thoughts and in his mind's eye he saw her hug him and kiss the crown of his head.

"My Lord, is something wrong?" one of the servants hand his hands on Sesshomaru's shoulders and was shaking him gently. Sesshomaru opened his eyes to see the man worried expression; he smiled and put his hand up and gently tapped the man's forehead in a friendly gesture.

"I'm fine, just seeking strength," Sesshomaru met the man's eyes and shock ripped through him when he realised that the demon in front of him was his old childhood friend.

"You've changed, you used to be so lofty and proud yet here you are seeking strength from something other than yourself," the demon laughed clapping Sesshomaru on the back causing him to tumble forward.

"Come on, you have one hour until your wedding, you need to get ready," the demon pulled out a white and pale blue kimono.

In half an hour Sesshomaru was ready and standing at the front of the aisle near the thrones; the guests filtering through the door were being directed to their seats by ghouls who flew over head. Soon all except one guest was sat on the chairs either side of the aisle; Sesshomaru turned when a short snappy order was given and a ghoul moaned in confusion at being commanded by someone other than his master. There stood in the door way was his mother, her hands on her hips; a furious expression on her face.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't disrupt my guests and servants," Sesshomaru growled quietly after he had walked up to her.

"I do not give my blessing for this joining and despite that you're still going ahead with it!" her voice echoed around the hall, the other demons in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at two.

"I did not ask you here to get your blessing, merely to show you that I don't care what you say I can and can't do," Sesshomaru rose to his full height and towered over his mother. She looked startled up at him and then turned from him quickly. "He looks so like his father when he looks down at me like that." The thought flashed across her mind as she moved.

"Very well, do as you want," she followed a timid ghoul to a seat which had been designated for her. She was shocked to find that it was at the front of all the pews and it had the best view of the altar.

After a few minutes of organised hustle and bustle, everyone was seated except for Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, who arrived in time to be told that he was going to be his brother's best man. Kagome had been taken away from him and had been led to Miyuki's room where she found out that she was going to be her Bride's maid with Sai.

Sesshomaru stood nervously by the altar waiting for his maiden to come and rescue from his loneliness, standing in front of the hundreds of demons who had flocked to see their lord get married.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his wish, the double doors at the end of the hall open with a creak. There stood in the centre of the opening was Miyuki, dressed in a beautiful ivory dress which had an embroidered hell hound curling round her torso. At first glance a few in the crowd thought that the hell hound was a splash of blood and they inched away from her in their seats. As she started to walk up the aisle they realised their mistake and relaxed, bowing their heads as she glided past. Behind her, Kagome smiled broadly and threw petals into the air which rained down on the onlooker's heads like warm snowflakes; Sai twirled down the aisle her dress billowing around her as she threw petals at everyone.

Miyuki looked up the aisle and saw Sesshomaru staring at her in shock and despite herself she started smiling. She met him at the top of the aisle and saw that her smile was mirrored on his face; she felt like dancing but curbed her temptation.

Sesshomaru's mother looked at the couple in front of her and felt an explosion of warm feelings well up from her heart. For the first time since she had met Inutaisho she felt love in her heart.

Totosai stood waiting for the couple at the altar, ready to marry them.

Sesshomaru took Miyuki's hand and led her to the altar; the instant his hand touched hers, her emotions surfaced and tears of joy gently trickled down her face.

"First I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now." Totosai looked up at the crowd and his eyebrows rose when he saw Sesshomaru's mother stand. Sesshomaru turned to see her and frowned sadly.

"Don't get me wrong I don't like the idea that you are bringing a hell hound into the blood line however," Miyuki closed her eyes, "I have seen how happy you make each other." Sesshomaru jumped and stared at her in surprise.

"I have never seen you smile so purely before," his mother said gently, "I give you my blessing. May your happiness live forever in your hearts and may you be at peace." She bowed deeply to them and then retook her seat leaving everyone in a stunned silence. Sesshomaru nodded his head and mouthed "thank you" at his mother and turned back to his future wife.

The rest of the marriage ceremony went without a hitch and the couple exchanged rings which Totosai had made himself, ones that had a special power which meant that they would not be affected by the bearer's power when they go into demon form. Each ring was engraved with a visage of their demon form and the lines seemed to glow red when the exchanged rings were slipped onto their owner's fingers.

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" Totosai said, though it was said at a normal volume it seemed to echo round the throne room as if he had shouted it. Sesshomaru bent down and kissed Miyuki on the lips and the crowd of demons in the pews shot to their feet and roared in joy deafening everyone.

Sesshomaru led Miyuki down the aisle and into another hall where food had been set out by some of the servants who had left the ceremony early.

Soon all of the demons had drunk themselves into a stupor except Sesshomaru, Miyuki, Kagome, Inuyasha, Sai and Sesshomaru's mother.

"If you would excuse us we need to get back to our village," Inuyasha said, he hugged his brother and kissed his new sister on the forehead. Kagome hugged them both with a laugh before slipping her hand into Inuyasha's and they left. Sai sat with her back propped up against the wall and kept yawning.

"Sai, why don't you go get some sleep," Miyuki said gently, Sai nodded and stood slowly before waddling to her quarters.

"Excuse me," Miyuki reached up and gently kissed Sesshomaru before turning away. He watched her leave for a second before following her.

He made sure that she could see him trailing after her; he saw her walk into her quarters and waited outside her door.