A/N: Thank you for stopping by to read! I just want to let you all know that this is an experimental story after a long time of not being able to write. I've got a lot of ideas for it, but I'm letting it grow organically as I go along. So if anyone has any cool ideas or themes they'd like to see, just let me know and they may make it into the finished story. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
Enjoy ~
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“He’s been on a rampage all morning. I’d steer clear,” a male voice called into the kitchen as he walked past.
Kagome listened to the hushed gossip floating around the packed room. Groups of chatting women, cooks and maids with full arms of dishes laden with food, zipped around her. A young, red-headed boy weaved in and out of their legs, dragging sacks of flour behind him in his little clawed hands.
“They said a week. I guess they didn’t want to give him time to overthink it…”
“I’d never seen him so furious.”
“It’s not like they didn’t know how he’d react. Wouldn’t you? Kagome?” Yuki called.
The dark haired woman barely registered her name being called. It took another two tries for her to finally look up from the dough in her flour covered hands. Kagome was exasperated after nearly a week of the same rumors being passed up and down the grapevine.
“It’s none of our business. It would be better for us to get everything running efficiently and avoid being targets ourselves.”
The other woman scoffed and waved her off. “Your mama’s always a spoiled sport, isn’t she, Shippo?”
The boy covered his mouth in a giggle, but shook his head. “No, she’s just… um…”
“Practical,” Kagome responded.
“Yeah! She’s practical, that’s all. If Lord Sesshoumaru is already mad, it won’t turn out good for us to mess up anything. Not today.”
Yuki made a dramatic sigh and threw up her hands. “She’s gotten to you, too! My only little buddy!”
This only made Shippo giggle more.
~*~*~*~*~
A flash of white was all that precipitated the shattered vase. They were coming. A low growl escaped him. Sesshoumaru stalked over to his window, staring out over the expanse of gardens under a dimming sky. It was his only reprieve. If they were late enough he could put off their visit until morning. It was something at least.
The letter was long since eaten away by poison from his claws, barely giving him enough time to finish reading it, but every word was burned into memory. He thought he would at least have a few more days to process it, but lo and behold his father’s messenger had rode in that very morning to announce their impending arrival. Those bastards… He’d have rended the boy’s throat if he didn’t dread hearing his parents’ mouths about it.
For the entire day he had sulked about his chambers and watched the road, a waste of valuable time when he stopped to consider it. They were coming to invade his home, his very way of life, and all because of his own father’s spinelessness in the face of political conflict. He was NOT going to mate that woman.
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome took a preparatory breath before turning down the long corridor and coming face to face with those enormous, carved wooden doors. Night had fallen, the candles had been lit. Everyone, guard and servant, was grateful to have a few more hours of peace before the days of festering tension would come to a head. And as the worry and gossip grew more urgent and more hushed, it was Kagome who was chosen to confront the embittered taiyoukai. She stopped in front of the door, her light footsteps having echoed down the hall, and waited with tray in hand.
“….enter,” the deep voice called.
With a soft ‘click’ she nudged the door open with her side and slipped into the room. Her head remained lowered to the silver tray in her hands, delicious scents wafting from beneath the dome’s decorated lid.
“Your dinner, Lord Sesshoumaru.”
“I can smell,” he shot back.
Kagome nodded and made her way to an empty table, setting down her cargo and removing the lid. It was roasted boar. Rare, of course. He seemed to show no interest in it, still standing stiffly with his back to her and the food. Far from taking out his aggression on the intruding maid, Sesshoumaru was more focused on his thoughts. He flexed his claws several times as if trying to force ideas to come.
The woman turned to leave, but paused just in front of the large double doors exiting his rooms.
“…they’ve arrived.”
“I. Can. Smell.”
“They would like to see you immediately, my lord.”
He whirled on her, glaring her down and flaring his aura threateningly. The woman remained still.
“Then tell them I am preoccupied. I will see them come morning, not before.”
“And what reason shall I give them, my lo-“
In a flash he was looming over her, a deep, guttural growl pouring from his throat. Her blue eyes actually widened a bit.
“Why is it that you cannot simply heed my instructions and leave, woman?”
He studied her face. The initial scare had worn off already, and she was looking at him again with that same damn expression instead of the one he had intended on giving her. Out of all the maids, it was always this one… His grimace deepened. That calm was almost mocking him.
“I am trying to help you, Lord Sesshoumaru. Your father and mother have already assumed that you would try to find a way out of confronting them. It would be better to face them with a credible reason.”
Just then, a thought overtook him. The silver taiyoukai relaxed somewhat, looking down at the woman with intrigue instead of contempt.
“You and all the rest of the servants are aware of the changes that are about to take place, are you not?”
Kagome furrowed her brow a bit, the admission catching her off guard, but she nodded.
“Your father has promised an alliance.”
“An alliance that I have no interest in forming. I don’t expect a human to be well versed in out histories, but the Taisho and the Jimai have been locked in battle for generations. I have warred personally with the likes of them, and they are a clan of backstabbing blackguards. They’ve been responsible for countless deaths. We have even tried to ally with them in the past to combat larger threats, to which we were met only with trickery and more loss.”
He clenched his fists.
“Then why has your father agreed to this?”
Sesshoumaru backed off of her a bit, narrowing his eyes at the thought of his father shaking hands with one of them.
“Do not forget, woman: my father mated a human. It has taken many decades for me to accept this, but I have. But something about that seems to make him think he can bring everyone together, soothe any conflict between any group. But he has crossed the line this time, and he has underestimated me. I will not muddle our bloodline by producing offspring with theirs.”
“They are adamant, my lord. They brought the demoness with them and she is waiting to meet you as we speak. I do not think they will accept a simple no…”
“Then I will need a greater excuse than a simple ‘no’.” He took a step closer, closing the already small distance between them. “They call you Kagome, is that right…?”
“Yes, my lord.”
The tall man put a hand on the door behind her head, pushing it closed with an audible ‘click’. Sesshoumaru leaned down beside her and whispered against the shell of her ear. “Then you will be my new excuse, Kagome…”