"There is a place between

good night and good morning,

where I always hope we will meet" – J. Iron Word

Chapter 13

She was running but her feet never once hit the ground. The dark, dense forest flew by in a blur of luscious deep greens and crystal clear waters. She moved impossibly fast yet she never tired once. The smell of damp moist earth stroked her airways with soothing, seductive caresses. She looked below and was swept away by the tide; drowning in golden, honey seas.

Kagome's eyes flitted open for just a moment before they quickly closed again. She was too tired and comfortable to wake up right now. She inhaled deeply as she buried her face into the plush pillow and clutched the soft, downy blankets underneath her. She groaned contentedly and nuzzled her face deeply into the furry, plush pillow. The smell of the forest lingered all around and tickled her nose, beckoning her back into dreamland. She blinked her eyes once more, just to be sure that she wasn't ready to wake up yet, when she saw a flash of slate grey. Unfamiliar. That intense and inviting spicy woodsy smell wasn't from dreamland – it meant Inuyasha was near by.

Kagome stopped nestling into the bed and opened her eyes. Charcoal grey bedding, her hand clutched a large, thick fur pelt – the exact one that'd kept her warm in her cell. Burgundy drapes lazily swept down around her, haphazardly hung from the four-poster bed she occupied. She was in Inuyasha's room, which meant fifteen feet behind her a dead woman was nailed to the wall. Her heart began to hammer in her chest wildly as she imagined the perpetual, screaming face of that dark priestess Ubanaki. Her gaunt eyes and slack-jawed face would be staring right down where Kagome lay. She felt the blood drain from her face as she turned to find… nothing. The wall several meters away from the foot of the bed was empty. Although there was an obvious outline where her body had been, the mummified woman was nowhere to be seen.

"I had her removed before I brought you in here." She heard a husky voice from a corner of the room. Inuyasha stood, his arms crossed, leaning against the stone wall. The impossibly bright morning light cascading into the room from each large window framing either side of his bed made it hard to see him in the contrasting dark edges of his room. His voice and body language gave away nothing, but his eyes said everything: he was intensely scanning her over, checking her, trying to figure out what had happened. Kagome turned over and sat demurely on top of Inuyasha's plush bed facing him.

"Are you going to put her back after I leave?" Kagome asked quietly.

Inuyasha flashed her a cocky grin, "Should I not? I think I've done enough for you. I open my home to you, my staff and my springs are at your disposal, and you attack me like some wild animal."

Kagome turned to him, "That was you? Why did you grab me like that?" Kagome raised her croaky voice defensively, balling her fists in her lap.

"No it's fine. Really. I didn't want thanked anyways." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome gained her sense of composure and bent at the waist, laying her palms flat on the bedspread and let her forehead fall forward into a deep bow. "Thank you for your hospitality and help, Lord Inuyasha." She said earnestly.

She heard him step toward her and scoff, "Stop it with the groveling. I hate it."

Kagome, baffled, broke her sign of respect and looked up at him. He was now standing in the stream of sunlight pouring into his dark room. His pure white hair, still restrained in a tight ponytail, gleamed in the intense sun now. "You don't seem to have a problem with it the other 99% of the time." She pointed out.

"They," he said stressing the single-syllable and nodding his head in the direction of the palace, "are different. I am their ruler and master. I command a kingdom of tens, and thousands and demons and I demand that respect from them. You," he paused for just a moment, "now that I know who you are, are my guest. And while I do ask for the formalities and frills in front of my people, I don't give a rat's ass what you say in private." He finished. How eloquently that sentiment had started, and how quickly that had ended. Kagome rolled her eyes; maybe the old Inuyasha wasn't gone for good.

"So tell me what's going on with you." he demanded wanting to get right to the bottom of things.

"I saw something." She started. Inuyasha nodded her head urging her on, but when she didn't he just rolled his eyes. How did she explain she'd seen visions of what happened the day before? That wasn't normal. There wasn't any logical way to explain what she had witnessed without sounding insane?

"So you saw something." He restated dryly. Kagome uncomfortably fidgeted under his scrutinizing stare. How did he manage to make her feel so inept?

"Never mind. It was nothing." She quickly dismissed the subject before he could laugh at what she was about to tell him.

Suddenly he was a foot away from her, bent over to look her straight in the eyes, hands placed on the bedding in front of her, "No, tell me what you saw. That's not a good enough answer."

"I saw something that wasn't there. I saw things that happened before I was there." She fumbled trying to choose the right words. His unwavering stare was relentless so she continued talking, "Takakazu attacked me. Here. In the palace." If Inuyasha hadn't been standing so close she would have missed the wave of tension that rippled through his body.

"Are you sure?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Well, I don't remember it, is the thing. I remember running through the halls away from the court and bumping into something. And then everything went black. And then yesterday I saw myself, or at least a vision of myself, running through the halls. I saw it and followed it until I found myself in front of Takakazu. I'd heard him say something and I wanted him to explain…"

"What was it you heard?" Inuyasha asked, leaning closer to her.

"I-I don't remember. It was after I blacked out." She admitted and continued, "I wanted him to explain what he'd said. Then he attacked me. I watched him pick me up and then push me into the ground. He had me look into his eyes, and then that was it. I looked possessed, or even dead, all I know was that it wasn't normal. And then the vision ended."

"And that's when I found you." Inuyasha surmised. Kagome nodded.

"I didn't smell him anywhere around or on you and you don't seem to be injured." Inuyasha started sweeping his eyes over her again.

"It happened a few days ago." Kagome offered.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he growled as he pushed himself away and walked away from the bed.

"I don't know. I haven't had the chance?" she offered to his broad back.

"Why were you out of your room alone and around the court?" he asked.

"I heard something had happened between you and Takakazu and I wanted to check it out."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked exchanging his gruff tone for a curious one.

"You and Takakazu's altercation? You ripped his damn arm off at the elbow in the center of the court and left others to clean it up. I didn't see you actually do it, but I got there just in time to watch the clean up crew arrive." She snapped. "That's why I ran from the court. I had no way of knowing if your outburst was a result of your curse so I needed to get back to my room. That's when I ran into Takakazu and he only had one arm. You know he got his blood all over me and…." Kagome ranted but ended up trailing off when she noted the way Inuyasha was spacing out, concentrating on some stone to their right. "Are you even listening?" she asked.

"Kagome." His voice was stonily even, "When did this happen?"

"Uh, the day before last." She said suddenly hyperaware of how uncomfortable she was with the way he was speaking to her.

Inuyasha quickly turned and took a few purposeful strides across the room until he was in front of her again. He pressed a hand on her forehead and began to feel around the back of her head for any lumps; Kagome was baffled.

Kagome pushed him off of her and sputtered, "What are you doing?!"

He came back like a magnet and pressed a hand to either side of her face. He said nothing as he searched her eyes for the longest ten seconds of her life.

"There hasn't been an altercation between Takakazu and I. I have never ripped off his arm." His voice was deep and raspy, "The day before last was the day we visited Miroku and Sango's grave. I was with you all day until the end, and then Takakazu was with me after I sent you home."

Inuyasha looked at her seriously now, probably wondering if she'd gone insane or bumped her head. Kagome, on the other hand, was in horrified denial. She pushed him away.

"No, no, I saw him. I saw us. He had me pinned down and he was missing and arm. He attacked me two days ago. I'd passed out afterward and somehow ended up in my bed yesterday." Kagome blubbered. Inuyasha pursed his lips. He didn't believe her.

"I'm telling you: two days ago we went to human territory together. There's no way Takakazu could have assaulted you in the palace. And he's not missing an arm." Inuyasha said as he stood up straighter. He ran a frustrated hand through his pulled back hair, instantly disheveling the perfectly placed hairs.

"I know what I saw! I watched him viciously attack me!" she shouted.

Inuyasha growled in irritation and grabbed Tessaiga from its resting place against the wall and headed toward the exit. "Fine! Then I'll go talk to the son of a bitch. I've needed to cut him down a few levels for awhile now."

"No! Please!" Kagome cried out, "Don't tell him what I told you. He'll come back after me."

"That's impossible as long as I'm here." Inuyasha quipped indignantly.

"You're not always here. If I'm right: he's obviously not afraid to attack me in public so it wouldn't matter. If you're right: it didn't happen. Please leave it alone." She pleaded.

Inuyasha stilled and seemed to consider this before setting Tessaiga down by his armor wardrobe. He turned around and rested his hands on the intricately carved bed frame located at the foot of his bed. He looked deep into her eyes with some complex, unreadable expression across his face.

"Inuyasha, what can Takakazu do? He has a large, foreboding aura about him. Surely he's powerful." She inquired.

He exhaled and let his head hang, "He can disappear in thin air and relocate to a different spot in the blink of an eye." He said.

"He can teleport?" Kagome breathed. Her brain set to the task of gathering every memory of him appearing right in front of her, or disappearing without a trace. Takakazu had been doing it since they first met out in the Ruin after those city guards had sold her to him. That still didn't explain the events of two days ago (which supposedly didn't happen).

"He's very, very dangerous." Inuyasha said distantly.

"That's why you keep him as your top general?"

"Yes. That's also why I'd never tear his arm off."

But you did. Something caused you to. Kagome retorted where it was safe in her head.

Inuyasha looked up at her with pursed lips as if he was weighing something on his mind. She met his stare and they together simply existed in each other's presence in silence.

"Considering what you have told me, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone to wander around the palace by yourself." He paused for a long moment. Great, she thought, he's going to lock me in my room or have a bodyguard follow me around all day. "You're going to be spending some time with me."

"So you believe me?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"I do not know the full extent of Takakazu's abilities and I've suspected him of hiding something from me more than once." He responded, choosing his words carefully. In other words, he wanted to believe her but couldn't given his current position. She deflated like a wheezing balloon and resigned to looking at her hands twisting in her lap. For the first time that morning she realized that she was wearing a simple kosode that was much too big for her.

"For now, go to your room so you can prepare for the day. I'll have somebody bring you new clothing. You can leave my kosode there, I'll have somebody bring it back."

"Did you…?"

"No. I had Misuzu change you into what was nearest and quickly put you to bed." He said as he waited for her by the door.

Kagome slid off of the edge of the bed and padded across the room and through the draped door. She descended the few wide steps down the lobby and to her room. Upon sliding open her door she was bombarded by frantic violet eyes and worried chattering.

"How are you doing? Are you okay? I'm so sorry I wasn't there with your lunch. I brought it later than usual because the Lord and the troops returned yesterday and I'd been carried away." Misuzu bowed deeply, "I am so sorry that you wandered off and got lost. I should have been there."

"No, really it's okay" Kagome reassured the demon.

"Are you alright? I heard you had a fit. I nearly had one myself when I saw the Lord carrying you back to his room. I'd just delivered your meal when I saw it."

"What was I doing two days ago?" Kagome asked

"Two days ago? You were with Lord Inuyasha on your day trip, weren't you?"

"No… Well. I suppose." Kagome muttered. "Something isn't right, Misuzu."

Kagome explained the entire situation to Misuzu while helping her into her clothing for the day. She was adorned with a pale, floor-length kimono and an ornate piece of jewelry in her hair. Misuzu listened quietly to the story as she perfected the delicate bits of hair that were framed around her face.

"So you have the memories of this incident with the General, and you have seen it with your own eyes as a vision, yet nobody else can confirm the timeline or actual events themselves happening?" Misuzu clarified.

"Nobody can. Now you see the predicament I'm in?"

"I do. I just have a hard time imagining that the General would be so foolish as to attack somebody he knows is so special the to Lord. That's a death sentence. And Takakazu knows he cannot win since the Lord cannot die. What did he stand to gain from attacking you?"

"Because I heard something that he didn't want me to hear. I'm guessing he would have been killed for it by Inuyasha."

"But attacking you would have resulted in his death as well." Misuzu reminded her, "So its really a lose-lose situation for him, isn't it?"

Misuzu was right. Takakazu gained nothing from attacking her, or letting her get away with hearing what he'd said. So why had he chose to attack her, and how had he got away with it? How had he manipulated everyone into believing that two days ago hadn't happened? That two days ago Kagome had been with Inuyasha, or that he had never fought with Inuyasha, or had a limb ripped off? Speaking of which, was it possible for him to regrow a limb? Both Inuyasha and Misuzu assured her he still had both arms.

Kagome sighed in defeat. No matter how she spun it, it was easier to just accept that she had possibly been hallucinating. There were simply too many unknowns that would be impossible to prove. Takakazu was an intimidating man and she was almost always skittish in his presence (she had every right to be, after all). Maybe she'd eaten something or fallen ill and began to imagine things. Maybe right now she should be more worried about her health rather than playing detective in the feudal era.

"Come, my Lord is waiting." Misuzu touched Kagome's hand and gently led her to the door.

Inuyasha was waiting in the lobby at the base of the steps leading to his chambers. He jerked his chin toward the hall precariously perched over the ravine and began walking. Kagome quickly fell into step just behind his right shoulder.

"You're looking awfully casual today." She noted. He wore his usual attire, without the armor and flashy spikes. She'd seen Inuyasha dressed like he'd just left the battlefield so often that now he looked odd without it.

"There's no need to wear all of the unnecessarys inside my own home, around my own people." He retorted.

"You've worn it every time I've seen you."

"Well I was making an impression on you. I had to come off as the terrifying, evil Lord Inuyasha that spies and imposters would expect me to be." He teased.

"So you were just trying to scare me?" Kagome chewed on the inside of her cheek. What an egomaniac. Inuyasha chose to not answer so Kagome asked more questions.

"So what am I going to do today?" She asked.

"Stay within my field of vision. I'm not going to let you wander off if what you say has an ounce of truth to it."

"So I'm just going to sit and watch you work?"

"You won't have a chance to sit much with the work I do. We won a battle the other night so there's plenty to be done around here."

For the first time since her stay at the palace, Kagome was very interested to see what a King in the feudal era did.

What Kagome learned after her day shadowing Inuyasha was that he took his role very seriously, especially for someone that was, in a way, forced into it. It was evident he cared deeply about the welfare of his nation and its inhabitants. While she didn't agree with some of his tactics or methods, she could respect him as a decent leader. He was still young but he had been forced to mature far beyond his years due to circumstances outside of his control. But it was in his blood to be a great leader, being the son of a daiyoukai and a princess.

Their first task of the day was to check on soldiers who had been injured in the battle at the ambush of Shippo's home. The soldiers were not only grateful that their Lord had come to visit, but were honored that they were able to share a battlefield with him. It was evident that Inuyasha had earned great respect from the people he ruled over.

Next they sat and ate lunch in the library while Inuyasha listened to his advisers.

"My Lord, I believe it'd be wise to increase taxes in the town of Fuwa. The residents there are lazy and don't put in their fair share of work. We should have them pay more in order to put them back to work."

"My Lord, the mines haven't been fruitful and there's been a sickness that's swept over Fuwa. This could be the cause of a halt in their production."

"That's the biggest load of shit I've ever hea-"

"Send a troop to Fuwa to assess the situation. If they need medicine we'll send them medicine. If it's the mine that's causing problems then we will have to either find a new one or encourage the citizens of Fuwa to learn a new trade. We will consider the tax increase after these other options are explored."

Kagome pretended to busy herself with an ancient book on medicine while she intently listened.

"Lord Inuyasha, are you sure this human should be listening to our council on our kingdom's weakest towns?" One of the advisors turned his nose up at her.

Kagome realized she had been reading the same page for the past several minutes. She quickly put her cup to her lips and slurped her tea loudly. The advisor rolled his eyes and continued talking about his tax plan.

The duo next walked to the prison so Inuyasha could understand the current situation. Kagome found out that a few men had been caught trying to follow the troops back to the palace. They sat in a single cell, cuffed together, waiting their fate.

"What do you wish to do with the prisoners, my Lord?" The prison guard asked.

Inuyasha quickly looked back at Kagome from the corner of his eye, likely to see if she was paying attention (which she was). "We'll discuss this matter later." He said before striding out of the prison.

"You don't want me to kill them?" Kagome heard the prison guard wonder out loud before she too exited the prison.

"Inuyasha!" She called out after him.

He turned and gave her a warning glare, "Its Lord Inuyasha now."

"Lord Inuyasha, do you usually just kill your prisoners?" Kagome interrogated.

"Yes, and I'll probably have these men killed as well." He said matter-of-factly.

"Why would you do that? Where's your compassion for other beings?" Kagome tried to play on his conscious.

"I do have compassion for other beings. Beings like me, beings that aren't out to kill us with their guns or slaughter our families."

"You used to be against killing humans!" Kagome shouted. The two were beginning to attract the attention of passing by servants in the yard and Inuyasha was fully aware of this.

He lowered his voice to a deathly whisper, "And now I'm a king. A king of demons. I have to do what's right for my people and what's right for my people is extinguishing any threat toward them. These people do not want to talk or make amends - they want to kill." He finished with a quick turn on his heel and walked ahead like nothing had happened.

Kagome hated to admit it, but he was right. She really couldn't find many flaws in his reasoning. These people had ambushed Shippo's apprentice and injured him, they came to Shippo's hut with intent to kill. They wanted a fight. While Kagome could understand that they were only doing what they thought was right it still could have ended up with the loss of life. She supposed when you're a rogue singular demon out to help yourself, it's easy to not pick sides. But when tens of thousands of men, women, and children depend on your actions to keep them safe it might result in more drastic measures. Maybe she would never agree, being human herself, but she could understand.

Next on the schedule: practice. Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga and pointed it at his opponents. Five of his finest soldiers drew their choice of weapon and stood at the ready. The largest demon, which was quite fearsome she had to add, barked a few orders and the men took off in different directions. Inuyasha seamlessly twisted and turned to meet every single one of their attacks blade for blade. Two of them swung their blades in unison and the king managed to swing his fang between the assaulting swords and his body in the breath of an inch. Another came from behind and cut his battle-axe down the center of Inuyasha's back. The dog demon gritted his teeth and knocked the two soldiers in front of him over and leapt in the air just in time to avoid the attack. This went on until the both the squadron of soldiers and their Lord sheathed their weapons and bowed to each other respectfully.

Inuyasha walked over to the spot where he'd discarded his robe of the fire rat and shouldered it back on over his kosode. He approached Kagome where she sat perched under a shady tree as he tucked his haori into his pants. He stilled and looked up at the sun.

"It's nearly time for the feast." He noted.

"Feast?"

"We won the battle so there will be a feast. You'll be eating with all of us tonight: my court, my soldiers, and myself. I'll escort you back to your room so you can get changed."

"Changed? I need to change?" She looked down at her simple kimono and touched the piece in her hair.

"You'll be wearing something a bit more suitable for a spot next to the king at the table. You are Kagome, the breaker of Ubanaki's curse…" he trailed off. Kagome flushed. He was talking about her falling in love with him. Everybody knew that they were supposed to fall in love in order to save Inuyasha. The heat rose to her cheeks knowing that everybody there tonight at the feast would be watching her every move. Was she expected to sneak romantic glances at him, or playfully touch his arm while they ate?

"Just be yourself." Inuyasha simply stated, reading her worried expression.

Inuyasha held her bedroom door open for her and she stepped inside only to be greeted by Misuzu and a gaggle of other women. Kagome didn't have a chance to ask any questions before she was pulled into the room, the door shut effectively behind her. The women immediately began poking and prodding at her clothing, hair, and face.

"Misuzu, what's going on?" Kagome asked before a woman stuck a thin finger into her mouth to check her teeth.

"We're getting you ready for the feast! Although it is a celebration of the kingdom's victory, all eyes will be on you tonight." Misuzu chirped.

"Do they have to be?" Kagome groaned as a woman tugged the hairpiece from her tresses.

"Of course they do. The entire palace has been waiting for this day. We'd all given up hope before you were brought to us and we're eternally grateful. Now you and our Lord can begin courting and the curse will be broken."

"Courting?" Kagome sputtered, "We are not courting each other."

"Oh? Then what did you do all day today?" Misuzu asked slyly. All the women in the room paused what they were doing, waiting on bated breath to hear what Kagome would say.

"I followed him and watched him tend to his duties all day. That's it. Some courting ritual, huh?" Kagome retorted. Misuzu decided to ignore her and instead begin arranging her outfit for the night.

When Kagome was dressed and ready a woman stepped forward with a large glass mirror. Wow. Is that really me? She gaped. From head to toe: her hair was let down and left flowing down her back. The sides of her hair were swept back and a large golden hunk of jewelry held it in place. Her cheeks were kissed with a blush that accentuated her high cheekbones. Her lips were highlighted by a dark red lip paint that caused her lips to look plump and pouty. The kimono she was outfitted in was long, elegant – fit for a lady of high nobility. The haori, left untied and draped over her shoulders, is what really caught her eye. It was beautiful and red with delicate golden vines caught in wild bloom within the fabric. Although she was not, she felt like a princess and couldn't resist doing a small twirl in front of the mirror.

"You look wonderful, my lady." One of the women sighed before bowing her head ever so slightly in Kagome's direction.

"Oh that's really unnecessary. Please, call me Kagome." She embarrassedly laughed. The woman just closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Let's go, it's almost time for the celebration." Misuzu said before ushering the woman out of the door.

Inuyasha was again waiting in the lobby. He had also changed, to Kagome's surprise, into very well fit, formal attire. His armor had been exchanged for a haori that a few similarities to Kagome's, although his was black with gold outline.

"You look… nice." He said as she approached him, Misuzu at her heels.

"Thank you, you do too." She said shyly, aware of Misuzu and all of the other prying ears in her room listening to this conversation.

"Let's get going. It's about to start" he said before holding out his hand to her. Kagome gently placed her hand on his and he guided her to his side. She noticed Tessaiga resting on his hip as she assumed her position at his side. I guess you can never be too careful, huh?

"So," Inuyasha casually began as they walked down the long hall, "you believe I need to adopt new courting tactics, huh?" Inuyasha teased. Oh no. He had heard her say that. Kagome scrunched up her face and looked up at him, but he pretended not to notice and continued staring straight ahead, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. "This is something I'll have to consult with my advisors. 'How to woo Kagome'." He chuckled.

"No, really, it's okay." Kagome mumbled, her cheeks pink from more than just the blush. Since when had she turned back into an awkward, blushing teenager? Pull yourself together, Kagome. You know how to flirt. He's hardly evening flirting; mostly teasing. Truth is, even if she wanted to, she didn't know how to flirt with Inuyasha. There will always be a few people you come across that'll have your tongue tied, and your best one-liners forgotten. They'll make you feel plain stupid in their presence because they seem so much more dashing and composed than you. Kagome prayed that Inuyasha wouldn't be one of those people. She didn't need to spend her days perpetually asking herself, "Why did I say that? You're so stupid."

"Are you ready?" He asked as they stood in the hallway where the wall stopped and opened up into the court. Kagome nodded. "Alright, just follow my lead. I will sit first, you will sit after me." And with that bit of advice the pair stepped out into the court.

To say that the court immediately silenced and everybody's eyes burned holes into her body was a fair statement. However, it didn't nearly cover or describe the intensity of which these actions occurred. A hundred mouths closed in an instant and a hundred pairs of eyes were scrutinizing every detail of her appearance. How shocking must it be though for your king to bring a human to a celebration of a victory against humans? Kagome didn't want to know what was going through everyone's' minds. She could assume most thoughts toward her were unpleasant and, considering they just came from battle, possibly violent too.

Inuyasha and Kagome walked across the court and everybody stood, faced the two, and bowed deeply. Now that their eyes were on the floor, Kagome felt that she could breathe and check out the scene. Torches and light posts had been lit all around the proximity of the court, leaving it looking open, large, and cheerful. Several tables had been pushed together to create a long eating space where nobles and decorated solidiers stood. Two other smaller rows of tables flanked the large one in the middle that was full of even more soldiers. Every food imaginable covered every surface of the table; was all of it really going to be eaten? They approached the larger, middle table and everyone remained bowed. Inuyasha took his seat at the head, and a moment later Kagome took her seat to his right. As soon as she was seated everybody stood up and also sat. To her ecstatic surprise, she found that Shippo and his apprentice were seated to Inuyasha's left just across from her.

"We are gathered tonight to celebrate another victory for this kingdom. Human's were found on demon territory, waiting to attack myself and others who accompanied me outside of the palace a few days ago." Inuyasha paused a most of the people at the table looked in her direction. "Our troops responded immediately and vanquished the threat, even though there were more humans waiting to attack at a nearby camp. Please, after our feast and drinks tonight, thank our brave soldiers and our general who led them, General Takakazu." Kagome nearly broke her neck in the processes of swinging it to scan down the table for him. She found him, a few seats down on the opposite side where she sat. His nose was stuck proudly into the air while people bowed their heads respectfully in his direction. Inuyasha finished his speech with a few sentiments about lives lost before he allowed the feast to begin.

The feast was a fury of hands grabbing food, taking large swigs of sake and rice wine, and servants clearing spaces on the table for more dishes. Kagome sat perched on her seat, picking at her food without eating much of it. She felt too uncomfortable to indulge when she knew so many people were keeping an eye trained on her. What were they waiting for? It's not like she was going to lean over and start hanging on Inuyasha in front of everybody. Out of curiosity, she peeked up at the white-haired dog demon and found he was looking at her as well.

"You aren't eating." She noted.

"Please, try to eat Kagome." He gently encouraged, "You'll get used to… this." He said waving his hand in the air, meaning the relentless attention from strangers. It was then when Kagome realized most of the people in the court had quieted down and were watching the private exchange between the Lord and his 'human curse-breaker'. She nervously settled for taking the cup in front of her and gulping the sake that was in it.

A couple of glasses of rice wine later and Kagome didn't notice the people around much. She chatted the night away with Shippo and his apprentice, while Inuyasha quietly listened. Her cheeks were rosy-pink from a mixture of the alcohol, blush, and frequent laughing she was doing while reminiscing on old memories with her fox friend. It was when both Shippo and Kagome were both pink-cheeked and teary-eyed that Inuyasha had placed a hand on top of hers. It was time to go. She had been having so much fun that the hours had flown by in a matter of minutes.

Inuyasha stood and on cue everybody stood up with him and bowed deeply once more. Everybody turning his or her eyes to the ground was helpful since Kagome was a right in that crucial place between 'really tipsy' and 'drunk'. Inuyasha held out a hand and she grasped it as she stood up and tested her legs. He continued to hold his hand out for hers to delicately lay on top of as they exited the court. As soon as they were in the hall alone Kagome loudly hiccupped. It had taken all of her concentration to not lean into him as they walked away from the court; she had a really bad habit of doing that.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at her, "I don't know if I could court a lady that gets drunk so quickly."

"That's some good stuff you have." Kagome spoke with more voice inflection than normal, "In my time we have the really watered down stuff. This is the real deal." She exclaimed.

"I see you're not very talented at holding your liquor. I suppose it's not fair to judge you since you didn't eat much of your meal." Even in this dim, candle-lit hall it was easy to see her boozy, rose petal stained cheeks.

"I ate a good amount of it. Don't worry yourself about me, your highness." Kagome teased followed up with a horribly serious facial impression of Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's perfectly even face flinched just for a moment, "You know, I can still send you back to the prison anytime I please."

"Not a good idea. Don't you know anything about winning a woman's heart?" Kagome sassily snapped.

"I know a lot more than you'd expect. But as you said, I save that for the women." Inuyasha grinned, a fang pointing out from underneath his lip.

Kagome removed her hand from resting on top of his in a huff and stomped ahead down the grand hall over the ravine. He still liked to tease her and get underneath her skin; at least there were some things that could stand the test of time.

Kagome woke and sat up quickly later that night, frightened with a light sheen of sweat coating her forehead. That had definitely been a nightmare. It seemed she couldn't escape Takakazu even in states of unconsciousness. She put a hand on her chest in an attempt to soothe her frantically pulsing heart. Her ragged breaths shattered the silence of her dark bedroom until she heard a low voice speak up. She hadn't been aware that she was being watched.

"Bad dream?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah." She sighed.

"You were saying his name – Takakazu's I mean. I thought he might have gotten in here."

"It wouldn't surprise me considering he's already attacked me once."

They sat in silence for a long few moments. Her, staring out into the pitch black in the direction of his voice; him, probably able to see her heaving chest and the wild look in her eyes.

"Have you been awake this entire time?" she asked him.

"Yes. I stayed awake and watched you last night as well." He answered.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." She said sheepishly.

"I wouldn't have been able to sleep even if I wanted to. You wasted no time in taking up my entire bed."

"I'm sorry." She said simply. She didn't have much fight in her right now.

"I was worried about you, too. I found you lost, alone, and screaming. I didn't know what had happened. I've waited 150 years for you, I can't afford to lose you so soon." He said solemnly. This was the first time he'd admitted that he'd missed her and still cared deeply for her. Of course he did and she knew this, he just wasn't very good at showing it – another quirk of Inuyasha's that managed to stand the test of time. Kagome had a feeling he was looking right into her eyes, even if she couldn't look into his. She didn't know what to say so she opted to fumble with her downy duvet instead.

"You can get some sleep now if you want. I'll be okay." She said.

"I probably won't be able to get any sleep for awhile."

She sighed, "Me either."

She then felt him drape something over her shoulders that wonderful spiced woodsy smell from this morning infiltrated her lungs. "Come." She felt his claw brush against her arm as he gave the simple command. She reached out and placed her hand in his and he helped her out of the bed. He held her hand as they slipped out of her door and down the grand hall. The bay windows that peppered the ravine hall in intervals allowed moonlight to shine in and light the way. Kagome looked first at her hand firmly grasped in his and then his fire rat robe that was draped over her shoulders. All he wore were his fire rat pants and the white kosode he typically wore under his robe. Where were they headed, him half undressed and her in pajamas?

Inuyasha winded down several corridors before he led her through a door and outside of the palace. Kagome had never been here before as it wasn't a main entrance door, but more of a side exit. Once out into the yard Inuyasha crouched down on the ground in front of her.

"Get on." He directed. Kagome tied the fire rat robe across her chest so she wouldn't lose it and carefully climbed onto his back. Within a blink they were in the air, high above the yard, and soaring over the palace wall. Inuyasha landed in a dense thicket of trees and took off running.

He started leisurely, bounding through the woods and skipping over rocks. As they progressed deeper and deeper into the forest the trees became denser, the foliage more overgrown, and the faster Inuyasha went. Kagome's hair whipped behind her and the cool night air stroked her skin with long, weightless fingers. The earth was damp as if it had just showered before their arrival. The rich, mossy ground smelled fresher and cleaner than anything she could find in her era. The crisp, fresh air was stimulating and electrified every nerve ending in her body. She felt so alive. She felt nostalgic. Kagome reached forward and pulled the cloth that bound Inuyasha's hair back and let it fly wild so it tickled the skin on her cheeks and throat. This was just like the old days. Suddenly the pair broke through the dark forest and exploded into a grassy meadow. In front of them was a full moon so big that it could of swallowed the entire night sky. They soared through the air toward it and Kagome swore they were so close she could reach out and touch its rocky, dusty surface.

Kagome didn't remember most of the trip back to the palace that night. When they landed in the meadow she had insisted getting off of his back so she could run and dance around in the illuminating moonlight. Eventually she began to tire and Inuyasha has collected her weary body in his arms and carried her home. She'd fallen asleep a short while into the trek back. The last thing she remembered was her cheek resting against his chest, watching him gaze up at the moon – his golden ocean eyes laced with moonstruck madness.