Rin had been working at the mansion for a couple months now. Kaede-sama had arranged the job for her. Kaede-sama had intended the money she earned from this job would go towards a dowry. Though she'd gone along with it, she considered the whole thing something of a charade. What use did she have for a dowry? She wouldn't be getting married. Not when her heart was set on returning to life as Sesshoumaru-sama's faithful follower.

As things were turning out, Rin may very well need that dowry after all.

The only things of value she owned were her gifts from Sesshoumaru, and she wouldn't give those up. They were too precious to her, even the kimonos she'd outgrown she would always want to keep.

Kaede-sama had told her that it didn't really matter anyway. Even if Rin was willing to put forth any possession she'd gotten Sesshoumaru as a dowry, there were likely few who would accept them.

It was well known in the village where Rin's valuables came from. Despite the village's acceptance of Inuyasha, most of the villagers still held pure yokai in contempt. They would not take items knowing they had come from a demon; there would be too much suspicion and fear surrounding them. Anything of yokai origin was thought to be cursed or carried bad luck.

Rin couldn't say she wasn't annoyed by that attitude, even if it suited her to know Sesshoumaru's treasured gifts wouldn't end up in the hands of someone to whom they held no sentimental value.

Rin normally loved the long walk up to the manor; it reminded her of her wanderings she would undertake everyday through vast forests, trailing after Sesshoumaru-sama. Sometimes she would have to sit still for hours on end as Kaede sat with her in the herb garden, teaching her the names of the various medicinal herbs and their uses. Afterwards, she relished the chance to stretch her legs and burn off the excess energy she'd accumulated.

Now, winter was fast approaching and Rin braced herself against the chilly air as she made her way up the path. The walk no longer had the same charm as the cold seeped through her layers of clothing and settled in her bones.

She carried a bag with a few food items with her up the winding trail. Her hair was tied up on her head-something she only ever did for this occasion, because the mistress of the house demanded it-and she wore an apron. The apron went over the two layers of kimonos she wore for warmth. Both were older kimonos, a pink one with temari balls over a purple one with a butterfly pattern. She chose to wear older ones because she was expected to do many chores around the manor and wouldn't mind getting them dirty as much as her newer one.

She passed the guards as she entered the manor's main gate and one of them let her in through the sliding door. Once inside, she passed the large panel of the Governor's meeting room.

The Governor, Osakabe no Iketani, was the master of the house and often away at the Imperial Court, performing his service to the shogunate. However, inside the room she could hear voices and when she peeked inside she saw the Governor, sitting at the front of the room before an assembled group of men.

"You, there! Girl!" she heard a voice shout, "Why are you sneaking around? There's nothing going on in there that's any of your business!"

It was Yaya-hime, Governor Iketani-sama's wife, standing at the end of the hall with her arms crossed.

"Come with me!" she ordered, quickly whipping around. "You're to help Kane and Hiki with the laundry today."

She led Rin out to the courtyard where the other two girls were already working. Kane cleaned garments on a washboard while Hiki hung some bedding up on the clothesline. Yaya-hime looked at the washbasin disapprovingly.

"Make sure these clothes are cleaned properly," she commanded. "If you ruin the shibori on one of my kimonos again, I'll have your heads shaved! You won't be able to find work in a brothel-Do you understand?"

They all made noises of agreement, remembering what had happened to Bō the week before, and Yaya-hime turned and walked back inside the house without addressing them further.

Hiki shuddered. "That woman terrifies me," she said to the others. "Every time I hear her voice behind me, I'm afraid to turn around; I just assume she's decided I've done something unforgivably wrong and she'll be there holding an axe—Ready to behead me!"

Kane nodded. "And the way she has complete control over the entire house; it's so intimidating. Did you know she's not even the first wife?"

"She isn't?" Rin asked as she set her bag down.

Kane shook her head. "I had no idea. Tsuru—the cook—told me."

"Ah!" Hiki exclaimed. "I heard that too! And you know what? That must be why we never see Governor Iketani-sama's other two wives!"

The girls looked at Hiki with curiosity, waiting for the explanation.

Hiki dramatically gripped the bedding she was holding like it was the body of a hated enemy.

"Listen, because I bet my life that this is what happened," she spoke hotly. She was clearly relishing the chance to expose the 'scandal.'

"Yaya-hime usurped whichever wife was head of the household and now she keeps her and the other one chained up under the manor to maintain her supremacy!"

Kane's eyes widened in terror while Rin laughed, taking Hiki's story as an obvious flight of fancy.

"Yaya-hime is scary," Rin said, "but I don't think she's that scary."

Hiki raised her eyebrows.

"Nee, Rin, we all know why you don't have to fear Yaya-hime."

She handed Rin the bedding she was holding. "Take these. I have lots of dry stuff you can fold."

Rin folded it and began to kneel downward to place it in the basket on the ground. Hiki gasped in mock-alarm.

"Rin, don't kneel down on the ground," she chided. "You'll ruin your beautiful kimono."

Rin resisted the urge to roll her eye's. The girl sounded just like Jaken-sama. "It won't be ruined; that's what the apron is for."

"Oh, I forgot," Hiki said, pinning one of the children's tiny blankets to the clothesline, "you don't need to worry about stuff like that, do you? That demon lord of yours can just get you a new one. Must be nice; not having to bother."

Rin put on the biggest smile she could muster as she looked at Hiki. "I believe I said that was what the apron was for, but thank you for your concern; I'll take care not to get my kimono dirty," she beamed.

"I'm sorry; I just don't understand why you would feel as though you have to work," Hiki said, determined to push the subject. "I mean, you obviously don't need to. Not like we do anyway—Isn't that right, Kane?"

Kane, who had been trying to disappear into the washbasin, started at the sound of her name. "Ah, well…"

"My kimono is my lord's only generosity," Rin said.

That was a lie, of course. There was the shime-daiko and the beautiful, fine koto she'd just received, but these girls didn't know about any of that and she planned on keeping it that way. She could only imagine the look on Hiki's face if she saw the polished instruments. Not that it wouldn't be sort of amusing, but it would only add more fuel to the girl's already seething resentment towards her.

"Kaede-sama is my true caretaker. Rin works so as to not become a burden on her."

The look Hiki gave her said she didn't believe that, but she let the issue drop and they all resumed working. After a couple of hours when all of their work was done, the three girls left the manor again through the front gate. Kane stayed back until Hiki had descended the path leading back to the village and caught up to Rin as she started on her own way down.

"Rin, wait!" Kane called as she ran up to the other girl. She stopped right in front of her and bowed her head.

"I want to apologize for Hiki. Please forgive her. Her family's been under terrible strain lately," the girl explained. "Her uncle's hut burned down and her parents had to take in him and his family. The grandparents live with them as well and they've been ailing, so..."

"You don't need to apologize for her, Kane. Rin doesn't pay her any mind."

"You're really not bothered by the things she said?"

Rin shook her head. "No, not at all."

Kane looked relieved. "I'm so glad. She's so disrespectful sometimes, the way she talks to you. I'm always afraid…"

"Afraid of what?" Rin knew the answer of course. There was only one reason why anyone would fear disrespecting her.

"Well, you know, your lord…" Kane began, fidgeting with her hands, "...he's a yokai, isn't he?"

The girl chuckled nervously. "I guess I'm always afraid you're going to tell him some of the stuff Hiki says about you and he'll do something—"

"Oh no, he would never ," Rin insisted.

"Are you sure?"

Rin nodded and grasped Kane's fidgeting hands.

"Oh, yes. You would know it if you ever met him," she said, speaking like a proud disciple.

She smiled as she reassured the girl.

"Sesshoumaru-sama's heart is full of kindness."

Jaken watched reverently as his master tore ferociously through a pack of yokai, not even bothering to unsheathe his Bakusaiga. The diminutive yokai approved; it would only be a waste of his lord's signature blade for it to be used against them. As far as Jaken was concerned, these vermin were already getting a far more dignified death than they deserved—Falling to the great Sesshoumaru-sama!

He watched in awe as the slice of Sesshoumaru's perfectly razor-edged claws left a trail of blood that seemed to hang in the air, like a crested wave, before painting the ground with a splash of crimson.

"Jaken."

He watched as Sesshoumaru-sama stood tall among fallen yokai, some of their bodies still squirming and writhing with the last traces of life. How majestic his lord appeared! Surrounded by oozing viscera, his long, flowing hair gently swaying in the breeze, ever so slightly matted with goo.

The stray tentacle of a dying yokai reached out and wrapped itself around his master's black boot. Sesshoumaru-sama gracefully stomped it out, but one of the suckers got stuck to his heel. His lord appeared to be having trouble scraping it off, repeatedly but inefficiently dragging the bottom of his boot across the ground. These struggles only rendered him more heroic in the eyes of his faithful servant.

"Jaken."

He swooned at the sight of Sesshoumaru-sama's perfect features; the crescent moon, the double stripes, the golden-yellow eyes (the aesthetic!). He gazed adoringly as those features became distorted with annoyance and his master picked a dislodged eyeball up from the ground, chucking it at his vassal's head.

"JAKEN!"

The imp shook out of his trance and began sputtering apologies. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, please forgive me!"

"We're leaving. Or you can stay here if you're so determined." The daiyokai turned and started onwards. "It makes no difference to me."

"Wait! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken leapt upward and began to chase after him until he caught up. "Of course Jaken is coming with you! Please don't leave me behind!"

Sesshoumaru led the way, heading in the direction of Rin's human village. He had promised her he would visit again soon. He supposed he should make the most of the time he still had with her.

Though he was loath to admit it, Kaede had a point when she expressed her concerns about how his current relationship with Rin would likely become untenable in the case that she married. If Rin were to take a husband, Sesshoumaru's continued presence in her life could become awkward, very fast. The old miko already liked to drop hints now and again that Rin's association with a fearsome yokai lord put off certain villagers from interacting with her, either due to fear or prejudice. It was probably even more of a deterrent when it came to approaching her with offers of courtship.

It was part of why he kept his visits to a minimum, along with wanting her to have proper space away from him to establish her own life among other humans. He didn't like the idea that Rin might face bullying or discrimination because of him but at the same time, he was unwilling to abandon her completely.

Unless that was what Rin wanted.

But she had never given any indication that she felt attention or acceptance by those he intimidated was worth the loss of his place in her life. She only ever seemed excited to see him and loathe for him to leave. Though not in a way that made it seem like she was miserable without him; like his visits were the only saving grace in an otherwise dreary existence.

Sesshoumaru toyed with the idea of asking Inuyasha or his wife about how Rin was truly faring. Not that he didn't trust Kaede or Rin to be honest, but Kaede was clearly biased towards Rin staying in the village and living as normal a life as possible and Rin...he knew Rin often kept her unhappy feelings beneath the surface. He thought of her smiling and talking excessively and giving off the impression of being utterly carefree, while at night she awoke panicked from nightmares of her family's killers.

However, the idea of sitting down to have a heart to heart with either his brother or Kagome set his teeth on edge. He was sure they'd be willing to talk; they were both fond of Rin and had a vested interest in her well-being. Asking for help though, help for, of all things; figuring out human feelings from Inuyasha or any of his friends would mean putting aside a great deal of his pride. Dread it as he might, he'd put pride aside for Rin on many occasions before and he would do so again if it came to that.

Sesshoumaru went back to his original question. What would he do if Rin were to marry? Kaede was right; their relationship would have to change.

He felt uncomfortably out of his depth; he didn't understand much about humans or the customs of their relationships and marriages. From the wide brush Kaede had painted them with however, he didn't think a human male would want some single man, one with whom his wife had a close emotional and spiritual bond, to still be hanging around after they were married. Particularly not if the man came bearing gifts and bringing rapturous joy to his wife's face every time they appeared.

Not unless the man looked like Jaken, maybe. Or Totosai. Or Myoga.

Sesshoumaru imagined Rin, excitedly bolting through the doorway of her marriage house to meet him, as she did now. What husband would find that behavior acceptable? What husband would not be threatened by his wife's undying loyalty and affection to an unrelated man?

He rearranged the visual image. In this one, a much more demure Rin waited patiently in the house while her husband went outside to check on their visitors. This faceless human man would greet him coolly but politely, and they would enter the home. The husband would graciously grant his wife permission to sit with her yokai lord and Sesshoumaru would offer a practical gift, cookware or tea leaves or some such. The entirety of the exchange would take place under the watchful eyes of the human husband.

It didn't seem beyond the realm of possibility. But it would always be an act, wouldn't it? Rin would not behave that way around him for any reason other than decorum.

Humans to him seemed so blind in their relationships to one another. Unlike yokai, they could not read thoughts, had underdeveloped senses of smell and lacked any ability to magically bond themselves together. Inuyokai like him could smell desire, they could smell whose child belonged to whom, which, rather than emotional bonds, was what they cared about.

Regardless, having to deal with a human males emotional avarice was his best case scenario. The alternative was that he disappeared from Rin's life altogether, only interfering if she were in danger.

Sesshoumaru paused in his steps. Jaken stopped behind him, looking up at his master, curiously.

"M'lord?"

Sesshoumaru gazed thoughtfully to his right and after a moment, switched to walking in that direction, to Jaken's consternation.

"M'lord, Rin's village is the other way…"

"We're taking a detour," was all he said.

Rin's business at the Iketani manor that day had her working inside. While she was grateful to not have to work outside in the increasing cold, the downside to working in the house was the increased supervision. Inside the mansion, it seemed like there were always eyes on you and she couldn't goof off like she would if she were tasked with doing something in the courtyard.

There was also a rule, courtesy of Yaya-hime, forbidding the help from singing indoors. This was an issue for Rin, since singing was her preferred method of staving off boredom during chores. Rin compensated for this by singing songs in her head instead of out loud. Sometimes though, the songs in her head would make it to her mouth without her realizing it.

That was exactly what had happened that day as Rin swept a broom across a hallway floor.

"Ah!" said a boisterous voice from behind her. "Whistling while you work does indeed make the time go by faster, doesn't it!"

Rin covered her mouth with her hand and spun around. Lost in her attempt to make her menial task more bearable, she hadn't realized, "Jaken-sama, Why Are You Green?" (her first experimental composition as an amateur koto player) had become audible to the outside world.

And not to just any member of the outside world, but Governor Iketani-sama himself!

Rin knew what he looked like from seeing him around various places on the property but she had never met him. Even while at home and not away at the capital, Governor Iketani did not involve himself in the matters of household employees. This was the first time Rin had been this close to him and the first time she'd seen him not surrounded by his entourage.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he said.

"Oh! That's alright." Suddenly, she remembered herself and quickly bowed her head.

"Gomen nasai, Rin should have been quiet while working."

She'd never been caught breaking one of the rules before. Would she be kicked out? She pictured what Kaede-sama's face would be like if Rin had to tell her she'd been fired from the job the miko had procured for her because she couldn't follow a simple rule.

Not wanting to find herself in even more potential trouble, she tried to recall what she'd been instructed to do regarding the Lord of the house. Was she even supposed to be speaking to him? Shit, was she even allowed to look at him?

"Don't worry yourself, your transgression will remain between you and I."

Rin breathed a sigh of relief. From the glimpses she'd gotten of Iketani-sama, he'd seemed the stern and imposing type, like many men of his position. It was a pleasant surprise to find him so forgiving.

"On the contrary, I found your singing quite agreeable," he said. "Melodic, on key, well-pitched; it would be a shame for you to be punished for it."

He could tell all that from humming? Rin felt her cheeks heat up at the unexpected compliment. His informality with her stood in contrast to how the nobles of the house typically interacted with the workers. Mostly, you were ignored and treated as invisible unless you'd done something wrong.

"Oh, uh, thank you very much, Iketani-sama," Rin stuttered out.

"I've noticed you before," Iketani-sama said, surprising her.

"You have?"

He looked at her as though scrutinizing her. "When you work with the other servant girls, you stand out. Your kimono is so vibrant and colorful. Even seeing it up close now; just where does a servant girl get a kimono of such high quality?"

It wasn't the first time Rin had been asked such a question and she was sure it wouldn't be the last. As a result, she'd developed a standard stock answer that didn't involve having to explain herself too much.

"Rin has a benefactor," she replied. "He's very generous and every time I outgrow a kimono he brings me a new one."

"He must be a very wealthy man," Iketani-sama said, sounding impressed. "Does he not mind you performing manual labor in such nice clothing?"

Sesshoumaru had never cared the slightest bit what she did in the kimonos he gave her, even if everyone else seemed to. And even if he did care, it wasn't like she went rolling around in mud like a happy hog, like they seemed to act like she did.

Since she'd grown up more, Rin had made a more active attempt to keep her clothes in good condition, even if it meant giving up the joy of tumbling down hills or dancing out in the rain.

Rin carefully considered her answer.

"My Lord does not expect me to sit idle all day long. He knows I have responsibilities that would make being immaculate all the time impossible," she replied. She noticed how Iketani-sama leaned forward somewhat in attention.

"So, I don't think he would give me such fine things if he were really bothered by the idea that they could be ruined at any moment. Really, even when I was younger, I was always running around everywhere, always outside, fishing, hunting for mushrooms, digging around in the dirt."

She chuckled. "There were a million ways my clothes could get dirty but he never chided me about it."

"Your lord sounds like an interesting sort," Iketani said.

If you only knew the half of it, Rin thought.

"Your lord could have you dressed up like a pretty Hiina doll and confined to a castle, to remain unsullied by the world," the Governor said, like he understood everything. "But he understands that that is not your nature."

Rin smiled. "No, no," she shook her head. "That isn't my nature at all."

He smiled back. "Interesting man. I'd like to meet him someday."

One of the big doors at the end of the hall slid open and well-dressed noblemen began streaming out of it.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, young lady," Iketani-sama said as the group approached him.

Rin bowed again. "Thank you. It was nice meeting you as well, Iketani-sama."

Rin finished her work at the mansion and left for the day. On her walk back to the village, she found herself searching the skies for any sign of Sesshoumaru-sama. He had agreed to come visit her soon after the last time she saw him, and she had optimistically assumed he would've come around by then.

Rin shivered. The sun was going down, as it did earlier and earlier each day. It was even colder than when she'd come up that afternoon.

She started to skip along, trying to get her blood pumping to warm up her body. With her feet, she began to tap out a rhythm, mimicking the percussive beat she would make by striking her shime-daiko.

'As your silver hair hangs, speak it

Oh will you, forget me ne'er?

I hold a line of crimson twine

As you do too, everyday'

The words leave her mouth in puffs of air. Rin let new imagery coalesce in her mind and kept singing into the cold, darkening hour.

'As your silver sword swings, make me

A promise, you'll always swear

The moon is high and changing tides

On and on, in gentle waves'

Ogigayatsu Hiiragi Danjo, deputy shogun of the Kanto region, breathed in the steam from the warm tea. He loved warm tea on cold days, especially ones as stressful as that one had been. Staying in power was no easy feat in this warring age.

The screen to the tea room slid open and one if his retainers entered.

Danjo looked up and raised an eyebrow. Interruptions at tea time were not permitted unless it was a matter of utmost importance.

"Haven't I told you before that you are not to bother me during tea?"

"M'lord, I'm afraid it's urgent," his retainer said.

"Are we under attack?" Danjo asked.

His retainer shook his head. "No, but we have a most unusual visitor, sir. He's demanding to speak to the Lord of the house."

"A rival shogun?"

"No."

Who was this man demanding to speak to him? He frowned. The Ogigayatsu clan were not supposed to be easily intimidated.

"Who is with him? Did he bring an army?"

"He came alone, but-"

He slammed down his tea cup. "What is the meaning of this?" He sighed. "Find out if he's someone important and if he is, tell him he can wait for an audience. I am in the middle of tea."

His retainer didn't leave and to Danjo's exasperation, continued his timid appeal. "We don't know who he is and he refuses to explain, but…"

The man shot him a pleading expression. "Can't you just...come take a look for yourself."

The deputy shogun cursed and arose from his seat, irritated. Apparently, he had an unsolicited visitor, demanding an audience, and his men couldn't tell him who the man was or what he wanted.

He followed his retainer, not to the front gate like he expected, but to the meeting room. He felt a surge of indignation. They had just let this man into his meeting without his permission?

When the screen slid open and he saw who was seated inside, Danjo was taken aback to see that it didn't appear to be a man at all...at least not a human one.

His top advisor was kneeling across from their unwelcome guest. The advisor glanced at him nervously from the corner of his eye. Danjo walked into the middle of the room and sat down next to him.

He took in the features of the person in front of him. White-haired, but with an incongruously youthful face. Pointed ears. Facial markings.

Yokai, he thought.

"Are you Ogigayatsu Hiiragi Danjo?"

"That is I," he replied.

"My name is Sesshoumaru," the demon said, "and I have a proposition for you."