“You are of age daughter and it is time for you to have your own slave,” Kane Higurashi said.
Kagome Higurashi stared at her father, “Why must I? You know I don’t want one.”
“Kagome, you are well beyond the years of having a slave—”
Kagome held her hand up and closed her eyes, “Please father, you know I prefer ‘bodyguard.’”
Her father glared at her, “I don’t care what you prefer, tomorrow the slave trader is coming to the palace and you are to choose one.”
Kagome cringed she looked down at her hands and pulled her sleeves over them. The silhouette of Kagome’s father retreated from her room. She sighed and sat down on her bed.
Kagome looked around the tan colored room. Her bed was rather large, and had a canopy. Kagome didn’t have much in her room, she never had wanted much. Her cousin Kikyo on the other hand was very materialistic. So many times Kikyo reprimanded her for always receiving gifts and immediately giving them away. Kagome looked out the window she stood and looked out of it, even though it was dark outside the castle was still bustling. Kagome ran her hand along the curtains that she’d asked be taken down and made into clothes for people who didn’t have any, but her mother drew the line at that.
She remembered what her father had said. A slave, she cringed again at the thought. Her father had wanted her to get a ‘bodyguard’ as she put it for years now. Every aristocratic daughter had one. Kagome had never liked to think of anyone in that way. Everyone deserved to be treated with respect and dignity.
The moon shown down into Kagome’s room but she didn’t notice it, she just kept thinking about what would happen the next day. The other reason why she was not looking forward to getting a slave was they were also supposed to help their mistresses discover who they were, so when they were married, they would know how to please their husband.
Kagome want to spit at that thought. She never wanted to be married to someone who demanded that she pleasure him whenever he wanted. She wanted to know what true love would be like. To be held in the arms of the one person who would understand her above all.
Kagome went and stood in front of the mirror to look at herself. What she saw was a small young woman had grown into womanhood, but she had been told by too many people that she wasn’t beautiful. Her cousin Kikyo had done numerous times, telling her that her eyes were too close together, and she was too short, and she was too wide around her middle, and nowhere near the beauty of other women
She closed her eyes and thought how would any man ever think that she was beautiful? The slave that she would choose would only be doing his job, nothing more.
She was so much more. Without anyone knowing, she had gone to the old medicine woman in the palace and asked her to teach Kagome how to make potions to help others in their pain. She’d trained herself how to use a bow and arrow and a sword. Tomorrow would be the day and suddenly there was a knot in her stomach. How would she ever choose? Kikyo had told her that the choosing of a woman’s first slave was the most important. The woman would be drawn to the man instantaneously, and then there would be the bonding ceremony.
Kikyo had told her that there would be a collar that was placed around the slave’s neck and in the collar Kagome would put some of her blood in it to make the slave obey her whenever she would ask something of him.
Then she thought of how her father had said the word ‘slave.’ He held nothing in his voice except disgust. Her father looked at these men as lower than dirt. Kagome didn’t know how anyone could treat another person like that. They were still men, and they were forced into slavery.
Kagome had heard how mistresses would often treat their slaves horribly. Some would deprive them of food and water, they’d sleep on stone. Some she’d heard had become sex slaves and that was their entire purpose. Kagome shuddered at that thought. She looked back out the window and made a decision, whatever man she picked tomorrow for her slave she would treat him as a man and nothing less. As Kagome readied for bed she became more assured that this was what she was going to do. As she lay under her covers she fell asleep dreaming about how she would help the man that she would choose tomorrow.
Kagome awoke to someone knocking on her door. Her maid entered and told her that the slave trader would arrive with his caravan within the hour. Kagome got out of bed and did as she always did in the morning, she went to the window to look out and see what kind of day was dawning. Today it was bright and sunny she smiled and felt the sun warm her skin.
Kagome danced around her room and her maid stared at her in bewilderment. Kagome stopped and she felt a blush start. She always did unusual things in front of people when she didn’t mean to.
Her maid readied and dressed her, and Kagome traveled through the palace to the dining room. She ran her hand along the walls and memories flooded her. She’d grown up in the palace, she knew nothing else. She knew this day would come and she had prolonged it as much as she could, but she knew that her father would not stand for it.
Kagome entered the dining room and found her mother and father sitting at the head of the table. She decided to be as congenial as possible because she didn’t want to start a war of tongues with her father.
Kagome sat at the table and the servants came and placed her plate before her with food. Kagome and her parents ate in silence. When they were finished they heard commotion down in the courtyard and the three of them knew who was there.
Her father left the table and went to talk to the slave trader and set up the men. Kagome and her mother were supposed to wait until he summoned them but Kagome went to the window to look out.
She saw the slave trader talking with her father. After her father pointed to a side room the slave trader nodded and her father went back into the palace. The slave trader went to the back of his wagon and undid the lock, and opened the door. Kagome saw five men get out of the back of the wagon, they looked worn and weary. She tried to see them, but they all had their heads down and she couldn’t see any of them. Kagome gave up as her father came back into the dining room.
He looked up at her and smiled, “They are here and ready for you to inspect, daughter.” Kagome did the best she could to not flinch as her father talked about the men as if they were mere dogs.
“All right father, but I want to ask you one thing before I go down.”
Her father frowned, and she knew he was worried that she was backing out of this. “Of course, Kagome.”
“I will go through with this, if I can have a promise from you,” she lifted her chin to her father.
Her father nodded, “All right, daughter what is it?”
“If I do this, will I be allowed to do whatever I want to with my . . . slave?”
“Yes, of course, why?”
“I wanted to make sure that you would not interfere with anything that I would do with him.”
Her father smiled, and was relieved that this was all that she was asking. “That is fine, Kagome, when he is bound to you, you are the only one he will obey.”
Kagome nodded her head, “Thank you father that is all I wanted to know.”
Her father nodded and held out his arm for her to take. Kagome did and they walked down the corridors. Every step they took another knot formed in Kagome’s stomach. Now that this was happening she wasn’t sure she could do this. She was so nervous.
Kane opened the door and light spilled into Kagome’s eyes and she squinted. She put her hand in front of her eyes to block it. Kagome looked out upon the courtyard and saw the wagon that she’d seen from the window above. It looked so ominous from this close up, she peered into the back and saw only darkness. Were there no windows to bring daylight in there? These men were treated so poorly, Kagome shivered.
Her father looked at her, and she smiled back as warmly as she could. Kane led his daughter into a room at the side of the courtyard. He entered first and Kagome was behind him. Her father moved out of the way and she saw the five men she’d seen exit the wagon. The slave trader was to the side.
He was a large man and looked as if he hadn’t taken a bath in a very long time. Kagome looked at the men and thought they hadn’t either, she felt so bad for them. The slave trader looked at her and she could see something in his eyes that made her shudder.
Kagome turned her attention to the men that were standing in front of her. They varied in size. Kagome stepped up to the first man he was staring down at the floor. She noticed that none of them were looking up at her. They weren’t allowed to she had to make them look at her.
She lifted the head of the first one, and she looked into pale blue eyes. The man was only a few inches taller than her. His shoulders were slumped, and Kagome felt no pull towards him.
She continued on to the next man, she lifted his head and saw brown eyes. He stared at her as if she wasn’t there, the man made Kagome feel uncomfortable. She continued on with the next two men but neither one of them stood out to her.
Kagome approached the next man and the first thing she noticed was his hands. They were large and she noticed that he had claws. Kagome turned to her father and he ushered her on. For some reason his hands caught her attention, they looked strong, and she wondered what it would feel like to have those hands on her. She blushed and recovered herself before she continued on. His hair was a tan color and was very long it reached down to his legs. She refrained from touching it. His clothes were dirty and worn like the others but he didn’t have dirt on his face.
Kagome stepped in front of him and lifted his chin. He looked up at her and stood to his full height. He was a good two feet taller then she was. Kagome looked into his eyes and she saw golden eyes. There was something that was in them, something that told her he was no ordinary man. Yet he didn’t show any other emotions. She looked down to his hands again and wondered if by some chance he was a youkai. She’d heard stories of them from long ago. How would he have become a slave though?
Kagome was again drawn to his eyes and saw wisdom and age beyond her few years. There was something in his eyes that told her he didn’t belong here and he hated everything around him. She knew then that he was the one that she needed to choose.
“What is your name?”
“Sesshomaru my lady,” he whispered as he looked down again. Kagome looked at his head and smiled. Kagome went to her father and whispered her choice into his ear. He nodded and she left him.
Kane went to the slave trader and told him his daughter’s choice. He nodded and led the other four men out. Kane took Sesshomaru by his chains and led him to a room to be cleaned.
Sesshomaru followed the man and remembered the girl that chose him. When he’d seen her he’d held his breath. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a beautiful mistress. He’d been a slave for centuries now and wondered if he’d ever see his home again.
His thoughts were drawn back to his new mistress. Her eyes had caught his attention. They were a swirling chocolate brown. Her skin had looked so soft he wanted to reach out to touch her. He’d stopped himself from doing it in fear of being whipped. He didn’t have a problem with being whipped he’d endured torture like no other.
Yet, because he’d become a slave his youkai powers had diminished and now he didn’t heal as quickly as he used to. He remembered when he’d been captured long ago when he was young and naïve. He hated what he’d become but he had no choice, without his full powers he was basically useless.
He wondered what his new mistress would be like. For some reason a part of him wished that she would be kind. Yet, if he just assumed that she would be as cruel as all of his other mistresses he’d continue on as he always had. He had lived this way for so long he’d become immune to the way that people treated him. It was easier to go along as he always had then hope for some kindness from a young inexperienced girl.
Kane left him in the hands of servants to clean and groom him. Sesshomaru dreaded the next hour when he’d be bound to a new mistress.
Kagome stayed in her room for the next hour remembering Sesshomaru. He seemed so powerful. He looked as if he didn’t belong. Kagome’s mind drifted back to his eyes and she remembered seeing pain in them. What had he been through in his life? She wanted to know, now.
Several times Kagome stood and walked around her room. Again she was getting nervous. She’d never been attracted to a man as she had been to Sesshomaru. It scared her to think about it. She wished she was more experienced with these emotions but she wasn’t. Conceivably he could teach her, but deep down she knew she wanted and needed more.
Kagome went to her mirror and looked at herself again in it. She fingered her hair and brushed her hand against her dress. For some reason she wanted to look her best. She never really cared, she would just get ready and go as she was, no matter what she looked like. Suddenly she wanted to impress Sesshomaru. She couldn’t say why, she caught herself. She wanted to help him, so what was the point of impressing him?
Kagome sighed and looked at the door when it opened. Her maid came in and told her that Sesshomaru was ready and it was time for the ceremony. Kagome walked through the halls and was led into a private chamber.
As she walked in she saw her father and mother standing off to the right and Sesshomaru stood off to the right with his head down and the chains were still around his hands. She was getting very angry and wanted them off.
She walked up to her mother and father and they smiled at her. Her mother came up her and hugged her, Kagome couldn’t believe their attitude. This was such a common thing for all of them. She thought it was revolting. Yet through it all she smiled and made them believe that she was fine with everything.
Her father stepped up to her and held the collar out to her. Kagome knew what happened next. Her maid stepped up to her with a dagger and Kagome closed her eyes and held out her arm. The maid cut her wrist and Kagome held her wrist over the collar.
The collar was almost like a living organism. Kagome watched as her blood somehow got absorbed into the collar. She’d never seen anything like it. Her maid gave her a towel to wrap around her wrist to stop the bleeding.
Her father held out the collar for her to take. Kagome did, and went over to Sesshomaru. The first thing she noticed about him was that his hair was pure white. She’d never seen anything more beautiful. Before it was tan, and must have been so dirty to be this pure white now. Kagome wanted to reach out and touch it to see if it was as soft as it appeared. She also noticed his outfit, and how it accented his body.
Kagome undid the other collar, and it fell to the floor. Sesshomaru felt his powers returning to him. This always happened when a new mistress bound him. Yet it was so brief he never had time to gain enough strength to break free.
Kagome opened the collar and Sesshomaru lifted his head. Kagome was struck again by his eyes. He lowered his head so she could reach his neck. She placed the collar around his throat and closed it. It had a resounding click and Kagome jumped.
Sesshomaru straightened and said, “I am bound to you only, my mistress. I will follow only your orders and protect you if it costs me my life.” Sesshomaru took her hand in his hands, still encased in the chains and kissed it. His lips on her skin sent shivers through her.
He let go of her hand and it suddenly felt cold. She stepped back from him and a few minutes later her hand burned. She looked down at it and saw a swirling shape appear there.
Kagome looked at her parents, and her father nodded, “It’s all right, that is a normal step. You are bound to him now he will be able to feel your emotions.”
Kagome looked up at her father, “All of them?”
“Only when you are in danger or pain, so he can protect you.”
Kagome nodded her head warily, “We will leave you two now,” her mother said.
Her parents left her and the maid followed them. Suddenly they were by themselves and she was nervous again. Sesshomaru’s head was still bent, and she hated how he did that.
Kagome lifted his head once more, “Don’t bow your head like that, I want you to look me in the eyes all of the time.”
Sesshomaru winced, nodded and did as he was told. Kagome looked down at his chains, “We’re going to take those off too.” Kagome looked behind her and saw the keys. She returned to him and unlocked the chains. They fell to the ground, and Sesshomaru rubbed his wrists.
“Thank you my lady,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” she turned to step away and he caught her by the wrist that had been opened to combine her blood with the collar.
Kagome gasped from the pain and Sesshomaru replied, “I’m sorry my lady I didn’t mean to. I just wondered if you were all right.”
“I’m fine, let me go,” he winced again and did as he was told.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
“What?” He asked.
“Why do you continue to wince?”
“When you tell me to do something, pain is inflicted upon me to obey you.”
Kagome was disgusted that she’d given him pain, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that, please forgive me.” Sesshomaru’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “Good, thank you.”
Kagome looked around the room and wondered what to do now. Sesshomaru smiled, “Would you like to retire now, milady?”
Kagome blushed, she figured what that meant, “It is only mid-afternoon. Would you like to tour the gardens?”
“If that is what you wish.”
“It is,” she said. Sesshomaru nodded and Kagome led the way out to the garden. Sesshomaru watched her and noticed how graceful she was. Her dress flowed around her. He’d been somewhat surprised when she hadn’t wanted to go back to her room and have him teach her about the pleasure he could give her. The thought of it made him hard.
They walked out into the palace garden and Sesshomaru had never seen anything so exquisite, excluding the woman in front of him. Kagome looked around the garden, “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes it is,” he commented. He couldn’t remember the last time one of his mistresses had done anything with him outside of the bedroom.
“This is my favorite place to be,” she said twirling around the garden. She went and sat on a hidden bench and Sesshomaru came around and sat beside her. He looked out amongst the garden and inhaled deeply.
“Do you have a favorite?” His eyes were drawn to her delicate features.
Kagome nodded and pointed towards the roses. “Those are my favorite I planted them with the most care.”
“You planted them?” Sesshomaru was somewhat surprised.
Kagome nodded, “Yes, I planted this whole garden and I take care of it.
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s one of my hobbies.” Sesshomaru was impressed. None of the women he had ever had as mistresses had ever willingly gotten their hands dirty. Something about Kagome was different. Perhaps they wouldn’t be like all of the others who had caused him so much physical and emotional harm.
As Sesshomaru looked at his beautiful new mistress he hoped that was true.
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Against my better judgement I've put this story up. The reason is, because this one is actually not finished yet, unlike my others, (except "The Assistant.") Anyway, hopefully putting this up will help me finish it! I would love to know what you think of it, and hope it strikes an interest in you!