"If something was truly wrong with you, Sesshomaru, you would tell me, right?" Kagome asked as they made their way to breakfast.
They had woken up a while before and had made their way to Ichiro's room then hers to get dressed for the day. As part of her maturity celebration, they had to share breakfast with the guests and spend the rest of the day showcasing her knowledge and skills (for some the celebrations are ridiculously short)
"Perhaps," he said nonchalantly.
She sputtered in disbelief at his answer. Perhaps? What type of answer is that? She couldn't believe that the stubborn dog had to consider if he would tell her of something so important as a serious illness.
"Keep up, Gome, we're almost there," Ichiro said tugging her arm.
She hadn't realised that she had slowed to a stop until he brought it to her attention. Sesshomaru was ahead of them presently; he hadn't bothered to stop (although, she noted, he had slowed his pace considerably). Absently, she nodded at the child, before reaching down to pick him up to carry him in her arms and began walking once again.
"Moonbeam, do you have any idea why your father is so," she took a second to find the appropriate word, "frustrating? Confusing?"
"All adults are confusing to me. They don't say exactly what they think or feel. Or they hide it under too many words and actions" he replied using that same nonchalant tone that his father had just used.
With those 3 sentences, the 7-year-old in her arms sounded so much older than he was.
"How did you figure that out?" She asked him.
"Yasuhiro said that. He is always talking about how you and father always avoid your emotions and hide behind walls." His voice was innocent, almost as if he didn't fully understand what he was saying (she wasn't sure whoo his ratio of understanding was on the lower end of the spectrum though).
"He said that huh?" He nodded, "Don't listen to everything Yasuhiro tells you. He doesn't know what he's talking about."
They finally made it to the dining hall, where right outside Sesshomaru was waiting on them. He dragged his golden eyes from the top of her unbound hair, down her white kimono top with the red pattern on of the West, to her dark green hakama pants. His eyes bounced from his son in his arms to her face as if asking 'Are you sure?'
"They won't figure out anything Sesshomaru," she assured him, giving him a bright smile. "I agree that now is not the best time to explain any of this to my friends, especially your brother., but they will have to find out eventually. I'm completely sure Miroku figured it out last night anyway. But he won't talk to them before talking to me first."
He hummed at her before pushing open the door. The hall was already full of people sitting on cushions around the various low tables. Instead of one long table, there were several low tables where packs or families sat with each other. There were at least 25 tables filled with guests set upon in the shape of one hexagon in the Western crest with a circular table in the middle, where she had to sit with the rest of the pack (movement from table to table was highly encouraged with this set up).
At her circular table sat her pack, next to them were her friends and three people she didn't recognise but were familiar. And directly around them were the Cardinals.
"Good morning all," she said as she sunk into a cushion and Ichiro pushed out of his hold to sit in his seat between Ahmya and Sesshomaru. Kagome sat on the other side of Sesshomaru and on the seat next to her were Shippo and the rest of the gang.
She quickly took a sip of tea (as she had seen Sesshomaru do on other occasions) to signal the start of breakfast, "Has everyone been introduced yet? No?"
She began with her pack first, gesturing at each one in turn, "As you will remember, this is Taisho Sesshomaru, Lord of these lands. Next to him is his mother, Tsuku Ahmya. Western Lady and Inukimi-"
"The previous Inukimi, to be exact," she interrupted with a smirk.
Narrowing her eyes at her, she continued with the introductions. "This is Taisho Ichika. Princess of the Southern Lands and twin sister to the hedonistic southern lord, sitting over on that table, Ren Takashi."
"My sweet flower-" he began
"Takashi, only continue those words with the grovelling I want if you value not being embarrassed," She interrupted him
"But it would also embarrass you, and if embarrassment is the price I have to pay to experience that sinful Paradise of yours then I shall pay it. Although next time it should be both of us alone-" his honeyed words that had her blushing was once again interrupted but this time by Koga and Shippo.
"What the hell are you saying to my pack sister, you dog "
"Leave my sister alone!"
She noticed how the other two pervs in her life (Miroku and Yasuhiro) were slightly chuckling and she realized she had to put a stop to this before the violence occurred. If the tick in both Ichika's and Sesshomaru's brows told her she had less than 30 seconds to do so. Resigned to what she had to do she raised from her cushion and took deliberate steps to the trouble-making Lord. She made sure to add an extra sway in her hips as she slinked towards him, sapphire boring intensely into chartreuse. She placed a soft hand on his shoulder and used it to lower herself next to him. That hand stayed on his shoulder, tracing absent patterns while the other pushed some of his hair behind his pointed ear. She leaned forward, and in a voice, only he could hear her promise that if he continued on this precarious road he would be bereft of her presence for the next four years. And this would be the last time he would feel her aura.
She then released a potent controlled bomb (of sorts) of her aura on him before reeling it back quickly. It had the immediate desired effects.
Takashi blushed wildly immediately after. "Excuse me," he said before dashing out of the hall.
"Did you just make him cum in seconds?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.
"Uh-huh. I'll explain later," Kagome waved the question away and returned to her seat. She would never explain what just happened to anyone but her mate (humans were out of the question for longevity reasons). Absently, she noticed how his hair was tied up just like how his father did.
"Let's continue, and let's save all questions until after." She cast a murderous look at them all-time smiling. "So, that's Ichika and her degenerate brother Takashi. Next to her is her mate, Taisho Kenta. He is Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's cousin and the current InuTaisho. The canine next to him is Ito Yasuhiro our head healer and my boss. And if I'm not mistaken the three next to him are his parents, Ito Osamu, the dog, Naoko, wolf and Mai, the fox -Nice to finally meet you all. I've been begging your son to meet you since I've known him.
"And this moonbeam is Tsuku Ichiro. Sesshomaru's offspring and Ichika's son and heir to the West . And the south until Takashi accidentally impregnates someone."
"Hey! I resent that!" Takashi said as he reentered the room wearing completely different clothes.
Kagome huffed at him, before returning to introductions. Taking them in she realised that they were wearing finer clothes than normal. All formal and made of silk she recognized it as the work of the palace seamstress and tailor pair and had Ahmya written all over it (she most likely eyed their measurements and put the pair to work last night). Even Inuyasha was dressed formally, even though he still wore the Fire Rat Robe. Its red pants were paired with a simple white kimono top with the Fire Rat Robe acting as an under layer and a haori with a pattern similar to Sesshomaru's kimono.
"We all know Taisho Inuyasha. Prince of the West. The kitsune is my brother of sorts Date Shippo. I have all intentions of claiming him tonight -if Sesshomaru allows. And the last two are the monk, Aiuchi Miroku and this is his wife Sango, the mistress of the new slayer village. They have 3 children, but I have no idea where they are."
She concluded with a sigh, sagging slightly with the exhale. Now that the introductions were done she had to get through the inevitable tsunami of questions that we're sure to happen. Of course, there were some questions she would have to evade (like anything concerning Ichiro) but she would answer them as best as she could without outright lying.
The sound of Shippo clearing his throat caught her attention. Slightly he inclined his head in Inuyasha's direction. She forgot someone.
"I'm sorry for not introducing you, but I'm afraid we haven't met."
"Of course, I'm Princess Fuiji Kaori. I am one of the seven daughters of the human minor lord, Lord Daichi in the town north of Edo and a Miko. Also I'm Inuyasha's intended and mother of his child" The girl said in a soft and breathy voice as she placed a hand on her stomach.
"His intended?" Sango said shocked.
Kagome quickly cut her eyes across from the Miko to the hanyou who wisely kept his eyes trained on the food, "How far along are you? About 3-4 weeks, right?"
"Good guess. I'm a month although I look closer to two. It's amazing how after 7 years of courtship I've only now become pregnant, especially with his insatiable appetite," she said with a gleeful tone, clearly missing the tension in the room.
He has been with her for seven years. It was a sharp blow to Kagome's heart and she struggled to not display it on her face. What kept her grounded was Sesshomaru's hand that imperceptibly reached across to hers and held it. His icy-warmth reminded her to emulate his calm (it's her birthday after all and she was going to enjoy it).
Kaori was proof that Kagome never had a chance.
She was taller than Kagome was, with snow like pale skin and a willow graceful frame. Her brown hair was as straight as a pin and flowed to the back of her knees and a single path in the middle of her hair. Her brown eyes twinkled with a coolness Kagome attributed to summer nights
All in all- where Kikyo was a winter beauty and Kagome was akin to a mid-spring, Kaori was the etheral beauty of a midsummer night (also, Inuyasha had a thing with K's).
"Delighted to meet you. I am Higurashi Kagome. Shikon Miko.-" Ichika was the one to cut her off this time.
"That's not all your titles. Love, what was it?" Ichika said with a mischievous lilt.
"Oh yes, ' The Midnight Bloom of the West.' Very apt," Kenta supplied in an overly serious voice.
She blushed to her roots. That title was an unofficial one that the people in the West gave her. It first started here in the castle and then trickled throughout the West and other territories along with what she did. Unlike the title, the story simplified drastically the further it went out and it became that she, a deadly Miko, assisted in the complicated birth of the heir (just like the mythical flower of the West that was both poisonous to all yet a powerful herb used for healing, especially pregnancy). She made a point of reminding them of the former.
"But you both have forgotten her other title that is official. She is the current Inukimi- Lady Mother to the heir of the West." Why's corrected before taking a sip of her tea.
Sesshomaru's hand reflexively tightened on hers, displaying his apprehension he would never broadcast. Kagome, however, had no problem voicing it for the both of them.
"Fuck!"
New chapter!
And some of the secrets are out. How many of you guessed that Kagome was Ichiro's mother from early? Details will be given but not anytime soon. See y'all.
I hope my American readers are fine and aren't too shaken up by recent events.