I looked around one of the open rooms in the Demon World Palace. Alejandro had given me strict instructions not to wander the palace alone. He'd said that there were many demons there that wouldn't realize I was Kyoko and wouldn't hesitate to kill me.
Sighing, I looked at the door longingly. There was only so much boredom I could take and that door seemed to be calling me. It was then that my mind was made up. The door swung open and I made my way down the hall.
There was no one outside guarding my door; in fact the whole hall seemed abandoned. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that there was no one even living in the palace. Hallway after hallway, stair well after stair well, there was no one. A window overlooking a field sat at one end of a hall and it looked like a good place to stop and rest.
"I seem to remember Alejandro telling you not to move." A man's voice broke the silence.
"Who are you?" I whirled around. "And what do you want?"
"You should be in your room Terry." He looked no older than thirty with jet black hair and a lean frame. "There are many demons here who would be glad to kill you. They aren't aloud to hunt anymore."
"I asked you a question. Who are you?"
His eyes were amber-colored. "That's not important right now." They spoke of wisdom far beyond thirty years.
"Look pal, I don't know who you are but-"
"Hush, you've always talked to much. Ever since you were a child."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot to mention I knew you when you were Kyoko."
"Look buddy, I…"
"You wouldn't remember me. But I can tell you what I remember of Kyoko."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because the King wishes it." He smiled.
"The King? You mean Kyoko's Father?"
"Yes, he asked me answer any questions you had about her."
"Alright. Well, it would be helpful if I knew your name first."
"That is something I cannot do."
"Well, it was worth a try. Um…. Well I remember Alejandro mentioning that he was the oldest of Kyoko's children. Who are they?"
"Alejandro is, as you said, the oldest. He is also the only pup who has a mate. Her name is Kohana; she's the daughter of the Lord of the Eastern Lands, Kouga. Then there are the other three: Amaya, Jiro, and Aiko. Amaya is the second oldest, a real spitfire, just like Kyoko. They look so much alike, except, of course, for her father's markings. Jiro and Aiko are twins, identical except for their eyes. They are, of course, the youngest."
"So where are they? I mean, if there are four of them, then why aren't they here?"
"They live in the Western Lands, at their father's palace. Alejandro is here because, since Kyoko" he glanced at me. "Is no longer among us, he is the heir to the throne of Demon World."
"What about that guy, Sesshomaru, or whatever his name is. Wouldn't he be next in line for the throne?"
"The different sections of Demon World work independently. No Lord or Lady, born into his or her position, can be the heir to the throne of Demon World. It is in certain cases, like Alejandro's, when one parent is next in line for the throne, that the oldest pup is the heir to Demon World, and the second to the Land. Amaya, though she is not the oldest, is set to inherit the Western Lands, once Sesshomaru decides to step down."
"That's really complicated."
"Demons live a long time, it's natural that they think things up that are complicated. Otherwise, they would be bored all the time."
There was a bit of humor in his voice.
"Is there anything else you would like to know?"
"Well, can you tell me about Sesshomaru?"
"What do you want to know about him?"
"I guess everything. I mean, he seems like he's so close to Kyoko, but I get the feeling he really isn't like that."
Again, he smiled.
"Sesshomaru is, how shall I say this, complicated. When he first met Kyoko, five hundred years ago, he hated humans. Thought they were weak. Of course this was the time when he had a human girl living under his roof. Well, his father and Kyoko's father thought that even though their personalities were so different, that they might be a match. I'm sure that humans got the phrase "opposites attract" from those two.
At the time of their first meeting, neither knew what their fathers had intended and immediately disliked each other. Not long after, Sesshomaru went into heat-"
"A guy went into heat?"
He laughed.
"Demons are more complicated than animals Terry. Female demons go into heat once a year. Any male demon in the vicinity also goes into heat and competes to be able to impregnate the female. The male stays in heat until he mates with a female."
"So as soon as a guy goes into heat he has to find a mate?"
"You misunderstand. Mating is another word here for sex."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"Yes, well, to continue, one night, Sesshomaru took Kyoko to his bed. It unknown how he got her there, but in the morning, they woke up, very surprised, to say the least. During the night they had marked each other, and two people that greatly disliked each other were now mates. To finish this quickly, they did end up falling in love and were close up until the day Kyoko vanished."
"How can people who hate each other fall in love? It's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible when it comes to love."
Heavy footsteps interrupted us. A large ox like creature in armor rounded the corner. He stared down at me and then spoke in a deep voice.
"Prince Alejandro wishes to see her now."
"I will accompany her." The man said quickly.
"I was given-"
He stopped when the man held up his hand.
"I will take her. Go back to your post."
Without giving the guard another chance to speak, he grabbed my arm and marched me down the hall. I didn't know what to say to him.
"That demon would have killed you if I'd left you alone with him." He told me. "He doesn't recognize you."
"But wouldn't he have to face the King?"
"They believe the King is still in mourning for Kyoko, and wouldn't care what they did to a human."
"Would he?"
"His mate was a half breed and he made it punishable by death to kill a human. He cares for them very much."
"Is he still in mourning?"
"No, not since I heard you were here. Good day Terry."
With that, he turned and left me in front of a pair of large doors. I stood there for a second before it clicked.
"Hey, wait!" I spun around but he was gone.
That was weird.
Just then, there was a whoosh of air behind me. The doors had swung open. Inside stood Alejandro at a table, looking over some scrolls. I stepped inside and he looked up. A look of relief came over his face.
"I was starting to think that they guard had tried something."
"There was another man that brought me here, after the guard told us you wanted to see me."
"Another man?" He stood up, and thought for a moment. Then, his face lit up. "Did this man look like he was in his thirties? Black hair, brown eyes?"
"Yeah, that's him. He's the King, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is."
"But I thought he would be a demon."
"Oh, he is. Once in a while he likes to take on human form. He probably wanted to see you. Kami knows he's been upset since… well, he's been upset."
I figured he was talking about Kyoko vanishing. It was probably best to change the subject.
"So why did you want me there?"
"That's a good question." His face lightened at the change of topic. "We've tracked down some of Inari's men. Your friends are headed to intercept them."
"That's great. I just hope Yusuke doesn't try to kill them."
"We need to interrogate them. Your friends said they were good at that. Don't worry, we'll figure this out."
Footsteps came from down the hallway. They got closer quickly. Suddenly, Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway. His jaw dropped when he saw me.
"Father…" Alejandro couldn't seem to get the words out.
"She shouldn't be here."
"But-"
"This world is too dangerous for a human."
"It's just as dangerous in the Human World. At least here we can protect her."
"I hope you are not referring to yourself pup."
"Father, as long as she is in the palace the King's power will ward off Inari."
"I would not be so sure. She knows this place well."
"Listen Father, she can't stay in the Human Realm. She showed some of Mother's powers-"
"Never speak of her."
"But Father-"
"I said never-"
"Excuse me!" I stepped in between them, sick of what I was hearing. "I am in the room here. If you want to discuss something speak to me. And don't be an ass." I glared at Sesshomaru. "He's your son, come on. Show a little bit of heart. Anyway, it was my choice to come here. So if you're going to yell at anyone, yell at me."
"The dangers here are far beyond your comprehension." He said.
"Look buddy, in the past four days I've been attacked by demons, found out I was the incarnation of a Princess, attacked twice by a crazy lady, brought to Demon World, and learned that people here would love to kill me. On top of that, there's this crazy power thing that nearly killed Inari. If that isn't dangerous, then tell me what is."
"The demons here will not protect you."
"Then why don't you stay, if you think you can do a better job then they can."
I could see that I'd gotten him. He turned and walked towards the door. At the threshold, he stopped.
"Pup, see to it that the King knows she is here and send a messenger to the Western Lands. I will be staying until this is resolved."
With that, he left. I stared at the stop where he stood for a moment before looking back at Alejandro.
"Is that normal?" I asked.
"That's Father." He sighed. "You should get back to your rooms. I'll let you know if something comes up."
And he left me in the cold room. What have I gotten myself into?
A/N: This has not been edited, and I will post the edited one once Jen is done with it.