"Shall we begin my lord?" Jaken asked and looked as Sesshomaru.

Kagome blinked in shock and squawked another, "Now?"

Sesshomaru gently pressed aside the annoyance. He was quickly running out of patience. He only had a very short supply and her resistance was growing bothersome. He decided to take matters, and the girl, into his own hands, laying a hand on her shoulder and turned her, firmly, to face Jaken who was shifting nervously.

"I finally understand. I'm dead aren't I? I died of fright when you grabbed me back at the village and now I'm being tortured for my sins. I wasn't that bad was I?"

Sesshomaru cast her a glance careful to hide the amusement that blossomed for a moment, and it took all he had to hide the smile. She was emotional but at least she wasn't crying. He didn't happen to favor being around wailing women and he'd take one who thought herself dead then a crying one any day.

"Begin Jaken." Sesshomaru said lightly.

The girl however, responded before Jaken could. "Now?"

"Kagome." She looked at him. "If you say that word one more time I swear..."

"You can't expect me to get married like this!" Her voice was suddenly angry rather then the desperate tone he had expected. It rose steadily. "Look at this place! And no one in attendance. No gown. Not even flowers. The least you could do it get me flowers! I won't have it!"

Jaken's mouth dropped open. Sesshomaru suppressed a growl. He intended to put the fear of god into her and opened his mouth to speak but was waylaid by the beginning of tears he saw swimming in her eyes. Why these damned flowers meant so much to her was beyond his understanding but with her wailing they'd never get the ceremony over and done with. She was beginning to be a nuisance.

"Kagome. You will not raise your voice to me." He deliberately tried to sound reasonable. Warning but reasonable.

"And I will not have a wedding without even flowers!" Her tone sounding almost as mean as his and he couldn't for the life of him understand why he felt impressed by that.

"If you think..."

"Please." Her voice quivered and she looked like she was about to start crying again.

Did she not understand what was going on? She was about to become his wife, even though she was no more then a human. It was an honor not a death sentence, which she had come perilously close to many times before. His bride didn't seem to understand that however. One of them would have to be reasonable and it was apparently going to have to be him.

"This is the last time I will ever concede to your demands. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Kagome felt like smiling but she retained her sober expression as Sesshomaru walked away from her after letting out a sigh that sounded like a deep growl. She allowed herself the gentle grin once his back was turned however. For the first time she didn't feel too afraid of her future. Sesshomaru was cooperating and if he was cooperating that must mean he wasn't a complete monster. It wasn't anything to base a marriage on but when she had no choice...

What would she do though when Inuyasha found her? She'd be bound to Sesshomaru forever. But there would have to be a way to break it. After all technically she wasn't even born yet so how could she get married when she didn't even exist. Doubt twisted her stomach but she shoved it away and clung to that hope. That and the proof that maybe she could get along well with Sesshomaru till she could make a plan.

Kagome looked down as she felt a tug on her skirt and met the sunny eyes of the little girl Rin. "Are you married yet?"

Kagome shook her head and smiled. "No not yet."

Rin's smile brightened with heartbreaking intensity. "I'm glad! I wanted to see it too." She clung to Kagome's hand and squirmed excitedly, her impatient movements halting only when Sesshomaru strode back across the clearing towards her, carrying a large arrangement of wild flowers.

Kagome's mouth broke into an involuntary smile at the thought of the demon lord picking flowers and for a moment she desperately wished she had gone with him. Her mood lighter she turned the smile on him when he thrust the flowers towards her.

"Thank you Sesshomaru." She said wrapping her hands around the arrangement and turned to face Jaken again to hide the blush that rose in her cheeks. Rin, at her side, giggled and released her hand to stand back.

"Begin Jaken." Sesshomaru commanded in his usual unreadable tone.

Jaken cleared his throat self-importantly then started reciting. Kagome's eyes were on Sesshomaru though. His attention wasn't on Jaken or on her but on a point of empty air beyond them both, standing as if he were bored. Kagome studied the sharp, lovely angles of his face and felt a heat rise up in her and something else...something feral and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip so hard that she drew blood.

Sesshomaru must have smelled it because he turned to her just as she released her lip and his golden eyes met hers and she jumped as she felt an almost electric shock pass between them. She knew now. What it was. She wanted him. Kagome's face heated and Sesshomaru gave her a decidedly amused look as if he knew her thoughts, which only caused Kagome's blush to deepen.

When they got to the vows Sesshomaru made short work of promising to protect and honor her. Jaken looked at her again for her vows and Kagome frowned. Binding or not she didn't want to lie. Didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep. She shifted.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru's voice was cool, warning.

"I'm thinking." Kagome said. She paced for a few moment muttering to herself, trying to get what she would say just right. "I promise to honor and protect him when it merits cause. I will obey him when I believe he's being reasonable, though he shouldn't hold his breath waiting for that day. I will respect him until or unless he does something to prove he's not worthy of it and God save him then." She blinked then looked up. "Is that adequate?"

Jaken blinked nervously. "Uh...."

"It is adequate." Sesshomaru answered for him as he slipped the thin gold band onto her finger neatly then released her hand as Jaken pronounced them man and wife.

Kagome shivered nervously as the words 'You may kiss the bride' echoed in her head but Sesshomaru made no move towards her but he didn't release her hand either. Simply watched her patiently. Kagome's heart fluttered and the feral feeling rose up again and she took a step forwards tentivly then rose up on her tip toes to brush her lips against Sesshomaru.

She had meant it to be a peck, a brief thing but he caught her mouth and a shudder off wicked delight shook her form as her eyes fluttered shut against the lovely assault on her lips before Sesshomaru released her. The kiss was nice enough that she wanted another and Sesshomaru still was clutching her hand but he had turned away as Rin danced around then cheering and throwing the yellow petals of dandelions around them.

"That was simple enough was it not?"

"I will try to be a good wife." Now what had made her declare that? The stirring of butterfly wings in her heart. The rush of desire that struck her when she watched him. Oh lord. Was she falling in love with one of the last men she should? Was she starting to love her husband?

Sesshomaru cast her a look of mild disbelief and released her gently but said nothing. No words of agreement, disagreement or even encouragement. Kagome looked after him with the mildest of hurt then shook her head angrily. Why should she care what he thought? She'd play the good wife for now. Till she could figure a way out. Till Inuyasha came for her. Till she could find it in her...not to want to please him.

"Come then. I want to reach home before dark." Kagome looked up to see Sesshomaru standing near the great 2-headed beast that usually conveyed him.

Kagome blinked. "Home."

Sesshomaru nodded once. "The castle."