Rin felt much better after the surprise visit from Inukimi's puppy dog, and having Yuki return to fix her hair into a much looser fashion put her into a better mood. She did her best to keep it as she and Yuki tended to the make up on her face.
She had learned from Yuki that Inu-dog demons had very sensitive noses so she wanted to be considerate of her gracious hosts and honor the kind household servants that accepted her. She wasn't really happy about the white paint she was instructed to put on as a mask, but Sango had packed her unscented white face power instead to give a similar impression that would respect any demons with sharp noses. For her eyes she used simple black eye paint that she had made from crushed flower seeds that wouldn't damage her skin or leave any marks it was ever there.
Finally for her lips, she opened up an old clasped shell that Kagome and Inuyasha had given her before she left, it was a similar one that Inuyasha's mother had passed down to Kagome as a wedding present. Before Rin left Kagome wanted Rin to feel beautiful whenever she had doubts so she and Kaede sent Inuyasha to find a similar empty clam shell to clean out, then mixed together a similar potion of fresh berry juice, honey, and crushed sweet herbs into a powder that would melt as soon as it would hit her lips. As Rin carefully applied the balm onto her lips with her pinky finger, she fought back tears as the pleasant flavors reminded her of home.
Yuki seemed to sense her sadness so she gently smiled and held her hand to help close the clam shell, to her shock the little human lady launched herself into her arms to hug her. Having not been held by her own children and grandchildren in many years made the normally calm and collected maid's heart melt for her hopefully new mistress of the household. Observing her and helping care over the human lady gave her a sense of pride as Rin had been performing her role well even with less instruction.
Rin smiled up warmly to the maid before fixing herself to stand up straight and put on a more serious yet warm face, "Thank you, Yuki-san."
...
The young lord kept his countenance as his mother prattled on and on about all the eligible women he could choose from, but he had no choice but to choose in the end of the trials or else she would choose for him.
Yes, his mother would never change.
If he would have been the type, he would have sighed and rolled his eyes to the back of his head. But he wasn't, and now here he was suffering the same mysterious game treatment that his mother had designed. He was not allowed to interact with any of the ladies, but he was allowed to observe through the edge of the curtains to see if any pleased him. Not that he was hoping for it, the only reason he was trapped in this box of silk was because Yuki had grabbed him when he was vulnerable and trapped him in there before the curtains were covered with sacred human sutras to keep him from escaping. He would have no choice but to endure the dull façade in boredom.
He settled himself down sitting cross legged to get somewhat comfortable position before taking deep breaths to prepare his nose for the onslaught of strong odors filling the long hall.
Sesshomaru watched his mother's elegant shadow through the curtain stiffen at the intrusion of exotic perfumes and fragrant oils that many of the ladies doused on themselves. The scents were so strong he was sure that if he and his mother were lesser demons their eyes would have started to water. He even heard some of the ladies seating themselves start to cough behind their fans. Now he was thankful to be trapped behind the silk curtains.
His mother waited till all the ladies were situated in many rows down in front of her while she continued to sit higher then them on a dais next to the silk stall holding her son. The ladies, human and demoness, all bowed down respectfully towards her before she spoke.
"This Lady Inukimi welcomes you into her home and hopes that your stay be comfortable, you are aware why you are here with us today, so I shall be brief...I am searching for what I consider the perfect bride for my highly adequate son..."
Sesshomaru ignored his mother's welcoming words and instructions about what all the females would have to endure to seek his approval. Truthfully, it was more her approval over his own.
Why couldn't she just let him look for his own wife? Hunt her down to pay her father's bride-price and leave with her? Simple, but straight to the point!
He put a clawed hand over his nostrils to prepare himself from gaging as he used his other clawed hand to slightly part the curtain to at least look out over the females his mother had selected. From a brief glance before closing the curtain, he could tell there were more than thirty females in attendance! Where did his insane mother find them all? Was he even supposed to interact with them at all? He was never very good at being social to begin with since he was what his mother considered, shy and aloof but focused. If it was in battle or confrontation he could handle the formalities among men and women just fine, but this was something personal to him. These ladies were being selected to compete to become his wife!
Snorting in disdain that the idea of a group of females competing over a male to be ridiculous, he used a claw from one finger to carefully part a different side of the curtain to peek out where the corner of the room didn't smell has strong as the other side.
While most of the ladies looked like painted and dressed up toy dolls to him, a small figure in the farthest corner of the front looked different from the others. Instead of holding a colorful fan or shawl to hide her face she simply sat with a straight back and gave his mother her full attention with bright brown eyes.
Rin?
He's eyes widened a fraction at the young woman whom he had collided with earlier in his smaller dog form was now sitting only twelve feet away from him.
She too was wearing layers of red and white kimonos, he felt oddly pleased that she was wear the colors that represented his clan, probably unintentional but was enjoyable to see her wearing them.
The outer red and white kimono was covered with purple wisteria and a flowing white dragon with wide scaled wings and golden eyes. This was an old fashioned but traditional design, which meant she was wearing one that her own mother or ancestors wore on only special occasions. She was keeping with traditions over the latest fashions, interesting...
Her hair was halfway up her head with only three flowered combs made out of brass, red ribbon, and little pearls. It seemed very simple compared to the other females sitting in the room adorning themselves with several jewels and golden ribbons with elaborate hairstyles. Sesshomaru found himself more compelled to the neat and loose arrangement of the lady Rin possibly due to the fact that he had seen how truly long and silky her dark thick mane was in private. He regretted that the fumes in the room prevented him from getting another whiff of the sweet scent among her locks.
The dog demon continued on with his silent observation with great fascination. Her face didn't appear as ghostly white as the other ladies but it gave somewhat of the appearance. Her long lashes looked much longer with the black paint lining her outer lids to make them seem bigger. He then noticed that her lips were painted a deeper shade of red than the normal brighter shades his mother would wear. The darker paint made them look bigger and smoother from a distance.
His eyebrows lifted quickly at the sight of her quickly wetting her lower lip with her small pink tongue as if to calm herself. The erotic sight made him question what it would be like to taste what she had just tasted...sweet...savory...? What did that shade of paint taste of? Would have to ask her to wipe it off before he tried it...Halt!
Sesshomaru quickly drew back his claw and head away from the silk curtain as if it had burned him, what was the matter with him? He hadn't even been formally introduced to the young woman and already he was having carnal thoughts about her? She doesn't even know him or what he looks like!
Yet...
He put his head in his hands to shake the feelings that were rising in him away...ridiculous!
...
Rin quietly filed out with the rest of the ladies back to the silken stalls, she was ready to remove a few layers before her evening meal to finally stretch out her sore muscles and clean the powder and eye paint off her face.
A long nailed hand grabbed her wrist tightly to stop her walking, she looked up at the face of Lady Kagura, a wind demoness.
"Hello, little Rin, where are you going?"
Rin took a deep breath to calm herself before looking up at the lady taller than her with wicked red eyes, "I'm going to my tent to change, please pardon me."
She kept her voice firm, even though Kagura's grip was starting to hurt more, the demoness sneered and leaned over Rin to appear more intimidating.
"You should be outside these palace walls, running home to mommy to play with your cheap handmade toys-oh! Thant's right, your poor mommy got all gobbled up by wolf demons, didn't she?"
Rin's expression didn't change to Kagura's sneer, she knew and lived through her family's ordeal, but she was determined to not allow her fear of wolves get the best of her.
"My family's business is my own, Lady Kagura, please un-hand me and step out of my way."
Even though it hurt inside by what was said, Rin kept her emotions pent up by keeping her face and body calm. She noticed in the corner of her eye Kagura's sister Kana, and her other female followers, human and demon, surround them both during the conversation.
Quickly assessing her situation, she knew that Kagura was close to really hurting her physically instead of using words.
Quickly flattening her palm, she was able to slide her wrist out of Kagura's grip and quickly dash around her to pull Kagura's arm behind her back to pin her.
Kagura didn't have time to defend herself from the sudden movement of Rin as she groaned in pain by the pressure put on her arm, when she tried to use her fan to reach behind her to dislodge the girl holding her, Rin was able to use it to pin against her back as well.
The other ladies could do nothing since Rin was now behind Kagura using her as a human-shield, and any sudden movements could also cause Kagura more pain.
Rin used Kagura's body quickly to make a path through the circle of ladies to her own tent before releasing Kagura to bow to her, "Goodnight, Lady Kagura, let us not fight anymore, alright?"
Kagura sneered and rubbed her wrists, "The title of the west will be mine! Why a poor country girl who's lost her title have a chance?"
Rin's smile melted to become more serious, "I still have my title because I have supporters, it was earned later on as I grew up. If I am to have a title, I must live up to it for the sake of my friends and myself. As for this title of the west, the Lord Sesshomaru and his mother can make their own decisions for whom they deem is better suited. I have no desire to take Lady Inukimi's title as Lady of the West, I already have a family and friends waiting back home for me. Good Evening, Lady Kagura."
Bowing in respect she turned her heel and walked through a flap into her stall. The crowd of ladies who witnessed the display started to gossip behind their hands and fans as they too retired to the bath house or their own stalls. Kagura gritted her teeth in frustration and stomped away fuming.
Above them in one of the high towers, Lady Inukimi and Yuki smiled and shook their heads.
...
Sesshomaru sighed under his breath as he wandered down the hallways trying to gather his thoughts, why was he pining away for a female he had just met? And in a form that she considered cute, tame, friendly, and a little puppy of all things!
She would probably faint at the sight of him in real life, or probably become a different person around him. Or worse, she might see him in his true dog form and run away in fear as other humans have before.
Why should he have to go see her again? It was already inappropriate for him to barge into a lady's room without permission, and normally a male was supposed to summon a lady to his chambers if he wanted her company in his bed.
He stood to the side to thump his head against a wall, one of the guards passed by without asking questions out loud, but still gave him an odd glance.
Sesshomaru shook his head to clear his thoughts, why did thoughts of young Rin put him in uncomfortable thoughts he never had before?
Her carefree smile returned to his mind to laugh and smile at him before kissing the moon on his forehead again. As his mind dwelled on the feelings she invoked in him, he realized that he needed to see her again. He had to, even if it was only to find some answers to his thoughts of course.
He carefully crawled towards a large designed pot by the hall and scanned the area to see if anyone was watching him before transforming.
...
Rin sat down to play her lyre to keep the tears from running down her cheeks, she had removed her outer robes to cool off from the high temperatures and smells from the main hall where Lady Inukimi had given her welcoming address. She had listened to every word she said with full attention, but it made her feel all the more guilty for being there. Doesn't Inukimi realize that forcing a marriage on her son would make him even more upset with her?
The confrontation with Kagura had shaken her up quite a bit earlier in the day and while she may have appeared brave, the harsh words and actions of the wind sorcerous did make her hands tremble in private.
Clearing her mind with happier thoughts she sighed and stopped playing to take a wet washcloth to cleanse her face of the powder and eye makeup. She left the lip balm on because it kept her lips from drying, and its flavors reminded her of the simple comforts she had left in Endo.
Deciding that she should clear her mind of sad thoughts, she chose a book from her chest to take to her futon to recline and read. This one was one of her favorites; it was cheap book about fairy tales she had gotten from Kagome as a birthday present with a few drawn pictures the merchant's son had sketched for each chapter. She enjoyed this book because it always took her mind off her problems and allowed her to explore more in her mind. It contained tales of demons and humans living or fighting one another over love or revenge. It also contained terrifying battles between noble foes, and poetry depicting kind and gentle women to cherry blossoms.
As she sat down and drew her feet aside to bury her nose into the worn cover, she didn't hear someone sneaking through her curtained entrance.
…
Lord Sesshomaru found it irritatingly more difficult to find her quarters this time than before due to the evening activities of the females surrounding their tents to play games, practice their singing and dancing, argue loudly, or simply laugh over someone's misfortune.
It was truly vexing that even though these ladies had already changed their clothes for the evening, they had decided to add even more perfume to themselves; he was surprised that there wasn't a heavy fog swirling around them.
He took a deep breath before racing towards the row of stalls to gain enough speed before zooming past the (hopefully) unsuspecting females before they had a chance to see him. Near the tents, it was less putrid in the air, but he still felt the urge to throw up. However, he couldn't risk being found.
Putting his nose to the ground he remained still and focused till he found the right scent he was looking for, Lady Rin's tent was at the end of the line by the east entrance into the castle.
Gathering himself to make another sprint of demonic speed, he was suddenly stopped in his tracks by a clawed hand grabbing him by the scruff of his neck to lift him off the ground.
He snarled and turned his head to bite at the opponent who'd dare lay a hand on him in such a manner.
It was Kagura, the wind demoness from before, and she was smiling in a crooked evil way,
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? You must have some kind of death wish if you think that coming here to play around was a smart idea puppy."
Sesshomaru continued to growl his annoyance at the female, tempted to transform, but knew the consequences for his actions would lead to even bigger problems. The other difficulty he had was the heavy disgusting smells of the perfume she was wearing was so strong it was causing his puppy nose to bleed a bit, and the long nails digging into his neck was becoming more painful.
When Kagura turned her head to call out to her sister to show what she had discovered, Sesshomaru quickly took his small claws and scratched at her other wrist holding her fan. Howling in pain she dropped both him and the fan as she clutched her wrist to fight the pain.
Lord Sesshomaru sought his escape quickly while she was preoccupied getting pity from her sister and followers.
Quickly he ducked behind a silk curtain that smelled familiar and found that the appearance and soft smells of lady Rin were a sight for sore eyes. She hadn't even heard him enter the room because she was engrossed in the book she was reading.
Sesshomaru had never seen a female look so interested in what was written in a book or scroll before. His own mother and her lady friends always had someone else read to them so it wouldn't strain their eyes in boredom. Seeing a excitement and invested look in Rin's deep brown eyes made him curious as to what was bringing her pleasure. She even gave a smile and short giggle to what she was reading before turning a page. What was holding her attention for such an extent?
As he walked closer to her, he began to realize that she wasn't wearing as many layers as before and wasn't sitting in the normal proper position as she had earlier. She was wearing only two layers of white and purple kimono that had pink petals along the edge of the sleeves and bottom, she had removed her sandals by the futon to lean sideways against a few of the cushions provided. Her head was resting sideways supported by her hand while the other one turned the pages.
This odd way of lying down gave him a better view of her figure and noticed that he found her very pleasing with lush curves and a flat stomach. Her legs were still covered by the robes, but seeing them stretched out gave him the impression that she may have been taller than she looked.
Her hair was still halfway up her head only without the ordainments, he was slightly disappointed by this since he was hoping to find it down and flowing over her shoulders and back like before. Oh well, at least she smelled and looked…nice, clean,….and lovely.
He walked on all fours towards the young lady and sat before her to wait for her to acknowledge him with attention. When she didn't for a few minutes he became a bit frustrated so he used his little paw to push the book forward so she would see him.
Her surprise and smile were welcoming, but it quickly turned into a confused frown a second later much to his irriatation.
"Oh! Puppy, your bleeding boy! You nose and neck are covered, you poor thing!"
Snorting his nose a little, he realized that while he was in a rush to find her, he had forgotten that he was even bleeding to begin with. It made him disappointed in himself that he was not making the lady smile as she was earlier.
Rin had set the book down on the cushions and quickly slipped on her sandals to rush to her chest,
"Wait there boy, I'll get something that will stop the bleeding!"
Sesshomaru felt urged to transform and tell her that she needn't worry since it took a day for powerful demons to fully heal from wounds and scars, but he couldn't take the risk in fear of both of their reputations.
He was surprised that she had returned to him quickly with a leather draw-string back and a wet cloth.
"Hold still boy, please, I need to clean the wounds first…"
Sesshomaru had never let anyone touch him to heal unless it was truly necessary, and it was usually by a male demon doctor positioned at the castle for the royal family. He wasn't too sure about having the lady care for him since the ladies he had met over the years never got their hands dirty.
However, Rin was determined and insistent, "I'll be gentle boy, don't worry, now come here…"
Sesshomaru, encouraged by the gentle coaxing from the beautiful lady walked slowly towards her till she carefully picked him up to settle on her lap and clean around his nostrils.
To keep him distracted she decided to talk to him as she cleaned his wounds,
"Aaawww, I'm so sorry boy. Who could have done such a thing to you? Who would pick on such a fine dog like you? There now, almost done, I'll get the fur on your neck next. My guardian, the elder miko Kaede, taught me how to use herbs and plants for medicine and skin care. I keep these herbs with me all the time to help heal wounds and scratches. Don't worry, it won't sting, there you go…"
Sesshomaru once again was amazed and relaxed in lady Rin's presence as her gentle hands cared for him and her sweet voice seemed to sooth all of his troubles and stress from his mind. He found himself leaning his small head into her arm to take in her scent, he found that it calmed him very quickly and cleared his head from the other overwhelming smells he experienced all day.
Rin finished cleaning the wounds and spreading an herbal paste onto the holes in his neck between his furs.
"There, feel better now boy?" Rin started scratching behind his ears again, causing Sesshomaru to sigh and kick his hind leg again in enjoyment. Rin giggled to his added delight as she continued to scratch him as she carried him back to her futon to sit down.
Lord Sesshomaru was a bit hesitant at first when she had first set him on her lap as she sat on her bed, feeling nervous that he was sharing a futon with a female for the first time, but he relaxed as she continued to pet him. He remembered that he was still a dog, and that is what lady Rin saw him as. For some reason, this made him feel somewhat sad, possibly because he didn't know when or if he would ever show her who he truly was. As she quietly smoothed a gentle hand down his back, avoiding his wounds, he found himself unable to resist lying down with her on the futon as she sat back to relax herself.
Sensing her relaxation, with continuous light petting, he found himself enjoying the silence better than he had ever had when he was alone. He usually avoided others to find peace and quiet to meditate or relax his body from weapons training, and it was difficult to find that peace over the years hence why he would transform into a puppy to hid better from his mother and the servants.
Turning his head, he gazed at the beautiful maiden stroking him with a sweet smile on her face as if she too was in agreement that they were enjoying one another's company.
"Feel better, boy?" Her soft response asked him, causing his head to slightly nod and nuzzle her leg making her giggle.
"You're so handsome you know that?" She sighed as she switched hands to continue the petting while giving her hand a rest.
She sighed, "I wish I learned how to speak Inu, then I could understand what you want to be called. The name Fluffy is cute, but you seem more dignified then that…I'll ask Yuki the next time she's here, alright?"
Sesshomaru sighed to answer her, feeling more content to listen to her speak instead of him responding, man or beast.
When a new smell came towards the tent's entrance, Sesshomaru opened one eye to lightly growl as Yuki walked in with a covered wooden tray of her lady's evening meal.
Her eyes widened at the sight of her lord lying down next to lady Rin, whom was lightly petting him with a kind smile, and resting his head directly on her lap with a paw resting on her leg.
Sesshomaru glared at Yuki in warning as Rin smiled as she sat up none the wiser, "Yuki-san, look who's come back. Oh, please tell me what he is saying, please?"
As snapping out of her revelry, which was along the lines of scolding the young lord on entering and using a fine lady's room as a hiding place, she smiled kindly instead at the enthusiastic lady.
"Eat your dinner first, Rin-san, and I'll inquire what name, Fluffy, would rather you call him."
Rin gently eased the puppy's head to the side so she could kneel saesan style as she uncovered her miso soup, rice bowl, and a couple of plates of filleted fish and vegetables. Next to her food was a small pot of tea with a few slices of fruit.
Not wanting to lose his now new favorite place to rest his head, Sesshomaru silently climbed off the futon to rest his head on the side of Rin's lap again as she ate from her tray.
Giggling, Rin smiled down at the cute puppy as she gave him a quick pat on the head before softly clapping her hands to give her thanks for the meal.
Taking her chopsticks she started with her soup as Yuki poured her a cup of tea.
Sesshomaru opened one eye to look up to see Yuki giving him a knowing sideways look before Rin spoke to her.
"Yuki, could you please ask, Fluffy, what he wishes me to call him, please?"
Yuki bowed her head before sitting off to the side of the table to fully look at lord Sesshomaru, "as you wish, Rin-san."
Sesshomaru, not wanting to move his head from the soft comfortable lap, opened his eyes to growl and softly bark at Yuki.
"(Growls) What tell lady?"
She responded as Rin watched with rapt attention, "(yips and growls)…use name, tell lady the Truth!"
He responded, "(snarls) Not yet! Soon!"
Rin quiets his snarls by gently rubbing his ears, it seemed to calm him as Yuki continued to bark at him.
"Please, be kind to lady, milord. Innocent, pure, must tell her, soon!"
"Fine, tell lady, Maru, part my name…" Sesshomaru gave a small whine when in stopped petting him for a few seconds, but stopped when Rin raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"One mustn't interrupt a delicious meal when it has started, boy, I'll give you more when I am done, I promise."
Her gentle answer and warm smile won over the irritated lord as he once again settled his head on her lap again, nuzzling her leg until he was comfortable enough to shut his eyes.
Yuki gave him a look before turning to the smiling Rin, "He says he prefers to be called Maru, not Fluffy…"
Rin's brows drew together, "almost sounds like the lord's name, I wonder why he prefers I call him that?"
Yuki shifted herself until she was sitting in front of the tray to pour more tea, "He also says he will soon let you know why…"
Rin looked down at the puppy resting on her lap and shook her head, "Sounds funny, but I'll respect your wishes, Maru-kun."
Sesshomaru in turn moaned and stretched his hind leg a bit before settling himself in deeper in her lap, relieved that he was back in her good graces as she continued her dinner.
"Yuki, why is it you sit around but never share a meal with me?"
Yuki patiently answered the young lady, "I'm here to serve you, Rin-san, even if it is in private I must be the one who serves but not join, if I am to join I still cannot eat. It would be considered most rude."
Rin lowered her head a bit to look down at the last remains of her soup, "I see, but what about sharing the pot of tea with me when I am done? It'll be in private, and I do want to sit and drink with you as a friend."
Yuki and Sesshomaru looked up at young Rin with wide eyes, this lady was very different from what they were used to in past formalities.
Yuki looked to Sesshomaru for silent advice for the next course of action, she was a maid and somewhat advisor to the girl, but didn't mean that she could disobey her if it became an order. And she was tired of always taking her tea alone since her own family and extended family moved away.
Sesshomaru saw the glittering innocent glow radiating from Rin's eyes that gave her the hopeful look on her face, searching his memories he couldn't find any reason about enjoying tea in private.
Giving Yuki a firm nod as his own silent command to please the lady, Yuki's expression brightened at the sentimental thought and knowledge that her lord would do anything to please Rin.
"I shall return with another cup then," She stood gracefully to exit the entrance of the tent, smiling softy as she walked towards the kitchens.
Milady…
...
Rin rose the next morning feeling more rested than she had ever felt since her first night in the palace, she felt much better enjoying a quiet evening of tea discussions with Yuki and the puppy Maru sitting on her lap. She felt more confident now knowing that there were others nearby that cared, she wasn't sure what else Lady Inukimi was planning for the ladies to do to marry her son. However, Rin wasn't truly interested in earning the favor of the lord's mother if she has never met the son to begin with. She knew coming to the palace was the right thing to do for the sake of the village, even if the palace was starting to feel like a second home. She wanted to still do her best to be polite as well as courteous to her hosts, and she always enjoyed making new friends.
She smiled at the memory of last night when Yuki had to literally pry the puppy Maru from her lap last night, promising that he could visit her later if her behaved himself. He didn't stop whining till she reassured him that she looked forward to seeing him again and gave a quick peck on his head like she usually did. His eyes always widened whenever she did it, and she wondered why, maybe he found it strange that she did that when dog's lick each other.
Rin laughed at the thought as she dressed for the day, she would never lick a dog (or any animal) even if someone dared her to do it.
As soon as Yuki came in with the breakfast tray, she quickly explained what she was to expect that day.
…
The first task that the ladies were required to do was to each sit and serve tea with the Lady Mother to answer more questions and test them for their knowledge. Sesshomaru recognized the wisdom behind why such interviews could be conducted by his mother to find someone who was worthy enough to take her title as Lady of the West, but did he have to be there to listen for hours on end?!
If there was a new annoying hatred that he hoped he could destroy, it would be to never listen to chatting ladies sitting around having tea for what felt like an eternity. And many of the subjects brought on by these ladies weren't fully answering his mother's questions anyway, they were selfish creatures whom had been brought up to become vain and greedy for attention. Many of their answers and questions made his body and mind wince a few times as if someone stronger than him had punched him into the gut, pausing pain to spread all over his midsection.
"...why should I worry about running the household, that's what servants get paid to do yes?"
"I noticed that you do surround yourself with a guard, what is the point in breaking a nail learning to defend myself?"
"...the humans of the west should be our slaves, haven't we already earned that right?!"
"..I-I'm sorry, please repeat the question? Why would I need to travel outside my new home to help settle matters with...locals...?"
"I was raised to be a lady of fine breeding, not a maid..."
"If I'm too busy running a household, why should I worry about the people outside of the castle walls? Isn't it the lord's job?"
"Trust me, milady, you don't have to worry about there being more than enough heirs in the next couple hundred years...I'll be...encouraging to your son."
Did anyone not yet realize that he was sitting not too far away from them?
He sighed as the twenty third one left, even the human smells were giving him a headache. He was contemplating an escape plan when the familiar scent entered the room, stopping his breath.
He leaned over to the hole in the curtain eagerly to find lady Rin formally entering the room with three required bows before she was invited to the table to join his mother.
His heart started pounding with hope that she would impress his mother so she wouldn't be dismissed, he wouldn't know what to do if he endured these painful proceedings alone.
Rin was now wearing layers of deep purple kimonos with a light blue obi with only a pearled flower and ribbon in her hair. No makeup adorned her face since it was an informal tea, and her hair was in multiple braids behind her neck ending with a small bun on her head where the flower lay. She was the perfect picture his weary eyes needed.
He found himself pushing his nose closer to the curtain to get any whiffs of her sweet scent that he could, not caring that his mother could hear him.
...
Inukimi continued to wear her stoic mask as she poured the tea into the new awaiting cups before her, "Tell me about yourself, my dear child."
Rin took a deep breath before answering, "I would rather hear about my gracious hostess whom has made my stay very comfortable and pleasant. I am aware that you know all about me and my history when you questioned my friends and guardian."
The dog demoness gave a knowing smile,
"Hhhhmmm, you do realize that you are the only young lady today who has inquired of myself even being a hostess or has even given me a compliment that was honest and sincere...after living for so very long it is, refreshing, to not have to spend the afternoon dealing with liers and selfish beings whom think they can hid things from me just because I am older."
Rin's eyes widened, "I-I'm very relieved that you still harbor kind thoughts towards me, milady. May I ask you a question?"
The lady dog demoness' eyebrow rose a bit, "yes?"
Rin licked her bottom lip in thought before looking straight into the eyes of the lady whom was taller than her, "What is the main purpose of this test?"
...
Ok, sorry this started out as a one-shot, but it just got longer and longer in my head, I would have to change the status and the title soon, or put it all into one chapter when it is finally finished...
