Just so we're all totally clear on this, I own neither Inuyasha nor Hawksong. Boohoo :(

Yay immediately onto chapter 5. HAHAHA! I so rock! Moving on

Chapter 4: The Dream That Wasn't

It seemed that after the hasty nighttime departure, the whole human race thought that the demons offer of peace talks was just a cleaver ruse to kill the royal family. Kagome was the only one that was unsure that the demon's true intention was foul play. Inuyasha was right; he could have killed her instantly anytime he wanted during that whole talk that night. No one would have known until they checked in the morning.

Despite that, everyone kept thanking whatever god they worshiped that she and her mother came back safe. No one seemed to think of the demons as anything other than vicious killing machines.

A week after the incident Kagome couldn't help but wonder what Inuyasha must have thought of their late night flight.

That night, she was sleeping. Tucked under her covers going through the never-ending film of nightmares that played in her head. People she knew and loved dieing. Watching Miroku fight for his life again and again. Watching her betrothed, Houjo, die before her eyes again and again.

Then of course the nightmare that always plagued her. Of Inuyasha looking at her with his eyes. Though tonight he wasn't so frightening. Maybe after meeting the real thing, a dream was nothing.

"Don't scream, please." He begged covering her mouth with his hand.

"Oh not you." She said irritably throwing it off. Her dream was, as always, in her room. She sat up and looked at him waiting for this rather calm dream to change into something much more frightening and painful.

"You don't look that scary." She told him her irritation fading.

Inuyasha's eyebrow raised in surprise "Really?" he asked almost amused.

Kagome nodded, yawning in her dream.

"What do you want?" she asked still waiting for the dream to change and wondering why this one was so docile.

"I wanted to talk to you. First because I'm sorry. Your mother made you leave the Wyvern court because of my late night visit." He said standing in front of her.

"It's alright." Kagome said, polite even in her dreams. Though she wasn't listening very much. She was taking the chance she had to stare at Inuyasha. She was extremely curious about the demon king and in a dream she could stare at him in fascination, as she couldn't in life.

Inuyasha smiled at her unmasked curiosity as he reached down and grabbed her and pulled her off the bed.

"My point, princess, was our talk was interrupted, but my offer still stands." He said reaching into a pocket with one hand while the other caressed hers without thought.

"Our talk?" Kagome asked getting foggy.

"The one about joining the royal families, dummy." He answered tapping her lightly on the head. "Remember?"

Kagome nodded.

"Good. I want to talk about it more, but I can't do it here." Kagome nodded again her vision blurring. She was about to enter another dream, certainly more painful than this one.

"Take this." He said slipping something into her hand but she couldn't see it because he leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "Tomorrow I will place my most trusted guards around the palace. Show them this and they will bring you to me, okay?"

Kagome nodded her vision almost gone because her eyes were closing.

"Good." He said again leaning back and studying her face. Then he leaned forward and met her lips with his. This kiss was not hurried like at the court. This time it was full and promised many others if she came. Kagome was glad it was a dream so she could kiss him back just as enthusiastically.

"Tomorrow." He said again letting her go.

Then the dream changed and now it was Houjo talking to a crowd of people. Kagome forgot all about her other dream as she listened to him again.


The next morning Kagome woke feeling quite refreshed. She dreamed a lot last night and none of the last ones had been bad.

A knock at her door had her getting up and putting her mask of reserve on. "Come in." she said.

"Morning, Kagome." Sango said coming in.

"Morning, Sango." Kagome said happy to see her friend though she only let a small smile come through.

"Miroku said to tell you that we have practice in an hour and you said you would come to this one to train."

"So I did. I'll be right there, okay?" Sango nodded and left.

Kagome walked over to her balcony and drew the silk gauze away form it and let the morning shine in. She took in a deep breath. She remembered her dream of Inuyasha. She wondered what he had given her. Then she shrugged. It didn't matter. It was only a dream.

She stretched once and walked back inside to get ready.


One extremely painful training lesson later, Kagome walked downstairs to join her mother for a war conference.

She walked in and nodded to her mother then sat on her right hand preparing for the meeting.

Once every one was seated, Midori looked to the leader of the scouts and asked "Kendra, you said you had something important to tell me?"

Kendra stood up. "Yes, your Majesty. My scouts on the demon border have had something very odd to report. It seems the demons are withdrawing their forces."

One old man leaned forward and asked. "Withdrawing? That is odd. Maybe they are planning a sneak attack?"

Miroku spoke up as well, "Or they have a new weapon that can attack us in mass."

"That's what I was thinking." Kendra nodded to them, "I wanted to request that we attack them ourselves, before they have a chance to do so. Sneak into their lands and…"

Kagome's blood ran cold at her suggestions. That was just wrong. Maybe if they pulled back the demons wanted no more fighting. Why had no one thought of that? Then Kagome realized as Kendra presented and fine-tuned her plan with the queen that these people couldn't believe in peace. They had all known nothing but War and death and that the idea of peace was too much for them to comprehend. They couldn't get the idea into their brains because they were all older than Kagome and hadn't the ability to change their minds about an entire people at the drop of a hat.

When Kendra was done, Kagome spoke up. "You Majesty, if I may?" she asked first. Midori nodded Kagome stood to address them all. "Kendra you say they have pulled back all their forces?"

Kendra nodded. "Even the ones that were in battle?" Kagome pressed on. Kendra nodded again. "That's what's odd, your highness. All the raids, battles, marches just stopped and returned home."

"Did you think, Kendra, that maybe the demons are stopping because they want peace?" Kagome asked.

Kendra's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Impossible, my Lady. They must be planning something. I just want to attack them before they attack us."

Kagome didn't want that to happen. If the demons were being true and really pulling back, Kagome couldn't risk the chance that they were trying for peace and they would ruin the chance.

"Kendra, please, give me one week to come up with evidence that they are not trying to attack us. The day after I become queen. If in one week I do not have it I will give you permission to see the plan through." Kagome looked at her mother pleading for permission.

Midori considered her daughter for a moment before saying, "Kagome you have one week to think of your alternate plan."

"But your Majesty!" Kendra protested standing as well.

"Kendra, calm yourself." The queen said looking her. "There is no war plan that can be made and executed in under a week anyway. Fine tune your own plan and once the week is out, if Kagome has not thought of another, we will take yours. Agreed?" she looked between the two.

Kagome and Kendra nodded and sat back down.

"Good. Now Lionel, where stands our supplies?" the queen asked moving on.


Kagome walked through the Markets the next two days tired and worried. There was no way she could find a way to prevent Kendra's plan and she had spent the last two nights staying up wondering how.

She rubbed her shoulders; her muscles had tensed up from worry and lack of sleep.

Today was the Day of the Market. The day humans celebrated their Market and everything about them. On this day many people were tend to give her family gifts, such as now.

"My Lady." A voice behind her said. A very muscular man stood behind her shuffling his feet and holding a small package in his hand.

"Would you please accept this? It was originally my betrothed but she went out into battle and…I just can't keep it anymore and she would be honored if you were to have it." He said holding it out.

Kagome took it and opened the lid. Inside lay a beautifully made dagger and sheath. The man, a blacksmith, had obviously made it himself and had added his own touch to it.

"I cannot accept such an amazing gift." Kagome said trying to give it back.

"No, my Lady. Please she would be happier if you had it." He insisted.

"Very well. Thank you very much." Kagome said bringing it close to her.

The man smiled slightly and walked away.

Kagome sighed over the special gift and handed it to Miroku who held the other things she had gotten including a fine two-handled vase, a painting of the Keep, and a small figurine of her in flight.

Once Miroku had a good grip, Kagome turned and kept walking.

"Kagome!" someone behind her yelled. She turned and smiled, "Eri!"

"My Lady, how are you?" she asked hugging her moving the long box she held to the side.

"I'm fine Eri, how are you?" Eri nodded enthusiastically. "I'm great. Guess what. I just mastered my apprenticeship!"

Kagome smiled wider, "Congratulations." Eri had gone off to be an apprentice seamstress.

"Look I made you something. It's my best one I must say." She said holding out the box.

"Oh Eri, you didn't have to make this for me." Kagome protested taking it.

"It's nothing. Look I have to go now. The stand has a lot of customers today. Later, Kagome!" and with that she turned and ran.

"She's a very happy person, isn't she?" Miroku asked taking the box from her.

"She's never cared for etiquette." Kagome corrected with a smile still on her face.

She then continued walking, talking to many more people, tasting more of their things and accepting some too. Finally she found herself outside her favorite stall. The people here made the best jewelry in the Keep. Each piece was beautifully crafted and rumor had it that their ancestors made the crowning necklace.

"My Lady!" came the familiar call. She looked up and saw the daughter walking to her with a small package in her hand.

"Look we made something for you." She said holding it out proudly.

Kagome took it and opened it. Inside nestled a beautiful gold necklace made of thin gold fibers thin and silken as a spider's web. The necklace was coated in clear Stones (A/N Stones are kind of like diamonds and emeralds stuff like that okay) in an amazing mix of beauty.

"Shila, it's amazing. I couldn't accept this." Kagome protested immediately and meaning it.

"Don't' be silly. Ma and Pa want you to have it. They spent the last few months making it. They said they want you to wear it at your coronation." Kagome put the lid back on and thanked the girl profusely.

She shook her head and said, "It's nothing. Ma said just wear it at your coronation and that would be thanks enough."

Kagome handed it to Miroku and thanked the girl again. If it weren't against etiquette, she would have hugged her.


Kagome gasped in aw as she opened the dress box Eri had given her. The dress was made of gold with a long skirt and tight bodice. The back needed no wing slits because there was no back. The two thin straps that would hold it on her shoulders was all there was for sleeves. It was edged in pale gold with another band of pale gold around her waist ending in a tip on the front. Eri had even bought her pale gold shoes to go with it.

The dress would look marvelous with the necklace Shila had given her. She set the dress on the bed and unwrapped to necklace to see how they would look together. Then Kagome thought of another piece she had by Shila's family. A beautiful gold bracelet that had a chain that flowed across the back of her hand to a ring.

Kagome opened her jewelry box and looked inside but it wasn't there.

She opened the trunk at the foot of her bed. It wasn't there either.

Desperate, she looked under bed. She saw something shine and she got happy thinking it was the bracelet as she fished it out.

First she was disappointed because the jewelry wasn't gold but silver. Then when she got a good look at it she had to convince herself at what she was seeing and that she was right.

Lying in her hand was a ring, a ring that was obviously made for a male. It was silver with a black signet Stone inside it.

In her hand sat Inuyasha's ring. What he had obviously pressed into her hand the other night.

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Yay so just so yall know, I still love reviews.