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Those who were brave enough or stupid enough to challenge him would reap their just rewards; that sentiment was fully enforced now that he had brutally taken the life of one of the lords.
He stood in the middle of the great hall of the citadel and looked around at the design of the fortress which was the architectural blueprint of a wandering Spanish builder. Inside the walls of the citadel was a system of internal passageways and staircases linking the dining room, the guard room, the cells, and the bedrooms. Everywhere there was an atmosphere of cool, clean spaciousness. Thick-paned latticed windows overlooked a high walled garden.
Every window was covered with iron bars and above the line of vision, so there would be no outside distractions while he continued to wait on lords Aburame, Hitoshi, and Shun's arrival, which should be soon since Jaken was sent to summon them since day break.
The fortress was strategically constructed on an islet about one hundred meters above sea level looking out on the coast. The land was strengthened by volcanic eruptions many years before he was born that had changed most of its surface into a stony cliff from the cooling lava.
The three minor lords he had summoned were the only ones he felt that he could trust. Lord Shun was the product of a horse and a dragon youkai, and in his animal spirit form he was a Pegasus; a beautiful horse with massive wings span that could fly. The other two were much like him, dog youkai, and capable of flight which was favorable seeing as though the only way to get to the island was by boat or by flight.
The opening of the locks with its clanking sounds brought him out of his musings, he turned around with his hands clasped behind his back and saw as his guests as they arrived.
They stepped forward and knelt in front of him while Jaken squealed out loudly. "Your guest have arrived Sesshomaru sama," he nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement, then addressed his council. "Stand," he commanded them respectfully, and they adhered.
Sesshomaru unclasped his hands from behind his back and seemed a little more relaxed, and then with subtle calmness he began. "The first lesson you will learn here will be to rectify the past, to purge out old habits if we are to survive into the future."
His guests listened keenly to what he had to say without interrupting, and while he paused they thought on what he had said knowing that it had everything to do with their species survival or extinction. With his voice grave and his expression harsh he continued. "Many follow the sentiments my mother believe, that only the strongest should survive and the weak perish or become subordinates." His face grim, he looked pointedly at them and asked. "Which side are you on?"
The men looked at each other and on him a little uncomfortably without responding for some time, then lord Shun answered. "I am on the side of what is fair and just," the demon lord inclined his head a fraction liking his answer, and then fixed his gaze on the other two who by now had realized that their lord was testing their loyalty to him.
"We had agreed with the conclusion of the last meeting and nothing has changed," lord Aburame spoke both for himself and lord Hitoshi. Sesshomaru gave them a reflective look. "My dam and others have their own ideas on the way forward; they have tried to thwart my plans and to deceive me. And I am sure that they are still planning my downfall; knowing this, are you prepared to stand and fight for what is right and just at my side?" He asked sincerely without a trace of arrogance in his question.
"Hai. Hai. Hai." They answered one after the other and then repeated the oath of loyalty to him their leader by their own conscience without him asking it of them.
The strategy for control at the upcoming council meetings in four days was discussed with them in detail, and when they dispersed those plans would be implemented.
He stood on a wide balcony and bid his friends farewell as they took to the skies and left him and Jaken alone. "Master," the little toad spoke aloud, Sesshomaru looked down on him quizzically, "your mother is very cunning and evil, and if I may add she is quite a bitch. I would be very careful if I were you." He did not respond to Jaken's statement he knew them to be quite true, and he can only hope that the measures he had taken and had put into place would be enough.
This being the third day away from Kagome and she was missed terribly by him, and the fact that he would now have to go home to his castle and to be in the company of his most intolerant and hateful mate made it all the more unbearable. With that thought he sighed and orbed his way off the balcony followed by Jaken flying on Ah-Un.
He did not want to be seen by his staff or his mate, and the only reason he desisted from landing on his balcony and then hiding away in his bedroom was because he had not seen his pups for ten days. Sesshomaru stopped on the second floor of the three story castle and entered through the double door and into the family wing, which housed his children's play area and bedrooms.
He had barely entered through the door when rustling and the shouting of father rung into his ears, and the beautiful happy faces and smiles of his children greeted him lovingly. His twin two year old daughters grabbed unto his legs and he picked them up and kissed their cheeks, they hugged him tightly around the neck and breathed softly in his hair.
His eldest and heir Akiyoshi came forward and greeted him. "Father, you were missed; we haven't seen you around for awhile." He ruffled the boy's white head affectionately and responded. "My son, duty will sometime take me away but remember this I will always return." The boy nodded his head at his father's answer and Sesshomaru was pleased that his son was nothing like his mother and mate.
"Come Misora and Himeko, father needs to greet his other children as well," the calm voice of their older sibling ordered them, and reluctantly they let go of their tight hold around their father's neck. He took them and placed them on the ground. Sesshomaru greeted his other sons who were still quite young and they were very happy to see him and that he was home.
His third son Taizo was withdrawn and shied away from him when he tried to touch him. He was astonished as the boy flinched away from him and gave him a spiteful look, frowned and walked away. He had a mind to go after his son who so resembled his own father with his wide golden eyes and blue markings, but as he made to do so his mate barged through the door noisily.
Akiyoshi greeted his mother who did not acknowledge him as she was upset, red in the face and seething. He sighed and ushered his siblings outside the play room. He just did not want them to hear the argument that he knew would ensue shortly between his parents.
When they were completely alone she lashed out at him. "Where have you been? I am tired of you treating me this way. I am your mate and yet you totally disregard my fucking feelings," she tried to stay calm and failed miserably, as her words came out lewd and accusatory.
His eyes pierced into hers harshly, his hands clenched tightly into fist as he fought to control his rage now that he knew of their deception, because he might just kill her where she stood for her part in it.
"Tell me," he said after awhile, "when did you and my mother decided to poison me with the only substance that could render me incapable of preventing such an act to have occurred, for surely, I would never have mated you otherwise?" The last part of his statement was said with so much scorn that she flinched away as if she was strucked.
Sesshomaru's hand tightened on her shoulders, hard fingers digging into the skin under the light black robe she wore and spun her around to face him. "Tell me!" It was a command, one she knew she disobeyed at her own peril. Only the truth would satisfy him now, and he would know if she told him anything less than that, because although their bond was weak, they were still connected.
Shocked yellow eyes widened fearfully and her breath hitched as furious golden eyes bore menacingly into hers. His hold on her shoulders tightened forcefully and she gasped out loudly as his claws tore through her flesh, and the noxious fumes of his poison emitted through his claws burned the puncture wounds on her shoulders, she screamed in misery as his poison was like acid, stripping skin from bones.
"Nooo! Please! Stop! It was mother's idea," she wailed and pleaded, but he continued to injure her callously until she fell helplessly to the floor.
He looked down on her with disgust, his eyes heated with rage. "I am going to find a way to undo this mating, and if you ever stand against me again I will kill you."
There was a terrible raw edge on his last sentence, one she recognized only too well as she stared at him; because he had never hurt her before in spite of all the curses she threw at him, and it dawned on her that he was dead serious.
He looked at her as she cried and wondered what she would do if she knew that he remembered the woman that he loved. Then suddenly a vicious memory flooded his mind, one that had Seira and his two other mistresses using him while he lay immobile and unable to stop it from happening.
The feeling forced itself past the temporary barrier erected across his mind, and he shook his head roughly, needing to drive away the desperately unwanted images. His eyes reddened as he tried unsuccessfully to drive the memories away. Seira screamed with fright and desperation as he bent down and picked her up with, crimson was the color of his gaze. He had lost the battle with rage and primal instincts had taken over.
"NO!" She screamed as he bit into her already damaged shoulder and took out a chunk of flesh, claws flashing she tried to defend herself from his vicious assault. Her claws met his cheek, slashing it. He ignored the pain and shook her. His hand moved, the force of the strike as he backhanded her fiercely across the face had her spinning and crashing into the floor.
She was badly injured, he didn't care or see. He lifted her roughly from the floor and stepped to the balcony, preparing himself to throw her the two story down in the haze of madness, but the small whimpering voice of his son crying. "Father please spare my mother, please," stopped him, and drove the madness away.
In a flurry of movements he removed himself from the balcony and rests his mate's body down on a sleeping pallet and left the room quickly. Akiyoshi ran to his mother's side and hugged her while he cried. Her breathing shallow and she bled badly. The feel of strong arms yanked him away from his mother and he struggled briefly but realized quickly that it was his father's hands and stilled his movements.
Two guards and a healer came inside the room and took her away, and while they were leaving he instructed the guards. "As soon as she is healed place her into one of the cells, she is to be treated as a criminal." He grasped his weeping son's hand and walked away afterwards.
Taizo - third son
Hai - yes