The Subservient Princess

No chapter specific warnings just some drama and maybe a touch of angst.

The Subservient Princess

Coming of Age too Soon

It took a week of pleading for Gamamaru to get Jaken back into their bed chambers, but the little Kappa was still giving him the silent treatment and he could forget about sex or any physical contact what so ever. Jaken made that clear the first night back with Gamamaru, when the toad laid his hand on the Kappa’s shoulder. Jaken bit him. He bit hard enough to drawl blood and then left the room in a huff.

Ren was not fairing so well. She was miserable and didn’t leave her room. Her siblings were no help. The three Mizu’s were all atwitter telling Ren how lucky she was to have such a handsome male as her intended. “Especially seeing as you are so homely…no offense of course!” Mizuko spoke then quickly clapped her hands over her spoiled mouth and batted her eye lashes in embarrassment.

She could finally take no more of the verbal jibes and headed out into the halls of the vast underground networks that were her home and her father’s palace. She intended to go seek comfort where no judgment would lye and no words of false comfort would be spoken. She intended to see the young fry. They would swim around her and cuddle and coo adorably and she could forget for the time being that her fate had been sealed by her well meaning but mislead father.

Today was not her day as none other then the bastard himself stepped out of a connecting tunnel blocking her view. “Satoshi Toru,” Ren bowed her purple ringlets cascaded over her face as she lowered herself in mock of respect.

She snapped back up standing up straight and tall, she was his equal in height and she wasn’t about to be intimidated. She moved to go around the big lug of a demon, but he wasn’t about to let her leave. His arm shot out and blocked her path. “Excuse me Satoshi-sama I wish to pass,” Ren growled.

“Oh no, my young hime you and I need to speak about our nuptials. I think you are quite old enough to be bread. He appraised her body. To him she was not at all desirable but the thought of dominating such a strong female did excite him. He felt aroused and the thought of putting the bitch in her place excited him. He grabbed her arm, “You and I are going to speak to Lord Gamamaru, with the new season you will be mine to rule, and I’ll make good use of that haughty mouth of yours. He began dragging the female back the way she had come toward the living quarters of the lord and his family.
“No! I’m not going anywhere with you!” She kicked his shin and he yelped. Ren took the opportunity to flee.

Satoshi cursed the maiden and marched to the lord’s chambers to speak to the older male. He would ensure that the little upstart got her comeuppance in his bed chambers by the next full moon…

…Pond weeds of a strangely purple hue swayed as a tadpole demon darted in and out. Long slender fingers poked out of the hollow in the sunken log that these strange plants seemed to grow from. A little belly was attacked with tickles and a head and shoulders popped up out of the hole. Ren smiled as the little one wriggled and laughed out little bubbles. She let her prey escape from her tickle torture and swam out of the log joining the young fry who all decided it was time to tackle big sister and get her some payback. Tiny webbed fingers grasped at her skin and tickled. Ren began laughing and squirming until it ended in an all out wrestling match. Ren was the victor and had five little ones in a bear hug.

She heard someone plunging into the water. Ren saw a figure that was shadowed by the back lighting, but she recognized her mother’s form. Jaken swam down to her brood and indicated that she needed to talk to Ren she and her momma gathered the brood and put them in their nest with a promise of hunting for lunch very soon.

Jaken and Ren surface together and sat at the waters edge. Ren turned away to wring her dripping hair out. Jaken gave a quick shake. Neither seemed uncomfortable to be sitting in dripping clothes.

“So what did you need of me, momma?” Ren asked.

Jaken frowned, “That beast Satoshi Toru.”

“Don’t tell me about him he stopped me in the hall earlier,” Ren made a disgusted face and frowned.

“He spoke to your father trying to convince him that you and he should be mated before the next moon.”

Ren’s mouth fell open as a stupefied look covered her face. She clapped her jaw shut, “I will not!”

“You have no say in the matter I am sorry child,” Jaken reached up to cup her heart shaped face as tears formed in her eyes.

“Can’t you do anything? Please Momma,” Ren begged. She knew the only being capable of influencing her father was her mother, but Jaken gave a defeated sigh. “I tried, I’m sorry but he has the notion in his head that, that bastard will be a good match for you.”

“No,” Ren got up and ran. Jaken called after his child. He wished there was something he could do for his first born. His little heart ached for her and his head hurt. He had wracked his brains and nothing short of sending her child away came to mind…

…Satoshi sat impatiently as the lord contemplated his proposal. “I do not think it is wise to marry her so young. She is but a child yet.”

“Sire she has reached her maturity,” Satoshi informed, “I can smell it. She will experience her first breeding period with in the next moon.”

Gamamaru frowned. He rather hated the thought of his daughter growing up so fast. He really thought she would have a few more years as a maiden when he had made the arrangements with the young solider. Alas he could be correct. Maturation of mixed demons can sometimes be unpredictable. The girl was so human looking and she resembled a child of thirteen or fourteen years. If he remembered correctly that was the age that human girls often matured into womanhood. Those humans have no qualms with impregnating females of such a tender age. He didn’t like it however. Unfortunately it seemed that Ren’s betrothed was very eager to have her bearing his young soon. He grunted noncommittally, “We will see. By the next full moon if she is ready to bear eggs then we will discuss the marriage. Until then my daughter is a maiden and she shall remain one I do not care if you long to have her.” The lord warned.

Satoshi almost chuckled at the foolish old toad. He thought he actually wanted to bed the ugly demoness. Well he did wish to breed her and make her fat with his fertilized eggs, but only for the promise of lordship when the old toad would die.

…Etsuko frowned as she managed to over hear the Lord’s conversation with the upstart. Her poor deluded lord failed to see the frog for what he was, power hungry. She waited a few seconds then knocked upon his chamber door.

“Enter,” the lord called. Etsuko walked in and bowed low to the lord and chose to completely ignore the frog, “What do you need of me Etsuko?” Gamamaru smiled at his head servant and trusted friend. She glanced sideways at the frog before speaking.

“Oh, hm, you may go Satoshi-san,” He offered his lesser a parting smile. Etsuko kept her presence low until she heard the door shutting behind her.

“Get up off the floor with good natured impatience,” He urged her to raise her head as an equal. Etsuko turned quickly and spat a sticky wad of her epoxy like saliva at the door. It made a loud bang and an angry grunt came from the other side. “Forgive me lord, but I do believe there was an annoying insect bussing about your door. She projected her voice toward the door where that had thick ooze now dripping off it. The salamander moved to the door and smoothed the stuff into the cracks, “Good now if that upstart wants to listen in he might as well dig a hole under the door.” She dusted her hands which were actually clean as her body reabsorbed the residue. “Honestly lord?” She now sounded exasperated with her master she would never have used this tone in front of anyone else, but between her, Jaken and their lord it was well known who held the most respect for whom. Etsuko was a wise female and had never steered her lord down the wrong path. She had hoped to veer the lord from such a colossal mistake, but the sneaky frog had gotten to the lord whilst out on the field of battle. He connived his way into a position that smacked of the eventual usurping of power.

Worse then that the Frog was the worst kind of philander. He had spawn from half a dozen submissive demons and one shamed dominant that was forced to step down from his duties as a commanding officer for becoming a bearer.

It wasn’t that there was shame I being a dominant that bore young, but bearers were not usually allowed to serve in battle much less a leadership position. It certainly isn’t the case that those who can bear young aren’t valued, dominants can be bearers and live proudly …But to become impregnated when battle loomed over head was a very frowned upon thing.

Etsuko was one of the rare female dominants. Her intended was her twin brother whom had been killed protecting her even though he was a natural submissive. In battle submissives were like the pawns on the chess board and the leaders had to be naturally dominant (in most cases) but bearers were never allowed to fight because their offspring are more important then their prowess on the battle field.

She was not a worier thought she could have been a strategist with her brains, but she was a valued servant and the only dominant allowed in close proximity to Jaken when the lord was not with him. He trusted her with his most prized and beloved Jaken.

Etsuko had lost all interest in any form of romance when her beloved brother was killed. She lamented him but made the most out of her life helping in tending to the young and loving them like she would have her own brood. More often then not the Lord felt like a scolded but well loved child coming out of discussions where the she demon felt he had done wrong. He could tell by the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice today he was going to feel the sharp end of her tongue.

“Satoshi Toru is a scoundrel and a rogue. He only wants your daughter for a political ladder. Sire, I fear what will become of her once he gets what he truly wants!” Etsuko raised her voice and pinned him with a fiery glare,

“Not once did it ever occur to you that Ren might NOT want to marry him Sire? Hm?” Etusko growled.

“Etsuko please calm yourself. Ren is young and she doesn’t know what she wants she isn’t ready for that kind of decision. She-”

Etsuko balked, “So you decided to take that decision from her, but it doesn’t occur to my great lord that she is TOO YOUNG for this marriage! She cries herself to sleep at night you know my lord!”

“Oh,” Gamamaru frowned, “Perhaps it is nerves.”

“Yes she is nervous about marrying a man whom she hates and whom openly insults her in front of servants and even my lord’s mistress Jaken.”

“Why would not Jaken have told me this?” Gamamaru looked confused.

“I believe he did,” She smirked down at his bandaged hand. Then her expression morphed from haughty to imploring, “Please sire, reconsider this foolishness.”

“I can not. Satoshi-san and I have already signed a marriage contract. There isn’t anything I can do to break it under our lord’s law.”

She frowned, “Than take this matter to Lord Sesshomaru!”

“I will not,” He pounded his desk angrily; “I stand by my decision! Ren will grow more comfortable with the idea of marriage after having time to get used to it.”

Etsuko bowed curtly, “May I take my leave my lord?”

“Yes, yes, you may go Etsuko,” He sighed fitfully as he turned away from the red salamander demon and back to his paperwork. She touched the door and absorbed all of the secretion back into her skin. She left with out looking back. Her lord would grow to regret this decision, but it would be the poor innocent child that would be paying dearly for her father’s pigheadedness.