Sorry for such a late update, guys. I've had major depression this week and I can't write in that mood. But anyway, here's the next chapter.

Anonymous Critic: I know that it was very formal for him to be saying to his slave, but it's just that Sesshoumaru is a formal person which is why he used the formal phrase. And Rin didn't say "onegaishimasu" because she is close to him and doesn't see him as her master. Okay? Okay… (btw, I don't see your review as flaming. I like constructive criticism; I just had my reasons for making them say that)

#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

The servants in the mountaintop castle felt like they were heroically enduring torture.

"Itai…" Misei whined, standing awkwardly with her hands holding her butt as if they were keeping it from falling apart. Her face was pulled into a grimace. "Watashi no shippou…"

Hazumi, her maid, rolled her eyes as she hung up the clean uchikake in her arms.

"Did you take the medication for the poison, Misei-sama?"

"Of course," the daiyoukai snapped. "I am not completely incompetent, nor brainless. Arg…" With a wild noise in her throat she turned to stare up at the sky. Stupid human, costing me the chance to become the lady of the west. Not only would I have got out of this castle, I would have been able to rule! She scowled fiercely. And Sesshoumaru had looks going. Our children would have been beautiful as well as unmatched in power.

She sighed. If he hadn't had to pull me off her that night, I probably would have had a chance to make him believe I really was a decent kind of inu. Too bad…

"Misei-sama, the ball is starting. You must go to your father now."

Rubbing her tender backside, she scowled at the moon again. "Kuso, I will have revenge on you, ningen no baka!"

#~#~#

There was a desperate knock at the door that evening. Assuming it to be Rika, Rin got up, slid the shoji open and smiled. She was shocked to see Kagome standing there in tears.

"Gomen, Rin-chan, datte… can I come in just for a minute?" Kagome asked.

Rin nodded and allowed her to enter the room, ignoring the voice in her head that said she was disobeying Sesshoumaru's orders. But Kagome was obviously distressed and she needed help, so it would be okay, wouldn't it? Sesshoumaru-sama would understand, wouldn't he?

"Rin-chan," the older girl said, sitting on the bed and sniffling. "Inuyasha-sama… he's going to send me back to Iwao!"

Rin gasped. Iie… he can't do that!

"He decided it the other night, after Misei attacked you," she sniffed again. "It was my fault, I suppose. You see, he never really used me before Kikyou's accident. Then he came to me all the time because I remind him of her. He told me that night." She broke down in tears again. "I said I hated him."

The younger girl put an arm around her and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I've never told such a huge lie in my life. Of course I don't hate him! But… at that time… I was just so angry. And now Kikyou has woken up!"

The shoji slid open quickly and Sesshoumaru appeared. "Rin, take – "

His eyes narrowed when he saw the two girls.

Rin hurriedly pushed Kagome out of the room, shutting the door, and turned to bow in apology. "Gomenasai, Sesshoumaru-sama, but she was upset. I couldn't send her away."

Sesshoumaru vanished into his room. A feeling in Rin's chest wilted.

He's mad at me. I shouldn't have disobeyed him, but… to turn her away when she was in such a state.

The daiyoukai returned, frowning. In his hand was the leather whip.

"Remove your clothes."

She gasped in shock and didn't move, openly staring at him wide-eyed.

His eyebrow quirked. "Do you refuse to obey me?"

She violently shook her head and ripped her clothes off herself before falling to her hands and knees. Tears filled her eyes, and she squeezed them shut in attempt to stop.

"Yu – yurushite, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said softly, almost as if not meaning for him to hear. She stiffened, waiting for the strike.

Something hit her back, and the tail of the whip slithered off her. It felt like… like she had accidentally backed into something.

Sesshoumaru stared at her tense frame in shock. What… what made him hold back? It was as if he had completely lost the will to administer discipline. Just… the very consideration of harming her was unthinkable. She looked at him with large and surprised eyes, and he finally blinked.

"Don't do it again," he said as a cover.

Rin nodded violently and pulled herself up to her knees, looking at him curiously. The only thing running through his head was the thought of how tempting her lips were. Unable to stop himself, he bent down and kissed her.

#~#~#

Rin woke the next morning to the shifting of unfamiliar-feeling covers. Groggily opening her eyes, it took a moment for her to realize the sun had not yet risen. She sat up and wiped sleep from her eyes as a cold breeze drifted over her. Shivering, she saw by the faint light that she was in Sesshoumaru's futon.

That's right… after he didn't whip me last night he brought me in here to make use of me.

Vaguely seeing his figure on the balcony staring at the early dawn, she stood and hesitantly stepped out the open doors after him. There was a cold wind, and she hugged herself for warmth as she stared at his back.

After a moment Sesshoumaru turned to glance at her. "Ningen no baka," he said.

Rin felt a stabbing pain at her heart, and her head dropped to stare at the ground. To her immense surprise, she felt silk around her shoulders and immediately looked up to see him place his haori around her to protect her from the wind, leaving his own chest bare.

"Don't come outside wearing nothing," he reprimanded, going back to the bars again and staring at the approaching dawn.

She could only stare at him. Not only had he not sent her back inside, he had considerately given her a cover from the wind and given her a warning for the future so she wouldn't get sick.

"Gomenasai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said cheerfully, stepping up beside him. He said nothing for a long time.

When the sun was beginning to peek over the tops of the mountains, he said, "Have you ever seen the sun rise before?"

"Iie, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He straightened his back and turned to face her. "It isn't a very good view from here. It looks much better from the roof."

In an instant she was in his arms and flying through the cold air upwards. In a panic she threw her arms around his neck and held tightly, savoring the close contact and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt so comfortable being held by him, and she was disappointed when he landed on the roof of the tallest tower. However, although he set her down he kept his arms around her to protect her from falling.

The sky was filled with orange light as the tip of the sun was visible. Rin settled herself in Sesshoumaru's embrace as she stared at it with amazement, her hands resting on the folds on his hakama.

"Kirei," she breathed softly, filled with awe at the sight of something so beautiful.

He grunted in agreement, although the beauty filling his thoughts was not that of the sunrise.

"Rin," he said. "Chichi-ue is sending me to patrol the lands today."

She turned her head to look up at him. "I don't understand."

"I have to walk along the western border and ensure there is no threat nearby."

Her heart sank when she realized she would be separated from him again.

"How long will you be?"

"Two weeks at most."

She felt her insides freeze in an instant.

Two weeks? How can I survive two long, awful weeks without him?

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she quietly said, "I will… miss you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Something in his chest warmed pleasantly at that. Rin shifted in his arms so she was lying across his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru pulled her closer against himself, taking in her scent, and found that he was perfectly content. He never wanted to move from this rooftop with her.

#~#~#

"Rin-chan!" Kagome cried, getting up to invite her into the room. It was smaller than Rin's, but quite cozy-looking.

Rin smiled and entered, sitting down on the futon.

"I'm sorry for coming to you last week. I hope I didn't get you in trouble?"

She shook her head, not seeing the point in worrying her. Anyway, everything had worked out.

"Good," the older girl crossed her legs. "I have good news, Rin-chan! I accidentally overheard Inuyasha-sama talking with his father, and he might not send me back to Iwao after all!" Her smile dimmed and she frowned. "It'll either be me or Kikyou." She smiled again. "But that means he must like me a little, right?"

Rin nodded encouragingly, glad for her friend.

"Anyway, doesn't Sesshoumaru-sama allow you to talk to me or something?"

She shook her head again.

"But you're here now that he's patrolling," Kagome shook her head. "Good for you, Rin-chan."

Rin smiled, not speaking. Sesshoumaru had said she could do what she wanted while he was gone. He had given her permission to see Kagome and Kikyou during the first week he was away, but not after so their scents wouldn't remain on her. She wasn't disobeying Sesshoumaru, but she couldn't let Kagome know that without speaking – and she didn't want the whole palace to know she wasn't mute because she wasn't sure what would happen. It might put Sesshoumaru in an uncomfortable position, too, because everyone knew he liked silent slaves. Although… why did he not send her away when she first began to speak? Why had he not disposed of her when she no longer fitted his ideal?

#~#~#

Sesshoumaru sat resting against a tree trunk, one leg outstretched and one arm resting on the other. His eyes were closed and the wind tugged at his loose robes lightly. But however relaxed he appeared was entirely misleading. His mind was in turmoil.

This patrol had been the longest two weeks of his life. Now he was nearly back at the western castle – back with Rin. She was all he thought about. She plagued his every thought, every fantasy, every dream… Her face never left him, and he had an oddly warm feeling in his chest every time he thought of holding her close to him.

I love her. I really, truly love her.

A white bird flitted out of the trees, calling for its mate.

But she's just a human. She's my concubine, my slave. She'll age quickly. She'll live another fifty years, if she's lucky, and then die – a fraction of my life.

His chest tightened at the thought of losing her.

There's nothing I can do about that. Life does not have happy endings, and no one has a perfect existence. Getting close to her… closer than I am… will only result in disaster.

The bird's mate flew towards it, singing loudly, and they both flew off.

It's better this way, Sesshoumaru thought as he watched the scene. She's only a slave to me; to make her my mate would enrage several people. Anyway, I need to have a full-blooded heir instead of a half-breed.

Although, being honest with himself, the thought of Rin holding a tiny hanyou in her arms and singing to him or her was not an unpleasant picture. It gave him a longing to see it realized, and again he was reminded that he missed her terribly during the patrol.

There's nothing I can do, he told himself again. It would be better to distance myself from her; being near her is too hard. But… I have to see her soon… I just can't push her out of my life.

Standing up, he continued on his circuit. He would be finished by morning, if he was lucky, and then he would be with Rin again. The thought made him walk faster, and he became less aware of his surroundings.

#~#~#

"Sesshoumaru? Are you alright?" Touga asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I'm fine, Chichi-ue. It's just a scratch."

"What concerns me is that it smells like it was from a lesser youkai. How one could have made a mark on you, of all people, is worrying."

"I wasn't paying attention," Sesshoumaru explained impatiently, anxious to get to his room. "I deserved the wound."

"You smell sicker than usual. You should bathe; it might help."

"Hai, Chichi-ue." Quickly walking through the corridors he arrived at his rooms and went straight into Rin's chamber.

She was still sleeping, looking like an angel with her dark hair splayed out behind her. Unable and unwilling to do anything else, he knelt beside her and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on her soft cheek. She smelled even more wonderful than he remembered.

Pulling away slightly, he saw her smile in her sleep as she moved her hand up to her cheek.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured, turning towards him. Her other hand found his and closed around it.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile down at her. Even when she was asleep, she still thought of him. He was her master in everything.

He lay down beside her, pulled her against him, and kissed her face and jaw repeatedly, eventually working down her neck and along the edge of her sleeping kimono. He did not care that she might wake up – if fact, he probably would have enjoyed it more if she had.

When he heard Rika in the hallway outside he knew he had to leave. Pressing one last, soft kiss to Rin's forehead, he stood and went back into his own room.

"Rin-chan, wake up," Rika said. Rin opened her eyes sleepily, rubbing them as she sat up. She pouted at the youkai, as she had just had a wonderful dream about Sesshoumaru-sama. She missed him so much, and wished he would come back.

"Rin-chan, Sesshoumaru-sama has returned," the servant said, pulling out a fresh kimono.

Rin's face instantly lit up with joy, and she nearly cried out with relief.

Finally… I'm so glad I can see him again!

"You're happy?" Rika questioned, surprised.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm surprised. I know I would hate to be his slave. But I suppose it's good that you're happy with your master. It would be truly awful to be the slave of someone horrible. I must go, Rin-chan; I have to do my duties. Unless Sesshoumaru-sama sends for you then you should just stay here."

Rin nodded, ecstatic with the thought that Sesshoumaru would most likely come to her that night after being away for such a long time. She got dressed quickly and then collapsed back o her futon, still smiling. After a few minutes a servant came to fetch her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama requests that you come to his personal wash rooms."

Rin nodded and did as she said, knocking the wash room door and entering on Sesshoumaru's command. It felt so good to hear his voice again.

The wash room was steamy, making it difficult to see very clearly, but she made her way into it and saw his unclothed form sitting in the hot water.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she beamed at him as she sat next to him.

Sesshoumaru looked at her with a blank expression, but there was some emotion in his golden eyes. "Rin."

"I'm… glad you're back, my lord. I missed you." She caught sight of the red on his arm. "My lord, you're hurt!"

He glanced briefly at the cut. "It's nothing. It will be gone by morning."

"Will you not let me bandage it?"

He really shouldn't. It was pointless; only an excuse for her to touch him. "Suki ni shiro."

She got up and went to the end of the room to get a cloth and a bucket of water so as not to dirty his bath water. Sesshoumaru watched her every movement, and was instantly angered when Inuyasha entered, distracting him.

"So, you're back," the hanyou said, staring down at his older brother.

"As you see."

"Nothing exciting happened?"

"If it had, you would be the last person I would tell. Now get out."

Rin passed him and he caught her arm, spinning her round to him. "Hey… she's not bad. I thought she looked a bit puny when she first came here but she really looks a lot healthier now."

Rin began trembling as Inuyasha pulled her closer to smell her.

"Inuyasha, let her go," Sesshoumaru ordered, becoming angrier. How dare he smell someone he knows is mine?

"I dunno… she smells kinda nice. I know you never get attached to your slaves, so when you're done with her why don't you give her to me?" He grabbed her by her hair and forced her to look up at him. It reminded her of the time back at the slave dealer's shop when he had picked her, but now all she could think of was how close his mouth was to hers. She was shaking with fear, but she daren't pull away because Inuyasha was her superior and had every right to punish her if she did so against his will.

Sesshoumaru-sama… tasukete.

"Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru's voice was filled with fury.

Rin gulped as Inuyasha's face got closer and closer to hers.

I'm about to be kissed by someone other than Sesshoumaru-sama! I… don't want that!

Sesshoumaru suddenly realized he was using the wrong tactics. Inuyasha didn't have to obey him because they were both sons of the lord of the west, so ordering him was doing nothing to help. Rin, on the other hand, had to obey both of them because she was a mere slave, which was why she couldn't pull away.

"Rin, come here."

Relief flooded her as she pushed the hanyou away from her and half-ran to Sesshoumaru, slipping on the wet floor.

Inuyasha scowled and stomped out, slamming the door shut.

"Rin, get undressed. Put your clothes somewhere where they won't get wet."

She did as he ordered and went to sit on the edge of the bath with her feet dangling in the water. She took his arm and gently cleaned the cut on it, taking care not to let any blood fall into the bath water, and wrapped it in a clean cloth.

Sesshoumaru slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Are you alright?"

Rin nodded, concentrating on her task. "Arigatou," she murmured.

Traces of Inuyasha's scent remained on her, and he was tempted to hold her close to blot it out with his own scent. Instead, he took the logical option that he had been planning for a while. "Rin, you won't have to wait on me anymore."

Her head jerked up to look at him, horror evident on her face. "But why? Don't I do a good enough job? Do I need to do better?"

Her expression tore at his heart. He wanted nothing less than to take it back.

"Iie, it's nothing to do with the job you're doing. This is my decision."

Her eyes lowered and he smelled salt water coming from her. Tilting her head up gently with one finger, he saw that her cheeks were still dry as she refused to let her tears fall.

"It's for the best," he said softly. Rin jumped into the water with him and threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly, not caring that she was grossly out of turn.

Sesshoumaru felt awful. It was what both of them wanted but… as the heir to the western lands it was impossible for him to mate with a ningen. Especially a slave – he could not pick someone lower.

Even so… it cut into him deeply.

#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

itai – ow

watashi no shippou – my tail

ningen no baka – stupid human

gomen – sorry

datte – but

yurushite – forgive me

kirei – beautiful

suki ni shiro – do what you want

tasukete – help

Heh, it'll never last. You'll see. Please review! I was amazed at the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter, and I'm so glad I'm way over 100! This is exciting! I'll try and update soon!

Oh, and something else. The Inuyasha bit… he was just doing that to annoy Sesshoumaru. There is nothing between him and Rin, okay? Sorry if he's your favorite character, but he's the only one who would've done something like that to Sesshoumaru…