The night was long and by the time the courts attendees had filtered out Kagome was exhausted from being wound so tightly. She was escorted out by Akiko who assisted her back to her room.
"My lady." Akiko held out a beautiful silk kimono to her.
"What is that for?"
"Your sleeping attire Lady Kagome."
"I'm supposed to sleep in that?"
"Is there another garment you would prefer my lady?"
"Right now, I'd kill for some sweat pants and tank top."
"I am sorry I don't understand..."
"I know. Yes, I will sleep in this." Kagome replied. "Thank you Akiko."
"It is my duty to assist you." It only took Kagome and Akiko to remove the heavy garments and undo the intricate ties. Kagome wrapped the silk kimono around her and gasped.
"It's see through." She squeaked out covering her breasts with her arm and her hand covering her lower region.
"The kimono is made from the finest silks from the eastern mainland my lady." Akiko offered smirking still. "Lady Kurenai commissioned your entire wardrobe within a fortnight upon notification of your arrival."
"Oh, so I'm the one that was literally last to the party. Good to know." Kagome swallowed hard and cleared her throat.
Akiko made haste with pulling out her futon and arranging it with the linens and pillows. "Lady Kagome, is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"Um, my hair?" She pointed to the clips and tugged on one unsure how to get them out.
"The lady of the house would like you to leave them in for now, Lady Kagome."
"Oh did she?" Kagome simply shrugged. "Okay. Thank you Akiko. Have a good night."
"You as well my lady." As she opened the doors there stood Sesshomaru. Akiko quickly bowed her head in respect.
"Lord Sesshomaru." She addressed.
"You may go." He said curtly. He shut the door behind him and Kagome opened her mouth. "Mate, before you say anything let it be known that this is all for your own protection."
"What the hell Sesshomaru?!" Kagome unleashed. "You could give a warning you know! Or I mean have Jaken tell me that I'm being whisked away to a literal palace and turned into pretty, pretty princess."
"You are not a princess, your status is far beyond that."
"I don't want a status! I never even liked being called a priestess! I'm just Kagome Higurashi, that's it!" She huffed.
Sesshomaru bent his head down placing his hands to his hips and held in a laugh. "As this one was saying, you are here in order to protect you."
"I don't understand." She threw her hands up modesty forgotten in the transparent robe. "All of this talk about titles and lands and mates and...it's making my head spin."
"Having a title to ones name is an identity. It is how others know who you are and where you are from." Sesshomaru explained. "Titles also carry a weight to them. By announcing who you are and where you are from it conveys whom you are associated with, lineage; a great many things."
"I get it, I do." Kagome placed her hands against her hips and sighed. "That's what my surname is for, it lets people know who I am and who my family is. It's just...all of that, in there, was that necessary? I mean why am I here?"
"The western lands are being threatened by clans and packs to the south and east." He explained. "The treaty that was agreed upon after the last battle is crumbling. Lord Akinari and his pack have blood ties with mine. There is a long history of fidelity between us."
"Blood ties?" Kagome questioned.
"Yes. Our mothers were siblings, sisters."
"Oh, so he's your cousin."
"I am not familiar with that term."
"It's when your parent has a kid and your parents brother or sister has a kid, then by relation it's called cousins."
"Hm." Sesshomaru mused for a moment. "At any rate, once Lord Akinari and this Sesshomaru realized how tense the situation had become. Lady Kurenai was in agreement that it would be best for you to be brought here."
"So, what about Rin and Kohaku? If someone decided to go after them..."
"They will not be threatened." Sesshomaru interjected. "Rin, Kohaku, and their small one are my vassals, seen as simply servants."
"They don't think that they're important enough."
"Precisely." Sesshomaru walked closer to her taking her hands in his. "However my dearest, you..."
Kagome squeezed his hands tightly. "I don't belong here." She whispered frightfully. "I don't know what to do."
"Kagome, you are doing wonderfully." He soothed cupping her cheek in his hand. "I have the upmost faith in you mate."
"I'm so scared to be here."
"I hear you and I understand your uneasiness." Sesshomaru ran his claws through her hair and began to let loose the clips that held her hair back. "I needed you here, with me. If anything were to happen to you..." He stopped shaking his head slightly as if to rid the thought from his mind.
"Thank you, for always looking out for me and for loving me." Kagome wrapped her arms around him tightly. His hands ran down her back against the garment she wore. "I love you, so very much."
"Kagome." Sesshomaru whispered bringing his lips down to her ear laying a soft kiss to her.
"I want to be mad at you." She said looking up at him with a half grin. "But you're just so damn charming."
Sesshomaru held her out to him at arms length taking in the sight of her. Kagome remembered that the kimono was transparent and began to blush furiously again.
While it wasn't anything that he hadn't already seen the reality was it had only been one night. Their marriage, mating, whatever it may have been was still very new to both.
"As much as this one enjoys seeing you, at last, in finery please remove it." He brought his face down to hers nuzzling her nose and licking at her lips.
"How about I leave it on." She said. "It is after all, very fine silk from the eastern mainland." Kagome kissed at his lips greeting his tongue eagerly.
"As you wish, my Kagome."