Author's Notes:

To clarify, this story does take place during the sengoku era. I know I may use western terms for the castle, I live in the US and that is the easiest terms for me to use. When it comes to certain aspects of the story, I will do research and, in some areas, I may not. I will always let you know if I am making stuff up thou.

Chapter Three

All Alone in the Night

There wasn't any noise, she could see that her parent's mouths were moving but there were no words. Everything was muffled. Then everything went silent.

Rin looked down at her hands, she rubbed her fingers together. Her fingers were smooth. Rin's eyes traveled from her fingers to her arms, taking in the smooth skin and the random pattern of freckles that adorned her arms. Have her arms always been so smooth? Had those freckles always been there?

She tried to swallow but her throat wouldn't work. There was no saliva in her mouth, her mouth was dry.

When she tried to speak her voice wouldn't work. Her voice is gone. No words to be said.

Everything was hazy. Her eyes could not focus when she looked up from her arms, her parent's faces were blurry. Her vision was becoming dark around the edges. Hazy.

Everything seemed to just stop. Nothing moved anymore. Time stood still.

Her vision. Her world goes from bright colors to gray. Her vision darkens until she sees nothing. Everything goes completely black. Her world is filled with darkness.

….
….

Fog. There was that fog again. How did she get here, she was just with her parents.

Oh god, that's right….

"You're not supposed to be here."

Trying to find the voice, Rin called out, "Who are you? Where am I?"

"You're not supposed to be here." The voice said more forcefully.

…
…

Voices, she could hear voices.

"…..Rin…..open…."

Struggling against the darkness, Rin focused on the voices.

"Arina…need you…..eyes."

It was getting brighter; Rin was closer to the voices.

"Arina, I need you to open your eyes."

Suddenly the cold amber eyes were on her again, "You need to wake up." Rin was then violently shoved sending her flying through the thick fog.

Rin bolted up from the floor, panting for air.

Clutching her chest, Rin thought, 'Those eyes again, so cold.'

Still panting, Rin took in her surroundings. Her father and mother were staring at her kneeling next to her on the floor. Healer Fumiko was to her side and Maiko was at her feet looking worried.

"What happened?"

"You fainted." King Ishida said.

The king turned to thank Fumiko and ushered her and Maiko out of the room.

Returning to her senses, Rin took calming breaths. She remembered now. Her mother had told her that the western lands want her to marry their son. Just when Rin felt relief at not having to marry one demon, she then finds out she is to marry another demon.

With the help of her father, Rin stood and walked to the window. The sun had set; the day went by so fast. She hadn't seen her brothers since this morning. Her brothers….

Rin sadly smiled to herself.

'I'm happy I did everything I could to make sure they did not know what was going on outside these castle walls.'

Nothing but silence stretched in the eerily quiet room, the king and queen waiting on their daughter's response. They both looked to each in worry and then back to their daughter's prone back simply waiting.

"They want me to marry their son, how does that help our alliance?"

"They believe that by our houses marrying together, it sends a message that we are united. That our two powerful kingdoms will be unstoppable once we are fully backing each other. The eastern and northern lands are also doing the same. Their prince and princess will also be marrying." King Ishida said.

"It is said that the princess of the northern lands already had a suitor wanting to marry her. Their engagement had to be called off so their alliance could happen. It is said the young princess is completely shattered." Queen Kaori said softly.

Both the king and queen waited as their daughter said nothing. They knew there was nothing else to be said. No words could mend the rift that started to form between the parents and daughter.

"When am I to marry their son? Will he be living here us with?" Rin finally said turning to look at her parents keeping her face blank.

Going to sit by the fire that was started by Maiko, King Ishida sat and sighed out, "As for the ceremony, it will take place at the next new moon. I tried to negotiate that you and their son could live here, but they would not concede. They are allowing you to take one servant with you to your new home. I'll inform Maiko she is to be ready to leave since I know she has been loyally serving you since you were a small child."

Queen Kaori moved forward to cup Rin's cheeks, "Your coming-of-age ceremony will go on as normal, the day after the ceremony you will depart for the western lands."

Rin keeping her face a blank mask pulled away from her mother. Bowing to both her parents, Rin spoke, "Is there anything else that I should know regarding our new alliance? Is there anything else I can do to serve my kingdom?"

Both of her parents took in her still expression and shook their heads no, knowing that their daughter had closed herself off from them.

"Under the circumstances, I do not feel well enough to attend tonight's feast. If you would be so kind as to give my regards to our guests."

King Ishida, "I will explain that you suddenly came down with a cold."

"Rin, about you marrying their son-" The queen started but was cut off by Rin.

"If that is all, may I please be excused?"

Queen Kaori lowered her head, not being able to look her daughter in the eye, "Yes, you may go."

"Father. Mother." Rin bowed once more and then left the room leaving both her parents feeling as though they just had a hand in destroying their daughter's once vibrant spirit.

~oOo~

Rin barely remembered walking to her room, she vaguely heard Asano and Maiko telling her something as they ushered her into her bedroom. Once in her bedroom, Maiko was trying to talk to her, pulling her sleeping yukata from her wardrobe, gently sitting Rin down at her vanity to get her ready for bed. Maiko then proceeded to light candles around Rin's bedroom to provide them light within the darkness of Rin's room.

"Leave," Rin said softly.

"Princess?"

"I said to leave, I wish to be alone."

Rin watched as Maiko hesitated.

"Would you disobey your princess?" Rin harshly said turning to stare at Maiko.

"Never princess," Maiko said bowing.

"Then leave, I wish to be alone. Please have no one disturb me until morning."

Maiko did as she told and left the room, giving one last look at her princess, then quietly shut the door.

Rin knew that Maiko did not deserve her harsh treatment, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to be alone. Rin stared at herself in her vanity mirror. She could see the sadness in her eyes. Not being able to take the look of betrayal on her own face, Rin turned and made her way to the outdoor patio on her balcony.

Staring into the night sky, Rin let out a broken cry of anguish, beating her hands on the stone railing ignoring the pain. Openly crying now, Rin slide down the railing landing on her knees.

"Why?" Rin sobbed out.

Rin never wanted any of this, she didn't want her stupid coming of age ceremony, she didn't want her kingdom to be at war, she didn't want her brother Akashi to die, she didn't want to marry a demon she didn't know. She didn't want any of this.

Folding her knees to her chest, Rin wrapped her arms around her legs for warmth. How she wished she could be anywhere but here. For the first time in her life, Rin wished she wasn't a princess. Being a princess meant she had many responsibilities to her kingdom and right now she wanted to flee from it all. Maybe in another life, she was nothing more than a peasant girl, running barefoot in a dirty tattered yukata living with her family in some unknown village. Maybe in that life, she was traveling the countryside with her trusted steed with not a care in the world.

Looking towards the night sky again, Rin saw a shooting star. Closing her eyes, Rin made a wish.

"Please let my new husband come to love me and I for him."

Knowing that this marriage would happen, either way, Rin thought best to embrace her future, and seeing the shooting star gave her hope.

Gathering her strength, Rin stood up from the hard ground and made her way back into her bedroom. She didn't bother changing out of her kimono, she simply crawled into bed and pull the thick blanket around her, and buried herself inside not wanting to bother with the outside world anymore.

~oOo~

She was here again, the place with the fog. This time it wasn't so foggy though. Deciding to make herself comfortable, Rin sat down on the cool ground.

"Are you there?"

Silence.

"Look if you're there, please say something. I'm not in the mood to deal with this place or whatever this place is." Rin said looking around. She looked down and saw that she was still in the same kimono from earlier.

"Why are you here?" Rin heard the voice call out from the fog.

"Why are you here?" Rin shot back.

"Such a sharp tongue for a princess."

Curiosity peaked now, Rin asked, "How did you know I was a princess?"

Silence.

"Are you related to the great Inu No Taisho?"

"What makes you think that?"

Rin smiled, and thought 'Gotcha!'

"What are you smiling about? I merely asked a question."

"Why can you see me, but I can't see you?"

Silence.

"Will you please at least answer one of my questions. I don't even know how I got here." Rin said with a sigh.

The voice called out, "I'm not sure how you are here, I can see you because my mind is stronger, and I have trained for this. From what I can tell you never trained for this and this puzzles me."

"You and me both," Rin whispered out.

"I answered one of your questions, will you answer one of mine?"

"Why not? Not like I'm going anywhere."

"Why are you sad?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Silence.

"I found out today that I am to be married within the month. I also found out my parents were lying to me as well. I found out many things today….." Rin trailed off.

Silence.

Rin stood up at this point and called out when she heard nothing.

"Mr. Voice?"

"Does the news of you marrying upset you?"

"Well yes, I do not know the man I am to marry. I hear his people are honorable but…"

"But what?"

"Will he come to love me? Will I be able to love him?"

Silence.

"I know I am a princess and that the possibility of me marrying for love could be slim, but I had always hoped that maybe I could find my husband myself. That I would marry for love."

Silence.

"I was such a fool to believe that was possible," Rin said blinking back the tears in her eyes.

Rin didn't know why she was sharing all this information with the voice which most likely belongs to the cold amber eyes but…..since she was here, she figured there was nothing wrong with sharing since she may very well never met this amber eye person.

Suddenly Rin felt warmth surrounding her and the fog starting to disperse, leaving her in lush green forest. Looking around, Rin saw the largest tree she has ever seen. Walking towards the tree, Rin can now hear birds chirping, the cicadas singing, and she also notices that it's still night wherever she is. Pressing her palm to the large trunk, she feels a strange hum emanating from it.

"The tree does not frighten you?"

Rin jumped; the voice sounded closer. The voice sounded like it right next to her. Looking around Rin started slowly walking around the tree to see if the owner of the voice was on the other side.

"Why would it frighten me?"

"The tree is alive. It is called the God Tree or the Tree of Ages."

Having made a complete circle around the tree, Rin found no one.

Pressing her palm to the tree again, "I think I have heard of this tree in one of the books of my family's library. It is a very old tree, right?"

"You are correct."

"The tree is sad…." Rin said pressing her palm harder into the cool bark.

"How do you know that?"

"Because it told me," Rin said matter of factly.

"Can you not hear it? It's crying." Rin said, softy.

Rin could feel the sadness coming off the tree, she could tell the tree once had life but now…something was hurting the tree.

"I can hear it, it's crying out for something. It's too hard to tell what it's saying though….." Rin said closing her eyes and trying with all her might to implore the tree to her what was wrong.

"You are the first to ever hear it speak….."

"Oh?….." Rin stated, pulling her hand from the tree.

"Where are you? I wish to see you."

"What if I am a monster?"

"I do not believe you are a monster. You brought me here to this beautiful place."

"Maybe I brought you here because I knew you would let down your guard and I plan on gobbling you up like I have done with all the fair young maidens I have lured here."

Rin stopped to think, "No I do not believe that to be true."

"How do you know that? The other times you have been here, I have pushed you out."

"True but this time you asked how I was. The second time I was here you told me I needed to wake up at the same time my family was trying to wake me. Maybe the first time I was here I surprised you?"

Silence.

"Ha! That's it isn't it? Wherever this is, I'm not supposed to be here, and I surprised you when I showed up didn't I?!"

More silence.

"You're not a monster, please let me see you."

"Up."

Rin confused, looked up but saw nothing.

"Look harder."

Walking around the tree again, Rin came to a stop when she looked up again and barely saw an outline of a figure. It was so dark it was hard to see the mystery man. Looking towards all the tree branches, Rin knew that they were all too high for her to grab.

"I still cannot see you, won't you please come down?"

"Your time is almost up; you need to go."

"What? No, wait. Please let me stay."

Rin felt herself being pulled away and the fog returning.

"No wait, please! Tell me your name! Will we meet again?!"

"We will meet again. Go now."

~oOo~

Rin's eyes opened to darkness. Looking around, she realized it was still night out. Sitting up, Rin took a deep breath. At least this time, she wasn't pushed out by the voice.

Rin sat there puzzled; the amber color eyes were nicer to her this time.

The God Tree…..Rin had heard of that tree from one of her tutors. She decided that in the morning she would go to the family library to search for any books regarding the tree. She could not remember where the tree was located. Maybe if she tracked down the tree she could find out where the mystery man is.

Sitting up and needing to clear her head, Rin climbed out of her bed and put on one of her lighter yukatas. Opening the balcony doors, she climbed down the terrace. Her father had the terrace installed for aesthetic purposes, but Rin had discovered she was able to climb it. Whenever she was in a foul mood or wanted space from her family, she would climb down and walk the large gardens. It was nice to be away and not have people constantly watch over her. Even Maiko did not know she did this.

Rin was absorbed into her own thoughts she did not realize she was not alone and ran into Lady Izayoi and her son Inuyasha also taking a late-night walk.

Rin gasped and quickly bowed.

"I apologize my lady and my lord for disturbing you. I shall you in peace." Rin stated while also thinking, 'I guess I should get used to referring to him as my soon-to-be husband.'

Rin had turned to leave but she felt a gentle hand stop her, turning back she found herself looking into Lady Izayoi's kind eyes.

"Dear Princess, please stay."

Izayoi turned and whispered something to her son and Inuyasha soon walked further ahead giving the two human women privacy.

Rin allowed Izayoi to set the pace and softly trailed next to her.

They both walked in silence for a while and then Izayoi spoke, "My husband and I missed your presence at dinner tonight. Your father said you had taken ill…."

"Uh yes. I had eaten earlier in the day with my younger brothers, it must not have sat well with me." Rin said softly.

"I see…"

After another moment of silence, Izayoi quietly said, "I dare to say that your father and mother have revealed to you the terms of our request informing our alliance?"

Rin stopped in her tracks.

"Ah, so you are aware of the marriage between you and my son then?" Izayoi asked turning to look at the young princess.

Rin lowered her head, "Yes my lady. I can only hope that I can add to your well-known and strong family. It is my great honor-"

Rin was surprised when Izayoi cut her off, "No need to speak so formally right now, it's just the two of us."

"You have never been in love have you, princess?" Izayoi asked.

"No, my lady."

Rin had a few crushes over the years growing up. Two summers ago, a stable hand was hired by the head handler of their horses that Rin had become very fond of. His name was Ikeda, he was very handsome. He was a bit older than her, maybe in his early 20s, he also seemed to sense her curiosity in him. Whenever she was near the stables, he always allowed her to come in when she was not supposed to be there and pet the horses. She also noticed that he would give her lingering looks and sometimes his touches stayed a bit longer when helping her saddle on her pony for her afternoon strolls.

It wasn't until one evening that Ikeda had helped her down from her horse when he kept his hands on her waist longer than necessary and gave her her first kiss. Her lips felt tingling afterward, the kiss leaving her speechless. She barely recalled going back to her room. Once there, she squealed in delight telling Maiko everything that happened. Maiko and her laughed and giggled over what could happen well into the late hours.

The next day, she was met by a new stable hand when she had gone back to see him. When asked about Ikeda, the head handler had advised her that Ikeda was only hired for the summer, that Ikeda decided to move east for new opportunities. It was so strange; Ikeda had never mentioned anything about going away. If she recalled correctly, he had only just moved to their lands a week before taking up employment at the castle.

Having no way to reach him, Rin merely went about the rest of her summer, slowly forgetting him.

Now she was talking to her soon-to-be added mother with her soon-to-be husband not far away.

"I understand that this will be hard for you, marrying someone you have never met," Izayoi said quietly resuming their walk.

"I suppose I was fortunate that I married the man I fell in love with."

"You're Toga's second wife, are you not?" Rin asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

"I see…." Rin said trailing off.

Rin heard Izayoi chuckle next to her.

Rin feeling embarrassed quickly added, "I'm sorry my lady, I do not mean to imply-"

Izayoi cut of her by gently stating, "It's alright dear princess, I know it's not common in these parts of the lands. Toga, his first wife, and I all love each other. It may seem strange to others, but we are happy together."

Out of the blue, Rin heard Inuyasha said, "It's still fucking weird if you ask me…"

"Inuyasha." Izayoi snapped at her son.

Rin held back a small laugh that threatened to escape.

"Forgive my son's lack of decorum, sometimes he forgets where he is. Although he may be over 200 years old, he still acts like a child. A child that his mother will not to hesitate to take over her knee." Izayoi said while shooting daggers at her son to which Inuyasha quickly walked farther ahead of them.

"200 years old?!" Rin gasped out. When looking at Inuyasha he only looked a few years older than her.

"But that would make you…..I mean….how old are you!?" Rin sputtered out.

"Ah, a lady never reveals her age princess," Izayoi said with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Forgive me, my lady," Rin said bowing low.

"Nothing to forgive princess. Would it surprise you to hear that Toga is well over 1,000 years old? At least that is what he tells me."

"I had no idea; you both appear as my parents' age," Rin said astonished.

"How is this possible? Aren't you human?"

"You will learn about this once you reach your new home," Izayoi said smiling.

And with that simple statement, Rin's reality quickly came back to her.

"Of course," Rin said forcing a smile on her face.

Lady Izayoi and Rin continue their walk with Inuyasha leading the way. Once they made a full walk around the gardens, Izayoi turned, "Well it is late and I'm sure my husband will be wondering where I am."

Izayoi stepped forward and cupped Rin's cheek, "I understand that all of this must be hard to accept but please know that we look forward to welcoming you to our family. You will be treasured and cared for in the western lands. I only ask that you give us and our son a chance to prove our worth to you."

Rin, not sure what exactly to say, simply nodded at Lady Izayoi.

Izayoi smiled and turned towards her son Inuyasha, Inuyasha stepping forward and tucking his mother's hand into his arm.

"My lord, my lady," Rin said bowing and watched as they made their way back into the castle.

Rin looked towards the night sky, sighing, and decided she needed to head in as well. She needed to be ready for what tomorrow would bring.

~oOo~

Author's Notes:

As you continue to read this, everything is not what you think it is ;)

The next update is next Thursday!