"Kazumi-san, I do not think I am ready for this." The young brunette said as she faced me, twiddling her fingers with nervous energy.

"I understand. I felt the same way on my own wedding day." I told the young woman as I set my children on the bed, instructing them to not move. "But you love him, do you not?"

"I do, but, I do not want to leave Lord Sesshomaru's side, nor yours, Kazumi-san. We have been together for years; and now, that is all going to end."

I hugged the girl. "You are not leaving us. You will- you and your husband will always be welcomed here, regardless of the time that passes between now and then. To create the future, you must let go of the past, it is a sacrifice of maturing, and the sacrifice of love. You are marrying the person you love. Not many are blessed with such a fortunate fate."

"Kazumi-san, can I not have both? Why can he not come live with us?"

"Rin, do you wish to drop all of this, and void the marriage? It is never too late."

She looked at me, quite shocked as I returned to my children, stopping them from crawling too close to the edge of the beds.

"The world is filled with suitors. I am sure you can find another to love."

"Kazumi-san! Do you take me as such a woman?"

"Do you truly love the man if you do not have the will to leave your old life behind?" I asked.

"Of course I love him! I would have never fancied with this idea if I did not!"

"Then do not hold yourself back." I snapped as I stood and returned to Rin. "You took my advice when you became engaged. Should this love be true, you should be willing to leave this place."

"Is it wrong of me to want to stay by your sides? That is what I have done for so long."

"No. It is not wrong for you to feel this way. I would wish you to stay with us, but this is what is right for you. Sesshomaru and I, our jobs were to guide you to this very moment." I said, pausing as I contained my emotions. "Now it is time that we allow you to guide yourself, and judge accordingly. It is time for you to create your own family and share the love Sesshomaru and I have given you."

"Kazumi-san, you are not like Lord Sesshomaru. You never visit your relatives. Do you ever miss them?"

"Of course I miss them, but they are with me, no matter the distance between us. Rin, do not worry about leaving us. We will never be too far."

"Kazumi-san, I will miss you; I will miss everything." She said as she ran into my arms once again.

In that moment, I caught the eight year old, wondering how her small arms were able to reach my shoulders. I was still in denial. Rin is fifteen now, and to be handed off to her groom. I said that I was ready to let her go, yet I still see her as a child. It was heart wrenching, thinking that Rin's scampering and sneaking around would no longer exist in the manor. Our days of shenanigans were coming to a close, and it hurt. I held her, calming her nerves as my own threatened to break loose.

"I will miss you as well. The memories will forever be engrained in my mind." I replied, taking deep breaths between each sentence.

We separated bitterly after a few moments. I fixed the few items that were shifted out of place during our embrace: centering her obi, realigning her hair, and straightening her kimono. Once that was taken care of, I gave her a smile, assuring her that her decision was a wise one. My attention then turned to the babies I had left on the bed who patiently waited for my return. Taking one in each of my arms, I carried them to Rin. The young brunette placed a soft kiss on each of their foreheads. We both chuckled as Masaru reached out to grab the young woman. When he saw that he had no chance of holding onto Rin, he settled for holding onto my kimono instead.

"I will miss the both of you as well." Rin told the babes with a smile. "I am glad that I was able to see you two. The kingdom will have a ball tonight."

"Today is your day, Rin, not theirs. Be sure to enjoy yourself."

She smiled, still mourning over the fact that she would move out of the manor tonight to be with the man she had secretly promised herself to two years ago, in contrast to the single year Sesshomaru and I assumed their engagement lasted. We only found out during my pregnany, which was well into their first year of secret meetings and planning. That was quite the surprise, but I could expect nothing less from the clever fox that is Rin. I was starting to regret not spending more time with her, but the passing of time becomes irregular when you busy yourself with the man you love, and your children. Rin would find this out for herself soon enough.

I watched her as she left the room in her pure white kimono. I was too used to seeing her in a woodland green or a bright shade of yellow or orange. White fit her well, much like how indigo and magenta fits me. Sesshomaru and I had held onto her for as long as we could, but it was time for her to return to the world for humans, a world I had given up long ago. Did I miss it? I couldn't tell; I was constantly being drowned with the ecstasy associated with my current life. I never really gave it any thought. Now that I am thinking about it, I can't help but give a small, deceiving smirk. I would leave that question buried in the recesses of my mind.

As though in an attempt to get my attention, Masaru placed his head on my chest as his sister stared at him, as though he had offended her and was now trying to play innocent. Megumi waved her fist in the air before staring at me and then returning her gaze to Masaru. I joined Megumi in staring at her older brother, smiling as I waited for him to return my smile. He attempted to keep his cool, mimicking the look his father often gave me, only to break out into a short chuckle. Megumi smiled triumphantly before waving at me and giving off a small victory cry. I smiled and held them closer.

"You won this time, Megumi." I congratulated before turning to Masaru. "You did a good job copying your father, but that smile of yours is too handsome to hide."

He hid his face in my shoulder as Megumi clapped a single time.

"We should go. We do not want to be late, now do we?"

I used my newly developed skill of opening doors while carrying the two, one in each of my arms, and left the room. I've been adapting well to multitasking with occupied arms. I let the indigo tail of my dress trail behind me as a maid closed the door for me. The jingling of my accessories occupied the tots I held as they reached with curious hands for my necklace, hair, and sometimes my earrings. I learned to ignore their grips when they proved to be safe as well. Thankfully, I didn't have jewelry with openings; they proved to be prime material to entwine fingers in before yanking.

I made my way out of the halls, and back into the ceremony hall. Rin sat next to her husband, something I would have to get used to thinking, and I made my way to my own. My babies seemed to understand that they were in public, and denied their curiosity the right to grab at whatever they thought of as foreign and new. Masaru stared at everything indifferently as Megumi failed to rid all evidence of her preceding curiosity. Some questioned my decision to carry my own children with their gazes, and I returned their judgmental stares with calm and loving gazes, the ones that told them to quit questioning my decisions and be grateful for the invitation that was sent to them. Of course girls were still crowding round Sesshomaru, hoping to get his attention, but I gave it no mind. He ignored them like usual, and took hold of Masaru instead before having me sit beside him with Megumi. Watching the mingling between humans and demons become less awkward as the night carried forth.

We remained in the ceremony until little Megumi couldn't stay awake any longer. I then took the time to put the two to bed, knowing that Masaru was not far behind her. I had to stay with him for around ten minutes before he was willing to let go of my thumb and rest for the night. I returned to the ceremony soon, and found that ten minutes for the party was the equivalent of an hour. The smell of alcohol pierced through the air, and loud, indiscriminate laughter filled the space with noise. I took my place next to Sesshomaru again, and watched as the party's atmosphere was filled with excitement. However, the sudden change in aura didn't stop me from noticing that Sesshomaru was drinking a bit more than his usual. He'd blown through three cups of sake in the five minutes I had been sitting next to him. On his fourth, I stole his cup away, and kept it for myself. His stare didn't faze me as I drank from his cup, ignoring the stares I received from the few somewhat sober guests surrounding us.

"I am to be your source of relief, not your drink." I told him as I put the cup down.

He said nothing, preferring to turn his gaze back onto the daughter who would leave him once the night was over.

I brought his gaze back onto me. "She will be happy. That is all we can ask for."

He accepted my words and stopped scrutinizing the groom. Before long, I was drunk and proving to be a wonderful hostess, pushing the crowd toward more alcohol consumption, more conversations with strangers, and closer quarters for couples. The tables had turned quickly as my checking of his alcohol consumption became his sedating of my intoxication-induced friendliness. Apparently, he didn't want me to be nice to anyone but himself. Though I wanted to keep the party alive, and chase away the depressing effects of the event, I ceded to his will, knowing that he would depend on me to accept the change and move on. Since essentially everyone was drunk, I let keeping my image up have less significance and committed fully to keeping Sesshomaru company and lightening the mood around him. You would think that having the love of his life drunk and wrapped in his arms would be enough of a distraction, but no. His mind was too keen to forget the big picture and focus on what was in front of him. Maybe I should have let him keep drinking. I wanted him to be happy. I could always demand his attention, but that wouldn't help anyone. Instead, I just hugged him. It took him a second to shift his focus onto me, a side effect that I did not plan out.

Not long after, we were in the garden as he held me ferociously. I stood quietly, holding him loosely to give him mobility and space to breath.

"You know," I started, "I knew this would be hard. For a moment I thought you might even shed a tear."

His grip loosened.

"But that was quickly thrown out of mind as a possibility. Instead, I settled on the fact that you would hold up your feelings completely, and forget that I'm here to ease your troubles. You don't have to do that. We've been over this; lean on me whenever you need support. I won't let you fall."

He lifted his head from my shoulder and stared at me.

"You don't have to be so quiet." I trailed off.

"I cannot hold onto Rin, and the same will eventually follow for our children, but I will hold onto you as tightly as this world will allow. So long as you are by my side, I am willing to face any trial." He said before gracing my forehead with a kiss.

"Your wife's drunk, and that's all you do?" I wondered aloud. "You used to steal my kisses and surprise me with your caress. It's either you've gone soft, or I've trained you too well."

"You have trained this Sesshomaru very well." He smiled as he held my head to his chest.

"Then it's my fault." I admitted. "But I'm glad, really, really, really glad."

He said nothing, simply cherishing our solitude.

"We should head back before someone starts looking for us." I said as I unearthed my head from his chest.

"Thank you." He told me, refusing to budge.

"Did I not tell you to not thank me?" I asked, honestly confused.

"I will do so regardless."

I could have stayed there forever, just gazing at him and being in his arms like that, but the sound of footsteps broke our sense of isolation. Our gazes shifted quietly to whoever had joined us in the garden. The bride and groom made their way towards us before awkwardly stopping a few feet away.

"I am sorry to interrupt, my lord, but it is time for us to depart." Rin said rather stiffly.

I looked at Sesshomaru, who stared at Rin. I left his arms as he nodded slowly before saying to the new member of the family, "Care for her well."

The young lord nodded as I stepped out to receive one last hug from Rin.

"This starts a new chapter of your life. Make sure that every page is filled with memories and bliss, but do not forget to return and share those memories every once in a while." I whispered to her.

"Of course I will." She replied before stating that she would miss me again. I gave a sad chuckle before letting her go and acknowledging the man she had chosen to sweep her away with turbulent eyes.

Rin then went to Sesshomaru and hugged him. I didn't listen to the words that they exchanged. It was personal, and it wasn't my place to listen in. Instead, I nodded for her husband to step aside with me.

We didn't go far, just out of Sesshomaru's range of hearing. I know he wouldn't pay much attention to our conversation, but I wanted him to have his privacy. We walked toward one of the koi ponds and let the silence remain for a minute longer. The man had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He stood at a comfortable 5ft. 8in. in his gray yukata. It wasn't my first time meeting the man. We were introduced after I'd lost my cool by the well. He was quite nice, yet firm in his decision to marry Rin. Rin was quite shy about it, though adamant about it as well. It took about an hour and a half before I gave in and said I would think about it. Sesshomaru said nothing, that day. We contemplated it some more after returning, with Rin on a leash shorter than my own. With a few more nights of contemplation, Sesshomaru and I agreed to meet his parents, and things fell in line from there. He wasn't perfect, and nobody is, but he resonated well with Rin, and they were both radiant when next to each other. She was still young, and would marry about four years younger than I did, but it would be one away from the norm of the time. She was educated, much more than the average woman. I would trust her intuition. She was the one who spent years with him, not me.

I took a breath, readying to start a conversation, but he mustered up his steel resolve to take the initiative.

"I apologize for taking your daughter from you, my lady."

I gazed at him before smiling. "There is no need to apologize. This day was inevitable. I will miss her, but she must follow her heart. Neither I nor my mate have the right to deny her such." I replied.

"Then I thank you for entrusting her to me."

"There is no need to thank me."

"I am sure it was you, my lady, who influenced Lord Sesshomaru's decision." He insisted.

"I would be lying if I took credit for such an action." I giggled. "The both of us needed time to fully accept this, but we can only hope for the best for both you and Rin."

He was silent as I thought about the words that I was going to say.

"In all honesty, I would have married him at fifteen if I could have. Before Sesshomaru and I mated, I was forced to return home. Those years I spent separated from Sesshomaru, they were agonizing." I started before looking up to the stars overhead. "I had been exposed to something much greater than I could have ever imagined, and my life was void since I had lost it. The moment I could, I returned to his arms, and every second of my life has been filled with excitement, both good and bad. He may not seem it, but Sesshomaru has a heart more valuable than all of the treasures of the Earth. It was simply hidden, preserved, under the sheets of ice that encompassed it."

I stopped, realizing that I was going on a tangent.

"I hope for Rin to never face the anguish I faced when I was separated from my mate. I pray that she leads a life that incorporates all of the positive aspects of my life. I believe that you are the one who will bring her the joy I cannot give her myself, therefore, I am your patron. However, I must be blunt, do not let my smile and speech deceive you. Should Rin return disheveled or with a broken heart, I will not hesitate to hunt you down and destroy you, regardless of Rin's cries for me to stop. And should you ever dare to harm her, I will return the damage a hundred fold. I will break you as I have broken those who dared to agitate my own marriage." I warned, unknowingly living up to the reason suitors preferred to appeal to Sesshomaru. Apparently, I'd proven that I could back the threats I sputtered in regards to those I considered family. "I would prefer that such an occurrence never take place, but it is the sake within my body that drives me to warn you of the consequences of any possible folly."

"I plan to devote myself to her completely. With time, your unease will be put to rest."

"That is good to hear." I sighed. "I do not enjoy playing the part of the aggressor, but I am willing to do whatever to protect my family. If you do not understand what I mean now, you will surly understand later."

"I understand, my lady, more than you may ever know."

I smiled, pleased with his response.

"Takashi?" Rin called as she walked toward us.

"I will not keep you from your wife any longer. Take care." I told him with a bow.

He graced me with a bow lower than my own before dashing me a smile. Rin is smart enough to make her own decisions, she always was.

The two left the manor to be hidden behind walls of stone and a city illuminated by lantern lights. Soon after their departure, the reception came to a close, and the guests vanished one by one. Sesshomaru and I would have stayed and seen our guests off, but, like many of the mated couples, decided to spend the rest of the night on our own. We roamed the garden for a while longer before losing ourselves to the crescent moon that shone above us. That night, we welcomed each other's embrace for the first time in what was shy of a year by two months. The next day, there was a silence in the kingdom. The great excitement over Rin's marriage was over, and the void she had left was tangible. The manor would never again be filled with the sounds of Rin, but would soon be replaced with the sounds of two sets of feet running throughout the compound. Of course, that would only happen once the cries of babies matured into stumbling sentences. Things would be different, and they would continue to waver from the initial three person family we once were, not including Jaken and Ah-Uh, who I rarely see outside of scheduled traveling and occasional visits to the stables with Masaru and Megumi. That was an effect caused by the passage of time. However, I know of two things that would forever remain constant and live to outlive the expanse of time. I would always stand by Sesshomaru, and he by me; and, our love for each other would conquer every trail thrown towards us. Hopefully, that is a trait we passed to every couple we have come to associate with during this long, challenging, and love filled epic of ours.