Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original characters and plot are the property of Chiaztolite, who is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary of Previous Chapter: True to his words, Ryoshin escorted Shouri back to the palace at dawn, as Sesshōmaru requested. Sesshōmaru told Shouri she could call him 'Ani-ue', signalling them turning a new leaf as siblings.

Rulers of Four Directions

Chapter 29: Attempts

Two days later…

Shouri had just finished getting her obi tied around her waist when one of her maids came to her.

"My lady, it's Rikio," she said. "He wishes for an audience with you."

"Rikio?" Shouri frowned. Rikio had been assigned to her brother Sesshōmaru's service since the first day the lord became their honoured guest. For Rikio to come seeking a private audience with her… It was quite unexpected.

She smoothed her hands down the front of the royal blue kimono she wore with the silver embroidered obi. "Show him in."

Sure enough, it was Rikio on his knees, bowing low to pay his respect. "My lady," he greeted. "Sesshōmaru-sama asked me to deliver this directly to you." He presented a large box and placed it in front of her.

"My brother did?" She could not conceal her surprise even if she tried. They had not seen each other for the past two days. He had been with their grandfather, and then he had disappeared for some errand or other for quite some time. She too, had been busy with taking care of the palace household matters.

Curious, she opened the box and gasped.

It was a kimono. Not just any kimono, but one which design matched his perfectly. It was made of white silk with the red accent on the collar and edge of the sleeves, and six-petal plum blossom motifs encased within tortoiseshell crest. It was beautiful, and as she ran her hand through the soft fabric, she noted it was made from the finest silk. The obi struck her attention next. As she unfolded the heavy brocade fabric in red and gold, feeling the textures of the silk threads beneath her fingers, she noticed the delicate embroidery was in the river pattern.

She bit her lower lip, feeling her heartbeats speeding up a notch. River.

River pattern symbolized flow and continuity.

It also represented the future.

With fisted hand clutched against her chest, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. This gift was concrete proof that she had a place in her brother's life, and it was permanent. When she wore this kimono, he would be —without so much as a word— announcing to the world that she was his sister. A nobility of the Western Lands, and under his protection.

Perhaps she was looking into this too deeply? River was quite a common pattern for a kimono after all. But still… She did not know him quite well yet, but she sensed he was not the type to do anything without a specific reason. The pattern was chosen deliberately, and with care.

How did he manage to commission these in merely two days? He must've rushed them…

It was not until Rikio spoke that she realized she must have voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Lord Sesshōmaru is aware of what will take place tonight, my lady."

His words prompted her to look up at the young inuyōkai; understanding dawned at his gentle reminder. Rikio might be young, and his lowly status often led others to believe he was merely a servant, but those who truly saw him knew better. He was keen and observant, gentle and kind, and his loyalty was unimpeachable. He was quick to learn and anticipate the needs of those whom he served. Even her brother, whom she knew was not easy to please, had not voiced one complaint.

"Of course. You are right," she said softly. "How astute of you, Rikio."

His youthful face flushed with pleasure. He smiled, bowed, and left her alone in her chamber.

Outside, the sun had gone low in the horizon, painting the walls of her chamber and the fine papers of the lattice screens in golden dusk. One more time, she ran her hand through the silky fabric, feeling the weight of the river-embroidered obi, the fine red and gold threads that were woven together to form the heavy brocade. Her fingers now moved to touch the kimono on her body, the royal blue and silver colours she had donned from birth. For so long, this garb and these colours had marked her as the yōkai princess of the Eastern Lands.

To ignorant eyes, this might merely be a simple change of clothing. But in truth, its significance ran much deeper than what was on the surface. To don his gift meant a public declaration of her change of status.

Ani-ue.

She had not much time if she wanted to change.

First, she went to see her grandfather.

As she strode along the lengthy corridor that connected her chambers with her grandfather's study, she passed servants and guards who could not help but gawk at her. She ignored their various expressions of shock. Since birth, she had never been seen in public not dressed in the colours of the Eastern Lands, so she left their displays of astonishment unremarked.

Lord Shogo was seated behind his desk when he told her to come inside his study, too busy jotting down some records on a long sheet of paper to look up when she strolled in.

"Grandfather." On her knees, she greeted him, bowing low and touching her forehead to the floor before she straightened her spine. She said nothing else. There on the floor she sat with her legs neatly tucked underneath her, hands clasped on her lap, and waited as her grandfather brushed a few more strokes on the scroll, put down his brush, and finally looked up at her.

Lord Shogo's brows rose high when he saw her clothing, but he said not a word as he drank in her new appearance.

"I see." He sighed. "He has told you."

"What I fail to understand is, Grandfather," she said, keeping her voice toneless and composed. "why you did not."

Lord Shogo studied her in silence. Then, he rose from behind his desk and moved to sit in front of her.

"Shouri," he said. "The distinction of whose child you are may be important to you. But to me, it does not matter whether you came from my son or my daughter. You are my beloved granddaughter, one way or the other. Why would I reveal an inconsequential fact when it would only bring you pain and heartbreak?"

"Inconsequential?" She repeated, her voice rising in emotional distress even though she strived to keep her composure. "But my mother is alive! If I had known sooner, I would've… It would've been…"

"Different?"

Her cheeks warmed. From her grandfather's tone alone, she understood what he wished to convey: it would not have been different. Even if she had known early on, her mother would still not come. The outcome would have been the same: pain and anguish for her abandonment. And for years, instead of the few days she had experienced.

"But still…" She still railed at the unfairness of it all. Three hundred. Three hundred years of believing she was someone she was not. Three hundred years of believing both her parents had died in battle. Three hundred years of her grandfather and her Nii-sama choosing to keep her in ignorance, making a decision on her behalf.

"I see how much this pains you, Granddaughter," he said. To be fair, he too, looked genuinely pained. "And I am sorry. At the time, it was difficult to see how things would unfold and, in my blindness, I made a decision that wounds you today. If I were able to find a way to spare you this pain, trust me, I would have fought tooth and nails for that path."

She felt her anger deflating in the face of his remorse. A little, not a lot, but it was enough to soften her heart towards the grandfather who had been as protective and as loving as any parent of her imagination.

"Shouri," he said. "Do not be crossed with Yuusou. I asked him to treat you like you were his own sister, and he had done nothing but love and nurture you since the day you were born. In his mind and in his heart, you are his true sister."

At the mention of her other brother, her heart gave a painful squeeze.

"I don't know if I can forgive him just yet," she said stiffly. "While you have concealed the truth of my parentage from me, Yuusou nii-sama had gone a step further than that. He had filled my head with stories about a father and a mother that became precious to me as I grew up. Now, to learn that they are lies, it is…" She turned her head away. "Crushing." She still felt so betrayed by him that the mention of his name nearly brought tears of frustration and anger to her eyes.

"What would you have him do when, as a young pup, you cried for your mother and father almost nightly?" Lord Shogo asked, looking at her sadly. "In his desperation to bring the smiles back on your face, he shared with you cherished memories of his own parents. Had they lived, they would have taken you in as their daughter, and those lies you speak of would have been lies no more. He did what any true brother would do: he gave you comfort when you needed it the most."

Biting her lower lip, she had no response. After listening to her grandfather's logic, the discomfort in her chest multiplied. The doubt started creeping in: Perhaps she might have been unreasonable? When everything was weighed in the balance, was her nii-sama right in doing what he had done?

"Judge him if you feel you needed to," Lord Shogo told her. "But do not judge him too harshly. Consider what I said. If you wanted to rage at someone, rage at me. It was I who decided and told Yuusou what to do."

She nodded in concession, albeit begrudgingly. She knew she needed time to process all this, but the least thing she could do was consider her grandfather's words.

"Now, let me look at you," he said, reaching for her hands so he could help her rise to her feet. A small smile played at his lips as he inspected her kimono and his eyes lingered on the river pattern of her obi. Undoubtedly, as cultured and as learned as he was, he understood the symbolism behind the pattern.

"This will certainly make things more challenging for them tonight," he said. Smiling broadly now with approval, he gently touched his knuckle to the underside of her chin. "Good, I would hate to make it too easy for them."

Sesshōmaru saw Shouri from across the veranda. They both stepped out onto the courtyard just as the last vestiges of the sun disappeared on the west horizon. The servants had lit the torches across the courtyard and the vast gardens. The lights made her obi appeared like burnished gold, and the play of shadows across the pattern made the river looked like it was moving, flowing. With only two days, he had to impose on the craftsmen to complete this masterpiece in time. They were pessimistic about the deadline, as the obi alone would take weeks to complete, but he insisted, knowing how important it was for her to wear the garb tonight.

Pleased that she had donned the kimono set he had gifted her, he gave her a nod of approval. He had yet to tell her a trunk filled with more clothing and paraphernalia, everything she required to properly outfit herself as the sister of the Lord of the Western Lands, would arrive in a week's time.

At his silent compliment, her cheeks darkened almost instantaneously. She was prone to blushing, it seemed. Not exactly a desirable quality in a great yōkai, but she was young yet. There was still time to get this tendency out of her.

"Ani-ue." She greeted him with a smile. He had expected it to take some time to get accustomed to her addressing him as such. Yet, as she fell into step beside him on the way to the main gate, he discovered it felt natural. Pleasant, even. It was certainly a thousand times better than when that wretched Kagome had dared to call him 'Onii-san'.

For a while, as they made their way outside of the palace, neither of them said a word, yet the silence was companionable. He was relieved she was not the simpering type who felt it necessary to fill every quiet moment with inane chatter. As she moved, the golden shine of the river pattern on her obi caught his eye and he was once again pleased with his choice. Yes, it boded well for the future indeed.

Side by side, they must have made quite a sight, he thought, if judging by the stares, gasps, and whispers directed at them. With matching outfits combined with identical silver hair, facial features and markings, and the crescent moon birthmark on their foreheads, their connection was undeniable.

They arrived at the dunes outside the palace gates, where quite a large number of inuyōkai had gathered for tonight's event. There was hushed silence now as all eyes feasted upon them. Shouri still showed no sign of concern at the extra attention thrust upon her. In truth, she looked proud, which pleased him immensely.

The ancient inuyōkai mating ritual, called Attempting, was to take place tonight. Paper lanterns, small enough to fit within the cradle of one's hand, were given to everyone searching for a mate. Each inuyōkai would breathe yōki into his or her lantern, setting it alight in golden glow. Anyone with an illuminated lantern had the right to Attempt anyone who also had an illuminated lantern. If the two were a match, they would exchange their lanterns as the beginning of their pledge. Those without a match would send off their lanterns into the sky as offerings to Benzaiten, or Benten, the goddess of love, in the hopes that the goddess would smile upon them and grant them their mates.

Sesshōmaru was aware of such ritual, for he had heard it from his mother. It did not mean he was ever interested in participating in one, and he had no intention of changing that tonight. So, he waved away the attendant who was distributing the lanterns. Shouri, however, went to obtain one for herself. As Sesshōmaru watched her strolling away, he considered her age. Certainly, she was at a prime age to start searching for a mate.

And, judging by how many pairs of hungry male eyes devouring her, she would be busy this night.

"That outfit should deter some of them." He heard Yuusou's voice behind him. "Or at least make them think twice before they Attempt her." His cousin came up to stand beside him. A soft chuckle followed a few seconds of silence. "If all fails, your glower will send them running with their tails between their legs for sure."

It was imperative that she was dressed in his colours tonight. Everyone here knew her as the yōkai princess of the eastern lands. He would have them know her also as a descendant of the west, his own blood, and thus under his protection. Any male yōkai who wished to court and claim her would be well-advised to know what he was up against.

But perhaps, what discouraged some was considered an incentive for others, judging from the speculative gleam rippling through the crowd. She was a daughter of two noble, powerful yōkai houses. An unclaimed female with such illustrious pedigree was a rarity indeed, especially considering their dwindling numbers over the last few centuries.

"They are so eager, they might as well roll out their tongues and salivate all over her," Sesshōmaru said, voice dripping with derision.

"It's not rare that the young pups become overly incited during these events." Then, Yuusou's voice acquired a harder edge. "But, the smallest hint of violence will be met with the tip of a sharp blade."

Yuusou's reminder that Shouri would be protected at all times pacified him to a degree. He turned to regard his cousin. "I do not see your lantern," he stated.

Yuusou only smiled and countered: "I do not see yours either."

Sesshōmaru watched his cousin saunter away, cutting a path amongst the gathering crowd to stand quite far away from those participating in the ritual. As expected, there had been a wave of disappointment when they announced this year's tournament was, indeed, cancelled. Quite a few of them had been looking forward to the conclusion of the match between Yuusou and Zoichi. But now they could only guess. And their guessing led to further discussion of who should be chosen to succeed Lord Shogo as the ruler of the Eastern lands. As Sesshōmaru strayed away from the crowd to watch the start of the ritual from the sideline, softly spoken words and thoughts reached his ears. It was quite evident that most had their hearts set on seeing the eldest grandson take his rightful place. Even so, there were threads of conversations that made the tip of his ears twitched. Disquiet murmurs of dissatisfaction swirled amongst a few groups who doubted Yuusou's strength, despite his victory at the hunt just yesterday. No demon lord should be so jovial, so casual, and without a weapon of his own. There had to be a reason why Lord Shogo hesitated to name him officially. Zoichi, with his grave and silent countenance, large and powerful frame, and abundance of experience dealing with the rebellions as of late, seemed more fitting as a leader.

Zoichi, Sesshōmaru thought grimly. He spotted the Southern yōkai's towering figure in the distance, the injured forearm neatly wrapped with strips of white cloth, talking to… Shouri. She was smiling, conversing with him quite animatedly. It was evident she held Zoichi in affection, them having been raised together since childhood. Observing them side by side, Sesshōmaru's chest pulsed with the uneasiness he could not explain.

"I see you hold no lantern," Lord Shogo's voice prompted him to turn around. As the elderly lord approached, a secretive smile bloomed on his face. "Do I dare hope you have found your fated one?"

He swallowed the scoff that nearly escaped him. "I have no lantern because I am not interested in such a thing."

"Such a thing?"

"Finding a mate."

Immediately, Lord Shogo drew his brows together at the aloof reply. "No interest in finding a mate? Sesshōmaru, I have heard countless foolish things in my life but I had never suspected to hear one coming out of your mouth. Even your father courted your mother with such passion, it took him a few years before she yielded."

Sesshōmaru only lifted a shoulder in a nonchalant in response. He had always known he was not one to engage himself in such commitment. To him, a fated mate was not a blessing, but a curse that lasted for a lifetime. His ambitions lay in things much bigger than settling down with a female and breed.

"I have secretly hoped that you are courting a female," Lord Shogo confessed in a quiet voice. The revelation caused Sesshōmaru lips to curl in a wintry smile.

"I need not ask the reason, Grandfather," he said. "But it is not going to happen."

Lord Shogo did not respond and for a moment, Sesshōmaru thought his words did not reach the lord's ears.

"Why does Yuusou not have a lantern?" Sesshōmaru kept his tone casual as he stole a quick glance at his cousin. "He cannot be mated already."

"Perhaps he is just like you… unwilling to take a mate," Lord Shogo replied following a soft chuckle. There was a light, harmless teasing tone in his voice. Sesshōmaru shook his head.

"He is not the kind to shun traditions in impertinence."

When Lord Shogo barked in laughter, Sesshōmaru merely stared at him with one raised eyebrow. Once the laughter subsided, the elder lord returned his regard with a pair of amber eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Not one to shun traditions, hmm? By Gods, you are amusing." When Sesshōmaru's stare turned from curious to questioning, the Lord only smiled. "You will find out soon enough."

They both turned their attention back to the crowd when the first lantern was released, then the second. It seemed some of them had finished early, or had given up early. Sesshōmaru caught sight of Shouri in the midst of the crowd, though she was still alone with her lantern. Perhaps, as Yuusou had predicted, the kimono had done its job after all, if only to get the suitors to think twice before approaching her. She had barely started yet she looked… disappointed already. Her eyes were cast down to stare at the lantern nestled in her palm, shining a luminesce glow onto her skin. From time to time her gaze would flit from one place to the next, as though she was looking for something, or someone…

Understanding dawned.

Of course. She was looking for the Lord of the Northern Lands, but it seemed he had decided not to grace them with his presence. Sesshōmaru felt almost sorry, for his arrival and participation would have made the evening much more interesting indeed.

Alas, it would have to wait.

Shouri forced herself to suppress her disappointment when it was evident Lord Ryoshin would not be attending the ritual. Perhaps he was not interested in finding a mate at this time or, worse, he was courting another female already.

Either way, he was not here.

She tried to push any thoughts of him out of her mind, focusing on those who were here, with her, and were interested.

The kimono daunted some suitors away, but not many. And they were more than eager. Almost too eager. Imagine the fete, being the fated mate of Lord Shogo's granddaughter. No other female was more desirable than her, the sole unmated female descendant of the Eastern ruler, and now — with the kimono — the sister of the Lord of the Western Lands. Tonight, some of them were so desperate to discover if she was theirs to claim, and if one of them was hers. But time and time again, they failed each other. One male was so lost that he grappled for her shoulders, unintentionally sinking his claws into the tender flesh of her arms, all the while boring his golden eyes into hers, seeking her beast, seeking an answer. Even his passionate, albeit clumsy, attempt did not rouse her beast but made it recoil in distaste instead. She felt nothing for this male other than repugnance. He was not the one, no matter how much he wanted things to be different. It took one sharp point of a sword aimed at his neck to force him release the tight grip on her shoulders. She casted a grateful smile at the wielder of the sword. Zoichi, always her brave protector…

"You've had your chance with the Lady," Zoichi growled dangerously, his wielding hand did not loosen its grip on his sword, still pointed at the male's jugular. "She is not yours. You will do well to find your misplaced honour and leave at once." Without uttering a word of protest, the male scampered off, looking very much like a dog running away with tail between his legs.

She smiled at Zoichi, who gave her a curt nod in return. Scanning the field once more, she searched for those who still wished to Attempt her. It was an unbreakable rule that anyone choosing to hold a lantern, male or female, could not refuse the pursuit from another. She saw no one else. Most of them seemed to have finished already, if judging from the number of illuminated lanterns floating in the air.

She could not be more relieved to have the ritual concluded.

Turning around, she lifted her lantern up and sent off her offering to join the others. Closing her eyes, as her lantern climbed higher and higher into the night sky, she whispered a quick prayer to the Goddess Benzaiten.

Not too far away, Ryoshin sat watching the progression of the ritual. He was quite familiar with this inuyōkai ancient tradition. His mother had used to hold the same ritual every year at their stronghold in the North. It used to be the highlight of her year.

From his perch on the peak of the mountains that encircled the dunes, he could not see Lady Shouri, not even with his keen vision. But he was convinced she was there. Participating, undoubtedly.

Attempting and being Attempted.

His beast growled threateningly, the sound echoing in his ears like distant calls. It had been unsettled every day since he took Lady Shouri home two days ago. But today, especially, it prowled and rattled at the cage that kept it contained.

"Why don't you go over there and Attempt her yourself?" Kishi asked, turning around from watching Shinsei and Shinzou running up and down the side of the mountain.

The beast like that idea; it started purring almost immediately, but the man did not.

"She's not for me," he said coldly, wishing he could shut both Kishi and the beast up at the same time.

"Not for you? There is no female more suitable for Lord of the Northern Lands. It would be the match of the century. Had your honourable parents still lived, they would have chosen her for you."

"Since mates are pre-destined, there's no point in choosing. And even if I had a choice, I wouldn't choose someone who holds any affection for the son of the beast that murdered my whole clan."

Perhaps it's better this way, he thought, rather bitterly. Let her belong to someone else, then he would not need to feel any qualms about slaying the Southern scum.

The rattling intensified until his hands shook with it. His ears were roaring with the beast's enraged howling. The mere thought of her with another male had his stomach roiling with a mixture of fury and disgust. He jumped to his feet and paced back and forth, the same way his beast was doing inside him. Wiping his face with one damp palm, he sighed inwardly. He lifted his head to gaze up at the sky and saw the lanterns again. There were more now, so many of them, floating high in the air above him. The previously dark sky burned bright with orange glow.

Perhaps hers was one of them, he thought. Perhaps she did not find her match tonight.

The immediate relief he felt was alarming at the very least. His beast found it a comforting thought too. It growled softly now, appeased, at least for the time being. He sighed again and continued pacing. It would be a lie to say he never considered Attempting her. He had been so tempted to do it as soon as he dropped her off at the palace, when he stared into her large, luminous eyes. So open, so inviting. The kind of eyes that could crumble any male's resolve.

If her brother had not been standing there in front of the gate, staring daggers at him, he might have done it.

Yet, every time he thought of a future with her, he recalled the fond expression on her face as she looked at that Southern scum. The gentle way she cared for the scum's wounds. Then, any tenderness he held for her withered like young shoots in the frost. Until the next time they met, and she revived those shoots as though with a magic touch, and he was once again enraptured.

Snarling with rage, he swiped at a boulder an arm's length away, crushing a large chunk of it into dust.

The female who might very well be his mate cared for the nemesis he had planned all his life to kill.

He simply could not reconcile with it.

What Shouri did not see, Sesshōmaru saw all too clearly. After Zoichi had chased away the insolent pup, even after she had turned away to release her lantern, the Southern inuyōkai's eyes continued to latch onto her. The uneasiness returned in more than twofold. He saw devotion in those eyes, true, though it was not the devotion that triggered the soft hair on the back of his neck to stand in attention. It was the possessiveness that was mixed in with it, glowing in those eyes like embers in the ashes.

How much would it take much to turn his devotion into something darker, more menacing?

"Zoichi is as vigilant as usual." Yuusou was at his side again. "It was good she had him nearby when that mutt grabbed her."

"Good?" His own poisonous claws had been ready. Had that idiotic male gripped her for even a second longer, there would have been scorched blood and melted flesh marring the pristine white dunes of the Eastern palace. There had been no need for Zoichi to step in.

Yuusou, senses alert as usual, must have detected his displeasure. "Is something the matter, Cousin?"

"The way he looks at her," Sesshōmaru replied, eyes narrowing at Zoichi's figure in the distance. "I do not like it."

The confusion that creased Yuusou's brow was genuine. "He regards her as one would a sister. He holds affection for her, true, but it's the kind born from having been raised as siblings."

"Yuusou," Sesshōmaru said. "For years this has been brewing under your own nose and yet you have not realized. Zoichi's regards—" He hissed the word like it was a terrible curse. "His regards for her, as you've put it, has nothing to do with sibling affection. It is nowhere as innocent and as wholesome as you think it is."

His cousin's frown deepened, then he whipped his head around to catch the sight of Zoichi. Sesshōmaru could see in his eyes, the tightening of his facial features, the moment realization finally settled in.

Then, out of the blue, his keen senses detected something different in the wind. It was not sight, sound, or scent, but more of a feeling. It was very slight, very subtle, but he was becoming more and more familiar with this unnamed sensation. He looked up and closed his eyes, sharpening his senses even more, until he could pinpoint the source in one particular direction.

He leaped away and gave chase.

Sakki watched the illuminated lanterns floating up in the sky. There must be hundreds now, the gifts of light for the Goddess Benzaiten, illuminating the night sky. It was such a beautiful sight on a moonlit night.

If only…

"You've delayed for too long, Sakki." Sonemi's cloying, sickly sweet voice called out from behind her. "Summon your demon lord at once. It is impertinent to keep the Goddess Kinkō waiting."

Kinkō, the Goddess of Justice, was sitting atop a large boulder. Her hands were folded demurely on her lap, her blindfold still intact. She said nothing, nor did she show any hint of impatience. Nevertheless, Sonemi was right; she could not keep the Goddess waiting much longer.

Sakki had hoped to delay her punishment just a bit more. But Sonemi, that jealous wretch, had to interfere once again and pointed out to Kinkō that surely, she had been given enough time already.

"He is not a dog for me to summon at will," Sakki said. "I need to find him, and I don't know where—"

The air shifted, now vibrating with tension. Even without turning around, Sakki already knew:

Sesshōmaru had found her first.

To be Continued