Please read and review
I keep writing please read and review at the top of every chapter that i post, silly me, most readers don't anyways. Well, what the heck, here is another chapter, enjoy! lol!
It was Thursday morning, two days after the council meeting had ended that Sesshomaru and his companions left for Osaka to see the emperor, and now it was Sunday. The gifts that he'd brought to appease the human ruler were well received, as they were the finest demon silks, rare gems, gold and silver that he'd retrieved from his mother's castle. He suspects that some of the treasures were collected by his father throughout his journeys whilst he'd been alive.
Emperor Masayoshi was grateful for the offerings and was amazed at the superb craftsmanship of them all, the likes of which he had never seen before. He, Sesshomaru along with his trusted friend and loyal servant general Tadao had conversed in private prior to the official start of the negotiations. The gesture was initiated by Tora so that each ruler could get the opportunity to familiarize themselves with one another outside of politics.
The end result was that both demon and man realized that they'd found a kindred spirit in each other; they both desired peace for their individual species, and would do whatever they could to achieve it peacefully.
As he reflected it crossed his mind that Kagome would be anxious for him to get back. He dressed himself in garments fit for a king, clothes that she'd selected for his trip. He smiled briefly when he remembered how they'd put their differences aside and had made love before he'd left, but then a mixture of gratitude and anxiety wiped the pleasant feelings away.
He tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind his pointy ears and proceeded to the door and then outside, there he would meet up with his friends who would accompany him to the conference.
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Sunday was her day for replacing the flowers in the palace, and this morning she was carrying a small basket with the straw handle resting comfortably on her arm Its contents overflowed with red roses and chrysanthemum with the leaves still attached. She preferred it that way over stripping them bare.
In her other hand she carried a large bunch of tulips, the stems were wet and she felt the dampness seeping through her woolen gloves. The flowers were tight budded, but some had begun to open. A a transitory evocation of summer came to her, bringing with it an old anxiety. All the things that she has deemed unpleasant in her life had somehow taken place in the summertime.
The unlikable insight made her stop; she sighed softly and then continued towards the house with the lightly fragranced flowers perfuming the air as she walked. Most of the children were standing outside just beyond the door waiting to assist her with the decorations.
The air fresh and crisp smelled sweet and gentle peaces abound within her heart. The clouds pregnant with precipitation were a sign of rain. But when they all entered inside the house and Akiyoshi pulled the heavy door with its iron decorated bands shut, she found that she didn't feel as contented as before.
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Waiting for a brief period, Shippo and Tora eventually joined him in the garden outside of the meeting area. Shortly afterwards two guards came up to them. "Good morning guests of the emperor," one said while the other bowed in greeting. "We are here to escort you to see the king."
Sesshomaru felt urgency that he wasn't quite sure was logical as he nodded and followed the guards inside the building. Soon they were shown into an outer office and not the large room he'd thought the meeting would take place. One of the drinking glasses placed on the table hid behind a stack of scrolls, and a single clerk collated parchment to record the minutes.
Seated were the emperor himself, General Tadao and a man who was finely dressed that Sesshomaru recognized as the prime minister from the previous meeting. Next to him sat the shogun of the province forty miles east of where they were now. He was stern in the face and showed none of the hospitality that the others were making an effort to accomplish.
It would have been a different scene a few years earlier if his mother and Ryoma had gotten their way Sesshomaru thought. The emperor came forward from behind the table and nodded to him as if this were a first meeting while the others stood to show their respect. The human king's face was stern, even a little melancholy Sesshomaru observed; in response the demon lord acknowledged his simple greeting by inclining his head slightly.
He smiled now which transfigured his face almost to the likable human that he had been previously and said. "I must apologize for the delay, but the prime minister, the head of the shogunate and me were discussing some of the issues mentioned, and hopefully we can reach an amiable agreement which will be to all our liking."
The emperor reclaimed his seat and signaled to the standing party with an extended hand to occupy the three remaining vacant chairs. The room was about fourteen feet squared with a high ceiling and two curved windows which let in the sunlight. The furniture although sparse suited the purpose; the room was designed for small private political meetings.
As he looked on the men except for the emperor he felt there was nothing interesting about any of them, this was simply business. He became aware of the noise to his extreme left and looked around to see the prime minister tapping fat fingers on the table absentmindedly and gazing at him, their eyes met; muddy brown on ocher.
He quickly turned his eyes away but not before he had been detected to his discomfort, a look of grave, almost frightening resentment caused him to gulp; however, he recovered quickly and said. "Why should we trust you and your kind, there are always going to be enmity between us?"
Sesshomaru stared at the fat nervous man with unblinking eyes making him all the more nervous before responding, the others kept quiet.
"Isn't it obvious, the west is a very prosperous region, my people are very resourceful and my lands flourishes when others dwindles."
He added:
"An alliance between us would be beneficial and it could be the beginning for us to put aside petty differences."
As he said those words he thought of his mate, because without her he would never have said something like that. She was the inspiration behind this landmark.
"There should be no difficulty in recognizing the obvious," he continued.
As he continued to speak Shippo thought that this was the most he had ever heard the demon lord speak.
A central door in the back opened and two menservants entered with trays bearing drinks and food, which interrupted the meetings for awhile. He didn't eat anything, but roused by thirst he drank the water; his companions were like him, while the humans partook of the generous meal ardently.
The meeting resumed a short while later and this time it was the shogun himself that took the proverbial podium. "You speak of trading with us but what guarantee do we have that your kind won't betray us, and might I add, maybe eat us as well."
Tora leaned in on the table while pushing the chair away with his elbows; he stood up proud and responded before Sesshomaru could say anything.
"We are not all monsters, and might I add," he said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, "monsters come in all shapes and forms, whether they maybe demon or human."
The next series of talks had little effect as insults and distrust were thrown back and forth. It was an irritating situation. Again there was pause as the shogun would not give anything suggested any thought. Sesshomaru waited growing angry and impatient. He and his family did not sacrifice almost everything to get to this point to fail. He would undoubtedly succeed, and after a few more moments had elapsed he began again.
This time when he spoke it was stronger and more resolute. "Does the idea of war appeal to anyone sitting in this room?"
The question he threw at them maliciously and in turn shocked and suspicious eyes peered back at him.
"Are you threatening us with war?" The prime minister asked and stood up shakily, while Sesshomaru glanced at the emperor and the general who had kept quiet throughout the proceedings, wondering about their lack of input and finding it odd.
It was strange, but then again he was a demon and he hadn't many human friends, understanding them was like piecing together an abstract puzzle.
"I for one am not," he replied after awhile when the prime minister did not say anything else. He made it sounded quite ordinary, but his eyes were burning with fierce determination the emperor noted and smiled. They all sat in silence for awhile as if what had passed between the groups needed to be assimilated in peace.
So, thought Sesshomaru, this was not how he'd planned things initially with Kagome, but still it could work. What they had visualized then had been something more profound, less explicable than the disillusionment at the table. He stood; he was going to make his presence felt. For too long he had put his pride aside for the greater good and for his mate.
Sesshomaru allowed the enormous power that he held within himself to leak into the room slowly, filling it with suffocating domination. Blood rushed to the heads off the humans causing dizziness, they gasped for breath as all the air was sucked out of the room and dried their lungs. His eyes of crimson were on fire with his rage. They would learn the hard way because they refused to see reason.
He stepped closer to the prime minister and the shogun while Shippo whisked the emperor and the general away from the onslaught, relief flooded them as they could breathe again while outdoors. The two remaining grasped at their throats breathing hard trying to capture the last vestibule of oxygen; a feint cry escaped their lips as they fell unconscious to the floor.
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The next day the men recovered, and as they were seated at the table glancing uneasily at the demons, they did so in fear. They especially feared the white haired lord for obvious reasons. The emperor wasn't amused in the least, but Tora was able to reason with him showing him Sesshomaru's point of view and the sacrifices he'd made for his people. It worked; however, the emperor feared such power and had devised a plan so that he would have some control.
Sesshomaru heard the emperor whispering to the men at his sides. His shoulders stiffened for a moment. He sat rigidly gazing down on his clasped hands. In the silence he heard every heartbeat ticking. Then he looked up, he was calm but his face seemed paler.
His companions wondered about his stricken look, it should be obvious but they did not hear the whisperings. Even Sesshomaru wondered if he had heard the mumblings correctly. They were speaking very low like confederates, precariously allied in a conspiracy, he felt against him.
He felt cold disgust as physical nausea washed over him. The sound of the emperor's voice caused him to glance at him.
"Well Sesshomaru sama, I believe an alliance at this time would be welcomed between our worlds, it is time for change and I for one wants to go down in history as the human who was the catalyst for it."
Sesshomaru remained silent although he had a distinct feeling in his gut that he wasn't going to like any of this.
"Do you have a wife?" the emperor asked. The question raised a few objections in his mind because he could not see the relevance of it.
"I have a mate," he responded after some time had passed.
"A mate," the emperor repeated, "I don't understand."
He could still smell the all pervading redolence of incense, the feint acrid smoke of the candle even though they'd been diffused a long time before they'd entered the room, and he felt something akin to panic.
Getting up from the chair he looked down on the average human emperor curiously and answered. "She is much like a wife, but we share a stronger bond."
The demon lord's statement struck a chord in the emperor making him smile, previously he had thought about other drastic measures to constrict the powerful demon, but now he'd found his Achilles heel.
The plan that had been formulating in his head just moments ago, he thought was brilliant. He'd liked the demon lord and could call him friend without shame if things went as planned, however, such power had to be contained. He wasn't talking about doing it physically, he knew that was impossible.
He would give the big demon what he wanted, but he would tie him into an iron clan alliance that he would have no hopes of escaping; this was a game of the minds, and all was fair in love and war.
He wanted to ask the demon. Do you love your mate? But instead he said. "I will agree to the terms that you have outlined in your scrolls under one condition…You must marry my sister princess Maemi in a human ceremony two weeks from now, the day after the new moon, or we have nothing further to discuss."
Maemi – Ten thousand blessings and beauty.