War had torn the lands apart and destroyed the once proud monarchy that had ruled over what used to be a beautiful country. Enemies of the Lord of the Lands had moved in the moment he was forced to surrender and threw the Lord and his family into the waiting hands of the slave traders. The family were dragged from town to town with the rest of the slaves as they awaited their fate until one by one they were bought an only the eldest son remained. It had been nearly two months since he and his family had been left at the mercy of the slave master and it had been weeks since he had seen his family, but he held no hopes of ever seeing them again. Now, the once proud aristocrat knelt in a dusty town square in a part of a country he couldn't remember ever visiting. His clothes were dusty, torn and blood stained and his hands and feet were bound with a coarse rope that bit into his flesh, causing rivulets of blood to trickle down his fingers into the small puddle that was slowly forming beneath his hands. The long silver hair that had once been the envy of every woman he knew now hung limp and dirty over his shoulders as he sat slouched on his heels.

Crowds of curious city dwellers gathered around as the slave master brought long lines of men, women, and children from the long row of carriages that carried them from place to place. There had been many people approaching the former aristocrat but were soon turning tail and fleeing when he turned his amber gaze to them and gave them a ferocious frown that had struck fear into the hearts of even the strongest of men. Soon the number of people drawn to the silver haired man dwindled and then none approached at all, for fear of what he might do. A few of the town's wealthier folk had approached the slave master, hoping to find yet another servant for their overly large mansions, but they too kept well away from the man after glancing once into his face and finding only murderous intent evident in his molten gold eyes.

As the man watched yet another group of people leave the square, he resisted the urge to sigh and instead cast his eyes down the long row of slaves to where the slave master was animatedly talking with the few people who remained. The man's loud, booming voice and wild gesticulations gave them impression that he was trying very hard to make a sale, but despite his efforts, the last few people turned away and walked out of the square, shaking their heads as they went. The silver haired man realised that the slave master had been trying to sell off the few children he had picked up along the way and he couldn't help but pity the children as he wondered what their fate and his own would be. Would he simply be dragged from one town to another until someone was brave enough to buy him? Or would the salve master grow tired of his unsociable ways and leave him to die somewhere? Neither of the options were particularly pleasing, but he supposed that since he no longer had a place to call home and his family had been sold off as slaves, he had little left to live for so death would probably be the most welcome option available to him at present.

Just as the man predicted, the slave master had pushed him into the carriage along with everyone else at the end of the day and started off for the next town in hope of a sale. The journey started with the smaller towns along the trade routes and then the master gave up on small town folk and made his way towards the larger cities near the coast. However, as the group reached one of the smaller cities on the coast, the silver haired man's fate was decided. The usual gaggle of potential buyers had gathered around the slaves despite the sky above them that threatened rain how the cold wind blew in from the sea. As was the norm, many people approached the former aristocrat throughout the day only to be scared away by his expressions and it wasn't until the end of the day that there was any sign of a sale. The slave master sighed as he sank down on the steps of one of the carriages behind the slaves and rubbed his forehead tiredly, ignoring the slaves who now sat out in the cold as the rain started falling form the heavens as though it was weeping for the unfortunate people left to face the elements. Few people walked the streets now and those that did hurried by without a second glance at the long lines of slaves kneeling in the puddles that were slowly forming in the cobbled square.

Cursing to himself, the slave master was about to give the order to start packing up for the next city when a carriage that clearly belonged to someone wealthy came to a stop nearby. Everyone, including the mournful looking slaves, looked up to see who the newcomer was and watched in silent amazement as a man jumped down from the front of the carriage and opened the door. A white parasol was put up in the entrance and moments later, a woman in a pale blue dress stepped out of the carriage and took the man's arm as they walked towards the slave master who had instantly leapt to his feet, hoping to make at least one sale before moving on. Droplets of water left trails through the dirt on the silver haired man's skin as he hung his head, knowing that he would not be the one leaving with the pair. It was obvious that this woman was of aristocratic lineage and given that he was a former aristocrat, he was not entirely sure that being chosen by this woman would be much of a blessing so much as it would be a curse. In a moment of morbid thought, he decided that he would rather die of malnutrition or whatever else could kill him while travelling with the other slaves than to suffer humiliation at the feet of another aristocrat.

Keeping his head down, he listened to the voices as they drew closer and closer and vowed that he would give the pair his most ferocious scowl yet to attempt to find a way out of being chosen by them. The voices fell silent and a hush fell over everyone present until only the sound of the shoes on the cobbled street could be heard. As he waited for the inevitable moment when they would stop in front of him, the silver haired man wondered what the fate of the person would be when they left with the pair. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the pair come to a stop in front of him until his chin was roughly forced up by the slave master to look at the pair in front of him. Amber eyes narrowed and a frown crossed his face that was so ferocious that the master drew his hand away hastily for fear that he would be one finger short in a few moments. As the slave master lifted his hand to land a blow on the man's face, the woman stepped forward, her face hidden by her hat. Amber eyes widened imperceptibly when a dainty hand cupped his cheek and caressed it gently, the woman clearly not caring as the dirt from his skin left her pristine white gloves dirty.

"This one," she said quietly, her hand leaving his cheek to brush the few strands of long hair from his face gently.

"Are you sure, ma'am?" the slave master asked doubtfully, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression. "This one is bad tempered and I'm sure we could find someone better for you."

"My mistress has decided," the man accompanying the woman said firmly.

The slave master sighed as he watched the pair move back towards the carriage. One the woman was seated inside, her companion returned to where the slave master stood and held out a bag of coins that was clearly more than the master was asking for judging by how wide his eyes grew. Before the money was dropped into his hand, the unknown man waited for the slave master to get the man he had just bought from the long row of slaves. The silver haired man's eyes widened in shock as he felt hands beneath his arms, pulling him roughly to his feet and forcing him to shuffle across the square to the carriage. The men turned back to the driver of the carriage, awaiting instruction on where to put the man when the door opened and the woman gestured towards the seat opposite her. Staring blankly at her for a moment, the men gathered the slave up and pushed him into the seat before closing the door and heading back to finish loading the slaves into the carriages. Within moments, the carriage was moving and trundling out of the square. Blinking in confusion at how fast events had just unfolded, the former aristocrat looked across the carriage to the woman and found her looking out the window as the late afternoon sun began to slip behind the hills and casting the valleys in shadow. Sensing his gaze, she turned to him, her full lips visible beneath the wide brim of the hat as she smiled before turning her gaze back to the scenery outside.

When the silver haired man opened his eyes, he noticed that he was still in the carriage although it seemed to be slowing down. Curiously, he glanced out the window and saw that darkness had fallen and the route they were taking was lit only by the light of the moon that shone above them. The sound of movement from the other side of the carriage caught his attention and he looked over to the see the woman shift slightly to look at him.

"We will be arriving shortly," she said softly with a soft accent that the man could not place.

Almost as soon as the words were spoken, the carriage came to a halt and the woman's companion jumped down from the front of the carriage and opened the door. There was a pause as the man untied the bonds that bound the former aristocrat's feet before helping him down from the carriage as well as his mistress. The woman looked up at the building and sighed softly before turning to look at her companion.

"Masaru, please take our guest to my room. Draw a bath for him and find some new clothes. When you are done, please prepare the room next door and then keep our guest company. I will join you as soon as I am able," she said softly.

"Mistress…" the man now known as Masaru started, his voice holding some concern.

"Do not fret, Masaru," the woman said gently, patting the older man on the arm.

Without a word, she turned and made her way up the steps to the door, her long skirts held up in a dainty hand. Masaru turned to the younger man and gestured for him to follow as they followed the woman up the stairs to the open door. The bright light was blinding and for a moment, the silver haired man could see nothing, but when his yes accustomed to the brightness, he saw that they stood in an extravagantly decorated hallway. The wooden floor beneath his feet shone so brightly he swore he could see his own reflection and the room was lit by several polished candelabras. The scene reminded him much of a smaller version of the palace he had grown up in and he was so lost in the memories of his former life that he jumped slightly when a tall middle aged man stepped into the room. The man's cold gray eyes fell on the bemused man who stood in the hallway dressed in nothing short of rags for a moment and he looked away, making a soft sound of disgust as he directed his gaze to the woman who stood nearby. She pulled off her coat and handed it to the nearby servant who waited patiently for her to take off her hat. After a moment, she turned around, smoothing her dress as she did so. The tall man bowed slightly and extended an arm towards a corridor to his left.

"Your presence is required," he said in a clipped voice.

"Thank you, Shin," the woman said quietly.

She nodded at Masaru and smiled slightly before following the tall man down the dimly lit corridor and eventually disappearing from sight. Masaru sighed to himself and gestured for the other man to follow as he led the way up the stairs. The silver haired man obediently followed, casting a brief glance over his shoulder to the corridor his 'rescuer' had disappeared down and couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.

"You have returned late, Rin," a stern female voice stated as the young woman stepped into the room Shin had shown her.

"I apologise for my tardiness," Rin replied respectfully, bowing slightly to the older woman who sat beside the fire.

"Shin tells me you have a new companion."

"Yes, Aunt Hiroko."

"What need have you for another? You already have a butler do you not?"

"I do, but Masaru is getting old and can no longer do some of his jobs as well as before. I apologise for not consulting your first."

The woman, Hiroko, sighed loudly and raised a hand to rub her eyes as though exasperated by her niece's behaviour. Raising her head, she glared at the younger woman but looked away moments later when Shin approached with a cup of tea for her. Accepting it, she nodded her thanks to her butler and turned her attention back to her niece.

"I will let your behaviour pass this once," Hiroko said sternly, frowning slightly. "However, I will not be responsible for this new companion of yours and it will be up to you to see to this person's needs just as you must do with that Masaru person."

"I understand," Rin replied, nodding gratefully.

"One last thing," the older woman said in a cold voice. "Do not think that you have free reign simply because I am an invalid. This is my house and as easily as I took you in, I can throw you out regardless of the fact that you are my niece, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. You are dismissed."

Masaru waited patiently outside the washroom door while the younger man bathed and nodded to him when he returned to the room full dressed in warm, dry, and clean clothes for the first time in several weeks. The former aristocrat allowed himself to be guided to a chair where the older man sat down and started to tend to the wounds he had received over the weeks he had spent bound and at the mercy of the slave master. The door opened while Masaru was in the middle of cleaning the large gash on the man's arm when Rin walked into the room, closing the doors behind her. Both men remained quiet and Masaru sat back on his heels, looking at the young woman thoughtfully before he seemed to make a decision.

"Is there a problem, Mistress Rin?" he asked quietly, frowning slightly as he spoke.

"No, no problems, Masaru," the woman replied vaguely as she sat down in a nearby chair. "Have you made up the room yet?"

"Not yet, Mistress."

"I see. When you are done with your current task, please see to it. I believe our guest will be glad of a bed for the night."

"Indeed, Mistress," Masaru agreed, a slight smile tugging his lips before he finished tending to the silent man's injuries.

Eventually, Masaru finished tending to the silver haired man's injuries after what seemed like an eternity and left him alone with the young woman who had sat quietly in a nearby chair as she watched all the injuries being tended to. When Masaru left, she smiled and sat up straight in her chair, her brown eyes intent on him as he wondered what she was going to do next.

"Might I ask your name?" she asked politely, looking curious as she turned in her seat to look directly at him.

"Sesshoumaru," he replied hesitantly.

"I am Rin." The man nodded but remained silent. "You must have many questions, but as it is growing late and you have yet to eat, I will be brief. If you have any questions, I'm sure Masaru will be delighted to answer them if I am unable to do so."

"Hm."

"It seems that you are not a man of many words," Rin said with a slight smile. "That is probably for the best as you will not find many aside from myself and Masaru to talk to."

There was a pause as Rin looked down at her hands with a slight frown as though she wasn't entirely sure what to say next. Sighing softly, she clasped her hands together on her lap and looked up with a serious expression.

"I will be frank," she said calmly. "I did not buy you from that slave trader for any particular reason other than because I wanted to. However, due to my current circumstances, you will not be allowed to stay here just because I decided to save you from the slave trader. I'm sure you do not wish to return to slavery, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you will remain here, but to do so, you will become my butler."

"What of the other man?"

"Masaru is more of my companion than my butler, but I suppose to a certain extent, he is both. However, he will be more than pleased to hand over most of his responsibilities to you. What say you?"

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and thought over the proposal. It was true that he did not wish to return to slavery and it was quite likely that he would end up a slave once again if he were allowed to leave this place. He had nowhere to go, slave traders often caught those who wandered aimlessly, and he did not wish to repeat that experience. He had long since come to terms with the idea that he was probably not going to see his family again and therefore, his best option was to remain here, this woman had saved him after all and was offering him somewhere safe to stay – he would be a fool to reject her offer.

"Very well, I accept," he said softly, nodding his approval towards his new mistress.

Rin smiled happily. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure you must be very hungry. Masaru has prepared a meal for you, I will summon him and he can take you to your room. It is next door to mine so you will not get lost. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is something you wish to know."