Eye-opening
Prompt: Open your eyes
Universe: Historical AU. Sequel to Chapter Fiver: The Mother and the Bride!
Genre: Drama
1,000 words
The marriage had been purely political, and the agreement sealed by the match had been greatly beneficial for the youkai community as a whole. Sesshoumaru had not been even remotely pleased about his nuptials; he had not wanted to wed anyone, youkai or human. But this matter was bigger than him.
Over the past few centuries, humans had bred like pests. Their population had swelled and spread over the islands like a tidal wave. The youkai sorely needed lands of their own, away from human settlements. His mother sat in the council and had been one of the most vocal supporters of treating with the human Shogunate. The marriage and the agreement it symbolised were greatly beneficial to human and youkai alike, and Sesshoumaru would honour it – though he wished they would have found someone else to saddle with a mortal spouse.
Sesshoumaru regarded his wife as a minor inconvenience. His impression of her was vague; he mostly saw her in passing and had made no effort to get to know her. She seemed like a kind, demure woman, quick to smile, polite and well-mannered as one would expect from an official's daughter. She was always well-groomed and rather pretty for a human. She even smelled nice. But as far as Sesshoumaru could gather, pleasing his eyes was the only thing she was good for.
His mother, however, was very taken with the human. How or why, Sesshoumaru couldn't tell. Though his mother saw the benefit in keeping diplomatic ties with the mortals, she had never taken a personal interest in them. Once a visiting kitsune lord had had a human child as his ward. His mother had inquired if he always brought snacks.
Speak of the devil. Her heavy youki and faint perfume announced her presence moments before she slid open the doors of his study and strode in.
"Go away, mother," he growled, peering down at the chaos of papers littering his desk.
"You shall join me for tea today," the demoness announced loftily, as if she hadn't heard Sesshoumaru's plea. He'd noticed that even when he managed to get a word in, they often seemed to fall to deaf ears. Just one of the reasons why he found conversing with his mother vexing.
"I am afraid I am preoccupied," he said in a clipped tone.
His mother clicked her tongue. Sesshoumaru's shoulders stiffened and his gaze finally flicked up from his papers.
The demoness was smiling, but her golden eyes were hard.
"Just gracefully accept the invitation, whelp. Unless you want me to insist?"
Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth.
"Thank you, mother," he deadpanned. "Tea sounds lovely."
"Splendid! I will see you in an hour."
In a whirl of silk, his mother was gone as quickly as she had arrived, and Sesshoumaru pinched the bridge of his nose.
Sesshoumaru had been unable to concentrate since his mother had left, so he was almost relieved to leave his study when the time came.
"There you are!" his mother greeted him as soon as he stepped into the room. She waved at him imperiously and Sesshoumaru crossed the room, stepping out onto the veranda overlooking the inner garden.
"It will do you good to get some sun. Why you insist on stewing in that stuffy room I will never understand," she huffed as he took a seat next to her.
Sesshoumaru could already feel the beginning of a headache behind his eyes.
"It is for work, mother."
"Bah. You were always too serious a pup, I do not know where I went wrong with you. I worry for you, Sesshoumaru – you should have learned by now that there is more to life than work!"
Sesshoumaru's ire flared and he tried to regain his composure while he watched his mother gracefully pour the tea. Deciding the best course of action was to change the subject entirely, he asked the first thing on his mind.
"I thought the human was joining us?"
His mother frowned as she handed him the teacup.
"Such manners... I would be more inclined to answer if you addressed your lady properly."
Sesshoumaru stared into his tea and fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"Is Kanae joining us?"
"Kagome. Your wife's name is Kagome." His mother shook her head in exasperation. "No, it will be just you and me today."
Sesshoumaru's eyebrow arched.
"But I can smell her."
"That is because she is over there, you blind pup."
Sesshoumaru looked out into the garden and with a jolt realised his mother was right: the human was in fact there. He barely recognised her without all her finery. She wore a plain blue kimono, and a dark hakama bearing a geometric pattern, a stark contrast to the usual fine embroidered silks of carefully co-ordinated layers and artistically tied obis. Her black hair was not coaxed into an elaborate style held together by a wealth of combs and pins; it was gathered on a high tail that flowed down her back. And in her hands was a slender bow, fully drawn. Unaware of his stare, she focused on her target and loosed the arrow. It burst forth and sank in the small red circle in the centre where three others already perched.
Sesshoumaru blinked slowly, his tea forgotten. His wife smiled so brightly her blue eyes sparkled. Then, she drew in a breath, picked and notched another arrow, and with practised ease pulled the tall bow taut once again.
"Beautiful, is it not? Every step fluid and precise, yet it seems as elegant as a dance," his mother murmured.
Sesshoumaru's head slowly dipped in a small nod.
A pretty face alone would not have been enough to win his mother over. There had to be something remarkable about the human for the demon matriarch to have taken such an interest in her.
His gaze thoughtful, Sesshoumaru studied his wife as if he was seeing her for the first time.
Perhaps he had been too quick to write her off.