InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Fur and Azure Feathers ❯ A False Engagement ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: Senkura

A False Engagement

Fourteen years later…

Sesshomaru was once again walking the halls of Lord Takemaru's palace alongside his father. His last visit here had been to discuss the problem of Ryukotsusei, and now that he had he been subdued, for the time being, they were here to talk over a treaty and the trade between his father's territory and Lord Takemaru's.

The negotiations would be amicable, as they usually were. Lord Inutaisho and Lord Takemaru had known each other for over a millennium, and had fought alongside each other dozens of times. They were neighbours, friends and allies. Sesshomaru himself got along quite well with Tataru-Seda, Takemaru's only son.

His daughter Kyoko had flirted with him a few times, though not seriously. She was betrothed and quite in love with her future mate. As for Ayame-Naru, he had met her but once fourteen years ago, when she was a little girl. He supposed she must be a fully grown female now.

“How are your young, Takemaru-san?” Inutaisho asked, his ear twitching as he heard Kyoko's distant laughter.

“Well, Tataru-kun and his mate Yuiri-Mei are expecting their first child, so I'm soon to be a grandfather it seems.” Takemaru grinned, not looking anything like a grandfather. “Kyoko-chan is courting her future mate. I expect they will be mated soon. She chose him almost ten years ago.”

Takemaru paused to speak to a servant about bringing tea to his study for the three men. Kyoko herself appeared from around the corner. She wore her black hair in an elaborate style, and fine orange silk kimono, embroidered with cranes. Despite the richness of her clothing, her face was freshly pretty, with soft, gentle features and bright green eyes, like spring leaves. Her facial markings were different from her father's. She had black stripes on each eyelid and three black dots above her right brow.

She smiled warmly upon seeing the taiyoukai. “Inutaisho-sama! Sesshomaru-sama!” She bowed politely to each of them. “Such a pleasure to see you again!” She turned briefly to her father. “Uh…Father…that envoy from Ryukotsusei is here again. About Ayame-Naru-chan.”

To Sesshomaru's surprise, Takemaru growled in anger. Kyoko blinked and raised an eyebrow. “My feelings precisely, Father.”

Inutaisho frowned. “Takemaru-san? What's this about Ryukotsusei?” Takemaru glanced at the dog demon. His face was tight with anger and outrage.

“I'll tell you about it in my study, my friend.” He turned to his daughter. “Kyoko, have the envoy removed. And let him know that if he or any other of Ryukotsusei's underlings show up here they will be disposed of.”

“Yes, Father.” Kyoko bowed to her father, and then the two inuyoukai, and set off quickly down the corridor.

***

Inutaisho shifted on the tatami mat. He glanced at his tenshi friend, who stood at the window, tension written on the lines of his body. Takemaru's knuckles were white from gripping the windowsill.

“Come, my friend. Tell me what is troubling you.” Inutaisho spoke soothingly. Takemaru straightened, his face still dark with anger just as the servant opened the door and brought in the tea.

Sensing the tension in the room, the servant set the tray on the floor, bowed low and left without a word. The tenshi lord sat heavily on the floor in front of the two youkai and gestured that they should take a cup of tea.

He reached for one and took a sip. He stared into it for several long minutes before he looked up at the two inuyoukai. “Ryukotsusei is demanding I send Ayame-Naru to him as a replacement for the mate he lost in battle. He would not even mate her. He wants her for a concubine!” Takemaru slammed his cup onto the tray. “He wants to make my child a slave for his depravities!” He snarled.

Inutaisho was speechless. To make such a demand…! A precious tenshi child to have as a concubine, when the tenshi were renowned as holy creatures of great power…and when they were so few in number; to demand the youngest, only unmated female was unthinkable. Were it any youkai child that were being demanded, the one asking for it would annihilated for their impudence. To demand a tenshi child was repulsive!

“Why is he so intent on your daughter? She has just reached womanhood, and she is not even a youkai! Why would he demand her as a replacement when he could easily find another of his kind?” Sesshomaru asked.

Takemaru glanced at the young taiyoukai. “Ryukotsusei caught a glimpse of my daughter when she was eighteen. She is by far the most beautiful of the tenshi, and she is precious to all of us as our youngest and only unmated female. He sees her as a prize. He knows that to take her from us would be an insult and an injury. His motives are revenge and lust.”

Inutaisho regarded his friend gravely. “Does the girl know about this?”

Takemaru nodded wearily, “Hai, she is too wise for me not to have told her. She is obeying the orders that she is not to leave the palace and she does not reveal it to me, but I know she is worried about her fate.”

Inutaisho leaned towards his friend. “We will not allow for her to taken, Takemaru-san.” He placed a hand on his ally's shoulder. “My son and I shall offer what protection for the girl we can.”

“My thanks, Inutaisho-san. Sesshomaru-kun.” The tenshi lord ran a hand down the side of his face and picked up his discarded cup of tea. “What I hope is that soon a suitable male will appear. There are three pairs of tenshi mates that are not blood relations, but none of them seem have any children as of yet. If one of them were to have a son, I could conceivably say that Ayame-Naru was betrothed to him, even if it were but a falsehood.” He took a sip of his tea. “The child does not want a mate as of yet, but the appearance of an engagement would give her a measure of safety.”

He glanced at Inutaisho. “I wish to Kami-sama that she could be left alone. The child merely wants to read the library scrolls, tend the garden, play her flute, spar with her brother, bicker with her sister…She should not be the focus of plots and dirty scheming. She's barely a woman.”

Inutaisho nodded. “Are there not any male tenshi that would be suitable?”

“Not a one. There are seven female tenshi and six males. Myself and my mate are the first. Then my son and Yuiri-Mei, Kyoko and her betrothed, then three other mated pairs. Ayame-Naru is the only unmated tenshi.”

Sesshomaru unexpectedly spoke up. “Then concoct a false engagement to a youkai.” The two lords turned to look at him. Sesshomaru shrugged. “It is the only logical solution. There are no tenshi, and a youkai is better than a human, especially since your daughter is immortal, Takemaru-sama. It is more believable.”

“You, my son, make me proud.” Inutaisho grinned at his son. He looked at Takemaru, whose face was abstracted with thought. “It's a worthy solution, Takemaru-san. Would the child be amenable to such a plan?”

“Hn. You'd have to ask her that yourself. Excuse me.” The tenshi lord rose to his feet and stepped outside to speak to a passing servant. The inuyoukai could hear his command. “Find Ayame-Naru, and tell her I require her presence in my study. Hurry. Go.”

Returning, he settled himself back onto the tatami mats. The three men sat in the quiet for a few minutes. Lord Takemaru never lost his pensive, abstracted expression and the two inuyoukai sat, all too aware of the tenshi's disquiet.

There was eventually a gentle tap at the door. Takemaru blinked and looked towards it just as a female voice called from the other side. “Father?” The voice was like velvet.

“Come in, my dear.” Takemaru sighed.

The shoji door slid open. Inutaisho and Sesshomaru blinked as one. Before them stood a young woman, with the appearance of being seventeen years old, (though she was in fact twenty). Let's start the description with her figure. She was slim; with a gentle, girlish figure, wrapped in a deep blue silk kimono, embroidered with white fireflies and moths, that parted at the bottom to show white trousers, cross-tied with silver cord. The end of the kimono trailed out a little. Her under-kimono was made of black silk. Her obi was charcoal grey and printed with silver blossoms. In addition she had a length of white silk wrapped around her hips. She wore blue tabi. To her face, now, yes? The beautiful child's face they had seen the last time had evolved into that of a woman, with fine features, light skin and deep, intelligent eyes. Her mouth was full, soft; looked like it was made for smiling. Her hair was as black as ever, falling loose to her knees in shining streams.

From her back emerged her folded white and blue wings, almost as large as her father's. She was, quite literally; ridiculously beautiful. Little of this mattered however, when she frowned and glanced at her father, whose face was still taut with worry.

“Father, are you alright?” she glanced briefly at the inuyoukai and moved to her father, laying a hand on his shoulder. He nodded at her, so she turned towards the guests, bowing to them. Her hair brushed the floor.

“Inutaisho-sama, Sesshomaru-sama, it's a pleasure to see you again. It has been a long time.”

“The pleasure is ours, Lady Ayame-Naru.” Inutaisho bowed where he sat. Sesshomaru did likewise. No wonder Ryukotsusei is after the child, the older dog demon thought.

***

She knelt across from the two taiyoukai as her father recounted the entire tale. Ryukotsusei was demanding her as a concubine slave, in recompense for his lost mate. The thought made her shudder inwardly. She kept her face impassive the majority of the time, even as Inutaisho's face became harder with anger.

Also, she struggled to keep her gaze away from Sesshomaru. She had not remembered him being so handsome. Even though she had no desire for a mate, she could appreciate a fine-looking man when she saw one. Instead she directed her gaze between her father and the demon lord.

“And so, Ayame-chan, it has been suggested that, to provide you with some protection, we should construct a false engagement. Therefore, you will be rendered unavailable to Ryukotsusei. You will be under no obligation to mate, mind. You are still so young.”

Ayame-Naru looked at her father for several moments, taking in his handsome features, so much like her brother's. “Yes, it is a clever plan. However, the question remains; a false betrothal to whom?”

Takemaru frowned. “I know not whom.” They looked at each other in silent consideration.

Inutaisho cleared his throat. “Excuse us, we will be back momentarily.” He rose, and gestured for his son to follow him out of the room.

***

Lord Takemaru looked at his youngest daughter. So young, so innocent, so wise, so beautiful. It was little wonder that Ryukotsusei wished to claim her as a prize. He was seized by a violent rush of affection and concern for her.

Mutely, the tenshi lord held out an arm to his child. She moved closer and allowed him to embrace her. To him, she was still a little girl, smiling, with silver bells in her hair and flowers tucked inside her obi.

“Don't worry too much, Father. I am not weak enough to be taken by Ryukotsusei. I have power, as do you. Also, this artificial engagement will throw Ryukotsusei. He cannot claim an engaged female.”

***

Takemaru released his daughter and she knelt back in her previous place as the two silver-haired inuyoukai entered the room. She couldn't help but notice a look of slight irritation playing across the younger taiyoukai's usually impassive face. The young tenshi began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, especially when he didn't even glance at her.

“Takemaru-san, Ayame-Naru-san, my son and I have come to a decision; one that I believe will resolve this problem altogether. Ayame-Naru is in need of a protection, and this fake engagement is the surest solution we have come to. Due to the lack of suitable tenshi we have settled that you should be betrothed to a youkai until Ryukotsusei understands that he will never lay a claw on you.” He looked at Ayame-Naru as he addressed her. “The only question left is to whom to betroth you. Why not my son?”

Ayame-Naru's heart sank. No wonder the young taiyoukai looked so irritated. He obviously did not want to be betrothed to her, falsely or otherwise. She glanced at him through the veil of her hair and met his cold golden eyes for a moment before glancing back at his father, who continued.

“Sesshomaru is more than capable of protecting your daughter, Takemaru-san. And once the danger has passed, the engagement can easily be dissolved. Until then, they need merely continue the charade. They only need be civil to each other in public view. We can construe the engagement as a political move. We are, after all, allies. Who would not believe that our children are engaged to each other to compound our alliance?” Inutaisho sounded thoroughly satisfied with the plan.

Sesshomaru remained impassive and mute. Ayame-Naru winced internally. Certainly the handsome young taiyoukai already considered her a hindrance.

“You honour us with this assistance, Inutaisho-san. Sesshomaru-san, I thank you for your co-operation in protecting my child.” Takemaru looked at the blank-faced demon.

“I will fulfil my duty.” The dog demon's voice was as without emotion as his face.

“Daughter?” Takemaru looked at the young woman, as did Inutaisho.

She bowed low from her sitting place, her dark hair pooling on the floor. “I am honoured to have your protection.”

The next thirty minutes were spent by the two lords ironing out the details, before they finally turned onto their original business. Having not been dismissed, Ayame-Naru sat silently across from her “fiancé”, who kept his attention on the business at hand. She did not raise her eyes to his face once, knowing full well that he must resent her for the charade he would be forced to participate in.

When their business was concluded, Lord Takemaru invited Lord Inutaisho and his son to remain at his residence for a few days, as his honoured guests. Inutaisho accepted on both of their behalves. As the two lords made their way down to dinner, Ayame-Naru stopped in front of Sesshomaru.

He looked at her coolly. She bowed low at the waist, and spoke. “I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you, Sesshomaru-sama. I swear I shall not be a bother to you.” Having spoken, she straightened and followed her father, completely missing the puzzled expression on the young demon's face.