He watched her sleep. Dawn had broken hours ago, and noon was approaching. She truly must have been exhausted. Well, he didn't think he'd been that rough with her. In fact, he'd taken great pains to act something akin to gentle.
There was one small comfort: Kagura was keeping her distance. Perhaps she'd gotten wind of the "interactions" in this part of the castle and stayed to her own quarters. He knew how bored his incarnation must be with nothing to do save for overhearing his intimate affairs. He'd have to remedy that tonight. Also, evening privacy had its benefits—both for him and Mizoshi.
All of a sudden, the girl's eyelids fluttered open. Drowsily, she switched her gaze over to him. He wasted no time in greeting her. "Good morning, lover."
Her eyes widened. He could almost envision the tumult inside her mind. Naraku smirked at Mizoshi charmedly. He loved to remind her. Things would run along smoother if she just admitted it to herself instead of reverting to the innocent maiden every morning.
"Good morning, Naraku," she replied amiably.
"Yes, it is a good morning isn't it?"
He watched her sit up and rub her eyes. Naraku waited patiently. "Breakfast will be served shortly. As soon as I locate Kagura that is."
"Oh, no." Mizosi replied. "I'm not really hungry. I wouldn't want to bother her."
"Nonsense. She's lazy enough. I won't have you wasting away in my domain. Besides, you certainly need something to restore your depleted strength from last night." He raised an eyebrow.
She blushed. She actually blushed. Both an enchanting quality and a foolish annoyance on the same occasion. "Yes, well…" she trailed off.
A bit disappointedly, Naraku forced himself off the bed. His bed. "You may take breakfast anywhere you wish. Kagura will find you. But first, I must go get her." There. As eloquent as you please.
He moved towards the door.
"Naraku?" the girl whispered.
What was it now? Automatically, he spun around. "Yes, Mizoshi?"
"How long will I stay here?" Nervously, she bit her unpainted lips; her slim fingers pulling at the bedspread.
The question took him by complete surprise. "Why?"
"I just wanted to know."
Without meaning to, he roughened his tone. "Are you unhappy here? Do you wish to live? Am I keeping you a virtual slave here? Please, say so."
"No!" she exclaimed. "None of those things. I merely desired an answer."
Naraku considered her inquiry. After a second, it fired out of him like an arrow. "For the winter."
"And in spring?"
"We shall see."
Relief spread over her features. Now, Naraku's own eyes widened. Did she want to stay here? An intriguing thought that required deliberation. Yet, now was an inopportune moment.
"I shall leave you now, but I'll return later. I promise."
Finally, he treaded into the musty corridor, leaving the oddly desirable yet aloof woman in his personal space.
Unwilling to muse about the nude Mizoshi's reactions to him, he sought out Kagura. Naraku contemplated calling her with his mind, but he'd rather catch her off-guard. Naraku would discover her whereabouts the old-fashioned way.
It stunned him when he finally discovered where she was. Kagura stood in the center of Mizoshi's old chamber; holding her wooden box. The lid stood open and she was rifling though its contents intently. Nonchalantly, Naraku lounged in the doorway. "Enjoying yourself, Kagura?"
Immediately, she snapped the box shut. Her red eyes flashed with hatred. "Of course not. I was seeing if Mizoshi left anything behind. The girl is careless, you know, and doesn't quite know her place."
"And neither do you. You haven't taken anything, have you? Petty theft and trifle jealousies should be below you, my servant." He emphasized the word.
She made a disgusted face he wouldn't mind slapping off. "What's to take? I have my own hairpieces and cosmetics. I needn't steal. I found a gaudy wooden bracelet though."
The bracelet. Hadn't Mizoshi's brother given it to her? It was his last gift to her. Such an expression of love, his past comment echoed in his head. "Return it to her," he ordered curtly. "Give it to Mizoshi along with her breakfast."
"Which I assume I'll have to cook."
Naraku pointedly ignored her. Kagura wasn't that dense. "Also, I have another task for you to accomplish. Tonight preferably."
She folded her arms across her chest, an impudent pout on her face. Inwardly, he chuckled. Kagura hated being a part of him, hated to run errands for him, hated to do his dirty work, but she had no choice in the matter. What would she do with her "freedom" anyway? Squander it? The demoness would be dead twice over without his timely interventions and the assistance of his underlings he alone controlled.
"I need you to observe our five little aggravations from afar."
"You mean the mutt and his entourage?"
Again, he ignored her queries. Surely his incarnations had more intelligence. She was simply hoping he would provide her more information or gossip. Naraku knew her game.
"That will be all. Don't get caught. No attacking. If you intentionally get into trouble, I just may decide against helping you. A disobedient child is of no use to me."
Turning on his heel, he walked away. Naraku wouldn't bother watching Kagura's predictably incensed reactions. He strode through the halls of his castle liquidly until he reached his destination. The glittering white sand of the center courtyard padded his bare feet. At last, he sat on the large rock on the northern edge he had grown accustomed to reflecting on. Truth be told, he should thinking up new and better schemes to deal with the "five little aggravations," but his mind was elsewhere.
He wondered what she wasthinking rightnow. How he would love to get inside her head and see.
Mizoshi sat on the porch that was nearest to her new chamber. The cold, cutting wind ruffled the fabric of her yellow violet-leaved kimono. It was approaching the middle of October already. Winter was obviously in a hurry to spatter the world with its icy snowflakes and bitter frost.
Out of the blue, there came a sound on the floorboards. Mizoshi tensed and waited. Abruptly, the wind sorceress materialized on the veranda; a scowl on her face. Unceremoniously, she slammed a bowl of steaming rice porridge on the floor and crashed a familiar wooden box down beside it. Then, she swept back inside. Not a syllable escaped her mouth. Well. This was a welcome change. Instead of openly verbally fighting with her, the deadly silent treatment had emerged. However, she couldn't recall doing anything to anger Kagura. Perhaps she was having a bad day. Or perhaps someone had made it a bad day.
Inevitably, her thoughts turned on that particular someone. She had been genuinely relieved when Naraku told her she'd be staying through the winter. Still, an invisible hand clutched her heart painfully all the same.
It wouldn't last. Soon, he would tire of her. It couldn't last. Sometimes, she felt as if she was walking in her mother's footsteps. She'd lived a constant life of hardships because of her traitorous love. And yet, Mizoshi couldn't change one simple fact: she cared for Naraku.
Picking up her spoon, she examined it carefully. How long would it be when the spider grew hostile towards the kink in his web and eliminated it? How long would it be until her presence was no longer needed? Mizoshi placed the spoon back in her bowl. The porridge wouldn't warm her.
The poisonous barrier on the horizon seemed thicker now. She hoped any poisons weren't included in the foamy rice mixture. It wouldn't be beyond Kagura to try. Mizoshi would opt to cook her own meals from now on. Her situation was more precarious than she had realized before.
Her fingers absently grazed the lid of the cosmetic box. She was aware of what treasure she'd left behind. Against her will, she was reunited with it.
The lid remained closed.
Wow! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Everyone seems to like the story, and a lot want to see Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru will be appearing in the next chapter, and he will be present at the ending too. Sorry about the delay, but I had a slight case of writer's block. Spring Break didn't help either. :)