Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.
"Look at this one!" I dug through the next box and pulled out a perfectly folded kimono. I threw the silky fabric over my shoulder. "Do I look like princess?"
"No, only a royal pain in my ass." Sesshomaru muttered and continued to dig through the pile of old photographs and papers. From the dates and the wrinkled quill pen found inside I figured it had to be full of stationary and doubled as a small memory box.
"Did you find any pictures of your mother?" I asked quietly so I didn't attract the other twos attention; they had buried themselves in the box of jewelry.
He silently handed me one of the slips of paper and I picked it up lightly, afraid of damaging the frail thing. I squinted at the black and white picture on the film.
The woman was beautiful. She had flowing white hair that tumbled down her back and curled lightly at her small waistline and was filled with tiny braids and a multitude of pretty beads. Her coat was ratted and had lots of holes but it also gave off the vibe that she was one person you did not want to get on bad terms with. One other thing that caught my attention was her eyes. They looked big for her face but the huge sword easily crossed out the idea that she was some weakling.
"She was a master with the sword." He tapped a finger to the photo he was holding and than looked at mine. "Your lucky, your one of the select few to ever see my mother smile. She only did it three times, so I'm told." he seemed to get really sad so I decided he could tell me when he was ready to talk about his mothers lack of facial expressions.
"Kagome!" Kikyo sprinted over and dumped a large necklace around my neck, on it sat a large ruby the size of my fist. "Come look at some of these things!" She said excitedly and waddled back over to InuYasha, her arms ladened down with gold band and diamond incrusted bangles. I gently handed the photograph back to Sesshomaru and padded over of my sister.
They had started counting the small Spanish gold coins that had been scattered around the bottom of the chest. So far, they had made six piles of the little pieces.
"Look at these!" InuYasha said and handed me a a handful of rings in a box, all with multicolored stones and different sizes. "Arn't they beautiful?"
I laughed at his feminine word choice and sat down across from them so I could get a better look at the rings.
Most were crudely crafted and the bands were filled with dents and scratches, the stones were dull. There was only one that held my eye, and I picked lightly at the three little prongs that held the oval shaped stone into the ring. My head peaked up a bit and I made sure all the people around me were submerged in their own business before silently slipping the ring onto my finger. It glittered prettily with slashes of purple and pink and when I tilted my finger towards the sunlight, it shimmered a shocking scarlet which contrasted with the gold band.
I looked up to ask if I could keep the ring when I caught Sesshomaru's eye. He smirked and his gaze flashed down to the stone on my finger. I could feel myself blush and I dropped my head.
When I was looking around so my eyes could focus on anything other than him, I noticed the yellow crinkled edge of paper peaking out from under the fabric padding of the box. I plucked at it and pulled out the letter, reading under my breath.
My love,
This is the twelfth ring I have sent you. If you refuse this one as you have all the ones before it, and I can grantee it will not be the last.
It meets all your expectations. Glows like a star, while having the color of a rainbow. Strong as an oxen while as gentle as a feather. Beautiful as your form and as strong as your will.
You can only refuse me for so long before you fall under the spell of the majestic Captain. You may have many suitors vying for your hand, but none shall pass me.
Your lover
I smiled and rubbed the paper between my fingers. The man writing this sounded so alike to Sesshomaru, they were ,after all, related. Both sounded so sure of themselves, like they knew they could do no wrong. A dark realization hit me after the fist thought. This was the man he aimed to kill, his own father, his kin.
I started to repeatedly folded sheet of paper when something fluttered down off the letter and landed on my foot. It was pure white and looked in pristine condition. It unfolded the small little note and gasped in surprise when I noticed it was Sesshomaru's mothers reply.
Dear, my supposed lover
You send me rings made from the hands of your crew mates. You think me stupid? I see the poor craftsmanship and the low quality of the stones. A captain such as yourself would never let such an ugly thing as one of those monstrosities ever be made by your hands!
I have decided to accept your proposal, if only because the last stone was so brilant it had to be chosen by you, for you would chose nothing less.
You were right in many aspects of your letter. I do, in fact, have many suitors, but none managed to find me such a thing.
Love your aparent lover, Kimiko
P.S. My female subordinates speak highly of your ability to catch the eye, I do hope this is true because if it is but a lie than I shall throw you off my ship. No bland man shall stand with me!
I laughed and looked over the words again, skimming my fingers over the mystery woman's name. She sounded pretty and sweet, like a flower or blossom, when in reality she was a bundle of deadly nightlock.
"What do you have there?" InuYasha asked while shuffling the necklaces around. I looked up, startled, and clutched the letters and ring to my chest.
"Nothing, just a certificate of certification." I forced my voice not to quiver and bit my bottom lip from shaking like it liked to do when I lied.
He just nodded and stuck his nose back into the chests. Sesshomaru on the other hand have me a weird look. I dropped my eyes back down to the floor and shuffled the papers around in my lap nervously.
A white hand extended down in found of my face and Sesshomaru made gesturing movement to the letters. I clutched them tighter to my chest and shook my head.
"Let me see the papers Kagome." He said and I shook my head again. "You can shake your head all you want but I want to see those papers."
"Why?" I turned my body to the side so he couldn't grab them out of my hands.
"I know what that ring is, and I want it." He now reached for my finger and I quickly slapped it away.
"I found it fair and square!" I mumbled and hid my hands in my lap. "Stop being such a baby!"
He leaned over farther and I leaned back more. It ended with us both on the ground and the ring clinking across the stone floor.
I brought my foot up and it connected with his shin, allowing me time of grab the ring and sprint out of the cave and into his bed. I covered myself in blankets and slid the rig back into its respected place, my left pointer finger. I could hear Kikyo and InuYasha yelling at us, asking what was wrong.
"It was nothing. Kagome has a stomach ache and when I offered to go get her some medication, she refused, so I was going to drag her out here to force it down her throat." He said in a monotone voice. I peaked out of the covers.
I spent the rest of the night avoiding Sesshomaru. I ate across the fire from him at supper, even if all the smoke was blowing onto me. That night I jumped into the hammock before he had even gotten close.
I waited with a baited breath till he climbed in and settled down for the night. I listened quietly for any sound of movement and when I didn't catch anything, I scuttled out of the hammock and sat down by the fire. The warm heat source mixed with the flowers Kikyo had accidentally burned today, made the area smell like it was covered with thick incense. I could feel my headd drooping but I couldn't stop it. My face faced my hand and I moved the ring around to make it shimmer n the firelight.
"I won't let him have you." I muttered to my finger. I let out a small little laugh. "I am talking to an appendage."
"It is quite absurd." Sesshomaru murmured and I looked over my shoulder. I watched him slip down into his knees behind me and his arms wrapped around me and clasped my hands. "If anyone should have it, it should be you. It's what my mother would have wanted."
He quietly stood up and I heard the fabric rustle as he slid back into bed. I sat frozen on my log. It was nearly twenty minutes later before I found my ability to move and shuffled over the hammock, throwing myself in and welcoming the feeling of his cold feet pressing on my warm stomach.
Hello? Anyone still with me? Sorry this is way over due! I have been so busy as of late so I'll try to get back on track!