“Still, it does seem so unnecessary.”

“Couldn’t we just lock him up in the prison for a few months?”

“If we did so, we’d need more of a reason to arrest him, and he’d just die there anyway. It’s easier. It’s faster. It’s safer. This is the way we will do it,” Akando responded to Tertius’ request. Silence. Thank the Gods.

“But what about his wife?” his annoying little voice popped up again. Again! Why again?

“What about her?” he spat angrily.

“Well she’s so young.”

“And he’s so much older. He’s had plenty of women and pleasures in his life.”

Silence.

“But she is awfully pretty.”

Akando resisted the urge to strangle him.

“Maybe it is you whom we should kill!” Akando shouted. “I swear! You are worse than a flea demon!”

Silence. Maybe this time it would stay like that.

“But-“

Or maybe not.

“Yes. Yes, she is lovely. And she will go back to Rome and remarry. Are you satisfied now?! If so, I beg of you to shut up! Look!” he then cried, his focus temporarily diverted. “They rowboat has reached the ship!”

Tertius now, too, looked with particular interest. Finally, finally. Peace. There he went, down the ladder, into the boat, reviewing his speech. Yes….Yes, now the boat was just the right length away from ship and shore. Yes! He was distracted; the ship was going out to sea. Any moment now.

Yes! Slash! Stab! Akando could hear the distant, faint cry of the lady on the ship, now powerless to stop anything. He could almost hear his last cry of anguish as he pulled his cape over his head, too close death to stop anything now. He was dead! The task was done. Good. It was all good.

Now just let Inuyasha come.

He fehed away any concern. He had remembered both sacrifices to the deities, and, just for extra protection, a second lamb for Venus as well. He wasn’t in the least worried. Rather, he was excited and anxious. He would almost be glad to see Miroku. He almost missed him.

But there was no time to reminisce. They were now close to the dock and they….They were letting him dock? They didn’t take any of this as a sign of aggression? This was unheard of!

“Be careful my son.”

Venus. Normally he only heard her in his fits of madness, but was just as glad for the extra protection.

“I am limited to nothing. I am always with you.”

“I know you are, and I am glad,” his heart responded.

“But this does not mean be reckless.”

“When have I ever been reckless?”

“Nine hundred and eighty-four times.”

“See? Not so much really at all.”

“At least you listen,” said Venus.

“See? I am not so reckless.”

“Presenting His Majesty, King Sota the thirteenth, ruler of upper and lower Egypt, son of Ra, manifest of Horus-“ began the overly painted and bejeweled eunuch standing next to him.

“And so on and so forth,” interrupted Inuyasha, his amber eyes glittering. The eunuch became visibly angry on being interrupted, while the boy seemed more petrified than anything else. This might be more fun than anticipated.

“Don’t be reckless!” Venus warned again.

“Don’t worry so much!”

“Now,” Inuyasha said aloud, “where is Her Highness Kagome?”

“She, sir, is currently in exile,” said the eunuch.

“And you are?”

“Akando, and a member of His Majesty’s Regency Council.”

“And that would mean that you are His Majesty?” Inuyasha inquired. Akando was horrified at the amount of nonchalance the hanyou put into the question. Sota was merely horrified in general.

Sota whimpered and nodded in response. Inuyasha smirked.

“You do realize that Egypt is legally supposed to be jointly ruled?”

Inuyasha raised his hand to refrain the eunuch from answering. Sota gulped down as much of his fear as possible. “Well she started it!” Inuyasha could hardly keep from laughing.

“In any event, this is only one of three reasons I came to Alexandria. I would like to attend to the more pressing first. I have had very reliable sources inform me that Miroku has fled to Egypt. With the sea as it was, he should have landed a few days ago. I know of you’re alliance with him, and-“ Sota began to whimper, “do not hold it against you. However, I do want to speak with him. Where is he?”

The eunuch clapped his hands, sending two slaves scurrying, grabbing at a tray, with something covered by a reed basket. They were shaking, as though the contents were dangerous. One of his hands rested above his tetsusaiga, ever alert, just in case. His sensitive dog nose took in the scent of…blood? Old, but not older than a day or two. The slaves, still shaking, presented him the tray. He noticed a ring bouncing around on the unsteady tray. A ring? It almost looked like….. He reached up with a finely clawed hand and lifted the reed basket.

Inuyasha felt the bile rise in his throat. He wouldn’t have recognized the head, disfigured in its last moment of agony, were it not for the ring that was presented next to it. He had shaken the hand it had rested on many times. Miroku…..

“His Lord Inuyasha’s enemy has been thusly exterminated. Surly he has no reason to linger in Alexandria. If he would be so kind as to remove his ships, we may continue with the business of the country.” Inuyasha felt the red hot demon blood creeping into his eyes. He willed, he forced it down. No. Now was not the time to let his demon side take over. He forced down a growl as he clenched his fist. He’d love to rip out the eunuch’s throat, but restrained himself. He instead, glared at the eunuch, who merely stared back. He could think of a million words he’d like to hurl at the eunuch, but restrained himself to only a few.

“Who are you to tell Inuyasha where he will or will not keep his ships?!” he spat. “I will stay where I please, and for as long as it should please me. Now come, Your Highness,” he said, sweeping his long cape behind him and motioning for Sota to follow as he walked into the palace. “We have matters to attend to.”

“There’s no time to argue!” said Kagome, settling herself on the rug and laying her arms on her chest like a mummy. “I need to get into Alexandria. I need to meet Inuyasha.”

“But if we should be caught-“

“May the goddess protect us. Now quickly Yuma. I want to be inside the palace by sunset.”

CRACK!

Another chair gone to waste. Demon rage had probably taken over by this point. They could hear slashes, probably him ripping the pillows apart, and hear it echoing down the hall way. His menacing growling howl sent the hair on the back of their necks straight up. Not even in battle, in which Inuyasha had often been consumed by his demon, had he ever behaved in such away. But this was nothing like anyone had ever seen.

Yes, Miroku was dead. Murdered as an attempt to win Inuyasha’s allegiance. It had had the opposite effect.

Inside the once lavishly furnished room, Inuyasha had now been reduced to a slightly cut and somewhat bloody pulp on the cool limestone floor. He could feel the painful salty sting creep into his eyes. If nothing else, it ought to drive away the demon rage, which it was doing. Now his human side was taking over, and for one of the few times in his life, he was crying. Miroku. Miroku had helped him when he had needed it most. When he was to be murdered for not divorcing Kikyo, it was Miroku who had pitied him, and sent him to Greece to hide. When Inuyasha had needed support in the senate, Miroku was always strongly advocating for him. Oh, most certainly, their relationship had begun to sour. But how many times had he shaken his hand? Talked with him as friend would? He could no longer remember, with quarreling becoming more common than anything else. Still! He had never wanted him dead! He was his friend! His partner! Miroku was his former son-in-law! He had loved Metea, he had been kind. He had never wanted her to die in child birth. It didn’t matter now….none of it mattered now…..

“May Alexandria burn!”

He poured water out of one of the jugs resting on the table, splashing his face and neck. He then grabbed the next jug, smelling it with his dog nose cautiously, just in case they wanted him dead too. Nothing.

“Mother Venus!” his heart cried in despair.

“I am here,” she answered, trying to console him.

He took one good, long swig from the jug, letting the wine run down his throat, calming him, cooling him.

“I’ll always be here. I’ll make sure Pluto is merciful to him,” she said.

He took a deep breath, and then shouted for Myoga. The flea demon squeezed under the door, hopping about nervously. “M-my Lord?” “Tell the eunuch I’ll be needing different chambers.” … “A gift?” he said, somewhat incredulously. “Yes, My Lord. A gift from Her Highness Kagome,” informed Myoga. “Should I send them away?” “Oh no, let’s see what exotic treasure Her Majesty is trying to woo me with,” Inuyasha responded, clapping his hands, and rubbing them together in anticipation. “My Lord, I fear they may be taking advantage of you’re mercy. Should it be fixed-“ “Then they, too, shall learn, shan’t they?” he said, smiling, fingering the ring that now rested upon a chain around his neck like a charm. Myoga sighed. He didn’t trust it. “Yes, My Lord.” The pirate carried in a rug in his arms, with great care and tenderness, lying it down at Inuyasha’s feet as though it were very fragile. Inuyasha hmmmed with contemplation. “Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to have slung the rug over your shoulder?” he asked the pirate. “Oh no, My Lord, it was more comfortable this way,” he responded. “For you or for the rug?” This time the pirate did not respond, but offered to cut the bindings on the rug for him. “Oh no. I am perfectly capable on my own,” he said, taking out his dagger. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could swear he saw him begin to sweat. He ignored it, cutting the ropes and kicking the rug to unroll it. Did the rug just grunt? And then, as though she were part of the tapestry herself, a girl rolled out! The Pirate dropped to one knee, bowing his head as the girl began to stand. “Presenting, Her Majesty, Queen Kagome the seventh Philopater, Queen of upper and lower Egypt-“ The girl cut him off with a wave of her hand. Inuyasha quickly stood up- a habit, though he was not thoroughly convinced that this girl was the Queen. “Oh, do not stand on my account My Lord. Sit! Sit!” she said. “Only a queen would talk to you like that,” said Venus. “Only a queen like she would do that.” Okay. So she really was the queen. “Do you mind if I order some wine and fruit General? Hiding in a rug really does make one thirsty.” Inuyasha was still slightly dumb struck, but shook himself out of it quickly enough. “It is your palace. You may do as you please. Within reason of course.” “I thank you,” she said, waving away the pirate to go inform someone of her request, as she began to sit in the chair offered. “Well? You aren’t merely going to stand there gawking are you? Sit! I have much to speak to you of!” He scoffed indignantly, but sat. Now in full glow of the candlelight, he had time to examine her. She wasn’t like people depicted Venus, stunningly beautiful, but she was very lovely all the same. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence, her lips were a lovely shade of red, she moved with gracious, almost sensuous fluidity, and he could not help but notice that she was splendidly curved. What sort of trick of the eyes was Venus playing on him? “It is no trick!” she said indignantly. And yet, all the same, he’d never examined a woman as closely as he did her since Kikyo had been alive. He had been so distracted by her that he hadn’t noticed she’d begun to talk. “Hello? My Lord? Are you quite alright?” “Hm? What? Oh, yes, fine.” “As I was saying, I had nothing to do with sending Miroku the ships, or his murder. I did not want him dead.” Finally he found it not impossible to concentrate on the conversation. “And why is that?” “Because he was very kind to me as a child in Rome, even if he did little to help my father back into power.” “Ah yes, I was told you would be staying with him. I was in Gaul then. I believe my daughter Metea was still alive then….” “Yes, she was,” responded Kagome with thought. Inuyasha now leaned forward with keen interest, his amber eyes sparkling. “And what did you think of her? I know she was a bit older than you, but….” “Oh she was wonderful. We adored each other.” It was a lie. Kagome hadn’t been able to stand Metea. “Women shouldn’t act like a kitten, any more than a kitten should do the opposite,” she had confided to her father. But the words appeared to bring some comfort to the General, and she wanted him to be on as good of terms with her as possible. “That is good. Now, about your debt to Ace-“ “Once I am in power, you shall have the money,” she responded without thought. He laughed. “I do not see what is so funny.” “You mean when you are in power, and your brother is dead.” “Yes, but when that happens, I’ll merely have to marry my younger brother,” she said with a sigh. “But with that settled, maybe we can talk more freely.” “As you wish.” “How do you like our fair city? Are we occupying you as well as you occupy us?” He couldn’t help but laugh at that. … Several glasses of sake later, he was begging to feel the effects of being drunk, whilst she had done nothing but debate with him. He was finding it extremely difficult to tell if she was trying to raise his ire, or to seduce him. She was succeeding at both. They had sent away servants and soldiers hours ago, so that is was merely the two in the room. “This is a cruel trick you’re playing on me Venus.” “It is no trick. Do not deny what your senses tell you.” “I will anyway, because it is merely the alcohol.” “Oh, so that’s what you call it?” “Enough! I must remain focused!” “Focused!” “I must remain strong!” “Strong!” “I am a rock!” “A rock!” He then began the conversation again, and she continued to move with sensuous fluidity, her eyes continued to sparkle, and she continued to laugh seductively. “Venus?” “Yes?” “The rock just crumbled.” … It was easily one in the morning, and he couldn’t help but feel the need for a little sleep. He stood, and stretched. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but you have vexed a hanyou quite enough for one evening and-“ “And you are sending me off, are you?” she said with a laugh, also getting up, walking to the closed door, closely tagged by Inuyasha. She reached the handle of the massive wooden door with one delicate hand. “I am sorry to have kept you up. I will-“ He stopped her words by grabbing the hand resting on the door. “You really must learn to listen Kagome. You didn’t let me finish,” he said. He quickly wrapped his free arm around her waist, pressing her to him. He began to kiss her, feeling demon lust begin to take hold. He would keep his sanity for as long as possible, but either way, they both knew where this would end. He felt her push against him to free her mouth for a breath of air. “You need to learn to be more subtle,” she said, before locking onto his mouth again. To Be Continued…. And here’s this chapter’s sneak peek: It was the third morning in a row that Kagome had felt sick in the morning. She couldn’t help but wonder if….Well, it was very possible. Kagome and Inuyasha had now been sleeping together practically every night. Now that he was off to defeat Amadeus’ advancing army, she couldn’t help but feel a slight loneliness. She wondered if she should start talking to her stomach. For there was no denying it. Kagome was pregnant.