Chapter 27
I do not own Inuyasha.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, it is an urgency. Your presence is required." A brimming voice immobilised them both. Yuutsuki did not associate it with any particular person, but Sesshoumaru knew that one of his generals was standing on the other side of the room and unless a severe matter had arisen, he would have not dared to interrupt.
A flame of scarlet crept in a swift diagonal across Yuutsuki's cheeks as his golden, glowing eyes regarded her torn, inner kimono, which fully bared her pale shoulders, but she kept her head high in silence, sad ponders seemed to dwell in her gaze. He removed his haori and with it, sheltered her naked skin from the evening chill, also his greedy eyes, instantaneously wrapping her in a subtle veil of his lingering scent.
"I will be there in a moment. Leave as for now." Sesshoumaru's voice was stifled, yet the austere manner was too discernible in his words.
"Understood." Yuutsuki gazed at his family's crest embedded into the silky material of his haori, still shaken by sudden change of his approach.
Although it was significantly infuriating that when he had lastly traversed the impalpable line of the inner demur, his underling ruined the moment.Involved in a maze of perplexities, Sesshoumaru's body quivered in a restrained anger and he evinced his displeasure by a contemptuous scoff. He had allowed temperament to cloud his judgement; a moment of weakness could have had elicited implementation of the foulest scenario imaginable.
Yet another, this time, more audible sigh escaped his mouth. There was another reason for him to travel all the way north. Throughout their separation time, Sesshoumaru succeeded in tracing the crystal Kashi had mentioned, the demon lord sought to guide the girl to reach home at last. Yoko mulishly following him to Tadao's house devastated that initial plan, nonetheless it had indeed brought other, political advantages. Currently, fulfilling the plan required supplementary arrangements and sagacious manner of handling Yoko's presence. The transient loss of self-control was not aiding in his purpose.
His harsh hand moved the material of his haori around her neck, revealing several bite marks around her collarbones. Under his intense look, Yuutsuki's gaze ventured low, adding up to her abashed expression. Perhaps the interruption served a good purpose, any further actions could significantly obfuscate things and redound to additional disdain from Yoko and everyone else who was not in favour of Sesshoumaru's excessive keenness towards her. Now, that Sesshoumaru was married, having a concubine would not be frowned upon; however, aware that Yuutsuki would not deign to accept this kind of arrangement, he did not even consider it as a viable option.
"I ought to leave." The dog demon's posture appeared tense; even so, the tone of his voice conveyed tranquillity. The girl tightened the material of his jacket around her waist, uneasy about his words. Sesshoumaru noticed the dark eyes' troubled expression, grasping her wrist, he pulled her closer and meticulously studied her startled glare. Under his peremptory touch, still swayed by his vehement kisses and touch, Yuutsuki was confounded to comprehend that she was disappointed as they had ceased and Sesshoumaru would not pacify qualms of her desirous heart. The mixture of yearning, distress, frustration and anticipation unexpectedly manifested as traces of tears appearing in her weary eyes. She battled them valiantly and having taken a deep breath, the girl whispered, trying to shun his enquiring glance:
"I know."
It was still early, yet the girl dropped on her futon and slept like a log until the next morning. Sounds of sword clashing and soldiers cheering woke her up. She put on her hakama to have a full freedom of movement, as she suddenly felt like swinging her sword for a bit. After consuming a bowl of rice and a raw egg, she grabbed her wooden sword and ventured to the training grounds.
Despite sheer willingness to practise her rusty swords skills, Yuutsuki could not disregard a slightly dilated door of the guest's dormitory, where Sesshoumaru was presumably staying. The previous night's occurrence was still a blur of unbelievable emotions and the dog demon's unexpected fondness towards her. Not much was missing for their relationship to be saturated with another, deeper colour. Even though she no longer had the ring, Yuutsuki by some means sensed the familiar energy of Sesshoumaru and with a smile, she shamelessly walked into his chamber, discovering how wrong her sensation had been. To her surprise, pregnant Yoko was resting by the table, hardly covered by Sesshoumaru's familiar, inner kimono. She suddenly remembered that he had left the matching haori with her. The dishevelled futon was a clear indication of what had been happening during the night. As their eyes met, Yuutsuki's cheeks turned red in abashment and she turned around abruptly, feeling extremely awkward.
"Yuutsuki!" It was unusual for Yoko to call her name so casually. She stopped and waited for any further words in silence. "Come here please."
A sudden, violet gusts of wind brough a drizzle, which would most likely turn into a heavier rain. The girl unwillingly returned to the entrance, somewhat fearful of looking at Yoko directly. Seeing her in this intimate situation had Yuutsuki suddenly realise that Yoko is the lady of the west, Sesshoumaru's mate. Her inner demur wouldn't allow her to accept it so easily before, yet the current stance left no room for interpretation. Yoko was Sesshoumaru's number one female. His bed was her bed.
"I didn't mean to interrupt." Yuutsuki dared to look around the room, there was a faint trace of Sesshoumaru's presence. A shadow cast his pale face; he was soundly asleep in the corner of the room. His naked back was supported against the wall, he looked peaceful and relaxed.
"I wanted to apologise." Yoko tightened Sesshoumaru's robes around her body, hiding already visibly rounded belly, shyly observing Yuutsuki's reaction. "I was swayed by my sadness, jealousy and manipulated by treacherous advisors. I should have never treated you the way I have."
Sincere or not, words alone would never convince Yuutsuki that Yoko was truly regretful of her previous behaviour. The girl didn't know what to respond, so she remained silent, also afraid to wake the dog demon. The wooden sword in her hand served as a solace to her wretched thoughts. Yoko unexpectedly grasped Yuutsuki's free hand and looked her in the eyes. The Ren's girl did not flinch, allowing her idle hand to be held, yet she did not speak a word, wearing an aloof expression, bereft of any emotion. The cost of this seemingly unfazed demeanour was ludicrous, exerting all her strength.
"My dear father was murdered, lord Sesshoumaru and lord Tadao worked together to gain more power and influence. I was obviously sulking. On top of that, my new mate only had eyes for you. I could not meet any of his expectations apart from my princess of the south's title." Two tears dropped to the ground, yet Yoko's expression remained bright.
"I was sulking, even though I knew that the kingdom and the people will benefit from the power shift. I took an easy way out and wanted to sooth my aching pride by hurting lord Sesshoumaru. And the only way I could do that was to hurt you, as you are the one, he loves."
"I don't think that Sesshoumaru has such feelings for me, lady Yoko." Yuutsuki jerked away the hand, her body stiffened and taking several steps back, she put away the sword and clasped her hands together in a formal way, building a proper distance between them. "I think I should go." She whispered, in fear of waking the sleeping dog demon. Yuutsuki would be unable to face him at the moment. She felt degraded, humiliated, and blatantly derided. Quite alike that snowy day in a cave, where she had seen him embracing Shizuka. The thwarting feeling of jealousy was arduous to subdue, yet she refused to give Yoko the pleasure of witnessing her anguish.
"No, I still have things to say…" Yoko's pleading eyes stopped the girl. "He's deeply asleep. He will not wake up now." Yuutsuki glanced over Sesshoumaru's closed eyes, listening, feeling her insides tremor in distress. Like a trapped animal, she instinctively urged for a prompt escape.
"I do not expect you to forgive me. I just wanted to make it right by you. For you to know that I've reflected on my behaviour and this is not who I want to be."
The entire statement was demanding for Yuutsuki, it was difficult to heed Yoko justifying her contemptible actions, as it denied the vain villain image vividly present in the girl's mind. Yuutsuki did not want to empathise with her experiences, not when she was literally falling to pieces, disenchanted with Sesshoumaru's ambiguous choices.
"This child…" Yoko's voice cracked, causing Yuutsuki to wordlessly behold her teary expression. "I want it to live and rule the unified west and south. I want it to be of use to lord Sesshoumaru. Unlike me."
Heartened by Yuutsuki's silence, Yoko kept talking.
"Each day passes, I realise more and more that lord Sesshoumaru is a magnificent ruler. Even though I am his mate, our relationship is... And the only duty he's trusted me with, bearing his child… Because of my poor health, I am risking this precious child's life. Not even his mark could make me strong enough…It is fading...Maybe I am not worth of it…" Yoko started crying, her hands were shaking repeatably and her voice cracked in spasms. Yuutsuki felt the heavy weight of Yoko's feeling, it tasted sour, and it had already deeply nested within her mind. She leaned forward and placed her hand on Yoko's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Thank you for your honesty, lady Yoko. I appreciate it. I cannot lie and say that I have no ill feelings against you, I do. You tried to kill me. But I do understand."
Yoko wiped tears off her face and her deeply green eyes looked at Yuutsuki in a serious manner.
"I have a request." Yoko spoke in an unpleasing strain, like the vibration of a rope drawn out too fast. The girl's eyes widened in alertness. She took two steps back, now standing nearly out of the room. "Lord Sesshoumaru wants you. But he needs me and my child. He needs my partnership and support. Without it, the south will be much, much harder to unite with west."
The rain increased until it was seething and sizzling, heavy drops crashed against the wooden porch.
"Yoko, I do not know what to say…" Yuutsuki's hands were clasped tightly together, she didn't want Yoko to see them shaking.
"If I grant him this favour and accept you, I think he will be kinder to me." Yoko exhaled, lowering her glance. "I cannot believe I am saying this to you. Please, become his concubine. I know that nothing would make him happier." She bent forward in a formal, pleading posture. Her skinny hands formed a triangle on the ground and her forehead touched the hands. Yuutsuki watched in shock as the lady of the west lowered herself to her and she couldn't help but think how wrong it was.
"Now, that he has mated me, he's free to choose his additional companions. Human or not, no one is going to bat an eye... And I am confident, that he wants you."
Unable to bear the bizarre pressure and Yoko's wearisome wordiness, Yuutsuki stormed out of the guest room, forgetting about her sword, still processing what had just happened. Barely holding tears of frustration, she run through the mansion's corridors, panting loudly. The circumstances were stifling her. She did not expect the first recoil from her illusion to happen so suddenly. After their evening encounter had been interrupted, he simply spent the night with his mate, when Yuutsuki was still infused with his scent. The girl was incapable of understanding Sesshoumaru's reasons, and currently, she had no inclination nor mind capacity to even attempt justifying his behaviour. On top of that, Yoko had openly asked her to join as a third party in their relationship.
The northern troops along with Tadao returned during late afternoon, but Yuutsuki deliberately avoided anyone's glance during the celebration meal. Apart from Tadao and Sesshoumaru's generals, there were high human warlords present during the gathering, as through their fight against the common enemy, they had solidified an alliance to fend off the foreign human soldiers led by Chinese demons. The humans were exuberantly enjoying Tadao's warm welcome. Most of them were already completely drunk, screaming positive battle cheers or sleeping on the floor. Yuutsuki's head felt woozy, as she had drunk a hefty amount of plum sake as well. Idly resting against a wall, she was observing the evening sky in silence. The seemingly composed stance had nothing in common with the emotions raging within her. An unbearable, upsetting feeling of injustice clouded her judgement entirely, rendering her disinclined to even consider any empathetic approach towards Sesshoumaru's dubious choices.
Nevertheless, this approach of his was not unexpected. She had never dared to assume that Sesshoumaru would have been considerate of her feelings. His nearly overbearing, authoritative manner of handling circumstances left no room for her opinions or desires. He had said it many times, demons do not follow the same moral conduct as humans. It was merely another time that Yuutsuki was forced to realise it. One would think that she should have already come to terms with this treatment.
The injury caused by Sesshoumaru's unexpected outburst of anger seared as the material rubbed against it. As time went by, it felt warmer and burnt with dull pain, alarming Yuutsuki that an inflammation could be spreading within the flesh.
The reason for her presence here was suddenly so bleak, it lacked any depth, sense or meaning. It appeared Tadao had been severely mistaken in his predictions of Sesshoumaru making her happy. She was waiting so long to see him again. The joyful feelings accompanying her this morning had been shattered by half naked Yoko in his room. All combined caused her to recoil from the thought of being a mere toy in the powerful demon's hands, her presence in Sesshoumaru's life served his personal amusement, without any reflection on her feelings.
With a deep, resigned exhale, the girl supported her woozy head against a wooden pillar as her eyes unenthusiastically wandered off towards the central table, where Tadao and Sesshoumaru were currently quietly discussing something with Kashi and Nabu. The lord of the west's appearance was extremely formal. He had his silver hair tied high; a band covered his spectacular crescent moon mark. Deadly handsome, equally disruptive.
"What is such a beautiful woman doing alone? Where is your husband?" A highly ranked, human general sat by her side, curiously observing her stale expression. Yuutsuki blinked twice, finding his presence bothersome. She moved her head, placing her eyes on the stranger's face. He was in his thirties, there was a shallow net of wrinkles around his round, brown eyes. The man smiled, clearly wishing to appear approachable. There were two swords attached to his hip and the ornaments on his kimono indicated that he was of a noble origin.
"Well? Which general is your husband? I should scold him for leaving such a beauty alone." The girl was unsure if he had been trying to have a casual chat or he was probing for something in particular, but she smiled faintly, deciding that a conversation with a stranger might actually take her mind of the unpleasant circumstances.
"There is no one to scold. I do not have a husband."
"Then are you a part of the entertainment group?" The stranger made himself comfortable, he stretched his legs with a loud sigh. Yuutsuki noticed a freshly tended wound around his ankle.
"I am a guest, like yourself."
"Eh… It is hard to believe demons. But we need to protect our lands. And for once they are helping us to fend off the foreign attackers." He emptied his glass of sake. Yuutsuki pointed at her half full bottle of plum wine and as he nodded in agreement, she poured him another glass, asking quietly. "Is there anything in particular that you want from me?" The man chuckled, surprised at her brazen question.
"I've seen you yesterday, just as my troops arrived. You were held by lord Sesshoumaru and he protected you from every enemy on the way. I was wondering if you are the famous Ren Yuutsuki."
"Are you after the prize on my head? I will not go down easily." Yuutsuki jested, observing his expression thoughtfully.
"There is no prize on your head now. The new leader of Rens called it off." The man sighed loudly and looked up at the clouds, avoiding her direct stare. "As the rumour has it, you are beautiful."
"The new leader?" Yuutsuki gasped, ignoring his comment about her looks. She bent towards him enthusiastically, not noticing his leering eyes.
"I guess your fondness of demons leaves you clueless about your family's current matters. Although because of that fondness I thought you would be aware that the new head of Rens is a half demon."
"Eh?" Yuutsuki's dark eyes dilated in astonishment. The sole fact of the new leader was shocking enough, notwithstanding the demon part was the greatest bewilderment.
"Or so I heard. I know that lord Sesshoumaru wants to meet the new leader. You should be careful too, both sides might want to use you as leverage." The stranger studied her shocked expression and added in a hesitant manner. "I heard he will arrive here soon. You really didn't know?"
"No…" The girl's head titled back she sighed and observed the crescent moon shining high in the sky. "No one has told me that." A moment of silence between two humans was broken by a gust of wind, shaking the chimes hung over the porch.
"I guess lord Sesshoumaru keeps things from his toy." The cynical comment caused Yuutsuki's stomach to tighten, she reacted immediately, her voice revealed too much emotion than initially intended.
"A toy?!"
"Some call you worse things as well. Are you really his lover?" Noticing her clearly upset glare, the stranger rushed to explain himself. "I've always heard that he hated humans. I am surprised, just that."
Yuutsuki took a large sip of the wine, feeling additionally disheartened, she had no intentions of bestowing the man with any other words, gestures, or glances. However, the next comment of his caused her to lose her temper.
"Acting all high and mighty just because of sleeping with a demon…" The girl smiled and then chuckled, looking the man straight in the eyes. She bent forward and put her hand on his shoulder, nearly touching his earlobes with her lips.
"Remember, you did provoke me." With one, quite swift for her befuddled state movement, she grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it. Reversed upwards, the cold, sharp blade touched his throat in a blink of an eye, before he managed to take any defensive movements, too enchanted by the girl's proximity.
"What are you doing… I mean no harm…" Completely taken aback by her aggressive stance, the man put his hands up in a pleading gesture.
"Take your sword and go…" Yuutsuki hissed in annoyance, and grabbed her drink, not reacting to the spectator's disapproving glares.
Strategical conversations in the middle of a loud crowd were more arduous to commence than Sesshoumaru had previously thought it to be. He had no idea why Tadao was so fond of them. As Tadao and Kashi were debating the best placement of human troops, Sesshoumaru exhaled in exasperation at the loud shamisen sounds. Even though the western lord was still full of patience, as he had slept since early morning, until late afternoon, noticing a random human sitting by Yuutsuki did rile him. Sesshoumaru could smell it from afar, the male human was interested in her attractive appearance. He was alertly watching the situation unravel and to his surprise, Yuutsuki threatened the male with his own sword, then he hurriedly abandoned his spot, leaving her in a dismayed stance.
"I need some fresh air." Sesshoumaru's nonchalant words could not deceive the wolf demon, he had guessed the true motive behind his excuse.
"Easy. He is relevant to our plans. Seems like they were just playing around." Tadao's light-hearted tone received no response. Sesshoumaru straightened his limbs, and slowly ventured outside, tracing the suspicious human. He found him effortlessly, apparently, he had just relieved the basic human need to expel excess of water out of his body. Their eyes met and the human bowed reverentially as he attempted to pass by without bringing the western lord's attention towards himself.
"What is your business with the girl?" Sesshoumaru could not stifle a growl, adding menace to his words. The human was taken aback, yet he kept relaxed demeanour and tone.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, is it? My name is…" He rubbed his hands in his hakama, lowered his head, bowing courteously.
"I do not care about your name." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed perilously. He imagined slowly dismembering this flagrant human just for the sole pleasure of it. "Answer my question."
"Ren Yuutsuki…? The girl on the porch?" The human took two steps back and clenched his sword in fear. He must had been aware though that his sword could not protect him from the demon. Sesshoumaru grabbed him by his collar and pulled closer, tightening his jaw.
"I just exchanged some words with her. I also told her about the new leader of Rens. She was surprised to hear that…I think that upset her…She suddenly attacked me for no reason…" Sesshoumaru released his grasp, flexed his claws, producing a green, glowing string of poison. Phony human existence, tattling behind his back about things he had wanted to disclose to Yuutsuki.
"I did not do anything…Please…" The human's eyes broadened in dread, he dropped to his knees, pleading for mercy in a puddle of sticky mud. Sesshoumaru said nothing and walked away, leaving the traumatised, noble human alone.
"How is my favourite human doing?" Tadao's jovial expression changed upon seeing Yuutsuki's clearly troubled eyes. He sat by her side, observing her shaky upper lip. The girl was about to cry.
"What happened, pretty?"
Yuutsuki grabbed her knees, hiding her head within her arms, feeling extremely lonely among the loud babble. Heavy drops of tears run across her face, causing the sadness to intensify. She sobbed, quietly at first, then as Tadao touched her shivering shoulder, she let go of any shame and restraint and cried loudly. Curious eyes turned to their direction, including Sesshoumaru's aloof glance.
"I might cry as well if you don't stop soon." Tadao jested, yet noticing no reaction, he caressed her head and forced her to look at him, which caused her to cease crying out loud.
"I don't know what caused you such sadness, pretty." His grey eyes were full of concern. "I can listen if you want me to."
"Tadao… I…" He was attentively clearing her face from the falling tears. "I don't think you were right about my happiness." The usual, dazzling smile faded, he heeded in silence.
Sesshoumaru had just returned to his place, noticing that Tadao had just sat by Yuutsuki's side. He mentally rolled his eyes and looked away, pretending to be immensely interested in Kashi's words about planned battle, but in a minute or so, Yuutsuki's sobs reached his ears. His human was crying. The loud crowd made it impossible to hear their conversation, he could not get closer either as many eyes were on Tadao and Yuutsuki right now. To his astonishment, Tadao embraced the girl, whispering something to her ear meanwhile caressing her curly hair.
Sesshoumaru felt a surge of jealously crippling through directly to his heart. Despite seemingly same status and circumstances, Tadao was keen on showing his amicable approach towards the human girl, not in the slightest concerned about anyone's opinion. Yuutsuki did not have to worry about appearances or possible threats from his underlings. Sesshoumaru could not allow himself for this commodity and it made him irate.
Yuutsuki sniffed, feeling frustrated and hopeless. "I don't even know what I am doing. What I should be doing. I don't even know why I am here. What am I thinking…I am just a toy in demons' hands…That is what they call me? A toy."
"Listen, listen, Yuutsuki." Her eyes dilated at Tadao's serious expression, making her a little nervous. "Your happiness is what you make out of it. If you mop around and wait for things to happen, you will never be happy."
The wolf demon embraced her, burying her in his warm arms. "The servants told me about your visit to his chambers. But… You do realise that she is his mate. This is natural. You should know that." Despite hurtful words, his calm, mellifluous voice was soothing her erratic thoughts.
"There are so many things he keeps from me… Last night, we nearly…" She felt her cheeks getting warm at the recollection of Sesshoumaru's touch. "Also, it is not only about this occurrence…I thought that by now, I could count on some share of sincerity. Yet I get none."
"I am not going to rationalize his behaviour; it is a battle he needs to fight for himself. But I do have some advice for you. Do you want to hear it?" They were both sitting on the porch, her face was pressed against his chest, so she could not see his grey eyes. The long, blond wavy hair conveniently sheltered her sad expression from prying eyes.
"I do."
"Well then. You have very little influence on how others treat you. No one will change their approach towards you based on your desires."
"I know this much…" Tadao sighed, tightening his embrace. "But you do have full influence over your own thoughts, and reactions, and emotions."
"What do you mean?" She asked in a shaky voice, not catching his point.
"What I mean is, you can go to Sesshoumaru and accuse him of sleeping with Yoko just after visiting your room. But is that really the issue?"
"That is one of the issues."
"Well, no. The issue is how you feel about it. Instead, tell him that you felt hurt discovering how he's spent the night. Or would it be more precise, you feel hurt he did not spend it with you?"
Yuutsuki was not convinced whether she would be suddenly capable of disclosing her deeply buried, unuttered feelings fully to Sesshoumaru. She enjoyed confronting him, but his sharp words, the aloof expression and golden, impenetrable eyes overwhelmed her, especially now, being aware of the current circumstances. Yuutsuki also disliked demanding explanations, given his aversion to disclose reasons behind his behaviour.
"I see you are hesitant, but trust me, this works wonders."
He released her from his arms and ruffled her hair in an encouraging gesture, then wiped a tear falling down her cheek. Yuutsuki glanced over his handsome face and smiled, causing him to smile as well, exposing his captivating cheek dimples.
"There is only one thing that matters the most." Tadao grasped her cold hands, shaking them energetically. "What YOU think and what YOU feel. Don't thwart any of it."
"Thank you Tadao. You are right. I was all in a weird mood because of the wine." The girl tapped her cheeks several times, feeling rejuvenated. Yuutsuki put her chin up and straightened her back.
"Oh pretty, I enjoy making you feel better." Tadao's warm smile served as an affirmation to his statement. No wonder he could wrap any female around his finger, his charms were unrivalled. She bowed her head in heartfelt appreciation, thanks to him, she felt like herself again.
Clearly unaware of Sesshoumaru's sour mood, general Nabu laughed, directing himself to Kashi:
"Amazing, this girl. Lord Tadao adores her. Apparently, she is from the future."
"Is that so?" Kashi seemed most amused. He took a large sip of plum wine with a gentle smile.
"Yes. She told me I will still be alive in her times." Sesshoumaru looked at him pensively. He had heard the same remark about himself. "I was the one teaching her sword. She calls me sensei." The dog demon sighed, averting his eyes apathetically. No wonder she was lacking so much.
"Unbelievable! That is a good fortune to you, general Nabu." Kashi lifted his glass and drank it in one go. "Look at them, in embrace. How unusual for a lord to display his fondness over a human so easily. Is she his mate?"
"Lord Tadao is quite friendly with all females. I've seen them kiss the first night she arrived here. I also know they spend a lot of time together, not only during the day." Kashi chuckled, whereas Sesshoumaru was barely restraining himself from crushing the cup in his hand. Tadao could allow himself to publicly talk to his human, embrace, give her support when she needed him. Sesshoumaru was forced to remain in the shadow, as any display of fondness towards Yuutsuki could cause her harm from his underlings. They would deem her as his weakness or proclaim as his plaything, ridicule, and demean her.
"But after a while, I've realised that they are not romantically involved. It is quite weird, but they seem to give an impression of being related by blood."
"That is ludicrous. They are not related. She is a human." Sesshoumaru sighed again, much louder this time.
"Lord Tadao certainly treats her as if they are." Nabu retaliated, stuffing his mouth with deer's meat.
"Enough of stories. Have Tadao return at once, we must plan the attack."
"Will do." Nabu licked his fingers, got up and interrupted the scene between Tadao and Yuutsuki, with intentions of bringing the lord of the north back to the table.
"Lord Tadao, we should resume our talks." Nabu appeared out of nowhere, urging Tadao to join the plans.
"Right. Anyway pretty, just do your thing. See you later!" He stroked her head twice and left along with Nabu. Tadao's straightforward encouragement worked miracles on her self-esteem and the excitement was enough to keep her wide awake, despite drinking way too much.
"Forgive me, I just couldn't leave her alone." Tadao smiled, returning to his place. He pretended not to see a flicker of frustration within Sesshoumaru's seemingly aloof glare.
"So, apart from our prior engagements, we also established that the day after tomorrow, we will attack the mansion of Hinowo's last large supporter, fox demon Tore." Nabu resumed their previous talks in one sentence. "Lord Sesshoumaru's southern troops will move to fend off the foreign humans and demons, whereas the western pack will join in attacking Tore. We believe that Tore is supported by a group of southern soldiers…"
"You need to leave some troops here as well, Tadao." Sesshoumaru interrupted, noticing an immediate flaw of Nabu's plan. His golden eyes discreetly wondered about, trying to locate his human, yet to no avail. She walked out of the common room. Sesshoumaru took a sip of muddy sake, surprised at its refined taste. "I have enough western soldiers to leave some here. Rie will lead them."
"I can't allow it." Tadao's general tightened his teeth in remonstrance. "In a chance of your betrayal, the house of north would be in your hands already." Sesshoumaru's eyebrow curved up dangerously, perchance he has found the scape goat to his frustrations. Tadao laughed a bit too loudly and tapped Nabu on the back, trying to break the tension.
"Do not get carried away Nabu, lord Sesshoumaru is here to aid, not take over north. I will gladly leave some western soldiers here; they can guard the house along with our reserve soldiers."
"Lord Tadao, we should not accept that…" Nabu's overly exasperated response was interrupted by Kashi.
"Actually, we cannot have it any other way. Lord Sesshoumaru's pregnant mate, lady Yoko is staying here. It is obvious for the western soldiers to remain here and protect her."
Tadao tapped the table three times to interrupt the verbal skirmish.
"I understand that and have nothing against it. Nabu, work the unit distribution with Kashi by dawn."
"Yes, lord Tadao." Nabu and Kashi started a heated conversation about provisions, equipment, and troop units.
"I need to exchange some words with you, lord Sesshoumaru." Both demons lords left the table and walked slowly outside. They distanced from the crowd and rested by a large plum tree away from any prying ears. Tadao took out a plum from his inner pocked, sat down comfortably, resting his back against the tree bunk and bit the juicy fruit with an appetite. Sesshoumaru sat by his side, their shoulders touching. With discontent, he observed Yuutsuki from afar, she seemed to be eagerly listening to a young human warrior telling a story to a group of humans gathered around fire. It annoyed him to see Yuutsuki's eyes shining with genuine interest at the male's tale.
"So, how was it, meeting Yuutsuki after some time passed? Did you miss her?" The wolf demon's upbeat voice irked Sesshoumaru's already tense mood. Still observing Yuutsuki, he let out a prolonged sigh before answering.
"She…" Sesshoumaru sighed again, not sure how to start. "I was under an impression you would have marked her by now. Given your interest in her."
"Well, can't say it hasn't crossed my mind. There is that mutual physical attraction between us." Tadao laughed, but he thoroughly observed Sesshoumaru's indifferent expression. "Would it be easier if I had indeed marked her?"
"No." Tadao laughed again at his curt response, deciding to probe more.
"Well, I gave her an advice. I said you can make her happy. Today, she told me I was wrong." The wolf demon let out an amused smirk as his words had undoubtedly caught Sesshoumaru's attention. It was capturing enough for him to let Yuutsuki out of his sight, and without turning his head, the enquiring golden eyes met Tadao's.
"I see no reason why she would say that. We… We parted during an…" Unbelievably, the dog demon seemed to be slightly uncomfortable disclosing these details. Tadao smiled, genuinely delighted to discover this unusual aspect of his old friend.
"Intimate situation. I can imagine." Sesshoumaru growled, annoyed at his human. Did she really need to tell the wolf everything? "Treat her better, will you?"
There was no response to his request, Tadao kept eating his plum until he was done, then threw the seed away, continually detecting the tense, golden glare on him.
"C'mon, Sesshoumaru. You are no fun. I would not blame her if she allowed herself to be wooed by that charming warrior out there. After what happened to her today."
"I don't recall doing anything to her today. We didn't even speak." Sesshoumaru's expression remained unchanged, supporting his arm on his knee, he continued glaring at Tadao, intrigued by the previous statement, yet the wolf demon recognised that he had no clue of what had happened.
"Well, it is too awkward to speak to you this way. I will be blunt."
"Hn... Finally." Sesshoumaru sighed, frankly grateful to the wolf demon for having abandoned his favourite, probing conundrums.
"She has seen you with Yoko today."
"Nonsense." Despite the stern defiance, a tight feeling of suppressed concern spread around Sesshoumaru's core. Did he manage to hurt her again?
"Well, she has... She seemed visibly saddened and jealous of you abandoning her during that…intimate situation for Yoko."
"No, this is not what happened. There is no reason for her to feel this way." The denial in Sesshoumaru's voice was too discernible, he could not believe that Yuutsuki interpreted the situation the worst way possible. Yet he realised, that Tadao's words were not a senseless gibberish.
"It doesn't really matter what you think, what matters is the outcome. A maid told me she had seen Yuutsuki running away from your room, leaving the door opened. The maid saw Yoko, basically naked, covered in your clothes only. You were sleeping with your chest naked. Do not get me wrong, Sesshoumaru. Yoko is a pretty demoness, and most importantly, your mate. I understand. But do not expect Yuutsuki to do so. If you want them both, do it in a way they do not see it. I can give you some tips on that…"
"Dammit Tadao!" Despite an emotionless expression, Sesshoumaru revealed his annoyance in his voice as he growled loudly, catching attention of Tadao's troops nearby. Tadao smiled and signalled them not to mind, keeping silent to give Sesshoumaru space to talk. "My mind was made up. I gave up on my initial resolution and I was about to…"
"Right, you wanted to make her yours. I get it." Tadao smiled, still truly surprised by his old friend's embarrassment. In the past, Sesshoumaru would not refrain from disclosing his intimate time with Shizuka or any other partner. To be truthful, these were always curt stories, yet this desire to keep Yuutsuki's privacy intact clearly indicated lord of the west's affection towards the girl.
"Yes, that. A general appeared, demanding me to come, an urgent situation." Sesshoumaru lift his chin, looking forward at the evening scenery.
"What was the urgency? Was it regarding the ambush?"
"Yes. Nothing happened afterwards. I was obviously too tired. It has been weeks since I slept. There were events leading me to cover Yoko with my clothes, but that is all."
"Oh…That is disappointing. I wish you would have told me something more interesting. Otherwise, it is not worth the girl's sadness."
"I do indeed keep things from Yuutsuki. Many of them." He stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to Tadao, disregarding his bitter jests. "But I simply wish to minimise any exposure to threat. I vowed to bring her home, and I will do it. I need to solve other things first. Yoko's mark is fading every day. Making her weak body incapable of bearing my child. Today, it is barely there, as if it is to disappear tomorrow. Fukui Rie claims that my mark is fading because I've already marked another." Tadao was listening in silence to the shocking news. Under these circumstances, the south-west union was in jeopardy. "But Rin is dead. And I've certainly have not marked anyone else."
"Well… That is unfortunate…" Tadao scratched his head in ponder. At this very moment both demons sensed a presence approaching their direction. Their eyes met as Sesshoumaru muttered:
"Inuyasha."
A/N: OOOh yea Inuyasha's gang is back!