It's been three days since the incident. Rin stayed mostly in their bedroom—how odd it is to say that! She hadn't seen nor heard from Dragon during those days, which she was thankful for. She wished never to see him again. If he left, she would be content to roam about the castle once again.

During those days, Sesshomaru never left her side. He did his accounting and estate figures at his desk in the corner of the room, a constant eye on his mate, laying in the bed, distracting him with her small sounds of boredom. She had managed to pull him away from his work often enough to keep her entertained. However, he was called away some time this morning, and Rin was drowning in her own boredom. He had been reluctant to leave her side—since returning from Kagome's realm, Sesshomaru refused to let Rin leave his sight. His steward, however, pressed the issue, saying an urgent matter required Sesshomaru's immediate attention. He could easily refuse the small man's eagerness to pull his lord away from his mate, but Rin assured him she would be safe and would wait for him to return.

Then again, Rin's rebellious streak struck her and she had to leave the room. It had been too long since she wandered about the castle; she craved to discover new things and get lost in the many halls and dusty rooms. She stood and walked to the door of the room, cracking it open to peer into the hallway. No one appeared to be lingering in the hall, so she slipped out, closing the door behind her.

She wondered how Kohaku was; she hadn't seen him for many moons. She went in search of the friends she made one of her first nights in the castle. She smiled, thinking about little Koji and his scraped knee. She wanted to see the rest of the staff and have another cup of tea with them and share laughs like they had once before.

She came to the kitchen and spotted Ayame washing dishes at the sink. She smiled brightly and skipped over to the young girl.

"Hello, Ayame," she chirped.

The girl jumped and turned to Rin, bowing her head slightly. "My Lady."

Rin waved away the formalities. "Just Rin is fine."

Ayame mutely nodded and returned to washing the dish. "Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Rin?"

"Oh, no. Just thought I'd come around and say hello."

Ayame didn't reply. Rin frowned and hopped onto the counter top. "Did I do something to offend you, Ayame?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, no, Lady Rin! You have done nothing wrong."

"Then why are you acting so differently today?"

Ayame looked away, almost ashamed. "Lord Sesshomaru forbid us from speaking to you anymore."

Rin's eyes widened as she stared at the girl, who continued washing the dishes with a new fervor that barely concealed her nervousness. Rin wiped a hand across her face in frustration. "Oh, he will be dead by nightfall, I assure you," she muttered. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "I'd like to be friends, Ayame. I don't have many—in fact I never had any before I met Lord Sesshomaru and Kohaku. I'll speak to Lord Sesshomaru and make him apologize to you and the others. To be truthful, you're probably the only friend I have here besides Kohaku."

Ayame blushed. "Master Kohaku is quite handsome."

Rin brightened, grasping at the chance to change the subject. "You find him attractive?"

Ayame nodded, her cheeks still reddened. "He's kind as well."

"Yes. He's like a brother to me." Rin smiled. "I could speak to him for you, if you wish."

Ayame's blush deepened. "You needn't trouble yourself, Lady Rin."

Rin shrugged. "No trouble, Ayame. It would be my absolute pleasure."

The girls giggled and talked lightly for another hour or so. Rin tried to help the girl with chores, but Ayame pushed her away every time she reached for a broom or a rag. Rin said goodbye to her friend and left the kitchen to find her demon mate and give him an earful about keeping her from making friends.

After ten minutes of browsing the castle, Rin came to realize she was lost . . . again. Even after she was sure of where she was going, she turned down a hall, coming to a dead-end. "Curse this castle," she mumbled. "At this rate, I'll never find my way around."

She went back the way she came and turned down several halls until she came to yet another dead-end. She turned back and around a corner, freezing mid-step as Dragon came out of a room, closing the door softly behind him. He held a bag around his shoulders. He stopped once he saw her. He smiled slowly and bowed his head. "Lady Rin."

She didn't move. Her mind told her to, but her body wouldn't listen. He didn't make any movement, either. He just stared at her, as though studying her. Suddenly, his eyes sparked and he took a step closer to her. "After many nights pondering, your face has finally spurred a memory."

Rin's eyes widened and her foot finally took a step back. She didn't speak, only brought her hands to her chest and tried to calm her heart; it was pounding so hard.

He advanced toward her. "You were that girl, in the village."

Rin's head shook vigorously. "You h-have me mistaken."

His smile was deadly. "No, Lady Rin. I remember your eyes, as they leaked tears over a dead woman; your mother, I presume."

Again, Rin shook her head. "I'm sorry, my lord. You've gotten me confused with someone else."

Dragon stepped even closer until Rin's back hit a wall. "No, I don't forget a face I allowed to live, child." He chuckled darkly. "Then again, you're no longer a child, but a lady of a house. My, you've worked your way up the ladder—from a peasant to a lady. Tell me, what have you put your pretty little body through in order to slither into the dog demon's bed?"

Rin stiffened with anger. "I must ask you to leave, my lord. You've outworn your welcome."

Dragon raised his eyebrows. "From a child to a lady, indeed. Already barking orders and speaking down to others. Just one more question, Lady Rin."

She snarled, not wanting to hear what he had to say. "Get—out—of—my—castle."

"How did a pathetic human become queen bitch to a great lord like Sesshomaru?" he continued without hearing Rin.

Before Rin could speak, a presence filled the empty air behind her. She glared at Dragon as Sesshomaru calmly placed a hand on her shoulder. "I trust you to know your way out of the castle, Dragon." His voice was cold and dangerous.

Dragon's face hardened, but he gruffly nodded.

"See yourself out before I kill you where you stand."

Dragon snarled, but nodded his head respectfully at the lord of the castle and turned away, walking swiftly down the hall with great strides. He glanced back at Rin, a murderous glare filling his features, before disappearing around the corner.

Rin's fists shook at her sides, her teeth clenched tightly, making her jaw ache with the pressure. She felt her palms flare with pain. Sesshomaru's hand gently turned her body to face him. His free hand grasped her wrist and pried her fingers open. Bloody crescent-shaped cuts marked her skin where her nails had dug into her flesh. She didn't flinch away when Sesshomaru brought her palm to his mouth, licking at the cuts until they sealed and left no evidence of Rin's anger.

"Did he harm you, Rin?"

She shook her head. "Not me, my lord. Not physically."

He didn't respond. Instead, he stared at her expectantly, calmly waiting for her to continue. After a sigh, Rin carefully explained. "Before I met you, I lived with my mother in a small village a few miles from where we first met. I was young when the village was attacked by a band of demons. My mother had sent me into the forest, but I returned to find her bloody body laying on the dirt road, ravaged and torn." She took in a shaky breath. "Dragon raped her, then killed her. I saw him in the distance, while I held my mother's body. He was smiling. I never forgot his face . . . and he never forgot mine. I was the only one to survive the massacre."

Sesshomaru's face betrayed no emotion, no expression to show that he cared or was listening, other than his eyes piercing hers with dark rage filling the pupils. Rin swallowed around the hard lump in her throat. She refused to cry, especially in front of her lord Sesshomaru. She was to be lady of this castle, if what he said about her being his mate was true. She may be human, but she was determined to prove that she was as capable as any other she-demon to run a household and be worthy of being a mate to the greatest lord the West has ever seen.

"You will never see him again," Sesshomaru said slowly.

Rin nodded slowly. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru.

"Come, Rin." He led her through the maze of halls and back to their bedroom. He closed the door behind him and pointedly gazed at the bed. "Sleep, Rin."

"I am not tired."

"Rest. I have work to do."

"Then do it. I'll just go visit with Chi and Ayame." When she noticed the glare he was giving her, she had the urge to hit him on the nose like a pup. "You cannot expect to keep me locked in this bedroom forever, Sesshomaru-sama."

His raised an eyebrow a fraction of a centimeter, as though challenging her without so much as saying, "Watch me."

He advanced toward her, his footsteps silent and stride graceful. His arms wrapped around her gently, taking her against his chest. He lowered her onto the bed, and pressed a kiss to the tender spot on her neck, sending icy shivers down her spine. Her hands clutched mokomoko, clinging to her lord as he nursed her neck, slowly untying her kimono.

He may take her body and make her shout his name as much as he wanted to, but she was determined to prove to her mate that she wasn't a frail human in need of constant protection. Nor was she a submissive enough to obey every order without question. She would leave the room and find her new friends once Sesshomaru took his leave. She would start building the respect of the serving staff, she would even allow them to call her Lady Rin, even though they called her by her unofficial title no matter her protests before.

Rin let her senses go as Sesshomaru took her body, crying out his name many ties before collapsing into the bed's furs, curling her body against Sesshomaru. As he circled an arm around her waist, she set a mental agenda. First, she would find Chi and ask her about the staff, the daily schedules and duties, and other miscellaneous household work that a lady should fulfill. Then, she would seek out her dear friend Kohaku. After, she would try to find other work to keep her occupied. If Sesshomaru can leave for hours at a time to work, so could she.

Rin was not weak. Not anymore.

She was soon to be Lady of the West.