Disclaimer: I still don't know anything about this story but the plot and the original characters, Inuyasha Co. are not mine.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Doubts and Accusations at the Western Court
Silence fell on the entire hall as Sesshomaru returned to his seat next to Kagome. He was still bothered by the way Inuyasha hadn't been able to contain himself and practically made a show of the whole event. But then he to admit that he had been behaving better than he had excepted, he was surprised by the way he was trying to speak and he had done a good job... Until Shou.
He had warned his brother, he had told him that under no circumstances he should have reacted to what these demons said because they were clearly trying to irk him and put him on the spot.
But obviously, Inuyasha's blood boiled every time someone even dared to say something less than flattering about his mate and he acted consequently, without even thinking about it for one second.
Sesshomaru sighed inwardly, had Inuyasha done something different from the moment he had stepped a foot in the western lands?
Could he really blame him? It was his brother he was talking about, after all.
Inuyasha was the one who had come to the priestess' rescue at every turn, never acknowledging the dangers he could have faced or wait a second. If she was in danger, he would run... And fast. And if the level of recklessness increased, at the same time his movements seemed to get faster and his attacks more focused, as if just the thought of her in danger made him stronger.
Ah, love, how stupid.
Such a human feeling and look how it reduced even the strongest among them.
And sometimes Sesshomaru still didn't want to believe that it was the very reason why so many times Inuyasha had escaped death, had survived. He had saved a woman he hadn't even realized what represented to him yet. It was as if his canine instincts, his inner demon, had processed those feelings even before him and acted accordingly, while his human heart still found no hope between a love that had died in the bud and the loyalty of a newborn one.
Sesshomaru had thought it foolish back then; Inuyasha had risked his own life millions of times for the miko and he would do it again, with his eyes close. Father had done it for his human mother, he had actually died for her. How bitter he had become when he got the news, how enraged. His father – the great Inu-no-Taisho – had fallen so low for a weak human and a dirty half-breed.
How could love be a positive emotion if, in the end, it brought people to die? If it had brought his powerful father to his knees?
His father had been prey and it was only that woman's fault and her son. They didn't deserve his help, it was already enough if he wasn't purposefully looking for them with his only goal being their deaths and remove from the face of the earth a being that shouldn't have drawn his first breath. And it was only because Sesshomaru had deemed them beneath his importance that he hadn't even bothered.
The woman had died early, she was human, after all, it hadn't taken long.
Inuyasha...
Sesshomaru had thought Inuyasha wouldn't survive his childhood as many half-demons before him, especially if he was alone in the world. But his father's blood had proved to be strong even mixed with human one enough to grant him survival.
Then he had met Inuyasha again in Toga's tomb and had seen his face at the thought of the miko dying. He had been enraged and desperate too. Just like Kagome had said earlier, he had begun to show more strength to save her, protect her, even when he claimed he proved nothing for her, that she was just his jewel detector. Yes, human emotions were a weakness, Inuyasha as a half-human was not immune, his exhibition here was proof. It made him reckless, hot-tempered and affected by intense rage, something that in Inuyasha's case sometimes was good, but others not.
And now here they were, in the West, because Sesshomaru had asked the son of the human princess he had detested so much to be his heir. His father was probably laughing at him right now.
Would you be proud of where we are now, father?
He let his gaze shift from courtier to courtier, Commander to Commander, and so on. The first ones he focused on were Shou and Katsuro who he still hadn't dismissed. One was doing an abysmal job at containing his anger, the other was shocked and intrigued. It seemed the little show had provided him with some interesting insights. Other feelings among the crowd were stupor, and curiosity, some were worried and others, of course, disgusted.
He looked at his uncle, who returned his gaze, and read in his eyes contemplation – he was clearly studying Inuyasha – and anger, but he was used to that. He really was looking forward to his introduction to Inuyasha; Noboru was not as foolish as Shou and, after all, he had inherited his cold manners from his mother's side of the family.
His uncle wasn't as experienced as his mother or him when it came to school his features and place an impenetrable mask on him, but he was surely more skilled than most of the demons in this hall.
When Sesshomaru had had enough and had studied every face and feeling present, he turned again to Shou. "It seems you had been challenged, Commander. You know how it works. Speak!" he commanded.
He needed to acknowledge the challenge or refute it and appear a coward. But Commander Shou would never fall so low, this meant he would, without doubt, accept his brother's challenge and make a fool of himself later – not that Shou already knew it. He was probably convinced a half-breed was easy to defeat.
At least his brother's presence at court offered him a little entertainment. A small smirk appeared on his face and Jaken, next to him, shivered. It was never a good omen when the Master smirked.
"If the half-breed thinks he can defeat me, let him then. I will make him eat dust and prove to everyone for the last time how those of his kind are not worthy of being called demons," Commander Shou spat out, overly confident. He was still touching his sore neck and thinking about the whole ordeal, blood raging at the thought of Sesshomaru's betrayal.
"I am looking forward to seeing your prowess, Commander Shou," Inuyasha smirked. He would love to wipe the floor with him.
When Shou would be finished with the half-breed the Inu-no-Taisho wouldn't have any other choice than take his daughter as his mate and then things will finally start changing.
A half-demon and a priestess as royals in the West. What a foolishness! That would be the first thing he would demand to change, just the mere thought that they have been allowed within these walls made his skin crawl.
"Yes, he was really in for a surprise, "Sesshomaru thought while observing the range of emotions passing through Shou's eyes.
"This is your last warning, Commander. Do not think you will not be dealt as of consequence next time you speak in this way of my father's son," he stated and then dismissed him, "Leave, now!"
Everyone was gaping now, after all, even if they knew Sesshomaru held no real love towards Shou's family, he usually acted indifferently. Not once had he embarrassed him publicly and now, in defence of the half-demon, he had done so three times.
"Is there someone else who wants to voice his opinion in the same way Commander Shou has just done?" Sesshomaru asked.
No one moved.
"Very well," he turned to Katsuro who had remained at the feet of the dais the whole time. "First Commander! I would appreciate it if tomorrow you could escort Inuyasha to the buildings that are reserved for the army and the training. He had shown interest previously, and I think it could be a good idea. Perhaps," he started slowly, letting the suspense build in the hall, "someone will be brave enough to spar with him, and my brother could use some warming up," he concluded.
His eyes had an imperceptible glint.
"It will be my pleasure, my Lord," Katsuro inclined his head in response. "Perhaps it could be a good opportunity for him to give us a taste of what we all have been hearing. I, for once, am very curious about his fang." So far, from everything he had seen, he could say that the half-demon Lord had much less control than his brother over his emotions, they were probably even the opposite character-wise.
Where Sesshomaru was very cold and composed, Inuyasha was impulsive but has also a lot of tenacity if his behaviour reflected the way he fought.
Inuyasha nodded in response and then said, "It would be a pleasure getting to know the First Commander," he smirked again.
"Very well," Katsuro turned to Kagome and told her, "Lady, I thank you for your explicative answer, it sure gave me something to think about. I would have never fathomed anything like this."
The young miko, on the other hand, appeared to be a controlled and poised woman, like the ones he had seen during his forays outside the valley. Yet Katsuro was convinced that this was not her true character, she was hiding a spark, a grit that had leaked out for a moment during her speech. She probably was moved by the same emotions that set her mate's blood on fire. But like him, she seemed unwilling to give in to all those who opposed them.
"It was my duty, First Commander," she smiled at him, "it is said that one never ceases to learn new things, after all. Besides, history taught us to never take for granted someone or something, or even underestimate an unknown opponent." But clearly, demons, even if they lived for centuries and sometimes millenniums, tend to forget it. She looked sternly at him, holding his gaze, it was almost as if she was trying to communicate silently with Katsuro, warning him.
The Lady was no fool, he thought, and very clever for a human, maybe he could learn something new from this strange couple. The First Commander bowed and then returned to his place.
It was then that finally something stirred within Noboru's circle and a slim and lethally beautiful demoness approached them, the way she was proceeding made her look as if she was walking on water, slowly and gracefully. Her eyes held no love and were hard as steel.
She was a butterfly demon, wore her pink hair in a tight bun that allowed everyone to see her long and had thin wings of a blue so light that sometimes they appeared transparent. And blue had always been her predominant colour, from her almond-shaped eyes to the elegant clothes she usually wore. Only her facial marks matched the colour of her hair.
Sesshomaru had always recognized her beauty, the way she held herself so posed and gracefully, her movements always harmonious and studied. Unfortunately, she had never hidden the malicious intents that lay beneath the surface. This was the reason she had always gotten along with Noboru; rumour had it they were even lovers, but the dai-youkai had never cared much. They could even mate for all he cared.
They never did anything if they didn't think they could benefit from it, they were self-serving and sly. They would capture their prey with sweet words and promises, induce them to come over to their side and then have them do the dirty work and steal the fruits. It was difficult to catch them red-handed even when their attitudes never hid their guilt.
Ah, but they were sly, they could look at you and say, "Yes, I did it" with their eyes but without a shred of evidence you could never point the finger at them.
Jaken introduced her as soon as she reached the dais, "Lady Tsubasa, her family lives in this court as correspondent of the Eastern Lands." She inclined her head just enough to be considered polite.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Tsubasa directly addressed him, not even sparing Inuyasha or Kagome a look. The dai-youkai reserved her a judging gaze. "I think that everyone here in the West is wondering why you finally reconnect with the half-brother you had always publicly condemned or disregarded. It is really an interesting sudden change of heart that left us speechless."
"You may say that confronting Inuyasha more than once in battle allowed me to see his real value, Lady Tsubasa. He proved himself as my father's real son and I acknowledged him as such. It matters little if half of him is human, he has shown himself as highly valuable and more than many full-demon. This, obviously, proves how strong is my father's bloodline. If Inuyasha can achieve such feats with only half of it, there's no doubt." Sesshomaru cooly offered. "One would be a fool not recognizing his prowess."
"More than many full-demons, you say, this is such a strong statement to make. Are we sure that everything that had been seen of him is genuine?" she slowly let her gaze fall on Kagome with a barely perceivable hint of contempt. Tsubasa was not a fool enough to openly belittle the couple next to Sesshomaru, she had implied that the hanyou's strength might be caused by some foul witchcraft and everyone in the room had caught the meaning of her words, but since she had kept her words vague, Sesshomaru could not act on it.
"I am sure, Tsubasa. I have fought my brother myself and I tested his strength more than once. Asking something like that is tantamount to questioning my own qualities. I would think that, by now, people in the western court trusted my judgement," he taunted her. On the outside, he was keeping his cold facade, but on the inside, he just wanted to bare his fangs and snarl at the vermin.
"Can you blame people to be suspicious of this sudden change of heart, Sesshomaru-sama?" Tsubasa questioned back.
"You keep referring to the whole court, Lady Tsubasa, yet no one stepped forward when I asked the court to voice its opinion earlier. Is the court or you who doubt my word?" Sesshomaru inquired, finally pinning her down.
"Mine was simple curiosity, Sesshomaru-sama," she backed off, realizing that she could not imply anything else. But for now, it was enough, she had planted her seed, she wanted the western court to doubt this couple, to fear the priestess. The fewer demons opened up to them, the more suspicious and sceptical they remained, and the better it would be for their plans.
"You spoke of suspicions, thus you implied you, or whoever may support your words, doubt my assessment," Sesshomaru continued and then addressed the whole court. "Do I have to imply that my court does not trust me anymore? I helped my father protect these lands when he was still alive and after his death, I never failed you once. The Western lands keep prospering and I assume you find your life here highly enjoyable if you remain. Trust me, when I say that adding Inuyasha to our assets will only bring good results," he concluded.
"We trust you, Sesshomaru-sama," a voice from halfway through the crowd answered, another Commander. He stepped forward, bowing, but didn't come closer to the dais, "and we trusted your father. As you said, you have always protected these lands magnificently. Since he is your brother and your father's son we are ready to allow him to prove himself. We have faith in your words and if you say he would only apport more strength to our army, then we are no ones to doubt you." He bowed again and waited for Sesshomaru's sign to return to his place.
He had just nullified Tsubasa's words with little effort.
Sesshomaru gazed at Noboru shortly and could see a burning rage in his eyes, then tilted his head towards the Commander who had just spoken, acknowledging him and allowing him to come back to his place among the other Commanders.
"Commander Yoshiro, we appreciated your words," he thanked him. He turned back to Tsubasa and told her, "As you can see, not everyone is so partial to imply there are hidden meanings behind everything. This may be your line of work but not mine, I have always been clear and explicit with my actions," he jibed again. "If you think that your curiosity had been sufficiently satisfied, you can go," Sesshomaru dismissed her, not even deigning to look at her.
By the end of this day, everyone would have known that he held no animosity and ill will towards his brother anymore. If he wanted everyone to trust him and his decision they would have to show a compact and impenetrable front. He would give them not even a small opening or show the slightest dissatisfaction towards Inuyasha or the likes of Tsubasa or Noboru would take advantage of it like vultures.
He slightly peered at his mother and she looked highly amused by the way he had handled the butterfly demoness; there was no love lost between the two of them.
When Tsubasa had returned to her place next to his uncle and the murmurs within the court had quieted, he slightly turned to his brother and the miko who hadn't even moved during the confrontation, holding their head up high. Tsubasa had clearly shown her real feelings by deciding not to acknowledge them and it was evident to everyone currently in the Great Hall. Inuyasha noticed his look and smirked, he was ready too, he would have rebutted every word they will throw at him. It was time they announce the real reason for Inuyasha's presence in the West.
Oh, he was looking forward to seeing the faces of his opponents, someone in particular.
"Lords and Ladies, in this evening we are all reunited to welcome Inuyasha, Kagome and their son to the West. When introductions had been made and doubts solved, it is my wish to make another announcement. Many of you have been wondering when I will choose a mate and provide an heir," his gaze shifted to Lady Keiko and found her impatiently waiting. Their gazes connected, her eyes showing a hint of hope and he mentally rolled his, "and it is with great pleasure that I tell you all I finally took my decision. I already communicated it to the council of elders, here present, and they gave me their consent." He stopped and let the suspense tensely grow, everyone was looking at him with wide eyes. Shou seemed to have regained some colour and was waiting for his big moment. "From now on, until the day I deem it necessary to take a mate, my heir would be found in my brother's person. From now on, this is going to be his position and I expect every one of you to show him due respect. As a legitimate son of the previous Inu-no-Taisho, Inuyasha is the next in line to rightfully lead this lands," he concluded and waited for the hell's gates to open.
A/N: In the next chapter I will introduce new characters, let me know what you think of the ones you already read of. Leave a comment or hit the follow button if you liked it.
Your opinions are always appreciated.
Since I didn't say it in the previous chapters, here some names' meanings:
Katsuro = Victory son
Noboru = Rise, ascend ( I wanted to be ironic with him)
Shou = soar or prize/reward ( Irony take me away again)
Tsubasa = wing