23: Ignoble Commands

"Mysterious love, uncertain treasure, Hast thou more of pain or pleasure! Endless torments dwell about thee: Yet who would live, and live without thee!"

-Joseph Addison

"You are being childish."

The comment was not something that would normally be said to Byakuya Kuchiki, though the older member of his clan was one of the few men that could have gotten away with it without severe repercussions. Ginrei Kuchiki however as Byakuya's grandfather could escape punishment on the rare occasions he became so direct with his grandson. The older man was getting frustrated by the youth's stubbornness…

Meanwhile the noble leader of the Kuchiki clan was standing near one of the windows to the general area they were using to speak, looking down over the same garden Kagome was so enjoying not more than an hour before when he found her wandering lost in the estate. The window offered a weak reflection of the frown creasing his handsome features to the older man sitting at a desk not far off.

"Byakuya. I appreciate your noble views…but you have always known that this was a possibility as a member of a noble family, especially as the leader of ours." Ginrei sounded much calmer than he was, doing his best to reason with his grandson. "Your parents offered you much, and I helped to spoil you over these years after your wife's death…however in this I will stand strong as will the other family elders. You cannot disobey a direct order from the royal family. The fact that you have even been given this should be an honor. You cannot seriously believe you will retain your title either in the courts or within the family if you refuse this."

"It is a ignoble, feeble, depressing grasp at supremacy rooted in deceit. They have no entitlement to make such ultimatums, this is a realm outside of what has ever been written into law." Byakuya responded coldly, he wouldn't normally speak to his grandfather in such a discourteous manner but he was livid with what he was being ordered to do. He turned back toward the desk, eyes looking down his nose at the elder member of his family. "Do you even consider what this girl will think of such a command? The mortal world is not like ours…"

"No, it isn't." Ginrei interrupted, getting up from his seat and putting both hands on the desk a little harsher than he meant to, slamming it hard enough that the show of anger shocked Byakuya into a temporary silence. "Whatever you say this will not change Byakuya. Your protests will simply fall on deaf ears. You need to think about this! Do you think if you refuse they won't simply find someone else? That the dishonor brought to the Kuchiki clan by your direct disobedience will mean anything when she is given to another? You are all she really knows in soul society. You wish to have the priestess' feelings considered and you fail to consider them yourself."

The silence was tense, the generations of Kuchiki clan leaders staring off for many minutes, though finally it was Byakuya that glanced back out the window - a minor show of deference to the former leader of his family. "It is a fabrication of consideration. What do you expect me to do grandfather? If she fails at this training, and the soul society loses this sudden interest in her? Where does that leave either of us?"

"You are not a boy anymore Byakuya, you have grown into a strong man with stubborn convictions but you will find your path. How will you proceed?" The grandfather sat back in his chair tiredly, his age showing for a moment on his face after the argument.

"What choice do I have but to consent?" The sixth squad captain commented in reply, still staring out the window. The frown was wiped from his expression and he was back to the perfect image of nobility, nothing of his emotions showing.

"I will pen a letter of acceptance and send it with someone for you to sign by tomorrow." The older man commented, giving his grandson a little leeway after he'd given in. "What will you tell the priestess?"

"For now? Nothing." Byakuya shook his head. "She has much she is concerned with and such ignorance will allow her a few more months of bliss."

"I will respect that, the house will have explicit orders to not speak of it." Ginrei answered. "You also have much you are working with right now Byakuya…do not let it come to control your emotions."

"Who do you think I am grandfather?" The question was cool, he only raised a dark brow, insulted at the comment. "Kagome needs to continue her training, don't disturb us unless something is urgent."

He breezed away then, leaving the older man to sigh after his grandson after the door slid closed. "You have grown up so much, but you still have so much growing up to do in some ways Byakuya…"

The older man just shook his head and continued on the families paperwork, despite his 'retirement' there were few days when he wasn't very busy with various affairs.

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Kagome sensed rather than saw the anger around Byakuya when he returned to the room where she had been practicing meditation…well enough until she heard the door open and it drew her attention back from the pleasant darkness. She had spent more time than she was willing to admit watching him and there was just something off about him when he was particularly ticked about something. She'd seen him annoyed with her enough times that she was growing to recognize it

"What's wrong?" She canted her head curiously as he moved toward one of the many bookshelves in the room. He was more businesslike even than usual, just another sign that something was frustrating him. "Is there something wrong with me for thinking that's kind of adorable?"

"Nothing. I've dealt with the pests that were seeking my attention and now we need to return to your studies. You seemed to be meditating successfully when I entered, that is good…I am picking out texts that will explain the basics of magic for you." He explained, having taken two books from the shelves while he was still scanning.

"The pests seem to have gotten on your nerves." Kagome observed, trying not to smile when he glanced at her. "Does he have to be so handsome?"

"It was bothersome." He admitted, though he seemed to relax some once he said it. "I will be fine, thank you for your concern but you need to concentrate on your studies. Once you finish reading these your training will begin with simple lighting magic - it is the first step to all other spells."

"I've never done something like that before." She put a finger to her lips as she thought about it. "Well, I guess most of the time when I did do things there was some sort of light involved though. Do all spells glow in some way?"

"Many of them do yes." He explained, walking over to one of the desks in the room near her chosen seat on the floor and set the books down on it's surface. "Some of the more advanced spells do not but those will be things you are unlikely to study. Is there anything else you need right now?"

Her stomach chose that moment to protest it's emptiness and she raised one of her hands with the pretence of moving some hair from her face to try to cover the pink shade coming to her face. "I suppose I'm a little hungry. I never did sit down for lunch, I was just sort of wandering around too much."

She could tell that her admission of not eating during the day wasn't something he appreciated, she knew that if she wanted any freedom she would have to end this habit of not taking care of herself very fast or he'd be having her followed everywhere.

"I suppose your continued study will need to continue tomorrow. It grows late." It was a few minutes before he made the declaration. "I will have some dinner brought to your room, try to get some rest Kagome, we will continue in the early morning."

"Oh…I'm sorry…okay. I'll take the books with me and get started in case I can't sleep right away." She agreed, she didn't want to bother him if he was still bothered by whatever had happened with the folks that were talking to him. "I wonder what has him so…off for him…"

"Please do not leave this building during the night, there will be guards posted at all the doors and a female servant assigned to your needs when I am not here. She will be the one delivering your meal." He explained and nodded lightly at her comment of beginning study tonight - she didn't need him there to read really. "Goodnight Kagome."

"Goodnight Byakuya." She smiled at him. "Sleep well."

He disappeared out the door and she lowered her hand still playing with her hair and let out a long breath. "Yes, yes, there is something about me that isn't right."

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The demon lord of the west settled back in his desk, considering the missive that he had been sent by this soul society. They would recognize his challenge it seemed but they wished to separate the battle from this world by bringing him to their level of the underworld.

He was staring at the unmoving messenger they had sent to take back his reply to their request.

It was a logical reasoning, they and he didn't wish to have anything out of the ordinary discovered about them in the regular world. Though it could equally be a trap that wasn't something that Lord Sesshomaru concerned himself with…if they sent others to attack him at the same time they would find all of their armies decimated.

If he was to refuse and they did fight here, it would have to draw him further from the city and his lands than he would like - it would end up taking more time than if he simply agreed to go along with the separation. There would be no possible way for him to battle near the city seriously without risking being discovered. With the demons new view on hiding from mortal society to avoid the fools that would hunt the few that remains that would just be more trouble than it was worth.

This was an acceptable alternative. He finally nodded toward the person waiting nearby for what he had to say. "Tell your superiors that the compromise is satisfactory, I will travel to this soul society to battle the fool. I will require at least a week to prepare and settle my business affairs in order during my absence. At the end of that time I will expect the escort that was promised."

"I will return your message to the General." The man held a hand to his chest seriously and vanished from the office. Leaving Sesshomaru to sigh and turn toward his window overlooking a good portion of the town. "I still need to seek out Kagome again after all of this is resolved…she deserves to know the history of her blood."

He considered his office and then picked up some of the papers he needed to work on with the short break he would need to take to put that impudent creature in his place. He had no idea that his current ward had been taken to the soul society, he'd gotten so taken on vengeance he assumed she was living her life as normal

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The room was silent, empty other than the single shrine where Byakuya stood, considering the picture of his former wife as he lit incense and settled it in the braziers to either side of the smiling photo. He didn't have much free time with his duties between the family and his captain duties. Usually when he wasn't working he was sleeping, that was simply the way things had been for a while.

When she had first passed on he had made sure to visit the shrine and pray once a week and before long it became at least once during the full moon…after a few more years it had grown more rare and he only visited on the anniversary or on the rare occasions he managed to get time. He was there now only because of all the resent events…it had left him with far more time than he wanted.

There was no way to force Kagome to read the texts faster and it was the best way to teach her so he was left with a lot of time to dwell on the latest demands of the royal family. He clenched his hands into fists as he thought about it, still enraged by what he had been asked to do.

"Hisana…" He whispered as he watched the fading photograph of his late bride. "What should I do? My duty and my heart are such separate things. Is my grandfather right? Am I just a spoiled child, dwelling on what I've lost?"

"What would you think of me if you knew of this horrible treachery I've been agreed to take part of?" He thought as he leaned downward, it was partially in prayer, though his thoughts plagued him this had always been the one place he could come to gather them.

"I would be betraying so many of the people I care for if I refused, yet I can't help but feel as though I am equally as untrustworthy as Aizen." He lifted his head again, looking over the immaculately kept, if graciously simple shrine…if he was going through with this despicable plan then he wouldn't have this place much longer…he wouldn't be able to dwell on such memories.

"What would Hisana truly think of me getting married again?" Byakuya thought with a sigh as he watched his former wife's photo. "But my grandfather is right…if I were to refuse they would just order that she should marry another person…how on earth do you tell a human girl that her decision as to her husband has been stolen from her? She trusted me…and I can do nothing to help her out of this…I cannot fight the orders of the royal family."

End Chapter

I was fighting over that last bit…eh…I might edit this chapter later just to mess with Byakuya's eternal thought structure. I think it makes him sound a little too emo. Sesshy fans got a bit of the lord of the west this chapter. Teehee. Things are building. I'd say I feel bad for Kagome, with the royals forcing her and Byakuya to marry - but well…it's not like it's a horrible fate. I think it's sweet that he doesn't want to tell her yet.

-Aura

P.S. Alternative Angel - that was answered this chapter! Crow Rat and Nasuki - hehe, and yes I still don't know what a Pyon is - I've read the manga until now…maybe it's one of the annoying chars I chose to forget? As far as the soul pill in Kagome…I didn't plan on doing any sort of personality for it cause I want the story to reflect about the actual folks and not random filler soul X.