After a little time had passed and Sakura got herself under control, she pushed herself away from Shippou's hold. He reluctantly let go, but did so all the same, knowing she must need some space after all that. She wiped some rogue tears from her eyes silently and sucked in her sniffles, trying to regain all her control and composure.
Slowly, she looked at him and sighed. She really had missed him and just being before him was like coming home from being away for so long. "Shippou," she breathed. "I can't believe it's really you."
Shippou smiled softly and shrugged a little. "I grew a little," he said jokingly. He'd actually shot up a lot in height and changed tremendously. "You look different as well. Certainly living up to your title there, my Lady."
"Oh stop it Shippou. I am not a real Lady. They might have given me the title, but they really don't think I am," she said, anger rising in her chest and she turned from him. She began to pace a little, going from the edge of the garden pond to the balcony that oversaw the courtyard below. "Marriage and mating; all that just to be a ruler. Why isn't just being me enough? I don't need any male."
The words wrenched at his heart a little but he brushed them off. She needed to talk, not to be cuddle and cooed over. "Being you is more than enough. They just haven't seen it yet," he said simply, moving to stand beside her but not close enough to touch her.
"Well they need to see it," she snapped, scowling out into the night air. She toyed silently with her fingers before sighing and turning to her old friend. "It's all too much. I just want to go home and be simple. I don't want to be demon, human, Lord, Lady, or anything. I just want home. And my family." At the thought tears threatened to fall again and she had to turn away.
"Where are they all? Where did you all go so long ago?" she whispered, her voice filled with sudden hurt and betrayal.
Reaching for her, he placed a light hand on her shoulder for comfort but she quickly moved out of his reach. "We -", he said and then paused, "Everyone thought it was for the best. Sesshomaru insisted that you were better off with him for training and everything."
"So you all just let me? Just like that? All alone," she said furiously, whirling around to face him so he could see the building fury and hurt in her amber eyes. "You left me with no comfort…with no one." She caught herself at that point. They had left her with someone, Kyran. Then she scowled. He had even abandoned her for someone else…for Rin.
Shippou was at a loss for words. It all sounded so damning to him but it wasn't like that at all. They had done it for her good, not for her unhappiness. "Sakura, I -", but before he could finish, Sesshomaru stepped onto the foyer.
"Lady Sakura, Lord FoxFire," he said nodding his head stiffly and ever so slightly at Shippou. His attention then swept to Sakura, who had instantly turned her back to him the moment he'd stepped outside, wanting to compose herself. "Come along Sakura. We have matters to attend to."
The command was said so coolly and so even that Shippou was sure the Sakura he knew would rise against it. Waiting for it and expecting it, he turned to her.
Sakura finally faced the two. Her face was emotionless, like her uncle. Her eyes held traces of emotion that was there only a few moments before but was quickly fading. "Alright my Lord. I shall accompany you then. I believe the Lord from the North and I were just finished with our conversation," she said, her voice so steely that Shippou could have sworn the temperature dropped. Without a second glance his way, she followed Sesshomaru off the foyer and back inside.
Torn and shaken, Shippou came to lean against the balcony edge and stare out below. 'What happened here? She can't honestly think all that is true. She can't. I won't let her walk out of my life again. I simply won't have it happen.' And with that thought firmly planted in his mind, the Lord of the North went back inside to join the others in polite conversation.
Sakura didn't look his way for the rest of the night but chatted quietly with Lord Fujidaro and even Lord Doriam. Once she excused herself and exited for the night, the Lords mingled between each other and discussed the topic of her. Shippou excused himself shortly after Sakura, going to sulk and think in his room of the new Lady.
Another was also thinking of the new Lady, but not quite in the same way. Lord Doriam didn't have plans that revolved of settling old friendships, but of building romance and seducing the new Lady into being his mate. He would have her, he thought with an arrogant smirk and barely listening to someone talking to him, whether she likes it or not.
AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry this took soooo long. I'm really trying to get back into the swing of things. Keep sending the reviews and I'll keep writing! Please tell me any predictions you have, concerns, critism, or anything else. Thanks!
