Hello! Welcome back to Memoirs! I hope you guys have been enjoying thus far. I am excited to present this chapter. :P Been traveling recently, and gathering my bearings with my book. Editing like a madwoman!

Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 41

Precedent


It was creeping into the early hours of the morning when Sesshoumaru awakened. He dropped his blameless eyes to the human sleeping in his arms. The thought sickened him slightly.

He, a daiyoukai of far greater valor than even his father, in bed cradling a human?

He forced down the thought, however, facing the truth that resided in the core of his soul, rather than the shell of his pride.

Sesshoumaru removed himself from her body heat, exposing himself to the cool of the morning. He would come back to her and fulfill both his promise… and his agenda… at later, but first, he would call together the lords and councils residing in the guest court to announce his decision regarding human coexistence and pacifism within the Western Lands.

Rin's heavy, sleep-ridden breathing created a slight rhythm in his head as Sesshoumaru dressed for the council.

He slid open the door and a once-snoozing Jaken jumped to his feet from right outside the private quarters.

"M-my lord. Already time for dismissal of the provinces?" Jaken murmured, sidling up to Sesshoumaru.

"Yes," he permitted his servant a response. "And… what better time to issue an order, than when they are all gathered?"

"An order?" Jaken parroted, but received no further explanation.

"At the light of midday, fetch Rin and bring her to the front of the courtyard," Sesshoumaru commanded once outside the procession hall.

"My lord?" Jaken cocked his head.

"Do as I say," his voice deepened as servants slid open the large, shoji doors. "She is how I will find the demon slayer's kin…"

Sesshoumaru entered his own hall, the voices of aristocrats within silencing upon the entrance of the reigning lord.

Circular and concrete with indemnity, the Procession Hall awaited Sesshoumaru's baritone voice. The drop of a single hair could be noticed in such a tame and silent atmosphere. Clawed hands crossed, postures slightly bent, the demeanor of his subjects—lesser lords of the region—awaited the novel supremacy of his word patiently.

"I will make this brief, as I am now only hours from avenging the throne," Sesshoumaru stated, his eyes roving the room and its expressions of mild surprise. "Upon my succession, I made the decision to undo my father's work with the humans. As you recall, I faulted their weakness for my father's death. I have since learned that to be untrue."

The room studied him as he continued. "Now, with the grieving of our nation behind me comes the truth. Humans are weak. But not weak enough to destroy powerful youkai. My father did well to ease tension in our territory. It created more opportunity in trade and craft…"

Sesshoumaru raised his nose, snarling. "…It is only a shame that he could not find the strength to bring the human woman—whom he so dearly loved—before your judgment. Instead, he chose to abandon the throne, no… he chose to abandon us for a frivolous freedom that ended up deservedly short-lived."

Murmurs stirred about the room.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head and scanned the room. "And so, I come before you facing the judgments that are, essentially, menial in comparison to that of abandoning my responsibilities. They are also menial in comparison to my authority—but necessary, nonetheless."

Scowls denoting offense scavenged the room as Sesshoumaru drew breath.

"A human is currently residing in this palace indefinitely, under my direct care due to her unfortunate worth to the one whom we are all hunting on behalf of vengeance… Naraku. As such, I am now instating the law. That the residence of humans in the estate may be permitted by its lord as he or she sees fit."

The demon councils donning robes of silk and satin gasp and murmur. One in particular stands up with fists clenched. "You dare bring a human here days after InuTaishou's death?! Days after your own mother left the house with disgrace?!"

Sesshoumaru smirked, his golden eyes frosting over. "Actually, it is precisely what my father would have desired to see on his death bed… if he were permitted a proper one. As for my mother, she would not even spare the breath for a word such as 'honor'."

The councilman opened his mouth but no words came. Sesshoumaru crossed his arms into his sleeves, eyeing his underlings like prey. "I have spoken on this matter. If I find any harm brought upon my ward, or any wards of the lordships in the expanse of the West, I will consider it a treasonous offense."

Sesshoumaru stood, turning toward the door where servants readied themselves to make way for him.

"That is all," he called to the room of officials. "You and your servants may be dismissed back to your provinces."

And with that, he left, and the affairs of the state regarding his ascension to the throne were closed.

"My lord," the servants at the door bowed and slid open the doors. Even their voices were uneasy, insecure in the words they no doubt overheard. And why shouldn't they? Sesshoumaru mused with a smirk. As of right now, he was acting dreadfully akin to his late father. The only small, yet inexhaustible difference between them, was that Sesshoumaru would never abandon his family or his responsibilities for something as trivial as love. Instead, he would set the precedent for combining the two. Like his father should have.

He growled thinking about it.


The light from a cloudless morning caressed Rin's eyelids, beckoning her awake. Everything from the night before rushed back to the forefront of her mind in a stifling wave, and she burst up out of the sheets—her eyes flying foot by foot for Sesshoumaru… the one she had begrudgingly spent said night with.

She was alone in the bed, and after further inspection, alone in the room…. which was far more glamourous, unbelievably gorgeous, in the showering rays of daylight.

Rin swallowed down her initial adrenaline and sunk back into the fabrics of Western Ruler's bed. As she turned, burying her face into the very spot that they lay in embrace just hours before, Rin took in his scent. Masculine, and refined… of aspens and fire, yet sweetened slightly by the twang of herbal incense.

She wondered then, if he bathed in such scents… and how he might look when doing something uncharacteristically innocent.

Then she remembered his lips, his heat, the very things that instilled fear in her were somehow… comforting in this moment. What changed? Why did he want to be her protector… her lover? She recalled his eyes the past few days. Receptive and lucid understanding seemed to have coated his molten eyes since her arrival at his palace. As if his self-serving nature had been numbed somewhat.

Rin's eyes widened a little.

Why else would she be here, if not for something previously unseen from Sesshoumaru? The feeling of his lips entrapping hers with uncharacteristic mansuetude the night before sent blood to the rises of her cheeks.

She bit her lip in recollection as she considered. "Perhaps… he really does—"

"Hey! You, girl! Wake up!" A squawky voice assaulted the structure of the doors leading into the hall. Rin's adrenaline soared for a moment before recognizing the high-pitched, albeit patronizing tone.

"I-I'm awake," Rin called back, meekly so.

"Are you dressed?" Jaken replied through the wood.

"Well enough… I suppose," Rin analyzed her clothing; a thin white yukata that somehow managed to offer her full-coverage.

The doors opened from beyond the view of the bed and a sour imp waddled in with folded garments in his arms. Rin naturally raised the sheets to her chest, and Jaken's leathery green skin naturally flushed for a moment.

"Ahem, Lord Sesshoumaru knew that you might be lacking enough clothes to properly exit the castle, so he sent me after them. Here." The imp threw them down on the edge of an ottoman nearby the door.

Now it was Rin whose face caught fire. "Um, thank you. I… we didn't… you know—"

"Stop." Jaken threw his hands out in front of him to halt her pitiful explanations. Although hard on his ego, Jaken coughed out, "I would never dream of judging my lord, so there is no need. Now, get dressed."

He walked back to the door, somewhat defeated. "Meet me out here when you're done. And hurry!"

With that, he exited, and Rin focused on the neatly folded kimono layers in the corner. The color that was most vexing, was the vibrant pastel purple with silver embroidery. Clearly, that would be her outermost layer. From here… it looked fit for a royal. Rin inhaled sharply.

As she finished wrapping her obi, Rin dwelled on her image in the bathroom.

The kimono was beautiful. The craft of such silks… the stitching… the attention to detail. What was lacking in luster, Rin almost immediately realized, was her.

Her hair was out of place, loose-ends crumpling, and the back flattened by sleep. Her face was also a sight. Since becoming a Maiko, Rin had grown used to the wonders of skin powder and lip color. Charcoal eyes used to greet her first reflection in the mornings after the servants had readied her for the day's entertainment. Now, she was thrust back into those days and nights of idle servitude; a girl who smelled of the sea and wept salty tears of embitterment—a frail homage to a life damaged by loss.

Rin gulped down her plainness and scoured the bathroom for anything that could redeem her short-comings. Nothing of substance. The servants seemed to keep the rooms immaculate—annoyingly so.

As she turned to step out of the bathroom, a clanking sound of a felled metal item came from behind her. Rin turned, noticing the beautiful embossed edges of a pointed, and round metal piece. Picking it up, she realized what it was.

A hair stick. Silver, at that…

It must have fallen out of the folds of my obi or sash, she muttered to herself

Rin smiled and warmth filled her lungs. She wrapped her black tresses around the stick, lodging them beautifully to the back of her head, while the colored jewels of the silver's helm glinted among them.

At the door, a novel excitement overcame Rin at the thought of seeing Sesshoumaru, and she opened the door.

"Okay, Master Jaken. I'm ready."


The woman gasped, her chest heaving against the wet, stone walls of the holding cells. Her princess-cut hair had resulted to greasy strands, dampened by sweat and soil.

"Still alive, demon slayer?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice echoing down the chamber of the cells, although he knew full well she was… despite the apt care that she refused. The demon slayer brought it upon herself, thinking all of her meals were poisoned or bewitched, so she drank and ate just enough to stay conscious, surprisingly. Humans were funny like that. Give them the hope they will witness something dear to them, and they will outlive their odds.

Sango growled in response, but formed no audible words.

"This is your last chance," Sesshoumaru stated deeply, "Tell me where Naraku is headed, and I will revive your pitiful Kohaku. If you refuse, you will be sentenced to death."

Sango grinned, glancing up at Sesshoumaru with fire in her eyes. "What happened to you reviving him first?"

The young lord merely glowered. He knew that answer but he would be damned if he admitted it.

"What happened? …Do you hope to gather the information first so that you can go back on your word?" she gasped, and the hairs along Sesshoumaru's arms bristled with anger. She continued, "I really have nothing else to lose. But you, however…but you… have everything to lose. That's why you're here. I'm your only, if not your last, lead."

She chuckled when he didn't reply, and she dropped her head. "Kohaku, or nothing. I will gladly die here and follow him. That alone seems to be our destiny."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Everything in him desired to sink his claws into this woman's throat, but he knew… he knew if he had not even one inkling as to where Naraku was headed, he would never find him. The barriers that his previous counterpart could erect, alongside the puppets he could send in his absence, meant he was impenetrable.

"How do I know that your information is worth my time?" Sesshoumaru settled his malice enough to ask.

Sango revived their eye contact.

"I was never supposed to know," she said, hope filling her voice, "Naraku has no idea that I know."

Sesshoumaru blinked slowly. There was no other way. Since realizing he wanted her completely to himself, he knew that to revive Kohaku meant keeping him from Rin. Really, how difficult could that be, when even now he could control the direction in which she turned her head?

With calculation, he responded, "I will bring you Kohaku before the next moon, but be warned…," Sango's brightened eyes dulled a bit as she listened. "Should I discover your information misleading… I will track the both of you down, and reclaim the life that I so generously restored."


Uh oh... is Sesshoumaru setting himself up for trouble? I sure hope not! Had a break through with this story today. Super excited for the coming chapters.

Thanks for all your support! (also thinking about starting another fan fic with Rin, Kohaku, and Sessh... it's been brewing and it would be very different from the two fics I've done so far.)

Much love, Xera!