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chapter two
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Sesshoumaru blinked. A helpless feeling reached for him. It angered him. He, Sesshoumaru, did not feel anything, especially helplessness.
The inu youkai tried to crush the emotion as he watched the swan youkai kneel at Rin's feet and grasp her hand.
In one simple motion, Sunoo placed his forehead on her palm, a sign of courtship, a sign of acceptance.
'Rin?' his mind echoed again, asking without speaking why his ward suddenly developed a need to find a mate. She had never mentioned wanting to find a mate before. Why now? Did this.....male.....catch her eye?
'No' he thought despondently. It was more than that.
Rin was special. Her talent allowed her to see Sunoo for who he truly was. She could see his honesty in the request and sense his true feelings concerning her. Swan youkai were the most docile of creatures. They mated for life and to a partner who accepted them completely. This strong noble Hakuchou wanted to court her and Rin could see his open invitation as honorable.
She giggled at his sign of courtship, a sound he had never heard her make before, a sound of timidity mixed with delight. Was she.....blushing?
Sesshoumaru could feel a growl deep within. He stopped it, caged it. No. He, Sesshoumaru, had given his word. His word was law. He had consented to this....this.....nonsense. The Great Lord of the Westernlands held in honor to his word.
A spark of hope emerged in the back of his mind. Nothing would come of this courtship. It was just a passing fancy of Rin's. As soon as Rin realized she did not need the swan youkai, she would return to just being his Ri...his ward.
Sunoo's words of truth hovered in the morning breeze as he kneeled with his head in her hand. "Sweet Rin, you honor me with your consent to our courting."
The Hakuchou gently released her hand and stood, his wings rustled with the movement, stretching out in a grand flourish before settling against his back once more. Sunoo turned to him and gave a curt nod of respect. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I offer my sincere gratitude to you for your blessing of our courtship. I shall come to your estate every day till the next full moon and visit your ward. On the eve of the full moon I shall ask for her hand as a mate. If she is undecided, I will visit every day until the next full moon. If Rin refuses on the second full moon's rise, I will return again everyday until the third full moon of our courting. If Rin does not accept me by the third full moon, I will not continue the courtship.
Sesshoumaru gave a slight nod in acknowledgement to the terms of the courtship. "I agree to your conditions."
Sunoo bowed deeply to him before turning back to Rin and kneeling at her feet once more.
This time Rin gave her hand openly and he accepted it with a warm smile. "Beautiful Rin, I will visit you on the morrow. I look forward to our meeting and I hope you look forward to it as well."
The Hakuchou Lord then did something totally unexpected and rougishly brash. He kissed the back of Rin's hand.
Rin's cheeks flushed a deep red as she stuttered. "I...uh....yes...I will look forward to our....meeting.
It took nearly all of his inner strength not to give into the compulsion to rip Sunoo to pieces. No...he had given his word. It was just an innocent touch of courting. And Rin.......openly.....held....her hand out....to him....and ....she....had....not....objected...
The Lord of the Great Marshlands stood. With one last bow of respect, he transformed into a golden ball of light and ascended on the wind.
Sesshoumaru watched the sphere of light until it disappeared behind the clouds. He glanced to Rin who was staring dazedly at the same spot in the sky, one hand waving back in forth in a slow motion, a small smile playing on her pink lips.
He inwardly cursed as he continued down the green forest pathway. "Rin, it is time to go."
Her light footfalls fell in behind.
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Rin stretched with a deep yawn. Suddenly, she remembered. Today was the day! Today Sunoo would come to visit her for the first time in their courtship.
She almost squealed in delight before catching herself. Sesshoumaru may still be asleep or resting since it was early morning. She did not need to bother him. With his bedroom right next to hers, it was hard to keep from disturbing his rest. Her protector could hear a pin drop yards away in a snow storm.
Quietly, Rin got out of bed and went to her wardrobe then proceeded to pick out one of her nicer everyday kimono's: a soft silky garment of dark cream with pink roses embroidered in a winding patern from the hem, up to the waist, over her bosom and ending at the right shoulder. After getting dressed, Rin walked to her vanity table and sat down in a chair facing the mirror. Looking at her reflection and primping was not one of her daily habits but today was a special day and she wanted to look nice for Sunoo. "Sunoo...." The name rolled off her tongue in a faint whisper as she observed her appearance in the reflective glass.
Rin gathered her hair and pinned it up in a pretty style while intertwining small pink silk flowers in several curled up locks. Her features lit up with a smile. Sunoo probably liked flowers as well. She would have to ask him.
For a single moment, Rin frowned as she lowered her hands from her pinned up curls. Sesshoumaru-sama liked flowers. He just didn't......show it. The young girl sighed. What was she thinking about? Her protector did not show anything at all. ......openly.
Rin shook her head and smiled again while dabbing some sweet smelling perfume behind her ears and thinking about Sunoo's sky blue eyes and long golden hair. He had gentle beauty on the inside and elegant natural grace on the outside that bordered on beautiful.
Another frown pulled at her mouth. Her protector was......beautiful.... in every way.
Rin shook out of the daze she was falling into. Now was not the time to be thinking about her Sesshoumaru-sama.
So she rerouted her thoughts back to Sunoo. A lullaby from her early childhood whispered from her lips: a song of the swan princess.
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Sesshoumaru woke to a maiden's song, one that floated on the threshold of his senses, a calm melody of honeyed brightness. Rin....was singing, a light and delicate harmony that mingled with the outside summer wind.
He growled to himself. Rin was happy.
Sesshoumaru got out of bed and walked to the door that joined his room to Rin's bedroom. The thick oak separated him from Rin. And now, someone was trying to separate him from his ward permanently.
He growled again.
Jaken's screeching voice startled him out of his brooding. "My Lord!"
The little toad knocked on his door. "Me Lord?"
Sesshoumaru opened the door and peered down at the toad youkai. "Yes. Jaken."
Jaken bowed. "My Lord, there is a Hakuchou at the front gates. He is asking to enter."
"Allow him in Jaken. Show him to the garden. Tell him Rin will be meeting him shortly."
The toad eye's widened. "Rin? My Lord? Do you wish me to tell Rin to go to the gardens as well?"
"No, Jaken, I will inform her of Sunoo's arrival."
Jaken bowed and left, scurrying down the hallway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rin ceased her humming when a knock sounded at the door.
She stood up. "Yes?"
"Rin."
Rin walked over to the door and opened it to see her very tall protector. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The inu youkai only stood staring at her for a moment. A distant light dawned in the far depths of his amber eyes, one she had never seen before. It flickered with a smothered radiance, a hint of an emotion. Before she could discern exactly what that glimmer was, he blinked. The vision of light rippled and vanished.
"Rin, Sunoo has arrived. Jaken is seeing him to the gardens as we speak. You may see him there." he informed in his simple deep dry tone.
Rin smiled warmly. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, giving him one of her rare hugs. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."
With that, she giggled and excitedly ran out her bedroom door, heading for the gardens.
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Sesshoumaru simply stood there, staring out at nothing, the warmth of Rin's body lingered with her scent on his clothes: jasmine and purity.
Unconsciously, he inhaled deeply. For a single moment all thought left for a place unknown, a place where Rin had giggled for only him.
His thoughts returned from the past as he blinked into the present.
Unaware, he sighed.Silently, he went to find something else to occupy his mind instead of Rin's exuberant happiness over courting another youkai.
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Rin ran as fast as she could through the familiar halls, her heart beat deep and hard while the sweetest fluttering began in her stomach.
She almost stumbled out door that led to the back of the palace but righted herself quickly and began a more slower walking pace towards the entrance to the gardens.
The butterflies in her belly began to flutter even harder as she walked in an anxious but restrained gate.
As she entered the gardens, the sprinkle of the water fountain caught her attention. She turned to the sound of falling water droplets and stopped, stunned, awed, and completely frozen in amazement at the sight before her.
Her heart almost stopped.
An angel of pure beauty sat on the edge of the fountain with wings outstretched in magnificent glowing wonder, the wind dancing on their feathered tips. His golden hair glistened in the sunlight, silvery highlights glimmered, mingling with the sparkle of the sun lit spray. The angel seemingly pondered over the rippling surface, gazing into the pool's clearness, the reflection darkening his sky blue eyes to a deep cobalt. The ethereal being wore a warmth of white, a misty shade of calm ivory.
Rin stood rooted to the spot, not daring to even move an inch lest the spell break and the mythical dream fade to the sky in a flutter of wings.
The angel moved, raising his head from the deep contemplation. The solid dark hue of cobalt lightened, changing into sky blue once more as his gaze rose to meet hers.
The angel smiled the warmest smile she had ever seen.
Rin nearly fainted.
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I thought that was a nice place to stop. The chapters of this story won't be long ones but they will be good ones. I have about 15 to 20 chaps planned for this cute little fairy tale. The plot is all in my head. I will update once a week. Hope everyone enjoyed this chap.Review responses:
Tears of an Impassive Nymph
Miyu Yomano
Takker
senshichan14
Nini4
libra071988
pixiedust4: If Sesshy winds up alone, I promise to loan him to you...buhahaha.
Yume Myonaka
Angel64
del-kaiden: Thank you del. ^_-
Kuramas Koibito: descriptions coming. many more soon. ^_^