Author's Note: Don't own Inuyasha…blah blah blah disclaimer…blah blah blah…*Tsuuki is on her writing high, so will be spitting out a lot of chapters for a little while before turning into a lazy, useless bum again*


~

Inuyasha seemed just as pleased about the whole arrangement as Kagome was. "You…?!" He crossed his arms, and pressed his back against the cushioned seat, growling low in the bottom of his throat. "I should've known that wolf-shit wasn't to be trusted…Goddammit…"

What a jerk!! Kagome narrowed her eyes at him as she sat down; shifting uncomfortably as the wood pressed against her bruised thighs. "Inuyasha!" The toad thing squawked loudly from his little seat up front, peeking his bulgy yellow eyes into the sliding window that was just behind Inuyasha's head. "Keep the human quiet! Don't let her make so much as a peep!"

He just sighed heavily, grabbing the handle to the window and slamming it shut so that the servant's ugly little face could no longer be seen. "Stupid little frog…"

Kagome just stared uncomfortably at him, not knowing exactly what to do. As the carriage shook to life, the hard surface she was sitting on bumped up against her still aching and broken legs. She opened her mouth to cry out, but seeing the curious look Inuyasha was giving her, she decided she would rather take the pain than let him have that sort of pleasure.

The first thirty minutes of the ride were in complete silence. Kagome held her hands firmly in her lap, trying her hardest not to doze off. In the start, she had decided she would keep her head up as a sign of dignity. But, as the minutes dragged on, she could barely even keep her eyes open. Even worse, her mind kept on moving back to the events of that night, and she couldn't help but wonder what she could have done to save herself. If only I had brought Souta in earlier…If only I had looked where I was walking…If only I hadn't run so far…I should've hid…This is all my fault…This is…

"…all my fault."

Inuyasha looked up, startled. The dark-haired girl was just sitting there, staring at her knees, mumbling incoherently to herself. Her eyes were starting to water, and Inuyasha suddenly felt a deep pang in his chest. "Don't you dare cry, wench."

Kagome swallowed hard, moving her eyes to look up at Inuyasha. The moment she blinked, a few tears managed to escape down her cheeks. "You…you…" Kagome couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She snapped her head up, glaring at the dog-eared man with the cruelest look of contempt she could muster. "What, will you kill me now?! What are you waiting for, you ugly, foul-smelling, contemptuous, hateful thing?! I'm sure you'd just love to dig those teeth of yours into my neck, now wouldn't you?!"

"What are you saying?! That I would really lower myself to eating a filthy human like you?!"

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but then the image of Inuyasha biting into a crispy human-like figure on a stick popped into her mind. Inuyasha, with his cute little dog-ears, and the figure, with smoke coming from its head and stereotypical x's portraying the eyes. She couldn't help but laugh, although it came out more of a sob than anything else. "Y-yes…" Tears dripped from her eyes as she hung her head low, leaning forward. "That's…exactly what I'm saying."

Needless to say, Inuyasha was confused by this whole act. It sounded like…she was LAUGHING at him. Laughing at him while tears poured from her eyes, while the bandages on her skin began to loosen themselves to reveal thousands of little cuts and bruises. I don't get humans. He scoffed to himself, turning his head away in an act that made his dog-ears twitch almost comically. "Don't worry, wench. I'm not going to kill you."

Kagome's eyes twitched in surprise, her back hunched over so low that her forehead almost touched her knees. He won't kill me…?

"Not now, at least."

She inwardly sighed. Of course. She should have expected this. For another few minutes they sat in silence, Kagome trying desperately to rid her cheeks from the tears without being too obvious about it. Whenever she got the bravery to glance up at Inuyasha, he was either staring out the window with a pissed-off look, or giving little childish glances to her. However, the moment he saw that she noticed, he turned away in quite a huff.

Again, another half an hour of silence. Inuyasha, who had become restless to the point of going insane, let out a deep breath. "…I don't care if you talk, either, y'know. I wouldn't suggest doing it around Sesshoumaru, but…" He inhaled, but it sounded like an annoyed sigh to Kagome. She could practically feel the boredom radiating off of him.

"So…" She gathered up her courage, grasping her hands together. "…Where are we going?"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, staring at the girl in front of him, who still refused to even glance at him. "My house."

Kagome's eye twitched some. All right…This'll be harder than I thought… "Well…is there an ocean nearby?"

Inuyasha blinked at her. What?! "Yeah…the coastline is only a mile or so away…"

The girl fell completely silent, obvious in a deep state of concentration.

"What? Is that bad?" He couldn't hide the hint of anger in his voice. Her lack of conversation wasn't only upsetting him, but she acted as if his home was a bad place even though she had never seen it. Not that he truly cared what she thought, he reminded himself.

"Yes. I hate the ocean." The way she said this was almost enough to get Inuyasha on his feet. She acted so…so…so REGAL about it all, as if such a thing was beneath her. I don't care what he thinks about me…Kagome thought bitterly to herself, deceiving plots in her mind as she twiddled her thumbs together. Let him think of me as a wench, then…I won't be kind for the likes of these people…Not to say that it wasn't the truth. Kagome truly did hate the ocean. She had been afraid of it since she was a child.

"Where the hell do you get off saying th-…"

"What are you then, in all reality?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, interrupting him mid sentence as she bore threw him with an unwavering stare. "A youkai or what?"

Inuyasha visually flinched. Kagome grinned inwardly to herself, realizing that she had just reached a touchy part of him. "My father is a very strong and very powerful youkai!" He talked quickly, but she could tell it wasn't a lie. Every part of him seemed to burst out in pride with mention of his father, whom she had never even heard of before…Which might be due to the fact she wasn't quite sure of his name.

"What was your mother than?" She smirked, for sake of the little act she was putting on. She was feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing though, because she wasn't normally such a cocky person. "A weak and disgusting human, such as myself?"

A cross between surprise and pain appeared on Inuyasha's face. The little game she was playing suddenly felt meaningless to her as Inuyasha stared at her, totally and completely speechless. Instantly after saying it she wished she could take it all back. "I…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Please. I didn't know…I was just…" She hung her head once again, narrowing her eyes at her lap. Oh god…what am I supposed to do now?

The rest of the journey was ridden in complete and utter silence. Kagome winced, but not with the pain from her scars. Every time she thought about how she had acted, she felt like a more and more ugly person. Stupid, stupid Kagome…Why did I say that? Why?! Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Inuyasha was upset as well. Both about what she had said about his mother, and about what she had done about it. She looks so miserable about it…Do you want me to hate you? Is that it? He suddenly realized that this girl didn't stand a chance with the job that was going to be presented to her. Being Sesshoumaru's maid…She would be killed in an instant.

As the carriage finally began to slow at the front of a decent sized house (that resembled more of a castle, in Kagome's opinion) Kagome looked up to glance out the window. It wasn't a huge Arabian palace or the like, but it was still the most magnificent building the young girl had ever seen.

"You know…" Inuyasha spoke in a gruff voice, catching Kagome completely off guard. "It's dangerous in there, for you…and I don't mean raids or anything like that…" He was glaring out the window, flexing and unflexing his claws. "You should always do what you're told…but…if you're ever in any serious need of help…"

Kagome tensed up, eyes widening considerably. Does that mean…he'll protect me?! She stared at him, mouth opened slightly. It was the kindest, most inspiring thing she had ever heard in her life. Even if he hadn't even finished his sentence.

Inuyasha blushed vaguely when he saw the look the girl was giving him. She looked so relieved, and her eyes literally sparkled with admiration. But, is it the truth? Can I really protect her? Every time I see her I see Kikyou instead…Is that why I want to make sure she stays safe? "Yeah." Inuyasha, you idiot, what do you think you're saying?! "I'll protect you. I promise."

~         

Upon entering the building, Kagome was torn away from Inuyasha, whom she had tried her best to stay near ever since the promise he had made her. She didn't necessarily believe it, but…It was all she had right now. Inuyasha was all she had, and she would've sold her soul just to stay near him.

"You! Girl!" Kagome didn't know it, but for the next long time, this is what she would be referred to by pretty much everyone who knew her. "Hurry up, would you?! Getting a beating this early in your career does not reflect well on our establishment!" The toad man, which Kagome had discovered to be called Jaken, was guiding her down the stone hallways, never forgetting to give her a little whack in the leg with his staff every once in a while. Needless to say she was aching more than ever before, and speed was something she just didn't think she could manage.

"You'll go in here, take a bath, get dressed, and come down to the dining hall right away! You will not speak, you will not look at anyone unless told to! Let me repeat that, you insolent fool of a girl! You will not make even the slightest noise!" Before Kagome could even respond, Jaken was pushing her into a small doorway, pressing his staff into a very sensitive part of Kagome's back. The second she had entered completely, the toad-youkai reached up and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Little creep…" She rubbed her back as she looked around. At first, she had expected every room in this wondrous castle to be beautifully designed and taken care of. But, this bathroom, if it could be called as such, was one of the most poorly cared-for rooms she had ever seen. The paint on the walls were chipping, and there were only two very narrow windows, making it seem more like a cell than anything else. In the center of the room (which wasn't tiny, but by no means large) there was a decently sized wooden bathtub. It easily took up 2/3 of the entire floor space, and even considering the horrible surroundings, the steaming blue water was more than enough to make Kagome consider it beautiful.

Very slowly, she stripped herself of the bandages and padding that had begun to loosen considerably ever since she had gotten on the wagon. She was surprised to see how well the cuts had healed in such a short amount of time. That wasn't to say she was fit or healthy by any means, but if she had only been lying in that bed for a night, then she was doing quite well. Wait…just how long WAS I unconscious…?

Kagome stored the thought in the back of her mind as she slowly lowered herself into the almost unbearably hot water, hissing. Somehow, she got the feeling that there was more in this than water. Her cuts were beginning to tingle, and her bones themselves were turning into mush. But, all things considered, it felt good and she was able to temporarily forget her pain.

Inuyasha…Kagome sighed at the name, sinking down into the water so that the bottom of her chin was submerged. When will I get to see him again…?

~

It was amazing how much better Kagome felt after that bath. Her bones barely hurt, and her cuts only caused her annoyance when she touched them. She dressed quickly, in the only clothes that had been laid out to her. A simple black dress with a white collar and long sleeves. Long sleeves with little puffs at the shoulders, that made Kagome wince when she looked into the dirty and cracked mirror. "A nun…Yes, that's it. I look like a nun." The dress went down to her knees, and much to her surprise she wasn't provided with any shoes. Only a pair of white socks that barely even reached her shins. "Well…" She took a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror. Here I go…

The moment she left the bathroom she could hear Jaken's shuffled steps coming towards her. "You! You stupid stupid girl! What do you think you're doing?! Where's your hood?!"

Hood…? Kagome stared at him with a completely clueless look on her face as he stumbled into the bathroom, grabbed some black, heavy-looking piece of cloth, and threw it up into her arms. He held his robe over his mouth as he ran back out, giving Kagome the hardest smack yet. "The smell is disgusting! Absolutely disgusting! Now hurry up, would you?! You stupid stupid human, there's no time! No time! You must serve to Sesshoumaru right away! You stupid human!"

Kagome was still stunned from the amazingly strong hit she had just received in her face with that staff Jaken always carried around. She looked down at the black piece of cloth, but had no time to stand there and figure it out. With a few more threats from Mr. Toad, as she would so affectionately call him when she got the chance, she was limping down the hall as fast as she could while trying to get the heavy cloak onto herself. It was a mantle that went down to her stomach, and it was almost staggeringly heavy. It was designed so that the cloth was cut off at her shoulders, giving her arms room to move around, while completely covering her neck and torso. In other words, it was a rectangular piece of cloth that was longer than it was wide. The minute she had her head in the hole, Jaken was again beating at her with his staff. "Put up the hood! The hood, you stupid girl, the hood!" He was screeching and ribbiting at the same time, leaving Kagome completely discombobulated. She reached back and felt around before realizing there was, indeed, a hood on this little coat she was being forced to wear. She pulled it over her head, and almost tripped over due to the effect it had. Not only did it make it hard for her to lift her head, she couldn't see anywhere in front of her. All she could do was stare at the ground in front of her to make sure she wouldn't fall.

"That's it! If you know what's good for you, you'll never show your face in public! Got that?!"

She swallowed hard. Is this what my life will be? Even now, I feel like I'm losing myself. But…they couldn't steal THAT away from me, could they?

~

The dining hall was packed. Important and not-so-important looking men alike were all gathered around a single long table, and just as many stragglers hung around against the walls, chattering excitedly. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat of considerable honor, peeking around the heads of everyone coming in. Dammit…where is she? What if she's already here? How will I recognize her? He glanced over to the empty seat at the head of the table. The seat reserved solely for his father, the great Inutaishou. Sesshoumaru was supposed to be sitting across from him, but he hadn't arrived yet. Not that I'm surprised…Sesshoumaru had always been the anti-social of the family. He preferred to stay away from people whenever possible.

Inuyasha just couldn't seem to get his mind off of Kagome. He had been anxious all evening, thinking of all the possible scenarios he could have for meeting her today, but how could he know it was her? All the maids wore those hoods, so none of their features could be seen…He didn't even know her name.

Suddenly, Miroku (Inuyasha growled inwardly the second he saw his perverted foe) stood, raising his glass into the air. "Everyone! I would like to propose a toast!"

Inuyasha groaned when he saw how intoxicated the man must be. Miroku was a fool to call so much attention to himself. Unlike most occasions, there were just as many humans present as youkai…However, that didn't mean that giving himself a bad reputation was a particularly good idea. Just as Inuyasha was about to yell for Miroku to calm down, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Jaken…? What the hell is that little toad doing here? Jaken NEVER made public appearances. Sesshoumaru had ordered it to be that way, since Jaken had an amazing talent of making everyone he crossed upset and downright disgusted. The hanyou immediately perked up when he saw the stumbling maid following him, constantly opening her mouth to speak but being smacked upside the head each time with the frog's nasty cane. It has to be her…! Just by the way the maid limped, Inuyasha knew without a doubt that it must be the same girl who he had ridden in the carriage in earlier. Well…I've found her, but…What am I supposed to do now?

Jaken gave Kagome a little push into the room while everyone else was still distracted by the drunk and raving Miroku. She stood there, in a state of utter confusion, before another maid was kind enough to rush over to her and whisper some things into her ear. Inuyasha turned his ears towards the pair, even though he knew it was useless. It was impossible to hear anything but Miroku from distance.

~

Kagome stood in the midst of all these strangers, only partially registering the presence of the ranting man making a scene in the center of the room. It was best for her, really. The last thing she wanted right now was someone to realize she didn't know what in the world she was supposed to do. She stood alone in the corner, her hands and knees unconsciously shaking with fear. What if I screw up…?! What will happen to me?! She swallowed hard, beads of sweat starting to fall down her face.

"Psst…Are you the new maid they just brought in today?" Kagome started with a jump, turning to see who it was. The girl who had just spoken pulled Kagome's hood back just enough so that she could see decently well without her face being completely exposed. "There…You learn how to wear these things over time." Kagome could see the girl smile, and she returned the gesture. "Th-thank you…And yes, I was just brought in today, but…"

The helpful girl nodded, pointing over to a specific spot at the table. "That's where you'll go. Kneel behind Sesshoumaru-sama. But do not speak! Do not even let him know you are there! Be very careful…If you do that, then I can meet you again tonight, okay?"

Kagome nodded, still confused, but she knew where the girl was talking about. And, who else would she trust? It was better than nothing. The maid turned, about to hurry off, but Kagome was quick to grab onto her arm. "Wait…what's your name? So I can find you after…"

The girl paused, as if thinking. "I…just ask for the youkai exterminator, all right…? They'll know who you're talking about."

Before Kagome could say anything the girl was off, leaving Kagome standing alone once more. She glanced up at the man who was making a racket before rushing to kneel behind the pillow that the maid had just pointed to. Sesshoumaru…Yes…Mr. Toad had mentioned him too…Is that who I'm going to be serving? A horrible thought suddenly crossed Kagome's mind. Serve him…wait…what is that supposed to mean?!

The large doors at the end of the room suddenly burst open. Everyone immediately quieted down, taking their seats if there were any available, while the others tensed up and stood erect. A young boy with adorable freckles and his hair pulled back into a rough ponytail stood at the opening. "Now, I would like to present to you…Inutaishou!" Right after saying this he scurried to the side, eager to get out of the way.

A tall, hulky man walked in, adorned in the most beautifully designed robes Kagome and probably everyone else in the room had ever seen. He was grinning wide, the kind of smile that caught on easily. Kagome was tenser than even she realized, with her hands trembling violently. She breathed in quickly and breathed out deeply, trying to regain herself. Come on, pull yourself together. Don't be so afraid. They can smell the fear on you! You can do this. You can do this. Kagome was so busy comforting herself that she didn't even realize the Inutaishou man approaching her direction. Luckily he swept right on by, settling himself down on a beautiful pillow that was uncomfortably close to the shaking maid. Breathe Kagome…Breathe.

"Inuyasha, my boy!" As soon as the man had settled down, everyone went back to talking among themselves. Kagome raised her head suddenly when she heard the name. Inuyasha?! He's here?! Sure enough, sitting right across from her was Inuyasha, staring up at the youkai lord. "Yes, father?"

The lord had an amazingly deep voice, and he slammed his fist down on the table good-naturedly. "Where's Sesshoumaru off to, eh? Skipping out, is he?"

"I-…"

"No, father." Inuyasha and Inutaishou looked up simultaneously, although Kagome was much too intimidated. She sat there, perfectly still, somehow able to calm down the shaking of her own body to a point where it couldn't even be noticed. Look at me, Inuyasha…It's me. It's Kagome. Look at me.

Kagome's line of sight was instantly broken the second a man sat down gracefully in the pillow lying in front of her. She twitched only slightly, staring at the back of his head. The first and only thought that came to her head was…He has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen.

Conversation went on well enough between Inuyasha and his father, and every once in a while some woman or feudal lord would come over to pay his or her respects to the dignified demon. Kagome tried her best to listen, but she couldn't hear much. All she could do was stare blankly at the hair of the man she presumed to be Sesshoumaru. Not once had he spoken, and Kagome was getting more and more nervous by the second.

Growing restless, Kagome turned her head to look down the long lines of maids. Much to her surprise, every single person sitting at that table had their own personal servant. They were all young women, and they were all wearing the exact same outfits.

She leaned back, stretching her neck as far as possible, looking for the kind girl who had helped her earlier. Inuyasha was an impossible target due to Sesshoumaru's head, and she was not about to risk playing peek-a-boo around a seeming-deadly youkai. I don't recognize everyone…They all look the same. Is that how I look?

She sighed heavily, turning her head back to the man whose back was turned to her. Or, at least, to the man who she thought would have his back turned to her. Time itself froze the instant she realized his eyes were boring into her. He had swivled his body to the side, leaning back on a hand and turning his neck ever so slightly to be staring down at the top of her hood. She could not see his face, but she could see his torso, and his presence was not easy to miss. All of the life in her began to sink down lower in her stomach, as the lord's son would not take his eyes off of her.

"Sesshoumaru? What is it?"

Oh no…Oh god no…Now she had attracted the attention of not only the lord's son, but of the lord as well. Inuyasha…Save me!

"Who is this?" Kagome tensed even more when she heard his voice, if such a thing were possible. It was deep and calm; much too calm for Kagome's liking. It was, even over the escape from Kouga, the most frightening thing she had ever had to experience. "It couldn't be the new maid I sent for, could it?"

Kagome took one last deep breath. I won't be scared, I won't be scared, I won't be scared…

"Well, let's see her then." Instantaneously, Kagome felt a sharply clawed hand grip onto her chin, pulling her head forward. The hood drooped forward, only concealing herself further, something that she was temporarily grateful for.

"Sesshoumaru, it's just the-…" Inuyasha! Kagome let out a breath of relief. That's Inuyasha's voice!

"If she is to be my maid, then let me see her then." Sesshoumaru's voice was cold, calm, mocking, intelligent, deep, and smooth all at once. Kagome had gone from being horrified to being downright confused.

"Sesshoumaru, just leave her alone!" Inuyasha had a hint of desperateness in his voice, but it did him no good. Before he even had the chance to finish is plea, Sesshoumaru had swooped his hand forward, pulling the hood roughly back from Kagome's face. Everything in her body immediately went cold. She hadn't known it before, but the room had long since fallen silent, with the attention of all of them focused on her and her alone. You can't kill me, you can't kill me, you can't kill me, you can't kill me…

Slowly, she raised her head to look Sesshoumaru solidly in the eye. She felt so detached from the whole experience that she wasn't positive whether she looked outright scared or rudely confident. All conscious feeling left her body the moment she met Sesshoumaru's glance with her own. What amazing eyes.