Chapter Six - The Decision
True to her word, Kotono woke Kagome early the next morning, and, still mostly asleep and not at all ready for conversation, the miko barely registered Kotono's words: that Lord Sesshomaru would be announcing his choice later that evening. Once in the springs, however, the dragoness' words sped through her mind like quicksilver, repeating themselves over and over again until they were all she knew. 'Announcing his choice? No, not yet, he couldn't be! Oh gods what did we talk about last night? I hope I didn't make a fool of myself...oh but we had that argument—well, no, I did most of the arguing, didn't I? Gods I—' "Kagome?" Jumping slightly, Kagome turned toward Kotono's silhouette. "Y-yes?" "Are you alright?" She swallowed. "I...yes I'm fine." For a moment, the dragoness remained silent. "Very well." Sinking back down into the water, Kagome sighed quietly, bathed, and lifted herself up into the steamed air, wrapping her body in a drying cloth before stepping out into the dressing room. Kotono was waiting with two garment packages tucked beneath one arm, and Kagome cocked a brow. The dragoness grinned. "I wanted you to have more than one kimono of your own," she said with a shrug as she led her out of the springs. "You do enjoy them, do you not?" "Well...yes, but I wish you wouldn't have." At Kotono's chuckle, she felt her cheeks heat up. "What?" "My lord will frequently give you clothing and jewelry, should he choose you," she explained. "Your reluctance to accept gifts is amusing." Kagome pouted. "Are both of them mine?" Kotono made a noise, but didn't respond, emerald eyes twinkling as they entered her building and walked back to her quarters. "We will be breaking our fast with the others, and I need your help." Well aware that the dragoness had purposefully evaded her question, Kagome dropped the topic and nodded, standing beside Kotono as the demoness knelt in front of her mirror. "What do you need me to do?" Handing her a jade comb, the demoness reached up and unbound the mass of deep violet hair that had been sitting in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. The thick tresses tumbled down her back and pooled at her feet, and Kagome moved to kneel behind her, reaching forward to lift a section into her palm. The lady's hair was soft, and warm from being close her body, and Kagome carefully sifted through the silky locks, tugging the comb through them and being careful not to pull too hard. "I wish I had hair like yours," Kagome said, glancing up at the dragoness in the mirror. Kotono smiled softly, applying a small amount of kohl around her eyes. "Your hair is beautiful, little one," she responded. "You have no need of mine." Kagome shrugged, but said nothing, finishing her task in silence. When she handed the demoness her comb, however, a realization sprung to the forefront of her mind. "Kotono...?" Emerald eyes met hers in the mirror. "Are you going somewhere?" A dark brow rose, and Kagome rushed on, explaining, "The only other time I saw you with face paint was when we first met, and you were outside of the shiro then, so..." Kotono's smile widened, and she nodded. "Ah, but aren't you smart, little one," she praised, continuing despite the blush Kagome could feel spreading across her cheeks. "But yes, I have quite a bit of business to attend to today, after we eat." She gave no further details and Kagome moved to let the lady stand, following her to her wardrobe at her motioning. "Will you be back before Lord Sesshomaru announces his decision?" Kagome inquired, reaching out to take the many layers of silk kimono that Kotono began to hand her. Humming thoughtfully as she selected a brightly colored, heavily embroidered outer kimono, Kotono closed the doors of her wardrobe with a foot and moved to the center of the room. "I hope to be, yes," she responded, laying the red garment over a low table and slipping out of her robe. Trying not to blush at the dragoness' nude form, Kagome handed her an inner kimono and watched as she wrapped it securely, tying it around her slim waist before reaching for another. The process went on, and Kagome stepped forward to help as the last inner kimono was tied. "Don't you have a servant to do this for you?" Kagome asked, not realizing until after she spoke that she sounded as though she didn't want to help. "Not that I—" "I know what you meant," Kotono interrupted gently, amusement in her voice. "And yes, I do have Seiji, but," she paused to help Kagome tuck the heavy outer kimono to the correct length, "I sent him ahead to make preparations." "You...have a male servant?" Kagome asked hesitantly, remembering the blonde haired, blue-eyed youkai. "Yes," the dragoness answered slowly, voice slightly preoccupied as she worked to get the long yellow obi around her waist. "You're surprised?" Kagome reached forward and lifted the heavy silk, pulling and tightening and folding. "Well," she began with a frown, stepping back once the obi was wrapped correctly, "I just thought that...since you're Lord Sesshomaru's concubine..." She trailed off awkwardly, hoping that she wouldn't have to finish the thought. Kotono turned toward her, a smile pulling at her lips. "A servant is a servant," she responded lightly. "Shinji knows his place, and he remains there at all times." Kagome watched in awe as the dragoness tied her obi into a large, complicated bow just below her breasts, and then carefully knelt at her vanity, opening drawers and taking out various cosmetic objects. Kagome returned to the dragoness' side and settled on the tatami beside her. "Lord Sesshomaru doesn't mind?" When Kotono met her gaze in the mirror, the depths of her emerald eyes held a twinkle of mischief. "Having a male servant has its benefits, in my lord's opinion," she responded, throaty voice dropping to a whisper. "For example, because I am youkai, I can scent Seiji's arousal, and though I am not attracted to him in that way, I cannot help but react." She paused for a moment, and when Kagome's shy mind finally wrapped itself around the meaning in her words, she grinned and continued. "And that prompts me to go to my lord to...satiate my urges, if you will." "Oh..." With a chuckle, Kotono dropped the subject—much to Kagome's relief—and began to apply brilliant red color to her eyelids, accenting the bright shade with a deep gold that brought out the shimmering beauty of her markings. Kagome watched her work, though her mind was miles away. 'I'll find out today if all of this was worth it,' she thought, insides shuddering in nervousness. 'Kotono has told me plenty of times that I have a chance—and I know that wouldn't be here if I didn't—but I can't help but to be a little scared...' Scared. The word bounced around in her head like a noisy cricket fighting to break free, echoing as though she'd shouted it into a chasm. 'Daisuke would threaten me if he knew I was scared, ' she mused, feeling amusement trickle into her heart at the thought. "Get it together," he'd say, scowling playfully at her. "The Kagome I know isn't afraid of anything!" 'Then again,' she corrected, thinking back on the way he'd reacted when she told him of her decision, 'maybe he'd tell me that this fright is a sign from the kami...That I should just come back home and...and marry him.' A tingle of something between revulsion and defiance rippled down her spine. 'No, Daisuke isn't the husband I need. He's always been a close friend, and I can't accept him as anything more than that. Besides, he has Suki. I'm sure they'll be wed soon, and he'll forget all about trying to marry me.' She didn't realize that she'd spoken aloud until Kotono made a noise in her throat, startling her from her thoughts. "You didn't tell me that your Daisuke tried to marry you," she said, voice carefully neutral. Kagome floundered for a moment before smiling wanly. "I didn't think it was important." Kotono's lips twisted in displeasure, though Kagome could see that the expression wasn't serious. "And you didn't accept his offer because of this Suki girl?" Kagome nodded. "She loves him." "And you do not?" "Not in a romantic way," the miko answered, watching as Kotono smeared bright red paste onto her lips with a small brush. "He and I have been friends for far too long, and I couldn't possibly develop feelings for him." The dragoness hummed in understanding. "Will you keep in touch with him?" "If I can," the miko responded. Kotono nodded, and then carefully placed her items back in their rightful places before wiping her hands on a wet cloth to remove any excess. As her fingers wound into her hair, she said, "I wonder what he will do if you are chosen." Kagome shrugged and shifted, tucking her legs comfortably to the side. "He'll pretend to be happy for me." "Pretend? A friend such as he shouldn't have to pretend to be happy for you, no?" Kagome frowned. "Well, no, but he isn't really ecstatic about my being here." Kotono grunted quietly, inserting pins and ornaments into her hair with practiced efficiency as she wound and twisted it into a simple but elegant style. "At any rate," she said after a while, tugging the final few strands of deep violet locks up from her neck and securing them with a ruby studded comb. "I'm glad you came." "T-thank you," Kagome stammered, surprised. Kotono lifted herself to her feet and smiled gently, motioning for the miko to follow as they left the room. They entered the one a tiny part of her wished was truly her own, and Kotono unwrapped the garment package she'd brought with her to reveal a deep burgundy kimono, embroidered with tiny silver butterflies. Kagome allowed herself to be dressed in silence, suddenly nervous about the coming meal. She hadn't seen the other concubines—excluding Aoi—since meeting them, and she doubted that any of them were very fond of her presence. 'I shouldn't worry though...Kotono will be there with me, and I can try to make friends with the rest of them. Hopefully they'll accept me...then the only recognition I have to hope for is Lord Sesshomaru's.' The thought passed through her mind just as Kotono finished knotting her obi, and she smiled at the dragoness in the mirror as she settled in front of the vanity to allow her to style her hair. Silver ornaments and a pair of deep burgundy chopsticks were carefully inserted, and Kotono patted her shoulder as she finished, helping her to her feet. They walked to the informal dining hall in silence, but once outside the door, Kotono placed a gentle, restraining hand on Kagome's shoulder. The miko looked up and caught sight of a soft smile, which she returned as best she could. "Just be yourself," the dragoness stated lightly, obviously privy to Kagome's nervousness. "That's your solution to everything, isn't it?" Kagome asked, sensing the one shouldered shrug before Kotono gave it. "It is the simplest solution, is it not? After all," she added, slipping her geta from her feet and waiting as Kagome did the same before stepping into the building, "your being here testifies to your desire to only be yourself and to be accepted for it, correct?" The dragoness' words entered her mind like scented smoke, swirling gracefully amidst the clutter of her thoughts and slowly chasing away the doubts she'd hidden there, replacing every dark corner with bright reassurance. The lady was right; she'd come here specifically for the chance at being acknowledged as Higurashi Kagome, and there was no reason for her to worry so much. She followed Kotono down the hall, her newfound confidence refusing to waver as they entered the room where they would be eating. She bowed to all present, noting with a touch of friendly pleasure that Rin was seated at the end of the table, Aoi on one side of her and an empty cushion on the other. "Kagome!" the young woman called, waving excitedly. "Come sit over here!" Kagome smiled, glancing briefly to Kotono, who nodded and gently nudged her in the younger humans direction. "She is overjoyed at the sight of another like her," the demoness murmured quietly. "Go on, and be nice to the others." Pouting slightly at the notion that she wouldn't be nice to the others, Kagome bowed respectfully and made her way to Rin's side, smiling genially at the brown-eyed girl and then at the youkai surrounding her. "Good morning, Aoi-sama, Haruna-sama, Yuri-sama, and Rin-chan. I trust kami-sama has kept you well?" Though she registered that the others seemed surprised that she'd remembered their names—and had bothered to address them so politely—Rin gave her no true time to appreciate the looks on their faces; she immediately launched into conversation, voice lilting with happiness. Kagome allowed herself to be pulled into Rin's personal bubble of overwhelming joy, relaxing in her familiar presence and nearly ignoring the youkai around her. Only when their food was brought to them did Rin cease her chatter, and it was then that Kagome actually looked up at the youkai across from her. "Yuri-sama." She inclined her head, not surprised when the yellow-eyed gaze that stared so intently at her narrowed in dislike. "Human." Kagome cleared her throat to keep from biting back a disrespectful response. "You look well." Those unnerving eyes flitted over Kagome's form. "As do you," Yuri answered, though Kagome could nearly taste the disdain that coated her voice. Kagome cleared her throat, but before she could work up the gumption to utter something nice, the panther sitting on Rin's other side spoke, voice smooth. "Has your stay been pleasant thus far, Higurashi-san?" Kagome looked up, thought to insist that Aoi call her by something less formal, and then changed her mind at the cool, indifferent light in the youkai's black eyes. Instead, she nodded demurely. "Yes, Aoi-sama. Lord Sesshomaru's grounds are very beautiful." The dark head inclined, and although the youkai said nothing more, Kagome found herself immensely grateful for her speaking up in the first place. She hid her relief at Yuri's answering silence, and allowed herself to be pulled in to Rin's endless chatter as their food was cleared away. One by one, Lord Sesshomaru's concubines excused themselves from the table, and when Kagome remembered that Kotono was leaving the shiro that day, she stopped mid-sentence and looked up. The dragoness was already gone.
:..:..:..:..:
It was early evening when Kotono returned, and Kagome only briefly looked up from where she lay across the front stoop of the dragoness' building before turning her eyes back to the dimming sky. She heard the quiet murmur of Kotono dismissing Seiji, and then listened as silk whispered against silk, telling secrets to each other in the still air. "What do you think of, little one?" Kotono asked after settling herself beside the miko. Mulling over the best way to bring up the topic, Kagome flipped over onto her stomach, leaving one arm to dangle onto the smooth wooden step beneath her and tucking the other beneath her head, a makeshift pillow that was far more comfortable than the unyielding oak surface. "Lord Sesshomaru is going to choose me, isn't he?" For a moment, Kotono was silent, and then she exhaled lightly, not quite sighing. "Yes." And that was it. The anxiety and fear winding around in her belly and twisting into her thoughts released with a whoosh, and she relaxed against the stoop, eyes fluttering shut. She couldn't really say why she had known; maybe the knowledge had come to her that afternoon, during her lunch with Rin, when the young woman had asked her what they would do when the snows came; or maybe it had come to her during her wandering walk around the grounds, when Aoi had approached her and offered to keep her company. 'Either way,' she thought, 'I finally have my answer. I will be the twelfth.' Knowing that her newfound position was bound to send her into some sort of frenzy, Kagome refused to think on it, choosing instead to watch as a breeze sent a green leaf skittering across the ground. A bird sent a song into the air somewhere close by, and an answering call echoed across the grounds. Kagome wondered what those birds spoke to each other of, wondered if they sent news of Lord Sesshomaru's choice around the islands before the regal lord had even announced it himself. A rhythmic click, click, click came from the dragoness' direction, and Kagome changed position again, bending her arms and resting her chin in the palms of her hands to watch the demoness flick imaginary dirt from beneath her claws. "What will it be like, tonight?" Kotono glanced at her, and then lazily turned her gaze back to her hand, humming thoughtfully. "The announcement has been different for each one of us," she responded after a moment, dropping her hand back into her lap. "I was presented before the Western Court, and Aoi was taken through every village with a herald preceding her." Emerald eyes slanted appraisingly in Kagome's direction. "For you, though, I am not sure." Kagome tried not to pout, failing miserably. "Can't I just be introduced to the headman in town?" Kotono laughed and looked as though she were going to say something more when the smile fell from her face and her eyes turned toward the front gates, widening minutely. "Kotono?" For a moment, it seemed as though the dragoness hadn't heard her, and then she shook her head and turned to the miko. "Yes?" "What's wrong?" Kotono smiled softly, rising gracefully and motioning for Kagome to do the same. "It seems," she responded as the human scrambled to her feet, "that the filling of the twelfth position shall be announced before the cardinal lords and their courts." She paused, ushered Kagome into the building, and then continued. "As well as my lord's lady mother." Something in Kotono's voice made Kagome nervous. "That…that isn't a good thing, is it?" Giving her a sidelong glance, Kotono waved an elegant hand. "The Lady Chiyoko-sama has calmed in recent years, but I do not know how she will react to my lord's choice." She led Kagome into her quarters, closing the screen and beckoning for Kagome to help her out of the heavy kimono. "She is not very fond of humans." Kagome sighed. "That seems to be a very popular thing," she remarked dryly, to which Kotono chuckled lightly, shrugging carefully out of the decorative outer kimono and folding it. "Be that as it may," the dragoness responded, "I trust you will be on your best behavior no matter what she says to you?" Though it had been phrased as a question, Kagome knew a command when she heard one, and nodded obediently, completing the rest of her current task in silence. It wasn't long before the miko was being primped and primed, dressed in an exquisite kimono, the silk of which was dyed a deep blue at the shoulders that faded to a pale, nearly white color at the hem. It was generously decorated with black bamboo stalks, the leaves broad and shot through with lines of gold and silver, while the obi was solid black with fine threads of silver shining softly in the light. Her hair was twisted and pulled into a simple style, jingling sapphire hair ornaments and a jewel studded comb placed carefully into the ebony locks to hold it all in place. When she was finished, Kotono led her to the full length mirror, smiling at her in the reflective surface. "Chiyoko-sama will not be able to deny that you are beautiful, at least," she said, eyes dancing. "You enjoy embarrassing me," Kagome muttered, feeling her cheeks flush as she looked down at her hands. "Only because you are so insufferably shy," the dragoness responded teasingly, patting Kagome's shoulder at her pout and moving away from the mirror. Kagome watched as she selected a different kimono for herself, this one a layered mass of red and white silk with small cherry blossoms splattered in random patches. "And besides," she continued lightly, "if I didn't tease you, you would hardly ever smile, much less stop your incessant worrying." Kagome gasped in feigned hurt. "I haven't worried about anything in—" "Precisely an hour," Kotono interrupted, striding to the door in only a thin inner kimono. "Shinji," she called after sliding the screen open a little and turning to give Kagome an amused gaze. "And that," she said as Shinji discreetly entered the room, "is hardly any time at all." Kagome scoffed, watching as the male youkai dressed Kotono quickly, straightening layers and folding the heavy silks to the correct length with the ease that his station demanded he have. Clawed hands even carefully pinned the lady's hair up in a traditional style, a pair of red chopsticks and delicate silver ornaments completing the evening garb. Ornaments tinkling, Kotono thanked Shinji with a nod, and then motioned for Kagome to follow her as they left the room. "Is there anything I should do?" Kagome asked as they stepped from the building and onto the walkway that would lead to the main building. Kotono's eyes were bright in the dim daylight, and she opened and closed a delicately decorated fan, the quiet snap, click, snap almost rhythmic. "You must not speak unless you are spoken to, and remember to bow. Chiyoko-sama does not take kindly to disrespect." Kagome nodded and forcefully drilled the information into her own head, determined not to make a fool of herself in front of the room full of youkai she was about to walk into. As they neared the building, Kotono slowed to a stop and motioned ahead, waiting while a youkai in a simple kimono approached. Kagome recognized him immediately, and smiled as he bowed to her. "Hello again, Ryôsuke-san," she greeted. "Kagome-sama." "I thought I told you that –san is fine?" The youkai bowed, auburn hair shining a dull gold in the rays of the setting sun. "Yes, but if it is all the same to you, my lady, I would prefer –sama." Sighing and feeling that she wouldn't win this argument, Kagome nodded, and Kotono smoothly turned the conversation to where she wanted it to go. "Kagome, Ryôsuke will show you in when the time is right. Until then, wait here." She turned to go, and then stopped and tilted her head, eyes twinkling. "And don't worry." The miko huffed, and Kotono laughed lightly, shaking her head and motioning for Shinji to follow her. Kagome watched as she entered the building, and then sighed. "How long have you been here, Ryôsuke-san?" she asked after a moment. "My lady?" "How long have you worked here, I mean," she clarified, smiling lightly. "Fifteen years," the youkai answered. "And you work as a groundskeeper?" "Only when my help is needed," he responded, a little elusively. Kagome quirked a brow, but when no more information was forthcoming, allowed the subject to drop. For a moment, the comfortable silence was only broken by the occasional chirp of birds and the minute sound of the wind whistling through the grounds. And then, quietly, Ryôsuke interrupted the serenity. "My lady, if I may speak?" Kagome nodded, and the youkai went on. "I can sense that you are not…afraid of being here, even though you are amongst youkai." He shifted nervously as Kagome stared more fully at him, the pale gray of his eyes pointed toward her feet. "Why?" Kagome hummed. "Honestly," she responded, "I'm not sure. I suppose I just feel safe here." Ryôsuke cleared his throat, clawed hand momentarily covering his mouth. "Excuse my frankness, my lady, but you should not feel that way." "Yes I know," Kagome answered with a smile and a shrug. "But it is how I feel, and I'm not going to try and change it." Ryôsuke met her gaze, thin auburn tail twitching periodically behind him. "You are…" He visibly searched for the right word, jaw working as though to taste it before uttering it. "Peculiar," he settled, hastily adding a respectful 'my lady' in the same breath. Kagome laughed. "Well," she answered, "that is why I'm here; because I'm too peculiar for the men of my race." For the first time since the conversation began, Ryôsuke allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his lips, and then looked toward the building and stiffened slightly as something only he could feel washed over him. Kagome noticed the shudder that rippled down his spine but chose not to comment on it, following after him as he motioned for her to do so. "Ryôsuke-san," she whispered as they stepped into the building and removed their shoes. "Do you know Lord Sesshomaru's mother?" The youkai glanced over his shoulder at her, slowing his pace. "I know of her," he answered. "And I can only pray that she will not protest my lord's choice." Before she could comment on the fact that the youkai knew—had everyone already figured it out and decided to leave her in the dark?—he stopped before an ornately decorated shoji, and then took a few steps back and knelt on the floor, sitting quietly. Kagome knelt in front of him, just a few inches from the door, and her previously lucid thoughts attempted to turn toward panic. She quickly snuffed the emotion before it could expand, shoving it into a deep, dark corner of her mind and refusing to shed even a pinprick of light on it. Footsteps drew her attention, and the other two candidates came, their own servant escorts kneeling behind them. Kagome caught their eyes, mouthed 'good luck', and then hurriedly faced forward as the shoji screen was slid aside. "My lords and ladies, I present Ueda Atsuko, Aoki Keiko, and Higurashi Kagome." Following what she knew to be protocol, Kagome bowed deeply, hands forming a triangle on the floor in front of her and forehead pressed to the center of it. She held the position, very carefully keeping her emotions in check—it was Lord Sesshomaru who indicated that they could rise and enter the room, and Kagome carefully did as bidden, taking small, demure steps until she stood in the center of the room. A cursory glance around the immensely large space revealed more youkai than she had ever seen in one place, seated along the sides and directly in front of her, on a raised platform that extended around the three sides of the room. Though she recognized none of the faces besides the ones of Lord Sesshomaru's eleven concubines and Lord Sesshomaru himself, the woman sitting just behind where the regal lord stood was no doubt his mother. They shared the same moonbeam colored hair and vibrant amber eyes, along with the blue crescent mark in the center of their foreheads. Unable to help herself, Kagome briefly inspected the lady, observing the brightly colored kimono, delicately decorated fan and regal bearing. She instantly knew that the demoness could make her life miserable, and hoped that she could somehow win the lady's favor. "You," the Lord of the West rumbled, breaking Kagome out of her thoughts and drawing her gaze to him, "have been brought before this Sesshomaru on this night for the announcing of the twelfth." Silence answered his statement, and he briefly met Kagome's gaze before continuing. "It is with honor that this Sesshomaru declares his choice." Here he paused, and locked eyes with each one of them. His gaze lingered on Kagome, and he inclined his head. "Higurashi Kagome." For a long, pregnant moment, there was a thick silence that pounded in Kagome's ears and reverberated all the way down to her toes. And then, a quiet, refined voice cut through the heavy air, from the space behind the inu lord. "Surely you jest, Sesshomaru." Sesshmaru's golden eyes flitted briefly over his shoulder, and the honeyed gaze followed the motion of his mother's movement as she stood and came to his side. "I do not, Mother." "Hnn." The hum was, as the lady's voice, quiet and filled with a grace that Kagome couldn't even begin to imitate. She moved down from the dais, carefully descending the stairs and closing the distance between Kagome and herself. She dismissed the other two candidates with the flick of a slender wrist, and ignoring the deep bows they gave her—as well as the sympathetic look Kagome threw their way—the lady inspected her face with sharp eyes. "It seems," she murmured, "that my son has decided to follow in your footsteps, my lords." Kagome didn't realize that the inu wasn't talking to her until the final words met her ears, and she refrained from flinching as a slow, almost feral grin spread over the demoness' bright red lips. Though no one answered her statement, Kagome had the distinct feeling that the lady hadn't expected a response, and her heart quickened as the lady took a deep breath, drifting off to the side. Slowly, the youkai circled her, and Kagome felt the burn of her gaze all the way around, boring into her skin even through the layers of her kimono. "Hnn," she hummed again, facing her once more. Her eyes roved over her from head to toe, and when she met her gaze again, the hard, unyielding light in her eyes nearly frightened the tiny woman. "A miko with no training, then," she said, her smooth voice conveying her disbelief loud and clear. "Do you plan on purifying my son in his sleep, onna?" Kagome's mind scrambled to formulate a response, and she opened her mouth. "If I were going to do that, he would already be gone, my lady." As soon as the words left her lips, Kagome gasped, having meant to utter something much more respectful. "M-my lady, please excuse this lowly h-human," she stammered, bowing in apolgy even as a delicate silver brow arched up into thick bangs. "I meant—" "You meant exactly what you said," the lady interrupted smoothly. Kagome couldn't tell if the lack of emotion in her voice was a good thing or not, and, instincts straining against common sense, Kagome straightened, averted her gaze, and remained silent, figuring that she'd opened her mouth one time too many already. In a motion that was strangely reminiscent of what Kotono had done the first time they met, Lady Chiyoko laid the tips of her fingers against Kagome's cheek and forced her to meet her eyes, deadly claws cool against her heated skin. For a long moment, brilliant blue clashed with vibrant gold, the sapphire gaze alight with hope, fading embarrassment, and a slight touch of fear, while the gilded stare remained calm and indifferent, unpreturbed by the thick silence or the strong emotions dancing through the turbulent oceanic orbs. Chiyoko released her after what felt like an eternity of staring at her, a small, secretive smile playing across her lips. "Very well." The statement was made as she turned, and Kagome nearly missed it, the roaring in her ears an impediment she wished would go away. She refrained from shifting on her feet, staring with no small amount of shock at the back of the inu's head, her two tailed silver locks falling nearly to her knees and the pelt she wore nestled in the crook of her elbows. Her fan snapped open, and she bowed to her son. "You have this Chiyoko's approval," she said, the regal hush of her voice laced with a steel that even a flabbergasted Kagome knew the meaning of; none would oppose her on this matter, at least not publicly. 'But privately,' Kagome thought as she snuck a glance around the room and took in the shocked and disbelieving expressions. 'Privately is an entirely different story...' The Lady Chiyoko had, when Kagome looked back to her, closed her fan and straightened, and turning to face the human, the demoness smirked. "You and I shall have morning tea, little human," she remarked softly, "and you shall tell me who you are." Kagome bowed deeply, praying that the path between mind and tongue wouldn't be taken over by foolishness as she parted her lips. "Y-yes, my lady." She would never tell another soul, but in the moment when the regal demoness walked by her, amidst the deep, carrying rumble of Lord Sesshomaru's dismissal and the dull roar of other youkai standing to leave, words reached her ears, words that made her believe that she might make it through whatever else might come her way. "Very well done, Higurashi-san. Very well done."
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter coming soon!
~Aubrey
