A/N:

Last chapter: Rin finds out she is pregnant, and Sesshomaru is making her eat breakfast.

To WildHeart: I'm sorry. I guess I didn't make clear that this story is not in the context of the original story. It has the characters, the pairing of Sesshomaru and Rin, and hopefully it retains much of their personalities and closely follows the relationships between the characters in the original story. Also, the story line does parallel closely to the original story with a different perspective, but it is not a continuation or has any relation to that story. So I'm sorry, Rin is not a reincarnation of Rin. I do hope that doesn't disappoint you.

To Guest, 677, and Namine: Thank you for the reviews. I do try to update as soon as I can, but I hope it pleases you how the story is going, because you seem to stop at chapter 2 or 3, except for Namine.

And thank you to all who have the patience to read this story. Reviews are much appreciated.


Chapter 7: Rin's Conflict and Authority

Per Rin's wish to have breakfast in the dining room, Sesshomaru led Rin down a long hallway.

Several beautiful maids passed them. They all bowed and greeted them addressing him as Sesshomaru-sama and her as Rin-sama.

He paid no attention, but Rin returned with an even lower bow and greeted them as My Beautiful Lady.

They came into a spacious room with a long dining table decorated with fresh flower bouquets under a line of silver chandeliers. It was surrounded with three lightly tanned glass walls and an amber solid wall decorated by various artwork centered by a painting of a giant white dog in a stately stance on white clouds.

He must love dogs. Strangely, there was no dogs in sight.

The dining room told her that the whole place was built with a kingly taste.

Sesshomaru pulled out a chair for Rin.

She glanced at it.

"Are you not pleased with this chair?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Would you be more pleased if you were on my lap."

"Yes," Rin giggled, then she continued, "in a field of chrysanthemums?"

"Yes, Rin, as you wish," he said before he swept her off her feet as the front glass wall opened automatically.

In his arms, Rin was flying above the clouds for some unaccounted time before he landed on a field of wild chrysanthemums.

"As instructed." Sesshomaru lowered Rin down.

Rin stood fixedly, glancing at the endless display of chrysanthemums, glancing at the man before her, glancing upward, sideways, downwards, and continued to glance at all directions available. The man had just somehow made her earlier dream come true, or part of it come true, by taking her, or rather, flying her to a chrysanthemum field.

Sesshomaru interrupted Rin's awed glancing. "Are you still not pleased?"

"I - Er - Well, we don't have anything to eat."

He jerked his head slightly. "Pardon me, let me return -"

"No, it's OK. We can eat these mums, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Hm?"

"Yes, we can. I'll gather us some." Rin looked at the endless field of flowers in all colors. "Better yet, let's just walk and eat them wherever we find them."

They walked through the field. Rin skipped with his hand in hers swinging their woven hands forward and backward. She giggled and danced around him. She picked on certain flowers and actually ate them. She offered him some, but he rejected saying he didn't eat flowers.

"To answer your question earlier, Rin, you shall not call anywhere else home. You're mine. And you shall be under my protection," he said while she was at a short distance nibbling on some petals and playing with a slow flying butterfly.

"Oh," Rin turned around. "What did I ask earlier, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"You ask for my help to get you home."

"Oh, yes."

Rin stopped all her playful actions and became quiet, gazing into the distance.

I, Rin Aikyo, shall pay the debt of 10 gold bars in one year time from this day. If I fail to fulfill this obligation, I shall forfeit my freedom and be a bound servant indefinitely under the house of Lord Asano...

Yes. Life would be heaven being under Sesshomaru-sama's protection, being the mother of his child, being spoiled rotten by him since everything was "As you wish, Rin", and being HIS, whatever HIS may mean - HIS toy maybe, but Rin had a debt to pay in about 10 months. She had only wasted 2 months in the pursuit of - nothing pertaining to money.

It wasn't all her fault that she hadn't made any money, but the debt was not going to pay for itself just because it wasn't her fault.

At the moment, Rin was bearing a child with the indulging Sesshomaru who looked like he got a lot of money to waste and had been wasting a little on Rin. He would be more than capable of paying her debt, and he would probably be more than willing to pay it.

Being with that man, there were no worries. Just be herself.

But talking about wasting money on her.

"Sesshomaru-sama, did you pay for my diamond ring?" Rin asked.

"Yes. Are you pleased with it?"

"I'm very pleased with it. Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

Rin resumed her dancing and skipping with the butterflies and picking on flower petals while singing.

A butterfly landed on top of Sesshomaru's head and Rin jumped forward - into him. He fell on his back, and she fell on top of him. She straddled his waist and pinned him down. She giggled, but she abruptly stopped when all of sudden he produced from his hand a chrysanthemum and wove it into her hair.

An amorous wave tenderly surged through her. She lay down on top of him and burrowed her face into the curve of his neck, breathing in his scent mixed with the scent of chrysanthemums.

How did she end up with this man. She was a simple girl and from a poor village, and a financial giant thattt handsome pairing with a girl of no glamorous status from a poor village had never been a predominant concept since the beginning of time.

It had always been "the hero and the princess".

Sure, the Cinderella story was encouraging, but Cinderella was divinely beautiful with magical shoes and all. In comparison, Rin had been complimented by all her teachers as gifted, but nobody had ever said she was magical.

She almost made a lifelong mistake by running away from his hotel that night. Thank God, he somehow found her again.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin whispered.

"Yes, Rin," Sesshomaru whispered in return while he was braiding a chrysanthemum wreath around her head.

"Did you know I left the hotel when I left."

"Yes."

"You followed me and protected me."

"Yes."

"You sent Jaken-sama to care for me."

"Yes."

"You followed me and took me away from that place."

"Yes."

"Why did you do it in secret like that?"

"I let you stay by yourself to lure those lowly vermin out if they went in search for you. I followed them to their lair and exterminated each and every one of them. Unfortunately, I let one escape."

Hah?! Exterminate each and every one of them? The whole gang.

She slowly stood up and left his side. She turned away to look into the distance. A wave of terror coursed through her veins. She trembled inwardly.

Her kingly and gentle Sesshomaru was murderous and didn't care whose lives he took as long as it served his purpose. He had no qualm using her as a bait in an intricate scheme for his murderous intention; it wasn't at all a defensive spur of moment and even that would have been bad enough.

"Why do you kill them so easily? Do you not value lives?"

He glided towards her and gazed at her tenderly. "Those people hurt you. They must be punished. Killing them swiftly is already merciful."

Oh my God, merciful?

It was even worse because he was avenging Rin's suffering. She was indirectly responsible for the fatal punishment of a whole gang of people. They didn't deserve that, like that bread man, he was probably just following orders. Why couldn't he just turn them into authority.

Her outward posture trembled lightly.

He embraced her. " You are not pleased that I let one escape?"

"No, I'm - I'm very pleased," she stammered.

She stooped down and asked no more questions.

And the question for money to pay her debt, not from that man, not at that moment.

But apparently it was his turn to ask because he started asking, "Where is your previous home? We shall visit your previous home tomorrow if you wish."

"Er - that's not a good time."

"The day after?"

"Er - that's not a good time."

"Why not, Rin?"

"Because -"

"Who brought you to this country?"

"Hah?! Nobody."

She trembled more intensely in his arms.

"If you're not pleased with my questions, I won't ask further. I respect your privacy."

"I - May I go visit my home by myself?"

"Rin, it may not please you, but you may not."

"You're right. You're not pleasing me at this moment, Sesshomaru-sama."

He jolted, and his arm muscles tensed up around her. He unfolded his embrace.

"You said you respect my privacy."

"I do, Rin."

"Then you, Sesshomaru-sama, shall let me have my diamond ring and let me go visit my home by myself," Rin dictated.

He jerked his head back with his eyelids lifted high and his brows furrowed.

Oh God, he's angry.

Rin trembled obviously.

After a moment, he bent his head and yielded, "Yes, Rin, as you wish."

Hah? Really?

"And you shall not follow me." Rin pushed her authority.

"Yes, Rin, as you wish."

What? Really?

He held her left hand and slid the ring on her ring finger.

Hah? He has it with him?

"Do not tremble. Do not fear me, Rin. I will never have any intention to harm you, physically or spiritually. I shall arrange your trip immediately when we get back to our home."

Her heart flustered. Her mind panted. The internal Rin jumped, jumped.

He can't be any sweeter than this…

"I shall arrange my own trip." Rin maintained a calm tone.

"Yes, Rin, as you wish," he said. "Let's get back to our home for some real food. We must not let our child suffer."