Inuyasha

Love's War

Chapter 17

The Runaway

January 30, 2022

Shippou led Sachi out of the Southern Palace, grateful that this war was finally over, and he had saved his intended. The long slow walk over to the Northern Lord was happy as he chatted with Sachi quietly about ideas on how to continue their courtship now after this whole ordeal was over.

"Sachi my beloved daughter." Kuro said happily as he stepped forward to embrace her.

"Father." Sachi said sweetly as she let go of Shippou to run into her father's arms happily.

"I'm so glad you are safe my dear." Kuro said softly to her as he hugged her tightly. "Thank you young Shippou for her safe return." He said as he stood up straight and looked at him.

Shippou nodded with a soft smile. "My pleasure." He said flashing Sachi a brilliant smile with tender loving eyes.

"We shall discuss the future later." Kuro said noticing how much blood covered Shippou as he looked the boy up and down.

There was something in that look that Shippou didn't like, it seemed to be judging him in that happy moment. Shippou just brushed it off as his raw nerves from the last several months and his fight just minutes before. "I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru would be pleased with any time you choose for the discussion. Perhaps it could be at the Western Castle during the upcoming celebrations." He offered with a smile changing his gaze from Sachi to Kuro again.

"We'll see." Kuro said gruffly with a glance that told Shippou there was something wrong.

"Come along Sachi your mother and sisters have been worried about you this whole time." Kuro said with another sideways glance at Shippou.

"What was that all about?" Inuyasha asked curiously as he stepped up beside Shippou and watched the Northern Lord and his daughter walk away.

"I'm not sure, but I don't have a great feeling about it." Shippou said with a frown as he watched Kuro lead his daughter away while she tried to turn to say goodbye.

"He didn't like your injuries." Sesshomaru said with a huff.

"My injuries? What do they have to do with keeping our courtship on track?" Shippou asked surprised as he looked over at Sesshomaru confused.

"He believes you should have been able to save her without injury and that you cannot protect his daughter as he once thought." Sesshomaru said with a sigh and a glare at the back of Kuro, having delt with this man his whole life gave his certain insights he wished he didn't have.

"That's ridiculous Sesshomaru." Kagome said as she looked up at him. Then over at Shippou who seemed to be looking down at his appearance scrutinizing himself.

"He's the one who didn't protect her, that's how this all started." Inuyasha said angrily looking over at Sesshomaru who was frowning while watching Kuro walk away.

"Sesshomaru-Sama, did I do something wrong?" Shippou asked as he looked up from his blood-stained clothes up to his father figure.

"Absolutely not!" Kagome said at once looking over at Shippou.

"Your mother is correct Shippou you have done nothing wrong." Sesshomaru said looking over at the boy and nodded to him. He turned and walked away towards their troops. "Inuyasha let's get this lot home." He said motioning towards his troops.

"It's alright Shippou, there's always other people out there." Kagome said softly laying a comforting hand on his arm.

"I don't want other people." Shippou said shaking her hand off his arm, then turned and followed Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

"I know you were trying to help, but that wasn't helpful." Himeko said softly over to Kagome. "Wanting to comfort someone is usually better in silence in my experience. Saying things like that only deepens the sadness." She said with a sad smile.

"I just can't stand to see him like that." Kagome said as she began following the others.

"Just give him time. Lord Sesshomaru will take care of Lord Kuro's nonsense. Until then just keep him busy." Himeko said keeping step with Kagome.

~*~*~*~ Several Weeks Later~*~*~*~

"Is everything ready for the ball?" Kagome asked curiously as she looked at Hiro in his third-floor work room.

"Yes, My Lady. I have everyone's attire complete. I shall have them in their rooms today for inspection for the party tomorrow. Not that I haven't inspected every article over a hundred times already, but I like to make sure everyone is pleased." Hiro said with a soft smile up at Kagome. "How is Master Shippou doing?" he asked curiously a sadness in his eyes.

"Still no reply to any of his letters, and anytime he's went with Sesshomaru he hasn't seen her either. I'm afraid Kuro is being stupid." Kagome said with a sigh as she walked over to the window and looked out over the gardens.

"Kuro has never been accused of an overabundance of intelligence My Lady." Hiro said with a huff.

"I suppose that's true enough. But let's keep that between us." Kagome said with a small smile and a wink over to Hiro.

"Of course, My Lady." Hiro said with a smile and a small nod to her.

"I actually expected Kuro and Hoshi would have thrown a ball to celebrate the return of Sachi." Kagome said with a small frown.

"I'd say Kuro is fighting his mate and daughters at the moment. He's a stubborn one, eventually he will give in so don't let Sesshomaru give up." Hiro said standing there watching Kagome with his hands folded behind his back.

"Ah so you do know my name." Sesshomaru said with a small smirk if only for a brief moment at the two of them jumping at the sound of his voice.

"Of course, I do young one!" Hiro said with a smirk over at Sesshomaru.

"Old Fox one of these days…" Sesshomaru said with a sigh and the rolling of his eyes.

Kagome giggled this was the only servant that dared speak to Sesshomaru so informally, and she loved the fact that her mate never did anything about it except to show his annoyance. Even that was out of character for him when it came to the staff. Usually all they got was his stony indifference. But this old fox had a strange hold over Sesshomaru from his childhood.

"We have a guest Kagome." Sesshomaru said dragging his mate out of her musings.

"Oh, really I hadn't heard of any planned arrivals this early for the ball tomorrow." Kagome said curiously as she turned and made her way to the door.

"It definitely wasn't planned. Come along Hiro we will need your services, I'm sure." Sesshomaru said then left the room letting the two behind him stew curiously as they followed him. It only piqued their interest more when instead of heading down to the entryway he turned and made his way down the family wing of the castle. Once at the master quarters he opened the door and motioned for Kagome to go ahead of him.

Kagome walked in with a sideways glance at Sesshomaru wondering what this man was up to, she turned her attention to the room to see a beautiful fox woman standing there a little disheveled and dirty but royalty non the less with her attire and grace. "Sachi!" she said shocked.

"Lady Kagome please forgive my intrusion into your home unannounced and without invitation." Sachi said looking at Kagome with pleading eyes.

"Oh, nonsense you're always welcome here my dear." Kagome said with a bright smile as she made her way over to the young princess.

"You may regret that statement in a few moments." Sachi said as her eyes filled with tears, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, and once she opened her eyes again, she gave Kagome a sad smile. "See I've ran away. My father was being unreasonable, and I couldn't stand not seeing Shippou any longer. He forbade me from coming to your ball tomorrow. He won't give me my letters from him." She said with pleading eyes again.

"Oh, my dear that's why you haven't written Shippou back. Does Shippou know you're here yet?" Kagome asked with a soft smile as she sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her for Sachi to sit down too.

"Shippou hasn't returned from his patrol yet." Inuyasha said from beside the fireplace.

"I've written him every day since he rescued me with no reply, I thought he had given me up. Until I overheard my parents arguing about it. My father has had the servants take my letters then return with them and give them to him. I found out that none of my letters have gotten to through, and all Shippou's letters were stopped as well. He's trying to cut me off from him and I don't understand why." Sachi said with tears in her eyes. She threw up her hands to her face and began crying uncontrollably.

"My dear…" Kagome said softly, and she pulled the young princess into an embrace. She looked over at Sesshomaru her eyes telling him she was going to help her even if he disapproved. She hugged the young woman close stroking the back of her hair trying to calm her down.

"Hiro, as you might have already guessed we need some attire for the young Princess for her stay." Sesshomaru said over to the old fox motioning him forward.

"Yes of course." Hiro said with a small nod then walked over to the Princess who had looked up at Sesshomaru surprised.

"You mean you'll help me?" Sachi asked hopefully.

"Of course." Kagome said wiping the young woman's tears away with a bright smile, and her eyes showed love and understanding.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Sachi said with a huge smile and threw her arms around Kagome hugging her tightly. "Oh, I'm sorry Lady Kagome, I seemed to have forgotten myself." She said releasing Kagome quickly remembering this was a Lady of the Lands that she had just about knocked over in her eagerness.

"We do still have all the clothes I had prepared for the Princess months ago, but I would like to get a better account from you, my dear, what your likes and dislikes are." Hiro said with a small smile down at her as he put out his hand to help her up off the couch.

"Hiro show her to her room and let her pick out an outfit she likes then bring her down to my study." Sesshomaru said and opened the door for the two of them to leave. Once out of earshot he closed the door and turned back around to Kagome and Inuyasha. "I know what you think but what about you Inuyasha?" he said looking at his mate then looked over at his brother curiously.

"This could, if we are not careful, start another war." Inuyasha said thoughtfully then bit his lip with one of his fangs. "Actually, I'm pretty sure it will if Kuro won't back down. His troops are pretty much fresh where ours are battle worn for damn near half a year." He said looking up at Sesshomaru and shook his head lightly.

"I concur I don't see any other way out of this, if Kuro won't relent, without war." Sesshomaru said and sighed he walked over to the door to the balcony and looked outside for several long minutes. "Is this the best option at the moment? Is this the hill we want to die on?" he asked looking at the other in the glass reflection.

"What he's doing to these kids is wrong Sesshomaru." Kagome said adamantly.

"And we have a right to disagree when it comes to Shippou. But it's more of a grey area when we butt in on his actions towards his daughter." Sesshomaru said as he turned to face her. He knew if the other Lady's had told Kagome how to raise her children, she would have lost her shit.

"His actions directly affect Shippou, so I say that makes it less grey." Kagome said with a shrug.

"Kagome, if the roles were reversed and you had decided Sachi wasn't a suitable mate for Shippou. Would you appreciate Hoshi and Kuro stepping in between you and Shippou?" Inuyasha asked curiously watching her closely, knowing this was going to strike a nerve with her.

"I wouldn't be doing what Kuro is doing so the question is moot." Kagome said with a shrug.

"And if I stepped in keeping an ill-suited mate from our son?" Sesshomaru asked curiously with a raised eyebrow. Over the years they had frequently disagreed on how to raise Hikaru and Shippou. Her upbringing in the future sometimes wasn't the best for the harsh reality of the age they currently live in.

"Sesshomaru, I wouldn't be arguing with you in your study as you hurt our children, I promise you that. Do keep that in mind." Kagome said with a very hard look in her eyes that said this was a line she was drawing in the sand, and he was never too cross.

"Very well, we will continue on this path until Kuro see's reason." Sesshomaru said relenting knowing he was never going to win against his mate on this issue, not that his opinion differed from hers, but he had to weigh all the options. War with the North at this time wasn't his first choice but so be it.

Inuyasha sniggered and looked away trying to hide his smile. "And how do we handle the ball tomorrow?" he said gaining control of his emotions again and looking back over to Sesshomaru.

"With dignity and grace. Now go find your mate and bring her to my study." Sesshomaru said with a raised eyebrow. He watched as his brother left the room and he turned to his mate. "I leave her in your care my dear, continue as if the courtship is still in effect. Actually, it is because he never officially dissolved the agreement. I'll have Himeko take her out to the hot spring to get cleaned and relaxed before Shippou's return." He said then began to walk out of their room.

"Never alone together I got it." Kagome said with a bright smile then stood up and followed him out of the room. "And when shall Shippou return?" she asked curiously.

"Sometime late tonight I'm sure, I told him he better be back in time to get a good night's sleep for the ball tomorrow." Sesshomaru said walking down the hallway.

"Hiro hang on a moment please." Kagome said when she noticed the old fox making the turn to go up the next flight of stairs. Sesshomaru kept going down the stairs knowing that if Kagome had wanted him to stay then she would have asked him to do so. "I hate to put so much pressure on you the day before a ball." She said once she stopped in front of him.

"I'll do anything you need My Lady do not worry about me." Hiro said with a smile and a look of honesty in his eyes.

"You always have." Kagome said with a bright smile. "Is there any way possible to get the princess suitable attire for tomorrow's ball?" She asked curiously.

"I shall do my best My Lady, but with such short notice it will not be to the same level of extravagance as the rest of the family I have made for tomorrow." Hiro said with a slight bow to her.

"Do your best, remember she is a guest. She would normally be in attire meant for her to travel as well." Kagome said with a bright smile. "Now I must let the cooks know we have a long-term guest." She said then turned and walked down the next flight of stairs.

The day continued on like normal with the addition of Himeko escorting Princess Sachi around the Castle to get her used to her new surroundings. Sachi had chosen a lovely light blue kimono that faded to white below the waist then transitioned into a soft coral at the bottom with a beautiful variety of flowers spread across the lower half in white, bright pink, and light pink with some pops of yellow for the center of flowers. Her second layer was a plain pink and bottom layer was the traditional white. Her onbi was a soft coral with a light blue tie and a couple of white flowers.

"You look beautiful." Kagome said brightly as this young woman walked into the dining room accompanied by Himeko. This ever-growing family seemed to always be shifting seats around and now it has done it again.

Sesshomaru and Kagome never change, him always at the head of the table with Kagome on his right. Inuyasha sat on his left with his mate beside him, then next is Hikaru who normally sat beside Himeko. Sachi's seat is beside Kagome with Shippou beside her then Sango and Miroku with their children is sitting beside Shippou. Finally, Rin and Kohaku beside Hikaru.

"Shippou's not back yet, you sit here, he'll be beside you." Kagome said bringing the young princess to sit beside her.

"I don't want to be taking someone's seat." Sachi said worried as she looked around at everyone, all of whom seemed perfectly happy in their seats.

"Nonsense, you'll sit here." Kagome said patting the seat beside her to get the young woman to sit down.

"Very well if you insist." Sachi said with a bright smile, everything and everyone seemed so relaxed here in the West. The Northern castle constantly had someone pissed off about something.

About halfway through the staff serving dinner Shippou walked into the dining room covered in dust. "Sorry I'm late there is a lot of movement along the Northern Border. It's like they've lost something." Shippou said from the door looking down at himself dusting off before he got over to the table.

"Hello." Sachi's soft sweet voice said as she stepped out from in front of her chair to look at him at the door.

The soft sweet voice of dreams pulled his attention up immediately. "Sachi…" he said shocked as his face lit up and he rushed to her. "When did you get here?" he asked as he hugged her to him relishing in the moment, he picked her up and spun around.

Kagome smiled and grabbed Sesshomaru's hand. "Let them have this moment." She whispered over to him to keep him from separating them.

Sachi giggled as she hugged him tightly. "This afternoon." She said once he put her back down on the floor.

"But I'm confused, you haven't written, and you refused to see me on my visits to the Northern Castle. Why are you here now and where are your parents?" Shippou asked when he pulled back and looked down into her eyes. He furrowed his brown confused at the sadness in her eyes.

"We'll discuss that after dinner Shippou." Sesshomaru said motioning to the empty chairs. "Suffice to say she is here now." He said watching the two sit down at the table.

"Well, they know she's missing now. It's only a matter of time…" Inuyasha whispered over to Sesshomaru with a frown. The rest of dinner was spent discussing the preparations for the Ball tomorrow. With some quiet but giddy talk from the two beside Kagome about the next few day's activities.

"We shall see everyone in the morning." Sesshomaru said standing up from the table officially dismissing dinner. Everyone stood up but Inuyasha, Himeko, Kagome, Sachi, and Shippou stayed put letting the others out of the dining room. "To my study so this can get cleared away." He said then turned and walked out of the dining room himself.

"What's going on?" Shippou asked as the door to Sesshomaru's study closed.

"They are looking for me." Sachi said looking down at the floor wringing her hand in front of herself nervously.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Shippou said looking at her confused.

"Your girlfriend ran away; she was being held basically as a prisoner. She wasn't allowed to see you, she would wright to you, but the letters never made it here and your letters would go undelivered." Inuyasha explained.

"Why would Kuro do that? I don't understand." Shippou asked confused as he stepped up behind Sachi putting his hands comfortingly on her shoulders.

"Kuro was forcing her to give you up." Sesshomaru said as he sat down behind his desk. "Our next move will determine a lot of things in the near future." He said with a sigh.

"We're not sending her back." Shippou said defiantly as he now held her defensively stepping up closer to her to give her the comfort of his presence.

"My dear Shippou no one said we were." Kagome said with a small smile over at him as she sat down on the edge of the chair in front of Sesshomaru's desk, turned so she could see him. "But how we handle tomorrow will determine if we are at war or continue on with your courtship as agreed." She said determining that honesty was the best way to resolve this.

"I can't let you go to war over me twice." Sachi said shocked as she jerked her head up to look at Kagome.

"Unfortunately, it's not up to you at this point. It's up to your father." Sesshomaru said leaning back in his chair.

"If I return to the North everything will be forgotten, I could say I refused to miss the ball." Sachi said with her eyes misting up.

"No." Shippou said flatly. "I will not allow her to go back into a prison like existence." He said with Kagome's damned determined look in his eyes.

"Shippou think very carefully. Our forces just spent a half of a year of hard fighting to free Sachi, the north only left their boarder the month before you freed her." Himeko said trying to be a voice of reason, not that she wanted Sachi to return to the existence she just ran away from. But to protect the tired Western forces that was the best option and she didn't want him to just ignore it out of hand.

"I said no!" Shippou said aggressively to Himeko which caused Inuyasha to step forward defensively. "I apologize Himeko, I know you are just trying to make me think carefully on the options. But I will not allow Sachi to return to yet another prison. Her home maybe but a prison non the less. She doesn't deserve that treatment." He said in a softer tone nodding over to his friend.

"Shippou, I can't let you go to war over me again." Sachi said softly as she turned in his arms to look up at him. "I couldn't bear it if more people died for the price of my freedom." She said sadly.

"I will fight the entire world on my own if I have to if it secured your freedom and happiness." Shippou said softly as he looked down at her with love in his eyes.

"Your courtship agreement is still in effect. Kuro has neglected to formally cancel the arraignment. That's what we will play off of tomorrow, it seems the best option available to us." Sesshomaru said leaning back up in his chair. "I don't foresee himself letting all of Japan know how he's treated his daughter after her long imprisonment." He said watching the couple in front of him.

"Do you think that will work?" Sachi asked curiously as she turned to look at him.

"Let's hope so." Sesshomaru said with a slight frown. "But be ready for anything." He said as he stood up from his chair.

"I want to keep Sachi by my side tomorrow." Shippou said watching Sesshomaru to see if he would have a reaction.

"That's not traditional." Sesshomaru said with a frown.

"It would strengthen our case, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said thinking quickly. "Like you said Kuro won't want to make an ass out of himself in front of all Japan. Introduce her along with Shippou as his intended, then all of Japan knows there is an agreement between the two families." He said excitedly.

"That may just work My Lord." Himeko said grinning from ear to ear for the idea.

"Let's do it Sesshomaru. We can nail his proverbial balls to the wall with that announcement." Kagome said excited as well as she stood up from her seat.

"We'll have her step out to stand with us once we are being introduced so that there is no way he could start trouble before hand." Sesshomaru said with an odd glint in his eye. He loved to outsmart that sly fox.