CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
.
"You're certain?" the Dog-Lord asked.
"Yes, Father," Sesshomaru said quietly. His golden eyes watched his father's impassive face. "I even sent Jaken to verify it for me."
"So this snake demon lord is hoping to oppose me," the Dog-Lord said, drumming his claws on the tabletop. "He thinks that if he raises a horde of powerful demons, he can cast me down and take my place."
"It is because of your human girl," Sesshomaru said in a neutral voice.
"What about her?"
"Since the day you spoke openly about her, the serpent thinks it proof that you are weakened in mind, if you took a human girl as your lover."
"Wife. Not just lover."
"If that is what you say."
"Do YOU think I am weakened?" the Dog-Lord asked suddenly.
Sesshomaru drew back slightly. "No, Father."
"Good," the Dog-Lord said bluntly. "At least I have that assurance, that my own son doesn't think I'm senile yet. I don't know why you act as you do about Yoshiko. As you said, who I take to my bed is my own choice. And who I have a child with is my own choice. So long as you're not disinherited, I can't see why you'd be so childish about my having another son or daughter."
Sesshomaru stayed quiet, accepting his father's rebuke coldly.
The Dog-Lord took a deep breath, and seemed to soften. "If you hear anything more, tell me," he said. "I value what you have found. You have done very well."
"Thank you, Father."
The Dog-Lord walked quickly back to his chambers, thinking, I can't keep any sort of peace between Sesshomaru and Yoshiko. He had thought that perhaps Sesshomaru would soften up to Yoshiko after awhile. But if anything, he disliked her more. How am I supposed to balance out my two families? he thought darkly.
He opened the door, and was surprised to see Yoshiko kneeling near the window. "I would have thought you would be in your own rooms," he said, shutting it behind him.
Yoshiko smiled. "I didn't feel like going back just yet."
The Dog-Lord smiled slightly, and knelt down behind his wife. Her hair was long enough to reach past her knees, and when she sat it pooled around her. He ran his long, rough fingers through it, starting just to relax now that she was near.
"What was Sesshomaru talking to you about?" Yoshiko suddenly asked.
"It wasn't you," the Dog-Lord said, closing his eyes and resting his head against her neck.
Yoshiko said, sounding embarrassed, "I-I didn't mean to... I beg your pardon..."
"No need to," the Dog-Lord said wearily. "But it wasn't a problem, Yoshiko. He called me to talk about that damned upstart demon." He paused. "Did you know you smell like flowers?"
"I put some in my hair a little while ago."
"Ah, that explains it," the Dog-Lord murmured. He gently turned her to him, and studied her face. She was paler and thinner, since her pregnancy hadn't been an easy one. It made her dark eyes look larger, and her skin more fragile. She was still slender, except for her belly. In recent months, she looked less like a young girl, and more of a woman. He stroked his hand down her cheek, watching her eyes flicker in the dimming light.
"What's wrong?" Yoshiko asked.
"Nothing," the Dog-Lord said, hugging her tightly.
They lingered together for the rest of the afternoon. The Dog-Lord told Yoshiko about what he had seen in the far mountains of the north. He felt slightly better at her wide-eyed attentiveness. It reminded him of those nights they had spent under the willow tree, back before their lives had been thrown into turmoil.
As the sun set, Yoshiko was arranging a bowl of blossoms from the gardens. She had tucked one behind her ear, and the Dog-Lord kept glancing back at the pretty picture she made. If she was in any way unhappy, she didn't show it.
Though she might hide it from me, he thought. She knows how much I want her happiness. Perhaps I should ask her maids...
He sat down behind her and rested his chin on her neck. Her hair still smelled like flowers. "You should do this more often," he growled into her hair. "I like it."
"Like what?" Yoshiko said coyly.
"Flowers. The way you smell." His claws caught in the silk of her kimonos, as he started to kiss her ear. Then he stopped as she stiffened. She carefully placed the flowers in the bowl, and turned toward him.
"Are you happy with me?" the Dog-Lord asked soberly.
"You keep asking that," Yoshiko said, resting her head on his chest. "Why?"
"Because I think about your tears, that first night after I brought you here."
"I'm not crying now," Yoshiko said softly. She stroked back his ivory hair, and kissed him demurely. As the Dog-Lord kissed her in return, more heatedly, it occurred to him that her pregnancy wasn't the only change wrought in her in the past months. She now no longer kept her eyes down when he spoke to her, she kissed him freely, and she came to his chambers when she wanted to see him, rather than waiting for his notice. She was bolder and brighter, without losing the sweetness that had first made him love her.
As she paused for breath, Yoshiko murmured, "What are you thinking about?"
The Dog-Lord smiled and rested his cheek against hers. "You."
.
They spent the hours of the night alone, entwined in one another, breaking the silence with muffled cries and laughter, moans and quiet growls. Time seeped away into the night, as if the sun would never rise and the half-moon never set. Then there were stretches of quiet, where they simply clung to one another, resting from their exertions, listening to one another breathe.
Yoshiko opened her eyes long enough to look at the Dog-Lord. He was lying on his side with his arm stretched out under her, his eyes staring out at the stars. His long white hair was tangled in hers. In the flickering lamplight, his face looked ageless and noble. And beautiful.
I hope... our baby... is like him, she thought as she fell asleep.
The Dog-Lord hugged her closer while she slept. He was troubled by the news of this upstart demon trying to attack him. The Dog-Lord wasn't a fool -- he knew he wasn't invulnerable. And one day, perhaps he would encounter a demon powerful enough to destroy him.
And if that happened, what would happen to Yoshiko and their child?
He sighed. I can't depend on Sesshomaru to care for them, he thought. But at the same time, I don't know the best way to protect them...
A glint in the darkness caught his eye. It was his centuries-old sword, the tarnished blade half out of its scabbard. The Dog-Lord wondered whether he should go put it away. Then he had a sudden flash of insight -- the answer was so simple.
"That's it!" he shouted, sitting up.
"Uh?" Yoshiko mumbled sleepily. She rolled over, clutching the sheets to her body. "Huh? What? What is it?"
"Nothing," the Dog-Lord said hastily. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."
The human girl yawned and did as he said. The Dog-Lord stayed sitting, staring out the window at the windswept mountains. And he thought of Sesshomaru, of his unborn son or daughter, and what it would take to keep everyone he loved safe, even if he was gone.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
"You're certain?" the Dog-Lord asked.
"Yes, Father," Sesshomaru said quietly. His golden eyes watched his father's impassive face. "I even sent Jaken to verify it for me."
"So this snake demon lord is hoping to oppose me," the Dog-Lord said, drumming his claws on the tabletop. "He thinks that if he raises a horde of powerful demons, he can cast me down and take my place."
"It is because of your human girl," Sesshomaru said in a neutral voice.
"What about her?"
"Since the day you spoke openly about her, the serpent thinks it proof that you are weakened in mind, if you took a human girl as your lover."
"Wife. Not just lover."
"If that is what you say."
"Do YOU think I am weakened?" the Dog-Lord asked suddenly.
Sesshomaru drew back slightly. "No, Father."
"Good," the Dog-Lord said bluntly. "At least I have that assurance, that my own son doesn't think I'm senile yet. I don't know why you act as you do about Yoshiko. As you said, who I take to my bed is my own choice. And who I have a child with is my own choice. So long as you're not disinherited, I can't see why you'd be so childish about my having another son or daughter."
Sesshomaru stayed quiet, accepting his father's rebuke coldly.
The Dog-Lord took a deep breath, and seemed to soften. "If you hear anything more, tell me," he said. "I value what you have found. You have done very well."
"Thank you, Father."
The Dog-Lord walked quickly back to his chambers, thinking, I can't keep any sort of peace between Sesshomaru and Yoshiko. He had thought that perhaps Sesshomaru would soften up to Yoshiko after awhile. But if anything, he disliked her more. How am I supposed to balance out my two families? he thought darkly.
He opened the door, and was surprised to see Yoshiko kneeling near the window. "I would have thought you would be in your own rooms," he said, shutting it behind him.
Yoshiko smiled. "I didn't feel like going back just yet."
The Dog-Lord smiled slightly, and knelt down behind his wife. Her hair was long enough to reach past her knees, and when she sat it pooled around her. He ran his long, rough fingers through it, starting just to relax now that she was near.
"What was Sesshomaru talking to you about?" Yoshiko suddenly asked.
"It wasn't you," the Dog-Lord said, closing his eyes and resting his head against her neck.
Yoshiko said, sounding embarrassed, "I-I didn't mean to... I beg your pardon..."
"No need to," the Dog-Lord said wearily. "But it wasn't a problem, Yoshiko. He called me to talk about that damned upstart demon." He paused. "Did you know you smell like flowers?"
"I put some in my hair a little while ago."
"Ah, that explains it," the Dog-Lord murmured. He gently turned her to him, and studied her face. She was paler and thinner, since her pregnancy hadn't been an easy one. It made her dark eyes look larger, and her skin more fragile. She was still slender, except for her belly. In recent months, she looked less like a young girl, and more of a woman. He stroked his hand down her cheek, watching her eyes flicker in the dimming light.
"What's wrong?" Yoshiko asked.
"Nothing," the Dog-Lord said, hugging her tightly.
They lingered together for the rest of the afternoon. The Dog-Lord told Yoshiko about what he had seen in the far mountains of the north. He felt slightly better at her wide-eyed attentiveness. It reminded him of those nights they had spent under the willow tree, back before their lives had been thrown into turmoil.
As the sun set, Yoshiko was arranging a bowl of blossoms from the gardens. She had tucked one behind her ear, and the Dog-Lord kept glancing back at the pretty picture she made. If she was in any way unhappy, she didn't show it.
Though she might hide it from me, he thought. She knows how much I want her happiness. Perhaps I should ask her maids...
He sat down behind her and rested his chin on her neck. Her hair still smelled like flowers. "You should do this more often," he growled into her hair. "I like it."
"Like what?" Yoshiko said coyly.
"Flowers. The way you smell." His claws caught in the silk of her kimonos, as he started to kiss her ear. Then he stopped as she stiffened. She carefully placed the flowers in the bowl, and turned toward him.
"Are you happy with me?" the Dog-Lord asked soberly.
"You keep asking that," Yoshiko said, resting her head on his chest. "Why?"
"Because I think about your tears, that first night after I brought you here."
"I'm not crying now," Yoshiko said softly. She stroked back his ivory hair, and kissed him demurely. As the Dog-Lord kissed her in return, more heatedly, it occurred to him that her pregnancy wasn't the only change wrought in her in the past months. She now no longer kept her eyes down when he spoke to her, she kissed him freely, and she came to his chambers when she wanted to see him, rather than waiting for his notice. She was bolder and brighter, without losing the sweetness that had first made him love her.
As she paused for breath, Yoshiko murmured, "What are you thinking about?"
The Dog-Lord smiled and rested his cheek against hers. "You."
.
They spent the hours of the night alone, entwined in one another, breaking the silence with muffled cries and laughter, moans and quiet growls. Time seeped away into the night, as if the sun would never rise and the half-moon never set. Then there were stretches of quiet, where they simply clung to one another, resting from their exertions, listening to one another breathe.
Yoshiko opened her eyes long enough to look at the Dog-Lord. He was lying on his side with his arm stretched out under her, his eyes staring out at the stars. His long white hair was tangled in hers. In the flickering lamplight, his face looked ageless and noble. And beautiful.
I hope... our baby... is like him, she thought as she fell asleep.
The Dog-Lord hugged her closer while she slept. He was troubled by the news of this upstart demon trying to attack him. The Dog-Lord wasn't a fool -- he knew he wasn't invulnerable. And one day, perhaps he would encounter a demon powerful enough to destroy him.
And if that happened, what would happen to Yoshiko and their child?
He sighed. I can't depend on Sesshomaru to care for them, he thought. But at the same time, I don't know the best way to protect them...
A glint in the darkness caught his eye. It was his centuries-old sword, the tarnished blade half out of its scabbard. The Dog-Lord wondered whether he should go put it away. Then he had a sudden flash of insight -- the answer was so simple.
"That's it!" he shouted, sitting up.
"Uh?" Yoshiko mumbled sleepily. She rolled over, clutching the sheets to her body. "Huh? What? What is it?"
"Nothing," the Dog-Lord said hastily. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."
The human girl yawned and did as he said. The Dog-Lord stayed sitting, staring out the window at the windswept mountains. And he thought of Sesshomaru, of his unborn son or daughter, and what it would take to keep everyone he loved safe, even if he was gone.
TO BE CONTINUED