Darkness on Display
Night had fallen and Sesshoumaru didn't really know if anything had been accomplished or not. Kagome stood in his presence that whole day in silence thinking to herself of where to begin so she could make excuses to avoid being in this situation again. Eventually he found her leaning against the wall and allowed it. As amusing as it was to test her and see how far she was willing to go in her antics of defiance he really needed her to get to work on wedding planning.
When she wasn't ignoring him he'd been forced to give her an economics lesson on currency. Apparently she thought that gold coins was all there was. She knew nothing about silver and bronze and how commoners rarely had gold in their possession. Now it made sense to her why such lengths were made by the tavern to take her five gold pieces. He was just thankful that he'd been stern in refusing to let her touch the wedding budget until after the deed was done before she did something foolish with it.
"Time to retire to your chambers for the night," Sesshoumaru's words were finally pleasing to her as he removed a key from his kimono sleeve, "come closer."
He didn't need to ask her twice this time. Kagome quickly presented her neck to him so he could unlock the collar finally freeing her from imprisonment. He expected her to flee to the otherside of the room the moment his chain held no more power, but yet she remained.
"I am getting brainwashed," Kagome thought to herself as she struggled to keep her eyes opened, "I'm too exhausted to care about anything right now. No escaping no snide remarks to get at him. I just want my warm bed. Please just let me go to sleep. Don't lecture me about anything."
She'd only gotten a couple hours of sleep the night before having bread forced down her throat and cold water thrown upon her, so all she wanted was a chance to return to that bed of hers in peace.
"I'll escort you," Sesshoumaru made it clear she wasn't even free enough to wander the halls on her own, "your father will have a guard posted outside your door as well as one outside the castle right below your window. Do not try anything."
"Or I'll go to a prison cell and have a bad wedding," she remarked struggling to stay awake, "I know I know."
Sesshoumaru gave her a nod before beckoning her to follow. He didn't drag her nor had her chained up, but it made no difference as she followed him by only a few paces appearing submissive as she could. Her grand plan was to sell him on her acceptance of the situation, but her short term goal was to just go to sleep. It had been a while since she had gone so long without sleeping and was discovering that maybe she just couldn't work well in this condition.
Sesshoumaru stopped at her door in the royal keep and looked down upon her with harshness in his eyes. In her mind he still wasn't at all the man that carefully carried her through the streets of the city when she was drunk. He was just taking her from one prison cell to another.
"Did anything get accomplished?" he asked her, "do you know where to begin?"
"I need to see a seamstress," she at least gave him somewhat of an agenda, "to begin work on a dress since that will take time. After that I need to figure out where we are going to have it. I think I should also talk to my siblings or go to the library and read entries on other weddings for a better idea."
Sesshoumaru gave her a brief look of astonishment surprised she'd actually done what was asked of her and came up with a plan, "Very well we'll discuss these plans in the morning over breakfast before I allow you to take on your tasks. Sleep well Kagome."
Kagome was irritated by that look he gave her. Was he honestly that surprised that she did what she was supposed to do and put thought into something? Was everyone's faith in her honestly that low? Now she was convinced that no matter what she did with her plans of escaping there had to be a well thought out wedding put together just so everyone knew she was capable of being an adult and thinking for herself.
"It's a wedding so I need an actual wedding dress," the tired girl muttered sounding inchorent in her exhaustion, "you though? You don't need anything and I don't want to waste the budget on fine silk you'll just wear once and probably not like. That kimono you're wearing now looks grand enough. That will do."
She took a moment to admire the sleeve and crismon markings on it before realizing she was seemingly being too familiar with him and ceased being obvious.
"I will offer no complaints," Sesshoumaru was secretly thrilled to not be forced into wearing whatever garb the people of her culture expected a groom to wear, "if you wish to see me in this kimono again I shall wear it."
"Good good," she yawned not bothering to give him a proper good night as she quickly retreated to her room where she kicked her slippers off and collapsed onto her bed.
Sango had been waiting most of the night to tend to her also not getting any sleep herself. She'd been prepared with a night gown and a brush to carry on with the ritual of getting the princess ready for bed, but she hadn't expected Kagome to just collapse. What she'd been expecting was another long complaint session where Kagome listed off everything she hated about her new husband to be before proceeding to cry the whole evening. Instead all Sango got was silence.
"Princess?" Sango asked quietly coming near her, "don't you want to get out of that gown? You stay in a corset too long you'll stretch it out and I doubt it's comfortable."
"Me and the corset are on a goodbye tour," Kagome actually managed a smile with her eyes closed, "I don't have to wear it anymore. It's good news. Good night Sango. Get some rest yourself okay? See you in the morning."
Sango was still in disbelief as Kagome's next response was nothing but snores. Kagome was seemingly content and just going to bed? Obviously there were many reasons why Sango didn't trust the situation. It was still very early in the night and she was seemingly being promised she could put her guard down.
"What are you planning Kagome?" Sango asked not wanting the girl to make trouble for the both of them as she made sure she was indeed asleep, "you're not going to open your eyes the moment I turn around and plan a grand escape are you?"
Once again the only response was the girl's slowed breath and snores. Sango took a few minutes to lightly poke at the girl to insure she was truly in a deep peaceful sleep. She was almost convinced everything was on the up and up before noticing one of Kagome's hands were balled into a fist. Carefully Sango spread the girl's finger and discovered a key in the palm of her hands.
"Great what is this to?" her maid asked taking the key, "I care for you princess Kagome but you do anything while under my watch I can lose my job or even worse my head. We can't play around with this kind of stuff anymore."
With a heavy sigh Sango left the room urging the guard outside the door to keep his eyes and ears open before bounding down the hallway. Eventually she discovered a person of interest, a man with foreign dress and long white hair that she somehow immediately recognized as Sesshoumaru.
"My Lord," the maid bowed in respect behind him, "the princess had this in her possession and I was wondering if it were your property or that of Naraku's?"
Sesshoumaru turned to discover a mere maid wanting his attention. He planned on ignoring her not wanting to waste talk on someone in Naraku's employ that would obviously not have his interests as a priority, but it seemed she was Kagome's servant. He looked in her hand and saw a very familiar key. The demon reached into his sleeve discovering that the key he used to lock Kagome's collar was missing. His thoughts went to her discussing how they would dress for the wedding and how she reached for his sleeve. The girl had robbed him.
Sesshoumaru released a growl snatching the key out of Sango's palm, "I told that woman I had faith in her and this is how I am repaid? Does she not know the fire she is playing with?"
"Please Lord Sesshoumaru," he wasn't expecting the maid to speak, "I urge you to forgive the princess. She has a tendency to do things like this when she is nervous. She probably didn't mean to do it."
Didn't mean to do it? That was rich. First there was the coins she took from the tavern and now this. The girl was coming off to him as a no more than a low born thief. He wanted to be angry that she was guilty of a commoner's crime, but what was really getting under his skin was how good she was at it. He had sharp eyes so how had he been fooled twice? He never saw her take any gold during the game's of chance and he hadn't even seen her hands go into his sleeve when she took the key. How was she clever with skills he couldn't notice in all the wrong ways?
"I do not require this key to lock her collar," Sesshoumaru spoke out loud coldly, "and she would have to use it in front of me if she were to use it for escape. What a stupid thing to steal. Is this girl known for foolish antics?"
"Well," Sango stood up from her bowing position nervously, "I've been serving the princess for a couple years now and what I've noticed is she does things like this sometimes when she feels stressed out or defeated. You know not getting her way? I'm sure an arranged marriage has been taxing on the both of you and she blows off steam in her own way. She doesn't care if the key was useful or not. Taking something from someone else is kind of like her getting in the last word."
So Kagome was a thief, and a juvenile thief at that, and she honestly expected him to feel bad about taking her tiara away from her and destroying it? She clearly put no value in anyone else's care for property if she thought it was okay to take. The demon's mind was racing with possible punishments or tactics he could employ to squash whatever was in the girl that made her steal but he thought on the magic hidden in her blood.
"You underestimate me," he recalled Kagome saying a few hours back, "when I want something bad enough I can get it."
Her blood was what Sesshoumaru was after, everything after that, her beauty and the way she amused him, was just an extra coat of paint on his prize. However, maybe there was something more to her that he could use for his benefit. Him having a wife that could never be trusted due to her immoral actions worried him, but at the same time she could be a useful tool in other affairs.
Sesshoumaru prepared to turn his back on the servant now that their business had concluded, but as he took in the brown haired woman's face he thought he recognized something about her.
"Have I seen you elsewhere woman?" he asked her.
"You must be mistaken," Sango averted her eyes, "I don't believe I've truly come across a demon so well bred and powerful as you."
This woman was a human, but yet her face had enough of an impact on him that he could swear he'd seen her before. He couldn't be mistaken if he'd bothered to remember a human face.
"You've never been to Winter Spiral?" Sesshoumaru's voice sounded harsh, "born and raised in this kingdom?"
"In another," Sango was seemingly careful with her words not wanting to tell a lie depending on how much the demon knew.
"Hn," Sesshoumaru began thinking out loud, "InuYasha has told me that Kagome's personal guard is also her maid. At first I speculated that it was due to her lack of importance to Naraku or his lack of resources, but I see now. You are a demon slayer are you not? They say demon slayers often pick up work in kingdoms as guards and jailers when they have disgraced themselves and are no longer fit for service. How demeaning it must be for you. Given a guard post while also being expected to clean and dress a certain entitled brat because of your gender. I wonder what mistake you made slayer."
The meek woman's eyes hardened as she looked up at Sesshoumaru, "Failed to fulfill a contract with my life in tact."
"The contract was to kill me wasn't it?" Sesshoumaru's tone turned to that of a cruel one, "that is how I recognize you. There is nothing more shameful to a demon slayer than failing and fleeing. It makes you a coward, a coward expected to protect my bride to be? Kagome will be better off without your service."
Sesshoumaru might've been hard on a sheltered princess such as Kagome who didn't know much about the true world, but he still made sure to handle her a certain way to make sure she wouldn't truly break. For the demon slayer, however, Sesshoumaru had nothing kind to say. On the contrary he seemed to be finding entertainment in upsetting the woman, especially since she had once been employed by an enemy of his.
"You killed me," Sango made sure to remind me, "pierced me with those claws of yours and left my body to rot above your castle gates. Then I woke up back in my village where I was called a coward and exiled in disgrace. We both know the truth though don't we Lord Sesshoumaru? I am not a coward."
Sesshoumaru's eyes traveled to his Tensagia, "The true coward is the one who employed a demon slayer rather than coming to do the job themselves. You fought well, but should have picked your battles wisely. In exchange for your ignorance I brought you back from the dead and allowed you to live in disgrace. Seems to be a fair punishment."
"I knew I wasn't mistaken and that it was no vivid dream. You really did use enchantment to bring me back from the dead? I can never see my brother or father again because of your cruel sense of justice. They refuse to believe me."
"It doesn't matter if I brought you back from the dead you still failed. If you want your glory restored demon slayer fulfill your mission. I'll be waiting if you dare try. With me staying here with no guards or servants loyal to me to keep an eye out you have ample opportunity, but yet you come here with what Kagome stole pleading for her forgiveness. Why?"
"Because I know what you truly are Sesshoumaru. You are the monster Kagome thinks you are. I've seen it, but I can't let her know that she's right. I can't let her leave me being terrified. I'm willing to forgive you taking away everything important to me if only you can spare her your cruelty. I know she's naive and still has a lot of growing up to do, but she doesn't deserve what you're capable of."
Sesshoumaru turned his back on the woman and proceeded on his way, "You want the girl spared of my evil deeds? You care for her that much? Then tell her to behave and know her place. That's the best you can do for her to save her from me. If you wish to take another option accept my challenge and face me. Do so and I'll do the honor of not bringing you back, but instead sending your head to your father with a tale of your glory. I know death is what you truly want demon slayer. Until you've made your decision make sure that girl is awaken with the sun. She has work to do in the morning."
While Sesshoumaru was no longer hiding his beast in the highest floors of the castle another monster had come out of hiding in the basement below the dungeons. Kikyo was no longer wearing the garb or the crown of a queen, but instead wore nothing more than grey rags around her body that was wrapped around her frame only covering her breasts and lower region.
Naraku watched as the woman stood in the middle of the room chanting something in a foreign tongue he couldn't recognize as she was beginning a ritual. Kikyo was obviously not something from his own lands, but at the same time could be mistaken for a human. There was nothing about her appearance that gave away her race or the fact that she was nothing more than a reanimated corpse.
A light born was what she called herself, a creature similar to the the first borns yet had no magical blood. All their supernatural feats were bestowed upon them from the god they worshipped. Their god looked upon some of them favorably while others prayed and chanted for nothing. That must have been why light borns despised the first borns so much. Kikyo had branded them unlawful heathens that Naraku needed to wipe off the map. That had been her sacred belief until her god demanded that Kagome be spared so her blood could be used.
"She says her god is one of love and light," Naraku spoke out loud to himself surveying the dark basement, "but nothing good has ever come from her practices in this room."
"Daddy stop!" a very young Kagome had cried the moment she was bound to a table in the middle of the basement with leather straps, "don't hurt me again. You said you'd stop. Please!"
Naraku released a heavy sigh as he brandished a knife he held over a torch to sterilize it, "Just once more Kagome. Last time was not enough. This time it will work and your king father will be the strongest creature in the realm."
"No!" Kagome pouted tears pooling from her eyes the moment she saw the knife, "it hurts! I don't want to play these games anymore. Please stop!"
"It's not a game!" Naraku shouted coldly cupping her cheek and forcing her to look at him, "this is what you're purpose is Kagome. This is why you have been spared. Be a proper princess and do your duty to king and kingdom and I'll release you to go off and play. Just be silent."
His daughter let out a horrifying scream as he cut into her shoulder allowing her blood to freely flow into a glass vile he pressed against her skin trying to collect all that he could for Kikyo's latest experiment.
"We wouldn't have to put up with all this screaming and dramatics if you'd stop showing her the knife and just get it done," Kikyo complained coldly, "all of that for what? That is not even a vile's worth. We need more Naraku. It's not going to work with such a small amount. We need to bleed her out properly through the back with deeper cuts."
"She is a small weak thing," Naraku was clearly irritated with Kikyo's constant nagging, "I'm not going to cut up her whole backside unless I know there will be results. Show me something useful for once Kikyo so I know this hasn't been a waste of time."
"The fault lies with you," Kikyo's words were meant to cut deep as she snatched the pitiful vile from him, "what good is having a demonic father if she has no demonic stamina. How can god bestow glory upon you when you've failed him thus far? Such a weak pathetic dirty blooded offspring."
Naraku looked upon the woman he once loved with hate in his eyes. His demonic energy was at the brink of flaring up to challenge her for doubting him, the king, of doing something wrong. For months now all he'd heard was that woman demean him and he was tired of it.
"Do you tire of our arrangement?" Kikyo's lips curled into a smirk as her own aura made of darkness began to grow around her in a threatening manner, "I'll exile you from the service of god if that is what you wish and bleed the girl myself. You don't have the stomach for what needs to be done."
"I've stomached plenty," Naraku instead of using his powers against Kikyo turned to a different target.
Emerging from his body was what looked like bony claws in the shape of spider legs. He used two of his sharp spear-like limbs to pierce right through Kagome's flesh. One went through his little girl's shoulder another through her back below the rib releasing large pools of blood all over the table and more pained screaming. It was the screaming that snapped him back to reality and made him release what he'd just done.
"What did you do?!" Kikyo shouted at him pushing him away with her aura as she went to the trembling girl's side who was on the verge of losing consciousness, "she cannot die. You know that. Did you lose your mind? We need her alive until we near the final ritual. I'm nowhere close."
Naraku tried to keep focus away from the blood that now began to stain the floor. He was a cruel creature, but one that had to curve his dark urges to maintain control of his body and soul. He'd thought that taking a kingdom with rules that needed to be followed would be a good way to keep his darkness in check and separate himself from the nature of the demons that made up his body even going as far as putting limitations on himself. Hurting his own children had been a line he made to keep up some sort of moral shield against the demons that shouted for blood, but apparently his lust for Kikyo had made him fall far if him cutting into his own young child's flesh day in and day out was becoming the norm.
No he hadn't tried to kill Kagome because of his lust and the demons was what he told himself not wanting to be a failure to everything he'd built. Kikyo's constant berating of him and his shortcomings had forced him to make a decision regarding his daughter and his feelings for her. What he did was mercy. He'd hoped he could kill Kagome, so that way she was free from Kikyo's dark will leaving the woman with no more options for growing her power.
"You wanted blood there is blood," Naraku was cold as he turned away from Kagome wishing that the vicious impalement had killed her so she could have gone swiftly, "it's too late now. Now I will see what you do with your life without the rituals and darkness Kikyo."
Kikyo didn't seem ready to give up despite the large amount of blood Kagome was losing. She quickly comforted the child cradling her in her arms trying to keep her with them grabbing some sort of baked good that they often gave the girl when they were done with their experiments.
"Eat this Kagome please!" Kikyo begged her, "it's good for you. It will help you."
Kagome's voice was very weak as she tried to protest. The way the young child was still clinging on impressed Naraku. It disappointed him she were choosing pain over freedom, but he was impressed nonetheless.
Naraku stared at the blood stain that was still on the floor from his failed mercy killing. Kikyo had come into his life promising him many things, but all she'd brought him thus far was a basement full of pain and harsh memories. After that day he refused to ever cut into Kagome again even if Kikyo's god begged him. He wasn't going to have his daughter tortured for no reason while that woman went on about how it was his fault. If Kikyo had use for Kagome she needed to give him a true demonstration of her power and how authentic it was.
Not that it mattered too much in the long game. Whatever Kikyo was planning was just a small stepping stone now in Naraku's bigger plan. He had his own uses and plans for Kagome, and none of them involved Kikyo being happy in the end or the other rebellious spawn of his.
"Seems I have no other option but to tolerate that dogs claws all over her for the time being," Naraku grimaced to himself out loud, "it disgusts me having to freely hand over something that is mine to that creature to use."
Kikyo seemed to be finished with her chanting as she turned to give Naraku a dangerous glare, "He will just be using flesh and blood and nothing more. That is all the girl is to us until god gives me the order. We've gone over this."
"The girl is my flesh and blood," Naraku made sure to remind her, "you seem to keep forgetting that fact."
"Yes your daughter," Kikyo nodded, "born from your seed as ordered by god for the purpose of having a first born with demonic stamina. However as I've reminded you several times you've failed in that regard. Perhaps you were right. Instead of giving us a proper magic source you gave us the daughter of a bandit. That Onigumo you hated so much. What should it matter to you what has to be done with her? As you said she is not truly yours."
"It seems we are back to where we started," Naraku kept his composure this time letting Kikyo's berating of him slide off his back, "my seed didn't give you the results you wanted and that is my fault. Everything you have ever given me Kikyo is a repetitive practice in wasting my time. Do you have something for me or do you not?"
Kikyo's cold eyes remained trained him as a large fire made up of green flames appeared in a brazer behind her displaying her sorcery. She turned to face the flames and released a few more chants before revealing the strand of Kagome's hair in her hand. Once she listed her demands to her god she threw the hair in the flames.
"What are you asking for?" Naraku inquired.
"For the girl's magical blood to turn to poison," Kikyo replied despite trying to concentrate, "the dog will use her and seal his own fate in doing so. The girl will kill him like we want her to."
"You wish to poison the well I am to drink from?" Naraku asked, "other than Sesshoumaru's death what will this accomplish for us?"
"Her blood will only become darkened once when my god wills it. After that it will return to normal. He'll drink from her once the magic is most potent only to have that power turned against him and kill him. It accomplishes a lot my king. As I've told you god said you cannot have your glory until your enemies are wiped out."
"Kagome killing Sesshoumaru better happen then Kikyo. If it does not and you've been mistaken I hope you understand that you threw your prized cattle away."
"It will happen," Kikyo's eyes were searching the flames, "that much is certain. There is only a couple of issues we are faced with. One of them being your loose tongue."
"What have I done to offend you this time my queen?" Naraku mocked her.
"Telling Kagome she needs to kill Sesshoumaru. You didn't have to tell her anything. The curse will take care of Sesshoumaru itself she didn't have to know. I don't want her coming at that dog like an assassin because of something you said."
"After the way I treated her this morning I doubt she'll do anything in my service. Have no fear Kikyo Kagome isn't going to go from scared princess to skilled assassin in a week's time because of my loose tongue. However, whatever means she chooses to kill that dog really doesn't bother me. If she can do it with her own hands I believe I'd find myself in her debt."
"Don't even speak like that anymore," Kikyo wasn't humored at all, "god will destroy Sesshoumaru through her. That is how this will be done."
"You said issues as if there is more disturbing you then just my tongue. What else is your god telling you Kikyo?"
The woman sighed as she turned back to him, "God won't poison her blood until she turns seventeen. I am told that is when it will be the most potent and she'll truly be ready to fulfill our destinies."
Naraku could barely hide his disgust, "Seventeen? Two years from now her blood will be potent? That is what you dare tell me? Please tell me then Kikyo if that is what your god wants why were we slicing into the flesh of a four-year-old? Your god had nothing to say then? I asked for you to prove you are capable of more than sorcery all you have is more excuses. By the time I see results she'll probably already be something new with a couple of pups at her side and one in the womb."
Now Kikyo was interfering with Naraku's plan with her constant feet dragging and excuses about how her god didn't just give them all the answers and it was up to them to interpret what it wanted correctly. He just wanted Sesshoumaru dead before Kagome could have her loyalties altered.
"Sesshoumaru will be dead and that is all that matters," Kikyo knew she was the one who was showing failure this time, "then the path will be clear. I promise you my king. You just have to patient."
"My patience is running out," Naraku turned to leave the dungeon of disgusting scents and memories, "even for that heart of yours Kikyo, because even love has its limits."
(End Chapter)