InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Embracing Ice ❯ Lord Sesshoumaru ( Chapter 3 )

EDITED: 7/11/05

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Embracing Ice

Chapter Three: Lord Sesshoumaru

Written By: Yabou

Edited By: FireAngel8723

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“Your son?” Kagome’s eyes widened drastically.

Lady Bishou gave a curt nod. “He is. And, that brings me to a question. How do you know him? I do not believe your previous excuses. You spoke with familiarity. Do not lie to me.” Her voice tilted to a dangerously low level. “I will know, and I do not take well to deceit.”

Kagome floundered for an explanation. ‘Think, Kagome, think! You can’t tell this youkai the truth! What am I going to do?! Oh, Kami! What have I gotten myself into this time?’

She gaped for an answer for several more minutes before a deep baritone voice shocked her into a whole new stage of oblivion. “Mother?”

Lady Bishou slackened her growl. “Yes, Sesshoumaru?”

He appeared at the end of the breezeway, and Kagome found herself gasping for air. His body seemed to glow with the after effects of residual sweat, and his hair gleamed in the early afternoon’s sunlight. “Is something wrong? I sensed your discomfort.”

Kagome rolled her eyes at the way he still seemed to be able to ignore her, or any one else he deemed unimportant.

“Just a slight misunderstanding, Darling. I am glad that you have come. I would like to introduce you to Lady Kagome.” The older woman waved an elegant hand toward Kagome.

The young miko frowned at the honorable term.

Sesshoumaru gave her a slight bow. “It is an honor to meet you, Lady Kagome.”

Kagome started to choke on her own air flow. Never, in all of her eighteen years had she imagined the Lord Sesshoumaru acknowledging her as a Lady…hell, she couldn’t even see him calling her anything.

“T-The pleasure is mine, Lord Sesshoumaru.” She returned his bow with a slightly deeper one of her own.

“Hm.” He gave her a thoughtful look.

She could’ve died on the spot at his show of emotion, the careful way he grasped his chin between his forefinger and thumb while his other arm supported his elbow. ‘That’s right. He still has two arms.’ She thought offhandedly.

“Have I seen you somewhere before?”

She blushed. “I don’t think so.”

He gave a small smirk. She felt her heart double its speed. “Are you sure?”

She pushed away the overwhelming urge to fan herself. “Quite.”

Lady Bishou watched the exchange with an observant eye. The young human claimed never having known her son, but she couldn’t help noticing the odd reactions she had. She was hiding something. She smiled to herself. She was nothing, if not cunning and devious.

It was one of the things that her husband loved the most about her.

“Mother, do you wish to visit Nara today?” She smiled at the thoughtfulness of her son. He knew how she felt, being trapped within the boundaries of their political home. It was unsafe for her to travel outside without the assistance and protection of her family as of late.

“Yes, I believe that would be enjoyable.” She turned to the secretive young woman. “Do you wish to attend, also?”

Kagome gave her the most beautiful smile she could muster. “I would absolutely love to. Does that mean we’re going outside?”

Lady Bishou laughed at her innocent antics. “Of course. Let us be on our way then. We must return home before the evening meal. Lord Konton will appear with us tonight.”

Kagome couldn’t help but laugh when the Lady did so freely. It was such a pure and joyous sound that rang as clear as a bell throughout the garden.

Sesshoumaru led the way out of the gate and toward the main house. A servant quickly appeared at his side holding his haori. He gavea slight nod of thanks and scooped up the abundant material.

Kagome watched his reactions in awe. He had made a small chuckle when his mother laughed, and even now he seemed to be looking at the world through optimistic eyes. It wasn’t the Sesshoumaru she had seen at all.

‘What happened that made him so cold? Where did this Sesshoumaru go?’ The thought of what violent occurrences it could have taken to force away his good nature caused her to shudder for his sake.

She already knew that his mother would die. ‘Is that what caused it? Did Lady Bishou die a tragic death? Did he never get revenge? What about his father? Was it his death? Was it the mating of his father to a human woman after his mother’s death? Was it Inuyasha’s birth?’

Kagome couldn’t help the sadness and pity that swept through her body. She had never before considered the great misfortune and heartbreak that Sesshoumaru might have encountered. She had thought that his cold and unforgiving nature was born of his aristocracy, but Lady Bishou and even this Sesshoumaru seemed to accept her even though she was a human.

That was another question that had plagued her since her awakening. Why didn’t they shun her because of her human nature? Lady Bishou had mentioned that Lord Konton was a gentle soul, but she hadn’t said that he was kind to her because of her species. She could have simply meant because of her injuries.

Oh, the agony of it all. How she wished for her great, big bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol at that moment. It was all too overwhelming.

“Lady Kagome?” Sesshoumaru questioned, snapping her out of her reverie.

“Yes?” She watched as he held out a pair of reigns to her.

“Do you know how to ride?”

She blushed. “No, not really. We don’t have many horses where I live.”

He frowned. “No beasts of burden? How do you manage to travel?”

“I’m not really able to travel that much at home.” She fidgeted for an answer, worrying on the edges of her sleeves. “I’ve had several conditions concerning my health.” She scowled once she realized that she had resorted to her demented grandfather’s excuses.

“Obviously.” He snorted.

“Hey,” she jerked the reigns out of his hands and dug one of her hands into her hip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He raised his eyebrows as if he thought it required no explanation, then in a slow voice he responded, “My father found you sleeping in the bottom of a well and carried your lifeless body around for two lunar cycles. I would think no other reasoning would be required.”

Kagome turned a violent shade of red. “Oh, that.”

Lady Bishou trotted her dark brown mare over to the bickering couple. “Is it safe that you ride, Lady Kagome?”

Kagome nodded and smiled. “I’m sure that I’ll be fine.”

Sesshoumaru gave a disbelieving snort. “Suit yourself.”

Kagome growled.

Lady Bishou let out a very bell-like laugh.

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They had only been riding a few minutes, but Kagome already felt like she was permanently detached from her backside. She, however, refused to complain because of the certainty with which Sesshoumaru had told her that she was riding incorrectly and would, therefore, be in pain.

So he was right, but she wasn’t going to let him know it. ‘Knowing him, he’d probably just gloat about it anyway, the bastard.’

As if on cue, Sesshoumaru let out a small sneeze and turned to look at her.

Her eyes widened in surprise. ‘Oops.’

A change of subject was definitely in order. “What do you do in Nara?”

“We youkai hold our meetings here over any dispute that involves more than two Lords. Most of them are quite petty though. They are usually a battle to gain more land. It is an ongoing struggle in our world.” Lady Bishou replied.

“I see. Your world and my own resemble each other quite closely.”

“What is the manner of this village, Can-sass?” She inquired.

Kagome struggled to cover her laughter. “I don’t come from Kansas;that was an expression. I actually come from a large village called Tokyo.”

“And, what purpose does it serve?”

Kagome thought of an acceptable answer. “Well, we have a government thatdoes many of the things that you were discussing, but they are also responsible for punishing wrong doers, unlike yours.”

“Your Lords do not properly take care of the delinquency in their own lands?” Sesshoumaru inquired.

“Well, yes and no.” Kagome was stunned that he would show an interest. She forced herself to remember that this was not the Sesshoumaru she knew. He had never hurt Inuyasha. “Our ‘Lords’ are responsible for gathering the offenders, but we have a larger and stronger central government that are in charge of dealing out their retribution.”

Sesshoumaru shook his head. “That is a waste of time. How can anyone be judged fairly if it is impartial?”

Kagome frowned at his reasoning. “What do you mean? It is the ability to be impartial that allows them to deal a fair punishment.”

“True, but how can anyone impartial understand the true evils of the misdeed?”

“Hmm.” She was unable to answer it. “I don’t know.”

He nodded. “Of course you do not.”

“Sesshoumaru!” Lady Bishou chastised. “That is enough. You will refrain from provoking my guests in the future.”

His eyes sparkled. “That I will.”

“I mean it, Sesshoumaru.” She growled.

He jerked his head back to the road ahead of them. “Of course, Mother.”

Lady Bishou sighed. “He is as incorrigible as his father sometimes.”

Kagome giggled at the thought. What would Lord Konton be like?

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