'So was it her?' Kagome whispered through the darkness as the two figures dropped from above her out of the tree.

'Yes,' Miroku sighed.

'Is she okay?' Shippou asked, and Kirara mewed inquiringly.

'She's fine.' InuYasha responded.

'She wasn't quite in her demon slayers outfit,' Miroku said dreamily. 'She's just so,'

'Violent?' InuYasha suggested, crossing his arms.

'That's the one,' Miroku agreed, '"voluptuous".'

'That's not what I said.' InuYasha grumbled.

Kagome sighed, not so much in relief as despair.


'And that is why we are appealing to you, holy man Miroku, to perform the ceremony of holy matrimony between my daughter and Prince Mitsuo here at noon today.'

Lord Ryuu was sitting in the broad room, with Prince Akihigo on one side of him, and Prince Mitsuo on the other.

Prince Akihigo was a boy who would have been only slightly younger than Sango, and did not look unlike an older version of Kohaku, but with longer hair and much broader shoulders.

Prince Mitsuo on the other hand was much more of a man, and a very good looking one at that.

'Very well.' Said the monk, nodding. 'However,' he leant a little closer, 'I can perform the Holy Ceremony of, Ultimate Good Fortune for the couple for a small price.'

'The Holy Ceremony of Ultimate Good Fortune?' The lord said. 'I've heard of that before.'

'The issue is, it would take me about two days to perform, however should this ceremony occur, a lifetime of good fortune is almost guaranteed.'

'Guaranteed?' Mitsuo spoke up. 'My Lord, it would be an honour for this man to perform the ceremony.'

'Very well then, holy one.' the Lord said. 'Have you any requirements or needs?'

'Just one,' Miroku said. 'You see, my sister here,' Miroku nodded sideways at Kagome, 'is a priestess who is further training herself by studying the ways of the world, and I have taken her under my care. My requirements are that we both have lodging until the ceremony.'

'This is easy to fulfill. My home is yours until my daughter is married.'

Miroku almost very slightly sighed a little in content.

The conversation turned to more idle matters, and Kagome excused herself quietly, claiming the need for a walk around the grounds.

She was soon standing under the shade of the wall, where a large tree was standing, in fact being the tree from the previous night.

'Are you there?' She hissed up at it, and was rewarded with a familiar figure in the dark shadows appearing.

'How did it go?'

'Great, Miroku's got that Lord wrapped around his little finger. Have you figured out the scent?'

'I'm pretty sure I have. Trust me on this.'

'Of course.' She said.

'It's gonna take me about two days to get her.' InuYasha warned. 'Can you stall for that long?'

'Not a problem, Miroku's scraped a fake good luck charm off the wall.'

InuYasha huffed a little. 'Alright. Be careful.'

Kagome made to respond, but a voice called out from behind her.

'Priestess!'

Kagome started, spinning to see the source of the noise, but when she glanced back at InuYasha, she saw that he was already gone.

'Priestess Kagome!' Called the voice, and Prince Akihigo appeared around the corner. 'There you are! I was concerned for your whereabouts.'

'How kind of you, Prince.' Kagome said, stepping quickly away from the tree.

'It was nothing.' Akihigo dismissed, then he looked around, as if checking they were by themselves. 'And when we are alone, you can call me "Akihigo", if you wish.'

'That would be improper of me, young prince.' Kagome said decidedly.

The prince took a step closer, leaning casually against the building she was standing next to.

'That's what makes it okay.' He said, leaning a little closer and lightly tracing a finger along her jawline. 'You want to know more about the world, do you not?'

'I should go.' Kagome said, ducking under his arm quickly and hurrying away, she could feel more than one pair of eyes following her.


'Kagome!' Sango was waving away a short man with a comb in one hand and a brush in the other when the priestess entered the room.

'Sango!' Kagome hurried over, and embraced the girl warmly.

The short man looked highly affronted at the display of affection, and bustled from the room with his nose in the air.

'Are you alright?' Kagome said, looking the girl up and down, holding her at arm's length.

'I'm fine.' Sango said. 'So what's going on?'

Kagome rolled her eyes. '"Holy Man Miroku" is going to perform your wedding ceremony in two days time.-'

'What?'

'-But don't worry, InuYasha will be back by then with the real princess, he left a little while ago, we'll switch you two, and everyone ends up happy.'

'I see, so Miroku is stalling?'

'That's the one.' Kagome said. 'Although,' she teased, 'you might want to consider Prince Mitsuo as a suitor, he's quite a catch.'

'That's not funny, Kagome.' Sango said, turning away and crossing her arms.

Kagome chuckled. 'So she only has eyes for the monk, eh?'

Sango flinched a little, turning red. 'That's not the point.'

Kagome laughed, but changed the subject. 'That Akihigo is quite a catch too.'

Sango moaned a little. 'Don't even start on that idiot. I met him this morning, he's rude, and obnoxious.'

'I know.' Kagome said, then drew herself upright, lifting her hand palm up in front of her face. 'You can call me Akihigo when we're alone, if you like.' She said, lowering her voice to impersonate the prince, looking down her nose at Sango.

Sango laughed at that, but then grew serious. 'Did he really say that to you?'

'Yes,' Kagome said. 'But I can take care of myself.'

Sango stared at her for a moment, before moving on. 'So what's your story here? I doubt they would let a strange girl just wander around here as she pleases.'

'Nope, I am Priestess Kagome,' Kagome drew herself up a little higher, hitting the ground with an imaginary staff. 'And I am adventuring around the land in a search for knowledge, under the wing of my brother, Holy Man Miroku.'

'Fair enough.' Sango managed, before doubling over laughing. '"Holy Man", that lecherous monk's about as holy as my foot.'

There was a knocking at the door then, and the two quickly composed themselves.

'Yes?' Sango called, her energy drooping significantly.

'Princess,' Came a female voice, and Sango shuddered. 'Your father wishes an audience with you.'

'I should probably go,' Kagome said, eyeing the door.

'Very well,' Sango said, and seven women bustled in, almost stampeding Kagome in their haste.

'Save me,' Sango said half-heartedly as she was hurried from the room.


I just HAD to do something for myself that I actually find fun, because if I didn't, I might just go stir-crazy. Well, more crazy than I already am.

So here you are, a chapter a few days early :)

Review, please!