Captive Inu

Chapter 3

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.