Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any other related characters.

I've decided to put my author's note at the end because reading anything but the story at the beginning is annoying.

Here we go.

Sesshoumaru stood silently on his veranda, eyeing the sunrise. Brilliant colors of the coming day were scattered along the horizon, bright pinks and oranges among the yellow sunrays. The plains of the West stood empty save for clumps of forest here and there, giving the watching prince quite the view. Stretching a hand out, he leaned against the stone wall. His shoulders sagged ever so slightly as he thought over his plans.

I am to be married today to a woman I don't know. Should I be thankful?

He could be thankful. It was an option. Being married on such short notice meant he could hardly be nervous. He was too busy concentrating on swallowing the actual fact that he was going to be married. It would save him unnecessary anxiety and possibly excess anger. So, this could be a good thing. Also, it prevented him from having to choose from the hordes of women who had already offered themselves to him. He disliked the girls (more like women in general), especially the ones who gossiped. They were stupid, below him, and downright annoying.

On the other hand, his new wife could turn out to be exactly that- or possibly worse. That was his main concern. He would be able to hold on to an impossible marriage for a few months, at least, but for the three years that his father had asked of him? They had discussed it further once Sesshoumaru had gained back his impeccable control. It had seemed logical last night, but now he was feeling rather indecisive. Sesshoumaru honestly did not know if he could stand to be around someone incompetent: certainly not if he were married to her.

In a less stressful (and less important) situation, Sesshoumaru would have merely slept in a different bedroom than his "bride" and quietly divorced the problem woman a few months after the marriage had taken place. But with so much in the balance, he would have to act as though he truly cherished her. After all, she represented a sacrifice on the part of her people. She had also given of herself, and it would not be good to make it appear as though he took her offering lightly. In order for this plan to work and successfully end the war, he'd have to pretend to care about her, even if he detested her with all his being.

And even worse, he'd have to convince her too. It'd be twice as bad if she ran back home claiming that the other side hated her and had shunned her. He'd have to persuade her, as well as her people and his own.

The more he thought about it, Sesshoumaru realized, the more impossible the situation seemed. How was he supposed to honor a woman he hated?

You're getting ahead of yourself. You haven't even met her yet and you've already decided she is impossible. Remember that she has the same duties as you.

In retrospect, she had to lie and show affection for him as well. As a royal, surely she would have a sense of duty, even if she lacked common sense. After all, her bloodline had engaged itself in a war that had lasted a thousand years. As far as Sesshoumaru knew, her clan had remained strong and in large numbers despite the heavy tolls. There had to be some sense of respect and a decent amount of knowledge in such a hardy people.

Right?

But the little voice in the back of Sesshoumaru's mind nagged at him. What if she was just a heathen? What if the perseverance her people had shown was brought about by mere luck or the thirst for blood? No one remembered how the war had begun in the first place: what if her clan had started it and prolonged it because all they knew was war?

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the edge of the stone barrier. He had half a mind to sleep with a knife under his pillow from now on, but surely he was more than a match for some female from a pack of mangy demons. He didn't know why he felt so uneasy around her- or the idea of her! He hadn't even met the girl and he was tense!

This was stupid. He forbade any further childishly worried thoughts. She would suffice. All he needed to do was marry and be done with it. From there on, he'd stay as far away from her as possible. If need be, he would proffer an arm in public so as to show a willingness to cooperate, but he would terminate any sort of relationship beyond that.

The purpose of this marriage was to solve the fighting. It need not carry on beyond that.

He would marry her, keep his head level, and then divorce her in three years.

Surely he could make it that long with a heathen princess.

Some miles away, Kagura was slowly but surely approaching the barrier between

Western and renegade lands. Something akin to fear panged in her stomach as she realized that she was the first of her people to cross this line without malicious intent.

Well, truly malicious intent. The orders her father had given her still made her want to vomit. It wasn't fair to ask this of her.

She wanted nothing more than to turn and run away, to spare herself the pain and grief that were yet to come. And yet she couldn't. Her people needed her right now. They needed her to be strong.

Straightening her back unconsciously, Kagura looked out the window of her carriage. The scenery was changing: instead of outcroppings of rock and forests, she saw plains and pathetic clumps of trees. No wonder her people had stayed on their own land for the majority of the fighting. Where was the cover? Where were the places for ambushes? She now knew why the dynasty within the Western lands had remained the same over thousands of years. No one could take the Lord's army by surprise. There just wasn't any way to sneak up on the palace.

Craning her neck out the window and ignoring the muffled protests of her neutral Eastern escort, Kagura drank in the sight of the looming palace. It was visible from several miles away; a huge structure seemingly built into a mountainside. Though she had never seen it before that day, Kagura knew its basic floor plans from spies: the "mountain" it was built on was actually part of the castle. Part of Kagura was in awe, the other in fear. Being a nomad of sorts, she had never lived in anything but a temporary wooden house. Though it had been grand, it was nothing compared to this great structure of ancient wood and weathered stone. She wondered briefly if she would be able to control the wind, locked up in such a massive prison.

Her escort tugged her roughly back into the carriage and threw the blinds across it. At Kagura's glare, he gritted his teeth.

"Assassins," he explained abruptly. "Not everyone supports this... joining."

"Whatever. They wouldn't dare." Kagura shot back, huffing and slouching in a rather un-princess-y manner. The escort rolled his eyes and settled back into his seat, pulling out a scroll and jotting something down in kanji. Kagura tried to look at what he was writing, interest shaking her out of her brief bad mood, but he covered it with one hand and shooed her away with the other.

"Royal matters."

"I am royal, and I matter. There. Do you need any other verification?" Snatching it away from him, she let her eyes wander over the characters. Though she was no scholar, Kagura knew her fair share of the complicated symbols, and she quickly ascertained that the scroll was about her. "What is this? Why are you writing about me?"

"It is only a log. It's meant to take note of the happenings of our journey, so as to make sure that there is proof that it went smoothly."

"Which is why it's about things like the color of my eyes. And the fact that I seem to be, and I quote 'A thoughtful but wickedly sharp-tongued woman; capable of only insulting phrases and other means of degrading people'. Call me picky, but I think you worded that wrong."

"I... I was instructed to make note of your habits." Despite the blush on his face, he stiffened his spine and puffed out his chest. Kagura thought he looked like a dog about to vomit. "The Lord of the Western Lands told me to do this so he could inform his son... about you, I suppose. After you two are joined."

"So, in order to let the man I'm about to marry truly get a feel for me, you made me into a self-obsessed snubbing woman who cares only for herself."

"I have only put down what I have observed. And I didn't put that down!"

"Close enough." Wrenching open the blinds on the window, Kagura tossed the paper out the opening and onto the ground that was speeding by them. "Let him get used to me the old fashioned way- talking to me."

"As you wish," the escort muttered darkly before retreating to a corner.

Kagura huffed angrily and turned away, crossing her arms and frowning. She felt like turning around and really giving the man a piece of her mind, but decided against it. Restraint did not hold a high place on Kagura's list of practiced priorities. As such, she knew that if she started a fight it could last all the way to the palace and she didn't particularly feel like presenting herself flushed and angry as Hell. She had the uneasy feeling that something was already going wrong and she hadn't even met her fiancee yet.

Fiancee...

Her entire body stiffened when she realized that she was probably within five minutes of the gates. In five minutes, her freedom and her independence would cease to exist, just like that. She would be giving everything she had- body, soul, and mind- for her people.

For her father.

Why did she feel so disgusted with herself, like she was giving away something too precious?

Kagura's frown deepened slightly. She wasn't a supporter of sharing and caring, but she wasn't selfish either. She did whatever needed to be done, leaving the favors for others to fight over. This marriage needed to be done. So why did she feel so apprehensive and sickened by the approaching gates?

What was the matter with her?

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" A servant boy asked tentatively, stepping up from behind his master. Seeing no visible reaction from the demon prince, he swallowed and continued. "The guards have informed me that the princess' carriage has reached the last post and has been cleared. They're coming in, sir."

Again, no reaction, but perhaps that was better. Bowing low, the boy stepped away, leaving Sesshoumaru to stand alone on the floor that overlooked the courtyard. As soon as he felt the boy's presence leave the hallway, Sesshoumaru let out a sigh. It was time: time for the mask, the lie, and the servant to take over. From here on out, everything depended on him. Reaching underneath his decorative armor to touch the scrolls securely tied there, Sesshoumaru reassured himself that he was prepared.

Stomach turning uncomfortably, he watched as the carriage entered the yard below him and he started down the stairs. He let a passive mask cover his face as he focused on the subtle energy that was within the carriage. There were two people in there, he realized, and he wondered which was the girl.

The two auras were completely different. One was raging, irritated, and weary, a stressful blend of nerves and high-strung emotions. The other was equally irritated but much better kept. It betrayed no inner thoughts or opinions, but was instead a neutral force. Sesshoumaru decided she was the calmer one. He expected a page or servant to be skittish, perhaps even defensive of his or her mistress, but never the girl. She was supposedly of fine blood and appropriate age, not to mention of royal upbringing. She should at least be able to mask her emotions. If she couldn't, this marriage would fail.

Slowly, someone stepped out. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly before recognizing the figure as male- and as the calmer of the two. His eyebrows dropped further. That meant that he had been mistaken. The pre-wrought image of his fiancee vanished from his mind. No longer did he picture her as pale or delicate, pretty and dressed in fine silk. His mind was both mercifully numb and devastatingly blank as he focused solely on the energy within the carriage. And the tentative foot that stepped out after the servant did not help his imagination: it froze halfway, as though the owner was unsure of herself, before the girl stepped into daylight.

Well, she was pale. He'd give her that.

His frown disappeared as he reached the bottom of the stairs and looked her over. She was beautiful, he supposed. Pale skin, black hair, and red painted lips contrasted one another oddly but not unpleasantly. She wasn't dressed in silk, opting for three somewhat more comfortable (and less formal) kimonos. A fan was held tightly, almost possessively, in her hand, and Sesshoumaru recognized a warrior's grip when he saw one. He made a mental note to not make her angry when she had it. Her fan was smaller and less bulky, but she undoubtably held some sort of blades within it. A hand-to-hand fight could take a turn for the worse.

Sesshoumaru nearly faltered in his stance when he realized she wasn't even looking at him. He had expected some sort of announcement, a formal introduction, but she opted instead to stare at his half-brother, InuYasha.

"So. This is my... fiancee," she said calmly, her voice low and almost- seductive? Walking over to a seemingly frozen InuYasha, she poked him roughly in the chest with her fan. "Not the most impressive thing I've seen today, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose."

"Wha...?" InuYasha didn't even manage a truly intelligent sentence. Sesshoumaru had the sudden impulse to slap his hand to his forehead. He felt that a great deal around InuYasha, he noted. "What the hell, wench?"

"Who are you calling a wench?" The girl screeched, whacking him over the head harshly. "I happen to be your wife, dog boy!"

"Wife? I don't have a wife," InuYasha snarled, making a grab at her fan. "And stop hitting me! Give that here!"

"No!" Another solid blow to the head was administered and the girl leapt away from InuYasha when he attempted to swipe at her.

Time to intervene.

"Please excuse my pathetic half-brother." Sesshoumaru stepped up, glaring at InuYasha. InuYasha's ears flattened and he growled, but he made no further move at either the mystery girl or Sesshoumaru. "He doesn't always remember his... manners."

"And you do?" She asked, clearly doubtful.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm supposed to marry dog boy over there and nobody introduced us? I know our people hate each other, but basic chivalry is going to have to take place if this wedding is going to help us."

She is driven.

"Of course. That is InuYasha, second prince in line to the throne."

"Second in line? Who's first?" Her eyes steadily got wider as she looked Sesshoumaru up and down. Sesshoumaru got the odd feeling that he no longer had any clothes on. "My goddess- you? I'm marrying you?"

"Yes." Sesshoumaru couldn't help the slight tinge of annoyance that entered his voice. He hadn't expected a passionate kiss or endearing words, but she could have been less... obvious... about her disappointment.

"You bastard!"

For the second time that day, Sesshoumaru found the words "excuse me?" leaving his mouth. The girl snorted.

"Bastard. Here I was, thinking I was marrying him, and all you did was stand there?" She walked up to him slowly, taking her time. Sesshoumaru got the distinct feeling that she was dragging him towards her as opposed to her coming to him. "What's your name, hmm?"

"Sesshoumaru." He wasn't sure if he was irritated or impressed. Many royals lacked a true personality because of their upbringing, and she definitely had more than most could handle. At least she didn't seem the gossiping type.

"I'm Kagura. So, you're the arrogant bastard that thousands of girls have proposed to?"

"And you're the heathen wench that I said 'yes' to."

She gritted her teeth and nodded, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "egotistical lunatic" under her breath. Sesshoumaru ignored the comment and retrieved the papers from within his armor, opening a scroll and handing her an exact copy.

"The hell?"

"Marriage papers."

"Of course." She sighed and was suddenly passive, letting her eyes wander over the documents. "I suppose I need to sign these."

"That will take place at the ceremony." Sesshoumaru let his eyes wander off to the side, although they did not drop. He was distantly aware of the sharp intake of breath from in front of him.

"C-Ceremony? What ceremony?"

"For our marriage. We are to attend a ceremony." Sesshoumaru looked back at her, mildly surprised. Surely she hadn't thought that they'd just sign the documents...?

"I'm not attending a ceremony." On the other hand, apparently she had.

"It will be long, but you will not be required to do much. It is simply a formality so that you can be accepted into the royal family." Kagura nodded, pursing her lips.

"When is it?"

"Tonight at sunset. I trust you can be ready, given that you will receive help from handmaidens?"

"Whatever." Her eyes lighted upon the bowing handmaidens who had come up on the left side of Sesshoumaru. She nodded again, taking a step towards them before backtracking thoughtfully. Kagura stood on tiptoe and pulled Sesshoumaru's head towards her mouth, nearly kissing his ear as she whispered

"And I am not sleeping in the same bed as you afterward. Got that?"

She sauntered off, dragging a handmaiden after her and asking audibly where this "preparing room" could be found. Sesshoumaru remained frozen, his left ear slowly going red.

Second chapter, up and ready to read.

My basic chapter is 7 pages... and this was starting on its eighth. I better get some appreciation. (Just kidding... about the appreciation part.)

Anyways. I'm terribly sorry that this took so long. My summer is much busier than I anticipated. Between a summer softball league with my varsity school team, my job, relationships, and general life, I'm so busy it's almost impossible to find writing time. But I did post this chapter, and I did put effort into it.

However, I must apologize further. Something just seems... off... about this chapter. I'm pretty sure it's the way I wrote Kagura, but I'm not one hundred percent certain. So just bear with me and remember: these are the first few chapters. Characterization, plot, and action are going to be on the lower side until I get further in. So for now, just hang tight. Everything will start getting better once they're married and I can concentrate on them as opposed to getting all this information and foreshadowing in.

Thankies, and remember to drop me a review. Guess what? "I like it" or "It needs work" counts.

FL