Maru sat inside the barred cell staring at the covered window. She sighed, she had been inside the cell for more than a week. She was often kept company by her youngest sister, who had just returned from her mother's for the first time in several years. Kimimaru was still very young, younger than Inuyasha, her brown hair was long and always smelled of flowers. She reminded Maru of their father with her looks though her face as identical to her mother's. She was also small and pale. A beauty like any other, but she was still young. She spoke in a polite and quiet, bell-like voice and was always dressed in the most beautiful kimono.

Kimimaru yearned for a relationship with her only sister as father had given up on hanyou giving him the strong off spring he desired and had turned to his daiyokai wife. Maru had caught wind of her pregnancy, she could only pray the child would grow up to be a kind and benevolent ruler as Daimaru would never inherit their father's position and neither would Maru despite being the eldest of the children.

Kimimaru had not visited today, and she knew why. She had to attend to duties Maru was not allowed to in preparation for the wedding. Maru wondered how they planned to break the bond that she had with Sesshomaru. She knew the mark on her neck would be burned first and she awaited when someone would be sent to do the deed.

She had not seen Katsuro since he had taken her, and she was glad he had not. He was the last person she wished to see alongside her father. She could hear as the hallways above were bustling more than usual today. She wondered if today would be the day. Not too long after the door opened and two guards came down the stairs and retrieved her. Her hands were bound and she was lead to the throne room.

She didn't bother looking up as she was dragged into the throne room, she knew why she was there, "Maru!"

Shocked at the voice her head shot up to see Sesshomaru and her uncles, Lord Arashimaru looked at her in horror. Lord Kyomaru did not even turn to look and neither did Sesshomaru.

"Release her hands" Lord Kyomaru demanded. Maru looked to her father who had a look of displeasure as he gestured for her to be untied. She was untied but pulled forward. Katsuro stood at the base of her father's throne and he grabbed her arm as the guards released her. He pulled her to him and kept a solid grip on her wrist as he glared at Sesshomaru.

Maru stared at awe. She was not surprised by her uncles' being there to rescue her, but she had thought Sesshomaru had given up. She realized he had known that if he ended it once and for all then they could live in peace.

"So, you are saying, that Hiromi was your sister yet she told me I knew not of her family" Inari stated with a glare.

"Yes, Hiromi, as you call her, was our sister and always kept her lineage to herself. Now, as Maru's uncles we hate to see her forced against her will to marry someone she does not like and to be torn away from her mate" Lord Kyomaru stated his face emotionless but his gaze was like fire.

Inari growled, "That may be so, but Maru is my eldest daughter and by tradition she needs my blessing before marrying, or mating. Lord Sesshomaru never once came to ask for her hand" Inari stated. Maru looked to Katsuro, who the slightest smirk forming on her face. Maru frowned and pulled away from his hold.

"From my understanding, you ordered Maru to be killed after her birth due to the death of Hiromi. Thankfully the servant given the task merely abandoned her and Lord Inu no Taisho found her. Therefore, you have given up the position of her father. Since Lord Inu no Taisho is deceased, it is her choice who she wants to be with and if not then either Lord Arashimaru or I should be the ones to give our blessing, but for us, her happiness is the only thing that matters. As her father, that should be your only concern as well" Lord Kyomaru stated, "If you don't wish to be destroyed by three armies, I suggest you release my niece."

Inari was shocked by this turning to look at Maru. He could not understand how his daughter had obtained not only unimaginable physical power but influence among the other three lords. Inari sighed, "Fine, she is yours. She's not worth that much effort" he stated gesturing for the group to leave.

"My lord!" Katsuro exclaimed turning to face the Northern ruler.

"Katsuro, this is not a battle you want to fight. It is impossible to win when you have no allies" Inari stated before turning his gaze on his daughter. "I'll never understand how the child of a lowly hanyou managed to become so powerful. Tell me Maru, was your mother actually a daiyokai without my knowing?" he asked his daughter.

"My mother was more powerful than you could ever imagine, Father. I'm sure she wishes that her child had had a different father. I'm just grateful that my other siblings did not have to endure the same" Maru stated as she turned to approach her uncles and Sesshomaru

"I should have killed you myself" Inari stated. The jab stopped Maru momentarily but after a deep breath she continued on to leave with the three warlords with her held high and a smile on her face.

The beads were removed from Maru at the gate as she said her goodbyes to her siblings, "You can come visit me anytime, I'm sorry I can't come here to visit, but I'm no longer welcome in the Northern Lands" Maru told her three siblings.

Daimaru smiled, "We understand, I hope you find the happiness you have been seeking, Onee-san" he said hugging his sister.

"Yes, Nee-chan! We'll come visit. Please have children soon so we can come and play!" Ginmaru stated with a large grin.

"Gin-nii, you shouldn't act like that toward Onee-sama!" Kimimaru exclaimed appalled by her older brother's comment.

Maru laughed, "It is fine, Kimi-chan. Gin you should be quick in courting that miko, she may find another otherwise" Maru said with a smirk.

Gin's face immediately turned beet red, "N-N-Nee-chan!" he exclaimed, "How do you know about that?" he asked.

Maru winked at him, "I know everything, Gin. Didn't you know that?" she asked as she reached for Kimi and hugged her. Gin stared at her in amazement as she hugged him also. "Live well, you three, and stay out of trouble" she told them as she backed away.

"We will" Daimaru stated as Maru waved and began to leave with her uncles and Sesshomaru. The three hanyou shouted their goodbyes as the gates were shut.


The journey to the Northern Lands border consisted mostly of conversation between Lord Arashimaru, Lord Kyomaru, and Maru as the two men told her of the happenings since she had left their respective lands. Lord Kyomaru told Maru of Masanori, who had been training extensively since he had returned from escorting her to Bunmaru's shrine. Maru was happy to hear about the companions and relatives she had met over the past few months. She was ecstatic to finally have family that loved her and to be rid of the stress of constantly being hunted by her father.

At the border it came time for them to part as Lord Kyomaru would be visiting the Eastern Lands to visit Lord Arashimaru's family for the first time in several years. Maru said her lengthy goodbyes with promises of visits in the near future before she left with Sesshomaru for the Western Lands. Sesshomaru and Maru walked in silence until night fell and they settled down for the night. Sesshomaru leaned against a tree silently while Maru started a fire. He broke the silence with a question, "Had you actually returned or were you trying to get me to chase you again?"

"Maru gave a soft chuckle, "You think I like being chased?" she could feel his gaze boring holes into her back, "I had returned, I was on my way to the castle. I didn't wish for you to attack me so I hid my presence and attempted to hide my scent. I was happy to see you at the bridge" she stated turning to look at the inu yokai once the fire had started. His face was emotionless as usual but his eyes held so many conflicting emotions. Maru smiled as she stood and walked over, taking a seat next to him, leaning her head on him and resting her head against his arm. He looked at her confused by her change in attitude.

"Are you trying to trick me?"

"No, I've been given much advice on our being..." she paused as she searched for a different word, "...together, and I've decided that if you are willing to have me then I shouldn't run away just because I'm scared of sullying Lord Inu no Taisho's bloodline. It will be as fate wants and my running won't change anything, plus I have always enjoyed annoying you ever since we were young" Maru stated.

Sesshomaru was silent for a while before he suddenly pushed the hanyou to the ground. Maru's eyes shot open to see his face extremely close, "You do understand that our relationship will not be like as when we were children. You will mother my children and you will act as a lady in court and not as a vassal of my father" he started as he stared into the kitsune's eyes.

"I-I-I... I understand" she stated with a red face. His face inched closer slowly. Maru shut her eyes slightly unsure of how to react to this sudden advance. Sesshomaru stopped just a breath away, examining her face. Her eyes were shut tightly causing the tiniest of wrinkles under her eyes and around her nose while her cheeks were a rosy pink flush against her fair skin. He smiled before gently placing his forehead to hers. Maru slowly opened her eyes to see his molten amber ones. Their gazes locked for several moments before Sesshomaru rolled over onto his back bringing the surprised hanyou with him. Maru landed on his chest, his arm still tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Get some sleep" he stated as she glanced up at him. His face was content as he relaxed. Maru watched him for a moment before settling in and drifting off to sleep as well.


The next morning, the two woke before dawn began on their journey once again. Sesshomaru was in no hurry to return to the Western castle as he and Maru spent the next few days traveling back, making frequent stops to enjoy anything that tickled their fancy, well, most anything that caught Maru's attention and curious nature. Several times they stopped as Maru wandered through fields of flowers as she had often done with Rin when she was a child. Sesshomaru would wait patiently as the hanyou got her fill, frequently placing flowers in the yokai's hair as she had often done during their youth. They enjoyed one another's laughter and smiles, though Maru's own was much more common than Sesshomaru's, who still kept to his usual stoic demeanor. However, his eyes always betrayed his true thoughts. However, Maru usually remained oblivious.

Once in the Western Lands they made the occasional visit to yokai villages. While Sesshomaru met with the officials that governed the villages in his place, Maru explored the markets sometimes buying clothing and food, or specialty items only found in that village. She had bought Jaken a gift while in a bookstore in one market. She had recalled the imp complaining about the destruction of one of his favorite novels from the mainland. It was a very rare novel and had called a high price, but the hanyou wished for the imp's favor as he was a frequent companion when Sesshomaru was absent. Though she wasn't quite as well equipped in the mainland language as Sesshomaru or Jaken, she would ask the kappa for his guidance. It would flatter him so that he would be much kinder to Maru for at least a short time as Maru found the imp's squawking quite annoying.

She had bought a new pack to carry the items and was leaving the current market to meet Sesshomaru at the village's gate. However, her eye was caught by a nostalgic item. It was a flute just like the one Sesshomaru often played when they were children. She debated for quite a while on the item, long enough in fact to draw the attention of the shopkeeper. The man was determined to sell the flute to the kitsune. Maru glanced around to see the shop had many patrons and decided the item was of good quality to draw many people.

She left the market debating on how to give the item to Sesshomaru. Maru had never given a gift to the inu and could not imagine how he would react, or whether he would even like the flute. It had been centuries since she had last seen him play and wondered if even knew how anymore. She was sure if he still did play Jaken would have boasted about it at some point, or Rin would have asked for her lord to play for her just as she had often asked Maru to use her fox magic to transform leaves into various items. Rin frequently asked to see flowers that were out of season or toys, which she would play with until they disappeared. Though Maru always made sure that the items stuck around until she was done with her play.

Maru knew it would be rude to not give the gift to him directly, but ultimately decided to leave it on his desk once they had returned. She soon arrived at the village's gate to see Sesshomaru there waiting. She greeted him to which he replied with his nod of acknowledgment that many that knew him were far too familiar with. She followed him as they began their final trek to the Western castle that was less than half a day away.

Maru was content with the journey back to their childhood, and current, home. She had never imagined spending such pleasant days with the daiyokai since their rivalry as teens and young adults. She pondered what the future would hold for them now that they had resolved their issues. She did not dare delve too deep for fear of embarrassing thoughts she was yet ready to face.

She gazed at Sesshomaru's back for most of the trip until he turned his gaze on her to which she would look elsewhere and pretend she had never set her gaze on him. She swore she would occasionally catch a small smile from him but brushed it off as her imagination. They soon came to the plain that was home to the castle they had always known. Maru stopped atop the hill and gazed down at the bustling town.

Maru smiled as Sesshomaru came to stop at her side, "Do you remember Lord Inu no Taisho would always stop and take in the landscape before heading back to the castle?" Maru asked him as she observed the vast town and the surrounding farmlands. Though inu mostly ate meat, crops were still grown as some residents were of other species, such as Jaken and Maru, who ate plants as well as meat. Sesshomaru looked out at the landscape for the first time in centuries. He too recalled the time when he also traveled with Maru and his father. He had nearly forgotten of his father's old habit. It was a fond memory of Maru's that never left her. Sesshomaru turned to see the nostalgic look on the kitsune's face.

He turned back to the scene before them, "Yes, I remember."

She smiled before giving a sigh, "I always hated coming back for a long time. Everyone always gave me ugly looks and whispered hatful things. There were many times I thought of running away, but I did not wish to betray Lord Inu no Taisho or the other vassals that were kind to me. He made me start to enjoy coming back by always looking at the landscape" she gave a soft chuckle, "He made me draw it once and begrudgingly did as he said. There are many good memories here, even the ones when you and I had fought the whole way back. I always think he left too early" she stated and was quiet for a long moment. Sesshomaru looked at her to see her eyes had a glaze to them but she still wore a smile, "I thought for a long time that if I had just not listened and had been there he would still be alive, or if I had used Tenseiga, but I knew he would have never let me, or he would have punished me severely for disobeying his orders of leaving Lady Izayoi and Inuyasha vulnerable" she stopped and looked to the ground shaking her head. "My apologizes, I sometimes get caught up in the past. We should get going" she stated before walking forward. Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Father had every intention of dying that night. There was nothing you could have done" he stated as he set his chin a top her head.

Maru tried to contain her surprise. She had missed much of his conversation with his father that night. He had known of the inu's intentions to say his lover and child no matter the price. It made sense then why Sesshomaru had inquired about the swords and Lord Inu no Taisho's anger. She pushed back her sadness and turned to him with a smile. "You need not worry. Myoga and Totosai have consoled me many times on the matter. I did not mean to bother you with my emotions" she stated

"It is not a bother. Greif is something we all face in our lives as we as disappointment" he stated looking at her directly before walking toward the village.

Maru was frozen for a second, she had never expected to hear such from Sesshomaru, "Wow, I never expected you to grow so wise, my lord" she teased as she followed. Despite the insult, Sesshomaru ignored the mischievous hanyou, who had returned to her usual antics. They walked in genuine silence to the castle. The walk through town was as expected as the people watched as their lord passed by, staring at the companion he kept. Those old enough to remember the time in which the two had passed frequently with the former lord told tales of that time. Most whispers were kept to such that would not insult the lord, as they did not wish for him to be angered by their comments. Maru caught the glares that were occasionally sent her way, especially by young women who fancied the handsome daiyokai.

They soon arrived at the castle gate where they were greeted by the soldiers on duty and inside the courtyard by several of the advisors, the army general, and, of course, Jaken, who was ecstatic as usual with his master's return. Maru was met by several court ladies, who eventually dragged her away. She quickly noticed that the leader of them was still Court Lady Kameyo. She had chased after Maru frequently when she was a child, trying to teach the girl to be a proper lady, but eventually was given the okay to not bother with her by Lord Inu no Taisho.

It seemed that now that she was mated to Sesshomaru, she would try again. This time Maru wouldn't run, well, not as much. Maru was dragged to the bath almost immediately.

"Have you not bathed, child. Goodness" Kameyo stated as the other court ladies scrubbed away at her skin and hair.

Maru gave her a crooked smile, "How am I to bathe while imprisoned, Lady Kameyo?" she asked which the elder woman brushed off. Kameyo came from an old clan that was close to Lord Inu no Taisho and his own father for many centuries and the women dripped in the air of her high lineage. She had become a court lady to avoid an unwanted marriage and climbed the ranks quickly. She had attended to Lord Inu no Taisho when he was a child and Sesshomaru and herself during their youth. Her relationship with Maru soured as the hanyou grew older and desired to train and act like a boy more so than a girl. Her praises were usually only given when Maru did as she liked by wearing the proper attire of a hime and did her studies in the correct time and manner, something rarely did in her youth.

Kameyo gave a grin in return, "Well, Lady Maru, rest assured you will bathe every day you are in the castle from now on" Maru groaned as the court ladies continued their work inspecting every inch of her. "We'll have to do a lot of work to take care of all those scars and your dull skin, but it will be taken care of" Kameyo stated as Maru was rinsed and inspected. She stood when they finally finished scrubbing her with the many herbs and rice bran they had prepared. She entered the onsen as they all left to prepare her garments and other things. "Please soak for as long as you wish, my lady" Kameyo told the hanyou as she was the last to exit following the other court ladies as they carried out the herbs and rice bran to put it back its place.

Maru sighed as she sank down into the hot water, blowing air bubbles in the hot water out exasperation. She would keel over if she had to be scrubbed that intensely every day. She preferred bathing herself, having her back washed wasn't so bad but from head to toe was annoying and stung when done with such force. She could only imagine what they would do with her after the bath to deal with her scars and skin "dullness".

It wasn't long before the group returned, this time with containers full of jars of oils, honey, and potatoes and cucumbers. Maru stared at the items in confusion. Were they planning to boil her alongside the vegetables? Kameyo gave the girls instructions to cut the vegetables into slices before turning to Maru.

She gave a devilish smile before beckoning the hanyou, "Come now, it is time to take care of you skin" she stated. Maru groaned as she spent the next hour being massaged with honey and oils as well as having slices of cucumber and potato left on her scars. All the while that she waited, Kameyo explained how each item would make her skin brighter and remove the scars. Maru wondered about the madness she was spewing but once they had finished and rinsed her once more she noticed some of her scars appeared lighter. Maybe there was a method to the madness Kameyo was spewing. However, she did not look forward to the lengthy process every day.

Once she was dried off she was taken to a room where she was dressed in a subdued red-orange kimono and golden obi both were patterned with summer flowers. She was quickly dressed before being seated to have her hair done and multiple cosmetics applied to her face. Maru managed to escape most of the cosmetics getting away with only a minimal amount before running off to find her things. It did not take her long to find them as she still remembered all of the court ladies hiding places from when she was a child. With her things in tow she searched for Sesshomaru's study.

She made sure no one was inside before entering and laying the flute gently on the desk. She stared at the desk that had once belonged to Lord Inu no Taisho, it had been revarnished in recent years. Maru was almost surprised it was still standing after the centuries of use. She quickly gathered herself and began to leave only to bump into Sesshomaru. Surprised she stared at him for a moment as he gave her a questioning look, his general behind him. "Oh, Sesshomaru, I was looking for Jaken. Do you know where he went?" she asked as she tried to sneak around him and out of the room.

"He is off doing his duty, why are you looking for him?" he asked as he watched the hanyou with a suspicious eye.

"I found the novel he likes so much in the last village. I wanted to give it to him when we arrived, but I did not have the chance" Maru stated with a smile as she managed to escape into the hallway.

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment before giving her an answer, "He should be in his room doing paperwork."

Maru nodded, "Thank you!" she stated before bowing and running off.

The general laughed as Sesshomaru watched the hanyou trot down the hall to search for Jaken, "She never changes" the general stated as he looked to his lord.

"Indeed" Sesshomaru stated before entering the study to see what had been the source of Maru's quick escape. A flute much to the likeness of the one he had thrown away into a river as a teen lay delicately on his desk.

"A gift from your mate. Seems she was too embarrassed to give it in person" the general stated as he shut the shoji as Sesshomaru picked up the instrument.

He gave a soft scoff of disbelief. Maru had changed just in ways less noticeable to those who did not know her well.

Maru found Jaken in no time at all as she never forgot where his room was as it had always been right next door to Rin's. She entered the room without knocking startling the imp. "Maru! Did you never learn any manners?!" he squawked as she came to sit down in front of his desk.

She smiled at him, "What are manners?" she teased angering the kappa, but before he could start his rant she handed him the novel.

He gave her a suspecting look, "What is this?" he asked.

"It is your favorite novel, I found it one of the villages we visited. I promise it's not a leaf" she told him as he looked at the book, joy in his eyes, but still suspicious of the hanyou. "If you don't want it I can give it to someone else" she began pulling the book back slightly.

"Wait, no, I want" he exclaimed grabbing the book.

Maru smiled, handing it to him, "I hope you like it"

Jaken stared at it in awe before looking to the woman, "What do you want in return?" he asked with a knowing look.

Maru's smile did not falter, "Nothing" she began and he looked relieved, "Only that you help me with the mainland language, I am not very good at reading it. You are very good at reading it, or so I hear" she stated.

The imp looked at her surprised before puffing up as his ego began to swell, "Well, of course, I am Lord Sesshomaru's most trusted servant and advisor! I will teach you well so you will not embarrass my lord in court with your meager skills" he exclaimed in a prideful tone.

"Thank you, Jaken. I'm so glad I can rely on you" she stated glad she had accomplished both of her missions, "Oh, do you know what room I'll be staying in now, no one has told me yet though I did run away from the court ladies" she asked the imp, who gave her a look of utter surprise.

"You are Lord Sesshomaru's mate, of course you will be staying in his room" Jaken stated. Maru looked at him wide eyed. She had not thought that over.

"You mean we'll be…sharing a bed?" she asked dreading his answer.

"Yes, you are mated and will surely wed at some point. You will share a bed until you birth a son then you will stay with the infant during the night for feeding, but once the child is old enough you will return to the marital bed" Jaken reported causing the hanyou to turn completely red.

"I don't think I can do that" Maru stated.

Jaken gasped, "How dare you say such!" he exclaimed, "If you did not wish to share a bed with Lord Sesshomaru then you should not have mated with him. It is amazing that you were not taken with child after mating, maybe you have a problem. I should ask the doctor about this!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and headed for the door.

Maru grabbed him and pulled him back, "There is no need for that!" Maru exclaimed still red in the face, "You can't assume such after one try" Maru stated but embarrassed herself and loosened her grip on the imp. Jaken watched the hanyou unfamiliar with her showing such behavior, but they were soon interrupted by a court lady.

She bowed as she entered, "Dinner will be served soon, Master Jaken" she stated to which Jaken replied with a grunt to which she stood and bowed before leaving. Maru stood, "Well, we don't want to keep them waiting" she stated as she headed for the door.

"Yes" Jaken murmured before following the hanyou.


Dinner was mostly silent as Maru spent her time trying to avoid Sesshomaru's gaze. He had kept an almost eye on her since she had entered the room with Jaken. She tried to enjoy her meal quietly, but could not get over her nervousness.

Jaken soon started a conversation with his lord on politics and his trip to the Northern Lands, which Sesshomaru gave his usual short as possible responses. Maru swore he never once looked at Jaken as they spoke. At was at times like these that she wished Rin had stayed a child forever as she could have conversed with the young girl, even a teenaged Rin would have been fine as long as Maru's attention could be drawn away from Sesshomaru's gaze.

"Are you finished, mi' lady?" a servant asked as the table was being cleared and sake and tea replaced the meal.

"Oh, yes" Maru told her with a smile as she turned her gaze to the tea and sake cups put in place of her unfinished food.

"Are you ill?" Maru jumped at the sudden question from Sesshomaru.

Maru shook her head, "No, I am fine. There is no need to worry" she told him as she averted her gaze while she smiled at him in her usual manner.

He took notice and gave a glare, "If you are not lying then look at me when you speak" he told her which shocked her. She could feel her ears become warm as they reddened and she shook her head in response. She could hear his sigh of disapproval as he set down his cup of sake. He reached over and grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him. Her gaze immediately looking elsewhere as her face reddened at the proximity of his face and his touch.

He smirked after looking her over and returned to his original position and enjoyed his sake. Jaken watched in disbelief before gulping down his sake, which Maru soon followed. By the end of it all, Maru and Jaken were both drunk laying their heads on the table while still grasping their cups. Jaken was soon carried off by two servants. Maru watched and giggled at him for being so drunk he had passed out. She was soon picked up by Sesshomaru and carried out of the room while servants began removing the multiple sake bottles and cups.

Maru watched the inu, her mind foggy and not completely understanding what was going on. She felt like she was floating, and it made her sleepy. She leaned into Sesshomaru's chest while he made his way toward their room. The court ladies were waiting outside the room having put down the futon and waiting to help change Maru. Sesshomaru beckoned them to be on their way as he entered the room shutting the door behind him.

He laid his drunken mate on the futon and couldn't help the slight laugh that escaped him. She was always full of surprises and firsts. He'd never seen either Jaken or her drink so fast nor so much and to see either be in such a state was quite amusing to Sesshomaru. Maru was fast asleep as Sesshomaru removed her kosode kimono and obi leaving her in her nagajuban to sleep. Pulling the blanket over her, he turned to hang the kimono on its rack along with the obi while he took to removing his own clothing and dressing in a yukata.

He soon laid down next to his mate pulling her close and breathing in her floral scent. He smiled content. He thought he had learned what his father meant that night when Rin died and was resurrected by his other but Maru was keen on always deepening his understanding without even knowing. He wasn't quite sure how to show affection to the woman but her reactions always garnered for feelings in his heart. He could only imagine how she would return such affection once she realized her own feelings towards him. He knew he would have to wait a bit longer before that was to happen and he was content with waiting.