PURE FLOWER
Chapter 9
Homecoming
Rin glanced at the huge fortress before her with surprise. Her father's stronghold was huge, but the fortress before her, Sesshoumaru's stronghold was a few times larger than her father's. I might lose my ways in there….
"Wow…so big!!" Ryuya squealed childishly as he pointed his finger at the structure before them. Rin smiled when Ryuya began tugging on Sesshoumaru's sleeve, urging her lord to take them into the gigantic stronghold.
They had left the human village yesterday, taking Ryuya along with them. Ryuya had wanted the fox demon, Shippo to come along as well but Shippo had refused him, saying that he had some personal issue to deal with, but he had promised to visit them. That day, Ryuya cried in her arms until he exhausted himself. Rin also promised him she would bring him to visit Shippo is Sesshoumaru allowed.
At the mention of her lord husband, Rin narrowed her amber eyes worriedly. Since yesterday, Sesshoumaru had became extremely quiet and was very alert to everything around them during the journey, as if he expected someone would came out of nowhere to attack them. She had not asked him why he was behaving in such way, but she believed he had his own reasons and she trusted him.
"Oh shit!! Sesshoumaru, you did not mention you shrink in size in the parchment!!"
Rin stared at the demon squatting before Ryuya with a funny frown on his face. The demon had some pelts hanging by his waist and his black hair was tied into a pony tail. She knew then he was Kouga the wolf demon of whom Sesshoumaru had once told her. He was the protector of Sesshoumaru's elder son, Shura.
"…What do you think you are doing, Kouga?" A young demon boy came out from behind the wolf demon and took at glance at the curious Ryuya before he focused his attention on Sesshoumaru who was silently standing a few feet away from the group as if he was looking for something or rather someone.
"Welcome home, father." Shura said as he bowed slightly in greeting his father. He tried not to look at the strangers his father brought home. Even without introduction, he knew the woman was his father's new mate, and the young boy his father's son by the scent of it. A brother…
Sesshoumaru nodded at Shura, acknowledging his presence. Since the moment he stepped into the stronghold, he immediately felt something was wrong. He knew his first mate Ren was a jealous bitch and she thought she actually owned him, so it was impossible for her not to take any actions against Rin. The fact that nothing happened at the moment Rin and Ryuya stepped into his stronghold meant the bitch was planning something and was taking her time. He could easily kill her, but he decided not to due to a promise he made to Shura a few years back. Shura had begged him not to kill his mother, even thought it meant that his mother wanted to kill him. I will protect Rin…
"Shura, greet your mother and brother." Sesshoumaru ordered and was satisfied when Shura bowed slightly at Rin's direction before giving his younger brother another glance. However Sesshoumaru frowned slightly when Kouga motioned with gesture that he needed to discuss something with him. It would seem Kouga too, had discovered something was amiss.
"Rin, Shura will show you to you chamber. Rest while I attend to some matters." Sesshoumaru told Rin before leaving them, but not before he gently caressed her cheek, causing Rin to blush and Shura to gasp in shock.
After Sesshoumaru left, Shura glanced at the woman called Rin, his father's new mate and his mother's sister. She looked very much like his mother in appearance, but he knew she was nothing like his mother when he looked into her amber eyes. He felt his cheeks heated when she smiled sweetly at him. Nothing like her…
"Someone once told me that my sister…hmm…your mother is my sister." Rin said as she recalled one of the servants told her that. She had never met any of her siblings before and she wondered if her sister will welcome her. She wanted to meet her, and bond with her like real sisters do.
"…Yes, Lady Ren is my mother." Shura said as he guided Rin and the quiet young boy into one of the living quarters; one that was most far away from his mother's and most near to his father's. He too, lived at the nearby quarter since he did not want to be near his mother as well. His mother wanted him dead, but he did not want her death on his conscious although he knew she deserved it. She is my mother after all…
"Rin is our mama too!!" Ryuya beamed as he tugged at Rin's sleeve as if to get attention. Shura knew the young boy was his father's son by his scent and his facial appearance. He was the exact image of his father and himself. He did not know how to feel. Perhaps someday I will know…
"Yes, from today onwards she will be my mother as well. And Ryuya, you are my…my younger brother." Shura said slowly as he could feel the heat once again on his cheeks. He never had any siblings before, and he did not know how he was supposed to treat Ryuya. He recalled Jaken once mentioned that his father had a half breed younger brother who was currently missing in action ever since the death of the previous Western Lord. Maybe I should ask Kouga about this matter…
"But I am going to be a big brother too!! Isn't that so, mama?" Ryuya asked innocently and grinned when Rin nodded.
Shura was surprised. His father's new mate was carrying his father's pup. He knew such situation would occur sooner or later but he had not expected it to be so soon. Then he knew the reason why his father was so alert the moment he saw his father entered the stronghold. His father was protecting Rin from being harmed by his mother.
Shura frowned. His mother was heartless enough to kill her own son; therefore she would not hesitate to kill another woman's son. He glanced at Ryuya, knowing that his mother would not hesitate to kill the young boy as well. But she has not been seen these past few days…I wonder…
CONFERENCE CHAMBER
"She is so different from that bitch, and she smells so damn nice." Kouga said while he was rolling open a parchment he received from his spy agent. He ignored the look Sesshoumaru directed at him and scanned through the parchment before passing it to Sesshoumaru.
"The reappearance of Four Souls Jewel is definitely a huge problem." Kouga said as he sat down on the piles of furs on the floor.
"It makes no difference." Sesshoumaru replied.
"That bitch should be aware of the Jewel as well. Think she will not hesitate to make a wonderful wish?" Kouga hinted.
"In that case, you know what to do. I will not leave Rin behind." Sesshoumaru folded the parchment and melted it with his poison. Sesshoumaru knew Kouga had been waiting for the Jewel to reappear as well. It was said that the Jewel could highly enhanced a demon's power and any wish made upon the Jewel would be granted. However, he cared not for such thing.
"I will make my leave as soon as possible, don't want to have competition." Kouga said. Then he recalled the main reason he wanted to talk to Sesshoumaru.
"That woman has ceased her attacks. I do not know why, but I don't think it is a good idea for your new mate to remain here." Kouga said, looking serious again. He did not like the idea of leaving the young heir to fend for himself, but since Sesshoumaru had returned, he knew the young heir no longer needed his protection; Sesshoumaru alone was enough to protect the entire stronghold.
"Whatever she is planning to do, it will not succeed."
NIGHT TIME, RIN'S CHAMBER
Rin yawned softly as she lay on the piles of fur. It had been a long day as Shura showed her around the stronghold, with Lord Sesshoumaru accompanied them after his meeting with Kouga ended. Rin was surprised to see there were humans working in the stronghold as well. Instead of fear, those humans seem to feel only respect for her lord husband. For he is kind, generous, honorable, powerful, handsome………
She was disappointed that her lord husband had not been able to join her in her bed chamber. She did not blame him because he had so much works to do after being absence from the stronghold for so many days. When no one was watching, he had softly told her that he too, was disappointed and was looking forward to the time when they could mate again. Rin yawned again, feeling very tired after such a long day. When she was about to close her eyes, she heard some movements in her chamber.
"Lord Sesshoumaru…?" Rin whispered, sitting up from the fur and glanced around in the darkness. She frowned when she remembered her lord husband saying he was needed in the conference chamber the whole day. Therefore, it could not be Lord Sesshoumaru.
"Who are you?" Rin asked, sitting up straighter and clutching hard onto the fur. She was relieved that Ryuya was not in her chamber. Her adopted son had insisted on spending his time with Shura who was more than eager to teach him what their father taught him.
The scents of rose suddenly seem to flow into her chamber, causing Rin to be more alert of her surrounding. Suddenly, a hand as smooth as velvet reached out from the darkness and touched her cheek. Rin was frozen in shock when she felt how cold the hand felt against her cheek. Then she heard a feminine giggles. A woman!!
"So…you are my sister."
Slowly, the whole body of the woman appeared from the darkness. Rin gasped as she stared at the woman who looked so familiar; a face that she missed so much. Why is she here……
"Mother…?'
A/N: This story is almost at the climax. It would seem that there are secrets yet to reveal. Why does Rin call Ren "mother"? The answer will be revealed in one of the following chapters.
Thanks for waiting patiently for my update. Thank you.