bon vivant by yukihime

Chapter One

Sesshoumaru looked over the list again. It was truly outrageous what the courtly meals demanded these days; the bill for the menu was more than everything else put together. Every lord had written a list of foods that were acceptable and, in the end, no three lists had the same cuisine more than once. It was truly outrageous what youkais were demanding these days. At least he never had to listen to the humans who lived in his lands complain about such matters. Out of all of the governing demon lords, Sesshoumaru was the most gracious and honest among them. He did have a reputation, after all.

It was the court gathering of the year, and this year was Sesshoumaru-sama's turn. He had sent the head chef the lists needed; in fact, there were several. Fruits and cheeses, breads and meats, vegetables and herbs, dozens of wines and every other delicacy one could think of; some of which Sesshoumaru had not known existed. He groaned again as he came face to face with the list of people who would and would not be attending.

Sesshoumaru remembered that it was one of the few times of the year that he was forced to socialize with his mother; only to be reminded of his lack of a mate. Naniko was the type of female youkai that every lord could ever wish for; ruthless to a fault. Even if she was to bite off her lover's head, she would always ensure her pup's survival. When she would arrive could be anyone's guess and Sesshoumaru inwardly shivered at the thought of hearing her voice.

A gentle tap grabbed his attention. "Enter." His voice was deep and lacked any form of emotion.

Jaken waddled in, bowing low before the lord seated behind the large desk centered in the room. Sesshoumaru could see the multitude of guards outside the door and the air held a familiar feminine smell. "Milord, there has been an intruder caught on the grounds."

His interest perked at this information. "Show me this intruder at once." He was venting as his thoughts turned to who it might be, hoping it wasn't his mother. His breath caught in his throat as two guards dragged a feisty raven haired beauty in front of him. "Inuyasha's wench."

"I'm not his wench," she fumed. "Let me go." She was pulling against the guards' hold, trying to free herself. She was not in her usual attire, instead, dressed in something much more decent. However, the blue silk kimono was torn and stained with mud and blood.

"Where is my brother, wench?" He demanded answers immediately. The last thing Sesshoumaru needed was Inuyasha disrupting the party and causing more problems for him; he must return this human quickly before anything of that sort happened.

She clamped her mouth shut and her silence was his answer. Sesshoumaru stood, "Everyone leave now."

The guards immediately released the woman and fled with Jaken. The door clicked shut and Kagome found herself alone with the taiyoukai. By the time she had pulled her attention back to Sesshoumaru, he was standing in front of her; his hand latched itself on her throat, but the fear that the girl had expected did not come. His touch was gentle. She swallowed hard. He could feel her heart beat as he slightly tightened his grip. "Do not make me repeat myself."

"H-He's not here," she mumbled, trying to put her brave front up.

"And where, pray tell, is he then?" His patience was running thin.

"I don't know." She could see the red seeping into his eyes. "I swear."

"Then why are you alone, and dressed in more appropriate clothing?" His eyebrow went up at this question, daring her to answer him. "Something has happened." It was only common sense, especially considering the relationship between the two.

She quickly adverted her gaze, not sure how she was going to explain this. She knew she couldn't talk her way out and would have to tell the truth. The question in her mind was where to begin. "Well," she began.

His other hand removed hair from her vision as she tensed in his grasp. "I am waiting."

"Well," she shut her eyes, "Inuyasha has abandoned me."

Sesshoumaru was a little stunned by the answer. "And what of your friends? Surely they would not tolerate such an act."

"We split up right before he dumped me off." She tried to stop the tears through her sobbing words. "I think he planned this all along."

Sesshoumaru tried to understand the situation clearly, but what she said did not make any sense. "So what of the clothing?" he prodded, trying to move the story along. It still did not explain the 'new' fabric.

"Inuyasha sold me to a brothel."

He stared at her, not believing her answer. "What has gotten into him?" he mumbled more to himself. Then, when he realized that she was still there, he asked, "What did you do that would upset him so?"

Kagome's tears increased. "Nothing! I did nothing to him. Nothing--"

He released his hold on her and she leaned into his open arms for support, willing to take comfort where it was and quickly learning to not judge by appearances. Sesshoumaru was not sure what had happened. He did not believe her story; yet the evidence she provided told him of her truths. He would have to hunt his little brother down and seek the answers there. Until then, he had a distraught female to calm. The one bit of information that stuck out in his mind was that fact that she was now up for sale.

Sesshoumaru had always had a special eye for the strange woman. She was extremely unique; he would love to devour her ample body, and learn what pleasures she may have been taught to give. He would have to hunt down the whore-house that she belonged to and buy her for himself since he was not one for sharing. The demon could smell that she was still untouched, and Sesshoumaru realized that it must be the Fates' way of telling him she was his. Mostly because someone who was sold into such a house was usually deflowered within the hour. He wondered how she had escaped such horrors?

"Very well, then you will stay under my protection." When he finally spoke, it stunned Kagome. "You will sleep in my room. I will have something prepared for you. Come."

His words stole her voice. He couldn't mean what she thought he meant, right?

Kagome was surprised to say the least. Sesshoumaru had pampered her like a princess. She had received a luscious bath with a blue and green kimono and matching attire. This morning felt like years ago. The woman had been remolded and sat perched in an ornate chair of iron; her blue eyes were cast into the garden via the open screens. She possessed the look and air of a porcelain goddess. However, Kagome was still writhing from the internal wounds that Inuyasha had inflicted. It had been a week ago. She shivered slightly.

The clues to his deceitful behavior were laid out to her; Kagome had simply chosen to ignore them. Now she would be regretting that decision for the rest of her life. Granted she had high hopes for a 'the-rest-of-her-life'; Sesshoumaru could be a generous youkai when permitted.

Kagome sighed. She assumed that at this moment, Inuyasha would be near their village. The girl wondered if Sango and Miroku were making a fuss over her disappearance. Another heavy sigh erupted from her lips as she bowed her head, trying desperately to quell the surging tears. Kagome did not want to ruin her make-up. She had learned from that mistake; taking a beating for it when she first entered into the 'House'.

The girl began to wonder what Sesshoumaru wanted in return for his 'generosity', and even though she knew the laws of these lands were unjust, she was still required to live by them. Especially when left alone and unguarded. The door opened and closed behind her, yet she sat as still as possible.

Sesshoumaru found himself holding his breath when he opened the door. The woman was a magnificent find. Why his brother sold her off was astounding him. When he stepped into the quarters, the smell of salt hit his nose and he knew she must be crying. Her still form was evidence enough. Sesshoumaru promptly shut the door and glided to her side, calling her name for her attention. "Kagome."

She looked up, startled that he even knew her name to begin with, much less call her by it. "Y-You know my name?"

He was slightly annoyed that she thought him so low as to not have noticed, but he kept his silence. Instead, he moved the subject on to more important matters. "Tell me the rest of it." He knew that she was still keeping secrets; this was something Sesshoumaru would not allow.

She cast her face down, not willing to look the lord in the eyes. "Are you going to have me killed? Or sold again?" She was too afraid to ask the other questions swimming in her mind.

"You will not be killed, or sold off. What I spoke earlier was the truth. I will protect you until I get to the bottom of what is going on." He turned to face her, pinning the woman with his gaze. "What else are you hiding from me?"

She could feel the heat of his eyes. "Why are you so interested?"

"Woman," he seethed, "Inuyasha is family and, regardless of what I think, his actions look poorly on the Inu House. Now if you do not spit out whatever it is you are keeping from me, then I will be forced to revoke my previous declaration."

Kagome's eyes remained glued to the flooring. Her voice seemed not her own and one could see that she was detached from reality. Or burning in hell, depending on one's perspective. "Inuyasha took the Shikon shards that I had." There was a long pause. Her words fell lower. "He's planning on using them against Naraku but I know that if he absorbs them--" Her voice broke and she was forced to stop again. "If he absorbs them, then he will be consumed. It will destroy him. And he will destroy everything around him, and in his path."

So it was what he had thought, temptation had finally gotten the better of Inuyasha. "Very well. I shall simply relieve him of any shards he might have. If it is by force, then so be it." He reached down and pulled her up. "You will not be harmed any further. There is a grand celebration next week and you will attend with me."

Kagome's mouth dropped at his statement. She ignored the death threat and moved to the more important matter at hand. "Grand celebration? What are you talking about?" She was always nervous during such ceremonies, and it would be made even worse if she were the only human.

"Do not worry, you will be on my arm all night. Male youkai tend to get feisty when alcohol has loosened their common senses, forgetting their place and manners."

"Oh," was all Kagome could say. She really did not want to have him clarify that statement anymore than he already had. "However, I must ask you something. Why are you insisting that I come along? Why not just throw me out?"

"You are now considered free property by the men that will be attending the celebration; I am simply ensuring your maidenhood will not be surrendered without your consent." Kagome didn't like the way he had just worded her current...situation. Sesshoumaru moved forward. "There will be several youkai of noble class and a miko such as yourself will not be well-liked among the crowd. If you stay by my side, I will ensure your safety."

Kagome nodded her agreement. There wasn't much she could do from here. "I understand my...situation...clearly Sesshoumaru-sama. Please do not go out of your way for me." She spoke and bowed from where she sat. So she was trapped, like a dog in a cage.

Sesshoumaru turned and walked to the door. Kagome watched as he stilled himself before speaking.

"I do not know what happened between you and Inuyasha, but rest assure that I will get to the bottom of this. When I see you this afternoon, you will tell me more."

Kagome stared at him a minute before realizing that he required an answer from her. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "Yes, I understand."

"I will send someone in to accompany you until I am free."

He exited before she knew it, and Kagome was left alone. His constant assumptions were getting on her nerves; it didn't take a genius to guess what he thought might have happened. Indeed, she might be indebted to him, but that didn't mean she was a slave damn it. From the way he was acting, she expected that she would soon be calling him master. She sighed deeply; her life was not turning out like she had hoped. Had she spent a week surviving all that hell only to end up Sesshoumaru's whore?

It was several minutes before another tap sounded and the door opened, then closed. She kept her place, still like a statue. Thousands of questions flooded through her mind before a gentle voice broke through. "Milady," the voice spoke. Kagome looked up to see a small female cougar youkai standing a few feet away. "Would you please follow me?" The girl had similar markings to Sesshoumaru's; her skin was actually light brown fur, and her eyes were shaped similar to Inuyasha's. Her hair was a rich dark brown and flowed around her heart-shaped face; her elfish ears peaking through the soft curls.

At first glance, Kagome found herself wanting to crush the young youkai in her arms. However, she could only nod as she stood, towering over the demoness by almost two feet. She felt a small part of herself catch fire as her mind drifted to her former life; Shippou...Sango and Miroku...Kaede...Inuyasha. All lost. She was given no explanations and no reasons.

The girl's voice broke her thoughts again; it was like a blue bird's song in the morning. "My name is Kaoru. I will be your companion while you are a guest of Lord Sesshoumaru's."

Kagome blinked at her choice of words. "Guest?" she mumbled. The girl could not help her stunned reaction. Did she not know of her previous circumstances?

Kaoru giggled. Kagome felt more comfortable around her; she seemed to be like her former self, happy and care-free. "Yes, you are a guest of my lord. He is very kind and generous, do not let his outer appearance fool you." She smiled as she cocked her head. Kagome returned the gesture. The cat youkai reminded her of a perched Buyo, waiting for her to return and emerge from the well.

"Really?" was all Kagome could stutter before the two emerged into a large area. Several halls converged into the dome-shaped room. The miko was in awe of the beautiful sight before her. No textbooks she ever read spoke of palaces as grand as this one. "This is gorgeous. Sesshoumaru-sama has an amazing home." Her whispered words floated to the sharp ears of the demoness beside her. With her extensive months of being around Inuyasha, Kagome had learned what tones were audible and not.

"We are so lucky to have Sesshoumaru-sama as our lord," the girl's smiles were addictive. "Come, the area Lord Sesshoumaru wanted to meet you in is the back gardens."

"Back---gardens?" she lightly whispered to herself. Kagome followed Kaoru, her lily-white kimono contrasted against her skin quite nicely. It dawned on Kagome that everyone around the castle wore, mostly, white. She glanced down at her kimono. The blues and greens drew attention to her. She knew the colors complimented her eyes, skin and dark hair but had not realized her conclusions until then. What had Sesshoumaru been thinking? Did he intentionally dress her like this?

Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to change her mind. She focused on Kaoru. "If you don't mind my asking, do you work here in the palace?"

"Yes, I tend to chores and such." The girl abruptly stopped and turned to face Kagome. "However, since you are here, my duties have changed. I'm your companion and I will escort you anywhere you wish." She paused and held up a finger. "Granted it does not go against Lord Sesshoumaru's wishes."

Kagome smiled. "Yes of course, I understand, Kaoru. Thank you for your time." Kagome bowed like she had been taught. She was always a fast learner.

The girl hurried to her side, bowing lower than Kagome so that it seemed that she was lying on the floor. She spoke with her face planted to the floor. "Please, Kagome-san, you should not bow to anyone other than Lord Sesshoumaru or members of the court."

Kagome reached down to lift her. "Kaoru, I--"

"Please understand, it is as Lord Sesshoumaru says. We can not go against his words." The cougar youkai remained on the floor.

Kagome could only stare at the woman. "I understand. Please get up now Kaoru." The woman glanced around to see if they had caught anyone's attention, yet the halls were still quiet.

Kaoru rose and dusted off her kimono. She smiled at the human, before ushering her out the open door. "Don't worry about it, Kagome-san."

She nodded in return, wondering why Kaoru spoke those soothing words, she could not know of her current predicament. Kagome thought that Sesshoumaru-sama was too noble for such actions, especially to go against his previous statement, he would not spread any information about her.

The duo walked through the brick arch, their footsteps echoing off the enclosed space. The fresh smell of the afternoon flowers hit the girl; the blue sky was clear and breezes drifted over the rolling hills. Kagome had to use her hand to block the sun's twilight rays. Kaoru grabbed her right hand and led the woman into the sunset. The human smiled at the warm gesture as she adverted her eyes to the left. The garden was full of color and life; unique, ornate bird houses and ponds full of fish littered the area.

Her guide stopped, and Kagome's attention was drawn to the shaded lounge they resided in. Sesshoumaru's brow rose and Kaoru blushed as she hung her head deeply. The miko was confused.

"Kagome, you must release Kaoru's hand."

The woman looked down at their hands still clasped tightly together. "Oh," she blushed brightly, "I'm sorry Kaoru." She released the youkai's small hand, which allowed the female to move away. Kagome stared at the floor, still red from her embarrassment.

Sesshoumaru's words were gentle when he spoke. "Kaoru, you are excused."

"Yes, milord," she spoke and quickly retreated, leaving the two alone.

The gardens were filled with the songs of birds and soft sounds of water flowing over carefully placed stones, into a pond nearby. "Come, Kagome, I will not hurt you."

She moved with grace that surprised Sesshoumaru. "How is it that you have come to learn such abilities in a short time?"

"What do you mean?" she asked as she elegantly sat down in the indicated seat.

His interest peeked as he watched her expertly part and refold the kimono. It was perfect. He locked eyes with her. "You carry yourself much differently than before, and I have never seen you in appropriate clothing until this morning. How is it that you seem so well trained?"

"The head geisha at the House I was sold to taught me. I'm a fast learner." Her words were soft and she spoke with an accuracy that amazed the lord.

"I see," he smirked as he shifted in the chair. "It seems you have been taught thoroughly. Yet, I am left wonder to what extent this training went." Kagome seemed to freeze at his statement. "Tell me the name of the House."

She knew she would have to tell him. He would eventually get it from Inuyasha. Besides, at the moment, it was better to cooperate. With a heavy heart, Kagome spoke the name that she had first read on the sign. "Aijin."

"Aijin? Well, I was not aware Inuyasha knew of such a place." Sesshoumaru held her gaze. "Tomorrow I will travel there and purchase your papers. Rest assured that no one will be coming after you."

She bowed, extending her thanks as she spoke. "I can not express my gratitude Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Do not expect it to come free."

"I understand."

"Very well. Since it seems that you will be able to handle yourself better than I expected, I shall move forward. There are some pressing matters I must discuss with you."

Kagome was a little troubled with what Sesshoumaru had said. He spoke the truth when he said that the other youkai would notice her holy powers, but she had not thought it necessary for them to share the same bed. Though, throughout her protests, Sesshoumaru never wavered from his decision. The miko began to think that the lord had alternate intentions. The wind lifted the loose hair around her face. She sighed.

The garden's music filled her ears. Sesshoumaru had left some time ago, yet Kagome found that she could not tear herself away from the peace and tranquility that this atmosphere held. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. It was surprisingly comfortable.

"It's very peaceful here, isn't it?" A female voice rippled over the area.

The woman's eyes popped open, darting around the area to find the source. "Um, hello?"

A tall inu youkai appeared from around the closest pillar. Kagome felt the instant flutter of fear before it died. "Are you lost little human?" Kagome shook her head, still staring at the beautiful woman. She laughed lightly. "Do you like that chair, little one?" The woman looked at the hand-rest under her fingers. When the demoness spoke next, she was much closer to Kagome, drawing her eyes. "It is the chair of the Queen of the Western Lands, you know."

Kagome shot up out of the seat and bowed emphatically. "I'm sorry."

The older woman noticed her manner and the subtle air about the human. "You are a unique find indeed. A geisha miko." She laughed.

Okay, some author notes; so something random again. ^^.

I don't care if the characters are a little OOC. I'm writing this, and sometimes I want to have fun with the characters. [I always say that.] It is my imagination after all. No, I have not run out of things to do in my free time.

RE-POSTING AN: Thanks to Jenn for helping. There are some minor changes.