The Poor Lord Of The West by Itoe

The Bet!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing. Except the idea of this story. :)

As always, I am still practicing english, and I hope, that I get better with every sentence I write. The SessxKag stories helped me a lot to get better in english. Now it is time to train my brain as well. :) I am sure, there are many mistakes in this first chapter, but I have no beta. So please, bear with me.

Summary: Sesshomaru is the Daiyoukai of the Western Lands. Due to his fathers’ stupidity, his lands are broke and he could not even mate with one of the rich daughters of the other lands! While the humans became wealthier with each day, his demons became more desperate and hungry. He had to find a solution! But what is a Daiyoukai to do, when not even the rich humans would want to let him mate with one of their daughters? Of course, he would never show or say to anyone, that he searched for someone, who was very rich. He would not say, but DO everything he could, to save his subjects. What else was a Lord for? Out of nowhere, the only daughter of the Shogun, the beautiful Kagome, visits his place. Now this is his chance, or is it not?

The Bet

“My lady! Please, do not do that. Milord will not be pleased.”, cried a woman, clad in a simple brown yukata and a white apron. Her big, brown eyes, normally looking bored, were now brigth and terrified and scared as hell, as she followed her lady through the long corridors in the great castle of the Shogun.

“Now, now, Ima-San! Father will always love me! We are a family, after all!”, protested a young maiden, wearing the finest Uchikake the lands of her father could provide. The one she wore right now, was a soft pink with many different flowers embroidered in many colors.

The Obi had the color of dark green with fans embroidered, also in many different colors.

Her small feet, hidden beneath her heavy robes, were clad in white tabi socks, as she walked gracefully with very small steps in front of the terrified maid.

“You know, that is not what I meant!”, sighed the woman.

“I know, I am crazy for even TRYING to do this. But it is a bet. And I will not lose this one. Not to Lord Naraku!”, she protested, as she came to an abrupt halt in front of a big, heavy door.

She remembered this door. She remembered, how often she had touched the golden colored heads of the dragons, or how they seemed to look at her evilly, even though she knew, that these were just decorations. Still, they scared her. As if they took their job to protect the Shogun very seriously. Even from his very own and only child.

However, if she wanted to stay unmarried, then she would have to win this bet. She did not want HIM. She wanted no one. She would not risk losing the title of her family to her husband. That was, if she had one.

Each time, when her father came to her with new proposals with the princes of other rich families, she refused. Everyone was turned down.  

One of the reasons, as to why she was known as the “Greedy One” or the “Vulture”.

She did not care. If that meant, she would stay unmarried, then that was fine with her!

Now that she thought back, she did not remember how she had met Lord Naraku. That half-breed got on her nerves like a leech and sucked all her patience out with just his presence!

Generally, she did not hate half-demons, but this one… she did.

Ah yes, she remembered now. One of the courts ladies introduced them to each other, trying to set them up. She had to swallow her lunch, before it made its way back outside.

‘What a beautiful pair you two are!’, they said.

Since then, Lord Naraku always tried to catch her attention, even with mean words and small insults here and there.

And as always, they ended up with betting. The first bet was, that Naraku would never be able to sleep with a married woman. Of course, as a half demon, he was quite attractive to many women. So he really had no problems with seducing one. And an older one no less!

And to be honest, since then, she had that great turn-off. Every time she saw him, she thought of him with the elder woman from the court. Such a disgusting pig!

The last bet they had, was that Lord Naraku had to go into the concubines court of the second general, naked.

That sneaky bastard did do it. And then? He was raped by all women, who were sex-crazed because of the lack of attention from the second general.

Also, one of the reasons, she never wanted to get married and live a peaceful, happy virgin life. That meant, she would not get to be sex-crazed and be that… mad. After all, a woman had to be mad if she wanted to do THAT with that half breed.

To be honest, she even pitied Naraku, after he could not walk for quite some time. But that did not mean, that she did not enjoy the silence. These few weeks were the best of her life! Needless to say, AFTER he decided the annoy her with his insufferable presence.

They were arguing, always! And the last argument brought her here, to the doors of her fathers throne room.

Naraku said, that love was a great thing. And he even said, that he loved her! Honestly, who would believe a male, who just stood there, smiling stupidly in your face, not thinking of the ruttings he had with the many females in HER court and… well, opening his arms, as if he honestly believed, that she would throw herself into his arms and say “I LOVE YOU TOO, MY LOVE!”………… Really?

She, of course, could not keep her mouth shut. She just had to say, that there was no man or male in the world, whose ‘oh so called LOVE’ she could not buy! In between the lines, she told him her thoughts of him. He did not love her, but her wealth.

And that was his bet.

“Then, Lady Kagome, I will prove you wrong.”, he said with his smooth, sexy voice, his red eyes sparkling with suppressed anger and forced smile, “Let us see, whom you definitely could not buy. Aside from myself.”

This time, she kept silent, because she already owned that idiot. She did not even pay him. Maybe his payment was the courts women? Who knew?

“Buy a Lord. His palace and his lands. Therefore, his pride. And most of all, his love.”, he said, a confident smile appearing on his beautiful shitface.

That was difficult, yes, but nothing she could not manage. There were plenty princes who wanted to be near her, just because she had stormy blue eyes. But was it possible, that she could buy a lord, his palace and his lands? His love and pride? Of course it was.

Lord Naraku was no exception.

At least, she could choose her “victim”.

Really, she did not want to destroy someones life this way.

“What if I do not?”, she asked, “Simply because this bet is stupid, and you know it, Lord Naraku.”

“Ah, you will have to marry me, my lady. These are the rules.”, his smile, so beautiful and seducing. But when she thought about that smile given to that older woman in her court… she cringed in disgust.

If there weren’t any bystanders and witnesses, she would just have refused. But after the bet has been made, she could not back down.

 “Enter.”, she heard the voice of her father, calling out to her.

A smile crept its way to her lips, as the doors were pushed open. On the other side of the room sat her father, clad in an easy yukata, due to his illness. He was pretty old. But she still loved him very much. She could not stop herself, as she ran ungracefully to him in threw herself, with consideration of his health, into his arm.

She heard him chuckle.

“You will never learn, will you not, my child?”, he whispered and coughed in his balled fist.

“I missed you too much, father!”, she said and eyed his pale hand. She just knew, he would not live very much longer. She tightened her arms around him and cuddled him with all the love she had in her for him.

Again, he chuckled, as if knowing, what she just did.

“I heard, you made a bet.”, he announced and coaxed her to explain.

She sighed and nodded once in the positive.

“This time, the price is very high. The second general was not very pleased with Lord Naraku. Less with his concubines, who were cast out. What do you have in mind, my child?”, he asked, worry lacing his voice.

“I know, but I will not back down and marry that evil half spider!”, she protested.

“That was not, what I meant with the high price. What about the man, whose heart you are definitely going to break?”

She thought about it for a moment. He was right, as always. The only thing she thought until now, was how to gain everything, without losing anything. And what, when she had everything? Then what? Throw that poor man aside, after she rightfully “stole” his title, palace, lands and most of all, his heart? She felt like a dirty whore.

Still, she could not marry Lord Naraku and allow him to destroy the lives of “their” subjects simply for his amusement.

“I understand, what you mean. But I will give him back everything once all is over. I swear! I will even give him some riches! Everything that would amend my foul deeds.”

She knew, what he thought, as she gazed into his eyes. He thought, that he would have to allow her this. Just to collect some experiences as the future Shogun of these lands. When he was no longer, whom would she ask permission for anything? His grave?

“I shall grant you your wish.”, he said in that ‘I-mean-business’-tone, “However, if you fail the purpose, you shall marry Lord Naraku. Every downside you have to suffer from your “trial” shall be your lessons. See to it, that you do not fail and will remain a good ruler, like the Kami-Sama themselves assigned our family to be.”

With these few sentences, he kissed her forehead and sent her away, so he could lay down and recover from his illness.

 “It went better, then expected, ne Ima-San?”, the princess smiled to her maid, who was as pale as the moon.

“If you say so, Kagome-Sama.”, the woman said dazed, “I will not imagine Lord Naraku as MY lord……. Oh please, Kagome-Sama! You can not lose against him! He WILL take us all!”

With that, the poor woman threw herself to Kagomes feet, sobbed and whimpered. That much to NOT imagine HIM as her lord…

“Ima-San, we have to go to a looong journey, so I can choose the Lord. I hope, you are going to come with me?”

“And if I do not, I have to stay with Lord Naraku? No, thank you, you can not get rid of me so easily!”, she said determined and somewhat scared.

“Well then, let us go!”

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Hope, you enjoyed it until now. :) Reviews are always appreciated.

Thanks.