A/N: ok...so I figured out that I think better in the shower because this entire chapter came to be while I was washing my hair. So I have been typing like crazy before my bad memory gene sets in! Enjoy...oh and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome...you may flame of course...but I'll be sad -- not that it matters...but anyways!

New Surroundings, New People

Sesshoumaru sat at his desk, it was now very late. He was writing his normal mandatory letter to his father, the one where he wrote about the happenings of his father's household while he was away. The Great Inutaisho always left for his mountain lodge in the winter. He took his bands of servants, that were picked by him personally, and his wife.

Inutaisho never took his youngest son, Inuyasha, with him on these escapades to Sesshoumaru's continuous annoyance. He preferred the solitude and liked the fact that his father held him in enough trust to take care of his affairs. Sesshoumaru would need the experience for when he became lord of the west. What he didn't approve of was that he was always left babysitting.

He sighed. He was lucky this year. Inuyasha had been spending most of his time elsewhere. Sesshoumaru believed him to be in a small village on the southern border of his father's territory. Inuyasha, it seems, had taken a liking to a certain miko of that village. He never cared to remember her name. His half-brother's absence was not regretted or missed. Even the servants, to Sessoumaru's amusement, were even in better spirits. Inuyasha always made them nervous and often gave them extra work because of his reckless, brash nature.

Though, Inuyasha wasn't always such a horror. When he was younger...he was almost bearable. Inuyasha looked up to him then, Sessoumaru never liked the fact that the boy followed him everywhere, but compared to his actions now that was pleasant.

Sesshoumaru turned back to letter placed in front of him.

--I suppose...I should mention the girl...No. If this is intercepted, I can't risk the south knowing she is in the west's possession. I won't risk a frontal attack so soon, just to retrieve a human. I will just ask for my father's conference and advice. --

He inwardly groaned. No doubt, when Inutaisho met the girl, he would think that he, Sesshoumaru Prince of the West, had fallen for a human female. His father always took things the wrong way. Inutaisho would want to see her. Perhaps his father won't feel sympathy for her, like the others. Sesshoumaru always took care of prisoners because his father and half- brother always felt sympathy for the filthy creatures.

The prince set back in his chair to admire his work. His perfectly legible handwriting, as always, curved slightly to the left. He folded the parchment carefully in thirds, after the ink dried, and placed it into a cream envelope. Sesshoumaru then opened his middle desk drawer with the small key that hung constantly on his right wrist. The chain was steel and fused together with the poison from his claw. These were precautions to ensure it wouldn't break so easily.

Inside said drawer was his seal. If this were to be broken, documents and letters could be sent to his council or generals and no matter how ridiculous the orders would be obeyed. It's not that he didn't trust his father's servants, but these times were of war and he wasn't as negligent as his father.

Sesshoumaru pulled his seal as well as red wax from the drawer. He lit a candle to burn the wax. Dripping the wax on the envelope, he stamped his seal and efficiently closed the letter. Sesshoumaru's seal was an ornate 'SW' with a crescent moon behind it. He left the comfort of his chair to pad silently to the heavy oak door. He opened it without a single creak. Light spilled into the hallway casting shadows on every shoji screen.

Standing there was one of his father's advisors. The man was, by human standards, attractive with deep blue eyes. His eyes were now slightly squinted trying to adjust to the sudden change in illumination. The man's jet black hair was pulled back into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Sesshoumaru had frequent conferences with this human. Sesshoumaru deemed him worthy of his presence because, although the man had obsessions with females of his race, he was rather intelligent when it came to diplomatic affairs. He went by the name of Miroku and descended from a long line of Buddhist monks. Many could not believe this and thought it a lie because of his 'wandering hands.'

Beside him was his father's personal messenger. The young boy was a kitsune who didn't even come passed Miroku's knees. The kit had rough red- orange hair pulled back in a hasty ponytail behind his head. Sesshoumaru had no doubt that when the boy grew old enough, he'd join his father's army. The boy's name, he believed, was Shippo.

Shippo had returned to deliver documents from Lord Inutaisho to Prince Sesshoumaru. He was then to wait for Sesshoumaru's letter before he returned to his lord. Miroku had come down from the mountains for a week to tend to a wound in his right hand. The human had been attacked by a demon that looked like a praying mantis that was sent by the southern lord.

In the midst of defeating the demon, his right hand had been injured. He had to travel to his home town to have it repaired by the monk who had raised him. No one was sure why he couldn't have the healer in the castle tend to it. All Sesshoumaru knew was that a curse was laid upon the monk and his right hand. This fact meant he would have to travel home to have it bound.

The monk perked up at the door's movement. With a stiff nod to Miroku, Sesshoumaru handed the letter over to Shippo. "Give this directly into Lord Inutaisho's hand." And with that said Sesshoumaru retreated back into his office, leaving the two standing in the now darkened hallway.

About Two weeks later

A large man opened the door of a plain carriage. Stepping surprisingly light on the soft earth, compared to his height, he turned back to help a petite woman from their mode of transportation. With his mate by his side, linking her arm so that hers rested on top of his, Inutaisho turned his stone honey eyes towards his home. His long, silver hair was pulled back into a high pony tail at the back of his head. His armor was thick and adorned spikes in several places. His tail billowed loosely in the wind.

All the servants had exited the residence to greet him and were now kneeling before him, heads bowed as he walked by. At the end of the line, facing him was his eldest son, Sesshoumaru.

Inutaisho was proud of his son. Every winter, the lord left his affairs to his son and every spring when he returned it was always infinitely better than when he left. Inutaisho frowned. "Where is Inuyasha?" The lord of the west asked.

His eldest son sighed, very uncharacteristic of him.

"Inuyasha is courting a human miko in a village on the southern border."

Nothing else needed to be said. Inuyasha received the letter notifying him to return to the castle for his father's homecoming, but couldn't be bothered with it. Though this was an unusual occurrence, for Inuyasha held his father in the highest respects.

There was snow still on the ground and the lord of the west was returning from his mountain keep two months early. Inuyasha's rude behavior would be forgiven if he'd attend his formal homecoming in the spring.

Lord Inutaisho returned earlier because he wished to interrogate the captured slave. Sesshoumaru had thought this all unnecessary, but once his father decided something Sesshoumaru couldn't go against his wishes.

It had taken one whole week for his father to descend the mountain where his lodge was located. In this time, the girl had been moved from her cell in the lowest dungeon. She had been cleaned and clothed once again, as his father's wishes proclaimed be done.

The castle's healer had been sent to treat her wounds, but there were none. Every gash, every tear had gone. Not one scar left as proof, her skin was once again flawless. The healer had explained it was most likely due to her miko powers.

--Of course that doesn't explain her blood –

Miko blood was stronger than normal humans, but it still held the odor that was human. The human smell was full of decay that shows their mortality and dirt from their huts, truly disgusting to a demon. Why his father had mated one was beyond him. This did explain why the girl had slept for most of her time after her interaction with Randei, the dungeon keeper. Miko powers are more evident when the person is asleep. While sleeping, more energy can be flowed into healing.

The woman-child, Kagome as she kept reminding him, was not permitted to leave her room. Inutaisho was more humane than other lords, but he wasn't naive enough to think she wouldn't try to run if given the chance. She had an attendant at all times, as well as a guard outside the shoji screen of her room.

With Kagome, Inside the Castle

--That insolent jerk! Thinks he can keep me locked up in here...I'll find away out of this prison! I swear! No, no Kagome don't swear. That isn't ladylike. Oh who cares! I'm going to go crazy if I don't get out of here. –

Kagome continued to fight with her inner self. In her mind you'd see her sitting on the floor cross legged with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. If you were her attendant, you'd see a very cross human sitting cross legged on the floor, with a scowl marring her face. The girl's lips would move soundlessly saying words no one could hear every now and then. Her arms would cross and uncross swiftly as well, as if she were vigorously arguing.

It was quite comical. Kagome's attendant had to try very hard to keep from laughing. Her attendant was a woman servant of the castle. Her name was Kieina (key-ay-na) and she was a dragon demon, which were very rare these days.

She had pale green irises and silver hair that flowed from her unnatural face. There were black lines starting at the outer corner of her eye and dragging down to rest an inch from her jaw line. The lines curved slightly outwards slightly and looked as if tears of ink had fallen from her inhuman eyes.

Her face was human looking in this humanoid form obviously, but there was an unnatural glow towards it, as if showing you a hint of the power beneath. The woman was a head taller than Kagome, but still shorter than Sesshoumaru. Her skin was a pale blue with heavy, black stripes starting at her middle and flaring outwards. On her forehead was an ivy leaf.

Then on her neck, descending from directly below her earlobes, were two ivy vines without leaves intertwining together. The two vines spiraled and swirled to cease their tussle at the junction of her shoulder and her neck. If you were to look at the left side of her neck, you would see a scar that looked as if two fangs had bitten into her flesh.

The demon was wearing a simple, pale green yukata that lacked a design. The outfit was set off by a brilliant cerulean blue obi whose large tails almost touched the ground. Her geta sandals were removed from her feet and laid neatly next to the door. To the left of her sandals were Kagome's in a sprawled heap where she had kicked them off ungracefully.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal a breathless young girl servant by the name of Koharu. The young girl was one of the only people in the castle Kagome had befriended, besides Kieina and Shippo. She had run into Shippo, literally, when he was rushing off back to the mountain keep with more correspondence between father and son. They had been fast friends.

"Kagome! Ka-chan, your presence has been requested by Inutaisho-sama himself! Hurry, you must hurry to the throne room."

Koharu said this all in one breath and before Kagome could react she was being rushed out the door. This all was a blur to Kagome because she was still translating the slur that Koharu has said into words, that she nearly forgot her getas. (A/N: is that how they're spelled? Those wooden sandal things, someone please tell me.)

In the throne room

The room was basically empty. Lord Inutaisho had requested that his court (advisors, etc) not be present for this conference. The lord was resting in his large chair that was quite ominous itself. The chair arms, legs, and back were created from Inutaisho's enemies that he had killed, or the bones and fur rather. The blood red cushion covered and shielded him from the bones. There were eight mini steps that led the regular floor.

There wasn't a carpet or rug or anything. The stygian stone floor seemed to steal all light in the room. As if sucking in the electric glow of the room and made it appear darker than it should. Large windows lined the walls and ceased only at the throne. The light though was blocked out by closed, sweeping drapes that were black in color.

Sesshoumaru stood to his father's right and Miroku stood to his left. Miroku was set aside from Inutaisho's other advisors. He was always present during the lord's diplomatic, or political, affairs.

All three heads turned to the door, even Miroku, when the familiar clacking of geta sandals could be heard. There was a light rapping on the large set of oak doors. Again, this room was designed so that escape was impossible. The doors were so heavy that each one took two or three servants to open, the equivalent of one demon who was actually trying.

Kieina opened one side and pushed Kagome through, then followed herself. Kagome walked in the room, surprised by the gloomy, drab nature of the chamber. It was almost as if she had been taken back into the dungeons without her knowledge.

Most lords wished their throne rooms to belie what happened below their castle depths. These rooms were usually bright and brilliant, shining with wealth. She looked at Kieina worriedly, but the demon's face was passive. She was clearly used to the atmosphere.

The demons could smell the fear in the girl's scent. Kieina could only hope that her calm nature could calm Kagome as well, and it seemed to.

Sesshoumaru of course with his psychic abilities, could see the cloudy gray of confusion and the inky blackness of her fear streaming through her aura. The prince was the only one who could see any of this, but there was also a bright white, courage, slowly growing at the center of her ambience.

The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife, and Lord Inutaisho did the honors. His deep, melodious voice cut through the air and struck Kagome at her core. "Come forth child." It was a command, she knew. She used to hate orders, before him. Through him, she had learned how to 'suck it up and deal'. She walked forward, her steps even, delicate, and graceful. This was all a routine, one she'd practiced many times throughout her life. She bowed deeply at the waist first and then kneeled before the large man who now seated himself in his homemade throne.

Her sudden cordial nature seemed to catch Sesshoumaru and Kieina off guard. The lord seemed altogether pleased with her performance, seeing how she had shown the complete and full respect the lord deserved.

Kieina placed herself before Inutaisho as well, though slightly behind Kagome. Since Kieina was a demoness, she was allowed to slide to the side, sitting mainly on her butt, with her legs still tucked neatly beneath her. Kagome, being human, had to fully kneel.

"Are you a slave of the southern lord?" Inutaisho asked evenly, breaking the silence.

"Define slave." The girl replied.

--The nerve of this girl? She openly questions my father, Lord of all the great and vast Western territory. --

Sesshoumaru thoughts were along this vein as the questioning continued. "Were you bought by the Lord of the South with the intentions to serve?"

"Yes."

Kagome answered meekly, not once raising her head. She was ashamed.

"Then, you are to stay on the castle grounds. You may go nowhere without your guard and attendant. No one outside this compound is to know that you are here. Am I understood?" Inutaisho said clearly and strictly.

"Yes m'lord."

With that said Kagome bowed, placing her hands in front of her knees and touching her forehead to the ground. Kagome upon raised herself, slightly startled by the next words that left the lord's mouth.

"What is your name?"

"...what?" She answered quite startled. Sesshoumaru smirked at the girl's state. Her eyes were wide and her small mouth was hanging open. She smartly resembled a fish.

"What is it that you are called?" Inutaisho repeated, obviously humoring the girl. "uh..um..Kagome." She managed to say.

"Well, Kagome, when you are here, you are to be known as Raiven." (rye-ven)

Kagome's answer was a simple nod.

"Well, now that that is settled, I think it's time we all commenced to dinner."

With that Inutaisho raised himself from his throne and Kieina followed, opening the door for her lord. Stepping aside she allowed him, Sesshoumaru, and finally Miroku. After that Kagome pulled herself up off the floor that was so cold had turned her legs numb. She stretched and then followed Kieina as she led her to the dining room. Lastly her guard followed Kagome.

(A/N: Kagome will be known as Kagome except between the characters. So when I talk about her actions, she'll be known as Kagome.)

The small band traveled the long twisting halls that never seemed to end.

--I wonder...how far these go, how big is this place? Rumors say it's almost impossible to navigate unless you know the area very well... –

Kagome's thoughts moved from this onto the many paintings on the wall. Each one was of a person she didn't recognize. Not one even looked remotely similar to the lord they were all trailing. It wasn't until they reached the end of the hallway, that she realized what they were.

When Kagome reached the end of the hallway, everyone had ceased their walk waiting for Lord Inutaisho to continue into the dining chamber. Instead, he turned and his eyes fell down directly to Kagome. She, for a moment looked directly into his stone gaze, before realizing her action and directed her eyes to the floor. This was a simple act that often proved to save her life a few times, and didn't bruise her pride as much.

The lord only raised a bristled eyebrow. "Child, is this the lord you serve?" There was sternness in his voice that told her to concentrate. She stopped staring at the carpet that was somehow more interesting than she'd realized. Her attention shifted and followed his arm to fall on a painting, the last one on the row. This one was different. The background wasn't at night or had a crescent moon high in the sky, like the others. This one had a full, bright sun.

--So, that's what these are, enemies who were killed by the west. This last one must have been killed by someone else...but why would he ask that? Do they not really know anything about me! Well that arrogant prick did just find me, so...—

"No, this man would never buy a slave. My master murdered this man, the former lord of the South." She replied curtly, as if it were all common knowledge. The lord nodded and turned to enter the door in front of him. As if sensing his movement, a servant in front of the door, opened it before the lord could touch the wood screen.

The woman-child was surprised by the grandness of the room. She had never been allowed to enter such rooms. They were reserved for guests, royals, and family members. Never were servants, or prisoners for that matter, allowed to eat with such higher status. Surely they didn't mean for her to eat with them?

When Kagome hesitated to enter the room, Lord Inutaisho turned and beckoned her in from his seat at the head of the large table. The girl's eyes widened and very slowly, carefully entered. As if she were waiting for the trick to be pulled and her to be punished for thinking she could eat with royalty.

Sesshoumaru's brow creased at the girl's behavior, one now to be known as Raiven. She seemed to switch moods like channels on a radio.

--At least she was treated correctly in the south. She shouldn't get used to such occasions such as this. You'd think she'd take advantage of it. –

Kagome noticed Kieina had exited the room and wished to know where she had gone, so she could follow, but she couldn't refuse the lord's hospitality. She'd risk injury to herself, though it would be nothing her body couldn't heal, but she would be sore and tired for a few days. With the lord home, she'd have to be more aware than ever.

Kagome bowed and placed herself at the seat the servant was standing at. Then said servant turned and left, but before leaving the room Kagome caught the jealous look in the servant's eyes.

--Hey buddy...you want my spot? You can have it. I'd do anything to get behind that shoji screen. –

And with that dinner commenced. Kagome didn't eat for she had eaten earlier, but it was an insult not to eat a little if not all of what you have been given.

Later with Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho

"What do you make of her" father asked his son.

"..."
--She's an enigma, that's what and I fully intend to figure her out. –

"There's more to her than what meets the eye I believe. Keep a close eye on her. I suppose you think she'd be a good advantage of the lord of the South. Even I have heard the rumors of his vigorous search for her." Inutaisho replied chattily.

"Yes father." Sesshoumaru replied impassively. "If she is as important to the south as to search for her beyond their lands...then perhaps she is more than a slave."

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru sat there and conversed on other matters until late in the night, as was their custom. No servants were in the room or were ever allowed even near said place while lord and son entertained each other in private conversations. Not even Miroku was to be in this room unless he was beckoned.

Meanwhile with Kagome

A godly creature meandered across the soft earth, bathed in moonlight. Her feet were bare of sandals or coverings. Her light body crushed the fronds of rich grass as she entered the forgotten garden. Her ebony hair glistened in the moonlight and her skin glows an unnatural bluish tint underneath the moon's smiling face.

It was full tonight and the sky was sparkling with twinkling little diamonds. Each one winking at you, as if muttering a silent promise or wish. The firmament was alive with brilliance and it only added to the woman's calm, serene face.

Kagome, not being able to sleep, wanted to go for a walk to in the overgrown garden she had first seen and taken such pleasure in de-weeding. The guard had wanted to wake Kieina, but Kagome had pleaded him not to. It was just before midnight, and a walk wasn't worth waking her. Upon her promise of death of the consequence if she should break her word, she was allowed to walk.

The guard didn't question her wanting to go to the back garden instead of the main one. There was always a peculiar, even immortal aura that surrounded and protected it from the elements and many years of wear. Though this couldn't protect it from overgrowth. If anything, it stimulated its growth.

The woman walked around beneath the sakura tree, the petals long gone, by now. She turned her attention to the area she had worked on. She smiled, please to see small stems and single leaves popping out of the ground. Rebirth was at work. This gave her something to do, while she was here at least. She turned her face back to the moon once more, observing its waning crescent shape.

The ethereal creature turned her interest to her guard. Nodding her thanks she silently followed his lead back in doors. Following like a rat in a maze through the shoji screens that seemed to mirror the other on the opposite side of the hall.

She knew she'd reached her door because she had tied a small red string to the metal that held the lantern in place. Although the lantern's brilliant red color wasn't burning with its internal fire, she could plainly see the thread hanging just below where the light hung.

She excused herself and her guard, the one on the night shift since during dinner the day guard switched with another for the night, sat himself against the wall outside her door. He had brought a small candle and a book to read while he passed the night hours.

Kagome observed her room from just inside the door. She stepped down three steps that introduced the entire room. The room was for the most part decorated with different tints and hues of blue and green. The room was fairly large, nearly twice the size of the one in the cottage.

In the back left corner, cattycornered to where she stood now, was a four poster bed with a canopy atop. The bed's comforter was a deep navy blue and the sheets hidden beneath were a pale blue. Her many pillows, about six, alternated these two shades. The canopy was of the dark blue where it hung across the bed.

As silk, slightly see through, curtains on every side of the bed swept down to cascade on the wooden floor, the color uniquely and delicately tinged from dark to the pale blue.

The windows were covered by drapes that were a pale green hue. The floors were bare except for an area meant to be used as a small sitting or easting area. From the door this is in the back right corner about 12 or so feet from her bed. These two places were separated by a Japanese screen that's used to normally change clothes behind. The screen was decorated with green and blue blossoms.

The sitting room consisted of two comfy chairs and a futon. The two chairs facing the door and futon had its back to the door. The chairs were a dark blue and the couch was a soft green matching the drapes, but slightly more brilliant in tone.

In between these was a low wooden table with a small silver tea set placed in the center, waiting for its chance to be used. Directly to the right, against the wall was a desk, stocked full of ink, quills, paper, and other such supplies.

There were two adjoining rooms connected to this one. One was a full bath and the other a changing chamber, each much like the one in the cottage, but various color differences.

--Very nice...almost too nice. It's as if I'm an honored guest, instead of an imprisoned slave that happens to be from...the south...their enemy in the upcoming war. DUH! I'm so dumb...why didn't I see it before! Well might as well let this play out...a girl likes to be pampered now and then. –

She released her light, sweet laugh, as she lazily waltzed into the dressing room. Kagome easily switched into a white sleeping yukata. This yukata stopped mid thigh and was, by her standards, quite revealing. But who would see her while she was sleeping? No one with honor would enter a lady's bed chamber unless they had express access or if it was an emergency.

The girl fell loftily into bed and sank into its fluffiness. Her body had never felt such ecstasy! Or at least as much as a bed could provide. She was then accepted into the deep black, but welcoming unconsciousness that was slumber. These late night trips to the garden would soon become a habit of hers. One she would fully enjoy and set her mind at peace.

Kagome closed her weary cerulean orbs, only to have a certain golden eyed demon enter the depths of her thoughts. The male unknowingly enticed her with his silver mane and beautiful masculinity, pulling her deeper into the world of delusion. Leading her into what would be a blissful, yet horrid experience, one that would forever haunt her dreams.

-To be continued-

Extra!

Thanks to: Regina Lucifer, Kai, Chelsea, Obsedian Fox, and everyone else for reviewing! I went back and edited my humongous paragraphs in ch1. haha...sorry about that. Hope it's better. . Ok, so I try to put in an extra section at the end of my fics. So here it is: well actually it's just a bunch of stupid comments, but...( they 're smileys, don't look at them sideways, they're just the heads at random front or side views.) This for all of you that are confused, an example: ) ( the '' is the eye and the ')' is the face...get it? Enjoy!

) hey... guess what I got! (--) zzz...sleeping

(.) you...aren't listening..are you... (0 oh man don't cry! What do you have?

(-) a lollie pop! Heehee ( you're so dumb!

) sniff...waa... ( oh crap...

,) waaaaaaaahhh (flying tears) (.) I didn't mean it! Good for you! (faking)

(o) nyah nyah! You don't have a lollie! (- I'm going back to sleep

(:.:) heehee wee! (--) snoooore...

Continued in future chaps