"Hey, monkey girl!" The youkai lady motioned for Rin to come forward, and the little girl complied.
"Yes, Lady Shikyo?" The girl innocently took no insult at the name, having learned over the past week that it was often born in affection. The youkai lady examined the child, straightening a hem here or there, adjusting her oba a little. The folds of elaborate and very expensive silk made Rin look more like a sprite than a human, but Shikyo supposed that was probably best considering the crowd that was being entertained that evening.
Roughly pushing the girl off towards the hall's inhabitant entrance, she turned to her own appearance. She didn't want to wear too much make-up, or look too good for two main reasons. One being that the gossipy court ladies would assume she was trying to seduce Sesshomaru, and the other being that she just hated wearing make-up. On the other hand, if she wore too little there was always the chance she looked smug or ungrateful. All the court protocol made her want to do was vomit… Right on Lady Ichijo's kimono…
Shikyo smiled, laughing good-humoredly at that appetizing thought. Straightening a rumple in her skirts she examined her reflection. The golden designs of waves and ships matched her golden hair-broach, and left a wonderful contrast to its sapphire background. The sparkle in her skin, developed from nights of moon-hunting, was brought out by the natural accents of what little make-up she wore. The hair-style was designed to soften her wild features, which had lured many a wild youkai, but was thought 'unladylike' by many lords of the court.
Enough primping! One would think you wanted to impress someone! She thought to herself, adding a note of mental scolding for being so meticulous. All he did was grant you sanctuary! With that final note, and a slight blush which she thanked the heavens the make-up hid, she strode out into the great hall, where the earlier guests were already beginning to mill about.
In the past week he'd had enough court life and women trying to seduce him that he was sure he was going to be sick. The humans may be onto something with theirs vows of chastity… He mentally muttered, walking up and down the carpet of his private chambers in what was the first outward display of nervousness he'd shown in years. His indifferent and offhanded way of dealing with everything was beginning to give under various pressures. The endless questions about Rin were enough to drive him mad, but he also had to deal with the ball/meeting this evening, the damnable court ladies who had the most outrageous ideas about how to woo him, and Shikyo…
Ever since her mother threatened to have the guards gut her if she showed her face in public again, Shikyo had been under his parlay of sanctuary, and there was no youkai lord or lady on the islands who would dare attempt to harm someone under his sanctuary. The Lady Shikyo had done seemingly everything in her power to break every court protocol she knew of whenever she was in his presence, and to Sesshomaru's livid exasperation, he enjoyed her antics. What, by the dictate of nearly every court code, should anger him, he reveled in. Not to mention her confusing behavior about Rin. Most court ladies made snide and dirty comments about the girl to each other in her presence, but Shikyo teased to an almost cruel level, simply having the nerve to address the girl. And yet Rin showed a confounding affinity for the youkai female, that Sesshomaru had signed off to some feminine matter he merely couldn't see.
His mind reeled to a screeching halt as he forcefully removed his mind from that subject. He had already applied far too much energy to that particular guest. Now for the other hundred or so lords and ladies who were to arrive that night…
He had already hand-selected the kitchen staff (Aika had informed him that twelve prominent youkai had been poisoned within the last year). The chamber for discussion had been set aside and readied, and the guest list had already been checked twice. Not that uninvited guest didn't arrive anyway, he had also accounted for that in food. All that was left was preparing himself mentally for the bombardment that faced him. Those who avoided sensitive subjects even when they're necessary, those who are too blunt once they've had too much sake, those who get in arguments, and those who (he shuddered) flirted shamelessly. These were the ones he had to prepare himself for, and he was quite sure as he opened to door to the great hall that some others would come to mind by the time the evening was done.
((AN what do you think? I changed the format a little to help myself get used to this, considering it's the form most ppl on this site use. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated, please R&R))