You and Me After All
Chapter 13: Word
Sesshōmaru was waiting at the border of the village with Ah-Un — meticulously bridled and saddled — when the monk Miroku came approaching. He was alone, without the company of his Taijiya wife or the fox cub. And the man's face, usually wreathed with a smile, was now grave.
"Where are you taking Kagome-sama?" He asked without preamble.
Sesshōmaru did not answer.
The monk, tired of waiting, or perhaps because he never quite expected an answer in the first place, asked again: "Do I have your word that Kagome-sama will be safe, wherever your destination may be?"
Sesshōmaru nearly laughed with self-deprecation. His word?
"Are you aware, monk—" The daiyōkai said. "— that you are asking for the word of someone who had besmirched her without consent? Do you think so highly of this one?"
Those indigo eyes narrowed.
"I am never sure about what to think of you, my Lord," the monk said. "Except that the façade you show the world is often very different from what it conceals underneath."
There was a pause before the man continued. "In this case, I only hope that your true self proves to be more honourable than what you have shown Kagome-sama today."
Honourable.
That one word alone was a jagged, rusted blade that stabbed deep into Sesshōmaru's chest. As he watched the monk walking back towards the village, he clenched his teeth.
"Monk," he called.
The man stopped but did not turn.
"You have my word."