Disclaimer: nope, don't own it.

Set Me Free
Chapter One

"Miss Kagome! It's time to wake up!" a servant called as she pulled the curtains apart, letting the blinding light into the room.

Kagome grumbled as she dragged herself out of bed. The servant handed Kagome her outfit for the day as Kagome took off her nightgown and stepped into the gown she was handed.

"Oh, and miss?" the servant said as she was about to leave the room.

"Yes?"

"Your mother requests your presence in her chambers as soon as you are done getting ready."

"Thank you. You are dismissed" Kagome said and the servant left the room, leaving Kagome to her own devices.

Kagome took her brush from her vanity table and brushed her hair and then tied it up into a bun using a ribbon. She sighed to herself as she smoothed the fabric of her dress and walked towards the door of her room. She reached for the knob and opened the door. She looked back into her room and sighed again.

"Happy birthday to me" she said softly.

She walked from the room down the long hall until she reached her mother's door at the end of the hall. She reached for the handle and opened the door.

"Mother?" Kagome said softly into the room.

"Yes Kagome, come on in." she heard her mother say warmly.

Kagome walked into the room to see her mother sitting up in bed with many papers scattered around her. Her mother was always doing something and rarely had time to visit with her children, but Kagome understood. Her mother was the wealthiest landowner in the kingdom, and was the only female land owner. Kagome's father shortly after Kagome's brother Souta was born and Kagome's mother had been running the estate singly handedly ever since.

Kagome walked across the room and sat down on the corner of her mother's bed and her mother looked up from her work and smiled at her daughter.

"Happy birthday sweetheart."

"Thank you mother." Kagome replied.

"As you know Kagome, the sixteenth birthday is a very important one. Because it means that you are now old enough to"

Please don't say get married Kagome thought, I'll do anything but get married.

"Have a slave of your own" her mother finished.

"But mother! You know that I do not agree with slavery! It's unjust!" Kagome exclaimed, shocked by her mother's words.

"Kagome, calm yourself. I know how you feel but it's also a necessary evil. And besides that it is a law that everyone of standing has to have at least one slave of their own. You know this Kagome."

Kagome nodded, "But mother, isn't there something you can do?"

Her mother shook her head, "Kagome, think about it this way. Because you think that slavery is wrong you obviously won't treat your slaves badly. Think of it as protecting slaves from masters who will mistreat them."

Kagome sighed, "All right mother, I guess you are right."

Kagome's mother rested her hand on her daughter's leg, "There's my girl. All right, go get Souta and we'll leave to get your slave or slaves"

"Trust me mother, I won't have more than one" Kagome assured her mother.

--------

"Welcome Lady Higurashi. I understand your daughter is here to get a slave for her sixteenth birthday?" the slave owner said as Kagome, Souta and their mother arrived at the slave farm (for lack of a better term).

Lady Higurashi nodded, "Yes that is correct. So is it permitted that we look around?"

"Oh course my lady. But let me show you some of our newest slaves to start out with." The man said and began walking towards a row of cages, all full of humans and demons alike.

"Wait" Kagome said and the man turned around, "I don't want to see the new slaves. Show me the slaves who have been here the longest."

"But miss, these are far better-"

"My daughter has told you what she wants sir. And I suggest you show her what she needs to see." Lady Higurashi told him with force.

The man bowed, "Of course. I apologize my lady. I'll show you the oldest slaves we've got."

The man led them down many rows of cages until they reached a large square cage in the back of everything. Within this cage were three people; a young woman and two men.

"Here they are Miss; the three slaves who have been with us the longest. That one over there with the dog ears is a half demon; he's been taken and returned so many times that I have lost count. The other male over there is cursed and cannot uncover his right hand. And the woman, well she was brought here after the demon slayer village was annihilated years back. People have tried to take her but she doesn't talk and refuses orders no matter how hard she was punished. She only seems to open up to these two, goodness knows why."

Kagome looked into the cage and her heart hurt. These three people, although they looked upon her with disgust, were exactly who she needed.

"I want them" she said after looking for a while.

"All three? Are you sure miss?" the master asked.

"Yes. I want them. And I intend to take them now. That isn't a problem is it?" she asked, pulling rank for the first time in her life.

"No, not at all miss. You may take them now and papers will be sent to your home for you to fill out in a day or so."

Kagome nodded, keeping her head held high, "Good, now unlock the cage" she commanded.

The man nodded and fumbled with his keys and unlocked the cage door. Lady Higurashi looked upon her daughter with pride; she had never seen Kagome so passionate about something before.

The cage door swung open and the slaves walked out. They walked as if they were dead, not caring about anything and not even trying to run. Kagome knew that their spirits had been broken long before and she felt sorry for them.

I swear I'll treat you better than anyone ever had. I promise you will like me. She thought.

-------

Authoress' Note: so what do you think so far? R&R!