Kagome awoke the next morning with her head on the library's main desk and a crick in her neck. She raised her head slowly and saw that it was light out. Kagome felt unbelievably stiff and she decided it would be a good idea to get a morning work out done before Naraku and his family arrived. Kagome's lessons with Midoriko had been canceled that day due to Kagome's meeting with the northern prince. Kagome was slightly annoyed, she would much rather spend her time training with Mirodirko. She rushed to her room to get changed and then headed to the dojo.
Kagome was surprised to find it empty. She picked up her sword and practiced her technique on the wooden stand in the corner of the room. It was able to rotate and its pegs did hurt when they struck you, so Kagome had to keep her mind sharp. The pegs were infused with demonic energy and they reacted to her miko aura. That made sure it was much more of a realistic fight. Kagome swung her sword in various directions and blocked when she needed to. A peg hit her in the shoulder and Kagome flinched. "Ow." she muttered quietly and ducked to avoid another peg.
"Miko, you seem distracted today." Sesshomaru's voice startled her. She turned around to see him standing in the doorway on the other side of the room. Kagome stumbled forward as a peg hit her in the lower back. She rubbed the tender spot and blushed a little. Well, that was embarrassing. It was one thing to mess up in front of Inuyasha or Sota, but she hated making stupid mistakes in front of Sesshomaru. He was perfection. Kagome did not think she had ever seen him make a foolish mistake.
"I suppose I am. A little. I am not looking forward to meeting with Naraku." Kagome sighed.
"Hn." Sesshomaru said. Kagome didn't expect much more out of him. They were close once, but since Sesshomaru had grown up and fallen into his princely duties he seemed to want nothing to do with her.
"Shall we burn off some of our frustrations?" Sesshomaru asked deeply.
"Sure." Kagome smiled. Her ears hung on how he had said "our" frustrations. Was his time with Kaori more trying than even she knew? Sesshomaru grabbed his sword and they prepared to fight. Sesshomaru got going quickly. Kagome had to jump in the air as his sword swung dangerously under her feet. She landed a few steps back and swung at him overhand. Their swords met as he drove his upwards. They continued sparing for about ten minutes until finally Sesshomaru knocked Kagome's sword out of her hand. He pointed his blade at her throat.
"You were going easy on me anyways." Kagome chuckled.
"It means you get more practice." Sesshomaru said smoothly.
"One more?" Kagome asked. She figured she still had a bit of time before she had to bathe and get ready.
"Without weapons this time," Sesshomaru said. He smirked as Kagome's face was overcome with shock.
"Are you joking? It'll be a thirty second fight!" Kagome huffed.
"You can use your powers. We'll have a few round since they will be quick." Sesshomaru said. He was never one to down play his skill. Kagome rolled her eyes at his ego.
"Fine." Kagome put herself into a fighting stance that Midoriko had taught her. Sesshomaru prepared himself as well and then charged. Kagome lay flat on her back in an instant. Sesshomaru had knocked her off her feet and was pointing his deadly claws at her throat. Kagome grumbled something about him being a cheater but pushed him off of her and a few feet back with a jolt of her miko powers. She ran at him and slid across the ground to try and trip him. Sesshomaru avoided her easy. By the time she rose to her feet, Sesshomaru was right in front of her. He pushed her back with his forearm. Kagome stumble backwards and landed on her butt. She had not even had a chance to regain her balance from getting up before he had pushed her. Kagome got up again and threw a miko-infused punch at Sesshomaru. His youkai reacted and spark flew between them. He stepped back slightly but soon grabbed her wrist and tripped her once again.
"Okay, I'm done. I'm tired of being your play thing." Kagome said and gave a sigh of defeat. She really was getting her ass handed to her.
"You showed improvement." Sesshomar said.
"Maybe. But you can still kill me in a second so I don't think my chances of survival have increased." Kagome said. Sesshomaru extended his hand to help her up. Kagome rose to her feet with his help.
"I have to go and get ready." Kagome said with a bit of sadness in her tone. She gave a single wave to Sesshomaru and turned to leave. She made it two steps forward when she felt him behind her.
"You should be my play thing more often." Sesshomaru whispered into her ear. Kagome gasped in shock and when she turned to face him, he was gone. What was that? Kagome's mind was racing, heck her heart was racing. She was so confused, why was her body reacting to him this way? It never use to. She felt a shiver travel up her spine as she remembered the way his breath danced around her ear. Kagoem rushed off to bathe. She knew that if she hid under the water for long enough she would hopefully be able to forget about the whole thing.
Sesshomaru stood in the gardens wondering what he had just done. He knew something had come over him. Perhaps he should talk to his father about it? Sesshomaru did not like the idea but he was starting to run out of options.
Kagome emerged from her room dressed in a lovely green kimono. Her hair was gracefully swept up, but she hated it that way. Kagome took a deep breath and headed down the hall. She met Izayoi in the gardens. Lord Toga was there as well, and they had set up for tea.
"Kagome! Have a seat. I'm sure he will be hear soon." Lord Toga greeted her with a large smile. It reminded her so much of Inuyasha.
"He can take as long as he wants." Kagome muttered under her breath. She knew Lord Toga had heard her since he raised a brow. It reminded her so much of Sesshomaru. The three of them did not have to wait long. A servant same rushing into the gardens and bowed deeply.
"The Nothern Lord and prince here to see you." The small man said formally.
"Thank you." Izayoi smiled and dismissed him. Naraku and his father entered shortly after the servant ducked out of the way.
"Lord Onigumo, how kind of you to join us." Lord Toga greeted. Kagome could tell there was an edge to his tone.
"Lord Toga. This is Naraku, my son." Lord Onigumo said. Everyone knew that, of course, but Naraku had never formally met any of western family. Everyone bowed deeply to Naraku and he bowed back.
"Naraku, why don't you take Kagome for a walk in the gardens." Lord Onigumo prodded. Naraku gave a nod and offered Kagome his arm. Kagome took it and the two talked away from the adults in silence. Once they were a little ways away Naraku finally spoke.
"You are a miko?" Naraku questioned.
"Yes." Kagome answered.
"Why is that it Lord Toga allows you to stay here. I heard he does not trust mikos like the north does." Naraku said.
"I'm related to his wife." Kagome answered bluntly.
"In the north we work closely with mikos." Naraku told her. Kagome wanted to roll her eyes. 'Yeah, yeah. The north is better than the west,' she thought sarcastically.
"How nice" Kagome commented. She was at a loss for what else to say.
"How often do you train your powers?" Naraku continued.
"Almost every day." Kagome told him. She was starting to get an uneasy feeling about his questions. Perhaps it was best not to appear too smart in this conversation so that Naraku would trust her more.
"What kind of work do your mikos do?" Kagome asked sweetly.
"They are healers, mostly. We also have some that we train for defense." Naraku said and smiled a little too cunningly, in Kagome's opinion.
"I enjoy healing. I'm not sure I am aware of any way I could use my powers for defense," Kagome said. She put her finger on her bottom lip to look cute and in thought. She had been told by Inuyasha that it was adorable.
"There are many ways. We basically look for ways to subdue other demons. Keep them on a short leash. If you know what I mean." Naraku smirked.
"I'm not sure that I do." Kagome replied and played dumb. She wasn't telling a complete lie. Midoriko had never spoke to her about such things. Kagome would have to ask her during their next lesson. Naraku led them back to their guardians and Kagome was happy to be out of his grasp. Kagome noticed that Lord Toga looked even more on edge than he had before. The two Lords were calling their time together to a close. Lord Onigumo bowed to Kagome and told Naraku to follow along. Naraku kissed Kagome's hand and bid her farewell. Kagome felt Lord Onigumo and Naraku's auras move farther away. The greater the distance between them, the better Kagome started to feel.
"Naraku is a hanyou. Just like Inuyasha." Lord Toga said quietly
"That was a little unexpected. He never mentioned it at the time of Naraku's birth." Izayoi commented. Lord Toga gave a quiet nod.
"How often do I have to met with him?" Kagome asked. The displeasure in her voice was evident.
"When ever they are available. Our goal is to find you a husband!" Izayoi exclaimed.
"Right." Kagome forced a smile. Kagome excused herself and headed to the library once again. She refused to think about Naraku and the prospect of marrying him so she decided to hit the books once again. This time she focused her studies on defensive arts.
Kagome had spent eight hours in the library. She had hardly moved from her position crouched over the scrolls. How come no one else seemed to know about this? Kagome found that there were records of mikos using their powers to subdue youkai. They used holy "lassos," crippling auras and even purification. The fact that Naraku seemed interested in training his mikos with these abilities worried Kagome. He seemed far to malicious to be suited for her.
A click from the door awoke her from her reading trance. Kagome looked up suddenly when the door began to open. Kagome moved too quickly and found that all of her muscles were cramped and stiff. "Owww." she whined, drawing the attention of the tall boy that entered.
"Studying too hard Kagome?" Sesshomaru said and raised an eye brow. The way his voice sounded when he said her name made her shiver a little.
"Maybe." She replied and gave a small smile.
"What did you think of Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked evenly.
"I don't trust him." Kagome replied and locked eyes with Sesshomaru in a meaningful way.
"Hn." Sesshomaru said. He was pleased. Somehow the thought of Kagome having feelings for another male disturbed him. Kagome rolled her neck from left to right and stretched out her arms.
"Seems I've been here for too long." Kagome said as she reached her arms above her head. She heard her back pop. Kagome stood up straight and put her arm over her head.
"Give me a hand with this one please." Kagome said as she tried to bend sideways without falling over. Sota, Inuyasha and herself had done this stretch with one anothers' aid countless times. Sesshomaru moved behind her and placed his hand on her hip. He used the other hand to guide her body over to the opposite side slowly. And then the other side. Kagome suddenly felt that this situation was a little more intimate than it should be. Sesshomaru seemed very content. She could feel a low rumble coming from his chest. Her eyes widened as he slid his hand slowly slide up her side and he moved his head to rest near the crook of her neck. Kagome put her arm down slowly and straightened a little. Sesshomaru did not move. He inhaled her scent and nestled his nose deeper into her hair. Kagome stayed very still and his hand continued to move up her side. It came to rest just below her chest. Kagome took a shaky breath.
"Thank you. I feel much better now." Kagome said very quietly.
"Hn." Sesshomaru acknowledged and stepped back. Kagome bowed to him and put away her scrolls. Then, she made a hasty retreat out of the study.
Sesshomaru watched her go with narrowed eyes. He was focused on her delicious smell and her lovely neck. Sesshomaru shook his head. Since when had he been attracted to Kagome? He remembered when she first came to the western palace, she was a tiny infant. All through her adolescent years she had looked up at him with those big brown eyes of hers and asked question after question. Why was his hair white? What were those colours on his face? Why were his ears pointy? Could she touch them? Why not? Inuyasha let her touch his ears. It never ended. She did not seem to fear him or understand that he was the western prince. What was the difference between now and just a couple of years ago when she was still a child in his eyes? Perhaps it was her curves and a difference in the way she carried herself. There was an enticing sway to her hips that had not been there before. And her smell. Sesshomaru inhaled deeply as if to hold on to the last of it. She smelled amazing. He punched the desk in frustration. He would not let his mind indulge in such weakness.
The next morning, Kagome found herself with Midoriko once again. Kagome had told her teacher about the defensive powers that mikos could use. Midoriko nodded slowly as she listened to Kagome, her expression was grave. When Kagome finished, Midoriko took a deep breath.
"Kagome, I would like to you spend more time with Naraku and learn more about his little army. You have done a good job of playing dumb so far, so lets continue that little game. Shall we?" Midoriko smiled.
"Yes, sensei," Kagome bowed.
"Good. Once you and I have evaluated the threat, then we will take this information to Lord Toga if we feel it is a problem," Midoriko concluded. Kagome felt pride swell within her at the thought of her teacher's trust in her judgment. Afterward, Kagome's lesson continued. Midoriko pushed her to focus on forming her energy into a solid shape. Kagome could see that Midoriko's ultimate goal, was to get Kagome to form the lasso shape that they had discussed.
"Father," Sesshomaru said evenly as he entered his father's private study. Sesshomaru avoided looking at the massive pile of paper work that his father had to attend to. It was not a duty he was looking forward to in the future.
"What is it, my boy?" Lord Toga greeted him warmly.
"I have a question about our more... primal instincts," Sesshomaru said, choosing his words carefully.
"What about them?" Lord Toga asked and quirked a brow.
"When you just met mother and Izayoi, what told you that you want them?" Sesshomaru asked. He bit back a snarl at the mention of his mother. The bitterness he felt towards Izayoi and his father was still raw and easily came to the surface.
"Ah. There is a part of our nature that calls us to claim those close to us as pack. When you first see or smell a woman that you desire, there is a want to consume that person," Lord Toga explained carefully.
"Consume?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"Yes, in the sense that you wish to be with them, to touch them, to smell them, to smell yourself on them. Make them yours and only yours," Lord Toga elaborated.
"I see," Sesshomaru said and crossed his arms over his chest. Lord Toga looked at his son carefully. He was not stupid. Sesshomaru was not attracted to Princess Kaori, so then who was it that was bring out these new feelings with in him? Lord Toga smiled slightly, he would have to wait and find out.
"Is that all, son?" Lord Toga asked.
"Yes father," Sesshomaru bowed and turned to leave. He walked confidently out of the study in an attempt to hide the slapped-in-the-face feeling he had. Sesshomaru closed the door behind him and clenched his teeth. So he was attracted to Kagome. How obvious it seemed now, and despite all his efforts to dispel the feelings and move on, it appeared that Sesshomaru was bound to pursue what he craved. This was no good. His father would never allow him to court Kagome. Court Kagome? Is this really what he was thinking? No, Sesshomaru could ignore these thoughts and feelings directed towards the beautiful miko. Soon, it would no longer be an issue. Sesshomaru strode towards the dojo with the intention of taking out his frustrations on any willing victim. He slide the screen door aside and saw his father's guards were just beginning their training session.
'Perfect,' Sesshomaru smirked and slid the door shut behind him.
"Kagome!" Izayoi shouted joyfully as she tore down the hallway towards Kagome's room. Kagome looked up just in time to see Izayoi careening towards her. Kagome flinched as her aunt stopped in front of her and fulled her up to her feet. Izayoi grabbed Kagome's forearms and spun her around in exuberant circles.
"What is it auntie?" Kagome finally managed to ask.
"Naraku wished for you to visit him at the northern castle!" Izayoi said and clapped her hands together.
"Wonderful," Kagome said, forcing as much enthusiasm into her tone as her could.
"We need to go into town right this second to get you a new kimono!" Izayoi grabbed Kagome's arm and dragged her out the door.
"Why can't we have the dress makers here make me one?" Kagome said through clenched teeth.
"They don't know what they're doing! You know that best ones are in town," Izayoi said and waved her hand as if to dismiss Kagome's comment.
"Then why don't we employ them here," Kagome muttered under her breath. Izayoi did not hear her and instead she grabbed Kagome's arm and pulled her out the door. After much arguing about how they would get to the village, Kagome was given permission to ride with Ah Un instead of in a carriage – like a proper lady, Izayoi had said. They arrive in town shortly and Kagome did not even have a chance to look around before Izayoi had shoved her into the kimono store. When they entered Kagome saw a beautiful young girl standing on the pedestal. She was wearing a white wedding kimono and the seamstresses were putting the final touches on it.
"You look beautiful," Kagome told the girl as she approached her. The brown-haired girl look up and when she recognized Kagome and Izayoi, she bowed as well as she could without ruining the seamstresses' work.
"Thank you for the kind words, my lady," The girl said.
"It's Kagome. And you are?" Kagome said.
"I am Sango, Lady Kagome," Sango said.
"Who are you marrying?" Kagome asked.
"I am marrying a monk named Miroku next week," Sango said and smiled happily. Kagome could see that Sango was so excited and there was genuine love in her eyes. Kagome wished that she too would find that kind of love.
"Congratulations," Kagome said.
"Thank you Lady Kagome," Sango said and bowed again.
"We are all finished Sango. You may step down," One of the shop girls said. Sango left to change out of her kimono. Izayoi stepped forward and explained that Kagome was in need of a kimono fit for a royal prince's eyes. Kagome rolled hers. The shop girls unlocked a small room that contained their finest fabrics. Kagome's eyes searched unconsciously for a pattern that Sesshomaru would like. She stopped herself once she realized what she was doing. Since when did his opinion matter to her? However, she eyes soon found a royal blue fabric with hexagonal cherry blossoms traveling up the sleeves and near the collar. It reminded Kagome slightly of the one Sesshomaru wore.
"What about this one?" Kagome suggested stiffly. She was trying not to give any indication to Izayoi that this was the one she wanted the most. Izayoi dropped the bright pink fabric she had been holding, much to Kagome's relief, and came to inspect her choice.
"I like this one as well," Izayoi nodded in agreement. Kagome's spirits lifted. Once the decision was made, Izayoi was busy dictating the cut and style while the shop girls measured Kagome's figure. They promised the two woman that the kimono would be finished by the evening. Kagome sighed, she knew that any other projects would be put on hold until hers was finished.
"Sango's kimono comes first, understand?" Kagome said in a low and dangerous tone. Izayoi did not hear her but the shop girl looked into Kagome's eyes and nodded.
"Let us go, Kagome," Izayoi called from the door. Kagome nodded and followed after her. When they were outside, Kagome spotted Sango chatting with one of the jewelry merchants not too far away.
"Auntie, please go ahead without me. I will follow you shortly," Kagome said politely.
"Alright my dear, be careful," Izayoi nodded. Kagome watched her aunt leave and she walked over to Sango.
"Do you see anything you like?" Kagome asked and Sango jumped. She turned to see Kagome standing next to her and bowed once again.
"Lady Kagome, how nice of you to join me," Sango said. Kagome could tell she was intimidated.
"It's just Kagome," Kagome smiled. She turned to the jewelry and Sango's eyes traveled back to a bracelet her had been looking at.
"I like this one," Sango pointed to a pearl bracelet.
"It's very beautiful," Kagome agreed.
"Which one do you like, Kagome?" Sango asked.
"I like this one," Kagome pointed at the cherry blossom hair pin hanging at the far right side of the cart. Kagome picked up the bracelet Sango had been admiring. Kagome paid for the bracelet and tied it around Sango's wrist.
"I can't except a gift like this," Sango gasped.
"For your wedding day. I hope to find love like you have one day," Kagome said and there was a sadness in her eyes.
"Thank you Kagome!" Sango jumped and hugged her. Sango stumbled back and apologized for her rash behavior. Kagome laughed.
"Don't worry about it," Kagome smiled. Kagome bid her farewell and hopped onto Ah Uh's back. She whispered some kind words to the two-headed dragon and they took off into the sky with a look of pride and happiness in their eyes. Even beasts needed a compliment or two every once in a while, Kagome thought. As the castle came into view Kagome felt dread at the thought of meeting Naraku tomorrow and excited knowing that Sesshomaru was down there somewhere.