A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update, I was really trying to get to the point where they meet again before updating, but I felt bad about making you wait, so although they have not met back up, here is a little update! Hope you enjoy! -Aika
P.S. I still have not gotten used to writing all of the filler/important information chapters. Hopefully it gets easier the longer I do it! .
Day 3 - 5:50 AM
Rin awoke to the sight of silver hair all around her. Gasping in excitement she fully sat up and looked down to see a sleeping Lord Sesshoumaru.
She cocked her head to the side. She could not remember the last time she had ever seen him sleeping. She knew he did not really require sleep, but he would often indulge her and stay near her with his eyes closed so she would close hers. But to beat him to waking up, that was truly unheard of.
She looked him up and down, making sure that he was not hurt. Nothing seemed to be amiss.
'Hmmm… how odd.' She thought. Perhaps he had exhausted himself getting to the fortress quickly?' She wondered to herself.
She shrugged her shoulders and was about to get ready for the day when she noticed a little mark that peeked out of his kimono. She leaned down closer to take a good look. The mark was right at the juncture of his neck, it was reddish purple, and had little indents all around it. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn it looked like a bite mark.
'But who would bite Lord Sesshoumaru though?' She shook her head and decided that it was time to get ready for her lessons. She could ask him about it later.
"Rin." InuKimis' voice called out from behind the shoji doors.
"Coming!" Rin answered aloud before realizing her mistake. She covered her mouth quickly and looked back to see Lord Sesshoumaru. He was sitting upright on the futon, as if he had never even fallen asleep. He looked at her and nodded. Rin gave him a toothy grin and opened the door, allowing InuKimi and the ladies in waiting to come in and help her dress.
"Good morning Rin." InuKimi said. Rin replied in kind and was led away to her own adjoining rooms to be dressed.
"Sesshoumaru." InuKimi said.
"Mother." He replied. He stood up and got ready for the day, fixing his kimono and securing his armor around him.
"Arisu will be dining with us this evening." She said as she sat down on a plump cushion.
Sesshoumaru scowled. "So it was her stench I smelled as I came in last night." He said.
His mother rolled her eyes. He obviously knew it had been her. "Yes. Be grateful that she will not be having breakfast with us too." She replied.
"The last thing I need is to entertain her, but I thought the whole reason for me coming home was so that I could be with my potential mates. Is that not what you wanted, mother?" He spat at her. He had no intention of eating breakfast, dinner or anything with that demoness, but he also did not like playing into his mothers games.
"If you so wish it, you can have breakfast with her, son. I simply thought I would save you the trouble." She said, calling his bluff.
"Hn. You would have saved me the trouble had you not called me back in the first place." He said, taking a seat in front of her.
"Enough, Sesshoumaru. You are here now." She stated.
"Or perhaps, is there another reason you did not wish to be disturbed?" She asked after a moment of silence.
Sesshoumaru only glared at her, refusing to answer her question.
They stared at each other, neither one willing to blink or look away.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Mother!" Rin's excited voice cut through the tense air like a hot blade and they both sat back and relaxed. "They said we would be having breakfast in our room today!" Rin finished.
Sesshoumaru shot his mother with another questioning glance. She nodded, "Yes Rin, that is correct. I figured we could use a nice, intimate breakfast this morning." She supplied. Sesshoumaru understood at once. Arisu had not been dissuaded from eating breakfast with him, she was simply forbidden from entering the family chambers without his authority.
He nodded back at his mother and motioned for the servers to walk in and set up their meals; rice, fish, miso soup, and fresh berries. Rin talked about lessons and InuKimi mentioned that the Northern princess would be arriving tomorrow, and the Eastern one the day after that, provided she felt better. He merely nodded, his thoughts a million miles away as he stared at the fish and berries and realized that once again, he was utterly starving - for her.