AN: Here is the next chapter as promised….please REVIEW!

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Inuyasha was fidgeting as he stood before the massive assembly of youkai and humans alike. He felt as if his clothes were strangling him. Beads of sweat dripped down the back of his neck and he glanced nervously over at his friend and confidante, Miroku. The young human ambassador gave the hanyou a wink and a smile. Keh, he's no help at all…as a matter of fact I can blame part of this ridiculous set up on him.

Inuyasha grunted. Earlier in the day there had been a simple wedding ceremony to honor human tradition. Inuyasha had barely managed to choke out the vows to the poor girl, who was shaking nervously the whole time. Both of them had blushed madly when everything was supposed to be sealed with a kiss at the end of the ceremony. The princess looked embarrassed and Inuyasha quickly glanced at his father, who only nodded and glared. Reluctantly on both parts, Inuyasha quickly pecked the young woman on the lips as they were proclaimed husband and wife. The hanyou could still see Sesshomaru's wicked grin.

He heard his half brother clear his throat. Inuyasha looked up to see the doors the great hall parting. There stood Kagome in a brilliant white kimono. Her long hair was adorned in flowers and a simple silver crown, similar to the one Inuyasha wore on his head. Inu no Taisho, himself, escorted her down the aisle towards his son.

The king gave the young hanyou a reassuring smile, but his eyes told Inuyasha everything. The young prince coward slightly, fearing what would happen if the ceremony did no go through as planned. He reluctantly grabbed Kagome's hand and they stood before their King and knelt.

"Lords and Ladies," declared Inu no Taisho proudly. "We are here today to celebrate the mating ceremony of Prince Inuyasha and the Princess Kagome of the Hirgurashi Kingdom! Let us begin!"

Kagome took a quick, nervous glance around her. Queen Izayoi had assured her that the ceremony was not too long, but was quite different from a marital ceremony. She had explained most of the aspects of the ceremony, to soothe the poor girl's nerves, but it did not change the fact that Kagome still felt like she was walking into the whole thing blindly. Her heart was pounding and she was too embarrassed to even look at Prince Inuyasha.

It began with the King saying a few words. He then turned to the young couple, motioning for them to stand, and asked if they both willingly gave themselves to one another. After both had answered yes, the King turned around and produced a golden wine goblet. Both Kagome and Inuyasha drank from it. The King drank as well then, gently put the goblet down. Next he drew out a magnificent dagger.

The sight of the weapon caused Kagome to cringe. This was what she feared the most. This was the part where she would have to be cut in order to share her blood with her future mate. She began to tremble all over.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, when the knife was drawn out. He glanced quickly at his father. Both of them could smell her fear. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha placed a hand over hers.

"It's just a little cut, it won't hurt you I promise," he said solemnly.

Kagome stared at him. Those were the first words he had said to her since her arrival. His reassurance gave her a little bit of courage and she held out the palm of her right hand to him. Inuyasha took the dagger from his father and with it, made a small cut, about and inch long across her pale skin. She winced slightly, but other than that Inuyasha had been correct, it wasn't as bad as she thought. The hanyou prince did the same to his own palm before handing the dagger back to Inu no Taisho.

"Now, join hands and become one," said the king.

Inuyasha nodded to Kagome and grabbed her hand with his own bloodied palm allowing their blood to mix. A jolt of energy hit the two of them and suddenly they were bathed in a white light. Kagome gasped and looked into Inuyasha's amber eyes. He was staring at her intensely. A look of confusion crossed his face, but he held her hand firm. Inuyasha could feel her running through his body. She was pure of heart, mind, and soul. She was a gentle breeze on a warm summer day. She was like the flowers that bloomed in the springtime. He felt his heart lift in his chest. It was such a strange sensation to feel so intimately connected with someone he barely knew, but at the same time, he felt like he had known her all along.

The light slowly ebbed and faded around them. Kagome was breathing heavily. She stared at Inuyasha, wishing she could say something to him, but she couldn't think of any words. She hardly knew him, but what they had just shared was too incredible a feeling to just forget about. When his blood coursed through her body she felt alive and strong. It was as if she was on fire, burning all over, but there was no pain.

Both suddenly glanced over to Inu no Taisho who clapped his hands together. "May I present to you my son Prince Inuyasha and his new mate and our new Princess Kagome!"

A deafening cheer rose up throughout the court.

Inuyasha walked her down the aisle as showers of flower petals were thrown at them. Once they had reached past the great double doors of the entry way, they were closed off from the rest of the assembly. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and was about to open her mouth, when a flurry of attendants suddenly ushered them off into opposite directions. She stared at her mate as he was led away from her.

Queen Izayoi was immediately by her side. She led the girl into a small chamber and instructed her to sit down. Kagome sat with a questioning look on her face. The queen hugged her, a few tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong your majesty?" asked the princess.

"Oh my dear," smiled Izayoi. "I am just very pleased by the mating ceremony. I could not have hoped for a better outcome."

"What happened to me?" Kagome asked.

Izayoi grabbed Kagome's right hand, the one that bore the cut. "You and Inuyasha will share a strong bond, Kagome. That is what happened to you when you joined hands. You are now connected to each other and this connection will grow as you share this bond. And, because you now have my son's youkai blood flowing within your veins, you will share a long lifespan with him and age will never be a burden to you. Now, let's bandage this up so we can get to the feast, shall we?"

Kagome nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"Oh and Kagome," said the queen as she worked on the young girl's hand, "Please call me Izayoi. You are now a part of our family."

Kagome nodded.

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Miroku watched the feast with amusement as he sat next to his best friend, Inuyasha.

"What's so funny?" asked the grumpy prince.

"Oh nothing, Inuyasha, just admiring the beautiful view from here," laughed Miroku as he stared at a lovely female figure.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "I wish you thought with that small brain of yours as much as you do with that wandering hand."

"Oh, Inuyasha you know I could never resist such beauty. Your new mate would be tempting as well, if I knew for a fact that she didn't belong to you, my Lord."

Inuyasha glared at Miroku. "Shut up."

Miroku smiled with a mischievous eye. "Oh but Inuyasha, you have to admit, she is something to behold. I wish I could be there later when the mating ceremony is completed."

"You are a lecherous idiot! Do you honestly think I would ever consent to that?" Inuyasha smacked Miroku upside the head. "If it weren't for all these people around, I would kill you right now!" the hanyou scowled. He took a quick glance over at Kagome, who sat three seats down from him, next to his mother. "Besides," he muttered quietly. "You can't actually expect me to do that."

Miroku frowned, "Inuyasha, must I remind you of how the mating ceremony works?"

"I don't need reminded, stupid! I know how it works, but I'm not going to do that, not with her!"

Miroku closed his eyes and smirked, "You will have to eventually, or everyone will know."

"Shut up!"

He shoved his hands into his sleeves forcefully. He didn't care what other people thought. He had already gone through the ceremony. Wasn't that enough to please his parents? He couldn't believe he had gotten this far. He stole a quick glance at his mate. She had been quiet throughout the entire feast. He noticed she had barely eaten anything on her plate. Her large brown eyes, held a sad longing in them. She was far from home. She didn't want this just as much as me, he thought suddenly.

A group of ladies approached Kagome, instructing her to stand. Inuyasha watched curiously as they led her out of the great hall. He looked at Miroku.

The young ambassador smirked, "They are going to help her prepare for her wedding night."

Inuyasha felt himself blush madly. This was getting ridiculous.

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Kagome lay upon the plush pillows of the soft futon in Inuyasha's chamber. She tried to glance at her surroundings. Flower petals were strewn about the room, and the scent of lavender filled the air. Candles were strategically placed throughout the room to give it an ethereal glow. She noted the red tapestries that covered the doorway to which she assumed led out to a balcony. The whole room was regal, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

The ladies of the court had dressed her in a simple white robe, after making her bathe in rose water. Kagome had done so, too nervous to object. They then had instructed her to lie down on the plush bedding, and left her alone to wait for her new mate. The thin robe made her feel overexposed. It clung to her young body, leaving little to the imagination. She shifted and tried her best to rearrange the useless piece of fabric, but then realized her efforts would be to no avail. There was a reason they had made her wear this for her wedding night.

She heard the door to chamber open and she froze. She lay stiffly, trying to keep her breathing under control. Her heart was pounding when Inuyasha appeared above her. She tried not to look at him, focusing her attention on the ceiling. She felt him kneel down next to her. Kagome closed her eyes praying it would all be over with quickly.

"Here," said Inuyasha.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw that he was offering her a blanket. She looked at him confused. His gaze was turned away from her.

"Perhaps you should cover up," he mumbled.

Kagome grabbed the blanket and quickly wrapped it around her body. She eyed him curiously, "You mean we're not going to…"

"No," said Inuyasha. He moved towards the wall and took a seat. He was looking at her intently.

Kagome felt immediate relief sweep over her body and she instantly relaxed, "Thank you," she murmured, "I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this yet."

"Keh, you're not the only one," replied Inuyasha sharply.

The young woman shook her head, "No, I guess I'm not." She smiled sweetly at him. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"Why? It's not your fault," grumbled Inuyasha.

"I suppose it's not," she grew quiet.

They both sat in silence for a few moments. Inuyasha watched her. She was fidgeting slightly, with her gaze fixed on the mattress of the bedding. He could tell by her scent that she was still uncomfortable. "You don't have to be uncomfortable around me, Kagome. I promise no harm will come to you."

"I know, it's silly, but I feel so far from home," she said quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I guess I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not that bad of a guy," declared Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled slightly, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I didn't realize how fast this was going to happen. And I'm so homesick it's terrible."

He blinked at her curiously. He hadn't thought about her leaving her home and family to come be his mate. She had sacrificed everything in her old life to be here.

"Look," she said softly, "I know that we don't love each other, and I understand that mating provides a much stronger bond than any marriage vows would, but I was hoping, Inuyasha, perhaps we could be…friends? I think I would like to at least have a friend here."

His eyes widened at her statement. He admired her honesty with the situation and nodded in agreement, "Sure." His response was awarded with a dazzling smile.

"You can sleep there tonight," muttered Inuyasha.

"What about you?" Kagome asked with genuine concern.

Inuyasha smirked. "Don't worry about me. I like sleeping against the wall just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Keh, don't worry about it. Go to sleep," he ordered.

Kagome nodded her head and lay her head down on the soft pillows, "Goodnight," she whispered as she drifted off, relief drifting over her body after being totally spent from the past two days.

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AN: I hope you like it so far! Please review and tell me what you think! Email: