"Tsukiko-sama, I humbly beg for sanctuary until I able to find another shelter for me and my child." murmured Izayoi bent low in a bow. Before her, Tsukiko stared on stoically but inside the demon was utterly flabbergasted. Barely half an hour ago, word had reached her that her son was returning home. She was told ten minutes after that that her husband's mistress was trailing along behind in the falling snow. When she had heard that she gaped at the messenger before ordering that the official meeting room be opened and readied. When Sesshoumaru had finally appeared at the door, he strolled in and sat beside her as poor, filthy, and soaked Izayoi padded in.

Tsukiko's first impression of the woman was that she looked like a whipped dog returning to it's master begging for forgiveness. Izayoi's head was hung, her iromuji tattered at her feet with the Fire Rat haori swinging around her. Her feet were mud splattered, red, and swollen. In her arms she held a small bundle, Tsukiko could smell the hanyou child, which still smelled of blood from it's birth.

Izayoi had swayed on her feet and nearly toppled to the floor as she dropped to her knees. She had laid her son to the side, pressed her hands to the ground, and bowed until her forehead grazed the tatami mats and said her request.

Tsukiko looked at the woman in front of her for a moment, thoughts warring with each other. Finally, she turned to her son. "Sesshoumaru." she said simply. Sesshoumaru nodded and left, looking for a servant to get a room ready. Tsukiko turned back to the woman in front of her-she hadn't a clue that she was already invited in so Tsukiko used it to her advantage; she had questions of her own.

"Izayoi-sama," she started. "You are very bold to come to your lover's wife and request shelter."

Izayoi was still for a moment before rising partially. Tsukiko met her fiery glance and marveled at the defiance she saw there. "I would do anything for my son." Just try and throw me out.

Tsukiko had stared back at her for several moments before rising. Izayoi pulled back and snatched her son up quickly. Izayoi had stared at her back for several moments before Tsukiko turned and raised a brow. She colored and hopped up, following the youkai woman out.

Tsukiko had showed Izayoi to her rooms and was opening the door to leave before she felt a sharp bite on her cheek. She had slapped her hand to her cheek and Myouga came floating down.

Izayoi had blinked and stared at the small flea. "Oh, Myouga-sama!"

"Hello, Izayoi-sama," wheezed Myouga before he reinflated. "Tsukiko-hime, I bring important news!"

"Alright, Myouga-sama." she said. "We'll go to-my office." She had to stop herself from saying my husband's office.

"Yes, Tsukiko-hime! Goodbye, Izayoi-sama!" he called to her as Tsukiko walked away, his body pinched between her fingers. She walked to the office, flagged a servant down and sent for some tea. She entered the room and flicked Myouga so he bounced off the table and let out an indignant squeak of pain. He hopped back unto the table and she sat down.

"Go ahead, Myouga-sama. What do you have to tell me?" she asked as she poured herself some tea into a cup and another from Myouga who positively swam in it.

"Well, Tsukiko-hime, it seems as your relatives have already been making preparations to gain the power and title of the Inu no Taishou as your husband feared." he said quickly, getting down to business. Tsukiko lifted her brow.

"I worried as much-when Ryuukossei sent his challenge they knew what it could mean." She shook her head. "Who precisely is getting ready to try and stake claim?"

"Your husband's second cousin, Kyo-sama of the Western Tribe, then his cousin Takumi from the Coastal Region, and also Susumu." he rattled off. "Shichiro from the Forest Lands, and finally, Ken'ichi of the Silver Dogs."

"Ken'ichi? The old man who thought that butterflies were out to get him?" she stopped and looked contemplative.

"I would have thought that he would have hated the thought that so many demons would actually be planning against him." agreed Myouga from his cup. "Maybe he finally wants to be justified?"

Tsukiko fought from rolling her eyes. "Now why do they think that Sesshoumaru is going to give up his claim so easily?" she wondered aloud. Below her she heard Myouga hmm thoughtfully to try and catch her attention. "Yes, Myouga-sama?"

"I ...have the answer to that, Tsukiko-hime."

"Oh?" she said thoughtfully waiting for him to continue.

"He's said he doesn't want the title."

"..."

"..."

"Myouga-sama..."

"Ah...yes, Tsukiko-hime?"

"I've must have miss heard you-what you say?"

Myouga fiddled with his sleeves. "Ah, well, Tsukiko-hime, it seems that he said it to one of the cousins shortly after the Inu no Taishou's death."

Tsukiko sat looking at him in utter dumbfounded shock. Myouga had never seen such an expression on her face-the well bred woman was as stoic as any warrior from a young age. To see her in such a state was unsettling.

"I see."

---------------

Izayoi did her best to try and not eavesdrop on the conversation raging on the other side of the of the wall as she poured herself some tea. Inuyasha gurgled and bounced at her side, begging to be fed. She breast-fed her son, flinching from the voices in the other room-it wasn't as if Sesshoumaru and Tsukiko were yelling and ranting but she almost wished they would-even if she wasn't in the room she could still feel the tension in their words. Finally she heard the shoji doors fly open and Sesshoumaru's slithettoute passed by her door.

She eased the now sleeping Inuyasha onto the tatami mat at her side as she saw Tsukiko stop in front of her doors, calling after her son. She stared sympathetically at the shadow until she jumped up and walked to the door. Tsukiko turned to look at her flushed face; now that the door was open, Izayoi realized she had thought of nothing to say.

"...yes?" drawled Tsukiko, still waiting.

"Ah, Tsukiko-sama," began Izayoi. "...wouldyoulikesometea!" Izayoi nearly groaned as she herself spit out the words. Tsukiko had blinked before looking after her son's retreating form.

"...Yes." she said finally, and turned back to Izayoi. Izayoi was quietly shocked then she remembered that she was taking up the doorway and jump aside to welcome the youkai in. She had busied herself with the tea before realizing that Tsukiko was peering at Inuyasha.

"Ahh, Tsukiko-sama-"

"I hadn't realized he looked so like his father." Tsukiko had murmured before stilling as if she herself had just realized what she said. She shook her head and turned back to Izayoi. "I take it you heard everything Sesshoumaru and I said?"

Izayoi didn't bother to hide the flinch that was caused by the comment. She looked slowly up to the woman in front of her. "...you are not upset, are you, Tsukiko-sama?"

"Upset? Not with you." answered the woman simply and the conversation dwindled off as she and Izayoi drank their tea. It was a while before Izayoi worked up the courage to talk with the youkai again.

"Ah, Tsukiko-sama, if I maybe so bold as to ask you what where you and Sesshoumaru really talking about-I didn't quite understand." she added quickly as Tsukiko turned back to her.

"...Sesshoumaru and I were speaking of his ascension to the throne of daiyoukai of the West and taking his place as the new Inu no Taishou." she answered and sipped her tea.

"Sesshoumaru is going to be the new Inu no Taishou?" echoed Izayoi.

"Not any more, apparently."

Izayoi blinked in confusion and waited for the other woman to clarify herself. Tsukiko took another sip of her tea before continuing.

"He's decided not to take the position." Tsukiko said finally setting the cup down so Izayoi could refill it.

"And..." began Izayoi. "What does that mean?"

"It means my in laws are going to tear up the countryside soon as they fight for the title." Izayoi gasped and stared at the woman in front of her-how cool and calm had she said that as if it didn't bother her at all!

"What-what shall you do?" she asked uncertainly.

"Take it myself." Even Tsukiko stopped and stared as if wondering like Izayoi was why she had said it.

---------------

"What!" squeaked Myouga. Tsukiko went on reading the land treaty in front of her. Beneath Myoug's minuscule feet, rested a large scroll-in it, it stated that Tsukiko would be ascending to Inu no Taishou. "Tsukiko-hime, are you certain this is wise! Your family members will be extremely upset!"

"Upset that a woman is taking the title or that they won't get it?" she asked off handily as she signed the treaty with a flourish before finding another treaty to look over.

"Both!" he squeaked. "They'll fight you tooth and claw when they hear it! ...-Tsukiko-hime, at least say something!"

Tsukiko put down her ink brush before turning to him. "And what, Myouga-sama? Say 'excuse me, to put you idiots in your place, I'm taking what you want'? Is that what you want me to say?"

Myouga wilted. "No, but, Tsukiko-hime..."

"Enough, Myouga-sama, I shall deal with my in-laws." she stated before turning back to the paper in front of her and then turning back to him again. "Myouga-sama? Send for Toutousai-sama, please."

"Toutousai?" exclaimed Myouga. "What on earth for!"

Tsukiko's lip pulled back into a sneer. "I need a weapon."

---------------

Izayoi bounced her son on her lap as she talked to a maid that was personally assigned to her by Tsukiko-the other servants had jeered and whispered behind their hands about her and she had mentioned it off handily to Tsukiko in one of the tea talks. When Tsukiko had heard it, she assured Izayoi she would assign her a more polite, and thoughtful maid to take care of her and her child.

The maid given to her was a very old crone of a toad youkai, who was half blind but had deft hands and a kinder disposition to the human then all of the other servants had.

It had surprised Izayoi when she found that her maid, Chikako as she told Izayoi to call her, had known of some relatives of Izayoi's to the far east. She assured her that it was very possible for her to get word out to her relatives. Izayoi smiled and tried to remember fond memories of her aunt and uncle but she could only suppose that her relations would take pity on her.

It occurred to her later that Tsukiko's relations were far from taking pity on her and she began to worry about her own relatives.

---------------

Tsukiko sat next to Izayoi as they drank tea. Her new sword, Touga, was laid by her side as she sipped her tea. Inuyasha bounced at his mother side as Izayoi drank her tea. He gurgled and reached for his mother. Tsukiko had a distant look in her eyes as smiled at Izayoi as she played with her child. Izayoi remembered that Tsukiko was a mother once too to small babies. Tsukiko shook her head before sitting down her tea.

"So, you are leaving for your aunt's soon, I suppose?"

"Yes," she agreed. "I want to get there as soon as the roads clear."

For many long moments they sat there in silence as Inuyasha played.

"I...want to thank you...for taking us in."

"You're welcome. It has been...interesting. These talks have been most interesting."

"...Tsukiko-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Why...why did you allow us here?"

Tsukiko sat for awhile, staring at Inuyasha. "Decorum, I suppose-can't go tossing helpless mothers into the snow."

"I-I see."

"And then..."

Izayoi blinked and stared at the youkai woman in front of her. "And then?"

"I realized something." Tsukiko said softly as she watched Inuyasha yawn and climb into his mothers lap.

"And that would be?"

"That I wasn't the only to loss a lover."