Chapter 10

-Sesshomaru's POV-

I watched as Rin and Inuyasha ran into the castle gates and into the garden, my hand still placed against my cheek. I was still very deep in thought, my gaze placed on the ground as I walked. My cheek still felt the warmth of the young girl's lips even after the long walk back to the castle... Ive never felt this way before about a mere kiss to the cheek even with Yumiko... What was this feeling?

"Be careful you two, Inuyasha you know how dangerous it is to get careless out here." I could hear my mother begin to lecture them both as they ran and played in the garden.

I walked inside the gates of the garden, looking over at my mother, my hand still absently placed against my cheek. Mother looked over at me with a concerned look and began to make her way over towards me.

"Sesshomaru..." She said taking my hand and trying to move it away from my face. "What's the matter? Did you injure yourself while you were out?" She took my hand from my face but didn't see any sort of flesh wound so she gently smelled my cheek, pulling away to look over at Inuyasha and Rin while they seemed to be having a game of hide and seek. "Sesshomaru... Aren't you happy you are going to be married soon? Start a family of your own with Yumiko?"

I glanced over at my mother and gave her a questioning look, why would she ask me such a thing? "I suppose."

Mother just looked up at me and placed her hand against my cheek, a concerned look lacing her eyes as she bit down on her lower lip. "Well Yumiko is here to see you, I'll go get her." Mother took her hand off of my cheek and began to leave the garden.

Yumiko has returned already? She had just left this morning to go see what her father wanted of her. Usually she wouldn't be done until the next day and she'd signal for me to come get her. I wonder why she has come back so suddenly.

I walked over to the large cherry blossom tree in the center of the garden and stood under it, it's shade seeming to supply a cool breeze. Within moment I spotted Yumiko entering the garden, but mother was no where in sight, usually she liked Yumiko's company and would join us whenever we were together.

"My love." Yumiko said softly as she came to me, her long silvery hair beginning to float in the air as she walked under the cherry blossom tree with me. She came closer to me, taking my arm into hers as she held onto it; almost possessively as we both watched Inuyasha and Rin play in the garden.

"What made you come back so early?" I asked Yumiko, my gaze not leaving Rin as she hid behind a white rose bush while Inuyasha folded his arms over an apple tree and buried his face in them, counting down until he had to search for Rin.

Yumiko began to circle her claw over my chest with an attempt to be seductive, "Well is it so wrong of me to miss my mate so bad to want to hurry back to be with him?"

I ripped my gaze away from Rin and looked down at her, giving her a small smile, "I suppose that it isn't wrong at all."

Yumiko smiled happily, "I thought so..." She whispered softly, going to kiss my cheek but she stopped with a small growl under her breath.

I looked down at her, giving her a curious look until I heard my father calling out my name. I looked up at the entrance of the castle to see my father; he was waiting for me to come to him. He must have wanted to have a word with me. "I'll be back." I said softly, giving her a kiss to the temple before making my way over to my father.

-Yumiko's POV-

I wasn't going to come back to Sesshomaru today... Until his mother sent off to find me, telling me something was seriously wrong with her son and I had to tend to him. This family was seriously needy... I couldn't wait to rid the world of them. But now, I could see why his mother was so concerned. When I went to kiss Sesshomaru's cheek I smelled her... I smelled that new slave girl of his there on his skin. She had no business touching what I had already claimed as mine. I walked over towards the girl as she began to count on the apple tree Sesshomaru's bastard son was at previously. I will teach her here and now, I will teach her to think twice before trying to take what is mine.

-Sesshomaru's POV-

"Sesshomaru." Father said as I made my way up the steps towards him, "It is in your mother's interest that we talk."

"Talk? About what?" I asked, glancing around to see if mother was near to ask what this is all about.

Father placed his hand on my back and began to lead me off within the castle so we could talk privately. "Your mother tells me you have taken an interest in that slave girl you purchased a little while ago."

I sighed a bit and closed my eyes, allowing father to continue to lead me, "She has? Well... And if I have?"

Father stopped, took his hand off my back and began to step out in front of me. "Sesshomaru, I should be the last person to lecture you on this topic but I think this should be said. Mating a human never works out in the end, and you only end up hurting the ones closest to you when it is over. Humans only live for a moment, a blink of an eye for us demons, are you really ready to deal with the heart ache that comes with a mortal love?"

I thought about what father said... and he was right. If I were to drop everyone and everything for this human girl, I would only have at least forty or fifty happy years with her. After that short time spand I will have no one. Mother will never forgive me if I let Yumiko go and father will turn his back on me just so mother would be pleased. Yumiko, I would think she would want to end us both; her rage is something I have seen and don't wish to take on first hand.

"I understand..." I said after a moment, looking up at father.

Father smiled and gave me a pat on the back, "You're smart Sesshomaru, and you always know what's best."

-Rin's POV-

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and quickly stopped my counting. I turned around to see Master Sesshomaru's mate staring down at me, her cold amber eyes glaring daggers of hatred at me. If looks could kill, I'd die a thousand painful deaths.

"My... Aren't you a pretty little thing." Yumiko said as a small false smile began to spread across her face, "Well I'm just sure many men would make complete fools of themselves just in your presence."

I merely looked up at her, what was she talking about? Why was she looking at me with so much hate and distaste in her eyes?

"But you should really learn your place, and remember not to touch things that are not yours." Yumiko said with a small giggle.

I let out a sharp shriek of surprise and pain when Yumiko's hand struck me across the face. Her claws had gotten caught in the blow, leaving three bleeding scratch marks on my face. My gaze wandered off as Yumiko stood over me smiling, actually taking pleasure in what she had just done to me, I saw Inuyasha and he was shuddering and keeping himself hidden behind a tree as he glanced over at us. It was clear he himself has gone through the same thing with this woman and was too frightened to even come and see if I was okay. I glanced back up at Yumiko and she tilted her head curiously at me.

"Oh? You're so very bold for a slave. Who gave you permission to look at me?" She placed her clean white shoe on my cheek and shoved my face down into the dirt.

'"Master Sesshomaru..." I found myself calling out before I could even stop it, tears running down my sore swollen cheek.

Yumiko let out another small giggle and began to grind her shoe on my cheek, burring my face more into the ground. "You're going to tell on me? How cute. You think Sesshomaru would take the word of a lowly slave girl over the word of his wife to be?" Yumiko giggled even more, enjoying the situation more than she should. She was right... This happened so many times before. I would tell the truth while the accuser told a lie and I would always be the one to get punished for lying to my master. I closed my eyes tight, trying to make the flow of tears stop... But it didn't work. Yumiko lifted her foot off my cheek suddenly and began to make her way back over towards the cherry blossom tree, a small smirk on her face.

"Rin!" Inuyasha called out as he began to run over towards me.

I rose up off the ground shakily and looked over at Inuyasha as he dropped to his knees at my side and reached out to touch my face.

"Inuyasha!" Both me and Inuyasha cringed as we heard the anger of Master Sesshomaru's voice and turned to actually see the enraged look on his face as he made his way towards us.

"Oh Sesshomaru!" Yumiko said as though she were almost on the brink of tears as she rushed to Master Sesshomaru's side. "Inuyasha started to play too rough with the girl, I told him to stop but he just wouldn't listen to me. I didn't know what to do; he is such a problem child."

"What?!" Inuyasha shouted out and stood to his feet quickly, wanting to clear his name. "Father I-!"

"Enough!" Master Sesshomaru said above Inuyasha, looking at the boy with disappointment, "Go to your room, I will deal with you later."

Inuyasha was speechless as he stared up at his father, tears starting to spill from his eyes. He closed his eyes tight and began to run off to his room, not wanting to give Yumiko the pleasure of seeing him cry.

I bit down on my lower lip hard and turned my gaze to the ground... How could she do this, why would she? I glanced up at them both and saw Yumiko smirk down at me, telling me with her eyes that this was only just the beginning as she nuzzled up against Master Sesshomaru's arm.