Betrothal of the Warrior Hime

i don't own most of the people... but the stories all mine. review it makes me happy : p









It was early in the morning when Kagome woke, so early in fact it seemed that inky black night was still upon the western lands of Lord Taishou. She dressed without word and in a pace that might be alarming to some, her mokomokosama in place hanging from both arms, she was the embodiment of a graceful elegant female inu youkai. Her delicate steps made no sound as she walked through the halls of the Palace of the Moon, the sway of her kimono giving away the curves of her small curvaceous body, while her onyx hair whipping lightly in the breeze she made. None would no it, she figured, but Kagome was going to see her brother, she had not seen him in over one hundred years, then only briefly did she get to meet him again, it had only been a few days since leaving the Northwestern Palace, but she knew Souta would want to hear of her battle. It had been easy, even summoning the demonic magic to make the ki fire, though somewhat draining, it had been a far too easy battle.



Dashing out of the palace in what seemed to be an orb of light, not a guard or demon in the castle had seen her except one. Sesshomaru’s brow rose into his silver tress, he watched as the warrior known as Kagome, left the palace heading to the North West. Curiosity had always been one of his faults and though normally he would never follow such ideas, this female was such an enigma, she ran hot and cold with emotions, and though she hardly showed any of them, when she did they were a force to be reckoned with. Allowing some distance before taking off as well, the heir followed his prey. She landed in the garden of the Northwestern Palace, beneath the sakura tree, she laid down, her onyx hair splashing the ground while her lady-like appearance was thrown to the wind. Her bare neck and the tops of her shoulder was visible, as though she was wearing a simple sleeping yakata for her lord and mate to be. Her icy eyes closed and a small smile lit her face, Kagome trailed her delicate fingers in the flowers that lay beneath her, humming some sweet melody that was caught on the wind enough for one to hear her honeyed voice.



Sesshomaru landed on the roof of the palace without a sound, she was already there at her brothers grave, he watched as she plopped herself down like a horse, it was slightly amusing that she looked so like a lady and yet acted sometimes so like a mule. Her hair had fanned out around her, the long onyx tress mixing with the flowers that lay around her and underneath her, though she had not been lady-like taking the pose it was possibly the most beautiful he had ever seen her in. She started speaking and he strained his hearing to catch her delicate yet commanding voice, “Souta, I’ve done it, the Northern lord and his family are no more. Aren’t you proud?” silence answered her as she giggled as though a response had been issues.



“I know it was not my place to deal with it, but I couldn’t let go. You should know that better then any just how relentless I can be.” she said again now holding a conversation with herself it seemed. Sesshomaru seemed a bit saddened, how could such a female be so completely mad, so mad in fact she spoke to the grave of her long dead brother. It was then that she addressed him, while never once turning to him.



“It is not kind to think such things Lord Sesshomaru, I assure you I am not daft.” she answered never looking at him, or stopping her fingers as the trailed over the cream colored moonflowers that were just closing with the coming dawn.



“How did you know I was here? I hid my aura so it could not be read.” he intoned. And for once she looked at him, it was startlingly alluring, completely captivating, and almost sultry. Her eyes spoke to him most, their normal icy indifference was replaced by a brilliant indigo, as her moist lips parted to answer his question.



“Souta said you were spying on us.” she answered calmly.



“Am I to believe that he sees what we’re doing, that you don’t hold conversations with yourself as a mad woman might?” he asked a bit colder then he had wanted to seem, while noticing her eyes shift back into their normal icy indifference again.



“Should we show him?” she asked not looking at Sesshomaru but to a space not to far from herself. “Then it is decided.” she said again. “Would you come here my lord, I assure you none are awake in this home yet, not even the servants, and I myself am unarmed.” Sesshomaru rose his brow again at her statement but decided that he would find out just what she was talking about. Stepping off of the roof he fell with a grace that was all his own, landing with just as much ease he walked over to her. She motioned for him to sit and his did, shifting her weight so she herself could sit up, Kagome looked at the demon lord, heir to the western lands. He had been Souta’s light, his day, when he was darkness and the night, both sitting very comfortably, Kagome reached for her hair, pulling a tiny lock of hair she braided three strands of three, into one long braid. Taking her own sharp claws she snipped the end close to her roots, it had been an odd location so she didn’t mind having such short hair in a tiny spot.



Knotting the chain she made a necklace, looking at the demon lord, “Please close your eyes.” she said knowing he would. She gentle placed the braided chain around his neck and sighed. “ You may open your eyes now, Milord.” Sesshomaru eyed his eyes, he had expected to see something, hear something, but instead there was nothing, what fool-trickery is she up to?, he thought as he looked upon the dark beauty that sat before him.



“Is this some joke?” he asked. Her eyes he noticed were not looking at him when she answered.



“I told you he wouldn’t think it was funny.” she said to Souta, who stood in a ghostly essence behind Sesshomaru, who slowly turned around to see his long dead friend. If reactions were deemed funny, then Sesshoamru would have been a riot. He was up on his feet his sword drawn faster then a blink of the eye, standing before Kagome as if to protect her from the specter, something Kagome mentally noted would be hard pressed to deal with when she fought him.



“Well some people never change.” came Souta’s ghostly voice.



“How is this possible?” asked Sesshomaru no louder then a whisper, though both Souta and Kagome caught the question.



“Hn.” was all Kagome said before she looked at Souta, “You should answer this.”



“Indeed?” Souta answered as she nodded her head lightly. “Sun is approaching, what I cannot answer, Kagome, you shall when dawn comes.” he said.



Kagome nodded her head, and looked to Sesshomaru, she patted the ground near her and motioned for him to sit next to her again.



“Please put your sword away it cannot hurt him, but I’m sure you’d look rather silly to anyone that might wake at the moment.” said Kagome, as Sesshomaru sheathed his sword again.



“As you know dear friend I have not been of this world in over a millennium, my sister is the only one that can see me, other then yourself because of her demonic ki, and the braid of her hair around your neck.” Said Souta.



“But how is there still a connection?” asked Sesshomaru.



“That is a good question. Long ago, when Kagome had been just born, I swore to her I’d protect her no matter what, seemed that until someone else can truly protect her, I will remain bound to the earth, viewable for only her pleasure. Our bonds are thick enough to surpass death, as I am sure yours and my own were, for you can see me not just hearing.” said Souta, answering Sesshomaru’s question.



“Would not Shinosamu and Lady Sayuri want to know of this?” asked Sesshomaru.



“They might, but they’d think I was completely mad if I attempted to show them or tell them. We’re not all that close any more, at least not father and I.” intoned Kagome, her icy eyes turning angry with fury of the past and looking away from the males that surrounded her.



“And that needs to be rectified.” said Souta bringing her out of her anger as only he could, which did not go unnoticed by Sesshomaru. “You need to make peace with father, but that will have to wait for another day, dawn approaches. Goodnight my dear Kagome.” said Souta as he laid down next to her and sank into the ground disappearing as the dawn edged its way into the world.



“Goodnight dear brother.” she whispered, bring a kiss from her lips to her fingers and then to the now fully closed cream moonflowers. Standing she made to leave but not before turning to see Sesshomaru right behind her. In one quickly placed moved she had cut the braid of hair from around his neck and melted it with poisoned claws. He frowned at her actions and was just about to question her when she supplied the answer. “It is my place to worry over the past, Milord, it is not something you should concern yourself with.” she made to move from is presence but was stopped when he grabbed her wrist.



“How can you be so cold?” he asked her as his golden gaze locked with her own icy pair of eyes, eyes that he now noticed had flecks of silver in them, eyes that set his soul on fire. “He was not yours alone to mourn. Surely you know that.” Sesshomaru said with a bit of venom seeping into his voice. He truly missed his brother in arms, his second, the night to his day, Souta could understand so much without ever saying a word, Kagome truly reminded him of Souta, but right now he was angry with her. Though he knew he was not one to ask how someone could be cold, hew knew very well what happened to make her this way, but was she truly this dark? he wondered, as the eyes never left his own, in a fierce challenge.



Kagome jerked her wrist away from him and scowled. “My heart froze over when I was nine, and only in the twilight hours just before dawn does it melt. I know others mourned him but I never felt as though any felt it like myself. Can you even imagine what it would feel like to have the one person you felt closest in this world ripped away without even the chance to say goodbye? He will never see the light of day again, never walk by my side, protect me from this world.“ She paused as tears readied themselves to fall, though they never did, he knew exactly how she felt, Souta meant just as much to him, it seemed to him that he had not be the only one to suffer such a great loss. He remembered her being so young, and had never thought that she could form such a close bond with him in such a short time. Righting herself a bit and squaring her shoulders Kagome began again. “Besides that, this is not something I could share with all. It is our bond that holds him here, it seems as he said the only way he will be freed to live in the afterlife will be for someone to be able to protect me, and none can do that, until I find someone that I cannot beat in battle.” she said now walking away from him though he was still on her kimono’s tale.



“Is that why you fight for mating rights?” he asked. Truly the question had bothered him, he had felt that she should be glad to have any mate, let alone one that could beat her. Though after watching her short battled with the Northern Lord and the Eastern Prince he saw her different, he saw that none she possess her if then could not take her, she was like some wild, pretty thing that should only be caged by a master worthy of her talents and beauty. Her words brought him out of his musings.



“It is one of my reasons.” she answered.



“And what are the others?” he asked, noticing how she stopped to look at him dead in the eyes, not in a challenging way.



“In my absence, Kikyo was set to be you betrothed, and though it is an honor, her heart belongs to another. It is a verbal contract at this point, but it is binding until I can prove part of the contract unworthy. Both you and your brother are bound to betrothal of both my sister and myself. If Inuyasha is proven unworthy of me then he cannot be my mate. That only leaves you to beat me and you won’t be Kikyo’s.” Though he hated to admit it her tactical mind was welcome from some of the incessant conversation he’d sat through with Kikyo, it was true Kikyo was a rare beauty but she was not the sharpest marble in the group. And though he wondered just how far this plan went he couldn’t help but wonder just what she would do for her sister.



“So you use us then.” he answered in an annoyed and yet bored way.



“If that is how you wish to see it, then so be it milord.” she answered. “Though I chose to think of it as this, by finding one strong enough to defeat me in battle, I find one strong enough to protect me in life, as well as releasing Souta from an unnatural imprisonment. And by defeating Inuyasha, I prove that he is not worthy of me, forcing you to take his place in the betrothal agreement, and allowing Kikyo to be with the one she loves. As far as I see, it is a win-win situation. Weather called a rose, or called anything else it is still a win-win situation.” she finished.



“And what makes you think I would want you?” he asked calmly studying her reaction, which he had predicted to be angry but he was met with a pure calm.



“I would think it would be a slight to your male pride to be defeated by a female. So it’s in your best interest to defeat me, though I must say I’ll be a bit sad if you don’t.” she said with a slight grin on her face.



“So you want power out of this? And you didn‘t answer my question.” he stated.



“No. I do not lust for power, I have power, what I want is a good battle, and someone worth my time and energy. Out of many that I have consumed in battle, none have been worth my anything, not even the young Easter Prince. Besides, its in a females interest to find the best, and though many would claim that title, none have yet to prove it. Even I want to settle down some day raise a family of warriors.” she said in an almost dreamy manner throwing him off a bit. “ And to answer your question about wanting me, I know very well that you may find my sister‘s beauty alluring, her scent intoxicating, even her colorings if preferred to my own. I cannot assume that you would want me, but I know you want power, and that is something my beloved sister does not have, I know you want the best, the strongest, and I assure you none will surpass me.” she said confidently and yet hiding the ever so faint blush that crept over her cheeks, which did not go unnoticed. Though she was every bit seductive she did not allow that to overcome her, simply her eyes spoke to him, told him what she said was truth, he knew as much but still to have her say it, modesty was not something she was blessed with. Batting her lashes at him as though to dispel her own alluring ways she turned and made way to the west end of the garden. “If you will my lord, I must return to the Palace of the moon, Lady Miyako and I have some training to go thru.”



He nodded and headed after her, asking just before they leapt into the air. “When will you battle again?” she smirked at him.



“When your baka of a brother gets on my nerves enough to fight.” she said with mirth in her voice and a grin before her orb of light surrounded her as she headed back to the west, to the Palace of the Moon, followed by the heir of the lands. She was too far ahead of him to notice the slight grin on Sesshomaru’s face, this female was becoming more and more attractive by the day, if it wasn’t her unrelenting talent for battle, then it was her compassion for young. He himself was now finding her dark coloring exotic though he knew now she thought otherwise, her eyes were so pale in comparison to her tanned sun kissed skin, and even the idea of her pale crest marks over her body brought him to his mental knees. Vaguely he wondered just where her’s were, his own lay on his hips, wrists and ankles, he allowed his mind to wonder on her body. She was limber, and athletic, which meant she would have less chub on her body, which he did like, but he also liked the idea the of the soft flesh he would add to her body by pupping her. The idea had merit, and he couldn’t deny the need to dominate this bitch, Sesshomaru wanted her, though now he would have to fight her, take her, and make her his, he could only prey that she had enough in her to beat his brother.