Chapter Three

The Invitation

The next day, Kagome did as she had promised and took her two stepsisters to the market to try and find the InuYasha guy. But after an hour or so of no luck, they gave up and started back home. Kagome starred at the ground for the entire walk home. She had really been hoping to see him…but it just wasn't meant to be. Kagura had been talking to Kikyo but suddenly she stopped dead. Kagome walked right into her back and fell to the hard ground with an "Oof!" Kikyo looked down at her and laughed. Kagura sneered at the girl and snapped, "Watch where you're going idiot!"

Kagome nodded and stood up. She brushed off her dress and apron and asked, "But why did you stop Kagura?" Her stepsister wasn't listening however, but looking down the road. Kagome followed her stare and gasped. A white stagecoach was heading their way and had the same, familiar looking white horses. Kagome didn't know what to do. She quickly glanced around but didn't know what to do. "Kagome, isn't that the stagecoach you were describing to us last night?" Kikyo asked.

"Y-Yes, it is," Kagome stuttered. Kikyo's eyes lit up and she started to wave. The coach man looked at her with a confused look and stopped the stagecoach. Kagura was already starting to walk towards them. Kikyo was following close behind. Kagome merely stood in her place, as if rooted to the ground. A man was stepping out of the coach. But it wasn't InuYasha. Kagome sighed in relief. Sure she wanted to see him, but if Kikyo and Kagura were around like this…

The man had long white hair and the same eyes as InuYasha. His expression was cold and he was wearing a white suit. "Hello ladies," he greeted them, bowing. Kagura and Kikyo squealed in delight. "I am looking for the castle. Can you tell me where it is? I am the King's son, Prince Sesshomaru. I have not been there in over ten years." Kagura nodded and pointed in the direction of he castle. "I-It's that way, your highness," she mumbled. Sesshomaru bowed again and said good-bye. He stepped back into the coach and the driver started up the horses. They drove off back down the dirt road and out of sight.

"Oh, Kagome, you were right! He was so handsome and his eyes…" Kagura sighed. Kagome giggled. "Right…should we get going then?" Kikyo nodded and pulled Kagura along. "But he was looking at me!" she commented. Her sister gasped. "He was not! Are you blind? He couldn't take his eyes off me!" Kikyo glared at her. "What man would choose you over me?" she asked smugly.

"No man!"

"Ha!"

"That's right! Any man who would love you…"

And they kept on bickering the whole way home. Eventually Kagome smiled and the two sisters glared at her. "What?" Kikyo asked her, her eyes flickering. Kagome shrugged and started to hum. When they walked inside their warm home, Kagome hung up the girls coats and then went into the kitchen to start dinner. Kikyo and Kagura rushed into their mother's room and started talking all at once. She became annoyed and shouted, "Silence! Kikyo, what is it?"

"Why Kikyo---" Kagura started to complain.

"Because I'm older, now shut up!" Kikyo snapped and told the story of meeting Sesshomaru. "He was so dreamy, Mother. And I could tell he was falling in love with me!" Kikyo sighed and sat on the edge of her mothers bed. Kagura was glaring and finally she got to put a word in. "Mother, that's a lie! He kept starring at me!" The two daughters started fighting all over again but Stepmother stopped them.

"That's quite enough!" she hissed. "I'm sure he was interested in both of you! Now go and make sure Kagome is doing her chores!" The girls mumbled to themselves as they walked back out to the kitchen. Kagome was stirring something in a giant pot over the fire. It smelled heavenly and Kagura couldn't help but sniff and sigh. Kikyo jabbed her in the ribs. "Kagome, go scrub the floor in the front hall!" she yelled at the girl. Kagome looked up and nodded. She set down her stirring spoon and wiped her hands on her apron. She walked past Kikyo and Kagura and into the front hall.

Kikyo and Kagura spent the afternoon getting a music lesson from their mother. Kikyo was singing while Kagura was playing the flute. Stepmother sat at the piano. "One more time," she sighed in frustration. Kikyo started on a high note as Kagura played her flute. They were horrible and Stepmother's cat had to slink out of the room from fear his eardrums would burst. Downstairs, Kagome was scrubbing the dirty floor and singing the same song as her stepsisters softly. She sighed in exhaustion and leaned back against a wall. The cat walked and purred beside her. Kagome smiled weakly and petted his soft fur. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Kagome looked up.

She stood and opened the door to a squat man in royal clothing. He had a squeaky voice and when he spoke Kagome starred. "The residence of the Higurashi manor have been cordially invited to a royal ball at the King's castle. It is the 4th night of November." He handed Kagome a neatly folded invitation. "Good day." He bowed and made his way down the walk. Kagome still stood there, looking at the invitation in her hand, but snapped out of it and closed the door. She slowly walked up the staircase and knocked on her Stepmother's door.

Inside the room, Stepmother played a wrong note on the piano as she heard a knock. "What!" she shouted, very frustrated and angry. Kagome opened the door slightly and poked her head in. "Um…sorry to interrupt Stepmother, but an invitation has arrived for a ball at the castle." Kagura and Kikyo gasped and raced over to her. When Kikyo grasped the piece of paper she quickly unfolded it. She read it through once and screamed in happiness. Kagura grabbed it from her and read it also.

"Oh, Mother, can we go? Can we please go?" Kikyo pleaded. Stepmother smiled and said, "Oh course we may go. When is it?" Kagome answered that and Kikyo and Kagura dashed from the room to pick out an outfit. Kagome stood there, starring at the floor. "Stepmother?" she said quietly. Stepmother was still sitting at the piano and smiling (another one of her fake smiles). "Yes, Kagome?"

"Well, the invitation says that every young woman should be there. Does that mean I may come along?" her eyes were big and sparkling and Stepmother thought a moment.

"You may go Kagome. But that is if you finish all your chores and of course…find a dress." Kagome smiled and cried, "Oh, thank you Stepmother!" she ran from the room feeling overjoyed. But the ball was in less then a week and she couldn't do all of her chores and find a dress. Kagome stopped right outside the attic door and thought. Then she groaned in regret and decided to get an early start on her many chores. Perhaps if she finished them sooner she could sew a dress with some material of Stepmother's. Kagome instantly felt better and rushed up the many flights of stairs to her room.

Sesshomaru's stagecoach halted outside of the castle. The young man inside got out and stood up straight. He strode into the big castle and asked a guard where the King was. "That way, sir," the guard said, pointing down the hall to the dining room. Sesshomaru thanked him and walked confidently down the hall and found the King sitting in a high chair. He was laughing and talking with his youngest son, InuYasha. When he spotted Sesshomaru he immediately stopped talking and his jaw dropped.

"Se…Sesshomaru?" he gasped. He suddenly broke out into a wide grin and jumped out of his chair. He ran over to Sesshomaru and shook his hand fondly. Sesshomaru smiled politely and took a seat by InuYasha. "Hello, little brother," he said. InuYasha sneered. "Hey, Sesshomaru. Why are you here?"

"I got word of this ball you are having," Sesshomaru answered. "Nice way to meet a wife." He snickered and InuYasha stood up. "At least I'll have a wife! You could never meet the right woman!" Sesshomaru sat back lazily.

"Actually, I met two on my way here. They were very strange in fact. But there was another woman who just stood over on the side of the road out of the way. She was quite beautiful." Sesshomaru yawned. InuYasha had taken his seat again. "What'd she look like?" he asked. Sesshomaru tried to remember. "She had shiny black hair and was dressed like she was poor. But the girls drooling over me looked rich." Sesshomaru smiled. "But she was wearing an apron and a bandana and her hair was tied back."

InuYasha looked at the table. Had it been…

"Well, that's very nice, but now to change the subject to a more important matter!" their father piped up. "The ball!" Sesshomaru and the King discussed the ball while InuYasha continued to stare at the table.