This is where my cheesy introduction to the notes is supposed to go…
1: Wee! I've got fifty reviews! I looked at the number and there were thirty three, and I left for an hour, came back, and there were over forty! I can't believe it, you like me your really like me! And now I just had to change the number to fifty! This is starting to get a bit annoying. Not that I'm complaining, but I keep having to change the number in this note. It's a pain in the ass.
2: The song Kagome sings in here is You Must Love Me from Evita. It's a good song, you should listen to it when you read this chapter, it sets the mood in a way.
3: Inuyasha is currently the object of my desire. Thus, I don't have him yet.
4: I wrote this while listening to music from Evita, so forgive me if it's a bit odd/different.
5: I feel like I need to give a special shout out to Notes-and-Photographs. Why? Because she won the virtual cookie, and the prize for my longest review yet. I do love Jamisonparker, so you don't just sound like a raving lunatic. I LUV U
6: This one is extra fluffy, if not a bit OOC, in light of Valentines Day. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it.
Take This To Your Grave
CHAPTER FIVE
Kagome sighed, trying to hide her disappointment and sadness. Four days until she was to marry Sesshoumaru, and he hadn't even looked her way since the incident in the forest the day before. Her, Sango, and Kilala were at the hot springs, and had been since the early hours of the afternoon, just before guests began arriving for a the ball, and, of course, for her wedding. Sesshoumaru's father had invited them to come early, and was throwing a formal dinner in their honor. "Kagome, don't be difficult, we have to make you smell good for Sesshoumaru." Sango reasoned, trying to hold the struggling princess still while Kilala smeared oils that smelled of apples and cinnamon all over her body.
"Sango, you know as well as I that Sesshoumaru doesn't give two shits about what I smell like." Kagome lied, remembering his antics in the forest the other day, "He wouldn't care if I smelled like what the servants clean off the bottoms of his boots."
"Then we'll make him care, love. You'll have him drooling for you by the end of the night." Kilala said, lathering soaps in Kagome's hair that made her nose itch.
"I'll remember to bring him a napkin, then." Kagome replied sarcastically, rising and stepping out of the spring and wrapping a towel around her body, closely followed by Sango and Kilala. They proceeded to follow her into her chambers, all of them receiving odd looks because of their lack of anything but towels for clothing. "Come on, 'Gome, we need to get you dressed."
Kagome sat in a chair, shaking her head vigorously to rid it of water as Kilala and Sango fought over which kimono she should wear. Sango held up a white kimono that looked like the one that Sesshoumaru always wears, lined with red and gold lotus blossoms, and a black obi. Kilala held up an orange and purple one, with white butterflies placed at random spots on the fabric, and a white obi. "Which one, 'Gome?" Sango asked sweetly.
"Look, I don't care. Fight it out among yourselves." And so they did. Yelling, rude hand gestures, hair pulling, insults, the whole nine yards.
"MIROKU-KUN!" Kagome yelled, and, sure enough, a certain lecherous monk's head peaked out from around the door frame, looking scared. "Good. Now, since these two can't decide like civil people, which one should I wear?" Miroku looked deep in thought, even scratching his chin for effect.
Finally, he shrugged. "Why wear a kimono?" Then grinned as all three women smacked him. "Alright, alright, I get it. Ummm.. wear the white one. The gold and red will compliment your skin more than the purple and orange." And with that, he left the room.
Sango let out a triumphant laugh and pulled away Kagome's towel, thrusting the kimono over her head. "Does Miroku realize just how much of a woman he sounded like when he said that?" Kagome asked herself, helping Kilala tie the obi around her waist.
"Am I the only one here who would find it fun to cut of everything that makes him a man, and help him be more womanly?" Both Kilala and Kagome looked at Sango like she was insane, and Sango shrugged. "I guess so…"
"There! You look beautiful, Lady Kagome." Kilala flashed a grin at Kagome and mock bowed. Kagome aimed a half-hearted blow at Kilala and stepped in front of her mirror that hung on the wall. It was true, the kimono was beautiful, but what was the use? Sesshoumaru didn't give a flying fuck about how she looked, or what she smelled like, or even if she was there. What was the point of making her look her best if the one who she was supposed to be with forever didn't care?
"It's beautiful, thank you, Kilala, Sango." Kagome made to dismiss them, but Sango rushed to her side and pushed her into a chair.
"Oh no you don't. We still have to do something with your hair." Sango said, running he fingers through said raven locks with something close to envy on her face.
"You've just been waiting to do this, haven't you?" Kagome teased, leaning back in the chair and letting Sango and Kilala have their fun with her hair. No one spoke a word as they worked, and, after almost a half hour, Kagome started to get nervous. Knowing Sango, she was doing something that was permanent, and would embarrass her to no end. And, if she didn't trust Kilala to keep Sango from doing anything too horrible, Kagome would have stopped her a long time ago.
"There. Every male in that room will have to hold their jaws to keep them from dropping. You look stunning, 'Gome-chan." Sango exclaimed, hoisting her up by her arms and pushing her friend in front of the mirror once again. Her friends had placed he hair up in an intricate twist hear the nape of her neck, with a strand of hair still hanging in her face. She truly looked the part of a princess, and Lord Sesshoumaru's intended.
"Thanks guys. I can't help but feel like you're living through me when you do this." Sango giggled and pushed Kagome out of the door.
"Go, enjoy yourself, mingle with the upper classes, and bring me back a piece of lord Akito's hair." Kilala laughed, giving Kagome one lat shove down the hall and retreating to her own chambers.
Everyone was already in the dining hall when Kagome arrived at the hall, Sesshoumaru waiting for her at the entrance. They were supposed to make their grand entrance together. His cold eyes looked her up and down, making her feel suddenly very self-conscious. Giving a small nod, he offered her his arm. She let out a sigh of relief and took it, placing her hand delicately in the crook of his elbow. The polite talk stopped as Kagome and Sesshoumaru appeared at the doorway, and suddenly, all eyes were upon them. They managed to descend the small stair gracefully enough, which was a feat in itself considering Kagome's natural clumsiness.
Everyone in the room stood as they entered, only taking their seats when Sesshoumaru took his seat to the right of his father, and Kagome on his right. She sighed as everyone's eyes now turned to Lord Tashio, waiting for him to speak and take his first bite so all of them could eat. They were no longer the center of attention, the hard part was over. Lord Tashio stood and extended his arms out, gesturing around the hall. "My friends, revered lords and ladies from all corners of the nation, greetings. I'm sure you all know why you are here, except perhaps the Lord Riko," An appreciative chuckle rippled around the table at the Lord's joke about the exceptionally old lizard demon, that made it a constant habit to forget what the was doing half way through doing it. "My son, Sesshoumaru, is to be wed to the Lady Kagome in four days time,
"I'm sure you will all recall their engagement announcement ten years ago, and have all been waiting for the time when they would finally be mated. The time, I think, has finally come, and I feel like I should be the first so say," the demon lord reached for his cup which had been filled with sake, "here's to Kagome and Sesshoumaru, and their long, happy life together." He drank deeply an sat down, everyone around the table following suit, a few clapping, a few cheering even. Kagome could feel her cheeks growing hot. How could she be expected to live a long and happy life with someone who hated her with a passion? The whole matter was very confusing, so, being herself, the young demoness decided to drown her confusion in the only salvation she had left. Food.
Sesshoumaru almost let his breath catch in his throat when he saw her enter the room. She looked absolutely breathtaking in a white kimono, lined with red and gold, and tied with a black obi. As she took his arm, his numb mind registered that he was wearing his colors, white red and gold. Her maids had no doubt done that on purpose. She also smelled delectable, like a mixture of fruits and some spice he could not place. The fabric clung to her pale skin, outlining every curve of her body and making it very hard for Sesshoumaru to keep his composure.
All eyes were upon them as they descended the stair, Kagome holding his arm a bit harder than she should have, presumably to keep her balance and not embarrass herself. She had always been a clumsy little thing. Sesshoumaru had to hold back a growl at all of the eyes fixed upon them. Though he tried to tell himself that it was the insolence of the lower lords for staring at him, but, deep inside, he knew the real reason. He wanted each and every one of them to keep their eyes off of Kagome, and gouge out the eyes of the damn wolf for daring to even breathe near her.
They took their seats, and his father stood for the traditional prattle he called a speech. As usual, it was gag-worthy. His father made a tasteless joke about the old demon, Riko, and everyone laughed, at the risk of having their heads ripped off if they didn't. Glancing over to his side, Sesshoumaru noticed Kagome eating like she wouldn't live to see another plate of food again. Perhaps her maids had forbidden her to eat that day to make her look thinner for the feast. It was disgusting, when wenches starved themselves for the sake of looking thin. It was utterly unattractive, and the thought of Kagome starving herself made him almost growl again.
The youkai leaned back in his seat, taking a small sip of his sake as he observed the rest of the company without much interest. Lord Akito was in what seemed like a particularly absorbing conversation with one of the ladies of his court that he had brought along. The wolf was in a loud argument with the Lady Ayame over something insignificant. Lord Riko looked about ready to fall asleep face-first in his soup. And Inuyasha looked sulky.
The only thing that really caught his attention was the mentioning of Kagome's name. He was on his third glass of sake, and had toughed nothing of his food, when his ears picked up a bit of the Lord Jiro's conversation with the Lord Ryuu. "Oh, yes. My daughter, Kagome, has the most lovely singing voice." Sesshoumaru was puzzled. Singing? He had never heard her sing. Could she sing? Looking down at the female in question, he saw that her cheeks had turned a delicate shade of pink, apparently hearing her father's praise. "I'm sure she'd be willing to sing something for us. After the feast is done, I'll have her perform one of her songs." The girl went even redder and sunk low in her chair, apparently hoping it would suddenly open and swallow her whole.
Sesshoumaru let out an undetectable snort. Of course, it was just like the Lord Jiro to speak for other people when they didn't want or need to be spoken for. Suddenly, the content babble of happy, well fed people died down, and glancing around, Sesshoumaru saw that Jiro was standing and gesturing for silence. He sat up in his seat, eyeing the embarrassed girl beside him. If anything, this would be amusing.
"My lords and ladies, now that we have all been fed and quenched, I would like to present the entertainment for the evening. I will ask my daughter to please stand, and give us a song." All eyes were now upon her, and she had no choice but to rise from her seat. "Kagome, if you will." The company waited with baited breath, waiting impatiently for her to begin. After a deep breath, she began the song. Quiet at first, then louder, with more confidence.
Where do we go from here?
This isn't where we intended to be
We had it all, you believed in me
I believed in you
Certainties disappear
What do we do for our dream to survive?
How do we keep all our passions alive,
As we used to do?
Deep in my heart I'm concealing
Things that I'm longing to say
Scared to confess what I'm feeling
Frightened you'll slip away
You must love me
You must love me
Why are you at my side?
How can I be any use to you now?
Give me a chance and I'll let you see how
Nothing has changed
Deep in my heart I'm concealing
Things that I'm longing to say
Scared to confess what I'm feeling
Frightened you'll slip away
You must love me
You must love me
You must love me
A pregnant silence filled the room, all in shock. Kagome had the voice of an angel. Sweet and pure. Even Sesshoumaru was surprised. To break the silence, the wolf rose from his seat, clapping loudly. Soon, everyone else followed suit, all clapping and cheering for their princess. The stoic demon lord even let himself rise to his feet and bring his hands together once or twice, reluctantly admitting that it was the best thing he had ever herd. Once they all sat down again, Sesshoumaru had to restrain himself, once again, from tearing the wolf from limb to limb for daring to look at her, and even have the audacity to claim to everyone within ear shot that she was 'his woman'.
The cheerful talk ensued. It was normal for demon feasts to be like this, lasting into the early hours of the morning, long after everyone had finished more than enough food. The lords often didn't stop talking until one of them fell asleep, or lord Riko fainted from the exertion of keeping a conversation. Sesshoumaru even found himself engaging in a conversation with the lord Akito over the punishments of criminals. He felt that anyone caught in the act of a crime should be beheaded on the spot, but Akito disagreed with him. The hawk demon felt that it depended on the crime. "Should a murder be charged with the same punishment as a thief? If someone was idiotic enough to let someone rob them, it's their own fault. A murder, on the other hand, is a completely different case."
On and on they went, for some time, until Jiro finally broke up the soon turned argument with a simple statement that they would both be lords of their own lands, and could decide to punish criminals any way they pleased. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Kagome, who would have normally talked his ears off by now, hadn't said a word to him, to anyone, since she sang. He looked down at her and found her head lolling on her chest. Giving her a wary sniff, he pulled back with alarm. She had fallen asleep, in the middle of a feast.
Seeing Sesshoumaru's reaction to the girl, other people started noticing, too. "Someone should take her to her chambers." The wolf suggested, looking hopeful.
"Touch her, and I'll make sure you cant touch anything for a very, very long time." Sesshoumaru hissed, rising from his chair. "I will take her. I was thinking of retiring to my chambers anyhow." Gently, the youkai pulled her chair away from the table, and, with a tenderness he didn't know he could posses, lifted her from it.
Sesshoumaru could feel they eyes of the other on the back of his form as he left the hall, the girl secure in his arms, one hand under her knees and the other under her back. Her face as calm and peaceful, every one of her features more relaxed than he had ever seen them before. Her raven hair hung from her head in limp curls, her hair having came down earlier in the evening. She was, undoubtedly, beautiful, one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. If only she wasn't so infuriating, so irritating, he might be able to stand being with her forever.
He pushed his way into her private chambers, placing her upon her bed with the utmost care. The girl moaned in her sleep, stirring a bit. One of her arms lunged out and grabbed hold of the pelt over his shoulder, clenching the soft fur with an iron grip. "Sesshou." She muttered, letting him loose and rolling over so her back was to him. With the tiniest of smiles, Sesshoumaru removed the white pelt and wrapped it around the girl's body. She visibly grinned in her sleep, snuggling further into the warmth of the fur, which tightened around her.
The demon watched his intended with something close to adoration on his face. Perhaps, he thought, being mated to this girl wouldn't be quite so bad.
A/N: Not too sure if I like this one. It's longer than all of my others by far, but I'm not too sure about it. I wrote the last half in about thirty minutes, so forgive me if it sounds rushed. I really wanted it to be out today. This is one of those chapters that I will probably rewrite when this is done. Oh well, I guess I'll have to live with it for now.
