Rin: God's Favorite Daughter

Sugared Wounds

Kiryuurin slowly approached her father’s throne room. She could hear the soft clicking of her slippers on the hardwood floor. As she rounded the corner, she could hear the soft laughter of a young woman and then the sound of a gruff manly laugh. She stopped just outside of the great oak doors to listen again to this laugh that seemed so familiar. As she stood there delving into the dark recesses of her mind, a servant quickly opened the great doors with a loud creak.
“Hime-sama… I am sorry. I did not know that you were here.” The young servant girl said.
“It is alright,” she said as she passed through the arches of the great doors.
“Ah, there she is. I taught maybe you had lost your way from the bathhouse. Come, daughter, this is the Lord Shiteka and his lovely daughter Itani and his son Ikano,” said her father in his most pompous grandeur. He indicated a fat balding man that had a long white beard. His cheeks were red and he was sweating profusely because of the many layers of fabric that he wore to cover himself. Kiryuurin taught to herself that maybe with that much fabric she could make herself a tent or maybe a fort. She let a small smirk slide across her lips.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. We have heard so much about you,” he said as he grasped her hand and placed a wet kiss with his pudgy lips. His eyes never left the jewel around her neck.
She withdrew her hand and gave him a deep bow, “You flatter me your lordship, but I am hardly a deep topic of discussion.”
“On contrary, my dear hime. You are very intriguing,” said the velvet voice of the handsome young solider, Ikano. Kiryuurin acknowledged his bow with another bow and a smile. This solider was intriguing. His hair was tied into a small ponytail at the base of his neck. His skin had a light golden tan. A gentle smile passed onto his lips and a tinge of pink grazed his cheeks. The men that she trained with and sparred in her father’s army were never as handsome as this solider.
“Kiryuurin, I would appreciate it if you would take Itani and Ikano on a tour of castle and gardens,” her father said.
“Yes, otou-san,” she replied. She hated having to be so fake to people she barely knew.

They walked in silence till they reached the gardens. Then the solider broke the silence and said, “So tell me hime, what is it you like to do for fun?”
“Spar,” she simply replied. She heard a polite laugh coming from the direction of Itani.
“Please do not tell me that your father has allowed you to spar with men. It is not very lady like,” Itani said with a hint of contempt in her voice.
“That is exactly why I do it. I rather be me like than lady like,” she retorted. She effectively silenced her.
“I agree. It is definitely better to be one’s own person than the image everyone wants you to be,” said the solider as he gazed at the white rose bush as they strolled through the gardens. At that Itani merely huffed at him.
A momentary silence fell upon the group as Itani absent mindly began to gaze into the lake. Kiryuurin ignored the two and began to pick the flowers off a nearby bush as they sat in the gazebo over looking the placid lake. Ikano was entranced with Kiryuurin. Her soft long black hair beckoned to his hand. His eyes began to trace the soft curves of her face as she smiled to the flowers in her hand.
“Aw Chichi-ue, I am glad that you could join us,” Itani spiky high voice rang into his head.
“Actually Itani, I wish for you to come and spend time with your fiancé, Prince Riku,” the fat man replied.
“Kiryuurin, I wish for you to entertain the young prince Ikano,” came King Takemaru’s voice from behind her.
“Hai,” was her only reply. The two men walked off with the princess in tow.
They both fell silent again. Kiryuurin was the first to break the silence.
“So, tell me Prince Ikano, what is it you like to do for fun in your home?”
He contemplated for a second his answer.
“Well, I guess I am like you. I also like to spar.”
She gave him a smile that warmed his heart to the core, but made him sad.
“You know you have a beautiful smile, but yet you still have sadness in your eyes.”
”Is it not a little too early to compliment me and then to assess my problems.”
“Forgive me. I did not mean to offend you,” with true regret in his eyes.
“Oh I am sorry Ikano-san. I tend to get a little defensive. I did not mean to be rude. Thank you for the compliment,” she said with a smile that seemed to banish all his shame.
“You may call me Ikano. I do not see the need for formalities if we are to be family, hime.”
“If that is the case well then you may call me Rin.”
“Rin… it is very pretty. I taught your name was Kiryuurin.”
“That is my given name. I hate it. It is old and stuffy. Rin is who I am, simple and sweet, not complicated and stale,” she gave a short laugh. He also laughed with her.
“Well then Rin, I hope you can always be simple and sweet.”
The last rays of light began to bathe the couple with pale oranges and soft yellows.
“I guess we should be heading back. They will think we may have gotten lost or something,” she said as gazed to the horizon.
“I doubt that you could get lost. Choosing not to be found is another matter,” he said smirking.
“You have a point,” she looked up at him with her dark chocolate eyes and smiled again.
He held out his arm for her as he escorted her through the garden back to the main palace.

Night fell as all in the house fell quiet but not all were sleeping. Ikano had gone to his father’s room as soon as all in the palace were safely asleep.
“So tell me my son. Has the young hime peeked your interest?” his father asked as he lounged in a heap of pillows.
“Well she is intriguing, chichi-ue. She has a quick tongue and speaks her mind when she pleases. Not traits I usually find in the women in court. But her beauty is a different story. There is something about her that calls to me and yet I only have met her once.”
“I agree she is quite beautiful. After I have taken this country and become emperor of these lands, if you wish to have her as a concubine, I will see to it that she is unharmed.”
“Hai, such an exotic flower among my harem of common daisies is always welcomed,” he said as he smirked evilly.
“We will be here a month, in order to allow my armies ample time to reach the castle undetected by the rouse of a marriage celebration……... It is rather sad that your dear sister will become a wife and a widow in one night but she will find another to occupy her mind with.”
“Hai,” he said faintly as his mind trailed off into thoughts about Rin.

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The month had proceeded slowly. Ikano got every chance to be with Rin. He had practically become her shadow. She did not mind that he was with her. It had been a long time since she found someone to share her interests with, especially sparring. He had decided that she was quite good. She was trained in all weapons and even began to master weapons that had come with the blue-eyed foreigners. Ikano even had managed to talk her into showing him a few moves with the foreign weapons.
Rin breathed heavily as sweat was pouring down her forehead. She laughed at him as she saw him put one hand on his knee.
“Tired already, Ikano?”
“Hardly, I am just getting started. Now prepare to lose,” he said as he began to charge at her.
He had managed to side swiped her to the floor. But then Rin knocked the feet from under him and he fell hard to the floor. He just laughed as he lay on his back.
“Well that was a good workout don’t you think,” she asked him still staring at the ceiling.
“Of course, it is always fun falling for you,” he answered while staring at her. She met his gaze and quickly looked back at the ceiling. Her cheeks became even redder.
“ Hime- sama, Ikano-sama dinner will be ready in an hour,” rang the familiar voice of Tani.
“Hai, Tani-san,” she said as she started to rise from the floor. He grasped her arm and pulled her to him.
“Wait, I want to stay like this for a little while,” was his only reason as he stared intensely into her eyes. Her only action was to look away and smile as her cheeks began to get redder. He grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. He wanted to gaze into those eyes forever. He then picked his head up and pressed his lips to her lips. How soft they were, like petals on a rose. She let him kiss her; after all she had also wanted it. Their tongues explored each other like what seemed for hours. Then their kiss was interrupted by the loud voices of soldiers entering into the dojo. She quickly rose from on top of him and rushed past the soldiers. They quickly stepped aside as their hime rushed past them. She ran, jogged and then slowly walked to the bathhouse. She slipped into the steamy water. She could not stop thinking about him.
Am I in love? I like him well enough. He is handsome. He is a great fighter. He can actually speak intelligently. Am I in love?
She washed herself and quickly got dress for dinner.

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“Itani, I wish to officially welcome you to my family as my sister,” Rin said to the blushing bride.
“Thank you, Kiryuurin. I have always wanted to have a sister,” Itani said to her new sister.
Then she left to the veranda that hung over the gardens. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and then stop when Ikano was next to her.
“It is a beautiful day today for a wedding,” he said looking out over to the edge.
“Yes, I am sure that Itani will make a great wife and mother,” she said.
“I am sure you would too,” he said as he grasped her hand.
“Rin, can you trust me? Can you love me?”
“Yes, of course why?”
“I just wanted to hear it. Rin, I want you to know that whatever happens I will protect you.”
“Hai,” was the only word she could get out before he pulled her to him and kissed her.
He greedily assaulted her mouth hungering for more. As quickly as he began he stopped, only looking at her while her eyes were closed.
“Ikano we must prepare for our journey home,” said the gruff voice of Lord Shiteka.
“Kiryuurin hime you have been a most gracious host to me and my son,” he said as he bowed to her.
“Thank you Lord Shiteka. There is no need for such formalities now we are all family,” she said as a genuine smile spread across her lips. The fat man bowed in return and left them.
“Rin, I want you to meet me tonight at midnight in the clearing in the forest of demons,” he said after staring at her after a few seconds of silence.
“Hai, at midnight,” she said with a smile that crawled on her lips but soon faded as it came because of his seriousness.
“Are you ok Ikano? Is something wrong?” She asked.
“Yes I am fine Rin. Nothing is wrong. Just remember do not be late. Be at the clearing in the forest of demons, 20 miles from here, ok?” he said.
“Yes, I know where it is. I will be there, I will not be late.” She said to him.
After a few seconds of just looking at her, he was over come with emotion and spoke out loud what he was thinking.
“I love you,” was what he said to her out of the silence.
Her mouth opened and her eyes went blank. She tried to talk but could not. He loves me. Oh my god what am I to say.
“I…I…”
“I understand. I will see you at midnight.” He interrupted. He then walked back into the ballroom leaving her to her thoughts and her stuttering. She just stood there for a long time only looking over the garden. He loves me. Do I love him? I don’t know. Her dreamscape was interrupted by the voices of her mother and father as they thanked their guests as they left.
“Thank you for coming everyone, but now we must all retire and I know the newlyweds are eager to start their honeymoon,” said her father’s voice followed by a few polite laughs from the crowd. With that she walked back into the ballroom.

Night soon fell. All the guests and their hosts had retired for the night, for tomorrow there would be a mass exodus. The imported grandfather clock struck 11:00. Rin stood in her room checking herself in the golden dragon mirror. She tied her long black hair in a simple bun with a feathered clip. She straightened the blue kimono. It had white lotus flowers blooming on the sleeves and the edges of the hem. She proceeded to her dressing table and opened the silver jewelry box. She did not hesitate removing the necklace from its resting place. She had grown to don the ruby out of habit, not because she preferred to. She tiptoed out of the castle and once she was safe from the gates, she began to run into the forest. She tired of that as soon as she began to think about what she would say to him. She still had not figured out if she loved him or not, but only that she cared. Before long she got to the clearing. Hmmm… I am early for the first time in my life. She stayed there for a few minutes but quickly found a bush with beautiful white flowers that began to bloom. Wow I heard about these flowers. They only bloom at night. I have to tell father to get these for my gardens. She heard rustling on the far side of the clearing but she thought it was still early so brushed it off as an animal walking by. She then heard growling. A large brown wolf jumped into the clearing with glowing red eyes. It leered at her with its large red eyes as saliva dripped down to the forest floor in a puddle. Rin stood there frozen not knowing what to do. All the training that she had done was to protect her but how could she protect herself if her own body did not want to listen to her screaming brain. Run…Run…You need to run Rin. As she began to shift backwards, the demonic wolf quickly lunged at her but missed by a few feet. She took off with the speed of light but the wolf was upon her. Her mortal speed was no match for its demonic speed. With a great swipe of its giant claw, Rin tumbled and hit the floor hard. It crept closer and closer to her. She heard every step in the grass as great strikes of lighting hitting the earth. She closed her eyes as she prepared for death but all she heard was a great explosion and then……… all was dark……… She didn’t know how long she floated in her mind. Am I dead? Why is it so dark? I thought tenkai would be filled with flowers and light.
“Rin,” she heard a female voice say.
“Who is there? Where am I? What is this place?” she yelled into the deafening darkness.
“I am Kiryuurin. You are nowhere but you are in the limbo where the dead visit the sleeping souls of the living,” said the female voice.
“I am……… sleeping and not dead. But how are you me?” she replied.
“I said I was Kiryuurin not Rin. I did not think you would find your way here sooner then I thought……… You are far from what I expected but you do not disappoint.” She said as her body began to materialize out of the darkness and then the world was lit up with a blinding shaft of light that grew larger until all the darkness was banished. Rin saw a beautiful woman with a green kimono when she opened her eyes. She felt she was looking at a mirror but the woman was older and taller then herself but yet with the same angel face and perfect features that made Rin beautiful to all men. She saw her there in front of her standing there with a smile that warmed her heart. All around her she saw beautiful yellow flowers that smelled so sweet that she could not resist the taste of sugar in her mouth.
“What am I doing here if I am not dead?”
“It is the first time you used the power of the ruby. Your body could not take the great loss of energy that it took to protect you from that wolf……… Feral demons will attack anything that moves in the darkness.”
After a few moments of silence between them, Rin asked, “What……… are you, I mean what were you?”
“I am dead. I was god’s favorite daughter. I wished only to protect my family, as do you. But now is not the time to talk about the past. You must go now and protect our family. Outsiders are attacking your castle. Go Now,” with that she raised her hand and an invisible force pushed Rin over the imaginary cliff as everything began to fall away from her.
She awoke to see the dark sky was beginning to give away to pale blue. She reached over and grabbed a branch and began to lift herself to her feet. Her blue kimono was tore in many places. Her head spun and swam with images of that woman. She smelled burning flesh as her senses began to flood back into her now alert body. She could not help but retch up the bile that came from her stomach. Then she heard explosions and yelling. She saw black smoke pouring into the sky. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Then she heard the voices so familiar now. She saw the fat bloated body of Lord Shiteka in his ceramonional armor as he paced back forth in front of the kneeling prisoners.
“You will not get away with this Shiteka,” said the high pitch voice of her mother.
“Ha ha ha.. But I already have,” he said as he laughed evilly. Then in the distance he heard the horn of victory sound into the dawn.
“Good, kill them all. I do not want anyone left when I take possession of these lands.” He said as the executors came into Rin’s view. One by one the katanas fell onto the heads of her father, her brother and finally her mother. She saw her mother’s face with tears in her eyes as the disembodied head rolled to a stop at her feet. Rin could not scream. Her lungs where out of breathe.
“Find the girl and remove her neck from the ruby. It has hindered my family from obtaining these lands for far too long,” said the lord. Then she heard barking and snarling as his men began to yell commands to the dogs. She realized that she could not mourn any longer and took off running. She ran and ran through the morning hours when it became dawn she saw a shack where she hid. She heard the gruff voices again and the barking of the dogs. She whimpered slightly, and then she heard another voice “Lets go I tire of chasing this girl. Chances are that she has already met her doom and if not the bandits and demons in the western lands will surely have her way with her.” With that she heard stomping and barking as they left. She whimpered a bit more and then let out a heart wrenching sob as she realized that everything she had known was now gone.

Well here is the second installment. I hope you enjoyed. As always please R&R with your visit :Humbly bows: