Chapter 6: Searching for a killer
The moment we returned to my castle, Jaken and I made a stop by Rin's gave and I wished there were still flowers in bloom so I could adorn her grave marker with them. Instead it was covered in snow and I watched as Jaken quickly dusted it off only to have it be covered again as the snow kept falling. Glancing at the marker once more, I turned and headed inside.Now that my plan had been set in motion, I had but one thought in mind. Find who was responsible and deal with them in the most painful way I can think of. They would pay, and it was only a matter of time before I discovered who it was. Making my way to my study, I began listing all of the members of my court that were most likely to betray me.
I sat down at my desk once I had entered the room and began looking over the minutes from the last meeting. Three out of the six had spoken out against me naming her my heir including one who swore I would regret it. He seemed to be the best place to start my search for her killer and my revenge, and he remained with in the castle, so he was easy to find.
After I sent Jaken to call on him, a servant came into the room carrying a tray full of tea and set it down on the desk in front of me. Giving a slight nod of my head, I waited until he had left before pouring myself a cup and taking a small sip of the warm liquid. Hearing the Shoji door open, I glanced up to find the demon I had been waiting for.
His name is Hajime (beginning) and he was a hyena demon that had been a member of the court since my father was named lord. He stood about 5'5 and as a hyena was one of the few demons that when taking a more 'human' form, retained the dark, brown fur that covered his body in his natural form. And he was one of the few whose eyes were constantly red.
As I remember, he was also the loudest speaker against my father taking a human mate after my mother passed. He had complained at every meeting about having a human girl here since the day I first brought Rin to my home. Even with all of the reasons for it to be him, it all seemed too easy and almost as if someone made it to look as if it was him.
"You called for me Sesshoumaru?" he questioned when I had yet to speak to him. He was also one of the only two members of the court allowed to drop my title, the other is my cousin. "Shall we get right to the point?" he wondered as he reached over and poured himself a cup of tea, bringing the steaming liquid to his lips and taking a small sip.
"This Sesshoumaru assumes you already know why you were called for. This Sesshoumaru will find the murderer of his heir and he knows that her death was connected to a member of the court, only they knew of her new status This Sesshoumaru will find who is responsible and when he does, they will be punished to the full extent of the law."
"Sesshoumaru you can not be serious, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. She was merely a pathetic mortal. No demon, no matter his status, should ever be punished for the death of a weak human." Hajime insisted shaking his head disbelievingly at me. He above all should know the law, he did help write them, and no one is above the law of the West, not even its lord.
"Human or not, Rin was named this Sesshoumaru's heir and therefore her killer broke two of the West's oldest laws. 'None shall kill an heir without the consent of the court as a whole, including the current lord.' This law was broken with not but perhaps one court member's vote. 'None shall kill an heir unless another heir can be produced and named as the next heir.'
"As it stands, this Sesshoumaru is once again without an heir to the west. The guilty party or parties will be executed as the law demands for their crimes. Perhaps this Sesshoumaru will even resurrect them so they made suffer both punishments. This Sesshoumaru suggests that if you have anything to say, say it now and save yourself pain."
"I have nothing to say Sesshoumaru as I did not nor did I hire another to take the human's life. I, myself, have thought more than once to take her life, but it seems I was beaten to it. Had it been me, I would have killed her outright and not hidden in the shadows. I do not agree to your decision Sesshoumaru, but I am also not the one you seek."
As Hajime finished speaking, he set his cup down and walked out of my study without waiting to be dismissed. His scent showed no trace of lying and even though some of the more powerful demons, including myself, can mask it, I do not believe that he had done so. My first assumption had been correct, it was far too easy for it to have been Hajime.
As I was refilling my cup with the still steaming tea, a knock sounded at my door and with a quick sniff I discovered it to be my retainer Jaken and two of my guards. "Enter." I called out emotionlessly before taking a sip from my cup and setting it back down on the desk in front of me. The three entered and the guards moved to kneel in front of my desk.
Jaken bowed and moved to stand to my right as I glanced over at the guards before returning my eyes to the papers in front of me. "Speak." I commanded, already thinking of ways to punish them if they had not completed their task yet. I had given it to them before setting out to find the priestess and by now they had, had more than plenty of time.
"We have discovered the source of poison Sesshoumaru-sama. Privet was used to season her meal that night." (1) the first guard, a young wolf demon, informed me catching my full attention. This new information might lead anyone else to think that Rin's poisoning might have been accidental, but I knew better and would not fall for it.
My kitchen servants already know not to add that to any food she might touch since it is poisonous to humans, but demons use it to season their food since it can't kill us. Whoever was responsible thought themselves smart, thinking it would be believed that it was an accident. They would soon find that I am not that naive and do not fall for tricks.
"Dismissed." I told the guards and turned my gaze to Jaken after they had left the room and closed the door behind them. "Bring me the serving wenches that served Rin that night." I commanded and after a quick bow, Jaken exited the room and I could hear him scurrying down the hall toward the kitchen. Turning back to the minutes, I glanced over it for the next likely killer.
I decided who I would speak to next just as Jaken's knock sounded at my door again and I bid him enter. With him came two fox demonesses from my kitchen, who like the guards before them, quickly came to bow before me. "How did Privet end up in Rin's food?" I demanded and tuned myself into their scents to catch any changes.
"I am unsure Sesshoumaru-sama. I know none of the kitchen staff could have done it as we all know not to add it to her food since it is poisonous to humans. I was in charge of her meal that night and I am afraid I must tell you that I had to leave it unattended for about five minutes as one of your guards was once again trying to get my girls into his bed." the older fox demoness explained.
"Was there anyone in the room when you left her food unattended or were there any others besides the guard around the kitchen that should not have been there?" I questioned after thinking for a moment and deciding I would need to talk to this guard as well, perhaps before I talk to my next court member. He could have easily been there as a distraction.
"None that I am aware of Sesshoumaru-sama. And the guard's name was Ushio (tide) my lord." she informed me before I had the chance to ask. I quickly dismissed them, telling Jaken to retrieve the guard and bring him to me. Unfortunately when Jaken returned this time, he returned with rather bad news for me.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, it seems that Ushio has been missing for a few days. His captain didn't notice until I inquired of him because of how hectic things have been around here in the last few days. Far as I can tell, the serving wenches were last to see him when he was in the kitchen." Jaken explained bowing repeatedly, most likely thinking I would take it out on him.
"Send five guards out to track him down and bring him to me the moment he is found. And send Wakaba (new leaves) to me immediately." I commanded and waved him off before he rushed from the room to go do my bidding. Once the door had been closed, I rubbed my temples to hold back the headache that was threatening to form.
It didn't take long for the next knock to sound at my door and with a quick sniff to the air, I discovered Wakaba had arrived. "Enter." I called out and watched as the tiger demoness walked into the room, swaying her hips in hopes of catching my attention. While Wakaba is a very beautiful demoness, I just can not see myself mating a cat demoness.
Glancing her over as she walked over and bow before me, I took in each of her features. Long, wavy, orange hair and two black stripes on each cheek. Clawed hands, an orange and black stripped tail and sharp fangs, were some of her most notable markings of her heritage. Just too bad she was a cat demon, but oh well.
"You called my lord?" she questioned, raising her face so she was staring into my eyes with her own yellow, catlike ones. Not bothering to hide the fact that she was giving me a once over as well, she rang her pink tongue across her red lips. Gesturing toward the floor in front of my desk, I waited until she had seated herself before speaking.
"If you know anything about my heir's death, this Sesshoumaru suggests you speak up now." I told her and tuned myself to her to see if there were any changes when the subject was approached. Not so much as an increase in heartbeat showed on her. No change in scent, sweaty palms, no mannerisms normally found when someone lies or is about to.
"While I will admit, my lord, that I was not a fan of her, I have no reason to kill the little girl. Whether or not you make her your heir makes no difference to me since you have already refused my courting. Besides if I was going to kill her, it would be out in the open. I do not hide behind poisons and I would not kill a child. Even I have standards."
Still finding no changes in her I nodded my head at her and with a bow she left the room. It wasn't but a moment more before Jaken once again returned and I sent him to fetch the next member of the court. But like the first two, the next three left giving me no further information. The only member left to speak to would be my cousin, from my mother's side.
"Enter Youhei." (mercenary) I called out when I felt my cousin's presence on the other side of the Shoji door. Glancing up I watched as he entered the room and came to stand in front of me, after a slight bow. While he was closer to me in features, he was closer to my idiot half-brother in age. And other than said half-brother, he is my only other living blood relative.
"I heard you were calling the members of the court and figured you would want to talk to me as well Sesshoumaru. I'll save you some time though, I didn't kill her. Now have you been able to get any information out of the other members?" he questioned raising an single eyebrow at me. Though I doubted he had to do with her death, I still took in his scent.
Like all of the others, it never changed. "Not from the other court members, however, this Sesshoumaru now knows that Privet is what was used and it was most likely added while a guard was distracting the kitchen wenches. Soon as this Sesshoumaru finds the guard, he will find out who was behind it." I told him without hesitation.
"Well I should be going, if I hear anything you'll be first to know Sesshoumaru." he assured me before giving me a slight bow and heading back out of the study. A moment later, Jaken entered with a servant, who cleared the tray of tea and left the room. Jaken walked over to me and after a deep bow, he stood beside me, in case I had need of him.
"In less than one week this Sesshoumaru will finalize his plans. This Sesshoumaru wants who ever is behind her death caught before then. And Jaken, speak not a word of where this Sesshoumaru was or certain things he did behind closed doors. To no one. Anyone learns of this Sesshoumaru's plan and he will banish you from the west. Understood?"
"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama." Jaken assured, bowing repeatedly to me. "I had no intention of doing so anyways." he told me with a nod of his head. Giving him a slight nod of my own, I turned my attention to the scrolls on my desk. Jaken quickly got the hint and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
1: This plant is a real poisonous plant to humans known as Japanese Privet (ligustrum ovalifolium) but some birds are known to eat the plant without any problems. Since none of the research I did could find any problems with live stalk or domestic animals eating it, I decided to use this one.