A Lord’s Pride and A Lady’s Heart

by curvychick11

Choosing between the love of a human or his demon pride will cost Sesshomaru one thing or the other.

A Lord's Pride and A Lady's Heart

Choosing between the love of a human or his demon pride will cost Sesshoumaru one thing or the other.
Pairing: Sesshomaru/Rin they belong to Rumiko so don't sue me.

CH. 1

The sun rose slowly up from the horizon, its light covering the land in its warmth. The golden rays of sunlight hugging the trees and mountainside as it rose higher into the sky chasing away the darkness.
Hidden from birds eye view and concealed by thick forest, carved deeply into the womb of the mountain and surrounded by a great wall covered in ivy, lay a grand palace.
The rising sun glided over the forest, up and over the ivy covered wall, across the front gardens, and drenched the mountain palace in its golden light warming the cold-dark stone and giving life to the once lonely home.

The golden rays of sunlight slowly crept their way into an open window, across the tatami mat floor.
Only two beams of light made it to the shoji doors while the remaining three lazily crept onto a futon gliding over the folds of the fabric and over the occupant under the covers. The rays danced over the person like a blind lover caressing and kissing every curve with its warmth.
The young woman awoke from her dreamless sleep, the sunlight stroking her cheek like a loving mother. Rin groaned and pulled her blanket over her head to block out the light when a sharp rapping sound from the shoji scared her fully awake.
"Rin, wake up you lazy girl! Lord Sesshomaru is waiting for you in the dinning hall." Came Jaken's squeaky voice from the closed shoji screens. Rin lowered her blanket to see the annoying toad's silhouette thrown against the screen.

S-Sesshomaru, she thought a small smile forming on her lips. "I'll be down in a few minutes." She replied softly.

"Good I'll inform Lord Sesshomaru." He said as Rin watched his shadow turn to leave, but stopped. "And Rin," seeing his shadowed head turn slightly to the side "Happy Birthday." His voice softer then usual almost tender like speaking to a loved one.

"T-thank you Jaken-sama." She said a little shocked that he would wish her a happy birthday.
Rin quickly pulled herself out of bed as soon as Jaken's form left the shoji and went over to the wall, which was one big mural of mountains, trees, and animals faded with time like a silk painting.
Rin padded over to the middle of the mural where a painting of a red phoenix and dragon were fighting. She pressed the pads of her fingers gently on the dragon's back when she did a hidden cupboard door popped open breaking the fight between the beasts. Rin smiled running her fingertips over her collection of kimono's loving the feel of the silk and to the memories they held until she found one of her favorite kimono's.
Rin gentle pulled it from its hiding place between her blue and white kimono's. It was a beautiful pale sunshine yellow kimono with pale pink and green butterflies over the bust and pale off white flowers down the front of it.
Rin was very proud of this kimono for she had made it herself and had caught many an eye with it, even Sesshomaru's gaze would linger on certain 'parts' of her kimono. She carefully placed it over her forearm while pulling out a pale pink under robe.
After closing the cupboard doors her hands glided down under the phoenix's tail feathers where a small brass lotus flower stuck out a little that just the tips of her two fingers were able to fit behind it. When she pulled a hidden drawer came forth, which held her obi's of many colors and designs. Rin picked a pale pink obi to match the under robe.
She placed all this on her futon and quickly removed her bedclothes not wanting to keep her master waiting.
The pale pink under robe was cool as it slid like water over her skin soon followed by the pale yellow kimono, Rin couldn't help running her hand over the butterfly and flower design she worked so hard on as she wrapped the obi around her waist. When she was finished tying the obi. Rin ran her hands down her rounded hips to get any wrinkles out and padded over to her vanity and knelt before it brushing out her hair then braided it into one long rope that reached the small of her back tying the end with a thin pale green ribbon.

The Dinning Hall Entrance,

Rin stopped before the shoji doors to the dinning hall a little nervous, she hardly saw her master now a days or years for that matter. Sesshomaru rarely left his study and when he did she was not allowed to go with him on his patrols of his territory. It broke her heart to hear her master say that she was no longer aloud to company him any more. Rin remembered it like it was yesterday.

A very happy 16 year old, Rin waited penitently beside Ah-Un wearing her birthday present from her master. It was a royal blue kimono with yellow swirls along the sleeves, across her bust, and around the hem with a matching yellow under-robe and obi.
Sesshomaru came into her view as he walked toward them. Rin smiled as he stopped before Ah-Un.

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama. I just love my new kimono." She said happily, spinning a little to show him how well it fit her.
"Go back inside Rin and wait for my return." He stated coolly, Rin's smile fell.

"But, Sesshomaru-sama I have always been with you on your patrols." Her bottom lip shaking slightly.

"From here on in Rin you are no longer allowed to company me. Now go back inside." He said sternly.

"B-b-but," stuttered Rin as she fought back her tears.

"You would dare disobey this Sesshoumaru's order." His cold eyes staring her down, Rin lowered her gaze in submission.

"No master," as she lowered her head.

"Then do as I say."

"Yes master." She said sadly.

As soon as she walked over the threshold of her home of 9 years she couldn't hold back her tears of hurt anymore. Rin ran down the hall and into her room throwing herself onto her futon crying.

The look Ah-Un gave their master as if to say, "how dare you hurt her like that she loves you more then life itself. And if it weren't for this muzzle on us we would have blown fire so far up your ass you wouldn't be able to sit for centuries!" Glare.
Sesshomaru sighed and looked away from the dragon's heated stare as he mounted it.

I won't go down the same path my father took…never! He thought commanding Ah-Un into the sky.

A less nervous 19 year old, Rin entered the dinning hall her eyes lowered.

"Ohayoo, Sesshomaru-sama." She said softly, bowing.

"Sit Rin." He said in his usual cool tone without looking up from a scroll he was reading.
Rin padded over to his right side and sat just happy to be with him. She sat quietly with her hands in her lap as Sesshomaru went over some papers that were spread out before him on the high polished red wood table.
Sesshomaru tried to concentrate on his paper work, but the sweet scent Rin gave off distracted him and he ended up reading the some line twice.

You weak fool! growled his demon pride.
After a short moment of silence two servants entered from hidden doors from the kitchens from either side.

A Hawk-youkai wearing a plan cream colored kimono, her dark brown feather like hair piled on top of her head in a large bun, knelt beside Rin and carefully placed her breakfast before her with deadly looking talons. While the other servant a Peacock-youkai also wearing a cream colored kimono, her long colorful hair braided and wrapped around her head like a crown placed a white teacup before her master and poured a green liquid into his cup. The steam rose carrying the scent of mint and ginseng.
Rin bowed her thanks to the Hawk-youkai, her big yellow eyes softened as she brought the empty tray to her chest.

"Happy birthday, Rin-chan." whispered the servant, Rin smiled and bowed her thanks.

The servants left and everything was quiet once again, the only sounds were Rin genitally blowing her soup cool and the light thud of Sesshomaru placing his cup down.

Rin finished her meal and was drinking her tea when she noticed her master's empty cup. She quickly glanced over and saw that he was still engrossed with his paper work. So, Rin placed her own cup down and reached for the teapot. She gently placed the spout on the rim of his cup and poured. Rin didn't seem to notice that she placed herself under her master's nose.
Sesshomaru's eyes drifted from his paper to glide over her hourglass shape, her smooth-clear skin, and her lovely scent filled his nose like a nameless flower blooming before him. Sesshomaru bit back a purr covering it up with a grunt as he gathered his papers and tapped them on the table and stood. His quick movement startled Rin.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru quickly turned on his heels and left the dinning hall before she could say another word.

Later in the evening,

Rin returned from the gardens to her chambers to change for dinner. She gasped in surprise when she entered her bedroom. Laying upon her futon was a lovely pale pink kimono with dark pink around the hem, collar, and the cuffs of the sleeves and gold rings following the path along side the dark pink. Rin lifted the kimono and brought it close to her chest doing a little spin and giggling.

He remembered she thought happily. Rin placed the kimono back down on her futon and noticed a medium size box like shape wrapped in white silk on her vanity. Rin saw a note addressed to her on it as she brought it over her bedding and sat to read it.

Dear Rin,
This Sesshomaru wish's you a very Happy Birthday.
Sincerely, Lord Sesshomaru

Rin smiled at the letter as she placed it down and began to unwrap the silky folds of her other gift to reveal a jewelry box made from bamboo and stained red with a carved lotus flower on the lid and smaller ones around the sides. She slowly ran the tips of her fingers over the flower and very gently lifted the lid, lying on a bed of red silk where three colorful bottles.
Rin picked the first bottle that was a mid-night blue and pulled the little cork off, lifting it to her nose, the liquid within smelled of moon-flower's. The next bottle was a dark purple and smelled of water lilies and the last bottle was a light blue and smelled of morning-glory's.
Rin placed the bottles back and removed her outer kimono leaving her under robe on as she slipped into her new kimono watching the bottom flare out a bit as she spun. Rin leaned over her new jewelry box and picked the mid-night blue bottle and dabbed the scented oil on her neck and wrists. Before leaving Rin placed the lovely made jewelry box on her vanity and kissed the note it came with also placing this on the box.

The main hall was a fiery color of reds and oranges as the rays of the setting sun came through the open high windows throwing Rin's shadow before her, elongating and thinning her small frame until the tip of her shadow's head reached the dinning hall's shoji doors.
Rin peeked into the large room to see if her master would be joining her and a big smile broke across her face when she saw him at the head of the long table.

Wow, we're going to eat together again… twice in one day. She thought happily. Rin gilded her eyes over his form and noticed he wasn't wearing his armor and something looked different, he wore his usual white kimono top and hakama, but instead of the red floral design. He wore a royal blue that dusted both his shoulders that faded to light blue to mid-chest and along the white collar, down were links of gold rings seemlier to hers, but bigger.
Sesshomaru's eyes were closed his face calm and unreadable it looked like he was meditating with his hands safely within the long sleeves, his slow rising chest slightly parting the V opening of both outer and inner kimono reveling pale-smooth skin pulled over toned-hard muscle. Rin licked her suddenly dry lips and felt a slight tingling sensation in her lower belly.

Sesshomaru's nostrils flared and his chest rose higher as he took a deep breath through his nose.

"Rin." He almost moaned her name at the scent of her arousal as he opened his eyes just as Rin jumped and quickly entered the room.
Rin felt heat rising in her cheeks in embarrassment at being caught looking at her master like some 'grade A meat.' Rin kept her eyes lowered as she took her sit beside him, after a moment or so of silences Rin took in a deep breath to calm herself of her blush that didn't seem to want to leave.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama for the new kimono. (blush) I love it." She said glancing up as her index finger lightly traced one of the small gold rings down the front of her thigh.
There was a light sheen of sweat on Sesshomaru's forehead and his breathing grew ragged as if trying to hold something back.
Sesshomaru bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from grabbing Rin and throwing her onto the table and finding his release between her silken thighs. At the sound of her shy voice thanking him for the gift she now wore with the scented oil that seemed to intensify her own scent.
You weak fool! Growled his demon pride.
I'm not weak! I'm the great Tai-youkai lord of the western lands like my father before me! He growled back.
And like your father your letting a weak human female sway you! Snorted his demon pride.

I'm not like my father! He roared just as he looked down at Rin to see her trace the ring on her kimono so close to the part were her arousal grew faint, but teased his sense's with its lingering presence.
Sesshomaru growled and stood up his fists shacking slightly at his sides.

"I'm leaving to do my patrol of my territory tonight." He growled over his shoulder as he threw the shoji open. "Wait for my return." Closing the shoji with such force that they rattled in their frame.

Sesshomaru stormed down the hall to his chambers needing something to lose himself in.

Rin stood outside her master's bedroom chambers wanting to ask him if she did something that angered him in some way. Rin lifted her hand to rap lightly on the shoji frame when it suddenly opened and the Hawk-youkai that served her, her breakfast this morning came into the hall. The female demon's neat bun was loose and messy on her head and her lips were swollen and red.
They stared at each other in silence. Rin's eyes filled with hurt and angry tears, her fists shacking at her sides as her nail's bit painfully into her palms.

"Rin its-its…" the servant's words trailed off as did her eyes.

"I thought you were my friend." Sobbed Rin her tears sliding down her cheeks like liquid sliver reflecting the dying orange rays of sun light.
The sun light around them turned from dark orange-red to a murderous red making the hall look like they were covered in blood. The light swish of silk drew Rin's eyes to the open shoji and with out thinking Rin struck out her hand coming in contact with soft-smooth skin and smearing her own blood from the wounds her nail's made across pale skin.
Sesshomaru's head snapped to the side from the force of her slap, he was surprised by the strength behind it, the stinging pain streaking across his cheek as he slowly turned his head just as Rin turned and ran.

"Rin?" he said her name in his usual cool tone reaching up to touch his cheek coating her blood on his fingers. "Rin!!" he said her name a little more higher, but Rin did not stop or turn when her master called as she rounded the corner.
Sesshomaru's chest tightened like his heart was trying to crush itself.

"Rin!!!" Sesshomaru almost yelled her name as he ran after her. It felt like a part of him would die if he did not stop her.

Rin entered her room and went for a low cupboard beside her futon retrieving what Kagome-san called a backpack, Rin threw this onto her bedding and went over to the mural almost pouching the dragon's back in her haste. Grabbing armfuls of her kimono's.

I will sell these and live in a village far away from the western lands! She sobbed mentally as she shove the silk robes into the backpack followed shortly by her obis. Tears blurring her vision as she turned and blindly collided into a solid form soon followed by arms wrapping her in an warm embrace.

Sesshomaru's long strides brought him to his private chambers a faint growl still upon his lips. Her scent still lingered around him intensifying instead of fading. He dug his claws deeply into his palm's concentrating on the pain instead of Rin's sweet scent. When a soft voice pulled him away from his jumbled thoughts, his golden gaze fell upon the Hawk-youkai that served breakfast this morning.
She lowered her eyes and bowed her head.

"Is there something wrong my lord?" She asked softly.

"No," his hissed.

"V-very well my lord. Is there anything you need?" When there was no answer from her lord she took that as a sign to leave. The demoness bowed and turned to leave when his hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm, spinning her right around while his other hand slid the shoji door to his bedroom open.
The servant gasped when she was pinned to the wall her lord towering over her. Sesshomaru shoved his hands into her hair undoing the neat bun a little and crushing his lips to hers in savage hunger, his heart screamed this is not her! Stop! but his demon pride laughed at his heart's plea.
Sesshomaru finally came back to his senses and pulled away from the demoness, both were breathing heavily and Sesshomaru's mind raced this isn't right, without a word he turned, his kimono sleeves billowing out giving his back to the Hawk-youkai and silently telling her to leave, which she did.
You weak fool! Hissed his demon pride.

I'm not weak! He growled mentally when the soft cooing of Rin's voice pulling him from his thoughts. His body moved on its own accord and went to the open shoji.
The hall was blood red from the setting sun and Sesshomaru's breath caught in his throat at the sight of Rin's profile glowing with hues of gold. Her tears sparkled like fallen stars down her cheeks when she turned her head toward him, he saw her heart breaking in her large brown eyes. When all of sudden Sesshomaru's head snapped to the side with such force that he heard his neck bones click as a stinging pain ran along his cheek the smell of blood reached his nose, but it was not his own.
He said her name she did not listen, he said it again a little more loudly still she did not turn, he said her name for the third time she did not stop and he took chase.

Rin struggled in his embrace her hands beating against his chest smearing her blood on the blue and white kimono. Sesshomaru was trying to hold her to him without crushing her with his demon strength when her knee met his groin hard, the air in Sesshomaru's lungs rushed out in a breathy grunt/whimper as his arms fell from Rin's form to cup himself.
Rin pulled herself from her master's loosened embrace forgetting her fallen backpack as she ran for the open door just to be grabbed by her wrist before her foot could even make it pass the threshold of her room.
Sesshomaru spun her around until the she hit her futon, which made her fall backward to her bedding. Sesshomaru closed the shoji inwardly wincing when he walked, little jolts of pain sparked from his groin. Rin was a little dizzy from being spun, but when she heard the shoji door close she thought her master had left and sat up just to meet gold eyes staring her down.
Rin tried to roll away just to be grabbed roughly by her shoulder and forced back to the bedding, her arms flared wildly her nails clawing at his cloth covered chest.

Sesshomaru struggled to grab her flaring hands, his patience snapping like a fine silk thread, he growled baring his fangs and his eyes tinting red this scared Rin stiff with a light gasp escaping her lips.
Sesshomaru pinned her wrists on either side of her head to the bedding also pinning his knees to the sides of her hips and sat upon her knees so she wouldn't kick him again.
When the shock wore off Rin began to struggle again her eyes welling up with tears, Rin bit down on her lower lip as the liquid heat of her tears spilled down the sides of her face.

He's going to kill me because I struck him…I'm such an idiot! she thought as she stopped her struggling. I'm not afraid to die as she lifted her head up so he could slit her throat with his shape claws.
Sesshomaru watched as she stopped moving against him and bared her throat to him, his instincts screamed at him that the female before him was submitting to him and that he should acknowledge it. Sesshomaru leaned forward and bit down hard to make the skin red, but not break it were her neck and shoulder met and growled softly in his chest.
Rin stiffened when she felt his fangs and held her breath as she tightly closed her eyes letting one last tear fall as she heard his growl. Rin waited to feel the pain of her master ripping her throat out, but it never came instead the pressure of his fangs left her neck and a warm wetness went up the side of her face were her tears had softened the skin. Then felt lips on her eyelids.
When the lips were gone she open her eyes to met golden ones staring at her in a way she never thought possible toward her; lust, need, passiveness, so many emotions coming from a man who showed so little of them.

"Forgive me Rin. I did not mean to hurt you." He whispered against her skin as his lips glided over her cheek. Rin shivered as his mouth went lower and took her lips with his.
Sesshomaru gently sucked her lower lip into his mouth and then nibbled on it asking for entrance. Rin opened up for him and he plunged his tongue into her warm depths testing her sweetness like a man dying of thirst. Rin moaned and tried to move her hands, but he held them trapped still.
Sesshomaru pulled back licking the sweetness from his lips at the same time pulling her up right with him, the back of her fingers touched his chest as he examined the half-moon wounds on her palms. His brows frowned slightly in the middle before leaning forward and sweeping his tongue over the small wounds on her left-hand feeling them heal with each long stork. Sesshomaru ran his tongue one last time over her palm and placed it in her lap making sure the back of his fingers brushed against her mound hidden under the fabric getting a light gasp from Rin before starting on her right-hand.
Sesshomaru placed her hand on her lap and before he could lean in to claim her lips again when Rin's left hand gracefully went up and cupped the cheek she hit.

"I'm the one that should ask for your forgiveness." Rin lowered her eyes and gently rubbed her thumb over his cheekbone. "I shouldn't have shuck you my lord. I let my anger cloud my judgment." Her hand slid from his face and rested over her other hand in her lap neatly. "I had no right to do what I did…it is your house, your servants to do as you will with…I am nothing, but a burden to you and your household my lord." Rin said calmly trying not to show her emotions on her face or in her eyes, but the tears that slid down her cheeks said more then what she showed.
Sesshomaru pulled her hands into his and brought them up to his lips kissing the back of her fingers.

"I shouldn't have done what I did." She whispered, Sesshomaru's lips glided over the backs of her hands.

"You were angry." While lifting his head up "and the slap didn't hurt me." Said Sesshomaru as he leaned in to claim her lips with his once again, but just as the tip of his nose touched hers. Rin pulled back an inch or so away from her master's lips.

"No I-I mean d-down there." She said shyly while a light blush stained her cheek's, her eyes gazing down toward where she kneed him.
Sesshomaru followed her gaze and inwardly winced at the memory. The pain subsided to a dull ache, but the ache was quietly becoming a heated need.

"You can really pack a pouch." He said leaning in and claiming her lips in a heated kiss while slowly leaning her backward onto the bedding.
Sesshomaru placed his weight on his left arm while his right untied her obi. His satin lip left a heated trail down her neck, his right hand slipped into her loosened folds to cup her left breast stroking the nipple until it became taut. Rin moaned beneath him unknowingly thrusting her hips up into him. Sesshomaru growled into the valley between her perfectly round breasts and thrust his hips downward making Rin gasp.

"Huh, oh, Kami," she breathless sighed.

Sesshomaru smirked as he slowly placed himself between her thighs pulling the loose kimono farther apart revealing more of her body to his hungry gaze.
In a flash of clothes and heated kisses they lay bared to each other. Long tan leg's wrapping around a pale waist, sliver hair mixing with dark brown hair, human nails racking over moonlit flesh, demon claws gliding down light tan skin, teeth nibbling and biting heated skin, fangs racking over soft delicate flesh.
Sesshomaru entered her tight warmth loving the way she gasped and moaned beneath him until he met with a barrier.

"Rin." He growled/panted, she bit her lower lip and nodded. Sesshomaru growled and savagely claimed her mouth with his and thrust breaking her barrier and sitting himself to the halt in her tight sheath enfolding him in a fiery welcome. Rin cried into his mouth tears spilling down the sides of her face the pain it was like being stab with a hot knife.
The weight above her didn't move while she adjusted to the foreign object in her. Rin breathed calmly as her eyes remained closed hearing and feeling Sesshomaru's purr as he licked her tears away. After a moment or so Rin moved a little testing the feel of it and heard Sesshomaru mutter something, a thick husky sound of sheer pleasure, and slowly began a rhythm that was as old as time itself.
Soon their bodies became a tango of needy kisses, growls, and flesh. The pads of his fingers digging into her curvy hips while he surged into her, hard and fast, their bodies going a little wild, and out of control while his mind canted.

Mine, mine, mine…it swelled into a crescendo of pure pleasure.
Rin watched his face as she moved with him. Loving him, loving what he did to her and what she did to him. All of sudden a great fire began to grow within them, liquid heat followed by liquid ice so cold it burned. Flowing through their bloodstream. Sesshomaru growled deeply in the back of his throat. The strips along his cheeks became thick and jagged, his eyes tinted red, but he closed them and leaned his head back in ecstasy loving the feel of Rin around him.
Rin's body began to tingle from her toes up and settling in the pit of her stomach. Her inner muscles gripping him like a wet fist. Sesshomaru snarled and thrust faster as her orgasm shook her body with his name upon her lips just as her pleasure faded to a pleasant throb. Sesshomaru came with a throaty growl, his power crackling around them as he claimed her in body and soul marking her as his.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and lowered his body against hers breathing in their mixed scents and loving the feel of her petting his ear as he purred contently. Soon everything began to fade to black, but before the darkness took him he muttered a sleepy "I love you Rin".

Sesshomaru awoke to a cold bed in a dark lonely room the only warmth he had was from the dream long since past.

Why did I let her leave? He thought to himself as he threw his right arm over his eyes. The dream memory of what should have been slowly faded to that of Rin's tears falling like liquid sliver down her satin cheeks, her eyes filled with hurt yet he did nothing, but watch her leave…running from him like he was the pack of wolves from her childhood.
Sesshomaru growled throwing the silk sheets off his body and pulled himself from the bedding. He wandered to his opened window and breathed in the night air catching the scent of moonflowers.

Why didn't I stop her? As his eyes glided to a red jewelry box on his low nightstand.
Sesshomaru found himself lifting the lid of the old jewelry box, the objects inside were untouched since that day… oh how he wished he could turn back time and do everything differently. How many years have passed without; her laugher, her singing, her voice, her scent, which has faded from his home….two maybe three centuries has passed since then. His heart broke and became cold with each passing year becoming the ice prince of the Western Land once again.
Sesshomaru closed the lid and slid back into bed and pulling the covers over his waist leaving his chest bared to the cool air in the room. Sesshomaru rolled onto his side and reached under a near by pillow retrieving a pale pink pillow from beneath it. He buried his face into the soft fabric trying to catch her flowery scent, but the years have dulled it as he buried his face deeper, he sighed and held the pillow to his chest wishing it was her and not just an object she once possessed.
Then he did something he hadn't done since he was a young pup, he cried a single tear, but he quickly brushed it aside.

Weeping for a human female like some whelpless bitch. Growled his demon pride. Sesshomaru felt his chest grow tight and a icy feeling flowed over him.

I am Lord Sesshomaru, the coldhearted ruler of the Western Lands. He mentally growled back. His demon pride laughed an eerie chuckle.

Then be so.

The End