Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Inuyasha.
Edit: September 18, 2018. Once more, major changes and alterations. I hope the language is better, at the very least :) Please enjoy and let me know what you think ^^
"There are toys for all ages."
- Chapter 4 - Toys -
Itsuki sat on the futon in his room, one leg propped up. A servant came by to fold it away for the duration of the day, but he sent him away. He looked outside at the rising sun; he had a few more minutes to wake up properly. His father came in unannounced, smiling widely, holding an open scroll. "You were chosen," he said with excitement, his smile stretching wider. "You've done well. The fool will have to listen to me now."
"Yes father, we have both earned something today," Itsuki replied calmly, not betraying the eagerness bubbling within him. 'Just wait for me, my little toy,' he thought gleefully. His father may or may not have earned the favor of the Western Lord, but he himself has earned a brand new doll.
"Where is Rin?" asked Sesshōmaru, standing in the outer courtyard of his castle. He stood at the front of a large welcoming party, soldiers and servants standing at the ready. "She is coming, My Lord," said Jaken in a hurry, afraid that Sesshōmaru will get angry at Rin.
Not a moment later, Rin appeared. She was a bit hunched and looking at the ground, slightly out of breath. She had run into one of Itsuki's entourage in her hurry to arrive on time. His servants arrived at dawn, hustling and bustling across the castle in an effort to prepare their master's wing to his satisfaction. Rin's sunset colored outer kimono complemented her black hair and fair skin. The inner yukata was a deep orange-brown, merging with the dimming colors of the kimono. Rin straightened her back and smoothed the deep burgundy obi. Her eyes sought out the only person that mattered, and found him looking back at her, his usual calm gold orbs darkening into molten amber. She sucked in her breath and reeled in shock. She has never seen him look at her that way. He was always so… Composed. She broke eye contact in embarrassment, her cheeks darkening into a darker shade of pink than the blush she was already wearing. She walked the last steps to her lord's side and waited, looking into the horizon.
Sesshōmaru did not expect to have such a strong reaction. He had seen her in formal wear before. 'It is the upcoming mating,' he conceded to himself. His instincts were demanding he take her away from here. She was his, always has been. 'You are giving her to someone else!' His inner demon taunted cruelly. 'Mated and pupped, forever out of your reach,' the inner beast twisted the knife. 'Enough!' Sesshōmaru roared in his mind. It was necessary. It was done. Too much was at stake to believe otherwise. He could not allow himself to even entertain the thought of a different path. No, the road was clear, and he had paved it himself. He and Rin must walk it, into their own separate ways.
Rin was nervous, very nervous. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears. Her breath came out in short gasps. She needed to calm down. Now. She must. She closed her eyes, picturing herself in a clearing full of colorful flowers. Her Sesshōmaru-sama was leaning against a nearby tree, eyes closed and face upturned towards the breeze. Jaken was close, she could hear his grumbling in the distance. She pictured herself bending down to pick a perfect pink flower, and then another, and another. With each flower her breathes evened out, returning to a normal pace. When she could no longer feel her heart hammering in her chest she opened her eyes, calm once more.
Tomorrow, she will no longer belong to her lord. She will become the responsibility of another, and he will be charged with her protection. She will no longer be able to speak freely with Sesshōmaru-sama, or secretly bask in his scent during meals. She took a deep breath and forced the thoughts out, focusing on brilliant flowers and silver hair dancing in a summer breeze.
A strong wind preceded their arrival. Itsuki and twenty soldiers landed in the western palace courtyard. She didn't know flight was common among inu-youkai. Maybe it's specific to their breed, she wondered. Itsuki walked to Sesshōmaru and bowed low before him. "Sesshōmaru-sama," he said submissively. "Itsuki," Sesshōmaru inclined his head in recognition.
"Any trouble on the way?" asked Sesshōmaru after a moment's thought. "None at all, My Lord," answered Itsuki politely. "Rin," he said when he saw her, bowing slightly. He walked three more steps towards her, close enough to hold her hand and kiss it lightly. Sesshōmaru caught the gesture and turned his head away.
"Are you well, My Sweet?" asked Itsuki, giving her a close-mouthed smile. Rin blushed slightly at the endearment and nodded her head. "Do you have a wedding kimono?" He continued, enthusiasm shining in his eyes.
"As a matter of fact I-"
"Because if you don't I have brought you the loveliest thing."
"T-thank you" she finished, embarrassed. She was unable to refuse his gift without appearing rude.
"Think nothing of it," he answered, smiling fully this time. Rin looked into his eyes and a shiver ran down her spine. What she thought of as enthusiasm morphed into an almost predatory glint in his moss green eyes. She quickly turned around and started walking towards the castle. 'He is youkai, silly. They are all predators. Nothing to it,' she tried to reassure herself as she walked. 'Sesshōmaru-sama kills all the time,' she continued. 'He was kind in that garden, and his eyes smiled down at me when we danced.' She clenched her hidden fists tight, drawing strength from the action. She was nervous and sad, searching for flaws.
Her feet guided her to her quarters, where she knew she was to remain until her wedding preparations on the morrow. Her lord will dine with her intended tonight, and she will dine in her room. She was told that she must rest before the ceremony. She hoped she would get a chance to properly say goodbye.
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