A/N: sorry, all, that this has taken a while, but it needed to be just right! I also wound up with a loaner computer, started school (3 japanese classes) AND lost the last half of the chapter I DID have. Life is hard.
Sesshomaru quickly stopped dead in his tracks, making Azumi also stop in alarm. Being not a full-blooded InuYōkai, she did have a true form, but it was comparatively small—only about 5 feet high—and she had no flying ability, so she had to run. Sesshomaru landed as fast as possible and returned to his human form, carefully catching his delicate mate and laying her gently on a soft patch of ground, trembling as his transformation settled. He cringed as another pain seemed to ripple through Rin, making her whimper.
"Azumi, the herbs." She, too, had shifted, and grabbed her satchel, pulling out a bottle of sake and a thin cake of foul-smelling herbs. Dropping the herbs into the bottle, she began to shake it vigorously before offering it to Rin. "wait," Sesshomaru said, stepping forward in concern, "She can't have sake!"
"do you know why not?" Azumi challenged shortly. "drink quickly, Rin-Sama." She gently held the woman's head up so she could swallow more easily, but Rin coughed, gagged and spluttered at the horrible taste and smell. Noticing Sesshomaru still hovering, Azumi snapped, "anything more than a sip or two of sake can disrupt labor, and that's just what we need! Why don't you help me?"
Sesshomaru quickly knelt beside Rin and helped her sit up a little, apologizing when she whimpered again. He gently pinched her nose shut so she would have to taste the foul brew a little less as Azumi tipped her head back and poured the stuff down Rin's throat. Rin shuddered violently once it was all gone, and swallowed several times, before begging for water. Azumi let her drink half a canister of water, then Rin seemed to get groggy. The pains stopped and she mumbled incoherently before falling very deeply unconscious.
Azumi gathered up her items and packed them back in her satchel. "she will sleep at least until tomorrow noon. The herbs are very strong." She looked very worried. "If the pup were born now, so early, it would be little more than a miscarriage…but I am even more worried. These herbs are not made for repeated use, but as a last resort. If she begins to labor again, I won't have a choice but to let her deliver." She swallowed thickly as Sesshomaru scooped his beloved into his arms, choosing to continue in his usual form so he could carry her close to his heart. He did not say a word, and only his eyes revealed some of the deep worry he felt, as his face was his usual unfeeling mask.
They reached the manor as dawn broke and Sesshomaru quickly bolted inside, laying Rin down on the futon. Azumi followed him, appearing with several lengths of soft silk in her hands. "Aki's orders, Sesshomaru-sama. If she were to need bed rest, she must be tied down." He gave a single slow nod and fell to his knees beside his beloved as the maid passed all the lengths under the futon and then tied them with gentle but firm knots at various points across Rin's body. He reached out a tentative hand and placed it on her swollen belly, head hanging in worry. Please…please, just wait a little longer…it is not yet time for you to join this world…
"Sesshomaru-sama? Can I get you something? Food, or another futon?" Azumi asked as she finished tying the last knot.
"I am fine."
The servant girl nodded and went back to Rin's head, feeling her forehead gently with the back of her hand. "good, she's warm again. Aki will be here in another two days, when the festival concludes. I can monitor her until then."
"how early," Sesshomaru asked, looking up at her, his hand still on Rin's belly, "can they be born, and survive?"
She shook her head. "I…I don't know. I think at least another month…but I am no midwife." A tiny foot, the size of Rin's pinky nail, not counting the claw part, pressed faintly against its father's palm, proving how small the pup still was. He continued to frown, and Azumi bowed a little. "if you are certain you don't need anything, then I shall leave you to sit vigil. Please call me when she wakes, if either of you need anything." He gave neither word nor gesture to even indicate he had heard, every fiber of his being focused on his beloved and the tiny new life within her.
That night was another long one for Sesshomaru, as he sat beside his deeply drugged mate. He would have worried for her life if she hadn't been breathing deeply. The pup moved under his hand from time to time, kicking his fingers or palm with those tiny feet. He wondered how Rin put up with the sensation normally. He remained unmoving, his head bowed, though he did not sleep for even a moment.
Early the next morning, shortly after Sesshomaru had watched the sun rise, the maid Azumi returned with a tray full of hot breakfast enough for two, as well as a sweet-smelling tea. "Sesshomaru-sama, I really must insist that you eat," she said softly, bowing deeply. "she should start to stir soon. Shall I bring a cushion for you?" at his mute nod, she hurried out, returning in a few moments with a thick cushion from his study. At long last, he moved, getting slowly to his feet, as they had long since gone numb through the long night, allowing her to place the cushion so he could sit more comfortably on the hard floor. Azumi poured a cup of the tea and held it out, watching him take it and drink rather robotically. Through all this, he had not looked away from Rin. "please call if you have any more need, Sesshomaru-sama." He nodded faintly and she left.
It was about an hour later when Rin at long last began to stir. What terrible nightmares she had the night before…and, like some others, they had seemed so real…she tried to reach to rub the sleep from her eyes, but found her arm bound firmly to the bed. She started to growl.
"ah," Sesshomaru said in a soft voice, "you're finally awake."
"let me up," Rin replied with a soft growl, able to tell now that she was thoroughly trapped.
"I cannot do that."
"let me up, right now, or this pup will be your only one." It was clear she wasn't able or necessarily even willing to make good on her threat, so Sesshomaru wasn't really concerned. He offered a soft sigh and turned his gaze of fearful hardened-gold on her.
"I cannot do that. Rin, if I let you free, we will not have a child." She gasped at his words in shock, and he realized she did not remember the events of the harrowing night, most likely due to the powerful drugs. "it was foolish to take you to the whelping festival. We never should have done so. Surrounded by all the new mothers, your instincts overwhelmed you, and you began to whelp early. Far, far too early. Our pup would not survive with so little time to grow within you. And allowing you to nurse the orphan could only have made it worse."
At his explanation, Rin began to cry, then to sob softly in distress. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, sniffling. "I…I didn't know, I-I was just doing what felt right!" he gently wiped at her tears and petted her hair.
"I know, my love. I know. It was our fault, my mother's and my own, more than anything. But we were able to stop it. You must remain in bed, though, until the Royal Midwife says you may leave."
"and what am I supposed to do all day?" her nose started twitching at the scent of food nearby her, even though it was long cold by now.
"rest, relax, and recover your strength."
"and how long was I asleep?" she asked, noting the bright sunlight.
"all night, and it is long after sunrise now." He looked out, noting it was still around two hours to noon, so she had come out of the drugs a bit earlier than azumi had said. Hopefully, that was all right, or even a good thing.
"and you want me to rest?" she asked him incredulously. He simply nodded, picking up a bowl of soba from the tray for her and a pair of chopsticks, indicating that he would feed her if she cooperated with him. Once the young woman was fed, she blinked tiredly and yawned. Though of course she would never admit it, she knew she needed the rest, as her body felt drained of energy still. "can't you untie me?" she begged more than once, but he told her that no, it was the midwife's orders and he wasn't about to disobey, not with the two lives he cared most for (besides his own, of course) on the line. He kissed the moon on her forehead and kept petting her hair gently until she had gone peaceably back to sleep.
About an hour later, the maid Azumi returned with a tray of early lunch. "has she still not woken?" she asked with a bit of concern. Though of course she knew the herbs well, she had never had to use them before, and was worried she may have made a mistake. Sesshomaru waved a dismissive hand.
"She woke earlier, but is still tired. She needs the rest." Azumi nodded in understanding of her master's words and set down the tray. "is there anything else you need, milord? Oh, and Jaken wants to see you. He has the morning scroll delivery."
"when is Aki due to come?" he asked, taking a cup of tea from the tray.
"early in the morning the day after tomorrow, when the festival has concluded. I can send for her if need be?"
"no…" he looked to Rin, still napping peacefully. He was still upset over how rough the royal midwife had been with his mate in her haste to check her. Poor Rin had been terrified. "the day after tomorrow should be fine. You may send Jaken in with the scrolls. Have him set them on my desk across the room." Azumi bowed and moved off, and tiny feet soon hurried in, stumbling slightly under a huge stack of scrolls.
"is Rin-sama well?" he asked after dropping the stack on the low desk. Sesshomaru nodded softly, laying a hand on her belly again and rubbing gently, offering the ghost of a smile at the tiny kicks. "hmm…the pup must be very demanding, I suppose. It must be difficult to carry one's offspring inside like that." The little imp busied himself with unrolling the first scroll and pinning it down, pulling out fresh paper and getting a pot of warm water to make ink, making sure everything was in order for his master.
"Jaken."
"yes, milord?" he looked up, a bit concerned at his very flat tone.
"I need you to help me," he said. "I do not have time for paperwork when Rin needs my attention. You will have to do some of the work."
"of course, Sesshomaru-sama!" the imp straightened up proudly. "I will manage all of it, if you need me to!" he was, of course, just as little a fan of paperwork as Sesshomaru himself was, but if it was asked of him, he would certainly do it.
By the time Aki arrived, Rin was itching to be free, and feeling much better than she had just days ago. At the sight of the midwife, the pregnant woman immediately tried to escape, to no avail. Sesshomaru soothed her as the royal midwife checked her, much more gently than she had before, though also much more thoroughly. She straightened up afterward, washing her hands in a small bowl of water and drying them on her apron. "thank the Kami, everything is fine now. You had a very near miss, milady." She got to her feet to face them. "you may get up, now, so long as you take it easy for a while longer. Why don't you sit out on the porch? I'll have a cushion put out." As Rin was freed, she fled from the room as soon as she was able, and Aki turned to Sesshomaru. "there are a few things I wish to discuss with you."
"yes?" he turned away from her with a bit of disinterest, pouring them both a cup of tea that had cooled from breakfast and settling on his cushion, offering her the other, which she refused to take. He raised a silver brow at her in slight concern. What was she so wound up about? "speak."
"I have noticed that Rin shies away from me much more than normal for any woman. I first thought it was due to her differing upbringing as a human, but I think differently now." She took a deep breath and fixed him with a stern gaze, which rather surprised him. "remember, Sesshomaru-sama, now she is pupped she does not have desire as you might. Consider taking a concubine if you cannot control your urges."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the accusation as his cheeks turned pink with embarrassment and outrage. He set the teacup down heavily on the table to avoid crushing it in a too-tight grip. He had entirely forgotten that Aki had not been told of the attack of a few weeks prior. "you would accuse me of such indiscretion?"
"do not think to fool me. When a woman acts like that, it is always a man's fault."
"regardless, it is not my fault. I would never act in any way that would put such fear in the eyes of my beloved." He looked down, which surprised the midwife. "when I went to meet with my mother at the palace, a berserker was sent after us…after Rin. She was…she was attacked, and I was not here to protect her." Aki gasped at the news. "was she-?"
"I do not think he succeeded," he said heavily. "nevertheless, he did much damage, visible and not. And though her wounds have long since healed, I fear there are scars she will always bear now, because I could not protect her as was my duty."
A/N: thanks for waiting everyone! sorry this took so long, I just couldn't get it right.