AN: Sooo, I had another spark of inspiration. Here's another chapter, many thanks for the reviews! ^_^
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Tsukasa gazed at the young immortal girl through the spread of his thick silvery lashes. Watching how she stifled another jaw breaking yawn by taking a delicate bite of her fish.
"Rin- san" came Botan's delicate voice. Rin looked up from her daze, to see that the demoness had rose
"I would like your help in the kitchen, I fear that the crockery will be to heavy for me to carry."
Rin rose "Of course Botan- san, it would be my pleasure" she said with a small smile. Tsukasa traded a look with Sesshoumaru who was sipping his miso soup as if nothing was wrong. Actaully from the mildly dark circles under his eyes, he to was stifling back exhaustion.
The two women left together, and when the door had shut Tsukasa put down his bowl of barely cooked beef and said "You pushed her to much last night Sesshy- chan"
The Lord of the Western Lands glared at his itoko, "Please Tsukasa I will have none of your teasing this morning"
"Why? you are enjoying yourself to much" Tsukasa added wickedly
Sesshoumaru set his miso soup down "Why yes I am." He said coolly "now let us look at that guest list"
Tsukasa rose and went into the other room, returning with a long scroll which he unrolled upon sitting beside Sesshoumaru. Clearing his side of the table- a pot with ink and a brush appeared beside the heavy scroll.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes scanned the list of deities and Tsukasa bit his lip for a moment before speaking
"Do you intend to invite your half brother?" he asked then
There was a cold silence "Do you wish me to Tsukasa, his mere presence makes my hairs stand on end"
Tsukasa giggled "I would like to see that"
Sesshoumaru cast another sidelong look at him "You would" he replied drily, barely concealing a roll of his eyes.
Glee at this prospect made Tsukasa snort "Doesn't he too have a mortal woman as his bride. Some reincarnation of a priestess right?" he prodded gently, feeling his cousin's ire rising. He so loved to nettle him.
"Yes, her name is Kagome. She lives in the modern world, a place that can be accessed through an old well." He replied, picking up the brush with an elegance that suddenly reminded Tsukasa of his Uncle it was eerie.
"Does…" he paused wetting his lips "your half brother love this Kagome as much as you love Rin?"
Sesshoumaru paused with his brush poised in mid air, his eyes briefly wide before he recovered "I wouldn't know the depth of emotion my half brother possesses. As you well know we are not close"
Tsukasa took the brush from his cousin and added a name to the list "But you do love her don't you?" he pushed. Turning to looking at his relative, Tsukasa was probably the only one in the whole of Sesshoumaru's vast family who could push the envelope so speak.
The Lord of the Western Lands face was inscrutable, save for the faint twitching of his little finger. Before he looked down almost shyly, the silver strands of his long hair falling like silk over his shoulders.
"I do. More then I understand myself" he admitted in the softest of voices. Tsukasa put an arm around his wide shoulders.
"Then I wish you all of the happiness in the world, dear cousin"
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Botan and Rin traveled down the long elegant halls to the back of the vast palace. Rin now understood why Sesshoumaru had bought so much furniture when he was in Edo- by Kami-sama this place was a grand place! It put the Imperial Palace to shame- truly Rin did not know that Sesshoumaru's father had been so powerful or so wealthy.
"How are you feeling?" Botan asked gently when she had come to a brightly painted screen door, which even before she opened it, Rin knew it was the kitchen.
"I am well- a bit sore" she admitted with a hot blush. Botan hid a smile, green eyes flashing "that is to be expected"
She opened the door, revealing a large kitchen where three elderly mortal woman stood over fires cooking. Bustling around them and barking orders like a small ferret was none other than Jaken.
Rin bowed "Ohayo" she said politely, the woman bowed in return but Jaken did not. Apparently he was to busy stirring something over another smaller fire. Rin approached him
"Ohayo Jaken"
The small demon looked up at her "You look well girl. Did my lord Sesshoumaru treat you well last night?"
Rin's eyes widened "Ah-um indeed he did " she stammered watching the twinkle in the demons yellowy eyes & the smug smile slid briefly over his beak like mouth.
"Hm good, I am glad to know that I didn't have to come and save you. I had a fear that Sesshoumaru- sama would eat you" he said without mercy.
Sputtering now Botan put a comforting hand on Rin's shoulder "Behave yourself Jaken! You are speaking to the soon to be Consort of the Western Lands" the dog demoness chastised.
Suitably cowed, Jaken bowed deeply "You have my deepest apologies Rin-sama" he replied unable to conceal his gleeful tone.
Rin felt like laughing, this was so surreal it was almost ludicrous. Suddenly the true import of what had happened last night, hit her like bricks and her legs felt week.
"I-I need to sit down" she said quickly. Botan hurried to find Rin a stool, which the newly immortal girl sunk into with relief. Her whole body was shaking, muscles she didn't know she had still complaining. For a brief moment Rin hid her face in her hands, struggling for calm, unbidden the memories of last night rose up in her.
"There, there my dear. It will be difficult- the first few weeks. But you will get used to it" Botan said gently, pushing a cup of warm tea into her hands. Rin nosily took a sip, wincing as she burned her tongue.
Rin looked up at the demoness, observing her small pearlescent horns and long dark hair "I- I don't quite know what to do with myself" she admitted freely.
Botan smiled patiently "You will go on being yourself- the marriage is being planned as we speak. Tomorrow morning we will go into the city of Shima and begin to look for your wedding kimono."
"I-I have one already" Rin thought of the Forbidden Kimono and wondered fleetingly where that beautiful thing was.
"Ah yes Sesshoumaru-sama did show me it. It is quite lovely, but I think it best you wear it on your honeymoon night. I know a kimono maker who would love to make a grand uchikake for the Consort of the Western Lands". He's been making clothing for Sesshoumaru's family for generations."
Dumbly Rin nodded, as one of the elderly women came forward with two trays of crockery full of sweets.
"Shall we return to the men?" Botan said with a smile.
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Sesshoumaru raised his eyes and the brightly painted screen door was pulled back, revealing the two women with trays in their hands. From the scent alone, he knew they were sweets.
Tsukasa was momentarily distracted as well, the dirty dishes and cups having magically cleared themselves. Vellum and scrolls were strewn across the table, in both Sesshoumaru's elegant hand and his own.
For a brief moment Sesshoumaru's brows drew together, Rin looked pale that healthy flush of pink gone. He found himself rising, as the two women set the trays down. He caught it then amid the sweet smell, it was Rin's own private scent floral, heady. Arousal raged in him, the Heat rising with a spiraling of that sensual smell of amber that she felt almost instantly.
She cast her eyes up at them "Sesshoumaru- sama?" she inquired, he clenched his jaw briefly
"I wish to speak to you outside Rin" he said then. Rin cast a quick look at the two oni's and then wordlessly followed him outside.
As soon as the screen door shut, Sesshoumaru pressed her against the nearby wall "Why do you look so pale?"
Wordlessly she shook her head, beautiful lips pressing into a tight line "I feel very overwhelmed" she admitted with embarrassment-unable to look at him. The Sesshoumaru she once knew may have mocked her for such a statement.
Instead he touched her face, lovingly almost reverently with the backs of his fingers "When are you going to call me Sesshoumaru" he whispered in that husky voice.
She looked up at him in surprise, opening her mouth to speak- nothing came out "I- am merely being polite. I did not want to dishonor you in front of your relatives" she finally forced out.
"They will soon be your relatives as well" he said, leaning in close till his tall, muscular body covered hers. Rin was suddenly comforted by that fact and terribly distracted; she hadn't had a real family in so long.
"Sesshoumaru" she moaned before his lips covered hers in an aching kiss. Her fingers tangled helplessly in that thick silvery hair, as those powerful arms crushed her small body into his.
When he broke the kiss he whispered in her ear "You shouldn't be overwhelmed dearest, I am here to protect you. The new of our marriage has spread through the city of Shima like wildfire, I think when you go with Botan-san to the city tomorrow the citizens will greet you with great fanfare." He bit the nape of her neck gently, teasing his fangs into the marks he had created last night. Rin's whole body went taut with sudden liquid pleasure. Moaning helplessly against his neck, feeling the hem of her elaborate kimono hike slowly up past her knees.
The sound of the screen door slamming loudly make Sesshoumaru pause, before he stepped away. Letting the heavily embroidered hem of her kimono fall.
"Sesshoumaru-sama I find it would be best if I brought Rin to her new room. I think it unwise for her to remain with you until the wedding." The gentle but firm voice of Botan sounded, Rin feebly tried to straighten her hair which pooled around her shoulders like chocolate silk. The kanzashi of peonies had been cast to the floor like so much trash, along with the gold pins that had held her hair in that elaborate hairstyle.
Unable to look at anyone other than her high tabi sandals, she nodded once.
"Very good" Botan passed Sesshoumaru with an imperious sniff, retrieving her pins and kanzashi from the floor before gently leading the young woman away from the Lord of the Western Lands and his insidious fragrance of amber.