The Twelfth Concubine

By: AubreySimone

folder InuYasha › Het - Male/Female › Sesshōmaru/Kagome

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 39

Views: 20,390

Reviews: 54

Recommended: 3

Currently Reading: 9

Category: InuYasha › Het - Male/Female › Sesshōmaru/Kagome

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 39

Views: 20,390

Reviews: 54

Recommended: 3

Currently Reading: 9

Disclaimer: The anime/manga Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. The author, Aubrey Simone, makes no money from the writing or posting of this fic.

Messages

Chapter Thirty—Messages

Her bandages itched, and working the tip of a fingernail beneath the wrapping of her left forearm, Sango discreetly loosened the scratchy material. A breeze rustled through the high pine trees, and the slayer turned her face toward the chill, shivering lightly despite her thick kimono and even thicker blanket. 'It will not be much longer.'

She looked westward.

'Not much longer at all.'

A thick coil of youki brushed along her senses, and she recognized the signature as belonging to the panther who had arrived just a few days earlier; she shifted restlessly, then stilled as the demoness ducked into the clearing she had escaped to. For a moment, they watched each other—a moment heavy with tension and mutual dislike—and then the cat lifted her chin, turned, and disappeared into the trees. Sango relaxed.

'I must remember my duty,' she thought, nearly sneering at how the words had become like a mantra to her, a reminder of restraint that she had never truly needed before this mission. 'But there is something about her…something that makes me ache to spill her blood.' It was a disturbingly violent thought, a thought she usually reserved for the worst of her marks. 'One of which she, unfortunately, is not.'

Her fingers twitched, and she rolled her shoulders in an effort to ease the tension in them. 'She does not matter,' she reminded herself firmly, and reached into the sleeve of her kimono to retrieve the roll of parchment stashed there. With careful, numbed fingers, she unrolled the fragile paper and drew strength from the characters her employer had hastily written there, and of the trust her father had put in her to complete this mission.

'Her name is Kagome. Bring her back to me.'

Once more, Sango's eyes drifted westward, and as she stood to make her way back to the hut—which she had left in eagerness to get away from a certain violet-eyed monk—she vowed that she would complete this task.

'By Winter Solstice, the woman will be where she belongs; back with her own kind.'

:..:..:..:..:

Inuyasha wasn't too fond of crowds. He wasn't fond of people either, but crowds set his teeth on edge, and irritation crawled over his skin and lay there like some twisted set of robes. He growled.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You," the hanyou answered automatically, not even sparing a glance toward the kitsune perched on his shoulder.

"Ha! You wouldn't have got here without me, half breed!"

"'Course I woulda, runt! You don' know up from down anyways, much less how to—ow! Keep yer mouth offa my ears, you—ow!"

And completely ignoring the fact that he had people openly staring at him, Inuyasha pried Shippo off of his head, glared maliciously into the little asshole's face, and then reared back and—

—threw nothing but air.

He froze.

Inspecting the hand that was still thrust above his head—he'd been aching to toss the runt ever since the kit had decided to tag along—he mentally retraced his steps, knowing that he'd been three seconds from chucking the damned annoyance all the way back to Miroku's hut. 'What the fuck?'

A throat cleared behind him. He whirled.

And promptly forgot his own name.

:..:..:..:..:

Even if Yun-Qi hadn't whispered the identity of the hanyou staring back at her, Kagome would've been hard pressed not to guess at his lineage. He did, after all, greatly resemble Lord Sesshomaru. With a polite, though somewhat embarrassed smile—why was he staring at her like that?—Kagome inclined her head, aware of the kitsune cub Jiao-Long had snatched from the hanyou's grip huddling against her leg.

"Inuyasha-sama, have you come to see Lord Sesshomaru?" The large golden eyes—lighter and far more emotive than Sesshomaru-sama's steady amber gaze—only grew wider, and then the thick, white brows snapped together, and the half-breed crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I came to see the asshole," he responded gruffly, looking directly at her. "Who are you to be askin'?"

She bowed, dipping just an inch shallower than she would have for Lord Sesshomaru. "I am Higurashi Kagome, twelfth to Sesshomaru-sama." When she straightened, there was a look of blatant shock plastered over his face, and she allowed him a moment before politely asking, "Would you like an escort to the shiro, Inuyasha-sama? I would be honored to let Sesshomaru-sama kn—"

"He already knows I'm here," Inuyasha interrupted, narrowing his sun-bright eyes at her. "Bastard probably sent you to embarrass me, didn't he? I ain't no lord, an' he knows it."

Kagome tried not to frown. "He didn't send me for—"

"Oh yeah? Then why the hell're you callin' me 'Inuyasha-sama', huh?"

His rude tone irked her, and this time she didn't try to hide her reaction. "Inuyasha-sama," she stressed, "I have not been sent here for anything; I was assured by my servant that you only come to the West in order to meet with Sesshomaru-sama, and I was simply offering to accompany you to the grounds." She paused and collected her breath, which had grown short in her irritation. "Now, would you like an escort, or not?"

The crowd around them had long since fell silent, and Inuyasha cast a glance around, scoffed, and then turned away and leapt over the gathered throng with a rustle of bright red fabric. For a moment, Kagome stared at where he'd been standing, and then, head cocked to one side, she addressed the inuyoukai standing behind her.

"You were right; he is stubborn."

The atmosphere gave a collective sigh—though Kagome was kind, her temper had made itself known on more than one unfortunate occasion—and as the hustle and bustle of the town proper resumed its busy pace, Kagome looked down at the youkai at her side. "Would you like to come to the shiro with me, kitsune-chan?"

Immediately, the little cub flashed her a bright, fanged smile, hopping up onto her shoulder with all the exuberance of an excited cat. Kagome smiled, nodded to Jiao-Long, and then began the walk back up to the grounds.

The kit—who happily introduced himself as Shippo—chattered the entire time, and she learned that he was an orphan, his parents having been killed during a human-prompted skirmish. He'd lived alone, wandering the countryside and fighting to survive for a year before running into Inuyasha just two months before, and had been staying up in the Northern mountains ever since.

'Another parentless child,' she thought morosely, Shippo having lapsed into silence as they neared the front gates. 'And for nothing…His parents were killed for nothing!'

The thought sent sorrow bubbling into her throat, and patting absently at one of the small, fox-paw feet dangling over her shoulder, the miko nodded in recognition to the guards by the gate. She had just stepped through when a wave of youki—oppressive and full of anger—washed over her. She gasped.

"Sesshomaru-sama…?"

Uncaring of the consequences, she darted into the main courtyard, eyes widening in shock as a red and white blur sped past her body. In an instant, both she and Shippo were swept away from the violence that had unfolded on the usually peaceful grounds, and Jiao-Long set her safely on one of the walkways, aura wrapped tightly, protectively, around her.

"Jiao-Long, what…why are they fighting?"

Eyes following the progress of the two youkai as they met and broke apart time and time again, Kagome wrung her hands in her sleeves. When Jiao-Long didn't respond, she looked at him, and the hard set of his mouth and deep furrow between his brows sent unease thundering through her system.

"My lord and Inuyasha have never been…close," he answered at last, scorn putting a bite into his usually carefree voice. "Whether Sesshomaru-sama instigates the confrontation, or whether Inuyasha is the one to start the fight, this is what happens."

A loud, bone-shaking snarl startled her, and she crowded closer to Jiao-Long's protective figure, clutching at a trembling Shippo's shoulder and pulling the cub into her lap. "I don't understand," Kagome admitted, cringing at the impact Inuyasha received for a poorly executed lunge. "Why are they fighting? They're brothers!"

"Half-brothers, Kagome-sama. And Inuyasha is hanyou, born of the Inu no Taisho's lover."

"But—"

"It is a story that Sesshomaru-sama should tell you, Kagome-sama," Jiao-Long murmured, cutting her off with no hint of remorse. His eyes slanted to her face, and he gave her a thin, tight smile. "Though there's no guarantee he'll answer any of your questions—you're just a human, after all."

She gave a wan smile in return, appreciating the effort to sooth her. Beside her, Yun-Qi moved closer, and together, the four of them watched as Inuyasha lunged again and again, nearly insane with the rage Kagome could feel buffeting against her senses.

The difference between the two brothers was, Kagome noticed as she calmed, like night and day. Whereas Inuyasha threw himself recklessly into every attack, Lord Sesshomaru moved with a grace that she thought would have been impossible in his deep red kimono. She could hear his geta clacking with each fluid step he took, Inuyasha's claws clicking erratically with his wild lunges.

Angry growls—all of which came from Inuyasha—split the air at staggered intervals, and Kagome soon became immersed, watching Lord Sesshomaru with growing awe. Everything he did, every move he made, was exacted with intense precision. Even the long, silken strands of his hair obeyed his every whim, snapping this way or that with a controlled flick of his head, and though the anger in his aura was easy enough to feel, Kagome could see that he refused to let the emotion dictate his actions; his face was calm, collected.

The fight went on for several long minutes, and Kagome calmed considerably as she watched, suddenly realizing that Sesshomaru was doing everything in his power not to harm his half-sibling. It was a shocking revelation, considering the vivacity with which they fought, but its truth was there, glaringly obvious for all to see in the way the full inu's claws only sank deep enough to draw blood; in the way the bright green whip—which smelled alluringly (or perhaps strangely) of crushed pine—always just missed taking Inuyasha's head from his shoulders.

'But if Sesshomaru-sama doesn't want to kill him, then why…'

The thought trailed off as a thick mass of fur, which Kagome had only seen once or twice on occasion, suddenly exploded into life, sending a burst of youki crashing into her chest. She gasped, her breath lodged in her throat, and watched as one end of it snaked around Inuyasha's lunging form and slammed him to the ground. The hanyou was still.

Kagome sighed.

And as Yun-Qi drew her away from the courtyard, her eyes meeting Sesshomaru's placid gaze, she wondered

'Why do you fight him, Sesshomaru-sama, if you do not mean to kill him?'

It was a question she was determined to have an answer to.

:..:..:..:..:

'Things are worse than they first seemed, my lord. The trade route in the North has been blocked, as suspected, but it is not bandits who have captured the roads; it is Lord Ryuu whose soldiers prevent the caravans.

Aoi-sama collected as much information as she could before she was somehow detected and attacked. We have taken shelter with Miroku-sama. When she is well, we will return.

Also, there is a slayer. I am not sure of her motives, but I will watch her nonetheless.

—Rin'

Sesshomaru crumpled the note, anger and disbelief at Lord Ryuu's presumptuous behavior making his jaw clench. 'How dare he…the treaty between our lands has not expired, nor has he sent word to this Sesshomaru stating his reasons for closing the trade routes.' He bit back the urge to snarl. 'I shall not have another war on my hands.'

"Jaken." As always, his retainer heeded his call immediately, and ignoring the high-pitched groveling, the inu lord demanded, "Send for Kotono. She is to come at once."

"Of course, milord!"

'She shall fix this, once and for all. Or I shall kill her brother.'

:..:..:..:..:

Watching over Mei's shoulder, Kagome sat in silent awe at the picture coming to life on the wood block perched carefully on a raised platform beside the window. Though they had both agreed that a walk would be far too uncomfortable a task for their afternoon activity—which had become a habitual thing between them since having tea two days before—Kagome had suggested they sit together in Lord Sesshomaru's personal archives. It was Mei who had admitted to a knack for painting, and Kagome who had insisted the demoness show her what she was capable of.

It was like watching a master complete his best work, and nearly—nearly, though not quite—engaging enough to deter Kagome's thoughts from the fight she had witnessed earlier in the day.

Starting out with a wood block, Mei had taken a thick piece of pure charcoal, used her claws to taper it at one end, and then outlined a design of the shiro as it looked from the road; tall and imposing above a prosperous town of youkai and human merchants.

The simple beginning had quickly morphed into a truly spectacular rendition, and Kagome had murmured compliment after compliment as Mei worked, adding color from crushed herbs and dried berries, water and brushes and thoughtful pauses all working together to create a beautiful work of magnificent art.

When she was finished, Kagome breathed her amazement, and Mei flushed prettily, shyly wiping the brushes she'd used against a piece of cloth. "Thank you, Kagome-san." Her soft gray eyes slanted toward the miko, and then she quietly asked, "Do you think that Sesshomaru-sama would like it?"

Kagome smiled slyly. "Are you thinking of giving it to him tomorrow night?" Mei flushed, but nodded nonetheless, and Kagome nudged the demoness with one shoulder in a friendly gesture. "I think he'll love it." Mei hummed, and Kagome discreetly watched her from the corner of one eye, pouring the tea that had been brought for them. "Are you nervous?"

Clawed fingers stilled over a brush. "Yes," she whispered after a moment, "very much so." Kagome remained silent, and Mei turned to face her, pale cheeks rosy and fingers fiddling. "Were you nervous, when…?"

Kagome smiled, and suddenly knew how Kotono felt when she had to teach—very, very responsible. "Yes, very much so," she repeated. Mei frowned.

"But you seem so confident," she observed, gray eyes full of uncertainty. "And you are so comfortable with Sesshomaru-sama…I can hardly look at him!"

"I've gotten used to him," Kagome admitted with a shrug. "I used to think he was going to send me home at any minute." She grinned. "I'm not like you, so quiet and obedient."

"I was raised to be so," the demoness murmured, eyes searching Kagome's face. "But still. I cannot fathom what is to happen." Then, almost as though she were afraid to say it aloud, she looked away and whispered, "This will be my first."

And Kagome suddenly understood. 'All the shyness, the fear…She's untouched!'

The miko had pulled the trembling youkai into her embrace before she registered it, but once there, Mei shook like a leaf in the wind, and Kagome didn't let go.

:..:..:..:..:

"Show me the Northern compound."

Instantly, the face—his face—staring back at him disappeared, and in its place a tall, imposing structure stood, its tiered roofs and massive courtyards made from a myriad of grays and blacks. Amongst the snow, which had come early for the North, as was common for how deeply situated the compound was, a few servants milled about, and guards tucked their halberds beneath their arms and rubbed their hands together in a vigorous motion. Naraku resisted the urge to snicker.

"Now, Lord Ryuu's study."

The image shifted, colors blending and bleeding until the picture displayed was of the Northern lord's study, where the dragon youkai sat behind his desk, frowning at the bowing man before him. No sound could be picked up—his spy was, after all, a spider, not a man—and so Naraku focused his attentions on other things; namely, the papers strewn all about the dragon's desk.

For quite some time, Naraku inspected what was there, turning notions and ideas over in his mind as he sat, shrouded in darkness on the balcony of his room. He sat for so long, in fact, that his half-sibling, after catching sight of him from her own balcony across the courtyard, joined him, red eyes piercing in the midnight gloom.

"Lord Ryuu is amassing forces," he informed her, unable to keep the interest and amusement out of his voice. "It seems he has decided not to take the offer I sent to him; he will attack the West instead." He took a moment to think. "A pity…He would have been much better off siding with me."

"Of course, because you do have the best plans, don't you?"

He had never cared much for his sister's penchant for sarcasm, but satisfaction had cloaked itself over him like a shroud, and he was far too pleased to demand her respect. Naraku reached forward and tapped Kanna's mirror, and the image shown swirled and faded as the hanyou drew his daughter into a tender embrace.

"Well, what will you do now?" She sounded resigned, tired, and he snidely mused that she should have felt that way; after arguing with him for the better part of two days about his decision, it was high time she simply conceded that he would do as he pleased.

"Now, Kagura," he responded after a while, "I will wait."

And he began to word the letter he would send to Sesshomaru-sama in three days' time, eager to see his plan fall into place.

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