A/N: This is a very slight crossover of the book The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey. I don't go by most traditional Selkie lore in this, but largely follow how they are portrayed in her book, using an original character instead of the character in her book that interacts with the Selkies. The time period here is not defined, and it is not a true crossover, some elements and ways of things are simply used to make the story work well.

This guy had to be crazy. But… Even if he was…

Kagome looked around the slums that she lived in, took in her dirty skin, filthy clothes, made note of her unusual blue-black hair and eyes the colour of a stormy sea, ranging from cerulean to an almost green-tinged deep blue. Her foreign features that meant nobody in London would hire her, that meant that eventually she would get caught pickpocketing and end up in jail… Or that she would have to end up selling her body; probably in a dirty brothel. Her parents had lived a modest life but when pneumonia had taken her mother and influenza had taken her father, leaving a fifteen year old Kagome with no way to support herself, she had ended up on the streets. It had only been three weeks but Kagome had learned in that short time that she was despised, that life was cruel, and that she could not make a living on her own.

Her parents had always told her tales of mystical creatures, and she had even seen many of them, but Selkies?

And more than that – magic, which was clearly very real for this man to have a minor water nymph wrapped around his hand, clinging to his thumb and purring quite contently. He had red hair, a soft accent that could blend in anywhere despite the slight Irish overlay, and gentle brown eyes filled not with pity, but with sympathy and eagerness – and not the kind of eagerness that drunks showed her.

If his tale was true, of course he would be eager. Selkies only took maidens—virgins—for their wives, and only honest women with good temperaments. Those kinds of qualities were difficult to find even one at a time in London and the surrounding areas, much less all of them in a single person. And she would – if she took this offer up, which frankly she would be daft not to – not be going as-is. She would be given a fortnight to get used to living properly again, eating properly, to be fitted for clothing, to have daily baths.

The next smile that he gave her was filled with a tickled pleasure, like he could sense exactly where her mind was going, and he held his hand out to her. She could not speak English very well compared to her native language, having grown up learning Japanese first and hardly having been allowed out of the house, but she was able to make herself understood well enough. "Yes. Kagome will... accept this... offer. Thank you very much."

"I promise you, dear Kagome, that your life, while modest, will be far better than you could ever hope for it to be in London."

That was perfectly clear, so she tentatively smiled and took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the cab waiting for them. Just what was she getting herself into with this?

Sesshōmaru stepped onto the beach, his form having shifted whilst he was swimming in the surf, and emerged in all his glory. Long, flowing silver hair. Crimson stripes on his face and body, in addition to a lavender crescent moon upon his forehead; markings that designated him as the leader of this clan of Selkies on this far edge of Ireland. Smooth, pale skin and aristocratic, slightly foreign features.

Theodore, one of the very few mages in England with the power to converse with and deal with large water elementals such as Selkies, Leviathans, and other beings like them, had returned with a new batch of maidens for them to take their pick of. Sesshōmaru himself was not interested – after his last wife, whom he had loved dearly with all of his heart, died, he had foregone taking another mate. Rin had not been willing to become a Selkie and live with him in the sea; he would not risk such a thing happening again. Besides, Aurelie would likely be highly resentful if he took another wife, having loved her mother dearly.

He saw a shock of blue-black hair flowing to a waist, pale but not white skin, and almost immediately turned to go back into the sea, until the young woman lifted her head up and he fell into bottomless, fathomless eyes the colour of his home. Her.

Nobody could replace Rin, but this person was not Rin, and he wanted her with all of his being. "Theodore."

Theodore came to him with a smile, and tilted his head. "Have you finally changed your mind, Sesshōmaru?"

"Who is the foreign girl?"

Foreign meaning not from Europe; they had had a spare few Asians (of which Rin had been the very first, all that time ago) amongst the maidens Theodore and his predecessors had brought them over the decades, just a very few, but this girl was clearly Asian. "Her name is Kagome, and her English is imperfect but her Japanese is beyond fluent, and she is determined and hard-working, as well as eager to learn. Shockingly enough she can even read and write – both Japanese and English, and she writes far better than she speaks."

He smiled slightly. Kagome. It was a beautiful name, for all that he knew not the meaning of it. "We can learn from each other, then. I will aid her in her English, and teach her both Irish and Gaelic."

Theodore simply blinked, before a slow smile lit up his features, turning him from rather plain into rather handsome indeed. Then he turned towards the group of women (which was already smaller by three people) and beckoned to the young woman. "Kagome, come here."

Whispers began immediately; it had been well past a century since Sesshōmaru had taken a bride, and everyone was curious, until she shyly stepped forward and lifted her head up. The noise behind him and to his sides ceased immediately as soon as her eyes were revealed. Sesshōmaru had chosen her before anyone else, however, and that meant she was his. His alone, and no one else would even think of taking her from him, especially since it had been over a century since he had been intrigued enough to take a wife. Those eyes would draw any Selkie in, however, and he knew that she would make many friends amongst the clan he ruled over. He relaxed his imposing demeanour as she fidgeted with the bottom of her tunic, his golden eyes warming as he smiled softly at her. "Hello Kagome. I am Sesshōmaru, and would like to court you."

She blushed in an incredibly fetching manner, before hesitantly nodding. "I accept."

She had no discernible foreign accent – in fact, she almost sounded Irish, and he looked to Theodore, who shrugged and pointed to himself. Ah, so she was one of those. Likely her parents had sheltered her from the strong prejudice against foreigners, which would be why her English was imperfect, but if they had not done so it would have rapidly become clear that this girl tended to pick up the accents of those around her with ease, more strongly the longer she stayed with them.

That was pleasing. Her soft voice was like silk, and both Irish and his native Gaelic would suit her strongly; although he desperately wanted to hear her in her native language. "Would you be comfortable introducing yourself as you would have if I were Japanese?"

A brilliant smile lit up her face, and she bowed at the waist, before rising up, "Watashi wa Higurashi Kagome, desu. O ai dekite kōeidesu."

The words, while unintelligible, were entrancing, and she sounded like she was speaking music. He smiled for her again, as she spoke up once more. "That means, I am Kagome Higurashi. It is a pleasure to meet you. Ano… Your name is in Nihongo, though, should you not know it?"

Her tone was hesitant and curious; to be expected from someone in a new situation. "My mother was likely from the country your parents immigrated from, but my father was a Selkie, and she died shortly after my birth. She named me, but I never knew her, and lived my whole life in the deep sea. Your eyes remind me of my home in the depths, they are quite beautiful."

Something told him that complimenting the rest of her beauty so early on would be a bad idea; she would likely either take it as false, or feel like he only picked her for her beauty overall. It would be more acceptable to her that he chose her because her eyes reminded him of his home than it would because she was beautiful overall.

She flushed at the compliment, although a sadness entered her eyes. "I am sorry... about your mother; then again, it is... probably not so… painful for you if you never knew her..."

Yes, her speech needed working on; she had the words, but still had to search for them. He could see her intelligence, however, and nodded. "That is very true, Kagome. Nay, I do not feel pain for what I never had. My life has been pleasant enough, overall."

Parts of it had been truly agonising, but Kagome need not know that, and he had not lied to her. In the scheme of things, thirty years was nothing, compared to his centuries of life. To be truthful he was not even born in Ireland; he too was a foreigner, but his father had migrated here after his wife died. Sesshōmaru knew nothing about the land where he would have been raised, and was suddenly eager to learn about it through the woman who would hopefully be his new wife.

Kagome's cerulean eyes widened and she almost dropped the skirt she was embroidering the hem of. "What?!"

Jessica blinked lightly, her soft brown hair that framed her face in gentle curls shifting as she tilted her head. "You were not aware of this? Sesshōmaru is the leader of this Selkie clan. That is why he has the markings he has. He is a very good leader. My husband says you are the first woman in over a century that he has decided he wished to wed, you are very lucky. I can see what drew him to you though. You are really beautiful, sweet, and kind."

The other woman was smiling by the time she ended her speech, but Kagome was not so composed; in fact she was reeling. The same man who had been teaching her, learning from her, who had told her stories in return for her telling him stories… He was basically, like, a king. Kagome was not worthy of that. Of his attention, of his presence, of his care. Oh dear. And she was falling for him rapidly too; but it would be such an insult to deny his choice now…

Kagome fretted as she picked up her skirt again, lost in her thoughts. What to do, what to do?

"Le gáire mall, ghlac sí a lámh mar thóg sé í suas, agus le chéile, shiúil siad isteach ar an oíche, na foraoise thart timpeall orthu obscuring a láithreacht mar leáigh siad isteach ar an ceo."

Sesshōmaru watched as Aurelie stared at Kagome, entranced in the story she was telling. It had been a year now, and it had not been anywhere as difficult as he imagined it would be for Kagome to worm her way into his daughter's heart. Smiling, he stepped into the modest hut and leaned against the wall. "Your grasp of Irish is amazing, Kagome. You have come very far since you arrived here."

"Papa!"

Aurelie was at his side in a moment, her silver hair flowing around her. "Kagome just told me the most wonderful story from her land."

Lowering her voice, she hugged him and whispered into his ear. "Are you going to ask her today, Papa?"

He simply nodded, and she pulled back, smiling brightly at him before turning around. "I must go now, Kagome. Thank you for the story. I will see you later!"

Then she dashed out the door, her bare feet making no noise upon the sand as she made her way back to her home, shifting into a seal as she reached the surf. Sesshōmaru turned to Kagome and held a hand out to her. "Take a walk with me?"

She shyly nodded and grasped his hand; he linked his fingers with hers easily and she stilled slightly before continuing to follow him as he led her to a cove. Sesshōmaru wasn't positive what to do about her hesitance yet; six weeks into her stay she had found out that he was the leader of the tribe, and although he could see that she loved him, she had yet to voice the words. One of the men in his clan told him that she had confided in his wife that she felt wholly unworthy of his attentions, and constantly feared going too far. He was unsure what to do about it, exactly, but found her respect for him as endearing as it was frustrating. Maybe today would help, however.

Finally they reached the cove he wanted, and he sat down on a boulder, his arm automatically curling about her waist as she sat next to him. Eventually, hesitantly, she leaned into his body, and he turned her head towards his for a chaste kiss. She was blushing by the time it was over, and he smiled for her once again, before asking, "Kagome, would you become my bride?"

"Ye- I- Um..."

Yes, then, but she felt like she did not deserve it. "Do you remember what I asked you four months ago, Kagome?"

She nodded, confused, "Yes? I think anyhow; are you talking about when you asked if I would become a Selkie in future years?"

It was his turn to nod, and he sighed softly. "I have had five wives in all my centuries of life. You are the only woman who has ever answered yes to that question when I posed it. And you did so far earlier than I ever asked the other women. We had been wed for many years by the time I ever asked that of any of them. After Rin, though… I swore to never take another bride. I will not lie to you and say that meeting you was love at first sight. But it was the most intense feeling of want that I have ever experienced in all my centuries of life, Kagome. As soon as I realised I was in love with you I asked you, because I could not bear to lose you to a human lifespan. Kagome, please do not lie to me. Do you wish to be my bride? Do not think of my position, my title; only think of me."

He gave her time to process everything; by now she knew about his painful experience with the wife he had before her, she knew about Rin in the entirety, because Kagome simply drew things from people without realising she was doing it. There was not a secret in their small village (which was not truly a village; just homes on a seaside – once a week Theodore returned to take the women shopping for what they needed that their males or husbands could not catch for them, using Selkie gold) that she was not the keeper of. There was not a soul amongst the Selkies and women both who did not adore her with all their hearts. Kagome was a remarkable woman, and he knew that she was meant for him. Nobody else could have soothed his pain just by listening to his agonising tale.

"Yes. Very much, Sesshōmaru."

The words were whispered, barely there, but his heart soared in triumph as soon as he heard them, and he pulled out a ring; the one his father had given him – a ring for a Selkie bride. It was made of some indiscernible substance, with a sapphire set into the metal, surrounded by emeralds. The ring shone white in the sun, and he took her hand, sliding the ring onto her finger. "I promise to love you, be loyal to you, and provide for you, for the rest of our lives."

The ring glowed then, and kept glowing as Kagome hesitated again, before saying, "Watashi wa, watashitachi no seikatsu no nokori no tame ni, anata ga, anata o aishi, anata ni chūjitsudearu koto, oyobi koto o chikaimasu."

I swear to love you, be loyal to you, and be yours, for the rest of our lives.

The ring accepted her vow, and dimmed until the glow ceased altogether, the light sinking into it and making it sparkle in the evening light. The sparkling would never cease.

Slender fingers ran over the surface of the metal and over the gems, and a voice from his far-too-perceptive wife said, "Nobody else of yours has worn this ring, have they? Will it ever come off?"

He shook his head. "No, to both of your queries. This is how much I love you, Kagome."

Suddenly his arms were full, and her arms wrapped tightly around him as tears soaked into his silk shirt. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I cannot express with words, in any language I know, how very much I love you, how much you hold my heart, how much I appreciate you, how much I utterly adore you. I can hardly even-"

He interrupted her by pulling her face up from his chest and kissing her deeply, passionately, pouring his own love, adoration, and need into the kiss. Her response was desperate, needy, and just as love-filled. Smiling, he pulled away and picked her up, carrying her to her home – their home, now, at least until she finally came into the sea with him – where he proceeded to show her just how much he adored her.

"You saved me, you know."

Kagome's voice was soft as she whispered into the night air, wrapped tightly around her new husband. She still felt like she didn't deserve any of this – especially not him of all people – but she wasn't going to continue pulling away and convincing herself that she was unworthy, because shouldn't he be the one to decide that, not her? She couldn't accept that before today, but now she could. Especially since he clearly was not about to change his mind or be swayed from his decision that he wanted her; not ever.

"How is that?"

His response was just as soft, as he stroked a hand through her hair, and she sighed in contentment, nuzzling into his chest, her arm tightening around his waist. "I know Theodore is the one who brought me here… But without you there would have been no Theodore to find me in the slums of London, homeless and starving, waiting at any moment to be arrested or finding myself having to sell my body just to make a living. "

His arms tightened around her at that last, and she kissed his chest softly. "You taught me, you learned from me, you gave me a family, you respect me, you care for me more than anyone else could hope to do. I still… I still feel so undeserving of not just your attention but you yourself… But you showed me today that it isn't my choice, it is yours. One day that feeling will disappear, because of you and Aurelie. Thank you, for being my saviour, Sesshōmaru."

She was on her back again in moments, and he smirked down at her, nipping her lower lip. "Should I prove to you again just how much I feel that you deserve me, mine?"

Her eyes darkened in delight, and she gave him a slow smile. "As much as you please, mine."

He kissed her then, and Kagome thought that maybe life wasn't anything close to as unpleasant or frightening as she had thought it was those three weeks she had been homeless. Because of her saviour.

A/N: Part Two: The Irish translates to, "With a slow smile, she accepted his hand as he lifted her up, and together, they walked into the night, the forest around them obscuring their presence as they melted into the fog." It is not from any story I have heard or read, because I assume that in the past, the tales that were told to children were different than they are today. I have no idea why obscuring doesn't have a word in Irish – I checked dictionaries to be sure and still couldn't find it.

Translations are all courtesy of Google Translate.

Three weeks does not seem like very long, but trust me as someone with experience; when you have had a roof over your head and a stable place to live all of your life even just one week without such comforts is terrifying and traumatising and leaves an impression on you forever.