I'm sorry this took so long but I just got this new promotion at work and I have been working my but off these last couple weeks, but nonetheless the chapter is done and it is here! Yay!

I apologize some characters will be a little OOC but I already told you guys that so you've been warned.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Kagura

"Your Highness, it's time to wake up."

Kagura's eyes opened and she rolled onto her side. She was not tired, but she did not want to get out of bed. She just wanted to lay down until the sun fell and her husband would come back to her. She smiled sweetly reminiscing about last night's activities between the two and a slow blush crept across her pale cheeks. Gently she stroked the large protrusion from her abdomen lovingly sighing in content.

"Your highness?"

With a deep sigh Kagura sat up. "I'm up. I am up." She pulled the blanket back and stood from her futon. Her maid, Yura, stood a few feet away patiently waiting.

Yura was of the Onigumo clan. She was Kagura's half-sister, the only bastard that Naraku actually took in, though he claims she is his niece. Yura was worth claiming. She was an extremely powerful hair demoness, and she was beautiful on top of that. She looked similar to Kagura with pale skin and ruby red eyes, only her eyes were rounder and looked more innocent – though she was far from it. Her hair was dark green and cut short around her round face, with a red ribbon tied holding it up. Her nose was small and she had thin red lips. She was a few inches shorter than Kagura with large round breast, wide hips, and a shapely butt. She often wore fitted kimonos to show off her figure.

"All right," Kagura said stepping forth, looking her sister in the face. "Shall we?"

Yura smirked and moved forward removing Kagura's sleeping yukata and throwing it in the hamper. Kagura stood naked and waited for her to return with a plain white yukata. She slid her arms through the sleeves while Yura tied the belt securely, before placing on a blush colored kimono made of light fabric and grabbing a bright green obi. As Kagura held it closed Yura began wrapping it around her waist tightly.

"Would you like to hear your schedule for today?"

"Do I have a choice?" Kagura replied.

Yura went on. "Breakfast with her Majesty and the Lady Izayoi in the gardens, followed by a brief meeting with the temple priests."

"Again?"

"They to pray for a male heir."

Kagura scoffed, "I'm not going. Tell them I have a previous engagement and I cannot make it."

"Lord Naraku also sent word this morning requesting your presence at his home for breakfast as well. I have not sent a reply yet." She tied a very elegantly bow and stepped back examining her before gesturing for her to sit down at the vanity table.

Kagura sat on her knees in front of the mirror. Yura took a seat behind her, grabbing the comb off of the tray and began gently going through her long locks. "Perfect, tell the priests I cannot go to their meeting because I must have tea with my father, who you will send word to that I will join him as soon as my breakfast with her Majesty is over… Anything else?"

"There is one more thing…"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you…"

"Well you already brought it up, Yura."

Yura sighed. "I heard the ambassador has sent word from the south. He will be returning in fortnight with the princess."

Kagura frowned, "And when did you here this?"

"Last night, I was in the Prince Inuyasha's chambers when Myoga came in and told him. I overheard the conversation."

"Overheard or eavesdropped? Besides what were you doing in the Prince Inuyasha's chambers last night?" Kagura turned to face her younger half-sister.

Yura blushed. "Let's just say he's taken a liking to me."

Kagura faced forward. "Be careful Yura, you know how he is. Next month it will be someone else."

"I know. That's why I plan to make the most of it this month." She began twisting her hair and placing different pins to hold the hair up.

"Yura," Kagura said in a warning tone.

"Kagura."

"Yura, this is a very dangerous game you're playing."

"What about you and his highness? Had he not married you, you would still be in the same boat as me. I'm just trying to make sure I am taken care of for the rest of my life."

"I know that. Maybe if you pursued something a little more permanent than just a casual rutting, then maybe you could secure a husband."

"With what? I have no money, no name; everyone knows that I am Naraku's bastard no matter how everyone tries to twist the story. No honorable man would want me." She finished pinning up Kagura's hair.

The princess didn't even look at it as she turned to face her sister. She took both her hands in hers. "Have you given yourself to him?"

Yura blushed a little ad looked away. "Not yet, we've kissed and done… other things, but not that. I'm still waiting on him to promise himself to me."

"He'll never do it." Her words were stern and calm. "He will never be yours, not even half way." Yura frowned and looked back up at Kagura. "Do not waste your time. Leave him be. If you want to get married I will find someone for you. You deserve to be more than a mistress."

"Who? Who other than some weak lesser demon? At least with Inuyasha as my lover he would keep me safe and I would be taken care of."

"I'll find you a good match, I promise. I can have you married by the end of the year if you want. Just promise you'll stop seeing him."

Yura looked her deep in the eye, and then nodded. "Fine. But he must be strong. I don't care what kind of yokai he is, or how handsome. He must be able to protect me from him."

Kagura smiled and nodded. "Of course." She hugged her for a brief second before releasi8ing her and standing.

Yura followed her to the door. "What about the human princess? What will you do about her?"

Kagura shrugged. "I am not worried about her. She is merely a pawn for politics, Sesshomaru married me because he wanted me to be his queen, and he mated me because he loved me."

Yura simply nodded and opened the door, following the Crown Princess out into the hall. They made their way out to the gardens where the Queen and the Lady Izayoi were sitting beneath a small pavilion, where a table for three was set up along with bowls of rice, fruit, and a few pastries. Kagura bowed to both ladies before taking her seat. Yura stood beside the other handmaids and waited patiently.

"Gods morning your majesty, your grace."

"Your highness," Inukimi said politely.

When Kagura sat down they all began to eat in silence, until Inukimi spoke, as was the way it was. "So, Kagura, I'm sure you've heard about the Southern Princess arrival in a few days. How do you feel?"

Kagura shrugged. "I am fine, I suppose. I actually feel relatively calm about it."

Inukimi nodded, "That's good. I have already begun the arrangements for the wedding."

Kagura nodded as an uncomfortable clenching in her lower abdomen gave her pause.

"Are you all right, dear?" Izayoi asked with her head cocked to the side.

Kagura nodded. "Yes, I'm just having some small cramps."

"Maybe you should take rest for the day. You don't have to be up and about if you do not want to."

Kagura nodded. "I know. I have to visit my father today and then I will most likely retire for the day."

"Good." Izayoi smiled and returned to her meal.

Inukimi spoke again after taking a small sip of her tea. "About the wedding Kagura, it is tradition that the first wife assist the second throughout the ceremony. Now I understand with you carrying pups this might be a little difficult for you, so I intend to make it rather quick. Also it is Southern custom that the ceremony be short so the celebrations afterwards can last well into the next morning."

"Morning?"

"The South is known for three things, their brutality, their warm weather, and their love of parties. Weddings and funerals are their most lively occasions."

Kagura couldn't help it, but her mind drifted as her Mother-in-Law went on about the wedding between her husband and the unknown princess from the south. All he could think of was the girl. How old was she? Was she beautiful? Though a strong part of her told her not to be concerned there was that small part that was started to grow more and more nagging.

I mean, when the Inu no Taisho married the Lady Izayoi, that was just a political match as well, then two years later, he gives the mating mark to her and now more than two hundred years later she held his affection more. Granted Inukimi still held more power than Izayoi in title, but in theory, if Izayoi told the Inu no Taisho that she wanted the Queen's rooms, and jewels, she would get them.

Kagura looked between the two women. They seemed friendly enough, where one was you were bound to find the other. They were almost like best friends, but still there had to be some bitterness, some resentment between the two. Kagura could not imagine how she would feel if she lost Sesshomaru's affections to another woman. A human at that.

No. Sesshomaru loved her. Unlike the Inu no Taisho and Inukimi, their marriage was not arranged from childhood. Sesshomaru picked her, of all the women he picked her, the daughter of his father's rival. He chose his love for her over all else. Besides, it was common knowledge he the King was a dog – figuratively and literally. He was known for his escapades with multiple women, even now with two wives and three children. Sesshomaru was not like that, he was a better man than that.

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When Kagura entered her family home, she could not help the goose bumps that trailed her skin. The long walk down the dark halls set involuntary memories of her childhood there. The many beatings she experienced due to her father's untamed rage. She remembered every foul name she heard herself being called. She stopped just outside his office, where the worst of his abuses were acted upon. Between her brother, Yura, and herself, Naraku always had a vent for his frustrations.

Lately though he has been a little tenser, now that Byakuya has been away at school, training to be a scholar of the court, and soon after Kagura had married Sesshomaru she sent for Yura to be her handmaid, now the only people he had to torture were his servants and the few whores he kept around.

The office doors opened and Kagura entered. The room was dark except for the fire burning in the hearth. Naraku stood in front of it facing the flames. His hair was down stopping just past his rear. He looked ominous and deadly. Kagura swallowed heavily.

"Hello, Father."

Naraku turned to faced her slowly. His beady red eyes were shadowed by the darkness of the room.

"Kagura," his dark voice called gently.

She contained the shiver that wanted to go through her and slowly moved forward. "I'm sorry I could not meet you this morning I was with the Queen."

"I understand."

Suddenly the image of him striking her with the back of his hand startled her. She blinked as she continued to stare at him across the room. "You wanted to speak with me?"

He moved forward and Kagura willed herself to stay still. Thanks to living with Sesshomaru for so long she had mastered the perfect aloof face. He could read her as easily. He reached his hand out and stoked her belly lovingly. She gritted her teeth and swallowed. "Where is Yura?"

"With Ai."

"So you're alone?"

"I have my guards. Sesshomaru would never allow me to go anywhere unattended."

"He shouldn't. Not when you carry such a valuable load." He removed his hand and she could not help the sigh of relief. "I know about the human princess's arrival."

"Either word travels fast or your spies have been hard at work, for I just found out about that this morning."

He cracked an ominous smile. "I make it my business to know what's going on around me… especially when it involves my children."

There was a long drawn out silence and Kagura knew why. "She is not a threat."

"She will be. What happens if you have another girl? The throne will not secure and the ningen bitch could have a son and all of our ties to the throne will be lost. I've worked entirely too hard to get this family where we are to lose it all now because you can't do your part." He did not yell but he was deadly serious, and she knew that.

However she could not help the anger the brimmed at his words. "You did nothing to secure the throne to me. I did it on my own."

Naraku chuckled. "Right. You just happen to be picked to be the Queen's handmaiden out of all the other girls at court. It had nothing to do with the Inu no Taisho wanting to keep tabs on me."

Kagura shook her head. She was not going to sit here and listen to him talk. "If that is all, I should be going now."

She turned to leave. Suddenly his large hand was around her wrist squeezing hard. She let out a small cry of pain, before she was yanked back around. Due to the extra weight from her stomach she fell into him. Naraku took advantage of this moment and fiercely squeezed her jaw with his other hand while holding onto her wrist.

His voice was low and sinister as he whispered in her ear, "You little bitch! You think you're better than me?!" Kagura struggled to get away, whimpering in distress. He held her steady and continued his verbal assault. "You are nothing but a low class whore. You got lucky because some pup was dumb enough to marry the first slut who opened her legs to him. He is just like his father. He will succumb to the clumsy and innocent charms and he will forget about you. He doesn't love you!"

"No!" Kagura used her powers to send a strong gust of wind to send him flying backwards. He landed on his knees and quickly stood while she ran for the door.

"You cannot escape me, Kagura! I am apart of you. When you fail to conceive a male he with throw you out, and then I will take you."

Kagura paused for a moment to quickly gather her before flinging the door open and walking out. Her guards followed her out of the manor. Waiting was a palanquin. She quickly climbed inside and let the door shut before began sobbing quietly.

Gentle but firm arms wrapped around her shoulders. "What happened? What did he do?" Yura asked just as distraught. She insisted on going when Kagura asked her to stay behind. She knew he would do something bad to her. He always does. So she agreed to stay in the palanquin but now she wished she had gone inside.

"Let's just go home." Kagura said with her head in the crook of her neck. Yura nodded, and then knocked on the ceiling signaling the servants to move forward.

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Sesshomaru calmly made his way to his wife's bedchamber. Though they've been married for fifteen years they still had separate rooms, albeit, Sesshomaru spent many of his nights in his wife's room. Standing outside of her doors were two of her royal guards he specifically picked for her. It was custom that any lesser should bow before royalty, but these men didn't, they're focus is on protecting they're crown princess.

"Make way for the Crown Prince!"

Sesshomaru's left eyebrow twitched as the small toad demon behind him announced his arrival and his voice made an unpleasant screeching noise as he yelled. He took another step forward and the screen door slid back and he entered, passing three servants in her public chambers. Outside of the screen leading to her private chambers was Yura, bowed at the waist respectively. Still bent over she pulled the screen back and slid it shut once he passed through.

Kagura sat on the floor in front of her vanity, with her kimono in a heap around her hips, the smooth pale skin on her back was marred by the imperfect blemish that consumed the mass of it, a dark ugly scar in the shape of a spider. Her clans mark. The mark of the Onigumo clan. Sesshomaru ad similar scars, only his were less conspicuous. The twin maroon stripes on his cheeks and crescent moon symbolized both bloodlines that flowed through him, and both were elegant. The first few times they were intimate Kagura always kept her kimono on. It was not until after they were married did he see it, but by then it really didn't matter. Every clan had their own special marks. Unfortunately the Onigumo's was just ugly. But on Kagura, it was beautiful.

Everything about her was beautiful, and at moments when she was like this, half naked with her long ebony waves cascading down her milky skin, she was sin. He moved to kneel by her side and gently kissed her exposed shoulder. She smiled warmly at him as he reached to caress her swollen belly. He inhaled her; it was a mixture of her natural scent mixed with the heavy aroma of milk and the sweet smell of new life growing within her. He reached around and pulled her into a gentle and long kiss.

As he pulled back he saw the faint mark of a healing bruise on both sides of Kagura's mouth. They looked like finger prints. He had not noticed them at dinner; his mind had been preoccupied on the announcement of his second engagement. He narrowed his eyes only a fraction before lifting her hands in his and inspecting them. There, on her right wrist was a fading hand print.

The rage the filled Sesshomaru in that moment was nearly blinding. Someone had touched his wife. His mate. Had harmed her while she was pregnant with his pup. There was only one who was both stupid enough and bold enough to do it. Sesshomaru dared not speak a word of it though. His wife, as amazing as she was, was indeed a fool. With all odds forever against her father she defended him, no matter what offense it was, even against her own self. He would have to deal with this quietly. He kissed both of her wrists to cove r up is investigating before rising back to his full height.

He then helped Kagura stand and escorted her to her bed. He sat down next to her. When she was seated on the thickly cushioned pillows she exhaled in relief. "Today was a long day… So… when does she arrive?"

"Who?"

"Your new wife?"

Sesshomaru of course had no outward reaction. The only sign of discomfort he gave was his break in eye contact as he looked toward the floor. "In a fortnight. We'll be having the wedding the day after." He answered simply.

Kagura nodded. "I better make sure Yura gives the seamstress the measurements for Ai's and my kimonos."

She closed her eyes and he studied her for a while. She looked calm and peaceful, but he knew her better than to go baked off of outward opinion. "Are you upset?" Sesshomaru asked.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at him with an unreadable expression. "I knew this day would come. You told me the truth of the situation and for that I am grateful… but I cannot help but feel a little… angry. You are my mate. I just. I don't want to end up like…" she broke off, ending their eye contact as well.

"Like my mother," he finished for her. His tone was not angry or hurt. He understood what she meant. He took her hand in his. "I am not my father, and you are not my mother. I promised that you will never be second and you won't."

"But what if she can give you a son and I can't?" There she said it, the one thing that she had been denying all the while. The thing she thought when she first realized the date to his second marriage was approaching and she decided to get pregnant a second time.

"You do not need to give me a son to make me happy. I have a beautiful daughter who is both smart and fearsome with a sword. I will never pressure you for a male hire. If the pup you're carrying comes out a boy then that will be great, but that will not make me name him my heir. Now get some sleep. I feel that these next three weeks will be trying on everyone."

She nodded and closed her eyes. He kissed her on the lips before rising to leave her room. Out in the hall he made way to his own chambers. Jaken was walking quietly behind him waiting for any more orders. Sesshomaru stopped outside of his door, just down the hall from Kagura's. There were no guards posted, he did not need them. He went to open the screen when the familiar scent of honey and lily's carried from down the hall. He turned his head just as a petite form detached from the shadows at the end of the dimly lit hall and made its way toward him.

Ai walked with purpose towards her father. She was slender and dainty like her mother, and shared her milky skin, red lips, small nose, and round eye shape and wavy hair texture. But her locks were silver, not ebony, and eyes of amber not ruby. Her sharp claws looked harmless on her small hands, but within them was the deadly poison that coursed through her father's. Overgrown fangs peaked outside of gapped mouth.

"What is it, Ai?" He stood still watching g as his daughters beautiful face twisted into a cold mask of malice.

"This human girl that you're marrying, is she a replacement for my mother?"

"No."

"Why are you marrying her, again please explain?"

"Politics. The South has many assets that the West can utilize."

"Well don't expect me to treat her like she's my family."

"I don't. Is there anything else you would like to say?"

Ai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I love my mother."

Sesshomaru could have laughed, hose same words were the ones he used against his father when he found out he was to marry Izayoi. He had only been a little older than Ai and he better than anyone knew what those words meant. It was not just a statement; it was a warning, a threat even. 'I love my mother more than you' is what she really meant. And she would protect her until her dying breath; he knew that, even against him.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Goodnight, Ai."

Without a bow she turned on her heal and walked away. Any normal father would be outraged by the lack of respect if she had been their daughter. But she wasn't, she was his, and he understood her more than he did himself usually. He would not dishonor her… or her m other. Not like his father did him and his mother of those years ago.

Without casting the imp a glance he entered his chambers, dismissing him without a word. Yes the next three weeks would be tiresome indeed.

And done.

Okay that was that. I know Sesshomaru was a little OOC but I mean he can't be a hard ass with everyone. Well at least not with Kagura. That's his love. So anyway you guys know what to do. Tell me what you think and maybe I'll update faster next time.