"With continuous surveyors throughout the land, My Lord, I'm afraid we cant spare anymore res-"

"The only thing that I want to hear you say is that you have found her and that she's back at the castle." The castle surveyor gripped his scroll tightly in one hand, grimacing at Kojitsu's decision.

Kojitsu leaned against the perimeter of his in-house onsen, shoulder draped over two concubines. His stare never broke with the surveyor even as his long hair splayed across his face and his cheeks reddening from the steam.

His angular face never shifted in joy or anger at the surveyor's news.

"My Lord," the surveyor nervously shuffled his scrolls back and forth in his hand. He felt the concubines' eyes watch him in both amusement and pity. Kojitsu was even more insufferable now more than ever since Chiho was gone without any whereabouts whether she was alive or dead.

The surveyor grunted in response. "We have to consider the labor, the costs, and the morale of the kingdom when we partake on such frivolous ordeals." The surveyor swallowed before continuing. He was treading on thin ice but if one was to be honest about the state of the castle, Kojitsu would hear it from the surveyor.

Or better yet, his Uncle on his mother's side.

"The food is at an ultimate low. There's still damages that need to drastically be prepared before the middle of winter.  Soldiers are growing disgruntled and concubines are disappearing left and right. With such limited staff, would you at the leeast know where all the concubines are vanishing off to?"

Both concubines winced in discomfort. Their eyes shifted from each other, to the surveyor, then back at Kojitsu. What actually did happen to the other concubines?

Kojitsu remained silent, his jaw clenched and brows furrowed. He was growing tired of this game. He had waited long enough. If mating with Chiho to bring a stronger heir to the bloodline was the last thing he would do, he would do it. No matter the cost.

With a breath, he shifted away from the women. He climbed himself out of the tub, halting the servant from dressing him. Slicking his hair back, he wrapped his lower body with a silk cloth and turned to the Surveyor with a more relaxed expression.

"Walk with me. Mei, Natsuko-" Kojitsu turned to the fearful women. They sat up straight with their eyes lowered.

"Yes, Lord Kojitsu." They simultaneously responded.

The smirk on his face spread. That rush of power reminded him just how easy life was and just how easier it could be with his bride by his side.

"You two stay here. I should return shortly." His softened expression neutralized as he turned back to the Surveyor.

"Come. Let's walk."

❆

"I just don't understand how this could all happen. And so quickly!" Kojitsu grunted in response. He leaned against the wall as his Surveyor, Haru, paced back in forth.

"I go out of town for two weeks and come home to chaos. Chaos! I told you to wait till I come back to invite this Sesshomaru person to the castle! I warned you about him and you did what you pleased anyway." Kojitsu felt his actions to be justified.

"It was a simple matter, Uncle Haru." Haru stopped, looked at Kojitsu with a scoff, and continued to pace back and forth.

"Simple? Simple! Half of the castle is in rubble, Kojitsu. Half! I don't meddle with your, ahem, circumstances." Kojitsu was relieved that he didn't. "But we cannot expect the castle to thrive and for the civilians inside to actually want to be here when everything is in disarray. Koji, we-"

Kojitsu snuffed at the nickname. "Uncle Haru. We talked about nicknames." Haru's eyes raised to his hairline.

"Oh? We're all of a sudden too embarrassed of a little nickname?" Haru crossed his arms across his chest with a skeptical expression. Kojitsu rolled his eyes at the dramatic expression.

"I remember a little Kojitsu," Haru lowered his palm to the height of a 5 year old. "Would practically pull at the hem of my kimono, begging to read the literature I was studying. And now he's such a grown man that I can't even call him Koji in the public setting." It wasn't even the reason. "I can tell you one thing." Haru raised his finger and waved it back and forth. Kojitsu knew this was a lecture preparing to happen.

"That little temper of yours has grown. And it has grown out of control." Kojitsu looked away. "I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me since my sister's passing, but-"

"But?" He looked back at Haru, his expression pained at the mention of his mother. "Is that not enough for you? For anyone?"

"That's not it, Koji." Haru looked around first before placing a reassuring hand on Kojitsu's naked shoulder. The flash of anger that was initially across Haru's face turned into that of a concerned father.

"I know your mother's heart and you have it. But you are angry, and you cannot allow the pain of the past to overshadow the fact that you are stirring a rebellion if you do- not- change- your approach. I will stand by you till the end but I don't want to see everything you've ever wanted into your life to burn into flames." Kojitsu appreciated his words with a small smile.

"Have your women. Have your soldiers. But you cannot have a kingdom if you continuously rule with an iron fist. It never ends well. And if you don't believe me, do check the scriptures."

Kojitsu nodded. "As far as this Chiho woman," Haru continued. "With you and your father's permission, I will conduct a more- advanced search for her. But I warn you, it is only a search. If we do in fact find her, it is on you and you alone to rescue her." Kojitsu was visibly confused. "My magic doesn't extend that far and we cannot risk losing any more men on account of a squabble between demons over a woman."

Haru scoffed as he turned on his heel to leave the room. "I don't understand. All the beautiful women here in the castle and we're flushing expenses down the drain for a demon woman. Have we not learned anything with making a demon your mate? Tsk- I swear if your mother was still alive...."

❆

Chiho sat cross-legged in the grass across from Jaken and A-Un. He stared at her with his own apparent suspicions but refused to say anything. Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found. On assumption, the servant girls assumed him to be visiting Rin but Riyuki's ever present voice could be heard amongst all the gossip.

"We never really know where Sesshomaru is. We just assume and hope to see him within the week."

How reassuring. Chiho sighed in silent defeat. Jaken tilted his head at the girl, trying hard to get a read out of her before silently giving up. He didn't understand how he went to a feared demon to a babysitter, but there he was. There they were.

"Jaken," Chiho's icy eyes wandered over Jaken's direction, causing him to jump. "What are we doing here?" As if he knew.

"That's the question I have for myself, girl!" She regretted even asking him. "All I know is: Riyuki asked of me to bring you to the fields and that she would meet us here. Whenever that would be." He grumbled. Chiho didn't want to ask much more, she could tell he was in a pretty sour mood.

She otherwise felt rested. The first night in a foreign place usually would terrify her but here, it was different. Riyuki escorted her to a room adjacent to Sesshomaru's. And by adjacent it really meant a sheer curtain separating her chambers from his. It took a while for her to adjust to the silence, but when she did she soon lulled off to sleep.

The air around her room smelled of ripe, sweet tangerines and rose-scented incense. Her kimonos were lined up by the color, ranging from midnight blue to the most pigmented red. Embroidered designs of different objects, flowers, and animals carefully crafted into one design. Some of romantic cherry blossoms cascading from a foreign tree, others of two lovers embraced under the moonlit sky.

This had to be the work, and budget of royalty she thought. That, or someone very powerful who was affiliated with a nearby Kingdom.

"Neither." Riyuki flatly replied.

"Neither?" Chiho had her visible doubts. "Then how could someone like Sesshomaru afford these things?" Chiho held up a heavy kimono made expensive silk.

"Sesshomaru is born from Inu no Taisho and his mother, a powerful demon who lives in the sky." Chiho's eyebrows raised high.

"In the sky... like a castle?" Riyuki nodded. "Wow!"

"It's just one thing about that information." Riyuki held one finger up. "You mustn't mention his mother to Lord Sesshomaru." Chiho didn't like this extra bit of information. She'd give anything to speak to her parents again, even if they were the reason she was in this situation in the first place.

"And you shouldn't feel bad for him." She was beginning to suspect Riyuki as reading her thoughts again.

"I was able to take a small glimpse into the Lord's mind before he shut me out. And lets just say the relationship between him and his mother aren't very formidable nor worth bragging over."

"Hm..." Chiho fingered the fabric in her hands. She fluttered her eyes downward in thought. Riyuki stared at her silence with curiosity.

"Lady Chiho?" She was surprised at such a high title next to her name. "Are you alright?"

"Hm. Yeah." Chiho nodded. A small smile spread upon her face to throw off Riyuki.

"I'm alright."

"Okay. Then I'll let you retire for the evening. Lord Sesshomaru won't be back tonight but he wants you to be as comfortable as possible. You had quite the fall!" She had hoped she didn't know that information.

"You just might be a demon afterall. Any typical human that would fall from those heights would have surely been dead. Splat!" She smashed her hands together, sending Chiho back with a gasp.

"But luckily Lord Sesshomaru saved you." Riyuki grinned. "And hopefully you come to your senses and stay here with us instead of running back to the village that sold you."

Chiho's eyes widened but Riyuki remained firm in her statement. Without saying anything else, she stood to her feet with the candle she brought with her, and bowed Chiho's direction.

"Goodnight Lady Chiho!"

"Chiho! Chiho! Silly girl are you listening!" A swift clunk landed on Chiho's head, making her groan in pain. She hissed at Jaken, rubbing her crown with care.

"Jaken! What was that for?!" She pouted.

"For falling into your silly daydreams and leaving me to talk to myself! It's already bad enough that Lord Sesshomaru had to leave me here, but I refuse to let myself and A-Un suffer while you dance around in that womanly head of yours!"

Chiho pouted, still rubbing her head. "Jaken that's not nice-"

"I'm not here to be nice, I'm here to survey you!"

"You can at least stop yelling.." Chiho mumbled.

"Yell?! Why you little-"

"Oi, Jaken! That's very well enough of your shouts. You can head back to the castle now, I'll take it from here." Chiho was relieved to hear a familiar voice.

"Well it was about time. I was growing old and weary." Riyuki stifled a snicker.

"Jaken, I hate to break it to you but you're already there."

"What?!" Jaken stood to his feet, mouth agape. The disrespect just wouldn't stop!

"How could you say something like that to me? I am Lord Sesshomaru's personal assistant and you show me no respect! Why if he were here-"

"He would kick you into the water and step over your lifeless corpse as the fish swam past you." Riyuki put her hands on her hips, unamused. Jaken, speechless, huffed his nose in the air and walked off. Both Chiho and Riyuki could hear his curses as he walked away.

"Phew!" Riyuki sighed. CHiho, still rubbing her head, felt instant relief as well.

"Now that that's over with." Riyuki turned to CHiho, her hands still on her hips and her eyebrow raised as she inspected Chiho once over.

"We're going to train."

Train?!

"Yes. Train."

"Stop doing that, Riyuki!"

"And that's why we're training!"

Open discussion!