Kagome, Princess of the East, is a head-strong girl. She is introduced to the young Lords of the West and a deal is made. Now she learns the whole truth and she will not let her future be decided for her. What will she do and what does her future hold?
"My Lord Inutaisho, may I introduce the Lord Kuska and Lady Kasumi of the East and their daughter, Princess Kagome." A young eagle-youkai said, bowing to the Great Inu-youkai ruler of the West as he left.
"Hello, my Lord." Lady Kasumi said, curtsying. Inutaisho nodded and nodded to the Lord of the East as well. His eyes fell on the young princess, who could be no older than five, that was looking around interestedly. Lord Inutaisho chuckled and noticed her mother nudge her. Kagome looked at her then to Inutaisho and her eyes opened wide as she grabbed the sides of her little pink kimono and curtsied low.
"My Lord." Her tiny voice said as she stood up straight.
He laughed loudly and nodded, watching the young girl's face flush. "Enough of the formalities, we are all friends here." Lord Inutaisho said as Lord Kuska nodded. The doors to the left of the Lord of the West swung open to reveal two boys, one five and one 10 years of age.
"Daddy!" The young boy squealed, squirming out of his brother's grip and rushing his father. The older boy closed the doors behind him and walking across the large room, where he stood to the right of his father silently.
"Hello boys. I would like to introduce you to the Lord and Lady of the East and their daughter, Princess Kagome. Kuska, Kasumi, Kagome, this is my eldest son Sesshomaru and my youngest son Inuyasha." Sesshomaru bowed stiffly and formally. Inuyasha watched him and jumped to his brother's side, copying his actions. His eyes fell on Kagome and he smiled at her widely. Kagome let out a small giggle and curtsied to them both. "Boys, would you like to take Princess Kagome to the gardens? I understand you love tiger-lilies, Princess Kagome. There are many in bloom, would you like to see them?" The young girl's face shone and she nodded excitedly. The Lord noticed the almost worried look on Lady Kasumi's face. "Do not fear, Lady Kasumi, with my son Sesshomaru present, no harm will come to your daughter." She seemed to relax and nodded. Sesshomaru bowed to them all and approached the young princess. He bowed to her as well and held out his arm. She smiled and curtsied, taking it and allowing him to lead her outside. Inuyasha ran up and walked along side them.
They walked in silence and Sesshomaru took a moment to really look at the Inu-youkai princess on his arm. She was very cute, being five years old. He could tell she would grow to be beautiful. She, like himself, bore the mark of the eldest child of her family. Her mark was a golden sun much like his own blue crescent moon. She had bright yellow markings on her face and her hair was black as mid-night. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue and her overall appearance was quite breath taking. She wore a light pink kimono and little pink heals that she had seemed to master walking in long ago. He also noticed a silver necklace with a big crescent moon hanging around her neck. That confused him. The sun was the symbol of the east and the crescent moon the west. The north was a star and the south a snowflake. So why would a princess of the east wear the symbol of the west? He shook his head and looked ahead of them, not seeing her look at him.
She eyed the young lord she was with. He was taller and older then she was, by at the very least five years. He had long silver hair and golden-amber eyes. He wore a stony expression and his pale skin made him look like a moving porcelain statue. He bore the mark of the west, a blue crescent moon on his forehead to prove he was the heir. He had pinkish-purple markings on his cheeks, much like her own yellow ones. He wore a white kimono with a red honeycomb design and Kagome smiled slightly. He is very handsome. She thought, looking at the next young lord. Her smile faded some when she realized he was staring at her with a wide smile on his face. She smiled back, nodding politely. His smile grew and he blushed, looking away from her. He's not very polite, is he? Kagome thought to herself. He had the same hair and eyes as his brother, although she knew he wasn't an Inu-youkai, but Inu-hanyou. He had cute little fluffy dog ears on his head and no markings to speak of. He wore a bright red kimono. She had the strongest urge to touch his ears, but even at five years old, she knew better then to indulge such a desire. She looked ahead of them, her sensitive nose caught the strong scent of flowers. Her eyes opened wide and they sparkled at the sight of the gardens rolling out in front of her. "Wow…" She whispered.
Sesshomaru chuckled quietly. She looked at him, blushing and looked away. "You are welcome to explore, my princess. So long as I am able to see you." He said, his voice strangely deep for a ten year old. She nodded, curtseying a little before releasing his arm and wandering toward the flowers. Inuyasha looked at his brother.
"She's very pretty Sesshy." Inuyasha said quietly. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. "May I go talk to her?" Inuyasha looked at her and then back at his brother, who nodded. Inuyasha smiled and then walked up to the princess. Sesshomaru sat on a bench, watching over the two.
"Hello Princess Kagome, do you like the flowers?" Inuyasha asked her. She looked at him thoughtfully and smiled, nodding.
"I love flowers. Momma says that she will have a garden planted just for me next spring, I am so excited." Kagome smiled and looked at the lilies in front of her.
"Would you like to play tag?" Inuyasha asked, smiling at her.
She turned to him and gave him a funny look. She looked at Sesshomaru, who was watching them with interest. "And how do you suggest I play tag in a kimono and heels?" She asked, looking at Inuyasha, who's face fell.
"Sorry, I forgot." He said, looking at the ground.
Kagome felt bad for him and smiled. "Will your brother tattle on me if I take my heels off?" She asked, whispering to him.
Inuyasha looked up at her and shook his head. She smiled and slid her shoes off. Wearing them she was his height but without them she was about 3 inches shorter than him. He was surprised. "How can you stand those?" He asked as she kicked them to the side.
Kagome shrugged. "All ladies wear heels, no matter what age. I'm used to them."
Sesshomaru wondered what Inuyasha had done, said or suggested to make the princess take off her shoes and he sat forward to try to hear what was being said. "So, why do you wear that necklace? That is the symbol of the west." Inuyasha asked, pointing to her chest where the pendant rested.
"Momma gave it to me, she said it meant something really special was going to happen, but she couldn't tell me what yet. I think it was meeting you and your brother." Kagome said, blushing and looking at the ground. Sesshomaru grinned slightly.
She is an adorable little girl. I wouldn't mind her being around more often. Sesshomaru sat back again and watched as Kagome tapped Inuyasha's shoulder and grinned, saying 'you're it' and taking a huge leap to her side. Sesshomaru could tell by the way she moved as she easily avoided her hanyou playmate that she had long ago learned how to play in her gowns without showing anything improper by accident. After about 20 minutes of Inuyasha trying his hardest and not succeeding in laying a finger on the girl, he got angry and quit, walking over and sitting next to Sesshomaru, muttering under his breath and leaving a very confused and disappointed princess standing next to the garden by herself. "Inuyasha, go and play with her." Sesshomaru scolded his brother and looked at Kagome, who hung her head and slid on her heels, returning her attention to the flowers.
"No, she's too fast, I can't win. You go play with her." Inuyasha muttered. Sesshomaru stood up and walked over to Kagome, who had her back to him.
"Princess?" Sesshomaru asked. She turned and smiled brightly at him. "Would you like to play tag with me perhaps? I may be a bit more of a challenge." He bowed and she giggled, nodding.
She slid off her shoes again, making her about a head and a half shorter than him. She reached out and tapped his shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" She squealed and jumped out of his way. He stood for a moment then pounced, slightly shocked that she managed to avoid him. "Too slow!" She giggled loudly, dodging him time and time again. "Come on, my lord, I thought you'd be more of a challenge!" She squealed, once again dodging him at the last second.
"Come on Sesshy, she's a five year old girl!" Inuyasha called out with a grin.
"Who you could not catch either." Sesshomaru said, wiping the smirk right off of Inuyasha's face.
Kagome broke into a giggle fit, didn't see her shoes and tripped, hitting the ground hard. There was a ripping noise and she gasped, sitting up and looking around and down at her kimono, which was ripped up the side to her knees. "Oh no! Momma's going kill me!" She said, touching the rip lightly.
"Princess, are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked, holding out his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.
"Right now I am, but wait until Momma and Poppa see my kimono." She looked at the ground, her face pink from embarrassment and shame.
Inuyasha walked over. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Father could probably have it fixed before you leave. Or just have a new one made."
Sesshomaru smirked at the young girl, who looked near tears. "I must admit, you are the first person I have not been able to beat in a game of tag."
"I've never been beaten, so you had no chance, no matter how truly wonderful you both are, my lords." She curtsied to them both. Inuyasha's face turned as red as his kimono and even Sesshomaru's porcelain skin had a small pinkish tint.
"Kagome darling!" Lady Kasumi called.
Kagome slid on her heels and looked at the boys. "If you will excuse me, my lords, my mother is calling me." She curtsied again and ran to her mother, both boys impressed she could run in those heels.
"Darling, what happened to your kimono?" Her mother asked.
"I tripped and it ripped Momma, I am sorry." Kagome looked at the ground as she followed her mother inside. The young lords followed as well, but a ways behind the two women.
Inuyasha looked at his brother, who's face still had a pinkish tint. "I like her, she's fun." Sesshomaru looked down at his little brother.
"I do as well. Hopefully, we will see more of her." Sesshomaru nodded and looked away. When they entered, Kagome was sitting on a pillow, her face wet with tears and looking at the floor silently. They both wondered what was wrong, but knew better than to interrupt.
"So it is settled, Lord Inutaisho?" Lord Kuska asked and the boy's father nodded smiling.
"Kagome, try not to be upset. It is only for six months every year. You enjoy spending time with the young lords, correct?" Lady Kasumi asked and Kagome only nodded.
Lord Kuska walked over, laying his hand on his daughters head. "No more tears, young lady. You are a princess, act like one."
Kagome looked up at him and blinked, nodding. A stony look much like Sesshomaru's emotionless look came over her face and the tears stopped. Lord Inutaisho finally noticed his son's presence and smiled. "Ah, my son's. I have wonderful news for you. Princess Kagome will be living here for six months out of every year, in hopes of… creating peace between the east and the west."
Inuyasha smiled widely and Kagome noticed, losing her detached look a bit and a small smile creeping through. Sesshomaru nodded, his face not showing how happy he was to hear this news. "Yes father." He said coolly.
"You are to treat her with respect and courtesy and like a member of this pack, understood?" The lord asked. Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha gave one swift nod. "She will be bringing three servants with her. Do not assume they are yours as well." The sons nodded one again.
Kagome looked at the Lord of the West. Servants… They are not my servants, they are my friends. And those boys better not try to order them around. She looked at the floor, the bitter thoughts running through her head.
"Alright, so, let's get her belongings inside and into her new room. Kagome, your room is between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's. Your servants will have the three rooms across the hall from yours. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha. Please show Kagome to her new room and then take her on a tour of the palace." The Lord smiled and both boys nodded, approaching the princess. She looked up at them and managed a weak smile, allowing them to help her to her feet and show her out of the room. They walked silently to her room.
"I am glad you will be living here Princess." Inuyasha said and Kagome looked at him.
"Please, call me Kagome, especially if I will be living here, my lords." She said, glancing at them both.
Sesshomaru looked at her. "So long as you call us by our names as well, not 'my lords'." He said quietly.
Kagome smiled brightly. "Deal." Sesshomaru smiled and pushed her door open, leading her inside. She looked around, nodding in approval.
"My room is on the left, Inuyasha's on the right." Sesshomaru said.
"May I be alone for a moment?" Kagome asked and the boys nodded, leaving the room and closing the door behind them. They heard the click of the lock and then Kagome burst into tears, throwing herself on her bed and sobbing into her pillows.
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked at each other, slightly alarmed. "What's with her?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru only shrugged. He had no idea.
"Excuse me, my lords?" Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turned to see two humans, a male and a female, and a male kitsune bowing to them.
"Who are you?" Inuyasha snarled.
The female jumped slightly, lowing her eyes. "Could you possibly tell me where we may find Princess Kagome? We are her servants."
Sesshomaru shot Inuyasha a glare. "Yes, I apologize for my brother. She is inside her room, this one here. However, she seems upset and has locked herself inside."
"Oh my." The female said, looking at her male companion, who shrugged. "May I?" She asked, pointing at the door. Sesshomaru moved out of her way, nodding. "Princess Kagome, tis I, Sango. May I enter?"
The lock clicked and the door flew open with a flurry of movement. The female, Sango, was pulled inside and the door slammed shut. "Oh dear." The male kitsune said.
"Indeed." The male human said, nodding to him.
Inuyasha eyed them. "Why would an Inu-youkai princess have human servants?"
The male human looked at him. "My friend Sango and I were orphaned by the war. The Lord and Lady were kind enough to take us in, allowing us to serve the young princess."
"You are not very old, how old are you? And what is your name?" Sesshomaru asked, curiously.
"I am sorry, My Lords, I am Miroku, this is Shippo and the female is Sango. We are all 10 years old." Miroku said, bowing. The kitsune Shippo copied him.
Sesshomaru nodded, as did Inuyasha as the door to Kagome's room creaked open. Kagome had changed, now wearing a pale mint green colored kimono. She smiled at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru as she wiped her eyes. She looked at Miroku and Shippo and smiled widely. "Miroku! Shippo!" She forgot all formalities and threw herself into Miroku's arms, pulling him into a hug. She then launched herself into Shippo's arms next. "I am so glad you three are with me, I would feel so… new." Kagome grinned.
"We are happy as well Kagome, it would be very… boring at the Palace of Light without you." Sango said, smiling, as she came out behind her.
"You call her by her name?" Sesshomaru asked, staring at Sango. Sango's eyes opened wide and she bowed her head.
"I am sorry Princess." She said, bowing lower.
Kagome stared at her. "Stop it, now. You will not address me as such, you know that. Do not feel threatened by the young Lords, they have no say over you, as their father has told me." She shot Sesshomaru an angry look and his eyes widened.
Sango stood and nodded, smiling. "Yes Kagome, as you wish."
Kagome shook her head. "Stop with the act Sango, really. So long as Momma and Poppa do not discover what is going on, we are fine."
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked at each other and then Kagome. "Kagome? What's going on?" Inuyasha asked.
"See, Sango, Miroku and Shippo are not my servants. They are my friends. I pretend to order them around and be a royal pain in the butt, but they are really my friends. Being an only child is lonely." She looked at her feet and sighed.
"I see. Then we will say nothing to Father, correct Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked and Inuyasha nodded.
Kagome looked up and grinned widely. "Thank you both, really. I don't know what I would do if Momma and Poppa sent them away. They are the only friends I have at the Palace of Light. Now, aren't you two supposed to show me around?"
Inuyasha's smile was unbelievably big. Sesshomaru could tell right away that he had become completely taken with the young girl. "Yep, let's go." He said, holding out his arm. Kagome giggled and took it, nodding to him. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and walked on Kagome's other side.
Two weeks later, Kagome felt right at home. She, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru spent most of their time together out in the gardens, Kagome walking through the flowers as the boys practiced training techniques. Today was no different and Kagome was bored. She walked out and sat in front of the boys, watching Sesshomaru correct and bark orders at his little brother, who, Kagome now knew, had a very short temper. Almost every day Inuyasha became too angry to continue and gave up, pouting and stomping away, jumping into a tree next to the gardens. Today, again, was no different and Sesshomaru sighed, sitting down next to Kagome and looking at his quick-tempered little half-brother. "Sesshy?" Kagome asked. She had taken to calling him that as well.
"Yes Kagome?" He asked, looking down at her.
"Will you teach me to fight?" She asked, smiling up at him with a tiger-lily in her hair.
Sesshomaru stared at her. "Why would you want to learn to fight? Ladies do not fight Kagome. And Princesses certainly do not fight."
She looked at her lap and sighed. "But I wanna spar with you and Inuyasha. I'm bored and I don't like being left out." She pouted at him and he couldn't help but smile a little.
"I am sorry Kagome, what would your parents think?" Sesshomaru said, her dejected sigh tugging on his heart-strings.
Kagome pulled the flower from her hair and looked at it in her hands. "I hate being a princess. It's boring and I never get to have any fun."
"Kagome…" Sesshomaru said as she looked up at him. He took the flower from her hand and carefully put it back in her hair. "I'm glad you are a princess. You wanna know why?" Kagome nodded. "Cause if you weren't, we would have never met." Her cheeks flushed and she looked at her lap, nodding again.
"Yeah Kags, and besides, you wouldn't stand a chance against either of us." Inuyasha said, walking over to them and standing in front of them.
Kagome stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "What? Why not?"
Inuyasha rolled his golden-amber eyes and looked into her violently sapphire ones that, at the moment, had the flames of hell in them. "Cause, you're a girl. You wouldn't stand a chance, you couldn't hurt us." No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Kagome pulled her arm back and punched Inuyasha square in the face. He took a step back, holding his now bloody nose and stared at her. Her lip quivered and she let out a sob, before turning and running inside.
"Inuyasha, do you ever think before you speak? Or are you completely incapable of intelligence?" Sesshomaru asked as he walked after Kagome. Inuyasha just stood there for a moment, holding his nose and staring after him. He then shook his head and followed them in to get some medical attention.
Kagome had beaten Sesshomaru to her room and locked the door, forcing him to speak to her through it. "Kagome, please unlock the door. Inuyasha is a fool, you would more than likely kick the tar out of him. You could probably do me a fair bit of damage as well. Do not take his words to heart, he is an idiot."
The door clicked and Kagome's eyes were visible as she slowly cracked the door. "Really?" She asked, sniffing back tears.
Sesshomaru smiled softly and nodded. "Really." The little girl threw open the door and leapt into Sesshomaru's arms, nearly knocking him to the floor.
"Thanks Sesshy, I love being here with you and Inuyasha, even if he is a jerk sometimes." Kagome said, holding on tightly. Sesshomaru grinned widely.
"We love having you here." He said, petting her head slowly.