Chapter 12: Stolen Kiss
By the following week, news of the young servant boy named Satoru being found alive and actually being female spread throughout the castle like wildfire. There were those that were shocked and dumbfounded by the discovery. Then there were also those few who claimed to have known that there had definitely been something off about the "boy". That they had suspected it from the very beginning.
Such a person being the head housekeeper, who told anyone and everyone that she had known all along. Very little escaped her sharp eyes and that she had been on the verge of discovering Satoru's secret had the "boy" not gotten himself nearly killed at the tournament.
"How could I not have known?" the woman sniffed, raising up her nose at the crowd of maids hanging on her every word. "The chit was clearly not apt as a male. I knew there was something not right about her."
By the end of the week, there was no servant in the castle who was not whispering about the girl who tried to pass herself off as a boy. Many were left to speculate as to why. But others came up with their own conclusions. There were rumors that Satoru had been trying to win the tournament the whole time and had known that females were not allowed to compete. Another rumor had been that she had planned her disguise as a form of escape from the castle.
The most ridiculous one that reached back to Sae had been the rumor that she had devised the ploy because she had somehow known the lord would discover her identity and would eventually keep her in his tower, pampered and pleasured.
Sae scoffed, scrubbing the floor of the room with a little more force.
"If they could only see me now," she muttered, viciously using the scrub to take out her frustrations.
She was on her hands and knees, sweat dripping down her flushed faced as she cleaned one small tile at a time. There was a specific way the lord liked his room cleaned and for some reason it required wiping every spot of the chamber inch by inch. He demanded Sae to clean the floors twice a day, the sheets changed every morning noon and night, and the furniture dusted and polished at every hour. It was humanly impossible for her to complete the tasks every single day but Lord Sesshomaru expected it done nonetheless. And Sae had no room to argue. So she exhaustingly worked to keep his chamber looking spotless as best she could.
All the while attempting not to murder the lord in his sleep.
He kept a small cot on the floor by the window for her to lay, like the dog he first called her. So it would have been easy for Sae to sneak up on him as he lay sleeping and shank him with the swords he left carelessly lying on his table. But she wasn't stupid. Even shivering and uncomfortable on the chilly floor, she knew he left those out just to taunt her. In Lord Sesshomaru's eyes, she was no threat. He could sleep soundly with his weapons out in the open because he would sense any danger to his life long before she could even get close to him.
It was humiliating and frustrating.
Sae knew she was lucky thus far that the lord had not decided to give her tasks other than cleaning his room all day long. But the longer she stayed locked up in the west wing, the more anxious she became. It had been a week since she had awoken in the lord's chambers and no news of Youhei had reached her. Servants were not allowed to enter Lord Sesshomaru's chambers, since the chance of her escaping was high. But Sae could hear the slips of conversations that flowed through the cracks in the door. Anytime the pitter patter of feet past, she'd chance putting her ear to the wood and listening for any useful information about her brother or even her friends.
She often wondered how Asumi was doing and if she hated her now that she knew Sae had been lying about herself this whole time. It had no doubt reached the red head's ears that Sae was actually a woman. And that Satoru was not the friend she had thought he was. Would Asumi even care that she lived? Or did Sae dare hope her gender did not ultimately matter to her only female friend?
"Why can we not enter, hmm my lord?" drifted a throaty voice through the other side of the door. "Come now, one last time before we depart tomorrow, yes? I promise to make it worthwhile."
Her eyes widening, Sae jerked up and hurriedly tried to gather her cleaning supplies. She recognized that voice. Lady Fukui and her soft melodic tone were unmistakable. She had known that the guests were still at the castle but she had forgotten that Lady Fukui was a determined lady and eventually she'd try to seduce the lord again.
"I have told you no," Lord Sesshomaru's deep monotone sounded slightly impatient, even from the other side of the door.
There was a small thud, sounding suspiciously like a foot stomping on the ground. "Is this about our little fight, my lord? I already apologized for my behavior. But if that was not to your satisfaction, I'd gladly take a spanking for being such a naughty girl." Her words were spoken in a sensual voice.
Sae paused a moment to gag. The woman was so relentless, it was almost embarrassing.
"I will not tell you again," the lord spoke, a small threat.
"Is there something you are hiding?" the lady asked sharply, beginning to sound suspicious.
"That is not your concern-"
The door banged open.
Gasping, Sae shot up to her feet, clutching the cleaning supplies to her chest.
"I knew it!" Lady Fukui exclaimed, staring at the young girl in the middle of the room with malice.
Lord Sesshomaru walked into the chamber after her, his expression warning enough to Sae that he was displeased. "Lady Fukui, I do not recall giving you permission to enter my chambers."
Her blue eyes narrowing dangerously, the blond woman looked back at the lord. "I had permission before, why not now? Is it because of this … thing?" she gestured towards Sae with disgust. "You'd rather keep this pathetic human locked away in your room than let me share it with you?"
Sae stiffened with indignation. The audacity of the nobility really did not know bounds. Not that they felt that it was needed, of course. Every single one of them had been privileged their whole lives. A human servant was beneath their notice.
It did not sting the pride any less knowing this, however.
"What I choose to do with my servants is my business alone," Lord Sesshomaru's voice had a chilling effect. He glided over to where he kept his clothes and began to unbutton his shirt. "However, if it would make you rest at ease to see exactly why I keep them, I would be more than happy to oblige you."
The lady looked vexed. "Who do you mean?" she demanded, unable to keep the arousal from her voice as the lord continued to remove his clothing.
Bare chested now, Lord Sesshomaru prowled over to where Sae stood frozen by the bed, still clutching her bucket and scrub. "I mean," he spoke deeply, coming to stand behind her and resting his large hands on her narrow shoulders. "I can show you the perks of keepings these … things around."
Comprehension dawning, Lady Fukui threw a furious glance at Sae. "They are repulsive," she spat in contempt, looking at the servant up and down in distaste.
"Not all," the lord replied, softly brushing Sae's hair to the side and bringing down his face to her neck. "This one has fire. She would make a very entertaining creature to tame."
Her heart in her throat, Sae tried to control her breathing. The light touch was doing strange things to her inside, particularly to her stomach. It felt like little butterflies were going crazy inside her.
Lady Fukui's face flushed with outrage. "You would choose that worthless human over me? A lady of noble birth?"
"If it pleases me," the lord reached around Sae and yanked her hands up and above her head. "She is mine to do as I see fit."
Gasping, Sae tried to jerk away but the lord merely tightened his grip and immobilized her. She then understood that she was merely a mouse in a lion's game, even when every instinct was screaming to fight. These demons could kill her in one blow, especially the seething lady across the room. That, however, did not stop her from hating the fact that she was being used as bait.
His face next to hers, Lord Sesshomaru used his other hand to run down Sae's side, slowly shaping the curve of her waist, before reaching the tie on her kimono and working it free.
Her hands still held above her head, Sae attempted to squirm away.
"If you do not stop wiggling," Lord Sesshomaru spoke ominously into her ear. "I will do with you as I please."
Immediately, Sae seized her movement.
Lady Fukui, her face awash with rage, caught the servant girl's look of resignation. "Dare I ask that this peasant female does not desire your touch my lord?" she asked with scorn. "Ha! How humiliating for you, my dear Lord Sesshomaru. To think you'd be infatuated with not only a lowly human but one that does not even want you back. How the mighty has fallen!" There was a deep sense of contempt as she spoke. "I suppose it is true what they say: like father like son."
Although he said nothing at first, Sae could feel the tension radiating off the demon lord behind her.
"I would watch my next words, my lady," the lord finally said softly, frighteningly. "For they may be your last." There was no question he meant it as a promise.
For a moment's pause, Lady Fukui looked as if she wanted to say more, but wisely choose to back down. Her look of ire did not disappear as she took a deep breath and smoothed out her rose colored gown. "I can now see I have overstayed my welcome," Lady Fukui said haughtily, raising her chin into the air. "I bid you good day, my lord. I will pack my bags and leave first thing on the morrow. My husband will no doubt send you our regards on the wonderful stay." And with a livid curtsy, she swept out of the room in a flurry of red silk.
As soon as the door slammed shut, Lord Sesshomaru released her.
Sae sagged to the floor, clutching a hand to her heart. It had been beating so quickly she'd been afraid it would pop out of her chest. Whatever game the lord and the lady had been playing, Sae wished she hadn't had any part in it.
The lord noiselessly made his way to the bathroom, his broad shoulders tense as he walked.
Sae supposed the lord was not accustomed to anyone speaking to him so disrespectfully. He was probably even less accustomed to doing nothing about it. But everyone knew, even the lowly servants, that Lord Fukui was a powerful and influential lord. Keeping the peace between the two nobility was a smart strategy if Lord Sesshomaru ever wanted to utilize the other lord. So, Lady Fukui was most likely a necessary evil to his lordship.
One, that Sae was beginning to appreciate.
Smiling to herself, Sae began picking up the scattered cleaning supplies off the floor. It was rare to see the lord put in his place. Particularly by a female. And Sae could not help but feel a dark glee in seeing Lord Sesshomaru so tense. How could she not? He was the most arrogant and cruel man she had ever met. He deserved some type of retribution for all the pain and suffering he had caused her. And although she could not do it herself, she was glad someone could at least give him a little bit of hell.
"What exactly are you smiling about?" demanded the lord icily, reentering the chamber.
"Hmm?" Sae looked up from her task with an innocent expression. "I do not know what you mean, my lord."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not play stupid with me, wench. I presume you enjoyed that small display from the Lady Fukui, did you? Wished you could have done it yourself, I bet."
Yes, she thought. "No."
"I do continue to wonder," Lord Sesshomaru drifted over to the large bed. "How you were able to fool everyone for so long, considering that you are a pitiful liar."
Sae didn't respond, although a muscle under her eye twitched. In just two seconds, the lord was able to take away any sense of enjoyment she was feeling. Albeit it had been a small pleasure; she had to learn to take joy where she could. But alas, it was never to last. Not when there was a demon lord determined to make her life as miserable as possible. Frowning, Sae finished gathering the supplies and stored them away in their proper place by the wardrobe cabinet.
From the open doors leading to the balcony, Sae could see the sun beginning to set. The sky was painted in hues of orange, yellow and red. The soft breeze sweeping into the room was warm. And so it was time for her to start getting the room prepared for the evening. As instructed by his lordship.
Sae marched over to the end of the bed, planted her feet firmly together and cleared her throat.
Laying on his back, his hands folded over his chest, Lord Sesshomaru looked regal as ever. "Yes?"
"I have to change the sheets," she gestured towards the bed.
"Do you see me laying on it?"
"Yes," she gritted out.
There was a quirked eyebrow. "Then you obviously cannot change them at this precise moment. You can do it when it does not inconvenience me."
Sae's hands automatically went to her hips. "Just so I am clear on this, you do not want me to change the sheets right now? Although you specifically ordered me to change them every morning, noon, and night?"
The eyebrow did not move. "Exactly."
Irritation growing, Sae threw up her hands and stomped back over to the window. She began untying the curtains on the side and closing them over the balcony doors. Making sure they were in the precise position the lord preferred, she took a moment to check it before moving on.
Ignoring the pompous dog demon lounging on the bed, Sae picked up the clothes and armor left on the floor and placed them neatly into the closet.
"You missed a spot," said Lord Sesshomaru.
Taking a deep breath to calm her anger, Sae peered at the place the lord was directing at. There was nothing. She looked left and right. Nothing. "Where?" she turned around in a circle, wondering exactly what he was speaking of.
"Hmm," the lord shrugged, indifferently. "Must have imagined it. Since you usually do such a poor job at cleaning, as it is."
Her jaw clenched. "I apologize my lord. I will endeavor to do better."
"See that you do," Lord Sesshomaru seemed to brush the matter aside. "I doubt that you can but there is always room for improvement in your case."
"Of course my lord," Sae said through her teeth, bowing.
It took Sae only a few more minutes to finish getting the room ready for nightfall, all things as Lord Sesshomaru had requested. When finished, seeing as the lord still hadn't budged from his spot on the bed, she made her way over to her "bed" on the floor by the balcony windows and sat down with a weary sigh.
"And who gave you permission to sleep?" demanded the lord's overbearing voice.
With a mental groan, Sae slowly lifted herself back up. "I assumed with everything done, there was no longer any need of my services," she explained, fisting her hand behind her back.
"You assumed wrong," he stated plainly, his face impassive.
Sae blew out a frustrated breath. "What can I do for you?" she asked sarcastically, unable to help herself.
That infuriating eyebrow rose again. "What can I do for you, what?"
Sae had a sudden urge to smack that look off his face. "What can I do for you, my lord?"
"I do not think you have fully grasped the extent of your situation," Lord Sesshomaru sat up, his long white hair falling over his shoulders. "Come here."
Reluctantly, getting a sudden sense of foreboding, Sae dragged her feet towards the other side of the room.
"Closer," he said, when she stopped at the foot of the bed.
With a gulp, Sae drifted over to the side where the lord was sitting, but still kept a good distance between them.
"Do you want me to lose my patience, wench?" the lord demanded coldly. "Closer."
With her instinct screaming to run in the opposite direction, Sae inched closer to the lord, her heartbeat thrumming in her ears.
"You know who the lord and master is here, right female? You seem to have forgotten I hold your life and your brother's life in my hands," he warned, a sinister glint flashing in his golden eyes. "Any little thing you do to defy me is taking me one inch closer to snapping off your brother's neck. I choose to keep you alive for the sole purpose of teaching you the lesson you so desperately deserve. Do not make me rethink my choice."
Sae gave a stiff nod, unwilling to risk opening her mouth. She had so many emotions rising to the surface she was sure she'd blurt out something she'd end up regretting. She couldn't risk Youhei's life. No matter how much she wanted to say something. Her anger and resentment would just have to take a back seat.
"And just to remind you exactly what you are and your only purpose, I will demonstrate how very little room you have to defy me," Lord Sesshomaru sat back on the pillows, his thick muscles rippling as he shifted positions. Although Sae had seen him bare chested a hundred times by now, she had never been this close to him while he was. It was odd, how seeing him up close made his strength all the more notable.
"Come here," the lord commanded, his features giving away no emotion.
"W-what?" Sae stammered, hoping he didn't mean what she thought he meant.
"I said come here," his voice became colder, the moonlight illuminating his eerie eyes. "Do not make me say it again."
Swallowing hard, Sae stepped up to the bed and placed one knee on the mattress, trying to keep her breathing under control. She was afraid that giving away her nervousness would result in heavier punishment. The lord seemed to grow angrier anytime a servant got particularly terrified. It was as if he looked down upon their growing fear of him.
"Sit on my lap," he ordered glacially, sitting very still.
Her heart skipped a beat. "B-but my lord-"
"NOW." He said harshly, leaving no room for doubt.
Taking a deep breath, Sae crawled over to the head of the bed and slowly moved over his body. She had to lift her kimono slightly in order to swing a leg over his lap, but tried pulling it down once she was seated on top. She was rigid and extremely uncomfortable in that position. Never had she been this close to anyone. And never had she been this near someone who could potentially kill her at any time.
"That's a good little wench," Lord Sesshomaru spoke mockingly, his hands coming up to brush a strand of hair off her shoulder. "There might be hope for you yet."
It took every inch of will power Sae had not to jump off his body right then and there She may have to obey his every command but it did not mean she had to become a submissive little servant to do it. She would not let him break her so easily.
"Let us take this one step farther, shall we," there was dark intent in his words. "For I have a feeling you still have not gotten it into that small mind of yours, who truly has the power here. I will even bet you are thinking of defying me at this very moment. Am I right?"
Sae was looking away from him, fearful he would see the truth in her eyes. She may think it but for the lord to know it was like swinging the sword on her brother's neck herself.
"Look at me when I speak to you wench," the lord grabbed her chin and roughly turned her towards him. "I will not be ignored."
With a blank look, Sae gazed down at the demon lord before her.
His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Since you find the idea of laying with me so detestable, I think taking your first kiss would be a reasonable punishment for your ridiculous boldness."
Sae's chin rose into the air. "I have already have had my first kiss," she lied, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. The incident with Hina may not have been a real kiss but it was better than nothing.
"Is that so," he stared intently into her eyes, never breaking contact. It was as if he was looking into her soul, searching for the truth.
Powerless to hold it back, Sae blushed, giving herself away.
"You truly should practice your deceptive skills," the lord noted, callously. "In situations such as these, you wouldn't be such pathetic prey."
Her hands on her lap clenched together, wanting desperately to punch the egotistical face of this demon lord.
"Now that it is clear you have absolutely no experience with men and seeing as your first kiss is something that you obviously hold dear, it will be mine to claim. So you will forever understand that nothing in your life is sacred. You are my slave to do as I wish and there is nothing you can do about it."
Sae swallowed the lump gathering in her throat, feeling helpless. There was no choice. There would never be a choice. It was for Youhei's life that she had no choice. The kiss she had been holding for the man she eventually had hoped to meet would be taken by the man she despised the most.
"Now, do it," Lord Sesshomaru said coldly, showing no remorse for the desolation that was on her face.
Brimming with bitterness, Sae placed her hands on his chest to steady herself, a bit surprised to find his skin so warm. She leaned over him, trying not to pay attention to his cold eyes and instead focused on his mouth. She angled her head to the side, only a few centimeters separating their faces. She was so close she could feel his hot breath on her skin.
The lord was watching her from under hooded lids. "What are you waiting for," he spoke, when she stayed in that position.
Cursing fate, Sae closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. His mouth was firm but his lips were soft and silken to the touch. Although he didn't move, Sae felt a warmth begin to spread over her body. After only a moment, she began to pull away.
But he caught her, moving forward and pressed his lips more firmly over hers.
With a gasp, Sae's hands moved up and pushed against his shoulders.
Lord Sesshomaru easily captured her slim wrists and held them. He then used his other hand to cup her neck and pressed her face closer. His lips closed over hers, cool and firm. She knew she should resist, hold back; instead, she teetered on some invisible brink, then something inside her unlocked, gave. He sensed it. His lips hardened, firmed, became slightly more demanding.
And she was tumbling, falling …
Why she would give into his arrogant demands she could not fathom, yet she did. Clinging to his strength, giving herself up to the thrill of the kiss was akin to madness yet she did that, too. A sensation began to grow in the pit of her stomach but she wasn't sure what it was. Could not put words to it.
Then, his hands began to move down her waist and like a splash of freezing water, Sae remembered who he was. Gasping for air, Sae jerked away and shoved with all her might.
He let her go, his eyes flashing an emotion Sae did not understand.
Scrambling across the bed, Sae's breathing was shallow and her heart was beating hastily. It took her a few minutes to regain her wits. But she never took her wary gaze off the lord who lay insouciantly against his white pillows.
"No need to be so offended," Lord Sesshomaru mocked, with sadistic amusement. "It should not surprise even you, with all your imprudent defiance, that you are just like every other wench in this castle. So desperate for affection that you'd enjoy the kiss of a man you loath."
"You are no man," Sae retorted, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're merely a wolf in sheep's clothing."
The lord examined his fingers, light seeming to glint of the sharp nails. "Perhaps. Either way, let this be a lesson to you female. I can take whatever I want from you. And I can even make you beg me for it. Do not give me reason to prove it."
"Never," Sae spat, her fury making her forget herself for an insane instant. She jumped off the bed and stalked towards the door-
"Ahh!" she screamed, taken down to the ground and on her back the next moment.
"You seriously test my patient's female," Lord Sesshomaru bared his piercing fangs. "I will kill you if that is what you wish. Just know I will kill your brother first, so you knew exactly what you sacrificed by choosing that path."
Sae struggled for a moment, using all the adrenaline pumping through her veins to try and throw off the 200 hundred pound demon from her.
He growled, an ominous sound. "Stop that or I will take away the option."
With a defeated sob, Sae halted all her efforts and glared up at the lord. "I hate you," she whispered, incapable of holding back the words.
Sesshomaru peered down at the girl, his face an emotionless mask. "The feeling is mutual."
That night, Sae lay on her cot on the frosty marble floor, crying silently. It was not enough that the lord took away their freedom. He had to crush everything else they hold dear. To him, the life of a servant was no more important than the dirt at the bottom of his shoe. Their spirits and souls were threats to be crushed, an unwelcome factor to the mindless obedient slaves they were supposed to be. It had never been as hopelessly apparent as now, that Sae would never gain her freedom back. And therefore, neither would Youhei.
She would be forever stuck serving the merciless lord of the western lands. To be humiliated every day. Mocked at every occasion. And treated no better than a thorn in someone's side.
A feeling of overwhelming bleakness washed over her.
She would not survive. For all her will to fight, she didn't think she could keep her determination in the face of Lord Sesshomaru's relentless treatment. He would slowly chip away any faith she had left piece by excruciating piece. Until there was nothing but the shell of the girl she used to be.
Sae could not stand to let Youhei or anyone else see her like that. Let alone becoming that girl. She wouldn't be holding true to what her parents had wanted for her. They may have been poor but they hadn't needed money or luxury to be happy. Happiness consisted of more than just materialist comforts. It was about being surrounded by those who loved you, always staying true to yourself, and never letting the darkness in the world taint you.
She couldn't live with herself if she let her parents down like that.
So there was only one option left to her. She had to escape.
Sniffling, Sae wiped her face with the small woolen blanket she used to cover herself. The lord had decided to leave the doors open since the night was warm, so Sae could see the night sky clearly from her spot by the floor. The moon was shining brightly, looking so close one felt as if you could reach out and almost touch it. The stars were clear, twinkling in the purple black atmosphere. The sounds of crickets playing their usual song wafted through the open doors, along with the warm night breeze.
The world continued, as life always did no matter what tragedy occurred.
At that moment, Sae made an oath to do everything in her power to escape and save her brother. If it took her everything she had, she would somehow find a way. Nothing was going to stop her from saving the person she loved the most.
She glanced back at the bed, where the demon slept. Nothing.
*Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. Any violence, perceived abuse, or negative behavior should not be taken literally. The plot is for entertainment purposes only. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material.