Author's Note: Thanks for the support so far, I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha


Chapter Three:

InuYasha walked in step with the princess, watching her with slight intrigue. He would be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive.. for a human, that is. She was shorter than him, and slender, easy to snap in half if he really wanted to. So he found it hard to imagine her possessing such a powerful item like the Sacred Jewel.

"The sleeping quarters are in this wing, and there are eight rooms in total," Kagome was explaining in a business-like tone as she continued to give the tour.

InuYasha snapped out of his reverie and nodded as his gaze followed the princess' gestures. They had previously been to the entrance hall, the dining area, the kitchen, and all seemed like unlikely hiding spots for the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls. Kagome's sleeping quarters was the only possibility so far, but how on earth was he going to convince the Princess to let him into her chambers? There had to be somewhere else..

"Do you have a weapons room?" he asked as they continued past the main hall that led to the bedrooms.

Kagome glanced at him, a spark of curiosity in her chocolate eyes and nodded. "We do, but it isn't much…" she trailed off meekly, "It's this way."

InuYasha promptly followed her as they turned the corner, "It's good to see what needs improvement, should we go ahead with a union."

Kagome nodded her understanding as they reached a door at the end of the hall, and she stopped briefly, "This is it." She slid the door open and stepped aside to let her suitor in.

InuYasha took a quick look around the room and made a show of inspecting the wall of swords, spears and bows. "Are these your strongest weapons?" he asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He watched as Kagome contemplated this and wondered to himself if she was thinking about the Jewel.

"I'm afraid this is all we have… Unless you count Miroku-" Kagome stopped short, wanting to kick herself, after nearly disclosing the truth about her Champion's Wind Tunnel – literally a secret weapon for them.

InuYasha raised his eyebrow questioningly, forcing his smirk to stay hidden knowing she had nearly revealed something important. "Is Miroku a good fighter?" he feigned interest.

"You could say that," Kagome concurred with a quick nod of her dark head.

"Maybe I could interest him in a sparring match?" he suggested half-seriously, delighted in the idea of besting the infamous Wind Guardian with a few of his own tricks.

Kagome laughed nervously at the thought, immediately thinking of how Miroku might get carried away and threaten her suitor with his Wind Tunnel, maybe even attempt to use it considering how InuYasha didn't seemed to be intimidated by him at all!

"There is one last place that I'd like to show you," she changed the subject quickly, heading back the way they came, and leading InuYasha to the back of their property.

"Where are we going?"

Kagome turned back to face him, flashing him a genuinely happy smile, its brilliance disarming him for a second. Luckily, Kagome had already turned away and missed seeing InuYasha's step falter. He shook off the buzz he felt from her smile, and focused on his task.

"My most favourite place within the palace grounds," she informed him, a happily sentimental tone seeping into her voice.

InuYasha was definitely interested. Another promising lead perhaps? He followed as Kagome led them to the back garden. The large space was covered in green blades of grass, swaying in the gentle breeze. There were a few scattered bushes with a few pink flowers in bloom, though InuYasha had no idea what species of flower they could be. A gravel path lay before them, with stepping stones embedded in them showing you the way to the heart of the garden where a magnificent tree stood proudly, its branches offering a welcoming shade over a stone bench placed beneath it.

"The Goshinboku," Kagome introduced warmly and she looked up at it, her eyes tinted with nostalgia. She sat on the bench and patted the spot next to her as an invitation for her suitor to join her. "It's our Sacred Tree. A monument in the Higurashi family, you could say. It's been here even before I was born, and I'm sure decades before my parent's time too," Kagome's dark eyes turned sad. "It was almost the last thing standing the day we were attacked, everything else was in ruin…" she whispered softly.

InuYasha would have struggled to hear her if it wasn't for his demon self, amplifying his human traits. Now seemed to be his chance to form some sort of bond with the girl.

"I lost my family when I was young too," he said truthfully and Kagome looked at him with her dark eyes. "But I turned out ok," he added with a grin, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh.

"You're forced to grow up too quickly," Kagome stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

InuYasha nodded his understanding, briefly reminiscing about his own past. If he really thought about, he and Kagome did have a few things in common.

"But even if my family had survived the demon attack, I still don't think I would have grown up with a normal childhood," the princess added with a heavy heart.

"What makes you say that?" he questioned, with curious eyes gazing at the young girl before him.

"I had a lot of responsibility growing up," Kagome admitted. "But I guess being born into a noble family does that to you," she gave him a sad smile.

"Doesn't it make you sad being here if you have such a tragedy attached to this place?" InuYasha wondered, deciding that if he was going to spend the next two weeks wooing the girl, he may as well get to know her. He pushed away his thoughts of the Sacred Jewel and focused on the moment that he was having with this girl sitting beside him, letting himself relax a fraction – enough to enjoy the scenery and the company.

"Yes and no," Kagome answered truthfully, "I mean, sure it's a constant reminder of what happened to me in the past. But it's also a reminder that if I have the strength in me, I can make it through the storm. And I get support from my friends too."

"Hmmm…" InuYasha pondered this. He couldn't really say the same for himself, having been alone for so long. But he could never forget Jin and the strength he was able to gain by being taken under his wing. And by losing him as well. He had grown to depend on no one but himself.

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while, both seemed to take in their surroundings and were lost in their own thoughts.

InuYasha's instincts kicked in, telling him that they had an audience and he felt a smirk coming on, but bit the inside of his cheek to stop it from surfacing.

He reached down, laid his hand on Kagome's and gently held her hand in his. Her hand was small, and he couldn't help but relish in the feeling of its warmth, and how neatly it complemented his own. The half-demon felt the princess' surprise but felt encouraged when she didn't pull away.

"Kagome," he whispered and gazed at her with his own dark eyes, and for the first time, he took in all of her – her chocolate brown eyes that held a deep kindness and purity that it seemed capable of looking into a person's soul, the soft curves of her face, and the way a few loose tendrils framed her features perfectly. The more he stared at her, the stronger the feeling was of wanting to pull her closer to him, to feel her body against his own, and feel the warmth he knew was there.

What was he thinking?! He had to stop getting overly distracted by the girl! Stupid human, he grumbled mentally, referring to both Kagome and his own human self.

"Thanks for showing me this place," InuYasha managed, shocked at the slight unsteadiness in his voice.

Kagome quickly looked down at their hands, then back up at InuYasha. "I'm glad I did," she replied with a soft smile. She savoured the moment they were sharing and took in the scenery once more as an unexpected peace came over her.

The Wind Guardian glared daggers at Kagome's suitor from the big bush he was hiding behind. To say he was in shock would be an understatement. Kagome had never ever ever brought anyone apart from Sango and himself to the Goshinboku.

Miroku had watched Kagome mature beyond her years far too early, and the Goshinboku had been somewhat like a sanctuary for the princess within the confines of her home. But he knew it was also a reminder of the future for her, and for all of them. To have brought InuYasha to such an important place must mean that Kagome really was serious about finding a suitor. Unless… Sango put her up to it! Miroku grew suspicious where he hid.

The former monk knew that her marriage was inevitable, but a part of him wished that they could remain as they were, and the Higurashi lands would not go under. He didn't want the dynamics of the trio to change, and he knew they would once Kagome was wed.

What if her husband decided that the Champion was no longer needed? Surely they wouldn't just cast him aside… But he knew of no other position. At least Sango would be safe as the Advisor, and if that position was to be made redundant, the demon exterminator could always go back to being a lady in waiting.. or a demon exterminator. Perhaps Sango and I could travel the lands, ridding it of nuisances, one demon at a time… The Wind Guardian wondered to himself, not wanting to become too disheartened at the fact that Kagome would soon be married, and he could possibly lose his best friend.

Lucky for him, his attention was soon diverted back to the couple under the tree when he noticed InuYasha reach for Kagome's hand. Miroku was furious, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel intrigued that Kagome hadn't slapped him or pulled away – a reaction that Miroku was used to receiving from the numerous women he had hit on many times before. If he wasn't suspicious of InuYasha, and didn't feel threatened by the potential of losing Kagome, he may have even gone so far as to befriend him. Maybe… the former monk contemplated reluctantly to himself. Shaking his head at the idea, he turned his attention back to the two and watched for any further development.

It had been a long time since InuYasha had had a peaceful moment like this. So long, he couldn't even remember. Maybe when he was a child with his mother? But ever since he had been left on his own, it had always just been about power, danger and survival. He may not admit it out loud, but he did admit to himself that he didn't mind sharing this moment with the Higurashi Princess, even if it was somewhat based on a lie. Though to give himself some credit, he did briefly mention his childhood, and there was no lie in that.

What does it matter anyway? The half demon thought to himself, seeing Kagome out of the corner of his eye, It's only for two weeks, and once I know where to get the Jewel, I just have to get rid of her…

InuYasha gave a quick smile when Kagome looked up at him, causing her to blush a bright pink. InuYasha couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.

"What?" Kagome stammered and quickly looked away.

"I guess I'm just not used to having a woman react to me that way," InuYasha replied, the smirk still on his face.

"W-Well.. it's not everyday I'm alone with a man other than Miroku, and he doesn't exactly count," Kagome feigned indignation to try and mask her embarrassment.

"I thought you'd be an expert by now, with all the other suitors I'm sure you've spent time with before me," he mocked lightly, and a small smile replaced his smirk when Kagome actually did give him an indignant pout.

"The others didn't actually last as long as you," Kagome admitted with a dismissive shrug, "Miroku was quick to scare them away. And I'm actually glad he did."

"Not ready yet?"

"Not ready yet," she confirmed. "Plus none of the others were like you," she added in a whisper she hoped he didn't hear.

But of course, InuYasha heard, "Not like me?"

"Never mind," she waved her hand dismissively, wanting to kick herself, making a mental note not to say such things out loud. "If you're feeling up to it, I can show you around the village," Kagome suggested, changing the subject away from her previous comment.

"That might be a good idea. It probably isn't good for your Champion's back to be crouched behind the bushes for so long," InuYasha replied and gestured to the aforementioned bush.

Kagome turned to look at the bush and a slight rustle confirmed a presence there.

"Miroku," the Princess called out in a reprimanding voice.

A man clad in black and blue robes, popped out of the bushes in a hurry with a sheepish grin directed at his charge. "Just wanted to check in on you," Miroku gave an awkward laugh, and then shot InuYasha a deadly glare for being snitched on. How on earth did he know I was there? Did he see me approach them before? Miroku wondered.

"Well, I hope your snooping was worth the sore back," Kagome shook her head with loving disapproval, if there was such a thing.

"My back is fine," the Wind Guardian replied in a clipped tone and gave InuYasha another pointed look, "Thank you for your kind consideration, Suitor."

InuYasha smirked at Miroku, "You could be one of my staff in the near future, so I'm just looking out for my people."

"How thoughtful," Miroku replied sarcastically.

Kagome rolled her eyes. She wasn't stupid, she knew, and could see quite clearly, that InuYasha and Miroku were challenging one another constantly. She loved Miroku for the effort he was putting in, and she had to admit that she did enjoy the fact that InuYasha definitely wasn't one of the other spineless suitors that had come along her way. InuYasha had spirit in him. He was a bit of an enigma to her - a little rough around the edges, but she could tell there was more to him than meets the eye. And surprisingly, she wanted to learn more about him. Well I'd have to if he's going to be my husband, she smiled to herself.

"Kagome?" Miroku was giving her a puzzled look.

She snapped out of her momentary daze, "InuYasha and I will be going to the village, so you can take the rest of the afternoon off, Miroku."

"Are you sure?" Miroku asked uncertainly, never really having been dismissed by Kagome before.

"Mmhmm. Maybe you can help Sango with something?" Kagome suggested, "She has so much paperwork to go through, I'm sure she wouldn't mind the extra help."

"If you're worried about her safety, I'm skilled with a sword so I can protect her," InuYasha added nonchalantly.

It's you I'm worried about, Miroku thought but said flatly, "Please do." The Champion addressed the princess with a small bow, "I'll be taking my leave then."

Kagome nodded and smiled at him reassuringly, "I'll see you when we get back ok?"

Miroku nodded and waited for the two to pass him by, watching their departing backs.

"Can we drop by my guest room? I left my sword there," InuYasha said as they walked back through the palace.

"Oh, so you weren't joking?" Kagome asked as she led the way to the room Sango had set up for her suitor.

"My father left me a sword, so I've trained with it since I was really young," InuYasha explained briefly as they reached his room. While he went inside to grab his sword, Kagome waited outside.

The Princess tucked that bit of information away while she waited, and InuYasha soon returned carrying a sheathed sword that he had attached to the side of his hakama.

"Anything else you're really good at?" Kagome asked as they fell in step with one another, making their way out of the palace and towards the outer gates.

InuYasha thought about this seriously for a moment. There were heaps of things he was better at than a human, being a half-demon – sniffing, running, jumping, vision.. but fighting was probably his most notable skill.

"Not really," he said simply, with a shake of his head.

"Now you're just being modest," Kagome smiled.

The two were interrupted momentarily at the gates by the guards greetings of 'Good afternoon'. And with a quick reply and kind smile, they started to make their way towards the village that lay just ahead of them.

"Are you good at anything?" InuYasha asked conversationally.

"Ummm.." Kagome thought carefully, "If anything, it would probably be archery."

Now that's interesting, Inuyasha noted to himself, I'd never pegged her for something like that. "Moving targets?"

"Sometimes," Kagome answered, "Miroku takes me out to train every now and then. It was something they taught me after the incident, so I'd at least know how to use some sort of weapon in case of an emergency."

"Makes sense.."

Kagome seemed to notice that InuYasha was interested in her weapon choice and she added, "A sword was too hard for me to handle, and they didn't like the idea of me being in close combat."

"That also makes sense," her suitor nodded his understanding.

Kagome and InuYasha were soon upon the village, and while most of the villagers were tending to their daily tasks, it was a child that noticed their arrival first.

"Kagome! Kagome!" a young child called out to her excitedly and was already running towards them.

Kagome beamed at the little boy running to greet them, his orange hair was like a beacon and his green eyes shined brightly with happiness and a hint of mischievousness.

"This will probably be the first of many introductions today," Kagome warned InuYasha with a sheepish smile.

"I'll have to do it eventually right?" InuYasha replied, hinting at their possible future together and Kagome's smiled brightened. InuYasha was slightly surprised that the Princess could be genuinely pleased at that idea, and felt a slight twinge of guilt knowing the charade he was putting up. But he quickly brushed that emotion aside – there was no room for weakness and doubts on this mission.

"Hello Shippo," Kagome's cheery voice recalled his attention to the current situation. The princess had squatted down so that she was relatively on the same level as the child before her.

"Have you come to play with us today?" the little boy asked eagerly, practically bouncing on his little heels.

"Not today, Shippo," Kagome shook her head apologetically, "I've got a friend visiting, and I just wanted to show him around." Kagome looked up at InuYasha briefly, which brought the boy's attention to him. It seemed like now was the first time the boy was noticing his presence – or at least acknowledging it.

"I've never seen him around," Shippo narrowed his green eyes suspiciously at this new person before him "Is he another one of your suitors?"

Kagome nearly fell back in shock, "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Miroku keeps me up to date with these things," Shippo said proudly, and it even seemed to make him just that little bit taller.

Kagome laughed, "Is that right? Well, I'll have to have a few words with him when I get home later, won't I?"

"What's a suitor anyway?" Shippo asked quizzically.

Kagome waved a hand dismissively. "Never you mind," she said lightly, "This is my friend, InuYasha. And Shippo here is the village prankster, aren't you?"

"Am not!" the orange haired child disagreed emphatically, but the proud look on his face and mischievous glint in his eyes said otherwise.

"Where's Rin today?" Kagome wondered, knowing that Shippo and Rin, another village child, liked to play together.

"She's gone to pick some herbs I think.. For her training with Kaede," Shippo answered simply.

"I see," Kagome replied, "Why don't you go keep an eye on her then? Make sure she's ok."

Shippo nodded his agreement, happy to play the role of protector. It was a big role to fill for such a little person, but he was eager to do so. "Ok!" he exclaimed with a wide grin.

Kagome ruffled his hair lovingly, "Don't get up to too much trouble ok?"

"I promise… I'll try!" Shippo chuckled at his own humour. "Bye Kagome!" he added happily, but gave InuYasha a dark look before heading off to find Rin.

InuYasha glowered at the kid's insolence. He definitely did not like Shippo at all. Or maybe it was just kids in general. Regardless, he was glad that the kid decided to go away.

"Sorry about that," Kagome apologised sincerely, "He's normally really friendly. I think it might just be because you're an outsider."

Kagome's suitor just dismissed it with a shrug, his eyes already wandering as he scouted the area for possible threats, hiding places or anything out of the ordinary. They walked through, and Kagome politely introduced him to anyone that stopped to talk to them. He noticed how much the children loved to spend time with the princess, and that all the villagers all seemed to genuinely care about her. InuYasha had never seen such a relationship between a ruler and their people before. It really made him wonder what was so special about the girl beside him.

The half-demon listened intently to Kagome's stories of the villagers – how hard the children studied when they weren't playing, how hard the farmers worked at maintaining their fields, how Kaede educated the women in medicinal herbs and remedies to help each household in times of sickness, and then she briefly mentioned how hard everyone had worked together to rebuild their home over the years.

When he took note of his surroundings, it really was just an ordinary village. There were scattered huts situated next to the main fields and watering hole. While some villagers owned a goat or a few chickens, there was also a main farm where he could see some cows and sheep grazing. And a few meters away from said farm was a medium sized stable next to a paddock filled with a handful of horses. It wasn't obvious if the farm or stables belonged to one particular family, but it wouldn't surprise him if it were a communal asset. There was a very familial feeling to the whole thing that InuYasha admitted he had desired to have a very long time ago when he was much younger than he was now.

"It's not anything special, but what I love about this place is how close everyone is," Kagome was explaining as they started to walk back to the palace an hour later, "So it would be nice to marry someone who also feels the importance of the support we get from family and friends. I mean, I wouldn't be here without any of these people. And I think any other person is the same, whether they like to admit it or not."

"You have a really good thing going here, Princess," InuYasha told her with truth behind his words.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed with a smile, "I'm really lucky."

"Maybe I'll be lucky and get to be a part of this too," he said so simply that his words made her blush.

Kagome could only reply with a shy smile, but that was enough. InuYasha knew that if he played his cards right, he could get her to talk about her role as the Keeper of the Sacred Jewel. It had only been their first day together, and she had already revealed more of her personal life than he thought he would get at this stage.

When the two were back in the castle, Kagome had dropped him off back at his room so that he could take a break, not wanting to overwhelm him with too much. She knew that Sango wanted them to spend as much time together as possible, but she was worried that InuYasha would get sick of it all too quickly.

"I'm just going to attend to some things with Sango and Miroku," Kagome explained remaining at the entrance to the guest room as InuYasha made his way inside, "So I can come and get you for dinner later, if you like."

"Sounds good."

"Ok," she nodded, making a mental note to do so later on, "And I'll have someone attend to you in case you need anything."

Kagome gave him a quick bow before sliding the bedroom screen closed, leaving InuYasha to his thoughts.

Kagome made her way to Sango's room where she knew the ex-demon slayer was going through piles of paperwork that detailed the various expenses of their village, as well as a few other things.

"Come in!" Sango called out after Kagome knocked on the wooden frame of the screen door. The Royal Advisor looked up as the princess entered and raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Done so soon?"

Kagome ignored the question and asked one of her own, "Where's Miroku?"

Sango replied by pointing her quill to the darkened corner of her room where the former monk sat sulking.

"Why is he sulking?" Kagome whispered to Sango as she took a seat beside her friend.

"He's upset that you went off with InuYasha without him," Sango replied with clear approval in her eyes.

"And you took him to the Goshinboku…" Miroku added in a gloomy voice.

Sango rolled her eyes at the Champion's dramatic mood, "He thought I put you up to it too. So when I found out he had been spying on you and Lord InuYasha, I gave him a good whack." Sango's eyes shone excitedly, "I assume things are going well so far? He is still here after all."

"I think so," Kagome said with uncertain hope. While she hated the idea of marrying a complete stranger, she also felt like she could actually like InuYasha. It was still too early to tell, but hopefully her search for a suitor really had come to an end.

"Well it's a good sign that Miroku hasn't managed to scare him off yet," Sango sounded happy at that.

"Exactly!" Miroku exclaimed, getting up from his position on the floor, "There is something seriously wrong with him! Why hasn't he gone running for the hills yet?!"

"Stop being ridiculous, Mirkou," Sango scolded as her eyes narrowed dangerously, "You should be happy that our search could be coming to an end, especially since Kagome doesn't seem to hate him altogether."

"I still think there's something not quite right about him…" Miroku muttered under his breath and crossed his arms defensively, but did as Sango told him.

"Well he's in his room now, and I told him that I'd get him later for dinner," Kagome informed her two closest friends, "And if you guys don't need me for anything, I might lie down for a bit too." The princess wasn't really tired, but she did want to collect her thoughts and ruminate over the progress so far with InuYasha.

"Good idea," Sango agreed wholeheartedly and she placed a stack of papers to one side of the table, "Today must have been quite taxing on you. If you'd like, I can have one of the girls draw you a hot bath?"

"That would be nice," Kagome accepted Sango's offer, making her way back to the entrance of the room.

"If I haven't finished up in here, I'll get someone to let you know about your bath, otherwise I'll come see you myself," Sango said as she stretched her arms above her head and shook her shoulders, dispelling the stiffness in her back from having been sitting there for the past few hours.

"Thanks Sango," Kagome said gratefully before she slid the door closed behind her.

Sango turned to face Miroku once Kagome had left, "So why aren't you escorting her back to her room like a good Champion?"

Miroku grumbled to himself before answering the woman he considered his beloved, though she may not know it just yet, "Does it not bother you that Kagome is getting too close to this InuYasha character too quickly?"

Sango looked puzzled at this, "Isn't that the point? We knew the time would come that Kagome would have to marry. She is the last of the Higurashi bloodline, Miroku. If she doesn't marry, the line will die with her. And not just that, we need to form an alliance with a capable ruling family to protect Kagome and the Jewel."

Miroku did a bit more grumbling as he thought on what Sango had said. He knew she was right. They had gone through this process before. "That may be the case, but I don't have to like it," he said quite tetchily.

Sango laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous of InuYasha," she teased with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You know I only have eyes for you, my dear Sango," Miroku replied smoothly without missing a beat.

"But your hands have an appreciation for all women right?" she replied crisply, though her cheeks were burning a bright red – something Miroku loved to see.

"A habit I am trying to curb," he smirked as he reached out for Sango and pretended to go for her chest.

Sango crossed her arms over her breasts protectively. "Miroku!" she reprimanded him, though she knew he was too far to actually reach her, "Stop slacking off and go be a good Champion. Make sure you see if she's ok."

Miroku sighed resignedly as he also made his way to leave. He turned back to face Sango just before he left, "You know things will change once she's married…"

"I know," Sango replied with a grim smile, "But we'll always be there for her."

"Yes we will," he agreed. "But I'd like to talk to you… about us... before she's married," Miroku ventured the topic cautiously. While he might have feelings for Sango, he couldn't be sure that she felt the same way, hence the talk he wanted to have.

Sango looked caught off guard at the suggestion, blushing a bright pink. "Ok," she squeaked, her cheeks burning brighter at her own silly girlish reaction.

Miroku gave her a final smile before heading off to Kagome's room.


Author's Note: I hope that was to your liking :) Please R&R! Also, I have another AU InuxKag story coming up (still in the process of typing up the first chapter), so keep an eye out in case it interests you! Thanks everyone :)