Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

:Inuyoukai language:

Chapter Four

Friends

Morning came before the couple was roused enough to acknowledge it. Snuggling deeper into the bedsheets, Kagome pressed her face into her mates chest. Sesshoumaru in turn wrapped his arms tighter around his new mates stomach and buried his nose into her black tresses. Inhaling her scent, swathed in his own, he relaxed and let his aura tighten around hers. Still exhausted from the bonding and "other" strenuous, if not delicious activities, Sesshoumaru secured his hold on his mates aura and drifted back into slumber.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the house was not as lazy as it's newly mated couple. The servants were up at dawn cleaning and preparing for the day before them. Breakfast was the first thing on the agenda to get the house up and running.

Touga awoke to the smell of food and quickly changed as he prepared to go downstairs. He first went to check up on his son and new daughter in law. He saw the door to their chambers pulsing with a wicked, angry red aura and decided against knocking. He knew that they would not be out of the room until the end of a weeks time. His son was too possessive to let his mate out of his domain before his aura had completely enveloped her own. Shaking his head at his son's volatile instincts he made his way to his youngest son's room. He entered without knocking, knowing his son would be still asleep. However, he could not sleep any longer and Touga so loved awakening him.

Inuyasha fairly screamed as he felt cold water cover his body. "Father! Damnit. That was cruel! I was asleep for crying out loud!" He growled as he shook himself free of the ice cold water and looked out his window. "It's still dark out, why am I up?" He whined.

"Inuyasha you and I will be training in the dojo this morning. Your instructor has informed me that you do not fight with your head. I aim to change that. I will not have a son who cannot keep his cool in a fight." He held his hand up to silence Inuyasha when he opened his mouth to speak. "You do not need to be as cool and controlled as Sesshoumaru, even I think he is too regimented. But you do need to learn how to fight with your head not just pure strength. Your mate will have to depend on you for protection and if you cannot think clearly or at all, you put her and any pups you may have at risk. You will spar with me and eventually Sesshoumaru when he gets up. Am I making myself clear?" He tone brooked no argument.

"Yes sir." Inuyasha replied in a dejected voice. "But it's so early." He whined as he donned his fire rat haori and hakamas.

"Get used to it. You are old enough that you should start patrolling the borders now and watching over villages in our lands. If you keep complaining I will set you up as an overseer of a village to teach you some responsibility. Now let us go. We are wasting time."

They made their way to a sturdy building in the back of the castle. It was surrounded by soldiers, some who were training and others who were watching and taking notes, learning as instructors barked out orders, explaining how and why that move worked and how the other one didn't. Most of the time the difference was only a slight variation in angle. Touga nodded in acknowledgment to his troops and their commanders as he made his way to the sparing ring. Taking out two swords he tossed one to Inuyasha.

"Now son, we will see how you fair in a fight of mental prowess and not brute strength." They both took up starting stances. Touga attacked first with a forward frontal assault. Inuyasha dodged and swiftly thrust his own sword towards his fathers side. It was rather forcefully blocked and Inuyasha's sword was thrown out of his hands. "Did you underestimate me son? I have a thousand years experience on you and you thought a thrust to my side would take me out. You would not have lost your sword if you had not put everything behind that attack. You must learn that sword fighting is a dance and you must learn the steps. Now, do your kata, I will observe and correct you."

Inuyasha sighed and retrieved his sword. Falling into the first kata, he tried his hardest to concentrate while his stomach growled for the breakfast that they had not yet eaten.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Miroku woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, rice, and was that sweet rolls? A soft moan came from his left and a warm, supple body snuggled deeper into his chest. He looked and saw his wife of three months buried in the bed sheets. 'I wonder if I have time to take her before breakfast?' He mused and grinned at his own perverted thoughts as he felt his pride and joy tighten. He leaned down and gently nipped her shoulder and ran his tongue over the red mark. Suckling the flesh into his mouth he let his hand travel to his wife's chest where he softly ran his hands over her peaks and cupped her fullness.

"Miroku, remove your hands or else." His lovely wife growled.

"But, Sango my love, I was just appreciating the wonderful gift that you are to me. How about I make it up to you by loving you before breakfast?" He asked as he kissed her neck.

He was smacked in the head as his annoyed wife pushed him away. She got out of their bed and donned some clothes quickly before her husband could seduce her back into her warm bed.

"I need to go help Lady Izayoi prepare for the day Miroku. She will have her hands full now that the mating ceremony is over." She paused and sighed. "I wish I could have been there to witness it. But no human has ever seen a dominance ceremony, much less one for an inuyoukai. I thought that because we had close ties to both of them that we would be able to witness it. Kagome is my best friend and yet I couldn't see her mating ceremony." Sango sniffled.

Miroku wrapped his hands around her. "You know why we couldn't love. Humans are not allowed to witness a dominance ceremony. Even Lady Izayoi wasn't able to witness it and Lord Sesshoumaru is her adopted son. She even participated in one! No you know why we could not have been there."

"I know. As humans we would have been appalled at what had to be done and the female, being Kagome, would be too responsive to our emotions and would not have accepted the mark. Apparently it's a touchy event, because there was a big fuss on whether or not Inuyasha would have been able to attend."

"So that's what he was upset about yesterday. I thought that it was because Lord Kouga was here." Miroku pulled away so he could get dressed and allowed Sango to finish changing.

"No, the other lords were arguing that Inuyasha should not be able to attend because of his human blood. They had even backed Lord Taisho into a veritable corner before Lord Sesshoumaru stepped in and claimed that Inuyasha was his brother and had every right to be there. Especially since he too would have to perform the same ceremony someday with his own mate."

Sango turned to look at her husband. He was a warrior for the House of the Moon and a fierce one at that. Because of his spiritual powers he was allowed to be in the elite inner guard that was allowed access to the Royal family. Sango, herself, was a guard for Lady Izayoi and sometimes sent as a spy into other royal houses. But she had been sticking around the Western Castle more now that she was a married woman. Besides, Lady Izayoi was very rarely allowed outside the palace walls and only a fool would challenge the Western army by an attack on the castle itself.

"See something you like?" Miroku teased as he raised his eyebrow. Sango flushed but stared defiantly back at his amused expression.

"I am allowed, am I not?" She replied as she gave him another once over.

"Yes, you are. However if you keep that up we shall not be leaving this room for the rest of the day." Miroku said as he licked his lips.

"You are such a pervert." Sango laughed.

"You married me my dear. So I claim it to be your fault." He smiled good naturedly.

They were laughing as they exited their chambers. They had to part ways as they left the family wing and they both had to head to their respective areas. Miroku went to the dojo for an early morning workout and maybe to whip a few younger youkai into shape to relieve some pent up frustration from this morning. While Sango went to find Lady Izayoi and give her a hand in whatever she was doing. Probably trying to help the servants prepare for the meals, which she could smell.

Heading in the direction of the kitchen she laughed at the sight of the Lady of the Western Lands trying to help the cook prepare the meal. It looked as if she was losing the battle as the cook was a massive man who was used to Lady Izayoi's "helpful" ways.

"Lady, what are you doing? Kyo needs to do his job and you are in the way my lady." Sango chuckled as she lightly pulled the woman away.

"I just hate standing around looking pretty for these lords. I feel so useless. Normally I would make breakfast for my lord and myself, while he trained with Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha would steal bites as he told me what new things he was learning or things of that nature. Now, my lord has taken Inuyasha to train as Sesshoumaru is still bonding with his new mate, and I can't cook because Kyo has to cook for all the other lords." Lady Izayoi pouted as she was shooed away once more.

"My lady," Sango laughed. "Your lords are growing up. You need to let them. One has now mated for goodness sakes."

"But they are my pups. I can still take care of them." She tried to pull down a platter for the food coming off the stove, but was once again thwarted.

"Mate, are you causing trouble in the kitchen again?" Lord Taisho's voice boomed through the loud kitchen.

"Why would you say that?" Lady Izayoi said tonelessly, with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Lord Taisho gulped and tried to remember what had made him risk his mate's ire.

'Note to self: Do not comment on mate's kitchen habits.' His beast whispered.

"Mother, father tried to kill me in the dojo today. He hurt me really bad." Inuyasha whined as he pouted and flicked his puppy ears in a manner that he knew she couldn't resist.

"My puppy! What did you do to him?" She screeched as she looked over his torn and bloody firerat hoari.

:Mate, pup: Lord Taisho barked. His mate my not have understood his beasts language but she understood the tone of it. Lady Izayoi gulped and bowed her head in submission. Touga leveled a glare on his son and was pleased to see his ears lower in shame.

:Pup sorry: He whined.

:Forgiven:

"You overreact mate. He is in one piece. He is finally learning to use his head and not just rely on his brute strength. How his instructors let him continue in this bad habit is beyond me." He sighed as his mate put her arms around him.

"I apologize. You must be tired. Your eldest is mated and that throws a lot more work back at you. Sesshoumaru helped you a lot didn't he?" Izayoi asked as she led him to the small table in the corner of the kitchen.

"Yes, I have forgotten how much he has taken over for me in some of the menial tasks. I cannot wait until this week is over and he can continue to help me."

He paused in his sentence as the whole room froze in trepidation. There in the doorway stood Sesshoumaru. His eyes were blood red and he had his teeth bared. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of black hakamas. He snarled at the servants to get out of his way.

:Pup, do not harm the servants. They are here to serve you. Tell them what you require: Touga snapped as he stood to face his son. Sesshoumaru was volatile in this state, it would take a week for his aura to fully claim his mate, and until then he was a threat to any male in the palace. He had to maintain the fact that he was alpha male to his son's beastif he was going to protect those in his household.

:Mate requires nourishment: Sesshoumaru growled out as he eyed his alpha and pack brother. He nodded in approval when Inuyasha averted his eyes in submission.

:The servants will get the food you need together for you. They are not a threat to your bond with your mate: He nodded his instructions to the cook who hastily bustled around the room getting pounds of meat on a platter. Touga didn't look away from the gaze of his son the whole time. If he did the males in the room would be in more danger than now.

He stiffened as a dangerous scent reached his nose. 'Shit.' Was all he could think of as he saw Sesshoumaru stiffen.

----------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry about this being so late. I've had so many papers due in the past week that I didn't have a chance to get to this story. Thank you so much for the reviews and encouraging thoughts. I"ll try to update soon, but it's getting to be crunch time with finals around the corner. Keep reviewing, it keeps me going.