That bastard Sesshoumaru nearly ruined the negotiations.

Kikyou had, it turned out, been living in the village for nearly a month. Watching her talk to the nervous villagers, Miroku was amazed at her warmth and charm. She was surprisingly girlish and sweet — more so than Kagome, truth be told — and it was obvious the villagers held her in high regard, for all their dismay at the daemons. Most villages had one substantial house, and worming his way into that one house was Miroku's great talent. But it had taken none of his wiles to find them a place in the noblest house in the village: it was freely offered to Kikyou, so freshly in mourning for the man she had believed would become human for her. Now it was up to Miroku to make the financial arrangements, to sweeten the deal for the nervous villagers, and he was assiduously both charming and bribing the village elder.

Then suddenly the great daemon lord was there, a figure of icy calm in his battle armor and white fur. "There is to be a proper room for the widow," he said, without other salutation, "and such women as she will need to prepare my brother's body."

"The widow," said the village headman. "The miko was his betrothed ... "

"The Lady Kagome, who watches by his body on the field of battle," said Sesshoumaru, "our esteemed sister-in-law, is to be accorded the respect due to the widow of a great daemon lord."

Shit, thought Miroku. How the fuck am I supposed to explain this to Kikyou-sama? "Lord Sesshoumaru," he said aloud, his face and voice deferential, "there was of old an understanding between this miko, the Lady Kikyou, and your esteemed brother — "

"— which was broken when she sealed him to a tree like some forest animal," Sesshoumaru replied. "My brother has traveled with the Lady Kagome for a year, living with her as her husband."

"Well... " Miroku said. "Not as such. We saw no evidence of sexual congress... "

"Good," said Sesshoumaru. "At least my late brother had some discretion. Nevertheless, the two were companions before you joined them, monk, and you are in no position to judge their circumstances. Were the lady to protest her virtue, she would not be believed."

Well, that was true enough, Miroku had to admit. He wouldn't believe the woman was still a virgin, had he not witnessed first-hand the hanyou's complete ineptness as a lover. "The woman will want to return to her family," he said carefully. "There is no way to speak to them. They dwell in another realm, guarded by a magical gate. Only Kagome and Inuyasha could cross over."

One of Sesshoumaru's perfect eyebrows shot up. "Proving he was her mate," he said at last. "You, monk, will serve, then, as the family's representative?"

Saying "no" didn't seem like an option. Miroku bowed. "The woman will remain in your custody until she gives birth to a child, which will come to my care, or otherwise when her blood flows, proving no heir is forthcoming," Sesshoumaru instructed. Miroku bowed again, as, for no reason, did the frightened village elder. Suddenly the daemon lord blurred and was gone, leaving Miroku to decide how to break this news to the two women involved.

In the end, he didn't tell Kagome about Sesshoumaru's instructions regarding an heir. As was to be expected, and was verified by Sango, Kagome's menses arrived only two nights later, during their sad return to Kaede's village. As was to be hoped, Sango's did not, not then or in the following weeks.