“Why are they taking so long?”
“Calm down, Sazume. You know your father takes time to discuss the family’s business.”
Yume looked at her daughter, which rejected a cup of tea offered by one of the house’s maids. It was the first time that the first-born child seemed unhappy at their arrival to the family’s summer palace, a little yet very elegant castle to the south. Usually, she loved to be there, but this time she was forbidden to go out because the estate’s administrator alerted his Lord of the massive presence of demons in the surrounding area during the last few months.
Yume knew it was not the waiting that was making her daughter impatient, but the fact that her younger brother, Ichimaru, was admitted at the meeting with Kumari, the local administrator, while she and her mother were left to the care of the maids.
Suddenly, the door opened, and all the present servants bowed down to their Lord. Sesshomaru entered the room, followed closely by Ichimaru, who seemed very satisfied with the result of the meeting. The little, green Jaken was also there. After them came Kumari, a young demon that was taking care of the family’s property during the last months.
Sazume looked to the young noble, her father’s vassal. He was not older than she, at least not more than a few months. He had short, brown hair, light brown skin, and a very calm and shy face that didn’t seem to match his size. He was tall, not as much as his Lord, but very sturdy. He was wearing a white kimono and green hakama – his family’s colors. The girl vaguely remembered seeing him in the property when they were just kids. His father, whose name was also Kumari, took care of the place for as long as she could remember, but he passed away on the last month, a victim of the wounds caused by those same demons that had been surrounding the castle.
"It’s settled, then," Sesshomaru spoke. "Ichimaru will lead his group in a hunt to the lizard-demons that invaded our lands."
Sazume’s eyes sparkled with the possibility of some fun.
"I want to go along," she uttered, almost jumping in excitement.
"No." Her father was absolute. "You must stay here, where it’s safe."
"But…" She was about to protest, but Sesshomaru’s cold look made all her hope vanish.
Sazume looked to her brother, expecting some support, but he only provoked her by showing his tongue while his father wasn’t looking. She contained her anger in the presence of her father, but got up and left the room, stepping heavily with fury. Yume looked to her husband, shaking her head in disapproval, and then went after her daughter.
“You can count on me, dad. By tomorrow, these lizards will be history,” Ichimaru promised, heading to meet his group of hunters, but Sesshomaru didn’t seem to have listened, he was still looking to the door through which Sazume left.
“This girl is just like her mother…” Jaken mumbled , only to meet his master’s angered look, making him bow down in despair. “I’m sorry, Sesshomaru-sama! It was not my intention to offend any of them!”
“Kumari…”
“Yes, my Lord?” The young noble entered his master’s sight range.
“I want you to do something for me.”
