Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshoumaru, and that is a very big bummer. Ever notice that you can't find the perfect guy that loves you unconditionally? I didn't, so I made the guy of my dreams, into well, the guy of my dreams…heh heh
Kagome smiled, "I'm really glad that you're here too."
They turned the corner at the end of the corridor and came face to face with Kagome's father, tall in all his mighty battle armor. He had a scowl on his face while looking at his daughter.
"You are late Kagome." Her father, Jiro pointed out, squaring his shoulders and looking down at his daughter.
Kagome bowed to her father, "I am sorry father."
"Come Kagome." No emotion came to her father's face as he looked over at Sesshoumaru; a small flash of distaste went through his eyes. He then grabbed his daughter's hand, pulling her to the double entrance doors.
Kagome looked back to Sesshoumaru and gave him a sad and apologetic smile for having been pulled from her intended so forcefully.
Sesshoumaru bowed slightly to her, smiling a small adoring smile before turning around and heading for the other entrance to the hall and disappearing through the doors.
"Kagome, I don't know why you have always insisted that you love that boy, you know that you cannot marry him, I have already told you that," He looks back at his daughter, seeing the sad and defeated look on her face. "It is un-heard of for a crown princess and a crown prince to be wed. It would be too difficult to rule two lands at the same time, our world as we know it would fall apart."
She had been told this all of her life, yet she did not have the courage to tell Sesshoumaru that her father would not let her be with him, it would break his heart. It had already broken hers. So, when he had asked to court her, she had said yes, mostly because her heart would not allow her to say no.
"Come, it is time for our introduction." Jiro turned around the corner and met his wife at the doors, he held out his arm for her and Alinna took it, smiling up at her husband.
Kagome knew what to do; she was to wait for the doors to open, and then to be introduced, bow, then walk down the staircase gracefully and smile, keeping her expression soft. They had told her how this was to be done hundreds of times now.
Her father beckoned the servants to open the door, and her mother and father walked through. The doors behind them shut and she could hear the booming voice of a guard announcing her mother and father.
"ANNOUNCING, JIRO AND ALINNA, LORD AND LADY OF THE NORTHERN LANDS!"
The crowd shouted back, "LONG LIVE THE KING AND QUEEN!"
After a few moments, the doors then opened for her and she walked out to the top step, keeping her posture straight, a small warm smile lighting up her face.
"ANNOUNCING, KAGOME, CROWN PRINCESS OF THE NORTHERN LANDS!"
She bowed to the gathering of nobles, lords and ladies, before holding back her cringe as they yelled back, "LONG LIVE THE PRINCESS!"
She walked down the staircase, hearing whispers of the coming of age ceremony, and marriage. When she reached the bottom two steps and hand was held out to her from her right. She looked and then smiled as she saw Sesshoumaru, lightly bowing, asking for her hand.
She set her hand gracefully into his, the tips of her fingers touching the heel of his palm as she curtsied to him. He straightened to his full height and tightened his hand around hers, squeezing lightly, before offering his arm. She threaded her arm through his and rested her small hand on top of his strong one.
Alinna watched her daughter coming down the long flight of stairs and then Sesshoumaru offered his hand to her.
She knew that Kagome was in love with this tall and handsome man, but she also knew it was not meant to be; her husband had made up his mind and would not allow her daughter to marry the crown prince of the western lands.
Alinna thought that they made such a beautiful couple, a striking match. They should be making their own decision in getting married and not having to suffer like she did when her parents put her into an arranged marriage. Don't get her wrong, she loved her husband Jiro, but it had been extremely hard to get used to each other and not to fight all the time. Later when they had started to love each other and realizing that their parents had made the right decision, they had tried for a baby. After a while, she became pregnant, and later gave birth to a baby boy named Sota, but after a few weeks, it became apparent that this small child would not live. After Sota had died she had been so distressed that she had locked herself inside of her room and had not come out for days on end, until finally Jiro had cracked into her depression and made her come out to eat and enjoy the fresh air.
After about a year and a half they tried again, being very careful with what she did and making sure to monitor her health, she became pregnant again. When she finally gave birth, it was a little girl, perfect in every way. They had waited a few weeks before telling anyone that she had had a baby, not wanting the excitement of a baby that might not live.
When it became apparent that the baby was alive and healthy and was not going to become sick from the same illness that had killed her precious baby Sota, they had planned a welcoming party for their baby that they had named Kagome. They had invited everyone to the party, making sure that great alliances were honored.
That was when Alinna had noticed it, the definite spark between the western crown prince Sesshoumaru and he small pup Kagome. She had never seen her little pup act so affectionate to anyone that she had just met. Here she was playing with this boy that she had just met, giggling and laughing. She had walked up and stood over them, watching her little daughter take to this boy so easily. They had been so preoccupied with their playing that they had not noticed her.
The whole room had gone quiet just to watch the touching scene play out.
Later on in the years, they had only become more attached to each other, playing and laughing the days away.
Then it came to the time that Sesshoumaru was called to go to war with his father, that was when she had realized that her daughter loved this boy that was now becoming a man. Her daughter had cried for days, crying over the fact that she would not see Sesshoumaru for many years. Her daughter had been very depressed for the fifteen years that he had been gone.
Now her mother looked at her, all joyful and happy, smiling and laughing, holding on to this man's arm in the most affectionate matter.
Alinna may have been denied choosing a man for herself, but she would be damned that her daughter did not get the choice as to who she mated with.