InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chou Shoki I: Learning from Yesterday ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 15 )

Surely experience might have told me, that all must love thee who behold thee.

-Lord Byron, “To a Woman”

 

 

CHAPTER 16

 

1204 A.D. ~LATE MARCH~

 

The past weeks had been spent tiding up the palace for the arrival of the guests. Word had traveled fast about the celebration's real intent: Sesshoumaru's mate. Most guests had already made the assumption that he would choose Lady Michiru; while others presumed he would surprise everyone with this appointed mate.

 

His father had been traveling up and down patrolling his lands and overseeing his trading deal, leaving Sesshoumaru to deal with the hassles of the feast. The Inu no Taishou was barely at the palace half a day at a time and had therefore to notice the fowl mood Sesshoumaru had been in the entire time.

 

He'd fallen asleep quickly upon returning home one evening. It was only a day and half until the feast. He stripped naked and soaked in his hot spring for nearly an hour, trying to remove the frustration from his bones.

 

After his bath he crawled into his futon, not particularly caring that it was still light outside, and would be for a good hour yet. He was angry, and he had every intention of falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, not to be awakened until the first streaks of dawn touched the morning.

 

But sometime in the night, his body had grown restless and hungry. And his treacherous mind had filled with the most awful of images. He watched it as if floating near the ceiling, and yet he felt everything - his body, naked, moving over a lithe female form; his hands stroking and squeezing warm flesh. The delectable tangle of arms and legs, the musky scent of two bodies in love - it had all been there, hot and vivid in his mind.

 

And then he shifted. Just the tiniest bit, perhaps to kiss the faceless female's ear. Except as he moved to the side, she was no longer so anonymous. First appeared a thick lock of light brown hair, softly flowing and tickling at his shoulder; then he moved even farther...

 

And he saw her (well not exactly since he had yet to see her face).

 

The mysterious miko. He just knew it was her!

 

He awakened in an instant, sitting bolt upright in his futon and shaking from the horror of it. It had been the most vivid erotic dream he'd ever experienced. And his worst nightmare.

 

He felt frantically around the sheets with one of his claws, terrified that he'd find the proof of his passion. Kami help him if he'd actually ejaculated while dreaming of quite the most awful woman of his acquaintance. Thankfully, his sheets were clean, and so, with beating heart and heavy breath, he laid back against his pillow, his movements slow and careful, as if that would somehow prevent a recurrence of the dream.

 

Sesshoumaru stared at the ceiling for hours, first conjugating verbs in the inu language, then counting to a thousand, all in an attempt to keep his brain on anything but the mysterious miko or Minamoto Kagome.

 

`Wait! Why the hell did he think of the other miko?!”

 

Hours later...

 

And amazingly, he'd exorcised both miko's images from his brain and fallen asleep.

 

But now, the psycho-hunter was back. Here. In his home. It was a terrifying thought.

 

The sound of music drifted under his door, discordant and jumbled, no doubt the warm up of the musicians his servants had hired. Sesshoumaru stood and straightened his shoulders, aware that he probably looked as if he were girding himself for battle. Hell, that's how he felt. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd be able to avoid Kagome entirely. He couldn't imagine that she would go out of her way to engage him in conversation. She had made it abundantly clear that she held him in just as much esteem as he did her. Ujio told him he'd overheard the hime talking to some servant about the disgust he felt for him, even though she hadn't met him.

 

Yes, that's exactly what he would do. Avoid her. How difficult could that be?

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Lana had made it perfectly clear that we would go to the function the Daiyoukai had asked me to attend. There was no way that she would pass the opportunity to thank the Inu no Taishou for his care while I was with him. Frankly, this puzzled me for I certainly never thought she would ever thank a demon for anything. However, after spending an entire day arguing with her, she made me cave in.

 

I also knew that the reason she wanted to attend was to probably beat the crap out of the blessed prince. I made the mistake of telling her of our little interlude in the hot springs. Lana had almost fallen off her horse when she realized that he'd most probably seen me naked. And had she not brought this up, I had not thought about it.

 

And so, the first day of that week I found myself packed and heading towards the western castle. I wore my usual chihaya and had decided to wear the same kind of clothing to the event, but Lana adamantly refused and had packed some kimono with the rest of my things. I had yet to see it. As for my father, Lana told him that we were going to visit the burial ground of my sensei. He hadn't objected on the condition that Hiroyaki accompany us. With no time to argue, we accepted and Lana was already devising a plan to leave him in some nearby village.

 

Without doubt, she did as she pleased. When we were getting close to the western lands, we stopped at a small inn to eat and Lana slipped some liquid into Hiro's soup. The poor guy was out with a stomach ache instantly. She told him we could not wait for him to recover if we wished to return quickly to the castle in a week's time. And so, we left him and continued.

 

Arriving early and thankfully before any other guests, I was escorted by Juro to a guest room. He was overjoyed that I had decided to come back.

 

“My chichi-ue leaves his apologies for not greeting you personally, but he had to tend to some business on the borders of his land. He did, however, leave orders to accommodate you and your guest. He also commanded that you not go down to the feast until he came for you.”

 

I nodded. “This is Lana.”

 

“It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Lana. I am Juro and will be your personal escort throughout your five-day stay here.” He curtly bowed.

 

“Nonsense! Do not address me like I'm some stuck up female! I am a servant. Just Lana will be fine!” Lana turned and began unpacking our clothes.

 

Juro chuckled and replied, “Very well, Lana.” He looked at me once more and spoke. “Lady Kagome - “

 

“Kagome.” I didn't answer at first. I couldn't believe I'd said that.

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“Just Kagome.” I watched from the corner of my eye as he stared at me from his stance outside the shoji.

 

“She must like you,” Lana whispered to him. “She never lets anyone address her without the title.” All Juro did was smile and turn to me once more.

 

“Will you need my assistance for anything else, Kagome?”

 

“No.” But before he reached the door I called him back. “Who will be attending this celebration?” I queried in a bored tone.

 

“I believe that the other two Daiyoukai and there families will be making an appearance. There will also be some lesser youkai and some inu family acquaintances. Oh, and that's right!” he put a hand to his head scratching it. “Prince Sesshoumaru will also be here. After all, what would tonight be without him?!” He bowed and exited.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Needless to say, I was pacing the room. The last rays of the sun were peaking through the window, announcing the beginning of the feast. I had watched as carriage by carriage arrived at the gate and families of youkai entered the castle. Some of them lifted their noses and took in the different smell. I was more than positive that they had caught my scent. Many of the youkai I recognized from the latest battle, whereas others were complete strangers.

 

I was an absolute nerve wreck. The fact that I was wearing a kimono for the first time after twelve years did not make things easier. Add to that, that I was also wearing my hair up in an intricate bun held with garnet combs and a light clear fruit gloss on my lips. Of course, I had argued incessantly with Lana about the latter, but she never listened to me when it came to these things. Sometimes I allowed her to have her way, if only to shut her up.

 

A light knock stopped me in my tracks.

 

“Enter.” The Inu no Taishou stepped in.

 

He wore a heavily brocaded, blood-colored hitatare that consisted of a kimono-like top and short trouser. The high, wide neck collar and wide sleeves outlined his strong form.

 

“Lady Kagome, may I be so bold as to say you look timeless.” He smiled from ear to ear.

 

I stilled, trying to hide my blush. “...”

 

Extending his arm towards me, “Shall we?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

I know! I know! You guys probably want to kill me right now. I shouldn't leave it here. It feels like a cliffy, doesn't it? Well, it sort-of, technically is. But you guys know that I don't do it to torture you! I do it to keep you coming back! Keep reviewing! Ja mata!