Author's Note: This was originally supposed to be a fairy tale parody, but now it's just me doing whatever I want (as with any and all decisions in my life :x).

The Prince

There once was a strong and very proud dog demon prince who was known for having a very nasty cruelty streak. He was revered by his subjects and feared by his enemies. Few dared to oppose him, and those that did were deemed as foolish. He would not hesitate to stain his sword or claws with the blood of others. Yes, no one dared to cross path with the vicious prince. That was unless there was some cosmic force involved. And meddling parents.

Because of a strange twist of fate, he found himself wedded to the sweet peasant Kagome, whose overt cheeriness was beginning to get on his nerves. Like, a lot.

"Sesshoumaru," his bride of three months now was sounding particularly peeved with him. Their earlier clumsy start in their strange marriage had now taken a more familiar, clumsier route. "It's been three months, and I would have thought we would have resolved this already!"

"I miss the days when you feared me," he quipped as she strolled up to him in the palace corridors. True, she was afraid in the beginning, being a human among a palace full of mostly demons with only a small fraction of humans inhabiting it, but with time and an unfortunate incident, her fear was traded for friendliness. Her pleasant and trusting nature took over and it wasn't long before she discovered his more secretive side that he had hidden from even his parents.

"It is a little hard to fear someone who has such a soft spot for children," she answered with a bright smile, still surprised when she had caught him a month ago, in his own subdued way, playing with the young children of servants and nobles as he also taught them proper sword handling and stances with wooden sticks. When he had picked up her scent looming near the courtyard, his eyes widened just enough for his bride to have to stifle her giggles in order to avoid offending her dour husband.

He sighed. "Normally I would kill those who have witnessed such a common behavior from the Crown Prince."

"But…?" she prodded him with another smile.

"Mother and Father would be displeased to lose such a 'charming' daughter-in-law."

"Is that the only reason?" she asked her husband with a huff.

"You are entertaining," he added, earning another sour look from his bride.

"I'm…entertaining?" she asked flatly, feeling somehow offended by the word choice. She could see a light twinkling in his golden eyes, which on most occasions were cold and daunting, but in private she had learned he was not the mask he chose to display to the public. Raising her head slightly, she humored him. "Do I do tricks to amuse you, Your Highness?"

"Yes," he responded coolly, recognizing her bold challenge. "Are humans always this interesting?"

She lowered her head, blowing her long bangs upwards, earning a small smirk from her husband in the process. "Of course not. Are demons always this patronizing?"

"Of course," he mimicked her tone.

"You are insufferable," she sighed, and seeing him quirked one eyebrow upwards, she hastily added, "…Your Imperial Highness."

"What is it you had wished to annoy me about this time, my bride?"

She still blushed at the way he referred to her, though in all occasions it was used to rile a reaction out of her. Gathering her wits again, she quickly remembered what it was she had wanted to speak to him about in the first place. He waited patiently, but she instantly blurted out, "Kikyou."

He was still. His earlier mirth was replaced instantly with an unreadable expression spread across his features as he waited for her to continue.

"That is," she breathed in slowly, "Princess Kikyou is who you should have wedded. Should we not search for her?"

He turned briskly. "If that human does not wish to marry this Sesshoumaru, I will not lower myself to begging her."

Kagome hurried after him. "But I am still being forced to masquerade as her!"

Sesshoumaru stopped suddenly, causing Kagome to bump her nose against his back.

Rubbing her nose briefly, she looked up at him, clearly upset. "Am I to be known as her for the rest of my life? I am not Kikyou! I am Kagome!"

"And I refer to you as such," he acknowledged. "As does Mother, Father, and many of the servants."

"But officially I am referred to as 'Princess Kikyou' and known as only such to the public," she reminded him, softening her voice again. "Is that how my life is going to be now? Just an imposter?"

"You are unpleased," he noted slowly.

Nodding, Kagome shifted her gaze away from his to look at the koi pond in the garden nearby. She was suddenly reminded of how far away from home she was, being completely out of her elements. She was common, uneducated, and human, which should all make her a very unsuitable match. If it wasn't for the peculiar circumstance, no one would even dream of sending her off to be married to a demon prince.

"With everything?" he questioned, surprising her.

She looked at her husband again, seeing his eyes were searching, though she knew by now that he only needed to smell her scent to understand her mood and behavior. It took her a few more seconds to realize that although he could easily discern her natural instincts, he knew nothing of her own personal thoughts. She exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "No," she said with a soft smile. "I am grateful to the kindness of the Emperor and Empress toward my family."

"That is not what I am referring to."

She breathed again, thinking of Shippou and many of the other palace retainers who she had befriended. "I am fortunate to be in good company."

"That is also not what I am referring to."

She paused, thinking, and then confessing shyly, "I am not unhappy with the marriage."

"Hn."

"But Sesshoumaru…"

He looked at her, waiting.

"I cannot live a lie."

He was quiet again, thinking before he agreed with her. "Lies are dishonorable, and I do not care for them myself." He noticed her eyes brightened at his acquiescence, but that did not solve their problem, which he felt he needed to point out to her. Seeing her mood dampened again, he wondered aloud, "How do you propose we rectify the situation then, my bride?"

She blushed again, but hurried along in her idea, which seemed to have occupied her mind far longer than Sesshoumaru would have thought.

"Find…Kikyou?" he asked, a bit astonished by the simplicity of it all, or rather by his bride's guileless mindset, "And when we find her, how would that solve our problem?"

"We could talk to her and just…fix the problem," she said lamely, realizing it sounded just as pathetic to her as to him. She continued, hoping to redeem herself, "Aren't you the least bit curious about why she had disappeared?"

"No," he answered, "Nothing good could come from being inquisitive of unnecessary matters."

"You are curious about me," she gently reminded him, earning a scowl.

"You are…an exception," he said evenly, and then as if he wished to change subject, he asked, "It is almost time for your daily lessons with Jaken, correct?"

She knew by now that Sesshoumaru had a tendency to get things done his way, and his current tone implied their discussion was over. She nodded her head meekly, and then bid him goodbye before making her trek across the palace to her waiting tutor.

.

"…and then, our Grand Imperial Emperor Touga used his cunning wits and stealth to surprise the enemies with an ambush and lead the glorious Western Kingdom into victory…Princess Kagome!"

Kagome's head jerked up when Jaken's brown-nosing drawl changed to exasperated pleading. She looked at the incensed imp demon apologetically. She was truly grateful to have the opportunity to receive the best education the Western Kingdom had to offer, but she hadn't expected her teacher to be so…boring.

Jaken sighed. "Perhaps Your Highness would like to practice her calligraphy instead?"

"Oh, very much so!" she exclaimed as she begun to set up her ink and brushes. As she practiced, Jaken had started to clear away some of the scrolls while muttering his displeasure under his breath. While she didn't catch much of it, she knew enough that he was not pleased with his current position as tutor, feeling it was lower than his usual duties around the palace.

Slowly, though, she tuned him out as she focused on her brushwork, which while still not exceptional, she felt it was much better than when she had her first lesson three months ago. She was so deep in her concentration, she did not notice when her husband had arrived until hearing Jaken's surprised exclamation. She looked up just in time to catch Sesshoumaru scrutinizing her brushwork. Embarrassed, she tried to discreetly hide the paper.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru spoke, his voice low and even, "I would like some privacy with the Princess."

Jaken immediately bowed and acquiesced to the prince. He gathered an armful of scrolls and immediately shuffled out of the room, sliding the shoji door shut on his way out. Once he was gone, Sesshoumaru strode over and sat down behind Kagome, his long legs casually propped up on either side of her. Her immediate blush did not escape his notice.

"Your brushwork is still very atrocious," he murmured against her ear, causing her to brighten even further.

She huffed, trying to maintain an air of dignity in spite of her increasing embarrassment with the situation. "Excuse me for not having over five centuries of practice, Your Highness!"

He chuckled before he reached for her right hand that was still holding a brush. He guided her hand to the ink, blotting just enough of the excess before leading her back to the paper. Beneath her crude characters, he carefully led her strokes.

Kagome let his hand guide hers, watching in amazement as the different smooth strokes glided and formed beautiful characters before her eyes. When he had finished, she realized she did not recognize the characters on the paper. She frowned to herself.

"Erm, Sesshoumaru?"

"Hm?"

"I have never learned these characters before," she said, hushed and suddenly reminded of how close he was to her. His hand was still holding hers and she could feel his chest pressed slightly against her back. She imagined he could hear her heart beating wildly at their close proximity.

"I would imagine not," he answered back in a low murmur.

"What is it?"

"Your name."

She shifted, turning to look at him with expectant, wide eyes. She looked so innocent then, so vulnerable, and so very, very human. He was intrigued.

He smirked and leaned in close, whispering softly against her lips each syllable, "Ka-go-me."

His deep, silky voice sent shivers down her spine, and it only took one sharp intake of breath to beckon him forth and claimed her lips with his. Her lips were soft, inexperienced, but he always did like taking charge of situations. He felt no qualms in guiding her, a gentle nip, an explorative tongue, a teasing growl rumbled in the back of his throat lured out her own soft moans.

"You are entertaining, my bride," he said, voice husky and eyes gleaming.

Her cheeks colored prettily under his golden gaze. There was teasing in his voice, but there was also a nuance that she couldn't quite decipher that caused her stomach to flutter. "You are incorrigible, Your Highness."

He smirked, inclining his head. "I will grant your wish."

"My…wish?"

"We will right this marriage," he declared, "You will have your name."

She drew in another quick breath. "Meaning…?"

"We will settle matters with Princess Kikyou."