Fatherhood
Chapter 1
'She really needs a proper upbringing and education.' Sesshomaru thought as he watched the little girl sleep up against Ah-Un across the campfire. He stood up and went over to the toad imp. He nudged his foot "Jaken," He called. The imp opened his eyes and looked up at the dog lord. "Yes Sama?" Jaken answered. "Keep watch over Rin, I will be back in three days." He ordered and walked away without a second glance and when he was further away he took to the sky flying westward.
He landed at the top of the giant staircase that led up to the western palace where he hasn't been since his father passed on. "Welcome home Sesshomaru-Ouji-Sama." A tall and beautiful inu-youkai stood in front of him with her head facing the ground in respect for her prince. Her silvery white hair went down to her ankles and two little braids reached from her left and right ear and met in the middle that hung in the middle of her back. Her features were the same as every inu-youkai has the pointed ears, the pure white skin, long claws, and golden eyes. She didn't have the purple stripes on her face for she isn't from noble or royal blood like her master. The crescent moon that was on Sesshomaru showed to the other inu-youkai and other youkai he is royalty and heir to the inu-youkai thrown due to the fact that his mother is the o'hime of the inu-youkai.
Sesshomaru nodded and walked passed her never glancing at her. She followed him without saying a word. She followed him into the great hallway that had marble columns and many tapestries. It was a symbol of wealth everywhere you looked, and up the grand marble staircase that led up to a landing and there were two more staircases on each side one was the west wing and the other the east wing. The west wing was where the lord of the palace lived along with his mistresses and lady of the house. The east was for the guest and off spring. Where he, himself was raised in.
He turned towards the west wing and went down towards the chambers. By time he came to a stop at two large wooden doors, there were more inu-youkai servants following. The handles were made of carved gold shaped as inu-youkai heads that extended from the deep red wood of the door. Two male inu-youkai servants pulled them open.
Sesshomaru hesitated for a minute before entering what once were his father's chambers when he was master and lord of the palace. He walked in before any of them noticed his moment of weakness.
The sitting room had a few half length sofas with small throw pillows on the top half's of the deep red stained cotton. Each four legs were carved wood to match the doors and the bottoms had the same inu-youkai heads carving. There were two tables that were low to the floor with large cushions around each table which were on either side of the sitting room. The table tops were granite stone tops resting on rot iron four short legs. There were two large marble columns and the floor was marble with many woven purple and golden thread rugs placed on the majority of the room. The walls were covered in wall hangings of two larges inu-youkai in their true forms flying in the sky. They were paintings of his parents. Since this was the chambers of his parents there were many paintings and wall scrolls of them.
He walked up to the screen doors and the same two male servants opened them but this time they were on their knees. The screen had paintings of a village and a giant inu-youkai flying over it as its protector. Every inch of these chambers represented his father the great inu-youkai general of the west. They song of remembrance of InuTashio triumphs and legacy he left behind. Sesshomaru decided to change everything into what represents him instead and to remove all of his father's belongings and transfer them to the eastern wing and place them in the varies rooms so that when guest ever do come they will know he still held great respect for his father and to never underestimate his family's legacies.
"Bring my belongings from my old chambers and place them here. Remove my otosan-sama's belongings from here and place them in varies places around the palace to show that I hold a great respect for my father but also I want to show that I have come to clam my birth right as Ouji of the inu-youkai and o'sama of the western lands." He ordered. None of them dare say a word while their master looked around the bed chambers.
In the middle of the room stood a large bed covered in black feathered down bed spread, with gold trim rounding the whole edge of the spread. There were many black and gold silk feathered cushions and pillows some were white and gold to represent the white hair and gold eyes of the inu-youkai. On the left of the room stood a black marble fireplace and above it was a portrait of a lady. Sesshomaru's face changed to anger in a split second when he realized who the lady was. "Take that down and send to my otosan-sama's second heir." He said in his normal emotionless tone of voice. He turned away from it and went to the right of him where there was another set of doors. These led to the bath chambers and the wardrobe. He already knew what was in them and gave orders to rid of all that once belonged to his father and step mother.
Sesshomaru walked out of the bed chamber and out of the master chambers. He continued down the dark halls that had large windows that faced the mountains that the palace rested against. The heavy drapes were closed and causing the hall to be dreary and bleak. "Change the drapes to white ones with gold trimming and draw strings. They must be opened every morning when the sun rises." He ordered. He understood why it was all black due to the mourning period of their lost master, but to him it seemed long enough time for the mourning period.
He reached the second double wooden doors and the two male servants opened them up for him to enter. This room was smaller than the master chambers and it was brighter as well. This room was cream colored with light pink low floor half sofa with silk feathered down pillows on it. The four short legs were made from cherry wood and carved into leaf shapes. The floors were bamboo stained in a darker reddish color to add some richness to this room. The floor was covered in a large woven rug. The rug had a white background with a replica of the palace weaved in the middle with clouds floating along the top of the palace. The frame of the rug was gold thread as like most of the rugs, drapes, and draperies in the rest of the palace. The cream walls were covered with Sekure blossoms and petals' floating around the room and A Sekure tree was painted on the double screen door that led to the bed chamber. On the other side of the room was a low table made of cherry wood as well and surrounded with pink and white silk cushions.
He nodded for them to open the double doors. He stepped into the bed chamber and was satisfied to see the bed wasn't too big and a decent size for who will be occupying it. The floors were the soft bamboo as the sitting room. On the right of him held a small fire place which was just big enough to heat up the whole suite, made of granite. The bed had a white feather down bead spread with Sekure blossoms embroidered along the trim of the spread and petals embroidered scattered all over the rest of it. The pillows were white, light pink, sky blue silks.
On the left side was the bath chamber and dressing wardrobe. "These chambers will be my wards. She will be returning with me when I leave in three days. I require that toys and clothes be made for her. She is very young around the age of six so be prepared for a child." he ordered. "Mai I would like the best carpenter in the area to create a small replica of the palace. With little dolls that fit inside it. It will be her gift when after I announce her as my musume and declared the hime of the western lands." he said. Mai bowed her head. "Yes Ouji-Sama." She said in respect. "I will find a tailor so to create her new kimonos. I will find her a sensei as well." He added. "So make sure there is room in the shimobe quarters for them." He ordered. Mai bowed her head.
He turned and walked out of the soon to be nursery and walked down the hall, his servants following behind. He went down the stairs and turned to the right where the great hall ended into a smaller hall. At the end of the hall stood two large wooden doors, there were a dark stained cherry wood with golden handles that again was shaped like an inu-youkai's head. Two servants and waited for his command to open them. Sesshomaru paused for a moment. This room was his father's study and where he spent most of his young life inside studying and watching his father work.
He nodded and they opened the doors. Sesshomaru walked in with his cold and unemotional stance. The room had shelves for walls and in them had many scrolls. Most of them were the histories of the inu-youkai and then some were treaties alliances and war plans. There stood a desk in front of the window. It was the same dark wood from the two large doors; in front of the window stood a straight back light wooded chair. On the desk was a small tray that had a writing brush and a vile that was filled with black ink. The brush rested on a stand so to keep the ink from staining the wooden desk. The tray was made out of pure gold. Everything in the palace was decorated in white, silver, rich browns, and gold. Every door handle bared the seal of his family. In the study were three wall scrolls telling the stories of his father's victories and paintings of him on two other wall scrolls.
"Mai, I would like this one and those two to be placed in other rooms. I want this one sent to my hanyou otouto. Along with the second scroll that tells of my otosan-sama's life with his okaasan." He ordered. "Yes Ouji-Sama." She bowed.
Sesshomaru went to the desk and walked around to the chair. He sat down with such grace, it made some of the female servants blush a bit. Sesshomaru ignored them as he was trying to remain as if he were a cruel and heartless master of the palace. But inside he was scared on how he was to be the new master of what once was his father's home. He has already claimed his birthright as ruler of the western lands and prince of the dog demon empire.
The inu-youkai is a rich and powerful empire, in which most of all of Japan belonged to them but yet there were three other demon kingdoms, the Fukumurou-Youkai (owl demons) of the north; the Tora-youkai (tiger demons) of the south, and the Ookami-Youkai (wolf demons) tribes of the eastern maintains. The tigers are high standing creatures. They don't like humans and they try to keep the peace with the human lords who reside in their lands. Mostly to keep them and the dog demons in peace since they detested each other and are waiting for one of them to make the wrong move so they could declare war amongst themselves. The Owl demons are the opposite of the tigers. Although they don't like humans as well; they believe them to be unintelligent and the owls thought of themselves to be the wisest of them all. They thrive for intelligence and live to study. They are very wise and the dog demons respect them for the grace and intellects. They've been allied for centuries and the owl demons respect the dog demons as well. They both are intelligent, proper, respected, graceful, and very beautiful. Unlike the owls the dog demons are very territorial and defend their lands viciously if necessary. They like war if it's called for. They have never been taken over or over thrown by any other demon kingdom, not even from the main land have those demons succeeded.
The wolf demons live in packs and tribes in the eastern mountain range. They don't really go to peace treaty meetings with the other kingdoms and they usually kept to themselves. All the other demon kingdoms view the wolves as wild animals and they leave them alone.
"Mai send for Zokai to meet with me." Sesshomaru ordered. "Hai Ouji-Sama." She bowed and then backed out of the room. "Oh and one more thing I am appointing you as my personal assistant." He ordered. "Hai Ouji-Sama. Thank you." She bowed again but only her head this time instead of her full body bow. Mai was the main servant in the palace and it was a great honor for him to grant to his personal assistant. This means she will be above all the servants and will be at his beck in call. She will be in control of his daily schedule. She was very pleased but yet puzzled by this new promotion.
"Ouji-sama, Zokai-sama has arrived." Mai said as she stood in the open door. "Send him in." He demanded. "Hai," She bowed slightly and turned to retrieve Zokai. She led him into the study and took her leave. "Ah itouko-Ouji-Sama you have returned." Zokai said happily as he walked in further into the room. Zokai is Sesshomaru, and InuYasha's cousin. Zokai looked like any other Inu-youkai, with his long silver hair, golden eyes, two purple jagged strips on each cheek of his pale face. The stripes on his cheeks showed he is of noble blood and status in the dog demon royal court. His father was InuTashio's younger brother. Sesshomaru and Zokai grew up together as their fathers were head of the dog demon royal military. Zokai is a few years older than him and a bit taller as well. He wore the same armor Sesshomaru wore most of the time.
"I see you haven't changed much itouko. Always being full of non-sense" Sesshomaru nearly glared at his cousin.
"Ah itouko-Ouji-Sama, don't be so cold all the time. So I heard that your otouto-sama still holds the Tessiega that your outosan passed down to him. So why have you returned? I thought you were still angry at your outosan for marrying a ningen and fathering a hanyou, for betrothing the Tessiega to him?" Zokai asked as he raised his brow in curious.
"I have come to realize what my otosan-sama's trying to teach me and I have forgiven my outosan-sama for mating with a ningen and having that hanyou for a musuko. I have accepted InuYasha as second in line to become Sama of the western lands. I have accepted all this and came to reclaim my birthright as Sama of the western lands, and the Ouji of the inu-youkai; heir of the thrown as ruler of the Inu-Youkai." He declared.
"So you have accepted InuYasha-sama as your half otouto-sama?" Zokai asked as he studied his cousin's reaction when he said those words.
"Only to the other Youkai-sama that I allied with" He answered through his teeth as he still despised his half brother.
"You have sent for me itouko-Ouji-Sama?" Zokai asked, changing the subject.
"Yes I would like to appoint you as my advisor as like your outosan before you was my otosan-sama's advisor?" He asked. Zokai looked at his cousin for a second before he answered.
"Of course I will itouko-Ouji-Sama." He bowed
"It would be my honor to serve you Sama of the west and Ouji of all the inu-youkai." He added.
"Very well, I have a task for you to do for me." Sesshomaru stated.
"What would you like for me to do?" He asked.
"I have a ward that I want her to become my musume officially. Can you make this happen?" He asked.
"Of course I will. Where did you find her and why make her your musume instead of your okusan?" Zokai asked confused.
"She is a child. I saved her from a ookami attack. She has been at my side since that night I saved her life. She is a ningen child. She is about six years of age." Sesshomaru answered.
'Wow who would have thought Sesshomaru was like his outosan, for falling in love with a human girl.' Zokai thought in amazement.
"So why are you not going to make her your okusan?" He asked still confused.
"Like I said she is a child and I do not see her in that way. I plan on finding her a suitable otto from the ningen samas that reside in our lands. She will be treated as if she were my musume and treated as hime of the palace and the western lands. Can you make this happen?" Sesshomaru asked again.
"Yes of course I will. I'm sure the other great youkai-samas will allow it as long as you don't marry her and produce a hanyou like your outosan did. There was uproar when they learned the news that the great Inu-Toshio fathered a hanyou. Luckily your ojiisan fixed the problem and it's up to you if the hanyou will claim your otosan's land once you claim the thrown. Even if you produce an heir they will still be heir to the thrown just as you are." Zokai explained.
"Yes I understand that. Once she has arrived I will find her a suitor and set up the arranged marriage two years after when she has her first maiden blood. Then I will feel she is fully matured enough to bare children without risk of dying from giving birth at a young age." He agreed. Zokai nodded. He understood Sesshomaru's demand since he is a father of a daughter and he too wants the same for her.
Zokai was dismissed and Sesshomaru wrote out treaties he wanted renewed since his father's passing. He wanted the human lords to know that there is a new lord of the west and declared to protect them as long as they stay loyal to him. He even wrote out that he is looking for a suitor for his human ward which stated the suitors must be from the ages of seven to twelve not older or younger.
The third day before he was going to retrieve his ward and the toad imp he checked on the status of how Rin's nursery was coming along. "I will return in two weeks with my ward. I will be sending a sensei ahead of me. Mai I will appoint your Imouto as my ward's hand maid." He demanded. "Hai Ouji-Sama she will accept this honor." Mai answered as she bowed her head in respect.
"Set Zara up a small room for her so that when ever my ward needs her she is right there. Is that clear?" He ordered.
"Hai Ouji-Sama it will be done."
"How are the rest of the items I requested coming along?" He asked.
"The dolls are being made in the main land and arrive in a week's time. The palace replica will be arriving in two weeks time." She answered as she never once looked in his eyes. She knew her place was underneath him and she is not allowed to look him in the eye or she will be punished.
"Most of everything will be ready for the new hime by time you arrive Ouji-Sama." She declared.
"Very well." he answered and turned to walk back into the great hall.
Mai followed him as did two more servants followed her. He stopped and turned to his servants. "Mai I want all the servants to meet in the great hall as I have an announcement. I will be in my study as I wait." He ordered.
"Hai Ouji-Sama. Zokai-sama is waiting for you in the study." She answered.
"You are dismissed." He demanded. She bowed and left to do what she was ordered to do.
Sesshomaru walked into his study and found his cousin standing by the desk. He bowed his head when Sesshomaru passed him. "I have news." He declared with a smile.
"And what is that itouko?" Sesshomaru asked.
"The way you can have your ward become hime and your musume is that you announce she is your musume in a coming out to society ball. When she is officially the hime she must act as one and that all of the western land must treat her as such. You must also declare..." He paused and looked at Sesshomaru's face before he finish.
"What?" Sesshomaru asked.
"That you declare InuYasha-sama as heir to the western lands as second in line. That is what I found in some of the readings of the laws about adoption. It never said anything about adopting a human so I assume it's the same thing. But since she will be your musume she won't be heir to these lands since she is a girl so in return you must declare an heir to the lands. Which means your otouto InuYasha-sama." he answered.
"That's fine with me." Sesshomaru said coldly. Zokai shivered a bit at the glare Sesshomaru held when he thought of InuYasha as ruler over these lands.
"I will be leaving after I explain to the servants that a human child will be living here and give out my demands. I will be back in two weeks time." He said and dismissed his cousin.
"They are ready for your instruction Ouji-sama." Mai said as she entered the study.
"I will follow." He waved his hand and stood up. He looked around the hundred inu-youkai servants who were all on their knees with their heads bent down looking at the floor in respect for their new lord.
"I am leaving tonight to retrieve my ward. She will become my musume and your hime. You will treat her the same way you treat me. She is not a youkai. She is a very young ningen. If any of you hurt her in any way or does not obey her demand, you will be punished severely by my own hand. You will treat her the same way you treat me, on the pain of death if you disobeyed my order. You are dismissed." He ordered with a voice that promised death if you didn't listen.
Sesshomaru walked out of the palace a once out he took to the skies and flew back to where he lift Rin and Jaken.