Chapter 41
While it had taken them a while to get things settled and after her mates mother had refused to stay behind when she needed to give her old friend a firm talking to, it had been decided that Kohaku and Shippo would be staying behind to watch over the pups of their pack. While both Shippo and Kohaku had been put out when they were told that they were to stay behind as well to help protect the rest of the pack, Shippo had been smart to stay silent and do as his adoptive parents had ordered of him while Kohaku had been knocked out and sealed within the castle walls.
While her mate and his mother traveled in their own true forms, Miku carried her mother and father while she led the way with Miroku and Sango on her back. Once she had felt the magic and change in the control of the earth and that they had already crossed the boarders into the east, Rin had lowered herself down and had landed so that she would take to her humanoid form. After she had landed and after she had turned around to face her mate and their family, Rin froze in place while Miku let out a low growl as she felt the graze of a blade at her back as she heard a familiar voice growl out, "You should not have returned to the East Princess, you have no idea what has occurred."
"I have some idea, now if I were you Lord General I would step back before my mate chooses to end you." Rin whispered as she stood still while keeping her eyes locked on her mate so that he knew that there was nothing to worry about for Hiei would be bound to aid her since her guardian was still within the Eastern lands.
Her mother however had no way of knowing or realizing that her daughter was not in danger and that the dragon that had been surrounding himself in shadows and that had held the knife at her back would not harm her had acted quicker than any in their party had thought her capable. Before Rin could explain things, she found herself in a protective barrier by her father's side and watched as Kagome drew her weapon while growling out, "You will not draw your weapon at my daughter dragon, too much has been ignored and I will not have it. Not when I have come to settle matters."
"Stupid bastard." Inuyasha growled out as he kept his weapon draw.
"Oka-san, Otu-san, that is Hiei, while he holds the title of the Lord General of the East he is…well he is a friend that I would like to see alive." Rin stated in an amused filled voice.
"Miku, is this true?" Sesshomaru's cold and emotionless filled voice was heard ask as he felt the slight hesitation in his mate's explanation.
"She thinks him a friend, I see him as nothing more than the King's lap dog." Miku's annoyed filled voice growled out.
"Friend or not, watch yourself dragon." Kagome growled one last time as she draw her sword and power back to herself while turning to face her daughter to ask, "does this mean that we are close to the village?"
"We are, I assume that you were asked to escort us to the King and Queen?" Rin asked in a curious filled voice as he glared at his old friend. He had given his word that he would protect her sister while she was away, so why was he not at her sister's side.
"Princess Maya felt you enter the lands; she requested that I see you and your party safely to the village." Hiei began to explain as he straightened himself, "she hides your aura as well as your party from the King and Queen."
"Well," Rin sighed as she began to seal her emotions away, "lead the way, although you surly must know that this will not be an easy task."
"With you it never is Princess."
Before Rin could correct him, she could not help but grin as her mate took hold of her and growled out, "She is my mate and you will address her as the Lady of the West while in our company dragon."
"Forgive me, I was under the impression that the Lady Miko was the current alpha female of the west," Hiei goaded with a grin on his face only to regret it as he fell to his knees at the amount of purifying energy that the miko in question had filled him with.
"While I still hold the title, I do plan to teach my daughter what she must learn before that title is handed over to her." Kagome growled out.
"Enough," Inuyasha growled out as he for once acted like the relational one. "We have matters to tend to and while we have not made ourselves known we will see the King and Queen of the East."
After Kagome had released him from her hold and after Rin had let out a long sigh and shrugged her shoulders at her friend, she and Miku lead the way while Hiei walked behind the pack that came from the west. As they walked through the village there were dragons that glared at her, some that whispered and others that offered her a small smile of welcome. While it had been most of the village that had demanded that she took her leave and never returned, there were few that had wished for her to stay for they saw her as the protector that she could become for their lands and kind. Just as they had reached the castle, Miku draw her sword and disappeared before she could be asked what had occurred. While Kagome and Inuyasha quickly went on guard and began to look around to see who had been stupid enough to try to attack their pack, Rin had gone after her friend in search of the fool that had chosen to attack her sister.
After taking note of his missing mate, Sesshomaru allowed for his true power to explode from him so that all could sense that they would not be allowed to leave if any challenges were to be issued to them. Kagome sensing his expanding aura and not wishing to be left alone, followed after her brothers example as she turned and locked eyes with the dragon that she had already once before marked with her power as she very clearly, and loudly growled out, "I care not where they are or if they are in a section of the castle that belongs only to the ruling family, you will take me to my daughter now dragon and you will not try anything foolish."
"Unless of course you wish to be the example for these fools that watch us." Inuyasha stated in a voice that was so much like his brother that there left no room for others to state that he was not a true son of the previous lord of the west.
Having no other choice but to take the orders that had been issued to him by the ruling pack of the west, the dragon of darkness nodded his head and lead the way knowing that he would not be well received when the King found that he had done the opposite of what he had been ordered to do. He would have risked trying to surround them in his power and make them appear back in their lands however the princess had advanced so much so that he was unable to us his gif on them. They were protected and any attempts on any of the pack would result in his death, of that he was certain. 'How I long for the day that I will be as free as the shadows that answer my calls.'
She advanced, higher than that of a normal dragons, sense of scent had alerted her that her sister's blood had been spilled and she would not have it. As fast as her legs could carry her, Rin had rushed on ward toward her sister's aid so that she would finally get the answers that she had wished for and so that she would be granted the right to remove herself from the East so that she would forever be seen as the Lady of the West. 'I want no ties to the east, I wish to gain the freedom that I had as a human while keeping the power I was born with to protect those that I hold dear.' Rin thought angrily as she stormed into the room only to explode in rage upon seeing who had harmed her sister.
After she had surrounded her brother in a ball of water that slowly began to heal him, Rin covered her sister in shadows as she growled out, "Had you wished to speak with me you could have come for me yourself, you shouldn't have gone after my sister."
"The fact that you still acknowledge Princess Maya as your kin only proves that you are still a member of the royal family and still allowed for courtship."
"Rin, you should have waited." Maya's stress filled voice was heard say from the barrier that protected her.
"Miku," Rin whispered as she kept herself under control.
"Mistress,"
"Get my brother and sister out of here, take them to the King and Queen and should you see Hiei leading my family redirect them to the court room."
"As you wish it Mistress," Miku replied as she tried to keep her worry for the male that she had wished to soon call her mate show on her face.
"And Miku." Rin called as she continued to ignore the enraged dragon of fire before her.
"Mistress,"
"I've also tended to Amon; please have him help you with the escort."
"Once I have claimed you, you will get rid of that orphaned dragon and you will act like a princess should." He growled out in anger.
"Lord Hoshi you will never court me for I am a mated demon. My mate is in these halls and I would advise you to stay clear for I will not stop him should he seek to taste your blood, now if you will excuse me I have other matters to tend to."
"You're nothing but a whore, I will show you your place child, even if he marked you, he would not have the power to…what is that." Lord Hoshi whispered as she felt the dangerous, enraged aura of a powerful demon fill the lands of the East.
"That would be my upset mate that has come looking for me. Once again Lord Hoshi I suggest you take your leave before it is too late."
"I believe it is already too late my daughter." Lady Inukimi was heard growl out in an amused filled voice she entered the room with her son at her side.
"Lady Inukimi, where is my Oka-san and Otu-san?"
"The King and Queen of the East have not been seen by any since you departed Princess Aya, now come to your senses and join my side." Lord Hoshi growled as he filed to see the enraged Inu demon enter the room in search of his mate.
"Those fools were not of whom she spoke of; I would watch how you speak to my mate dragon for this Sesshomaru will not allow you such familiarities with his mate."
"Sesshomaru," Rin greeted with a smile on her face as she appeared by his side, "did Miku find you and the rest?"
"She did, she has already began to escort your Oka-san and Otu-san to the proper room. They were joined by Princess Maya and her mate." Lady Inukimi answered in her sons place as Sesshomaru bared his fangs at the dragon before them and waited for him to show his submission.
Before the Lord of the West could kill the fool that thought himself to be the equal of her mate, he turned his attention to his mate as he heard her say, "We don't have time for this Sesshomaru, I'm sure you will be able to kill him before we leave but we have to go, Lady Inukimi, if you would please take my hand."
"I am the son of the high nobles that help govern the East; to kill me would ensure war between the two countries."
"This Sesshomaru has your scent now dragon, should you wish to live I suggest you prepare a formal apology for my mate before I come looking for you."
Before the dragon of fire could voice his objections and before he could even try to get the female that he had been given as his mate, he was thrown aside as the female in question kept hold of her on her mate while she led the two Inu demons toward the ruling family of the east. He would not be so easily dismissed, not when he had been promised the female to begin with. After allowing the female and her companies to get a good lead from him the fire dragon stormed after the three knowing that he would be able to keep her in place and once he had marked her, and over written the mark that had been left on her by the Inu demon he would make sure that she would know her true place after she learned her lesson and that she would forever respect him as her mate.
As soon as they had reached the female dragoness that their daughter had taken to, Kagome kept silent and kept her power surrounding herself and her mate as well as her mate and her two friends. Once they had reached the entrance to the court room where Rin would shortly be meeting them, Kagome turned to the female dragoness and asked, "Are we to wait until they open the doors for us?"
"My mother has sealed the door; she will be unable to enter until Rin is with us. By the feel of the auras in the room, my grandfather and father are speaking with her now." Princess Maya explained in a worried filled voice.
"If they are planning something against our sister we must find out before she arrives." Haku told his mate as he began to help her in trying to get the door to open for them.
"Inuyasha if you use Tessaiga you risk injuring anyone that is by the door." Sango pointed out when her hanyou friend pulled his sword free.
"Kagome, would you allow me to try?" Miroku asked as he already began to charge his staff with his spiritual powers.
"Thank you Miroku but I think I have it from here, Princess Maya, Prince Haku, if you would please step aside." Kagome gently requested.
"You can't hope to break my mother's seal; she is the strongest queen since the first ruler of our lands." Maya stated in a worried filled voice as her mate pulled her aside.
"Feh, this seal is nothing for my mate, Naraku had the help of the Shikon jewel and my mate still broke through his seals and barriers." Inuyasha stated in a proud filled voice.
Before the first heir of the East could even ask what it was that they were talking about, she watched in shock and surprise as the hanyou miko that was the mother that her sister ever had, as the miko in question easily broke the seals that were on the door that had kept them out. As soon as they had walked in, Kagome had placed a barrier, blocked and purified the attack that had been automatically been thrown at them. Once it was clear that they would not be a attacking a second time, Kagome let out a low growl and said, "Well that is definitely not a welcome that I would have thought to receive, especially with the conflicts that already fill both lands."
"Who are you and why is it that you think you can just walk into our home as if you belonged here." A low angry growl from the elder dragon was heard ask.
"I am Prince Inuyasha, second son of Lord Inutaisho, second heir of the West. This is my mate Kagome, miko that purified the Shikon Jewel, Alpha female of the West, Lady Sango of the Taijiya and Lord Miroku her mate. We are here to speak with the King and Queen of the East."
"Of course it is our understanding that the female has more say in these lands so I am here to speak with the Queen of the East." Kagome's cold, and power filled voice growled out after her mates.
"We do not take lightly any attacks on our family and we are here to ensure that any other attacks on our pack will be seen as war." Sango hissed out as she walked over and stood to Kagome's left so that they realized that she was indeed the beta of this pack.
"A human as a second? Do you believe that is a wise choice young one?" the former king of the east asked in a confused filled voice.
Before Kagome or Inuyasha could say a word and while Miroku held his mate back from attacking the fool, all eyes turned to face Rin as she not only walked in with her mate at her side but with the mother of her mate as she was heard growl out, "She is a Taijiya Master, it is because of her that I learned all that I do now and that I am able to wield my weapon as a master Taijiya in my own right."
"Aya, my daughter, what are you doing with these people?" The King of the East asked in a cold and emotionless voice attempted to approach the female dragoness only to be stopped by a very powerful barrier.
"You will stay away from my daughter." Kagome's angry filled voice growled out as her true power made its self known.
"Oka-san, its fine, they can't hurt me anymore." Rin whimpered in a low growl as she approached her stress filled mother. Stress was not something that she needed since she was with a pup now.
"Lady Rin," The Queen of the East finally spoke as she motioned for her mate to stand back. "I see that you have found your way back to your mate."
"I have, I would like to present to you, Lord Sesshomaru of the West, my mate, my equal."
"Lady Inukimi, what is going on here, why has your son claimed my granddaughter." the former king of the east growled out.
"Are you here to start a war?"
"No, I am here to show you that I am with my true family once more and that I will be staying with them. I have come to show you that I have a mate of my own and I have no need for the foolish male that the King of the East thought to be my equal." Rin growled out as she locked here enraged eyes with those of the male in question.
"This Sesshomaru will let things go and leave things in peace and will not hold you accountable for what has already been done to my mate, however should you wish to force her hand and should you wish to keep her from my side we will fight and we will end things here now."
"Oka-san, Otu-san, she is meant to be with them, she is happy and well looked after. You forced her away long ago and thus cannot punish her for something that she took advantage of." Maya stated as she walked out of the barrier with her mate at her side and toward her parents.
"With all due respect Princess Maya it no longer matters what it is that she wishes, the King has already promised her hand to my son, my Queen he did a dragons oath."
"How amusing, more have joined the party." A cold, dangerous voice filled the hall as it began to grow dark and cold.