Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Going back to her mate, once they were out in the hall, Yokiyo sighed as she hugged his arm. "I know that it is sad to see her going. Another mating, another daughter leaving. And Santrix may be next to leave at some point someday. But Kiyoshi…"

  "I understand that Yokiyo. I understand." Stopping in the middle of the hall he turned her to him and without a word dropped his head and seared her mouth with his own. No matter the sad feelings, this is how things were done and they would still visit. After all, he was really thinking about testing Katana and letting him take over as Lord soon anyway. That would give them the freedom to visit the North and the East as long as they wanted, and whenever they wanted.

  X

  Hearing the knock on the door, Yokiyo looked over at Kiyoshi with an arched eyebrow. She would give anything to have the demon sense of smell.

  Without even looking up from the last scroll that he had to read. "Come in Kiara."

  Sitting up as Kiara walked in the room, Yokiyo blinked as she kept her head down and just walked over sitting on the bed next to her. "Kiara?"

  Keeping her head down, Kiara hid her face. When she fell into Chiren's arms that night in the garden. When she mated with him. Even talking about the fact that she was going to live in the North now. She never thought that it would upset her like it has. She has never had these emotions running through her before. When she started to feel like this, it really didn't take much coaxing at all from Chiren to send her to her parents either. "Mama I…."

  More than a little worried about her daughter now, Yokiyo moved closer to her and tucked some hair behind her ear. "What is it Kiara? You can tell us."

  Taking a deep breath, Kiara closed her eyes. "I don't understand what is going on with me Mama. I knew when we talked in the garden the other night, that when it happened I would leave here and go to the North. I knew when I spent the night with him last night that I would leave with him this time and go to the North. So I can't figure out why it bothers me and I am upset about leaving now."

  Smiling sweetly at her daughter, Yokiyo reached out and held her hand. "Oh honey that is a common feeling. It is easy to forget. You are a demon yes. Do you act just like your father does, yes. But you are leaving home, the only home you know to a new one. To start a family and a life of your own. Feeling upset about leaving home is always normal. It just shows that you have some human from me in you too. You feel like leaving home is leaving us and that just isn't ture."

  Nodding as she tried to control her breathing, Kiara still didn't look up. "I know that Mama. But this is how it is done. When a mated, typically the female leaves the place she calls home and goes with the male. I knew that going into this. But I….."

  Hearing the conversation, and knowing that while for the most part, Yokiyo would be better at this, Kiyoshi knew too that Kiara was him made over in many ways. Standing he sighed as he started to walk for the door. "Kiara. Come with me."

  Looking up with her daughter, Yokiyo blinked then smiled. There was a sea of emotions in him right now. Looking back at her shocked daughter she smiled as she looked back at the door. "Go with him." Once they were gone she sighed as she let a single tear fall from her eyes. He was upset, but at the same time, pride and love for his daughter as well.

  X

  Once he was out in the garden, Kiyoshi stopped by the silver roses that were Kiara's favorite as a small pup. Taking a deep breath as she came up next to him, Kiyoshi sighed. "When there is demon and demon this is just how it is done. No thought or emotions go into something before it is already said and done. Those are dealt with as time goes and they show up. You are pure demon, and you act exactly the same as I do. However Kiara, you do have to take your mother into consideration on how you approach things from now one."

  Her eyes still down as she looked at the roses, Kiara smiled. "Because Mama is human."

  "Yes." Looking up at the moon then turning to his daughter as he smiled, Kiyoshi reached out and made her look up at him. "Love is something that is known throughout race. Demons, humans. Animals. This palace is no exception, especially with your mother here. You are leaving home Kiara." But then he shocked her as he pulled her into a warm hug. "However just like with your sister. If you need us, no matter what, no matter when, no matter where. We will be at your side."

  Though she was stiff and full of shock at first, Kiara sighed as she let herself fully relax and smile as she hugged her father. Relishing in the fact that she was in his arms and calming down about it all now. "Thank you. Papa."

  Branching Out Chapter 140

  Now nearly two weeks from the day that she and Chiren mated, Kiara falls to land in the middle of the court yard with him as they transform back to their human forms. Though she sort of got used to everyone knowing that she was mated through scent at home, she blushed as a few of the demons here stopped and took a double take.

  With a smile as he put his arm around her waist, Chiren lead her toward the palace. "In a few days you will get used to that I am sure."

  "I hope so."

  "Chiren!"

  Turning to catch Mizareke as she jumped up at him, Chiren laughed. "Hello there Mizareke. You remember Kiara right?"

  Nodding as she smiled Mizareke giggled. "I do. Aunt Emiko hoped that you would come home mated to her. Though I think you shocked her some when you got here."

  Sitting his cousin down he blinked as he looked at Kiara then they both looked down at her. "What are you talking about with that one Mizareke? I send her a message over a week ago telling her that we were mated now?"

  Laughing as she walked ahead of them as they headed toward where her aunt was, Mizareke smiled. "I know that. But I heard her and Uncle Soichiro talking the night they got it and they were wondering if it was true or just you trying to get them to stop telling you to do something."

  "I see." With a smile as she threw the doors open, Chiren blinked when his mate was pulled from his arms and the door shut in his face. Standing there for a moment he then walked in the room to see his mother and Kiara talking at the window. "What was that for mother?"

  Turning crossed arms and a glare on her son she stood up tapped her foot. "You put….."

  "If this is about the last three years, mother everything worked out for a reason." Moving to stand by his mate he smiled as he crossed his arms. "Or should we dissolve this and…."

  "No!" Emiko then sighed as she sat down next to Kiara in the window. "I don't know. I guess it is just that I haven't had to care for children as little as Mizareke and Raidon since Nyoko. Who is now mated with a child of her own. I don't know what is going on with me. I am happy for you both I really am."

  "Thank you Emiko." Kiara then took a deep breath and relaxed. "It does feel a bit odd though."

  "What does?"

  Looking up at her, Kiara smiled. "Being in the North and knowing that I will only be going to the South for short amounts of time. It is a good feeling but a bit odd to know that I am home."

  "And now that you are both back and mated, I have something I need to talk to my son about."

  Everyone looked to the door as Soichiro walked in the room with a smile. Chiren blinked with an arched eyebrow. "What is that?"

  Moving to stand next to his mate as she stood, he smiled. "I had the letters wrote out before you left actually. I was hoping you two would come together on your own, but also knew that if they had to tie you both down, Yokiyo and Nyoko were not going to let you leave the South without making the of you sit face to face and it would have happened then I am sure. Once you arrived I sent them out already."

  "What are you talking about?"

  Laughing as he winked at confused son and equally confused mate he smiled brightly. "In the spring, I am stepping down. You and Kiara will be official Lord and Lady of the South."

  Blinking as she paled, Kiara looked up at an equally shocked Chiren then back to Soichiro. "So you mean that this is your last year as…"

  "Lord yes." His eyes taking on a look of melancholy as he thought
of his father. "My father told me many times before my brother killed him, that he had hoped when he mated my mother, that his first born son would get to take the role of Lord while he and his mate retired and could go to see friends in other lands and focus on grandchildren." Looking down at Mizareke as she stood between the four of them he smiled. "Emiko and I are raising Mizareke and Raidon. We do wish to go and see our first grandchild soon so you will be acting Lord then. Our lives will be just like Kurosai and Sorae's are now."

  Laughing as he smiled, Chiren rubbed the back of his neck. "Well thank you father." He then looked down at Kiara as his smile got bigger and his eyes half closed. "Well that will be something to get your mind off of it. You get to take all your practice from the South and use it as Lady before you thought."

  "Her mind off of what?"

  Gasping as she dropped her head letting it fall she tensed. "Can we please stop talking about that already?"

  Blinking as her son laughed and moved to hug her from behind, Emiko was just a little confused. "What are you two talking about?"

  "She is embarrassed that everyone knows by scent. It took her nearly five days to finally not think about it in the South. Not sure how long it will take here." He then nodded to his parents as he turned and lead his mate from the room. "Until this evening then. Mother. Father."

  Watching as they left the room, Chiren sighed as he looked at his mate. "Well that is two down. Two more to go."

  Growling as she glared up at her mate Emiko crossed hear arms. "No way. Not yet. Shut up."

  Pulling Kiara into what will now be their room, Chiren smiled as he pulled her to him and held her in place. "Is it really that odd that this is home now?"

  Blushing as she smiled, Kiara looked right at his chest with a small laugh. "It is right now. This is the first time that I have come here with no intention of going back anytime soon. It is just a little odd right now."

  Bending his head just as she looked up, Chiren seared her mouth. After a moment he pulled his lips back with a smile. "It will be just like home soon enough."

  Giggling some as she suddenly felt herself on her back on the bed Kiara wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know one thing about you."

  Laughing as he settled on the bed between her legs, Chiren reached behind her and got her braid unbraiding it to flow out to the side of her. "I would hope by now you know more than just one thing about me."

  "You make me do things that I don't normally do."

  Blinking as he looked at her with a sly smile, Chiren laughed as he bent toward her face. "And what exactly is that?"

  Arching her back as a hand found a breast and his mouth found her neck she fisted one hand on the bed as the other freed his hair to fall around them like a veil. "I have never laughed like that. Or blushed this much. Or…" But when he pulled her shirt from her pants and slid his hand inside to get her bare breast she groaned as she let her head start to thrash back and forth. "And….and…."

  Groaning in her ear before he seared her mouth as he pushed her top apart. "I think I get the picture."

  Looking up at the sound of a broken twig, Hiroko smiled as Noke came into view. "You wanted to see me?"

  "How are things going with your mission?"

  Standing with a smile Hiroko crossed her arms. "It is going. I do need just a little more time however. While Cho is more than ready to trust me and believe that I am not the 'brat' that her parents remember. Shone and Yuriko are not so ready to trust me alone with her yet. She still has Kaien with her all the time and he never stops watching every move I make."

  Moving to walk around her Noke nodded. "That is fine. I am still looking for Shinra. She is the one that is still alive that I need to deal with. I do not know what Kenji may or may not have told her. You will have a few more years at least."

  Nodding Hiroko smiled as she closed her eyes. "It may take that long of the nice girl act. I wouldn't call it a good thing, but Mama getting sick and passing away last year was the one thing I used to get back in the palace."

  Stopping and leaning in a hair away from her mouth, Noke smiled. "And that just proves that you will be the perfect choice for my mate. Using anything she can to get to her goal."

  Taking a step back with a concerned look, Hiroko crossed her arms. "So what are your plans other than making me your mate and using my cousin? You haven't said a single thing to me about it. I might be able to find out more information as I am in there."

  Jumping over to a rock and sitting down he crossed his arms with a smile. "Well the over-all plan is simple. Destroy the Lands as they are now wiping them all out and all those that are a threat as I assert myself as the one Lord of the entire country. It is the individual plans that are one at a time to lead up to that one. While you are in the West see what you can learn about their defensive measures. All the while keep getting close to Cho as you do."

  Jumping from the rock to make her step back against a tree as he stopped a hair from her lips. "When the time is right and we take our first action on the West, taking that bitch. Before I do a thing with her we will make everything official. You will become my mate."

  Her face red Hiroko nodded. "That sounds perfect to me. That was going to be my next question." Hiroko then smiled as she turned and walked away from him as he stood there. "Until then. Unless it is an emergency I would rather not risk what we are doing by meeting with each other." Then after a smile she turned and walked away with her amethyst eyes shining. 'Mama. Papa. This will give me the power I need and a mate that will make sure I keep it. I do so hope you approve. I know you do Mama. Papa. He reminds me so much of you.'

  ~ 4 ~

  Branching Out Chapter 141

  Sitting in the chair in their room, Kiara let out a small sigh as she looked down at her very swollen stomach. Just a short five years ago she would have sworn that she would never mate anyone. Let alone become a mother. And yet her she was. Due any day now. Her parents were seen on the horizon and almost there. She still couldn't believe that they were letting Katana be Acting Lord like Chiren was off and on for the first year they were mated. It had to mean that they were thinking about letting him take over. But from what she heard from Nyoko in their letters, he was doing much better at showing how responsible and grown up he really was.

  Feeling a kick made her look down and she smiled to see her belly move. "I know I am thinking too much. You are going to be just like your father on that aren't you? Though I am dog, I do hope you are leopard. That way that legacy can go one."

  "I couldn't careless." Smiling as he walked in to see her radiant smile turn up to him, Chiren went to his mate and kissed her as he let a hand land on her belly. "All I care about is that this is a healthy baby with a loud cry. He or she, dog or leopard."

  "I know that but I can at least hope can't I?" Laughing Kiara let her head fall back on the chair as she smiled. "I do hope that it happens soon though. This not being able to move without getting out of breath is driving me insane."

  Running his hand through her long and lose hair Chiren kept his smile. "Yes that you can. And it won't be long before you need to let your mother fawn over you. They are almost here."

  Nodding as she let her eyes drift shut Kiara let her head fall forward. "I hate when she wants to do that. But for at least this one I won't say anything to her."

  Leaning down and kissing her head Chiren laughed. "That's my girl." He then moved at sat across from her. "So how do you think your brother is going to do while they are here? In their letter it didn't sound like they were going to be in a rush to go home."

  Laughing Kiara looked down at her belly Kiara let her hands rub in circles ln the side. "I am okay with it. As much as I hate to admit it I have missed them. I will just have to fight her over the baby is all."

  But before either could say anything the door flew open and Yokiyo was there hugging her daughter from behind. With a sigh as she let her head fall to the side, Kiara half smiled. "Hello Mama."

  Standing up and smiling w
ith pride as she looked down at her daughter's very swollen belly, Yokiyo put her hands behind her back. "I am sorry honey I just can't believe that you are going to be a mother anytime. It is a for sure wish come true for me."

  Rolling her eyes as she sighed, Kiara took a deep breath and sighed it out. "Yes Mama I know. Because from the time I was ten I swore off anything that had to do with taking a mate and having a family." But then she blinked as she looked around her and let her head fall to the side. "Where is Father?"

  With a soft smile, Yokiyo reached out and brushed her daughter's hair back behind her ear as she let her eyes half close."He stopped to talk to Soichiro on the way in. He should be here soon. Your hair is loos and flying. I love it."

  Reaching up on the other side and pulling an extra long lock of black hair around Kiara let out a sigh. "Yes. It is much easier to tend to than I thought that it was going to be. And Chiren seems to like it more. Leaving it down saves me the headache of having to listen to him asking me to let it down."