Of Slaves and Masters

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha…let's just say…the plot would be…different. But I don't, so the plot isn't different.

Summary: What happens when Inuyasha and his brother Sesshoumaru receive a slave girl each for Yuletide? Well, one thing's for sure. Taxes! LOL! Inu-Kag, Sess-Rin, Mir-Sang.

Chapter 1: Yuletide Gifts

"This, Milord is for the Lords Canterbury and Dixie. These capes go to the Weslands' daughters, and…" Inuyasha stifled a yawn as the Lord of Yuletide Gifts, the Lord Merrywell, presented Inutaisho with all the outgoing gifts.

He gave Sesshoumaru a look, which his brother returned with interest. He was watching his mother supervise the head seamstress as she added the finishing touches on their suits for tonight.

"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, sweethearts, go on to your rooms, and get ready, the banquet starts in only 6 hours," fussed Izayoi.

Stifling another yawn, Inuyasha joined Sesshoumaru outside the room. "What think you of the Yuletide preparations, Sesh?" asked Inuyasha.

"I think that they'd be much more enjoyable if we were actually able to help, instead of just sit and watch, not even allowed to voice an opinion on those hideous cuffs, Ash," Sesshoumaru replied.

"Aye, not to mention the circlet going to the Lords Canterbury! That'd never fit his head. Fit his waist, more like."

The older demon laughed. "Then he'll use it as a waistband instead of a crown. Father needed and excuse to rid himself of the extra gold on his old crown. It gets heavy, y'know."

They'd reached their rooms, and so Inuyasha resigned himself to his over-eager Chamberlain, Onigumo.

"Inuyasha, you're here! Good. The bath's almost ready, the masseuse girls…ah, they're here! Now, I've seen your suit for tonight, the twelfth night of Christmas, the gift-giving day, the most exciting night! It's a nice royal green, peacock color, without being too boorish, and I've picked out this wonderful gold circlet to go with it, see, its got emeralds embedded in it!" the human gushed with far too much enthusiasm than appropriate, "Oh, and this necklace, remember it, Izayoi…that is, Her Highness had it made for you when you came of age! It's got your father's baby fangs on it, it'll go well. Look at this, the best of all, this jade bracelet, it'll be wonderful! Your suit ends just past the elbows, and this'll go—"

Inuyasha stopped listening as Onigumo rushed around making sure everything was perfect, and wondered how Sesshoumaru was faring. He hated any social gathering beyond all reason. At least Inuyasha gave into Onigumo; Sesshy fought Naraku's whims like mad.

"Naraku! I'm not wearing that!" Sesshoumaru growled as he dodged the demons' atta—er… attempts to pull a platinum crown studded with lapis lazuli and rose quartz over his head. It was part of an outfit also including a deep rose colored robe (that was still under his step-mother's eye, presumably having more pink added to it), a clear crystal choker with more rose quartz, and a leather belt with yet more rose quartz.

"Sesshoumaru! It is your duty to wear the Crown Prince's crown! Your father, the King, would be ashamed if he saw you now!" snarled Naraku.

"My father, the King, would be more amused! And you can take your duty and stuff it up your—"

"Sesshoumaru! Honestly, you're acting like such a child!"
Ducking a fresh attack, the Prince whined, "What I want to know is how come Inuyasha gets the manly green robe, and I have to prance around in pink like a pretty fairy girl!"

Stifling a chuckle, Naraku finally succeeded in settling the crown on his charge's royal head. "Because you can control your temper, unlike Inuyasha. He is too young!" crooned the Chamberlain. Sesshoumaru knew it was flattery, not even good flattery at that, but it felt nice to be reminded that he was older, and consequently better. Better about 50 of the time, but still!

Later, that night at the banquet, Izayoi and Inutaisho had presented their gifts to the court, and given out the vast supplies of wheat, grain, and other useful things to the poor.

Now it was his turn to receive presents. Lords and noblemen came up and presented their Yuletide gifts to the royal family, occasionally conjuring up something for a favorite in their retinue.

Miroku, the monk, got the most by far, mostly from the ladies. No one was surprised. The monk, for someone so religious, was…not so religious when it came to pretty women.

Finally, the last noble came up to present his gifts. It was Koga, the blue-eyed demon who ruled the far away grasslands with his wolf pack.

"I present to His Majesty…the King, this meager offering!" he said, and with a flourish, another wolf demon appeared with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The bow was solid gold, from the looks of it, and it was strung with what looked like dragon heartstring. The quiver of arrows was silver and all the arrows were white-gold, their tips lapis lazuli, jade, and crystal. Inutaisho sat up even straighter, if possible. Archery was his love, after Izayoi and his kingdom.

"Is that…?" he asked, squinting.

"It is," Koga smiled, "Milord, I present you, the bow and arrows of Inusasha, your forefather!" (A/N: Ok, ok, so that was a little random…but I needed a name!)

Everyone gasped and burst into applause. Inuyasha looked to his left, where his mother wore a rather strained smile and his father was lookin as though he'd been told that he was the supreme pontiff of all things living. Then, to the far left, there was Sesshoumaru, looking impossibly bored (and yet maintaining his princely demeanor…sometimes, Inuyasha hated that kid for being so perfect).

Koga was not done. "For Queen Izayoi, the most beautiful woman in all the lands, I present this necklace to grace her royal neck. Its life has been blessed with the honor!" Another flourish and another wolf-demon, this time holding the famous necklace of Io, a fancy thing with all other colors encrusted in the large opals it was fashioned out of, so you could not find a dress that would not match.

This time, Inuyasha's parents switched expressions, his mother bewitched and his father with a smile tugging at his lips.

"For the royal Princes Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha," Koga called, jerking Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to attention, "two fine girls, slaves from an exotic place, found by my men as vicious little temptresses and growing up in my camp, untouched, for my lieges," he bowed low. Two girls materialized from a cloud of smoke that was not there a moment ago.

Inuyasha had to smirk. His slave, bound in irons and clad in servants' clothes with his emblem on it, was a real beauty. She had large brown eyes with hazel and black flecks, pale, creamy skin. Sensuous pink lips were curled into a sneer and long black-brown tresses were piled atop her head, with bangs hiding her frown as she fought vainly against the chains binding her.

Sesshoumaru regarded her with contempt and cast his eyes on his own girl. She was much more resigned to her fate, and did not appear to be the "vicious temptress" Koga had promised. She had a quiet, demure face that was very appealing, and her black hair was in a single long braid that caressed her curves and stopped at her thighs. She had down-cast eyes, apparently examining Sesshoumaru's emblem with interest.

He liked her.

"Finally, for the brave and illustrious monk Miroku, sire, I hope you will forgive me," Koga said, and Miroku, from his place of honor next to Sesshoumaru, straightened, "I present this servant girl, Sango, to do your housework. She is a virgin. I know a man of God would not have it any other way," Koga said smirking, "And once again, forgive me for gifting a woman—"

"Oh no, my dear man, she will do, she will do very well," Miroku reassured him, his lecherous eyes roving all over the young woman's body. She was scantily clothed, unlike the Princes' girls, and seemed very uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

Suddenly, the truth hit the two Princes like a boulder to the shoulder. They shot each other looks, as if to see if the other was thinking the same. Koga wanted a favor of the royals, of course! He was buttering them up with expensive gifts. As the feast began, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru watched the wolf-demon with their eyes.

They would find out what he wanted, and they would deny him.

They would win. They always did.

Right?

Right? Am I right? Can I get a whoop-whoop here? C'mon, you know I'm right…ducks rotten apple and old shoe

Onomatopoeia: Yeah, I don't think you're right.