Author's Note(s):
1) I put Katsumi's two hundred and seventy-fifth winter to be roughly twelve years before the birth of Inuyasha.
2) "Itokuzu" means "fluff" in Japanese(as far as I know anyway) and was as close as I could get to Fluffy, since I only know a few words and phrases of Japanese. For the sake of humor, let's just say she's calling him Fluffy, only in a slightly more formal manner lol.
3) Mating is a term that I apply simply because there is so little information presented in the manga about the ceremonies and mating rituals connected with taiyoukai. Think of it like a wedding and we should be fine lol. Basically, I used 'mating' because that way everyone gets the general idea of what I mean.
4) Rikoumaru is a combination of "wisdom" and "perfection".
Beautiful Roses Have Thorns, Chapter One: As Things Once Were
It was very early in the morning, several hours before sunrise in fact, and it had been one hundred and forty winters since Sesshoumaru had brought Katsumi home to his father's care and protection. Now, Rikoumaru was sitting in his study while going over a few land treaties that some of his vassals had propositioned for his attention when the messenger arrived from his mate, Lady Tsukita. He had been expecting the courier, but the man was indeed three days ahead of schedule, and that made Rikoumaru even more intent on reading what the mother of his heir and, dare he call her what she truly was to the girl, the tyrant in charge of Katsumi's education had to say this time. He could imagine that it was probably something like, 'The girl is simply too unladylike!' or 'Were she less stubborn, perhaps it would not make her so intolerable to Sesshoumaru…' Yes, Rikoumaru could practically hear his bitch's criticisms of Katsuhito's daughter, the heiress to the Northern Lands. However, judging from his own observations of Sesshoumaru's interactions with the spirited and capriciously tempered young female, he was inclined to believe that Sesshoumaru found her to be amusing and perhaps a bit enticing; he knew that Tsukita believed just the opposite. The boy's mother was convinced that Sesshoumaru would not accept such an outspoken, and obviously intelligent female, regardless of the undeniable power, grace, and good breeding she would provide to any cubs she would have later in her life. Feigning absent disinterest and annoyance, Rikoumaru simply told the messenger to deposit the message among the piles of documents he was already reviewing before curtly dismissing the man. Once the courier had fled, Rikoumaru told his scribe that he was to leave, since he would not be required any more that day, before promptly closing himself into his study and snatching up the message from Tsukita.
After ensuring that none would disturb him, Rikoumaru resumed his seat behind his desk, laden as it was with stacks of papers and assorted scrolls. Taking in a breath and releasing it as a sigh, he prepared himself for whatever rubbish Tsukita might have to announce about Katsumi this time.
Rikoumaru-sama,
As my honored mate, you have probably already deduced the reason for this message: I have written concerning the Northern Heiress, young Katsumi-hime. I feel that I have taught her all that I am able at the present; she refuses to take any more lessons with me, preferring the company of some of the female servants or other ladies of the court instead. I am inclined to dislike the girl's personality, for she is far too forceful when speaking her mind about matters in which silence would be infinitely more prudent for one such as her. As you requested, she will be arriving from my stronghold within four hours of the delivery of this letter, which was delivered by the best courier in my employ while Katsumi will be escorted by a male of her father's tribe, Sakon; the youth is a fine young warrior, sent by Katsumoto to safeguard his sister at all times. I'm told that Sakon is Unmeiko's son, and that makes him my nephew, but I had never before heard of him. Having seen the boy, however, I believe that he is a fine addition to the House of the Moon. Sakon tells me that when Katsumi comes of age to be mated, a female relative of Katsumi's from their clan will be sent to become her lady-in-waiting; according to the traditions of the Northern Wolf tribe, Katsumoto says that she will come of age for mating in her two hundred and seventy-fifth winter. As you and I both know, this winter will be her two hundredth, so she has only seventy-five winters left before she reaches this age. As I have stated, she refuses to so much as speak to me anymore unless honor or occasion dictates it, and I can no longer stand keeping her here when she makes it obvious that she will no longer respect me. She has asked to remain at your stronghold for the remainder of what would be my tutelage over her, and I have granted that wish. She is no longer my problem, but yours'.
Respectfully,
Your honored mate, Tsukita-sama
After reading the message twice, Rikoumaru was only able to frown at Tsukita's disapproval of the girl's spirit when he personally found her to be an instant lift whenever he was in a foul mood. Young Katsumi had an indescribable knack for saying the correct things to make him laugh, even if he could only do so in his head because the situation dictated for a vastly different response. So, Katsumi would be arriving within four hours of the courier who'd brought him this letter…and Sesshoumaru was due back from one of his various outings any time. Smiling, he realized that he could indeed turn this to his advantage, if the two pups would only play nicely rather than start snapping at each other as had become far more common the older Sesshoumaru and Katsumi got. So he began to make plans, beginning with clearing his agenda for the next two days so that he might properly welcome the girl he had come to think of as he would his own daughter, since he hadn't one of his own and was not likely to have one any time soon, if ever for that matter. Katsumi was probably the closest thing he'd get to having a daughter, so he took full advantage of being the one to maintain guardianship over her while she reached the age and skill to reclaim her place as the Lady taiyoukai of the Northern Lands beside her brother Katsumoto. While the servants all went about making the necessary preparations for Katsumi's arrival, Rikoumaru set about having a present made to commemorate Katsumi's two hundredth winter. He was having a simple gift made for her, though he knew that most would not consider it to be a mere bauble. To him, however, it was quite resourceful to have a weapon made for her which he would then instruct her on how to master for the purpose of protecting herself.
After he had sent Myouga to Toutousai with the requisition for a weapon for Katsumi, Rikoumaru checked the time by a simple glance at the sun and determined that Katsumi would be arriving shortly. So, he made sure that her rooms where appropriately prepared to what he hoped would be her liking before he went to greet her as her scent began to float up on the breeze. At the same time, he could scent Sesshoumaru approaching from the opposite direction; Rikoumaru knew not if his son was approaching from that direction at that moment deliberately or by pure coincidence, but it was definitely intriguing. The lad was downwind from Katsumi, and this meant that it was impossible for him to have missed Katsumi's unique lightning and powdered snow scent: Sesshoumaru knew Katsumi was coming, whether for good or for ill only time would tell. As Sesshoumaru came to stand beside his father, the first rays of the sun began to penetrate the mists that surrounded the fortress, built as it was on the swell of the hills and cliffs over-looking the small crescent-shaped bay that would probably not survive as long as the youkai who called it home. Rikoumaru imagined that ningen would probably change the bay as time wore on, just as the sea would erode the shore and change its shape. For now, though, it was breath-taking and it was the place the Western Taiyoukai had called home for several generations, both past and present.
As the mist was rolled away by the warmth of the sun, they caught the first glimpse of Katsumi and the strange male who escorted her: he was abnormally pale-skinned even by the standards of those who had traveled to the main lands and seen the strange ningen to the far, far West. As if his white skin were not odd enough, his hair was the purest white any of them had ever seen and it almost hurt the eyes to see the way the sun struck him: this must be Sakon, a cub of the Northern Wolf tribes and a son of the House of the Moon, Tsukita's house, and now Sesshoumaru's house. So, this is what happened when you mixed a Northern wolf, whose pack members were generally white, black, or grey, with the white inu youkai of the House of the Moon: you got a pup, or cub if you preferred to call it that, who was paler than the moon or the snow from which the two clans got their names. Katsumi was laughing contently as the male seemed to scold her for something while they came close enough to the gate for the barest snatches of their conversation to be heard.
"Katsumi-hime, how many times must I implore you to not go off on your own like that? It may be amusing to you, but what should I tell Rikoumaru-sama or Tsukita-sama were you to be captured or worse yet killed, by ningen or other youkai? It is my sworn duty to protect you, yet how am I to perform my duty if you delight in forcing me to leave your side?" The strange male, though at least two decades Sesshoumaru's elder, was obviously still young by youkai standards; he could be no more than three hundred and fifty winters, give or take a couple decades. Rikoumaru was rapidly closing in on nine hundred winters himself, while Katsumi's father had been nearly eight hundred and ninety-four winters when he'd been slain; Katsuhito had been a fair deal older than Rikoumaru while Katsuhito's father, Katsuhide, had been nearly one thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven winters when he'd finally died the winter after the massacre of Katsumi's family. Giving a soft, melodious laugh that was infinitely pleasing to the sensitive ears of most inu youkai, Katsumi ignored her bodyguard's cautioning words by looking up at the ramparts where she could sense Rikoumaru and Sesshoumaru waiting for her. Still smiling and laughing, she happily waved to them, though she did not expect either of them to wave back or to even acknowledge her greeting. Giving a slightly sadder smile than her previous ones, Katsumi redirected her attention back to Sakon, who was still respectfully scolding her for being foolhardy.
"Relax, Sakon-san; it is not an easy task for anyone to sneak up on one such as me. Besides which my friend, my mother was half kitsune, and that makes me prone to mischievous behavior just as my father's blood calls me to behave properly." Smiling politely at the older albino wolf-dog, Katsumi sighed as they reached the gates and entered the courtyard of Rikoumaru's main stronghold. "Truly, I am an entire series of something that is called a walking contradiction; it is in my very blood to be both aristocratic on the one hand and commonly crass on the other. Perhaps that is what causes everyone to abhor me so…I do wish I could earn their respect, even if I can never hope to earn anything else." This last sentiment was spoken so softly and vehemently that only her traveling companion heard her, and he was positively shocked by her words, for he knew of whom she spoke and why she spoke in such mannerisms about them. It was at this moment, however, that Rikoumaru approached and smiled broadly at the young female while sparing a curious look for her companion.
"Katsumi-hime, welcome home!" The proud Inu no Taishou briefly embraced the slight frame of the female before placing a soft and fatherly kiss on her brow. Then, leading her by the hand, he guided her and the one who'd escorted her into his own private sitting room where she was made comfortable. Once there, Rikoumaru noticeably relaxed even as Sesshoumaru, who had followed out of his duty as the only heir to his father's title, became ever more agitated. After everyone had been seated and light refreshments served, Rikoumaru made a show of studying Katsumi, whom he had not seen in nearly thirty winters; to him, she was an entirely new person from the woman-child she had been when last she'd visited him. Of course, Sesshoumaru would occasionally stop by his mother's stronghold over the course of his patrols of the Western Territory, and so he had seen Katsumi more recently that his father, but she had still changed a fair deal to his eyes as well. Finally, Rikoumaru nodded approvingly and smiled at Katsumi, who returned his smile and bowed to him as was expected of her. She and Tsukita might not get along, but it appeared that the older female inu youkai had indeed been able to impart more than adequate levels of etiquette to her ward. "Well, Katsumi…it seems that you have become the epitome of female taiyoukai in the years since last I saw you. You have become quite a beauty as well as having become a true lady of your station; truly, I have seen no other with hair, or eyes, such as yours, my daughter."
"Thank you, Chichi-ue; your words honor me." Katsumi was making it a point not to look either of the Western Lords in the eye, since one would find it amusing, and would thus tease her incessantly, whilst the other would find her to be offensive at best. Rikoumaru blinked at her subdued mannerism, since he had never seen her act this reserved in all the years he had known her; it puzzled and concerned him that perhaps Tsukita had broken her spirit by imbuing her with too much etiquette. Frowning briefly in his concern, Rikoumaru decided that he would have to speak with Katsumi privately and at a more opportune time; perhaps a walk through her favorite of all his gardens? Yes, that would do the trick of putting her at ease enough to speak openly with him. For now, he would have to present her with the news that Toutousai was crafting a weapon for her that would be completed come the first of the summer storms. As soon as he'd said this, he could see the spark of animated interest in her eyes, though she kept her excitement flawlessly contained in all other respects. It was at this point that Rikoumaru wished he did not have to do what he was required to do next: leaving Katsumi and Sesshoumaru alone always seemed to result in unpremeditated damage to their surroundings lately. Unfortunately, he was still firmly of the hope that the two would grow to tolerate each other, and if things went truly well then perhaps they might come to appreciate each other as more than strategical allies, but as mates and possibly they might even come to truly care for each other. Then again, perhaps he was just deluding himself and had really lost the very last of his senses; either answer made sense really. So taking Sakon with him, Rikoumaru escaped from the tense atmosphere that was developing in the room where the two future taiyoukai were sitting while informing everyone he saw to head for cover…just in case.
~Twenty minutes later, Rikoumaru's private study~
Katsumi sat under the baleful glare of Sesshoumaru, who was pretending not to notice her existence while scowling out the open screens and over the balcony; his eyes seemed to be trained on the bay that lay below the castle. Unable to stop herself, Katsumi began worrying the edges of her kimono sleeves as she tried not to offend Sesshoumaru simply by having been born. She knew he loathed ningen, and her mother had been a kitsune hanyou; this made her one quarter ningen and something of a hanyou herself. She ran through several scenarios in her head, but all of them seemed to end with getting herself ripped to shreds by the elder inu youkai's dokkasou…that was something she'd rather not experience, thank you please! So, how to break the ice with the taciturn male? Well, she could always annoy him into speaking to her, but that was liable to make him angry and that was never something that any intelligent person did consciously. She preferred to think of herself as exceptionally intelligent, so that made the aforementioned option a moot one: yes, she could do it, but was it worth it when one possible and rather likely outcome was lots of pain? She did not think that anyone would answer 'yes', particularly not if that someone was her. Finally, thoroughly annoyed at his indifferent silence, Katsumi politely yet loudly cleared her throat and broached a question.
"Sumimasen, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I could not help but notice that you have grown stronger since last we spoke. You will one day be the strongest of all youkai." She did not flinch as his golden eyes locked with hers in a deadly stare down; indeed, she had always loved the color of his eyes and did not mind having him gaze at her even when it was out of anger. Katsumi found herself resisting the urge to shake him, slap him, or scream at him; anything to get him to stop probing into the depths of her very soul with that penetrating and angry gaze of his that rooted her to the spot even as it made her want to flee from his rage and dominance. Finally, Sesshoumaru allow his gaze to glide back to the bay that lay below and beyond the palace while deigning to break the silence with his voice.
"Be that as it may, Katsumi-hime, this Sesshoumaru fails to see how your predictions affect one such as himself." :Great…he's speaking of himself as if he were discussing somebody else or the weather! Sesshoumaru must truly despise my presence for him to be this angry with me so quickly…: Katsumi thought glumly, not bothering with the obvious fact that her disappointment and sorrow would color her scent as surely as a dye stains cloth. Murmuring an apology for whatever she had done to anger him, Katsumi fled and left a very confused and annoyed Sesshoumaru with the scent of her unshed tears and self-directed anger. After sitting by himself for many long moments, Sesshoumaru spoke his thoughts aloud, not particularly caring if anyone overheard him.
"Have I…offended her? Perhaps my words were too harsh and an apology is required…" Sesshoumaru was speaking so softly that he could barely even hear his own voice. "For her to hold back her tears, I must have done something to hurt her, but what…?" It annoyed him immensely that he actually gave a damn about the girl, and that he might have pained her in some fashion with his cold demeanor. With an annoyed half snarl at his own stupidity, Sesshoumaru rose without a sound and followed the scent of Katsumi, tainted as it was by the grief he'd given her. As he walked, an epiphany of sorts slammed itself firmly into his head: Katsumi had tried to hide the tears, and many would consider such a display of emotion to be a weakness even among males. For a female of her status to display such weakness, the results were quite often fatal; many a dominant male in the Northern Wolf clan had killed his mate for being too weak. Sesshoumaru remembered Katsumoto telling him that now, for his father had often threatened to kill his mother, but for insanity rather than weakness: an out of control alpha female could mean the death of the whole pack. Katsumi was behaving so that she was protecting herself from implied or real weaknesses and the possibility of being slain for that weakness: she felt that Sesshoumaru was a dominant male, and as such had the ability to kill her for being weak or simply because she angered him. His very presence intimidated her!! How could he have missed all of her attempts to gain a place as his equal, or even as a mere member of his 'pack'?
The answer was simply that he should not have missed such a glaringly obvious campaign for respect and power within the youkai courts. After all, there were no youkai who held more respect than the Taiyoukai and their heirs: Rikoumaru and Sesshoumaru of the West, Hebimaru of the South, Katsumoto of the North, and Kumamaru and his son Kurokuma of the East. Gain the respect and allegiance of enough of them, and any youkai of any rank could walk any territory without fear of attack. :Damn me for a fool…!: Sesshoumaru cursed to himself as Katsumi's scent was enveloped by that of his father: there would be no apologizing for whatever he'd done now, for his father would doubtless ask Katsumi what had wounded her heart so. Later, after Katsumi was sleeping, Rikoumaru would inevitably come to Sesshoumaru and give him a thorough verbal lashing for whatever he was supposed to have done, and Sesshoumaru didn't even know what that was! :I need to kill something…: Sesshoumaru thought savagely as he stalked away from his father's favorite gardens: he could just see Rikoumaru glance back at him with a slight scowl of concern, but he assumed the concern was solely for Katsumi. Perhaps it was luck, but what he did not see was the strangled and forlorn look that Katsumi sent after his retreating and furious form.
~Seventy-five years later~
In the all years since Katsumi had come to live under the protection of Rikoumaru, she had discovered that the taiyoukai's family was quite complex. Tsukita always seemed to be cold and extremely unaffected by things that would normally merit a particular reaction. In short, Tsukita was very much like her only child in nearly every way: taciturn and always regal in everything. Of course, Katsumi had learned this during the decades she had lived with the powerful female before coming to reside exclusively in Rikoumaru's stronghold. Now Rikoumaru himself was another matter entirely: the taiyoukai was devastatingly powerful and often very brusque and formal when there were matters requiring his attention. These matters included battles, council meetings with other youkai, and the general affairs of a daiyoukai and/or taiyoukai. When he was alone with his family, however, Rikoumaru often displayed a more laid-back and slightly more fun-loving side of his personality. In short, Rikoumaru could be a cold-hearted and merciless killer but he could also be a sarcastic smart-ass and a master prankster. Katsumi had quickly come to think of Rikoumaru as a second father and readily began calling him "Chichi-ue" when he asked her to, instead of always calling him by Rikoumaru-sama and "making me feel old as Hell" as he put it.
Now, she was contently watching as Rikoumaru gave Sesshoumaru personal instruction on his swordsmanship. She would occasionally look up from the scrolls she was studying, just to watch the father and son in their mock-duel, which would end with the first blood on the earthen floor of the garden's practice ring. If Rikoumaru had time, he would also give Katsumi a lesson in swordsmanship after Sesshoumaru grew bored and left, which was why the young woman was diligently waiting in the garden for the two inu-daiyoukai to finish. She did not have to wait long, because Sesshoumaru had already lost to his father five consecutive times and was now aggravated. He sheathed his sword and took his silent leave, whereupon Katsumi gracefully and silently stood and approached Rikoumaru.
"Chichi-ue, may I also have a sword lesson? I understand if you do not wish to teach me today, since you are always very busy." Katsumi bowed deeply to the taiyoukai, earning a wide smile from Sesshoumaru's father as he gently touched the crown of her hair with his open palm. Neither was aware that Sesshoumaru had stopped and now stood watching, just out of view.
"Of course, my daughter. If you wish to learn how to use a sword properly, then I shall teach you. After all, you are Katsuhito's child and that means that one day you will have to fight to earn your rank as an alpha female." Rikoumaru gently ruffled Katsumi's hair, causing some of it to escape from the geisha-imitation style she wore it in. "When one acknowledges that, it only makes sense for you to also master swords along with your fangs and claws."
Katsumi smiled at her father-figure and took her stance while Rikoumaru did the same. Sesshoumaru watched, silent as ever, while the two exchanged blow for blow…both unable to draw blood on the other. The mock-duel went on for many minutes before Rikoumaru finally seized the only opening Katsumi had presented and made a delicate paper-fine cut across her left cheek, spilling the first blood. Sesshoumaru was no fool, however, and knew just as well as Rikoumaru that Katsumi was as skilled as Sesshoumaru himself. Had she not been wearing her many layers of fine kimono and accessories, it was very possible that Katsumi would have been the victor. In time, even being weighed down by court finery would rarely hinder Katsumi and she would be able to kill as effortlessly as if she were nude. Seeing this, Sesshoumaru quietly slipped away, though his thoughts continued to linger on Katsumi and the many challenges she represented for some time. Sesshoumaru knew that their parents had arranged for them to be mated quite a number of years previously, but with some guidelines that were a bit odd. Unmeiko, the keeper of the contract that Rikoumaru and Katsuhito had agreed upon and signed, had once shown Sesshoumaru that very same contract.
Sesshoumaru remembered what it had said with a small smirk:
"We, the Lords of the Northern and Western Lands, have hereby agreed to the following: Katsumi, the daughter of the Northern Lord, will be mated to Sesshoumaru, Heir to the Western Lands, should she deem him to be a worthy mate. As the heir to Katsuhito, the taiyoukai of the Northern Lands, Katsumi shall reserve the right to choose the next Lord of the Northern Lands and the father of her heirs. She will, however, be required to present Sesshoumaru with at least one child from her own body as an heir to the Western Lands to ensure that the Inu no Taishou's bloodline continues. The children born of the union between Katsumi and Sesshoumaru will remain with their mother until they reach adulthood, at which time the children shall each be allowed to choose whether or not to reside with their father."
So she had to give her approval of him as being 'worthy'? That always gave Sesshoumaru a certain amount of silent amusement whenever he thought about it. At the bottom of the scroll, in the handwriting of each respective lord, had been Rikoumaru's and Katsuhito's signatures. Later, Sesshoumaru and Katsumi had been made to sign it as well, to prove that they had read it and acquiesced to the contract.
Naturally, neither showed much enthusiasm for the prospect of being forced to mate the other, but they were both from very old and honorable lineages which made it a bit difficult to refuse an arranged mating between such desirable matches. Katsumi could honestly understand why her father had chosen Sesshoumaru to be her mate instead of any of the other up and coming young daiyoukai: he had the most prestigious bloodline, the best manners, was easily the best-looking, and was very powerful in his own right. Few of the other daiyoukai, young or old, could claim to possess all of the qualities that Sesshoumaru did, even if many of them had friendlier personalities. She could put up with a detached and unaffectionate mate; this was no complication for her. What she would not tolerate, and had told Sesshoumaru from the beginning, was a mate who thought that she and any children she might give him were mere possessions. Almost two years previously, Sesshoumaru had told his father that he found Katsumi to be acceptable. Katsumi had taken nearly a year longer, but she finally agreed that Sesshoumaru would suffice as her mate.
On the day that Sesshoumaru had accepted her as his future mate and she him, Katsumi had made her herself loud and clear: "If you ever try to harm me or treat me as a mere object, I will punish you should the Gods see fit for me to do so. However, if you ever harm any child I might bear, I will not hesitate to kill you, regardless of my own fate." Somehow, Sesshoumaru found himself unable to doubt her when she'd told him this. It was not that he feared Katsumi could actually kill him; it was more a subtle unease in his stomach at the thought of angering the capricious female. He had seen what Katsumi was capable of when truly furious and it had a tendency to be immensely unpleasant for the poor souls she visited her wrath upon. No, somehow Sesshoumaru could not bring himself to trifle with Katsumi's lethal temper. He who feared nothing was hesitant when it came to a single girl: Sesshoumaru knew that his father found this incessantly amusing and the knowledge constantly irritated Sesshoumaru. Even Sesshoumaru's mother, who rarely ever showed any emotion, would smile whenever she saw Katsumi firmly stand her ground against her son until Sesshoumaru would give in and let her have her way just to avoid her temper.
It was very vexing for Sesshoumaru, indeed. Perhaps even more vexing was the fact that Sesshoumaru found himself becoming increasingly protective of Katsumi. He had started noticing that he became more and more annoyed when she smiled at someone other than him, particularly other males, because the smiles she bestowed upon him were in fact quite rare outside of formalities. He was, in short, becoming jealous of Katsumi's affections; naturally, this included his father's esteemed position in her heart, but that was more of a wistful jealousy. What made his father more precious to her than Sesshoumaru himself? Many speculated about what it was the father did that made Katsumi so very fond of him when she seemed barely able to tolerate the son. She respected Lady Tsukita, Sesshoumaru's mother, to a high degree even if she felt nothing else for the older woman and would never publicly disrespect her. Sesshoumaru sighed irritably as he considered his options for raising Katsumi's opinion of him: all of them seemed frivolous and, frankly, highly unlikely to succeed.
Unable to think of anything that might work while not betraying his inner conflict, Sesshoumaru decided to take out his frustrations by patrolling the borders of the Western Lands. Performing a full border patrol could easily take several months, giving him plenty of time to plan a long and detailed course of action before the mating that was supposed to take place in two years' time. If all went well, he might even find someone he could kill to really release the tension. He informed his father's personal scribe that he was leaving on a patrol and was gone, stopping only for a moment to watch Katsumi as she collected flowers from the garden for making an arrangement. Katsumi sensed someone watching her and turned to look, but Sesshoumaru was already gone. Knowing his scent well, Katsumi smiled as she returned to her pastime with the scent of oceans and mountain forests dancing on the breeze. Neither knew that Rikoumaru had seen them both; he was quite pleased to know that Katsumi cared for Sesshoumaru and him for her, despite how much they tried to hide it. It may not have been love, but the taiyoukai was certain that it was affection of some kind and that was certainly a good sign.
~Some weeks later~
She was bored -extremely so, actually- and so she had begun to seek out means for entertaining herself. She had found one thing that never failed to bring her pleasure: spending time with Rikoumaru. She hoped that Sesshoumaru would not be returning for some time; his cold and indifferent attitude annoyed her to no end, making it the source of many quarrels between the betrothed pair. These quarrels also had a habit of inevitably leading to Rikoumaru's involvement on Katsumi's behalf. The Dog General had become extremely attached to Katsumi in the sense that he now thought of her as his own daughter in everything but blood…and he often demonstrated his fierce paternal affections for her whenever anyone upset her or attempted to harm her in some fashion. This bond between Rikoumaru and Katsumi had been the cause of many disputes between the Dog General and Sesshoumaru, only widening the uncomfortable rift between father and son. Katsumi always found it frustrating and heart wrenching to know that she was the cause of most of the arguments between them as of late, so she had taken to avoiding the both of them. Now, with Sesshoumaru away, she was taking full advantage and delighted in being able to spend many long hours with Rikoumaru while he instructed her in combat skills, hunting, and all the things she would ever need to know about running a taiyoukai's territory.
She had been startled when early that morning she had found Rikoumaru in the company of her elder half-brother, Katsumoto. That was not to say she wasn't pleased to see her brother, merely surprised that he would journey so far in the dead of a harsh winter. After several moments, she noticed that he had a female with him and she wondered if it might be his intended mate: if that was the case, then he might have come to seek the approval of Rikoumaru and herself.
"Oniisan, what a pleasant surprise to see you away from your home, and at this time of the year." Katsumi said in her most decorous voice, earning a smirk from Rikoumaru. The Dog General knew that she was putting on airs for her brother's female companion and he also knew who that companion was meant to be.
"Beloved imouto, why such formalities? Surely you do not feel the need to impress your older brother!" Katsumoto said as he laughed good-naturedly and the female at his side twitched nervously, her long black hair shielding her face from view. She did not move as her eyes went to Katsumi, taking in the beauty of the woman she had heard so much about. This was the Lady of the Northern Lands, the only daughter of Katsuhito and the only one of her kind. No other existed who held only a quarter human blood while carrying three quarters daiyoukai blood. Half of Katsumi's blood came from a purebred wolf taiyoukai and the other half was split between one of the most powerful kitsune daiyoukai in Japan and a powerful miko; no such combining of bloodlines had ever occurred before and it had not happened since. This was the woman who was to become the mate of the future taiyoukai of the Western Lands, making her the daughter of Rikoumaru, the Inu no Taishou. It was obvious why so many adored her without even knowing who she truly was.
"Of course not, oniisan. I am simply giving you the honor you deserve as father's only son and the eldest heir to the North." Katsumi's melodious and sensuous voice was slightly subdued, as if her mind were not on the conversation at all; this was not lost on Rikoumaru or Katsumoto, even though the female with Katsumoto did not notice due to her lack of familiarity with Katsumi. "Perhaps you will find me worthy of knowing the name of your companion, since she is obviously a member of our clan."
"Naturally I intend to introduce you. Katsumi, my dear sister, meet Arashi; she is the daughter of father's half sister and a full wolf daiyoukai like myself." Katsumoto could see the interest his statement aroused in his sister's eyes and smiled. "She has asked to be your lady-in-waiting, since you are to be mated and our family tradition dictates that your lady-in-waiting must be a female family member. There are no others who have enough power or manners to fill the position as well as Arashi can. Her mate is my battle commander, Sakon, and he is descended from our clan and that of Rikoumaru-sama."
"I see…so you have already taken that into account, have you? Well, if that is the case then she will be required to remain with me for the next four months. During which time I shall test her and if I find any fault in her then I will kindly ask that you find a female more suited to my needs." Katsumi had a hardened edge to it as she said this and Katsumoto knew that it was because of what happened once every three months. Sesshoumaru had always been away during those times and Katsumoto knew that the young taiyoukai had forgotten about that sole attribute of his future mate. "It is nothing personal, Arashi-san; I simply need someone who is prepared to die if I ask it of them, to fight when I have need of them, and to live a life worth living no matter what I ask of them." Rikoumaru and Katsumoto both smiled, feeling pride at how compassionate and sophisticated Katsumi had become since Sesshoumaru had brought her home decades previously. It was still glaringly obvious, however, how terribly hard it was to earn her trust judging from the fact that Sesshoumaru had still not breached the wall she had thrown up around herself: ever since she'd come to live with Rikoumaru seventy-five years ago, she'd been so closed down that everyone was concerned about her. The once open and content demeanor that was so fixed as a part of Katsumi had vanished, but not without a replacement. The young heiress to the Northern Lands had become distant and quite cold to everyone but a select few, which consisted solely of her brother, Rikoumaru, Sakon, Myouga, and now Arashi.
She was never anything but purely formal and totally respectful towards Sesshoumaru, and she never again displayed anything that could even hint at a whisper of a weakness to anyone, but especially never to him. As for Sesshoumaru himself, he had taken to watching her as often as he could, but he always kept his presence carefully hidden from her. Now Sesshoumaru was once again silently watching her, just outside of her self-proclaimed boundaries, as she was coy and friendly with his father and her brother, even letting this female she had never met see her true personality. This playful yet sly side of Katsumi was the side Sesshoumaru liked best, especially when it was paired with her wickedly sharp mind. When Rikoumaru cast a curious glance in Sesshoumaru's direction, causing the others to notice him as well, the young taiyoukai gave an indifferent bow and walked away without a sound. Katsumi cast an anxious and slightly wistful gaze after her soon-to-be-mate, earning knowing smiles from the others.
~Four days later, shortly after the full-moon mating ceremony~
The mating had proceeded without any complications and Rikoumaru had told the servants that Sesshoumaru and Katsumi were not to be disturbed for any reason. He had then promptly left, leaving the castle empty except for servants and the newly mated pair: Tsukita had left some hours previously. Sesshoumaru stood in his rooms, which had a small hidden passage leading into Katsumi's new rooms next door. He was slightly anxious about consummating his and Katsumi's mating: she had still not shown any real affinity for him in several decades. A soft sound of rustling cloth disturbed his thoughts and he looked up to find Katsumi standing in the doorway of the adjoining passage, in naught but nightclothes, with her long and gorgeous hair hanging loose over one shoulder: Sesshoumaru had always found Katsumi's hair to be beautiful and exotic with the way it started as the blackest of black at the roots and faded into silver at approximately a third of the full length. This silver then did the same, but fading into the purest of white at the tips of her hair. Never had Sesshoumaru seen anything like it, making it all the more breathtaking. He never told anyone how much he admired the female's hair, and he probably never would.
She seemed to know what was expected of her next, as she slowly approached him and slid off her nightclothes. He noticed that she had closed her eyes, seemingly expecting him to do what he wanted with her and then return to her own rooms. He wondered if she closed her eyes because she was afraid of what she would see in him…or if it was to hide her own resentment of him. Either way, Sesshoumaru decided that he would prove her wrong as he gently guided her to sit on the futon. Taking a seat beside her, he took some of her hair in his hand and breathed in the intoxicating scent of fresh snow and lightning that was Katsumi. He could feel her muscles tense and incorrectly assumed that she was discontent with her situation. Sesshoumaru suspected that she might pull away, but did not care as he ever-so-slowly brought his lips to graze her neck. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Katsumi shuddered when he delicately nibbled on the vulnerable flesh, though whether it was out of fear, loathing, or pleasure he could not say. Still with caution, he began to nibble along her collarbone and down onto her throat, coming to a halt mere inches above her breast. When she did nothing to stop him, he continued to claim her as his mate in the final and most important way.
All in all, he was gentle with her to a fault even though he maintained his detached air. He had no doubt in his mind that their first night together was enjoyable for his mate, but she was truly a lady of high nobility and would never dream of discussing such things…even with him. So, Sesshoumaru did not ask and was not in the least surprised when she returned to her own chambers almost as soon as they'd finished. Their relationship did not change after they were mated: she was passive-aggressive and though she obeyed her mate in most things, she still had an unpredictable temperament and a strong will. Sesshoumaru was as taciturn as ever, though many would argue that he became more so with every day that passed. The pair always seemed to be pleasant to one another, though they had their share of disputes, and were nothing if not entirely proper in their duties as the future Lord and Lady taiyoukai of the Western and Northern Lands, respectively. Rikoumaru watched them, keeping his silence about his suspicions regarding his son and adopted daughter: he could only hope that they would realize how much they would need each other in the future.
~Three and a half years later~
Despite their mating, Sesshoumaru and Katsumi never acted as if they were close or affectionate; rather they acted as if they merely tolerated each others' presence. Now they were becoming increasingly formal towards each other, with very few of their nights spent together anymore. Since their mating, Katsumi had borne a son and a daughter, both still-born, and had seven miscarriages. Finally, Sesshoumaru stopped coming to see her because he knew that she could not bear the thought of losing another baby. In his heart, he knew that he did not want to go through it again either, but he would never admit it. He had taken to wandering throughout the territory with his father or by himself, while Katsumi had actually returned to live with her brother in the Northern Lands, much to the sorrow of Rikoumaru. The inu taiyoukai was greatly saddened by the loss of his grandchildren, but more so by the loss of their mother whom he cherished above all others. The only one whom he equally cared for was Sesshoumaru himself, regardless of whether or not his son knew it.
But no matter how much Rikoumaru reasoned with her, Katsumi refused to return and told him that Sesshoumaru was always welcome to come and find her in her brother's lands. For three years, Sesshoumaru did continue to visit on his own just to be with her. Eventually, however, Tsukita began pressing them to try again for an heir. When Sesshoumaru next came to see his mate, unaware of his mother's recent presence, Katsumoto appeared and blocked his entry to the Northern castle.
"What gives you the gall to come here after Lady Tsukita has already upset my sister? Perhaps you come now so that you might attempt to fulfill your honorable mother's suggestions and cause my sister more pain?" Katsumoto, his long gray hair pulled into his customary braid and his eyes hard with restrained rage, demanded of his sister's mate.
"This Sesshoumaru does not have to answer to you, Katsumoto, even if you are my ally and brother." Sesshoumaru responded coldly, beginning to push past his mate's brother. Katsumoto snarled a final warning, making Sesshoumaru halt. "Was that a challenge, Katsumoto?" His voice was so soft that it bordered on deadly.
Katsumoto gave his answer in the form of transforming into his true beast form, making him look even more like his deceased father. Sesshoumaru merely dodged him at first but was forced to transform as well before long. The two engaged in a full out dog fight- wolf against dog and each aiming for the other's throat. Katsumi heard the commotion and did not heed the warning that Arashi sent her way as she ran out into the courtyard. She froze just as Katsumoto ripped into Sesshoumaru's shoulder with his fangs and was roughly thrown off, landing only a few yards in front of Katsumi. When he did not rise again, everyone held their breath to see if Sesshoumaru truly intended to kill him. Both were wounded, though not fatally, and neither seemed to be willing to back down. As Katsumoto tried to regain his feet, Sesshoumaru gave a piercing howl and launched in Katsumoto direction.
"Sesshoumaru, please stop this!" Katsumi cried…with real tears running down her face: she was fearful for Sesshoumaru and for her brother. But not a shred of her fear was for herself as she threw her body between the two of them, shielding Katsumoto's throat with her own body. Sesshoumaru was seemingly enraged and beyond reason as he continued to aim a strike towards Katsumoto's throat. Seeming to regain some of himself, Sesshoumaru reverted back to his humanoid form, but too late. Even as his poisonous claws left a series of deep and vicious crescent-shaped wounds on Katsumi's left shoulder and side. Unfortunately, the damage was already done: having only just lost her powers that night, the night of a new moon, Katsumi would remain so until the rising of the following full moon and was not likely to survive the poison from Sesshoumaru's claws. After all, Katsumi's hair was not the only mark of her unique heritage. Angry with himself and fearful for Katsumi, Sesshoumaru lifted her into his arms and rushed her to the healers. The healers did all they could for her; they then told Sesshoumaru that she could very well die. All anyone could hope was that she would survive long enough for the full moon to rise and her powers to return: if she could do that, then her daiyoukai blood would save her. Sesshoumaru, though he did nothing else to denote his concern, sat by her side the whole time and could not be persuaded to eat, sleep, or move so much as an inch. When she briefly regained consciousness, he spoke only one word in the form of a question.
"Why?" :Why did you jump between us? Why did you leave my side when I cannot soothe the beast within without your presence? Why must you risk your life so, when I do nothing to express what it is you represent in my life? Why am I cursed to wish only to protect you, yet only ever manage to hurt you more than anyone? I've never once told you I enjoy your company, or how I love your hair and your smile…what a fool I am.: Sesshoumaru's head was filled with so many thoughts and questions, but all he could say was that one horrible word and hope that she would give him the answers he wanted to the questions he would never ask. Of course, he could also mentally berate and slaughter himself, but that didn't really help the situation now did it?
"I could do…nothing else…" She weakly replied with what little strength and voice that she still had. "You are my mate…and he is my brother…" Sesshoumaru could see love in her eyes, but he knew not if it was for him; it pained his heart to watch her force herself to speak when she had to stop every few words because of the pain. "I cannot stand aside…and let you kill each other…the cublet…" Sesshoumaru's attention snapped to her face at those two little words, but her eyes had closed against the pain and tears that she refused to let fall even if he could smell them. "The cublet…will need a father…and an uncle to…protect him." As soon as the words left her lips, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in utter shock and all his breath fled from him as though he'd been struck in the gut: Katsumi was with child. Unable to think or do anything else, Sesshoumaru stared at her in silent disbelief and an absurd sense of joy rippled through him: he had been given another chance at having a pup with Katsumi. Long after his mate had lost consciousness from pain and exhaustion, Sesshoumaru sat by her bedside with quite an intimidating smirk of pleasure on his face.
~Seven months later~
Rikoumaru watched as the sky darkened but the moon failed to rise: a new moon and Katsumi had gone into labor mere hours before sunset, with the appearance of the first star. Sesshoumaru had not yet returned from dispatching of a weakling vassal who had dared to insult him a few days previously in the southern tip of the Western Lands. It was partially for this reason, Rikoumaru supposed, that he had a nerve-tingling sensation eating away at his heart: something was going to happen and it was making him extremely uneasy. Tsukita had come almost as soon as a messenger had been dispatched to fetch Sesshoumaru; she had been alerted by some feminine intuition he supposed, for he had not sent word to her. Now, as the pair waited in a nervous and cold silence, Katsumi was beginning to scream against the pain of birthing, such as she already had twice before only to have the same result: stillbirth. Since being mated to Sesshoumaru, Katsumi had lost seven offspring mid-pregnancy; she had also given birth to a son and a daughter a year later, both still-born. Now, four years after they had first been mated, Katsumi was preparing to deliver a third child: Rikoumaru silently prayed to any gods who might deign to listen for this one to live.
Katsumi let out a particularly loud and agonized scream that filled the entire manor and Rikoumaru was mildly pleased to see Tsukita twitch involuntarily. She may not have screamed like this when she birthed Sesshoumaru, but he knew she remembered the pain just the same. After a few moments, Katsumi's cries subsided and the sound of someone approaching as quickly and regally as possibly became evident: Sesshoumaru appeared to have gotten the message. If he had arrived this quickly, he couldn't have been far away when it reached him, even taking the youth's speed into consideration. Rikoumaru cast a cursory glance over his heir and privately smiled: Sesshoumaru looked as he always did, but Rikoumaru saw something that no one else would notice…in his eyes was a deep and captivating pit of excitement and unrivaled anxiety.
"So you have killed the one who insulted you?" Rikoumaru asked non-concernedly. Sesshoumaru was on edge and he knew his father knew it: he shrugged to show that he had and was bored as a result. Inwardly, however, he was a mass of raw nerves after hearing Katsumi's screams more than a league away: he often cursed his sensitive hearing and this was one of those times. He wanted nothing more than to rush to Katsumi's side and take away the pain; he would do anything to cease the horrible cries that he could not soothe. Unable to do anything, the trio waited and listened as Katsumi's screams increased in both frequency and volume: the sound was slowly driving each of them mad. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Sesshoumaru, the soft wailing of a newborn filled the air. Without a second thought or waiting for any signals to grant or deny him entrance, Sesshoumaru strode into Katsumi's rooms. Instantly the smell of blood, birthing, fatigue, and even of sickness slapped him hard across the face. He ignored his urge to cover his nose and slowly made his way to Katsumi's bedside, where she lay on her side curled protectively around a small wriggling mass of pink flesh. She looked very nearly dead, she was so pale and weak: it was at this moment that he registered the fact that she was human and that it was a new moon. In a manner that never ceased to amaze others, Sesshoumaru had edited Katsumi's transformations out of his conscious mind. Now, it had come back and viciously reasserted itself during an extremely inopportune situation. Somehow, this did not faze him as he bent down on one knee and lifted aside the blanket to reveal all of the wailing newborn.
Under the gaze of its father, the newborn seemed to quiet and its cries reduced to whimpers as Katsumi stroked the dark down covering its soft skull. Sesshoumaru felt an absurd surge of pride and a need to protect Katsumi and this tiny newborn: his mate and his pup, his brain helpfully supplied. His pride was in no small part due to the fact that the newborn was indeed male and bore the same crescent mark as its father. Neither he nor Katsumi were aware that Rikoumaru and Tsukita were watching them: Tsukita watched insofar as to verify that she had a living grandchild before silently taking her leave. Rikoumaru however, was thoroughly pleased that the child appeared to not only be alive but exceedingly healthy: perhaps this one would actually grow up and one day call him 'Jii-chan'. It also gave him pride to recognize the fleeting expression that Sesshoumaru bore as he stared at his newborn son and then at Katsumi…it was only there for a blink of an eye, but Rikoumaru was certain he had seen tenderness on his heir's face as he watched the naming of the infant.
"Tamotsu." Katsumi and Rikoumaru were both mildly surprised by Sesshoumaru's choice, but neither of them commented on it: Katsumi was too exhausted and the pain was beginning to sink back into her body. Rikoumaru simply took it for face-value: if Sesshoumaru chose to give the child a name that meant 'complete' and 'protect', then who was he to question it? With a smirk, Rikoumaru silently ordered the servants and birthing women to finish their work and get out before he took his own leave.
~Six weeks after the birth of Tamotsu~
The baby had died…quite suddenly…only three weeks after his birth; the healers were all at a loss. They could find no reason why the infant died, and knew only that he had in fact been very healthy only hours previously when Katsumi lay down with him. When Sesshoumaru entered the room only a short time later, he checked on his mate and pup: they were sleeping peacefully. When Katsumi awoke for the Tamotsu's feeding a scant while later, he had ceased breathing. Unfortunately, too much time had passed for Rikoumaru to be able to revive the baby with Tenseiga and Katsumi was…devastated. When it was finally certain that Katsumi would live through the loss of yet another child, Sesshoumaru left and said that he would not be coming back. Katsumi knew in her heart that it was only because of what had happened, but she also knew that Sesshoumaru was not about to admit he'd been afraid of losing her to insanity; of course, he was also furious with himself and grieving over the loss of their third cub just as she was. So Katsumi just sat in her room and cried while he left, unable to watch as he walked out of her life, possibly forever. She had known him since they were both quite young, and so she knew him better than most anyone. She was grief-stricken by his decision and did not expect to see him again.