'The documents had just been found 13 years after the death of the power duo Urihara. They were discovered to be a late addition to their last will and testament, to the effect of an arranged marriage between their daughter and their business partner, Sesshomaru, the wealthy aristocratic yokai, arranged prior by both first generation family members.'
Rin kept her gaze focused on the food in front of her – the finest imported ingredients, combined with native produce to create the most delicate array of appetisers and dishes, of which she was to have her fill.
There was always too much, far, far too much of it, and Rin barely touched it – again.
Not to mention she sneakily preferred the cheap take away of her previous days, which she would go and buy during the day while she gave out containers of her vast left over dinner to the less fortunate in whichever city or town she found herself in.
Sometimes she would even go to homeless shelters, or visit specific house-holds that she knew were impoverished and feed them the nourishing delicacies.
Jaken had had a blue fit when he found out the luxurious food was being wasted in this way, disrespecting his lord's services, but Rin swore him to secrecy threatening to tell Sesshomaru that Jaken had only recently broken the new imported Romanesque antique from Italy – a gift from a colleague of Sesshomaru's.
The little toad had been over zealous in his cleaning and knocked it over rather fatefully. It was worth the fortune of the most respectable businessman.
The mutual blackmail didn't stop Jaken from being a highly critical, sour spectator to Rin dishing the un-touched dinners in to many containers the next day for delivery.
At the expansive dinner table, Rin was thinking idly that she may go to the Suzuki house hold tomorrow, as there was a large amount of fine sashimi present in the dishes and she knew the child of that home was very fond of it.
Rin was separated from any dinner company by a colossal chunk of over-polished onyx mixed with stunning mineral threads of every hue, that stretched for a mile to the other end of the room, where sat her silent husband.
She barely looked at him, however. Instead she would poke at her food and prolong her meal time so she wouldn't be scolded for not eating, even though the entire situation was ridiculous as the yokai never ate either; - he would sit there with his work lap top or a book. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful; she was. She was so unbearably grateful that she was miserable.
It was bound by an ancient custom wherein demon law dictated obedience. No other marriage by the yokai would be lawfully approved if the one bound rejected the arrangement. This was because the elder generation had decided by vote on the decision, and the Urihara clan had been long-time valuable and trusted allies of the daiyokai clan. It was an agreement to honour the allegiance and not even one as powerful as Sesshomaru could gainsay the bond.
Every meal time where he was actually present was not too common, and so she was always mortified when he was there, making her feel like a burdensome intruder more than ever.
There was something very intense and heavy about his aura, and he had become someone very distant from her since the marriage. It had been nothing more than a civil ceremony, held in an office far from worthy of the occasion.
Rin knew he was angry about the will – he had cursed openly initially, leaving the province when the binding will was made known, only to return for the ceremony itself. Afterwards he had left his bride promptly to 'pressing business matters'.
Their relationship had been far better before the forsaken alliance, at least in Rin's eyes if not anyone else's. He had been her guardian and raised her, coolly yet subconsciously caringly brought her up after the death of her parents.
Now she wondered if he would have dropped her like hot poison had he known about the hidden contract from the very start.
In her sober, rational moments Rin did think it was very unfair for others to decide his fate for him. Someone as grand and noble as Sesshomaru-sama should have the intact right to choose his own mate, with his own mind and heart. But it wasn't long before tears dropped from her eyes whenever she tried to push past her hurt and loneliness.
It stung, a lot.
To think he felt so chained down and trapped to her, a puny human, who he must have hoped to get rid of on her 18th birthday – not get married to her!
It was the height of indecencies that a wild and supernatural creature such as he should be so bound to earthly traditions and oaths. Though she knew and felt all the just things for Sesshomaru, none of which were favourable thoughts toward herself, Rin had always loved him very deeply.
He had never ever been close enough for her to consider him a relative.
He was more like a figure in the background, somehow orchestrating events in her life. When she hit puberty the feelings of adoration and blind faith she had naturally turned in to a hero worshipping crush. At about sixteen her feelings became deeper, and by the time she was told the news of the oath and impending matrimony she was overjoyed and struck with disbelief.
Until reality hit her like an ancient meteorite crashing to earth to destroy all lovely things.
That reality was that Sesshomaru never loved her, could never love her and was enraged and offended by the entire situation.
Therefore Rin could never show her true feelings, and she resigned to agree to the written list of duties she now had as the wife of the illustrious demon.
Rin's mind often ran through the things that may improve her chances of approval with her husband. One thing that bothered her was her appearance. She was a girl who had developed very early, so her figure was full but her height was not at all impressive.
She had often dreamed about being tall and willowy like the models Sesshomaru posed with in magazines; or even like the other colleagues and associates she saw at the functions she had to attend as his 'wife'. They were all so polished, refined and attractive with their elegant cigarettes and knowledge of French as they ordered wine from international waiters.
But Rin even felt intimidated by the waiters, for Kami's sake.
She wore an understatement of a dress for the wedding; it covered her soft round chest completely and her hips were obscured by unnecessary material in that area. It was like someone had chosen it specifically to make her as unappealing a bride as possible and she wanted to cry. No man would want to undress that, and make love to whatever lay underneath..
Let alone the compellingly beautiful groom, whose everyday business wear showed how 'invested' he was in this farce of a wedding.
Vows were said, no kiss given, and rings were exchanged.
This just added the icing to the cake of woe, as he refused to even personally put the ring on her finger – rather he accidentally touched her hand and dropped the ring in her palm as though he had come in to contact with something distasteful.
In her distressed mind, past the anger, she wondered desperately where on earth the other Sesshomaru had gone, the one that had protected and remotely but surely raised her better than any guardian should ever be put upon to do.
This was what he really thought, then. Demon honour and pride must have been what kept him nurturing her as her guardian.
Now everything had just crossed an unspoken and unspeakable boundary, and realising all this at once on what was meant to be a fairy tale day was far too much.
She couldn't speak for the rest of the day, and the one photo of the occasion was graced with one marble-like face with glassy amber pools for eyes and a weary, disillusioned one at the elbow of the other.
Rin was attractive, despite her less than low self-esteem.
Others noticed it – and it wasn't just her acts of beauty that they took note of.
She had heavy dark hair that was at her waist, and pale skin set off with dark eyes. Her nose was a little snub and her face a little freckled, but she was quirky and charming. In the villages she shined, but in the mansions, offices and function buildings she was a wallflower, having paled herself to insignificance against the notable beings she was expected to mingle with.
Whenever they arrived at these balls and dinners, Sesshomaru would soon leave her to find his next business prospect, or a beautiful woman.
A few kind hearted people saw this abandonment and surrounded Rin, and very soon her natural optimism and warmth had won them over, and they often formed a pleasant gathering when they were together.
Kohaku was particularly fond of Rin. He was another businessman in an oil firm, and he dabbled in stocks. He knew something of value when he saw it – and it was even better when it was attractive and neglected.
He was by no means nasty, but he resented the multi-millionaire demon for so obviously disdaining his lovely young spouse. Therefore he saw no issues in entertaining her and dancing with her. He was never stopped or interrupted, and Rin always laughed at his many jokes.
Fortunately Sesshomaru didn't try and play dog in the manger.
Rin drank up Kohaku's attention like a bird starved of open air and accepted whenever he invited her out to places. She never once saw it as cheating, but rather she thought the world knew her adoration and love for Sesshomaru was not in question, and Kohaku was nothing more than a good friend.
She would, by ten million moons, rather that it was Sesshomaru taking her out so often, but he obviously disliked her presence at the best of times and Rin knew it was more proof of her love to leave him be than pester him like the child he thought she still was.
Kohaku would sometimes even help her with her larger hauls of food to take it to the needy – so he could easily take her to lunch afterwards.
How Sesshomaru wasn't head over heels in love with such an appealing bundle, Kohaku never knew. She wasn't tall and slim, true – but she was far more fascinating than looks, and her sex appeal was far greater than a walking coat hanger.
One time they had been out, Rin had dropped a food basket, and in the process her shirt had skewed to reveal a little more of her milky breast than was proper. Kohaku had gawked, blushed and genteelly hinted to her. Rin had just gone 'oh!' and giggled as she re-adjusted, but Kohaku found it hard to shift that image from his mind for a while.
So it was no surprise when he danced with her one time – she was wearing a deep emerald dress that showcased a lovely cleavage and displayed a small womanly waist that Kohaku readily wrapped his arm around.
Soon gossip mongers sent whispers around that eventually reached the ears of the white haired demon lord.
'They are saying, milord, that your lady-mate is far too friendly with other men, Kohaku-sama in particular'
The deliverer of this gossip was a beak nosed woman who wore an elaborate turban, and spoke insolently and archly as she shot a knowing glare at the laughing Rin and her jade-framed ivory chest, heaving with the exercise of doing every dance so far. She was currently locked in a waltz with a different man to Kohaku, who was nevertheless standing nearby.
However Sesshomaru's glittering golden eyes were trained periodically far more often on his little wife than anyone ever picked up on.
He tore his enigmatic regard from Rin who was dancing across the enormous ballroom, and his gaze became decidedly cold as he looked at the gossiping lady at his elbow.
He didn't say a word, rather his sneer and the dangerous glint to his molten eyes spoke far more volumes than chatter, and it silenced the tale teller far more effectively.
He turned and swiftly walked away, a slight snarl on his breath. The lady balked and blushed, embarrassed as others pretended not to notice her; it never did well to pay attention to a person Lord Sesshomaru mortified.
It didn't help that along with Rin's more-than-usually revealing dress and high spirits, that not only was she twirling in that man's arms again but her intoxicating smell of her menstruation was overpowering.
Sesshomaru had to take some moments outside away from the sight and scent as much as possible. He could just go home, but then Kohaku would no doubt gallantly fill the breach and take up Sesshomaru's abandoned duty to escort his wife home with glee.
It wouldn't be the first time either. Too many times had he seen her come stumbling through the door, laughter fading from her face as she saw her husband holding the door open for her, his expression inscrutable as always; and Rin's brilliant smile would die almost instantly.
His flute of champagne was suddenly crushed by his hand and the foaming liquid drenched his sleeve.
He cursed under his breath and with a flick of his wrist the shattered glass was tossed over the balustrade. His keen hearing heard footsteps approach, dainty light ones, accompanied by a forbidden scent.
'S-Sesshomaru-sama!'
His eyes shut and his teeth gritted slightly as the smell of Rin enveloped him – her soft voice appealing. It burned his ears.
He heard and felt her every small footstep toward himself.
He couldn't speak for all the emotions coursing through him; - of course, to Rin, this was par for the course and was naturally construed as indifference or perhaps annoyance.
She understood; he often took time alone and seemed to need a great deal of it whenever she was in his presence.
'Kohaku was goi - '
She was about to breathily let out a jumbled request for leave to join the stock dabbler in a walk of the gardens when she found herself facing her husband's terrifying flaming glare.
Rin went white with momentary shock – but she soon questioned herself as the look of rage subsided as quickly as it had come and Sesshomaru turned his back yet again, his long moon lit hair swaying.
He lifted a nonchalant, elegant hand and waved it as though at an irritating insect.
'You do as you wish'
Every time, Rin asked Sesshomaru permission not because she felt like she needed it, but because she hoping he would speak up – replace, reject or join in on the offer, show some emotion. But every time Rin was disappointed; she must have been mistaken about his look of anger.
However she lingered a moment, wanting to savour this time that was almost alone with the yokai lord - and inwardly celebrated as she found a reason to stay near him longer, gasping as she noticed cuts on her husband's hand, left by the crushed wine glass.
She ran up to him, tripping a little in her haste as she reached his side, and without thinking took his much larger clawed hand in her own small slightly chubby ones, examining the marks.
Sesshomaru took a minute to register her action, that she had been five metres away before, and now her dark head was at his elbow and her warm little hands were holding his cool one.
His eyes had widened, and his senses reeled as her smell nearly overpowered him, his mouth filling with saliva, the feel of her soft skin and her plump little breasts pressed against his arm with a deep green jewel buried in her cleavage too much.
He withdrew his hand rather sharply and took a few steps back in a forced measured way.
'Go and play Rin' he commanded, barely keeping himself in check.
The only way he could do so was belittle her and treat her as the child he was so used to.
Rin's face was a pattern of concern and desire.
'Please let me bandage it for you!' She was used to his little phrases and demands by now, and though it always stung, it didn't matter how she felt when he was hurt.
No wonder he had come outside, Rin thought to herself, he was obviously in pain!
'Who did this to you?' Rin asked, wondering how on earth her darling had hurt himself at a place like this.
'No one. It doesn't hurt. Off with you!' His words were spasmodic and grunting.
Rin knew that voice, it meant he was indeed in pain. What she didn't realise was that it was by no means physical pain but the pain of self-control.
Rin wouldn't give up and she ran the few steps to get close to him again, his silver hair wrapping round her from the sudden breeze as she took his hand and clasped it endearingly to her breast, kissing it, licking the blood from each clawed finger in (what anyone else looking on would see as a deliciously intimate way) in an attempt to help the bleeding stop.
The beak nosed lady who had gossiped to Lord Sesshomaru before happened to spy with some of her friends the illustrious couple on the balustrade outside, and they felt a little deflated as their hopes of a scandal were dashed by that picture of passion outside.
It was well they looked away as the next moment would have had their theories back on to boil on high, as Sesshomaru all but flung his small wife away from himself, and he literally took off over the balustrade, in to the night, leaving Rin wondering if he had been a figment of her imagination.
Kohaku took a deflated and subdued Rin home soon after.