Chapter Fourteen- The Request
The setting sun painted the sky with darker colours, notifying him that evening had arrived. Sesshomaru continued to read through scrolls while the sounds from the evening ceremony echoed within the Castle walls. Finishing one scroll, a clawed hand hovered over the next set of scrolls. But, the sudden memory of Kagome getting hurt caused his clawed hand to pause.
A silent sigh escaped Sesshomaru's lips.
A day had only passed by since the match. Yet ever since then, an uncomfortable tug on his chest did not seem to ease. He had visited her room this afternoon, but was told that she had been sleeping through the whole day.
Unable to focus on his work anymore, Sesshomaru walked towards the lily vase. He noticed the lilies were now dried up and no longer held any scent. Since Kagome would always come visit his study to replace the dead lilies with freshly picked ones, he did not realize how quickly the flowers dried up. Now experiencing one day of her absence, he couldn't help but notice how much her presence filled his day. Looking out from the window, golden eyes glanced at the flower field of lilies. Without another thought, Sesshomaru walked out of the study and towards the flower field in hopes to relax.
The white flowers seemed to reflect the different colours caused by the setting sun.
A cool breeze swirled past the field and carried the scent of lilies.
Silver hair swayed in the wind.
The sound of grass crunching from under each footstep was faintly heard.
Footsteps stopped in front of a tree and Sesshomaru sat against it. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the tree. Though the noise from the evening ceremony could be heard more clearly from the flower field, the scent of lilies helped calm him.
"Did you see what happened at the match?" a demon's voice reached Sesshomaru's sensitive ears.
"You mean the Shikon Miko being accepted into her rank?" another demon's voice asked.
"No, no, didn't you see Lord Sesshomaru break the arm chair after the match?" the demon said bluntly. Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes to narrow them.
"SHHHH!" the other demon shushed. In a lower whisper, the other demon said carefully, "You probably don't know anything because of your 'Shin' rank, but never talk about Lord Sesshomaru or spread rumors. Even if you tried to talk of Lord Sesshomaru behind his back, no one would dare listen to you."
"But, why?" the demon asked clueless.
The other demon yelled out, "You have to ask why? Lord Sesshomaru will no doubt kill you in the most painful way where your skin burns of poison until you become a puddle of acid!"
The scent of fear emitted between the two demons and reached Sesshomaru's nose. He scoffed at the demons stupidity for thinking he would slaughter anyone for spreading rumors of him. Yet at the same time, he didn't mind the others fearing to say anything behind his back. Recalling his actions during the match, it had surprised even him for he always held himself with control.
The uncomfortable tug on his chest returned, along with the anger from the memory.
"Sesshomaru?" a soft voice reached his ear. He knew who the voice belonged to and felt the turmoil that raged within him vanish. Golden eyes met with her ocean blue ones. But just as Sesshomaru could feel relieved, his eyes caught the bandages that wrapped around her right shoulder and arm.
With narrowed eyes, he said sharply, "What are you doing out of bed?"
"I slept all day, Sesshomaru. I couldn't go back to sleep after that. And plus, I wanted to see the stars!" Kagome said gently, while ignoring his sharp tone.
"Stars," Sesshomaru echoed the reason for her to be outside her room when she should be resting.
A smile brightened her pale face as she said, "Yes, stars! They are so beautiful here. You can see them all shining brightly without clouds of smoke to cover their glow."
Watching her position herself to sit beside him, he then saw her looking up at the sky with awe. Following her gaze, he looked at the stars with dull eyes. Once again, she seemed to find the beauty in objects he never found beautiful.
As if knowing his eyes looked towards the stars with dullness, she explained, "Isn't it amazing that the stars are so far away, yet they glow so brightly that we can see its glow with our own eyes? I want to be like these stars that can shine the faintest light for people when all is dark."
Dull eyes glanced at Kagome.
Blue eyes continued to twinkle with awe as her attention was still directed towards the vast sky.
The moonlight beamed brightly to surround a glow upon her figure.
Dull eyes softened at the sight of her.
Once again looking up into the sky, dull eyes were replaced with deep thought.
It was the first, to look at stars with a different meaning.
However, the peaceful silence was quickly interrupted by the sound of Kagome's whimper. Quickly glancing at her, Sesshomaru saw her gripping onto her right arm with a pained expression. Guilt sank in as he remembered that he was the reason for her injury.
"Kagome," a deep voice called out gently. Kagome looked towards Sesshomaru with shock, while forgetting the pain. Seeing the guilt past his golden eyes, she heard him say stoically, "I shall listen to one request."
A hopeless smile tugged on her lips as she knew this was his way of apologizing. How he figured out the bruise he caused on her arm, she did not know. An apology could have been enough, but knowing Sesshomaru, he probably thought he needed to do something in return. Tapping her finger against her chin, she tried to think of something.
Sesshomaru saw her in deep thought after his comment. If she asked him to make her 'Hime', he would. If she asked him to take revenge on the 'Gon' leader, he would. Anything she asked for, he had already placed his honor to listen to her request. Though others would have used this opportunity to satisfy their heart's desires, Sesshomaru knew she was different from the rest.
"Um," Sesshomaru noticed that she had decided and heard her say, "Can you tell me why you began to think of the demon society so harshly?"
Kagome noticed from the beginning that Sesshomaru disliked the ways of the demon society. From the beginning, he had discouraged her to make friends and spoke of the demons/demonesses negatively. Recalling Sesshomaru's anger directed towards her for falling for the 'Gon' leaders trap, she knew even then that his anger had to do with something of his past. But, she wondered what began it?
'Different indeed,' Sesshomaru thought as an unconscious smile softened his stoic face. He was, never the less, surprised that Kagome would use her request to ask questions of his past. Sesshomaru knew the answer to her question; he knew the exact memory that he had purposely buried deep within.
He had never told the vile memory to anyone.
It was a memory he was ashamed of.
But he was now honor-bound to answer her question truthfully, and because it was her who had asked.
She was not like the demons he had overheard, who feared to speak of him. No, she would keep his words to herself because she was honorable.
Slowly, he turned his head to look up into the dark sky.
Golden eyes hardened.
His lips thinned.
Shoulders tensed.
And he steeled his face to remain stoic.
Sesshomaru voiced coldly, "After my Father's death, I was placed Lord over the Western Lands and positioned in the Daiyoukai rank."
Kagome immediately knew for one so young to bear the burdens at being at the top of the demon society must have caused many issues.
"My Father's brother was appointed the Daiyoukai rank leader and became my advisor. Soon, decades passed by and I eventually entrusted important decisions to him," Kagome heard the tightness in his voice. She knew that this advisor had been one of the few that must have gained Sesshomaru's trust. Silently reaching out to touch his sleeve, Kagome gripped onto the silky material.
Golden eyes darkened as his voice held an unforgiving tone, "It wasn't until a few more decades did I find out he had turned the Western Lands against me in return to favour him. But, his greed became his downfall."
He remembered the blood of his advisor drenched on his hand,
The memory burned into his mind, the image of seeing his own reflection through the advisor's lifeless eyes; his reflection of tinted crimson eyes.
His beast had taken over after learning of his blood relative's betrayal. It had scared the entire demon society to hear that the young Lord Sesshomaru had killed the Daiyoukai leader. Ever since then, Sesshomaru was appointed the Daiyoukai leader and feared by all.
Unconsciously, Kagome gripped tighter onto his sleeve.
Her heart burned from the thought of the betrayal he had to experience at such a young age.
Her heart dropped. It probably took decades to undo the destruction his Uncle's betrayal had caused within the Western Lands; each arising after effect reminding him of the betrayal.
The betrayal would make anyone begin to see the demon society as a group of greedy demons.
It gave anyone enough reason to turn cold to the unforgiving world.
Everything seemed to make sense now.
As memories flashed through her mind she had realized something.
Sesshomaru always warned her about the dangers of the demon society; warning her that the 'Tsu' rank would use her friendship for evil intentions. Then, he was angered when she 'overstepped' her boundaries by placing herself in a dangerous position because she changed the 'Tsu' rank leader.
He was trying to prevent her from experiencing betrayal…prevent her from the reality of the cruel world he had experienced.
A wave of warmth ceased the pounding pain against her chest. Not caring whether he did so unconsciously or purposely, Kagome silently held this realization close to her heart.
"You should return and rest," she heard him say. Noting his voice no longer held any sign of distress, she sent him a smile of gratitude for answering her question.
His eyes followed her as she disappeared from his sight to head inside the Western Castle. Pulling up the memory he had successfully sealed away, he had thought he would feel the consequences for doing so. That memory always managed to stir him to feel anger and hatred. Yet, all he felt now was warmth. Looking beside him, golden eyes glanced at the spot she sat on. Soon, his attention caught onto his sleeve where she gripped onto with her left hand.
A wrinkle on his sleeve was visible.
A wrinkle that was caused by her tight grasp around the material.
Warmth.
The memory of his Uncle's betrayal had always been a reminder to never trust anyone again, to never see any beauty within the demon society. But, her sorrow he had sensed in her aura seemed to break his resolve to keep hating.
He remembered the sincere respect she gained from the 'Mu' rank, the 'Tsu' rank, and now the 'Sho' rank.
As a chilled breeze passed through the darkened flower field the scent of lilies came alive.
Sesshomaru looked up to see the pitch black sky scattered with stars shining brightly.
Warmth unveiled past his golden eyes.
'Beautiful,' his heart whispered.
The silent inuyoukai continued to rest against the tree within the flower field. Though the rest of the Castle slumbered, the inuyoukai stayed awake to observe the night in a new light.
This new light she had managed to spark within him.
Author's Note: Thank you, to all my dear readers for wishing me a Happy Birthday.
Thank you for reading,
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