Silver Moon : Chapter 13 : As You Wish
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Claimer: Sheba and Sasha are mine!
…
Sesshomaru was taken aback over what had just happened in his study. First, Sheba had slipped into his study. Taken him by surprise and told a joke at his expense, and to top it off now Keiji was sending for his mate. Kaori would be invading his home with in the afternoon when her mate informed her that the Lord of the West had taken a mate. Meanwhile, Sheba had changed into a clean light pink kimono with a silver obi, and was perched on his desk starring at him. Her hair was flowing around her shoulders in mahogany waves; he did not blame Keiji for finding her stunning.
"So, just how long do I have for my crash course in court?" She smiled at him.
"Three days", he watched her mull over this new information.
"So, how long until I may tell Koto, Mai, and Minda about ALL of this?"
"You may tell them now if you wish." He barely had finished his sentence when she gave him a peck on the cheek and was out of the room in a whirl wind form that he was learning might be her way of moving through her life when she was healthy.
"Hmp", he smirked to himself. He knew where they would be, and he would stop in at the kitchens. It was past time for her to have her first meal as his bride.
Sheba flew into her chambers where Koto and Mai were waiting with a clearly angry Minda. Sasha ran to his mistress.
"You told Minda", Sheba frowned.
"Just what were you trying to do? Get yourself killed?" Minda tapped her foot.
"Then, you don't know yet?" Sheba looked around the room at the women in it.
"I know that you attempted to use your powers in an attempt to ambush Lord Sesshomaru to obtain information." Minda was using a tone she had not had to break out since Sesshomaru was a pup.
"So, you can't smell it or anything?" Sheba still appeared to be in gleeful daze.
Koto and Mai approached her with caution, "Are you feeling alright Sheba?"
That was when it dawned on them; only after they had come within reach of the silver sorceress did they detect the dramatic change in her scent.
"How did this happen?" Mai shouted.
"How did what happen?" Minda approached to see what was so interesting.
"He has marked you!" Minda struggled to remain on her feet, but Sheba reached out to brace her, smiling.
"You didn't think that I was trying to hurt Sesshomaru did you?" Sheba cocked her head to the side.
"I thought you were going to get killed doing something that had not been thought through. I did not know just how much Sesshomaru did care for you", she hugged the girl that would soon take over as lady of this house.
"Congratulations Sheba-sama!" Koto and Mai chimed together.
"There is still a lot to be decided, and a lot to be discussed. However, I'm going to need your help. Apparently, Sesshomaru needs to make an appearance in court which means I have three days to become a perfect lady for court", Sheba came down from her high, and was focusing on what needed to be done.
"Three days! That's barely enough time to get your wardrobe together!" Mai shrieked.
"We only have a few hours before Kaori will be here as well", Sesshomaru was holding a tray of breakfast items.
"May we offer up our deepest congratulations for our lord and lady", Minda smiled as she bowed. To be honest she had not been able to stop smiling since she realized what had happened, soon her checks would surely start to ache.
Koto and Mai bowed as well, clearly giddy. They were getting to keep their lady and finally getting to serve the Lady of the West.
"I believe my bride's suit has more than enough to busy themselves with preparing chambers for Keiji and Kaori, and preparing our arrangement for our stay in court." Sesshomaru waited for all of the female youkai to leave, and inwardly smiled at overhearing a comment on 'Can you imagine what beautiful pups they will have!' from one of the maids.
"You know I have no idea what I'm doing." Sheba settled at the table in her central room.
"I have only an idea of what we are doing myself", he motioned for her to sit closer to him.
She obeyed, "Do you think that when the newness wares off, and we have to discuss the real issues that concern this relationship… do you think we will actually still want to be mated?"
Sesshomaru picked up the chopsticks, and picked up a bit of the eggs he had the chef make in the 'omelet' style she had made for him.
"What are you referring to?"
"The relationship I will have with my family if I chose to remain with you," she looked up to him.
'She was not one to beat around the bush was she?' he thought, knowing that this would likely be the issue that would make or break their relationship.
"We will discuss these things after we have made an appearance in court", he fed her a bite of egg.
"…*chew* we are negotiating when we are going to discuss something?"
"Yes, for now we are in the first week of our courtship, which is the most delicate. Now, is when I will dote over you, get to know everything about you, and vies versa. So, it will be difficult enough to have to keep myself in check when I essentially put you on display. Other males have the right to challenge me for the ability to court you, assuming that it is your wish. Thus, I would like keep a discussion that we would not be able to do anything about until after our return from court." He watched her reaction.
A frown marred her features, "Can you at least promise me that I will be able to see them before we are mated and that I could have some kind of communication with them after?"
He thought for a moment, she could tell he didn't want to say yes, but after a moment he lifted another bite of omelet to her lips and said in a level tone, "As you wish."
She pushed the food aside for a moment, and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling into his neck. She pulled away for a moment as he settled his arms around her.
"You have no idea how happy you have made me", there were tears in her eyes as she kissed his cheek, and then continued to stroke his markings with her thumbs.
For a moment he was lost in her tender attention. Perhaps, it was a reaction from her marking, but her fingertips felt like heaven. This was interrupted as the scent of the food brought him back to his new responsibility.
"So, now you will sit and eat?" he lifted a brow at her.
She settled next to him, but this time she was flush against him with her hands in her lap.
He could feel stress, that he had been oblivious to, dissipating. How long had she thought that he was so cold that he would not allow her a farewell from her "family"? The thought of having the half-breed walking the palaces' halls did make him ill, but he would not stop her from visiting them on occasion. If he could say anything for his bride it was that she seemed to always have negotiation on her side.
…
Just before night fall Kaori arrived. Sesshomaru had hoped she would have been further delayed, but here she was standing next to her husband tapping her foot. This was due to the fact the when she stormed through his home and demanded to see the bride Sesshomaru had told her that she would have wait. Sheba was helping Rin get ready for bed, something that she had always taken pleasure in doing.
"She had better be amazing! Do you know how long the youkai court has been waiting for you to wed?" Kaori's velvety voice was annoyed.
Sesshomaru was mid-snarl when the door swung open.
"I swear that Minda gave that child as much sugar as humanly possible just to spite me for last week!" There Sheba stood dressed in the same pearl pink kimono and silver obi, her hair was down, her long bangs to one side with some of the front section of hair pulled back. Her cheeks were lightly flushed when she realized that she was not the only one in the room with him. The demoness was very tall, as tall as Inuyasha perhaps, with light green eyes and skin and long dark hair pulled into a high ponytail.
"Very nice…" Kaori was circling her like a prize pony during inspection. She ran her finger though her hair, "What a lovely texture" she mumbled holding out her arm. She patted her on the backside, "Well there is one thing an Inu will always like" she said smugly.
"I am BathSheba, you must be Kaori, and yes I am well aware that I have great ass", she bowed ever so slightly, content that the last comment had made the demoness falter ever so slightly.
"You are a little thin though." Kaori frowned placing her hands on her waist, in an attempt to get a feel for how thin she was under the heavy silk.
"I have always been thin, but I have recently lost a good bit of weight, and it is coming back nicely." Sheba frowned.
"You are striking though", Kaori gently tipped her chin from one side to another, "Lovely bone-structure, good color, and just look at those eyes. I have never seen such deep but bright green eyes."
Kaori was pleased; the girl kept eye contact with her, but those eyes would be a problem.
"Her eyes say too much though, we will have to fix that quickly."
"Tell me about yourself Sheba-sama." Kaori motioned for them to sit in the three chairs in front of Sesshomaru's desk.
"I am afraid that I can't tell you very much", Sheba sat facing Kaori as the males in the room marveled at how quickly they could be forgotten.
"Why is that?" Kaori gave her a suspicious look.
"Most of what happened in my life before I met Sesshomaru you would not believe, and the rest I barely know. So, perhaps it would be better for you to tell me a little bit about yourself and what you can do to help me understand youkai court as well as how I should behave there."
"If you were the future mate of anyone else I would not believe you, but you are to be mated to Sesshomaru, so it must be true. Why else would you be able to hold his attention, after all this is the same youkai that could look bored slaying an entire army." Kaori reached out and took her hand. "I am Kaori, Lady of the North East. I am older than I would like to admit, but all of my pups are older than Sesshomaru. I had three daughters who made their debuts in court though with less powerful youkai. So, this is not my first pony show."
"Pony show?"
"It is a term for new youkai in court. Sesshomaru interjected.
"Well, isn't that charming." She snorted.
"Remember that you are the one who volunteered us for this", Sesshomaru reminded his mate.
"So, when do we begin?" Sheba said after sending a glare to Sesshomaru.
"As soon as you wish."Kaori waited for Sesshomaru to object.
"Then perhaps we should start now, after all I only have a few days." Sheba stood.
The two women were almost out the door when Sesshomaru's voice rang from the desk.
"You will return her before dinner, and then you may have her until I return for her. Is that understood?"
"But of course Sesshomaru-sama!" Kaori smiled as they continued down the hall.
Kaori looked at the girl, "So, you are already sharing meals, that is very good."
"It is?" Sheba paused.
"Of course, do you anything of youkai courting?" Kaori laughed, but quickly stopped when she realized the girl did indeed know nothing.
"We are going to make you a list of all the steps I can't let Sesshomaru with-hold knowledge that means that you could smile the wrong way at another man and that man's blood would then be spilled for no reason. We can't have anyone dying because you don't know the difference between being sassy and being flirty, and with you being so lovely that line will be blurred much faster than for most."
"You have no idea how much that will help!" Sheba smiled.
"Well, I'm going to make you a bitch, because if you are this honest and good they will not respect you. You have to treat them with distance and disinterest initially, and because you will soon be more powerful than anyone in all of Japan. The Southern Lord could argue that he has just as much wealth, but the power in his blood line is nothing compared to the house of the moon, and if you are a Silver Sorceress who happened to be raised by humans which would explain how you survived to adulthood, then you are going to make the West untouchable in terms of power. Since we have been friends of the West, and my territory is also the smallest you are now my new best friend and interest."
…..
Hi,
So, this is the February/ 1st edition of my attempt at posting something every month (One of my new year's resolution ^.^) I hope everyone likes it!
Plz, Read and Review!
Suki ^.^