Chapter 3

"Kohana," Kirai said excitedly and ran down the outer walkway of the palace to her cousin. The object of her attentions smiled brightly and knelt to better embrace the young girl. Kirai looked up, her eyes widening, "You've gotten so pretty Kohana!" she said brightly and watched as her cousin turned red in the cheeks. Her companion made a soft sound of sarcasm.

"Oh Kei, you got pretty too," Kirai teased, moving from Kohana's arms to leap into Kei's, who caught her easily. She giggled happily before being set down. Kei's cheeks flushed at the open display of affection that she lavished on him and smiled, something that pleased his sister. It had been many years since Keitaro had smiled so fully from the heart.

"I'm going to be performing at your dinner," Kirai announced cheerfully, "I've become very good at the harp."

Kei nodded slowly, looking around the gardens forlornly, the memories of this place many years ago still weighing on his mind. Kirai stepped up and took his hand in hers, noticing how sad he suddenly seemed.

"Come with me, I have a surprise for you," she said and lead them towards their rooms. She paused before one, and slid open the door, motioning for him to enter. He saw that it was her room. She knelt beside a straw basket and carefully pulled out a small bundle, before turning to present it to him. Dust and age wafted up to his nose, along with something else. He quickly pulled the package from her arms, and opened it.

"Kei," Kohana whispered as her brother looked up at her with shining happy eyes.

"It's Rose 'hana, it smells like Rose! It's faint, but still there!" he said excitedly before looking at his cousin. Kirai was sitting there looking very pleased with herself.

"I found it in one of the abandoned rooms, and the tanuki servant who cleans the rooms told me about it. She said that it belonged to your wife, so I made sure to keep it safe for you."

Kei pulled her close in a tight embrace, "Thank you Kirai, I won't forget this!"

Kirai blushed and rose to her feet, "Come, let me show you your rooms so you can wash from your trip. I'm sure Grandfather will want to see both of you as soon as possible.

Sesshoumaru watched passively as Keitaro and Kohana entered the dining chamber and bowed respectfully towards him, as was customary. He might have been the heir, but Kei had been well trained in the customs that befitted him, and until he resigned or died, Sesshoumaru would always be his better.

They rose from their bow to see the rest of the party assembled were still bowing towards them and they gave the customary acknowledgement before moving over to their seats to the right of their lord and kneeling. This was the signal for the servants to quickly move to bring the meals.

Keitaro fidgeted only slightly in his robes, feeling a little uncomfortable in the weight of so many layers, and gave an amazed glance at his sister who seemed to have no difficulties, despite the fact she was wearing a 12 layer kimono.

"The trick is not to remember the number," he heard her whisper so faintly he almost missed it.

"Doesn't make the damned things any lighter, I can't believe we're stuck wearing these things again. I don't think anyone has worn these in a few centuries, at least since Grandmother Izayoi," he growled back faintly.

"Longer, thankfully it is a rare occasion that we are forced to this formality," Sesshoumaru added, shifting his shoulder slightly to alleviate some of the weight from her shoulder, where a large wound was the only reminded that an arm had been attached there. Megahna shot them a look from her feet, her eyebrow twitching slightly, but protocol didn't allow her to say anything out loud.

Kohana glanced over to her left, at the amazingly silent Kirai, who ate her rice with the diminutive actions of a mouse.

"Something the matter?" she whispered under her breath, and saw Kirai move her head slightly.

"Not allowed to speak," she whispered back.

Kohana blinked in surprise, "Why on earth not?"

Kirai glanced up at the assembled party, before bowing her head again, "Because I am ningen, and they don't like to have to remember that I'm sitting in a place of honor. Don't make a scene about it Kohana, it's only this set of diplomats, the rare important ones who seem to care."

Kohana felt the shock reach her features and quickly suppressed them. She knew that some of the old prejudice were still alive, but many had died in the past century, especially with the growing power of the humans. She clenched her hands into her robes, to try and suppress her rage.

Without another word, Kirai placed her chopsticks down, slid off her cushion and moved to the back of the room, where a kota sat waiting. Her long ebony hair fell over her shoulder and hid her face for a moment before she turned her head and began to pluck the strings lightly, using her ear to tune them lightly. After a moment of adjustment, she began a soft gentle tune, something obviously written to place the listeners at ease.

Keitaro saw his uncle glance backwards at the motion, but said nothing, the rest of his body language reflecting his attentions to the assembled court. Another large old inu-youkai lord arguing with a younger, slender male over the others lack of management in dealing with the new "human problems".

"Disgusting lot, the whole of them. And they are becoming too proud, too quickly forgetting who the real lords of this land are. I say we remind them of our power, remind them who make the earth tremble."

Kohana inhaled sharply at this suggestion, but remained as poised as she could manage. Years of court training at her uncle's hands had given her a firm reign on her visible emotions. Kei reached over beneath the table and gently touched her hand, reminding her that she wasn't alone in her anger.

"I say that a full out war would not be the best solution. Perhaps if we had acted in such a manner long ago, it would have been wise, but their population has grown too numerous. And they are not alone. New humans from across the seas have arrived to the south, traders and merchants. They speak a strange language and wear strange clothing, but they have powerful weapons. These new allies could cause us problems." Spoke up the younger one.

"You are too young to remember the power that the taiyoukai have always carried. You were barely weaned when Lord Sesshoumaru's father walked this land, a truly great warrior. He would not have allowed his enemies to have built up to such a destructive force," rebutted the older lord, slamming his palm on the floor with force to emphasize his point.

Keitaro cringed internally. He had heard this discussion before, and he had seen where this path of speech lead. His grandmother would be mentioned, Sesshoumaru would speak up in anger, and then an insult hurled, he would have to defend his father, and his mother. An ache of annoyance crept up on the bridge of his nose and he took a slow breath, waiting for the inevitable.

Sesshoumaru stood, his ever impassible mask firmly planted on his face. "We have heard this tired argument over and over again for decades now. We have never acted, and we will not act now. There are greater shows of power than mere force and brutality. Yes, the new humans do pose a growing threat, but I have been told that the humans of our lands to not accept their presence. There will be no alliance against us. Just as a sudden storm my blow up from the ocean, soon the sun will return, and all will be calm again."

The court bowed their head to him, accepting his wisdom in the matter before growing silent and continuing to eat. Sesshoumaru kneeled again, and it seemed as if the meal would grow peaceful again.

"A sudden storm may still cause much damage, perhaps damage that can never be repaired," spoke up a sharp voice, and Keitaro cringed. His aunt could never leave well enough alone.

"I say that we take a strike at these humans, new and old. Let them see our true power, frighten away any new intruders and remind those under our watch who their masters are."

"I have spoken Megahna," Sesshoumaru said calmly, but she leapt to her feet.

"As have I, I say we strike now!"

Sesshoumaru gave her a freezing glance, but said nothing. Her eyes narrowed fiercely.

"I see, it seems that you have the same affliction as your father. You have grown soft and weak towards these creatures. You have taken the half-breed under your roof and elevated them to a place that no disgusting offspring should ever reach, and now you groom a ningen bitch within these very walls. Perhaps you are preparing her for a very different life? Perhaps you will take her as your father took that human."

Kohana heard Kirai stop playing, and could smell the sudden salt in the air. Everyone in the court stared at Megahna as if she had lost her mind. Sesshoumaru simply reached for his goblet and calmly took a drink. Keitaro was growling faintly at the back of his throat.

"I am right, you have no honor, you are no taiyoukai. You disgrace the powerful lineage of your ancestors. You are barely worthy to call yourself a youkai."

The room grew uncomfortably quiet, and the air grew heavy. Kohana glanced around the room and watched as her uncle slowly placed his drink down, and rose to his feet. Never had she seen such a frozen look in his eyes and for the briefest of moments, there was something else there. Something she had seen only once. The day that Rin died.

"Return to your chambers Megahna. Prepare your belongings. In the sun's first light, you return to the Southern lands."