"Now Chiho,  you are to remain in this room until either I or the guards have sent for you and nothing more. Do you understand?"

Chiho, with pupils dilated continued to look forward, sitting on the back of her knees at the foot of their shared bed. One of the elder maids sat behind her and brushed her hair back in soft continuous motions back and forth, back and forth.

If one were to look at Chiho they would asusme she is a precious doll with large blue eyes staring into the vacant space. 

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth..

The eldest maid siad nothing but purse her lips shut and remain her eyes fixed on her silver-blue hued strands that glimmered in the light. 

Kojitsu was unamused, annoyed even at how vacant her stare had become, how lifeless  her expressions were ,from a formally far distance,  showed so much light  now were just.. there. Staring. 

Back and forth, back and forth..

With a huff, he threw on his kimono jacket, stretched his hands forward and looked down at the elderly maid and Chiho. If he wasn't due for this special meeting with the lord of the western lands he would have stayed behind and ravaged her more. As much as he hated the silence, it was something about having Chiho so close in his grasp after waiting for so long that made him want her all the more. 

She knew nothing of the arrangement nor did he feel the need to delve that information to her just yet but he had to get her out of that stupor if she were to be presented to the Lord of the Western Lands as a proper dowry but only as a last resort of course. 

"See to it that she is taken care of when I come back .I have important business to attend to." huffed Kojitsu.

"Aye, my lord." Murmured the maid.

The look of contempt spread across Kojitsu's crystalline face for a brief moment before softening mid-focus back to Chiho. 

Her skin - pale, flawless and not a bruise in sight across her porcelain flesh lips rosened and full as if coated with the paintbrush from the underworld in the finest of spider lilly dye. Her eyes translucent and cerulean in pigment. She reminded him of the blossoms that bloom only during the full moon.

His... little moon blossom ,perhaps.

Bending down to meet her eyes, he cupped her chin only slightly. He felt the maid cease her brushing which made him avert his gaze to pierce her wrinkled husk.

"I didn't say to stop brushing so don't take it upon yourself to do so. I'm merely saying goodbye."

"Aye, my lord." Replied the maid almost in a rehearsed tone.

Kojitsu motioned himself forward, pressing his lips against hers for a brief moment before indulging himself to slip his tongue inside of her mouth, circling back and forth as she remained fixed in place and the maid continued to brush her hair back and forth.

Breaking their spittle-filled lock not a moment longer to spare, Kojitsu fastened himself once more and headed downstairs to meet his esteemed guest.

When the coast was clear, however, the elder maid ceased her brushing and placed her hands on Chiho's cold shoulders.

"Oh, child, just what has he done to you... What is it that you've seen that we havent already?" Her voice was sorrowed with pity for she had seen this before in another concubine. She never recovered. That concubine was her dearest friend, Tomoka.

Coming back to reality, the elder dug in her breast pocket, gripping the hair ornament that Naomi begged her to give to Chiho if she saw her knowingly they change shifts going upstairs to tend to the master upstairs. The elder initially sought against it, wanting to be completely uninvolved but Naomi begged and begged until she refused to eat for days. 

"Child, I believe this belongs to you from a friend... I hope this gives you some solace that ye may want up here in the tower."

The ornament had small  bells attached at the end  that tinkled so subtley that it brought her from her trance. 

Her pupils expanded and the tears began to stream down her flushed face. She tried to speak but all she could do was gasp over her own words. 

The elder felt a tinge of relief that there was a slight glint of her soul still attached to her mind. Carefully placing the brush on a jeweled nightstand, she squatted in front of the girl  and shushed her quivering voice. 

"Shh-shh-shh. Now child, it'll be okay." truthfully, the elder did not know this to be true. So many times she said the same line to the previous girls, and so many times she followed the same routine .

"Please-" begged Chiho, quickly grasping at the elder's sleeves, "D-did you see? Did you see them?"

"See what, child?"

"The bodies. Did you see the bodies? T-they were everywhere. They- Ama- oh, spirits what is this place?!" Chiho's voice pitched into a frantic whisper as she cradled her face between her palms, shiverin at the sight of Amaya's face flashing before her very eyes.

"Mama! Papa! I want to go home! Please, I want to go home!"

"Shh- gather yourself, child, less you want the guards to come back-" the elder pursed her lips together, eyebrows furrorwed in worry. She didn't know what to do but she could not leave the girl in such a panicked state.

Pulling chiho's gaze up towards hers, chiho could see the elder was blind in one eye. No doubt a punishment so many years ago.

"Child, listen to me. And ye not speak a word of this to anyone. The lord has an important meeting with this great demon who's father ruled the entire western lands. A strong man, a Fair  Man who would not stand for these atrocities. The lord is meeting with him to join the kingdoms and if I it is rumored that his offspring be as powerful, there will be hope for us. Hope for you to return home. Hope for a better life than this."

"H-how do you know?"

The elder pulled in her lips, taking a breath that pulled her very heart from the depths she buried it.

"I was once a concubine to the lord of the western land many, many moons ago. A fool then to fall in love with someone so powerful and yet-"

"So- so you are?"

"Aye, a demon. A demon counting her days to leave this world and finally be reborn. But until then, child, you must fight for us. And for those that did not have a chance."

"But why me?"

"Aye, why indeed. But it very well could be the demon blood coursing through your veins."

"Demon? But i'm not a demon. My parents kept me inside because of a skin condition."

"Nonsense, child." the elder pulled down her sleeve to reveal a birthmark that resembled the silhouette of an Oni mask.

"You have  two marks on your breast and on your tailbone. You are a demon, lass. And now, you embrace it."

"I- its still not making sense."

"It won't for a while, child. But the most important thing is," the elder clasped Chiho's hand around the hair ornament and curved her wrinkled lips into a hopeful smile.

"You fight. For the ones who couldn't. Even if you have to pretend, just remember that it won't be forever."

"But, elder, what about the ones-"

The elder opened her mouth the speak only to close her lips shut once more. She shook her head in decline like she rejected the thought altogether.

"Where you end up, my dear, make a memorial for them."

Without another word, Chiho nodded, holding the elder's hands in hers as a silent tear streaked down her afflicted eye.

She had a feeling one of the elder's friends were also in the pile of bones she saw back in the springs. 

-

"Sesshomaru, my Lord, there's something about this place that just seems off- don't you agree?" quizzed Jaken.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he continued walking forward his golden eyes lazily swaying from the merchants to the guards to random women and men who equally gawked at him back.

He wasn't one to give Jaken the validation he sought but he was right in his statements the kingdom grounds were off. Terribly off.

He could smell the pungency of brimstone coming from the guards and the mixture of jasmine rice wine and perfumed water bouncing back and forth. The women ranged from all classes but he saw little of the impoverished roaming the streets which he found to be rather-

"Peculiar it is.", chimed Jaken, his hand firmly gripped around his staff in defense.

The castle guard walked ahead of the two to show them the way through the crowds of onlookers no doubt mesmerized by sesshomaru's elegantly cool demeanor. His cool toned whitish hues swaying in the breeze with his cherished tail cascading behind him only so delicately missing the grounds beneath them.

This must be the lord of the Western Lands!

The Lord!

It is him!

We are saved!

More and more commonfolk rejoiced in their whispers which only annoyed Sesshomaru to say the least.

"Ah yes, they must have heard the stories of your father but I wonder what of it has any relevance to this meeting? To think this unknown prince would think to be in the same capcity of air as the lord sesshomaru well he must have quite the gaul-"

The guard looked down at jaken with a sneer, his yellowed eyes booming down at him with disgust.

Jaken meeped at the glare from the Netherworld, shielding his nose at the overcoming aroma of brimstone.

Shielding himself behind Sesshomaru who never faltered his stride, Jaken grimaced in fear.

"My Lord, I must say he reeks of a demon and a dirty one at that! Wouldn't you agree?"

Sesshomaru grunted in response, his pace slowing to a halt as the guard stepped in front of the castle doors. Jaken of course was caught off guard and stumbled on sesshomaru's heel.

"'Ere ye have it, the prince's castle. We hope it is to your liking, junior lord of the western lands" the disengenunie guard leered at the two, but before Jaken could rebuttal the castle doors opened to rows and rows of women standing to greet the pair. Cooks were in the center of the castle and music beamed in the castle walls to spark the greatest of invitations.

"Welcome!" boomed the women, bowing lowly to signify respect. Jaken was of course taken by surprise and nearly fell on his back while Sesshomaru, with eyebrow raised,  continued his strides inside of the castle, overlooking the women almost completely.

The guard took a final look before snorting in annoyance.

"Tough fucking demon, and a brat nonetheless."