InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomaru's Story 2: Prejudice ❯ Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

This is bad… very, very bad…

 

Tomaru's youkai snorted. You're telling me? How are you going to be able to look that girl in the eye again?

 

He glared at his reflection. Don't start with me, old man. I feel dirty enough.

 

You should. Your reaction to that Haruko was way stronger than it was to Kouga's pup. What the hell is wrong with you?

 

Tomaru sighed, running his claws through his long silver bangs, resting his forehead on his palm. Dammit… I hate her! Why did this happen?

 

You don't even know her, pup, but I'd say that your body recognized an available female- and one with a killer body at that.

 

You aren't helping, Uncle Yasha.

 

Hey- I may be dead, but I'm not dead. I'll admit when a wench has got something worth looking at twice.

 

Since when? How long did you deny your feelings for Mother?

 

That shut him up. Tomaru slunk over to his bed and flopped down, not bothering with the covers. His last thoughts as he allowed sleep to overtake him were of a certain inu-hanyou's smirk as she laughed at him.

 

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And then, of course, he slept horribly. The next morning he bathed and dressed in a simple white and green haori with white hakama, all while growling softly in the back of his throat. Throwing one last glare at his reflection in the mirror, he stalked out his chamber door and toward the dining room.

 

And stopped in the doorway, cold.

 

His father and mother were already seated at the long table, Kagome calmly sipping her tea, Sesshoumaru with his usual neutral expression on his face as he flicked his gaze to his eldest son's arrival.

 

Seated across from Kagome was an older youkai, with long dark grey hair and clad in pale grey and slate blue haori with pale grey hakama. Next to him was... Haruko. Her back was ramrod straight, her triangular ears relaxed, her long silver hair pulled back in a braid and wrapped in a knot at the back of her head, secured with long ornamental sticks. She wore a white kimono, trimmed with embroidered magenta flowers, and a magenta obi encircled her slender torso. Her hands were folded demurely in her lap and she refused to look anywhere but the table top in front of her. Quiet irritation radiated from her like a tangible thing.

 

Glancing around, he noticed that none of his horde of siblings was present. He turned back to his father and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

 

“So good of you to join us, Tomaru,” Sesshoumaru said as if it really didn't matter. “Would you be so kind as to take a seat? We have much to discuss.”

 

Tomaru growled, good manners be damned. “There is nothing to discuss. I'm not mating this wench and that's final.”

 

Sesshoumaru was on his feet in a flash, his nose mere fractions of an inch away from his son's. His gold eyes radiated extremely-restrained fury. “You. Will. Sit. Now.”

 

The young hanyou fought against his uncle's soul, who was all for punching a hole in the tai-youkai's stomach. Let me at him! Fucking bastard… still ordering me around…

 

Knock it off! Let me deal with this!

 

Feh! Fine. It's your funeral.

 

Tomaru underwent a complete and utter change right before his father's eyes. He calmed, relaxed, his handsome face going as completely blank as possible. Straightening, his looked his father in the eye and said in a rather bored tone, “As you wish, my lord.” Then, as regally as one could imagine, he walked across the room and politely sat next to his mother. He reached over, grasped Kagome's free hand and placed a light kiss on the back of her hand. “Mother.”

 

Kagome blinked- she hadn't seen this side of her son in quite some time. The severely noble, aloof, tai-youkai side of him. “Tomaru. Good morning.”

 

“That remains to be proven,” was his soft reply, his tone emotionless.

 

Sesshoumaru sat back down as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Kuroki, old friend, may I introduce my eldest son and heir- Tomaru. Tomaru, this is Lord Kuroki, Inu no Taishou of the Northern Lands.”

 

Tomaru bowed politely to the tai-youkai of the north. The elder mountain-inu youkai nodded back, his blue eyes sharp as they looked at the young hanyou. A long thin scar ran from the elder's right temple down his cheek, nearly to his jawline. His chest was wide, shoulders broad- he had seen many battles and probably had won most of them. “A pleasure, my lord.”

 

“Indeed. I've heard much about you.” Kuroki gestured to the female hanyou next to him. “My daughter- Haruko.”

 

Tomaru's gold eyes remained cold, aloof as he locked gazes with Haruko's blue orbs. She met his stare, nearly daring him to say something with her own ice cold glare.

 

He inclined his head politely. “Lady Haruko.”

 

Haruko was surprised, but managed to bow respectfully in return. “My lord.”

 

His eyes flashed at that and she could practically hear him snarl I am not yours. But he remained silent and turned his attention back to his father.

 

Sesshoumaru wasted no time bantering. “I believe we all know the fundamentals of the situation,” he began, “so now we must decide upon specifics. Agreed?”

 

Kuroki nodded. “Name your terms.”

 

Tomaru internally fought against the urge to smash his hand through the table. His life was being decided for him yet all he could do was sit there and let it happen.

 

He glanced at Haruko, who stared at the table top as if infinitely engrossed in its wood grain pattern. But he could see that her hands were clenched tightly into fists in her lap- she too, apparently, was as furious over this as he was.

 

“Tomaru will be named heir to both the Northern and the Western Lands. That should help alleviate the threat from the East.” Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. “Haruko must bear him an heir as quickly as possible. If they manage to kill my son or your daughter...”

 

Kuroki sighed. “Those cursed tigers from the Eastern Lands will overrun us all and we'll be slaughtered. I know. If it weren't for them, I never would have pleaded for this arrangement.”

 

Tomaru and Haruko exchanged stunned glances. The Northern Lands were in danger from the tora tribe from the East? This was the first either of them had heard of this.

 

“Wait,” Tomaru interrupted quietly, holding up a hand. “Are you saying that the Tora no Taishou is threatening your lands and you asked my father for this alliance to prevent war?”

 

Kuroki nodded, impressed with the young hanyou's intelligence. “That is exactly right. By mating my daughter and siring an heir, then the Northern Lands will be safe.”

 

A long silence followed this announcement.

 

“I am sorry, Father, for not being born a male,” Haruko said quietly, breaking the stillness.

 

The Northern tai-youkai put an arm around her shoulders in a loving embrace. “Do not be, little one. I am glad you are exactly who you are.”

 

Tomaru's mind was spinning. Outwardly he showed no emotion. His mother placed a hand on her mate's forearm- the one she had restored so long ago. “Sesshoumaru, is this why you did not consult me?”

 

Sesshoumaru gave her a look, his eyes soft. “He has no heir,” he said quietly to his mate. “If he were to die before Haruko mated, his lands would be free to whoever conquered them. Recently there have been threats and now even killings from the toras. They've demanded that Kuroki give Haruko to Dekai so that he might rule over both the North and the East.”

 

“And of course you could not allow that,” Kagome said, her heart finally understanding why her mate had done this. “Not only because of the war that would cause but because he is your old friend.”

 

Sesshoumaru snorted softly. “This Sesshoumaru does not have friends.”

 

Kuroki chuckled. “You've been saying that for centuries, whelp. I still don't believe you.”

 

Tomaru nearly chortled at hearing his father being called a whelp. See how he likes it…

 

Kagome turned to her son, her eyes clear and full of understanding now. “Ultimately, Tomaru, this is your decision. While your father and Kuroki did arrange this, you have the final word. Will you marry Haruko and prevent war from ripping apart the country?”

 

“Marry… I forgot that's what ningens call it.” Kuroku smiled wistfully. “It's been so long since Kumiko died… and our son…”

 

The miko smiled sympathetically. “I am sorry for your loss. How long has it been?”

 

“Nigh on 18 years now, I believe.” He sighed. “Merely an eyeblink in my long life, but it seems longer with her gone.”

 

Haruko bowed her head. If only she had been born a male- then her mother would not have died in childbirth, trying to give her tai-youkai husband an heir. And then learning her newborn brother died mere hours after their mother… it just filled her with the guilt that it was somehow all her fault for being born a female.

 

“I will do it.”

 

Her head snapped up, her sapphire eyes wide. Tomaru was looking straight at his father without blinking, his handsome face grim. “I will take her as my mate- but only to alleviate the threat of the Tora no Taishou. Do not think that I do this out of respect for you, Father.”

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. “Regardless, you must sire an heir on her quickly, for you are not the true heir to the Northern Lands, regardless of your status as Haruko's mate. Those tigers know it. Only your son can inherit and thus thwart Dekai's plot.”

 

Haruko gritted her teeth. They were talking about her as if she were merely a bitch, a breeder fit only for carrying and birthing pups!

 

“We will choose when and if we have any pups,” Tomaru informed his father coldly. “That is not your decision to make. You cannot force us to conceive as you can force us to marry.”

 

Kagome cleared her throat before her mate and son decided to attack one another right across the dining room table. “All that matters now is that he's agreed,” she reminded Sesshoumaru. She turned to Haruko. “And you, my dear? Do you accept as well?”

 

Haruko looked at the lovely woman, remembering her own ningen mother. Slowly she moved her gaze over to Tomaru, who was looking at her with absolutely no expression whatsoever.

But his eyes… his soft gold eyes… they weren't cold like they had been last night- or even mere moments ago, before they knew why their mating was being arranged. They were warm, comforting even. Her own eyes softened in reaction, although her face remained blank.

 

“Very well. I, too, agree.”