FicWad

Moonlight
Scroll four: War Games.
/Author’s note: I want to personally thank Nanda for this chapter’s title, because after carefully reading, she pointed out the obvious...
Mega thanks once again go to Ithilwen for taking the time to beta this fic!/

Sesshomaru headed back to the women’s quarters alongside his mother. As they walked along in silence he wondered what she wanted. He had the feeling it was something important since she had left Atsuimi-hime behind. Everyone knew the other woman was Inukouhi’s shadow, and there were many rumors thrown about the women’s quarters concerning their relationship.
“Come in, Sessho-kun...” Inukouhi purred as she came into her rooms and dismissed her waiting servants. She left him for several minutes alone in her main chamber while she followed her servants into her private room.
Sesshomaru waited patiently for her return. He was not surprised to see the room had not changed much since the last time he had visited, except that she had replaced a silk wall hanging with a new wall scroll. It was the portrait of his father that Gahaku-san had been commissioned to paint and Sesshomaru stood before it smirking, for he had heard that Ningen-hime had also wanted it.
She smiled at him when she came back and she was pleased to see he returned the gesture. “It’s been a long time since you have come to visit with me, my son.” They walked over to Inukouhi’s sitting area and they sat down on the soft cushions facing each other. She gave him a sharp look and Sesshomaru had the feeling she was about to tell him something of great importance. It was a look he had seen many times before and it reminded him of when he was younger. He wondered what she wanted as he sat there, trying hard not to squirm. For some reason he could not explain, that particular look always made him feel like a small whelp again. He also had the feeling he was about to punished for some transgression, but whether it was his own or his father’s he could not tell, and deciding to forestall her ranting, Sesshomaru blurted out, “Gomen nasai, Haha-ue...It’s just that I...umm...umm...” he colored as he tried to think of a plausible excuse.
“It is alright, Sesshomaru; you are fast becoming a man and have a man’s need and desires, and your poor mother is soon forgotten, ne?” She smiled as she held his face in her hands for a moment. “Come, let us have some tea and we can talk the way we used to.” She sighed. “The way you did when you were just a little pup and would coming running to me with your troubles.” Inukouhi clapped her hands and one of her handmaidens came out from her private chamber to attend her. “Sakuya-chan, make us some tea.” She looked back at her son and asked, “Would you like something to nibble on, Sessho-kun?” He shook his head at her and she waved her hand to dismiss the girl. “Now...I have heard that you were seen fighting in public with that girl and this is very bad, my Sessho-kun. Have I not taught you how to behave properly in public?” She raised an eyebrow to add weight to the gentle rebuke.
“Hai...Haha-ue, but she is so stupid at times and she looks so much like Chichi-ue’s pet human... that I lost my temper. Gomen nasai, Haha-ue, it won’t happen again, I promise.” He gave her a half smile.
“It had better not...besides, now that she’s a servant to the Whore, I doubt very much you’ll have anything more to do with her, will you?” Inukouhi smiled in amusement as she watched her son squirm. /Interesting...my Sessho-chan finds the girl fascinating and that will never do, my son. I’ll not have you following in your father’s footsteps here... /she thought as she slipped a mask of cool indifference onto her face. She made more small talk with her son until Sakuya arrived back with the tea and after instructing the girl to leave, she poured for the two of them. “However, losing one’s temper in public is not a good thing, Sessho-kun. Besides, it gives ammunition to your enemies and wagging tongues something to wag about. Remember, Sessho-kun, if you keep your wits about you and show only cold hard ice to your enemies, half your battle will be won before you start. Then when you do go in for the kill, they will know that they surely deserved it, ne?” She sipped her tea.
“Hai...” Sesshomaru replied as he also took a sip of his tea. /Haha-ue, why are you telling me this, when you always loose your temper in public, especially when it concerns Chichi-ue’s pet. I have yet to see you put that stupid human in her place and I’ve never seen you hold back when you’ve felt someone’s broken the rules of propriety. And what does this have to do with the stupid human’s new servant? I would have thought you would have approved of that punishment. But are you mad at me because you think I’m trying to be nice to the stupid human or are you at me for bestowing so degrading a punishment on a youkai? Or are you mad at something else? I’m sorry, Haha-ue, but I have no idea what you are trying to tell me here... /“Gomennasai, Haha-ue, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I can see that.” Inukouhi said testily. “What I said was, ‘What did your father think of girl’s punishment?’ Was he pleased that you are finally being nice to his whore or was he suspicious of your motives?”
“What do you mean by ‘suspicious of my motives?’ I wasn’t trying to do anything other than punish the wench for her insolence!” Sesshomaru exclaimed a bit too loudly and his mother raised her eyebrows at him. He took a deep breath and let it out before continuing, “I don’t know what Chichi-ue thought. He didn’t really say anything much about it as the pet was there by his side, although I’m sure they discussed it after I left.”
“I see...” Inukouhi looked thoughtful for a moment before a smile lit up her face. “You know, Sessho-kun, there’s a tiny flaw in this plan of yours.”
“What plan?” Not that I was planning anything other than giving Tsuki-chan an easy punishment, I guess. Actually, Haha-ue, I wasn’t really thinking when I came up with it, but perhaps I can salvage something out of it.
“You don’t have to play games with me, my son. I know you devised this punishment as a way of using the girl as a spy!” She pointed her finger at him and for once there was a look of delight on her face when she did that.
Sesshomaru sighed, which made his mother happy to think she knew what his plans were. As much as he hated to disabuse her of the notion, he felt he had to set her straight. “Haha-ue, I did no such thing!” /Tsuki-chan is unfortunately as devoted to Chichi-ue’s pet as Atsuimi-hime is to you, so I doubt very much she’ll do any spying for me...wait, perhaps I can glean some information of note, if I can manage to see her again... /He sat there smiling to himself.
“Oh please! You know that you did! It really is a good plan; in fact it’s one that’s worthy of my father.” Inukouhi sighed. “Sessho-kun, if only he had lived to see this moment, I know he’d be very proud of you right now! But how are you going get the information from her, now that she’s just a servant? You know, I could always arrange for Sakuya-chan to meet with her and you can get the information that way!” his mother said before she took another sip of tea.
“That’s okay, Haha-ue, there’s no need for you to go to all that trouble.” He sipped his tea. “I’ll find a way to see the girl and get the information myself.” It’ll be nice to see Tsuki and if Haha-ue thinks I’m gathering information, them maybe she’ll make it easier for me to meet with her...
“You’re sure? I don’t mind helping you at all, Sessho-kun.” She smiled. “No? Well then how will you see her to gather the information she has for you? As a servant, I’m sure she’ll be kept very busy.” Inukouhi suddenly frowned. “Yes, now that the Whore has someone else who has a bit of brains to do her bidding, she’ll have more time to give herself airs.” She sat there silently fuming.
“Haha-ue, the tiny flaw in that line of reasoning is this: never once in all the time she’s been here has the human ever given herself airs.” Sesshomaru looked up to meet his mother’s gaze. /As hard to believe as it is, it’s actually true. Ningen-hime has always paid you the deference you deserved. Could that be another reason why you hate her so much? She take’s your husband’s love and instead of throwing it in your face like so many others here would have done, she shows you the proper respect...I have even heard rumors that she has even gone so far as to tell Chichi-ue when he’s been neglecting you. I guess I really have given Tsuki a very easy punishment, /he thought wryly as he waited for his mother’s response.
Inukouhi sat there thinking about what her son had said before she dismissed it out of hand as nonsense. She was very pleased that he had the nerve to tell her she was wrong. Nodding, she told him so before she changed the subject back to how he was going to go about using Tsuki as a spy. “Think about it, Sessho-kun, I can still arrange for Sakuya to act as a go between. She may be a bit on the foolish side, but the girl knows how to follow orders.”
“Iie, I’m sure an opportunity will arise and I’ll be able to get the information. Like I said before, I wouldn’t worry about too much about it, Haha-ue. The pet will sooner or later send the girl off on an errand and then I can somehow manage to meet her on the way...” He took another sip of tea and Inukouhi refilled his cup.
“I suppose. So how are your studies going? I hope this week in the barracks isn’t going to distract from your studies of the more important things, like learning to rule wisely, for example.”
“Iie, it won’t. Besides, I’m sure Myouga-jiisan will find me no matter where I am.”
“If you say so, my son.”
They sat there talking about nothing in particular until Inukouhi finally turned conversation around to the subject of Chibi-Nezumi. “So how do you feel about finally getting a sibling, Sessho-kun?”
“Keh.” He shrugged and took a sip of his tea. Swallowing he frowned before he answered her. “A sister would be nice I suppose... but I hope she doesn’t give me a brother as that could create problems later on...especially if Chibi-Nezumi decides she wants to put the bastard in my place.”
Inukouhi laughed. “Really? Care to tell me why, Sessho-kun?”
“Well...if she gives Chichi-ue a son, it might make her think she’s entitled to have her son rule, and as smart as she is, who’s to say he won’t be as smart? What if he plots to do away with me; then where will you be, Haha-ue? Besides Masuyo-san just declared his bastard son his heir today. Shit! You should have seen Takeshi-san’s face too when he heard about it. I don’t think Yoshiro will live more than a week past his father’s death. If he had the brains Masuyo-san seems to think he has, then he should start solidifying his position now. If not...” he shrugged.
“Such worries and concerns...” She smiled as she waved a hand as if to banish them. “Anyway, Sessho-kun, all that might be for nothing, as she could just as easily die whelping the bastard, seeing how small she is.” Inukouhi sipped her tea. “And yet, something else entirely different could happen. Say for instance, Chibi-Nezumi might happen to fall; she could lose the pup. It’s entirely possible, my son, I should know it has happened to me before...” she trailed off sadly. “Then again she could fall ill with a terrible fever or perhaps one of the cooks could be so careless as to use an old pot to make her favorite dish in, you know, a pot where poison was mixed to the rid the kitchens of vermin. Any one of a number of things could happen between now and then and poor Chibi-Nezumi could be left with no pup for her troubles, or she could, as I’ve said before, die whelping the bastard. Then again, you could just as easily spend your days praying to the gods to get rid of the problem for you. The choice is yours, Sessho-kun.”
“I’m not sure I understand you, Haha-ue.” Sesshomaru gave his mother a puzzled look. /Nor do I think I want to. I’m not sure I could do as I think you’re asking me to do. Kill my sibling before it’s born? Or kill Chibi-Nezumi? You’ve never before begrudged her Chichi-ue’s attentions, so why now? Haha-ue, Chibi-Nezumi’s not that ruthless and besides, I know how to watch my back. But what if Haha-ue is right and Chibi-Nezumi is planning on putting her son in my place? I’ve studied too long and hard to give up all of this, never mind adhering to all their pointless rules. Shit! This is mine and it’s going to stay that way! But then again, neither Chibi-Nezumi nor the pup have done anything wrong to me, as of yet. So perhaps instead of praying to the gods to take away my problems, I’ll pray for guidance in this matter instead... /He started to say something else when she interrupted him.
“Never mind, Sessho-kun. Come; let us talk of more pleasant things...” She smiled at her son and took another sip of tea; the two of them oblivious to how prophetic her words would turn out to be. “So, did you hear that your foster brother Keiichii, the fool, fell off a horse today?”
“Iie... I haven’t really spoken to Keiichii since Hitomi-chan left. Is he alright?”
“Hai! The idiot has a huge bump on his head and Toukasa-chan said he was out cold for hours afterwards. You know, he doesn’t even remember getting on the stupid horse...” She sighed. “But then what do expect with Toukasa-chan as a mother? You know, she’s another fool if you ask me...”
“But why? She was a good second mother to me and Keiichii was a good foster brother too. I really don’t understand how you can say that, Haha-ue.” Sesshomaru frowned then took another sip of his tea.
“Keh!” she swore and Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows in amusement. “She’s an idiot, who hoped for greatness in Takahara’s bed. The fool apparently thought he was your father, so she lifted her kimono at him and...”
“Haha-ue! I can’t believe you’re telling me this!” Sesshomaru said rather loudly to hide his embarrassment.
“Please, you are nearly a man and besides, you should know these things, so you won’t find yourself trapped by a stupid woman who decided to gain favor in your bed.” She looked at her son sharply. “Women can be terribly base things you know!” She shook her finger at him before she lifted her teacup and drank.
/I can’t believe you are telling me this. I have heard the stories hundreds of times, Haha-ue, and as much as I may have wanted to, I have not taken any to my bed yet...I may have wanted to, but I listened and I didn’t. So why this lecture again, Haha-ue? Do you think I’ve pillowed Tsukikage? Is this the reason you’re going over and over it again? /Sesshomaru thought with a sigh. “Haha-ue, I know this, as you’ve impressed it upon me many times already. I promise you, Haha-ue, I don’t have a woman to pillow. Have I not told you before, that I will wait until you and Chichi-ue find a suitable woman for marriage and that I will pillow only her, because she will be my mate and I won’t have time for another woman...?” he said wearily.
“Hai...It’s good to know that you listen when I tell you things, my Son.”
They fell silent for a while; each lost in their own thoughts as they finished the pot of tea. Inukouhi then asked her son if wanted any more tea, so she could tell her girl to make more. Sesshomaru told her he did not want any and the silence stretched on between them before the dog queen spoke again.
“Your father tells me that you are to be living in the barracks for the next week. What did you do to merit such treatment?” she said dryly.
Sesshomaru colored as he sipped his tea before replying. “Chichi-ue felt I needed to learn compassion and understanding of those who are beneath me...”
Raising an eyebrow, Inukouhi replied, “Is that so, well I also understand that you need to be up at dawn to report in, so sleep well, my son,” she purred as she dismissed him.
Having been dismissed, Sesshomaru got up and bowed to his mother. Straightening up, he noticed a slight frown creasing her brow. “Konbanwa, Haha-ue...” he said softly as he went over and kissed her cheek.
Smiling, Inukouhi also wished him goodnight as he turned and left.
888
Sesshomaru found he liked living in the barracks with the rest of his father’s men. It was a much harder life than that of the palace and he thrived on the challenge of making it there. He also found that he enjoyed the thrill of dealing with Takahara. He was not even the least bit surprised, when he realized it true; that the older man did not like him in the least. Then again, from the time Sesshomaru was a pup, he hated Takahara and he often wondered if his father even realized the depths of their mutual hatred for each other.
Therefore, Sesshomaru felt a certain satisfaction when dealing with Takahara that he rarely felt with the others. He knew Takahara was just as tough with the men as his father was and no matter how many times the older man baited him, Sesshomaru found he was able to keep his head about things. That pleased him, as he felt he learned a lot from the experience and he said a silent word of thanks to his father while he learned how to defend himself with a sword.
Takahara stood there silently watching the young youkai lord spar with Kobeyashi, the sword master. This should prove interesting today, /Takahara thought as he feigned boredom. /Real blades bite deeper than bamboo ones, Waka-sama, and it’s about time you learned that. He smiled as the sword master narrowly missed, giving Sesshomaru a gash on the arm.
“Come on, Whelp! Stop playing around and attack me for Kami’s sake! Or are you planning on dancing with me for the rest of the day?” Kobeyashi hissed at him, as time after time Sesshomaru sidestepped his attacks.
“Keh! I have better things to do than dance around with you all day! I thought Takahara told you to treat me the same as everyone else,” he smirked, which only seemed to infuriate the old youkai further.
“Then I will, Whelp! May the gods have mercy on you; for I won’t!” He lunged at Sesshomaru, who once again neatly deflected the blow.
“Why aren’t you going after him, Whelp? This isn’t some fucking human army where they spare the weak! If you see an opportunity to strike hard, then take it and stop playing around!” Takahara barked.
Kobeyashi had now reached the state in battle when the stole objective was to kill the enemy as quickly as possible. He feinted towards the right and then just as quickly lunged left and it was all Sesshomaru could do to parry the strike. They went on like that for several more minutes; Kobeyashi’s strength and experience counterbalanced by Sesshomaru’s youth and agility.
“Good! Now you’re getting it, Whelp! That’s it! Goad your opponent into making mistakes! But don’t let it go to your head, either! Keep your cool and your wits about you! That’s it! Come on!” Sesshomaru was beginning to find Takahara’s comments as distracting as they were annoying. Asshole, I know what I’m doing and if you don’t fucking shut up, when I’m done with Kobeyashi-san, I’ll add your blood to my blade! Not shut up and let me think!
Sesshomaru knew he was fighting a defensive battle and that if he didn’t find a way to end it quickly, it would end badly for him. He could tell the old sword master sensed his growing weariness, because his attacks were now coming quicker and quicker. Sesshomaru knew the older youkai was pleased that he was wearing him down. Feeling overly confident, Kobeyashi started repeating a series of single handed thrusts followed by a double handed downward sweep that Sesshomaru easily read. During one downward sweep, Sesshomaru ducked under Kobeyashi’s guard, and as the older man’s momentum carried him forward, Sesshomaru held his blade up. They stood there frozen in time as Kobeyashi instinctively pulled back so that the tip of Sesshomaru’s sword rested in the soft area of flesh between the sides of his jawbone. He swallowed and felt the tip of it bite home. Before he had a chance to bring his own sword around to slice open Sesshomaru’s belly, they were interrupted by a sharp voice that said, “Halt!”
Both men froze, breathing hard, as Inutaisho walked over to them. He stood there, his hands stuffed into the sleeves of his haori as he waited for the two of them to back off and separate.

Sesshomaru slowly lowered his sword and once Kobeyashi felt the absence of cold steel against his throat he too lowered his sword and backed away from the youkai prince. They turned and bowed to each other before bowing to their lord.
“Good...” Inutaisho sighed. “I’m pleased to see you’ve both recovered your senses,” he said dryly. “Now will someone explain to me why a training exercise has turned into a duel? Or was this a lesson in teaching my son to become an assassin?”
“Gomen nasai, Inutaisho-dono-sama,” Takahara said as he bowed his head. “Your son is very good...and I felt he could do with a bit of advanced training. Before you arrived, my lord, I was about to point out how dangerous a move he made. You know, Sesshomaru, Kobeyashi-san could have slit your belly open when you hesitated.”
“Hai! It’s true, Chichi-ue. Although, Takahara-sama, if I hadn’t hesitated, his head would now be impaled upon my blade.”
“Hai! Your son speaks the truth, my lord. He’s a good pupil, like you were before him. I’m still amazed he was able to goad be beyond reason! Well done, Sesshomaru!” The old sword master smiled with pride. “Aaahh... if only I had more like him, my lord.”
Inutaisho smiled. “He’s always been a good pup and a fast learner too. So teach him well, Kobeyashi-san...”
“Hai!”
“You see, Inutaisho-sama, I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again, Sesshomaru learns quickly; it’s only been a week and he’s learned far more than he had before, when he lived in the palace...” Takahara quickly interjected.
“Hai... I see many things, Takahara. In fact you’d be surprised by what I see.” Inutaisho inhaled deeply. “Come, Sesshomaru, I would like to see if you have also improved with your archery the way you have improved with your swordsmanship.” Inutaisho then dismissed Takahara, who bowed to them and left.

Inutaisho looked at his son and opened his mouth to say something but changing his mind he turned and headed off towards where Yoshiyuki taught archery. Sesshomaru followed closely at his side after taking one last look at Takahara’s retreating form.

888

His punishment over, Sesshomaru eagerly returned to his studies with Ryoushi-sensei. Arriving there early one morning he was surprised to find Tsuki sitting there reading a scroll.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his surprise at seeing her robbing him of his manners.
“Ohayou, Waka-sama...” Tsuki smiled as she looked up from her scroll.
“Ohayou...” Sesshomaru grumbled in reply. “Well...Why are you here? I thought with your ‘new’ duties you wouldn’t have time for this any more...”
“Hai... I had thought so too, but, Waka-sama, the truth of the matter is I can only go on so many errands...” She sighed and gave him a troubled look.
“What do you mean by ‘errands’? Don’t you have any real work to do?”
She looked up at him and blushed slightly as she replied, “Waka-sama, you were right...”
“Hai and....” He was starting to get impatient with her again as they fell back into their old relationship.
“Well Ningen-hime has somehow managed to convince Inutaisho-dono-sama to continue my education...” she said softly as she looked away.
“So that they can be alone together...” He laughed. “Keh! I’m surprised it took a week for them to figure out how to get rid of you!”
“Nani?” she cried indignantly.
“Baka! They’re not going to get rid of you, they just want you out of the way for a while...” He smiled. “Didn’t your parents do that to when you were just a whelp?” He raised an eyebrow at her as she shook her head at him. “My second mother used to do it to me all the time. ‘Sessho-chan...be a good pup and go play with Keiichii-chan...Ofukuro wants some time with the adults...’ Baka! The only adult ever there was Takahara...” He fell silent for a moment. “I was four when I figured out what they were doing...” he said smugly as he watched her blush.
“Oh...” Tsukikage looked at him and sighed. Then she looked away and decided to tell him what was bothering her. “Waka-sama...I’ve heard rumors...”
“What rumors? That Chibi-Nezumi is going to give my father a son?” he said sarcastically.
“Iie...so the pup really is your father’s...” she said softly. “Iie...” She shook her head. “What I meant is I’ve heard rumors that Takahara-sama wants your father to give me to him...”
“Keh! It’ll never happen...”
“You’re sure...?” she said relief evident in her voice.
“Hai! Now stop being an idiot already! Shit!” he swore, and looking down, he caught sight of a large wrapped box in front of the low table where she sat. “What’s in the box?” He neatly changed the subject.
“My lunch and my watercolors and inks are in a box on the bottom. I have the feeling I’m meant to have an afternoon of freedom, so I thought I would go paint the plum trees in the orchard. They may be past the best time for their blossoms, but they’re still beautiful, ne?”
“Hai. But aren’t there better things to paint? Or do for that matter?”
“I suppose so...but aside from reading some of Ryoushi-sensei’s scrolls, what else is there for me to do? All Ningen-hime expects me to do is bring her breakfast and tidy her room. That doesn’t take very long to do. Besides, I’m meant to be gone the whole day...”
“Isn’t there anything else you’re learning, that you can do?” he asked.
“Hai...let’s see, Waka-sama...” she said dryly. “There’s flower arranging with Oniyuri-hime, but wait, we usually do that in my room...I suppose we could always spend the time in the garden and stuff out ears with cotton so we don’t hear anything.” She blushed deeply as she counted on her fingers. “Then I usually get lessons in how to dress and the proper uses of my fan when talking to a gentleman from Atsuimi-hime, and I suppose I could tell Inukouhi-okugata-sama that I need the services of her friend at this time far more than she does...and kind and generous woman that she is, I know she would happily let Atsuimi-hime spend the afternoon with me...in fact I’d bet if I were lucky she would also take an interest in my education and assist her friend. Or maybe Kouchou-hime could be persuaded to give me my singing lessons today... I’m sure Inutaisho-dono-sama and Ningen-hime would love to be serenaded while they... umm...umm...” she sputtered before finally whispering the last word, “pillow....”
Sesshomaru stood there biting his lip as he tried not to laugh at her. Aside from the time she argued with him at the training grounds, she was always very meek and polite and seeing her get so upset about his father and her mistress pillowing, something everyone in the palace from his mother on down pretended not to notice, struck him as funny.
“Waka-sama...I fail to see what is so funny about it...” she said softly as the fire in eyes died down and her usual meekness took over.
Sesshomaru shrugged and sat down. “Your father was married to your mother, ne?” he asked as her features settled into a puzzled frown.
“Iie...she was his favorite concubine....oh...”
Sesshomaru looked at her smugly before calling out a greeting to their teacher who had just arrived. Tsukikage also followed suit with a greeting of her own and the morning’s lessons soon began.
Sesshomaru, finding the morning’s lesson on history boring, let his mind drift to thoughts about Tsukikage. Perhaps the rumors are true...it could be Chichi-ue is going to give her to Takahara...she may look all sweet and innocent and ready to die a thousand deaths at a shadow’s movement...but there’s fire there...especially when she feels upset about something. /He sighed and felt her looking at him so he turned and frowned, which made her look away. /She would be a good match for him then, a geisha who is just as knowledgeable about warfare and history as she is about pillowing....Takahara must have done something incredible for Chichi-ue to bestow such a gift on him...
He stole another look at her while he pretended to read from the scroll in front of him. Listening to Ryoushi drone on only reminded the young youkai prince of bees, which led to thoughts about flowers and gardens. He could see her again as she had been that day in the garden when she moved among the blossoms like a butterfly choosing this bloom or that for its beauty and fragrance, while picking the flowers she needed for her arrangement. He remembered seeing her admiring the azalea that grew in a windswept corner and he thought about how like it she was. She seemed strong and hardy like the azaleas that grow in the mountains, and yet she was soft and delicate like their blossoms.
Giving up all pretense of reading, Sesshomaru sat there watching her instead as his mind wandered. He quietly pretended to study the view out the open window as he watched her bat away an annoying fly and he knew in that instant that if she were given to Takahara that she would die under his care, just like all the others had died. ...And just as horribly too, he thought sadly as Ryoushi-sensei called an end to their studies.
“Waka-sama...?” her soft voice finally penetrated his thoughts and he answered her concerned ‘are you alright’ with a curt ‘hai’.
“You’re sure?” she asked again. “Gomen nasai...but you look as though you’ve had the misfortune to look Death in the face, ne?” She looked to the teacher for support.
“Hai...But it is rather warm out for an early summer’s day...perhaps the Waka-sama was made ill by the heat?” Ryoushi asked nervously as he twitched the tail end of his fluff.
Sesshomaru, who hated showing any weakness, growled a reply at them. “Iie...I’m fine!” /But I am getting a headache from all your nonsense... /He scowled when they murmured their apologies at him as he stood up. “Come! I thought you said you had an orchard to paint...” He raised an eyebrow at the teacher who had started to protest. “I said I was fine! Don’t you even think about disturbing my father about this either! If I say I’m fine, I’m fine! And what are you still standing here gaping at me for?” he said to Tsukikage. “Come! We have an orchard to paint!” he said as he got up and grabbing a couple of scrolls, Sesshomaru walked out the room through the large shoji leading to the outside. “I believe I told you to come!” he barked over his shoulder at the girl. Tsukikage bowed quickly to their teacher and hurried after him as fast as she could while struggling with the heavy lunch box.
888
Once they had reached the orchard, Tsuki set down the heavy box and, kneeling beside it, she undid the cloth that was tied around it. Looking inside the top box she found a large piece of folded cotton cloth that she set out like a blanket to sit on. She waited while Sesshomaru removed his sandals and made himself comfortable, before she opened the next box to reveal a set of chopsticks, a plate, a small bowl for rice as well as a large teacup. These she handed to Sesshomaru, except for the cup which she kept and after asking him to wait, she walked over to the small well that was used by the labors when they tended the orchard, and filled the cup before coming back. She placed the cup back into the top box which she used as a try and handed it to him. Then she took the next box and set it out before him on the cloth and told him to eat as she removed her sandals and sat across from him.
“You may eat too, if you wish...” Sesshomaru said as he helped himself to her lunch.
“Gomen nasai, Waka-sama...but there is only one set of dishes and chopsticks...besides, I’m not that hungry,” she lied and her stomach betrayed her by rumbling loudly. Blushing, she assured him she was fine. Tsuki sat there and watched him eat while they talked about what she was going to paint first. When Sesshomaru had finished eating, he handed everything back to her and told her she could eat. Then, when she had finished, Tsuki placed everything back into the box he had used as a tray and set it down next the tier of boxes. Tsuki then leaned over and picked up the next tray which held their dessert.
“I have some dried plums and apricots if you like or there’s some fresh strawberries from Uekiya’s special garden...” She smiled as she held out the tray for him to choose.
Taking a few strawberries, Sesshomaru told her they would be fine. He quickly ate them, much to her amusement. When the two of them had finished eating, she cleaned everything up and put it away.
“Why don’t you go paint something now?” Sesshomaru said as he stifled a yawn.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked.
Looking at her darkly, he replied, “I told you earlier I was fine, don’t you listen? I’m just tired, if you must know.” His tone told her she had better forget about arguing the point, so Tsukikage excused herself. She gave the youkai prince one last look before she walked away to paint some of the younger trees. Sesshomaru watched her through half opened eyes for a while before he became bored and decided to take a short nap.
888
“Did you sleep well, Waka-sama?” she asked as Sesshomaru’s eyes fluttered open. “I hope you don’t mind...I painted you, while you were sleeping...you looked so peaceful and untroubled, I couldn’t help myself...” She handed him a watercolor of himself curled up on the picnic cloth, his head pillowed on his fluff. “You can destroy that if you want...”
“Iie...it’s not necessary...may I keep it?” he asked. He took another look at the painting and then looked at Tsuki and back again, while he marveled at how she captured the peacefulness he felt as he drifted off to sleep.
“Hai! You like it?” She smiled shyly and he nodded. “If you want, I could paint you a better one now that you’re awake and all...”
“Iie...I like this one and maybe next time you can paint me awake. Besides, it’s late and I’m sure you can safely go back if you want to...” Sesshomaru said as he carefully rolled the watercolor up and tucked it in his kimono.
“Hai...” she said softly as she packed up her things.
This time he carried the boxes back, until they were close enough to be seen. “Here,” he said to her before handing them back to her. “You’d better carry it now. And ummm...Tsuki, next time, try not to make it too heavy for you to carry,” he advised her before he left her to make her own way back to the women’s quarters.
“Hai! Arigatou, Waka-sama.” Tsuki called out to him and she smiled when he nodded as he headed on his way. She was glad he had helped, because the boxes still felt as heavy now as they did this morning. She hoped to make it to the kitchen and back to her room before anyone spotted her, as she hated having to explain over and over again where she had been all afternoon and what she had been doing. She knew she was going to have a rough time of it tomorrow morning, in the kitchen, when she would arrive to pick up Ningen-hime’s breakfast. That was because Baikako would be waiting to torment her yet again about being the human’s servant. Tsuki also hated it when Baikako gave her the burnt bits of breakfast for Ningen-hime’s breakfast, when she could get away with it.
Baikako, who was older, often visited the barracks, especially when she had an excuse to go there, and she had witnessed the fight between Tsuki and Sesshomaru. Tsuki hated whenever Baikako would go on and on about how much the waka-sama now spent his free time with her instead of Tsuki. Tsuki knew it was lie because after two days of bringing Sesshomaru his breakfast, the youkai prince came down to the kitchen with Baikako dogging his heels, still holding the youkai prince’s breakfast tray in her hands. Sesshomaru pointedly ignored the girl while he looked around for the cook. Once he found her, he made a point of asking Shimojochuu to send someone else. Still, Baikako managed to come out looking good in the incident, and she bragged all the more about being the one the waka-sama really wanted. Since the other girls loved the fact that there was someone new for Baikako’s bullying, they chose to believe the obvious lies, instead of the truth, since it was safer.
One time Ningen-hime found her in tears, and after finding out what had happened, the human woman was about to go to the kitchen to deal with it, when Tsuki asked her not to. Then Ningen-hime offered to eat with the others, as she felt bad for her friend, but Tsuki begged her to let her continue going to the kitchen as if nothing was wrong. So Tsuki spent her first week, as the human’s servant, barely holding back her tears. Baikako’s bullying continued until Tsuki decided she had had enough. Tsuki decided she was going to try something she had seen Sesshomaru do hundreds of times whenever he was confronted by the girls in the women’s quarters. The next time Baikako opened her mouth to hurl more abuse at her; Tsuki gave her tormentor a look that was at home on the waka-sama’s face. The cold hard stare that Tsuki managed, may not have been as frosty as the Sesshomaru’s but it did the trick.
As she struggled to carry the box back to the kitchen, Tsuki wondered which one of those looks she would use this time. Luckily no one noticed her when she slipped in and left the lunch boxes. Tsuki was about to leave as quietly as she entered when she was spotted by the very people she had been hoping to avoid.
888
“Oi, Tsuki! Must be nice to have a mistress who gives you so much free time, ne?”
“Hai! Maybe you can get ‘promoted’ too, Baikako-chan!” one of the kitchen girls said with a giggle.
“Hai! Nankano, I should be so ‘lucky’, ne?” She looked around at the laughing girls. “It seems you now have lots of free time to spend with the waka-sama, ne?” Baikako sauntered over to Tsuki. “Why it’s almost as if nothing’s changed. Aside from bringing the bitch her breakfast, you are back to being tutored alongside the waka-sama and Atsuimi-hime was complaining before to the Okugata-sama that you missed your lessons in whoring from her. As if a real woman needs to take any lessons.” The girls laughed. “By the way, I heard you were seen picnicking with the waka-sama this afternoon.”
“So...” Tsuki said coolly.
“Well, the way you now reek of him, I bet you two were very busy, ‘picnicking’, ne?” Baikako smiled nastily. “I wonder if your mistress is using you to curry favor with Inutaisho-dono-sama’s son.”
“Why would she do that?” Tsuki asked innocently.
“Well, I figure once she has the waka-sama under her thumb, she’ll find a way to get rid of the Okugata-sama and take her place. Then the rest of us will have to spend the rest of our lives kissing some human’s ass. Then again that shouldn’t worry you too much, seeing as you do that all the time...”
“I do not!”
“Do so!”
They argued until Baikako slapped Tsuki. That was when the cook, Shimojochuu, got involved and put a stop to it. “That’s enough! I’ll have no more of this or I’ll ban you both from here. You, Baikako, I’m sure will find plenty of work in the barracks, so I’m not too worry about you.” She waved a gnarled hand at the girl in dismissal. “But you, Tsuki, should know better than that! You may spend part of your time in the kitchens for now, but this is only temporary, as you well know! You are a high born lady and I expect you to act like one, even if you are doing nothing more than chopping radishes. And you lot,” she pointed her finger at the rest of the girls, “Had better get back to work! I’m warning you, there will be big trouble if I hear any more nonsense going on here! Now I need you to go get me a barrel of rice,” she pointed to a couple of girls. “And you three had better get to work on those pickled vegetables!” the cook barked and everyone scrambled to do as she said.
888
Things weren’t any easier for Tsuki in the women’s quarters. There were those who resented the fact she still had her spacious room and let her know it, and those who spent half their time making fun of her for being Ningen-hime’s servant and the rest of the time encouraging her to mess things up for the human. She felt as if the only ones who treated her as if nothing happen were those who were her former teachers, now reinstated and those who were friendly towards the human simply because their paths often crossed.
Returning to her room, Tsuki found Ningen-hime sitting there waiting for her. “Did you have a nice afternoon painting?”
“Hai...The waka-sama came along and I did a watercolor of him sleeping.” She giggled.
“How nice, may I see it?” the human smiled and held out her hand.
“I’m sorry, Ningen-hime, but the waka-sama wanted it, so I gave it to him. Maybe when I see him tomorrow, I can ask him if I can have it back to show it you...”
“It’s okay, Little One, I’m sure I’ll see it eventually.” She smiled knowingly and Tsuki colored when she realized Sesshomaru would probably never let her have it back. “Are there any other ones I can see?”
“Hai! I painted a few of the trees and I also did one of this pretty bird I saw,” Tsuki said as she showed off the tiny paintings. “I was thinking that this one could be made into a larger painting. And I thought maybe you would like to give it to Inutaisho-dono-sama as a gift. I heard Shimojochuu-san say something about a party next week honoring him. If you have something else you were planning to give him, that’s okay too...”
“Arigatou, Tsuki-chan! I would love to give that to him, if I may?” She smiled when Tsuki nodded. “Then it’s settled and I’ll see to it you’re given not only a scroll but all the time you need to complete it. But as for a party, it’s really just a small affair, which I somehow managed to convince the okugata-sama to go along with. You see humans celebrate the day of their birth, and well since the dono-sama can’t remember when his is; he told me he would celebrate the day he found me since he felt reborn on that day.” She blushed and the two of them sighed.
“That’s a wonderful idea! But how did get the okugata-sama to go along with it? It doesn’t seem like something she’d want to celebrate.”
“Hai...I thought so too, but somehow Atsuimi-hime convinced her that a private party would be fun. Most likely she told her it would be best if she were there, as Kami forbid, her husband should get ideas concerning ways of spending time alone with me. Besides, it will be fun and I want you there as well. I want you to sing for us, and I’m sure no one will mind if you happen to join us for dinner afterwards, ne?”
“Arigatou, Ningen-hime!”
“You’re welcome, Little One. And, Tsuki-chan, tomorrow I will see to my own breakfast, so you may sleep later if you like.”
“Arigatou, but I can get yours if you like.”
“Iie, it won’t be necessary. I believe Atsuimi-hime wishes to have breakfast with you. She told me she wants to start teaching you a bit more.”
“Hai...”/ I wonder what she’s going to teach me, that I need to be there so early...I hope she’s not going to teach me how to arrange for breakfast and leave a gentleman’s room without being seen.../
“By the way I’ve arranged for dinner to be brought to my room tonight. I hope you’ll join and we talk a bit more about this watercolor I’m commissioning you to paint for me. I will see you later then.” The human woman rose and with a slight nod of her head she turned and head towards the low door that separated their rooms.
“Hai! Goodbye, Ningen-hime!”
888
The next day at their studies, Tsuki arrived to find Sesshomaru there before her. He nodded to her in greeting and when she sat down, he handed her a large bamboo water flask.
“Open it,” he told her and she did as she was bidden. Inside Tsuki found a small cup nestled in a bowl along with another set of chopsticks.
Smiling, she thanked him for the gift. “Are you going to come with me again to the orchard? Ningen-hime said your father saw my sketches and he wants me to paint a scroll today of some of the trees...”
“Iie...I wasn’t going to...” he said but quickly amended when he saw her disappointed look. “But I suppose I could go with you for a while, if you’d like...”
“I would like that very much, Waka-sama. Domo arigatou gozamaisu...” she said with a smile as she bowed her head. She was still smiling at him when she looked up. Tsuki stifled a giggle when she set the flask and its contents by her side.
“Fine...but don’t think I’ll accompany you everyday, Wench.” He gave her a sidelong glance to see if she frowned. Instead, he was surprised to see that she was still smiling.
“Ohayou, Sensei!” Tsuki said when she saw their teacher walk in. Sesshomaru followed suit and once their teacher greeted them, they prepared for the day’s lesson.
888
The day’s lesson turned out to be a battle between Sesshomaru’s “forces” and Tsukikage’s larger “army.” She had been steadily moving along, crushing him slowly in a pincer movement that he never noticed until it was too late, when Takahara had arrived late for the day’s lesson. He often sat in on lessons, especially when they involved any mention of warfare. While Sesshomaru had been mildly surprised to see him there,/ Shit! What’s he doing here? I wonder if he went around asking all the servants where Tsuki was as he only comes when I’m getting lessons in battle tactics. I bet that’s exactly what that asshole did! Oh hell! Ryoushi’s in for it now! Which could be fun and it’ll go a long way to showing Tsuki what a bastard he is.../
Tsuki was very surprised as she had never seen him sit in on a lesson before. Great! What is he doing here? And why does he always have to look at me like that? Come on, Tsuki, concentrate! You’ll win again if you can just ignore him for a change... When she felt his eyes on her, it unsettled her more than she cared to let on. Tsuki then became distracted enough by the older youkai’s presence for Sesshomaru to escape her trap. Once his army had retreated far enough he turned around and reengaged hers until he ultimately decimated it minutes later.
“You were lucky there, Waka-sama! The girl nearly did you in!” Takahara laughed as he came over to examine the remains of their “battle”. He picked up a knighted samurai and looked at it before tossing it at Sesshomaru and turning to address Tsukikage. “What’s the matter with you, girl? You nearly had him and you let him destroy you! You were so close, too...” He watched as the two tried not to exchange looks. “Keh! Don’t tell me you let him win! Shit!” he said disgustedly. “You two will set it up again and this time you both will battle like you mean it!”
Ryoushi coughed nervously until he had Takahara’s attention. “Excuse me, Takahara-sama, but here in this room, I rule supreme. Even the dono-sama and the waka-sama follow my orders.”
Sesshomaru smiled and nudged Tsuki to get her attention, before he leaned over and whispered ion her ear, “This ought to be fun! I’m surprised Sensei is even opening his mouth to Takahara, as last time he did that, Takahara made his life a living hell for weeks afterwards...” He chuckled and Tsuki frowned.
“That’s not very nice. Sensei’s right, he is in charge here, so why would Takahara be so mean, unless he was embarrassed?” she whispered back.
“Iie, that’s not it at all.” Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at her. “Takahara just hates to lose. It doesn’t matter what it is, he just always feels the need to win. The funny thing is the only one he never pulls that shit on is my father. Poor Sensei, he’s going to be in for it now!” Sesshomaru pointed to the general and their teacher. “Watch!” he whispered.
The two older youkai stared each other down. Takahara stood there, drawing himself up to his full height, while Ryoushi did the same. They stood there, rooted to the floor for several minutes. Ryoushi then started growling low in his throat.
“I don’t believe it! He’s actually growling!” Tsuki whispered.
“Hai! He’s feeling brave right now, but watch closely as that’ll change soon,” Sesshomaru whispered in reply.
Sure enough Takahara moved closer and Ryoushi’s growl became a bit softer and weaker. Feeling confident that he had won this one, Takahara turned away and was about to tell Sesshomaru and Tsuki to set the board up again, when Ryoushi snarled and gathering his courage, he reached out and put his hand on Takahara’s arm.
“Shit! He’s going to die now!” Sesshomaru whispered.
“What?” Tsuki whispered back. “You have to stop them!”
“Iie! It’s better if they settle it without interference. Besides, they’re not going to listen to me. My father would be able to stop them with just a look, but Ryoushi’s the one who needs to come out on top here, otherwise he might as well tell my father he wants to go back to his own people.”
They watched the little drama quietly from the sidelines and time seemed to slow down when Takahara noticed Ryoushi’s hand on his arm. He looked at it in disgust and then shot the teacher an angry look. Sesshomaru chuckled. “That’s the one he always uses on his troops when he wants something done yesterday. Sensei’s in for it now! Shit! He might as well go to my father and ask him for permission to commit seppuku now as I doubt Takahara will let him live long anyway...better a quick painless death, than a long slow one, ne?” he whispered.
“How can you say that?” Tsuki whispered thoroughly puzzled by everyone’s behavior. “If you’re not going to do something,” she swallowed, “then I will!”
“Hunh?” Sesshomaru shot her a look that said she was crazy. “What are you going to do? Walk up to them and tell them to stop?”
“Hai!” Tsuki hissed before she did just that, although she got as far as walking up to them before her courage fled under their angry stares.
“Ummm...Sensei, Takahara-sama? Ummm...should we still set up the board?” Tsuki looked at them wide-eyed and she wondered if they could smell her fear.
Ryoushi narrowed his eyes at Takahara before he looked away at the girl. Softening his look he told her quietly to do so. “Although, this time, save the flirting for your lessons in that sort of thing with Atsuimi-hime,” he said softly and Tsuki blushed. “Now go on and hurry with the setting up.” Smiling at Takahara, their teacher twitched his tail nervously a few times and the whole thing was over before it began.
Tsuki walked over to Sesshomaru, looking very smug and pleased with herself.
“You know, that was a really stupid thing to do...” he pointed out. But extraordinarily brave too!
“What was so stupid about it?” Tsuki asked innocently.
“Think about it.” At her puzzled look, he elaborated. “Takahara probably feels like an idiot now, which means he’s going to go out of his way to be nasty. Not that he really needs an excuse...” Sesshomaru trailed off as the two of them reset the board. “Shit! You know, I wouldn’t want to be the next one to piss him off today,” he smirked. “Because they’re going get their head handed to them before they know it!” He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, Sensei. Shall we begin?”
“Hai! I’ll let you have the first strike, Waka-sama,” Ryoushi said and with a wave of his finger, he signaled the start of the battle.
Sesshomaru and Tsukikage fought harder this time. Tsuki sent most of her soldiers to the south in an attempt to draw Sesshomaru’s out after hers. Since she could not use the same strategy as before, she tried something different, but Sesshomaru easily saw through it and captured her general again.
“Much better this time...and that wasn’t a bad ploy either, Tsukikage.” He pointed to her army and went on to explain how Inutaisho had done the same thing, when he had battled some Neko youkai a few years before. “Gomen, Pretty One, but he had the advantage over you there, since he knew this battle from family history. Still, you had him there last time, before.” He flashed her a toothy grin, which she did not return.
“Hai...” Gods I’m useless! Why does Takahara make me feel so stupid and vapid like the other courtesans? Even Sensei could see I lost it when he showed up. And having the Waka-sama give me all those looks like I was a total idiot didn’t help matters... /She nodded and then turned to address their teacher, “Sensei, should we set the board up again?” /Please say ‘no’ Sensei, I really don’t think I can do this any more today... Maybe I should just do as Rika-chan hinted and give up wasting my time here and just go on with the flower arranging, the singing lessons, and the other music lessons, and learn to bat my eyelashes while going on about how wonderful my patron is...So I’ll miss learning all this interesting stuff, but I’ll get over it, once I learn how to act like a mindless idiot. Wait! I already know how to do that!
Sesshomaru picked up Tsukikage’s general and pretended to study it before he looked at their teacher. “Well...?” he said as he looked up and raised an eyebrow at him.
Ryoushi, who had now calmed down enough to realize what he did before, nervously looked at all the expectant faces there and finally settled on Takahara’s as he silently pleaded for a hint of what to do from the older youkai. Finding no help there as Takahara was still angry as hell at him, he went and made what he hoped was the correct decision. “Iie...put them away and then you are free to go. Tsukikage-hime...may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Hai.” She quickly helped Sesshomaru pack the toy solders and board away. “What is it Sensei?” she asked when she came over to him.
“I just wanted to let you know, you did very well before...”
“Arigatou, Sensei.” Tsuki blushed at the praise.
“However, there is one thing you could have done better, and that is trying not to get so easily distracted during a battle exercise. I know all you girls seem to find Takahara terribly attractive, but I thought you were above that sort of nonsense. Besides, isn’t there someone else you’d rather flirt with?” He quirked an eyebrow at her, and smiling, he looked over towards Sesshomaru.
“Iie...I mean hai...I ummm...” Tsuki, who was at a loss for words, blushed deeply.
“If it were up to me, and unfortunately it isn’t, I’d let you be with the one you want.” He looked over at the other two. “Now go, they seem to waiting for you.”
“Hai, and arigatou, Sensei.”
“Have a nice afternoon and don’t forget to read the new scroll we talked about this morning.”
“Hai! I will see you tomorrow, then.” She bowed and walked over towards Sesshomaru and Takahara.
“Very well, then...” Takahara said, for he had made discrete inquiries into her day’s activities and he was pleased with the possibility of spending the afternoon alone with the girl. “Tsukikage-san...since you have nothing more to do today, would you like to see Inukouhi-okugata-sama’s new flower fish? I’ve heard that Sakura-chan has managed to breed some koi that have flower markings on their backs. And she’s always going on about how big she manages to breed them too.” He paused, as if he were thinking about something. “Say, would you like to go see if her flower fish are as amazing as her lies?”
Before Tsukikage could reply, Sesshomaru replied, “Gomen nasai, Takahara-san...but the girl was asked to paint my portrait this afternoon, although if you really must see my mother’s new fish that badly we can go there first. I’m sure Tsukikage-san won’t mind if we go on the way to the orchards...” He shrugged as he tried not to look too smug. “Who knows?” He smiled. “I might change my mind and decide I want to have my portrait painted there instead...”
“Really? I hadn’t heard anything about her being busy this afternoon...” The older youkai raised an eyebrow at the young prince.
“I wasn’t aware that anyone was that interested in a lowly servant girl’s activities to have made inquiries but if you must know, I asked her this morning,” he said with a smile before turning his attention to Tsukikage. “You’ll still have good lighting if we visit the koi pond and spend some time there, ne?” Sesshomaru cast a sidelong look at Takahara while he waited for Tsuki’s reply.
Tsukikage stood there, wondering why Sesshomaru was suddenly providing her with an excuse to get out of spending time with the youkai general. She was thoroughly puzzled by the whole thing, since he told her this morning he couldn’t come with her. She nodded silently before finding her voice. “Hai...if the Waka-sama wants, I can paint his portrait there as long as the lighting is good...or perhaps we can look for somewhere else that is more suitable when we are done, that is if the Waka-sama wishes....”
“Far be it for me to interrupt the Waka-sama’s activities...perhaps I can show you the pond tomorrow, ne?” Takahara interrupted. He smiled sweetly at the girl.
“Hai...I suppose...” Tsuki looked from the elder youkai general to the young prince and back, a move that was not lost on Takahara.
“Iie...She really can’t promise you anything, Takahara. Who knows? She may not finish my portrait today. In fact I think she said she was going to make a few sketches first before we decided what will be painted on the scroll; this is after all a gift for my mother and so it shouldn’t be something that looks like it was done quickly.” Sesshomaru bluffed as he tried not to look too smug. He could tell Tsuki was wavering between her desire to be as far away from Takahara as possible and her inherent politeness. He wondered if Takahara could see it as well. There had been something about the way Takahara kept looking at Tsuki that morning that had made Sesshomaru decide to see if he could get her to come with him instead. It was not as if he felt like wasting another afternoon while she painted, but more for the fact that Takahara would have lost twice. So he stood there calmly staring at him with a look of bored disdain on his face, while he waited for Takahara to back down.
“Iie... You’re absolutely correct, Waka-sama, since it’s for your mother something that looks like you painted it would never do...” The general fumed just under the surface.
Sesshomaru looked at the older youkai and smiled. “True...” He started to say something else and changed his mind. He turned towards the girl. “Come, Tsuki-chan...Sayonara, Takahara, Sensei...” He bowed and left while Tsuki also made her goodbyes before she followed him out.
888
“Waka-sama...Please wait for me...” Tsukikage said as she struggled to keep up with Sesshomaru’s retreating form. “Waka-sama...?”
“Nani?” he called over his shoulder as he slowed down enough for her to catch up.
“This is too heavy for me to carry and run after you like that...” She panted as she caught up enough to walk alongside him.
“Give me,” he said curtly as he held out his hand expectantly. Taking the large bundle, he carried it without complaint as they made their way to the orchard. They walked on in silence, though Tsuki could tell he was bristling with anger. She longed to ask him what was wrong, even though she knew it had to do with Takahara. So instead she simply let him fume silently while she tried to think of pleasant things to talk about later on when they would eat lunch. In this she silently gave thanks to Atsuimi-hime who was teaching her about things to do with a gentleman other than the proper way to wave a fan at him or pour him a cup of tea. Arigatou, Atsuimi-hime! I’m so glad you impressed upon me the importance of coming up with witty things to talk about, but I wish you would have told me what to do when the gentleman is upset about something and you have no idea what it could be. Think, Tsuki, think! It can’t be that hard... Although if I don’t think of something soon, I’m sure you’ll just get up and go after a few minutes... I wonder why you’re brooding all of sudden, Waka-sama. You were so happy and pleased with yourself when we left and now look at you! I hope you’re not worried about Takahara making your life miserable because you rescued me back there. And I really should thank you for that and quickly too, but it’s so hard to talk to you when you’re like this...Maybe once we get to the orchard, you’ll be happier...
Once there, they went through the familiar routine of setting out their picnic lunch.
“Waka-sama... I want to thank you for...ummm...” Tsuki said softly while she untied the cloth that surrounded the lunch boxes. “I...ummm...I hope I’m not keeping you from something important. I mean I can always paint you another time...or I can always use one of my other paintings as a guide for your mother’s scroll...”
“Keh! It’s okay. I was going to see if my father wanted to go riding this afternoon as he always goes on about how much better I could be if I tried, but I actually prefer walking. Chichi-ue said there are things you can see much better from horseback than on foot, but I’ve found that for everything you may see, they are ten others that you miss. Besides, I’m sure Takahara is on his way to my father to complain about Sensei, not to mention the fact that if I’m there, I’m sure he’ll make some snide comments about me being rude as well. So forget it.” Sesshomaru shrugged.
“Hai...Well since you wanted me to paint your portrait for your mother; do you think we should start now or wait until after lunch...?” Tsukikage said as she started to open the lunch box. She took out the large cotton square they used as a makeshift table and spread it out over the grass, while Sesshomaru stood there, looking away and brooding. Once she had everything to her liking she asked him if he wanted tea. Since he ignored her, she politely asked him again before he noticed she was speaking to him.
“Nani?” he asked curtly as he turned to look at her.
“Waka-sama...I asked if you would like some tea...I’ve made some tea last night and I’ve let it grow cold...since we couldn’t have hot tea...and I’ve added a piece of honeycomb that Uekiya gave me...I also brought bit more of it, as I thought you might like some as a treat... Waka-sama, is there something wrong? If you really need to be with your father, it’s okay if you leave.”
“Keh!” he rolled his eyes at her and after a few more minutes of silent brooding, he sat down.
Tsukikage ignored his rudeness and simply poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. She wanted to ask again what was wrong, although she remembered her lessons and sang softly to herself. By the time she had finished, he had relaxed and after silently holding out his cup for a refill, he asked her to sing another one.
“What would you like me to sing?” she said with a smile, pleased that his dark mood was being to lift.
Sesshomaru looked at her and smiled before asking her to sing the song his father always sang to his mother.
“Gomen nasai, Waka-sama, I’m afraid I don’t know that one...Perhaps you could teach it to me? It sounds like a lovely song...if you don’t know it, I can always find out from Kouchou-hime as she knows a lot of songs... What was it called again?”
“‘The Flower of Kyoto’” He tried not to smirk, but Tsuki caught the half smile before he slipped his mask of indifference on. “It’s some stupid love song, but it’s one of my father’s favorites and I remember him singing to me when I was little. I heard him humming it this morning and now I keep hearing it my head.”
“‘The Flower of Kyoto’...I will try and remember it...are you sure you don’t know it?” she asked as she gave him a puzzled look.
Smiling, he sang a few lines and she hummed along with him as she tried to commit the melody to memory. She asked him to sing it again before she stopped him. “Waka-sama! That is...that is...” she sputtered as a deep crimson blush settled on her cheeks. “And...And... your father sang this to you?”
Laughing, Sesshomaru said, “Hai!” He shook his head at her. “Some geisha you are! You know how to pour a cup of tea gracefully and you can sing like a nightingale when asked to sing a love song, which is what I asked you to sing by the way, but once someone even remotely mentions pillowing and you get all upset.” He picked up a handful of strawberries. “You know, you’ve turned even redder than these strawberries!” He laughed as he bit into one. “Tsuki-chan, my father’s a soldier who puts his life on the line when he goes off into battle. That song is just a song about a soldier who pillows with a woman before he goes off into battle because he wants a son to live on after him if he dies. Besides, it’s got all that romantic crap you girls love. Shit! You should see how my mother gets all weepy and starry-eyed whenever my father sings that to her. You know, if my father’s been walking around humming it then chances are if you need to find him in a hurry, you won’t have to look father than my mother’s room.” He rolled his eyes at her. “Besides, it could be that’s the only song my father knows and that’s why he always used to sing me to sleep with it.”
She giggled and he looked at her sharply. “Gomen nasai, Waka-sama, but if I sing that for you... umm... well...ummm...isn’t that song going to make you sleepy?”
“Are you trying to be funny or something?” He scowled at her and Tsuki shook her head “no.” Sesshomaru sighed
Turning even redder than before, Tsukikage murmured an apology. “Gomen nasai...Waka-sama...umm...umm...I’ll sing it if you really want me to, but...ummm... I don’t know the words. Umm...can you tell them to me again? Please?”
“Never mind. So what exactly are you learning when you’re not at lessons?”
“I told you before, I’m learning flower arranging, and there’s my singing and music lessons, and ummm...the tea ceremony, and umm...stuff I’m learning from Atsuimi-hime...” she trailed off softly; hoping that he didn’t catch the last part of her statement.
“What was that?” he teased.
Tsuki sighed and repeated herself.
“That’s what I thought you said. So is she teaching you about...ummm...pillowing?” he asked innocently.
“Nani?” she cried indignantly.
“Well...she is a geisha and my father’s best courtesan, although why she spends so much time with my mother is beyond me, unless it’s just a break from all that pillowing she does...” he said matter-of-factly.
“She doesn’t spend all day pillowing! In fact she spends most of her time with your mother doing Kami knows what.” Tsuki raised an eyebrow at him.
“Hai...and what’s that’s supposed to mean?” Sesshomaru coolly replied.
“Nothing. Besides, why all this sudden interest in talking about, you know...” she trailed off softly and looked away.
He laughed. “Iie, I don’t know, so tell me...” he teased.
“You know, pillowing!” she hissed as his teasing was beginning to annoy her. “Besides, I don’t think I should be discussing that with you!” she said as she tried hard not to glare at him.
“What do mean you shouldn’t be discussing ‘that’ with me?” He held up a hand to stop her protests. “You’re a geisha...geisha sleep with their clients, ne? Didn’t Atsuimi-hime teach you that?”
“Well, according to Atsuimi-hime they don’t always umm... ‘sleep’ with their clients. It’s really only the first time they ever sleep with a man, if you must know. In fact she laughed when I asked her about it and she told me lots of people are mistaken about what a geisha does, especially since most of the geisha at your father’s palace eventually wind up as someone’s concubine or even wife,” she told him in a very serious tone and it was all Sesshomaru could do not to laugh, before she went on. “And then some are there merely to sing songs and entertain them in other ways...” She prattled on before it hit her. “Wait a minute, Waka-sama...are you ummm...are you trying to get me to sleep with you?” she trailed off softly as she was horrified he would tell her ‘yes.’
“Nani?! I said no such thing!” Embarrassed, he shouted at her and she winced. Tsuki then grabbed her fan and fanned herself furiously while he continued yelling at her to cover up his discomfiture. “Baka! Why would I want to sleep with you?” He glared at her.
“I don’t know...” she interrupted.
“What do you mean you don’t know?! You should be pleased, that I would even consider asking you in the first place! Idiot! All I did was ask you to sing a song for me and you turn it into me asking you to sleep with me! Shit!” He continued to glare at her.
“Well... what was I supposed to think?” Tsuki sputtered. “I mean we’re alone and you ask me to sing you a song that turns out to be about pillowing... and then when I don’t know it and you sing it to me...and...umm...umm...you mention sleeping and ummm....” she said. Tsuki then looked away from him and sat there quietly thinking. She turned back to him and a hint of fire crept into her voice. “And then you make a point of telling me as a geisha I should know all about pillowing...well I would have I guess, had I been apprenticed at an early age like I should have been...but I was raised to be a legitimate daughter of my father’s, even if he did die before he could acknowledge me. Which means I would have gotten married off one day...Anyways it was your father who decided I should be a geisha!” It was her turn to glare at him. She blinked at him a few times as she realized she had been shouting. “Gomen nasai, Waka-sama, I shouldn’t have shouted at you like that...So you’re not asking me to, are you?” Tsuki asked nervously.
“Iie! And I wouldn’t ask you either!” He frowned at her. Maybe I would if you were always this spirited...
“Good...because waka-sama or not, I....I... umm....I don’t think I’d want to!” She frowned back at him as she tried not to start crying.
“What do you mean by that? ‘Not want to’?” he asked as he wasn’t sure if she had insulted him or not.
“Umm...umm...nothing...I don’t think I want to right now... and besides I’d want to know more before I slept with you...” She turned away to hide the fact she was blushing again. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and looked back at him.
Sesshomaru gave her a look, as he was not sure if she were joking with him, before he decided to drop the matter. “Fine! You’d better start your sketches now, wench!” he said as he shoved his hands into the sleeves of his kimono and glared at her. Tsukikage took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she centered herself. Feeling better, she mumbled an apology. Then she took out her watercolors and inks, and some paper to make a few sketches before they settled on what was to go on the scroll.
They sat there as she painted a series of quick sketches of him and after a while Tsukikage felt she had enough to show him. She moved closer to him, so that she could hand him the sketches one by one. Sesshomaru found himself momentarily distracted when he noticed he could see down the top of her kimono. He hoped she did not notice the way his eyes kept going back to the soft mounds of flesh that made up the tops of her breasts.
No wonder Takahara wants her so much...shit! I wonder if he’s seen her at the baths; the bastard is always spying on the women there, “I need to use the hot spring to ease the ache in my shoulder”, my ass! I wish I could have gone there to see her too... Too bad Chichi-ue insists the men and women use the baths at different times, something Takahara likes to ignore, then again that Shithead does whatever he wants...But just once, maybe I should try going there when she’s bathing, perhaps I can get away saying I thought the place was empty at this hour...I’d even risk Chichi-ue’s displeasure if it means I could see her... he thought while he tried to force his eyes to look at the painting she pushed towards him. Maybe she’d like to forget about this and go swimming... He smiled as he pictured her splashing in the nearby stream.
“Waka-sama....? Are you okay? Gomen nasai...but you looked so far away, like you were dreaming...or something.” She looked up at him and smiled.
“Hunh? I wasn’t!” He frowned at her then looked away. What were you thinking...she’s just a servant now and besides, she’ll probably tell Chichi-ue’s pet and that one will tell him all about it for sure... He shook his head. “Anyway, I like this one.” Sesshomaru picked up a portrait of him smiling and handed it to her.
She smiled at his choice. “I like that one too...” Tsukikage leaned over again and Sesshomaru closed his eyes as he got another eyeful of the deep cleft between her breasts. “Waka-sama...I think we should come back and start this tomorrow... I mean you look tired. You know, you keep sitting there with your eyes closed...”
Sesshomaru pretended to yawn as he agreed with her. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable in her presence as everything she did today seemed much more alluring than before. He almost groaned out loud when he noticed the way her high ponytail fell across the back of her neck as she leaned over to pack her watercolors. He knew she could sense something was different too, for she kept looking over at him and the concern in her eyes was plain to see.
“Give me,” he said at her as he took the lunch box from her as soon as she had finished packing it. Then he carried it back like he always did. They walked side by side; he lost in thought about her and she just as equally lost in her thoughts about him.
“Waka-sama...” she said softly and he grunted in reply. “You know if it’s this hot out tomorrow, perhaps we should skip this...”
“Why...?” He shot her a puzzled look.
“You just don’t seem yourself...perhaps you are getting sick...and if anything happened to you out here, I wouldn’t know what to do...” She gave him a concerned look.
Stopping, Sesshomaru turn and faced her. “I’m fine...but if you’re feeling warm, perhaps we could go swimming in the stream first and then you could paint me. Besides, no one will know if we did...”
Tsukikage blushed and turned away. “But then you’d be all wet...and...ummm...well...perhaps...if you really want to...”
“Forget it...” He sighed before he started walking again.
“Hai...” she said softly as she followed him.
888
They spent the next few days apart while Sesshomaru accompanied his father on a training mission. Inutaisho took his son far out on the edge of his empire, where his lands bordered that of the yamainu youkai that lived in the mountains there. The yamainu occasionally gave Inutaisho some trouble as they were always looking to add to their territories. That was part of the reason he had invaded the area where Tsuki had lived. While that had been an exercise involving his army, this training mission was designed to help Sesshomaru if he were alone and had come across them.
“Sesshomaru, Takahara is going to play the part of a yamainu. That’s the reason we took the dogs with us. They’ll be his pack.”
“Hai! I asked for them as I figured they would be useful one of these days. They’re not even low level youkai dogs or even dog spirits. Shit! They’re just fucking dogs! Why humans baby them is beyond me as they’re fucking useless! So feel free to destroy them if you need to. So should we start now, Inutaisho-sama?”
“Hai! Takahara, just start out with them any time you want, we’ll give you about an hour before we start tracking you. Just don’t let Sessho-kun see which way you go.”
“Hai! Just be prepared for a fight, Sesshomaru, as I won’t go easy on you, just like they won’t.”
“Hai...so what are you waiting for?” Sesshomaru looked up from where he was patting the dogs. He was quietly committing their scent to memory so that he could track them later on.
“You’re eager to start? Good!” Inutaisho patted his son on the back. “Then what are you waiting for, Takahara? My son’s eager to start!” he said as he dismissed his friend.
Takahara waited until Inutaisho led Sesshomaru away before he called to the dogs and they took off.
888
Sesshomaru walked back to where they had started and quickly scented the air. He slowly circled the area and once he found their scent he took off in that direction with Inutaisho following several paces behind. He trailed the dogs through the woods until he came out into a large meadow at the base of the foothills that marked the start of the yamainu territory. He stood there, casting his gaze all around him, as he tried to spot them in the tall grass. Finally a movement to his left caught his eye and he took off after the dogs as they ran towards a rocky outcropping. It was there that he cornered them; although he let the stupid creatures believe they had him.
Sesshomaru calmly stood there assessing the situation while the dogs continued to circle him. He almost laughed at the way they snarled at him in attempt to look very fierce, but he could smell their underlying fear. He waited until he was satisfied they were about to attack, before he let out his light whip from the tip of his right hand. He snapped it at them a few times to see how they would react. It had the desired effect of goading them into attacking him. He then picked them off one by one as he spun delicately on one foot.
Once he had reduced them to bits of bloodied fur, he paused to scent the air for signs of Takahara. It did not take long for Sesshomaru to find him either, for Takahara called out to him when he came into earshot.
“Oi, Whelp! Nice work back there! Think you’re ready for me?”
“Oi, Asshole! What do you think?”
“‘Asshole’ is it? What do you think you father would say at hearing you address me with so little manners?”
“Who knows, and who cares?” Sesshomaru shrugged. “Besides, you’re supposed to be my enemy! I doubt very much if he’d expect me to speak courteously to an enemy, ne?”
Takahara laughed. “True enough. So what are you waiting for?” He had barely finished his comment before Sesshomaru attacked. Takahara neatly leapt out of the way and instead of attacking he took off.
“Where the fuck are you going, Asshole?” Sesshomaru called out as he ran after him.
The two of them raced along amongst the rocky outcropping, looking for a place to battle. They ran until Takahara stopped in the middle of level clearing atop a large bolder. There they circled each other, getting closer and closer. Sesshomaru tried to use his light whip again, but soon gave it up as Takahara seemed to be reading him too easily when he used it. Soon their battle turned into a series of kicks and punches; that was the way the yamainu fought in close quarters. The battle ended when Inutaisho arrived on the scene and called out to them. Sesshomaru decided to press home his advantage when Takahara became distracted and pulled back. Sesshomaru shoved his right hand through the older youkai’s midsection as he let his poison seep through his claws. As quickly as he stabbed him, Sesshomaru pulled his hand back.
“What the fuck? Damn you, Whelp!” he gasped as he fell to his knees.
Inutaisho came running up. “What the hell were you thinking Sesshomaru? I told you to halt!”
“Chichi-ue, I thought the whole point of this was to treat it as if it were real! As if Takahara was really yamainu! And if he were, then he would never have pulled back, besides, he’ll be fine.”
“Hai...” Takahara coughed and spat out blood. “I’ll be alright if I can get some rest. Shit! You really had me there!” Damn it! How is it I never saw that coming? Shit! You’re better than I thought, Whelp! However, I’m never going to under estimate you again, so don’t get any ideas. This is far from finished...
“Let’s get that wound bound. Sessho-kun, I need you to tear off pieces from your kimono hem as I didn’t bring anything with me...” Inutaisho said, while helping Takahara out of his armor.
Sesshomaru did as he was told and soon he had Takahara’s wound bound as his father had instructed.
“So, either one of you two want to explain to me, how my best general wound up getting wounded by my son?” Inutaisho asked while giving Takahara’s bandages one final check.
“You told your son to treat me like I was the enemy, sir, and well I guess he took you seriously. You should be very proud of him as he took me completely by surprise.” Damn it if that isn’t the truth! That’s twice I’ve underestimated you...
“You had distracted him, Chichi-ue, and I pressed my advantage. Although I’m sure if it had been anyone else but you, I’d be just as wounded...” Shit! I can’t believe I’m actually sucking up to that bastard... You’d had better appreciate that too, Takahara...
“I see...and that’s all it was?” Inutaisho eyed them both expectantly.
“Hai!” they chorused.
“Good, well I guess a reward for a job well done is in order, ne?” The dog general watched as the two of them nodded. “Good, Sessho-kun, I’ll be leaving soon to go to my lodge, and I’ve decided to leave you behind as regent this time.” The surprised looks the two shot him were not lost on Inutaisho. “Takahara, once we get home, I want you to relax and take things easy for a while, but I do want you to back my son up if he needs it. I’m also leaving Myouga-san behind as well as your mother, so if you have any problems and Takahara isn’t available, you at least have someone you can turn to. Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“I really don’t know, Chichi-ue, other than to thank you for this honor.” Sesshomaru bowed slightly.
“Good.” Inutaisho smiled. “Now let’s see about getting you home in one piece, old friend,” he said to Takahara as he helped the injured man to his feet.
888
Upon his return, Inutaisho decided he was going to spend some time with Ningen-hime at his hunting lodge. It was a day’s march away from the palace and he wondered if he would have time to make the necessary arrangements. Since he did not plan on taking his wife along and feeling rather guilty about it, Inutaisho decided to spend the evening alone with her.
Inukouhi met her husband in her private room, the one she used mainly for sleeping and when she wanted to be alone. She was dressed in her sleeping kimono and Inutaisho chuckled at the coy way in which she greeted him. He came over and sat down; the low table between them was full of her tea things. He noted that she had set out an extra teacup, almost as if she had known he would be there. Inutaisho silently accepted the cup of tea she handed him. They drank in silence, before Inutaisho broke it by humming a bit of his favorite song. Inukouhi smiled; happy that her husband was here and that he wanted to pillow her. Inutaisho returned her smile and felt a pang of guilt over the fact he was going away without her. He sang a few lines of the song to her and reaching across the low table that separated them, he took her hand and kissed her palm, before releasing it. Inutaisho picked up his cup of tea and drank some.
“Koinyoubou-chan...I have decided to spend a few weeks at the lodge as a reward for a couple of my men and I’ve decided to leave Sessho-kun as regent,” he said as his sipped his tea. He felt another pang of guilt over the look of happiness that settled on his wife’s features. “We’ll be leaving very early tomorrow. I told everyone to be ready to go by dawn.” Damn, I hope she doesn’t ask me to take her along. I’d really hate to disappoint her...
“Oh, does this mean that I am going too?” Inukouhi asked hopefully as she poured herself more tea. Could it be he’s taking me this time? He said he’s leaving Sessho-kun home as regent... Regent? Sessho-kun? Shouldn’t he be leaving Takahara-san as regent? “Wait a minute...did you say you were going to make Sessho-kun regent?” She looked over her teacup at him in surprise.
“Hai, I did. And gomen, Inuki-chan,” she smiled at his use of her nickname. “But I hadn’t planned on taking you as I need you here with Sessho-kun...besides; I thought you hated that place.” He smiled at her and he hoped the thought of Sesshomaru acting as regent would be enough to counteract any disappointment she would feel at being left behind.
“Hai...” She sighed; bitterly disappointed at staying home, yet pleased over the fact Sesshomaru would act as regent. “I guess so, and you’re right: I don’t really like that place all that much, but still I had hoped you would take me anyway...” Please change your mind and take me anyway...I really want to spend the time alone with you, the way it used to be... /She smiled sadly and looked away. “Besides, I didn’t always dislike that place. Remember we made Sesshomaru there...” And what a fun time that was... She smiled seductively at her husband as she tried to lighten the mood. “You remember...it was in that secluded little rock garden, the one with all the bonsai that Oniyuri-hime planted...” /I hope you will take me with you, my husband .As hateful as that place has become for me, perhaps this time we can make some pleasant memories and I could try and give you another pup, perhaps another son, for you deserve to have more than just Sesshomaru...Yes, another son is just what I need secure my place here...and if I gave you another son, who’s to say more won’t follow? Then all will know for sure just how much you love me.
Inutaisho laughed at the memory. “Hai! That’s right, I had forgotten about that.” He smiled sadly. “Honestly, I was remembering your fall and how we lost Sesshomaru’s eldest sister...”
“Hai...but you still took me back there many times after that and besides, we also made Katakuri-chan there ...” She looked so sad and Inutaisho wondered if he should revise his plans and take her along as well. Sighing she went on. “Plus we almost made another pup the last time you took me there...” And as much as I hated going there, that was the best part for that was last time we were together before you brought that bitch here...
“True...but I remember your anguish when you lost that one and it was so soon after Katakuri-chan...and I just didn’t want to bring you back there with all those painful memories...” He moved over next to her and held her close. That sat there in silence, holding each other close and Inukouhi felt that he actually did love her for once. Sighing contentedly, she decided to break the silence before it stretched too long between them.
“I won’t mind them at all as long as I’m with you, dear husband...” Inukouhi said wistfully as she reached up and stroked his cheek. Please hold me here like this forever... please... Sighing, she decided to give in gracefully and admit defeat, since she was pleased that he was spending his last night at home with her and not her rival, “But I suppose your men deserve some rest and relaxation alone with you,” she said softly. Since they won’t be bringing their wives either...I suppose I could stay behind as well. I promise not to make a fuss when you leave. I suppose I could find something to keep me amused until you return... Perhaps now would be the time to put that bitch in her place! Now, before she gets any more ideas about thinking she’s just as good as the rest of us! I can’t wait to see her face tomorrow morning when she finds out he’s gone and left her behind as well! If he was going to take anyone, he’d have taken me...I am his wife after all...
“Next time I’ll bring you, I promise...” Inutaisho acknowledged her resignation to the fact she was not going by taking her face in his hands and bringing it close enough to kiss her. He looked into her eyes before he kissed her softly at first until she deepened it. Inukouhi was hungry for his touch and she wanted so badly to have things go back to the way they were before they made Sesshomaru, before her hated rival came here. If she had this chance now, she was certain there would be others, for her husband was here with her. That must it! He does want more pups and that must have been the reason he pillowed with Chibi-Nezumi! Then I must see to it he comes to my bed more often.../She added a few hungry kisses of her own and Inutaisho left a line of little kisses and gentle nips along her jaw line before continuing down her neck. She moaned softly as he proceeded to push her sleeping kimono off her shoulders. /Arigatou, Inu-chan...
Inutaisho kissed the spot on his wife’s shoulder where her sleeping kimono had been moments before. Tonight he saw before him not the woman she had become, the one who delighted in intrigue and the strict hierarchy of the women’s quarters, but the young maiden she was when he wed her. For some reason he found her to be just as eager tonight as she was then and the memory of it spurred him on. He chuckled softly to himself.
“What’s so funny, Inu-chan?” she asked breathlessly.
“Nothing, Koishii, I was just reminded of our wedding night...”
“Hai...and?”
“You’re just as beautiful now as you were then, my love.”
“Arigatou...” She laughed “And you, my husband, are just as eager.”
“Hai, to be here and pillowing a beautiful youkai maiden, what more can a man ask for?”
“Hmmm...several fine sons to carry on his name?” she teased.
His response was swallowed up in a kiss. The dog queen was happier than she had been in a long time. She rested comfortably on her hands and knees, enjoying the movement of her husband behind her, as he gently pushed and pulled her in time to his own rhythm. All she could think of was her husband and how much more she loved him in that moment, than she had before. For once the dog queen felt they were together on the same emotional plain. That the reason he sought her out was because he would miss her just as much as she would miss him. That despite her age, he found her just as attractive as he had the night he first bedded her. She was pleased to think he thought of her as something more than just a pretty face or a vessel for his spent lust.
She also found it increased her pleasure if she thought about him being with her instead of her hated rival. She succeeded this time and she felt her pleasure mount. It made her feel good to know that the louder she was in voicing her pleasure, the more her husband sought to increase it for her. What has gotten into you tonight, my husband? I don’t recall you ever being this enthusiastic before!
When he finished, Inutaisho pushed her down in front of him and still joined together he laid on top her for a few minutes as he whispered in her ear, “Koinyoubou-chan...arigatou.” He kissed her cheek as a wave of guilt washed over him, for she seemed happier than she had been for a long time.
“Arigatou, my dear husband....Will you stay the night?”
“Hai...” he whispered as he rolled off her. He lay back and stifled a yawn.
“Am I keeping you awake?” Inukouhi teased as she rolled over onto him and smiled.
“Iie, not at all, sweetheart... Gomen, but I let the worries and cares of the day intrude, my dear.” He smiled ruefully at her. “If you’d like, I think we could, you know...” he gave her a wicked smile. “Again...and again if you want...” He traced the outline of her lips with his finger before she kissed it.
She giggled softly before she kissed him. “Iie, it’s alright; you need your rest as I believe you said something about leaving at dawn. So let’s just lie here the way we used to...I won’t mind at all if you sleep.”
“Goodnight, Inuki-chan...”
“Goodnight, my Husband...”
They slept entwined in each other’s arms the way they had before the arrival of Izayoi. Inukouhi woke up the next day contented for a change, even though she woke up alone. She stretched languidly and smiled sweetly at Sakuya-chan when the girl brought in her breakfast. The dog queen was busy contemplating what she would do to Izayoi once she saw her later that morning./Perhaps I should ask Atsuimi-chan’s advice in this matter as this will require a delicate touch...What to do and when? And how to do it without raising suspicion... The bitch must know she’s incurring my wrath, but subtlety is called for here. She and she alone must know of it...I wonder if now is the time for Sessho-kun to use the girl to our advantage.../She smiled to herself as she drank her cup of tea.
888
Sesshomaru spent the next several days trying to avoid his mother without seeming to. She was in a foul mood after discovering that her husband had taken her rival with him instead of her. Not even her friend Atsuimi could lift her mood, though she tried everything short of going to the hunting lodge and bringing the dog general back with her. Sesshomaru really wanted to visit with his mother, as he longed to make her happy, but the thought of being on the receiving end of yet another temper tantrum and tirade about what a horrible person his father was, left him conflicted. Avoiding her became the safe thing to do, especially since he had no one to go to about it afterwards.
As he walked back to his room, Sesshomaru came to the conclusion he missed Tsukikage more than he would have thought possible. He found that during the few days she had been gone, he thought about her more than he did when she was around. Let me tell you, Tsuki-chan, being a regent isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. It’s a shame you had to go with them instead of staying here. You know, I bet if it weren’t for that stupid punishment, Chichi-ue would never have taken you along with his pet to his lodge. Haha-ue never brings Sakuya with her when she goes, so why did they take you/? He slowly wandered the halls on his way to his room. /Too bad you’re not here, Tsuki-chan, as I would have loved to have been able to ask you when they’d be back...and we could have finished your painting. It’s not much but I’m sure it would take Haha-ue’s mind off her troubles...then again she’d probably throw it at me and tell me what an awful person I am too...how I’m just like Chichi-ue.... /He sighed as he entered his room. Walking over to his tansu, Sesshomaru found a stick of incense and lit it. Sitting down, he let his mind go blank as he breathed in the sweet smell of its fragrance. Just as he found his thoughts drifting back to Tsukikage someone knocked softly at his door. /Shit! I hope I’m not late for Myouga-jijji’s boring lessons in geography. Too bad he turns everything into a “this place is important because So-and-so lives here and your father respects his judgment. So if you’re going to take over when your esteemed father steps aside or gods forbid, something worse, then pay attention! I’m not telling you this because I like to hear myself talk!
“Enter,” he said and he noticed he had been sitting there for some time as the incense stick was nearly finished.
“Hai...Waka-sama...?” The old man, known as Shimobe, entered and bowed as he addressed Sesshomaru. Shimobe was another one of his father’s vassals, who was rewarded by Inutaisho for his loyalty, by being given the job of assistant to his chamberlain. Now that he was older, he spent his days shuffling back and forth between the chamberlain and Inutaisho or whoever happened to be acting as his regent at the time. Sesshomaru found him as irritating as he found Myouga, although for different reasons. Myouga annoyed him with his cowardice and sense of self importance combined with his tendencies to turn everything into a lecture and Sesshomaru hated the fact that all he had to do to get him to shut up was to stare long and hard at him. Shimobe however, was quiet and nervous as if he had seen one too many battles, plus he was slow and deliberate in everything he did.
“Hai. What is it, Shimobe?” Sesshomaru said; highly irritated at the interruption.
“I was told to bring this to you.” He nervously held out a small bundle that Sesshomaru took before dismissing him.
Sesshomaru watched the old servant leave before he looked at the bundle in his hand. He quickly untied the silken cord that held it together. He smiled when he saw her neat brush strokes spelling out his name. Picking up the first letter, he turned it over and broke the wax seal, then opened it. He read it quickly through and then when he had finished it; he read it over more slowly this time Baka! Who cares about what the place looks like? Besides, I’ve been there hundreds of times... he thought as he read the letter. Sesshomaru laughed when he read the part about her staying in a room on the far side of the lodge and how happy she was at being referred to as Tsukikage-hime again. She went on to tell him she was introduced as Ningen-hime’s lady in waiting, which made all the servant girls there jealous as they thought she was just her personal maid. “It’s so nice to go back to the ways things used to be, instead of running around looking after Ningen-hime’s needs all the time. Not that she ever was a hard taskmaster or anything like that. It’s just that I’m so happy I don’t have to deal with the rest of servants giving me a hard time about being her servant any more. It’s a relief to be away from all the nonsense I have to deal with at home” She also wrote that she was surprised they felt that way, since most of the girls back at the palace made fun of her for being the “lady in waiting” to a mere human./ “Everyone here is so nice to me and a few of the girls asked me what I did to deserve such a promotion! Can you believe that?”/ He chuckled and read on. /“With a bit of luck, maybe your father will rescind the punishment back at home too. I’m so tired of the way Baikako going on about me. She’s always making snide comments about me kissing up to Ningen-hime and your father, not to mention what she says about us .She claims Ningen-hime deliberately makes me spend time with you in order to curry favor with you as well as making herself look good in your father’s eyes. All I can say is this: ‘Thank Kami Takahara hasn’t discovered I spend time in the kitchen every morning as that’s all I need.’ I don’t know what I would do if she started in about him as well.” Tsuki-chan...why didn’t tell me before that they made fun of you and give you a hard time? Perhaps I should have a little talk with the wench...
“Anyway, I’m sorry if I troubled you about this, but I just wanted to tell someone. I know you’re thinking ‘why didn’t I just go to Ningen-hime about it’ but that would just make things worse at home. And please don’t say anything to her. Not that you would, but I thought I would say that anyway, because despite everything that’s happened, I’ve come to think of you as my friend. I hope you’re not mad or thinking that I’m being too familiar.” No not at all, Tsuki-chan, I guess you could say what we have is a friendship of sorts.../
Sesshomaru then read the other letters and found them to be full of meaningless gossip. He smiled as he remembered that she would always tell him what was going on in the women’s quarters if he asked her in a roundabout way. He had skimmed the last one, when he noticed two things that caught his eye. One was a small self portrait she had sent him and the other was the last line of her letter./ “I wish you were here, Waka-sama, as I find I miss you very much. Your friend, Tsukikage” /
She misses me? he thought with a smile. Funny how I think I miss you too...I hope you’re coming home soon as I have just about enough of Haha-ue’s nonsense to last a lifetime...
“Waka-sama...?” Sesshomaru was shaken from his reverie by a knock followed by a soft voice on the other side of his door. He recognized it as belonging to his mother’s servant girl.
Now what? Can’t I enjoy a moment’s peace without any more interruptions? he thought sourly as he carefully tucked the watercolor into his kimono before answering. “What is it, Sakuya?”
“My mistress has commanded me to tell you that she wishes to see you now. And that I was not to come back unless you came back with me....Please, Waka-sama...I beg you, to hurry. My mistress is very upset about something...I’m frightened it could be something bad...”
“Hai!” he growled as he hid the letters in his tansu and slid open the shoji so he could leave. “Shit! What happened to you?” he swore as he saw the bruise on the young girl’s face.
“Nothing...” She bowed and followed him to his mother’s rooms.
888
Sesshomaru knelt and waited while Sakuya knocked on his mother’s door. Inukouhi answered curtly, “Enter! It’s about time you came and visited me...or must I be half dead and dying before you make an effort to do so?” She glared at her son as he entered and bowed.
“Iie...gomen nasai, Haha-ue...I honestly had no time to spend with you. When I was finished with my lessons, Chichi-ue had arranged for Myouga-jiisan to start teaching me what I’ll need to know to rule as regent now that I’m old enough,” he said smoothly, for he knew the old flea was afraid of his mother, so he was safe with the lie. As long as she doesn’t manage to get him to say anything more than two words to her, I’m fine...although perhaps when this is done I should go and look for him. /He watched his mother warily. The dog queen kept glancing at her son as well as the letter she held clutched in her hand. /The more I think of it, the better his long boring lectures are sounding, especially if she’s holding a letter from Chichi-ue. Shit! I hope she’s not going to tell me his pet is going to have a pup...Hell that’s all I need is a fucking hanyou for a sibling! So are you going to tell me what’s wrong now, Haha-ue? he thought as he plastered a concerned smile on his face.
“I received a letter from your father today,” Inukouhi said coolly and Sesshomaru felt the icy grip of fear clutch at his bowels.
“That’s nice...and how is he?” Sesshomaru asked sweetly as Atsuimi entered the room. “Konnichiwa, Atsuimi-hime,” he greeted his mother’s friend and breathed a sigh of relief that she was there.
“Konnichiwa, Waka-sama, my lady.” Atsuimi bowed before sitting down next to him.
“Konnichiwa...” Inukouhi said distractedly as she stood up and paced back and forth in her room. Then she turned to face them and Sesshomaru knew from the look on her face, that whatever the letter contained, it was not going to be good. His mother looked at the letter again before she walked over to her son and shoved it in his face.
“Damn him! Damn him to the very depths of hell! Do you know what he wants?” she screamed at him as she pulled the letter away and crumpled it in her hand.
“Iie...Haha-ue... Gomen, but I have no idea what Chichi-ue wants...” he said as he closed his eyes.
“He wants you there in that palace he built for that bitch! That hateful base-born human bitch who dares think herself a youkai queen! I won’t allow it! There’s no way I’ll let you go while I draw breath into my body! Bastard!” She threw the crumpled letter away from herself. “You took my heart and you want to take my son too?!” she muttered to herself and Sesshomaru watched as she picked up a vase and hurled it against the wall where it shattered into tiny pieces.
“Palace? What palace?” Sesshomaru whispered at Atsuimi. “I thought Chichi-ue went to his hunting lodge.”
“Your mother thinks he built the human a palace there. As far as I know it’s still his hunting lodge...perhaps he had arranged to make it a bit bigger, but as to a palace...I doubt he would tear the place down and build another one like this...” Atsuimi whispered as Inukouhi continued to pace around the room before she came to a halt by the window. She reached over and picked up the discarded letter. “That’s odd...” she said as she quickly scanned its contents. “All it says, besides the usual pleasantries and inquiries as to how you are managing as regent, is that down near the bottom your father stated he wants you to come visit with him for a few days. In fact he says your mother will be regent while you’re gone and that he’s sent a letter to Takahara asking him to back your mother up on anything she does. Isn’t that what he told Takahara before he left? That he was to back you up if you needed it?”
“Hai. Then why’s she so upset? I’ve gone to visit Chichi-ue there hundreds of time before and she never got that upset.”
“True, but she’s never been that jealous of the human before. But then I guess you haven’t heard the rumors going around, that say your father is planning on giving Ningen-hime a pup of her own. So you can see why she’d be a little upset, ne?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Hai...but those rumors have always been around. In fact they always seem to surface every time Chichi-ue spends a good amount of time with his pet. They’re nothing and they don’t mean a thing. Why can’t she see that?”
“Who knows? But the heart is a strange thing, Waka-sama. It doesn’t lend itself to clear thinking they way your head does...”
“Hai...” Sesshomaru then got up and went over to where his mother stood. He gently turned her to face him and when he saw her crying he reached up and wiped away her tears. “Don’t cry, Haha-ue...I will stay here with you. I won’t go if you don’t want me to. I promise. Please. Haha-ue, don’t cry...” he said softly as he tried to comfort her.
“Inukouhi-chan...my lady, perhaps the boy should go...” Atsuimi said from where she sat watching everything that went on.
“Nani?!” Inukouhi pushed away from her son and stalked over to her friend. “Are you betraying me as well, Atsuimi...?” She cried as all the hurt she felt made her choke out her words. Inukouhi stood there before her friend, silently pleading with her to tell the truth as much as she did not want to hear it.
Sesshomaru stood there and watched in horror as his mother turned on her friend. She drew back her hand and slapped the seated woman. Atsuimi simply sat there unflinchingly as her friend silently raged.
“Iie...You know I never would betray you...” Atsuimi looked up at the dog queen and smiled through her tears. “Let him go... Let’s see if by his very presence he can make your husband remember what he has left behind here, as there’s no doubt the human bitch has already told him that you’ll never let him leave. You know how she loves to fill his ear with the foulest lies she can think of about you,” she said softly as she looked from mother to son and back again. If only that were true, for I have heard her myself tell your husband when he neglects you. /“Prove her wrong, my lady; let Sesshomaru-waka-sama go.” /Forgive me, Ningen-hime, for the lies, as I know you would never say anything so hurtful, but when she’s like this, there’s no reasoning with her... /She caught Sesshomaru’s eye and silently pleaded with him. /Please, Waka-sama, just agree with anything she says. If she wants to hear malicious gossip about her rival then by all means find a way to send it to her, even if you have to make it up yourself...
“Haha-ue, Atsuimi-hime is right; she would never betray you. The human pet, however, would betray you in a heartbeat...” He saw Atsuimi’s slight nod and went on. “Perhaps, I can go as Atsuimi-hime suggests, so that I can put a stop to her hateful lies about you...”
Sesshomaru watched as the younger woman then got up and held his Haha-ue close. The soft clucking sounds she made as she fussed over her worked their magic for his mother seemed much calmer than she was before. He sat there wondering how he could get up and leave without his mother noticing, when she spoke again.
“Hai...you’re probably right, Atsuimi-chan, he should go as that way he can put stop to that bitch’s schemes. You think he should try and get Inutaisho to notice the girl instead? You know, so that maybe he’ll finally open his eyes and see what a mistake he’s made by lusting after that miserable human. That wouldn’t be so bad would it?” She looked uncertainly at her friend and Atsuimi nodded. “Go then, Sessho-kun... Gather your things and be prepared to leave as soon as possible.” Inukouhi said softly. “But promise me, my son, you’ll see if she has lost any favor in your father’s eyes since Tsukikage is there as well.” Inukouhi looked her son in the eye. “You will let me know, my son, as soon as you can, if the younger bitch has taken the place of the elder.” She pleaded with him before going on. “If so...well then I guess the human bitch’s life won’t be worth shit, ne?” Inukouhi smiled and it was a smile devoid of warmth.
“Perhaps you can have her sent back here to serve you?” Atsuimi said; her voice as soft as silk. Although Inutaisho-sama will never let that happen no matter how much you may wish he would...
“Hai...Atsuimi-chan...you are a true friend. Without you I should have gone mad with despair. Most likely I would have gone to my grave.” She smiled at her friend. “Come here, Sessho-kun, and let me say good-bye to you...” she sighed as she turned to face him. “You are the only ones who love me, ne?” Inukouhi reached up and took his face gently in her hands and she slowly pulled him towards her where she kissed his forehead before releasing him. “Sessho-kun...if you remember nothing of me, remember this: be careful whom you give your heart to...or better yet, never give it away to anyone; for then you’ll be free from the pain I suffer....”
“Hai...” He looked at her; uncertain as to what to do with that little bit of advice so he chose to ignore it for the moment. “Konbanwa, Haha-ue...I promise I’ll be back as quickly as I can...and I promise to do everything in my power to bring that bitch back to you as soon as possible....” He smiled at her; thoroughly confused by the complete turn around in her behavior, but desperately wanting to make her happy.
“Have I told you what a good boy you are? But I am wrong....” She touched his cheek and turned to her friend. “He’s not a boy any more but a man, ne? In fact a much better man than your Chichi-ue...and don’t you forget it, my son....” She said as she dismissed him from her presence.
He stood there for a moment as he watched her leave with the other woman and head towards her private chambers before he turned and left.
~
Sesshomaru slowly walked back to his room; his mind in a whirl over what had just happened. Chichi-ue...I wish you could see the pain you give Haha-ue by spending so much time with your pet... but why that one woman should bother her so much is a mystery to me...Perhaps by being there, I can figure out what it is you find so fascinating about her and also what Haha-ue finds so threatening. If she were youkai I think I could understand...but she’s nothing more than human vermin who’ll whither and die soon enough. I really wish Haha-ue could see that she’ll be nothing more than a distant memory in few short years as I’m sure if she could, she’d be a lot happier. Perhaps once your pet does die, Haha-ue will calm down and she really will be a lot happier than she has been. Chichi-ue, if only you knew the problems you have caused by taking a human in and treating her as if she were your wife...and my mother your mistress...I don’t understand you, Chichi-ue...and maybe I never will... he thought as entered his room and noticed he had left one of Tsuki’s letters on the low table.
Sesshomaru walked over and sat down again next to the table. He reached over and picked up another stick of incense and lit it before something in the letter caught his eye. “I wish you were here Waka-sama, as I find I miss you very much. Your friend Tsukikage” He read softly to himself. “Guess what, Tsuki-chan? Your wish has indeed come true. It seems I’ll be leaving to go to the lodge tomorrow morning...”