Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  A sly smile on his face, Noke watched as her amethyst eyes glistened over. She was thinking about doing it. Circling her slowly, he talked slow and slow. "Just think about it My Lady. All the demons that caused you and your mother pain or suffering would be at your mercy. All would be forced to worship you or die if they did not. You would be the single most powerful female in all the lands. One hint at an order and it would be done without question."

  Listening to what was going on, Kisa hel d her breath as she watched what was going on. This was wrong. Her entire body screamed not to do this. She knew that her daughter should be talked out of doing this. But then she saw the eyes of her daughter. The same amethyst color as her father that looked so happy at the moment. She didn't know what she should do. Stepping up she cleared her throat and pulled both sets of eyes to her. "Do you think we could have some time to think about it?"

  Turning back to Noke, Hiroko pulled his eyes to her as she blinked. "First I want to know why you chose me. I am not the only one that has hate for them all I am sure."

  "I wanted you first and foremost because of the kind of mating that I want with a female. I want one very much like Motoichi had with Rinako. She would do anything, no matter how low or backstabbing it was to make sure that her mate kept his seat as Lord and was happy. And in return, he gave her anything that she desired. That is what I desire. A mate that will work to keep me as Lord. Be my eyes and ears. In return for that, I would give her anything her heart desired and more."

  Blinking as she gave him her own sly smile, Hiroko stood tall. "And what would be required of me starting now if I agree to such a thing?"

  "There would only be three things that I would require of you to do." Holding up one finger, Noke turned serious once again. "The first is that I want you to be my beautiful wall decoration with an ulterior motive. To be cunning and conniving and planning in stealth things that would keep us where we want to be. Stopping and uprising yourself if you can or telling me so that I can."

  Once again walking around her as his eyes raked over her figure. "The second is to bear me two children. Birth my son and heir. And a princess."

  A serious look on her face now, Hiroko looked up at him as she took a deep breath. "The third?"

  Stopping and looking down at her as he stood right in front of her, Noke took a deep breath. "When the time comes, and I come for you to be my mate, which won't be too long from now. You get Cho so I can get to her. You bring her to me, you stay forever. She will know pain from us both then you will be the one to end her life."

  Now it was her turn to walk around him. Hiroko smiled as she looked up at the moon. "So let me get this right. My job between then and now would be to make nice with Shone and Yuriko to get to Cho. Make them think I am changed and trust me again. Then I bring her to you. Torture her for a while, and kill her. Even if she is pregnant so that my son would never have to fight for what would be his birthright? Is that what I am hearing?"

  Nodding, Noke smiled. "Exactly that. I will take care of the rest and make sure that you and your mother get the care and treatment that you deserve."

  After thinking for a moment, Hiroko smiled brightly as her eyes danced in the moonlight. "I agree to this. It will take me some time to get back on their good side and back in the palace close to Cho. I will need at least a few years for that one, maybe longer."

  "I can and will wait as long as you need me too Hiroko." Looking at the crow Noke smiled. "That is my messenger crow. It will only go between us. Just keep me posted on what happens, and when the time comes, I will come for you. Agreed?"

  Smiling as she stood there looking up at him, Hiroko put her hands behind her and nodded. "Sounds perfect."

  Branching Out Chapter 135

  Sitting in the cherry blossom trees, Nyoko smiled. Three years have passed since she mated with Seiji. And everything has been next to perfect in the last three years in the South. It would have been more perfect for her if she hadn't had to watch her best friend drive herself insane instead of just going to Chiren and talking to him about what was going on. But, Nyoko, her mother and Yokiyo had a plan that they hoped that in the next week or two, would force them to talk to each other. She knew that soon as they started talking they would end up mating.

  Feeling movement, Nyoko looked down as she smiled and rested a hand on her very swollen belly. After only three years, she and Seiji were going to be parents! They didn't think that it would happen right away, but for demon standards it was still pretty fast. They both wanted a healthy baby, but Nyoko wanted a girl first. She hadn't said anything to Seiji, whom she knew wanted a boy first. But they one thing that they did agree on, they just wanted a healthy baby.

  With a sigh as she rubbed her stomach she smiled as the baby inside settled down. She was due any day now. And her brother was due in the next couple of days. 'I do hope that he makes it in time for your birth. He can't be in with me, but I want him to be here.'

  "What is going through that head of yours now?"

  Looking up as Seiji stood up and stretched next to her, Nyoko laughed. "I was just thinking about what we are going to have. And that my brother makes it in time. I want him to be here when I have the baby."

  With a smile himself, Seiji reached out and helped his mate stand as he sighed. "I have a feeling that he wouldn't miss this if he had too." Then giving her a sly smirk, Seiji laughed. "And if you were thinking about him, you were no doubt thinking about this so called plan that you have with our mother's?"

  "The plan will work." But then both looked up as Katana slid a few dozen feet past them, and then just barely escaped the blade of Kiara's naginata as she stabbed the ground. Blinking as she watched as they ran around the garden, poor Katana scrambled to block and dodge the relentless attacks from his sister. "Well it looks like that part of the plan is in motion. She knows that he is coming."

  Shaking his head, Seiji laughed. "Yeah I don't think Katana is going to be too thrilled with his part in your plan."

  Laughing as she looked back up at her mate, Nyoko sighed. "Oh it will work. She is my best friend and would never miss being at my side when I have this baby. So she won't just take off and leave when he gets here and they will have to talk. You just need to let us do this."

  Holding her hand as they headed back toward the palace, he gave her a serious look. "I promised that I would stay out of it. But that is so long as you don't start stressing about it. The second you start to stress about it, the plan is off for good. I will not have you going into labor stressed out."

  "I know I know. That was the one part that I had to agree to for you to let us do it without fussing on me. I keep my cool and stay calm and we can do it." Laughing as she looked up at him, Nyoko laughed. "And I have not gotten the least bit stressed about it, so the plan goes on."

  "Yeah I know." Just before they got in the to the palace, Seiji looked up when he heard his mother giggle. Holding his hand up as he pointed to the sighed, he closed his eyes. "They are that way Father. Mama you really need to stop giggling or she is going to know something is going on."

  Turning a glare on her son, Yokiyo crossed her arms. "You just hush it. I got this and when we get to her I will be like I should. You just go one with you."

  With a growl as he kept walking, Kiyoshi closed his eyes. It was those damned eyes of his mate that got him in the middle of this charade that they were in in and he didn't like it. "I know I for one will be glad when the games are done and over with."

  Reaching out and hugging his arm, Yokiyo smiled. "I promise. Just do your part for this and you won't have to worry about it anymore. Alright?"

  Giving her a sideways glance as he sighed, Kiyoshi turned his eyes toward his pups. "Humph."

  X

  "You will take it back and correct it little brother!" Kiara charged her brother once again and just barely missed him, taking off an inch of his hair as he jumped out of the way of her strike. "Relent and correct it this instant!"

  Glaring at his sister, Kata
na growled as he stood his ground and blocked his sister, holding her off. "What in the hell did I do? I can't correct it! He is coming instead of his mother. Damnit Kiara Nyoko is his sister and lives here full time. He is going to come see her from time to time you know!"

  Pushing harder at her brother, Kiara snarled. "Take it back and correct it Katana!"

  Holding his ground, Katana growled back at his sister. "You really need to get off yourself!"

  "Stand down Kiara."

  Flinching at the harshness of her father's voice, Kiara froze. It was like a jolt of lightning going down her spine. Falling back a few feet, Kiara lowered her blade as she dropped her head. "Sorry Father."

  Now truly cross to see that she was actually trying to hurt her brother, Yokiyo moved from behind her mate. "Young lady! We were in the study going over things and actually getting some work done when the two of you start fighting! What is it over this time?"

  Keeping her head down and her eyes closed, Kiara took a deep breath. "He told me that Chiren was coming here."

  Crossing her arms as she glared even harder, Yokiyo growled. "And you think that is a good enough reason to actually try to kill your brother?" When all she did was nod, Yokiyo shook her head. "Kiara!"

  Crossing his arms as he took deep breaths to catch his, Katana sighed. "She was going through her drills. We started talking and I said that Emiko wasn't coming, and that instead Chiren was coming to see his sister and be here when the baby was born. The next thing that I know she is actually trying to hurt me."

  "Really Kiara?" Taking a deep breath, Yokiyo started to tap her foot. "So you are telling me that Chiren cannot ever come here and see his own sister without you flying off the handle and actually trying to hurt someone? I mean really?"

  Flinching, Kiara hadn't thought about that. "Mother it isn't that…"

  Shaking her head, Yokiyo turned and went back toward the palace. "Come with me Kiara. We need to have a talk."

  Letting her shoulders slump, Kiara dropped her head even more as she followed her mother back toward the palace. She knew what was going to come when they got there and she was not looking forward to it. She was going to hear all about how the more she denies her bond the harder it was going to be on her. She knew this, and she really didn't want to have to hear it again. But she knew that look in her mother's eyes. She wasn't going to get out of it.

  Once his daughter was far enough way that she wouldn't hear him, Kiyoshi sighed as he crossed his arms. It seemed that everyone in the South save himself, Senri and Katana were all supportive of this little scheme that they had going on. "At least our part in this farce is done. I do not want to see anyone hurt, however it would serve them right if they plan did not go as they want it."

  With a laugh, Katana shook his head as he put his hands on his hips. "I can agree that that one totally Father. Just him being here alone is going to be enough to get one of them to say something to the other. Though I am not sure why I had to be her target and tell her. It may have been better for everyone all the way around if she found out the hard way when he showed up."

  Turning to walk away from his son, Kiyoshi sighed. "That I agree on son."

  X

  Walking in her room, Yokiyo turned and pointed to her bed as Kiara came in and then crossed her arms as she sat down. She knew what she had to say this time. But unlike other times, she was going to think before she spoke and word things carefully. If she didn't, it could ruin the whole thing.

  Sitting on the bed, Kiara kept her head and her shoulders down. She really didn't want to hear this again. She knew that she was bonded to Chiren. That was clear to anyone, especially to her. But she also knew that it was all one sided or he would have done something before now. It has been three years since the last time that they saw each other. He hasn't even so much as sent her a letter.

  Pacing for a moment, Yokiyo then stopped and turned to face her daughter as she let out an annoyed sigh. "Kiara. You really need to stop flying off the handle like that whenever someone mentions Chiren's name. You swear to everyone that you did not bond to him, that you don't even like him like that. And yet the thought of him coming here to see his sister caused you to really try to hurt your brother! Really!?"

  With shocked eyes, Kiara looked up at her mother like she had ten heads. This was the lecture she thought that she was going to get from her father later. Or even either of her Uncles. Her grandfather. But not her mother at all! She didn't know what to think at the moment. "Mama I…."

  Shaking her head side to side, Yokiyo stopped her talking as she held a hand up to her. "I don't want to hear any excuses either Kiara. The fact of the matter is that your little brother and his little sister are mated. They live here in the South full time. He will be coming here from time to time to see her and this baby. And any others that they may or may not have. You can't flip out and try to hurt people because they say he is coming."

  Dropping her head, Kiara hid her face fully as she sighed. "It isn't that Mama. I don't have a problem with him coming to see Nyoko and the baby."

  Her hands on her hips, Yokiyo glared as she fought herself to keep control of her heart rate. "Then why did you try to hurt your brother when he said that he was coming here? If you would have asked why he was coming and not Emiko he would have told you. Did you even think about that one Kiara?"

  Dropping her head even more, Kiara let her shoulders slump. To hear this from anyone other than her mother, would have bothered her. But now she felt shameful all the way around. The way she was putting it. "I did not."

  Crossing her arms again, Yokiyo shifted her feet. "Then what in the world went through your mind to make you actually try and hurt Katana?"

  Letting out a long sigh, Kiara didn't even look up at her mother. In all honesty, even though Nyoko lived there in the South, the thought of him coming to see her at any point never crossed her mind, and it should have really. "I never even thought about the fact that he was coming here to see Nyoko and the baby when it's born. You, Father, Katana. Everyone around the palace tell me time and time again that I have a bond I need to deal with that I don't. I thought that he was invited here for something about that and I just snapped."

  Holding the bridge of her nose, Yokiyo played like she was getting a headache as she let out a long sigh. "Well, if you would have asked your brother, he would have told you that Emiko wanted to be here, however with having small ones there in Mizareke and Raidon, and Soichiro with the North. She just didn't have time and she was sending Chiren in her place. It had nothing to do with you. You tell us time and time that you don't have a bond right?"

  Nodding, Kiara sighed. "I do not."

  Sitting down on the bed next to her pup, Yokiyo sighed as she reached over and brushed a small lock of hair behind her ear. "Then what happened Kiara? Why did you snap like that?"

  Without even looking at her mother, Kiara took another deep breath as she looked at her lap. "I have no idea Mama. It just sort of happened. I wish I did know though."

  Shaking her head as she gave her daughter a small smile, Yokiyo sighed. "Then unless you want everyone in the palace to keep telling you that you have a bond with him, you have got to stop acting like this whenever someone mentions his name. Or that he is coming to the South."

  Not being able to say anything else, Kiara was at a total loss for words still. She knew that her mother was right. But she didn't expect it from her mother at all. She really thought that she was going to get the stop fighting it lecture again. Not getting that by her mother she just didn't know what to say to her about it.

  Fighting harder than ever to keep her smile at bay and her heart under control, Yokiyo sighed as she groaned and fell back on the bed throwing her arm over her eyes. "Well I guess then that is all I had to say. Go on. But no more trying to hurt anyone that says he is coming alright?"

  Nodding Kiara stood and left her mother's room, and went right to her own bedroom. Going to her bed she sat down and just looked at the floor as her eyes started
to mist over with tears. She really did need to get everything under control when it came to Chiren before he got there. It was clear that he didn't want her as his mate, but her mother had the point in the fact that he is going to be there from time to time and she just had to deal with it. That and she didn't want to be the cause of keeping him away from Nyoko either.

  Looking over her shoulder at the window to see the tops of the cherry trees, she took a deep breath as she fell back on her bed with a growl. 'Who am I kidding really? I know that I am bonded to him fully and that there is nothing I can do about it. But he clearly doesn't want me. I guess this helps the fact I have said since I was little that I don't want to mate at all. It is hard to mate with someone when you can't get someone else out of your head.'