A/N: Whew! I'm glad I finally got this chapter out, it's not the best I could've done, but I didn't know what else to add or change.

To Be A Commoner

Chapter 12

Leaning forward, she took in another deep breath and unwound her hair, setting her accessories down on the ledge beside her. The wind wasted no time teasing about her hair and blowing it this way and that, but Kagome paid little heed, she felt relaxed. Reaching up, she untied the string of her mask and was about to take it off when a sound of a closing door reached her ears. She quickly tied the string and turned around, there was no one there, odd... She probably forgot to close the doors then. Feeling her nervousness subsiding, she turned back and gazed out at the castle grounds.

"Surprised to find you here." A sudden voice came from her left side. She reeled to her right instinctively and might've fallen if a strong arm hadn't reached out and grabbed her.

"My god..." She mumbled and steadied herself on the ledge before looking up to come face to face with the last person she thought she'd see.

"Hi to you too Kagome...."

Kagome stared at the unexpected guest in front of her with raised eyebrows.

"You know, I am a youkai, elite sense of smell if you didn't notice." He tapped his nose and smirked. He turned after a while and looked out over the castle grounds, his elbows placed on the thin ledge. "Ya know I was sort of surprised that you would pull such a stunt." He looked up at the stars and frowned. "Even your parents didn't notice...doesn't that bother you?"

Kagome chose to ignore his question, irritated by his straightforwardness.

"Eh?" He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Not talking are we?" He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and cast a spare glance again to the gardens. "Ah...well, Kikyo seems to have found a nice suitor." He caught the slight twitch of her arm and smiled. "I wonder Kagome, will you marry the man she chooses or will you marry someone you choose?"

Kagome blinked rapidly, startled at the question. Her thoughts seemed to have sparked to life in a flurry, she had never thought of that part of the plan before. It would be strange to denounce Kikyo's chosen suitor in favor of her own, but if she told everyone that it was just a stunt they'd probably comply sooner or later. "Kouga," She replied, "Why of all places did you come here?"

"Kagome don't answer me with another question." He said annoyingly, but nodded his head. "You shouldn't of left when you did, many had their eyes on you and it was stupid to let them know you were leaving." He rolled his eyes even though she couldn't see. "All I did was follow you and my nose."

Kagome stayed quiet, she hadn't taken in the consideration of the senses a youkai possessed, she was a fool to even believe her plan was going to work.

"For starters, a few of the guys went looking for you, of course they all got lost..." Kouga let himself smirk before continuing. "And that bastard you danced last with seemed to about to go after you when Kikyo snatched him."

"Snatched?" Kagome turned with a raised eyebrow.

"For lack of a better word." Kouga easily responded.

"You don't need to be jealous of that last guy that danced with me, he barely uttered a sentence let alone a conversation." Kagome idly pressed out some wrinkles from her dress. "Besides, I felt uncomfortable in the silence."

"Well good, cause you're MY woman." Kouga exclaimed about to wrap an arm around Kagome's waist, but stopped when Kagome laid a reproachful hand on his arm.

"I would prefer you don't touch me." Kagome said.

"Oh..." He muttered a bit surprised.

A neutral silence settled on the balcony, letting the pair immerse themselves in their own thoughts.

"Hm, those days you were missing..." Kouga started but drifted off.

"Those days I was missing...yes?" Kagome gestured for him to go on.

"You fell in love." Kouga turned with his mouth in a straight disapproving line and his eyes full of what looked like blame.

"F-fell in love?!" Kagome stuttered, her voice sounding fake even to her own ears. She was most definitely not expecting such a straight statement let alone a question. "I did NO such thing!" She defended, a furious blush flushing her cheeks.

Kouga didn't push the matter further, he already knew just WHO she had fallen for. No use rubbing salt into an old wound. He thought dryly.

"So, Miroku and Sango..." Kagome muttered uneasily into the silence trying to recompense for her earlier words.

"Haha, yea, everyone saw that coming." Kouga' s laugh sounded surprisingly harsh in the peaceful night. "If I'd knew those two were going to get together I wouldn't have had that talk with Miroku to start with."

Kagome eyed him curiously. "What...talk?"

Noting the tone in Kagome's voice, Kouga instantly shut up and muttered something quickly under his breath.

"I couldn't hear you." Kagome stated.

Kouga muttered louder and coughed a bit.

Kagome sighed knowing she'll probably have to coax it out of him later. "Forget it." She said to Kouga's relief. She jumped from the balcony and landed easily on the smooth tiled floor. "I'm going back to the ball." She informed touching her face to make sure her mask was still on. Turning, she retrieved her pins and hastily reformed her hair in a clumsily made twist.

"Why?" Kouga turned to face her noticing how the strands of hair she had missed naturally framed her face.

Kagome glanced at the double doors distantly wondering if there was even a reason. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders. "Is there anything better to do?"

Kouga frowned thoughtfully. "I'll come with you then." He said, offering his arm.

Kagome took it without much hesitation and smiled at him. "I noticed a girl had her eye on you...and she's pretty nice..."

"Kagome!" Kouga exclaimed in shock. "You're the only one for me!"

Kagome raised a doubting brow. "Okay Kouga...but she's so beautiful!"

A few minutes later and a few of Kagome's persuasive words had Kouga dancing with an extravagant girl. Kagome smiled inwardly, what a good job she had done! The girl she had just hooked up with Kouga was a youkai for sure, which made the match all the more practical. And if Kagome remembered right, this was one of the elemental demons, probably a princess who had gotten invited out of courtesy and to keep alliances pleasant between the King and the youkai.

Kagome watched them whirl around, they were such the cute couple it was hard to tear her eyes away, but finally she turned with great effort to watch the other dancers, her eye catching a certain pair.

Oh, Miroku and Sango! She grinned with pleasure seeing the love radiating in Sango's eyes and an equal amount if not more from Miroku. Ah, a noble lady meets her true love in the form of a commoner. Even if Miroku was a commoner he certainly looked every inch the nobleman now, as if he was born for it.

Kagome's smile lost most of its radiance as a sudden thought occurred to her; I just hope that her parents go well with it. Kagome shifted uncomfortably at the troubling thought. What if her parents disapprove? But they're so much in love that her parents have got to see throu- The diversion she was so unconsciously hoping for came suddenly in the form of none other than Marie.

"I thought you had left." Kagome said in surprise as Marie bustled into view.

Marie rolled her eyes as if she couldn't believe Kagome had thought that. "Well you thought wrong young lady, no woman in her right mind would miss a ball like this!" The plump lady in the yellow dress huffed indignantly. "Trust me though, this is probably the only ball I'd be able to attend in my lifetime. Around here, a ball is as unlikely as a cat having pups."

Kagome looked at Marie with a slight sense of bafflement, the lady was obviously being overly exaggerative. At least now Kagome had someone to keep her company.

"For your information," Marie rattled on, "I was over at the refreshment stand."

Kagome nodded in realization, Mom didn't spend all that time on food to have it ignored and if the snacks were just going to sit there, then all her hours spent tasting and choosing rations for the ball had all been wrought for nothing. Yes, I'd have expected Marie to be there if not back at the Inn.

Kagome perfunctorily nodded at Marie's most recent comment, her eyes wondering aimlessly over the dance floor.

"And that's how the milk was spoiled." Marie finished as Kagome snapped back to attention.

"Wow, interesting." Kagome commented.

"I know, Bessie was always the temperamental one." Marie replied.

Kagome tried to think, who was Bessie? Why was Marie talking about 'spoiled milk' for? Temperamental? Kagome searched her mind to find any clues to what they had been talking about, but all she got was what she already knew.

"Too bad."

Kagome looked over at Marie and then turned to see where Marie was staring. "Oh..." Kagome said a bit slowly, not knowing what Marie was staring at and not knowing why Marie said what she said.

"I'm not stupid Kag." She stated quite simply, calling her a shortened version of her longer name to deflect any curious glances or suspicions. "Fifteen years working in an Inn, gots to have sharp eyes for any cheating bums, tramps, and the like." She informed, giving Kagome the sense of déjà vu.

So, discovered twice already. The plan was crumbling pathetically in her mind and she scolded herself harshly for ever thinking such a farfetched arrangement could actually work.

"It's just too bad you're so foolhardy." Marie said again, shaking her head and staring off into the crowds. "You really should've jumped at the chance but..." Marie continued to shake her head again. "You didn't..."

"Didn't what?" Kagome asked, quite perplexed and annoyed.

Marie frowned and finally turned, motioning for the younger woman to follow her.

Kagome hesitated before following Marie's already disappearing form into the crowd.

It was slightly colder as Kagome found herself outside once again. This time it was a different place; a patio of sorts that she had forgotten was even here. Marie drew to a stop and sat down on the benches arranged around the large rectangular terrace and motioned for Kagome to take a seat as well.

"Remember Miroku?" Marie began, looking at Kagome through the slits of her fox mask.

Noticing that nobody was around and the patio a far way away from the dance floor, Kagome removed her mask. "Yes, I remember, but what does he-"

"He has everything to do with it and if you'll let me finish you'll understand." Marie cut through smoothly before Kagome deterred from the subject. Sighing rather dramatically, Marie began her explanation. "When Miroku walked into the Inn followed by Inuyasha, it struck me as funny how they looked so incredulously familiar to me, but I had brushed it off and went on with business, renting them a room and cooking them a late dinner. And it was certainly late, at least close to midnight and they were lucky to find my husband's Inn open at such a time, but I had stayed up that night to tidy up the accounting.

"They neglected to tell me their real names, Inuyasha and Miroku, but I figured out soon enough when they started to bicker and fight, that was when they forgot to use their fake names."

"They did?" Kagome asked confused, what had they to hide?

"Yup, lied to me and my husband they did. But it was then that I figured out who they were, but I didn't say anything about it." Marie answered and then sighed. "Then you and Sango arrived, unexpectedly of course, and I should say, I didn't recognize you two to be royalty at all. You were always stuck inside that gigantic stone edifice they call a castle that I have never had the chance to see you."

"Tell me about it." Kagome muttered under her breath.

Marie continued on, ignoring Kagome's comment. "I knew right off that you two pairs would make the perfect couple and I'm glad that Miroku and Sango ended up together. Miroku's the perfect husband for Sango not only because they're in love, but because he's a noble as well."

"Noble?" Kagome inquired, raising a doubting eyebrow.

"Yes, quite the gentleman he was when he isn't showing his lecherous side." Marie replied. "He's actually from-" Marie stopped mid-sentence as she heard a noise. Kagome quickly tied her mask back on and both women turned to look at the curtained entrance.

Surprisingly, it was Kikyo who emerged from the curtains, half dragging a black-haired man. Kagome recognized both and tried to keep from smirking, it was just so much like Kikyo to force a short rendezvous on the poor suitor.

Kikyo turned around to grab both of the man's hands. "Would you let me remove your mask so that I may see your face?" Slowly, she lifted her hands up to his mask only to have him clasp restraining hands on her wrists. Without a word he looked up at Kagome and Marie. Kikyo looked behind her and a sudden look of irritation and anger crossed her face but it was wiped off within a second.

"Ladies." Kikyo said and gave a curt nod of recognition.

Kagome stood and nodded back. "Lady..." And then it hit her.

Her jaw was half opened and her eyes wide but she quickly recovered thanks to Marie's slight cough.

"Lady Kagome." She finished rather quickly, her mind on other things.

"Lady Kagome." Marie repeated from behind, dipping into a low curtsy.

Kagome bit her lip from saying anything but couldn't help but glance at the guy slightly behind Kikyo.

Always being the brash one, Kikyo quickly swept a hand at the door. "Could you..."

"Oh a youkai?" Marie said rather randomly and walked over to the suitor and tried looking under his mask. The guy snorted in response and avoided Marie's hand.

"Youkai?" Kagome asked, her voice going unheard as Kikyo's attention was drawn behind her. Oh...then I must be wrong...

"Hm, you don't seem like the youkai type much though, ah well, an old woman like me can't tell the difference anymore." Marie shook her head and sighed rather melodramatically.

"Please!" Kikyo pushed in-between Marie and the guy and gestured for the door again.

"Marie, I think we should leave the two alone. They're clearly in the middle of-"

"You don't need to tell me twice." Marie interrupted and turned to look at Kagome, instead of the irritated look Kagome had expected, it was an intense stare.

Kagome raised an eyebrow and Marie jerked her head towards the guy behind her. Kagome frowned and looked at the suitor. "I-"

"I command you to leave at once!" Kikyo cut in, not hiding her agitation any longer.

Kagome switched her gaze in a flash and glared at Kikyo, not that the other woman could see, but it was only reflex. "Watch your words." Kagome angrily whispered as she passed by Kikyo and through the door, not even pausing to wait for Marie.

Marie hurried after Kagome not bothering to apologize.

"Finally!" Kikyo sighed and turned to look at her suitor. "Now, where were we?"

A/N: Thanks for your reviews! It means a lot that you guys are still with this story. XP

Review responses:

Lioness Kea: Thanks a bunch! I hope this chapter was as good as the last!

half dog, half wolf: Yay! I didn't take as long as last time!

Moonlight-Miko: Thanks! I'm rather ridiculously flattered by your comment. And no worries, just say what you think about the story in your reviews and don't think too hard if you can't come up with anything original, sometimes I get stuck and just end up typing, "Love the chapter! Can't wait to read the next." TT At least it's a review and I know from experience that it makes a writer happy!

sakura19892: Aw thanks!

Skittles1: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

pretendingtobesane: Lol! ;; And yes, I think there's quite a few grammar mistakes in my chapters, I'm just too lazy to correct them.