The Nightingale: Incentive

They met properly in his private dining room that overlooked the orchid garden and down to the seaside cliffs. He held a cup of sake as his eyes swept over her. "Do you understand everything I require of you?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord," she replied icily.

"And I have not forgotten your unique talent," Sesshoumaru said, ignoring her glare and remembering her gilded voice. "Unique talents garner special privileges."

She lifted her head from where she knelt over the tatami mats. "Such as, my lord?"

He put his drink aside and watched her traitorous gaze linger on his laden table. "Behave with decorum and sing upon my command, and you will want for little."

"Except freedom," she replied, meeting his eyes again. "I will still be your caged bird, my lord."

"You will soon understand what a favorable position it is that you hold." He plucked a large, rosy peach from the bowl in front of him and held it out to her, his eyebrow raised. "Tell me. Have you eaten since arriving?"

He could see her pride falter. "I am not hungry," she replied at last.

"It's food. A necessity for sustaining your human life. Who are you trying to impress with your rebellion? You are a slave in this house whether you eat a fresh peach or thin broth like the others. The only thing you risk is my good grace," he said. He could see how she swallowed, her pupils dilating. "Now. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Her fingertips crept forward along the mat. The tip of her tongue appeared in the corner of her mouth an instant before she darted forward, snatching the fruit from his claws. She bit into it, her eyes drifting shut as juice dripped down her chin.

"I thought so."