Ten years later… A young man around eighteen years old is climbing down his castle walls in the dark of night, keeping to the shadows. He is running away from his family and all he has known. He fleetingly considers his move cowardly, but this place controls his every move. He yearns to live by his own rules and whims at least once.
As he runs off into the forest he hears "Guards find my son at once!" he knows this voice all too well, the young man smirks a little but keeps on running.
Meanwhile with Kagome and her family.
It is dawn. Much has changed over the years for Kagome, her new mother and sisters have treated Kagome more like a servant then a family member. So much so that they moved Kagome out to a little house next to their castle. Kagome, being kind hearted and good, was trying her hardest to please her mother and sisters for she knew her father would have wanted her to.
Kagome wakes to hear a rooster crowing. She noticed that she once again fell asleep next to the fireplace reading the book her father gave her. A melancholy smile dawns her face. She gets up and starts to do her chores for the morning. As she picking apples she hears hooves beating the ground and a grumpy voice, "Come on you stupid horse!" she noticed that a young man riding one of her father's horses. She runs towards the horse, yelling "Oh no you don't" and starts throwing apples at him.
"Thief you dare try to steal my father's horse!" she yells as she continues to throw apples at the man. The man falls off the horse, his cloak tangling around his head and blinding him as he fell. He finally had enough and took off the hood. Kagome noticed the king's emblem on his chest. She gasps and falls down onto her knees. "Forgive me your highness I did not see you" She said.
"Your aim says otherwise".
"Please show mercy, my liege, but if not I will take your sentence gracefully"
"To show lenience I will allow this just once for your silence"
The young prince gets back on the horse, Kagome notices this and asks, "We have younger horses if that your wish your highness."
"What I wish is to be free from the cage I have been placed in" he opened up a small bag and lets out a few gold franks "For your silence" he then rides of into the distance.
Meanwhile in the dining room Kagura, Sango and Kikyo were about to have breakfast.
"I asked for three six minute eggs not three one minute eggs, and where in god names is our bread!" Kikyo yelled
"Kikyo dear what have I said about yelling?" asked Kagura
"A lady voice must not be more than that of whisper to fill in the silence" said Sango
"Sango dear do not speak unless you can fill the silence better" Kagura said, Kagura then looked at the table "Why is there no salt on the table? Kagome!" Kagura yells.
Kagome hears this as she enters the kitchen she yells back. "Coming" she says, then places the apples from this morning in bowl.
"Oh she is one of her moods, I think she woke up on the other side of bed again" said Kanna
"Oh I think it is going to be a beautiful day" said Kagome as she shows Kanna and Kaede the franks she got from the prince.
"Would look at that, where did you get them?" Kaede
"From an angel of forgiveness, and I know just what do with them, we can get your husband Totosai back from the traders that Kagura sold him to pay off her debts" Kagome says to Kaede
"Kagome!" Kagura yells again
"Oh you better hide these franks before the baroness finds them" said Kanna as she places them in her pocket. Kaede places some bread and two bowls in Kagome hands.
Kagome takes all these items to the dining room "Good morning Madam, Kikyo, Sango I trust you slept well?" she asks as she places the items on the table.
"Where were you?" Kagura
"One of the pigs got I was trying to catch it and I did."
"I bet you fell asleep reading near the fire place again look at you ash and soot all over, why don't you sleep with the pigs if you must smell like one Cindasoot (Kikyo's pet name for Kagome seeing as she was coved in soot and cinders).
"That is harsh Kikyo. Still, Kagome, your look and mannerisms have been lacking lately," said Kagura while staring a Kagome disapprovingly.
"I do try stepmother, sometimes I sit by myself and try to think of what I can do to please you" she replied.
"Oh settle down Kagome."
"Perhaps if some of the servants came back then my mannerisms would not offend you so?"
"After all I have done for you, after I've fed you, sheltered you, all that I ask that you help around the house without complaint. Is that too much to ask?" Kagura asks Kagome shakes her head "No mam'." "Good now no more talk of servants coming back."
"Yes mam" Kagome says as she leaves the room and goes back to her chores.
Kagura looks to both her children "Honestly after all that I have done for that girl you would think that she would be grateful."
Kikyo has a small smirk on her face and Sango sad small smile on her face.
Meanwhile with the young prince…..
As he rides through the forest he hears, "Please! Don't!"
He turns his head towards the sounds and sees an old man being robbed by a brown clothed stranger. The younger man catches the gaze of the older man. "Please can you help me?" the older man asks the young prince. At that moment, the prince also hears horse hooves. He sees the kings guards have caught up to him.
"The kings guards can help you, I cannot" said the prince. "Please it is my life work". With a flair of duty and desperation, the young prince takes off after the thief despite the closing guards.
The young prince sees the thief and jumps on him. He knocks over the thief. The thief quickly gets up and takes out a sword. The young prince sees this and takes out his own sword.
"Give back what you took thief and I may be lenient" said the prince
"Feh, my sword and I will take you down your highness" said the thief.
"All right have at it!" said the prince as he charged towards the young thief.
Clang went the swords as the made contact, the thief pushed the prince off him and swung his sword towards the prince's leg. The prince quickly turned away from the sword, pirouetted his own sword into his other hand and knocks the thief down with the end of his sword. The thief turns over but sees the prince's sword right at his neck.
"I will TELL you AGAIN! Give me back what YOU took NOW!" grated the prince menacingly.
The thief picks up what he took an old looking jewel and threw it at the prince. As the prince caught it the thief took off. "Hey!" the prince yells as he goes to pursue. Behind him, the guards close within hailing distance of the prince. "Kouga, forget him! Let the guards get him and come home" Kouga sees his old friend Ginta, the captain of the guards, riding a horse coming up to him.
"Mmm, fine." he said as Kouga gets back onto the horse to give back the jewel to the old man