The rest of the day had gone far too quick for Lyra. Sesshomaru gave her a proper tour of the castle and made sure the servants and guards knew to remain extra vigilant. He ensured that two maids stayed nearby in case Lyra ever needed anything. To make up for the time that Sesshomaru would be away, they both made love that night and then he stayed with her until she fell asleep.

Lyra woke up knowing that Sesshomaru would have already left in the night, but she was still saddened that he was gone. She stayed in their bed, cuddled into the blankets. She could smell his scent. Still exhausted from the night before and from the lost sleep over the previous few nights, she decided to keep resting for as long as possible.

'I guess this is my life now. Well, for as long as Naraku is still alive... Once he's gone, I can explore my home world freely. And then in nine months time, I'll give birth.' She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. 'I can't wait to tell dad that he's going to be a grandfather.'

***

Hospital doors slammed open as paramedics rushed a gurney through the corridors to the emergency unit. A nurse ran to the office and let himself in. He quickly caught his breath.

"Doctor! It's Renji Miyazaki!"

Kanda's eyes widened as he stood from his seat. "Let's go!"

They ran to the room Renji was in and the entire atmosphere was sheer panic. Another doctor was already there along with nurses and the paramedics. He could see even from standing at the door that Renji was suffering. His heart was failing him. Kanda rushed further in and got the low down of what was happening.

"His heart is weak, doctor. I fear there is nothing we can do for him," the other doctor informed sadly.

Kanda frowned and looked at Renji. They had put an oxygen mask on for him but it now looked as though he was just sleeping. However, everyone knew his time had arrived. Renji opened his eyes weakly to look up at Kanda. It looked as though he wanted to say something and he moved his hand, trying to remove the mask.

"No, sir. Keep it on," the other doctor said.

But Renji didn't listen. He wanted it off. The other doctor tried to move his hand but Kanda stopped him.

"Let him speak," Kanda said before asking the rest of the staff to leave so he could speak alone. He carefully pulled the mask away. "Mr Miyazaki..."

"Kanda..." Renji spoke, his voice weak. He was having to take deep breaths every few seconds. "I...left a note...for my daughter..."

Kanda crouched down a little. "Where?"

"My... My bed..."

Kanda nodded. "I will give it to her."

Renji closed his eyes, feeling his time becoming shorter. "Tell Lyra...not to cry... She will feel guilty...for leaving me alone...but..." He took a deep breath. "I will be with her mother now..."

Kanda tried to keep himself pulled together. "Y-yes, sir."

"And tell her...I...love her..."

Renji let out his final breath as the machine let out a long beep, signalling that he was gone. Kanda's breath got caught in his throat as he lowered his head. He dropped to his knees, his jaw clenching as a tear rolled down his cheek.

'I'm sorry, Lyra...'

***

Lyra felt a strange pang in her heart. She clutched onto the blanket and sat up quickly. A soft frown formed on her face. 'What was that strange feeling..?' Closing her eyes, she tried to see what was going on. She thought that perhaps her visions would reveal something to her. It would reveal what was wrong. However, she could see nothing.

She breathed out softly. "It was probably nothing." Opening her eyes, she looked around the empty room. "I may as well get up I guess. Ugh... Now I'm talking to myself."

After stretching out her arms and back, she reached over and grabbed her clothes from the night before. She wanted to take a bath before wearing fresh clothes. Once she was dressed, she left the room to find one of the maids. But as soon as she opened the door, there was already one standing there.

"Good morning, my Lady," she greeted. "I hope you slept well."

"I did. Thank you." Lyra felt super awkward as the maid continued to bow. "Uh...you don't have to bow to me... Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know your name."

The maid stood but kept her head lowered out of respect. "My name is Sabu, my Lady."

Lyra smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Sabu. Please, call me Lyra."

The maid quickly shook her head. "Oh no!" she gasped. "I could never! You are my Lady and it would be disrespectful to call you by name. I am your loyal servant and nothing more."

Lyra sweat dropped before letting out a sigh. It would be hard to have servants and maids. She wasn't used to it. Sabu looked so young, but being a demon she was probably much older than she seemed.

"I'll tell you what," Lyra said. "How about you and I become friends?"

Sabu let out a gasp but still kept her gaze lowered. "But...my Lady..."

"I have no one else here. I'll go crazy if I don't have any friends," Lyra laughed softly. "And please look at me when we talk. You're really pretty and you shouldn't hide your face."

Sabu didn't know how to respond. She was surprised at how friendly Lyra was. It wasn't like she had been treated poorly. In fact, Sesshomaru had treated everyone kindly. It's just she wasn't used to anyone having a proper conversation with her.

"Please?" Lyra asked, holding her hand out.

The maid looked up to see her hand out. She was nervous but she slowly reached out and took her hand. Lyra smiled brightly that she accepted.

"Thank you," Sabu said. "Is there anything you request?"

Lyra let go of her hand. "Um, well... I was hoping to take a bath."

"Oh! Of course, my Lady. Please follow me."

Sabu led the way to the bathing room. Lyra had already been there the last time she and Sesshomaru had stayed at the castle. That time she hadn't met the maids since Sesshomaru had done everything for her. But she was glad she was able to meet at least one of them. She hoped to meet the other one as well.

Once they arrived at the bathing room, Sabu opened the door for her. The bath was already set and there was a wonderful faint aroma coming from the flowers and salts that were infused with the water.

"Please take your time," Sabu said. "I will return shortly with Josei."

Lyra smiled. "Very well."

After Sabu left, Lyra undressed and lowered herself into the bath. She let out a relaxed sigh. The water was just perfect. 'Maybe it won't be so bad after all.' Closing her eyes, she leaned against the back rest. Even though she was able to have moments like that to herself, she would have rather shared them with Sesshomaru.

She placed her hand over her stomach and breathed out. There was no sign of any bump, not even a small raise. So she was not even two weeks pregnant. It was crazy how quickly Sesshomaru and Kaede knew that she was pregnant. 'The baby is barely even a peanut. That's probably why I haven't had any pregnancy symptoms yet.' She wasn't looking forward to the morning sickness or loss of appetite. What she was looking forward to was the time when she would feel the baby kick and being able to see her belly growing. But she wondered if demon pregnancies were different.

About ten minutes later, Sabu returned with another maid at her side. Lyra opened her eyes and smiled to the both of them.

"Hello. You must be Josei, correct?" she asked.

The one known as Josei quickly bowed. "Yes, my Lady. It is an honour to meet you."

Lyra shook her head. "I've already told Sabu this. Please stop with the formalities. I want you both to be my friends."

Josei looked at Sabu who gave her a nod. "See, Josei? I told you. Lady Lyra is very kind."

"B-but...but..." Josei stammered.

"Josei? You wish for me to be comfortable, yes?"

"Why, of course, my Lady!"

"Then what if I told you that all this bowing and only speaking when spoken to makes me feel uncomfortable?" Lyra asked rhetorically. "I don't know anyone here so I would like you to be my friend too."

Josei seemed surprised at first but slowly warmed to the idea after seeing the honesty in Lyra's eyes. She smiled and agreed to tone down the formalities.

After a short while, both Sabu and Josei sat on either side of Lyra and began combing her hair. Lyra felt a bit awkward still but it was what they wanted to do. Plus, she didn't mind. They were adding lotions and oils to her hair and it was extremely relaxing. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the pampering.

"So, girls, tell me. What's Sesshomaru like?" Lyra asked, trying to get them to dish the dirt on him.

Both the maids looked at each other with confusion. "My Lady, are you and Lord Sesshomaru not betrothed?" Sabu questioned. "Surely you must know what he's like."

"Well, yes. I meant what was he like before I met him?"

"Um...well..." Both of them hesitated.

Lyra laughed quietly. "Don't worry. I won't tell him anything. It stays between us three. Was he the same as he is now?"

Josei shook her head. "Not at all, my Lady. He was very strict."

Sabu nodded in agreement. "And he would never visit the castle. We were all kept here to safeguard the castle but we feared the day he would return."

"Oh? Why's that?" Lyra asked.

"We feared he would kill us all if something wasn't right."

Lyra was silently shocked at what they told her. She couldn't imagine Sesshomaru as how they described.

"But the day he finally returned, we were all surprised," Josei continued. "He told us that someone would be coming to live here. His whole demeanour had changed and it was as if someone new was standing in front of us."

"Really?"

"Yes, my Lady," Sabu answered. "He spoke to us all so kindly and requested for the castle to be absolutely perfect. He even brought in a shipment of new clothes and food for everyone."

Lyra opened her eyes, her brows raised slightly. "That sounds more like the Sesshomaru I know."

Josei smiled. "We didn't know who to expect but once we saw you enter the castle for the first time, we knew you had to be someone special, my Lady. Especially for Lord Sesshomaru."

"We can see it just by the way he looks at you."

Lyra couldn't help but blush a little as she smiled. "I consider myself to be very lucky to be with him."

"And Lord Sesshomaru has also informed us that you are expecting, my Lady," Josei said. "So please do not hesitate to request anything you like."

"Thank you, Sabu and Josei. I truly appreciate it."

After bathing, Lyra changed into a kimono that Sesshomaru had left as a gift to her. It was a pretty orange colour. She didn't realise he had such good taste in clothes. It seemed a bit too much just to wear during the day but since it was a gift, she couldn't refuse.

Not only that, Sesshomaru had left an abundance of new clothes for her which the maids looked after. Her maids had brought food to her room so she could eat and once they left, she took everything to the private gardens so she could enjoy the view while she ate.

Just staying in her room made the day go by slowly though. After eating, she left the room to wonder around the castle. She spoke to all the guards and servants she came across so she could get to know them. They were all surprised by how chatty she was but they grew used to her personality. Sesshomaru was used to be being bowed to and then not having any other interaction with them. But Lyra wasn't used to it. Although they all still respected her, she was glad she got them all to speak to her a bit more.

She soon found her way to the large field at the back of the castle. Taiyo was eating grass and enjoying the sun so Lyra sat herself down and watched her new pet. She had never owned a horse or been horse riding, let alone a pegasus. That one could actually fly. She wasn't brave enough to learn how to ride it and decided to wait for Sesshomaru to teach her. For the time being, she simply appreciated Taiyo's beauty.

***

It had been a few days since Lyra had been left in the castle. She had made friends with everyone there, including all the guards outside. Sabu and Josei were taking extra care of her and they had opened up to her a lot more. They still bowed and used honorifics but she was still able to talk to them. But despite all that, she couldn't help but miss Sesshomaru.

There had been no updates on what was happening out there. It worried her. She had hoped she would have received some sort of message to inform her that everything was okay.

Lyra sat in the private gardens outside her room. She kept the doors wide open to allow in all the light and fresh air. The sickness was starting to kick in but she hadn't physically thrown up. The air outside helped to calm the nausea. As she was enjoying the serenity, there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Lyra called as she turned to see who was there.

The door slid open. It was Sabu. "Someone is here to see you, my Lady," she informed.

Lyra's brows raised slightly. "Who is it?"

"Lady Inukimi. Lord Sesshomaru's mother."

Lyra quickly stood and asked Sabu to bring her through. A few minutes later, the familiar face and grandeur of Sesshomaru's mother appeared at the door. Lyra bowed out of respect before standing again.

"Please, come in."

Inukimi smiled as she entered. "It's nice to see you again, Lyra."

"And you," she smiled back.

Sabu had left to get some tea whilst Lyra and Inukimi sat by the open doors.

"I heard Sesshomaru had left you here in the castle to keep you safe from the dangers out there," Inukimi began.

Lyra nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"Thus is the life of a Demon General's wife," Inukimi sighed. "He is very much like his father."

"I don't mind it so much, I guess... There are so many staff here that I don't really feel alone."

Inukimi's smile softened. "But you do. I can see it in your eyes."

Lyra looked down a little. "Yes. But I understand why we have to do this."

"My son has never cared for anyone but himself. His search for power made him selfish," she explained. "The threat of Naraku didn't change his attitude even when that human girl began travelling with him. And then you arrived. Now Sesshomaru fights to protect the ones he loves most. You and your child."

Lyra's eyed widened slightly as she looked up again. "You know?" she asked in shock.

"Sesshomaru informed me of your pregnancy. Naturally, I had to visit my daughter-in-law to see how she is."

Lyra smiled more, grateful that Inukimi was there. Sabu and Josei brought in some tea and left it on a low table. Lyra poured the tea for Inukimi and herself. The aroma helped settle her nausea and with the sounds and fresh air from the garden, the atmosphere was truly relaxing.

"I was hoping you could tell me what demon pregnancies are like," Lyra said. "I know only a small part of me is demon but the baby will be mostly demon."

"Although you are mostly human, Sesshomaru's genes will make up most of the child. Your baby will not have much human in them at all," Inukimi informed. "Therefore, I believe you will have a natural demon pregnancy."

Lyra was confused. "Why is that?"

"Sesshomaru's blood is pure. Yours is mixed and the demon blood in you will be drawn in by the child because it is naturally stronger," she explained. "Yes, the child will be part human but only by a small amount."

"Oh, I understand," Lyra nodded.

Inukimi took a sip of her tea before letting out a sigh. "I must warn you that birthing a demon child will not be easy. Even I struggled when giving birth to Sesshomaru."

Lyra deadpanned. "What do you mean?"

"Demon children grow at a faster rate in the womb than a human. You will be ready to give birth in around 120 days time from the day of conceiving."

"120 days?!" Lyra exclaimed. "But humans give birth in..." She quickly did the math in her head. "...about 280 days."

"Your belly usually grows within the first 20 days. How far along are you now?"

Lyra was panicking. "Uh... I-I think it's almost 14 days."

Inukimi nodded. "It will seem as though nothing is there but then your belly will grow practically overnight. By the end of the first 30 days, you will feel the baby begin to kick."

Lyra felt as though she was falling into a void. That was so much information to take in and it only freaked her out. But at the same time she was glad Inukimi was telling her so she at least knew what to expect.

"Let's see, what else?" Inukimi tapped her chin. "Oh, yes. After 60 days, the child will be halfway but their kicks will grow stronger from then on."

"I-Is it...painful?"

"Extremely."

Lyra gulped. "And what about giving birth?"

"I wish I didn't have to tell you this..." Inukimi sighed. "It was the most painful experience of my life. After giving birth to Sesshomaru, I vowed never to have anymore children. I thought I was going to die."

Lyra had hoped that Inukimi being there would have helped calm her nerves about the pregnancy. However, it only made her feel even more nervous. She couldn't even drink her tea. She looked down at her stomach. It was crazy to think that her belly will have grown within a few days time. Inukimi then gave her more advice and things to expect throughout the pregnancy. It only scared her even more. Shortly after, Inukimi made her way to leave.

"If you need anything, send a messenger to my castle," Inukimi told her.

Lyra bowed. "Yes, I will. Thank you for everything."

Josei escorted her out whilst Sabu cleared away the tea. For the rest of the day, Lyra stayed in her room, cuddled up inside the bed. She couldn't stop thinking about everything Inukimi had told her. If Inukimi couldn't handle the pregnancy even though she was a full demon, then how was she meant to deal with it as someone who's mostly human?

Lyra hoped she would have been able to enjoy her pregnancy like everyone else she had met in the past. But it seemed as though it would not be in her fortune.

Night fell but she still couldn't sleep. She felt sick and she was starving but she didn't want to eat because the thought of food was beginning to make her feel more sick. But she hadn't been able to physically throw up yet. She wished she could so that she could get some relief.

A bit further into the night, she was still wide awake. Laying in bed, she just gazed outside in the garden as tiny fireflies danced around. Suddenly, she heard the bedroom door slide open causing her to sit up quickly. The servants would always knock before entering so she wondered who was brave enough to enter without permission.

Her eyes widened as she quickly got to her feet. "Sesshomaru!" She ran to him as he entered the room. "You're back! Now I know how Rin and Jaken feel..."

Sesshomaru cupped her cheek as she looked up at him. "Lyra. I hope you have been well in my absence."

She nodded but suddenly tears began to well up in her eyes. "Yes."

"Why are you crying?" he asked as he wiped away the drops that were forming on her lashes.

"Because you were gone for too long."