A.N. To my adoring fans (or at least interested readers) This is the chapter you've all been waiting for! The note's contents will finally be revealed! (Enter dramatic music and tap dancing elves)

------

The whole house was in a stir over Sesshomaru's announcement that evening. Some of the higher society servants thought it scandalous that the Lady Kagome would marry so soon after her first husband's death. But then again, what choice did she have? Her father-in-law had made it quite clear in his will that Kagome and Sesshomaru were to be wed as soon as possible should something happen to him. His will had been rewritten considering that Kagome was no longer married to Inuyasha due to his death on the battlefield. At the moment, one young servant sighed and continued to wipe down the kitchen counters. She could not believe that the lady Kagome was to be married AGAIN! After all, she noticed how her mistress still mourned for her first husband daily. As she pondered the recent events she heard the sound of someone entering the kitchen. She looked up to see the doctor of the house walk into the room with the same smile on his face that never seemed to fade or break. She paused in her chores to bow to him.

"Good evening Doctor," she said politely.
"Now, now Koharu, what have I told you about calling me that? I do remember specifically asking you to call me Miroku," the doctor said warmly as he placed a large hand on the top of her head. Koharu lifted her head enough to look into his eyes with a smile.

"It's a habit Miroku," Koharu said as she broke away from him and finished wiping down the counters. "How is the Lady Kagome? She hasn't come out of her room since this afternoon and she even refused her meal when I brought it up to her." Koharu frowned and looked down at the marble floor. "I'm worried about her. She was like this when Lord Inuyasha died as well, and then when Lord Inutaisho died. It can't be healthy for her to skip several meals." Miroku frowned upon hearing this news.
"She has skipped SEVERAL meals? How many meals, may I ask, has she declined?" Koharu held up one hand and showed him five fingers. Then, she frowned as well and held up her other hand advertising to him that Kagome had possibly skipped ten meals.

"I believe she stopped eating a while back. She eats enough to appease people but not enough to keep her healthy," Koharu whispered. "Miroku, won't you help her?"
"I'll do my best Koharu," Miroku said as he moved towards the door. "But I'm not sure if I can do anything; I'm not sure if anyone can."

01010101

Kagome sat on a chair in her room humming a tune as she sewed more black lace onto her handkerchiefs. With her bedroom door locked and a chair beneath the door knob for precautionary reasons Kagome felt safe. No one could hurt her here, or tell her who to marry and when. Her smile turned to a frown at that thought. She was going to marry Sesshomaru tomorrow! She should have known better than to give him that note from the visitor. The memory of its contents was still vivid in her brain and she set aside her sewing because she feared her current lack of concentration would lead to the needle being stuck into her finger. She moved her hand into the pocket of her gown and removed the crumpled piece of paper Sesshomaru had thrown on the stairs before he left for a brisk ride. She glanced at the lovely sprawl of words written in blue ink across the parchment. She scanned its contents and shivered her hand instinctively clutching the note tighter. She longed to dispose of it, but somehow she felt that she needed it close by. She rested the note on her pillow and sighed. She walked across the length of her room and slid the thick black curtains aside to look outside her bedroom window. She fingered the glass protecting her from the outside and rested her head against it. "There should be bars on this window," she murmured softly to no one in particular.

"That could be arranged, you know," a man's deep, alluring voice said from inside the doorway. Kagome whirled around with horror written on her features. As she stood there, shoulders shaking with each ragged breath she took, she took a few steps back. Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru was there, in her room, despite all the precautions she had taken to keep him out!

"How did you…" Kagome whispered as her hand went to her racing heart. He examined his rather long nails which Kagome had later learned were indeed claws.

"It is quite simple to pick a lock when your nails are claws," Sesshomaru said calmly and emotionlessly as he took long yet slow strides across her room until he stood in front of Kagome, his eyes boring into hers. Her back was pressed firmly against the wall behind her and her eyes quivered beneath his heavy gaze.

"What do you want from me?" she asked him in a whisper.
"All I desire from you is everything you gave to my brother."
"Even love?" she challenged.
"I am not that cruel, Kagome. I would not ask you to give me your love." Sesshomaru turned his back to her and moved to leave when he felt her hand lightly touch his shoulder.
"Why me, Sesshomaru? Why did you choose to make me your wife?" Sesshomaru moved away from her touch and opened the door. As soon as he left Kagome sank down to the floor with her face in her hands and she sobbed. After she finished crying it hit her that Sesshomaru had never answered her question. That was just another unanswered mystery that was Sesshomaru.

--

"Are you going home now, Lady Sango?" a male's voice said from behind the maid. Sango turned from where she stood before the window to stare at Miroku whose charming smile beamed at her from behind. Her hands wringed before her and she shook her head with a saddened smile.
"No, Doctor, this IS my home," Sango whispered. "I dedicated my life to Lady Kagome and if I can't be here taking care of her then I belong nowhere else." 'It's not as if I DO have somewhere else to go,' she thought morosely.

"Ah, it seems as if most of the servants feel the same as you do," Miroku said as he lit his pipe and puffed out a few small clouds of grey smoke. "However, she seems rather occupied as of late, even more so than she was after Lord Inuyasha's passing."
"Well, she has many things on her mind," Sango said as she walked away from the window and sat down in the red velvet chair by the large grandfather clock. "She's to marry Lord Sesshomaru tomorrow just barely two weeks after her husband's and second father's death. She's bound to be depressed from such pressing matters."
"I agree whole heartedly Lady Sango. However, we cannot overlook her current state of mental stability. She's unstable both physically and mentally. While she suffers mentally from her misery, her physical body suffers as well. She has been skipping meals, refusing all human contact, and I've noticed a few cuts on her wrists." Sango's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"I…I hadn't even noticed all of that," she whispered. "And I am the one in charge of taking care of her." Miroku shook his head and rested a hand on Sango's shoulder.
"No, she did well to hide the cuts, and she staged the eating situation so perfectly that even I was unaware until I was informed by the servant that is in charge of delivering her meals. It seems that Lady Kagome is a splendid actress."
"We must do something," Sango spoke as she gazed imploringly at the doctor whose only concern was that for his patient.

"Leave this to me Lady Sango. You just stay concerned with your own wellbeing. If not for yourself then for me." Sango's cheeks stained red at his last comment and she turned her head away upon hearing his chuckle.
"It was pleasant speaking to you Doctor," Sango said as she stood quickly and moved for the stairs.

"Oh, going so soon?" he replied and she could almost detect a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I'm afraid duty calls and now my duty is for my health," Sango said as her hand reached for the smooth mahogany banister. "After all, that is what you want, am I correct?" Miroku chuckled and inclined his head in agreement.
"Very classy of you Lady Sango. I shall let you go this time but do not be so sure that I will release you next time." Sango fled up the stairs not trusting herself to be around the witty charms of the handsome doctor whose violet eyes watched her every move with a daring gaze about them. As soon as Sango was out of sight Miroku chuckled and moved on his merry own way with a shake of his head. "God I love that woman."

--

Sesshomaru lay on his bed later on that night with his golden eyes dark and staring while they gazed up at the expansive ceiling. 'Tomorrow I will seal this family's fortune and marry Kagome. I only hope that I will not be desecrating Inuyasha's memory by stealing his bride.' He rolled onto his side with his cheek resting on his muscular arm. He stared out his window with the bright glow of the moon shining in through the clear glass. In truth he was slightly frightened about the prospect of marrying but he knew it was for a good cause. All his life he had always heard of people marrying for convenience and never for love but from what he understood not only had his parents married for convenience they had married for love as well. Perhaps he could learn to love Kagome, but the safety of his family line came first. But who could say that once he married Kagome that she would not throw herself even deeper into her despair and injure herself to the point of even taking her own life? That was a chance he could not take. He would have to strengthen the awareness of the servants that worked in her presence so that she would never be alone, at least, not completely. "What have I gotten myself into?" Sesshomaru wondered aloud in the darkness. Slowly he closed his eyes but sleep did not come. At least not a peaceful sleep. He tossed and turned the whole night through with haunting nightmares and mysterious lullabies that would not fade no matter how hard he tried to forget them. And the threat the note contained continued to loom over him even in his slumber: 'I will kill her before you love her. I will take her before you marry her. Before your luck arrives she will be gone. I will kill Kagome.'