Captive Inu

Chapter 18

**FLASHBACK**

(Year: 1143 ;
Sessho's age: 101=13 human years)

Sesshomaru walked the halls of the Northern Palace for the first time, taking in its many scents and sights. He was an Inu, after all, and the desire to mark new territories as his own was strong. He had never ventured here before, had always stayed in the west.

The northern lord's twins, though not birthed from the same womb, would celebrate their 100th day of birth in two weeks, but being that his father and the northern lord had been the best of friends for ages -along with their fathers and grandfathers- the west had come over a week earlier than the other royal families from the north, west, and south would arrive.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. He didn't see why he had to be here. Well, he did see why, but he didn't like it. Being that the north and the west had a near unbreakable bond due to more than a millennia of friendship between the rulers of the north and west dating back to the early days, it was customary that he be here, just like it was customary for the northern family to have came to his own 100th birthday celebration last year.

And he didn't mind being here. Truly, he didn't. He just hated that he had to come to twins' celebration now when only one had attended his last year. It was unfair. Apparently the girl he had yet to meet had been "sick", so she couldn't leave the palace.

Oh, he'd believe that the day inus bowed down to dragons. Which was never! He was positive the girl wasn't sick. If anything she was ashamed to leave the safety of the palace.

It was no secret of her scandalous birth. That the northern lord's mistress had birthed his first-heir. No doubt she'd been afraid to show her face to the royal public. He didn't blame her, but it was still rude to have not attended such an important royal event.

'I'll bet she resembles an ogre,' Sesshomaru thought with a small laugh. That's probably why she remained in the palace.

It wasn't that he disliked her because of the way she'd been born. It was, after all, just another life brought into the world. No, the reason he disliked her so much, despite her missing his important birthday, was because she was the first-heir to the northern throne. Had she been born second, then that would have been more acceptable. There had never been an illegitimate first-heir, and never a female one either. Of course it was scornful to place someone of her birthing on the throne. And insulting, really. Besides that, females were not made to be sole rulers. They were too weak, both physically and mentally, too soft in the mind, and, quite frankly, too stupid to play the role. They wouldn't know how to rule an entire kingdom if it slapped them twice across the face.

Sesshomaru stopped at the family room near the front of the palace when he heard a frustrated growl. Slowly, he moved into the room and followed the sound to the open door that led into a large shady garden. He stopped just before exiting onto the wooden steps, his breath catching in his throat.

Standing under a grand oak was the prettiest girl Sesshomaru had ever laid eyes own. She had long blue-black hair where the top half was pulled into a ponytail. Sesshomaru suspected she was perhaps half a head shorter than himself. She wore a simple dark blue playing kimono with a sash at the waist, but she was still stunning. She was facing him, looking up into the tree. Her blue facial markings, five pointed star on her forehead, and deep-set sapphire eyes told Sesshomaru she was Lord Keito's illegitimate daughter. The first-heir. The one he had yet to meet, and tell a piece of his mind for not showing up at his celebration.

'Kamis, she's beautiful,' he thought. 'Nothing at all like an ogre.'

With slow, nervous steps, he walked down the four stairs and approached her. She didn't even seem to notice him, just glared up into the tree.