Ever since that day Inuyasha and Kagome were always together. The two of them were as thick as thieves, as son as he finsihed his work and she finished her lessons they would sneak off to play together and they only way they could be parted was if his work or her lessons made them. Three years had gone by and the little princess and the kitchen boy continued to grow closer, of course they didn't always get along. In fact as they got older they started to fight a lot and sometimes they would drive each other crazy but despite that nothing could end their friendship and by the time they were twelve years old Inuyasha had began to feel more than friendship toward her which was a problem.

Now remember how I said that Meishu and Khugai shared some customs and traditions? Well another one of them is that royals and peasants cannot fall in love or marry. Kagome being a princess meant that she would only be allowed to marry a prince or a young king however the same couldn't be said for her sister Usagi. True Usagi was a princess she was not of royal blood, in fact she wasn't King Shinichiro's daughter in the biological sense. Usagi's biological father had abandoned her before she was born and when she was three years old her biological mother Serenity, died of a dreadful illness, leaving her orphaned. Now her mother had previously worked as a loyal handmaid to Shinichiro's wife Queen Fumiko who after giving birth to Kagome had suffered complications and although both mother and baby eneded being perfectly healthy she would never be able to have another child. Wanting to repay Serenity for her many years of loyalty and desperate to have a second child, the king and queen adopted little Usagi.

The imperial council was not pleased with the idea of a royal couple adopting a peasant's child but eventually they agreed to accept it under one condition. That Usagi not be given any claim to the throne and that she not be allowed to marry anyone of royal blood. The king didn't like it but it was the only way he and Fumiko could be allowed to keep her. Shinichiro and Fumiko loved and raised Usagi as she was their own flesh and blood, and Kagome always saw her as her sister.

"You're so lucky Kagome." Elven year old Usagi told her one day.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because someday when you get older you're going to marry a handsome prince. Like the ones in our story books."

"Yes I suppose."

"And I can't believe that today you and Father are going to meet with the count and his son Saki again. I hear he's very good looking."

"Oh yes he's good looking alright and boarish and rude and annoying. That creep hits on me every chance he gets."

"Really? Then he must have really poor taste." Inuyasha chuckled as he entered the room. "You know there are plenty of other more attractive princesses he could court."

"Be quiet you jerk!" Kagome threw one of her shoes at him.

"Ha! You missed!" He taunted.

"You shouldn't be here Inuyasha." Usagi said. "No males are allowed to enter our chambers unspervisied."

"Yeah I know but I just wanted to tell you guys the big news." He said. "Kaede managed to talk your old man into recommending that I go into training to be a royal guard."

"That's great." Kagome said.

"Does that mean you're going to be assigned to watch us twenty-four seven like the other guards?" Usagi said.

"I hope not because I can only take being around your sister for so long."

"Oh and you're so enjoyable to be around all the time?" Kagome said. "How about the time you threw my book into the pond?"

"That was an accident. I didn't throw it, I dropped it."

"Well thanks to your accident my tutor didn't allow me to have free time for a week. It was nothing but lessons and lessons."

"You could've just skipped your extra lessons and sneaked away."

"I would have gotten into more trouble than I was already in. You know that."

"You need to lighten up."

"And you need to understand my position. As future heir to the throne of Meishu it is vital that I learn all my lessons so that I may grow up to be a suitable queen."

"You become the queen of Meishu? There's laugh."

"Ugh! Get out of my room!"

She threw another one of her shoes and this time it hit him in the nose.

"Ow! You're crazy you know that?!"

He qucikly ran out of there as fast as he could.

"He is so infuritating." She complained. "If he does end up becoming a royal guard I hope he's charged with protecting the royal treasure and not us."

"Oh please." Usagi giggled. "We both know that you would just love for him to be assigned as your personal body guard. That way you two can always be together every hour of everyday. Now I know why you're not interested in Saki or any other of the young noblemen you meet. You've already promised your heart to the royal kitchen boy."

"That's not true!" Kagome cried while blushing.

"It so is!"

"You don't know what you're talking about Usagi and besides I have to go meet Father and the count so if you'll excuse me."

She then made her way to the royal drawing room where her father, the count, and the count's son Saki sat waiting for her. Her father and the count discussed the royal trading routes which would provide a learning experince for both her and Saki who was expected to inherit his father's trading business. At noon Kagome and Saki were dismissed to enjoy lunch but Saki didn't exaclty have food on his mind.

"Leave me alone Saki." She said after he put his arm around her waist.

"Oh come on Princess." The sixteen year old son of the count said. "My father and I both agree that you and I would make the perfect royal pair."

"Well I don't. Now can we please drop this ridiculous subject and go eat lunch before it gets cold."

Saki took hold of her hand.

"Let go of me!" She demanded.

"You're really cute you know that." He said chuckled.

"Quit it!"

"How about giving me a little kiss?"

"Gross! Not on your life! Just leave me alone!"

And before he could do anything else, Inuyasha ran up and kicked Saki from behind.

"You heard the lady! Leave her alone or else!" Inuyasha quickly put his arm around Kagome protectively.

"Who the hell are you?!" Saki said enraged. "How dare you touch the princess!"

"You're one to talk pal! And for your information she's already spoken for."

"What?! Don't tell me the you two are-"

"Together? Yep! We made a commitment to each other long ago."

"Princess is this true?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha confused, he winked at her telling her to play along.

"Yes it's true." She said.

"You men you actually like this peasant?"

"Yes. In fact I love him, I love him with all my heart and someday when I'm old enough we will be married."

That made Inuyasha blush a little.

"No! I don't believe this!" Saki said further enraged. "You're honestly choosing this wet nosed kid over me?! I won't stand for this insult!"

He drew his sword out to attack Inuyasha only to have his arm be firmly grabbed by the king.

"What is going on here?" He asked. His demeanor was perfectly calm, collected, and regal but his eyes were overflowing with great anger.

"Your majesty I..." Saki said. "I was just trying to defend your daughter from this perverted low life."

"Nice try young man but I heard the whole thing. What gives you to right the claim my daughter as your own personal property? Your father will be most displeased when he hears of your disrespectful behavior. Apologise to my daughter at once and return to the drawing room."

Saki apologized to Kagome and hurried back to the drawing room where he would face a good scolding from the count. The king then turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Kagome please go back to your room I wish to speak Inuyasha alone."

"He didn't do anything wrong Father." She said. "He was just protecting me."

"I know dear I just want to talk to him about something private now would you kindly leave us."

"Yes Father."

Kagome did as she was told and went back to her chambers. Inuyasha was a little nervous about what the king was going to talk to him about. He didn't think that he was going to get into any trouble but when the king typically wants to have a private chat with one of the staff it usually wasn't good.

"You can breathe son, I'm not angry with you."

"Oh good. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well I overheard what you and my daughter said about each other making a commitment."

"Oh that! That wasn't...No we just made that up to get rid of that guy."

"I see. I know you're Kagome's friend Inuyasha and I appreciate what you do for her but next month she'll be going away to boarding school where she'll learn how to be a proper lady of the court."

"She's going away? For how long?"

"Six years."

"Six years?"

"That's how long it was for her mother and her grandmother and every other young princess destined to one day to be queen. Now I must tell you that when she comes back things will be different and you won't be as close as you are now. I'm also going to remind you of our rule about royalty and peasantry and how they can never-"

"Marry. I know, I know."

"Just a reminder. Now then I'm going to have you be placed in training to be a royal guard, you're a very loyal and hard working young man. I know that you'll be one of the best guards in service."

"Thank you sir."

Though he was happy that he would be going into training to be a guard he was very saddened that Kagome would be going away for so long.