***sesskagu week 2022 on tumblr*** ***day 2: Arranged Marriage (posted on day 5)***

Arranged Marriage

by: ayasna

supervised by: taylor

The sky was cloudy, and it looked like it was about to rain as the bridal procession made its way to the castle. The curtains of the litter were not closed so Kagura was able to gain a first impression of the girl Sesshômaru would have to marry.

As far as she could see from the balcony the bride-to-be was pale and thin. In comparison to her she was merely a butterfly that could be crushed by the next stronger breeze. She fanned herself with her fan and imagined crushing the little butterfly. And yet this little butterfly would possess, what she never had. A secured place on Sesshômaru's side. How would she be able to endure serving this person as a lady-in-waiting?

The mere thought made her screw up her face. The anger stuck in her throat like some doughy clod of loam, and she could feel herself tensioning, her fingers clawed into the wood of the railing.

A soft draft announced the appearance of a visitor behind her back, so that she was not surprised as she felt an intense hug from behind.

»You said, you would not care«

Sesshômaru's words echoed like the bland irony they were in her head.

»I don't« Kagura had tried to sound incidental, but she found herself spitting the words out. Was it the anger or the doughy feeling in her throat?

»You have never been good in hiding your anger. «

»I am not angry« she hissed as she furiously turned around.

Gold met red as their eyes crossed and she turned away, embarrassed by her own emotional outburst and the certainty that she was not even able to hide her jealousy.

Damn, when will I learn to bite my tongue?

As she looked back over the vastness of the landscape and pretended to continue watching the procession, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind again.

Normally Kagura he would have leaned against him and started doing certain things after a while, but today she just felt drained and empty.

»We really shouldn't do this anymore.«

»Why not?«

»Because you are going to marry tonight.«

He broke his hug and leaned on the railing next to her. They were silent for a while and Kagura was surprised when he resumed the conversation after a short while. For his standards, Sesshômaru was very talkative today. It was seldom that he lost many words about something.

»I am not certain yet, that I will marry tonight.«

She raised an eyebrow. »Ah, so you want to send her back home and with her the peace agreement? I don't know you that stupid and I am not sure if I like that.«

»So, you would prefer me to bed the girl tonight?«

She hissed as an answer and Sesshômaru showed her one of his very rare smiles. Kagura felt how her cheeks started to burn and she turned away again.

»Do you know why this agreement takes place in the first place?«

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. »Well, in the first place for peace between our countries of course. The two heads of the ruling families of each country arrange a marriage between their two first born children. They unite the fighting countries in marriage, and everyone lives happily ever after, that is it.« It was as she could feel the sarcasm dripping out of her words.

But Sesshômaru shook his head almost imperceptibly and seemed to focus on a point in the distance as he continued. »That's just the result of the agreement. It is being closed primarily because the Higurashi clan owes us a debt.«

»A debt? What kind of debt? What the hell are you talking about?« She slowly grew impatient. Why did they even have to discuss this? Wasn't the whole situation painful enough, she wondered.

» I only found out this morning myself, but it looks like my younger brother saved the life of the head of the family's daughter.«

Well, that was new. Kagura frowned. »When he had the command over the troupes in the enemy's territory? I see, it must have happened after the battle of the Tani River, when he had disappeared for a week.«

»Indeed. At least that is what I could get from his rambling. It looks like those two got to know each other very well during that time.«

A smile crept back onto Kagura's face as she turned around and leaned her back against the railing, as she imagined a love-sick Inuyasha saving a damsel in distress. What a sweet love story indeed. Too bad, that stories like that left her very cold. She was by far not into romantic stories. Just as little as she knew Sesshômaru was.

»So, I guess your brother wants to take your bride then, eh? But is that even possible? After all, you are the heir of your family and Inuyasha is only the second in line.«

His voice was emotionless and businesslike as ever as he replied. »Everyone would see a direct no from me as a clear rejection of the whole Higurashi family and therefore a threat for the peace.

» And you're not one to neglect your duties«, she said bitterly. And there it was again the cold bitterness of the situation she wasn't able to chance. He was silent and Kagura took this as a confirmation.

»So do we do nothing? Then I guess it is appropriate for me to be angry.« Energetically she snapped her fan shut and turned to go ash he immediately straightened up.

»Indeed, we do nothing.« His words were ice, but she saw fire in his eyes as he looked at her. »I'll let Inuyasha do the necessary. This whole situation has nothing to do with me or us.«

With these words he put his arm around her shoulders and directed her back to his bedroom before Kagura knew the sense of these words.