It was a perfect day for a wedding. The sun was bright, the sky was blue, spring was slowly giving way to summer. Flowers were everywhere, at the request of the bride, enhancing rather than overwhelming the beauty of the Western Palace. Guests had come from far and wide to witness the event – the first marriage of a cardinal lord since the separation of the human and demon realms three hundred years ago. Kagome could understand their excitement.
Sesshoumaru had acted as if the uninvited guests crowding his gates to catch a glimpse of the festivities were unwelcome, as if the whole spectacle was an annoyance to him, but Kagome knew him better than that. He was happy to have found a suitable mate, proud to claim her in front of all of Makai…
Saddened that Rin would not be there.
Sesshoumaru had given the girl a second chance at life, stood as her father and defender at every turn, but he couldn’t save her from the passage of time. At least she’d died content, her only regret that she’d be leaving her Sesshoumaru-sama behind. Kagome knew that had been a comfort to him, just as Kagome’s presence in his life and bed had been a comfort to Rin.
More than almost anyone, Rin understood Sesshoumaru’s hidden fear of being alone. Only Kagome had ever known him better, had been defiant enough to ignore his demands for solitude when the masks of pride and strength failed and he allowed himself to feel the weight and fears of his responsibilities. The two of them, the human and the immortal Guardian, knew how much he longed for children. Not to continue his bloodline but to have a family.
And really, Kagome thought as she stared down the aisle at the faintly smiling groom, that was what this wedding was about. Family.
How could she begrudge him that?
But as bride and groom kissed, she also hoped that no one would begrudge her the bitter tears she cried against Shippou’s chest while he held her tightly, or the curses she heaped upon the Shikon Jewel that had rendered her barren.