Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's Inu-Yasha or the Brother's Grimm's  "The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich," which served as inspiration for this little fanfic.  I do, however, own the new Harry Potter book, which I am shamed to say I have not yet finished reading.

The Hanyou Prince

Chapter 1

The Prophecy Girl…

Kagome sighed as she looked out the window, gazing at the colorful flowers and shady trees that composed the royal garden.  She felt a stirring of longing in her heart to be at liberty to go outside and enjoy herself as she would have been free to do before.  Before the discovery.

"There will be a girl born in my likeness, bearing the Shikon no Tama in her body.  She is my heir, and she will be the one to finish what I could not."

"Kagome!"

The girl, startled out of her reverie, looked up at the solemn figure.  She stiffened for a moment before relaxing, laughing, "Oh, Miroku, you startled me."

Miroku smiled gently before seating himself beside the newly crowned princess.  "I did not mean to alarm you.  I was sent to retrieve you.." his voice fading off before settling into a slight frown.

Kagome's face reflected his own as she sighed again.  "They need me for another meeting?  I understand that it is important I know as much as possible about the kingdom in being the new ruling leader, but couldn't all these topics be condensed somehow?"  Her gaze slid back out the window.  "I heard from Lady Sango regarding our military forces, and I have heard from you about the spiritual matters of the land.  I have even heard from Naraku…"  Kagome's voice trailed off as she thought of the adviser.    The man who had been the acting ruler of the lands before her discovery and royal coronation had given her no cause for alarm, but there was something in his very nature that set her on her toes.

"Yes, I suppose you heard much from Naraku about the welfare of our land and our political situations with the neighboring kingdoms."  Miroku watched Kagome's face intently before moving on, "But now it is Lady Kaede who would like to speak to you."

Kagome sudden sat up straight before clapping her hands together in joy.  "Oh!  Is she not the one who can tell me more about my purpose here?  I still think this is crazy, plucking a girl from a rural shrine and making her the ruling monarch based on a fairy tale.  I would very much like it all to be cleared up."  Kagome's eyes, so often dull in this new repressed life, were back to the shine they had before she had been called to duty.

Miroku chuckled before saying, "No matter what, there is no denying that you are now our Princess.  Your coronation ensured that.  In fact, I believe Kaede may also wish to speak to you about your responsibility towards the future of the throne…"  His voice trailed off as he moved closer towards the girl.

A look of confusion fluttered in her eyes momentarily before his hand made contact with its destination, sparking an instantaneous reaction of a resounding slap. 

"Pervert!"

Surprisingly, the slap had not been delivered by Kagome; instead, the slap and the name-calling had been instigated by a rather lovely- and capable-looking woman who had just entered the room.  Sango's look of anger shifted to a warm smile for the startled princess before saying, "As the monk was so rudely trying to say, Kaede will probably try to talk to you about entertaining suitors.  Word has traveled fast that our kingdom finally has a reigning monarch, and there is no doubt that envoys will be sent in order to gain your hand in marriage."

"Oh…" Kagome had a perturbed look on her face as she contemplated this new dilemma.  It was difficult enough being plucked from a life as sheltered as hers to one as public as this without the added worries of matrimony.  Having been raised at a shrine to become a miko, marriage was something she had never planned on giving any concern to.  Kagome had thought she would live out her life in servitude to her people… Well, it's very much the same thing.  Only now, your "people" are those of the kingdom, and not just the village.  Perhaps this way I can do more good… she thought about her change in circumstances.

The captain of the guard continued smiling as the monk rubbed his face and said, "Do not worry.  You have the final say in whom you wish to marry, and when.  Just do not forget that your word is binding, and once you accept a proposal there is no going back.  Be certain not to let this fool here trick you into agreeing to bear his child." 

Kagome laughed, "Oh, I am catching on to his ways quickly enough.  But I do not think Miroku means any real harm, right?" 

She smiled earnestly at the monk, who, having now recovered from the slap, brought them back to the business at hand by saying, "Right.  Now let's get you to Kaede."

~+~

The elderly woman had a surprisingly intense stare, causing Kagome to fidget in her seat.  The two women were seated across from each other in the private library, with scores of books and scrolls laid out between them.

"It is rather remarkable how much you look like her."

Kagome glanced up, and replied, "That is what everyone says.  But how do you know?  This woman lived ages ago, and I have not seen any paintings of her around the castle.  It's like someone tried to negate her existence.  Before this, I thought it was just a fairy tale."

Kaede nodded sagely before replying, "You do know the fairy tale.  I believe the commoners call it the Hanyou Prince, do they not?" Kagome nodded before the older woman continued.  "You know your connection to the story."

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the events of a lifetime to flash back to her.  A girl, born to a peaceful shrine in a rural village.  Demons attacking where none had attacked before, all obliterated by mysterious white flashing lights emanating from this girl.  As the girl grew, the mysterious light happened less and less and the demons had to be fought off by the newly formed village defense teams.  The girl was raised in the ways of being a miko, handing a bow and arrow and attempting to tap into and harness her spiritual powers.  She could utilize the same basic powers of a miko as anyone else could with no ill effects.  But whenever she accessed the white light power, it simply seemed to attract more demons.  News of this odd girl took years to reach the capital of the kingdom, due to the disorder the acting adviser had allowed it to fall into. 

Kaede, not noticing Kagome's attention was elsewhere, continued where the girl's thoughts left off.  "When the adviser Naraku heard of your existence, he immediately made moves to bring you here to the capital to see if you were truly the one from the prophecy.  And according to our examinations, there is no doubt.  Not only do the spiritual tests conducted by Miroku and myself confirm the existence of the Shikon no Tama in your body, there is your startling resemblance to Princess Kikyo." 

Kaede reached towards an old scroll and paused for a moment before unraveling it for the girl to see.  Kagome let a gasp slip from her lips before she could stop herself.  If it were not for the aged look of the scroll, I would think this was an ink scroll of myself… Except, perhaps, the eyes.  Her eyes are a bit more sad-looking…

"This is the only surviving picture of her.  Over the past 150 years, the others were all destroyed."  Kaede rolled up the scroll before putting it away.

"Destroyed?"  Kagome's voice held a distinctly confused tone.  "Why would anyone want to destroy pictures of her?"

Kaede turned her head for a moment, as though she did not with the girl before her to be able to read her face.  "There are those who wish to do away with the past, and move forward."  Kaede directed her gaze back to the girl and said, "Perhaps it is best that way."

Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "If Princess Kikyo was real…then so was the prince.  And the adviser," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Yes.  There are records of an agreement for marriage between this kingdom and another neighboring kingdom for Kikyo and a prince named Inu-Yasha…supposedly, the adviser turned him into a sort of demon that fit his name.  And although Kikyo is said to have sealed him to a tree somewhere here on the castle grounds, he has never been found.  It is possible, of course, that magic was used to hide him from sight to protect his body till it could be woken again."  Kaede added this last thought in an offhanded manner.

"And what more is known of the adviser than what we hear in the fairy tale?"

Kaede grimaced, "Court records show he was arrested, but apparently escaped.  Another adviser was named, and since then, each adviser has named a successor before stepping down.  This being so many years later, I am sure his devils have caught up with him by now."

"Alright," Kagome heard herself saying, "I would like you to be blunt with me.  I have been taken away from my family and placed in this unfamiliar situation…"  The girl looked uncomfortable for a moment before surrendering to looking resigned.  "Tell me what my purpose is here."

"You are to finish what Kikyo could not."  Kaede's apprising gaze never wavered from the girl, and the girl's did not waver from hers.  She continued, "You are to protect and purify the Shikon no Tama.  And you are the reigning monarch …meaning you must eventually marry, and have children to ensure the success of this kingdom."

Kagome nodded, understanding her duties.

~+~

The sunlight warmed her skin as she stepped out into the garden.  After two months of assimilating to life at the palace, Kagome was beginning to understand what freedoms she did and did not have.  She was pleased to have made friends with the taijiya and the houshi.  Two months had been long enough for Sango to accept Kagome into her confidence, revealing her history as a demon exterminator.  After the annihilation of her village by demons, Sango had made her way to the castle.  Starting out as a fighter and proving herself quickly she had risen the ranks to become the captain of the guard.  Sango was not only a skilled taijiya but well versed in battle plans; the woman believed the attack on her village had been an organized demon attack, causing concern throughout the kingdom that demons could be advancing that much.

The houshi was another matter.  Getting beyond his sage-like exterior and wandering hands, Kagome discovered there was a very earnest young man in the spiritual adviser.  He had lost both his parents at an early age, only to be raised by a well-meaning, but lecherous, alcoholic monk.  Finding his religious beginnings there, he took the family business of exorcising demons to the capital and was eventually chosen to work for the adviser's counsel. 

And then there was Kaede.  Kaede was both the miko of the castle and the keeper of historical artifacts.  Her post had been passed down from one miko to another, very much in a similar fashion to the adviser… Kagome reflected on the oddness of her befriending the three counsel members who did not seem to be under the former acting ruler's thumb.  While Naraku had not been anything but helpful, Kagome could not help but feel that he had the position of someone whose territory has been invaded: by her.

A slight scowl crossed her face as she wished she could send the adviser Naraku out of her life, but it quickly flitted away as she spotted a new trail to explore.  As she wandered down the winding path, she reflected on her duties.  Protecting the jewel had not been difficult, as Sango had instituted many layers of defense around the castle.  Any threats were usually wiped out by the first or second layer, leaving the third and fourth as basic backup.  Despite this, it was still difficult for Kagome to shake off her new friends long enough to even take a walk on her own.  She smiled, remembering how she had used Sango and Miroku's latest passionate "disagreement" as an opportunity to slip away for the afternoon.  It had been sparked, as usual, by Miroku's supposed slip of the hand.  Kagome realized that most of Miroku's "slips" involved the captain, and while she always reacted with violence, the princess was certain she had spotted a small smile on her face after a few of these events.  Kagome chuckled to herself, wondering when her new friends would admit to themselves – and to each other – their true feelings.

Lost in her thoughts, the girl only just realized that she had come near  an unusual clearing.  Usually the architects of the palace put fountains or statues in any clearings, cluttering the natural beauty of the place.  But in this clearing, the only thing of note seemed to be a rather large Goshinboku tree.  Kagome stepped into the clearing, enjoying the way the sun beams cut through the leave before turning around to look at this massive tree.

And saw a boy.  Asleep on the tree.

Kagome sucked in her breathe, contemplating the scene in from of her.  It was a man…not much older than herself.  His hair was white, though, and he was wearing such a strange old outfit.  It was a red gi that would have been more appropriate 100 years ago than today.  She stepped forward, close enough to touch, when she realized that his ears were wrong!  His ears were pointed on the crown of his head…and they looked rather soft. 

Before she could stop herself, she reached forward to rub his ears before giggling.  Oh dear.  I have truly lost it.  I'm here playing with a demon's ears quite a ways from the castle and…he has an arrow in his chest!?  All of the sudden Kagome realized the situation and breathed out, "Inu-Yasha…"

The boy's eyes opened.

~+~

Glossary:

Shikon no Tama – Jewel of the Four Souls

Miko – Priestess

Hanyou – Half-demon

Taijiya – Demon Exterminator

Houshi – Wandering monk? (Sorry, I've never seen a conclusive definition on this one)

Goshinboku – Literally "God-tree."  Huh.  Guess that means calling it the Goshinboku tree is redundant.  Um…oh well.

[A/N: Yes!  Another chapter done.  See, I promised it would have dialogue and be longer.  Not as much dialogue or as long as I would like, but I am working on it. As always, please review, and constructive criticism is always welcome!

Plug of the Day:  SilverQuick's White Dogs: Perversity]