InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ Freedom Means Death ( Chapter 2 )

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Disclaimer: I don't own these marvelous characters; they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I merely torture them at will and put them in uncomfortable situations whenever possible.

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Chapter 2

Freedom Means Death

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Miroku groaned and rolled over in his bed, struggling to grab his watch from the nightstand. Almost midnight, he noticed, staring at the luminescent face of the expensive timepiece. His head was still throbbing, but at least his stomach had settled. As he lay on his back staring at the darkened ceiling, a thought touched a corner of his mind.

Shit. The proposal. He'd completely forgotten the damn thing was on such a tight deadline. Knowing Yura, the paperwork hadn't even been started. Ignoring the protests of his flu-weakened body, Miroku crawled from his warm bed and booted his computer.

Shivering from his fever, Miroku scanned his incoming email, searching for a sign that somebody, anybody, had worked on the proposal. The company needed this contract; too many of the bids had been awarded to their competitors lately. Without some new contracts, layoffs were only a matter of time. An email from Kagome to his personal account at the mansion popped up.

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To: OneHentai @ taishomansion.net

From: ShrineMaiden @ taishomansion.net

Miroku -

You are one lucky pervert, you know that? Proposal is signed, sealed and delivered, in spite of Inu-Yasha. How can you stand to work for that asshole? You owe me big-time, hentai.

Kagome

PS - Get well soon. Your work is piling up at the office.

PPS - Don't come down to breakfast in the morning if you're still contagious. Sango's back from Australia and she's pregnant. She doesn't need the flu; she's throwing up enough as it is.

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Sango's pregnant? He re-read the line, wondering if Kagome had typed it incorrectly. Deciding she hadn't, Miroku slumped further into the chair and pondered this new complication. I wonder how Taisho-sama feels about this. I know he's been trying to do some matchmaking; this is definitely going to throw a wrench into his plans. He thinks he's being sneaky, but I can read my master's every move.

Feeling too rotten to lay back down in bed, Miroku began to browse the internet. It was probably a huge waste of his time to continue to search for information about feudal slavery, but it wasn't like he was up to doing anything else at the moment.

An entry came up with the key words he submitted.

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Blood Bonding and Human Slavery

Other than the blood bond existing between a demon and the demon's chosen mate (see mating marks), another type of blood bond was used during the Feudal Era. This bond, referred to as a slave bite, existed for the sole purpose of binding a slave to a master for the duration of the master's lifespan.

During this period of history, slavery was practiced regularly by the noble houses. The slave bite itself, however, was more commonly placed upon a demon slave rather than a human. The inherent weakness in humans caused most of them to die when the slave mark was placed upon them.

The mark was made by biting inside the crook of the elbow and performing a bonding spell. This bound the slave to the master and resulted in the slave living as long as the master, no matter the original age of the slave. Upon the master's death the spell would overcome the slave, resulting in the death of the slave within a few days of the master.

Demon enslavement was outlawed by the Treaty of Edo, and human slavery became illegal shortly before the beginning of the last century (see Human/Demon Accords). Upon the passage of the Human Civil Rights Act, even those humans who had been enslaved prior to the new laws were required to be freed by their masters.

Freedom came with a price for the blood bonded slaves. As most slaves had been captured during the Feudal Era, this meant the slaves were several hundred years old. Without the bonding spell to keep them alive, the humans died upon removal of their blood bonds.

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So tell me something I don't know, Miroku sighed. Slavery means life, freedom means death. It's simple, really. He scratched absentmindedly at the mark on his arm. The bite, masked by a powerful magic in order to remain hidden from prying eyes, itched like crazy whenever he found himself on the receiving end of a cold or the flu.

Surrendering once again to the general feeling of awfulness, Miroku shut down the computer and climbed back under his covers. I suppose things could be worse, he decided reluctantly as sleep began to claim him. His master was not only kind to them; he allowed the slaves as much freedom as he could offer. It wasn't Taisho-sama's fault they were in this situation.

I need to find a demon wench to take me for a mate, Miroku mused. A mating mark is the only thing stronger than a slave-bite. Wait a minute; do I really want to be limited to having sex with just one female for the rest of my life? Freedom can't be that good.

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Sango hugged her pillow tightly and allowed her tears to cover the smooth white linen. His Brave One, that's what Taisho-sama always called her. What a joke; she was scared shitless.

Her hand smoothed over her rounding belly as she felt a flutter of movement. Kagome had assured her that everything would be all right, but Sango found that hard to believe. Sakura, Taisho's fiancée, would never agree to keep the slaves.

For the first time in over a hundred years, Sango actually felt the restraints of slavery. With Taisho-sama, it was easy to forget she was nothing more than property. Taisho-sama treated her more like a demon daughter than a human slave. He gave her whatever she desired and left her with room to grow and make mistakes.

Her mind wandered to memories of her other masters. The snake youkai who had enslaved her, her brother Kohaku, Miroku and Kaede had made their lives a living hell. If the Human Civil Rights Act had passed into law during that period of her life, Sango would cheerfully have chosen death. She had already attempted suicide twice during her service to the snake demon.

But then the snake demon had been destroyed by a young inu youkai from the western lands. The dog demon, in a gesture Sango had attributed at the time as simply a desire to keep the valuable slaves, had taken over the blood bonds and kept the slaves as his own. Sango and the other three had joined the household and thrived under their new master, a rather benevolent demon.

The years had passed in relative peace. Sango hadn't paid too much attention to the human race riots at the turn of the last century. She didn't often associate with humans other than the slaves in the household. What was the point, when you would outlive any human you came into contact with?

She should have paid closer attention, as Miroku had always told her. When the dust settled, the Human Civil Rights Act had been signed. Her master had to free them; he was required by the law to do so. And with freedom, Sango would die. After all, even though she appeared to be in her early twenties, she was over 400 years old. Humans were never meant to live so long.

Sango had refused the offer of freedom and its accompanying death. She simply wanted to live, and she didn't care that she continued to do so as a slave. The rest of the inu youkai's slaves had felt the same, and they had worn their master down with their pleas. The dog demon had allowed them to live on as blood-bonded slaves, in spite of the personal risk of discovery.

Her master's death had been greatly mourned, and not just by the slaves who faced their own death with his. Sango remembered Taisho-sama's eyes at the funeral. The great demon's eyes showed his grief at the loss of his favorite cousin, the youkai he had shared a childhood with. Wanting only to offer some small measure of comfort, Sango had approached him quietly and laid her hand upon his arm.

And somehow, Sango hadn't released Taisho-sama's arm that day. Instead, she had clutched the strong lifeline as she and the others accompanied him to this mansion. Along with instructions that they were to heed the resident slave Kagome at all costs, the slaves had been given a promise that day. Taisho-sama would take over their blood bonds and give them the same opportunities at life that his cousin had given them. He wouldn't free them to face death unless they asked him to do so.

And all of that could change in a heartbeat. Sakura would change it. The baby stirred inside of her again, and Sango's tears fell anew. She finally had a reason to live, a reason she'd never desired but would always hold dear.

Freedom means death; it was a horrible knowledge imprinted on her brain. Even worse was the knowledge that death would affect a life other than her own. Sango cried harder, feeling a sickness completely unrelated to her pregnancy.

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The young girl, an eleven year old human, stood in the darkened alleyway and wrapped her painfully thin arms around her shivering body.

"Display yourself, whore, or you won't be receiving any mercies from me tonight," the man standing behind her growled. "No one is going to want that body if it's covered with bruises, will they?" He gripped her slender wrists tightly. "It's a holiday night, why haven't you made good times?"

"Onigumo, please, let me have the bite now," the girl begged. "It hurts so bad, and I can't think straight! Please, I'll work hard after you give it to me, but I need the bite."

"Not until you give me some fast nights, bitch!" The man shoved her against the wall. "I'm coming back in an hour, and you'd better have some jack. Got that?" He slapped her, hard.

The girl tasted the blood in her mouth where her tooth had cut her cheek and moaned. She needed the bite, needed it so badly her head was spinning. She heard footsteps coming down the darkened street and pulled herself upright. "Looking for someone?" she called out.

She started, her next comment freezing in her throat. He was huge, even for a demon. His powerful frame filled up the alleyway, his white hair seeming to glow in the dim light. She gave a whimper of fear.

"Maybe I am looking for someone," the youkai said, his tawny yellow eyes narrowing to thin slits. "Perhaps you can help me?" He moved in closer, blocking her only means of exit.

The girl began to shake uncontrollably. "N-n-never mind," she gasped, ducking her head. Her slave mark began to throb painfully, forcing an involuntary cry from her throat. Dizzy, she sank to the cold pavement and held her arm tightly. She had to stay awake; she needed to work this demon. Her master would withhold his bite until she produced something. "W-w-w-want to t-t-take a ride?" she chattered.

The demon crouched before her, his huge chest and shoulders blocking her view of anything else. Slowly, he reached out and pulled her to him. The girl shut her eyes and tried to retreat within her mind. It was the only way she could survive these encounters. She just prayed the big demon wouldn't hurt her small frame too badly. Her master didn't like his goods damaged.

The fangs sunk into the crook of her arm and she opened her eyes in shock as the demon's whispered incantation sounded in her ears. Years of having the bite repeated had never helped her overcome the pain, and she struggled to stay conscious as the burning sensation shot through her body.

The demon had taken over her blood bond, the girl realized with amazement. The arms embracing her were surprisingly gentle. As the effects of the slave bite took hold and her head cleared, she realized the golden eyes resting upon her were full of something that looked like pity.

"Is there anything or anyone around here you care about?" the youkai asked her, cupping her small chin in a massive paw.

"No," the girl whispered. "My little brother ran away a long time ago."

"Come with me, then. Can you walk, or shall I carry you?"

"I can walk," she answered, standing up. He held out his hand and she placed her own tiny one inside his palm. His warm fist closed over hers, and they walked together out of the alley.

"You haven't asked where you're going," the demon pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," the girl replied.

"You're too young to be so disillusioned," the youkai sighed. "What's your name, Little One?"

She shook her head. "Don't have one. Names are the master's privilege."

The youkai stopped to look at her closely. "I always wanted a daughter named Kagome," he told the girl. "Will you be that daughter?"

She nodded, and they continued on their way. She turned to look back one last time at the darkened neighborhood they were leaving. Shrugging, she accepted her change of fate as she accepted everything else that happened to her. No point in spending time in thought about the situation; it could easily change tomorrow.

The warm hand holding hers suddenly turned icy cold. Horrified, the girl saw the inu youkai was now her former master. Desperately, she tried to pull away from his grasp, but the human man laughed harshly and flung her to the ground.

"No one escapes me," he hissed as he brought his manufactured fangs to her throat. The girl began to scream, but no sound escaped her.

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It was well after midnight when Taisho punched in the key code that unlocked the door to the mansion. He crept in quietly, not wanting to disturb the rest of the occupants. He hated to even enter the mansion at such a late hour, but he needed to check on his favorite Darling.

He didn't even have to go as far as her bedroom to find her. Kagome lay stretched out on the couch, still dressed in the suit she wore to the office. She seemed to be having a nightmare of some sort. "Kagome? Wake up, Darling One." Taisho gently laid a calloused hand upon Kagome's back and shook the sleeping woman lightly.

"Taisho-sama?" Kagome cried as she bolted upright. She squinted at the elder youkai as she opened her eyes.

"Having nightmares again?" Taisho asked with concern. Kagome had been plagued with them recently, and he worried they were prompted by more than mere stress.

"Yes," Kagome whispered as her breathing slowed. "It's the same one I always have. I dream about when you rescued me, but instead of going home with you my old master shows up and takes me back. Stupid dreams," she shook herself. "I'm okay, Taisho-sama," she assured the worried youkai. "It's just a dream, nothing more."

"If you say so," he answered doubtfully.

"I didn't expect to see you tonight," Kagome told him as she scooted upright so the inu youkai could sit down.

"I had a late meeting on this side of town, and I remembered I hadn't checked your mark today," Taisho told her as he sank into the plush comfort of the couch cushions. He reached across the couch and grasped her arm. "It's looking a bit faded," he said after a close inspection of the slave bite. "I'm going to renew it tonight."

"Do you have to do it tonight, Taisho-sama?" Kagome asked sadly, tugging her arm away from him. At his surprised look, she continued. "I'm just so wiped out after today, I don't know if I can tolerate the pain. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"It can wait another day, but don't let it go past tomorrow," Taisho relented. "I have to leave town the next day and I won't be back for over a week. I don't want you suffering because I'm too far away to do anything." He frowned. "I hate your former master for everything he's ever done, but I think I hate him most for botching your slave bite so badly. No one should have to face death if they don't renew a blood bond every few weeks."

"He's human, Taisho-sama. The amazing thing is that he managed to duplicate the slave bite at all. I'll let you renew the mark tomorrow," Kagome promised. She yawned again. "You said your meetings ran late. Have you had any supper?"

"I haven't had any dinner, is there something already prepared? I don't want you to go to any trouble, Darling One." He removed his tie and loosened his shirt collar.

"We have cold cuts," Kagome said to him as she stumbled toward the kitchen. "How would you like a sandwich and some fruit? There's some leftover dessert as well."

"That will do," Taisho answered. Kagome appeared a few moments later bearing a tray with the food and a pot of tea and handed them to Taisho. She appeared to have awakened completely. She waited until Taisho settled the tray and then sat down on the floor and cuddled up next to his legs. Resting her head on his knee, Kagome allowed him to ruffle her hair.

"Have you taken a second job working as a maid?" he asked curiously. She smelled of disinfectant and furniture polish, and dirt smudged her cheek. Kagome gave him a half-smile in response and wrapped her slender arm around his lower leg in a hug.

"Sota's apartment was a wreck, so I cleaned it," she admitted. "Maybe he shouldn't be living on his own while he's so ill. Taisho-sama, you should have seen this place! Clothing strewn everywhere, the dishes hadn't been done in over a week - what?" she asked suspiciously as Taisho burst into laughter.

"Sounds like a normal student's apartment to me," Taisho said to her with amusement in his golden eyes. "You just described Inu-Yasha's room during his college years. If anything, Sota's probably neater than most young men his age."

Kagome gave him a disgusted look. "You mean if I walked into Kohaku's apartment, it would look the same way? Ugh! How can anyone live like that?" she asked, astonished.

"Speaking of Sota, how is your brother doing?" Taisho asked softly. His heavy hand stilled in her hair as he waited for her answer. Kagome's mouth tightened and she shook her head briefly before burying her face in his large hand. His claws scraped her cheek lightly in response. "That bad, hm? I'm sorry to hear that, Darling One. I wish we could have found him before he became so ill."

"I'm just grateful we found him," Kagome said, her voice muffled by his hand. "At least Onigumo didn't get his hands on him. He used to threaten me by telling me he'd find Sota and enslave him as well." She fell silent.

Taisho knew that she refused to cry, no matter how much her soul ached for her younger brother. Since the day he had found her, Kagome hadn't shed a single tear. She wouldn't show weakness to anyone, not even to the youkai seated before her. In this aspect, she reminded Taisho of Sesshomaru.

A rustle of fabric at the room's entrance brought Kagome's face from Taisho's hand. Sango stood there in her nightgown and robe, her eyes reddened from extensive crying. Tear tracks stained her cheeks. Sango remained in the doorway, nibbling on her lower lip and staring at the floor until Taisho beckoned to her.

"Sango, come here," he said, setting aside his empty dinner tray and patting the vacant spot on the couch next to him. Sango gave a half sob and ran to him, curling up next to his side. Taisho placed his free arm around her shaking shoulders and hugged her tightly. "I hate to see my Darlings so sad," he murmured to the two girls. He meant it; they were the daughters of his heart.

"Rotten day," Kagome responded to him simply. Sango nodded in agreement. "Sango, tell Taisho-sama what you asked me earlier," Kagome continued, nudging the pregnant woman. "See if he doesn't tell you the same thing I told you."

Taisho gave Sango a searching look. "What troubles my Brave One?" he asked, bringing his hand up to chuck her chin lightly. "You're not supposed to be worrying about anything; it's bad for the baby."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Am I going to have to listen to that every time I show emotion during the next few months?" she asked him with a sniffle.

"Probably," Taisho commented. "Now tell me what has my Little Sango so worried."

"It's about your marriage," Sango twisted her hands together nervously. "What if Sakura-sama doesn't want you to keep us? What will happen to us?"

Taisho rested a fond gaze upon his Brave Darling as he answered. "Didn't I promise I would care for you? Little Sango, I would never break my vow," he assured the girl. "Certainly Kagome must have reminded you of that."

"She did," Sango sniffed. "But I've just been so worried!" she wailed. "I don't care what happens to me, but my baby needs a home! I can't take care of my baby if I'm out on the street, or - or - sold to some really awful person or dead - "

"Sango, get a hold of yourself," Taisho said calmly, placing a finger on her lips to silence his distraught girl. "I said I would care for you, and this will never change unless you find someone else who wants the job." He winked. "I wouldn't mind if you girls found mates and gave me a bunch of grandchildren to spoil, you know."

"He's doing it again, Sango," Kagome announced. "Taisho-sama, I thought you were going to stop pressuring us," she scolded him.

"Can I help it if I want to see my Darling Ones happy?" Taisho pouted.

"You see all those suitors lined up outside the door?" Kagome pointed out with heavy sarcasm. "Why, we hardly know which one to choose! What demon in his right mind wouldn't want a blood-bonded slave for a mate?"

"I get the cute one," Sango chimed in, playing Kagome's game.

"No, I get the cute one," Kagome argued playfully. A loud squeal at the doorway interrupted them.

"Taisho-sama!" A pair of feminine voices cried. Two young women barreled into the room, throwing themselves at him. "We haven't seen you for almost a week!" the first one, Nazuna, exclaimed.

"We've missed you, Taisho-sama!" the other one, Koharu, added.

"Does no one go to bed at a respectable hour in this house?" Taisho asked with a smile as he planted a kiss on the foreheads of his youngest Darlings. Koharu plopped on the floor next to Kagome and tugged the girl's hand.

"Look at my new duck pajamas, Kagome! Kaede bought them for me; aren't they cute?" She held up a pink flannel sleeve with a duck wearing sunglasses printed on it.

"Sango, you've been crying! You shouldn't do that, it's bad for the baby!" Nazuna exclaimed from where she was sitting on the other side of Taisho.

"Yes, you don't want your baby to be born with a frown, do you?" asked Koharu.

"Will you stop that? The baby isn't the least bit affected by my emotions!" Sango yelled. "I can be emotional if I want!"

"Yeah, pregnant women get a free pass on the bitchiness," Kagome informed the other girls.

"They do not! Taisho-sama, tell Sango she has to be nice to us. Ow! Sango, you aren't allowed to pinch!" Koharu cried.

Taisho leaned back and listened to the chatter of his Darling Ones, soaking in the lilt of their sweet voices. They argued and gossiped and giggled around him, occasionally stopping to ask his opinion or gain his approval. As he looked upon each of their beloved faces in turn, he again felt the nagging doubts creep into his mind. Could he ever do them justice? Or was he merely deluding himself with his hopes of finding suitable mates that would love them? His worst fear was handing them over to someone who could not care for them. Being trapped in a loveless union would be a fate no better than slavery, perhaps even worse.

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Despite the late hour, Sesshomaru couldn't sleep. Of course, being stuck on the small couch in his father's apartment might have had something to do with his current condition. As big as Father is, you'd think he would own larger pieces of furniture, he thought as he attempted to fit his lengthy frame across the cushions. Maybe the floor would be more comfortable. Inu-Yasha doesn't seem to mind. His half-brother was sprawled out across the area rug, snoring lightly. Sesshomaru envied Inu-Yasha's ability to sleep soundly no matter the circumstances. He'd been like that since he was a small child. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was gaining a sore neck and a grouchy disposition.

Stupid brat, Sesshomaru thought unjustly. It was his brother's fault they were stuck here at Father's apartment. Inu-Yasha had located an apartment for Sesshomaru right next to his own place on the other side of town, and now both of them were cut off from their homes by a gas leak. He couldn't find some place with better maintenance? He had to have planned this. I'll bet he made up that story about a gas leak.

Even Sesshomaru realized the ridiculousness of his thoughts. Once again, he was allowing his past conflicts with his brother to color his thinking. And it was better to have discovered the gas leak before an explosion took out the entire city block. He just hated having to spend the night at his father's tiny apartment, especially when his father wasn't there.

Not that it looked like his father ever spent much time here. The apartment didn't really have that occupied air about it. Sesshomaru sniffed delicately, but his superior sense of smell was useless in this case. His father placed a masking spell on everything, so Sesshomaru had no way of knowing whether his father had been here five hours ago or five years ago.

The door clicked and the demon foremost in his thoughts entered the appointment. A look of surprise crossed Taisho's face as he spotted his sons. In that one instant before his father's masking spell fell into place, Sesshomaru caught a faint trace of scent on his father's clothing. For some reason, the smell reminded him of a soft summer breeze. The scent stayed with him, despite the masking spell, and Sesshomaru found it oddly comforting.

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