Kagome stared evenly at the letter in her hand, the castle official trotting further down the road toward the next house on his decorated horse. They're invitations. The man had said. To celebrate the union of two people and two kingdoms. The thick paper of the envelope sat heavily in her fingers, making it feel like she was carrying a leather-bound book instead.

"Now I understand." Kaede spoke after opening her own, generic invite and reading it through. The old lady turned her head toward Kagome, watching as her assistant's chin gave a morose twitch. "You knew about this."

She nodded. That was all she could do. She'd dodged the topic for over a week, coming up with excuses about not feeling well or putting in an extra amount of effort to avoid speaking in general. If she thought about it, it would only be a matter of seconds before she broke. So she kept as busy as possible until the very last moment of each day.

"That's okay, child. We don't have to talk about it."

With a dragged inhale, Kagome feigned a smile, shaking her head as if it were that easy to push the problem aside, and turned to look at her mentor. "Thanks. I - uh - I think I left the axe in the clearing in the woods again. I'll be right back."

Kaede watched the girl walk off, the letter surprisingly still in hand.

•

Inuyasha stood in the large entry of the grand ballroom, watching the men and women hustle along to polish every inch of it. Decorating would soon follow, and he could only imagine the dreary ribbons and drapes that would embellish the place. He felt empty and powerless. He felt aggravated and restless. He wanted to scream at the entire staff to stop what they were doing as if preventing the decorating would prevent the entire goddamn thing, itself.

As each bit of the glossy floor sparkled in its freshly-cleaned glory, the ballroom only seemed to appear darker and darker. No longer did it look like an appropriate place to host every invited person in the country, but more a place hospitable to keep criminals locked up until their final days. The more he stood there and took the beginnings of the entire process in, the more unsettled his stomach sat in his abdomen. Was defeat this nauseating, or was this just the heartbreak he refused to acknowledge?

•

The pads of her fingers seemed to go numb against the textured envelope as she walked within the concealment of the trees, and she'd had to squeeze against it to make sure she hadn't dropped it somewhere along the way. As soon as she'd made it onto the path, her body was quick to flash hot. They'd broken up for a reason, she knew this was coming, but it still seemed so surreal to her. What she hadn't expected was a huge celebration, especially so soon. It was too soon. He never mentioned when his new fiancee would be coming or when the wedding would be held, so she'd hoped that some forgiving force of nature would give her a little time to digest it all. The day after he'd left her, she'd had to force herself to get out of bed. It was well into the afternoon, and after lying to Kaede by faking a minor head cold, she had to go into the shopping district to get some ingredients for soup. There were more people out and about than she'd seen lately, and it was only a matter of minutes before rumors reached her ear of a carriage surrounded by plenty of royal guards that had rolled through town just an hour or so before. She wasn't sure if there was a word to describe the sensation that knocked on the inside of her ribcage, but it tumbled down each bone unpleasantly and nearly caused her to visibly shudder in front of a vendor.

Kagome's overdress snagged on a dried branch of a bush, jerking her to a stop. She tried to pull it free but it wouldn't budge, and quickly the unsettling nerves in her chest began to expand and flare, bringing her to groan loudly in frustration because all she wanted was her moment of fraudulent peace in the damn clearing. Reluctantly, she stomped back toward the offending branch to kneel down and wrestle the threads free, feeling almost overwhelmed enough to curl up right then and there.

•

"What are you planning?" Inuyasha melancholically asked.

"Oh, do you suddenly want to talk to me now?" There was acrimony laced in Sesshomaru's tone.

Inuyasha's eyes drifted to the desk the king sat at, then the carpet. He was too desperate to hold onto his pride. He heard the steady inhale his brother took as he set his pen down with a click.

"My plan depends on yours."

"What?" Inuyasha met his even stare.

"You've been waiting on us to call it off or change our minds. I have yet to see you take matters into your own hands."

If he only knew.

"Since when do you sit around and sulk until given your way?"

"Sesshomaru, I don't -" He was almost tempted to give their entire ruse away just for the sake of his defense, but that would betray whatever loyalty he and Kikyo had created, so he stopped himself mid sentence. Sesshomaru cocked a single brow, almost as if his plain expression slighted in interest.

"I can't get you out of this, Inuyasha. So, what are you going to do to change your own fate?"

•

Kagome slid her finger within the wax-sealed fold of the envelope to open it, flinching away quickly as she felt the thick material slice through her skin. Great. The whole damn thing was out to get her. She watched as the thin cut just next to her nail produced a droplet of blood, mindlessly applying pressure to her finger with her thumb to get more to drip out.

Why would she even want to look at the invitation? To seal the deal even further than it already was? Would reading it through solidify the engagement and make it feel more real in her head, or was she just masochistic? Kagome dropped the envelope to her side, wiping her bleeding finger on the thigh of her chemise before hugging her legs closer and looking toward the sky. There was purple in the sunset. What once made her happy and filled her with hope now applied a weight to her stomach that sunk it far and low.

This wasn't her. Only once had she ever wished for clouds to cover the glowing hues she always favored, but sitting there in the clearing, torn and heavy, she regretted looking up. She didn't want to see it. She didn't want to be forced to pretend she was hopeful, she wanted to save the purple for a different day since they were so few and far between. She came to the clearing so she'd have a few moments where she wouldn't have to pretend; where she could take deep breaths in preparation to get her through the rest of the day after the invitation knocked her off course. What would help was a gloomy day that matched her mood. That way she could blame the clouds and the cold and the weather and whatever else that wasn't her ill-tempered heart.

•

Inuyasha was drained. He was exhausted. He didn't know what Sesshomaru was alluding to, and the man was never one to speak clearly when he wanted you to figure something out yourself. But he and Kikyo had both been trying to break the engagement. They'd both been putting in energy to fix the mess their families had created. What else could they possible do? He didn't want to think about anything anymore. Not today. It hurt too much.

•

Kagome took a deep breath, coming out of the forest and onto the field before the apothecary's shop. Her face was set, she felt more sturdy, and she had a few more chores to keep her distracted for a little while longer. There was a huff from inside the small stable to her right, hooves rustling back and forth, almost seeming restless. Kagome headed inside to settle Kaede's horse, petting along his neck. Immediately, she checked the floor to see if there was anything slithering that startled him, but with how quickly the steed calmed down with her affection, she figured he was just a little agitated.

"You too, huh?" She said, leaning her forehead against the bridge of his nose. "Things will get better, I promise. We've just gotta ride this out."

•

Inuyasha had been laying in bed for hours but sleep was far from attainable no matter how heavy his lids were. As much as he wished he could silence his mind, it raced too fast for him to catch up to. He stared at the ceiling, his hand resting on his bare stomach, feeling the unconscious flex of his abdomen as, once again, he thought of Kagome. It was painful. He never imagined the thought of her would be painful, but he missed her so goddamn much. What he wouldn't pay to have her sleeping in bed beside him right this very moment. He'd happily stay awake all night just to feel her body there, hear her steady breathing, take in her scent and hope his comforter absorbed it just as well so he could continue to smell her every night after that.

He pictured his future, and it was her. He didn't stand there alone, it wasn't Kikyo at his side, nor any other face he had yet to meet. It was her. How cruel. At this point, he wasn't sure if imagining the golden ring in her brown eyes when the light hit them perfectly, or the way her lips quirked crookedly when she was frustrated, the way her fingers were almost always cold, the way she put others before herself, the sound of her laugh, how she put his hands wherever she wanted them on her, the incredible trust she had in him from the start, her fearlessness, her compassion, or the gentle way she raked her fingers through his hair was a way for hope to build bolder in his chest or just pure torture.

Shifting his head, he glanced out the window. A part of him felt idiotic. Like, if he held onto the former he'd only end up crushed. In that same regard, how could he claim to deserve her if he cowardly let go? His fingers trailed up the ridges of his muscles, seeking out the golden heart that bunched with its chain and currently rested at the hollow of his throat. Even if everything worked out for the better, if he wasn't fighting with everything he had to get her back all the while he'd have no right to look her in the eye and ask her to be with him again.

––

Kikyo walked through the garden, the brisk morning air awakening her senses as she read the novel in her hands, occasionally glancing up to make sure she wouldn't walk into anything. They were two days away from the ball and she was growing antsier and antsier. She'd wake up every hour on the hour, and the anxiety of it all was progressively building so taut that she was afraid she would snap soon. This morning, to soothe her nerves before her father found her and dragged her to do god knows what in preparation of the wedding, she stopped trying for sleep and chose to walk the garden with a book. It had been hours already, and the entire castle seemed to be awake now.

She'd avoided the hedges to not risk turning herself around while mindlessly walking with a nose in a novel, sticking to the portion with fountains and roses. Heavy footsteps caught her attention, and Kikyo peaked over the edge of her story, noticing the prince storming passed the entrance. With just the quick flash of him, she could tell he was distraught. They hadn't spoken in a few days, and she was sure the quick-approaching wedding was messing him up just as badly as it was she. Still, she was curious to see where he could possibly be going with such fervor. As far as she knew, there was nothing in the direction he walked.

Kikyo poked her head out of the garden, scanning the area to make sure no one was around to see them. When she deemed them safe, she turned to watch Inuyasha walking toward the formidably-built wall that sealed the castle grounds, making a sharp turn at the back of a shed. Her curiosity was too invested now not to pry. He was heading down a narrow area between the wall and sheds, pausing at openings and then quietly trekking forward. He looked like he was about to do something sketchy, and if it was marriage related in the least - which was farfetched at best but not absolutely out of the question - she wanted to know.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a hushed tone, catching him just as he neared the corner. The prince froze, a clenched groan releasing from his throat as he reluctantly turned around.

"Nothing."

"This definitely doesn't look like nothing. What's going on? You seem upset."

"I am upset!" Inuyasha whispered, though the rancor in his tone was still evident. "Nothing's working, they're decorating, I saw seamstresses showing up, and I just - I can't handle it all right now!"

None of that explained what he was up to. Kikyo guessed he wasn't about to reveal this great and well-thought-out scheme that worked to break the contract, though, and she swallowed the mild disappointment. "Okay, that's fine. I get it. So, you're just going to hide back here until you feel better?"

"No, I'm going for a walk."

She gave a quizzical look in response.

"Outside." Inuyasha hesitantly admitted. He watched the slight perturbation harden her features, lips parting slightly as she brought the closed book she held further into her chest, a finger wedged between the pages to hold her spot.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I have to."

"Why?"

"I have to see her." He turned to grab onto a protruding brick as leverage, hitching a leg up to climb just as the princess snagged onto the loose sleeve of his Bastian shirt.

"Inuyasha, you're not thinking rationally. What are you going to get from this?" He didn't answer. His ember eyes were sullen and dull in shade, but his rough features didn't match the emotion behind his irises. He attempted to mask it all with frustration, but he wasn't as successfully guarded as his brother. The prince could pretend all he wanted, but he was deeper than anyone she'd ever met before. "I think I've been too prideful. I'm starting to get worried. You're right, nothing's working. We may end up losing this battle. And if that's the case, you're only going to make this so much worse for yourself by reopening that door."

"I don't care."

"But what about her?"

A sharp twinge thundered in his chest, and he gripped the brick so hard that the pads of his fingers scraped against it. "I'm going crazy, Kikyo. I can't think straight. I need to see her."

"I don't think this is wise."

"I'm not going for wise, I'm going for sanity."

"You think a single visit with her is going to fix the madness you feel? If only life were so easy. I understand where you're coming from, please believe me, but with the progression of things happening here, this wouldn't be fair to either of you."

"Stop trying to talk me out of it!" The prince gritted.

"Inuyasha -"

"Look, I'll just be gone for thirty minutes. Tops. You can lecture me about how stupid I am then, okay? Let me go."

Her brow crinkled sympathetically, and she wanted to try to prevent him from leaving again but this wasn't her business. If he wanted to take the risk, found it so necessary just to think a little more clearly, who was she to force him to back down? If she knew of a way to get satiation from her own plaguing and terrifying situation, he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it either. Kikyo let go of his sleeve, taking a step back while nodding as understandingly as possible, and he didn't waste another second, scaling the wall and dropping over to the other side with a thud.

He ran through the woodlands, his heart beating rampantly as he knew he was getting closer and closer to her cottage and the general area of the forest he first met her in. He could only hope she was around these parts, because he wasn't sure what the hell he'd do if she was in town. His chest heaved as he slowed, listening for movement, inhaling to catch her scent.

It was like everything in him jolted to an abrupt stop, his breath catching in his lungs alarmingly, chills spiraling over every inch of his body as her sweet aroma wafted into his nose. She was close. Really close. When he first dropped everything to come see her, he thought he'd run straight up to her without pause to relinquish the cloud that loomed over him, yet here he stood, his boots weighted to the earth as a nauseating feeling rooted deep in his core to communicate just how horrible an idea this actually was. She didn't deserve this. She didn't need to relive those emotions he saw vividly on her face that night when no matter what was said and done here, he'd still have to head back to the arranged marriage he was trapped in afterward. The sudden voice of reason reverberating through his mind sounded an awful lot like Kikyo, and he silently cursed the princess for providing logic when he least wanted it.

Inuyasha heard her footsteps traveling closer, and it took everything he had to bite back the aggravated grunt and step behind the thick trunk of a tree. What was he thinking? What was he doing here? She was a mere number of feet away and the distance was receding, the sound of cracking leaves beneath her shoes heightening his torment as she rounded a small bend so agonizingly close to where he hid. The least he could do was peak over to see her. Every night, he'd asked himself if she was okay. He was left with the sight of that devastated expression, and he needed it out of his head.

The prince inched toward the side, the back of his shirt catching along the bark as he leaned to see Kagome. Her back was facing him, but she'd stopped along the unmarked path, her head swiveling to the side but not far enough for him to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face. He stepped out further, desperate to see her features, the plush of her lips, the curve of her nose, anything more than the back of her dress and her long, black hair, but he'd bent too far and there was a noticeable knock against the tree from the scabbard of the sword dangling at his hip.

Kagome swiftly turned around, brown eyes scouring the area. She'd thought she'd heard something, like a soft rustle, and was just about to dismiss it as a small animal before she heard a distinct clank that didn't seem to belong in a forest.

"Is someone there?" It was stupid, she knew, but her mind immediately pictured the prince appearing before her, his short, silver hair as tousled as usual while giving that typical grin he wore when he was happy to see her but didn't like to be too obvious. Her stomach flurried at the thought, pulling her forward with a false hope she'd subconsciously created on her own.

Inuyasha held his sword firmly, hating every inch of the damn, inherited thing at the moment. She spoke and his muscles flexed uncomfortably. She stepped toward him and he held his breath. He could hear her coming forward and as carefully as possible, he followed the curve around the tree, avoiding anything that could crackle or make noise so he wouldn't give himself away again.

As senseless and unreasonable as it was, it didn't stop the disappointment from swelling thickly in her abdomen. The area she'd thought she'd heard the noise from was empty; not even a chipmunk sped away to tip her off. There was nothing. No one. What would he even be doing out here? It was just her imagination running wild again. Her torturous, unfair, hyperactive mind. Sighing unsteadily, Kagome turned around and headed back toward the route she was on.

He took the opportunity to look at her then. Her pace was hastened, strands of dark hair billowing behind her shoulders. As she made a small turn and he finally saw the side of her face, the warm hue of her cheek, the pink tint of her lips as she worried the bottom, Inuyasha felt a powerful sensation overwhelm his system. All at once, he was absolutely overcome with fury and passion. This wasn't how things were going to work out for him. He refused to pine for her explicitly in the shadows, wondering what his life would be like had this entire mess not occurred. It hardly even seemed like the arrangement benefitted their people, the only person winning being Onigumo. No. He was done with this game.

Since when do you sit around and sulk until given your way?

So, what are you going to do to change your own fate?

He was a valiant prince, he was undoubtedly the product of his father, and he'd be damned if he'd be seen as anything otherwise. Inuyasha could guarantee that there was no way in hell he was backing down from this fight.

After making sure the coast was clear, he hopped back into castle grounds, avoiding all attention as he made his way into the main household. The place was bustling and lively, everyone working to get the place ready for the event, and he nodded plainly to smiling caretakers as he bounded up the stairs two at a time.

"Where the hell have you been?" Miroku asked, running up by his side and keeping stride.

"Out."

"Nice. Figured. Where?"

"Miroku."

"Hey, look, I get it. You don't like what's going on, but stop taking it out on me. I'm on your side, remember?"

"Where's Sango?"

"In your study making it look like you've been working."

"Great, go join her."

"No."

"Mirok-"

"No." The aide grasped the prince's arm, pulling him into a nearby room for privacy and shutting the door. "We've been as patient as possible with you, but how long are we expected to keep this up? You're not acting yourself, Inuyasha!"

"Oh, god!" He groaned. "Look, I don't have time to hear how shitty I am right now."

"Why the hell not? What exactly were you heading to do? Because last I knew you've been avoiding your schedule, avoiding Kikyo, avoiding work, avoiding us -"

"I was heading to try and fix this!" Inuyasha hissed, shutting the knight up. "And that's all I'll tell you! I can't go into detail, and until it's handled, I need you to stay out of my way! Go with Sango!"

Miroku bravely neglected the order, giving a faint shake of his head. "I can't do that."

"I'm serious, Miroku."

"I'm perfectly aware, but so am I. You've said just enough to peak my interest. What's going on?"

"I can't go into detail!"

"Can't or wont?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! Are you under specific orders not to, or are you -"

"Fine! Wont!"

"Why not?"

"Stop!"

"Tell me, Inuyasha! I'm your right-hand man! If there's anyone that should know what you're up to, it's me! Now what are we fixing and how?"

"No, I don't want you getting involved in this!"

"Oh, don't be so noble." Miroku rolled his eyes, lolling his head to the side. "If you're about to fuck some shit up, I want in."

Inuyasha flinched in surprise, registering his aide's determination.

"I may work for the crown, but my loyalty lies with you. Sango would say the same."

"You don't understand. This could potentially be borderline treason."

Miroku shrugged a single shoulder.

"Tell me now, are you sure?"

"Absolutely." The knight said without hesitation.

Inuyasha was still apprehensive about bringing his friends into this. If anything happened to bring him down, he'd always planned for Miroku and Sango to stay oblivious so they weren't at risk. The steadfast look in Miroku's indigo eyes was piercing him now, and there was no way he'd be allowed to leave the room without giving him something to go off. Logically thinking, the more numbers he had to help him see this through, the higher his chances of success. Miroku was now aware that something was up, so they may as well all raise hell.

"I don't have a definite plan yet, but hopefully by tonight I will. I'll discuss it then with you. Meet me in my office around eight-thirty."

"Yes, sir."

The prince brushed passed his aide, leaving the room and heading straight back on path, following his nose and marching toward the back staircase to the third level. Chances were, Kikyo was in the middle of something wedding-related. It would be impossible to meet in private right now to hash ideas out with how crazy everything was around the place, but he needed to at least let her know so she could try to sneak away at some point.

He followed his nose, coming up on a room where he could hear seamstresses complimenting her figure and discussing colors, multiple operatic voices ringing at once. How the hell was he supposed to get her attention without anyone else noticing? It wasn't so busy on this floor, at least, but that didn't mean he was clear to stop.

The door to the room they occupied was closed, and the brash part of him highly considered banging on it, throwing it open, and angrily demanding a moment with the princess as if he was ordered to spend time with her by the king. There had to be something a little more inconspicuous to attempt before escalating it that far, though. Before he could fully think of another idea, he caught the scuffle of footsteps approaching around the far corner. Swiftly, Inuyasha threw himself into the adjacent room, grateful that it was empty given he hadn't checked to see if he could hear anyone in here beforehand.

The prince took in his new surroundings. He was in a bedroom. A claimed bedroom. Kikyo's scent overtook the place, and he grimaced at the thought of how inappropriate it was for him to even be here. If anyone found him, the indecent rumors that would follow would probably kill him more gruesomely than a sword ever could. And he'd much rather go out by blade any day.

Boisterous laughter flooded through the walls, and Inuyasha turned toward the one the rooms shared, noticing a door that fortuitously adjoined them. He snuck over, carefully twisting the knob so the springs wouldn't be heard, opening the door a mere inch and a half and peaking through to the next room. He couldn't see anything from the angle, but the ladies' voices boomed through vividly, almost hurting his ears. Another inch, and he caught the sight of a larger lady. She held up some sheer, dark purple fabric, shifting the subject to the waistline she used to have back in the day. Another inch, and he glimpsed about half of Kikyo standing on a small stool in a short, white dress. She was facing him, though she hadn't noticed the parted door, her brown eyes - or eye, given what he could actually see - glazed over in annoyance. He poked his head out slightly, almost snapping his fingers to catch her attention but stopped himself before he risked catching the other women's, as well. He waved his hand once, twice, more aggressively the third time, and when she finally perked in bewilderment, he quickly put a finger to his lips to keep her quiet and then gestured for her to come over before shutting the door and tucking himself back into the quiet of her room.

"Excuse me, ladies." He heard Kikyo say through the wall. "I need to use the restroom real quickly."

"Oh, of course, Your Highness." One of them enthusiastically spoke, her tone high and dramatic. "We'll make sure to save all of our good stories for when you get back."

The princess feigned a laugh so obvious even Inuyasha snorted. "Can't wait."

She pushed through the door, shutting it quickly and leaning against it. It took only half a second for the prince to gather just how see-through the chemise she was wearing was, jerking his head to the side with a grimace. "Jesus!"

"What!? It's a fitting, Inuyasha, of course I'm not going to be dressed!" She hissed vehemently, smacking his arm with the back of her hand before hiding her chest behind folded arms. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." He said uncomfortably through clenched teeth, eyes trailing over the walls and ceiling.

"Now!?"

"Obviously not. Preferably when you're not in your underwear. When do you think you can get away?"

She took a moment to think, hunching her back uneasily to further hide herself. "Um - I'm stuck here for however long they need me. They're literally putting the majority of my ballgown together today. Hopefully, it should only take a few hours or so, but we just started like fifteen minutes after you left. How did that go, by the way?"

"It didn't -" He interrupted himself with a huffed groan, trying not to stammer as he stayed on subject. "We'll talk about it later. Try to be free around five and meet me in the closed-off library around the corner. No one's ever really around that area, so you should be fine. There's a room inside off to the left. I'll be in there."

She nodded promptly, waiting as he carefully snuck out through the main entrance of her room before mentally bracing herself for the seamstress' conversations to continue.

––

To Kikyo's surprise, Inuyasha was right. There was no one around to be seen as she cautiously sauntered up to the closed door. In fact, the lack of people threw her off so much that she'd passed up the library twice while looking for it, thinking she was in a restricted zone of the castle.

The hinges creaked loudly as she pushed through, only opening the door wide enough for her slender body to slip in before closing it as it was. The room was smaller than the library they'd spent days in, dimly lit in yellow and surrounded by shadows. The air was stale and almost musky, not a book out of place from where she could see. The entire area gave her the creeps, so she pushed herself to search the wall to her left for the room she was told to find. Kikyo stepped further, worried she'd ventured into the wrong library for a moment, traveling down the furthest aisle and sighing out when she finally found a door. Inuyasha was staring out at the land from his seat in the alcove inside, ember eyes meeting her as she entered the small room.

"You couldn't have picked a more ominous place?"

"Would you have preferred a place we could have been walked in on?"

"Well, no. But I don't mind meeting in non-haunted areas, either."

"It's not haunted." Inuyasha chuckled, shifting his legs off the cushion to sit forward. "It's my father's collection, so no one disturbs it. That's all."

"Good lord, is his casket out there too?"

"Actually, yes. They've mummified him and his body's in the third row. Want to see?"

"Absolutely not!"

"I'm kidding, you sissy! I didn't expect this side of you; your getup is like gothic central." He laughed, standing from his spot to offer her the only seat.

She dismissed the jab with a scoff, taking the alcove cushion and smoothing down the front of her dress. "So, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" He knew what she meant, but there was a huge part of him that hoped she was actually alluding to the urgency behind meeting up today.

"With her. I don't remember her name."

"Nothing. I - that's not what I wanted to talk about." The prince shook his head.

"Come on. Tell me. I've been dying to know since the moment you left."

"Literally nothing." He conceded with a begrudging shrug. "You were right, it wouldn't have been fair to her."

"Oh, so you didn't even see her?" The princess asked, sort of taken aback by the idea of Inuyasha defying rules just to casually turn around thirty seconds later.

"No, I saw her. She didn't see me. I didn't let her. I - I froze." Inuyasha leaned his shoulder against the nearest wall, avoiding Kikyo's curious stare. "It's fine. I mean, I hadn't even planned out what I'd wanted to say to her, I just felt this driving need to see that she was okay."

"Was she? Did she look okay to you?"

"I couldn't tell, I only caught a small look at her." He answered stiffly, refusing to go too deep into detail of everything that little glimpse did for him. That was his motivation. That was his fire. "But listen, if we're going to get out of this we need to act. We're running out of time."

Kikyo's brown eyes fluttered down, her mouth opening as she gave a small huff and shook her head, almost defeatedly. "Inuyasha, I already told you that there's a chance we aren't going to win this. As far as they know, we haven't spoken in days and they're perfectly fine with it! I broke a table for heaven's sake! What else are we supposed to do?"

Inuyasha tensed. He knew she was feeling at a loss from this morning, but up until then she'd been the queen of confidence. Quite frankly, it was disturbing to see her losing her spark. It seemed like Sesshomaru wanted them to break the clause just as much as they wanted it, as well. He couldn't help, he admitted that. It was up to them, and he fully believed that now that the king felt insulted, he wouldn't do a single thing to stand in their way. Sesshomaru was petty like that, which worked in their favor.

"Between you and I?" He asked steadily, ember eyes meeting her dark irises. Kikyo looked at him inquisitively, her brows furrowing minutely.

"Of course." She agreed, her tone soft.

"Sesshomaru's not happy with your father's deceit, and he's planning to get him back. It'll be even harder for him to do so unless we break the engagement."

The princess sat up straight, lurching forward slightly as her expression twisted in surprise. "He's not going to retaliate in a war, is he?"

"No." Inuyasha shook his head. "No, if he wanted that, he'd just rip the damned contract up in Onigumo's face. I honestly don't know what he's hoping to do, but I think it'll be more like pinning him the same way your father's pinned us. Which means, we've got one less obstacle standing in our way."

"You say that like it's supposed to be easier now or something." She slouched back a bit, temperamentally. "My dad is thirty times more manipulative than I am. So much so, that I'm ashamed my mind works remotely in the same way."

"Kikyo," Inuyasha stepped forward, the air of him undaunted as he kneeled in front of her to look at her evenly. "Do you still want to be royalty?"

She leaned away, somewhat uncomfortable with their close proximity and the unwavering determination in his eye. "No." She had to control her tone so the statement didn't sound like a question.

"Did you still plan to denounce yourself?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Do it at the ball."

Kikyo's shoulders slackened, brows raising astonishingly.

––

Kagome quickly ran across the small field dividing her home from Kaede's, ignoring the closed sign and throwing the door open then shut as she ran through to the apothecary's bedroom in the back. The door was open, and she grasped the doorframe when she stopped, poking her head through to see the elderly woman smoothing the top half of her grey hair back into a clip. She noticed Kagome in her aged mirror, turning to look at her as thin strands fell loose from her fingers.

"Help me." She pleaded, almost panicked.

"With what, child? Did a snake get into your house again?" Kaede asked half sarcastically due to her assistant's unnerved demeanor, dropping her hair.

"If there's ever a raging fire next door, you'll know the answer to that! Come on!" Kagome bounced on the balls of her feet. "I can't figure out what to wear! This is an emergency!"

The herbalist followed her out, unable to swallow her disbelief. "You mean you're going? You didn't seem so clear when I asked yesterday."

"Seems sort of mandatory to me."

"Kagome."

She slowed just outside her door, trying to ignore the weight on her chest that increased with the passing minutes. "It would be wrong if I didn't go."

"Yet perfectly understandable."

"But he's doing this for the country. For his people. It had nothing to do with me. At least, that's what I'm choosing to believe." Her eyes inadvertently drifted to the floor. "I know my status and all the glory that comes with it, but I also know that didn't matter to him. There are - there are bigger things than me, anyway! I should be supportive!" Kagome feigned perkiness, dismissing it all with a wave.

Kaede studied her for a moment. The girl had a huge heart and never liked to make her burdens anyone else's, but she could still see how hard it was for her to cover the pain of it all. Kagome was going to have to see the man she loved next to another woman. That was no easy feat for the boldest of characters. Having had a relationship with the royal family for years now, she could only imagine the prince's dismay if the roles were reversed. Nonetheless, if Kagome felt like she was up for the night ahead of her, she'd stand by the girl through and through.

"Alright, show me our options!" The old woman smiled, entering her assistant's cottage ahead of her. Kagome sighed nervously, crossing the room quickly to the two dresses that rested along her bed.

"So, I don't actually have any gowns of my own; these are ones I took from my mother when I moved out here, and I can't even tell you the last time she wore them." Kagome fiddled her fingers before reaching for one of the dresses, holding it before her body. "This one says I like maroon. That's it. That's all it says."

"Nonsense," Kaede approached, examining the looped design stitched around the bateau neckline, and gliding her fingers down to bring the cuffs of the long, slender sleeves up to see the similar pattern. Along each forearm, a black string laced up, starting at the inner corner of the wrist and expanding to twist all the way up to the middle of the upper arm which she imagined would hug in a very simple yet beautiful manner once she actually filled it in. At the bottom of the gown, the same design outlined the edging, bringing the plain and solid dress to look elegant. "This detail is gorgeous. Did your mother make this?"

"No, I think this is my grandma's work. It bodes well that you like it because -" Kagome laid the dress back on her blanket, switching out for the light pink one next to it. Unlike the first dress that had a natural waistline and fell and dragged with its own length, the one she now held had a few ruffles to spare. "This one says my mother went through a bedazzling stage."

The apothecary grimaced, her entire face contorting as she extended out one of the bell sleeves. It wouldn't have been so bad if the bodice wasn't decorated in gaudy, cheap jewels of different shapes and colors. "Oh, dear no. The color can't even save this dress."

"Maroon it is." She sighed raggedly, dropping the gown back where it once was, not even minding the crumpled heap she set it in.

"You're anxious." Kaede pointed.

"Me? No." Kagome shook her head, loosening the front ties of the dress she currently wore to slacken its hold around her waist. She knew she had very obvious isms that gave her feelings away; fidgeting hands, avoided eye contact, a higher notch in her voice. The only way to hide them was to keep herself busy. If she stood still, it was like everything that was going through her mind was plastered on a poster board for everyone to see.

Kaede turned the maroon gown over to make sure the lace that scaled the back would be loose enough for the girl to slip into, not needing to do anything when she realized it wasn't made to be tightened. "It's okay, you know? I think I'd be more worried if you weren't."

"He wont notice me, will he?" She asked, stripping her clothes over her head. There was a battle raging in her mind, one of the many reasons for her distress, showing her how scared she was of the entire ordeal but also turning around to tell her how self-absorbed she'd be to think that he'd notice her in the sea of people that will be there to support this arrangement. "No, of course he wont."

"Kagome, you're in your own head. Relax. It's going to be fine."

"No, you're right. I know. You're right."

The elderly woman bunched the ends of the skirt up a bit, holding the gown in a way that would be easier for the girl to put on. She fit into it rather easily, the dress falling beautifully along her body and to the floor, hugging her waist innately. "Just stick by me the whole night. If you're ever uncomfortable, we can leave."

"Oh, I wouldn't bother you with that."

"Please, child, I've got old bones. My ankles are swelling just thinking about the shoes I'm about to wear. I would not be disappointed in the least if you wanted to head home." Kaede laughed, successfully bringing a chuckle from Kagome. She observed as the girl adjusted her sleeves, the cuff of them falling to cover the majority of her hands and only leaving her fingers exposed. In an effort to help, she pulled the neckline up, noticing it was a bit loose in the chest and it wasn't hooking around her shoulders as snug as it should have.

"Uh - yeah, mama is a bit more well-endowed than I am." Kagome said, grinning sardonically while she took over to struggle with the way it landed on her. Finally, with a minor shift of the dress around her breasts, she managed to get the bateau to hold at the very edges of her shoulders. Only minor adjustments needed to be done to the lacing around her arms, and she smoothed her palm over some of the wrinkles that had long set into the fabric.

"You look beautiful." Kaede smiled, gently guiding her to sit on her bed. She ran her fingers through Kagome's hair, pulling it to the front. "I say we leave your hair down. What do you think?"

"It's not too messy?" She grimaced.

"It's not messy at all. You've got a little volume, and it looks good on you, lass." Kaede replied, scrunching up the thick waves further to allow them to fall as they pleased.

"Kaede -" Kagome scoffed.

"Hush. Now, to top it off, do you have a necklace you can wear?"

A tingle fluttered through her stomach as she thought of the golden heart hanging loosely from the chain around the prince's fingers, a mild smile curving her lips. She shook her head. "No, I - I think I misplaced the one I had."

"Just as well. You don't need it. I think you're ready, but if there's anything else you'd like to add, you have time. I'll just go finish up myself and we'll head off." The old woman headed out the door, shutting it behind her.

Kagome walked over to the small, worn mirror on her dresser, trying to get a good look at herself. She was unbelievably nervous, her fingers beginning to tremble, and she worried about her face going pale with her sickening nerves. With more pressure than normal, she pinched the sides of her cheeks to add some pink to her skin, hoping the flush would last all night. It wouldn't, but it was nice to pretend. To go along with it, she pressed her lips together, sucking and nibbling a little to ripen the color of them too. That, she knew she could keep up for as long as necessary; it happened to be something she did when she was awkward.

After slipping on her boots, she left to wait for Kaede next to the road, grateful the length of her dress hid her feet. She wouldn't necessarily say they clashed, and she knew she could easily get away with them if they were seen, but boots would never be described as elegant and she didn't need anything else to disturb the edge she stood on. The two of them walked toward the castle in near silence, the weight on her chest progressively getting heavier and heavier the closer they got. The sun was mostly set, the lights shining through the windows of the tall towers glistening, and her lungs clenched to make her exhale shakily.

They followed the mass of people, dressed to the nines to appear as wealthy as possible, through the front gates, all of them greeted by guards on duty. The designated path was illuminated by torches on posts, all aligned perfectly straight in two rows to guide them all toward the steps to enter the castle. To the left, large double doors were open, symphonic music playing to attract their direction to shift, a huge and spacious room welcoming them in to dance and roam and mingle with every invited person.

"You doing okay, dear?" Kaede politely checked in, her attention not too obvious as she lightly patted Kagome's forearm. She'd been playing with her sleeves to keep her fingers busy, trying to distract herself enough to dwindle the pressing against her lungs.

"I'm okay." She nodded, following the apothecary toward a couple that had hailed her over. Her brown eyes drifted over the crowd of people as the other three fell into small talk, slowly gliding over the wading waters of heads, and gowns, and tuxedos, searching, seeking, sinking, rising, then finding.

Inuyasha stood facing Miroku next to the thrones on a makeshift stage at the very far end of the ballroom, his heart giving a thunderous beat against his ribcage as the familiar and wonderful scent met him. His core clenched incredibly tight, unable to help his instincts as ember eyes scoured the crowd to find her, almost homing in immediately when her own landed on his gaze. What sort of torture was this to have a distance he couldn't cross to meet her? And yet, through the dense clouds of his longing, he watched her smile warmly at him and it was like the light of the moon began to shine through.

His brother's voice tore him back to his remorseful reality, making him shift his attention away and filling his chest with the brutal ache of incompletion. "What?"

"Where is Kikyo?" The king asked, his tone low to not tip off Onigumo whom was speaking with a guard of his own several feet away.

"I don't know." Inuyasha responded, the answer genuine.

"Go find her. She should be with you." Sometimes it was hard to tell if Sesshomaru was actually on his side with the way he still tried to push them together. He may not know their plan for her to step down tonight, but for someone who wanted them to succeed so he could, in turn, make a move on the king opposite him, he never seemed to show a similar agenda. Still, Kikyo should have been with them all by now, he was right, but it was like his feet were too heavy to carry him out of the room just yet. "What is it?"

"I didn't know she'd be here tonight." The prince admitted in a whisper.

Sesshomaru hardly reacted, knowing full and well who his brother was talking about. "Ah, yes. Consider it incentive." He said as Inuyasha and his aide finally walked away.

At just the mere collision of their sights, she felt a heat spread through her body, like she was being served an ill-suited reminder of the sensations he's always provided her with. Even when she knew she wasn't allowed to love him anymore, her entire being rebelled against the plot and caused an erratic drumming within the cavity of her chest. She loved him. She loved him. And for that, she smiled. Because who could say they were lucky enough to experience the depth of emotion that currently swelled in her heart? And as the king came to speak to the prince, she still couldn't bring herself to look away, the dance of golden iron molded around Inuyasha's head becoming more evident as he turned. It was a simple design, metal waving in a thin line until the swirls became more elaborate at the temple and the front, easily hidden by his silver hair. A part of her felt bitter for his brother's role in separating them, but she swallowed the salt and told herself to forgive him. His intentions were bigger than her. This entire thing was bigger than her, and she'd humbly tell herself that until the day she was able to move on. Inuyasha left and Sesshomaru almost immediately found her stare, slanted eyes falling over her. The magnificent crown atop his head shined beneath the twinkling lights of the ballroom, creating an ethereal glow from the gold and jewels. It was impossible not to be intimidated. The uniform he donned was similar to his younger brother's - black and lined with golden accents, but his chest was decorated in metals galore. Two braided ropes looped over his shoulder - whereas Inuyasha had one - and a purple sash that the prince didn't share embellished across his chest, all of which was completed with a matching, black and gold belt. With a face as smooth and straight as stone, the king nodded at her, turning away to go about his business.

"Incentive." Inuyasha grumbled, marching through the halls of the empty floor. "What the hell do you think he meant by incentive?"

"Hell if I know. I mean, you both pretty much want the same thing now, so I think it's fair to say he's had a change of heart." Miroku said, stalking along at the prince's side while fighting to keep his eyes off his partner. Sango had joined them just outside the back ballroom doors, walking up in a dress she couldn't stop fiddling with - clearly uncomfortable and impossible to ignore. In Miroku's opinion, the gown was a godsend. It squeezed her torso perfectly, accentuating her breasts in a way their uniforms never could. Even when she went around without the coat of it, the black shirt she usually donned still never did her justice.

"Change of mind." Inuyasha corrected. "The guy doesn't have a heart."

"Alright, maybe he changed his mind. It may be possible that he's not going to stand in your way when it comes to Kagome anymore."

"I want to believe that, but it might be too good to be true. He only changed his mind because Kagura ripped him a new one and Onigumo took advantage of him. He hasn't done anything for me." They turned a corner, quickly approaching Kikyo's room.

"Who cares?" Sango shot. "The facts stand. He wants out, you'll get out, and Kagome is here. Why don't you stop overthinking everything and just roll with it? I can guarantee that from this point on, you'll mostly be improvising anyway."

He huffed, annoyed that she was right, but before he could retort, he noticed that Kikyo's scent didn't end at her door. It extended down the opposite half of the hall, attracting Inuyasha to follow it through, guiding them toward the back stairs instead of the front that everyone usually took. All the way down and out the rear of the castle, Inuyasha's pace hurried, his concern building. Where the hell had she gone at a time like this? Her scent carried them toward the stable house, and he jogged the rest of the way, giving a curt order to his knights to keep watch outside.

Quietly, he slid through the entrance, ember eyes instantly landing on the distracted princess clumsily attempting to climb aboard a horse. She was dressed in her ballgown, dark purple beginning boldly at the highest point and fading to lilac with a gradient effect by the bottom, the full and thick skirt making it an evident struggle for her to even shove her foot through the stirrup of the saddle.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "What are you doing?"

Kikyo whipped around unsuspectingly, the small tiara on her head falling loose, her hands barely catching it in time to keep it in place. The bodice was tight on her, the neckline shaped like a heart and accentuating the swell of her breasts as her chest heaved up and down from her efforts. Thin straps held over her shoulders while the sleeves hung off the sides of her arms, the fabric of them sheer. Light pink flowers stitched the bottom of the bodice, white specks resembling baby's breath scattering the surrounding area and vanishing as they spread further down the skirt. The length trained behind her, the top, light purple fabric transparent while paler colors layered beneath to give the gradual effect, the translucency shifting to satin the closer it all got to her legs.

"I'm - uh - I'm leaving." She sputtered, tossing the strands of long, black hair that curved over her shoulder to the back.

"What!?"

Frantically, the princess shushed him, dark eyes highlighted in eyeshadow glancing toward the door then back at him.

"What do you mean you're leaving!?" He questioned, lowering his tone while the edge kept its incredulity.

"Just what it sounds like! Think about it, I'm going to have to leave anyway. May as well get a jumpstart."

"Think you can spare five fucking minutes to do the job first?"

"No, Inuyasha listen." She glanced at the door again, paranoid that someone would come in and interrupt. "I was up all night thinking this through, and I don't think denouncing myself will matter to my father. He said he wanted a marriage to his daughter to be the ties of the alliance, word-for-word. Princess or not, I'm still his daughter. The only way to beat that loophole is to take me out of the equation entirely."

"So, you're just going to run!?" The prince couldn't help how worried he increasingly felt. As far as he knew, she had no experience on the streets alone. This was going to be the biggest culture shock she'd ever experienced, and she'd be lucky if the only thing it did was knock her on her ass.

"Until my face is unrecognizable and my name means nothing." Kikyo said with a confident grin.

This was what she'd wanted for years. He could see the light in her eyes burning with a thousand fires, ferocity shining through vividly. She was terrified and excited all at once. He felt his own spirit calming, a passion stepping forward to help her see this out.

"Do you support me, prince? I'm going to be setting us both free."

"I couldn't stop you even if I tried." He chuckled. Kikyo turned to attempt and mount the horse again, kicking multiple times to free a foot from the heavy supply of her gown. "Okay, wait. That's not going to work. There's no way you can ride like that."

"I've seen it done before." She grunted.

"Not only are you going to break your neck trying, but you're going to be a dead giveaway. You need to lay low. Take off the dress."

"Pardon?"

"Seriously. It's not worth the effort, and your guards will easily track your scent." Inuyasha stepped back, giving two heavy knocks to the sliding door. Miroku opened it far enough to poke his head in and Inuyasha flicked his hand to order them both inside.

"What's up?" The knight asked, shutting the door.

"We need to get Kikyo something more suitable for horse riding; preferably clothes that don't belong to her. She's leaving."

"Oh, thank god." Sango sighed, stepping forward and turning her back to her partner. "Unlace me."

Miroku looked unsurely towards the prince, his shoulders stiffening before hesitantly reaching to untie the knot at the back of her hips.

"You can have my dress, Your Highness." The knight offered. The material of her gown was much thinner and more flexible. Otherwise, Sango would have never have agreed to wear it in the first place.

"And what will you wear?" Kikyo asked, not wasting a second by reaching back and loosening her own bodice. "It might be too obvious if we switch."

As soon as the reins holding the dress against her were loose enough for her to slip through, Sango peeled herself out of it, revealing the thin chemise blouse and tight-fitted pants she donned beneath. "Don't worry." She smiled, hanging the dress over the side of a stable wall as she crossed the area to help the princess out of her clothes.

"Do you always wear full attire under your dresses?" Kikyo inquired peculiarly, taking full breaths as the bodice lessened its grasp on her.

"Believe me, when you work for Inuyasha you learn to always be prepared."

"So, that's a yes." Miroku nodded, hastily following Inuyasha's lead and turning toward the wall as she got further indecent. He lowered his voice as he spoke directly to the prince, letting the girls get situated in private. "What, exactly, is the plan here?"

"She's running. There's nothing more to it."

"How does she expect to get out? Guards are stationed everywhere with especially high security on all gates."

"Shit!" Inuyasha hissed. How had he not thought of that? There was no way she'd have a fair chance of escape with knights galore quickly on her trail. If they witnessed her running, they'd chase after her without a moment's notice. They needed to free the nearest exit. They needed to get her a head start before her kingdom raced to bring her back. He racked his brain, his mind continuously flinging back to the dozen torches illuminating the front path. Fire. "Miroku, the garden is closed off, right?"

"Last I saw."

"Set it on fire." Inuyasha said, making sure he was loud enough for the girls to hear too.

"I'm sorry, what?" The aide blinked, inching his ear closer to the prince in question.

"Set it on fire. The guards will run to check it out and the ones staying behind to stand post will be too distracted to see Kikyo coming. Sango, I want you to get her to the border as safely as possible; with her in your dress, your scent will be dragging anyway. After she gets you to the border, Kikyo -"

"I'm on my own. Got it." She nodded, adjusting the long sleeves of her new dress over her arms.

"With all do respect, sir, I'd feel most comfortable accompanying Sango. If they're slowed down or caught, she's standing alone against a handful of Naraku's guard's, if not more. She's my partner."

"Miroku, I'll be fine."

"No, I understand." Inuyasha agreed, furrowing his brows as he heard his aide out while kindly holding a hand up to silence Sango. "Get the spark going so enough smoke will attract the noses, then get your ass back here. I'll prepare your horse."

"Ah, arson. There's no sweeter way to go down." The knight smiled blissfully, slipping out the door where Inuyasha heard his boots quickly lead away.

"One more thing, Kikyo."

The princess glanced over at him after throwing her dress over the side of the stable, the weight of the skirt pulling it to almost fall but the splinters of the wood snagged and held it up.

"My horse is faster." He said, gesturing to his mare at the far end of the stables with the flick of his head. She smiled, the brightest he'd ever seen from her, and he led her down the stalls. She was a calm horse, only slighting away a little as he opened the door to her nook. Immediately, he grabbed the saddle and began to dress her, securing it in place while Kikyo became acquainted with the animal. "Give her a name. She's yours now."

"She doesn't have one?"

"Nah, I've never really called her anything."

"Your sword has a name but your horse doesn't?" She giggled, pointing to the weapon secured to his hip.

"My father named the damn thing, not me." He laughed, backing away once he was done. "Come on, let me help you up."

"No. Tell me how, I need to learn for myself." She objected. He conceded, giving her the reins to guide the horse out of the stable.

"Sango, show her. I'll get Miroku's horse going."

The knight responded quickly, her steed dressed and ready to go when she swapped places with the prince. Her directions were given politely but straightforward, instructing the princess on how to hold the reins as soon as her leg was thrown over the saddle. Inuyasha peeked over the animal's back as he set it up, watching the princess wobble slightly, clearly never having ridden a horse alone before. She was in for quite the ride tonight, and he wished he could see her complain of how sore her ass would be in the morning.

The prince froze, catching the feint whiff of smoke in the distance, adrenaline kicking into high gear. He alerted Sango with a gruff voice and she wasted no time to back step and hop on her horse, steadying the animal with a pull on its reins.

"Wait, what happens now?" Kikyo questioned, her nerves vibrant in her tone. Her mare picked up her anxiety, dancing forward and back and she tried to mimic Sango's assertion by pulling on the rein in her hand, not quite sure how much force was or wasn't enough.

"Calm down, you're gonna be fine." The prince approached, petting down her horse's neck to calm it. "You need to be smart about everything you do from this point on, understand? You're not royalty anymore, and you'll have to lay low for a long time. You're leaving here with next to nothing, so you'll need to learn a trade of some sort as soon as you feel you're in a place you want to settle down. You'll need money, you'll need shelter, you'll need food and water, and you need to protect yourself however you can. Do not let your guard down. The world is unforgiving, especially to wandering women."

"I'll sell my necklace as soon as I can find a vendor." She stated, her fingers grasping the silver adorned in jewels around her neck. "And I'll figure everything else out from there."

"She'll get my knife before I leave her at the border." Sango assured.

"Good. Get a cloak and keep your head down. Hopefully, you'll never have to use that knife, but it's better to have it just in case. You're intelligent, remember? You can handle this."

Kikyo gave a wane smile in response, trying as hard as she could to fight off the sudden doubt she had in herself.

"Your tiara." Inuyasha held his hand out, and with an air of apprehension, Kikyo pulled the crown free from her hair. She gave it a grateful smile, breathing out and passing it to the prince. Despite how small the tiara was, it seemed she sat up straighter, a weight finally lifting from her shoulders.

"When I open the door, I want you to head straight to the gate on our left as fast as possible. You know which one I'm talking about, right?" Kikyo nodded. "Give her a kick and she'll race off. Sango will be right behind you."

She was unbelievably anxious, her fingers unsteady as she skimmed them over the horses groomed hair. She could do this. She was seconds away from the pursuit she'd yearned for, moments away from freedom, and soon she'd be miles away from this lost life. There was uncertainty riddling her mind and she could have backed down, but that wasn't the nature she was willing to be known for. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Inuyasha," Kikyo smiled, her voice betraying her attempt to feign conviction. The prince looked at her from his spot at the door, a fist gripped around the handle to open it at any given moment. "Thank you."

He grinned, wanting to return the gratitude as it was her that was brave enough to set him free, but the timing was clear. The sound of guards flooding toward the garden in the distance stampeded passed and as they faded farther, Inuyasha yanked the large, sliding door out of the way, watching as the former princess ran through the opening and away from the crown. Sango followed closely, the galloping from the steeds growing further, and his heart pounded ruthlessly, staying put while his other knight came jogging in to board his horse and follow them out.

"Hey, Kagome." A deep and familiar voice caught her attention as she stood alone, adjusting the shoulders of her dress as nonchalantly as possible and watching the couples move in the center of the room. Kaede had somehow been swindled into dancing, and every now and again she'd look over to Kagome with a wary stare, sometimes grimacing or mouthing in pain if her foot was stepped on by the old man with his arms around her. She glanced to her side, smiling at the knight.

"Hi."

"Would you like to dance?"

"Oh, please don't make me. I'm not graceful in the least and this is the last place I'd want to be seen stumbling everywhere."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't force you." Koga chuckled, nudging her arm with his elbow. "I'm expected to offer at things like this. I honestly cant stand these events."

Kagome laughed. Of course he had no choice but to be here; he worked for the crown and he literally lived on the grounds. She wondered how often the brute man was forced to dress up and play nice when he was naturally rough around the edges, one of the leaders of their troops, and Inuyasha's main guy for missions.

It was eerie how the music in the ballroom faded away, some strings being plucked but dying off as just about every demon in the room shifted uncomfortably. She looked about curiously, the dancing stopping, people murmuring, the man beside her going undeniably rigid. His blue eyes were focused sharply, aimed at the stage where his king and queen had frozen, the little girl between them looking just as put off as she, herself, felt. Kagome watched the foreign royal on the stage - another king, she presumed; there hadn't been introductions yet - hissing vehemently at Sesshomaru, words she couldn't make out over the growing rumble of the crowd. Then he made a forceful order to an obvious demon dressed in his land's colors, the demand respectfully acknowledged, and the angry king stormed out the back in the same direction Inuyasha had left a while ago.

He'd yet to return. She hadn't failed to notice.

"Please, everyone, remain calm. Stay put. There's nothing to worry about." Queen Kagura held her hands up cautiously, speaking to the guests politely but sternly. Sesshomaru picked up his daughter, holding the nervous child close to his body as he pointed to a nearby, built guard and ushered him over. The knight didn't hesitate, pushing through the crowd until he could climb on the stage with his leaders. The king spoke to him, then clearly whispered to his princess before safely handing her over to the protection of the soldier.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked the man beside her.

"Smoke."

"Smoke?"

The king and queen left through the back, the murmuring grew a little louder, Rin tucked her head in the crevice of her guard's shoulder, other's circling them to ensure her safety from whatever may happen, Koga grabbed onto Kagome's forearm, and a slew of foreign soldiers crept in through the two entrances - some of them sauntering through the crowd, some of them lining the far walls, all of them blocking them in by closing the doors. Koga tucked her slightly behind his body, his grip never leaving her as he assertively kept her glued to him.

"Kagome, I want you to stay very close to me. Understand?"

The fear stacked inside of her. Something was wrong. Especially if the knight was so quickly alert, his free hand braced on the hilt of his sword. She hummed the affirmation he was waiting for, gasping as a man slowly made way behind her, smiling menacingly as his fingers dragged across the small of her back. Koga turned slightly, keeping her shielded by his protection as he stared down the passing guard who continued to taunt women he passed.

"What's going on?" She tried again, tone a little more unsteady, clutching the hand he held her arm with.

"I have no idea. But something tells me it isn't good." He replied, eyes shifting back and forth over the crowd.

"Where's - where's Inuyasha? Shouldn't you be with him?"

He didn't respond.

"Koga."

The knight finally gave a shake of his head, his long ponytail hardly shifting with how slight the movement was. "You want the blunt answer, or the simple one?"

Her stomach flurried, and she worried her bottom lip, tucking herself a little closer to his back as he broadened himself when another guard passed before him. "Blunt."

"He'd kill me if I left you."

Onigumo stormed into the courtyard, angered by the billows of dark smoke that cascaded upward, a furious orange glowing against the contrasting grey. "Where's my daughter!?" He shouted. "Where's Kikyo!?"

No one answered him, fighting the fire that was blazing in the garden.

"Kikyo! Kikyo!"

Nothing. He couldn't help himself from growing frantic, seething, worried, angry, panicked, fearful, outraged. He hadn't seen his daughter in hours, she hadn't shown up at the ball, according to that damn Sesshomaru, the stupid prince was sent to find her, and now there was a fire burning in the yard. He suspected foul play immediately, but the pressing question of his daughter's whereabouts weighed him down.

He staggered away from the unhelpful men and women, all of them too preoccupied with the show of flames to pay attention to his more important demands. The insolence. The smell of smoke filled his nostrils and overpowered any other scent that could possibly lead him to her, making his way around the grounds. As another knight ran passed, Onigumo snagged his arm, pulling him back to face the fury of his red eyes.

"Where is Inuyasha?" He asked steadily, his tone as menacing as he willed.

"I - I saw him just around the corner, Your Majesty. Near the stable house." The man answered. The king immediately dropped his grip, stomping toward the large establishment, his scowl deepening as he soon spotted the untrustworthy scoundrel.

A groundskeeper was explaining how the fire could have possibly started, explaining quickly that it was already dwindling and under control, and Inuyasha nodded gratefully, his relief believable. He sensed the rage, heard the footsteps approaching, and glanced over to see the ridiculously-dressed king of Naraku trailing over, his cheeks a blustering red to match the irises behind his dangerously-slanted eyes. The prince excused the groundskeeper, turning fully to Onigumo, fighting the smile he so badly wanted to give.

"Where is she?" He growled, halting so quickly the large crown sitting on his head tilted. It looked heavy and expensive, the metal black and twirling high to resemble tentacles. Each leg was decorated in sapphire jewels, the color deepening in the darkness they stood in.

"Who?" Inuyasha asked, feigning innocence.

"You know damn well who I'm talking about, you half-blooded freak! Where is my daughter!?"

"I haven't found her yet. I came out -"

"Liar!"

"- looking for her, the fire somehow started, and my priorities shifted!" He finished heatedly.

"You fool!"

"She's gotta be around here somewhere! If you're so worried, you can help me look."

"Where is she!?"

"I don't know! The only thing I can think of is she got nervous about the announcement and went somewhere to hide!"

"Bullshit!"

"You know Kikyo better than any of us; is there a sort of place she feels most comfortable when she's anxious?"

"Yes! Next to me!"

Inuyasha's facade broke then, a slow grin growing on his face. "Apparently not."

Onigumo grabbed the prince by his coat, the man surprisingly strong as he shoved Inuyasha back against the outer stable house walls. The crown had fallen off the king's head, rolling on the cobblestone until it caught in a crack, and Onigumo braced himself a mere inch from Inuyasha's nose. "You arrogant prick! How dare you pretend to know the relationship I have with my daughter? You want to know how I know you're so full of shit? Because a fire just so happens to coincidentally break out on the day of one of the events the two of you dreaded so outwardly, and now Kikyo is nowhere to be seen. You think you're so clever; I can see the conceit written all over your face, but your brain isn't as quick as mine. You can't get out of this arrangement, even by hiding my daughter. Did you think the two of you pretending to like each other in order to work together would get me to back down? The announcement will be made tonight no matter what, so tell me where she is!"

Inuyasha laughed, fighting the quiver in his muscles to push the king away, his fingers flexing at his sides to restrain his control. "I'm not lying, I don't know where she is. By now, she could be anywhere."

Onigumo's eyes widened, a sear of heat racing through him as he pulled Inuyasha forward just to slam him forcefully against the wall again. "Where is she!?"

"Are you worried about her safety or your deal, Your Majesty?"

"I demand you tell me!"

"Your orders mean nothing here!"

He paused, chest heaving up and down, his grip on the prince's uniform tightening. "What have you done?"

"What makes you think I've done anything? Maybe it was all Kikyo?" Inuyasha smiled, loving Onigumo's reaction to twist his glower more emphatically. "Did you ever stop to think maybe she wanted out even more than I did? Maybe she lit the fire to distract everyone. Maybe she's made some grand escape."

The king lifted a fist, throwing it against Inuyasha's face as powerfully as he could manage, the circular, purple jewel adorning his middle finger shattering against his mouth.

The prince staggered to the side, fully released by the foreign king, and it took everything in him not to turn back and retaliate with a punch of his own. Instead, he recovered with a dragged hiss of breath, the taste of copper filling his tongue, hiding how enraged he was with the same grin that got him decked. Onigumo marched toward him and Inuyasha didn't flinch, his fist raising again but before his assault could be made, he was grabbed by the crook of his arm and yanked backward.

Sesshomaru stared down the opposite king, venom swirling in his glowing, ember eyes as he used the palm of his hand to shove Onigumo even further away, hitting his sternum with a force that knocked some air from his lungs with an audible wheeze. "You dare throw a hand at a prince!?"

Onigumo scoffed, the sound dramatic and raspy. "To a king, he is nothing but beneath me!"

"You not only offend royalty in a land where you have no authority, but you impudently think being a king gives you the right to attack my brother! You are not immune to punishment here, Onigumo! Not where I'm concerned!"

"Your brother has overstepped so many grounds, yet you stand there and raise your voice to me!? He accuses Kikyo of desertion! He offends royalty just as crudely, and he deserved -" A sudden realization dawned on the foreign king's face and he whipped around, pulling the stable house door open. Stepping in, his jaw dropped wider and wider, observing the empty stables, a leadening sensation sinking through his abdomen as he neared the wall her ballgown was draped over. Her tiara rested on the sheer fabric at the crest of the skirt, the single jewel in the center holding no sparkle.

"Oh, no." Inuyasha said, his tone sounding calm and overly rehearsed. "My horse is gone."

"What have you done!?" Onigumo bellowed, setting the remaining steeds on edge.

The prince slowly dragged his thumb along his bottom lip to wipe away the trickle of blood, smirking as he gave a shrug.

"What is the meaning of this!? Was this all a ruse to break the contract!? Nothing has changed, do you hear me?" The king stomped toward the prince again, his long, obsidian hair swaying enthusiastically back and forth. "You all belong to me! Now more than ever!"

"Actually," Sesshomaru spoke, enunciating every syllable of the word clearly. Kagura stood just behind him, and it was like he could physically feel her unwavering support returning from the dead, strengthening his power move all the more. Time and time again, over the years and even more so recently, she forcefully reminded him that he was too blinded by his need for control. It was bold of her to speak to him in such a manner, but that was the reason he respected her so tremendously. Kagura was infuriating and outspoken. She fought for justice fearlessly - no matter who her opponent was. Long nights, they'd spent working out every minor and minuscule detail of this alliance, from ambiguity to the fine print, and as he put forth more effort to see her point of view, no matter how badly he still stood by his decision to help his brother mature like royalty should, she finally began to warm to him again. She provided balance. She was the true essence of a queen. "Quite the contrary. We held up our end of the bargain. Inuyasha is here and ready to be married, but where is his bride? Without the wedding, it seems we have no contract."

"You signed, Sesshomaru!"

"I did, and you fail to realize that without your princess present, your terms have been dismissed."

"Don't pretend this is on me when this was clearly a ploy! Inuyasha has just as much to do with this!"

"I don't see it that way. He is here and Kikyo is not. What I find interesting is the threat you held over our heads if we pulled out."

"Oh, please." Onigumo laughed. "I don't think it would be wise of you to threaten me. You wouldn't stand a chance against my forces."

"I think we'd be just fine." Sesshomaru scorned. "Especially considering that the odds of us being backed up by your other allies looks to be in our favor." When the foreign king only responded with a deep furrow of his brows, Sesshomaru continued. "I find your plot to trick us into an alliance very detailed and well-executed. I'll admit, you almost had me. You attacked our fort to make it seem like a test of strength, and offered your forces to us with hardly any second thought. All to say you had, what did you call it? A notch in your belt for allying with The Great Dog Demon's Kingdom, and a pocket to our money? What do you think your other allies would say if word got out of your scheme? Do you think they might be skeptical you may have played them, too? On top of that, imagine how easily they'd turn on you if they knew our forces would be there to back them up. At that point, they'd only gain."

Onigumo stared at the mighty king incredulously, his chest inflating with the offense he'd been served. Somewhere mid-speech, his body had shifted to fully face Sesshomaru, the scowl on his features creased profoundly and trembling with the amount of righteous fury boiling through his veins. "That's preposterous. You can't prove I did a thing."

"Maybe. But I'll give you thirty seconds to try and prove you didn't. Go." The foreign king said nothing, his expression twisting from shocked, to audacious, to insulted, the hollow of his neck emphasizing from the tension climbing over his body. "That's what I thought. I'm willing to let this go for new terms. There's no need for war. I'd hate for your attention to be distracted when you're obviously so torn about your daughter being missing. Clearly, you'll want to put all of your effort into finding her. Am I wrong?"

"New terms?" He finally gritted.

"Of course. You didn't think we'd just shrug this off, did you? No, you've proven to be deviant and untrustworthy, so from now on we'll be keeping a very close eye on you." Kagura smiled, stepping forward with her shoulders broadened.

"We will have say over your army, we will contribute to your important decision making, and we will have access to the information and conditions to the other kingdoms you ally with. You will not have reciprocation in those departments. Don't worry though, you'll still have your notch in your belt, an alliance you can brag about, and your obnoxiously-inflated ego. In return, we'll generously keep our mouths shut and you wont be punished for your deceitful manipulation or striking our prince. If you object, you'll be stripped of your crown. With or without force." Sesshomaru stated, a hint of venom lacing toward the end.

"This is blackmail! You have no jurisdiction!"

"Hence, the force. Believe me, Onigumo, you do not want to make more of an enemy of me. Our military is just about as lethal as yours, but you knew that already, didn't you? The difference here is unlike you, I ride to battle with my soldiers and I've taken heads."

"An outright threat on my life!?"

"That is completely up to you. You should consider yourself lucky I'm not directly jumping to challenge you. You've definitely earned the retaliation, but I am not completely innocent here either, and I know it. I was unwise and irrational. Therefore, I'm willing to work out the kinks in our agreement to work in both of our favors. Do we have a deal?" Sesshomaru cocked a light grin.

"You will regret this, Sesshomaru." Onigumo absolutely seethed.

"So reject the offer and see if that's true. The alliance was for precautionary purposes. We need nothing from you. Be peaceful and back down, or see how quickly the world will turn against you. Kikyo already has."

"You bastard!"

"Do we have a deal?"

Onigumo's chest rose and fell heavily, smoke practically leaving his nostrils with his temper, his entire face red and defeated. It was a moment, a long moment, before he notched his chin upward, and hissed a clenched, "Yes."

"Wonderful. We'll have the contract written up immediately and it will be signed in front of our audience tonight." Kagura said. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha stopped his brother as the three of them began to walk towards the castle, the king sauntering back his way so their voices could hang low. "You know what I want to hear."

"You set my garden on fire. I don't owe you a thing."

"Sesshomaru."

"I thought it'd be obvious that the wedding is off what-with your fiancee being M.I.A.. I didn't think I had to tell you."

Inuyasha rolled his ember eyes, shaking his head as his aggravation climbed. "Stop dancing around the subject."

The king paused, sighing out as he turned to walk away. "She's here, isn't she? Do whatever you want."

The air was incredibly stiff, guests almost completely quiet in the ballroom, and Kagome was ready to throw an elbow at the next soldier that touched her. If it hadn't been for Koga's attentive guard over her, she probably would have lost her temper by now. She'd heard mumbling from passing knights about someone being missing, but nothing was clear. Not even Koga could make out exactly what was being said, and as many times as she urged him to go find out, he refused to leave her side. Even when she offered to go with him, all he did was shake his head and flex his grip along her forearm - a gesture, she gathered, was telling her to be quiet.

His blue eyes flickered to the larger entrance of the hall just before the double doors were opened, alleviating some of the pressure in the room. Koga's hold on her gradually slackened until she was fully released, and she followed his attention, noticing how the crowd began to part like a slowly receding sea, heads lowering in timely curtsies and bows. Sesshomaru entered with his own held high, leading the group as his wife walked just inches behind him - a proud and beautiful curve on her lips. The tiara she donned was gold and small. It spoke much of her power without having to dominate the scene, her demeanor doing the rest of the work. Behind them walked the foreign king, his expression flat but his eyes more menacing than she remembered. He made a vague gesture toward a nearby guard of his, and Kagome noticed them all begin to recede to the sidelines. She guessed he'd instructed them to stand down. At the tail of the pack walked Inuyasha, and her stomach instantly leapt into her throat. His face was straight, but even from the distance she stood, she could see his head seemed to sit an inch taller. Maybe it was just how he presented himself during ceremonies; she'd never witnessed it before. He was royalty, after all. He wasn't going to look anything less in front of a crowd. He looked proud. Brave. Handsome. Stoic. It was unfair.

They made it to the stage and her heart was beating horribly. Her brown eyes unintentionally kept flashing toward the doors. Where was his fiancee? If she didn't walk in with them, did that mean she was getting some sort of grand entrance? She looked at Inuyasha and he stood off to the side, eyes on his queen as she began to speak but Kagome wasn't processing her words. She wasn't interested anymore in an explanation for the events of the evening nor the planned speech she could have very well been giving. Her fingers were trembling and she bit her bottom lip hard. Her breathing was rapidly becoming unsteady and her cheeks felt warm as she continuously thought of the princess walking in and taking her place beside the prince. Her eyes flashed to the door again. To Inuyasha. To the door. It was unbearable. She couldn't do this. It was too damn hard. She'd shown face; he knew she was there. She'd given her respects and it was time to take her leave.

Steadily, Kagome stepped back and as Koga glanced over, still as alert as ever, she could only communicate with the brisk shake of her head. He didn't try to stop her, didn't follow, didn't say a thing. The knight nodded understandingly, and she turned to inconspicuously make her exit, the weight never leaving her chest as she was freed from the ballroom, or freed from the castle, or even freed from gates. She imagined it should have gotten easier by then, but the cheering and clapping was loud enough to be heard outside and it intensified the density. Breathing was difficult and she tried to lessen the restraints on her lungs by taking tedious inhales and drawn out exhales. Her hands shook worse than ever as she fought off her onslaught of emotions, and she tried to busy them by fidgeting with the cuffs of her sleeves, pulling the other to cover her fingers as her nerves barely began to die the further she walked through the darkened and quiet town.

Running footsteps approaching caught her attention, and as they came close behind her, Kagome glanced back to see who was coming, turning completely around in surprise as Inuyasha stopped. His chest rose and fell erratically, ember eyes glued to her as the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"Hi." He breathed.

"Hi." She hesitated, heart thumping so powerfully against her ribcage she feared he'd hear it. Just his unexpected presence had her legs feeling wobbly and light.

"You left."

Kagome sighed out whatever breath was left in her lungs as her eyes drifted to the floor. She honestly didn't think he'd notice. "Yeah. I - I was tired." She poorly lied.

It was impossible to hide the sad quirk in his brow, and he swallowed thickly to try and keep his nerve about him.

Of all things for her mind to travel to, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd get in trouble for coming after her, or if he'd snuck away like all the times before. Either way, why? "What are - what are you doing out here?"

It was extraordinary, the amount of self control he found he had. She was so close, ten feet away maybe, nothing but air dividing them, and he was managing to solidly stand in place. A new feat for him when he was desperately aching to resolve this with some sort - any sort - of physical touch. That wasn't the way he would do this. There was so much to tell her. So much she deserved to know, and he'd be damned if he even let himself get in the way of that right now. "I needed to talk to you."

"About what? Is everything okay?"

"I want you to know how sorry I am about this entire ordeal. You didn't deserve it. Any of it."

"You don't have to apologize." Her voice had died off as she shook her head, her whisper enough to convey her sincerity.

"Yes, I do."

"You really don't. I don't bl-"

"Shut up." He said half defeatedly. "Let me. It's important that I start off with that because I know I let you down. And you're gonna say I didn't - yeah, I know you - but I did. You're also probably gonna say it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't matter. Not to me. I was the one that made you cry. I was the one that broke your heart. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. And I am so desperately sorry."

She shied her eyes away for a very brief moment, brown irises meeting him again with a mild guard. She didn't know where he was going with his speech, her core giving an unstable tremor from the plea in his voice. Was this his reason for running after her in the middle of the celebration? To apologize again just to turn around and walk away one last time? The thought was unpleasantly cold, and if that was the case, and solely the case, she wished he'd just go. "Inuyasha -"

"I'm not done."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'll get to that. Just give me a chance, alright?"

There was conviction burning vividly within his gaze, and as he took two steps forward, her heart gave a thunderous pound. He seemed so bold, so eager to say what was on his tongue, his tone reaching her with direct intention - not a quiver to be heard. There was still evidence of trepidation in his body language, Kagome noticed, his breathing remaining slightly heavy and fingers twitching at his sides, and she couldn't neglect the intensity he was portraying with just the part in his lips. She yielded, throwing all her thoughts away, now wanting to hear what was on his mind just as badly as he apparently wanted to speak it.

"Why'd you actually leave?"

"Because it was too soon." Kagome apprehensively admitted, her voice involuntarily weaker than before. "I thought I could handle seeing you with her, but I was wrong. I got scared."

There was a painful twinge in his chest to know the thought of him with someone else hurt her so much. It shouldn't have been equally as satisfying, he knew, but god it was so gratifyingly good to know. He exhaled some heat, a small smile coming from it.

"The engagement's off." Inuyasha said. "You didn't get to hear that part."

Kagome's lungs hitched, her shoulders dropping their tension. Words evaded her, the news completely and entirely enrapturing her thoughts. She didn't know what to feel, how to react, when to give up and close her mouth. The engagement was off.

"It's over." He assured.

"Really?" She feebly asked.

"Really. You have no idea how hard I've struggled just to get to this point. Right here. In front of you. I couldn't do what they wanted. No matter what steps I took, it was always in your direction. Everything I did from the moment you left that day was to find my way back to you. I'll never regret it."

"What - what, exactly, does this mean?" Her voice was strengthening with her hope, he could tell, and as he leaned a little more weight to one side, the shadow of his body moved off of her and he witnessed the distant castle lights creating a heavenly glow on her cheeks. It attracted him like a moth to a flame, easily persuading him to walk the rest of the way to her. He ran the backs of his fingers over the smooth cloth of the gorgeous gown on her arms, feeling her shudder beneath his touch.

"That I'm so irrevocably weak for you. From the moment I pictured my life without you in it anymore, I crashed and burned. It only made me fight harder. You've not only captured my heart but my soul as well, and it's a gut-wrenching punishment from one rebellious act in the woods so long ago that I hope to never recover from. Kagome, I am so unbelievably enchanted by you. I love you. And nothing's ever getting in my way of that again." Finally, finally, Kagome touched him, her fingers fumbling with the edges of his coat. It was such a meager hold she had that increased and grew stronger with each passing second. Her breathing grew unsteady and her expression began to fold, but it was such a beautiful proclamation of happiness. Inuyasha caressed a thumb just beneath her eye, her smooth skin chilled from the night air, and he felt the push of her cheek as she smiled. "I choose you."

She crumbled in the most wonderful way, bouncing to her toes to meet him in a sweet and blissful kiss. He clutched her beneath the crook of her jaw, his fingers molding around her ears and threading through her dark hair. The world around them quickly vanished. To her, it was nothing but him, the warmth of his pressing body, the tenacity of his wanting lips. Even through his clothing, his skin, his muscles, his frame, she could feel his heart beating against her own chest, the sensation growing more powerful to match her own as his arms wrapped around her waist to pull her closer against him. And as Inuyasha softened, his kiss slowing and parting away to hover and graze against her mouth, Kagome shuddered of pure contentment. He'd come back.

Epilogue: A little over a year later

An accident, some curiosity, a thought that sparked like the kindling she carried that day, oblivion followed by acceptance, and an intense desire to experience more. They liked to say it was fate and not luck, yet the two unconditionally felt like the luckiest beings to ever walk the Earth.

"Don't get mad." Inuyasha approached with a wary smile as Rin excused herself from their interrupted tea party with a little more sass than was necessary.

"What did you do?" Kagome slighted, standing from her spot.

"Nothing yet." He chuckled. "But I have to leave for a few days."

"Leave?"

"Routine check-in with a fort."

"For a few days?"

"Something like that."

She braced herself, crossing her arms over her chest as she felt the skeptical twitch of her own lips. Kagome knew too well that Inuyasha's time management skills were nothing to be bragged about. "How long is a few days?"

"Like, six or seven." The prince bobbed his head back and forth while he estimated.

"Six or - Inuyasha, our wedding is next week!"

"I promise, I'll be back in time!"

"You freaking better be, because I'm getting married with or without you!"

"It might be a little hard without me."

"Bet."

"Kagome, I'll be here. I promise." Inuyasha insisted, stifling his laugh as he stepped forward to cup her cheeks in his palms.

"For the record," She mumbled. "Few means three."

"Noted."

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow. First thing in the morning."

"Alright, your time is up!" Rin stormed back through the door, curving right around her uncle, wedging her small body between them, and shoving his legs backward toward the exit. "It's tea time, I'm thirsty, and I don't remember inviting you!"

"You used to be so sweet to me. What happened?" The prince asked, stumbling as he turned around and pretended to resist her push.

"During tea, the only thing sweet here are the cookies. No boys allowed, you know better."

Kagome fiddled with the silver band on her finger, feeling the four leaves along their thin, metal branch twirl around the tiny diamond perfectly. No matter how many times Kaede attempted to convince her out of the shop, Kagome kept finding something to help with, preventing her success and bringing Sango to laugh from the corner she observed from. Ever since their relationship was made known and she was moved into the castle, the knight accompanied her everywhere. Being engaged to the prince made her vulnerable, and it was definitely something she had to grow adjusted to, but it helped that Sango felt more like her friend than her bodyguard.

"Kagome, for the last time, would you go home?" Kaede chuckled, pointing toward the door. "Your wedding is tomorrow! Do what you need to do to prepare; you know very well that I can handle things around here!"

"My wedding gown is fitted and ready, the general plans were decided on weeks ago, it's cute that you think they'd actually allow me to help put the decorations together, and I'd like to keep busy here since my fiancee has yet to return, anyway." Kagome responded, dropping her fidgeting to grind the plants harder in the stone bowl before her. "And even if he does get here on time, I give you no guarantees he'll make it to the ceremony once I'm done with him."

"Now, now. You know very well only the strongest of importances would hold him back, lass."

She rolled her eyes, continuing her overly-aggressive grind until the apothecary snagged the pestle from her grip and shoved her out of her stool, continuing to guide her toward the door.

"Hey - wait - hey!"

"You've done more than necessary. The shop is closed."

"It's not even three!"

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Kaede!"

"Sango, lock her in the bathhouse until she -"

"Alright, alright! I'm going. I'm fine. I'm going. No need to lock me anywhere." Kagome huffed, holding her hands up cautiously. Sango giggled, opening the door for them. As she wandered out, she tensed and froze, her prince standing just to the side with an amused and knowing expression on his face.

"I heard you. Was that a threat?" Inuyasha laughed. He loved the way her face shifted from shocked, to happy, to a forced pout of annoyance where she still had to fight off her smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, brushing passed him as she notched her chin an inch higher, her smile inevitably winning over her scowl.

"Excuse me, where are you going?"

"Taking the woodland path back."

"Oh," Inuyasha chuckled. "Is that how it is? You're just gonna pretend you're not happy to see me?"

"Who's pretending?"

The prince ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and snagging her back to reset her in the general direction of the main road. "Nope, I'm taking you through town where you'll have to walk holding my hand or else everyone will know you're mad at me! And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"You must think you're so cunning, don't you?" Kagome mocked, laughing.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Get going." He gave her a shove and she continued as he wanted, sauntering toward the side of the shop to get to the road and spinning around to walk backward as she gave him a grimace.

"Fine, you can hold my hand. But I won't smile."

"I would never ask you to." He followed, grinning arrogantly.

"You're late, Inuyasha."

"By a day."

"Our wedding is tomorrow."

"I haven't forgotten."

"I should have known you were going to do this."

"I love your confidence in me."

"You really cut it close."

"For good reason."

"And that would be?" Inuyasha gestured for her to turn around with a nod of his head, and all she did was deepen her grimace.

"Temper still as hot as always, I see." A boy's voice rang, and Kagome swiftly glanced over her shoulder. A tall teenager with trimmed, black hair stood smirking about twelve feet away, shorter than her by an inch or so but resembling their father in more ways than she'd ever imagined. Just beside him, her mother cocked her head, the smile on her smooth and ageless face bringing Kagome's breath to silently hitch as she fully processed exactly who was standing before her.

It was astounding how quickly a prick stung at her eyes, her cheeks washing over in heat, and she turned completely around to face the two people she'd least expected to see; dumbfounded, speechless.

"Look how much you've grown." Her mother teared, brows crinkling as she lost her composure. Kagome ran to her, embraced in her mother's hold for the first time in so many years. She happily cried as she switched back and forth from her to her younger brother, gathering bits and pieces of their story of how Inuyasha found them and brought them out for the wedding. When she turned around to see the smug look she was sure was on her fiancee's face, she noticed he'd snuck away, most likely through the woodland path, leaving Sango to observe and walk back with them when they were ready.

––

Kagome leaned along the railing of her suite's balcony, staring out at the darkness of the forest, too excited to sleep. She'd already expected tomorrow to be such a perfect day from the moment Inuyasha had proposed. Now, with her own family included as well, she'd be walking on cloud nine toward her soon-to-be husband as opposed to the carpet that was carefully laid out. The breeze of the quiet night couldn't even chill the warmth still coursing through her veins.

A brisk rasp on her door brought her back to her room, her attention flying behind her as she wondered who could possibly be visiting her at a time like this. Figuring it was her mother, Kagome welcomed them in, stepping back to the carpet and shutting the balcony doors. The prince slowly entered, poking his head in first before sliding all the way through. She didn't even hesitate, her squeal of elation semi-hushed as she crossed the floor and sped to him, knowing full and well he'd catch her.

"I've been looking for you all day!" She said after a long-overdo kiss.

"I didn't want you to feel obligated to share your attention with me." He stated, keeping his voice down. It definitely wasn't the first time he'd broken the rules and snuck into her room late at night, but it was absolutely the last time he could and he'd be damned if he passed up the opportunity. That didn't mean he wanted to be caught and torn away. "You deserved your time with them."

"I never got to thank you, though."

"Well, I guess you can just thank me now." Inuyasha kissed her, his lips growing more greedy as he fervently backed her up, his hands around her waist to support any stumbling. She matched his enthusiasm, her fingers threading through his short, tousled hair, showing so much trust in his hold on her. Slowly, steadily, he leaned her back onto her bed, never ceasing the tempting dance of their mouths while he carefully situated his body over hers, hovering more towards the side as he carefully lowered himself down, one of his legs draped over her to rest his knee between her thighs. She followed his frame, curling to fit him as perfectly as possible as her hands wandered beneath the collar of his shirt and her leg hiked to rest over his.

"You're incredible, did you know that?" Kagome whispered, dragging a single finger along the thin chain that hung around his neck. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"So, you're not mad at me anymore?" Inuyasha teased.

"No, you're safe for now."

He'd spent time grazing her skin, laying with her, telling her about his trip to find her family with minor detail as he knew she was comfortable against his chest and getting sleepy, yet forcing herself to stay awake so she could hear every word. So he coerced her to crawl to the head of the bed with him, tucking them both beneath the comforter because she had a grasp on his shirt that told him he wasn't allowed to leave yet. She'd missed him and he'd missed her. The trip was entirely for her surprise, but it was still a bout of separation and this was how they coped. Every time.

Kagome's eyes were closed but she wasn't asleep yet. Her fingers were finally warming after she bravely pulled his shirt from the tuck in his pants and gently rested them against the muscles of his sides. Her breathing was evening, and he softly raked his fingers through the smooth hair at her temple. She seemed so peaceful at his side, tucked into his body like it was where she was naturally meant to be.

"Are you happy?" He genuinely asked, never stopping the glide that soothed her. She opened her eyes, her fingers gripping him just a little firmer as she smiled.

"In a few hours, I get to call myself your wife and you my husband. I get to spend the rest of my life like this with you. Inuyasha, I am so far beyond happy."