Inuyasha leaned up against his balcony. Last night, he had to sit through another one of his father's speeches about honor and duty to the people and the land. He groaned. Even though it was his duty, the thought of marrying Sango made him sick to his stomach.

He turned and proceeded back to his bedroom. He pulled his hair back into a low ponytail tying it tightly in a royal blue ribbon. He walked out the room. He checked the hall before sneaking out into the hallway and closing the door quietly behind him. He went down the servant staircase surprising the few peasants continuing their normal duties. He simply gave them a smile and continued his passage down the staircase. At the end he came into the dark basement hallway, headed towards the back of the castle. He had to walk all the way around the castle. The guards posted around the side entrances of the castle and those in the towers of the castle walls, straightened in his presence. He nodded in approval before finally making his way to his favorite Birch tree. He went to the side shaded by its branches and lay against its huge trunk.

He looked up at the sky trying to the think. There was no way he could get out of the marriage, but no matter what he tried to tell himself, it gave him a bad feeling in his gut.

He held his belly, not caring that he'd wrinkled the delicate silk robes he was wearing. He closed his eyes, resting lightly, his chin lying against his chest.

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Meanwhile, in his room, Kodachi was starting to panic. She hadn't been with the prince long and he WASN'T here. She'd opened the door since it wasn't locked and there was no answer when she knocked.

"Sire!" She called her voice frantic. She searched everywhere. Then, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down and think of where he would've gone. She walked out to his balcony. Peering over the edge, she spotted a tinge of metallic gold. 'Sire?' Even though she wasn't sure, she decided to make the journey to the courtyard from the back of the castle anyways. Although she didn't know this, she followed in Inuyasha very footsteps, passing the same guards after leaving the tunnel at the end of the staircase. She kept her gaze low around the guards though rather than acknowledging them as Inuyasha had. She raced to Inuyasha once she recognized him in the bright afternoon sun.

"Sire... where have you been? I was so worried. Come now... his highness said to prepare you for a journey to the Northern Lands." She said in a rushed voice.

Inuyasha slowly raised his head. "What?" He asked completely confused since he didn't understand a word Kodachi had just spoken.

"His highness instructed me himself to prepare you for a journey to the Northern Lands." She repeated slower this time.

"Oh… you mean he wants to me to go visit Sango again... wonderful." Inuyasha said with a sigh.

Kodachi lowered her head. "Milord shall we go?" She asked eager to avoid punishment for not fulfilling her royal duties. Inuyasha knew of her punishment if he did not come so he stood slowly dusting off his robes. He smiled down at her. "Yes... let us go..." He said in an ominous tone. She quickly stood to follow him into the castle. Once back at his room, Inuyasha sat down in an armchair to wait for her to prepare his bath. Kodachi quickly busied herself using only oils and scents indigenous to the Southern Lands since he was traveling into foreign lands. She finished and walked into the main room.

"Sire your bath is ready would you like some help getting undressed? Like me to wash your back? Need anything?" She asked eager to please.

Inuyasha smiled at her. "I don't need any help getting undressed, but you could wash my back for me." He said surprising her since it was rare for him to allow her to wash anything on him. Her eyes lit up. "Yes sire." She said happily hurrying to take out his white linen robes as he undressed.

She knocked lightly on the side of the wall near the curtain to the bathroom. "May I sir?" She asked quietly. She her a gentle 'proceed' from within before the golden curtains. She smiled as she grasped the washcloth he offered her. She lathered it in scented soap before gently scrubbing his shoulders and neck. She brushed aside his hair to proceed farther down his back. Once she scrubbed a bit past the small of his back, she offered him back the towel.

"Anything else?" She asked him quietly. He shook his head and she stepped out the room. She smoothed out his linen before taking out a comb and brush for his hair.

Inuyasha stepped from the bathroom, fluffy white towel across his shoulder his underclothes fitted on his waist. She hurried to where she'd laid out his clothing. She helped him into his pants tying the drawstring tightly before sliding on his shirt. It had pearl buttons down the front. She started to button them, but he brushed away her hands and did them himself. Once he finished she helped him into his overcoat. He strolled over to a small wooden stool, allowing her full access to his now messy mane of hair.

Blinking a bit, she took a deep breath grasping his hair gently and slowly sliding the brush through it. Once it was once a again a shining masterpiece, she took up the comb and pulled his hair back into another a neat, low, ponytail securing it with a gold ribbon to match the golden embroidery and border on his overcoat.

Kodachi came from behind him putting away the comb and brush. She wiped her hands on her plain cotton robes. "Anything else?" She asked preparing to leave.

"No." Inuyasha replied. Kodachi turned to leave. Before she stepped out the door, she walked back to him, placing a parchment envelope in his lap. She turned to leave once again afterwards.

After she closed the door behind her, and he listened to her footsteps down the hall, Inuyasha picked up the envelope. He ripped opened the seal marked with his family crest. He scanned the note.

'Your royal carriage shall be prepared and ready for departure at two o'clock today.'

It was signed by his father. He ripped the note and stood to toss it over his balcony. Anger brewed in him all of a sudden. How dare he? No matter my duty, this is my life, how dare his choose MY destiny according to his wishes!

He clenched his fists tight on the balcony rail. He looked out at the church clock. One fifteen.

'Oh well… what's wrong with being early?'

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Kikyo sighed at Sango's rage. She held her head before starting to the bath after her. She found Sango sitting in the tub. She kneeled beside her.

"Sango dear… don't act this way, whether you like it or not, you're still a princess." Kikyo said in a semi-stern voice. Sango looked up at her with a tear-stained face, eyes burning with anger and hopelessness. Kikyo almost melted. She reached over the edge of the tub, moving to sit on one of the steps leading up to it. She held Sango head to her chest. Sango could feel the rising and falling of her chest along with the gentle thump of her heart.

"Oh dear… you know your father would only do this if it was for your good." She said calmly, trying to soothe Sango.

"Mine… or the good of his precious kingdom?" Sango asked looking up at Kikyo.

Kikyo knew one day it'd come to this. She took a deep breath and held Sango face so that she was looking directly into her eyes.

"Your father may seem like a man who takes his honor and duty to the kingdom too seriously, but his duty to family ALWAYS comes first, believe me. I helped raise him when he was a young child. He would NEVER do such a thing." Kikyo told Sango.

Sango's eyes as she looked into Kikyo's bore the innocence of a newborn. Kikyo's bore even more wisdom than her years.

"But…" Sango began. She stopped short because of the look Kikyo's face held caught her voice in her throat. Kikyo gave a gentle smile before pulling away to prepare Sango's robes. Sango wiped at her eyes and quickly finished her bath.

By the time Sango finished her bath, Kikyo had laid out a beautifully embroidered strapless pastel rose colored gown.

'It's beautiful… too bad Inuyasha's the only one who'll see me in it.' Sango thought with a quiet snicker.

Kikyo gave her a smile at her snicker. "I noticed something lifted your spirits." Kikyo said smiling at her.

"The dress is beautiful.." Sango said almost dreamily. Kikyo knew that wasn't what made her laugh, but she was happy she was out of her funk. She smiled at her and helped her into her dress. Sango held up her arms so Kikyo could pull up the dress on the sides. Afterwards, Kikyo took her time in lacing the ribbons along the back of the gown.

Sango took a seat on the edge and Kikyo climbed up behind to pull up her auburn mane. She gently took her hair into her hands, pinning it along the way with little pins topped with tiny white flowers. When she finished, Sango's hair was pulled up into an intricate bun topped off with a white comb with pale yellow hand-painting.

"You're beautiful Sango… even if you don't want this at least go out and flaunt your beauty." Kikyo begged her after finishing up her duties.

Sango smiled at her.

"You don't have to plead, that's one thing I don't have a problem with." She said grinning from ear to ear.

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Inuyasha slowly trudged into the clearing for the carriages. He climbed his way over the large hill in front of the stables. He walked in, surprising the workers assigned to work the stables today. Each gave him a curt nod in respect. He gave a gentle wave of his hand instructing them to continue with their duties.

He lazily walked among the animals, smiling a bit as he walked. The animals calmed his mind, yet sadly not his nose. His wrinkled his face and jogged out the barn. This time he walked back over the hill with a slight pep in his step as he walked.

HI FANS!

--Um.. Sunfrost mah dear. I put Eriol-san in the next chapter I promise..

--Everybody who said longer chapters I swear I'm trying, but my mind thinks faster than I type and eventually.. I forget what I thought..

I apologize for my forgetfulness.

Don't hate me please! –pleading-

Anyways.. REVIEW!.. or feel the wrath of the monkeys and their queen.

-Chickens and Cows