I was pondering today: can beauty and innocence overcome a cruel heart? And, honestly, I'd like to believe that was true. So I decided to make a story about a defiant young girl who melted a demon's heart, and who else is better for that then Sesshomaru and Rin?
This is the first chapter of (hopefully) many! I hope you like it!
It was only natural that everyone in the palace and surrounding villages knew who she was. If her excellent intelligence and skills in battle weren't enough to gain that status, then surely her immense beauty was the reason.
Rin, a stunning young woman without a known last name, whose loveliness was second to none, and whose boldness was far greater than any one man's, was always the center of attention.
And it was only natural that she loathed it.
Born stubborn and defiant, she hated her entire existence; from the fine clothes and jewelry to the endless line of suitors to the constant attention from the opposite sex, she despised her existence to the very core. She cursed her good looks and damned her abilities, for they brought her nothing but grief.
All she wanted in life was to dance in the flowers.
But being the adopted daughter of a most powerful lord did not come with the freedom to do as one pleases. Instead of picking fruit, she was sewing clothes. Instead of dancing in the rain, she was learning four languages. Instead of making friends, she was making wedding plans. To whom? No one, she claims. But her "father" refuses that answer.
Despite not loving her as much as a real father should, the Lord and his wife were unable to bear children, and had officially made Rin the heir to the throne. The day she received that news she nearly threw herself off the tower.
She couldn't stand her life; the expectations, the men, the flirting, the fancy clothes, the manners, the primness and properness. It was disgusting! She wished more than anything to escape.
After a chance encounter with a demon in the forest, her wish will be granted, if not quite the way and for the reasons she wanted.
XxXxX
Rin was simply sick of all the stares.
Well, leers are more like it. The constant ogling of her dark brown hair and eyes, her slender frame, her delicate fingers, high cheekbones, long lashes, and smooth skin really pissed her off. She had tried many times to chew her finger nails to stubs, or mangle her hair, streak her face with dirt, and cut herself up running through the forest, but she was never let out of their sight.
Them being her adoptive parents, the guards, the servants; all of them watched her night and day, and she was hardly ever alone.
Today, however, she had managed to slip unnoticed past the palace guard, and had taken off into the woods, kicking off her shoes and letting her long hair down, intent to find a pool or hot spring and bathe like normal people had to. She loathed the pampered life.
Stripping her blue kimono printed with pale orange lilies and throwing it carelessly onto a bush, she jumped satisfyingly into the first pool she had come across. The water was cool and refreshing, surrounded by many large rocks that would conceal her from passerby.
She rubbed the cool spring water over her skin, washing off the horrid perfumes and oils, the smells of fine food, and the ridiculous makeup that streaked her eyes and cheeks. It felt like she was being released from suffocation.
She tilted her head back, letting the water take away the oils in her hair from the various products the servants managed to make, and ran her fingers through it, taking out the intricate knots and braids the maids put in.
Loathe was simple too mild a word to describe how she felt about her life. Once, she had overheard her adoptive parents talking about her life before, and she had stuck around to hear the story.
Once, she had been the daughter of a lowly merchant. Her family had been poor, very poor, but happy. They were thrilled to have a daughter, and loved her immensely. They would put flowers in her short hair as a baby, and hum lullabies to her until she fell asleep. They dressed her in cheap rags, for they couldn't afford good clothes, but every night they ate like kings, for her mother grew an amazing garden in their small yard, filled with vegetables, and a single peach tree grew tall.
And that's how she would have grown up, poor but happy, beautiful but not caring, always loved and never idolized. But a pack of wolf demons had come and slaughtered her village, killing everyone but her. She still remembered the leader standing tall over her, his lip curled cruelly. He had told her she was too lovely to kill, and had left her with the corpses of her true mother and father. She had the impression that he would someday find and come back for her.
That's where they had found her, crying and huddled in a ball, and had taken her away. All she had known is that there were people there with her, and she must be safe, so she had let them pick her up and carry her off.
She forgot the rest of the story over time. She hoped, one day, she could forget it all. But the image of her dead parents still stood burned like a tattoo on the inside of her eyelids.
Of course, her "father" had beaten her shamelessly when he'd found her listening, but he had been careful to void her pretty face.
Pretty, her mind spat the word. In the vast amount of life and emotions and problems on the planet, what did pretty matter? What did beautiful matter?
Obviously, she knew hardly anything about that life before, a life when pretty wasn't as important as what was in your heart or what was on your plate. That life…she yearned for it.
She sighed, breaking the calm silence that surrounded her. That life was gone now, she thought bitterly, and this is where I am now. I can't go back.
She rubbed some more water on her arms, and stiffened, her back straightening with alertness. She had the sudden, distinctive feeling that she was being watched.
She turned her head slowly, almost casually, her hair covering anything that might be seen, and met a pair of hard golden eyes on a figure from on top of the rocks. She froze, her breathing stopped, and stared back at the tall figure.
It was a demon, that much was obviously from the odd marks on his face. His figure was remarkably human looking, though she doubted this was even his true form. He wore all white clothing, save a yellow obi and some red flower patterns, and black boots. There was something big and fluffy thrown over his shoulder. Shiny armor adorned his chest, and two swords were strapped to his hip. He stared coolly at her, his gaze calculating, and she unfroze enough to slip back down into the water, her eyes never leaving him.
"Who are you?" She asked calmly, deciding the best approach was to be straightforward.
"If you don't already know, then I fail to see how it should matter," was the simple reply. His voice was smooth, almost monotone, but enticing nonetheless.
She laughed without feeling. "Maybe not," she told him. "But I would like to know who spies on me while I bathe."
He was silent. "Who are you that wanders so far out in the woods, alone?" He asked her, ignoring her question.
She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Who I am is none of your concern. I am myself, and that's all you need to know."
He looked hard at her. "You are bold for a mortal woman. Most would cower from me."
"I suppose most would know your name too," she shot back evenly. "But I am not most, and don't associate with demons."
"Apparently, you don't associate with humans either, or you wouldn't be out here in demon territory."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Much as this informal bickering amuses me, I would like to change back into my clothes if it is to continue." She gave him a hard look.
He inclined his head slightly, showing assent, and turned to jump gracefully from the rock, his white hair flying regally above his head. She climbed out carefully and gathered her clothes, her eyes darting around the forest to make sure neither he nor any other demon or human was watching her. When all looked clear, she slipped her clothing and kimono on, not bothering with her discarded shoes or messy hair.
She came around the rocks, expecting the demon to be there, but came upon nothing of the sort. With a careless shrug, she turned to head back, hoping to find some flowers along the way, but the demon was right in front of her, maybe ten yards away.
She lifted her head slightly to look into his face, the emotionless gold eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring more toward the ground.
"You come from the palace," he stated without preamble. "I can tell by your clothing. But you wear no shoes." There seemed to be a question in that statement.
She shrugged in an unladylike manner. "They come off easily. They are not good for running in the forest."
"Another mystery," he said in the same impassive voice. "A rich and noble palace girl running jovially around the forest, as if demons didn't prowl it and kill anything they see."
"Don't dare to call me rich and noble, much less a palace girl," She snapped, losing her composure for a moment, before regaining it. "It's a temporary home," she said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "I don't intend to stay much longer."
"I see," he said calmly, and she froze for a moment. By the look on his usually inexpressive face, it appeared he did see just what she meant.
She clenched her fists at her sides. It made no difference if a demon knew her intentions. He was only a demon, after all.
"I will make you a deal," he said suddenly, taking a single step closer to her.
"What kind of a deal?" She asked hesitantly, prepared to run. One should never, ever, trust a demon.
"If you tell me your name, and why you intend to run away from the palace, I will help you escape."
She stared blankly at him, all her emotions sealed off. Why would he want to know these things, or help her at all? "Why do any of these things concern a youkai like you?"
He looked unemotionally at her. "They don't," he said without an explanation.
"Then why would you want to help me in return for useless information?" She asked suspiciously.
He gave a small, cruel smile; it was clear to her that he probably didn't know how to actually smile. "Curiosity," he told her.
She stared at him for a moment more, not sure what to do. Eventually, she said, "Rin. My name is Rin. I…want to run away from the palace…because there I am looked at as a trophy. I am beautiful, so I am a prize. I hate everything about that life," she spat. "The fine clothes, the makeup, the hair," she yanked on her locks, "the suitors and proposals…the beatings," she almost whispered, then her face hardened and she glared at the demon. "There. I've told you. But I don't need your help. Being in the debt of a demon is never a good thing, and this much I have learned. I do not desire your aid."
"When the time comes," he told her, his usually detached voice tinged with amusement, "you'll have my help nonetheless. We've made a deal."
She took a step back in fear, suddenly understanding. "You don't intend to free me from their grasp. You intend to kidnap me," she said in horror.
He bowed his head in acknowledgment. "You are rather intelligent. But mistaken. I merely intend to grant your wish."
"My…wish?" She whispered in shock. She shook her head furiously. "Despicable demon!" She shouted. "I won't fall prey to your lies!" She sprinted away, her leg each making a large leap, into the woods and away from the demon. She left her shoes behind.
She half expected him to chase her, and try to capture her, but no figure followed her all the way back to the palace. She arrived aching, and out of breath, sweat running down her back.
Damn, she'd need to take another bath now.
With one final look out into the now darkening sky, she scanned the woods, before finding it clear and heading inside to confront her punishment for running away.
XxXxX
She had a new bruise to show on her side for running away today.
Her "father" had been clearly displeased with what he considered a shameful act of disobedience. He had locked her in her room, stationing guards outside the door and sending more to patrol the grounds below, lest she try to run away through the window. He most definitely did not trust her.
She closed the curtains violently, nearly ripping the delicate material. She really hated her adoptive family. They held a sliver of love toward her, but the beatings were an obvious sign that that love did not rein supreme.
She turned from the window, staring into the darkness that enveloped her room. "I should have accepted that demon's offer," she mumbled to herself. "It would surely be easier to escape him than it could possibly be to escape this place." She sat on the edge of her bed, fingers clenching and unclenching in the material of her bedspread as she devised a new plan to run away.
"I'll wait a few nights," she whispered to herself, the puzzle falling into place in her mind even as she was saying it. "I'll be the perfect daughter: I'll do my duties without complaint, I'll get up early and go to sleep late. I'll be…" horrid she thought bitterly. That's what a life like that is. Horrid.
"Trapped," a voice spoke from behind her.
She turned rapidly, but didn't even have time to scream before a thin, green hand shot out to cover her mouth, and she found she couldn't breathe. She quickly fell prey to unconsciousness.
Review, and a quick update is guaranteed! I think you'll like where this is going ;D