{-|.x. Forever Nevermore .x.|-}
{ .x. Fortune, Not .x.}
[.]

'An estate', that was what the prince had called the place… where 'estates' the equivalent of palaces? It was all so grand, the hallways were even decorated with finest paintings and immaculate carpet, and while she awed at all this as she tried to find her way to the stairs she also felt her stomach turn. It was sickening, the prince—a Toashi, the reason for the war—could live such a fine life while all others suffered. What right did he have to all of this? Was it only because he was lucky enough to be born into an affluent family? Should they not have to endure like the rest of the country?

Simply said, it wasn't fair. Alas, so little in life was, so she couldn't find it in her tattered heart to hold it against his royal highness as she walked down the stairs.

"Ah, Madame," a woman started, startling the still jumpy girl into grasping the cloth of her gown above her heart once more, "pardon me," the maid bowed her head, "Prince Inuyasha is waiting for you in the dining room."

"Dining room…?" she muttered with a blank façade, which way would that be?

"I will lead the way," the maid assured; apparently the look on her face asked her unspoken question for her. It was not hard to find, she probably could have gotten there on her own, but all the same she followed her down the hallway and to the light filled room. It was almost blinding, she had seen the sun and felt its rays since the day her hometown was torn to shreds but it had been dull, lifeless, like everything else in the land. Yet, being in the 'estate' that was not marked with the gloom everything else was… made her see how it still shined, the way it gleamed off of the sitting, stoic, prince did not pass by her, either.

He was charming, thus far, and as handsome as all the black and white pictures in the papers said he was. He was kinder than she could have hoped for; allowing her to stay there for an entire week until her head injury was just a healing scab and her side no longer ached from the kick she received. He had come to check on her every now and then, sent a doctor once to do the same, and had the finest food. Oh, just thinking about that made her mouth water. For so long her country had been placed under a food ration, at least the commoners, and most the meat, cream, cheese, and generally anything that could make a meal taste good was diverted to the troops. She understood, obviously the boys that were surely going to die for their country deserved all of that and more but… oh, it was still so nice to have fine food. She hadn't had fresh fruits in maybe years so she had been devouring strawberries one after another and another, and great green grapes!

After each of her meals she'd be given miniature cakes of all types. She hadn't had cake since she was a child, it was… like a dream. She found she enjoyed carrot cake far more than she did back then. All of it was, and it wasn't just her dream, it was all the girls in all the country's. She wasn't the only one that stared at the striking prince with awe, she wasn't the only one that had been in love with him since she was a child, and she wasn't the only one that fantasized about him showing up on his white horse to save her. Perhaps she wasn't the only one he saved, either…

He could have any woman he wanted, from the prettiest, to the noblest, to the finest, to… anything. He could have far more than she could ever offer, she could never dream to compete.

She was a commoner; she didn't even bother to get her hopes up as he waved her over to sit at the table with him. Breakfast had been served and for once she decided to leave the large room he had given her and join him. He set the papers he had been carefully looking over aside once she sat down across from him, with just one glance she guessed they had to do with the war somehow.

"I'm glad to see you feel well enough to get up and walk around," he courteously commented while his eyes wondered to the help that began to pool in, two brought them plates filled already with the finest food, two set a spread of jam, bread and fruits between them, one brought them two glasses each as another two came around asking if they'd like coffee or tea—Kagome took tea, Inuyasha took coffee—while their other glass was already full of orange juice.

"This is so much," she awed, her wide eyes moved around the entire table. It was almost… no, it was too much. "I often help out at orphanages… this would feed so many of them, they'd be in nirvana."

His eyes flickered up from the food to her, she had yet to free her hands from her lap, people often tried to win his respect or something of the likes by acting noble, and that was certainly a dignified statement yet… he was positive from the way she looked at the spread out before them instead of him it wasn't really for his benefit that she said that. "You say 'help out' does that mean you do not work there? You do it in your spare time?"

"I haven't anything else to do," she stated simply, softly, as she picked up the small and far to elegant spoon—after all they were simply going to eat with it—and cracked the egg so she could get the hardboiled center.

"No companion to return to?" he coaxed as he picked up a piece of bread and began to spread his jam.

No male companion, she got the feeling that was what he was prodding at, or maybe it was simply because she had always been told stories of how the eldest prince and heir to the throne, Sesshomaru, was the stoic and ever so serious one who could easily take over the country whenever his father passed and that the younger one from his Highness' second marriage, Inuyasha, was a bit of a philanthropist when it came to women, pretty ones, at that. He was generally allowed to do more of what he wanted, at that, since he would never take over the throne—well, in less his brother prematurely perished but few expected that from the powerful full blood.

"No, I don't," she murmured back. She didn't have anyone. Any friends she might have made along the way were taken, not always by death but sometimes from the chaos that follows after whatever town she lived in was destroyed or invaded by the enemy. That experience ceased to be so scary after the fourth occurrence.

"Do you live with your family? Anyone I should send notice to?"

"Nope."

"No?"

Was that such a hard concept? He had actually been there when she lost everything, well; at least he arrived shortly therefore after.

"I'm sorry."

"It happens," she replied with a shrug, "I'm alive… that's more than many can say." Whether that was a good or bad thing had yet to be decided.

"So…? You'll return to that town to… what? Friends?"

"Acquaintances, I'd say, it's dangerous to make friends nowadays," she replied before she bit into one of the fresh strawberries, she loved them. Her mother and her had always planted a garden of fruit behind their home… would she outlive the war long enough to do that again? Would she have anyone to share that joy with?

A child of her own? She probably would never have one that was by birth hers but she could always take in an orphan or two, the very idea brought a smile to her face.

"Why is that?" He muttered as he tapped his fork against his slowly empting, his eyes wondered all about her face. She was a mystery to him, in so many ways, what did he know of her beside her name? Now, he could add 'alone' to that ever so short list.

"Why is what?"

"Is it 'dangerous' to have friends?" Was she cynical behind that sweet smile?

"Oh, yes, well, it's hard. You make friends then the town is totaled and you lose track of them when you flee to somewhere new. If you have friends then you only worry about them endlessly and chances are low that you'll ever see each other… it's sad," she mumbled back.

She was real; she was what happened to normal people in the war. A pang of guilt struck him as he watched her courteously eat the meal he was providing; it wasn't out of hospitality really but… remorse. His family was distantly related to the royalty of the country beside them, of Naraku, through marriage thus blood. Honestly, the very idea that the same flows through that monster as it d did him made him want to vomit. It was his family that was at fault for all of this; long ago they had broken all ties with Naraku's family and did not bother to come to their aid when they were being invaded.

Much to their surprise, Naraku pulled out victorious and more powerful than before. Now he wanted revenge, and their country as a consolation prize.

Making amends to one girl would not free his family from blame. It would be useless… it would not make a difference. It wouldn't make the world a better place.

[.]

"Oh my," she gasped while she cupped the white and pink flowers in her hands, "Apple Blossoms, I love these." She hadn't seen such a grand garden in so long; spring had brought life to the area. There were pink with red tints azaleas, orange with purple and blue birds of paradise, blue bachelor's buttons, and so much more. It was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful scene she had seen in years.

"You look happy," she heard from right behind her. She jumped up and grasped her chest as she spun around to see the prince ever so close, "sorry," he grinned.

"It's fine… you just startled me," she replied weakly, "I love flowers. They're colorful and perky and pretty. You don't see them much anymore."

"Do you like bellflowers?" He inquired vacantly as his eyes wondered around the garden.

"I do, I adore the purple ones," she assured with a smile as she walked up to kneel down before him and cup a particularly large azaleas delicately in her hands.

"You should see this place in the summer, then, they take over the entire place…"

His voice was so strange that she couldn't help but glance up at him to see his gaze locked indifferently ahead of them.

"You are feeling better?" he asked that often, each day, at least twice if not three times.

"Yes," she retorted as her eyes wondered back to the flower her fingers brushed against.

"No, I mean," he murmured as he knelt down beside her, "are you feeling better?"

Her hazels moved away from the flower to his ambers, it was only then she figured out what he was trying to get at. She wasn't so good about hiding her dismay over her actions, granted they were just, she was only protecting herself but… she still took another's life. It wasn't her place to do so…

"Decent, I suppose," she murmured, "it's not something you get over in a few weeks."

He still didn't get why she felt so bad, it was for her own good, the man was going to rape her so why did it bother her so much that she accidently shot him? She didn't know what she was really doing, she was in such a panic, and she couldn't be a fault. The other night he had coaxed her into telling him what had happened, and he had told her just that.

It was odd the way she spoke with him… no one really talked to him; they said what they thought he wanted to hear, or whatever might win his good grace. Everyone wanted him to like them; all women wanted him to love them. He'd been able to decipher at a young age who was truly speak their mind to him, only a hand full dared to do so, and those who simply said pretty words. Only one girl had ever done the latter, and he was fairly certain Kagome didn't bite her tongue to please him. It was almost as if she was oblivious to the fact that he was royalty, she treated him probably no different than she would any 'acquaintance'.

He respected her for that, and for all the times in the past two weeks that she blatantly stated that all he had could be in better for the orphans she was so fond of, then again, she was one herself so why wouldn't she be partial to them? No one had ever told him that 'you have too much and do too little', everyone praised him for his heroic actions in war, he'd told her just that and she didn't falter. She hated war, no good came of it, and how could there be anything heroic about it?

Nevertheless, she spoke her mind and he adored that.

"Perhaps with time," he whispered as he took her hands into his, winning her gaze instantly as he rose them up to mere centimeters from his lips.

"T… Time, yes," a grin coated his lips at that, at least she was human, at least he could get her to stutter some and lock her awe-struck eyes with his as he pressed her fingers to his lips lightly.

She was like every other girl, her eyes glimmered.

[.]

Summer set in and she had yet to leave, she had offered to quite a few times but he had refused to let her go. 'I am supposed to allow a damsel in distress to return to that hell hole while she's still in distress?' was his typical responds, he never seemed too terribly attached to the subject. It was a passing comment, one he barely lingered on as he returned to look over the maps and documents generals and lieutenants had been sending him to review. The prince was injured at the start of spring, almost killed, and thus his father pulled him off the battle field to recover. He thought he was fine, better than that, he could return to battle but his father kept telling him to take it easy.

'The war would not end soon, my son,' he always told him, 'you needn't be so hasty to return. Take the summer.'

He was itching to return, he was so close to getting Naraku himself. The bastard never fought his own war, he sent spawns to do his dirty work but Inuyasha had tracked him down and he was so close to breaking the barrier that protected his 'Highness' and killing him, ending the war for certain in the process.

Instead, he was stabbed in the gut with a massive sword.

Now… now he found a way to scratch that itch, keeping the free-soul maiden around made it easy to find a reason to stay.

"What are you doing?" Her renewed, perky, voice startled him enough that he dropped all the papers he had been examining onto the table. Generally, she didn't bother him when he was in his study trying to find a better way for their military to attack and researching past assault patterns in the history books. So what was different this time? Why'd she dare to pass into his zone? He didn't enter her room any longer; it was her sanctuary, so…? Not that he really minded, though.

"What I'm always doing in here," he retorted as he rearranged the papers he had dropped, it was a useless effort, though. There were too many papers spewed across that he'd never be able to clear the table. Not that he was good at cleaning, not that he had ever tried…

"You sound snippety," she muttered as she watched him give up on stacking all the papers and turn to him, "I know you like to be left alone in here but… it's really late and I hadn't seen you since lunch… did you eat?"

"It's not that," but he stopped himself when his eyes wondered to the window, when had the sun gone down?

"Exactly," she chimed, "I don't think it's good for you to lock yourself away in here and become so… ensnared in such depressing matters. Do you ever do anything fun?"

"You are always saying I'm blessed, that I have so much, but now you think I don't have fun?" he muttered as he rested his hand against the large oak desk and leaned against it, "you are fickle in your opinion of me, aren't you?"

"You are in a bad mood," she countered with a bit of a pout as mirrored his actions, "you still have a lot of possessions but that does not mean you are happy. I never accused you of such. You read books on battle strategies, you review plans that are sent to you, you revise them, you make calls to generals and such, you do this and that all day but you do not seem to do anything for recreation. You know what they say, all work and no play makes you a very dull prince."

"Is that how it goes?" he taunted right back, "I doubt it goes like that, particularly the 'prince' part."

"I…" she started softly before her eyes moved from him to the massive amount of documents, "I used to resent your family. In a way, I suppose that included you… I thought so often, why did I loss everything but their family is still stayed whole? Why if this war was started to get back at them must the rest of us have to suffer? I thought all of that every day…"

Instantly, his entire entity rigidly stiffened, his hand upon the table formed into a fist, he knew many thought that but no one had ever said it to his face. If it had been anyone else the guilt would have been mild at best but it was her, the girl that had earned his admiration. "And… now?"

"Now," she dragged out for some time before she looked about all the endless papers up to him, "you try really hard to make up for it, don't you? It's not your fault… for something your ancestors did," she assured as she slid her hand to his fist, "you should forgive yourself. If you don't… when your father finally lets you go fight again, won't you just get yourself killed?"

His tension faded just like that, all it took was her gentle touch, "you… mean that?"

"Very much so," she comforted candidly with a nod, "the last thing anyone wants is one of our princes killed. After all, in a way… Naraku will always lose if the Toashi family survives, regardless of whatever else might occur, right?"

'Our' prince, not 'her' prince, he was never 'hers', he was the prince of their country, nothing more… did she not want anything more? Was she truly not like every other girl he had ever chanced upon? Did she not desire to become the next princess? Did she not want all the fancy clothes, jewelry, and everything else that would come with such a title? Everyone else did... why no her? Perhaps this was all just an elaborate trick, perhaps she just wanted him to believe that… no. She didn't have that type of mind, she probably didn't care.

Honestly, at least… he hoped so.

He didn't think, he was sick of it, so he leaned forward and closed the gap between their lips, just briefly, just to gage her responds. Her wide eyes and frozen figure was what he had hoped for, she'd be leaping onto him if she was really just trying to sneak into his favor. He pulled his hand away from hers and placed it upon her cheek to pull her back once more.

Her hands jerked up to his shoulders as he yanked her against him.

It wasn't her first kiss, that monster in the alley took that but it… it was better. His lips pried hers apart bit by bit as he licked his way into her mouth. Her eyes popped open right then; his tongue was in her mouth mixing with hers? Did she like it? She didn't hate it but… what was she supposed to do? How was she meant to respond?

Should she? He was the prince… she was not princess material, so what was this meant to do? Respond only to be toyed with for a night, maybe the rest of summer, and then discarded? Or push him away and keep their boundaries set as they were?

His free hand wondered to the small of her back and slowly her hands slid down the back of his shoulders until she loosely wrapped them around his neck and tried to match his talented tongues movements, it was more than obvious to her that this was not his first tango.

He could toy with her; she could find joy in that. If only for a moment…

He tugged her closer to gently lift her off the ground and turn her so she could sit on the table, his next task was to open her thighs so he could scoot in and press himself to her. Their faces were perfectly aligned, it made it all the more fun to nibble at her lips and pry them away until his kisses could journey down to her jaw line, down to her neck, down to her shoulder as his hand pushed sleeve of her dress down to expose more bare skin.

Why not? Was all her mind beckoned; why not allow her first time to be with a prince? The prince, her particular favorite top it all off? She had almost lost the chance to give her premier occasion to another freely, who's to say that that simply will not happen once she returns to the real world? She couldn't stay with him forever, so why not…?

Why'd she have to be perfect, why'd she have to pretend she's happy always? Why not allow this to unfold?

Why not turned into 'why, yes, she enjoyed when he did that' and 'oh, the way he touched her was… simply splendid'.

She gasped in air as she fell back onto the cushion of opened books and aimless papers; the top of her dress had been undone and opened for his assaults to continue down his collarbone to breasts. She threw her head back and arched her body up to his touch, his tugs upon her nubs. Her spike in arousal did not elude his nose and it only encouraged him all the more. After all, why not continue if she apparently wanted to just as much as he?

His hand slid down her side until he found the fabric of her skirt and hiked it up until he could feel her silky thighs. He took care to message her leg as he slowly moved it from the outside to the inner thigh and gently fiddle his way up to her throbbing area. It was a sensation she hadn't known, the way that his caresses, kisses, and suckles could get her nether regions to leap around with need even before he pulled her panties away in one swift movement. A minute moan left her lips as she moved her hips towards his impending penetration.

She wanted more and he was pleased to oblige with one swift slid of his clawed fingers, if he didn't take care while he jerked his digit in and out of her then he could easy nick her tender skin with his nail, of course, he never would. He didn't want to hurt her, not by any measure… yet, distantly, somewhere deep in his mind, his heart, he knew by tomorrow morning he would have. By tomorrow he'd confess what he should have told her before he pinned her to his desk and hiked up her skirt, before he pulled his finger out and mouth away from her breast to lick his hand clean of her essence.

But he wouldn't, he couldn't, it would mean he'd have to stop.

"Are you ready?" he inquired as he worked to undo his own pants and allow them to fall down.

"Yes," she breathlessly declared.

A grin tainted his features as he promptly pushed his way into her, breaking her innocence, taking what she could never have back. She screamed and clenched her face in agony, he knew that'd happen. He hated it but he couldn't stop the pain from occurring, it was better to just go all in then slowly enter, at least he was told so but the way she closed her eyes and let twin tears trickle down her cheek as she bit her bottom lip begged to differ.

"Relax," he coaxed as he began to move within her, slowly, back and forth, not too deep.

The twinge that panged with each of his thrusts was almost too much, she grasped at his shirt when he pressed his lip to her. She wanted to tell him to get off, to stop; she didn't even notice the force she yanked on his shirt with made his the few buttons on the top pop off. It gave his fabric just enough give to allow his clothes to cascade down his shoulders. It was only fair that he expose more skin, she was nearly bear below him.

Then he spun his hips to twirl his efforts within her and the pain fell to pleasure. She finally did as he requested, she calmed herself and let her hands scoot up to wrap around his neck once more.

He quickened his pace when he felt she could handle it. The best thing about virgins—not that he knew, he'd like to lie—was how dreamily tight they were. How blissful that felt around him as he plunged deeper into her with each pound until, by mistake, he found a spot that made her moan into his mouth and run his hands up his neck to grasp his hair.

He found he liked that, a passionate Kagome was something he'd enjoy to see more of, so he gave exclusive focus to hitting that mark over and over again.

She let out a shakily, thrill filled breath once he freed her lips from his. "More," she moaned. Her fingers twirled in his silver tresses as he gave in to her request. His actions mimicked her fingers; with every other thud he rotated his hips to give her a new sensation. No, to give them a new sensation.

Finally, her fingers found his overly sensitive silver squares. It was a mistake when she first rubbed them but she wasn't too lost in bliss to notice his rhythm was offset by the action. She couldn't help but grin when he moaned against her skin. Of course, she did it again and again as he gave up his pattern and thrust in without any real purpose. His mind was lost to all that she could do to him; just as hers was to his.

She was the first to cry out and clench around him, he was quick to follow and fall upon her as it occurred.

That night, they never left the study.

[.]

She didn't have to wonder if it was wrong, she knew they both thought so when she awake wrapped in a blanket on the floor beside the desk they were ever so intimate upon alone. There was no ache, she had anticipated it. There was no point in being overly optimist, no point in thinking the world would cease being the unreasonable place it was.

She sat up and looked about until she could find her tattered dress and pull it on so she could shift down the hallway and to her room to bathe in silence. To wash all the evidence of what had occurred off of her, it was enough… last night was enough.

Was she ever famished after the whole ordeal, too. There was nothing to be ashamed of, right? They were consenting adults… but it still took too many breaths to gather the courage to walk out of her room and to the stairs. If only she had left earlier or a moment later than she wouldn't have ran into him as he stepped off of them to meet her face-to-face. Both of them just stared for a bit… she couldn't lie, a part of her wanted him to say last night was fabulous and that he needed her in his life forever. That they could somehow go to a beautiful never-ever-land and live happily ever after… that she had fallen into a delightful fairytale where all was right with the world.

Of course, that was idiotic.

Useless hope… she hated it.

"I love you," never came. Instead he just looked about her face with a wrinkled worry on his. "Last night… Kagome, we need to talk."

"OK," she replied softly. She already knew what was to come… at least, she thought she did.

"I care for you," he muttered, "but I can't love you. My heart belongs to another… it has for a long time, I'm sorry, I really am… I admire you. I hope you don't come to hate me for this…"

Her eyes widened, 'we shouldn't be together', sure, she would have expected. But… but… he loved another and still found it alright to be intimate with her? That hurt, that wasn't fair… ha, what was? Why would she think it would somehow be otherwise?

"I'm sorry," he repeated all the same, "I just… I've been looking for her for so long and you've been here… I'm sorry."

So she was simply convenient? Oh joy… she sighed as she looked away and stepped by him to go down only one stair before she grasped the railing and turned around to look at him once more. "It's fine."

She seemed so certain, it had to be a lie, "you have every right to be mad at me." He'd prefer it if she hit him, actually.

"No, it's fine," she kept up with a nod, "I've been in love with you since I was a child. I don't regret last time, it was nice, and it was all I could have hoped for. You can't remember this, it was so long ago, but we met once when I was just a child. My home had been bombed and I was… traumatized, to say the least. You showed up and carried me to a truck to make sure I got out of that ruined… place. I've always thought about you since then, so I don't regret last night. I'm glad it happened, and if I could go back in time and know what I know now… I would do it all again."

He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

"I'm really happy I got to meet you and that I got to know you. That's enough; I've lived a fairytale more so than any other girl could hope. Thank you for that."

No… no, he could take everything but what she just told. She could not… could not thank her after all of that. No.

"I'm going to go now," she stated with a nod, "goodbye, Prince Inuyasha."

It simply wasn't possible for him to find words as she walked away… how could this be?

A/N: Thanks for reading, please continue to review. I'm having fun with this fairytale-isk story, it's just my take on the whole common girl meeting prince. I know there are oh so many out there. I just felt too many of them were unrealistically happy so I had to write my angstish version :)

I hope you enjoy. By the way, my polls pretty much at a tie between Damned Darling and Requiem of the Damned thus... that's not all too helpful, if you have no voted could you please go and do so? I would be very thankful and you would be the greatest for certain :)