Midsummer Night's Dream

A/N: I know that this is long overdue, but for some reason, this story and Bar Buddies have been giving me problems. I seem to have writer's block. Oh well. Enjoy the chapter. And if you are wondering, no, Inu Yasha is not getting the girl, well, at least not the one he desires.
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The following days had been filled with lessons and meetings. Finally, the big day had arrived and Sesshomaru had ordered Kagome to stay within her chambers. She was to rest for the day, seeing as how court sometimes lasted well into the early morning hours. He had also informed her that she was to be on her best behavior at all times and should she do well, he would reward her.

Kagome had waited until he had left the room to roll her eyes. She had not seen much of Kouga and it bothered her that he had not been around lately. She had also heard from Amika that Inu Yasha would be at court and Kagome could almost bet that Kikyo would also be in attendance. Well, she would have Miroku and Sango to talk to, and Sesshomaru had already given her permission to speak with Miroku and Sango in public, so Kagome was sure that she would not be bored.

When Amika had come in to set her hair for the evening’s events, she had mentioned that Sesshomaru and Kouga had been dealing with the other lords and discussing the possibility of uniting their strength against Naraku. Kagome was thrilled to hear that piece of news. It would mean that that Naraku would be taken down much easier.

Once Amika was done, she smiled at Kagome and promised to bring up her lunch. Kagome sat by her window and then heard Kouga’s angry voice coming from Sesshomaru’s room.

“I don’t give a shit if he is your brother. He should not be allowed to attend. He is going to try and cause trouble for us and Kagome.” Kouga shouted, not caring that anyone could hear him.

“Calm down. The hanyou will be taken care of tonight. I will deal with him personally. As for upsetting Kagome, well, we will have to make sure that she is nowhere near him. I have spoken to the monk and he has assured me that he will watch over Kagome if we are not near. He is not a threat to us and has taken care of Kagome even before we became mates. Inu Yasha will not go near her.” Sesshomaru said, his voice even and sure.

Kouga huffed and then said that he was going to go and visit his pack. Kagome held her breath and wondered if he was going to come and tell her goodbye, but when he never came, she became upset. Had she done something to upset him? She shook her head and stared out her window. She could only pray that this stupid affair was over quickly. She was getting tired of all of these preparations.

When it was time to get ready, Amika returned and announced to Kagome that she needed to do her hair. Kagome sat at her vanity and watched as Amika began the task putting her long hair up. When she was done, Amika helped Kagome into the dress that she would be wearing and then stepped back to admire her work.

Kagome looked lovely and the silver and gold dress that Lord Sesshomaru had chosen complimented her skin perfectly. She helped Kagome slip on the silk slippers that went with the dress and then told Kagome that Sesshomaru and Kouga would be by to get her soon. After Kagome nodded, Amika left and went to her own chambers. She was one of the few that would not be needed for this event and therefore had to stay in her room.

Kagome waited patiently, hoping that her mates would forget and go without her, but the knock on her door told her that luck was not on her side. She called for the person to enter and watched as Sesshomaru and Kouga entered. Both males looked stunning. Sesshomaru wore a white haori with green edging and a white hakama. Kouga wore a black haori with blue edging and a black hakama. Both outfits were made out of silk and showed off their well-defined bodies.

Kagome felt her face blush a pretty crimson, and then asked, “Is it time to go?” When Sesshomaru nodded, Kagome stood up and walked to her mates. Kouga’s blue eyes shone as he took in her appearance, and from the look on Sesshomaru’s face, he, too, was very pleased with how she looked.

Together, Sesshomaru and Kouga escorted Kagome through the halls until they came to the doors of the ballroom. Sesshomaru cleared his throat and nodded at the guard. When the doors opened, Jaken announced their arrival and suddenly, they held the entire room’s attention.

“ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL OF LORDS SESSHOMARU AND KOUGA AND LADY KAGOME, LORDS AND LADY OF THE WESTERN AND EASTERN LANDS!” Jaken yelled, bowing before his lords and lady.

Every person in the ballroom bowed. Kagome kept her eyes trained on the floor. There was no way in hell that she was going to humiliate herself. Sesshomaru nodded slightly and with Kouga, they led Kagome into the ballroom. With their arrival, everyone would go into the formal dining room, and the traditional dinner would begin. He would sit at the head of the table with Kouga on his right side, and Kagome on his left. Kagome kept her hands in her lap, and waited for Sesshomaru or Kouga to tell her to get ready. Soon, Sesshomaru leaned over and told her that dinner was about to be served, and she quickly placed her napkin in her lap, and waited to be served.

One of the lesser nobles nodded his head. “You have quite an obedient mate, Lord Sesshomaru. I am shocked that you and Lord Kouga managed to find one so well behaved.” He said, leering over at Kagome.

Sesshomaru cocked his eyebrow. “Kagome is a very good mate. She is very submissive, which is more than I can say for most youkai bitches.” He replied. He took a sip of wine, and then looked over at Inu Yasha. It was clear that he was more than upset. Sesshomaru could not wait until his brother decided to show his ass. It was well within his and Kouga’s rights to throw him out should he act up.

When the dinner was finally served, Sesshomaru lifted his fork and began to eat, signaling to the others that they could begin their meal as well. Kagome’s eyes never left her plate and she took tiny bites of her meal. She felt Sesshomaru’s foot rub against hers in a soothing manner. She was touched that he tried to calm her, but she was still apprehensive about mingling with the youkai nobles. Thankfully, Sesshomaru had told her that once they have made their rounds, she could speak with Sango and Miroku. He would be the only male that she could talk to out of their presence.

Kouga was definitely out of his element. He shifted uncomfortably and looked at Kagome. Apparently he was not the only one uncomfortable. He could feel her distress and told himself that he would not leave her side once they were back in the ballroom. He hated the socializing part the most. He hated having to put on airs with these stuffy youkai and always managed to get himself kicked out of every event. It was not his fault that he had a short temper. He glanced over at the other nobles and found that some of them were smirking in his direction. One of those youkai was that damn eagle youkai. Kouga wanted to chuckle over the beating he gave that asshole the last time they met. The damn bird had the fucking nerve to call him and his pack worthless and an insult to all youkai. Well, by the time he was finished with him, Kouga made sure that the bird had to be carried out. The pussy kept whining about how he would never be able to sire an heir while he clutched his aching balls.

The eagle youkai, Lord Fusu, kept stealing sly glances over at Kouga and then looked at Kagome. He quirked an eyebrow as a thought came into his head. He cleared his throat and said, “Tell me, Lord Sesshomaru. Why did you chose these two beings to become your mates. The female, well, she is acceptable, for a human, that is. But the wolf, he is as far from acceptable as one can get. So, why, out of all of the single youkai that reside in this court, would you turn to this pathetic excuse for a youkai and a human miko?”

Sesshomaru was aware that he had everyone’s attention. He glanced over at Kouga and watched as the wolf’s eyes began to bleed red. He reached under the table and placed a comforting hand upon Kouga’s arm. He turned his golden gaze to the eagle youkai and said, “This pathetic excuse for a youkai, if I remember correctly, wiped the floor with your sorry backside at the last affair that he attended. As for why I mated with him and our precious miko, I needed someone just as strong as I, and Kouga met the requirement, not only that, we are now united in strength and have dominion over at least half of Japan. Kagome is very beautiful and is a powerful miko. She is also very obedient and knows her place. So, you see, both compliment me in every single way.”

Fusu shook his head. He had seen Kouga’s temper flare, and he made a mental note to himself to continue to goad the wolf later. He looked over at Kagome, and had to admit that Sesshomaru was indeed correct, she was very beautiful and would provide him with some entertainment as well. He would have to find out exactly how obedient this girl truly was.

After dinner, Sesshomaru and Kouga stood up. They walked to Kagome’s chair and helped her up, signaling to the others that it was time to return to the ballroom. Kouga softly groaned. This was the part where he always lost his temper. His grip tightened on Kagome’s arm and she stiffened in pain. When Sesshomaru noticed Kagome’s pain and Kouga’s upset, he leaned over and whispered, “Both of you need to calm down. Kouga, ease your grip on Kagome. You are hurting her.”

Kouga seemed to snap out of his thoughts and quickly lightened his touch. Kagome looked up at him and gave him a comforting smile. Kouga returned her smile with one of his own and fought the urge to grab her up and run upstairs where they could hide for the rest of the night. He was positive that Fusu would create some kind of problem for him tonight.

Sesshomaru leaned down to Kagome’s ear and whispered, “You may look up, but remember, no eye contact with any other male and do not engage in any conversations with a male unless we are with you, the monk being the only exception. The slayer will be with him and she is a fitting chaperone should Kouga or I become unavailable.”

Kagome nodded, and looked up. She was amazed at how nice the ballroom looked and she looked around for her friends. Sesshomaru looked over at Kouga, and nodded. It was time to greet the other nobles.

As they moved around the room, Sesshomaru and Kouga shook hands with the other lords and kissed the ladies hands. Kagome was often ignored, for the most part, and to her great relief. Many of the lords seemed to take great interest in baiting Kouga and were disappointed when Kouga kept his temper in check. Sesshomaru held his head high and continued to lead his mates around the room. Kouga groaned when they approached a familiar pair.

“Lord Sano and Princess Ayame. It is nice to see both of you.” Sesshomaru said. Kagome noticed that Ayame was staring at her. Finally, Ayame said, “Kouga, I apologize for our last meeting. Your bedchambers were not the proper place for a meeting.”

Kagome’s cheeks flushed red. Ayame was in Kouga’s bedchambers? Kouga growled loudly. He could feel Kagome’s confusion and hurt in his mind, as did Sesshomaru. However, before he could snap at the young female, Sesshomaru looked at her grandfather and said, “I see that the little bitch has as of yet to learn her place. It is no wonder that she is not mated, yet. Her lack of manners and respect tells me that she had better get ready for a very lonely life.”

Lord Sano was humiliated. He had brought his granddaughter with him to introduce her to other young youkai nobles, however, after this little display; he doubted that any male would approach her after this. “I apologize for my granddaughter, Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Kouga. Her mouth often gets in the way of her good senses. It seems that she is still upset about being tossed over in favor of Lady Kagome.” He said, hoping that Sesshomaru would buy his explanation.

Sesshomaru glared at the princess before turning to her grandfather. “Keep her away from my mates. To insult them is to insult me and I do not take well to insults.” He said, glaring at the wolf elder.

Lord Sano nodded and grabbed Ayame’s arm. When they were far enough away, he turned and glared at her.

“What in the great name of Kami did you think you were doing?” He asked, his voice cold.

Ayame winced. “I was simply apologizing for barging into Kouga’s private chambers when I went to see him. I meant no harm, I swear.” She said in her most innocent voice.

Sano was not fooled. “Listen to me, you foolish girl. Do not go near Lord Kouga or Lady Kagome. They are mated and it is high time that you grew up and acted your age. Your parents would be so ashamed, Ayame, to know that you are acting in such a way. Have I made myself clear on this matter?” He asked.

Ayame could not bring herself to look her grandfather in his eyes, but simply nodded. When he huffed and walked away, Ayame felt sick. All she had ever wanted was for Kouga to be her mate. She had long ago accepted the fact that Kagome held Kouga’s heart, but she wanted to prove to her grandfather that she was a strong leader and to do that she needed to mate with a leader of a tribe. But, Kouga was the only one she knew of and she had never spoken to the other leaders. When her grandfather left her, she turned and walked into the garden. She found a small bench and sat down. Perhaps some self-reflection was in order.
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Kouga stood beside Kagome and laughed as the monk told a joke. He was actually having a good time. He and Kagome had left Sesshomaru to speak with the other lords and she had insisted on speaking with her friends. The monk was actually behaving himself and Kouga noticed that for the first time, the slayer seemed relaxed in his presence. However, their good time was about to come to an end.

Fusu and a few of his companions made their way over to Kouga and smirked at the wolf. He then directed his eyes at the small female at the wolf’s side and he said, “You look ravishing tonight, my dear.”

Kagome looked up at Kouga, who was growling softly. “You know it is against tradition to speak to a mated female.” He said, his tone icy.

Fusu laughed. “And when have you ever cared about tradition? I was simply paying the girl a compliment. Are you afraid that I will take her from you, Kouga? Don’t worry; human women are not my choice. I would never allow a hanyou into my home.” He sneered.

Kagome turned pale and felt Kouga’s hands upon her shoulders. “I wouldn’t worry about having a hanyou in your home, Fusu. After all, you have to first bed a bitch in order to have a pup, and with your reputation with the ladies, I can’t imagine one stupid or desperate enough to fuck you. So you see, you have no reason to worry.” He said, smirking.

Fusu growled. He glared at the wolf and then looked at Kagome. “I see that you are not demon enough to take a demoness, but instead had to settle for this little tart. Tell me, Kouga. Was she easy to get into bed? I bet the little bitch begged for both you and Sesshomaru to fuck her at the same time, didn’t she? Just by looking at her, I would say that she has a real dirty side to her. She must be the reason for your good mood. What did she promise you? Did she promise to suck your cock if you behaved tonight? Or did Sesshomaru promise that? After all, you are mated to another male. I never knew that you went for that sort of thing, you sick wolf.” Fusu spat.

Kouga’s eyes turned completely red. He could have let the comments about him and Sesshomaru go, but when Fusu attacked Kagome, that was the last straw. He watched as Fusu backed up, and felt his claws and fangs lengthen. He would have jumped on the eagle, but was quickly held back by Sesshomaru.

“Fusu, you will remove yourself from my home and never return. Be thankful that I stopped Lord Kouga from ripping your throat out, even though he has just cause. You have attacked our mate, and such disrespect will not go unpunished. You seem to forget that you are nothing but a lowly prince and that your father is the true leader of your tribe. He and I will be speaking and if I have my way, you will never reach the throne. Now, get yourself from my sight before I change my mind and let Kouga have his way with you.” Sesshomaru said, his own eyes flashing from red to gold.

Fusu took a deep breath. If his father heard about this little scene, he could forget about ever taking the throne. No, he would not allow his father to find out about this. He had managed to keep his father from finding out about when he had his ass handed to him by the wolf prince, so this should not be a problem to cover up. He walked out of the ballroom, his head held high. He would not allow Kouga to win over him yet again.

Sesshomaru glanced around at the spectators and shrugged. This was nothing new, and it would be forgotten in a few moments. Things like this were always happening. He glanced down at Kouga and gave him a firm shake.

“Get yourself together, wolf. You need to take care of Kagome while I speak with the other lords.” He said while he removed his hand from Kouga’s neck.

Kouga growled. He was not stupid. He knew that Fusu would be back and try to start his shit up again. He glared at Sesshomaru and said, “I am going for a walk to calm down. You deal with Kagome.”

Kouga stomped off, and headed outside. Kagome watched him go and felt a lump rise in her throat. She felt Sesshomaru’s hands upon her shoulders and heard him whisper, “Do not let him upset you, Kagome. He needs time to cool down. Now, come with me, and let’s mingle.”

Kagome took Sesshomaru’s arm and gave her friends an apologetic look. They smiled at her and Sango waved. When Kagome turned around, she smiled when she heard a familiar smacking sound followed by, “You hentai!” At least those two were back to normal.

Walking with Sesshomaru proved to be quite entertaining. Kagome would listen as the lords bantered back and forth and each one made several ridiculous claims. When their conversation took a sexual turn, Kagome felt her face flush and she nervously looked down.

Sesshomaru wanted to smirk. No matter what he, Kouga, and Kagome did in their chambers, she was still shy about such matters. He liked the way a slight blush crept across her pretty face and he patted her arm. He leaned over and asked, “Would you like to walk around for a while, Kagome?”

Kagome nodded, and felt Sesshomaru release her arm. She walked away from him and wanted to chuckle as she heard one of the lords tell Sesshomaru that his choice of mate was excellent. At least one of her mates appreciated her. Looking around, Kagome decided to go find Kouga. She needed to speak with him. She needed him to tell her what was wrong.

When she walked outside, she followed that aura of his shards. She could tell that she was getting close and when she came around the corner, she found Kouga, with Ayame tucked in his arms.

Tears began to form and stream down her face. She let loose a strangled cry that caused both wolves to look up. Kouga’s mouth dropped open and he moved towards Kagome.

“Kagome, wait. It isn’t what it looks like.” He said as he reached out for her. But, Kagome shook her head. This was too much. She turned around to go back inside, but found herself looking at someone’s chest. She felt arms go around her and heard Inu Yasha say, “I knew that you were up to no good, you asshole. Stay away from her, wolf. You have obviously chosen your bitch.”

Kagome sobbed into his chest and felt him lead her away, and she cringed when she heard Kouga yell her name. Within moments, Inu Yasha had picked her up and began running towards the forest. All he knew was that he needed to get her alone so that he could talk to her.
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Kouga had never been so angry in his entire life. Fusu had pushed all of the right buttons and he had fallen straight into the eagle’s trap. He had made his way to the gardens and found Ayame sitting on a bench, obviously lost in thought. He was about to leave when he heard her say, “I apologize. That was a dirty thing to do and I will never bother you or Kagome again.”

Turning around, Kouga looked at the red head and watched as she smiled up at him. “It hurts, you know. To be passed over for a mere mortal woman, well, it damaged my pride. I know that I have made a pest of myself, but I did not mean for any harm to come to you or anyone else.” Ayame said, her green eyes brimming with tears.

Kouga sighed. He walked over to where she sat and lowered himself beside her. He took a deep breath and watched as Ayame looked down at her hands. “You really love her, don’t you?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

Kouga nodded. “More than anything in this world. It kills me that we had to take her in the way that Sesshomaru and I did, but I think that everything is coming about nicely.” He said.

Ayame nodded. “Kagome is lucky. She has not one, but two mates who are strong and smart. She is already the envy of many women and I can already tell you that she will be a target of those women in the future, unless she can win some of those women over.” She said. She could remember when her mother told her about the ladies of court. They gave new meaning to the word, bitch.

Kouga chuckled. “I think that Kagome will be able to win them over. She is sweet and good-natured. It is hard not to like her.” He replied.

Ayame took in a deep breath. “I would like to ask for your opinion, but I would like to be assured that you will be honest with me.” She said, turning her bright green eyes to look at him. When Kouga nodded, she asked, “What is it about me that turns men away? Am I ugly, stupid, or do I just repel people with my mere presence?”

Kouga stared at the tiny female and then realized why she was so forceful with him. She was lonely. Females her age were usually mated and Ayame didn’t even have an intended. He wanted to be kind in his words, but she had asked him to be honest, so he would give her what she wanted. “It has nothing to do with your looks, Ayame. You push yourself on people and expect them to take you with no problems. Take us for example, when you first came to me, I told you that I loved another, but you kept coming around and you became really annoying. You are also rude, loud, and when you don’t get what you want, you get down right mean. Take what you tried to do tonight. You intended to hurt Kagome by mentioning our last meeting. You wanted to shake her faith in me. Thankfully, Kagome trusts me.” He explained.

He was expecting Ayame to jump up and scream at him for what he said, but instead, she had a thoughtful look upon her face. For a few minutes, she did not speak, but then she asked, “So, if I changed my attitude, was quieter, and not as rude, do you think that would make a difference?”

Kouga nodded. He was fully aware of many wolves that thought Ayame was pretty, but did not approach her because of her behavior. If she toned it down, she would have countless suitors from the wolf tribes.

Ayame smiled. She looked around and then asked, “You know that Inu Yasha has been skulking around, don’t you? He keeps staring at Kagome, and I think he might be up to something, Kouga. You need to watch yourself and your mate.”

Kouga snorted. That stupid hanyou did not worry him. It was that birdbrain that had his attention. He looked over at Ayame when she sighed. She told him that she had better go inside and apologize to Lord Sesshomaru for her behavior and that she needed to make an apology to Kagome as well. Kouga nodded and stood up. He held out his hand and helped Ayame to her feet, but he must have pulled a bit too hard because Ayame lost her balance and fell into him. He was about to push her back onto her feet, but stopped when he heard a startled gasp. He looked up, as did Ayame to see Kagome standing a few feet away, tears streaming down her face. Kouga paled and stepped away from Ayame and said, “Kagome, wait. It isn’t what it looks like.” He had reached out for her, but saw her shake her head and turn around. Kouga’s eyes narrowed as Kagome nearly ran into Inu Yasha. He watched as the hanyou smirked at him and then wrapped his arms around Kagome.

“I knew that you were up to no good, you asshole. Stay away from her, wolf. You have obviously chosen your bitch.” Inu Yasha said. He was grinning from ear to ear. Kouga was about to rush over to them and snatch Kagome away, but her sobs stopped him in his tracks. He could feel her anger, hurt, and confusion. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he saw the hanyou lead Kagome away from the gardens and then pick her up. The hanyou gave him one last glance before bounding for the forest.

Growling, Kouga was about to go after them, but Ayame caught his arm. When he turned to the small female, she shook her head. “Go get Lord Sesshomaru. I will track them. She won’t listen to you, Kouga. She feels betrayed, and if you were to follow right now, she could accidentally purify you while she is upset.” Ayame said as she reached down and pulled off her slippers.

Kouga sighed and nodded. He watched as Ayame began running towards the forest and he turned to go back inside and get Sesshomaru. He hoped that she could catch up to the hanyou and explain the situation to Kagome, but he knew that Kagome would more than likely listen to Sesshomaru at this point than to him or Ayame.

He walked into the ballroom and found Sesshomaru speaking with Ayame’s grandfather. Sesshomaru glared at him as he approached and asked, “Would you care to tell me why Kagome is upset, or can I guess that you had something to do with it?”

Kouga took a deep breath. He explained what had happened and made sure to inform Sesshomaru that Ayame was now following Inu Yasha and Kagome. Sesshomaru’s cool exterior cracked a bit and he snapped, “Well, allow me to clean up your mess, Kouga.” Sesshomaru made his way through the crowd and headed outside. He and Kouga both ran for the forest and were able to pick up Ayame’s scent. It did not take long, but they managed to catch up with the female.

Ayame had been running for some time, and had nearly caught up with them, but the hanyou quickly darted up into a tree and she lost him. She growled out her anger and shouted into the trees, “You need to take her back to her mates, hanyou. She is not yours and you have placed yourself and her in a lot of danger. Take her home.”

Ayame listened, but did not hear a reply. She whipped around when she felt a hand upon her shoulder.

Kouga glanced down at the female and watched as she shook her head. “He went into the trees, and I lost them. I am so sorry, Kouga.” She whispered, her eyes glued to the ground.

Sesshomaru sighed. “Go back to your grandfather, Ayame. Tell him that you have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Have him explain to our guests that we will be there shortly and that our lady is not feeling well and will not be joining us for the rest of the evening.” He said, motioning for Ayame to leave.

Once Ayame was gone, Kouga glanced over at his mate. “So, what are we going to do now?” He asked.

“We are going to get serious, my mate. Playtime is over for the hanyou.” Sesshomaru replied, his fangs lengthening.

Kouga smirked. Oh yeah. This was going to be fun.