Disclaimer: I don't own any character I mention in this story unless there
is a name in this fic that you don't recognize, k?
Don't ask.I'm tired.
This is my second fic and I hope is a little bit better than my first fic (which didn't do that bad^^). Please remember to review at the end of this chapter and please go easy with the flames, okay? ^.^'
Okay, a few quick things. In this fic: Kikyo is Kagome's elder sister. Nazuna is Kikyo's Lady in waiting. Nazuna is afraid of spiders but who isn't? ::glares at the one person who raises their hand (-_-):: Nazuna is just like Kikyo, okay? It's not that I don't like Nazuna but I didn't think Mayu would make a good Lady in waiting for Kikyo.
Um. I think that's about it.if there is anything else in this fic that's different then I'll try to make it as understandable as possible.
Okay! ^^
Your.not so average princess
Chapter One: Enter the Dragon
Sparkling blue eyes gazed, out a high window of one of the most dazzling castles ever built, out onto the distant land, watching the sunrise. Kagome imagined the sea was somewhere out there, sparkling and blue with ships bobbing on it, just like in the story books she had read when she was young. She had added 'visit sea' to her list of things to do in her life ages ago but still.she waited for the day when she could smell the salty air.
Kagome sighed as she recalled dinner the night before. There was going to be a ball in her older sister's honor because she was turning 16. She had to marry.And Kagome had to attend. Kagome hated balls and fancy parties and she saw no reason to attend this one but it was her mother's wishes and Kagome was wise enough not to argue. Kikyo, her older sister, was as princessey as you could get. She was slender, elegant and beautiful. She loved balls and parties and if she had to ride a horse, she would go no faster than she needed to. However, no matter how hard she tried she would always get thrown off somehow by the horse she was on. Every horse she ever sat on seemed to sense her fear and distaste towards them. Kikyo was a sit in the garden and read, knit or cross-stitch kind of girl. The only sport she played was croquet and so the only exercise she got was swinging the mallet and looking at herself in the mirror. Kagome was exactly the opposite. Kagome was still slender elegant and beautiful but in a different kind of way. Kagome may have had more beauty than Kikyo. She loved to read, but it was usually about adventures, and she played the flute and the piano, but they were usually lively tunes or songs about the sea or the mountains. Climbing a mountain was also on her list of Things-to-do-before- I-die. Kagome's favorite things to do were to ride horses, archery, and fencing. She also loved swimming in the pond and climbing trees.
Basically, she loved doing what she, as a princess, wasn't supposed to and just about everything Kikyo hated.
"Three days before I taste hell again." Kagome muttered referring to the ball. She had no idea that this one would be so different than the last.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
"Me?"
"Yes you."
"Go to a ball?"
"That's what I-"
"AGAIN??? I'M NOT EVEN INVITED!!!"
"WhAt??"
"This is for.SESSHOMARU!!" Inu-Yasha's voice was deadly calm.
"Inu-Yasha-"
"You see his name?" Inu-Yasha poked the paper on his elder brother's name: Yes? And where is mine? Huh?"
"Inu-Yasha.calm yourself."
"Myoga-jiji.."Inu-Yasha growled dangerously at his man-servant. Myoga sweated; this was exactly the reaction he expected but the orders had been so sharp, he hadn't time to prepare.
"Inu-Yasha, please don't take your anger out on me!" Myoga squeaked, begging for forgiveness, "I am merely the messenger!"
"Keh."
Myoga sighed inwardly with relief; he was getting somewhere!
"Please cooperate with me and go to the ball!"
Mistake.
"Who's gonna make me?" Inu-Yasha challenged with a smirk on his face, as he wandered over to the window.
"I-I-I-I will if n-necessary!"
Inu-Yasha certainly wasn't expecting that. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the old man. Then fell on the floor laughing. As if Myoga could make him! He hardly even came to Inu-Yasha's waist!
Myoga sighed, "This is why you aren't allowed to stay home. You don't listen to anybody bigger than you! Plainly: Your parents want to keep an eye on you and it is a full three day's trip to the Higurashi palace!"
"Higurashi? We haven't been there before."
"I know that."
"Why didn't you say so?"
"You never asked."
"Myoga-jiji."
Myoga gulped, "They have two daughters. The elder one is Princess Kikyo; about to turn 16, and the younger one is just half a year younger than you: Almost 15. Her name is Princess Kagome."
"What do I care about them? They're probably no different than the other princesses that I've been tortured by before: Bitchy and their faces are glued to their mirrors."
Myoga sweated some more.
"I'm tired of hearing how many cross stitch competitions there are and how many one princess or another has won! I'm betting that they're both like that."
Myoga gulped.
"Am I right?" Inu-Yasha's bored face glanced and the old man.
"Quite frankly.I don't know. You'll just have to come and meet them yourself!"
Inu-Yasha pretended to ignore him.
Myoga sighed, "I'll double your allowance for 1 month if you make conversation and dance with one of the Higurashi princesses." He bribed.
"Deal."
Myoga happily scurried from the prince's chambers to deliver the news to the King and Queen and then he ran to get a big drink of water. Inu-Yasha sighed and then smirked. He didn't have to be nice in his conversation with that unlucky princess.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, what did the old man want?"
"Miroku?" Inu-Yasha was surprised, "I sent someone up here to pack my things, not chat with me!"
"I know the way around your room pretty well. Besides, if anyone else came up to pack for you, you'd be stuck in frilly tuxedoes for a week."
Inu-Yasha shuddered. Miroku smiled.
"We'll just pack you one of those for the actual occasion." Miroku pulled out a black suit and white gloves, "this suit and this white shirt." Miroku muttered more to himself.
20 minutes later: "Done!" Miroku slammed the trunk closed, locked it and then tossed the key to the prince.
Inu-Yasha shook his head in wonder, "Miroku I'm glad you came up instead of anyone else. You know what fits me and what I like to wear. I'd be stuck here trying on everything in my wardrobe just to see if it looked nice. Thank you."
"Guess what?" Miroku was practically jumping with glee.
"I'm afraid."
"I get to go with you!!"
Inu-Yasha looked at him and then smiled, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. You don't have to attend the actual thin-" Then it's struck Inu-Yasha that that was what his friend intended to do. He groaned.
"There are going to be lots of beautiful women there!"
"Just control your hands otherwise you're going to be kicked out and you'll bring shame to my family."
"Oh I wouldn't dream of letting my hands go awry during such an important event!" Miroku's face suddenly became very stern.
Sesshomaru's face peeked around the door, "Father says it's time to have your trunks loaded into the luggage carriage."
"Can you hear something? Or is it just me?" Inu-Yasha looked annoyed.
Miroku was about to respond when Sesshomaru warned him.
"Did you hear me Inu-Yasha? Father says it's time to have your trunks loaded for the trip!!"
Inu-Yasha looked at Sesshy then his eye's light up: "Hey that sounds like that game!!"
"What game?" Miroku asked, as equally excited and eager as Inu-Yasha, to annoy the elder prince.
"It's like.it's like.SIMON SAYS!! You know? But now it's FATHER SAYS!!"
Sesshomaru nearly died of shock from his immature brother. He walked down the hall with his younger brother and Miroku chanting out things like: "Father says touch your ear!"
"Father says touch you arm!"
"Touch your butt!"
"MIROKU!!!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
One day till the ball.
Kagome sighed as she rode through the fields with her best friend, who happened to be her lady in waiting, Sango.
"You're thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow night, I should say."
"How did you know?" Kagome asked.
"You look so miserable. You're hardly ever miserable when you're riding."
"You can read me like a blackboard, Sango-chan."
"Most of the time," Sango agreed.
"How can you not even think about it??"
"I'm not the center of attention. Me, finding Mr. Right won't affect anyone except for my family."
"Lucky."
They rode in silence for a while.
"I'm not even the eldest child and I still have to get married!" Kagome scowled.
"Sometimes Kagome, I wish the guys I danced with paid more attention to me. They're just so interested in getting their turn to dance with you that they don't even see me."
"I wish things were a little more even."
"I just want to get married and raise a family and live a happy life."
"I wish it were as simple as that for me. But if I marry, then I'll BELONG to my Prince. It's like I'll be a THING.AND GODDAMNIT I'M NOBODIES THING!!"
Sango nearly toppled off her horse from laughing.
"Wha?- Oh! Sango! You're SO perverted sometimes."
"S-s-sorry!" Sango struggled to regain herself.
"Come on! It's nearly dinner.I'll race you back!"
"Hey! No fair! You got a head start!"
Kagome and Sango raced across the fields, Kagome finally forgetting about the next night, betting each other that who ever won would get 20 dollars. They tied (no, really! They actually did!).
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
That same day. "Inu-Yasha, what's wrong?"
"Ugg."
"I don't think he feels to good, Highness."
"I can see that, young Lord Miroku."
"It's this stupid cart that we're riding in, mother. What happened to the shocks?" Inu-Yasha asked irritably.
"I'm sorry Inu-Yasha but it's not the shocks, it's the road!"
"Permission to get out and ride a horse?"
"Permission denied."
Inu-Yasha went back to sulking as his carriage heaved his stomach about. He would be strong! He sailed on ships for heaven's sake! His castle was a spit away from the ocean! But this.this seemed different.
"Shikon castle in sight!" The driver hollered. Inu-Yasha and Miroku both poked their heads out the windows they were next too and gazed in awe up at the marvelous, towering castle. It wasn't that this one was prettier than Tetsusaiga (his castle) but it was the way that the setting sun caught the side of it.
Thinking about how pretty the castle was, made him think about the people who lived inside of it which then made him think of Miroku and how he was probably hoping that the Princesses were as gorgeous as the castle. Inu- Yasha sweat dropped as he glanced at his friend's expression. Yup. That was the first thing he thought of.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
"May I announce the arrival of the King, Queen, and their two sons from the Kingdom, Tetsusaiga."
"Show them to their quarters." The King ordered, as he looked up from his soup, "I will see them as soon as dinner is finished."
"Wouldn't they like something to eat dear?" Kagome's mother asked.
"Oh! Um.yes, yes.inform them that dinner is ready for them whenever they are ready."
Servants rushed around, some to carry out the King's orders by delivering the message, some to yell at the cook to make more soup.
"Daughters, would you like to excuse yourselves so that you have the pleasure of meeting the two princes tomorrow night?"
"Yes, Father!" Kagome hurriedly responded. Kagome was out of the room and made a beeline to the practice room. Kikyo sniffed at her sister's unladylike way of exiting the room and got up better than she usually did just to make a point.
Kagome picked her sword from the rack on the wall and started slashing at the wooden dummy in one corner of the room, While Kikyo bathed and got ready for bed.
How different they were. Too bad they both ended up liking the same Prince.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome and Kikyo never saw Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru until the ball started. Of course, to the two princesses, these princes were just on the list of the other princes and lords that were going to be there and had no significance. All day, everyone was inside preparing for the big night except for Kagome. She was out in the field on her horse or practicing her archery or slashing wooden dummies with swords and only went to her room to prepare when her mother got angry at her during lunch when she found out what she had been doing all day. Kagome had to suffer through the lecture about how it didn't matter that it was Kikyo's birthday today and not Kagome's and that she was attending the ball to make her country proud. She should meet some of the princes there so that she could pick her husband easier when it was her turn. Then she got the lecture about how it didn't mater that she was the youngest she would still marry so that the country would still have it's pride, though what pride had to do with anything, Kagome couldn't see. Some 40 years later Kagome was released from her mother's lecture and sent to her quarters to get ready. ("AND HURRY!"). Geeze! It wasn't like Kagome was a turtle. She could get ready for a ball in two hours, she didn't need a whole day like her sister who would freak out if she left her hand mirror and a comb behind when she went out (actually there were more things on the list than her comb and a mirror but the list is too long). Kagome sighed as she undressed. She tossed her pants and her tunic into a basket that a maid would come by later to pick up and wash. Why would anyone put up the fuss for being able to wear a dress? She climbed into the bubble filled tub that a maid had run for her and inhaled the rosy fragrance from the bubbles. She washed her self with more rosy stuff (soap, shampoo, conditioner.you can tell what her favourite flower is) and thought about the night ahead of her. She had planned it all out: She would walk into the ballroom with her sister, like she was supposed to, dance for five songs, eat something from the food table and then make her getaway to the gardens. Perfect. She washed her face and after putting on a few fragrances on her neck and shoulders, wandered back into her room to the dress Sango had laid out for her. Her maids dressed her (much to her annoyance) and applied light lipstick, mascara, and a touch of eye shadow to bring out her eyes more (even though her eyes sparkled brightly all on their own). She would not let them put on any more than that.
"You're beautiful Kagome!"
Kagome turned to the door and saw Sango gazing in. Kagome smiled for the first time that day.
"Your wonderful too, Sango-chan."
"I'll see you in the ball room then."
"Yes, Sango. Good luck."
"No it's good luck to you."
"Whatever, just.see you there!" she laughed as her friend left then stared back, sadly into the mirror.
'How can Sango just think of it as a ballroom?' Kagome thought, 'to me it's a dragon's den with the dragon waiting inside, to push me around and then finally chew me up and spit me out.' She and her sister met in the hall and didn't say a thing. Kagome hardly saw where she was walking and didn't notice her sister's jealous look.
'How can she be prettier than me and not have so much makeup on???' Kikyo screamed inside. She tried not to let her emotion spread to her face but it was out of control. Kikyo snapped her head away from Kagome and looked straight ahead thinking that there were so many princes to choose from and she was so proud that this ball was being held just for her. Kagome stared at the double doors in front of her with dread.
'Ok, dance, eat, and escape!' She thought, 'I can escape this dragon!' she was glad that her madness didn't show on her face. Instead she just looked ahead.
"Smile!" her sister hissed, "Don't look like you'd rather be anywhere else.and I don't care if you do want to be some place else. Just don't embarrass me!"
"Why on earth would I want to embarrass you?" Kagome casually asked. Kikyo rolled her eyes. Kagome plastered a smile on her face that made her eyes shine. Kikyo instantly wished she hadn't ask her sister to smile; it only made her look prettier.
Kagome braced herself as the doors opened and then.she entered the dragon's den.
I don't care if it is a cheesy ending, just.you know what I mean when I say she entered the dragon: it means the doors opened and she and her sister walked into the ballroom and down the stairs. Next thing: I don't care if you could just flounce right in there with out being nervous cause I couldn't do that. I mean, talk about all eyes on you (I hate that and in this fic, so does Kagome). Great! I got up at 6:30 this morning (partially because of my kitty (Tosca) and the reason I couldn't go back to sleep was.well.okokok, let's just blame that on Tosca cause you don't need to know the real reason! ^^') so if I come across as a little bit grumpy there is your reason. I figured I could put my time to good use instead of just.lying there.
Thanks to Momori who has so kindly edited this chapter.
K, you see the lil button that says: 'click here to submit a review'? Big hint: Click it! ^.^
I will keep writing but I won't post, unless I get a good bundle of reviews, k?
Thanx.
-Noodals
Don't ask.I'm tired.
This is my second fic and I hope is a little bit better than my first fic (which didn't do that bad^^). Please remember to review at the end of this chapter and please go easy with the flames, okay? ^.^'
Okay, a few quick things. In this fic: Kikyo is Kagome's elder sister. Nazuna is Kikyo's Lady in waiting. Nazuna is afraid of spiders but who isn't? ::glares at the one person who raises their hand (-_-):: Nazuna is just like Kikyo, okay? It's not that I don't like Nazuna but I didn't think Mayu would make a good Lady in waiting for Kikyo.
Um. I think that's about it.if there is anything else in this fic that's different then I'll try to make it as understandable as possible.
Okay! ^^
Your.not so average princess
Chapter One: Enter the Dragon
Sparkling blue eyes gazed, out a high window of one of the most dazzling castles ever built, out onto the distant land, watching the sunrise. Kagome imagined the sea was somewhere out there, sparkling and blue with ships bobbing on it, just like in the story books she had read when she was young. She had added 'visit sea' to her list of things to do in her life ages ago but still.she waited for the day when she could smell the salty air.
Kagome sighed as she recalled dinner the night before. There was going to be a ball in her older sister's honor because she was turning 16. She had to marry.And Kagome had to attend. Kagome hated balls and fancy parties and she saw no reason to attend this one but it was her mother's wishes and Kagome was wise enough not to argue. Kikyo, her older sister, was as princessey as you could get. She was slender, elegant and beautiful. She loved balls and parties and if she had to ride a horse, she would go no faster than she needed to. However, no matter how hard she tried she would always get thrown off somehow by the horse she was on. Every horse she ever sat on seemed to sense her fear and distaste towards them. Kikyo was a sit in the garden and read, knit or cross-stitch kind of girl. The only sport she played was croquet and so the only exercise she got was swinging the mallet and looking at herself in the mirror. Kagome was exactly the opposite. Kagome was still slender elegant and beautiful but in a different kind of way. Kagome may have had more beauty than Kikyo. She loved to read, but it was usually about adventures, and she played the flute and the piano, but they were usually lively tunes or songs about the sea or the mountains. Climbing a mountain was also on her list of Things-to-do-before- I-die. Kagome's favorite things to do were to ride horses, archery, and fencing. She also loved swimming in the pond and climbing trees.
Basically, she loved doing what she, as a princess, wasn't supposed to and just about everything Kikyo hated.
"Three days before I taste hell again." Kagome muttered referring to the ball. She had no idea that this one would be so different than the last.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
"Me?"
"Yes you."
"Go to a ball?"
"That's what I-"
"AGAIN??? I'M NOT EVEN INVITED!!!"
"WhAt??"
"This is for.SESSHOMARU!!" Inu-Yasha's voice was deadly calm.
"Inu-Yasha-"
"You see his name?" Inu-Yasha poked the paper on his elder brother's name: Yes? And where is mine? Huh?"
"Inu-Yasha.calm yourself."
"Myoga-jiji.."Inu-Yasha growled dangerously at his man-servant. Myoga sweated; this was exactly the reaction he expected but the orders had been so sharp, he hadn't time to prepare.
"Inu-Yasha, please don't take your anger out on me!" Myoga squeaked, begging for forgiveness, "I am merely the messenger!"
"Keh."
Myoga sighed inwardly with relief; he was getting somewhere!
"Please cooperate with me and go to the ball!"
Mistake.
"Who's gonna make me?" Inu-Yasha challenged with a smirk on his face, as he wandered over to the window.
"I-I-I-I will if n-necessary!"
Inu-Yasha certainly wasn't expecting that. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the old man. Then fell on the floor laughing. As if Myoga could make him! He hardly even came to Inu-Yasha's waist!
Myoga sighed, "This is why you aren't allowed to stay home. You don't listen to anybody bigger than you! Plainly: Your parents want to keep an eye on you and it is a full three day's trip to the Higurashi palace!"
"Higurashi? We haven't been there before."
"I know that."
"Why didn't you say so?"
"You never asked."
"Myoga-jiji."
Myoga gulped, "They have two daughters. The elder one is Princess Kikyo; about to turn 16, and the younger one is just half a year younger than you: Almost 15. Her name is Princess Kagome."
"What do I care about them? They're probably no different than the other princesses that I've been tortured by before: Bitchy and their faces are glued to their mirrors."
Myoga sweated some more.
"I'm tired of hearing how many cross stitch competitions there are and how many one princess or another has won! I'm betting that they're both like that."
Myoga gulped.
"Am I right?" Inu-Yasha's bored face glanced and the old man.
"Quite frankly.I don't know. You'll just have to come and meet them yourself!"
Inu-Yasha pretended to ignore him.
Myoga sighed, "I'll double your allowance for 1 month if you make conversation and dance with one of the Higurashi princesses." He bribed.
"Deal."
Myoga happily scurried from the prince's chambers to deliver the news to the King and Queen and then he ran to get a big drink of water. Inu-Yasha sighed and then smirked. He didn't have to be nice in his conversation with that unlucky princess.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, what did the old man want?"
"Miroku?" Inu-Yasha was surprised, "I sent someone up here to pack my things, not chat with me!"
"I know the way around your room pretty well. Besides, if anyone else came up to pack for you, you'd be stuck in frilly tuxedoes for a week."
Inu-Yasha shuddered. Miroku smiled.
"We'll just pack you one of those for the actual occasion." Miroku pulled out a black suit and white gloves, "this suit and this white shirt." Miroku muttered more to himself.
20 minutes later: "Done!" Miroku slammed the trunk closed, locked it and then tossed the key to the prince.
Inu-Yasha shook his head in wonder, "Miroku I'm glad you came up instead of anyone else. You know what fits me and what I like to wear. I'd be stuck here trying on everything in my wardrobe just to see if it looked nice. Thank you."
"Guess what?" Miroku was practically jumping with glee.
"I'm afraid."
"I get to go with you!!"
Inu-Yasha looked at him and then smiled, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. You don't have to attend the actual thin-" Then it's struck Inu-Yasha that that was what his friend intended to do. He groaned.
"There are going to be lots of beautiful women there!"
"Just control your hands otherwise you're going to be kicked out and you'll bring shame to my family."
"Oh I wouldn't dream of letting my hands go awry during such an important event!" Miroku's face suddenly became very stern.
Sesshomaru's face peeked around the door, "Father says it's time to have your trunks loaded into the luggage carriage."
"Can you hear something? Or is it just me?" Inu-Yasha looked annoyed.
Miroku was about to respond when Sesshomaru warned him.
"Did you hear me Inu-Yasha? Father says it's time to have your trunks loaded for the trip!!"
Inu-Yasha looked at Sesshy then his eye's light up: "Hey that sounds like that game!!"
"What game?" Miroku asked, as equally excited and eager as Inu-Yasha, to annoy the elder prince.
"It's like.it's like.SIMON SAYS!! You know? But now it's FATHER SAYS!!"
Sesshomaru nearly died of shock from his immature brother. He walked down the hall with his younger brother and Miroku chanting out things like: "Father says touch your ear!"
"Father says touch you arm!"
"Touch your butt!"
"MIROKU!!!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
One day till the ball.
Kagome sighed as she rode through the fields with her best friend, who happened to be her lady in waiting, Sango.
"You're thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow night, I should say."
"How did you know?" Kagome asked.
"You look so miserable. You're hardly ever miserable when you're riding."
"You can read me like a blackboard, Sango-chan."
"Most of the time," Sango agreed.
"How can you not even think about it??"
"I'm not the center of attention. Me, finding Mr. Right won't affect anyone except for my family."
"Lucky."
They rode in silence for a while.
"I'm not even the eldest child and I still have to get married!" Kagome scowled.
"Sometimes Kagome, I wish the guys I danced with paid more attention to me. They're just so interested in getting their turn to dance with you that they don't even see me."
"I wish things were a little more even."
"I just want to get married and raise a family and live a happy life."
"I wish it were as simple as that for me. But if I marry, then I'll BELONG to my Prince. It's like I'll be a THING.AND GODDAMNIT I'M NOBODIES THING!!"
Sango nearly toppled off her horse from laughing.
"Wha?- Oh! Sango! You're SO perverted sometimes."
"S-s-sorry!" Sango struggled to regain herself.
"Come on! It's nearly dinner.I'll race you back!"
"Hey! No fair! You got a head start!"
Kagome and Sango raced across the fields, Kagome finally forgetting about the next night, betting each other that who ever won would get 20 dollars. They tied (no, really! They actually did!).
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
That same day. "Inu-Yasha, what's wrong?"
"Ugg."
"I don't think he feels to good, Highness."
"I can see that, young Lord Miroku."
"It's this stupid cart that we're riding in, mother. What happened to the shocks?" Inu-Yasha asked irritably.
"I'm sorry Inu-Yasha but it's not the shocks, it's the road!"
"Permission to get out and ride a horse?"
"Permission denied."
Inu-Yasha went back to sulking as his carriage heaved his stomach about. He would be strong! He sailed on ships for heaven's sake! His castle was a spit away from the ocean! But this.this seemed different.
"Shikon castle in sight!" The driver hollered. Inu-Yasha and Miroku both poked their heads out the windows they were next too and gazed in awe up at the marvelous, towering castle. It wasn't that this one was prettier than Tetsusaiga (his castle) but it was the way that the setting sun caught the side of it.
Thinking about how pretty the castle was, made him think about the people who lived inside of it which then made him think of Miroku and how he was probably hoping that the Princesses were as gorgeous as the castle. Inu- Yasha sweat dropped as he glanced at his friend's expression. Yup. That was the first thing he thought of.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
"May I announce the arrival of the King, Queen, and their two sons from the Kingdom, Tetsusaiga."
"Show them to their quarters." The King ordered, as he looked up from his soup, "I will see them as soon as dinner is finished."
"Wouldn't they like something to eat dear?" Kagome's mother asked.
"Oh! Um.yes, yes.inform them that dinner is ready for them whenever they are ready."
Servants rushed around, some to carry out the King's orders by delivering the message, some to yell at the cook to make more soup.
"Daughters, would you like to excuse yourselves so that you have the pleasure of meeting the two princes tomorrow night?"
"Yes, Father!" Kagome hurriedly responded. Kagome was out of the room and made a beeline to the practice room. Kikyo sniffed at her sister's unladylike way of exiting the room and got up better than she usually did just to make a point.
Kagome picked her sword from the rack on the wall and started slashing at the wooden dummy in one corner of the room, While Kikyo bathed and got ready for bed.
How different they were. Too bad they both ended up liking the same Prince.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome and Kikyo never saw Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru until the ball started. Of course, to the two princesses, these princes were just on the list of the other princes and lords that were going to be there and had no significance. All day, everyone was inside preparing for the big night except for Kagome. She was out in the field on her horse or practicing her archery or slashing wooden dummies with swords and only went to her room to prepare when her mother got angry at her during lunch when she found out what she had been doing all day. Kagome had to suffer through the lecture about how it didn't matter that it was Kikyo's birthday today and not Kagome's and that she was attending the ball to make her country proud. She should meet some of the princes there so that she could pick her husband easier when it was her turn. Then she got the lecture about how it didn't mater that she was the youngest she would still marry so that the country would still have it's pride, though what pride had to do with anything, Kagome couldn't see. Some 40 years later Kagome was released from her mother's lecture and sent to her quarters to get ready. ("AND HURRY!"). Geeze! It wasn't like Kagome was a turtle. She could get ready for a ball in two hours, she didn't need a whole day like her sister who would freak out if she left her hand mirror and a comb behind when she went out (actually there were more things on the list than her comb and a mirror but the list is too long). Kagome sighed as she undressed. She tossed her pants and her tunic into a basket that a maid would come by later to pick up and wash. Why would anyone put up the fuss for being able to wear a dress? She climbed into the bubble filled tub that a maid had run for her and inhaled the rosy fragrance from the bubbles. She washed her self with more rosy stuff (soap, shampoo, conditioner.you can tell what her favourite flower is) and thought about the night ahead of her. She had planned it all out: She would walk into the ballroom with her sister, like she was supposed to, dance for five songs, eat something from the food table and then make her getaway to the gardens. Perfect. She washed her face and after putting on a few fragrances on her neck and shoulders, wandered back into her room to the dress Sango had laid out for her. Her maids dressed her (much to her annoyance) and applied light lipstick, mascara, and a touch of eye shadow to bring out her eyes more (even though her eyes sparkled brightly all on their own). She would not let them put on any more than that.
"You're beautiful Kagome!"
Kagome turned to the door and saw Sango gazing in. Kagome smiled for the first time that day.
"Your wonderful too, Sango-chan."
"I'll see you in the ball room then."
"Yes, Sango. Good luck."
"No it's good luck to you."
"Whatever, just.see you there!" she laughed as her friend left then stared back, sadly into the mirror.
'How can Sango just think of it as a ballroom?' Kagome thought, 'to me it's a dragon's den with the dragon waiting inside, to push me around and then finally chew me up and spit me out.' She and her sister met in the hall and didn't say a thing. Kagome hardly saw where she was walking and didn't notice her sister's jealous look.
'How can she be prettier than me and not have so much makeup on???' Kikyo screamed inside. She tried not to let her emotion spread to her face but it was out of control. Kikyo snapped her head away from Kagome and looked straight ahead thinking that there were so many princes to choose from and she was so proud that this ball was being held just for her. Kagome stared at the double doors in front of her with dread.
'Ok, dance, eat, and escape!' She thought, 'I can escape this dragon!' she was glad that her madness didn't show on her face. Instead she just looked ahead.
"Smile!" her sister hissed, "Don't look like you'd rather be anywhere else.and I don't care if you do want to be some place else. Just don't embarrass me!"
"Why on earth would I want to embarrass you?" Kagome casually asked. Kikyo rolled her eyes. Kagome plastered a smile on her face that made her eyes shine. Kikyo instantly wished she hadn't ask her sister to smile; it only made her look prettier.
Kagome braced herself as the doors opened and then.she entered the dragon's den.
I don't care if it is a cheesy ending, just.you know what I mean when I say she entered the dragon: it means the doors opened and she and her sister walked into the ballroom and down the stairs. Next thing: I don't care if you could just flounce right in there with out being nervous cause I couldn't do that. I mean, talk about all eyes on you (I hate that and in this fic, so does Kagome). Great! I got up at 6:30 this morning (partially because of my kitty (Tosca) and the reason I couldn't go back to sleep was.well.okokok, let's just blame that on Tosca cause you don't need to know the real reason! ^^') so if I come across as a little bit grumpy there is your reason. I figured I could put my time to good use instead of just.lying there.
Thanks to Momori who has so kindly edited this chapter.
K, you see the lil button that says: 'click here to submit a review'? Big hint: Click it! ^.^
I will keep writing but I won't post, unless I get a good bundle of reviews, k?
Thanx.
-Noodals