AN:  For once… I actually can't think of an opening for my AN… save for: Pad PoF!  So many innuendoes to sex in this chapter! 

Mybyrdy:  Ah… yeah… still working on it. -_-  I'm think I'll save it and put a K/I chapter in my other story, just randomly.  It doesn't really suit this one.  It's too cute, and… ah well. ^^  I'm glad you like my Miroku.  I love writing about him.  Why can't I find a man with puppy ears, fangs, a fiery temper, Miroku's charming demeanor and perversion, and stuffed into shiny armor?  It's not that much of a request…. And I love you so much, Mybyrdy-chan.  You're just so sweet! ^-^

Lily:  I also like the Sorceress!  That's why I couldn't kill her off, even if it was Sango that got to do the killing.  I just like her far too much!

Krissy:  Honey, you haven't begun to see just how fluffy I can get.

Liz:  Given the fact that I write mostly at midnight after Inuyasha, I don't blame you for wondering about the chapels.  Basically… take everything you associate with "chapel" and throw it out the window.  Then take everything you think about when you think of corny motels with the heart-shaped beds, and associate that with chapel. Ta-da!  Meet the demon version of a wedding chapel in this fic. ^^

Enjoy! ^^

Chapter Eleven: A Family United

            "The King is busy right now," the demon at the doorway to the reception hall said.  "He's fighting with his courtiers.  They all want him to wed Kagura so that he'll be able to produce an heir the demon throne.  No offense to you, Prince Inuyasha, Princesss Kagome.  The people want a fully demon king on their throne, not one who is only a quarter demon.  But there's always the human throne to think of if you really want to rule."

            Kagome giggled.  "Don't worry.  I for one, don't want to be Queen."  She felt the surprise running through Inuyasha's arm as she leaned against him.  Kagome smiled up at him, giving a tiny shrug.  "What can I say? If I had to be Queen, I would, but I'd probably ruin a great number of dresses by going out to the fields and helping to sow the fields in the pouring rain."

            Inuyasha smiled at her.  "Very well.  Jaken, tell my older brother that Kagome and I will be in my room and that we wish to have an audience with him when it is next possible."

            The small green demon nodded.  "As you wish, Prince.  Shall I have a maid escort these two humans to a spare room, as well as one for the cat demon and the kitsune?"

            He shook his head.  "No need.  We can show them to their rooms ourselves."  The group headed down the hallway, looking forward to hot baths and soft beds.  Walking was wonderful exercise, but there was nothing like a bubble bath and fluffy pillows to make someone feel like royalty; especially when all that was actually taking place in the royal castle.  "With all the time you three are starting to spend here, maybe we should find you some more permanent rooms."

            "Don't worry about it, Inuyasha.  You don't come here often, so maybe you should add on our room to that cottage you call a house for when we come visit Kagome," Sango teased, laughing suddenly when Miroku slipped an arm around her waist and sniffed her ear.  "Or you could come and visit us when you get the chance.  We'll have plenty of room, and lots of fields for Kagome to play in."

            She stuck her tongue out at her friend, and was reprimanded when Inuyasha patted her head.  He muttered something about keeping her tongue in her mouth unless she was planning on using it and she felt her face erupt.  She mumbled something about perverted monks rubbing off on princes.  "You guys want to join us for dinner tonight?  That includes you three, Kirara, Shippo, and Sorceress.  It will be the last time we can have dinner before I have to get back to the farm.  The weeds are probably having a field day without me there to fix them up."

            "You worry too much," Shippo said, his eyes bright at the thought of food.

            "And you're going to get fat if you keep eating like a pig."

            The Sorceress took her turn to laugh.  She was once again in a human form, looking like a fox spirit again.  On their way home, she had continually been asked if she was the mother of the cute little cub ahead of her.  In the tradition of Kagome and Sango, Shippo had latched on to her, this woman who could teach him so much about the magic of illusion, and she had to him, acting as if she really were his mother.  Yet she could not stop acting as if she were a child.  Now that the pig comment had been made, the Sorceress only had to wiggle her nose and Shippo's fox traits vanished to be replaced with that of a piglet's.

            "Hey!" Shippo snorted.  He folded his now hoofed arms.  "That so totally wasn't fair!  I'm not going to turn into a pig!  I'm going to grow up and become a strong warrior like Sango, and have even better illusions than you, Sorceress!"

            Miroku turned around to stare at him, his dark eyes hurt at being unnamed in Shippo's future traits.  The emotion was fake, but wholly appeared to be sincere.  "What?  Didn't I teach you anything, Shippo?"

            Shippo's green eyes narrowed blandly.  "With any luck, you'll have taught me to be a pervert and I'll get beaten up by beautiful women."
            They escorted the others to their rooms, and made plans to meet in the smaller dining room for supper.  Kagome headed to Inuyasha's bedroom, scheming away, as Inuyasha arranged for their dinner with the cooks.  When they found out that, among others, one of the diners was going to be the cute fox cub they remembered from three seasons ago, they not only readily agreed but promised to make lots of deserts.  Inuyasha returned to his rooms, where he found Kagome laying on his bed, reading a book of fairy tales.

            "Did your mother read them to you?" she asked as she placed the book back on the bookcase.  She heard the movement of his long hair as he nodded his hair.  Kagome smiled sweetly.  "My mother told me fairy tales too.  Personally, I always had trouble believing the 'happily ever after' at the end.  It made them appear as if the story just ended.  It shouldn't have ended there, because there's so much more that comes after that.  Maybe they had children.  Maybe they couldn't have children because Prince Charming was impotent so they had to adopt.  Maybe Cinderella was eaten by a dragon and Charming remarried.  Or…."

            She sighed when she felt Inuyasha wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her against his chest.  She snuggled in close and placed her hands over his, her fingertips playing with the edges of his claws.  "You're rambling, Kagome," he purred, watching her play.  "What's the matter?"

            "It just suddenly hit me when I came into the room.  The last time I was here was a year ago, as of next week.  As of next week, we'll have been engaged a whole year.  Isn't it odd?"

            "I didn't realize it had been so long.  Our anniversary for the first night we were in the castle together.  That pretty much means that we've already passed the anniversary of the day when we actually became engaged.  Um…. So, does that mean you're mad at me for missing our anniversary?"

            Kagome laughed and turned around in his arms, allowing his hands to play with her dark hair.  "So this anniversary you mentioned, would that be the anniversary of the day when we became engaged, or when we met, or when I learned you were the man I was supposed to marry, or what?"  She grinned.  "Inuyasha, let's make our own anniversary.  Let's make it today.  We have our friends here, and dinner planned out, we just had a wonderful walk to the castle, and right now, at this very instant we're alone."  Kagome wiggled out of his grasp and handed him a large folded square of fabric.  "Help me make the bed."

            Together they began to cover the mattress in fresh linen, and Kagome began to speak, sounding perfectly rational.  "Inuyasha, I've been living with you for a whole year.  You've met my family, and they all love you.  You know that you're attracted to me, and if you don't know that I'm attracted to you, then I'm going to ask Sango to give you a knock upside the head with that haraikotsu of hers."

            They began to put on the sheet she had selected.  "Kagome, what's the point to all this?  How come I think that you're going to ask me some…."

            "Let's do it already."

            Inuyasha stared at her.  Her hands were slammed down on the bed, her loose hair framing her face as she stared across the mattress at him.  Had she really interrupted him by asking to have sex with him?  Kagome's face was completely serious.  One of ears twitched.  "Um…."

            "We've been living together for three hundred and sixty five days, Inuyasha!  I find you attractive, and I don't see why we can't… take our relationship to the next level or something."  She turned and threw on the blanket she had made for him on the bed.  It was still spotless from the trip.  "If you don't want to have sex, or want to wait until after we're married or something, then fine, I can accept that.  But I still want more.  I want to stop sleeping in that room and sleep next to you at night the way we've been doing these past few days!  I want… I want to walk around the house in a corset just to see your reaction!  I want to…."

            She was cut off when Inuyasha suddenly reached over and pulled her across the bed, crushing his lips to hers.  Caught off guard, he pushed his tongue between her lips and explored her mouth, acting as if he hadn't just done that last night.  Kagome relaxed and closed her eyes, brushing his hair and engaging his kiss in heated battle.  Her relaxation slowly caused her to pull him down to the bed with her.  She moaned, the sound stifled by his mouth, as his hand began an agonizingly slow ascent up her shirt.

            Without warning, she began to fight back, wrestling with him and vying for a more comfortable position.  There was a tearing sound as the stitches in her shirt began to rip apart from the positions she was putting it through.  Kagome grinned and Inuyasha lifted the dying material from her torso.  She was going to see this thing the whole way through, because she knew that honor meant a lot to Inuyasha and to prove to both of them that she was strong, stronger then they could have imagined.

            Demons mate with biting and licking and stuff?  Fine.  Kagome darted forward and nipped at his neck, her teeth snapping a hair's breadth away from his skin.  Inuyasha's golden eyes warmed as they realized what Kagome was trying to do.  She was trying to initialize the mating ritual.  She wanted to go through with it.  Inuyasha smiled, and stayed his place as she grabbed his shoulder and lifted herself up to nibble on ears gently.  She licked the tips of them, so involved in the moment that she felt and tasted only Inuyasha.  She threw back her head in a long moan as his claws ripped away her chest bindings and threw them aside.

            As his warm lips cooled her burning skin, she laughed suddenly.  This was going to be the most interesting wedding she would ever see.

~*~

            The drawn curtains threw the room into shadows that increased in depth as the sun declined in the sky.  Safely tucked in bed, Kagome was still feeling the tremors leave her body slowly.  She curled up tighter against Inuyasha's chest.  It was too dark for her to see him properly, which is why she tried to inquire as to how things had gone.  Inuyasha merely silenced her with a tender kiss.  He, of course, could see perfectly well, or at the very least, far better than her.

            "That was beautiful, Kagome."  His lips brushed hers as he spoke.  "I can't wait to do that again."

            "And… ah… the claw marks in your back?"

            "They'll heal in no time.  All the marks will.  You, on the other hand, won't be able to heal that quickly, so next time we're going to have to be more careful.  Actually, next time we don't have to be so… loud, or aggressive, or anything with each other.  We're married now, as far as other demons are concerned.  We can do it any way you like."

            She arched an eyebrow at the double meaning of his words.  She yawned, closing her eyes and burying her face in his neck, where she felt the safest. Kagome didn't have to see.  Inuyasha would keep his eyes –and those adorable ears of his- listening for her.  "I'd rub my neck, but I'm to sore…."  She purred when Inuyasha rubbed one side of it for her.  "Honestly, I don't care how we do it, as long as I get to be with you.  My Inuyasha… my husband now."

            He grinned.  He didn't like sounding as if he were a puppy that could be owned, but to be called a husband, Kagome's husband?  That was a musical as they way her voice had called out his name in a moment of passion.  Inuyasha continued to rub her neck for her, listening to the sound of her breathing as she slowly drifted off into sleep.  She had earned it.  Inuyasha knew she was fiery, but…. he had never known just how fiery.  Inuyasha couldn't believe that she had kept up with him in their tussle that had torn apart the freshly made bed.  Or that Kagome had been the one to initiate some of the more… feral parts of the courtship dance.

            Frankly, if she never bit him again, he wouldn't have a problem.  Her teeth were as sharp as Tetsusaiga.  His hands gently touched her skin, watching Kagome's face relax and her body mold against his from his soothing actions.  Already he was certain that she was forgetting some of the pain he had accidentally –yet unavoidably- given her.  As her breathing evened out, his hand slowed its massage, and he allowed his own eyes to close as he started slip into blissful, much needed sleep.

            "I love you, Kagome."

            As he let go of the last strings that connected him to the realm of the wake, he thought that he felt Kagome's hands tighten around his torso, returning the whispered words, but maybe he was already dreaming.

~*~

            The dinner was, in a sense, almost a roaring party.  People were talking, Inuyasha had to keep raising his voice over the others to ask for someone to pass the salt or the pepper, and Miroku kept on saying 'ow' whenever someone accidentally touched one of the bruises forming under his heavy robes.  Sango lowered her eyes and allowed herself the slightest blushes at these moments, her sudden bashfulness a silent apology for Miroku.  After all, she was the causes of those bruises, but now he knew just how painful it was to be slammed against the wall and attacked with kisses.  Even the Sorceress was lending her voice to the conversation, as well as various other sounds.  Rather than asking for food that was at the other end of the table, she merely conjured forth an illusion.  Every now and then, a basilisk or a dwarf could be found walking down the table to deposit the food she wanted in front of her.  When somebody wanted the dishes when she was done with them, she handed it over to them in the same manner.

            Then, halfway through the dinner, there was a sudden, cold, silence.  Those not facing the door turned around.  Even Inuyasha paled slightly.  The only person with a smile on their face still was Kagome.  She wasn't afraid of Sesshomaru, though she new that she should be.  The King slid gracefully in the room.  "Is there room for one more?"

            Without an order, the Sorceress conjured up another chair, and a servant ran to fetch more dishes.  Kagome took them when they brought them up to the small dinning room.  She didn't like seeing people run around like that, without help.  She quickly set up the dishes as she had seen them at her place at the table.  Then she took her seat.  "Kagome, the salad fork goes here, not here.  See that you don't make that mistake again."

            Her face burned. "Yes, sir."  Wait.  Did he just call her by name?  She looked up at him and found his gaze lingering on the hair that was on her shoulder, hiding her throat.  His gold gaze was so intense in penetrated the unprotected shield of her dark hair.  She knew that he was aware of the marks she carried on her neck.  As his gaze slid down her body, until the table blocked his view, she felt his mind pick out every single bite mark and claw indentation she carried.

            "So," he said slowly.  Still, nobody else at the table had spoken.  "You and Inuyasha have wedded."

            That made the table erupt.

            "Congratulations, Inuyasha!"

            "Why weren't we invited, Kagome?"

            "Um, my darling Sango, allow me to explain…"

            "Inuyasha, you better take good care of Kagome or else I'm going to hunt you down wherever you go and… and… Hey, Miroku?"  Shippo's fox tail wavered back and forth with frustration.  "Can you help me finish this threat?"

            "Meow."

            "Did you bite his ears, Kagome?"  That, of course, was from the Sorceress.  Pursing her lips, she looked at the king, studying him.  He sipped at his soup without sound or spill, and she lifted the table linen to see his legs while she thought he wasn't looking.  "Hm.  You have Inuyasha's hair and eyes, but you're prettier looking."

            Inuyasha glared at the Sorceress, but Kagome put her hand over his and leaned over.  "Inuyasha, let your brother have the compliment.  Don't turn this into a beauty contest.  Frankly, you'd lose, Inuyasha.  Your brother is prettier.  But you're handsome. And rugged.  It would be like comparing a flower to a tree.  I prefer the tree.  It's stronger, and will last longer, and will never change.  But flowers are fragile, and will wilt."

            He patted her hand with his free one.  Thank God she was talking low enough that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to hear her!  He didn't even want to imagine how Sesshomaru would react to Kagome talking about him wilting.  His pride was almost soothed over.  Grinning, he looked at Kagome and mouthed a threat that made her suddenly blush, something about trees and wood….

            Sesshomaru was too busy concentrating on the woman that had called him pretty.  He arched a slender eyebrow, appraising her.  She didn't seem phased at all as she stared back at him, meeting his eyes with her own green ones.  Sesshomaru mentally approved.  Only Kagome had ever met him on such terms before, but she hadn't known any better. This nameless fox spirit did, judging by her etiquette, her proud chin and her straight back.

            "And who might you be to speak to a king thus?"  Shippo shivered from the iciness of his voice.

            Sango offered the response, as should any knight.  "King Sesshomaru, this is Lady… Well, we just call her Sorceress.  She hails from the forest of the bandits, Your Majesty.  Sorceress, this is High King Sesshomaru of the Demon Realm, King of the Eastern Lands, Lord of the Inu-youkai.  He's Prince Inuyasha's half-brother."

            She delicately licked her lips as she set down her fork, her green eyes never having left his.  "A lengthy title."

            'Was that supposed to be a joke of some sort?' Sesshomaru wondered.  Sango had gotten his title perfectly correct, on all accounts.  A King did not thank knights for introductions, but perhaps a compliment paid to Queen Kikyo of the human realm on the depth of their education regarding the demon realm might trickle down to the Lady Knight.  He looked at the Sorceress' visage and set down his own utensil.  "You're no fox spirit. The polite thing to do is to remove your illusions."

            Her gaze questioned him, and he motioned to the chair.  "Fox spirits do not cast magic such as this without so much as even a hand gesture.  Reveal your true shape."  She hesitated, and his lips tightened.  "That is an order."

            The tension nearly blew up the room as the Sorceress stood, her hands held tightly at her sides.  Her fox shape melted away, but turned into a shape like his: tall and slender, with bright gold eyes, delicate fangs and flowing silver hair.  She was mocking him.  "Why should I follow orders from the King?  Where were you in my realm when my people were wiped out by bad weather?  Where are you when are young are being killed off as you burn the forest all to try and find some pest of a human?  You are the person who allowed them to attempt to destroy my home, you did nothing when our kind is caught by young demons and pulled apart piece by piece.  Why should I listen to you?  You're nothing but a pup as I'm concerned."

            'You know,' Sango thought, 'she always had a juvenile quality about her, which is why she and Shippo got along so well.  Suddenly, I think that jejune nature was just an act.'  She thought about that moment longer and mentally sighed.  'Of course. I should have realized it sooner.  That would explain why she wants a husband.  She's not childish at all.'  Sango peeked at the two dog demons that stood facing each other, their tight forms ready to lash out at any second.  'On the other hand, this could just be a highly rationalized childish fit.'

            "I am the King! Do you really want to go to the dungeon that badly for insubordination?"

            She laughed haughtily, her silver hair shaking around her body like flowing water.  "Ha!  You can't be insubordinate if you never had a king in the first place.  Besides, you'd have to catch me first!  Do you really think that your guards got stand to lash snakes on my wrists instead of handcuffs?  Do you really think that you can lash air, or water, or fire?  Can you execute a child in front of other people, or a screaming baby in a quiet execution?  There's nothing you could sentence me to that I couldn't escape from, Your Majesty."

            Inuyasha coughed loudly.  "Ah, Sesshomaru?  What does it matter if she looks like another demon?  Why don't we just enjoy supper while it's warm instead of fighting?  Besides, you didn't have to order her.  You could always have just asked."

            Sesshomaru glared at his younger sibling.  Inuyasha's ears went down automatically, although it was clear that he wanted to lash out at his older brother for pulling rank on him.  "Kings don't merely ask."

            "Then maybe they should!" Kagome shouted, standing up.  Her chair slammed to the ground behind her.  "Besides, Kings may have to order, but not men.  This isn't a formal gathering, Sesshomaru.  It's a family dinner.  So if you can't deal with having to act like a man instead of a king for one measly hour after a whole goddamn day, then maybe you should leave."

            Her friends stared at her, hardly believing what she had said.  Even the king stared at her.  Then he slowly sat back down.  The Sorceress was only a moment behind him in resuming her seat when she saw that Sesshomaru was relenting.  His gold eyes looked at the Priestess approvingly.  He had always said that Kagome was a nice complement to Inuyasha.

            Kagome picked up her chair and smiled at her companions as the red disappeared from her face.  She picked up a bowl.  "More potatoes, anyone?"

            After that, the meal was uneventful until desert.  Everyone gaped at the goodies that the staff had made for them.  Before Shippo could stuff himself full, Kagome took her own plate and piled it high with sweet cakes, squares, and other small treats.  She smiled at everyone.  "I'm going to take this down to the cooks.  Nobody needs this much sugar.  Especially not you, Shippo."

            Inuyasha took her disappearance to discuss something with Sesshomaru that Kagome had got him thinking about.  "Sesshomaru, what would you say if I asked you about taking Kagome with me when you had me chasing down criminals?  She can keep up with me physically, except for when it comes to speed, but I don't mind carrying her. She's a crack shot, and she has that purifying power, as well as intelligence."

            His gold eyes narrowed as he looked at his younger brother.  "Absolutely not.  She's your wife, Inuyasha.  Are you actually going to take her into a dangerous situation just so that you two can screw each other more often?"

            Silence dropped on the table like an elephant demon.  Everyone knew that was a lie and a low blow, except for Sesshomaru.  He, of course, wasn't close enough to either of them to know what had prompted this request.

            The Sorceress, however, did.  She smiled at Inuyasha, her tiny fangs intending her full lips.  "Inuyasha, does Kagome still have a silver mirror with her?  Good.  Remind her of what it can be used for.  That should placate her.  It was meant for Miroku, but if he's okay with it, it's hers."

            Miroku nodded.  Underneath the table, Sango's hand rubbed his thigh.  She was aware of how uncomfortable he was.  The man who wanted him thrown in jail or possibly executed was three seats down from him.  They smiled at each other.

            "When does Kouga officially become who-know-who?" she whispered into his ear.

            "Oh, a couple of weeks, I'd imagine."  His voice was smooth.  Hearing it, Sango took his hand in hers and placed it on her own leg.

            "Good."  Sango sipped calmly at her wine as his hand slid up her leg.  She wanted to enjoy having a thief for a fiancé for one night more.  At the very least, she wanted to enjoy it for one more night…