Do I even have to write a disclaimer any more?
AN: Finally, continuation! It's only taken me since January to write another chapter. For those interested, Mysteries Within the Shadows is on indefinite hold. It needs some major makeovers. If this is your first time reading my stuff, PLEASE don't read MWTS. It's very bad... Anyway, onto the story!
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Chapter 4 - Meeting Again
Sesshoumaru stomped from the baths again to his room the next morning, grumbling about conniving fathers and traitorous friends. 'Damn them...' he seethed inwardly. 'How dare that no good Atomu cast a sleeping spell on me! I don't care what father says! I know it was him... And father had something to do with it.' He slammed the shoji screen shut behind him and trudged to the trunk that held his clothing. To his surprise, the outfit he was supposed to wear that day was lying across it; Sesshoumaru couldn't believe his eyes. The cloth was a foreign one to him; it felt like silk but seemed much more durable. It was also black. He had never worn black in his entire life, well, at least as long as he could remember... But it wasn't plain black, the hems of the collar and sleeves were trimmed in gold, and intricate designs very carefully embroidered on the collar and chest in mauve and crimson threads. 'He had to have had this specially made for me...' he mused as he fingered the cloth.
Sesshoumaru's felt a slight tingling creep up his spine as his senses picked up approaching youki. "Damn it all..." he muttered, "what does he want?"
He grabbed the towel that he had brought with him and gracefully flipped his long, mostly dry hair over his head as he bent over, started to rub it vigorously with the towel. (AN: I originally wrote about him grabbing the towel and started 'rubbing his head vigorously' but that sounds sooo wrong! *blushes*) The presence reached the door as Sesshoumaru flipped his hair back over.
"Don't bother knocking." He called out as he roughly snatched up the brush from where he had left it the previous night
InuTaisho slide open the door to his son's chambers to find him sitting on a short stool and brushing his snow-white hair. He stopped for a moment, watching him. 'Every time I look at him, I see his mother.' He thought to himself. Sesshoumaru continued to ignore him as he shut the door and walked up behind him. InuTaisho deftly took the brush from his son's hand and started to brush it himself despite his son's snort and slight protest. He pulled the brush gently trough the silky locks that puddled on his son's stiff shoulders and cascaded down his back.
"You know, " he began conversationally, "I was never really looking forward to this day."
"Then why are you putting me through it?" Sesshoumaru snarled at him. InuTaisho sighed, 'He's still mad at me.'
"I always dreaded the other lords bringing their daughters, wanting to betroth them to you. And I did have several come while you were still young, by the way." Sesshoumaru head jerked toward him and InuTaisho calmly turned it back around with his hands.
"But I said no." he continued before Sesshoumaru could interrupt with questions. "I wanted you to chose your mate, just like I had been allowed to."
"'Chose my mate?'" Sesshoumaru asked, incredulous. "More like pick my poison."
"You don't have to chose today." His father reminded him as he pulled the brush through his hair one last time.
"But in any case, your prospective brides should start showing up in half an hour, you'd best finish getting ready." And, with that final and happy note, InuTaisho left the room.
Sesshoumaru looked after him for several minutes before hanging his head low.
"This sucks..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
His father had been fairly accurate with the timing and Sesshoumaru was dressed and ready, waiting to greet their guests. His father stood nearby, and Atomu was off in a corner, smirking at his predicament. Sesshoumaru smiled politely and answered question quietly as the guests arrived in small groups. All the young women (the prospects) had been sure to put on as much makeup as possible and to wear the most outlandish outfit possible, trying to out do one another and vie for his attention. Sesshoumaru leaned against a wall in between greetings and Atomu brought him and cup of sake. He accepted it readily and downed it in one gulp.
"Having that much fun are you?" He asked as he refilled the cup.
"Oh loads..." Sesshoumaru murmured back as something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A large group of women/girls had gathered not fifty feet from Atomu and himself.
They were all whispering and looking his way and giggling, until they noticed he was looking at them and almost everyone blushed and giggled louder. Atomu had turned to see what had taught his friend's attention and turned about quickly upon seeing their reaction to Sesshoumaru.
"I think I'm going to be sick." He whispered roughly.
"You're not the only one..."
"Hey, wasn't that Lina in the center of them?"
"Unfortunately. She seems to be the leader of the group." Sesshoumaru sighed and quickly greeted some new arrivals. Lina was the niece of the Demon Lord of the Northern Lands.
She was very spoiled and used to getting everything her way. She was pretty, he supposed, but she had that long, obstinate hair that almost every girl did and enough makeup on t prove that her skin was anything up flawless. He cast a glance toward the group again to see her staring at him and fanning herself. He felt his stomach roll.
"I need more sake." He announced suddenly.
"Me too," Atomu agreed and filled both their cup until they were brimming.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I don't want to do this." She said suddenly, turning to face her father. Her father shook his head, which sent his long black, braided hair swinging, and sighed in exasperation.
"Why are you being so shy?" His voice reverberated in the confines of the European style carriage they rode in. The girl blushed.
"I'm not being 'shy', it's just that I don't want to go. They're having that vaschela thing today aren't they? I don't want to be rude and interrupt it."
"And why can't you participate in the vaschela? You're of marriageable age." The girl's blush deepened.
"Father! I don't even know him..."
"You've meet Sesshoumaru before."
"Oh that doesn't count, I wasn't even one."
"People both here and in Europe have been married and never met before the wedding day." He shot back, causing his daughter to sigh.
"But that's not the point here. The point is that I don't want to go at all."
"Well we are going. I want to visit InuTaisho, I haven't seen him in years." Anitsu looked over at his daughter to see her staring out the window of the carriage and smiled.
"Stop worrying about the whole tail incident, I doubt he remembers, Ikari."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By early afternoon, Sesshoumaru was exhausted and irritable. He had to spend time with woman after woman, pretending that he was trying to decide whom he wanted to marry, when in reality, he didn't care and each new woman was more annoying than the last. He had spent the entire day avoiding Lina like a plague and had been rewarded with getting intercepted by every other female in the room. 'Well,' he mused inwardly, 'as long as I'm with someone else, she won't bother me.' He was presently standing off to one side of the packed main hall and watched everyone chatting and whispering about who-knows what. Sesshoumaru reached up unconsciously and rubbed a side of his jaw, 'Mou, even my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.'
"If you keep disappearing everyone is going to think you're antisocial." Atomu said smiling as he came up to him with a glass in his hand.
"Water?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyeing his friend.
"I figured if I kept bringing you sake, by the end of the day you'd be so drunk you might actually decide to marry one of them." Sesshoumaru smiled at his friend and put a hand on his
shoulder.
"Thank you for being so considerate of my well being." He said sarcastically.
"Anytime." Atomu smiled back.
Sesshoumaru drank the water quickly handed back the glass saying,
"I'd better get back out there and mingle with the last of them so I don't offend anybody."
"Have fun." His friend waved and walked away. Sesshoumaru turned to walk forward but suddenly found a small body with large pink eyes staring at him. Sesshoumaru forced a smile onto his face.
"Hello Lina." He said mildly.
"You've yet to come talk with me and my family milord." She said boldly with a small pout on her lips. Sesshoumaru made an effort not to wince. 'Does she think that's attractive?'
"I was just on my way to do just that." He commented quietly. A large smile spread across her small face.
"I thought so! You were just going by that saying: 'Save the best for last.' Weren't you milord?"
Sesshoumaru just smiled at her, causing her to giggle and she started to weave her way to where her family sat, with him following some feet behind her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Anitsu had to practically drag his reluctant daughter toward the demon lord's castle after passing the guards. He really didn't understand what her problem was today; she had never acted this shy before.
"I already told you not to worry about the tail thing Ikari."
"That's easy for you to say." She snarled back.
"He probably doesn't remember."
"Unless he's been reminded about it his entire life like I have." She glared at him.
"I doubt he has. His mother died not long after that so I imagine everyone avoided mentioning that general time entirely." He said seriously. Ikari didn't respond.
Anitsu sighed and grabbed her hand, leading her into the castle. A servant met them as they made their way to the main hall.
"Who may I tell Lord InuTaisho is calling?" he asked humbly.
"Tell him Lord Anitsu and Lady Ikari have come to see him." He replied haughtily, sounding every bit the lord that he was. The servant bowed low and went to the hall while they waited. Ikari took the time to take in her surrounds and was taken aback by the rich coloring of the décor. Almost every other castle she had ever been in had been ever drafty and the most decoration had been a few tapestries and paintings. Here, the entire walls seemed to be covered in cloths of every possible print and color. It gave the place a very welcoming feeling. The return of the servant interrupted any further observation.
"Lord InuTaisho will see you in the great hall." He said bowing lowly.
"Lead on." Anitsu said briefly accompanied with a gesture of his hand.
Ikari couldn't stifle her gasp when she entered the huge hall and found it almost totally full of yokai of every shape and size possible. 'I wonder what Sesshoumaru looks like?' she wondered as her eyes swept across the room. Her view was obstructed however when a large man came up and hugged her father. He was a couple of inches taller than her father with shoulder length white hair and warm, dark gold eyes.
"Gods Anitsu, it's been forever since I last saw you!" The demon lord exclaimed as he held his friend at a distance.
"When ever I was in Japan I never got a chance to come see you. So this time I came here first." He said smiling at his long-time friend, it was then he remembered his daughter.
"InuTaisho, you remember Ikari don't you?" He said as he put his arm around her slim waist and pulled her forward.
InuTaisho's face lit up with surprise at seeing the tall, young woman bow at the waist before him. She had been a baby when he had last seen her but she had definitely grown up. Her hair had lightened to a dark purple instead of almost black, and it cascaded down her back to her waist in soft waves. While her hair had changed her eyes had stayed the striking green they had been as a babe, the same as her mother's.
"Of course I do!" He announced proudly as he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "And you've grown up beautifully, Ikari." She blushed slightly at his comment.
"Thank you milord." She murmured quietly. He smiled in response before something behind her caught his attention.
"Atomu! Where's Sesshoumaru?" he asked the young man as Ikari turned to look at him.
"I believe he is still out mingling, milord." He answered with a shallow bow.
"Well go get him, and tell him there is someone here he should meet." InuTaisho commanded him, and with another shallow bow, the young man, Atomu, was gone.
Atomu walked away briskly as he cast one last glance at the girl near his lord. InuTaisho apparently knew her, but he did not. And, despite his lack of interest in the opposite sex, Atomu had to admit that she was very pretty. He smirked to himself as he saw Sesshoumaru walking to the refreshments that had been set up on one side of the hall and jogged quickly over to him. When he reached him, Sesshoumaru had downed another cup sake and had started to fill another when Atomu took the bottle away from him.
"You can't get took drunk, your father wants you."
"What for now? I just spent and hour and a half with Lina and her family." The demon prince snarled.
"He says there is someone he wants you to meet." His friend said mildly.
With his comment, Sesshoumaru looked up to the raised dais that his father was currently standing on near his and Sesshoumaru's thrones sat. He could see a man talking with his father, and judging by the look on his father's face, he was obviously a friend of his. The man's hair was kept back in a long, thick black braid with a few wisps that had fallen out framing his face and yellow eyes. Sesshoumaru squinted a little bit. His father's body was blocking someone's body from his view; all he could see occasionally was a quick glimpse of purple. Under normal circumstances, Sesshoumaru would have been able to smell the person, and thereby learn much about them, but the hall was so filled with the smells of some many demons that picking out one was impossible. With a wary shrug of his slim shoulders, Sesshoumaru weaved his way through the crowd toward the dais with Atomu close behind.
InuTaisho saw his son's approach first and called out to him, drawing Anitsu's and Ikari's attention to him. Anitsu couldn't believe how much Sesshoumaru had grown to look like his mother and Ikari couldn't believe that this was a real person. His skin was a flawless ivory, interrupted only by two crimson stripes on each cheek and a mauve crescent moon on his forehead where his bangs parted. His hair spilled down from the top of his head onto his shoulders and down his back like a moon-kissed waterfall to brush the backs of his knees. And set in his porcelain face were two, pure gold eyes, which at the moment were displaying slight agitation. Who ever had chosen his clothing had impeccable tastes; the black set off his pale skin perfectly, the gold trim matched his eyes, and the red and purple embroidery set off his markings. It was then Ikari noticed a large amount of fluff wrapped around his right shoulder. Ikari's eyes widened noticeably as a vibrant blush color her face and neck as she looked away, praying that he didn't remember, especially now that she had seen him.
"Sesshoumaru, this an old friend of mine, Lord Anitsu." InuTaisho introduce his friend with a slight flare of his hand. Sesshoumaru said nothing but bowed low to him. Anitsu smiled at him and pulled his ever-hiding daughter out from behind his friend. He couldn't help but notice the blush that was raging across her face and grinned at her mortified look.
"And this," he started, "is my daughter, Ikari."
Sesshoumaru straightened to look at the girl when his breath suddenly hitched in his throat. She was tall, maybe four inches shorter than himself; she had slightly golden skin without a drop of makeup to ruin her complexion. 'Golden skin? From being outdoors?' he mused as he gazed at her. Shockingly green eyes were set in an oval face surrounded by plum colored hair that tumbled down to her waist in waves. Her kimono was a soft lilac color with a darker tiger lily pattern on the sleeves and bottom hem. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at her; she was giving off a strange scent of trepidation; she seemed very worried over something that involved him. 'Her father does look slightly familiar, but I don't remember her.' He glanced over at her father, trying to place him, and then it hit him. 'He's the guy that was I meet shortly before mother died. It was him, his wife, whose name he could place and his...daughter...' Sesshoumaru couldn't help the smile that spread over his features; the girl was obviously worried that he would remember that it was her that had bitten his tail all those years ago, and so, for her sake, he wouldn't bring it up. At least, not yet. He bowed low before her saying as sweetly as possible:
"It is a pleasure meeting you my lady." Upon his declaration, he could sense the relief that seemed to flood off of her when he said nothing about the incident.
"The pleasure is mine." She said pleasantly, bowing as well.
Anistu and InuTaisho couldn't help but notice the little interlude between their children and smiled knowingly at each other. Sesshoumaru and Ikari both rose and he glanced out one of the high windows in the hall, judging the time.
"Am I permitted to call off this thing now? It's about two and a half hours till sunset." He asked sourly, looking at his father.
"Did you decide on anyone?" His father asked, hopefully.
"You're actually asking?" was his annoyed response. InuTaisho sighed ruefully.
"Fine, but don't tell them that. Give a little speech and make sure you don't hurt anyone's feelings. Lay it on thick." He instructed sagely. Sesshoumaru nodded then turned to face the
milling crowd beneath him.
Ikari could tell that the prince was very annoyed with the whole situation, and was, for some reason, quite relived. The thought of him picking out a bride from his group made some unknown emotion bubble up inside of her. Sesshoumaru had to clear his throat several times before everyone was silent and attentive.
"My Lords and Ladies, I would like to thank you all very much for coming out here today, many of you traveled long distances to be here. I regret to announce that I have been unable to come to a decision today, given how many" he swallowed heavily before smiling again, "beautiful and charming women that are here for me to choose from. But be assured that I will continue to ponder out my decision and will be in contact. Thank you again."
Everyone seemed happy when they were leaving, no one seemed to have taken offense but every parent was sure that their daughter would be the one he would pick. Sesshoumaru was all smiles when everyone was leaving, until the very last one was on their way home. Upon that time he trudged inside and literally threw himself onto a pile of pillows that had been place around for people to sit and lounge on.
"You have no idea how happy I am that its over." He said to no one in particular. His father answered him.
"Yes, yes. You can eat now too. I know you haven't had a chance to eat all day. I wasn't expecting that many people to show."
A mischievous chuckle filled the hall, drawing all eyes to the prince.
"Food," He said dreamily. "I haven't had any food since yesterday morning."
Ikari couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips at the sight he made. Here was the Demon Prince of the Western Lands sprawled out on a pile of pillows, daydreaming about food. It just struck her as rather funny.
Sesshoumaru popped an eye open to look at her when he heard the soft, musically laughter drift toward him. He could help but gaze at her again; everything about her seemed to fit perfectly, even her laughter. He closed his eye with a sigh. 'I wonder how long they're staying?'
AN: Yay!!! I'm done with another chapter! *does happy dance* So, Fluffy and Ikari finally meet again. I really liked writing this chapter for some reason. I guess because it was slightly mushy. I'm a romantic, I can't help it. Anyway,
Please review!!!!
Praise, neutral, and constructive criticisms are welcome.
AN: Finally, continuation! It's only taken me since January to write another chapter. For those interested, Mysteries Within the Shadows is on indefinite hold. It needs some major makeovers. If this is your first time reading my stuff, PLEASE don't read MWTS. It's very bad... Anyway, onto the story!
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Chapter 4 - Meeting Again
Sesshoumaru stomped from the baths again to his room the next morning, grumbling about conniving fathers and traitorous friends. 'Damn them...' he seethed inwardly. 'How dare that no good Atomu cast a sleeping spell on me! I don't care what father says! I know it was him... And father had something to do with it.' He slammed the shoji screen shut behind him and trudged to the trunk that held his clothing. To his surprise, the outfit he was supposed to wear that day was lying across it; Sesshoumaru couldn't believe his eyes. The cloth was a foreign one to him; it felt like silk but seemed much more durable. It was also black. He had never worn black in his entire life, well, at least as long as he could remember... But it wasn't plain black, the hems of the collar and sleeves were trimmed in gold, and intricate designs very carefully embroidered on the collar and chest in mauve and crimson threads. 'He had to have had this specially made for me...' he mused as he fingered the cloth.
Sesshoumaru's felt a slight tingling creep up his spine as his senses picked up approaching youki. "Damn it all..." he muttered, "what does he want?"
He grabbed the towel that he had brought with him and gracefully flipped his long, mostly dry hair over his head as he bent over, started to rub it vigorously with the towel. (AN: I originally wrote about him grabbing the towel and started 'rubbing his head vigorously' but that sounds sooo wrong! *blushes*) The presence reached the door as Sesshoumaru flipped his hair back over.
"Don't bother knocking." He called out as he roughly snatched up the brush from where he had left it the previous night
InuTaisho slide open the door to his son's chambers to find him sitting on a short stool and brushing his snow-white hair. He stopped for a moment, watching him. 'Every time I look at him, I see his mother.' He thought to himself. Sesshoumaru continued to ignore him as he shut the door and walked up behind him. InuTaisho deftly took the brush from his son's hand and started to brush it himself despite his son's snort and slight protest. He pulled the brush gently trough the silky locks that puddled on his son's stiff shoulders and cascaded down his back.
"You know, " he began conversationally, "I was never really looking forward to this day."
"Then why are you putting me through it?" Sesshoumaru snarled at him. InuTaisho sighed, 'He's still mad at me.'
"I always dreaded the other lords bringing their daughters, wanting to betroth them to you. And I did have several come while you were still young, by the way." Sesshoumaru head jerked toward him and InuTaisho calmly turned it back around with his hands.
"But I said no." he continued before Sesshoumaru could interrupt with questions. "I wanted you to chose your mate, just like I had been allowed to."
"'Chose my mate?'" Sesshoumaru asked, incredulous. "More like pick my poison."
"You don't have to chose today." His father reminded him as he pulled the brush through his hair one last time.
"But in any case, your prospective brides should start showing up in half an hour, you'd best finish getting ready." And, with that final and happy note, InuTaisho left the room.
Sesshoumaru looked after him for several minutes before hanging his head low.
"This sucks..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
His father had been fairly accurate with the timing and Sesshoumaru was dressed and ready, waiting to greet their guests. His father stood nearby, and Atomu was off in a corner, smirking at his predicament. Sesshoumaru smiled politely and answered question quietly as the guests arrived in small groups. All the young women (the prospects) had been sure to put on as much makeup as possible and to wear the most outlandish outfit possible, trying to out do one another and vie for his attention. Sesshoumaru leaned against a wall in between greetings and Atomu brought him and cup of sake. He accepted it readily and downed it in one gulp.
"Having that much fun are you?" He asked as he refilled the cup.
"Oh loads..." Sesshoumaru murmured back as something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A large group of women/girls had gathered not fifty feet from Atomu and himself.
They were all whispering and looking his way and giggling, until they noticed he was looking at them and almost everyone blushed and giggled louder. Atomu had turned to see what had taught his friend's attention and turned about quickly upon seeing their reaction to Sesshoumaru.
"I think I'm going to be sick." He whispered roughly.
"You're not the only one..."
"Hey, wasn't that Lina in the center of them?"
"Unfortunately. She seems to be the leader of the group." Sesshoumaru sighed and quickly greeted some new arrivals. Lina was the niece of the Demon Lord of the Northern Lands.
She was very spoiled and used to getting everything her way. She was pretty, he supposed, but she had that long, obstinate hair that almost every girl did and enough makeup on t prove that her skin was anything up flawless. He cast a glance toward the group again to see her staring at him and fanning herself. He felt his stomach roll.
"I need more sake." He announced suddenly.
"Me too," Atomu agreed and filled both their cup until they were brimming.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I don't want to do this." She said suddenly, turning to face her father. Her father shook his head, which sent his long black, braided hair swinging, and sighed in exasperation.
"Why are you being so shy?" His voice reverberated in the confines of the European style carriage they rode in. The girl blushed.
"I'm not being 'shy', it's just that I don't want to go. They're having that vaschela thing today aren't they? I don't want to be rude and interrupt it."
"And why can't you participate in the vaschela? You're of marriageable age." The girl's blush deepened.
"Father! I don't even know him..."
"You've meet Sesshoumaru before."
"Oh that doesn't count, I wasn't even one."
"People both here and in Europe have been married and never met before the wedding day." He shot back, causing his daughter to sigh.
"But that's not the point here. The point is that I don't want to go at all."
"Well we are going. I want to visit InuTaisho, I haven't seen him in years." Anitsu looked over at his daughter to see her staring out the window of the carriage and smiled.
"Stop worrying about the whole tail incident, I doubt he remembers, Ikari."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By early afternoon, Sesshoumaru was exhausted and irritable. He had to spend time with woman after woman, pretending that he was trying to decide whom he wanted to marry, when in reality, he didn't care and each new woman was more annoying than the last. He had spent the entire day avoiding Lina like a plague and had been rewarded with getting intercepted by every other female in the room. 'Well,' he mused inwardly, 'as long as I'm with someone else, she won't bother me.' He was presently standing off to one side of the packed main hall and watched everyone chatting and whispering about who-knows what. Sesshoumaru reached up unconsciously and rubbed a side of his jaw, 'Mou, even my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.'
"If you keep disappearing everyone is going to think you're antisocial." Atomu said smiling as he came up to him with a glass in his hand.
"Water?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyeing his friend.
"I figured if I kept bringing you sake, by the end of the day you'd be so drunk you might actually decide to marry one of them." Sesshoumaru smiled at his friend and put a hand on his
shoulder.
"Thank you for being so considerate of my well being." He said sarcastically.
"Anytime." Atomu smiled back.
Sesshoumaru drank the water quickly handed back the glass saying,
"I'd better get back out there and mingle with the last of them so I don't offend anybody."
"Have fun." His friend waved and walked away. Sesshoumaru turned to walk forward but suddenly found a small body with large pink eyes staring at him. Sesshoumaru forced a smile onto his face.
"Hello Lina." He said mildly.
"You've yet to come talk with me and my family milord." She said boldly with a small pout on her lips. Sesshoumaru made an effort not to wince. 'Does she think that's attractive?'
"I was just on my way to do just that." He commented quietly. A large smile spread across her small face.
"I thought so! You were just going by that saying: 'Save the best for last.' Weren't you milord?"
Sesshoumaru just smiled at her, causing her to giggle and she started to weave her way to where her family sat, with him following some feet behind her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Anitsu had to practically drag his reluctant daughter toward the demon lord's castle after passing the guards. He really didn't understand what her problem was today; she had never acted this shy before.
"I already told you not to worry about the tail thing Ikari."
"That's easy for you to say." She snarled back.
"He probably doesn't remember."
"Unless he's been reminded about it his entire life like I have." She glared at him.
"I doubt he has. His mother died not long after that so I imagine everyone avoided mentioning that general time entirely." He said seriously. Ikari didn't respond.
Anitsu sighed and grabbed her hand, leading her into the castle. A servant met them as they made their way to the main hall.
"Who may I tell Lord InuTaisho is calling?" he asked humbly.
"Tell him Lord Anitsu and Lady Ikari have come to see him." He replied haughtily, sounding every bit the lord that he was. The servant bowed low and went to the hall while they waited. Ikari took the time to take in her surrounds and was taken aback by the rich coloring of the décor. Almost every other castle she had ever been in had been ever drafty and the most decoration had been a few tapestries and paintings. Here, the entire walls seemed to be covered in cloths of every possible print and color. It gave the place a very welcoming feeling. The return of the servant interrupted any further observation.
"Lord InuTaisho will see you in the great hall." He said bowing lowly.
"Lead on." Anitsu said briefly accompanied with a gesture of his hand.
Ikari couldn't stifle her gasp when she entered the huge hall and found it almost totally full of yokai of every shape and size possible. 'I wonder what Sesshoumaru looks like?' she wondered as her eyes swept across the room. Her view was obstructed however when a large man came up and hugged her father. He was a couple of inches taller than her father with shoulder length white hair and warm, dark gold eyes.
"Gods Anitsu, it's been forever since I last saw you!" The demon lord exclaimed as he held his friend at a distance.
"When ever I was in Japan I never got a chance to come see you. So this time I came here first." He said smiling at his long-time friend, it was then he remembered his daughter.
"InuTaisho, you remember Ikari don't you?" He said as he put his arm around her slim waist and pulled her forward.
InuTaisho's face lit up with surprise at seeing the tall, young woman bow at the waist before him. She had been a baby when he had last seen her but she had definitely grown up. Her hair had lightened to a dark purple instead of almost black, and it cascaded down her back to her waist in soft waves. While her hair had changed her eyes had stayed the striking green they had been as a babe, the same as her mother's.
"Of course I do!" He announced proudly as he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "And you've grown up beautifully, Ikari." She blushed slightly at his comment.
"Thank you milord." She murmured quietly. He smiled in response before something behind her caught his attention.
"Atomu! Where's Sesshoumaru?" he asked the young man as Ikari turned to look at him.
"I believe he is still out mingling, milord." He answered with a shallow bow.
"Well go get him, and tell him there is someone here he should meet." InuTaisho commanded him, and with another shallow bow, the young man, Atomu, was gone.
Atomu walked away briskly as he cast one last glance at the girl near his lord. InuTaisho apparently knew her, but he did not. And, despite his lack of interest in the opposite sex, Atomu had to admit that she was very pretty. He smirked to himself as he saw Sesshoumaru walking to the refreshments that had been set up on one side of the hall and jogged quickly over to him. When he reached him, Sesshoumaru had downed another cup sake and had started to fill another when Atomu took the bottle away from him.
"You can't get took drunk, your father wants you."
"What for now? I just spent and hour and a half with Lina and her family." The demon prince snarled.
"He says there is someone he wants you to meet." His friend said mildly.
With his comment, Sesshoumaru looked up to the raised dais that his father was currently standing on near his and Sesshoumaru's thrones sat. He could see a man talking with his father, and judging by the look on his father's face, he was obviously a friend of his. The man's hair was kept back in a long, thick black braid with a few wisps that had fallen out framing his face and yellow eyes. Sesshoumaru squinted a little bit. His father's body was blocking someone's body from his view; all he could see occasionally was a quick glimpse of purple. Under normal circumstances, Sesshoumaru would have been able to smell the person, and thereby learn much about them, but the hall was so filled with the smells of some many demons that picking out one was impossible. With a wary shrug of his slim shoulders, Sesshoumaru weaved his way through the crowd toward the dais with Atomu close behind.
InuTaisho saw his son's approach first and called out to him, drawing Anitsu's and Ikari's attention to him. Anitsu couldn't believe how much Sesshoumaru had grown to look like his mother and Ikari couldn't believe that this was a real person. His skin was a flawless ivory, interrupted only by two crimson stripes on each cheek and a mauve crescent moon on his forehead where his bangs parted. His hair spilled down from the top of his head onto his shoulders and down his back like a moon-kissed waterfall to brush the backs of his knees. And set in his porcelain face were two, pure gold eyes, which at the moment were displaying slight agitation. Who ever had chosen his clothing had impeccable tastes; the black set off his pale skin perfectly, the gold trim matched his eyes, and the red and purple embroidery set off his markings. It was then Ikari noticed a large amount of fluff wrapped around his right shoulder. Ikari's eyes widened noticeably as a vibrant blush color her face and neck as she looked away, praying that he didn't remember, especially now that she had seen him.
"Sesshoumaru, this an old friend of mine, Lord Anitsu." InuTaisho introduce his friend with a slight flare of his hand. Sesshoumaru said nothing but bowed low to him. Anitsu smiled at him and pulled his ever-hiding daughter out from behind his friend. He couldn't help but notice the blush that was raging across her face and grinned at her mortified look.
"And this," he started, "is my daughter, Ikari."
Sesshoumaru straightened to look at the girl when his breath suddenly hitched in his throat. She was tall, maybe four inches shorter than himself; she had slightly golden skin without a drop of makeup to ruin her complexion. 'Golden skin? From being outdoors?' he mused as he gazed at her. Shockingly green eyes were set in an oval face surrounded by plum colored hair that tumbled down to her waist in waves. Her kimono was a soft lilac color with a darker tiger lily pattern on the sleeves and bottom hem. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at her; she was giving off a strange scent of trepidation; she seemed very worried over something that involved him. 'Her father does look slightly familiar, but I don't remember her.' He glanced over at her father, trying to place him, and then it hit him. 'He's the guy that was I meet shortly before mother died. It was him, his wife, whose name he could place and his...daughter...' Sesshoumaru couldn't help the smile that spread over his features; the girl was obviously worried that he would remember that it was her that had bitten his tail all those years ago, and so, for her sake, he wouldn't bring it up. At least, not yet. He bowed low before her saying as sweetly as possible:
"It is a pleasure meeting you my lady." Upon his declaration, he could sense the relief that seemed to flood off of her when he said nothing about the incident.
"The pleasure is mine." She said pleasantly, bowing as well.
Anistu and InuTaisho couldn't help but notice the little interlude between their children and smiled knowingly at each other. Sesshoumaru and Ikari both rose and he glanced out one of the high windows in the hall, judging the time.
"Am I permitted to call off this thing now? It's about two and a half hours till sunset." He asked sourly, looking at his father.
"Did you decide on anyone?" His father asked, hopefully.
"You're actually asking?" was his annoyed response. InuTaisho sighed ruefully.
"Fine, but don't tell them that. Give a little speech and make sure you don't hurt anyone's feelings. Lay it on thick." He instructed sagely. Sesshoumaru nodded then turned to face the
milling crowd beneath him.
Ikari could tell that the prince was very annoyed with the whole situation, and was, for some reason, quite relived. The thought of him picking out a bride from his group made some unknown emotion bubble up inside of her. Sesshoumaru had to clear his throat several times before everyone was silent and attentive.
"My Lords and Ladies, I would like to thank you all very much for coming out here today, many of you traveled long distances to be here. I regret to announce that I have been unable to come to a decision today, given how many" he swallowed heavily before smiling again, "beautiful and charming women that are here for me to choose from. But be assured that I will continue to ponder out my decision and will be in contact. Thank you again."
Everyone seemed happy when they were leaving, no one seemed to have taken offense but every parent was sure that their daughter would be the one he would pick. Sesshoumaru was all smiles when everyone was leaving, until the very last one was on their way home. Upon that time he trudged inside and literally threw himself onto a pile of pillows that had been place around for people to sit and lounge on.
"You have no idea how happy I am that its over." He said to no one in particular. His father answered him.
"Yes, yes. You can eat now too. I know you haven't had a chance to eat all day. I wasn't expecting that many people to show."
A mischievous chuckle filled the hall, drawing all eyes to the prince.
"Food," He said dreamily. "I haven't had any food since yesterday morning."
Ikari couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips at the sight he made. Here was the Demon Prince of the Western Lands sprawled out on a pile of pillows, daydreaming about food. It just struck her as rather funny.
Sesshoumaru popped an eye open to look at her when he heard the soft, musically laughter drift toward him. He could help but gaze at her again; everything about her seemed to fit perfectly, even her laughter. He closed his eye with a sigh. 'I wonder how long they're staying?'
AN: Yay!!! I'm done with another chapter! *does happy dance* So, Fluffy and Ikari finally meet again. I really liked writing this chapter for some reason. I guess because it was slightly mushy. I'm a romantic, I can't help it. Anyway,
Please review!!!!
Praise, neutral, and constructive criticisms are welcome.