A/N: chapter bomb part 3/ 4

Someone requested they return to the dumpling shop. Ok then.

Rin was surprised as Sesshomaru changed her lesson consist and schedule after the day they'd gone to the market. There were many more lessons on etiquette and some on history and protocol in a court setting rather than her reading and writing. The sparring lessons stayed, but seemed more relaxed, more of a way to let off steam than anything else. Winter came and went and it was the beginning of march before Rin knew it. Each day was full of things to be doing and she cherished every moment spent with Sesshomaru, who seemed to have warmed up more and more as the weather grew colder.

Rin was sitting with him in the dining hall at lunch on the first of march. The mark she'd had had long since faded within the month it had appeared. She noticed he was distracted about something and coughed a little to get his attention. "is something wrong, milord? You seem very distant today."

He nodded a little and went back to his food. "my mother sent me a message."

"oh?"

"an…invitation," he clarified, "to the whelping festival. Word must have gotten back to her that I did not attend the Running this past fall. She must have assumed the best."

"the best of what?" Rin was a little confused, not making the connection as readily as Sesshomaru had.

"she did not state it outright in her message, but I know she assumed I did not attend the festival because I found a mate, and she expects me to attend the whelping because I will be having a child," he clarified, gritting his teeth. The entire situation was ridiculous.

It didn't help that Rin started giggling at his dilemma. He growled softly. "this is serious, Rin. I can't just leave it unanswered. But I cannot go and leave you here unprotected, and I cannot take you with me without my mother assuming the worst of you- of both of us."

Rin's face fell as she finally saw what a situation they were in. "but why couldn't I go? Surely you can protect me like always?" she said, confident in his abilities.

He shook his head. "InuYoukai may seem rare, but it's only because we don't meddle with humans. There will be well over a hundred of us in the palace, no doubt—everything from servants and guards to the daimyo lords and ladies of each of the eight clans. If any one of them so much as suspects you of being a consort of any male there, they have the right by law to kill you without trial. And keeping you constantly at my side to prevent that would only make things worse for me, as it would be clear who you belonged to." He sighed deeply. "the festival is a very joyous thing, and I would that you could see the celebration, but it simply isn't safe."

Rin gave him a soft smile and gently patted his hand where it rested on the table. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Sesshomaru-sama. You always do."

He nodded and returned to his food thoughtfully. Rin's confidence in his abilities rivalled his own. He would have to think of something…

In the end, he decided to inform his mother outright that he did not have a mate and did not wish to attend the festival. He did not bother explaining why he had not attended the Running- that was none of her business, as much as she liked to pretend everything was. He sent the reply with some apprehension, but his mother was suspiciously gracious about it all. She asked if he wanted to come to the palace in april, just to visit, since she hadn't seen him in quite some time, and he felt he had no choice but to agree, lest she decide to drop in unannounced.

The day before Sesshomaru was to go to the palace his mother lived in, he decided to take Rin shopping. They returned to the trading village they'd visited several times before just for a day to relax before what would undoubtedly be one of the most stressful days of Sesshomaru's long life.

Rin walked side by side with Sesshomaru down the market street, enjoying the surprisingly warm weather on that april day, a huge smile on her face as she surveyed the new wares that had recently come in from the traders. She found a fancy set of painted serving chopsticks and showed them to him, grinning. They didn't buy anything throughout the morning and Rin started tugging him toward the dumpling shop she loved to eat at every time they visited the village. He gave her an indulgent look and let her take his hand and tug him eagerly along the road.

Sesshomaru suddenly became aware of someone following them down the street through the crowd. Suspicious that it was one of his mother's minions, he stopped Rin short with a gentle tug and turned sharply around to face the threat- a small human boy.

"you've been following us." The boy cowered from the Daiyoukai's stern gaze and sharp words. "why?"

"i-i-it's just, I've never seen such a beautiful Lady before," the boy stammered, turning a painful shade of red. Rin was a little flattered at the comment and gave the boy a sweet smile. Sesshomaru gave Rin a momentary look of pride, subconsciously tightening his grip on her small hand a little. "yes, she is very beautiful," he agreed softly.

The boy turned to Rin, a begging look in his eyes. "please, miss, may I have a strand of hair to remember you by?" he asked plaintively. Sesshomaru opened his mouth to stop Rin from doing what the boy wanted, but she'd already combed her free hand through her raven strands to find a loose one and offered it to the boy. "thank you!" he blurted excitedly, scampering off. Rin smiled cheerfully after the boy and Sesshomaru sighed, knowing he was simply being overprotective.

"come on," she said, tugging at him once more. "I want the vegetable dumplings this time!" he followed, buying tea for the both of them to go along with the dumplings Rin asked for.

Meanwhile, the boy brought the hair he'd gotten from the youkai's woman to his master. He hadn't asked why the man needed it, but just done as he was told. The man nodded in satisfaction and sent the boy on his way, beginning his spell…

Rin was munching happily at the dumplings when she suddenly stopped, frowning, and set the rest of the dumpling back on her plate, uneaten. Sesshomaru noticed this immediately and frown softly. Rin winced, rubbing at her chest. "ah…my chest hurts…" she murmured softly.

Sesshomaru leapt over the low table to catch Rin as she suddenly tipped backwards, her eyes rolling back in her head with a small gasp. He managed to stop her head from hitting the ground and quickly scooped her into his arms, tossing a few coins on the table and hurrying out, feeling her breathing shallow out as her heart raced with pain and her skin started to grow cold. He took Ah-Un back, urging the two-headed dragon to greater speed, desperate to get her home where she was safe so he could figure out what the matter was…

It was soon clear when he laid her gently in his own bed that she was worsening rapidly. Sesshomaru didn't know enough about humans to know what was wrong, and neither did his healer. He went out in search of a human healer who would know better how to help Rin, and quickly encountered a wandering monk. He knew there was a monk that travelled with his younger brother for some time and settled down in the same village, and hoped that this monk would have some medical knowledge as well, since he smelled of herbs. He explained the situation as briefly as possible, and the man could see the youkai's honesty and agreed to come along quickly.

The monk went straight to Rin to examine her once they reached the manor once again. Sesshomaru stood stock-still by the door, forcing himself not to pace with worry. He could not let her die, but she seemed so very sick all of a sudden…

Once the monk had finished his quick assessment, he turned to the Daiyoukai, bowing deeply. "milord, there is little I can do," the monk began. "but…"

"but?" Sesshomaru seized upon the word of doubt like a lifeline. "but what?"

"well, there is a procedure I know…it is very risky…"

"spit it out!" he barked, the edges of his eyes beginning to turn red with his desperate anger. As far as he could tell, Rin was dying right in front of him, and he would do anything if it meant she would live.

"I need the life force of a lesser youkai, or a few drops of blood or a hair from a Daiyoukai like yourself. I could use the life force from this to sustain her and heal her." The monk had barely finished explaining before Sesshomaru had ripped out several strands of his calf-length white hair and held it out.

"do it."

The monk was momentarily shocked at the speed of the agreement, and took the hairs carefully. "now, Milord, I must ask you to leave. The process is a delicate one." Sesshomaru frowned darkly, but quickly left and shut the door behind him, settling down against the wall opposite. He heard muttering and a rhythmic chanting, but had no idea the 'monk' was actually sealing the rest of the curse his master had begun on the young woman. When he was done, he draped a veil over the girl's face with a dark smirk, then stepped out and bowed deeply to the youkai, who got to his feet in an instant. "she will be fine, now, but must not be disturbed until sunrise. I will offer prayers for her survival."

Sesshomaru frowned darkly but nodded to the monk, indicating the man was dismissed.

Jaken ran up the stairs as the man departed, panting in worry. "Sesshomaru-sama! What has happened to Rin?" he blurted. "is she all right?"

"I'm…not exactly sure…" Sesshomaru frowned concernedly.

Jaken squawked in alarm. "not sure?! How can you not be sure?!" the imp demanded of his master. He was swiftly clutching a bump on his head.

"I'm not sure, because the monk ordered me out of the room," he growled impatiently.

"well then, why don't you go and look?" Jaken asked reasonably. He hurried over to Sesshomaru's door, only to fly across and hit the opposite wall with a sharp ZAP. "ah! A barrier here?" he yelped.

"yes…he must have set one up to protect her from me. We cannot disrupt her, Jaken. At all." Sesshomaru shifted to sit back against the wall, staring at his door with a mask of calm that belied his inner turmoil.

"ohhh…if only we could at least see her…" the imp whined, walking to Rin's door and managing to nudge it open a little. A clawed hand grabbed his Suikan and dragged him back, and Jaken stared nervously at his master's hard face.

"I said no, Jaken. If we bother her before sunrise, she may get worse and die." The imp squirmed.

"That monk is not to be trusted! He dared to place a youkai barrier in the very house of a Daiyoukai lord!" he blurted, earning himself another lump on the head.

"You will bite your tongue and bear the waiting as I must." Jaken wilted in his master's grip and Sesshomaru set him down surprisingly gently. "when dawn comes," he said, still staring at his door as if he could see Rin through it, "I will allow you to enter first."

Jaken immediately bowed and thanked his lord, running off for food and tea so that they could sit vigil overnight.

The barrier Sesshomaru could sense blocking all entrances to his room broke just as the sun cleared the horizon the next morning, and, true to his word, he allowed Jaken to go in first as he slid the door open. Rin's head was covered in a veil, he saw, and her hands were curled loosely into fists. "she is warm again, milord, and she seems well," jaken piped, causing Rin to groan slightly and stir for the first time since the day before. Sesshomaru closed the rest of the distance between them in a heartbeat and knelt down beside her, pulling the veil off and turning away to dip a rag in a bucket of water that had been left there. He turned back-

"what in the seven hells?..."