Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Frkkn copyright.
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A/N: So, this update was delayed by my birthday weekend, but now it's finally here. Sorry to keep you guys waiting, and thanks to those that reviewed Ceremonious Induction. :) Alas, my birthday present to you all.
~ Sky
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Chapter 8: Cinderella Masquerade
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Gold met red in a clash of ice and fire.
"So. You are Naraku." Sesshoumaru remembered the time he visited old Bokuseno in his demon grove four nights ago. In his quest to end his bloodline curse, Sesshoumaru was sent to seek out Kiori and its guardian, Ino. He was only given subtle clues and minimal direction on how to find her. He was, however, also given a specific lead on his quest. One name: Naraku.
Naraku kept his demonic smile plastered to his face as Sesshoumaru's stoic expression betrayed nothing. The silver-haired taiyoukai could just imagine the cold smile playing across fate's lips as its mistress destiny brought him before the hanyou rumored to have kept Ino prisoner. Sesshoumaru found himself quite intrigued at the turn of events.
Naraku raised an eyebrow at Sesshoumaru's statement. "The way you put it, Lord Sesshoumaru, you sound as though you have heard of me. Might you be so kind as to indulge me in this knowledge?"
The ice façade on Sesshoumaru's face was kept in place. "You are correct. Lo, I have heard of you."
Naraku nearly beamed with his inflated ego. "Oh, really now? Has my power spread so that even the great Sesshoumaru of the West has taken notice of me? I should be honored. But alas, there's no need to fear of my kingdom's force if one should make me his ally," he hinted slightly.
The corner of Sesshoumaru's lips twitched into a menacing smirk. "Don't flatter yourself, half-breed. There's no need to fear your kingdom's force because it will never be a threat to mine," Sesshoumaru calmly stated. The smile on Naraku's face faltered. "And if truth be told, it is not the power that you claim your kingdom to have that I had heard of. Rather, it is the lack of it."
Naraku kept the smile on his face. But the twitch in his brow and the look his eyes could not hide the obvious rising anger stirred by Sesshoumaru's comment. "Whatever do you mean, Sesshoumaru-san?" he questioned in faux lightness.
"I have heard of a half-demon spawn raiding and pillaging villages for his own pleasure, taking captives and forcing them to serve him and add to his armies. Although conquest is of a desirable goal for any ruler to achieve, don't you think a kingdom would best expand if the survivors were not to be taken just as concubines and slaves?"
Silence reigned as Naraku took a moment to think. He closed his eyes as the smile came back to his face. "There are casualties in every war. Even the ones in conquest." Naraku opened his eyes to give Sesshoumaru a hardened stare. "Don't tell me you've never been guilty of the same sins, Lord Sesshoumaru."
Naraku had expected the demon lord to frown. But to his disappointment and surprise, Sesshoumaru kept the wryly smirk on his face. "Oh? You dare compare your lowly status and minimal power to me? I have a vast kingdom dedicated to me, and me alone. My kingdom's territories reach the far ends of this land. It is five times the size than your kingdom, the south, and the east's domains combined. I need not turn the survivors of my conquests into toys and slaves. They either die, or give their loyalty and alliance to me by choice at the end of war. It is something YOU will never achieve. Besides, my search for conquest relies on battling and defeating the strongest youkai in the world. You, on the other hand, only have power to prey on the weak."
This time, the smile and mirth left Naraku completely. The red-eyed hanyou glared openly at Sesshoumaru. The intense stare down boiled into silence as immense youki and aura flared in the atmosphere with such hostility, some backed away from the two lords in confusion and fear.
"Now, now," Kenji tried, putting his hands up between Naraku and Sesshoumaru, "come on, you two. I know it's tempting to test each other's mettle, but let's not start a fight at such a beautiful and ceremonious event, eh?"
Sesshoumaru scoffed and straightened his composure in a sense of debonair. "Hn. And whatever gave you that idea? It would be most improper of a host to act like a rabid animal in front of his guests, wouldn't you think. Is that how lowly you think of this Sesshoumaru?" The demon lord bestowed his clownish guest an eerie smile, flashing him a dangerous fang in the process.
Kenji tensed at the smile Sesshoumaru gave him. "Of course not, Master Sesshoumaru. I did not mean it like that at all."
Three deep taps reverberated loudly throughout the ballroom, thoroughly interrupting the commotion going on within the circle of lords and aristocrats. The entire celebration came to a halt as all eyes were turned up to look at the Royal Herald. "It is ten till the complete waxing phase of the moon signals 11 at night. Will all guests and attendants put on their masks again before the presentation of Kiori's guardian. As is custom, no one will be allowed to take off his or her masks until the stroke of midnight. Commence the ceremony." Two strikes resounded in the silence, and the celebration resumed.
Music filled the air again. Laughter and conversation resumed. The demon lords went back to their political chats. And a small eye from between the slit of the grand hall entrance doors observed the celebration with tremendous apprehension.
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Rin swore she was going to faint.
Through the slit in the doors, she could see nearly the entire ballroom in all its glory. All sorts of sights, smells, and sounds reached her senses as she tried to take it in all at once, failing miserably at doing so. Foreign and classical music played, and it was beautiful. The smell of food wafted over from a small area in the ballroom reserved for entrees, desserts, and dishes. And the sights! It was amazing! Who would ever have thought such beautiful architecture could exist? She knew since the first time she laid eyes on Sesshoumaru's castle that it was going to be very different from the traditional structures of Japanese fortresses. But she had no idea such outlandish art could exist, nor had she ever expected the alien designs to be so spectacularly overwhelming. The ballroom was the prettiest room in the castle she had come across. Ivory and alabaster pillars held up and designed the high-roofed white polished marble room, as jewels, silver, gold, and white gold where embedded into the walls and the pillars in intricate designs. Even the metals used to hold up the trays of fire were masterfully crafted and came out splendidly from the walls. A lavish red and black carpet fell down the grand staircase and led out a few feet onto the bottom floor of the ballroom.
And the guests - such beautiful and handsome beings strutted around in masks and costumes. Several patrons sported heavy and refined ceremonial kimonos, while others dressed in foreign designs; some similar to her gown, and others reminding her of Buddhist cultures.
Rin looked around some more, her vision finding a group of prominently dressed men. They looked highly prestigious and very well groomed, engaged in their own heated discussions. Her eyes landed on a particular man with long flowing black hair. Although his black mask hid his face and distance made it hard for her to make it out, Rin could swear she saw a glimpse of red through his mask's eyeholes.
She shivered.
Squinting her eyes even more, she tried desperately to identify the man, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. But the more she tried to rack her brain, the more she felt the uneasiness constricting her chest. It strongly suggested that she needed to look away. As the coldness creeped into her conscience, Rin finally had enough and tore her gaze away from the bone-chilling black haired man. The more she looked at him, the more she felt like running.
Her eyes roamed the room again. More beauties and handsome creatures came across her vision. But nothing filled her stomach with more butterflies than when she found Sesshoumaru. She grimaced at herself, hating the warmth that crept up her face as she stared at him. His back was facing her, but he was dressed in such regal attire, she felt her heart clench at the sight of him. Panic rose with the realization that he was the cause for her heart's strange oddity. She scoffed to herself. The only reason he had her heart doing double time was because she hated his guts. Nothing more…right?
Rin stopped breathing.
Ayako, ready with the scent perfume in hand, decided to spray the young girl with the perfume in exaggerated amounts again. Rin backed away from the doors, coughing and sputtering wildly.
"Ayako!" she protested.
"You reek of nerves, mistress. Whatever is distressing you, you must not let yourself sweat. The perfume only works to a certain degree," Ayako calmly defended. She pulled out a petite cloth and dabbed at the sweat forming at Rin's temples and forehead. Rin swallowed the lump that settled in her throat. She looked anxiously at Ayako. From the lack of retort, Ayako smiled gently at the human girl. "There's no need to be so nervous."
"Ayako…" Rin softly pleaded, "I'm scared."
"There's nothing to be scared of – "
"You don't understand, Ayako," Rin cut her off, bringing her clutched hands up to her chest. "I have never been to any of these ceremonies. I've never worn a "dress" or had all this, this…this powered cake on my face," she exclaimed, waving her hands around her makeup-covered face to emphasize her meaning. She continued, "I don't know how to act at these gatherings, I don't know what's proper or improper…and for heaven's sake, I don't even know if I can walk in these glass contraptions!" Rin lifted up her dress to show Ayako the glass shoes she had been forced to wear along with the gown. They had practiced walking a bit before leaving the room, and the first few attempts were far, FAR from graceful. In fact, one would barely consider it "walking".
"Just remember - think of them as if you're walking on getas with only the back side raised. And they're called shoes; female heels to be precise."
Rin blankly stared at the female dog demon for a few passing moments. "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can," Ayako gently, but sternly battled.
"No, I can't."
"You can."
"I can't!"
"You can!"
"I CAN'T!"
"Do not make me tighten your corset any more than it already is."
Rin gasped. "Ayako," she whined in a small voice. She remembered the crazy moments she had with Ayako moments before she tried on the glass slippers. Ayako had made her brace the wall as the dog demoness started crushing her with the middle portion of the dress. Rin had no idea why there was a damn bone in the middle, but she swore after tonight, she'd never wear another gown for as long as she lived. She brought faux tears to her eyes as Ayako merely smiled.
"Ahem!" Both girls looked to their side as the herald appeared at the doorway. "It is almost time to present her, Ayako. Two more minutes before we make the announcement."
Ayako nodded her head at him while Rin visibly blanched. The herald nodded back and disappeared again behind the doors, closing them firmly shut.
Rin shook her head desperately. "No, no, no. I can't do this! Can we not just postpone my induction to another night where I'd be more thoroughly prepared? I promise I'll practice walking and talking appropriately just for this occasion! Just please don't make me go out there at this moment. Please, Ayako, I plead with you from the bottom of my heart!" Rin gave the dog demoness her best set of puppy eyes.
Ayako smiled endearingly at Rin. "Lord Sesshoumaru will walk you through the process. Don't speak unless it is necessary – "
"Ohhhh, but you know how notorious I am for witty remarks!"
" – do not make haste or rash decisions, and be greatly mindful of your balance. You must exude grace and confidence as Kiori's guardian. They expect nothing less," Ayako continued. Rin gave her a tearful look. The silver haired maid pushed a stray hair back into the elaborate hairdo on Rin's head. "Do not fret. You will be fine. I believe in you. And I am sure, that from the heavens above, Ino is putting her faith in you as well."
Rin hesitated for a second. Pursing her lips together, she sighed deeply. Grudgingly straightening her composure, she took a moment to take in a shuddering breath, willing herself to calm her nerves. She closed her eyes and played a memory in her mind where she was happy and content, and all was right in the world. Opening her eyes slowly, she hesitantly made her way to the front of the doors, putting on her best poker face.
She quickly turned her head back to Ayako. "I hate it when you play the Ino card. It's the most insidious thing you can pull," she said, sticking her tongue out in mock anger.
Ayako giggled and pulled out a silver porcelain mask from her pocket. "Don't forget this."
Rin turned her body around and looked down at the item Ayako had in her hands. She stared at it dubiously for a moment. "This…what is this?" She looked up at Ayako as she moved her hands to touch the mask. "I saw the other guests wearing it in the next room."
"There are different kinds of balls one can host. This particular ceremony is called a "Masquerade". It is popular in the western cultures of the mainland. Although Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't care for celebrations, our royal event planner fancies these type of foreign ceremonies," Ayako explained.
Rin looked at the mask. It was quite beautiful.
"Here," Ayako motioned. "I'll help you." She deftly tied the mask around Rin's face. It only covered the area around Rin's eyes, the top rim stopping below her forehead, and the bottom rim stopping just above the bridge of her nose and high-set cheekbones. Black satin was connected at both sides of the mask and was used to tie around the back of her head to be set in place. "NOW, you are ready."
The girls could hear the three bass taps from the other side of the door. It was time. Pushing Rin back to face the door, Ayako hastily got out of the way and retreated into the shadows of the castle.
"Wait, Ayako!" Rin tried, turning her head over her shoulder to search for her friend.
"You'll do great!" came Ayako's voice from the shadows.
Rin breathed heavily and turned her head back to face the doors.
"My gentle Lords and Ladies," the voice of the herald reached Rin's ear. Her breath caught in her throat. It was now or never. "…presenting to you this evening, the guardian of Kiori, Lady Ino!"
All eyes turned their attention up the grand staircase as they awaited the lady of the night. Naraku narrowed his red gaze as he followed suit. This was the moment he was waiting for all night long. The large doors rumbled as they were pulled wide open to reveal the beauty waiting behind them.
Rin's heart lurched forward.
The light was almost blinding as she tried to squint her eyes, waiting for it to adjust properly to the bright room. As her vision cleared, her heart started to beat frantically as she received the open stares and awes from the guests in the crowded ballroom. Silence reigned. She looked around like a deer caught in the headlights. Gulping discreetly, Rin took a tentative step forward. Her eyes darted back and forth throughout the room, jumping from one stare to another.
She almost reached the top edge of the staircase. The silence and the stares everyone sent her way was threateningly overwhelming. As her brain subconsciously counted the number of eyes she met, she was nearly tempted to throw up. Rin stopped walking. A great wave of panic flooded her chest. Too many people were staring. Too many people were judging. She felt the bile rising, burning her throat as nausea swirled like a demon in her stomach. One more look at a condescending stare and she knew she would flee from the room. Her knees locked in anticipation and the adrenaline started pumping through her body, getting her ready to run away.
Rin couldn't take it anymore. This was a mistake. Just as she coiled her body to flee, her eyes finally met the steady golden gaze of the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes upon.
Sesshoumaru.
He was looking at her with the same blank face he always graced her with. But there was something different in his eyes. Rin felt her skin flush. His eyes were smoldering. She couldn't understand why he was looking at her that way, and for the life of her, she had a harder time understanding why she was so affected by ONE stare sent her way from him. It seemed like they had been staring at each other for hours, when in reality, only a few seconds had passed. The silence in the room had only thickened.
Sesshoumaru finally made the first attempt to break the staggering atmosphere. In the eerie silence, he made his way from the side of the room where he was standing with the ring of demon lords to the staircase, his soft footfalls echoing through the clean space of the ballroom. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, he lifted his elegantly gloved hand toward her.
Rin caught on his gesture. Releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, she daintily picked up the front of her gown. Mustering up as much courage as she could, and concentrating on her balance, she slowly made her first step down. The band took this as a cue to begin a slow melody fit for Rin's first grand-staircase slow motion entrance. The guests looked on with open curiosity as Rin descended in her heaven-like gown.
Trying her best to look graceful and poised, Rin's breath hitched as she concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. Walking forward in these foreign getas was a challenge, but walking down the darn staircase was a story on a whole other level. The gown felt alien to walk in and added to the awkward weight she carried. Not to mention, the "corset" portion of the dress did nothing to help with her breathing. Eternity passed and finally, she reached Sesshoumaru. She gingerly placed her own gloved hand in his. As a gentleman was expected to, Sesshoumaru bowed at the waist and placed a light, albeit prompt, kiss across her knuckles. Heat rushed to Rin's cheeks as the demon lord displayed such propriety. She swore if only he wasn't such a condescending hothead, he might have been admirable.
Still, grateful for his familiar presence in this mess of strangers, Rin willingly let him pull her away from the staircase and into the main area of the ballroom. Sesshoumaru walked forward onto the dance floor. Rin could feel the crowd's eyes boring holes into her body. She sent a silent prayer to thank Kami for the mask she was wearing on her face. Although it only symbolically gave her a little bit of coverage, it was enough to give her a sense of security.
The taiyoukai halted once he reached the middle of the dance floor. Too preoccupied in her own musings, Rin nearly made the mistake of colliding with him. Her alien shoes tripped over an imaginary crack and she stumbled forward. Rin could picture her distress in slow motion, already dreading the embarrassment she was about to face when her face made contact with the floor.
She closed her eyes in anticipation, but the face plummeting never came. Sesshoumaru grabbed her other hand and twisted her body until she faced the ceiling. He placed a hand in the small of her back and splayed his fingers as his other hand enclosed one of her own and brought it between their bodies, sliding his digits up her arm to make her hold him around his neck. Gasps could be heard among the crowd. He moved so swiftly and elegantly, others could only see her stumble as a purposeful dance move.
As if on cue, a dance number started.
Rin breathed heavily as she stared up at two intense golden orbs. Sesshoumaru brought her back up, and they began a slow, but intense dance. Rin winced and grimaced when she stepped on his foot.
"Shouldn't it be I who is proper to whine since you are the one who stepped on me?" Sesshoumaru blatantly questioned.
Rin blushed as she kept an indignant glare on her face. "I'm sorry," she seethed with sugarcoated sarcasm, "I had no idea being the wielder of Kiori meant I needed to know how to dance as well."
"Are all humans incapable of simple skills such as accomplishing a cultural dance?" Sesshoumaru taunted further. This time, Rin deliberately stepped on his foot again, eliciting an annoyed hiss from the demon lord leading the dance.
"There wasn't exactly a dancing class available in my captivity, I'm so sorry to disappoint you."
"They lack manners as well."
"Forgive me if I bleed on your coat," Rin venomously mocked.
Sesshoumaru twirled her around so fast, the action was almost violent. Rin felt her head spin and it took her a moment to gain her bearing. She glared at the demon lord before he snapped her back to him.
"You are so fortunate I don't know how to properly walk in these glass contraptions you call shoes!"
"Here's the deal," Sesshoumaru bent over to whisper low in her ear, his husky tone dropping an octave. Rin felt a strong shiver rack down her spine. "You are my guest, you are my property, you are obliged to fulfill my commands, so you will treat me with respect whether you like it or not. And if only I was capable of obtaining my powers without you, you would have long been beheaded for your insolence."
A dark eyebrow twitched in anger. "Although I am your guest, I am NO ONE'S property," Rin forcefully spat. "And just to refresh your memory, I have a duty to Ino. Not to you. You just happen to be the object of Ino's goals."
"Give up the notion that you are a free woman. Because you no longer are. You have always been a prisoner, and you always will be. Give up," Sesshoumaru replied coldly.
Rin slammed herself harder into his body with the next twirl, successful in knocking a bit of air out of his chest. She was challenging the taiyoukai through her body language. SHE was the one who was fortunate that there were too many witnesses at the moment for him to do anything. Then again, he was the Great Lord Sesshoumaru. He could do anything he pleased. The demon lord's face nearly contorted with anger, but he held himself in check, opting instead to grip her wrist in a painful embrace. The young girl only countered back fiercely, "I will never give up."
Sesshoumaru remained unfazed and emotionless. "Hn. Disgusting humans and their annoying traits."
Hurt found it's way to Rin's chest. She pulled her head back to look the taiyoukai straight in the eye, replacing the anger in her face with fearsome serenity. A few quiet moments had passed before she spoke again, her voice coming out in a calm and steady pitch that somewhat alarmed the demon lord. "I can't help the fact that I was born human; a creature that brings you so much disdain. Had I the choice, I would've been born a flower. Life would have been much kinder. Unfortunately, we can't all have life go our ways. So," her voice gained intensity, "sorry to be a blithering disappointment to your entire existence, but would it kill you to treat 'your property' with a little more kindness?" The dance continued flawlessly, with grace and air completely opposite from their current conversation.
Sesshoumaru twirled her again, though he was gentler this time. He softly brought her back in his arms. "I saved you from your fall earlier, didn't I?"
Surprise was evident in Rin's eyes. She tried desperately to refrain from reacting to his words, but it was enough to render her speechless although she had a retort waiting. Letting his words roll off her shoulders, Rin grabbed his hand and turned in his embrace. "Ayako said that you'd inform me with further instructions for tonight."
One of the demon lord's eyebrows shot up. "Straight to business, I see. At least you have that. Alright then," with a sidestep, Sesshoumaru dipped her and brought her back up. "Your name in public from now on is Ino. It is important that you never reveal your true name outside my court. You are a descendent of Kiyoko, the last guardian to hold Kiori during the previous activation of this curse. Behave properly tonight, and just follow my lead on things. Or I promise you, there WILL be consequences. I want tonight to flow smoothly, and I want no wryly remarks from you in front of my guests."
"That's a lot to take in. But I got it."
"I'm not finished. You will show me respect. And since we've no choice seeing as we've been thrown unwillingly into these circumstances, I have decided I want the next month to go without incident. Behave and do as you're told, and in exchange for helping me with this bloodline limit, I finally came to a conclusion that I will let you live after we're done with our business. Maybe." Sesshoumaru pointedly stated.
Rin narrowed her eyes in an insulted glare. "How comforting. I am to be used and thrown away."
The smirk on Sesshoumaru's face was almost a blatant sneer. "You do not think this Sesshoumaru will continue to bed you after our deed is done, do you? I have already sacrificed a lot of pride letting you step foot within my kingdom and having you charade around as a member of my clan. I will be sacrificing even more pride to actually perform the cursed ritual with you. You have no inkling of how against the idea I am of bedding a human. It's absolutely preposterous. Unfortunately, there is nothing this Sesshoumaru can do given the current situation."
A small jab in her chest made itself known to Rin. "You're sacrificing pride? I'm sacrificing the only thing I have left. My purity. My status. My life."
Sesshoumaru was taken aback by her intensity. Making sure her words sunk into his head, Rin let go of his hand as she twirled around on her own. She slowed to a stop, deciding she had enough dancing to last her a lifetime. He had really hit a nerve with that last comment. This demon. He was truly a demon king. And fate had been cruel enough to place her in the grasp of this heartless, ignorant bastard, who thought her sole existence was a nuisance. There was no way she could continue this dance. She gracefully spun around to walk away.
It was then that she had collided with a hard body. Bouncing back with a small "umph," she struggled to find proper footing with the foreign shoes she was still trying to adjust to. A hand shot up to grab her arm and poise her before she could fall. Countless icy-hot warning shocks travelled up Rin's arm, screaming danger in her head.
"Forgive me, Lady Ino."
Rin froze and her eyes shot up to the stranger in front of her. A red gaze looked at her through the black mask he wore. She whipped her arm away from him before she could stop herself. Stumbling back, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, bringing her body to connect with a strong chest. Looking up, Rin found it was Sesshoumaru who steadied her. Although his body was attentive to hers, his eyes were still on the man she had bumped into. Clearing her throat, she gently stepped away from Sesshoumaru, pretending to straighten her dress, although the taiyoukai's hand never moved away from her waist.
"It's quite alright," Rin regarded the red-eyed man. "The fault was mine, Lord…"
"Lord Naraku, Lady Ino," the man replied, bowing before lifting up her hand to place a kiss on it.
Sesshoumaru's nose picked up on the sharp flash of fear that spiked from Rin. But as fast as it had come, it had gone again, replaced by the strong perfume Ayako had practically bathed the girl in. Rin managed a small, awkward smile as she quickly took her hand back. She unconsciously moved closer to Sesshoumaru, which didn't go unnoticed by the taiyoukai. In turn, his grip on her waist tightened just the slightest bit.
"Do not worry about it, my lady. All thought of the rest of the world is stripped away in the midst of fun. Everyone is victim to it." Naraku bowed and turned to walk away.
As soon as Naraku was out of earshot, Sesshoumaru turned and dragged Rin behind him, leading them out of the ballroom into the garden outside. They reached a quiet place near a glamorous fountain surrounded by sakura trees. The breeze softly played, showering the couple in a parade of falling pink blossoms.
Sesshoumaru had let go of Rin's arm, and she walked over closer to the edge of the fountain. She took a shuddering breath and enclosed herself within her arms. She was so close to Naraku. Naraku had actually touched her.
Without turning back to face Sesshoumaru, Rin looked out into the night, scrambling down to sit on the fountain's edge. "Would you punish me if I were to take a blade and shed the blood of one of your guests?"
His golden eyes never left her trembling form. He watched her closely, almost amused by this exchange. "Depends. Which one is your imagination murdering at the moment?"
Rin swept her gaze around the garden, but she saw nothing with her heightened brain activity. "He was the one who kept Ino and I captive. He is the one responsible for Ino's death." She abruptly stood up and stomped over to the demon lord. "Why have you brought him here tonight?" she demanded, throwing a fist that connected solidly with his chest.
Sesshoumaru merely looked down at her. "I don't need to give you an explanation," he started. He paused, though, as he observed the unshed tears glimmering in her eyes, the anger swirling in her orbs through the mask. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he found himself speaking before he could stop the words from tumbling out. "It was not I. He was a guest of a guest. I was not informed of his presence until we had recently met."
"Liar," Rin softly sobbed, refusing to relinquish the eye contact she made with him.
"This Sesshoumaru is a far cry from a deceiver. And I would not knowingly invite a murderer of anyone of my clan, let alone the murderer of my curse's guardian."
Rin stepped away from the demon lord, sitting back down unceremoniously on the stone edge. She looked up at the night sky, willing the tears brimming her eyes to die down. "Please don't make me go back in there. Not while he's still here. Please."
Sesshoumaru kept silent for a few moments. With his stoic façade set in place, he merely turned back in the direction of the ballroom and began to walk away. "I suggest you collect yourself before you re-enter the ballroom. There is one last major event we must accomplish by the stroke of midnight. I will give you time to stabilize yourself. But do not be late. You do not want to make me come out here to get you. Understand?"
Rin sighed. He never answered her question, and she feared that meant that Naraku would still be there when she got back. Needless to say, she had no choice either way. Looking down at her reflection in the fountain's water, she let a single tear stray down her cheek.
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"Make sense of this, Hyoga. My fingers are itching to kill."
Although Hyoga's stern face had not faltered, he could feel sweat accumulate above his brow. "I don't quite understand it either, my lord. We had presumed that one of the captives who tried to run away a few nights ago, Ino, might have been the guardian of the necklace. But our calculations may have been slightly off."
Naraku looked up from his position. He was seated on an open windowsill with one leg propped up. He eyed Hyoga dangerously. "'Slightly' off?" He languidly got up and took a step forward. Hyoga barely composed himself to stay where he was. "You said you did research, and that the Phantom Dog Demon's curse guardian was supposed to be a descendant of the clan. As far as we all know, they should have certain characteristics. They have silver or white hair, you said. They have golden eyes, you said. They were tall and regal and they'd haveto fit that description, you said. You've claimed to have studied the legends and compared all the events of Ino's life to the timeline of the lunar calendars and curse readings. According to all possible calculations, that guardian should have been under my captivity. Sesshoumaru was supposed to announce that there was no owner and he was never supposed to find her. He was never supposed to have this ball. But where are we and what was it that we had witnessed tonight?"
A small, shimmering trail of salty fluid dripped down Hyoga's face. "Forgive me, my lord. I had truly believed that the Ino under your captivity was the guardian. It seems as though we had the wrong Ino."
Naraku paused in his pacing. He thought back to when the herald had announced the presentation of Kiori's guardian. The herald had said the name "Ino." He pondered on that thought for a few moments. "Hyoga, there were two slaves that had attempted to escape that night, although only one had succeeded. The demon girl was dead, but that human had escaped."
Hyoga swallowed the lump in his throat. He wasn't sure he liked where his lord was going with this. "Yes. We found Ino's body. But we never did manage to find the human. Her tracks had been long gone with the rain and the storm."
"But even with human stamina, she never should've been able to make it out of the territory radius undetected without demonic speed. Our search parties have scoured the land thoroughly and swiftly that night," Naraku calmly explained, waiting for his slower general to catch the idea.
"I'm not quite entirely sure what you're implying, my lord."
Whipping around in a flurry, Naraku stomped back toward the path leading to the ballroom of the castle, where music heavily filled the air.
"My lord?" Hyoga questioned, snapping to attention at his master's sudden movement.
"Call Takeru," Naraku answered, looking over his shoulder at his general. "I need him to help me confirm a few things. I also want you to find out for certain the name of that human that escaped." An evil smile laced his malicious face. "Get to work."
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xOxO
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"Tell me if I'm mistaken or not, but are guardian descendants of the Inu-clan not supposed to have silver or white hair, Lord Sesshoumaru? Because in all the paintings and scrolls I've seen, and the legends I've heard, I thought that pure-bred inuyoukai have shades of the moon for hair color."
The ring of aristocrats looked from Takeru to the host of the evening as they too began to wonder about the strange girl who was presented as Kiori's guardian.
"They are legended to be tall beauties with pale, white skin, and golden eyes with long flowing silver hair. The lady presented to us this evening – WOW. She's a beauty in her own right, but it wasn't what I expected. I thought she'd look more like you. But…in all honest truth, she looks…well, different," Takeru smugly stated.
If Sesshoumaru had been affected by any of his words, he made no hint of it. Instead, he stood taller and responded calmly. "You doubt the words of this Sesshoumaru? I would not present her to you in this ball unless I have found Kiori, is that not true? Kiori can only be carried by a guardian, am I correct? Therefore, think. Decipher the answer for yourselves. Generations change, but ritual and tradition don't."
Takeru didn't give up. "It's also said that the bearer of the necklace should have the characteristic eye-color of the prestigious royal bloodline. All past guardians had golden eyes. This – guardian – that you had presented us with tonight, she…well" he shrugged and looked around at the men, "what can we say, right, boys? She's just not what we expected," Takeru proclaimed, smiling profusely at Sesshoumaru.
"Lord Takeru does have a point," another man chimed in.
"I was thinking something was fishy about the girl when I first saw her."
"Can you truly say that's the prophesized guardian, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"Lord Sesshoumaru, some of the other men are also doubting that this lady is the right one. Perhaps she has tricked you and is actually using some sort of witchcraft or dark miko magic," Takeru continued.
How idiotic could they possibly get? The rest of these fools were beginning to join the bandwagon again, and it was annoying. Their questions were seriously wedging a strong headache in Sesshoumaru. He decided to stay quiet, finding that paying any more attention to these morons was pure POINTLESS. The questions continued still. Sesshoumaru felt one of his knuckles crack from the tension in his attempt to stay calm.
"And her petite frame – WHOO! Why, she could almost be huma - "
"Silence," Sesshoumaru finally spoke. His baritone was barely louder than a whisper, but it dripped with such dangerous venom and promised torture, it had been enough to hush the circle of men. Even the talkative Takeru.
But it wasn't enough to stop Naraku. "I believe Takeru has made a point. You should heed his conclusions, Lord Sesshoumaru. Women are the trickiest of all creatures," he said, the ring of men making way to clear space for Naraku to walk closer and regard Sesshoumaru. "And by the way, she looks strangely familiar."
Sesshoumaru merely looked at him, keeping silent.
"You see," Naraku started, bringing a hand up, "I had a prisoner once who had an uncanny resemblance to your 'Lady Ino.' She was beautiful, oh yes, but…she was human." Naraku's voice had taken on a taunting tone. "Surely, that can't be the lady you had brought out tonight, right? But," he turned serious, "we can't all just ignore the facts. Too many coincidences have come out to say that we're completely wrong. Might you indulge us all a bit on how you came to find Lady Ino?"
The taiyoukai did nothing. He was a statue in the midst of chaos. How dare these imbeciles try to mock him at his damn celebration. They would all pay. Just one more nerve, and he'd snap. "Are you implying that this ball is a hoax?"
"Maybe we should test out to see what this Lady Ino is all about. What do you say, men?" Naraku looked around, raising appraisal from the elders and demon lords. The hanyou turned back to the taiyoukai, grinning deviously.
The tips of Sesshoumaru's hand glowed. This bitch was seriously about to get his head ripped off. Before his whip could be extended though, three familiar bass taps resounded. Conversation died down as Sesshoumaru grimaced at his lost opportunity to kill. All eyes turned to the Royal Herald once more.
"It is time for the traditional Crescent-Moon Claim ritual to commence. Lord Sesshoumaru, please step forward!"
Sesshoumaru glared at Naraku for a moment. The hanyou seemed to be disappointed as well that their conversation had been interrupted by that troublesome herald once more. The taiyoukai's stoic face resumed as he left the blithering morons behind. Seriously. Demon politics was almost as shameless and disgusting as human politics. The lot of them deserved a hell no worse than their human counterparts.
A small stage was set to the side of the ballroom, next to the platform where the band had been playing their pieces all night long. The crowd separated and bowed as the demon lord made his way across the room. Sesshoumaru had then stepped up to the polished-marble stage, waiting for the formalities to be done. Finally, the herald had announced for Rin to join him on stage.
"Lady Ino?"
Sesshoumaru scanned the room, seeing no sign of Rin. The bomb ticking within the demon lord was steadily melting its way to explosion. Where in the seven hells was that girl now?
"Lady Ino?" the herald had repeated.
Sesshoumaru found himself taking a deep breath. Maybe it'd be better for him to start picking off his guests one by one. Starting with Rin. Then Naraku. Then everyone else. Until his bloodlust was satisfied.
"Lady Ino?" the herald exasperatedly called out one last time. The demon lord felt a vein pop in his head.
"I'm here."
Eyes turned around to the voice. From the darkness of the outside garden, Rin had emerged and diligently walked into the room. The taiyoukai nearly huffed in anger. She would pay for this later.
Naraku eyed her closely. He turned to his general that had recently joined the crowd. Hyoga smiled at his lord and leaned in to whisper newfound information in his ear.
Rin took great care to look out for her balance. Her feet were sorely starting to miss being bare, or at least in flat wraps. Nonetheless, she soldiered on the fair distance from the end of the ballroom to the stage. She had decided that she wouldn't look around the room for Naraku anymore. She would just keep her focus on getting tonight's ceremony done so she could fly back up to her designated room in her designated tower away from these demons and monsters. Tonight was nearly over. Just one more task at hand.
She paused before she climbed up the steps to the stage. Rin knew that whatever happened next was going to be life altering, and she wasn't looking forward to it at all. She had no idea what was in store for her.
'Claimed stake.'
The phrase was like hot poison branded into her brain. What in the world did that mean? She looked hesitantly at Sesshoumaru. His instant glare told her she needed to hurry up and quit stalling. Tensing slightly, she took the last few steps up and placed herself a couple feet away from the taiyoukai.
"We're gathered here tonight to witness the first stepping stone of the ancient rituals of the curse be completed…"
The herald went on and on as Rin tried her best to understand the situation that was about to go down. The first of what rituals? Kami, were there to be more nights like this? It was funny how the way the herald spoke, it was almost as though she was about to marry Sesshoumaru. – Wait…what was the herald talking about…? A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. Rin's heart skipped a beat as she realized she was perspiring. She hastily wiped the bead away, fearing that any one of these demons may catch something amiss with her scent. She looked around daintily, making sure no one caught on her blunder.
Too busy in her own world, Rin didn't notice Sesshoumaru close the space between them. It wasn't until he lifted up her arm that she realized he was right next to her. A curt gasp escaped her as she looked into the eyes of the taiyoukai. He gently turned her arm over so that her wrist faced up. Looking at the crowd, he lifted her arm up as though in victory. The crowd applauded. Rin scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. What were they clapping for? She looked back at Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his eyes were trained on the delicate pulse in her wrist. He brought his mouth down to her wrist, his breath tickling the skin there.
The air caught in Rin's throat. What the hell was going on? "Ses – Lord Sesshoumaru?" she corrected herself, nearly slipping up. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"
She didn't even see it coming. As soon as his name left her lips, he had bit down on her wrist. A small yelp elicited from her mouth at the surprise and the pain. He broke the skin and he was actually taking in her blood in front of everyone? What kind of sick perversion was this? She tried to yank her wrist back, but his steel grip was a vice around her arm. His eyes snapped open as red began to bleed into the white and gold flashed to emerald and back again. He injected his venom into her system while taking her blood. Rin didn't understand what was happening. All she knew was that she was starting to feel faint, and she couldn't even take her arm back. Was he going to kill her?
But as fast as it had started, he had released his grip on her arm and gently licked her puncture marks clean, closing the wounds on her skin. He placed a hand behind her back in case she stumbled, knowing the loss of blood may make her woozy. Rin blinked her eyes in a desperate attempt to clear her vision. A white crescent moon appeared on her wrist as another one appeared on the top curve of her breast near her cleavage. Sesshoumaru eyed the moon on her breast as a few elders gasped.
The audience had applauded again.
"The first of rituals is complete!" the herald joyously proclaimed as five bass taps accompanied him. Music filled the air again and more applauding resounded as conversations began to pick up.
Rin put a hand up to her head. 'What the hell just happened?' She looked down at her wrist and found the brand of the crescent moon there, reflecting the moon in the night sky. A moment passed before she felt panic. 'What is this?'
'I just put a claimed stake on you. You are now mine.'
Rin's eyes went wide. Her eyes snapped up to look directly into Sesshoumaru's. Was that just…his voice? In her head?
A ghost of a smile played on Sesshoumaru's lips.
'Yes. It is this Sesshoumaru's voice in your head. We have one ritual down, several more to go.' He backed a few feet away from her, his eyes dancing with new revelation. 'Welcome to your new life, Rin.'