The Debt

I do not own Inuyasha nor do I make any money off of this.


The carriage ride was long and quiet.

She, for her part, tried hard not to cry while he was trying to not make her cry.

What is your favorite color?

Favorite food to eat?

Do you like to read?

Those where the questions that went through his head.

But not a word left his lips.

“How far away is your palace?” she asked softly. Just above a whisper.

Finally, someone spoke.

“Our palace is less than a day away on horseback, but with four horses, less than half.”

She became quiet again.

“You will like the palace grounds. There is much to do.”

He hadn’t anticipated that the ride back would be so . . . awkward. But then again, he wasn’t expecting to come home with a bride.

“Will I be. . .” she carefully thought about her question. She didn’t want to anger him, well . . . she didn’t know what would anger him so she’d at least try to be careful of what she said or asked.

“Will you?” he encouraged her.

“Will I be able to visit my family?” There, she asked, it was mere curiosity, nothing more. And of course she’d miss them.

He was slow to respond. He figured she’d ask that eventually. Why wouldn’t she just be able to forget them? Move on and live a life away from them.

Many people grew up away from their families. It was common for young women to be married by age fifteen. She shouldn’t have held on to the idea of being with her family forever. Maybe that way she wouldn’t be so heartbroken now.

“Why do you want to see them?”

“Why not?” She spoke with a hint of defiance in her voice.

“Because you belong to me now, so . . . no, you won’t.”

“So I am your prisoner?”

She hung her head, letting her bangs cover her eyes.

“You are to be my wife, and as such, you will have many privileges that most people would only dream of. If you feel like a prisoner, then that is your own doing.”

He truly was cold, didn’t even share an ounce of sympathy for the girl who had just left a family behind. Should she be surprised, he came out of nowhere and just took her. Forcing her from her home into a life that she was not willing to live, privileged or not.

She quickly forgot her troubles at the sight of the palace. It was huge, very old, and very guarded. How could she have missed it? Wouldn’t some of her history books have pictures of it? Not once was it ever mentioned. With its antique look and dark feel, it must have some kind of history after all, right?

Was she really to spend the rest of her life here?

He answered her unasked question. “This is your home now.”

She looked at him and nodded. There was no reason to protest. She hadn’t paid attention in their travel so she wasn’t sure where her old home was. No use in escaping at the moment.

The carriage stop and a man opened the door. The Great Lord stepped out and held his hand out to his bride.

She was hesitant.

A fear she hadn’t felt before pooled into her belly.

If she stepped out, there was no going back.

But then again, there never really was a chance to go back.

She took his hand, and stepped out of the carriage.


~*~*~

“My Lord, you’re home.”

An old plumped woman bowed as they entered.

“Oh, and you’ve brought someone with you.”

Rin felt the eyes of almost everyone in the great hall stare at her. She took a step behind Sesshomaru, hoping he’d get the hint of her nervousness.

Whether he did or not, she didn’t know, but at least the old woman did. “Back to work people, we have a guest who probably needs rest from a long day’s travel.” she shouted out to everyone.

He held her hand upward to bring her to stand at his side. “She is my bride to be.”

The old woman smiled with a great enthusiasm. “Oh, how wonderful! We must prepare for the celebration then.”

The old woman’s cheerfulness tug at the corners of Rin’s lips. She already felt she’d be able to get along with at least one person in this entire building.

“Come child, I will show you to your . . . temporary room.” She winked.

She led Rin to the grand staircase located directly in the middle of the great hall they had just been standing in.

As Rin walked the halls of the second floor, she took note that there were many paintings of demons and angles. Not so much religious, but very arts full. There was one that caught her eye. It was of a white demon standing in front of a crescent moon. The face of this demon was worn down by time, but something about it made her uneasy.

Noticing that old lady was now several feet a head, she quickly rushed back in step behind the old woman.

“So young Lady, are you enjoying the palace?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, it’s very,” What’s the word? Dark? Old? Creepy? “Big.”

Yea, that’ll work.

“My name is Rin, by the way.”

The old woman stopped in front a big door.

“I am Nina; this will be your room for the night.”

She opened the big wooden door and stepped back.

The room was incredible. It had a small balcony, a huge bed, a small vanity, and wardrobe. There were two cushioned chairs next to a small table with wilted flowers in the center.

A portrait of a woman holding a round medallion hung just above the bed. She had amber eyes like Sesshomaru, even his silver hair.

Rin was busy staring at the picture when Nina gasped loudly.

“Oh my,” Nina walked to the vase on the table, “I’ll go and get you some fresh flowers. Make yourself at home.” She giggled slightly. “Well this is your home.”

Rin nodded.

She watched as Nina walked out with the dead flowers and closed the door behind her. When the door shut tight, it echoed in the large room.

She sighed. She’d only left home a few hours ago, and she missed her mother terribly.
She walked around the room, slowly running her fingers over the few surfaces. The room was slightly dusty and could use some fresh air, so she opened the balcony windows. The sun was setting and the orange and blue sky did little to easy her depression.

“Well at least the view is nice.” She spoke softly to herself as she looked down at the water fountain just below her balcony. She rested her arms on the rail and laid her head on its side.

She began to cry.

Silent tears of agony.

Pain and sorrow.

Her heart felt heavy and her eyes were blurry with tears.

She was interrupted from her sadness when there was a knock on her door.

“Lady Rin?”

It sounded like the voice of the dwarf. It might be a good idea to learn his name, she thought.
She quickly began to wipe her face with the backs of her hands. “Come in.”

Sure it enough, it was him.

“My Lady, the Lord would like to speak with you, may he enter your room?”

What? First he forces her to leave her home, and then tells her she is not allowed to see her family ever again, and now he’s asking for permission to enter her room?

For the love of god.

“I don’t feel like talking tonight. He can talk to me tomorrow.” Damn right. She was not going to face him now. She was emotional, tired, and confused. He’ll just have to wait.

He gasped in shock, “My Lady, he insists on speaking with you.”

She was starting to get frustrated.

“What game is he playing? He brings me here against my will, and now he’s acting all polite and full of manners?”

“My Lady, he is not playing games with you, you are his intended, and he is showing you proper respect by asking permission to enter your room.” He was actually yelling at her.

“Well this isn’t my room, this is my prison. You go and you tell him, he won’t speak to me until we’re married.”

“Or you’ll what?” he puffed out his chest.

That little imp!

“I said, NO!!!” and she slammed the door in his face.

Oh no, what had she done.

What if he gets angry, and decides he’d rather just use her and then toss her aside.

No, she would not be used of.

She went to her window and tried to guess the height of her balcony. It felt as if they’d traveled a straight line, so perhaps if she left from the gate they entered and just go straight she’ll manage to find home.

Now or never.

The balcony wasn’t too high up. The most, she’d get a bruised ankle or maybe even spring it. But she’d survive.

The blankets! She can use them to climb down.

She grabbed the top layer of blankets and headed for the balcony. She began to make a rope when there was another knock on the door.

Didn’t she tell him no.

“I said I didn’t want to talk to him.”

“It’s me, I brought you more flowers.”

Crap.

Before she had a chance to place the blankets back on the bed, Nina walked in.

She was caught.

“Oh, dear.” She shook her head as she placed the newly flowered vase on the small table. “The only thing you’d accomplish in leaving is invoking the Lord’s wrath.”

Rin looked down at her hands, still holding the blankets. Yes, perhaps she would. He’d get so angry he might take vengeance on her family. She couldn’t let that happen. She’d never forgive herself for being so selfish.

She gently placed the blankets back on the bed.

“I don’t know what the circumstances are of which you belong to him, but you must understand, he will always get his way. The sooner you come to terms with that, the more at peace you will be.”

Rin scoffed. “That really doesn’t make much sense.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “How can I be at peace by accepting that I am his property and to just go along with it?”

The old woman chuckled. “Oh my dear child, if you do not wish to be owned, then maybe you should try to own him.” She winked at her for the second time that day.

“Yeah, that’s an idea.”

Nina chuckled again. She was starting to like the young woman.

“Did he send you here to try and convince me to speak to him tonight?” Rin stood, walking to the table with the new flowers and softly traced the soft pink pedals with her fingers.

“No, I came to bring you the flowers.” She smiled. “And, of course he did ask me to talk to you.”

Figures.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him. But if he thinks he’s getting his hands me tonight, he’s got another thing coming.”

Nina’s laughter filled the room again. “Oh dear, of course he won’t touch you. He wants you to be respected by his council as well as the servants in this palace.”

Right.

Respected.

How wonderful.

Wait? What?

“A council? He’s going introduce me to his council?”

“Who do you think will be at the wedding?” she gently placed a stray strand of Rin’s hair behind her ear. “But he can explain that to you, I’ll go get him.”

Once the door was shut, Rin let out a breath she didn’t even realize she had held. Well of course there were going to be people at the wedding. She just thought maybe the nearest town. But a council? His council? What if they didn’t approve of her and make him dispose of her. Then what? He wouldn’t let her go back home. That would be too good of an idea.

She began to fidget with her hands. It was always a habit of hers to bit her nails when she was nervous.

Oh perfect, now she’ll have ugly hands.

Nice Rin.

“Rin? May I enter?”

It was Sesshomaru.

She must not have heard him knock.

“Yes.” She hid her hands behind her back as he entered.

“I’m glad you decided to speak to me.”

“Well, I did it for Nina.” Not that Nina specifically said, ‘do it for me’ but she was only speaking to him because Nina had asked much nicer than that stupid dwarf.

Sesshomaru nodded and gestured to the flowers. “Do you like them?”

Rin nodded.

“I picked them.” He said softly.

This man was too confusing for her.

“What did you want to talk to me about Sesshomaru?” She made her voice match his when they were in the carriage. Cold and uncaring.

“I wanted to run things by you about the wedding.”

Oh, yeah, she would need to know what to expect.

“Very well.”

She sat on the side of the bed facing the door.

He made his way to the chair next the table.

“I’m sure you might have guessed or Nina’s big mouth let you know, my council will be there. They are to witness our ceremony. Once that part is done, there will be a party. It ends when . . . “, he looked her in the eyes, “when I walk you to my bed chambers.”

She gulped.

“They won’t . . . be waiting outside the door will they?”

A small curve formed on his, she couldn’t believe she thought it, beautiful lips.

He didn’t seem like the kind to outwardly laugh. She liked hearing Nina laugh and chuckle.

“No. Once we make our way to our bed chambers, the party is over, and they must leave.”

She sighed with relief. That would have been too much. She didn’t want them to wait and cheer him on when he walks out saying he had his way with her.

This, however, brought other worries.

She would be having sex with him.

Sure he was very, very attractive. And he smelled nice, really nice. So, sure she liked his hair and those eyes. But this is the man who took her from her family and is now forcing her to marry him.

She should feel repulsed and disgusted.

She didn’t want to be his.

“Rin?”

She was brought back from her thinking; he was looking at her, waiting for a reply. He had asked her something.

“What, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

He raised his nose.

Oh, what arrogance.

“I had asked you if you were alright.” He seemed a little upset about repeating the question.

Well, I’m with an asshole that just took me from my home, is making me marry him, and is going to take my virginity. Something she was saving for the man she loved. For a man who took the time to win her heart. For a man who didn’t scare her.

“I’m fine.”

She looked at her hands, now resting on her lap.

She had bit too much off of one of her nails and was now raw and tender.

“When is the wedding.” She should have asked that first, but she was a little too concerned with other things.

“Tomorrow.”

“WHAT?!?! TOMORROW?” Oh bloody fantastic.

“Is there something wrong?”

Wrong? What is it with this man?

“Everything is wrong. One, I don’t want to marry you, two I have no choice but to, three I don’t even get enough time to get over this, and last, I don’t even have a wedding dress.”

He stood up and opened the wardrobe. He took out a white gown.

It was gorgeous, hand sewn with a very beautiful leaf pattern; it almost looked like the same leaf pattern on his carriage. It even had small beads. It was long and thin, with a lace up bodice.

“Oh my . . . “she made her way to where he stood. “It’s beautiful.”

He watched as her face light up with awe.

“Wait?” she took a few steps back.

She looked around the room. The room that either belonged to someone, or was meant for someone else.
“Whose room was this?” she asked him.

“What do you mean?” he opened the wardrobe to place the dress back inside it, and she notice that there were other dresses in it.

“This room was meant for someone, or was someone’s. There were flowers in here, flowers that wilted, but they were obviously for someone, there are clothes in that wardrobe, even a wedding dress? Whose room was this?”

He took a moment to reply. “It was for my first fiancé.”

Was?

“What?”

“My bride was on her way here a week ago when her traveling was halted. They were ambushed by two bandits. The infamous Emil brothers.” He walked to her balcony and closed the doors for the night.

“They robbed and killed my bride.”

He didn’t sound heartbroken. He sounded more annoyed. He may has well have told her; ‘They killed my bride and now I have to go through the trouble of finding a new one.’

Safe to say he wouldn’t feel much if something happened to her.

“So I’m her replacement.” She didn’t ask, it was a statement. She was after all, the replacement.

He turned to her, she had her head down and was again fidgeting with her hands.

“I like you better.” He said.

She looked up at him. Well at least she was liked. Oddly though, it did make her feel a little better.

She smiled.

Now the big question is, why does he need to get marry so badly?

She decided for the time being to just let it go. She’ll ask Nina, as he put it, ‘her big mouth’, would tell her.

When she looked up again, he was already at her door, “I will see you tomorrow, Nina will bring up your dinner. I advise you to rest up. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

“Okay.”

He gave her a quick nod and left her room.

So, he needs to get married.

It must have something to do with the council.

Maybe he isn’t as powerful as she thought. Why else would he need a bride so bad?
He didn’t even care about the first one. It inconvenienced him that she was murdered.

The Emil brothers.

She’d heard of them.

Known for being thieves and murderers for hire.

Did that mean someone hired them to kill his bride?

What if there was a plot against him? Would she be next on the list?

Nina had to tell her everything she knew, or she wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.

~*~*~

So Nina’s big mouth ran non-stop.

It didn’t take much coaxing. At first she played dumb, not understanding the questions. But then the old woman’s need to gossip took the best of her.

“You see, they gave him till Tomorrow to find a bride or they’d take his lands away.”

She sat next to Rin who was busy stuffing her face with the wonderful fish dinner that had been brought to her.

“To be a Lord, you must have three things; money, power, and an heir. But it cannot be a bastard. No, no, no, it must be through marriage.”

“Why?” Rin asked with a mouth full of fish.

“There is no honor in being a bastard child. Any woman can give birth to a boy, but only the Lady can give birth to an heir. You see Lord Sesshomaru has money; he can buy anything he wants. His first bride was bought.”

“Really?!?!”

Rin was surprised. Someone as handsome as him shouldn’t have had a hard time finding someone willing to be his woman.

“Oh yes, he wanted a woman who was raised to be a bride. Someone who won’t . . .” She locked eyes with Rin.

“What?” Rin asked, confused.

“Someone, who won’t try to run away and would be loyal.”

“Oh.” Rin looked down at her finished plate. Yeah, she did try to leave huh? Doesn’t mean she wasn’t the loyal type.

“As for power,” Nina began again, “he has many men who fight for him. He practically has an army.”

“How did he get so many to fight for him?”

“He bought them.” She began to pick up Rin’s dirty dishes and placed them on the tray she used to bring them up.

“Slaves?”

Nina stopped. She never really used the word ‘slave’, but in reality, they all were.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to offend you Nina.” Rin stood to help her.

Nina shooed her hands away, “Now you stop that, you are the lady of this
castle.”

“Please don’t make me feel like I’m unable to do things for myself.” Rin tried to find the hurt in her eyes.

“I’m sorry child.”

“No, I’m sorry about calling them slaves.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“It is what we are. I just never thought of it much anymore.” She smiled gently.

Rin returned her smile. “You said, you didn’t know the circumstances of which I belong to him, do you not know because you don’t want to?”

It never really crossed her mind. Of course the old woman knew Rin wasn’t a slave. Nor did she belong to a bride catalog.

“It isn’t any of my business.” She simply said. “All I can tell you is, I’ve seen so many things, I’ve been through so much, and I wouldn’t wish any of it on my worst enemy. The moment Lord Sesshomaru bought me; I was given a better life. I would never serve any other lord, but him.”

Even after what she said, Nina could still see something deeply bothered the young woman.

“Rin? What else is bothering you?”

She had to tell someone, or else it would eat her up inside. “Sesshomaru’s first bride was murdered by the Emil Brothers. What if someone hired them, what if I’m next?”

Nina never really thought much on that matter. She knew about the Emil Brothers, it also didn’t surprise her that someone would want Lord Sesshomaru to lose his lands; jealousy is very common among the rich.

“I don’t know anything about her being a target, but, if she had made it to the palace, she would not have had a terrible fate. They got to her before she was anywhere near here.”

“I see.” She did feel a little better. After all, the palace was heavily guarded. “What was her name?”

“Emily.” She picked up the tray of dirty dishes and walked to the door. “Good night Rin.”

“Good night Nina.”

Emily? How sad.

She wondered what she looked like.

Was she anything like herself?

But at least she now knew a bit more about Sesshomaru, he was cold and uncaring, yet didn’t mistreat his slaves.

Perhaps she would try to get to know him after all.

But for now, sleep was more important.