Chapter Nine: Slip Up
It had been almost two full weeks since Kagome had last seen Inuyasha. So this time she'd decided to take it upon herself to find him, hoping and praying that he would be alone in his room. There was always the good excuse that she was just cleaning up, and Kagome had to constantly remind herself of what she'd say exactly in the situation if she were caught.
So, feeling slightly apprehensive and edgy, Kagome stealthily made her way through the halls until she came to Inuyasha's room. She didn't knock, which may have been her first mistake.
"I fail to see the problem with all of this, Inuyasha." Yumari said, though she knew exactly what the problem was.
"I don't like games, mother." Inuyasha stated simply, decidedly looking anywhere but at Kikyou, who was beside his mother's throne.
Yumari raised an eyebrow at her son. "I assumed this was a legitimate marriage, as I am allowed to choose a mate for my son if he does not find one himself."
This was seriously shortening Inuyasha's temper. "And did you give me a chance to find one on my own? Tell me mother, when was it that you told me I had only so much time to find myself a mate? And why is it that you're so concerned with me finding someone, when Sesshoumaru is much older and still alone?"
"Was it wrong of me to worry about my son? I assumed that favoritism wasn't something you frowned upon."
His fists were balled at his sides, and he had to struggle internally to keep from growling very audibly. "I already have a mate."
This froze the room. The youkai guards at the door knew he was lying, but as both Yumari and Kikyou were human, there was no way for them to tell unless they looked for a mark, in which case they'd be assuming he'd found a youkai female... which he hadn't.
Kikyou smirked. Inuyasha was lying very well indeed... "You have no mate, my Prince."
"You're nothing but a human priestess, Kikyou. So I'd stay quiet if I were you." Inuyasha threatened.
She was not afraid of what Inuyasha might be able to do to her, but if he betrayed her secret there was no telling her fate.
"And if you were anyone else you'd have been killed by now," Yumari stated coldly. Her features softened in an expression of love for the son she had in front of her. "Now I'm only doing what I think is best for you."
"If you thought it was best for me, why didn't you say anything before now about it?" Inuyasha asked, and left the room as quickly as possible.
"I knew that the half breed had been seeing you for quite sometime, but I didn't think that it would have grown to the extent of this... Are you used to coming in without knocking now?"
Kagome froze, staring at the door. She hadn't noticed that anyone was in his rooms, but she'd gone and shut the door behind her anyway, figuring that she'd wait. After all, two weeks was a long time to go without seeing Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru stood off to the side of the elaborate room, beside a mahogany table. There was the familiar superiority in his gaze, as if waiting for someone to contradict him in any way. The icy glare made Kagome squirm.
"Never, Prince Sesshoumaru." Kagome answered, her voice quiet, almost a whisper.
"Then why did you just now?" He was going to question her to death, Kagome was sure.
"It was an accident, Prince Sesshoumaru." He wouldn't win, Kagome was sure of that, too.
His smirk became more pronounced, and he advanced on her slowly, as if stalking prey. "And what is your purpose here?"
His hardened stare didn't frighten her... "I was sent to clean, as I normally do."
"And what, exactly, makes you think that this is the proper time to clean? If you didn't already know, Prince Inuyasha is being taught at this time on normal days." Sesshoumaru informed her. There was definitely a look of triumph in his eyes.
Kagome's eyes widened once again in surprise. "I am sorry, Prince Sesshoumaru."
"No matter, but be careful to watch your step, Higurashi. You are dismissed," Sesshoumaru said.
Kagome left without another word, and she knew that her last mistake before leaving was forgetting to bow to her superior.
Damn. He'd been so close to catching the little brat. But now Sesshoumaru was sure he'd scared Higurashi, and hadn't even gotten what he wanted. Damn it all, it just wasn't right.
Miroku went down the path that he'd found out about over a year ago, when he'd first met Kagome. Before he'd met her, he'd only ever seen glimpses of her and maybe had a small hello, despite living in the same hut. How he'd come along this path in the first place was beyond him, as the damn thing was almost invisible.
"Kagome?" He called.
Whenever Kagome would sneak off from chores and the like, she'd always come here, to this little beach under the cliff side and the weeping willows. She was sometimes so predictable that it made Miroku laugh.
There wasn't an answer after he called, though he suspected as such. Miroku was about to turn around and go back up the path, but a conversation reached his ears.
"All you must do is wait."
Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "And just what is supposed to happen? What do I do once I have her, other than go to Yumari?"
Sesshoumaru knew that the monk was listening very closely, and it was all for the better. Kikyou was obviously too engrossed in the conversation to notice the straggling human, though he was extremely noisy.
He shrugged. "As long as Yumari has seen her face and knows why you showed her in the first place, that is all you need to do. After that, I don't care what you do with the human."
No use for names, Sesshoumaru thought, it was plain to the monk exactly what was going on.
"And what time will she come?"
"Questions do not fit you at all, miko." Sesshoumaru noted. "But she will come at midnight, when she thinks no one listens."
Miroku stared from his hiding place. He'd been so sure that it might have been Kagome and Inuyasha after all. How could he mistake them for those cold and brutal beasts? And hearing at least what must have been half the conversation, he could tell that it was getting too risky for Kagome to meet Inuyasha at all.
Hearing Kikyou then dismissed, Miroku ran from the path and shot over to the second, smaller dojo, where he knew to find Sango. There was something they could do for their friend, surely...
Later that night....
Kagome yawned. It was getting to her to have to stay up this late to see Inuyasha. Sure, he was hanyou; he could stand to go for a few days without total sleep. But she was human, and it was beginning to show when she didn't get the rest her body needed. Slipping quietly out of bed from next to Sango (they only had three beds), Kagome made sure that everyone was asleep before leaving the hut.
Once outside, Kagome walked quickly from behind tree to tree, trying hard not to be seen in case someone else from the lines of huts beside her own was awake. The huts were all the same, all with shoji screens for doors and small patios filled with personal possessions. There were eight huts in each row, and four rows that Kagome slipped past. The hut that she shared with Kaede, Miroku, and Sango was in the far off eastern corner, far from the castle and most prying eyes of other servants.
Finding the familiar path, Kagome broke into a run. It'd been a while since she'd seen Inuyasha. She rushed past the dark trees and the scraggily plants, finally bursting out into the sandy beach.
Right into Kikyou.
Sesshoumaru could tell that there was only so much more time before Inuyasha left without approval, and the hanyou was getting on his nerves. He'd called his brother here nearly half an hour before midnight, making sure that Kikyou would have plenty of time to catch Higurashi.
"This is wrong, Sesshoumaru, I will not present it." Inuyasha growled, throwing aside the parchment proposition.
"Little brother, may I remind you of all the secrets you possess? If I let one word slip of the miko, I could make it seem as if you were the one who betrayed her."
Inuyasha's ears flattened closer to his head as his anger came closer to the surface. "You do this yourself. I don't care about what Kikyou could think—the betrayal wouldn't matter smell what I do on her flesh."
Ignoring his elder brother completely, Inuyasha left the room. Sesshoumaru didn't care; he'd gotten what he wanted. It was now half past midnight.
"Sesshoumaru was right. I see I can trust his instincts, at the most." Kikyou murmured.
Kagome froze on the spot. The smirk plastered on the miko's face worried her. There were a lot of questions left unanswered for this. For instance, why was Kikyou here? How did she know about Inuyasha and her meeting? And how did she get here in the first place? Few people could find the path that led here. Fewer people even knew that there was a beach at all below the cliff.
"What're you doing here?" Kagome asked, immediately cautious.
"Fixing a tiny mistake." Kikyou said smoothly.
From the sides of the cliff jumped down two youkai guards, sufficient enough to hold Kagome. Kikyou accompanied them up the path, leading the way to the castle.
Inuyasha sniffed his way around the beach, not liking what he could smell there. Kikyou, that clay monster, had his Kagome. Following the scents as fast as he could, he hoped that he wasn't too late for whatever Kikyou had in store for her.
"So..."
Yumari circled the servant, very aware of Kikyou's presence in the corner. She dismissed it for the moment; she would speak with her later. Kagome looked almost exactly as her mother had. There was even a hint of defiance around her. Yumari could certainly find a way to rid her of that.
"You're the one who has been seducing my son." Yumari announced, feeling Kagome's glare as she turned to the open window. "Feel free to say that I am wrong if you can present evidence, dear. But I have the feeling that it's very true."
Yumari didn't speak for a while. She thought it better to let Kagome stew over her words, rather than come to the point immediately. Inside, she was fuming. A servant, dare to attempt being with her son?
"While you are aware of certain... arrangements... I have made concerning Prince Inuyasha, I'm certain that I cannot just tell you to stop and be done with it. No, dear, I think not." Yumari started. "I think we shall whip it out of you, for defiance."
AN: I'm really sorry for the huge ass wait; I've had a lot to deal with since before I started this story. Not only that, but I truly dug myself a hole with Sesshoumaru's plan. My hole was that I didn't have one... cries But now I'm back, and with summer vacation and all, I'm going to give you weekly updates. I hope. But please don't leave me!!!! This is the most attention for a story I've ever had! I also realize that this is so far a little holey in answers... I swear I'll incorporate them somehow.
It had been almost two full weeks since Kagome had last seen Inuyasha. So this time she'd decided to take it upon herself to find him, hoping and praying that he would be alone in his room. There was always the good excuse that she was just cleaning up, and Kagome had to constantly remind herself of what she'd say exactly in the situation if she were caught.
So, feeling slightly apprehensive and edgy, Kagome stealthily made her way through the halls until she came to Inuyasha's room. She didn't knock, which may have been her first mistake.
"I fail to see the problem with all of this, Inuyasha." Yumari said, though she knew exactly what the problem was.
"I don't like games, mother." Inuyasha stated simply, decidedly looking anywhere but at Kikyou, who was beside his mother's throne.
Yumari raised an eyebrow at her son. "I assumed this was a legitimate marriage, as I am allowed to choose a mate for my son if he does not find one himself."
This was seriously shortening Inuyasha's temper. "And did you give me a chance to find one on my own? Tell me mother, when was it that you told me I had only so much time to find myself a mate? And why is it that you're so concerned with me finding someone, when Sesshoumaru is much older and still alone?"
"Was it wrong of me to worry about my son? I assumed that favoritism wasn't something you frowned upon."
His fists were balled at his sides, and he had to struggle internally to keep from growling very audibly. "I already have a mate."
This froze the room. The youkai guards at the door knew he was lying, but as both Yumari and Kikyou were human, there was no way for them to tell unless they looked for a mark, in which case they'd be assuming he'd found a youkai female... which he hadn't.
Kikyou smirked. Inuyasha was lying very well indeed... "You have no mate, my Prince."
"You're nothing but a human priestess, Kikyou. So I'd stay quiet if I were you." Inuyasha threatened.
She was not afraid of what Inuyasha might be able to do to her, but if he betrayed her secret there was no telling her fate.
"And if you were anyone else you'd have been killed by now," Yumari stated coldly. Her features softened in an expression of love for the son she had in front of her. "Now I'm only doing what I think is best for you."
"If you thought it was best for me, why didn't you say anything before now about it?" Inuyasha asked, and left the room as quickly as possible.
"I knew that the half breed had been seeing you for quite sometime, but I didn't think that it would have grown to the extent of this... Are you used to coming in without knocking now?"
Kagome froze, staring at the door. She hadn't noticed that anyone was in his rooms, but she'd gone and shut the door behind her anyway, figuring that she'd wait. After all, two weeks was a long time to go without seeing Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru stood off to the side of the elaborate room, beside a mahogany table. There was the familiar superiority in his gaze, as if waiting for someone to contradict him in any way. The icy glare made Kagome squirm.
"Never, Prince Sesshoumaru." Kagome answered, her voice quiet, almost a whisper.
"Then why did you just now?" He was going to question her to death, Kagome was sure.
"It was an accident, Prince Sesshoumaru." He wouldn't win, Kagome was sure of that, too.
His smirk became more pronounced, and he advanced on her slowly, as if stalking prey. "And what is your purpose here?"
His hardened stare didn't frighten her... "I was sent to clean, as I normally do."
"And what, exactly, makes you think that this is the proper time to clean? If you didn't already know, Prince Inuyasha is being taught at this time on normal days." Sesshoumaru informed her. There was definitely a look of triumph in his eyes.
Kagome's eyes widened once again in surprise. "I am sorry, Prince Sesshoumaru."
"No matter, but be careful to watch your step, Higurashi. You are dismissed," Sesshoumaru said.
Kagome left without another word, and she knew that her last mistake before leaving was forgetting to bow to her superior.
Damn. He'd been so close to catching the little brat. But now Sesshoumaru was sure he'd scared Higurashi, and hadn't even gotten what he wanted. Damn it all, it just wasn't right.
Miroku went down the path that he'd found out about over a year ago, when he'd first met Kagome. Before he'd met her, he'd only ever seen glimpses of her and maybe had a small hello, despite living in the same hut. How he'd come along this path in the first place was beyond him, as the damn thing was almost invisible.
"Kagome?" He called.
Whenever Kagome would sneak off from chores and the like, she'd always come here, to this little beach under the cliff side and the weeping willows. She was sometimes so predictable that it made Miroku laugh.
There wasn't an answer after he called, though he suspected as such. Miroku was about to turn around and go back up the path, but a conversation reached his ears.
"All you must do is wait."
Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "And just what is supposed to happen? What do I do once I have her, other than go to Yumari?"
Sesshoumaru knew that the monk was listening very closely, and it was all for the better. Kikyou was obviously too engrossed in the conversation to notice the straggling human, though he was extremely noisy.
He shrugged. "As long as Yumari has seen her face and knows why you showed her in the first place, that is all you need to do. After that, I don't care what you do with the human."
No use for names, Sesshoumaru thought, it was plain to the monk exactly what was going on.
"And what time will she come?"
"Questions do not fit you at all, miko." Sesshoumaru noted. "But she will come at midnight, when she thinks no one listens."
Miroku stared from his hiding place. He'd been so sure that it might have been Kagome and Inuyasha after all. How could he mistake them for those cold and brutal beasts? And hearing at least what must have been half the conversation, he could tell that it was getting too risky for Kagome to meet Inuyasha at all.
Hearing Kikyou then dismissed, Miroku ran from the path and shot over to the second, smaller dojo, where he knew to find Sango. There was something they could do for their friend, surely...
Later that night....
Kagome yawned. It was getting to her to have to stay up this late to see Inuyasha. Sure, he was hanyou; he could stand to go for a few days without total sleep. But she was human, and it was beginning to show when she didn't get the rest her body needed. Slipping quietly out of bed from next to Sango (they only had three beds), Kagome made sure that everyone was asleep before leaving the hut.
Once outside, Kagome walked quickly from behind tree to tree, trying hard not to be seen in case someone else from the lines of huts beside her own was awake. The huts were all the same, all with shoji screens for doors and small patios filled with personal possessions. There were eight huts in each row, and four rows that Kagome slipped past. The hut that she shared with Kaede, Miroku, and Sango was in the far off eastern corner, far from the castle and most prying eyes of other servants.
Finding the familiar path, Kagome broke into a run. It'd been a while since she'd seen Inuyasha. She rushed past the dark trees and the scraggily plants, finally bursting out into the sandy beach.
Right into Kikyou.
Sesshoumaru could tell that there was only so much more time before Inuyasha left without approval, and the hanyou was getting on his nerves. He'd called his brother here nearly half an hour before midnight, making sure that Kikyou would have plenty of time to catch Higurashi.
"This is wrong, Sesshoumaru, I will not present it." Inuyasha growled, throwing aside the parchment proposition.
"Little brother, may I remind you of all the secrets you possess? If I let one word slip of the miko, I could make it seem as if you were the one who betrayed her."
Inuyasha's ears flattened closer to his head as his anger came closer to the surface. "You do this yourself. I don't care about what Kikyou could think—the betrayal wouldn't matter smell what I do on her flesh."
Ignoring his elder brother completely, Inuyasha left the room. Sesshoumaru didn't care; he'd gotten what he wanted. It was now half past midnight.
"Sesshoumaru was right. I see I can trust his instincts, at the most." Kikyou murmured.
Kagome froze on the spot. The smirk plastered on the miko's face worried her. There were a lot of questions left unanswered for this. For instance, why was Kikyou here? How did she know about Inuyasha and her meeting? And how did she get here in the first place? Few people could find the path that led here. Fewer people even knew that there was a beach at all below the cliff.
"What're you doing here?" Kagome asked, immediately cautious.
"Fixing a tiny mistake." Kikyou said smoothly.
From the sides of the cliff jumped down two youkai guards, sufficient enough to hold Kagome. Kikyou accompanied them up the path, leading the way to the castle.
Inuyasha sniffed his way around the beach, not liking what he could smell there. Kikyou, that clay monster, had his Kagome. Following the scents as fast as he could, he hoped that he wasn't too late for whatever Kikyou had in store for her.
"So..."
Yumari circled the servant, very aware of Kikyou's presence in the corner. She dismissed it for the moment; she would speak with her later. Kagome looked almost exactly as her mother had. There was even a hint of defiance around her. Yumari could certainly find a way to rid her of that.
"You're the one who has been seducing my son." Yumari announced, feeling Kagome's glare as she turned to the open window. "Feel free to say that I am wrong if you can present evidence, dear. But I have the feeling that it's very true."
Yumari didn't speak for a while. She thought it better to let Kagome stew over her words, rather than come to the point immediately. Inside, she was fuming. A servant, dare to attempt being with her son?
"While you are aware of certain... arrangements... I have made concerning Prince Inuyasha, I'm certain that I cannot just tell you to stop and be done with it. No, dear, I think not." Yumari started. "I think we shall whip it out of you, for defiance."
AN: I'm really sorry for the huge ass wait; I've had a lot to deal with since before I started this story. Not only that, but I truly dug myself a hole with Sesshoumaru's plan. My hole was that I didn't have one... cries But now I'm back, and with summer vacation and all, I'm going to give you weekly updates. I hope. But please don't leave me!!!! This is the most attention for a story I've ever had! I also realize that this is so far a little holey in answers... I swear I'll incorporate them somehow.