Trading Places

chapter 5

After that strangely late introduction,Sesshomaru finally knew the princess’ name. He was about to introduce himself again,but he remembered that he already had. Before he could think of anything to say, the princess -er, Rin- gave a little twirl and looked down her junihitoe. 
“ I love this junihitoe. It was a gift from the Lord of the South. Ever since I took over the Northern Lands, the Lord's have been so nice to me. Especially the Lord of the South,though I believe it's because he want to marry me,but he already has a wife- oh! I'm rambling again. I'm sure that you want to get out of your clothes as much as I want to get out of mine. I’ll call someone to help you.”
Rin picked up a little porcelain bell from a small end table that had seemingly materialized next to them. She rung it three times and the tinkling sound filled the air. From a seemingly endless front hall a door materialized from the wall. Said wall moved inward to reveal a small figure. “Hold your horses little girl, I'm coming" A small green Kappa? Toad? Was coming toward them, carrying a staff larger than he was tall, dressed in all brown with a small black cap. 

The princess put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Oh Jaken, you're awfully energetic today! Are you excited for a new friend?" The kappa had a vein throbbing in his head. "New friend? You mean another hellion that you scraped out of one of the villages' traps? It's all fun and games for you! You get another pet/minion to play with and I get another headache! As the house steward, you have no idea how much work I put in to make sure things run orderly and in fashion, and you add another mouth for me to factor into the dinner plans! No respect at all for my office! If it weren't for the fact that you'd be  completely lost without me, I would have quit this job long ago!" 
 
If Sesshomaru's eyes were bugged out of his head, no one said it, as he stood a few steps behind Rin, and she and the kappa were staring intensely at each other. Who was this little green thing that he could talk to her this way? Did he have a death wish? If the old lady were her, she probably would have skinned him alive! Sesshomaru internally shuddered at the thought. Meanwhile, the princess just giggled and waved the kappa off. "Oh Jaken, what would I do without you? Anyway, would you mind taking our new guest to have a bath and his wounds looked at?" 

The newly dubbed Jaken harrumphed and turned his back on them. "You, dog! Come now, quickly, I have other things to be doing!" Sesshomaru looked at the door behind him, and walked until he was a step in front of the princess, and turned to look at her as well. She waved him encouragingly in Jaken's direction, and he fooled the little kappa up the enormous staircase, he hadn't noticed in front of them, fate uncertain of his fate.