CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
.
Three months passed, more or less peacefully.
Yoshiko had slowly accustomed herself to her new life, her new home. Sometimes she felt overwhelmed and homesick again, and cried herself to sleep in her husband's arms. At times she felt overwhelmed with misery, for reasons she didn't even know.
Sesshomaru stayed far away from Yoshiko, even in the same palace. He was often away as well, and Yoshiko suspected that he did so just to avoid her. She didn't mind that -- Sesshomaru seemed to disdain her even more, as her pregnancy progressed. And Yoshiko tried unsuccessfully to cultivate some kind of liking for her stepson -- and failed. Something about him frightened her -- the sense that his coldness wasn't just on the outside.
On the days when he was away, she spent time in the lush garden the Dog-Lord had made for her, and waited for him to return. She had ventured a few times out of the palace, and into the valleys below. But she felt safer in the palace gardens.
Her maids added to the oddness of her new life. The three maidservants that the Dog-Lord had given her lacked Sesshomaru's haughtiness. Though the idea of serving a human girl seemed bizarre to them at first, they treated Yoshiko like a fragile statue that might break. After all, the child she was bearing was the Dog-Lord's.
And the Dog-Lord's baby had started kicking shortly after Myoga returned. At first it was just a faint fluttering, but now it was kicking hard. And frequently. Yoshiko was having trouble sleeping because of her baby's constant kicking and squirming. And at sunrise and sunset, on the night when the moon was dark, she felt that strange pulsing, only it was stronger every time. Now that she knew it wasn't dangerous, she just sat up and groaned faintly, waiting for the strange feeling to pass.
But despite these things, she felt peaceful at times, in a way she hadn't ever before.
.
A roar rang out through the skies, making the trees shiver and the birds fly away in fright. An enormous dark shape raced down from the clouds, transforming as it descended. When the light faded away, the Dog-Lord was walking swiftly back to his palace.
In the Dog-Lord's chambers, Yoshiko was sitting by the window. She smiled as her husband passed by, letting her know that he was coming. Then she looked down, smiling fondly. Her slender hands smoothed down her voluminous robes over her belly. She began to hum a lullaby, still caressing the baby she couldn't hold yet.
Yoshiko winced as she felt another kick. He kicked hard enough that she sometimes wondered if it was trying to kick out of her. She smoothed a hand over her belly. "Settle down in there," she whispered.
The door slid open. "Yoshiko?" the Dog-Lord called.
Yoshiko slowly got to her feet. She was still slender, except for her stomach -- and it was making her feel clumsy and heavy. She took a few steps toward the Dog-Lord before he hugged her tightly. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
"Tired..."
"Didn't you sleep last night?"
"I tried. But every time I fell asleep, the baby started kicking again." Yoshiko put his hand on her waist. "Do you think he's all right?"
"I'm sure he's just energetic," the Dog-Lord murmured.
They walked quietly in the gardens. Yoshiko rested her head on her husband's shoulder, letting him support her for a little while. As she sank down beside the flowerbeds, she felt a watery squirm inside her. "He's doing it again," she muttered, pressing a hand down.
"He?" the Dog-Lord said, sprawling out beside her on the grass. "It's a boy?"
"I don't know for sure," Yoshiko said, slightly embarrassed. "I just... I hope it's a boy."
He looked puzzled. "Does that matter to you?"
"No, it... it doesn't matter to me. But..." Yoshiko avoided his eyes. "I don't want the baby to be... well, I don't want him to be... left behind by Sesshomaru... since this baby will be the younger one, and he's the eldest..."
"I understand." The Dog-Lord rested his head on her shoulder. "But you don't need to worry. Boy or girl, I'll make sure everything will be fine."
Grateful, Yoshiko kissed her husband's cheek. She believed him. For a moment she looked at his face, thinking of what a magnificent husband he was, what a tender lover. And he wuld be just as good a father to her baby, she knew.
They were just sinking into another kiss when a high, croaking voice called, "M-milord?"
The Dog-Lord broke off in irritation. "What is it?" he snapped.
Jaken jumped back a step, quivering with fear. "M-milord, Lord Sesshomaru wishes to speak with you," he quavered. "H-he says it's urgent."
The Dog-Lord sighed. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought he had timed that," he said darkly. He glared at Jaken. "Get out of here. Tell Sesshomaru that I'll be with him in a moment."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
Three months passed, more or less peacefully.
Yoshiko had slowly accustomed herself to her new life, her new home. Sometimes she felt overwhelmed and homesick again, and cried herself to sleep in her husband's arms. At times she felt overwhelmed with misery, for reasons she didn't even know.
Sesshomaru stayed far away from Yoshiko, even in the same palace. He was often away as well, and Yoshiko suspected that he did so just to avoid her. She didn't mind that -- Sesshomaru seemed to disdain her even more, as her pregnancy progressed. And Yoshiko tried unsuccessfully to cultivate some kind of liking for her stepson -- and failed. Something about him frightened her -- the sense that his coldness wasn't just on the outside.
On the days when he was away, she spent time in the lush garden the Dog-Lord had made for her, and waited for him to return. She had ventured a few times out of the palace, and into the valleys below. But she felt safer in the palace gardens.
Her maids added to the oddness of her new life. The three maidservants that the Dog-Lord had given her lacked Sesshomaru's haughtiness. Though the idea of serving a human girl seemed bizarre to them at first, they treated Yoshiko like a fragile statue that might break. After all, the child she was bearing was the Dog-Lord's.
And the Dog-Lord's baby had started kicking shortly after Myoga returned. At first it was just a faint fluttering, but now it was kicking hard. And frequently. Yoshiko was having trouble sleeping because of her baby's constant kicking and squirming. And at sunrise and sunset, on the night when the moon was dark, she felt that strange pulsing, only it was stronger every time. Now that she knew it wasn't dangerous, she just sat up and groaned faintly, waiting for the strange feeling to pass.
But despite these things, she felt peaceful at times, in a way she hadn't ever before.
.
A roar rang out through the skies, making the trees shiver and the birds fly away in fright. An enormous dark shape raced down from the clouds, transforming as it descended. When the light faded away, the Dog-Lord was walking swiftly back to his palace.
In the Dog-Lord's chambers, Yoshiko was sitting by the window. She smiled as her husband passed by, letting her know that he was coming. Then she looked down, smiling fondly. Her slender hands smoothed down her voluminous robes over her belly. She began to hum a lullaby, still caressing the baby she couldn't hold yet.
Yoshiko winced as she felt another kick. He kicked hard enough that she sometimes wondered if it was trying to kick out of her. She smoothed a hand over her belly. "Settle down in there," she whispered.
The door slid open. "Yoshiko?" the Dog-Lord called.
Yoshiko slowly got to her feet. She was still slender, except for her stomach -- and it was making her feel clumsy and heavy. She took a few steps toward the Dog-Lord before he hugged her tightly. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
"Tired..."
"Didn't you sleep last night?"
"I tried. But every time I fell asleep, the baby started kicking again." Yoshiko put his hand on her waist. "Do you think he's all right?"
"I'm sure he's just energetic," the Dog-Lord murmured.
They walked quietly in the gardens. Yoshiko rested her head on her husband's shoulder, letting him support her for a little while. As she sank down beside the flowerbeds, she felt a watery squirm inside her. "He's doing it again," she muttered, pressing a hand down.
"He?" the Dog-Lord said, sprawling out beside her on the grass. "It's a boy?"
"I don't know for sure," Yoshiko said, slightly embarrassed. "I just... I hope it's a boy."
He looked puzzled. "Does that matter to you?"
"No, it... it doesn't matter to me. But..." Yoshiko avoided his eyes. "I don't want the baby to be... well, I don't want him to be... left behind by Sesshomaru... since this baby will be the younger one, and he's the eldest..."
"I understand." The Dog-Lord rested his head on her shoulder. "But you don't need to worry. Boy or girl, I'll make sure everything will be fine."
Grateful, Yoshiko kissed her husband's cheek. She believed him. For a moment she looked at his face, thinking of what a magnificent husband he was, what a tender lover. And he wuld be just as good a father to her baby, she knew.
They were just sinking into another kiss when a high, croaking voice called, "M-milord?"
The Dog-Lord broke off in irritation. "What is it?" he snapped.
Jaken jumped back a step, quivering with fear. "M-milord, Lord Sesshomaru wishes to speak with you," he quavered. "H-he says it's urgent."
The Dog-Lord sighed. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought he had timed that," he said darkly. He glared at Jaken. "Get out of here. Tell Sesshomaru that I'll be with him in a moment."
TO BE CONTINUED