A/N: I know. I know. Life. Sorry so late. Editing an additional chapter to hopefully give a second update by tomorrow. Fingers Croseed.

It was the night he'd been waiting for. Yes the night of the feast, but also the night Kagura would return to him. The night he would have a shield from Kiko and his mother…unless Kiko had yet to learn to appropriately fear Kagura's power. And with so many of her clan here she probably thought herself invincible. But Sesshomaru would worry about that, and his mother's reaction, later. All he wanted to know was if Kagura would accept at least the rooms for now. Although he wanted nothing more, he wouldn't force the weight of the room's significance on her just yet. With Kagura's nature and desire for freedom, it might cause her to pull from him, or worse, run.

So he'd taken all the precautions he could. He had ensured that her attire for the evening (jewels, accessories, garments, and footwear) were secured in her room, displayed to dazzle her upon entering her chambers. Mara had been instructed to guide her to her room and assist her in preparing for the party, making sure to send word to him of her arrival. He wanted to make sure he put as much distance between himself and Kiko to avoid his temptation and Kagura's suspicion.

He greeted his guests. He checked in with Jaken about the staff and the guards, he humored his family, he ignored Kashin's taunts about his avoidance of two particular women. Sesshomaru kept all of this up for hours, growing more and more irritated by the moment. Drinking more and more, although he knew better. Indulging in contents of Kashin's personal flask. Feeling the effects of something he knew he should've drunken sparingly. Not having enough presence of mind to stop Kiko from fluttering back to his side and placing her hands upon his arm. And all because Kagura was hours late and plaguing his mind. And how could she not.

He had wanted to grab her and show her how she had appeased his pride when he walked through the halls and saw the new decor. He'd heard from Gilden that Kagura ensured tonight would surprise even him. The indigo color of his crescent and the magenta of his stripes had replaced the reds and golds. Tonight was about him as a host, a leader, and the house practically screamed this. The bluish purple hue colored the new drapes along the walls and windows, filtering moonlight to halls no longer lit by candles but by some sort of magical orbs that varied in size and floated above their heads.

And the dining hall itself was covered in the colors of his markings, the crescent etched into the floor and the walls. The also patterned themselves along the cloth covering his head table. What Kagura had done was surely expensive, but magical. He was shocked and quite pleased…until she hadn't shown up. And after he had humbled himself to ask her to attend with him. Taken himself out of his comfort zone. As much as she'd bolstered his pride this evening, she'd also wounded it; and the alcohol was calling for him to allow Kiko to soothe him.

0o0o0o0oo

She was nervous, and so Kagura had delayed. Ah Un knew it. It was as if their master had instructed them to bring her back by a certain time. They were rowdy and restless as she dragged out her farewells to Rin and the others. They nudged her as she thanked Kagome and Sango for their advice, her eyes widening in shock as they circled her in a hug. And then they argued in their own way when she'd practically begged the beasts to slow down and give her more time. Eventually her pleading won out and they slowed their speed substantially, probably feeling her nerves.

As soon as she was close enough to the castle, she sent the dragon forth without her, and shielded her presence as she tossed her body into the wind. Breezing past the guards and servants, Kagura hesitated briefly, before slipping her immaterial body into her new room.

What exactly she had expected to find? Kagura couldn't be sure; but she definitely shouldn't have been surprised at the opulence and grandeur of the room. The Lady's room. HER room. Surely by now Sesshomaru knew she favored the color red, but she didn't know if the room had been decorated to her liking, or if this was how it had always been. Bright reds and deep maroons covered most surfaces, such as the silk sheets and pillows, her new vanity and armoire, the thick carpets, and the curtains at the windows. There were, however, shades of indigo - not unlike Sesshomaru's crescent - mixed into the bedding, and the room decorations. An inviting seating area was off by the fire place built into the wall. And the new windows were quite larger than the ones in her old room, the balcony also larger.

The Lord was staking his claim alright, if not signified by the decor of the room, then by the wardrobe laid out for her on the large western style bed. Slowly, Kagura reached out a hand to touch the garments. She almost groaned at how wonderful the material felt. They were robes fit for royalty, still resembling the traditional style of their homeland, but with a less modest influence from a land she wasn't familiar with.

Kagura began to undress and redress herself. First, a two piece magenta garment with no sleeves or armholes; the top portion held up by the fact that it clung so tightly to her curves, and what could hardly be called a skirt portion just barely reaching down to her thigh. After that, sheer lacy matching socks that came up to her knees. As she rolled them up past her calves, she fantasized about Sesshomaru tugging them down with his teeth. If she continued to indulge thoughts like that then she'd never leave the room, except maybe to hunt down her host and finally allow him to ravage her once more.

Moving onto the next piece, a thick velvety upper portion in a bright red that clung tightly to her torso, the sleeves going down to her wrist, with a piece of the fabric hooking around her middle fingers, and small bits of her shoulders and stomach left bare. The hems and neckline were lined in the gold of Sesshomaru's eyes. A matching skirt, with multiple layers of reds and gold showing beneath, flared out around her and flowed down to completely conceal her feet. They would have hidden the beautiful black sandals if not for the opening slit at the side of the skirt that ran up her leg and stopped just below the hem of the undergarment she wore. Her milky, stocking covered leg poked out, surely a temptation to any man that gazed upon them.

As Kagura piled her hair up in a fancier bun and began to put on the gold and ruby necklace (left to match the bracelet he had given her), she wondered what Sesshomaru would do if he caught any of his male guests ogling the parts of her that HE had left bare. Would he act his usual indifferent self, or would he reprimand them in a fit of jealousy? She would discover her answer soon enough as she was dabbing the last bit of rouge on her cheeks. Looking herself over, Kagura smiled at her own reflection, unable to contain the nervous glee she felt inside. Keeping herself masked, she took on her intangible form and flowed through the castle and into the ballroom.

The first pause was to marvel at the way her vision had come alive. It was more beautiful than she could have Imagined, and Gilden had followed her wishes down to the most menial point. However, the second pause was because she had located Sesshomaru. That low down, filthy, traitorous dog whose arm was ensnared by that damned coyote. Kiko's entire side was pressed provocatively into Sesshomaru, who was not leaning away. Kagura made the air that was her body as frigid as possibly, colder than a tundra even, before shimmying down Sesshomaru's spine. She watched as he and everyone in his immediate presence looked around for the source of the chill.

Meanwhile, Kagura had taken herself to the nearest servant with a tray of ale before materializing. Time seemed to freeze as everyone, including the one person she cared about, took notice of her. There was confusion, and whispers, and gasps, and ogling. She could hear the bits and pieces about her obvious beauty and the mystery of her identity. She saw the lustful looks from almost every male in the room, felt the anger rolling off of that idiot wolf Koga and that wretched Coyote.

She indulged herself in a taste of the alcohol, looking over the brim of her cup to finally lock eyes with Sesshomaru. For once, she couldn't outright read him. There was too much going on in his gaze and she was too angry to try and decipher it. Instead, she looked to the side and joined a group of phoenix demons that had been eyeing her hungrily. They were a handsome bunch, so she didn't quite have to force the smile as she approached them and was dragged into conversation.

"A gorgeous creature like yourself deems fit to grace us, of all the males in this room, with her presence." the tallest and most handsome of them spoke before grabbing her hand and bending at the waist to kiss it, "We are honored, my lady…?"

"Kagura."

"A name befitting of a goddess I'm sure. I am Roan, leader of the Phoenix tribe."

The one called Roan allowed his power to flare just a bit to show his claims were true. Leave it to Kagura to stumble upon another demon lord. The three by his side were introduced as a cousin and two of his lieutenants. All were dressed in bright oranges and reds, and yellows, almost giving the illusion that their clothing was swirling in fire. Or maybe there was magic in the fibers adding to the effect. The little she knew of phoenix's included the knowledge that they were flashy creatures who loved to flaunt themselves. Not that Sesshomaru liked anyone, but these particular guests had clearly made the roster for political reasons only.

Kagura merely batted her lashes and graciously accepted their compliments, effectively flirting yet doing her best not to appear too inviting of anything other than conversation. She could feel the eyes boring into her. Koga out of distrust. Sesshomaru, because she was pointedly ignoring him. Kiko because the dog demon she craved had all but shoved her off of him the minute Kagura's presence became known. Many of the guests, who were merely following the Western Prince's gaze out of curiosity. And finally, eyes from a face that could only belong to Sesshomaru's mother, practically a mirror image of her son.

Yet, Kagura shut them all out and focused her attentions on the boastful lord before her. He was currently regaling her with tales of his latest conquest, making jokes at the expense of his victims. Not entirely sure why she was doing so, Kagura found herself exaggeratedly pressing a hand to Lord Roan's muscular arm as she giggled at his words. He pounced on the opportunity, taking the conversation down a different path.

"I am as fierce off the battlefield as I am on it. My sword skills extend beyond war." clear innuendo laced the words tumbling past his lips.

A low rumbling could be heard throughout the room, causing the guests to look around in confusion. It took a moment before everyone realized it was coming from Sesshomaru. A low and deadly growl to accompany the fiery glare trained in Kagura's direction. Almost in slow motion, Kagura noticed Roan take notice of Sesshomaru's ire before a wide smirk crept onto his face. She knew instantly that she had provoked a situation that she shouldn't have. Eyes never leaving Sesshomaru, Lord Roan slipped a hand to Kagura's waist and pulled her closer.

"Tell me, Kagura, are you spoken for? Or might this Lord tempt you with discussion of a potential courtship?"

Kagura was barely able to untangle herself from the phoenix before her dog was suddenly before them, teeth bared. He turned on her, stared angrily for a moment, and then bent down to wrap his arms around her thighs and hoist her over his shoulder. Gasping loudly, Kagura began to beat against his back, demanding her release.

"Are you insane?! Put me down!"

Ignoring her, Sesshomaru strolled out of the hall, calling behind him for the party to continue un-interuppted. He continued with an enraged Kagura hanging from his shoulder, down a corridor until they reached a set of stairs that led downward. Suddenly, she panicked, trying to kick her legs only for her captor to restrain her further. The only thing on the level below the main floor were the dungeons; a place that she'd never had any desire to visit or explore. Who was down here? What was down here? Sesshomaru wasn't even flinching, but Kagura did when she felt the sting of his electric power coursing through her, ensuring that she couldn't flee.

They walked past dozens of guards who looked on with wide, curious eyes. Had Sesshomaru finally grown tired of their Lady's insubordination? Was she going to be punished? Was their loyalty strong enough to defend her against their own master to whom they had centuries worth of fierce dedication, love, and respect?

"No one is to disturb us." Sesshomaru said to them before entering a room known to trap in all sound, shutting the stone door behind him.

Once they had their privacy, Sesshomaru lowered Kagura from his shoulder, keeping one clawed hand pressed into her flesh so she couldn't dematerialize her body.

"The dungeons?! You drag me away from the very festivities you claimed you wanted me to enjoy, so that you can torture me where no one can hear?!"

"Kagura" he called with a menacing look in his eyes, "I did not bring you here to hurt you foolish woman. But, I need your word that should I let you go, you will not run. You are fully aware that I can give chase if need be, and that my endurance outweighs yours. I will wait until you tire and then I will pour my power back through your blood until you have no choice but to cooperate. Do you understand."

Kagura merely glared petulantly up at Sesshomaru, even managing to cross her arms without letting on just how uncomfortable his hold was making her. After a short stare down, Sesshomaru deemed her trustworthy and pulled his claws from her side, only to lean down into her face. She had full view of the anger swimming in his eyes. Kagura repressed the urge to gulp and slightly straightened her posture, although she was sure he could still smell her discomfort.

"What the hell did you think you were doing in there?" he asked in that annoyingly calm tone of his.

"Me? What -

"You attend a ball in my home. Wear my colors. And come before my guests to throw yourself at another man?!" the gentle rise in his tone distracted her from her initial train of thought. Although his smiles were rare to all but Kagura, even she almost never heard his voice raised. But her snarkiness shone throne.

"So now it's your home. I thought it was my home as well, or are you revoking your offer of a room in the wing with the other permanent residents? And you picked these garments and these jewels, not me! Why flaunt me as a possession if your attentions were to be focused on your betrothed?!"

"That was the unfortunate result of my ire and demon ale." came his pitiful response.

"Oh don't get quiet on me now, puppy, when you saw fit to reprimand me in loud tones mere moments ago."

"You needed reprimand for allowing another male to lay hands upon what is mine."

"And you parading around with that mutt on your arm! The one you can openly touch in the public eye while this lowly former slave of your enemy isn't good enough to be seen with you. And to think I was sure that maybe you weren't ashamed of me when you offered the room, but now I understand that my first guesses were correct. You merely wanted closer access to my body so that you can whore me out!"

In the blink of an eye Sesshomaru had roughly cupped one of her cheeks and shoved her up against a wall, bracing his other arm on the other side of her head.

"You truly think the worst of me at all times." his voice was rough, his eyes swirling red and gold, although his face remained at ease. Sesshomaru's body was in control, his emotions were not. She could feel them pouring into her as he kissed her. Claimed her lips. Begged her to see…to understand.

Resist him? She never could. As his lips glided over hers, so did her hands glide up his chest until she could loop them around his neck. She reached up on her toes so that he didn't have to bend so low. Head tilted to the side, she let her anger fuel the passion as she kissed him just as hard as he kissed her. Oh he was mad at her too, she could feel it. And she could still see it when he finally pulled away. But, as she stood there panting, Kagura saw the emotion that shadowed over his anger: his hurt.

Sesshomaru with emotions had always been too intense for her, so Kagura tried to untangle herself from him, but he wouldn't let her. When her arms fell, he only gripped her waist to keep her from fleeing.

"You pull away from me every time. Why?" he asked as she avoided eye contact, "You cannot bare to look at me now. It makes you uneasy as I've noticed it often does when we are alone like this. Does my face offend you?"

Kagura looked up from mere shock, "No you idiot-" she stopped short when she noticed the slight tilt to his lips. He was baiting her so she would look up and she'd fallen for it. She tried to turn her head again but he caught her by the chin, his hold gentle but firm, so she settled for averting her eyes.

"I can't look at you anymore." she mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because I can't." she could feel herself getting more worked up but he wasn't relenting.

"Why?" he coaxed, knowing that she was at her breaking point but quite unprepared for what she said next.

"Because every time I look at you all I can see is you with that damned coyote, that's why!" he was wide eyed as her chest heaved. By the time she caught her breath, embarrassment was ready to flood her body. She tried again to get out of the dog's grasp, but still he denied her. So she took a deep breath and decided to just get it off her chest in hopes that she could move past it.

"Every time we're alone together, and you touch me. Every time you're close. When you charm me with your words and call to my body with your actions. All I can remember…all I can see is that day. You and her. Mere hours after I had given myself to you. After you had reassured me, only to have you betray me again. I know that I could never be a serious contender as a wife. As a mate. I don't have the status, and once word spread of my connection with Naraku there would be no accepting us. I figured you would choose her. I figured you were allowing me as an escort merely as reward for planning this week out for you."

"And then, like a fool, I let Inuyasha's priestess con me into thinking that the rooms meant more -"

"They do mean more." he insisted.

"How could they? I was elated to see the garments you had chosen, and even happier to see that the patterns were in sync with your own. But then I see your true prize clinging to your side on display for everyone to see, and I realized that I am merely being claimed so no other man can have me. You had your true escort."

"Kiko and my mother conspired to keep us near to each other. And after an over-consumption of alcohol, I let my guard down."

"Enough to have her on your arm. And why were you drinking so much anyways, since that's your great excuse."

"You were late." he stated matter of factly, his eyes silently reminding her that she had broken her promise.

Kagura looked down, ashamed and embarrassed, "I was nervous." she said softly. A tap under her chin and a gentle look urged for her elaboration, "I thought I was to be the one on your arm, in front of all the other nobles, and your subjects, and…your mother."

"I see." there were several beats of silence during which Sesshomaru gathered his thoughts. She could see him thinking and chose not to rush him. She needed him to make things clear for her because she couldn't take much more of this back and forth between them.

Once her patience began to wear thin, he seemed to finally find his voice.

"Kagura. If I had intended to keep you as a mistress then I would have never given you the rooms meant for my mate. When I was told that Ah-Un had returned alone, I assumed that you had chosen not to attend. I was upset. I made a poor error in judgement as a result of my emotions getting the better of me, and that is because I have been fighting against them for so long."

"Three years I spent searching for a way to revive you. For an answer to why Tenseiga chose that moment to fail me. For a way to make up for my short comings. Eventually a witch told me that you hadn't truly died that day, and that I would have to wait almost a century before you would return to a physical state on your own," he brought his hand up and one clawed finger gently trailed along one side of her face, "100 years may be nothing to one such as myself. The blink of an eye. The equivalent of at least two short human life cycles. But it was time that I could not bare having this foreign feeling of guilt weighing on me. Time I would have spent desperately longing to see this face with it's fiery eyes and undisciplined mouth."

Although she wanted to make a comment about his last remarks, she was more focused on the time frame. How had he been searching for - "Th-three years?"

"Were you not aware of the time? Were you not conscious? Did you not notice the changes in everyone? Or how old Rin had become."

"I hadn't paid much attention before I….the time didn't seem so….I thought it was immediate. I thought it was Tenseiga this entire time. I remember watching Naraku be killed; I was aware enough for that but…three years?"

"There was time between you demise and Naraku's. Even more between my search and your revival. Can you truly not recall any of that time?" The look on Kagura's face told Sesshomaru she clearly couldn't. "After I saved Rin and Kohaku from a second death, I could not go to my mother again. So I bargained with the witch and she sent me to another realm or dimension. I can't remember it clearly, but I fought against forces far beyond our world until they gave me what I wanted. And when the fog in my mind cleared, there I stood with you at my feet, making things as difficult as you always had."

"I gave you the rooms Kagura because I wish to try with you. I want no other. You have the entirety of my attentions and my affection. I have been unsure of what you would truly desire, but this is my offer. Unless you do not wish it to be so, in which case I have no choice but to accept. Though you will have to expect my anger if that is your decision, but know that you will still have a home here no matter the outcome."

She was stunned into complete silence. Kagura stood there, rigid in his arms as her mind tried hard to catch up to all that he had said and make sense of it…for it sounded quite nonsensical to her. This man had traveled across dimensions and fought battles all to resurrect her? Daughter of Naraku. His former enemy. She denied his sexual advances, infuriated him, argued with him every chance she got, and he wanted her.

It seemed she had taken too long to respond, causing Sesshomaru to take it as a denial of his offer. Dejectedly, he began to pull himself from her; and, while Kagura's mind may not have come to terms with the situation, her heart heard all it needed to and launched her body into action. Her arm shot out to fist in the front of his dress robes before she dragged him back hard enough so that his body crushed hers against the wall as she looked up at him.

"Do I not get to respond?" she asked, raising a brow at him.

"Your silence spoke volumes." he replied gruffly, eyes trained on the stretch of wall beside her head.

Kagura's other hand fisted in Sesshomaru's hair and tugged him down as she arched her body slightly into his, "Such an impatient puppy." she chastised before claiming his lips for herself. It was a short, bruising kiss, with a brief swirl of tongues, but it left him breathless. Breathless and curious.

"Your answer, wind witch?" he asked, raising a brow of his own.

Kagura threw her head back as much as she could and let out a truly humored filled laugh, "Yes Sesshomaru," She answered through her lingering smile, "I will try this courtship with you."

She was almost sure she saw the most dazzling smile on the face of the Earth before he kissed her again. This kiss was different, hungry, lustful; and the lust was radiating from both ends. There was never a doubt that Kagura wanted him. She had been craving him since that first time…craving his mouth on her since that day in the field. Kiko thought she had one upped her? Just as Sesshomaru had claimed ownership of her with these garments, she too would make her own show of possession.

Leaning slightly out of the kiss, Kagura stared intently into Sesshomaru's red rimmed eyes, "Up." came her single command, one that he immediately understood. Leaning down slightly, Sesshomaru moved her skirts out of the way so that he could brace the backs of her thighs and lift her up against him. Once more he shoved her against the wall, grinding himself against her now open core, eliciting a moan. It had been so long since she had allowed him to ravage her this way that Kagura was lost in the moment. A breeze began to swirl in the stone room as the marks on her body took on a gentle glow.

Hands that had braced themselves against his shoulders, moved to fist into his hair. It was a mixture of instinct and possessiveness that drove her to yank his head back a tad rougher than she had intended. As she sucked the skin on his neck, his claws traveled higher until one was stroking the sensitive flesh between her legs. Leaning up slightly to let out a gasp of pleasure, Kagura widened her lips, mind completely lost in her reaction, and bit down against Sesshomaru's neck. He let out what she could only describe as a roar; a pleasured roar she was sure, even as Sesshomaru pulled away to stare wildly into her eyes.

Sesshomaru could feel a gentle swirl of Kagura's power beneath his skin. Was she aware of what she had just done? Had she done it on purpose, or had she been merely caught up in the heat of the moment?

"Did you just -"

"Now that coyote will know to whom you truly belong." Kagura said while climbing down from Sesshomaru's body and fixing her clothing, before walking over to the room's only entrance, "Open this door please. I would like to enjoy what is left of this banquet now. After all, I did get dressed for the occasion."

Still in a bit of shock, Sesshomaru recovered himself enough to stalk over to the heavy door and push it out. Kagura practically glided out the door, emanating a regal air that scarily reminded him of his mother. He walked out behind her, noting the wide eyes of his guards and how they were trained on his neck. He could practically hear their thoughts as Kagura bore no mark nor hint of him beyond where he'd touched her. It was nothing to the way his body would scream to everyone that she'd laid her claim regardless if he hid the mark or not.

As he followed her back up the staircase he allowed himself to imagine what his mother's and Kiko's horrid reactions would be. He groaned internally.

This woman is going to start a war. She will be the death of me.