InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Devil May Care ❯ Defiance ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Ssinurn Solen 
"Do you want some of this?" he said casually as filled the glass with the amber colored liquid.
"You are insane if you think I will be a guinea pig for one of your concoctions."
"It's just whiskey. My own brew. When Monty is so upset, I tend to keep myself slightly intoxicated." He said as he took a few sips.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.06.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 441 | Status: Completed
"Do you want some of this?" he said casually as filled the glass with the amber colored liquid.
"You are insane if you think I will be a guinea pig for one of your concoctions."
"It's just whiskey. My own brew. When Monty is so upset, I tend to keep myself slightly intoxicated." He said as he took a few sips.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.06.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 441 | Status: Completed
Chapter 7: Defiance
Over the next couple of days, Kagome spent much time with Monty. Kagome wanted to learn all the nuances of espionage before she went out on this mission.
Inuyasha was furious. He went hunting in Sherwood with several of the servants to try and pacify his temper, to no avail. He worked in the gardens until the seasonal rains forced him to stay indoors. He polished antique weapons. He helped the servants repair and clean around the manor.
Inuyasha was finally able to corner Dhamendra in one of the catacombs. Inuyasha knew that perhaps talking to the older Hindi gentleman might help him quell his fears and anger.
"How can I help you, Your Grace?"
"Stop with the formalities, Dhamendra. My nerves can not take it right now."
"Very well, Inuyasha, what do you need. I am taking these herbs down to my laboratory. Timing is crucial."
"How are you able to calm my anger with only a look?"
"Ah, so you finally noticed. Come with me to my lab. I will explain it to you there."
Inuyasha was glad that Dhamendra knew his way around the winding tunnels. The dripping of water and the scent of mildew made Inuyasha sick to his stomach. Within a matter of minutes, Inuyasha would have been completely lost in the catacombs.
They came upon a group of well worn stone steps and ascended into a large oval shaped room. The room was well lit with lamps, candles and an occasional torch.
On various tables were bubbling glass pots connected to tubes. Dhamendra went over to where a tube was dripping liquid into the top of a small barrel. Dhamendra took a glass and held it under a tap at the bottom of a barrel near the one dripping the fluid.
"Do you want some of this?" he said casually as filled the glass with the amber colored liquid.
"You are insane if you think I will be a guinea pig for one of your concoctions."
"It's just whiskey. My own brew. When Monty is so upset, I tend to keep myself slightly intoxicated." He said as he took a few sips.
Inuyasha grabbed the glass from Dhamendra and took a large gulp. His eyes went wide as he took a deep breath to keep from coughing. "Good brew. My compliments."
"One does have to have an occupation on the side. His Majesty pays handsomely for my brews."
"I really needed a drink."
"I know, otherwise I would not have showed you where my laboratories are located. The only way to get to these rooms is through the catacombs. The rooms that comprise my lab are some of the only parts of Loxley Castle that are still intact. I suspect it is because they were once part of the dungeons."
Inuyasha sipped his whiskey a couple of times. The room they were in, which Dhamendra informed Inuyasha was just his distillery, was fascinating. Dhamendra had thought through every detail of its construction.
"It hasn't gone to your head already? I would have thought you could hold your drink much better, Inuyasha."
"No, I just find your distillery a marvelous piece of work."
"Thank you, but it is nothing compared to the rest of the laboratory. Come with me." Dhamendra said motioning Inuyasha towards a thick wooden door. "As for your question about my special look that calms you down, it is hypnotysm, of sorts. The Bramin Monks have used similar methods for hundreds of years. Of course, I could not use it on anyone else until I had first mastered it on myself."
The door led to a long, hall-like room. Along the walls were tables and shelves containing several of Dhamendra's experiments. Some of the experiments looked positively grotesque.
Dhamendra made his way to one of the tables. He crushed the herbs he had been carrying with a mortar and pestle. He took a spoon and carefully took some of the crushed herb and added it to a small, caldron. Dhamendra stirred the concoction with another spoon then carefully poured the contents into a glass beaker to allow it to cool.
"Perfect. Now come with me, Inuyasha. I translated a book that explains the methods of which I use to help keep things calm around here. It seems you need use of it. I have my hands full with Monty. I have no time to nursemaid your temperament as well." Dhamendra said as he opened the door at the end of the hallway that led to his personal study. He went to a bookcase and took a small leather-bound book from the shelves. He handed the book to Inuyasha. "I trust you to give this back when you are finished with it. I have yet to make another English copy of it."
"Of course. What did you mean by you having your hands full with Monty's temper?"
"If His Majesty had not ordered her to go on this mission, she would have preferred to let Sesshomaru rot. After all that man did to her, I can scarcely blame her."
"What do you mean? What did Sesshomaru do to her?"
"Something terrible and unforgivable. It is not my place to say what. It would make things more difficult if I were to say any more. Suffice it to say that it is her secret, and by revealing it, I would be forced to tell other secrets that neither you nor Monty have any reason to hear just yet. It is complicated."
"I should have known I would never get a straight answer out of you."
"It is my specialty. Do you want another drink? Your glass is empty."
"Yes."
"Good. I will show you where the other doors in this hallway lead. One is a secret escape route, one not even Monty knows about. It leads to my private stables. Just be careful not to mistake that door for the one next to it, that is my autopsy room."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because Monty is wrong in involving your wife in her personal problems. Percy, Jeanne, and Johanna are already in place. Sigismundo is a master escape artist, as well as a master of disguise. Monty should be fine without involving you and Kagome. It makes no sense to me, so I am providing a way out. I suggest you not go to Waverly or Muirwood right off. She will suspect you have gone there first and go collect you."
"Dhamendra, if this mission upsets her that much, if it is that personal, don't you think it would be too dangerous for her to do this without more help."
"I have confidence in my sister. Besides, I suspect His Majesty is sending her on this mission as one of his cruel jokes. King George knows full well the problems between those two, and has kept tight lipped as everyone else about the matter. His Majesty is bored from the old gossip and wants something new to fill his wanting ears."
"I see. He reminds me of my stepmother."
"Well, your stepmother was his second cousin. She must have possessed the madness as well."
"I will think about your proposal, Dhamendra. Now help me to navigate the catacombs back, more slowly this time. I want to be able to find my way without delays."
"Of course, this way."
Inuyasha paced back and forth as he watched Kagome sleeping. He was torn. He did not want to have his wife harmed in any way, yet he knew that Monty needed her help.
"What are the terrible secrets that Dhamendra refuses to tell me?" he wondered to himself, "Secrets that put Monty in terrible danger."
"I am awake, Love. Please quit pacing about and come to bed. I know this mission disturbs you, but Monty is preparing me well."
"I still do not think it is a good idea for you to go."
"Monty needs me. She needs me to help her keep her emotions from getting the best of her. If I do not go, she will kill Sesshomaru. The King will see that as treason and have her executed. You do not want that, do you?"
"If it will end her apparent misery, it may be for the best. I like Rin, but she is strong enough to get along without Sess. Monty's sanity is slipping. Better that she be dead than in bedlam."
"There is no way for you to understand, until you get the truth from her. I know a little of it. She told me some of the problem so I would be prepared to handle her in case she overreacts."
"What do you know? Please tell me, Kagome."
"I can't. I promised Monty that I would not tell you. Trust me, Love, there is a good reason why she has not told you yet."
"That is not an excuse." Inuyasha said as he pulled on a robe and stormed out.
"Monty, open this door!" Inuyasha roared as he pounded on Monty's bedchamber door. "I know you are awake, so quit avoiding me!"
"Not now, Inuyasha. I am in no mood to talk to anyone."
"Hell with that! You are going to open this door and talk to me! Now! If you don't, Kagome and I will be gone tomorrow! Do you hear me Monty? I want answers and I want them now!"
Inuyasha heard as Monty slowly undid the latches to her chamber door. She stood there a moment and wiped her eyes.
"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Monty sighed, turned her back to him and waved her hand to indicate he could enter. She sat on her bed and indicated an overstuffed chair where Inuyasha could sit. "What do you want?"
"The truth. Why do you insist on taking Kagome with you?"
"I need her help. You are a man. You would never be able to understand what this is doing to me."
"Try me."
Monty sighed, stood and went over to her music box. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." she said as she opened it and turned the crank to make it play. She turned and slowly made her way back to the bed.
Inuyasha kept his eyes on Monty. He thought that Monty was using the music to calm her nerves. He did not look at the music box as Monty stared into his eyes. "Scarlatti Sonata in D, good choice for calming the nerves."
"Well, look. That is what started it. He gave that to me nearly twelve years ago." Monty said as she pointed to the dancing figures in the music box.
Inuyasha gasped ad stood as he looked at the representations of Sesshomaru and Monty dancing around the miniature ballroom. He stood and went to take a closer look. "That bastard."
"No, Inuyasha. I am certain at that time he really did love me. It was your stepmother that messed everything up. She was still upset over your father's affair with your mother. She was also upset that the former lover of hers she hired to kill you did not succeed. This was just icing on the cake to her anger."
"Tell me, all of it."
"I met your brother in Paris. My father had a box for us at the opera house. Unlike most of the patrons there, I was more interested in actually listening to the music rather than looking around the boxes to see what everyone was wearing. The Duke of Durham, his son, Cornelius, Dhamendra and my father started snickering at me as I leaned forward over the edge of the box. I turned to reprimand the three men when Cornelius pointed to the box directly across from ours. In that box, there were a group of young men engaging in what looked like a game of cards. One of the men, however, was ignoring the rest. He stood there, gripping the edge of the box. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open in shock. I looked at him and started to giggle. He looked hilarious. One of the other men in the box tugged at him and forced him to sit down. The sight of him was already causing a commotion among the various boxes. My father's outlandish pirate costume was causing a stir all on its own and I believed that is what the silver haired young man was gaping at. "
"Sesshomaru looked shocked? That is not like him."
"Yes, he looked shocked. Sesshomaru was only nineteen. We attended a masque directly after the symphony performance. I was dressed as a fairy princess. A young man dressed as a white unicorn came to me and kissed my hand. He asked my father's permission to dance with me. He danced wonderfully. Three quarters of the way through the dance, he pulled me off to the side and out into the gardens. I was frightened at first. He sat me on a bench, bent to one knee and took off his mask. His face was so red when he blurted out, 'I Love You' that I giggled uncontrollably. 'Please, cheerful angel, tell me your name so I may worship you in my dreams ' he said to me. It made me laugh even harder. I had never had anyone speak like that to me before and it just seemed funny coming from a complete stranger."
Inuyasha started to giggle as he tried to imagine his older brother on one knee, red faced, and spouting sonnets.
"He told me that the name Adeline was perfect for me because it meant cheerful. I am not sure how he did it, but he made sure his clothing matched every dress I wore to every ball we attended after that. He had brunch with us on Sundays. Over the next two months, he was nearly everywhere I was, except my bedchamber. He and Dhamendra became good friends. He returned with us to Barstow Manor when we returned from Paris. It was in the conservatory that he asked me to marry him."
"He What?" Inuyasha said as he sat back down and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"He gave me that music box as an engagement present. I had broken my arranged engagement to Cornelius already, and Sesshomaru was confident he could break his arranged betrothal easily. He was wrong. His mother was furious. She did not want her son marrying the 'daughter of a pirate,' especially if she was related to her husband's mistress. She forbade him to ever see me again. He snuck away from Muirwood and came here. He used the secret passages to stay here with me, in this room. The next day, with Cornelius' help, we eloped to Venice. Unfortunately, he was cared more for his mother and her wealth than he did for me. He left me in Venice, heartbroken and pregnant."
"He what!?" Inuyasha said standing from his chair. "He had no reason to not break his engagement, and marry you. You were carrying his child, for God's Sake!"
"He never knew I was pregnant. Very few people know that I ever was at all. By the time I found out, Sesshomaru had already wed his first wife. It was too late."
Inuyasha slumped down back into the chair. "What about your child?"
"He died when he was born. I nearly died as well. The difficulty of the birth is the reason I have not had to worry about conceiving during my exploits over the years. "
Inuyasha sat and looked at the floor. "You were right to have kept this from me. It really does make me want to kill him."
"Don't. It is not entirely your brother's fault in all of this. I should have told him about the child. I should have had a doctor checking on me regularly instead of hiding here through the pregnancy. I should have at least explained why I refused to talk to him when he came here after the death of his first wife. I need to talk to him. In order to do so, I have to save his life. I hate him as much as I still love him. I know it is hard for a man to understand, but it is how I feel."
"I suppose I should go to bed. I shouldn't let Kagome worry about me." Inuyasha said as he stood and left.
"Kagome, I have decided to let you go on this mission, on one condition, I am going with you." Inuyasha said as he stirred some sugar into his morning tea.
"But Monty doesn't want you along. You are supposed to back us up if anything goes wrong. "
"Let the Italian be the backup. Monty told me about her relationship with my brother. I need to make sure he keeps his hands off of her."
"What do you mean?"
"My stoic brother doesn't act emotionally unless he is very serious. If he was mad for Monty back then, there is a very good chance he is still mad for her. I don't want him making moves on her in a romantic fashion."
"That is a little harsh, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she spread some strawberries onto a piece of warm bread, "If Monty wants to be Sesshomaru's mistress, then let her. If it helps your brother's attitude out as well, so much the better. We will cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Alright, but I still want Celline as the backup."
"If you insist." Monty said as she stepped into the dining hall. "Sigismundo agrees with your decision, by the way. He talked with me about it last night before we retired."
"It is all set then."
"That it is, Kagome. That it is."
Over the next couple of days, Kagome spent much time with Monty. Kagome wanted to learn all the nuances of espionage before she went out on this mission.
Inuyasha was furious. He went hunting in Sherwood with several of the servants to try and pacify his temper, to no avail. He worked in the gardens until the seasonal rains forced him to stay indoors. He polished antique weapons. He helped the servants repair and clean around the manor.
Inuyasha was finally able to corner Dhamendra in one of the catacombs. Inuyasha knew that perhaps talking to the older Hindi gentleman might help him quell his fears and anger.
"How can I help you, Your Grace?"
"Stop with the formalities, Dhamendra. My nerves can not take it right now."
"Very well, Inuyasha, what do you need. I am taking these herbs down to my laboratory. Timing is crucial."
"How are you able to calm my anger with only a look?"
"Ah, so you finally noticed. Come with me to my lab. I will explain it to you there."
Inuyasha was glad that Dhamendra knew his way around the winding tunnels. The dripping of water and the scent of mildew made Inuyasha sick to his stomach. Within a matter of minutes, Inuyasha would have been completely lost in the catacombs.
They came upon a group of well worn stone steps and ascended into a large oval shaped room. The room was well lit with lamps, candles and an occasional torch.
On various tables were bubbling glass pots connected to tubes. Dhamendra went over to where a tube was dripping liquid into the top of a small barrel. Dhamendra took a glass and held it under a tap at the bottom of a barrel near the one dripping the fluid.
"Do you want some of this?" he said casually as filled the glass with the amber colored liquid.
"You are insane if you think I will be a guinea pig for one of your concoctions."
"It's just whiskey. My own brew. When Monty is so upset, I tend to keep myself slightly intoxicated." He said as he took a few sips.
Inuyasha grabbed the glass from Dhamendra and took a large gulp. His eyes went wide as he took a deep breath to keep from coughing. "Good brew. My compliments."
"One does have to have an occupation on the side. His Majesty pays handsomely for my brews."
"I really needed a drink."
"I know, otherwise I would not have showed you where my laboratories are located. The only way to get to these rooms is through the catacombs. The rooms that comprise my lab are some of the only parts of Loxley Castle that are still intact. I suspect it is because they were once part of the dungeons."
Inuyasha sipped his whiskey a couple of times. The room they were in, which Dhamendra informed Inuyasha was just his distillery, was fascinating. Dhamendra had thought through every detail of its construction.
"It hasn't gone to your head already? I would have thought you could hold your drink much better, Inuyasha."
"No, I just find your distillery a marvelous piece of work."
"Thank you, but it is nothing compared to the rest of the laboratory. Come with me." Dhamendra said motioning Inuyasha towards a thick wooden door. "As for your question about my special look that calms you down, it is hypnotysm, of sorts. The Bramin Monks have used similar methods for hundreds of years. Of course, I could not use it on anyone else until I had first mastered it on myself."
The door led to a long, hall-like room. Along the walls were tables and shelves containing several of Dhamendra's experiments. Some of the experiments looked positively grotesque.
Dhamendra made his way to one of the tables. He crushed the herbs he had been carrying with a mortar and pestle. He took a spoon and carefully took some of the crushed herb and added it to a small, caldron. Dhamendra stirred the concoction with another spoon then carefully poured the contents into a glass beaker to allow it to cool.
"Perfect. Now come with me, Inuyasha. I translated a book that explains the methods of which I use to help keep things calm around here. It seems you need use of it. I have my hands full with Monty. I have no time to nursemaid your temperament as well." Dhamendra said as he opened the door at the end of the hallway that led to his personal study. He went to a bookcase and took a small leather-bound book from the shelves. He handed the book to Inuyasha. "I trust you to give this back when you are finished with it. I have yet to make another English copy of it."
"Of course. What did you mean by you having your hands full with Monty's temper?"
"If His Majesty had not ordered her to go on this mission, she would have preferred to let Sesshomaru rot. After all that man did to her, I can scarcely blame her."
"What do you mean? What did Sesshomaru do to her?"
"Something terrible and unforgivable. It is not my place to say what. It would make things more difficult if I were to say any more. Suffice it to say that it is her secret, and by revealing it, I would be forced to tell other secrets that neither you nor Monty have any reason to hear just yet. It is complicated."
"I should have known I would never get a straight answer out of you."
"It is my specialty. Do you want another drink? Your glass is empty."
"Yes."
"Good. I will show you where the other doors in this hallway lead. One is a secret escape route, one not even Monty knows about. It leads to my private stables. Just be careful not to mistake that door for the one next to it, that is my autopsy room."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because Monty is wrong in involving your wife in her personal problems. Percy, Jeanne, and Johanna are already in place. Sigismundo is a master escape artist, as well as a master of disguise. Monty should be fine without involving you and Kagome. It makes no sense to me, so I am providing a way out. I suggest you not go to Waverly or Muirwood right off. She will suspect you have gone there first and go collect you."
"Dhamendra, if this mission upsets her that much, if it is that personal, don't you think it would be too dangerous for her to do this without more help."
"I have confidence in my sister. Besides, I suspect His Majesty is sending her on this mission as one of his cruel jokes. King George knows full well the problems between those two, and has kept tight lipped as everyone else about the matter. His Majesty is bored from the old gossip and wants something new to fill his wanting ears."
"I see. He reminds me of my stepmother."
"Well, your stepmother was his second cousin. She must have possessed the madness as well."
"I will think about your proposal, Dhamendra. Now help me to navigate the catacombs back, more slowly this time. I want to be able to find my way without delays."
"Of course, this way."
Inuyasha paced back and forth as he watched Kagome sleeping. He was torn. He did not want to have his wife harmed in any way, yet he knew that Monty needed her help.
"What are the terrible secrets that Dhamendra refuses to tell me?" he wondered to himself, "Secrets that put Monty in terrible danger."
"I am awake, Love. Please quit pacing about and come to bed. I know this mission disturbs you, but Monty is preparing me well."
"I still do not think it is a good idea for you to go."
"Monty needs me. She needs me to help her keep her emotions from getting the best of her. If I do not go, she will kill Sesshomaru. The King will see that as treason and have her executed. You do not want that, do you?"
"If it will end her apparent misery, it may be for the best. I like Rin, but she is strong enough to get along without Sess. Monty's sanity is slipping. Better that she be dead than in bedlam."
"There is no way for you to understand, until you get the truth from her. I know a little of it. She told me some of the problem so I would be prepared to handle her in case she overreacts."
"What do you know? Please tell me, Kagome."
"I can't. I promised Monty that I would not tell you. Trust me, Love, there is a good reason why she has not told you yet."
"That is not an excuse." Inuyasha said as he pulled on a robe and stormed out.
"Monty, open this door!" Inuyasha roared as he pounded on Monty's bedchamber door. "I know you are awake, so quit avoiding me!"
"Not now, Inuyasha. I am in no mood to talk to anyone."
"Hell with that! You are going to open this door and talk to me! Now! If you don't, Kagome and I will be gone tomorrow! Do you hear me Monty? I want answers and I want them now!"
Inuyasha heard as Monty slowly undid the latches to her chamber door. She stood there a moment and wiped her eyes.
"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Monty sighed, turned her back to him and waved her hand to indicate he could enter. She sat on her bed and indicated an overstuffed chair where Inuyasha could sit. "What do you want?"
"The truth. Why do you insist on taking Kagome with you?"
"I need her help. You are a man. You would never be able to understand what this is doing to me."
"Try me."
Monty sighed, stood and went over to her music box. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." she said as she opened it and turned the crank to make it play. She turned and slowly made her way back to the bed.
Inuyasha kept his eyes on Monty. He thought that Monty was using the music to calm her nerves. He did not look at the music box as Monty stared into his eyes. "Scarlatti Sonata in D, good choice for calming the nerves."
"Well, look. That is what started it. He gave that to me nearly twelve years ago." Monty said as she pointed to the dancing figures in the music box.
Inuyasha gasped ad stood as he looked at the representations of Sesshomaru and Monty dancing around the miniature ballroom. He stood and went to take a closer look. "That bastard."
"No, Inuyasha. I am certain at that time he really did love me. It was your stepmother that messed everything up. She was still upset over your father's affair with your mother. She was also upset that the former lover of hers she hired to kill you did not succeed. This was just icing on the cake to her anger."
"Tell me, all of it."
"I met your brother in Paris. My father had a box for us at the opera house. Unlike most of the patrons there, I was more interested in actually listening to the music rather than looking around the boxes to see what everyone was wearing. The Duke of Durham, his son, Cornelius, Dhamendra and my father started snickering at me as I leaned forward over the edge of the box. I turned to reprimand the three men when Cornelius pointed to the box directly across from ours. In that box, there were a group of young men engaging in what looked like a game of cards. One of the men, however, was ignoring the rest. He stood there, gripping the edge of the box. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open in shock. I looked at him and started to giggle. He looked hilarious. One of the other men in the box tugged at him and forced him to sit down. The sight of him was already causing a commotion among the various boxes. My father's outlandish pirate costume was causing a stir all on its own and I believed that is what the silver haired young man was gaping at. "
"Sesshomaru looked shocked? That is not like him."
"Yes, he looked shocked. Sesshomaru was only nineteen. We attended a masque directly after the symphony performance. I was dressed as a fairy princess. A young man dressed as a white unicorn came to me and kissed my hand. He asked my father's permission to dance with me. He danced wonderfully. Three quarters of the way through the dance, he pulled me off to the side and out into the gardens. I was frightened at first. He sat me on a bench, bent to one knee and took off his mask. His face was so red when he blurted out, 'I Love You' that I giggled uncontrollably. 'Please, cheerful angel, tell me your name so I may worship you in my dreams ' he said to me. It made me laugh even harder. I had never had anyone speak like that to me before and it just seemed funny coming from a complete stranger."
Inuyasha started to giggle as he tried to imagine his older brother on one knee, red faced, and spouting sonnets.
"He told me that the name Adeline was perfect for me because it meant cheerful. I am not sure how he did it, but he made sure his clothing matched every dress I wore to every ball we attended after that. He had brunch with us on Sundays. Over the next two months, he was nearly everywhere I was, except my bedchamber. He and Dhamendra became good friends. He returned with us to Barstow Manor when we returned from Paris. It was in the conservatory that he asked me to marry him."
"He What?" Inuyasha said as he sat back down and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"He gave me that music box as an engagement present. I had broken my arranged engagement to Cornelius already, and Sesshomaru was confident he could break his arranged betrothal easily. He was wrong. His mother was furious. She did not want her son marrying the 'daughter of a pirate,' especially if she was related to her husband's mistress. She forbade him to ever see me again. He snuck away from Muirwood and came here. He used the secret passages to stay here with me, in this room. The next day, with Cornelius' help, we eloped to Venice. Unfortunately, he was cared more for his mother and her wealth than he did for me. He left me in Venice, heartbroken and pregnant."
"He what!?" Inuyasha said standing from his chair. "He had no reason to not break his engagement, and marry you. You were carrying his child, for God's Sake!"
"He never knew I was pregnant. Very few people know that I ever was at all. By the time I found out, Sesshomaru had already wed his first wife. It was too late."
Inuyasha slumped down back into the chair. "What about your child?"
"He died when he was born. I nearly died as well. The difficulty of the birth is the reason I have not had to worry about conceiving during my exploits over the years. "
Inuyasha sat and looked at the floor. "You were right to have kept this from me. It really does make me want to kill him."
"Don't. It is not entirely your brother's fault in all of this. I should have told him about the child. I should have had a doctor checking on me regularly instead of hiding here through the pregnancy. I should have at least explained why I refused to talk to him when he came here after the death of his first wife. I need to talk to him. In order to do so, I have to save his life. I hate him as much as I still love him. I know it is hard for a man to understand, but it is how I feel."
"I suppose I should go to bed. I shouldn't let Kagome worry about me." Inuyasha said as he stood and left.
"Kagome, I have decided to let you go on this mission, on one condition, I am going with you." Inuyasha said as he stirred some sugar into his morning tea.
"But Monty doesn't want you along. You are supposed to back us up if anything goes wrong. "
"Let the Italian be the backup. Monty told me about her relationship with my brother. I need to make sure he keeps his hands off of her."
"What do you mean?"
"My stoic brother doesn't act emotionally unless he is very serious. If he was mad for Monty back then, there is a very good chance he is still mad for her. I don't want him making moves on her in a romantic fashion."
"That is a little harsh, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she spread some strawberries onto a piece of warm bread, "If Monty wants to be Sesshomaru's mistress, then let her. If it helps your brother's attitude out as well, so much the better. We will cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Alright, but I still want Celline as the backup."
"If you insist." Monty said as she stepped into the dining hall. "Sigismundo agrees with your decision, by the way. He talked with me about it last night before we retired."
"It is all set then."
"That it is, Kagome. That it is."