Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except this computer (which I got for free), this shirt (which I got at a garage sale for a dollar) and my pet mice (which are absolutely the most adorable things in the entire universe!) I don't even own these jeans! My mother had to get them for me…-_-;


The Princess and the Pauperess


Chapter two


Fortune's changing



Kagome, Miroku, and Sango strutted down the rutted carriage path, linking arms by the crooks of their elbows. Today was a good day. Kagome had taken in enough earnings to appease her father, and she had even kept some of that for herself. Miroku's day had been the same, and Sango had gained a hefty profit from whatever line of work she was in. Kagome and Miroku had learned the hard way not to ask the girl what she did for a living. They were drunken without so much as a drop of liquor, and reveling in life.

Kagome had agreed to marry Kouga, another pickpocket, as soon as possible. Once she was in his charge, she would not have to live with her overbearing father. Kouga was a sweet man, with only Kagome's welfare at heart. He loved her, she could tell, and she loved him. At first, she'd turned him away. She'd told him that she could not love him in that way, but over time, and due to his persistence, she'd given in, and allowed him into her heart. She was glad for it.

"Are you sure you should marry Kouga?" Sango suddenly asked. Kagome snapped back into reality, a good deal sobered.

"Well, yes. I love him."

"And he's better than your father," Miroku chimed in.

"Miroku. Think of this objectively. How do you know he's better than Kagome's father?" Sango prodded. Miroku sighed and clapped her on the back.

"He's my best friend, I think I would know him well enough."

"I'm going to marry him," Kagome broke into the conversation with her own input. "I feel like it's the right thing to do." Miroku and Sango snorted at that.

"You also thought it was 'the right thing to do' to never tell a lie," Sango pointed out sensibly. Well, she'd been got.

"Okay, you're right. But I really think he's a good person, and he loves me." Sango laughed.

"Men can't love, Kagome!" Miroku and Kagome shot her an odd look at the harsh tone in her voice.

"I'm going to marry him, no matter what," Kagome informed the two. They nodded, though Sango still seemed opposed to the idea. "So, Mr. Money-Keeper," she addressed Miroku, changing the subject, "what's our grand total so far?" Miroku thought for a second before responding.

"Three-hundred shillings," he stated finally. Sango's eyes bugged out.

"You've saved that much?" she asked incredulously. Miroku nodded heartily.

"And what happens to all your earnings, Sango dear?" he asked. She fiddled with her sleeves for a minute.

"I give them to my…mother. Yes. She puts them to good use." The other two nodded.

"Yes, you do always have a fairly full stomach," Kagome noted. Sango smiled.

"Thanks to mother."

They laughed. It was odd to them to have a matriarchal family, but it sure seemed to work better than the alternative.

. . . . .

Kikyou sat upon a rock far away from 'camp.' She'd told them all to leave her alone, and they'd done so, as any good servants would. She smiled to herself as she watched a squirrel jump from one branch to a higher one, twitching its tail as it berated her for sitting so close to its turf. Suddenly, the sound of far distant laughter floated through her senses. Intrigued, she bunched her skirts up in her fists and held them high enough so as to make a quick getaway in the general direction of the gleeful voices. Perhaps she would get a chance to talk to real life peasants. She could only hope. She'd been told that they were nothing but barely above animal, and she wanted to prove that theory wrong. She jogged along beside the path, keeping a sharp lookout. Finally, she spotted a group of three young people, all having a grand time in their conversation. The man was tall and attractive, though had an odd dirt/soot combo smeared over his features, by the looks of things. Kikyou smiled as she took in the appearance of one of the two girls. She was tall and shapely, and better dressed than the other two. She was also cleaner. Kikyou's eyes wandered to the final face, and her heart skipped a beat. It was her own! With a different stroke of fate, that girl could have been born in the position of princess, and no one would know one way or the other. As if on cue, a plot formulated itself within Kikyou's mind. She stepped up to the small group and introduced herself.

"I am Kikyou," she said formally, purposefully omitting the title 'Princess.'

"She looks rich," the tall girl whispered into the man's ear, who nodded in agreement. Kikyou smiled at them. The shorter girl suddenly gasped.

"You look like me!" she exclaimed, pointing. Not a polite gesture, but Kikyou reminded herself that the poor girl probably did not know differently.

"It is a lovely day," Kikyou said lightly. The three nodded mutely, not sure what to do. The princess smiled at them genuinely. "I've never been out beyond the walls before."

"What walls?" the shorter girl asked curiously. Kikyou leaned in close, her eyes sparkling.

"The castle walls," she informed them. The shorter girl gasped, but the other two just stared at her, incredulous.

"Well, the Princess's name is Kikyou…" the man finally concurred under his breath. Suddenly, the taller girl grabbed a hold of Kikyou's hand and shook it firmly. She had a very strong grip.

"I'm Sango," she introduced herself. Kikyou could tell that she was trying to be formal. It made her smile. These were not bad people. They were merely underprivileged.

"I'm Kagome," the other girl stated, bowing slightly. The man bowed as well.

"And I am Miroku. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Kikyou."

"Don't think me rude," Sango said, "but why is a Princess such as yourself wandering around alone?"

"My carriage broke down. We're awaiting repairs, so I went for a walk."

"Alone?" Sango pressed. Kikyou raised an eyebrow. This girl was sharp as a tack.

"Yes…" she sighed. "I…I don't really enjoy being what I am. I've never been out before, so I thought…"

"You thought you could escape," Kagome finished for her, smiling. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Would you like to see the town?" Miroku asked suddenly. Kikyou nodded.

"Yes, I would love to."

"Well, come on, Princess," he urged, and hooked her arm with his. Kagome hooked her other, and Sango linked up with Kagome. They tromped down the path together, and for the first time Kikyou believed herself truly happy.

. . . . .

Kagome listened intently as the Princess talked of life inside the castle walls. She could just picture it in her mind—a beautiful, landscaped lawn, a large, billowy bed with pillows, and servants to answer to your every beck and call. It sounded truly wonderful, and it was a wonder as to why this beautiful Princess would wish to 'escape,' as she'd said. Then the Princess told them that she had been on her way to meet her future husband, and either reject him or accept her fate.

"You mean you get a choice?" Kagome asked. "I'd always heard that Princesses couldn't choose who they married."

"Well, we're not supposed to, but if we refuse stubbornly then there's really nothing that can be done. At least, I know my father would respect my wishes if I were adamant enough."

"Were you planning on rejecting him?" Miroku asked. Kikyou sighed.

"I wasn't sure. I was going to meet him, then decide." The three nodded.

"It must be hard for you," Sango said, a note of sadness tingeing her voice. Kagome laughed.

"Hard? With all the money and food in the kingdom? Yeah, right."

"Would you like to be princess?" Kikyou asked of her.

"Would I ever!" Kagome responded happily. Just the thought of having everything all at once was highly tantalizing.

"Well, then. How would you like to take my place?" Kagome's jaw dropped so quickly it jarred itself.

"What?" she asked, suddenly unsure of the situation.

"It would only be for a month, then we would switch back, since people would begin to wonder…"

"Are you serious?" Kagome asked, turning to fully face the Princess beside her.

"Of course I am."

"Well…when…um…when do you want to switch?"

"How about today?"

"You know, I could pass as a Princess, too," Miroku suddenly jumped in. All three girls shot him speculative glances.

" 'Oh my, Princess,'" Sango started, imitating a handmaid's voice, " 'What's that bulge under your nightgown?'" Kagome and the rest began laughing, and for the remainder of the trek to the town, never truly stopped.

. . . . .

Kikyou could not believe her luck! After she'd gotten the girl washed up and had cut her own hair, they really were identical. The only difference that remained was a very minute height difference and their slightly different eye colors. No one would notice either, except maybe Inuyasha…

"Kagome?" Kikyou said as she helped the girl into her clothes.

"Yeah?" the girl replied, struggling into the final layer.

"There is a boy—a man at the castle whom I've been…close to. He may notice that we have switched."

"Is he trustworthy? Can I just tell him that I'm not you, but that you'll be back in a month?" Kagome wondered. Kikyou pondered this for a moment. Was he that trustworthy? Or would he tear Kagome limb from limb before going off in search of the real Kikyou? Come to think of it, that scenario was highly likely…

"Oh, he's trustworthy. Go ahead and tell him. But also inform him that this was my decision, and I will not be talked out of it." Kagome smiled.

"Sure." Kikyou smiled back warmly, and they embraced. "Stay clear of my father. He's pretty rough with me. When he tells you to do something, just do it." Kikyou nodded.

"I will." With that, Kagome stepped from the room, and began making her way toward the carriage path just outside of town with Sango as her bodyguard. Miroku stepped into the room and began filling Kikyou in on what Kagome did, some family history, and about Kouga. Kikyou nodded. So the girl was to be married soon, also? At least she could marry whomever she wished, and Kouga seemed like a good man. Speaking of men, she sincerely wondered how well Kagome and Inuyasha would fare. She hoped, with a worry to her lip, that he would not be too rash when he discovered that a mere peasant was taking his Princess's place for a month. It's only a month, she reminded herself, how much could that upset him?