Chapter 7
Homecoming
Jaken glared daggers at the sleeping human. The situation he was now facing went beyond the ridiculous in his humble opinion. It was one thing to decided to fuck the wench but entirely another when he decided to give her an official title. At first, he had found the whole thing amusing. It had been so easy to taunt Rin into tears and had been delighted at how a few well chosen words to a girl who knew next to nothing about her current situation, could so quickly tramp down her ever jubilant, ever annoying spirit.
Had things remained as he thought they would, Sesshoumaru taking her to his bed occasionally, he eventually would have grown bored with the cruel but oh so amusing game. But things did not remain the same. Not more than two weeks after his lord made the rather unusual decision to bed her, he sent Jaken out ahead of the troupe and back to the fortress. They had delayed their return in order to give Jaken to necessary time to arrange rooms and acquire cloths, gifts and everything else that went along with being given the title of...he hated to even think the word...concubine.
She was to be, or already was in all intents and purposes, the most personal of servants a lord could ever take. Before she had just been a do nothing ward, without any title or position to speak of but now...she was above him! Jaken was now, in the scheme of servant status, below the lowly little human that slept peacefully only a few feet away. And now, he was to escort her back to the fortress, to where Sesshoumaru waited, and present her with all the material things that she now had a right to. To say that he was upset would have been an understatement. His jealousy of her had always been just below the surface, tempered by times when she had been almost bearable but now... He hated what had happened, he hated his lord's decision and most of all...
he
hated
her.
Rin slowly woke to the warm sun hitting her face and a soft fur below her. She opened her eyes and was actually disappointed to not find her lord near her. Not that she expected him to stay with her; he was always up and gone before anyone else in the camp awoke but the idea of him there would have been nice. Instead, she glanced around her surroundings only to find the rather aggravated face of none other but Jaken.
"We're leaving." He declared the moment he saw her wake. He had been instructed not to leave until she woke up on her own and though he found it ridiculous, he complied with his orders.
Rin sat up and stretched languidly, realizing that she had been re-clothed while she slept. She watched for a moment as Jaken finished packing the last of their gear onto the waiting Ahun. The moment Rin stood, Jaken snatched up the fur that his lord customarily wore and that Rin had slept on that night. Jaken crinkled up his nose at the heave smell of sex that clung to the irreplaceable relic. I would have to be thoroughly cleaned now.
"Where is Lord Sesshoumaru?" A still slightly groggy Rin asked the still obviously aggravated imp.
"You suddenly have the need to know such things!" He instantly snapped at her.
Rin looked stunned by the tone of his voice. "No…I just…"
"You just think that the world revolves around you suddenly do you?" He had stopped packing and was now facing her, his little fists clenching as he spoke.
Rin didn't know how to respond to the unexpected venom in his voice or the stinging words he barked at her. Their relationship had never been close and could never even be considered friendly but rarely had he ever taken on a tone as acidic as this.
"I don't think that Jaken. I was just curious." She said as forcefully as she could, hoping that perhaps he would drop the issue and they could get a move on.
"Just curious eh? Well it is none of your business where our lord goes or why or for what. Your place is on your back with your legs spread and no more." He turned and finished tying down their equipment, effectively ending the conversation. He muttered something about whores that overstepped their bounds but said nothing else to her as he had no desire to debate anything with her, certainly not anything having to do with the lord whom he didn't understand or agree with at the moment.
The words hit her like a sharp gust of wind that knocked the breath out of her. She just stood there, not even noticing the tears that were already spilling out of her eyes.
It didn't take long for the scent of her tears to reach Jaken's sharp senses.
He smiled.
Perhaps their lord had surreptitiously placed this human's status above his most trusted servant's but that didn't mean that Jaken had to treat her like she was. He knew both his master and Rin far too well. After all, he knew full well that Rin had not told their lord of the first things he'd said to her. Ever since Rin was a youngling, she had learned only to say a choice few words to her lord and those were usually relayed through Jaken himself. The same was true of Lord Sesshoumaru. He had entrusted Jaken with her upbringing and care. Anything that he saw needed to be done concerning his ward was normally dealt with through his trusted servant. Rin would no sooner tell her lord of his cruel words toward her than she would question their patrols. In general, she was too trusting. Though his words hurt her, she would not only believe that they were true but she would also undoubtedly blame herself for the negative feelings she suffered because of them.
He finished up with the chore of packing with a little more gusto that he originally started with and pulled on the reigns of Ahun.
"We're leaving." He stated simply.
Rin followed dutifully and didn't say a word. She wiped away the tears that fell and tried not to let his words bother her. Everything he said was true after all, if she had said no to Sesshoumaru-sama, he would not have allowed her to stay. She sighed heavily and tried to regain the feeling she'd had when she first woke, before Jaken opened his mouth and made her feel the way she did now.
The trio of travelers arrived back at the fortress of the Lord of the Western Lands just after midday. Neither imp nor human said a single word to each other the entire time. Rin actually would have preferred if Jaken had said something negative about her humanity. It would have broken the almost painful silence between the two. She had never been happier in her life to see the familiar gates of the place she'd called home ever since she was a little girl. Soon she could just go to her own room, which was filled with her own things and just forget all the turmoil she now felt.
The moment they stepped through the gates, Jaken noticed that Rin began immediately stepping up her pace in the direction of her old quarters. He let out an indignant huff at her presumption that she could leave and barked at her retreating form.
"Rin!" She stopped in her tracks; he could already sense her apprehension increase ten fold. "Don't just run off, Lord Sesshoumaru wishes to speak with you in the east garden." He saw the young woman sigh and then begin moving decidedly slower towards the garden that he had indicated.
He glared at her back; indignant about what he knew was about to happen. With that he trotted off to find Sesshoumaru and inform him of their arrival back at the fortress.
Rin stood quietly by one of the gardens most beautiful trees. It was a cherry tree and this spring it was not shy about its thousands of spectacular pink blossoms. It was her favorite tree and thus her favorite garden but this year it didn't fill her with her usual joy at seeing it. Instead, she simply stared at it, not appreciating the majestic scene it once again proudly displayed. She watched as a single blossom was ripped from its cozy perch among its brethren to fall quietly and gracefully into the small pool of crystal clear water that accompanied its base.
Rin kneeled at the waters edge and contemplated the life of that little flower. She wondered if it liked leaving everything it'd ever known or if it was sad now in its new realm on the water's surface. She smiled slightly; she hoped it was happy because if it could be then maybe she could as well. Her fingertips gently broke the surface of the pond and the little ripples made the blossom dance and twirl. "Please be happy little flower." She whispered.
Sesshoumaru's usually stoic facade was once again marred by a slight crease in his brow. Rin was again out of sorts and once more, he couldn't fathom the reason why. Usually returning back to the fortress, especially in spring, brought out the natural jubilation of his ward but it didn't seem to be having that particular effect on her today, even in the presence of what he knew was her favorite garden. She had fallen asleep contentedly enough the night before, thus he assumed that her previous melancholy stemmed from the `training' and nothing more. But now... He looked at the delicate object he held in his hand; whatever it was she was currently feeling would be remedied soon enough.
"Rin." He spoke as he normally would.
The woman quickly stood and spun around, not having realized that she was no longer alone. She looked at the youkai that had just spoken her name. He wore the same kimono that he always did but his armor and weaponry were absent. A practice that was not unusual within his own grounds. Only a fool would ever attack him and only an insane one would do it within the confines of his home.
"Come." He said, promptly turning and headed for another part of the grounds. He was anxious to change her mood and his as well for that matter.
Rin snapped back to herself and caught up with her lord who was already headed off for some unknown destination. Once she caught up with him, she fell in step behind him and dutifully followed to wherever it was he wanted to take her. It didn't take long before Sesshoumaru led them inside his private chambers. Rin had only ventured here once before when she was young and prone to escaping the supervision of Jaken or anyone else assigned to watch her. It was the only time in her life that Sesshoumaru had reprimanded her for her actions. Though he hadn't yelled or struck her, she'd wish then that he had. He had bathed his chastisement in one of his more icy tones and though she'd heard it before, it had never been directed at her until that day. It had genuinely scared her and as a result, she was now hesitant to follow him inside.
"It is alright Rin; you have been invited this time." The youkai in front of her had accurately guessed the reason for her hesitation without even turning around. For Rin, that was all it took and she once again stepped up her pace.
They came to a stop outside of a door she had never even seen before. She was surprised when Sesshoumaru gestured to the entrance, indicating she should enter first. She lightly set her palm against the frame of the screen but hesitated. Again, she reigned herself in and gained the courage to slide it open. Her breath caught in her throat when she gazed at the spectacular interior.
It was a bedroom, of that she was sure since the impossibly large futon in the center of the room immediately gave it away. The rest of the room was covered in finery that not even the other portions of the castle contained. The floors were lined in the softest looking white furs. Red and white delicately painted silks were draped across the exterior of the room like walls of rippling water. There were massive wardrobes at the back of the room that stood open and inside she could see at least two dozen extravagant kimono hung up and twice as many boxes on higher shelves that she could only imagine contained more of the same. Between the massive wardrobes, stood an almost grotesquely large vanity that was covered in dozens of jars of all shapes and sizes, what they contained, she could only guess at. Finally, setting on the flat surface of the vanity, amongst all the jars, were several intricate and stunningly beautiful sets of jewelry. She had never seen such finery, never even imagined it.
Rin was startled out of her observation by a set of white hands that placed possibly the most beautiful necklace of all around her neck. She looked down at it and was nearly blinded by the sparkle of hundreds of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. At that moment, she was positive that nothing had ever been created that was more stunningly beautiful. She turned to stare up with wide doe eyes at the almost smug expression of her lord. Her stunned expression quickly turned to that of confusion as she quickly looked back at the necklace she now wore, to the extravagant room and back to the golden eyes of her lord.
"I don't understand." She finally managed to say.
He smiled at the wonder and confusion playing over her face, happy that his assumption had been correct. Her previous sour mood was gone, replaced by exactly what he'd hoped she'd feel.
"This is all yours now." He stated simply, as though he had explained everything, knowing full well that he had not.
Rin now looked even more confused than before. Why would she be given all of this?
"But why?"
"Because my concubine will be given no less than the best."
`Concubine?' she thought in her head but was unable to voice the mental question as Sesshoumaru leaned down lightly nipped at her still confusion pursed lips. She opened her mouth in surprise at the unexpected move and he wasted no time in deepening the contact to something more carnal.
"Should we make sure this bed is fit for you?" He said once he pulled away from her very satisfying lips. Rin's eyes darted to the large centerpiece of the room and again wasn't given a chance to speak or answer. Her small form was easily lifted off the floor and into the arms of the creature that was confusing the hell out of her right now. He deposited her on the bed to immediately begin the process ravishing her small but utterly inviting body.
Rin stared up at the ceiling at the large fresco of a massive, red-eyed dog running amongst the clouds. She would have continued to gaze at it had a certain inu taiyoukai not suddenly latched his mouth at that very sensitive spot right between her legs.
XxX
Klrob: I'm so happy that you do! It is a bit of a perverted story but I'm trying to throw a bit of plot into it so that it's not entirely salacious. Yeah, Jaken is the character that I made ooc because I really needed an antagonist. I'm glad you like it despite destroying his character. I will try.
NewtypeJuliet: ROFL! It used to be over on that site many years ago. I pulled it recently because I decided that I wanted to consolidate all of my fan fiction to this site. I'm glad you have been able to find it again! Yeah, you have to wait but at least you know it's already completed so you don't have to worry about an abandoned story.
Caffiend04: I'M BACK! I missed you too! I do try. I wanted to update in each of my stories, keep it fair for all my readers but since you read them all, you got triple the benefit of my return. Yeah, Jaken is a dick… more on that later. She enjoys the simple things in life and I can't wait to show you her display.
icegirljenni: They will definitely grow as they come to understand eachother better in the new roles they have between one another. Yeah, any big change in life will be accompanied by insecurities and for Rin, Jaken is not helping at all with her transition. Thank you!
Zaraki-lover 21: No Jaken for that chapter but he's never too far away, unfortunately for Rin. You're welcome!
Deadman19: Thank you. I'm a shameless lemon writer, I just can't help myself. Sess isn't a cold creature, he's just incredibly reserved and careful about how and if he shows his inner feelings to others. At least that's how I see him.
