InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fluffy Love ❯ Hime ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3 -- Hime

"Rin, what do you think of this one?" Jaken held a bolt of cloth up for her to see. The deep purple silk was crisscrossed with hundreds of individually embroidered branches laden with pale yellow flowers. Normally she would have been enthralled with such a beautiful design, imagining how lovely she would look wearing it; however, today was nowhere near normal, and she was not in any sort of mood for shopping.

Discouraged, Jaken smoothed one twisted hand over the rich fabric and called to her again in an effort to catch her attention. She shot him the briefest of glances and murmured in ascent. Realizing that this was getting him nowhere, Jaken pointed hastily to several other bolts of silk and thrust a handful of coins into the shopkeeper's hand. Behind him, a human servant already bearing several boxes of goods on his back rushed to Jaken's side to grab the parcel of silks.

Not caring to stay any longer, Rin climbed back into the waiting palanquin. A corner of the voluminous robes Jaken had commanded her to wear caught on the corner of the carriage and she was jerked roughly backwards, nearly falling backwards into the dirt. One of her new attendants was at her side at once, catching her, untangling her, and helping her into the palanquin without uttering a word about her clumsiness. The shopkeeper regarded this with a suspicious eye, which she promptly ignored. Up ahead she heard Jaken climbing onto his tiny pony. This would have been amusing for her to watch at another time, but today she was not in the mood for laughter, even at Jaken's expense.

The palanquin tipped slightly to the side as it was lifted from the ground and they were off again to another booth, though she cared not what it sold. All she could focus on was the rending feeling in her chest that seemed to grow the farther she was away from her master's palace.

The tramp of hooves arose beside the palanquin. One of the heavy curtains was pulled aside and Jaken leaned inside, the fake beard he wore to conceal his toad-like countenance muffling his hushed voice. "Rin, you must try harder to act your part. People will question your lineage and upbringing if you do not act like the hime you are supposed to be!"

"Hai, Jaken-sama," she responded sullenly.

"That's `father', " he hissed, leaning forward until they were face to face. At the same time, the pony leapt over a small puddle in the road, nearly throwing him from the saddle. Waving his arms for balance, the small youkai struggled to regain his seat. He chastised the recalcitrant animal and turned his attention back to the dejected young woman riding beside him.

"What do you think you've been trained for all these years, baka?! Stupid, troublesome girl! Sesshoumaru-sama has been more than gracious and provided you with the means to become a great lady, and what do you do but sit there and pout like a foolish child!"

Rin recoiled as if struck at the sound of his name. Her chin trembled and the hot tears she had been struggling all day to hold back spilled silently over her cheeks. Her shoulders hitched in a sob and she buried her face in her hands. Jaken's expression softened and he stroked her sleeve gently.

"Rin, please," he whispered, "if you must cry, wait until we reach your new home."

"Hai," she whimpered softly, wiping her eyes with the back of one hand. Jaken patted her reassuringly and pulled the curtain back in place.

"My daughter is tired. We will proceed directly to the palace," he declared to the handful of guards and other servants of their small caravan. Several of the merchants moaned in disappointment at having lost such a rich customer. Three children, two girls and a boy, their clothes ragged and mended numerous times, were crowded on the side of the road. Their dirty faces were upturned, watching the procession. The boy's eyes were riveted on the guards, and he puffed out his chest and brandished a small stick as if it were a sword. The girls were whispering back and forth and gazing dreamily at the palanquin. Rin sighed and watched them through a crack in the curtains, longing to be free of her heavy garments and able to move again. She lay down on her side, one hand straying to find a small pillow and pull it to her. The rhythmic rocking of the palanquin was hypnotic, and she soon drifted into a light doze.

When she awoke it was well after nightfall. The carriage had been set onto the ground and a pale moonlight was filtering through the curtains. In the distance she could hear Jaken shouting out orders and soon several attendants helped her out of the vehicle and onto a freshly swept flagstone path. Many people were milling about, carrying trunks and boxes, removing harnesses from animals and leading them into the darkness. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and let herself be led along the path, which was flanked by large, brightly lit lanterns. She could hear the trickle of water up ahead and soon a low wooden pier appeared, its posts and railings artfully carved. She paused to look over the edge at the dark water below, the dim shapes of lily pads and lotus blossoms rising in profusion across its surface.

A soft, female voice to her right said, "Hime-sama should come and see all of the fish tomorrow." An older woman, plump and rosy-cheeked, smiled warmly at Rin, and motioned for her to move onward. The pier widened into a large deck, half on the water and half on land. Two stone rabbits, ears pressed meekly back against their heads, crouched on tall pedestals that bordered the front entranceway. Above her head, wooden rabbits leaped and chased each other along the roof supports, each design unique. Light spilled out from the open doorway and, lifting one hand to block her eyes, she stepped into the large front hall. Approximately two dozen affable-looking people were kneeling on the floor facing the entrance. As she entered they bowed, foreheads touching the gleaming wooden floor. Jaken was standing nearby and, nose in the air, he walked over to join her. A short potbellied man with graying hair and large, friendly eyes approached them and bowed from the waist.

"We would like to welcome his lordship and hime-sama to this, your new home. My name is Atsutane and I am head of staff. We are humbly at your service. Would my lord and lady like a warm meal or a bath perhaps?"

"The hime and I have both traveled far and desire to retire for the evening," Jaken replied.

Atsutane bowed again. "Very good, my lord. Please allow me to show you to your chambers." Still bent over, he motioned towards an adjoining corridor. Walking as regally as was possible, Jaken followed the man with Rin falling into step behind him. Ensconced candles bathed them in a warm, cheery light. Up ahead Atsutane was conversing animatedly with Jaken, asking about their journey and discussing various arrangements. Uninterested and exhausted, her robes weighting her down, Rin followed, not bothering to glance into the various rooms that opened up off of the hallway.

"Hime-sama?" The old woman was at her side again, pointing into a large room on their right. "Here is your chamber." Rin entered the sitting room and the woman followed, sliding the door shut behind them. Two smiling women, perhaps several years older than her, stood inside the room. They both bowed in respect.

"Welcome, hime-sama. We are glad to see that you have arrived safely," they replied in unison. "I am Akiko, and this is Megumi," the taller of the two women said, pointing first to herself then to her shorter companion. "The person behind you is Moe. We are your personal handmaidens and we hope that you are happy here, hime-sama." Rin nodded politely in response.

"Please, have a seat, my lady. We will prepare you for bed," Moe said, and led her to a small bench in the center of the room. Akiko and Megumi's small hands busied themselves with loosening Rin's hair and clothing while Moe disappeared into a second room for the bedclothes. The air was alive with the two younger girl's questions as they worked.

"Did hime-sama see or meet anyone interesting during her journey?" Megumi asked as she unwrapped Rin's thick black hair from an ornate hairpiece. Rin shook her head no.

"Your mother must have been a very beautiful woman," commented Akiko, her fingers busy removing the heavy layers of kimono. "Hime-sama does not look much like her father, so I am assuming you inherited your beauty from your mother." A corner of Rin's mouth curved up into a smile and she glanced shyly at the other woman.

"Ah, what soft, silky hair you have, hime-sama! I am honored to be serving such a beautiful lady!" Megumi marveled as she began to brush Rin's thick black locks. Moe returned with a dark blue robe draped across her arms and both she and Akiko dressed her in it.

"I hope you return to good health soon, hime-sama," Moe said as she gathered up the discarded clothing. At Rin's confused look she replied, "I overheard your father saying that the mountain air was too cold for you and that you had fallen ill, so he decided to move to this manor."

Rin stiffened suddenly. Noticing the change, Akiko looked up from where she was kneeling, working at the robe's fastenings. "My lady, is there anything wrong?" she asked gently. Rin couldn't hold on any longer. With a loud sob she sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. The three women exchanged worried glances and immediately began to console their crying mistress. Moe placed a gentle arm around Rin's shaking shoulders.

"Hime-sama must miss her old home," she said. Rin moaned and nodded and the old woman patted her shoulders. "You've had a long journey, my lady. Get a good night's rest tonight and tomorrow you can see the rest of your new home."

"Yes," Megumi chirped. "It is really very beautiful in the daylight, hime-sama."

Akiko brightened and piped in, "And the gardens, my lady. You'll love the gardens!"

Rin allowed them to lead her to her bed and tuck her in for the night. She stared up at the ceiling for awhile, trying to focus her mind on the sensation of the hot tears tracking down her cheeks and onto her ears. She couldn't remember a time when she had gone to sleep at night and not seen her master's face at least some time the next day. The emotional and spiritual pain she felt was so intense to be almost physical, a dull, paralyzing throb radiating across her chest and freezing her lungs.

She sighed loudly then stopped herself, half-remembered words surfacing in her mind. Now what had that saying been? The one that she had always recited to Jaken when he sighed, fretting over one thing or another as he always tended to do? She remembered now: `The happiness may run away if you heave a sigh.' The advice was sound, and the memories it brought to mind pleasant. Lost in the past, she drifted off to sleep.

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Yes, I know. You came to this fic looking for a lemon, right? Well I have good news and bad news. The bad: I have 6 chapters planned, and maybe a short epilogue and the lemon is the last chapter. The good: I'm almost done writing chapter 6 and the lemon is in that chapter. So you are going to get your lemon, but you're going to have wait a few more days. So, enjoy for now.