The Princess and the Pauperess

Chapter 15
Queen

As she ruthlessly shoved the throne room doors open, a sudden shock of fear pierced her insides. Everyone turned to look, relief clear on their faces when they realized that their "princess" hadn't run away. She forced her apprehension away and took a deep, steady breath as she approached the assistant who would crown her. She had to, it was the only way to ensure that everything returned to its proper order. Unless there really was no proper order and she was just being needlessly melodramatic. Yes, perhaps she could just close her eyes and it would all go--Get a hold of yourself!

"I'm not the Princess!" she belted out before she could stop herself. Not that she'd wanted to. Well, only a little bit. Everyone stared, and she turned instinctively to find Inuyasha in the doorway, looking shell-shocked. For some reason, she couldn't look away. He had been the first to know of her situation, he'd kept her confidence, and, though she'd be loathe to admit, he'd become a sort of rock for her. He and Naraku both. The only difference was: Naraku knew how a proper rock behaved, and Inuyasha didn't. As he so adequately proved with his next utterance.

"What the fuck are you thinking, Kagome?!" His face had contorted into anger, and he strode toward her, breaking all the others in the room from their horribly shocked stupor. The advisor quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Please explain why you say this," he commanded. She took a breath to respond, but found Inuyasha already speaking for her.

"She's ill. I believe that the death of her father has caused a temporary lapse of--."

"Inuyasha! What are you doing?!" she screeched, appalled. Trying to keep up the lie any longer would just cause more trouble. And the deaths of Kikyou and Kouga.

"I'm saving your neck, what do you think I'm doing?" he roared back. She stamped her foot angrily. No one bothered to interrupt their squabble. "Do you want to be beheaded?" he demanded challengingly.

"Yes. I do!" she retorted as she jabbed a finger to his chest. "And I suggest you butt out unless you plan on going down with me!"

"I do, then, you selfish cow!"

"Fine, you violent pig!"

They stood nose-to-nose, glaring, fists clenched, for a good while, until the silence was broken.

"I will not believe that you are not the Princess until it is proven to me otherwise," the advisor announced. Kagome reluctantly turned from the solace of fighting with Inuyasha to respond.

"Very well. Go, as quickly as you can, to the prison in town and gather two prisoners. Kagome and Kouga. I want them cleaned up and brought into the throne room as soon as possible." The advisor nodded his consent of her request, and he briskly swept from the room, everyone else leaving shortly behind him.

"You're bossy," Inuyasha mused, glancing sideways at her. She smiled.

"And you're needlessly belligerent. So what?"

"I don't want you to be executed," he said, suddenly serious. She sighed and turned her back on him, slumping her shoulders as she paced away.

"Neither do I. But I must suffer the consequences of my actions." Running a hand through her hair, she sighed again.

"You don't have to be so goddamn noble all the time!" He huffed in what she thought a rather childish way. "Why can't you just let well enough alone?" he practically whined.

"And let Kikyou and Kouga die? And be crowned Queen? Like hell!" She whirled on him, defensive that he would even suggest that she would consider not doing the right thing.

"Why don't you want to be Queen?"

"I'm not a leader. It would be too much pressure. And I wouldn't be able to marry who I wanted."

"You could marry Naraku. I'm sure you'd like that." Was it just her, or was there a sneer in his voice? He raised an eyebrow. Not just her, then.

"No. I wouldn't." She shook her head to emphasis her point, hoping he'd get it the first time around.

"Sure you would," he countered intelligently. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to argue with you right now. But I know that I would never marry Naraku." She met his eyes deliberately, hoping she wouldn't have to repeat herself. He glared.

Kikyou was yelling at Kouga, who was throwing things at the guards, who were taunting them about their executions. Sango and Miroku exchanged whispered commentary.

"Kouga, I swear, if we get out of this alive, I will beat you senseless!" Kikyou threatened. Kouga chucked his tin food tray at the smaller guard, who barely dodged in time. Both guards laughed and made the kill gesture.

"Twenty," Miroku noted.

"Nineteen," Sango countered.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's the twentieth time the kill gesture has been used."

"No. Remember that one time, they were about to do it, but Kouga threw a brick at them? I think you counted that."

"I most certainly did not. You just lost count." He grinned at her as she began going through all the times she could remember, silently ticking them off on her fingers as she went. Miroku was ecstatic that Sango was interested in him, but puzzled as to why she still insisted that he didn't share her feelings. He obviously did. She glanced at him, noticing that he'd been staring, her mouth slightly open. A perfect moment to kiss her. He leaned toward her slowly, giving her enough time to reject him. So close...just three inches more...

"We're here on the Princess's orders!" someone hollered from the end of the long hall.

"Goddammit," Miroku muttered to himself as Sango turned away from him, trying to get a better look at the intruder. He'd been waiting so long. Surely one kiss wasn't too much for karma to allow!

"We've come for the prisoners Kagome and Kouga, who are to be brought to the castle immediately!"

"Huh?" everyone chorused. The man motioned for the guards to release the two prisoners. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks. Immediately, when their doors were unlocked, Kikyou pounced on Kouga and began pummeling him in the head, a crazed look in her eyes.

"What if we had died, huh?!" she shrieked. "What then?!" The guards pried her off of him, and he smirked.

"I love you, Pumpkin," he cooed, half mockingly. She half glared, half smiled in return, and they were ushered down the hall. No one noticed that Sango and Miroku were trailing behind, musing as to why the two were needed at the palace.

"Maybe Kagome told them the truth," Sango suggested. Miroku nodded.

"Another possibility is that, as she was narrating to herself her situation, the King's horde of ninja spies overheard her and took her into custody."

"A horde of ninja spies, Miroku?" Sango reiterated dryly. "Sometimes you're such a little boy."

"If I weren't boyish, I wouldn't be half as charming."

"Oh? And what's half of zero?"

Kikyou tried to wave at them as she was shoved rudely into a carriage with bars for doors and windows. They waved back.

"I love you," Miroku said so casually that he hardly believed he'd said it. Sango crossed her arms over her chest.

"I find that hard to believe," she scoffed, her lovely face showing her annoyance. Annoyance that covered fear, Miroku was sure.

"Let's make a deal, then. You marry me, and I'll prove to you every day that what I said is and always will be true." She stared at him, her jaw slack in surprise. Then her features hardened and she ground out a "No."

"Please. You can nag me and yell at me and make me sleep on the floor when you're pissed." He gripped her right hand in both of his. She tried not to crack a smile, and almost succeeded. He kept her eye contact with the most pleading look he could muster. Puppy eyes had never worked on her before, but there was always hope.

"Miroku, I..." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I...I think..."

I think I love you, she finally mouthed, unable to say it aloud. He grinned from ear to ear, pulling her into a crushing hug.

Okay. I decided to cut the last chapter into two separate chapters. It was just turning out to be too long, since a lot of things still need closure. (I knew this was going to happen.) Anyway, I want anyone who reviews to try and give me at least two plot holes that they've noticed in my story, since I'm going to go back and edit all of my stories, including this one. The only way to learn from your mistakes is to see them, and I admit that I cannot see all of my mistakes. The end of this chapter is frustrating, because it's so...dumb. And weak, and cliché, but that doesn't matter. I have a tendency toward anticlimax, and am trying to work through it. Enough of my blathering.

Dedications:

Livvy22: Yay! I have plot twists! Your review makes me happy. Thanks!

the randomer (times 5!): OHMYGOD! You are awesome! AWESOME, I say! Ahem...Thank you for all your wonderful reviews!

M 'n' Ms: You didn't skip a chapter. Yay! I'm glad chapter 14 was better. Hopefully this one's okay as well, but, I dunno. I'm all pissed that I have to go to school now. Psh. And I'm sick of learning about the Archetypal Earth Mother. For the love of sanity...Er...Sorry. I'm just ranting now, aren't I? Well, thanks for your review!!

Squishy: Oh no! Did it delete my dedication to you?!?! I'M SO SORRY. Anyway. I'm not rushing the ending. See? It's even taking me more than one chapter. And I am taking your advice and editing all my fics--after I'm done with this one. But you have to promise to be nice when you point out all the mistakes I'm still overlooking. You evil bastard.

Duet Masaki: Yay! I'm glad you like it! I hope this chapter was up to par as well.

Reviews are awesome! I love being able to communicate with those who (for whatever reason) read my stories! Woohoo. I'm getting into that gushy "I love the world. See my grin of joy" mood. Whyyy.