"I Have Always Loved You"
Part III.
It was getting close to sundown and Rin would have to hurry if she wanted to make it to dinner on time. After her retched encounter with Nioka she had traded her blue silk kimono dress for her black warrior outfit that Sango had given to her as a present when she had slain her first demon, grabbed her sword, climbed the rear castle walls and headed towards the village that was only a few miles from the castle.
Rin had been at the village for a while playing with the children there as she always loved to do. She had just finished telling them a story about a puppy and a kitten who had fell in love and found happiness despite their being different when she noticed that the sun was setting. Of course the story had a direct correlation to Sesshomaru and Rin, but the children did not know that.
"Bye Guys," Rin said as she turned to leave.
"Rin, promise us that you will come back tomorrow," said a beautiful little girl named Sayo.
Rin bent down and tweaked Sayo's nose which caused the little girl to giggle.
"I promise I'll return Sayo, but I can't guarantee that it will be tomorrow, although I will try," said Rin smiling.
"Ok!" Said Sayo as she jumped into Rin's arms for a hug.
Rin smiled and hugged Sayo back in response and kissed her cheek tenderly. It warmed her heart to know that the little girl admired her so. Rin placed Sayo back on her feet and waved goodbye to the rest of the children and the villagers and headed home.
Rin smiled to herself as she thought about a child of her own as she walked through the woods that lead back to the castle.
What?!!!! Thought Rin as she felt immediate alarm that jarred her from her thoughts. Rin immediately started to run. She jumped, landed on a tree trunk and then jumped again and did a forwards flip, went up high in the air and landed on a tree branch. Rin immediately crouched down on the branch and skimmed the area including the skies above.
Rin stayed in the tree for what seemed like thirty minutes and then cursed. She would never make it back in time before dinner, but she did sense something yet nothing seemed to be there. Better stay off the ground until I reach near the castle she thought as she jumped and flipped through the trees. Rin had made it to castle and it was now dark.
"Damn!" she said as she jumped the castle walls and stayed low until she reached her bed chambers. Rin quickly took off her warrior clothes and donned a beautiful white silk kimono with blue and yellow humming bird stitched patterns and took her hair out of the pony tail it was in and secured it behind her shoulders with a ribbon at the very tip of her hair.
By the time Rin had arrived to dinner, it seemed as if everyone had just started eating. Rin came into the room that was full of laughter and quite conversation and tried to be as inconspicuous as she could, but once she entered all sounds ceased and everyone looked her way.
Damn! Thought Rin as she bowed her head and immediately took her place on the right of Sesshomaru as he sat at the head of the banquet. Now Sesshomaru would definitely have a reason to punish her for being late for dinner.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I apologize for being late for dinner this evening," said Rin as she bowed before Sesshomaru. Rin always showed Sesshomaru respect when they had an audience. When she had at first reached her teens Rin and Sesshomaru could not agree on anything but the older she got the more she realized that Sesshomaru did have her best interests at heart. So she had promised herself that she would always show him the respect that he deserved.
Everyone had literally stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Damn people! Mind your own business! Thought Rin as she immediately became angered.
"I accept your apology Rin. Just don't let it happen again," said Sesshomaru as he smiled at her.
Rin felt her heart skip several beats. Boy Sesshomaru was absolutely gorgeous. She felt herself becoming giddy and immediately toned it down. What was happening to her? She was falling for him more and more each day.
There was a huge hush after Sesshomaru had forgiven her and then everyone started back into their own conversations again. Rin took her seat and started to drink some tea that was placed before her by one of the castle servants. She wondered what they were all saying. Times like these she would love to have Sesshomaru's sense of hearing. She knew that he could hear every word and no one would be stupid enough to say anything about him or her while he was in the room.
Rin was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize who sat on Sesshomaru's left until she heard a voice that made her skin crawl. It sounded one-hundred times worst than when Jaken tried to sing at Karaoke night when Kagome had brought back a machine with her to Sesshomaru's last birthday bash. Jaken had gotten drunk off of sake and tried to sing 'Billie Jean.' Rin could never remember laughing so hard. Even Sesshomaru had laughed at that.
Nioka was laughing at something that obviously Sesshomaru had said but that Rin knew was by no means funny. Nioka was wearing a black silk kimono with flower prints and kept touching her hand to her chest so as to draw Sesshomaru's attention there. If Rin was a dog demon she would growl a warning to Nioka that said "Hey Bitch Get Your Eyes Off Of My Man!!!!"
As if Nioka had heard Rin's thoughts she turned her malevolent glaze on her.
"So Rin," she said as she picked up her cup of sake and took a drink.
"Have fun in the village with the children today?" She asked as she smiled.
Rin felt alarms go off in her head. How did Nioka know that she had gone to the village? Was she the presence that Rin felt in the forest?
Sesshomaru looked at Rin-whose eyes were shooting daggers at Nioka- and then back at Nioka who was smiling sweetly at Rin. Sesshomaru could fell a chick fight coming on. He had to do something to stop it.but wait-didn't he hear Nioka ask Rin about going to the village today?
Rin calmed herself down and forced a smile upon her face.
"I don't know what you are talking about Nioka. I have not been to the village today. You know that Lord Sesshomaru has forbid it?"
Nioka placed her cup back down and shook her head.
"No, I'm certain that I saw *you* in the village today. When you were late for dinner I assumed that was the reason why. Was it not?" Nioka asked daring Rin to lie in front of Sesshomaru.
Rin could feel Sesshomaru's eyes on her and the eyes of everyone one else in the room. She could not lie, especially to Sesshomaru. Of course she could avoid the question, but that was not likely since Sesshomaru was waiting for an answer.
Rin wanted so badly to dive across the banquet and beat the living hell out Nioka that she started to shake. Rin took a deep breathe and then looked Sesshomaru in his beautiful golden eyes and almost lost herself in their depths. She could not read his expression but his eyes were warm.
"I was in the village this afternoon," she said to Sesshomaru and heard a loud hush in the room as many of the people at the dinner banquet started to gossip no less about Rin defying Sesshomaru. No doubt she had made him loose face among his court and she knew that the only way he could save embarrassment was to punish her.
"I went by to play with the children," Rin said as she then looked away from Sesshomaru least she see the disappointment in his face.
Nioka smiled and took another drink of sake. "Rin, now you know better," Nioka said as if she were scowling a child.
"We will have to just think of some type of punishment for you," she said.
WE, thought Rin. There was no way in hell that Nioka would have a say in anything that concerned Rin.
"Humans, they can be such idiots sometimes. Honestly Rin I thought some of our intelligence as demons would have rubbed off on you somehow," she said as the many of the demons in the court laughed-except Sesshomaru.
That was it. It was one thing for Nioka to follow her, call her out and reveal her business to everyone at the court but it was another thing to call her stupid. Of course Rin didn't want to be accused of starting the fight but .oh well.what the hell she thought as she dived across the table and grabbed Nioka's neck. Nioka was so shocked that she did not do anything at first as she landed on the floor on her back while Rin lay on top of her trying to choke her.
There was a huge commotion and Rin heard one of the younger male dog demons yell, "CHICK FIGHT!!!"
Nioka quickly recovered and pushed Rin off of her and quickly stood up. Rin and she stared each other down for what seemed like minutes but what was only a few seconds.
Sesshomaru thought he should intervene but this fight had been brewing for a while and Rin needed to get some of her frustration out. He would break it up soon but not now. Nioka growled and got into battle stance as she looked at Rin.
Nioka then leapt forward and Rin did a spinning round kick and knocked the female dog demon back across the room. Then Rin did a forward front flip into the air and landed in front of Nioka where she lay on the floor. Rin began to kick Nioka in the sides and then Nioka grabbed Rin's leg and pulled her down onto the floor and jumped on top of Rin and tried to choke her and pull her hair.
"Get. off. of. me. you.BITCH!!!!" Yelled Rin as she pulled her knees up and pushed Nioka back with her feet.
Rin jumped up off of the floor off of her back ninja style and ran towards Nioka who was now standing as well. Rin ran towards Nioka and proceeded to run up Nioka's body and kick her hard in the face and then flipped behind her, landed on her feet and kicked the dog demon in her back sending her sprawling down onto the floor.
Sesshomaru was impressed! As well as everyone else it seemed. Rin could certainly take care of herself but Sesshomaru felt Nioka's demon blood start to heat up and it would not be long before she turned into her true form. Sesshomaru finally intervened and stopped the fight. He had to grab Rin and squeeze her in his arms to calm her down. He could hear her heart beat rapidly and he knew that she was not finished with Nioka but he did not want to see her get hurt.
"Rin," he said. Please calm down now!" Sesshomaru whispered in her ear.
Rin felt chills go down her body when she realized that Sesshomaru was holding her in his arms. She felt his warm breath against her neck close to her ear and she got goose bumps all over.
Nioka got up off of the floor with her hair in a mess and growled at Rin. Sesshomaru growled back and then Nioka looked shocked, scared and then left the room. Rin was curious and wondered what was said.
Rin looked around the dinner banquet room and saw that Nioka and she had really torn up the place. Sesshomaru dismissed everyone from the room and turned Rin to face him.
"Rin, Rin," he said tenderly.
"What am I going to do with you?" He asked.
Rin could think of at least two things, but she dare not say them and prayed that Sesshomaru could not read the expression on her face.
Part III.
It was getting close to sundown and Rin would have to hurry if she wanted to make it to dinner on time. After her retched encounter with Nioka she had traded her blue silk kimono dress for her black warrior outfit that Sango had given to her as a present when she had slain her first demon, grabbed her sword, climbed the rear castle walls and headed towards the village that was only a few miles from the castle.
Rin had been at the village for a while playing with the children there as she always loved to do. She had just finished telling them a story about a puppy and a kitten who had fell in love and found happiness despite their being different when she noticed that the sun was setting. Of course the story had a direct correlation to Sesshomaru and Rin, but the children did not know that.
"Bye Guys," Rin said as she turned to leave.
"Rin, promise us that you will come back tomorrow," said a beautiful little girl named Sayo.
Rin bent down and tweaked Sayo's nose which caused the little girl to giggle.
"I promise I'll return Sayo, but I can't guarantee that it will be tomorrow, although I will try," said Rin smiling.
"Ok!" Said Sayo as she jumped into Rin's arms for a hug.
Rin smiled and hugged Sayo back in response and kissed her cheek tenderly. It warmed her heart to know that the little girl admired her so. Rin placed Sayo back on her feet and waved goodbye to the rest of the children and the villagers and headed home.
Rin smiled to herself as she thought about a child of her own as she walked through the woods that lead back to the castle.
What?!!!! Thought Rin as she felt immediate alarm that jarred her from her thoughts. Rin immediately started to run. She jumped, landed on a tree trunk and then jumped again and did a forwards flip, went up high in the air and landed on a tree branch. Rin immediately crouched down on the branch and skimmed the area including the skies above.
Rin stayed in the tree for what seemed like thirty minutes and then cursed. She would never make it back in time before dinner, but she did sense something yet nothing seemed to be there. Better stay off the ground until I reach near the castle she thought as she jumped and flipped through the trees. Rin had made it to castle and it was now dark.
"Damn!" she said as she jumped the castle walls and stayed low until she reached her bed chambers. Rin quickly took off her warrior clothes and donned a beautiful white silk kimono with blue and yellow humming bird stitched patterns and took her hair out of the pony tail it was in and secured it behind her shoulders with a ribbon at the very tip of her hair.
By the time Rin had arrived to dinner, it seemed as if everyone had just started eating. Rin came into the room that was full of laughter and quite conversation and tried to be as inconspicuous as she could, but once she entered all sounds ceased and everyone looked her way.
Damn! Thought Rin as she bowed her head and immediately took her place on the right of Sesshomaru as he sat at the head of the banquet. Now Sesshomaru would definitely have a reason to punish her for being late for dinner.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I apologize for being late for dinner this evening," said Rin as she bowed before Sesshomaru. Rin always showed Sesshomaru respect when they had an audience. When she had at first reached her teens Rin and Sesshomaru could not agree on anything but the older she got the more she realized that Sesshomaru did have her best interests at heart. So she had promised herself that she would always show him the respect that he deserved.
Everyone had literally stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Damn people! Mind your own business! Thought Rin as she immediately became angered.
"I accept your apology Rin. Just don't let it happen again," said Sesshomaru as he smiled at her.
Rin felt her heart skip several beats. Boy Sesshomaru was absolutely gorgeous. She felt herself becoming giddy and immediately toned it down. What was happening to her? She was falling for him more and more each day.
There was a huge hush after Sesshomaru had forgiven her and then everyone started back into their own conversations again. Rin took her seat and started to drink some tea that was placed before her by one of the castle servants. She wondered what they were all saying. Times like these she would love to have Sesshomaru's sense of hearing. She knew that he could hear every word and no one would be stupid enough to say anything about him or her while he was in the room.
Rin was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize who sat on Sesshomaru's left until she heard a voice that made her skin crawl. It sounded one-hundred times worst than when Jaken tried to sing at Karaoke night when Kagome had brought back a machine with her to Sesshomaru's last birthday bash. Jaken had gotten drunk off of sake and tried to sing 'Billie Jean.' Rin could never remember laughing so hard. Even Sesshomaru had laughed at that.
Nioka was laughing at something that obviously Sesshomaru had said but that Rin knew was by no means funny. Nioka was wearing a black silk kimono with flower prints and kept touching her hand to her chest so as to draw Sesshomaru's attention there. If Rin was a dog demon she would growl a warning to Nioka that said "Hey Bitch Get Your Eyes Off Of My Man!!!!"
As if Nioka had heard Rin's thoughts she turned her malevolent glaze on her.
"So Rin," she said as she picked up her cup of sake and took a drink.
"Have fun in the village with the children today?" She asked as she smiled.
Rin felt alarms go off in her head. How did Nioka know that she had gone to the village? Was she the presence that Rin felt in the forest?
Sesshomaru looked at Rin-whose eyes were shooting daggers at Nioka- and then back at Nioka who was smiling sweetly at Rin. Sesshomaru could fell a chick fight coming on. He had to do something to stop it.but wait-didn't he hear Nioka ask Rin about going to the village today?
Rin calmed herself down and forced a smile upon her face.
"I don't know what you are talking about Nioka. I have not been to the village today. You know that Lord Sesshomaru has forbid it?"
Nioka placed her cup back down and shook her head.
"No, I'm certain that I saw *you* in the village today. When you were late for dinner I assumed that was the reason why. Was it not?" Nioka asked daring Rin to lie in front of Sesshomaru.
Rin could feel Sesshomaru's eyes on her and the eyes of everyone one else in the room. She could not lie, especially to Sesshomaru. Of course she could avoid the question, but that was not likely since Sesshomaru was waiting for an answer.
Rin wanted so badly to dive across the banquet and beat the living hell out Nioka that she started to shake. Rin took a deep breathe and then looked Sesshomaru in his beautiful golden eyes and almost lost herself in their depths. She could not read his expression but his eyes were warm.
"I was in the village this afternoon," she said to Sesshomaru and heard a loud hush in the room as many of the people at the dinner banquet started to gossip no less about Rin defying Sesshomaru. No doubt she had made him loose face among his court and she knew that the only way he could save embarrassment was to punish her.
"I went by to play with the children," Rin said as she then looked away from Sesshomaru least she see the disappointment in his face.
Nioka smiled and took another drink of sake. "Rin, now you know better," Nioka said as if she were scowling a child.
"We will have to just think of some type of punishment for you," she said.
WE, thought Rin. There was no way in hell that Nioka would have a say in anything that concerned Rin.
"Humans, they can be such idiots sometimes. Honestly Rin I thought some of our intelligence as demons would have rubbed off on you somehow," she said as the many of the demons in the court laughed-except Sesshomaru.
That was it. It was one thing for Nioka to follow her, call her out and reveal her business to everyone at the court but it was another thing to call her stupid. Of course Rin didn't want to be accused of starting the fight but .oh well.what the hell she thought as she dived across the table and grabbed Nioka's neck. Nioka was so shocked that she did not do anything at first as she landed on the floor on her back while Rin lay on top of her trying to choke her.
There was a huge commotion and Rin heard one of the younger male dog demons yell, "CHICK FIGHT!!!"
Nioka quickly recovered and pushed Rin off of her and quickly stood up. Rin and she stared each other down for what seemed like minutes but what was only a few seconds.
Sesshomaru thought he should intervene but this fight had been brewing for a while and Rin needed to get some of her frustration out. He would break it up soon but not now. Nioka growled and got into battle stance as she looked at Rin.
Nioka then leapt forward and Rin did a spinning round kick and knocked the female dog demon back across the room. Then Rin did a forward front flip into the air and landed in front of Nioka where she lay on the floor. Rin began to kick Nioka in the sides and then Nioka grabbed Rin's leg and pulled her down onto the floor and jumped on top of Rin and tried to choke her and pull her hair.
"Get. off. of. me. you.BITCH!!!!" Yelled Rin as she pulled her knees up and pushed Nioka back with her feet.
Rin jumped up off of the floor off of her back ninja style and ran towards Nioka who was now standing as well. Rin ran towards Nioka and proceeded to run up Nioka's body and kick her hard in the face and then flipped behind her, landed on her feet and kicked the dog demon in her back sending her sprawling down onto the floor.
Sesshomaru was impressed! As well as everyone else it seemed. Rin could certainly take care of herself but Sesshomaru felt Nioka's demon blood start to heat up and it would not be long before she turned into her true form. Sesshomaru finally intervened and stopped the fight. He had to grab Rin and squeeze her in his arms to calm her down. He could hear her heart beat rapidly and he knew that she was not finished with Nioka but he did not want to see her get hurt.
"Rin," he said. Please calm down now!" Sesshomaru whispered in her ear.
Rin felt chills go down her body when she realized that Sesshomaru was holding her in his arms. She felt his warm breath against her neck close to her ear and she got goose bumps all over.
Nioka got up off of the floor with her hair in a mess and growled at Rin. Sesshomaru growled back and then Nioka looked shocked, scared and then left the room. Rin was curious and wondered what was said.
Rin looked around the dinner banquet room and saw that Nioka and she had really torn up the place. Sesshomaru dismissed everyone from the room and turned Rin to face him.
"Rin, Rin," he said tenderly.
"What am I going to do with you?" He asked.
Rin could think of at least two things, but she dare not say them and prayed that Sesshomaru could not read the expression on her face.