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The gentle swaying of his body moved in time with each step that he took, while his hair moved only a fraction on the wind, and not a strand out of place. His movements slow, teased and captivated her. She felt things in her heart as well as the secret places in her being too naughty to name, as she watched enthralled as he left.
"Oh kami," she said out loud, "is it possible, could it be that he actually wants me?"
The possibilities left her feeling giddy, and his kiss still tingled with delight; and as she remembered the honeyed taste of his lips on hers, she ran her tongue along them hoping that the taste of him still lingered. Her eyes never left his form, and only when there was no more of him to see as he seemed to blend in and vanish with the environment that she looked away.
He could have flown home which would have been quicker, but his thoughts were chaotic, information that the priestess had related to him he must share with the council, such a burden he couldn't carry alone. But he also knew with certainty that they were never going to agree with the passive stance he took promising Kagome not to act until some sixty odd years. And so he walked trying to calm his anxious and whirling thoughts, hopefully devising a plan before he goes before the council in three days.
Already lying in bed Sesshomaru watched as the youngest member of his harem of concubines disrobed seductively, but his mind was on his troubles and the dark haired priestess Kagome. The demoness's narrow hips swayed seductively and the lustful look upon her face was all for his pleasure, but his member would not comply as it lay limp on his thigh. The lightly fragranced perfume she wore was pleasing to his senses as she came to kneel on the floor at his bedside.
"Master, how may I please you tonight?" she asked in her most seductive and demure voice.
She was the daughter of one of the minor lords in one of the five western provinces under his control. She came to him two months ago untouched, and he remembered how he'd ravaged and ripped her innocence away; such were there ways as demons, harsh, and even so they'd both enjoyed every moment of their time together. She was bright and a witty conversationalist; but was also very ambitious and was harboring thoughts of becoming the next lady of the west. He smirked inwardly at her folly, thinking that she was favored among his concubines by him.
He looked her over with assessing eyes, and respectfully she dropped her head lowering herself so as not to tower over him as he lay motionless on his huge bed. She was very beautiful and had an enchanting air about her, one that could weave a spell drawing you in, but he would not be fooled. She tethered on the edge of his patience, he had not summoned her to his bed tonight.
Without answering he ran his claws through her fiery red hair, she closed her eyes at the comforting feel of her lord's attentions while he continued to massage her scalp. But only for a few moments before he dragged his hand to the base of her skull, gripping and twisting just the way he wanted, painfully.
She gasped at the sudden brutal change in him as he continued to wrench her forward while sitting up, twisting and jerking her head even harder with brutal emphasis breaking loose some of the strands.
"Please master," she cried out in distress, "what did I do to displease you?"
Cold and uncaring eyes looked down into her frightened ones and replied. "Never come to this room or my bed again unless you are told to do so by me…You are not the lady of this house, and you never will be."
He pushed her away from himself in disgust, she stumbled and fell; scrambling quickly to her feet she grabbed her clothes and ran away from the room and him in tears.
He prided himself on being a fair ruler, and he wasn't as cruel as many say, but he had a lot on his mind, an entire race of demons stood to perish if he did not find a way to prevent that horrible an unconscionable event from happening…Pleasure and sex was the last thing on his mind.
How could he keep his promise to Kagome, saving his species while attempting to do it peacefully. Even in his thoughts those sentiments were unrealistic and filled with naivety. He sighed, closed his eyes and tried not to think too much on it now, he had three days in which to prepare before he approached the council on the matter of their survival.
When it came to romantic relationships, Kagome was very clear on one thing even though she was not the most experienced in matters of the heart, and that was…There was no going back. It was something she'd learned the hard way herself with Inuyasha that a romance that had ended once with hurt and resentment couldn't successfully flourish on a second go around.
After he'd broken her heart she did not want to accept the fact that they did not have a future together, and so she'd tried for months afterwards to encourage and convince him, hoping that they could have a second go at it. He had only ended up breaking her heart even more.
"It's time to move on and be happy," she told her reflection in the mirror as if she needed it said out loud. "Forward not backward," she ordered her reflection.
It had been too long that she harbored the ugly feelings of hurt and resentment because of a failed romantic endeavor. Maybe the second time around would have better results, she thought, and smiled thinking about Sesshomaru…She felt a sudden rush, her eyes lit up with excitement, she was going to see him later.
Brushing her hair until it shone she then parted it in the center letting the waves cascade down the sides of her face and back, lining her eyelids with black charcoal accentuated the blues in her eyes even more.
She dusted the white powder on her face giving it a smoother and dry look, and her lips she stained lightly with the red paint that was her lipstick. She was beautiful and exotic looking. She hopes Sesshomaru will be impressed, she thought skeptically because she hadn't any idea what he liked or what he planned when they met up later.
It was the weekend and she was free, school was out and she did not have any pressing matters that needed her skills as a priestess, so she sat and looked out the window waiting on Sesshomaru's arrival.
Despite his worry and the fact that he did not sleep at all last night, he had promised the priestess to meet up with her today, and he wanted her to meet someone so that she could better understand his perspective on the issues of their survival.
"Jaken," he called while strapping on his armor.
"Yes lord Sesshomaru, I am coming," he said breathlessly, and scurried along the passage-way towards his masters open bedroom door.
Prostrating at the door he asked. "How may I be of assistance to you my lord?"
Sesshomaru glanced in his direction fleetingly and wondered if Jaken sat about doing nothing all day, only waiting to be summoned by him, for how else could he have answered his call so quickly?
"Prepare Akiyoshi along with Ah-Un for travel, I will meet up with you shortly in the stables."
"Yes my lord," Jaken answered and ran off to do as he was told, though he wondered briefly what was wrong with his master, because he seemed so tense and anxious. Not at all like his usually calm and compose self.
Kagome fixed her hair and touch-up her make-up several times in anxiousness, although each time that she did it there was no need to do so in the first place. Immediately afterwards she took her place by the window once more and waited. The butterflies in her belly made her even more nervous and jittery. Why was she so damn uneasy? She asked herself for the tenth time. She got up to go get some water, but as she did she felt his power even before she saw him, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Sesshomaru appeared from his sphere of light, and walked quietly to the door, then the dragon along with a young demon that she couldn't see very clearly and Jaken landed in the yard as she watched the happenings fascinated.
She gulped in nervousness and ran to the kitchen for a cup of water and downed it in one drink, she refilled the cup and put it to her lips when the deep smooth voice of Sesshomaru greeted her.
"Hello Kagome."
Her nerves tightened instantly and she took a big gulp of the water to calm her racing pulse. There was no need for her to be be this nervous, she told herself. It was only Sesshomaru and she knew that he was coming, she reasoned with herself, trying desperately to calm down.
"Hi," she said at last,
He nodded to her and then came inside and sat at the table. Realizing that he was waiting for her to have a seat so that they could talk, she rushed to the table and sat down as quietly as she could manage.
"Did you sleep well?" His words took her completely by surprise as her mind was on the child that was outside with Jaken.
"Yes," she answered a little distracted.
"And you?" She asked.
He smiled. "I don't need to sleep as much," he responded tonelessly, which was not entirely true because he really could do with some sleep. He was tired both physically and mentally, it had been a very stressful couple of days, and some of the issues had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with running an empire.
Her thoughts wandered to the young demon outside again, and as she opened her mouth to ask him who the child was, the opportunity was lost when he said. "There is someone that I would like you to meet."
He got up from the chair and went to the door, she heard shuffling and multiple footsteps coming her way, she turned in her chair and looked. Standing inside the doorway with Sesshomaru and Jaken was a young demon that looked exactly like him.
She was amazed, she couldn't believe it, because she really did not need the introduction. She could clearly see and feel their connection, but for formality purposes she waited on him to do so.
"Step forward," he said to the boy, he did as he was told.
Kagome got up from the chair and moved closer to them.
"Lady Kagome," he addressed her very formally and with respect, "this is my first born Akiyoshi."
They bowed together in greeting; she stared at Sesshomaru afterwards not quite sure what his motives were for having her meet his son. The surprised showed because she would never have imagined that he had a child.
She smiled at Akiyoshi and he smiled back at her shyly, none knew how to act around each other. Sesshomaru took charge of the uncomfortable situation and gestured for all of them to have a seat at the table. She served tea and tried to make idle conversation which was strained, and so she stopped. Sesshomaru then asked his son to wait outside.
Deciding there was no point in delaying the inevitable, Sesshomaru looked fixedly at her face and began.
"I am father to eight children, six males and two females who are twins."
Kagome blew out a breath at his declaration.
"I have rebuilt my father's empire, carrying on his legacy as is my right as his heir, Akiyoshi is my firstborn and heir," he paused at that point, fascinated by her wide eyed expression.
"The information that I have obtained would have me believe that my line stops with me, and my offspring's have no future," the breath that he took was sharp. She said nothing and waited patiently for him to continue.
"Do you see why I have to stop this vicious cruelty against my kind from happening, my children and theirs need a chance to flourish and to live?"
Kagome listened to him silently and felt his pain, but what he was asking her to do was to change the course of history.
She had agreed to help him and had given him practical tips on how to do so, by breeding and increasing their numbers, but when she turned those ideas over in her mind it was useless. Humans far outnumbered demons to the point where the statistics were mind boggling. They still would not have a chance even if they grew in numbers. Demons took almost sixty years to reach the equivalent of a seventeen year old human.
He came to sit beside her once more because he had seen that she finally understood. The fight for their survival would be a path painted in blood, the only difference was that this time they would be prepared. Kagome gazed at him as the tears fell, crying silently, and he held her hand offering her some comfort because he knew that no matter what he did right now he could not ease her suffering.
When the tears ceased to flow she wiped them away and he squeezed her hands affectionately. Surprisingly, the woman drew to the surface his more tender side and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her dainty fingers.
"Kagome," he said, "the matter at hand I will have to present to a council meeting in three days."
"Why, what council?" She asked worried and curious.
He looked at her with understanding although her head was slightly bent. "Humans have their own systems of government and so do we, this situation is grave enough for me to have to report it and we will see if there can be some amicable solution, and I promise you on my life that it will all work out."
Kagome lifted her head and looked at him hoping to the kami's that he was right and he would succeed in finding an agreeable solution.
He got up to go and she was crestfallen, her head was hanging down, her world was crashing down around her literally; the downfall of mankind if it should happen, the blame would be laid at her feet and her feet alone. He felt remorseful and pitied her plight, because he knew that she would forever blame herself for this strange twist of events that had led them to this point.
When he was at the door and almost outside, and still she did not move from her spot around the table. He could smell the salty essences of her tears. He stopped, his heart felt full with worry and something else that he could not name at the moment. he only knew the sensations were because of her.
Kagome shifted her head to the door thinking that he was already gone when she did not hear any more footsteps. To her surprise he was standing in the doorway with a rueful look upon his face, and with her heart pounding so heavily against her ribcage that she was afraid that it would burst from her chest, she ran to him, he met her halfway in two powerful strides, lifted her in the air and then in his arms.
He expelled a harsh breath and held her tighter as she cried brokenly into the crook of his shoulder.
When there were no more tears and her body ceased to shake from her distress, he set her on her feet and lifted her chin so that she could look at him.
"I made you a promise earlier, one that I intend to keep, I will find the answers and make things right, be patient."
She nodded her head in answer because she couldn't find her voice at the moment. Pressing his lips to her temple he whispered in her ear.
"You look absolutely beautiful," and then he pulled away quite quickly before she could utter a word in thanks.
When he was outside and she was standing in the doorway she waved goodbye to them all.
"I will see you in three days," he said to her as he formed his orb and flew away.