Chapter 8

My eyes remained focused on everything and everyone else but the demon I sat beside. Though I could feel his side glare at me, I put on a soft smile to Toga, and Izayoi who welcomed me into their home after everything that had happened. I lifted my teacup the way I was taught and sipped it the proper way the way nobles drink theirs. The mint tea sent a soothing sensation down my throat.

"Rin, my dear. Is there anything you would like to do since it's still early?" Izayoi had her attention for me only.

Though I felt nervous by the demon who almost had my life cut short, I knew that I needed to speak, and not let the fear of him get to me ever. "I think I would like to take my horse for a walk if that's alright?" I know she would be happy to stretch her legs some and so would I. Even though I told her I needed a few weeks to recover. But going out for an hour or two wouldn't hurt either of us.

"Why of course dear, but our grounds are not large enough for her to roam." That means I would have to leave the castle grounds I am on.

"Sesshomaru will escort you outside the castle grounds after dinner is finished," Toga announced. "Just remember to put on your gift, Rin." It resides in the sleeve of my yukata at this time.

Just as my jaw was close to hitting the table, heavy fists beat me to it. "LIKE HELL I WILL, FATHER." I literally almost jumped to my feet at his voice. "WHAT GIFT DID YOU GIVE HER THAT SHE DOESN'T DESERVE?"

Toga remained where he sat, calm, taking a sip of his own tea. "You have no choice, my son. Remember what I said the other night, the only way you can leave the grounds if Rin wanted to step out for a bit. Plus, you did say you will endure what was bestowed upon you." That had to be the night he came hunting me down because of the beads that rested on his wrist. "I gifted Rin the same bracelet you wear, but hers will have you follow her wherever she walks to outside the grounds. So, if you try to walk away from her, you will be catapulted again."

"Damn it," I heard him whisper under his breath his way. "Fine then."

"Wherever Rin wants to go, be sure that she makes it there safely, and that she stays safe. If she wishes to see the village, be sure to stay by her side," her ordered.

"Like I have no choice."

"That means staying away from that whore house." Gross. I think I remember hearing rumors of him seeking women who enjoy the pleasure of bedding with demons like himself. I could never allow myself to bed with someone I don't even know and move on to another person the next day. I would only bed with the one my heart belongs to till the day that I die.

"Wasn't planning on it." I don't know if he's lying, or if he'll go by his word.

"Good, now then, let's eat!"


After dinner, I went back to my room, and prepared myself to take Seishin on her outing with the demon I never thought I would see myself walking with. I thought I would be staying clear of him during my stay here. But I was wrong. I was going to be escorted around outside the castle grounds by the eldest demon of Lord Toga, Master Sesshomaru. I don't know if I should be scared of the possible chance of him trying to find ways for me to take his bracelet off and leave me to be alone for the possible chance of Naraku to find me. This is where I should have asked Toga to escort me around instead. I'll just have to remember that for next time.

Retrieving the bracelet from the sleeve of my yukata, I placed the beads around my wrist, and left to go meet Toga's oldest son at the front gate. He was waiting for me with my horse. I hope that he keeps his hands off of her. Along the way to the front courtyard, I found Toga, and Izayoi, standing at the other end. It looks as if they were waiting for me. They both had smiles on their faces, with a bit of concern in their eyes. They know I'm a bit worried that I'm about to go off the property with the demon who almost had my life cut short. "Rin, I hope dinner has given you energy for this evening?"

"It has, thank you." I properly bowed to them both, but mostly Toga since he was the one who asked me.

"Good. I hope your evening goes well and just in case you visit the village I want you to take this." In his hand looked to be a colored cloth.

I held my hand out, "what is it?"

When he placed it into my hand, it felt heavy with a clink sound. "Money."

I gasped with shock. I couldn't take his money. "No! Please. I can't…"

Toga raised his hand to stop me from saying any more. "It's alright, Rin. We know you left with no money that night and Izayoi and I want to make sure you can get yourself something while you're out. Plus, that cloth you hold has the symbol of my ancestors. So, the villagers will know that you're a guest within my home."

"Are you sure? It doesn't feel right to spend your money for something I possibly don't need." It really doesn't feel right at all.

"We're positive dear. You're a guest within our home and I know there must be something you might want that we don't have here," Izayoi grabbed both my hands and held them in hers. "Stay positive while you're out and don't let Sesshomaru get to you if he says anything. He can be a bit of a jerk, but he does have a heart."

I have a feeling not much will be said between him and I. Him, having a heart? I don't know if they are just trying to make him seem much kinder or just lying. "I promise." Honestly, I just see us walking around in a circle, returning, and going our separate ways. I don't see him saying anything heartfelt towards me.

"Oh! Before I forget. Rin, I had the grounds keeper who works in the stable change your horse's harness to one of ours." I'm confused why.

"How come, Toga?" There has to be a good reason why he made that order.

"Your horse's harness had your family's crescent upon it and I thought it would be best that she carried ours for now." Oh! "Plus, I made sure that her old harness was put away in a safekeeping place where no one will ever look.

Now I understand why, but now something else crossed my mind. "Toga, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Is it safe for me to go outside the gates without someone recognizing me? Like Lord Naraku?" Clearly if I step outside, and he is out there, he will take me away without a fight. The eldest master probably would just watch and not do a thing… Not unless this bracelet drags him along with me.

"There is no need to worry, Rin. It's perfectly safe for you to go outside the castle gates. Just don't take that bracelet off and you'll be fine. That bracelet holds more power than just protecting you from my son. Kikyo keeps those who have a pure heart safe from any harm or threat that comes towards them. It is also said she can sense who you fear the most and she will not let them see or hear you."

Such power from someone who's been dead for over a hundred years. But I know I should take his word dearly and I will. It makes me wonder if she protected me from dying that day from the falls. "Thank you. I will make sure that I keep it on my wrist."

"Good girl. Now, let's get you to the courtyard before my son decides to come looking for you." I clearly don't see that happening. He doesn't seem the type that will come look for a human like me.

At the gate, he stood with my beloved horse Seishin. She was strapped down with the crescent of the ancestors that Toga spoke of. It was white dog standing on its back paws, claws drawn out, and mouth howling towards the moon possibly. A lot different than my family's, which was just a sword pierced through a crescent moon.

Seishin was elated to see me when I finally arrived at the courtyard. She came over and rested her head along my shoulder. This was her way of giving me a hug. I returned the hug. "It's good to see you again." It was really good to see her. The last time we had a good outing was when… was when I went out that day with Bankotsu and Jakotsu to the fields. It was the last time I felt happy.

As I continued to give the proper affection to my horse, "Sesshomaru, remember to stay near Rin for the duration that you both are out."

I didn't look back towards him but felt the heat of his eyes on my back. I knew they read how much he hated this punishment. How much I could rip the bracelet off of his wrist so he could leave forever and not return. How he wished that he could have killed me much sooner at that crystal lake where I was found.

"How far of a distance do I need to stand near her?" Hopefully not too close.

"Five feet." Good enough. I heard him seethe through his teeth. "Five feet is plenty, my son." Then I felt Toga's eyes on me. "Rin, do you know where you would like to visit first?"

"I am not sure." I don't know much about this area. "Umm… I am not sure." I guess wherever my feet decide to lead me.

"Why not visit the lake. It's actually beautiful, though it's not covered in ice now, I think you find it breathtaking," Izayoi suggested.

Is it the same lake I was founded days prior? "Sure."

"Well, it's settled then. Sesshomaru, you will escort Rin to the lake and wherever she would like to see."

I hope I don't regret this.

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We remained in silence when we walked to the lake. I didn't mind that we weren't saying a word to each other. It shall remain like that. The only one I will speak to is Seishin.

The sky was pretty, but still light out, even though it was the evening hours. These were the hours at night I would sit outside my room, with a cup of hot tea, and listen to the sounds that came with the night. Mother would join me, and we would talk about our day and what we planned to do the next. Now those were memories of my past.

"Human, why are you crying?" I heard him ask me all of a sudden.

I'm crying? I stopped moving, placed my hand to my face, and felt wetness form under my eyes. Did this past memory bring on more tears that I needed to release? Do I tell him why I am crying? I know I don't have to. "It's nothing." I tried to move forward, only for him to step in my path. "What? Are you just going to call me a pathetic commoner who is weak with human emotions?"

"All I asked was why you were crying!"

"It's nothing. Is it not alright for humans to cry?"

"It's not that hard to answer a simple question, comm… girl.

I'm not going to get through to him, am I? "Do you want to know my whole lifestyle story of why I am out here in the first place?"

"Not that I actually care." Then why are we having this conversation?

"Fine! I was thinking of something of my past because of the sky." Hopefully he doesn't ask me anything else.

He looked at me and then to the sky. "Pathetic human you are, crying over something so simple as the night sky."

"See, this is why I didn't want to tell you. Even if you don't believe I'm a princess to a lord your father knows."

"Princesses have escorts, you didn't when I caught… found you at the lake!" So, he's trying to recount his statement of what he caused that day. "If you say you're a princess, which you clearly aren't, why didn't you have your escorts with you?" … "I am not going to move until you tell me." He was literally hovering over me. Hovering enough to where I could fall over.

For heaven sakes. "I ran away from home because I was put into an arranged marriage to a boy I hardly know!"

"Isn't that how it works for human royalty?" Not for me. "A human lord chooses his son or daughters betrothed with the hopes of producing an heir? A son in most cases?"

"He isn't even human! He's a demon with possible cruel intentions to harm me!" Hakudoshi I know has ways to harm me in multiple ways.

"So, you think all demons have a possible way to harm humans with cruel intentions?" No!

"Not all demons…" Sesshomaru came close to harming me, but I don't think he's anywhere near Hakudoshi. He would have killed me at the lake if he had the chance. "I'm not pointing the finger towards you. I'm just saying that in the few years I've been around this demon, all I could sense was danger, and how uncomfortable I was being around him." I don't know what I would be doing right now if I hadn't run away. Possibly not speaking to my parents.

"Then why didn't you say anything to your father who you say is a lord?"

Idiot. "Because I was too deep in thought and emotionally distraught to say anything to my father." I could feel my tears again. Why? Why did he have to talk to me? We're doing so well not speaking to one another. "Can we continue where we were headed? Please?" We're losing daylight if we keep standing around here. "I am also done with this conversation." The faster this conversation ends, the faster I can forget he spoke to me.

After about a minute or two he finally moved and allowed me to move forward without another word. Hopefully it stays that way. Seishin was getting restless standing here and I knew she would like to have a drink of water.

No other word was said when we arrived at the same lake from days prior. Seishin and I stood by the water, and she knelt down to drink up some water and Sesshomaru stood the five feet distance between us. He stood by a cherry blossom tree that was starting to show green buds. Spring was on its way here.


I cannot believe that I'm out here of all places. A place I found this girl who I still say is not a princess and nothing but a commoner trespasser on my father's…. On land that will be mine one day and all of that will change… Who am I kidding? I will never inherit these lands, and all will be passed down to my half-brother Inuyasha. Lands he'll never make changes to. The only way for me to earn my own lands is for this girl to remove my bracelet and I'll leave when that day comes. So, in order for that to happen, I would have to… befriend this girl, and act as if I want to be her friend, which I clearly don't.

I watched her from where I stood and interacted with that horse of hers. She petted the white mane that also has a similarity to mine when I'm in my true form. Her fingers were gentle, combing any knots away that it possibly had. Her once sad eyes were now calm. Strange emotions humans have. I don't understand why they have that many and I don't care to know why. I, myself, only have one emotion.

As we stood here, the sound of some individual coming our way caught my attention in the direction before us. Whoever they were, they weren't local to the area. Their scent has an ashy smell. Ash that they have been near or live by a volcano. But it wasn't just one person coming towards us. I smelled another being carrying an ashy smell among them.

"Hakudoshi, father, already searched this area. Why are we out here now?" That human girl froze by the sound of a young female voice.

"Because, I think Rin is out here hiding, Kana." The girl shivered with fright. Is this the demon boy she said that she didn't want to marry? "Father only searched for one day. My plan is to search for one week."

When they came out of the shadows of the forest, I saw two eerie demons that are the spawn of Lord Naraku, but white haired instead. I've only met him once in my life when I was the same age as that white hair girl. That was before he inherited his late father's kingdom. A kingdom that I have no plans to visit.

Lucky for us, they couldn't see that we were standing in the same field as they were. Going against my better judgment, I walked up beside the girl named Rin. "They are unable to see us before them. Remember that." Though I may have spooked her, and her back is to me, she nodded to what I had said. "Is this guy you spoke of?" I know it was, but doing what I hated most, I just felt like asking.

"Mhm," was all she let out.

Both spawns of that lord walked up to the same lake we stood by, looking at their gastly reflections along the water, and not realizing we're here with them. I can see why she refused to marry such a demon. His purple eyes seeped poison from them. His sister on the other hand… her black eyes showed emptiness and no signs of life. "Hakudoshi, what are you going to do if you do find Rin out here?"

"Take her back with us and put her in the servant quarters where she belongs. Her title will become annulled permanently, haha." His eyes eyed the area where we all stood around. "If and when I find her, she'll be working non-stop till I say otherwise. " His gripped within a fist but loosened after a minute or two. "I can't believe she was never told that the reason she was handed her hand in mine was because our father saved her father in war. He should have been left to die that day."

This girl gasped, dropped to her knees, and covered her mouth with both hands, and with the same tears from earlier. "This… this can't… be!"

"Kana, let's continue on. Maybe we'll have better luck if we continue downstream." He turned his back and walked back towards the river where that dead man still lies.

"Yes, Hakudoshi." The lifeless girl followed behind and they disappeared with the darkness of the forest.

This girl Rin still remained where her knees kept her bound. "They're gone."

"Are you positive? They could possibly be lurking around and pretending they didn't see us!" I highly doubt that.

"They would have already taken you by now. It seems that the mirror of that lifeless girl can't pick up that you're here, even while wearing the bracelet. So, there is no need to be crouched down on the ground." She still refused to move.

"How can I move after discovering why I was to marry that horrible boy?" Clearly this girl doesn't understand settlement agreements.

"Settlement agreements come in many ways. Your father clearly at that time wasn't thinking and only thought of a way of gratitude for his life being saved. That gratitude was to marry you off." What this girl doesn't know is, her life would have ended if she were to be brought to Lord Naraku's lands. The miasma from the volcano no human could survive. It's lethal when you breathe it in."

"You clearly don't understand what I am going through." Whether I do or don't doesn't matter. "I bet you have never been through what I went through."

"I have not because no lord has suggested their daughters for a demon such as I." My standards will always be a daiyoukai like myself, with the most renowned beauty that will only ever be mine and mine only. No human will be allowed to be my wife. I will not stoop that low like my father and younger half-brother, ever.

She rose to her feet, keeping back to me, "I can see why. Who wants to marry someone such as yourself? You have no respect for anyone, including me, a princess… just like a girl like me." I could kill her for saying that.

"There are plenty of daiyoukai girls who would love to fulfill that goal of being my wife." The right one just hasn't come to me yet. She'll appear one day and that's when I stop whoring myself around. "The right one will come for me."

"That would be a show to see. The only thing you're known for is sleeping with… I'm ready to go to the village."

I jumped in front of her, stopping her from moving any further. "What were you about to say?" My eyes were heavier than they ever had been before. "What am I known for sleeping with?" Her eyes were shocked with freight. "Answer me!"


And I leave you all on a cliffhanger, bwahaha. What do you think will occur? Will Rin make it to the village?

itzcat: You're welcome and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter too.

Guest: Thank you. It's totally different from what I usually go with Sesshomaru. I plan to keep continuing at the proper pace that I am used to going.

Guys, I put in for my vacation for September. Hopefully that week, after I get some cleaning done, I plan to work on my stories, to hopefully get some more chapters up.