Chapter Thirteen

A New Life

Kagome's down turned face felt flushed from the heat of the morning sun. She sat in a perfect kneel with her hands folded neatly in her lap. The breeze rushed into the room swirling her long hair about her shoulders. A flower petal drifted in and fell before her. She picked it up and closed it in her hand, crashing the beautiful flower mercilessly.

She wanted to fall away from this life into another that didn't have tragedy. The feelings in her were more than just being sad and it was even worse than feeling depressed. She was beyond tears and praying for a mistake. The reality had finally settled in. This whole ordeal was very real - too real for her grasp.

Only a week after her joyous union with Inuyasha, Kagome received the news of her mother's death. Now, three months later, she was fulfilling the role as the new Lady of the Eastern Domain.

If it weren't for Inuyasha, she truly wouldn't have made it through the agony of losing her mother and ruling a Domain. Everything had happened so sudden. And who would have guessed the faithful retainer, Ukaran was really the malicious Lord Naraku of the Southern Domain?

The news of Naraku's deceit spread fast and now half the Eastern Domain was on the brink of rebellion. Apparently her domains villagers felt that if Lady Higurashi wasn't capable of picking a truly loyal retainer, she wasn't capable of ruling at all. Why should they pay taxes to a pitiful leader? So they didn't; the villagers stopped paying their taxes completely.

Of all the time for revenues to be low, now was the absolute worst. Kagome was running low on money to pay her samurai and retainers, and that was most unfortunate with the peasant rebellions and the looming war with Naraku that was unavoidable.

All the while, Inuyasha was more than patient with Kagome. He treated her with a soothing gentleness that helped her relax even if it was only just a bit. He was especially careful to keep his voice down and his demands to a minimum.

"Ugh. Fine, fine. That sounds appropriate." Kagome groaned while gently massaging her temples.

"Very well. Thank you, my Lady." A clean-cut retainer rolled up his scrolls, bowed and exited.

She groaned once more after he left and Sango rushed to her side.

"Would you like some tea, Kagome?"

"No, I would like a nice nap and wake up to find that I am no longer the Lady of these lands."

Sango put a reassuring hand to her shoulder. "I think you are handling this very well, Kagome. Lady Higurashi would have been very proud of you."

"Thank you." Kagome leaned her cheek on Sango's hand. "You have helped a lot. And so has Inuyasha. I guess, what I really want is just some time to mourn. All I've been able to do is handle all the crises. I want a break already." She sighed heavily and dropped the destroyed flower from her hands.

"Sure, you can have one after we kick Naraku's ass." Inuyasha deep voice resonated off the thin paper walls, announcing his arrival.

Kagome tried to smile as her husband walked in unexpectedly; a servant came crawling in on their knees.

"I am terribly sorry, Lady Kagome. I told him you had important meetings all day but he insisted on seeing you. I deserve to be punished." The servant smacked their forehead down on the wooden floor.

Kagome frowned. "Please, it is no trouble. You are excused."

The servant trembled as they bowed taking their exit on shaking knees. Kagome turned to the smug half-demon.

"You shouldn't upset the servants like that Inuyasha." She scorned lightly, too emotionally drained to truly discipline him.

"Keh. They are too uptight. I am their lord now - who are they to tell me what I can and can't do." He stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest.

Kagome turned to Sango for help but her best friend was nowhere to be found. Inuyasha closed in on her and gently helped her to her feet.

She let out another pent up sigh. "Everything is so complicated. How can we organize an attack on Naraku without an army?" Kagome asked as she leaned against Inuyasha.

"We have an army and we always have Sesshomaru."

"Would Sesshomaru really help us?"

Inuyasha nodded, smoothing down Kagome's hair.

Kagome sighed more subdued this time. "In that case, prepare for war."

Inuyasha somehow managed to convince a burned out Kagome to take a walk. As they strolled through the meticulous gardens, the two lovers leaned into one another, finding contentment to just be with each other on this spring afternoon. All around them, brilliant silk flowers showered down bathing Kagome and Inuyasha in a soft fragrant aroma.

One landed on top of Inuyasha's silvery mane, next to a twitching dog ear; for some reason this made Kagome giggle uncontrollably. She brushed it away and gave her confused husband a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

He slipped his arm around her waist. "What did I do?"

"Everything. You've been so understanding through all this. I appreciate it."

They stopped walking and faced one another.

"Keh. I know what'cha going through is all."

Kagome smiled at his modesty and the pink blush he was sporting. She reached up and kindly began assaulting his dog ears. He immediately responded to her touch, with a happy purr. In turn Kagome sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle.

In this comfortable embrace the two stayed for a long time, soaking up the last rays of sunshine that blanketed them in warmth. Finally, Kagome pulled back and smiled slyly.

"You know, since I've already taken the rest of the day off, we should make the most of it."

"I ain't dragging you up some tree if that's what you have in mind." He said through narrowed eyes.

Kagome shook her head, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Nah, I have a better idea..."

It took him a minute but once he got it, Inuyasha smiled his signature smirk and in a blink of an eye he had scooped Kagome up and was dashing to their bedroom.

O.o.o.O

She laid there for a minute after recovering. Her hands sought Inuyasha's head and gently scratched his ears. He kissed his way back up her body and laid down beside her on his back. She rested her chest on his and tiredly played with his hair. He smiled and watched her face lovingly.

Her eyes began to droop and she laid her head under his. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

They fell asleep completely, blissfully.

"G'morning." Inuyasha muttered into his Chosen's hair.

"Good Morning." Kagome replied feeling more well-rested than she had been in awhile.

With a mighty stretch she pried her naked self from Inuyasha's very reluctant arms and went to fetch her robe. Kagome had waken up this morning with an unexplained eagerness, a nagging feeling that there was something she had to do, something she had to find.

Delicate fingers tied her robe in place and she went over to her wardrobe and began rummaging through it before she even realized she was doing that.

"Oi, what are ya up to, 'Gome? Come back to bed, wench. I ain't done with ya yet." Inuyasha said, propping himself up on an elbow to watch her.

"I need to... find something."

"You can find it later. I need you." He whined pouting his lips.

Kagome giggled from behind the wardrobe door and continued her search. After a few minutes, "Ah! I found it!"

Her hands clutched the old leather book Sesshomaru had given her so long ago. She sat on the edge of the bed, allowing Inuyasha to pull her into his lap.

"What'cha want with that thing?"

Kagome shrugged and ran her fingers down its cover, surprising both her and Inuyasha when in the wake of her fingertips, bright white sparks emitted.

"What the he-"

"It never did that before." Kagome asked, looking back at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sat quietly resisting the urge to rip the book in half. Kagome suddenly turned her full body in his lap to face him.

"Hey! Do you think this has to do with my newly tapped into spiritual power? I can feel it now, remember when you said it had a demonic aura? Well, I can see it now... You don't think I could... purify it do you?"

"I think you should just put the damn demonic book down. My brother is a sick bastard. Who knows what this book can do."

Kagome rolled her eyes and scrambled out of Inuyasha's lap. She laid the book on the hard, wooden floor and knelt beside it. Bowing her head, she slapped her hands together. They began to glow pink with spiritual power and she closed her eyes and rested her glowing hands on the book. The demonic aura pushed up against her palms but she did her best to keep it under control. With a final thrust of priestess ability, the room swarmed with white light and dissolved the dark demonic aura.

Chest heaving slightly from exertion, Kagome picked the book back up and hesitantly opened the cover. She gasped.

"I don't believe this..."

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, peering hesitantly over Kagome's shoulder.

"This is a journal... the girl's name was Kagome!"