Chapter 5-Home WTH Home
The tachi awoke to two rambunctious children and a frustrated Jaken. Kirara and Ah-Uhn both growled at the toad demon who hid as the children ran to them. Sango and Kagome broke camp as Miroku gave the children strips of meat to eat. Sesshomaru led the way as usual as the others fell in line behind.
A few hours later they stopped at what appeared to be the base of a mountain. Sesshomaru looked back and motioned for the others to not move as he cracked his whip and tore down his barrier.
Everyone save Rin, Jaken, Sesshomaru, and Ah-Uhn gasped at the magnificence of his home. Right there in front of them was a palace in layers cut right into the mountain starting from the base where the entry gates were, up to the innermost layer that held the main palace keep. Each of the layers held some sort of gate at different positions on the mountain wall to make travel inside difficult. They also held servants quarters, stables, training grounds, etc. The whole thing was just breathtaking due to the crystalline look that the marble and stone castle and walls made.
Sesshomaru motioned for everyone to mount Kirara or Ah-Uhn and they did so. Kagome took Shippou and Rin on Ah-Uhn while Miroku and Sango were on Kirara. After everyone was positioned they took flight with Jaken hanging onto Ah-Uhn's tail. Once they landed in front of the doors to the palace several guard bowed to Sesshomaru and the tachi. Kagome helped the children off as Sango and Miroku got off Kirara. Sesshomaru nodded his head and the guards stood. One stepped forward and kneeled.
"Rise General, there are introductions to be made." Sesshomaru stated.
The demon stood and looked at the tachi, He had short red hair with black tips and a dark blue stripe on his jaw. He wore black hakama and haori and black demon bone armor. A sword was at his side being held in place by a red and black sash. Kagome caught his eye and he winked earning a glare from said miko. Sesshomaru growled and the general snapped to attention.
"General Cade this is the Shikon-no-Miko Lady Kagome, Slayer Lady Sango, Priest Lord Miroku, Lord Shippou the Kitsune, and Lady Kirara the Fire-Neko. I will hold a meeting later this day to announce to all of their presence, as well as let them know that all are to be held in the same regard as Rin since all are her caretakers and guardians. I expect everyone's treatment of the humans to be beyond reproach. Do I make myself clear?" Sesshomaru stated in his iciest tone yet.
At the mention of Kagome being the Shikon-no-Miko General Cade flinched realizing his mistakes at his actions towards her.
He bowed low, "Forgive me Lady Kagome, none had ever mentioned your beauty and those who had obviously didn't do you justice. I will make all aware before your meeting m'lord and I myself will assign guards for them until the announcement by yourself is made for their protection."
Sesshomaru nodded then looked at the tachi, "Jaken take Ah-Uhn to the stables and everyone else please follow me."
To say everyone was shocked was an understatement; they'd never seen the TaiYoukai in this way, not even recently. Rin grabbed Shippou's hand and ran off with Kirara into the garden to play. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku followed the inu into his home. He moved through the halls easily and stopped in the familial corridor.
"The room at the end with the two Inuyokai is my chambers; Rin's is the one with the youkai pup under the sakura tree. Sango you may take the one to the left of Rin's with the Inuyokai at the pool. Miroku, the one to the right of Rin's with the Inuyokai at the garden. Shippou's will be directly across from Rin's with the Inuyokai with the ball. Kagome, yours will be between Shippou's and my own with the Inuyokai at the base of the mountain. Should you need help everyone on my staff is at your use." So saying the great lord took off to parts unknown leaving everyone to unpack and rest.
Everyone walked to their respective rooms and shut their doors. Kagome gasped upon entering, if she thought the rest of the palace was amazing, it held nothing to the beauty of her room. The walls were the darkest blue she had ever seen, her floor was hard wood with silver furs lying randomly, and there was a small tea area set up with black lacquered tables and black pillows separated from the rest of the room by a dividing screen. After she walked past that she saw the bed, it was dark wood with silver and blue sheets and furs. She also noticed a place for make-up made of the same wood as the bed. There were four shoji screens, one led to a balcony over the gardens, one led to a hot spring she was going to investigate later, one led to a closet that she placed her bag in, the last was locked so she left it be. She took off her miko garb as well as the slayer outfit and put on a Yukata similar to Sango's but of silver and dark blue at the bottom. She laid down on the bed and fell into a peaceful slumber.
Sesshomaru had left for his study and remained there til the monk wandered in to read, he had been thanked before the great lord walked out. He then went to the gardens to check on the children and saw them in a slumber under the trees protected by the fire-Neko and Sango who had also thanked him. After training in the dojo and wandering the grounds for a couple hours he began to wonder where to find the miko. Sango and the children had joined the monk in his study for stories but he hadn't seen Kagome. Checking everywhere he thought she might be (which in truth weren't many places) he decided to check on her in her room. That was where he found her, blissfully asleep under her furs, her hair around her like a halo. Hearing the chime for dinner he motioned for a servant to bring a fresh kimono for the miko as he moved to her bed to wake her. It was then that Kagome started having her night terrors.
Sesshomaru stood at the foot of her bed watching as her face contorted into pain and she curled in on herself. She then started mumbling begging InuYasha not to hurt her and that she was sorry.
'The bastard struck her… He struck the Shikon-no-Miko, his closest friend and greatest ally….' Sesshomaru thought in bewildered disbelief.
Moving closer he placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly. Kagome didn't wake. He shook her harder and called her name, still nothing. Finally he sighed and barked her name causing the miko to sit up shoving at Sesshomaru and pushing him back with her ki. Sesshomaru flew back a foot before landing gracefully, glad he forced his youki out enough to counter her miko energy. Kagome moved out of the bed and bowed low.
"Forgive me Sesshomaru-sama. I didn't mean to hurt you." She mumbled into the floor.
Sesshomaru frowned then pulled Kagome to stand tipping her head up to look at him, "Never bow to me, Kagome-sama, you are of equal rank since you are the Shikon-no-miko. You are also equal since you have more than proven yourself to this Sesshomaru."
Kagome nodded and blushed before stepping back, "Hai Sesshomaru-san, arigato."
Sesshomaru nodded before once more placing his mask on and opening the door for the maid with the kimono. "Saia will help you dress. Dinner will be served shortly."
Kagome nodded as Sesshomaru walked out before turning her attention to the Neko-youkai in front of her. She had blonde hair that was pulled into a bun, grey eyes, and seemed to have no stripes at all. The maid bowed before laying the kimono out. It was a dark blue, the likes of which Kagome had never seen. It also held silver sakura petals on the hem and around the collar and sleeves. The inner kimono was silver only, and the obi was silver with blue petals on it. Kagome changed and followed the maid to the dining room.
When she entered she noticed everyone was seated already and so took the only empty seat left at Sesshomaru's right. The generals and other important youkai seated there gasped.
Sesshomaru growled everyone into silence and then began the dinner. Whispers of all kinds were heard but none spoke to Kagome or the others until the plates were cleared away. One lord stood and growled out, "Sesshomaru-sama, who is the ningen bitch who seats at your right? That is the place of a mate not a mistress!"
Kagome's eyes glowed pink in her anger causing the gossip to start again. She looked to the growling Sesshomaru and stood after he nodded. "My name is Higurashi Kagome and I am the sole protector and priestess of the Shikon-no-Tama, I am the Shikon-no-Miko and you will NOT treat me with such disrespect and disregard again!"
The lord sat down paled as her voice echoed across the room despite the growing whispers. They couldn't believe that Lord Sesshomaru had brought the Shikon-no-Miko into his palace, but they did understand why she sat there now. She was equal to him and was so placed at the only spot that wasn't dishonorable for her to be seated, the place of his mate.
Sesshomaru stood and motioned for silence; he looked to Kagome and touched her upper arm closest to him.
"Kagome-san, please sit and be at ease."
Kagome nodded and sat down, her eyes fading back to cerulean blue.
Sesshomaru looked at the nobles and soldiers at his table.
"Kagome is the Shikon-no-Miko, she and her tachi are under my protection as allies of the West. Any and all disrespect towards her is an action towards me. You will treat her with the same respect you do myself, and her companions as well. The kit is as Rin is. Move to harm her and you will find your head severed from your body, touch her in an unnecessary way and you will no longer have the appendage. Understood?"
All heads nodded before they stood and bowed to Kagome and the others. They had heard stories of the Shikon-no-Miko, and couldn't have been happier to hear of her alliance to their lord. Maybe her personality would rub off, if they were lucky. He was a good lord, she a good lady, but he still acted like he had an icicle up his ass while she was kind and loving.
Kagome couldn't believe his court. They all had bowed to her, a human, and a miko at that. Sango and Miroku smirked at one another, maybe now Kagome could see how she was to be treated, and not only by them.
Shippou and Rin were sent off to bed while Sesshomaru left to address his army and everyone else in the castle. Sango, Miroku, and Kagome talked to the others at the table until they were the only ones left before moving to the gardens to relax. Kagome sat under a tree while Sango and Miroku sat on a bench together talking softly.
The Miko sighed before looking at the sky and thinking of how her life had turned. She couldn't believe she was being treated with the same respect as Sesshomaru; it was unconceivable that she, a human, was equal to the greatest lord of the land.
Sesshomaru dismissed his personnel and moved to the gardens to sit in his favorite tree, but lo and behold he saw Kagome underneath with the monk and slayer moving from a bench towards the palace. Moving to sit by her but not as to disturb her from her thoughts he watched her face as one emotion after another fled her eyes.
Kagome sat lost in thought until she sighed and shook her head. It was then that she noticed Sesshomaru sitting by her. She jumped to his amusement before going back to looking at the stars.
"Most would call staring impolite Sesshomaru-sa…san." She stated, still not used to calling him by a lesser honorific.
"They would Kagome-san, but your eyes amused me. They're the window to your feelings; you'll need to learn to close that window from your enemies if you wish to survive."
"True, thank you Sesshomaru-san."
"Tomorrow we shall rest and everyone can get used to the palace, as well as be fitted for clothing. After tomorrow training begins at dawn." He then got up and walked inside, or so Kagome thought.
Kagome nodded to herself before walking back into the palace and off to her room. Not once did she see the golden eyes guarding her from the shadows.