Protector
Chapter 14: Castle of the Crescent Moon Part Two
Kagome finished her bath and put on her clothes before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. Shiruka stared at her, and his jaw dropped.
Arrayed in a simple black kimono, her hair fell around her in a thick, silky curtain, gleaming with moisture. A spray of cherry blossoms marked the bottom part of her ankle-length dress. Silver flowers of varying sizes embroidered the hems and cuffs of the kimono. Under the main black-hued outer dress were two inner ones, respectively dark blue and silver. A beautifully stylized Shikon no Tama which emitted pure rays of violet light was stitched onto her lower sleeves. Shiruka's sharp nose could pick up Kagome's scent, of cool autumn rain and the faintest tinge of lavender. Her skin was clear and unblemished but for the closing wounds, lightly kissed by the sun. Cocoa eyes shining with warmth and friendliness were disconcertingly sharp.
"Uh, I took off my bandages…" Kagome interrupted his reverie, startling him. "Oh… oh. You can just leave them in there. The servants will clear them," Shiruka told her, slightly off balance. She nodded and left the damp towels stacked in a pile, neatly folded, just inside the room.
"You look very pretty in the kimono. I'm sure Sesshoumaru-sama will be pleased when he introduces you to court. He appreciates beauty," Shiruka complimented her as she began walking. "Thank you, but I- wait a minute. Did you say 'court'?" she halted in her tracks, surprised. "Of course I did. You are to be introduced to the court tomorrow evening," her bodyguard informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Is that so." It was a statement, not a question. "In that case, will you take me to see Sesshoumaru please? I have a few things to say to him."
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Shiruka led the way down the corridor, and stopped in front of a demon who had wings folded up on his back. "Ikaru. Kagome-sama would like to see Sesshoumaru-sama," Shiruka said politely, inclining his head. The youkai turned his head to focus on Kagome, who smiled tentatively. After a moment, he nodded.
"I am Ikaru. Pleased to meet you," he rumbled, his voice a deep baritone. Kagome looked him over closely, being interested in youkai types.
Golden-brown feathers trailed down to the ground, although his wings were tucked up on his back. Glossy and well cared for, Kagome had no doubt that they were fully functional and able to support him in flight. His hair, trimmed short and held back in a short ponytail much like Miroku's, was the color of honey in a jar held in a ray of sunshine, with a tinge of black at the ends. He carried a spear in his right hand, and handled it with practiced ease.
"Let me guess. Golden eagle… right?" Kagome tapped her finger on her lower lip thoughtfully. "You are correct, my lady," Ikaru assured her as he stepped over to the ornately carved door and rapped his knuckles on it smartly.
"Enter," Sesshoumaru said calmly, putting his brush down. He already knew who was outside his study, and judging from the annoyed scent that wove its way through the pleasant rain and flower smell, Kagome was not pleased.
The reigning lord of the western lands blinked once at the miko stalking towards him with an air of menace about her petite form, as Shiruka remained outside. She looked perfectly acceptable in one of the kimonos he had provided for her use during the duration of her stay, stunning even, now that she was cleaned up properly. However, she would have appeared a great deal more entrancing had she removed the scowl currently gracing her face. "Can I help you?" he elected to lace his voice with cool courtesy, twining his fingers together.
"Hell yes, you can. Why the heck do I have to be introduced to your court? I'm not noble!" Kagome slammed her clenched fists onto his desk. A hairline crack appeared in the wood varnish.
"This is standard court protocol. Any personal guest of mine has to be formally introduced. It should have been the day after you arrived, but I had it delayed due to your… condition," he replied coolly. "And exactly how am I to know what to do?" Kagome glared at him, as though it was his fault that she had to go through this. Which, in a strange, convoluted way, was true.
"Rin may assist you. The demon looking after her until three thirty, Yukiko, is well versed in court etiquette. They will help you if you but ask," he picked up a document and scanned it, eyes taking in the graceful script that flowed across the parchment. He took a stamp from a drawer, and imprinted the seal of a crescent moon shimmering in rainbow colors and scintillating with light – the royal seal of the Western Lands.
"Fine," she sighed, exhaling. "But you owe me for this!" she added in quickly.
"When you are introduced, I would advise you not to be shocked or offended if someone proposes mating to you," he said. The brush in his right hand produced upright hiragana and kanji characters as it swept across the paper quickly.
"Wh… WHAT!" Kagome screamed as Sesshoumaru winced. Perhaps he should consider investing in a good pair of earplugs. Outside, the pair of guards standing side-by-side winced in unison. She had a good pair of lungs on her.
"It is demon tradition. We try to mate with those who are strong, so that they cannot turn against us in the future," he recited calmly, although his pointed ears twitched.
"I assume that I am still going to have a choice whether or not to marry," Kagome breathed in and out, trying to slow her heartbeat down and bring her blood pressure back from its all time high. "Actually, I would advise you to just accept one," Sesshoumaru braced himself for the next shriek. "Why should I?" Kagome frowned.
Sesshoumaru swallowed hard. "Because if you do not, the court will end up picking a mate for you. By right of arms. They'll hold a competition, and the winner gets you," he rattled off quickly.
Kagome blinked once. Twice. Then what Sesshoumaru had just said sank in.
She breathed in deeply. "Don't kid with me." She said flatly, hoping against hope that he was just jesting. Although that would be a sight to see – Sesshoumaru cracking a joke. Pigs were more likely to fly before that would happen.
"I am not a baby goat," Sesshoumaru gave her a puzzled look. Kagome sighed. "I have to think about this… and I believe that leaving is sounding better and better every minute," she murmured, opening the door and waving goodbye to him casually.
The delicate fragrance of autumn rain and lavender wafted through the room as Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply, unconsciously enjoying the fresh scent.
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Kagome slipped outside, a frown creasing her brows. "C'mon, Shiruka. Bye, Ikaru," she said absent-mindedly, lost in thought. Shiruka nodded to Ikaru, who raised a hand in farewell before returning to his former position – stiffly upright and staring into the emptiness before him.
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"Are you disturbed about the mating thing?" Shiruka asked softly as they walked down the hallway. The heels of Kagome's slippers made soft thonking sounds on the polished wood floor.
"Yeah, I am." Kagome sighed deeply. "I don't want to get married. But at the same time, I don't really want to leave either," she mused.
"Why not? It would be the simplest solution," Shiruka pressed. After all, it was his duty to guard her… why not go another step further and help her with her current problems?
"Because… okay, because I usually don't stay in one place for very long, especially in a house. Youkai are always attracted to the aura of the Shikon no Tama within me, and I have to fight them off. But damages always happened, so I decided to always be on the move so I was harder to track. Also… well, I've made friends here. You, Kiria, Rin, even Ikaru, although I barely know him. I don't have many friends," she said in a vulnerably soft voice.
"Because you are immortal. And your friends died even as you still wear the appearance of a young girl. Am I right?" he guessed. Kagome nodded desolately.
"I know how that feels…" he told her. His eyes clouded over, and the snowflake insignia on his forehead flashed brighter. "I loved a human woman once, when I was much younger. I still cannot forget her…" he said woefully. His lips turned downwards, and he sighed deeply. Kagome surprised him by patting his back.
"But we have to live in the present, so let's try and figure out what we can do about this," he declared determinedly. "That's right!" Kagome grinned.
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A/N: A few words shorter than usual, but I have no more time.
Anyway. Kinda disappointed with the reviews I received last chapter. Much less than usual. Too sad to say anything more.
For those of you who read/watch Naruto, who's your favorite character? Favorite pairing? Any nice fics to recommend?
Shirohane is a really good writer. Check him out! So is Just a Starving Writer, although both have stopped writing due to personal reasons.
Right. Anyway.
Review, okay! I'm really sad… and my fingers hurt a lot… Plus reviews help me write faster/wink wink hint hint/
I'm looking for this story. I've forgotten the title and the author, but the pairing was Kagura/Naraku. Rare, I know. Anyway. Naraku somehow reverted to his 'Onigumo' state of mind at the end of a battle where both he and Kagura are injured badly. Kagura and Kanna's hearts are returned to them. When Kagura awakes, she is being taken care of by Kanna. Naraku is also there, although he is more… er… innocent. Yeah. Mr. Nice Guy, basically. Anybody know this fic? Please tell me! Please!
Also, when I was typing up this chapter, I was doing when I was NOT supposed to. When no one was home, I found my laptop on my sister's stool and took it. But she came home when I just finished. And I panicked and didn't save the chapter. Thankfully, she frowned at me for not being a good girl, but she still saved Chapter 14! Hooray! If you have too much time and want to thank her too, tell me and I'll tell her. Okay?
I'm thinking of renaming the story to 'Kagome to Sesshoumaru no Monogatari', (かごめと殺生丸の物語), which means The Legend of Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Or possibly 'Miko to Taiyoukai no Monogatari'. Which, obviously, is The Legend of the Miko and Taiyoukai. Should I? Should I not? Which one? Vote. Tell me what you think. I'll also consider any other suggestions!
From now on, review replies will be emailed to you directly.
Also, the person who added Protector to Youkai99Angel's C2 Community hasn't revealed herself/himself yet. Please, do tell me.
Okay. Gotta go now.
Kyasarinyume07 signing off.