Kagome peeked around the doorway into Frigga's personal rooms. She was supposed to meet her in her private garden today for training, but being in the family wing was uncomfortable. She wasn't sure how she was going to feel alright sleeping in this part of the palace when her room was done. She hadn't even known how to get here without her handmaid Dala's help. She was still getting used to that situation as well, having a personal maid. But Dala was sweet and helpful and she could see her becoming a good friend.

She saw no trace of Lady Frigga in the sitting room, so she reluctantly entered and glanced around awkwardly, gawking at the finery. It wasn't ostentatious by any means, it was a tastefully decorated room; but it was obviously lush. She felt so out of place. It reminded her of the short time they'd spent In Sesshomaru's shiro to have a "council of war" of sorts after they'd joined forces. Inuyasha has bristled with tension and grumped the whole stay, and she'd had to stop herself from wondering around gawping at every last inch of the place. Sesshomaru was already irritated that they had to be there "stinking up the clean air of his home," so she hadn't wanted to be a bother by being... everywhere. She was also pretty sure she would've ended up lost.

Kagome shook off those memories and lowered herself slowly, slowly, slowly onto the edge of an expensive looking settee, spine ramrod straight and hands balled up in tight fists in her lap. She was certain that if she so much as breathed in the wrong direction she'd ruin everything in the room. She fidgeted, twisting the loose fabric of her skirt in her fingers and bouncing her toes as she waited anxiously for Frigga to arrive, but after a seeming eternity the proverbial lightbulb flashed on in her mind and she wanted to smack herself for being so stupid.

"Duh. I bet she wants me to find her."

With ease she stretched her reiki out in shallow waves until she felt the sweet, motherly ping of Frigga's aura just a few feet away. She followed it out of the sitting room and through what she could only guess was the queen's dressing room until she found herself in a vibrant, verdant garden. Rivaling even those of the Western castle which had been stuffed to bursting with all species of flowering plant for Sesshomaru's ward Rin, Kagome could not believe she was still in any real world.

"Oh... this looks like a fairy land!"

A light chuckle caught her attention and she found Frigga sitting on a polished stone bench surrounded by bushes blooming with a flower she'd never seen before, a foreign bug with many silver wings flirting with the silky petals.

'I didn't even think that the plants and animals here might be different.' She was suddenly curious about that, but Frigga brought her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Hello Kagome. Thank you for meeting with me here today, I hope it wasn't a bother."

"Of course not! It's not like I have a busy schedule or anything."

Kagome never imagined that a chuckle could be elegant, but that's exactly the way she would describe the sound Frigga made before lightly patting the empty spot in the stone bench beside her.

"Well, come have a seat and let's get started, shall we? Now then, I think for now I'd like to see you manifest this power of yours and let me get a good look at it. Do you mind?"

"Not at all!"

Kagome brought her hands up and cupped them in front of her, allowing the purity of her reiki to flicker like little flames in her palms.

Frigga eyed the dancing pink swirls of energy closely, taking note of every eddy and spark of magic. She reached out and stuck her fingertips in the glow, feeling how it tingled across her skin as it reacted to her own innate magics. The little flames licked up and down her fingers, tickling but not harming. It felt like it was saying hello.

"Extraordinary."

"Uh... I guess."

"What can you do with it?"

"I can purify darkness, expel evil auras, cast protective barriers... there's lots more I should be capable of, but I wasn't trained from birth like most with these powers are."

"I see. Can you summon a weapon? Hide your form? Duplicate yourself?"

"Duplicate myself? Hide my form? Oh no, Miko aren't capable of that. Those are kitsune tricks."

"Kitsune?"

"They are very intelligent foxes. Shapeshifters and tricksters."

"Ah, sounds like a creature I could get along with. Well then, show me what you know, and we can build from there."

"Um, okay well... I don't have my bow and arrows on me right now, and I don't feel any evil nearby that I could purify... but I could show you my barrier!"

Quick as a wink, Kagome summoned a transparent pink barrier around the both of them. One of the silver winged insects bumped against it before flying off. Frigga looked on in awe, reaching her hand out to rest against the solid surface of the small barrier holding them inside.

"It is like a shell. Can it be pierced?"

"Not by many things, not if I concentrate. It would take a lot of power."

Frigga narrowed her eyes, running her hand across the pink, shimmering surface.

"Concentrate then, I'm going to try."

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes, centering herself and pouring more reiki into her barrier.

"Alright. You're probably more than powerful enough though. You are a goddess, after all."

"Don't sell yourself so short, my dear. Now, prepare yourself."

Kagome felt a surge of magic swell against her barrier and begin poking at it, looking for cracks or holes. She sent another wave of reiki into in, fortifying it further against Frigga's soft prodding. A swift, strong thud against the solid wall shook her, making her gasp at the unexpected attack. But she held fast as Frigga continued to use her magic to pound against the barrier with ever increasing strength. She began to sweat, the effort needed to hold the barrier together taking more and more concentration. She'd reached the end of her training in this regard, as she could no longer strengthen the barrier and concentrate on holding it up at the same time. Frigga continued her attempts to shatter it and finally, after considerable effort on her part, a fissure formed and spread across its entire surface before it evaporated in a rein of sparks.

Kagome gasped and panted, wiping the sweat off her brow. Frigga turned to her and grabbed her hand.

"I'm so sorry dear, I had no idea this would tire you so. But you, my dear girl, are much, much stronger than you imagine. It took a reat deal more power than I anticipated to break through your shield."

Kagome gazed up at her in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes. You must learn to have more confidence in yourself. I think it's time to call this lesson to an end, though I believe it was more a lesson for me, than for you. You need to rest now, we'll continue on tomorrow. For now, Dalla will show you to your new room! It has been cleaned and furnished but we will make time to decorate it to your personal specifications later."

"Oh, that's not-"

"Nonsense. Now go wash up for supper!"

Frigga shooed her out the door and into Dalla's care. She shrugged and linked her arms with her in a friendly gensture which Dalla tried to demure from. But if Kagome was going to be comfortable with this arrangement, she couldn't keep any air of superiority over the girl.

"This way, lady Kagome. Your new room is ready, and it's lovely!"

"Lead the way!"

——————————————

She supposed "lovely" was one way to describe her new room in the family wing.

Another might be way, way too much!

She felt awkward all over again.

"What wrong, Lady Kagome?"

Kagome looked over at Dalla and read the concern all over her face.

"Nothing. Just wondering how to get comfortable with this."

"Is it not to your tastes? I'm certain Lady Frigga would be amenable to changing-"

"Oh no, it's not that! I just haven't been here that long and they've already got me in the family wing in a super fancy room. It's just.. hard to take it all in without feeling like I'm taking too much from them.

"But you aren't taking it, Lady Kagome. They are giving it."

"I'm not sure how that's any different, Dalla."

"Have you made any demands of them?"

"Certainly not, I would never!"

Dalla chuckled at her and began pulling back the curtain to the very large window on one of her walls.

"Then you haven't taken anything. You've simply received."

With a soft gasp, Kagome considered that for a moment before smiling radiantly and grabbing her handmaid in a crushing embrace.

"Ive never thought of it like that before. Dalla, you're a genius!"

Dalla blushed and softly hugged her back.

"I'm happy to help, my Lady."

"Where's the bath around here?"

"Your personal bathing room is through that doorway."

"I have a personal bathing room?!"

"Yes, and fully stocked with bathing supplies."

Eyes wide and starry, Kagome thought she must be dreaming when she looked at the huge store of soaps and oils in her own personal bathroom. It was the kind of luxury she thought she'd never have again.

"Dalla, lets have a spa day!"

"Uh... a what, my lady?"

Kagome giggled and pulled her into the bathroom, set on having a relaxing girl's day for the first time in a long time.

"Oh, you'll see!"