Chapter 20

"I guess... one good thing came out of Sesshomaru being here, I feel like I can let go now, that I don't need to hold onto my past life and family... after all I have a new one now and I wouldn't trade it for the moon and stars themselves"

She picked up the small locket of hair and carried it over to my window, Takara untied the string that was holding it together and let the wind carry it far away from here.

"I guess I should get going..." She thought aloud closing the window

Takara went over to the table and picked up the small metal heart and held it tightly in her hand, once she was out of her room Takara went over to Sesshomaru's door. Once she was sure Sesshomaru was still in his room Takara placed the metal heart on the floor in front of his door then left down the hall to the throne room. Sesshomaru heard Takara leaving her room and started to pass around his own, he had been debating with himself for hours trying to find a way to keep his land from his half brother and keep Takara to himself but so far he had thought of nothing and time was running out. Once he heard the other demons moving down the all Sesshomaru knew that time had run out, it was too late and now he was going to loose the only person he could stand being with. As he opened his door to leave he noticed something small shining on the floor, he looked down and saw the metal heart he had once given Takara.

"What is this doing here?" he wondered bending down to pick it up

He tucked it into his armour then closed the door behind him for the last time, as he neared to throne room he could hear the demon girls talking amongst themselves. Once he entered the room the girls all quietened down and lined up just like the first time he had met them, his mother was sitting on her chair with Takara standing next to her. She flashed him a smile of encourage meant but all it did was remind Sesshomaru of how he would never see that smile again.

"Sesshomaru, the time has come for you to choose" his mother said in a bored tone

Takara watched as he walked pass the girls one by one until she couldn't stand it any longer, she had been hoping he would choose quickly so she could leave and forget about this whole mess but it hadn't been like that at all. Sesshomaru took his time walking around looking at the girls before him, he thought of who he might choose, who would benefit him the most but when it came down to it none of them were good enough, none of them could ever replace Takara.

"I can't do this... I can't watch him choose a bride"

Takara backed against the wall and slowly started to move away, she knew she would get into trouble for leaving but she couldn't spend another second in that room. Lady Rikana heard Takara moving away but did nothing to stop her, Sesshomaru only noticed Takara gone once he heard the silent click of the door, he looked up at the empty space where Takara was once standing and knew that he had made a mistake, he started to walk towards the door Takara only just walked out of when his mother stood up from her chair.

"Sesshomaru where are you going, you must choose a bride that was our deal"

"My bride is no longer in this room" He simply said before leaving the room

"Inuyasha can have my land; I do not care... as long as Takara is by my side"

He found Takara kneeling in her garden crying, he felt something inside of him that he had never felt before, something that made him want to pull her into his arms and wipe those tears away. He closed the door behind him and walked up behind Takara, he was sure she must have heard him but yet she hadn't moved or even tried to cover up her crying.

"Takara"

She spun around once she heard him say her name, she heard someone enter her garden but she had merely thought it was Hana not the demon lord himself.

"I think you dropped this" He said pulling out the metal heart

"Why is he here, has he come to say goodbye..."

He reached out to her with it in the palm of his hand and waited for her to take it.

"...or has he come to torment me"

Fighting against her own judgment she finally reached out and took the hear out of his hand, the second she touched his skin Sesshomaru pulled her onto her feet and into a hug.

"Sesshomaru what are you doing"

He didn't answer her, he just held her in his arms despite her efforts to pull away.

"I don't want you to cry anymore" He said finally pulling away

"I wasn't crying" Takara said quickly wiping her tear stained face "well ok I was, but only because I stood on so..."

Sesshomaru kissed Takara cutting her off from talking.

"Marry me" he said once he pulled away

"What... did you just say marry you... What about..." Takara stuttered struggling to find the right words

"I didn't choose any of them"

"What about your land"

"Takara, I don't care about any of that, I only want you in my life"

"Sesshomaru!" Lady Rikana growled behind them

"Lady Rikana" Takara panicked with a bow

"Did I just heard you correctly, you have chosen her over the others"

"Yes mother, Inuyasha can have the western lands if he pleases"

"Why would Inuyasha take of as lord of the west"

"I did not choose one of the demons, and our deal was..."

"That you have to choose a bride, and if Takara here has agreed to it then you have chosen a bride" Lady Rikana but it "well my dear, what do you say"

"I can marry Sesshomaru, its really ok for me to marry him"

"Yes, of course" She said standing straight

"There we go, you have Takara as your bride and you are still the western lord, everything worked out perfect"

"but what about the demons?" Sesshomaru asked

"Wait perfect? I thought she wanted him to marry one of the demons so how can it be perfect unless..."

"Umm lady Rikana... may I ask you a question"

"Of course"

"Did you plan this?"

Sesshomaru looked at Takara shocked, then towards his mother who was now smiling; it took him a few seconds to piece everything together.

"You planed the whole thing! Forcing us to spend time together making me go after her everything!" he shouted

"You should be thanking me, what an ungrateful son I have, Takara would never treat me this way would you my daughter"

"Daughter!"

"No of course not milady, thankyou"

"Please call me mother"

"Yes... mother"