Sesshomaru sat in his sleeping quarters, fully awake. It was early in the morning, it was still dark outside. He knew the cooks and servants would be awake, and probably Rin. He doubted if his brother and his group were awake. And he knew that Shiroku would wake up shortly, but for now was still asleep. There was a lot to plan with the gathering being at his home. Meals had to be planned, rooms had to be assigned. He was getting out of his bed and was going to get into his normal clothing when he heard a knock at the door.
"Enter Rin"
Rin opened the door and walked in. She blushed slightly at seeing her lord dressed in his sleeping clothes.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I was thinking, it would probably be better for Sango and Miroku if we moved them up here when the gathering takes place" Rin said.
"Why would you say that Rin?" Sesshomaru asked, now interested in what she had to say.
"Well, I know that most of the demon lords do not like humans, so it would be better for them if they were up here, where they could be left alone from the lords."
"Do you think that the lords would do anything to them Rin?"
"Oh no, but they would say things to them Lord Sesshomaru, the lord's and their daughters would say things. Sango and Miroku have a child and she does not need to hear things like that said about her and her family"
"All right Rin, later today inform the monk and demon slayer to bring their belongings to the third floor, also I would advise you tell the wolf demon and his family, he has a mouth like my brother and would be bound to start trouble with the other lords"
Rin beamed at the fact that her Lord had actually listened to her and was going though with her plan.
"Yes Lord Sesshomaru! I will get rooms ready for them!" Rin turned to leave when Sesshomaru stopped her.
"Rin, I have a question to ask you"
Rin turned around and stood looking at Sesshomaru.
"Yes my Lord?"
"Rin, I have realized that there is too much for me to plan for this gathering on my own. I have paperwork that I must do before the gathering. I was inquiring from you if you would like to be my right hand, the lady of my estate"
Rin looked at her lord with big eyes. The Lady of the Western Lands???!?!
"What would be required of my Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Nothing you couldn't handle Rin. I would need you to start helping Hiroshi plan the meals for the week and also assign rooms and such. Also you would be at my side when my siblings and I great the other Lords as they arrive, you would also sit by me at dinners, really it's nothing that you do not already do Rin, you will just have an official title"
Rin stared at her lord, this was exactly what she wanted!!
"Oh yes Lord Sesshomaru!! I would love that more than anything!!!" Rin said happily.
"Rin, there is just one thing I ask"
"Anything my Lord"
"My name is Sesshomaru, Rin, please call me by my name"
Rin's heart was beating three times faster, she thought it was going to pop right out of her chest.
"Whatever you ask, Sesshomaru" Rin said, smiled and then left. She walked out casually, as if it was nothing. But when Rin got outside she squealed and ran down the hall to Shiroku's room.
Rin didn't even bother to knock, she just ran right into her room and ran to Shiroku's huge bed.
"Shiroku!! Shiroku!! Wake up!!!" Rin said and was shaking Shiroku.
"Sesshomarujustaskedmetobetheladyof hisestateandaskedmetocallhimjustSesshomaru andwantsmetotakecareofgettingthingsreadyforthegatheringandmoveSangoandMirokuup stairsandI'msooooexcited!!!"
Shiroku sat up, she was still half asleep and stared at Rin who was panting heavily.
She was really confused, everything Rin said ran together in one big sentence.
"Ok, Rin look at me, focus" Shiroku got Rin's attention and got her to be quiet for a minute.
"Ok, I heard nothing you said so tell me again, but speak slowly" Shiroku said.
"Sesshomaru wants me to be the lady of his estate!!"
Shiroku stared at Rin, her amber eyes were huge as she stared at her friend. He asked her to be the lady of his estate!! But for her to be a lady, doesn't that mean she has to mate with him!?!?
"Uh, Rin when did he ask you this?"
"Just this morning, he said he needed help and wanted me to help him get things ready for the gathering and serve as his lady!! "
"Oh, ok!" Shiroku said now relieved. "Wait, when did you just call him Sesshomaru?" Shiroku asked.
"Oh, this morning he asked me if I would just call him Sesshomaru!! Isn't this great!!"
Shiroku smiled at Rin, this was a big honor for anyone. Especially Rin, since she had so much respect for Sesshomaru.
"Shiroku, would you mind helping me today. We're moving Sango and Koga and their families upstairs so they won't be bothered by the lords' when they get there"
"Sure Rin, I'd like to get something to eat first"
Rin took a deep breath.
"Ok Shiroku!"
Down in the kitchen Rin and Shiroku were sitting at the small table in the kitchen eating some breakfast.
"Did Sesshomaru say when the Lords would start arriving?" Shiroku asked Rin.
"Well, the gathering is in a few weeks, so they could start arriving anytime" Rin said.
"Great, just what I wanna do, play host to some snobby lords"
"Not all the lords are like that Shiroku, Lord Kisho is very nice, his son his very nice also"
"I know Rin, not all of them are annoying, but a majority of them is"
"Rin"
Rin looked up from eating to see Sesshomaru standing before her, still in his sleeping garments with a letter.
"This letter is from Lord Hirashi of the island of Kyako. His mate has become ill, so he will be sending his daughter Akina, in his place, she will be arriving in a few days"
"Lady Akina, I don't believe I've met her, have you Shiroku?"
"I've heard of her, but I've never met her"
"You two should be prepared for her, she's quite a handful. You two and Akina will clash instantly because of her personality" Sesshomaru said.
"Thank you for letting me know" Rin said. "I will have a room ready for her"
Sesshomaru nodded and left.
"If what I've heard about her is true Rin, this will be a very interesting couple weeks" Shiroku said.
Shiroku and Rin continued to eat and talk about the Gathering and what they were going to do for the day.
"Good morning you two!" Kagome said cheerily as she walked in the kitchen with her children and a grumpy hanyou behind her.
"Hey Kagome, hi Yasha"
"Did you know the Gathering was in a few weeks!! And it's here!!" Inuyasha yelled looking at his sister.
"Yeah, actually I did"
"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!?!!"
"I just found out last night ya jerk!!!!"
"You know it's too early for you two to be arguing?" Sango said as she and her family walked in.
"Sango, I was wanting to talk to you and Koga. We were going to move you up stairs to the floor we sleep on" Rin said.
"Oh Rin, that's very thoughtful of you, but we couldn't impose, that's your family's floor, guest shouldn't stay there." Sango said.
"It's no problem Sango, you are like family anyway! Sesshomaru even said it was fine" Rin said and smiled.
Did Rin just call Sesshomaru his name with out a respectful title? Kagome and Miroku and Sango all thought. InuYasha was stuffing his face and didn't care.
"If Sesshomaru doesn't mind then I would take it as an invitation" Miroku said.
"Good!! We'll move your stuff after you eat, where's Koga at?"
"I think he and Ayame are still asleep" Kagome said.
"Well when they wake up I will speak with them"
The day went on with activities and work. Rin and Shiroku helped move Sango, Miroku, and Namiko up to the third floor that morning. Later they moved Koga, Ayame and their baby Yuri upstairs also. Rin was making sure that everything was taken care of for the Gathering. She got Lady Akina's room ready for when she came and started planning meals for the week.
Sesshomaru hardly left his study, he was busy doing work and getting ready for the Gathering. He was slightly concerned; it seemed to him that nearly everyone forgot about the prophecy and the new enemy. It wasn't like this enemy was attacking or anything, but they should still be cautious. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as he heard his siblings walk by, arguing over something.
"Shut up InuYasha! Stop whining, you lost get over it!!!"
"That's because you cheated Shiroku!!!"
"How the hell could I cheat baka!?!?!"
"I don't know but you DID!!!!!!"
I hope I never have children that act like them. Sesshomaru thought.
A few days went by and the arrival of Lady Akina. Everyone gathered at the front gates to meet her. Well, everyone except for Shiroku and her nephew.
"Where is Shiroku with my son?!!?" InuYasha furiously yelled.
"InuYasha shut up" Kagome said.
"Lady Akina, it's nice to meet you" Rin said as the Lady came in.
She was tall and had long light blue hair. She had sapphire eyes and her ears were slightly pointed.
"Hello, you are a servant I assume, will you take my bags to my room" she said her voice filled with snobbishness.
"Umm, my Lady, I am not a servant I am Lady Rin"
Akina looked at her in shock! A Lady! She couldn't possibly be Sesshomaru's mate! No, she's not marked. Like he would choose this pathetic thing anyway. She thought. Rin at that moment didn't look her best. She had on a pale blue kimono and her hair was in a ponytail, she was helping the maids clean some rooms out.
"I am Lord Sesshomaru, this is my brother Lord InuYasha of the North and his mate Lady Kagome" Sesshomaru said, giving InuYasha some official titles.
Lady Akina bowed.
"And where is your other brother?" she asked.
"We don't have a brother" InuYasha said.
"Oh, forgive me, I thought for some reason you did"
"Shall we go inside now?" Rin asked pleasantly.
Sesshomaru and Rin led the group into the sitting room where Lady Akina began to bore them with the story of her life. She was actually about to get to something interesting when the sound of an irritated girl could be heard.
"You little brat, I hope you get in a whole hell of trouble for this!!"
"You started it Aunt Shiroku!!!"
"But you didn't need to push me brat!!"
Sesshomaru put his hand over his eyes as his sister walked by the sitting room while arguing with her five years old nephew.
"Kyo!! How did you get so wet!?" Kagome asked as she picked her son up.
"She did it!!" he yelled pointing at Shiroku.
"Bull shit!!!"
"Ahem" Shiroku looked at Sesshomaru and then glanced down at the demoness standing beside him.
"Yeah Hi" Shiroku said and continued to argue.
"Shiroku, what happened?" InuYasha asked.
"I thought I'd take the brat out fishin', I was just jokin' around with him and splashed some water on him. And the brat pushed me in the dam lake!!"
"You started it!!!"
"Hehe, how cute, don't worry Kyo, I was always mean to my nurse maids when I was growing up too" Akina said.
Shiroku turned and looked at this girl.
"Excuse me? I am no nurse maid!!" Shiroku said.
"Then are you a servant?"
"Hell no, I'm Shiroku , Lord of the South"
Lady Akina snickered, "You are the Southern Lord? You can't be, you're a lady"
"And so? Your point being what?"
"Oh I see, you mated with the Lord of the South right?"
Shiroku slapped her forehead.
"Sesshomaru, InuYasha, will you PLEASE tell her who I am"
"You should speak more respectfully to your lords!" Akina said.
"I don't have to, there my brother's I don't have to speak formally with them!"
"Your brothers? They don't have a sister!"
"Yes we do Lady Akina" InuYasha said.
"Shiroku is InuYasha's twin sister, she is the Lady of the Southern Lands"
"Oh I understand, she doesn't dress like a lady though, she should be wearing a kimono, not a pair of hakama and a haori top! No wonder she has no mate!!" lady Akina said and laughed.
Shiroku rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I'm going to go change" she said and went upstairs fuming.
Rin watched Shiroku leave "Excuse me Lady Akina" Rin said and bowed and then ran after Shiroku.
"I think I will go also" Kagome said and left.
"I will go also Kagome" Sango and Ayame left.
"That bitch! I'm going to kill that little bitch!" Shiroku yelled in her room.
Rin, Kagome, Sango, and Ayame were all sitting in her room trying to calm her down.
"I wouldn't bother listening to her Shiroku, she's pretty stupid for a wolf demon" Ayame said.
"Really, she's just trying to piss you off" Sango said.
"Yeah, she is, since she's a lord's daughter she should have known prior to coming here that you were the ruler of the south, she's just trying to get at you" Kagome said.
"Yeah, she's doing the same with Rin, and that's only because she wants Sesshomaru as her mate" Ayame said.
"Yep, it's completely obvious"
Rin looked in surprise at the others.
"But why would she be mean to me if she wants Lord Sesshomaru as a mate?" Rin said.
All the other women laughed at Rin's question. Leaving Rin completely confused.