The End [6/12]

[Calla Lily]

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Lord Sesshoumaru snapped out of his daydream, appalled that he spent half an hour reminiscing on the past, but it wasn?t a complete waste of time. He supposed that memory was what started it all off. His emotions for her, he meant. Sitting on the roof, hearing her speak her thoughts.

He assumed that it was because she had experienced something he hadn?t. That of all his long years as a youkai, he had always slipped through the ivory hands of Aphrodite? and now that Rin had been pierced by the Lover?s arrow, he had no clue how to aid her. Despair had claimed him again for she could not go to him for advice. He had none. All he could do was sit down and listen. But would it be enough? Sesshoumaru remembered chuckling out of spite: the regal demon aristocrat, puzzled by the romantics of a human girl. There should have been scrolls written on how to handle adolescent humans AND demons, as he recalled the egotistical attitude of Inuyasha.

The Lord got up from his desk and put his head to the side to get the crick out. Ah, there it was.

?Jaken, tell the trade caravan to unload all the cargo and to put it in the storehouses. They?ll rest for the night and in a week?s time, set off again.? He sighed internally at the monotony of the toad.

?But Master, you haven?t finished the accounting books? how would you know that nothing has been stolen or missing?? Sesshoumaru gave him a stare.

?? Because I am Lord of the Western Lands. Demons should know better than try to double-cross me.? The smaller of the two hopped up on the desk and put the scrolls together into one heaping pile, stashing them in a leather bag for the other servants to check that they were correct. No real need for that of course, Rin would review them before the tradesmen left. As a Lady of the Court, she had equal responsibility in the welfare of the lands. By the orders of Sesshoumaru, Rin was to be educated from the very moment she walked through the front doors.

Sesshoumaru knocked on his wife?s previous living quarters and was allowed in. He sat on the couch across from her as she went over some parchment, a quill in hand and her brow in deep concentration.

?What are you doing?? he asked.

?Names.? She muttered. She hardly glanced at him as she scribbled randomly on the paper.

?Sorry, I didn?t hear that.? She looked up, her mouth a mischievous smile.

?Names? for the baby.?

An equally goofy grin crept across the demon?s face and his mind started to wander again?



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After that incident on the roof, Sesshoumaru paid more attention to his ward?s changing moods, as subtle as they were. After a good day?s rest in the home atmosphere, not to mention undisclosed pep talks with the youkai handmaidens, Rin was her usual self that evening when she came down for dinner. The girls had dressed her in a Prussian blue dress with her hair tied back in a ribbon of similar hue.

?Are you feeling alright, Rin?? She smiled graciously and sat down at the table opposite him.

?I?m alright.?

?Are you sure that you?re well? I mean, you weren?t looking so good before and you might still be tired?? he didn?t see her roll her eyes into the back of her head, ?? do you want me to talk to that boy? What about your other friends, what do you want me to do? Do you need anything? When you go back, do you want me to accompany you?? Rin had heard enough, it was unusual for him to fuss so much and it aggravated her.

?I?m perfectly fine!? Her voice burst out, startling Jaken as the female demons tried hard to stifle their smirks and an oncoming fit of giggles. ?I?m older now, I can handle this myself. Trust me.? She gave one last pleading look at him and gave her best doe-eyed gaze. Sesshoumaru shut his mouth, there was no point trying to out-do the brown eyes. They always won, damn those handmaidens for teaching her that.

?My Lord??

?Yes??

?Thank you for listening to me last night, it was much appreciated.?

?You?re welcome.?

She eventually returned to the village, at first afraid to confront that boy whom she once liked. But over time, she was able to overcome that shyness and they became friends once again. The days grew longer and after a few more weeks, summer was upon them. The Master of the Western Lands had his hands full at this time of year, trading was at its peak and so were the problems from multiple sanctions of his vast estate. Everyday there would be a new complaint, a new rumour of a plague in a community, a rogue demon, news of Inuyasha, approval for trading properties, court duties, news of traveling humans, news of Kouga?s tribe, requests for settlements, new goods brought in from other Lords, and Rin?s welfare.

There had been no hearsay of another person in her life since that first boy. Sesshoumaru liked it that way. For some reason, he liked the selfish thought of being the only prominent male in her life, demon though he was, and he would like things to remain the same. Well, for as long as he could anyways. He was told that Rin was pretty, the servants called her beautiful. Sesshoumaru really didn?t care. As long as she was happy, so was he.



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