InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Feud: A Marriage Made In Heaven ❯ Now, To Put It In Writing. ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing!! Except maybe my story, but none of the characters in it... so to claim the story wouldn't really do much good, would it??!!

A/N: Sorry to all those who's hearts were set on a Inu/Kag pairing. I thought about it, but I just could not wrap my mind around a Sess/Kik pairing!! I'm not that imaginative... But, I would like to tell you that I do have a Inu/Kag story coming, so please forgive me... and you may not want to read Book III: A Marriage Made In Love... (you can guess who that couple will be!) There is also the fact their is a mystery villain running through here... and he won't be revealed `til the last book, but you'll get hints from those who work for and with him in the first two books! Once again gomen ne, minna.

~*duchess

Book I: The Feud: A Marriage Made In Heaven.

Chapter3: Now, To Put It In Writing.

~In the Hallway outside the Kitchens~

Mirouku heard the girls whispered word and watched her eyes widen with a mixture of fear, surprise and wonder. From the look on her face and what she said he gathered she must be one of the daughters. `She's very beautiful. I see one rumor was true.' He wondered which sister she was.

When she placed her hands on his shoulders he felt her tremble just a little and he came out of his musings. He flashed a grin at her when he noticed the fear in her eyes had died and all that was left was surprise and wonder.

Sango could fell the blood rush to her face.

"C-Could you lift me back up, please?"

"Huh," he began before he noticed her slight blush and it clicked, "Oh yeah! Sorry."

Mirouku took two steps back and pulled her to a standing position; keeping his arms around her waist. He stood holding her like that for a moment with his body only and inch away from hers.

They starred at each other a moment longer. Sango lowered her eyes to his arms when she started to fell embarrassed. Catching the hint, Mirouku removed his arms from her waist hastily and took a quick step back. An awkward silence fell between them and they both had to fight to keep from fidgeting. Mirouku decided it was time to feel the silence, it wasn't like him to be so nervous with a female, even one as beautiful as her.

"Uhh... I was just..." he began when he suddenly remembered her whispered `You...' when she opened her eyes. `Have I met her before?' he wondered to himself. Mirouku couldn't place her face and he couldn't believe he would ever forget that face. He decided to put the question to her. "Have we met before?"

Sango blinked at the unexpected question.

"Excuse me?" she asked; still confused.

"When you opened your eyes you said `you' like you knew me... or at least seen me before. I don't recall seeing you before though. And I don't think I would forget, but it seems I have because you do know me, don't you?"

`So, he doesn't know who I am!' she thought with and inward smile. Sango had to fight to keep from laughing out loud. She found it truly funny in a weird sort of way that he was going to marry her in less then two weeks and he had no idea who she was. `Arranged marriages to stop a war... God must be rolling on the floor laughing at this one,' she thought with a sigh. Sango looked into his eyes and wondered if she should tell him who she was. `No. He'll find out soon enough.'

"Yes, I do know you," she replied with a smile that held much more meaning then he knew.

"So, we have met before? Where?"

"No. We've never met before today."

"But... you just said that you know me."

"Hm., so I did. Let me rephrase that. I've seen you before."

"Oh." This was becoming very intriguing to him. She was intriguing. "Where have you seen me?"

Sango gave him a huge smile full of secrets and promises as she stepped closer to him. She leaned forward and softly grazed his ear with her lips. Then she answered his question.

"In my... dreams."

She whispered in his ear and pulled back to lock eyes with his for a second before stepping pass him and continuing down the hall in the direction he'd come from. She was going to find her sisters and tell them she'd just met her soon-to-be husband and how handsome he was.

Mirouku spun around and watched her walk gracefully away. The sway of her black, clad hips catching his attention and putting very nice thoughts into his head starring her and him. He gave a silent thank you to whoever made the dress she was wearing. She was half way down the hall before he found his voice.

"HEY! WHATS YOUR NAME?"

Sango stopped at his yelled question and turned to look over her shoulder at him while still keeping her back to him.

"You'll find out."

With those words she turned the corner and was out of his line of vision.

Mirouku thought about chasing her down, but decided not to. His palms were itching from the restraint he'd put him self through to keep from roaming over the mystery woman's curves. He figured from her statement that he'd run into her again, so he decided he'd get her name then. Mirouku continued on his way down the hall; it never even occurred to him that the woman in question was a Higurashi and therefore, one of the `brides'.

~*Back in the Castle Gardens*~

Sesshoumaru let her voice wash over him as he schooled his face to stay blank and show no reaction. He was absolutely sure she was a Higurashi now. He wondered whom her father had decided she would marry. Though he found her beautiful, her looks did not make up for her blood; the fact she was a Higurashi. Sesshoumaru had decided he would go through with his marriage to whichever Higurashi was chosen for him, not that he had a choice, but there was no way in Hell he was bedding one. And he knew as long as he didn't consummate the union he had a chance of getting rid of the unwanted bride in the future.

Sesshoumaru hoped this was not the daughter chosen for him; it would be very difficult to deny himself her if she was his for the taking.

Kagome starred up at the man in front of her with a glazed look in her eye. She knew he was one of the Masaharu sons. He had to be! She wondered if he was the one they say was `too beautiful for words'. `If he was... damn, if they didn't peg that one right. He's gorgeous,' she thought with another sigh. She hated to think what one of the other brothers looked like, if this one was not the one rumored about. Now, all she hoped for is that he not be stupid. That would ruin all her illusions, because, while beauty was all good and nice to have a brain and a personality was much better; they last longer. Just the simple thought of him being stupid cleared the glaze from her eyes.

Kagome stood up gracefully and couldn't believe how much taller than her he was. She had to tilt her head back to keep eye contact with him. `Damn, he's as tall as Papa.' `He had to be every bit of six feet something,' she guessed and that was a lot compared to her five feet and two inches of height in her bare feet... and they were still bare.

She wondered what he sounded like since he hadn't responded to her greeting. As she stood their starring up at him she figured it might be good to say something before the silence made her daft. She was never very good with silence.

"Hello," she decided to say it again. Maybe she'd actually get a response this time, though she didn't know why she thought so.

Sesshoumaru gave her slight nod in response and watched her shoulders sag in defeat. He wondered why she seemed disappointed. `Does she know who I am and that is why she is disappointed?' he asked himself. No, it couldn't be that. The thought confused him. Sesshoumaru had never had a woman be disappointed at seeing him...for any reason. Though many women get a little afraid when he comes around they always seem happy to see him. He did not question his appeal to women, he just took as it was and most of the time ignored it.

Sesshoumaru had a feeling she effect men the way he effected women. He figured that was why she didn't look like she was about to swoon at his feet. He was glad for that since he had no intentions of catching her if she did; he'd have to touch her to do that and he was not touching a filthy Higurashi.

Sesshoumaru thought about this and decided he should be sure before he counted her out. Maybe he could make her his mistress, if she wasn't a Higurashi, when he has to marry the other girl.

Kagome was oblivious to the conceited thoughts going through Sesshoumaru's mind. And a good thing that was, because if she did and heard the latter part of his thought she would have blistered his ears so badly, he'd be feeling the pain for years.

"You are a Higurashi, yes?"

Kagome started at the sound of his voice. It wasn't loud, on the contrary it was low and silky with a trace of steel in it, his voice was just unexpected since she'd come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to speak to her. The reality of her being wrong was what made her jump at the sound of his voice. She then remembered he'd asked her question and smiled at him in acknowledgement.

"Yes," she nodded, "I am Kagome Higurashi. Who are you?" She already knew he was a Masaharu; she had no doubt about that.

Sesshoumaru felt his heart give a little jerk when she smiled at him. `What the hell was that?!' he thought to himself in disbelief. He had no idea why his heart responded to her smile, but decided to ignore it instead of exploring it further.

"Hmm," he looked her body up and down starting from her bare toes to the top of her head stopping to take in certain areas of her body, like the flare of her hips and the generous curves of her breast, before moving upwards. He even took in the fall of her waist length hair, which was hanging a little past her waist since her head was tilted so far back. "Too bad."

Kagome's eyes went wide when he finished his statement. `Huh? What was `too bad' about her being a Higurashi?' she wondered to herself before she decided to put the answer to him. Kagome had just figured that if her sisters and her could come to terms with marrying a Masaharu that they had too, it never occurred to her that they hadn't already accepted what couldn't be changed. She immediately forgot about the fact that he didn't answer her question.

When she opened her mouth to speak she sucked in her breath in indignation instead. At the same time she was about to speak, he'd turned on his heels and presented her with his back as he started to walk away from her... with no explanation of his words or a farewell.

Kagome surprise quickly changed to anger. She didn't like rudeness... and damn if he wasn't being rude. There was no excuse for being rude. Her anger surged higher.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?!" she yelled at his retreating back. When he didn't stop walking or turn to acknowledge her yelled question she steamed even more. `Well...'

"Arrogant son of bi-" she began under her breath in a murmur only to stop herself when she realized what she was about to call him... or more importantly, call his mother.

Kagome was starring down at her feet with the tips of her fingers covering her mouth looking mortified at the road her thoughts had taken when she heard his voice come back to her.

"I heard that."

Kagome's head shot up when she heard this to see if he had stopped walking, but all she saw was a glimpse of silver hair as he turned the corner and left her sight. She suddenly remembered what kind of youkai his family was and felt the blood tinge her cheeks a little in embarrassment. `Damn dog ears!'

She sighed to herself and slipped her shoes back on and went to find her sisters and relay to them what just happened.

~*In the Library*~

Inuyasha listened to the quiet tone of her voice and felt a shiver go down his spine. The shiver was more from the look in her eyes then her voice though. Her voice was pleasant enough, soft and feminine, but it was her eyes that held him. They were a clear, soft brown and they seemed to be able to look right through him to the inside and see exactly what he was feeling. He didn't like it. It was almost as if he had no secret he could keep from her.

He watched her shut her eyes and unconsciously took a step closer to her. And then he took another step, and then another. Her whole being seemed to glow a light gold and he wasn't sure if it was from her or the lamps around her. Inuyasha was so enthralled with her he had no idea he was moving closer.

Kikyou watched him stare at her. She could feel the wariness wash over him as well as the reluctant curiosity. She shut her eyes for a second and calmed her senses as she searched for what was bothering him. After her eyes popped back open with understanding. She saw that he was closer to her then he was before and still staring at her.

When she opened her eyes the glow around her suddenly stopped. Inuyasha took a look around her in confusion. He was wondering if he imagined the glow when his eyes settled back on hers. He tilted his head to the side in silent speculation.

Kikyo saw the confusion in his eyes and wondered at it.

"What?" she asked after a moment of tense silence.

Inuyasha blinked at her once before straightening his head in thought.

"You...' he began with a shake of his head causing his long silver locks to sway with the action. "You were glowing just a moment ago... weren't you?"

Kikyou was so transfixed with watching the flow of his silver locks that fell to the middle of his back that she wasn't prepared for his question. Her eyes immediately popped back to his as she went still!

`Ah, damn Kikyou! What possessed you to use your `gift' while he was watching you?' Kikyou sighed to herself. She was usually more careful then this... especially around someone who was considered her enemy... and he was that. Kikyou knew he was one of the Masaharu sons. She had no doubt about that.

She had a gift for being able to sense and feel other people's emotions. With her gift she could see a person's greatest desire... as well as their greatest fear, if she wanted. When she was younger she was assaulted with peoples emotions a lot when she hadn't had the skill to control it; to build herself a wall to keep from going crazy. She could feel a person's pain, joy, sorrow, fear, hate, want, longing, and any other emotion that the body and heart was prey too. She could feel it all and it was not always pleasant when she was younger. She could even feel it in certain animals. So, she'd learned to protect herself from the emotions and in doing so she'd locked off her own behind a cool wall of logic and sanity. She knew it was the only way she could survive this `power' of hers that was both gif and curse.

Kikyou knew that when she used her gift a light golden glow formed around her body... it was her ki. Because of this, she was usually more careful when she was around strangers to keep from doing this in front of them. She didn't know what made her forget this time and do it in front of him.

She looked into his eyes and saw that he didn't really know what he saw and decided to further confuse him, since she was never very good at lying. Her sisters informed of this flaw many times. They say she was the one who got them all in trouble with Papa when they were younger and doing something they had no business doing. She smiled inwardly at the thought of their very `adventurous' childhood. Thanks mostly to each of their `unique' gifts. As for her ability to lie, she shrugged that off. She did not think it was something someone should aspire to be good at anyway. Not to mention, that her sisters, themselves, were also very bad at telling lies. Their mother said it came from their inherent need to be honest.

"Glow, you say?" she asked with a half smile. At his nod her smile grew wider. "Thank you. Papa says I have a glow to my complexion as well, though I don't see it myself."

She was surprised that her normal look of calm politeness stayed on her face. Kikyou was a bit nervous; she didn't want to give her secret away. She had no doubt he would find out sooner or later when he ended up married to one of her sisters, but she preferred to keep it to herself for now. She had the odd feeling that he was not going to like her gift very much... not, at all.

Inuyasha gave her an odd look. He understood that she thought he was giving her a compliment of sorts about her skin tone, but he wasn't doing any such thing. He could have sworn she'd started glowing. He'd heard that each sister had some special `power' or something, but he'd always figured that part of the rumors were nothing but lies. Now, he wasn't so sure. `She did start glowing... didn't she?" He wasn't sure about that anymore either. He decided to let it go for now, but he'd keep his eyes open in future, after all, she would be marrying one of his brothers. He wanted to be sure that she would not be a threat to them or anyone else in his family. On that note, he decided he'd have to watch all three sisters since the rumor was about them all.

Kikyou could feel the confusion coming from him still, but she could also sense that he'd decided to drop it. She sighed in relief as she got to her feet. Just then she noticed he was a good six inches taller then her and tilted her head slightly back to make eye contact. `He really had lovely eyes,' she thought as she looked at his face and head. Her eyes settle on his ears and this time she gave a genuine smile.

"Which son are you?" she asked softly; her eyes still on his ears.

Kikyou saw his ears twitch to catch what she said and felt a sudden need to touch them. She had to ball her fists to keep from reaching up and rubbing his ears. She looked back into his eyes in a hope to quell her need to touch. `As they say...'out of sight, out of mind' right'

Inuyasha locked eyes with her and debated whether to answer her query or not. He decided it couldn't do any harm; she was going to learn who he was pretty soon anyway.

"I am Inuyasha Masaharu. Second son."

She could see the obvious pride he had when saying that and fought down a smile. She nodded her head in acknowledgement before lowering her eyes and stepping around him. She walked gracefully to the door, but stopped when she reached it to turn and look at him. Instead of getting a view of his back, she saw that he'd turned around to watch her leave.

Their gazes locked once more.

Inuyasha had turned to watch her walk away when she'd stepped pass him. His eyes had fallen to the sway of her hips in the brown dress that fit her like a glove. He watched the fabric caress her backside with every graceful step she took. He could feel his body temperature rising. `It was nice to see one rumor was indeed true.' When the swaying stopped he looked up to see her turning her head in his direction and locked his golden eyes on hers.

"Nice to meet you, Inuyasha Masaharu."

He felt a shudder travel his body at the sound of his name on her lips and his eyes widened in shock before they began to darken a bit with lust.

Kikyou watched him for a moment and felt the changing emotions go through him. When he felt lust for her she felt an answering call within herself and wondered at it. She'd felt men lust after her before, but this was the first time she felt like responding to it. She didn't understand it. Then as abruptly as he'd come in, she turned her head away and left. She was going to find her sisters.

Inuyasha watched her leave before he turned back to look at the armchair she'd just vacated. He could still smell her lingering scent in the room. It was a mixture of lavender and lilacs and something else. `Very pleasing to the senses' he thought. Just then another rumor came to mind... the one about the sisters being human even thought their parents were well known youkai. He sniffed her scent again and smelled the same thing; lavender, lilacs, and something more, but he couldn't identify it. He didn't smell any youkai blood. He wondered if the smell he couldn't identify might be it. `But, shouldn't I be able to identify it, if it was that?' he asked himself in puzzlement.

Inuyasha looked down in thought then and froze when his eyes fell on a pair of women's shoes the color of the dress the girl who'd just left the room was wearing. He tried to think back to when she left the room to remember if her feet were bare. He couldn't remember, but figured they must be since the shoes were there next to the foot of the chair sitting neatly side-by-side.

A slow smile came to his face then. He'd pegged her for a very logical neat freak and the thought of her walking around in her bare feet or stockings didn't seem very logical to him. His smile grew as he realized that even though he didn't see it, he'd unnerved her. The thought made him feel like puffing his chest out with male pride. He refrained from doing though.

Inuyasha turned around and quit the room to go back to the office and see how much longer they would be here. He was ready to go.

~*In the office of Lord Onigumo*~

Both Lords watched the magistrate leave the room on his way to find a bathroom. They had just finished all the necessary signing of the legal documents. There would be a substantial dowry going with Sango when she married Mirouku. And in turn, there would be an `inheritance', they called it since dowry just didn't sound right, going with Inuyasha when he married Kikyou. As for Sesshoumaru and Kagome's marriage, with the promise that she would be legally given the right to be Lady of the Western Lands from the union even though it was strange, Sesshoumaru would get the right to be heir to the lordship of the Southern Lands should the child Onigumo's wife was carrying turned out to be another girl.

Onigumo didn't like that little clause, but he could think of worse people to rule after him and suffice to say Sesshoumaru was not on the list of bad or worse people to rule his lands.

Since everything was just about final, all they needed were the bride's and the groom's signatures, he called out for his long time friend and confidant, Toutousai, to come into the office.

Both Lords turned around as the older man came floating into the office.

Toutousai was sitting in mid-air with his legs and arms crossed. His chin was pressed down against his chest and his eyes were closed. He was not asleep; he was in deep thought.

When he came to a stop just inside the doorway Toutousai lifted his head and opened his eyes. He was just thinking about the two lords locked up in the office taking steps, reluctantly, to combine their two families. He'd waited along time for this day. Well, not actually this, he'd entertained the thought of them two putting aside their differences and working together, but this was good too. Maybe this would lead to them working together. He hoped so, because if what he believed was right, they had a common enemy and that enemy was out to destroy both the Higurashis and the Masaharus. Permanently.

He had tried to tell both Lords this once, they both were good friends of his, but neither would listen. He had a feeling that they each already knew part of what he was telling them anyway.

Toutousai dropped his train of thought for the moment and locked eyes with Onigumo.

"Onigumo. InuTaisho" he nodded in greeting to them both. "What can I do for you, my lords?"

"Ah, Toutousai my friend. Could you fetch my daughters for me and tell them they are needed here now?"

"Of course. I shall return shortly."

As Onigumo asked the sword maker to do that, he sent a telepathic message to Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Mirouku to come back to the office. They had informed him that they were already on their way there.

Both Lords watched the older man leave the room to do Onigumo's bidding. He was the only man who was friend to both the Masaharu's and the Higurashis.

"Thank you Toutousai-san."

"Ah, not necessary. I like the lovely girls. So much fire!"

They heard the older man reply as he kept floating away.

When he was out of sight InuTaisho turned back to look at Onigumo with a puzzled look on his face.

Onigumo responded to the other Taiyoukai's look.

"What?"

InuTaisho shrugged before answering. "I was just wondering why you don't just call the girls to you telepathically?" He was slyly trying to find out if the girl's were human and not youkais like the rumors said.

Onigumo knew what the other lord was up to, but dismissed it.

"Masaharu? Do you remember my wife Atsuki? More importantly, do you remember the temper she was blessed with?"

InuTaisho saw a brief image come to mind of a beautiful niko-youkai with sharp blue eyes and red hair. He remembered that the woman had a temper that rivaled the fire in her hair. He remembered once being in an argument with his own wife and remembered thinking there was only one woman he knew off who's temper was worse then his wife Ryumi's temper and being thankful that that woman was married to his greatest enemy.

"Yes," he gave a slight grimace and continued, "I remember very well."

"Well, lets just say my daughters take after their mother in some ways. It would not be good for me to make a telepathic link when I have no idea what or where they are at the moment."

"Meaning..."

"Meaning," he began with a lift of his eyebrows; he thought the meaning was obvious, "that should they be, say in the tub, it could go very badly for me... and anyone else with sensitive hearing."

"Ah, I see," said InuTaisho in understanding; then in afterthought he asked, "You fear your daughters?" He could not believe this of the man who had earned the name `Naraku' in battle.

"No." Onigumo smiled though the smile did not reach his eyes. "I just do not see a reason to cause problems where one could easily be avoided. Especially with my sweet Kagome... she can be worse then her mother and she's pregnant."

"Hmm, so the one you wish to marry to my Sesshoumaru, my heir has a large temper." InuTaisho couldn't help but notice this fact and point it out.

"Are you worried for your son, InuTaisho?" asked Onigumo with a gleam in his eye.

InuTaisho arched an eyebrow at that.

"Of course not." He knew his son could handle himself in any cercumstances.

Onigumo nodded at this before speaking his thoughts.

"You should be."

Then they both settled down to wait for their children to make an appearance. InuTaisho more then a little curious drummed his fingers on the arm of his seat impatiently as he bent one of his legs at the knee and rested his ankle on his other knee.

Onigumo had a sinking feeling his girls were going to take there sweet time getting here, too. He leaned back and made himself comfortable.