Another human? Kagome questioned suspiciously as she replied. "Hi, I'm Kagome. So nice to meet you!" It was obvious that Hana had been working hard to clean up the room. Most of the debris from the floor was in one pile and the paintings were hanging in a more organized fashion. There was still work to be done, but at least now it was more inhabitable.
"Here," Hana's thin arms were outstretched with a light jacket. "The castle is really drafty, this should help keep you a little warmer."
"Thank-" achoo. Kagome rubbed her nose and sniffled. "Thank you," she giggled. "It must be from all the dust floating in the room." Hana gave her a friendly smile and went back to cleaning. Despite Kagome's efforts to make small talk, the room continued to fall silent as the two continued sweeping, cleaning, and organizing the room.
"Lunch is ready," a voice called from the other side of the door. Hana opened the door and a tall thin women with long gray hair carried in a tray of bread, fruits, and dried meats and set it on a small sitting table. "Phew," Kagome plopped down in the chair and began digging into the spread. "All this cleaning sure created quite the appetite, huh?"
Nodding with a polite smile, Hana continued on with scrubbing the walls with her back to Kagome. Every so often she would turn her head slightly and sneak a glance of the food, but each time her stomach twisted in pain at the sight. When her stomach began to growl, she would make a loud clanging noise on the bucket of water by her feet.
"Aren't you going to eat, Hana?" Kagome couldn't help but notice how frail Hana looked.
"No, that is your lunch," Hana said with her signature small smile. "Thank you, though."
"Come on," Kagome protested. "There's plenty here. More than enough for us to share."
Slowly, Hana's hand that was clutching a rag fell from the wall back down to her side. Her eyes moved back and forth nervously as she listened for footsteps; a million thoughts raced through her mind and her hands started to shake slightly.
"Hana...?" Kagome's head cocked to the side. Her voice lowered to a whisper, "what's wrong?" Initially she was surprised by the way she was reacting to such a simple question, but when she really looked at her... it was obvious why. Hana's clothing was hanging off of her small almost skeletal frame. Black circles under her eyes were highlighted against her dull skin. Realizing the difference between how Tengu and Sesshomaru treated their servants, she became enraged and began yanking and pulling on a heavy chest covered in dust that sat in the room.
"What are you doing!" Hana jumped in front of the chest that Kagome was pushing.
"Well, are you going to help me or not?" Kagome grunted while pushing the chest past her and closer to the door that lead to the hall. "There," Kagome smacked her hands together, causing dust and other particles to fall to the floor. Achoo. "Ugh," Kagome groaned wiping her nose on her sleeve. Hana stood frozen in place. "Here," Kagome offered a large chunk of bread. "Now you don't have to be afraid to eat."
Hands shaking, Hana's attention flittered between the bread Kagome placed in her hands and the chest that was blocking the door from being opened. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears thinking about what Lord Tengu would do to her if he discovered her eating food that was meant for a guest. Looking back to the chest, she decided she would take a chance in trusting Kagome and worked up the courage to take a small bite.
Kagome smiled at the sight. "Come sit," she patted the other chair while making her way back to hers.
"Thank you," Hana bowed with the bread clutched in her hands like a mouse. Tears of joy brimmed her eyes as she took another bigger bite and reached for some fruit.
"It's terrible how Tengu treats his staff," Kagome said with disgust as she munched on a carrot.
Hana paused and stared off into the distance, thinking of all the horrors she's seen over the years. "It could be worse," she smiled.
"No, it could be better," Kagome argued. "It's nothing like this at Sesshomaru's castle. He treats all of his staff with respect. Who the hell does this guy think he is?"
"Shh," Hana hissed, listening for footsteps. "Lord Tengu tries his best. The great wars for the North have made resources sparse."
Kagome's mouth hung open. "Unbelievable. You're defending the guy!?"
Sighing, Hana put the loaf of bread gently on the table and folded her hands in her lap. "If it wasn't for Lord Tengu, I would most likely be dead along with all the other women here. Our husbands either died in battle or died trying to defend our villages, which were burned to the ground regardless." A single tear fell silently down her cheek as she thought back to happier memories of her husband. "This is our home now," she added with a weary smile.
"I'm sorry," Kagome's eyes cast down toward the floor. "I was going to ask you why there were so many human servants around. Sesshomaru has humans too, but it's a good mix of both demon and human...who are fed and happy," she emphasized
Nibbling on some fresh fruit, Hana stared blankly at Kagome thinking about the oath of dedication, service, and loyalty her and the others had sworn to Lord Tengu. Something about Kagome felt different; she made her feel cared for and seen. She wondered if this life she spoke of at another castle was true. Was it possible for a demon to care for a human servant enough to make sure their basic needs were met?
The spread of food was quickly devoured, mostly by Hana, but Kagome didn't mind. She didn't have much of an appetite anyway; her body was achey from her battle with Inukimi and working hard to clean up the room. She watched as Hana stood up and meticulously made sure she had no crumbs anywhere on her clothing.
"Would you like to come with me to the garden?" Hana asked while grabbing the serving plate and resting it in front of her stomach and thighs.
"Can I?" Kagome questioned. Although she was technically a prisoner, she wasn't being treated as such. Tengu had let her leave the room and gave her a servant to help clean up the room and look after her. She shivered at the thought of what treatment she would be receiving if she was Lady Inukimi's prisoner.
"Yes, you can. Lord Tengu..." Hana hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much confidential information. "He hasn't said otherwise."
As Kagome and Hana made their way through the castle and to the rear exit leading to the garden, they bumped into Tengu. "Ah, Kagome," he said with a smile. "Going to help in the garden? You'll fit in just fine here." After giving her a pat on the head as if she was a child, he continued on his way.
What a freak, does he actually think I'm going to stay here? Kagome muttered under her breath. It was loud enough for Hana to hear causing her body to tense up. Looking out of the corner of her eye she released the tension when Lord Tengu was nowhere to be seen. Hana sighed. If Lord Tengu was in sight she would have no choice but to tell him, or risk her life.
"How do you get anything to grow here!" Kagome exclaimed at the sight of the landscape surrounding the castle. The crumbling stone castle was high up in the air on a stone platform, with only one bridge connecting it to land in the front. Hundreds of feet below them waves crashed angrily against the stone pillars holding everything up. Somehow, despite a view of mostly gray and rocks, there was a lush garden in the center.
Hana beamed with joy at her compliment, "Thank you. My husband and I were avid gardeners." Getting down to business, she kneeled in the dirt and began weeding, trimming, and watering. Kagome followed suit and the two were silent once again as they focused their energy on the food source. Gardening was Hana's one and only escape from her new reality. Hana's mind quickly wandered back to what Kagome had told her about the other Lord's castle, and she began questioning if her decision to dedicate her life to this castle had been the right choice. At the time it seemed as though there weren't any other options.
"AH!" Kagome screamed, "BUG!"
Kagome's outburst made Hana chuckle. When is the last time I laughed? she questioned herself. The overwhelming feeling of discontentment was becoming uncomfortable to Hana now, and she gave in to her curiosity. "Kagome, tell me more about your home. It sounded lovely when you described it earlier."
"My home?" Kagome blinked in disbelief. I don't remember talking about my home or much of anything with her. "Oh! You mean Sesshomaru's castle? It's right by the beach and the grounds are beautiful. Everyone is so friendly. You should come sometime!" she added innocently, causing Hana to wince. Kagome lowered her voice, "Sorry, I don't want to get you in trouble."
Hana smiled and went back to weeding, staying silent the rest of the time while she allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts and memories.
"How can you be so patient!" Koga yelled at Sesshomaru through gritted teeth while pacing in front of his seat. "This guy is going to get Kagome killed!"
Sesshomaru rubbed the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. Today marked the third day of the emergency summit called by him for the Western, Eastern, and Southern lands, but not much progress had been made. "'This guy' is the Lord of the South, and you will treat him with respect," Sesshomaru responded in an agitated tone, and glared at Koga for bringing Kagome's name up.
Lord Yuuma's bright yellow eyes darted between Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Koga. "Now, who is Kagome?" he sighed while running his fingers through his smooth orange hair.
"I have been keeping an eye on the North, and I do not like what I am seeing," Sesshomaru answered, ignoring Lord Yuuma's question. "We need to intervene sooner than later." Sesshomaru's eyes shifted to the fox demon Lord sitting across from him, "I do not care who takes control of the land."
Yuuma sighed and rested his chin in his hands with his leg bouncing silently under the table. While he was the youngest of the three Lords, he was undoubtedly the most peaceful demon at the table. His peaceful nature wasn't driven by any lack of strength on his part even though he was more slim compared to Sesshomaru and Koga, but he would rather use his wits and intelligence to win a battle. Remembering the unnecessary bloodshed his father had caused during his reign of the South, he shuddered. "Lord Sesshomaru," he looked to him sympathetically. "I'm reluctant to intervene with the North and cause a war over a mistress." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "Now, if it was the Lady of the West or your betrothed that was kidnapped..." Yuuma shrugged. "That's an entirely different situation."
"And what if she is?" Sesshomaru snapped, sick of the politics. Why did I arrange for such a ridiculous treaty between the lands? he questioned to himself thinking back to the day his father went to the netherworld. 'Supreme Conquest?' his father had asked disapprovingly. Sesshomaru clenched his fist silently at the memory and considered breaking the treaty and attacking the North himself. After some consideration, he looked to Ginto and subtly nodded.
"Here."
Kagome blinked a few times at the sound of Hana's voice, and she groaned while sitting up in bed. As the days went on it became obvious that the dusty castle wasn't the cause of her sneezing, illness was. Despite Hana diligently bringing her medicinal herbs for the infected wound on her back and her growing respiratory infection, nothing seemed to be helping. "Thanks," Kagome said meekly while trying to suppress a cough.
A faint sound of footsteps coming from the hall prepared the girls for the knock on the door. "How's it going?" Lord Tengu asked while pulling his hair back and finishing up getting ready for the day.
"Uh, um... well..." Hana trailed off while looking to Kagome. All of her concerns for Kagome's health fell on deaf ears the past few days, and she didn't want to be reprimanded for bringing it up to him in front of Kagome.
"I'm sick and not getting better," Kagome spoke up. "I need to see a doctor." After spending just over a week at the castle, she still wasn't able to figure Tengu out. Sometimes he had a calm and friendly demeanor, and other times he seemed more evil than Naraku.
"Sorry, fresh out of those," Tengu said with a ribbon clenched between his teeth while he continued to fight with his hair. "Isn't Hana bringing you herbs?"
"Yes," Kagome coughed. "But I need something different... stronger." She caught herself before mentioning the Bone-eaters well, even though she wasn't sure if it still worked or not.
Irritated, he turned and went straight to his sitting room two floors below. Tengu slammed the doors open, but his visitor sitting in the chair was unfazed. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly.
"Just be patient, Lord Tengu." Inukimi rolled her eyes and wondered why men were always so impatient.
"Patient! It's been just over a week!" Tengu barked. "She's been nothing but a drain on my resources!"
"I never said you had to keep her alive," Inukimi shrugged. "Do what you want with her."
"Why did you even bring her here?" Tengu asked glaring at Inukimi. "I ask again, Lady Inukimi, do you come as friend? Or foe?"
The desperation coming from Tengu was exhilarating. Inukimi smirked and fidgeted with the Meido stone hanging from around her neck. There were so many moving parts to her plan, that not even she was sure of her next move. One thing she knew, though, is that she couldn't tell him that her original plans involved his lands being attacked for the sole purpose of Sesshomaru being able to grow his. By poisoning Kagome the first time, she was sure Inuyasha would go into a blind rage and attack the North, forcing Sesshomaru to intervene due to their blood relation. She never thought that her son, the son of the great dog demon, would develop feelings for a human girl and taint his perfect bloodline; one that was perfectly planned and calculated for hundreds of years.
"Well?" Tengu silently cursed himself for being a pawn in her game, one that he willingly walked into despite knowing he shouldn't.
"I'm just observing, that is all," Inukimi reassured him. She was surprised that her loyalty to her son was being tested, but it was unsurprising all the same. Her son, once on a path of power and supreme conquest, was now trying to lead how his father was before his demise. Alliances, borders...it made her sick.
Tengu plopped into a chair and his foot tapped rapidly as he angrily avoided eye contact with Inukimi. Eventually he had wanted to descend on the other lands and conquer them, but he was no fool and knew now was not the time. Inukimi interfered with his plans of building up his army before putting himself on any of the other Lords radar.
Seductively walking across the room, Inukimi sat on his lap and pulled his face to look at her. "So, what are you going to do Lord Tengu?" she asked in a low sultry tone while tracing a finger down his cheek and neck. Truly not having an idea of what would happen next excited her beyond belief.
His anger melted away as he stared at her exposed shoulder and outline of her left breast that was just inches from his face. Is this part of your plan, too? he questioned as he felt his desire for her grow to unthinkable levels. "I suppose I have two choices." He softly sucked on her soft neck. "I either keep the girl alive and continue to wait for Sesshomaru to make the first move, or I kill her and deliver her to Sesshomaru's doorstep."
"Oh, I like the sound of that," Inukimi moaned while exposing her other shoulder and lowering her top.
Outside the door, Hana stopped dead in her tracks and her blood ran cold. Kill... kill her? One of the jars of medicinal herbs she was carrying dropped to the floor and she heard a growl coming from inside the room. She winced as the doors slammed open and a disapproving Tengu was looking down at her. "S-sorry my Lord," she stuttered while putting the herbs back in the jar and scurrying up to Kagome's room.
Tengu stared down the now empty hall. Something felt off and he made a mental note, but remembering the female Inu waiting for him he turned and licked his lips. "Now, where were we?"
Author's Note:
Helllooooo Friends!
This chapter was actually supposed to be a lot longer and end differently, but while I was proof reading/adding things just now I realized it would do better being split up into two chapters. A lot of this chapter was meant to be the build up to the action packed end, but that's now the next chapter :). I don't think I'll wait a full month to post it since it's already done and ready to go, but I'm open to all your thoughts on that.
I just wanted to take a moment again to thank all of you for favoriting, following, bookmarking, and reading my story. It truly means so much to me. I also love hearing from you, so don't be shy to leave a comment!
I hope you all have a relaxing and peaceful weekend.
Until next time!