Thank you all for the reviews, I truly do enjoy reading them. I don't know if you all caught the reveal at the end of the last chapter but I will tell you: Yes, the mention of the feather was the glowing object she saw in room before Sesshomaru took her to one of his chambers.

I have many more Sess/Kag stories on a different site, that I haven't put on here only for the reason that it's purely adult. If I post on it then I'm pushing my luck and don't really want to do that. SO, check out my other stories.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter and leave me some awesome reviews and love.

Chapter Ten

"Not what he seems"

Kagome slowly made her way back to Sesshomaru's wing; she dusted a few objects on her way trying not to look suspicious if Sesshomaru were to sneak up on her. She heard some voices echo through the long hallway; at first it made her jump and her heart race, thinking that Sesshomaru was going to catch her heading back to the forbidden room. But no one came down the hall and no one was behind her when she checked. She stood there frozen as she listened to the two male voices, one was yelling while the other had a harsh tone. She got curious and made her way down the hall until she saw a door that was cracked open, the room was lit by a fireplace and bunches of candles and there stood Miroku flailing his arms around and Sesshomaru glaring daggers at him.

"She is finally here and she could break the curse on ALL of us and you are doing nothing but giving her a hard time and scaring her. I am surprised to say that she hasn't run away yet!" Miroku sounded upset. She was surprised to see Miroku, who was a servant, yelling at the Lord.

Sesshomaru bared his fangs at the frustrated Miroku, "She wouldn't dare to leave the castle grounds."

Miroku put his hands on his hips and returned the deadly glare of the Lord's with his own, "You must not know the girl very well then. She obviously made it on her own without a scratch when others have died to get through, what makes you think she can't manage to leave without a scratch, hm?"

Kagome's eyebrows rose at the tone Miroku took to their Lord. She was even more shocked that Lord Sesshomaru did nothing but stand there and only glared. She leaned against the wall next to the door just so that her eyes could see into the room and watch everything play out.

"You aren't the only one who has a curse over their head! I'm exhausted of this, it's been hundreds of years and finally we all have a chance to move on and live and you are FUCKING it up!" Miroku continued.

She covered her mouth to hold back a gasp. She hadn't known Miroku for a very long time, but granted, the man was light hearted and care free and to hear him talk the way he did, she knew he was mad.

Sesshomaru growled, "You dare talk to this Sesshomaru that way? You petulant human! I make no mistakes and what I do is none of your concern." He roared.

If Sesshomaru had talked to her like that, she would have ran off. But Miroku stood his ground and took a step toward the Lord to show his defiance, "It is my concern, considering that I, as well as the others in this castle, are cursed along with our 'mighty' Lord."

Kagome's eyes settled on Sesshomaru and noticed that he was still battling his control and with Miroku yelling at him, it didn't help one bit with his frustration.

"All I ask, my Lord, is to woo the girl." Miroku said softly, changing his tone. He took a couple steps back, probably realized that Sesshomaru was about to snap. "We all finally have a chance and it wouldn't hurt if you swallowed your pride and treat the girl better." Miroku finished with a whisper.

Sesshomaru turned around with a swish, his red cape dancing behind him then settling back down. "Hn."

Miroku bowed to his Lord, "Thank you." He then stood straight and headed out of the room.

Kagome scurried away from the door and quickly down the hall and started to pretend that she was dusting objects here and there. She heard the door that was at seconds ago, click as it shut. She looked over and saw Miroku walking her direction with a smile on his lips.

"Ah, Kagome." He sounded pleasant and not at all like he did when he was yelling at Lord Sesshomaru.

She blushed and stopped pretending she was dusting, "Oh Miroku. Hi." She said awkwardly. She hoped that he didn't know she was there and listened to his 'conversation' with Lord Sesshomaru.

"Would you like to take a break and have some tea with me?" he asked with a grin.

It was so odd to see Miroku happy and smiling when only mere moments ago, he was screaming and looked like he could kill someone. She also gained new information about the residents in the castle. There truly was a curse, but kind of curse was it? Why was she so important with this curse? Were they even talking about her? Maybe Miroku was talking about a different girl. There were so many questions she had but she didn't want to ask Miroku, he would then realize that she was eavesdropping on his conversation.

She nodded and gave him a sweet smile, "I would love to."

Xxx

Kagome sat at the same wooden table that she sat at with Miroku not very long ago. She realized that a lot has happened since her stay here at the palace. She had only been here two days and it felt like she had been there for weeks. Last night was eventful and she only got little to none sleep. She let out a little sigh and watched as Miroku busied himself around the kitchen, preparing the tea as well as fixing them a little snack.

She wanted to ask him everything that was going on and who he was talking about when he was yelling at Lord Sesshomaru. She had the feeling it was all about her and Sesshomaru played a big part in it. She sucked in some air and let it out slowly as she tried to calm her nerves, for she was going to ask Miroku and hope that he doesn't get upset.

"Miroku." She said weakly, distracting him from his task.

He stopped for a second, looked over his shoulder with his eyebrows raised, "Hm?" he smiled then brought a tray of fruit over and set it down between them.

"There is clearly something going on here. I didn't mean to listen to your-" she gulped "conversation, but I happened upon it. You were so upset-"

Miroku's face made her stop dead. She twisted her hands in her lap and felt sweat already on her face. He looked confused then he looked upset, but slowly he masked it all and grinned.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But I heard you yelling and-"

Miroku shook his head and started to laugh, "Kagome, it's fine." He laughed out and went back to the kettle that was on the burner. He took it off and brought two tea cups over along with the simmering tea. He took a seat across from Kagome and poured them some tea; all the while he had the grin.

"Something amuses you?" she asked, still careful on what she said.

Miroku let out a soft hum as he sipped his tea then gently placed it on the table. "Kagome," he sighed out and reached for her hand. He held onto her warm hand gently and stared into her deep blue eyes, "Lord Sesshomaru is not as bad as he seems to be. You are terrified of him are you not?"

Kagome blushed, memories of earlier this morning with the Lord flashed through her mind and she nodded to Miroku's question.

He patted her hand gently and let out a knowing soft laugh, "The man has been secluded for a while, you can't blame him all too much on his manners. It seems he forgot how to be a gentleman." He carefully explained. She could tell he was holding back some of the truth. She had witnessed Sesshomaru's beast, he was no mere man.

"Oh?" she asked, wanting him to continue anyways when he didn't continue to speak.

He pulled away and leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh, "I know he has a heart, I have seen it a couple of times." He mumbled and lifted his tea cup to his lips and took a sip. Kagome mimicked his actions and looked down into her tea cup. The tea was amazing and much better than what she had ever had in her small town. This must be a foreign tea and very expensive.

"I know you can get through to him. He just needs to warm up a bit. After all-"he laughed as he continued, "The guy hasn't seen a young maiden in such a long time. I'm sure he is a bit nervous." He winked at her.

Kagome opened her mouth to say something but she didn't know what to say. She closed her mouth and looked down at her tea cup and mused. She wouldn't what to do to show her kindness and to hopefully make him open up, but more in a vocal way rather than the beastly physical way he tried this morning. Why would Lord Sesshomaru be nervous? She couldn't imagine him being nervous, he seemed so arrogant and so knowledgeable.

"You might have noticed that he doesn't look very much like a man." Miroku continued.

She lifted her head and raised her eyebrows at Miroku's strange comment. He doesn't look very much like a man? What on earth? He looked like a man and then some! He was attractive and she knew that he knew he was handsome, which is why he is so cocky.

"But sometimes looks aren't really everything, beauty." He sighed out and looked at Kagome with hope in his eyes. "That could be why you are so scared of him. I understand. A lot of people who were lucky to come here," he cracked a sad smile, "who had witnessed to see Lord Sesshomaru, screamed bloody murder." He shook his head and let out a little sigh.

What on earth was Miroku talking about? Was he implying that Sesshomaru wasn't a handsome man? What did he mean that previous people who came here screamed as soon as they saw his appearance? Could it be there did not see what she saw? Could it be what she had witnessed when she first met him, that beast she had met was truly what people saw? She very rarely saw that in him. She saw his stoic and very beautiful face, his molten golden eyes, the beautiful crescent moon on his forehead and the smooth magenta lines along his cheeks. She knew he couldn't be a human, but he didn't look terrifying like what Miroku is making him seem to look like.

She tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows further, "Miroku, what on earth are you talking about?"

Miroku looked at her confused, "What do you mean, what do I mean? The man is beastly! He is ravage! He does not look the same anymore! Just his mere looks chase women away. He has a snout for Kami's sake! He is between human looking and dog looking."

Kagome shook her head and laughed, "You must be blinded. I see a beautiful man."

Miroku leaned back with his eyes widened and his mouth open just a little, "What do you mean?" he asked breathless. "What does he look like to you?"

"He has the most beautiful golden eyes I have ever seen. His face is so delicate but so strong at the same time; he could be almost mistaken as a female. His lips are thin but yet just enough to be soft to the touch." She blushed that she was describing how she saw Sesshomaru. "He has beautiful silver white hair and his hands-"she paused as she remembered what he had done with those hands, especially those fingers.

Miroku's eyes were still wide and his mouth had opened just a little more, "Oh, Kami. So it must be true… we must be right." He whispered.

Kagome tilted her head, "What do you mean?" she asked not understanding what Miroku was talking about.

Miroku stood up and grabbed Kagome by her delicate shoulders and made her stand up, his brown eyes bore into her blue ones, "Kagome," he gasped out, "Please." He begged softly.

Kagome shook her head and tried to make sense on what Miroku was saying. Was the man begging her? "I'm not understanding."

"Give the Lord a chance. He has a temper but it seems you do as well and you can rise above him and make him grovel in want and need for you. The Lord just needs a chance." He whispered, almost begging.

Kagome took a step back from Miroku and felt butterflies in her stomach and her heart was pounding. Whatever it was, giving Lord Sesshomaru a chance did not seem horrible. Miroku seemed desperate and out of character. She let out a little breath and nodded, "I will do my best. But how can I show him kindness?"

Miroku smiled and clapped his hands together, "The Lord has a weak spot for a woman's cooking. He loves new types of food and meals. Make him something and I'm sure he will appreciate it. After all, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Kagome opened her mouth; she wanted to say that she didn't want Sesshomaru's heart. She just wanted to show him some kindness. But he didn't allow her to speak as he went through the kitchen grabbing things she might need for her cooking.

Great, she had to think of something to make that the Lord has never had. But having Miroku around and with her suggestions, he let her know if he had that meal or not before.

In the end, for lunch she had made Sesshomaru a very simple meal of a meat broth soup with vegetables and bits of meat. It astounded her when Miroku said that Sesshomaru has never had anything like that before and it was interesting. She put his meal, as well as hers, on the tray with two napkins and two spoons.

Miroku had left to see where their Lord was and retrieve him for their lunch. She went out of the kitchen and into the dining room where the beautiful man was already seated in his spot and watched her as she approached him with the tray.

She bit her lower lip and tried not to stare into his eyes. She couldn't help the flood of memories of this morning and oddly she was shaking. From her being nervous or from her arousal? She couldn't tell, but she was sure he knew.

She set the tray down and placed the bowl of soup in front of him, along with his napkin and spoon.

"My Lord." She whispered and gave him a little bow then took a seat of her own that was across from him. She placed her own bowl of soup in front of her and started to scoop up the broth with her spoon and gently blew on it.

She looked up to watch Sesshomaru and he was already eating away at the meal, seeming lost in thought.

"Do you like it?" she asked him nervously.

"Hn."

She raised her eyebrows from his lack of response and him continuing to eat. She guessed that he didn't like to talk during a meal.

She sighed softly and started to eat her meal and kept her eyes downcast. She heard the clink of his spoon in his bowl and then nothing. She glanced up and saw that he was done eating now just watching her. She looked away and stared down at her half eaten bowl and couldn't find herself to continue to eat.

"Find anything interesting in that conversation you were listening to earlier?" he asked with a sneer.

She quickly looked up at him with a shocked look. He was staring at her intensely and nothing showed on his face how he felt.

Crap, she was busted.