Chapter II
Author's Note: If there are any questions with regards to the story, feel free to ask. I will answer them in the following chapter of when the question was asked in the ending section unless the answer will include a spoiler to a future chapter!
Much love.
Rin had always loved traveling on the back of Ah-Un. Whenever the two headed dragon carried her, she would gently rest her head against his mane and close her eyes, allowing the gentle breeze of the sky to wrap around her exposed skin like a delicate lace. She often felt that by allowing her to ride Ah-Un, Sesshomaru was caring for her in his own way.
Though, when she thought back on it, Jaken was often riding along with her.
No. She shook her head. Her lord was not one for words so she would have to find his meanings within his actions. He must've cared for Jaken as well. Perhaps his feelings toward them may be more familial than what she felt for him, but she knew that actions such as these would most likely be the closest thing to love Sesshomaru would ever show her in this lifetime, outside of the actions for pleasure they occasionally shared... Perhaps his feelings toward her were not familial either.
Her cheeks flushed with color, remembering the feeling of him within her the night before. Rin snuck a look at him but then immediately returned to her previous position when she felt her focus become drawn to the angle of his jaw and the slight part of his lips. She would have to stop thinking about this topic or else her lord would notice a change in her scent.
"Jaken-sama."
"Yes, Rin?" Jaken's voice held a note of irritation as though she had interrupted an important line of thought.
She quickly thought of a question, "What's the Western Palace like?"
"You will see soon enough."
"How so?"
He smirked in triumph and pointed towards the area before them, "We're arriving. See?"
The clouds started parting alongside them, tinted in a beautiful golden tone that reminded her of her lord's eyes, revealing a beautiful eastern style palace that sat at the peak of the mountain. The terrain surrounding it was barren of life but majestic nonetheless: the encasing clouds melting and interlacing themselves with the sturdy marbled rocks.
Jaken could feel her awe, "Wait until we enter the main gate."
"What awaits there?"
Jaken's volume increased along with his enthusiasm while he spoke, "Look for yourself and be amazed by the splendor of our lord! Marvel at his impeccable taste! Everything that lies in the West, everything within those walls and beyond, belong to him! He has painstak-"
"Jaken, you're too loud." Sesshomaru said as they landed.
Immediatly, he quieted, "Sorry, milord."
The sound of metal could be heard briefly before the gates opened, the force of the doors swinging outwards rearranged the clouds into what looked like a thin misting of light.
True to what Jaken said, what lied inside of the gate was even more breathtaking than what lied outside of it. The palace was celestial. Building structures and stone paved grounds were surrounded by elegant stones, ponds, bridges, and trees and flowers, smelling as heavenly as the palace looked. Hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, noblemen and ladies, and servants stood there to greet the returning Lord of the West who was known to be the strongest of all the rulers in feudal Japan.
"Welcome home." The voices said in unison, almost harmonically.
Home. This was home for Sesshomaru.
His voice rang out in the deafening silence of her mind, "Rin."
"Yes, my lord."
He walked forward without looking back, "Follow me."
"Yes, my lord."
Rin gracefully dismounted from Ah-Un and then held her hand out for Jaken who was having trouble getting down.
"Go with him you silly girl! Do not keep our lord waiting!"
She remained by Jaken with her hand outstretched.
"We're family, Jaken-sama."
Tears started welling up in his eyes before he held onto her hand and hopped down.
"You silly, silly girl. Now go."
Rin smiled before she chased after Sesshomaru. She soon caught up with him before walking side by side, proceeding past the beautiful gardens and up the long staircase leading to the grand doors of where Sesshomaru dwelled while he was within his own domain.
The demons within the palace looked on as the two passed by, whispering about what they were witnessing as their lord and his ward disappeared into privacy.
Sesshomaru led Rin to his study. It had been exactly as he had left it: immaculate, but he knew that within the hour new paperwork would start filling the tables and shelves and he would have to finalize treatises that have been left unsigned for the past year that he had spent traveling.
He sat on a cushion behind his desk while Rin stood, quietly asking for permission to sit across from him. He glanced at Rin and she immediately sat down, understanding what he meant by the gesture, with her ever present smile.
She was beautiful to look at. Not just for a human, but for both demons and humans alike. Sesshomaru didn't know if it was because he had grown used to her flaws or if it was because she truly was truly flawless. He took out a blank scroll and started to write on it.
"Your room will be in the eastern wing of this building."
"Yes, my lord."
The slightest movement of her fingers gave away what she was trying to hide with her smile but he let the silence linger in the air for a while before he spoke again.
"Would you like a teacher?"
His question caught her off guard.
"Pardon?"
"A teacher who would be able to teach you the ways of the court."
She never understood how he always managed to figure out what bothered her but a true smile finally bloomed on her face: one that parted her rosy lips and showed off her teeth. She caught herself in the act and quickly covered it with her hand.
"Excuse my manners, my lord. I would love to have a teacher to guide me."
The continued sound of his brush against paper fought the deafening silence.
"You may not walk next to me."
She didn't give a verbal response.
"Only the Lady of the West may walk in that position."
Was he telling her that she would never be able to take that spot? It's okay. She knew.
"Understood, my lord."
The sound of his brush prevailed in the room, the slight crackles and grates gathering in the space of her ears.
"My lord," he didn't have to look up from what he was doing for Rin to know that he was paying attention, "would you happen to have any scrolls on how I should behave before the teacher arrives?"
Sesshomaru glanced at the shelf behind him and Rin got up from where she was sitting.
"Thank you, my lord."
"Hn."
She walked to the shelf behind him to look for the scroll.
"Rin."
"Yes, my lord?" She replied half distracted by the titles of the scrolls on the shelf she was looking at.
"You need not always address this Sesshomaru by title."
Rin flushed. He could hear the sound of her heart rate increasing within her chest.
"B-but, my lord. It w-"
He knew exactly why Rin had not addressed him by his given name recently but, just as she was about to continue, he could hear one of the servants arrive.
She slid open the door and bowed deeply, "Hello Master, my name is Michiko. I have been sent by the head lady to serve Rin-sama. It is a pleasure to meet both you and her."
She kept her forehead planted to the ground before she heard a sound from the lord and began to raise her head, keeping her eyes downcast.
Her mannerisms had Rin's attention the moment she had slid the door to the study open. First because of the timing and second because she had never been greeted in such a way before. Never had anyone bowed so deeply to her or addressed her as 'Rin-sama.' She wasn't quite sure how to respond but when Michiko came out from her deep bow, Rin noticed how her green eyes, that matched her shoulder length hair, quickly flashed up to look at her and then just as quickly return to the floor.
Sesshoaru whipped the area next to Michiko's head with the poison dripping out of a claw from his remaining arm.
Immediately the servant returned to her initial position, "M-master! I apologize! That will not happen again! P-please spare me!"
Minutely, he raised a claw, "I have no need for one who cannot comprehend manners."
"Wait!" Rin cried, louder than she originally intended before she lowered her voice, "My lord, please do not take her life. I too am new here and do not comprehend the manners of the palace. Please allow her some time to learn."
Sesshomaru held her gaze before wordlessly letting the poisoned whip dissolve and continued to finish what he was writing. The sound of his brush conquered the room for a few tense moments before it was set down.
"Servant."
"Y-yes, Master."
He stamped the finished document, carefully rolled it up, and placed it on the edge of the desk.
"Send this message to the top scholar and then prepare a bath with scent canceling oils."
Michiko could still feel her heart pounding in her chest, "Y-yes, Master."
Her damned curiosity had almost cost her life. She knew that she was never to raise her eyes in the presence of the master but she could not stop her eyes when she smelled his scent deeply ingrained in the human. She knew that he possessed a human since the human's early ages but she had not known that the human also acted as a rutting tool.
"Rin."
"Yes, my lord."
"Have the servant guide you to your room."
Her heart started to calm from the previous pace.
"Yes, my lord.
Still, had she really been saved by that human?
To be saved by a human her first day working at the Western Palace... What a disgrace. No matter, she would recompose herself later. For now, she had to leave the presence of the master as swiftly as possible. She raised her head slightly to bow lower in order to rise to gather the scroll as quietly as she could before she moved to the door and knelt on her knees, careful not to make any more mistakes.
"This way, Rin-sama."
She allowed the human to exit the room before she bowed deeply once again, sliding the door shut and rising to walk.
It was a pain that there were so many rules in the royal palace.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and, when she looked, she was greeted with a smile.
"It's very nice to meet you, Michiko."
Didn't this female know that she was human?
"Ah, am I not suppose to do this? I'm sorry, I don't quite know the rules of the palace yet. I'd be happy if you'd teach them to me."
It seemed that she didn't.
"Rin-sama, it is not proper for us to converse like this. Please follow me to your room as the master ordered."
She had to admit that the human female was actually quite pleasing to look at. She could understand why the master bedded her.
Rin's brows furrowed slightly but relaxed just as soon as they tensed as she followed the emerald eyed demoness to a stop in front of another door.
Michiko kneeled before sliding it open.
She bowed half as deep for Rin as she did for Sesshomaru as their ranks dictated.
"Here is your room, Rin-sama. Please wait here until I have your bath prepared."
Rin began walking into the large room before she turned around to look at her, "What about my lord's?"
How could this woman be so ignorant?
"The bath that Master ordered is for you."
Rin was about to speak as Michiko shifted directions of where she was kneeling in respect to the door, bowed, and slid the door shut, "The scent canceling oils are to rid you of his scent from inside you."