Alas I still do not own our dear Lord Fluffy not any of his kin.
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As Granny predicted Sesshomaru was back to full health two days later. He shook Melissa awake and she opened her eyes to find him kneeling over her in his traveling clothes and armor. "You go away?"
"I must go on patrol dear, but I will return shortly. You must remain here through the winter, the weather is too cold for you. I, however, can not neglect my duties." Not to mention Granny and his mother were driving him nuts. As he spoke he brushed a lock of hair from her face. "I will be checking up on Rin while I am gone. Would you like me to give your regards to Rin and Kagome?"
She nodded and there was a knock on the door and Granny entered with medicinal tea for Melissa. "Oh back on your feet Maruchan? Let me have a look at you."
She set Melissa's tea down beside the bed and felt his forehead then pressed her finger against his neck to see if his lymph glands were swollen. She nodded in satisfaction and helped Melissa sit up to drink her tea.
"While I am gone Granny will stay in this room to attend your needs, though you will have a screen for privacy at night. A guard will also be posted to guard you at all times. Should Granny have to fetch anything for you you will still have protection."
"I not safe?"
"There are many who will not approve of you as my wife. However with a few simple precautions I believe you will be safe and comfortable here in my absence. While we are on the subject do not eat food any but Granny give you until she has a chance to check it for contaminants unless you are taking a meal with Mother. Even meals brought to you by Kumiko must be examined, while she is trustworthy her nose is not powerful and she does not see to the preparation of meals."
"You think I be poison?" She asked handing the empty cup to Granny.
Granny gave her a gentle smile, "That's part of being royalty my little lady. And even if none mean to harm you you are living in a youkai palace, we all have different needs. The head cook and I have both reviewed a list of foods safe for a human, but accidents can happen. An underling cook with no malice in his heart could grab the wrong herbs to flavor your soup in a rush, cooking for so many.
"Speaking of food, how is your belly? Do you want to try to eat?" Granny smiled when Melissa said yes and left. She intercepted Jaken along the way so that Sesshomaru and Melissa could share a proper goodbye.
"I wish you not going." Melissa stated as she leaned toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I wish I could bring you with me. I will return soon." He replied returning her embrace and kissing her. The embrace only ended when Granny returned with breakfast and Jaken. Granny went to a small table she'd set up in a bright corner of the room and began setting the small bowls of food and tea on the table while Jaken went to stand by his lord and lady.
"Jaken, I must speak with my mother, when I return we will be leaving." Sesshomaru informed the Kappa as he strode out the door.
As soon as the door slid shut Jaken rounded on Melissa. "Now remember you are a guest in the lady mother's home, you need to be on your best behavior. Remember your place and mind your manners!"
"Awww, will miss you also, Jaken." She cooed scooping him up in a tight hug while he kicked his legs in protest.
Granny hid a chuckle behind her hand as she watched Melissa's playful teasing. "When you are done torturing Jaken your breakfast is ready."
Sesshomaru returned just as Melissa finished eating and she insisted on seeing him off. An armed youkai was already outside the door, Melissa greeted him sweetly but he only acknowledged her with a low bow. As Melissa and Granny walked down the hall with Sesshomaru he silently fell in step behind them.
Melissa was still a bit weak and suffering from mild dehydration from being so sick. She ended up needing to lean on Sesshomaru as they walked to the gate. Once Sesshomaru and Jaken were gone Granny insisted on carrying her back to bed, ordering a passing staff member to have extra soup sent to her room at noon.
As she recovered Melissa needed less sleep and started to get bored so Granny began bringing stories to read to her. It was a good way to help her improve her vocabulary. Granny was surprised however that Melissa insisted she sit next to her so she could follow along though the symbols made no sense to her.
Kimiko checked in on her a couple of times a day. She was in there when they made a small breakthrough in the lesson. Melissa was holding the scroll while Granny sat beside her reading it slowly. Melissa shook her head in frustration. "It make no sense! You read slow, make no sense! Maybe... Maybe read only character I point to? Maybe go slower and make sense?"
"We can try Rissachan." Granny replied and was surprised by Melissa's starting point but read the character. Then Melissa mover her finger to the next and Granny realized why she couldn't pick it up, "Merissa, you're trying to read in the wrong direction child! Here, start here in the right corner and go down and to the left, like this."
She guided Melissa's hand from character to character as she slowly read the story. Once they finished the story Melissa went back and identified a few of the most common characters.
"I am glad to see you have a desire to learn," Kimiko stated, "Because there is much you need to learn. I have arranged to have you tutored in Japanese and in courtly manners and customs. As his wife you will represent my son and our family line. Allowances may be made because you are foreign, but you must still make a good impression. You will start on those tomorrow if Ume feels you are recovered enough.
And while it is extremely unlikely you will ever be lady of the West due to our respective life expectancies, you must still be prepared to take my place should I be assassinated or die in battle. However those lessons will wait until your strength is completely returned. I don't want to push you to fast, but you must learn the things I have to teach you."
The next morning found her in Kimiko's study bright and early the next morning. Kimiko spent little time there, but it was a quiet out of the way place for Melissa's lessons. She didn't need the distractions of staff running in and out all day, but Kimiko wanted the room she shared with Sesshomaru to remain a relaxing and comfortable retreat for her.
One of the first things she was taught was to sit seiza. She quickly figured out sitting seiza was not very comfortable. In fact in fucking hurt, but Granny told her the pain would pass with practice and that being able to sit in this manner was a vital skill for a lady.
Her Japanese tutor was sitting seiza to directly infront of her. He gave her random words to use in sentences and corrected her when she missed particles or mispronounced words, many times he had to explain to her what a word meant because she simply didn't know it. She started to squirm and he yelled at her to sit still and smacked her across the backs of her folded hands with a bamboo cane.
There was a loud growl and a moment later Granny was between them, leveling a glare at the tutor that was calculated to freeze blood. "I do not remember authorizing you to use corporal punishment with this girl, nor was I told that our lady had done so."
"Well... I have to correct her! I..."
"I did not see her misbehave. She fidgeted, all children do when first learning to sit seiza."
"She's not a child though."
"Nor is she Japanese. She hasn't been taught to sit seiza yet, they do not do it in her country. Furthermore When you correct her you will use verbal reprimands, she responds quite well to spoken instruction. If I ever see you strike her again, I will strike you! Is that understood?" With a final glare Granny returned to her previous position and continued her task of altering all of Melissa's left socks to fit her 4 toes more snuggly.
Melissa and her tutor returned to practicing Japanese. She tried not to fidget, she really did. But her legs were killing her. She simply could not sit still. The tutor lost his temper again and hit her on the hands with his cane. An instant later he yelled in pain as Granny jerked his cane out of his hand and broke it over his head.
"I think you've practiced enough for now Rissachan, let's go for a walk to stretch your legs." Unfortunately after being folded up so long her legs didn't really want to hold her. Granny helped her up and then held her steady until she was able to get her feet up under her.
They had only been walking for a couple of minutes when they ran into Kimiko who instructed them to walk with her a ways while she showed Melissa a few of the simpler, but infinitely more boring tasks she may one day have to complete. When they returned Melissa was instructed to sit in a manner that was comfortable to her so she could concentrate on her Japanese lesson.
It quickly became the daily routine, with Melissa learning Japanese and etiquette during the morning and learning how to run a palace during the afternoon. In the evenings if Melissa was not worn out Granny worked with her on reading and writing.
A week later Kimiko came to the study to borrow Granny while Melissa tried not to squirm while repeating back to the tutor the proper uses of various adjectives. "Her strength has returned, has it not?"
"It has, my lady."
"You have become extremely maternal towards the woman. Your protectiveness over your charges is precisely why you were hired to guard my family in the first place, and she is quite likable. I must test her and you must not interfere. If you believe that would be too difficult for you then you are free to find another task for the duration."
"My first loyalty is to you, my lady. It will be hard to watch but I know you do not wish to kill her."
Satisfied with Granny's response she reentered the room where Melissa was being told off for fidgeting again. "The lesson will be concluded early today. Come with me."
They walked for quite a while. Melissa noticed Granny seemed a little tense, but she told her not to worry about it. They were outside in the snow when Kimiko Stopped and turned to Melissa. Melissa stopped to and looked at her curiously, that is until she suddenly found a hand around her throat and her feet off the ground.
She would have screamed but she didn't have a chance. She grabbed at the youkai's hand and tried to pull it away. Tried to pry the fingers from her throat as she kicked her legs and tried to wriggle out of Kimiko's grasp.
Kimiko's expressionless face turned to a cold frown and the hand around Melissa's throat tightened. She pulled at the hand harder and thrashed more violently. She couldn't breath. Her head began to swim and her vision grew dark.
Melissa's throat was sore as she moaned and opened her eyes. She blinked then focused on the frowning face of her future mother-in-law. She sat up and tried to back away as she remembered the woman's attack minutes ago only to find herself held in Granny's powerful arms.
"You just failed a test, Melissa. At no point did you even attempt to draw your dagger on me. Do you carry it only for decorative effect? Why have a blade if you do not use it, a fan would serve you better."
"Raven is athame, Kimikosama, I use her in magic." Melissa explained rubbing her throat as she continued to press herself against her protective mama bear.
"I thought I asked you to call me mother. You are well guarded, but there will always be danger to you as my son's future wife. You must be able to defend yourself. Ume is fast, but an assassin may be faster. You have no hope to defeat a youkai, but you can hold them off. Her job will be easier if you can avoid death long enough for her to respond to and neutralize a threat. Allow me to examine that blade."
With shaking hands Melissa drew Raven then held the blade to present the hilt to Kimiko. "You offer me the hilt of it?"
"Never point blade at friend."
"No, that could be a cause for offense, however..." She grabbed the hilt and thrust the blade forward, stopping less than half an inch from disemboweling her son's bride. "Never point a blade at yourself Melissa."
She looked down at the blade in her hand, it had just burned her. The burning had stopped when she had, but this was a powerful blade. A living blade. It had accepted Melissa, but she was obviously untrained, making the blade even more dangerous. To herself.
She needed to be trained. However the weapon's master was not fond of humans in the least. While his loyalty had never wavered before he might not be so diligent in making sure there were no accidents. Training would be a perfect cover for an assassination.
"Ume, get her out of those clothes. Dress her in something that allows her to move and bring her to the dojo, I will see to her Kendo training myself."