𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮 犬夜叉 ♡ ; 𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚞 𝚡 𝚘𝚌

Traitor's Chambers

A few weeks had passed, and the castle was beginning to rebuild. The damages that were laid about due to Sesshomaru and Kojitsu diminished little by little. Kojitsu made more of an appearance than in the beginning of the month, but only briefly. He would walk about the corridors, one bandaged arm out of his kimono sleeve and wander the hallways at night when it was quietest. He walked about alone, against the guards' and Mitsuki's wishes, and gathered his thoughts under the moonlit sky.

As much as Mitsuki tried her damndest to impose her positioning, he knew it would never be. He wasn't blind, but he was surely amused. She would do everything in her power to exert herself physically when, in all actuality, she would never be fit to bear his heir. She was a human, and a sneaky one at that. Her actions were mimicked in her original village; sleeping her way to safety until she was discarded and bought to be a concubine in his manor. And for that, he would never hold her to that regard as a potential bride.

"Feh," he shifted his position while seated, a hint of disgust riddled across his face. He rested his elbow on a lowly positioned table, plopping his cheek in his palm. As he looked up at the stars, his auburn eyes glimmered under its reflective light. His eyebrows raised in surprise while he caught a glimpse of what he thought was a shooting star. As it disappeared, he sighed longingly as Chiho's face flashed across his mind for a split second.

"Where are you, Chiho. . ."

The maids and concubines would hear him wander the halls. They would lay still, silent, cautious not to sneeze out of place. Gossip had spread through the courtyards that Mitsuki was the stay-in replacement for Chiho and that she was proud of it. There was also rumor circulating that the Gardener that developed a romantic relationship with Chiho had "disappeared".

Some assumed him to be dead. Others assumed him to have escaped when all the calamity came about. And others thought him to have escaped with Chiho. Nobody really knew. But it seemed to the remaining concubines there noticed Naomi was gone as well.

It was all innocent chamber gossip. Without the main source of the gossip - Chiho - things would have to go about as scheduled.

Down an endless corridor laid one room with double doors. Two human guards positioned themselves outside of the doors, one with boredom's etched into their faces and the other attempting to get a peek at the three women who giggled around eachother as they exchanged lighthearted gossip.

"Hehehehe, just you wait, Atsuko, I'm going to be the new mistress of the manor." Cheered Mitsuki. Her long hair was fastened in a bun atop her head as she waded in the luxurious in-house onsen with her two closest friends - Atsuko and Tomoe.

Atsuko was petite with round brown eyes and medium length chestnut hair. She was confined to the wellness quarters where she aided in the nobles pampering themselves and keeping up their appearances. It was better than being a cleaning or cooking wench, she was for certain.

Tomoe was assigned to the arts quarters. She maintained the upkeep of all the fine paintings and musical instruments lacquered around the chambers. She was blessed with a gift to play on the Koto and the Shamisen which in turn saved her from laborious work around the house that could damage her fingers.

Atsuko and Mitsuki were assigned to the same quarters and became friends first, Tomoe followed soon after.

Mitsuki, with a small cup of rice wine in her hands, wrapped her free arm around Atsuko and smiled gleefully. Her cheeks a blushed red from the alcohol, she felt utterly gleeful this evening.

"What ever do you mean, Mitsuki?" Atsuko quizzed.

"You don't think he's just buying time till he figures out what happened to Chiho? Granted, she wasn't the most talkative but she was very beautiful. And she always had this air about her. I don't know how to say it," Atsuko circled her hand around in circles as she tried to find the correct words to say but it just wasn't coming to her.