A/N: Goodness, it's been a year since I began posting this story! I can't believe it's been so long. Ah well, we're nearing the end here, so it won't be much longer. Certainly not another year. Haha. Anyway, read and review!
The Broken Miko
Chapter 23: Kagura's Brilliance
It was a large maple tree, the largest she had ever seen in fact. It was behind the dojo, far in the corner of Sesshoumaru's gardens. The red star-like leaves made her skin glow pink as the sun shone through the pigment. Resting against the trunk, Kagome let one of her legs hang down and touch the spindly branch beneath her.
She had been here all morning and she still had no idea what to do about Sesshoumaru's recent mood shift. After their discussion in the tunnel two days before, no one had seen the taiyoukai. Although Kagome was certain that he was fine, she was painfully aware that no others had such certainty in their hearts. Many soldiers were openly speaking of the fear they had about the war and an absent leader. Makoto had had to take several battalions in hand personally, to assure and, if necessary, threaten them so that they wouldn't spread their doubts throughout the entire city. Most of the subjects were blissfully unaware of Sesshoumaru's disappearance, but Kagome knew that if the news got out, they wouldn't be nearly as understanding as when he was taken prisoner for five months.
Her wounds were healed, her arm was whole and she felt the baby within her. Instead of feeling healthy though, her head was pounding in pain almost constantly. Makoto told her that soon, she would be faced with a decision if Sesshoumaru didn't return. She could retreat and allow one of the high lords to take the throne or she could attempt to rule the West. It was her right, he said, now that the relationship was out in the open. And it might be necessary, since one of the seven families of the city could easily decide not to give back the throne if and when Sesshoumaru returned.
If the taiyoukai was in front of her, she could have really socked him in the nose without a problem.
A strong breeze swept through the boughs of the maple, bringing down a few hundred crimson leaves. Kagome put her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. "Morning, Kagura."
She felt the weight of the wind sorceress settle onto the branch beside her. "Actually, it's afternoon. You just missed lunch. Again. Sitting out here alone isn't going to bring him back you know. Stop being so ridiculous."
The hanyou cracked open one eye. "What's the use of going inside? Going to lunch? That's not going to bring him back either."
"Of course not," Kagura said with an impatient wave of her hand, "but at least you'll give the impression that you're not completely hopeless. Half the reason the guards are worried is because you aren't doing anything to help the situation."
"I'll do something when it's necessary."
The demoness scowled. "Yes, well, that would be about now. I know what a mutiny looks like, Kagome, and you're about to have one."
With a heavy sigh, the hanyou opened both eyes and sat up straight. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. And I hate being serious like this. Deadpan wit is much more my style, but this situation has sucked all the energy from me. I can't even properly flirt with the guards."
"Perhaps that's the real reason they're in low spirits," suggested Kagome.
Kagura frowned. "See? That was my line. See how a little boredom and stress affects me? Go and do something, Kagome. At least try to find him. You already know he's not in the tree, so you've got one place covered." She opened her fan and closed it again with a snap. "I'll help if you want. Anything to get me out of this depressing place."
"I have no idea where to start. Not a clue." Kagome shrugged and twisted her fingers together. "I'm afraid that he's gone to kill his mother, but I have no idea where she is either. She was in the East, but after that bombing, she can likely move great distances in very short amounts of time."
"He hasn't gone to kill his mother," Kagura said with certainty.
The hanyou looked up at her companion, puzzlement in her eyes. "How do you know?"
"Have you ever killed your parent? I have, or at least I tried. It takes a lot of power to kill the person who brought you into the world. Emotionally and physically, it's draining, and I don't think Sesshoumaru was prepared. Tokijin is still in the castle. Nothing besides that sword and Tetsusaiga could kill her and break the bond between mother and child." She frowned and looked away. "That's why I wanted him to kill Naraku for me, in the beginning. I couldn't sever the bond with Naraku. Of course, in my situation, it was much more potent, since he literally held my heart in his hands."
Kagome tilted her head to the side. "How do you know that Tokijin is still here?"
"Can't you feel it?" asked the sorceress, her head whipping around to stare at her friend. "The evil aura from that sword is like a beacon. It permeates this place. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga have similar signatures, but they speak of protection and strength. Tokijin only calls to power. It sends a chill down my spine every time I'm close to that thing. I think that's why I was so attracted to him."
"Was?" The hanyou arched a brow. "I wasn't aware that you ever gave up a potential male."
Kagura gave her a fanged smile. "I will, just this once, for your sake. I am many things, my friend, but a mate-stealer I am not. Do you think that Keitaro has a brother?"
"Probably," Kagome answered laughing. "You would have to ask him."
"Well, I will. Now that I have you in a better mood, let's go find your delicious mate." She caught the dubious look on the hanyou's face. "What? I can think he's beautiful from a purely observant point of view. Let's go."
The pair of females jumped down to the ground and set off across the grounds towards the castle. "You realize of course, that I still have no idea where he could be," commented the girl. "When Sesshoumaru doesn't want to be found, I doubt he will be."
"You're a dog demon. Well, half of one anyway," answered Kagura. "Go sniff him out or something."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'll try. How did you always find us when I was still with Inuyasha? You always seemed to be there just when we didn't need you. It was rather uncanny."
"Kanna's mirror wasn't only for sucking out souls, you know. Naraku spied on you with some regularity."
The hanyou was rather appalled. "That's gross. He didn't catch us at inopportune times, did he?" she asked in a horrified whisper. "I mean, I can't count the times that I wouldn't want to spied upon."
"He was evil, Kagome," said the sorceress with a wicked grin. "I can't speak for every time he spied upon you, since I wasn't there all the time, but he did indeed catch you at 'inopportune times'. It got increasingly interesting as the monk and the exterminator got closer, and of course, when you and Inuyasha finally admitted to your feelings."
Kagome gave a little shriek and colored deeply. "Oh, Kami-sama," she muttered, covering her face with her hands.
"The mirror was destroyed," assured Kagura. "Although now that I see some of these males you have around here, I wish I had it again."
"You need a mate, Kagura," laughed the hanyou, trying to let go of her embarrassment. "Maybe that'll get you out of this sexual frenzy."
"I wouldn't count on it," countered her friend with a wink. "You and Nami took the good ones anyway. And as forgiving as those wolf brothers are, I think they're a bit too kind and generous for me. I need fire."
"You need a cold shower," muttered Kagome with a smile. "It couldn't hurt to be the pursued once in awhile, you know."
Kagura's grin dropped from her face. "What did you say?"
"That you should be the one that's pursued?"
The wind witch lit up again with a look that could slay the innocent and entice the evil. "I have a wonderful idea, Kagome."
Kagome drew back from her a bit. "What?" she asked slowly, with trepidation.
"Well, it's completely underhanded and cruel, but what else would you expect from me?"
"Please, go on," drawled the hanyou.
Kagura proudly pulled out her fan and pointed it towards the castle. "Everyone has connections, right? I bet you anything that Sesshoumaru knows exactly what's going on in the castle, even if he's not here himself. I mean, I've only seen that little imp of his around a couple times in the past two days, and he's always asking how things are moving along. So either he's intensely curious all of a sudden, or that toad knows where Sesshoumaru is."
"So you want to beat it out of him?" asked Kagome. "I think I can deal with that."
Kagura shook her head firmly. "Given Sesshoumaru's strange behavior, I don't think Jaken would be ready to give up that information. But we could use him to pass on a bit of information for our own purposes."
She was beginning to get the gist of the witch's plan. "You want to lure him back to the palace? I get it, but the war isn't bringing him back, so what do you have in mind?"
"You, of course. He would travel the world to get to you if you were hurt in some way."
Kagome shrugged. "I think I've been hurt plenty already. I don't know if that will really work. He knows Jun will take care of me."
The demoness looked at her pointedly. "Even if your bad health risks that of the pup's?" she asked sweetly.
"How did you know?" asked Kagome, covering her abdomen with her hands.
"For the past two days, I've seen you do that a million times," she said, pointing to the hanyou's protective posture. "It didn't take a genius to figure out what you've been hiding. The wolf brothers figured it out too, but I told them to keep quiet."
Kagome sighed in defeat. "Well, I guess everyone will know soon enough. But I'm really not sure about using this to our advantage."
"Do you have a better idea? I suppose you could go on a pointless hunt for him. Or, we could spread a rumor that you've changed your mind about who will become your mate. I have a feeling that will end in bloodshed though, and I know you don't approve of that." She rolled her eyes, as if the thought of violence was the antithesis of boredom.
"Yeah well, I don't want people getting killed over this," Kagome said, ignoring her friend's ambivalence towards bloodletting. "But everyone will know that I'm not sick. My scent is healthy and strong."
Kagura shook her head. "No, it's not. You're still healing and you're depressed. That's enough to trick a few guards with no knowledge of the healing arts."
The hanyou sighed deeply. "Okay, fine, we'll try the baby thing, but I'm not going to Jun. Those cots are like lying on a wooden plank."
Kagura smirked. "I think they are wooden planks," she commented dryly. "Let's get inside and start the rumor mill then."
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It was much simpler than Kagome thought it would be. All she did was collapse in the third floor East wing, with guards surrounding her. She only had to tell them to put her in her own room, because she didn't feel as if she could make it to Jun's infirmary. "Jun-san will have to come to me," she had whispered weakly as Hachiro carefully placed her underneath the covers. Kagura stayed with her the entire time, outwardly concerned with her friend's sudden 'illness', but with a smirk in the corners of her mouth.
Jun came and went. It was a testament to how nervous the Western subjects were that the old healer readily agreed to give out that Kagome's condition was delicate and possibly fatal to the baby. Even she felt it was necessary to use whatever means possible to bring the taiyoukai back into the fold.
Most interesting and reassuring for the women was Jaken's appearance in the middle of the afternoon. He hovered about the foot of the bed, asking if Kagome was in violent pain or if it was tolerable. The hanyou put on quite a show of labored breathing and hacking coughs as she insisted she was just fine. Predictably, the toad paled and scurried from the room with the excuse of 'other business to tend to'.
Now, as evening began to approach, Kagome realized they had whiled away half a day at this ruse. She could only hope that the witch's assessment had been correct and that right about then, Jaken was giving a report full of gruesome medical details that Jun promised to deliver. The day, although eventful for others, had been dead boring for her. Kagome almost was looking forward to the titanic blowup Sesshoumaru would have when he found out he had been tricked. That is, if he didn't figure it out. He was a vastly intelligent demon, and it was a clear possibility that he had seen through the ruse. It was still a chance she was willing to take.
"The children are a bit nervous, of course," said Kagura as she sat down in the chair that Sesshoumaru had occupied on the night of the full moon. "I told them that you would be fine and to not worry."
Kagome grimaced. "I had forgotten that the children would hear this rumor too. Make sure that they're the first to know when I make my miraculous recovery."
The witch nodded and looked out the open balcony doors. The edge of the horizon was beginning to gray already. "Do you think he'll come tonight? Or will he wait until morning to make his triumphant return?"
The hanyou shrugged as she began to flip idly through the mythology text that had sat on her bedside table since her discovery of Amatsu's symbol. "I have no idea. This was your plan after all. I just hope it's soon. I don't want to be confined to bed for days. That would make my potentially fatal disease seem a bit less potent." She leaned back into the plush pillows. "I feel like an invalid."
"Good. That means you can play the part." She stood up and leaned on the bedpost. "I'm going to go and spread the word a bit more. Will you be alright alone?"
Kagome nodded once. "Yeah. It's a bit boring, but I'm sure the children will come in at some point."
"Just don't get out of bed," warned the witch. "Should I tell them to bring you dinner?"
"Only tea, please."
Kagura gave the hanyou a final smile and disappeared out the door. Even as it closed, Kagome could hear the guards whispering questions to the wind witch. Letting go of all the tension in her body, she collapsed further back into the pillows, the sounds of whispers becoming muffled and disappearing. She was exhausted, even though she had done absolutely nothing that day.
The hours passed slowly, as she dipped in and out of consciousness. Tea appeared at her bedside during one of her fitful naps and when she awoke, she enjoyed the warm brew slowly as she once again pondered Sesshoumaru's return. She was prepared for anger, but she was uncertain about what to tell him when he finally calmed down.
Finally setting down her cup, Kagome closed her eyes again. As she began to pass back into the dream world, a crash returned her to reality. Pulling herself upright, she scanned the dark room. The balcony doors, which Kagura had securely latched, were now wide open and flapping against the walls as the wind howled through the entrance. No one was there, but her skin crawled as she climbed out of bed to close the double doors.
But the latch was broken, torn from where it had been secured to the teak. No wind gust had done this, she thought with a twinge of fear. Turning, she surveyed the room again. "Sesshoumaru?" she ventured, receiving no response. There was no scent in the air and no movement. It seemed as if she was being unreasonably paranoid, but she couldn't shake the strange feeling of being hunted.
Suddenly two red triangles lit up in the darkest corner of the room, far from light of the single candle lit by her bedside. "You lied."
"Yes, I did." She didn't hesitate in her answer, but she moved over the chair in the opposite corner, gripping it as if it could protect her from the taiyoukai. This certainly wasn't what Juliet had experienced when her love climbed to her window. "I felt it was necessary."
"Why?"
Kagome stared intently at the pinpricks of deadly red. "Do you really not know? Where have you been for so long? The entire castle is in an uproar about your absence during a war. Can you blame me for wanting you back?"
He finally stepped into the circle of light created by the lone candle. His eyes still glowed, but he had an air of exhaustion hanging around him. She tried finding his scent, but it was in vain. He was still hiding it from her. "There is no justification for what you did," he said evenly. "To lose a mate and an heir is the worst thing that could happen to a demon and you threatened me with that. It is not easily forgiven."
She arched an eyebrow. "So basically, you're angry for making you worry about me?" she asked incredulously. "Looking at your actions in the past few days, you really make that hard for me to believe, Sesshoumaru. Because it looks like the most important thing in your life is not your city, or your mate or your child. It's the fact that a mother that you always idealized may actually be some sort of evil minion of Amatsu! That's what you're concerned about, so don't give me some crap that you cared about what happens to me! If you did, you would have been here."
"I had to consider my options concerning my mother's situation," he snarled in return.
Kagome threw up her hands. "Oh! Well! I understand now. It's not like you could have done that here after all, where the soldiers and your subjects need your presence! It's not like you had anyone like a mate or a fellow lord to ask for advice around here! Forgive me, Sesshoumaru."
His eyes seemed to blaze a deeper red as he stalked up to her, but she didn't waver. "You have no conception of my personal matters," he growled.
"Right," she snapped back, "because I certainly haven't lost a family recently. What was I thinking?"
"Cease talking in that disrespectful manner. I am your lord!"
She poked him in the chest, without fear, as she glared up at him. "You are a pigheaded, self-absorbed brat!" she hissed. "Why should I have any respect for someone who abandons his responsibilities to chase something that hasn't been around for several centuries?"
"She is my mother!"
"I am your mate!" she countered. "Or perhaps I would be if you weren't traipsing across the countryside! If I have no conception of your personal matters, then you have no conception of what I've been going through here. I've squashed rumors that you were dead. I made sure the children didn't cry themselves to sleep. I've even trained without you, wishing that you were there to at least guide me. I have no idea what I'm doing here without you!"
The red glow finally faded, leaving a dull, almost tarnished, gold behind. "You seem to have managed quite well without me."
"I've survived, but we haven't moved forward. You kind of need an actual leader for that, not a pathetic substitute. They need you, not some girl a tenth of their age telling them what to do." She shrugged. "According to Kagura, I haven't been doing it very satisfactorily."
Sesshoumaru frowned deeply. He had forgotten she was so young. Her experiences and her confidence belied the fact that she was only nineteen. If the pup in her womb was a female, he would never allow her to mate at such a young age as her mother. "Well, I have returned," he said finally. "You will not be put in such a position again."
He began to turn away, but Kagome darted forward and wrapped her hand around the core of his thick tail. "No, you aren't leaving yet."
"First you do not want me to abandon my subjects and now you insist upon keeping me from them. What do you want me to do?"
She sighed. "You leave for two days to decide what to do about your mother, and you aren't going to tell me? Please tell me that you'll forgive her, help her, when we find her."
The taiyoukai closed his eyes and turned his head away. "She will die, Kagome."
"But why?" the girl pled. "I thought that you would have calmed down by now."
Golden orbs shined at her again. "And I have, but that does not erase the fact that my mother has acted against you and this city several times. I do not believe that she will change and turn away from Amatsu, even if I was to spare her life."
Kagome bit her lip, drawing blood. "We don't know everything."
"No, but no one does. I must act upon the information I have at this time. When and if that information changes, I will reassess my decisions." He stepped forward and, with unusual tenderness, wiped the blood from her lip. "In the meantime, do not lie to me. I will not be so forgiving next time."
"What made you forgive me so quickly this time?" she asked, a slight smile hovering at the corner of her mouth.
Sesshoumaru couldn't stop himself, only damning his nature for a split second. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes and breathing in her citrus scent, he said, "I do not believe that I could remain angry at you for very long. You are deeply frustrating to me, female. I have trained for years to only consider the logical, the facts of any case, and you have destroyed all of it. How have you done that? And how is it that I didn't kill you for it before you had me ensnared?"
Kagome hummed in happiness as she smiled at him, even though he wasn't looking. "Nami says that it's because your soul knew from the moment we met that I was the one for you. You couldn't kill me because your soul loved me, even if the rest of you didn't. Do you think that's true?"
He opened his eyes. "I hated you," he said simply.
"I know. It's rather romantic." She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed away from him, smiling as she did so. "I think it is time for you to return to work though."
"It is," he conceded as he watched her eyes sparkle. "Damn Makoto and his ridiculous theories."
She laughed lightly. "Was that flirting again? It seemed more like pillow talk. After all, you already have me. You don't need to be romantic, even if your nature is telling you to be."
"You are going to be Lady of the Western Lands, a position of power. It would be quite wise if I kept you happy. I have the military and political power, but you could make my life very unpleasant if you were displeased with me."
Kagome smiled and shook her head. "You sound like a human husband explaining why he brings chocolates to his wife."
His brow furrowed. "Do human men always ingratiate themselves to their wives?"
"I don't think that would be the correct word," she said frowning. "Ideally, the men love their wives and they want to do sweet, romantic things for them. It isn't an obligation, it's an act of love. Not every man loves his wife, but the ones that do want to keep them happy. Not necessarily with gifts either. I know you don't care for humans or their emotional displays, but many of them have quite happy relationships. Marriage is the ultimate show of love for many humans."
Sesshoumaru considered her words for a moment. "Do you wish to become my wife?"
Kagome ducked her head and began traced circles onto the floor with her bare foot. "To be your mate is enough, Sesshoumaru, and it always has been. My mother would accept it, but I just can't imagine what my grandfather would say. He'll recover though. He did when I told them about my plan to mate with Inuyasha."
"Were you planning to marry my brother as well? In your human tradition?"
"No," she answered. "We felt that being mates was plenty, especially since we planned to spend the majority of our time in this time period. It didn't matter that we weren't going to be married."
Sesshoumaru wrapped his hand around her small wrist. "I will marry you."
"What?" Her eyes were wide enough to show the white all around the iris.
"I will marry you," he repeated.
"But why? You don't have to. I told you that already. Is this some way of upstaging your brother? Because that's wholly unnecessary you know."
He arched an eyebrow. "I believe that if we are to spend any time in your era at all, we should comply with their laws. It is honorable. Your family's wishes should be upheld as well. It is proper, considering your long absence and your pregnancy. I know that humans even in this time consider it indecent to be unwed and with a child. I expect it's the same for your time?"
She nodded dumbly.
"Are women in your time allowed to leave their husbands without notification?" he asked.
Kagome shook her head and then finally found her voice. "I mean, they do sometimes, but you're still married. You can't get married again without going through a divorce, which is a rather long and tedious process."
"And so you could not leave me and go to your time to marry another male?"
"No, of course not." She frowned. "Wait a minute. Is this proposal supposed to be some safeguard against what happened to your parents? You think that I'll abandon you and end up with some dark lord or god? How ridiculous, Sesshoumaru. I'm not your mother, to begin with."
Sesshoumaru locked his gaze with hers. "I know you are not."
"Good, because you can't lock me to your side, no matter what you do." She sighed and removed his hand from her wrist. "I love you, Sesshoumaru. I am not going to leave you, but I don't want to be treated as your prisoner either. I will stay here of my own free will."
"Very well," he said, stepping back as a cold mask slipped onto his face. "I should leave and announce my return then."
Kagome suddenly realized that she had hurt his feelings and reached out to him. "This doesn't change anything. I do still love you. I still want to become your mate."
"I do not doubt that. I will speak with you later, Kagome." Before she could speak, he disappeared out the window again.
Kagome collapsed down onto the bed, confused as hell.
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The next morning, Kagome emerged from her room to find that the entire castle was buzzing with the news of Sesshoumaru's return. No one knew that he had visited her before appearing in the main hall, and for that she was very grateful, but she wished that she could see him again. He had sequestered himself in his room for the morning, with strict instructions that he was not to be disturbed for any reason. Hachiro told her that he had at least taken a large stack of paperwork, so he wasn't being unproductive.
After a couple hours of wandering about the hallways, Kagome had made up her mind to ignore his orders and went outside into the chill garden. She quickly made her way to the base of the East wing, running her hands along the walls. The great beams of wood that separated the floors would make excellent footholds. It would be easy to climb for any intruder and she knew that the only thing preventing that from happening was the murderous taiyoukai at the top.
But she wasn't going to let a little thing like his anger stop her.
Pressing off from the ground, she took a small hop to the first beam and then the second. By the time she mounted the third one, she could smell Sesshoumaru's lavender and sage aroma. The window was thankfully open. She didn't want to have to break his balcony doors.
She slid in like a cat burglar and landed softly on the pads of her feet. The taiyoukai was sitting on his bed cross-legged, with the papers spread out around him. He looked up at her, scanned her form and then went back to his work. "I see that you have total disregard for my instructions," he commented as he set aside another few pages.
"Well, I figured if you can creep in through my balcony, I could sneak through your window."
"Hm. May I inquire as to why you felt this was necessary? I'm sure that you could have convinced that young guard you are so fond of to let you into my room. Or any of them, really. The Lady of the Western Lands is frequently exempt from the lord's instructions, unless explicitly stated." He began to gather the papers into large piles. "Or do you have no excuse for your display of your thieving skills?"
Kagome crossed the room to his lively fireplace. The flames were not the only source of light, but they cast an orange glow over the room that she found comforting. "I guess I just wanted to see you."
"Lying again, Kagome?"
She turned and leaned back against the mantle. "Fine. I wanted to apologize."
Sesshoumaru placed three large stacks of paper onto his bedside table and stood up. "There is nothing to apologize for. You rejected an idea, not me. I recognize the difference."
"It was wrong of me to be so harsh, especially now."
He arched a white brow. "And what is so special about this moment?"
Kagome shrugged and pulled her yukata closer to her body. Soon she would have to switch to the cold weather clothes, made of thick wool and fur. "Deciding to kill your mother is kind of a big one, even for you and…"
"Are you insinuating that I proposed marriage to you out of my own vulnerability over killing my mother?" he asked with his usual intuition. "If that is the case, I assure you that you are incorrect. Any connection with my mother ends with the fact that I do not want you taken from me, and leaving me without any method of finding you again. That is all."
"Then why?" she asked.
Sesshoumaru joined her at the hearth. "I already spoke of my wish to honor your tradition and your family."
Kagome nodded solemnly. "Yeah, which is probably the biggest piece of crap lie I've ever heard in my life, so let's try again. You aren't the only one in this relationship that can sense deception."
"I do not know what you wish me to say, Kagome," he answered.
"I just want you to tell the truth. I want to know why you asked me."
He turned away. "I do not lie to you. You are the trickster here."
Kagome frowned and shook her head. "Now that's not fair. I did what was necessary to bring you back."
"I am aware of your intentions."
She sighed. This really was going nowhere. He didn't seem to be angry, but he wasn't an open book either. She wasn't going to get any real answers. "Fine," the hanyou said dejectedly. "I should go then."
"Marriage is the ultimate show of love for many humans."
"I will marry you."Spinning on her heel, she gave Sesshoumaru a wide-eyed stare. "You love me!" she accused right before clapping her hands over her mouth and blushing.
"Excuse me?" The snow-white brow arched yet again. "I don't recall saying anything of that nature."
Kagome let her hands drop as she smiled brilliantly. "You didn't have to. I kind of just figured it out on my own. I remembered something. You said you would marry me after I told you it could be the ultimate show of love among humans. It was clever, but you still can't hide that you appealed to my human side."
"You thought of this just now?" He watched as she nodded once and he scoffed lightly. "You can deduce anything if you look in the right place."
"You're not denying it, though." Her smile had melted into a coy smirk, something that Sesshoumaru found extremely attractive on her innocent face.
She had caught him. He had to admit that might have been his intention the entire time. Several thoughts went through his mind at once. He wished she was in a kimono again. He wished that he had told her before she had claimed his love for her own. He wished that he could think of a single coherent response to her unspoken question. "No," he finally said. "I am not denying it."
"You do love me then?" Her voice seemed to have lost all substance, like air. She hadn't really expected that answer.
He remained silent and unmoving.
Kagome took three steps forward, lifted herself onto her toes and kissed the taiyoukai deeply. Encircling his neck with her arms, she wrapped her hands in his silky hair. His hand found her waist and squeezed gently as she pulled away.
She remained close enough, pressing her forehead against his jawbone as he tried to formulate words for the second time in as many minutes. "I thought that you wished to hear me say it."
"Someday I do," she agreed, "but right now, it's not necessary. I think this way is best."
"Why?"
Kagome shrugged and grinned at him, dropping her head to his shoulder and playing with the fur on his tail. "It's time you had a mate, Sesshoumaru. Not just a girl whose position is difficult to define, at best. I don't think I can help you as a friend anymore. You need the Lady of the Western Lands, and the last time I checked, I'm up for the job." She watched as a cloud flickered across his expression. "What? Was there another answer you were looking for?"
He lifted his chin and looked away. "I have only one concern."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Are you evil?"
She felt the resistance of his hand as she tried to pull away. "What? No! Why would you think that?" She stopped and sighed, realizing the answer to her own question. "I know why, but I really can't think of any way that I can prove to you that I'm not evil right now. And you know, that's really annoying how you keep saying that I can't be evil and yet I'm the first one you suspect when…" She trailed off when she noticed the smirk in the corners of his mouth. "You were teasing me?"
"Naturally." He threaded his claws through her hair. "But if you ever bring it up again, I will blame it upon that damned theory of Makoto's."
She smiled up at him. "So this is a good thing?"
"Have you ever seen a male that would turn such an intriguing female down?" he responded. "If you have, they are fools."
Kagome blushed and once again wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I only have one male to intrigue from now on, right?"
"I would gut any male that presumes otherwise," he answered, a possessive growl behind his words. "You are my mate."
The hanyou smiled warmly, pulling him back down to her lips as she murmured, "Yes, yes I am."
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Kagome opened her eyes slowly and grinned at the taiyoukai. He was sitting up against the headboard, with a few papers on his lap. "Morning," she said, yawning.
"It is still night, actually," he commented, nodding towards the dark windows. "You were only asleep for a short time."
Pulling the covers around her body, she moved to sit up and winced as a pain shot down her spine. Placing a hand on the crook of her neck, Kagome found that it was still wet with blood. "When does this mating mark of yours stop bleeding?" she asked, holding up her red-stained fingers.
She could have sworn she saw a flash of a grin before he shrugged and looked back down at his papers. "It is drying already. In a few hours you can wash away the excess blood. By tomorrow, it will have scarred."
"I don't see why the male doesn't get marked, you know. Rather sexist if you ask me."
"Hmm. Take it up with a higher power, Kagome. I have no jurisdiction over it." He took another stack of papers from his bedside table and began to shuffle through them.
The hanyou stuck her tongue out at him, but nevertheless looped an arm around his bare stomach as she lay down beside him, resting her cheek on his chest. "You're a real jerk," she said, yawning again. "What are you reading?"
"And you're insufferable," he responded smoothly. "I am reviewing the latest reports of our supplies and weapon stores. I believe that we are prepared for battle, but I still hesitate to mobilize my troops. I fear that any battle away from the city will only be a distraction from the true target."
"The true target being the city itself?" she asked.
He nodded and set down the parchment. "Or you. We cannot forget that you were to be Amatsu's greatest asset."
Kagome shrugged. "I'm remaining with you, so that can't be much of a problem." She shot a sharp glance at him as he opened his mouth. "And forget trying to tell me that I'm staying in the city. I'm not letting you leave me here. I'm going with you come hell or high water, so get used to the idea. I have Tetsusaiga after all."
"You will not concede?" He didn't expect her to, really, but he was quickly developing a taste for her stubborn side.
"No," she replied with a self-satisfied smirk. "Besides, I could be your greatest asset, if you let me. I know I can wield Tetsusaiga flawlessly."
"Hmm." Sesshoumaru gathered all of the remaining documents and put them to the side. "Just remember that I will be there. If you need assistance in any way, call for me. I will not allow a drop of your blood to be spilled."
Kagome held up her hand again, still stained with her blood, although it had dried. "You're really doing a good job of that."
He arched an eyebrow. "Clever. You know that was necessary."
She yawned and nodded. "I know. I can see that you're not going to let me get injured in battle," she answered. "Right now, I think I'm going to go back to sleep though. Do you mind? I'm still not entirely used to this. Although, brownie points to us for not yelling at each other as soon as I woke up."
Sesshoumaru felt a sharp stab of pain go through his heart as he recalled that incident, the morning after their pup had been conceived. He hoped it would never repeat itself, although her arm wrapped firmly around his torso was a good sign. "Unnecessary arguments are not recommended," he commented. "The court must believe that we are a single unit of power. They will not accept it if we are at each other's throats all of the time."
Kagome smirked. "Well then we might have a bit of damage control to do. I don't think our little spats will ever stop, you know."
"Hmm, probably, but it would be advisable to remain in private when we do so."
She settled back onto her pillow and closed her eyes. "Am I going to live in here from now on?"
"Yes. I will have Jaken move your belongings. Why?" he asked.
"Well, I could definitely get used to this bed. It feels like a cloud," she answered, stretching her arms out. She felt her hand brush up against what felt like scar tissue and her eyes opened, realizing that she had hit the remnant of his missing arm. "Oh, sorry."
He shrugged. "It did not harm me." He watched as she averted her eyes. "Does it bother you? That I am missing an arm?"
Her eyes sprang back to his. "No, of course not. I was there, remember? It never bothered me, but I already told you once that I worry about it. I wonder if it bothers you."
"I already told you that it doesn't," he responded. "It does not truly impair me in any manner."
Kagome smirked. "No, I know it doesn't." She sat up, winding the sheet around her body. "Will it ever come back though? I know demons have amazing regenerative powers."
"When it comes to organs and flesh, yes. But bone rarely regenerates completely. It will only repair any breaks or fractures. I apologize, but it will not return. You must survive with a crippled dog," he said without any emotion.
The hanyou frowned and reached around his shoulders, embracing him tightly. The damaged appendage was pressed against her body, but she didn't flinch. When she finally sat back, she was smiling warmly. "Don't you know that every female within Japan would like to be where I am right now? With or without your arm, they think you're gorgeous. So do I, incidentally."
"Something I have never understood," he admitted. "Most of the females in this court want my land and wealth, not me specifically."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're really oblivious sometimes. If you want to believe that, fine, but I'm still right. They just better back off now that we're mates. Some of them really are vicious, but I think I can still take them down." She lifted her chin in pride.
"Machi."
The hanyou turned her head. "What?" she asked with a displeased undertone.
Sesshoumaru shrugged and brushed his hair back with his claws. "I had forgotten about her, until you mentioned vicious females. She is still in the dungeon."
Kagome gave him a malicious grin. "Can't we just leave her down there for awhile longer?"
"No, unfortunately we cannot," he replied, effectively making the hanyou pout. "The acid demon tribe will soon hear of her imprisonment and demand that she is either punished or released. It is not permitted to leave an ambassador in prison."
"Fine. Let her out then. Send her away though. She attacked Nami and I'm sure she'd have no hesitation in attacking me."
"We shall see," he answered noncommittally as Kagome tucked herself in by his side once again. The stain of blood on her neck sprang out from her pale skin, a ring around the teeth marks he had created when he had bitten her a few hours previous. Leaning down, he began to lick away the blood.
Kagome's eyes sprang open as she giggled and pushed at his chest. "Hey! That tickles!"
He tilted his head like a puppy begging for a treat. A very serious puppy. "I was simply cleaning the wound. Would you prefer Jun to do it?"
"No, that's okay," she murmured, shifting closer to him again. She let out a little yelp as his tail curled around her calf underneath the covers. "That tickles too." Her voice was softening as her eyes began to grow dark with desire.
Sesshoumaru pressed his forehead against hers and pulled her flush against him with his arm. "Then I must do it again sometime," he said before kissing her deeply.
A few seconds later, a knock on the door forced Kagome to break away from her mate. "Oh, this better be good," she grumbled as she caught the scent of leather and metal from the doorway. It was a couple of the guards that frequently watched over Rin and Washi, that hadn't died in the explosion.
The taiyoukai appeared truly annoyed for a moment before turning back to her. "I left explicit instructions that I was not to be disturbed for any reason. They will leave."
Kagome dodged Sesshoumaru as he attempted to kiss her again. "I never thought I'd be the one that makes you pay attention to the logical side of things," she teased. "Don't you think that they know they're risking their lives by interrupting you, against your orders? It must be very important. At least check what they want."
Sesshoumaru rolled out of bed and put on his pants, tying it deftly with one hand. "Very well, but if it is an unwarranted interruption, I will kill them."
"Oh, don't do that," she answered as she leaned back into the pillows. "The blood would be such a pain to get out of the wood flooring."
"There are ways to kill without spilling blood," he commented as he opened one side of the double doors. He left it ajar as he padded down the short hallway to the main doors.
Kagome waited patiently, listening to the rise and fall of voices at the entrance of Sesshoumaru's rooms. Although she couldn't hear distinct words, she could tell that the taiyoukai was becoming increasingly frustrated and the guards were becoming increasingly terrified. She sat up when the door clicked closed and Sesshoumaru reappeared. He had an expression of weary annoyance. "What's wrong?" she asked as she began to search for her clothes among the sheets.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes darkened in anger and although she knew it was not directed towards her, a cold shiver went down her spine. "One of my spies," he finally said, "came back with an urgent report."
She stopped searching for her clothes at the tone of his voice. Icy and vicious, like when they had first met. "Oh?" she asked weakly.
He took a long time to answer. The air seemed to not move as Kagome held her breath. "The South and East armies have joined forces with Amatsu's followers. They just crossed over the Western border. We're officially at war."
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A/N: I hope I didn't cross over into OOC-land with Sesshoumaru. I really tried desperately to keep him in character. But really… I think I could have him giggling and hopping around like a bunny and you guys would be happy after all that I put you through. Haha. Review responses time!
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