Hatori twiddled his fingers, watching Shippo put away his toys and clothing. The fox kit did not own much, but what items he did have were kept with Kagome most of the time. When the boys were shown their own room, Shippo asked to have it out, despite the likelihood that the visit would be brief.
Hatori himself did not own anything beyond the clothes on his back, and with nothing to put away, he could only sit and watch Shippo. The neko hanyou's ears swiveled back and forth, anxious to be somewhere else.
"Shippo?"
The fox kit looked up from folding a vest, a small copy of his own vest made by Kagome's mother the year before. "Yeah?" he asked, setting it atop his small pile of clothes.
"I'm going to use the lavatory," Hatori said, knowing full well he wasn't. He waited a moment for Shippo's response, and relaxed when the kit nodded.
"Sure, go ahead. You don't have to let me know."
"I thought I should," Hatori said as he stood. "Miss Kagome was rather upset the last time she did not know where I went. You will tell her if she asks?"
"Yeah, of course." Shippo was no longer paying attention to him, distracted by a toy he hadn't played with in a while, one of the many Kagome gave back when Shippo insisted on putting away his own things. He threw the wooden circle toward the ground, grinning as the string attached pulled taut, and yanked the circle back toward him.
Hatori waved, though Shippo couldn't see it, and left the room.
Glad to be away from the child, Hatori immediately sharpened every sense he had. Unfamiliar smells drifted to his nostril, as his ears picked up hundreds of noises he tuned out before. Cat like irises narrowed in the light of the hall, picking between the youkai and human servants for anything of interest.
Naraku was taking an unexpected strategy, poisoning the people to shift the blame to the youkai royalty. It would topple the structure of the country and cause an uprising at this rate.
Thankfully, Miss Kagome knew how to eradicate the miasma, even if she had trouble with her skills. No doubt Miss Kagome was the key to defeating the spider hanyou.
Hatori only wished he could provide more direct help. But until all the jewel shards were found, he could do nothing more than watch. Kagome obtained the last of the petty shards, those held by lesser youkai. The last were held by the great wolf, the undead slayer boy, and a single shard suspended between the worlds of the dead and the living.
That would be the most difficult to obtain. Hatori glanced at a youkai woman, who glared briefly before returning to her work. The hanyou for was not the most ideal. However, it gained him the sympathy he needed from Miss Kagome.
He found the lavatory, and passed it quickly. A few minutes of exploring could be afforded.
Hatori soon found himself by Miss Kagome's room, but he didn't bother staying near it. She probably wanted to sleep after a long day.
Wandering down the hall for some time, Hatori evaluated the situation in his mind. Lord Rei would certainly be of help, though his friskiness certainly came off strongly. Hatori saw the door to the throne room, and could smell the Lord of the East within it.
"And where do you think you are going, little hanyou?"
Hatori's ears perked, and he looked up at one of the guards, standing by the entrance to the throne room. He gave Hatori a wide grin.
"The lavatory," Hatori said, knowing he would be escorted back to his room.
"That isn't near this room, young one," the guard said, motioning for his partner to watch his spot, as he approached Hatori. "Little hanyou such as yourself could be hurt, if they wander by themselves."
Hatori's skin prickled. The man clearly did not care for hanyou. His ears laid flat as the man knelt close to him.
"Perhaps I should bring you to the lavatory myself," he said, a fang poking from between his lips.
"I can escort myself," Hatori said with equal threat. "You should attend to your duties."
"Nonsense, I will help you." The guard grabbed Hatori's wrist, yanking it harshly.
Hatori growled, pulling his hand away quickly. The guard's grip tightened slightly, expecting the hanyou to give up on getting away. His eyes went wide when Hatori yanked again, and the strength forced his hand to release Hatori's wrist.
"I am fine," Hatori said, "on my own." With a flick of his ears, Hatori turned and walked back the way he came, leaving the guard stunned that a child could pull out of a grown youkai's grip.
Hatori hadn't wanted to use all his ability, but he would not let a guard take advantage of him. Another inconvenience of the hanyou form, youkai thought they could do what they pleased. It seemed exploring the castle was off for the day.
As he walked back to his room, Hatori scanned the halls again, keeping an eye out for entrances to other areas. There were several other halls, all of which had various youkai and human servants working through them. Some cleaning, some carrying objects between rooms.
Nothing offered much promise, either way. Hatori passed them without much fuss, arriving back at his room soon enough.
Shippo had finished packing, and was reading a book, when Hatori came in.
"You read?" Hatori asked, closing the door behind him.
"Uh-huh." Shippo marked his spot with a ribbon and set the book beside him. "Mama taught me how. She told me that almost everyone from her ti- er, homeland, knows how to read." Shippo cringed as he tripped over his words, hoping Hatori wouldn't notice.
"I see." Hatori sat on the bed, which sat upon four wooden legs in the western style. "Miss Kagome seems to have many strange practices relating to her homeland. Where is she from?"
Shippo paused, and bit his lip. Mama never spoke to him about what to say for this type of question. He glanced around the room, noting its furniture and decoration, and blurted, "The west! Mama is, uh, from the west." Shippo tried to smile reassuringly.
Hatori looked him the eye, and nodded. "That would explain her behavior," he said, not believing a word of it. "Although she appears to be a full blood Japanese."
"She is," Shippo quickly supplied, "but her family moved away. Generations ago," he added. "Mama is Japanese, and western raised. She visited home a lot when we traveled with our friends."
Hatori, still not believing the lies, nodded again. "Interesting. Was she desired by many when she came to our land?" The more Hatori knew about Miss Kagome, the better. Although there was much he could tell about her simply by observation, the past behind the powerful miko was something Hatori would have difficulty learning without using his energy. And his energy was something precious, to be saved for when he truly needed it.
Shippo scratched his head at the question. "Um, I guess? Inuyasha really liked her, and there was this wolf youkai named Koga, but he promised himself to some other wolf girl. And then Mama did complain about this boy from her home that wouldn't leave her alone . . ." Shippo stopped himself, wondered if he was revealing too much, and switched gears. "Mama was too busy with Naraku and the shards to think much about men."
"Hm." Hatori suspected as much, from the way she acted. Miss Kagome did not handle issues with emotions well, especially after watching her interact with Lord Sesshomaru. However, it seemed due to the pure strength of said emotions. If she felt so much empathy for others that she let herself be distraught so easily by romance, Hatori had a feeling she could fulfill his task.
"What are you thinking about?" Shippo asked, tilting his head.
Hatori snapped out of his reverie. "Nothing, Shippo," he said. "Mostly, I worry about Naraku. And, though it may seem selfish of me, I worry that my grandfather will not be able to make it to the castle to wait for my return. He did send word that he would retrieve me after my mother's passing, but . . ." Hatori trailed off, hoping the monologue would distract Shippo from his behavior.
"Yeah, that's pretty bad," Shippo agreed. "It's not selfish to worry about that. Mama will take good care of you while you're here." He reached over and ruffled Hatori's deep green hair.
"Thank you," Hatori said, and smiled. Though he was not here to make friends, Hatori could tell Shippo had a pure heart. If he ever confessed his feelings for Rin, the two would make a lovely pair.
()
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. Kagome was gesturing him close with her fingers, shifting to make room for him on the bed. "Come on," Kagome said, when he did not move.
He hesitated only a moment, before accommodating himself on the thick mattress, so unlike the futons in his own castle. Kagome smiled tentatively, and leaned forward.
"As long as we're here," she said, "and there's time before we discuss the situation with Lord Rei further, I thought we could try getting to know each other."
Sesshomaru paused, and said, "What did you have in mind?"
Kagome opened her mouth, and stopped herself, before chuckling. "I actually don't know," she admitted, moving away and giving Sesshomaru back his personal space. "I'm new to all this," she said, with a blush.
Sesshomaru stared at her a moment, and stood. Kagome watched curiously, as Sesshomaru began to undo his armor. The chest plate separated, the pieces coming off gently. Sesshomaru set them aside, on a table in the room, and resettled himself on the bed.
"I've never seen you take off your armor," Kagome said, eyebrows raising in surprise.
"It will inhibit my actions," Sesshomaru said, before he moved closer.
Kagome blushed again, but could not stop the daiyoukai as he grabbed one of her hands in his, the other cupping her cheek as his lips descended upon hers.
The kiss was brief, chaste. Sesshomaru pulled away, and looked into Kagome's eyes, measuring her reaction. She smiled, brushing her hair back with her free hand.
"This is nice," she said, with a tone of caution. Sesshomaru put his guard up immediately. "But," she continued, "should we be doing this?"
Sesshomaru resisted the urge to clench his teeth. "Have we not performed this dance of avoidance before?" he asked with mild annoyance.
"Oh, no!" Kagome raised her hand in defense, shaking her head. "I mean, it's not that I want to stop. It's just . . ." she paused. "I admire you, Sesshomaru, for your bravery and kindness toward Rin, and your duty to your citizens, and a dozen other good qualities I've found in a man I never thought I could feel this way about." She lowered her head, the speech making her nervous. "But I know almost nothing about you outside of what I've seen since we met," Kagome said. "Nothing about your past, or what you think about. I don't . . . want to delve too quickly into the physical, before we have a chance to experience the emotional."
Sesshomaru took in her words, contemplating them. Kagome proved irritating in the matters of mating. A human her age would be married with several children. A youkai her age might experience the same, or be holding her own in hopes of capturing a high ranking husband. And yet she insisted on pausing at every chance.
"What would you care to know?" Sesshomaru asked, holding in a sigh.
Kagome bit her lip. "Um, I'm not sure." She had no idea what she could ask about, without hitting some sort of trigger for the daiyoukai. Family would be out of the question, he clearly didn't care for the fact his father took on a human mate. She knew he didn't have any hobbies.
"Decide quickly, Kagome," Sesshomaru said, his voice low, "or I will lose my patience and return to our previous actions."
The comment made Kagome blush, and she scrambled for something to ask.
"What's your favorite color?"
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. Kagome blushed deeper and looked away. "Sorry," she said, with a nervous laugh. "It's a silly question. I just wanted to ask something."
"Does color preference matter to you?" Sesshomaru said, his eyes drifting to Kagome's lips. Unused to showing physical affection for a female on more than one occasion, the desire to kiss Kagome again was frustrating to say the least.
"No," Kagome said, shaking her head. "It's just a basic question some people like to ask."
"Hn." Sesshomaru turned the question over for a minute. "Green and blue are pleasing colors."
Kagome smiled. "That's good to hear. I like purple, myself."
Sesshomaru reached out, touching Kagome's forehead. Her bangs moved aside, revealing the crescent mark. "In that case," he said, "it is good that your mating mark is of that color." He leaned forward, touching their foreheads.
Kagome's temperature spiked with another blush. "Yes, I suppose so," she said, staring at the daiyoukai's eyes, so close to her own.
Sesshomaru pulled away. "Kagome," he said, "what Lord Rei said about the Mating Dance was correct. Most youkai move through the steps in a number of weeks."
That was an interesting turn in conversation. Kagome sighed, adjusting her bangs. "I know," she said. "But that isn't normal, in my time. People spend months, even years, getting to know each other and spending time with each other before they decide to settle down."
"Do humans not mate quickly when they are young?" Sesshomaru thought to everything he knew about humans, before recalling that humans of Kagome's future were different.
"In this time," Kagome said, confirming Sesshomaru's thoughts. "We have longer life spans in the future, due to better health care. We can afford to take our time with . . . with love." The word was awkward coming from her mouth, and Kagome turned away.
Sesshomaru stared at her a moment. "Youkai nobles," he said, "mate quickly, because the threat of assassination and usurping is always present. Children must be produced as soon as possible, to ensure an heir can take the parent's place if they are killed." He paused, and continued, "I understand if you must take things more slowly. However, youkai live for centuries at a time." He reached out, taking a lock of Kagome's hair. "Even if we did not love one another during and after mating, we have hundreds of years to feel such emotions."
Kagome turned to him, unsure what to say. It was true, assuming they could track and destroy Naraku. If he were not a threat, and no other power attacked them, they had all the time in the world with each other. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were both centuries old already, and would likely live centuries more. There was plenty of time to learn everything about Sesshomaru.
Still. Kagome hesitated, and touched the hand that held a lock of her hair. Everything felt rushed. She was pushed into a mating she didn't expect, taken away from her human form for the rest of her life, and feeling things for a murderous daiyoukai she never thought she could like. And suddenly Sesshomaru was showing affection for her, too, even as they hunted Naraku and met other youkai nobles.
Kagome just wanted to rest.
"I'm so tired," she murmured.
"Do you wish to sleep?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Not that kind of tired," Kagome said, with a sigh. "It's a lot happening at once, and I wish life would slow down enough for me to absorb some of it."
Sesshomaru released her hair, shifting away. "What do you wish to do?"
She shrugged. "Mostly, I wish Naraku wasn't causing trouble," she said. "All of this would be bearable if he wasn't threatening all of us."
"We shall discuss the matter of Naraku with Lord Rei," Sesshomaru said. "This evening, there will be a number of nobles dining with us that will be able to provide input on the matter." He paused. "They may object to a female voicing her opinion openly, but you may speak freely in the discussion."
Kagome repressed a snide comment. She always intended to speak her mind, the opinions of the nobles be damned, but she said, "Thank you. I intend to offer my thoughts on the subject."
"In the meantime," Sesshomaru said, "there is nothing to worry for. The children are occupied and the immediate threat of Naraku is dealt with. We can be alone."
Kagome heard the hint in his words, and smiled. He might not know exactly what she needed, but he was doing his best. "Sesshomaru," Kagome said, looking into his eyes.
"Yes?"
She smiled. "If you wish to move forward with the Mating Dance, I can tell you one thing." She touched his arm lightly. "I'm more than sure that you can protect me, both physically and emotionally."
()
Hatori's ears pricked. He swiveled his head toward the door. It was faint, but unmistakeable. A shift in energy, radiating from the rooms down the hall. His neko ears flicked back and forth, slightly irritated by the feeling.
"What's the matter, Hatori?"
Shippo sat up from the bed, rubbing his eyes. He decided to take a nap before they were called for dinner that evening. Hatori joined him for the nap, but never fell asleep. He was paying too much attention to the energies in Miss Kagome's room, since he caught Lord Sesshomaru's scent in the hall.
The sooner the two of them mated, the sooner Hatori could get what he wanted.
And the auras of both inu youkai had shifted dramatically. "I thought I heard something," Hatori muttered to Shippo, to quell his curiosity.
The sleepy kit shrugged, and fell back into the pillows. Hatori quickly got out of bed, ears still twitching, and cloaked his scent to avoid detection.
Their room was two down from Miss Kagome's room, Rin delegated to the room in between. Hatori slipped out the door, after checking the hall for potential intruders, and passed by Rin's room to approach the new aura.
Hatori glanced around for any servants or guards, before pressing his ear carefully to the door. The thick wooden walls muffled noises, and Hatori needed to hear everything he could. Rude as it was, he must keep closer checks on the two, now that they were finally progressing in the Mating Dance.
"Sesshomaru, what-" Miss Kagome said from inside, and cut herself off. Hatori frowned, wishing he could see them.
After a long pause, he heard Lord Sesshomaru say, "I cannot be sure, Kagome, but this may be a result of your words a moment ago."
Hatori felt his heart tighten, and pressed his ear harder against the door.
()
Kagome stared at Sesshomaru, her hands holding the delicate Hana no Shukumei.
The moment she told Sesshomaru her confidence in his ability to protect her, a light burst from her backpack, and Kagome had to dig around in it before discovering the light came from the box holding the Hana. Its petals emitted a bright purple glow, and Kagome hesitated before removing it from its container.
She wrinkled her brow at Sesshomaru's words. "My words?" she asked, looking at the Hana again. It had done nothing but exist as a preserved rose in her bag after Kagome's transformation.
"You informed me that you believed me capable of protecting you in all ways," Sesshomaru said, "which fulfills the requirements of the second step in the Mating Dance."
"Oh." Kagome could think of nothing else to say, twirling the glowing rose in her fingertips. "I didn't think it would do anything else besides be a rose," she said.
"The Hana no Shukumei is said to have the power of the gods themselves," Sesshomaru said, taking the rose from her. Kagome frowned but didn't object. "It is natural to assume that it would have other abilities, besides your transformation." He eyed her carefully, and looked to the rose again.
"Myoga never mentioned anything, and neither did Kaede," Kagome said. "It hasn't even done anything but glow, yet."
"Hn." Sesshomaru touched the petals gently. "The aura of the rose feels different."
"Aura?" Kagome leaned closer, and felt the change she failed to notice before. "You're right," she said. "But what in the world does it mean?"
"This Sesshomaru knows as much about the Hana no Shukumei as you do." Sesshomaru offered it back to her, and Kagome took it, to place back in its box. The glow faded slightly as she released her grasp on it, but continued to emanate even after Kagome closed the container.
"Perhaps its something to ask Lord Rei about," she mused, running her hand over the top of the smooth wood.
"He would know as much as I do," Sesshomaru said, "and likely less. My father found a human concubine with the Hana, but kept to himself in any matter concerning her. Even if Lord Rei met her, I doubt my father would have divulged unnecessary information."
"It wouldn't hurt to ask either way," Kagome said. "And speaking of Lord Rei." She turned to face Sesshomaru. "How much time do we have until dinner?"
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, and said, "A few hours."
Kagome took the box holding the Hana, eying it a moment, before she tucked it carefully back into her backpack and pushed the bag away. "As long as we can't do anything about the Hana, and we're in here by ourselves, we can spend some time with each other."
Sesshomaru watched as Kagome shuffled back, stretching her legs across the bed, and moved to the side to make room for him. "Do you wish for more personal questions to obtain information about myself?" Sesshomaru asked, as he settled himself on the bed beside her.
Kagome blushed slightly at the intimacy of the act, afraid to snuggle close the way she wanted as they lay in bed. "I think you're right about that," she said. "We have years to get to know each other, and it feels kind of unnatural to ask you a bunch of questions at once." She laid her head on the pillow, and gave a small smile. "I would rather just lie here for a while."
Sesshomaru mimicked her position, and paused, before placing his hand on her arm. "That is a good suggestion," he said, pulling her closer.
It was only a few moments later, when Kagome slipped into unconsciousness.
()
"Is she truly a human turned youkai?"
"Preposterous. It must be some elaborate lie."
"No, I heard something from a cousin in the west! It is true!"
Lord Rei listened to the nobles around him murmuring about Lady Kagome. When news came of Lord Sesshomaru's arrival, it was all they could speak of. Juicy rumors flew back and forth about the first woman to find the Hana no Shukumei in two centuries, a youkai of human birth.
The process in and of itself interested Lord Rei the most. What kind of power did this Hana no Shukumei have? Humans attempted to become youkai before, and almost always it ended in corruption through dark magic. Lady Kagome, however, was a perfectly reasonable and well behaved young woman, that gave no indication of having been changed by her youkai body.
No doubt thousands of questions would be rained upon her during dinner, if Lord Rei did not quickly divert attention to the more pressing issue of Naraku.
Lord Sesshomaru said the spider hanyou attacked his land, and his miasma appeared to be spreading to the other lands. Even Lord Tatsuya in the far south sent word of several incidents with his vast crop lands. According the the Lord of the West, the hanyou waged a political war, trying to turn the citizens of the land against their leaders and cause an uprising.
Lord Rei would be damned if he let that happen. Even if the elusive hanyou could not be found, Lord Rei could manage his people. No one would be starting a rebellion on his watch.
He drew himself from his thoughts when he heard the door opening. Lord Rei looked to the end of the hall, with the rest of the nobles seated at the table. Lord Sesshomaru and his band were the only ones who had not shown, and Lord Rei straightened his back as they entered.
The first to come in were the three children. Each wore clothing slightly cleaner than what they walked in with, chatting animatedly with each other before the small imp youkai berated them for their manners. At this, they quieted, looking around the expansive dining hall.
Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome walked behind the children. Lord Sesshomaru wore the same outfit, but a blue tassel had been added to the red on his chest plate. A sign of peace and offering to the Lord of the East.
Lady Kagome wore a different outfit entirely, a regal kimono much different to the battle outfit she walked in with. It was deep orange, decorated with red maple leaves cascading down the side. Her hair was tied into a bun, two red hair pins on either side of her head. The whispers about her began anew as they watched her walk with Lord Sesshomaru, until they stood in their place as the guests of honor, beside Lord Rei's seat.
"It is good to see you this evening," Lord Rei said, with a bow.
"And you as well," Lord Sesshomaru replied, nodding his head. They pair took their seats, the children guided by Jaken to a more appropriate table nearby. Several of the nobles children were seated together for the meal, and Lord Rei saw the human girl Rin squeal in happiness at the sight of other children.
"Good evening, Lord Rei," Lady Kagome said, as she sat on Lord Sesshomaru's other side.
"Good evening," he replied, pleased to see her. "As much as I would love to ask you more questions, Lady Kagome, there is a more pressing matter to address, after dinner begins."
She nodded, but did not say anything.
As soon as the guests of honor were seated, the whispers ended, and dinner was served. A multitude of western courses, continuing Lord Rei's preference for the western style. Kagome recognized food she normally saw only in her own time, and felt her stomach rumble.
When the food was lain on the table, and before everyone prepared the eat, Lord Rei rose from his chair. "May I have your attention?"
Every noble snapped their heads toward the Lord of the East. He smiled, and said, "Tonight we have the honor of dining with our esteemed Lord Sesshomaru." Lord Rei paused, and several youkai at the table clapped.
"Unfortunately," he said, "this is not a happy time. A youkai has been attacking us, a man by the name of Naraku. He is said to be extremely powerful, holding almost every shard of the Shikon no Tama. But, there is a light for us."
Lord Rei turned to Kagome, and gestured for her to stand. She blushed and nodded, surprised when Sesshomaru stood with her. Kagome smiled gratefully, before facing the table.
"Lady Kagome," Lord Rei said, "is a powerful miko, and has spent the last three years hunting Naraku with her friends. And now she is paired with Lord Sesshomaru, on of the greatest youkai to grace our presence since his own father."
There was more clapping, and several calls of appreciation. Lord Rei waved a hand to quiet the guests. "Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome are continuing the hunt for Naraku," Lord Rei said. "And after we have had our fill of food, I would like each and every one of you to gather in the great hall with us, to discuss how we will handle the situation." Lord Rei's eyes swept over the crowd. "I hope that you turn the matter over in your minds during dinner."
With that, he sat, Kagome and Sesshomaru with him. The nobles were wound now, but as the servants began distributing food and asking what the youkai wanted on their plates, the matter retreated from their minds.
Lord Rei turned to Sesshomaru, with a smirk. "I hope you are prepared for a long night."
Sesshomaru looked him in the eye, and nodded.
()
And that's a wrap!
Mattaki here, hoping you all enjoyed this chapter. Everyone settles in to Lord Rei's castle, and a bit more about Hatori's motivations are revealed.
Next chapter should be up around the 13th. If you could, please take the time to review and let me know what you thought.
Thanks for reading!
Ja ne~