Lessons in the Library
In the next months the household settled down into a proper routine; lessons for the pups continued not only in the well rounded academic and artistic side, but also in the dojo where they learned about their skills and how to improve them. Both twins were reported as being much more focused and less likely to mess about and cause disruption with the others since they had come back from their outing. Inuyasha too was learning well, his basic reading, writing and numeracy was dealt with by his father, as was his training in the use of his sword techniques and the control of his youkai.
In the main this went very well and over the next couple of years there were only a couple of problems. Inuyasha tried very hard but he was not as intellectually gifted as his father; he was neither unintelligent nor unable, but some concepts were very hard for him to grasp. Sesshoumaru had unlimited patience with him but he had many demands on his time and so after he had schooled Inuyasha in the basics, he had hired a tutor for him and set up another desk in the library alcove.
So far, Inuyasha's lessons had been held in his father's study and he practiced in the library; his desk was full of papers and inks and the Inu youkai who acted as librarian was always available to answer his questions. She was a very calm female who was not at all flustered by the hanyou's hissed expletives as he practised his lessons with varying degrees of success; in fact if he got too frustrated she popped her head in and was usually able to set him right.
She also gallantly ignored the slight scent of the tears that came to his eyes but did not fall, when Inuyasha was particularly exasperated; the times when he felt like throwing the whole lot from the window, which seemed to happen more and more frequently of late. But she didn't know the true cause of Inuyasha's upsets and there was no way he was going to complain; he was most annoyed and surprised at himself for being affected, it was not as if personal insults were a new occurrence.
Neither did the older ape youkai intended to be insulting; that would have made it far easier for him to cope with and to fight against. Inuyasha may have had sixty years or so of watching his temper and language around his mate and pups but that didn't mean he'd forgotten it all. No, the ape was just trying to teach him the things he would need to be a well rounded learned lord of his own land; and they were both finding it difficult.
"Stupid, idiotic, ridiculous were epithets used frequently to describe Inuyasha's ideas, thoughts or work in general; several times a day. Sometimes these were said out loud and other times they were under the breath as the ape despaired of Inuyasha. His hard work often was screwed up or ripped apart as useless wastes of paper and ink, purely because the writing was not neat enough or was too large.
Inuyasha got to dread the mornings but he wouldn't miss his lessons; his pups were not given that option and he wanted them to be proud of his accomplishments… if he ever made any. Sesshoumaru could tell that his son was always apprehensive, but put it down to a normal dislike of school which even he could empathise with; sometimes the Daiyoukai's education had been hard as well. But Sesshoumaru was not seeing Inuyasha during the day much, as the boy was often in the library for hours practicing or doing his homework.
What no one realised was that two different messages were getting crossed; the ape was reporting good news to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha worked hard and diligently; there were of course areas in which he could and would improve, but this was only natural and to be expected. Inuyasha meantime was only hearing the bad; his brain was selective all of the time and having been so used to verbal abuse for most of his life, he picked up on it straight away. He didn't register the nods of approval when he did something right or the sounds of agreement which were also present in his lessons; Inuyasha only heard the recognition of his failures.
Sesshoumaru started to worry only when Inuyasha's sparring stopped showing signs of improvement and he started to revert to the days of just hitting back instead of thinking his movements through. But when Inuyasha seemed to withdraw more and more instead of voicing his usual opinions, his father decided he needed to find out what was at the bottom of Inuyasha's reluctance. He went to the library to visit with the librarian.
She told Sesshoumaru that all seemed well when the lessons took place and she showed the Daiyoukai the waste paper basket that she emptied each day. He looked through the remains of the papers but this told him nothing and so he decided to watch over the lessons for himself from the library and without either of the others knowing that he was there.
For the first two days, nothing seemed amiss with the lessons, they progressed much as any other academic session; Sesshoumaru remembered the indignity of having some of his work ceremonially destroyed when his tutor deemed that he could have done better. Prince or no prince, Sesshoumaru got away with nothing in school; both his parents wished for him to achieve his potential.
Inuyasha though seemed to clam up as the morning wore on, hiding inside himself if he were scolded; sometimes even the hint of saline clung to him and Sesshoumaru wondered why. Then like a thunderbolt the reason hit Sesshoumaru; he'd had loving parents to whom he could complain or even sometimes whine when things got too much, or if tutors seemed unfair. Inuyasha was not yet able to do this, he was used to dealing alone with problems and although he could excel at the physical fighting, his emotional side was not so well equipped.
Two days later Sesshoumaru's suspicions were confirmed when the parting shot of the morning from the ape was to tell Inuyasha that his 'illustrious father would be ashamed of him for the shoddy work that had been presented today.' As the ape left, Inuyasha could take no more and put his head down on the desk resting it on his crossed arms. Sesshoumaru sighed as he scented his son's tears and heard his muffled sobs; remembering when he too had been in the same position many years ago.
The father in him suddenly understood how his own father had felt and dealt with him when faced with his son's grief over very similar words; Inu no Taisho had restrained the tearful but extremely proud Sesshoumaru from leaving his presence. He had put his arms round him letting the son feel the strength of his father and remained silent until Sesshoumaru had stopped his 'dignified' struggling to get away.
Then the General had just whispered words of calm more suitable for an infant than a humiliated and upset teenager and reassured the boy of his unfailing love; telling him that nothing Sesshoumaru had done had ever made him ashamed or regret being his father. Sesshoumaru remembered that he had been completely overcome by the feeling of safety and love that he had still craved and that his father had not berated him for his emotion, neither had he mentioned it; he had just held him until Sesshoumaru was ready and once more composed.
Sesshoumaru bent down to pick up the paper that lay neglected on the floor and smoothed out the creases; Inuyasha's writing had improved but not by much, it was still large and not very neat besides having splotches of ink marring the unwritten margins. The Daiyoukai recognised that he had been forcing Inuyasha to rush things with the hanyou's help; in effect his son wanted to run before he could walk properly.
But this was no race, obviously Inuyasha was not ready yet for a tutor and he would be better off reading for his learning at his leisure and just improving his legibility in writing. Kasaigin, the librarian came to the doorway having heard that Inuyasha was upset and not realising that Sesshoumaru was still there; on seeing him she bowed and left, but stayed close by in case she was wanted.
"Pup?" Sesshoumaru questioned as he stroked the bent head and noticed as Inuyasha immediately stiffened in response. With ears flat to his head, Inuyasha looked up briefly and stood wrapping his arms round himself and then walked to the window.
"I'm fine Papa; lessons are sometimes hard for me." Inuyasha's voice belied how fine he was, but Sesshoumaru smiled to himself, how well he remembered this proud feeling. But before Inuyasha could leave, which is what he wanted to do, Sesshoumaru followed his own father's example and pulled the hanyou into a strong hug. His son stayed rigid in the embrace although he also tried to get away; which proved as futile as Sesshoumaru's own attempts had been. Just as his father had done, Sesshoumaru held on to his son until the boy relaxed, recognising his defeat.
"Hush Pup, it is alright; everything will work out, there is no need for you to be distraught."
"No it won't; I can't do anything right with this schooling, all I do is frustrate that old monkey. I am just a stupid, idiotic hanyou and I shame you. At least my kids are sensible and can learn properly."
"My silly pup, I am not ashamed of you; far from it, in fact I am to blame here. I allowed you to convince me you were ready for a tutor, when you still really need to practice your early skills. The Ape is not intending to insult you; I too heard all these things about my own work, but I was forgetting that because of your past you would understand them differently. I too was told I was a disgrace to my father and he had to comfort me and reassure me that I was not. In fact I turned out to be the disappointment whereas you never have."
"I don't want to not learn…"
"Tomorrow you shall come back with me and I will see what can be done, but you will not be subjected to the more rigorous learning anymore, at least until you are better prepared." Sesshoumaru privately thought that Inuyasha would never be ready for such strict censure and he would have to find someone with more understanding to teach him. But now he felt the boy shudder against him and Inuyasha turned in his arms and wept in gratitude.
Sesshoumaru just held him firmly and said nothing; letting his presence and strength reassure his son, as his father had done for him. When Inuyasha was calm, Sesshoumaru ordered them lunch to be taken in the library and recommended a stroll around the gardens afterwards to balance the mind again. It worked well and Inuyasha was much more his old self when he came to spar with his father later on in the day.
The next day in the library, Sesshoumaru went to the shelves he had set aside for Inuyasha's use to find more books and scrolls had been placed there. He opened some and found that they were not complicated, yet not childish, and they covered a wide range of subjects; however he didn't recognise them from his collection.
Taking one over to Kasaigin, he asked her about them. She told him that she had wondered if Inuyasha could benefit from the scrolls; her father had had them made for her when she was a pup, believing that girls should also be allowed to read and learn should they choose to do so. The content was not difficult to understand yet was fairly comprehensive; Sesshoumaru thought they would do very well indeed and thanked Kasaigin for her trouble.
She replied that she was only too glad to assist; she felt sorry for the young prince, she knew his history in part as did all the long term staff and knew that study was proving to be an uphill struggle. She only wished she could help him more; she had enjoyed teaching her younger siblings and a couple of younger cousins too. Sesshoumaru studied her face and only saw interest and not intrigue and so he asked if she would perhaps help Inuyasha further; telling her of his decision regarding the tutor.
Kasaigin agreed; the tutor was far too harsh for the hanyou who was still vulnerable to self doubt of his general worth, and yes her duties in the library would easily accommodate a more involved teaching role for Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru noted that the female seemed genuinely happy to be able to have a more active role in helping Inuyasha than just answering the odd question for him; he wondered how Inuyasha would take to the idea.
As it turned out, the arrangement worked perfectly and with both Sesshoumaru and Kasaigin helping him, Inuyasha grew more confident and his writing skills improved considerably. He didn't mind Sesshoumaru taking him through the very elementary exercises for forming his letter shapes again and Kasaigin was also firm but gentle, as she too aided him and corrected his mistakes. Inuyasha was a very hard working and persevering student that made it very worthwhile to teach him.
Gradually over the following year most of his lessons were taken over by Kasaigin who then reported Inuyasha's progress to Sesshoumaru; this was a satisfactory arrangement for them all and by now the hanyou's writing was as good as it was going to get. He would never be the best calligraphist but the words were neat and legible and his numeracy was fine; Inuyasha found maths easy.
The subject of returning to a proper tutor never again was mentioned; it was not needed, Inuyasha was not a young child who required a set discipline to make him learn, he wanted to do so for himself and between Kasaigin and Sesshoumaru he had all the teachers he needed. Besides he could now read and fully comprehend most of the library books and spent many hours just trying to absorb knowledge. So much so that sometimes Sesshoumaru had to call a halt to his study as Inuyasha hadn't realised how much time had gone by.
In fact Inuyasha seemed so entranced by all the learning that Sesshoumaru became suspicious and confronted his son with firm words. Judging by the surprised and ferocious blush, he knew he had guessed correctly; Inuyasha didn't want Sesshoumaru to stop being proud of him and knowing how well educated and clever his father was, the hanyou was trying to not to fail his expectations.
So Inuyasha was still insecure and thinking on the old ape's words even if it was subconsciously; it was time for a holiday and to take Inuyasha away from learning for a while and so Sesshoumaru accepted his mother's invitation to visit for a few weeks with his son and grandpups. This visit was not just the Lady offering hospitality however; she was a socialite and wanted Sesshoumaru to circulate more.
Sesshoumaru was by no means naïve to his mother's designs and thought it better to prepare Inuyasha for her ulterior motives, while telling him at the same time to enjoy the parties and excursions. It was at the first of these parties that Sesshoumaru saw again what an actor Inuyasha could be; a couple of the ladies had found out that the hanyou was the Western Lord's son and were trying to ingratiate themselves with him.
They made the mistake of treating Inuyasha as the young pup he really was, not realising that the hanyou's life experience had taken him far from the sheltered pampered life that Sesshoumaru's son could be supposed to have lived, and making him far more mature than he would normally have been. They also hadn't recognised that he was the hanyou who had defeated Naraku, so it was great entertainment for Inuyasha as he was patted on the head and called a positive darling pup.
Sesshoumaru found him eventually surrounded by flirting females and was ready to rescue him, when one of the women called him over by saying what a wonderful son Inuyasha must be. Intrigued Sesshoumaru joined them, to see Inuyasha sitting at someone's feet with a plate of food while another was braiding his hair. But the biggest surprise to the Daiyoukai was the incredible innocence; large wide eyes and a pretty smile added up to an ingenuous look which was quite out of place on his fiery son's face.
However as Inuyasha spied his father Sesshoumaru could see the devilish glint quite clearly in the smile and eyes; and it was obvious that Inuyasha was milking the situation for all his worth. His father smirked back at him and marvelled that his rough diamond of a son could appear more innocent than even his own pups.
So it went on at all the gatherings; even when the youkai females found out that Sesshoumaru was a grandfather and that Inuyasha was the father of the adorable pups that the Lady kept around playing during the day. But when Sesshoumaru cornered Inuyasha and teased him about his conquests, the hanyou sighed and had to admit it was nice being pampered and babied; at least for a while.
None of the women caught Sesshoumaru's eye however; no matter how hard they tried nor how genuine they were, but his mother didn't give up hope that one day he would choose another after his loss of Rin. He though was not interested and both father and son were happy when it came time to leave to go home; so after thanking the Lady and inviting her to return soon to the Western Palace, they left and breathed a sigh of relief. There was only so much entertainment they could cope with and their holiday had been enjoyable but all would be pleased to get home.
Inuyasha remarked that at least none of the females that were around the Palace were as insipid or conniving as those they had been meeting and he supposed that high born females whether youkai or human were much the same. Sesshoumaru reminded Inuyasha that his own mother was noble and she hadn't been like that at all and neither was his teacher, Kasaigin who was also high born, her parents being two of his most highly regarded ambassadors.
In fact although he didn't say so to Inuyasha, at least not yet, Sesshoumaru was looking forward to seeing Kasaigin again. She was good company when they had spoken about Inuyasha's education; knowledgeable and respectful, but with a determination that would sometimes cause her to speak out of turn with him. This though was a welcome change; at least he knew she was not afraid to speak her mind; she had actually mentioned this herself saying that she knew he could not take offence as she only spoke the truth.
Although that was not strictly true, she was not rude but passionate in her beliefs, and when those included what was the correct way to deal with Inuyasha she was very firm; she protected him as if he were her own pup, she had become so fond of him. Inuyasha too had found it far easier to learn from her than from the tutor and the affection between them was obvious and mutual. It was still too soon for Sesshoumaru, but they all had time to wait and see how things developed.
TBC