InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bitter Blood ❯ Chapter 15

Bitter Blood

Chapter 15

"My lord!" She rushed to his side and hoisted him to his feet. "What happened to him?"

"There was a battle, my lady. We were victorious, but . . ."

"But what?" she demanded.

"Casualties were severe. There are still many injured outside. We didn't wish to drip blood on the rugs."

"Dokumi!" Rin called.

She appeared in the great hall, Daichi carried against her shoulder. "My lady?"

"Help me get my lord upstairs, then go tend to the men outside. Jakken, take Daichi to the nursery, then help Dokumi as best you can."

They did as she said.

"Should I tend to your lord first?" Dokumi asked once they'd laid him down in his chamber.

"No," Rin said. "Go see to the men. If I need you, I'll call for you."

She bowed, then departed.

Rin sat on the edge of the bed, then pushed the hair back from his face. "My lord is cold." She removed his armor, then wrapped him tightly in the bedding, propping him up with a pile of pillows. The armor was horribly dented and clawed. She placed it on his throne, then returned to his side on the edge of the bed.

"Open your eyes, my lord," she trailed her fingers down the side of his face. "I know you're still with me; open your eyes."

His eyes opened. "Where am I?"

She smiled warmly. "You are home, my lord. Where you belong."

He turned his head, glancing around the chamber. "This is your room," he said.

"It is ours," she said. "Now, what of this 'battle' Jakken spoke of? What's going on out there?"

"I would not trouble you with such a thing."

"I am already troubled to find my lord in such poor shape. Who did this to you? And why?"

"They seek to take my territories."

"Who?" Rin asked. "I was told we were at peace with China."

"Not China," he said. "The other lords."

She laughed uneasily. "Why would they do such a thing? These are your lands, and your father's before that."

He laughed, somewhat dryly, to himself. "They think I have grown weak and complacent. They think I am an easy target, and they wish to take that which is mine."

"Why would they think such a thing?" she scowled. "You are the Lord of the Western Lands, the great Sesshomaru. No one may best you in battle."

He smiled at her. "They do not approve of you," he said. "Nor our son."

"Because I'm human?" she said.

He nodded. "My father had similar troubles."

She smiled sadly to herself. "I'm sorry to be such a burden on my lord."

"Nonsense," he said. "It was my choice that made things as they are now. This is no more your fault, than it is Daichi's."

"But if I wasn't human," she argued.

"Then you would not be who you are." He squeezed her hand. "I am greatly attached to who you are."

She squeezed his hand in return. "My lord is cold . . . Are you not well? Are you injured? Are you in pain?"

"I feel very little," he said.

"Little pain?" she asked.

"Little of anything," he said.

She forced a smile as if he'd made a joke. "Can my lord not heal himself? Why does he not use Tenseiga?"

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "Your lord is weak," he said. "He can barely move, let alone wield Tenseiga."

"InuYasha, then," she said. "Surely, he can wield the sword. Surely, he will heal my lord."

"No!" His grip on her hand tightened. "I will not have him see me looking like this."

"But he's your brother," she insisted. "I know you have your differences, my lord, but if he knew you needed his help--"

"I need no help from him."

"But--"

"I will have none of it!"

Angry tears welled up in her eyes. "Well, I will not have you die!" she screamed. "You will not leave me to raise this child by myself."

He laughed, as if amused.

"My pain gives you pleasure, my lord?"

He shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "I did not take after my mother in that respect."

She blinked back her tears, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Jakken keeps nothing from me," he said. "So I know of your 'curiosity.'"

Rin blushed. "I am ashamed my lord has found me out."

"There is no shame," he said. "You were curious, so you asked. You didn't feel you could ask me, so you asked Jakken."

She laughed to herself. "You are, indeed, too clever for me, my lord."

"I will not die," he said. "You've seen me as thus before. Did I die, then?"

"No," she shook her head.

"And why was that?" he asked.

She smiled at the memory. "I looked after you," she said.

"You cared for me," he said. "I never felt anyone cared for me before."

"Now, who's talking nonsense?" she asked. "You had your father, and then Jakken and then..." She drew a blank. Wasn't there anybody else? There had to have been somebody else.

"My father preferred InuYasha," he said. "I think he saw too much of my mother in me. And Jakken is a stooge," he said. "A faithful stooge, but a stooge nonetheless. He serves me to repay a life debt . . . As Dokumi now serves me."

She raised an eyebrow. "You saved her life?"

"No," he said. "Kokushu's, her father. During the second war with China. He was carelessly tending to one of his patients on the field when one of the Hyenkouzoku attacked him. I killed it, saving him, and now he owed me."

"And he repaid you with Dokumi?" she asked.

"Dokumi is his youngest daughter," he said. "She's an excellent healer and an expert midwife. Given the choice between the father or the daughter, I chose the daughter for your sake. . . Do you still get on well together?"

Rin sighed. "I like her well enough," she said. "She's done me no real harm, and Daichi is quite attached to her."

Her lord fell quiet.

She reached out to him. "What is it, my lord? Are you in pain? I'll get Dokumi. I'll--"

He grabbed her hand and held it in place as she attempted to leave.

"What is it, my lord? Why do you keep me from my duty?"

He looked up at her, his gaze steady, even, piercing. "I do not want her," he said.

"She can help . . . If you won't let me get your brother--"

"Then you'll get my mistress?"

She felt her knees give out. "What?"

"I feel no need to repeat myself."

She pulled her hand free and paced before the bed. "You? And that woman? Under this roof? Dokumi?"

"She was necessary," he said.

"Necessary? SHE was necessary? What am I?" she asked. "What am I to you if SHE is necessary?"

"You are my mate," he said. "Mother to the heir."

"Then why is she here?" she demanded. "If we're still mated, why is she necessary? If you're 'attached' to me, why is she necessary? If I can now perform my wifely duties, why is she necessary?"

He was unfazed. "I do not wish you to die," he said. "I do not wish you to suffer."

She scoffed. "What nonsense is this? I am cheated upon. I am betrayed. And you answer me with riddles . . . How could you bring that woman into my home, knowing what you were going to do with her?"

"What I cannot do with you, I may do with her. When you arouse my desires, I visit them upon her."

"What the hell are you talking about! 'Visiting' your desires on her? You make me sick!" she screamed.

"You are sick," he said. "The woman said you have a blood ailment."

"Woman? What woman? Is this ANOTHER mistress of my lord?"

"InuYasha's woman. The miko. She said if you had another child, you would bleed to death."

She waved him away. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Your blood is slow to clot," he said. "You nearly bled to death with Daichi. Your blood is still soaked into this room."

She shook her head. "Stop trying to confuse me. Stop putting these thoughts in my head." She clenched her hands into fists. "You're just like her, aren't you? You and Dokumi working together to drive me crazy . . . The gods only know what she's been feeding me! And," a thought occurred, "oh my god, what's she been feeding to my baby?"

Sesshomaru remained calm. "I would not let her harm you or the child."

"You're a liar and a cheater, and I hate you!"

"I speak the truth," he said. "Your body has healed, but your blood is still weak. I will not risk your life because I cannot control my desires."

Rin cackled. "You mock me . . . You haven't controlled ANYTHING. You've been FUCKING her the entire time she's been here, haven't you?"

He turned from her.

"Haven't you!" she repeated.

"I will not have you speak to me in such a tone."

Her knees finally gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

"Why do you weep?"

She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. "I know not what else to do. You used me and humiliated me. And you're . . . you're just like she said."

They were quiet for a moment.

"I do not like to see you in such a state," he said.

She continued to cry.

"The Lady of the Western Lands does NOT weep."

She glanced up at him, her lower lip trembling. "I am not the Lady of the Western Lands. I am your Rin, and her heart is broken."

He appeared unmoved. "You ARE the Lady of the Western Lands."

"That is a title!" she shouted. "I am a person . . . Do you not understand what you've done to me? Can you not see the pain in my eyes? The hurt on my face? Do you feel nothing when you see my tears?"

He turned away from her. "I feel."

"You feel what?" she asked.

"I do not like to feel," he said. "I wish you would leave me."

"Guilt?" she tilted her head to the side. "Is that what you're feeling?"

He didn't meet her gaze.

"My lord?"

"I feel responsible," he said.

An involuntary smile sprang to her face.

He glanced down at her. "Why do you smile?"

Her smile grew. "Because my lord has proven me wrong, and I am happy."

"But you still weep . . ."

She laughed, good-naturedly. "Humans are strange creatures, my lord. Sometimes they laugh when they are sad, and they cry when they are happy."

His gaze softened. "I would not see you sad."

She wiped the tears from her face. "Will you look away from me, then?"

A seemingly sad smile crossed his lips. "No," he said. "I will never turn from you again. I do not wish to displease my lady and see her sad."

She pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the bedside. He continued to stare at her with that same sad smile. "Is what you said true?" she asked. "Am I really sick?"

"You are," he said.

"I can't have any more children?" she asked. "Is that what Kagome said?"

He lowered his eyes. "She said that you shouldn't, not that you couldn't. There would be a great risk to your health if you did."

"I have weak blood?" she asked.

"It does not clot well, she said. You could bleed to death . . . As you nearly did with Daichi. I would not put you through that again."

"But Tenseiga, my lord . . ."

"I will not risk your life because I cannot control my desires."

"Would you not revive me?" she asked.

"It is an unfair thing to ask of you. To die over and over again to bring new life into this world . . . I could not do that to you."

"But you said you only wanted one son. You said he was all that was necessary. Siblings were unwanted and undesirable . . . If what you say now is true, why did you say this before?"

He looked up at her. "I would rather my lady think the fault lies with her lord and not with herself . . . I would not see her disappointed."

She could understand his point of view, but she was still quite angry--quite hurt and disgusted. "And why didn't Kagome tell me this?" she asked.

"I did not ask. I simply did as she suggested."

She laughed to herself. "Did she also suggest that you sleep with our nursemaid?"

He shook his head. "No. The blame is to be placed entirely on my head. I made poor decisions, and I did not think how they would affect the people around me. But I did what I thought was best at the time, and you may hate me for it if you like . . ."

She took a seat by his side, eyeing him closely. "My lord still keeps something from me," she said. "I ask that he tell me what it is."

He met her gaze. "You may hate me if you like . . . But I ask that you not take it out on the boy," he said. "He is innocent, and there is still much he does not understand."

She smiled to herself. "I do not hate you, my lord . . . I have a bad temper, and I'm still quite angry with you . . . but I do not hate you. And Daichi is more precious to me than life," she said. "I would sooner die than raise a hand against him."

Sesshomaru nodded. "It was foolish of me to think you would do otherwise."

Rin shrugged.

"I would also ask that you forgive Dokumi."

She stood and laughed out loud. "And why should I do that?"

"I owe her."

"Owe her," she scoffed. "What do you owe her?"

"She is my responsibility," he said. "Her father gave her into my care."

"Then say 'Thank you. Your daughter was most amiable and quite a help in our household. But, as my wife is fully recovered, we no longer have need of her services. So, I return her to you with my compliments, and I consider your life debt paid in full.'"

"I cannot," he said.

"'Cannot?' You mean you WILL not."

"I cannot," he repeated. "I refused her once before. To do so again would be the ultimate insult and would doubtless spark a war with the bog demons. Not to mention, they have been friends of the family for many centuries, and I would not jeopardize that relationship. Especially in this climate."

She laughed dryly. "What do you mean 'refused her once before?' If I may trust what SHE says, you've only met once before, and that was when you were still children."

"That was the only time we met," he said. "But our fathers still arranged for us to be mated to each other."