Chronicles of the West

Chapter Sixty One

The nobles and delegates of court began arriving the following day. They came with a great to-do. Per Sesshoumaru's instructions, the soldiers were left in their home regions to provide protection. The counsel would be discussing whether or not the vastly powerful lord of the west would be required to erect barriers.

Some speculated that even he might not be able to accomplish such a grand feat. The amount of concentration and power were easily available to Sesshoumaru, but the maintaining of such a thing would exhaust anyone. Surely even him. Of course they dared not speculate within earshot of the cold lord.

Sesshoumaru's efficient staff were kept in perpetual motion. Settling and seeing to the many guests who flocked to the massive palace. It had been a long while since so many chambers were occupied. Sesshoumaru disliked visitors for the most part, Preferring the solace of his home to remain unbroken.
His halls were already filled with scents that he did not know, nor wish to know intimately, and all around the hissing whispers of gossiping females and plotting males reached his ears. Not to overthrow him, no, for they seemed to realize the futility of such actions. No, they wished to garner favor from him. Pathetic.

"Hey what's got your hakamas in a bunch?" Inuyasha asked coming around the corner. Sesshoumaru glanced down at himself, much to Inuyasha's amusement, "It means, what's bothering you?" he amended.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to his teeming courtyard, "I hate court" he muttered. Inuyasha could sympathize, it wasn't that long ago that these people hated him for merely being. Time, like them, was fickle and changed.

"I hear you" Inuyasha said in a low voice, "With Satoru and Ryu here I am sure that the gossips will have a great time". Sesshoumaru growled softly, "My house is above gossip. I shall make an example of those who abuse my hospitality".

Inuyasha nodded, this was how Sesshoumaru remained so strong. He was cruel, cold, apathetic to those around him. He had no heart to the court. He'd killed several because of slights against his mate and now Ayeka and Kagome were barely viewed as human.

"If you need to let off some steam" Inuyasha said, "Let me know". Sesshoumaru's patience waned in the presence of the court. No doubt he would wish to spar to relieve anger and tension, before he killed more of them. His brother nodded slightly, "I want you to listen to them Inuyasha, and have Toga's friend Ippiku do the same".

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Elda sat in the private gardens, deep in thought. The entire youkai court of Japan was here now, and her brother would no doubt use this chance to shame Toga into mating her. She would have preferred something less embarrassing, for both of them. Alas, Adus was set in his decision.

A familiar scent reached her and she looked up to see Toga enter the gardens. He was adorned in fine silks and his armor was gleaming. He looked every inch the princeling of the west. Golden eyes raked over her.

"Toga" she said softly. He nodded in greeting, "I have come to ask how you are feeling after the attack" he told her. She blushed, "I am recovered now, it could have been much worse" she replied, 'if a certain wolf hadn't appeared' she mentally added.

Toga nodded. "Elda, why are you here?" he asked bluntly. She rose from her seat, "To be your bride of course" she said without humor. Golden eyes narrowed on her slim form and she looked to the ground at her feet. "This was not my intent" she whispered, "I wanted more from you than you would give me".

Toga listened to her as she continued, "I wanted someone strong, handsome, an equal match for myself" she told him. Toga grunted, "We are not equals Elda, nor will we ever be" he pointed out. Her cheeks flamed in indignation. "I am not a lesser creature" she snapped out.

Toga lifted one fine brow, "Not to the others, but to me, you are Elda". His voice was hard. She disliked that tone, he'd never used it around her before. She instinctively backed away from him. Toga's hand swept out, snatching her arm and preventing her flight. "Tell me the truth Elda" he snapped at her, "You and that cowardly cur of a brother of yours came to try and force a match because of the elemental that slipped through his fingers at my hands. Isn't that true?"

Her eyes went wide, "What? What are you talking about?". He growled at her, "His intended match. This is his petty version of vengeance". She shook her head, not liking the way her brother's game had turned on her.

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Aislin and Silvana were walking along the upper walls with Kagome. They were enjoying the quiet, away from the whispering gossipmongers. Despite the fact that Aislin was human, there were several demons who knew of her upcoming presentation to court and had told her current guardian of their desire to court her.

It made Aislin's stomach hurt as she thought of that growing number. The most forward being a young horse demon. He was brave and kind and had managed to make her laugh when smiles seemed to be in short supply. Daisuke. Toga was only too aware of the horse demon's interest, and it irked him. His father seemed to take some measure of delight in telling him of the walks in the gardens they took.

Not to mention the fact that Elda, the wolf seemed bent on talking quite loudly about her upcoming nuptials to Toga whenever they were within earshot of one another. Toga had been distant with her of late. She wasn't certain if it was simply due to his father's command.

Even with a chaperone, he'd only come to see her twice since returning from the north. Something wasn't right. What if Elda was the one he wanted? What if she had been nothing but a plaything to him? What if he really didn't want to be bound to a human?

Elda was beautiful and proud, and a demoness. All the things that she was not. Did she really have any hope against such a woman? Things were different here and she understood enough to know that demons stayed with demons. Regardless of what their fathers chose.

Aislin listened half heartedly as Kagome told the story of how she and Inuyasha had met and come to be. Aislin's eyes trailed over the wall to the neat walks and then the greenery of the tidy gardens. To two figures standing so close together.

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Toga leaned closer to Elda, his eyes ablaze, "Tell me what you are after" he hissed at her. Her eyes went wide and she flung herself against him, "I only want you" she cried out, pressing their lips together.

Toga froze in his shock. How dare she touch him in such way uninvited? His hands gripped her shoulders with the intent to push her away when a small sound reached his keen ears. A sound of distress. Pulling from Elda he looked upwards and saw unmistakable golden hair above him.

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Aislin watched, transfixed as the woman threw herself against Toga's body. Her arms clutching his silk clad chest. Their lips meeting as if in slow motion. Toga's hands rose to her shoulders as though he might embrace her. The image blurred as moisture gathered in her eyes. She gasped at the ache that flared to life in her chest. "Aislin, what is it?" Silvana asked her, but her eyes beheld the spectacle below. Toga's head lifted and his eyes locked on them. He stepped away from the wolf but it was too late, the damage was done. Aislin stepped back from the railing, shaking her head as though she might banish the vision from her memory. Then she turned and fled down the shadowed corridors, Silvana and Kagome calling after her.

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Toga stepped away from Elda and her eyes followed his to where his human ward stood. Her face stricken and it was then that Elda understood. Toga prepared to leap after her, but Elda's hand on him arm stayed him.

"So I see" she murmured, "You care for the girl". Golden eyes snapped with anger as they settled on her. He said nothing, simply stared at her. The cold stare of his father. Elda sighed, "I had no intention of this" She whispered, "But Toga…she is not for you".

He growled low in his throat, "And what would you know about it?" he snapped. Her eyes were soft and sad as she beheld him, "She is human Toga, and innocent at that. Her life can be very different. You have given her that freedom that was so long denied her, returned her sight. Perhaps…perhaps it is best to leave it at that. Would you bind her to you forever?".

Toga glared at her, his answer quite clear in his eyes. Her own eyes went wide, "But a human heart is not made for eternity. Their love has a finite lifespan" she blurted out. Toga let his cool mask cover his handsome features, "And my mother?" he asked in deadly voice.

Elda could not argue anymore, she had no point left to make. "Those like us cling to the traditions because they are familiar, they are set in stone and change little. And perhaps that is no more than we deserve, however, I want more. And to get that one must break away from the old ways and strike out on their own. To be strong you have to walk on your own Elda…. Not under someone else's ideas or commands".

He turned and left her there, the sunlight suddenly feeling cold on her skin as though her life was no more than a shadow, a mockery of what might have been. And his words, they cut deeply, and the blood she shed came in the form of tears. She was defeated from within.

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Toga strode through the halls, his objective was Aislin's door. Of course she would see Elda's little display. Fate had it out for him, he was certain of that. He'd been so terribly busy with patrols and research that he'd not spent more than a handful of hours near her.

He'd wanted to, but her welfare came before her happiness at the moment. There was an enemy out there that was frighteningly driven. His intense desire to win rivaled only by his father's. He turned down the hallway leading to Aislin's door.

He tensed as a slivery shadow separated itself from the wall. "I believe my instructions were most clear Toga" Sesshoumaru stated. He'd expected Toga to seek her out. Kagome had told him all that had occurred.

Toga glanced at his father from the corner of his eye. "This is different" he said quietly. Sesshoumaru stepped between him and his goal, "Be that as it may, my word is law" his voice was equally soft, carrying a thread of steel. Toga crossed his arms over his chest. "Now you linger in hallways?" he asked. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, "You seem to forget that I am your father and therefore I am well aware of how you think".

Toga grunted, "So you will not allow me to see her?" he asked. Sesshoumaru shook his head, "Not at this moment. No" he replied. Toga cocked his head, "You know what she saw and you will not let me ease her?".

Sesshoumaru glared at his son, "What she saw" he said in a deadpan voice," was the product of your rash actions. If you believe that she is willing to hear anything from you at the moment, you'd be sadly mistaken". Toga blinked. A chill settling over him.

Sesshoumaru brushed his long hair over his shoulder, "Everything that you have ever said or done is now being questioned within her heart. Would you add fuel to the fire of doubt?" he asked. Toga stiffened, "You can't know that". Sesshoumaru smirked, "Oh but I can and I do. She told Silvana as much".

Toga looked somewhat surprised, "She told you?" he asked. Sesshoumaru made a gesture of unconcern, "Of course. It is one of the benefits of being a father" he replied. Toga's mind raced over the endless possibilities. Aislin was hurting, doubting his feeling for her. And it was no one's fault but his own.

"I am not mating Elda" Toga bit out. His father raised one brow in a gesture of cool disdain, "It is not me that you should endeavor to convince. Leave my ward alone Toga" he said, turning to walk away, "If you are to win her from this precarious point, let your actions speak for you".