InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Inu ❯ Chapter 3

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Rin sat alone in one of her favorite gardens closest to the large dojo that had been built in the very back of the palace grounds. She hummed quietly to herself as she made a crown out of flowers. A little smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Now that Kagome-san was here she wouldn't be so alone all the time. Jaken was fun to mess with, but he never played with her in return, only yelled at her in his annoying voice.

 

But now things would be different. She had Kagome to play with. With that thought in mind, she grinned happily and began to hum another tune.

 

At the sound of footsteps softly approaching, her head perked up. She gasped and stared in awe at her Kagome.

 

'What a difference a bath made!' she thought in amazement. When she'd first seen Kagome she hadn't minded that the onna was covered in stinky filth. Before Lord Sesshomaru had found Rin, she herself had been covered in dirt and had rarely bathed, mostly because she wasn't able to. So she knew how Kagome must have felt.

 

As Kagome approached, Rin couldn't stop her mouth from dropping in awe. Kagome was even prettier than Rin had originally guessed. Her skin was a creamy white that shone brightly in the sun. Though she still had a few cuts and bruises that were still healing, it was plaintive how beautiful she was. Her hair, having been washed and thoroughly combed through, was long and a deep black that had a blue sheen to it. It was like a river of ebony that went all the way down to her calfs, stopping just above her ankles. Rin immediately felt an twitch in her hand, impatiently waiting to play with her hair.

 

She was tall and lean and graceful, just like Lord Sesshomaru. Her eyes were the color of sapphire, sparkling like that very gem in the sun. Also like Rin's lord, Kagome had two stripes on each of her cheeks, though hers were the same color as her eyes. The tops of her eyelids were colored a lighter blue color, making the actual color of her eyes stand out even more.

 

Though she wore a simple kimono, it didn't deter her from looking elegant and beautiful. 'Like a princess!' Rin thought with excitement.

 

Rin hopped to her feet and ran over to Kagome, her flowery crown temporarily abandoned. She met Kagome the rest of the way, who thanked the maid Sango for escorting her. Sango bowed and with a gentle smile, left.

 

Kagome turned to peer at Rin. The girl had changed from her checkered kimono to a simpler one as well, hers one made for her to run around and play in. A look of awe was in the girl's eyes as she gazed up at Kagome.

 

"Wow, Kagome-chan! You look amazing!"

 

Kagome flushed, wondering when the girl had changed her name from Kagome-san to Kagome-chan. "It is nothing," she said hesitantly. As she'd looked in a full length mirror while Sango tied her obi, Kagome had been shocked when she'd seen herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually seen herself. She had forgotten what she even looked like. She certainly hadn't expected some great beauty, but neither had she expected to look as she did.

 

Rin smiled and reached out to grab Kagome's hand. She then led her to a grassy spot in the middle of a garden filled with many different types of flowers. "We're going to play princesses, Kagome-chan."

 

"Okay." Kagome sat down next to the girl she'd grown fond of and waited. Kagome assumed she was too old to be playing such a childish game, but she complied, not wanting to hurt Rin's feelings. She looked around, not knowing what to do.

 

Seeing the look of confusion on her face, Rin grinned and picked up a series of flowers twisted to hold each other together in the form of a wreath. "This is your crown, Kagome-chan." She stood up and placed the circlet on Kagome's head. "You can be Rin's queen while Rin is the princess." Kagome wondered why the girl referred to herself in third person so much. "We live in a fairy kingdom and we have to protect our subjects from outsiders. Right now, we are having a tea ceremony." She pointed to two empty cups.

 

Kagome surprised herself with a laugh. She didn't know much about little girls, but since she remembered a time when she'd mentally escaped her harsh conditions by picturing herself in a different world, waiting on a prince to come. While she'd long ago stopped imagining such things, she did know how to go along with Rin's adorably childish imagination.

 

Hours passed. Kagome was surprised at how much fun she was actually having. Rin played the role of a princess as if she were bred to do so, while Kagome herself seemed to be a bit clumsy at being a queen. Nonetheless, she enjoyed herself immensely.

 

She'd sensed Sesshomaru's presence nearby more than once as he passed through but did not stop. Many others came and went as well, sending curious glances their way. Kagome knew they stared at her mostly. At first, they'd been disgusted by all the filth she'd been covered in upon first reaching the palace. Now clean, however, many of them cast her lingering stares. She didn't know if they were surprised by what lay underneath the grime, or if they've never seen a grown youkai play Fairy Kingdom with a young girl. She knew it had to be because of her markings mostly, since on the way to Rin earlier people had stopped what they were doing and stared.

 

Currently Rin held a wooden practice sword and pointed it at an invisible foe. Kagome was sitting on the ground with her hands "tied" behind her back. Apparently she'd been kidnapped by the kingdom's enemies and it was up to warrior princess Rin to save her. Kagome hid her giggles and attempted to remain quiet as Rin parried and fought, swinging her wooden sword in a high arc with all the grace of newborn babe.

 

The nearby dojo, which had been filled with the sounds of men's grunts and growls and yells, as well as their weapons striking against each other, had grown quiet over the past few minutes as their training came to a close. Men began to pool out, going in all directions. Some headed to the front of the gate where they would presumably leave to their own homes in the nearby village, while others began to file into the servants' building.

 

One man spotted them and began to stroll in their direction. When he was a few feet away, Rin only then seemed to notice him. "Aha!" She shouted, and ran up to him. "The evil troll youkai who has come to take over our kingdom. But Princess Rin will not allow you to do so!" She jabbed at the man's leg.

 

The youkai quirked an amused brow. "Troll?" He asked. "No female has ever complained about my looks before."

 

"Your wicked ways end here, you foul man! Ahh!" Rin began a series of squeals and giggles as the male lifted her in his arms and began to tickle her. Amazed, Kagome stared up at them.

 

He was handsome, almost painfully so. The "troll" lifted Rin in the air had short gray-black hair that was in an untamed mass about his head. He had light gray eyes with a single dark green stripe on each cheek. He was Inu, a handsome one at that. As Kagome looked up at him from her seat on the ground, she guessed he was easily as tall as Sesshomaru, and just as muscular. The similarities ended there, however. Where Sesshomaru was cold and brooding, this male seemed free of spirit.

 

Rin squeaked and hit him on the head with her sword, all the while laughing so hard her face turned red. "Put me down, troll!"

 

"Okay." Rin "eeked" when the male dropped her but caught her at the last minute, then gently set her down. Kagome couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. Something about the sight of a grownup playing with a child in such a way was quite adorable.

 

The male slid his eyes over to Kagome. They widened. "My, what have we here?"

 

"Queen Kagome was kidnapped by your kind and now Princess Rin is saving her," Rin declared with her sword raised high.

 

"Is that so?" His gaze roamed over Kagome lazily with a smile. He looked down at Rin again and took on a false battle stance. "Well you will have to fight me to get her back then, hai?"

 

"Hai! Prepare to die, troll!"

 

Kagome laughed and enjoyed the performance greatly. The male youkai parried and dodged a clumsy Rin, every now and then allowing her to strike him. After a few minutes, he allowed Rin to land a killing blow to his chest. In a dramatic show, he spun around a few times, pretending to moan in pain, before finally falling to the ground, presumably dead.

 

Rin gave a victorious shout and ran over to Kagome. "Fear not, Queen Kagome! Princess Rin defeated the hideous troll and will now free you!" She made a show of cutting the invisible rope that held Kagome's hands tied. Kagome smiled and stood up.

 

"Arigatou for saving me, Princess Rin," she said, patting the girl on her head.

 

"It is Princess Rin's duty!" She said with a grin. She looked over at her fallen foe and gave a gasp. "Look, Queen Kagome! The ugly troll turned into handsome prince! He is no longer evil!"

 

Kagome looked over at the male as he sat up. He quirked a brow, but grinned. "Handsome now, am I?"

 

Rin giggled and stuck her sword in her little obi. "Hai! Now we can all return to fairy kingdom, where you will marry Queen Kagome and become the king, and we will all live happily ever after!"

 

Kagome looked at the male, who only laughed, and shrugged. She didn't completely follow her young companion's story line, but she didn't question it. No point in ruining a child's happiness.

 

Kagome looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was near setting. She dusted herself off. "Come, Rin. We must get you clean to prepare you for dinner."

 

Rin poked her bottom lip out, but nodded grudgingly. She began a slow trudge back to the main palace, with Kagome and the male youkai following her. The male walked beside Kagome, all but gawking at her. Kagome felt an annoyed twitch in her eyebrow. She truly was becoming vexed with everyone constantly staring at her. Surely they all had something better to do.

 

"Can I help you?" Kagome asked, trying not to sound rude.

 

The male cleared his throat and nervously scratched behind his head with a smile. "Gomen nasai! I just have not seen you around here before. You must be new?"

 

Kagome shrugged, but Rin answered. "This is Kagome-chan!" She'd apparently gotten over her disappointment at having to cease her fun for the day, if the happy tone of her voice was any indication. She reached for Kagome's hand and clutched it. "Lord Sesshomaru found her earlier today and now she will be staying with us!"

 

The male smiled. "Is that so?" He blinked. "Wait, would you happen to be the woman covered in dirt everyone has been talking about?"

 

Kagome looked away with a light blush. "Hai."

 

He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her facial markings. Before he could ask the impending question, Sesshomaru approached them. Rin released Kagome's hand and ran up to hm, hugging his leg. Kagome expected him to push her off, or growl or something, so she was quite surprised when the Daiyoukai simply gave the girl an affectionate pat on her head. The male next to her gave his lord a respectful bow. Sesshomaru acknowledged him with a slight bow of his own head, then looked at Kagome as if expecting something.

 

She rolled her eyes heavenward, then bowed at the waist. When she straightened, he simply dismissed her and turned to the male next to her. "Kazu-san," he said in his normal cold tone. "Status report on the men's progress today."

 

The male's playful tone disappeared as he faced his lord respectfully. "The men are showing improvement in their hand to hand combat. I assume that could only be due to the fact that most of them were already soldiers before they were turned. However, some are not adjusting well to the change." His voice lowered. "It seems we may even lose a few."

 

Something that may have been disappointment spiked in Sesshomaru's aura before he quickly masked it. "Hn," he said. "That is all then."

 

Kazu bowed, gave Kagome another dazzling smile, then went off in the direction of the front gate. Sesshomaru then turned narrowed eyes on Kagome. His eyes wandered across her face, taking in her marks. He seemed to be thinking over something, but gave no indication of what. Rin, still having her little arms tightly coiled around his legs, smiled up at him.

 

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Kagome-chan and Rin had so much fun today! We played fairy kingdom and Kagome-chan got kidnapped by the evil trolls and Princess Rin saved her!"

 

If Kagome wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn his eyes softened ever so slightly as he looked down at his ward. "Hai?"

 

She nodded energetically, then seemed to deflate, her happiness going back to drawn out disappointment. "But now it is time for Rin to bathe and eat, says Kagome-chan."

 

Sesshomaru patted her on the head again. "That is correct. It is getting late, and dinner will be served soon." When Rin's little shoulders haunched, Sesshomaru added, "Would it please you if your wen...Kagome ate at the main table with us?"

 

Kagome frowned at the emphasized way he said her name, almost as if it burned his tongue, but Rin gasped and began to hop up and down with excitement. "H-h-h... Hai!" She squealed, making both Kagome and Sesshomaru wince at the high sound. She then began to hyperventilate, her excitement quite obvious. She then dashed to the main palace, leaving the two youkai behind.

 

Alone with Sesshomaru, Kagome began to feel unease slide through her. She was uncomfortable around him even when Rin was next to her, but now alone with him she couldn't help the icy shiver that went down her spine. She attempted to walk around him in the direction Rin left in, but of course, the brute wouldn't let her. He smoothly blocked her path, his cold mask firmly in place.

 

"You will not disrespect me, wench," he said unemotionally. "After dinner, you will join me in my private study. There, you will tell me the truth and only the truth. Know that should I scent any form of deceit from you I will then and there send you to your master."

 

Fear caused Kagome's breathing to temporarily stop, before she quickly covered it. She never thought of herself as a weakling, but when it came to the man that had kept her imprisoned for years, she had a deep fear that went far beyond anything Sesshomaru could possibly understand. It wasn't that she feared the man himself, but actually what he could do to her.

 

Sesshomaru sensed her quick spike of fear, however, if the slight smirk he gave was any indication. Kagome growled, annoyed that she'd once again failed to hide her emotions from him. "I told you he is not my master," she said darkly.

 

"Hn. You can explain your relationship later then." He turned and began an elegant stroll to the main palace.

 

With his back turned to her, Kagome gave in to the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him. He half turned as if he were going to say something else to her, but paused with a slight widening of his narrow eyes. Embarrassed at having being caught doing such a childish act, Kagome blushed a deep red.

 

"My suggestion to you would be to stick that appendage back in your mouth before I cut it out," he said and continued on.

 

 

Face now aflame, Kagome did so and straightened her shoulders with all the grace she could muster, which wasn't much since what little bit of her dignity she had left seemed to have escaped her.