He watched her, his eyes eyeing her like pray in the middle of a hunt. She was humming softly, as she moved about his kitchen.
"What else did the Holy One say?" He had suspected she was keeping something from him.
"Nothing else honestly, she explained why the accident happened, my blindness, and warned me another battle was coming," Kagome said, moving eggs around in the pan she was cooking over.
"And the plum?" He urged, his nose twitching, wanted to scrunch up.
"You mean how did you come up in conversation?" She asked, turning to look at him. She smirked at his face slight scrunched, clearly wanting to know why he had been spoken of.
"She told me how the Coalition was created, how she met you, and discussed about your father,"
"This ones Father died after her, years would she have said?" He asked.
"She spoked of how she was fond of him, the way she spoke gave me the impression she cared greatly for him," Kagome said, softly, not turning to see his face.
Shock was minimal, but sudden things he had remembered as a child had started to make sense. It had been the night after the banquet, where he first met Midoriko, she had found him playing in the garden of the grounds. His mothers garden, she had sat next to him and asked if he wish to hunt with her. He could smell her fresh scent mixed with his fathers. It had been an innocent question he had asked, or at least he thought.
"Why do you smell of my father. The main said he was busy,"
Her blue eyes had widened, shock written on her face, but only momentarily. She had smoothed her features before smiling. She had explained she had sought his council about a matter in the Northern Territory.
He had scratched his nose, why would she need his father's advice on the dragons? The Great Inu Tashio had kicked their leader, it had created chaos among their ranks.
"Have the Dragons chosen a new leader?" He had asked, his head tilted.
She had nodded, but it had been a lie. Once his father's body had been cremated, he had taken over the Western Shiro. One of the first issues of his rule had been the choice of leader for the North. The North had never chosen a new leader, in fact they had been in a continuous state of chaos since his fathers rule.
She had passed him a plate of breakfast, he took with with thanks. The pair sat at the island in the kitchen, she had been shocked he had never actually cooked here before.
"Are you alright?" She asked, now a bit worried. Should she have kept Midoriko's feelings to her self.
"I was unaware of.- of her feelings," he said, his mind still picking through memories, trying to make sense.
"I'm sorry, I did not realize," she said, guilt already washing over her.
"She had attended to my mother during the last days of her life. She had been sick, the pox had swept through Japan. Humans and Yōkai both suffered losses." Sesshomaru's said, his eyes trained on his plate. He old only remember small memories of his mother. She was beautiful, he knew that from the portraits that he graced his Shiro. He had left them on the walls, including the tapestries of his family
Kagome was quite, not sure how exactly to respond. She had figured she had died, since Inu Tashio had taken a home as his second mate. The way the pair had been in her dreams was mutual, clearly showing a relationship of some kind.
"But that had been seventy years before I met her. I remembered the maids speaking of a Miko tending to her, but I was young. Too young to remember her death. My father had suffered her loss greatly. She had been his mate of years before I was born. She had struggled to be pupped, my teachers had discussed how their mating had been part of a treaty with my father and a smaller Inu Clan in the South. I assumed she was his life mate," Sesshomaru went on.
"They had been friends, that does not mean your mother was not his life mate. My grandfather had remarried after his first wife died. It had been a similar situation, the pair had been long time friends." Kagome said softly, hopping to ease his clear discomfort.
"Perhaps," he said. The pair ate quietly, both deep in their own thoughts.
Sometime later, she had asked if she could sower. He had chuckled and lead her back to his master room, and the bathroom. She had been shocked at the size, her eyes widening and her mouth slack. She was eyeing the hot spring that the bathroom had been built around.
"Go soak" he said, kissing her temple. He had not been blind to the fact she had been sore when she had awoken that morning. She had winced some when she urged him to let her cook rather then the chef. He had finally conceded, just to get rid of the surprised chef. He was sure the gossip of her presence was already spreading among his staff, if the fact they had never actually left the building yesterday hadn't started the rumor mill.
She had smiled as he kissed her, leaning into it. She smiled before slipping one of his shirts over her head. She was nude, her skin taunting him. He watched as she slipped in to the heated water, he smirked when she mewed in relaxation. He should call Kagura and discuss the days meetings. He should call her to let her know they wouldn't be in. But he was sure by this time she had already called his cell, no answer meant she had called his brother. He snorted at the thought of Inuyasha gaging at the smell he had left yesterday in his office. Their mutual sexual want had been thick, his younger brother would tell Kagura she didn't need to worry.
Smirking again, he pulled his shirt off as well as his sleeping pants. Kagome had eyed him from the far side of the spring. The heated water steamed the air, her skin flushed with the heat and the blush she had from seeing him naked again. Her glasses fogged slightly, she took them off to remove the fog and stilled.
He had been moving towards her when she stilled Her heart beating like a humming bird.
"Kagome-" he asked, suddenly his senses tingled. Something was off.
Her chest tightened, her eyes blinked multiple times, as if trying to ride of what she saw in front of her. He moved towards her, she was silent. His hands took the glasses and put them back open her face, conserved she was afraid of the darkness she saw.
"No-" she said softly, her hands taking them off. She looked up to his face, glasses in her hand. He looked at her, trying to understand. A link of her eyes told him. The film that had been over her eyes had been removed. He was looking into her blue eyes, she was searching his face as if looking for answers herself.
"I-" her throat moved with a hard swallow. She was confused, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"She did this" he said, speaking of the Miko that had charmed him hundreds of years earlier.
"Hm" Kagome said, blinking again. She put the glasses on the side of the spring, before standing on her toes before him. She had reached up to his face, bringing it close to her own. Their lips met, the soft kiss quickly heating up.
He would have to call upon a witch he had known, he would need to thank Midoriko for giving Kagome her sight back and to question her about his sire. Kagome pressed herself against his chest, squashing any other thoughts that did not involve her naked body.
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X
"We need to see Sesshomaru" Inuyasha barked out to Jaken, he was irritated.
He did not want to challenged now of all times. The toad informed his Master's brother and his female that Lord Sesshomaru was not going to be disturbed.
Kagura, rolled her eyes. The pink hues narrowing on the toad in irritation. She got why he did want to be disturbed, but now wasn't the time to be screwing around and doing it literally.
"Jaken, I understand he is busy, however we have a huge issue. The Lord of the North had go on national television and declared war against the Holy Community!" She snapped, she was missing her deadly fan in moments like this. How long had she moved around in life without it? It had been year since she had used it, the last had been in the Great Wars. While their human counterparts had raged in other wars since, Yōkai had lived peacefully that was until recently.
Jaken paled swallowing thickly, he called to one of the other servants. He had ordered her to go inform their master that there was a diplomatic issue that had arisen. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the cowardly toad. After all the year he had lived with Sesshomaru, he still hated the toad.
Jaken had asked if they wanted tea, before walking them to his brothers office. Kagura sat in on of the large chair, still annoyed at the delay. She clicked her tongue, as Jaken left the room to fetch a tray of tea. Her brown hair had grown, now falling to the middle of her back. Inuyasha hat next to her, irritated as much as she stupid Dragon was going to get people killed, even more so now he publicly declared war. Grumbling to himself, his ears twitched irritatedly, amusing his girlfriend. She had watched him before reaching up to rub one ear, he calmed slightly, no longer jumping at the feel of her touching his ears.
"Do you think they are fucking?" He asked, breaking the silence.
"Inuyasha!" She she exclaimed.
"What it's a legit question?" He said, shrugging his shoulder.
"It's none of your business what they are doing,"
"Yeah but he's the boss AND-" his voice was cut off by the door opening.
Sesshomaru entered, with Kagome trailing behind, clearly embarrassed by the situation. He was dressed in a damp shirt and pants. Kagome was wearing one of Sesshomaru's shirt, the hem hitting the top of her knees.
"It is none of your business " Sesshomaru said coldly, clearly hearing his brothers remark. Kagome blushed, making Kagura giggle at her boyfriend being caught red handed.
"Morning Kagome," she said with a soft smile, pulling another chair towards her.
"Morning,"she said softly embarrassment still burning.
"Where are your glasses?" Inuyasha asked, trying to ignore the pointed look his brother was looking at him with.
"It's a long story," she explained.
"I am sure she will tell you, after someone explains why I was disturbed when I clearly did not want to be," Sesshomaru growled out.
"Listen your sex life- OW!" Inuyasha yelled, his hands clamping down on his ears. Kagura shook her head, before lower her hand.
"The North has publicly declared war against the Holy communities" she said, shooting Inuyasha a look to shut up.
"What?" Kagome asked, forgetting the clear sign the couple knew she was now sleeping with her boss.
"That is interesting," Sesshomaru mused out, leaning back in a large chair. Jaken entered and set down a tray for the group and then left again. The pair of females took cups, while Inuyasha stood to look out one of the windows.
"Any suggestions Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, seeking familial advice. He often did, more then most people think he did. After the battle of Naraku, he had promoted Inuyasha to a general, and dared anyone to comment on it. His brother, while hot headed, turned out to be a very skilled tactician . His brash youthfulness now reserved to his personal life.
"We need to know what the others are thinking, you said your dinner with Herito did not go well," Inuyasha said, worried it may split the West and East, thus forcing them on a two sided war.
"His father will never allow him to align himself with the North, his father did told a grudge over his first son's death," Kagura said
"His first son?" Kagome asked, setting down her cup of tea.
"Yeah- the fool tried to fight Naraku, got himself killed. Idiot" Inuyasha grumbled, clearly still not happy about the altercation.
"He liked to use the people you love against you. He had done the same to me, fifty years prior. A priestess had pinned me to a tree, until Kikyo had undone the binding. Naraku was an asshole" he continued on, his mood darkening.
"He was the definition of evil. He had killed my sister," Kagura explained to Kagome.
"His own fucking daughter" Inuyasha growled out. Which caused Kagome's head snap in Kagura's direction. A question linger in her eyes to which Kagura nodded to.
"I'm sorry" Kagome said, understanding Kagura had not just lost a sister.
"He was not much of a father. More like he just birthed Kanna and I. We had no childhood, if it wasn't for Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kikyo I would not be alive today." Kagura explained, still very much thankful to the former trio.
"What of the Eastern Lord and Lady? She was born in the North and the current Lord is her uncle," Kagome asked.
Inuyasha looked at her then to his brother, he knew the Neko only in passing. Sesshomaru had know the Neko before he had been appointed Lord by the Council. Sesshomaru let out a soft sigh, that was the actual issue that was a problem.
"Lord Mitcho was a long time friend before he mated. He has changed since then," Sesshomaru said before sipping his own tea.
"So she controls him by the balls still?" Inuyasha asked.
Both females shook their heads and rolled their eyes at him and his question.
"Yes sadly, he is under the impression I made an advanced towards Suki. He was not pleased with my response to that claim," Sesshomaru said, earning a smirked from Kagura.
"You did call her an oversized flying serpent, that was probably not the best idea," Kagura said with a soft giggle.
"Wait you called a Lady a flying serpent?" Kagome asked, shocked at Kagura's remark.
"My father killed her father and she told one of my close friends I had attempted to 'jump her at a spring and have my way with her virginal body'" Sesshomaru said, fighting his urge to roll his eyes in irritation.
"Wait, is that what happened all those years ago at their mating ceremony?" Inuyasha asked, clearly out of the know.
"Wait, she said you did that at the ceremony?" Kagome asked.
"Yes and No. Kagura and I had traveled to the East after the first World War. The night prior I was in one of the guest springs. She had come in, unannounced and uninvited. She propositioned me, which I happily rejected. Nothing came of it, till a few years ago. He had accused me during a council meeting." Sesshomaru drawled out, retelling the memory.
"She's a beaky bitch, that meeting was about the possible removal of her uncle. He was violating a treaty with the Southern Lord. When Sesshomaru had second the idea of the removal, Mitcho became angry. Since its his uncle-in-law, so he accused Sesshomaru of jumping her bones" Kagome said laughing, she remembered the horrified look on his face when accused.
"Can you blame me for saying it then?" Sesshomaru said with a soft sniff. Kagome joined in Kagura laughter then, Kagura had mimicked his face causing Kagome to laugh harder.
To this, Sesshomaru did roll his eyes. Children he thought before Jaken knocked on the door, he entered shaking.
"Sir, Lord Mitcho and Lady Suki have arrived" Jaken hated the woman, she always stared down to him, like some lowly dish servant in the old days. He had laughed when he watched her leave rejected by his Lord.
"Their ears were burning" Kagura said, finally controlling her laughter.
"Jaken, get Lady Kagome a pair of sleeping pants, Kagura would you help her. She has not been shown around the Shire yet." Sesshomaru stated, leaving the room, followed by Inuyasha.
"Jaken, I have a bag of clothes in my car, she can wear those." Kagura said, before standing.
"Whelp come on, lets get you dressed and go face the great flying whore,"
"Kagura, why do you have clothes in my size?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Inu's have nasty habits of ripping things, its really annoying. So when they let you have a card to replace such thing, just accept it without argue," Kagura said, her eyebrow wiggling.
"Tell me about it" Kagome grumbled out, causing the other female to laugh.
"You got used to it, thought the possessiveness is annoying when you are trying to work. When Inuyasha and I began our relationship, any male besides his brother was not to be more closer then three feet. As you know that makes business kind of hard," Kagome listened as the pair moved through the halls. She looked from portrait to another, still listening to Kagura.
"Wait-" Kagome said, stopping in front of one portrait. Inu Tashio was in full battle armor, his fierce eyes staring out towards the looker. Beside him was a white hair female, her blue eyes shinning. She was beautiful, a soft smile played on her lips. Her facial markings mimicked Sesshomaru's except her had two strips rather then one. Her long white hair was put partly up in to two puny tails. Her purple and white kimono, even though painted, showed high status.
On the other side of Inu Tashio, a small black haired female stood. She had a full smile, out reaching towards her brown eyes. She was wearing a full home kimono with more then several layers. Her hair fell from her head, and past her shoulders.
"That is Lady Inu Kimi and Lady Izayoi, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's mother respectively, and of course their father," Kagura said, looking at the same painting Kagome was.
"They are beautiful, but Sesshomaru said his mother died when he was younger,"
"The painter had gifted it to Inu Tashio as a wedding present, when he married Izayoi. I never understood why Sesshomaru kept it, I was always under the impression he still held some bitterness told Lady Izayoi for his father's untimely passing," Kagura said
"That the Holy One," Kagome said, looking at another portrait next to the form Lord and his Ladies.
Midoriko stood in a field of yellow flowers. The wind clearly blowing against them as the bent slightly to its power. She was not wearing her signature Miko uniform or armor. But a soft pale blue kimono was wrapped around her form, a white obi was tied in her middle. She looked back at the painter, her eyes intense as they were last night. Her long hair danced in the wind, as she held a few flower in her hands. A soft smile played on her pinked lips, almost laughing with the painter.
"Hm, this is signed Inu Tashio," Kagura said confused.
Kagome smiled then, they were viewing how he saw her. She could see of the soft pencil under the yellow paint, he had sketched this scene then painted over it bringing it back to life before his eyes. Midoriko's smile seemed more secretive, now that she knew the painter was Inu Tashio.
"They had been friends and allies,"Kagome said, still staring at the painting. She felt some sadness that they had never explored their love for each other. She was thankful she had been given the opportunity to do so with her life. Kagome was not bond by the old ways, she had been allowed to study her education and work outside of her Holy bloodline. While grateful, she silently promised both Midoriko and Inu Tashio that she would fight the final battle, even if it just allowed their souls to rest..
"Lady Kagura, Lady Kagome" Jaken said, bowing and handing over a shopping bag.
"Alright, hope you like blue " Kagura said a wicked grin playing on her lips.
"Why do I feel like you have trapped me in something?" Kagome asked, earning a laugh from the other female. She had defiantly walked into some kind of trap.