Dedications:

Keolla (times 2!!): I just love your reviews! ^_^ Yes, Kikyou's dad knows something's up, but there's also something wrong with him…erk, I think I said too much…Anyway, I may make Sango's occupation clear in this chapter, and if not, definitely in the next (it's probably exactly what you're thinking). I agree about Kagome's dad. What a bastard…Anyway…Don't worry, I wasn't gonna take the advice. Even if they were right, I like Miroku spelled with an 'i' better. Thanks again!

darkstarspirt: Yay! Thank you for liking the story! I wasn't quite sure what you meant by my spelling Miroku wrong. Did I accidentally spell it 'meroku,' or is that how it's supposed to be spelled? I read the Japanese Inuyasha, and (at least, according to hiragana) it is spelled with an 'i.' I'm sorry if that spelling annoys you!

Inukrazy-03: Haha! I laugh at the thought of Miroku being 'nice,' too. So, he'll be a little perverted, but also nice, because I need him that way for the plot! Thank you for the awesome review! ^___^

Sweet Sad Jess: Yes, oh yes. It should be very good! Especially since I've never considered writing Naraku as anything but a villain! Thanks for the review!

hehe (times 4!!!): Wow! Thank you for the four wonderful reviews! It makes me happy just looking at them (let alone reading them). About your question, I didn't really think about whether demons existed in this story or not…now I'm kind of in a fix since I made Inuyasha's eyes his hanyou color. So, I think I'll go ahead and claim everyone to be human (even Inuyasha), and keep his eye color gold, and make his hair black. I'm glad you asked the question—I would have kept putting off addressing the problem otherwise. Thanks again for the reviews!

Wow! Tons of reviews this time around! Woohooo! Well, I think I wrote a whole novel for dedications…sorry.

Disclaimer: I think by now it should be understood…

The Princess and the Pauperess

Chapter 5

Reveal me

It had been three days since Kagome and Princess Kikyou had switched places, and already Kagome felt like slipping a rattlesnake into Inuyasha's bed. He would not stop calling her 'wench' and 'bitch,' no matter what she did. She was this close (enter absence of space) to spontaneous combustion, and would undoubtedly take the whole castle with her. She was once again in nothing but her slip, only this time she was holding a corset in front of her face, studying it. Naraku had been delayed, but had sent a messenger ahead to inform the castle occupants that he would be arriving before dinner that day. So Kagome had to wear a corset. Did it go under or over the slip? She couldn't remember. I really shouldn't have dodged my handmaidens…she chastised herself. Okay, I'll just put it on over my slip, she decided. But how did it go on? Did it really matter, as long as it got on? No. With that, Kagome began her struggle to slip the very uncomfortable looking thing over her head. She was doing pretty well, until she could no longer reach to push or pull the thing down.

"Aw, man," she complained. Her voice was muffled through the fabric of the corset. She began wiggling about and craning her neck to get some air, but it was useless. Where were those stupid handmaidens when you needed them, anyway? She stomped around and rubbed against the bedpost, but all attempts to rid herself of the infernal clothing proved futile. She could feel her slip inching up and bunching underneath the part of the corset over her breasts. How uncomfortable. The blood was rushing from her arms, which were sticking precariously straight up above her head. "This is no fair…" she whined. She turned, and somehow managed to fall, which hurt a lot, due to her inability to catch herself. The door burst open, and she felt her whole body flush with embarrassment. She didn't want anyone to see her like this! Suddenly, whoever had barged in began laughing, and Kagome realized with a half sinking, half relieved pinch in her heart that it was Inuyasha. Only Inuyasha.

"Stop laughing!" she ordered angrily, trying to squirm from her place on the ground.

"Hahahahaha! You look so—haha—regal—hahaha!" he replied. She couldn't see him, but she was betting that he was actually holding his sides.

"It's not funny!" she told him loudly.

"I think it's hilarious," he quipped. His footsteps began toward her, and she realized that he was going to help. But, for some inexplicable reason, she didn't want him to. At all.

"Don't! I can get up on my own!" she stressed, trying desperately to prove her point. He chuckled.

"I don't want anyone else to see. You'd make a fool of Kikyou, you stupid wench." His hands grasped her waist and hoisted her onto her feet. She glared at him, though he couldn't see. He began hastily loosening the laces.

"Do you know how to put on a corset?" Kagome asked reluctantly as he did his work. He snorted.

"No, why would I?" He responded. She tried to shrug, but it didn't work. "Stop moving," he growled out, stilling her. Finally, the damn thing was loose enough that she could breathe. Inuyasha pulled the thing down where it was supposed to be, and Kagome turned to him gratefully, sucking in greedy amounts of air. "Your face is maroon," he told her helpfully.

"Yeah, well, I've been asphyxiating for ten minutes," she responded as she began to try tying the laces on her own. Why did everything about this corset have to be so hard?

"Such a big word for a peasant," he commented.

"Does this look right? Or does this corset thing need to go under the slip?" Kagome asked, choosing to ignore his rude remark. She flapped her arms to somehow illustrate her point, and he shrugged.

"How would I know?"

"Oh, come on." She rolled her eyes. "It's not like you've never seen Kikyou in her underwear before." He blushed several shades of red and spluttered out a denial. "Whatever…" He finally managed to regain his composure, and looked at her seriously.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked. She backed away from him, frightened. Was he possessed? Was he going to die? She'd heard that a lot of times, people lost their wits before they died.

"Um…with what?" she responded intelligently.

"I don't think you can lace that on your own," he informed her. He was right…darn it.

"Uh…why?"

"Because, I think you're…a good person, and besides, you looking like crap would humiliate Kikyou." Did that really just come out of his mouth? Kagome smiled and turned her back to him.

"Thanks," she conceded. He merely growled and began tugging harshly at the strings. "Ow!" she complained. "Does it really…have to be…so tight?" she asked between vicious pulls.

"All I know is what Kikyou told me: 'The tighter the better.'" He shrugged and tugged again. "It can't hurt that bad, can it?" Kagome gasped out in pain as he tugged especially hard.

"Actually, yes—ah!—it can…"

"There. Done," Inuyasha announced as he stepped back to admire his handiwork. Kagome turned laboriously, her lungs attempting to heave for oxygen, but none coming.

"Okay…now…dress…" Kagome announced shakily as she made her way to the armoire. As quickly as she could manage. She grabbed the first dress she saw and threw it on haphazardly. Why couldn't she breathe? Her vision was pulsing haziness, and she tried shaking her head to be rid of it. She wanted to kill whoever had invented the corset. Repeatedly. She snatched a pair of shoes and put them on, wondering why Inuyasha was still in the room.

"Ready?" he asked.

"For what?" she replied, suppressing a gasp as she tried walking toward the door.

"For meeting 'your' future husband, you dolt."

"Oh. I-I guess…"

"Good, follow me." He strolled from the room, and she tried valiantly to keep pace with him, but failed. She was leaned against the wall, wheezing, when the rude boy grabbed her by the upper arm and started dragging her all over the place again.

"So, why is he here so…early?" Kagome asked as breath still failed to reach her aching lungs. Inuyasha shrugged and turned the corner.

"I don't know everything," he responded. Kagome rolled her eyes, and immediately regretted it, for they almost stuck there.

"You are the messenger," she told him dryly. To her surprise, he turned his head and smirked at her before practically shoving her though the double doors of the throne room. "Wha—Inu—!" she started, but cut herself off when she spied the tall, handsome figure near Kikyou's father's throne.

"Ah, you must be Kikyou," he said. She meant to say, 'And you must be Naraku, pleased to meet you,' but her mouth moved differently.

"Uhhhrmmm…" she muttered before collapsing flat on her face; fainted.

. . . . .

Kikyou grinned as she made her way to Kouga's. It was getting late, but she wasn't worried in the least. She looked just like everyone else, and had discovered that to be the best way of avoiding conflict. Kouga had turned out to be a nice man, despite his obvious argumentative tendencies. Kikyou found herself spending more and more time with him. She sighed faintly. She really wondered how Inuyasha and Kagome were getting on—were they fighting? Were they friends? More? Kikyou turned into a dark alley, her shoes echoing oddly. Suddenly, a voice rang out in the quiet.

"Ow, god! You know I charge extra when you get rough!" it echoed angrily. A man's voice chuckled. Kikyou moved closer, trying to be quiet.

"It's worth more," he responded, and Kikyou heard his boots clack the ground as walked away, farther down the alley. She scurried even closer, and peeked into the slight indent in the wall where the man had been. A woman stood, adjusting her skirt before shoving some coins in a little pouch. The strange, dark-haired woman turned slowly, revealing a frightfully familiar face.

"Sango?" Kikyou gasped, moving into full view. Said girl's face hardened, and her eyes pierced through Kikyou like fiery arrows.

"Kikyou…You know, I managed to keep this from Kagome and Miroku for years, and here you come along, figuring it out within days."

"I-I'm sorry, Sango. I didn't know you were—are you ashamed to tell your friends?" Sango laughed.

"Ashamed? Am I ashamed? I'm the dirtiest person I know…What do you think?" Kikyou blanched at the harsh tone in the girl's voice.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of. You were born into this. You—"

"Listen, Princess, I'm glad for your sympathy." Sango allowed a small smile. "Just don't let it turn into pity." She sauntered past Kikyou, glaring hard at her. "I need to get back to work. Don't tell Miroku." With that, she disappeared the way Kikyou had come. The Princess leaned against the wall for support. So Sango…Well, that would certainly explain the girl's attitude toward men. But…poor Miroku. He had no idea why Sango hated him so avidly. She shook her head to rid it of her ponderings. With all this terrible poverty of soul around her, it was a wonder her brain hadn't exploded by now. It only took her a few more hurried minutes to reach Kouga's place.

"Kikyou, where have you been?" he demanded as she barged in through the warped, wooden door. She rolled her eyes.

"On my way over. Why? Where have you been?" He smirked evenly.

"In my wildest dreams, living in a castle."

"Do I have to tell you another horror story? How long will it take you to believe me that the castle is not that great."

"Forever. And then some," he replied ruefully. She grinned and sat down across from him on the floor.

"Okay, here's a good one," she started, making sure he was paying attention by establishing eye contact. "I was six years old, and I was playing tag with my cousin. We were running very fast down the corridors, and skidding around corners. Well, I was rounding a corner especially haphazardly, and managed to smash into the most expensive decorative vase that my family owned." Kouga started laughing. Kikyou glared at him. "It's not funny! I could have been beheaded!" He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Daddy's favorite being beheaded. Real plausible." She couldn't help but think how cute it was when he smirked, showing his little fang.

Yes. He was cute, handsome, and…sexy.

Oh god.

AAR: Woohoo! Love is in the air! Or, in Kagome's case…in the lack of air! Yessss…this story is finally going the way I friggen wanted it to in the first place. For those of you who are inclined to think that Kikyou's feelings are a bit rushed, may I remind you that she has never been outside the castle walls before. The only boy her age she's had much contact with as been Inuyasha. So…yeah. I hope I made Sango's occupation clear enough in this chapter. I really regret sticking her with something like that, but it's unfortunately necessary for her little subplot to work…*sigh* So…any questions? Comments? Constructive you-know-what? I've noticed that Kikyou's parts tend to be pretty short. I'll try to mend that next chapter. Anyway, remember that I love everyone who reads and enjoys this story!