AN: I have returned with part two of my story. THANK YOU ALL for the awesome feedback. YOU GUYS ROCK!
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"Absence makes the heart grow fonder"
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It was almost a year later when Rin sat in the large bathing area of the old mansion, now restored to its former glory. It was fall and her belly was getting to big for her to walk, her wooden slippers had to be filed down for her to walk without tripping.
"Rin-san will you need any help tonight?" Kin whispered as she peeled back the heavy robe from Rin's young shoulders. She shook her head and waited till the screen door shut before letting out a pent up breath.
Her pregnant belly was already large and gingerly Rin slipped into the warm water with a sigh. Her whole body was aching and the sickness she had been experiencing throughout the whole time was starting to wear on her body.
Sesshoumaru had not hired or appointed a midwife, it was her, the group of four young servants and Jaken to help here through these last eight months and three days. Rin put her hands against her belly, feeling the life in her stir. She laughed tears of happiness rising in her eyes. If it was a boy how beautiful he would be… Just like her beloved husband.
Pushing the idea away Rin found the sea sponge, lathering it with soap, then began to slowly and carefully wash herself…
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Several things had happened since Rin and Sesshoumaru had become demon and wife. For one people began to move back into the run down village outside the large mansion and certain innocuous species of demon had come to live with them side by side. Edo, the small sea town in which Rin had received her ring had tripled in size. Having opening a trading route with their neighbors across the sea. The people of China. Sesshoumaru had gone to their capital city Xi'an for several months and had not yet returned…
It would be four months to the day since she had not seen Sesshoumaru's face… Her grip tightened on the rim of the tub, a deep pain opening up in her heart. But…. There was one exception, he did write to her almost everyday and that had lessened the pain of his departure…
And Rin knew that sea travel whether by the strongest of women was dangerous, especially for one that was already pregnant. Sesshoumaru had insisted that she not come, even with the terrible fights that had resulted. He didn't want to lose his first child to some terrible storm…
Truly somewhere in Rin's heart she did agree, but she would not be a trophy wife seen and not heard. Sitting in the background while her husband only came to her for sexual pleasure.
The sorrow that filled her was quickly replaced by anger, he would not throw her aside. Just because things were different now…
Slipping underwater to wash her hair, she surfaced thinking that this marriage was beautiful, it was happiness that she had thought would never end, until Sesshoumaru had gone away…
Now it was lonely once more… But no one saw that in her, she had filled her time with continuing to restore the palace, helping the villagers in financial peril and being a mother to all those in the village. Long way to come from a poor orphan to the demon queen of the western lands.
Standing she let the water drip from her still petite frame and grabbed the heavy robe, draping it over her body ran into her room away from the cold water and away from her memories of Sesshoumaru….
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