To Make a Mother Proud

~~~~~~~~

Inutasho opens the door to the room and sees her playing the koto; echoes of the koto vibrate, making the rice paper of the door dance to the melody. The sudden break of her confines ushers a light breeze in his direction, brining her scent closer to him. Where did he first smell her?? A sudden spring day amidst cherry blossoms, or was it a full moon night under the cover of trees?? No matter, he would never tire of that scent. It was the scent of his lover, his mate, the mother of his first-born son.
* Ting ting tiiiiiing tin tiiiiiiing *
She looks like a lone sakura blossom waiting to burst forth with life, sitting in the middle of a wide empty room. Her quarters, where she does not want, but her silence and koto. He observers her arms stroking the strings of the instruments, as her arms move back and forth across it. Her caressing arm movements make the piece of music come alive under her fingers. He suddenly feels a sudden surge of jealousy, it’s as if the koto and himself are fighting for her gentle caresses. If he were to eliminate his opponent (I.e> the koto if your not understanding this right now. ~-^), he would gain a mere half hearted lover; but if he were to leave, himself, the music would lose emotion. As he turns to leave in resignation to the koto, the music suddenly stops. She calls his name,
‘Inutasho….’
He breathes deeply, obtaining the courage to answer her.
‘..yes?’
‘…come closer….’ She whispers.
He turns towards her call slowly gliding across the room toward her small frame. She resumes playing as he gradually comes up behind her and reaches for her shoulder. She keeps playing as she slowly turns her head to face him…

~~~~~~~

“Master! I’m so sorry, please excuse me,” Maína said rapidly trying to remember her servant manners, she had just opened the door and had bumped into him, “I did not realize you were standing there-”
“Obviously.” He says rudely, cutting her off, “You will do, there is no time for replacements for the entertainment. You will practice the rest of the night, I expect it to be perfect by tomorrow’s banquet.”
“Of course my Lord.” She said averting her eyes toward the floor.
“Has Sesshoumaru asked for you today?”
“No, my Lord he has not, I have yet to meet Sesshoumaru-sama.” She replied.
“Where is he?” he mumbled to himself.
Maína stayed where she was, she wasn’t too sure whether to move and get the glass of water she had intened to get, or to stay there in silence.
“Why are you still here?” Inutasho says suddenly noting her presence.
Maína realizing her imprudence, wide eyed and confused, turned and walked toward the kitchen. Inutasho, too wrapped up in his own thoughts, dismissed the fact that she didn’t bow to him.
*She’s too much like HER…* he thinks to himself.
****


Tiiiiing ting ting tiiiiing

Maína played the koto at the far end of the entertainment hall. She was wearing a beautiful kimono for the event; it was black with golden cranes on the sleeves and lower portion. Her hair, which matched the cranes, was up in a tight ponytail, with a couple of strands in front of her face. Inutasho had picked the kimono out especially for her, he loved seeing it on Sesshoumaru’s mother, and was very pleased when she looked lovely in it as well.
Everyone was just arriving, and soon, they would all move to the next room for the feast. The guests separated into their own little groups, the wives, the husbands, the children, and then everyone else. Inutasho and Izayoi where not too far from where Maína was playing. Inutasho enjoyed listening to her, as he had these past days.
He surveyed the room, noting almost everyone was here. The only person that was missing was Sesshoumaru. He had in fact been missing since Maína had arrived; he had probably gone out wandering like he usually did. Inutasho didn’t mind him doing this, it actually gave him some alone time with Izayoi. As soon as Maína was done playing the current piece, he’d make an announcement to move into the dining hall. *But why did he have to leave before the banquet? I’ll need to remind him to not do it again.* He said to himself, *He probably won’t show up at all.*
“Nani.” He said calling the servant over to him.
“Yes, my lord?” He said quickly walking over.
“Does everyone have their own server?” he asked knowing the answer.
“Of course my Lord, every thing is prepared. We are ready to serve at your command.”
“Sesshoumaru will not be coming, so tell Hiro that she’ll work in the kitchen tonight.” He said noticing Maína’s pause before she started another piece.
“Of course me lord.” Nani said bowing and walking away to find Hiro, Sesshoumaru’s personal servant.
“Everyone!” Inutasho said in a loud voice, “Thank you for coming, Izayoi and I welcome you to our home. The feast is about to begin in the next room.” He finished as everyone started making their way to the dining hall.
“Is your son not coming?” Izayoi said knowing how important this event was to Inutasho.
“Probably not.” He said making his way to the dining hall behind everyone with Izayoi close to his side.
He had hoped that Sesshoumaru would show up to, at the very least, to acknowledge his father’s power. He would need to have a very serious talk with him when he returned.
Maína had stopped playing when she had heard Inutasho’s first word. She had sat there quietly during the short speech, and as soon as everyone was out the room she began covering the koto as she had been instructed. She’d then quickly change into the normal yukata and help out in the kitchen.
The koto was barely half way covered when she heard someone come in the room. She looked up to see a tall demon in the doorway. He had silver long hair and some markings on his face that she couldn’t make out from her quick glance. But without a doubt, this had to be Sesshoumaru; the silver hair and the white boa where unmistakable signs. She had thought he’d ignore her and walk toward the dining area, but instead, he came right over to her and grabbed one of her wrists in his right hand, yanking it away from the koto.
“What exactly are you doing with my mother’s koto? And where did you get that kimono?!” he asked her in a deadly tone, recognizing both things as his mother’s possessions.
“I was instructed by my lord to play it for today’s banquet, the kimono is the masters.” She said trying her best not to look up at him, she wanted to plead to him so he’d let go.
“My father has not let anyone touch this koto for years!” he yelled starting to burn her wrist with his poison.
“Sesshoumaru!” his father’s voice boomed across the room.
Sesshoumaru looked over, stopping his attack on her wrist, but he never let go. Maína had put her other hand on her own wrist trying to pull her hand out of Sesshoumaru’s hold.
“Let go of her! What do you think you are doing?!” He said walking over to where they were.
Sesshoumaru slowly obeyed and Maína pulled her injured wrist back toward her, the smell of burning flesh filled the room.
“Who is this?” Sesshoumaru demanded.
“She’s the entertainment. Now where have you been?!” Inutasho said changing the subject.
“Out.” Was his answer.
“You and I are going to talk.” He said turning around and abruptly stopping, “I’ve already sent Hiro off into the kitchen, so you’ll have to go without a servant for the banquet.”
“She’s not busy.” He said grabbing Maína’s injured wrist and pulling her down on the ground, “She can serve me tonight.”
Inutasho did not want Maína to serve Sesshoumaru, but at least this way; she’d be in the room where he’d be able to see her, and not in the kitchen, hidden from his sight. He nodded, and headed off into the dining hall once again. Maína got up and walked behind Sesshoumaru all the way into the adjacent room where everyone was seated.
The amount of people at the banquet was not large. Only the most respected and closest friends of Inutasho where there. The room was big, giving the servants enough room to move around and get their jobs done.
Maína, much to Sesshoumaru’s surprise, was an excellent server. She never once bumped into him or the set the heavy plates down with a bang, injured wrist and all. Throughout the feast and the conversations, Inutasho kept a secret eye on Maína. Her graceful movements and her ability to move her long sleeves out of the way mesmerized him. Why had he picked that certain kimono for her tonight? It had been one of her favorites, only wearing on special occasions. After her death, all her belongings had been stored away, to be forgotten. The kimono, had gone dormant, but seeing it on Maína brought it alive again.
The feast went out without any problems. After everyone had finished dinner, everyone moved back into the entertainment area, and Maína followed Sesshoumaru around for the night. Sesshoumaru moved around as much as he could, he would take a sip of glass of wine and hand it to Maína, only to grab another one and hand it to her as well. He made things very difficult for her that night, and much to Sesshoumaru’s disappointment, she carried out his every command flawlessly.
*Such a pity, I was looking forward to punishing her.* Sesshoumaru said to himself, hoping she’d do something wrong by the end of the night.
The feast lasted a few hours after sunset. Inutasho had used the excuse that Izayoi needed her rest to make everyone leave. He enjoyed these banquets, but he grew tired of them very easily and very quickly. Most of all, having Maína in the room was more difficult that Inutasho thought it was going to be. It became tiring to hide his quick glances at her, and on certain occasions he almost felt the need to drag her into the next room and runt her, just to get it out of his system. He needed to be away from her, now.
Inutasho and Izayoi followed their guests out the door, with all the servants who where present lined up against the wall. As soon as everyone had left, Sesshoumaru, Inutasho and Izayoi started heading toward their rooms, and everyone abruptly stopped when they heard a commotion behind them. Sesshoumaru smiled to see the events in the hallway.
Maína was rolling on the floor with Hiro. Hiro was screaming incoherent things to Maína who, at this point, was protecting the kimono more than herself. Inutasho quickly unhooked his arm from Izayoi’s, telling her to keep walking, and motioned Sesshoumaru to join him. Since both of the women were youkai, Nani certainly couldn’t pull them apart, and if anyone else joined in, they’d be punished as well.
Maína suddenly felt Hiro’s weight being pulled of her, and then she felt herself being picked up and held a couple of inches off the floor by her neck.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Inutasho demanded as he held Hiro by her neck as well, away from Maína.
“Hiro suddenly attacked Maína, my lord. I believe she is angry at her because she served Lord Sesshoumaru tonight, and she was sent to the kitchen.” Nani quickly said putting together the bits of info he had gotten from Hiro’s screams.
Hiro’s jealously toward Sesshoumaru was well known. Nani had told Maína to stay well away from her and Sesshoumaru, and she had intended to do just that. She had successfully avoided Hiro and Sesshoumaru for the last four days, but today it had been unavoidable.
“You know what the punishment is for starting fights.” He said to Hiro.
“My lord, I believe that Maína planned this from the beginning in order to assassinate Sesshoumaru-sama!” she said lying.
“I have had enough of you, and your lies!!” Inutasho said squeezing his hand and crushing her bones.
Hiro’s dead body slumped to the floor, and an even deader silence filled the air.
“Let that be a lesson to all of you.” He said staring at everyone against the wall, “and you, Maína will need to be punished as well.” He said walking over to where Sesshoumaru still had her hanging in the air.
“I didn’t do anything!” She said fruitlessly struggling against Sesshoumaru’s hold.
“But you very well know the rules, Nani prepare the-” Inutasho was then cut off by Sesshoumaru.
“I’ll punish her father.” He said hiding the fact that he was excited beyond anything he could remember that he had this opportunity.
“Just don’t kill her.” Inutasho said turning around and headed for his room. He had actually wanted to punish her himself, but he knew he’d lose control and end up punishing her in a slightly different manner.
Sesshoumaru then put Maína down and shifted both of her arms behind her back painfully. She arched her back, thinking it make the pain go away, but it simply made it worse. She kept screaming to anyone who would listen, that it wasn’t her fault and that she hadn’t done anything, but Sesshoumaru forced her to walk past the linen of servants and directed her down many halls to the black door that led to the bowels of the castle.