A/N: ::sigh:: Yup, another fic.....BUT this time it's with my best beta pal Akiko! ::give round of applause:: Inspiration of this fic was from a Chinese/Korean drama called "Scent of Love"...nothing more to say....I hope....yup....sure....

Disclaimer: We do not own Inu Yasha....or ever will.

Note: The setting of this fic is in the Sengoku Jedai, but with castles. Now we're not really sure they had castles in feudal Japan, so just work with it.

Life Lessons
Chapter One: Introductions
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"Life is a struggle, accept it." - Mother Teresa

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A young girl with bright raven hair sat on her mother's lap, while listening to her mother's story.

"....And then the prince will take you on his white stallion, and the two of you will ride off to a faraway castle and live happily ever after," the mother finished.

"Mommy, is it true that it'll happen?" the young girl innocently asked. The mother just smiled and nodded.

"Ok, time for bed, dear." After she tucked the child in, she planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams..."

Just as the mother was about to walk away, the daughter spoke up, "Will you ever see me be carried away by the prince?"

The mother sadly turned around and smiled. "Maybe, dear, maybe..." she replied and left the room.

As years passed by; seasons changed; people grew old and died, while new ones were born. But Kagome Higurashi never found out why her mother had left her at such a young age. It's been three years since she died; now sixteen, Kagome lives alone, still wondering why her mother was taken away from her. Since then, she never really learned to appreciate life, and learn to love others like before.

Sitting under a sakura tree, Kagome stared off at the faraway castle wondering why her Prince Charming never came to get her. 'Well, hey, not everyone has a happy ending. Definitely not me, for sure,' she sadly thought. Every day since her mother died, Kagome has been coming to this tree to get lost in her thoughts. Today was just like any other day, sitting under the tree sharing her thoughts with no one in particular.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing here?" a grumpy voice demanded beside the relaxing girl. Kagome jumped at the sound of a voice next to her.

"N-Nothing that concerns you," the girl responded rudely, "whoever you are." Kagome added afterwards.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" the white haired boy insisted. "You never talk to your highness like that."

"H-H-Highness? What highness?" Kagome stuttered. "I thought that the king was much older than you," she declared as she poked his chest.

"Don't insult me, you peasant!" Inu Yasha equally poked Kagome on the shoulder. "For your information, I am PRINCE Inu Yasha. You might not realize it since I dress up in peasant clothes for the fun of it."

Kagome scanned up and down the boy infront of her, and ordered him to turn around. Once after a thorough look of him, she snorted. "Yeah right. Prince, you? No way." Inu Yasha looked appalled.

"Yeah, well beat THIS!" He pulled his hat off to reveal a pair of what looks uncannily like a pair of...........................DOG EARS?! "Only the royal family have demon blood running through them. So if you have anything else to say, then say it or move off MY property."

"I-I-I'm so s-sorry, I didn't know. I'll go." Kagome offered, and started to walk away, but Inu Yasha (or 'whatever his name was' as Kagome knows it) grabbed her wrist and requested to stay and accompany him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Inu Yasha asked as he tried to start a conversation, after a long period of silence.

Kagome looked at him puzzled for a moment, but slowly grasped on what he said. "Nothing much."

Inu Yasha didn't look satisfied. "Come on...tell me something about your life...you know, your family," he prodded on, hoping to get something out of the shy girl sitting next to him.

Kagome glanced at him for a moment, then resumed to stare at the castle. "Well, my father walked out on my mom and I when I was four, my mother died three years ago, and right now I'm a sixteen year old living alone. Care to share your story?" Kagome now tore her gaze from the castle to Inu Yasha.

"Well, I'm a prince-as you can see; I have money, and I have a older brother named Sesshoumaru, I have money, I have a castle, I have money, and did I mention that I have money?" Inu Yasha jokingly asked, but immediately quieted down when he saw the look on Kagome's face. "Uh...tell me some of your hobbies..." he frantically tried to change the subject, and stole a glance at Kagome, who seemed to brighten a tid bit.

"Well...uh...I like to sing, dance, and I would also like to know if there is a such thing as Prince Charming." Kagome visibly relaxed. "You know, I use to believe in those things when I was little, before my mother passed away. Now I'm very skeptical about it, but hey, anything can be possible...right?"

Inu Yasha snorted. "You actually believe in that stuff?" he asked, "My mother use to tell me those stories too, but I never believed them either. By the way, what's your name?"

"Kagome." She replied.

"Uh....an unique name?" Inu Yasha responded, and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You sure know how to flatter women, with your 'unique' phrases."

Inu Yasha was taken back. "Hey, I get my women my way, and you get your men your way. Got that?"

Kagome tried to surpress a giggle. "Yeah, just do to everyone a favor and don't say that to charm other women."

The boy grinned. "You have my word for it."

Kagome grinned back. "You better. Or ELSE."

"Is that a threat?" Inu Yasha joked, and Kagome played along.

"You bet it is," she said in a mock serious tone, then added afterwards, "your highness."

Inu Yasha chuckled. "Good to know you know my social status."

"You have a social status?" Kagome joked back.

The prince tried to hide another chuckle. "Don't you?" he countered.

Kagome smiled, and then turned her gaze to the village. "Oh yeah, but my status doesn't include a oversized ego that the owner must take pride in."

"Hey, I like my ego very much. It's my pride and joy." Inu Yasha said indignantly.

"Your pride and joy? Never knew that the royal family are actually joyful." Kagome teased.

Inu Yasha coughed to hide his laughter. "We aren't that much. But hey, everyone is happy at least once in a lifetime, right?"

Kagome smiled a sad smile, which had gone unnoticed by Inu Yasha. "I guess, depending on everyone's definition of happy."

Inu Yasha followed her gaze to the village. "You live there?" Kagome nodded. "You like it?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Then I propose an offer."

Kagome shot him a questioning look. "As long as it doesn't involve your oversized ego and your horrible pickup lines, I'm game." Inu Yasha chorkled (it's inbetween choke and a chuckle).

"Ok......" he drew in a deep breath. "Would you like to live in the castle with me?"