Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine.

Kagome didn't have any idea how much time had passed when the wagon came to a stop. When the door opened, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the intrusive light.

"Taking a break," Hakkaku said gruffly, "Thought you might be hungry." He carelessly tossed her a turnip.

Yum.

But, deciding that annoying the wolf-demons would be a foolish course of action, Kagome mumbled a thank you and took a bite. Apparently satisfied, they sat down to gnaw at the dried meat they'd packed.

"Are you, uh, comfortable enough?" Ginta asked awkwardly, "It's pretty cold where we are going, we can dig out a blanket if you need one."

Kagome blinked in surprise, they cared about her comfort? She looked around. They were on an incline, surrounded by trees as far as she could see. Ahead of her, the snow-capped mountain peaks loomed, backed by a stormy grey sky. Was that where they were headed?

"A blanket would be nice, thank you." She murmured. After a moment's hesitation, she plucked up the courage to ask the burning question that had been in her head since they'd left.

"What does he want with me?"

The wolves stared at her like she'd grown a second head. Ginta shook his head in exasperation.

"Well, let's think," Hakkaku said, "What do men usually want with women?"

It took everything in Kagome's power not to make a gay joke. They were always seen together, after all. Her father had often said her smart mouth would be the cause of her misery. Jokes aside, the prospect of being shipped off to become a half-demon's sexual plaything did not sit well with her. She supposed that she really shouldn't have been surprised, they had stipulated that it be an unmarried woman they were to bring back. She clutched the turnip in her hands, keeping her eyes down.

You did this for Kaede, not anyone else. She silently reminded herself.

"Hey, try not to worry." Ginta said, noticing her discomfort, "He's good at it from what I've heard."

"Yeah, yeah!" Hakkaku piped up, "Just pretend you haven't heard any of the stories about him and you should be fine."

"What do you mean by that?" Kagome asked in a small voice. The wolf demons shared a look, suddenly uncomfortable. Ginta cleared his throat before answering.

"The Master uh, doesn't like being reminded of the rumours." He said delicately. Beside him, Hakkaku nodded vigorously.

The conversation ended there. As promised, Hakkaku rummaged through their cargo until he produced a blanket, which he gave to her. Kagome offered a quiet thank you that he acknowledged with a grunt. She wrapped it around herself and took a deep breath; it smelled like home. The doors closed, shutting her in darkness once again. She raked a hand through her hair, chanting a mantra to herself to try and stay calm.

Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe I can escape at some point. Maybe if it gets really bad, I'll piss him off on purpose just to make it end. Ooh, if he turns out to be not very smart, maybe I can get some good practical jokes in before I die…

She amused herself with this train of thought until she drifted off to sleep. Despite only being the afternoon, it was hard to stay awake in this blackness. Even the rocking motion of the wagon seemed less jarring.

She awoke to Hakkaku roughly shaking her shoulder. They had arrived. Kagome allowed the wolves to help her down, but her eyes scanned their surroundings, taking in as much as possible. The castle was large, but her keen eyes noticed that it was not in pristine condition. Some of the wood of the outer decks and railings were rotting and broken. A tattered flag on the roof braved the blistering wind. The snow was ankle deep and blew in sparkling gusts around her. She shivered and pulled the blanket closer. Already her toes were beginning to go numb.

"What are you two numbskulls doing?" A woman's voice shouted in disbelief, "Can't you see she's cold? Carry her inside at once!" The wolves stammered apologies and Kagome instantly found herself scooped off the ground and carried inside by Ginta. Once inside, Hakkaku slammed the door closed, perhaps harder than necessary. Ginta gently put Kagome down and joined Hakkaku in bowing to the woman that had spoken. Kagome stayed standing, aware that she was being rude. She surveyed the woman before her.

She looked to be Kagome's age, perhaps a year or two older with long chestnut hair and kind brown eyes accentuated by a sweep of purple eyeshadow. She wore a simple pink kimono with a green skirt and offered Kagome a smile and a small bow.

"My name is Sango. On behalf of his Highness and all the staff here, we welcome you." To the wolves, she asked, "You made the journey as comfortable as possible?"

"Yes ma'am." Hakkaku answered, "We gave her a snack halfway here, but didn't want to risk spoiling her dinner, ma'am!" Kagome bit back a smile and offered a slight bow of her own.

"My name is Kagome." Despite herself, she already liked this Sango; she'd have to ask later how she got these two rough looking demons to address her like an army general. Sango bowed again.

"We are at your disposal, Lady Kagome, if you will allow me, I'll escort you to your room." Nodding dumbly, Kagome followed. Casting a sneaky glance over her shoulder, she noticed that Ginta and Hakkaku stayed in position until Sango was out of sight. Another sneaky look at Sango's ears told her that Sango was no demon. The demon prince had humans in his employ? Polite, pleasant, humans?

She followed Sango through the winding halls of the estate, afraid to blink and miss something. Everything she saw could be described as beautiful when it was new, but had since fallen into a state of disrepair. Sango stopped in front of a set of sliding doors and Kagome nearly crashed into her. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Kagome's jaw dropped open. The room was in perfect condition. The hardwood floor had been polished until it shone. Lanterns bathed the room in a gentle, flickering light. Though the doors were closed, it appeared she had a balcony of her own. There was the largest, most comfortable looking futon she'd ever laid eyes on. Even the pillow looked soft! Sango gave a soft snort of amusement at the amazement on Kagome's face.

"Not what you expected?" She asked wryly. Kagome blushed, snapped out of her reverie.

"Oh! Erm, no, I guess not." She admitted.

"Would you care for a bath before dinner?" Sango offered. Kagome's blush deepened, remembering that she hadn't had a chance it wash off the odour of the medicine from this morning. Had it really only been this morning? It felt like so much longer. She nodded and let Sango lead her to the bath house.

"If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to let myself or any of the servants know." Sango told her as they walked. "If it's within our power, anything you ask for will be given to you. We truly do want you to be happy here."

"And if what I want is my freedom?" Kagome asked. This all sounded too good to be true, there had to be a catch somewhere, she was sure of it. What were they trying to hide behind all the pretty words? Sango's hand froze on the door. When she turned, her brown eyes were so sad that Kagome almost apologized for asking such a rude question. She had volunteered for this, technically. Sango was just doing her job.

"Kagome, I know you don't want to be here. Everyone knows that. But you're not a prisoner here, honestly."

Kagome resisted the urge to say "really?" but silence seemed to have the same affect.

"Yes, really." Sango said, with a note of sarcasm lacing her tone, "Please, you've traveled a long way and you must be tired. Just stay for one night. Get clean and warm, enjoy the dinner we've prepared for you and if by tomorrow you still want to go home, I'm sure the Master will arrange it."

Kagome considered that for a heartbeat.

"Alright." She said finally, "Thank you for your help." She wasn't convinced that it was truly that simple, but Sango had a point; she was exhausted and practically starving to death.

A smile returned to Sango's face.

"I'll prepare your outfit for dinner, unless you require any further assistance?"

Kagome shook her head and stepped inside the bath house. It was so deliciously warm inside that she moaned out loud. The room had been constructed over a natural hot spring, but they'd added some delightful touches. A towel rack had been placed over a vent, allowing the steam to warm the towels. Handles had been installed to allow easier maneuvering. It was all rather luxurious, more than anything she'd ever experienced.

Laying her miko robes aside, Kagome sank into the water and almost cried. The steaming water was like a silken caress on her sore muscles. If she hadn't been on a timeline, she would probably never leave. Was there any greater joy in life than a hot bath? With a blissful smile, she set to work combing the tangles out of her hair.

Once the euphoria of the bath had faded, Kagome was back to feeling anxious and uncomfortable. She'd never looked so pretty in her life, Sango had selected a breathtaking purple and white kimono, patterned with butterflies and had helped her apply a delicate touch of makeup, just enough to draw attention to her heavily lashed eyes. The feast laid out on the table was making her mouth water-true all she'd eaten that day was a turnip, but this spread would smell good regardless. The room was spacious and beautiful, and a roaring fire kept the place comfortably warm. But she couldn't stop fidgeting.

She was about to meet a prince. A half-demon prince with an infamous temper. Who apparently wanted her for what "most men wanted with women" She felt sweat beading on her forehead and knew it had nothing to do with the fire.

I don't even know what a half-demon might look like, what kind of monster is this guy going to be?

The door slid open, making her jump. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"Oh, my."

TBC