Princess Serenity was taking a stroll in the gardens behind the palace of the moon. It was a peaceful area of the palace other than her room where she could escape the hustle and bustle of the palace along. It was also one of the few places she could go without having her guardian senshi following her every move.
"Serenity." A masculine voice called out to her from behind her.
The princess turned towards the source and smiled. "Sesshomaru." She ran towards him.
With a small smile reserved just for her, the inuyoukai prince of the Western Lands of Japan opened his arms to her. He pulled her close to him and took in her scent, sniffing her as he normally did as his way of ensuring she was unharmed in his absence. It was a simple action that he'd done ever since their second meeting even though they hadn't started courting until their tenth.
From the start, Sesshomaru had noticed how easily trusting she was and therefore how vulnerable that made Serenity even though she had her senshi guardians to protect her.
Serenity giggled as she let him go through his routine. She didn't mind as he had explained it to her the first time he did it and knew it would reassure him.
"Have there been any others attempting for your heart?" He had picked up a few faint scents on her and wanted more information before he determined what action to take, more for her sake.
"Just a few from other planets outside of the galaxy but all it takes is the mention that my heart is spoken for by you and they cease their attempts immediately." She looked up at him with the same amount of love as she always did. They had been courting for quite some time and it was becoming well understood by most that the princess had made her choice of intended.
"And what of the human from my planet?" He asked.
"Stubborn and still won't get the hint." She grumbled in annoyance. "Last time, Sailor Mars had to actually light his leg on fire just to get him to leave me alone." She explained with a slight giggle.
Sesshomaru gave a low chuckle as he released her from his embrace so they could walk together side by side. "It is times like that that I understand why your mother chose the guardians for you that she did."
Serenity nodded. "There was also a time where Sailor Venus had to stand in as me and he didn't realize it before making an inappropriate grab on her. She reacted instinctively and used her crescent beam before remembering I wasn't supposed to know it so now she's had no choice but to make sure I can pull off the attack as well as she can." She then looked down as she thought about something.
Sesshomaru noticed and frowned before stopping them in place. "What is wrong, Serenity?"
She looked up at him while slightly biting her lip. "Well, it's something that Endymion mentioned. I normally don't pay attention to anything he says but it was in reference to your heritage."
"And you're concerned as to whether or not he spoke truth when he said it?" Sesshomaru inquired.
"I am. I didn't let him see that it bothered me but I knew I had to ask you about it." Serenity took a deep breath before continuing. "He claimed that in youkai culture, in inuyoukai culture, that I wouldn't be recognized as being your intended bride, mate, until you marked me. That for all I knew, you were just playing me and had someone else back home."
It took Sesshomaru a lot of restraint not to growl in displeasure at the ideas Endymion had likely put into her head. Instead he sighed and gently nuzzled her neck. "He was trying to affect your thinking. He's wrong. If I were to take you to my lands and at some point we were separated, most youkai would be able to pick up the scent mark I've left and not try for you in that way. Others might ignore it and try, same as how humans might ignore a wedding ring. However, a mating mark is something more serious and would bond us forever. I have been wanting to actually mark you but I have been waiting for you to be sure you were ready for it."
Serenity looked at him. "So I worried for nothing?" She bit her lip
"For absolutely nothing." Sesshomaru reassured her.
Serenity smiled and tilted her neck, baring herself to him. "Do it Sesshomaru."
His eyes widened briefly before he looked at her softly. "Are you sure? It's going to hurt to some extent."
She nodded. "I'm sure. We can't go further just yet, so I want to be claimed as far as you can for the moment."
Sesshomaru pulled her close with one arm. His other hand, he linked with hers. "When I bite, squeeze my hand if you need to." He murmured before he moved errant strands of her hair out of the way and let his fangs elongate as he bit her, marking her as his mate.
Serenity whimpered a bit and did squeeze his hand when she felt his fangs break her skin. It had hurt as he'd warned her but she knew it would only be brief.
Sesshomaru then ran his tongue over the mark, stopping the bleeding and sealing it. Another thing about the mark is that now she would be immune to poisons because what he hadn't told her was that he'd had to bite his own tongue a bit to mix a bit of his blood into it and provide her with that protection. His tongue over it also soothed the pain from the bite. He pulled away and examined the now half purple-half gold crescent mark just as a swirl of magic washed over them both, causing both their crescent birthmarks to glow briefly.
She relaxed in his arms and smiled at him as the magic flowed. "Feel that? It's like we're united in every possible way emotionally, physically, mentally...not counting the only other way physically." She blushed.
He smiled back at her. "That is because we are. I'll be able to feel when you're hurt."
"I pity the poor soul that would make you live up to the other part of the meaning of your name." Serenity smiled softly.
"I don't." He smirked.
At his response and smirk, she started off giggling but soon her melodious laughter was ringing through the air. For she knew quite well he wouldn't pity such a person but she also wouldn't have expected anything less from him. "Come, I believe we should inform our parents that it is now official." Together they walked through the gardens towards the palace.