Author's Note: Throwin' in some interaction between the parents . . . please read n' review, all suggestions welcome as always . . . please let me know if I suck royally or not . . .
DisclaimerThe only thing I own is an old beat up car.
Rain was still streaming down when Inutaisho and his son returned to the castle. Few words had passed between them on the return trip; both father and son were deep in thought. Inutaisho had been surprised at his son's reaction to the battle they had witnessed. He knew that his son was still a child at heart, but hadn't expected him to respond so drastically to what he had seen.
He had a good understanding of the purpose of battle, and that he was being trained to kill. He thought about how little time he had actually spent with his son beyond their training, and found that he really knew very little of him outside of it. The only thing he had ever really taught him was how to fight, to kill. His mother had taught him everything else. Just what had that everything else been? His thoughts went back to years earlier, when he had first begun to train Sesshoumaru, and spending more time at his wife's home.
"Our son is catching on very quickly to my teachings." he proudly told her one night. "He has a great fighting spirit."
"Of course." she said. "It could hardly have been expected to be otherwise. He is a son of two great dog demon clans, it is not as if he could have been a weakling or an imbecile, his breeding is too advanced." Her tone was so matter-of-fact and nonchalant that Inutaisho was taken off-guard.
"Aren't you proud of him?" he asked her. Even after so many years, he had expected her to show at least some enthusiasm for their son's accomplishments.
"Of course; he is my son." she answered, not entirely sure where the conversation was going. He had long known that his wife showed little emotion of any kind, outside of occasional impatience or frustration. It seemed her only wish was to take care of the things she must and be left alone.
"I am glad to be spending more time here." he ventured. "Both with Sesshoumaru and with you." he said, moving to embrace her. He felt her stiffen in his arms.
"I have fulfilled my part of our marriage contract by providing you with an heir." she said flatly. "I do not see any reason why you should need another. If you do not mind, I will retire to my chamber and go to bed."
Inutaisho let his arms drop to his sides. He watched his wife walk away without looking back. He hadn't expected any kind of love to be born from their union, but after a few years, he had found himself hoping for it. He had all the conquest and glory he could wish for, but it did not fill the empty space in his heart that remained.
He thought of these things as he approached his wife's chamber. "Kagetsu, I need to speak with you." he said through the door.
"Very well." came the answer. He stepped to the side as her servant answered opened the door. Kagetsu motioned for her to leave, and she bowed to both parties and continued down the hallway. Inutaisho slid the door shut behind her.
"What is it you wish to speak to me about?" his wife asked impatiently.
"Our son. All this time he has been with you, what other things has he been studying all these years? What teachings has he received?" he asked, a strange look reflecting in his eyes.
"Why, all the usual things for one of noble birth." she replied. "Etiquette, literature, art, philosophy, among other things. Is there a reason you feel you must ask? Is his manner somehow distasteful to you; do you find anything lacking in him?" she asked. She could not think of any other reason why he would be asking such questions of her.
"It isn't that." he answered. "What have you told him about humans, and how did the subject come up?" he asked.
Kagetsu sighed. "He saw them mentioned in his studies, and asked me about them.""I told him they were petty creatures worth no notice to one such as himself." she replied. "Would you have me tell him otherwise?"
"I would have you let him find out for himself about other races of beings; it isn't good to have preconceived notions about any creature, lest you become subject to underestimation of them." he told her.
"Oh yes." she almost laughed. "I had forgotten that there are times that even you yourself stoop to consort with them."
"I keep a close watch on the things that happen within my domain." he said. "There are many more humans in the western lands than here in the north. If things are to prosper in all ways, then humans must be included. Much war or social unrest would throw off the balance of things." he explained. "To be a true leader and ruler, order must be kept among all creatures within one's territory; it is the cycle of life to which all are bound." he said.
Kagetsu was only half listening. "As you say my lord, I have no need to worry with such things." she replied tiredly. She had never cared for these types of conversations with him, the subject held no consequence for her.
"Also," he began, his tone becoming more serious, "what has your relationship been with our son? I know you hold little emotion for most things, has the same been true in regards to him?" he asked.
"Are you implying that I care nothing for my own son?" she asked, her anger flaring. "I will admit that I have little patience with children but I am sure that he understands that I do care for him. I have taught him from a young age that it is never too early to learn self-control and practicality. Have I done him a disservice?" she asked.
"No, but it would have perhaps been better if you hadn't forced it on him just out of infancy. He has developed the same indifference to things outside of his own world as you have. If one cares for nothing, then one has no reason to fight or gain anything. I fear now that I may be unable to persuade him otherwise." he replied gravely.
"If I have disappointed you as a wife and mother, then you have my sincere apologies." she stated. "However, there is little to be done about it now." she said frankly.
"Yes, you are right." Inutaisho sighed as he stood up. "There is no disappointment, only a wish that I had been here more to influence our son in other ways of thinking, so that he may have had more than one opinion to pull his own from. Good night, my wife." he said as he closed the door.
