Discussions for Izayoi

Izayoi settled down quickly with a dish of tea offering its comforting warmth and the Lady's arm still around her shoulders.

"Thank goodness that you were on hand Sesshoumaru. What alerted you?" Inu no Taishou said quietly to his son.

"Inuyasha, I could scent his fear, but he was silent; normally he is noisy if he is fearful. Besides I had time to reflect that he seemed distressed earlier about his mother's scent, we thought it must be her menses but then he is used to that, why would he be concerned? I decided to investigate. As the human was obviously intimidating, and hurting Lady Izayoi, I had no compunction in executing him."

"I said it was a good thing that my sons had a strong bond and so it has proved." The father said, pleased that Inuyasha had now fallen asleep in his brother's tail feeling safe again. Then he moved towards his mate and Izayoi. Kneeling in front of the mother of his second child he smiled kindly at her, letting her see the care he had for her shine in his eyes.

"We will have things to discuss in the morning My Lady, but for now..."

"For now until she feels safe again she will stay in our room My Love; I can have the nursery attached prepared for Inuyasha. They will be well protected here."

"You are wise My Mate and a mind reader; such was my suggestion also."

"There is no need to disturb Inuyasha tonight, he is already asleep, I will take him for tonight."

"Very well Sesshoumaru; if that is alright with his mother...Izayoi?"

"Yes thank you; he can be a handful if he wants to come in with me now." Izayoi smiled gently but the Lady could tell she was tired, and as soon as the new futon was made up she ushered out the males and made the girl go to bed. The Lady stayed with Izayoi until she went to sleep, then left to speak with her mate.

Sesshoumaru had already retired so that Inuyasha would stay asleep, but on hearing his parents go back to the living area he returned there himself; the pup still soundly asleep to the lullaby of his brother's heartbeat. Inu no Taishou suppressed a smile seeing his sons; it simply had not occurred to his eldest boy to put the younger one down. It reinforced what the father had already deduced; the boys had shared such an intensely emotional beginning to Inuyasha's life that they had become inseparable, and would only build on their relationship to the benefit of both.

As Inuyasha grew, the age gap would seem to lessen as was natural; the pup would grow rapidly to the age of ten or so and then the maturity would slow right down, but Sesshoumaru was only adolescent and still would be when Inuyasha was old enough to make trouble. Inu no Taishou smiled, it would do his proud and proper son good to have a brother, Sesshoumaru had been a lonely and serious child for too long.

"We must speak of Izayoi My Love; I had not thought much of her future, she is mother to an energetic hanyou and being human finds him tiring, but I had not considered that she might like a mate." The Lady broke into his thoughts.

"So soon...as you say Inuyasha is tiring for her; even youkai females don't want too many pups at once and there are other things to work out around that."

"She does not have to bear a child to want for company, intimacy; someone who will be with her and want her. If Sesshoumaru were older I would ask her to consider becoming his concubine."

"My Mate, Izayoi is no concubine; she is a princess under my protection."

"I understand this, but then is she to live and die alone? The rest of her family have never shown any interest in either her or the child. She and Sesshoumaru like each other, but she cannot be considered for his mate; she is human and any child would not be acceptable as an heir, and he is too young anyway. Besides which she will be too old for him when he is ready to take on adult responsibilities."

"Mother, it is true that Izayoi and I are friendly, but I would never consider...I have never thought of..."

"I know this Sesshoumaru: that is what I have just said to your father, we would be able to tell if your body had awoken to any female, let alone a human."

"I also would not consider siring a hanyou: I do not approve of such collaborations that result in such weakened forms of youkai. They are unacceptable in both societies; my brother is not excluded from such sentiments, although, as my brother he will be respected and is mine to do with as I see fit." Sesshoumaru arrogantly finished.

"Is he indeed, my Sesshoumaru? I was under the impression that he was my son."

"Yes Father." Sesshoumaru had heard the warning even though Inu no Taishou was even voiced, and he immediately submitted in demeanour, but inside he rebelled and thought that it didn't matter, Inuyasha always came to him first. Inu no Taishou smiled inside, did his pup really think that his father was in his dotage when it came to knowing his boy? But it didn't matter; if Sesshoumaru had claimed the child's life then he would do all he could to protect his brother and that was how it should be.

"However, this is getting us no further My Love...what of Izayoi; what can we do for her?"

"Nothing as yet, but watch and protect; perhaps you can talk with her woman to woman when you walk in the gardens or take tea. She is only quiet, not shy or retiring, if she hasn't mentioned it to you it's probably because she hasn't thought about it yet."

"Hmm" the Lady was not quite convinced of that; now that she considered some of their conversations, Izayoi had mentioned that she was at her Lord's disposal. The Lady hadn't thought of the full implications of the words, but perhaps Izayoi felt she wasn't free to make her own choice. Well that was of course an understandable thought for a child of so few years; Izayoi couldn't possibly know from personal experience that Inu no Taishou hated to cage any creature.

The General hated to take prisoners either; he would free or execute those taken in war, but rarely would he curb their freedom for long in prison. But this case was different as the pup had to be taken into consideration; Inuyasha would not be allowed to be taken outside the Palace for quite a few years more yet and would not be unguarded to be used as a pawn in any games or held hostage in any power struggles.

Therefore Izayoi was not so free to choose a mate; Inuyasha would always come first in the Western Family's mind. Unfortunately for Izayoi and to some extent the hanyou, he would still need his mother's care up to the point of her natural death due to old age; so she would have to abide by some restrictions, but there would be a way for her, they would make sure she didn't lack for anything they could provide.

During the following week while they took the air in the beautiful gardens, Izayoi confessed to the Lady that there was a man, a human who she liked very much and who liked her back. But he wouldn't ask Inu no Taishou to consider him as a suitor for Izayoi because he had been lamed in his leg and walked with a shuffle. He was a younger son and had no inheritance and could only do the work of a servant due to his infirmity.

Izayoi had told him that it wouldn't matter to her and he had replied that she was mistaken about that. How could he protect her and her child properly and did she honestly think that the General would allow his son to be foster child to a cripple? Besides he was peaceable by nature and it wouldn't matter if he could wake up one morning to find that he had lands to offer her or before his mauling and still had two strong legs, his personality wouldn't change.

Oh, of course he would defend her and her child, but he was no soldier and most of the high born would not consider a man who was better suited for farming as any form of protector for their treasures. Izayoi had gently protested that she did not favour an aggressive personality for a potential suitor in any case, but the man was adamant.

He loved her, coming to know her through conversation and how she dealt with her child; Inuyasha liked him well enough too. He was older than Izayoi by about fifteen years which gave him more patience with such a boisterous boy; but he could only promise, that he would serve her devotedly in whatever capacity he could, while she lived at the Palace.

Well, thought the Lady, this was promising and she stored up the knowledge to discuss with her mate later. There might be something they could do to promote this, if it is what the two humans wanted. After all, they owed Izayoi a great deal too; she had not only helped to save her Lord's life but had given them all the delightful Inuyasha.

IYQ June 2009 Week 1. If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person? - Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club