Chapter Two

Plans

Kagome walked along the side of the road to her house. The man she had bumped into had been so handsome…but he'd seemed rich. Almost like a prince or something…Kagome suddenly gasped. What if he had been a prince? she thought. She played the scene over and over again in her head and thought. He had been dressed like royalty…he had acted like royalty…

"Oh, who cares! I'll probably never see him again in my life!" Kagome told herself. She held the basket in both hands and sighed. She heard horses and a carriage approaching from behind her and she turned. She gasped and nearly dropped her basket. A familiar white stagecoach was coming with the matching white horses and little man. Kagome looked around quickly for a place to hide but there were none. She knew the man…InuYasha…was in there because if her theory was correct he was a prince and heading back to the castle in that coach.

Kagome gulped and faced front once more. She yanked the hair tie that held her ponytail in place out and removed her bandana. As for her apron she hurriedly untied it and shoved it into her basket. She would avoid talking to that man. She started to whistle nervously and picked up her pace. Would he recognize her though? She wondered this as the stagecoach gained on her…

Meanwhile, in the coach, InuYasha starred out the window still thinking about the woman he had met in the market. He noticed someone walking on the side of the road and looked closer. She had long, raven colored hair and a slender body. I wonder, could she be…? InuYasha thought but then decided that the woman he had met had been wearing a bandana and apron. InuYasha sighed. That woman had certainly been a beauty…

As the stagecoach passed her, Kagome gave a sigh of relief. She put on the apron and bandana and put her hair back into a ponytail. She was nearing the house and soon it was in view. She walked up the front walk and entered the house, whipping her feet on the mat. A loud complain was her greeting. "Oh, there you are, Kagome! Mother, I told you, I told you! She is so slow! Why can't we just get rid of her?" Kagura was sitting in a chair by the door talking with Stepmother.

"Now, now, Kagura. She is a good worker but I will admit a bit slow at times and rough with you girls. I have no intention, though, of getting rid of her. Kikyo, take the basket from your sister." Kikyo appeared from the kitchen and yanked the basket away from Kagome. "What! Where's the cake? You selfish little---"

"Someone bumped into me while I was carrying it!" Kagome snapped. "A young man dressed like royalty! He apologized and I even have proof! Look at my apron!" She showed them all her chocolate colored apron. Kikyo glared at her. "It was your fault, not his, I bet! Mother, make her go without dinner and then in the morning without breakfast!" Kagura added, "And without lunch too!"

Stepmother only stood there looking at Kagome. Kagome hated that smug look more then any other look of hers. Kikyo looked from Stepmother to Kagome and back again. "Mother---?"

"Silence, Kikyo! Kagome, tell me about this young man. Was he really royalty? Would my girls me interested in him?" Stepmother asked. Kagome looked startled. So did both Kikyo and Kagura. They exchanged looks of confusion and anger. Kagome took a few steps forward and got a dreamy look on her face. "Well, he had long black hair and golden eyes I could have gotten lost in. He wore a suit of red that certainly gave the impression he was royalty. He was polite and had the manners of a prince---"

"A prince?" Kikyo and Kagura exclaimed at the same time. Stepmother scolded them for interrupting and Kagome continued. "He was so handsome and I'm almost certain he was in a fancy stagecoach heading for the castle." Kagome was lost in thought but a whine from Kikyo brought her back to earth. "Mother! Can we meet him? Please? Make her introduce us to him!" She gave Kagome a nasty look and then gave a pleading one to her mother. Stepmother thought a moment.

She came to a decision. "Kagome, you will introduce my daughters to this man. I don't care if we have to go to the market every day, they will meet him!" This was a little different from Stepmother but Kagome wasn't too surprised. She wanted her precious daughters to marry into royalty. Like a duke or lord or if possible a prince. Kagome would probably be stuck as being one of their maids. She sighed in depression. "Kagome, did you hear me?" Stepmother asked.

"Wha—Oh, yes Stepmother." She answered gravely. Kikyo and Kagura smiled and walked back to the kitchen. Only Kagome and Stepmother remained in the room. Stepmother smiled her famous fake smile and slowly started upstairs. "Stepmother, wait!" Kagome called. She stopped and turned, her hand on the railing. "What is it Kagome?" she asked.

"T-The man I met," Kagome stuttered. "I-I don't k-know if I'll ev-ever see him again. He might just get one of his s-servants to go to the market for him." Why am I stuttering, she wondered as Stepmother replied. "He might. But if he does not, that is all the more fortunate for us." She faced front and walked up the stairs and out of sight. Kagome was left to do her chores on an empty stomach. Bumping into that man had made her forget about buying herself something to eat.

Kagome took off her muddy shoes and started up the stairs. Once she reached the end of the hall she opened the door leading up to the attic. Or in other words: her room. There were so many flights of stairs that it could have been her daily exercise just going up to her room and back. It usually took her ten minutes, five if she was in a hurry. Kagome climbed up the stairs and finally reached the door at the top. She opened it and entered her small room.

There was only a bed, a dresser, and a window in the entire room. A single pillow sat on the tiny bed. The only thing on the dresser was a brush and a small mirror. Luckily, sun was pouring through the window and Kagome went over to open it. She looked out over the town and spotted the castle. The brilliant, white castle. Where that InuYasha guy probably was right now. Kagome sighed and put her elbows on the window sill. She rested her chin in her hand. If only I could see him now, she thought.

Meanwhile, across town at the castle, the King was having a discussion with one of his servants. "Jacques, the prince is old enough now that he should have a wife! He needs a woman by his side and I need myself some grandchildren! We need to find out a way to get him to meet just the right woman!" The King sat deep in thought as Jacques suggested the perfect idea.

"Well, sire, we could throw a ball," he said. The King jumped up so quickly it knocked his chair down. "Jacques, you're a genius! That's precisely what we'll do! We shall throw a ball for all the young woman in the town! And I mean ALL the young woman. Maids and peasants too." Jacques nodded hurriedly and ran off to write the invitations. The King smiled to himself. Just at that very moment, InuYasha walked in room.

"Ah! Back from the market, my boy!" The King called to him. InuYasha nodded and took a seat across from his father. "Now, listen to this son. I am going to throw you the biggest ball ever!" The King laughed and smiled at his son. InuYasha gave him a confused look. "Why?" he asked.

"Because you need to meet a woman! Your future wife and the future queen!" the King informed him. InuYasha didn't seem too thrilled at the idea. He agreed though and the King rushed out in an extremely good mood. InuYasha sighed. The only woman he wanted to meet was the one he had met in the market. Why won't she get off my mind! InuYasha pondered angrily. Maybe I should return to the market tomorrow and see if I can find her!

Kagome knocked on the door of her Stepmother's room. "Yes?" was the response she received and Kagome walked in. "Stepmother, I will take Kikyo and Kagura to the market tomorrow and we shall look for the man I met." Stepmother smiled. "Good Kagome. Just for that, you may have some supper. But not too much; I still remember what you did to Kagura. You may leave."

Kagome nodded and left the room. As she was shutting the door, she smiled to herself. The only reason she wanted to return to the market was so she could see that man. He would be a fool to fall for one of her stepsister's and any man who did wasn't worth it. She hummed to herself as she descended the stairs on her way to the kitchen. When she entered, Kikyo looked up at her.

"And just what are you so happy about?" she snapped in a bored voice. Kagome merely smiled at her and took some bread and fruit. "Hey, get your filthy hands off our food!" Kagura yelled. Kagome took a bight of the bread and chewed for a moment.

"Stepmother is allowing me some dinner. If you don't believe me just ask me for yourselves." As Kikyo and Kagura were about to leave the room Kagome added, "Oh, and the reason? I've agreed to take you two to the market tomorrow." The stopped in their tracks. Kikyo turned and put her hands on her hips. "Really?" she asked, sounding unconvinced. Kagome nodded. Kagura squealed in happiness and raced out of the kitchen, followed by a glaring Kikyo. Kagome hummed some more and went on eating her dinner.